“Six whole weeks before the wedding and we’re already holding parties.” Hyoyeon said dryly.

“It’s a wedding.” Seungri tutted. “Don’t be a spoilsport. This occasion practically calls for continuous parties!”

“Every occasion calls for continuous parties for you,” Yuri cut in wryly and the others at the table laughed.

“How are the wedding preparations going, Fany?” Sooyoung asked before chomping down on a huge forkful of pasta.

Tiffany hid a grin at the sight. Girls’ Generation had evolved over the years along with their image, but some things stayed exactly the same.

“Pretty good,” she confided. “I got most of the important things done, so now I just have to ask friends to perform and sort out stuff like who’s the maid of honour and the bridesmaids.”

“Fany–” Sunny started with her highest pitched, most aegyotastic voice before Jessica cut her off with a rather violent jab of her elbow.

“Don’t even think about it, Sunny,” Taeyeon cut in from the head of the table where she was seated next to Ji Yong and across Jessica. “The maid of honour has to make a speech and aegyo isn’t going to cut it at such a solemn, special event like a wedding.”

“It’ll be a sweet memory for Fany and T.O.P. oppa, literally!”

“What, you wanna give them diabetes as a wedding gift?”

Tiffany just sighed, pressing her fingertips to her temples gingerly.

“Whoa, whoa.” Seunghyun appeared, placing a hand on Tiffany’s shoulder as she smiled up at him. “What’s the big fuss all about?”

“You’re late.” Tiffany remarked, but softened the observation with a light kiss on his cheek as Seunghyun smiled apologetically and took his seat.

“Fany unnie and T.O.P. oppa are so sweet together,” Seohyun whispered to Yoona beside her.

“So sweet I want to barf.” Sunny muttered.

“That’s the general reaction to your aegyo, too.” Hyoyeon told her.

“I’m sure Fany doesn’t want mass nausea at her wedding,” Taeyeon added drolly. ”Which is exactly why I should be the maid of honour.”

Taeyang shook his head in amusement as Daesung and Seungri simultaneously cracked up.

“Oh God, it’s a full on midget war.” Jessica sighed, rolling her eyes as Ji Yong stifled a laugh next to her. Jessica threw the Big Bang leader a quick, private smile as he grinned back.

Tiffany looked at them thoughtfully before Seohyun drew her attention away with a tap on her shoulder. “Fany unnie.”

“Hmm?” Tiffany glanced at the maknae distractedly.

Seohyun’s eyes were large and worried, with a dent in between her eyebrows. Her voice was low, quiet enough that only Tiffany could hear her in the chatter. “Unnie….Nichkhun oppa is here.”

“What?”

“I saw him just now, when I want to the washroom. He’s here with Junho oppa and Taecyeon oppa.”

Tiffany blinked, not quite sure how she should react. “Wow, it is a small world.”

Seohyun only frowned in concern.

“It’s alright.” Tiffany patted the younger woman’s hand reassuringly despite the slight tremor that had become a knee-jerk reaction whenever Nichkhun was mentioned. “Everything’s over between us; there’s no need to avoid him or anything.”

“I was just worried you might bump into him and people….would blow the matter up, if anyone saw.” Seohyun said delicately even as her cheeks pinked.

Tiffany felt a warm burst of affection for the maknae: upright, cautious Joohyun who was always so careful and more mature than all of her unnies put together.

“Thank you, Seohyun. But I’ll be fine; don’t worry, I’m a big girl.” Tiffany smiled. “So don’t worry, okay?”

Seohyun nodded, but Tiffany could tell she was unconvinced.

“It’s okay,” Tiffany repeated, trying to convince herself too. “It’ll be okay.”

“Fany, you have to drive back home.” Sunny ordered as she helped support a slightly tipsy Taeyeon. “I drank a bit, and Taeng–”

“I know,” Tiffany said in amusement, slinging Taeyeon’s other arm around her shoulders.

“Will you be fine?” Seunghyun asked in concern as he watched SNSD's leader start mumbling incoherently into Sunny's ear as she struggled to keep her under control. The rest of SNSD and Big Bang had already left, and only Taeyang was left with them, as he tried to help Taeyeon stand upright.

“We’ll be fine. I'll be fine.” Tiffany said as she realized she had been repeating the phrase far too often lately. Was it just her, she wondered, or did she give the people around her too much cause for worry?

“I’ll be fine,” she repeated softer this time as she kissed Seunghyun’s cheek and smiled. “Goodnight, Tabi.”

“Let’s go, Fany.” Sunny interrupted, huffing as she pulled Taeyeon upright. Taeyang let go of the kid leader in relief just as the front door of the restaurant opened and a very familiar voice greeted her.

“Tiffany.” Nichkhun was standing at the steps hesitantly, with Junho and Taecyeon hovering by his side nervously. It was clear that they hadn’t been aware of SNSD and Big Bang’s presence from the surprise on their faces.

“Oh, Nichkhun. Hullo, Junho, hi Taecyeon.” Tiffany smiled easily as she took a step up to slip her hand through Seunghyun’s arm. His face was impassive, but the tension in his shoulders noticeably lessened at her touch.

Taeyang straightened, as did Taeyeon and Sunny. Sunny smiled automatically as Taeyeon's eyes focused, sharpening infinitesimally.

“Nichkhun sshi. Junho sshi, Taecyeon sshi.” The SNSD leader’s voice was slurred, but noticeably cooller than normal. Sunny echoed her greeting a little more warmly, albeit with some caution. Nichkhun shot Taeyeon a miserable look that Tiffany noted in surprise. 

Taeyang nodded at them uncomfortably in greeting as he subtly shifted to move closer to Seunghyun.

"You guys ate here too?" Taecyeon tried to break the sudden tension as he smiled at Tiffany. Tiffany shot him a grateful smile. 

"Yeah. What a coincidence right?" 

"Yeah." Nichkhun echoed faintly. "What a small world."

He looked at Tiffany then, and she only met his look with a blank one of her own, trying her best not to remember another time when she and Nichkhun had been standing on the very same steps, only a lot closer.

"Congratulations on your wedding, by the way," Junho said, smiling at Tiffany. Tiffany grinned back widely. She had always liked Junho; he seemed very sweet and had always been kind and friendly to her without any of the awkwardness most of s exhibited after the breakup. 

"Thank you." Seunghyun nodded graciously beside her. "Are all of you coming?"

Somehow the question felt directed at Nichkhun.

So many things, unspoken, Tiffany thought to herself as she watched the two men. There were so many things they really meant, and so many words they did not say.

"Yes, we are." Nichkhun replied just as politely. "I guess we'll see you then."

He looked at Tiffany for one long moment, before smiling charmingly. The expression didn't quite touch his eyes that were almost flat in the night; the mask all of them were so proficient at wearing was slipping into place.

It saddened Tiffany: how all of them had become actors in a twisted kind of play, a completely different species from the average citizen. Sometimes, it felt like they were more machine than human being programmed to dance and sing and repeat rehearsed replies instead of the words they actually wanted to speak.

The things the industry has done to them, Tiffany thought to herself wryly as Junho made pitifully painful small talk with Sunny. She could see the familiar blank expression on Taeyeon's face as she watched Nichkhun, unreadable even to Tiffany after nearly fifteen years. She could see through Nichkhun's polite smile that only made his handsome face more sad than happy. There was a heavy weight in the air that all of them pretended didn't exist as they did what they did best: pretend. It had always been like that, for as far as she could remember. Being an idol meant they always had to make do with scripted, careful replies and try to make do with the words they could say, not what they really meant. Being an idol somehow always involved lying.

No one actually said what they meant in their industry. Everything was half-baked lies or semi-truths. Nothing was real.

"We won't hold you up any longer," Nichkhun finally said, placing a hand on Junho's shoulder – an unspoken message that clearly communicated that's enough. "Maybe we'll see you guys around." His tone of voice very clearly indicated he hoped for the opposite.

Seunghyun inclined his head and the rest of the SoshiBang party stepped aside as the 2PM members made their way into the night. Tiffany watched them leave before silently exhaling, and Seunghyun slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Hey."

Tiffany looked up, smiling automatically as she replied the unspoken question in his voice. "Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry, Tabi."

Seunghyun hesitated but nodded briefly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Go home now; it's getting late."

"I love you, Seunghyun." Tiffany tried to convey all the force of the emotion she felt for him in those simple words as she clutched his fingers, looking up earnestly at him. The warmth and pressure of her fingers on his was her silent reassurance and the subtle loosening of his shoulders was a response that told her he understood.

He smiled, an expression that made his face gentle in a way that made her heart soar. "I know. I love you too."

These words....these words were real.

"Let's go, Fany," Taeyeon said, holding her hand out. She was noticeably much more sober, with a bright gleam in her eyes that followed Tiffany cautiously. 

Tiffany smiled, tiptoeing to kiss Seunghyun one last time and then they were gone.