Musical Heart

7/18/2019 Musical Heart

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/musical-heart 1/268

Overview:

Have you ever felt that someone was so similar, yet so different from you? Have

you ever felt strangely connected to someone that you just knew? That was what

Taeyeon felt when she got to know Tiffany. A young girl aspiring to be a

professional singer, Taeyeon, has to overcome the obstacles within her life, and

those from the outside world. When she meets Tiffany, a professional musician,

her life is changed.

Inspired by Tiffany, Taeyeon begins a relentless pursuit of her dreams. When fate

changes their course, Tiffany finds out the part of her life that she never knew, and

Taeyeon must now confront the greatest foe she ever met. Will the two girls

overcome the obstacles, and achieve their dreams, or will they succumb to fate? To

form the greatest team ever, and be pillars of support for each other, Taeyeon and

Tiffany must join their hearts as one, by the one thing they have in common.

Their passion for music.



Musical Hearts

Presented to you by Nwk

A Taeny Fanfiction

~~~Music is the bridge that links our hearts~~~

Prologue: A Minor Note

"Next" A voice calls out, echoing across the auditorium.

The girl knows that it is her turn. Being the last in line, she has been waiting for

long. Five minutes is all she has.



A stagehand hands the girl a microphone, and she accepts it gratefully, before

shuffling out onto stage. Hundreds of pairs of eyes watch her every move, as she

slowly moves to the center of the stage.

Calm down, Taeyeon, calm down. You're called Taeyeon for a reason, so calm

down. Taeyeon tells herself silently.

"Good afternoon. My name is Kim Taeyeon." The girl announces in her clear

voice.

One of the judges waves a hand, and gives her the cue. Taeyeon lifts the

microphone to her mouth.

Just like practice. It's the same. The judges are not there. Just you. Yourself.

Taeyeon tells herself.

The first note echoes clearly in the now silent auditorium, as the girl on stage givesherself into the embrace of music, and let herself flow with the rhythm.



Hearts are captivated by the girl's singing, as her angelic voice strikes every note,

every chord powerfully, rich with emotion.

Prepare yourself, the hardest part is coming. Taeyeon mentally tells herself, as the

flow of music hints her that the most difficult part of the song to her is coming.

Ready, one, two, three! Taeyeon encourages herself silently, as she stretches her

voice to hit the tones as accurate as she can. The girl on stage carries on singing,

until the whole song is done. The final note leaves her lips, and echoes around the

auditorium, leaving behind the impact of a talented singer.

Taeyeon lowers the microphone, and waits with baited breath for the decision. Her

heart is beating so fast, that she feels it will burst. The first judge holds up a greenflag, and the weight on her heart momentarily disappears. The second holds up a

red flag, and the weight sinks in again. Taeyeon turns her attention to the last and

final judge.

After much consideration, the last judge holds up his flag. The stark red color of

the flag hits Taeyeon hard. Emotionally overwhelmed, she can only stagger

backstage, and collapse in a heap, crying.



To the judges, she was another contestant in the auditions. To her, it was the

opportunity of a lifetime.

Taeyeon had always dreamed to be a singer, and her talent in singing had landed

her a place in her school's choir. However, Taeyeon desired more. She desired to

be a professional. Taeyeon did not desire the fame and the wealth of a professional

singer, and her dream of singing came from passion. She believed that music was

the international language, and she wanted to spread love and peace through music.

Her heart was shattered. High profile companies in the music industries did not

conduct auditions regularly, and Taeyeon had managed to participate in this one,

hoping that it would result in a contract, and a chance for her dream. Now, her

dream was ruined. She would be back to being a singer in her school choir, for

years, until the next major audition.

In her grief, Taeyeon did not notice the other young girl, before she collided into

her. The collision was strong enough, that the other girl dropped what she was

holding.

A shiny flute clattered onto the floor, as sheets of music scores floated down

around it.



Immediately, shock dominated all the sorrow that Taeyeon felt. Taeyeon knew,

that any musical instrument was expensive, and should not be dropped around like

that. Mumbling her apologies, Taeyeon bowed her head, and hurriedly picked up

the dropped items, handing it back to the girl.

As Taeyeon lifted her head to apologize, she made eye contact with the girl. The

shock of who she met made her drop the flute, together with all the music scores

again. Taeyeon was aghast with herself, how could she be dropping this girl's

belonging's like that?

Taeyeon's mind was blank. By some stroke of luck, she met the world famous

flutist that she admired the most, and this had to be the worst ways of meeting a

world famous musician, and one that she was a complete fan of, not to mention the

possible cost in damages that she had done. Her flute would probably be worth

more than all her possessions, and she would be in deep trouble, should the flutist

press charges.

Taeyeon hurriedly picked up the girl's belongings again, and returned them to the

girl, apologising profusely. As she turned to walk away, she felt the girl close a

hand around her shoulder.



Oh no! I am so deep trouble! Taeyeon thought.

"Please! I didn't mean to damage your flute, I'm sorry!" Taeyeon exclaimed, hiding

her face with her hands.

"That's not what I meant. Are you alright?" The girl asked. her tone of voice was

deep, yet there was a calming feel to it.

Taeyeon felt the girl lead her by her hand into a room, and she felt the girl press

her into a chair. Lifting her head, she looked into the eye of the flutist she admired

the most for a second time.

There she was. Without a doubt. Tiffany Hwang.

One of the youngest professionals in the world, Tiffany had become a professional

at the age of eighteen, now she was twenty four, the same age as Taeyeon. The

very first time Taeyeon had heard her play was at a concert, and that was enough tocapture Taeyeon's heart. Since then, Taeyeon had admired the young flutist, and by

now, Taeyeon had each and every piece that Tiffany had composed and performed

on her music player.



"I'm guessing you failed the audition?" Tiffany asked.

Taeyeon could only nod. It was still a dream for her, meeting Tiffany, and she did

not know how to respond.

"I was in the audience, and I heard you sing. You were great, no, awesome. Just

that little note at the back. Work on it, and you'll be fine." Tiffany added.

Taeyeon nodded again.

"Just a minor note, don't take it too harsh on yourself. That reminds me, I used to

have trouble with the A minor scale as well. I have problems with the A minor

scale, and you only have a little trouble with a minor note." The flutist added,

chuckling to her own joke.

The girl's chuckle was infectious, and Taeyeon let out a giggle as well.



"There, there. See, you're also laughing now." Tiffany said, as she patted Taeyeon's

arm. "Just remember to keep smiling, music is supposed to make us happy. Stay

happy, work on it, and you'll get there soon. I have to go off now, do take care, and

all the best for your next audition!" Tiffany continued, and she left the room,

leaving Taeyeon all alone.

Taeyeon sat there stunned. She had just met the musician she admired the most and

dropped her instrument twice. She expected to be scolded, yet Tiffany had talked

to her kindly, and took a brief minute or two to give her some words of encouragement, despite her busy schedule.

Yeah, I just have one problem. Just a minor note. Taeyeon thought.

She giggled once again, as she remembered the flutist's joke.



Chapter 1: My Friend

A single, powerful word will have an everlasting impact.

The cheers from her fans drowning out the very last note of her song,

The spotlights shining on her.

The world of music.

The love for music.

The applause was deafening, as she stood on the stage, soaking up every single

moment of her performance, and the love, and support from her fans. She loved

them too, delivering her love in the form of songs and music.

Beep-Beep-Beep. A shrill beeping noise echoed throughout the stadium, and she

was puzzled.



The beeping noise got louder, and it drowned out the cheers and applause from her

audience. The girl on stage tilted her head, trying to identify the source of the

noise. She---

The alarm clock.

Letting out a grunt of dissatisfaction, Taeyeon reached out an arm, and tried to

switch off her alarm clock. Her short frame made her unable to do so, and she

rolled over on her bed, stretching out as far as she could, to switch off the beeping

menace in her room.

She finally made it, but she had rolled too far. As Taeyeon hit the mute button on

her alarm clock, gravity claimed her, and she toppled off her bed, and landed on

the floor, tangled in her blanket.

What a way to start the day.

Untangling herself from her blanket, Taeyeon sat there, dazed, and still half asleep,

before she realized she was sitting on her favorite stuffed toy, a pod of peas which



she called Dukong. Apologizing to her stuffed toy, the threw the toy back onto her

bed, before heading to the washroom to wash up, and get ready for school.

A quick breakfast was consumed, and Taeyeon was on her way to school. It was

the start of a new term. Taeyeon excelled in her studies, and she had managed to

clinch a place in one of Korea's top colleges, and in a course that she liked.

Taeyeon had selected music as her course of study, in hopes that she would be able

to realize her dreams as a professional singer one day.

She was still in a grumpy mood, as she made her way to school. It was not the first

time, that her alarm clock had spoiled a wonderful dream.

Still, it was a dream

Kim Taeyeon, if only you had passed the audition, you would be going for training

with that company now, rather than going to school. Taeyeon grumbled in her

mind.

Not to mention school is a complete waste of time today. I only have one lesson,

and I have to travel all the way there, just for two hours of lecture, then travel

home again. Stupid timetable. Taeyeon added.



The unhappy girl finally reached her college, and she headed straight for her

locker, to draw out the books that she needed for her first lesson.

Opening her locker, Taeyeon took a brief moment to check out her timetable.

Advanced theory in Music was her first lesson, and as she dug through her locker

for her books, she felt people come up behind her.

"Oh look, the shorty is here." A voice behind her said, and several others laughed.

Taeyeon knew who that voice belonged to, without even turning her head.

Oh gosh, it's them again. Taeyeon thought.

The group of three who liked to pick on Taeyeon due to her short height.

One of them reached out a hand, and plucked a photograph from the walls of

Taeyeon's locker. Immediately, Taeyeon snatched it back.



"Yah! That's mine! Keep your hands off my belongings!" Taeyeon raised her

voice.

"Oh please, do you need to be so sensitive?" The person replied.

"Dork." Another one said, as he gave Taeyeon's head a push, and they left,

laughing to themselves.

Taeyeon turned her attention back to the photograph, it was one of her favorite

musician, Tiffany Hwang. Her locker was covered with posters and photos of

Tiffany, the musician that she came to love, and support.

"If only you guys knew I saw Tiffany, you'd be jealous too." Taeyeon muttered

under her breath. If only the meeting was not in such a bad situation, I'd have

gotten her autograph, a part of her mind told her.

Sighing, Taeyeon stuck the photograph back into her locker, before closing it shut,and heading off for class.



Class today was not very fruitful for Taeyeon, for her attention was captured by

something else. She could not seem to concentrate on what her teacher was saying,

for her mind was somewhere else.

Tiffany said that my problem is just that minor note.

A professional musician advising me.

Perhaps if I could conquer that problem, I could finally succeed in auditioning?

How can I solve that problem?

All that was on Taeyeon's mind was her brief meeting with Tiffany, and how she

could improve on her singing. Taeyeon desperately wanted to succeed in an

audition with an entertainment label, so that she could attain her dream career, as a

professional singer.

For the whole lesson, Taeyeon was lost in her thoughts, that she only came back to

reality when her teacher announced that it was the end of the lesson. Taeyeon was



aghast. She had only one lesson today, and she traveled all the way to school for

the lesson, and she had just wasted the whole time dreaming.

The second shock came, as her teacher announced, "Class, as some of you might

have heard, today is my last day teaching here, as I will be retiring soon."

Taeyeon was shocked. She liked her teacher. The way he conducted classes was

excellent. Still, Taeyeon knew it was a matter of time before he retired, for he was

aging already.

"Before I go, I believe it is my duty to introduce to you the new teacher who will

be taking over me. From tomorrow onward, she will be in charge of all the lectures

regarding musical theory. Class, let us welcome her." Taeyeon's teacher continued.

The door of the lecture hall opened, and the new teacher came in. For a moment,

all the students were stunned.

Who would ever expect their new teacher to be a person so young, that she looked

as if she was the same age as them, or perhaps even younger?



It took a while, before some students could comprehend what they were seeing,

and when they did, they sat there, their mouths open in shock.

Taeyeon rubbed her eyes, she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

Before the entire lecture hall, there stood Tiffany Hwang.

"I believe some of you, especially those students who have a background in

playing the flute, will recognize your new teacher." Taeyeon's lecturer announced,

smiling.

"Hello everyone, my name's Tiffany Hwang." Tiffany introduced herself.

Taeyeon was mind blown. Her idol, her favorite musician, had become her teacher.

***************************

She could not help noticing.



It was strange, for a person of her caliber.

Taeyeon sat at the table, eating her lunch slowly, and peeking over the top of her

bowl of noodles.

There she was, Tiffany Hwang, queuing up to buy her lunch.

How was it possible, that a world famous musician was queuing to buy her lunch,

in the college canteen? Taeyeon had expected, that with her fame, she probably

would have her own lunch somewhere else, and probably a better lunch than what

the school canteen could offer.

She's really a humble person, those articles online were not lying. Taeyeon

thought, as she watched the flutist bow respectfully to the students who approached

her for her autograph.

Should I go and ask for her autograph? What if she remembers me as the person

who dropped her flute? Taeyeon considered, as she turned back to her bowl of

noodles.



Taeyeon was still weighing her options, on whether to approach Tiffany for an

autograph, when a voice next to her called out, "Can i take a seat here? Everywhere

else is full."

Taeyeon froze. She looked up, and Tiffany Hwang was standing before her.

"Uh... Yeah. You can." Taeyeon stammered, indicating to the empty seat opposite

her. Tiffany flashed her signature eye smile, as she took the seat.

That's the famous eye smile, it's really brilliant. Taeyeon thought.

Pulling out her diary, and a pen, Taeyeon asked, "Uh... Tiffany, uh..., teacher, can I

get your autograph?"

"Just call me Tiffany, there's no need to call me teacher, after all, I'm probably

younger than some of you students." Tiffany answered, as she accepted the book,

and signed her autograph on it.



"By the way, what's your name?" Tiffany asked.

"Uh... Kim Taeyeon." Taeyeon stammered, and Tiffany wrote down a message of

encouragement on her diary.

As Tiffany handed the diary back to Taeyeon, she paused for a short while. "Wait...

By any chance, you're that girl I met back at the auditions, right?" Tiffany asked.

"I didn't mean to drop your flute, I'm sorry!" Taeyeon burst out. Fortunately, the

canteen was crowded, and noisy, and no one really heard Taeyeon's outburst.

Tiffany patted her hand gently. "It's alright. Accidents do happen. I never imagined

that I would see you here again, and that I'll be teaching you. How have you been

so far?"

"Uh... I'm alright... I think it's time I should head home now." Taeyeon stammered.

She still felt afraid, that Tiffany would harbor ill feelings regarding her flute.

"Oh alright, where are you heading?" Tiffany asked, as she finished the last of her

noodles. She sure eats fast, Taeyeon thought, but with such elegance too.



Taeyeon answered. "Oh, I'm heading that way too, need to collect back my flute,

sent it for some maintenance. I'll accompany you." Tiffany added.

The flute.

Taeyeon wanted to object, for she was still paranoid, over dropping Tiffany's flute.

Did I damage it? That's why she had to send it for maintenance? Taeyeon

wondered. She was still worried that the flutist would claim damages from her, and

knowing the quality of instruments that a musician life Tiffany would use, there

would be no way Taeyeon could pay off the damages. Still, the thought of her idol

accompanying her on a walk dominated everything, and Taeyeon nodded her head,

agreeing.

The two girls left the college, and began on their journey.

None of them spoke for a short while, and the first one who did was Tiffany.

"You're still worried over dropping my flute, right?" Tiffany questioned.



Taeyeon turned to face her, an expression of shock spreading on her face.

"I already said, it's alright. I'm a very nice person, see?" Tiffany said, as she flashed

her bright eye smile again.

Something in that sentence made Taeyeon feel much more relaxed, and the

atmosphere between the two became much brighter.

"Uh.. Teach--, sorry, Tiffany, I'm curious, but why were you at the auditions? Why

are you teaching in my college?" Taeyeon asked.

"I had to meet one of the directors of the company for a possible contract, and so I

decided to go and see the auditions too. As to why I'm teaching now, I have spare

time, outside my performances, so I decided to try something new, plus, I really

could do with a little extra salary." Tiffany answered.

Taeyeon found it strange, as to why a world famous flutist like her needed another job, and extra salary, but something in the back of her mind told her not to ask

further, so Taeyeon kept the question to herself.



The rest of the walk went well, with Taeyeon asking for tips on her singing. At

first, Taeyeon was worried, that Tiffany, with her fame, would have a cold attitude.

However, as their walk and talk went on, Taeyeon found Tiffany to be a warm and

lively girl. Tiffany was just like any other girl, or lady out there, living a normal

life once she was free from her performances and schedules. On the outside, she

was the elegant flutist that the world knew, but on the inside, Tiffany was very

much a girl like herself, carefree and fun-loving.

"Kim Taeyeon! What are you doing?! I thought I told you to go straight home afterclass?" A thunderous voice boomed.

Taeyeon knew that voice.

Turning around, Taeyeon saw her father striding towards them. She had never

expected to see her father outside, and of all times, during a walk with her favorite

musician, she had to. Now she would be embarrassed, in front of Tiffany.

What a way to present yourself in front of your idol, Taeyeon grumbled in her

mind.

Tiffany seemed shocked, as Taeyeon's father came over, yelling.



"How dare you, Kim Taeyeon, to go for that audition without asking me. See? This

is what happens when you go to music school. You end up doing all these sorts of

things. Mixing around with bad people like her---" Her father yelled, pointing a

finger at Tiffany.

"She's my friend!" Taeyeon cut her father off in mid sentence, raising her voice.

"You dare to talk back to me?" Her father screamed.

"Dad, I'm already twenty four! I can make my own decisions to what I want to

study! I can choose my friends! Don't you say such stuff about my friends!"

Taeyeon fired back.

Her father's face reddened. "You'll get it, a good scolding from me when you're

home." He snarled, and stormed off in the direction of their house.

For a while, silence hung in the air again.



"I'm sorry for my father's behaviour." Taeyeon apologized to Tiffany.

"It's alright. He seems to be disapproving of you learning music in school." Tiffany

said.

"Yeah... I have no idea why as well. My father works in an entertainment

company, and yet he does not support his own daughter pursuing a music career. It

was only that my mother, and my brother supported me, that I managed to learn

music." Taeyeon said, looking down and shuffling her feet.

"By the way, did you mean it?" Tiffany suddenly asked.

Taeyeon was surprised at this funny question.

"Did you mean it, when you said that I was your friend?" Tiffany pressed on.

Taeyeon was taken aback. Did I get too close to her? Pushed too much into her

comfort zone? Many thoughts ran through Taeyeon's mind.



"It's just that, I have never heard someone call me a friend. I have never had

someone to call a friend too." Tiffany continued, in a soft voice.

That sentence was full of emotion, that touched Taeyeon's heart. She felt those

feelings too, for she never had much friends in school. People would chide her as a

dork, and tease her, and her ambition to be a singer. They said her dream was far

fetched, and would never come true. The only inspiration that kept her going was

Tiffany, the musician she loved, the fact that if Tiffany was the same age as her,

and could become a professional, Taeyeon had hoped that she could followTiffany's path, except that she wanted to sing.

This girl, she's so similar to me. Our love for music, and this strange feeling, that

we never had anyone that we could call a friend. Taeyeon thought. On the other

hand, she's so much different as well. Her life is so much different from mine.

Before she could stop herself, Taeyeon felt herself say, "Let's be friends. We'll be

each other's friends!"

"Really?" Tiffany replied, looking at her.



"Yeah, we'll support each other, although I don't really know what I can do for you.

You're so much more experienced than me." Taeyeon added.

"I believe, there's many places that you could help. I guess you should head home

now, before your father gets even angrier. I'll take care of myself." Tiffany said.

The two girls bade each other goodbye, and as Taeyeon turned, to head home, she

heard Tiffany call out. Turning around, Taeyeon saw Tiffany running up to her.

"Taeyeon. Thank you, for being my friend." Tiffany said.

Those words seemed to have a big impact on Taeyeon. She felt the emotion behind

those words, as if something new had come alive in her soul.

There's so much more to Tiffany than what meets the eye, Taeyeon thought, as she

walked home. Perhaps some day I will know her better, and fully understand her.

Despite dreading to face her father back at home, Taeyeon was happy, for she

considered herself to have received a miracle.



Tiffany was no longer just her favorite musician, the flutist that she admired for

long.

She was now her teacher.

Tiffany was now her friend.

Chapter 2: Doubts & Concerns

Music can overcome the greatest doubt, the greatest fear.

It was a lonely walk home, and it did not help that it was in the middle of winter,

with freezing temperatures.



Tiffany pulled her coat tighter around herself, and increased her pace, she wanted

to get home quickly, back to her warm room.

Weather forecast is wrong again, Tiffany thought to herself, as the wind began to

pick up, and she pulled her scarf tighter around herself. The brief moment of

company she had with Taeyeon felt warm. It always felt good to have someone by

your side, someone to talk with, in this freezing cold winter.

By the time Tiffany reached home, her long, beautiful black hair had already been

blown into a mess, and the glamorous flutist now resembled a untidy, unkempt

young girl.

"Tiffany, you have mail today." Mrs Kim called out to the messed up flutist thatcame walking through the door, grumbling about the horrible weather.

Tiffany collected the bunch of envelopes from her landlady, and muttered a word

of thanks, before heading up to her room. Once in, she slammed the door shut

behind her, threw her mail onto her desk, and lay down on her bed.

She had important issues to settle, but her mind was on something else.



She was thinking about Taeyeon.

Taeyeon was strange.

Tiffany had never really trusted anyone, neither was she really close to anyone.

Her upbringing had built within her a sense of apprehension towards people in

general. She didn't trust people easily, neither did she make any effort to really get

to know someone.

Still, Tiffany felt that Taeyeon was different. Something in her heart told her that

Taeyeon was so similar to her, yet she felt that Taeyeon was so different from her.

Was it worth to take the risk, to place a little trust in Taeyeon, to get to know her

better?

Tiffany considered it. She felt touched, when Taeyeon stood up for her in front of

her father, and she felt touched when Taeyeon called her a friend. What was most

amazing, was that she had thanked Taeyeon, for calling her a friend.



Was that just her reflex response, driven by her desire and her lack of friends? Or

did she truly feel that Taeyeon was worthy to be a friend?

Tiffany was confused, puzzled by her own thoughts.

Dragging herself back to reality, Tiffany sat up, and picked up the first of her mail.

Slitting open the envelope, she pulled out the piece of paper and checked it.

Her phone bill.

The next envelope was another bill, from the clothing shop that made her outfit for

her previous performance.

Another bill.

Tiffany sighed as she threw the envelopes down onto the table again. Bills, bills,

and bills, and she had to pay the monthly rent to her landlady soon.



Her job was not paying enough, and that was why she had to look for other jobs. If

only the other artists in the music industry could see this, Tiffany thought. A

famous flutist struggling with the bare necessities of life.

People paid much to see concerts, but the public preferred to hear people sing, and

not many could appreciate the classical music of Tiffany's flute. Hence, she didn't

have much performances, and when she had, the turnout was never really that

great.

If only I could move to an area where classical music is much more preferred,

Tiffany thought, well, that is if I could get the money to move out of here, and a

very big IF.

Perhaps that was why Taeyeon wanted to be a singer, singer's could earn more

than musicians like her. Being a singer, with all the stardom, could definitely gain

you enough wealth to live comfortably, and perhaps even for your next few

generations, Tiffany thought to herself. Tiffany truly wanted to present music as

the way it is, in it's glamour and splendor, rather than being a musician just for the

money. However, Tiffany knew that money was the ultimate thing that could

sustain her life. It was essential, for food, and a roof above her head.



The new school that employed her had promised to pay her well, but Tiffany

feared that it might not be enough to cover her expenses when she decided to

participate in another concert.

School. That very word brought the thought of Taeyeon back to her.

That girl in school that seemed so close, yet so different to her. Was it

coincidence?

A coincidence, that she met Taeyeon, and another coincidence, that Taeyeon was a

person that would make a good friend?

Tiffany believed in coincidences, but not too many.

Was it also a coincidence, that Tiffany had lost both her parents when she was

young?

The young flutist laid back on her bed. She could remember her painful past, her

painful childhood, and finally her rise to fame.



Having lost her parents when she was young, Tiffany was taken in by an

orphanage. She had no memories of how her parents had passed away, and all she

knew was that her parents had left her a decent amount of money, sufficient for her

to pursue an education. She had a dream of becoming a professional musician, one

that was scorned by her schoolmates. In addition, the fact of her being an orphan

further led to her being bullied and teased in school. It was from that, that Tiffany

developed a distrust for others. It was hard for her to approach others, let alone

trust them.

Despite her tragedy, Tiffany had pursued her dream, and had used the money left

to her to pursue an education in music. It was in her schooling years that her

expertise in the flute was discovered, and she took a risk. Using the finances that

she had left, she pursued a career, to become a professional flutist.

It was a risk well taken, for with Tiffany's dedication to music, and her born talent

with the flute, she soon rose to fame among other instrumentalists. Her dream had

finally come true. Tiffany could finally spread love through her talents with the

flute.

However, her luck, and her finances did not last long enough. The rise of the pop

stars, of singers, was a terrible blow to Tiffany's career. Less and less people took

an interest in instrumental music, which was what Tiffany specialized in. At first,



Tiffany had thought that music, even as a career was all about passion, until she

came to face the harsh fact that a career equaled money, and money was a

necessity. This was especially evident for Tiffany, who had no parental support,

due to her tragic loss.

Even when the opportunity came, when an instrumental concert was to be held,

and Tiffany was invited to play, she faced troubles as well. Although as a

performer, and a flutist of her capability, she would earn a percentage of the profits

from ticket sales, but Tiffany faced other difficulties. Her rise to fame was notthrough any major musical company, and hence she had no organization, no

company to back her. Should she perform, she had to pay for her stage outfits, and

other miscellaneous costs out from her own pocket. People found it strange, that a

world famous flutist like her did not have a personal manager, but they did not

know the true reason behind it.

Perhaps I should go and look for a music organization. Perhaps, signing a

contract would not be that bad after all. Tiffany thought. A contract could provide

me with a monthly stable income, and maybe I can finally stop all these worries

over finances. A third job wouldn't tire me out, I'm sure I can do it.

The young flutist made a mental note to herself, to seek out a company, before she

turned to work on her lesson for tomorrow. She hoped to deliver a good lesson in



school, in a hope that the school might increase her pay for being an excellent

teacher.

I f only... If only the public could see what a world famous flutist goes through

daily, due to a loss of parental support. If only... I could have my parents again...

Tiffany worked late into the night, before she fell asleep on her desk, thoroughly

exhausted.

***************************

The next day, Tiffany woke up early, and headed off to school, all prepared for the

first day at her second career. Juggling multiple jobs was never an easy task, but

Tiffany believed that with her determination, she would be able to manage. After

all, she didn't have much of a choice. She needed to have multiple careers, to be

able to provide for herself.

Tiffany was more than an hour early for her first lesson, and she took the time to

walk the school grounds, as well as to run her lecture through her brain again. She

had spent the night planning an amazing lecture for the students that would attend

her first lesson on musical theory.



The school grounds were silent, for most of the students were attending other

lessons. Those who had no lessons were either at the library, or far away at the

canteen, which was located at another part of the school. The silence and serenity

filled Tiffany with a strange sense of peace, despite the school bringing back her

memories of her unhappy school days.

It would have been silence to the untrained ear, but to a world class musician of

Tiffany's standard, it was as clear as day. The sound was soft, the voice was

muffled, but Tiffany could hear it. The voice had a unique, a special touch to it,

and Tiffany was drawn in by the sound.

She listened carefully, trying to make out the source of that singing, and slowly,

following her senses, she traced it. The beautiful voice led Tiffany to the door of

the school auditorium, and slowly, quietly, Tiffany pushed the door open, and

peeked in.

A short girl stood on the auditorium stage, singing to herself. The seats were

empty, yet the girl sang as if she was performing before a crowd of thousands.

Tiffany had not even seen who the girl was, but her eyes were already closed, as

the melodies of the girl's voice washed over her.



It was bliss. Tiffany was enraptured by her singing. Each verse, each note was

strong, powerful and full of emotion. The girl's singing seemed to portray a vivid

scene underneath Tiffany's closed eyelids, painting out the scene which the song

portrayed perfectly. Every note seemed to echo around the auditorium, and Tiffany

felt the girl's voice penetrate deep into every part of her body, reaching into the

deepest depths of her soul. Every verse the girl sang struck a chord on Tiffany's

heartstrings.

Tiffany could remember the words that she used to tell herself, on her own questfor her perfection in music.

Music is the bridge that links the hearts of many.

Music is a power that can move millions.

Music is the reflection of our own soul.

The girl's voice was powerful, touching, and the very sound of it made Tiffany

shiver. She felt as if something had come alive in her soul once again. The only

time when Tiffany ever felt like this, was when she composed a flute piece that

was dedicated to the memory of her parents.



Her voice was not only rich, but it was clear, and pure in a special way. As Tiffany

let herself fall deeper into the embrace of the girl's singing, she could feel it.

She could hear it, feel it, in her singing. The girl's heart was pure, crystal clear, yet

strong, the same qualities which her voice showed.

Finally, unwillingly, Tiffany pulled herself out of the girl's singing, and forced

open her eyes. She wanted to see who was the person that had such an angelic

voice, the person that could strike her heart with music so strong, that it was equal

to her own dedication to her parents.

The girl was Taeyeon.

Taeyeon had not noticed Tiffany standing by the door of the auditorium, for her

eyes were shut, as she let her own emotions flow into her singing, so that she may

sing better.

Taeyeon sang the last note of her song perfectly, her voice echoing throughout the

empty auditorium, save for Tiffany and herself.



The last note itself was amazing, Tiffany thought. Her singing to the ears, to the

senses is like water to a thirsty man. It is beyond amazing.

When Taeyeon finally opened her own eyes, their gazes met.

Tiffany dropped to her knees, the file containing her lecture materials toppling out

of her hand, and clattering onto the floor loudly.

It was only one song.

Everything seemed to be washed away.

Her doubts on Taeyeon, seemed to be inexistent.

Everything seemed crystal clear.



Chapter 3: Secrets between Friends

How long more can the truth remain hidden?

Taeyeon sat on the empty stage, playing with her fingers, as Tiffany sat next to her.

For this moment, the entire place was theirs. With no one else but them inside the

auditorium, it was a sanctuary, where they could share all their thoughts, without

anyone else knowing.

"You really do sing quite well." Tiffany finally spoke.

Taeyeon nodded. "Thank you." She looked down at her fingers. "However, I'm still

not good enough to pass an audition." She added.

Tiffany put a comforting arm around Taeyeon, and gave her shoulder a gentle

squeeze. Tiffany did not know what it felt like to fail an audition, for her rise to

fame was through her own finances, and via unknown music distributors, but it felt

like the best source of comfort she could give to Taeyeon.



"Remember what I told you that very day when I first saw you? You're just a little

off on that note. Keep practicing, I'm sure you'll get it soon enough. The other

aspects of your singing is wonderful enough. I really love your voice." Tiffany

said.

Taeyeon looked up. There seemed to be a glint of happiness in her eyes as she

replied, "Thank you, Tiffany. You're a really good teacher and friend.

Friend.

Could Taeyeon really be someone I can consider a friend? Tiffany thought.

***************************

The bell rang, and Taeyeon packed her bags.



Her lesson on history of music was boring, nothing compared to her previous

lesson, which was Musical Theory taught by Miss Hwang, or Tiffany, as Taeyeon

called her when the two of them were alone.

Tiffany's lesson was captivating. There was something special in the way that she

conducted her lesson, Taeyeon was sure. Maybe it was because Tiffany was of the

same age as most of her students, and hence she would be able to empathize with

their learning styles better? Or was it due to another reason?

It was not only Taeyeon who felt so as well, but most of the class. Arguably, some

of the male students were there to see Tiffany, for they considered her as the

prettiest teacher, or rather, eye candy. However, the students who were there to

learn, had experienced Tiffany's excellent lesson, and it was one of the rare times

when students bemoaned the end of a lesson.

Theory's never interesting, except when it's theory taught by Tiffany. I hope she

teaches us more lessons, that'll be awesome. Taeyeon thought, as she settled down

on her favorite bench near the school cafeteria. She picked up her chopsticks,

readying herself to tuck into the bowl of noodles before her, as she stretched out

her legs. She felt herself kick something, and she bent down under the table to take

a look.



A small, pouch sat there on the floor, as grimy as the floor that it lay on. Picking it

up, Taeyeon dusted it off. It was a pink pouch, except that in the years of use, and

the dirt that set in, the pinkness of the pouch was now tainted, and was barely

visible. Opening the pouch, Taeyeon peered in. There were coins, and quite a

number of dollar bills inside it. Taeyeon checked the inside of the pouch, hoping to

find any evidence that might point to the owner who lost the money.

She found it. Stuck to one side of the pouch was a small piece of paper. Angling

the pouch so that the sunlight could fall upon it, Taeyeon read the words. It mustbelong to a girl, Taeyeon deduced, from the pink font and the pink pouch. The

piece of paper held the address of the owner, and Taeyeon realized that the girl

lived only a short distance from her home.

Laughing to herself at the last few words on the paper, which read "If you do find

this pouch, please, please, pretty please return it to the address stated above, and

I'll love you so much!" , Taeyeon made a mental note to herself, to drop by the

address and return it on the way home from school.

For Taeyeon, the rest of the school day was relatively short, and she found herself

walking to the address stated on the pouch just a few hours later. She reflected on

her school day as she walked, and Taeyeon was sure that of all her teachers,

Tiffany had to be the best teacher. She looked forward to every lesson that Tiffany



would teach, and she had highlighted all of Tiffany's lessons on her timetable in

her favorite color.

Taeyeon followed the address, and it led her to an apartment building, one that was

run by a landlady.

"Hello, I'm here to return this pouch that I found, could you tell me which unit is

it?" Taeyeon asked politely.

The landlady peered at the address, before answering, "That'll be the 9th floor, the

third unit on the right."

Taeyeon thanked the landlady, and made her way up. By her misfortune, the

elevator was out of order, and Taeyeon had to take the stairs. As she climbed closer

to the 9th floor, she could hear a voice coming from the third unit on the right. The

voice was muffled by the door, but Taeyeon could make out a few words, and that

the voice belonged to a female.

"Where did I... Put it? Lost? No, no, please, no." By the words that she heard, and

the clunking noise she heard, Taeyeon deduced that the person was turning the unit

upside down to look for something.



Taeyeon knocked on the door. Once. There was no response, just more sounds of

furniture being shoved around. She knocked another time, and this time, there was

a response.

"I'm coming, I'm coming! Just give me a moment!" The lady in the unit shouted.

The door opened, and before Taeyeon stood a girl, who's long black hair was in a

mess that covered her face. The girl pushed back her hair, and Taeyeon's mouth

fell open in shock, and so did the girl's.

Both girls exclaimed simultaneously.

"Taeyeon!"

"Tiffany!"

Taeyeon stood there, stunned to see Tiffany before her. It took a few seconds for

her to snap back into reality, and she quickly handed over the pouch that she found.



Tiffany's eyes widened in surprise as she saw it, and she pulled Taeyeon into a hug,

thanking her profusely for the pouch.

Taeyeon still stood there, quiet. She could not believe her eyes. Her teacher, her

idol, a world famous musician, living in a place like this? She could see beyond the

doorway, the small and minimal housing that did not fit the image of a professional

musician. Everything seemed so different, the small unit that Tiffany lived in, with

just the basic needs seemed so much more different than all the glitz and glamour

that she portrayed on stage. The only thing that was the same, was that even thoughTiffany was dressed in a simple shirt that was a little too large, and a pair of shorts

that had a sauce stain on it, she looked as beautiful as she ever did on stage.

Tiffany had noticed Taeyeon's expression, and tugging at her arm, Tiffany invited

Taeyeon into her humble abode, and offered her a seat.

"I guess, it's different from what you expected, yeah?" Tiffany said, once Taeyeon

had settled down into a chair.

Taeyeon could only nod, as her eyes scanned the interior of Tiffany's home.

I live in a more luxurious environment that her. Taeyeon thought.



Taeyeon could only force out a few words, "Why... How...", She stammered.

Tiffany let out a sigh, as she leaned back in her own chair. "Now that you've seen

everything, I guess I should explain, before any misconceptions happen."

With that, Tiffany launched into a brief, but clear explanation on her living style.

Taeyeon listened intently, her eyes growing wider with each and every word that

Tiffany said.

"So... The rumors online that you lost your parents... It's true." Taeyeon breathed,

once Tiffany had finished her tale.

"Well, it's not exactly a rumor, since it's true, and I'd appreciate it if you kept this

knowledge to yourself." Tiffany replied.

Taeyeon nodded her agreement, "This is why you decided to take up teaching as

well." She added.



Tiffany mumbled a "yes". "I've been thinking of joining an entertainment company

as well. Perhaps they'll pay better, and then I'll have less things to worry about."

A sudden idea struck Taeyeon, and she grabbed Tiffany by her hands. "My father!

He works in an entertainment company, and he holds quite a high position. Maybe

you could hand me your resume, and I'll hand it to him. He might hire you as an

artist!" Taeyeon said excitedly.

Tiffany pushed Taeyeon away, dismissing her idea. "Your father does not like me.

Remember that time when he saw you with me? The way he shouted at us? I'm

grateful for your help, but it's not going to work."

"You'll never know until you try. Tiffany, I remember you telling me to keepworking on that note that I couldn't hit. Why not give this a try as well? A try is not

going to hurt."

There was silence for a while, before Tiffany let out a resigned sigh, as she strode

over to her table. Flipping through some papers, she returned, and handed Taeyeon

a small file.

"Thank you, Taeyeon." Tiffany said, softly.



It was now Taeyeon's turn to put a comforting arm around Tiffany's shoulder,

although Taeyeon had to stretch, for she was shorter than Tiffany.

"If you really love music, just go for everything, just like what you did in your rise

to fame. I love music as well, and it's my passion that keeps me going, despite my

father's objections to me learning music." Taeyeon said.

She saw Tiffany's eyes flick to the silvered flute that lay on her table, before

Tiffany's gaze returned to her. "Yeah, you're right. After all, I survived through

those years, with my flute and my heart leading me, and I can definitely push

through the tough times now."

A smile formed on Taeyeon's face as well.

***************************

"How did it go? Did your father agree?" Tiffany asked Taeyeon excitedly.



They had met again after school, and Tiffany was eager to know the results of the

submission of her resume to Taeyeon's father.

Upon hearing Tiffany's question, a shadow fell across Taeyeon's face, but Tiffany

was not disheartened by Taeyeon's downcast expression.

"Or perhaps he wants to hear me play the flute? I can make time to play a piece for

him to listen." Tiffany carried on.

"It's not that. My father. He says he will not consider you at all." Taeyeon

answered, trying to put her words out as nicely as possible.

"Oh..." Tiffany stopped herself in mid sentence. She fell silent, and the same

saddened expression washed over her face.

"It's alright. I'll just have to apply to another entertainment company. There are still

many out there. How about you? After helping me out, I think I should repay thefavor." Tiffany said, trying to lift up their moods.



"If I'm not wrong, NH Music is holding an audition for singers in about a month or

two, they're quite a big company in the entertainment industry as well. Perhaps

you'd like to try?" Tiffany suggested.

"Since you tried to help me, I'll help you as well. When the both of us are free, we

can find someplace quiet, and I can try to help you with your singing, and perhaps

you'll finally succeed." Tiffany added.

Taeyeon nodded, accepting Tiffany's offer to coach her in singing. However, her

mind was still thinking about the past day's events. She could not comprehend her

father's reactions, as well as the words of her father.

"Dad, one of my friends would like a contract as an artist with the company youwork for, would you see her resume?" Taeyeon asked.

Her father raised an eyebrow, and took over the file from her hands. He glanced

through the first page, and without any expression, he closed the file.

"She's out. I won't even consider her. I won't consider mentioning her to my

superiors." He answered flatly.



Taeyeon felt outraged. "Dad! You barely read the first page! How could you judge

someone just like that? At least read through her entire resume. She's a famous

musician!" Taeyeon protested.

"Is that how you talk to your father? How did you end up like this? Did all your

nasty friends at music school teach you to talk back to your parents? If your

mother and brother had not supported your pursuit of music, I would have never

let you learn music!" He thundered.

"What has this got to do with me and my love for music? You're just being plain

unfair. You're bias!" Taeyeon yelled back.

He father stood up. Towering over Taeyeon, her father threw the file down onto the

table, in front of Taeyeon.

Pointing at the file, he snarled, "It is because of people like this, that I don't want

you to pursue a career in music!"

Taeyeon could remember the scene vividly. Her argument with her father.



It was not her father's unwillingness to read Tiffany's resume, that was etched in

Taeyeon's mind. Taeyeon's mind was gripped in the thought of wondering why her

father had said his last sentence that way.

He had pointed to Tiffany's resume when he mentioned about people that made

him not want Taeyeon to pursue music. Was there something that her father held

against Tiffany? Was there some feud, that existed between her father and Tiffany?

Taeyeon knew her father well. Her father never held much grudges, unless there

was a reason to do so, and a very big reason it had to be. Was Tiffany someone,

who had done terrible things to her father?

Taeyeon let her gaze shift to Tiffany's face.

She's not any famous flutist. She's something else.

Tiffany, who exactly are you?



Chapter 4: Competition

What would you sacrifice for your dreams?

There were people talking about it, talking behind her back, and she knew it.

Still, she paid no heed to them. It was better for her to remain silent about it. If she

were to say anything, it might trigger off another wave of rumours, as well as more

problems for her.

Taeyeon used to be the unnoticed student in her class. The only people who

noticed her were the ones who picked on her, for her small size and for many other

childish reasons. Now, Taeyeon was the centre of the rumours. In the darkest

corners of the school, people were whispering about her.

Other students had noticed the friendship that was slowly developing between

Taeyeon and Tiffany, and rumours regarding their friendship were spreading.Students had said that Taeyeon was a teacher's pet, and Tiffany's favourite student.

Some had said that Taeyeon had gained favour through flattery, and other

dishonourable means. Others had said that despite Tiffany being a teacher, and a



world class flutist, she was ultimately the same age, and still a young lady at heart,

and making new friends was perfectly normal.

The rumours were a downside, but their friendship had benefits as well. Unlike

Taeyeon, who was soft spoken, Tiffany was rather outspoken, and she had no

hesitation to going to Taeyeon's defence when she was being bullied. Furthermore,

with Tiffany as a teacher, and her fame, the students offended Taeyeon less, for it

also meant that they were offending Tiffany in a way.

Taeyeon felt troubled at times, from the rumours, but she felt happy, with her new-

found friendship with Tiffany.

Peeking over her shoulder, she made sure that no other student was tailing here,before she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head, and hurried off to meet

Tiffany. Every now and then she would glance behind her again, for any suspicious

activity. Taeyeon had become accustomed to it. Students tailing her, trying to find

out the actual reason behind her friendship with Tiffany.

It sure feels good to be friends with a famous musician, though it can be annoying

at times.



It was not long before Taeyeon reached their rendezvous point, and she settled

down on a bench to wait for her friend. Rubbing her hands together, she stuck them

into her jacket pockets. The winter wind was harsh, and the chill cut deep into

Taeyeon's bones. The only thing that kept her warm was the thought of meeting her

friend.

It was not Tiffany's fame, that was the reason that Taeyeon treasured her

friendship. There were many other reasons, that words could barely describe, and

that was only known to Taeyeon's heart. In the days that were past, she had foundso many similarities between her and Tiffany, and one of the most significant was

that they shared the same ideals for music.

That music was to spread love and peace to the world.

A cry of pain sounded from behind Taeyeon, and she turned, to see her friend

sprawled on the floor.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Taeyeon asked, as she helped up the girl that

was wrapped in a pink jacket and a pink scarf.



"Stepped on my shoelace and tripped over." Tiffany groaned, as she bent down to

tie her shoelace.

"Pabo." Taeyeon teased.

Straightening up, Tiffany adjusted her scarf, before asking Taeyeon. "So, you're

sure no one followed you here?"

Taeyeon nodded. "Checked and double checked. It's only the two of us." She

replied.

"So, where are we going for your additional singing help today? We need

somewhere safe, where we won't be seen." Tiffany asked. It was their biggest

problem, for Tiffany to coach Taeyeon in singing, and without anyone knowing. If

anyone saw them together, rumours would fly again. Places were hard to find, for

there were not many places that could contain the power and the beauty of

Taeyeon's voice.

"You have a studio or something?" Taeyeon asked hopefully.



Tiffany shook her head.

A puzzled expression formed on Taeyeon's face. "Then how do you practice your

flute?"

"I either rent a couple hours in a studio, or I practice on the rooftop of the

apartment block that I live. It's too expensive to buy a studio, and maintain it."

Tiffany answered.

The two girls stood there, facing each other, thinking of a place, where Taeyeon

could practice today. Their minds were clouded by the growing intensity of the

wind, and the chilling cold weather.

"I know! Maybe we can practice at my house! No one will see you, and I usually

sing in my own room, so it won't be any different from normal. My family

members won't be home until later, so there should not be any issue as well."

Taeyeon suggested.

Tiffany was not convinced, for she felt uneasy going to Taeyeon's house. In the

end, the two girls left for Taeyeon's house, with Taeyeon pulling a rather unwilling

Tiffany along.



A short walk brought the two friends to Taeyeon's house, and Taeyeon led her

friend through the front porch, before opening the main door and welcoming

Tiffany into the warmth of her home.

Tiffany stepped in, and glanced around, amazed. She stood there, transfixed by

what she saw. The double storey house, the granite tiled floors, the carpeted stairs,

the comfortable looking sofa, the beautiful dining table. It was like a house that

Tiffany dreamt of.

Taeyeon's face reddened. She never experienced something like this before.

Anyone in the world would have expected Tiffany to have a more posh, or equal

living environment as compared to Taeyeon, instead of the other way round.

Grabbing her friend by her hand, Taeyeon pulled Tiffany up to her room.

"Here's my room. Acoustics are terrible, but I guess it's a safe place that we can

practice." Taeyeon said, as she indicated for Tiffany to sit down, and she did so, on

her bed.



"Oh, and meet Dukong. He's my favourite plush toy." Taeyeon said, introducing

her green pea stuffed toy to Tiffany. Tiffany giggled, her bubbly laughter echoing

throughout the room.

Taking off her jacket, Tiffany clapped her hands. "Come on, let's start." She

announced.

The next few hours was magical. It would be a heavenly experience for the ears of

those who heard it. Tiffany went through song after song with Taeyeon, getting her

to practice every aspect of singing, especially on her intonation. Taeyeon was

definitely an excellent singer, but her pitch accuracy was not as good as Tiffany. In

addition, Taeyeon tended to get lost in her emotions when she sang, and hence, she

relied on Tiffany. Tiffany was there, to help her work on her presentation to her

audience.

It was hard as well, for Tiffany to coach Taeyeon. There was something magical,

something mesmerizing about her voice. Tiffany had to keep her mind focused, if

not she would become lost in the world of Taeyeon's music. It was a new

experience for Tiffany. Rarely had she encountered music that was strong enough

to move her, strong enough to hold her senses captive. Even some of the pieces

that she composed did not have that capability, but it seemed that Taeyeon's

singing alone was enough for her. When Taeyeon spoke normally, Tiffany found

her voice cute, but when she sang, it was another universe.



Taeyeon's singing was a universe of love, of peace, delivered through music.

Practice came to a pause, as Taeyeon took a break, and helped herself to a glass of

water. For a moment, Tiffany seemed disappointed, that the wonderful world that

Taeyeon created with her singing had disappeared, but she pulled her mind back, to

focus on the task at hand.

"How was that last verse, was it good enough?" Taeyeon asked, as she drained her

glass of water in one go, before reaching for another.

Scratching her head thoughtfully, Tiffany replied, "Your body language is good

enough, as well as the emotions you convey. Singing wise, your volume control is

excellent, it gives the desired effect of the song, but then there's still that problem."

"What problem?" Taeyeon asked. She was eager to improve.

"It's still the same problem. That note. You're always a little too sharp, or a little

too flat. To the untrained ear it would seem unnoticeable, but the judges for any

audition would definitely be able to spot it."



Taeyeon sighed. She always had a problem with hitting that note. It had become

her nemesis in her musical pursuit. It was that note that led her to fail auditions,

and she had been working on it, but she still found herself unable to hit it.

"What can we do?" Taeyeon asked. She wished Tiffany had an answer to her

biggest worry.

"There's nothing else but to just practice. Try to control your pitch. You know that

the pitch rises towards that note, and you do the rise well enough. Just focus,

Taeyeon, focus." Tiffany answered.

"Is there no other way?"

"Not unless we change your voice box totally, which does not sound nice. Come,

let us---"

Tiffany's answer was interrupted by the slam of the door down the stairs. Someone

was home. By the sound of the grunting as the person struggled to take off the

coat, Taeyeon could tell that the person was her father.



"My father's home! He's not supposed to be home so early! What are we going to

do?" Taeyeon panicked.

Tiffany was getting flustered as well. They had not planned for an emergency like

this. The sound of footsteps coming up the stairs drove another spike of fear into

the girls.

"Quick, quick, you must hide! Anywhere!" Taeyeon said, as quietly as she could.

Tiffany opened Taeyeon's wardrobe and climbed inside, as Taeyeon squashed

Tiffany's pink jacket into her cupboard together with her friend.

Taeyeon shut the door just in time, and she managed to seat herself back at her

table just as her father entered her room.

"Hi dad, what's up?" Taeyeon greeted her father nervously.

"Is anything going on? I thought I heard voices up here, as if you were talking to

someone." Her father said.



"Er... Oh. I was talking to my friend, over the webcam." Taeyeon made up an

answer, hurriedly pointing to her laptop.

The laptop is not even on! Is he going to notice my lie? Taeyeon realised, and her

though struck fear into her.

"Uh... The laptop shut itself down suddenly. I was trying to fix it. See? I told you it

was time to change it." Taeyeon made up another excuse.

Her father raised an eyebrow. Just as he was about to ask another question, his

phone rang, and he picked it up. He talked on the phone for a short time, before he

put down the call.

"Your mother just called, to ask me to pick her up from work." He said, and he

turned to leave the room.

Whew. Saved by the bell, no, by the phone call. Taeyeon thought.

Her father stopped at the doorway of her room, and turned his attention back to

her.



"You'd better not be talking to that Hwang friend of yours, I don't care how famous

a musician she is, but I don't want her to influence you. If I catch you talking to

her, I'll take you out of music school, no matter what your mother or brother might

say." He threatened.

Taeyeon waited until her father's car had left the front porch, and that the coast was

clear before she opened her cupboard. Tiffany tumbled out, together with a heap of

clothes.

"Your cupboard's really messy. There's so much junk in there that I can barely

squeeze in." Tiffany commented, as she extracted herself from the pile of

Taeyeon's clothes.

"It's not messy, it's just that you're fat." Taeyeon joked, tossing her clothes back

into her cupboard.

"Hey, I'm not fat! I'm sexy, okay?" Tiffany objected, as she struck a pose and

grinned at her friend. "You're short as well." Tiffany added, hitting Taeyeon

playfully on her head.



The two girls argued playfully for a short while, before bursting into laughter. It

was the fun times like these, where they teased each other, where their fun and joy

helped them to tide through frightening times. In this case, it was the fear of

Taeyeon's father finding out about Tiffany.

When their laughter subsided, they returned to their serious mode. "I guess you

should make a move now, before my whole family returns home." Taeyeon said

softly.

Tiffany agreed. As she grabbed her jacket, she paused. "Taeyeon, your father

mentioned me just now. Why does he dislike me so much?" She asked.

Taeyeon shrugged. She was clueless. This was also a question that Taeyeonwanted the answer to. She could not comprehend how anyone could hate a person

as nice, kind, sweet, caring and cheerful as Tiffany. She had also not told Tiffany

about her father's reaction, when she had handed Tiffany's resume over.

"I have no idea too. DId you happen to offend him in the past?"

"No... I don't think so. I don't remember seeing him anywhere before, I didn't work

with any entertainment company as well, how would I know him?"



"Mhmm... Alright. Don't take it too harsh, yeah?" Taeyeon answered, as she led

Tiffany to the door.

"Oh yeah, Taeyeon, I forgot to tell you something important." Tiffany said, turning

around.

"Remember the auditions that NH Music is holding? It's good that you have

decided to participate in it, but there's something you need to know. I found out

that you're going to have a big competitor this time. The CEO of NH Music's

daughter, Seohyun, is also auditioning for her father's company. I have to admit,

Seohyun's singing is exceptional as well, you're going to have to work hard to beat

her. Not to mention, since she's the CEO's daughter, she might have some home

ground advantage, if you get what I mean." Tiffany said.

Taeyeon reassured Tiffany that she would dedicate more time to her singing

practice, before showing Tiffany out.

As Tiffany walked home, her thoughts were concerned on Taeyeon's audition.



She was worried, for something.

She was not worried, that Taeyeon would not be able to match up with Seohyun's

singing capability. She had confidence in Taeyeon's skills.

She was worried for something else, something that she did not want to tell

Taeyeon yet.

Telling her now would only affect her mindset, and her concentration in preparing

for the auditions. Tiffany intended to tell Taeyeon, when the time was right.

The only problem, was that Tiffany did not know when it would be appropriate to

do so.



Chapter 5: Seeking Strangers

Can you face the truth that you seek?

Just let it flow.

Feel it in your soul. Every single beat of your heart.

Flow with it. Be at one with it. It belongs to you, and you, to it.

This is music.

The last clear, crisp note sounded across the deserted rooftop, and disappeared into

the night. Inhaling deeply, Tiffany breathed in the cold, but fresh night air, as she

lowered her flute. That was what music meant to her, how she treated music. To

Tiffany, music was not just any form of expression, it was an entity by itself, and

one that she embraced, and made part of herself.



That was how much Tiffany loved music, and that was how Tiffany managed to

excel. She always felt that to bring out the best in music, one must first bring

oneself into music. It was only then, Tiffany felt she truly understood what she

played, and she played it in the way it was meant to be.

She walked over to the railing that lined the sides of the rooftop, and gazed out at

the lights of the city laid out before her. Never being really wealthy, Tiffany had

never been able to afford housing, even renting an apartment in the city centre, as it

was just too expensive. However, the rooftop of the block of rent-out apartmentsthat she lived in offered a clear view of the city, and many times she had come up

to the rooftop at night, just to bask in the breathtaking sight.

The rooftop was her second home, in a sense. As Tiffany was never able to afford

a studio, she had little places to practice. Her small, rented apartment was not an

answer, for it was not soundproof, and it resulted in many complaints when Tiffany

wanted to practice at night. The rooftop was her studio, where she could practice

her flute late into the night, and no one would complain. She had been here so

often, that she had even moved a small table, and a music stand up.

Tiffany returned to her music sheets again. She was deciding, thinking, what would

be the best piece to play to demonstrate her skills to an entertainment agency, in

the hope of securing a contract. As she thought of her own applications to the

companies, she thought about Taeyeon, and her audition.



She wanted to tell Taeyeon, to let her know, but there was too much at risk. Silence

was the best option now, so that Taeyeon could focus on her practice.

Flipping through her music sheet, she came across that one piece again. The flute

piece that she composed, as a memory for her parents. Tiffany glanced through the

score, looking at all the small writings, scribblings, notes along the sides that

finally were put together to form her masterpiece, as she hummed the tune to

herself.

She could remember.

The fateful day, when she was told that her parents had passed away. She never

asked why, and just believed that she was all alone, in the world, with no one by

her side.

Tiffany was seized by a desire deep within her heart, to reminisce the few moments

that she had with her parents, and she packed her music scores, grabbed her flute,

and headed back to her apartment.



Once home, she went to the corner under her bed, and pulled out the box. The box

showed signs of age, signs of wear and tear, but Tiffany never changed it. It was

the box, that was left to her by her parents, and it also held the few memories she

had.

Sliding off the cover, she browsed through the contents. The small trinkets, that

once belonged to her parents, her very first toy. Under all the items was the album

that she treasured the most. The photo album that held the photos, the memories

printed in picture.

As she glanced through the photos once again, she could remember, not all of it,

but flashes. Small short flashed, recollections of the happy times she had, times

where she played hide and seek with her father at the playground, her first ice

cream that her mother bought for her at the fair.

Some of the photos were those of her with her parents, some were those of her

parent's own memories, such as their wedding photos.

One photo, in particular, caught Tiffany's eye.



It was aged already, but the image, the colours were still clear enough. It depicted

the scene of her parents enjoying themselves at a party of some sort, together with

their friends

It was one of their friends, that had caught Tiffany's eye.

The face, those eyes. Tiffany felt them familiar, as if she had seen them somewhere

before. Closing her eyes, Tiffany played back her memories, trying to remember

where she had seen this man. She was sure, this man had appeared sometime in her

life, but when?

Tiffany had a good sense of memory, and she managed to recall. As the realization

of who the man was, questions began to sink in as well. This photo, had become ahoard of unanswered questions.

Tiffany was sure, that the man in the photo, was the younger self of the father of

her new and worthy friend, Taeyeon.

Questions set in, questions that the girl had never asked herself in the long years

gone by. Taeyeon's father knew her parents, but then, what was the reason why her



father was so cold to her? The photo depicted them as being close. Perhaps, did my

parents offend him in some way or another? Tiffany wondered.

She felt a need, it was rising in her.

She needed to pay a visit once again.

***************************

It was only early morning, when Tiffany stepped out of her apartment. She had a

long journey to make. The streets were barely filled, the few people going about on

the morning chores. It was a beautiful start of the weekend for many, but for

Tiffany, the day had a purpose, and she was determined, and hopeful to fulfil it.

She boarded a bus, a headed down to the place, that she visited at least once every

year, without fail. It was not a place that people visited often, they dreaded the

thought of visiting such a place. To others, it was sorrow to come here. ForTiffany, it too, was sorrow, but it had an element of happiness mixed in it.



Alighting from the bus, Tiffany walked along the path leading down to the place.

The surroundings were silent, and it felt as if a sense of tranquility hung in the air.

She admired the neat rows of trees, the beautiful flowers that blossomed on the

bushes, and she finally reached her destination.

The final resting place of her parents.

Tiffany felt the same mix of emotions welling up again. The sorrow of being an

orphan, of losing her loved ones at such a young age. However, she felt at peace, it

was here, for she felt as close as she could get to the parents that she never had

much time with. She treasured her moments her, during her brief periods of visits.

Tiffany went back to the two whitewashed stones that marked her parents' restingspot, and she dropped to her knees before them.

Mother, father, it's been so long.

My career, my dream as a musician is still going well, I'm still working hard,

adhering to all the morals, the values that you have taught me.



Mum, dad. I've found a friend. She's someone that I can truly trust, whom I found

worthy to call my friend. Strange thing is, her dad does not like me, but I think her

dad knows you both.

If you both can just give me a sign, please do, I have so many questions answered.

A sudden movement startled Tiffany from her prayer.

Twisting to her side, she found herself face to face with an aged man. She

recognised him as the caretaker, and the local undertaker. For many years he had

worked in the cemetery, providing undertaking services, as well as burial services.

In his free time, he was known to maintain each and every headstone in the

cemetery, as well as the vegetation, resulting in the cemetery's pristine condition.

"I'm sorry if I startled you. I didn't mean to." The caretaker apologised, as he

carried on trimming the grass of the headstone that was beside Tiffany's father's.

Surely... In his many years working here... Perhaps.. Tiffany thought.



She wanted to banish the thought, for it seemed too ridiculous, but her curiosity got

the better of her. She wanted answers.

"Uh, excuse me." Tiffany said, raising a hand towards the caretaker. He turned to

face her.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering, in your many years working here, did you happen to see this

man at my parent's funeral?" Tiffany asked, holding out the photograph, and

pointing to the man whom she believed was Taeyeon's father.

This is absurd. How can he remember the many people that have been here, or

have held funerary processions here? Tiffany was thinking, as the caretaker took

the photo from her.

"Ah, yes. Yes. I've seen him before, if I'm not mistaken." The caretaker said in hisslow, soft voice.



"You have? You can remember? Please, tell me what you know!" Tiffany

exclaimed, her voice echoing across the cemetery.

"The man whom you speak of, he came to visit your parent's graves just yesterday.

My ears might be old, but I definitely heard him saying something along the lines

that he was apologetic to their daughter, whom I believe is you." The caretaker

answered.

"He might not be the one in the photograph, but he sure looks like him. That's all

that I know." He added, as he returned the photo to Tiffany, before he turned away,

to work on the weeds surrounding another headstone.

Tiffany knelt there in silence. If the man the caretaker saw, was really Taeyeon'sfather, that would make the mystery deeper. Why would Taeyeon's father be

apologetic to her? What exactly was the relationship between Taeyeon's father, and

her parents?

There was only one way to find out, and that was to talk to Taeyeon's father

herself. However, that was the most difficult thing to do, in the light of the current

situation.



It seemed as if Tiffany had chanced upon a trove of unanswered questions, and

now, she had to find the answer.

***************************

A beautiful Saturday morning, and Taeyeon did not want to let it go wasted.

Thanks to Tiffany, she had found a new inspiration in studying music, and she was

out early, heading to the library to study.

Exams in school were just around the corner, and Taeyeon did not want to

disappoint her friend, and her favourite teacher, hence, she resolved to put in extra

effort. Taeyeon now spent her most of her free time either with Tiffany practising

her singing, or catching up with her studies. It was hard, to practise for theaudition, and school at the same time, but Taeyeon was determined to pull through

thick and thin for her dream career.

In the library, Taeyeon found a comfortable spot where she sat down, and pulled

out her books to study. Time passed, as the girl put her focus completely into her

books and papers. Just as Taeyeon finished penning down notes on music history,

another girl approached her.



"Hi, could I share this table with you? Everywhere else is full." The girl asked in a

pleasant voice. Taeyeon nodded, and turned her attention back to her notes. Every

minute was precious to her, as she resumed studying.

As the hours went by, Taeyeon noticed that the girl, now sitting opposite her was

studying music as well. She was reading a book on music as well. She was curious.

It was not very common to see other people studying music. Her curiosity got the

better of her, and after finishing another chapter, Taeyeon decided to try and strike

a conversation.

"Hey, excuse me, are you studying music too?" Taeyeon asked quietly, trying to

keep her voice as low as possible to avoid disturbing the other library goers.

The girl nodded. "I'm hoping to be a singer when I grow up as well. I love music,

and I want to spread love with music." She replied.

Taeyeon felt amazed. How coincidental was it, to meet someone with the same

ambition as her?

"I want to be a singer as well!" Taeyeon whispered back. The girl's eyes widened.



From the stack of books in front of her, the girl pulled out a book. "Here, since you

study music as well, I've found this book an excellent help. Aspiring musicians

should help each other." She said, with a wink.

Taeyeon glanced at the book. "A simplified guide to understanding music, by

Tiffany Hwang."

"You like this author too?" Taeyeon asked.

"Yeah! She's an awesome flutist. I've read the books that she wrote, they're really

good, and helpful."

Taeyeon knew that Tiffany wrote books on music, but her books were quite hard to

find. Bookstores rarely stocked them, and the nearest library that carried them was

quite a distance away. She couldn't help but to marvel at how the girl managed to

get her hands on some of Tiffany's works. Taeyeon wanted one to help with her

studies, she was desperate. She had asked Tiffany if she kept spare copies, but

unfortunately, Tiffany didn't keep copies of her own works, and she had already

stopped publishing them, due to a lack of funds.



"Um... do you study here often? If you do, I was wondering if I could borrow some

of Tiffany's books for my studies. If you study here often, I could borrow, then

return it to you right after." Taeyeon stammered.

I must really be desperate, to even approach a stranger like this. Oh well, it's all

for my education. Taeyeon thought.

To her surprise, the girl replied, "Yeah, I study here often. Perhaps we can meet up,

and study together. We could share notes that way as well."

"Really? Thanks! You're such a great help."

"No problem, I always believed that I should help people as much as I can." The

girl answered. "Oh, anyway, I'm done with this book, perhaps you want to take a

look at it?" The girl offered, holding out one of Tiffany's works.

Taeyeon accepted it gratefully. She flipped open the book, and searched for thechapter that related to the current topic that she was working on, and resumed her

studies. As she flipped to another page, a small bookmark dropped out. Taeyeon

picked up the bookmark, and was about to insert it back into the page, when she

noticed the writing on the bookmark.



The bookmark had drawings on it, clearly the work of the girl's. Her name was

written on it as well, as as Taeyeon read the name, a sinking feeling developed in

her stomach.

The girl's name, according to the bookmark, was Seohyun.

Seohyun. That name. Taeyeon could remember the name clearly. Wasn't Seohyun

the person, that Tiffany say was the greatest competitor against her, for the

upcoming audition?

There's many people called Seohyun in this world, she can't possibly be the

Seohyun that I'll be competing against.

"By any chance, are you the daughter of the CEO of NH Music?" Taeyeon asked.

She could not hold it in, she wanted to know.

The girl turned red.



"How did you know?" She asked.

"I saw your name on the bookmark, and I just guessed. NH Music is quite a big

name in the music industry, and well, your name's been mentioned a few times on

news articles." Taeyeon answered.

"Yeah, I am. I'd rather not people recognize me like that, I'm not on very good

terms with my father." She replied.

Taeyeon was stunned. She was studying, together with her biggest competitor.

How much coincidence could that be? She had felt that she was lucky enough to

meet her favourite musician, Tiffany, and become friends with her, but now? Still,

Tiffany and Seohyun were two different cases. Tiffany was her idol, her teacher,her friend. Seohyun was her competitor.

Taeyeon knew, that this situation could prove to be both bad and good, but that

would depend, on her mindset, her mentality, her morals, her values.

Was it worth it?



Chapter 6: Rivalry

When we compete, who am I to you?

Taking a drink of water, Taeyeon resumed her singing practice.

It was another one of the rare days, where Taeyeon was the only one at home. Her

parents and her siblings were out, and she had the whole house to herself. It was

these rare moments, where Taeyeon could treat the house as her stage, and practice

her singing unhindered.

She would have preferred to be accompanied by Tiffany, but her friend had

important issues to attend to. Still, Taeyeon reminded herself that Tiffany's absence

was no excuse to go easy on herself, and ever since she reached home from school,

Taeyeon had been practising her singing.

The recollections, of her meeting with Tiffany a few days ago came back to her

mind.



"Taeyeon, I brought you this. Guess you should listen to it, know what you're going

to come up against." Tiffany said, handing Taeyeon a CD.

Taeyeon was curious, but she knew better than to question Tiffany, when that

extremely serious expression was plastered on her face. She took the CD, and slid

it into the drive on her laptop.

The recording on the CD began to play, and a sweet, angelic voice sounded from

the speakers of her laptop. It was a heavenly voice, pure, perfect, free from any

blemishes. Taeyeon herself had never heard such a beautiful voice before, and

slowly, she felt herself being drawn into the charms of the singer's voice. She felt

as if she was in another world, just like what Tiffany's music had done to her.

Tiffany's voice brought Taeyeon back to reality. "Well, that's a sample of Seohyun's

singing capability." Tiffany said.

"Really? How did you manage to get a recording?" Taeyeon asked.

"Well, with my accomplishments in the music industry, there are some things that I

can get my hands on. Things that people usually cannot. No worries, it's not

illegal." Tiffany laughed.



"Yeah, but she's that good." Tiffany added, her voice taking on the solemn tone

again.

Taeyeon could only nod weakly. Going up against such a strong opponent in the

audition was daunting. It scared her. She had felt afraid of auditions before, from

the pressure of being a single girl on stage, facing all the viewers and judges, but

she had never felt such fear, fear even before the audition had started.

"Oh yes, Tiffany, I think I should tell you too, I met Seohyun the other day, yes, the

Seohyun I'm going up against. I met her at the library, and now, we're even

studying together sometimes. It's a strange coincidence, isn't it?" Taeyeon voiced

out.

Tiffany raised an eyebrow.

"I was wondering, if I could get closer to her, maybe I could get to know her

weaknesses, and perhaps I could exploit it. What do you think of that?" Taeyeon

asked.



Tiffany sighed, her eyes closing. She seemed to be in deep thought for the next few

minutes. The unsettling silence hung in the air as Taeyeon looked at her now silent

friend, wondering what was going on in her mind.

"Take a seat, Taeyeon, take a seat." Tiffany finally spoke, indicating to a chair in

front of her.

Taeyeon sat down, wondering what was going to come next.

"Taeyeon, what do you want to achieve through music?" Tiffany asked.

It puzzled her. Taeyeon knew that Tiffany definitely knew the answer, the reason

behind her pursuit of a singing career, but why was she asking the same question

again? Nevertheless, Taeyeon answered the question.

Once Taeyeon had finished her answer, Tiffany asked again, "Now, do you think it

would be right, to exploit Seohyun?"

She shook her head, but she asked in return, "Then why did you bring me the CD?"



"I want you to learn. The only way to improve, is to learn from someone who is

better than you. I have to be honest, there are areas where Seohyun is much more

proficient than you. I want you to listen, to hear how she brings out the music, and

work on your own technique. There is a fine line dividing using someone else's

weakness to weaken them, and to learn from them, to strengthen yourself."

Taeyeon knew that she had a point. She had to learn.

That was why Taeyeon had dedicated extra time to her singing. With Tiffany's

help, she had pinpointed her weaker aspects, the areas that she needed to work on,

to improve, and she was focusing on those. It was tiring, yes, but Taeyeon was

willing to bear the pain as she worked for her dream.

A beep from her laptop interrupted her singing practice, and an annoyed Taeyeon

strode over to confront it. It was an email from the recruitment department of NH

Music, with final information regarding the audition. Clicking open the email,

Taeyeon read through the contents. It held information regarding her reporting

timing to the venue, and the necessary documents that she had to bring. The last

thing the email held was a schedule of all the applicants for the auditions,

informing Taeyeon of the time slot scheduled for her.



Taeyeon glanced through the schedule, and was horrified. She was scheduled, to

perform right after Seohyun. This was beyond bad, it was terrible. If Seohyun set

the standard high, Taeyeon had to excel to stand any chance of passing the

auditions. As Taeyeon scrolled through the long list of applicants, her eye caught a

name at the end of the list.

The candidate's name that caught her eye, was scheduled to be the last to perform.

It couldn't be. What was Tiffany's name doing on the list of applicants? Was it

another coincidence, that another applicant had the same name as Tiffany?

Taeyeon traced Tiffany's name along the list, and the item scheduled for her was a

flute performance. Flute, and Tiffany's name. It felt too much of a coincidence.

She had to call Tiffany, to clarify the issue.

Picking up her phone, Taeyeon dialled Tiffany's number, hoping her friend would

pick up. The phone rang, once, twice, thrice, but no one picked up, and the line

was cut off. Frustrated, Taeyeon redialled the number. Her heart was pounding.

Her mind had analysed all possible scenarios, and she feared for the worst.

Finally. Tiffany picked up.



"Hello?" Came her friend's voice over the line, bright as ever.

"Tiffany, there's something I need to ask you, and I want you to answer me,

honestly." Taeyeon replied.

"Mhmm, go ahead."

"Did... Did you... Join the NH Music auditions too?" Taeyeon asked. She feared

Tiffany's answer. She feared to know the truth, but she wanted to know.

Silence.

Taeyeon could hear Tiffany sigh over the phone.

"I guess... You found out?" Tiffany answered.

"Isn't it an auditions for singers only?" Taeyeon asked, her tone of voice rising.



"It isn't. The auditions that NH Music is holding, it's for artists. That covers the

entire spectrum. Singers, musicians, everyone, all sorts of performers."

"But... But... Why?" Taeyeon choked out.

"Taeyeon, I hope you'll understand, I need it for my own career to, I need it to

draw a sufficient income. I didn't want to tell you about it, I was afraid it would

affect your practice, I wanted you to focus."

"Is that why you lectured me on not exploiting the weakness of others? So that you

would stand a better chance of winning me in the audition? Tiffany, it's my dream

as well! I want to be a singer!" Taeyeon screamed over the phone.

"Taeyeon, calm down! Listen to me --- "

Taeyeon had enough. She slammed the phone down.



She felt emotions welling up from within her. Why was Tiffany doing this to her?

Wasn't she supposed to be her friend? Why was she competing against her, for a

chance for her dream career? It was as if someone had pressed a red hot brand to

her heart, and Taeyeon felt unbearable emotional pain slicing through her very

soul. Tiffany was the first person she thought would be a worthy friend, and now,

Tiffany was competing against her.

Against her.

Taeyeon felt betrayed.

"Why! Why!" Taeyeon screamed, pounding the wall with her fist. Curling up into

a ball, the young girl sat in one corner of her house, and cried.

***************************

Night had fallen, and Tiffany was still at her desk.

She was working on the lecture that she had to deliver to her class in two days

time, but her mind was occupied by the thoughts of Taeyeon. She knew it was a



matter of time, before Taeyeon would find out her participation in NH Music's

auditions, and she was afraid, of Taeyeon's reaction when she found out.

Her fears had come true.

Tiffany had tried to call Taeyeon back, to explain, but her calls went unanswered.

She understood, how much the audition meant to Taeyeon. Passing the audition,

and earning a contract with a label as famous as NH Music would definitely put

Taeyeon on the road to her dream of being a singer. Still, Tiffany needed the

audition as well. To her, a contract as a artist with NH Music would mean less

financial difficulties, and she could finally go back to putting her focus completely

into her flute, and perhaps other aspects of music.

Tiffany had taken a risk, by participating in the auditions. She wanted Taeyeon to

achieve her dreams, but she too, wanted to find a way out of her current situation.

Tiffany checked her phone, hoping that Taeyeon had replied the text message that

she sent a few hours ago. There was no reply. Taeyeon was definitely taking it

hard. The idea of competing against a singer of Seohyun's capability was daunting

enough for Taeyeon, and it had given her much stress. The addition of Tiffany into

the competition picture brought stress to a whole new level for Taeyeon, not to

mention the fact that Tiffany had kept her participation a secret.



She could empathise with Taeyeon, and she wanted to make up for it, but she had

no idea how to. Should she withdraw from the audition? The audition was a once

in a lifetime opportunity for Tiffany as well. Contracts with famous music labels

were not easy to come by.

Putting down her pen, Tiffany dug through her drawers, and came up with a small

stack of music scores. She reached for the flute case that stood by her bed.

Unclasping the case, she reached in, and drew out the silvered instrument.

The lights of her room reflected off the polished surface of the instrument, giving it

a beautiful gleam. Despite her difficulties in life, Tiffany had dedicated her time to

maintaining the quality, and the beauty of her instrument. Her flute was her very

first instrument, and it had gone through all the many performances with her. It

was the instrument that accompanied her from her very first days, through her rise

to fame, until where she was right now.

When Tiffany's mind was preoccupied with troubles, she had her own way of a

brief escape from reality. Music. Music gave her a sense of relaxation, and

sometimes, the inspiration for answers to her problem. This problem was no

different. Tiffany felt the need to return to her world of music once again, to let

herself float freely in that beautiful universe of sound.



Grabbing her flute and some music scores, she stood up, ready to head to the

rooftop once again. As Tiffany headed for her front door, her foot caught the table

leg, and she stumbled, accidentally dropping a few music sheets. Bending down to

pick them up, Tiffany noticed the title that was scribbled on one of them.

It was the piece that she had composed, as a memory for her parents.

The idea hit Tiffany. Music. It was the best way of expressing feelings. Through

the sounds, the gentle touch of music, any feeling could be expressed.

She would compose another piece. A piece dedicated to the first person she found

worthy to be her friend. She would dedicate the piece to Taeyeon, and present it to

her as a form of her apology.

Tiffany pulled out an empty music sheet, and a pencil, and began her work.

***************************



It had been a few days since Taeyeon had spoken to Tiffany. Even in school,

Taeyeon would avoid Tiffany whenever possible. She only attended Tiffany's

lessons, for it was necessary for her music education.

Taeyeon still felt, deep down in her heart, betrayed.

She had tried to reason with herself, thinking about Tiffany's needs, but she still

felt that Tiffany had gone too far, by keeping it from her for so long.

It was the end of another day of school, and Taeyeon headed straight home.

Usually, she would wait for Tiffany at their usual meeting place, but that time was

past. Taeyeon passed the meeting point on the way home, but she did not even

glance back, at the stone bench which they sat while waiting for each other.

Once home, Taeyeon threw down her bag, and headed straight up to her room, to

practice her singing. She was determined. If Tiffany wanted to play such games,

she would prove her wrong. Taeyeon was determined, to prove that even without

Tiffany's coaching, she would still be able to excel. She was determined to sing her

best in the audition, and hopefully win it. A triumph over both Seohyun and

Tiffany would prove her capabilities.



Taeyeon had been feeling a little hoarse for the past days, but she dismissed it. It

was evidence, that she was putting in effort into her practice. Taeyeon was sure

that with adequate rest before the audition, her throat would feel better, and she

would be ready to perform.

Picking up the song sheet, Taeyeon took in a deep breath, and let her voice fly. She

sang as if she was singing in the audition, as if she was performing to a crowd of

thousands. On and on she sang, and she became aware, that she was soon reaching

the part of the song that she had the most difficulty with.

As she prepared herself, to hit the note, she breathed in, and a sense of

breathlessness hit her hard. Coughing, Taeyeon reached for a glass of water.

Wrong breathing technique, she told herself.

Taeyeon geared herself up again, and she repeated the part. Once again, the

breathless feeling hit her again, and she bent over, coughing hard.

Focus, Taeyeon, focus! You're lacking focus. Control your breathing! Taeyeon told

herself.



Making a mental note to herself, she resumed her practice. The audition date was

approaching, and time was running out. She was determined to perfect the song.

As she neared the difficult part of the song once again, Taeyeon kept her mind

focused this time, but she was not prepared for what was to come.

A sharp pain lanced through her throat, and she doubled over in pain, clutching at

her throat. Stumbling over to her table, Taeyeon drained the entire glass of water in

one go, before collapsing into her chair, rubbing her throat gently.

What is wrong with me? Taeyeon thought.



Chapter 7: Precious Odds

For what you desire, is it worth the sacrifice?

The cracking sound of the foil was clearly heard across the silent waiting room,

and the noise briefly drew the attention of the other candidates. Taeyeon paid them

no heed, as she proceeded to put the lozenge into her mouth. Her throat had been

hurting for the past few days, and the medication she had barely helped. The

lozenges that she took only gave her a brief relief from the pain. Still, Taeyeon

decided to persevere, to push through the pain for her chance at the auditions.

The other candidates were silent as well, rehearsing their performance in their

minds, playing through the songs they were going to sing, or their performances intheir heads. Taeyeon could see many singers, some people with violins, some with

other instruments. Rolling the lozenge in her mouth using her tongue, Taeyeon

proceeded to re-run the lyrics of her song through her mind once again.

The door of the waiting room opened, and all the candidates spun around to meet

it, wondering if it was the staff coming in to call the next performer out. The

person who entered was no staff, but a girl clutching a flute that shone a gleaming

silver in the light.



Tiffany. Taeyeon immediately recognised her.

Your nemesis. A nasty voice whispered in the corner of her brain.

Tiffany spotted Taeyeon, and waved at her, but Taeyeon turned her back, as she

returned to her own practice. Tiffany sat down in one corner of the room, and

began practising the fingering on her flute. Half of Taeyeon's brain wanted to pull

her around, and go meet Tiffany, but the other half, the stronger half told her to

ignore her competitor and focus on winning, and that was what Taeyeon did.

One by one, the candidates were called for their audition, and the room slowly

emptied. Seohyun, whom Taeyeon also ignored, was soon called, and Taeyeon

knew it would soon be her turn, for she was next in line after Seohyun. Her throat

was beginning to hurt again, and Taeyeon pushed another lozenge into her mouth.

Soon, the time came, and her name was called. Taeyeon felt a familiar feeling, as

she walked the path backstage, that led her to the side of the main stage that was

hidden by the curtains. She could hear the finishing lines of Seohyun's song.

Hearing her sing live was different, as compared to the CD that Tiffany had given

her. Her voice was fantastic, perfect, brilliant. Her voice could be compared to a



choir of angels, or perhaps one that was even more magnificent. Taeyeon was

worried. How was she going to compete with a voice like this?

Her name was called, and onto the stage she went.

NH Music. The audition for my dreams. Taeyeon thought, as she introduced her

name. On the cue of the judges, she filled the auditorium with her angelic voice.

Straining her throat, Taeyeon fought the pain to hit every note as perfectly as she

could, putting as much emotion as she could into every verse. That verse was

coming, the one that Taeyeon had the most difficulty with.

Taking in a deep breath, in the brief pause, Taeyeon opened her mouth to sing that

one, challenging verse. The first half of it came out beautifully, before anunbearable pain sliced through her neck. Taeyeon's sweet voice that echoed across

the auditorium was cut off rudely by coughing and sputtering, as Taeyeon grabbed

at her neck.

A collective gasp came from the people who had come to watch the auditions, and

the judges gave a disapproving look. In that one single moment, Taeyeon knew her

second chance to her dream career was once again shattered, and she lowered her

head, as she tried to walk off the stage, as gracefully as she could.



Once she had disappeared behind the curtains, tears began to form in Taeyeon's

eyes. Why? Why does my throat have to hurt?! Of all times, it hurts during my

audition! The girl screamed in her mind silently as she pounded the wall with her

fist. Taeyeon felt devastated. All the hours she put into practice, the commitment to

her practice had all been wasted. To make it worse, her song had to be cut off in

the middle.

Taeyeon wanted to cry, but the same nasty voice in her head told her that Tiffany

was due to be on stage soon, and she did not want Tiffany to see her crying, or in

this sad state. She felt, that she could not afford to let her nemesis see her weak

side. Hurrying back to the waiting room, Taeyeon peered inside to see if Tiffany

was still there. She wasn't. Taeyeon hurried in, and grabbed whatever belongings

that she brought along, before rushing out again. There was no point waiting for

the results, as Taeyeon knew that she would never be able to make it.

She hurried out, to leave the audition venue, and her path took her past the path

that ran backstage. Her sharp ears caught a fine tune, a sound that was sweet, yet

mixed with a strange sense of sadness.

The sound caught Taeyeon, and she stopped dead in her tracks. The sweet, sad

tendrils of the song seemed to curl around her heart and mind, and pulled them

nearer and nearer to the source of that sound. There was no doubt, that the sound



was that from a flute, and of all the other candidates scheduled after Taeyeon,

Tiffany was the only one that was going to perform a flute segment. Taeyeon stood

there, backstage, as she listened to the beautiful sound that Tiffany played.

Hearing Tiffany play the flute live was very different from listening to the CD's of

Tiffany that Taeyeon had. Being a long time fan of Tiffany, Taeyeon, immediately

recognised the piece that she was playing. It was the piece that Tiffany had

composed specially as a memory for her parents. In public, Tiffany had claimed

that the piece was composed to show the love in a family, to quell the rumours thatshe had actually lost her parents. However, Taeyeon, being a close friend of

Tiffany's, knew the true meaning behind that piece.

It was a beautiful, heart wrenching piece. The feel of music laid out the sweetness

of a loving family, and the joy that they shared. At the same time, it filled the

hearts of the listeners with the pain that the family felt when they went through

tough times. Taeyeon was convinced, that only a musical genius like Tiffany could

compose a piece like that.

The beauty of the music quelled the nasty voice in Taeyeon's mind, and the girl sat

down, and leaned against a wall backstage, and she let the beautiful music of

Tiffany's wash over her. It was bliss, as she felt the music filling every part of her

soul.



***************************

Taeyeon struggled with the stack of books, and she made it to the table before

dumping them down in front of a startled Seohyun.

"Here, I found all the books that might help for exams." Taeyeon said, as she sat

down in her chair again.

The two of them were back at the library, and they were studying together. They

were from different schools, but their music syllabuses were almost similar, and

hence they were helping each other out in their revision.

Seohyun grabbed the first book of the stack, and flipped it open to a page, before

studying it intently, and Taeyeon returned to the notes that she had taken down in

lesson. It had been a few days since the end of the audition. Taeyeon could not

forget the embarrassing way that she had performed in the audition, but she had

pushed it into one corner of her mind, as she knew that ultimately, she could not let

her emotions affect her musical studies.

The next few hours passed, with both girls scribbling down notes intently, and

sharing their discussions. As Seohyun finally put down her pen, and stretched her



back, Taeyeon decided to ask. The question had been gnawing at her heart for a

long time, and she felt that she needed to clear it, and get an answer.

"Seohyun, do you remember the auditions that your father's company held?"

Taeyeon whispered, so as to avoid disturbing the silence in the library.

Seohyun nodded.

"What do you think of the results?" Taeyeon asked again. The results had been out,

and out of all the artists that turned up, only one had been offered a contract with

NH music, and that one single artist, was Tiffany.

"She deserved to win. I heard her play her audition piece too, and she was

wonderful. I've never heard such beautiful music in my life before, it was really

touching." Seohyun answered.

"Still, it's another chance gone for us." Taeyeon mumbled.



Seohyun played with a strand of her hair, as a thoughtful expression spread across

her face. "That's true, to a certain extent, but I say that you shouldn't think of it that

way." She mused.

"Why?" Taeyeon prompted.

"You see, everyone who went for the auditions obviously had a dream in mind, if

not they would not be there. Everyone is a competitor with another. You are also a

competitor to me as well, but then I respect the fact that you went there for a

dream, and you deserve an equal chance to fight for your dreams. I think, that you

should be happy for the winner, that she won her dream through her hard work,

rather than be jealous, or sad that you didn't win."

"After all, I competed against you, but we're both still here today, as friends, and

studying and worrying for the upcoming examinations together." Seohyun added.

As Taeyeon processed Seohyun's explanation, she felt a sense of guilt rising inside

her. True enough, she dreamt to be a professional singer, but Tiffany had her

difficulties as well. She felt even more guilty, as she thought about the time and

effort that Tiffany had put in to help her to practice her singing, and she knew that

it was from Tiffany's help, that she had improved by leaps and bounds.



She knew she was competing against me, and yet she still took the time to help me

with my audition, when she could spend the time practising for her own. That

though raised the level of guilt in Taeyeon by another notch.

Taeyeon now felt terrible for the way that she had treated Tiffany. Tiffany was still

trying to stay in contact with her, evident from the calls and messages that Taeyeon

never answered. Taeyeon felt terrible, for turning her back to Tiffany when she

was trying to preserve their friendship. After all, Tiffany won the audition fair and

square. Taeyeon felt that she should be proud of her friend's talent and skill, rather

than being jealous, and feeling betrayed.

Taeyeon vowed, that when she returned to school the next day, she would find

Tiffany, and apologise to her. She would find a way, to make up for the way that

she treated Tiffany.

"Oh yeah, can I ask another question?" Taeyeon asked.

Seohyun nodded, and Taeyeon carried on, "Why are you not on good terms with

your father? People thought that you, as the daughter of the CEO of NH music,

would have a higher chance of winning."



"I just don't like the way he works, the way he does stuff." Seohyun answered

flatly, and immediately returned to her studying.

Taeyeon knew that her question has struck a sensitive spot, by the sudden icy

atmosphere of the conversation, and she returned to her studies as well.

***************************

Sliding the key in the lock, Taeyeon gave it a twist, and the lock clicked open.

Pushing open the door, she went up the stairs right away, and headed to her room.

As she neared her father's room, she could hear her father muttering to himself. It

was strange. Her father was not due to reach home so early, and rarely did her

father mutter to himself. The only times when Taeyeon had seen him do that was

when he had something big on his mind, something that affected him greatly.

Peeking into his room, she saw her father pacing to and fro, muttering to himself.



"Here it goes again. She wins the audition... of all things, why does it have to be a

contract with NH Music? Does she..."

Taeyeon was startled by what she heard. The sole winner of the audition was

Tiffany, and from what her father was saying, it was clear, that her father knew

Tiffany. The strange thing was, how could her father know Tiffany, but Tiffany did

not know her father at all? What was even stranger, was that her father sounded

like he cared for Tiffany. This was totally different from the image that he

portrayed at first. He gave the impression that he disliked Tiffany, but why did hesound like he cared for her now? It was perfectly normal if he did not like NH

Music, as NH Music could be considered the nemesis of the company that her

father was working for, but Tiffany was a bigger question.

When I get the chance, I'll not only apologise to Tiffany, I'll confirm with her what

she knows as well. Taeyeon promised herself.

Taeyeon could eavesdrop no longer, and she returned to her room. Throwing down

her bag, she sifted through her cupboard, and picked out a set of comfortable

clothes, before heading to the washroom to take a shower. Stepping in, Taeyeon let

the warm water flow. The warm water on her skin was a relaxing, as compared to

the freezing cold winter temperatures outside.



Through her singing practice, Taeyeon had developed a funny habit of singing

anywhere she could, and singing in the shower was no difference. She picked a

relaxing song, one equal to the warmth and relaxation that the warm water gave

her, and she began to sing. Her voice was as beautiful as ever.

The pain came again, as sudden as ever, and sharper than before. Taeyeon

stumbled out of the shower, stunned by the intense pain stabbing at her throat, and

she stood bent over the sink, coughing violently, trying to catch her breath.

Her dripping wet, soapy hair made her look unglamorous, but it was not that that

caught Taeyeon's attention. Amongst the drops of soapy water that fell drop her

hair into the sink, was a pattern that was drawn out in a splatter of dark, red liquid.

Another drop of the red liquid fell, from her lips, and splashed into the sink,

joining the first.

Her brain immediately registered the strange taste on her tongue, and there was no

doubt to what the red liquid was.

Blood.



Chapter 8: Stranger Relations

A stranger answer, or question?

Tiffany was satisfied.

Satisfied, not happy.

Her new contract with NH Music had given her more hope in life. Her contract

was promising, the pay was good, her staff benefits were excellent as well. To top

it off, with her already well known proficiency in music, she had no need to go

through any form of training program.

Her financial worries were over, Tiffany had only been a few weeks into her new

career with NH Music, and she was seeing the difference a contract with an

entertainment company could make. Music shows, performances, and other events

were arranged for her, all she needed to do was to practice, and attend the event.

Furthermore, being a musician with such high calibre, the company had provided a

room in the office building for Tiffany to use as her personal studio for practising.



She no longer had to practice on the rooftop in the middle of the night, or find

other secluded areas.

Still, she was only satisfied.

With her contract, her life plans were already mended, and could be considered

well paved out for her. However, there was still her heart. Nothing seemed to be

able to fill the space in her heart that Taeyeon left behind. No form or amount of

music could repair the damage to her heart, or make the memories go away. The

times that she shared with her very first friend were eternal.

Tiffany stared at the screen of her phone, waiting. It had seemed like eternity,

waiting for a single message, or phone call from Taeyeon. Tiffany wanted a reply, just a reply. Sighing, she slid her phone back into her bag, and proceeded to stare

out of the window. She had just finished a performance, and she was on the way

back to the company building. Plucking at the hem of her pink dress, Tiffany

frowned. Pink was her favourite colour, but she never liked to wear such revealing

dresses, be it for events or performances. However, the dress was selected by her

stylist, and she had little say in it. Before long, the car reached the company

building, and Tiffany stepped out, and headed straight for her studio, where she

could change into something more comfortable, or more proper, as she felt.



As she walked down the hallways of the office building, Tiffany bowed her head

respectfully to her seniors. Despite her proficiency, she was still new to the

company, and she had already gained a reputation for being one of the most

respectful, and loveable artists signed with the company. The entire building was

like a maze, and Tiffany had gotten lost a few times, and today was no different.

As she stepped into an unfamiliar corridor, she heard shouting. People around her

were also looking in the direction, and the voices came from the CEO's office.

The door of the office burst open, and a young lady strode out of the office. Her

long, raven black hair covered her face slightly, but Tiffany could see the rage on

her face.

"Yah! You come back here! I'm not done with you yet!" The CEO was yelling

from his office.

The young lady spun around. "As if you'll ever listen to me! There's no point

discussing anything with you, when all you have in that thick head of yours is

money! Do you even have any morals?" She screamed back.

Tiffany had heard the voice somewhere before.



"Don't you dare speak to me in that tone! I am still your father! Come back here

right now!" The CEO yelled.

Seohyun. It immediately registered in Tiffany's mind that the young lady was

Seohyun. Even though she was relatively new to the company, Tiffany had learned

from her other colleagues that Seohyun was not on good terms with her father, but

she had never expected it to be something like this. Yelling at each other in the

office was of a different level.

Seohyun turned her back on her father, and stormed away, the other people in the

office scattering, and clearing a path for the fiery tempered lady to walk through. A

sudden idea struck Tiffany. Didn't Taeyeon once mentioned that she and Seohyun

were studying partners? Perhaps Seohyun might have an idea what Taeyeon might

be up to.

"Uh... Excuse me." Tiffany asked shyly, as Seohyun approached her.

Seohyun stopped, and looked at Tiffany. The rage was still evident in her eyes, and

that scared Tiffany slightly.



"Uh..." Tiffany opened her mouth to speak, but she was at a loss for words.

"You're Tiffany, right? The new flutist that joined the company." Seohyun asked.

Tiffany nodded.

"Ah, I thought so. I saw you at the auditions that day. Your skills with the flute are

excellent, and you totally deserved to win the audition." Seohyun continued.

"You... You think so?" Tiffany squeaked out.

"Yes, yes. I don't think I've heard such good music in a long time. You were

brilliant." Seohyun paused for a while, before carrying on, "Honestly, I think

you're wasting your time and skills here. You should have auditioned for another

company. Just don't listen to what my father tells you to do. He's insane."

Seohyun shook her head and sighed.



"Anyway, I've got to go now, there's something I need to attend to. Was nice

meeting you, see you around." Seohyun said, as she waved to Tiffany, and headed

off down the corridor.

Tiffany stood there, silent for a while, thinking through what she had just heard.

She had missed the chance to ask about Taeyeon's whereabouts, and she was

stunned by Seohyun's attitude to her father. Being a junior artist in the company,

there was little chance that Tiffany would even speak to, needless to say work with

the CEO, but it was rare to hear Seohyun make such comments on her father,especially in a public place.

Behind her, the CEO came out of his office, glancing around, trying to see where

his daughter had gone to. Upon his appearance, the other people in the office

scattered, going back to their tasks, and Tiffany, standing right in the middle of the

pathway, caught his full attention.

"Who are you?" The CEO asked.

"Uh..., Sir, I'm Tiffany, the new flutist that just joined your company." Tiffany

stammered.



The CEO's eyes flicked up and down, scanning her from head to toe, and Tiffany

unconsciously took a step back. She was not accustomed to wearing revealing

dresses, and having men staring at her made her feel more uncomfortable.

"Tiffany... as in Tiffany Hwang Miyoung?" The CEO asked.

"Yes sir." Tiffany nodded.

"Welcome to NH Music." He said, holding out his hand. Tiffany shook it. His grip

suddenly tightened, and Tiffany struggled to pull her hand out of his iron clad grip,

but to no avail.

A sinister smile spread on the CEO's face. "Welcome, Miss Hwang. I'm very sure

your father would be pleased, if he could know that you are working here." He

said, placing extra emphasis on the word "pleased".

He released his grip, and Tiffany immediately took a step back, massaging herhand gently. Did the CEO just mention something about her father? Did the CEO

know her father as well?



Why was her life getting so complicated? Tiffany wanted a simple life, and she

thought she had it when she secured the contract with NH Music. Now, she had

suspicions that the CEO knew her father, and that brought memories back of the

photo that she found, and the suspicions, that Taeyeon's father knew her parents as

well. Her life was becoming more complicated with the many new questions, and

she had no idea how to solve them.

The frustrated and puzzled girl threw her bag on the chair upon entering her studio,

but missed, and her bag landed on the floor, spilling its contents out. Tiffany let outan exasperated sigh, and strode over to pick up her belongings. As she reached for

her phone, the blinking light on her phone caught her attention.

A new text message.

Please, please let it be a message from Taeyeon, not from my manager, or stylist,

or anyone else. Tiffany prayed.

She checked her phone. The message was from Taeyeon.



Tiffany, my phone was spoilt, so I was unable to reply your messages for the past

week. I'm sorry for everything that I've done. I was in the wrong. Could we meet up

sometime soon? I'd really like to make up for my mistake. The message read.

Tiffany was excited. She had finally received a reply from Taeyeon, and it sounded

promising, that their friendship could be mended.

Immediately, she hit the call button. After a brief wait, Taeyeon picked up.

"Taeyeon! I'm so glad to hear from you again! Are you free to meet up now?"

Tiffany asked.

"Umm... My family's out at the moment, I guess I could be considered free now..."

Taeyeon answered.

"That's great! I'll head over right now!" With that, Tiffany put down the call and

rushed out. Hailing a cab, she made her way to Taeyeon's house. Through the cabride, Tiffany was excited. She was finally going to see Taeyeon again. She felt no

animosity for the way that Taeyeon had treated her, for she understood the reason

behind Taeyeon's reaction.



After what seemed like eternity, the cab finally reached Taeyeon's house, and she

was there, waiting at the doorstep, waiting for her friend, waiting for Tiffany.

Once Tiffany stepped out of the cab, the two friends were finally reunited in a hug,

with Tiffany lifting Taeyeon off the ground, and the both of them laughing

cheerfully. Once the laughter had subsided, Taeyeon welcomed Tiffany into her

house, and they went up to Taeyeon's room.

"Tiffany, I must say, I'm really sorry. I let my dreams for a singing career affect me

too much. I was wrong about the way I treated you." Taeyeon said, lowering her

head.

"It's alright, I understand." Tiffany answered.

"You do?" Taeyeon asked, a hopeful glint in her eye.

"Of course I do. Just remember not to let your judgement go awry the next time.

We both want to make music, to spread love, remember? If we have to hate each



other, or people, to reach our dreams to perform, how can our music spread love,

when there is no love in its roots?" Tiffany replied.

Taeyeon nodded her agreement. What Tiffany said was true. To make music that

could spread love, it must first spring from love. Staring at her friend, Taeyeon

asked, "Why are you dressed like this? It's not exactly your style..."

Tiffany then realized that in her rush to meet Taeyeon, she had rushed out without

changing out of her stage outfit. Blushing, she replied, "I had a performance before

this, and didn't have time to change."

"Still... it's a little... odd. I know you're pretty, but the outfit's a little too revealing."

Taeyeon continued. Seeing her friend's embarrassed face, she hurriedly changedthe topic. "So, how's work at NH Music going?"

"It's good. Just that sometimes I wish I had a choice on what piece I could play,

and what stage outfit I could wear. Most of the pieces are not exactly my style, but

then, it's all for work, so I just keep quiet, and perform."

"In that case, how are you going to achieve your goal of love through music, when

the pieces you play are not of your genre?" Taeyeon questioned.



"I'd prefer to say that with the fluidity of music, you can express any emotion

through any form, or any genre of music, which is what I'm trying to do. Still, I

sometimes do wish that I had more say in my performances, as there's stuff that I'd

rather not do." Tiffany answered.

"Then again, I'm just a junior artist there, hence I really don't have much say to

what I should do on stage, and much more." Tiffany added, sighing.

"Tiffany, I've got something I need to ask you." Taeyeon suddenly asked, in a

solemn voice. The sudden change in her tone made Tiffany feel worried. Tiffany

knew that Taeyeon was not the kind that would use such a tone of voice, unless

something was really serious.

"Go ahead, I'll help if I can." Tiffany answered.

Taking in a deep breath, Taeyeon let out a sigh. She had intended to keep this from

Tiffany, but she felt that it was time to be honest. "Tiffany, it all started some time

ago. There would be this sharp pain in my throat whenever I tried to reach those

higher notes." She said.



Tiffany looked worried.

"A few days ago, I was singing again, and the same pain came back. This time, I

coughed out blood. Tiffany, I'm really worried. Is something wrong with me?

Singing is my life, I can't afford for my voice to be like this." Taeyeon continued,

her voice taking on a desperate tone.

There was definitely something wrong with Taeyeon's throat, but Tiffany had no

idea. She was no doctor. All she could do, was to draw her friend into a comforting

hug.

"Why don't you go and see a doctor? If there's something wrong, maybe the doctor

can fix it before it gets worse." Tiffany suggested.

"It's going to be expensive, and I don't want to place extra costs on my parents. Not

to mention my father will start yelling again, since this sort of relates to my dream

of singing, which he does not support."

"Surely he can't deny his daughter medical treatment just because of that." Tiffany

stated.



"You never know how crazy he can be. As much as I don't like my father, I still

don't want to be the cause of any unhappiness, or arguments in my family. I want

peace in my family." Taeyeon said.

There was a brief moment of silence, as the two girls thought about Taeyeon's

situation, and the best way out.

"You know... I'm not that financially tight now, I could pay for most of your

medical bills, if necessary." Tiffany offered.

Taeyeon was shocked. She couldn't accept such help from Tiffany. It would be too

much to ask for, and she opened her mouth to speak, to object against Tiffany's

offer, but the sound of the front door opening cut her off. Peeking out of her room,

Taeyeon saw her father coming in.

"It's my father! You've got to hide! Quick, into my closet!" Taeyeon panicked.

"There's really no space in there! You've got too much junk inside!" Tiffany

protested, but to no avail.



For the second time, Tiffany was squashed into Taeyeon's closet, together with all

her other belongings.

Taeyeon's father came storming into her room a short while later.

"Kim Taeyeon! How dare you! How dare you go for an audition without informing

me, and of all companies, you audition with NH Music?!" He thundered.

"Dad! How old am I already? Do I still need to report each and every second of my

whereabouts to you?" Taeyeon protested.

Her father was about to yell at her again, when he was interrupted by the door of

Taeyeon's closet crashing open, depositing Tiffany onto the floor tangled in

Taeyeon's clothes.

Both father and daughter stood there, silent, as Tiffany extracted herself from the

mess of Taeyeon's clothes.



It was Taeyeon's father who broke the silence first. "How dare you bring such a

person into my house! I demand that you get her out right now!"

"Dad! That's enough! I don't understand why you're treating Tiffany like that! She's

my friend! It's okay if you don't respect my dreams, but how can you treat my

friend in such a way!" Taeyeon screamed.

"You dare talk to your father like this?" Taeyeon's father bellowed.

"Yes, I dare! You say you're my father, but have you ever treated me like your

daughter? Everything I do, you object to it, without any reason! Which father

would hold his daughter back from her dreams without giving any reason?"

Taeyeon screeched.

An uneasy silence hung in the air as the last few words that Taeyeon screamed

echoed in the room. Father and daughter stared at each other, their gaze intense.

"Uh... Mr Kim? I think I would also like to know how you knew my parents. I saw

you in their photographs." Tiffany asked in a small voice, a total contrast from the

argument that just took place seconds ago.



Taeyeon's father's glance shifted from Tiffany to his daughter, and then back again.

Letting out a huge sigh, he closed his eyes, seemingly deep in thoughts. Both girls

looked at him, puzzled by the sudden change in his behaviour. Taeyeon's father

took a deep breath, before settling himself into Taeyeon's chair.

"Take a seat, both of you." He said, indicating to Taeyeon's bed. Tiffany glanced at

Taeyeon for an answer, but Taeyeon shrugged. Both girls sat at the edge of the

bed, facing him.

"I'm really sorry, Taeyeon, I've not been a good father. I've been doing things the

wrong way." He said. Turning to Tiffany, he carried on, "Tiffany, I'm sorry as

well. I should not have done things this way, and I think, it's time you knew the

whole story."



Chapter 9: Truth and Bonds

How will you face what you found?

Both girls sat on the bed silently, waiting for Taeyeon's father to begin his tale.

"I do not know where to begin." He sighed.

"Mr Kim, sir, just begin wherever you feel like." Tiffany voiced. Taeyeon's father

nodded. He seemed to be deep in thought, the expression on his face seemed to be

one that was filled with anguish, the painful memories that he had from the past.

"First, Taeyeon, why do you think I object so strongly, to you joining the music

industry?" He asked his daughter.

Taeyeon sat there silently. She had never thought of the possibilities on why her

father had objected against her, partly was because she never talked much to her

father regarding her dream career of being a singer.



"I guess... You're afraid the stress of working in such an industry would be too

much for me to handle?" Taeyeon offered her guess. Her father shook his head.

"I'm confident in you, that you'll be able to handle stress. What I'm afraid of, is the

company that you might join." He answered.

"You see, my daughter, there are many entertainment companies out there, that

offer promising contracts to artists that want to join the industry. However, how

many of them, are actually interested in the element of music. A large majority of

the companies out there are just interested in money, and they would make use of

their artists to any extent, as long as they can garner large numbers of viewers, and

profits." He added.

"Some of the companies, make use of their artists to the extent that they invade

upon the decency of the artists just for profits. Those artists have no choice but to

make do with their company's demands, due to the contract that they signed. It

would hurt me to see my daughter being made use of, just for the profits of an

entertainment industry." He finished.

Subconsciously, Taeyeon's gaze shifted to Tiffany, and Tiffany looked down at the

revealing outfit she was wearing. Deep in her heart, she knew what Taeyeon's

father had said was true. Ever since she started working for NH Music, Tiffany had



spent a considerable amount of time browsing on the internet, trying to find out

what her fans thought about her, now that she had signed with a company. Tiffany

had found out that she had a large increase of fans, but the reasons as to why dealt

a blow to her morale. Some fans were there, for they loved her music, and the ways

her music inspired them, others were there for other reasons. Comments were

circulating online, regarding her figure, and some fans had followed her just

because she was deemed as the "Artist with the Best Figure".

Tiffany felt uncomfortable. She felt as if she was being used as an object, ratherthan for her talent in music. What Taeyeon's father said was true. NH Music made

her attend photoshoots, which required her to wear dresses that she didn't feel

comfortable in. She had no say in her schedules, or outfits, and her manager didn't

seem to care. What seemed most important, was that the photoshoot, or events

were earning large profits for the company.

"Dad, how are you so sure, that if I join the music industry, something like that

would happen to me?" Taeyeon asked.

"I'd rather not take such a risk with my own daughter. Plus, I have experienced,

and seen that happen before, and Tiffany, here's where you, or I'd say, your parents

come into the story." He answered.



Tiffany was curious. She had known little about her parents. She never asked them

about their life, or career, and when they were gone, she always wanted to know,

but had no answers. Today, she was finally going to get an answer.

"Have you ever wondered, how your parents managed to leave you such a huge

fortune? Sufficient to pay for your studies, and help you start a music career as

well?" Taeyeon's father asked Tiffany.

Tiffany shook her head.

"First, I must say that I did know your parents. In fact, your father and I were close,

almost like brothers to each other. Your parents were the founders of the

entertainment company that I work in now, and I only took over the leadershipposition after they passed away. Now, I would say this is the most painful part of

the truth, and the past, and it will be even more painful, seeing the position you are

in now, are you ready for it?" Taeyeon's dad said in a solemn voice. He did not

seem fierce or hostile any longer, but he seemed to sound much more fatherly.

Tiffany hesitated. What she did not know about her parents could be painful,

perhaps even too much for her to handle. She was worried, but she was curious.

Tiffany had waited long enough, steeling herself, she readied for whatever

emotional pain she was about to receive, and nodded her head.



"You always had the impression, that your parents passed away in a fatal accident,

and that's what the general public thought so as well. I would say that I'm one of

the two people who knows the truth, and there was no accident, behind the death of

your parents. You work with NH Music now, Tiffany, and I feel pained for you.

The CEO of the company you work for now, is the person responsible for your

loss." He said simply.

It was a short, brief moment, but everything that Taeyeon's father had said

overloaded Tiffany's senses. She reeled back in shock from what she heard. It

seemed impossible. Her parents, murdered? Now she was working for the one who

murdered her parents?

"No... How can it be?" Tiffany stammered.

"Dad, you must be wrong. I know your company is not on good terms with NH

Music, but making such an accusation is ridiculous." Taeyeon objected.

"The other person who found out about it a few years ago, is the CEO's own

daugther, Seohyun. I'm sure you know her as well, Taeyeon, and you could ask



her. The case with Tiffany's parents is the reason why Seohyun is not on good

terms with her father." He explained.

"Then, if it's true, why don't you both do something about it?" Taeyeon enquired.

"Only two people know the truth, and there was no material evidence. What would

the authorities believe? I could file a case, but it would be useless." He answered.

Taeyeon opened her mouth to ask another question, but fell silent as Tiffany laid

her hand on her arm. "Let him speak. I want to know the full story behind my

parents. It's been too long. I want to know. I need to know." Tiffany said.

"I'll make things short, and simple. Our company was never on good terms with

NH Music. Your parents believed in reaching out to the world via the talents of an

artist, be it in instruments, or singing. On the other hand, Seohyun's father, leading

NH Music, believed in squeezing as much profit as possible from an artist, no

matter what it took. The worst came, when your parents exposed an ugly side of

him" Taeyeon's father began.

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "Your parents exposed to the public, what he

made a few of his artists do. For extra profit, NH Music, forced a few of their



artists to deal in indecent activities under contracts, to the extent that it was an

outrage, and invasion of their privacy, and modesty. Of course, such actions were

condemned, and NH Music took a great blow to their reputation. As a result, their

CEO swore revenge against your parents."

"The general impression, was that your parents died in a car accident, but I knew it

was not, for I had seen him personally tamper with the car that your parents died

in. He did something to the car. The authorities thought it was a normal mechanical

failure, that caused the car to crash, and your parents to die, but I knew themechanical failure was a result of what he did. The accident, was also one that was

planned. I know Seohyun personally as well, and she also knows the truth. I never

asked her how she found out the truth from her own father, but she agrees with me,

that it was her father who sabotaged the car, and planned the accident that resulted

in the crash that killed your parents." Taeyeon's father finished.

Silence filled the room, as Taeyeon's father concluded his tale. His face seemed to

be filled with less worries, as if a giant rock had been lifted off him. Tiffany, on the

other hand, sat there in silence, staring down at her hands.

"I... I just can't believe it." She stammered.

"You can ask Seohyun. She knows the truth as well." Taeyeon's father repeated.



Taeyeon picked up her phone, and sent a simple text message to Seohyun. Dad just

told me something, that he says only you and him know, about your father, and

Tiffany. Is it true?

All three in the room waited, until the silence was broken by the beeping of

Taeyeon's phone, indicating Seohyun's reply.

Taeyeon showed the one-word answer to Tiffany.

The screen flashed the single word. Yes.

"Why... How..." Tiffany tried to speak, but she was at a loss for words. The sudden

knowledge, of what she had seeked for the past years was too much for her.

"Dad, if Seohyun knew about Tiffany, why did she pretend she didn't know

Tiffany?" Taeyeon asked. She too, had found it hard to believe.



"I made an agreement with Seohyun, not to let Tiffany or you know until I decided

the time was right. Hence, she pretended that she did not know Tiffany. I mean,

Tiffany would definitely feel awkward, if people whom she didn't know knew her."

He explained.

Taeyeon wanted to ask more, but she was interrupted by her friend, who burst into

tears. Tiffany tried to hold back her emotions, but the flood of knowledge and

emotions she received overwhelmed her. Taeyeon pulled Tiffany into an embrace,

trying to comfort her.

"Taeyeon. I didn't mean to show so much hostility to Tiffany. Her parents were my

closest friends, and after I saw what happened to them, I was afraid, that you might

end up like one of those artists that NH Music made use of. Knowing what their

CEO will do, I was afraid that if that ever happened to you, I could not prevent it

without any disaster happening to our family. I admit, there might have been other

ways of doing this. I'm sorry, Taeyeon, I haven't been a good father." Taeyeon's

father voiced out.

As Taeyeon hugged her friend, she nodded her acknowledgement. "I understand, it

must be traumatic to lose your close friends too." She answered.



"Taeyeon, take care of Tiffany, I have to go settle other issues." Her father

requested, as he stood up and left the room.

Taeyeon let Tiffany bury her face into her shoulder, and as Tiffany cried, she felt

her heart ache as well, she empathised with her friend, the loss her friend had

suffered, and the shock of knowing the truth.

***************************

Night had fallen, and the moonlight cast its shine on the three young ladies

gathered around a table on the rooftop.

Tiffany had turned to her flute for comfort, but even the most relaxing pieces she

knew could not soothe the agony in her heart. She sat at the table, rolling her flute

in her hands, her thoughts lost somewhere.

Taeyeon sat next to her, she wanted to be with Tiffany, to provide her with asource of warmth and comfort, especially at this phase that her friend was going

through. The last girl, was Seohyun. Taeyeon had called her, hoping that Seohyun

could also help in comforting Tiffany.



"I don't have a choice, do I?" Tiffany asked again.

They had been discussing about it for the past hour. Tiffany could not bear to face

the fact, especially the fact that she now worked for the person who was behind the

death of her parents.

"There's no way that I could quit NH Music now, right? Especially with the

contract. Plus I can't afford to pay the penalties if I broke the bond. I'm bonded to

the man who murdered my parents." Tiffany said again.

Taeyeon and Seohyun had no answer. They knew that Tiffany had signed the

contract, and she was now bonded to NH Music. It was definitely hard on her,

having to work, under her current conditions, and the knowledge she had.

"Umm... Tiffany, why don't you just focus on your music? You've told me before

that I can let music guide my heart through any trials that life might throw me."

Taeyeon suggested.



"There's no use now. I don't even have the liberty to choose what music I perform.

Your father was right, I'm just an object to the company. I have a performance and

photoshoot scheduled tomorrow, and I totally dislike the set. Have you heard of a

flutist having to add in some choreography into her performance? They're making

me do things that I'm uncomfortable with, and I have no say." Tiffany objected.

"Are they making you do indecent things again? Intruding into your privacy?"

Seohyun flared up. "I'll protest on your behalf, if I have to. If the company does not

respect the rights of their artists, and just treats them like money making objects, Iwill not hesitate to protest, even if it means yelling in the middle of the office

again."

"It's not to that extent yet, but I'm afraid it might be pushed to that extent soon."

Tiffany answered with a sigh.

The three girls fell silent again, thinking of any possible way, that could liberate

Tiffany.

"Actually, I do have a plan. It does not sound practical, but it is still a plan."

Seohyun finally spoke up.



Both Taeyeon and Tiffany turned to her.

"You'll have to trust me though. Trust me with all your heart, and do not doubt

me." Seohyun said.

Taeyeon and Tiffany nodded.

"It'll depend on how much you believe in music as well." Seohyun added.

"Music has always been my life." Tiffany answered.

"Same for me. Our friendship was formed, bridged together by our shared love,

and passion for music. You can safely say that we both live our lives with music,

for it was music that brought us together, and has kept us going." Taeyeon

answered as well.

"Very good then. First, I suggest you both head home and take a rest. Tiffany, keep

going on with the company, do what they want you to do. I'll contact you both

soon." Seohyun said.



Some time later, Tiffany lay in bed. She was wide awake, her thoughts were a

myriad. Her brain was trying to process the harrowing experience that she had

today, as well as the unknown plan that Seohyun had.

Seohyun's a singer as well, she deals in music. Tiffany told herself.

Let music guide my heart, join mine with Taeyeon's and Seohyun's, and follow

them. Trust Seohyun, that she has a plan. Tiffany repeated in her mind.

Closing her eyes, Tiffany pulled herself deeper into her blankets, and fell asleep.



Chapter 10: The Wall

You have one obstacle, but many sources of strength. Never give up.

She felt trapped.

She felt like a helpless animal trapped in a cage. One that was forced to do stunts

just to be fed daily.

Tiffany felt her freedom, was now something that was gone. She once took it for

granted, but now, she felt her desire for freedom, she wanted it, but it was locked

away from her. Locked away, until the contract she signed expired.

That's another ten years until I get my freedom back. Tiffany fumed silently, as she

stormed back into the main office building. She had just finished her schedule,

which included a brief interview, and the artist was not happy. Taeyeon's father

had made no mistake, NH Music was just interested in using her to make money.There was more than enough evidence of that, from the interview that she had.



The press had contacted her manager to request for an interview, and it was

accepted. However, what Tiffany did not expect, was that the company, and her

manager had already prepared a set of answers that she could give, and a set that

she could not give. Looking through the set of "correct" answers made Tiffany

angry. Sticking to the list for the interview was akin to lying! She had objected to

her manager regarding the list, but was told that it was for the better good of her,

and the company.

To top it off, she could not back out, nor did she have any choice, due to thecontract that she signed. Tiffany had to endure the interview, spewing out the lies

that the company made her tell, and trying to maintain a happy expression on her

face all the while. It had not helped, that after the interview, her manager told her

that she was scheduled for another interview the next day.

Tiffany didn't bother to open the door to her studio properly. Instead, she kicked it

open in an extremely violent fashion, the high heels that she wore making a mark

on the door. The slamming sound drew the attention of other people nearby, but

Tiffany couldn't care less about the unglamorous behaviour that she had just

exhibited.

"Who care about being unglamorous. Everything I do is just going to be hidden

under a bed of lies." She grumbled to herself, as she threw her bag onto the chair,

and proceeded to change out of her outfit. Ripping the dress off herself, she felt



glad to be free of the garment that she disliked. Reaching for a set of comfortable

clothes, she began to put them on, but was interrupted by a knock on her door.

The irate artist yelled, "Who's that? I'm not interested in talking to anyone now!"

She knew if it were her manager, she would get a small lecture on being rude, but

she couldn't care less. If the company didn't respect her rights, she would treat

them the same way as well.

"It's me, Seohyun. I thought you were back, and wanted to find you for a chat."

Seohyun's voice sounded from the door. Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief. Finally.

Someone with brains and the correct inclination that she could talk to.

Pulling her shirt over her head, Tiffany opened the door, letting Seohyun in.

"Sorry if I yelled. Bad mood today." She apologised, as she closed the door behind

Seohyun.

"I thought so as well. News of you kicking open your door seems to spread quite

fast." Seohyun said, as she settled down into a chair. "Let me guess, the

interview?"



"How did you know?" Tiffany asked, raising her eyebrow.

"You're not the first artist to get angry over the restrictions on what to say in

interviews." Seohyun answered. "I've been around NH Music for so many years,

and I've seen so many artists get angry." She added.

Tiffany sighed. "Seohyun, no offence, but it hurts me even more, knowing that I

have to work for the person who's responsible for my parents' deaths. That reminds

me, what sort of plan do you have?"

"Ah yes, the plan." Seohyun answered.

"Like I told you, you aren't the only artist who is unhappy with the company. There

are others out there as well. Here's a benefit of being the daughter of the CEO.

Having grown up with him, I know what things he holds dear to himself. One, is

this company, the other, is music." Seohyun added.

"Music? If your father likes music so much, why would he not let us play the style

of music that we like?" Tiffany asked.



"That's because he's too money minded. He loves money so much, that he would

sacrifice anything else just to get it, which is why he has no qualms restricting the

say of the artists in the company just for profits. As long as what the artist performs

can gain profit, he'll do it, regardless of whether the artist likes it or not." Seohyun

replied.

"Which is why, I intend to start a revolution within the company. That means I'll

need your help in convincing all the other artists signed with NH Music to join in.

The board of directors might be able to suppress one voice, but if all of us protest

together, it'll surely make an impact, and I'm pretty sure my father would do

anything to keep the company running, which is to say, he'll have to grant our

requests." Seohyun finished.

It was a bold plan, and Tiffany was afraid. If the plan did not work out, if their

coup failed, she could possibly be charged in court, for going with Seohyun's plan

meant that she would be breaking her contract. It seemed dangerous, too risky.

"Err... Seohyun, that sounds really dangerous, and too risky. The trouble that we

could get into if it failed is going to be... well, terrible for us. Perhaps not you,

since you're the CEO's daughter, but then I have my contract, and I don't really

fancy spending time in jail." Tiffany voiced out, trying not to sound discouraging.



There was a moment of silence, as Seohyun eyed Tiffany.

"I hope you can understand." Tiffany added in a meek voice. Seohyun seemed

frightening in a way as well. She seemed determined to carry out whatever she had

in mind, and that scared Tiffany a little.

"True, you do have a point." Seohyun finally said. "There's not much risk to me,

knowing my father, but for you, it's a different story. After all, you want the as

little trouble as possible in your life too." Seohyun acknowledged.

Tiffany breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad that Seohyun understood her

intentions, and did not see her as someone who wanted to back out at the last

minute.

"Still, if we don't do anything, you'll have to work under those conditions for the

next ten years. I know it's my father we're talking about, but I empathise with you,

since my father is the root of your misery." Seohyun added.

"By any chance, do you have a second plan?" Tiffany asked hopefully.



Seohyun nodded her head slowly. "I do... It sounds ridiculous though. Only people

who know my father as well as I do would actually believe that it would work, and

perhaps, Taeyeon will need to play a part as well." She answered, her voice taking

on a mysterious tone.

"Just say it, I'll listen. Anything that can liberate me from this company, I'll do it,

no matter how ridiculous it might seem." Tiffany said.

"Okay... Still, I'll have to go and see if Taeyeon is willing, before I give any

details." Seohyun added.

"What are we waiting for? Let's go and find her." Tiffany immediately replied,

grabbing her bag from the chair.

"Wait, now? Don't you have something to do for the company at this time? What if

they scold you again, for breaking rules? Seohyun exclaimed, as Tiffany pulled her

along.



"No worries, I've been rebellious ever since that day I knew the truth, it's normal

from me already. Plus, if they terminate my contract for my misbehaviour, that'll

be better for me." Tiffany answered.

She does have a point. Seohyun thought, as she followed Tiffany.

*************************

Somewhere far away, a girl sat on a hospital bed, with a downcast expression on

her face. Her gaze shifted to her father, who was talking to the doctor.

Worry filled her heart.

What was the doctor telling her father? Would she be okay?

A few minutes later, her father came over.



"Taeyeon, you'll be alright. The doctor says it's normal for people who sing, since

you might have strained your voice. You just have to rest well, and do everything

the doctor tells you." He said.

Taeyeon nodded. She had no mood to speak, or talk to anyone. The news had hit

her hard. A few days ago, Taeyeon had tried to practice singing again, and her

efforts resulted in another round of pain in her throat, accompanied by coughing

out more blood. After a brief period of consideration, Taeyeon decided to confide

in her father the situation. She felt that now, she could trust him, after the truth wasknown.

Her trust was well placed, her father sympathised with her, and immediately

rushed her to the hospital for a check up. The news was bad. From the constant

strain she placed on her vocal chords, Taeyeon had developed a severe case of

vocal nodules, to the extent that there was bleeding.

The doctor had said, that a minor surgery would solve everything, but Taeyeon had

no faith. She was worried.

What if the surgery goes wrong? What if my voice is permanently affected for

eternity? There were risks to every surgery, and Taeyeon was worried, that

something would go wrong. To her, her voice meant everything. Since young,



Taeyeon loved to sing, and wanted to pursue a singing career. This to her, was a

huge wall, that she had hit.

This is the make or break point, Taeyeon thought. If my throat recovers, I'll be fine,

if not, everything's gone.

The fact that the surgery was to take place an hour later made Taeyeon feel even

more nervous. Her whole life efforts, her dreams now rested on the surgeon's hand.

She wanted to trust the surgeon to do his duty, but the risk was too great.

Her father laid a comforting arm around her, but Taeyeon still felt uneasy. The

very fact that her whole life depended on her voice, which was at stake now made

her uncomfortable. Just then, the doors of the hospital ward opened, and twopeople rushed in.

Taeyeon glanced up, and recognized them at once. Seohyun and Tiffany.

"What happened to you?!" Tiffany exclaimed, as she rushed to her bedside. "We

wanted to find you, to ask you something, but when we went to your house, your

brother told us you were hospitalised a few days ago. Why didn't you tell us?"



"I didn't want any of you to worry. Tiffany, there's too much on your mind now, I

didn't want to place extra burden on you." Taeyeon answered softly.

"Silly girl. We're your friends! Friends are there to stand by each other, right?

Now, why are you hospitalised?" Tiffany asked.

Taeyeon explained the whole situation. As she narrated her story, Tiffany's eyes

widened with shock, and Seohyun seemed appalled.

"Does that mean... You cannot sing?" Tiffany whispered, once she was done.

"I'll be able to, if the surgery goes well. I thought you both came to ask me

something? What was it?" Taeyeon answered, trying to change the topic.

"We'll ask you when your surgery is over. You need to keep your focus now, the

main thing is getting better, anything else can come later." Seohyun replied.



Taeyeon wanted to press on further, for she was curious. She knew the question

they had was important, by the look on Seohyun's and Tiffany's faces. However, as

she was about to enquire further, the nurse came into the ward, calling out for her.

It was time for her to face it. Time for her surgery.

Tiffany and Seohyun followed her all the way to the door of the operating theatre,

before they were barred from entering. The time has come. The time that will

determine my future. Taeyeon thought.

The lights above her shone brightly into her eyes, and Taeyeon felt the cold steel of

the needle penetrate her skin, followed by the cool feeling, as the anaesthetic

flowed into her bloodstream.

Her vision was beginning to blur, the sounds of the surgeon, and nurses moving

around her seemed distant. She heard the dull clink, as the nurse placed a tray of

surgical instruments on the trolley next to her.

She remembered the few seconds, just outside the operating theatre, where she had

to part ways with Tiffany.



She remembered Seohyun holding her hand tightly, the comforting feeling of her

hand.

"Taeyeon. You have to be strong. Overcome this obstacle, and achieve your

dreams." Seohyun had said.

She remembered the warmth, as Tiffany grasped her other hand.

"Taeyeon, we'll go through tough times together. I'll always stand by your side.

Remember, let music guide you through the obstacles in your life." Tiffany had

said.

Taeyeon felt the music coming up silently within her. She could remember the

tune, of the piece that Tiffany had composed. It was a piece, that Taeyeon listened

to, whenever she was down. It gave her strength.

As she felt the tendrils of the music silently curl around her heart and mind, she

thought, she felt the warm connection between her and Tiffany. The minds of two



friends, brought together with a passion for music. Two friends, who made

promises to each other, to stand together against all odds.

"I'll fight, and I'll win. I'll overcome this hurdle." Taeyeon whispered.

Her vision went black.



Chapter 11: Trust in me, in Music

The feeling in your heart, that only music can describe.

Tiffany sat beside Seohyun in silence. They sat there, their eyes constant glancing

towards the door of the operating theatre. The sign above the door was still lit,

showing that Taeyeon was still undergoing her surgery.

Tiffany fidgeted uneasily in her seat. No matter how minor the surgery, a surgery

still involved risks. She was worried for Taeyeon. Vocal nodules, especially one

that required surgery was a major issue of concern for Taeyeon. Despite the many

medical opinions from doctors that the surgery was of low risk, Tiffany could not

help but to worry.

Footsteps echoed along the silent corridor, and Taeyeon's father settled himself

into the chair next to Tiffany.

"Why don't you both go to the hospital canteen? Grab a drink or something to help

yourself relax. I'll inform you if Taeyeon's out." He said.



Tiffany wanted to stay. She wanted to see Taeyeon come out, but Seohyun pulled

at her arm gently. "Let's go take a break. You need one as well." Seohyun said.

Tiffany followed Seohyun unwillingly down to the canteen, where she took a seat,

and continued to stare at her hands gloomily, with the same worried expression

plastered on her face.

Seohyun soon returned, and placed a cup of steaming hot coffee before her.

"Here, drink this. It might help." Seohyun said, taking a sip from her own coffee.

Tiffany stirred her coffee slowly, staring at the swirls that her spoon made.

"You need to relax, there's nothing you can help by worrying. Taeyeon will be

fine, I'm sure." Seohyun said, patting Tiffany on the shoulder.

"How could I not be worried? Her voice is everything to her. She aspires to be a

singer, and she practised so hard for it. If she loses her voice, it's like she just lost

everything in her world." Tiffany answered.



"She still has you." Seohyun added. "You're her friend, and in times like these,

you're her pillar of support. If you're also gloomy, who's going to cheer her up?"

Tiffany sighed. Seohyun did have a point. She finally raised her cup of coffee, and

took a sip from it, feeling the warmth that spread through her body. Digging

through her bag, Tiffany extracted a few sheets of paper, and a pencil. Seohyun

glanced over, and she immediately recognised the lines, the words, and the

symbols drawn on the papers.

"You're composing another piece?" Seohyun asked.

Tiffany looked up. "Yeah. That time when I had that argument with Taeyeon, over

the auditions, I intended to compose a piece specially for her. I didn't really have

the time to finish it, in fact, it's not even a quarter done."

"Not a quarter done? You seem to have written quite an amount." Seohyun said,

pointing to a music sheet that was filled with notes, and many untidy scrawls.



"That's the planning stage. It takes quite some time to compose a piece, you know,

I'm still in the midst of planning it, and I'm stuck. I can't seem find a good way to

link these two parts of the piece." Tiffany replied, holding up two pages of music

sheets.

"Speaking of plans, so what's your second plan?" Tiffany added.

"That. Honestly, I don't know if it even sounds possible. It involves a large amount

of trust in my opinions, I have to admit." Seohyun answered.

Tiffany pressed on further. She wanted to know. Even if Seohyun's plan sounded

ridiculous, Tiffany would do it if she could, to liberate herself from NH Music.

"Remember that I told you, my father likes music?" Seohyun said. Tiffany nodded.

"I was thinking, if it was possible, we could find some way to reach out to him

through music. Something along the lines of letting him understand theconsequences of what he had done through music. It is like using music, to change

his character. I might not be on good terms with him, but I still do believe, that

despite all the evil deeds that he has done, there is still a small glimmer of hope left



in him. I was hoping, that we could reach out to that glimmer of hope through

music." Seohyun finished.

A short moment of silence followed, as Tiffany slowly processed what Seohyun

had said.

"You mean... Do you mean, we use music to brainwash him?" Tiffany asked.

"Not brainwash. It's more like. We try to change his character through music. Use

music to make him feel the wrongs he has done, and inspire him to change for the

better. I thought that your skills in the flute, and Taeyeon's powerful vocals might

be able to reach out to him." Seohyun answered.

"Wait... So you want me, to inspire a change in the person, who's responsible for

my parents' deaths, through the music that I play? That does not even sound

logical..." Tiffany objected.

"I know. It sounds ridiculous, that a person can even change because of music, and

that is why I say, that you'll have to trust my judgement that it can change him. I've

seen it with my own eyes. Before my father was the CEO, we enjoyed a blissful

life. My mother played the piano, and so did I. I saw the way, the music that my



mother played change him. It inspired him to do great things, and he finally joined

NH Music. He always attributed his success to inspiration from my mother, until

he reached the CEO position, and his greed for money took over him. I believe, it

is possible." Seohyun said.

"Ultimately, it also boils down to our opinions. Do we really believe, that we can

reach out to the hearts of people through music? Do we believe, that music can

move the hearts and minds of people? Do we believe, that music is the universal

language, and that everything, can be conveyed, and achieved through music?"Seohyun added.

Tiffany considered Seohyun's point of view. It was valid, in a way, for she herself

also believed in reaching out to her fans with her music. She believed in spreading

love and peace through her music. However, after hearing what Seohyun had in

mind, she felt doubtful, that it could work. It was a tiny, single grain of doubt, and

that was enough to throw Tiffany's thoughts off balance.

"I'll have to consider first. I'll talk it over with Taeyeon, and we'll think about it."

Tiffany answered, after a moments hesitation.

"I didn't expect an answer so fast. Take your time, and consider it carefully, though

I urge you to be fast. My plan might not be the one that sounds the most practical,



nor sensible, but then, I'd hope you can make a decision fast. After all, I'm sure you

don't want to suffer any longer under NH Music." Seohyun added.

The atmosphere took on an awkward feeling, and Tiffany didn't know how to reply

Seohyun, or carry on the conversation. She stirred her coffee silently. Just then, her

phone beeped. Pulling it out, she checked it. It was a message, telling her that

Taeyeon was out of the operating theatre.

"Taeyeon's out. Let's go up." Tiffany said.

As Seohyun followed her up to the ward, Tiffany felt a strange sense of relief, to

be free from the awkward conversation, over Seohyun's second plan. However, she

felt an odd sense, why did she doubt Seohyun's point of view for that one singlemoment?

Once back in the ward, Tiffany rushed to Taeyeon's side. Her friend lay on the bed,

still in a deep sleep from the anaesthesia.

"Is she alright?" Tiffany asked Taeyeon's father.



"The surgeons said that the surgery went pretty well. However, they'll have to

observe her for a couple days before discharging her. She won't be able to sing for

a short while as well, as it might complicate the recovery process." He answered.

Tiffany nodded. She drew up a chair, and sat next to Taeyeon. "Sir, do you mind if

I stayed? I'd like to spend the night here, beside Taeyeon." Tiffany asked Taeyeon's

father.

Taeyeon's father laid a comforting arm on Tiffany's shoulder. "I know you care for

Taeyeon, but the visiting hours is nearly over, and the hospital staff will not let you

stay. You should head home, and rest. I'll keep you updated on any changes in her

condition." He said.

"Yeah. You need the rest, Tiffany. You still have work tomorrow." Seohyun

added.

"Work..." Tiffany grumbled under her breath.

"You might not like working for NH Music, but still, do your best. After all, you

need to earn a living, and don't give that man any more opportunities to give you

more trouble, until your contract is over." Taeyeon's father said.



"Sir, speaking of contracts, why don't you offer Tiffany a contract instead? You

could negotiate with NH Music, and transfer Tiffany over to your company."

Seohyun asked.

Taeyeon's father gazed down at Tiffany. "I would do that, if not for a reason. It's a

long story, and I'll tell you more if I have the time. Now, you both should really

head home for a rest." He answered.

***************************

Tiffany sat at her table, staring at the incomplete music sheets.

She wanted to sleep, but her mind refused to let her sleep. She decided to pass the

time by working on the piece that she wanted to dedicate to Taeyeon, rather than

lying there on her bed, unable to sleep and wasting time.

However, more than an hour had passed, and Tiffany only completed a few bars on

the music sheet. She felt like her mind was blocked, unable to comprehend



anything, or think of anything, it was a mental block, that Tiffany had not

experienced in a long time.

Frustrated, the flutist slammed down her pencil, and returned to her bed. After

staring at the ceiling for another half hour, she pulled out her music player, and

pushing the earpieces into her ears, she hit the play button, and relaxed at the feel

of music coursing through her veins.

Tiffany's mind began to wander, as she listened to the music pieces that she

composed. Every single piece she wrote was written for a purpose. It held a special

meaning, a special expression for Tiffany. Every piece of music, contained a

message that Tiffany intended for her fans, her audience.

As she listened, Seohyun's plan drifted into her mind, and she found the root cause

of her mental block.

"Do I really believed? Do I trust in my music?" Tiffany whispered into the

darkness, questioning herself.

"Do I really believe, that my music can reach out, and touch the hearts of my fans,

my audience?"



Chapter 12: Opportunity

Can you pay the price for knowledge?

Tiffany placed the basket on the beside table, before settling herself down in a

chair. Digging through the basket, she began to take out the items in it, fruits,

books and a two flasks.

"Here, I brought you some fruits, and books to entertain yourself. When I heard

you didn't really like the hospital food, I cooked some porridge and soup for you."

Tiffany said, pointing to the two metal flasks.

Taeyeon eyed her friend suspiciously, before a wide smile broke out on her face.

"You, cooking? That's got to be a first, I never heard anything about you or

cooking before." She said with a laugh, as she reached for the flasks.

"Well, there's a first to everything, right? I might have a hidden talent in cooking."

Tiffany retorted. "It's good that you can laugh as well, shows that you're making

good progress on your recovery." She added.



"I guess so, but the doctor says it's going to be a while before I can even sing again,

not to mention all the other aspects of vocal training." Taeyeon sighed, as she

unscrewed the metal flask, before taking a whiff of the contents. "Your porridge

actually smells quite good." She said, as she poured some out into a bowl that

Tiffany handed her. "Still, looks might be deceiving, it might taste horrible." She

joked.

Tiffany punched Taeyeon lightly and playfully on the shoulder. "Make sure you

cool it before you eat it. Hot stuff going down your throat's not going to be nice,

especially after a surgery." She reminded her. Taeyeon blew on the porridge, and

after it cooled, she took a mouthful.

"Mhmm... It actually tastes quite good." Taeyeon said, as she took another

mouthful of porridge.

"I could cook you more if you wanted." Tiffany said, flashing her brilliant smile.

"Even if you cooked more, there won't be anywhere to put it. You brought me so

many fruits and books, that I think, I can open a shop here already." Taeyeon

replied, indicating to the small table next to her. True enough, the items that



Tiffany had brought were piled high up on the table, and there was no way

anything else could fit.

"Anyway, Taeyeon. Can I ask you something? Promise me you'll answer me

honestly." Tiffany asked.

Taeyeon nodded, as she finished up the porridge.

"Before we even met each other, what made you a fan of me, or my music?"

Tiffany asked.

"Is that supposed to be a tough question? Or a trick question of some sort?"

Taeyeon asked in return.

"Nope, nothing of that sort. I just want an honest answer." Tiffany replied.

"Alright. So.. why did I become your fan? I would say it was your music. I still

remember the very first piece of yours that I heard. Your music seemed different to

me, different from the other kinds of music that I listened to. Your pieces moved



me, and gave me so much inspiration. Your pieces make me feel alive once again,

it is a feeling in my heart." Taeyeon answered.

"Really?"

"Yeah, that kind of unexplainable feeling, something like that." Taeyeon added,

making a weird gesture. "Here, you can see what I've been listening to for the past

hours before you came to visit." Taeyeon said, handing Tiffany her music player.

On the playlist was every single song that Tiffany had composed. As Tiffany

scrolled through the playlist, she felt a deep sense of gratitude to Taeyeon.

"So, I guess it's true, music can really reach out to someone, and touch their heart."

Tiffany whispered, as she handed the music player back to Taeyeon.

"Of course it can, silly. I thought that was your main inspiration to become a

musician? What were you thinking of?" Taeyeon said.

"The plan, of course."

"What plan?"



"Oh yeah, you still don't know about it. Seohyun didn't have the time to tell you."

Tiffany pulled her chair closer, and told Taeyeon of the second plan that Seohyun

had in mind.

"What do you think of it?" Tiffany asked, once she had finished explaining the

plan.

"I guess, it's possible, if we really believe that Seohyun's right about how music

can stand a chance to change her father. I don't mind participating in the plan, after

all, it is for you, but I see some loopholes. First, how are you going to perform a

piece, when NH Music decides what you play? Second, you mentioned Seohyun

wants me to sing, but how am I going to fit in the picture? I'm not bonded to NH

Music, and I'm sure you know how my father will respond, if I ever said I wanted a

job in NH Music, even if it is to help you." Taeyeon offered her opinion.

"Not to mention, I have no idea when I can sing again." Taeyeon added, pointing to

her throat.

"You do have a point. Seohyun might have a way past it though, she seems to be

quite resourceful." Glancing at her watch, Tiffany continued, "I need to make a



move now, I've got my next schedule coming up. If I see Seohyun, I'll tell her

about your opinions, and see what she can do. Meanwhile, you have a good rest."

Taeyeon waved goodbye to her friend. Once Tiffany had left the ward, Taeyeon

pulled out her music player once again, and plugged the earpieces in. Hitting the

play button, she lay back on her bed, and let the soft, beautiful sounds of Tiffany's

flute fill her. Other than Tiffany's presence, it was the only thing that could give

her relief from the mental and physical pain she felt, despite the surgery being

successful.

***************************

Tiffany sat in the backstage room that was prepared for her, polishing her flute.She had finished performing her segment for the concert scheduled for today, and

the concert itself was over. Still, Tiffany had to wait, her manager was out settling

some issues. She had to wait, until she had the green light to pack up and go home.

Tiffany rubbed the polishing cloth over her flute absent mindedly, her mind was

somewhere else. She had met Seohyun at the NH Music office building earlier,

before she had to leave for the concert venue. In the little time she had, she

managed to convey Taeyeon's opinion, but Seohyun did not show much reaction.



In fact, Seohyun had said, that Taeyeon's answer had came at the right time,

especially with the concert scheduled for Tiffany today. Tiffany was puzzled, was

the concert part of Seohyun's plan as well?

That Seohyun. She's a really tough person to understand, or comprehend. Tiffany

thought, as she continued to polish her flute.

A knock on her door sounded, and she called for the person to enter.

It was not one person, but many that entered. Her manager was first, followed by

Seohyun, and another tall lady. Tiffany stood up immediately, and bowed her head

slightly. That lady was tall, even taller than her manager.

"Hi, my name's Sooyoung, Choi Sooyoung." The tall lady introduced, holding out

her hand.

Tiffany shook her hand. "I'm Tiffany Hwang." She replied.



Tiffany didn't know who was this lady, but she knew, Sooyoung was not a nobody.

The elegant purple dress that she wore, the heels that accentuated her already slim

legs and the designer clutch that she carried. No normal person would be dressed in

such high class fashion, and no normal person would be able to get her manager's

permission to enter her backstage room.

"Tiffany, Sooyoung is the chairman, I mean, chairwoman, of the board of directors

of Global Music, or Global M, for short. You might not have heard of Sooyoung

before, but I'm sure you have heard of Global M." Her manager said.

Tiffany nodded her head. Global M. She would recognise that name anywhere.

Global M was the biggest company in the music industry, not that they trained

artists, but they served as a platform for artists to perform. Weekly music shows

where artists could perform, or where new artists could debut were usually hosted

and sponsored by Global M. There was competition among music companies like

NH Music, bidding for slots in music shows hosted by Global M.

Global M had attained a legendary status. To have a show sponsored by Global M

was an honour. To work them was a dream.

Chairwoman of the board of directors. Why is she paying me a visit? Tiffany

wondered.



Just then, the door opened again, and this time, the CEO of NH Music, Seohyun's

father came rushing in, breathless.

He seemed slightly surprised, to see his daughter there, but he composed himself.

Straightening his tie, he addressed Sooyoung. "It's an honour to have you pay a

visit in person to one of my artists. The moment I got the notice, I rushed down

immediately." He bowed his head.

Sooyoung acknowledged him. "I was in the audience today, and I heard your artist,

Tiffany perform. Her skills at the flute is exquisite, it's brilliant. Something that I

have not heard in a long time. It's rare to see such talent." She said.

"Thank you for the compliment. She excelled at the audition as well, which is why

we decided to accept her into our company." Seohyun's father answered.

"I was thinking, I could speak to my colleagues, and if you agree to it, we could

have her perform an item on the upcoming music show that Global M is hosting.

Of course, since it's a show hosted by us, and she's your artist, Global M will

ensure that your company is paid adequately for your efforts, and participation."

Sooyoung offered.



Tiffany could see her manager, and CEO's eyes widen with surprise. To bid for

slots in music shows was one thing, but being offered a slot in a show hostel by

Global M was another. This was an excellent job opportunity for NH Music, and of

course, to Seohyun's father, another good opportunity for money.

"Of course, we're glad that you offer us this opportunity, and I'm sure it can be

arranged." Seohyun's father answered. "Is there anything else that we could help

with?"

Sooyoung glanced at Tiffany. "I was thinking, because of the theme of the music

show, we would like Tiffany to perform a piece that would suit the song." She said.

"What do you think about it?" Sooyoung asked Tiffany.

"Me?" Tiffany stuttered, surprised. "I would have to see what is the theme of the

show, and the segments before and after mine, then I would be able to decide on a

piece that suits the flow." She stammered, clutching her flute tightly.

"I'm sure we will be able to decide on the best piece. I'll make sure her manager

does a good job." Seohyun's father cut in.



Sooyoung raised a hand. "I think it would be better for Tiffany to decide herself.

After all, she is the flutist, and I'm sure she has more experience in the flute than

anyone here in this room." Seohyun's father lowered his head, muttering his

agreement.

"Now then, for the administrative side, I believe I can trust on your managers to

settle it." Sooyoung added. Turning to Seohyun, she said, "I'll meet you outside,

before we visit that friend of yours, that you recommended for the vocal segment

of the show." With that, Sooyoung left the room.

Seohyun's father told Tiffany's manager to leave the room, before he closed the

door, and turned to face his daugther, and Tiffany. He took a step towards them,

and instinctively, Tiffany backed away, but Seohyun stood her ground.

"I know you both are up to something." He snarled menacingly. "The friend that

you recommended to Sooyoung, it has got to be Taeyeon. I don't know what you

both are trying to do, but I can tell you, it is not going to work."

Turning to Tiffany, he looked at her with a sneer on his face. "I'm sure Seohyun

has already told you everything, that blabbermouth of a daughter I have." He spat.

"Do you think you know the whole truth? Haven't you wondered why if Taeyeon's



father cared so much for you, why didn't he take you in? You're helpless, little girl.

You can't do anything against me."

He turned his back on the two girls, and left the room, slamming the door in the

process.

Seohyun slid an arm around Tiffany. "Don't worry about him. Just remember, trust

me, and everything will go well. I have to go meet Sooyoung now. See you soon."

As Seohyun turned to leave the room, Tiffany called out. "Wait! How... How did

you even know Sooyoung? Did you tell her about your plan?" She asked. Tiffany

was curious. Sure enough, Seohyun had some status, being the daughter of the

CEO of NH Music, but knowing Sooyoung was another story.

"I have my connections, so trust in me." Seohyun replied with a wink. "She has no

idea of the plan. All I told her was I had a flutist friend who needed more

opportunities. Anyway, the music show Sooyoung mentioned is in a couple weeks

time. Practise hard!"

As Seohyun left the room, Tiffany sat there in awe.



This Seohyun. She is one amazing girl, to have such connections with such people.

What exactly, is she, and what else is she capable of? Tiffany wondered.

***************************

Finally, Tiffany had a reason to be happy.

The opportunity given by Sooyoung. Her manager, and the CEO were unwilling,

but ultimately, Tiffany finally had a choice in the piece she would play for the

music show. Although it was only one event, the brief freedom of choice made her

happy. To top it off, Seohyun had sent her a message, that when she and Sooyoung

went to see Taeyeon, they had found out that Taeyeon had already been

discharged.

Tiffany was now on her way to Taeyeon's house, to visit her. Freedom to choose a

piece, her best friend discharged, her day seemed much brighter, despite the fact

that it was already late at night.



Before long, Tiffany arrived at Taeyeon's house, and Taeyeon's brother welcomed

her in. She headed up to Taeyeon's room, where she found her friend lying on her

bed, reading a book.

"Taeyeon!" Tiffany exclaimed, running over, and pulling her shorter friend into a

big embrace.

"Ah. Ah. You're squeezing me too tightly." Taeyeon coughed out, and Tiffany

released her from the hug.

"How's your throat now?" Tiffany asked, pulling a chair next to Taeyeon's bed and

settling into it.

"Getting better. The doctor says that I can probably sing again in a few weeks time,

although from now on, I'll need to make sure I don't place too much strain on my

throat." Taeyeon answered.

"A few weeks... That's just in time. Did Seohyun tell you? The music show?"

Tiffany asked.



Taeyeon nodded. "I know about it. There's no guarantee that I can be on the show

though, as it would have to depend if my throat recovers in time. I'm happy for you

as well. You finally can pick one piece of your own choice. You have to choose it

well!"

At that moment, the door of Taeyeon's room opened, and Taeyeon's father came

rushing in. Judging by his attire, Tiffany could tell that he just returned home from

work. Embracing his daughter, he exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me earlier? My

own daughter, offered a chance to sing at a show hosted by Global M. You shouldhave told me once you had the good news! Now, you must rest more. Get your

voice prepared and ready for it."

He turned and welcomed Tiffany, who returned his greeting, before he carried on

pouring praises and concern over his daughter. Tiffany sat there, silent, staring at

Taeyeon's father.

Taeyeon's father...

Taeyeon's father.

TAEYEON'S FATHER.



The sudden memory hit Tiffany hard, shocking her to the core... She heard the

voice of Seohyun's father echoing in the back of her head.

"Haven't you wondered why if Taeyeon's father cared so much for you, why didn't

he take you in?"

She remembered the day, where she handed her resume to Taeyeon, for her to

submit to her father. She remembered the day, where Taeyeon regrettably informed

her that her resume, and application was turned down.

This was an opportunity.

Like the opportunity she received from Global M, she had to seize this opportunity.

"Mr Kim? Can I ask you something?" Tiffany spoke up.

Taeyeon's father turned to face her.



"Mr Kim, sir. You mentioned that you were close friends of my parents. Why did

you turn down my application, when Taeyeon handed it to you? If you accepted

me into your company, I would not have to apply to NH Music, and I would not be

having such a hard time right now." Tiffany questioned.

Taeyeon's father seemed to be taken aback by Tiffany's question. He shifted his

weight uneasily.

"That... There's a long story behind that. I'll tell you girls about it when I have the

time. I need to go and finish up something right now." He answered, moving

towards the door.

Tiffany did the unexpected. She stepped in between Taeyeon's father and the door.Tiffany knew, that such an action was disrespectful, but she wanted to know the

answers. Her past had been shrouded by the unknown, and Tiffany wanted to know

everything. Each and every detail.

Closing the door behind her, Tiffany said, "Mr Kim, I believe, that you're hiding

something from me. It has definitely got to be related to my parents, if not you

would not have hid it from me. I believe, I have the right to know everything."



Taeyeon was surprised, by Tiffany's actions, and words. Tiffany always had a

happy, and bubbly tone to her voice, but her previous sentence was spoken in a

cold tone. It was cold, almost to the extent of demanding.

"Dad. I think Tiffany made a good point. Why did you turn down her application,

if you cared so much for her? There's something not right about it. I think you

should explain." Taeyeon said.

Her father glanced at her, then back to Tiffany, who still stood in between him and

the door. Finally, he let out a sigh, and walked towards a chair, before settling

himself in it. He covered his face for a moment, and seemed to be in great thought.

At long last, he opened his eyes, and addressed his daughter, and Tiffany.

"Okay, what do you two want to know?" He asked.

Tiffany stepped forward.

"Everything."



Chapter 13: Heart, not Mind

Truth's brutal test, stand, or fall?

"I don't know where to start." Taeyeon's father sighed, burying his head in his

hands.

"Anywhere. As long as you tell me everything you know." Tiffany answered, as

she drew up another chair, and sat before him.

"This is going to be harsh. I knew I'd have to confess this sooner or later, but I'd

never expect it to be under such conditions. I did it all, all for the good of our

family too!" Taeyeon's father cried out towards his daughter. Taeyeon sat on her

bed, a puzzled expression forming on her face.

"Uh, dad? What are you talking about? What about doing what for the good of our

family? Isn't this supposed to be about Tiffany?" Taeyeon asked.



"Even if it's harsh, I think I can take it. I mean, I've already known that the CEO of

the company I'm working for is behind the death of my parents. What else could be

worse?" Tiffany added in. "Mr Kim, your story, please."

Taeyeon's father sighed deeply again. "Alright, I'll begin." He finally said.

"Taeyeon, do you remember that time, where our family was not so well off?" He

asked his daughter.

"Why, yes of course. You only managed to turn the tide after you rose to your

position, and took charge of the music company." Taeyeon answered.

"Actually..." Taeyeon's father added. "Actually..." He hesitated again. "Actually

the company should have belonged to someone else. The position should not havebeen mine." He finished.

"Then... who does it actually belong to?" Taeyeon asked.

"Tiffany."



That one single word shocked the room into silence. Taeyeon stared at Tiffany, her

eyes wide open. Tiffany herself was shocked, pointing to herself, before she

uttered out, "M-M--Me..?"

"Yes, you." Taeyeon's father answered. "Here's the harsh part, and I pray that you'll

take it well. When you parents passed away, they left their will. Not only was their

fortune left to you, but in the will, you were the heir to the company. At that time,

you were only a child, so young, barely able to do anything on your own, no need

to mention running a large company in the music industry. I did what I thoughtwas the best, to preserve the legacy of the company."

"I changed the will. I took over the company in the end. I took what was rightfully

yours. When you applied, I knew I couldn't take you into the company. If you

joined the company, you would find out in the end." He continued.

"Wait, that does not make sense." Taeyeon cut in. "Dad, it sounds okay, if you see

it in the sense that you were trying to take care of the company, until Tiffany grew

up, and had enough knowledge to run it herself. She's an adult now, you could

have handed it back to her, why didn't you?"

"It's all about the money, isn't it?" Tiffany spoke up. Her voice was as low as a

whisper, yet it sounded clearly throughout the room. Her tone was back to the cold,



demanding tone. "Tell me the truth. It's just about the money isn't it?" Tiffany

repeated her question, standing up and taking a step towards Taeyeon's father.

"Whoa. Tiffany, calm down. Calm down." Taeyeon said, tugging at her friend's

arm, but Tiffany simply brushed her away.

Taeyeon's father could not bear to look Tiffany in the eyes. He just nodded simply.

"What?!" Taeyeon exclaimed.

"Taeyeon, if I did not hang on to the company, it would not have reached where it

is today. I built up the company after Tiffany's parents passed away. Taeyeon, the

very fact that I'm still holding on to it, is why I'm still earning so much, which is

also why you can still enjoy a good and comfortable life." He answered.

"All these years." Tiffany cut in. Her voice now sounded lethal, but Taeyeon felt a

tinge of sorrow beneath. "I've suffered all these years, trying to scrape a living outthere for myself. I didn't just become an adult, I turned of age a few years back.

Rather than let me take over the company, or give it a try, you'd rather see me out

there, fighting to find a job, to earn a living, when I could already have a job? At



the very least, you could have handed it back to me, and guided me!" Tiffany

screamed.

"No, Tiffany, you have to understand. What I did was for my family as well. I have

to earn a living, to support my family." Taeyeon's father tried to explain.

The harsh sound of a slap broke through the air, as Tiffany slapped Taeyeon's

father hard. Taeyeon covered her mouth in shock.

"That's what I meant by it's all about the money. I'm 24 already. When I turned 21,

you could have handed it back to me, and guided me to run the company. I could

have a job, you could have one too, still being able to support your family. You

didn't choose that. You chose to leave me outside, struggling to find a steadycareer. You chose leave me, so that you could hold on to your high position, and

make more money. You knew if I joined the company, I would find out that I was

supposed to inherit it, you would lose your position to me. You picked money over

me." Tiffany hissed.

"Dad.. Is... that true?" Taeyeon whispered.



Taeyeon prayed hard that Tiffany was wrong. That her father didn't leave Tiffany

out just because he wanted to hold on to his position.

Slowly, Taeyeon's father nodded.

Tiffany took another step forward. Taeyeon expected her to hit her father once

again.

"I knew it. You're just like the rest. No difference." Tiffany said in a cold voice.

She turned her back on them, and stormed out of Taeyeon's room.

"Tiffany, wait, wait!" Taeyeon called after her friend. There was no reply, just the

sound of their front door slamming.

Taeyeon jumped out of her bed. She rushed out of her room, she wanted to follow

Tiffany. There had to be a way to salvage this sudden turn of events. Her father

caught her by her arm.

"Let her go. She'll understand it soon enough." He said.



Taeyeon felt enraged. She pulled her arm out of his grasp, and she too, dealt a slap

to her father.

"Seriously, how could you do that?!" Taeyeon screamed. "Tiffany was kind

enough to understand that you didn't think she was capable enough to run the

company when she was a child, but what about when she grew up? She's a few

years into adulthood now, and you'd rather see her struggle to look for a job, than

to give her back the company, and settle for a lower position?"

"No, Taeyeon, I..." Her father tried to explain, but Taeyeon cut him off.

"No excuses! After all, you're a thief, a criminal! The company belonged to

Tiffany, but you changed the will. You're no different from Seohyun's father. You

both are criminals, and you all value money more than anything else!"

Taeyeon slapped her father once more, before she turned and ran out of the house,

calling her friend's name. She could understand the way her friend felt, it was a

sense of betrayal.



"Tiffany! Tiffany!" She called out. Her friend was nowhere to be found. Taeyeon

ran along the streets alone. It was already late at night, and the streets were empty.

"Tiffany!" Taeyeon shouted, as she ran into another street. Where could she have

gone?

Taeyeon stopped, grabbing onto a lamp post for support as she caught her breath.

Her eyes scanned the empty streets, for any sign of her friend, there was none.

Taeyeon could feel a sense of discomfort within her. Holding a hand to her chest,

she felt her heart beating quickly. Her head began to spin, and she felt herself

shiver.

Calm down, Taeyeon, calm down. She told herself.

Taeyeon coughed, and another wave of nausea, and dizziness struck her. Taeyeon

dropped to her knees and coughed again. This time, through her clouded vision,she saw the dark splatter that landed on the lamp post as she coughed. Raising a

weak hand, she touched the liquid, and held the warm, sticky fluid up to the light.

There was no mistaking the deep red liquid that stained her fingers. Taeyeon could

feel a drop running out of her mouth, and down the side of her cheek.



That's... bad... She thought.

Another wave of dizziness came, and this time, she was not strong enough.

Taeyeon toppled over onto the floor. The girl lay there, next to the lamp post, as

the dark red liquid trickled out of her mouth slowly.

Tiffany... Where are you.

Her vision blackened.

***************************

Tiffany sat in her studio, rolling her flute in her fingers.

Deep in her heart, she felt betrayed. Although she didn't know Taeyeon's father

personally, he was a friend of her parents, and yet he still did that. She had tried to

understand, to understand his need to raise money to run his family, but she still

could not come to terms with what he had done.



Tiffany tried to reason with herself, telling herself that Taeyeon's father was not to

blame, as he might not have been able to find her, even if he wanted to return her

the company. Still, she had been friends with Taeyeon for months already. The

pass few months had been the most tiring in her life. She had been switching jobs,

from teaching at school, to finally being an artist under NH Music.

If only Taeyeon's father had given the company to her, she would not have suffered

so much, to find a job. She would not be under NH Music now. She would be

leading a much better life now.

It's all about the money. Tiffany fumed silently.

She raised the flute to her lips again. Closing her eyes, Tiffany played out a

beautiful tune, letting the music flow through her body. Whenever she was down,

she always turned to music. It served as a conduit, for her to channel her sadness

away, for her to relax.

Tiffany opened her heart again to her music, just like she had done in the previous

years. She felt the music embrace her grief, her feelings of betrayal, and smother

them out, she felt the music take her in their warm, loving embrace again. Tears



slowly began to flow from her eyes, but Tiffany kept on playing again and again.

As long as the music flowed, she felt peace.

The sound of her studio door opening broke Tiffany from her concentration, and

the heavenly music ceased. All the emotions came crashing back onto Tiffany, and

she felt her knees buckle. Leaning against a table for support, she turned to face her

late night visitor.

Seohyun came striding through the door. "How did you know I was here?" Tiffany

asked.

"Office studio lights on at this time. There could only be one person who would do

it." Seohyun answered simply. "What's bothering you?"

"Uhh... Nothing." Tiffany lied. "I couldn't sleep, so I decided to practice the piece

that I'm going to play at the upcoming music show."

"Really? It seems different from the piece you told me about a few days ago. I

wouldn't say that crying that much during your performance would be a good thing

as well."



Tiffany knew she could not lie to Seohyun. She was never a good liar in the first

place. "Alright, take a seat. I'll tell you." She gave in, indicating for Seohyun to

take a seat. When Seohyun had done so, Tiffany began to narrate her experience of

the past hours.

Once she had done, the room fell silent again, as Tiffany buried her face in her

hands.

"Seohyun, I'm really confused. I don't know how to face this. It feels so... " Tiffany

struggled for a word. "I just feel so scared."

"I'm starting to doubt everyone around me now, even myself. Your father turns out

to be the one behind my parents' death. Taeyeon's father turns out to be someone,

who has made me suffer these years. I don't know who I can trust. I'm even scared

of you Seohyun." Tiffany added.

"Me? Why me?"



"You're so young, yet you have so many connections. Who knows, maybe you

have some connection with my parents?" Tiffany answered.

"I can assure you, I don't. If you're curious about my connections with Sooyoung,

let me tell you. Sooyoung, is a person who sees music as the way we see it, in it's

pure, untainted form. She has always been on the lookout for artists, singers, and

such that share the same view. I met her some time ago, when she came to visit NH

Music, and came across me singing in one of the practice rooms." Seoyhun replied.

"She told me she was impressed with my singing, that I was a rare find, in such a

world where music had become a source for money, and people are beginning to

miss out on the importance and significance of it. That was how we got close.

When I told Sooyoung you needed an opportunity, and that you had the same

views of music, she lost no time to getting a ticket for that concert to see you

perform, and immediately after that, she requested to see you." Seohyun finished.

Tiffany nodded silently. "I still have no idea how to carry on now."

"Heart, not mind." Seohyun said. Tiffany stared at her, puzzled.



"What I mean, is that you have to follow your heart, and let it guide you. If you let

your mind guide you, you can be influenced by all sorts of emotions. Look here,

you might feel hurt, or betrayed, by Taeyeon's father, but it can't change anything

now. What's done is done. You can hate him for that, but it won't make a

difference.You have to let your heart continue to guide you, through all these

troubles, to achieve what you truly want in your life."

"But... My heart..."

"Is weak, and confused, right?" Seohyun cut in. "You have to let what guided you

for your life, to carry on guiding you. Haven't you realised? When you placed your

trust in music, everything went better for you. You understood people better, you

understood issues better. Music is not only your source of comfort, or outreach to

people, it is also your guiding star. To people, music might not seem much, but to

you, Tiffany, music is the very thing that helps you to connect with others."

Tiffany looked down at the flute that she held in her hands. She could see herself

reflected in the shiny surface of the flute. Her mind flashed to the times that she

had enjoyed, especially the times with Taeyeon. She found truth in Seohyun's

words. Music served as her bridge for her to cross the troubled waters in her life, it

served as a link between her and Taeyeon, that they could become the best of

friends.



Tiffany nodded again. She finally understood. She had let the troubles of her

career, and her minds affect her so much, that she had lost track of what she truly

practised music for. He had forgotten what was the true feeling to perform, the true

meaning to play music. Even if she could not have a free reign at choosing her

pieces, she could still play her own pieces in her free time. Tiffany knew, when she

had the rare chance, for example, the upcoming music show, she had to seize the

opportunity.

"Thank you, Seohyun." Tiffany said. Seohyun answered with a simple smile.

"I'll take my leave now. Remember to get some rest, yeah?" Seohyun said, before

she left.

Tiffany turned back to her flute. Picking it up, she began to play again, letting

herself fall into the warmth of her own music. As she played, Tiffany opened up

her heart again. She felt the coldness of sad emotions leave her. Within her own

world, her peaceful, loving world created by music, Tiffany found the forgiveness

in her heart. She felt the need, to let the people who had hurt her, see their wrongs

through music. She found the understanding, that hating them, would bring further

strife and conflict.



Somewhere deep within her own world, Tiffany felt something tugging at the back

of her mind. It felt familiar. She continued to play her flute, letting the music guide

her deeper. The tugging sensation became more urgent.

Taeyeon?

It grew more urgent.

Taeyeon?

It began to fade, and grow silent.

The silvered flute left her lips, and the sanctuary of music closed its doors.

Glancing at her watch, Tiffany knew it was too late to head home. She would

spend the night at the studio, after all, she had a change of clothes, and a shower

available here. Placing her flute back in the case, she locked it shut, before

cuddling up on the studio sofa to sleep.

The strange pulling sensation in her sanctuary world came back to her head. It felt

so alike, so similar of Taeyeon. Tiffany wanted to probe deeper into her mind, to



think about it, but the events of the day took their toll on the girl, and before she

knew it, she drifted off into a sleep.

Chapter 14: One more sacrifice

How much are you willing to sacrifice? How do you define the greater good?

Tiffany sat in her backstage dressing room, her heart thumping.

She was worried, not because of the rehearsal, but because of her friend. She could

remember the message, sent by Taeyeon's father. The message was simple, telling

her to return to the hospital. When is it going to be my turn? Just hurry up and

finish the rehearsal. Once I'm done, I'll head down and see what happened to

Taeyeon. She grumbled silently.

A knock on her door sounded, and the door opened. A assistant stuck her head in.

"Ms Hwang, your segment is due in 10 minutes. Please get ready."



Tiffany gave a nod of acknowledgement. Picking up her flute, she straightened her

dress, before heading backstage. Today was a rehearsal, and although Tiffany was

in a hurry to get it done, she knew she still had to do her best. People would be

watching. Sooyoung would be watching. Seohyun's father would be watching.

The curtains fell, and as the artist from the previous segment scurried off the stage,

the backstage crew ushered her onto the stage, together with the props that she

needed.

Her set was a beautiful one. Tiffany sat there, on the pink-cushioned chair, and

waited for the curtains to open.

Open it did, and upon the cue from the announcer, she lifted the flute to her lips,

and began to play. She was back in her world, her sanctuary. She let the music

flow through her, guide her. Led by the sweet melodies, her fingers played out the

notes. It came to her naturally, just as she had done for the many years gone by.

There was no crowd, for it was a rehearsal, but she could see the few audience

members. Sooyoung was there, her intense gaze fixed on her. In the front rows,

Seohyun was there with her father. This was the start of Seohyun's plan, and she



could only hope it went well. She carried on playing her music. the sound of her

heavenly tunes filling up the theatre. The rest of the audience seemed captivated.

Staff that were going on their rounds, preparing the other fixtures for the music

show stopped to watch, their hearts captivated by Tiffany's music.

In her sanctuary world of music, Tiffany felt that strange tugging sensation at the

back of her mind again. Taeyeon... She felt the need, that Taeyeon needed her.

Her segment was short, but that brief moment seemed like eternity. The doors of

the music sanctuary finally closed, and the curtains closed on the flutist and her

music. Back into the harsh world, Tiffany ran off the stage, and headed for her

dressing room, to change up.

She hurriedly changed into a set of comfortable clothes, and packed her bag.

Grabbing her flute, Tiffany was about to rush of of her changing room, when

Sooyoung decided to pay her a visit. Tiffany bowed her head respectfully, and

offered her a seat.

"That was an excellent performance." Sooyoung said. Tiffany mumbled her thanks.

She still felt intimidated, in the presence of someone in such a high position.



"I've never seen anyone play the flute like that before. It seemed to me, that you

and your flute were united as one. It was a beautiful, heart wrenching piece.

There's a meaning to the piece, I guess?" Sooyoung added.

Tiffany nodded.

"From the piece that you played, and the set, I'm guessing it has something to do

with the love between a father and her daughter, the love of a family, that is more

important than anything else." Sooyoung guessed.

"How... how did you know?" Tiffany stammered. She had picked that piece

herself, but she knew, when she composed it, the message behind the piece was

hidden, so cryptic, that not many people could understand it.

"That's the power of music, dear. If you can reach out to people's hearts, they will

be able to understand just by music. It's a universal language, that links all of us.

Hmm... are you in a rush to go somewhere?" Sooyoung asked, as she noticed

Tiffany's packed flute and bags.

"I'm going to visit my friend, Taeyeon. Tiffany answered.



"That reminds me. Seohyun was going to visit as well. She wants you to know that

there's no need to wait for her, she had something important to settle, and that she'll

visit Taeyeon when she is free." Sooyoung added.

Tiffany thanked Sooyoung, before she hurried out of the theatre. Hailing a cab,

Tiffany headed straight for the hospital. She prayed that Taeyeon was safe, but she

still felt uneasy. Tiffany was thinking of Seohyun as well. The fact that she had

something so important, that she placed it over Taeyeon was worrying.

Before long, Tiffany arrived at the hospital, and she rushed straight to the ward.

The ward door was closed, and Taeyeon's father was standing outside, gazing at his

daughter silently through the window. As Tiffany approached, he turned around.

"I understand that you might still be angry at me. Taeyeon is still angry at me as

well, but I do hope that you can accompany Taeyeon. At this point of time, she

really needs you." He said, lowering his head. There was a hint of desperation in

his voice, a tone of pleading.

Tiffany nodded. She still felt a sense of anger at him, for what he had done, but her

sympathy overcame it. He was a father, ultimately desiring the best for his



daughter. His daughter was her friend, and now, Taeyeon needed help. She opened

the ward door, and stepped in.

Taeyeon was alone in the ward. The beeping of the machines connected to her

echoed throughout the room, together with the sniffles, the sobs of Taeyeon.

Approaching the bed, Tiffany could see her friend burying her face in her pillow,

sobbing. Judging by the tear- stained pillow, Tiffany could tell that Taeyeon had

been crying for a long time.

"Taeyeon, what's wrong? I'm here. If there's anything, you can confide in me."

Tiffany whispered, as she pulled lightly on her friend's arm.

She was not prepared for Taeyeon's reaction. Taeyeon spun around, and pulledTiffany into a hug, and began to bawl uncontrollably into her shoulder. Tiffany

could feel Taeyeon's tears seeping through her shirt.

"Calm down, Tae. Tell me slowly, what's wrong?" Tiffany asked again, trying to

comfort her.

"I'll.. I'll... Never sing again!." Taeyeon cried out, and carried on sobbing.



Tiffany heard the door open behind her, and she turned around. Taeyeon's father

stood in the doorway.

"Her surgery, didn't go as smoothly as planned. There was a bad infection to the

surgery side. She's alright now, but the doctors say that her voice, her singing will

be affected for life. She won't be able to sing as well again." He said.

Tiffany turned back to Taeyeon, an expression of horror on her face. Taeyeon's

world was gone. Without her voice, it was as if everything in her world had come

to an end. She could empathise with Taeyeon.

"There, there, Taeyeon. There's no need to worry. You could still try singing, you

may not be as good as before, but you can still be good." Tiffany tried to console

her friend.

"What's the point? The doctors have said it. My singing dream is gone!" Taeyeon

cried out through her tears.



"There are still other ways to do music." Tiffany added, patting Taeyeon on the

back.

Tiffany was seized by a sudden inspiration. She reached for her flute casing, and

unclasped the lock. Pulling out the flute, she lay it in front of Taeyeon.

"You became a fan of mine, because of my music, remember? Music can take

many forms, not only singing. I'll leave this with you, Taeyeon. Just like my flute

was an inspiration to me in my early years, perhaps, it might be an inspiration to

you, at this moment of your life." Tiffany said. She glanced at her watch. She did

not have much time left with Taeyeon, for she had to report for another schedule

soon.

Taeyeon's sobs stopped for a short moment. She glanced down at the silvered flute

that lay before her. "No, I can't. You need your flute." She objected.

"I'll be able to find a replacement. Let this inspire you, Taeyeon. You need to be

able to walk forward, through this tough time of your life."



Tiffany gave her friend another warm hug, before she left the ward for her next

schedule. I can always find a replacement for my flute, but I can never find a

replacement for Taeyeon. She thought.

Back in the hospital ward, Taeyeon was alone again. Her mind was in chaos.

Everything that she had worked for had just disappeared, her dreams of becoming

a singer. Her mind was in despair, and Taeyeon cried out silently. She rolled

around in bed, trying to rid her mind of the thoughts of despair, but to no avail.

Her eyes fell upon the flute that Tiffany had left behind. The silvered surface of the

flute reflected the light in the ward, and it seemed to give the flute a warm, loving

glow. Despite the many years of use, it still seemed as new as ever, a testament to

Tiffany's everlasting concern and maintenance for it.

Taeyeon reached out, and her hand closed around the flute.

***************************

Seohyun played with the necklace in her hand, wrapping the thin silver chain

around her fingers.



It was the only item that her mother had left behind. The only thing to remember

her by. Seohyun had seen the reaction her father had, during the rehearsal, when he

saw Tiffany perform. True enough, as Seohyun had expected, even the cold, stony

heart of her father was no match for the power of Tiffany's music. Still, something

was different.

Her father had changed. He was even more stony-hearted than before, and it would

take a whole lot more to move him. Seohyun glanced back down at the necklace in

her hand.

She remembered what her mother said before passing away, that the dearest thing

to her father, was Seohyun herself. She believed that at first, but as times went by,

Seohyun found it even more hard to believe. The differences between father and

daughter separated them even more, and Seohyun went on to live her life the way

she wanted, a different path from what her father wanted her to.

With her father getting more and more distant from her, Seohyun felt her life

empty. Without her mother, there seemed to be nothing in her life, and slowly, she

found something to fill up the holes. Music. Even still, music could not fill

everything up, Seohyun still felt empty, somewhere inside her.



When Tiffany and Taeyeon entered her life, Seohyun found them to be

complements to herself. She saw what she had dreamed of in music, in them.

Seohyun had vowed to herself, that she would help them, for they were the

embodiments of Seohyun's ideals in music, even if it meant going against her own

father.

Seohyun knew her plan would require more, due to the change in her father.

Thankfully, she always had a backup. The backup was one that was risky, and

required a determined heart set on the willingness to sacrifice to put things right.She knew, if Taeyeon and Tiffany knew about the backup, they would definitely

say no, hence Seohyun kept it to herself.

She was willing to take the risk, to take up the sacrifice. If everything went well,

she would be able to bring balance back to Tiffany's life. Her father would also

finally understand the true meaning of music, although it would hurt him. She too,

would finally be able to fill up the emptiness in her mind.

Seohyun played with the necklace a little longer, before she put it back, around her

neck, where she had worn it for the past years.

As long as it was for the greater good, Seohyun was willing to sacrifice.



Chapter 15: Decisions

To make a decision, require a step of confidence.

Is this the way how it all ends?

All my efforts, everything that I had worked for. Is this the way it is supposed to

end? Disappearing into nothing?

My dreams all down the drain?

Taeyeon's mind drifted back into the world of despair and grief. She tried to fight

the emotions, to keep them under control, but they just kept coming. It didn't help

that she was in a private ward, and she was all alone.

She stared at the flute in her hands. The silvered surface of the flute seemed to

twinkle back at her, a small source of brightness in the saddening atmosphere of



the hospital ward. She could remember Tiffany's words, that she might find

inspiration within the flute.

Bringing up the flute to her mouth, Taeyeon blew into it half-heartedly. A single

note echoed throughout the ward. Taeyeon blew into the flute once more, with a

little more strength. This time, the second note sounded across the ward, with a

little more life in it. Taeyeon rolled the flute in her hands, and she saw the pink

letters inscribed into the side of the flute. The pink letters that spelled Tiffany's

name.

Taeyeon felt a surge of gratitude to Tiffany. The flute had been the single

instrument that had accompanied Tiffany since young, and she had entrusted it to

her, in a hope that she would find inspiration from it. Taeyeon glanced down, and

saw the few fingerprints that she had left on the silvered surface. She rebuked

herself silently for making such blemishes on such a precious object, and reached

for the flute casing that Tiffany had left behind as well.

She dug through the compartments of the casing for the cleaning cloth, and as she

did so, she came across a few sheets of music. Curious, Taeyeon pulled out the

music sheets, and looked through them. True enough, with her musical knowledge,

she could identify the scores as those for a flute, but something was wrong. The

scores were incomplete. There were pencil and pen markings all over the sheets, as

well as traces of pencil marks that were erased away.



Taeyeon was certain. She had stumbled upon a piece of music that Tiffany was

composing, but had not finished. It did not look simple. Tiffany had been

composing an entire suite, and only the first movement was complete. Taeyeon

flipped through the half completed second movement, and hummed the tune to

herself. It was a beautiful piece, and as Taeyeon hummed the first few lines to

herself, she felt oddly warm within herself. It was a piece that set her at rest, and

relaxed her. The second movement was half completed, and yet it was amazing

enough. She flipped through the pages to the first movement, and as she did so, a

small sentence scribbled at the bottom of the title at the top caught her eye.

In gratitude to my beloved friend, Kim Taeyeon.

What was this? Taeyeon stared at that single sentence again. Comprehension

dawned on her, and she realised the significance of that suite. Tiffany had been

composing not one single piece, but an entire suite for her. She glanced through the

other movements, and from the drafts, the random notes that Tiffany had scribbled

on it, it was a suite dedicated to their friendship, from the first day they met,

highlighting all the moments that they had gone through. It was also a piece, to try

and give her the inspiration to push through all the hardships in life, and achieve

the goals that she wants.



Music can take different forms. A different form of music can still paint the same

picture, it all depends on the person producing the music. Taeyeon told herself.

Taeyeon arranged the sheets of the first movement on the table, and reached for the

flute again. The instrument felt strange this time. Taeyeon was not daunted. She

felt grateful, that she was perfect pitch, and she slowly played out the different

notes on the flute, trying to remember which fingering corresponded to which note.

Slowly, bit by bit, Taeyeon played out the first line of the movement. The music

sounded sweeter through the flute. For a brief moment, Taeyeon felt her spirits

lifted. She felt happier.

Her phone on the beside table beeped. Glancing at it, she saw it was a message

from Tiffany.

"The flute might give you a little inspiration. Let your musical sense guide you to

playing it."

Taeyeon was surprised. She hurriedly replied the message, and a small

conversation ensued.

"How did you know I was playing your flute?"



"You were? I didn't know. I just had a gut feeling that you might decide to try it

out."

"I see... I found your half completed suite as well. Thanks... It meant alot to me."

"You're welcome. If you want, you could help me finish it."

"How could I? I barely have any experience in the flute, not to mention composing

music."

"Give it a try? You might turn out to be good at it. With enough practice, you

might be able to debut in the flute industry."

"Yeah... Singing is hard enough, not to mention I can't sing any more. Flute's going

to be worse."

"There's always me to help."



Taeyeon lay back on her bed. SHe was amazed at Tiffany. How could her friend

maintain such a bubbly and happy front, despite everything that has happened? Her

father was terrible to Tiffany, and yet she could still get the strength to pull

through, and carry on with life.

It dawned upon Taeyeon. It's music. Music was the only thing that had guided

Tiffany through her life, and till now, she let it guide her. It served as a source of

peace and comfort, a source of strength and inspiration for her. With music,

Tiffany could get through anything in life. Tiffany was right. Music in its raw formhad the power, the form it took did not matter.

There was also no point in grieving over the past. What has happened could not be

undone. Taeyeon knew she needed to move on. Rather than wallowing in sorrow,

she had to find a path to press on. Taeyeon lifted the flute to her lips once again.

Tiffany had music as her guide.

For her guide, Taeyeon had music, and Tiffany.

***************************



"Hello Seohyun, what brings you here today?" Tiffany greeted, as Seohyun entered

her studio, before returning to her music score.

"Nothing much, just seeing how you were getting along with practising."

Tiffany carried on practising. The music show was coming, and the rehearsals

were getting more and more intensive. Global M obviously did not cut standards,

and they expected all artists performing in their show to be of a certain standard.

Tiffany was no different, she never cut herself any slack, and she had been

practising her piece daily, trying to attain perfection.

"You're using a new flute." Seohyun observed.

"Mhmm. How did you know?"

"Your previous flute had your name engraved in pink on the side. This one does

not. What happened to it?" Seohyun asked.



"It's with Taeyeon. I hoped that she would find some form of inspiration in it, in

her current condition. I can always get a replacement for my flute, but not a

replacement for Taeyeon. I can't bear to see her in such a state." Tiffany answered.

"I see... It's not going to affect your performance, right?"

"It won't. Although flutes have different qualities, but I believe that ultimately the

quality of music depends on the musician. The instrument is just an aid, a tool."

"You have a point there." Seohyun noted, as she sat down and carried on watching

Tiffany practice.

After another half hour of practice, Tiffany finally stopped for a rest. The two girls

sat opposite each other in the studio, in silence, before Tiffany asked, "Seohyun,

I'm curious. If you aren't on good terms with your father, why did you even try for

NH Music's auditions in the first place?"

"Oh.. that time. I had a plan then. I figured if I could be employed as an artist under

my father's company, I could have further access, which might help me in the plan

I had then. Even as his daughter, I don't have some privileges of employees, which

might be useful."



"That reminds me, how goes the plan?"

Seohyun sighed at the mention of the plan. "It's harder than I thought. Because

you're an artist under NH Music, and Global M's quite high profile, he's been

attending all the rehearsals. Your music is touching, moving, yes, but there's going

to be much more to be done to penetrate his stone heart."

"Honestly, how do you tell that my music is touching enough?" Tiffany asked. She

had small doubts about it.

"You've always been practising, and focusing on stage. There's been quite a stir up

among the backstage crew, and other staff because of your music. They're saying

that you're a magician with your music. I even spotted the sound director tearing up

at your rehearsal yesterday. If you don't believe, you could go check it out

yourself." Seohyun answered.

Tiffany felt amazed. She never knew that her music could be that powerful. "Still,

how is it going to help your father, if more needs to be done? I'm limited by the

company, remember?"



"Don't worry. Leave that part to me. I'll just have to remove the things he holds the

closest to his heart, only then he will turn to music. It's human nature, to seek out

the other things that we like once we have lost some of the others." Seohyun

replied.

"That sounds pretty dangerous... I can't think of anything else other than money,

from what you told me." Tiffany added.

"I'll be safe. There are other things, but you won't believe even if I told you it. In

fact, you might think that it's stupid, or ridiculous."

Seohyun glanced at her watch. It was time. "Excuse me Tiffany, I'll have to go

now. There's something that i need to attend to. Keep on practising, my father willbe there at your rehearsal later, keep on going, try to penetrate his heart with your

powerful music."

Tiffany nodded and bade her goodbye, before turning back to her music scores. As

Seohyun left the studio, and closed the door behind her, shutting out the sweet

music that came from Tiffany, she sighed deeply, before heading down the

corridor.



If only I could guarantee her that I'll be safe. She thought.

***************************

Seohyun sat there at the cafe, stirring her cup of coffee.

She's late. I guess it's normal. She's a busy person. Seohyun glanced at her watch

again.

Taking a sip from her coffee, Seohyun looked around, keeping an eye out for her.

Finally. dressed in the same elegant fashion as always, she swept into the cafe.

Spotting Seohyun, she came over, and settled down, after ordering a coffee.

"So... What issue is so important? That you'd be willing to miss Tiffany's rehearsal

and meet me regarding it?" Sooyoung asked.

"Just something I'd like to confide in you, and perhaps, you could help as well."

Seohyun answered.



"Another friend of yours needs a window of opportunity? If he or she embodies the

same ideals of music, the true purpose of it, I don't mind helping. Seohyun, you

know me. I love music just as much as you do, and I'd help to bring any artist with

those ideals into the music industry. We all need those artists, especially seeing

how the music industry is becoming more and more money-inclined, rather than

seeking out the true purpose of music." Sooyoung said.

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it? Seohyun, we've known each other for quite some time already.

You can put down the formalities and just tell me."

"What do you think of the CEO of NH Music?"

"Your father? Ambitious, over ambitious, and too money-minded. I've heard

rumours of the way NH Music treats its artists. If the rumours are true, I'm quite

worried for Tiffany." Sooyoung answered.

"I see... What I'm going to confide in you, you must never tell anyone that I told

you this, until I say so. Could you do that for me, please?" Seohyun pleaded.



"There, you're doing your aegyo again. I'm not a guy, you know."

"Okay, okay. Would you still do it for me?"

"Alright, I will." Sooyoung gave in.

Seohyun leaned forward, and motioned for Sooyoung do to so. Sooyoung was

curious. If something prompted Seohyun to be so secretive, it would surely be one

that was of a massive scale. She leaned forward, and Seohyun whispered into her

ear. As Seohyun whispered her story, Sooyoung's eyes grow wider with each

sentence.

She pulled back. On her face was an expression of shock and horror. "Surely not!

How can you be so sure that ---" She sentence was cut off, as Seohyun clamped a

hand over her mouth, and pulled her closer again. "I haven't finished yet!" Seohyun

whispered angrily.



Once Seohyun was done with her story, she released Sooyoung, and the two ladies

straightened themselves in their chairs again. Sooyoung's face was masked with an

expression of disbelief.

"If what you say is true... Seohyun, you know the possible implications of what

you said, and the request that you made of me." Sooyoung said.

"I know. That is why I am making this request to you. With your position, I

thought you might help, and you know, this is for the greater good." Seohyun

answered.

"I'll have to do my own research first... Find out more... I'll get back to you when I

have an answer." Sooyoung said. Grabbing her bag, she stood up, and swept out of the cafe.

Seohyun sat there, alone, watching Sooyoung walk off into the distance.

She'll find out the truth, and hopefully, she'll be able to help. I'm willing to

sacrifice, but much depends on her. Seohyun drained the remainder of her coffee in

one mouthful, before she too, left the cafe.



Chapter 16: A New Road

Do you have what it takes to follow your decision?

"Why did you come over?"

"I heard you had been discharged, I had to pay you a visit." Tiffany settled herself

into a chair next to Taeyeon.

"That's nice of you... I thought you wouldn't come over. After all, things between

you and my father didn't go very well."

"That's another issue. How could I let my personal issues interfere with our

friendship? It's a whole different thing. I might be upset about what your father has

done, but it's the past already. Anything I do now cannot change it, and even if I

wanted to, I can never prove my case. I'd rather look ahead, and live happily, than

to live unhappily over issues." Tiffany answered.



The two girls smiled at each other, and enjoyed each other's company in silence for

a moment. Taeyeon then reached into a drawer next to her bed, and out of it, she

pulled the case that held Tiffany's flute.

"I guess it's time I return this to you." Taeyeon said, as she pushed the flute case to

Tiffany. To her surprise, Tiffany pushed the case back at her. "You can keep it, I

have a spare." Tiffany offered.

"How could I? It's your flute, it's been with you for so many years. How can I take

this?"

"Just keep it. Keep it as an inspiration, as a reminder to yourself that you cannot

give up in the face of adversity." Tiffany replied. "No offence intended, but as youcan't sing now, maybe you can use the flute to start a new venture back into

music?" She added.

Taeyeon glanced down at the flute case, which Tiffany pushed earnestly back into

her hands. "Thank you then. Still, learning the flute from scratch is going to be

hard."



"Taeyeon, I believe you're gifted in music. Use your gift to guide you. Remember,

music comes from the heart. Let your passion for music, your heart guide you.

With your talent, I believe that you'll learn it well, and fast enough."

"What about the notes? How do I know if I'm playing the correct note and such?"

"Excuses, Taetae, excuses. I could always write you a small guide, and you're

perfect pitch. You can easily tell the note you're playing."

Taeyeon looked back to the flute case. She opened it, revealing the instrument

within. It seemed to call out to her, to appeal to her. A different venture into music.

It's not singing, but it is still music. Following in the footsteps of my idol since

young, playing the flute.

Taeyeon ran her hands over the flute, feeling the smooth, cool surface. She felt

worried. Singing was her forte, what if she could not play the flute well enough?

Would she still be able to get a career in music, her dream? Still, she loved music,

and the flute, was music.

"I'll try. I'll give it a try." Taeyeon finally answered. Tiffany flashed her a warm

smile in return.



"That reminds me." Taeyeon added. "I found the pieces... Those that you wrote

halfway. They're... I'm speechless." Taeyeon trailed.

Tiffany rested a hand on her shoulder.

"I wrote those for you. Remember the times we used to argue? The times that we

had fun with each other? The entire suite is a a tribute for both you and me. I've

only finished the first movement though."

"Do you want them back? I know you're busy these days, but you can finish up the

suite when you have time." Taeyeon offered, pulling the music sheets out of the

compartment.

"Why don't you keep them? When you've practised the flute enough, you could try

finishing up the second movement yourself. Take it as another venture into music,

to explore your creative, open up your mind." Tiffany said.

"I'm not anywhere near your standard. If I try, I might ruin your work. It's

saddening to see a great work by you ruined. I'd feel bad as well." Taeyeon replied.



"Taeyeon, that suite was dedicated to you, to our friendship. I didn't write it for any

other reason. You can help me write it. Just take it as we are writing our own story

together." Tiffany stood up and drew herself into a dramatic pose. "Think of it, the

story between you and me, written through music, how lovely is that?"

Taeyeon laughed at her friend's antics. "Alright." She concluded, "I'll give it a try.

There might be some difficulties though, it's the first time I'm trying my hand at

composing."

Tiffany answered, "If you have any difficulties, just remember, ---"

"Follow my heart, right?" Taeyeon finished her sentence. Tiffany gave an

approving nod.

"That's good, you're learning fast." Tiffany said with a smile.

"Oh, by the way. How is work going?" Taeyeon asked.



"Decent. Though it's known among the us employees that the CEO is currently

under investigation for some issue. The police and the higher ranked people in the

company didn't say anything though, since nothing is certain yet. Most employees

think it's another case of making use of an artist, like before. However, from the

way Seohyun is acting these days, I believe I do know what is actually going on."

Tiffany replied.

"Luckily, it's not going to affect the company operation for the time being, so I can

still work, and practise for my performance in Global M's music show." Tiffanyadded.

"Seohyun's really capable. To be able to do something like this." Taeyeon voiced

out.

"She is, but I'm worried for her, for the way her plan is going." Tiffany added in a

soft voice.

***************************

Seohyun was in her room, playing with the contraption in her hand.



She had chosen this path, and it was not a nice one. People would definitely get

hurt, but she felt it was the best. The people hurt are the ones that deserved it, and

Seohyun felt, if it worked, she could finally fill up the empty space in her heart.

The sound of footsteps came, someone was storming up the stairs. Seohyun knew

who it was. She hurriedly threw the contraption into her drawer, and slammed it

shut. Turning around, she was just in time to face her father, who burst into her

room, his face red with anger.

"What did you tell her!" He screamed, spit flying from his face.

"The truth." Seohyun answered simply.

"You lie! How could they have the grounds, the basis for such a case?" He yelled

like a man possessed.

"That's because I provided them with the evidence as well." Seohyun answered

coldly.



He stared at Seohyun, his eyes widening. Losing himself, he grabbed Seohyun by

her shirt, and lifting her off the floor, he slammed her against her cupboard.

"You're my daughter! How could you do something like this to your own father?

Other than your mother, you're the next person I really care about? How could

you!" He released Seohyun, dropping her to the floor.

Seohyun drew herself up to her full height. She was not as tall as her father, but the

intensity of her gaze burned like a flame from hell. "That is what you say. Ever

since mother was gone, have you ever treated me like your daughter? Have youever shown me the love, the care and concern that a father should show for his

daughter?"

Seohyun dealt her father a vicious slap across his face, the sound of the blow

echoing across the room.

"That is for mother." Seohyun hissed.

Her father straightened, his face an expression of shock. Clearly he had never

expected his daughter to hit him.



"What did you tell mother when she was alive? What of the way you loved her and

me, and your embrace of music? It's all a lie. Your greed was the very thing that

drove mother to her grave, the very thing that broke apart the father and daughter

relations that is supposed to be between us. You have done so many grave deeds,

so many crimes." Seohyun's voice was low and soft. She was not shouting, but her

tone of voice was dark, lethal.

"What you told mother was a lie. A complete lie. Your love for her was fake, your

love for me was false. Even your love for music is nothing but a lie. How could Ido this? Why am I doing this? This is for mother, to let her see the real you behind

all these lies. If you still have any humanity left in you, you will know what to do."

Seohyun added.

Her father glared at her. and Seohyun stared back coldly. She had come this far in

her plan, and she would not back down. There was also no way of backing out.

"You can do whatever you like, but there is no way that you're going to succeed. It

has been this way for so long, and it shall remain this way." He spat in Seohyun's

face, before storming out of her room.

Seohyun closed the door, and went to sit on her bed. She could feel the emotional

pain, she could feel the tears coming forth. Despite all the evil that her father had



done, Seohyun's love for her parents, as their daughter was still as pure as ever. It

hurt her, to inflict this on her father, it hurt her, to see her family, or what remained

of her family like this. Still, Seohyun knew that she had to keep on going. It was

her only hope, that she could make her father see the light of what he truly had

done, what damage he had inflicted.

Seohyun knew, only when her father felt the loss of everything, would he then turn

to what he truly held deep inside his blackened heart, and only then would he

understand.

Seohyun curled up on her bed, and burying her face in her pillow, she let the tears

fall. Silently.

Far away from her home, a young girl stood by her window, gazing at the sky,

thinking of her future.

Her mind made up, the girl turned around, and approached the case that lay on her

bed. She had made the decision, to take a brand new step, into a brand new world.

Opening the case, she gently picked up the gleaming instrument that lay within.

This, is still music.



Music, is what I love.

The girl raised the instrument to her lips.

Chapter 17: Pieces

Your part in this world is special. Play it well.

Taeyeon sat at the corner of the theatre, watching the rehearsal silently. She had

been one of the privileged few, to be able to watch the rehearsals of Global M's

upcoming music show. Usually, Global M would let some fans of the performing

artists have a sneak peek, but not this time. The only people who were privileged to

watch the rehearsals were staff members, or managers of the artists involved.



Taeyeon was there, not as a staff member, or a manager. She was privileged, for

she was invited by one of the leading artists of the music show, Tiffany.

Throughout the rehearsals, Tiffany had been stunning. Producers, directors of the

music show were amazed by her talent, and she quickly rose to being one of the

lead artists, with the music show's schedule being edited, just to fit in more

segments for Tiffany.

It was soon Tiffany's segment. Taeyeon waited patiently for the curtains to fall,

revealing the beautiful set on the stage. Tiffany stood in the middle, dressed in apure white dress. Her beauty made the rest of the set seem pale in comparison, and

in her hands, Tiffany's held her flute, firmly, yet gently. As she lifted the flute to

her lips, Taeyeon's hands subconsciously moved to the case that lay on her lap, the

case that held the flute, the gift from Tiffany.

Tiffany began to play, and just like the other people who were watching, were

drawn into Tiffany's musical sanctuary once again. Her music was beyond

description, it was magical, and the acoustics of the hall magnified its power. Staff

stopped their duties, and turned to watch, hearts captivated by the sweet sounds.

I can't sing, but I have a new dream. I aspire to be like that some day. Taeyeon

whispered in her mind, as she carried on watching. Tiffany's fingers seemed to

glide over the flute, gently, delicately, yet with precision, playing out each note

perfectly.



The feeling came, not in Taeyeon's mind, but in her heart. Something seemed to be

missing from Tiffany's piece. It was magical, but not perfect. Taeyeon felt that it

missed something out, there was a part, that did not complete the piece, that did not

close the doors of the musical sanctuary fully.

She looked around, only she seemed to feel that way. The rest of the people were

captivated by Tiffany's music, and in the front row, she saw Seohyun's father. Even

he seemed to be a little lost in the rapture of sounds.

When Tiffany finally concluded her segment, Taeyeon felt even emptier, the

feeling emphasized by the small bit that she felt Tiffany had missed out.

Nevertheless, it was time to head backstage to visit her friend, and Taeyeon

grabbed the flute casing, and rushed off. Tiffany had taken the liberty to inform the

security staff of Taeyeon's intended visit, and she was allowed into the backstage

area. She walked along the corridor, until she found the room she was looking for,

the room with a simple piece of paper stuck on the door, the paper that displayed

Tiffany's name.

Taeyeon knocked on the door, and half a minute later, the door opened, and she

was dragged in by her excited friend.



"Taeyeon! You really came to visit! I'm so happy to see you!" Tiffany gushed as

she welcomed her friend in, and offered her a seat.

"Fany-ah, you were awesome, and you look beautiful too!" Taeyeon

complimented. On stage, Tiffany seemed to shine like a jewel in her dress, and

now, up close, she was dazzling.

"Thank you. I somehow managed to convince my costume designer to let me pick

my outfit this time. Pretty, isn't it?" Tiffany replied, playfully executing a spin.

"If only I could play the flute as well as you do, maybe we could do a flute duet

some day." Taeyeon voiced out.

"You'll be able. I'm sure you have a gift for music, not only for singing, but for

instruments as well. Just follow your heart, and practice well, I'm sure you'll be

able to make it great some day. I ---" Tiffany's answer was cut short, as the door of

her backstage room opened, and Seohyun came in, closely followed by Sooyoung.

Taeyeon and Tiffany immediately stood up, and greeted Sooyoung, who greeted

them in return.



"I apologise for such a rash entrance, but there is something of essential

importance that I discuss with you both. When I heard from Seohyun that you both

were here, I made my way down immediately." Sooyoung announced, with the air

of elegance befitting her.

Tiffany offered her guest a seat, before she queried, "What is it? If I can help, I will

try to."

"I'll be direct." Sooyoung said. She was known for being straight to the point.

"Seohyun has told me about her suspicions, or should I say, her belief that her

father is behind the death of your parents." She finished.

Tiffany nodded plainly, so did Taeyeon. They were not surprised, from the way

that Seohyun was behaving over the past few days.

Sooyoung paused, before continuing. "Although the death of your parents has been

many years ago, but the accusation of murder is a serious one, and the police are

taking it seriously. If you know me well enough, I am a person who wants to see a

fair music industry, and one with honour. I have helped Seohyun to file a case, and



the police are looking into it. Investigations are going on, with as little of the staff

knowledge as possible."

"Okay... So... How can we help?" Asked Tiffany.

"If you know anything about it, perhaps you could inform me as well. Taeyeon, I

heard from Seohyun that your father has quite some knowledge regarding this case.

Perhaps you can convince him to come and speak to me?

Everyone in the room turned to look at Taeyeon. Taeyeon seemed surprised.

Clutching the flute case tightly, she answered, "Yes... I could try..."

"That's settled then. I have something to attend to now, please excuse me."

Sooyoung stood up and left. Seohyun was about to follow, when Tiffany called for

her to stay behind.

"I have something that I'd like to discuss with you as well." Tiffany finished.

When the room door was closed and locked, and only the three of them remained,

Tiffany then asked Seohyun. "Seohyun, what exactly are you up to?"



"Just carrying out my plan. Is there a problem?"

"Seohyun, we know that this plan of yours involves a part that we do not know of,

and it is hurting you. We can see the difference in you these days." Taeyeon added.

"Those small boxes that you've been playing with. I noticed them. What exactly

are those?" Tiffany demanded.

"Trust me, both of you. Just trust me. After all, I'm doing this for all our sakes. My

father might finally see his wrongs, and Tiffany, you can finally be free of the

restraints that NH Music has put on you, and all its artist. To add on that,

Sooyoung's influence on the music industry is extremely powerful, and now that

I've managed to convince her to be on our side, please do not waste it. Taeyeon,

please, get your father to help us too."

Seohyun finished, and before Taeyeon or Tiffany could say anything, she left the

room.



"Don't worry, Tiffany, you're my friend. I'll do anything to help if I can." Taeyeon

said.

"Thank you, but let's not talk about anything unhappy, shall we? Let's talk of

something more happy. How goes your flute practice? I see you brought your flute

along, come, let me hear you play something."

"It's not exactly my flute..." Taeyeon objected. Still, she drew out the instrument,

and played some of the tunes that she practised at home.

As she played, Tiffany sat there, eyeing her carefully. Tiffany's gaze was intense,

and Taeyeon felt uncomfortable, as if Tiffany was staring into the centre of her

soul. Taeyeon played a short while longer, before she could stand it no more.

"Why are you staring at me like that? It's creeping me out!" Taeyeon exclaimed.

"Just observing the way you play, and listening carefully. Taetae, my friend, youtruly do have a gift. The way you hold the flute and play it is natural, and you've

picked up much in such a short time. I am truly impressed."



"There's still much for improvement, isn't it?"

"Definitely. Just keep on practising. Let yourself flow with your music, let it guide

you. I'm sure you'll make it big one day."

A sudden thought came to Taeyeon's mind. She wanted to tell Tiffany, but she felt

inadequate. Still, Tiffany had taught her to follow her heart in music, and she was

doing so.

"Tiffany? I was at the rehearsal, and I heard you play your finishing piece. It's a

new one, isn't it? Something new that you composed."

Tiffany nodded, and Taeyeon continued.

"I don't know if I should say this, but when I was listening to it, I felt that it was

missing some other part. It felt as it there should be something else added into the

piece, something like a lost rhythm, a lost harmony."



Tiffany motioned for Taeyeon to take a seat opposite her. Taeyeon did so, feeling

awkward. Who was she to comment on Tiffany's music? Her music experience

with the flute was nothing compared to that of Tiffany's.

"Taeyeon, I am so glad that you felt it that way. It proved me correct, in two

aspects, and one of which is one that I want you to know." Tiffany said. Taeyeon

was surprised, stunned. Tiffany had complimented her, and that was strange.

"You see, Taeyeon, I wrote that piece specially. It was a piece that I composed

specially to reach out to people, especially those who shared the same love, joy and

passion for music as me. Firstly, I wanted to see how well my music could reach

out to others, and you have shown me that it can." Tiffany paused before

continuing. "Secondly, Taeyeon, you are the special few who listen to music not

with their ears, but with their hearts. You and me have a close bond, built through

music. It is as if music is a bridge between us both. I want you to know that you

have a gift for music. I wrote that piece specially, that only people with a gift for

music, and a passion that is the same as mine, can find its flaws."

Taeyeon remained silent, at a loss for words.

"You see, Taeyeon, the bridge that music formed between us, together with your

genius for music helped you to not only identify that there was a flaw to the piece,



but also to identify what it exactly needed. This, Taeyeon, is my homework to you.

Let your heart guide you, and see if you can make the piece complete."

Tiffany pushed a booklet into Taeyeon's hands. Looking at it, Taeyeon realised that

it was a copy of the music sheet of the music piece.

"Go, and write what your heart tells you to." Tiffany finished.

***************************

Taeyeon sat at her desk, deep in thought. She had been still, and silent for so long,

that anyone entering her room would have thought that she had fallen asleep.

Rather than sleeping, the young girl had been pondering over the pieces of paper

scattered over her table.

The music sheets that Tiffany had gave her.

Composing. It was something that Taeyeon had barely tried. The last piece that she

tried to write was a few seconds long piece for piano, in school, which turned out



rather badly. Now, Tiffany expected her to write a separate piece by herself, one

that could be played in harmony with Tiffany's, one that could complete it.

The task was daunting. She felt nervous.

Trust in me... Follow my heart... Taeyeon told herself. Stay calm, you're called

Taeyeon. You must remain calm in the face of such a challenge.

Another thought came into Taeyeon's mind. Was it a challenge? It was an honour,

that Tiffany had wished for Taeyeon to complete her piece. To have the glory to

write the final piece, to put the finishing touch to Tiffany's music. It was also a

testament to the strong bonds between them.

Taeyeon cleared her mind, and picked up the flute that lay next to her. She

hummed the tune to herself, before playing a note or two on the flute, seeing which

suited the piece the best.

Finally, Taeyeon lifted her pencil, and made the first mark on a fresh music sheet.



Far away from Taeyeon's home, Seohyun was back in her own room, and in her

own world of thoughts. In her hands she held a box, one of which that Tiffany had

mentioned about.

The time was coming. It was coming to a close, the grand plan that she had. All it

remained was the final piece, and everything would fall right into place, and she

could finally put an end to the painful stories of her life, and Tiffany's life.

Except that this story, might not have a happy ending. Seohyun thought, as she

opened the box, revealing the small contraption inside. Still, if I can sacrifice my

happiness for many others, and for the greater good, I will.

Seohyun pulled out the small contraption, and observed it carefully. You're thedeciding piece, and your time is coming soon, to put you into play. Seohyun told

herself.



Chapter 18: A New Beginning

Face the future with your new found strength.

Late, late, I'm nearly late! Taeyeon screamed in her mind, as she dug through her

closet, trying to find the dress that she had in mind. Tiffany's right, I should really

find some time and pack up my closet, now where's my dress?! At last, her hands

closed around the soft material of her purple dress, and she pull it out.

Taeyeon hurriedly changed into her dress, before grabbing her purse and rushing

out of the house. Just as she was putting on her heels, she realised that she had

forgotten another item, and her brother was once again bemused by the sight of his

sister rushing across the house. Taeyeon grabbed the flute case, and did a quick check of all the items once again, before she headed out.

Luck was with Taeyeon, for she managed to flag down a taxi. Taeyeon checked

her items once again. Flute, check. Music sheet, check. Ticket, check. It had been

two weeks ever since Taeyeon had taken on the opportunity to finish up Tiffany's

piece, she had worked day and night on it, any free time she had was spent on the

piece, and at long last, Taeyeon believed that she was finished. In addition, today

was the grand opening of Global M's music show, and Taeyeon had intended to



present the finished piece to Tiffany as a gift, when she would meet her backstage

after the performance.

The location was already crowded when Taeyeon arrived. Fans of the artists that

were performing for tonight's show were crowded around the entrance, queueing

up to get in. Amongst them, Taeyeon spotted a few of Tiffany's fans, recognisable

by the pink banners they held. Her friend was well known for her love for pink as

well.

Being Tiffany's close friend had it's advantages, one of which was that Tiffany had

given her a VIP-class ticket, and that meant that Taeyeon had no need to squeeze

with the other fans to enter. She entered from the VIP entrance, and was ushered

down to the prime seating area of the auditorium, which held the lush, comfortable

seats reserved for the VIPs only. Taeyeon settled down in hers, and rested the flute

case on her lap. She hoped that her finished piece would be to Tiffany's liking, and

she couldn't wait to present it to her after the music show.

Slowly, the seats were filled. It was a full house, except for the two empty seats in

the front row of the VIP box. Taeyeon was curious, each VIP seat was tagged with

the VIP's name, for ease of the ushers to do their duties, and the two seats belonged

to Seohyun, and her father. Seohyun would watch Tiffany's rehearsals if she could,

why would she miss the actual performance? Tiffany was now NH Music's rising

star, why would Seohyun's father, her CEO, not be here to attend the event?



Nevertheless, the show had to start, and the ushers closed the doors. The lights

were dimmed, and the auditorium was filled with the cheers of the fans, and other

viewers. As the program announcers welcomed the first artist onto the stage,

Taeyeon leaned back, and prepared herself for a night of wonderful, breathtaking,

magical music.

***************************

In one of the backstage rooms, a fierce quarrel was going on. Thankfully for the

occupants, the auditorium was designed, and also sponsored by Global M, and it

featured soundproof backstage rooms, for the artists to do some last minute

practice before their segment, without troubling anyone else.

Artists and their assistants hurried by the corridor, rushing to locations, doing their

duties, and totally oblivious to the verbal war that was going on in the room.

Seohyun and her father were locked in a quarrel, one with an intensity that they

had never had before.

"I can't believe that you would do this! My own daughter! Hacking into my own

files to find evidence to criminalise me!" Her father bellowed.



"It's for your own good! How else can I then wake you up? Haven't you seen how

far you have deviated from your ideals of music, when you first met mother? What

was all that trash about? Telling mother that your passion of music, together with

hers and mine would keep our family together forever? That it would be the special

link among the three of us? Lies!" Seohyun retorted, her face reddening.

"Who are you to talk to me like that? As my daughter, you should side with me,

but you sided with others, like Taeyeon's father!"

"I only side with what is right! If Taeyeon's father can help, I will side with him!"

"You're making me desperate, daughter. I can make accidents happen, what

happened to Tiffany's father, can happen to Taeyeon's as well." Her father

threatened.

"Now you admit it. That you were the one behind it all." Seohyun simply stated.

"Yes, I admit that I was the one behind the death of Tiffany's parents. So what?

What can you do? The police cannot get any proof, your case is gone, lost! I



commited murder once, and I can do it again, if you force me to." Her father

sneered.

Seohyun remained quiet. Her father was surprised by his daughter's sudden silence,

and he studied her. His eyes fell slowly, to Seohyun's balled-up fists, and the small,

black contraption that she held hidden in her right fist.

"What is that?" He demanded.

"Now the world will know. Everyone will know. You have lost." Seohyun

answered.

"You recorded everything I said?!" Her father let out a scream of rage, and dived at

his daughter, his fingers scrabbling to seize the recording device that Seohyun

held. Seohyun tried to push him away, but to no avail, and father and daughter

landed in a heap on the ground.

"I'll kill you if you don't give it to me!" Her father yelled, as he tried to pry open

Seohyun's fingers. She was strong though, and her grip held fast, over the device

that was now recording the sounds of their fight. Seohyun felt her father's strong



fingers close around her neck. Alarmed she reached with her free hand, and tried to

pry his hands off her neck, but she was not strong enough.

She felt his grip tighten, and she began to choke.

This is bad. The plan's getting out of hand.

***************************

She had always heard that rehearsals could never be the same as the actual

performance itself, and Taeyeon had finally experienced what it meant. All of

Tiffany's rehearsals that she had seen was nothing compared to tonight. The full

grandeur of the performances, flowing from one piece to another, one artist to

another, singing to instruments, was perfect. Themes fit with each other, and

shifted to another fluidly.

Taeyeon felt as if she was in heaven, a musical heaven. Global M was known forbeing able to put together fabulous music shows, and Taeyeon finally experienced

it, and knew it to be true. Tiffany had made a few appearances, and her pieces were

magnificent. Taeyeon was now in the embrace of the music show, and it was

rapture. She felt as if her soul was carried away to a wonderful place, a place



where music washed away all her worries, and left her with everything pure and

good.

She had been to the rehearsals, and she knew the order of play. The closing piece

was coming soon, and Tiffany had the honour of playing the closing piece. It was

also the special piece that Tiffany had written, had dedicated it to Taeyeon. It was

also the piece, that Taeyeon had felt the flaw.

***************************

Seohyun struggled, her vision was blurring, and she could feel the uncomfortable

pressure on her neck increasing.

She had intended to spark off an argument with her father, and get him to admit to

her his wrongdoings, as she recorded it down secretly. Seohyun had hoped, that

faced with the aspect of losing his position, and much more, he would finally turn

to look back on his mistakes, and embrace the love for music that he had. Seohyun

believed, that deep within his heart, he still had the love for music that brought him

and her mother together at first, and she hoped she would be able to unlock it.



Unfortunately, Seohyun had not accounted for the violent nature that her father had

developed, and she was now at the risk of losing her life. She did the only thing

that she knew, and she brought her knee up, full force into her father's stomach.

Letting out a cry of pain, her father released his death grip on her neck, and

doubled over. Seizing the opportunity, Seohyun made a wild rush for the door, but

her father seized her by her hair, and threw her back. She was getting desperate, to

escape this madman of her father.

Lashing out with her foot, Seohyun kicked her father backed, and made a secondattempt for the door. The rehearsal rooms were well furnished for an artist's

practices, together with top quality music stands made of steel. Her father grabbed

a music stand, and the sound of steel against bone echoed throughout the room.

Seohyun crashed to the floor, motionless. Her father stood over her, panting. "Now

will you listen, you..." He trailed off, as he noticed the rapidly spreading puddle of

red liquid under his daughter's head. The music stand in his hand clattered to the

floor, as he stared at his still daughter.

Slowly, unbelievingly, he bent down, and held a finger under his daughter's nose.

There was no breathing from Seohyun.



***************************

Tiffany was now playing the closing piece, and Taeyeon was sharing the same

musical sanctuary. The entire auditorium was silent, as the young flutist on stage

delivered the closing piece, a powerful one. Tiffany held the hearts of everyone in

the auditorium in her music. Taeyeon felt as if she was flying, but it was a bumpy

flight. The feeling in her heart had came back, the feeling of the gaps, the missing

parts that music had.

Among the pure bliss of the music she was in, she felt a tug at her heartstrings.

Follow your heart.

Go, and write what your heart tells you.

Taeyeon opened the flute case on her lap. She pulled out the music sheets that held

her own writing, the ones that she had written, to fit Tiffany's piece. She looked at

them, and her glance shifted between the sheets, and her friend on stage.



Play what your heart tells you to play.

Taeyeon was deep into the musical sanctuary, deeper than she had ever been

before. She felt as if a hidden door in her heart, her soul, her mind had been

unlocked. She felt the throbbing pulse, the powerful emotions of Tiffany's music

from the stage. She felt every feeling that Tiffany expressed in the sweet sounds of

her flute. She felt the magical, musical link between them.

Her fingers closed around the flute in the case. Even in the dim lighting, the

silvered surface of the flute seemed to shine, and the pink letters that spelled

Tiffany's name seemed to stand out more than ever.

Taeyeon brought the flute to her lips, and began to play.

There was a collective gasp from the audience, and a brief pause in Tiffany's

music. However, as the professional musician that she was, Tiffany carried playing

on stage.

Down at the VIP box, Taeyeon did not know exactly what was she doing, but it

was too late to step back. She stood up, and carried on playing the piece that she

had written, just like the many times she had practised at home.



Everyone's attention in the auditorium was now focused on her, but she did not

care.

She was playing, doing what her heart told her to.

***************************

Seohyun's father staggered out of the room, and closed the door behind him. His

head was spinning.

Seohyun is dead.

My daughter is dead.

The corridor was empty, for all the other artists had gathered at the main backstage

area, ready to go on stage after the conclusion of Tiffany's closing piece. He

staggered along the empty corridor, his thoughts in a mess. He could not believe it,

he took the life of his own daughter, with his own hands.



Memories from many years down the road came rushing back to him,

overwhelming him. The happy times with his wife, the joy when they first had

Seohyun. All the promises he made to his family. The promises he made to his

wife, his daughter.

What was he now? What had he become? A monster. Deep in his heart, after his

wife had passed away, he treasured his daughter. To him, Seohyun was like a gem,

a precious stone with no other equivalent in the world, but his greed for money and

his thirst for power had driven him far from what he loved.

There was no way out now. All was lost. No way he could cover up what he did to

his daughter. He had lost everything, he had lost his daughter. He had lost

Seohyun.

As he staggered along the corridors, the first touch came. It was not a physical

touch, but a touch that was intangible. He felt the warm tendrils of music close

around his now troubled heart. He let his mind and heart follow the music, and he

found himself peeking through a side door that led to the auditorium.



To his surprise, he found that the sweet music that warmed his heart came from

Tiffany, who was playing the closing piece. What surprised him more, was that a

member of the audience, was standing, and playing as well. On closer observation,

he realised it was Taeyeon. What was she doing?

However, Taeyeon, guided by her heart, and her gift in music, was playing so well

that her music blended perfectly with Tiffany's, and the audience assumed that it

was a planned event, a special way to end the music show with a duet, and hiding

one of the artists amongst the audience.

Seohyun's father now knew what was meant, by the true meaning of music. It was

unexplainable. He continued to walk aimlessly, out of the auditorium grounds. He

had lost everything, and his mind was in a daze. To add to the confusion, his mind

was trying to process the sudden feelings of grief, sorrow, and regret, and the

sudden enlightenment on the true meaning of music.

His foot stepped onto the asphalt ground, and he did not see the glare of the lights.

Neither did he hear the blazing sound of the horn, nor the screeching of the tires.

All he felt was the impact.



***************************

Taeyeon sat at the hospital cafe, enjoying a warm coffee with her father, and

Tiffany.

She had just returned to the hospital for a routine check up, from her vocal chord

surgery, and she was happy to find out that she had made a good recovery.

The soft clip-clop of high heels on tiles made the three of them turn their heads,

and they saw Sooyoung striding towards them. Immediately, they stood up to greet

her.

"I'll speak directly, since I don't have much time." Sooyoung began.

"I'm sure that you're glad to know that the incident regarding NH Music has been

settled, and closed. Tiffany, I'm sure you know, that the new CEO of NH Music,

one with strong moral values, has agreed to scrap your contract one week ago."She said.



Turning to Taeyeon, she continued, "At first, some of my subordinates, the

managers wanted to sue you for interfering in the music show, however, seeing

that you played so well, that the audience thought that you were a planned special

event for the show, and with my objection, they have decided not to. Just take note,

to control your musical aspirations when watching a concert. Still, you do show

great potential, and I'm sure you can become a great musician."

Sooyoung then complimented Tiffany on her excellent performance, before she

took her leave.

"I'm glad everything's over." Taeyeon said, once Sooyoung had left.

"Yeah, but it's sad to know that Seohyun lost her life in the process." Tiffanysighed.

"Girls, she might be in a happier place now, right? She's finally united with her

parents, and maybe her father has repented, and perhaps they're happier together?

If you get what I mean..." Taeyeon's father said.

"Speaking of your great potential, I've been wondering, you've missed out on much

of school ever since your surgery, and you're falling back. How does it sound, to



go under my company as a trainee flutist, and take part time studies? I could have

you debut in a year or so." He added, facing his daughter.

Taeyeon was surprised. Her father was giving her a chance, an opportunity to start

her career in the music industry. "Dad! Thank you! Of course I'd like that!" She

answered enthusiastically.

"Alright then. For starters, you should greet your flute trainer. She'll be the one in

charge of training you, and honing your talents in the flute." Her father said,

pointing to Tiffany.

"Wait, what? You're working with my father?" Taeyeon gasped.

"Yeah, your father offered me the opportunity to work as a music teacher in his

company, and of course, I'll be teaching you, and planning your debut stage."

Tiffany answered cheerfully.

"What of the company? It belongs to Tiffany in the first place! After all this trouble

with NH Music ended, I thought you'd hand the rights back to Tiffany!" Taeyeon

demanded, glaring at her father.



"Whoa, whoa, relax, Taeyeon, calm down." Tiffany said. "Your father wanted to,

but I declined. We came to an agreement. He'll still run the company, but now I

hold a major percentage of the shares. After all, I don't have the experience of

running a company, and your father can do better at that."

Taeyeon nodded her head, finally understanding the situation. Both her father and

Tiffany had been discussing issues over the past week, and she was glad that all the

problems were finally settled.

"Well, lets head home first. You need a good rest, before starting training

tomorrow." Taeyeon's father said, and the three of them stood up, Tiffany

struggling with the huge bags that she had brought along.

"Honestly, Tiffany, why did you bring so many things? Are you moving house, or

what?" Taeyeon asked.

"Why, I am." Tiffany answered.



"Serious? You must have found a better place to stay! I'm so happy for you. Are

you sure you can handle that many bags?"

"Taeyeon, stop talking so much, and help your sister to carry her bags to the car."

Taeyeon's father cut in.

Taeyeon bent down to pick up one of Tiffany's bags, before she stopped.

"Wait... What did you mean by sister?" Taeyeon asked again, straightening up.

A smile slowly spread on Tiffany's face. She reached into a bag, and pulled out a

folder, and handed it to Taeyeon. Taeyeon flipped it open. The words on the first

page, and the scribbles at the bottom was enough.

It was an official document, that stated that her father had agreed to take Tiffany in

as his daughter. The scribbles at the bottom were the signatures of her parents, as

well as Tiffany's. It was an official document, that Tiffany was now declared aspart of her family.

An expression of surprise mixed with joy spread of Taeyeon's face.



"Oh, Tiffany! I love you so much!" Taeyeon exclaimed, pulling Tiffany into her

Musical Heart

Documents

Transcript of Musical Heart