I really didn’t understand why we had to be awake so early. Four hours of sleep really wasn’t enough, but unfortunately we were used to it. We had finished or schedule very late last night, or should I say early this morning? I’m not sure, but it was 6AM. The four of us were spread about the dorm getting ourselves ready. Oppa said he would be here to get us at around seven. We had our rehearsals moved to earlier and then a new schedule later on, I think it was probably an impromptu fan signing. I’m not a hundred percent on that, and it’s too early to think about it anyway.

A little while later the four of us were in the van being driven to SM by our manager. Sunny and Jess were in the back row sleeping on each other while Seohyun was sitting beside me reading. It wasn’t a long drive seeing as how we live about six or seven minutes from the building. Since we were so popular the president wanted our dorm to be close so that we could easily come and go to SM if we needed to.

As we arrived at SM I saw a few paparazzi outside waiting for any of the artists to show up. I don’t know why anyone would be out and about in this cold weather at 7AM, but I guess it was their lucky day since we were here. I felt my phone vibrate and quickly opened it up to check the message. I was hoping it was Taeyeon replying to the message I sent him after I woke up.

Text Message
From: Taetae

Good morning to you Fany-ah! Sorry I didn’t reply quicker, we were being rushed out of the dorm. Why are you up so early?! I thought your schedule was later on?

I smiled as I stepped out of the van and started to walk inside the building. His worrying always made me warm up a little inside. It always showed me how much he cared for me.

“Tiffany! Tiffany! Over here,” I heard a man with a camera shout.

I stopped a second and waved at him so he could get a good shot. “Don’t stay out here too long! You’ll catch a cold,” I called to the man and then continued to walk inside the building behind the other girls.

We stepped inside the elevator and I saw Seohyun reach to push the button designated to the floor we usually practice on, but Oppa quickly stopped her. What? We must be going to a different room?

“We’re stopping somewhere else first,” he said as he then pushed the button that indicated the top floor.

If we weren’t awake before, we definitely all were now. We all knew that floor only held one purpose.

It was Lee Soo-Man’s office.

We all looked at each other urgently. What could this be about?

We hadn’t had a meeting about our new album yet. That has to be it right? We usually have a little meeting a little after each album is released to see how everything is going and go over sale numbers and all that kind of stuff. That was totally it. If it were anything else Oppa would have surely told us right? Right.

I let out a deep breath. Oh! Taeyeon! I pulled out my phone and started replying to his message.

Text Message
To: Taeyeon

Our rehearsal got moved earlier because we have a signing later I think. I’m actually not sure what it is. Whatever it doesn’t matter-

“Tiff come on.” I looked up from my phone to see that we had already arrived at the floor.

“Right sorry,” I said as I stepped off and quickly followed behind the other girls deeper on to the floor. I continued my message as I walked.

-I could ask the same thing to you though Kim Taeyeon! Why are you up so early? The radio show isn’t until way lat-

“Fany-ah?” I froze. I knew that voice. I slowly moved my eyes up from my phone toward the owner of the voice silently praying that I wasn’t right. Oh no.

“Tae-Taeyeon-ah?” This could only mean one thing. I looked down.

We were having a meeting with Lee Soo-Man, and we were having one now.

I couldn’t believe this. I mean I did expect a meeting after what Taeyeon had told me yesterday, but I didn’t really expect one the next day at all, and especially with no warning. Oh my god. What is going to happen? We can’t break up. I can’t stop being a part of SNSD either. This wasn’t happening. My breaths got shorter and my heart went faster.

“Fany-ah, we’ll be okay,” I heard as I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me. I automatically stiffened.

“Taeyeon-ah what are you doing?” I pushed myself out of his arms a little. “Everyone is watch-“

“Tiffany, everyone here knows, and if they didn’t they are about to. We don’t know what he’s going to say in there, le-let me just hold you, okay?” I could hear worry in his voice.

He was right though. What if the President didn’t want us to be together anymore? We would literately not be able to do anything about it, besides go public ourselves and probably get dropped from our company in the process. What if his is the last time I can hug him, like ever?

I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt his arms tighten around me and my heart rate return to normal. He really didn’t know how much I needed him. He has become such a big part of me and especially my life. I know I hadn’t known him the past twenty years of my life but I now know that I can’t live another one without him. I especially hated how cheesy I sounded right now. I was glad when he spoke and broke me away from my thoughts.

“You smell good Fany-ah.”

I laughed and released from the hug to look up at his now grinning face. “You do too Taetae.” I looked around and noticed that everyone was sitting down in the lobby sort of staring at us. “Let’s sit down.” I took a seat beside Sunny and pulled Tae along beside me never once letting go of his hand.

“Don’t worry you two, we’ll be here for you the whole time,” Sunny said warmly. “I just don’t know why Oppa didn’t say anything.” Her tone definitely wasn’t warm anymore.

“I knew you all would be freaking out and I couldn’t deal with all that this morning,” he explained. Which I kind of understood, but he still should have told us.

“I didn’t tell them either,” Taeyeon’s manager said from across from us.

“Yeah he waited until we got in here to tell us, Taeng almost threw up,” Sooyoung joked.

“Yah, it isn’t funny!” I saw his face change in to a sort of angry pout. He is so precious when he’s angry, aigo! I let out a giggle. “Fany! You’re supposed to be on my side!”

His pout was too adorable. “I am Taeyeon-ah! You’re just so cute when you’re mad,” I explained quietly. Seeing that he still wasn’t believing me I continued. ”You know I’m always on your side Taetae,” I said in an even quieter voice than before, for I was hoping that only he could hear.

“Awwwww!”

 And I was let severely down when I heard Sunny squeal in delight knowing that she must have heard me as well, I really need to practice being quieter.

“Oh Sunny shu-“

“The President will see you now,” a woman came from seemed like nowhere and motioned for us to follow her.

We all suddenly fell quiet.

“A-all of us,” Sooyoung hesitantly asked across from me.

“Yes,” she smiled. “Please follow me.”

We obeyed and all nine of us stood up. Our managers led the way down the hall following the woman. I was literately shaking, but then I felt a hand move to my back and gently caress it. I knew right away it was Taeyeon trying to calm me down. I smiled slightly at his gesture, but I was still very nervous about what was about to happen.

The next thing I knew we were walking through a set of double doors.

“Thank you Miwon-ssi. That will be all. Everyone please take a seat,” Lee Soo-man said calmly. The woman then left the room closing the doors behind her.  “Jiho-ssi, Hanyoung-ssi,” he said nodding to our managers. “Let’s get right down to it, I have another meeting here soon. What brought us all here today?”

“Yes sir, well I don’t know how to put this lightly, but uhm… Two of our members are dating… Each other,” my manager said hesitatingly.

I tried to read the expression on his face but he had put up a stone front. I couldn’t get anything from it. This just frustrated me more. I just wanted to know what he was going to say and what our punishment was going to be.

“Is that so Hanyoung-ssi,” he said now looking to TYS’s manager. I saw him nod in response.

“Mmm. To say that it was Tiffany-ssi and Taeyeon-ssi would be correct?”

My eyes widened and my heart sped up. Did he really already know?

“N-ne, sir.”

“I assumed as much. How long has it been?”

I really didn’t understand. Why isn’t he getting mad or anything really? He’s acting like it isn’t big news at all.

“Si-since October sir.” Hearing that voice quickly dropped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see Taeyeon nervously staring at the president as well as everyone else in the room.

“I see,” the president said as he nodded his head. He then was silent for a while.

It made me ever more nervous, I don’t think I have been breathing correctly since I walked in the office. Part of me wished he would just hurry and get on with the scolding but then another part of me was completely fine with all the pauses.

“Well,” he started. Oh no here it goes. I closed my eyes and gripped the arms on the chair I was in a little tighter than usual. “Thank you for personally telling me, but next time an email would surely suffice.”

What in the actual world? I quickly opened my eyes to look at him. He was just calmly looking back at us now. Seriously that was it? That wasn’t it right? What happened to the no dating rule or anything of the sort?

“Oh, also.” Ah, this must be it. I held my breath. “Hanyoung-ssi please see my assistant on the way out, she will have the address and keys to your new dorm location. Since you all have been doing so well and I figure to continue to do so we have upgraded you. Continue your hard work.”

Seriously? I was so confused right now. I expected the biggest showdown in the world to be happening right now. The president is acting like it doesn’t even faze him. I can’t believe this, and all the times anyone has ever told me that we can’t date because the president won’t allow it. What was all that for? I shook my head and heard another voice.

“Th-thank you sir, we will.” It was Yuri.

“Alright if that was it, then I’ll be on my way. There is a car waiting for me.”

I couldn’t hold in my questions any longer.

“Ne tha-“

“Excuse me sir, but you aren’t going to say anything about, uh… us,” I asked as I motioned toward Taeyeon and then myself.

I took a quick glance at Taeyeon beside me to see that he was now staring at me with wide eyes. I could then see Sooyoung and Yuri beside him giving me the exact same look.

“What would you like me to say Tiffany-ssi?”

“Uhm, I don’t know sir? Anything? What about the dating rule? Are we going to be able to stay together? Will it be-”

I heard him chuckle a few times making me stop my sentence mid track. “Ah the dating rule. Yes. Well I hate to break it to you all, but there isn’t one. It’s a myth we use to try to steer idols from dating, but since you already seem to be doing so I guess it isn’t as effective anymore.”

“Wait there isn’t a dating rule?” it was Taeyeon’s manager. That’s the question on the top of my mind as well.

“That’s right Hanyoung-ssi. We don’t necessarily want our idols to date, but being that they are attractive young people we know it’s bound to happen. The only rule, I guess if you can even call it that, is that if they do date we hope that they date within the company so if a scandal arises we can do more to help take care of it. That and the main thing really is that we can’t have it interfering with your work,” He paused. “But seeing how that clearly isn’t an issue here I in turn have no issue with the relationship.”

This was seriously so surprising to hear. Ever since I came to this company it’s been drilled in to my brain that we can’t date, we can’t date. I didn’t even know what to feel right now. Happy that I can still be with Taeyeon? Mad that I’ve been lied to for the past five years?

“Another thing,” the president began again. “I won’t advise you to go public, not unless it’s mandatory. The popularity of a person who comes out in relationship always decreases. I guess as soon as their favorite oppa or noona get taken off the market they become disinterested. You can however do as you please inside the SM building for everyone employed is under a confidentiality contract, just beware of outsiders and the paparazzi. Now if that is all Ms. Hwang, I will be taking my leave.”