...Once upon a time - it's stories that begin with these four words that we would often hear when we're little children. Fables of untold splendor about knights riding up to save a princess, unlikely people falling in love, or finding great treasure in a lost city. It's a given that it would all end happily. So, since each and every one of our lives is a great narrative, I often wonder: If the first thing my mother said to me upon giving birth was 'Once upon a time' then could I get a fairytale ending too?...
Taeyeon looked across the road tentatively before lifting up the hood of her car. The midnight breeze was chilling so she nuzzled deeper inside the shelters of her thin jacket. Brushing away her bangs that had fallen down to her eyes, the girl absently scanned the engine of the vehicle. She had no idea why her car had slowly descended to a halt just when they were nearing Gunpo, and now, Taeyeon was outside trying to figure out a way to fix it. Letting out a solemn sigh, she peeked out of the metal wall and stared at the front windows of the car where she spotted a sleeping Tiffany. A small smile scampered across her lips unknowingly as she watched the girl breathe in and out. Like a rhythmic pendulum, Taeyeon was comforted and entranced by the soft and gentle motions of Tiffany breathing.
The girl watched for a while before shifting her focus back at the car’s engine. Scratching the back of her head, she tried to find the problem but to no avail. Every part of the machine looked the same, and she wasn’t skilled enough of a mechanic to pinpoint anything awry. A sense of regret settled within her as she thought over her lack of decision-making when buying a vehicle. Thinking that it could save her money to buy a used car, she had bought the vehicle from her cousin without inspecting its condition. Now, three or so hours on the road and she and Tiffany were stranded with no transportation.
Taeyeon gravely closed the hood of the vehicle and began pacing back and forth. She began to think up of various things she could do to get them out of this mess, and sure she could have asked for Tiffany’s help, but the girl didn’t want to wake her from her sleep. Within several minutes of brainstorming, Taeyeon gave up and slumped down on the cold tarmac of the road, her back leaning against the side door of her car. They were so close to Gunpo, just a few more miles and they would have been there. But life, like always, loved to play games with people; show them the road map to wherever they want to go, but disclose the information that there will always be an obstruction on the road. Had anyone ever wondered why people always talked about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, but never have people actually talked about reaching it?
Taeyeon thought about it for a while and another question soon popped up: Why was it that every time she got close to reaching something, she could never quite attain it?
Tiffany and Taeyeon were riding a ferris wheel that overlooked the distant horizon. Splashes of refined gold had covered the land, painting everything in sepia. Above them, the long hand of darkened sapphire slowly crawled from the east, running ever so slowly until the night had finally claimed the day. Taeyeon had promised her best friend that they would go to an amusement park once she was feeling better from her first chemo session. Typically, Tiffany was a fighter and within two and a half weeks, they were able to go. With a blissful cry, Tiffany lifted her hands to the air as they slowly ascended up to the peak of the ferris wheel.
Soundtrack: One
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Taeyeon looked at the girl whose hair was beginning to thin from the therapy, but to her, Tiffany was still as beautiful as ever. With an amused chuckle, Taeyeon followed after her best friend as she screamed wildly into the evening air. The cold blast of high wind swept over them, embracing the two with its chilling arms. Automatically, Taeyeon took her jacket off and began putting it on Tiffany.
"TaeTae, I already have a jacket" the girl chimed with an amused expression.
"Better safe than sorry," she simply replied as she zipped the coat up.
They were now descending back down and Tiffany couldn't help but let out a disappointed sigh. The ride was done and the sick girl didn't want to get off just yet. Grabbing the hem of Taeyeon's shirt, she pulled her best friend back to her seat and asked with a light pout to her lips, "Again?"
"We should start heading back," she explained with an apologetic expression, "look at you, you're already exhausted."
"No, I'm not" Tiffany defended but her yawn that followed afterwards said otherwise.
Taeyeon chuckled lightly, "See-"
"Just one more, then we can go home."
"No"
"Please?" Tiffany pleaded with a puppy-like expression.
Taeyeon sighed, "Okay, but just one more time and then we're done." Sitting back down, she told the ferris wheel operator that they would like to go again, and the lean man nodded. The ride started once more, slowly ascending back to the peak of the large circle. This time though, Tiffany hadn't lifted her hands out to the evening sky like a wild lunatic, no, this time she reached for Taeyeon's hands and firmly held on to it.
“My hands are cold, TaeTae” she reasoned with a warm smile.
Their fingers seemed to fit together in just the right way - effortlessly clasped, like a key to a lock or the matching pieces of a puzzle; perfect complements. Taeyeon smiled as Tiffany leaned against her shoulder, the two not saying anything while they watched the sun slowly sinking down to the horizon of the jutted plain. Marveling at the vastness of it all, they allowed the mellifluous zephyrs to brush against their skin and gently sway their unkempt hair. They were descending again, the ferris wheel preparing for the second and final round once more to the top of the circle. Dipping to the lowest point of the ride, the two girl's began to ascend a final time.
Taeyeon looked at the girl who was still leaning against her shoulder before focusing her attention back to the view before her. She didn't know how it all started, or when it gradually built up, but words began to spill out of her lips without volition. The feelings she buried deep inside gradually accumulated and in that moment, it began to seep out and Taeyeon couldn't stop it.
“Tiffany,” she started, “sometimes no amount of words are good enough to say what really needs to be said. Sometimes, the best words are the one's that are silent. Still, I can't help but tell you now, even though I know that the words are not enough to tell you how I really feel. Yet, I'll try anyways.” Taeyeon took in a deep breath and spilled all that she had kept hidden for the last three years into words.
“So...uhhhh....” She began to wonder how to start it off, and decided that she'd start with something that was in her nature to say, “once upon a time, there was this little girl who met an angel. And the angel made her cry a lot at first, but nevertheless, the two eventually became friends. Close friends, the bestest of friends. And the little girl who used to have anxiety problems didn't have it anymore when she was with the bubbly angel. Her laughter and smile was heavenly, and it was a puzzle the little girl was more than willing to try to solve for the rest of her life. The heaven sent angel was God's gift for the girl. She cherished her whole-heartedly, for the angel could turn dirt into diamonds, water into polished sapphire, and pebbles into tempted gold with just a smile. In the light of the sun, the angel shone brighter and in the darkest of nights she was a beaming lighthouse. The girl couldn't help but fall in love. But God's gift was temporary, and He would soon make her come back home, because nothing heavenly can live on earth for too long. Knowing that, the girl who grew up alongside the angel didn't tell her of her growing feelings - until now.”
They were now descending slowly, and Taeyeon looked on ahead as she continued. “Tiffany, I don't need to look for that angel anymore cause it has always been you. So please, make my wish come true and keep fighting. You said you'd clip your wings for me, so please do that so God doesn't have to take you back home. Love is selfish, and I admit, I'm selfish for not wanting to let you go, because now I'm going to say it: Tiffany, I love you.”
The ride ended and Tiffany who was leaning on her shoulder didn't move nor say anything. Taeyeon watched with growing anticipation until her well-built confidence in her confession crumbled down upon hearing the light snoring of her best friend. She couldn't help but shake her head and chuckle in amusement as she eyed the sleeping girl.
Maybe this was for the best.
And indeed it was. Putting her feelings into the equation now would be too messy, too complicated and too burdensome for the sick girl. Prior to the conversation with Mr.Lee, Taeyeon was dead set that there were no more angels except for Tiffany. And hearing that she had terminal leukemia confirmed a theory that she had invented a while ago: The sick angel couldn't grant her wish for her because she didn't find Tiffany, Tiffany found her – and that wasn't how the wish worked. Taeyeon had to find an angel, not the other way around.
With a defeated sigh, Taeyeon turned her head to the right and watched the darkened horizon with glassy eyes. She couldn’t see anything at all, except for the faint wisps of light that the stars above illuminated across the onyx stretch of land before her. Exhaustion slowly crept in, the cold breeze serenading her with the faint lull of the night's sweet song as it rustled through the blades of grass that covered a rounded hill to her forward right. With heavy eyelids, she slowly closed her eyes until a strip of golden light streamed into her vision. Wincing from the brightness of it all, Taeyeon allowed her pupils to adjust to the ever growing light. Once she had, the girl focused on the source of the illumination and found that a car was slowing down, coming to a complete halt directly before her. The front windows rolled open and it revealed a slim figure. Instinctively, Taeyeon lifted herself up and came to stare at a girl with short hair that complimented her feminine features.
“Seems like you’re stuck,” she started with a light chuckle before trailing her focus to Taeyeon’s vehicle, “do you need some help?”
With her mouth gaped wide open, she tried to answer the girl’s question but came out with nothing. The taller girl waved her question off before opening her car door and heading towards the hood of Taeyeon's vehicle. Lifting up the metal sheet, she inspected the engine while lightly scratching her chin with her fingers. “Seems to me like your transmission broke,” she started again, “I’m not a mechanic though, but my brother is… so I’m decent with car related things” The girl followed it with a laugh and Taeyeon began to make her way beside her with a perplexed expression.
“I’m sorry, but who are you?” she asked in a cautious manner
“Oh, my bad. Sunny always tells me that I should stop assuming everyone’s a friend” the taller girl chimed whimsically. “I’m Sooyoung, nice to meet you”
“Taeyeon”
“Hello Taeyeon. And yes, like I was saying, I think your transmission broke. I could call my brother up to tow your car to his place to have it fixed, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for your vehicle. You have a place you plan to stay for the night?” Sooyoung asked with a friendly smile and Taeyeon was unsure if she should trust everything the girl said. As if reading her mind, Sooyoung chuckled and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person or something. See,” she showed both of her hands to Taeyeon, “no hook. Just wanting to help someone who looks like they’re in need of help.”
At that instant, the front passenger door of the car opened as Tiffany groggily stepped outside. Scratching her eyes, she ambled her way to where the two girls stood. Taeyeon could see the exhaustion in her face, and she wanted nothing more but to cover her in a warm blanket and let her sleep, wrapped in her arms. Letting out a tired yawn, Tiffany asked "What's the matter TaeTae?"
Taeyeon walked towards her and gently rubbed the girl's back consolingly, "Our car broke down, and this nice lady over here is helping me try to fix it"
"Sooyoung," the tall girl cut in with a gleeful grin.
Tiffany smiled angelically, displaying no hindrance of her small gesture. "Nice to meet you, and thank you for your help." She turned to the hood of the car and stared at it before shifting her gaze back at Taeyeon, "What are we going to do now? It's not like we can walk to Gunpo"
"I'm not sure, but Sooyoung said that the transmission broke down and that she has a brother who can fix it for us."
Her best friend nodded at that, and asked another question, "Why didn't you wake me?"
"I didn't want to ruin your beauty rest” Taeyeon half joked before following it with a light chuckle though Tiffany didn't find it funny.
“Still, you should have woken me” she admonished as she crossed her arms.
Sooyoung coughed, bringing the two girls to focus their attention back to her. “I'll call my brother now so he can tow your car to his place. You said something about Gunpo? I live in Gunpo, I can drop you off to wherever you're planning to stay if you want.”
“We don't want to be a bother to you,” Taeyeon said. Half of her wanted to accept the offer right there and then, and the other was still hesitant on getting a ride with a complete stranger. Tiffany, on the other-hand, clapped her hands together and gave Sooyoung a beaming smile. Her best friend was all too trusting.
“That'd be great, thank you so much. You can drop us off at a near hotel in Gunpo.” Tiffany eagerly voiced.
“Aw, it's no bother. In fact, I should say thank you to you. I went out of the city for a few days; work related, and I'm already running late to get home. My wife, Sunny, she's going to kill me once I get back. But, since I have an excuse on being late, I'll probably get off the hook this time” she informed following it with a hearty laugh. “Now, excuse me while I call my brother,” the tall girl said before taking out her cellphone from her pocket and dialing a number.
Taeyeon turned back to Tiffany who aimlessly wondered her eyes around the area. Whispering, she asked “What happens if this is a scam?”
“What do you mean?” her best friend asked in the same hushed tone.
“I mean, what if we never get our car back. What if this is all part of their plan to get a few extra bucks from our car parts. You know, I've seen this in the movies before.”
Tiffany glanced briefly at Sooyoung who was busily chatting away. Returning her attention back to Taeyeon, she replied “She seems nice, I don't think she'll do that to us. And besides, we'll ask for her brother's business card so we can call him up.”
“What if she gives us a fake number?”
“Then we'll just have to live with it. It's not like we have any other option now.”
“But-”
Taeyeon was cut off by a tap on her shoulder. Jumping slightly from the touch, she jerked her head to Sooyoung who was done with her phone conversation. She sported an incredulous look on her face, her lips quaintly slanted on one side while her eyebrows were furrowed.
“It's...it's not what-” Taeyeon tried to reason but was cut off by a wave of the tall girl's hand.
“My wife called after I was done persuading my brother to fix up your car. I told her that I was going to drop you guys off at a hotel, but she wouldn't have any of that. I love her to bits and pieces, but she's a little demanding and I can't say no to her, because honestly, she scares me sometimes. Anyways, Sunny wants you guys to stay over at our house for the night. She's born into a hospitable family, and it'd be like a slap to her face if she let you guys spend money on a hotel room when you can stay at ours for free. We have a guest room, so it's not like we'll be going out of our way for you guys.”
“Now, now, that's too much to ask of you already.” Taeyeon replied with a nervous chuckle and Tiffany instantly leaned into her ear to whisper something.
“If we stay at their house, we can make sure that they don't steal our car from us.”
“I mean, really? You would do that for us? Thank you.” the shorter girl averted from her previous answer. Leaning back to Tiffany, she half joked in a hushed whisper so that the other girl wouldn't hear, “If they turn out to be serial murderers, at least we die together.”
Sooyoung and Sunny were one of those rare people that when asked for a glass of water, they'd give them a bottle of the finest wine instead. Overtly friendly in nature, they opened their doors readily to anyone who would ask without thinking of the possibly consequences. A rare sight to see in the modern world, they have a heart of gold and anyone who knew them grew rich with their overflowing kindness. Although Taeyeon and Tiffany didn't know it yet; they were indeed lucky to have been found my Sooyoung instead of another.
“It's no problem at all,” the taller girl said with a sincere smile, “I guess we'll wait for my brother, and then we can all head over to my house. I hope you guys are hungry, my wife ordered pizza for us.”
