DESTINY CHAPTER 16 [27th March 2010]

Taeyeon woke up and realised that Soo-yeon was no longer laying in bed beside her.

Taeyeon looked at the digital clock on the bedside table, it was only 7.35am.

She got up and looked around the suite, but Soo-yeon was no where to be found.

She recalled that she had her arm around Soo-yeon the night before and she regretted doing that. It worried her that Soo-yeon may have formulated certain ideas based on Taeyeon’s actions.

Taeyeon made a mental note not to be so impulsive anymore.

She got up and proceeded to ready herself for the day. Whilst Taeyeon was brushing her teeth in the bathroom, she realised that Soo-yeon had already packed. The toiletries and make-up that were once sitting on the counter top were no longer there.

After she was done, she too packed up and checked to make sure that she had not left anything behind.

It was already twenty minutes since she woke up, but Soo-yeon was still no where to be seen.

Everyone was supposed to gather at the lobby at 9.00am before they all headed to Rotorua, and there was no reason for Soo-yeon to be up so early.

Taeyeon decided to go to the balcony and enjoy the fresh morning air. She leaned against the railing and looked out towards the sea. The calm water and the ocean breeze relaxed her.

Taeyeon watched as boats sailed by and people walked the docks.

It was quite early in the morning but there were a decent number of people out at sea. It was probably due to the bright morning sun and the perfect wind conditions.

Taeyeon, being a curious individual that she was, enjoyed watching people and their behaviour.

She scanned through the people on the dock and saw young people preparing to go out on their sail boats. There were also a few couples taking a nice morning stroll along the wooden deck.

Taeyeon’s mind started to wander and she felt envious of the couples. She felt slightly dejected when she thought of her own situation.

Just as she thought that, her eyes landed on an individual who was seated alone.

I guess that’s what I’m going to be, alone.

It took her awhile before she found the figure vaguely familiar. Taeyeon strained her eyes to get a better look and she was quite sure that the petite figure sitting on a bench was Soo-yeon.

So that’s where she is.

Taeyeon went back into the room and removed the camera from its bag. She took a long range lens and fitted it onto the camera body.

She aimed the camera at what seemed like Soo-yeon and focused. Soo-yeon’s beautiful features appeared on the screen. It brought an instant smile to Taeyeon’s face.

It did not take Taeyeon long to realise that Soo-yeon wore a slightly troubled frown on her beautiful face. It was evident that something was bothering her, and that bothered Taeyeon.

Instead of putting the camera away, Taeyeon stood with the camera pointed at Soo-yeon throughout.

The troubled frown never quite left her face and that itself led to a crease forming on Taeyeon’s forehead.

Taeyeon was not so much worried or troubled. She was more curious and puzzled.

Taeyeon wanted to know what exactly it was that troubled Soo-yeon and she started thinking of the possibilities.

There were only a few things that could affect Soo-yeon that way.

If anything, Taeyeon desperately wished that it had nothing to do with her.

Taeyeon decided that she would have to find out for herself and she made her way out of the hotel towards where Soo-yeon was sitting.

Taeyeon was smart enough to know that if Soo-yeon was bothered about anything else but Taeyeon, the likelihood of her telling Taeyeon her troubles were quite high.

In a way, that would be enough to give Taeyeon a clue as to how she should behave around Soo-yeon from then on.

Taeyeon walked as fast as her strained ankle could carry her for fear that she would miss Soo-yeon.

Once she neared, she saw that Soo-yeon was still sitting at the same spot and looking up into the sky.

Taeyeon relaxed herself a little before she approached Soo-yeon.

“Good morning, it seems like the sky has captivated you,” said Taeyeon as she stood in front of Soo-yeon.

Soo-yeon had a momentary look of shock displayed on her face as she heard Taeyeon’s voice. It translated into a sweet smile seconds later.

“What are you doing here?” Soo-yeon asked quite chirpily, the look of worry no longer visible on her face.

“I came down to look for you because I knew you were here,” Taeyeon admitted quite readily since she knew that Soo-yeon would not believe her.

Indeed, her sentence garnered a laugh from Soo-yeon.

“Like you’d know,” said Soo-yeon as she wrinkled her nose at Taeyeon.

“Of course I do, what I don’t know is why you’re seated here alone so early in the morning,” said Taeyeon skillfully.

Taeyeon watched Soo-yeon intently and waited for her reaction.

Soo-yeon stared at the sky once more before giving her answer, “I just wanted to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Auckland before we left for Rotorua.”

It was obvious that Soo-yeon was not ready to share whatever it was that bothered her.

Taeyeon recalled that there was one other thing that Soo-yeon did not seem very keen on sharing, and it had to do with her ex-boyfriend.

Taeyeon prayed hard that it was the ex-boyfriend that gave rise to Soo-yeon’s troubled frown, but it pained her heart at the same time.

“Do you believe in Destiny?” Soo-yeon asked quite unexpectedly. It caught Taeyeon slightly by surprise.

“Oh...Destiny,” said Taeyeon as she tried to hide the pain in her eyes.

“Yes, Destiny, do you believe in it?” asked Soo-yeon once more.

“I do, as much as I don’t want to at times, I do,” replied Taeyeon softly.

“I feel the same way,” Soo-yeon said with a nod.

DESTINY CHAPTER 17 [27th March 2010]

Taeyeon and Soo-yeon were seated in the work vehicle with a few others. They were already on their way to Rotorua.

Taeyeon and Soo-yeon were both in the last row of the vehicle but one occupied the left and the other occupied the right. Taeyeon’s bag was piled in between the both of them. Taeyeon thought it safer that way.

Soo-yeon was reading Taeyeon’s book and Taeyeon was just staring out the window.

Taeyeon was still thinking about what went on this morning. She knew that there was definitely something on Soo-yeon’s mind.

Destiny....Why would she ask about destiny,thought Taeyeon to herself.

Taeyeon looked at Soo-yeon through the reflection of the window and saw that Soo-yeon was reading the book with great focus.

It must be the book...But what did she mean when she said ‘destiny’...

Taeyeon racked her brains but still could not figure out what Soo-yeon was thinking.

Taeyeon had no clue.

All she knew was that it was something that Soo-yeon did not want to talk to her about.

Taeyeon sighed and continued staring out at the green pastures that lined the road.

“Is something bothering you?” Taeyeon heard Soo-yeon ask very softly.

“Oh no, it’s just that this is quite a long journey and I’m bored,” Taeyeon lied.

“In this case, perhaps we should talk, I’ll stop reading,” Soo-yeon said as she kept the book away.

Taeyeon did not stop Soo-yeon as she saw this as an opportunity to find out more.

It was a good thing that the rest of the people in the vehicle had earphones or headphones on.

“So how’s the book?” Taeyeon asked with every intention of finding out the truth behind Soo-yeon’s question earlier in the day.

“It’s great, I love it and I can see why it is your favorite book,” replied Soo-yeon.

“Yes, I love the idea of how everyone’s destiny is all laid out even without their knowledge,” said Taeyeon as she glanced at Soo-yeon.

Taeyeon noticed an odd expression on Soo-yeon’s face. It was what could be best described as a pained mellow smile.

Taeyeon continued with her theory, “Don’t you think it is funny how all of us may think that we have absolute control of our lives, but everything may actually be all planned out and we THINK that we are the ones making the decisions every step of the way.”

“Yes, and all of us should have a special someone we’re destined to be with don’t we?” questioned Soo-yeon.

“I would say so,” Taeyeon concurred.

“How are we to know that that person is our destiny when we meet them,” Soo-yeon wondered.

“You’ll know,” Taeyeon said as she thought of her feelings for Soo-yeon, “Everything may seem so wrong but deep inside you’ll know.”

“Have you met that person yet?” asked Soo-yeon, “You sound like you have.”

“Yes I have, what about you?” Taeyeon asked. She saw it as the perfect opportunity.

“I’m not too sure, but it feels like I have too,” Soo-yeon answered.

Taeyeon’s heart dropped in that moment. It was evident that Soo-yeon had someone she was in love with.

Taeyeon guessed that it was likely to be her ex-boyfriend.

“I guess things may not seem like it’s the most perfect or ideal, but amidst the imperfections, you’ll still know that this is it, that the person is your destiny,” said Taeyeon with only Soo-yeon in mind.

“Perhaps,” Soo-yeon said, “I sure hope it will all pan out just like you said it would.”

“It will,” said Taeyeon as she gave Soo-yeon a light squeeze on her shoulder, “anyway I’m tired, I shall nap now.”

Taeyeon pulled her jacket’s hood over her head and tilted her head towards the window.

She did not want Soo-yeon to see the tear trickling down her cheek.

***

It was already late in the day and they just arrived at the hotel in Rotorua.

They were standing in the lobby and the smell of sulphur flooded the hotel every time someone came through the main door.

They were all waiting for their rooms to be assigned to them by the hotel reception.

There seemed to be a slight issue with the rooms and one of their staff was trying to work it out with the hotel.

“What’s the matter?” Taeyeon decided to approached the crew handling the matter and check what was going on.

“It seems like they have gotten the dates wrong and the hotel is short of rooms now,” replied the crew member.

“How many rooms do they have available now?” asked Taeyeon.

“Two twin rooms,” the crew member replied in frustration.

Taeyeon did the math and realised that the best possible solution now was for the males to share one room and the females to share the other.

In the event that they did, there were only two beds for the four females to share.

It was quite the disaster.

“We have no choice, let’s just take it first,” said Taeyeon quite reluctantly.

She was hoping that there was at least a couch in the room so that she did not have to share a bed with Soo-yeon.

After they got their keys, they went up to their rooms.

One of the crew pushed open the door and exclaimed instantly, “The room is SO small it’s ridiculous.”

Taeyeon peered into the room and saw that it was a tight squeeze and that they beds were the standard single beds.

“Let’s just try to settle down and get as much rest before our shoot tomorrow,” said Soo-yeon sensibly.

“Thankfully I’ve got a small bag,” Taeyeon joked.

Everyone laughed and cheered up slightly.

After everyone has settled down, there was virtually no more space on any of the surfaces in the room.

The arm chairs and the tables were piled with luggages and bags of equipment.

They all went for dinner and they lingered around for as long as possible.

Nobody really wanted to return to their rooms since the tiny space was going to be shared by so many.

There were even jokes about not eating garlic so that the other person sharing the bed did not have to tolerate the smell at night.

All throughout dinner, Taeyeon worried about how she was going to survive the night in bed with Soo-yeon.

The bed was so tiny and there was bound to be a great deal of physical intimacy.

It was something Taeyeon could not deal with at the moment. She was afraid of losing control.

The fact that she shed tears earlier in the day already proved that her feelings were deeper than she thought they were.

“Alright people, let’s all go back to bed, for one I think we would take a long time to shower since there’s only one toilet,” a member of the crew mentioned.

Everyone else agreed and they all returned to their rooms.

Taeyeon showered first since she was the quickest and Soo-yeon was the last.

The moment Taeyeon stepped out of the shower, she quickly dried her hair and decided to settle in bed before Soo-yeon was even going to shower.

Her purpose was to make sure that she fell asleep before Soo-yeon joined her in bed.

“You’re sure in a hurry to sleep aren’t you?” Soo-yeon said to Taeyeon as she sat at the foot of the bed, waiting for her turn to shower.

Taeyeon was already crawling under the covers when Soo-yeon said that.

Taeyeon returned a sheepish grin before saying, “I’m tired since we spent such a long time on the road.”

“You sure are a pig,” Soo-yeon teased, “You were sleeping most part of the journey.”

“I must be spending too much time with you that’s why,” replied Taeyeon wittily.

Soo-yeon stuck her tongue out at Taeyeon as usual.

Taeyeon returned a grin before making herself comfortable in bed. She made sure to sleep as close to the edge of the bed as possible and she turned her body such that she was facing the wall.

She wished and prayed that she would stay in that position the entire night.

Taeyeon said Good night to everyone in the room and shut her eyes.

DESTINY CHAPTER 18 [27th March 2010]

Everyone was already done showering, all but Soo-yeon.

Taeyeon was still wide awake even though her eyes were shut.

Taeyeon truly regretted sleeping so much on the journey to Rotorua.

The other two who were sharing the room were already fast asleep. Taeyeon could tell from their breathing.

Taeyeon heard the toilet door click open and she could hear Soo-yeon's light footsteps nearing the bed.

This is it.

Taeyeon felt the bed depress slightly as Soo-yeon climbed into bed. She could tell that Soo-yeon was trying to do it as quietly as possible.

After Soo-yeon settled in, Taeyeon could practically feel the side of Soo-yeon’s body against her back.

Taeyeon’s heart was racing and she could feel her ears heat up.

Taeyeon tried her best to ignore Soo-yeon’s presence but it was almost impossible. It was akin to placing a fresh catch of salmon on a hungry bear’s snout.

She may not be impulsive, but she was not the best at handling temptation.

In fact, the more of a thinker she was, the more it proved such a situation difficult.

The mental torment was enough to kill.

What should I do now?

Taeyeon was dying to get out of bed but she did not want to make a rash decision.

Is it wise for me to get out of bed now? What if she waits for me to return to bed?

Soo-yeon was definitely making it most difficult for Taeyeon to think straight.

There was no better time for Soo-yeon to be adjusting herself in bed, but she did.

Taeyeon knew that Soo-yeon had turned on her sides because she could feel Soo-yeon’s warm breath on her neck.

It was as if god was playing a joke on her; if god exists.

In a desperate attempt, Taeyeon tipped herself towards the edge of the bed and crashed onto the ground between the wall and the bed.

She landed on her right cheek and her right shoulder with a thud. It was a somehow awkward position and she probably suffered a slight carpet burn on her cheek, but she held still and made sure to pretend like she was still asleep.

Soo-yeon evidently got a shock and she quickly leaned over the edge of the bed and tried to wake Taeyeon up.

“Taeyeon, Taeyeon, are you ok?” Soo-yeon asked in a worried voice.

Taeyeon held her position and ignored Soo-yeon’s attempt to ‘wake’ her.

Soo-yeon nudged Taeyeon even more, which resulted in her already sore cheeks coming into greater contact with the rough carpet.

Taeyeon was trying her best to act like she was in deep sleep, but it was getting more and more difficult due to the pain.

Please give up and get back to bed already,Taeyeon pleaded desperately.

Taeyeon was close to breaking, but she knew that the consequences could be worse if she actually ‘woke up’.

She thought of how Sunny would be laughing and clutching her sides if she witnessed the scene and that spurred her on slightly.

Soo-yeon finally stopped nudging her and Taeyeon relaxed a little.

Just when she thought that Soo-yeon had given up, she could feel someone walking through that tiny space at her feet and crouching over her.

Soo-yeon sure is persistent....

Soo-yeon had her hands against Taeyeon’s cheek as she called out to her, “Taeyeon ah, get up, Taeyeon.”

“Taeyeon, are you ok??” Soo-yeon called out once more.

Taeyeon could sense that Soo-yeon was getting worried and she knew that she had to ‘wake up’ before Soo-yeon woke the whole world and called for an ambulance or something.

She knew perfectly well what Soo-yeon was capable of.

Taeyeon peeled her eyes open slowly and blinked a few times.

“huh?” Taeyeon faked a groggy voice.

“Oh my god you scared me!” Soo-yeon hit Taeyeon on the shoulders as she said that.

“Whaa..tt..oh, what am I doing on the floor?” Taeyeon faked innocence.

Soo-yeon stood up and helped Taeyeon up.

“Don’t you dare fall off again,” Soo-yeon said in a fierce whisper, “you weren’t moving and you totally scared me out of my wits.”

It was quite clear that Soo-yeon used violence and anger as an expression of her fears.

“Maybe I should sleep on the floor then,” Taeyeon quickly added.

“No!” Soo-yeon insisted and made Taeyeon return to bed.

Taeyeon did not dare to defy Soo-yeon’s wishes as she could feel her seething with a violent aura.

Taeyeon crawled back in bed reluctantly and Soo-yeon joined her.

Taeyeon took her old position near the edge of the bed and faced away from Soo-yeon.

“Good N...” Taeyeon was stopped short when Soo-yeon tugged at her.

“Move closer, I don’t want you falling off again,” said Soo-yeon as she attempted to pull Taeyeon towards the center of the bed.

Taeyeon inched inwards but she made sure to keep her back towards Soo-yeon all this time.

Soo-yeon made a point to tuck Taeyeon nicely under the covers to prevent her from falling once more.

Taeyeon chided herself for the disastrous attempt. She was now sleeping even closer to Soo-yeon.

They were so close that Taeyeon could feel the heat from Soo-yeon’s face right by hers.

Taeyeon knew that if she were to so much as to turn to face Soo-yeon, their lips would touch instantly.

Taeyeon never felt more helpless and trapped. It was terrible to be stuck in that position especially when she felt overflowing emotions for the girl that was laying so close to her.

She wanted Soo-yeon so badly, but she knew she couldn't have her.

Taeyeon was so frustrated with herself that she wanted to tear her hair out.

She pulled the covers aside and got out of bed, “I need to use the bathroom.”

With that, Taeyeon made her temporary escape and disappeared behind the bathroom door.

Taeyeon splashed her face with cold water and she took slow long breaths to calm herself.

Why should I be so worried?

It's just sleeping beside Soo-yeon.

I've been doing that for the past few days.

If she's ok with it why shouldn't I be?

If she treats me like a normal girl friend, why can't I do the same?

Girls sleep together and there's nothing wrong with that isn't it?

Taeyeon had a long conversation in her head before she finally convinced herself that she should just get back to bed and sleep.

Ok Taeyeon, you can do it.

She left the bathroom and went back out into the arms of temptation.

When Taeyeon returned, it seemed like Soo-yeon was fast asleep.

Taeyeon felt more relaxed and she climbed into bed very very slowly.

After she laid in bed beside Soo-yeon, she felt an arm snake across her waist followed by a soft gentle slur, “don’t fall...good..night...”

How can I not fall....for you,thought Taeyeon to herself.

DESTINY CHAPTER 19 [28th March 2010]

Taeyeon woke up to a glare in her eye. The curtains were not drawn properly and a stream of sunlight managed to find its way into the room.

Taeyeon blinked and tilted her head away from the bright light.

She strained her eyes to make out the time and she saw that it was still quite early in the day. It was definitely not time to get up yet.

Taeyeon was so comfortable that it took her some time to realise that she was actually still in bed with Soo-yeon.

Although it took Taeyeon quite a long while before she managed to drift off to sleep, she actually had quite a good rest most of the night.

She recalled that Soo-yeon had her arms around her waist before she fell asleep, but to her surprise, it was actually the other way around now.

Taeyeon had her arms around Soo-yeon's waist and Soo-yeon was holding on to Taeyeon's arm.

Taeyeon was unsure whether to pull her hands away or to enjoy the remaining time before Soo-yeon woke up.

Taeyeon watched Soo-yeon's beautiful face as she slept. Soo-yeon was sleeping so peacefully.

Even though Taeyeon was still slightly sleepy, she couldn't bear to waste her time sleeping.

Just the night before, Taeyeon was feeling a sense of fear to be so close to Soo-yeon, but this morning, it felt completely different.

In some manner, Taeyeon wished that they did not have to wake up ever.

All she wanted to do was to hold Soo-yeon close to her forever.

Taeyeon was torn because half of her wanted to hold Soo-yeon like this and the other half knew that she would only cause herself more pain if she did.

Taeyeon was also afraid that the closer she got to Soo-yeon, the harder it would be for her to let go of the feelings she had for Soo-yeon.

She made her decision.

Taeyeon pulled her hands away and had her back towards Soo-yeon.

It's better this way,thought Taeyeon to herself.

***

The crew van just arrived in Redwood forest for the Photo shoot.

Soo-yeon shivered when she stepped out of the van.

It was quite a cold morning and it was colder since they were further south of Auckland.

It was a Sunday which was mainly why the location of the shoot was outdoors. There weren't many places open on weekends.

The crew prepared the place for the shoot and they started in no time as everyone wanted to get out of the cold as soon as possible.

Taeyeon was aware that Soo-yeon was very cold and therefore sped up the shoot.

It did not take long before they were almost done.

"Wow Taeyeon you sure are quick today," one of the male crew member commented as Taeyeon finished up the last shot.

"I know that you're cold that's why," Taeyeon replied casually as she started keeping the camera away.

"Well thank you for the consideration," replied the guy as he gave Taeyeon a friendly hug, "You're the best!"

"I know right," Taeyeon responded.

After they were done packing up, the entire crew headed back to the hotel.

They were all done for the day since Taeyeon did such a speedy job.

When they arrived at the hotel, some of them decided to return to their rooms to rest and some decided to go out for a walk in the vicinity.

Taeyeon and Soo-yeon were back in their rooms alone since the other two girls went out shopping.

Soo-yeon decided to take a shower before taking a short nap. Right before she entered the bathroom, someone knocked on the door.

Soo-yeon pulled the door open since she was just by it.

"Hi Soo-yeon, is Taeyeon there?" asked her male colleague.

Taeyeon hopped off the bed and replied, "Yes I am, what's up?"

"Wanted to ask if you would like to hang out and teach me some photography skills," said the guy with a grin.

"Ha, I'm not good enough to teach you but yes I'm cool if you really want to," Taeyeon replied.

"Wonderful, let's go out for a walk now?" the guy requested.

"Sure, give me a moment I'll see you at the lobby in a bit," said Taeyeon.

Once the door shut Soo-yeon instantly commented, "I think he likes you."

Taeyeon laughed it off and replied, "Ha! Get off to shower and then nap, I'll see you later."

Taeyeon took the camera bag and ran off, leaving Soo-yeon all alone in the room.

***

Taeyeon was out walking around the hotel with the male crew member, Kang-In.

The main purpose of leaving the hotel with Kang-In was so that she could spend time away from Soo-yeon.

Besides that, Taeyeon did actually get along with Kang-In quite well and therefore did not mind hanging out with him.

They spent quite a while taking pictures as Taeyeon taught him the different functions of the professional camera.

After quite a while, Kang-In mentioned that he was hungry and the both of them decided to go to a nearby cafe to get some food and drinks.

"So how did you get to know Soo-yeon?" Kang-In asked as he took a big bite into his sandwich.

"Oh it's kind of a long story," Taeyeon explained, "how about you? how long have you worked with Soo-yeon?"

"Oh I have worked with her for two years already," Kang-In replied with his mouth half full.

"Ahhh..so you must know her quite well," said Taeyeon with every intention to find out as much as she can about Soo-yeon.

"You can say so, but we're not extremely close," Kang-In responded as he took yet another massive bite of his sandwich. It was almost half gone by then.

"It's surprising you haven't fallen for such a lovely and beautiful girl after spending so much time with her," Taeyeon continued. She was very good at controlling where a conversation went.

Kang-In swallowed before reacting to Taeyeon's statement with a laugh.

"She's not my type, plus she was attached to some guy previously," said Kang-In quite quickly.

Taeyeon saw her opportunity to jump in and gather some information.

"Yeah, and I'm certain she's quite in love with him, a pity they ended things," said Taeyeon with a frown, "I wonder why they ended it."

"Perhaps it is because he is so much older?" said Kang-In quite innocently.

"Perhaps," Taeyeon replied as if she knew what she was talking about.

In that moment, Taeyeon finally realised why Soo-yeon was so reluctant to talk about her ex-lover.

Everything fell into place, and it finally hit her why Soo-yeon was talking about 'Destiny' that day.

DESTINY CHAPTER 20 [28th March 2010]

It was getting dark and Taeyeon and Kang-In were just walking back to the hotel.

When they arrived at the hotel lobby, they bumped into the rest of their colleagues who were about to go for dinner. Soo-yeon happened to be there too.

Both Kang-In and Taeyeon were teased for disappearing for such a long time. Kang-In gave a shy smile and Taeyeon just brushed it off.

They were invited to go for dinner, but Tayeon politely declined even though Soo-yeon was going with the rest of them.

Taeyeon claimed that she was very tired so she did not want to go.

Kang-In tried to persuade her but to no avail. He joined the group ultimately and Taeyeon returned to her room.

When she arrived in the room, it was quiet and dark since nobody was around.

Taeyeon thought of what Kang-in innocently revealed to her.

She never thought that Soo-yeon would have dated a guy much older than she was.

How old is much older? It is no wonder she wasn’t comfortable talking about it.

It made Taeyeon wonder why Soo-yeon did what she did.

Was it because she was alone and needed some care and support from someone who understood?

Taeyeon could not bear the thought of Soo-yeon ever dating a guy much older than her.

Who am I to judge? She doesn’t deserve an older guy, nor does she deserve a girl.

Taeyeon went out to the balcony for some fresh air. She has never felt so much despondent before.

She finally understood how it felt like to be in love. It was a force so powerful nothing could really stop it.

How can I want the best for her and yet want her so badly?

Taeyeon was for the first time extremely confused.

She could not take it anymore so she called Sunny to have a chat.

***

Soo-yeon and the rest of the crew were at a restaurant fifteen minutes away from the hotel.

They were all seated when one of the crew asked what Taeyeon and Kang-In spent most of their time doing the entire afternoon.

Kang-In started telling everyone what happened the entire day and it was evident that he was enjoying it.

Soo-yeon was not really listening to the conversation when someone asked her, “Soo-yeon do you think Taeyeon likes Kang-In?”

“Huh? Oh...I don’t know,” replied Soo-yeon.

“Well Taeyeon asked me why if I was interested in Soo-yeon, do you think she wanted to find out if I had someone?” Kang-In asked excitedly.

When Soo-yeon heard that, she was slightly surprised. She was quite sure that Taeyeon would not be interested in Kang-in.

“How exactly did she ask you?” one of the female colleagues asked.

“She said something like she was surprised I haven’t fallen for such a lovely and beautiful girl like Soo-yeon,” said Kang-In quite quickly, “what do you make of that? Do you think she’s interested??”

“The only thing I make out of it is that she thinks Soo-yeon is lovely and beautiful,” teased another male colleague as he gave Kang-In a friendly punch in the arm.

“Aish, you make it sound like Taeyeon would rather date Soo-yeon over me,” said Kang-In sourly.

“Maybe it’s true,” the same male colleague continued to tease.

Everyone roared with laughter as they saw the look of irritation on Kang-In’s face.

They were all enjoying their time making fun of Kang-In.

“I’ll show you all that I can win her heart!” Kang-In exclaimed in self confidence.

“Sure and we’ll send Soo-yeon as our representative to compete with you,” one colleague joked.

Once again, the entire table broke into a laugh.

***

It was after dinner and all of them were walking back to the hotel.

Soo-yeon thought that Taeyeon would probably want some food so she packed Taeyeon something.

Kang-In walked up to Soo-yeon and asked her, “Do you think you could let me pass that to her?”

“But i’d be sleeping in the same room as her don’t you think that would be too obvious?” Soo-yeon replied irritably. She had difficulty hiding the contempt in her voice.

“That’s true, can you say I packed it for her then?” begged Kang-In.

“You sure are desperate,” was all Soo-yeon could say to him.

***

Taeyeon was still standing on the balcony and talking to Sunny.

Sunny was feeling both exasperated and yet concerned for her friend.

“Seriously why do you think so much,” Sunny questioned Taeyeon.

“It is in my nature to, that’s why I’m so good at my job aren’t I?” replied Taeyeon.

“Yes but you have to understand that dealing with something like love is very different from dealing with something like your job,” Sunny advised.

“So what are you implying I should do? Tell her I have feelings for her and then lose her completely? Remain close to her and then slip up and do something wrong and then lose her completely?” said Taeyeon dejectedly.

“You see? You’re thinking too much again. Plus what makes you think you’ll lose her completely, can’t you even think for a second that she may one day have some feelings for you?” Sunny reasoned.

“How is that even possible...and I don’t think I’m good for her, plus she probably thinks that the old dude is her destiny,” said Taeyeon negatively.

“Who are we to decide what’s good and what’s not? So you think some old man is better for her? Come on Kim Taeyeon, she gets to decide what she wants and so do you,” Sunny replied exasperatedly, “stop trying to get away from her when you actually want her so badly.”

“And...?” Taeyeon asked with raised eyebrows.

Sunny sighed before continuing, “You realise you are suffering either way don’t you? AND do you even know how she feels? I don’t think you do because you’ve never asked. Everything you’ve deduced is based on your observation and your assumptions.”

“But I’m rarely wrong and you know that,” said Taeyeon.

“Well, you may be wrong since you are clouded by emotions,” Sunny rebuked.

Taeyeon kept silent for a moment. She bit her lip and was deep in thought.

“Fine,” Taeyeon said after a while, “I’ll gather enough concrete evidence to proof that I am right.”

“Let’s see about that,” Sunny smirked, “for all you know, your findings might prove otherwise and for once the great—”

Just then, the lights in the room switched on and there were a buzz of voices coming from within the room.

“Oh, they’re back from dinner,” Taeyeon quickly told Sunny.

“Perfect timing, so please find out how she feels before you assume anything else,” Sunny said wisely, “I’ve never seen you so flustered before, you’re supposed to be the one with flawless deduction skills here.”

“Ha, she makes me go bonkers that’s why,” Taeyeon said as she smiled to Soo-yeon who just stepped up to the balcony door.

Soo-yeon pulled the sliding door apart, “What are you doing outside?”

“Oh I’m talking to Sunny,” Taeyeon said as she showed the screen to Soo-yeon.

Sunny waved and Soo-yeon returned a wave. Soo-yeon couldn’t hear Sunny because Taeyeon was using her earphones.

“Anyway Kang-In packed you some dinner, you may want to eat before the food turns cold,” said Soo-yeon as she held up the food to Taeyeon.

“Oh he did?” Taeyeon said feeling slightly surprised, “That’s sweet of him.”

Soo-yeon stepped out into the balcony and stood beside Taeyeon.

“Yes, like I said earlier, I think he likes you,” Soo-yeon said as she turned to look at Taeyeon.

Taeyeon could feel Soo-yeon’s intense stare and she could sense how serious Soo-yeon was.

“Err..Ok...?” Taeyeon said, not knowing how else to respond.

At the same time, Sunny was talking non-stop making it hard for Taeyeon to concentrate.

“Soo-yeon do you mind giving me a moment with Sunny alone, I’ll talk to you later or something,” said Taeyeon with an apologetic look on her face.

“Ok,” Soo-yeon agreed and returned to the room.