Reunion

--

This couldn't be happening right now. Right? Tiffany closes her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath in before letting it out. When her eyes open again, she is still there. It has been so long. Her eyes don't leave the slim figure has she walks back to the booth, where she knows the rest of her group is.

“Yoona.” She calls her friend's name urgently.

“Unnie? What's wrong?”

“Come with me.”

She extends her right hand and waits until the younger girl grabs it to start walking, bringing a dumbfounded Yoona with her. She needs confirmation. She could be seeing things. It wouldn't be the first time she would.

“Yoona, do you see her?” She asks, her eyes boring into the woman still sitting by the bar.

“What? Who?”

Tiffany nods in the direction of the lonely figure with her head and waits. When she hears the younger girl next to her gasp, she knows she is not dreaming.

“Unnie, it's-”

“I know.” She cuts Yoona off. “It's her.”

This time, she won't let her run away. This time, she will confront her. Tiffany can't allow her to vanish. Not again. She swallows down hard past the lump in and walks towards the woman, decided to speak to her. She doesn't take the time to listen to Yoona's ushered comment and places her free hand on the woman's right shoulder. Her heart thumps in her chest as the woman turns her head slowly to the side. Their eyes briefly meet, before the other woman's gaze shift to Yoona then back to her, her eyes widening as she recognizes both her and Yoona.

“Hyoyeon-ah.” She breathes.

The short silence feels like an eternity for Tiffany.

“What's up?” The younger woman asks nonchalantly.

“What's up? You disappear for a ing year and all you have to say is 'what's up'?!”

“Unnie...”

She feels Yoona squeeze her hand. She is not one to swear, but she can't believe this. She can't believe the way Hyoyeon is acting. Like nothing had happened. Like she hadn't left without a word.

“You act like nothing happened!” She tells through greeted teeth.

“And?”

“You just left...” She mutters, hanging her head down. “Without telling us where you were, if you we're alright. We didn't even know if you were still alive, or...” She trails off.

“Dead?”

Tiffany sighs deeply. There had been moments Tiffany thought that maybe, something had happened to Hyoyeon. She had tried to contact the younger girl, but to no avail. She even went to some places Hyoyeon used to go, but didn't see her there. But here she is, sitting alone, drinking her most likely not first glass of alcohol.

“Another one.” Hyoyeon says.

Before the bartender has the chance to nods, Tiffany steps in.

“No. Stop. You've had enough.”

“Don't you dare telling me what to do.” Hyoyeon growls.

“Unnie, please.” Yoona mutters.

Tiffany closes her eyes, trying calm herself down. This is the first time she sees Hyoyeon in a year, she can't waste that opportunity to talk with her.

“She wouldn't want this.” She whispers.

When Tiffany's eyes open again, she sees Hyoyeon duck her head down and takes a better look at her friend. She has lost so much weight ever since she had last seen her. She had probably stopped dancing. She had also stopped dying her hair blonde, leaving her natural color take over again. Maybe that is why Tiffany had been hesitant at first. She wasn't sure if it really was Hyoyeon or not, being so used to see the blonde color. Her gaze travel down to Hyoyeon's left hand, where an engagement ring is still resting.

“You're still wearing it.” She comments.

It isn't a question, but Hyoyeon still replies.

“It reminds me of her.”

There had been ups and downs between her two friends, but she had never seen Hyoyeon look this bad. They used to make each other so happy.

“Where were you?” She asks.

Hyoyeon shrugs. “Physically? I've been everywhere. Mentally? With her...”

Tiffany bites the inside of her cheeks. It hurts. Hearing this hurts. She hates to see any of her friends suffer. She wants to pull Hyoyeon into a hug, holding her tight against her, but she knows it wouldn't do any good. If only they could turn back time.

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter