“She’s waking up!"

 

Tiffany groggily opened her eyes, squinting against the light.

 

“Give her some space,” she heard her team manager say. “Let her breathe."

 

Sunny’s worried face popped into view. “Hey, you okay?"

 

“I…” Tiffany tried to sit up and discovered that she was still in the chair in the corner. “I’m fine. What happened?"

 

“You fainted,” said Yoona, hovering. “Your eyes just rolled back and you went limp."

 

“Oh."

 

The team manager cleared his throat. “Do you feel any pain? Nausea?"

 

“I don’t think so,” said Tiffany slowly. She looked up suddenly and winced. “Ow."

 

Sunny surged forward and took her hand. “Does it hurt a lot?"

 

“No, just a bit. But don’t we have a meeting? I’m fine, we should get to work."

 

“You just fainted!” Sunny shook her head vehemently and looked up at their team manager. “Can I take her to the hospital? She’s been having nosebleeds these past few days and it might be serious."

 

“I’m okay, Sunny."

 

The team manager sighed. “I’m worried about you, Tiffany, and I think you definitely should go to the hospital. However,” he said, turning to Sunny, “if Tiffany’s not here, I’m going to need you to take over her part. So let’s call a taxi for her and—”

 

“I can drive her."

 

They all turned — or, in Tiffany’s case, stared straight ahead — to gape at Kim Taeyeon. She blinked and turned slightly red.

 

“I can drive her,” she said again, looking at her manager. “Right, Oppa?"

 

“But you’re supposed to give your input and—”

 

Kim Taeyeon sighed. “One, you already know what stuff I like. Two, you always shoot down the stuff that I like anyway."

 

“That’s because your style is stupid, Taeyeon,” said her stylist with a grin.

 

“Exactly,” said Kim Taeyeon with a straight face. “Can I have the keys to the car?"

 

“Um,” said Tiffany, “I can just take the taxi? Hello? Anyone?” But her protests were drowned out by five other voices as Kim Taeyeon argued with her manager, Sunny begged their team leader to let her go along, and Yoona loudly asked if anyone wanted to order pizza. With a sigh, Tiffany settled back into the chair and massaged her temples.

 

--

 

“You okay there?” 

 

Tiffany looked down at the mountain of tissue boxes in her lap. “I think so,” she said. She glanced over at Kim Taeyeon to see her reaching up to adjust the rearview mirror. The sleeve of her cargo jacket fell slightly, revealing a surprisingly toned forearm. 

 

“Good. Lemme just—” Kim Taeyeon looked over in embarrassment as she pulled the driver seat all the way to the front. “My manager is a lot taller than I am."

 

“I’m guessing you usually sit in this seat?” Tiffany asked, moving the shotgun seat back slightly.

 

“I’m not very tall. This is the truth.” Kim Taeyeon flashed her a resigned smile. “I wish every day that it wasn’t so."

 

“You’re not that sho—ah, here we go again."

 

Tiffany ripped the cover off a tissue box with practiced ease, pulling out a tissue and holding it to her nose before any blood dripped out. She leaned back against the headrest and sighed. 

 

“Sorry, I’ll get going.” Kim Taeyeon gave her one last worried look. “Do you feel sick anywhere?"

 

“I won’t throw up in your car, promise."

 

“No, I didn’t mean it that way! Just…just let me know if you need anything, okay?"

 

Tiffany nodded gratefully. “Thank you."

 

It was a quiet ride. Kim Taeyeon didn’t say much, focusing all her attention on the road. Tiffany tried her best to breathe quietly through but it was really hard, with the tissues getting in the way and the blood, all the blood. She awkwardly shuffled the tissue boxes around on her lap and thanked Sunny silently for having the foresight to give her a dark plastic bag to hold her bloodied trash.

 

Just as Tiffany stuffed the most recent piece of tissue into the bag, the car jerked to stop, shooting Tiffany forward against her seatbeat. “Urk!"

 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, Miss Tiffany,” said Kim Taeyeon, her face pale as she glanced over frantically. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, this stupid ing —” 

 

Tiffany stared.

 

“I mean, this upstanding gentleman just cut right in front of me like he learned to drive yesterday,” finished Kim Taeyeon calmly. “Let’s pretend I didn’t say those words."

 

“Okay."

 

“Are you alright, though? Does it hurt anywhere?"

 

Tiffany shook her head, ignoring the dizzy sensation. “I’m okay. I had my seatbelt on."

 

“I’m very sorry about that, Miss Tiffany."

 

“You can just call me Tiffany,” said Tiffany, pinching her nose as the blood flow suddenly intensified. “I haben’t been called Biss Tibbany since I was in kindergarten."

 

“Of course, Tiffany. I’m Taeyeon. Though I guess you already knew that.” She rubbed the back of her neck nervously. 

 

The ride continued in silence. Until Kim Taeyeon suddenly cleared .

 

“Don’t tell my manager about that, will you?"

 

“I won’t, Miss Kim,” said Tiffany. 

 

“Taeyeon."

 

“Taeyeon,” amended Tiffany.