N I N E T E E N

“LEAVE BEFORE I COOK YOU!”

Hara gulped, her fists tightened as she gave a sharp look at the teary girl in front of her. She was given a push on the shoulders which caused her to stumble backwards. Yet, she had no intention to fight. This is all her entire fault anyway. Jessica has the right to be mad at her. She had hurt the girl’s beloved friend and she deserved to be punished because of it.

“Get out of here!” Sooyoung dragged Hara away from the front yard until Hara brushed off her hands from gripping the girl. “You have caused enough damage already. Just leave already!”

“Please,” Hara stopped them from their tracks. “Tell Taeyeon that I’m sorry. I just want her to know that I am so–”

“Leave!” Jessica caught up with them and gave Hara another push. “Taeyeon doesn’t need you anymore! Get out–”

Sooyoung held Jessica’s arm that was about to give Hara a slap. “Sica, enough!” She pointed at Hara afterwards. “Leave. Now.”

“I–”

“LEAVE!”

Hara was taken aback when Sooyoung yelled at. Even Jessica was startled. After a few seconds of staring at one another, Hara decided it was time for her to leave. She got in her car and drove off from the neighbourhood quickly when Jessica was about to punch her car windows. Once Hara was gone, Jessica looked back at the panting Sooyoung.

“You.” Jessica poked her other half’s collarbone. “I like it when you’re furious.”

Sooyoung only gave her girlfriend a dull expression before dragging themselves back into the house. They accessed Hyoyeon’s home through the backyard and found the two girls were there, embracing one another.

“I can change that.” They heard Hyoyeon said.

Jessica teasingly knocked on the gate and had startled the pair because of it. “Change what?”

“Sica!” Taeyeon parted her hug with Hyoyeon as she ran towards her friend who was inviting her for a hug. Once she was in the embrace of her friend, she began to cry again.

“Aish, this silly dork!” Jessica comforted her friend. “I told you not to deal with Hara alone, didn’t I? Look at you, you’re crying again because of her.”

Taeyeon did not say anything. She buried her face on Jessica’s neck, wetting it with her tears. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung nodded at one another when their eyes met. No one spoke for a whole minute before Taeyeon pulled herself away from her friend. She allowed Jessica to wipe off her tears as she only stared at the worried one.

“I’m sorry.”

Jessica flashed a reassuring smile and flicked Taeyeon’s forehead in the end. “You’re such a pain in the neck! How am I supposed to let you go someday if you’re this fragile?”

“Sica, leave her to me.” Hyoyeon butted in as she walked towards them. “I can take over your duty.”

“Hyoyeonie.” Taeyeon switched her place again and comfortably rested her head on Hyoyeon’s shoulder.

Jessica sighed heavily. “Come on, Tae. Let’s go home. You need to rest.”

“Going home already? Hyo! It’s only 7!”

The four figures turned their attention where Sooyoung and Jessica were facing. Sunny was carrying raw beefs inside a container while her girlfriend had paper plates on their hands. Seeing the bright smiles of the couple made Hyoyeon to return back a similar one. “I didn’t said I would let them.”

Sunny put down the container on the table. “Good. Have you guys eaten? Come join us for some grilled meat!”

“S–Sica.” Sooyoung started to poke her girlfriend. “Can we–”

“I’m hungry too. Why not?” Jessica said in defeat.

“I’m in!” Sooyoung said cheerfully as she ran to the couple in excitement. She started to have a conversation with them about food while leaving the other three to continue their talk.

“If it’s okay with you,” Hyoyeon held her friend by the wrist. “I would like to spend the night with Taeyeonie again.”

Jessica eyed at the dancer for a moment before Taeyeon. Obviously these two are trying to convince her with those pleading looks. She ended up groaning as a reply and left them be as to join Sooyoung with Sunny and Tiffany. Both Taeyeon and Hyoyeon took it as a yes when they flashed smiles to one another.

“Wait for a second.” Hyoyeon slipped her hand inside her pocket to take out a handkerchief. She volunteered herself to wipe off Taeyeon’s face that looked swollen from all the crying and kissed the waitress on the head in the end. “There we go.”

“Can I give you one too?” Taeyeon asked and pecked the dancer’s lips without waiting for an answer. She gave that weak smile in which could still weakened Hyoyeon before they joined the others.

~*~*~

“We’re not gonna ask about earlier but–” Tiffany took a sip on her beer and then continued to spoke. “If you have any problems, we’re ready to listen.” She pointed at Sunny before herself.

Sooyoung gave out a smile as Taeyeon was eating quietly. “Thanks, Tiffany.”

“No problem. So how was your day?”

“Oh! It was good. I ate a lot. You?”

“Mine was–”

While the two were on a conversation, Sunny decided to talk to the person who was sitting across her. She started off by grabbing the waitress’ attention using her chopsticks to tap the person’s plate. When Taeyeon looked at her in startled, Sunny beamed a quick eye-smile.

“Smile.”

Taeyeon heaved a small smile. “Is this okay?”

“No.” Sunny shook her head. “Smile brighter.”

The two shared a brief eye-contact together before Taeyeon broke into a small laughter when Sunny made silly faces. Satisfied with the waitress’ reply, Sunny put some meat on Taeyeon’s plate. Taeyeon thanked her with a nod and they proceed to eat while listening to the other two’s conversation.

“You visited three bakeries and bought the same donut?” Tiffany asked in disbelief and laughed afterwards. “Yah! You could have just bought the same donuts at just one bakery.”

“I wouldn’t want to.” Sooyoung pouted. “Different bakeries had different taste of the same donuts.”

“But wouldn’t they all tasted the same thing in the end?”

Sooyoung attempted to copy her friend’s eye-smile. “Yes. But different amount of sugar and dough, of course.”

“Yah! You’re really something!” Tiffany shared a hearty laugh with Sunny and Sooyoung.

Taeyeon could only smile during the conversation until her attention drifted back to the two people that was standing by the barbeque grill. She squinted her eyes suspiciously when Hyoyeon looked at her for a short while. The dancer managed to wink at her before Jessica slapped their arm.

“Yah, focus on me.” Jessica warned the giddy one. “Hara might approach her again and I wouldn’t want Tae to talk to her anymore.”

Hyoyeon ate a piece of meat that was from the grill. “As if I let her confront that bastard again. Seeing them hug in front of my eyes was enough to stab my heart! What if that head decided to just come up to my baby and kiss her?!” She frustratingly ate another piece.

“That is why I’m asking you to be there for Tae.” Jessica said.

“Don’t you worry no more.” Hyoyeon nodded in understood and added more raw meat on the grill. “If she meet with my Taeyeonie once again, I’m going to make her pay.”

Jessica watched as Hyoyeon flipped the meat every now and then to make sure it will not burnt. “Yah. Speaking of owning my friend, have you guys made it official yet?”

“Hmm, that is a very silly q