Tiffany pricked her ears and listened to the muffled creaking in the bedroom. Taeyeon is awake, she thought with a smile and counted the delicate steps that Taeyeon is taking.

One, two, three, four and a stop. The creaking of the floorboard sounded at the further end of the room, wiping the smile off her face when it hits her with the realization that Taeyeon was probably avoiding her. She floated upside down gloomily. 

"Good morning," Tiffany greeted by reflex when the door suddenly flung open. With a haggard appearance, a bruise on her cheek and a cut on her lower lip, Tiffany bit back the question as she peered into the exhaustion within Taeyeon's eyes. 

"Don't worry," Taeyeon seemed to knew what she was thinking about, "I'm okay."

It was a lie, Taeyeon heaved a sigh, and closed her eyes as she moved past Tiffany. Her head was pounding with the lack of sleep, the cut on her lip was stinging and Taeyeon couldn't look Tiffany in the eyes. The overwhelming guilt and sympathy forbade her from maintaining a conversation with Tiffany. Tiffany barely spoke another word to Taeyeon that morning, cautiously treading around her. There were questions she wanted answers to as she stayed hidden and watched Taeyeon secretly nursed her injuries with an ice pack. Tiffany saw her sister's name card on Taeyeon's vanity desk; scrunched up and speckled with blood which Tiffany believed was Taeyeon's. 

Like a curse that broke the serenity in the apartment, the loud chiming of the doorbell interrupted their chain of thoughts. 

"I'll get it," Tiffany liked how Taeyeon still acknowledged her presence. 

"Taeyeon- ssi," Tiffany gasped at her sister that pushed past Taeyeon and intruded the apartment with a mocking smile. Now blonde and slightly slimmer, Tiffany hovered behind her sister to take a closer look. Tiffany was dumbfounded when she saw Taeyeon's expression- a mixture of anger, fear and her eyes glint with hatred. Taeyeon's eyes flickered from Sunny and met hers; softening with a plea and sympathy.

"Is she here?" Sunny spoke and Taeyeon clenched her jaw.  

"No," Taeyeon replied, the quaver in her voice betrayed her confident stance.

"She is nearby, isn't she? Hello, my sister. We meet again. I missed you." 

"Get out," Taeyeon hissed but Sunny was quick to intimidate Taeyeon again.

"Or else what, Taeyeon- ssi?" The blonde chuckled and glanced around the house. Taeyeon stood rooted, cautiously following Sunny's movements as the blonde paced the house leisurely.

"You don't look like a pink person, so I'm guessing this is Miyoungie's idea?" Sunny tore a blooming flower of its stem. Tiffany exhaled sharply in surprise and Taeyeon's nose flared. 

"Alright, I believe that you can really see her."

"Leave," Taeyeon voiced with a threat in her tone, "You're not welcomed here."

"Taeyeon- ssi, this is my sister's apartment. I think I deserve to be here more than you do."

"Unnie..." Tiffany breathed, hovering in front of Sunny with outstretched arms. She has never heard her sister spoke in this tone before. 

"Ghost can't touch anyone, isn't it? So I think it's a good time to let her know now, right?" 

"Don't. Get out." Taeyeon breathed heavily and dragged Sunny by her arm towards the door. Being the stronger one of the two, the blonde shoved Taeyeon who crashed on the floor with a groan. 

"Hey baby sister," Sunny laughed hysterically and swung her feet in Taeyeon's abdomen. " It looks like she didn't tell you what happened yesterday."

"Stop it!"

"You are still protecting her, Taeyeon- ssi? Look out for yourself first," Sunny's pinned Taeyeon under her weight.

"Taeyeon, what are you not telling me?"

"Don't believe a word she says!"

"I'm the one who killed you and now you can't even do anything to for Taeyeon who is trying to protect you!"

Taeyeon solely focused on Tiffany despite Sunny throwing punches and kicks at her battered body. Tiffany's lifeless gaze was fixated in her direction- the spark in her eyes diminished, her expression morphed and shrouded with grief. Her hands trembled and when the first tears broke through, Taeyeon thought crying doesn't suit Tiffany's pretty face. With an agonized howl of sorrow, Taeyeon saw the pot of Anthurium heavily hitting Sunny at the back of her head. Taeyeon pushed the unconscious blonde off her with the last ounce of her strength- the pungent taste of iron muddled her senses. Taeyeon's vision fogged with Tiffany hovered above her, sobbing miserably. With the buzzing in her ears, Taeyeon distinctly heard Tiffany's plea as she reached for her phone and pressed 1 on her speed dial. 

Taeyeon succumbed to the darkness with teardrops on her forehead, warm hands pressing against her cheeks and the smell of vanilla latte.