Tiffany's POV

It's not enough that you have found the person you want to be with, you then have to find a way to their heart----- Anonymous

The tinkling sounds of bell haloed through my ears, neither was it unpleasant nor was it disturbing. However, the familiarity of it brought me to flutter my eyes open, and I was not surprise to be greeted with an inquisitive looking Taeyeon chuckling back at me. It was a typical morning call by my pal, and the small bell was given to her by my dad who knew that Taeyeon’s soft and undemanding nature would not be strong enough to stir the little sleeping monster in me. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I tried to wave my friend away as though she was a pestering fly before burying my head back into the pillow. I thought I was hallucinating when I could smell the scent of Taeyeon from the pillow covers, only to realise that I have been sleeping on her bed since last night. I immediately sprang up and hit her forehead fortuitously before I saw her mirroring my action in rubbing at the aching spot.

“Sorry Taetae…” I begin to reach for the redden spot that was slowly visible on her clear white skin. I tenderly caress and rub the spot in circles while blowing on it, hoping to soothe the pain somehow. Engrossed in alleviating the pain on her forehead, I had not realised that our faces were merely centimetres apart only when I felt the heat permeating through Taeyeon cheeks.

Embarrassed, I pulled apart and saw her coy face as she avert my gaze at the same time. She began to reach for my feet instead and deftly removed the blankets before placing my injured foot on her lap.

Is it still painful? She mouthed the question while carefully applying pressure to it with both her hands. I immediately deciphered her concern without much difficulty. To me, learning to lip-read was as easy as learning the hand gestures. Well, you could say, anything was easy for me as long as I am able to understand the little things from what the person, whom I love, has to convey.

I enjoyed the sight of how Taeyeon pursed and pouted her lips as she gently unbind the bandage on my foot, her soft peachy lips seem to glisten and glow under the shaft of light that peers through the window. Those pair of lips complemented well with her milky white skin. I had always reached a consensus in my mind that Taeyeon is the epitome of beauty. However, I often kept those admiring comments to myself, or I would have sound like a erted old freak that might pounce on her anytime. Perhaps, many others had similar thoughts as mine and I soon squeeze my eyes shut upon the idea of having many offensive eyes lingering on my Taeyeon. Oh, did I just mention that Taeyeon is mine?

I felt a tap on my shoulders before opening my eyes to see the worried look on her. She must have misunderstood that I was bearing the pain on my injured foot. In fact, under her delicate touches, my foot seemed to have been anaesthetic.

“Oh, you had changed my bandage?” I quizzed while looking at my smaller friend who is cutting off some extra gauze wires on it. She nodded her head in reply and gave her best smile. With that, I could see those dark patches under her rounded eyes. She must have stayed up all night. After all, I was occupying her precious bed and a pang of guiltiness overwhelmed me.

“You didn’t sleep last night?” I had jolly well known the answer, but I just had to voice out my little concerns for Taeyeon. She was trying to feign a smile again as her dark circles were more visible this time. Following that, she stifled a yawn and I could see her eyes turning watery as her nostrils flared with the intake of breathe. That sight was just too adorable for my liking. Emboldened by our already close proximity, I pulled her down with me onto her bed and wrap my arms around her possessively, hugging her like a comfortable bolster.

“Let’s catch more sleep together then!” I giggled under her as I shut my eyes promptly, trying to avoid the otherwise intimate eye contact. I guessed she could hear my heart beating wildly, with her head burying into my chest. However, I could feel her heart pounding rapidly too, as though the palpitation has rippled through our bodies. Her original stiffened body slowly relaxed when she started to snake her warm arms around my waist as well. My heart cheered silently as the both of us begin to drift off into our own wonderland.

Minutes passed like seconds and I was certain that we did not get much wink when the buzzing sound of my mobile disturbed our nap, as well as Taeyeon’s much needed sleep. I reluctantly removed my hands around my smaller friend as she got up to reach for the device and handed it to me, before taking the space beside me which I had just made room for.

“Yoboseyo?” My voice croaked upon the dryness in my throat, and I could see the figure beside me chortling at my husky voice. I lay on her small shoulders as I shut my weary eyes while waiting for the person on the other line to speak up.

“Fany ah. Are you free today? Sunny says she wanted to meet you after I told her that you’re back. We’re planning on a trip to the amusement park. Bring your Taetae along!” I heard Sooyoung chirped on the other line.

“Amusement park?” I raised my brows and look up at my friend, wary that she would not allow me to go anywhere unnecessarily. True enough, upon hearing my repetition of the two words, she narrowed her eyes at me while pointing at my foot.

“Uhm…. But I got my foot injured… And Taeyeon doesn’t allow me to go anywhere else…. So….”

“Are you sure that’s the case? Or are you trying to prevent us from getting into your way with Taeyeon? Is that the reason why you’re only up at this hour?”

“Yah! Choi Sooyoung! Stop your filthy mind!” I boomed at the receiver before tilting my head towards a bemused Taeyeon who was fondling my hair. I was sure that my face could not get any redder upon that shikshin’s words and the position that I was caught with Taeyeon.

“Rights. Okay so are you coming? Or shall we go over since your foot is.. really injured?”

“Yes yes! It certainly is! My foot is so pain now that I can’t get off my bed… I mean Taeyeon’s bed…” Gosh! What did I just blabbered?

“Uh huh…. Alrights we can always meet another day if you guys wanted some time alone… So you and Taeyeon had sorted it out last night?” I could hear Sooyoung’s whisper-like voice upon the last sentence.

“No. You just had too much imaginations yea? Anyways… It will be better if you and Sunny could come over instead. Let’s fly kites together! Last night, Taeyeon and I were working on one.”

“Kite is boring!”

“You can always bring some food over.”

“Taeyeon can cook for us.”

“No! She isn’t your servant!”

“Protective much eh fany?”

“I had always been like this.” I shifted my eyes to meet Taeyeon’s concern-looking ones, coupled with those less visible eye bags underneath.  Sooyoung’s proposal is definitely going to tire out this petite friend of mine, who had been attentively taking care of me since yesterday, or perhaps, since a point of time during our childhood days which I could hardly remember. On the other hand, I was pretty aware that my protectiveness over Taeyeon has begun way back when we first met.

“Alright then! Sunny and I will do some shopping before coming over to your house. See you soon Fany!” I heard bubbly voices on the other end before sliding my phone shut.

“The tall and short couple is coming over to our house later.” I sat up on the bed while looking back at Taeyeon.

She propped up too and attempted to get off the bed, only to be momentarily held back by my hands.

“No, you aren’t going anywhere else. You’re supposed to get your much needed sleep. I will wake you up slightly later…” I tuck her into her own quilts and smoothed her hair before patting her head. I hobbled out of the room and I was sure Taeyeon’s eyes were lingering on me even without looking back at her.

Taeyeon and I lazed around in the living room while waiting for the duo to arrive. Our hungers are kicking in when we could hear each other’s stomachs growling before bursting into giggles simultaneously.

“Yah. What’s taking the two of them?” I grumbled while scooting a little closer to Taeyeon on the sofa.

Shall I go to the kitchen? Taeyeon pointed at its direction while looking at me with raised brows.

Before I could give her a proper response, the doorbell buzzed.

“Speak of the devil.” I smiled at my friend before she got up to welcome Sooyoung and Sunny, who were cackling the moment they stepped into the hall.

“Fany ah!!!” I saw Sunny running her way towards me while leaving behind those bulky bags for her partner.

“Sunny!” I welcomed my close friend with a warm embrace. I could feel my ribcage being squashed when the shorter girl wrapped her arms tightly around my waist. I gave a sheepish smile at Taeyeon who was taking some glances at us while helping out with the bags that Sooyoung was struggling with. I could see her bottom lip protruding and her shoulders were drooping. Was she jealous?

“Fany ah… It’s been long!!! Wow… You’re really gorgeous looking these days. Met any cute blonde guys over there?”

“Uh.. haha… None of them caught my eye….” I nervously tilt my head towards the kitchen where my two other friends were. I was more concerned with Taeyeon’s reactions, and I wondered if she had heard what I said, purposefully.  

“She had someone in her mind all along…” Sooyoung butted in as she pulled Taeyeon by the shoulders while winking at me. At that moment, I was feeling all the jitters when Sunny nodded her head in realisation upon her partner’s underlying meaning. In times like this, I would always seek comfort in the eyes of Taeyeon. However, I could not do so when she was the main reason behind those endless teasing by my taller friend.

“Let’s go out to fly our kites….!” I recomposed myself before getting up on my feet a little too hastily, only to wince in pain upon the contact of my right foot with the hard ground.

“Aigoo… Fany ah… You’re still the ddilfany that we know..” Sunny grabbed hold of my arms in reflex before I could no longer hold my balance. Taeyeon was in the midst of making her way to my side, as I could see her arms halting in mid-air, only to let them fall limply by her sides after I was being helped by Sunny.

“I bought an old but very big kite that I dug out from my attic. I am sure it will soar into the skies until you guys couldn’t see it!” I could see Sooyoung’s smugly face as she came forward with a gigantic big eagle kite.

“That’s so old school…” I spat at my lanky friend while making miniature steps towards her.

“Yah. I bet it is still better than your own made kite! Where is it by the way?”

“Uh……” Well, I vaguely remembered that I was trying to help Taeyeon with the making, but I was defeated by the sleeping monster last night. I saw my smaller friend making her way into the room before reappearing with a huge pink kite.

“Pink!!!!” I ran towards Taeyeon and tackled her with a hug, forgetting the pain on my right foot.

“My Taetae is still the best.” I beamed proudly at the duo while looping my arms around her shoulders.

We made our way to the luscious green field behind our house, with Taeyeon gripping my hand tightly as she helped me totter my way there. She then led me to a shady tree before placing a small stool with a cushion and gestured me to sit down on it.

“That’s so unfair. I want a chair too Taeyeon…” Sunny made her complaints known and I saw my petite friend running back into the house to retrieve another stool. Sunny earned a slap from me on her legs as I rest my bum comfortably on the stool.

“Yah! Why are you guys sitting there? Aren’t we supposed to fly the kites?”

I saw Taeyeon returning to the field and waving at Sooyoung before pointing at herself in an indication that she will be joining her in a while. She passed a stool to Sunny before coming over to squat in front of me.

“Can I play?” I tried to put on my best aegyo, only to be waved away by her as she showed her palms in front of me before placing one hand on her chest.

Wait for me.

“Let me accompany you then.” Sunny clumsily plopped down on the stool beside me.

“So have you found a job yet?” The girl beside me implored as I look at my other two friends in the distance.

“Nope. But I’m intending to send out resumes later tonight as well as the next morning.”

“Are there any specific related fields that you would like to join in regards to the degree that you’re holding?”

“Um… Not really. As long as I am able to help with those psychological problems of people, any jobs within these aspects would be fine for me.” I smiled at Sunny with my earnest reply.

“I see… Well, actually you know that my dad worked as a doctor in the hospital… I think he could help you asked around if there are any clinical psychologist positions there.”

“Oh really?! Thanks Sunny…. That’s so sweet of you…” I pinched her cheeks, an action that I loved to do since I met her five years ago. I known her through Sooyoung, as the pair got together after we graduated from high school. She came from a well-to-do family, but she is rather low-profiled. She has a caring heart and loves to provide help when necessary. We hit off rather well and she would always provide constructive advises. She was more matured in her way of thinking, despite her young face.

We share a moment of comfortable silence, watching the other two girls running through the field with their kites as they attempt to launch it in the air. I chuckled as Sooyoung’s ‘eagle’ swooped down the moment she release it from her hands with Sunny jeering at her for the poor job done. Though Taeyeon fared no better with her first try when the pink kite landed on her small head cutely, she successfully caught the wind’s direction in the second attempt and smoothly begin to release the string in her hands.

Taeyeon turned and waved at me with her dimpled broad smile and I gave her a thumbs sign in return. It warms my heart inside to see her being immersed in merriment and I could feel the joy of kite flying even though I was just sitting under the tree.

“It’s happiness.” I heard the girl beside me blurting out abruptly.

“I see happiness in your eyes, as well as Taeyeon’s eyes.”

“Why did you say that?” I replied while trying to ease the burning sensation in my cheeks.

“Perhaps you couldn’t see the difference when Taeyeon isn’t around you. She is much more different when she was alone with us.”

“I’ve heard that from Sooyoung as well. But there is no way that I could see it. Since my presence was the key.”

“True. But what about you? You should know the difference between true happiness and the kind of happiness just for the sake of being happy?” My eyes were still fixated on Taeyeon, but I began to get the matter that Sunny was trying to imply.

“Yes. I feel happy with Taeyeon. The same way that you felt when you’re looking at Sooyoung.” I know that I was bearing my chest to the girl beside me. In fact, I wished I had the courage to show my heart to the person whom I loved as well.

“Yeah. Although Sooyoung is a big eater and she is forever so loud when she talks, she is also the only one who could make me feel happy and easy whenever she is around.”

That is true. Despite the fact that Taeyeon is vocally impaired, she is the only one who can warm my heart when it felt cold, protect it when danger looms, and provide the necessities for it to grow.

“We may share the same sentiments for the two girls over there. But we don’t share the same situation.” Sunny added on while keeping her sight in front.

“What do you mean?” I furrowed my brows while facing Sunny, waiting for further explanation in regards to her earlier statement.

“Sooyoung and I are together but you and Taeyeon aren’t. As in, we’re a couple, but you and Taeyeon are… friends?”

In the past, I might not have mind about the kind of relationship that Taeyeon and I shared as long as we are happy and comfortable with each other. However, I wanted to give our relationship a better definition now. Or, to put it simply, I want us to be lovers, to be romantically connected, to be true to our love, a love that could take us higher above into the skies just like the big pink kite.  

“I am sure we would soon be like you and Sooyoung.”

“Then do something about it. Knowing your own sentiments isn’t gonna be enough. You would have to find your way to the other person’s heart so that you could link up the path between yours and hers.”  

Occasionally, I was uncertain if I had known Taeyeon deep enough. She is like a bottomless pit, where I could never find an actual base to it. Perhaps, I had not tried hard enough to remove the main obstruction to her heart. I thought I knew her well, but it does not seem the case.

However, I know that someday, I will find the way and build a bridge between our hearts.

Show me the way to your heart

 Won't you lead me all the way to your heart

 My emotions are too strong to resist

 And together we've journey this for

 Take me to your heart...

Despite getting a cool shower, I could not fight off the fatigue from setting in. Taeyeon was no better, as she did more job than me in cleaning up the mess left behind by the energetic couple.

“Next time… I am gonna create a din at their place instead…” I protested at my friend who was entering my room with her worn-out face. She smiled at me before plunging right onto my bed beside me before closing her eyes at the comfort derived from the soft mattress.

“Yah! Taetae… You stinky! Don’t lie on my bed….” I whined while slapping at her . She lay there motionless, and I could see her deep breathing through her moving shoulders. Eager to get her off my bed, I tickled her waist and that made her jolted up in a second. Knowing that she would return my actions, I grabbed her hands tightly and we were soon caught in some arm wrestling.

A few knocks on the door interrupted our play, with my dad’s face revealing as the door swung open.

“Hey daddy, you’re back.” Both of us greeted him with our smiles and Taeyeon begin to make her way out to give us some father-and-daughter’s time.

“How’s your foot?”

“Much better when there’s a 24/7 caregiver in the house.”

“You sure know the way to bully our Taeyeon.”

“No daddy….”

“Don’t whine at me like this. I won’t succumb to your aegyos… Anyways, when are you intending to find a job?”  

“Going to… Moreover, Sunny promised that she’s gonna help me look out for jobs as well.”

My dad nodded his head, more of in appeasement rather than approval.

“Do put your knowledge to good use then.”

“I will…”

Helping Taeyeon to overcome her vocal inability has always been my main priority. Finding a related field job is secondary. Biting my lips, I hesitate a moment before clearing my throat to commence a discussion with my dad, a thing that I had wanted to do since my return.

“Erm… Daddy…. How was Taeyeon’s progress for the past four years?”

“Well, she had been the same. As I have told you in the past, I believed Taeyeon’s inability to speak has to do with her psychological problems. After all, with what had happened to her at that young age, it is only understandable that she had refrain to open up her heart. This explains why she is commonly more withdrawn when meeting with new people.”

“Which is what psychiatrist often termed as Elective Mutism?”

“Yes. Well, I’ve seen several cases of children suffering from elective mutism. Some are able to recover their speech in a few years, some in their later adult stage. Or in unfortunate cases, some remained muted forever… It really depends on their willingness to accept the environment and changes around them. More importantly, if they could overcome their worst fear.”

Ever since the day Taeyeon came to our house, I was instructed by my dad to protect her all I can. I obeyed and listened, never once probing him about Taeyeon’s condition only when I was older and more sensible. I had always deviated from the topic of parents and family whenever other kids mentioned about them when Taeyeon was around. I had never asked about her parents even when we are alone. Because I had always believed that by not raking up her traumatic past, I am protecting her. However, today, I felt that I have the responsibility to take Taeyeon through her worst fear. 

“And I believed that you had the ability to help Taeyeon. Only you.”

I looked up upon my dad’s sombre tone.

“Me?”

“Taeyeon has become much more cheerful after knowing you. You are the best person to bring out the best in her. Only you had the ability to convey what many of us had failed to apprehend from her.”

I stayed silent and pursed my lips. I never knew that I had such a high stake in Taeyeon’s future, her happiness, as well as her heart. At this moment, I felt that I had so much to work on. The narrow distance that I used to imagine between me and her, had now lengthen with so much hidden emotions that are concealed in Taeyeon’s heart, building up with each brick over the years. Moreover, coupling with the fact that most of those buried affections were intended for me, I felt ashamed to let them accumulate and weigh down on her fragile shoulders. If I had a hard time obscuring those feelings for my friend all these years, it must have been many times more arduous for her when she could only swallow back her emotions that were threatening to pour out of but they could not?

Tossing around in my bed, I sat up in defeat after several failed attempts in lulling myself to sleep. I shuffled my feet to Taeyeon’s room, only to be surprised to see her bedroom door wide open, revealing an unoccupied bed. I paced about the house in search of her, and finally located the petite girl sitting on the wooden bench in the backyard. Feeling the chilly night wind, I grabbed my pink blanket with me before draping it over her while I occupy the empty space beside her.

She had fallen asleep on the bench, with her brows knitted. I carefully place her tilting head on my shoulders before placing a peck on her head.

Taeyeon ah, if you felt that your heart is being too heavy to bear, open up the big chain that is locking and protecting it. Let my wings secure and guard it in replacement. 

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im sorry for taking SO long to update.... i was busy with my sch work

which is why im giving double updates =)

hope u've enjoyed it and cya soon! ^^

thanks for all the love n support! =D