The sun was almost drowned in the horizon when Taeyeon and Jessica walked out of the airport to the parking lot.  Its rays of light glimmered in the darkness of the clouds faded and the pale moon started to peeked Auckland's sky. A brisk wind blew through the crisp winterly night. Jessica shivered when the wind briskly swept her blonde hair. Korea's winter was a sheadload more colder than New Zealand's winter, however, Jessica wasn't used to the harsh wind of New Zealand. She was about to take her coat from her handbag when she felt a touch of cloth rubbed against her shoulders and back. Jessica turned her head swiftly and found Taeyeon smiled fondly at her. Jessica felt a peculiar feeling around her stomach and her heart started to beat a little funny when she saw Taeyeon smiled at her.

'This is really weird. Does she use a magic charm on her smile ? Why do I feel funny everytime she smiles at me'

"Use my coat. I ruined your coat and now you're freezing."

Jessica hesitated, she didn't want to feel indebted towards Taeyeon and moreover she felt remorseful if Taeyeon has to endure the harsh wind without coat because of her. 

"I'm okay, you should use your coat yourself. It's freezing."

Jessica was about to take off Taeyeon's coat when her hand grazed Taeyeon's hand who tried to stop her from taking off the coat. Jessica looked up and met Taeyeon's eyes and she felt a sudden vibration shot directly to the core of her heart. Jessica's heart tightened when she saw Taeyeon's eyes seared hers with a glowing intensity.

"I insist."

Taeyeon's words were short and clear yet Jessica could feel every inch of genuineness. Jessica smiled at Taeyeon and thanked her sincerely, she was oddly touched by each Taeyeon's words and acts. In just a twinkling of an eye, for some reason Jessica could perceived that Taeyeon was a very good-hearted and gentle person. The way she treated Jessica makes Jessica felt like a princess and she felt being treated significantly despite all the rudeness Jessica showed to her. 

Jessica has always been detached and aloof with the world around her. Ever since she was in school, she's so used to built a wall to restrict herself from being too close to others because she's afraid that people would shunned and ridiculed her for being inferior in terms of wealth. Having spent most of her school years in a bourgeouis school who valued people based on how much money they had to spend over the weekend or what kind of shoes and bags they wear, Jessica decided to locked the door to herself. Besides, Jessica was never interested for petty talks and superficial relationship. Jessica yearned for someone whom she can connect in deeper lever, someone who would genuinely interested in her passions, interests, and ideologies. Because she rarely talk to others and immersed herself to excelled in her academic achievements, people thought she's a stuck-up brat who didn't want to befriend people. Having a stunning look like a barbie didn't help her reputation either, if any, it made it worst for people thought she only wanted to befriend someone as pretty, as smart, and as rich as her. But the truth was, she wasn't rich. Her parents moved to United States of America hoping for a better living but the economy was bad and soon her father lost her job in an IT company. They can't paid their house mortgage and eventually had to move to a cramped apartment in a shady neighbourhood of San Fransisco. Her father made a living as a labour in a vineyard and when they ran out of money, her mother had to takes job in a laundry as a cashier while Jessica helped in a Korean supermarket with a wage of 10$/day. On her last year of elementary school, her parents died in a car accident and Jessica with her younger sister was left as an orphan. Her beloved grandmother took care of them and her grandmother ultimately had to work again because she can't rely on her pension money to support Jessica and her sister. Fortunately, Jessica was intellegent and a tireless fighter, she got a scholarship to enter the most prestigious private middle school in San Fransisco, Wimerding School. She always got a honorary call roll each year for her outstanding academic scores and soon her reputation rocketed as "the smart Asian barbie". People assumed she's rich because of her good look and demeanour so people started to try to befriend her and yet Jessica shunned away all the prospective friends who tried to befriend her. One-by-one people gave up on trying to befriend her and started to talked behind her back, saying all mean things and made sure Jessica heard of it. Her school life was hell on earth yet she didn't care because she was driven by an utmost passion to got her family out of poverty. The only friend she had was Tiffany Hwang, her neighbour whom she knew since she was 3 years old. Jessica used to live right next to Tiffany's family house when her father still worked in an IT company. Their family were a close-knit friend to each other having share the same fate as an immigrant in a foreign country. When Jessica's father lost her job, Tiffany's parents helped them to find a place to live, even go as far as sending them money each month although Jessica's father refused out of dignity. Though her father refused, Tiffany's parents still sent them foods each month and everytime they bought clothes or school supplies for Tiffany, they made sure Jessica and her sister, Krystal, got one as well. Tiffany was the opposite of Jessica and yet Jessica look on Tiffany with favour because Tiffany has always been a kind and attentive listener to Jessica. Tiffany didn't care whether Jessica was poor or can't hang out with her on the weekend because she had to work. Tiffany was also interested in fashion since they're young and she always praised Jessica's fashion illustration and  made Jessica felt significant by listening intently to Jessica's big dream to become a fashion designer. Tiffany's persistency to nurture their relationship has win Jessica's heart over and she cultivated a feeling of fondness towards Tiffany. Tiffany has always been her only friend even after they parted away when Tiffany moved back to Korea. They never missed their monthly letters and when technology came sweeping through the world, they always made sure to catch up with each other through text, call and video call. When Jessica's Grandmother passed away a month after she graduated, she moved back to Korea and the first person she came to look for was Tiffany who welcomed her like a family. 

Jessica wondered whether Taeyeon would still treated her as kind as she's now if she knew about Jessica's story before she became who she's now. Her heart was a secret garden and the walls were very high. Would Taeyeon able to survive the walls or would Jessica ever be able broke the walls eventually.

"Are you okay?" Taeyeon caught Jessica's zoning out.

Jessica smiled when she saw a worried look in Taeyeon's face,"Ne. Just remembered something from a distant memory."

Taeyeon nodded understandingly and finally they arrived at Taeyeon's rented car. Jessica prepared to take her luggage out of the trolley when Taeyeon retorted quick, taking Jessica's lugagge and put it in the car's compartment. Jessica was once again taken aback by Taeyeon's gentle manner. She can't recall Tyler ever treated her that way. She concured that Tyler always splurged her with luxurious gifts and meals and other things but even as a guy, Tyler was nothing near to Taeyeon when it came to act like a gentleman. 

When they finished taking care of their luggage, they both hopped into car and instinctively Taeyeon reached out to the passenger door and opened the car door to Jessica who winced and repeatedly surprised by Taeyeon's gentle manner.

'Either she's been educated very well or she's way too experienced with a woman'

Taeyeon started the car and they drove away leisurely towards downtown Auckland. The drive was silence with no music and the traffic was quiet heavy because it was a rush hour after office. When their car slowed down because of a long traffic queue, Jessica braved herself to broke the silence ensuing. It wasn't like the silence was uncomfortable but she just felt like she didn't want to lose any minute of chance to get to know Taeyeon. Something about Taeyeon engrossed her fascination. 

"You mentioned earlier that you come here often? Does your family live here?" Jessica opened up a conversation but she didn't dare to look at Taeyeon's direction because she's afraid she might stuttered with the look of Taeyeon's concentrating on the road.

Jessica caught a hint of hesitancy at Taeyeon's face and her heart pounded wildly. She wondered if she asked a sensitive question. 

After a moment of pause, Taeyeon answered,"My mother was buried here. I used to come here often with her, my father, and my brother. New Zealand is our favorite destination for family vacation."

Jessica gaped in shock when she heard Taeyeon's answer. She blamed herself for asking a question that open up an old wound. 

'No wonder she looked wretched when I asked her....'

Intuitively, Jessica reached out for Taeyeon's hair and caressed it lightly.

"I..m..really sorry about that. I should've not pry in."

On the other hand, Taeyeon was bewildered with Jessica's sudden tenderness though nevertheless she felt delighted with Jessica's soothing touch. Strangely, Taeyeon also felt soothed with Jessica's sympathy despite the fact she loathed it when people felt sorry for her.

"It's okay. Thank you for your sympathy. She died many years ago although I miss her each seconds in my life ever since she's gone."

"Me too."

"Pardon?"

Jessica gulped, she felt like she had a thorns in everytime she wanted to talk about her parents and grandmother. She's afraid she was about to cry and she did not want to appear fragile in front of a stranger and yet she felt like Taeyeon should know about this. She felt like they've shared and gone through a similar experience of losing someone they can't think losing.

"My parents passed away when I was 12 and my grandmother who took care of me when my parents died just passed away two years ago."

The cars in front of Taeyeon started to move and Taeyeon was concentrating on the road but she made sure she looked directly through Jessica's eyes when she said she's sorry to hear about it. When their eyes met, Jessica could almost felt the hurt Taeyeon been through although she didn't talk much details about her mother.

'She must've been very close with her mother. Earlier she said her mother was the kindest...'

Taeyeon smiled and then almost like talking to herself Taeyeon started to talk, gazing off to the distance,"I think the hardest part of losing someone is not in having to say goodbye but learning on how to live without them and how to fill up the void that they've left."

Jessica felt choked by Taeyeon's words, she felt precisely the same with the death of her parents and her grandmother. All 24 years of her life, she walked the earth with a hole in her heart that can't be filled with anything and sometimes she felt the emptiness and loneliness were eating her inside. 

"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal," Taeyeon continued her monologue and Jessica was trying hard not to let tears rolled down her face. Jessica stayed silent to subdued her sorrow. 

"Did you cry at their funeral?" Taeyeon asked.

Jessica chuckled at Taeyeon's question which she found funny. 

'Who doesn't cry at her loved one funeral..'

"Of course. Didn't you?"

"I didn't"

Jessica was bewildered with Taeyeon's answer, she wanted to ask why but Taeyeon started to talk again.

"I find it hard to show my emotions to the world. That day, when people asked me how was I feeling, I just smiled. I tend to shut down when things get too overwhelming, it is literally impossible for me to come up with any words to describe my feeling."

"Taeyeon...."

The car stopped at the red light and Taeyeon looked up to Jessica. She was smiling but Jessica could see no happiness in her smile, only a severe heartbreak that's been muffled hard.

"No one knew how much I cried that day."

And with that one sentence, Jessica fell to pieces and she started to sob. Jessica wasn't crying quietly but rather she broke down and suffocated with the abundant amount of sadness she absorbed from Taeyeon's words. Taeyeon panicked at Jessica's reaction and with a swift reflex she landed her hands in Jessica's cheek, caressing it and wiping the tears away from Jessica's face. The car behind them started to honk furiously when they didn't move although the red light was already turn to green. Jessica shook of her head an signaled Taeyeon to continued driving. Taeyeon was seriously worried with Jessica and she continually looked to Jessica to made sure Jessica was alright.

"Jessica, please stop crying..." Taeyeon was desperate but Jessica seems like she couldn't stop crying yet.

"I..I..m..m okay, please focus on driving. I still intent to live," Jessica stuttered but she tried hard to joke so Taeyeon would stop worrying.

She saw Taeyeon formed a smile a bit when she joked and seeing Taeyeon's smile eased her heart a bit and she started to regain her composure. Not a moment after, they arrived at a coffee shop called 'RAD' at downtown Auckland. Taeyeon parked skilfully and got out of the car swiftly to open the door for Jessica. They walked side by side and entered the coffee shop. As they stepped in, the usual gentle murmur of voices could be heard above the harsh stomach churning sound of the coffee machine as it struggled to produce the hot steaming liquid to the customers. The coffee shop was very pleasant and homely yet it retained an elegant simplistic element with a light wooden floor and a polished darker color of woods for its tables and stools. The decoration was simple yet some ornaments were put to create a strong character for the coffee shop. Taeyeon led Jessica to a spot in the corner right beside a clear glass window where Jessica could she the glistening city lights of Auckland and busy passerby walking along the side road. A dark-haired, tanned, and well-built waiter with an impressive tribal tattoo greeted them with a cordial smile. He asked both of them on what to order and recommended a hot toffee-nut latte as a customer favorite. Jessica ordered the toffee-nut while Taeyeon ordered an Iced Americano. The waiter adeptly wrote their order and came back a moment later with their orders. 

"Are you okay ?" Taeyeon questioned Jessica.

Jessica's eyes were still quite swollen and her well-crafted nose was reddened.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry I make you worried."

Taeyeon's heart fluxed when she saw Jessica's radiant smile. She fidgeted and nuzzled her forehead. 

"Why are you nervous ?" Jessica questioned Taeyeon when she noticed Taeyeon nuzzled her forehead. She did that too when they first bumped into each other and again when they were talking in Starbucks, Seoul.

Taeyeon who were taking a sip at her coffee suddenly halted her sip when she heard Jessica's question. She was puzzled on how Jessica knew that she was nervous.

To concealed her nervousness, she retorted the question,"Why did you think I'm nervous ?"

"You nuzzled your forehead. I noticed you did that when you're nervous."

Taeyeon laughed. She was astonished by Jessica's amazing observation and there she thought she was the one skilfull in the mastery of observation.

"So, what's your story ?" Jessica promptly asked. She was gradually courageous enough to fill her curiousity about Taeyeon.

"Where should I start ?"

"Well I assumed you're a wealthy chaebol kid who travelled the world with your family's money but then you said don't be too quick to judge people so I follow you, a stranger, to a hip coffee shop to hear about your story."

"Ah, right. Are you really that interested in me ?" Taeyeon teased Jessica playfully.

Jessica's face was about to reddened, she could feel a warm rush of blood going to her cheeks so she quickly turned away and pretend to got a hair rubber band and tied up her hair. She readied herself to put up her usual nonchalant face before striking back to Taeyeon's tease.

"Aren't you the one who asked me for a cup of coffee ?" 

Taeyeon laughed again. Taeyeon thought Jessica's sense of humor was absurd but for some inexplainable reason it could always make Taeyeon laughed.

'This girl is so weird..in a funny and cute way'

"Well I'm interested in you," Taeyeon stared at Jessica intently but Jessica quickly broke off the eye contact for she feared she could burn by the utmost intensity in Taeyeon's eyes. 

"Your story," Jessica said concisely. She definitely couldn't win the teasing battle with Taeyeon because Taeyeon was too suave with words."

"Well, your assumption is right. Though I hate the word chaebol  but my family indeed run a textile business since PCH* era. You know it's customary to continue family business in chaebol tradition, right ?" Taeyeon looked up at Jessica and Jessica nodded in understanding, "But my father was educated differently. She raised my older brother, Jiwoong, and me to pursue whatever we want to pursue. Luckily, Jiwoong is interested in continuing the business. My father's intial plan was to sold the business to the trusted shareholders if none of me or my brother takes any interest in the business. I was given a freedom to pursue my interest, so I did."

"And your interest is ?"

"Photography and literature. I got my first camera when I was 8 and I grew up with two bookworms so it came as natural to me that I grew up as an avid book reader."

"But you worked at an advertising agency?"

"I studied communication and took a minor in creative writing. I worked for two years in an advertising agency as a creative content writer. For me words are the most powerful weapon to persuade and move someone's heart. With a well-crafted words, you could persuade someone to buy your products. It's beautiful when you think it that way."

"No wonder you're suave with words."

Taeyeon smiled, "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is a compliment."

"No one know about my family and my father never spoiled me as a kid. I grew up like most people in Korea, I took bus to school, I lived in a dorm, I ate noodles in a  critical moment at the end of the month, and I worked as a freelance photographer and writer to sustain my living while I was in college. Because I never once touch my allowance, I had enough money to start my own advertising agency two years ago when I was 24. It started small with only five people. But I poured my life into it, I worked my of to build connections with potential clients without even once using my father's connections. Eventually the struggle starting to pay off, now I have 47 people in my company and I have 14 clients"

Jessica couldn't help but to be impressed with Taeyeon's achievements. She nodded her head in amazement.

"That's impressive."

"It's alright. My life basically revolves around my job."

"That's why you don't do dating ?"

Taeyeon chuckled, she reflected on what to say to Jessica because she was afraid that Jessica would think her answer was cliche.

"I get exhausted when I'm around people. I'm very picky with whom I give my energy to. I prefer to keep my time, selectively, to those who show sincerity. Due to my work, I no longer have the energy for meaningless friendships, forced interactions, or unnecessary conversations."

Jessica nodded at Taeyeon's answer, she felt like that too. She's been dating Tyler for two years and though Tyler made her happy, she felt like sometimes all Tyler did is talk about himself. Often she felt Tyler didn't understand the real her.

"Do you think it's weird ?" Taeyeon asked Jessica when she saw Jessica nodded at her answer.

"So you don't do dating because you think people would not understand you ?"

Taeyeon nodded.

"Sometimes I feel like there are many people who know me, but there are few who really understands me."

"I can symphatize with that. I enjoy real conversation, I wasn't built for small talk."

"Does your boyfriend, Tyler is it ?" Taeyeon asked Jessica and Jessica nodded, "Does he understand you ?"

Jessica smiled at Taeyeon's question, she applauded Taeyeon's question. Never once a person ask her whether she connects with Tyler or not. All they saw was the surface of Jessica being treated with luxury and just by that, people assumed she was happy all these time.

"Will you find it odd if I say I'm actually lonely eventhough I have boyfriend ?"

Taeyeon chuckled a little and shook her head,"Of course not. Intimacy is not purely physical I guess. Intimacy comes from connecting with someone so deeply you can almost look at their soul and loneliness does not come with having no people around you but rather being unable to communicate the things that are important to you."

They continued to converse and the conversation seemed to flow smoothly, they talked about their dreams and passions. Taeyeon learnt Jessica's love for fashion and Jessica's learnt about Taeyeon's love for words. After a long years of loneliness, both of them felt like they might've found someone whom they can talk about everything for hours. Sometimes they gazed into the distance when they ran out questions to ask to each other and yet even in the silence they felt a sense of tranquility. Time went by unnoticed when the waiter who took their order earlier came to remind them that it's almost closing time. Both looked at each other and laughed when they realized they've been talking for almost five hours. In less than one week, Taeyeon and Jessica felt like they knew each other for a long time. Taeyeon persisted to pay for the coffee and laughed when she saw Jessica bickered and told Taeyeon that she couldn't believe how stubborn Taeyeon was. Finally they headed back to the street and greeted back by the harsh wind once again. The street was desolated with no cars to be seen. Taeyeon's rented car was the only car parked at the sideway of the road.

"How long are you gonna stay in New Zealand ?" Taeyeon asked Jessica.

"I don't know. I haven't buy a ticket back to Korea."

"Do you have any plan while you're here ?"

"Not really."

Taeyeon chuckled at Jessica's answer.

'She's unbelieveable'

"Why New Zealand ?" Taeyeon was curious on why Jessica chose New Zealand to run away instead of back home to America or Europe like most people who go on vacation.

Jessica smiled at Taeyeon's question. She didn't know the answer either because she just randomly chose New Zealand, guided by her intuition. She saw on the internet that New Zealand has a remarkable beauty and nature landscape. She loves nature for in nature she felt liberated and free, she could heal the air of freedom and besides New Zealand was far from the rest of the world. Tyler wouldn't have time to follow her here and she would not meet anyone she knew in here.

"I don't know either. Just an intuition, maybe ?"

Taeyeon nodded her repeatedly and she supposed serendipity did happen. Taeyeon couldn't help but to think that she didn't met and bumped into Jessica accidentaly. Though she wasn't by any means religious, she believed God purposefully bumped her into Jessica. For what reason ? She's yet to found out.

"My best friend is here, I'm going to meet her tomorrow. Would you like to join ? She will bring one of her friend she met while she's here as well."

Jessica hesitated, she wasn't comfortable in meeting new people but once again she thought that meeting Taeyeon was a fateful coincidence and she liked to talk with Taeyeon. Taeyeon was interesting in conversation and she liked people with depth, emotion, and strong mind. After minutes of consideration she finally agreed to Taeyeon's offer. Jessica caught Taeyeon beamed at her question and she felt happy because she wasn't the only whose interested to become friend with each other. It seemed like Jessica's yes answer injected a shot of jollines in Taeyeon. Just like a little kid, Taeyeon half-jumped around when she opened the door for Jessica. Taeyeon dropped Jessica off at a hotel near to her service apartment, she helped Jessica with the arrangement and promised Jessica to picked her up tomorrow. 

When Taeyeon about to leave, Jessica remembered her coat was still with Taeyeon and she asked Taeyeon.

"Kim Taeyeon, my coat ?"

"Ah. I'm not going to give it back yet. If I give it back I'm afraid I wouldn't have a reason to meet you again."

Jessica laughed heartily at Taeyeon's answer but deep down she smiled and thought that it's very cute that Taeyeon purposefully kept her coat in order to meet her again.

"Good night Jessica. I'll see you tomorrow ?"

Jessica smiled and nodded and with that her day with Taeyeon ended but she felt content to know that she would see her again tomorrow.

Jessica collapsed to her bed and she opened up a crampled paper that Taeyeon gave her in a coffee shop earlier. It was a poem that Taeyeon wrote out of the blue. Taeyeon said that her dream was written there. Jessica began to read the poem silently.

For some odd reason, Jessica was the one feel alive when she read Taeyeon's poem. She drifted to sleep dreaming of looking at Taeyeon's back in the meadow that day.