Taeyeon went home that day and had the house to herself. Onew was still at work and he had advised her to get some rest so that she would have more than enough energy for their meeting tomorrow. So as soon as Taeyeon got home, the first thing she did was run to her pretty pink bedroom and throw herself on the bed. She got up a few minutes later to change into a comfortable white tee and baby pink sweatpants. After removing her makeup, she tied her hair up in a messy bun and plopped right back on the bed. Onew told her to take a rest but what she did was bawl her eyes out even more with her face down on the pillow. A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

If you wanna pretty. Everyone a pretty…

Her ringtone woke her up and she answered her ringing cellphone. It was Onew and he had to tell her something.

“Listen, I’ve found a house here right across my workplace and it saddens me to inform you that I will be moving here. But don’t worry. With your pink Cadillac, you can go places. Visit me sometime.”

“What? You’re moving?!”

“Yeah. So you’re gonna have that house all to yourself!” Taeyeon was sad that her best friend was going away but she was happy because the house would finally be all hers! She wouldn’t have to share anything with anyone anymore.

“That’s great! I’m so freaking happy!” Taeyeon squealed despite of the tears that were flowing. She sniffed and Onew heard it.

“Are you crying?”

“Tears of joy.” Taeyeon lied.

“I know you’re bluffing. Anyways, I’m coming over tonight to pack my stuff before finally living here in Incheon!”

“And about that star thingy…the management stuff?” Taeyeon was dying to know about his plan because it sounded so diabolically good.

“Ah yes! We’ll talk about it when I get there. But in the meantime, rest your mind and heart. Talk to you later!” Onew hung up. Taeyeon dropped the phone on the bed and curled up into a ball, eyeing her room and thinking of something to do.

[LATER THAT AFTERNOON]

Stress. Heartbreak. Pressure. Boredom

There was only one solution: Food.

Taeyeon got up from her bed and walked straight into the kitchen, hoping to find something good. And she seemed to have hit the jackpot! In the fridge were cookies, cakes, some ice cream in the freezer as well as chocolates! Boy, Onew did the groceries. She took these out and brought them with her to her room. She ladi them all out on her bed and with her bright pink laptop sitting prettily on her lap, she honestly had no idea which one to gobble up first. Taeyeon looked at the Oreos then at the ice cream tub and decided that it was a good idea to mix and match. She twisted the first cookie, exposing the cream and put some ice cream on it, closing it with the other cookie. She continued to do this while browsing the net on her laptop.

Taeyeon was so engrossed in surfing the net that she failed to realize that she was eating through the entire ice cream tub. She was on Twitter, scrolling down trying to look for something interesting (she was just stalking Leeteuk) when she stumbled upon something from her ex…

You are always on my mind, Yoon Eun hye.

The spoon that was in Taeyeon’s mouth fell on her lap, staining her pink sweatpants with ice cream but she didn’t care. She took a closer, better look at her monitor and even double checked it just to make sure she wasn’t just hallucinating. She wasn’t. It was real. Leeteuk had fallen for another girl. Someone who was better than her. Taeyeon’s eyes were filled with tears and though heartbroken, she managed to pick the spoon up and feed herself with more ice cream.

Well, I guess this is the end. There’s no more hope for me. First, he doesn’t call, second he doesn’t text, third, he tweets about a girl who is better than me. It’s not low self esteem. It’s being realistic. She really is better than me. She’s taller, thinner, whiter, prettier, more mature and relationship-oriented, wife material, loveable, and has a life. Then there’s me, the pink-loving, childish, emotional overeater, lone writer and ex-reporter who now doesn’t have a job! Who was fired by Yoon Eun hye’s father. Comparing her to me is like comparing the hunting abilities of a lion and a mouse. Way out of her league I am.

Taeyeon couldn’t help but feel jealous. Aside from the fact that the wound brought by the breakup was still fresh, she couldn’t accept the fact that she was so replaceable. In a matter of a few days, Leeteuk was already courting a new girl and what Taeyeon couldn’t fathom was the fact that Leeteuk really poured his time out on this girl whereas he couldn’t even lift a finger when they were together and Taeyeon had to take the initiative. But inspite of this, Taeyeon loved him just the same. She visited his profile and browsed through it, looking at his tweets. All of them were about love. Taeyeon’s heart wrenched and her chest became all stuffy reading them.

He moved on so quickly! And here I am still crying over him and reminiscing about our short relationship and what could’ve been.

The young writer took the spoon and spooned some of the strawberry cheesecake that Onew made and put some cookies in . Though she was thin, Taeyeon was a stress eater. Whenever she’d feel sad, she’d go to the kitchen to look for something to eat and right now, a few hours after her late breakfast, she was already stuffing herself with sweets.

You’re a dickhead. You’re an . You’re a playboy and this girl will not say yes to you! You will be forever alone! No one can love an immature douchebag like you! Taeyeon cursed at his pictures and tweets in her mind. Leeteuk had gone a long way from the plain John he was before graduation. Now, he was making millions managing the shop his family owned and he looked so much better than ever. Taeyeon could only cry and pray that something bad would happen to him or what but she wasn’t that mean. Instead of praying for harm to come his way, she just let the pain take her over. And what was the best way to cope with pain? Well for Taeyeon, the best and only way was to cry herself to sleep. The cookies, cake, and ice cream tub were still on her bed when she threw herself face first to the pillow, wetting it with her tears. The computer was still on and was still on Leeteuk’s Twitter page.

Girls do take longer to recover than boys. Maybe it’s because we don’t have that act as radars that can detect easy replacements.

DING DONG!!!

Taeyeon awoke at the sound of the doorbell. She rushed out of bed and ran to the door to receive the guest. It was Onew carrying some boxes and a bucket of fried chicken-his favorite dish for dinner.

“Wow! What happened to you! I’ve never seen you this red and haggard before!” Onew said. “Can you help me with these. Get this bucket and put it on the table. We’re having it for dinner.” Onew handed the chicken bucket to her and dragged the boxes into the house. Taeyeon sulkily walked to the kitchen and placed the bucket of chicken down on the table.

“Here let me help you set the table.” Onew dashed to her side and together they set the plates, glasses, chopsticks and sauce bowls. “Go get the drinks please.” Onew ordered.

“What’ll you have?” Taeyeon asked with her back still turned so as not to show Onew the tears that she had been crying. She was trying to get a hold of herself but it wasn’t until a few minutes later that the tears started falling again. She just couldn’t forget about what she read on Twitter. He had the audacity to post something like that when he knew they were following each other.

And why ever not? They were no longer a couple, meaning he had every right to flirt with any girl he wanted.

Onew noticed that Taeyeon had been standing at the counter for a considerable amount of time staring at the wall.

“Hey! What’s the hold up there? Just get the water jug.” he tried to pull her back into reality. Taeyeon turned swiftly and opened the fridge to get the juice box. She took the glasses and poured juice into them. Onew looked at her, stunned with what he was seeing.

“I said water. Why the hell did you pour juice into my glass?” Taeyeon looked at what she was doing and saw that it was the juice box she took and not the water jug. She slammed the carton down on the table along with her hand.

“Just drink it! It’s not like it’s any different from any regular drink.” Taeyeon pulled her chair and sat down, rubbing her forehead with her palm. Onew sensed that something was wrong with her and consoled her.

“What’s wrong with you? Why do you look so troubled? Have you been snorting coke?” Taeyeon slammed both hands on the table and cried. Onew rolled his eyes and sighed. “Oh brother, here we go again.”

“He’s flirting with Yoon Eun hye on Twitter.” Taeyeon mumbled.

“What?” Onew asked while chomping the fried chicken leg. “What did you say?”

“I SAID!” Taeyeon looked up with swollen, red eyes. “HE’S FLIRTING WITH YOON EUN HYE ON ING TWITTER!” Not being able to take anymore, Taeyeon broke down at the dinner table.

“And so?” Onew said. “What’s wrong with that?” Taeyeon stood up and pointed an accusing finger at him.

“You have been very, very supportive throughout this ordeal!” she said sarcastically. Onew put the chicken down and shrugged with a puzzled look on his face.

“Well if that’s a compliment, then thank you-”

“It isn’t a goddamn compliment!” Taeyeon calmed down and sat. “It’s an insult. Do you even know what it’s like to be heartbroken. To be used?” the anger she had subsided and she was reduced to crying. Onew looked at her with eyes that pitied and ridiculed her.

“Well you have to face the facts, Taeyeon.” Onew bent down and tried to talk some sense into Taeyeon whose head was down on the table. “He’s moved on.”

“So quickly if you ask me.” she mumbled. Taeyeon was crying with her head down. “I can’t believe how fast the course of events are. Seems like yesterday we were together and now…” she sniffed. “I can’t go on…”

“Well you have to prove to him that you’re made of something.”

“Made of .” Taeyeon said. She looked up and wiped her tears. “Take a look at the statistics, Onew. I’m broke. He’s rich. I was fired. He owns his father’s company now. I’m still stuck in the past, still believing that we will get back together in time when it’s clear that there is absolutely no hope at all. He’s moved on and he got a girl who’s just as rich and who I’m not as beautiful as.” Taeyeon stopped her crying and sniffed. She grabbed a napkin and blew her nose. “In short, I’m the loser. He won, I lost. I’m weak.” she finally admitted her faults.

“Don’t say that.” Onew said. “You know, it’s hard for you now but who knows? Maybe he’s just doing that to make you feel jealous.” Taeyeon considered his theory and banged on the table with her hand once more.

“Well God mothering dammit!” she grunted. “Making me jealous? How immature!”

“I mean, I’m not sure but it seems to me as if that’s what he’s doing.”

“I know it is.” Taeyeon assumed. At first when Leeteuk began tweeting quotes about love, especially about broken heartedness, Taeyeon assumed it was for her.

“20 percent of me thinks that.” Onew bit through the chicken wing. Taeyeon barely even touched her chicken leg.

“And the other 80?”

“The other 80 thinks that he’s really moved on.” Taeyeon slumped her head on the table once more and tears began to fill her eyes.

“Don’t feel so down, Taeyeon.” Onew encouraged her. “There’s a million, billion other guys out there. Who knows, he could be someone you’ve known for so long but never really noticed. You never know.”

“Oh? So you’re saying you’re in love with me?” Onew made vomiting sounds and motions.

“WHAT THE FU- ARE YOU CRAZY?! ME? IN LOVE WITH YOU? NO WAY!” Onew spat. “I made a promise to my dead girlfriend and I’m not about to break that.”

“Well I’m making a promise as of today.” Taeyeon boldly stated. “I will no longer entertain suitors. I will reject them all. One by one.”

“Yeah. That’ll be the day!” Onew sarcastically replied. Taeyeon took off her fluffy pink slipper and threw it at him, hitting him on the head.

“And yours? That will really be the day!” Taeyeon mocked him.

“Hey, I know I look at girls and compliment em and all but that’s just about it! I like flattering them but to committ to one? Never! I know how to keep promises, Taeyeon.” Taeyeon glared at him, clenching her fists in anger.

“So that makes you a like Leeteuk!” she growled. “You lie to girls and you make them believe that you actually want them when in fact you’re just bluffing, playing around!”

“It’s not playing around, Taeyeon. Besides, I think you don’t speak for every girl when you say that ‘they believe that guys want them when guys praise them’. I think you’re only speaking for yourself because the girls that I’ve hobnobbed with at parties and such do not come back to me like the flattered feeling they felt was love. I don’t mean to point out your flaws but you ought to know, you fall for guys easily. They praise you once, you think they love you and want you and will chase you and you two will live happily ever after! Life is not a fairytale, Taengoo! Wake up and grow up! And if you’re gonna “check the statistics” to put it in your terms, For every promise you break, I fulfill a promise.”

“Oh so you’r calling me a liar and a ?!” Taeyeon raised her voice at him.

“I’m not calling you a liar.” Onew said with a calm voice. “I’m just saying that you shouldn’t really promise something, especially when you know that you’re not good at keeping promises. See, the difference between me and you is, my girlfriend has been dead for years and I’ve not had a partner since she died. You have made so many promises over the course of your professional life and you’ve kept 2 out of 10.” Taeyeon quieted down upon realizing the wrongness of her argument. She sat down and poured herself another glass of orange juice. She didn’t have the energy to eat in front of someone she was arguing with. Feeling down and humiliated, Taeyeon went back into her web of stress eating and grabbed as many chicken parts from the bucket as she could, chowing them down in monstrous amounts, gulping down some orange juice like she was in a chicken eating contest. Onew looked at her with wide, shocked eyes. Taeyeon ate and ate while crying, avoiding Onew’s eyes. Onew ate two pieces of chicken. Taeyeon, who refused to eat at first, ate six.

“I’m ready for my dessert.” she finally spoke to break the silence.

“I checked the fridge.” Onew said. “You must’ve left the desserts in your room.” Taeyeon sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. Full with food and emotions, she slouched on the chair. Onew, who was done for the evening, stood up and put the utensils in the sink. Taeyeon handed hers to him, except for the glass which she would be filling with whatever alcoholic drinks she could get her hands on. “Oh and can you help me pack my stuff. I’m moving tonight.” Taeyeon stood up and helped Onew with the boxes. The best friends got to work, packing all of Onew’s things. All the while they were very silent, refusing to talk to each other after the heated argument they had. Onew understood Taeyeon. It wasn’t easy, what she was going through. A part of him believed Taeyeon when she said Leeteuk just used her though he tried hard to push that thought to the back of his mind. But it all seemed clear to him. She was just another girl to him that didn’t mean anything. Onew felt bad for her and knew how heavy of a burden her heartbreak was. It changed her so much. Taeyeon was usually bubbly and talkative and fun to be around with and now that she was dumped, that side of her seemed to have been replaced by a grimmer, more emotional side of her that Onew had never seen before. In all honesty, this was the lowest she had been.

“I’m sorry about earlier.” he apologized to her in order to ease the tension she was feeling. Taeyeon gave him a short glance and continued to transfer the clothes from the drawers to the boxes, ignoring Onew’s apology. “I mean, I didn’t mean for you to feel insulted. You aren’t a and I didn’t call you one.”

“Yeah, but it was implied.” Taeyeon emphasized the implied and walked past him to get more things. Onew ran a hand through his hair and followed her.

“Look, the reason I said that isn’t because I want to insult you or to put you down. It’s because I want you to see your faults so that you could learn from them.” Taeyeon looked him in the eye and went on with her task.

“I really felt like a lowlife. You made me feel lower when I’m already at my lowest.” Taeyeon finally spoke. “You should be thankful that I’m nice enough to help you with your packing. Otherwise, I would’ve thrown them all out the window!” Onew rolled his eyes and ran another hand through his hair at her immaturity. Even at a time like this, she knew how to be childish.

“See, I didn’t say those things so that you would feel bad. Why would I do that? I’ve been your friend since you were 16. I trust you and I know better than to piss you off. And I’m sure that you know that I will never betray you. Taeyeon, I’m saying these things to make you a better person. I know the pain that you’re feeling and trust me, it’s nothing compared to the pain I felt when I lost Min Young.” Taeyeon dropped the small box in her hand and turned around to face him, this time more calmly.

“Will you please stop comparing Leeteuk to Min Young.” Taeyeon was really trying to keep her cool. “All this time you have been comparing mine to yours, my hardships to your hardships. Onew, what I’m going through is different from what you went through. See first of all, Min Young died. She never betrayed you neither did she use you. I should know because I was there when you two became a couple down to the day she was buried. I saw it all! Second, dying in a car accident never made either of you love each other less. Right at the very moment when that truck hit her SUV, at the very moment when she flew headfirst through the windshield and smashed her head on that tree, she thought of you. I wasn’t there when she got crushed by that monster delivery truck but I know that she thought of you and your sake, your feelings, were all she thought of while her body was flying miles away from her SUV.” Taeyeon’s clear narration of what transpired that night made Onew tear up. “Wheras Leeteuk, let’s just say that the only thing that functioned was his southern antena.“ Spoken like a professional journalist, she said it all like she was at the scene of the accident. Instead of moping, Onew smirked at her and nodded.

“Mr. Yoon must be kicking himself right now. He’s really sorry he fired you!” he said with a smug look on his face. Taeyeon frowned at first but smiled slowly while helping Onew with more things.

“What made you say that?”

“He lost his most prized journalist. Ratings are about to drop.” Onew grimaced.

“Ratings have already dropped. Ever since my infamous on-air rant, people have been snobbing the show.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of that.” Onew said. “What did you say?”

“I think I already told you about this. You must’ve forgotten because of the heavy work load you have. Anyways, not only did I rant, I flashed the finger on national TV!” Taeyeon was grinning while narrating what was the most traumatic period in her short and blossoming career as a journalist. Onew noticed this and decided to test her.

“I see you’re all smiles despite you getting fired.” he commented.

“Oh sure. Mr. Yoon? He’s an asshead!” Taeyeon jumped on Onew’s bed and folded her arms behind her head. She appeared very relaxed and stress-free, a far cry from the emotional basket she was at the dinner table. “He don’t mean to me!”

“Asshead?” Onew chuckled. “You seem to be taking this jobless thing so easily. Like nothing ever happened.”

“Sure. I can always find a new job.” Onew let his friend rest as he finished packing the last set of things.

“Come, let’s go down.” Onew said. “Bring the desserts you left in your room.”

“I’m keeping them in my freezer.” Taeyeon smirked with the same smug smirk Onew used on her. “I need my survival food, you know!” Taeyeon stood up and went to her room to store the desserts she took in her pretty little pink fridge with a Hello Kitty ribbon magnet on the side. Taeyeon was just so pink! After that, she and Onew went downstairs, bringing with them the boxes. Taeyeon pulled while Onew pushed. They did this four times over until they were sure they burned the calories brought by the chicken.

“That was one workout. Kool Aid?” asked Onew.

“Sure. Kool Aid at 9:00 pm. That’s a real treat.” Taeyeon said sarcastically. “How’s about some alcohol?”

“Chocolate vodka?” Onew grinned. Taeyeon nodded.

“I’m getting my Strawberry daquiri.” Taeyeon smiled.

“You just can’t stay away from that color, now can’t you? Come, let’s chat while waiting for the moving truck to come.” Taeyeon giggled and shook her head. The two got their drinks and sat on the couch, drinking their troubles away. A few drinks later, Onew’s truck arrived and Taeyeon was still in a drunk frenzy.

“Taeyeon, I have to go. The truck’s there.” Taeyeon looked at him and grinned.

“Okie dokie! Bye bye!!!” Taeyeon bade him in a loud voice before falling into a deep sleep on the couch. Onew took one last look at her and pat her head before leaving and assissting the truck driver with his things. After they have packed the boxes, Onew, bade the sleeping girl goodbye. Taeyeon still had the wine glass in her hand. She spent all night on the couch sleeping.

[THE FOLLOWING MORNING]

If you wanna pretty, everyone a pretty…

Taeyeon was still fast asleep. Her pretty pink LG Lollipop kept on ringing and ringingn but she was too asleep to even hear it. Truth is, after Onew left, Taeyeon woke up and poured herself two, three, four more glases of daquiri until she passed out and fell asleep once more. This time, she was seriously too drunk to get up.

If you wanna pretty, everyone a pretty…

The phone rang a second time, meaning the caller wouldn’t give up and gave it another try. Taeyeon was still too drunk until the phone vibrated and fell on the floor, waking her up.

“WHAT WAS THAT?!” Taeyeon thought she was in bed and reached for her alarm, making her roll over and fall from the couch. She landed on the floor and saw her cellphone vibrating.

“OH MY GOD! SOMEONE’S BEEN CALLING ME!” Taeyeon sat up straight and answered the call.

“Hello! I’m sorry I failed to answer your call-”

“It’s okay. What happened to you?” It was Onew! Well that was expected.

“I had too much daquiri and I fell asleep here and I thought I was in bed so I reached for my alarm and ended up reaching for nothing and rolled down the sofa.” Taeyeon explained in a fast paced manner. “So how was your trip?”

“The trip was tiring. But I’m here now and I’ve gotta unpack and set my things. You okay there?”

“Yeah. I just hit my back and my head hard on the floor. Little trouble, not so much.”

“You seem kind of trippy. Like you’re on weed or something.”

“Yeah. Sorry for that. So why’d you call?” Taeyeon stood up and headed to the kitchen to fix herself something to eat. She realized that she didn’t have a clue about the time so she looked at the clock and saw that it was already 9:35 am. “I was about to say that I was late for work. Then I suddenly remembered that I don’t work anymore.”

“I called because I remembered what I just told you yesterday.” Onew answered. He was in his office, sitting with his feet on his desk and his pen twirling in his fingers. Taeyeon took her cereal bowl and plopped on the sofa where she slept.

“You told me a lot of things yesterday. Which one?” Taeyeon chomped on her cereal.

“The one about me being your manager and you being a star.” When Taeyeon heard this, she nearly spat her cereal out.

“Are you ing kidding me? You’re gonna make me a star?” Taeyeon’s eyes gleamed and so did her teeth. Taeyeon’s smile brightened up the place. Her? A star? Was that even possible? Taeyeon wasn’t the prettiest, iest, or tallest girl around so how was she going to be a star?

“Yeah. And no, I’m not kidding. I’m gonna make you famous. You’re gonna be my first talent! The first person I’m ever gonna handle in this young career of mine!” Onew’s tone was proud and exalted. Taeyeon was happy and nervous at the same time.

“So what am I gonna be exactly?” Taeyeon excitedly asked, the anxiety making her eat more.

“Well since you’re a very active person who loves work more than anything, I’m gonna make you the total package.” Taeyeon nearly spat her cereal out. She choked on the flakes and couged up a bit.

“WHAT?!” she didn’t know whether to be happy or angry. Her? The total package? Everything on the menu? Was he serious?

“You have got to be kidding me, Jin Ki. You are going to make me the total package? Are you ing serious?!” Taeyeon cried. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the pressures of being ‘everything on the menu’.

“Do I sound like I’m kidding you?” Onew’s voice turned serious. “I’m serious. I really want you to be the ‘total package’ because I think you have the drive and the potential.”

“You know that ‘total entertainer’ means singer, dancer, actress-”

“Exactly!”

“Exactly? What so you’re saying I can accomplish all that?” Onew was getting really annoyed at her lack of self-esteem and decided to use her weak point. Her ex-boyfriend.

“Why? Can’t you?”

“I can’t!” Taeyeon cried through the phone. “Singer? Dancer? Actress? SUPERMODEL?!? I at all those!”

“Well what if I told you that Leeteuk’s looking to become a male model, would you say yes?” the expression was erased from Taeyeon’s face at the mention of his name. He was starting to branch out and she was still jobless. It wasn’t impossible, though. A hot, young entrepreneur like him could branch out into the field of modeling and photography.

“What?” was Taeyeon’s weak reply.

“Yeah. I’m following your ex-boyfriend on Twitter and he claims that he’s going to branch out into the field of modeling as well as photography.” Onew confirmed. “And judging by the pictures of him and the other subjects that he’s taken, he has a shot at both!” Taeyeon felt confused. So confused to the point that she didn’t even know if Onew was just making all this up to get her to submit. She didn’t know if he was just threatening her and to be honest, she felt a little bit curious, she wanted to check Leeteuk’s Twitter just to be sure but she didn’t want to get hurt.

“Seriously?” Taeyeon sadly asked.

“I’m dead serious, Kim Taeyeon.” Onew replied bluntly. “His pictures here are all suits, poses, abs, muscles and what ! Makes me pretty jealous, too!”

“I’m not jealous of his recognition!” Taeyeon snapped. “Okay maybe I am but I’m jealous of Yoon Eun hye. There I admit it!”

“What?” Onew laughed. “You’re jealous of Yoon Eun hye?!”

“Yes.” Taeyeon admitted. “What’s so funny? I hate her and all but I have to admit she’s far more beautiful than me. I mean look at her! Pure white skin, thin legs, beautiful figure, beautiful face, talented dancer, model material…” Taeyeon bit her lip in insecurity. “And her height?! Goddammit, Onew! If there’s someone more ‘total entertainer’ material here than me, it’s her!”

“Why do you feel insecure?” Onew decided to go all psychology on her, putting his feet down and resting his arms on his desk.

“Because she’s better than me!” Taeyeon cried. She set her cereal bowl aside and laid down on the sofa once more. “I’m not that blind not to know! I do think she’s better than me!”

“What if I told you that it’s all in your head, would you agree?”

“What kind of sick mindgame is this?” Taeyeon grunted, running a hand through her hair which was dishevelled. “Are you going all Hannibal Lecter on me again? Telling me riddles so that I could figure myself out?”

“I’m telling you these things to bring out your potential.” Onew said. “Now tell me, if I told you that it was all in your head, would you agree?”

“Judging by the likes on her pictures on Facebook, the number of followers on Twitter, and the quality of her pictures as well as her body and the number of suitors she’s had…I’d say I still wouldn’t go with you.”

“Well what if I said that she has her own insecurities, too?”

“That is true.” Taeyeon finally admitted. “Everyone has his/her own insecurities. But a girl like her has much less insecurities than a girl like me.”

“Why? Is it because she’s pretty?” Onew asked.

“Yes. And wanted.”

“You’re pretty, too you know.” Onew told her.

“You’re biased, you know. I’m your best friend so of course you think that. Try asking a random dude down the road-”

“Who says you need a random dude’s opinion to go far?” Onew said. “Stop dwelling on other people’s opnions and start living your life the way you want it.”

“I’ve been doing that for the past 22 years of my life.”

“But you still have these insecurities. Yes, you live it the way you want to but don’t yearn for something you know you can never have.”

“But-”

“Who says you have to be as beautiful as her to be a ‘total entertainer’? She’s not the most perfect person in the world.”

“She has Leeteuk. And Leeteuk really wants her. I think he’s forgotten about me already.”

“How sure are you that Eun hye likes him back?” Onew said. “They ain’t together. For all you know she could be in love with someone else. Just because he loves her doesn’t mean that she should love him back.”

“It’s not that.” Taeyeon sat up, trying hard to fight the stuffy feeling in her chest. “It’s the fact that he has already fallen for someone else when I’m still madly in love with him and I’d give anything in the world to have him back.”

“I don’t mean to insult your taste but you are madly in love and hurting over a self-absorbed daddy’s boy who’s too immature to realize the difference between infatuation and love.” Onew said. “I mean, you can’t love someone on the first meeting. Unless they’ve known each other for some time but you said that he liked her while you two were together-”

“Don’t bring that up!”

“I’m trying to inspire you, you know.”

“You aren’t inspiring me in any way. You are only aggravating me and making me feel like !”

Onew was unaffected by her emotional lash-outs and just shrugged his shoulders.

“Fact: most people give their very best at work when angry. The aggression fuels them to work harder.”

“It doesn’t work for me.” Taeyeon said.

“Give it a shot!”

“It won’t do me any good, trust me Jin Ki! I’m known to blow things out of proportion when in a really high mood.”

“Give it a shot. Who knows?” Taeyeon took a deep breath and exhaled. She had to think about it before giving Onew her definite answer. And judging by the way Onew talked to her, it was like the only answers were either yes or yes.

“I have to think about this.”

“I agree with you on that. Think about it well. Well but quick. I don’t got all day, you know.” Onew spun a ballpen in his fingers. Taeyeon ran a hand through her dishevelled hair and began stress eating once more, putting in spoonfuls of Oreo cereals in . The phone was still on her ear.

“I’m waiting, Taengoo.” Onew said.

“WAIT! I’M THINKING!” she cried, feeling all the pressure. Taeyeon stood up and grabbed her Nutella jar. She sat back on the couch and opened the jar, grabbed the spoon and dipped it into the chocolate spread. She then dipped it into the bowl of Oreo cereals and into . This was her unhealthy habit. Eating chocolates for breakfast.

If I accept his proposal, he’s gonna make me a total entertainer, to put it in his words. That would mean additional stress, additional pressure, additional eating. But if you’re gonna take a look at it, Taeyeon, you’re lagging behind! After letting the world hear and see your infamous rant, which I’m sure Leeteuk and Eun hye saw, are you just gonna stay down on the ground while those people who put you down rise to the top? You have to show them you’re better instead of crying here, eating a huge bowl of chocolate cereals, thinking about someone who clearly doesn’t give a about you anymore. Yeah. That’s right. I’m gonna be on top. I have potential. I can become a star. I can become-

“Have you thought about it yet?” Onew’s voice rang throughout her head, giving her a wakeup call.

“Oh! Oh my God! I had no idea I thought for that long.”

“Have you made your decision? Hurry before I change my mind and look for someone else!” Onew teased. Taeyeon squealed and finally gave her final decision.

“OKAY! OKAY!” she gave in. “I will be your talent. I will let you manage me. I will sing, dance, act, do whatever! Just please get me out of this pain! I don’t want to be the pitiful one!” Taeyeon begged him.

“Chillax, Taengoo!” Onew chuckled. “Ain’t nobody gonna take your place. Now, what I want you to do is come on over to my office tomorrow morning. I want you to be in your most presentable self.”

“I always make it a point to be presentable!” Taeyeon quirkily answered. Onew shook his head and sighed.

“Well you never fail to please me with your appearance.” Onew said.

“I do make it a point to always be pretty in pink.”

“Yes. So please show up tomorrow at 9:00 am. The office address is #89 Carnation Avenue, silver building that says InnerPowerCore Company. It’s a management agency for aspiring artists. I love handling people. Anyways. Be there at 9 sharp.” Taeyeon couldn’t help but laugh at his fake sternness.

“You’re trying to sound so professional.” Taeyeon laughed. “It’s really funny!”

“Well if an amateur wants to be a professional, he must first start acting like one.” Onew said.

“Whatever. Anyways. I’ll be there. 9 am.”

“So you better train yourself to wake up early. I can’t have you coming in late when you have appointments. Punctuality is the number one principle of the IPC Talent Management Company.” Onew said. “You usually wake up at the time that you should report to work.”

“Yeah. That’s kind of my problem.”

“Maybe that’s the reason why your previous company decided to drop you.” Onew said.

“No it isn’t.” Taeyeon told him. “They dropped me because of the tirade I dropped on national TV. Not to mention the finger I flashed before the entire country.”

“Oh yeah. It’s all over the news, though!” Onew said.

“That’s why I can’t step out!”

“I’m reading a magazine as a matter of fact, and your face is here on one page. Like they have an entire page dedicated to that rant you made!” Taeyeon felt her face burn and her heart drop at this news. Right now, she was so scandalous.

“I cannot believe you.” Taeyeon said, her voice shaking. “An entire page dedicated to me? All because of that?! And you want me to become a star. To step out there and sell records, star in movies, pose for magazines. AFTER ALL THIS BULL?!”

“Well it won’t happen that fast.” Onew told her. “I’m gonna have someone orient you and you’re gonna got to workshops. Nobody becomes a star that fast. And by the time you become a star, people would’ve already forgotten about your news show incident.” Taeyeon felt bullied.

“I used to be the best reporter there…”

“Used to be?” Onew asked. “Used to be the best? Why did expressing your anger take away your ability to report and write well?”

“No. But-”

“But what? Just because you’re no longer a reporter doesn’t make you any less of a talented journalist.” Taeyeon made a sudden realization.

“You know you’re right.” she said.

“Of course I am. And I’m here to put you right back on track.” Onew smiled while conversing over the phone.

“I could use a good job, you know. Good jobs, at that!” Taeyeon said. “I don’t have any source of income!”

“You are going to get a good job.” Onew assured her. “All you have to do is put your trust in me. All will work out well.”

“Thanks.” Taeyeon smiled a small smile and swept her bangs aside. “Sometimes it’s good to have a friend like you. I mean, you may be annoying and sarcastic at times but you come in handy when I’m in need. Keep it up.”

“Ha! Thanks.”

Taeyeon hung up and went straight to the showers to freshen herself up for the lazy day that was ahead of her. After showering, she put on her salmon pink top and shorts and went outside for a short walk to reflect on the life that she was about to have. The new life. Her rebirth.

Her becoming of a star.