Chapter 10

Seconds felt like years as Taeyeon stood frozen staring at the girl in front of her. Memories of them which she hardly buried at the back of her head were slowly resurfacing and coming back to life as she looked straight into the deep brown orbs she know too well. She didn't notice that she was holding her breath until she already felt suffocated. With eyes round and soft, she can't take her eyes off of the girl she once loved. The girl she still loves. The girl she will always love.

Being in the same room with Tiffany with just an arm of distance between them felt so surreal for Taeyeon. It felt just like one of those days when she imagines Tiffany coming back. My mind must've been playing stupid tricks on me, she thought. 

The newly arrived girl felt anxious as Taeyeon has been staring at her since the moment the girl lifted her head and their eyes met. She couldn't hide her nervousness meeting the girl again after seven years as she flashed a smile - a crooked one. Tiffany noticed that Taeyeon hasn't changed much over the years apart from the more distinct jaw-line and the change of hairstyle. You sure look thinner now but a lot prettier, she thought.

Checking how much change the years had done to Taeyeon, Tiffany felt the surge of familiar feelings enveloping her entirety. Feelings that she only felt when Taeyeon was around her. She dared herself to look into the older girl's eyes and she was met with a pair of soft dark orbs staring right back at her. Taeyeon seemed to be looking straight into her soul and she could only decipher one thing from the girl's eyes - pain. 

What have I done to you, Taeyeon-ah? Feelings of pain and regret then started to eat her that moment that all she wanted to do was grab the older girl and hug her. But she can't. Not when she thinks that Taeyeon must've hated her. Not when Taeyeon has not forgiven her. The thought of forgiveness made Tiffany realized how much she had missed Taeyeon. The girl has always been forgiving, borderline masochist, even. Will you still be able to forgive me, Taeyeon-ah?

Chairman Lee cleared . Tiffany blinked and went out of her reeverie but Taeyeon still stood there, staring at her. "I assume you both know each other?" the oldest woman in the room broke the silence.

"Y-yes, sunsaengnim. Taeyeon is an old friend." said Tiffany with a little smile as she broke eye contact with Taeyeon and took a glance at the lady beside her. She then looked at the girl beside Taeyeon. "Annyeonghaseyo." Tiffany smiled and bowed. "It's nice meeting you again. Seulgi-ssi, right?"

The youngest of the four bowed back and greeted the smiling girl, "Annyeonghaseyo, saem. Yes, it's Seulgi. It's nice meeting you again too." Seulgi continued as she smiled back to Tiffany. 

All eyes were then directed to Taeyeon as they anticipated a greeting from her. Tiffany was getting nervous as ever as she waits for Taeyeon to speak. For seven years, this would be the first time that she would be hearing the girl's voice again.

When Taeyeon was still not moving an inch, her sister nudged her on her side.

"Taeyeon-ah?" Tiffany took the courage to call her out in that tone.

And that hit Taeyeon. Hard. She clenched her fists and teeth, fighting hard to control her emotions.

"Tae-"

"I'm sorry, I can't do this." Taeyeon then went out of the room, half-running, within a matter of seconds. 

The ladies were left dumbfounded but Tiffany quite expected Taeyeon's actions. More than anyone else, she understood the need for Taeyeon to get out of there. 

"Unnie!" Seulgi called out for her sister as she started to leap off her feet to follow the girl. She felt a hand grabbing her arm so she stopped and looked at the owner of the hand. "Let me." Tiffany said as she dashed off to follow Taeyeon.

- - - - -

Sitting on the concrete pavement along the river, Taeyeon held her head low with her hands. She can sense an impending headache coming from all the crying and thinking she had done for the past half an hour or so. 

Over the years, she had prepared herself for the time that she'll come face to face with Tiffany again. I guess no time will ever prepare me. It already hurts just by thinking it, but the pain is twice as much as it happens.

Taeyeon felt ecstatic seeing Tiffany again as they stood face to face in the chairman's office earlier. She stood there frozen as she couldn't believe that Tiffany was just an arm's reach. But the thought of being so close and yet still so far, yet she couldn't do anything overwhelmed the feeling of happiness. Taeyeon felt helpless that she couldn't wrap her arms around her world again. That Tiffany is not hers anymore. The finality of the situation killed her.

Have you moved on, Fany-ah? Are you happy now? her tears started to drop again, clouding her vision. 

Just as when she thought that she had already turned numb, she wrapped her arms around herself as the cool river breeze passed by her. Her thoughts never left from that one particular girl that caused a storm in her heart that day. Taeyeon was so preoccupied that she didn't notice a figure coming closer to her side.

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