“W-What did you say…?” Taeyeon’s welled up with tears as she could barely believe what she had heard.

Sehun heaved a faint sigh. “I am Sehun...,” he repeated monotonously.

After those words left his lips, Taeyeon could feel her body moving on its own. She walked up to him and, without realizing it, she pulled him into a tight embrace. Holding him tightly she suddenly realized how much time had passed. How much she had missed since he was first brought into the world. His small feeble stature had grown to be tall with a strong built. He emitted a scent of light cologne and he was no longer the wailing, precious baby who laid beside her that day, but a man.

Sehun jolted from the sudden contact, surprised by the abrupt hug. He was dumbfounded as he gaped at the petite woman before him with wide eyes. He was speechless as to why she would be hugging him out of the blue. His hands couldn’t bring themselves to hug her back. Instead, after a few seconds, he knitted his brows impatiently and grabbed her shoulders to push her away.

“I’m sorry…do I know you?” he asked Taeyeon who seemed surprised, but concealed it with a soft gentle smile of content.

Taeyeon soon came to realization that he had no knowledge of her and their connection. Even if she were to reveal it to him, it would only bring about doubt and confusion. She had to keep her identity concealed to prevent any misunderstandings and much less place him in any unnecessary danger.

To ease the tension and awkward atmosphere, Taeyeon cleared and looked up at the grown boy with a huge grin on her face.

“Don’t you remember me?” she began.

Sehun could only return her a glance, but remained silent.

Taeyeon frowned and shook her head, “I am your third cousin. You know, the one who use to play with you when you were small,” she lied with an uneasy smile.

“Third cousin?” Sehun repeated to himself while Taeyeon nodded at his incredulous gaze.

For a while he contemplated to himself and examined her once more. “I don’t recall having a third cousin…” he stated indifferently.

“Ahhh…how can you forget so easily,” Tayeon pouted, “You use to love it when I gave you hugs. You use to be so tiny, but now…look at you. I can barely see the top of your head,” she teased.

His expression remained emotionlessly as he fixed his eyes on her and continued to scrutinize her expression. Skeptical at first, he noticed something awfully familiar about her. It was as if he had seen her in a dream before that her appearance would cause him to feel as if she were someone he was acquainted with.

“From my mother’s side, aren’t you?” he asked.

Taeyeon nodded her head in agreement, “That’s right,” she beamed.

“Say…I haven’t seen Aunt Tiffany in a while…how is she?” she inquired.

Sehun looked at her and let out a slight snicker, “The usual…” he muttered, receiving a smile from Taeyeon knew exactly what he meant by that.

“Well I should get going,” he stated, as Taeyeon shot her head up with surprise.

“Wait” she said, causing him to halt.

“C-could you show me back to the coffee shop?” she stammered, caught off guard when her time with Sehun was abruptly cut short. She wanted to preserve this moment for a while longer, despite knowing how she was getting greedy for his time.

Sehun looked around calmly, “You walk straight and make a left at the end of this block then-”

“-It’s my first time in the city and its getting dark. I don’t want to get lost on the way, so…” she reasoned, looking up at him with wide eyes hoping he would comply.

After heaving a sigh, Sehun nodded his head, “fine…but only this once,” he stated nonchalantly, earning a wide grin from Taeyeon.

The two of them finally arrive at the coffee shop entrance.

“Oh we’re here already,” she was surprised how fast the walk was. Despite having the conversation cut off short by Sehun’s direct and distant answers, Taeyeon enjoyed the walk and wished it would have lasted a little longer.

“So I guess this is goodbye then?” she said turning her head to the tall man as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her head.

Sehun glanced down at her and waved a hand, “Well, have a goodnight,” he stated in his usual apathetic tone before walking into the distance.

Taeyeon watched quietly as his figure disappeared once he turned the block and all she could do was sigh, “Seoul High, huh?” she mumbled.

She smiled to herself as she entered the coffee shop through the entrance and discovered all the chairs were upside down on the tables. The only two left were Yoona and Leetuek, the owners of the shop, who were cleaning vigorously after a boisterous day.

“I’m sorry the store is closed….” Yoona said as she raised her head and her eyes widened at the sight of Taeyeon who peered back at her with innocent eyes and a wave.

Yoona dropped her mop. “Where were you?” she inquired as she marched over to Taeyeon, clearly worried, but furious at the same time.

“Just out for some fresh air…” Taeyeon replied grinning like a child who was getting punished by her mother.

“You made Yoona worried,” Leetuek stated walking up behind the two.

“Are you still feeling unwell?” Yoona asked concerned. “I saved you some dinner if you want. It’s cold so I will go heat it up for you,” she informed her.

Taeyeon could only listen with a wide smile on her face. It was almost as if the heavens had sent her an angel.

“Yeah that would be nice,” Taeyeon responded and earned a nod from Yoona, who went straight to the kitchen to heat up the food.

While waiting, Taeyeon walked over to one of the vacant seat by the counter and sat down, resting her head tiredly on her arm. She let out a big sigh as she thought about everything that had happened. Waking up in a time where she believed she had ceased to exist and meeting the person she believed she would never meet again on the same day had caught her off guard. She heaved another tired sigh as endless questions flashed through her mind that she could almost feel the onset of a headache in her crowded thoughts. But, beyond all this and wondering how life has been going for her son, there was one more person who she had been thinking about from the back of her mind.

Leetuek walked over to her after hearing her sigh and groan continuously.

“Why so down?” he interjected, breaking her train of thought and the onset of another groan.

Taeyeon shot her head up at Leetuek and sighed once more, plopping her head down on the table dejectedly.

Leetuek snicker