CHAPTER 5

            Taeyeon was grasping Joo Hyun’s hand tightly on the backstage before they performed. She was glimpsing at the innocent face beside her with worry look. As if could figured out the worry into her unnie’s eyes, she was releasing a smile just to calm her down.

            “Gwaenchana, Unnie,” she said. “Just focus on our performance.”

            Taeyeon was shaking her head. “How could I not getting worry about you, Magnae?” she was asking while touching Joo Hyun’s cheek. “You weren’t mastering any self-defense, and the crooks now are around us.”

            “Just stay at the backstage after doing your performance, don’t go anywhere until I finish mine, and I’ll come to you,” Taeyeon gave instruction once again, still couldnt’ concealed her anxiety. Joo Hyun was nodding her head and smiling.

            “Come on, Unnie. The host already gave the cue,” Joo Hyun was reminding her. Together, they were stepping onto the lift, which slowly took them from under stage onto the surface.

            For a moment they were stupefied by the rumble of gleeful clapping sounds, earned by the audience who had already packed the concert hall area. Their eyes glistened with excitement as the two performer finally emerged from below. Both Taeyeon and Joo Hyun were bowing toward the audiences before starting the show. The atmospehere was beginning to be merrier then.

            Joo Hyun was walking to the corner, to reach her piano, while Taeyeon was settling herself at the center, in front of her mic, ready to sing. Not long after that, Joo Hyun was beginning to play the intro of “Because of You” that was originally sang by Kelly Clarkson, while Taeyeon was humming, as it hadn’t reach the lyrics part yet.

I will not make the same mistakes that you did
I will not let myself
Cause my heart so much misery

And again, it was just earning another applause by the audiences.

            Taeyeon was staying cool, wasn’t influenced by the mesemerized people around her. But besides kept focusing on her song, she was also remembering, that she had more important duty to do. As if doing some eye contact with the audience, Taeyeon was gazing at some direction on purpose. She was smiling at the group of the man who was sitting in the VIP area, then just turning her eyes to other direction after she was sure that they didn’t miss her spellbinding gazing.

            After about 5 minutes, the song was accomplished. Joo Hyun was standing up, shoving the bench, and walking toward the center again. She was bowing, as she just already ended her performance. While Taeyeon was still standing up at her track since she had to perform one song more. A moment before Joo Hyun went behind the stage, Taeyeon was glancing once again, giving cue to the magnae to remind her about what she told when they were at backstage. Joo Hyun was nodding and smiling, then disappeared behind the stage.

            It was less than five minutes only actually; however for Taeyeon it seemed so long, since she was really worrying her magnae. During on duty, either she or the other members never left Joo Hyun alone, unless at their own headquarters, a building with a high-level security system that was reliable enough to keep the members safety. She was little bit relieved when finally she finished the song. She was bowing then walking to the exit at the corner of the stage; but before she left, she was still able to caught the object – group of men that she was looking at for purpose – were also getting up and leaving the place. She just smiled satisfiedly when witnessing that scene.

            Taeyeon quickly changed her costume into the black clothes one at the empty aisles, somewhere inside the building. It was only silence for a moment under the glimmer shadow before finally Taeyeon jumped up and reached a bar at the ceiling and climbed onto it, hiding herself somewhere at the ceiling. She was put a black mask on her face while kept controlling her breath there, then just lurking in the dark. Not long after that, a group of man was emerging. The one who was considered as the boss seemed confusing. Taeyeon was counting, they all were four men, including the boss. It supposed to be not too hard, she was thinking.

        “Where’s the girl?” she heard one of them asking. The other just seemed like put an enigmatic face.

         “I saw her walking to this aisle,” the other was assuring.

         “Yeah and then she just disappeared. Do you want to say that she’s kind of ghost or what?” the taller man was mocking, thinking that they just goofed off due to his mate’s goof.

          “We’re only few steps behind her, man!” the other said.

          “Ugh, it couldn’t be happened,” the boss said. “I thought we could having fun with that girl!” he was continuing, half muttering.

          “Hell, yeah, she looked tasty,” the other man said while her lips.

          Taeyeon was little bit shuddering heard and saw that.

          “How could some dumb crooks just gathered and looked like didn’t have any anticipation like that?” Taeyeon was thinking when capturing that scene. But, she was nonchalant since it would be ace in the pack for her; moreover she was full-confident that she would held all the aces.

          It was actually gloomy und uncomfortable circumstance; but now Taeyeon just felt it would be fun rather than giving her the shivers.

          “I have to make it fast and catch up Joo Hyun,” Taeyeon was convincing herself then.

          Finally when she tought that it was the perfect time to attack, she was making a lunge to them from above. The man was getting shock by sudden attack, that coming abruptly from nowhere as they didn’t think someone going to catch them off guard. Taeyeon was taking advantage at the chaotic and panic scene, not wasting time and chance, by grabbing and pulling a man’s head toward her and kneeing up his chin – the most anticipated crook she thought – and the lurch just succeedfully made him fell, along with mandible cracked sound that was faintly heard.

          Another jailbird was about to hit her secretly from behind; but it wasn’t Kim Tae Yeon if she didn’t detected it fast. Before he hit her, Taeyeon was just releasing a hard elbow to him; earned a shriek from pain before finally he muzzled due to second hard strike by Taeyeon. As if not enough witnessing how terrible his partner was, the last abettor was about to release some strike toward Taeyeon as well. Taeyeon just anticipated it easy, like a piece of cake. She was grisping the man’s arm and throwing him away, making another cracking sound, that Taeyeon was believing at least one or two of his backbones were involved.

          Only one was remaining now. The boss was trembling staring at her, but seemed he couldn’t recognized the girl behind the mask.

          Taeyeon was glaring at him but didn’t make any move, just sending shivers up and down his spine. The view, for Taeyeon, just like a cat on a hot tin roof.

          “I guess I’m sitting in the catbird seat now,” she was smirking behind her mask.

          Not waiting any longer, she was releasing the last strike. She did jump kick since there’s enough gap between them and absolutely it succeed to made the last man fell down, without any obstacle.

          Taeyeon was smiling satisfiedly and immediately searching for the item she needed. She was finding it easily at the boss’inside pocket. She was keeping it well behind her coat, then her mind was back to Joo Hyun.

          But the she just ran with all her might, when suddenly she heard a shriek, that she was sure it was Joo Hyun’s voice. She was worrying to the death, couldn’t imagine something bad happened to her maknae.

         “Joo Hyun-iii,” she was calling her name in the middle of her anxiety.

          Then she just found a cul-de-sac, with only one door left.

          Being sure that Joo Hyun was inside, she was kicking the door to make it opened.

          Then she found Joo Hyun, standing at the corner of the room. She looked like fine, without any mess.

          But what bewitched her was when she found a man unsciously on the floor. With a bruise at his chin.

          “J-Joo Hyun, are you all right?” Taeyeon was asking while running toward Joo Hyun.

          She was hugging her tightly and rubbing her back up and down.

          “Gwaenchanayo, Unnie,” she said using honorific form.

          “W-what happened?”

          “This man... suddenly coming and...I thought... I thought...”

          “Mwo?” Taeyeon was narrowing her eyes.

          “He may stalked me and tried to touch me,” Joo Hyun finally could finished her sentences.

          “WHAT?? This jerk?” Taeyeon was burst into anger, and kicking the unsconscious man hard.

          “He’s lucky I didn’t caught her on the spot! He must be die now if I got it!” Taeyeon was scowling.

          “Ummm..B-but... Who... who saved you??” Taeyeon suddenly remembered that Joo Hyun was still safe and otherwise, the man had been the one who was looked like a bullying victim.

          “I... I saved myself, Unnie...,” Joo Hyun said.

          “WHAT? How could it be?”

          Joo Hyun finally smiled, since she felt less tense after Taeyeon came and hug her. Actually Taeyeon never failed to make her felt secure.

          “Ummm, don’t mad at me, Unnie... Frankly, I already had leartn boxing for six years.”

          “WHAT?” Taeyeon was yelling another “WHAT” again, since she really never expected that. Joo Hyun – the magnae learnt boxing?

          “Sica Unnie and Yuri Unnie taught me. But don’t blame them, Unnie. I asked her to do my favor. Since I thought... I shouldn’t bother you all by kept on worrying at me while you’re on duty,” Joo Hyun was explaining. “At least I have to be able to protect my own self by myself,” Joo Hyun said.

          “Yahhhh... the two kids,” Taeyeon was mumbling. “I don’t believe it,” she was muttering.

          “Pweaseee don’t be mad at her, Unnie,” suddenly panic-Joo Hyun released her aegyeo- the thing that she never really into it. And usually it end up a failure.

          But this time, it worked, as Taeyeon was giggling looking at her. She was pulling Joo Hyun closer into her.

          “I won’t be mad at them. It’s good to know it, you know?” she said. “But why didn’t they tell me? They were supposed to tell me.”

          “Ummm... because if they told you, I’m afraid you won’t allow them to teach me...”

          Taeyeon was musing then nodding her head.

          “I just thought you’re not fonding with kind of that thing, Joo Hyun. So I didn’t want to force you to learn it, moreover you were rarely doing outside activities,” Taeyeon said. “But it was really a good news for me,” she smiled. “I’m so proud of you, Magnae!”

          “Me too, Unnie!” she said gladly.

          “Let’s we leave this place. I’m starving to the death!”

          “How about going to Newton?” Joo Hyun recommended. “I’m fonding with the yummy grilled stingray, Unnie,” she admitted bluntly. Taeyeon was giggling looking how innocent Joo Hyun was.

          “It’s supposed to be great ending before we left Singapore.”

          “Gomawoyo, Unnie!” Joo Hyun couldn’t hide her happiness when Taeyeon assented her. “Eh, anyway where’s the last microchips, Unnie?”

          Taeyeon was smiling. “It would be a great holiday for Yoong. It’s in Bali Island, anyway,” she was winking her eyes and towing Joo Hyun to leave the place.

tbc