Taeyeon took an extra minute to choose her clothes for the day. She held one muscle tee up in front of the mirror and compared it with another. One had the words ‘Escape From Reality’ printed across her chest. The other had a picture of a skull.

What the am I doing.

Taeyeon rolled her eyes at herself and chucked the skull muscle tee back inside. She pulled the worded muscle tee over her head and took the next pair of ripped jeans from the top of the stack. Squeaky clean white sneakers completed the look and out she went.

Eyes were on her tattoo during her train ride to Hongdae. It used to bother her but no longer. She was used to it now. A woman like her had to be able to handle the stares. She knew it was coming when she chose not to conform to society’s approved standards of appearances so she had started small. A tiny tattoo behind her ear. Another above her elbow.

The first person to voice her disapproval had been her mother. Or rather, it was more about worrying what others would think of her. What would her co-workers say? What would her manager say? What would her family say? Her mother had been concerned about her prospects in the company but she assured her mother it wouldn’t affect her.

It did.

Another co-worker was put in charge of a bigger client account instead of her. She found it ironic, considering how she was in a design company. Aren’t tattoos a kind of design too?

Ignoring all the stares, Taeyeon put her earphones on and listened to her favourite music while scrolling through Instagram, browsing accounts of other tattooists. She was always interested to look at designs other tattooists had done and also to scout out the competition. A few of them had become friends while some others were known to be the low life scum of the tattooist circle—the ones who reported their competitors to the police.

Speaking of friends, a new message popped up from Kwon Yuri, another female tattooist operating in Gangnam, asking her if she was free for dinner today. It was a Monday, typically a day off for her, so Yuri’s invite would have been accepted if it weren’t for Tiffany.

Got a date with someone hot and u didn’t tell me?

Taeyeon grinned. Yuri was just teasing her but little did she know how accurate she was.

Yeah

Seriously? Who is she? When did it start?

It’s just a casual dinner date. We’re not together.

Yet.

How would u know

Girls always fall for your type.

What type lol

The bad type

I’m not bad

U r

Ok whatev

See? That’s bad

 

Her text exchange with Yuri led her to wonder if anything might come out of dinner with Tiffany. It wasn’t a bad time for it either. She had been single for a few months now and she was ready for a new relationship. Why not.

T

After picking the delivery of her tattoo supplies, Taeyeon packed them neatly and tidied up her shop a little before locking it up again. A quick glance at her watch told her she was right on time as she sauntered down the road to the barbeque restaurant Tiffany had suggested. It wasn’t crowded when she got there and there was a table available for two so she went straight in and sat down.

“Hey.”

Taeyeon looked up and was blasted by an eye-pleasing view of luscious black hair framing a pretty palette of twinkling eyes and smiling lips. “Hey,” was all she could manage in that moment.

“You’re early.”

Taeyeon shook her head. “You’re late.”

Tiffany looked at her watch. “A little. I’m sorry.”

“Doesn’t matter. Let’s order. I’m hungry.”

A few moments later, Taeyeon found herself staring at Tiffany as she placed the order.

“Why were you staring at me?” Tiffany asked as soon as the waitress left their table.

“Are you Korean?”

Tiffany blinked, her beautiful eyes expressing the question within. “I’m Korean but I was born in California and grew up there. I moved here in my teens. Why do you ask?”

Taeyeon shrugged. “Just a feeling.”

“What kind of feeling?”

“You feel a bit foreign.”

Tiffany raised a brow but Taeyeon didn’t elaborate and their conversation halted for an awkward moment.

“Tell me about yourself.”

Taeyeon stopped chewing and looked into Tiffany’s eyes, feeling her heart beat a little faster. “What do you wanna know?”

“I know you’re twenty-eight and you’re a famous tattooist. Tell me how you got started in this business.”

“You said it’s not an interview.”

“I’m asking ‘cos I’m curious.”

“It’s a long story.”

Tiffany leaned forward, chin on her upturned palms. “I have all night.”

Taeyeon snorted. “Don’t you have to work tomorrow?”

“The good thing about a job like mine is flexibility. I can work from home if I want to.”

“Why did you become an editor?”

“Will you tell me if I tell you?”

Taeyeon jerked her chin at Tiffany. “Tell me.”

“I became an editor because I’m good at English. I joined a fashion magazine team because I like fashion.”

Taeyeon eyed Tiffany’s curls and necklace and bracelets. “I can see that.”

“Do you like fashion?”

“I like simple stuff. Whatever’s comfortable.”

“Are you telling me you’re effortlessly stylish?”

Taeyeon looked down at herself. She hadn’t put that much thought into her style but she knew what she liked. “This muscle tee is one of my favourites. And I like ripped jeans.” Taeyeon raised her hands and shrugged. “I’m not trying to be fashionable. It’s nothing special.”

“Why are you so calm and cool?”

Taeyeon raised her brow. “You’re asking me why I am the way I am?”

Tiffany stared at her without speaking.

“What?”

“You’re prickly.”

“What?”

“You’re not the soft, gentle kind of nice girl.”

“If that’s what you want, you’re looking in the wrong place.”

Tiffany shook her head. “I’m not looking for that. It’s just the difference between the way you are here and your tattoo shop that I’m noticing now.”

“My regular customers know me like this. But I have to be polite to new customers. They’re new after all.”

Tiffany giggled. “So this is the real you?”

Taeyeon shrugged. “More or less, yeah. Take it or leave it.”

There was a gleam in Tiffany’s eyes. “What if I want to take it?”

“That depends on whether I’m willing to let you take it.”

Tiffany’s lips parted into a huge grin. “You’re really cool. I like you.”

Taeyeon choked on her drink. “Do you just go around telling people you barely know that you like them?”

“Job habit. I don’t have time to beat around the bush. I’m used to telling people what I like or don’t like.”

“That may be a good thing.”

“How so?”

“Less guessing. I don’t like to guess.”

“Neither do I.”

Taeyeon smiled. “If nothing comes out of this, I think we can still be good friends.”

With her drink raised, Tiffany said, “I agree.”

T

Later that night, as Taeyeon was about to sleep, a new message came in.

Tiffany Hwang Seoul Sister Editor

This time, Taeyeon found herself smiling as she tapped in. But the smile froze and her heart leaped. It was a picture of Tiffany in the bathroom mirror, holding up her tattooed finger. But that wasn’t the point. The point was, Tiffany wasn’t wearing a bra under her figure-hugging white tank top.

The tatt is looking better and better. Dinner was great too. Goodnight, Taettoo.

Taeyeon stared at the picture, all need for sleep gone. Then a smile crept onto her face and she knew what to answer with.

Just call me Tae.

T