Sunday, April 23rd 2023

“Hey where were you? Manager oppa said you disappeared after your schedule. Everything ok?” Taeyeon asked Jessica as the younger girl slipped in through the front door. There was a brief flash of something akin to uneasiness, but it was gone before Taeyeon could register it. Instead there was only a slightly tired and wan smile upon Jessica’s face.

“Yea, Krystal wasn’t feeling too well so I went to go see her. Everything’s ok though, just that time of the month for her. Is there any dinner leftover for me?”

“Yea, Yuri packed you some in a container in the fridge, I’ll heat it up for you. Go have a shower and come out and eat.”

“Thank you Taengoo-ah.”

Taeyeon watched the brunette head into her room to grab some clean clothes before going to take a shower. There was a certain weariness in Jessica that wasn’t there this morning, a caginess almost. But then again, Jessica had always been a pretty private person, especially when it came to her immediate family. Perhaps there was more going on with Krystal, but Taeyeon would leave it for Jessica to approach them if she needed to. The brunette was not one to be forced. Taeyeon just hoped a nice hot shower and a hot meal would make Sooyeon feel better.

Two hours later, all the girls were home and in various parts of the house, just settling down for the night. Sunny, Seohyun, Hyoyeon and Yoona were playing a card game in the living room floor. Yuri and Sooyoung were watching a drama. Taeyeon and Tiffany were just hanging out with the girls in the living room whilst on their phones, and Jessica was in her room, already having turned in for the night as she had had the longest day out of all of them.

Taeyeon was reading a new article about South Korea’s current school system when she felt Tiffany stiffen next to her on the couch. The younger girl immediately stood up and went to her bedroom and closed the door, eyes glued to her phone screen, movements jilted and tense. Taeyeon could feel the edginess emanating from behind the closed door. She felt herself tense up as well. When it came to Tiffany’s life, it seemed anything goes. Whatever it was, Taeyeon found herself bracing for it.

A moment later the younger girl emerged in black jeans and a thick black bomber jacket with a dark navy blue baseball cap pulled low over her face, a facemask over and nose. Taeyeon immediately leapt up. Her instincts were not incorrect. Even from the couch she could see the pure dread pulsing in Tiffany’s dilated pupils.

“Jaesung is in the hospital. It’s bad. Nayeong couldn’t tell me exactly what happened. I need to go see him and Nayeong right now. Wait here and I’ll update you guys ok?” Tiffany stood there, waiting for the girls to digest the news. The Tiffany of old would have just up and left without so much as a word. But she was just starting to understand how much her action or rather inaction was affecting those around her and was trying to be better at it.

Taeyeon was first to react. She got up, nodding slowly. She immediately got on the phone and asked if their manager oppa could come pick Tiffany up. She understood that apart from the hospital probably not allowing all of them to go, it was also a matter of discretion. Should all nine show up at the hospital, it would be harder to keep under wraps. So until they figured out whatever was going on, they needed to at least afford their Jaesung oppa and Nayeong unnie as much privacy as they could. And while it made sense that it was Tiffany who was going out of all of them, Taeyeon still needed that added bit of assurance that Tiffany had someone with her to ensure her safety.

Tiffany gave Taeyeon a quick curt nod of thanks and then strode hastily out the door, closing it softly behind her.

The rest of the living room had stilled, each of the girls individually digesting this news. Taeyeon turned to her members.

“There’s nothing we can do. Tiffany will