Operation Salvage

Courage

"Yoona, your culinary skills have gotten better!" Taeyeon complimented as the group sat down after eating a hearty dinner at Yoona's and Taecyeon's apartment.

"Well, I've been practicing... hehe. Thanks!" Yoona smiled in response.

"Yoona is the best~" Taecyeon chanted, putting an arm on Yoona's shoulder.

"Yeah, thanks for dinner. It's been a long time since the last time I ate kimchi jjigae!" Junho commented.

"Ah, I have a sudden craving for something sweet for dessert!" Taeyeon suddenly said.

"Exactly what I'm thinking!" Yoona agreed.

"But I don't want to go out..." Junho lamented.

"I know!" Yoona got up and ran to the kitchen. She took out 5 straws and cut one a little shorter. "Here, everyone draw a straw! The loser who gets the shortest will pick a person to go get desserts together!"

"One, two, three!" Each one of them revealed the end of their straws and looked around.

"Aish! Why is it always me when it comes to these things?" Wooyoung pouted, throwing his straw on the floor.

"Thank you, Wooyoung and Taeyeon~" Junho, Taecyeon and Yoona said cheerily in unison.

"I want chocolate ice-cream!" Yoona exclaimed.

"I want milk pudding!" Taecyeon followed.

"I want an éclair please!" Junho then followed.

"Y-yah, who said I was going to go with him?" Taeyeon retorted.

"Taeyeon, who else do you think he pick?" Junho teased.

"Sorry Taeng, you're coming with me." Wooyoung said apologetically, before he grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"F-fine." Taeyeon answered, her face reddening.

"Aigoo, why are you guys still so shy?" Taecyeon teased. "Be like Yoona and I, in love and not afraid to show it!"

"We don't want to be as gross as you guys!" Wooyoung yelled.

"YAH!" Taecyeon and Yoona shouted together. "Just kidding! We'll be back!" Wooyoung said, walking towards the door hand-in-hand with a still embarrassed Taeyeon. --------------------------------------------------------

"Youngie, what are you getting?" Taeyeon asked, as they stood in front of the freezer at a mini-mart near Taecyeon and Yoona's apartment.

"Hmm... I want ice-cream!" Wooyoung said.

"Can you get the cream puff? I want to eat some~" Taeyeon asked cutely, unknowingly doing some aegyo.

"O-okay. Then what will you get?" Wooyoung said, looking away after melting a little due to Taeyeon's aegyo.

"You guess!"

"Hmm..." Wooyoung pondered as he looked around. "Cookies and cream ice cream?"

"Whoa, you actually got it right!" Taeyeon said in surprise, before she picked up a small tub of ice-cream and placed it in the basket Wooyoung was carrying.

"Hey, don't speak as if I never get it right!"

"Well, you don't! Merong~" Taeyeon said, smiling cheekily before she walked towards the cashier.

"This girl..." Wooyoung muttered.

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"This cream puff is so delicious!" Taeyeon exclaimed, opening the packaging and taking a bite. She offered it to Wooyoung, who also took a big bite.

"Ah, cold, cold~" Wooyoung commented, before swallowing the bite. Taeyeon laughed in response; the look on his face was so comical. "But yeah, it's really good though!"

The two then started walking to the car while sharing the sweet dessert between them.

"You know, I think Taecyeon is really manly sometimes." Taeyeon started.

"Just sometimes." Wooyoung shrugged.

"You shouldn't be commenting on him!"

"Why? Are you saying I'm not manly?"

"I wasn't the one who said that~"

"Just wait until we're married, you'll know then." Wooyoung said confidently.

"Who says I'll be getting married to you?" Taeyeon said, sticking out her tongue.

Wooyoung instantly reacted and clutched his chest dramatically. "Ouch... that hurt me!"

Taeyeon laughed at him again, "Just kidding!! But to be honest, yeah. There were times when you were manly."

"Really? When when, I want to hear it from you." Wooyoung asked as they got onto the car and fastened their seatbelts.

"Like during the time when you made that speech! And... Hmm, can't seem to think of anything else!" Taeyeon replied cheekily.

"Yah, what do you mean by that! I'll definitely be manlier in the future."

"Hmm I'm not sure about that~ your worst moment was when we were at the meadow. Your first question to me was, "What are you doing here?" Pabo. What else could I have been there for?"

"Tsk, I was just shocked okay! And happy." Wooyoung replied shyly.

Taeyeon smiled happily in response. The atmosphere then suddenly changed and Taeyeon asked, "Do you think Taecyeon will make Yoona happy?"

"Definitely. They both will be very happy in marriage." Wooyoung said with conviction. Seeing Wooyoung so sure, Taeyeon then nodded, before giving a small smile.

Wooyoung then started driving, but thoughts never left his mind. If he was going to bring his relationship with Taeyeon to the next level, he would have to do something first. And that something will require a lot of courage to do.

A comfortable silence had taken over as Wooyoung drove back to Taecyeon and Yoona's apartment. He looked at Taeyeon, who was gazing out of the window silently. Wooyoung then made his mind, before making a sudden U-turn at the traffic junction they were at.

"Hmm? Youngie, where are you going? I thought Taecyeon's apartment was just right ahead."

"It's just... I need to go somewhere first."

"Oh? Where?" Taeyeon asked. "You'll see when we get there." Wooyoung said, simply. --------------------------------------------------------

Wooyoung drove into a driveway that was familiar to both Taeyeon and himself. Knowing the destination that Wooyoung wanted to go as they drove down the familiar route, Taeyeon could not help but have mixed feelings about this.

The car soon came to a halt and Taeyeon looked at Wooyoung expectantly, waiting for him to speak. Instead, Wooyoung took off his seatbelt, and grabbed the door handle, wanting to get out, but Taeyeon stopped him by grabbing his arm.

"Youngie? What's wrong? Why the sudden decision to come here?"

"It's not sudden. It's something I have always been thinking about. I think it's time that I paid a proper visit after all that happened."

Taeyeon bit her lip, before a wide smile spread on her face. Seeing Taeyeon smile, Wooyoung could not hold back his smile either, and quickly got out of the car.

Taeyeon followed suit and the couple walked to the door together. Wooyoung pressed the doorbell, his heart beating fast due to nervousness. Sensing how nervous Wooyoung was feeling, Taeyeon slipped her hand into his and squeezed it tightly, before giving him a smile. Wooyoung immediately felt a sense of reassurance by that small action from Taeyeon and smiled back in response. He was ready for this.