A/N: Hey guys! Thank you for the subs and comments!! WOW I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ALMOST AT 100! You guys are so great hehe. Please do comment after each update if you have anything to say and if you can, upvote the story. I'm really thankful for all of your support! Also, if you have any bonus chapter requests, lay them on me and I will consider them. Like an extra couple moment or brotp moment or even an ot9 moment would be fun! Thank you!

Sunny needed some serious mental preparation. Taeyeon offered to allow her to sleep over and without hesitation, Sunny agreed. Yoona wanted to help too, demanding that she sleep over as well. There were no objections, and the four girls discussed possible ways to approach this.

 

 

It was more than a relief to see that Sunny had stopped crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, but it seemed that she had cried herself dry. Her voice was rather hoarse as well, but everyone was patient with her even when they couldn’t hear her speak the first time.

 

They ate dinner together in the living room in silence, Taeyeon and Seohyun’s parents understanding the thick emotional air. They decided to ask their daughters about the situation later.

 

Seohyun and Yoona soon left the two best friends alone to tend to home work, and after spending 30 minutes cuddling in silence, the two friends finished their homework as well. It was a pity that they had to handle the additional stress of school with the drama of their adolescent lives.

 

Sunny had no problem finishing her work and fished out her phone to check for texts. Of course, Sooyoung had been messaging her.

 

Oppa, come over on Thursday okay? I have a test on Friday and I’m going to be nervous about the talent show. My parents said it’s okay if you sleep over too.

 

It looked like her opportunity was set up by Sooyoung herself. Sunny took in a deep breath and texted her girlfriend back slowly, with trembling fingers.

 

Are you sure they’re okay with it? Or are they away for the night so you’re taking advantage?

 

How did you know? Don’t worry oppa, we won’t get caught. And I trust you.

 

Sunny bit her lip, this is exactly how hard she thought it’d be. She was already emotionally exhausted and yet here Sooyoung was, unintentionally leaving extra gashes on her heart.

 

Alright Sooyoungie. Didn’t you say that you have a paper due tomorrow? Get to work!

 

It surprised Sunny that she didn’t have to retype her texts too much. She was too used to the keyboard, she guessed. She could barely see straight the moment she saw Sooyoung’s name on her phone. The tears had come again.

 

Taeyeon looked up from her laptop and felt a pang in her heart at the sight of Sunny on her bed, curled up in a ball and crying again. Oh how she wished that she could take the pain away. Absorb it, crunch it into a little ball and throw it out into the wilderness.

 

She glanced at her laptop and figured that she could finish her assignment in the early morning. It was difficult to focus anyway.

 

Taeyeon approached the small fragile girl in her bed and pressed her weight onto the bed, alerting the girl of her presence. But Sunny shook her head and waved her hand dismissively.

 

“Finish your work Taengoo,” came her muffled cry. Taeyeon sighed and complied, walking back to her laptop defeated.

 

Eventually, Sunny’s crying died down to a faint whimper, and soon turned into light snoring. It wasn’t until an hour or so later that Taeyeon finished her work and closed her laptop.

 

Suddenly she heard faint knocking on her door. She walked over to it, careful not to wake Sunny up. Upon opening the door, her eyes met with Seohyun and Yoona’s who looked concerned. With a nod, Taeyeon opened the door and placed a finger over her lips to make sure that they remained silent.

 

The three girls sat on the bed, causing the short blonde girl to stir. They watched her carefully as she tossed and turned in bed to adjust herself.

 

Yoona was the first to lie down next to Sunny and wrapped her arms around the girls waist, holding her close. Sunny soon adjusted, rubbing her face into the crook of Yoona’s neck.

 

She was crying again.

 

Yoona rubbed circles into the back of her unnie’s back and closed her eyes. She shushed the sleeping girl and bid her back to sleep.

 

Soon, Seohyun joined them in bed and spooned Yoona from behind, rubbing her face into her back. Taeyeon smiled at the scene before her, amazed at the affection the younger girls had for Sunny. She was thankful, knowing that Sunny needed more than just her support.

 

She slipped behind Sunny and was amazed at how all four girls fit in her bed. She wrapped her arms around Sunny too, her right arm intertwining with Yoona’s.

 

“Sleep well, unnie,” Seohyun whispered as the four girls eventually found sleep.

 

---

 

The next day progressed as normal.

 

Sunny told herself that she had to prepare for that Thursday night. She reminded herself that she was only Sungmin for so much longer. She reminded herself the next morning that the next few days may be the last times that she got to hold Sooyoung’s hand, that she got to receive that morning kiss, that she got to walk the girl to school in such close proximity.

 

But then she remembered that she had been preparing for the past month for this moment. It was just a disappointment? No, a hard truth to swallow. But she had already made her resolve, and there was no turning back.

 

Sooyoung couldn’t help but notice. Her boyfriend looked a little sad, but she could tell that he was trying really hard to cover it up. She did little things, like holding him a second longer when they hugged, or lingering on his lips a second longer when they kissed. She wanted to remind him how much she cared, how much she loved him and how she would be by his side no matter what. Little did she know, her tactics were only making things more difficult for Sunny.

 

“You okay oppa?” she had asked more than once throughout the day. All he did was nod and give her a kiss on the cheek saying that she shouldn’t worry about it.

 

“You’ll understand soon,” he had told her. She could barely pick it up, his voice almost a whisper. “I promise I’ll tell you everything when I sleep over.”

 

Oh yeah, he was sleeping over.

 

If Sooyoung was completely honest, she was terrified about the talent show. She would be in charge of it from the beginning to end and she was in two performances. There was so much to think about, so much to worry about, so much to look forward to and yet so much to dread.

 

What if she failed? She may have looked bright and bubbly on the outside, but she wasn’t one who accepted failure as an option. Things had to be perfect. They just had to be.

 

That’s why she needed Sungmin there.

 

At first she thought about asking Yoona or Taeyeon over to comfort her the night before, but then she remembered that they probably had their own things to worry about. And then she remembered that they also had someone special to go to. Of course, friends were important and completely reliable, but her parents were away and when would she get another opportunity to have her boyfriend sleep over?

 

The thought made her shy. She blushed when she texted Sungmin about it the night before. Sooyoung wanted to bring it up in person, but that was impossible without fainting. She also thought about asking the other girls for help in relaying the message, but then she realized that every girl would to no end about it.

 

She was glad he said yes. It would be their first night together, alone. It would definitely be intimate she told herself over and over again. She wondered if he’d plan on making it a bit more romantic? Naw, he was as busy as she was, two performances and being in his final year and all. She was already asking him to help her with studying and assignments while he was doing his own work. It was too much to expect more.

 

And yet, she smiled at the thought of getting flowers or having him cook dinner for her. He was exactly the type of guy to do that.

 

But now with him looking so down lately, Sooyoung wondered if maybe she should do something for him? She thought about what to cook him for dinner on Thursday and if maybe she could…finally hand over one of her couple items? It surprised her that she hadn’t done so already.

 

Then again, they have only been dating for a few months.

 

It’s funny to think about. She felt as if she knew Sungmin for a lot longer. And although he was with Taeyeon first, she felt like they belonged together and were destined to be together.

 

She squeezed his hand as he walked her home like usual and kissed him.

 

“I’ll wait for when you’re ready to talk, okay?” she whispered to him as she embraced him tightly. She closed her eyes tightly and hoped that he could feel every ounce of energy and love she had for him excrete from her body and flow into his. As much as she wanted to know what was up with him, she knew that she had to be patient and supportive.

 

“I love you, oppa. Goodnight.”

 

He nodded and gave her a little smile. She closed her eyes again when he her cheek before reaching up to kiss her on the forehead. His lips were always so soft and the sensation of them against her flesh always gave her tingles.

 

“I love you too. Have a good night Sooyoungie.”

 

---

 

After rehearsals for the day, Tiffany invited Jessica over for dinner. She even invited Yuri over since she felt bad for intruding on their alone time.

 

It wasn’t until she was at her door that she remembered one important detail.

 

“My dad doesn’t know about you two,” she whispered, a little apologetic. “He would freak out if he found out, so please don’t make it obvious.”

 

Jessica sighed, knowing exactly what Tiffany meant. She was surprised that Yuri looked so confused about the situation however. They all knew how traditional Tiffany’s father was. He was always the first to ask them if they had a boyfriend yet.

 

Tiffany’s dad was glad to see the girls since he hadn’t seem them in such a long time due to everyone’s busy schedules. He asked about the usual things: boyfriends, crushes, school work, extra curriculars, and then the talent show.

 

“She won’t stop practicing the song,” he laughed, placing his hand on his daughter’s shoulder and rubbing it. “I think even I memorized the lyrics already and Miyoung hasn’t even showed me them.”

 

The girls laughed along with him, enjoying the faint blush in Tiffany’s cheeks. Yuri was jealous, not having been allowed to hear the lyrics even once. She wondered if Jessica had practiced just as often.

 

“You two wrote it together right?” he asked Jessica, who looked up from her dinner plate. “You girls must be lying to me! It sounds very much like you’re both in love.”

 

There was a pause as everyone turned to Yuri who looked like she was choking on her food. Jessica went to her side and smacked her back as hard as possible, causing her to cough.

 

“Are you okay?” Tiffany asked, very worried about more than just Yuri’s well being.

 

Yuri just nodded swiftly before chugging down her water nervously. She cursed herself inwardly and felt Jessica’s subtle glare in her direction. Please don’t be suspicious, she repeated over and over again in her head.

 

“You really shouldn’t eat so fast dear,” Tiffany’s father chuckled, quickly offering to refill Yuri’s glass. Tiffany didn’t miss when her father glanced over at her. She sighed and pressed her lips together tightly.

 

Thankfully, the rest of dinner finished without any more slip ups. Tiffany’s father let them go to her room to study and didn’t bother them at all for the next hours or so.

 

However, once the two girls left, Tiffany quickly rushed to her room without saying a word to her father. She didn’t notice in that time that he was looking out the window and peering out to see Jessica and Yuri holding hands.

 

“Miyoung, come back here,” he called out, peeling his eyes away from the scene. He furrowed his brow and did his best to breathe and remain calm.

 

He watched as his daughter crept down the stairs slowly, that look of worry clear on her face. Was she really hiding something from him?

 

“Yes daddy?” she called out in the brightest tone she could muster. Unfortunately for her, she tried a little too hard, causing her voice to crack at the end.

 

“Yuri and Jessica seem rather close,” he began, looking towards the direction of the window. “And Yuri seemed rather strange at dinner time. Are you hiding something from me?”

 

Tiffany bit her bottom lip and averted her gaze away from her father.

 

“N-No.”

 

“You’re a terrible liar and you know that,” he responded with a small smile. He walked over to his daughter and placed his hands on her shoulders, wanting her to calm down.

 

“It’s okay honey, just tell me the truth. Are those two dating?”

 

Tiffany still refused to look at her father, but nodded anyway.

 

“Why are you guys being so secretive about it?” he chuckled afterwards, patting his daughter affectionately on the head. “It’s okay if your friends are gay dear, I won’t look at them any other way.”

 

With the unexpected answer, Tiffany’s face lit up and she grabbed her father’s hand before bouncing.

 

“Really daddy? You don’t care?” she asked cheerfully, her eye smile nearly blinding her father who had experienced the talent since her birth.

 

“Of course not,” he responded, glad to see his daughter looking him in the eye again. “It’s not like you’re the one who is in a relationship with another woman. I didn’t raise you like that, now did I?”

 

He ruffled her hair again and continued to chuckle, teenagers these days with their mood swings.

 

Tiffany froze in her spot; it looked like she celebrated a little too early. Her father noticed it right away, from the fear in her eyes to the tears that started to form on the corner.

 

He didn’t say anything and only gave her a look. Tiffany knew that look, it was his warning look, it was him asking her to take back what she just said. Or in this case, what she just implied.

 

“I’m sorry daddy,” she mumbled as the tears flowed down her face. She could barely read her dad’s reaction now, focusing on remembering to breathe.

 

“Who is she?” he asked sternly, “Is it Taeyeon?”

 

Of course he could guess right away.

 

“Whatever it is you’re feeling,” he muttered, turning away from her. “No, whatever it is that you think you’re feeling, it’s going to go away. You two are just best friends, you have been forever. You’re just confused.”

 

Tiffany inhaled deeply and closed her eyes as she tried to regain her composure.

 

“No, daddy,” she breathed, grabbing his arm. “I love her.”

 

He shook his head and let out a little laugh, “Stay away from her for a while, you’ll realize then that what I’m saying is true.”

 

“What?”

 

“I’m saying you’re not allowed to see Taeyeon, at least until this ridiculous infatuation goes away,” his tone was cold. He hated being this way towards his precious daughter, but the idea of her and Taeyeon together? No, that was impossible. His daughter was going to find a nice boy, marry him then raise a beautiful family together.

 

This was just a phase, he convinced himself. Tiffany would be angry at him for now, but she’ll thank him in the end.

 

He refused to look at her, he hated it when he made Tiffany cry. But this was tough love, and this was the only way she’d learn. So he bid her goodnight with a nod and headed straight to his room.

 

Tiffany’s knees finally gave in and she fell to the floor, her body shaking as she took the information in. She should’ve lied, she should’ve denied it. She should’ve acted, she was good at that. But no, she couldn’t. She didn’t want to lie to her dad, she wanted to have hope that he would accept her and Taeyeon.

 

She watched her father leave her, his figure becoming a blur. She had to find the strength to call Taeyeon, tell her what happened, and that they couldn’t see each other anymore.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

 

 

---

 

Taeyeon was at Sunny’s house this time, the two working on their song. It was last minute, but Sunny called her over for an emergency change of plans.

 

The second she opened the door to let Taeyeon in, Sunny dragged the girl over to her bedroom where her keyboard and guitar were waiting for them.

 

“I wrote these lyrics a long time ago, but after what happened last night I decided to dig them up again. I sat alone with them for a while and changed them up a bit,” she handed her old journal to Taeyeon and the fellow small girl looked over the lyrics carefully.

 

“I started on a melody a while back as well and started playing with it again. I was hoping you could help me finish the song and perfect it?”

 

Sunny looked at her best friend desperately, this song would be one of her last subtle outcries to Sooyoung.

 

“It’s kind of sad,” Taeyeon mumbled as she looked from the lyrics over to Sunny again. “Are you really sure about this?”

 

“They’re my feelings,” Sunny answered with a nod, “My true feelings, and I want her to know them clearly.”

 

Of course, Taeyeon had no qualms with helping Sunny. However, she knew it would be difficult considering the talent show was in a few days. With a huff and a stretch of her muscles, she positioned herself in front of the keyboard and grazed the keys gently.

 

“Let’s do this.”

 

They worked so hard that Sunny’s parents even had to bring their dinner up to Sunny’s room. Her mother wanted a taste of the song, but Sunny shooed them away, saying that it was far from ready. They complied with a sigh and a roll of the eyes.

 

“We’re looking forward to the talent show Taengoo,” her mother said, rubbing Taeyeon affectionately on her shoulder.

 

“We’ll be sure not to miss your performance or our Soonkyu’s,” her father continued before bidding the two goodbye and leaving the room.

 

“Did you tell them what you’re planning?” Taeyeon asked, causing Sunny to look up from her guitar.

 

“Yeah,” she replied with a small smile, “They’re mad for having to explain it to the school, but they’re glad with whatever I choose to do.”

 

Taeyeon chuckled, “Your parents are so sweet.”

 

But before the small girl could continue her speech, she got interrupted by a phone call. She looked at the phone and tilted her head, confused to see Tiffany’s name. Her girlfriend usually left a bunch of warning texts before calling.

 

“Excuse me,” she said as she answered the phone and turned around.

 

Sunny just nodded before checking back to her music notes. But it didn’t last long for she heard a squeak come out of Taeyeon’s mouth. She turned her head to see Taeyeon covering and suddenly sitting on the floor.

 

“Taengoo?” Sunny called out, carefully walking over to Taeyeon. She hoped the call wasn’t something devastating.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry, I’ll fix this as soon as possible and I’ll talk to you when daddy says I can. I promise it won’t be long, okay? I love you, and I’m sorry for letting it out.”

 

“Fany, it’s okay, it’s okay. He had to find out eventually, right? I say it’s better if we stop lying to him,” Taeyeon replied calmly, even though her heart and mind were racing like crazy. He doesn’t want her talking to her anymore?

 

“But Tae, he doesn’t want us to be together. Do you understand what I’m saying? He thinks us staying away from each other will make us realize that whatever we have isn’t real,” Taeyeon could hear Tiffany scoff from the other end, even though her voice was almost a whisper.

 

“Maybe if we just ignore each other for a week, I can tell him he was right and everything can be alright again,” she continued, causing Taeyeon to frown.

 

“Sorry Tae, but I have to go now. Dad’s coming this way. I love you and I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

The phone hung up immediately and Taeyeon almost jumped when she saw Sunny gazing down at her.

 

“What happened?” Sunny asked, reaching her hand out to help her friend up. “You look like a ghost, well even more than you usually do.”

 

Taeyeon sighed before pulling Sunny in for a very much needed hug.

 

“Fany’s dad found out,” she muttered weakly into Sunny’s shoulder, slumping into the muscle. “He forbade us from seeing each other.”

 

“What?”

 

“He thinks it’s a phase, apparently. And that separating us will make us realize we’re not actually in love with each other,” she rolled her eyes and started smacking Sunny’s arm in frustration. “The stupid thing is that Fany wants to just ride this out then go back to pretending again after.”

 

Sunny grabbed the frustrated Taeyeon and pulled her over to her bed, pushing aside their homework and music sheets. She held the girl’s hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

 

“What’s wrong with that? You guys are fine, right?” Sunny asked, thinking about how happy the secret couple looked at school when the group of friends were alone.

 

Taeyeon didn’t answer right away and instead decided to lie down, pulling Sunny down with her. She turned to her side and wrapped an arm around Sunny’s waist.

 

“You know as well as I do how much pretending ,” she mumbled, rubbing her face into Sunny’s shoulder. “I don’t want to pretend anymore. My parents know about us, so why can’t Tiffany’s dad find out the truth and accept it?”

 

Sunny wrapped her arms securely around Taeyeon as if forming a blanket of protection. She sighed as she felt the girl begin to shake uncontrollably in her arms as if trying to fight back her anger and tears.

 

“Taengoo, not everyone thinks the same way, you know that right?”

 

Taeyeon nodded, unable to speak anymore.

 

“Sometimes that’s just how life is you know? Maybe it won’t be so bad keeping your relationship a secret, as long as you get to stay together right? That’s what really matters.”

 

Taeyeon looked up and faced Sunny with watery eyes. She wiped one and rubbed the liquid on Sunny’s shirt before poking her chest.

 

“Relationships can’t be built on lies. And I know we’re not lying to each other, but Tiffany’s dad is important to her and he’s important to me too. He has to learn to accept us or I’m certain Fany will leave me for her dad in the end.”

 

Even though she was sure that Taeyeon wasn’t making any jabs towards her, she felt a little hurt by her words. A relationship built on lies. She shook her head and returned her focus back to the girl in her arms. Sunny bit her lip as she saw the pure resolve in Taeyeon’s eyes. The girl had something up her sleeve.

 

“I-I’m going to talk to him. I’ll convince him that I love her and that she loves me and that it’s okay. I-I’ll make him accept us.”

 

Sunny kissed Taeyeon’s nose and pulled the girl closer.

 

“Are you sure about this?” she asked, her eyes closed and her mind wandering back to what was waiting for her in the future. It looked like both of them were going to have a life changing conversation very soon.

 

“Yes,” Taeyeon answered with a furious nod of her head. “I’ve been thinking about it since Seohyun mentioned the whole, not running away but towards our problems thing.” She paused before looking up at Sunny and smiling slightly. “And hey, this way you won’t be alone.”

 

Sunny chuckled before resting her chin on the top of Taeyeon’s head, “I was never alone.”

 

“Let’s be doomed together, huh?”

 

“Don’t say it like that,” Sunny groaned, lightly slapping Taeyeon on her . “We have to go into this with optimism and hope and love and all that jazz. In the movies, there’s always all this build up and drama, but everything ends up fine. It’ll be like that with us too!”

 

“You sure about that?” Taeyeon asked with a raised eye brow. “I’m not sure, but I’ll try to believe in that.”

 

“So let’s be brave together, okay? That sounds a hundred times better than whatever gloomy thing you said a few seconds ago.”

 

Sunny ruffled Taeyeon’s hair before pulling her into a soul crushing hug.

 

“Just believe in us.”