(Taeyeon’s POV)

“Help me, Sica! Ugh…!” I walked straight into the Jungs’ living room and collapsed on the couch before Sica could even get a word in.

“Should I get used to you barging in…?” Sica said as she pushed my feet off the couch and sat down.

“Sorry… I’m at a loss…” I sighed.

“What’s wrong Taengoo? Spill…”

“So… I’m trying to brace myself for some Hwang family drama…”

“Ohmigosh! No way… Is it time?” Sica suddenly became interested in the topic.

“Well not so much the time as we’ve been talking about it and we agreed that dealing with it sooner rather than later was better…”

“Ooohhh… This is serious… You two are pretty serious, huh?” Sica said with a raised eyebrow.

“Uhm, says the person who can’t even go a day without seeing the girl she loves… We’re just about as serious as you two…” I said to Sica as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Pshhh… That’s how I’ve lived my entire life… so it doesn’t count…” she said, pretending not to care but I could see her starting to blush.

“Just get married already… geez!” I teased. “Anyway… so as you know, I’ve only met her siblings once and you haven’t met any of them, have you?”

She shook her head. “Yeah, she makes them out to be pretty mysterious doesn’t she? She’s never asked me over to her place… She’s only ever came over whenever she wanted to hang out…”

“When she first brought up the topic a few weeks ago, she warned me that they’re probably going to hate me and make it difficult for me… I hold her that I’m ready for it but… I was just trying to be strong for her. Honestly, I’m really nervous. What if they’re really that terrible that I can’t handle it?!” I confessed as I sat upright to face her.

“Woman, hold it together… You’re one of the strongest people I know. They can’t be that bad. And besides, Tiff will always have your back and we’re all here for you too,” she reassured me, reaching over and patting me on the shoulder.

“I wish there was someone who knew something about them so I can at least try and get on their good side…”

“You know… there is one person…”

“Oh… I haven’t talked to her since… that night…”

We were referring to Sooyoung of course. Even though Fany had revealed to me the reason why Sooyoung did what she did, I hadn’t been in contact with her at all. I just didn’t know what I would say to her.

“Well she’s the only one who knows anything about her family… and she was really trying to help you before, even though her method was a little… unconventional…”

“She did come on a little strong… I had been thinking about talking to her and asking for some advice but I’m not sure how to go about it… Besides isn’t she in Japan right now?”

“Actually, she’s in town right now… You want me to shoot her a text or something?”

“Uhm… If we’re going to do that, shouldn’t I be the one to text her?”

Just then the door to the condo opened.

“I’m home, Jessie!” Krystal called out.

“I’m here with Taengoo, love,” Sica called back.

I guess Krystal has been upgraded to a petname…

I smirked at Sica with a raised eyebrow.

“Shut up!” Sica sneered back at me, knowing that she couldn’t help being a pile of mush when Krystal was around.

“Oh! Unni! What are you doing here so early?” Krystal asked. She was probably out when I texted Sica about coming over before Fany.

“I needed reinforcement…” I answered still feeling a little dejected.

“And you chose Jessie?! You’re supposed to surround yourself with the strongest, unni… You only go to Jessie first IF it’s something to do with crazy ideas…” Krystal snickered.

“Excuse me…?!” Sica huffed and gave Krystal a dirty look.

Krystal wasn’t even fazed. She just walked straight up to Sica, held her chin up with her finger and gave her a kiss.

“Ewww… You two are gross!” I teased.

“Did you want one, unni?” Krystal laughed as she leaned down to give me a hug before going back over to Sica and sat on her lap.

“You can’t have any!” Sica clasped her hand over Krystal’s mouth.

“Aigoo, aigoo… I know you two are just showing off in front of me…” I said.

They both giggled.

“So what’s the matter, unni? Can I help?” Krystal asked, always the caring one.

“Our girl is having some in-law problems…” Sica told Krystal.

“Oh my… is it that time already?”

“Hey, I said that too…” Sica chuckled. “Anyway, since none of us really know anything about the Hwangs, we were just wondering if we should seek out Sooyoung.”

“Are they giving you trouble, unni?”

“Not exactly. I’m trying to get on their good side early,” I explained.

“Oh, I see… Preemptive strike, ei? I say just do it… Wasn’t she trying to help before anyway?”

“I guess… I just don’t really know what to say to her… I feel awkward after what happened…”

“Don’t think you have much of a choice if you really want the help…” Sica advised.

I took a couple of seconds to think over my options but the best option for me was really just to seek out Sooyoung.

I pulled out my phone. “What’s her number?”

Sica grinned and pulled up Sooyoung’s number on her phone.

I keyed in the number into my phone and started texting.

“Hey, Sooyoung. It’s Taeyeon. I heard you’re in town at the moment. Any chance we can meet up? I would like some advice.”

“Okay well, now I just have to wait for a response…” I sighed. “So what’s new with you two? Krystal seems a little cheeky today…”

“Am I? No, I’m not… I just need my Jessie after a tiring day… By the way what time is Tiffany unni coming over?” Krystal replied.

“She’ll be here later. She has things to get done…”

“Oh so you snuck here to meet up with Jessie? Tsk, tsk, unni… If someone else walked in and saw you two, they would get the wrong idea…”

“Hah! Look who’s talking… You’re sitting on your sister’s lap and running your fingers through her hair… What is that?”

“It’s called affection… There’s nothing so weird about it… But this… this is something else…” she gave Sica a kiss on the neck.

“Ahhh…! Stop it! I’m getting goosebumps… Sica! Get a hold on your girl…”

“Sorry, Taengoo… but I’m completely under her spell…” Sica said. She definitely sounded like she was drunk on something…

“Do you two want me to leave and come back later? Because I can…” I pretended to be annoyed. I actually just found it really amusing and adorable. Although if they did carry on being all lovey dovey, I’d probably start to feel like the third wheel.

“I’m just trolling you, unni. I’m going to go change. Are we going to go for lunch once Tiffany unni gets here?” Krystal finally stopped and got off of Sica.

“That’s the plan…” Sica replied and gave Krystal a little tap on her behind before Krystal walked off to her room.

“Ohmigod… You guys…” I gasped, suddenly realizing what it was that was different with the two of them.

“What about us?” Sica asked with a suspicious expression.

“You did… didn’t you…?” I smirked.

“Did what? I don’t know what you’re talking about…” she grinned sheepishly.

“You sly cat, you! I knew it!”

“Yah! ByunTaeyeon! SHUSH! Don’t announce it to the whole world!”

I couldn’t help but laugh. I laughed so hard that I had to hold my stomach, nearly falling off the couch.

“Stop it, stop it!” Sica scolded me whilst smacking my arm multiple times.

“Wow…! Seriously...?!”

Sica gritted her teeth but she gave a slight nod.

I wasn’t sure why but I felt like that called for a bit of a congratulatory hug, so I gave her one.

“Oh my, Sica… you’re in too deep now…” I .

“I know… I can’t ever let her go now…”

“Awww… that’s so sweet!” I pinched her cheek.

“Am I delusional, Taengoo? Am I grasping at straws? Is this all just wishful thinking that we would end up happily ever after?” This time it was Sica who was sighing.

“Why? You’re not having second thoughts are you?”

“No! Never! I love Kryssie… The problem is I love her too much, I think… I can’t let her go, so I’m afraid I might have to break my parents’ hearts instead…”

I thought about both our predicaments. “How did we get into such complicated relationships, Sica?”

“Well at least you don’t know that the Hwangs would really have you… But there’s no changing the fact that despite not really being related, Kryssie and I are still sisters. But I can’t acknowledge that fact anymore. I don’t want to. But what can I do about it? Anything I do to deny it would hurt my parents, won’t it?”

“They’ll be back after new years or something like that, right? You have to tell them, Sica… You have to tell them how you feel. It’s true, it might hurt them but you can’t give up your own happiness either. Your parents love you both, they’ll learn to accept it,” I told her. It was my honest opinion.

“Well, I keep telling Kryssie everything will be fine as long as we stick together, but I’m just trying to be brave. I don’t want her to have to worry about it.”

“Hmmm… Sooyoung hasn’t responded… I guess she doesn’t want to talk to me since I made Fany so mad at her.”

“That’s ridiculous. Fany already called her about it and cleared things up, didn’t she?”

“Yes… I guess so. Still she might still be a little angry.”

Just as I said that, my phone received a message.

“Hi unni, how are you…? I’m in town for just over a week. Do you want to meet up and discuss whatever it is you need my advice on?” Sooyoung replied to the text I send her.

“Oh! She replied! She asked if I wanted to meet up with her…”

“Why not? It’s better to talk in person.”

“Are you free tomorrow night? Let’s meet up then,” I texted back.

“You want me to go with you? For moral support? I assume you’re trying to keep this hush hush from Tiff?” Sica asked.

“Will you? Then maybe you can help me come up with one of those brilliant plans of yours…”

“Oh, Taengoo… Flattery will get you everywhere!”

“Tomorrow night sounds good. See you then, unni.”

“Don’t tell Fany about this, please. I’ll explain when we meet.”

“No problem.”

“Okay, it’s set! Tomorrow night…” I told Sica.

“Awesome.”

“What about tomorrow night?” Krystal asked as she came back to join us.

“I’m expanding my reinforcements…” I told Krystal.

“Cool… can I come?” she asked cheerfully.

“Pshhh, you don’t even know what this is about…” Sica shook her head at Krystal.

“So? I’m here for Taeyeon unni…” she stuck her tongue out at Sica and then turned to me. “I’m part of your army too, right unni?”

I chuckled. “Of course. You know what, why not… you know Fany too…”

“Sounds like a plan!” Krystal said with enthusiasm. And then a second later her expression turned to one of a little kid and threw her arms around Sica. “Jessie… I’m hungry…”