Taeyeon is tired and the lack of food intake makes her grumpy. Everything she ate was ‘blah’. Not just food, drinks too. Her manager decides to send her home since her not feeling well. Taeyeon lazily dragging her short legs into her apartment. She couldn’t understand what happen. This morning everything seems fine. The breakfast was delicious but she eats only small portion of it. Thanks to her alarm who decided to not ring in the first day of her comeback stage and her manager who suddenly appear in front of her apartment without prior calls.

Without even switching the lights on, she slowly walked toward the huge windows at the end of living room. The sky blue coloured curtains hindering her from outside view, a breath taking view that she fell in love with the moment she entered this exclusive apartment 4 years ago. She slides the curtains, enjoying night view of Han River and Seoul city from different perspective, 20 floors above the ground.

“Woof..woof!”

Taeyeon turned her head, searching where the cute bark coming from. She knows very well who is the owner. Then she saw a furry ball of energy running around her legs. “Zero!” she holds the puppy and cuddles him. “I miss you so much. Did you miss me?”

“Woof,” The tiny silver poodle seems understand what his owner said.

“Really? Auwww. I love youuuu. Mmmuah..muahh.” She kissed the puppy’s head again and again. “I’m sleepy. Let’s go to bed.” She stood up while holding Zero, walking towards her bedroom. Switching on the lamp on the night stand, she put Zero on her bed and proceeds to the bathroom to freshen up a bit.

After she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing nothing but a bathrobe, she sat on the bed fishing out her phone from her purse to kill some time checking out her Instagram. She laid her head on the pillow with eyes fixed to the screen. Suddenly she felt something gooey right on the spot where her head lies. “What the hell.” She immediately sat up and turns back her head.  She saw a dark brown semi solid thing on her white pillow. She touched her hair and smells it. Nothing. “What is this?” She gets up and switch on the main lights, confuse what this poo looking thing is.

Suddenly it hits her. Her eyes went 3 times larger with the realization. “Poo?! Is this ? Is this your crap, Zero?!” She quickly ran to the shower, for the second time, washing her hair with excessive amount of shampoo and conditioner. Trying her best to get rid the crap out of hair.

But then, she stops her action. She turns off the water and her eyes stares at the wall. She could feel something wasn’t clicked. She grabbed back the shampoo bottle on the rack, hastily open up the lid and put in front of her nose. “No.” She shakes her head. “No. No!” she went back to her room, didn’t care if she wetted the floor, the carpet or what not. What she cares about is, to confirm what she has in her mind right now.

Chanel perfume. *spray* *spray* *smell*. Nothing. Romily Wilde, Gucci and y Ruby Michael Kors; none of that stimulate her olfactory sense. Other people would faint with these overpowering smells from odd combination of perfumes. But for Taeyeon, it just like water mist hits a face. Odourless. Then she knows her condition is back.

****

Twice was on their way to Japan. It is normal for them nowadays to go back and forth from Korea to Japan, even in wee hours. Sometimes when they arrived at Korea from other country, they stayed for few hours to perform at certain stage then they need to hop back to airport to go somewhere else. It was tiring for them of course but this is what they want. Well, at least that was Jeongyeon wants.

Mina was sitting beside Sana in the flight, on comfortable seat in business class area, eyes closed. These hectic schedules was ridiculously all her energy making her fell asleep almost instantly the moment she put her head on the headrest. She knew the flight will land in 2 hours, so getting some sleep will be a very good idea now. Bit by bit, the surrounding voices became more distant and disappear.

“Hi Miyoui Mina.”

Mina heard a voice calling her but she couldn’t find who it was. “Hi.” She greet the voice back even though she wasn’t sure who she talking to. She looks at her surrounding, trying to figure out where she is.  I’m still in the flight but where is everybody? Did they leave me alone? Why no one awakes me? Mina was confused and scared when she knew she was still at the same place but to her dismay, every seat in the flight was empty. No other passenger. Just her.

“Don’t worry. They didn’t leave you.”

Mina was surprised. The voice could hear her thought. This is creepy. “May I know who I’m talking to?” Mina being polite as always.

“No body. I mean literally NO BODY. Hahahaha. Get it? Why? You scared?”

“Ghost??!!.” Mina was frightened.

“Is that all you can think? Pfftt. As expected, human.”

“What are you then? You know I look stupid talking to the air, right?”

“You do look stupid. Hahahaha. But no one here so don’t worry.”

Mina is running out of patience. This ghost or whatever it is, starting to get on her nerves. “Consider you are lucky right now for not having body, ghost. I might look soft but for someone who studied ballet for 11 years, my legs strength is no joke.”

“First, I’m not a ghost. Secondly, I like this side of you. You look beautiful when you mad. Okay Miyoui Mina, let’s have some fun. Shall we? If we meet again, I’ll tell you who I am. But for now, I’m here to warn you. No, not warn. It sounds threatening.” The voice paused. “I am here to inform you or to give you heads up.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Starting today, your life will be hard. You think you are crazy but you’re not. Unexplainable thing will happen. Be patient. That is all. I take my leave for now human. Good bye.”

“What the….”

Mina was awaken by gushed of horrible smell invading her nose. She pinched her nose and said, “Who step on the crap?”

Sana, who already awake look at Mina with questioning look. “What crap? I don’t smell anything? Yah, Mina what with you and you strange smells.”

“Seriously you don’t smell that? Did they serve blue cheese or durian while I’m asleep?” Mina couldn’t believe Sana didn’t smell this horrible thing she smells right now.

“You seriously need to see a doctor, Mina. Are you crazy? Durian is forbidden inside the flight. Wahhh, you are really…”

“Wait,” Mina sniffed at Sana’s hair, the seats and her clothes, “It’s gone.”

“Is this your way of telling me my hair stinks?” Sana glared at Mina.

“No. I swear I smell something like poo. Oh..!!”

“What now, Mina?” Sana sounds annoyed.

Watching Sana irritated face, Mina decides to keep it to herself. She didn’t blame her. If she is in Sana’s place, she would be annoyed too. Plus, they are all tired and sensitive. “Nothing. Forget it.” She sighed.

“I’m sorry.” Sana felt guilty after noticing Mina’s sad face. “You must be very tired your brain cannot function well. Maybe someone threw at you in your dream and you thought it is real.” Sana tries to crack a joke to lighten the mood. She hugs Mina and said, “Trust me okay. There is no strange smell in this plane. I can smell your perfume now but it is very pleasant one. No .” Sana laughed.

Mina returns the hug and smile. “You are right. I must be so tired.”

Chaeyeong on the other hand, who sit at the aisle next to them, heard their conversation. She could sense something isn’t right with Mina because this is second time today she acted strange. Both times were related to smell. For someone who closed to Mina, Chaeyeong feels a little bit worry for her.

****

 Taeyeon done cleaning the mess Zero made on her bed. She took extra hour to go around the house to search for Zero ‘leftover’. Taking mental note to not let Zero enter her bedroom at least until her condition settles which she doesn’t even know when. Maybe she need to send Zero to her parents’ house like she did to Ginger. She really doesn’t want to send her new friend there but she is afraid this filthy thing will happen again and she didn’t even know where the faeces are.

Truthfully, that is not a major thing to be concerned of. Taeyeon goes back to her favourite spot in her house, the couch that facing Han River. “Why is this happening again?” She rubs her face with both of her hands. “As if my life is not depressing enough. And now, this.” Sad. That is how she sees her life now. She took out her phone from her pocket. It was 4.20 in the morning. Luckily she doesn’t have any schedule until late in the afternoon. She doubts she will get any sleep today. So she decided to call her best friend, Tiffany.

It took couple of second before Tiffany answered her call.

“Hello, Pany?”

“Oh! Taeyeon!” Tiffany was excited when she heard Taeyeon’s voice. “It is…4.30 am in Korea, right? Are you that excited? Because I saw your comeback stage today. Congratulation!!”

Taeyeon chuckled. Fany voice was so loud she had to put her phone a bit far from her ear. “Thank you Pany.”

“Why you sound so sad? Everything is okay? Something bothering you, right?” Tiffany sounds serious. She isn’t a fan of depressed Taeyeon. Now that she is in LA, she couldn’t be beside Taeyeon to pacify her like she always did.

“No.” she paused. “I just..miss you.” Taeyeon was in verge of crying. She felt her tears start pooling in her eyes.

“Tae, you know I miss you too. I’m sorry I didn’t call you for a long time. Since I left the company, I knew you’re mad that is why I’m afraid to contact you but believe me, I miss you so much.”

“No. No. I’m not mad, Pany. You leave to spread your wings. Wings which are hidden for a long time. You have so much potential but SM didn’t let you to show your talents. Every day I wish we will be together again. I’m waiting for that day to happen. We are Girls’ Generation, forever.  So, I’m not mad at you. Sad maybe. You are not here to cheer me up.”

Taeyeon could hear Tiffany sobbing at the other line and that was it. The tears that she hold for so long, streams down like a river. They stayed like that for good 5 minutes without say a word. Pouring their heart out in silent.

Tiffany release a long sigh and said, “Taeyeon, be honest. I know you too well. You will never call me in wee hours especially when we had recording the next day if you are okay. Of all people in this world, I’m the one who you can trust the most and I’m not taking ‘I’m okay’ for an answer.”

“It comes back.” Short.

“What?”

“Remember 5 years ago. You know. My condition.”

“Wait. What?! Anosmia? Again?”

“Yes.”

“This is very serious. Last time you had Sunny and me in the dorm. You nearly burn down our dorm because you didn’t notice you charred a freaking sausage over a phone call. All of us could smell the burning sausage except you. The smoke detector was not working. Luckily we were there too.” Tiffany shivers at thinking the accident.

“I know. How can I forget that? On the positive side, we know the smoke detector didn’t work. Imagine if short circuit happen and no one in the house.”

“True.” Fany agreed. “Last time we knew who causes your sensory loss. But who is it this time? Who trigger it back?”

“I’m not sure. I’ve no idea. I just realized anosmia came back couple of hours ago. I have no idea who or what triggers it back.” Taeyeon furrow her eyebrows, trying to to think. Then memories of past experience came back. Memories of the person that cause her to suffer anosmia for the first time.

“Pany, remember what happened to Jessica. It..it scare out of me, Tiffany. At least Jessica was with us. This time is more serious because I don’t know…I don’t know who she or he is. She or he might be in a lot of trouble because of me.”

“My God. It is. Both of you are in trouble. We must figure this out. ASAP.”

TBC