A/N: Hi guys, thanks for those who are still reading and commenting even until now because frankly, I wanted to delete this story due to the lack of inspiration. But now that I'm on vacation, I'll hopefully be able to come up with something good enough to hold y'all till the flow comes back to me. 

 

Yoona sighs and rests her chin on her fist, staring at the heated exchange between her two colleagues in front of her. She never liked being in the middle of such problems because it would only spell trouble for her in the long run, which Yoona has absolutely no time for. If anyone ever told her she was stupid for wanting to be in the enterainment industry, Yoona would have ignored them and went ahead with her dreams but... looking at things now, she knows they're more than right. She threw herself into a bottomless pit, where only the cream of the crop manage to stand out while everyone else remains in the shadows if they can't keep up.

“Why do I have to be here, Sunny-unnie? This has nothing to do with me.” Yoona grumbles, rolling her eyes when she sees the argument intensify. She used to be the pushover among the young ones but no more of that; not after she has found someone she loves outside of this hellhole. “They’re not even paying any attention to us, pft.”

The manager shrugged before turning back to her phone, more focused on someone else for the time being. She didn't know why they were called back to the company tday either, considering that Yoona's supposedly on hiatus till the end of March. 

“I said I want to have a duet with her!”

“I SAID IT FIRST!”

Yoona groans again, taking out her phone. She’s not going to bother about this dumb argument happening when the two parties are speaking as if she isn’t even there; it's not even the first time they're arguing about something this stupid. Being one of the fastest to graduate from school, Yoona knows exactly when someone wants to get into her pants. People think she's a beauty without a brain but she's the exact opposite, and her manager knows it better than most, which is why she's rarely worried about Yoona. Yoona can handle herself well enough. 

Yulbaby I told you skipping work would have been better and make everyone angry? i think not what's wrong ugh i hate being here they apparently want me to do a duet  when i already know all they want is no way no no no no you did ask me to come...  so  :)  i'll lock you up at home that sounds just fine

 

“UGH!”

“What now, you black monkey?”

Yuri tightens her hold on her phone, gritting her teeth as she types another reply. She isn’t going to let Yoona go ahead with the stupid duet even if her manager rips off her head. “Im Yoona's teasing me…”

The tall shikshin rolls her eyes in response, turning her attention back to the box of cookies in front of her. She knows that the cookies came from someone, and goodness - it's making her stomach crave for more. Yet, the cookies remind her so much about someone else.. two completely different people. One who makes her heart burn and her mind race with anticipation; the other makes her have an overbeating sense of protection from everyone else. Honestly, the confusion is driving Sooyoung crazy right now, but she can't exactly talk to someone about it unless she gets to confirm her own feelings.

“Yoong! Stop it…” Yuri whines all of a sudden, indirectly chasing the shikshin into the kitchen. She grabs a cushion and hugs it to her chest to hold back herself from saying the wrong thing. “Why can’t you just turn it down and be with me?”

“Because I want you to be jealous.”

God damn it. 

If Sooyoung thought she had seen Yuri run her fastest during their sports competitions and events, she's probably the most wrong about it - Yuri had finished changing her clothes within three minutes and ran out without even wearing her shoes properly. Not to mention the multiple times the door has opened and closed because Yuri keeps forgetting her things. 

“… whipped.”

 

*

 

It's only 9 in the evening.

Taeyeon never thought she’d be into this situation, since it does consist of a scene she hates with a passion. If she had known any better, she wouldn’t have agreed to follow Hyoyeon and Jessica. She knows they just want to take her mind off the eye-smiling girl for now but bringing her to a gay club? Taeyeon hated the disco lights and loud music, plus she didn’t like the constant grinding of sweaty bodies in the middle of the dance floor. To put it extra bluntly, Taeyeon hates where she is now and hates the two best friends temporarily for putting her in this odd situation. 

“You and your bright idea…”

“Yah, Kim Hyoyeon!” Jessica whined, clinging onto her best friend's arm with a pout. She managed to persuade the younger to go ahead with this plan and now they were here. “You agreed too…”

The older girl watched in disgust as their ice princess continued to show aegyo to Hyoyeon (who usually hated it when she witnessed anything too cute); how in the world did her twin manage to change Jessica so much? Taeyeon isn't complaining that much though because she does have faith in Jessica to take good care of her twin, which is all that she ever wants. They might think Taeyeon doesn't notice many things because of her quiet and introverted personality but she's the eye in the sky, and she watches everything from a distance.

As a result, it's not too much of a surprise to know that Jessica's soft spot for Hyoyeon only intensifies, and Hyoyeon's secret feelings for the ice princess only gets more obvious by the day.

“I’m going to get a drink. You two have fun getting dirty.”

“TAENGOO!”

Taeyeon chuckled and ignored their whining, walking away from their private booth to the bar. If she’s going to get distracted, then might as well get a good distraction. She knows there are people staring at her from behind and beside but to be frank? Taeyeon doesn’t care. She’s not and probably won’t ever be interested until she's well and over the only one she has in heart right now. Don't get her wrong - Taeyeon knows her chances of actually being together with that person is getting slimmer by the day but it's not her fault in any way for falling so hard for Tiffany. 

Taking a seat at the corner, Taeyeon raises her hand to get the bartender’s attention. Not to brag but it shouldn't take too long for her to get someone here, and true to those words, the tallest one spots her first.

“A beer, please.”

“Drowning your sorrows, huh?”

Taeyeon looked up at the young bartender and caught sight of the silver nametag pinned to the top left of his shirt. She smiles at him, “Looks like you know the feeling, Lucas… thanks for the beer, by the way.”

“You’re most welcome.”

A chuckle leaves Taeyeon’s lips, finding the gaze in the bartender’s eyes pretty similar to her own – he must have experienced a kind of heartbreak recently too. She can only sigh at the thought of being that close with Tiffany; it's practically a dream that will never come true. A part of her wants to complain that life's always unfair to her but another part of her also knows there are more important things in life than just relationships. In fact, Taeyeon finds it a lot easier for her to watch over Tiffany from the sidelines like this instead, because she can comfort the latter when she needs it. 

Not exactly a solution but... 

Wait, what the hell! Is that Tiffany sitting at the other side of the bar? 

Tiffany has her bangs covering one side of her face, her arm supporting her entire frame. Her eyes are dubbed with eyeshadow and mascara, a must-have when Tiffany goes to a bar or a club. She has a body-hugging mini-dress on (sinful for everyone out there, especially Taeyeon but nevermind) and some rings donned but what is catching Taeyeon's attention right now is the depressed look on Tiffany's face. Taeyeon hasn’t seen Tiffany like this ever since the day of her mother’s death anni