How does one explain the physical pain one feel when they're longing to be with someone? Taeyeon was sitting outside the porch of her house while sipping an Earl Grey tea and thinking about how many hours left until she got back to Seoul. She had only one day left in Jeonju and less than 24 hours but she still think that's too much of an hours. She's dying to got back because she's been missing someone so much. She's been missing someone so much that her Mother kept asking her whether she's okay or not since she's been spacing out so much.

"Taeyeon"

"Taeyeon"

*SMACK*

Her brother's sharp hit on the back of her head put her back into reality. She hissed with hostitily towards Jiwoong who clearly enjoyed his previous action.

"Jiwoong! Don't do that to your sister!", their Mother wrapped in a flower patterned apron shot down a deathly glare to Jiwoong before turning her head to Taeyeon with a worry look,"Don't you like this soup, Taeyeon? You seems ill"

Taeyeon smiled weakly to her mother and proceed to scoop a spoonful of hot sundubu jjigae to .

"Aniyo Umma, the sundubu jjigae is very delicious. The tofu is very soft and the spice level is perfect. It blends well with the fresh shrimps"

"You are one weird kid, people eat naengmyun in summer not sundubu jjigae!", Jiwoong said to Taeyeon.

Upon hearing the words naengmyun, Taeyeon's mind wander to a spesific person. To a person whose been occupying her mind like a some sort of monstrous virus. Except, that person is far from the definition of monstrous. Taeyeon hissed again to her brother and not saying anything. It irked the older brother when he saw that his little sister didn't react violently to his teasing.

"Yah! You're no fun!"

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulder while continued to eat her favorite dish, sundubu jjigae. She literally felt out of place these past two days because her body surely was in Jeonju but her mind always drifted somewhere, she's like an empty vessel with all colors drained from her and it scares her how vast and deep the significance of Jessica's present to her. It scares her so much that she decided not to contact Jessica at all except the one call she made to Jessica the first day she arrived in Jeonju. 

Back in Seoul.

The sun already soared high in Seoul, it was past 11 o'clock and Jessica can tell by the rowdy sounds coming from the common room. Jessica rolled up for a hundred times in her bed, she curled inside a blanket and repeatedly checked out her phone. 

The bathroom door opened and a tall figure with a tan complexion came barging in and clicked her tongue seeing Jessica still curled up on bed.

"Seriously, just call her already instead of being miserable and waiting for her to call you back," Yuri was still wrapped in towel, her long silky black hair were wet and she smelled like a freshly picked aloe vera.

Jessica streched her body and let out a yawn before pulling out blanket over the top of her body and sit at the edge of the bed.

"I don't want to be clingy," she pouted and let out a deep sigh.

"You're thinking too much. I don't mind being ringed by my girlfriend ten times a day," Yuri rolled her eyes upon hearing Jessica's statement.

A loud sound from corridor broke out to Jessica's room and followed by a familiar alligator laugh and a moment later another tall figure, skinnier, but with a goddess complexion and a doe eyes came into Jessica's room. 

"YUL UNNIEEE, JESSICA UNNIEEE", Yoona shouted to the room making Jessica annoyed and glared at her.

Yoona smiled sheepishly to Jessica and entered the room, making her way to Yuri. 

"What's up mischief kid," Yuri put her arms around Yoona.

"Tiffany unnie is in a video call conference with Taeyeon unnie, let's go outside and say hello to Taeyeon unnie!", Yoona said cheerfuly.

Yuri looked at Jessica who tensed up upon hearing Taeyeon's name. Yuri knew that Jessica wouldn't go outside unless Yuri forced her to.

Yuri still wrapped in a towel yanked out Jessica's arm and dragged her outside.

"YAH KWON YURI! DO NOT DRAG ME LIKE I'M SOME MISCHIVEOUS KID WHOSE TRYING TO STEAL SOME LOLLIPOP"

Everyone in the common room turned around to see Jessica. Tiffany looked at Jessica for a second before quickly avoiding longer eye contact and stared back at her cellphone who showed Taeyeon in a black sunglasses and a sky blue loose shirt, sitting in the porch of her house while sipping some tea. 

A distorted sound came out of Tiffany's cell phone,"Is that Sica?"

Jessica froze in place when she heard Taeyeon's voice. They hadn't see each other yet since Tiffany whose holding the cell phone was in the centre of the room, circled by the others, while Jessica stood at the entrance of the common room. 

Sunny glanced an irritated look in Tiffany's face when Taeyeon mentioned Jessica. Tiffany didn't answer Taeyeon's question and merely nodded. 

"Where is she?", Taeyeon's voice was heard again. It was clearer and it resonated towards the room. Jessica can't hide her blush and yet she still hadn't move an inch from where she stood now. 

To quickly avoid awkwardness, Sunny called out to Jessica,"Sica come here!"

Yuri pushed Jessica to the centre of the common room and Jessica found herself standing beside Tiffany whose quickly left her position and handed the phone to Sunny. Sunny took hold of the phone and move it aside so Taeyeon could see Jessica. Jessica couldn't save herself from embarassment, there's no way out and Taeyeon saw her, all blushing and messy. Jessica mentally slapped herself in her head for being so stupid not to take a shower early this morning.

Taeyeon smile widened. She's beaming and even through a medium of phone anyone could see that she was beaming when she finally see Jessica. 

"Hey there," Taeyeon's voice ring in Jessica's ears and it sounds like a classical music on the middle of study session, it was.....soothing.

"Hey Taengoo," Jessica automatically smiled back widely and she was washed away by a rush of warm feeling upon hearing Taeyeon's voice and seeing Taeyeon's face. She was then struck by a realization how much she's been missing her eventhough she's only been away for two days.

Everyone were still loud in the background, engrossed in their own conversation so Jessica was a bit relaxed when she talked to Taeyeon. Jessica couldn't feel relaxed yet to talk endearingly with Taeyeon whenever the others are around, especially when Tiffany is around. Sunny understandingly handed the phone to Jessica and left her with the phone.

"Did you just wake up?", Taeyeon asked Jessica, still hadn't stop smiling. She chuckled a little bit, amused by the sleeping habit of the Ice Princess.

"Aniyo," Jessica's tone swiftly change when she talked to Taeyeon and Taeyeon noticed how Jessica seems to be talking in a more low-pitched tone in which Taeyeon finds more intimate compared to the way she talked rather coldly to others. 

"I've waked up since early in this morning but I'm too lazy to get ouf of bed," Jessica explained. 

Taeyeon let out her ahjumma laugh and the others in the room shook their head in disbelief due to her ridiculous way of laughing. 

Jessica chuckled lightly, with her unique voice, she was laughing along with Taeyeon because Taeyeon's laugh is contagious. 

Jessica then stopped laughing, followed by Taeyeon and a brief seconds of silent before Jessica finally gather the courage to speak up.

"Why didn't you call me?", Jessica said in a very quiet manner, she's almost whispering.

Taeyeon massaged her temple, her usual habit when she's nervous before she answered Jessica's shocking question,"Hm..", Taeyeon hesitated, "I didn't call Tiffany. She called me."

Jessica shot an icy glare to Taeyeon which startled her, that's the look Jessica gave her when she avoided her questions or ignored Jessica out of uncosciousness. The icy glare she associated with Jessica's hurtfulness. Taeyeon thought, was it bad that I brought up Tiffany to answer the question? I just wanted to clear out any misunderstanding she might has. Especially I could feel that Jessica is always uneasy with Tiffany's relationship with me, despite of their apparent closeness. 

"I didn't ask that question Taeyeon," Jessica tried to remain calm to hide her jealousy and her surprise because Taeyeon could guess that Jessica must've been jealous on why Taeyeon called Tiffany but not her. 

"Why didn't you call me?", Taeyeon retorted. 

Jessica rolled her eyes in annoyance, she extremely dislike it when Taeyeon retorted back any questions she asked. Taeyeon on the end of the receiver bite her lips, she clearly realized that she's annoyed the Ice Princess. 

Jessica looked straight into Taeyeon's eyes, she's determined to not hide any more feelings or thoughts that she has to Taeyeon.

"I don't want to seem clingy."

Taeyeon's eyes widened. She's surprised by the fact that they both really are introverted and reserved to the point they're afraid of speaking out each other's feeling. Taeyeon took a deep breath and much like Jessica, she mustered the courage to say what she really felt these past few days. She has choose Jessica and that means she can't hide between her shyness anymore, she has to open up in order for Jessica to open up. After all Taeyeon has promised to blurt out any loving words she has for Jessica in order to pay back years of hidden feeling between them.

"I really miss you," Taeyeon said clearly, without any hesitation, and she looked straightly to the brown orbs of Jessica's sleepy eyes.

Jessica felt like someone grabbed her heart and squeezed the juice out of it when she heard Taeyeon's statement. She didn't say anything but she couldn't help to fight the tears that rolled down freely in her eyes.

"Hey hey hey," Taeyeon was shocked when she sees Jessica cried and she keeps calling out to Jessica until Jessica was back to reality again.

Jessica cleared down the tears in her smooth cheek and then she finally said to Taeyeon, "Let's promise to call each other often and miss each other every seconds whenever we're away." 

Jessica put her finger into the phone's screen and was greeted back by Taeyeon's adorable smile and small laugh before Taeyeon put her finger into the phone screen as well, touching Jessica's finger virtually. 

"Are you guys done?", Tiffany's voice abruptly cut the sweet brief moment between Jessica and Taeyeon. Tiffany extended her hand to Jessica and asked for her phone. Jessica realized that Tiffany tried to avoid any eye contacts between them so she didn't answer Tiffany and nodded before waving goodbye to Taeyeon who looked at her with a glimpse of confusion.

The phone was back at Tiffany and Tiffany's voice greeted Taeyeon at the end of the receiver.

"Hey Taetae, I need to use the phone I apologize for cutting your romantic moment," Tiffany apologized but Taeyeon who knows Tiffany way too much could sense a hint of annoyance and sarcasm in Tiffany's husky voice. 

"Okay Pany-ah. Anyway, are you okay?", Taeyeon asked, still bewildered by Tiffany's sudden manner change.

"I don't know. Let's just talk tomorrow when you're back in Seoul", Tiffany answered Taeyeon coldly. Taeyeon was becoming more and more confuse because Tiffany is hardly cold to anyone, moreover to Taeyeon.

Taeyeon smiled at Tiffany and she waved her best friend good bye before ending their video call. Back in Jeonju, Taeyeon's mind wander wildly, listing all possibilities of actions that may cause Tiffany to be annoyed with her. She thought to herself 'What did I do wrong to her?'

--

Taeyeon was finally back at Seoul. She smiled widely at the entrance of SNSD's dorm, ready to meet all of her members and greeted by warm welcome. As expected, the moment she stepped in the room she was greeted by a boisterous noises from Yoona, Sooyoung, and Seohyun who clinged to her like she's been gone for years.

"Easy now kid. I'm only gone for three days for God's sake", Taeyeon shunned away from the three of them and shooked her head although at the deepest bottom of her heart she felt very happy to finally meet them again.

"Yah midget! You're back!", a small figure came barging in to the entrance hall, joining the welcoming party of Taeyeon. Her eyes lit upon seeing her leader back and she immediately hugged Taeyeon.

"Hey dandyu," Taeyeon broke out the hug and circled her short arms around Sunny.

"Where is she?", Taeyeon quickly ask to Sunny who looked back at her face wearing a mischievous smile.

"Ah", she snapped her fingers and let out a joyful laugh,"Someone's been missing her inamorata1!"

Taeyeon scoffed at Sunny's remarks and playfully hit her back,"Shut up you tease."

"She's out with kkamchi2," Sooyoung answered Taeyeon's question.

"Where to?", Taeyeon turned her head towards Sooyoung, asking for further information.

"Ah Kim Taeyeon is so possisive, how cuteeee. Are you jealous because she goes out with her seobang?", Sunny continued to tease Taeyeon. All four of them laughed at Taeyeon who was shooking her head in disagreement with their continous teases.

"Ah nevermind!", she shunned away Sooyoung and Sunny and made her way to the common room. Putting her luggage in the sofa and swiftly positioned herself comfortably in the sofa. 

"Don't worry, they're only go out for a while to buy some snacks," Sunny finally answered Taeyeon and sit beside Taeyeon in the sofa. Yoona, Sooyoung, and Seohyun followed the older members and they all gathered in the common room.

"Where's the others?", Taeyeon looked around the room, looking for the other members who weren't present.

"Hyoyeon unnie is out with a friend, Tiffany unnie is in her room," Seohyun answered Taeyeon's question.

"Ah, I see. I'll go see Pany in her room then," Taeyeon nodded and got out of the sofa to visit Tiffany at her room. Taeyeon remembered that she needs to ask Tiffany some questions on why she was acting coldly towards Taeyeon. 

*knock knock knock*

Taeyeon deliberately knocked Tiffany's door and opened the door, peeking inside and find Tiffany's laying in bed, reading a book titled Time Traveler's Wife.

"Pany-ah? am I interrupting?"

Usually Taeyeon's greeting to her dearly beloved best friend would be followed by a crescent-shaped eyes and a smile so bright it could literally make her heart skipped. But she wasn't greeted by the infamous eye-smile, instead she was greeted by somewhat angry Tiffany. It was weird, Tiffany isn't the kind of person who goes angry often, she's usually very warm and kind but when she got mad, she's one of the scariest person ever. Taeyeon shivered when she see the cold atmosphere radiating from Tiffany. She suddenly got the sense that Tiffany was mad and about to confront her about something and yet she was confused for she didn't think she was doing anything wrong that could anger her. 

"Hey", Tiffany's eyes didn't leave her book.

Taeyeon stood still at the edge of the door, she was really scared with the cold-mode Tiffany.

"I see, you don't want to talk to me?", said Taeyeon.

Tiffany finally put down the book she's reading and she gazed intensely at Taeyeon. Her eyes were so intense and for a brief moment Taeyeon felt like someone punch her in the liver, causing an uncomfortable pain.

"Come over", Tiffany said in English, her voice was stern.

Taeyeon steadily made her way into Tiffany's bed and sat beside Tiffany. Taeyeon's heart beat furiously, she was anxious and she could feel her palm sweating. Making Tiffany angry was the least thing she wanted to do.

Tiffany sat up from her position, she was sitting merely an inch from Taeyeon and she turned her whole body to face Taeyeon whose went pale from the nervousness. There were long silences, a silence that slowly eating up Taeyeon's heart, the kind of silence that wrapped Taeyeon in a sense of desolation and Tiffany still sat motionlessly, her gaze still pierced in a vast amount of intensity upon Taeyeon's face who went pale. 

Suddenly the world seemed to stop rotating around Taeyeon, the air and the wind stop moving around her and in that moment all she could see was Tiffany's face ever so slowly moving closer and closer to her own face. In a slow motion, she could see Tiffany's long brown hair and deep brown eyes moving closer to her face. She froze and all the blood flowing in her body seems to stop flowing, she was as cold as a dead person when she realized that Tiffany has closed the gap between them and then she felt the world slolwy rotating again. When the world swiftly rotating again, Taeyeon felt a warm feeling and a taste of strawberry chapstick upon her cold lips and she was dumbfounded by the realization on what just happened.

Before Taeyeon could fully registered the moment, she heard a high-pitched yet soft voice called out for her name

"Taengoo?"

 And in that moment there was nothing Taeyon want to do except drowning herself to the deepest part of the earth's core.