"She just found out that her husband cheated on her." How did that happen? Just a few weeks ago she was still telling her about her marriage. Then Taeyeon recalled Jessica's reaction when she asked her about her husband at the restaurant. It was cold. Was that why the ring looked so dull to her? Taeyeon looked around, the street lights illuminating the dark night; the estate was quiet, the sound of the wind could even be heard. She spotted a lonely silhouette in front of her. It reminded her of herself. That day when she realised her mother was leaving her, she walked for hours on the quiet street, until her legs were numb. She quickened her pace and kept a distance of about three metres behind Jessica. She needed time alone, Taeyeon thought, she would just walk behind her and make sure she was alright.

Jessica tucked her hands into the pockets of her coat. It was exceptionally cold tonight. Just last year, Harvery and her would still cuddle in bed on cold nights. Who would have thought that things would turn out this way. She smiled sadly to herself, the tears that had stopped for a while started to flow again. All this while, she thought she was not alone because she still had her husband but how wrong she was. She was alone all along. Six months. She shared her husband with another woman for six months. The disgust crept up to her when she thought about the times they spent together and she was alone, at home, waiting for him to come home. She felt stupid, foolish to even think Harvey was hers and hers only.

Taeyeon lost track of time, and when she looked at her phone, it was past one, and Jessica did not realise Taeyeon was behind her. Taeyeon laughed silently as she shook her head. If it was not her and someone else, like a stalker or a drunkard, what would happen. Suddenly, Jessica stopped and stood there. Keep the distance, Taeyeon stopped as well, tilting her head to the right and looked at Jessica's back view. She had the urge to rush up to her to give her a hug but she felt a little despicable. Jessica turned around and under the street light, the tear stains on her face were evident. She smiled and for that moment, Taeyeon did not know what to do.

"How long do you plan on following me?" Jessica asked. She knew from the start someone was following her so she turned slightly to catch a glimpse and saw that it was Taeyeon. The same fuzzy feeling made the night warmer and she continued walking knowing that she would be safe. Maybe it was the vibe that Taeyeon gave. She was not the type to talk a lot but you could feel her presence. It was like a safety net catching you whenever you were about to fall.

"Uh..." Taeyeon fidgeted in her spot. "Until you safely reach home? Your friends called me."

"I know." Jessica said, taking a step forward. "They never trust me to be out alone at night."

Jessica started walking towards Taeyeon with her eyes fixed on the ground. Why was it that everytime when she needed someone to be there to keep her company, Taeyeon would be there? She saw a pair of Converse in front of her and she stepped aside to stand beside Taeyeon. "Walk with me."

Taeyeon did not move. For a moment, she thought she forgot how to walk.

"I don't like it when people walk behind me," Jessica said softly. She held onto Taeyeon's arm and gently pulled her forward. "I prefer them walking next to me."

Taeyeon felt her arm muscles stiffened when Jessica held onto her. It felt as though a goddess was holding onto her; she was enchanted. She was still convincing herself to stay away a few days ago, and look where had she landed herself into. It was not pity. She had the strong urge to protect her, to protect her from any harm, though she herself was naive enough to step into a danger zone. There was no going back and she did not want to go back. Taeyeon tucked her hands into her jeans pocket and the two walked quietly around the estate.

"Are you not going to ask me what happened?" Jessica broke the silence.

Taeyeon shook her head. "No."

"Why?"

"Because I think you have many questions yourself too," Taeyeon replied simply. Jessica looked at Taeyeon in wonder. If Sooyoung and Tiffany were not the ones who discovered about Harvey's infidelity, they would have bombarded her with questions. Taeyeon understood the feeling after a shocking revelation. She recognised the need to have a quiet time alone to think through things. She knew there was no use asking because at that moment of emotional release, there were too many questions left unanswered.

"Then can I ask you a question?" Jessica asked.

"If it takes your mind off your worries, sure, go ahead."

Jessica lowered her head and smiled. "Why did you offer me the project? You can definitely do it alone."

"Ah, that." Taeyeon muttered. She could not possibly say she just wanted to get to know her right? No, she could not. "Well, you said you wanted to expand your brand abroad and since the show will be broadcasted worldwide, I guess I could use your help. I've seen your designs. It's pretty amazing."

Jessica smiled and broke out into a light laughter. It was always good to hear someone saying that. "It's an honour to have the CEO of K.EMP saying that."

"I may be the CEO, but I don't really know fashion that well. Unlike my father, I don't design and I'm not good at designing either. I just manage the operation of the company," Taeyeon explained. "Actually, I like music more. Taking over the company was a wish of my father."

"I see," Jessica said and nodded in understanding. It felt like Taeyeon did not want to talk about her father anymore so she did not carry on. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity. I'll never forget it if my brand ever make it international."

"Trust me, it will. You will."

"I'll trust you on that. Can I ask you another question?"

"Sure."

"I'm just curious. What's your relationship with Yuri?" Jessica was really just curious. Yuri and Taeyeon seemed so close, it was like they were a couple. 

"Yuri? Why did you ask?" Taeyeon seemed taken aback.

"Just curious. You two are so close."

"It's complicated." Taeyeon summarised.

"I have time to hear you tell me more," Jessica pressed on.

Taeyeon laughed lightly and soon, the building where they first left was in sight. "No you don't. It's late now. I'm sure you just had an... emotional roller-coaster ride."

Jessica did not realise it was so late already. How long had she been walking with Taeyeon? It felt like it was a short walk but truth is, they had walked around for nearly an hour. Tiffany saw them entering the lobby and nudged Sooyoung who was asleep on her shoulders. 

"Thank God you're back, I thought something happened to you two! Why didn't you pick up my calls?" Tiffany whined.

"You called me?" Jessica frowned and took out her phone. 10 miss calls. It was so Tiffany. Her friend was a serial caller. "Sorry, I left it on silent."

"It's okay, honey. At least you're fine now. I mean, you look fine, no, like you don't look- oh nevermind, let's go home. The longer I stay here, the more dirty I feel." Tiffany made a face. "And Taeyeon, thank you for coming."

Taeyeon smiled reassuringly. "No big deal. I need a break from my work too. I better get going now, or else Yuri will come searching for me with a megaphone."

Jessica reached out her hand as if to stop Taeyeon and asked, "Will you tell me?" 

Taeyeon stared at Jessica for a moment and blinked. Right, she was referring to Yuri. "There'll be a lot of chances next time. Bye. Good night everyone."

The three friends looked as Taeyeon left the building, with different thoughts. Sooyoung and Tiffany looked at Jessica who looked less distressed. Then they looked at each other. Yes, calling Taeyeon was definitely a good idea. Jessica, on the other hand, was thinking about the things Taeyeon told her, about herself. Though she did not say much, at least she knew a little bit more about her. She would be a great friend to confide to. And for that moment, Harvey was a problem long forgotten.