Jessica had never thought that the next time she would have to fly down to Korea would be under such grim circumstances. The last time she had come down, 2 of her sisters were in the midst of something akin to a cold war. She had tried to straighten things out between them, and last she heard, it was working. She had thought and hoped, that the next time all 9 of them would be reunited, it would’ve been on a much lighter and happier note.

But now as she stood here, the tears wouldn’t stop falling. Jessica could barely stand on her two feet without breaking apart. She was shaken, very much so. And suddenly, life has taken a different meaning for her.

After all, the only thing certain in life, was death.

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Sunny observed everyone who stood in the room. It was a closed event, so there weren’t too many people around. This was the private ceremony, the public one would be held some other day. She looked at 6 ladies clad in black, all holding on to each other, with tears in their eyes.

She herself, had donned  a simple black dress that she had bought several years ago. Sunny had only ever worn this dress once, to her beloved grandmother’s funeral. It would seem that this dress was destined for the very same purpose again.

A funeral.

Only this time, it was of someone much younger. Someone with hopes and dreams. Someone who had reached for the stars, and caught them. Someone whom she had placed her trust and hopes on.

A special someone who would be missed by many, though no one came as close to missing her as the 8 ladies standing in that very room did.

To Sunny, she was a leader, a friend, a sister.

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Hyoyeon was always the one with the brightest outlook on life. She was fun, easygoing, adventurous. Out of the 9 members, she was the only one who wanted to try bungee jumping, who was interested in pushing her limits to the extremes. She was a girl of many dreams, and a lady with many fulfilled ones. When she had a dream, she’d make a plan and go all out for it.

So many times, Hyoyeon had planned. And so many times, Hyoyeon had achieved. She wanted to dance, she got into dance school. She wanted to perform, she became an idol. She wanted to travel to world, and that she did, spending 2 years just enjoying her time, exploring the hidden wonders of the Earth.

Now, Hyoyeon wanted her sisters. Her 8 other sisters, all by her side, happily laughing at one of her jokes, growing old together.

But how could that happen, when one of nine was gone?

How could that happen, when the perfect circle has been broken?

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Yuri simply didn’t know what to do or say. She was always the talkative one, the one who could make a joke out of almost anything. And yet now, as she stood, with a weeping Jessica clutching onto her hand, Yuri was having trouble even composing herself, much less say anything.

Yuri was speechless. Yuri was distraught. Yuri was no longer the same Yuri.

Just like how Girls’ Generation was no longer the same Girls’ Generation.

And they would never be the same again.

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Sooyoung stood holding in between YoonA and Seohyun. The youngest two of the group were beside themselves and Sooyoung seemed to be the only thing stopping them from collapsing into a heap on the floor. She stood, trying to control her emotions because someone had to be strong.

It didn’t mean that she was less affected, because she wasn’t. If anything, Sooyoung had idolised her more than anyone else in the group, except for the two maknaes. As the youngest 3, they looked up to their leader for guidance and support, and as they grew older, they tried to help. But no matter what, she had always been there for them in times of need.

But where was she now? Now that Sooyoung, YoonA and Seohyun needed her, where was she?

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It had been less than almost two years ago that Taeyeon had permanently moved out of their apartment. Tiffany couldn’t bear to sell the penthouse that they had once lived in - there were too many precious memories there.

She hadn’t seen Taeyeon much ever since that dinner at Sooyoung’s. She doubted that Taeyeon would even want to see her. But she did feel bad for what she had done.

Tiffany didn’t want to hurt Taeyeon. The older girl was precious to her, even after she fell out of love. Taeyeon had been her companion since the very first day she set foot in Korea. She had been there for her through all their ups and downs, had helped Tiffany in every step of their terrifying journey to stardom.

She had loved Taeyeon. For quite a while, she had loved the girl more than any other. But then, she had met him, and suddenly, her love for Taeyeon had changed. She no longer saw Taeyeon as the love of her life, but rather, her soul mate, her best friend, her confidante.

Except, she had made a grave mistake. She should’ve told Taeyeon from the very beginning. They had promised to be honest with one another, and yet, when her feelings for the shorter girl had started changing, she hesitated in telling her. Tiffany didn’t want to hurt Taeyeon. After all, what kind of explanation was ‘I saw someone whom I fell in love with at one glance’?

But in the end, she ended up hurting her even more. Days turned into weeks and then into months and before Tiffany even knew it, it had been over a year since she had had a decent conversation with Taeyeon. It had been over a year since she met him, and then, it had been over a year since she started cheating on her.

Now, as Tiffany stood, all clad in black, she couldn’t help but feel the pain of wasted time, and an irrational sense of guilt over the occurrences of the past few years. Her tears flowed endlessly, she had long given up on controlling them.

It may not have been her fault, but she couldn’t help but regret the time they could have spent together. They could have remained friends. They could’ve had so much more time together. If only she had told her earlier. If only she hadn’t been stupid enough to think that avoiding the problem might cause it to disappear.

Because now, Taeyeon was gone. And nothing could ever right that wrong.

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A/N: The next chapter is an alternate ending~