Tiffany ran through the double doors expecting her best friend standing there but there wasn’t anyone when she exited. She quickly strode to the front of the desk of the emergency room, “I’m sorry but did you by any chance see a young girl about this tall with light brown hair walk this way?” she asked and explained at the same time. The lady from behind the counter thought for a few seconds before answering her.

“Ah yes I did, she went out through those doors,” she answered, pointing Tiffany to a double glass door with her pen. Tiffany gave the lady a thank you bow before hurrying outside. She stepped outside to the hotness of the summer heat and saw Taeyeon standing there, her back facing the taller one. Tiffany took in a deep breath and walked her way slowly behind her best friend, “hey unnie,” she called softly, placing a hand lightly on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

Under her contact, Taeyeon relaxed and blew out a breath of exhaustion, “this can’t be right Tiffany,” the shorter one began, “how is it possible?” she asked, quieter this time. Tiffany closed in the gap between her and her best friend and hugged her small frame. When Tiffany did just that, Taeyeon immediately rested her head on Tiffany’s chest and the tears she’s been holding back this whole time came down like a raging waterfall. The younger one didn’t say anything but patted the older one as the older cried her heart out.

--

“Mr. Kim,” the man in front of him called, “you have a phone call from your daughter,” he said. Mr. Kim waved the man away before picking up the phone.

“Hello,” he answered into the phone.

“Dad,” came Taeyeon’s husky voice, lost from crying non-stop.

“What’s the matter Taeyeon? Why does your voice sound so hoarse?” Mr. Kim asked, sitting up in his chair, fully aware that there was something clearly wrong with his daughter.

“Dad,” Taeyeon began again, “are you almost off work?” she asked. Mr. Kim let out a exhausted sigh and took off his glasses before rubbing his eyes.

“Not yet, I still have one more meeting with another company and then I’ll be off,” he answered, “how is your mom doing?” There was a pause in between the question before Taeyeon answered her father back.

“She’s um…doing fine,” Taeyeon lied, “mom is asleep right now.”

“I see,” Mr. Kim heaved out another sigh, “once I’m done here I’ll meet up with you at the hospital and then you can go home to get some rest, I’ll stay with your mother,” he said.

“Okay,” Taeyeon replied.

“Okay my dear, I have to go now, give me a call if anything comes up okay,” Mr. Kim told his daughter over the phone. He hears Taeyeon sniffle once before giving him a quick ‘mm’.

“Are you sure you’re okay Taeyeon?” Mr. Kim asked once more.

“I am,” she lied again, “I’ll be here waiting for you dad, give me a call when you get here okay.”

“Sure thing honey, bye”

“Bye dad,” Mr. Kim pulled the phone away from his ear and hung it back up. The door to his office room opened and the same man from before entered.

“Mr. Kim, the Choi ceo is ready to see you,” the man said. Mr. Kim gave the man a nod before getting up from his chair. He walked around his desk and followed the man out from his room.

--

“Are you hungry?” Tiffany asked as the two best friends sat in Mrs. Kim’s hospital room. Taeyeon gave Tiffany a shook of her head, “c’mon unnie, you have to eat something,” she persisted, “it’s not healthy for you to starve yourself like this.” Taeyeon closed her eyes and let out a sigh, “Unnie…”

“I have to go use the restroom,” she interrupted Tiffany, “come get me if my mom wakes up,” Taeyeon then proceed to leave Tiffany alone in the room with her mom. She exited out of her mom’s room and head towards the woman’s restroom. As Taeyeon turned the corner, a silent argumentation stopped her in her tracks.

“Oppa are you okay?” a young girl around the age of a middle school student asked as she sat next to her brother who seemed a lot older than her. He gave out a grunt and pushed her hands away from his bruised and scraped up face, “oppa…”

“Don’t touch me Soomi,” the guy said to his younger sister, “it’s nothing…really.”

The girl named Soomi bit the bottom of her lip, “you can’t be getting into fights like this,” she began, “what if mom finds out?”

“Scew what mom has to say or think,” the guy said loudly, “she’s nothing but a good who only wants money from rich men.”

“Oppa don’t say that about mom,” Soomi argued, “she’s out mother and gave birth to us.” The guy next to Soomi made a ‘tch’ sound and looked away.

“There’s nothing good about her, she left us to survive by ourselves,” he said.

“But she’s still giving us a roof over our heads,” Soomi responded, “we should at least respect that.”

“Right, respect a mother gold….” Before the guy had gotten the chance to finish his sentence, his face flew to one side and there was a sting on the side of his cheek. Soomi gasped and looked up in front of them to see Taeyeon standing there, having to slap her brother in the face. The guy placed a hand over his cheek, rolled his eyes and stood up furiously, “what the hell?!” he shouted.

“Don’t ever talk about your mother that way,” Taeyeon said angrily, “yes she may be a gold digging mother but she pushed you out of her and gave birth to a worthless piece of rat like you.” At this, Soomi stood up and got in between her brother and Tayeon.

“Oppa, stop,” Soomi said, pushing her brother away from Taeyeon.

“You watch it you wretch!” the guy shouted as he was pushed down the hall way by Soomi. Taeyeon watched as the two siblings disappeared before heaving out a sigh and then glanced down at her hands.

“Why did I do that for?” she muttered quietly to herself.

--

“Sit down,” Soomi said angrily and pushed her brother to sit on the curb, “I’m going to call Jongin oppa to come pick us up.” She dug into her uniform blazer pocket and pulled out her cellphone and then dialed Jongin’s number.

“That wench better be happy that I won’t see her ugly face ever again,” Soomi’s brother said and spat out saliva. He placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it.

“Does it hurt?” Soomi asked, sitting beside her brother, “Jongin oppa said he’ll be here in a bit.” Her brother didn’t answer but continued to rub his face, “you know oppa…what that girl said is true, no matter what mom is she still is our mom after all,” she said quietly.

“Whatever,” he mumbled before kicking a pebble away.

After waiting for a few minutes, a familiar car rolled up before the two. The car came to a halt and the driver side opened. Jongin stepped out of his car and looked over the hood of his car, “You look like Sehun,” he chuckled. Sehun and Soomi both stood up from the curb.