“There she is again. No don’t look!” The two girls passed the girl with pale skin and charcoal black hair.

“What is she scribbling in that notebook?”

The classmate shrugged, “I don’t know but she doesn’t have like any friends. Just keeps writing in that notebook.”

“I heard she is in an underground band and they are pretty good.”

“Who do you know that goes to those things?”

“Some of the guys from the boys academy know her. I heard rumors on group dates.”

The two girls look back at their classmate who kept her head down, “a band would be pretty cool…but she is still strange.”

“Alright girls sit down! Class is starting.” The two girls hurried to their seat seemingly ignoring the black-haired girl in the back.

Several hours would pass until the girls had break for lunch. Like most of the girls, they would find their friends and have a meal together but the pale notebook girl didn’t seek anyone out and quietly took out her lunch and headed out of the room.

Feeling more comfortable eating alone, the notebook girl found the music room to set down her things and eat her lunch. Every meal time she would sit next to the piano and play a few notes as she took small bites out of her sandwich. The girls were right that she was in a band but that wasn’t he only secret she had.

Opening her notebook, the girl scribbled a few more notes down as she sipped on her juice, “I wonder if the guys would like this…it wouldn’t be like our usual songs.” Shrugging off the uncertainty, the girl smiled to herself as she polished off her newest song. Compared to her songs about loneliness and despair, the girl wrote a love song. She couldn’t help herself from these thoughts of the heart these days and the lyrics flew out of her mind easier than any other song she wrote before, “aish…what has gotten into me?”

Hearing the bell ring, the girl looked up at the time and silently cursed that she had gym next. Knowing she needed to finish school to appease her parents, the girl packed up quickly to head out to the gym. She never really liked school since she found her passion for music but she also didn’t want to drop out just in case her music career didn’t take off. Still she spent most of her school days composing songs in her head and living a life oblivious to her peers. Most of her peers labeled her as a loner or a freak but those names hardly belittled her because she still was living a life outside of school she loved.

The eight hours she spend in school would eventually end and the girl would sling her backpack on and bike to a different neighborhood. She never went home after school, not like her parents are home anyway, but instead went to a warehouse 20 minutes away. She would hop off her bike and walk it into the empty building before stripping off her blazer and tie to replace it with a black hoodie. She could finally breathe.

Moments later, two boys entered with smiles, “Hey Taeyeon!”

Taeyeon smiled, “I have some new material.”

The taller of the two boys gladly handed off his guitar, “You always have new songs but lets take a listen.”

Taeyeon went around tuning the guitar to play the soft melody and humming a few of the notes and harmonies. She didn’t want to sing the lyrics out loud as she found them a bit embarrassing in front of her bandmates. As soon as the song ended the boys stared at their singer in awe, “so? What do you think? I don’t know if we can put this on our setlist but…”

“Do it!” The one boy spit out shocking Taeyeon.

“What?”

“I mean it was nice…different but sounded lovely.”

Taeyeon smiled to herself getting compliments from a song she didn’t think her bandmates would approve of, “cool…”

The last male walked in with two drum sticks, “Hey guys and lady. Why are you hovering around our precious singer?”

“Minho you have to hear this! Taeyeon is a musical genius.”

Minho scratched his head with the drumstick, “I already knew that but lets hear what you got.”

Taeyeon replayed the song for Minho but was once again embarrassed with her bandmate’s silent reaction, “so?”

Minho had a broad smile on his face, “who knew you had it in ya! Our little one is in love.”

Taeyeon tired to hide her smile as she brushed off the comment, “It is just a song.”

“Our moody singer finally makes a song about not being alone and she won’t admit that they pretty blonde that comes and watches us each night isn’t changing your heart? I doubt that. You should introduce us to her.”

Taeyeon passed by her bandmates to the back of the room where the rest of their equipment was, “Are we going to rehearse? Mr. Kim offered us 500 for tonight’s performance.”

The boys skipped back and followed the singer, “Come on Taeyeon introduce us!”

Grabbing he mic, Taeyeon felt the surge of energy, “One, two, three!”

Knowing their headstrong singer wasn’t going to spill the beans, they quickly put their instruments on and lit up the warehouse with the sound of the young singer’s powerful voice. They knew tonight they would see the one girl that was able to move Taeyeon’s heart.

---------------------

Although most parents wouldn’t want their teenage son or daughter to be caught dead in a bar late at night, Mr. Kim was a family friend of the bassist, Donghyuk and bent the rules a bit about the age of the teens. He knew all four of them loved music and didn’t want to hinder their dreams when the world around them told them they shouldn’t do something they loved. So he let them play and paid a good amount to have them do a 2.5 hour set. Talent like theirs shouldn’t be hidden.

Taeyeon was always nervous before playing all the while her male colleagues goofed around with one another. She didn’t know why they were never worried that they would miss a note or drop their drum stick just like she was afraid her voice would crack or the audience wouldn’t like their music. It was simple that Taeyeon wanted people to like who they were in a place where they only felt real.

“Taeyeon!”

That voice…Taeyeon’s skin pricked at the sound of a girl she was hoping to see tonight. The only girl that would make her smile the broadest, “Jessica…”

Jessica was the particular blonde that happened to inspire her music. She was a year older and started university but she met Jessica when their band played at a few festivals. Taeyeon saw her in the crowd instantly as she was the most beautiful woman she ever met so she was surprised to hear that Jessica was looking around to where their band was playing next. Of course they were not well known so Jessica had to of asked around to many people until she found out they were going to be at Mr. Kim’s bar every Thursday night. Taeyeon couldn’t believe it when she saw the bombshell blonde in the crowd again. After the show, she nearly combusted when Jessica approached her and said she was an amazing singer. A few months passed and Taeyeon kept seeing Jessica in the bar until they decided to see each other more often outside of the music venue. It wasn’t long after that when Taeyeon embarrassingly confessed her love making Jessica laugh but ended the night with a breathtaking kiss. They were girlfriends and Jessica was the only person that would make Taeyeon smile the hardest and laugh the loudest.

“What are you playing tonight? Any new material?” Jessica asked breaking Taeyeon out of her reminiscing.

“Oh umm nothing solid yet but maybe after a few rehearsals.”

Jessica stepped closer to the singer, “date after?”

Taeyeon tried to hide her smile but utterly failed, “umm yea…long set so are you umm staying the whole time?”

Jessica quickly kissed Taeyeon’s cheek, “I would never leave early. Have fun.”

A garble of shyness came out of Taeyeon’s muttered breath, “cool.”

The singer was rushed on stage as their set started. They would make the crowd cheer and a few regulars would sing along to a few of their songs. The whole crowd would get into covers of hit songs and the whole place enjoyed the teens that made the bar so lively on such a typical night.

“We totally rocked it tonight!” Minho exclaimed as he hopped off the stage.

“Yea Taeyeon you were on fire today!”

Taeyeon rubbed her neck embarrassed from so much praise which was a stark contrast from her school life, “you all were amazing…I can’t be up there without you.”

“Yea right! Acapella on all of our songs would have been amazing.”

The rowdy boys grew silent when they spotted a familiar woman walking towards them and quickly shoved Taeyeon, “Introduce us.”

Taeyeon was shy to show off her girlfriend but Jessica came closer and closer making it impossible to shrug off the request, “hey umm did you like the show?”

Jessica smiled, “Always.”

Taeyeon saw her band mate’s eager faces, “Everyone this is Jessica…she is our fan and umm my girlfriend.”

The boys were excited to finally meet the woman so they pushed each other aside to get in a greeting and a handshake, “please take care of our singer.”

Jessica laughed at Minho who seemed to take care of Taeyeon well, “I won’t hurt her.”

Minho pushed the guys away from the couple, “we have to leave so have fun!”

Taeyeon giggled at her band before turning her attention back to Jessica, “did you really like it? I feel like it would be lonely to watch by yourself.”

Jessica intertwined their fingers, “No. I am too focused on watching you to care.”

A sheepish grin planted on Taeyeon’s face gave away that Jessica’s shy girlfriend liked all the attention she gave the girl, “w-where should we go?”

“Let’s walk around the river. We haven’t done that since our first date.”

Taeyeon nodded, “it is a nice night.”

The two women grabbed their belongings and was paid by Mr. Kim before going out into the night. They were not close to the river so they hopped in a taxi to take them to their destination. Jessica was the type to love skinship so every chance she got to cuddle with Taeyeon, she would lean into her and enjoy the warmth of being close again.

“How was your day?”

Taeyeon shrugged, “the usual.”

“Make any friends?”

“I don’t need friends.”

Jessica frowned at Taeyeon’s loner attitude, “Friends are good. You have fun with the guys but girl friends are different.”

Taeyeon sighed, “I don’t think I belong with those type of people…they are so stuck up and judgmental…sometimes the bubbly girls there don’t get me.”

Jessica raised her brow as she looked at herself, “how am I different? I like all those girly things and I feel like I am genuinely happy with other girls as friends.”

Taeyeon stopped and looked at Jessica, “hum…you are different. You aren’t stuck up like them and you get to know people before casting them aside. Actually why did you take interest in me anyway? Here you are dressed in all bright colors while I like black. I stay away from people when you go and find people.”

Jessica shrugged as she pulled Taeyeon along walking, “I don’t know how other people don’t see it or if you don’t give people a chance, but you are the most loveable person I ever met. Once I got passed that cold exterior I found you who happen to be funny and caring. I mean your looks had me hooked right away.”

Taeyeon laughed, “you wanted me for my body? I find that hard to believe.”

Jessica stopped and cupped Taeyeon’s face, “I find you incredibly y.” Leaning in for a heart- wrenching kiss, Taeyeon held her breath as Jessica massaged her lips against hers until it felt like she was going faint.

“Wow.”

Jessica smiled in triumph, “It is hard waiting all day to do that to you.”

Taeyeon remained mum as she felt the same about Jessica.

“Do you want to sit?”

Taeyeon saw the bench and pulled Jessica to sit down, “we are a strange couple.”

Jessica leaned her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder, “I think we are perfect for each other. You make my heart swoon in ways I never thought and I make you come out of your hole you call your house. I like that I am the only person who can do that.”

Taeyeon pulled her girlfriend in closer, “there is a song I was working on. I played it for the guys and they said I must be in love to write a song like that.”

Jessica smiled to herself, “were you thinking of me?”

“Yea…you are making my music change its style. I am going to be kicked out of the band if I can only compose love songs.”

Jessica laughed, “sing it to me.”

“No! it is embarrassing.”

Jessica looked up and gave Taeyeon a peck on the lips, “pleassee! I want to hear it.”

Taeyeon knew Jessica was abusing her lips to get what she wanted and it was painfully obvious that it worked as Taeyeon’s wall crumbled to Jessica’s will, “okay.”

Starting the song softly, Jessica stopped Taeyeon, “No no…I want to hear it as if you were singing it to me on stage. Louder. Your voice is too beautiful to keep this quiet and only for me to hear.”

“But I only want you to hear the words.”

Jessica kissed Taeyeon, “I want every one to hear how much you love me.”

Taeyeon grinned as she hummed the melody again;

I was used to being alone,

my days were gray

But I remember the day you lightly

came to me, knocking on my door

You shined on me like a light

Woke me up from darkness

Opened the closed door of my heart

Reflected in my eyes is your squinted eyes, yeah

You’re smiling behind that awkward face

You’re so lovable, I couldn’t hold back, oh

I discovered you like a miracle, you always make me smile

You are my starlight…

Jessica smiled as Taeyeon finished the short rendition, “sounds like our story.”

Taeyeon was brave enough to kiss Jessica on the lips, “you changed my life into something brighter. I love you my starlight.”

Jessica kissed Taeyeon back even harder, “me too.”

~END~

Author's Note

I found inspiration for this story is because all of Taeyeon's songs are about loniness and such but I find Jessica's so bubbily and about having love. Their music styling is so different that I wondered why Taengsic would be together if they had such different personalities?

I feel like I failed writing this because I couldn't capture the lonely emo Taeyeon only to be happy and joyful around Jessica enough.