NINETEEN

“There are so many things about me you all need to know…” Taeyeon started when everybody got settled in her workshop.

“Whoa, this sounds serious…”

“Firstly, I want to apologize already for not telling you all these because it was just so messed up and my parents asked me not to let anybody else know… even Seohyun,” she then turned to Jessica and Tiffany who were sitting beside her, “Nobody knew this except for a few people and… Jessica and Tiffany.”

“They knew this too?” Yuri watched the two in question shifted uneasily on their seats.

“Yes, but they found out by accident.”

Sunny impatiently muttered, “What is this about?!”

“Taeyeon, are you pregnant?”

“Hell no! It’s about what happened two years ago when I disappeared suddenly.”

“Oh my god, did you get pregnant?!” Hyoyeon gasped.

Taeyeon furrowed her brows, “What the hell??!”

“Then, did you get anybody pregnant?” Sooyoung turned to Hyoyeon and they both giggled.

Yuri rolled her eyes, “Dude, that’s lame…”

“Can you kids, like,” Sunny said in agitation, “Shut up and let her talk first?”

When the giggles subsided, Taeyeon continued, “I’m sorry for not telling you this, especially you, I thought you were too young to understand then and you were just trying to get over your first heartache.” She started by addressing Seohyun and telling her about the night she overheard her parents fighting and her mother telling their father that she would take their daughters to Japan during the divorce. Before that Taeyeon was already having a difficult time because Junsu, who was her boyfriend then, just left her. Everything seemed to happen all at the same time that she just lost it.

It was then she became so depressed that she had thoughts of ending her life. Only when their mother found Taeyeon in her room all drenched in tears and was barely talking that she was given the proper help. Her parents made everybody believe that she was being sent to Switzerland when, in truth, she was being treated in the US.

Taeyeon’s voice wobbled and some of the girls sniffed silently. Seohyun crawled closer to her sister and hugged her tight, “I’m sorry for not telling you, sport, especially about umma and appa.”

“No… no… Unnie, sorry too because I added to your grief.”

“So, how did these two find out what happened to you?” Sunny asked in an attempt to calm her friends’ tears.

“Jessi had this terrible case of jealousy that she begged her dad to let her go to Switzerland too,” Fany said.

“I planned to take you all with me but I waited for dad’s permission and one day he told me I could go but it would only be me but I blabbered about it with Tiff and it was too late so daddy just let us both go.” Sica added, “It was only when we were at the airport that we found out we were going to Los Angeles instead.”

Fany started to cry, “I was devastated when I saw her. She was so lifeless. She didn’t even seem to notice us when we came to her room. That would be the scariest and saddest thing I have ever seen and I never want to be there again.” She cried some more especially when Taeyeon held her hand and smiled sadly at her.

Sica continued as she wiped her own tears, “Daddy and Taeyeon’s parents made us promise to keep it a secret from everyone since it would be beneficial to Taeyeon that people won’t treat her differently after what happened and we all agreed, until now…”

“But, do you think telling us now was a bad idea?” Yuri asked cautiously.

Taeyeon smiled and noticed her friends were all teary-eyed, “If you would see it that way and you would get mad at me…”

“Aigoo, baby… no!” Sunny reached out to take Taeyeon’s hand, “Of course not! If it was for your own good so we understand, I understand why it had to be that way. Right, girls?”

Hyoyeon nodded, “Of course, and thanks for telling us, and it’s never too late… I’m sorry, we didn’t know you were going through that. And, uhm sorry for always calling you a psycho."

“No… you didn’t know so you don’t need to apologize.”

“Either way… we are happy that you are okay now… really…” Sooyoung sighed.

“Yeah, we love you,” Yuri smiled.

“And I love you too and I had enough guilt to have Sica and Fany worry about me and I couldn’t bear adding you all up to the list. I think it would definitely drive me to the edge.”

“Aww love… you don’t have to worry about us,” Jessica lunged on Taeyeon.

Fany grinned seeing Sica hugging her bestfriend tight so she looked at the others with a mischievous wink, “’Kay… we haven’t done this in awhile!”

“Group hugs!”

“Ohhhh I miss this!”

“Unnniiieeesss!”

“I love you girls!”

“Awww me too!”

“Oh please… please just no groping!”

“HAHAHA! YOU WISH!”

“WAAAHHH BYUNTAENG IS BACK!”

~~~

“LONG AS THE RIVERS RUN TO THE SEEEEAAA~ I’LL NEVER GET OVER YOU GETTING OVER MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE~”

Taeyeon slumped beside Sunny on the couch. A few minutes ago, she received an emergency notice from Tiffany saying that there was a situation at the Choi mansion. The moment Sooyoung’s voice boomed through her senses, she knew what that situation was. “Okay, please don’t tell me she broke up with her boyfriend again…”

Sunny sighed as she went on filing her nails, “’Kay, not telling Taenggoo, Sooyoung just broke up with her boyfriend again…”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!”

Fany, who was sitting on the lounge seat across them, stood and dropped an arm on her grieving friend, “Aww, baby… come on… you’re getting back together again… you always do…”

“BUT HE HASN’T CALLED ME SINCE…” she sniffed, her eyes b with tears, “SINCE THIS MORNING!!!!!!”

Yuri groaned to herself but tapped the tall girl affectionately, “Fany’s right… maybe you have to wait a bit later? Besides, it’s you who said fighting is a sign of a healthy relationship…”

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Sooyoung still protested then focused her attention back on the screen in front of her and positioned the mic closer to , “Okay, here’s my favorite part… NO MATTER WHAT I DO EACH NIGHT’S A LIFETIME TO LIVE THROUGH…”

That finally made Fany and Yuri resign on their attempt to console Sooyoung and joined the others on the sectional sofa.

“So, what’s up?” Fany asked Taeyeon.

“Nothing much,” she shrugged, “Just thinking about something…”

Hyoyeon chuckled on the side, “If it’s something violent, tell us now so we have time to stop you.”

 “Violent? HAHAHAHAHA! What is that word?” Taeyeon laughed while the others looked at each other totally weirded out by her reaction, “No… I think I need to have Seohyun break up with her boyfriend.”

“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!”

They were all taken by surprise when Sooyoung howled so loud that Hyoyeon ran to unplug the TV. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop her from crying that Sica had to pull her down on the seat and hugged her protectively while glaring at Taeyeon.

“What?!?!”

“You just said the ‘B’ word!” Sica admonished.

“I didn’t say the ‘B’ word!”

“Not that ‘B’ word ‘B’ word but the ‘B’ word!” Sica finally mouthed ‘break up.’

“Oh, I’m sorry…” she grinned then nudged the bawling girl, “Yo, Sooyoung, how about if I buy you dinner? Your choice…”

“Really, Taeng?!” Sooyoung managed to pull herself off Sica’s embrace and wiped her tears.

“Yep!” she winked at Jessica then addressed Sooyoung again who was looking at her like an expectant child, “Why don’t you freshen up first so we can all go somewhere nice?”

“Oh! Oh!” Sooyoung cheered as she ran up to her room.

Sunny heaved another sigh, “Nothing beats the magic word: food…”

“I know, right?”

“We should have done that awhile ago, so we wouldn’t have to go through Sooyoung’s break-up playlist…” Yuri said throwing a piece of paper of what seemed to be the list of break-up song titles.

“Ya… what were you saying about Seohyun and her boyfriend?”

“You have to help me think of ways for them to break-up.”

Fany hit her friend’s arm lightly, “Not this again, Taeng. Didn’t we just talk about you not minding your sister’s business?”

“No! I mean, yes! But this time I want to make things right.”

“It’s not for you to decide.”

“Hyo’s right,” Yuri turned to Taeyeon, “But what’s your plan, Taeng, let’s hear it…. at least.”

Taeyeon pursed her lips together in deep thought then replied deviously, “We have to prove that he’s cheating on her.”

“What?!” Sunny’s eyes widened in disbelief and sudden fury, “Oh my god, is he??? That conniving little douche! Is he really?!“

“I don’t know?” Taeyeon shook her head then shrugged, “Maybe?”

“Wow?” That had Sica rolling her eyes, “Shortage of brain activity again, Taeng?”

“Shut your smart mouth.”

Fany patted Taeyeon’s arm lightly to calm her but it made her giggle, “How are you going to do that, kitty?”

“I don’t know, really… that’s why I want to ask your help.”

“Another plan perhaps? Like plan B or C?” Sunny suggested while suppressing a laugh, “‘Cause your plan A is totally twisted.”

“Actually, my dear Unnies,” Yoona cleared then grinned when all eyes fell on her, “I think I have just the plan.”

~~~

“Have you been thinking about this for a long time?” Young Woon asked the moment they stopped in front of her house. He just came back from a trip but he couldn’t believe the kind of welcome his girlfriend gave him.

“Yes, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean—“

“No… stop, somehow I felt it… that this was coming. That was why I went away…”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought it would be good to give you time to re-think. I thought that you have been very distracted lately… and probably if I leave you would—miss me.”

“I’m sorry…” That was all Seohyun could say. The moment she met him at the restaurant, she had started breaking it to him gently until she was able to say it. And now, as they stood in front of her house, she was trying to make him see her point.

“I don’t know now, Seohyun. Should I let you go or fight for you? I want to do both but it won’t be possible.”

“Young Woonie… just… just let me go. It’s best for both of us. I don’t want to hurt you by staying,” she was starting to feel the sting in her again, “And I would only be hurting you if I did.”

“Let me think about this, at least…”

She shook her head and started to cry, “Please, let me go…”

“A break— Seohyun, that would be the only thing I could give you right now.”

Seohyun couldn’t stop herself from protesting. His stubbornness was making it more painful for her to end it, “Why do you have to make this hard?!”

“I’m sorry too, I’m not ready to let you go yet…” Young Woon walked closer and embraced her despite her attempt to move away, “Please… think about it because I love you…”

“That’s why you have to let me go because I don’t love you!” Seohyun cried as she wriggled to free herself from his arms.

At last, Young Woon let her go and nodded, “I thought it would hurt hearing that… but… it hurts more…”

“Oh, Young Woonie… please…”

He stepped closer to his car and opened the door, “Go inside now, Seohyun, let’s talk some other time.”

Seohyun just shook her head in resignation as she wiped her tears. Even before he could climb back in his car, she turned away and went inside her house.

Yonghwa couldn’t interpret exactly how he was feeling the moment her apparent boyfriend hugged Seohyun. From his position, he could only see the guy as Seohyun had her back on him and he was hidden in his car to even make out of whatever they were talking about. He could only think that it wasn’t something good deducing from that guy’s facial expression.

One thing was clear to him— Seohyun was talking to that other guy while he was left to wonder for several days where exactly he stands in her life.

It wasn’t a pretty thought at all.

Yonghwa decided to drive away.

~~~

Fany came out of Taeyeon’s bedroom and was on her way home when she met Seohyun by the hallway and noticed how her face looked as if she had the worst day in her life. Hence, she asked as she followed the younger girl inside her room, “Hey, you… why that frown?”

“I broke up with him, Unnie,” Seohyun mumbled and dropped on her bed.

“Awww, dear… come here…” Tiffany sat beside Seohyun and pulled her in her arms, “Why? Did you fight or something?”

“No… Unnie…” Seohyun somehow found it weird telling her Fany Unnie that sad news and yet she couldn’t even find the will to cry.

“How did it happen? How did he take the news?”

“I talked to him today. He doesn’t want it, Unnie, but as far as I’m concerned we’re over. What Taeyeon Unnie said about this makes sense that I would be doing Young Woon a favor by breaking up with him. Because…” Seohyun swallowed hard admitting the sin even to herself, “I-I had been cheating…”

“Oh…” it actually didn’t come as a surprise to Tiffany so she just squeezed Seohyun’s hand, “Did you tell him that?”

Seohyun shook her head vigorously, “No, I didn’t… how could I?”

“Seohyuna, tell Unnie the truth. Was it because of Yonghwa? Are you going to be with him now that you and Young Woon broke up?”

“No,” Seohyun shook her head adamantly, “I broke up with him, but it doesn’t mean I’m going to jump to Oppa’s side… I don’t know… it doesn’t seem right. Besides, I’m scared to be with him…”

“You are? Why?”

“Because, I don’t think I’m ready for the consequences of dating a rock star.”

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