“Ugh!”

Taeyeon grunted as she sat in the middle of her room. She sighed after looking at the state of her room. It was a mess!

She had been looking for her cardholder for the past few hours. Even after a thorough check of the room, her navy cardholder is nowhere to be found. It was the only item left before she could make her move to the university dormitory. 

Asking her mother if she had seen it would be futile. Mrs Kim is still bitter that her daughter went missing during the family dinner on Christmas Eve a few days ago. It may seem petty to be mad about skipping dinner. But Taeyeon knew why her mother was upset about it.

Ever since she moved out of the house during the third year of her Bachelor’s degree program, Taeyeon rarely comes home to visit. She would spend most of her time in school being stuck with film production or a thesis. 

Even during winter or spring vacations, Taeyeon would either be busy creating new productions with her team or doing internships. Thus, for convenience, she decided to stay in a dormitory at her university campus. That way, she could access the school facilities easily. 

Right now, she is in her final year of pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Filmmaking at the Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS). Taeyeon figured that since she had been super busy for the past few months, she should at least spend her last winter vacation with her family before the term starts. 

She had her 2-weeks winter vacation planned out even before it arrived. Unfortunately, it was cut short to a week due to a ceremony award her production team had to attend. Upon receiving the news, Taeyeon’s mother was displeased. 

Please don’t get Mrs Kim wrong. She is extremely proud of her talented daughter and her achievements. But not being able to see her daughter often has caused a strain on their relationship. 

Taeyeon grimaced when the main door creaked as she was closing it. She looked around the house, hoping that her parents would be asleep. When she saw the kitchen lights were out, she sighed in relief.

I’m gonna get an earful tomorrow. Hais.

She glanced around the living room one last time and tiptoed to her room quietly. Her hand was already on the door handle, ready to open her door. But a click sound could be heard behind her and she stood frozen. 

Taeyeon bit her lip and wanted to knock herself out right there and then. She was still frozen, facing the door when she heard her mother’s voice. 

“Where were you?” 

Slowly turning around, Taeyeon looked up sheepishly at her mother. Mrs Kim was leaning against the wall near the living room light switches. The living room was now brightly lit and Taeyeon could see her mother’s disapproving look. 

“I had to–” Taeyeon began but stopped when she heard her mother sigh. 

She then heard the door beside her open and saw her father peering out through the door crack. When her father nodded his head towards the couch, Taeyeon knew she had to face the music.

Guess I don’t have to wait for tomorrow, huh? 

Letting go of the door handle in reluctance, Taeyeon dragged herself to stand in front of the couch where her parents were seated. 

Well, let’s just say that that night did not end well. Taeyeon ended up crying in her room, feeling demoralised. She managed to screw up her relationships with her family, and on top of that, she was dumped.

Taeyeon was still seated in her room when her phone buzzed. She stood up slowly to get her phone but groaned when she heard her back crack.

Aigoo, my back still hurts. I wonder if they got back safely though.

“Aunty Kim said you lost your cardholder, huh?” It was a text from her best friend, Kwon Yuri. “I’ll fetch you, Taengoo. And don’t say no. You can’t even enter the dorm building without your access card. Keke.”

Taeyeon snorted and replied. “Neh.” She tidied up her bed, grabbed her backpack and luggage and exited her room.

After putting aside her belongings in the living room, Taeyeon glanced at her watch. She still had plenty of time before Yuri arrived so she went to the kitchen to grab a small bite.

“You’re leaving soon?” Mrs Kim asked. Taeyeon almost choked on her bread when her mother suddenly came out of the bathroom. 

“O-omma. You scared me.” Taeyeon swallowed her bread before continuing. “Yuri is fetching me. Thank you for your help, Omma.” She smiled sincerely, referring to her mother’s help in informing Yuri of her trouble.

Taeyeon felt grateful for her mother’s thoughtfulness despite the tense atmosphere they had the past few days.

She dried up her hands and suddenly went to Mrs Kim. “Omma,” Taeyeon started, she took Mrs Kim's hand and gently massaged it. “I’m sorry. For everything. I understood why you were upset. I’ll try my best to come home during spring vacation this year.” Her voice began to crack as she tried to control her tears. 

She panicked when her mother tried to remove her hands. But immediately smiled when she felt her mother caressing her cheeks, wiping a tear that had escaped from her eyes. 

“I’m just worried about you, Taetae,” Mrs Kim softly explained. “Every single time we get to see you, you seem to be getting thinner. I know you love what you’re doing, but I also want to know that you’re eating well despite everything.” 

Taeyeon nodded vigorously. “I am, Omma. I will eat well. These few days have been tough for me but don’t worry about it, okay? I promise you.” 

Mrs Kim smiled knowingly. She knew of what happened between Taeyeon and her ex-girlfriend, courtesy of Kwon Yuri. But she decided not to bring it up. She would wait until her daughter is comfortable to talk about it. 

“Alright no