Length of Happiness

Chapter 12 - Despicable

Jessica was happy to see the girl helpless, and she was sure that there wouldn't be anyone interrupting them like last time. It was cold, so everyone went back to their homes or stayed in school to study.

"You really think it will be over after you made me look like a fool like that? You think you can walk away when you get my friend in trouble?"

"Aren't you tired? Do you need help to set your mind straight?" Taeyeon muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"Shouldn't you be the one who needs help right now? At least Jessica got useful friends." Yuri sniggered.

"Wow, after few weeks of not talking to each other, you already think Tiffany is useless. No wonder not even your best friend want to hang with you."

"Jess! Look at her! So arrogant!" Yuri whined, bending the shorty's arm harder, but no reaction was shown from the latter.

"It's okay, Yuri." Jessica hooked her arm around Taeyoon. "Tonight, I am going to show you how it feels like to have your best friend watch you get embarrassed."

"YESSS!!" Yuri squealed in excitement.

"Sunny, watch carefully. I know you have wondered why she never cared about you, even after she 'protected' you. You know she is just using you, right? Protecting you is just her making herself look nice and fill that worthless pride of hers. In other words," Jessica said mockingly and ordered her two friends to hold on to Taeyeon tighter and lifted latter's chin. "She doesn't care about you at all."

Sunny slowly tilted her head towards her, looking disheartened.

"How did I know?" Jessica said as if reading her mind. "I have seen the way she looks at you after she intervened in our sessions—the frustration inside her and how she wishes that you didn't exist. And you know what? She despises you; she thinks you are annoying."

"Only an idiot would believe you." Taeyeon spat.

"Oh really?" She turned her attention back to Sunny, looking smug, "if it weren't for Tiffany, would Taeyeon still hang with you? Do you know how long Taeyeon had held Tiffany's hand behind your back?"

"So what? I knew they were close. That doesn't prove anything!" Sunny tried her best to talk back against the doubts Jessica is trying to force into her.

"Have you really not realized that Taeyoon was only ever interested in talking to Tiffany? When did she take the initiative to ask you to hang with her? Even after she 'helped' you, she leaves you behind like her pet. What's even more surprising you run after Taeyoon like an idiot, as if she cared about you."

"Oh! I remember that scene, Sunny was trying to pick up her notes, and I think she fell, what, 3 times before finally getting on her feet?" Yuri recalled the scene, causing them to burst into scornful laughter.

From the perpetual comments, they start to dig deep into Sunny's thoughts. And she would be lying if she said she hadn't doubted Taeyeon before, but they were small. Like Tiffany had mentioned before, sometimes small problems can build into larger ones. Taeyeon never once bothered to ask Sunny to hang. It was always Sunny tagging herself along. Every time Tiffany asked or invited her to come with, she saw the disappointment in Taeyeon's eyes, even if it was just a slight annoyance. Even tonight, had Tiffany not asked Taeyeon to walk with her, Sunny was sure she would be alone right now.

Ever since Tiffany started hanging with them, she realized how gravitated Taeyeon was towards Tiffany. In contrast, Taeyeon and her own relationship were more of a one-sided one. Unless she talked to her directly, Taeyeon would never notice her, even if she is her seatmate. Part of her wanted to tell Taeyeon, but she also thinks that she shouldn't because she wasn't the type of person people wanted to hang with. She was sure of that from her classmates' constant teasing, thanks to Jessica. On the other part, she doesn't want Taeyeon's friendship out of pity.