"Now she's not answering..." Taeyeon said to herself as she redialled Yuri's number into her phone. She had just parked her Porsche at the basement parking lot where Jessica and Tiffany lives when she noticed the set of missed calls from her phone while she was probably driving. Wondering why Yuri had called, Taeyeon had also been trying to contact back for the past minute.

"She called me several times and now she doesn't pick up. What's with you Yuri-ah?" Taeyeon scratched her head.  "hmmpff...She probably knows I'm coming to her girlfriend's place. Well, Yuri-buddy, I have no intentions of taking your girl" Taeyeon said to herself, blurting her thoughts aloud. The caller ring back tone continued to play and still no pick-up from Yuri. "Aaah. I'll deal with you later. For now, I'll head up and meet my date."

Taeyeon whistled gleefully as she took the blue and pink rose boquets from the passenger seat and got out of her new car. She closed the door and pressed the fob key, locking her car with  beep. From the half-empty parking lot, Taeyeon could hear the drops of rain hitting the pavement from the streets. Taeyeon groaned at the sudden shift of the weather. She hated it when it rains.

"Aish. Why now? I wanted to take Tiffany out somewhere. Let's see. Hmmm...I'm quite early. Tiffany told me to be here at 7:30. Well, I guess I'll just have to come up."

Taeyeon passed through the exit of the car park and went through the passage leading to the lobby. She rechecked her reflection on the glass wall mirrors along the lobby and adjusted her maroon cardigan over her black V-neck top. Smiling in approval of her rather masculine look, she crossed the main lobby of the condotel and entered the lift by herself. Once she reached the right floor, a few residents had passed by her and recognized her. However, she didn't bother to cover herself up and hide. She was too excited to see Tiffany. She held the couple of boquets in front of her and smelled their fragrance. Satisfied, she then set off in search of the correct unit number.

-----------------

"Jess, I'm just going to change clothes. Can you make sure to get the bread out of the oven for me?" Tiffany who was in her room called out to Jessica  in the kitchen. The blonde had already freshened up and resorted to dress up a little for the home dinner that Tiffany prepared for the four of them.

"Sure Tiff." Jessica said, picking up a set of silicone heat-resistant gloves from a drawer and pulled out a pan of baked bread from the oven. 

"Thanks, I'll be out in five minutes." Tiffany cried out from behind the door.

"Take your time. I know you want to look beautiful." Jessica replied back and settled the scalding pan of fresh baked dough into the oven top. The smell of cooked yeast and flour filled the room instantly. Glancing back on the dinner table, Jessica inspected all the dishes for that night and smiled in approval. She checked the time on her kitchen clock and noticed it to be past 7'oclock. She was expecting Yuri to have come around before 7 in the evening since it wouldn't have taken her long to get from her apartment to the condo.

Switching on her charged phone, Jessica pouted and mumbled."Hmmm...Yuri hasn't called nor texted me yet. Maybe she thought my phone's still dead...but she could have at least dropped me a voicemail. She should be here by now...Although, I've kinda noticed she always comes late for any of our meet-ups and dates. I guess she's late again. Anyway, I should call just in case."

Jessica dialled 2 on her phone and the speed dial immediately tried to connect her to Yuri's phone. Consecutive rings were heard but her girlfriend never picked up the phone. 

"She's not picking up. That's weird. Even though she's driving, she'd still use her bluetooth earpiece to answer my calls." 

-ding dong-

The doorbell suddenly rang amidst Jessica mumbling by herself. 

Who could it be? Tiffany said her girlfriend won't be here until 7:30...It's quite early for her to get here. Well then, that must be Seobang. Aish, she's late. Yuri-ah, when will you ever respect time?

"Hey Jess, who's at the door?" Tiffany called out frantically from her room, slightly muffled from probably changing into a dress.

"It must be my Seobang. Don't worry, I'll get the door!" Jessica shouted back, cupping her hand to amplify her mousy voice. She sensed that Tiffany was scurrying to look her best for her girlfriend so she volunteered to meet the guest.

"Okay. Call me out if it's Taetae." Tiffany said back.

"Ne."

Jessica pulled the mittens off her hands and placed them on the countertop. Swaying to the side, she parried the other chairs from the dinner table and walked across her Victorian living room. A few meters before the door, she checked the security camera to confirm whether it was really her girlfriend who was late, as usual. When the monitor lit up, all Jessica could see were a bunch of roses crowding into the camera lens. She scoffed at the spread of blossoms on the screen and murmurred. "Ahhh. It's Yuri-ah! She's with her flower apologies again. Hmmpff...always tardy, I should punish you for being late always."

-ding dong-

The doorbell rang once again, signifying the impatience from whoever it was from the door and Jessica hissed at the agog nature of her girlfriend.

"Ah! Chakaman Yuri-ah"Jessica flouted and opened the door. The boquet of roses in shades of blue and pink were right on her face, therefore she assumed it was her girlfriend all along. "Seobang!!! Bogo shipo? What's with the roses this time? You always brought me lilies befo------" 

The door closed behind the guest. Jessica exclaimed in glee but her voice died down as soon as the one holding the boquets dropped the flowers by her side and a dismay-raided Taeyeon faced Jessica at eye level.

"Sooyeon?"

Taeyeon stood in front of Jessica as if she saw a ghost...a ghost of her past that suddenly appeared to haunt her. Images of Jessica leaving her three years ago from the dressing room flashed before her eyes and her heart felt like it was ripped from her chest. Although a thousand questions ran in her head, Taeyeon remained frozen in her spot and she was tongue-tied. She didn't know how she was supposed to react to the unexpected meeting. 

"T-T-Taeyeon?"

Jessica stammered as she uttered her ex-lover's name. It had been so long since Taeyeon's name escaped her lips. 

"I'm sorry. This must be a mistake. I was looking for my manage---" Taeyeon stuttered as if someone had taken her heart and lodged it in .  She tried to make sense of the address and the unit number that Tiffany had given her yesterday. She was in the right place but the woman before her was the wrong person."I must have gotten the wrong address. Excuse me. I'm sorry for my mistake." 

Taeyeon had moved away from Jessica and turned back towards the door, trying to recover from her shock of seeing her ex-lover after three years. She didn't want to confront her emotions now and she didn't want to cause a scene in this residence.

Jessica caught Taeyeon's wrist and paused the hallyu star in her steps. "Wait, Taeyeon..." 

"Let me go Sooyeon. Don't touch me." Taeyeon hissed. The mere contact between them sent Taeyeon back to her memories with Jessica, all the happy and sad moments she was with her, mixed altogether.

"Tae...please, don't go." Jessica said quite calmly although she has not let go of Taeyeon's hand. 

"Jessica? Who is it? Is it Yuri-ah?"

Tiffany's voice emanated from one of the rooms inside the unit and Taeyeon was sure that she identified it as her manager/girlfriend. She couldn't believe what she heard and she just realized that Tiffany was referring to the person in front of her, holding her wrist tightly.

"Tiffany?" Taeyeon mumbled under her breath. She narrowed her eyes to Jessica and came to a realization. Jessica is Sooyeon. Tiffany's bestfriend was no other than her ex-girlfriend.

"Jessica? You're Jessica? You're Yuri's girlfriend?" Taeyeon squalled in disbelief.

Jessica also realized that Taeyeon was no other than Yuri's buddy and also Tiffany's current lover. Although shocked, she figured it was the only opportunity to confront Taeyeon and ask for her forgiveness formally. She wanted to have closure between them, especially now that Tiffany and Yuri are now involved. "Taeyeon, I-I-I....didn't know...please let me explain..." 

Jessica's grip tightened on Taeyeon's wrist and even though Jessica's nails were already digging into her flesh, Taeyeon felt numb all over. A certain rage had suddenly taken over the hallyu star and she wriggled her hand out of the blonde's grasp. With one swift strike, she thrashed the couple of boquets on the marble floor, leaving some of the rose petals dancing gracefully in the air before falling into a scattered heap. Taeyeon had lost control of her emotions. "What is there to explain Sooyeon? You left me. There's no better way to state that. Three years I have suffered after you broke my heart."

"Taeyeon, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to end it that way. Please listen to me. Hear me out." Jessica pleaded. Tears had already formed from the edge of her eyes.

The screaming from the door distracted Tiffany from her preparations so she decided to get out of the room to check on Jessica. To her surprise, she found Taeyeon glaring at her bestfriend with two ruined boquets of roses at her feet. Streaks of tears had flowed down the cheeks of the blonde while Taeyeon was reddening from anger.

"Jessica? Tae? What's going on here?"

"Nothing Tiff..." Jessica whispered trying to hide the fact that Taeyeon had finally clashed with her.

Taeyeon looked past Jessica and spotted Tiffany emerging from a room in the rear. Instead of feeling a flutter of butterflies and affection for her girlfriend /manager, her anger only escalated. "Did you know about this Tiffany? Have you known all along?"

"Known what Tae?" Tiffany walked up to the two most important people in her life at that moment. She wiped the tears flowing down Jessica's cheeks and asked. "Jessica, why are you crying? What have you done Tae?"

"What have I done?" Taeyeon scoffed, offended that Tiffany even blamed her for letting Jessica cry. "Ask Sooyeon! Ask her what I would have done!"

"Tae, why are you raising your voice like that. There's no need to shout." Tiffany scolded, surprised that Taeyeon was going hysterical.

Taeyeon continued her interrogation even though she stood frozen in her spot. "Does Yuri know about this too? Have you all been playing around with my emotions all this time? Am I the only one pranked here? Coz this isn't funny at all!"

"Yuri doesn't know...she's got nothing to do with us." Jessica responded in the middle of her snivels. Taeyeon's raised voice struck fear in her heart. She knew there was no stopping to the revelations now.

"Oh sure, like I would still believe you Sooyeon! So, did you plan this all along? Are you happy now? Wasn't three years of me torn not enough for you? If it makes you happy to know, after you left, my world just crumbled and my heart turned cold. You knew I was willing enough to give up my career for you. That was how much I have loved you. Yet here you are after 3 long years, happy and fine. How many girls have you had after me? Oh wait. Are they not some hallyu stars too? What about Yuri? She's quite famous now. Can you now handle the public if a scandal rises between you two?"

Taeyeon couldn't stop emptying bitter words to Jessica. All three years of buried hate and pain just flooded out of , spewing like hot magma and rolling like lava, burning and melting all that is living in its path. Tiffany couldn't believe what was happening and it pained her to see Taeyeon and Jessica arguing about a past that Tiffany could not comprehend.

What is going on? Taetae? Jessica?

"Taetae, stop it!"

Taeyeon was appalled. She stopped her rant and turned her angst towards Tiffany."No, you don't have nothing to say about this Tiffany! This is between me and Sooyeon!"

Offended, Tiffany took a stand and held Jessica behind her back."Sooyeon...Jessica...regardless of the name, I have something to say since she's my bestfriend. Now stop the yelling Taeyeon and talk this out properly. I don't understand what's going on between the two of you. Somebody explain to me what's happening!"

Jessica tried to hold in her sobs as she moved away from Tiffany. It was her mistake for leaving Taeyeon and she wanted to tell Tiffany that it wasn't right to defend her, even as her bestfriend. "Tiffany, let her get angry. I know I deserve this somehow. It's hard to forgive someone who had deeply hurt you. I know Taeyeon despises what I did to her."

Tiffany was still baffled. "What do you mean by forgiving someone Jess?"

"If you're her bestfriend then you should have known all along Tiffany! What kind of bestfriend hides the fact that we had a relationship for two years that ended with nothing but a meaningless goodbye. Your bestfriend here was the reason I had my heart broken. Didn't Sooyeon mention anything about me to you? Not even once?" Taeyeon said, trembling in anger. She was mad at Jessica but everytime she saw Tiffany, she couldn't bring herself to express her resentment. 

Jessica had never had a relationship...only flings...not until she met Yuri. She didn't say she was involved with Taeyeon or anyone for that matter. Did Jessica hide this even from me? Had she kept this a secret?

Tiffany continued to analyze the situation in her head, keeping herself calm between two people who were deeply lost in their own set of emotions.

Could Jessica have also known that I'm now in a relationship with Taeyeon? Anni. It can't be. I haven't revealed Taeyeon to her. Judging also from how they're both reacting, they both didn't know. Nobody knew it was going to be this way.

Realizing that what Taeyeon said was partially true, Tiffany stepped aside and asked Jessica for confirmation. "Jess, is this true? Were you really with Taeyeon? Was she your ex-girlfriend?"

Another tear rolled down Jessica's puffed cheeks. She couldn't even take the courage to face Tiffany who treated her like more than a sister even though they were apart from each other for several years. She was ashamed for what she did so she hasn't told a single soul about it.

"Ne.... Tiffany I'm sorry. I didn't think it would come to this. I thought it was something unimportant to tell you. I really didn't expect we'd see each other again. I used to love Taeyeon but I chose to move on. That's when I met Yuri. Believe me Tiff, I know I did wrong to Taeyeon and I'm really sorry. My only wish is that Taeyeon would have forgiven me."

"Unimportant?!" Taeyeon yelled. Her brain only filtered thhe hurtful words she didn't want to hear and she was having ahard time controlling herself. She finally flipped over the edge and banged her fist into the wall. Taeyeon badly wanted to hit and hurt someone but Tiffany's presence hindered her from doing anything to Jessica.

"So our relationship was nothing to you Sooyeon? Two years was nothing to you?" Taeyeon gritted her teeth. The pain she was feeling from her knuckles was nothing compared to what was eating her up from the insides.

"Will you calm down Tae? Let her explain. There's no point getting violent." Tiffany said sternly, breaking off Taeyeon's litany. She saw the dent that Taeyeon had made on the wall but she couldn't bring herself to console Taeyeon. Instead she stayed by Jessica's side and rubbed the blonde's shoulders. She felt a bit betrayed by Jessica who hid this bit of information from her past. But then she also realized that it wasn't entirely Jessica's fault. People have secrets and she respects the fact that Jessica wanted to keep her past with Taeyeon in private.

Out of the blue, a flashback played in Tiffany's head as she contemplated on the unfolded revelation. She suddenly remembered how Taeyeon posed a hypothetical situation and questioned her about forgiving a person who had inflicted pain. Connecting the dots, she realized Taeyeon was talking about Jessica all along. Apparently, everything Taeyeon had asked was actually based on something true. Tiffany then remembered answering Taeyeon. She told Taeyeon that she should forgive that person. Taeyeon had to forgive Jessica. Tiffany only hoped Taeyeon listened to her.

"Our relationship meant something Taeyeon but I was weak and I'm sorry for it. I couldn't bring myself to tell you how unsure I was about our love and the only way to escape that I thought was to leave you. I didn't love you enough to be able to face the public, not with you as a hallyu star. After I left you, I have suffered too. All this time I carried in my heart the regret for hurting you that way. I was afraid to see you that's why I had been sending you those flowers. You were my first love Taeyeon but time has changed. Three years had already passed and I knew I had to move on. I was hoping you did, too." Jessica cried out, pouring all her honesty in her words and breaking down in sobs. 

"Sooyeon..." Taeyeon murmurred. She had waited three years for Jessica's explanation and things slowly sunk in.

"Taeyeon, I'm really sorry. I deeply regret hurting you. I just wanted the best for you. You had your dream and you were a hallyu star. I didn't want to be the one hindering you from your fame. You deserved someone else who was willing to stand with you until the end and I wasn't that person at all. I'm just really sorry. Please forgive me."

"Jess, there's no need to be sorry..."Tiffany said, pulling Jessica into a hug. She knew Jessica didn't mean what she did and all she was just seeking now was forgiveness in Taeyeon's heart. Three years was long enough for both of them to forgive and forget.

Taeyeon looked at the two women before her. One was her past and the other was her present. She listened to every word that Jessica had said and everytime she heard the sincere apology from her ex-lover, Taeyeon's anger subdued slowly. There was nothing to be mad about anymore. Both of them have moved on. Regardless of the reason why they parted ways in the past was no longer important for the present.

Taeyeon looked at Jessica and then to Tiffany. She loved Jessica, her mind told her. But now, she loves Tiffany, both her mind and heart screamed at her. She couldn't afford to lose Tiffany but she couldn't just magically erase the hurt that Jessica caused. Taeyeon needed time to think and recollect the broken pieces of herself.

Without uttering a word back at Jessica and Tiffany, Taeyeon turned around and opened the door, muffling her ears from the sound of Jessica's crying. She needed time alone to release her anger and accept the fact that they have moved on. She knew she had to forgive her. She had to forgive Sooyeon.

"Tae, where are you going?" Tiffany asked upon hearing the door open and seeing Taeyeon's sullen figure moving away from the room.

"I need to think Tiffany...stay with Sooyeon..." Taeyeon muttered as she closed the door.

The sound of the click from the lock seemed like a time remote for Tiffany; everything just stopped before her. Tiffany was frozen in her spot, still clinging on to Jessica who somehow had subsided from her sobs. She wanted to go after Taeyeon but she was unsure if it was the right thing to do. She couldn't urge herself to leave Jessica's side and run after Taeyeon.

"Tiffany, go get her." Jessica said, wiping the tears from her eyes.

"Are you sure you're going to be fine?" Tiffany asked, still concerned about Jessica.

Jessica leaned back on the wall to support her weight. "Yes, I'm gonna be fine. Taeyeon must feel worse. Go Tiff. Taeyeon needs someone to comfort her. She needs you more than I do."

Tiffany held on to Jessica, afraid that her bestfriend would break down any moment after taking a beating Taeyeon's words. "What about Yuri?"

"I'll explain everything to Yuri. Don't worry. I know Yuri. She'll understand. She's the most understanding person I've met. Just get Taeyeon. She needs you." 

Tiffany nodded. Although she knew Taeyeon would still be in the peak of her anger, she needed to be there at her side. This time, it was essential to let Taeyeon know that she wasn't alone and nobody else would leave her like what happened in the past. Tiffany squeezed Jessica's arm and opened the door. Slowly, Tiffany broke into a run, chasing after Taeyeon who had already gone down the building.

After the door closed behind Tiffany, Jessica collapsed into a heap, right next to the battered roses. She ended up crying some more, hoping that everything would end well depite their encounter.

Taeyeon. Please forgive me.

"Taeyeon, wait!" Tiffany called out as she reached the parking lot. She looked for the company car which Taeyeon might have used to get to the condotel but she was partially surprised that she saw Taeyeon walked in the direction of a new red purplish car.

Taeyeon reached the driver's side of her car but Tiffany caught up to her. "Leave me alone Tiffany."

"Taeyeon, let's talk this out. There's no need to be angry." Tiffany said calmly, despite heaving from chasing after Taeyeon. Tiffany placed her hand over Taeyeon's shoulder, hoping to soothe Taeyeon's temper.

"No need to be angry? You don't even know the slightest bit of getting hurt Tiffany. And you tell me I don't have the right to get angry?" Taeyeon argued. She didn't want to pour her dander at Tiffany but her words struck her in a way that only aggravated her anger.

Tiffany placed her other hand on Taeyeon's other shoulder and braced the woman in pain before her. Tiffany looked at Taeyeon with her compassionate eyes and reasoned out. "Tae...I know you're hurt...But you have to forgive Jessica. Remember what I told you when we had our picnic dinner? Do you remember?"

Taeyeon looked down from Tiffany's gaze. She knew Tiffany was right but her heart was still in pain. She didn't want to admit it but she had to agree on Tiffany's words."Yes. I remember."

"I know it's hard but you just have to. Please. I don't want to see you and my bestfriend this way. Think about Yuri too."

Taeyeon brushed Tiffany's hands off he shoulders and turned her back. "Let me go Tiffany. Please, I want to be alone for a while."

"No Tae." Tiffany worriedly objected, hugging Taeyeon from the back.

"Please...I don't want to hurt you, too. Just leave me alone so I could collect myself." Taeyeon whispered. Tears thretened to fall on her cheeks. 

Tiffany only tightened her grip on Taeyeon's waist as she drew Taeyeon's body closer to her. Resting her head just right below Taeyeon's nape, Tiffany whispered back to her lover."Tae, you're not alone in this. I'm with you.I will never leave you. Those things in the past won't happen again."

"I...I know Tiffany.... But for now, just let me handle this on my own." Taeyeon said, almost choking from her words.

"But Taeyeon.."

"Please Tiffany. Let me learn to forgive..."

Taeyeon slowly peeled away Tiffany's arms off her. Tiffany resisted at first but her energy seemed to have left her as Taeyeon turned around and kissed her lightly on her forehead. A tear from Taeyeon's eyes fell on Tiffany's cheek and slowly Taeyeon withdrew a step and faced her car.

Taeyeon clicked her key and unlocked her car while Tiffany remained unmoved from where she stood. She wanted to stop Taeyeon but she had to respect her space. Sometimes loving someone doesn't mean you have to push the other person to do things the way you think would be the right. Sometimes, it's also important to let the other person figure things out on their own. That time, Tiffany had to let Taeyeon think on her own.

"I understand...You need to figure this yourself alone." Tiffany uttered softly. "But I want you to also know that I love you Tae. If you need me, you know where to find me. I'm always here for you."

"I know Tiffany...I'm sorry..."

"Don't be Tae...it's not your fault."

Tiffany let go of Taeyeon's hand and the latter opened the car's door and slipped in. After buckling in, Taeyeon drove out from parking and left Tiffany standing alone. She knew it wasn't right for her to leave Tiffany but she jut needed time alone. She just wanted everything to sink in.

Tiffany watched in dim light as Taeyeon sped off from the basement parking lot. The echo from the screeching tires was the only sound that was left apart from the dripping rain when the car vanished from her sight. Tiffany wiped the tears that had also formed on the tip of her eyes and she raised her head, stopping the tears from further flowing down to her cheeks. 

Taeyeon...please forgive Jessica. I love you Tae.

Remembering Jessica in her head, Tiffany composed herself and headed back to the condo unit. Although she was still thinking about Taeyeon, she knew Jessica also needed her. Once she arrived back at the unit, Tiffany opened the door and found Jessica still crying on the hallway floor. She rushed to her bestfriend's side and helped Jessica on her feet.

"Where's Taeyeon?" Jessica asked, bewildered on why Tiffany was back.

"She left. She needed time on her own. Don't worry Jess, everything is going to be fine. Taeyeon was hurt but she'll find it in her heart to forgive and forget. You already apologized from your heart and that's what matters." Tiffany cupped her bestfriends cheeks and wiped the reddened eyes.

"Tiffany, I'm so sorry for hurting Taeyeon." Jessica continued to apologize.

Tiffany shushed Jessica and reassured the blonde girl. "It's not your fault Jess. I assume you were scared. I am actually scared too. I don't know if one daymour relationship also gets out in public. All I know is that I love Taeyeon and no matter what the consequences are, I won't leave her. Trust me. I know how you feel and I don't blame you. Now, please, stop crying. It also pains me to see my bestfriend cry."

"Thanks Tiffany. I actually thought you'd be mad at me after doing that to Taeyeon." Jessica said, pulling herself together and held on to Tiffany.

Tiffany enclosed her palm around Jessica's hand and squeezed tight. She was a bit mad but she was mature enough to handle it the right way. "I was Jess but I knew you. I just couldn't put the blame on you. There's no point for me to get mad since I know you had moved on. I know you love Yuri and I love Taeyeon. Those two reasons are enough for me to forget about what happened."

"Tiffany..." Jessica uttered while weeping. She was more than touched with Tiffany's words.

"Now that Taeyeon knows, I think you should also tell Yuri." Tiffany said sternly. All three of them already confronted one another but there was still one person in oblivion. Little did they know, Yuri had also figured the puzzle.

Jessica nodded. "I know Tiffany. I had been wanting to tell her and I actually planned o tell Yuri tonight. I just didn't expect the world to be so small for the four of us."

"Must be a twist in fate." Tiffany whispered.

Suddenly Jessica's phone rang from the kitchen and both women jolted up to their feet. Jessica rushed to get her phone and checked the caller. Tiffany followed not far behind and stopped right before Jessica. She looked at the other to support her bestfriend.

"Who is it?" Tiffany asked, wondering if it was Yuri or Taeyeon who decided to call.

"It's Yuri-ah." Jessica said as Yuri's name appeared on the screen.

Tiffany knew there was fear in Jessica's voice and after the confrontation with Taeyeon, Jessica needed to tell Yuri the truth. "Be brave Jess. Tell her to come over now so you both could talk. You can then reveal to her everything that happened."

Jessica closed her eyes momentarily and nodded in agreement. She held her breath and exhaled deeply before answering the phone call.

"Hello? Yoboseyo? Yuri-ah, where are you?"

"Hello. Ms. Sica?"

An unfamiliar female voice answered instead of the usual nasal tone from Yuri and Jessica's brows furrowed from the confusion.

"It's Jessica. Jessica Jung. Who is this please? Why do you have Yuri's phone?"

"Ms. Jung. I'm a nurse on duty. This is from Severance Hospital in Gangnam. Please come here at once. Ms. Kwon Yuri had met an accident early this evening. You were one of the two on her priority list in her contacts. We figured we should call you to inform about the patient's current state."

Jessica's sense of hearing suddenly failed. Her face turned pale and her grip on her own phone loosened. Her mind only perceived the words Yuri and accident. Those were two words she didn't expect together in a sentence for that night.  

This is not happening. No, not Yuri!

"Accident? What do you mean?" Jessica asked. Tiffany heard Jessica say 'accident' and suddenly her heart raced with fear.

"Ms. Kwon Yuri had a car accident near Cheongdam. If you can be a legal guardian, please come to the Severance Hospital in Shinchon as soon as possible."

It took a while before Jessica could respond. She felt the energy drain from her body. She already felt so weak from crying and yet now, another wave of tears was coming her way.

"Ms. Jung? Hello?"

"Yes. I'll be there..."

Jessica stared into space as she dropped her hand to her side. She was not sure anymore if it was reality or if she was living in her nightmare.

Tiffany worriedly looked at her stricken bestfriend. She shook Jessica by the arm, hoping to knock some sense back. "Jess, what happened?"

"Tiffany, I need to get to Gangnam. Yuri's in the hospital. She had a car accident." Jessica murmurred. She was already choking amidst her sob.

"What?" Tiffany exclaimed. The heavens were playing rough tricks on all of them, particularly Jessica.

"Tiffany..why is this happening?" Jessica  bent down to her knees and clumsily collapsed on the kitchen floor. She didn't know what to do anymore. She couldn't handle the drama for that night.

"Jessica, get up. Get yourself together. Yuri needs us! We have to go!"

Tiffany pulled up Jessica from the floor and got Jessica's keys for her car. She grabbed Jessica's bag and her own and hurriedly exited the condo unit. Jessica was still in a daze but she was fighting her sobs as she only worried about her girlfriend. Both girls quickly got into Jessica's Mercedes and Tiffany drove out of the building to head out for Shinchon. 

------------------------------

Sooyoung came back jogging inside the small vocal training studio where she left Sunny earlier. She was out of breath but she asked Sunny immediately for an update. "Sunny, did you contact your uncle?"

"Yeah." Sunny nodded from the piano bench and raised her head from staring mindlessly on her phone.

"What did your uncle say?" Sooyoung asked, catching her breath.

"He's furious. I told him everything about Sooyeon and Taeyeon. Then I also sent the pictures to him." Sunny breathed a heavy sigh and grabbed the back of her neck.

Sooyoung placed her hands on her thin waist and continued to observe the distressed blonde before her."That's expected. Did he say anything about helping to stop this?"

"Ne...he said he has some people from the press that can help him stop the spread. If there are only a few people who have gotten this then it'll be fairly possible to suppress any leaks. I just wish I was the first one who got the pictures. If that was the case, then Taeyeon and Sooyeon are safe." Sunny said, still in a state of dysphoria. "Anyway, Sooyoungie, did you get hold of Manager Hwang?"

Sooyoung regretfully shook her head from side to side. "Anni. Secretary Park had already left. I can't seem to contact him through his mobile phone too. I tried getting information about Manager Hwang's company phone but records don't indicate that she's using one. I'm sorry Sunny. I should have tried harder."

"Anni. You helped more than enough Sooyoungie."

Sooyoung could still feel the uneasiness from Sunny. She thought of other ways they could solve the problem and Sooyoung suddenly thought of Taeyeon. "At this rate, since CEO Lee already knows about her and Sooyeon, I think Taeyeon-ssi should also know and prepare herself even if the pictures don't come out. Have you called her?"

"Yeah but she won't answer. I've tried a couple more times but she won't pick up." Sunny replied, staring back to her phone and sighing. Sooyoung's heart sunk once again.

"I guess all we can do now is wait. We've done all we can to help them out. Don't worry Sunny, Taeyeon-ssi will be fine. Your uncle can cover everything." Sooyoung comforted Sunny and approached the bench. She sat right next to Sunny and stretched her legs forward. She wasn't sure what to do anymore to comfort the other woman.

"Ne. You're right Sooyoungie."Sunny sighed and leaned her head on Sooyoung's left shoulder. They remained quiet for a couple of minutes. Only the heavy breathing and rustling of hair were heard as they tried to find more resolutions to the scandal problem. Sooyoung's heart kept skipping a beat while having Sunny's head on her but Sooyoun's happiness was ephemeral for she felt also sad knowing Sunny was anxious for Taeyeon's state.

"Sooyoung, can we go home?" Sunny finally broke the silence and lifted her head. 

"What about your dance class?" Sooyoung asked, surprised by Sunny's decision to skip training.

Sunny picked up her backpack from the floor and stood up. "Can you cancel it with Jaewon-oppa? I really don't have the energy right now."

"But..." Sooyoung protested, standing up next to the blonde. She knew Sunny was burdened by the photos but she still had the responsibility to continue with her program in order to debut.

Sunny, are you worried so much for Taeyeon as your friend? Or are you hurt because you saw those photos of her and her ex-girlfriend? What's your real feeling for her? Do you really love Taeyeon Sunny?

"Please, Sooyoungie. I wanna go and rest."

Sooyoung was still confused with how Sunny felt and she didn't want depress Sunny further about thinking about the problem in the middle of her training so she agreed to the request."Alright. I guess he'll let you off for one session."

"Thanks Sooyoungie..." Sunny said. Out of the blue, Sunny wrapped her arms around Sooyoung and the taller girl took a step back in shock. Sunny buried her face in Sooyoung's chest and started to cry. Sooyoung's heart switched from skipping beats to slow restricted pumps. She wanted to kiss Sunny's tears away but the only thing she could do was raise both her hands up. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Sunny and lightly patted the short girl's back. "Sooyoungie...I wouldn't know what to do without a friend like you. I really want to thank you."

A word just stabbed Sooyoung's heart and although she resented it, Sooyoung replied. "No problem..........Sunny." 

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anyway...hospital scene next! next chapter: Namsan locks

i apologize if i can't update fast...writer's block coming back...