The Kim Residence,

Tiffany’s POV

Taeyeon's parents came back this morning, and I noticed a change in Taeng's mood. Instead of looking happy, her mood was quite down. I didn't want to bother her with my questions so I just ignored it.

Because we have a dinner with her parents tonight, she forced me to do my homework the whole afternoon. It hasn't been long since Taeng tutored me again. Although she is a tyrant, I missed her as a tutor.

Around 5pm, we started to get ready. Taeyeon was becoming more and more serious; her face didn't show much emotion. I supposed she was stressed to see her parents again. I tried to joke with her a couple times in the car but it didn't work well…she was still acting weird.

When we arrived at Taeng's house, it was like the first time I came here. The maid opened the door for us and we found her parents cooking in the kitchen. That brought me back a few months ago, to my first encounter with Taeyeon, the night where it all began.

Things have changed a lot since that night. I can't say that Taeyeon has completely opened up, there are still a lot of things about her that I don't know and don't understand, but we're slowly getting there, I can feel it.

At least, I know how she feels about me.

"Auntie, uncle" I bowed at them once we walked in the kitchen. It's been months since I last saw them, but from time to time, auntie would call and talk with me.

"Ah…Tiffany, you are here!" Taeyeon's mom greeted me with a warm hug. Her father patted me gently on the head.

"Can I help you?" I asked them.

"Please just step aside and learn" Taeng teased me. "I'll be in my room in case you need me" she said before leaving the kitchen.

It was exactly like that night…Taeyeon also left as soon as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Don't worry about her, she is always like that" her dad told me. I realized that I was still looking at the door, even though Taeng has already left.

I don't understand why they're not trying harder to get Taeng's attention, why they don't just force her to stay and spend time with them. After all, they haven't seen each other for months.

"So Tiffany, how are you doing these days?" her dad asked me.

"I'm happier" I simply answered with a smile.

He smiled back at me. "Then that's enough"

"Tiffany, why don't go and play with Taeyeon? We will call you when dinner is ready" her mother said.

"Are you sure you don't need help?" I asked them again. Not that I don't want to spend time with Taeyeon but she didn't look like she wants any company.

"We can handle this, just go play with Taeyeon. That's your chance to go and see her room" she winked at me.

"Fine" I gave in…maybe they're afraid I'll mess with the food.

I walked out of the kitchen and found myself lost already. Luckily, the maid was there and led me to Taeng's room. I was a little nervous when I knocked on the door.

"Taengoo, can I come in?" I asked her through the door.

"If I say no, are you going to leave?" she replied in a teasing tone.

"I have nothing to do Taengoo-ah!!!" I whined. I could imagine Taengoo making a face because of my aegyo.

I could even hear her sighed. "Come in Mushroom" she finally let me in.

I carefully opened the door and stepped inside Taeng's room. It was the first time that I saw her room. Although she doesn't live there anymore, her room was still fully decorated.

Taeng was lying on her bed, doing nothing. "Why are you hiding in your room?" I asked as I sat on her bed.

"I'm not hiding…I just want to be alone"

"It's not funny being alone; you should spend time with your parents"

"…"

"Taeyeon-ah…can I ask you something?"

"Try"

"Why is it so hard for you to be around your parents?" A few months…no, even a few weeks ago, I'd have never asked her such a personal question. Sometimes, I'm impressed at how close and comfortable we are with each other now.

"…"

"I know it's not my business but…I just don't like seeing you so distant. Maybe I can help you…"

Taeng remained silent for a while before speaking. "I don't know what to talk with them" she admitted.

If it came from someone else, I would have laughed, but coming from Taeng, I wasn't surprised. She is far from being a sociable person, but the thought of Taeng feeling so uncomfortable around her own parents was sad.

"I only know how to talk business with my father, that's our way of interacting with each other" she continued.

"Is that enough?"

"Enough for me…"

"…don't you feel sad?"

"I can't be sad or miss something that I never had…I think things are good the way they are…"

You said that you're not sad…but the look on your face betrayed your words Taeyeon-ah.

"It's not too late to change things though…"

"I don't see the point…getting attached to them now…I know they won't stay long anyway"

"Because they don't stay long, you have to enjoy every moment you can have with them…you never know when they…" my voice cracked a little…

"Tiffany…" Taeyeon took my hand and squeezed it gently. "It is just the way things are between my parents and me, don't put too much thought into it" she tried to comfort me.

"I just…I just want to see you happy with them…I want them to be able to see the Taeyeon that I'm seeing everyday…" I looked in Taeyeon's eyes and at this moment, I saw the sadness again…like on the first day of school.

Taeyeon released my hand and got off the bed. "Dinner should be ready by now, let's go" she said before leaving the room. I guess that topic is still sensitive for her.

I let out a sigh before getting off the bed. This time, as I walked across her room, I stopped in front of her desk and looked at the pictures that caught my attention earlier.

Like in her office, there were pictures of her and Yuri when they were still kids, and some more recent. Another picture caught my attention…but I quickly regretted seeing it. It was a picture of Sunye smiling; the picture looked kind of old though…maybe a few years ago. To feel better, I told myself that Taeng doesn't live here anymore…so the picture doesn't mean anything. Sadly, as expected, there was no picture of Taeyeon with her family.

I took a last glance at Taeng's room before turning off the light and joining everyone in the kitchen.

Taeyeon was scarily quiet during dinner; she was only looking at the food and didn't try to join the conversation, nor did she look at anyone.

"Auntie, this soup is so goooood. Can you teach me how to cook it? The last soup I made wasn't successful" I asked after finishing my bowl.

"Not successful are underrated words for the thing you made yesterday…omg…I can still smell it now…" Taeng teased me.

"Don't exaggerate…you've been complaining since last night. Give me a break" I rolled my eyes at her.

"Don't exaggerate? You nearly killed me last night…I could sue you for food poisoning"

"And I could sue you for…"

"For?"

"For being so irritating"

"Wah…couldn't you find better than irritating?" she smirked.

I hate when she does that…arrogant little kid.

"You two are so cute together" her mom said while watching us. Her remark startled Taeyeon who probably forgot that her parents were just sitting right in front of us. She took a look at them before going back into silent mode.

"I'm happy to see you two getting along so well. The engagement wasn't such a bad idea it seems" her father said while looking at me.

Actually, I haven't think about it for a long time already…since I started having feelings for her. We pretty much consider ourselves as roommate; I don't think Taeng even remembers the engagement deal. I wonder what she thinks about it now.

"It's not because we are not arguing about it that it means we agree to it" Taeng replied, this time looking right at her father. For whatever reason, I could feel some tension between them.

"You still have time before giving me your response. We don't need to talk about it tonight" her father said in a very serious but calm tone.

"You're the one bringing up the topic" Taeyeon replied again. "Anyway, tell me when you're ready to leave" she told me before standing up.

"Taeyeon, go and wait in my office. I have something to discuss with you" her father ordered her. Taeng didn't say anything and simply left the kitchen.

I looked at her father with a worried face. "Uncle…"

"It's about work Tiffany, don't worry." he reassured me. "But I'm glad that you worry about her".

Uncle finished his food and stood up. "It won't be long" he said before leaving the kitchen.

There were only auntie, me and the maid left. "I'm sorry auntie, you just came back and Taeyeon is in a bad mood" I told her.

"She's always like this Tiffany. I'd be worried if it wasn't the case" she joked.

All I could do was smile, although I knew she was lying. Behind her smile, I could see the sadness of a mother who hasn't seen her daughter smile genuinely for a long time.

Taeng's father's office room,

Taeyeon's POV

I already knew what my father wanted to talk with me as soon as I learned they were coming back. I'm just surprised he hasn't summoned me earlier.

I tensed a little when I heard his footsteps and the little sound of the door closing behind him. My father has always been intimidating, even more since I work with him. I don't remember getting scold though, he always talks calmly but the tone of his voice is scary…so serious that it sends chills down my spine.

My father sat behind his desk and opened a file that was on in front of him. He looked through it quickly before turning to me. "I supposed you read it already, haven't you?"

"Yes"

"Do you know what we've missed? This contract…we hold it tight in our hands, how could you have lost that deal?" he started.

"It wasn't s…"

"Since when are you so irresponsible in your work? How could you cancel a meeting last minute?" I saw disappointment in his eyes…it will never be enough…never good enough…no matter what I do.

"I didn't cancel it…"

"You didn't show up. It's the same"

"Siwon was there, he could have handled it perfectly. We worked on this presentation together" I defended myself.

"Who do you think those people came to see? You. They made an appointment to see the project presented by you and you didn't come. Where were you?"

"It doesn't matter"

"It matters to me when you lost a million worth contract" he said, still with a calm voice. That's what I find the scariest…how he always stay so calm, no matter the circumstances. When he should be angry and scolding me, he remained calm, without any emotion. That is scary.

"I can get it back…I've been in talk with them for days already"

"I'll do it; you don't have to work on this anymore" he simply said, closing the file.

I let out a sarcastic smile. "Wow…you came all the way to save that contract? It isn't that much money anyway"

"It's our reputation. What kind of image are you giving out with this irresponsible attitude?"

I wasn't going to argue back, there was no point in doing so. I was tired of trying to impress him. "It won't happen again" I simply told him.

"You better not let it happen again" he warned me.

I wonder what would happen if I make another mistake? What can happen anyway? He might fire me…but that means…being free from this world that I hate so much. I wish they knew why I'm doing all this…if not for them…I would have run away already.

"Is that all? We'll be leaving shortly" I told him. I was ready to leave when he spoke again.

"How is it with Tiffany? She is really a sweet girl" he told me with a smile.

I smiled politely at him before standing up. "This topic is not related to work. I'd feel irresponsible mixing my private life with business, Sir." I bowed to him before leaving the room.

How am I supposed to improve this relationship with my father? It's been years and years…its way too late for any improvement.

Living room,

Tiffany’s POV

I was sitting with auntie in the living room, eating some fruits when Taeyeon came back. She didn't look happy at all, her mood looked worse actually.

She stood near the door frame and looked at me. "Are you ready to leave now?" she asked me.

I looked back at auntie and saw her disappointed face. I guessed she was hoping we would stay longer. I excused myself before standing up and dragging Taeyeon away.

"Taengoo, I was thinking…maybe we can stay in the house for this week??" I asked her once we were away from the living room.

"Why?"

"Your mom told me they're staying for this week…so I thought…"

"I told you to not worry about it" she sighed.

"It's…it's not only about you…I want to spend time with your parents too. I miss having a family…" I said, still holding her hand.

Taeyeon's face softened at my words. "Fine" she agreed.

My face immediately brightened up. "Really? We can stay?" I asked her to confirm it.

Taeng smiled gently at me. "If it makes you happy"

Looking at Taeyeon's smile and hearing those words from her, I don't know what stopped me from jumping in her arms and kissing her.

Taeyeon followed me back in the living room where auntie was waiting. I asked her if we could stay for the week and her huge smile was better than a thousand words. I knew she couldn't hope for Taeyeon to get close to her, but being able to see Taeng more than a few hours was enough to make her truly happy.

Auntie looked at me and I could see how thankful she was. "Let me prepare the room for you Tiffany" she said but I stopped her before she could stand up.

"Huh no auntie…I was thinking of something else…" I said shyly before turning to Taeng. "Can I sleep in your room?"

Taeyeon and auntie both looked at me and said with a shocked expression. "Excuse-me?"

I looked at both of them embarrassed. "It's…this house is too big…I can't sleep in a big room by myself"

"You did it on your first night here. Don't find an excuse to take advantage of me" Taeyeon teased me again.

"Who would want to take advantage of you? Ugh" I made a disgusted face. "I will sleep on the couch"

"Taeyeon, if Tiffany is scared then it might be better to let her sleep in your room" Auntie supported me.

Taeng looked at us before giving up. "Whatever…" she said before leaving.

I waited for Taeng to be out of sight before turning to auntie. "Thank you!" I said happily while giving her a hug.

"No, thank to you Tiffany. It means a lot to me…one week with my daughter" she smiled.

I felt so good that night, I was happy with myself even though it wasn't much; I knew auntie was truly happy.

Something else made me happier that night though…something that I missed for a long time.

I went in Taeng's room after having showered and putting a pajama that Taeng lent me.

"Tell me Taengoo, how can you wear this? Its way too big for your short body" I asked her once out of the bathroom.

Taeyeon looked at me and smiled. "It's not mine"

"WHAT? Someone stayed overnight here? Who?" I asked her…maybe too hysterically.

"Huh Yuri did…but this pajama is Seohyun's" she said calmly. "Why are you so shocked?"

"Oh no…nothing" I felt stupid for freaking out. "Can you give me a pillow and a blanket, please?" I asked her.

"What for?"

"I'm sleeping on the couch"

"Just sleep on the bed, its big enough for two" she said calmly, like the thought of us sleeping on the same bed was totally normal.

"Are you kidding?"

"Why? It won't be the first time. As long as you stay on your side, I don't mind" she joked.

"Right, like I was the one taking advantage" I whispered to myself.

"What did you say?"

"Nono nothing" I smiled.

I went to the other side of the bed and got on. I didn't notice it at first but the whole room smelled like Taeng. And now that I was on her bed, the scent was even stronger. Mental note to myself; do not sniff her blanket…or her pillow.

The truth is…I was really scared of sleeping by myself. This is not a small house and I got lost even in the morning with the sunlight, so at night…what if there is a weird noise and I freak out? Another reason would be…I miss those moments we shared in Bali. Taeyeon wasn't conscientious when she hugged me in her sleep but it felt nice…so nice that I won't mind feeling it again.

It didn't take long for Taeyeon to fall asleep, and like I hoped for, she naturally got closer to my side of the bed and pulled me in for a sweet embrace. I wish that one day, sleeping in her arms becomes a daily routine.

S1 High School,

Yuri's POV

My first day in school as Jessica's other half. If only Sica let me announce it to the whole world…but she wanted to keep it low for now. It's going to be really hard for me to behave properly in public with her now. I have to keep control…I can do it!

As we walked across the school's yard, I made sure that my hand wasn't touching hers. It seems like even a slight touch make me go crazy. That's the effect that Jessica Jung has on me.

"Can you stop smiling like that? It's weird" Sica told me. Indeed, I was smiling since we got off the car. She just told me to not act crazy; she didn't forbid me to express my happiness.

"I'm just happy" I smiled at her.

Sica let out a smile and hit me lightly. We quickly went into class before the bell rang. Actually, I wasn't the only one showing my happiness. I noticed that Tiffany had an I'm-so-happy-that-I-want-to-scream-to-the-whole-world kind of smile too. I wonder what happened with Taeng.

Unfortunately, today first class was business and I had to sit with Gyuri. However, with her, it was natural of me to keep my distance. The last thing I want is an angry Sica. I must admit I do like angry Sica; she's hot beyond words when she's angry, but for today, it was better to keep her in a good mood.

Unlike the other day, Gyuri was particularly well behaved, she didn't bother me as much as she used to. I wish the girl would just give up on me already.

For the whole day, I surprised myself at how well behave I was. Sica didn't even scold me once!

Sadly, I couldn't keep it until after school. "Are we going for a walk before I drive you home?" I asked Sica as we walked outside.

"I'm tired, don't feel like walking around" she yawned.

"OR we can go back to my place…and you know…" I grinned like an idiot.

"Stop it, don't be so creepy" she hit me.

"I'm not creepy…besides, you didn't complain yesterday…" I teased her.

"I would have but you didn't even let me breath"

"Oh really? Me? I don't remember kissing you first yesterday"

"Aish…shhhhh…be quiet" she finally scolded me. One scold for a whole day…I'm improving.

"Are you coming or not?" I asked her again.

"You're annoying me so NO"

*silence*

"SICA!!! SICA!!! JESSICA!!" I screamed like crazy. We were near the school's gate and there were quite a lot of students. Needless to say, all eyes were on us now.

"What the hell are you doing??? Want me to kill you?" she threatened me.

"Depends…are you going to kill me with your kisses? Because I sure won't complain" I smiled again.

"I'm this close Yuri…this close to kick your ass" she threatened me again.

"SICA!!! SICA!!! YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL SICA-AH!!!!" I screamed again, even louder.

Jessica looked around us embarrassed before grabbing me and running away. I don't think she has ever run that fast before.

Jessica stopped running once we got to my car. "Why are you in a rush? We have time" I joked.

She threw me one of her deadly but sexy glare. "You're so dead Yuri"

"I know I know" I smiled while opening the door for her. "Come on, let's go home. I'll give you a massage"

"You bet you're giving me one…a feet massage too since I ran. If I have a cramp, that's your fault!" she scolded me.

I laughed and stole a quick kiss from her before driving away.

I don't know if my eyes were tricking me but I swear that while driving off, I spotted Gyuri spying on us...this girl is kind of freaky nowadays.

Earlier in school,

Tiffany’s POV

Yesterday was so perfect, Taeng's parents came back and she agreed to stay at the mansion for this week. What's more? I fell asleep and woke up in her arms this morning. Everything was so perfect, like in a dream.

Unfortunately, I didn't expect my dream to be this short. When we went in class this morning, both of us noticed the empty seat immediately. It was Sunye's. I saw the look on Taeng's face when she saw the empty seat…she was worried.

And she was worried for the whole day; she even tried to call Sunye but couldn't reach her. Even though I felt bad as well, I was a bit jealous that Taeyeon worry about her so much. Now that they have broken up, I expect Taeng to step down from her protective role with Sunye. Or maybe…I was simply scared and selfish.

At the end of school, Taeyeon decided to go to Sunye's home and check on her. When she told me that, I wanted to stop her, tell her that now, it isn't her responsibility anymore, but I didn't. Instead, I wanted to act nice and told her to simply go and that I'll go home by myself. I had to pick up some clothes since we are staying at her house. It made me feel slightly better that Taeng insisted to drive me home…but it still pained me to see her leave, knowing she was going to see Sunye…

Shortly after Taeng left, I bumped into Sungmin. My first reaction when seeing him was to ask how his sister was. He calmly told me she was fine, it was just a headache. I concluded that it was a good excuse to skip school…and avoid Taeyeon. Ironically, her absence made Taeng comes to her. Smart should I say?

I thanked Sungmin and was going to leave when he invited me for a drink. After I rejected his offer, he insisted to drive me home. Once we arrived at the apartment building, I quickly thanked him before getting off the car. I felt rude for leaving him like this but something was telling me that it was for the better.

I can't say how relieved I was when Taeyeon came back, especially since it didn't take her long to visit Sunye. Even though I knew already, I still asked her how Sunye was.

"She wasn't feeling well this morning so she preferred to stay at home, just in case." Taeng explained to me.

"I'm glad she is fine" I said sincerely.

"Yeah…me too"

"If you stayed a little longer after school, you would have seen a very very funny scene" I told her.

"Huh? What happened? What did you do again?"

I hit her playfully. "Not me babo! YulSic!"

"Yul what???"

"YulSic! Short for Yuri and Sica" I smiled proudly.

Taeng made a weird face and rolled her eyes. "That's so lame"

"Be quiet" I hit her again. "Anyway, Yul was shouting like crazy, saying how beautiful Sica was. It was pretty funny. You should have seen Sica's face. I'm afraid she is trying to kill Yuri right now"

"Did Yul drive you back?" Taeng asked me.

"Huh no"

"You took the bus?"

"No"

"You flew back?" it was obviously a joke but she was still very serious.

"…Yes?" I tried…we never know, Taengoo might just change topic like she always does.

"…" But she didn't…she just stared at me with her annoyed-suspicious-dead fish face.

"Sungmin drove me back…" I finally admitted.

"Did you call him?" She was getting angry already.

"Nono! I bumped into him after you left. He was around the school…I don't know why though"

Taeng was definitely angry now, she was mumbling something about Sungmin but I didn't understand.

I decided to let her calm down by herself and in the meanwhile, go take a shower. "Ok…I'm going to shower and we can leave shortly after" I told her before getting off the couch.

"Tiffany…" she grabbed my hand before I could walk away. I turned my head and looked down at her. "What if…what if I ask you to not see him again?" she asked me.

I was taken aback by her question. It was too sudden. "I…I don't think I can" I answered honestly.

Taeyeon seemed disappointed with my response. "Why?"

"Both of you are my friends…why would I do that?" I asked her back.

"What if…it will make me feel better?"

"Are you asking me this favor as a friend?"

I can stop seeing him Taeyeon…I just want you to step up and fight for me.

"I…I don't want to be your friend anymore…" she stood up and looked at me, her hand still holding mine. "I want…I want to be the only one…" she said while looking right into my eyes.

"Taeyeon…" I was drawn to her beautiful eyes; all I wanted now was her to kiss me.

But of course she didn't. Instead, she happily and excitedly proposed another activity. "Let's go on a date Saturday…just you and me"

"HUH?"

"Yeah…isn't it the next step?" she asked innocently.

"Yes…if we want to date each other" I told her.

"I know you want to date me already, don't hide it" she smirked.

"Aish…you and your arrogance" I pushed her away and walked to my room.

"Saturday! I'll pick you up around noon" she said with a smile.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't say yes" I teased her. Of course I agreed…I've been waiting for this forever.

"It's fine…I'll wait for you, in front of your door. You'll have to come out eventually" she laughed.

"Prepare a small gift; I might come out faster if you do" I teased her.

"A gift? I'll give you the world if you come with me"

"…"

"Was it a bit exaggerated?" she asked with her innocent face again.

"Yes"

"Sorry"

We smiled at each other before I closed the door to my room. Once I was alone, I couldn't stop myself from jumping around happily.

"I can hear you!" Taeng shouted from the living room. Then I heard her laughing like a crazy kid.

I wanted to open the door and throw something at her but it was too embarrassing, besides, I was blushing way too much to show her my face. I calmed myself down before stepping in the bathroom, a huge smile on my face.

A date…I have a date with Kim Tae Yeon.