* Ding dong*

*Ding dong.*

The doorbell rang, and Taeyeon stood nervously in front of her apartment door, pressing the bell repeatedly when there was no response.

It was almost noon when he woke up alone in bed, , and the realization of what had happened hit him, causing panic to arise within him. Bits and pieces of the previous night flashed in his mind—a blur of memories where he made moves by kissing her. He had been too drunk, and the jealousy burning inside him had made it worse, pushing him to act on his emotions.

Had he confessed his feelings to her last night? That part was a blur.

No.
 

Tiffany cannot know.

The secret that had been locked away in his heart for a year.

Taeyeon quickly got off the bed, hastily putting on his clothes as he rushed to find the woman. He searched every place in the mansion where she could be, trying to call her multiple times, but she never answered. Deep worry settled within Taeyeon as he wondered if something had happened to her.

Until a single text message appeared on his phone.

"I'm sorry, Tae. I had to go home first. I'm taking the bus."
 

That night, after a long journey from Jeonju to Seoul, Taeyeon wasted no time and went straight to her apartment, ringing her doorbell a few times.

Tiffany emerged from the elevator, dragging her heavy legs towards her apartment. After a miserable day at the park, she couldn't help but sigh for the ninth time. Taeyeon had been calling and texting her, but she had been avoiding responding. She wasn't ready to face him yet. She didn't know what would happen if she confronted Taeyeon after what had transpired that morning.

But fate had other plans, and Tiffany froze in her tracks when she saw him standing in front of her apartment, waiting for her. Her heart raced, and she considered turning back.
 

However, it was too late. Taeyeon turned around and their eyes met. Tiffany gulped, forcing herself to walk towards him.
 

"Hey," he said, a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"H-hey," she stammered.

An awkward silence hung between them as they both knew what was going through their minds at that moment.

"You didn't answer your phone... I was worried. When did you arrive?" Taeyeon asked.

"This afternoon. Sorry I left without telling you," Tiffany apologized.

"No, it's okay." Taeyeon replied, his voice laced with hidden disappointment.

I can understand why you did that

An air of silence lingered between them until Taeyeon finally broached the subject.

"F-fany-ah... about last night... I-I..."

"Can we not talk about it... please?" Tiffany interrupted, avoiding his gaze. "It should never have happened. We were both drunk."
 

"..."

"I-it was a mistake, Tae," Tiffany added, her voice filled with remorse.

Taeyeon didn't know why, but her words stung his heart.

"I-I know... but I want to apologize. I shouldn't have..." Taeyeon attempted to speak, but Tiffany cut him off.

"Don't be. We were both at fault for this, aren't we?" Tiffany mustered a small smile.

Taeyeon sighed, feeling the weight of her words. "I don't want things to be awkward between us."

"We'll be fine. I can assure you that nothing will change. Let's not let this affect our friendship," Tiffany forced a smile. "After all, we're still best friends, right?"

He forced himself to agree, concealing his true feelings. "Y-Yes..." Even though his heart longed to deny it

"Go home and rest, Tae. You must be tired after the long drive. Besides, we both need some rest..." Tiffany whispered, emphasizing the last word, and Taeyeon understood her meaning. He decided not to argue further.

"Fine," he conceded, his voice filled with defeat.

Tiffany walked past him, unlocking the door. She glanced back at Taeyeon briefly before attempting to close the door, but his hand stopped it.

Their eyes met.

"Fany-ah, nothing is going to happen between us, right?"

"U-uhm..." She nodded, her voice barely audible.

"O-okay..." He slowly released his hold on the door. "Rest well..." Disappointment lingered within him, but he couldn't show it to her.
 

Because that wasn't the answer he had hoped for.

...

Since that incident, they hadn't seen each other for almost two weeks due to their busy schedules. Nevertheless, they continued to exchange text messages, although Taeyeon couldn't help but notice that Tiffany's replies were brief, as if she were trying to avoid him. He couldn't help but notice.

"We'll be fine. I can assure you that nothing will change. Let's not let this affect our friendship,"

"After all, we're still best friends, right?"

Taeyeon sighed and switched off his phone. It wasn't as simple as he had hoped, to act like nothing had happened. They were best friends who had crossed a line that should never have been crossed. How could everything be the same as before?
 

It was hard for both of them.

After returning from a training camp in Cheonan, Taeyeon wasted no time that night. He went to Tiffany's office and waited for her outside the building, knowing her working hours were coming to an end.

He needed to meet her today, no matter what. That's what he had resolved. He needed to set things right. He wanted to apologize to her because he knew he was also at fault for causing her confusion due to his actions in the mansion. Even though he had been drunk, he knew he had made the first m