THIRTEEN

“How did it even happen?”

“Taeng followed Seobaby at the park and saw them hugging!”

“Whoa, I never thought that punk could move that fast!”

“She saw them hugging!”

“Alright! You said that already!” Jessica rolled her eyes at Fany’s panicky voice, “Sheez, do you have to be this annoying?”

“Jessi, I’m worried about her, she might fall into depression again. We can’t let that happen. You have to tell Yonghwa to stay away from Seohyun.”

“Tell her what? Oh come on, I can’t do that. Besides, it’s Seohyun’s life! It has nothing to do with Taeyeon.”

“Please… nobody knows what happened to Taeyeon before… it’s only us who know that she was sent to a medical institution not a bloody ski trip to St. Moritz!” Fany sat down on her bed beside Sica, her voice toned down to almost a whisper, “You were there, Jessi… you saw her… how broken she was…”

“I know… Tiff…” Jessica sighed when her friend finally stopped pacing back and forth and sat beside her. She was getting dizzy, alright. “But she did that to herself—obsessing over other people’s lives.”

“It piled up!”

Fany stood again and raised her hands in the air like an effing defense lawyer that Jessica just shook her head and flipped the pages of the magazine. It’s better than getting vertigo.

“What happened to Seohyun, their parents’ almost divorce, and to that Oppa! We have to understand her!”

Sica shut the magazine close. Tiffany was seriously trying to get in her nerves so she raised her voice a notch higher, “We were told not to let her indulge. That was what we were told to do, act normal! That’s why the others don’t know! Everything is bloody normal!”

“You are not seeing the point.”

“That’s why you’re here, Tiff,” She shook her head and took a good breath before continuing calmly, “She can’t run away from things like these… it’s time for her to face that the world doesn’t revolve around her. And, you, my love, will talk her through it.”

Tiffany almost laughed in sarcasm as she crossed her arms on her chest. Jessica looked annoyingly cool while she was probably breathing fire from her nose, “I can’t believe you’re saying this right now when you can’t even tell her what you did!”

“Whether I tell her or not what difference does it make?”

“A lot, Jessi… a lot…” she replied softly, watching the change on Sica’s expression that was hurriedly masked with a cold shrug.

“I don’t care…”

“You know, I can actually measure how far your ego is flying right now…”

“Tell her, Tiff, I don’t care… tell her yourself. Let’s see if it does make that difference you were saying.”

With that, Jessica was out of Tiffany’s room and strutted to her own crib coolly but deep inside the aching storm in her heart is taking the best of her— aching for Taeyeon. Aching to have her back like they were before when everything was young and they were all carefree. Taeyeon may get in her nerves a lot but she loves her to distraction and to be reminded of the day that the girl was on a little corner of the institution’s room rocking herself back and forth made her cry again.

She tried— oh, how Jessica tried to take that image out of her head. That day when she and Tiffany were sent to Taeyeon’s room was one of the saddest days of her life. She couldn’t cry that time while her Fany cried her eyes out. She just stood there and rubbed circles on Fany’s back as they watched Taeyeon helplessly looking void.

Her bedroom door shut with a loud bang as Jessica jumped on her princess bed hiding her tears, her trembling voice muffled on the pillow. The ice princess melted.

~~~

Seohyun was already waiting in front of their house when the heavily tinted black Range Rover stopped and the passenger door opened.

“Hey, lovely, are you ready to commit a crime?”

She smiled shaking her head as Yonghwa peered through his sunglasses with a knowing smile. “Been committing one since you came back,” she mumbled while dumping her bag on the passenger seat.

“Then come aboard and let’s cause trouble somewhere.”

“Are we robbing a bank or something?”

“Early on a Sunday morning? Sure, why not?” Yonghwa chuckled as he started the engine when Seohyun got settled on her seat.

They decided to drive wherever the road leads them. Since it was a weekend, there was hardly any traffic that the ride was smooth and calm. They started talking about the usual stuff for a few moments and he rolled down the windows when they neared a suburb.

“Tell me about him.”

“Him?”

“You’re boyfriend, silly.”

“What do you want to know about him?”

“Everything, as much as possible.”

Seohyun looked at him for a moment but transferred her gaze back on the sceneries outside her open window. “His father is Appa’s colleague, we met in a company party once and my parents invited his to some family dinners and… that’s it…”

“You were paired off?”

“Not really. He asked my father’s permission to date me and Appa thought it was a good idea and I thought it was okay.”

“Was he… your uhm, first boyfriend?”

“Not… I don’t know… was he? I dated before, some guys my unnies would introduce to me. Two or three before him? It’s just that he became officially the first since he would usually meet me with my parents until we end up being together.”

“So your parents like him?”

“Yes, he will be a lawyer one day like them.”

“How about Taeyeon? Does she like him for you?”

“She never liked anybody I dated.”

“As expected,” Yonghwa snickered.

“You? How many girlfriends?”

“A few…”

“How many is a few, Oppa?”

“Three? Five?”

“That’s a lot.”

“Is it?”

“I think?”

“Then—“ she was taken by surprise when her phone rang but she kept in her bag when she realized that it was her sister.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Yonghwa turned to her but she shook her head and fumbled in her bag that he realized she turned her phone off.

“No phones today, Oppa…” She heaved a deep sigh. Truth be told, it was getting in her— the guilt of having to lie to her sister just to be with Yonghwa. Maybe it was a passing feeling, maybe she was just getting the best of it while they still have it, maybe soon enough she won’t have to pretend and feel the guilt. She just couldn’t help it— being with him. Then, Seohyun smiled and put away those thoughts about Taeyeon behind her and turned to him, “Oppa, no phones today?”

“But I can’t—“ Yonghwa looked quickly at her and rolled his eyes when she pouted, “But what the hell?” He handed her his phone that she eagerly turned off and dropped back on the dash phone holder, “So, it’s just you and me, my old friend? Just like before?”

“Eung! Just like before…” She smiled but darted her gaze back on the open window, “So… going back… how about you, no girlfriend, or girlfriends?”

“What girlfriends?" He snickered playfully but cleared his throat, "Yep, currently no…”

“But why???”

“Uhm, because you have a boyfriend?”

“Eyyy…”

“No, really… I’m not kidding,” he chuckled when Seohyun crossed her arms on her chest but with tiny smile.

“By the way, how did you manage to join the band?”

“So, let’s move on to a safer topic?”

“Oppa,” Seohyun threw a darting glance at his direction and pressed her lips, “Seriously?”

Yonghwa laughed and shook his head, “I’m just trolling you. Okay?”

“Anyway, Oppa, can we go back before 10? The unnies will be at our house for brunch, I can’t really miss that.”

“Sure, but can we grab breakfast somewhere?”

“Grab breakfast? Like you going out and people seeing you?”

“You think I’m that famous?” he grinned and winked confidently.

Then they went back to filling the gaps between them. Yonghwa told her how he ended being the lead vocals and leader of the CodenameBlue band; how he played ‘for fun’ in a bar in Busan one night and discovered that a talent scout was there and asked for his contact details. The next thing he knew he signed a contract to train and debut in the band.

From then on, he lost his privacy but it was a small price to pay in getting his dream.

Until lately when Seohyun came back in his life, but she didn’t need to hear that… yet.

Seohyun, too, told him what she was up to lately. And they went on telling each other happy stories as the world passed by behind them like a breeze. They didn’t notice the time and the world, for that matter, until they passed by a small joint on the side of the road and they agreed to grab breakfast there.

“Okay, I’m going out first, if anybody recognizes me, don’t follow.”

“’Kay,” she nodded as he put on his sunglasses, face mask and a baseball cap. Seohyun found it amusing that she giggled and he scowled before getting off the car, “Be careful, Yong Oppa.”

Yonghwa got out and headed towards the restaurant. At first, he thought it was safe until a group of teenagers on one table looked at him and started murmuring among themselves.

It was his cue to leave.

Seohyun giggled watching the scene and narrowed her eyes playfully when he climbed back in the car wearing a helpless pout. “So, you’re not that famous, huh?”

“I’m famished…”

Seohyun laughed, “Maybe we can find some other place where you won’t be too famous.”

~~~

It was a Sunday and they were waiting for their friends to arrive for their ritual Sunday brunch in the Kim’s residence. Fany found Taeyeon on her usual hideaway— tucked at the basement of their house that they dubbed as their HQ or headquarters. They would hold pajama parties there when they were younger but now, Taeyeon converted it to her own studio and hang out corner for all of them. Despite its size, it is equipped with a home entertainment system, three fold out chair beds and every other trinket that Taeyeon needed for her art.

Tiffany’s elbow plopped on Taeyeon’s working table, her hands cradling her face as she watched the other girl’s hand skillfully making shapes and lines into an amazing figure on her sketch pad. There was this gentle smile on her face that Tiff thought the other girl hardly noticed that herself. “You’re really good at this…”

“The only thing I’m probably good at.” Taeyeon replied without taking her eyes off her little artwork.

“Hey…” Fany reached out and touched Taeyeon’s free hand for a second, “No, kitten… you’re good at so many things. As a matter of fact, I know what you’re best at.”

Taeyeon snickered despite herself, “And what’s that?”

“Loving people… you’re such a small person but your heart overflows.”

That made her stop and shot a glance at the other girl who was wearing this playful glimmer of smile on her face, “No, that’s not true… I push away the people I love.”

“That’s not true either… I’m here, even if you push me away, I won’t go that far because I love you.”

“You know?” She bit her lower lip for a moment trying to keep herself from laughing out loud, “I could kiss you right now… but I’m not that gay… yet.”

Tiffany laughed and playfully gave her the side eye, “What? Are you waiting for me to complete your gayness?”

Taeyeon gaped and rolled her eyes, “Stop fooling around, Miyoung.”

“Okay, I’ll stop now since that’s a sign you’re getting pissed off,” She retorted but instead of backing away, Tiffany walked behind Taeyeon and gave her a backhug. “But you know what? While I’m still single and you’re still single, please stay as my wifey…”

“You’re giving me creeps right now, Tiffany.”

“Kidding aside. We are here, Taeng. We will never get intimidated by you no matter how crazy you become and try to push us away. You can only try but you can never push us away— me or the other seven. Don’t forget that.”

“What is this unholy scene unfolding before my eyes?”

Tiffany laughed when she saw Jessica descending from the rickety stairs with her careful elegant steps. She waved a hand but still imprisoned Taeyeon in her embrace, “Come, come… join us in the dark side, Jung Jessica…”

Sica yelped and threw her arms at Taeyeon when Fany spun the latter.

“Geez, this isn’t really what I bargained for,” she could only groan out loud when she ended up being sandwiched between the two.

“Awww, love, stop struggling, you like this a lot, remember?”

“Shut up, you leech!”

“I know you love me, too, Taengoo-yah.”

“Yah, it’s me that Taengoo loves!!! I’m her wifey!”

“Tsk, Taengsic is real, haven’t you heard?”

“Eyy, TaengSic will happen when hell freezes, you know?”

“Awww please shut up you two and get off me! Geez, don’t let the others see us like this!!!”

“Too late, love, they’re on their way so let’s stay like this till they get here. A group hug is waaaay better than a .”

“Shut up, you’re disgusting.”

“Yah… keep that byuntae thoughts to yourself, will you?”

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was just reminded of this one i made eons ago~ somehow it's fitting rn~

thanks for the comments! =^^=