(The next morning)

Tiffany woke up with her dishevelled bed hair and her slightly red puffy eyes. She let out a big yawn before she turned off the alarm on her phone.

“Another new day huh? Will you come today?” Tiffany asked to no one in particular as she looks at the vast sky out there from her room's window.

Tiffany tied her hair into a messy bun and opened her bedroom door just to be greeted by a tempting smell of foods. Her drowsiness is long gone since the delicious smell caused her to get wide awake.

“Morning, Tiffany. I don’t know what you like but i hope you’ll be fine with kimchi fried rice?” Taeyeon asked with two plates of fried rice in her hands.

“Omo, i almost forget that i have a new housemate. Morning to you too, Taeyeon.” Tiffany said with a lazy morning smile that somehow make Taeyeon can’t look away from it. Tiffany’s smile, be it her small teasing smile, her sad smile that didn’t reach her eyes, and now her lazy morning smile, all of her smiles have the same effect on Taeyeon. It makes her to hold her breath in for a sec or  two.

“Sure, i’m not so picky when it comes to food as long as it’s edible. Besides your fried rice smells good.” Tiffany continued as she makes her way toward the dining table.

“Thank you for the food.” Both of them start to dig in and soon engulfed in a somehow comforting peaceful silence. Both of them might didn’t admit it out loud, but they do enjoying each other’s presence.

---

“I’ll be going to school now. See you later in the restaurant, Tiffany.” Taeyeon said with a bow.

“Yeah, see you later.” Taeyeon almost fully close the door behind her when she hear Tiffany’s voice again.

“Do you bring an umbrella with you? Look like it will rain soon.” Taeyeon glued on her spot with her hand still holding onto the door knob. Tiffany was confused as to why Taeyeon didn’t answer her and stand unmoved like a statue.

“Yah, Kim Taeyeon, you alright?” How surprised Tiffany when she saw Taeyeon turned around with tears streaming down her face.

“Ehh? Did i say something wrong? Uljimaaa~” Tiffany said in slight panic. She always hate to see people crying. And she doesn’t know how to comforting or consoling people.

“I-I’m fine. I’m sorry.” Taeyeon said with a sniff. “I don’t know what’s gotten into me. Why i’m so emotional lately. It’s just you’re too kind to me, Tiffany.” At first Tiffany didn’t understand. She didn’t get it. What’s the big deal behind her simple question to Taeyeon? She just asked the latter to bring an umbrella with her since the sky outside is so dark and gloomy. It’s only normal for people to bring an umbrella out to protect themselves from the falling rain right?

“I almost forget how does it feels to have someone asking about my doing. I almost forget how does it feels to have someone worrying me. T-thanks for reminding me how does it feels, Tiffany.” Taeyeon said with a grateful smile. Her eyes are twinkling, maybe because of her tears, but Tiffany swears she can feel the sincerity and the adoration for her in that onyx eyes. Tiffany thinks she will never forget the look in Taeyeon’s eyes today.

Now Tiffany finally understand. Her question, her did, it might be something so ordinary and trivial, but for her part timer, it’s something far from ordinary. Tiffany can’t help but to feel bad toward Taeyeon. She had gone through a lot in such young age.

It’s weird but Tiffany feels the need to take care of the younger more now.

---

It’s raining heavily outside and Taeyeon is still nowhere to be seen. She’s late for few minutes already but that’s not what Tiffany concern about. Because Taeyeon rarely come late to her work, in fact she usually always come earlier. And the heavy rain and strong wind outside just added more worries to the woman.

This feeling is new for Tiffany. She used to live alone for so long. She only care and take care of her ownself. And now she has Taeyeon to be worried about. This feeling is kind of foreign to her but she doesn’t dislike it.

Tiffany mindlessly looking at the window to see some people walking and running under the rain with their umbrella in hand, some using their bag as their umbrella. 30 minutes passed just like that and Taeyeon still hasn’t come.

“Where is she? Should i call her? Wait, she doesn’t even have a mobile phone. Maybe i should buy her one.” Tiffany tried to busied herself with her phone and try to distract herself from worrying about her part timer slash housemate. But something in her telling her that something isn’t right.

“Aish, screw this.” Tiffany groaned and stood up from her chair. She grabbed her coat, wear it hastily and take her pink umbrella with her.

She then hailed a cab and told the driver to drive to Taeyeon’s school. She remember the latter ever told her about her school and its location. Besides it’s still in the same neighborhood with her restaurant so it’s not so difficult for her to find Taeyeon’s school.

And her guts was right. From where she’s standing after she get down from the taxi, she can see Taeyeon struggling hard under two big guys' hold. The two men seem asking her something but Taeyeon kept mum as she tried to find a way to escape from them. Seeing Taeyeon starts to struggle, the two guys hold her arm and forcefully dragging her aside to a quieter corner.

Tiffany’s heart beat so fast in her chest. She doesn’t know why. Maybe because she is in huge panic and fear. Why? Why she feels so scared right now? She’s scared if something bad happen to Taeyeon. She’s scared if she can’t save her. But if she herself feel this fear, how about Taeyeon? She must be feel scarier than her since she’s the one who get surrounded by those scary big guys.

Tiffany takes a deep breath to calm down her nerves and then in a split second, her pale panic face turned into her normal expressionless face. Her eyes show no emotion at all. She gracefully walked toward Taeyeon and the guys, swaying her hips to the left and to the right and make a click-clack sound with her boots.

The sound of Tiffany’s steps can be heard by Taeyeon and also the bad guys. They stopped their ‘fight’ as the three of them turned their attention to Tiffany.

“Shame on you. Two big man against one teenager. A girl.” Tiffany mocked

“Who the hell are you? You better keep on walking if you don’t want to get hurt.”

“I will. But let go of that girl first.” Tiffany demanded with such authority in her voice. Looking all fearless and intimidating.

“Just mind your own business, woman. We need to get something from her.” One of the guy said as he pointed at Taeyeon.

“What is it? Just tell me. I know her and as far as i know, she’s not someone who like to seek for trouble. Let alone to have anything involved with a loan shark like you two.” The two guys (and also Taeyeon) gasped in surprise.

“How do you know that we’re a loan shark?” One of the loan shark asked.

“Is that even important? Just tell me what’s the problem before i call the police. You know my brother is working in Seoul police station. Should i call him now and ask for a little help from him?” Tiffany’s narrowing her eyes and sinisterly smirk at them, sending chills down to their spin with her wicked look. She looks really scary right now. Even Taeyeon subconsciously hide herself behind one of the bad guy’s back. Tiffany saw that and really wanted to smack Taeyeon right now for doing that. How come she hides behind the bad guy and avoiding Tiffany’s gaze that secretly told her to come to her side. But luckily Taeyeon got the message after Tiffany winked her eyes for God knows how many times as she looks at Taeyeon.

Slowly Taeyeon makes her way toward Tiffany. When she’s close enough, Tiffany quickly pulled Taeyeon’s hand and make the latter to stand close behind her. She wrapped one of Taeyeon’s hands around her waist and hold her hand in protective manner.

“Now talk before i lost my patience.” Tiffany demanded.

“Her aunt is in debt to us. And when we came to her house yesterday night, she said she didn’t have any money left in her. All of her money was stolen by her niece which is your little friend here. Her aunt gave us her photo, her school’s address and told us to take the money from her. So that’s what we’re trying to do now.”

“That wicked witch.” Tiffany grumbled.