Chapter 3

After dropping Taeji at home under her nanny’s care for the rest of the afternoon. Taeyeon drove back to at their small café con photo studio which she owned with Hyoyeon, Yuri and Yoona. The three of them are professional photographer while Hyoyeon used to be a marketing consultant turned barista. They love coffee and photos so they decided to open up a small business like this.

Their studio handles weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, graduations and so on. Name whatever type of celebration and they would gladly take photos of them. And their café also cater pastries and cake those party needs even coffee if the client ask for it. Well, there is one thing their photo studio don’t accepts, and that is taking photos for advertisement.

“Hey Hyo! Are Yuri and Yoona back?” Taeyeon greeted her friend upon entering the café.

“They’re not here yet Taeng.”

“Ah maybe their meeting with that prospective client took longer than usual. Just tell them that I’ll be in the dark room when they arrive okay?!” Taeyeon went straight to a small door that would lead her to the basement where she insisted that they should still make a small dark room to develop pictures in an old-school way. Even though almost all of their equipment is all high tech now, she still has some old camera’s that used films.

Taeyeon took out a small tube of film in her bags. These films are her latest photos of Taeji, she want to finished developing it all today to add the picture to Taeji’s scrap book. She loved taking picture of their little girl. Ever since Taeji came, she found taking pictures of people now fascinating and wonderful. Taeyeon never took pictures of people before, she only take photos of places, scenery or things but never people.

She thought that people are very good at covering their true selves that anyone could be fooled on what is really on their mind or what they really feel the moment that camera shutters and took their photo. Especially models, they just follow the photographers instructions and brilliantly masked all their emotion. Although a bit cynic about it, she knows that it’s necessary for that field of photography. That is why she never dared to walk into that field. For Taeyeon, a photo should be able to show the true beauty of their subject no matter what is that subject. A photo should never portray pretense and lies because an honest picture is what makes the most beautiful picture a lens of a camera could ever capture. Taeyeon smiled when the image has started to appear on the blank canvass.

‘A pretty face means nothing if she’s nothing but a shallow minded and heartless person.’ Taeyeon shook her head as tried to stop the image of a certain person creeping into her mind. It was successfully stopped when a pure and innocent image of a smiling girl appear in the photo paper she’s developing.

“So beautiful! I promise I will do everything in my power to have you always have that smile of yours.” Taeyeon swore again as she see the brilliant smile of their little girl. She then hangs the photos to dry before stepping out of the dark room.

Taeyeon took out her phone and dialed a number. “Hello Oppa! I just finish developing Jiji’s new pictures! You got to see these when you return! She’s really so pretty!”

“Really that’s nice! Of course Jiji is the prettiest! She got her looks from me!” The guy on the other line boasted.

“Hello?! Do you hear yourself Oppa? When you see Jiji the time you return you will see where did she got her looks! Even Umma agrees!” Taeyeon countered the boasting of her oppa.

“Yeah whatever! Hey tell Umma and Appa I said Hi! And I’ll call you later when you’re home I want to talk to Jiji before she goes to bed so please go home early!” The voice of the other line softens.

“Okay Oppa I will, it’s just that Jiji always sleeps early these past few days that you didn’t get the chance to talk to her. But I will really go home early.”

“Okay thanks Taetae! Bye!”

“You’re welcome Oppa! Finish everything over there so you can go back home as soon as possible!”

“Bye Umma!”

“Yah! Fine! Take care of yourself or Umma will really kill you!”

“I will! Thanks Tae!” Taeyeon place her phone back to her pocket when the call has ended. She heave a sigh, her Oppa really misses Taeji a lot but can’t do anything about his assignment. ‘Don’t worry Ji, six more months and your Daddy would come back home to you.’ She glanced at the frame on her desk that has a smiling girl securely wrapped around the arms of a smiling guy.

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“Let me guess, you just finish talking to Oppa.” Yuri comes entering her office with a mug of hot coffee.

“Yeah! He sounds sad again. Probably missing Jiji again.” She took the mug of coffee from Yuri’s waiting hand.

“Are you sure that it’s only Jiji he’s missing?” Yuri asked in teasing tone.

“Well, let’s just think it’s just like that. And you know that it’s impossible now.” Taeyeon nonchalantly replied to her friend.

“Yeah. I guess so. Oppa must be really feeling homesick right now.” Yuri’s tone softens when she realize the real situation. She’s been friend with Taeyeon for a very long time and had known him for the longest time too, through Taeyeon of course. And she knows what really happened and why it is so impossible.

“No need to be sorry for him! He’s good now! And.” Taeyeon harshly said.

“Taeng relax!”

“No one should miss that kind of person!” Taeyeon spoke again through gritted teeth.

“I know.” Yuri tried to coax her now silently raging friend. She knows that when Taeyeon’s acting quiet like this, it is when Taeyeon is really, really angry.

“So, change topic Miss Kim Taeyeon.” Yuri changed her voice into her over cheery tone which she also knows that Taeyeon really hates. And as in cue, Taeyeon head jerked up and looked at her questioningly.

“Did you know that Taeji’s dentist aka Doctor Hwang Tiffany thought that…” Yuri tried to suspend the info to Taeyeon further.

“She thought what?!” When Taeyeon hissed those words, Yuri smirked in victory.

“She thought what Kwon Yuri?!” Now Taeyeon screamed at her.

“That Taeji is YOUR DAUGHTER!” She clearly emphasized the words your daughter to Taeyeon and the latter’s eyes widened in shocked.

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Happy Birthday Tiffany!!! ^^

Always keep that dazzling eyesmile of yours!!!