Vancouver, Canada

Jessica pushes the door to the store open, sighing in relief as the smell of roasted coffee beans hits her. She shrugs off her thick coat and wraps it around her arm, her body immediately warming to the change in temperature with the heaters in the café. She rubs her hands together to create friction and warm them up just as her eyes fall on a free table tucked away to the side of the coffee shop.

Jessica takes a step towards the front counter but stops herself. She spins around when she hears a familiar singing voice, a sweet tone she hasn’t heard for a month.

(The last time she had heard this person’s singing was in New York when they were both drunk, but Jessica tries not to think about that incident too much. She fails, of course, because Taeyeon’s all she’s been thinking about for the past month.)

(She lies. She's been thinking about Taeyeon for a very long time.)

I want you to show me there’s a future here
Even if you’ve never really seen it
Tell me when you close your eyes I’m all you see
Even if you don’t dream it

It's funny and enticing; randomly running into each other at the same places. Being in the same place at the same time.

Maybe it’s purely coincidental that they always find their way to each other all over the world. Or maybe, it’s fate telling them something more.

Jessica pushes that thought to the back of her mind, just like the rest of her thoughts about Taeyeon that she’s been having over the past few months and years. 

She shouldn’t focus on such silly thoughts. The possibility that something, anything, that could happen between them is infinitesimal anyways.

Upon recognising the woman sitting on the window sill, she smiles and leans against the wall to watch her sing another song. Jessica’s heart beats faster as a strand of Taeyeon’s hair falls across her face, just begging to be brushed aside and tucked behind her ear.

Her eyes wander around the room as she observes the crowd’s reaction to this musical performance. quirks as the crowd watches Taeyeon, mesmerised by her beautiful and enchanting vocals.

One, two, three
And you’ve gone so far
Far from me
Like the morning stars
If I had known the way I’d feel
Right from the start
I wouldn’t change anything
But my broken heart

Jessica’s eyes study Taeyeon’s face, how her eyes are closed shut but a wistful smile forms on her lips. There is something so calming about her expression that makes her heart swell with pride, having had the chance to not only train but also be in the same girl group with such a talented singer.

She claps together with the crowd as they applaud Taeyeon's singing, the proud grin on her face widening when Taeyeon shyly raises a hand to wave at her spontaneous audience. She waits until the crowd disperses before approaching Taeyeon.

“Who broke your heart enough for you to sing these broken hearted songs?” Jessica says, finally stepping out of the shadows and away from the wall to stand in front of Taeyeon. Taeyeon jumps in her seat and opens her eyes, her gaze settling on the teasing smile on Jessica’s face.

“Hey, you,” She says softly. She places her guitar to the side and pats the space beside her for Jessica to sit next to her.

Jessica props her legs onto the windowsill and laughs. Taeyeon regards her with confused but curious eyes, eager to know what has amused her. She laughs again and beams widely.

“It’s funny how we keep running into each other like this. It’s like we’re soulmates,” She remarks jokingly, patting Taeyeon’s knee.

“Maybe it’s fate telling us we’re going to be stuck with each other forever,” Taeyeon plays along by shuddering and shaking her head, chuckling when Jessica laughs and her hair covers her face.

“Isn't that wonderful?” Jessica quips, squealing and flinching when Taeyeon flicks her thigh with her fingers.

Her heart skips a beat when Taeyeon considers her with a tiny smirk on her face.

“Shall we go out for a bit?” Taeyeon says, reaching to the side for her guitar case.

Jessica sits up and stares at Taeyeon with wide eyes.

“In this weather?”

“That never stopped you in the past,” Taeyeon says teasingly.

Jessica rolls her eyes and playfully reaches over to pinch Taeyeon’s arm.

She laughs when Taeyeon almost drops her guitar case and cutely mumbles under her breath.

“It’s so cold,” Jessica says, her teeth chattering loudly as she wraps her coat tighter around her body. Her eyes widen and she blushes – or as much as her frozen cheeks allow her to – when Taeyeon casually reaches for her scarf and readjusts the material around her neck. Taeyeon remains unfazed by the action as she tightens the knot around Jessica's neck and fixes her beanie, her lips pressed together as she concentrates on making Jessica warm.

Satisfied with her work, Taeyeon steps back and arches her eyebrows. The corners of her lips curl upwards into a smirk as she regards Jessica with curious eyes.

“I thought you were made for this weather,” Taeyeon says, brushing away a large pile of snow on her shoulder before gesturing for Jessica to walk in front of her.

“Well I didn’t get instructions on how to operate in this ing cold weather, did I?” Jessica says, shivering as she waits for Taeyeon to walk past her before shoving her forward.

Taeyeon giggles and stumbles, falling face first into a pile of snow.

Jessica tries her best to suppress her laughter, only to bend her legs and hold onto her knees when Taeyeon raises her head and grumbles about how cold the snow is.

Cute.

Jessica opens to ask Taeyeon why she's led her to another café until she looks at the sign hanging above the shop. It's not just a coffee shop – it's a bookstore café.

She gives Taeyeon an odd look, surprised that Taeyeon knows her way around this area. Taeyeon shrugs and doesn't say anything as she leads her through the store to a quiet area at the back. She follows along, stopping when she spots a particular novel out of the corner of her eyes. She smiles and carries the book with her.

“I didn't know you developed a sudden interest in books,” Jessica says, draping her coat on the armrest of her chair as she plops down with a copy of Pride and Prejudice. 

Taeyeon studies her with warm eyes, a tiny smile ghosting her face as she adjusts the watch on her wrist.

“I didn't, but you did,” Taeyeon says softly.

Jessica doesn't know what else to say to that.

“About what happened in New York,” Jessica begins again, stopping herself when she realises she’s not sure how to bring up the unspoken topic without any awkwardness between them. Which is hard, since she’s pretty sure they’re infamous for being the awkward pairing in their group.

(She hates that, because it's not true at all.)

Taeyeon hums and glances up from her novel. She smiles warmly and nods encouragingly for Jessica to continue her thoughts while her fingers nervously thumb the pages in her book.

“I’m sorry for kissing you while drunk, again.”

Jessica scans Taeyeon’s changing expressions from neutral to astonished as she stops fidgeting in her seat.

“I should be the one to apologise. I started it.”

Jessica shakes her head. Taeyeon doesn’t understand.

“It seemed like you’ve kissed a girl before.”

Taeyeon laughs, the sound silvery and bright as she regards Jessica with an amused smile.

“I have. Are you implying that I’m experienced at kissing women?” She says, her voice teasing and gentle as she hides her face behind her novel.

Jessica knits her eyebrows at this newfound information. She leans forward and presses her hand on Taeyeon’s book, pushing it down to reveal her face. Her heart stops for a moment when she peers into Taeyeon's shiny eyes and she can see her own reflection in them. She clears and shakes her head.

“You have?”

Taeyeon nods, her eyes twinkling with a certain impishness that Jessica recognises, has known ever since they were trainees together. She’s clearly having too much fun being a tease.

“Is she someone that I know?” Jessica probes, torn between wanting to reach over and pinch Taeyeon’s arm and shaking her shoulders to get her to reveal everything. She feels her insides burn when Taeyeon’s irritatingly adorable grin becomes wider and she tilts her head to the side out of curiosity.

“You know her very well.”

“Was she a good kisser?”

Taeyeon giggles that loud signature laugh of hers and nonchalantly curls her hair between her index finger.

“Yes, she is.”

Jessica inches forward again and clasps her fingers together in interest.

“Was she better than me?” She asks quietly, her voice quivering as she anticipates Taeyeon’s answer.

Taeyeon makes a big show of folding her arms in front of her chest and tapping her finger to her chin. She glances up at the ceiling, deep in thought as she mulls over Jessica’s question. Her eyes slowly move around the room before falling on Jessica’s face.

Taeyeon leans forward in her chair, moving so close to Jessica that she can practically feel her warm breath hitting her skin. It makes her feel embarrassingly warm all over, even though the heaters are on in the bookstore. She feels the heat spread to her neck and gulps when Taeyeon smirks and winks.

“I’d say she’s the same,” She says, wiggling her eyebrows as her shoulders begin to shake from trying to suppress her laughter.

“Are you teasing me about our kisses in Vegas and New York?” Jessica says, sounding affronted at the sudden quip. She knocks Taeyeon’s shoulder with her fist when she throws her head back in laughter, causing Taeyeon to burst into another fit of giggles. She can’t help but smile when Taeyeon laughs in that charming way of hers, one that she’s very happy she’s been on the receiving end of ever since they reconnected.

Taeyeon finally regains her composure after a few moments and offers Jessica another wink.

“I might be,” She says softly before holding her novel between them and hiding her face. She peeks over the top of her book a few seconds later and smiles shyly at her.

There’s something endearing about the way Taeyeon looks at her, with her oversized sweater and round shaped metal spectacles that make her look even more adorable in the winter weather.

Jessica feels her heart rise in her chest and a lump form in as Taeyeon returns her attention to her book.

Oh no.

Jessica peeps over the top of her novel a while later. She bites her lip as she watches Taeyeon’s chest rise and fall to her breathing, her eyes closed and her book resting on her chest as she naps in her chair. She reaches forward to remove Taeyeon’s glasses so that she can rest more comfortably without feeling anything on her face.

Her hand hesitates and stops just before she can touch her serene face.

Jessica closes her hands into a fist and pulls away, her body shrinking back into her chair just when Taeyeon readjusts her sleeping position. Her book falls down onto her lap, the pages spread open to the one Taeyeon was reading before she drifted off to sleep.

Jessica inches forward again and stares at the pages, closing up on her when she recognises what exact page Taeyeon is reading.

“You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.”

Jessica glances back up at Taeyeon, quirking at the corners when Taeyeon sighs in her sleep.

She shouldn’t feel this way about Taeyeon, but she can’t help the way her heart melts at how endearing Taeyeon always looks.

Jessica misses the way Taeyeon drives, not that she'd ever admit that out loud (she's sure Taeyeon would give her the smuggest grin she could ever put on her face). Which is why she beams widely and nods giddily when Taeyeon offers to drive her around the town. She stares outside the car window, a tiny smile on her face as she watches the snow fall around them and the buildings passing by with a blur.

Jessica feels her phone vibrate in her hands, signifying a new notification. She glimpses at her phone screen, giggling to herself as she types a quick reply to her clingy and nosy sister.

Pretty Princess Jung (3:49 pm): Hi
Pretty Princess Jung (3:49 pm): Hello
Pretty Princess Jung (3:49 pm): Ciao
Pretty Princess Jung (3:49 pm): Why aren’t you replying to my messages?
Future CEO Jung (3:50 pm): I’m with Taeyeon.
Pretty Princess Jung (3:50 pm): Oh.
Pretty Princess Jung (3:50 pm): Get the girl! 😉😉😉
Future CEO Jung (3:50 pm): What girl? What on Earth are you talking about?
Pretty Princess Jung (3:51 pm): …
Pretty Princess Jung (3:51 pm): Bye.
Pretty Princess Jung (3:51 pm): Text me when you figure it out.

Jessica sighs and rolls her eyes at her sister's antics. She glances over at Taeyeon, her breath being taken away when Taeyeon’s brown hair shines in the afterglow of the sunset. She’s mesmerised by the way her sleeves are rolled up to her elbow and how both hands are in control of the steering wheel. Jessica studies the way that the corner of Taeyeon’s lip curves upwards into her signature smirk as she recognises the next song on the playlist and sings along while bouncing in her seat. Her fingers tap and click to the steady beat to the classic song.

A smile forms on Jessica’s lips once she realises it’s a song that she and Taeyeon used to listen to a lot when they were younger and still a part of Girls' Generation, together. Coincidentally, it’s also a song that they’ve performed many times on their Girls & Peace tour.

Pardon the way that I stare
There's nothin' else to compare
The sight of you leaves me weak
There are no words left to speak
But if you feel like I feel
Please let me know that it's real
You're just too good to be true
Can't take my eyes off of you

Jessica flushes in embarrassment at being caught staring when Taeyeon peeks at her through the corner of her eyes, then turns her head and looks at her. She twists her body to face the window, reddening further when Taeyeon lets out a soft giggle and mutters ‘cute’ under her breath.

Strangely, that’s what she’s been thinking about Taeyeon all day.

It’s become a tradition of theirs, walking each other to their destination before parting for the night.

Correction: more so Taeyeon walking her to her room or hotel. Her fingers accidentally brush Taeyeon’s as she leads her down the corridor.

She blushes at the contact and shoves her hands into the pockets of her coat, noting how warm they suddenly are.

It's definitely not because she's shy around Taeyeon. Nope. Definitely not that.

They finally reach her hotel room and stop in front of her door, not knowing what to say or do before they part.

Taeyeon turns to her and smiles kindly, her hand reaching out to hold onto her arm.

“Thank you for today. I can’t wait until I see you next. Who knows where we'll meet up next,” Taeyeon says quietly, squeezing her arm to convey her gratitude.

“Me too,” Jessica says, wrapping her arms around Taeyeon and holding her close. She smiles when Taeyeon stands still for a moment before returning her embrace, her arms snaking around to pat her gently on her back. Jessica breathes in Taeyeon's scent. She bites her lip when she recognises the familiar scent; Taeyeon's favourite perfume.

They remain in each other’s arms for a few seconds before breaking away, their eyes finding each other in the dimly lit hallway.

Jessica takes her time to observe Taeyeon, noting the peculiar way the smile on her face doesn’t reach her eyes.

“Until we meet again,” Taeyeon says calmly, sounding resolute but final.

Jessica frowns. The previous times Taeyeon has said that particular sentence, there’s a hint of mischief and excitement in her eyes and a teasing tone in her voice.

This time, it sounds like she never wanted to part with in the first place.

Jessica’s goodbye hangs on the tip of her tongue as Taeyeon walks away and her figure becomes just a dot in the distance.

Jessica goes about her night time routine as normal, except the only thing different about it is how Taeyeon randomly occupies her thoughts. She tries her best to think of other things but all that comes to mind is the pensive smile on Taeyeon’s face when they parted ways.

Jessica shakes her head. There’s no point in dwelling on such thoughts now.

Jessica allows her body to drop onto the mattress. She closes her eyes as her head hits the pillows and allows her tired body to will herself to sleep.

Las Vegas, USA

“I said we should have some fun tonight, right?” Jessica says, her fingers sliding down Taeyeon’s wrists. She tries to tug her towards the dance floor, their bodies bumping into other people along the way as she navigates them through the crowd. She hears Taeyeon sigh and hold her still, worry etched all over her face as she stops her from moving further.

There’s something about the way that Taeyeon looks at her, like she’s something perfect, that makes her reach forward and touch her face with her fingers. She beams widely at how soft Taeyeon’s skin is – granted, Taeyeon has a very careful skincare regimen – and releases a soft noise when a strand of Taeyeon’s hair falls in front of her face. She gently tucks her hair behind her ear and steps closer to Taeyeon, not caring if anyone else sees their moment.

“Let’s have some fun tonight,” Jessica tries to say, although it probably sounds like a string of random words to Taeyeon. She frowns as the alcohol burns the back of but it quickly disappears when she looks into Taeyeon’s eyes.

The people surrounding them, the music playing through the speakers, the lights dancing around on the floor – they all fade away as Jessica locks gazes with Taeyeon.

All she can see is Taeyeon.

Just Taeyeon.

Taeyeon opens but Jessica ignores her warning, which in hindsight, is advice worth considering. She slips her arms around Taeyeon’s waist and pulls her in closer, a smirk forming on her lips when Taeyeon releases a tiny squeak and can no longer escape her arms. Her eyes flutter down to Taeyeon’s lips, noting how irresistibly adorable they are and how they’re just begging to be kissed.

Jessica watches as Taeyeon gets swept up in the music and her body gently rocks back and forth in her arms. Her heart skips a beat when the sparkle in Taeyeon’s eyes makes its reappearance and Taeyeon bites her lip in contemplation.

Maybe it's the liquid courage coursing through her body that makes Jessica lean forward, her nose lightly nudging Taeyeon’s as she breathes in her scent. Taeyeon has only had a shot of vodka to drink but the strong alcohol is not enough to mask away the scent Jessica has always associated with her.

The scent of home.

She hears Taeyeon whisper a soft “Don’t” but again, she chooses to ignore her warning.

Jessica covers Taeyeon’s mouth with her own, smirking against the curve of Taeyeon’s mouth when she realises how soft her lips are. She moves slowly against Taeyeon’s lips, noting the way Taeyeon breathes sharply through her nose as she remains frozen in shock. She presses harder, her fingers tightly gripping on the hem of Taeyeon’s jacket as she steadies herself on her two feet.

It takes Taeyeon a few seconds to react to her kiss. Her hands hesitantly slide up Jessica’s arms, clutching onto her jacket to anchor herself. Jessica sighs in relief when Taeyeon begins to kiss her back, parting as she nibbles her bottom lip. She tilts her head to the side as her hands slide down to hold Taeyeon by the waist.

Somewhere in the back of Jessica’s mind, a voice screams at her to stop what she’s doing.

She shouldn’t be kissing Taeyeon.

She’s sure she doesn’t have those types of feelings for her anymore. And she definitely shouldn’t be having any feelings for Taeyeon.

Jessica pulls away slowly, her eyes fluttering open as she breathes deeply and tries to control herself.

Taeyeon looks at her with that damned adorable smile of hers, the one she wears whenever she’s half-confused, half-amused at the current situation. As if she’s feeling too many things at once but can’t find the right words to say.

(She doesn’t have to search for them, not when Jessica surges forward to kiss her again.)

Vancouver, Canada

Jessica sits up in bed, her heart beating faster as she recalls her vivid dream – one that was a reality many months ago. Even though that memory was when she was very drunk, she can still recall how soft Taeyeon’s lips are.

She purses her lips as she remembers the taste of Taeyeon’s lips and how they perfectly fit with her own.

No.

It can’t be.

It shouldn’t be that way.

It’s probably nothing, she thinks as she turns over and throws the blanket over her head in an effort to help her go back to sleep.

New York, USA

It’s Tuesday night in New York, in the city that never sleeps but where many things can develop and change overnight.

Jessica remembers tugging Taeyeon down the streets to a karaoke place she occasionally frequents when she’s in the area. She recalls the adorable look of amazement on Taeyeon’s face as she follows her. Jessica giggles as they sit side by side on the sofa and she leisurely scrolls through the selection of songs on the karaoke system. She does her best to avoid any ballads – knowing Taeyeon, they’d probably end up having a sad and drunk night if she was the one to choose the songs to sing. As much as Jessica loves Taeyeon's taste in music, she does not need to be reminded of her failed love life through songs.

They’re a bottle of wine or two into karaoke – Jessica doesn’t really care – when she changes the playlist to something more fun to lighten the mood. She smiles when she hears the sound of the synthesiser begin the song and winks at Taeyeon as she raises the microphone to her lips.

I drive for a minute
Lie to myself I don’t need you
If skies were the limit
I’d fly to the moon to be near you

Jessica smirks when Taeyeon joins her, her voice warm and bright in contrast to her softer tone. She laughs when Taeyeon makes a big show of jumping on the sofa, and accepts Taeyeon’s hand as she too climbs on top of the sofa to put on a dramatic show just for themselves.

Jessica holds back her laughter upon noticing how messy Taeyeon’s hair has become, even though her hair is probably in a similar state.

They both collapse onto the sofa when the song is finally over, their chests heaving up and down as the television screen fades to black and the karaoke system calculates their duet score.

Jessica stares intensely at the screen, a wide grin forming when a perfect score of one hundred appears on the screen with colourful fireworks to celebrate the moment. She turns to Taeyeon and grabs her hand, shaking it vigorously as she points towards the television with her free hand.

“We got a perfect score!” Jessica says excitedly, her fingers sliding down to Taeyeon’s hand. She beams widely when Taeyeon stretches out her hand to brush her hair to the side.

It’s in these few seconds that allows Jessica to take a good look at Taeyeon.

Maybe it’s how the neon strobe lights fall on Taeyeon, how it flashes across her face and makes her glow even brighter in the dark. Perhaps it’s the way Taeyeon’s eyes dance around the room as she searches for something before her gaze returns to her that makes Jessica inhale sharply through her nose. It could possibly be the way Taeyeon’s hair falls over one shoulder but she doesn’t give a damn about her messy appearance as she studies Jessica, her lips pursed together before they make eye contact again.

Maybe it’s the way Taeyeon is drunk – they’re both drunk – but she gives her that stupidly endearing grin of hers as she looks at her underneath the lights. Her smile fades away as an unreadable look appears on her face, one that Jessica has trouble understanding what it is.

Taeyeon gulps and stares at her in the dark. Her pupils swallow the colour of her brown irises but that doesn’t stop the way the karaoke strobe lights dance in her eyes and light up her face, nor the tiny quirk at the corner of her lips. There's something peculiar about the way Taeyeon looks at her, as if she's torn between having her all to herself and letting go.

As if she’s the only thing in the world that means something and nothing at all.

As if she lost something she never had in the first place.

Jessica's never seen Taeyeon wear this expression before.

Her eyes flicker down to wine stained lips, pressed together in contemplation before Taeyeon bites her lips. Whether that’s on purpose or not flies over Jessica’s head because all she can think about is how Taeyeon’s lips would feel against her own again.

Jessica’s eyes move back up Taeyeon’s face as she searches for something, anything for her to hold onto to stop them from doing something they might regret later.

You’re beautiful, she wants to say.

Help me make these feelings make sense, she wants to shout.

Kiss me like I’m the only one who matters, she wants to whisper.

She does the one thing that she thinks makes the most sense in this situation, at least in her drunken state.

She leans in, cupping Taeyeon's face and meeting her halfway.

Vancouver, Canada

Jessica sits up in a flash, her breathing uneven as her eyes slowly adjust to her dark bedroom. She switches on her bedside lamp and takes a quick glance at her phone, frowning when she realises she’s only had two hours of sleep.

She presses her lips together as she tries to piece her dreams together, the realisation dawning on her that she’s reliving memories that happened months ago.

The dreams feel too visceral and too intense that she instinctively reaches for her phone charging on the bedside table. Jessica’s heart pounds wildly as she anxiously waits for the person to answer her phone call. She breathes a sigh of relief when she hears her phone call being accepted.

“Hi Unnie, what's –” 

“Krys, I need your advice on something,” Jessica says quickly, not giving her sister a chance to finish her question. She hears Krystal pause and consider her words for a few seconds before replying to her request.

“Is it about Taeyeon?” Krystal asks quietly, her voice knowing but gentle.

“I – yes. How did you know?” Jessica says, caught off guard by Krystal’s perceptiveness. She furrows her eyebrows when Krystal laughs on the other side of the line. Jessica hears muffled rustling on the other line as Krystal shifts around before she returns to the phone.

“You just told me. Now, what can I help my dear sister with?” She says, giggling again when Jessica releases an exasperated sigh in response to her teasing.

“Usually I’d tell you this in person but I need to tell you what’s going on. But you have to promise me that you won’t judge me or think any less of me once I reveal everything.”

Jessica takes a deep breath as she waits for Krystal to reply.

“You can tell me everything Unnie.”

“Remember when Tyler and I broke up and we went on holiday and ran into Taeyeon in Nice?”

Krystal hums in response, prompting Jessica to continue speaking.

“There was something so enchanting about her that made me enjoy my day with her that I didn’t want it to end. When we were in Vegas, I got really drunk and kissed Taeyeon – yes, I know Krys! – but she was okay with it and didn’t hold it against me. Something about my relationship with Tyler, actually all my relationships, didn’t seem right and those feelings intensified when I told her about the wedding. When the wedding didn’t go through, I felt greatly relieved that I was free. These past few months of running into Taeyeon in the most unexpected of places have been some of the most exciting moments of my life. Taeyeon’s always there wherever I go and she – I – I don’t know. I find myself always looking forward to the next time I see her. Is that weird?”

Jessica pauses and waits for Krystal, frowning when she’s greeted with silence. Thinking that her sister has either been interrupted or fallen asleep on her (she wouldn’t blame her; she’s unloaded a dump of information on her sister), she prepares to hang up and call back when Krystal softly speaks into the phone.

“Can I be honest with you Jess?” Krystal says quietly, any hint of playfulness no longer in her voice. It scares Jessica sometimes, how her sister can be mischievous one minute and serious the next.

Jessica smiles, grateful for Krystal’s candour especially when she needs to listen to another perspective to understand the situation more clearly.

“You can be anything with me,” She says softly.

“You are so smart but you can be so stupid at times.”

“I don't know how that's supposed to help me, Krys,” Jessica says, sounding affronted. Her lips form a small grin when Krystal laughs at her bluntness.

“Oh believe me Unnie, it'll help you a great deal.”

“Get on with it.”

“Fine. What I want to say is that I think you’ve been denying what you’ve felt for Taeyeon all these years because you’re afraid she doesn’t return your feelings. Meeting Taeyeon again and hanging out with her makes you question what is right. But Jess, it’s not about what is right for everyone else. It’s about what feels right to you.”

Jessica knits her eyebrows together.

“I don't understand what you’re saying.”

Krystal releases a sound that's a cross between a sigh and a laugh.

“From what I’ve seen over the years and what you’re telling me, it sounds like Taeyeon is what feels right to you. I don't know if it's because you feel as though you're not ready but the feelings are there. I see the way you look at her and how you talk about her. It’s been many years but you don't want to acknowledge your feelings for her even though she is right in front of you. You see her, Unnie. You see Taeyeon.”

Jessica drops her phone and clasps her hand over , the meaning of Krystal’s text messages earlier in the afternoon and her spoken words becoming more clear by the second.

She casts her mind back to the song Taeyeon had sung in the morning; a certain verse coming back to her immediately.

I want you to show me there’s a future here
Even if you’ve never really seen it
Tell me when you close your eyes I’m all you see
Even if you don’t dream it

Her hand moves towards the silver Tiffany & Co necklace around her neck. The one Taeyeon had bought for her as a gift in London.

Tell me when you close your eyes I’m all you see
Even if you don’t dream it

She feels something final settle into her heart, something she’s been pushing to the back of her mind and trying to ignore for the past few years.

Taeyeon is the right person for her. She’s the one who fits and fills her up completely, the right missing piece of the puzzle.

It’s a fact that she’s repeatedly denied over the past few years. It’s something she’s known for many years but would never admit to herself or to anyone else.

She doesn’t just love Taeyeon.

She’s in love with her.

Songs included in this chapter:

• Sasha Sloan – Lie
• Alexander Jean – Wouldn’t Change Anything
• Frankie Valli – Can’t Take My Eyes Off You
• Lawson – Animals