Hello! I'm back from my vacation! I'm not sure if I mentioned in my previous update that I was going to be away...I don't think I did...Aish!  Anyway, here's an update! I know I said I was going to double update, but this one is really long! >.< Get ready for a chapter full of TaengSic fluff! Enjoy!

Chapter 17 - Bad Day


“Are you sure you’re fit to go?” Jessica asked for the umpteenth time that morning.


“Yes, Sooyeon. I told you, I feel fine. It’s just a small cut.”


“But still…”


Taeyeon stopped packing and walked over to her lover. She wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her close to her.


Jessica encircled her arms around hers in response.


Taeyeon gazed at her warmly.


“Darling, you have to stop worrying so much.” She said brushing a strand of hair away from Jessica’s face. “I feel absolutely fine. Please let me go on this trip with you. I really want to spend time with you so we can create memories you can keep in your heart forever. Remember what I told you when I asked you to be my girlfriend?”


“I will make you so happy that the hurt you may sustain afterwards will not compare to the happiness I will give to you.”


Jessica nodded as she recalled Taeyeon’s words she’s engraved in her mind.


She sighed and rested her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder. “I’m just really worried about you. I don’t want you to hurt yourself while we’re on vacation. As much as possible, I want you to remain healthy so that we can spend more time together.”


Taeyeon tilted her head and looked down at her. “Hey, I’ll be fine. Stop worrying. Plus, I really want to meet your brother and your sister.” She smiled down at her.


It was true. Ever since Jessica told her that she’ll be able to meet her brother and her sister, she has been excitedly looking forward for the vacation. She really wants to meet all of Jessica’s family and possibly get to know Jessica a bit more through them.


Recently, she realized that she doesn’t know much about Jessica. The only thing she knows about her are the background information Sooyoung and Sunny has provided her before she began her mission.


As much as possible, before she departs, she wants to be closer to Jessica and get to know her a lot more than just the general knowledge. She wants to get to know her personally; her likes, dislikes, hidden personality and everything that not a lot of people know about her she wants to know herself. She is confident that this vacation will give her the opportunity to do just that.


“Please, Sooyeon, let me go with you.” She pouted cutely for her. She recently discovered that her lover was a er for her aegyo, so she’s been abusing them lately to attain what she wants.


Jessica couldn’t suppress a smile. She bit her bottom lip before standing on her tippy toes and planting a chaste kiss on her lover’s plump lips.


Taeyeon smirked. “What was that for?”


“That’s for being adorable.” She cooed, pinching Taeyeon’s cheek lovingly. She couldn’t resist. Her girlfriend is just too darn cute sometimes.


“Oww…” Taeyeon feigned pain and rubbed the side of her face with her palm.


“Oh, stop being such a crybaby. It didn’t hurt that much.”


“Yes, it did! See! Look! It’s red!” Taeyeon pointed at a spot on her cheek.


Jessica tilted her head to the side and examined the spot she was pointing at. It was a little pinkish.


She brought her fingers up to Taeyeon’s face and delicately caressed the reddened spot.


“I told you it hurts.” Taeyeon sulked even further.


Seeing the pout, Jessica did her best to stifle a smile. Too cute. She thought.


She pushed herself up again from the ground, her hands pressed against the blonde’s shoulders, and kissed her on the said spot.


“Feel better?” She asked as she pulled away.


Taeyeon giddily nodded like a little kid, causing Jessica to chuckle out loud.


“You’re so silly.” Jessica shook her head in amusement.


Over Taeyeon’s shoulder, she noticed the unfinished and opened suitcase. She returned her gaze back to the girl in her arms.


“Hey, aren’t you going to finish packing?” She asked as she pointed her lips over her shoulder.


Taeyeon furrowed her brows and glanced over her shoulder. For a minute she’s forgotten the reason why she was pouting in the first place.


When she saw the suitcase and realized what Jessica just implied, her face immediately brightened.


“Does that mean we can go?”


“Only if you finish packing within five minutes.”


A huge smile formed across Taeyeon’s face “Yes! Ok! I got this! Go get ready! When you come out, this’ll all be packed! Go! Go! Go!” She said as she handed Jessica a towel and hastily pushed her inside the bathroom, shutting the door right in front of her face.


------


“How long is the drive to Sokcho Beach?”


“Hm, about four hours max. Depends on traffic really.” Jessica replied as she entered the highway.


“Wow, that long? Are we going to have a stop over?”


“If you want to. We could stop by and eat.”


“We should do that when we’re half way through.” Taeyeon suggested.


“Ok.”


As Jessica switches on the left signal, her eyes momentarily fall on the gas meter. She noticed that the red arrow was already past the half way mark. “Aish, this car is almost out of gas.” She muttered under her breath.


Taeyeon looked at Jessica. “Should we fill it up first?”


Jessica thought about it for a second. “No, not now. Maybe later. We still have enough to make it half way. Plus, we’re already in the high way.”


Taeyeon just nodded. “Ok.”


The car fell into silence. It was quiet for a while until Taeyeon decided to switch on the radio.


Daniel Powter’s Bad Day started playing.


As soon as it started playing, Jessica’s whole demeanor visibly brightened.


“I love this song!” She exclaimed excitedly. She glanced at Taeyeon’s direction and flashed a toothy smile. “Do you know this song?” She asked as if expecting Taeyeon to be familiar with it.


Unfortunately, Taeyeon has never heard of it. She shook her head sadly. “No. I’ve never heard of this song, or any song for that matter before. Where I came from, there is no such thing as music, unless you count the angels’ humming. Other than that, no.”


Jessica’s smile fell off her face. “Oh. Right. I almost forgot you’re a spirit.” She uttered sheepishly.


Taeyeon just shrugged and returned her gaze forward as she began nodding to the unfamiliar music.


Jessica looked forwad as well and focused her eyes on the road. She kind of felt bad that Taeyeon has never been exposed to any music before. She didn’t even know it was even possible for anyone to have never heard of any songs at this day and age. But then again, Taeyeon isn’t like the others. This kind of thing is possible in her case.


“So, does that mean this is your very first song?”


Taeyeon nodded. “Yup. It sounds nice.” She stated unsurely. She really wasn’t sure if this song was considered good or not. For her it had a good ring to it.


Jessica bit her bottom lip contemplatively. Since this was Taeyeon’s first song, she wants to make it somewhat special and memorable for her. And the fact that this was her favorite song and that they were listening to it together made her want it to leave a bigger impact on her.


But how do I make it special?


As the song was nearing the chorus, an idea popped into her head. She nudged the blonde by the arm. “You know what? Today’s your lucky day!” She proclaimed giddily.


Taeyeon was confused. “Er, why is that?”


Jessica grinned wider. “Because today, you’ll get to hear your very first song sung by yours truly, me!”


Taeyeon blinked.


Sooyeon? Singing?


Before she knew it, the brunette has already started singing along with the song.


“Cos you had a bad day, you take it one down, you sing a sad song and you turn it around…”


Taeyeon watched on amusedly. This is the first time she’s ever heard Jessica sing and she’s got to admit, the girl has a very beautiful voice. As she continued to listen silently, she came to like Jessica’s voice more and more.


Soon, she grew to love it. And she’s not just saying that because she’s required to as her girlfriend, but because her voice was truly magnificent.


Although she’s not an expert when it comes to evaluating a person’s singing skills, she could still distinguish good singing from bad singing. From what she’s hearing, Jessica’s voice is like no other. It’s very soft and mellow, but very strong and firm in its own unique way. The way the melody rolled off her tongue was as smooth as flowing silk. And although very soft and a teeny bit high, her voice was undoubtly mesmerizing and soothing to the ears.


All in all, she was very amazed by her singing ability.


During the middle of the song, as she continued to gape at Jessica like a fool, the brunette turned to her and gave a playful wink.


Her stomach did flips. It just made her smile dorkily at her.


Jessica giggled at her silly reaction.


Jessica brought her gaze back to the road.


With her eyes still focused on the road ahead, she reached for Taeyeon’s hand that was resting limply on her lap.


When Taeyeon realized what Jessica had in mind, she flipped her hand upwards, meeting and entwining her hands with the brunette.


“So where is the passion when you need it the most? Oh, you and I. You kick up the leaves and magic is lost…”


Jessica glanced at her.


When Taeyeon met Jessica’s gaze, an image flashed through her mind.


--OOO--


“Cos you had a bad day! You take it one down, you sing a sad song, just turn it around! You say you don’t know, you tell me don’t lie! You work out a smile and you go for a ride! Sing it with me!” She hollered at the top of her lungs. 


The girl beside her began laughing hysterically. “You see what you like! And how does it feel for one more time!? You had a bad day! You had a bad day! Whooo!” The girl began drumming her palms on the dashboard along with the beat of the song.


“I had a bad day!” Taeyeon hollered one more time to nothing in particular.


The person beside her pointed her index finger at her. “You had a bad day!” She sang right after Taeyeon’s outburst.


The two turned to each other. They gave each other a knowing look before breaking into the chorus together. 


“We had a bad day!” They cheered together.


The two of them laughed their butts off at each other’s sillyness.


--OOO--


“…had a bad day...” Jessica hummed along until the end.


Just as Jessica finished singing, Taeyeon awoke from her thoughts.


Jessica turned to her. “How was that for your first song?” She asked, her brows moving up and down in a playful manner.


Taeyeon chuckled. “It was amazing! Wow! I never knew you could sing like that. You sound way better than the angels from where I came from.” She replied back earnestly.


Jessica looked away shyly. “Yah, you know you don’t have to compliment me just because I’m your girlfriend. I know I sounded horrible.”


Taeyeon frowned. “What are you talking about? You sounded great!” She pressed on.


Jessica just shrugged and gave a faint smile.


She doesn’t believe me, Taeyeon thought sadly.


She gazed intently at the side of Jessica’s face.


She’s saddened because her lover doesn’t believe her words. It wasn’t true. She didn’t just compliment her because they were lovers, she did it because she really do believe it.


She really doesn’t want Jessica to feel like she’s just spouting out lies and sweet words at her for that sole reason. She wants her to know that every word that comes out of is the truth and from the bottom of her heart.


“Don’t you believe me?” She suddenly asked, catching Jessica offguard.She glanced towards Taeyeon’s direction.


“What are you talking about? I do believe you. It’s just…” She bit the inside of her cheek.


*sigh*


“Thanks, Taengoo…for the compliment.” She replied back halfheartedly.


Taeyeon wasn’t convinced.


“Sooyeon-ah, although you keep refusing to believe me, I will keep on saying this; I love your voice.”


Jessica was caught offguard once again. She glanced at her.


“Whether you’re singing or just plain talking, just hearing your voice brightens my day. It makes me feel this weird sensation inside my stomach. As cheesy as that sounds, your voice really has that affect on me. Hearing your voice alone makes me smile as well.  I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of listening to it.” She glanced sideways and noticed Jessica blushing profusely.


She smiled to herself.


“You can choose to believe me or not, but do know that everything I say about you is from the heart.” She finally finished, giving Jessica’s hand a gentle squeeze.


“Thanks, Taengoo-ah.” Jessica said sincerely as she gazed affectionately at her.


Taeyeon smiled warmly at her and gave another gentle squeeze at her hand.


------


“Aish, I knew that rental place looked dubious. Even the man was creepy!” Jessica muttered angrily.


“There, there.” Taeyeon comforted as she massaged her girlfriend’s shoulders, hoping it would calm her down.


The two were now sitting in a tow-away truck with their car being towed behind. Ten minutes ago their car broke down in the middle of the high away for an unknown reason. They had to call for help. Thankfully, they didn’t have to wait long and help came sooner than they expected. Now they were on their way to the autobody repair shop to get their car fixed so that they can be on their way to the beach house.


Taeyeon was thankful for the help. Unfortunately, Jessica was a different case. She was pissed. Not only did she have to pay a pricey amount for the car rental, now she has to pay for gas and car repairs as well. She swore, when they get back, she’s going to sue the company for swindling them.


“That company is going to get it from me when we get back.” She gritted her teeth.


Taeyeon didn’t say anything. She just continued massaging the fuming girl’s shoulder. And that’s what she did throughout the entire ride to the repair shop.


The two stood inside a garage, just outside the owner’s office. The owner entered the office right after he inspected the car.


Not long after, the owner emerged from the office holding a cliffboard. He was a tall, burly man with a short shaggy beard. He had a low, gruff voice, which made him very intimidating, but he was very polite.


“How much will everything be?” Jessica asked the man.


The man took a calculator out from his shirt pocket and began punching in the numbers. After he finished his calculations, he looked up from the calculator and showed them the overall price.


Their eyes almost fell out of their sockets when they saw how much the total cost was.


“340 bucks!?” They exclaimed at the same time.


Jessica almost fainted, good thing Taeyeon was right there beside her to catch her before she could completely collapse to the ground.


“Yes. It’ll be $340.” The man repeated.


Jessica used Taeyeon as a support to hold herself up. Taeyeon wrapped an arm around Jessica’s waist to keep the girl steady on her feet.


“Omo. Is there any way we could get some sort of discount for this?” Jessica asked the man hopefully.


The man shook his head sadly. “Sorry ma’am. No discount.”


Jessica closed her eyes as she took a huge, deep breath. She let it out noisily through her nostrils. She was trying her best to calm herself down and not lash out to the innocent man before her, but it seems to be harder than she thought it would be. She can’t hold it in any longer.


Taeyeon realized this so she quickly excused herself and ushered Jessica away from the man. They stood outside the garage with Taeyeon rubbing her girlfriend’s arms soothingly.


“Hey, are you alright?” She asked worriedly.


Jessica shook her head side to side furiously. “No, I’m not alright.” She said bluntly. “I’m annoyed and I really don’t want to pay for those stupid repairs. But then if I don’t we’ll never make it to the beach house. Why is this happening to me!? Ugh! This is so frustrating!” She ran both her hands through her hair and let out an exhasperated sigh.


Taeyeon stopped rubbing Jessica’s shoulder and dropped them to her side.


Taeyeon felt bad. Technically, it was her fault. Jessica didn’t want to rent from that place since it looked rather shady, but since they were tight on time and since it was the only place open that early in the morning, they had no choice but to rent from there. All of these bad things happened because she got hurt. If she wasn’t injured then they wouldn’t have to rent a car last minute and they wouldn’t be in this mess right now. Because of her carelessness, Jessica has to pay for all of these damages and there was nothing she could do to help. It was all her fault.


“I’m sorry.” She said in a low whisper. “It’s my entire fault. If I didn’t get into an accident then we wouldn’t have to rush.”


Jessica froze on her spot. She brought her hands down and turned to Taeyeon. Her gaze instantly softened at the sight of Taeyeon’s lowered head and guilt strickened face.


Seeing her girlfriend like this made her feel guilty for lashing out. It was just money. She shouldn’t have gotten angry over something small like that. Because of her, Taeyeon feels the need to take responsibility for their unexpected misfortune when in fact she doesn’t have anything to feel sorry for. It wasn’t her fault. She shouldn’t be apologizing for something she didn’t have control over.


D*mn it Jessica! You and your stupid temper!


Jessica stepped in front of Taeyeon and wrapped her arms around the latter’s waist. She nesteled her head on Taeyeon’s chest.


“I’m sorry. Please don’t blame yourself, Taengoo. It’s not your fault. If anyone’s to blame, it should be me. I shouldn’t have agreed to go today. You’re hurt and should be resting at home. Instead, I agreed to go on this vacation. We didn’t have to go today. I could have pushed it back. Actually, I should have pushed it back.”


Taeyeon pulled back and looked down warmly at her. “Yah, it’s not your fault either so don’t go blaming yourself now.”


Jessica only responded by tightening her embrace.


Taeyeon began Jessica’s hair. “Hey, instead of sulking here and passing on the blame, why don’t we walk around and have some fun? Hmm? It’s better than just standing here and doing nothing.” She suggested.


Jessica pulled back and smiled. “Let’s do that.”


“Alright! Let’s go settle the car problem first before we go.”


Jessica nodded.


Taeyeon interlaced their hands together and they walked hand in hand back into the garage.


The man heard footsteps and he immediately looked up from his clipboard and smiled slyly at the couple holding hands. “So, did you two lovebirds settle everything?” He teased.


The couple was taken aback. Taeyeon and Jessica glanced at each other bashfully.


“Erm, yes we have. Shall we finish things up then?” Taeyeon quickly diverted the subject.


The man led the way to the counter where Jessica paid the fees.


The man momentarily stepped inside his office.


Jessica nudged the blonde on the ribs. “Do we really look like a couple?” She asked in a low whisper.


Taeyeon placed her arm around her waist and pulled her close to her side causing Jessica to shriek. “I guess we do.” Taeyeon smirked.


Jessica playfully hit her on the chest.


Just then, the man stepped back out from the office. The two quickly pulled away from each other’s embrace. The man was too preoccupied with the items in his hand to notice anything. He looked up from the papers in his hands.


“Here you are. This here is the receipt and here’s your credit card. The whole thing should be finished in about 3 hours. Come swing by then.” The man smiled.


Taeyeon and Jessica thanked him before bowed politely and walking out of the garage.


“What should we do for three hours?” Jessica asked.


“Hmm…why don’t we just take a stroll and see where that takes us?”


“Ok.”


Jessica slid her arm around Taeyeon’s, her hand slipping in the latter’s hand smoothly.


The couple began following the small dirt path that cut across the middle of a field.


For a while they hust walked silently in a slow manner. They walked hand in hand to no particular destination.


As they walked, Taeyeon realized something. She saw this moment as a good opportunity to get to learn more about Jessica and hopefully get closer to her even more. She decided to break the ice first.


“So, tell me about your siblings.” She started.


“What do you want to know about them?”


Taeyeon kicked a small rock out of her way. “Anything.”


Jessica thought for a second. “Ok. Well, my younger sister, Soojung, is nineteen years old. She’s a freshman in UCLA and she’s majoring in theater. My younger brother, Yonghwa, is twenty-four years old. He’s an accountant, but he’s still attending school because he wants to get his masters. He’s currently working at an accounting firm in San Franscisco.”


Taeyeon furrowed her brows. “Shan Pranshisco?” She’s never heard of that place before.


Jessica giggled at her cute, fail, pronounciation. “San Franscisco.” She repeated again for her. “It’s where I was born.”


“You were born in Sh-San P-Francisco?” Taeyeon made an awkward face as she did her best to pronounce the name properly.


“Yup.” Jessica chuckled. “It’s a very beautiful and peaceful city. The weather’s always warm and sunny, never too cold and never too hot. You’ll love it there. *gasp* Omo! We should visit it sometimes! We could stay at my old house and I could show you around my neighborhood! It would also be a good opportunity to introduce you to my parents! Once they get to know you, they’ll surely adore you! I just know it!” Jessica clapped excitedly.


Throughout this entire time, Jessica had on a wide smile. She can’t wait to do all of these things with Taeyeon. Just the thought of their future together excites her.


“We should totally visit them next month and—”


Jessica immediately stopped talking once she realized what she was saying. Her smile faded from her face and her expression dropped.


She slowly cocked her head to the side, taking in Taeyeon’s somber expression. She mentally cursed at herself.


How can she be so insensitive? She knew conversations about their future were a very sensitive topic for the two of them. She should have thought about the implications it may have on Taeyeon first before she ran . She should have known better. Her stupidity just brought the mood down.


“I’m sorry.” Jessica uttered softly.


Taeyeon squeezed her hand. “Don’t be sorry. I’m fine.” She forced out a smile.


Jessica could only smile back weakly.


“Come here.” Taeyeon pulled her close, allowing Jessica to rest her head on her arm.


As Jessica snuggled her head down on her arm, Taeyeon looked forward and stared blankly ahead.


Although she said she was fine, deep inside she wasn’t. Everything Jessica said hit Taeyeon hard. Reality just toppled over her.  She knew they didn’t have a future together, but it still hurt to get reminded of it.


She thought she already accepted that fact, but truthfully, she hasn’t. She never accepted it. It was just something she avoided during their conversations.


Due to her unfortunate circumstance, the things they can do have been very limited. They can’t talk about their future, they can’t plan for their future, and most of all they can’t look forward for their future.


She can promise Jessica all the happiness she desires at this moment, but she knew she could never give Jessica the future she longs for. It’s the truth, but it’s a very harsh truth at that. And she hates it.


Her hand unconsciously squeezed on her own, causing Jessica to look up.


“You okay?” Jessica asked worriedly.


“Oh, erm, yes, I’m fine. So, um, what’s Soojung like?”


“Soojung? She’s pretty much like me, except taller. She’s smart, has a blunt personality and a bit of an introvert. She doesn’t like associating herself with the crowd. She also has cold personality when it comes to strangers, so watch out for that. But don’t get offended if she’s mean to you at first. Once you break through her tough exterior, you’ll find that she’s a very friendly and sweet girl.” Jessica explained.


“Just like you?” Taeyeon said, nudging her by the side.


Jessica laughed. “Yeah. Just like me.”


“I guess I’ll like her then.” Taeyeon smiled cheekily.


“Yah! Don’t you dare hit on my little sister!” Jessica threatened.


Taeyeon let out a hearty laugh. “Don’t worry, I won’t. You, gorgeous, is all I want.” She said pulling Jessica by the waist.


Jessica scrunched up her nose in disgust. “Eww, too much cheese.”


Taeyeon chuckled.


Although Jessica joked about it, deep inside she actually liked the cheese.


She smiled silently to herself.


The two settled into another comfortable silence.


As they continue down the path, they soon came upon a small lake.


“Hey, look it’s a jetty!” Jessica pointed her finger towards a wodden structure by the lake. “Come on let’s go!” She dragged Taeyeon behind her, who, unfortunately, struggled to catch up with her.


As soon as they reached the jetty, Jessica immediately settled herself by the edge, pulling Taeyeon down to sit along beside her.


Before long, both their feet were hanging by the edge, their ankles submerged underwater.


“Eeesh, the water is cold.” Taeyeon shivered.


“Taengoo, it’s just cold water. Plus, aren’t you supposed to be the man in this relationship? How are you supposed to protect me when you can’t even handle a little cold water?”


“Yah, since when did I become the man in the relationship?”


“Taengoo, you’ve always taken the role of the man even before we started dating.”


Taeyeon pursed her lips. “How so?”


“First of all, ever since you appeared in my life, you’ve always been there to take care of me. You always comfort me when I’m lonely and you lend me a crying shoulder when I need one. Not only that, you’ve always been there fighting for my sake and protecting me from people who hurt me, like Taemin.”


“Wait, but didn’t you also save me from Taemin once?”


“That doesn’t count.” Jessica quickly retorted.


“And can’t you also do most of things I’ve done to you? Therefore, it doesn’t really make me the man in the relationship since the role can pretty much be vice versa between the two of us. We can switch roles.”


“No, we can’t switch roles. There can only be one man and one woman in a relationship. And since you were the one who asked me to be your girlfriend, you inevitably became the man in the relationship.”


“Woah, wait a second. Even though I was the one who asked you to be my girlfriend, weren’t you the one who confessed first? Remember that time when you came into my room to apologize for hitting me so hard? You confessed!”


“I did not!”


“Did too!”


“Hold on, if I remember correctly, didn’t you make me cry so much that time too?” Jessica suddenly pointed out. She narrowed her eyes accusingly at Taeyeon, who, in response, avoided her piercing glare.


“Erm, I don’t remember…” Taeyeon feigned ignorance.


“Yah! Yes you do!”


“Wait a second, you just changed the subject!”


“And you’re trying to change the subject now!”


Taeyeon cursed silently to herself. Darn it! I’ve been caught!


“Am not…”


“Yes you are. And you still haven’t admitted that you made me cry that night.” Jessica said folding her arms neatly over her chest.


Taeyeon grunted. “Fine. I admit it, ok? I made you cry. And I’m sorry.” Taeyeon apologized sincerely. “Forgive me?” She pouted and mustered up her cutest puppy dog expression ever.


Jessica gulped. Why are you so darn adorable! Must not give in! Fight it Jessica!


Jessica shut her eyes and looked away. “No! Sorry ain’t gonna cut it!”


“Waeee?” Taeyeon whined cutely as she tug on Jessica’s arm like a little kid.


“Nope, not gonna buy it. You better make it up to me for all those times you hurt me.”


“Eh? But that’s a lot…”


Jessica opened one eye to see Taeyeon’s solemn expression.


“Exactly. You owe me a lot so you better make it up to me before you…” Jessica paused when she realize what she was about to say.“Before you leave…” She said in a low and disheartened whisper.


Taeyeon turned to her only to see her with a far look in her eyes.


Jessica pushed back the tears and cleared . “You better make it up to me. I won’t take no for an answer.” She repeated sternly. She tried to keep her voice steady, but her voice cracked by the end of that statement.


Taeyeon gazed at Jessica forlornly. Her heart ached.


The one thing she have learned to hate ever since she fell for Jessica was seeing her so broken like this. She hates it because it just proves that she’s not living up to the promise she made to her; which was to make her happy.


Aish! What the heck? Snap out of it Taeyeon! This isn’t the time to be emotional! Go make her happy!


Taking a deep breath, she pushed aside her forming tears.


She scooted over closer to Jessica, removing the space between them, before putting an arm over the brunette’s shoulders and pulling her close to her body. She placed her hand by the side of Jessica’s head and gently pushed it down so that it was leaning by the crook of her neck.


Jessica responded by making her postion more comfortable and snuggling up to Taeyeon’s neck.


Taeyeon smiled warmly.


“You know what? I’ll be the man. As long as you’re my woman then I’m fine with being the man.” She said as she rubbed Jessica’s arm soothingly.


“We can switch from time to time.” Jessica suddenly states.


This surprised Taeyeon. Just a minute ago she was fussing how she doesn’t want to be the man, but now she’s proposing they switch from time to time. “Really?” She asked curiously.


Jessica nodded in the crook of Taeyeon’s neck.


“Just like how you’re taking care of me, I want to take care of you too. I want to protect you, lend you a shoulder to cry on, and comfort you when you’re lonely.” She states simply.


Taeyeon smiled at her sweet words. “Ok. I guess we’ll switch when necessary.”


Out of nowhere, Jessica abruptly pulls away from her embrace, startling her in the process.


“What’s wrong?” She asked Jessica.


Without responding, Jessica gently leaned Taeyeon’s head on her shoulder. Jessica then wrapped her arm around her shoulder and began rubbing her arm in a soothing manner.


Taeyeon was surprised at the sudden action at first, but she soon relaxed and eased herself in Jessica’s comforting embrace when she realized what the brunette had just done.


She switched our roles.


Taeyeon can’t help but genuinely smile at this.


She s her arms around her lover’s waist.


“I love you.” She whispered sweetly to her.


“I love you too.” Jessica responded back with a smile.


Jessica leaned down and planted a chaste kiss on Taeyeon’s lips.


The two fell in another comfortable silence. They just sat there for a while, the two of them enjoying each other’s warmth and the serenity that the lake provided.


An hour elapsed and the two were still sitting on the jetty, their feet now on the wooden surface and no longer underwater.


They continued chatting, teasing and whispering sweet nothings to each other as they admired their peaceful and beautiful surrounding.


Soon another hour has elapsed.


Taeyeon and Jessica sat side by side on the jetty, their feet submerged again underwater.


“We only have less than an hour left.” Jessica pointed out as she checked her wristwatch.


“Wow, time went by really fast.”


“I know right.”


Suddenly, Taeyeon feels a drop of water hit her cheek and slide down the side of her face.


She frowned and looked up at the sky.


Another droplet fell but this time on her forehead, then another and another. Before long, it was pouring.


“Omo! Taengoo it’s raining!” Jessica covered her head with her hand as they scrambled hastily to their feet.


Taeyeon took her blazer off and draped it over their heads to shelter themselves from the rain. The two hurriedly dashed down the dirt path they came from.


By this time it was already a downpour. Their soggy clothes were slowing them down and the heavy rain was making it difficult for them to see clearly.


Jessica struggled to run with her flats. The rain has turned the dirt path into a pile of mud making the road sticky and slippery.


“Taeyeon-ah, I can’t run!” Jessica yelled over the loud blaring noise of the clattering rain.


“What? I can’t hear you!”


“I said I can’t—” Before she could finish her sentence, Jessica’s foot got caught in a mound of mud causing her to lose her balance and stumble forward instantly.


Taeyeon wasn’t fast enough to react; it was already too late for her to catch her on time.


Jessica fell on her hands and knees, chafing the surface of her knees and palms after the fall.


“Sooyeon!”   


Taeyeon hurriedly knelt down on the mud beside Jessica. She gently held the brunette by the arm and waist as she slowly pulled her up to her feet.


When Jessica tried to move, she let out a hiss and her face contorted in pain.


Taeyeon abruptly stopped her movements. “Are you alright?” She asked worriedly. She put her hands over her eyes and squinted to get a better view of Jessica through the thick curtain of rain.


“I’m fine. They’re just small scrapes.” She said showing the scratches on her knees and palms.


“Can you walk?”


Jessica nodded.


“Here, put your arms over my shoulder.”


Jessica obediently followed and draped an arm over Taeyeon’s shoulder.


Taeyeon then s an arm around her waist to keep her steady.


The two trekked their way through mud and rain as they made their way back to the autobody repair shop. It took them a while to get back due to the harsh weather.


Just as they entered through the garage, the owner came strolling out from the other side of the garage, holding wrench in one hand and a sandwich in the other.


He was about to crouch back down under the hood when he heard wet foot steps nearby. He looked up.


“Woah, what happened to you two?” He asked curiously, as he eyed the two girls from head to toe.


A middle-aged woman suddenly emerged from the stairs and was startled to see two girls drenched and shivering by the entrance of their garage.


“Omo, you two are soaking wet!” She exclaimed. She hurried over to the two girls and pulled them over to the wooden bench by the stairs.


“What have you two been doing? You shouldn’t be playing in the storm! It’s very dangerous out there!” She scolded. Taeyeon and Jessica could only lower their heads as the woman continued to reprimand them. The woman placed her hands on her hips. “Ayayay! Kids nowadays are crazy!” She turned to her husband. “Yobo, go boil some water for these two!”


The man grunted irritatedly and gave his wife a look. Clearly he wasn't too pleased with the idea of being ordered around.


“What are you staring at? Go on! Hurry!” The woman shooed him away.


The man shook his head in defeat as he made his way towards the back.


Taeyeon and Jessica watched silently as the woman ascended the stairs. Upon reaching the top, the woman hurriedly disappeared to one of the rooms.


It didn't take long for the woman to come back down with two towels and dry clothings stuffed in her arms.


“Here, take these and go change back there.” She instructed them.


Taeyeon and Jessica gratefully took the towels and the clothes and made their way towards the back room.


The room was big enough for the two of them to change in at the same time, but Taeyeon was hesitant.


“Um, do you want to go change first? I’ll wait outside.” Taeyeon suggested. She was uncomfortable at the thought of changing in front of Jessica. She was also uncomfortable at the thought of Jessica changing in front of her.


“We could change together.” Jessica stated nonchalantly, completely oblivious to Taeyeon’s uneasiness about the suggestion.


“Uh, that’s ok. You can change first.” She insisted.


Jessica furrowed her brows.


Why doesn’t she want to change together? Could it be...?


A smirk played on her lips. “Are you perhaps feeling shy right now?”


Taeyeon averted her gaze nervously. “N-no.” She stuttered, giving herself away instantly.


Jessica sighed. As much as she’d like to tease Taeyeon some more, she knew they needed to get out of their wet clothes first before they both get sick.


“Taeyeon, you’re going to freeze out here if you wait for me. You’ll get sick. And you’re already injured, so you can’t get sick. Which reminds me, your stitches weren’t supposed to get wet. Come here. Stop being shy and get in there.” She said pulling Taeyeon by the arm.


Taeyeon tried to resist, but Jessica was strong and firm. She managed to drag Taeyeon inside with her successfully.


Jessica placed the clothes and the towels on the wooden table inside the room. She casually reached for the hem of Taeyeon’s shirt and was about to pull it up when Taeyeon grabbed both her wrists, stopping her movements.


“W-what are you doing?” She asked, surprised by Jessica’s sudden move.


“Taking your soaking wet shirt off.” She stated matter-of-factly.


“I-I can do it myself.”


Jessica rolled her eyes. “Fine. But hurry up ok? We need to dry your head.”


Jessica grabbed her clothes and a towel and began taking her pants off.


Taeyeon blushed when she saw Jessica’s undergarment and thighs. She stared at Jessica’s behind for god knows how long before she realized what she was doing.


“Like what you see?” Jessica asked without turning around.


Taeyeon’s face went completely red. “I wasn’t looking!” She defended herself a little too eagerly.


Sure you weren’t. Jessica chortled.


Embarrassed that she got caught, Taeyeon quickly spun around and began changing as well.


After she dried herself off, she grabbed the oversized t-shirt by the table and put it on herself.


She then bent down and began drying her legs.


“Nice .” Jessica suddenly commented.


Taeyeon’s whole face went red.


“Yah! Stop staring!” Taeyeon quickly covered herself with the towel. When she turned around to scold Jessica, she found that the latter still had her back turned to her.


“I was just teasing.” Jessica stated.


Taeyeon’s whole face was as red as a tomato now. She can’t believe she just got tricked.


She quickly shook the embarrassment away and resumed drying herself.

In the middle of her drying, she began wondering if her really did look good. She looked over her behind and began assessing it. She squeezed it a couple of times with her hands.


Hmm, it doesn’t look that bad. It is firm yet squishy. I like it! My looks good! She smiled happily to herself.


Woah! Hold up! Why the heck am I commenting on my own !? That’s just weird! Aish! Byuntae!


She tossed the towel to the side and slipped on the pair of sweatpants on the table.


Once she was done she grabbed her towel and was about to dry her hair when she felt another cloth on her head. She turned around and found Jessica gently and delicately drying her hair off.


Jessica was wearing the same clothing as her. Although the clothes were big on her, Taeyeon has to admit, Jessica still looked amazing in them.


She looks good in anything.


She stared at her gorgeous lover in awe.


Jessica, who knew Taeyeon was staring at her this entire time, finally spoke up. “Are you going to stare at me all day or are you going to help me dry your hair?” She asked, without halting her task at hand.


Taeyeon snapped out from her daze and began helping Jessica dry her own hair.


After they were finished, Taeyeon and Jessica made their out of the room. As they exited the room, they were greeted by two cups of hot tea.


“Here drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” The woman instructed.


“Thank you.” They both uttered at the same time.


Taeyeon and Jessica gratefully took their share of tea, made their way towards the steps of the stairs, and sat down.


The woman was about to walk away when Taeyeon called out to her.


“Ahjumma, do you perhaps have any antiseptic cream and bandaids?”


“Yes, I have some in the back. Are you two hurt?”


Taeyeon turned to Jessica. “Well, she fell and scraped her knees when we were making our way here.” She explained.


“Omo. Wait here, I’ll go get it for you guys."


Taeyeon nodded.


The two sipped their teas in silence as they waited for the woman to return.


Not long after, the woman came back out with the cream bottle, a box of bandaids and a bag of cotton.


“Here you go sweetie.” She handed the items to Taeyeon.


“Thank you.” Taeyeon smiled as she took the items.


She grabbed one of Jessica’s hands that was resting on her lap and opened it, revealing the scratch marks on her palm.


She took the cotton and began squirting the cream on it. “Hold still, this is going to hurt.” She warned before dabbing the cotton on her cuts.


Jessica winced when she felt the cold liquid make contact with her open cuts.


Taeyeon paused and looked at Jessica. “You ok?”


Jessica nodded. “Keep going, I’m fine.”


Taeyeon lightly dabbed the ointment on every single scratch. After she was finished, she covered them up with bandaids. She did the same treatment for her other palm and her two knees.


After she was finished, she sat back down next to Jessica and resumed sipping her tea.


Jessica sighed.


“This was such a bad day.” She commented solemnly.


Taeyeon placed the cup down on the saucer. “I don’t think it was that bad.”


Jessica snorted. “Taeyeon, so many terrible things happened to us today. First, we got swindled by that shady car rental company. Then we found out that the car barely had any gas. And as if that wasn’t bad enough, the car breaks down in the middle of the highway. Then I had to pay a huge amount of money just for the repairs. Not only that, we got caught in the middle of a storm. And I tripped and scraped my palms and knees not long after that. What great luck I have.” Jessica shook her head disappointedly.


“I don’t think it was all that bad.” Taeyeon stated.


Jessica turned to her. “How so?”


“Well, today, we got to spend some quality time together. We got to experience new things we’ve never experienced before; like walk hand in hand in a random field, chill on a jetty by the lake, get drenched under the rain during a storm, and drink hot tea in a autobody repair shop. Moreover, I got to know a little bit about your siblings and your family, and I was able to learn a little bit about you as well. Overall, for me, today has been a very productive and successful day. I liked it.” Taeyeon smiled sincerely at her.


Jessica let Taeyeon's words sink in. When it did, a smile crept upon her face. “I guess you’re right. Now that I think about it, today wasn’t as bad as I thought it was.” Jessica paused and thought for a moment as she held the teacup between her hands. “Honestly, I had a lot of fun today. I enjoyed it a lot.”


“See, I told you.” Taeyeon smiled cheekily.


Jessica chuckled. She placed the cup down by her foot and rested her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder.


Taeyeon shifted her position so that Jessica would be more comfortable.


Jessica slipped her arm in Taeyeon’s, their hand entwining automatically.


“You know what? I wouldn’t mind having another bad day if it meant spending more time with you.” Jessica commented. 


Taeyeon leaned down and kissed the crown of Jessica’s head.


“Me too.” She whispered softly as she leaned her head down on the side of Jessica's head.

Jessica let out a contented sigh.


The two of them wore broad smiles as they sat there and enjoyed each other’s presence. They sat there in silence as they watched the sun slowly set before them.


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A/N: There you go! I hoped you enjoyed this chapter! Next chapter, Taeyeon will finally meet Jessica's siblings!   I'll try to update Secret Lover soon!

As usual comments are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading and commenting! =]