A/N: Can't thank you guys enough for the comments/subscriptions. Wouldn't it be insane if there was an SNSD album, Taeyeon solo and some subunit debuts, all in this year?

And now, back to further disrupting this Taeyeon's status quo and seeing what comes out of it.

CHAPTER THREE: Taking breaks

Two months went by. Taeyeon was back to working non-stop. Working at the Seorim gym was more mentally taxing than being a delivery man, and equally exhausting, but somehow it was less unbearable because the work felt more meaningful. She had to use her judgment and pace her tasks for the day. She always looked forward to lunch with Jessica, Tiffany and sometimes the gym trainers too.

Having the weekends off in the day also meant that she had a chance to catch up with her sleep. Her constant headache faded whenever she woke up from a good eight hours of sleep. Breaks, she realized, were awesome.

During this time, Hayeon did get an acceptance letter from Seoul National University with the low-income scholarship they had been gunning for. Sooyoung and Taeyeon took the day off to celebrate with a trip to the beach with Hayeon. Now, Hayeon was two weeks into her first semester. The two sisters rarely saw each other, because both were working at their own thing. Everything was well again.

It was Saturday morning and Taeyeon hefted the last tent wall sheet into the truck. She went to the front and got into shotgun, while Sooyoung slid into the driver's seat. Taeyeon could hardly keep her eyes open, and a sharp pain was banging on the back of her skull. She could not wait to be done with going to the market and being back at home sleeping.

Sooyoung had the keys in the ignition but was not driving. Taeyeon cracked one eye open. "Come on let's go. I want to sleep."

"Tae, how are the weekends for you now?" Sooyoung asked.

"The sleep is awesome, and the more the better so let's go already."

"I've been thinking."

"Careful there."

"Shut up. I've been thinking, and technically, you don't have to work 24/7 anymore. Hayeon's in university right now, and you'll have enough to put her through the rest of the year. You don't have to keep working like this."

"She still has the rest of her degree, and she's not of age yet."

"That's her responsibility. Mostly. You can and should help but that's not what you two promised each other, and you need to take care of yourself. You've been working too hard for too long."

Taeyeon frowned. "I'm still going to work at the gym until the end of my contract."

"Of course," Sooyoung said. "I was thinking that you take the weekends off entirely. You know how the weekends are, it'll be fine. I'll hire some part-timers to help out during peak hours. In fact there are a few college students who want the job."

"You found people already?"

"Yes," Sooyoung said. "This wasn't really a discussion."

Taeyeon sighed. Sooyoung had been with her every step of the way. Without her, Taeyeon would not have been able to get through it all. Sooyoung had been old enough to get a food truck permit, got produce at the best deals, learned how to make great street food which eventually graduated them from a food truck to the hottest night stall in Daehak. Taeyeon trusted Sooyoung, who was right about this. And right now all she wanted to do was to lie down and close her eyes. "Fine."

"Good. Don't be so disgruntled. You do realize you're still working two full time jobs, right?"

Taeyeon huffed and motioned for Sooyoung to hurry up and drive. Sooyoung put the radio on and they went to the market. After restocking for the night, they went to the warehouse to store the vegetables and meats in their rented fridge space. 

It was only back when they were going into their respective rooms when Taeyeon spoke her mind. "Thanks, Soo."

"No problem."

Taeyeon woke up at five in the afternoon. She wandered to the food stall, but Sooyoung kicked her out. So she walked to the Seorim gym, but Jessica's car was not there. She pulled out her phone and called Jessica.

She was answered in five rings. "Minion."

"Are you busy?"

"Why?"

"I'm in Seorim right now and have nothing to do," Taeyeon said.

"At the gym?"

"Outside. What are you doing right now?"

"I just finished swimming. Driving now. Stay where you are for fifteen minutes."

"Okay. Thank yooooouuu," Taeyeon said. 

She put her earphones on and started the upbeat playlist. Hayeon, for Taeyeon's twentieth birthday present, had amassed a bunch of songs from her school friends and organized them into three themed playlists: upbeat, blue and romance.

At the mini mart across the block, a young teenager stepped out carrying grocery bags in either hand. His younger sister followed him out. She was carrying a bag too. She reached into one of his and pulled out a yogurt drink. She punched the tiny straw in and gave it to her brother, and then got a bottle for herself. They continued on their way.

Taeyeon watched as they turned the corner. Her mother often sent Jiwoong and her to get daily necessities like milk and toilet paper. Taeyeon always liked to get a freeze pop, and Jiwoong would get three with the spare change. They would eat on the way back. By the time they got home, Hayeon's share would be melty, but maknaes were maknaes.

She had not thought about her oppa for a long time. She rarely wanted to. She would have to remember everything else, including the last time she saw him. She remembered what it felt like realizing that something was obviously wrong, and telling Hayeon to stay put outside while she checked things out. Taeyeon started singing to the songs playing to drown out the images burned into memory.

A champagne-colored sedan pulled up in front of her. It was Jessica. Taeyeon pulled out her earphones and got in.

"I'm hungry," Jessica said. "Let's dinner early."

"Okay." Taeyeon liked how Jessica always made everything simple by taking control. "What do you want to eat?"

"I was thinking soondobu or Chinese food."

"Jjamppong!"

"Hmm, there's a good place in Singil-7," Jessica said.

Taeyeon pumped her fist. "Go go!"

At the Chinese restaurant, Taeyeon ordered her bowl of spicy noodles and a side of sweet and sour fried chicken. "I'm not helping out at the food stall on weekends anymore. Sooyoung hired some student part-timers and has banned me from Daehak Lane."

"Good."

"Why?"

"You work too hard."

"And you don't?"

"I get rest days and plenty of sleep," Jessica said. "Are you saying that your weekends are completely free now?"

"Yep."

"Good then. I don't have anything on Saturday evenings and Sundays, so we have time for each other now."

"Okay," Taeyeon said, not daring to presume where this conversation was going. Jessica was staring at her, waiting, lips curving at Taeyeon's uncertainty.

"Quick quiz, minion," Jessica said. "One, do you like me?"

"In what way?" Taeyeon asked, her heart hammering.

"You know what way."

"Um. Y-y-yes."

"Two, do I like you?"

"I hope so?"

"Let's go out then. Be my girlfriend."

The shopowner brought over Jessica's jajangmyeon and Taeyeon's food. Taeyeon waited until the shopowner was gone before she started thinking but an answer. Was Jessica serious?

"I can't tell if you're trolling me or not."

"Kim Taeyeon, you're obviously interested in me. Tiff's been telling me about your erted face for months before we got to know each other. As for me, I wouldn't mind finding out what it'll be like for us to be more intimate. I like you."

Taeyeon felt her cheeks heat up. Her heart swelled when Jessica's smile widened. She could not help but smile back. "Okay."

"Good."

They ate their food in not entirely comfortable silence. Taeyeon broke it first. "Is this going to be a serious thing, or some American casual thing I don't know about?"

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Serious, of course. It doesn't seem like it but I do want to try us."

"Okay. Yay, because, me too."

They went to Jessica and Tiffany's home in Singil-3. It turned out that Tiffany was out on a date with her police officer boyfriend. Nickhun was stationed at the university police department and occasionally worked out at the Seorim gym. Taeyeon had met him twice.

There were two whiteboards stuck at the entrance corridor. The pink one had the numbers '9-2-2' and '11-5'. The white one had '12-0-1' and '23-4'. 

Tiffany's room was plastered with posters of big, sweaty men wearing boxing gloves, and inspirational quotes like I TRAIN BECAUSE I WANT TO DEFEAT MYSELF. Other than that, she had pink bedsheets, pink curtains and a pink mound of sports shoes.

Jessica's room was sparser. There were piles of clothes on the floor, like someone had just stripped, stepped out of a pile, and continued with life. Jessica kicked these under her bed. A full body mirror was propped up beside the closet. There were photos with Krystal and Tiffany. There was a corkboard beside it, left edge labeled one to ten, and pictures of fighters tacked next to them. The spot at four was empty, seven was occupied by Sugi Rock.

Jessica took out her laptop and sat on her bed. She patted the spot beside her. "Let's watch something."

Taeyeon crawled up next to her. They watched an American sitcom episode with Korean fansubs, but the jokes flew over Taeyeon's head, so Jessica asked Taeyeon what she wanted to watch.

"I don't know," Taeyeon said. "Anything's fine."

"What's your favorite movie?" Jessica asked.

"It's not a movie, but I used to watch a lot of anime that channels would play on Saturday mornings. You know, like, One Piece?"

"Anime?" Jessica made a face. "Okay, compromise. Let's watch Big Hero 6. It's a Disney movie set in a mash up of San Francisco and Tokyo. There's robots and superheroes. A lot of Japanese references."

"Sounds good," Taeyeon said. 

Jessica was engrossed in the fighting. Taeyeon liked the friendship scenes. When the older brother died, Taeyeon was shocked. It was too abrupt and unfair. Too much like real life.

"That was funny. The robot was so cute. I want a Baymax," Taeyeon said when it was over. They were just lying down side by side while the end credits played.

"Me too. The ending was sad though."

"Yeah. It didn't feel the same."

"Mm."

"What's your favorite movie?"

"The Matrix," Jessica said.

"I don't know what that is. Let's watch it one day."

"My girlfriend lives under a rock. You're like a frog at the bottom of the well," Jessica said, quoting the common proverb.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. I know what to call you now. Taengoo."

"What the hell is that? Taetae is super disgusting already," Taeyeon said, showing Jessica her curled fingers.

"Because you're a frog. Taeyeon the frog. 'Taeng', 'gu'. Taengoo."

Taeyeon pouted. "You're so mean. I'm sick of you." She snapped her fingers. "Sica you. Ha! Get it?"

"Don't call me that, Taengoo."

"Sica sica sicasicasica- SICA!" Taeyeon screamed and scrambled away when Jessica her. She ran out of the room and into the kitchen. She grabbed the bunch of bananas on the counter and swung around, holding them out like a big gun. Jessica pulled to a stop.

"Peace offering?" Taeyeon said. "For the yellow-haired monkey?"

Jessica growled and backed Taeyeon into a corner. She smirked as her minion paled, but her smile slipped off when Taeyeon yelled and tried to duck around her. Jessica simply grabbed the idiot and hoisted her over a shoulder.

"I'm sorry! Sawreee, Sica-UNNIE," Taeyeon wailed. Jessica stalked back to her room and threw Taeyeon onto the bed. Taeyeon sat up again, but Jessica pinned her down.

"Stay still and shut up," Jessica said, leaning over her. "You're so ing cute."

Jessica's stare was making her nervous. Their faces were so close. She bit her lower lip. "And you're too heavy."

Jessica just smiled and got off. Taeyeon missed the warmth. They looked at the ceiling for a while. Taeyeon was drifting off when Jessica spoke. "How are you so hyper all the time? You should work as a clown or something."

"Was a mascot at an amusement park, actually. But I'm just naturally charismatic."

"Heol. Tell me all the jobs you've had as so I know what to expect of my girlfriend."

"Hmm, dish washing, oyster cracking, newspaper delivery, takeout delivery, a lot of delivery actually. I tried rickshaw driving for a day but totally failed at that, so nevermind. Ran a food truck and now the food stall, of course," Taeyeon said. "What about you?"

"Salesperson at a convenience store and security guard at some schools. But now I can make a living just fighting," Jessica said.

"When did you start?"

"Working and amateur fighting at eighteen, then got into pro matches as well when I was twenty-one."

"Was that when you had to start taking care of Krystal by yourself?"

"No. I would still be fighting regardless."

"Whoa, you're living your dream. That's great," Taeyeon said. "I wanted to be a cartoonist when I was younger."

"What about now?"

"I don't know. Sooyoung wants to open her own restaurant. I could help her. If the restaurant became as popular as our night stall, it would be good."

"You could start drawing again, since you have the weekends now."

"I could," Tayeon said. She did not like what her girlfriend was insinuating.  "Are you telling me what to do?"

"No," Jessica said. She grazed Taeyeon's arm gently with the back of her hand. "It was more of a question."

"Well, maybe," Taeyeon said. It was fine when Jessica decided where to go or what to do or when to eat, but this was about her life. It pissed her off for some reason. Taeyeon realized she was furrowing her eyebrows at Jessica, who was staring back impassively. She loosened up. "Sorry. I was rude."

"Don't be. People like us aren't used to be told what to do with our lives."

They switched topics. In America, Jessica had started learning Judo as part of after-school extracurriculars when she was eight. Her family moved to Korea when she was eleven, and she continued being on her schools' judo teams. When she was fifteen, she picked up Muay Thai at the gym she went to. Her coach thought she was good enough to join the amateur MMA leagues, so she did. And then her mother died so she went professional early because when ranked fighters get paid higher in amateur and underground fights.

From this, Taeyeon guessed that Jessica's father had either died or abandoned them early, and that her mother had been a Korean who died not long after. It was sad.

They talked until Jessica's routine bedtime of ten at night. Taeyeon gargled Listerine and washed her face. She changed into the shirt and pants Jessica lent her, and then took a blanket to the couch in the living room. She sat surfing the Internet on Jessica's laptop. She was not sleepy yet. 

Tiffany came home and they talked for a only a short while because it was time for Tiffany to sleep too. She had a morning run with Jessica tomorrow.

"Break time," Taeyeon said as soon as she came through the door, she let down the bags of food on the floor.

Hayeon turned from the desk. "Wow, unnie, that's a lot of food."

"I was at Hongdae," Taeyeon said. As their second day as an official couple, Jessica wanted to go somewhere classier than staying in Gwanak. They went to a popular fusion restaurant, where they shared spicy pork burritos. She had packed kimchi quesadillas and red bean porridge back for dinner with Hayeon.

"How has school been?"

Hayeon sighed. "Not that great. I didn't do that well on my first homework. Everyone's so good."

"Don't worry too much about it. It's still early in the semester and it's natural to take some time to adjust."

"Midterms are coming up though. I'm worried," Hayeon said. "Like, really worried, unnie, about the whole year."

"Do you think cram school would help?"

Hayeon started. They had decided that she would not go for tuition anymore after university started since she should be able to rely on office hours for help. Besides, she was a big girl going to a prestigious university now. As a student qualified to attend it, Hayeon should be able to handle the workload. It was one of the things Hayeon had been confident about when they were planning her freshman year college fund.

Taeyeon tried to look open and accomodating because she did not want her sister to feel guilty about getting tuition. Hayeon considered it for a long while.

"Maybe if I try it out just this semester? Do you have enough money?" Hayeon finally asked.

"How much would it be?"

"I think there's a decent teacher who's going for three hundred and fifty thousand," Hayeon said.

"Will have to check if we have that much. Even if we do, it'll be tight, but I think I can squeeze it in for just this sem."

"Thanks, unnie."

"Is Minji going to this one too?"

"No," Hayeon said stiffly. "We're not studying the same subjects anymore."

Taeyeon paused. Hayeon was usually eager to talk about her best friend. "The both of you are keeping in touch, right?"

"Not really."

"But you two are so close." It was so awkward talking about this. Again Taeyeon felt like a pushy old person butting into Hayeon's personal life. 

"We're in different universities now."

"It's only been three weeks of college."

Hayeon sighed. "Can we stop talking about Minji? We fell out."

"Why?"

"Unnie."

"Okay, okay," Taeyeon said, making a mental note to ask Hayeon about this later.

Hayeon nibbled on her kimchi quesadillas. "Could I get the three-forty soon, unnie? You know how they like to be paid up front."

Taeyeon nodded. She went to their closet and pulled out the box behind their underwear. She fished a key from her waist pouch and unlocked the box. There was only two hundred thousand won left. There was fifteen thousand won in her waist pouch.

Hayeon still wanted the two hundred. "I can find someone cheaper."

"Okay. Make it count."

"I'll try my best," Hayeon said with a weak smile. Her eyes were even watery. Taeyeon had never seen her sister so worried about school before.

"Your best is the top of Gwanak High School, so don't worry and just do what you always do," Taeyeon said. "Unnie will give you an awesome massage today."

"Thanks, unnie."

Taeyeon grinned.

Hayeon sniffed, and she picked up the bowl of red bean porridge and scooped some into as tears rolled down her cheeks. Alarmed, Taeyeon grabbed the tissue box and passed it over.

Hayeon started shaking with tears. She wiped her eyes and nose. "I wish this never happened, unnie. I wish Minji and I were all okay again."

"I'm sorry," Taeyeon said. First, the thing Hayeon would not talk about, then school, and now Minji. Maybe they were fighting over a boy from their high school. "When you're feeling up to it, maybe look her up and talk it through?"

"I don't think we can still be friends after this."

"I'm sorry," Taeyeon repeated. If it was a boy, she hoped Hayeon would get over him soon, because ultimately, in life, friendships and career were more important than romance. "I would be really sad too if I was in your position, falling out with Soo. It would be really painful."

Hayeon just cried and her sister put away the trash, not knowing what else to do. Now that Taeyeon had time to pay attention to her little sister, Hayeon had been making her feel this way a lot. It made her realize how crappy of an older sister she was, and how important Minji must be to Hayeon. 

"I can get a weekend job and maybe then you can get a better tutor," Taeyeon said, remembering those Help Wanted flyers at laundromats and family restaurants. 

"No, unnie. Don't do that. It's fine."

"Okay." Saying it just for the sake of saying it.

As usual, Hayeon was perceptive. "You better not do it. I'm not gonna change tutors even if you do it. Promise me."

Taeyeon put her hands up in surrender. "I promise."

A/N: I guess this chapter ends on Hayeon again, but the next one won't. I just read the latest chapter of my favorite fic ever... it hadn't updated since 2010... and it was really daebak feels all over. Since I don't write 5% as well as that writer, and my goal is just to push out something and hope it's worth reading, I'm going to shoot to finish up by the end of this quarter. Please leave a comment and tell me how I can improve!

Thanks for reading:)