"So where are we going for dinner?" Tiffany asked in a cute voice while skipping happily beside me. We had been dismissed by Mr Ryu, but I still had to take Tiffany out for dinner. Heck...in actual fact I would be stuck by her side like a conjoined twin for the best part of a month. These immersion programmes require student counsellors to house their buddies in their homes, accompany them for meals, attend school together with them...well, you get the idea. I would be seeing a lot of Tiffany in the next month, not that I was complaining. Whatever kind of relationship we had, friend--rival, it was comfortable being around Tiffany, her bubbly personality made talking less of a chore than it usually was for me. Of course, her attractiveness was a big plus.

She wanted American food, burgers and all; I wanted bibimbap, but eventually we made a compromise, heading to Subway.

While eating, we got to know each other better by asking each other questions.

"Favourite tennis player?"

"It has to be Roger Federer, oh my gosh, the grace and elegance when he plays..." Tiffany swooned.

I grinned and held out my hand to her for a high five.

"Favourite colour?"

"Blue. What about you?"

"Pink, oh my god you really have no idea how much I love it."

"Why did you decide to move to Korea?" I asked curiously.

"Well...because of my playing style, many top tennis training academies back in the US rejected me. Thankfully, a well-known training academy here accepted me, so I came here alone to pursue my dreams."

"Oh...you're so brave..."

She really was. Leaving her home of 12 years, arriving in a place with unfamiliar cultures just to pursue her dreams, her determination was remarkable.

"Guys or girls?" Tiffany asks me out of the blue with a wicked smile on her face, breaking my train of thought.

"Huh?" I utter, completely caught off guard.

"Guys or girls?" She repeats, her smile getting wider.

I squirmed uncomfortably and stared at my feet. I had no doubts over my uality, but I wondered if it would affect our relationship adversely if she knew.

"Well, I prefer..." Mid-speech, my phone rings all of a sudden, making me jump in surprise.

"Sorry, I have to take this call." I flash Tiffany a quick smile before stepping outside the store to answer the call.

I glance at the caller ID, it was Hyoyeon, my tennis practice partner.

"Hello?"

"Taeyeon-ah...I have very, very bad news, I won't be able to practice with you for a few months."

"What? So long? Why?" I ask worriedly, who was I to practice with now?

"I felt pain in my knees while playing today...the doctor said I had patella tendinitis...it takes several months to heal..." Hyoyeon explained, audibly upset.

"Omo, rest well and get well soon! I'll find someone else to spar and practice with, don't worry!" I answered in what I hoped was a cheerful voice, though all I felt at that moment was worry. Who was I going to practice with now? Due to my reserved personality, besides Hyoyeon, I practically had no other friends who played tennis...

While I trudged back to my seat, I was desperately thinking of prospective practice partners to fill in for Hyoyeon while she recovered from her injury.

"Who was that?" Tiffany asked while still munching away on her sub.

Looking back up at her, I suddenly had a brainwave. An epiphany. An epi-fany.

"Tiffany, does your offer to practice with me still stand?"