She wandered back to the place where she called Taeyeon and she saw the latter leaning against her Mercedes. She was dressed in casual clothings - plain white tee with a woollen cardigan and tapered jeans, unlike her formal suits which Jessica was used to seeing. She guessed she could get used to it because Taeyeon actually looked good in her casual self; more approachable at least. 

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I was just strolling around."

"Oh, it's nothing, I just reached. So uh, what's the matter?" Taeyeon glanced at Jessica who looked right in her eyes, and she looked away. "You're not working today?"

Jessica shook her head and brushed her hair with her hands. Taeyeon noticed that the ring was gone and she realised how stupid her question was. She could also guess why Jessica called her out and she smiled inwardly. 

"I visited my mom just now, not too far away from here... and I didn't know where to go afterwards. I didn't want to... go home, and the two idiots are busy with their own things again. You wouldn't mind if I called you right? Did I interrupt your work?" 

"Ah, no, you didn't. Yuri called me to her shop to do some accounting for her. You heard me, I need to get away from her," Taeyeon laughed and Jessica smiled. Taeyeon's laughter was contagious and she could not help but to smile. "Do you have any place in mind? Like where you want to go."

Jessica bit her lips and thought of the places she wanted to go but all of them had traces of her husband and the last thing she needed was to be reminded of him again, so she shook her head.

Taeyeon tapped her fingers against the body of her car and ran around to the driver's side. "Then I'll bring you to a place. It'll be a long ride, is it alright?" 

A long ride? Jessica frowned. Where was she taking her? But it did not matter right now because truthfully, the further it was away from the place of crime, the better it would be for her. Her phone rang, for the tenth time this morning. She sighed impatiently and took it out, glancing at the caller ID. Of course it would be him. She switched off her phone and dropped it into her bag. And the very last thing she needed was him bugging her. As much as he was going to explain, nothing was going to change her mind. At least not for now. She got into the Mercedes and fastened the seat belt. 

"So where are we going?"

"You'll know later."

"Why are you being so secretive?" Jessica laughed lightly. 

"Then where would all the anticipation go if I were to tell you?" Taeyeon drove off. "It's a beautiful place, I assure you."

Taeyeon looked at the fuel gauge and thanked her lucky stars that it was full. It would be a long ride. Jessica looked out of the window and wondered where would Taeyeon take her. She was always so secretive and she realised she barely knew Taeyeon. She only knew that she was the CEO of K.EMP, that was all she knew. 

"Taeyeon? You said you'll tell about Yuri and it'll be a long ride so, can you tell me?" 

"Why are you so interested?" Taeyeon gave a laugh. 

"Because I barely know you, yet you know more about me."

Taeyeon nodded and said, "Fair enough. Well, Yuri... is all that I have now."

Jessica noticed the hesitance in Taeyeon's voice and the latter pursed her lips. 

Taeyeon sighed and smiled wistfully. "My mom, she left me when I was young. So it was just my dad and I. My relationship with my dad wasn't exactly the best. He was always away so it's just me, alone most of the time..." 

Jessica could sense the sadness in Taeyeon's words. Of course she would not know that she had such a childhood and now she knew. It made sense why Taeyeon had the air of melancholy. It was for a complete reason in comparison to Harvey. His was probably inherent but Taeyeon, it was perhaps because of her childhood. 

"Yuri then came into my life. I disliked her at first, actually, I hated everyone at that moment." Taeyeon laughed at her own foolishness. "It was that period of time when I felt like everyone owed me. I blocked out everyone- my dad, my relatives, my other friends and Yuri. I built a wall around myself, it was then I feel safe and no one was going to hurt me again."

Jessica realised how similar Taeyeon was to her. She did that too - built a wall around herself and exclude everyone but that wall was broken down when she loved Harvey. When she loved, she would give her all and she found out how stupid it was. 

"Everyone left, except Yuri. Well, my father was never around to begin with. So Yuri was always the one beside me, being there for me when I needed company." Taeyeon smiled at the thought of Yuri. "We went to school together and people would make fun of me and bully me but Yuri would always protect me, yelling at them to back off and when they didn't, she would get into a fight with them."

"She's just like Sooyoung and Tiffany," Jessica smiled as she remembered how the two of them did the same when people picked on her. 

"We're lucky to have someone who is willing to stick with us when people talk about us. Anyhow, I accepted that Yuri was here to stay so I opened up to her slowly. When I screwed up, she would be there to comfort me and... basically, she went through everything with me. Then my father... he passed away not too long ago, shortly after I took over the company."

Talking about her father would still pull at her heartstrings very vigorously. All her regrets were there to stay with her till the day that she would disappear from the face of this world. But at least her father left without any regrets, she would like to believe. 

"Though my relationship with my father was not the best, I still love him very much." It was one of the few times she verbalised her love for her father and she did not know why she told Jessica either. "Though he was always away, he still loved me, he showed his love the way I would never understand back then, but I understand now. I was not alone when he was around, but after he left, I'm truly alone. Except Yuri was still there. On the night my dad left, Yuri hugged me for the whole night to sleep and when I woke up the next day, she hit me and blamed me for a sore arm." 

Yuri was such a good friend, Jessica thought as she looked at Taeyeon laughing. "Do you ever love her? 

"Wha-what?" Taeyeon looked at her briefly and turned her head back to the road. "In the romantic way?"

"Uh, yeah." Jessica felt her face turning hot. Why would she care if Taeyeon loved Yuri.

Taeyeon let out a hearty laugh, truly amused. "No, I don't. Though it is often mistaken, but no, I don't love her that way. Yuri is a sister to me." 

"Ah," Jessica nodded. "Then do you have anyone that you like? Or someone pursuing you?"

Taeyeon raised her eyebrow but kept her eyes on the road. Why was Jessica interested to know about her love life? And she could not possibly tell her that she liked her. Not now. 

"No, I don't have anyone pursuing me, not that I know of," Taeyeon answered. "And yes, I do have someone in mind."

"Oh, who is that lucky person?" Jessica asked, not knowing what to expect. Taeyeon kept quiet and tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. 

You. "A mistake," Taeyeon managed to say.

Jessica tore her eyes away from outside the window and turned to look at Taeyeon. She caught Taeyeon darting her eyes towards her and her stomach did a flip. 

"A mistake... why?" Jessica muttered. 

"She's married " Taeyeon replied simply. 

She's married. She. Jessica shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "She...?"

Taeyeon gave her a side glance and a cheeky smile. "Don't tell me you're those that don't approve of same relationship?"

"Huh? No, no I'm not. Just, well, I don't know... never had anyone telling me about that before." Jessica stuttered and quickly look out of the window. That was such a bad move.

"Doesn't Tiffany like Yuri? She didn't talk to you about it?"

"She's surprisingly shy when it comes to her own love life."

"Yuri too," Taeyeon giggled. "Well, they'll have all the time to themselves at the shop."

"Hold on. Tiffany's at the shop?" Jessica widened her eyes. That woman. She lied to her again.

"Yeah, she didn't tell you?"

"No," Jessica said angrily. She could not believe her friend actually ditched her again, when she needed some company. So much for calling her her sister. Then she looked at Taeyeon. Having her company was not such a bad thing either, except something was still on her mind. "So, you're not going to tell her that you like her?"

"Hm?" Taeyeon asked and realised what Jessica was saying. "Uh, no... not now."

She did not know what to expect really, when she asked Taeyeon that question. Did she expect her to say yes? And how could she be so sure that Taeyeon liked her? It was just a speculation. Then she thought of how there are many more married woman in the country, not just her alone and she concluded that maybe, it was not her after all. But Taeyeon's reaction was pretty weird too. Her head starting to hurt again and she closed her eyes momentarily. Too much thinking, too much thoughts. 

Taeyeon glanced at Jessica and let out a small sigh of relief. Could she have guessed? No, she did not, Taeyeon told herself. Jessica looked exceptionally tired and it was only normal if she did because after what she had discovered last night, anyone would feel that way. Maybe she should not have offered to bring her on such a long ride but it was too late to turn back now. "You should sleep. We still have at least three hours to go. You look like you really need some sleep." 

Jessica opened her eyes and blinked. Her eyes were so sore and she remembered she barely slept. She nodded and leaned her head against the head rest. She really did need some sleep.

After a while when Taeyeon was sure Jessica was asleep, she pressed a button to recline her seat and made sure it was warmer. Jessica felt her seat moved and she opened her eyes a bit and saw it had reclined. She brought her legs up and curled up. Taeyeon smiled gently to herself and turned her attention to the road again. 

Throughout the rest of the trip, Taeyeon looked at Jessica nine times and each time she looked, Jessica was still sound asleep. She finally pulled up in front of a familiar place and sat there for a while, allowing Jessica to sleep for a while more. She got out of the car and looked around. A lot changed, it became more vibrant but her house was still there. Her family moved a lot when she was young but this was the house that stuck with her the most.

Jessica woke up to the gentle whir of the car engine and saw the driver seat empty. She jerked up and looked around. They arrived already? Then she saw Taeyeon standing not too far away from the car, looking at an apartment block, her back view oddly lonely. She put on her coat and got out of the car to join Taeyeon in looking at the building. It was old but there were signs of renovation. 

"Welcome to Busan, my hometown," Taeyeon said. Jessica looked around. Taeyeon brought her to Busan all the way from Seoul? 

"What time is it?" It was a long ride and when they left Seoul, it was two in the afternoon.

"Time for sunset," Taeyeon said as she walked off. "Let's go, I'll bring you to a place."

The two walked for a short while and held random conversations and soon they reached the Haeundae Beach. So they were in Haeundae, Jessica thought. There were many people there, couple mostly walking along the beach hand in hand and Jessica instantly felt envious. That was her ideal romantic date but now when she thought back, Harvey never brought her to the beach before. They walked to the far end of the coast and sat down in the soft sand, away from the families. Just as they sat down, Taeyeon pointed into the horizon. 

"Look." 

Jessica looked at the area where Taeyeon was pointing. The sun was setting and shades of orange and red blanketed the sky. The rays scattered over the glistening waters and a golden light enveloped them. The entire beach was covered in the sun rays, warm and beautiful. Jessica unconsciously smiled in awe at the spectacular sight. Maybe it was nothing, but she had not seen the sunset for such a long time. She had always wanted to come but they were always busy so they postponed it indefinitely. Ironic how the first time she saw the sunset in such a long time was when her relationship with him was about to end and she realised they had held each other back from the things they want to do. She felt a gaze on her and she turned to her left to see Taeyeon looking at her. 

"Beautiful isn't it?" 

She nodded. It truly was. Was it just her sentiment that exaggerated the beauty or was it really truly pretty? Maybe both but she was glad Taeyeon brought her here. It made her see that maybe she should not bind herself things that held her back, that prevented her from giving her all, that did not allow her to see even more alluring things beyond her view. The sun shone against Taeyeon and for a moment, it was as though Taeyeon was part of the whole scene that made it relevant. She quickly looked away and focused on the horizon as the sun set slowly.

The night finally came and the air started to get chilly. Her mood was indeed better but now she was hungry. 

"Let's have dinner!" Taeyeon suggested as if reading her mind. "I know the best seafood store here." 

They walked back to the car and Taeyeon drove to a place with many eateries. They walked again to a small seafood shop and went in. It was dinner time and the shop was full. Jessica thought they were going to leave but Taeyeon gently pulled her further into the shop. 

Taeyeon knocked on a door and poked her head in and suddenly, there was a loud shout coming from inside the room. "Tae? Tae!" 

A woman about the same height as Taeyeon jumped out of the room and gave Taeyeon a bump in the shoulder. She had long blonde hair and was dressed in overalls and a red shirt. The woman turned to look at her and smiled. "You're Taeyeon's friend?" 

"Jessica, Hyoyeon. Hyo, Jessica." 

"Ah, nice to meet you. I saw you before! On magazines and the internet."

"Nice to meet you too, I'm uh, not that... well, not as much as you see Taeyeon in the fashion news." 

"Hah! That woman, now that she's really rich, she barely come back anymore," Hyoyeon said a little unhappily. "Why do you have the time to come here? Oh, silly me! Come in, come in, there's no more seats out there anymore." 

They entered the room and saw a table full of seafood with a large television playing a western movie.

"Are you planning to eat all of those?" Taeyeon pointed to the table. 

"Eh? No of course not! I was planning to wait till my parents get back but since they said they'll take a while... I just started eating. Feel free to eat buddy, this meal is on me. Want a drink?"

Taeyeon shook her head. "Next time. I'm driving today."

"You're such a party pooper, Tae. As always." Hyoyeon held the bottle towards Jessica and she politely shook her head. "I don't drink."

Hyoyeon shook her head in disapproval and poured out a bit into her glass. "You guys are no fun." 

Throughout the dinner, Jessica listened to their conversation and occasionally contributed to the talk. She was amazed, yet again by the friend Taeyeon had. Like Yuri, Hyoyeon was more outspoken and cheerful, always teasing Taeyeon but it was only with her friends that made Taeyeon seemed more... humanly. At least she did not seem that difficult to reach. 

When they were about to leave, Hyoyeon's parents returned. They saw Taeyeon and was as surprised as Hyoyeon. Like Hyoyeon, they were friendly and asked them to stay a bit longer but Taeyeon said, "Uncle and Aunt Kim, I have to go now. We're heading back to Seoul."

"Oh, I forgot you don't live here anymore!" Aunt Kim let out a short sigh. "Such a pity. How's your father?"

Taeyeon kept mum and Jessica saw her expression changed. First sad then a smile was forced on. "He's in a safe place now."

Aunt Kim looked at Taeyeon whose eyes were glistening. This child was still the same child she knew back then, always trying to be tough. She pulled her in for a hug and patted her back lightly. "I'm sorry, Taeyeon. I'm sure your father would watch over you proudly."

"Yeah, Aunt Kim, I'm sure he would." 

Aunt Kim let go of Taeyeon and gave her a bright smile. "Well, I guess you better get going! Nice seeing you, Jessica. Please come next time and take care of Taeyeon, she can be such a baby sometimes." 

"Aunt Kim!" Taeyeon protested.

Hyoyeon's mother laughed and patted her back again. "Go, and drive safely. Come back soon, alright? We'll always leave a space for you." 

"Thank you, Aunt Kim." Taeyeon smiled. Maybe she was wrong. Yuri was not the only one who stood by her. It was her who did not take note of those around her. Hyoyeon and her family was always close to her family but after her mother left, they moved to Seoul and barely stayed in touch. The few times they talked were when Yuri visited Hyoyeon and they spoke over the phone. That was all. She smiled at the family and waved goodbye.

"Visit soon Tae! And bring your girl!" Hyoyeon and shouted and burst out into laughter before running into the shop. Taeyeon glared at home before she ran in and her parents smiled apologetically at Taeyeon. 

"Your friend is funny," Jessica pointed out as they walked back to Taeyeon's Mercedes.

"She's a joker." Taeyeon smiled. Hyoyeon was good at noticing things, of course she would have picked out the looks that Taeyeon gave to Jessica over the course of dinner.

Jessica took out her phone and switched it on. The first thing she noticed was the time. It was eight and by the time she reached home it would be midnight but she remembered she did not have anyone to answer to. Her phone rang and she looked at the caller ID. She spoke too early. Tiffany was calling her. 

"Hello? Sorry I switched off my phone. Well, he was calling nonstop! He what? Did you answer? No? Okay, good. Yes, I mean, no, I don't want to speak to him yet. I'm with Taeyeon. I thought you knew? Well, you were at Yoris, weren't you? Right, lie all you want, and when I get home, you're dead meat. Uh, I'm at Busan. My goodness, you don't have to shout. Yeah, I'll be home around midnight. No, you don't have to wait for me. Food? You're seriously a pig. Yes, I just said that, what are you going to do? Bite me? Does Sooyoung want anything? Cup noodles? Didn't you just stock up last week? Finished? You two are unbelievable. Okay, I'll buy you cup noodles. Yeah, okay. Okay. Yeah. Bye. Yeah, love you too." Jessica finally hung up and Taeyeon could tell Tiffany was nagging at her.

"She's a talker, isn't she?" Taeyeon glanced towards Jessica.

"She's like my mom, oh heavens." 

"She and Yuri really make a great pair." Taeyeon laughed. Jessica noticed Taeyeon laughing a lot today and she was not going to complain. Spending a day with her made her understand her a little more. Just like her, thought she looked unapproachable, it was not true. She just needed the right person to be allowed past the wall and Jessica was glad she was one of them. She yawned and relaxed against the seat. After a meal, she felt like sleeping. Who was she calling a pig again? 

"You're sleepy, aren't you?"

"Well... yeah."

Taeyeon pressed the button again and the seat reclined once more. "You have about four hours." 

"Aren't you sleepy?" 

"Not really, surprisingly, I don't sleep a lot."

Jessica nodded and curled up in the seat again, turning her head to the right to face the window. She felt that she needed to volunteer to drive for the return trip but she could barely keep her eyes open right now and if she were to drive, well, she did not want to think of the consequence. 

Taeyeon the stereo and an acoustic album played. She left it to play and turned down the volume. Music was another thing that followed her through all her troubles. She looked at the fuel gauge and cursed silently. It was low on fuel and she needed to find a gas station along the way. Not long after, she saw a gas station in sight and went down to top up. Jessica was sound asleep but her coat was sliding off. Taeyeon opened the passenger side door quietly and pulled up her coat to cover her arms. Then she took out a small pillow from the back seat and gently slot it underneath Jessica's head. Jessica shifted and clutched onto the pillow. Knowing it would be more comfortable for her, Taeyeon closed the door and paid for the fuel before returning to the car. 

Jessica was not exactly asleep. When the car stopped, she woke up briefly to look around. It was the gas station. She looked out of the window to see Taeyeon stretching and tapping her face. She was about to get up to volunteer to drive but Taeyeon suddenly opened the door to her side and she quickly shut her eyes. She felt her coat being pulled up to her shoulders and then her head slightly lifted to be placed above a soft pillow. She did not know what to do other than to pretend to be asleep, if not, it would be so awkward. But it was nice to have someone taking care of you and she could not remember the last time someone actually did that for her, apart from Sooyoung and Tiffany. She clutched the pillow and the door closed. Soon after, the car started moving again and she drifted back to sleep. 

The next thing she knew was that Taeyeon was shaking her. She opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times. She looked around and realised they were back in Seoul, under Sooyoung and Tiffany's apartment. 

"We're back," Taeyeon said softly and handed her a bag. She looked inside and saw various flavour of cup noodles. "I don't know what they want so I bought two each for every flavour available." 

Jessica honestly forgot about the cup noodles and she was surprised that Taeyeon even remembered from her brief mention of it. "Thank you." 

"Oh it's no big deal. You better go up, I heard your phone rang a few times." 

Jessica looked at her phone. Tiffany had started to call her again, along with a few calls she desperately wanted to block. "Right, I better get going." 

She unbuckled the seat belt and turned to open the door and stopped. "Uh, Taeyeon?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you, for today." Jessica gave her a very genuine smile. Really, she was thankful. 

Taeyeon raised the side of her lips and rubbed her neck. "If you're feeling better, I'm glad to be of help."

"I'm feeling way better." Jessica nodded her head. "Go home and sleep early. You look like you're going to fall asleep on the steering wheel."

"I'll survive before Yuri gets at my throat when I get home." 

Jessica laughed and got out of the car. "Bye, and good night."

Taeyeon bent her head down to look at Jessica. "Good night, and sweet dreams."

Jessica nodded, smiling lightly. "You too." 

She shut the door and stood there to see Taeyeon drive off. She looked at the bag of cup noodles in her hands and smiled. Taeyeon was a very observant person and caring too. If she had not gone on this short trip with her, she would not have noticed. Sweet dreams... Maybe she would have a sweet dream tonight.