"Oh, how long have you been here?" I looked at Sooyoung who read another magazine, after that to Sunny who smirked and then to Taeyeon who chuckled.

"Sorry, I mean how long has she been here?" 

"Do you really want an answer?" Sunny asked me.

"No I don't actually. No answer," I sat down next to them and pondered about Taeyeon's thoughts when she saw my after we exchanged...zero words with each other. Well, it could've been possible that she came in when I was about to button it up so she didn't see anything but she also could've seen me changing. 

"Do you possibly..." I lifted my arm and put my nose in the crook of my arm, smelling at the shirt. From the corner of my eye, I saw Taeyeon chuckling again, without any obvious reason. However, I didn't really bother at first until I got to know it "...do you possibly like vanilla?" 

"I do like vanilla but if you mean the milk and the shirt's smell, I have to pass it on to Taeyeon,"

"What do you mean?" I asked unknowingly.

"Taeng likes vanilla milk and that's her shirt, you dummy," 

"Eh what?" Did I hear right? Tae-Tae-Taeyeon's shirt? 

"dumb and deaf. Wow, you have successfully exceeded yourself, Tiffany," Sunny said laughing, Sooyoung followed. 

That's why Taeyeon giggled as soon as she saw me and then when I smelled at her shirt. Once again I tried to take a look into her mind and facepalmed myself internally and gave Sunny an imaginary hit. And not to begin with Sooyoung; she was fully captured in the world of fashion that she couldn't even afford and healthy recipes that supposedly help to get your ideal weight. She didn't know what was going on between us three and obviously, didn't want to know. 

Taeyeon must've thought what a weird girl I was. Not a good thing to start my approach to her secret, however, judging from the way she shyly laughed and smiled at me, it didn't bother her that I wore her stuff. There was no sign of madness or anger, she quietly sat in the comfortable-looking chair with crossed legs and polite hands, looking all innocent and happy. 

"Taetae, why are you so happy? Did you finally cut that 's throat?" I indignantly shot my head towards Sunny and gave her a look of doubt. 

To my luck, it exposed to be a disbelief when Taeyeon threw a paper plane, that she folded by herself, at Sunny and shook her head. 

"A younger girl has fallen for my best friend, you know," Sunny whispered to me, "she's annoying as hell. I'm surprised that you can still bear it," 

"Why don't you just tell her you are not interested?" I asked and immediately compressed my lips in embarrassment. I was still not used to the fact that Taeyeon didn't talk or at least didn't answer to me...with words. I always dropped a brick whenever it was possible but Taeyeon didn't seem like my clumsiness bothered her as much as me. I, then, got the feeling that many people might've done the same and she became used to be treated that way. Luckily, I wasn't the only one to be so thoughtless. 

But I felt bad because technically, I was rubbing it in again and again. I was rubbing in how rough her life was and reminded her once more what she has gone through. I wanted to help her yet I was making it even worse. Good job, Miyoung. 

"I guess...Tae likes her too," Sunny said.

"Oh, then why aren't you together yet? They...why aren't they together yet?" I asked the latter.

"Taeng doesn't want to be in a relationship. Too much stress for her. She knows what a difficult person she is," 

"Nonsense! She seems..." The nonsense just came out like a bullet that I shot by accident. Both of them were expecting an explanation when I started the next sentence so I had to come up with something that would disprove it, "...Taeyeon is...she is very simple. I don't see any problem with her," good comeback, Miyoung, good.

"That's the second time meet- seeing her. She hasn't even talked to you yet and you are making some false assumptions already," Sunny shook her head and softly yet conceitedly laughed before her hand did a touch down on my thigh. 

"Get your hand off me..." I vent with an enraged voice, taking her hand away from me, "...and stop talking like that about your best friend," 

"If Sooyoung and me weren't here, or at least me because Sooyoung is drowned in her vanilla milk and magazines, Taeyeon could say something but now I'm here and I'm telling you to stop," 

"Trust me, Tiffany, you don't know anything,"

"If I don't know then why don't you enlighten me? You are so arrogant," This situation was getting out of control the more I said but I couldn't tolerate Sunny superior behavior anymore and had to do something if Taeyeon couldn't. 

"Me? Arrogant? I'm trying to protect my best friend from bad,"

"Yeah," I scoffed and shifted away from Sunny to make a safe distance between us, "and that requires you to call her a difficult person after what you've told me?"

"I'm just stating facts...there is nothing wrong with it,"

"I'm believing that you use her weakness and that's wrong,"

"If I used her weakness, I would be beaten to death by now. She is perfectly fine, don't you see?" I looked at Taeyeon and saw what Sunny just said with a little difference. She did look perfectly fine but something told me she wanted to say something...not to Sunny but to me. 

"Guys, calm down. Tiffany, calm down. Sunny, calm down," Sooyoung said out of the blue. 

"Oh well, at least one of you mute spoke up," I got up from my seat and took my bag to leave. 

"Are you going now?" Sooyoung asked.

"That's how it looks like, doesn't it?" 

"What a coward..." I heard Sunny say under her breath. I couldn't handle Sunny's attitude at that moment, maybe even in the future. I didn't react to it and left the cellar before I gave Taeyeon a short glance, dismissing myself like she has done it. No words, just smiling and a nod. 

In that second I've looked at her, I noticed that her expression has changed. Obviously because Sunny and I were arguing about no other than her. Who wouldn't have a look far from pleased on their face if you see an almost stranger arguing with your best friend? Taeyeon wasn't so amused like earlier when I turned around, it was the first time that she was genuinely serious and not in the mood to laugh. Well, it wasn't my problem anymore because I left the three of them in the there and went to my next class, without regretting any word I've said. 

-----
[5:08 pm — at the campus]
"Hey" I said to Khuni who picked me up from the university. 

"Hey, what's wrong?" I was about to get in the car but he pulled me back and held my shoulders as we looked in each other's eyes, "it's okay if you don't want to talk about it but I don't like it when you pull that face," I forced myself to smile, lifting the corners of my lips to the highest possible point, "that's better. Let's get something to eat, you must be starving," I was grateful for his kindness that I couldn't help it but reach out and hug him. 

"Thank you," I said, inhaling a strong-smelling, masculine cologne. 

"What for?" I felt him lifting up his arms and capturing me in his safe embrace. 

"For being understanding," an undefinable anger boiled inside me. A three-course menu of madness at its finest was about to be served to whoever asked for it. I was ready to give out a bitter rocket fist, refined with eye-stinging onion spit but for what reason? Sunny was rude and arrogant, I didn't like that at all. It kept my mood at the lowest for the rest of the day...until Khuni came. He didn't know anything, he didn't know them, he didn't really know me. I was like a white paper to him that got more colors and pictures whenever we would meet. I was glad he didn't prejudice me, he couldn't prejudice me. 

"So what do you want to eat? It's my treat," he said as we let go of each other. 

"Um-"

"Ms. Hwang, there is someone watching us," Khuni cut me off but still looked at me as if he didn't want that someone to know his detection, he has made. 
I wanted to turn around and look for the person but before I could do that he told me not to turn around.

"Look at me. She is on the other side of the road. Long, blond hair, black leggings, black shirt with a golden hand printed on and a black leather jacket. Short. Holding books, probably attending the university here and..." I knew who he was describing. I remembered that outfit immediately because I thought it was a little bit to warm outside to dress all in black but it suited her very well. 

"I know her," I said. He stopped to describe her and smiled at me. 

"She looks very serious. Who is that?" His eyes finally went away from me which means I could take a look at my little silent friend as well. 

"Hold on," I gave him my bag and ran across the street before looking left and right. 

"Hey, do you want us to give you a ride?" I asked Taeyeon, expecting a nod or head-shaking.  

Well, my expectations fulfilled when she hastily shook her head in disapproval. I wanted to pick up a little conversation with her but her silent act brought more difficulties than I thought. In addition to that, she wasn't comfortable with me because she awkwardly shifted her books a