The next few days for the girls were hectic as they all prepare for their comeback. Everyone is always gone to practice or recording. They are working had for this, they want to repay the patience of their fans who wants to hear something new from them after a very long time.

As Taeyeon made her way to the kitchen, she noticed that everybody is gone except Jessica whose having a hard time with the instructions for the pancake that she’s been making. Taeyeon smiled at the scene. Jessica Jung is always a failed cook.

She cleared and it made Jessica jumped and screamed.

“Oh my God Tae! You scared me!” Jessica exhaled when she saw that it’s only Taeyeon.

“Sorry.” The kid leader mumbled. Jessica then thought of their last encounter so she looked back down at the box that she’s reading and both of them fell into an awkward silence.

Taeyeon sat on the chair near her and watch Jessica cooking some pancakes. Things are not like this before Jessica left. Whenever they were left together, they always laugh at the silly things and talk about everything.

“So, uhhm...where are the others?” Taeyeon asked just to make a conversation.

Jessica looked back at her and pursed her lips. “Hhmm..Seohyun is at the University, Hyo, Soo and Sunny went shopping, Yoona and Yuri went on a date, i think? , Tiff went to a photoshoot. Well, you probably know where she is.” She said bluntly.

Taeyeon was taken aback from Jessica’s last words. She felt jealousy on her tone and she never meant to hurt Jessica that way.

“No, uuh..Tiffany didn’t tell me her schedule today.” She mumbled.

“Oh.” Jessica replied. She was obviously surprised hearing that but since she promised to herself that she doesn’t have anything to do with Taeyeon anymore, she let it go. She went back to her cooking and both of them fell into an awkward silence again.

Jessica felt conscious on Taeyeon’s presence as she cooked.

‘Why is she here? What she’s doing here just sitting there?’ Jessica thought.

‘Why couldn’t she leave me alone and let me be? Doesn’t she know that her presence, even her breathing, hurts me? I tried to move on from her but i can’t. Ask me to kill myself but i couldn’t move on from her. I still love her. Even if she loves Tiffany.’

 She tried to brush it off by focusing on cooking but she obviously failed when her arms graze the pan on the stove.

“OUCH!” Jessica cried

Taeyeon immediately came to her and grabbed her arms.

“You should be careful!” Taeyeon said worriedly as she guides Jessica on the sink to the running water. She left Jessica and grabbed the first aid kid from the bathroom. She came back and saw the ice princess crying silently.

“What’s wrong?” she asked and led Jessica to the dining area where she placed the first aid kit.

“I-it hurts.” Jessica mumbled in between tears.

Taeyeon looked at the crying girl in front of her. She knew how vulnerable Jessica is. People may see her as cold and has a strong personality but she’s not. She’s as fragile as a little girl. She couldn’t even understand how Jessica could put up a facade like this when after their last conversation obviously hurt her.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take the pain away.” She mumbled.

Jessica looked at her with teary eyes and tries to see the meaning behind those words but she doesn’t want to put her hopes up. Even if she knew that Taeyeon is the only cure from her wounded heart.

“No.” Jessica whispered.

“What?” Taeyeon asked.

“I can take care of myself.” Jessica said as she walked away from Taeyeon. The girl’s mere presence hurt her, her close proximity kills her.

*

The girls went home exhausted from today’s activities.

“Taengoo! How was your schedule-free day?” Sooyoung greeted their leader as she made way inside the house along with Sunny and Hyoyeon whose carrying a lot of shopping bags.

“It was fine.” Taeyeon smiled at them and turned back on the show that she’s watching.

“Where’s Jessica?” Hyoyeon asked as she sat beside Taeyeon.

“She’s in their room.” Taeyeon said simply.

After the incident in the kitchen, Jessica decided to avoid Taeyeon even if the leader wanted to talk to  her.

“AIssh that lazy girl.” Hyoyeon grumbled.

“Maybe she still tired from her flight yesterday, let the princess sleep.” Sunny pat Hyoyeon’s shoulder and made her way to the other side of the couch beside Taeyeon.

Just then, the door opened and it revealed Yoona, Yuri with Seohyun and Tiffany.

“Oh, you guys were together?” Sunny asked.

“Aniyo, we just met at the lobby. I saw Yoona and Yuri with Seobaby at the elevator.” Tiffany said as she sat on Taeyeon’s lap. 

“Hi! Taetae!”

Taeyeon stiffened and mumbled, “H-Hi.”

“Yah Yuri-yah! I’m hungry.” Sooyoung said as she entered the living room.

“Mwo?! Feed yourself. I’m not your mom.” Yuri said she lay down on Yoona’s lap.

“Call that ahjussi from the Chinese restaurant! We could get free food from there if you called him. He likes you that much.” Sooyoung said as she slumped beside the tanned girl.

“Yah! he’s creepy! You call him!” Yuri said.

“Why are you scared of him? He’s nice. Besides you could make out with Yoona in front of him so he could see that you’re already taken.” Sooyoung said.

“Yah! He probably would’ve liked it.” Yuri grumbled.

“C’mon Yuri-yah! we haven’t got dinner! Can you neglect your sisters like that?” Sooyoung said in her own aegyo voice.

“Aissh. Ok fine, just stop your aegyo!” Yuri got up and reached the phone to order at the Chinese restaurant. “If something ever happened to me, i’m going to kill you in your sleep, Choi Sooyoung.” She glared.

“Oh, don’t worry, you got Im Seobang here, am i right, Yoongie?” Sooyoung teased the young girl which made Yoona giggled.

Taeyeon smiled at the scene. She turned towards Yoona and saw how the young girl stares at her girlfriend with such adoration even if she’s just standing in the corner, making a call. She wished she could be like that, too. She wished that things were not complicated for her.

“Taetae, is there something wrong?” Tiffany asked.

She turned towards the girl on her lap as she smiled and nodded. She got her wish. She got Tiffany now, the girl she loves but why could there’s something missing. It’s as if she’s looking for something...for someone.

Just then, they heard the maknae and Jessica arguing as they made their way to the living room.

“I told you, i’m fine!” Jessica said.

“Unnie, you’re not. Do you want it to leave a scar? It could be ugly. Please let me treat that.” Seohyun pleaded.

“Maknae, i love you but i swear, i’m totally fine. It’s nothing. Look, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” Jessica smiled at the maknae but Taeyeon knows that Jessica is just faking it. She could see that she’s hiding the pain.

“What is going on?” Hyoyeon asaked.

“When i went to Jessica unnie to check on her i saw that she has a wound on her arm. I tried to treat it but she refused. I’m just worried that it will be infected.” Seohyun pouted.

Hyoyeon walked towards the girls and looked at Jessica’s arm. “Tsk. Tsk. Sica-yah, listen to the maknae, it could get ugly if you refused to treat that. Where did you get that anyways?”

“Uh...” Jessica said as she looked at Taeyeon. The kid leader could see the hurt in Jessica’s eyes as she saw Tiffany on her lap. “I-it’s nothing. I just got clumsy.” She mumbled as she looked away from the couple.

“Aisshh, i just remembered, Tae, you’re with her today, right? What happened with Jessica?” Hyoyeon asked.

Uuhh...she..uh...” the kid leader stuttered.

DING DONG!

“It’s about time! I’ll get it!” Sooyoung called out as she went to the door to get the deliveries. “Yah! guys! Help me with the food here!”

They let the question hanging at went to help Sooyoung and to start their dinner.

**

Days went by and the girls got busier. Most of their days were spent on the recording studio like right now. They were done recording their upcoming song, “Baby Maybe” that Yuri wrote along with Sooyoung and Seohyun. They were all resting for a bit, just listening to the song that they recorded.

“Yey! I think we did a great job on the song.” Sooyoung grinned.

“Thanks to Yuri unnie for helping us with the lyrics.” Seohyun smiled at her unnie.

“Aniyo, i wouldn’t do it without you guys.” Yuri blushed.

“You’re so humble, ComposerYul. We know that you’re the one who wrote most of the song.  Are you trying to impress a certain person, here?” Sooyoung teased.

Yuri hides her blush from her teasing friends behind her girlfriend’s shoulder who’s perching on her lap.

“I remembered how perfectionist Yuri-unnie was. She’s even scary than my terror professor at the University.” Seohyun added which made everyone laughed.

Despite the funny antics of her friends, Taeyeon could only smile and watched Jessica whose been staring off blankly. She wanted to come over to her and make her smile like she used to. Something’s stopping her. She couldn’t understand what.

“Taetae, aren’t they funny?” Tiffany smiled with her eye smile as she asked the girl beside her.

Taeyeon let out a chuckle and nodded.

“Awww, you’re so cute, Taetae.” Tiffany said as she pinched the kid leader’s cheeks.

Taeyeon looked back at Jessica whose been watching them and the girl stood up to whisper at Hyoyeon, then left.

“Where will Jessica unnie go, Hyo unnie?” Yoona voiced out the question on Taeyeon’s mind.

“She said she’ll just grab something to drink, she felt like she’s suffocating here.” Hyoyeon shrugged.

“We have a lot of drinks here. Why does she want to get it somewhere else?” Taeyeon asked before she could stop herself. She couldn’t seem to control her mind and nowadays.

“You know, Jessica. Her mind works differently.” Hyoyeon said.

‘Why does it feel like i don’t know her anymore?’ Taeyeon said to herself.

“Okay, now that we finished the last song we recorded, we decided to make a ballad. But since you have different vocal range, we deduct the singers into two. You already know this right?” manager oppa said.

“Ne.” The girls chorused as Jessica came in, holding a cup of tea on her hand. She sat beside Sooyoung as Sooyoung told her the announcement of their manager.

“So, the title of the song is ‘Lost in Love’. It’s about hoping that the love that has gone is still there. You’ll know the rest once we’re done with it. So the girls that are going to sing the song are...Taeyeon and Jessica.” Manager oppa announced as he handed the copy of the lyrics.

Taeyeon saw how Jessica was completely shocked on their manager’s announcement. Taeyeon laughed at the irony. The song fits them and they are going to sing the song.

“But, oppa. I can’t.” Jessica opposed which made Taeyeon’s ear perked up.

“Why? You and Taeyeon’s voice complement each other. It’s perfect.” Manager oppa asked.

“I just can’t. Asked anyone else like Seohyun, Sunny or...T-Tiffany.” Jessica mumbled.

Their manager stared at Jessica, trying to see the reason why Jessica wouldn’t want to do the song. But he guessed he should let the girls mind their own business.

He sighed. “Arasso, there’s nothing i could do with StubbornSica.” He smiled.  “Okay, i’ll choose Taeyeon and Tiffany do the duet.”

Jessica watched as Tiffany clapped her hands happily and turned towards Taeyeon. “We’re going to have a duet, Taetae! Isn’t it cute?”

Taeyeon just nodded at her and smiled timidly. Manager oppa led the two to the recording studio while the others decided to hang out there since they don’t have any schedules.

Jessica just watched everybody do their own thing. The YoonYul couple were flirting with each other. Again. And Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were teasing the maknae by stealing her iPad. She just rolled her eyes on their immaturity.

“You seems so quiet, Jess, what’s wong?” Sunny asked as she sat beside the ice princess.

Jessica just shrugged. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You may not notice it but i know everything. Taengoo is my best friend, too, remember? She told me what happened the night before you left. Shika, believe me when i say that Taengoo really wish that she shouldn’t tell those words to you.”

Jessica gasped when Sunny knew her feelings towards Taeyeon. She thought that its only Yuri who knew about it.

“What’s done is done. There’s nothing she could do to get it back, besides, i can see that she’s already happy.” She watched as Tiffany and Taeyeon on the recording booth.

“Do you really think she’s happy?” Jessica turned towards Sunny upon hearing the aegyo queen’s question.

“Y-yeah, she got what she wanted. She has Tiffany now.” She mumbled.

Sunny just sighed and watched the TaeNy couple before standing up.

“I just wish you open your heart again, Jess. Maybe that one can see things more than your eyes can.” Sunny left the ice princess as she made way to save the maknae from HyoYoung.

Jessica thought about what Sunny said.

‘What does she mean by that?’ Jessica thought.

“All right! Keep quiet now! Recording starts in 3...2...1.” manager oppa announced.

Everybody sat and listened to the song as Taeyeon and Tiffany sang.

Are we really breaking up now
Or are we just separated for a moment, like how we promised to be
This separation is already enough for me
Why haven't I heard from you
 

I love you, I can wait for you endlessly
When you come to find me
I can smile at you, always oh

Am I still unable to accept it
That you turned around and announced our separation

I just want to accept the truth as it is
What are you doing now?

Jessica kept her head down as she tried to hide her tears. She thought that when she left, she’ll forget everything but why does the hurt is still there? It’s as if she never left?

I love you, I can wait for you endlessly
When you come to find me
I can smile at you, always oh

Now that sadness slowly accumulates
Although I know that you really left
I can only hope to be nicer to you when you are back

Little did Jessica knew, Taeyeon’s gaze is on her. She wished that Jessica could hear her emotions through the song but she’s just wishfully thinking. Jessica already closed her heart on her. Jessica is just few meters on her but she felt like Jessica is miles away. She’s already late. She just realized that she cares for Jessica than anybody else could and now, the girl is already gone. Her heart clenched when she saw Jessica stood up, head down and went out of the recording studio.

Why am I behaving so stupidly 
The time that you gave me
Is just time for us to even things out between us 

I'll not be sad 
For the belief that you'll come to find me
The belief makes my love stronger
And gives me the energy to live on

It’s as if Jessica is finally walking out of her life. If only she realized it on time.

______________________________________________________________________________________

I KNOW THAT THIS ONE TOOK ME TOO LONG TO WRITE. I HOPE YOU COULD FORGIVE ME :) I'M STILL CONTEMPLATING WHAT ENDING WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THIS STORY. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

PLEASE COMMENT :)