DESTINY CHAPTER 6 [18th March 2010]

Sunny was giving Taeyeon a lift to the mechanic where her scooter was being repaired.

Taeyeon was constantly on her phone throughout the journey.

"What are you so busy with?" Sunny questioned.

"Oh I'm messaging Soo-yeon," Taeyeon replied, "I'm supposed to give her a ride on my scooter and bring her for a meal."

"It seems like Soo-yeon has taken over my spot as best friend," teased Sunny.

"Quit fooling around," Taeyeon responded instantaneously, "you know you'll always be my best friend."

"What does that make Soo-yeon then?" Sunny said with a triumph grin.

"She's just another friend I get along with very well," Taeyeon explained.

Truth be told, the two of them hit it off right from the very beginning. Ever since Taeyeon ran into Soo-yeon, the both of them had been constantly in contact.

The conversations they had with each other were unusually engaging and it translated to a daily phone call every night before they went to bed.

The affinity they felt for each other was exceptionally strong.

***

Taeyeon dropped off at the mechanic and thanked Sunny for the ride.

"So I don't expect that I would hear from you for the rest of the day, will I?" Sunny said with a cheeky grin.

"You're not missing me already are you?" Taeyeon rebutted wittily.

"Pfft..I'll see you, enjoy your time with Soo-yeon," said Sunny with a resigned sigh. It was seldom that she could outwit Taeyeon.

Sunny drove off and left Taeyeon to do her thing.

Taeyeon checked on her scooter and made sure that it was in tip-top condition before handing a wad of cash to the mechanic.

Despite her bad ankle, Taeyeon managed to kicked-start her scooter and rode towards Soo-yeon's place.

***

Soo-yeon was standing there, smiling and waving, as she recognised Taeyeon's little black scooter.

It was an oddly familiar scene that reminded Taeyeon of when she was little, and how her mother used to wait for her every single day after school.

That, however, was a thing of the past.

Taeyeon gently tapped on her brakes and cruised to a stop in front of Soo-yeon. She pulled off her full-face helmet and flashed Soo-yeon a wide smile.

"It's time for breakfast," said Taeyeon cheerily.

"It sure is," replied Soo-yeon, "I'm starving."

"Hop on then," chirped Taeyeon as she handed Soo-yeon her other helmet.

Soo-yeon took hold of the helmet and stood her ground as she fiddled clumsily with the alien object in her hands.

Taeyeon noticed and was convinced that this was probably her first experience with a scooter.

Taeyeon tactfully took hold of the helmet, "Here let me help you, the straps get a little tangled at times."

She undid the straps and gently slid the helmet over Soo-yeon's head. She smiled at Soo-yeon assuringly and fastened the straps securely.

"Ok, we're all set," said Taeyeon as she got on to her scooter.

It took Soo-yeon some time to get on, but she succeeded eventually.

"Alright, we're moving off," said Taeyeon, "hang on tight."

Taeyeon felt the grip around her waist tighten as she moved off.

***

The girls stopped by a dinky little western cafe for breakfast.

Even though the cafe was small, it had a cosy and pleasant environment. The walls were tiled with rock slates and furnished with table and chairs made of pine.

Taeyeon requested for a corner table by habit.

The waiter led them to the table and took their orders within two minutes. The cafe was nicely decorated but the food selection was very limited.

The both of them spoke as they waited for their food.

"Have you been here before?" asked Taeyeon as she sat back comfortably in her seat.

"Well this is my first time here," Soo-yeon responded, "It sure is a beautiful place."

"Indeed, it is a great place to chill and read my favorite book," Taeyeon added as she patted her sling bag that was placed neatly by her side.

"You should really read it too, it is so good I never tire reading it," said Taeyeon as she reached into her bag and produced a book that looked slightly frayed at the edges.

"Everytime I read the book, I learn something new," explained Taeyeon as she held the book in her hands.

Taeyeon randomly flipped to a page in the book and read a random paragraph, “I sat thinking how terribly sad it was that people are made in such a way that they get used to something as incredible as living. One day we suddenly take the fact that we exist for granted - and then, yes, then we don’t think about it anymore until we are about to leave the world again.”

Taeyeon looked up and saw Soo-yeon looking at her. In that split second, Taeyeon thought that she saw Soo-yeon's eyes sparkle in fascination.

"It seems like a great book," said Soo-yeon with a smile.

"Here," said Taeyeon reaching across the table with the book in her hands, "I'll lend it to you."

"Thank you," replied Soo-yeon as she took the book. The waiter happened to set the food down at that moment.

"Come on, let's eat," motioned Taeyeon.

Soo-yeon brought the sandwich to her mouth and her face contorted instantly, "Eewwww."

Taeyeon was about to pick up her sandwich but was stopped short by Soo-yeon's reaction.

"What's wrong?" asked Taeyeon concerned.

"Cucumbers..." said Soo-yeon sullenly, "I...don't like them"

Taeyeon broke into a laugh, "You're quite unobservant are you? It stated in the menu that there were cucumbers in your sandwich."

Soo-yeon grimaced at Taeyeon's comment.

"Here do you want to swap? I can have yours and mine doesn't have cucumbers," Taeyeon said with a grin.

"Mine is tuna, you don't mind do you?" asked Taeyeon with raised eyebrows. She was about to raise her hands and call for the waiter but Soo-yeon stopped her in time.

"I love tuna! Let's swap," Soo-yeon chirped.

They exchanged plates and started eating.

"Mmmm..." Taeyeon nodded in approval as she chewed, "I love this,"

Soo-yeon laughed, "It seems like we have similar taste in food."

"Except for your dislike for cucumbers," added Taeyeon.

***

Taeyeon and Soo-yeon were taking a walk in the park near Soo-yeon's place after their meal. It was a nice day for a walk.

After a while, they stopped and sat down on a bench. Soo-yeon insisted because she could tell that Taeyeon was still having slight trouble with her ankle.

"Aren't these kids lucky?" said Taeyeon as she watched the little kids running around in the park.

"Yes they sure are..." replied Soo-yeon with a slightly gloomy tone.

"Why do you think they are?" asked Taeyeon. She sensed the change in tone and she wanted to find out why.

Soo-yeon kept silent, but Taeyeon noticed that she was staring at a little girl and her mother.

The envy in Soo-yeon's eyes showed.

DESTINY CHAPTER 7 [18th March 2010]

Taeyeon was seated at the corner of her favorite coffeehouse. It was about 9pm and there weren't many people around.

Taeyeon was running her fingers along the rim of her tea cup, deep in thought.

"You're not reading your book? That's a first," said a familiar voice.

"Oh," Taeyeon looked up after two seconds, "you're here."

Sunny sat down and watched Taeyeon intently.

Taeyeon lifted her hands and touched her face, "Is there anything on my face?"

"Hmmm..I haven't changed my perfume you know," continued Sunny.

It did not take Taeyeon long to figure out what Sunny meant.

"We all have our moments," said Taeyeon simply as she took a sip of her tea.

"So what was that moment all about? You were definitely thinking about something," said Sunny as she waved for the waiter.

"I was just thinking about the conversation I had with Soo-yeon earlier in the day," replied Taeyeon.

"What about?" asked Sunny curious.

Taeyeon gave a sigh before she continued, "Family."

The waiter arrived by the table and Sunny ordered quickly. She was impatient to get back to the conversation she was having with Taeyeon.

"Whose family? Hers? Yours?" urged Sunny.

"Ours," Taeyeon said as she took yet another sip of her tea.

"Huh? The both of you are related?" asked Sunny puzzled.

Taeyeon almost choked on her tea at that moment, "No no no, we are not. I meant, we were talking about our families."

"Well stop giving one word answers, make yourself clear my friend," exclaimed Sunny in frustration.

Taeyeon chuckled at Sunny's reaction before she continued, "Yes, I will."

Sunny watched Taeyeon and waited for her to continue.

"Well she's from a broken family, her mother passed away when she was just ten. It's quite sad isn't it. All she has left is her father and her sister."

Sunny nodded.

"I'm sure I don't have to talk about my family, you should know everything by now," Taeyeon said as she looked out of the window.

Sunny reached over and gave Taeyeon a pat on the shoulders.

Taeyeon returned a smile.

***

[24th March 2010]

Taeyeon was seated at a restaurant. She just made some money with some photos she took before the accident.

She kept the money and thanked the person seated across her. This money had to last her until her ankle recovered fully.

Taeyeon was walking out of the restaurant when her phone rang.

It was Soo-yeon.

“Hi Taeyeon, you’re currently not working are you? Are you available from tomorrow until the end of the month?” asked Soo-yeon the moment Taeyeon picked up.

“Yes, I’m available,” said Taeyeon, “What’s up?”

“Great! The photographer for my photoshoot has played us out and we’re desperately looking for a replacement for my upcoming photoshoot. You’ll do it won’t you?”

Taeyeon kept silent, unsure of how she should respond.

“Taeyeon? Taeyeon? Are you there?” urged Soo-yeon.

“Uhh..Yes. Can’t you find anyone else? I may not be the best person for the job,” replied Taeyeon honestly.

“We would have if we could, but the shoot is tomorrow and nobody is available on such short notice.”

“Ok..I guess I’ll do it then. I need some income anyway.”

“Wonderful!” exclaimed Soo-yeon, “Can you make a trip down to the agency today? They would like to meet you before the shoot.”

“Sure, I’ll see you,” said Taeyeon instantly.

Taeyeon noted the address and rode over quickly.

Taeyeon made her way up to the fifth floor of the building as instructed by Soo-yeon.

Upon stepping out of the lift, Taeyeon was met with a set of glass doors. Soo-yeon was seated behind those doors with a magazine in her hands.

Taeyeon rapped gently on the glass doors to get Soo-yeon’s attention. Soo-yeon pushed on a switch to open the door for Taeyeon.

Taeyeon stepped in feeling slightly intimidated by the posh surroundings.

"Come on, let's go," said Soo-yeon as she walked towards yet another glass door.

After quite a bit of walking through corridors and past a studio, they finally arrived at yet another door.

Taeyeon entered alongside Soo-yeon to be met by a well-dressed individual. He had stylish hair and a slightly arrogant demeanor.

"Replacement?" the man said looking at Soo-yeon.

Soo-yeon nodded.

"Portfolio?" said the man who then shifted his gaze onto Taeyeon.

"Portfolio?" Taeyeon replied with the exact same word.

Soo-yeon looked over at Taeyeon apologetically, "I'm sorry I forgot to mention that you had to bring along your portfolio of your previous shoots. Do you happen to have it online?"

Taeyeon shook her head.

"Soo-yeon are you trying to waste my time here? We're going to be in serious trouble if we don't get the photos in time for the publication." The man was looking rather cross and worried at the same time.

"Why don't I just take a few photos right now so that you can assess whether I'm suitable for the job?" said Taeyeon quite outrightly.

"Alright, go now. We have no time to waste," said the man in an impatient voice.

Taeyeon was now feeling quite nervous. She did not want to get Soo-yeon into trouble.

Soo-yeon and Taeyeon left for the studio together. Soo-yeon handed her a camera identical to her own.

After some fiddling, Taeyeon adjusted the camera settings and was ready for the shoot.

"So what shall I photograph?" asked Taeyeon innocently.

"Why, me of course," said Soo-yeon as she flashed a beautiful smile at Taeyeon.

Taeyeon raised the camera instantly and snapped a photo of Soo-yeon. Taeyeon managed to capture the smile on Soo-yeon's face. It was a beautiful picture.

If there was anything Taeyeon was good at, it was capturing split second moments on film.

Thereafter, Taeyeon made a request for the shoot to be done outside of the studio. She was afterall more comfortable outdoors.

Taeyeon asked for Soo-yeon to take a walk around and meet her back at the building in fifteen minutes.

As soon as Taeyeon made her request, she started walking in another direction, away from Soo-yeon.

Soo-yeon was puzzled at her request, but she did as she was asked.

Before she even knew it, fifteen minutes was up. Soo-yeon returned to the front of the building and stood there waiting for Taeyeon.

Taeyeon appeared half a minute later with a satisfied smile on her face.

"Are you ready for the shoot now?" Soo-yeon asked as Taeyeon walked towards her.

Taeyeon shook her head and replied, "Nope, I'm all done."

Soo-yeon raised her eyebrows, "You are?"

"Yes, have faith. Let's go back up," said Taeyeon smugly as she handed Soo-yeon the camera.

"Anyway you look really beautiful in those photos," Taeyeon added.

***

[25th March 2010]

Taeyeon sat at the airport with her duffle bag on her lap. She never expected that she would be flying to New Zealand for a photoshoot with Soo-yeon.

"Is that all you're bringing?" Taeyeon heard a sweet voice behind her say.

She turned to see Soo-yeon standing there with a luggage twice the size of her duffel bag.

Taeyeon stood up and nodded, "I always travel light."

DESTINY CHAPTER 8 [25th March 2010]

Taeyeon sat beside Soo-yeon in the aircraft. They were on an eleven and a half hour flight to Auckland.

Soo-yeon turned to Taeyeon and said, "I'm glad you're coming on this trip with me."

"I'm glad too," said Taeyeon sincerely.

“Alright, I had better start reading the brief so I know what is expected of me,” Taeyeon continued as she took out a stack of paper from her bag.

Soo-yeon smiled sweetly at her and took out a book, “I’ll read too.”

Taeyeon saw that it was the book she lent to Soo-yeon. She was glad that Soo-yeon made the effort to read it, unlike Sunny.

Two hours into the flight, Taeyeon was finally done reading. She kept the brief and turned Soo-yeon, “Well...I’m..” Taeyeon trailed off.

She saw that the book was leaning against Soo-yeon’s chest and Soo-yeon was sleeping like a baby.

She’s so beautiful even when she’s asleep,thought Taeyeon to herself.

She gently took the book off of Soo-yeon and returned it to Soo-yeon’s bag.

Taeyeon leaned comfortably in her own seat and got some rest of her own. Before she knew it, she fell asleep.

Taeyeon got awoken by a slight tug on her arm. She opened her eyes to see that Soo-yeon was leaning on her shoulders and hugging her arm.

It was quite fascinating to see that Soo-yeon could sleep so well on a plane.

Taeyeon gave an unconscious smile and went back to sleep.

***

Soo-yeon plonked herself onto the hotel’s double bed, “I guess this is us,” said Soo-yeon as she fought a yawn.

“Well I’m really sorry to have to make you share a room with me,” said Taeyeon as she sat down on the two seater couch by the balcony, “I can sleep here on the couch.”

“Don’t be silly! The bed is big enough for both of us!” exclaimed Soo-yeon.

Taeyeon laughed, “Are you sure? I have to warn you that I sleep talk and I even sleep walk at times.”

“Why yes!” said Soo-yeon in affirmation, “Plus it ain’t your fault that the photographer that played us out was supposed to be sharing a room with another male colleague.”

Soo-yeon stood up and joined Taeyeon on the couch.

“Oh, and I sure wasn’t prepared to swap rooms with that colleague so that both you and I can sleep in a twin share instead of enjoy this junior suite,” said Soo-yeon as she looked out of the balcony and onto freemans bay.

Their hotel was one of the few hotels that was sitting at the waterfront near the ferry terminal. It was a modern looking hotel with a scenic view overlooking the bay and the nearby islands. The junior suite had better decor and facilities and a way better view than the rest of the normal rooms.

“Well I have to agree that this room is amazing and so is the view,” said Taeyeon as she opened the balcony door and stepped outside.

“It sure is cold though,” said Taeyeon with a slight shiver.

“Yes it is, but the view is totally mesmerizing,” said Soo-yeon who was captivated by the scenery, “I’m glad that the both of us can share this.”

“Me too,” said Taeyeon as she stared out into the horizon.

“Let’s rest for a bit before we start the day, it is going to be really tiring,” advised Soo-yeon.

“Sure thing,” said Taeyeon as she returned to the room and shut the balcony doors behind her.

Soo-yeon crawled into bed and snuggled under the covers, “We have an hour to nap.”

Taeyeon sat back down on the couch instead of joining Soo-yeon in bed.

“Are you not going to join me?” asked Soo-yeon.

“I’m going to go through the brief for a bit, I’ll join you shortly,” said Taeyeon. She was still feeling slightly edgy about the entire shoot.

“Don’t stress yourself out, you need some rest too, I’m off to sleep now,” said Soo-yeon with yet another yawn.

“Alright, sleepy head,” said Taeyeon with a cheeky smile.

Soo-yeon stuck out her tongue at Taeyeon before she shut her eyes.

***

Soo-yeon woke up even before her alarm went off. That was rare but it happened occasionally. She looked at the digital clock by her bed, it read 9.45am.

She was still having a lot of trouble adjusting to the time in Auckland and she wanted to sleep, but she had to wake up.

She sat up in bed only to realise that Taeyeon had fallen asleep on the couch.

“Silly...” Soo-yeon muttered to herself groggily.

She stood up and sat down beside Taeyeon.

Soo-yeon placed a hand gently on Taeyeon’s shoulder to wake her and Taeyeon opened her eyes immediately.

Taeyeon was quite sensitive to her surroundings, it was in her nature to be.

“Why didn’t you nap in bed?” Soo-yeon asked casually.

“Oh, it’s not that I didn’t want to, I fell asleep as I was reading through the brief,” explained Taeyeon.

“You should have read in bed then,” said Soo-yeon.

“You sure are one very creative person when it comes to sleep-related matters,” Taeyeon said mischievously.

Soo-yeon smiled and stood up, “I’ll be taking a quick shower before we leave, do you need to use the bathroom?”

“Oh no i’m fine,” Taeyeon replied.

Soo-yeon grabbed her clothes from her luggage and headed into the bathroom.

Taeyeon sat up and straightened her clothes.

She looked out of the balcony as she stretched.

Beautiful, she thought.

Taeyeon had to travel for her job, but this was her first time to New Zealand. It was quite the surprise when she found out that the shoot was to take place in New Zealand.

She was slightly worried that her ankle would hinder the shoot, but Soo-yeon convinced her that she would not have to walk too much.

It was funny how a simple accident led to all this.

If Taeyeon had not gotten injured, she would not have met Soo-yeon.

If she had not gotten injured, she would still have been able to go about her job and she may not have been able to take on this particular assignment.

If the photographer had not played the company out, Taeyeon would also not get the opportunity to be in New Zealand with Soo-yeon.

Everything that happened, led to this current situation.

Taeyeon never expected that her injured ankle was a blessing in disguise.

Taeyeon smiled to herself as she thought of how everything came to this.

At that moment in time, Taeyeon felt like one of the luckiest person in the world.

She was in the most beautiful place with the most ideal companion, it was like heaven on earth.

DESTINY CHAPTER 9 [25th March 2010]

The entire crew made their way towards the viaduct harbour in their working vehicle.

It was an absolutely beautiful day to be doing a shoot on a sailing yacht. The sun was shining very brightly and the skies were a very beautiful blue.

The moment they arrived at the shooting location, they started to set up their equipment and prepared the sailing yacht for the shoot.

Taeyeon was slightly nervous, but Soo-yeon encouraged her, “Don’t worry, I know you’ll do well.”

Soo-yeon’s words made her feel slightly better.

Taeyeon loosened up further into the shoot. She was very fortunate that Soo-yeon was very good at what she did. There was no need for much direction.

Before they knew it, they were done with the first round of photos. Taeyeon was fairly confident that she had captured photos that were in line with the theme.

***

It was evening and Taeyeon just completed the series of evening shots of Soo-yeon at a particular restaurant by the harbour.

They were all finally done for the day.

Taeyeon was feeling relief, she was glad that she did reasonably well. She had a good feeling that the pictures would turn out beautifully for the travel magazine.

After they all packed up, the crew ended up having dinner at the same restaurant.

The food was as good as the ambience and everyone enjoyed their dinner thoroughly.

After they were done with dinner, Soo-yeon asked Taeyeon if she would like to take a walk along the harbour before heading back to the hotel. Taeyeon of course agreed.

Taeyeon and Soo-yeon waved goodbye as the crew van departed from the car park.

“Which direction should we head?” Soo-yeon asked just as the crew van disappeared around the bend.

“Let’s go that way,” Taeyeon said as she pointed in the direction of a bridge.

Soo-yeon agreed and the both of them started strolling in that direction.

“How’s everything so far?” asked Soo-yeon.

“Everything is going great, I’m glad we have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery here as well,” said Taeyeon as she took slow strides.

“I’m glad too,” said Soo-yeon. The both of them were walking at the same pace.

After what seemed like ten minutes, the both of them finally made their way across the bridge.

They sat on a bench near the bridge and watched as vessels sailed past.

“Wouldn’t it be beautiful if we could go sailing on one of those yachts and just relax out in the middle of the ocean,” said Soo-yeon dreamily.

“Most definitely,” said Taeyeon, “It would be absolutely amazing to lay on the deck under a blanket of stars.”

“I can imagine,” said Soo-yeon, “We have to do it one day.”

“Let’s do,” said Taeyeon as she turned to look at Soo-yeon.

Soo-yeon smiled as she looked up at the night sky.

Taeyeon felt an inexplicable feeling in her heart when she looked at Soo-yeon.

It was odd that she was feeling it so often. She looked up at the stars and took a deep breath.

She was slightly worried and she wasn’t quite sure if Sunny was right in her speculation.

“Is there something bothering you?” Soo-yeon asked very tenderly.

Soo-yeon’s words quickly brought Taeyeon back from her thoughts, “Oh no, I was just thinking that Sunny would love this place too,” Taeyeon lied. She could not possibly tell Soo-yeon what exactly was bothering her.

“I see,” said Soo-yeon as she returned to looking at the stars in the sky.

Taeyeon got up and stood by the edge as she looked down into the water. She stared at her reflection and felt slightly depressed at that moment.

The thought of falling in love with a girl was quite absurd, but it was quite possible that whatever she felt for Soo-yeon was probably not something she would feel towards any other friend.

The idea of being besotted with someone that she could not be with was indeed a depressing thought.

Taeyeon was deep in thought when she felt a hand on her back, “Are you sure you’re ok?” Soo-yeon asked once again.

“I am,” said Taeyeon as she stared at Soo-yeon’s reflection in the water, “perhaps I’m just feeling tired from the long day.”

“Let’s return to the hotel then,” said Soo-yeon as she slipped her arm around Taeyeon’s arm, “I’m feeling tired too.”

Taeyeon nodded and the both of them started walking arm-in-arm towards the hotel.

It was a nice fifteen minute walk from where they were to the hotel.

During that short walk, Taeyeon decided that whatever it was that she was feeling, she would just enjoy the time she had with Soo-yeon and not waste too much time trying to figure out a solution to an unknown problem.

Taeyeon smiled to herself upon making that decision. Life was too short to be worrying about every single thing.

Afterall, it was fate that brought the both of them together. There was surely a reason for the crossing of paths.

Whatever the reason was, nobody knew.

Taeyeon had a role to play in Soo-yeon’s life and Soo-yeon had a role to play in Taeyeon’s life. Regardless of what their roles were, things were definitely going well right now.

That, was more than enough for now.

The both of them stepped into the hotel and out of the cold.

Throughout the walk, not once did they both of them stop linking arms. Soo-yeon only released Taeyeon’s arm when they arrived at their room door.

Taeyeon let Soo-yeon shower first and took to watching TV while she waited.

Halfway through, there came a knock on the door. Taeyeon answered the door and saw that it was one of the crew member.

“Hi Taeyeon, here are the photos from today’s shoot, thought you may want to look through it,” said the crew as he handed Taeyeon a thumb drive.

Taeyeon thanked the crew member and wished him good night before she shut the door.

She returned to the TV and plugged the thumb drive into the USB port at the side of the LED panel.

She picked up the remote control and set the pictures to play automatically.

The pictures of Soo-yeon that flashed on the big screen were beautiful.

Taeyeon was quite surprised that the pictures turned out so well. Deep inside, she suspected that the only reason she could take such beautiful pictures of Soo-yeon was because of how she felt for Soo-yeon.

Taeyeon thrived on taking pictures of objects or sceneries that she loved, and those pictures always turned out well.

This time, it was no exception.

DESTINY CHAPTER 10 [25th March 2010]

Taeyeon was so engrossed in looking through the photos that she did not notice that Soo-yeon was out of the shower.

"What are you watching on TV? You look like you're in love or something," said Soo-yeon as she dried her hair with her towel.

The words that came out of Soo-yeon's mouth garnered an instantaneous reaction from Taeyeon. She picked up the remote and switched off the TV.

Taeyeon couldn't allow Soo-yeon to know that she was looking at the pictures of today's shoot after Soo-yeon's comment.

"Do I really look like i'm in love?" Taeyeon faked a laugh, "It's just a random TV program and I don't understand half of what they're saying since it's all in english."

Soo-yeon laughed at Taeyeon's statement.

Taeyeon stood up and placed the remote control by the TV. During that time, she swiftly unplugged the thumb drive and slipped it into her pocket.

She then walked to her duffel bag and started digging for her clothes.

It was only after she got her clothes that she turned to face Soo-yeon.

When she did that, she realised that Soo-yeon was dressed only in a bathrobe.

Taeyeon's heart reacted involuntarily to what her eyes took in.

Taeyeon held her composure and said, "By the way, someone popped by with the photo from today's photo shoot, you may want to take a look."

Taeyeon reached into her pocket and took the thumb drive out. Taeyeon dangled the thumb drive in the air briefly before placing it on the table.

"I'll leave it on the table," she said.

The moment Taeyeon shut the bathroom door behind her, she could breathe normally again.

Her heart was still racing.

Such, had never happened before.

Soo-yeon made her feel things she had never felt before.

It scared her slightly.

Taeyeon proceeded to shower and she took slightly longer than usual.

She needed the time to calm herself down.

Just before she stepped out of the bathroom, Taeyeon took a deep breath.

She needed to be in control.

The moment Taeyeon got out of the bathroom, she saw Soo-yeon sitting in front of the TV with a sweet smile.

"Now you sure look like you're in love too," joked Taeyeon. Taeyeon always used jokes to lighten the atmosphere, it was a very helpful tool.

"Oh you're finally out," said Soo-yeon, "Thanks to you, i'm in love with myself."

Taeyeon laughed as she walked towards the couch. As she sat down, she kept an intentional distance between Soo-yeon and herself.

"The photos are absolutely stunning," said Soo-yeon with much conviction, "you have a flair for taking photos."

"Don't give me credit for your beauty, you make the photos look good," Taeyeon responded.

"You look quite good yourself, but I don't think I'd be able to take such photos of you," Soo-yeon said trying to make her point.

"You never know," said Taeyeon jokingly.

"Is that so?" said Soo-yeon with a chuckle. She picked up her phone and snapped a photo of Taeyeon.

"Beautiful," Soo-yeon said as she looked at the picture of Taeyeon in her phone.

Taeyeon nudged Soo-yeon in a playful manner, "Yes yes, you're a professional photographer too."

"Oh no, don't give me credit for your beauty, you make the photo look good," said Soo-yeon as she mimicked Taeyeon.

Taeyeon laughed at Soo-yeon's joke.

"Ok you mischievous one," said Taeyeon, "we should go to bed soon since we have to wake up early for the shoot tomorrow."

"Sure thing," said Soo-yeon as she stifled a yawn.

"Before we do, I have to say you do a really bad job at drying your hair," Soo-yeon reached for the towel hanging around Taeyeon's neck and proceeded to dry her hair for her.

Soo-yeon's actions made Taeyeon's heart pound. Taeyeon wondered how long she could hold it in.

Soo-yeon was a very sweet girl and she cared a lot for Taeyeon. Taeyeon cared a lot for her too and therefore did not want anything to jeopardize their current relationship.

It took Taeyeon a while to react.

"I'll dry my own hair, you should go to bed first," said Taeyeon in an attempt to stop Soo-yeon.

"Nope," said Soo-yeon stubbornly, "I'll dry your hair and we can go to bed together."

Taeyeon reached for Soo-yeon's hands and held them firmly, "It's ok, I'll do it."

Soo-yeon shook her head. "You may fall asleep on the couch while you dry your hair," teased Soo-yeon.

"You sure are a cheeky one aren't you," said Taeyeon as she released her grip on Soo-yeon's hands.

She gave up trying because she was impatient to get to bed quickly and fall asleep. It was tough being awake and around Soo-yeon.

After a minute or so, Soo-yeon was finally done drying Taeyeon's hair.

Just as Taeyeon thought she was finally able to get away from Soo-yeon, Soo-yeon started running her fingers through Taeyeon's hair to rid it of tangles.

It sent tingles down Taeyeon's spine.

Taeyeon quickly moved away.

She saw that Soo-yeon was slightly taken aback by her sudden movement and she quickly improvised.

Taeyeon jumped up and exclaimed, "I'll race you to bed!"

Just as Taeyeon did that, she felt a pain in her bad foot.

Her face contorted in pain.

Soo-yeon quickly stood up and held Taeyeon by the arm, "Are you ok? Silly, you have to take care of your ankle."

Taeyeon nodded, "I'm fine don't worry."

The both of them crawled into bed and Taeyeon switched off the lights completely, "You don't mind do you?" she asked Soo-yeon gently.

"Mmm hmmm, I'm ok," Soo-yeon replied.

"Alright, Good night," said Taeyeon.

"Good night," Soo-yeon responded.

With that, the both of them dozed off.

***

Taeyeon awoke to someone nudging her, "Taeyeon, Taeyeon."

Taeyeon opened her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Soo-yeon asked concerned.

"I'm ok," replied Taeyeon, "what's wrong?"

"Well you sure didn't seem ok," Soo-yeon continued, "you kept saying sorry to me in your sleep."

Taeyeon realised that she was sleep talking again. She recalled that she was dreaming of Soo-yeon and she was apologizing to her because Soo-yeon found out that Taeyeon had fallen for her.

"You kept saying 'Soo-yeon ah don't go I'm sorry' repeatedly," explained Soo-yeon.

Despite the fact that Taeyeon had just woken up, her mind worked quickly and she explained herself to Soo-yeon, "I dreamt that I screwed up the photoshoot and you were mad at me."

It was a genuine concern even though it was most definitely not what Taeyeon was dreaming about.

"Silly, you're doing really well," Soo-yeon said as she laid back down in bed.

"I warned you about the sleep talking, I do it a lot when I'm stressed," said Taeyeon, "perhaps I should sleep on the couch."

"It's ok silly...You're staying on the bed," said Soo-yeon as she turned and wrapped her arms lazily around Taeyeon.

Taeyeon's reflex action was to move away but Soo-yeon held on even more.

"Quit struggling, let's just sleep, I'm tired," whined Soo-yeon.

Taeyeon gave in.

After a while, Soo-yeon's breathing slowed but Taeyeon was still wide awake.

The close physical contact with Soo-yeon was very distracting for Taeyeon. Soo-yeon had her entire arm lopped across Taeyeon's waist.

Taeyeon had only one thing on her mind that night.

Soo-yeon.