YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING Part II

(Present; March 2011)
The longing seemed to grow within as Tiffany continued her stares at the top floor of the building outside the lobby. All the fresh memories were literally playing in her mind, reminding how much she’d missed her wonderful girlfriend.

She shouldn’t be home, would she? The dark hair girl thought to herself, debating if she should step in the lobby and head for the elevator.

“How can I help yo— Miss Hwang? Is that you?” A man’s voice caught Tiffany’s attention and she knew it would be none other than Mr Shin, the good ol’ caretaker of the apartment building that would always greet her and Taeyeon with warmth whenever they passed by the lobby counter.

“Good evening, Mr Shin.” The shy lady greeted. She was too immensely in her own thoughts that she’d forgotten the caretaker would always check out the premises outside once in a few hours to make sure everything was fine and safe, not a single unwanted soul or visitors loitering the private building.

“It has been sometime… What are you doing outside in such a time of a night, and all alone? Please, come in to the lobby first.” Mr Shin suggested, which Tiffany had tried to reject but was futile towards the fifty-year-old man. “So, Miss Hwang, it has been sometime since I saw you. I remember hearing from Miss Kim that she was sending you to the airport on that day when the two of you passed by the lobby.”

The lady shifted uncomfortably on the leather couch at the mention of ‘airport’, ‘sending’ and ‘Taeyeon’. She had not an idea how or what she ought to say, and she was bad at lying – especially when Taeyeon’s name was involved.

She gave her best shot at smiling before voicing out, with stutters, “Y…Yea. I was at…ttending a crash course over in L…A and uh.. yeah…”

“Are you cold? You seemed to be shivering. This is not good. I suggest Miss Hwang to head upstairs and turn on the heater for the night. Oh, though Miss Kim is not back yet. But I’m sure she knows about your return.” The old man smiled.

Tiffany held onto both sides of her arms and returned the smile, almost too unnaturally but well, that was the best smile she could afford. So Tae Tae is not home. And no, Mr Shin, she doesn’t know about my return…

“All right. I will make a move first.”
“Please do. Have a good night.”

The duo stood up and the caretaker resumed his position at the lobby counter while Tiffany hesitantly halted her footsteps before the elevator. It took about half a minute before a bell rang, indicating the lift has arrived and the woman entered carefully and pressed the button ‘36’ after a long brief of hesitation.

**

“Yes, I have arrived. But I do want to know why did you book a flight that would have me driving home in such late night?” The driver enquired to the other party on the line through her iPhone on speaker mode, which was mounted by the side of the steering wheel.

“Time lag. I’ve forgotten Madrid is behind Korea seven hours…”

“When will you start being as attentive as when—no, wait. You were never attentive, even at work! Why did I even hire you in the first place?” Her sleepiness was getting into her head and she was doing her best to keep herself awake by reprimanding her assistant.

“Because you love me. Just relax will you, Kim Taeyeon. It’s freaking one in the morning and I’m already in bed, asleep for more than two hours if you didn’t know. My boyfriend almost kicked me out of bed when my phone rang!”

It was a hushed exclamation her assistant was barking through the phone. Taeyeon knew the latter couldn’t literally shout since like she had said, ‘almost gotten kicked out by her boyfriend’. Taeyeon smirked and continued, “It’s your own fault that I’m driving on the road in the middle of the night, Kim Hyoyeon. I’m sleepy and am trying my best to keep myself awake. You are supposed to entertain me so that I wouldn’t get into any accident!”

“Yah! I’m only your assistant, not your nanny or girlfriend! I need my sleep!”

Taeyeon’s smile soon fell as she heard the word, ‘girlfriend’. She has been very sensitive towards that particular word and for the last two months, she’d tried her best to avoid it. Her assistant knew about it. But perhaps due to the drowsiness fact, her assistant slipped her mind for that instant.

“I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

“Nah, it’s okay. I know you’re really tired. Go ahead and resume your sleep. I’ll manage the drive.” Taeyeon replied.

“I can accompany you for your drive. Provided a half day off tomorrow?” She heard a chuckle over the phone, clearly trying to ease the tension from Taeyeon.

“Continue that dream when you’re asleep. I’ll see you tomorrow same place, same time. Don’t even think about being late for one minute.” The driver warned.

“Arasseo. Be careful on the road aye, danshin.”

“Speak that to yourself, shorty.” Taeyeon rebutted.

“Yeah, I’m a shorty, shorty. Call me if anything crops up.”

“Yeah, I will. I’m hanging up. Bye.”

“Bye.”

The call finally ended after fifteen minutes of ongoing conversation and twenty earlier on for solo drive. It’s at least another twenty minutes more to reach Seoul. Or perhaps just barely fifteen if she steps on the gas pedal harder.

**

“Tiff……” A groggy muffled voice echoed through the empty room. “Tiff…..” The sleepy figure had her face buried within the pillows and a single arm stretched outwards, apparently trying to reach for something. “Ugh… Tiff! Where are you?” She shouted while pushing herself away and up from the pillow, settling in a sitting position on the not-so-fanciful twin bed. Ruffling her blonde hair, she looked around with her half-opened eyes to realize the dark environment with streetlights sipping through the window curtains.

Okay. Tiff definitely isn’t here. Where the hell is she then?

Lazily stood up from the half-comfy bed, Jessica strode over to the door and slapped her fingers on the light switches. It wasn’t a fancy lodging place, just a barely two-stars hotel they’d checked in few hours ago. The blonde was satisfied since they didn’t have much cash to be using sparingly anyway.

Should I head out to look for her? Jessica looked around. Damn! This girl doesn’t hold a cell! How the hell am I going to know where she is? She won’t get lost right? The blonde raised a single brow, trying to counter the question back at herself. Wait… She practically lived majority of her life here. How possible is that for her to get lost...?

A sudden grumbling rumbled through the empty hotel room.

“Alright. I’m hungry. I should seriously get something to eat first.” She said it out loud. “Oh. Leave a note for that irresponsible biatch. Perhaps she’d be back before I did.” Jessica happily scribbled a few words before scooping her purse and exited the room instantly.

**

“What kinda hotel is that? They don’t even have food, and expect me to find something from the convenient store myself?! I know the paycheck the company allotted us could only afford so much, but this? Geez… What’s wrong with Tiff?” Jessica mumbled through her whole three minutes of journey from the hotel lobby to the convenient store across the street.

It was late at night and the cold wind wasn’t helping much for the American girl who only had a thin hoodie and a pair of short denim. She quickly entered the store, hoping to feel the heater inside but was immediately put off when the cold air attacked every exposed part of her body. Damn! What is wrong with this place!

Shrugging away the coldness and the irritation building in the pit of her stomach, she proceeded to the aisle that had all the different instant noodles packed nicely on the racks. Ramen? I should totally try this! I had seen a few in Tiff’s room back in our sleazy apartment.

The blonde took the cup of her choice and headed for the counter with a slight satisfying smile hanging on her features. The moment she looked up at the cashier, her face took an 180degree turn; a blank expression covering her face.

“Quit staring and scan the stuff?”
“Oh! Sorry.”

The cashier apologized and did his job quickly.

Shifting her gaze further back, a tiny paper box caught her attention. Suddenly her urge kicked in, but was soon met up with an internal struggle that would probably be the most terrible inner-ordeal of her life.

No, Jessie. Do not give in to temptation. It only harms you.

But it’s been an ETERNITY since I last had one.

No, Jessie. No. Be a good girl. Your bestie will not be happy about it.

Who cares?! My urge is more important right now! She left me all alone back in that ***** hotel too, didn’t she?!

That’s… kinda right. I… have nothing to say.

Hah! Screw you, conscience!

“Can I have that pack of cigarettes?” She pointed at the back of the cashier, towards the display cabinet with a glint of victory-smile.

“Are you legal, young lady?”
“Hello? Do I look young to you, boy? I’m probably older than you.”
“Boy? Still, I have to see your id, Miss.”

“Fine.” She flipped opened her purse hastily and smiled in triumph when she slid out her id card, shoving the item right in the cashier’s face. “See that? 22! I’m very much legal. And yes, U.S.A. I’m an American, are you that amazed?”

Behind the small ruckus, a certain brunette was watching with amuse at the blonde’s exaggerated actions and the cashier’s intimidated expressions. Her coffee break was very well entertained –saying that it was such an hour late at night.

Keeping her eyes back to herself when the blonde had finally ended the ‘war’ in victory and was heading towards her direction, she giggled unwittingly. But the blonde was too engrossed in her little victory with her grumbling stomach than to notice a short brunette was looking at her like the joke of the night.

“Okay. So I shall leave this here for a couple of minutes while I go for my smoke.” Jessica mumbled to herself as she placed the cup noodles on the tall table stand, the same one as the short brunette was using. “Sorry, are you leaving any sooner? If you aren’t, will you be kind enough to help me look after while I go for a smoke?” Jessica asked in English and mental-slapped herself as she’d forgotten she was in Korea. “Geez, I forgot you people don’t speak English. It must be all the hunger that’s getting to me.” She spoke aloud, not towards the stranger but to herself.

“I understand you clearly.” The brunette answered in perfect English, though it still had heavy Korean accents in it. “I won’t be leaving in another five. Take that time for your smoke.”

“Seriously? Gosh, that’s very kind of you! —But you ain’t gonna dope me anything in my food while I’m out, are you?”
“I will not. But you should be careful still. There ain’t guaranteed safety in any place in this world. And for a lady like you to be taking a smoke in quiet streets would escalate the chance of unwanted accidents. So, think twice.”
“Man, are you always doing this? I mean, staking out a fairly good reason for people not to smoke? Are you against cigarettes?”

The brunette smiled genuinely before replying, “I am against smoking personally. But I have a girlfriend who used to smoke. Thankful that she’d quitted because of me. And no, I don’t always attempt to stop people from smoking. It’s their business, not mine. I’m just concerned for a lady like you to be standing on the streets at such an hour. It’s literally holding out a sign saying, ‘Come get me. I’m here.’ You know what I mean?”

“Ouh…” Jessica nodded her head slightly and weighed the consequences that the fellow stranger has mentioned. “Well… You know what? Since your reason is fairly well stated and I shouldn’t leave my food lying around in a public place; all right, I’ll skip my smoke for this once and get on with my supper first.”

“Wise choice.” The stranger replied.

“I know. I’m Jessica. You?”
“Taeyeon.”
“Nice to meet you, Taeyeon.”
“Likewise.”

**

“So you’re telling me you just landed in Korea from Madrid?”
“Yeah. Hours on plane, pain in the head.”
“Pain in the you meant. I just touched down on Korea from the States earlier today. So I understand how you feel.”
“Serious? What a coincidence.”

Soft chuckles were heard from downstairs and the figure that was laying still on the king sized bed bolted up immediately. Tae Tae? Tiffany gathered her feet onto the wooden floor quickly and rushed out of her bedroom –their bedroom. Leaning over the ledge just outside the room, dim lights were lit on and voices were still resounding through the entire house. Straining her eyes, two silhouettes were pacing across the living room, and one was heading towards the kitchen.

“Something to drink?”
“If it’s not a bother.”

Tiffany locked her gaze on the figure standing by the couch after watching the other went around and inside the kitchen. Her voice’s extremely familiar. Tiffany thought and was distracted soon when the other figure exited from the kitchen, presumably holding on to a glass in her right.

“Here.”
“Thanks. Are you sure it’s alright for me to crash in tonight?”
“You have no other choice, do you? It’s not like you didn’t ask for help back in the lobby.”
“Reminding me of that, their service really . I wonder why did my friend even brought me to that hotel. Yes, I know I said nothing fanciful, but that’s too horrible to call it a hotel! More like a motel! They didn’t even have an extra keycard!”

The girl upstairs heard complains from the familiar voice and was wrecking her brains at the familiarity of the voice of that woman.

“I couldn’t agree more. I hope your friend’s able to return safe and sound since it’s really late and she’s a girl after all.” Tiffany heard laughter and her ears perked.

“Are you always this concerned in affairs of other people? Even if they were strangers?”
“Well, there’s nothing wrong about that. I don’t lose out and it feels great to be helpful.”
“You’re right. But nah, I don’t think I’ll ever give any thoughts that aren’t related to me. Though I’m really thankful for your help tonight.”
“You’re welcome. By the way, I will head up to switch over to some comfy clothes on. Feel yourself at ease. Be back in awhile.”
“Thanks! Do you uh… Mind if I look around?”
“Sure. Suit yourself!”

Tiffany was stunned and literally immobilized when she finally figured out whom the voice belonged to other than Taeyeon’s. Focus and concentration flew out of her body many moments ago, and she’d failed to realize the short brunette was actually walking up the stairs, heading towards the bedroom that was directly behind her back.

“P…Pani?” That voice insinuated Tiffany’s brain, coursing through her whole body. The last time she’d heard this voice clear and loud, sweet and close was exactly five months ago. Even the phone calls they had through the months ceased abruptly at the last two months. She’d missed the warmth in her voice too much. No body has ever called out her name with such caring in it. No body has ever loved her like Taeyeon did.

Turning her face slowly towards where the voice came from, eyes of hers seemed to have a mind of their own. Tears were jamming her vision, heartbeat of hers began to race and her body felt absurd heat swimming through her body. Taeyeon was standing in front of her, barely three meters away and she looked… stunning.

The long brunette hair had reduced to short shoulder length, with bangs and golden tips at the end. She was wearing a leather jacket; the leather jacket that Tiffany has chosen for her when they went shopping together. The t-shirt that hid underneath the outerwear was Tiffany’s favorite tee; the tee that Tiffany always bugged Taeyeon to wear when they went out for their dates.

Tae Tae…

“P…Pani. It’s you, right? I’m not dreaming, am I?” Taeyeon voiced again