Chapter 3

"Taeyeon?"

"..."

"Yah. Kim Taeyeon."

Yuri saw how her best friend was zoning out, tapping her pen mindlessly on the desk. She aimed an eraser at her head, eliciting a groan from the other girl.

"Kwon Yuri..."

"I called you several times but you weren't responding. You okay?"

"Yeah of course.”

"What happened exactly?"

"What happened?"

"You were obviously checking her out."

"What? Who?"

"Park Dong-bin's new, sizzling hot attorney of course."

"WHAT?" Taeyeon felt insulted by the sudden accusation. Checking her out? Hmph. Who does she think she is? Okay, maybe I did took a careful look at her. But that was because I am a journalist and it’s my job to make sure I get all the details right.

"Come on Taeng, I have known you for ages. With her skirt so tight and fitting, it would be a miracle if you didn't mentally strip her right there and then."

Taeyeon felt heat flush through her cheeks for no particular reason.

"What? Are you crazy? I'm a professional. Besides, she is definitely not my type."

"I was just kidding, Taeng." Yuri smirked. "But I dare say she is your type."

Taeyeon groaned for the second time of the day. "Give me a break would you? There's another place we need to go today. Get Jong Seok to pack up the cameras, we are leaving in ten."

"Yes bossy shorty."

Taeyeon shook her head and started to pack her stuff, her head already formulating potential headlines for the article.  

On the other side of the ballroom, someone was watching intently at the bickering pair, waiting for the right moment. She saw the taller of the two walking away and saw it as an opportunity. She was just about to walk over when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Hi Miss Hwang."

"Good afternoon Mr Park."

"Hey don't be too formal with me. You're working for my father anyway. Let's be friends. You can just call me oppa you know."

Tiffany felt the sleazy hand slipping down to her waist and it made her sick right away. She took a tiny step back.

"Ah, Mr Park. Like you have just said, I am working for your father. I would prefer to maintain a strictly professional relationship with the people that I am working with."

The man merely grinned.

"Very well then, Miss Hwang. I can't wait for the case to be over. I will make you mine then."

His bold declaration caught her off caught. That guy was a well-known playboy, dating several girls at once. Tiffany was well aware of that fact and was every bit determined to stay away from that play boy.

By the time she remembered what she was supposed to do, she saw the girl already making the way towards the exit. She dashed over almost immediately in her nine inch killer heels.

"Hey Kim Taeyeon!" She raised her voice as she chased after the girl who was by now, making her way towards her car.

She missed a step and fell onto the ground, feeling a sharp pain on her left ankle. She tried to cushion the impact with her hands, hitting the rough gravel.

The shouting of her name followed by a loud thud certainly caught her attention. Taeyeon turned her head around and was surprised, no, shocked to see Tiffany Hwang on the ground, groaning in pain.

She ran over at once.

"Are you okay?" She tried to help the girl up.

"Yeah..." Tiffany winced as she felt another shot of pain to her ankle. The pain worsened when she felt the skin of her arm bleed.

Taeyeon held Tiffany up, supporting her by her waist.

"Come on."

She helped Tiffany to her car and grabbed several tissues for the girl. "Clean your wounds first."

Taeyeon examined the ankle carefully with furrowed eyebrows and shook her head.

"You were calling out to me just now?"

Tiffany was still slightly embarrassed by her dramatic fall. But nevertheless, she nodded her head.

"I was trying to call you."

"For...?"

"So your name is Kim Taeyeon?"

Taeyeon raised an eyebrow, which Tiffany found it to be somewhat cute.

"I am."

"I think you might have dropped a pen in the cafe yesterday. It looks expensive so I kept it just in case the owner wanted it back."

Taeyeon's eyes sprang open. "What? Really? You found it?"

"Yes." Tiffany grinned. "But I wasn't expecting to see you here so I don't have it with me right now. I wanted to let you know first."

Tiffany swore she saw Taeyeon heaved a sigh of relief. The pen must be of great importance to her.

"Well, in that case, I will bring it to the cafe for you tomorrow." She tried to get off the car seat but was stopped by a pair of arms.

"Stay where you are."

She watched intently as Taeyeon pulled out her phone and whispered into it.

"Do you have anything on after this?"

Tiffany shook her head.

"Alright. I will bring you to the clinic then."

"No, its fine, I am okay. I can take a cab home."

Taeyeon merely shut the car door on Tiffany's face and went over to the driver’s seat.

The journey was silent, save for humming of the air conditioning.

"Where are we going?"

"Clinic"

"Have you eaten?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure I am not taking up too much of your time?"

"..."

Tiffany clicked her tongue in exasperation and took a deep breath to try to calm herself down. All of her attempts to break the awkward silence was met with flat one word answers or a shake of her head. She's just like a wood block. 

==

They stepped out of the clinic after one agonising hour. Taeyeon was relieved to have gotten out what she deemed to be the worse than hell itself. Taeyeon shook her head at the memory of Tiffany clinging tightly onto her arm, grabbing it as if it was her lifebuoy. Not to mention all the strange sounds she made while the doctor examined and wrapped her ankle. An adult whining like a kid. How old does she thinks she is?

Tiffany limped slowly behind, her voice slightly hoarse from all the screaming inside the clinic. It wasn't her fault that the doctor rubbed her ankle in such a violent way. Neither was it her fault that the nurses only had white band aids. Clinics need to stock up on more colours. Pink would be perfect.

Instead of limping towards Taeyeon's car she decided to hail a cab home herself. She didn't want to bother the girl any more than she already did.

"Hey thanks for everything. I can take a cab home myself. The pen, I will bring it to the cafe tomorrow."

"Let me drive."

"I have bothered you enough. I can cab home myself."

"Sure if you insist. But your handbag is in my car. Not too sure how would you hail a cab without a single cent." She continued walking towards the car without even the slightest hint of acknowledgement for Tiffany.

What an !

The limping girl could only follow her into the car.

"Where do you live?"

Once again, Taeyeon raised one of her eyebrow when Tiffany told her the address. She dismissed it as just one of Taeyeon's cute quirks.

And the car ride continued in the usual awkward and silent fashion. Tiffany side eyed the girl who was concentrating on the roads. Tiffany suppressed a smile as she remembered how the walking wood block had allowed her to cling onto her arm while the doctor was examining her ankle.

"Here we are." She said as Taeyeon drove into the lobby. "Just here will do. I can walk in myself."

Taeyeon did not answer. Instead, she drove right to the carpark

"Hey. Why are you going to the carpark? Only residents can--"

"Hi Miss Kim." Taeyeon rolled down her window to greet the security guard. "Ah? Miss Hwang? You two know each other?"

It finally dawned upon Tiffany. She lives here too?

"You live here too?"

"Nope."

"Then why does the ahjussi knows you?'

"My mom lives here."

"You don't live with your parents?"

"No. And you talk too much. Even for a lawyer."

Tiffany had to protest at this absurd generalisation. Not all lawyers are talkative. Granted she liked talking, but she always knew where to draw the line.

She folded her arms, lips jutting outwards in disapproval. “Just because you are like a piece of wood block doesn’t mean that everyone is just like you.”

“Wood block?” Taeyeon had to laugh. “Sure, Little Miss Chatterbox.”

“Me? Chatterbox?” Tiffany was close to raising her voice now. “Great. First I sprained my ankle because of you and now you try to insult me?”

Taeyeon grunted an almost inaudible sign of apology and offered her hand to the limping Tiffany. “I’ll walk you up.”

“No thanks. I can walk on my own.” Tiffany tried her best not to let any pain show on her face as she limped towards the lift. “Come with me, I’ll return you your pen.”

Taeyeon merely walked quietly behind her, following Tiffany step by step.

"Here we are. Welcome to my humble abode."

Taeyeon stood awkwardly at the doorstep, not daring to go in.

"Come on in. I'll go get the pen."

She went from standing awkwardly at the doorstep to standing rigidly inside Tiffany's apartment. The girl reappeared after a few minutes, holding onto Taeyeon's pen.

"Is this the pen?"

"Yes" Taeyeon tried to reach out for it but Tiffany promptly withdrew her hand.

"Let make a deal. Give me your number and I'll give you my pen."

“Huh?” Taeyeon was obviously taken aback by the sudden request.

“Come on. No number no pen.” Tiffany tapped the pen impatiently.

“Yah yah yah. Be gentle with the pen!”

“What do you say?” Tiffany smiled that sneaky smile and all Taeyeon want to do was to wipe that annoying smirk off her face.

Taeyeon sighed in defeat.

“Great. Key it into my phone.” Tiffany handed over her smartphone, which had a huge pink puffy ball keychain stuck to the top of it.

Taeyeon fumbled with the phone for a while before reluctantly keying in her number.

“Give me my pen.”

“Wait.” Tiffany took the phone back and tried giving the number a call. The ring tone from Taeyeon’s pocket confirmed the owner of the number. “Good. At least you didn’t key in a fake number. Here’s your precious pen.”

“I am not sneaky like you.”

“What?”

“Why do you need my number?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because that is my phone number that you asked for?”

“Since I have found your pen and sprained my ankle because of you, it is only right that you make it up to me. I haven’t thought of what to do with you, so I am keeping your number for future reference.”

Taeyeon was just about to retort when her phone rang abruptly.

“Hello?”

“Taeng! Why are you taking so long! The interviewee had left because she explicitly indicated that she would only talk to you and nobody else.”

Taeyeon wanted to curse so badly. So damn badly.

“Did she said anything about another interview timing?”

“Don’t think so. She was upset, to be honest.”

“I will be in the office in 20 minutes. We will discuss later.”

Tiffany watched Taeyeon as she tightened her eyebrows. Why does she looks so stressed up?

Taeyeon tucked the phone back into her pocket and said, “Do whatever you want with my phone number. I got to go.”

“B-but—“ Taeyeon left her apartment hurriedly before Tiffany could even complete her sentence.

Tiffany found herself very much intrigued by the enigmatic girl.  

Kim Taeyeon, I’ll make sure to find out more about you.