Tiffany recovered from her fever very quickly this time round; she said that it was the festive excitement that drove away the viruses out of her body, Jessica took the credit by joking that it was because of her great nursing skills, and Taeyeon was just happy that Tiffany was back to being her energetic ball of happiness.

That same night when Tiffany’s temperature went down, Taeyeon’s and Jessica’s temperatures skyrocketed simultaneously. Jessica had contracted Tiffany’s virus while Taeyeon was enervated from both mental and physical exertion in their comeback and reparation of her relationship with Tiffany. The dorm was sent into frenzy with the remaining six girls (Tiffany was exempted because she has just gotten well and Jessica selfishly didn’t let her go out of her sight—not that Tiffany complained— saying that it was punishment for getting her sick) running around the dorm, tending to all the wishes of the two sick girls.

Tiffany sat on the wooden floor beside Jessica’s bed and held Jessica’s hand while the older girl croaked out whiney complaints and requests.

“I can totally imagine you being like this when you’re nine months pregnant.” Tiffany told the sniffing girl with a chuckle and a mischievous glint in her eyes. She handed her the novel that she was commanded to fetch.

“What with your child?” Jessica coolly replied.

“I don’t think I want our child’s first impression of you to be an experience with HellSica.”

“Shut up, it’s not funny. I got sick because of you. How could you demand me to kiss you, knowing fully well that you’re sick?” Jessica pouted cutely, acting as though she really blamed the latter.

“You’re the one who complied willingly!” The pouting competition began.

“It’s only because you asked me.”

“It’s not like you didn’t want it too!”

Jessica shut up and scowled as she didn’t have an answer to the truthful statement. Laughter could be heard from the occupier of the other bed, the roommate who was eavesdropping on their playful quarrel. The ice princess just got owned. Tiffany began laughing along with Sooyoung when she realized that she won the argument.

“Shut up and kiss me goodnight.” Jessica commanded coldly with a strong tug on Tiffany’s hand which brought the younger girl stumbling into the bed.

Tiffany chuckled before getting onto her knees to press her lips briefly onto Jessica’s and then moving them onto the warm forehead. “Goodnight Jessilove. Get well soon.”

She tucked the girl in, pulling up the blanket up to her chin, and moved away to leave to her own room but was stopped by their entwined hands.

“Don’t leave me.” A quiet request, combined with a pair of sleepy half-lidded hopeful eyes, was all that was needed to keep Tiffany by Jessica’s side as long as she wanted.

Tiffany sat back down comfortably, resting her chin on her arms that were placed on the bed, and smiled reassuringly to Jessica. Jessica finally closed her eyes to sleep, secured by Tiffany’s presence by her side and calmed by the circles that Tiffany’s thumb was rubbing on the roof of her hand. It only took a while before Jessica fell asleep, the medicine taking affect. Tiffany remained by her side as she promised, eyes trained on the face of the sleeping beauty, smiling softly. She was about to fall asleep herself when a hand on her shoulder startled her out of the fogged state of mind.

“Fany-ah…” It was Sooyoung who looked down at her with an incomprehensible expression. “Don’t you have another place you have to be?”

“Where?” Tiffany asked quietly, completely clueless at what Sooyoung was hinting.

“Sica’s not the only one who’s sick.”

“Taetae?” Guilt pulled at her heartstrings when a nod confirmed her question. She stared at Jessica’s hands that were clutching hers tightly. “Jessi’s sicker than her.”

“Tae’s waiting for you.”

“Jessi told me not to leave.”

“Tiffany…” It was never a good sign when Sooyoung calls her full name. It meant that she was either angry or very annoyed. Tiffany audibly gulped when she met the taller girl’s hardened eyes. “Taeyeon’s probably in more pain than Jessica is.”

“But I… I don’t want to leave Jessi…”

“You have obligations.” Sooyoung almost spat out the last word. “Tell that to Taeyeon, not me.”

She rolled her eyes when Tiffany faced her with a confused look, wondering how the older girl can be so clueless.

“Obligations?”

“Yes.” Sooyoung couldn’t stop herself from rolling her eyes again.

“As a duet partner.” Tiffany continued uncertainly.

“No.”

“A fellow member?”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Sooyoung scoffed when the confusion was still evident on the older girl’s face. “Sica’s not the only one that you claim to ‘love’.”

“O-oh…”

 “You seem to have made up your mind, or at least your heart already made its choice.”

“Sooyoung, what are you talking about?” Tiffany’s frown deepened when the conversion seemed to have taken another unexpected turn.

Sooyoung took a step forward and poked the area above Tiffany’s heart. A rustle sounded as Jessica shifted in her sleep, cutting Sooyoung before she could speak.

“Let’s talk outside.” With that, the tall girl stalked out of the room, leaving the door open as a demand for Tiffany to follow her.

“Now tell me what’s going on.” Tiffany sat down roughly on the couch beside Yuri who turned towards the two girls with wide eyes, her movie time interrupted.

“You love Jessica.”

Tiffany raised an eyebrow; she had been expecting a question or an explanation, not a statement. “I do.”

“Do you love Taeyeon?”

“Of course I do.” A frown wedged itself between Tiffany’s eyebrows. She was slightly annoyed by the question and her own confusion.

“No you don’t.” Sooyoung corrected.

Tiffany stood up to be closer in height, anger slightly flaring in her eyes. “Who are you to tell me what I feel?”

“I’m Taeyeon and Jessica’s friend.” Sooyoung’s posture portrayed the fury that her calm voice did not.

Yuri stood up as well, sensing the tension between the two members. “Sooyoung-ah, Fany-ah…”

“I am too!” The older girl indignantly defended herself with crossed arms.

“Don’t you realize that you’re hurting them?”

“What?” Tiffany’s poise faltered.

“You are hurting Jessica. She’s normally quiet but don’t you see how really quiet she gets when you are with Taeyeon? Don’t you understand why she held onto you so tightly, didn’t want to let you go just now? She’s scared that she’s going to lose you. She’s scared that you’re going to leave her for Taeyeon and never come back. You’re hurting all of us too, by hurting Jessica and Taeyeon. But most of all, you are hurting Taeyeon. You are clearly in love with Jessica, but you keep dragging Taeyeon along.”

“What are you talking about? I love Taeyeon too.”

“You do, but you love her as a friend.” Tiffany opened to disagree but she was silenced by Sooyoung’s sharp glare. “No, let me explain to you what is in front of your eyes but you refuse to see. Taeyeon and you never had a real friendship. You guys went from acquaintances to lovers, completely skipping the just-friends part. And now that you no longer love her the same way you used to, you are scared that you are going to lose her. Just like how Taeyeon and Jessica are feeling. But since you two have never been just friends, you don’t know whether your relationship can go back down to that stage. And so you are keeping yourself in the illusion that you are still in love with Taeyeon, to not lose her.”

Tiffany kept quiet. No matter how much her brain wanted to deny all, her heart knew that all of what Sooyoung said was true. She got it right down to her deepest fears. But she didn’t want to admit it, just yet.

“Stop being so selfish and stop hurting us. A heart can never love two people at once. If you are really still in love with the first person, you will not even fall for the second. And if you truly love the first, you are merely being delusional about the second person. But just make sure, whether it is Jessica or Taeyeon that you truly love, and make it clear to them. It’s about time you do this, and you owe it to them for loving you so much.”

“I don’t want to break Taeyeon’s heart.” Sooyoung’s keen ears caught the soft murmur from Tiffany’s heart. The edge of slightly tugged up in an almost-smirk, knowing that her speculations were right on the dot, but she kept her lips pressed in a thin line to show the poor confused girl the disapproval she needs to see.

“It’s true that she will be hurt by the break up, but you’re already hurting her now and you will continue to do so if you continue doing this. If you listen to your heart and follow it’s decision, it is true that you will break Taeyeon’s heart but at least you’ll be giving her a chance to pick herself back up and move on from you rather than being trampled all over by you and Jessica. The love between the two of you was strong, it’s still there, and will always be; but it had changed. You have to accept your feelings and stop lying to yourself and to others. There are some things in life that are not made to belong to you. You have to realize them before it’s too late, and learn to let them go.”

Tiffany nodded solemnly, biting her bottom lip to hold in her sobs as tears freely streamed down her cheeks. Guilt ate at her from the inside of her heart and sorrow dimmed her vision.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Sooyoung’s curt question made Tiffany freeze as if there was a gun at her head.

“To Taeyeon?” She stopped in the middle of her path.

“No, you’re not going to her with that expression on your face. I’m not going to let you kick the poor girl when she’s already flat on the ground. Change it or go back to Jessica.” She commanded the older girl sternly.

“Sooyoung!” Yuri interrupted at the rude behavior of the tall girl.

“No Yuri, she’s right.” Tiffany shook her head, really realizing the consequences of her actions. “I’m sorry.”

Sooyoung’s expression softened at the quiet but genuine apology. She felt pity for the girl too, for being so clueless.

“It’s not us who you have to apologize to. It’s them.”

Tiffany nodded. “I will.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled. Her expression changed into one that fans see all the time, the smiling happy-go-lucky one that hides all her real emotions. She grinned experimentally at Sooyoung and Yuri to ask if they can still see through her façade and only continued towards Taeyeon’s room when they gave approving nods and encouraging smiles.

Tiffany thought she could do it, that she could breeze through the encounter like it was just another stage, but she found herself frozen with a hand on the cold metal doorknob.

“Are you just going to stand there?” 

A/N: ello there mi lovely readers!~ howya doing? :D i really should be working but i just finished this part and i couldnt help but update ^^

so who do u think asked the last sentence? jessica? another member?

dont u guys just like sooyoung? i dunno why but i think she fits this role very veerrrrryyyy well. i actually don't know if i made sense trying to explain the mechanism behind the trio's relationship :S it sounded so clear and perfect in my head but when i write it down, it just became convoluted :S u understood right? teehee

sorry for lack of taeny moment, that'll come next chapter, but i put in some sweet jeti <3 

i hope u guys enjoyed the update cuz this is the last u'll b seeing of me for the next few weeks... got college apps, SATs, IB sh*t so i hav no time to do anything else TT^TT

my readers, plz wait for me? i'll b back asap! and hopefully the next time i update, i'll be in europe! woohoooo yipeeee for me!! ~~

comment, subscribe (well u technically hav to, to be reading this A/N), and upvote <3

till later taenysicalters!~ hehe