•Mir's POV•

"Oppa, it's been finalized." Taeyeon says over the phone. 

"Hm?" I ask as I walk down the little business district just outside of my neighbourhood. 

"The date I'll be flying back to America." She clarifies as if it should be obvious. 

"Oh," I respond. I'm on my way to the coffee shop before I begin making a plan on how to confess to Chohee in the best possible way. It's been a couple hours since I've left her house and after giving it much thought, I've decided to confess to Chohee as soon as possible. Summer is coming to an end and with it I don't want it to bring Chohee and I to an end. If the situation with her appa gets worse, I want her to know I'm there for her. "When is it?" 

I hear ruffling and tapping on the other end. There's muffled talking that's directed to someone else before she returns to me loud and clear. "Mian, what'd you say?" 

"When are you going to America?" I repeat, rounding the corner of my neighbourhood. I can already see the line of shops on the main road. 

"In ten days, next Saturday." She answers. 

"Wait, I thought you were supposed to leave Korea like, two, three weeks ago?" I say. 

"Well I've been pushing it back because I never see you Oppa! Honestly, the last time I saw you was at that girl's house and you left me!" Taeyeon whines as I see the coffee shop in my sights. "And this is the first phone call I've had with you in like, weeks! You never pick up or your phone's off! What's with that? Don't you still care about me?" 

I push open the door to the coffee shop and the bell chimes above me in a glorious melody that reminds me of Chohee's voice. 

"I do," I say. "I've just been busy s'all. One second." I turn to the worker behind the counter and ask for an Iced Latte. I pay and the cashier tells me it'll be a minute. With a nod, I stand off to the side and put the phone back to my ear. 

"Oppa where are you?" She asks before a sound can even make it's way out of my mouth. 

"Um, at a coffee shop." 

"Turn around." 

Confused and a little surprised, I do as told and turn, phone still by my ear. Who I see behind me squeals in delight. 

"Oppa! I knew it was you!" Taeyeon cheers and hangs up on her phone. Excited, she puts her phone down and shoves all of her papers and even her laptop off to the side of the table. "Sit, sit!" 

"I didn't know you were here," I say and put my own phone down.

"And I didn't know you were coming! Omo, what luck! I hadn't seen you in ages and look here, we bump into each other at the very café we last hung out." 

Last hung out? I look around and notice that this was in fact the shop where Taeyeon told me she was getting arranged in marriage. 

"Oh," I nod. "So what are you doing here?" 

"Why? Rich people can't come to shabby coffee shops like this?" Taeyeon giggles and rests her head on her hands, propped up on her elbows that leans on the table. "Homework," She shrugs. 

"Homework?" 

"Neh." She responds and turns her laptop so that I can see the screen. What faces me is an endless surface of boxes filled with numbers and words that make no sense to me. Because of Taeyeon's new attitude and look, it often escapes me that she's still super smart. "It's a database. The guy I'm marrying, he's the next successor of his grandfather's company. It's where I'll be working for the rest of my days." Taeyeon sighs with bitter acceptance and turns the laptop back to her. 

"Wow, the rich getting even richer," I joke around half-heartedly. 

"Aee, you've changed so much, even your jokes are dry." Taeyeon hisses, going back to resting her head in her hands. She watches me carefully, almost as if to make sure I'm still the Mir I once was.

"Well... I haven't changed that much, actually." I defend. Oh man, why aren't my drinks done yet? I spare a glance back but the waitress hasn't returned. 

"That's what you think." Taeyeon scowls, "It's because of that girl, huh?" I remain silent and Taeyeon sighs as if the world was resting on her thin shoulders. "I saw you and Chohee, that's her name right? Playing at the beach. Before I said hi, I watched a little. You guys are like TV, so interesting! With her, you're the same as you were in high school, playful and a clown. With me, you're all seriousness now; so boring, hmpf. You barely make conversation too. Before, it was only you talking. At the beach...I haven't ever seen you look at any other girl in the eye like that. Not since me." 

The air suddenly becomes sullen and Taeyeon's voice fills with regret and a little darkness. As if a heavy rain cloud as passed over her, Taeyeon's eyes even become distant. 

"I thought you never knew I liked you." I say, buried old bitterness crawling its way out of my heart. Now I can't bother with my drinks. I have unfinished business to deal with. Years old unfinished business.

Taeyeon chuckles but it's not happy. It's as fake as her diamond ring is real. It's for the sake of filling in silence. "That was a lie. I was very aware that you liked me, you make it too obvious. You're not as slick as you think, Mister." 

"Then why'd you lead me on if you didn't like me? Why'd you pretend not to know?" 

Taeyeon shrugs. It's no longer the new-Taeyeon. Old-Taeyeon, blunt, serious, cold old-Taeyeon, is resurfacing. The new-Taeyeon is trying to push it down and put it away, but the Taeyeon I know is slipping through. "You were the only friend I had. I didn't think I liked you, but after I moved, I realized how much I did. I wondered why you liked such an odd and out-of-place, nerdy girl, so I changed. And I promised myself that when I came back to Korea, you'd be the first person I'd see, and when I'd see you, I'd tell you everything. But when I saw you, you ran away." 

"You changed because of me?" I swallowed hard. I'm the reason that the new-Taeyeon that I hate was born? 

"Ani, not just you. You were a reason, but everything and everyone around me just told me that it was best if I did change. Who'd like a dull and smart rich girl? No, rich men like foolish, half-witted, easy brand girls. I mean, I love an ordinary man, but that's not my destiny. That's not my parents wish. So I became a brandy and it eventually stuck. It's part of me so I don't hate it. But," She chuckled, "obviously you do." 

I feel sorrow deep in my soul. "It's not that..." 

"Don't lie to me Bang Chulyeong." She sighs heavily, but not because she's upset. "So anyway, I can feel the mood becoming un-fun. Where are you heading?" 

Suddenly, I remember the drink I had ordered. I look back to see the patient young lady, waiting with my drink. "Oh I'm so sorry, I totally forgot." 

She bows, "It's alright. Thank you." 

"She's cute, quiet too, she your type?" Taeyeon suddenly asks me when I'm seated across from her once again. She squints at in the waitresses' direction. "Lee~ Eena~... She even has a cute name." 

I stare at her, "No... What makes you think that?" 

"Because well," She starts, relaxing back into her chair, "When you liked me, I was the same way. And now, Chohee is too." 

I pause for a moment. I can't deny what she had just said and with nothing else to say, I remain silent. 

"Are you going to Chohee's today?" Taeyeon asks. She spares a glance at her watch. "Oh wait, you probably just came from there, didn't you?" 

"I was there a while ago, but I went home and now I'm here." I clarify. 

Taeyeon nods, "So where're you heading? Can I join in?" 

I bite the inside of my cheek warily. "Tae..." 

"What? Just say it, where you going?" She presses. 

With a sigh I shake my head but answer. I know Taeyeon would never give up. "I was going to think of a way to ask Chohee to be my girlfriend," I mutter, my head down in embarrassment. 

"What?" Taeyeon leans closer. 

"I'm going to figure out a way to ask Chohee to be my girlfriend!" I say louder. Maybe too loud, because the surrounding people at nearby tables hush and turn to look back at me. I bow in apology and keep my head low. 

Taeyeon shifts back. "Aee, how could you admit something like that to me? Don't you know my feelings? Mmm, so cruel." I can't tell of Taeyeon's actually joking or joking to cover up her own feelings. 

"Well... I," I fumble, a little flustered after my little confession. Mir you papo, you need to learn how to think things through.

"Let me help you." Taeyeon suddenly says. I look up at her, surprised. Didn't she just say...? "I want to help." 

I stare at her. Her eyes seem eager and sincere. "But...." 

"But what?" She asks calmly. 

"But it's kind of awkward." I reply in a shy, hushed tone. I hide behind my drink as I speak. 

"Ani!" Taeyeon's cheerfully rejects. 

"Yes!" I counter, "My first love helping me get together with my current? Is this some weird drama? There'll be a plot twist, won't there? You try to kill Chohee in the process? Or worse, you make it so I accidentally kill Chohee? Ani, ani ani ani, I can figure it out on my own, I'm sure." 

Taeyeon stares at me blankly before she erupts in laughter. "Omo Mir!~ You've thought this through, huh?!" 

I stare at Taeyeon. It's like she's been reading my mind; maybe Taeyeon does know me better than I thought. "Tae..." 

Taeyeon interrupts me with a heavy sigh. "Look Cheolyong, I know you and you are not good with confessions, or speaking about feelings at all. You're the type to just goof around until the last second or you will never do it. You get easily embarrassed when people talk about their feelings and you get nervous and fumble." 

I know everything Taeyeon says is right. I want to believe that she's making it all up and I'm actually the total opposite of everything she's just said, but I remain silent. In my slightly dejected mood, I sigh and sulk. 

"Just let me help you." Taeyeon says. Her voice is soft and sincere. 

"Why?" I ask. I know Taeyeon and she isn't exactly the rudest soul around, but she wouldn't go around offering her help in situations that might involve hurting herself.

Taeyeon gives me a small, somewhat sad smile. "It'll make up for all of the times that I turned you down." 

"But... Don't you... With me?" I squirm under her gaze. 

"You mean, 'like you'?" She clarifies. I nod briskly, trying to hide my sheepish blush. "I do." She admits shamelessly for my sake. 

"But if you help me, are you sure you won't regret it?" I choose my words carefully. 

She laughs through her nose. "I'll try not to. I already regret so much but, you know what? I guess my turn's just over. I need to compensate for the pain I put you in. I know I'm a hard love."

I feel a little guilty even though none of this is my fault. "Tae, you don't have to." 

She shakes her head in her confident and assuring way, "I want to."

•••
A/N:
Why am I a terrible updater?? Omg apologizes x9000

School has been trying to drown me alive :-(

I want to wrap this fic up but I don't want to bs the ending... Please bare w me!!