When Taeyeon steps into the room, she finds Sinbi sitting on the floor and staring at the opposite wall like it had done her wrong. The expression is disconcertingly familiar, and Taeyeon tells herself it’s just because she saw Sinbi making a similar one earlier. Then again, it doesn’t seem to be an expression so much as her face.

“Oh, Taeyeon sunbaenim!” Sinbi springs to her feet, like she’s been caught doing something wrong. She’s taller than Taeyeon had expected; she must be around Yoona’s height. “I’m sorry.”

Taeyeon smiles. “For what? You’re allowed to sit.”

Sinbi blushes. “Well, uh, I’ll get out of your way.” She makes to leave, and Taeyeon doesn’t know what comes over her as she says, “You don’t have to go.”

“Huh?” Sinbi says, sounding confused. “I mean, sorry?”

“You don’t have to leave just because I came in. Am I really that scary?”

Sinbi’s eyes widen. “No, of course not!” she hurriedly says. “Taeyeon sunbaenim—”

“Just call me unnie.”

“Taeyeon unnie,” Sinbi says, sounding endearingly shy. “You’re not scary, you’re just intimidating. I mean, your reputation is. In a good way!”

Taeyeon laughs. “You know, ‘intimidating’ is not a word I get a lot when people look at me.”

“You can totally be intimidating, sun—unnie,” Sinbi says earnestly. “Then again, people tell me my resting face can be pretty scary,” she says sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

“I can see that,” Taeyeon says with a nod. She had once heard the same thing said – and said it herself – about someone else with a similar one. “I think you scared some people out there today.”

Sinbi’s face falls. “That wasn’t my intention at all.” She looks down. “It was just…hard, hearing that.”

Taeyeon feels a wave of sympathy wash over her. “Don’t take it too hard,” she says gently. “This probably isn’t very helpful, but I know what it’s like to be doubted. I wouldn’t count you guys out and anyone who would isn’t paying close enough attention.”

Sinbi looks at her with eyes glittering with gratitude. “Thank you, sunbaenim,” she says quietly. “That-that means a lot coming from you.”

“Back to the sunbaenim already?” Taeyeon asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Unnie,” Sinbi corrects, blushing.

“Where was the confidence from when you wouldn’t deny our dating rumours?” Taeyeon teases, and Sinbi’s face goes full-on red.

“I-I was just playing around,” she stammers.

“I know.” Taeyeon laughs. “I’m supposedly dating both you and Seola. I don’t know if I’m supposed to be flattered that I can get so much attention or insulted that I’m apparently a player.”

“You can be both,” Sinbi says, and she laughs again.

Taeyeon’s phone buzzes and she quickly checks it. “I should go,” she says apologetically. “I have a meeting coming up.”

Sinbi nods immediately. “Of course.” She gets that shy look on her face again. “Thank you, unnie, for—everything.”

Taeyeon smiles. “It’s nothing.”

“Did you find what you were looking for?”

Taeyeon, about to walk off, freezes in her tracks.

Sinbi’s expression instantly turns awkward. “Sorry. You probably don’t even remember. We talked – for like, two seconds – five years ago at MAMA, and I don’t know why, it just popped into my head all of a sudden.”

“I remember,” Taeyeon says quietly. “And it was five years ago?”

“More than that, almost five and a half.”

“Wow,” Taeyeon says, almost to herself. “Time really flies, doesn’t it?”

“It really does.”

And yet, after all this time…

“I don’t think I’ve found it,” Taeyeon admits.

It’s Sinbi’s turn to look at her with sympathy. “It’s okay, unnie. You will one day.”

Will she really? Taeyeon wonders.

A/N: Sorry for the lame ending but I literally couldn't think of what to write. Whatever I tried just ended up sounding like lame fortune cookie-esque "wisdom" and I thought leaving it open like this was better.