“Alright, take five.”

Krystal heaves a huge sigh of relief as she lets her limbs drop from the ending pose. They’ve been at this for hours and she is exhausted. The other girls aren’t faring much better, she notes, as she spots Sulli and Amber collapsed against each other on the other side of the room. Victoria hands her her water bottle and she says a quiet thanks in return.

Her eyes dart towards the clock as she downs the water in big gulps. Just a couple more hours and she’s home free. Until tomorrow anyway.

“Look over there, there’s a pretty girl.”

She frowns. That wasn’t even in the same album as the song they were practicing and for a second, she thinks Amber’s suffered from heat or something. And then she turns and spots Taeyeon hovering by the doorway.

The older girl gives them a small, sheepish wave. “Hello.”

Luna lets out a quiet squeal next to her and Krystal rolls her eyes fondly. She’s always suspected her friend had a tiny, musical crush on SNSD’s leader and her reaction just about confirms it. She idly wonders what Luna will say if she finds out Taeyeon is dating the other vocalists she admires so much.  

The other members greet Taeyeon, who returns their greetings politely before settling her gaze on Krystal. “Soojung, can I talk to you in private for a couple minutes? You guys are on break right?”

“We only have five minutes,” she mumbles as she fiddles with the cap of her water bottle. She doesn’t really want to talk to the other girl because what else would they talk about besides her relationship with Jessica?

“It’s okay. You guys worked today so let’s make it ten,” the choreographer says. He’s being kind but all Krystal wants to do is throw a death glare at him because there goes her excuse for not talking to Taeyeon. Though she supposes with how stubborn Taeyeon could be, this talk would come sooner or later. Might as well rip off the band aid.

“I needed a refill anyway,” she says sullenly, gesturing to her empty bottle.

When they’re outside of the practice room, Taeyeon turns to give her a smile but Krystal keeps her eyes forward. She doesn’t want to be swayed from her sulking. “Sica really cares about you, Soojung-ah.”

Krystal bites back the rude ‘duh’ that’s the first thing to come to mind and only gives a curt nod in reply. Later, if she lets herself think about it, she’ll regret being so rude to her sister’s girlfriend (and if Jessica hears about this, she’ll definitely make her regret it) but it’s right now and maybe she’s too tired, she just can’t stamp down her dislike for Taeyeon.

The older girl either doesn’t register Krystal’s coldness or chooses to ignore it. She’s good at that, Krystal thinks as she fills up her water bottle, ignoring things. “When Hyoyeon and Sooyoung got boyfriends, they came to me and asked for my blessing,” Taeyeon says, scratching at her ear. The snowflake earring she’s wearing catches Krystal’s eye for a moment before she looks away. “I thought it was weird at first but now I understand where they’re coming from.”

The younger girl’s lips flatten into a thin line. This isn’t going to end well.

“So that’s why I asked to talk to you today, Soojung. It would mean a lot for me to have your blessing to date Sica.” Taeyeon bows and Krystal ignores the guilt that’s starting to creep up on her.

“No.”

Taeyeon’s head shoots up and Krystal is looking anywhere but at her.

“I’m sorry, unnie, but no.” She caps her filled bottle and walks away, wishing she could shrug off how the older girl had looked.

*

Krystal remembers getting a teary phone call while her sister was away on tour because it’s been weeks, Soojung, and she hasn’t talked to me, she won’t even look at me and I don’t know what to do anymore. She remembers how tired Jessica had looked when she’d come home, the broken, whispered she hates me now, Soojung.

Before that, their relationship had been pretty simple.

When Krystal was sad, she turned to Jessica for comfort because nobody took care of her like her sister.

When Jessica was sad, she turned to her members for comfort because I’m your older sister, you shouldn’t have to worry about me that way.

After that tour, she’d been the only one Jessica confided in, the only one whose shoulder she had cried on since she hadn’t wanted to involve the other girls. She thinks that’s when her protective streak over Jessica had developed and that only grew along with her dislike for Kim Taeyeon for making her sister cry.

They’d patched things up a while ago and she can’t deny that Taeyeon (and Tiffany) make Jessica incredibly happy now and that’s fine. They can be gross and in love together, she doesn’t really care about that. She’ll deal with it. But Krystal can’t just give her blessing to someone who made her sister cry.

*

It’s not everyday that you come home and have to duck a flying pillow but that’s exactly what happens when Krystal walks through the front door later that day.

“Yah! Jung Soojung! What the hell did you say to Taeyeon?!”

Krystal scowls as she picks up the pillow Jessica threw at her and tosses it back onto the couch. “What, did she tell on me?” she asks petulantly. She’s exhausted and if Taeyeon had told on her to her sister, well, she’ll just forget the lingering guilt she feels.

Jessica huffs and crosses her arms and Krystal looks away but doesn’t move to leave.

“She wouldn’t. Maknae saw you guys talking.”

Oh. Well. Krystal shifts awkwardly but chooses to stay stubbornly quiet.

A long silence stretches between the two of them until Jessica sighs, one hand coming up to massage her temple. “I thought you said you were okay with this.”

“I am,” she insists. “But being okay isn’t the same thing as giving my blessing to the girl who made you cry, unnie.” She trails off at that. Neither of them are the type to really express sentiments like that, not even to each other. They usually let their actions speak for themselves so Krystal feels like she’s already said too much.

Jessica looks up at that and she seems surprised, a look of understanding settling on her face. “Soojung-ah…”

“I may have been harsher than I should have been,” Krystal admits with a grimace. “But you don’t really cry about much, unnie. She made you miserable for months and I can’t give her my blessing so easily.”

Another sigh from her sister. “Of course that old lady would ask for your blessing,” Jessica says fondly, running a hand through her hair. She picks up her phone and starts typing and Krystal had expected a lot more shouting and pillow throwing than this. “Soojung-ah, you’re free Thursday evening, right?”

She nods, dreading what her sister might have in store for her.

“Good. I’m inviting Tiffany and Taeyeon over for dinner.” Jessica walks over to her and Krystal flinches away when she feels the sharp pinch to her side.

The squeal she let out could have rivaled Jessica’s. “Unnie!”

“That’s for being mean to Taeyeon.” The older girl gives her a bright smile and tiptoes to kiss her cheek. “And that’s for being a good sister, Soojung-ah.” She pulls away and picks up her car keys. “I’m going over to the dorm. Don’t wait up,” she sang, practically skipping out the door.

Krystal can only watch after her with a confused expression. Bipolar. That’s what her sister is..