“Anyone home?” Yuri walked into their home and called out. She looked around the now empty house and saw no one. A sense of melancholy overwhelmed her. She walked around the room, her fingers tracing through every wall and every furniture. It was hard to imagine that most of them still lived here a week ago, when they would still come back home and share what they had done or what funny trivial incidents they’d encountered during their work.

 

 

 

She sighed as she walked down the hallway, but was stopped by the sob of someone in the room across her and Yoona’s.

 

 

 

“Jessica?” She was surprised to see Jessica here, or, at such an early hour to be exact, with her knees held tightly in front of her chest, her head buried in between her legs. She sat down on her bed and reached out for Jessica’s hand and gave it a little squeeze.

 

 

 

“Are you ok?” She asked, though she knew she wasn’t. No one was.

 

 

 

Upon hearing a familiar voice, Jessica lifted her head.

 

“Hey, what are you doing here?” She asked, trying to smile but failed. It only made her sadness more obvious. 

 

 

“I still got something here I need to pack.” Yuri knew she didn’t want to answer, so she answered the question. “You’re up early.” She tried to joke and thankfully it worked.

 

 

 

“I know,right?” Jessica smiled sincerely. “I couldn’t quite sleep actually.”

 

 

 

“Wow,what a shocker. The sleeping beauty who couldn’t sleep.” Yuri smiled back. “Where’s everyone by the way?” She asked as she laid down next to Jessica. They were now laying down together on Jessica’s bed, their shoulders slightly touching.

 

 

 

“Yoona and Seohyun went to school I think. Tae and Fany went to the office. Sunny and Hyoyeon went out with Sooyoung to get some more Korean snacks....something about not being able to taste original Korean food abroad or something.....” Jessica answered.

 

 

 

“Why aren’t you with one of them?”

 

 

 

“I wanted to....remember more about this place.” Jessica could feel her voice crack, and Yuri said nothing but held her hand tightly.

 

 

 

“Ten years. It’s been a wonderful ten years.” After a long silence, Yuri whispered out.

 

 

 

And in that instant, the only sound in the room was Jessica’s sobbing and the summer wind gusting through the open window.

 

 

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

 

 

“Yah, Choi Sooyoung, we came here to have a meal with you, not to pay for you.” A petite woman protested in a unsatisfied tone. Her complaints were soon ignored and thrown aside as Sooyoung didn’t hesitate for a second before walking into the restaurant.

 

 

Another woman beside her shrugged as if telling her that protesting is of no use, then walked in as well.The small woman rolled her eyes before following them.

 

 

 

“I want everything that’s on the menu.” Sooyoung smiled towards the waitress and ordered.

 

“What?! Yah....Choi Sooyoung.....”

 

 

“Oh come on, Sunny, give her a break. She’s leaving soon.”

 

 

“Hyoyeon’s right. Give Sooyoung a break.” Sooyoung winked at Sunny and pleaded.

 

 

“Are you using my aegyo against me?” Sunny raised her eyebrows and asked.

 

 

“Maybe I am. What are you going to do about it?” Sooyoung challenged.

 

 

“.......”Sunny could only glare at her friend.

 

 

“Stop it, you two. We’re still celebrities, you know.” Hyoyeon pressed her cap a little lower as she looked around, making sure that no one took notice of them.

 

 

“Soon not to be.At least I won’t.” Sooyoung said in a nonchalant tone and started to grill the meat that had just been sent to their table.

 

 

This comment seemed to shock the other two,as they realized what Sooyoung meant and it was a while before Sooyoung noticed their unnatural expressions.

 

 

 

“Don’t look at me like that. It makes me hard to leave.” Sooyoung smiled wildly to her two older sisters,trying to cheer them up. “Besides, it’s not like we’re not seeing each other again, right?”

 

 

 

“Sooyoung, you sure you don’t want us at the airport tomorrow?” Though she had probably asked a thousand times already, Sunny still asked again.

 

 

 

“Sica and Fany will be there with me tomorrow. Don’t worry.” Sooyoung said, still smiling before stuffing the meat into .

 

Hyoyeon and Sunny could only look at her. They knew Sooyoung was faking it. The smile. It was too bright to be a true one. Especially on a day like this.

 

 

 

“Besides,” Sooyoung suddenly lowered her head, as if trying to hide something, not wanting the other two to see. “ I don’t know if I can leave if you’re all there.”

 

 

 

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

 

“Are you sure about this?” Tiffany asked again as she eyed the papers in Taeyeon’s hand.

 

 

“Yeah.” Taeyeon smiled at her reassuringly.

 

 

“You don’t have to end it, you know. They want you back.” Tiffany frowned. She couldn’t get it. Of all the members, Taeyeon was one of the few ones who got a chance to renew her contract and to debut with another group,but now she’s going to decline it? “And you love to sing.” She tried again.

 

 

 

“I can sing anywhere. But not with anyone else.” Her mind was set, and Tiffany knew then that nothing could make her change her mind now.

 

 

 

“Ok then. Are you ready?” Tiffany took her by the hand as they walked towards Lee Soo Man’s office.

 

 

 

“Ready to get kicked out of this company for good?” Taeyeon laughed, and Tiffany couldn’t help but laughed along.

 

 

 

 

“Oh, you have no idea.” She grinned before knocking the door.

 

 

 

 

 

-TBC-