After dinner was over and his family had left, Taeyeon couldn't help but sigh. Sitting at their custom-made dining table, she rested her head on it, trying to catch just a minute of rest however, she heard guns and shooting noises from the living room momentarily stopping her few seconds of peace. She then got up and walked towards that irritating sound. Jiyong was playing his video game, completely engrossed. Taeyeon stood there, observing him, her exhaustion evident "I'm going to do the dishes,"

 

"Cool," Jiyong replied, still focused on the game, his fingers clicking away on the console.

 

"It'd be nice if you helped me," Taeyeon continued putting her arms on her hips, her voice tinged with fatigue.

 

Jiyong muttered something about his game and said, "No problem. I'll get them a little bit later. I'm just grabbing some more loot in this warehouse—" His attention drifted back to the game, his fingers moving rapidly on the controller as he muttered under his breath about the next level.

 

Taeyeon walked closer, cutting him off. "Jiyong, come on. I don't want to do them later. Let's just do them now. It'll take 15 minutes."

Jiyong glanced at her but continued playing, now lying back on the sofa with his legs crossed. "Honey, I am so exhausted today. I just honestly want to relax for a little bit and digest the amazing food you've made for us in peace."

 

Taeyeon felt anger and sadness welling up inside her. She turned to walk away but then stopped and faced him. "Jiyong, you know I don't like waking up to a dirty kitchen."

 

"Who cares?" Jiyong dismissed.

 

"I care! All right? I care!" Taeyeon snapped, raising her voice. "I busted my off all day, filming NOLTO, cleaning this house, and then cooking that meal for your family! Jiyong, I worked today too, and it would be nice if you said thank you and helped me with the dishes," she said, speaking so fast she barely caught her breath.

 

Jiyong paused his game and threw down his console on the sofa, getting up from the sofa and lifting his hands in exasperation. "Fine. I'll help you do the damn dishes."

 

Taeyeon, shaking her head, had had enough. "Oh, come on. You know what? No. See? That's not what I want."

 

Jiyong stopped in his tracks, confused. "You just said that you want me to help you do the dishes."

 

Taeyeon, near tears, tried to explain, "I want you to want to do the dishes."

 

"Why would I want to do the dishes?" Jiyong argued, frustration evident in his voice.

 

Taeyeon couldn't handle it. She turned and walked away, saying, "See, that's my whole point."

 

Jiyong followed her, trying to grasp her meaning. “Taeng, Let me get this straight. Are you telling me that you're upset because I don't have the desire to do the dishes?"

 

Taeyeon, now grabbing plates off the island and moving them to the sink, raised her hands in exasperation. "No. I'm upset because you don't have a desire to offer to do the dishes."

 

Jiyong groaned, holding his forehead in his hands. "I just did!"

 

"After I asked you!" she screamed in response. "You know what, Jiyong? I asked you to do one thing today, one very simple thing, to bring me three ingredients, and you brought me one," she said, gritting her teeth, her hands stretched out over the sink, facing away from him.

 

Jiyong retorted in anger, "God damn it. If I knew that it was gonna be this much trouble, I would have gone back to the store and bought you double, heck even triple the things you wanted."

 

"Jiyong, it's not... it's not about the ingredients," Taeyeon said, trying to keep her voice steady.

 

"Well, that's all you're talking about," Jiyong shot back.

 

"I'm just saying it'd be nice if you did things that I asked. It would be even nicer if you did things without me having to ask you!" Taeyeon replied, her voice breaking.

 

They stood in silence for a moment, the weight of their words hanging in the air. Taeyeon walked up to him and held his shoulders, looking him in the eyes. "You're not getting this. It's not about the ingredients.  It's not about the dishes-“

 

"Then what is it about?" Jiyong replied, raising his voice equally confused and frustrated.

 

“It’s about feeling truly seen and appreciated,” Taeyeon said, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of raw emotion. She held his gaze, her eyes searching for any sign that he truly understood. With a deliberate motion, she pointed at him to emphasize her words, her frustration and hope mingling in her expression. Turning away, she moved back to the sink, her hands busy with the dishes that seemed to multiply with each passing minute.

 

“It’s about you taking the initiative because you genuinely care about how I feel,” she continued, her voice growing more resolute as she scrubbed the plates. “I need you to show me that you’re invested in this relationship, not just by being here physically, but by making an effort to understand and support me too.”

 

The clinking of dishes was a sharp contrast to the silence hanging between them. Taeyeon’s movements were swift but tired, a reflection of the emotional and physical toll of the evening. As she finished up, she took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping slightly. “I want us to be more than just people living together, Jiyong. I want us to be a team, where both of us feel valued and understood. But right now, it feels like I’m the only one putting in the effort to make this work.”

 

Jiyong looked at Taeyeon, clearly puzzled. “I don’t understand… what do you mean?”

 

Taeyeon sighed deeply, her frustration evident as she paused her dishwashing. She walked away for more dirty dishes on the dining table, her movements reflecting her exhaustion and mounting irritation. “How many times do I have to drop hints about wanting to watch the opera?”

 

Jiyong followed her, his face contorting in disbelief. “You know I can’t stand the opera. Taeng, come on. We’ve talked about this. I hate the opera!”

 

Taeyeon stopped in her tracks, the weight of his words only adding to her sense of disillusionment. She looked at him with a mix of anger and disappointment. “It’s not about the opera itself, Jiyong. It’s about the fact that you don’t even try to engage in things that are important to me. It’s not about whether you love it or not. It’s about making an effort because it matters to me. I want you to show that you care about my interests and that you’re willing to spend time with me, even if it means doing something you don’t enjoy.”

 

Jiyong’s face fell into a defensive frown and mutters “I do care, but not when it comes to the opera.”

 

Taeyeon’s frustration exploded as she slammed the dishes into the sink, the sound echoing through the kitchen. Her blood was practically boiling, and her anger was palpable. “Okay. Forget the opera! Just forget it!” she shouted, her voice raw with exasperation.

 

She sank down onto the breakfast stool, her shoulders slumped with a profound sense of defeat. She stared at the empty table, her voice heavy with frustration and exhaustion. "We don’t go anywhere together anymore, Jiyong. Our work sc