“What did I say about touching me without my consent?”

“I’m not afraid of you anymore.” Tiffany squeezed Hayeon’s body tighter.

“…You should be.” Hayeon sighed and placed her hands on top of Tiffany’s, freeing herself from Tiffany’s hold.

Hayeon put the helmet back on and hopped on her bike, starting the engine.

“Catch.” Hayeon threw a helmet over to Tiffany.

Tiffany smiled and quickly jumped on the backseat of the motorbike. 

***

Taeyeon lay on the bed gazing up at night sky through the glass ceiling of her room. The midnight sky was decorated with millions of blazing stars and in the middle of it all was the brightly shining crescent moon. Seeing it reminded Taeyeon of a certain girl whose eyes would disappear into crescents whenever she smiled. Taeyeon was waiting for her sister to return. She had some things to discuss with the girl. As much as she tried to ignore it, she knew Hayeon must have done something to Tiffany and she needed to know what.

Taeyeon felt another presence in the room and did not need to turn her head to know that Hayeon was now lying on the bed with her.

"Where did you go?" Taeyeon spoke first.

“Do you really want to know?” Hayeon glanced over at the bike helmet on the bedside table. She her side to face Taeyeon, resting her head on her arm.

Taeyeon breathed out.

“…Well, did you win?”

“Why ask questions you already know the answer to? Ask me what you really want to know.” Hayeon reached over and ran her hand through Taeyeon’s tresses.

“What happened to your hand?” Taeyeon grabbed her sister’s hand when she saw blood seeping through the poorly wrapped cloth.

“I was being a hero.” Hayeon smiled.

“Come.” Taeyeon lead the way to the adjoining bathroom.

Taeyeon slowly unwrapped the cloth and washed Hayeon’s hand under warm water. She got the first aid kit from the cupboard underneath the sink and began dressing the wound.

“I paid that Hwang girl a visit…argh!” Hayeon winced when she felt the sting of the antiseptic wash. "I got her to be my racing partner and may have left her in the middle of the woods."

Taeyeon dropped the bandage and it unraveled as it rolled across the bathroom floor.

"Tell me where she is." Taeyeon voice was firm, authoritative.

"She is exactly where I want her to be." 

“Stop playing games, tell me where she is…please.” Taeyeon clenched her fists.

“She is where you would like her to be.”

Taeyeon loosened her fists and bent down to pick up the bandage. As she wrapped the bandage around the wound the images of those marks on Tiffany's neck flashed into her mind.

"D-did you...you...with her..." Taeyeon could not find a way to word the question.

"If I said no would you believe me?"

Taeyeon stared into her sister's eyes, trying to figure out truth from lie.

"Yes." Taeyeon whispered.

Hayeon chuckled. "Only you are stupid enough to believe what I say."

"Because only I know whether you are lying or not, and you would never lie to me." Taeyeon said with confidence.

That's right, I could never lie to you Taeyeon-ah.

“Tell me that you brought her home safely.” Taeyeon pleaded.

“I already said she is where you want her to be.”

Where I want her to be.

“Thank you.” Taeyeon reached for Hayeon's cheek. The younger sister closed her eyes and leaned into the older’s warm touch.

"Please, stop now Hayeon-ah."

Is it time to stop?

“I did what I did to protect you. You're letting your guard down around that girl, trusting her too easily. We don't want history repeating itself if you're too quick to place your trust in someone you only briefly know. I don’t want you trying to kill your-"

"I won’t Hayeon. I won’t anymore…because I know you’re here to protect me, I won’t do anything stupid like that again.” Taeyeon cut in.

"But I also did it for another reason." Hayeon continued.

"..." Taeyeon looked straight into her twin's eyes.

"…I did it to find a person who can protect you."

Taeyeon knitted her eyebrows together in confusion. She had always thought Hayeon's actions were always aimed at keeping her safe, protecting her, keeping people away from her. But there was another motive behind her sister's actions?

"Don't you remember those other times? Them...who promised to be your friend, to be there for you no matter what...then those broken promises...one after the other...as they look at you with disgust when they learnt of the truth. Don't you remember all the pain you went through when they turned their backs and walked away?...I won't let that happen again. I wanted to do everything to keep her away from you, I don’t want to let you experience that pain when she walks away...I wanted to make sure of it..."

Hayeon breathed heavily after the delivery her speech.

“…but that stubborn girl. Even after all that...she was so stupid, stupid enough to stay…” Hayeon laughed. “…She agreed to come with me in an instant when it meant I allowed her to be your friend, even when she knew it would be dangerous…”

Taeyeon felt a little tingly hearing Hayeon say those things about Tiffany.

“…That stupid girl…She is someone you can trust. Taeyeon-ah…you can trust her.”

***

Tiffany skipped into the empty school grounds. She felt so light and carefree, she could now be Taeyeon's friend with nothing to fear.

“Good morning Taeyeon-ah!” Tiffany waved to and sat down next to Taeyeon.

“Morning Ppani!” Taeyeon grinned.

“I’m guessing that you must have had a good talk with your sister last night?” Tiffany could sense Taeyeon’s cheerfulness.

Taeyeon nodded.

“Ppani. I…ummm…the things she did to you…I want to apologise.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Yes it is, she did them because of me.”

“That’s okay Taeyeon, she didn’t do anything to hurt m