Jessica almost sprinted out as soon as the lift door opened to the ninth floor. She walked with haste, stilettos clanking on the tiled floor as she dragged her suitcase across it. Her head was throbbing due to jet lag but that was the least of her worries at the moment. Sunny called her earlier and the woman sounded anxious.

She knew it, taking the trip was a bad idea.

“Thank goodness you're here,” Sunny, the head of the finance department, said as soon as Jessica made her way near her office.

“Where is he?” Jessica said as they continued walking to the door situated at the corner of the ninth floor.

“In his office, probably planning how to chop everyone's head off because his coffee is bitter and the papers he needed to sign weren't stacked 'the way Jessica does',” Sunny rolled her eyes.

“I told you, one scoop of coffee and two scoops of sugar,” Jessica said, stopping in front of the wooden door with the words 'Kim Taeyeon, CEO' hung on it.

“I did just that,” Sunny shrugged.  “But he said it was different from yours.”

“I'm really sorry, Sunkyu,” Jessica gave her an apologetic smile. “I thought he was going to be fine for a few days.”

“Two days of hell,” Sunny said, laughing mockingly before hugging Jessica. “Welcome back, Miss Secretary.”

Jessica scrunched up her face playfully after they broke away from the hug. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I still have to deal with our boss.”

Sunny nods before walking back to her office, pumping her short arm and mouthing a low ‘fighting’.

Jessica knocked twice before opening the door. An enraged Taeyeon greeted her as soon as she stepped inside the luxurious office. Her gaze momentarily traveled to the wide glass window behind her boss, taking in the beautiful view of Han River. She always loved this office.

“Hi,” she said and walked to the desk, sitting in one of the chairs in front of it. Taeyeon looked up from the papers he was currently looking at, too engrossed on it to notice Jessica’s presence when she walked in.

“Sica!” Taeyeon's eyes lit up and his features instantly softened at the sight of his secretary.

Jessica smiled at him. “Have you eaten yet?” she asked even though she already know the answer to her question.

Taeyeon shook his head, making Jessica frown.

“It's almost two in the afternoon, Taengoo.”

Taeyeon looked at her with apologetic eyes. “I didn't notice the time.”

“I'll help you with these,” Jessica pointed at the papers on his desk. “But we have to grab lunch first. I'm starving and airplane food was bleh,” she whines, sticking her tongue out before pointing at it with her index finger.

Taeyeon laughed, his chin-dimple appearing as he did so, eliciting soft giggles from Jessica, too. She always find it adorable when Taeyeon laughs. It was still the same laughter she had grown up to.

Taeyeon stood up from his chair before walking to where Jessica was, extending his hand towards her. “Come on, we should get you something to eat before you start complaining about airplane food again.”

Jessica gladly took Taeyeon's hand, leaving her suitcase in the office as they walked to the door. Taeyeon let go of her hand as he opened the door and Jessica almost frowned at the action, but refrained from doing so, reminding herself that it wasn't right to hope for too much as skinship.

“So, how was the shoot?” Taeyeon asked as they walked to the lift, passing by employees who cowered away upon seeing Taeyeon.

Jessica's eyes caught Sunny's as they passed by her office. The shorter woman scoffed at Taeyeon before sticking her tongue out at Jessica, earning giggles from Jessica.

Taeyeon looked at her questioningly and Jessica cleared to speak. “I'm sorry, it was Sunny,” she said, answering the question Taeyeon has yet to voice out. Taeyeon nods his head.

“The shoot was okay but it was boring and I missed Hyunoo so much.” Jessica said, eyes sparkling at the mention of her son.

Taeyeon nods his head, punching a button of the elevator. “I’m sure he missed you too,” he said, briefly looking at Jessica with sad eyes. “I heard he's been giving his nanny a hard time. It was ridiculous, he complains for the smallest things, from his shirts to his socks,” he shrugged his shoulders before beckoning Jessica to get in the lift first and following after her.

“Well, you know what they say – like father, like son,” Jessica said playfully.

Taeyeon snorted before the lift started moving downwards.

The lift stopped at the sixth floor and employees filed up the metallic box, making Taeyeon scoot closer to Jessica, protecting her behind him like a body guard. Their hands brushed as he moved and Jessica felt the small, silver band resting in Taeyeon's fourth finger. She smiled sadly, unconsciously brushing her thumb against the identical silver band that rested on her fourth finger, too.

After a while, the lift door finally opened to the ground floor. The couple waited for the other employees to get out of the lift before doing so.

“Let's just go to the canteen, Taengoo. I don't feel like going out,” Jessica said, walking ahead of Taeyeon in an attempt to get away from the guy. Guilt always eats her up whenever she gets reminded of the ring on their fingers.

“Are you really that hungry to leave your boss behind?” Taeyeon said as he caught up with Jessica who merely snorted at him.

Five minutes later, they were settled inside the deserted canteen, choosing to sit at the far corner of the canteen.

“Mmm, I missed Korean food.” Jessica said after chewing and swallowing the meat in .

Taeyeon chuckled. “You've only been away for two days.”

“True, but you know I haven't been away from here ever since—“ Jessica looked away from Taeyeon. “Anyway, how were things here?”

“Horrible,” Taeyeon said, shaking his head. “Everyone can't do their job properly.”

Jessica chuckled. “You're being too harsh on them. Maybe you should loosen up a bit,” she said, unconsciously wiping the sauce from the corner of Taeyeon's mouth. “Gosh, you eat like a baby,” she added bashfully as she awkwardly retracted her hand, realizing what she had done.

“I think Hyunoo is more mature than you,” she added when she noticed Taeyeon stopped eating and stiffened on his seat.

“He's mature, alright.” Taeyeon said as soon as he recovered from the momentary shock.

The awkwardness immediately vanished as soon as it came. Lunch was spent catching with what happened in two days while they were away from each other because Jessica needed to fly to New York for a photo shoot for her father's company which she was the image model of. Something she wasn’t really fond of.

When they were inside the elevator again, Jessica raised a questioning brow at Taeyeon when the guy pressed the button to the basement, where the parking lot was, instead of the ninth floor.

“I'll drive you home,” Taeyeon said without looking at Jessica, as if he can read her mind.

“What? Why?”

“Because you need to rest,” Taeyeon looked at her with all seriousness. “You just came back from your trip, you should have gone home to rest first but you went here instead.”

Jessica's heart fluttered at the concern that was evident in her best friend's voice and she finds it hard to speak for a moment. She loves this side of Taeyeon. Actually, she loves Taeyeon and everything about him. Of course he didn't know. He shouldn't know.

The lift door opened shortly and Taeyeon beckoned Jessica to step out first, like he always does wherever they go. Twenty years later and is still the little Taengoo who would carry her home from the park and would always defend her when she was bullied.

“Are you sure? 'Cause I can just stay here and help--”

“I'm sure, Sica. You should rest first, okay? Hyunoo's waiting for you, too.”

Jessica's lips instantly broke into a silly smile at the mention of the seven year-old boy. “Fine,” she said, climbing inside Taeyeon's car as he held the door open for her.

**

“No! I want my Buzz Lightyear shirt!”

Jessica heard her son's yelling voice as soon as they walked to the front door. When the door opened, she was greeted by the sight of her half- son, dark locks disheveled, arms crossed over his chest as his nanny stood helplessly in front of him with shirts in her hand. It reminds Jessica of Taeyeon when they were young.

“Hyunoo,” Jessica called out in a stern voice, making the boy turn towards her. Hyunoo's eyes lit up as soon as he saw Jessica but immediately diverted his gaze to the floor when he noticed the familiar scowl in his mother's face. It was the same expression when he accidentally broke her favorite vase.

“Hyunoo, look at me.” Jessica ordered and the boy did as told with his eyes turning like those of puppies. “What did I told you about being mean?” she added, resisting urge to give in to her son's puppy-eyes.

“I'm sorry, Mommy,” said Hyunoo. His eyes flicked towards Taeyeon for a moment before focusing back to his mother, face adorned with a small frown.

Jessica sighed before her face softened at her son. She could never stay mad or even pretend to stay mad at her little angel. She walked to Hyunoo's nanny and took a random shirt from her, giving the nanny an apologetic smile as she did so, before slipping the shirt on Hyunoo.

“Oh, cute Woody!” Hyunoo beamed at his mother, pointing at the cowboy on his shirt as if he didn't reject it a while ago.

Jessica rolled her eyes before crouching down and enveloping her son in a tight hug. “I missed you.”

Hyunoo hummed. “I missed you too, Mommy,” he said as he tightened his grip on his mother's neck, looking back at Taeyeon who watched everything from the doorway, leaning his weight on the doorframe.

“Did you bring me toys?” Hyunoo looked at Jessica with expectant eyes after they let go of each other.

“I did,” Jessica smiled. “But I left it in Daddy's office.”

Hyunoo mouths an 'oh' as his eyes traveled back to Taeyeon again. He instantly shied away when Taeyeon smiled at him.

“I should go back,” Taeyeon announced, making Jessica turn to face him.

She nods before moving in front of Taeyeon with Hyunoo tagging along. “Thank you, Taengoo.”

Taeyeon smiled before crouching down to Hyunoo's level, ruffling the boy's already disheveled hair. “Bye, buddy.”

“Bye..” Hyunoo replied before turning his back at Taeyeon.

Jessica sighed, shrugging her shoulders at Taeyeon.

_______________________________

If you guys are wondering what Hyunoo looks like, here you go:

His an Ulzzang, I think. Someone mentioned about them wanting him to be any of SNSD's baby and I think Jessica fits the role (you know how awesome she was babysitting Kyungsan before, lmao). Lol, I looked him up in Google and good lord was he adorbz! He's seven and yes, the world is unfair because he could have been older and be an idol so I can over him. Hahaha. He's really cute, though.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY YOU GUYS!