“This will be my last song for tonight. I offer this to all those who have regrets…” She announced before the music began. ‘I offer this to you, my love.’

I’m sorry that I cannot forget you

She closed her eyes as she immersed herself into the heartbreaking song. The face of her loved one appeared. Her lover had a sad smile, telling her that she had been forgiven – that she had been cleansed of her sins. But she knew deep down in her heart, that it was only wishful thinking that’s giving her illusions.

My love, come back to me

She found herself almost screaming – screaming for her loved one to come back into her arms, wishing fervently that the prayer she offered in song would be answered.

Don’t leave my side, please…

Her eyes started to water as she perfectly executed the last note of the song.

The crowd cheered fervently for her soulful performance. Her eyes scanned the ecstatic sea of fans cheering her on, as she finally finished the last song of her solo concert. She can very well see from the stage that majority of them were now in tears.

She tried to smile as she pushed back the tears that were threatening to fall, but there were stray blobs already making their way down her face. To prevent anyone from seeing her tears, Taeyeon bowed to the crowd until the lights faded.

Still drowning in her emotions, she silently prayed, ‘Please, come back to me.’

***

The sound of the haunting melody invaded her ears.

‘No. Not this song again,’ she thought as she sat there inside the luxury car, waiting. A bouquet of roses that have been given to her during a successful branch inauguration, sat neglected beside her. The tune began to increase its pace, pausing for a moment to lure her into its trap, beguiling her to sing along.

Within that dark, claustrophobic space, Jessica succumbed to the temptation; humming along to the tune before releasing the first lines of the lyrics in perfect synchrony with the song.

For a moment, it was as if she had been the singer herself and the song was hers. The powerful, lilting voice, that coaxed her to sing along to its tune, had managed to accomplish its intention as she immersed herself into the drowning message that the ballad conveyed.

The fact that the song was effective enough to tip the bottle, which held her emotions, irked her. She must stop listening to this song – the song that had been composed and sung by the one who had broken her heart – but she couldn’t. She just couldn’t summon the courage to turn off the music.  

She sighed, surrendering to the addicting tune of the ballad as she stared out the window. Heaven seemed to have cried on her behalf. With a solemn face, she examined heaven’s tears that have stained the window of her car, as the song rekindled her long-buried emotions.

I feel alone in this empty room

I’m not used to this…

It’s over, guess it’s over.

***

Memories began to flood back, drowning them in its stampede. Scenes of the irreversible past returned to taunt them for everything that they had done and had failed to do. They recalled the previous winter, spring, summer, and finally – fall. The seasons cycled, but they found themselves trapped in the past – a past that can never be relived, only remembered.

Both sighed at the same time: one from within the confines of her empty dressing room, the other from inside the suffocating car, counting the number of days that had separated them.

‘Please, give me a time machine.’ Both prayed at the same time.

***