A/N: Ok, just a few things. I'm sorry for how long this has taken me, school has been hell, but bad things started happening in my family over the last few days and I don't think I've ever written this much in just the span of two days, so... Oh, the silver lining. Anyway, this is the last chapter! There's going to be an epilogue which will be pretty long, so any unanswered questions will be answered there. Hopefully.
When I post the epilogue I'll post some notes as well, things I need to bring up, and I'd like it you read that so that I can thank you guys properly for sticking by this story for so long. (230k+ words holy ?????) but for now, hope you like this last chapter.

"Sooyoung. Come on, wake up."

Sooyoung roused from her sleep early the next morning with a piercing pain in her neck from having slept in the car. She woke up with a start and looked up at Leeteuk who was sitting beside her, trying to remember what was going on. "What?"

Leeteuk nodded, gesturing ahead. "We're here."

Following the other's gaze, Sooyoung looked out the car window and realized the car had stopped, parked in front of a big, yellow house. Fields and eventually forest surrounded them on all sides, making it look solitary and isolated from the rest of the world. She straightened her back, noticing her phone was still clutched tightly in her hands, but there were no new messages. No news about Seohyun.

"Are you ready to go?" Leeteuk asked. "They've probably already noticed that we're here."

Taking a deep breath, Sooyoung pulled her fingers through her messy, slightly greasy hair. The thought that Hyoyeon might be in the house in front of her made her heart pound madly, but the possibility that she had taken off again and they had just miss her did even more so. "As ready as I'll ever be," she mumbled in reply, feeling cold sweat break out on her neck. She waited until Leeteuk opened his car door and mirrored his actions, stepping out of the car on damp grass while hoping, praying to god that her nightmare would finally be over.

"Hyoyeon."

She had been awake for hours already, just lying on her bed reading, fully clothed, waiting for something to happen. Her conversation with Jaejoong the day before had strengthened her, and she had decided, for the first time, not to run away, but stay and face reality. Jaejoong's voice made her jump, and the anxiety burned in her stomach, but she wasn't going to let it scare her away this time. She put her book down and made her way out into the kitchen, where everyone else barred Jaejoong and Yunho were still in their pajamas, in the midst of making breakfast.

They all looked at her as she walked in, but after a moment they turned their gazes towards the window again. Hyoyeon moved to stand beside Jaejoong, feeling as though her body wasn't responding properly to her commands. Jaejoong waited for her to approach him before he pointed out the window, at the car and the two figures sitting on the front seats. "They're here," he mumbled, just loudly enough for Hyoyeon to hear.

"What's going on?" Changmin asked, voice hoarse with tiredness.

"What do we do?" Yunho whispered. "Do you want to see them, or should we take care of it?"

"Hey! What are you whispering about?" Key screeched, getting up off his chair and hurrying over to be part of their whispered conversation. "What's going on, who’s that?"

Hyoyeon's mouth opened and closed, but she didn't know what to reply. Her eyes were locked on the shape in the passenger seat of the car; blurred and indistinct in the distance, but unmistakable. Sooyoung was there. Sooyoung had finally found her and come to try to bring her home, to save her, and the thought made Hyoyeon's heart break. She had already been saved, hadn't she?

Before she managed to find her tongue, the car doors opened, and the two stepped out on the grass below. "Leeteuk!" Ryeowook exclaimed. "That's Leeteuk, isn't it?"

Suddenly Amber was by her side, giving Yunho a playful slap on the back. "You didn't tell us he was visiting! Who's that with him, though?"

"Everyone but Hyoyeon, Eunhyuk and Kyuhyun, go to your rooms," Jaejoong said firmly.

The kids' faces all turned to them in surprise. "But Leeteuk—" Changmin tried.

"I will explain later," Jaejoong continued. "Go."

Key jumped on the spot in frustration. "But we—"

"I won't ask again," Jaejoong said, louder this time. "You can all see Leeteuk later, but there's something we have to resolve first. Go to your rooms and wait until I call you."

Key looked like he was going to argue again, but after noticing the pale look on Hyoyeon's face, he seemed to realize the seriousness of the situation, and joined the others as they left the room in silence.

"It will only be a few minutes, I promise," Jaejoong called after them. "Don't worry."

Hyoyeon managed to tear her eyes away from Sooyoung's approaching figure, and caught the apologetic look on Eunhyuk's face. He walked up to her, put his hand on her shoulder for a second and squeezed it softly, but Hyoyeon couldn't bring herself to show him a smile.

Kyuhyun had appeared by Yunho's side, pulling impatiently at his sleeve. "That- that's—"

"That's right," Yunho said. "He's here, a surprise visit. Isn't that nice?"

Kyuhyun nodded furiously before running towards the front door. Hyoyeon followed behind him, unsure of what she was doing, unable to think clearly, unaware of what she was even feeling; just wanting the whole thing to be over with already, no matter the outcome.

"Kyuhyun, wait," she heard Yunho call behind her. "You have to wear shoes!"

The youngest had no interest in listening, though, as he pulled the door open and sprinted outside barefoot, jumping over the porch and down onto the grass, over the yard and straight into his brother's arms. Leeteuk caught him in the air, a big smile gracing his face, and stumbled backwards under his weight. Hyoyeon was just about to walk through the door when Jaejoong grabbed his arm.

"Remember, your health is the most important thing," he hurried. "Don't let anyone guilt you into doing anything. You've done that enough." Hyoyeon looked up at him, blinking slightly as she tried to take in his words. She nodded, and Jaejoong pulled her into a bone-cracking hug. "Good luck," he said, and Hyoyeon nodded again, unable to reply, and finally stepped out on the porch.

Her eyes locked with Sooyoung's, and the younger girl stopped moving. Hyoyeon stopped breathing but saw Sooyoung's chest rise and fall quicker and quicker, like she was about to start hyperventilating, and for a moment, Hyoyeon was sure that she couldn't do this, like she couldn't live with all the trouble she had caused and been caused, but then Sooyoung raised her hands into the air, as if to say "I come in peace," and Hyoyeon remembered who she was, what she was like, that she wasn't dangerous.

"Don't— Don't be scared," Sooyoung said. "I won't force you to do anything, I swear."

Leeteuk and Kyuhyun walked towards the house hand in hand, seemingly wanting to give them some privacy. Sooyoung remained with her hands in the air as they waited for the two to go inside, and Leeteuk showed Hyoyeon a warm smile as he reached her. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Hyo," he said, grabbing her unharmed arm for a short moment. She nodded again, but didn't have to respond as the two brothers quickly disappeared into the hallway, shutting the front door behind them.

Hyoyeon stepped off the porch down onto the grass, not bothering to remove her socks before she did so. Her heart beat so hard in her chest the world flickered in front of her eyes as she approached the other girl, and Sooyoung lowered her hands gradually as she came closer. She stopped when they were only a few meters apart and she could see the tears in Sooyoung's eyes.

"Hi," she said, watching as if she was outside of herself when Sooyoung's tears fell.

"Hi," Sooyoung replied. "Can I hug you?"

The tears welled up in Hyoyeon's eyes too as she nodded, and then Sooyoung's arms were wrapped around her, holding her close, her broken arm caught between them and sending cold shocks of pain through her body, but she didn't care. Sooyoung's body was warm and protective and everything she remembered, and in the moment she couldn't care about the things that still needed to be solved. Her hand clutched the back of Sooyoung's shirt as she cried into her shoulders, the relief of having the one person she had longed for for so long back in her arms flooding her senses.

"Thank god," she heard Sooyoung pant through her tears. "Thank god." The younger's arms tightened around her, and for the first time, Hyoyeon felt as though she was loved; loved just as much as she loved the girl crying in her arms.





"What happened to your arm?" Sooyoung asked when they pulled apart.

Hyoyeon smiled softly, about to reach up to wipe her tears when Sooyoung beat her to it. "It's sort of a long story," she said. "It's not that important. It's healing well."

"Good," Sooyoung nodded. "Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes," Hyoyeon replied, gripping the other girl's hand to pull her closer. "But it's getting better. It's okay." Sooyoung's hands found her sides as they stood close together, almost embracing, but not quite.

"Let's go inside and talk, yeah?" she said, linking her hands behind Hyoyeon's back. "I want to know how you've been."

Hyoyeon smiled as she buried her face in Sooyoung's collarbone. "I wish, but I don't want to others to overhear. If I know them right, they're probably watching us through the window right now."

Sooyoung placed her chin on top of Hyoyeon's head. "Whoa, you're right," she said. "They're watching us like vultures." Hyoyeon laughed softly, seeing the image clearly in her mind. "Who are they, anyway?"

Hyoyeon pulled back. "Again, it's kind of a long story."

"Well, let's go talk in the car if you don't want them to overhear?" Sooyoung suggested. "We have so much to talk about."

"Alright," Hyoyeon agreed, and grabbed Sooyoung's hand as they made their way towards Leeteuk's car. Being away from her warmth even for just a moment suddenly seemed like too much for her mind to bear.

They got into the backseat, and Sooyoung the ceiling light before they sat facing each other serenely. "So," Sooyoung tried, holding both of Hyoyeon's hands in hers. "How are you?" Hyoyeon hmm’ed, and Sooyoung added: "Easy question, I know. Kindergarten stuff."

Hyoyeon nodded in agreement. "Yeah, you're merciless. But I think... I think I'm okay? At least getting there. Probably... Better than ever, actually." 

Sooyoung held her hand tighter. "Really?"

Hyoyeon nodded again. "This... house, the people that live here," she tried to explain. "I can't describe them. You'll have to meet them later, and you'll see."

"I don't really understand this place," Sooyoung said, looking towards the house. "Leeteuk gave me some basic info, but... who are they? How did you end up here?"

Hyoyeon tilted her head, trying to find a way to explain it when she herself didn't fully understand it. "They're all people who lost everything, in one way or another," she said eventually. "People like me. I guess that's the only way to describe it."

It was clear from the expression on Sooyoung's face that she wasn't fully on board, but decided not to press it. "And they treat you well?"

"They do," Hyoyeon confirmed. "They're the first real family I've ever had."

Sooyoung nodded slowly. "I'm glad," she said, "that you finally found the right kind of people."

She looked down, and Hyoyeon inched closer to her. "Me too. But how are you? How have you been?"

"Oh," Sooyoung started, giving an exasperated chuckle. "I don't know where to begin. So much stuff has happened, it's nuts."

"What?" Hyoyeon asked, instantly nervous. "Is everything okay?"

"I'll give you the short version," Sooyoung replied. "Let's see... Taeyeon got kicked out of her home by her mother, and she's now in a perhaps-relationship with Tiffany. Jessica cheated on Yuri with Sunny, Yoona and Seohyun hooked up, which was great, but then Sungmin killed himself and their relationship sort of fell apart at the seams. And yesterday, Seohyun was in a car accident and we don't know if she will make it." She stared back at Hyoyeon's shell-shocked expression and smiled carefully. "So yeah, there's not exactly a party atmosphere going on at home."

"Oh my god, Seohyun..." Hyoyeon mumbled.

"Yeah. The girls promised they would get in touch as soon as there are any news, though, so..."

"Sooyoung," Hyoyeon said, feeling the tears press at again, inching closer until they were sitting thigh to thigh. "I'm so sorry I haven't been there for you through all this. I'm so, so sorry."

Sooyoung shook her head in response. "Seohyun will be fine," she said. "I refuse to believe anything else. She'll be fine, and she'll explode on me for not kidnapping you the moment I found out where you were." She smiled sadly, and Hyoyeon's heart ached. The younger's expression hardened after a few moments, and she looked down at their joined hands. "You... You already know I want you to come home."

Hyoyeon took a deep breath. "I know."

Sooyoung tried to look into her eyes, but faltered. "I don't know if I should ask. I... don't know what I'd do if you said no."

"And I don't know what I would do if I said yes," Hyoyeon mumbled in reply, holding the other girl's hands even tighter to show that it had nothing to do with her.

"Well... Why not, Hyo?" Sooyoung asked, voice suddenly so careful and fragile. "I know you love it here, and I understand that. But you do have a family at home, one your father isn't a part of. A family of people who love you. So much."

Hyoyeon felt like she couldn't look the other girl in the face anymore, so she kept her gaze locked at their joined hands. "It's just... everyone here has been through similar things," she tried. "They all understand me in ways that..."

"I couldn't?" Sooyoung finished for her. Hyoyeon didn't look up, but just shook her head slowly. "Do I really need to understand it all to be able to be here for you, Hyoyeon?"

"I guess not," Hyoyeon replied after considering it for a moment. "It's just... Here, I have a roof over my head, food on the table and people who care for me. At home, I only have the last thing. I have no place to stay, no money, and all the love in the world isn't going to help me with that." She stopped herself before she said too much, terrified of hurting Sooyoung further.

"Hyoyeon, look at me," Sooyoung said, releasing her wounded hand to bring it to her chin and tilt her face up. "The eight of us, me, Taeyeon, Jessica, Yuri, Tiffany, Yoona, Sunny and Seohyun... We would never let you end up on the streets. You know that, right?" They looked into each other's eyes, still with traces of tears left in them, and Hyoyeon felt weak. She knew it was true, somewhere deep down she knew it clear as day.

"I know," she said, for once deciding not to look away. "It's just, I would be a much bigger burden for you than I am for Jaejoong and Yunho," she said. "This is where people like me are supposed to be."

"Is there like a handbook in how to make people realize they are not a burden?" Sooyoung said, face turned up towards the ceiling. "Cause I'd like to buy that."

Hyoyeon snorted. "Maybe you should write one."

"Alright," Sooyoung laughed. "I will figure out how, then I'll write a book on it, become a famous author and support you financially for all time. Sound good?" She tilted her head, and Hyoyeon laughed.

"Sounds perfect," she breathed as her stomach started aching. Perhaps it sounded a little bit too perfect.

Sooyoung seemed to sense the change in her. "If you'd choose to stay... Then what about the future? What are your plans?"

Hyoyeon kept quiet, knowing full and well what Sooyoung's point was. No, she hadn't thought that far ahead. For now, she just wanted to live with Jaejoong and Yunho and everyone else, and not have to think about where she would end up. It wasn't a sustainable way to live, and she knew that, but why did she have to know it all at once? Maybe an idea would come up along the way? Maybe she didn't have to have it all down right then?

"I know this is not my place," Sooyoung said, "but you should finish school, Hyo. You have less than a year left."

Hyoyeon rolled her eyes. "I am so sick of caring so much about all those things that make you normal just because people think I should," she snapped.

"It's not about being normal," Sooyoung argued. "It's about what's best for you in the long run, not just for the moment." She let go of Hyoyeon's hands and let her arm encircle her shoulders instead. "You might think I'm just trying to convince you to come home because I want you there, but I really do want what's best for you, Hyo."

Hyoyeon let her head fall down on the taller girl's shoulder. "I know," she breathed. "I know. But none of this is enough to make me want to live in the same town as my father."

Sooyoung pulled her in closer. "So let's report him to the police. Let's give him what he deserves, so you won't ever have to be scared of him again."

Hyoyeon turned her head to look at the other girl. "You say all this like we'll do it together, but in the end... I'm the one who's going to have to go through it all."

"You're right," Sooyoung agreed. "But I'll be right there beside you. All of us will. If you accept our help, you will never have to do any of it alone."

Hyoyeon closed her eyes.

Sunny woke up early that morning with her head leaned against the wall behind her. Her neck was stiff and cracked instantly when she sat up, and the feeling seemed to have spread through her whole body. She had never slept sitting up in a chair before, and the muscles in her back were all screaming in protest. Yoona sat across from her, already awake, staring at her phone with dark circles lining her eyes. A faint memory of seeing Yoona curled up on her chair told her that the other girl had slept at some point during the night, but it couldn't have been much, judging from how tired she looked.

She reached for her own phone in her pocket, hoping and praying with all of her soul that Jessica had sent her a message while she slept. Her heart leapt as the display told her there was an unread text, and she hurried to open it, only to realize it was from Taeyeon, not Jessica. The older girl had returned to the hospital late the night before, only to borrow the key to Sunny's apartment before she left again. Tiffany, Yuri, Jessica and Sooyoung were nowhere to be seen.

Sunny groaned as anxiety welled over her, and she stretched in a feeble attempt to keep her feelings at bay. Yoona looked up and gave her a smile that was so small, Sunny almost couldn't tell. She smiled back, but her face felt numb.

"Any news?" Sunny asked, already knowing the answer.

Yoona shook her head, looking down to her phone again. "Not yet."

"Are her parents still here?"

"They're in the actual waiting room. Hopefully sleeping, too."

Sunny nodded. "Maybe we should go and join them?"

Yoona clenched her jaw. "I can't stand the thought of being around people right now."

Sunny would have laughed if she hadn't been exhausted. "Hint taken," she said. "I'll be quiet."

"I don't want to be alone, either," Yoona clarified, giving Sunny an honest look. "I know we don't see eye to eye... But you are Seohyun's best friend. I don't hate you."

"It's okay," Sunny said, feeling more embarrassed than anything else. "We don't have to talk about that." Yoona nodded, looking away again, but Sunny could tell she was even more agitated than earlier. "Yuri knows now, by the way."

A few moments passed before Yoona's eyes lit up as she understood. "She knows? How?"

"I told her," Sunny said, voice dead and void of emotion. "Accidentally, of course."

Yoona seemed taken aback. "You told her? And you're still alive to tell the tale?"

Sunny smiled despite herself as she looked down. "So it seems."

"I've never seen Yuri lose her composure for real," Yoona said. "But I've always imagined if that if she ever would, it would be over something like this. Have they broken up?" She looked back down to her phone, undoubtedly to send Yuri a text right away.

"I don't know," Sunny replied, her voice quivering slightly. Yoona raised her eyebrows but didn't show any sign of sympathy. "Yuri asked Jessica to choose last night, but I haven't heard anything from her yet. I assume that means she hasn't decided yet."

Yoona nodded and looked up at her. The pale lighting in the hospital corridor made her look even more exhausted. "I heard you told Seohyun about the whole thing with you and Jessica," she said. Sunny nodded in response. "I think she was pissed at me for not telling Yuri about it, actually. She was just too worried about fixing our relationship to let me know how she felt about it."

Sunny smiled again. "Sounds like her." The image of Seohyun filled her mind; never one to stay neutral on anything, even if the matter didn't involve her. If the situation had been opposite, if Sunny was the one in the hospital bed, if Sunny had asked Seohyun to stop her inappropriate affair, Seohyun would probably have done so just to respect Sunny's wishes when she hung between life and death. Sunny knew that if she started now, maybe she could become as selfless as Seohyun. But she had no strength left.

She refused to give way for the grief yet. She hadn't given up hope, and she wouldn't until she saw the flat line with her own eyes. "What would she say if she knew we are all skipping school for her sake right now?" she said instead, and watched as Yoona's solid features finally relaxed into a smile.

"We'd never hear the end of it," she laughed. "We won't hear the end of it when we tell her."

Sunny laughed along. The younger's conviction that Seohyun would be alright warmed her heart. "Right. Maybe we just shouldn't tell her. Pretend like we went."

Yoona was just about to open to agree when two shapes sped past them, causing them both to jump back in surprise. The girls stared at their backs, realizing at the same time that they belonged to Seohyun's parents. They stared at each other, but neither had time to say anything before the doctor that had informed them of Seohyun's condition the day before appeared, following Seohyun's parents' trail.

"Doctor Park," Yoona said, standing up from her chair, and holding onto his arm. The man stopped, turning his back towards Sunny as he faced Yoona. Sunny got up from her chair too, her pulse already reaching dangerous speeds. "Did something— is Seohyun..?"

Sunny stared that the back of the doctor's head in the silence, wanting so badly to be able to read his expression, but her legs wouldn't carry her to the other side of the room. "Are you a friend of Ms. Seo's?" Yoona nodded eagerly.

In the second before the man spoke again, Sunny felt as if the floor she was standing on vanished below her feet.

"I can't explain to you... what it's been like. Not knowing where you were, if you were okay, or even alive."

An hour and a half had passed since Hyoyeon and Sooyoung had gotten into Leeteuk's car.

"Of course it's nothing compared to what you've been through," Sooyoung clarified when Hyoyeon didn't reply. "But... it's been hell."

Hyoyeon sat up straight, breaking out of the other girl's embrace. "I will not be guilt-tripped into going back home," she said firmly. "I won't. Do you understand?"

"That's not what I'm trying to do," Sooyoung protested, but she didn't try to pull Hyoyeon back towards her. "I'm telling you this because I want you to know that I care, since it seems you're not clear on that yet."

"Sooyoung..." Hyoyeon groaned, and suddenly she had to blink tears out of her eyes again. "It's not about whether or not you care. It's not about how willing you are to help me."

"Then what is it about?" Sooyoung asked, her voice too coming out more choked than before. "How can I convince you to come home and start over?"

Hyoyeon stared back at her blankly. "I don't know," she said. "I don't know. That's the point. I don't want to go back, I just..." She felt her heart race and had to take a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "I'm... I feel like I'm broken, Sooyoung," she managed in the end, tears spilling over her cheeks instantly. "I feel like I couldn't go back to school and be with all the normal people there, I just, I can't."

"You won't know until you try," Sooyoung said softly.

"But I do know," Hyoyeon argued. "Less than two weeks ago, these two men drugged me, dragged me into their car and tried to me." She didn't have to look at Sooyoung to know her shocked expression, and she didn't wait for her to say anything. "I don't know how to just bounce back from that, from any of this, and function like a normal person."

When Sooyoung didn't reply, Hyoyeon dared look up at her face. "I..." Sooyoung tried. "Less than two weeks ago?" Her voice sounded weak, like she was just about to vomit. Hyoyeon nodded silently; she hadn't planned on telling Sooyoung what really happened. "I don't know what to say," the taller girl mumbled after a few silent moments. "I want... I want to kill them."

Hyoyeon wiped the tears still running down her face. "Me too."

They sat in silence for a while, as Sooyoung stared out the window with silent tears dripping down her face. Hyoyeon felt hopeless, like there was no good answer to their dilemma, like she might never find a home again, one that wouldn't make her run away.

In the end, it was Sooyoung who spoke first. "Do you want to take your life back? And, as you said, function like a normal person?"

Hyoyeon considered it. Did she want to graduate high school, pursue her career of choice, have a family and not be terrified of people, of everything, of life, as she did so? "I think so," she replied. "I just... don't think I can."

Sooyoung sniffled. "Do you want to try?"

Hyoyeon closed her eyes again, trying to make sense of her thoughts. No, she didn't want to try. She didn't want to go back home and face her fears, learn how to walk through a school corridor without being scared of people again, because the thought itself was exhausting. How could she ever undo what she had been through? How could she forget what her father and all these strangers had taught her about human cruelty?

But on second thought, wasn't she just running away again? She had sworn to herself not to run away again, but wasn't that exactly what she was doing? Escaping with the words "it's too hard, I can't do it"?

"I don't want to," she said truthfully, "but I know I have to." She opened her eyes to face Sooyoung's expectant ones, suddenly with new life in them.

"What does that mean?"

The first few drops of rain tapped on the car roof, and Hyoyeon turned her face to look out the window. "I'm... not ready just yet," she said. "I lived on the streets for months, and I'm exhausted." She turned back to the girl beside her. "I'm not coming home with you today. But let me stay just for a few days, until the end of the week or next, and then I'll come home. Is that enough? Will that work?"

Sooyoung's eyes told of both excitement and hesitation, and Hyoyeon put her hand on top of hers again. "You can trust me," she said. "I won't run away this time."

The other girl seemed to debate with herself for a few moments before she nodded, entwining her fingers with Hyoyeon's. "I won't spend the rest of my life mistrusting you or being paranoid that you'll disappear. I trust you."

Hyoyeon smiled at her. "Good."

"So," Sooyoung said, sniffling again. "You're coming back home?"

Hyoyeon nodded. "I'm coming back home."

As Sooyoung hugged her and placed a careful kiss on her forehead, she knew the other girl was much happier than she was. For Sooyoung getting Hyoyeon to agree to come back home was a victory in itself, but for Hyoyeon, it was the start of yet another struggle.

But even so, she couldn't help but feel warm knowing that she had just taken the first step towards becoming a stronger, better person.

"She's awake. Her condition is stable."

Sunny stared at the back of the doctor's head and Yoona's disbelieving face, feeling the bottomless hole in her stomach be filled up with something new, something so overpowering she didn't know what to compare it to.

"She's... she's okay?" Yoona asked, unable to take in what she was hearing.

"She's going to be okay," Doctor Park repeated, and Yoona lifted her hands to cover as tears of joy ran down her face. Sunny remained where she was standing, frozen in her spot in powerful relief.

"Can we see her?" Yoona sobbed, staring up at the man's face like he was the son of God himself.

"We have a few more routine tests to perform, and then we're giving her a moment alone with her parents," the doctor explained. "Sit tight for now, okay? You'll be with her soon."

Yoona nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

"Don't worry. Your friend is alright."

He turned around to walk away, and the spell binding Sunny in her place was finally broken. Before she could stop herself, she caught him in a tight hug, sobbing into his shirt. He moved back at first, taken by surprise as he hadn't known she was there, but then he chuckled, patting her back lightly. "There, there," he said. "Everything is okay."

Regaining some of her senses, Sunny eased her tight hold on the man and stepped back, nodding and bowing slightly in apology. "Thank you," she said as the man returned her bow and followed the path along the corridor that Seohyun's parents had disappeared to earlier.

When he had gone, Sunny and Yoona turned towards each other, and as they made eye contact, unstoppable smiles spread and beamed underneath their tears. Discarding everything that was wrong between them, they jumped into each other’s arms, spinning round and round on the spot, laughing and crying and screaming of joy all at once, forgetting about everything else in their lives just for one moment.

"I knew it," Sunny exclaimed, face half buried in the younger girl's hair. "I knew she would make it."

Yoona laughed in agreement, and they pulled apart, shakily moving to sit down together in the chairs. "I just want to see her," she said, wiping her tears and smiling brightly for the first time since the accident. "I can't relax until I see that she's okay with my own two eyes."

"Me neither," Sunny agreed, "I don't know how we're going to be able to wait until we can see her." Her heart raced and spots danced in front of her eyes, but this new kind of impatience was one of the best feelings she had ever experienced.

"We should let the others know, shouldn't we?" Yoona asked, wiping more tears as they continued to fall.

"Oh, of course," Sunny agreed, and as she reached for her phone, she was happier than she could remember being for a very, very long time.

Taeyeon considered going back to the hospital for several hours after receiving the news of Seohyun's awakening, but her situation with Tiffany stopped her from doing so. It was stupid, she knew that, but she didn't want to be in the same room with the other girl until they had solved their problems. And no matter how much she wanted to be by Seohyun's side, she knew she had to clear the air before she could visit.

Not that it seemed like she could visit Seohyun anytime soon. Sunny sent her updates every now and again via text, and it was always the same thing: "They haven't let us see her yet." So, as the day aged into the evening, she left Sunny's apartment to take a walk to Tiffany's house.

It was a clear afternoon, and Taeyeon didn't know what she was feeling as she walked along the streets to the place she had thought to be her home. The relief of Seohyun's condition seemed to be what kept her afloat, but though she knew she should be nervous about facing Tiffany again, it seemed like she couldn't bring herself to feel anything at all. Most of the anger had died down, and she didn't think about what she was going to say to the other girl. She was going there to listen. At that moment, she had nothing at all to say.

When she walked up the last hill to Tiffany's house, she was surprised to see the younger sitting on the steps to her porch, staring ahead hollowly, not moving a muscle. Noting the thick, grey sweater the other was wearing, Taeyeon wondered how long she had been sitting there. What she was thinking. And as every other time, she was struck by her beauty.

Tiffany looked up as she came closer, her eyes immediately going wide. She gripped the pillars of the fence lining the porch, as if she was going to stand up, but she didn't move. "Taeyeon," she said, surprised.

Taeyeon made the last turn and stepped onto the gravel of Tiffany's driveway. "I would have thought you'd be at the hospital," she said. "Seohyun woke up, didn't you hear?"

"I... I heard," Tiffany replied. "I just thought... you'd be there."

"So you're avoiding me?" Taeyeon asked, daring to try on a small smile."

Tiffany shook her head at once. "No... I just thought I would make it easier for you to avoid me."

Taeyeon came to a halt, leaving a few meters between them, and nodded. "I thought we should talk instead of putting the others through our awkwardness," she mumbled, playing with her fingers. The nervousness was creeping in through her heart. "They have enough on their minds as it is."

"I agree," Tiffany nodded. Taeyeon shifted her weight awkwardly between her feet, not knowing how or where to begin, or what to do with herself. If she was to sit down beside Tiffany on the steps, she would have to sit almost pressed flush against her because of the lack of space, so she opted for just sitting down on the gravel. Tiffany eyed her sadly. "Won't you get cold?" she asked. "Come sit up here with me."

"I'm good," Taeyeon said, shaking her head. "Let's just get this out into the open."

Tiffany nodded, clasping her hands in her lap. She looked ashamed, Taeyeon thought. A few silent moments passed when Taeyeon tried rip all her wounds open again, remember all she had felt the day before, and dive into the contradictions that had become her life. "How long did you know..." she began, "that it was me?"

Tiffany looked at her, clearing . "From... from the first call. I recognized your voice, but... I couldn't place it until you told me your name."

"You could have told me right away," Taeyeon said, not knowing whether she was angry or embarrassed. "Why didn't you?"

"Do you remember what you told me on our first call, Taeyeon?" Tiffany said. Taeyeon shook her head; it had become a long time ago. "You panicked at the thought of telling your mother you were gay," Tiffany reminded her, "hell, you couldn't even say the word 'gay'." Taeyeon rolled her eyes. "I just thought... if I told you it was me, you would freak."

"Okay," Taeyeon said, deciding to accept the explanation for now. "But what about after that? You had so many opportunities to tell me the truth, but you didn't. Like the time I got kicked out, for example, I really needed to feel like I had a right to be myself. You could have told me you knew, and that you were fine with it."

"It's not something I could have just blurted out like I was asking you for the weather, Taeyeon," Tiffany replied, shaking her head. "You're so strong now, but if you could have seen yourself back then... you would understand. The day you got kicked out, you were so fragile I was scared to even look at you."

Taeyeon refused to acknowledge it, but she felt her cheeks redden. "So what you're saying is, you don't think I could have handled it?"

Tiffany hesitated. "Do you think you could have?"

Sighing deeply, Taeyeon turned her gaze towards the sky. The sunset was sending of yellow and pink across the sky, and it was beautiful. In all honesty it was a little too warm to be outside, but still bearable. Probably the last bearable night they would have before winter came, she guessed. "I would have freaked," she agreed, still staring at the sky, "but that would have been the right thing to do. It's not like I would have died from freaking out."

"I couldn't have known that, though," Tiffany argued.

Taeyeon stared at her. "What do you mean?"

Tiffany sighed. "With everything else that was going on... I didn't know you well enough to know that you wouldn't commit suicide."

Taeyeon snorted. "You could have asked. You had the perfect means to."

Tiffany gave her a pointed stare. "Look, I know you think I did all this to find out stuff about you without you knowing it, but it's not true. In the beginning... I wasn't sure of what I was feeling about you. I just knew you were a good person, and you needed help." She shrugged a little, looking down. "I thought that since I was around you all day in school, I was the best person to help you, rather than someone else at 49 who didn't know you in real life."

"But that's the point of these helplines, isn't it?" Taeyeon snapped. "To talk to someone you don't know. A stranger." Anger started welling up again.

Tiffany nodded. "Point taken. What I mean is that I did all of that with your best in mind."

"But..." Taeyeon started, remembering something that had been bothering her since she found out about Stephanie’s real identity. "Your voice... It wasn't your voice I heard during those calls."

Tiffany nodded, her head bowed. "We... We use voice changers. Not too much so that it'll be weird, just enough to protect our identities in cases like... yours and mine."

"Huh," Taeyeon dead-panned. "It's funny to me how you preach about accepting yourself and standing up for who you are, but use a fake name and a fake voice while you do it."

Tiffany pressed her lips together, and Taeyeon could from her silence that her words hit close to home for the other girl. She had no regrets, though; she knew she had a point. "I guess I deserved that one," the younger said, laughing awkwardly.

"The real reason why finding out you were Stephanie made me so angry," Taeyeon began, bracing herself, "is because I was so proud of the progress I made over those months after I began calling 49. I felt so strong, like, I finally took control of my life and lived it the way I wanted it to." She felt tears behind her eyes, but shook her head, refusing to cry now. "But when I found out it was you... It was like I had misunderstood everything. Like you were playing me, laughing at me." Tiffany shook her head, eyes sad and drooping, but Taeyeon ignored her. "Suddenly I feel ashamed and embarrassed again, like I'm right back where I started, like everything I've worked through has been taken away."

"Taeyeon, it was never like that," Tiffany hurried. Her voice was silent and quivering. "I never laughed at you. I was proud of you all along." She pulled her sleeves over her hands, shivering a little from the cold. "Your progress can't ever be taken away. You've come so far, and nothing can change that. I know I did a lot of stupid things, but... You have nothing to be ashamed about. You've done nothing wrong."

Taeyeon swallowed heavily. "Were you ever going to tell me if I hadn't found out?"

Tiffany hesitated again. "Honestly..." she mumbled, "I saw how far you had come, and... It's been a while since your last call now, hasn't it?" Taeyeon nodded. "Because you don't need that support anymore. You're strong enough on your own now. I thought that telling you now after everything is over... would just be tearing up old wounds for no reason."

"So never?"

Tiffany shook her head. "I honestly don't know."

Taeyeon nodded, appreciating her honesty even if the thought made her see red. She cleared . "I remember... in one of our first calls, you said I should go on a date with another girl."

"I did."

"I don't think you would have done that if you were just playing me by your own needs."

Tiffany smiled carefully at her. "I wouldn't. That's what I keep telling you. I really did want to help you."

"Right," Taeyeon said, inhaling deeply. "And what I'm trying to say is that I think I believe you. Even if your way of showing it was wrong, I think that you were really trying to help me, in your own ed up way."

Tiffany laughed. "Good way of putting it."

"It still makes me so angry when I think about it," Taeyeon clarified, and Tiffany's smile faded slowly. "And I don't know how to get away from this feeling of humiliation that I get whenever I think of you." Tiffany stared at the ground, nodding to show that she understood. "I really like you," Taeyeon continued, voice faltering, "but you know so much more about me than I was ready to tell you."

"I understand," Tiffany said softly. "That's what I feel the most sorry about."

"If you still want us to... be something," Taeyeon tried, embarrassment attacking through red cheeks again, "then there are some things we need to work on."

"Of course, Taeyeon," Tiffany said, gaze strong and piercing. "I like you a lot, too. I want to be with you."

"Okay," Taeyeon replied, fighting against her overwhelming urge to hide her face in her hands, "then... I want to feel like I know you as well as you know me. Meaning, I don't want this to be a one-sided relationship. I want to know about your struggles, too."

"I will tell you," Tiffany said instantly. "Over time, I will tell you. I promise."

"Good," Taeyeon said, finally giving the girl of her dreams a smile. "And... I need us to be honest with each other at all times. Right now I feel like I can't trust you... And I need you to prove to me that that feeling is wrong."

"Honesty, check," Tiffany said, smiling back. "Not a problem. I hadn't planned on anything else."

Taeyeon gave a breathy laugh. "Also... If it's okay with you, I will stay here with you for tonight, but tomorrow I'm taking the rest of my stuff to Sooyoung's place, if she's back by then."

Tiffany sighed deeply. "Alright. That's fair."

Silence fell, and Taeyeon noticed how dark it had become. The air was colder, too; the warm light through Tiffany's kitchen window was starting to look very inviting. Not to mention Tiffany herself in her cozy, warm sweater, but Taeyeon wasn't ready to give in to those urges just yet. "That's it, I think," she said. "Those are my conditions."

Tiffany reached up to hold onto the fence and pull herself up. "I'll do my best to make you feel like you are part of 'us'," she said as she stood up, "and to make you feel like you can trust me again. Because you can, Taeyeon. I never want to hurt you again." She walked down the steps onto her driveway, and Taeyeon pushed herself up off the ground on stiff legs as the other girl approached her. The words made her feel a little warmer again, and the butterflies that had been missing from her stomach over the past few days were suddenly very much alive, dancing, whirling around.

She reached out to take Tiffany's hand as the other walked up to her. "Let's take it slow, yeah?"

Tiffany nodded, holding Taeyeon's hand tightly in hers. "Okay," she agreed. Taeyeon's heart raced when Tiffany let go of her hand again to wrap her arms around her waist, holding her securely against her warm body. "We can do this, right?" the younger whispered, sounding both confident and insecure.

Taeyeon embraced her, closing her eyes and soaking in her warmth. "I think so," she said. "I think so."

Tiffany's hand landed on her nape to play with her hair, and they pulled apart. "Let's go to the hospital before anything else," Taeyeon said. "Seohyun must be wondering why we don't care enough about her to come and visit."

Smiling warmly at her, Tiffany took her hand again. "Okay. Let's go."





It would take many hours until either Sunny or Yoona were allowed into Seohyun's hospital room. The tests and examinations themselves took a long time, and in the euphoria of Seohyun's awakening, Mr. and Mrs. Seo forgot about her friends' existence for a long time. When Mrs. Seo finally came to get them to show them the way to Seohyun's hospital room, Yoona was starting to worry that the youngest was in fact not okay at all, that some complication or another had come up, and she would be stolen from them once again.

But the bright, apologetic smile on Mrs. Seo's face told her everything she needed to know, and she had to stop herself from running when she and Sunny followed behind Mrs. Seo in the hospital corridor. Beside her, Sunny was full of smiles and laughter, mirroring the bounce in Yoona's step.

When they arrived outside the room, Mrs. Seo gestured towards the door. "You can go on in. She's waiting for you."

When their hands had clasped, Yoona didn't know, but Sunny squeezed hers with an uncertain smile playing on her lips. "You can go in first," she said, and Yoona stared at her with big eyes.

"Really?" she said.

Sunny nodded, her eyes glazed. "Of course."

"You'd do that for me?" Yoona questioned. "She's your best friend."

"She is," Sunny agreed, "but I think you two need a moment alone." Yoona smiled gratefully, and Sunny gave her a soft shove. "Now go. Go, so that I get to see her at some point, too."

Yoona laughed, but didn't waste any more time before pressing the door handle down and hurrying into the room.

For a moment, all she saw was white, silent walls, but then her eyes focused on the bed against the wall, and her heart ached immediately. Seohyun was propped up on the bed, buried beneath white sheets, her face pale and her eyes sunken in with an exhausted gleam. She was surrounded by machines that Yoona could never name, and parts of her face were covered in bandages.

Yoona took four long steps through the room and then she was on her knees by Seohyun's bedside, her hand somehow finding Seohyun's cold one, and was shocked by the change in temperature, she shocked that she had to look up at the girl on the bed to make sure that she wasn't in fact dead. But Seohyun was looking back at her, eyes b with tears but none falling down her face, and she was holding Yoona's hand as tightly as ever.

"I'm sorry," Yoona cried, kneeling on the floor. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Yoona," Seohyun croaked. "Get up." She pulled on Yoona's hand, but Yoona didn't want to get up, she didn't want to see Seohyun so battered again, especially when one half of her brain screamed that Seohyun's current state was her own fault. The tugging on her hand became more urgent. "Get up off the floor, Yoona."

And in spite of everything else, Yoona couldn't deny her what she wanted. She stood up slowly, holding Seohyun's hand with both of her own, her eyes fixed on one unharmed spot on Seohyun's chin, unable to meet her eyes. "Look at me," Seohyun said then, and Yoona whined inwardly, looking into her ex's eyes. Seohyun wet her dry lips, and Yoona noted that they, too, were pale. "Remember what I said about... everything having its own place and time, and that ours are not now?"

Yoona frowned. "I remember," she replied.

Seohyun smiled. "That was dumb. Forget I ever said that."

Yoona looked into her eyes, her eyes that smiled and then closed as the younger laughed, and Yoona laughed along with her, embracing her carefully, wrapping her arms around her and praying that it didn't hurt.

"I really do love you, Yoona," Seohyun said, her head leaning against Yoona's. "Apparently it's idiotic to think I will have time to tell you later, so I'm telling you now. I love you."

"I love you," Yoona breathed, feeling like she was the one who had been given a new chance, a second life, rather than Seohyun.

They remained like that until Yoona's back protested too loudly, at which point Yoona thought it was time to let Sunny into the room as well. She watched as the two embraced, cried again, hopefully for the last time in a while, and there was no room for blame in Yoona's heart. Not towards herself, towards Seohyun, towards Sunny, towards anyone. All she had was love.

Not surprisingly, Sunny and Yoona had been right about Seohyun's reaction to the girls skipping school for her sake. She had asked them all to come into her hospital room to yell at them separately, and they had all face her wrath with joy – all except for Jessica, who was nowhere to be found, and Sooyoung, who still hadn't come home.

They were all happy to obey Seohyun's orders the next day. All of them skipped off to school, even Yoona, despite wanting to stay with Seohyun at the hospital for as long as she could. The youngest had been told she needed to stay at the hospital for at least another week for observation, and she was already itching to get back to class.

Sooyoung had messaged them all to tell them Hyoyeon's news, starting with Taeyeon, and in her mind, it seemed like more or less everything was working out. Hyoyeon was coming home, Seohyun had woken up, she was working out her issues with Tiffany; everything was more or less getting back on track.

Of course, Taeyeon was the only one who didn't know about Jessica's and Sunny's affair, but she was to find at lunch break that first day the girls came back to school. She had left to use the bathroom, and when she came back, Sunny and Yuri were screaming at each other across the corridor, with Tiffany and Yoona between them, trying to separate them.

"You're such a coward!" Yuri yelled, trying to get past a struggling Tiffany. "Sneaking around behind my back without a single thought about who you might be hurting, you spoiled !"

"I didn't do this alone, you know," Sunny called back, watching Yuri struggle with Tiffany while Yoona held onto her arm in a calming grip. "Jessica was free to do as she pleased, and if you had actually been there for her, she wouldn't have felt the need to come to me."

Taeyeon's jaw dropped at the words. Tiffany shot her a pleading look that told her she needed help, so she rushed over, placing her hands on Yuri's shoulders. "Shhh, Yuri, calm down," she tried, and tried to ignore the looks shot them by passing students.

"Oh, yeah, that's rich," Yuri seethed, not letting herself be held back by her friends. "Keep talking like you think you know me just by hearing the things she told you. You don't think I know you, after all these months we've known each other from Line 49?" Taeyeon looked over her shoulder and watched as Sunny paled. "Maybe I should tell everyone how angry you were at your friends for not respecting you after you slept with your friend's girlfriend..."

"You shut the up about that!" Sunny hissed, suddenly lunging forward, Yoona scrambling to stand in her way. "That's private, you have no right to say a single ing word to anyone about that, do you hear me?"

"Why?" Yuri yelled back with a laugh. "You can't stand up for what you've done and said?"

"Yuri, come on," Tiffany tried, voice strained with effort to keep her still. "Don't do this here, nothing will be solved this way."

"Let's go," Yoona said, dragging Sunny by her arm towards the door. "Let's go, you both need to calm down."

"Get off me!" Yuri cried, pushing both Taeyeon and Tiffany off her with her final strength. Instead of running after Sunny, however, she remained where she was standing, staring into Tiffany's eyes with such resentment that Taeyeon forgot to breathe. "You," Yuri breathed, "all of you... You all knew, and you didn't tell me." Yoona came to a stop, one of Sunny's arms still in her grip. She turned to Yuri, eyes sad but not arguing. "All this time, I was the only one who didn't know. After everything we've been through."

Taeyeon stared at Tiffany, who kept her eyes fixed at Yuri's shoes. "I—" Tiffany tried, but didn't know how to finish the sentence. "I'm sorry, Yuri."

They stood together in silence, Yuri looking like she was trying to pierce through her best friend's soul with her eyes, until finally she turned around and walked away, in the opposite direction of Sunny and Yoona. The happy ending Taeyeon had been reaching for, the setting that promised positive things for the sequel of their lives, seemed to slip away. Maybe there is no such thing as a completely happy ending, Taeyeon thought as she looked from Sunny to Tiffany, and saw the way her girlfriend's heart was breaking.

Or maybe, Taeyeon thought, it just meant that the story was never truly over.