The police officers held him back when he tried to lunge at her, but she sat still, showing no signs of fear. All she could feel was hatred and resentment towards him. She watched as the officers dragged him back to his seat as the judge called for order in the courtroom. 

She had been sitting in the front-row seat, listening for hours as the defendant and prosecutors went back and forth with their evidence and questions. The guy she once loved was in the defendant's seat, looking smugly as if he was innocent. Anger and regret were building up in her when she caught him smirking as if mocking her for being in this situation. What a loss to spend that much time with someone, only to find out that they were an assailant, a stranger. 

When the judge confirmed his jail sentence, all Tiffany could remember was leaving the courtroom with clenched fists and gritted teeth. It was unfair. 

Tiffany opened her eyes slowly and was immediately greeted by the bright sunlight coming from the window. She stared at the ceiling for a moment and recalled the dream she had. Now and then she would be reminded of the tragic experience her family had to go through three years ago. The memories still felt so fresh in her mind. 

Shielding her eyes from the glare, she gently stood up and headed to the bathroom to freshen up. She could feel her head throbbing as she rinsed her face and wondered if her friends got home safely.

Feeling refreshed, Tiffany sat on her bed and texted Seohyun, thanking her for sending her home last night before heading down to the living area. 

Taeyeon was in the kitchen with Uncle Hwang, helping him with what she could to set up for breakfast. She had woken up early to take her leave but the old man insisted that she stay for breakfast. 

She was setting up the table and almost dropped a fork when she heard a squeal and was engulfed by a tight hug from behind. Taeyeon giggled and placed the fork neatly on the table before turning around to pry Minjoo off of her legs.

“Annyeong, Minjoo!” Taeyeon exclaimed.

The said girl giggled when Taeyeon lifted Minjoo off her feet and into her arms. 

“Unnie!”

The seven-year-old yelped in surprise but soon cackled when Taeyeon tickled her waist as she was carried around in the living area like an aeroplane. From the kitchen, Mr. Hwang observed them, looking for signs of any sudden aggression from Minjoo but his little girl’s smile confirmed the opposite; she was having fun.

Mr. Hwang turned his attention to the stairs as he heard footsteps rushing down the steps. “Oh, Miyoung ah. Come, let’s eat!” He called out to his eldest and headed to the kitchen counter to turn off the stove.

Having heard that, Taeyeon turned her attention to the stairs and saw Tiffany with a confused look, hands still on the railing. They both stood frozen in the spot as they shared eye contact, with Minjoo still in Taeyeon’s arms. Still feeling puzzled as to why Taeyeon was in the house, Tiffany slowly made her way down the stairs, her gaze still on Taeyeon.  

They broke their intense gaze when Minjoo squirmed in Taeyeon’s arm asking to be let down. The little girl rushed to Tiffany’s side and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek before going to the kitchen to hug her daddy. Taeyeon stood awkwardly in the living area scratching her not-so-itchy head when Tiffany got back on her feet. She was about to ask how the woman was feeling when she heard Uncle Hwang clear his throat. 

“Come on now, you two. Stop staring at each other already and eat!” Mr. Hwang snickered. After putting his little girl on the chair, he watched his eldest and the blonde-haired woman in the living area staring at each other in silence. As much as he wanted them to talk, his stomach was already growling in hunger.

The breakfast was awkward for Taeyeon to say the least; Tiffany was quiet throughout the meal and would only respond when a question was directed to her. Despite that, she was glad that Uncle Hwang and Minjoo were there to clear off the uncomfortable situation.

“Thank you for the food, Uncle Hwang,” Taeyeon uttered as she wiped her lips with the napkin. She inhaled sharply when the rough textured cloth came in contact with the small cut on her lips. Tiffany must have heard her because she felt a stare on her left. She turned her head and saw Tiffany glancing down at her lips. Taeyeon blinked awkwardly as they shared a brief eye contact before Tiffany looked down at her plate.

“It was no problem, Taeyeon,” Mr. Hwang sipped on his tea. “It was the least I could do for you for bringing this girl home.” He chuckled but choked on his tea when Tiffany glared at him.

Feeling embarrassed was an understatement for Tiffany. After knowing that Taeyeon was the one who sent her home last night, she wanted to dig into the ground and bury herself in it, especially when she got to know she was the one who caused the small cut on the woman’s lips.

Why do we always meet up under this circumstance? Tiffany complained internally.

Tiffany placed the last bit of the dishes on the drying rack and turned off the tap. She opened the refrigerator, grabbed a bottle of water and chugged it down trying to calm her mind and heart. She stood there for a while with the fridge’s door opened and the bottle in her hand.

A soft voice called out for her, snapping her out of her daze.

She peeked behind the fridge’s door and saw Taeyeon standing right beside the dining table with a questioning look. 

“Y-yes?” Tiffany stammered.

“Are you alright? Still feeling hungover?”

Tiffany closed the fridge. “O-oh, no. I took a pill before I came down for breakfast.” 

The blonde-haired girl nodded slowly unsure of what to say next. Before she could say anything, 

Tiffany had rushed up the stairs leaving her alone in the kitchen. She stood her ground not knowing what just happened. 

After the meal, Uncle Hwang had taken Minjoo for a shower so it was only Taeyeon and Tiffany in the kitchen, with Tiffany doing the dishes and Taeyeon tidying the table. Taeyeon had been cracking her head thinking if she should talk but Tiffany seemed to keep herself busy with the dishes.

She let out a sigh dragged her feet to the living area and sat down on the couch not knowing what to do. Tiffany’s probably in her room hiding and Uncle Hwang was busy with Minjoo. She could not possibly just leave without informing them. That would be rude. She fished out her phone and sighed when the device only showed a black screen. It probably died halfway when she was asleep.

Feeling restless, Taeyeon rested her chin on her palm and leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. She wondered to herself as to why she was so invested in Tiffany’s situation. They’ve only met a few times so technically they are still strangers.

Am I intruding?

While she was caught up in her mind, Tiffany had gone down to the living area with a cream in her hand