Jessica entered the bathroom a few seconds after Taeyeon did.

She found her sitting on the sofa that was next to the washing area.

Without a single word, she sat down next to her.

She wanted to let her best friend speak only when she was ready.

"I... I never really forgot..." Taeyeon started.

When Jessica did not make a sound, she turned to look at her friend, who was also facing her.

She continued, seeing that Jessica was listening, "Actually, I... I still... I still love him."

"Then go back to him," Jessica spoke up at last.

"I can't," she shook her head, "I'm so afraid... I'm terrified even... That's why I kept trying to avoid him."

"What are you afraid of? Why can't you just take the first step and accept him? I'm sure he would-" Jessica was interrupted by Taeyeon.

"No, Sica," Taeyeon told her, "that is not possible."

"Why? Tell me why it is not possible? It's obvious that you two still love each other. So why?" Jessica's asked, a little more agitatedly.

Taeyeon admitted, "I'm afraid of breaking up again. I don't think I can do it over-"

Jessica shouted, anger evident in her voice, "What do you mean you're afraid of breaking up again? YOU are the one who broke up with him! YOU decided it alone! He had never wanted to let you go! Heck, the thought of eloping with you even crossed his mind!"

Taeyeon replied, "I know I know I know! How can I not know that? I loved him so, so much. But I can't just run away with him knowing... knowing how much it would hurt him because of his mom... How can I do that? How can I-"

Her voice trailed off when she started sobbing uncontrollably. She had tried to hold it back, but she could not. Not when she was letting out the feelings she had for so many years.

How much she wished she could just run away with him.

How much she wished she did not have to care about any one else's feelings.

How much she wished there were no one standing between them.

But she could not, not when she could see the pain in his eyes when he talked about leaving his mother behind.

Jessica scolded herself innately.

How could she shout at her best friend when she knew what happened? How much it hurt her? How much it hurt both of them?

She regretted it the moment she raised her voice.

Without any hesitation, she went over and hugged Taeyeon, trying to console the crying girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Are you feeling better now?" Jessica asked after Taeyeon had calmed down.

"Y-yeah..." Taeyeon sniffled, "sorry..."

Jessica scolded her gently, "Hey! Why would you apologize to me when I'm the one who should be saying that to you?"

Taeyeon croaked out a laugh, "You don't have to..."

"Yes, I should! I'm sorry for being so stupid and shouting at you. How could I? When I know what you'd been going through?" Jessica beat her head, only for Taeyeon to quickly stop her.

Both of them smiled at each other.

As best friends do when they make up after a quarrel.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You okay, bro?" Jay asked Nichkhun, patting his shoulders, hoping to comfort him.

"Yeah, I'm going back to my room." Nichkhun muttered, while walking away.

Jay looked at his back, as he dragged his feet back to the upper floors of the hotel.

He then turned towards his left, where the door that separated him and the girls was standing.

Jay sighed.

They should not have listened to what Taeyeon and Jessica were talking about since they were forced to remember the hurtful memories once again.

Because now their distance might be further than ever.

With no hopes of returning.

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Author's note:

Just a really, really short chapter! But the mood is pretty heavy...

Hope all of you enjoyed it! As I promised, a fast update!