A/N: Okay so in case you can't tell, I've posted the english lyrics to korean songs instead of the hangul like I did before (which I will go back and fix) Thank you so much to everyone who commented! It fired me up and gave me the will and passion to update again so soon. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well <3 It's a bit lighter hearted, to help you recover from the past few chapters~

Taeyeon snuck into the room after Sunny texted her that it was clear. She closed the door securely behind her and looked up to see that Sooyoung was playing with her guitar.

“Hey,” Taeyeon greeted, taking a seat next to Sooyoung. “You okay?”

Sooyoung shrugged and Taeyeon took this chance to hug her donsaeng. Without any hesitation, Sooyoung wrapped her arms around Taeyeon and instead of crying, she started shaking.

“I don’t know anymore,” Sooyoung whispered, shaking her head into Taeyeon’s chest. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

Taeyeon shushed the girl, running her fingers through her hair before kissing her on the crown of her head. “I know it’s hard, and I know you’re confused right now but keep an open mind tonight and perform your heart out.”

She cupped the girl’s chin and made their eyes connect. A few stray tears had escaped, but not enough to mess up her make up.

“Now let’s practice, hmm?”

The school was filled with different groups practicing their acts. There were short acting performances, spoken words, monologues, magicians, and plenty of singers and dancers. And sooner than later, the school was filled with friends, family and other students who came to see a great show.

Sooyoung had calmed down, her mind focused on orchestrating the whole event. Her and Taeyeon would be the MCs of the night as well, so she had to keep on a smiling face.

Taeyeon held her hand and told her many times throughout the night that she was proud of her. And Sooyoung took those words to heart and thanked the older girl for her support.

As they finished their opening speech, they were happy to see such a good turn out. They knew that the tickets sold out, but it was something completely different seeing the school’s auditorium fill up.

“I’m starting to regret making us go first,” Taeyeon said nervously, clutching her guitar close to her.

“Why are you getting so nervous?” Sooyoung laughed, lightly hitting Taeyeon, “You’ve been performing since freshman year.”

Taeyeon took in a deep breath, then exhaled, then breathed in again, “It’s a new experience each time. I can’t help but feel nervous, you know?”

Meanwhile, the rest of the girls had taken a row near the front of the stage. It was Seohyun’s idea to secure them a nice set of seats so they could all watch each other’s performances with ease.

Of course, she was the first one to arrive all dressed. She was in a light blue dress that reached her ankles. She brought a few different set of accessories since she’d be singing more than once.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted her girlfriend and Sunny. She waved politely at them before flagging them down. Soon enough, the rest of the girls filed in and Seohyun had to shush them when the curtains opened to reveal Sooyoung and Taeyeon.

“Ah, unnie looks so pretty,” Seohyun whispered to Yoona as the two MCs did their little speech. “She didn’t come home at all because of her management duties so I didn’t even get to see her outfit.”

“She matches Sunny oppa,” Yoona snickered, rapidly elbowing Sunny who was sitting next to her. “If you ask me, the matching suits are kind of cheesy.”

Sunny blushed, a little embarrassed because she personally liked the outfits. She rolled her eyes, “You’re just jealous.”

Tiffany turned over to hush the other girls, “Guys! Tae and Sooyoungie are starting!” She was clapping already, excited to see her girlfriend performing right in front of them.

The lights dimmed and there was only a single spotlight shining on Taeyeon and Sooyoung. The crowd cheered, for it was the first time the MCs would be participating in the show, let alone performing first. Taeyeon smiled shyly at the audience, her eyes looking for her group of friends. She didn’t have to take long to look since Hyoyeon and Yuri were cheering the loudest, Yuri practically leaping out of her seat.

Sooyoung waved at them frantically, feeling a surge of energy when seeing her friends. It helped with her nerves too, for it was her first time singing at the Talent Show. And when her eyes met with Sunny’s, she felt her breath get caught in when she saw the familiar, reassuring and sweet smile. Sunny nodded at her and gave her a thumbs up of encouragement.

[Tongue Tied Playlist – She Will Be Loved (Acoustic Duet Cover)]

“I dedicate this to a very special girl,” Taeyeon started, strumming her guitar and looking for another face. It didn’t take long, for her was sitting somewhere in the middle with a stern look on his face. “She always loved it when I sang English, even though I’m not that good at it.” She noticed the expression on Tiffany’s father change at her words and she took in a deep breath.

Here they go.

Tiffany hid her face in her hands once the song started, knowing exactly what it was after the first few chords. Jessica roughly hit her shoulder, feeling the excitement as well and enjoying seeing Tiffany get embarrassed. It was an old overplayed song, but it was one of her favourites.

Beauty queen of only eighteen
She had some trouble with herself
He was always there to help her
She always belonged to someone else

I drove for miles and miles
And wound up at your door
I've had you so many times but somehow
I want more

Taeyeon sang the first verse with ease, her voice penetrating her audience. One of the main points of her singing was how clearly she was able to express her feelings with each note, each lyric sung.

She would look at the audience, at Tiffany’s father, at Sooyoung, but especially her girlfriend. It was dark so it was difficult to see it, but Taeyeon could’ve sworn that she saw a tinge of rosy colour on her cheeks.

When the chorus rolled around, Taeyeon made eye contact with Sooyoung, nodding as they sang it together with ease. Sooyoung may have not been completely confident to begin with, but her ability to sing the harmony was impeccable. It wasn’t an easy thing to do either, and the cheers the audience gave them helped Sooyoung prepare for her verse.

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved
She will be loved

Sunny had never really witnessed Sooyoung singing so seriously before. Every chance she got was through her fooling around on karaoke, or purposely singing off key to be the noisy and obnoxious person she was. So it was an understatement to say that she was mesmorized by the girl before her.

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful
I know I tend to get so insecure
It doesn't matter anymore

Her voice was a little nasally and Sunny could feel the nervousness in her voice. But with the encouraging looks Taeyeon kept giving her, it made it easier for her to make everything flow. Sunny wondered why her eyes kept wandering, as if she was trying to avoid something or someone. But then it made sense.

It's not always rainbows and butterflies
It's compromise that moves us along, yeah
My heart is full and my door's always open
You can come anytime you want

Sunny could feel her heart squeezing again when she saw the girl’s eyes begin to water. They had finally made eye contact and Sunny could only give Sooyoung a sincere smile. She felt sorry, as hard as this was on her she knew that Sooyoung was suffering just as much. She must have been confused beyond comprehension, but Sunny had faith that in the end things would work out one way or another.

I don't mind spending everyday
Out on your corner in the pouring rain
Look for the girl with the broken smile
Ask her if she wants to stay awhile
And she will be loved

Taeyeon and Sooyoung looked at each other as they sang the chorus again, Taeyeon smiling at Sooyoung as she tried to get her to smile back. And she succeeded.

They both closed their eyes as they continued to sing their hearts out, their perfect harmony echoing throughout the auditorium making the audience stare at them in awe.

And she will be loved

As the bridge approached, Taeyeon fixed her gaze on one person and one person alone. In the past, she had hoped this would be the song to help her win Tiffany over. It made her happy, ecstatic even to be able to serenade her like this, to see her smiling at her, that perfect eye smile that helped her fall in love. And she hoped that Tiffany’s father, who was listening just as well could hear the sincerity in her voice. But even if he didn’t, this was only the beginning.

I know where you hide
Alone in your car
Know all of the things that make you who you are
I know that goodbye means nothing at all
Comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls

Sooyoung had always struggled during the bridge during practice, and this was the part where the two girls would stand up and finish the song powerfully. But Sooyoung closed her eyes and focused, doing her best to carry out her lines and harmony without screwing up. At first, she hated Taeyeon for making her sing the last line of the bridge for it carried so much, but now as she flawlessly sang each note, with the roar of the audience she felt absolutely elated.

Tap on my window knock on my door
I want to make you feel beautiful

Sunny was captivated, her eyes not even once escaping Sooyoung’s figure. That was until she felt another pair of eyes looking at her.

“You’re so smitten,” Yoona cackled, sticking her tongue out at Sunny. The older girl retaliated with a slap to her knee.

The final replay of the chorus started and 7 girls near the front were swaying to the beat, completely engrossed in the song. The duo looked at each other as they sang the last part, Taeyeon singing the chorus again and Sooyoung singing the echo in the background.

Please don't try so hard to say goodbye

And although at first the height difference seemed a little awkward and comical, especially with Taeyeon only in dress shoes and Sooyoung in heels, the two seemed to have a sort of perfect unity. Surely, they’d be singing another duet in the future.

When the last note on Taeyeon’s guitar finished resonating, the two girls bowed before their audience who were clapping enthusiastically.

“You guys are way too kind,” Sooyoung said into the microphone first, switching right back to MC mode.

“Wasn’t Sooyoung-sshi great everyone?” Taeyeon asked, smiling brightly at her duet partner and pointing right at her. She was relieved to see that the tears that were threatening to burst in the middle of the song went away. “This is your first time singing for everyone, right?”

Sooyoung nodded, smiling shyly as the crowd gave her favourable cheers.

“We’re used to seeing you dance on stage,” Taeyeon continued, nodding enthusiastically, “This was a good change, don’t you guys think?”

There was no denying that Taeyeon and Sooyoung made a good MC combo. They spoke well, clearly, and weren’t afraid to throw the occasional snarky comment at each other to make the audience laugh. Numerous acts followed, the audience loving each and every performance. The three teacher judges, who were completely different from the teacher volunteers of course, made notes for each performance since only one could win in the end.

Out of their group of friends, Seohyun, Taeyeon and her choir were the next to sing. They weren’t really there to compete, but they were popular amongst the student body and made their penultimate appearance, the final one going to be at their graduation ceremony. Of course, Seohyun took the solo and awed the audience, causing a partial standing ovation.

“Are you going to miss bossing around those kids?” Sooyoung teased when their performance was over.

“A little,” Taeyeon said with a smile and a shrug, “They bossed me around more often actually.”

“You mean Seohyun bossed you around more often,” Sooyoung laughed, poking the smaller girl.

“Well, she’ll be taking over so it was good practice,” the audience laughed along with the two, Seohyun’s head peeking in from the side of the curtains after hearing her name. Her solo was in an act or two so she had to stay back stage.

Yoona had a fan sign ready in her bag and as soon as her girlfriend stepped into the spotlight with her keyboard, she raised it up and waved it.

“I love you Seohyunnie!” she cried out shamelessly, her sign showing a crude drawing of her and Seohyun with hearts all around it. “You go girl!!”

She soon had to quiet down when Seohyun placed a finger over her lips before giggling softly into the microphone.

“Excuse my girlfriend,” she apologized before bowing to the audience, “She can be a little much but I love her too.” The audience aww’d in unison, the loudest being her favourite group of people huddled near the front. She looked down at the keyboard trying to hide her blush as she prepared to start the song.

“I wrote this song while thinking of her actually,” she refused to look up for she was feeling a little too embarrassed. “I had the melody for the longest time and if there’s something you guys should know about me, it’s that I’m a little bit of a perfectionist.”

“A little bit?” Taeyeon murmured, forgetting that her mic was right in front of her. “Oh, woops, sorry donsaeng.”

Seohyun pouted, looking into the direction where her sister was hiding behind the curtains and let out a sigh.

“Okay, maybe a bit more than a little,” she continued, even more embarrassed than before. “Anyway, I kept trying to perfect it and made a bunch of different drafts for the lyrics but nothing seemed right.”

She glanced over at Yoona, smiling at her as if she were the only other person in the room.

“But after a certain Christmas miracle, I found the right words and managed to write this song. And so, I dedicate this song to my girlfriend, Yoong.”

“That’s me!” Yoona cheered loudly, getting up and turning towards the audience. Sunny and Tiffany had to pull the girl down before she completely embarrassed all of them.

The spotlight dimmed a bit as Seohyun started playing the keyboard. She closed her eyes and let the music take over her, like she’s done so many times in the past.

[Tongue Tied Playlist – Complete – SNSD]

Pretty seasons are passing a fragrant road
While taking cautious footsteps, I'm nervous
When you come closer while smiling for me
It feels like all the happiness in this world is mine

She finally found the courage to open her eyes and her gaze immediately strayed to find her favourite face. She tried her best not to break out into fits of giggles when she noticed that Yoona was in so much awe that she wasn’t even closing .

When I woke up due to the late afternoon sun I laughed.

Sunny closed the girl’s mouth, preventing from going dry and from unwanted spiders from going in. She held Yoona’s hand and squeezed it, loving the look of absolute adoration the girl was giving Seohyun.

It’s still in my far future but I hoped it wasn't my dream then
Just one love, I hope the road we walk on is the same

The audience started waving their cellphones, feeling the smooth and pretty rhythm of Seohyun’s song. Hyoyeon was clutching Yuri and Jessica close, nearly crying because of how proud she was of her precious dongsaeng.  She played the piano and sang so perfectly, her body radiating on that stage as if she was made for it. Indeed, it wasn’t only Yoona who was drawn in, but rest of  her unnies were also very captivated by her.

Good morning, your morning call that wakes me up everyday
It feels like the morning we share together

It was embarrassing, but Seohyun had an image in her head for each line she sang. They say it’s one of the greatest gifts to fall in love with your best friend, and that couldn’t be anymore true.

You are sweeter than the pretty candy you give me

Being with Yoona was always an adventure, always a treat and Seohyun could easily say that the other girl made her happier than anyone. Whether they were fooling around on the weekends in cosplay, studying, playing video games or cuddling on the couch and watching anime or dramas, Seohyun could only feel a certain type of completeness when she was with Yoona.

I have changed a lot due to time but I won't let go of your hands
Just for love, it’s going to be your last love forever so lean on me

From her awkward childhood, to her even more awkward pre-teen years, to her not as awkward but still fairly awkward teenage years, she could always count on that girl to make her smile. Seohyun was never the best at directly expressing her feelings, so she hoped that Yoona could feel her emotions through each lyric she sang.

Your love is so special to me
Oh, it's true while looking at each other I always want to be by your side

As the song continued to build up, Seohyun’s breathing began to waver but it didn’t take away from the power in her voice. She had practiced this song countless times since she finished writing it and wanted this performance to be executed as perfectly as possible. And without a doubt, that is exactly how the performance went.

I have changed a lot due to time but i won't let go of your hands
It’s going to be your last love forever so lean on me

Seohyun didn’t care about getting first place, remembering how cheesed she was about getting second place last year. This year, she had an act she solely wanted to dedicate to Yoona. She wanted to use the stage to demonstrate to her how grateful she was for her and how much she loved her. And by the way Yoona gazed back at her, her big eyes sparkling with so much affection, she knew that she did a good job.

To make my life complete
You make my life complete

When she finished, she closed her eyes and drowned in the enourmous applause she got from the audience. She smiled shyly, her eyes fluttering open to see numerous members of the audience standing up for her. She almost fell over laughing, seeing her friends jumping up and down from their seats. Hyoyeon was on Yuri’s back, and Jessica was on hers. Seohyun could only wonder how they were able to do that amongst the cramped seats.

And then her eyes met with Yoona’s and she felt her heart beat increase as she watched her girlfriend mouth those three words. She mouthed them back just as quietly before bowing for the crowd and walking away, curtains closing before her.

The night passed by much faster than the girls expected. Before they knew it, it was intermission and Sooyoung and Taeyeon were instructing everyone to go take a bathroom break or go get some refreshments from the volunteer run booths outside in the hallway.

Jessica was the first to run out and empty her bladder, Yuri being dragged back and forth without having to do much but wait for her girlfriend. When they got back, they were the only ones in their seats except for the maknae couple who were happily holding each other and talking.

“They’re so cute,” Jessica cooed, squeezing Yuri’s hand and creepily watching them from afar.

“You say that as if it’s the first time you saw them being this lovey dovey,” Yuri chuckled, pulling her girlfriend closer. “Now tell me, is your song with Fany dedicated to me too?”

Jessica winked at Yuri before poking her nose, “You’ll see hehehehehe.”

Soon enough, Jessica left her girlfriend once she realize that she was supposed to be backstage, for her duet with Tiffany was the intermission performance. She was dragged by a younger student who was in charge of fetching all the performers and kept insisting that they didn’t need to run. Yuri just rolled her eyes as she watched her whine and walk away.

Soon enough, everyone was in their seats again except for the performers, the MCs and Hyoyeon.

“Where’s Hyo unnie?” Seohyun asked, the auditorium beginning to settle down as the MCs began their introduction to Tiffany and Jessica’s act.

“I think she went outside? She said she was going to meet a friend,” Yuri replied with a shrug.

“She did? I thought she told me to come in,” a familiar voice said a little bit annoyed. “Yeesh, she texted me saying that you guys were near the front and that I should look for a small blonde boy and a tall girl with a big head.” Without holding back, the girl pointed at Sungmin and Seohyun respectively, a pout on her face.

“Min?” Yuri gasped, a little surprised, “I didn’t know you were coming!”

“Nice to see you too Yuri,” Min chuckled, taking a seat next to the surprised girl. She looked to the side to see if Hyoyeon was nearby, “That girl, now I have to awkwardly wait here with her friends.”

“If you say it like that,” Sunny laughed nervously, scratching her head.

Suddenly, Hyoyeon appeared out of no where with a bunch of drinks for the girls.

“I forgot to ask you guys what you wanted so I just got everyone water,” Hyoyeon huffed, handing out the drinks. "Sorry it took longer than expected, freshman can be so imcompetent sometimes hahaha."

“Unnie! Do I really have a big head?” Seohyun interrupted, a little offended and quite clearly upset. She accepted the water with a pout and tilted her head.

“Huh? Who said you have a big head?!” Hyoyeon feigned ignorance and then turned to see her best friend and lover in the seat next to Yuri. “Oh, you made it.”

“Shut up, you totally saw me,” Min remarked with a roll of her eyes, “Now come sit down because I think your friends are singing soon.”

Before the group of girls could continue to chat, the lights dimmed again as the auditiorium’s audience died down in volume as well. Most people were back from their breaks, snacks and drink in hand while others were still coming in and out.

Hyoyeon placed an arm around Min and leaned in, whispering into her ear.

“You didn’t have to tell them the identifiers I gave you!” she complained, knowing that she had to appease Seohyun somehow later.

“It was an ice breaker,” Min excused, giggling at how upset Hyoyeon looked. “Lighten up Hyo, I’m sure big head will forgive you.” She leaned forward and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek. “Now, I’m sorry for being late but Jo Kwon was the one who drove me over and you know how bad he is with directions.”

“He knows how to drive?” Hyoyeon asked amazed, if she remembered correctly the boy only took his written test just the other day. “I thought he wasn’t going to do the driving test until next week?”

“Who said he has his licence?”