I like you...I like you...more than just a friend.

Taeyeon could not stop thinking about it, about those words Tiffany said. Her forehead still burned from where Tiffany had placed her lips. She reached up to touch that area of hot skin, it still felt tingly.

"She likes me." Taeyeon whispered to her empty room. "She likes me."

Taeyeon pictured Tiffany's face in her mind and she could feel her heart speeding up. It terrified her. She was terrified that she could like Tiffany so much. But she couldn't...could she? What if she lost control and ended up hurting Tiffany. Taeyeon would rather die than hurt Tiffany.

"And I'm guessing you like her back?"

The voice snapped Taeyeon out of her thoughts.

"When did you come in?" Taeyeon sat up.

"Ages ago but you were too preoccupied with your thoughts to notice. What are you mumbling about? 'she likes me', it's that redhead isn't it?"

Taeyeon nodded her head and then flopped down onto the bed again.

"But I can't." Taeyeon sighed and closed her eyes.

"Why not? Are you still afraid of what I will do to her, I already told you that I won't do anything about it."

"You know perfectly why not."

"Enlighten me."

"I'm not scared of what you could do, it's what I could do."

"Hey, there's no need to worry about that, she handled it pretty well last time remember? I don't know how she did it but she managed to get you back real quick. I'm not worried so you shouldn't be."

I'm here and I will chase those fears away, I will protect you and I'll never let anything happen to you.

That's right, Tiffany had said so herself.

The room was silent for a few minutes.

"C-can I?" Taeyeon stuttered.

"If you won't then I will." Hayeon joked but deep inside she wished it wasn't a joke.

"No!" Taeyeon quickly defended.

"Haha." Hayeon chuckled. "You don't want to like her and you don't want anyone else to as well?"

"I...I want to like her...I will like her...I like her." Taeyeon's voice became more confident.

That's right Taeyeon, love her...she's good for you, she's someone you can love…

Hayeon smiled as she watched Taeyeon's eyes twinkling at the revelation that she could like Tiffany.

...and because I will never be good enough for her...I'm not good enough for anyone.

"I'm going to stay here for the night." Hayeon made herself comfortable on the bed.

"Not going out to cause trouble?" Taeyeon turned to face her sister.

"I'm sure I could miss one night and then cause double the amount of trouble tomorrow." Hayeon grinned.

"I haven't heard or seen anything about you in the news lately."

"That's because I'm getting good at inconspicuously breaking the law. Father-dearest must be proud. I think it's the longest time he's not had to talk to the police."

"Don’t gloat. I can tell that you haven't been doing anymore of those illegal things lately...aside from the racing. I'm glad." Taeyeon smiled.

"You're wrong, I'm still breaking the law."

Taeyeon looked at her sister to see for any signs telling her the girl was lying, but there were none.

If you only knew Taeyeon-ah…Breaking into someone's house and watching them while they sleep is very much illegal.

Hayeon breathed out as silence greeted her. Taeyeon always slept with a night-light and it bothered her, Hayeon liked the darkness. She wasn't feeling sleepy. She glanced at the clock on top of the nightstand. It was only 11:00. What was she going to do for the rest of the night? She would not go over to the Hwang's house anymore, not now that Taeyeon admitted that she was fond on Tiffany. She can’t possibly get anymore involved with that girl, no matter how much she wanted to.

A picture on the nightstand caught her attention and she picked it up for a closer look. It was a badly drawn picture of what looked like three people. 2 taller people and a shorter person in between them, they were all holding hands and smiling happily.

“She really loves you, you know?” Taeyeon’s voice caught her off guard, she had thought Taeyeon was already sleeping.

“But I don’t.” Hayeon scrunched up the drawing and threw it across the room.

“You don’t? Or you just won’t?”

“How did you do it?”

“The same way I learned to love you…because you’re family…she is family.” Taeyeon explained.

“But she ruined our family. How could you accept her? How could umma accept her as her own?”

“It’s not Miyeon’s fault, she’s just an innocent little girl Hayeon-ah. She’s our sister.”

“She is not my sister and neither is she yours. She doesn't share the same blood as us. I’m disgusted to even share half my blood with her.”

“Miyeon is my sister whether we share the same blood or not…and she regards you as her sister. Hayeon, you should do the same.” Taeyeon slowly left the bed, walking over to the cupboard and returning with a box. “Here.” Taeyeon placed the box on the bed.

“What is it?”

“Miyeon made them at day care, she always makes two of everything, one for you and one for me. She knows you don’t like her so she has never dared to give them to you directly. She would always ask me to pass them onto you but I never did…because I knew that you would throw them out. They’re rightfully yours so you take them.”

Hayeon stared at the box in front of her and carefully reached out to open the lid. It really was just a box full of useless, colourful junk.

“They may not mean anything to you but they are her treasures. I’ve had to lie to her many times that you had received her gifts and that you loved them…I really hope those lies can now become the truth. Remember Hayeon, she’s family…forget about where she came from, just know that she is your sister, just like I am…and she loves you, just like I do.”

Hayeon picked up a bracelet made from colourful plastic beads with a few pieces of macaroni threaded here and there.

Because she’s family…because we’re family.

Hayeon placed the bracelet around her wrist.

***

Hayeon grew bored lying on the bed, she didn’t feel sleepy and Taeyeon’s flickering night-light did not help. She quietly tip-toed out of Taeyeon’s room and closed the door behind her.

Hayeon somehow found herself in a different room. The soft snoring indicated that her presence in the room was unnoticed. Hayeon carefully made her way over to the bed. She knelt down to face the sleeping girl who had her arms wrapped tightly around a teddy bear. Her gazed landed on the girl’s wrist seeing a bracelet similar to one that was around her own wrist.

Miyeon.

She had never called the girl by her name before. It sounded strange in her head.

“Miyeon.” She whispered.

Miyeon, who looked like a younger version of Taeyeon and herself, who could deny they weren’t family? Miyeon, who still loved her despite all her flaws. Miyeon, who still considered her as family even when she had never ever entertained that thought. Miyeon, who was always forgiving even when she was the cause of all the pain. How could she not see things the way Taeyeon did?