Taeyeon awoke in her own bed, fully clothed except for her shoes, with a massive, pounding headache and an empty yet nauseating sensation in her stomach.  A hangover.  She hadn't had one of those in a while.

She cursed at herself for drinking too much at last night's party, dread washing over her as she hoped she hadn't done anything too stupid to embarrass herself in front of her coworkers.

Taeyeon felt around on her bedside table, and noticed a packet of instant hangover soup and some hangover medicine sitting next to her phone, which was plugged into the wall socket to charge.  Taeyeon smiled.  She picked up her phone, about to text Tiffany to thank her for bringing her home safely and taking care of her, when she realised she already had two texts from the girl in question:

[Tiffany: Taeng!  Are you okay?  Last night was mad!!!]

[Tiffany: Text me when you wake up]

[Taeyeon: Hii I'm fine]

[Taeyeon: Yeah it was TT]

[Taeyeon: Thanks for sending me home!]

[Tiffany: I didn’t, it was Jess]

Taeyeon scrambled to sit up, fighting against her debilitating headache.  She blinked at her phone screen once, twice.

[Taeyeon: Are you serious?]

[Tiffany: Yeah, don't you remember?]

[Tiffany: You were with her the whole night, then you kinda passed out and she drove you home.  I gave her your address, I hope you don't mind]

[Taeyeon: Oh]

Taeyeon genuinely had no recollection of last night’s events after she arrived and sat down with Tiffany and the others.  Oh god, what had she done?

[Tiffany: By the way, I kind of recorded you and Jess talking.  You guys talked for a long time and it seemed important, but you were really drunk so I don't think you'll remember it.  I wanted to send it to you but now I'm not sure]

[Taeyeon: Send it]

[Tiffany: Are you sure?]

[Taeyeon: Fany-ah.  Send it]

[Taeyeon: Please]

Taeyeon was chewing her nails now out of nervousness, a long-forgotten bad habit.

[Tiffany: Okay, you asked for it]

[Tiffany: -voice memo-]

“Careful, Taeyeon.”

“I know you've been giving me water.”

“I'm sorry, I just don't think you should be drinking any more.”

“I'm not drunk!”

“Okay.”

“You know, I have so many things to say to you.”

“Such as?

“Such as it's so ing awkward between us now because you kissed me, what, fifteen, sixteen years ago?  We keep dancing around each other at work.  I hate it.”

“I hate it too…”

“And it's your fault, you know?  You were such a to me in high school.  So were your friends.  Or maybe it wasn't your fault.  I don't know.  Maybe I deserved it.”

“Don’t say that, Taeyeon.  You didn't deserve anything I did to you.  You're right.  It was all my fault.  Everything between us now is my fault.  I was a terrible person.  I'm still a terrible boss, not knowing how to apologise to you and sort things out properly.”

Taeyeon stared at her phone, horrified.  She’d chewed her nails down to their fingertips.  Why couldn't she remember a thing?  It was like a fever