“Why did we ever break up in the first place?”

Taeyeon raised an eyebrow at the absurdity of the question and broke out in a hearty laugh. It was contagious enough that Jessica joined in, giggling in a much lighter, crispier tone. Taeyeon realised just how much she had missed Jessica's laughter. Her arm was wrapped around Jessica's shoulder, and she felt Jessica's cold feet against hers. She pulled up the comforter to warm her.

She couldn't believe that she took a flight just because Jessica had asked her to. Granted, things had not been going well with work, but taking a 12-hour flight to LA on a whim was out of character. Perhaps deep down, she was pissed at her company for her insane schedules, which sustained her perfectionism, and she was rebelling by taking time off during a critical period of album production to meet the person with whom SM Entertainment and Girls' Generation had the most public fallout.

Jessica Jung.

Her ex-best friend, ex-bandmate, ex-lover, and current friend-with-benefits.

They had stopped talking after Jessica left the band in 2014 but reconciled four years later. It all started with a dare from Yuri, the first text being a short birthday greeting. Months later, they met at an event, and the animosity between them was so palpable that the only way they managed to diffuse it was with hate at the afterparty. Sometime between their 6th and 7th hook-up, they forgave each other, though the arrangement continued because they didn't want to let what they had learned about each other's preferences in bed go to waste.

“I can’t believe you actually flew all the way for this.” Jessica stretched while yawning, pulling Taeyeon closer. The sunlight seeped through the curtain, informing Taeyeon and Jessica that they should be out of bed by now.

“I can't believe it either.” She shrugged. A phone on the bedside table vibrated, but both women seemed equally uninterested in what it had to say.

“You're not in love with me or something, right?”

“Nope.”

“Just checking.”

They had both agreed that this arrangement would stop the moment someone caught feelings. The constant check-ins to confirm had almost become a running joke between the two. They had dated once, almost a decade ago, and both had agreed that it was one of their top 5 lifetime mistakes. They were just too similar – equally stubborn, cold, idealistic, and impatient.

“And you're okay?” Jessica squeezed Taeyeon's arm, continuing to check-in. The same repeated dance. They wouldn't look for each other if they weren't trying to escape their lives.

Taeyeon and Jessica were not friends, after all.

“The flight helped clear my head.”

“Just the flight?” Jessica lifted her chin to serve her iciest glare.

“Okay, I admit you helped.” Taeyeon confessed and was rewarded with a deep kiss.

The doorbell rang, and they broke apart.

“Expecting a delivery?”

“Not really.” Jessica crawled past Taeyeon to reach for her phone.

The doorbell rang again.

“, I forgot! Taeyeon, get dressed. NOW.” Jessica leaped out of bed to search for her clothes frantically.

“Who is it? Can’t I just stay in the room?” Taeyeon didn't move a muscle; both her mind and body were exhausted to the brink. “Half our clothes are in the hall, by the way.” She reminded Jessica of how they wasted no time after stepping into her apartment.

Jessica sighed in resignation, managing to only find her underwear.

“It’s Tiffany.”

“What?!”

“Tiffany is here for brunch.”

“Tiffany is in LA?”

“How could you not know?” Jessica whispered loudly as if Tiffany is already within earshot.

They both heard the passcode being keyed in, and the sound of the heavy apartment door being opened. 

“Jessica Jung, you better not have forgotten about our…” Tiffany's voice and heels clack brightly through the apartment, and they can almost feel the wheels in her head turning as she notices the trail of clothes leading to the bedroom.

Jessica's phone vibrated in her hand.

“Are you kidding me right now?”

“I’m sorry… my night took an unexpected turn.” Jessica opened her wardrobe and threw some clothes on the bed, gesturing for Taeyeon to get dressed.

“Should I leave?”

“Ask her to leave.” Taeyeon mouthed. 

“Of course not. Give me 5 mins.” She hung up.

“What the , Sica.” Taeyeon wanted to scream, but it comes out barely audible.

Jessica is too busy getting dressed, opting for a hoodie and short jeans, ignoring Taeyeon’s internal meltdown. She combed her hair with her fingers while heading to the door.

“At this point, if we don't tell her, she will hate us both forever. But it's your call.” Jessica left the room and shut the door behind her.

Taeyeon reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, dreading the confrontation with Tiffany. She pushed the possibilities of Tiffany’s reactions out of her mind, dreading every single scenario. She chose a sports tee and a short black skirt that Jessica had picked out and checked herself in the mirror.

She looked horrible; the evidence of jetlag was plastered all over her features. She pressed her palms to her eyes, hop