Taeyeon’s POV

            Weeks have passed and things are not getting better around the apartment. Jessica is looking rather lost and still oblivious about Sooyoung’s feelings, Sooyoung is heart broken but still trying her best to pretend that everything is fine whenever Jessica is around, Yuri is distant with almost everybody, except with Tiffany and me.

            Tiffany herself is still................. as breathtaking as ever. I miss her very very very much. Honestly, I want her back. But I’m confused. Hyomin told me she did it because she thinks of my happiness. Nevertheless, do you know how much it hurts to get dumped? How much it makes me question her love for me.

            I’m in deep thought when suddenly my cell phone ring. It’s my mom.

            “Hi mom.” I still lie down on my bed and lazily answer.

            “Hello my dear daughter. You're not asleep yet? What are you doing?”

            “I just finish my assignmen, mom. How are things at home?”

            “Everything’s well. Except that your little sister misses you too much.”

            I smile bitterly, “I miss her too.”

            “Dear, are you sure everything is alright?”

            “Yes, everything is alright, mom. Why you keep asking me that?” Everything is NOT alright. Your daughter is heart broken because of a girl.

            She inhales deeply before talking again, “You.... haven’t talk about Tiffany lately. How is she doing?”

            I really don’t know how to answer her, because I’m wondering about the same thing. But for the sake of it, I just answer shortly, “Fine.”  

            “Are you guys fighting?” yes, worse than that, we broke up, mom.

            “No. We’re just....... busy.”       

            Silence again.

            “Well okay then. Rest up and take care, Taeyeon-ah.”

            “Will do, mom.”

            “I love you.”

            “I love you too.” And she ends the call.

            I guess my mom was right. I did talk about Tiffany all the time. Our conversation on the phone is back to short and casual.

            “Did your mom ask about Tiffany?” GOSH! I almost forgot that there’s another person in the room. Hyomin is on her desk, working on her assignment and I forgot about her presence.

            “Yeah.” I reply to her question.  She turns off her laptop and lie down on her own bed.

            We’re lost in our own thoughts for a moment, both of us staring at the ceiling.

            “Have you talked to Yuri?”

            “Nope.” Well we all know now that she would go to Soonkyu's place until late night before going back to our apartment so she could avoid bumping into Jessica. I guess she’s avoiding her cousin too at the moment, so she’s got in the apartment not that late. But she would stay inside her room and rarely comes out.

            “Why not?”

            “I’m... scared. That time when she said she doesn’t want me to date him, she looks really pissed and hateful. It’s like she’s disgusted with me.”

            “Don’t say that, she’s not disgusted with you. It’s just her protectiveness towards her cousin that makes her said that.”

            “Besides, Sunny keeps saying not to worry. She just needs some time to cool down.” She says it more like she’s convincing herself. 

            “It’s been weeks! She hasn’t cool down yet?”

            Hyomin looks defeated, “I don’t know.”

            I could tell she doesn’t want to talk about her problem any further. But I don’t know what else to talk about, so we just stay in comfortable silence for a while. After some time, she finds new topic to talk about.  

            “Tae, don’t you want to get back together with Tiffany?” what else would we talk about, right? We would always end up talking about her.

            “I... do. But I’m not sure, Hyomin-ah. No matter what her reason to break up with me, still she let me go. She...gave up on me.” 

            Hyomin is quiet, maybe she’s thinking what to reply to me.

            “Do you know that quote? ‘If you love someone, set them free.’?”

            “I don’t know about that quote, but it makes no sense at all.”

            “That’s because you only heard the first part of it, dumb-.”

            I roll my eyes, “Well then what’s the second part?”

            “’If they return, then they’re yours forever. If they don’t, they’re not yours from the start.’”

            I try to comprehend what she just said.

            “So I should wait until she returns to me?”

            She exhales loudly, indicating that she’s annoy, “Gosh, you’re so slow sometimes. She’s the one who ‘set you free’. So you need to prove to her that you guys DO belong together.”

            I think for a moment before answering her, “I don’t know, Hyomin-ah. I still think she gave up on me already. No point in fighting if she doesn’t want to fight with me.”

            “She’s letting you go because she thinks about your happiness, Tae. She doesn’t want to be a burden to you. That doesn’t mean she’s giving up on you. She’s just... scared and confused. I know you’re dying inside, but it’s killing her too.”  

            “She’s not a burden to me and my happiness IS her. How can I be happy without her?”

            “Then tell her that! It doesn’t matter if she gave up on you or not because the real question here is: are you giving up on her already?”

            Am I? No. Nope. I’m certainly not.

            “I’m not giving up on her. I won’t.”

            She suddenly stands up and grab my arm, “So what are you waiting for?! Get her back! Go to her now!!”

            “Are you crazy?! It’s 1 in the morning!”

            She looks at the clock and let my arm go. “Oh, right. I’m getting too excited.” She grins and I laugh at her impulse.    

            She falls back on her bed and we talk a little bit more.

            Talking to Hyomin makes me feel a lot better. Of course, there’s still this fear about not getting my family’s consent. But what’s the use of being afraid of that if I don’t even have the girl I love with me? I’m going to talk to Tiffany tomorrow and I’m going to get her back. 

‘If you love someone, set them free. If they comeback, they’re yours; if they don’t, they never were.’ by Richard Bach