(4) Taeny: The Beginnings      9. Forever and Always      "Ackkk!!"      Tiffany heard a faint scream of somewhat a familiar voice and turned around but chose to focus back on her performance when she couldn't spot the person she was finding for. Choosing to just believe that the screaming was from the thousands of fans in front of her and she was just overthinking.      The music finally stopped and Tiffany frowned in confusion when she turned around and saw her other group members rushing to the side of the stage without even bowing to the fans. She rushed too, following their direction. She quickened her footsteps when she saw Taeyeon, squatting with her head hung low while being supported by Sunny on one arm as the rest of her other group members gathered around her.      "What happened? What happened?" She asked as she tries to weave her way through.        "What happened to her?" Tiffany turned to Yuri and asked.      "I don't know." Yuri shrugged.      "Excuse me. Let me through. Excuse me." Tiffany continues to push her way through till she reaches Taeyeon.      She held Taeyeon's other hand and pull her up. "What happened, Taetae?" She bows her head a little to look at Taeyeon. She gasped when she saw a shocked and pale looking Taeyeon with slight tears in her eyes. Tiffany got more worried.        "What happened to her?" Tiffany asked Sunny hysterically when she realised that Taeyeon was too shocked to response.      "I'll explain later. For now, let's go backstage. Can you walk Taeng?"      "Did she fall?" It was Tiffany who answered her with a question.      "Later, Fany. Let's go. We wouldn't want the fans to worry." Sunny tugged Taeyeon's arm and urge her to walk. Slowly, they walked off the stage and head to their dressing room.      "What happened there, tae?" Tiffany asked Taeyeon who was still too shocked to say anything. She kept hanging her head low.      "Tae?" She asked again, trying to look at her in the eye. Tiffany could see tears b at the corner of the eyes, she inadvertently reached her hand out to hug the latter.      But what happened next, surprise her. Taeyeon jumped up and slightly pushed Tiffany's hand away. She looked at Tiffany with a scared expression before hugging herself and sat at the corner of the couch, away from Tiffany.      Bewildered, Tiffany scooted nearer. "Are you ok?"      "I'm sorry." Taeyeon mumbled. She didn't intend to push Tiffany away. It was just that she was still too shocked by the earlier incident that she had acted out by instinct.       "I-it's ok. Just tell me what-..."      "Taeng, Fany. Let's go. We're leaving." Sunny interrupted Tiffany's sentence.      "Now?" Tiffany asked.      "Yeah. Oppa wants to avoid the crowd. We don't need another fan chase after what happen earlier."      "What exactly happened earlier?" Tiffany asked, feeling slightly annoyed that she still does not know what had happened.      "Later." Sunny answered. "Come on, Taeng. I'll walk with you." She went beside Taeyeon and offered her hand, which Taeyeon quickly took it and hold on to it tightly as though her life depends on it.      Tiffany frowned but quickly followed behind. As much as she was frustrated about the situation, she was still worried about Taeyeon and she didn't want to be too far apart from her.      *********   Tiffany take one last look at Taeeyon who was sleeping soundly on the bed before slowly closing the door. She then turned around and approach the dining table where the rest of the members are gathered.      "Is she asleep?" Sunny was the first one to ask the moment Tiffany reached the table.      "Yeah." Answered Tiffany as she pour herself a glass of water and took a sip as she waited for the long awaited explanation.      "Hyo, you want to start first and tell us what happened?" Sunny said when she saw the look on Tiffany's face. She knew Tiffany was expecting an explanation about had happened to Taeyeon.      "Me?" Hyoyeon pointed to herself. "I don't know. It all happened too fast. One moment we were dancing and the next moment, there's a guy pulling Taengoo away and the next thing I knew, I saw Sunny walking over. And I continued dancing. I'm shocked too." Hyoyeon explained.        "Who's that guy pulling Taeyeon away?" Tiffany asked, trying to be calm and not overreact yet.      "I don't-.."      "We don't know." Sunny stepped in. "Like Hyo say, we were all dancing and the next thing I knew, I heard a scream. I turned around and saw Taeyeon being pulled away. Initially I thought she was injured and a staff pulled her away. But I saw her struggling so I quickly walked over."      "What?!" Tiffany raised her voice causing her other members to flinch. "You mean a random person, came up to stage, walk into our performance and decided to just kidnap Taeyeon?!"        "Shhh, Fany. Taengoo sleeping." Sooyoung reminded her. "Then what happened after that?" She turned to look at Sunny to continue her story.      "I walked over and hold onto Taengoo's arm. Luckily Oh Jung Tae- oppa is there to help stop that guy too-.."      "You mean the security guard didn't even step in?!" Tiffany cuts Sunny off again.      "Shhh, Fany-ah."Sooyoung puts her finger on her lips, reminding Tiffany to lower her voice yet again. "Can you just calm down and let Sunny finish?"         "How am I supposed to calm down when Taeyeon is in danger and I'm only informed about it now?! She even got scared when I tried to hug her just now. Can you imagine how traumatized she must been to even push me away?!"      "Yes yes, I know. Let's just stay calm for now alright? What matter now is that Taengoo is safe and no one was hurt."       "Yes, she may not be physically hurt but she's mentally disturbed!"        "Fany-ah.." Sooyoung soften her voice. She understood Tiffany's agitation because if it were her love ones that got hurt, she would react the same too. But it was getting late and she didn't want their neighbors to complain nor she wants Taeyeon to wake up. The least they could do for Taeyeon now is to let her get more rest, hopefully feeling better when she wakes up.      Tiffany looked at Sooyoung and saw the look. She sighed inwardly and looked back down. "Fine, I'm sorry. Continue please." She didn't meant to overreact but she was just worried for Taeyeon's condition and the fact that she wasn't informed straightaway, makes her even more annoyed.      "Anyway, I didn't do much. I was just holding on to Taeyeon. Afterwards, the security came and took the guy away. So I'm guessing, he's been taken to to the police station for questioning?" Sunny explained before sipping on her drink.      "What did manager-oppa says about this?" This time it was Yuri who asked.      "He only told me to take good care of Taengoo now and if she's overly traumatized over the incident, alert him at once. He have to make sure that Taengoo is stable enough to continue with her schedules." Answered Sunny      "Then what happened to that guy?"      "I'm not sure about that. But Oppa did mention to ask Taengoo if she wants to press charges against him. I'll probably ask her tomorrow or the day after? For now, let's not just remind her of the incident?"      "So..." Tiffany paused to think. "If Taeyeon decides to not press charges, he will be set free with just a warning or something?"        "Most probably? I don't know. It all depends on whether Taeyeon wants to press charges against him."      Tiffany frowned, obviously not pleased with what she just heard. "Knowing Taeyeon, she will never press charges towards him. So you're telling me right now, there's a higher possibility that he's gonna get away with just a warning and be walking freely down the street and perhaps, planning another attack on MY Taeyeon?" Said Tiffany, purposely emphasizing the word my, showing her possessiveness over Taeyeon.        "I don't know what will happened to that guy. But don't you think you're overreacting, Fany?"      "I'm overreacting?" Tiffany tried to maintain her voice at the lowest volume. "Taeyeon almost get kidnap and you're telling me her kidnapper could be set free without getting any punishment. He could be planning on another attack right now. Heck, he could even be outside our dorm right now, stalking our every moves!" She unknowingly raises her voice again.      "That would be creepy." Yoona shuddered at Tiffany's words.      "Now now, calm down Fany." Said Sooyoung. "Let's not try to scare each other alright. Let's not try to think so negatively here. Who knows, that guy would feel remorseful and regretted his action or perhaps learnt his lesson. Besides, I'm sure the police will keep a lookout on him, making sure he's on his best behavior. So I'm sure and I hoped, nothing like this will ever happen again."     "If every person who did a crime could feel remorseful so easily, there wouldn't be a need for a prison or police." Tiffany retorts back sarcastically. "I could be killing someone and go to Church, feeling remorseful for my action and be forgiven."      "Yah!" Sooyoung protested at the sarcastic remarks. "Aish, Jinja." She sighed.      "Alright Tiff, do you want to take a breather?" Jessica who have been quiet all along finally spoke.      "No."      "Then learn to be calm. You should just be glad that Taengoo is safe right now."      "Be in my shoe and tell me if you could be calm." Tiffany folded her arm in displease.        "Alright alright guys. Let's not make matter worst by fighting with each other ok?" Yuri stepped in. "Anyway, Soonkyu did Oppa mention that he's gonna tightened the security for the next few days? Just in case, it happened again?"      "Well, he did suggested but I said no."      "Why not?!" Tiffany immediately in.       Sunny shifted her gaze towards Tiffany and explained, "Well, I know you're concern about our safety and Taeyeon's safety but look at the bigger picture. If he were to tighten the security around us, that's mean, they will need to keep a look out around us, 24/7, camping outside our dorm etc etc." Sunny paused for air but quickly spoke again before Tiffany could debate back. "I was just thinking about you and taengoo. You guys are hiding a relationship. It's already bad enough that we are in the public eye and you guys can't be too intimate towards each other often and the only times you can do that is when you're in the dorm or when you guys sneakily go out. But with securities around, how to you go about doing that?"        "True.." Sooyoung nodded her head in agreement. "That's mean we can't even go out on a date sneakily without a security following us. That would be hard on us too."        "Well..." Tiffany hesitates. "I guess you're right then. But Taeyeon..." Her  voice trails off thinking about Taeyeon's safety and what happened to her earlier.      "I guess this is where all of us play a part. To be here for each other and protect each other. Especially you, Fany." Sunny looks at Tiffany. "Taengoo needs you the most right now."      "I know that." Tiffany looked away and sighed. "She must have been scared out of her wits just now. And I wasn't even there to protect her." She closed her eyes, feeling sadness surging up.      "Hey, you're not to blame." Sunny quickly response, not wanting Tiffany to blame herself for it. "She walks over to Tiffany and gave her an encouraging pat. "And I don't think she would like it if she knows you're blaming yourself for it." She smiled.        "But-..."      "Yeah. You may be her girlfriend and I know you feel responsible for her. But sometimes things happen when you least expected it. So don't take it too hard. Chin up and be there for her. That's the very least all of us could do now. Right?" Sooyoung who was beside her, patted her other shoulder.      Tiffany sighed, glad for the encouragement. "Thanks girls." She looked at every single one of her members and gave a weak smile. "I'll go to my room then. I wouldn't want Taeyeon to wake up and panic when she sees no one around her."      "Yeah. Remember to stay with her. And call us if you need any help."      "I will." Tiffany replied and turned her heels, heading back to her room.        "I'm going to my room too." Sunny watches Tiffany disappearing into her room before heading off to her own.       "Me too." Sooyoung and Hyoyeon echoed after Sunny.      One by one, the girls head to their own room except for Yuri and Jessica as they remained seated at the dining table. Jessica seems to be deep in her own thought while Yuri was just sitting there accompanying her, not wanting to leave her alone.        "Who knew that Tiffany truly loves Taeyeon?" Jessica randomly blurt out, while her eyes was still fixed on her hands which were resting on the table.      "Huh? What do you mean?" Yuri asked, confused by the random question.        Jessica turned to look at Yuri, "Well, I always thought that Tiffany had accepted Taeyeon's love out of sympathy or she was just using Taeyeon so as to heal her broken heart. But I guess I was wrong."      "What makes you think that way?"      Jessica shrugged. "I don't know. Perhaps all along I've thought she liked boys and then suddenly they announced they are together. Even though at times, she have told me how she may have feelings for taengoo but too afraid to tackle that feelings, so when they got together, for sure I'm happy for them. But I can't help to think that it was more of one-sided love. But today she just proved me wrong."      "How?"        "Just look at the way Tiffany cares for her and worry over her. While all of us are all calm and just glad that Taengoo is safe, Tiffany is the only one feeling agitated and uptight about every single thing. And when she said she wouldn't want Taeyeon to wake up alone, seeing nobody beside her, I knew she must have truly loves Taengoo. Oh wells, I guess they are match made in heaven after all."        "Yeah. When you loves someone, you will do anything for them. You will go to the end of the world for them. I guess you could say when you care about someone, you just do and nothing can change that."        "Suddenly I'm so envy of her." Jessica sighed. "To love someone and have that someone loves you back in return. To be able to accept Taeyeon's love and love her back the same way, I wish I could have that kind of relationship."        "Well..." Yuri hesitated but decided to just speak her mind. "You could have that but you didn't want to." Said Yuri, referring to her situation with Jessica right now. She have confessed to Jessica and made her feelings known to Jessica a countless times. But Jessica still couldn't accept her.      Jessica kept quiet and just smiled. It has been increasingly confusing for Jessica recently. As much as she wanted to accept Yuri's love or at least give it a try, there is that one little voice in her head that is preventing her from doing so. She couldn't even considered the smallest possibility for them to go beyond friends. Hence, she will always choose to remain quiet or change the subject whenever Yuri sort of hint her of her feelings because replying or playing along would only hurt Yuri and she didn’t want to do that. She didn't want to string Yuri along and bring her hopes up, only to hurt her in the end. Until she is really sure of her feelings, till then she will never inject a slightest bit of hope into Yuri.      Yuri silently sighed but smiled back bitterly, not wanting to bring the mood down. "But I know where I stand. I just can't make you love me if you don't. You just can't make your heart feel something if it won't. Right?"      "Yul..."        "It's ok, I understand. I'll still wait, Sica. I'll always wait for you." Yuri tried her best to look happy but she knew she failed miserably when she saw the sympathy look in Jessica's eye, a look she's been receiving a lot lately. "And let me say this again, don't accept me out of sympathy."      "Look, Yul. It's getting late and I'm getting sleepy. I think I'm heading to bed." Jessica quickly changed the subject. The mood had turned mellow and she didn't want to continue talking about it, deciding to keep it at that.        "Yeah, you should. Goodnight then." Yuri relented, knowing exactly what Jessica was trying to do.      "Goodnight. Remember to off the lights."      "I will." Yuri observes the receding figure till it was out of sight and sighed. She wanted to cry it out but that night, her tears refused to fall. She was tired of crying over the same thing over and over again. Her heart was starting to be numb to the pain and she was tired of having to remind herself to move on and stop loving Jessica. But she can't, she just can't. The more she convince herself that Jessica was not the one for her, the more she thinks about it, the lesser she believe it and each passing day she will just keep hoping that one day, with her perseverance, Jessica will fall for her eventually.      What should I do now, Sica-ya... Yuri sighed for one last time before deciding to just go to sleep.        ************   "No... Don't... Let me go..."      Tiffany woke up with a stir when she felt someone kicking her thighs and somebody squirming in her hold.        "Help..." Tiffany heard the same voice again and quickly lifted her head up to look at Taeyeon whom she have been cuddling to sleep.      "Tae." She shook Taeyeon's shoulder in attempt to wake her up.        "Taetae-ah..." She calls Taeyeon's name again but shaking her with more urgency this time. She can't help but to sigh when she saw Taeyeon's distorted face with beads of sweat on her forehead. (I) She must be having a bad nightmare.        "Tae." She shook harder and the latter finally stopped squirming.      "Are you ok?" Tiffany asked when she saw Taeyeon opening her eyes and panting slightly.      "Fany-ah.." Taeyeon immediately nuzzled her face against Tiffany's chest, surprising the latter.      "Fany-ah..." She calls out Tiffany name again as she began sobbing. She felt as though she was just save from something. She was not sure what it is but she was just glad to see Tiffany by her side.      Tiffany heard the sob and inadvertently Taeyeon's back. "I'm here, I'm here." She tried to comfort Taeyeon.      "F-fany-ahh.." Taeyeon sniffed. "H-he's coming to get me. H-he's taking me away..." She said between her sobbing.      "He won't. I'm here." Tiffany continued soothing her girlfriend down. But deep down, she hated whoever who did this to Taeyeon. The usual strong and calm Taeyeon was reduced to this state, so fragile and scared. As she kept soothing her down, Tiffany realized she have to be there for Taeyeon especially at times like this, that she have to be strong for Taeyeon.      Taeyeon shook her head. "H-he is taking me away...Fany-ah... Help."        "He won't take you away, Taetae. I'll protect you. Ok?"        "B-but he will hurt you too."      Tiffany smiled. At times like this, Taeyeon was still caring for her. She pulled Taeyeon's face from being buried in her chest and looked at her, cupping her face. Taeyeon's eyes was still closed but tears could be seen b out of her eyes.      "Look at me Taetae."      Taeyeon slowly opened her eyes and look at Tiffany. It was rare that she will show others her tears. But it's Tiffany and that night she was just too scared and the last thing she wants was to push Tiffany away.      "I'm here, Taetae. I'll always be here. And I will protect you. So what if he comes and hurt me? Seeing you like this, hurts me even more." She could feel her sadness surging up and took a deep breath. "Because whoever hurts you, hurts me too." And her tears fall. She blinked and looked away, not wanting to look at Taeyeon in the eyes because she knew she will cry even harder once she saw the scared look in Taeyeon's eye. She have to be strong for Taeyeon and by breaking down in front of her will just makes Taeyeon more afraid and worried. She took another deep breath and look at Taeyeon again. "I promise, I'll protect you ok? As long as you're fine, I'll be fine. As long as you're safe, I'll be safe. Ok?" She gave Taeyeon a reassuring smile.      "You'll be ok?"      "Yes, I will." Tiffany graze taeyeon's cheek with her thumb, wiping her tears away. "I love you." She can't help but to mutter those words. All these happenings have made her realised how much Taeyeon needed her too, how much they needed each other. She leaned down and gave Taeyeon a kiss on her forehead.        "You promise,  you will protect me?" Taeyeon asked rather cutely.      "I will. I will protect you. I promise" Tiffany whispered against taeyeon's forehead before giving it a kiss again, kissing it a little bit longer this time.      "Thank you, Fany-ah.." Taeyeon looked up. "I love you."      "I love you too." Tiffany dips her head down and give a peck on her lips. "Go back to sleep?"        "You won't leave me alone right?" Taeyeon asked. She was still feeling afraid and traumatized and the last thing she need was to be left alone.      "I won't. You'll never be alone as long as you have me, taetae." Tiffany pushed Taeyeon's head forward before resting her chin on top of her head. "I promise I'll never let anything happen to you." She hugged taeyeon's tighter.      Taeyeon heaved a sigh of relief. She feels safe, she feels secure in Tiffany's hold and she was just glad that she have Tiffany to be there for her. She leaned her face sideway, resting it against Tiffany's chest while hugging Tiffany back. She closed her eyes again, wanting to fall back to sleep as she trusted Tiffany and relaxes into Tiffany's hold.        Tiffany felt Taeyeon snuggling onto her before her breathing slowly became regular. She absentmindedly Taeyeon's back while closing her own eyes.  I'll never let anything happen to you, Taetae. Never. Ever. I'll always be here for you. Forever and always...       **********     "Alright girls, it's quite a crowd outside. I want all of you to stay close to each other and don't stop for any fans for pictures or autographs. We will walk straight to the van. I don't want anything to happen or fans getting to rowdy, you hear me?" Their manager address them before they walked through the sliding glass door where thousands of fans were already waiting for them, something they weren't prepared for. They have just landed in Beijing for their Beijing Tour and with the recent security relapse they had at the Lotte Event a few days back, the last thing their manager wants was to have another headlines to their name.      "Dae Oppa." Some of the girls answered while some just nodded their head.      "Alright, here we go." Their manager took a deep breath and lead them out of the door.      Just as the door slides open, cameras started flashing at them and the deafening screams could be immediately heard as fans started shoving each other and running towards them just to get close to them. Taeyeon and Tiffany who was last in line hold onto each other as they walked towards the door. But as soon as Taeyeon heard the loud deafening scream and saw the thousands of fans awaiting for their arrival, she stopped walking and stood in place.      Tiffany stopped too and looked at her. "Why?"      Taeyeon looked at Tiffany and looked at the crowd in front of her before looking down at the floor and shook her head.      "Why Taetae?" Tiffany was getting worried. She looked at the rest of their members who was already making their way out. "Tae?" She went in front of Taeyeon and places both her hands on her shoulder.      "What's wrong?" She asked again. She was getting anxious as their members were getting out of their sights and they were left alone, only with two security guards with them.      "