~Two Months Later~

Taeyeon breathed in and out several times hoping to calm her nerves. This wasn’t the first time she had a major international competition but it was her first time to show she can become an Olympian. She didn’t want to mess this up.

“Taeyeon you look like you are ready to lose it.”

Taeyeon laughed nervously, “Am I that obvious?”

Bora patted her teammate on the back, “Don’t think about it too much. You are the best in Korea right now and that is all that matters. Be confident.”

Taeyeon stretched her arms and legs a few times, “Right! Let’s kick .”

Bora laughed, “Yes! Team Korea is going to show their power today!”

Yuri, another archer on the team came over, “I just heard Team USA has recently gotten an ace.”

“Really?”

“That is the rumor going around, that she is their secret weapon.”

Bora thought for a second, “You don’t think…it might be Jessica?”

Taeyeon’s ears perked up at the name.

“The coach never said what happened. She just left a letter saying she resigned.”

“What a traitor. We spent 2 years training together and she just drops us to go to another team.”

Taeyeon bit her lip not sure what to say. 2 months ago, Taeyeon was at her parent’s house when Jessica left her a text saying ‘sorry.’. The next day she got a call from the coach saying her suspension was over and everything was resolved. She knew it was Jessica who chose to leave but she was angry that she didn’t even discuss this with her. Even if Taeyeon saw Jessica today, what would she say?

“It doesn’t matter. We have Taeyeon. She is going to kick .”

“Yea! Taeyeon kick her !”

Taeyeon gulped nervously, “I never beat Jessica.”

Bora patted Taeyeon on the back, “Don’t sell yourself short. You got this Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon nodded as she put on her arm guard, “We should find coach. It must be getting close to the time for competition.”

Grabbing their equipment, team Korea went to the competition area waiting for their turn to shoot. Everything around Taeyeon felt claustrophobic. She wasn’t used to being huddled around so many people, with so much noise and the weight of her team on her shoulders like this. She was going to fail, she wasn’t ready for this at all.

Not thinking, Taeyeon took off to the woman’s bathroom and locked herself in the stall. Not a moment later, her teammate came in after her, “Taeyeon it is almost our turn.”

Taeyeon was trying to hold back her tears from the pressure, “I know. Be out in 5.”

“Okay. I will tell coach but don’t take too long.”

Taeyeon waited until she heard the door shut again before she let herself breakdown. Maybe the pressure was too much for her. She wasn’t a leader, she wasn’t strong like Jessica. Taeyeon was okay at being number 2. Maybe the Olympics for her could wait 4 more years when she was more mature. Hell, she could wait as long as she wanted because archery had no age limit. Suddenly the door to the bathroom opened again, so Taeyeon breathed in quickly to stop her crying, not wanting anyone else to hear herself be this pathetic.

For a second, Taeyeon’s heart started to beat faster and faster when she saw two shoes halt right outside of her stall. Suddenly, an object was slid under. Reaching down, Taeyeon saw it was a finger tab with the initials ‘JJ’. Immediately Taeyeon knew who that belonged to and swung the door open hoping to catch her, but she had already left. Letting her fingers glide over the soft leather, Taeyeon felt her heart flutter in a way she had felt in months.

After splashing water in her face and wiping her tears away, Taeyeon composed herself enough to return to hear team, “Taeng are you okay?”

Putting on the finger tab gifted to her, “More than okay. Let’s crush this competition.”

Starting with the team competition, one by one team Korea took out their opponents. Every so often, Taeyeon thought she saw glimpses of Jessica but with Team USA being in a different group than them, there was no way for Taeyeon to cross paths with Jessica until the finals.

Midway in the tournament, news came that after team USA finished their first quarterfinal match one of the girls on team USA got injured and the team needed to forfeit their next match. Taeyeon didn’t know if she was happy or sad that Jessica and her team wouldn’t meet in the end but she held onto hope that the individual rounds would give her the chance to face Jessica once again.

When Korea grabbed the first medal of the tournament, no one was surprised but Taeyeon gained fame as the new ace of Team Korea. Recording a 6 perfect games of 30, Taeyeon was the shining new star for her nation. However, this put even more pressure on her as she battled it out in the individual rounds. With her team and Jessica’s team making it to the quarterfinals she already knew their countries were eligible to make it to the Olympics, but Taeyeon felt like she still needed to earn her spot there.

As the tournament progressed with the individual rounds, Taeyeon started hearing gossip regarding the ace from the USA. They were calling her a robot with the way she could get 10s without blinking her eyes.

Trying to focus on her matches, Taeyeon looked down at the finger tab in her fingers, “I just need to make it to the end to see you.” Taking a few more deep breathes in, Taeyeon grabbed her bow to the next area. However, what she awaiting her there knocked the wind out of her lungs, “Jessica…”

The American girl stood there with her bow in hand also looking at Taeyeon like she saw a ghost.

“Two archers take your mark.”

Taeyeon quickly went to her spot with her coach behind her spotting.

“You will play the best of 3 sets, the archer from Korea will start. You have 20 seconds to take your shot.”

Taeyeon slipped an arrow into her bow, trying not to take glances at Jessica but the girl was like a temptress. Taeyeon needed to know if it was real, that Jessica was there just a meter away from her grasp.

*Beep*

Taeyeon shook the thoughts away as she drew back her bow and released.

“Seven!”

Cursing, Taeyeon knew she needed to focus. It was unacceptable for someone from the Korean National Team to hit outside the gold.

Jessica didn’t even seemed phased that Taeyeon was there as she pulled back effortlessly, “Ten!”

Taeyeon slid another arrow in, pulled back and released, “Nine!”

“Damn nine…” Taeyeon knew the first set would go to Jessica. There is no way she would catch up as she heard another…

“Ten!”

Taeyeon pulled back for the last time in this set, “Ten!”

Taeyeon smiled as she saw her first Ten of the match, but the celebration was cut short as she heard another “Ten!” Signaling Jessica had a perfect score.

Going over to her coach, she could hear him whispering something about keeping her focus, but Taeyeon only found herself focusing on Jessica. Any anger Taeyeon thought she for the girl didn’t seem to matter. Taeyeon felt young again, intoxicated with the playfulness they once had together and a heart beating for only one girl.

“Archers take your marks. United States will start.”

Jessica slid her arrow in and pulled back to a surprising, “Nine!” Biting her lip, Jessica wasn’t pleased with the less than perfect score.

Taeyeon felt some hope as she pulled back to a, “Ten!”

Jessica closed her eyes for one large breath before releasing a, “Ten!”

Taeyeon knew she needed a nine or more to beat Jessica. Feeling like this was the most important point in her life, Taeyeon focused on her point to release a, “Ten!”

Jessica shook her head knowing Taeyeon took the set, but Jessica finished off her round with a, “Ten!”

“What a match folks. These two competitors are performing at a high level.”

Patting his archer on the back, Taeyeon’s coach was very pleased with her, “Taeyeon you are doing amazing today. Finish this up.”

“Archer’s take your mark, Korea will shoot first in the final set.”

Everyone was right, Taeyeon was not the same person she was before. She was more confident and needed to rise up to the title of Korea’s number one. Jessica was just another opponent.

“Ten!” Grinning ear to ear, Taeyeon knew she was on track to beating Jessica for the first time.

As usual, Jessica was calm and collective when she pulled back to match Taeyeon’s, “Ten!”

Taeyeon wanted to laugh. Every time she does her best, Jessica has to show off.

Pulling back, Taeyeon aimed and released, “Ten!”

Jessica raised her brow at Taeyeon’s incredible shooting today. Keeping her mark, Jessica matched it with, “Ten!”

Taeyeon knew she could close out this match with a perfect 30. For once she felt a true connection with her bow, “Ten!”

For Jessica to remain in this competition, she needed to be perfect as well. Otherwise, Taeyeon would have finally beaten her. Out of all the years being number 1, Jessica could see her protégé and lover, top her.

Jessica focused on the targe and released to a perfect, “Ten!”

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is some of the finest shooting we have seen in a long time at Worlds. Not even the gold medal match yet, these two skillful archers will have the first face-off. With the sets split, one shot will determine the winner of this match. Starting with Korea, the archers will start.”

The pressure that Taeyeon felt through this one arrow felt immense. One arrow would finally decide who was better. Maybe it was the thoughts that Jessica was always better or that she could never be good enough, Taeyeon could feel the arrow slip outside of the gold zone, “Seven!”

Jessica was just as surprised as Taeyeon. Korean archers are not to shoot outside of the gold zone. Taking her time, Jessica knew what she needed to do and let the arrow fly, “Five!”

Taeyeon stood there shocked. A five. Jessica never shot a five. Impossible.

Walking over to her opponent, Jessica held out her hand, “Congrats.”

Taeyeon felt numb, “What was that?” She felt like she needed to order Jessica to shoot 5 more tens as punishment. That wasn’t an acceptable shot at all.

Jessica gave Taeyeon a lopsided smile, “I lost my lucky finger tab.”

Taeyeon looked down at her hands with the tab still on, “That seems really unlucky.”

Jessica felt Taeyeon’s hands slip into hers, “No…today felt like I won gold.”

Furrowing her eyebrows Taeyeon didn’t understand, “But you lost.”

“Says who?”

Jessica let their hands linger together a moment longer than any normal handshake should take, “See you in the Olympics Kim Taeyeon.”

~Eight Months Later~

“And we are back. This is the gold medal match folks. Reigning gold medal winner Korea is facing the USA in the woman’s individual archery finals. Korea will start.”

Taeyeon walked up to her spot and smiled. This was the moment she dreamed to experience one day. Win or lose, Taeyeon felt like she was floating on air.

Looking over to her right, Taeyeon saw Jessica smiling right back at her. It was a warm, reassuring smile-happy that they get to share this moment together. No matter the outcome, Taeyeon finally knew what Jesscia meant when she said she won Gold. It is an amazing moment to achieve your own dreams but to help someone you love reach their dreams too is more than the weight of gold.

~END~

EXTRA:

~After Jessica Lost at Worlds~

“Yah! Jessica Jung! Don’t you dare run away on me again.”

Jessica tried to walk faster.

Sprinting, Taeyeon ran to catch up to Jessica, “Got you.”

Spinning around to face Taeyeon, Jessica was visibly irritated at Taeyeon, “Let me go! I just made a really cool exit!”

Taeyeon rolled her eyes, “See you at the Olympics? Like hell I will let you disappear for a year.”

“I sounded awesome though…” Jessica pouted.

“You look like a big loser. A 5? Jessica Jung never gets a 5. That looks like a Kim Taeyeon move.”

Jessica smiled, “I told you, I was missing my lucky finger tab. I am not a robot. I am superstitious too.”

Taeyeon handed Jessica the finger tab back, “A mysterious figure gave this to me in the bathroom. If you ask me, someone wanted you to lose from the beginning.”

Jessica pretended to act shocked, “Oh my! My finger tab!”

Rolling her eyes at Jessica’s dramatic reaction, “I assume this person must love me a lot.”

Jessica nodded along, “Good assumption.”

“Or they hate you.”

“Also a good assumption.”

“Whoever this mysterious person is, I hope to get their American number so I can spam them with thanks.”

Jessica giggled, “I heard this mysterious person is choosing to train in Korea until the USA opens their National training camp a month before the Olympics.”

Taeyeon’s heart skipped a beat, “W-why?”

Jessica shrugged, “I heard the love of her life lives there and she doesn’t want to be too far from her.”

Taeyeon was failing hard at trying to suppress her smile, “Oh…wow…that umm…she must love her a lot.”

Jessica walked slowly up to Taeyeon and caressed her face before hovering over her lips, “Of course I love you Kim Taeyeon.”

Smiling into the kiss Taeyeon knew she could never stay mad at this woman.

~ End End~