Yuri arrived at a small two-storey apartment-like complex just about three blocks away from the gallery where Jessica and her first met. She had switched her outfit by passing by her place before coming to meet Jessica. She was now in skinny black denim jeans, topped with a russet tank top and finished with a white pocketed 3/4 sleeved cotton polo. She checked her reflection from one of the glass panels by the entrance of the building. Satisfied with her look, she climbed the steps on the stairs and reached the end room of the second floor hallway.

The door to the room was halfway open and Yuri took a peek before entering the small studio. She instantly spotted a girl with her hair tied up in a french bun facing a canvas propped on an easle. The petite blonde was  cautiously mixing colors on her palette before brushing on the bare dropcloth. From one corner of the room, on one of the stools, Jessica's iphone was playing Vivaldi's four seasons, surging it's melodious beat throughout the semi-cluttered room.  

Yuri quietly slipped into the room and browsed at the other artworks that were paneled on the floor and leaning against the walls. Jessica, dead center in the studio, still didn't notice that somebody had intruded her space. Thinking that it would be a pleasant surprise for the blonde, Yuri gently stood behind Jessica. She cupped her hands and abruptly covered Jessica's eyes. She expected a giggling Jessica but instead, to Yuri's shock, a shrill dolphin scream emanated from the blonde. Yuri immediately withdrew her hands from Jessica's eyes and pressed her palms against her ears.

"Owwwww!" Yuri exclaimed as painful ringing remained in her eardrum.

Recognizing the voice, Jessica quickly spun around on her stool and threw her painted rag at Yuri. The agile jangshin evaded the flying piece of cloth as she soothed the back of her temple.

"Yah. Ms. Lily! Why'd you do that?! You scared me!" Jessica bayed loudly as she stuck her brush into one of the wash buckets.

Yuri squinted and calmed herself before replying back. "Well, you scared the crap out of me more. I didn't expect you could scream like that. Seriously, you could break somebody's eardrums! You could totally dub for a horror film and scare the sould out of the audience."

Jessica pouted at Yuri's tease but she also snatched a glance on her wall clock just behind where Yuri was standing. 

8:12 pm. Yuri's late! I asked her for dinner. How could she disregard about the time?

"You're late! I thought we agreed on 7 pm? What took you so long? I told you I get cranky when I'm hungry." Sica complained. "It's past my dinner time."

"I-uhm." Yuri glanced at her wristwatch and noticed the time too. "Mianhe Jessica. I kinda ended up late from work. We had to complete one number for the concert and we had to reformulate some of the steps. Then, I stopped by my apartment to freshen up and change clothes. Then, there was also some traffic coming here. I came here as fast as I could."

Jessica listened to Yuri's long tally of explanations on why she was tardy. Finally, she stood up and removed her work apron.

"Arasso. Arasso. I get it. Ms. Lily's busy as a bee. Lucky me I still got into your schedule." Jessica muttered teasingly as she went and grabbed her phone and fished her bag. She took out some wet tissues from a packet from her pouch and wiped her hands clean. She approached Yuri and she pulled her hair from a bun, letting her locks fall into her shoulders in a flirtatious manner.

"Anniyo. It's not like that Sica. Aish. You're already acting like my girlfriend or something." Yuri grumbled. 

"Girlfriend? I guess you already had too many. Well, does that mean I'm your girlfriend, too?" Jessica asked, twirling her finger into a strand of her blonde hair.

"Huh?" Yuri blurted out in shock. "But I thought---"

"I'm a girl and I'm your friend so that makes me your girlfriend. Right Lily-ah?" Jessica chuckled as pulled Yuri's right arm and clipped her own limbs to it. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"

Yuri jumped back at the sudden contact but she also pouted at Jessica's response. "Sica..."

"I'm kidding Ms. Lily. Haha. You should have seen you're face. You looked like you lost the lottery by a number." Jessica pointed at Yuri's face.

"Yah. Quit playing games Sica. C'mon. Where do you want to eat? You said you were hungry." Yuri chided playfully.

"I want some shin ramyun." Jessica shyly said. 

Yuri glared at Jessica. Normally, girls that she would date would suggest something like pasta in an Italian restaurant, sushi or seafood at a Japanese bar or a 5-course elegant meal in a French cafe. She didn't expect that this art-loving, drama-acting, dainty-looking girl who went for a classy peppermint tea in their first meet would actually want something as simple as Ramyun for dinner.

"Let's buy some groceries and cook at your place. I really don't like crowded restaurants." Jessica said as she shook Yuri's arms.

"Aish. So there was no point for me to dress up." Yuri whined.

"Well, I didn't ask you to dress up, did I? Were you expecting this to be a date?" Jessica again teased.

"No...but...well, is it?" Yuri asked, putting her other hand in her pocket and rocked her heels up and down. 

Jessica smiled at Yuri's cute expression.

"Well, I guess you could put it that way then Ms. Lily...c'mon, let's go back to your apartment. I'm really hungry. Pegopayo!" Jessica exclaimed as she raised her fist in the air and dragged the taller girl out of the studio.

"Arasso. Aish Sica..."

The two went down from the art studio and dove into Yuri's car. They stopped by a mini-mart and bought some ingredients for their ramyun dinner. Yuri then quickly drove back to her apartment and brought her guest inside her humble abode. Jessica removed her shoes and let herself in comfortably while Yuri, following closely behind, lugged the two bags of groceries into her small but well-kept kitchen. Jessica started to scavenge through Yuri's cupboards looking for a pot. She gave up easily and tapped Yuri's shoulder while the other was washing her hands before they started to cook.

"Ms. Lily. Where do you keep your pots?" Jessica asked in aegyo.

Yuri giggled at the sight of Jessica trying to act cute. "Bottom cupboard. Right next to the oven."

"Arasso." Jessica replied and scooched down to retrieve one large pot from the bottom cabinet. She then stood up, washed her hands on the sink and fetched water into the pot. Once halfway filled, she settled the pot and turned the stove top for the water to boil.

"You cook?" Yuri asked as she took out a chopping board and a knife from a drawer.

"Ne. Do I look like I don't?" Jessica pouted as she turned around to face Yuri.

"Well. Yes, kind of." Yuri honestly replied.

Jessica stuck her tongue out and scrunched her nose. "Well, I guess I don't look like one. Honestly, I only know how to make sandwiches and mixed rice stuff. Just the easy ones. I'm not really a chef but I tell you, I make the best kimchi fried rice!"

Yuri suddenly remembered the kimchi fried rice incident she had with Stephanie and Taeyeon. Yuri thought to herself and joked that she'd probably lay her hands off that dish for a while even if Jessica would cook it for her. Unintentionally, she let out a loud laugh as she scoffed the idea in her head.

"Wae?" Jessica asked, slightly offended since Yuri laughed after she boasted on her number one dish.

"Nothing Sica. I just remembered something earlier from today. Kimchi fried rice and I aren't really friendly towards each other for now." Yuri chuckled.

"Eh? Why? What happened?" Jessica inquired as she took the fishcakes out for Yuri to cut. 

"Well, my friend's manager tried to prank her with some extra spicy kimchi fried rice. Unfortunately, we switched. She tried to warn me but I ended up eating it. It was crazy spicy! My mouth just burned. It felt like I had gunpowder on my tongue and somebody had set it on fire." Yuri relayed as she recalled on what happened."You should have seen my friend's manager. She was so cute when she apologized so many times since I was the one who suffered from the prank. Haha. Kyeopta. She and her eye-smiles were really so cute."

"Oh...gureyo? Is that so?" Jessica said dryly this time. "Eye-smiles huh..."

Jessica turned to the sink and washed the bokchoy they also had bought. She shook them vigorously before laying them on a rack. The leafy greens looked more like they got a beating rather than a refreshing wash.

Kyeopta? Manager? tch. Looks like you enjoyed it even though you were pranked.

"Yah. Sica, I think you've beaten the bokchoy too much and left them in a coma. It's now a vegetable! (oh God, I'm so corny!)" Yuri teased and laughed at her witty joke. Despite the good start of their conversation, Jessica totally ignored her after the mention of her buddy's manager. Jessica still did not utter a word for a few minutes and she just stared at the slow heating of the pot. 

Once the water boiled, Yuri placed in the ramyun noodles, the strips of fish cakes and the packetful of ramyun seasonings into the pot. She then went to her fridge and brought out some eggs. Jessica, on the other hand, just observed Yuri with icy glares and her arms crossed over her chest.

"Do you realize that you look like some sort of judge in a cooking show? Your stare is making me feel like I'm being grilled or roasted in a way " Yuri said as she cracked the eggs into a cup and whisked them. Once finished, she poured the beaten eggs in a swirl into the pot.

The ice princess on the corner was still pouting, just looking at Yuri do all the remaining cooking.

"Tch. I could really grill you now if I wanted to." Jessica mumbled under her breath but Yuri's hearing was sharper than what Jessica expected.

"You're jealous aren't you?" Yuri laughed in an instant.

"Mwo? Anniyo! Why would I be jealous of a cute eye-smiling manager you're talking about." Jessica lifted her head, trying to be arrogant about it.

Yuri chortled at Jessica's denial. "Ah! I was right! Hey...you're way cuter Sica!"

Suddenly, the water bubbled and overflowed from the pot. Yuri turned the stove off immediately and dipped into one of the cupboards to get a potholder.  Jessica, on the other hand, dashed to the pot and without thinking, took the handle bare handed and transferred it into the vacant stove top.

"Ah! Hot! Hot! Hot!" Jessica cried as she rubbed her fingers together, realizing it was stupid of her to grab the scalding pot.

Yuri dropped the potholders and rushed to Jessica's side. She quickly grabbed Jessica's hands and brought it near . With gentle puffs, Yuri blew into Jessica's fingers to cool them down while Jessica herself blushed and began to feel hot, not because of the pot but because of Yuri.

"Sica, gwaenchana?" Yuri asked, while lifting her gaze into Jessica's eyes. The blonde had turned from pink to red as she met Yuri's gaze.

"Ha..H-h-hot...still hot" Jessica whispered. 

Dugeun. Dugeun. Yuri's heart skipped a beat as she realized Jessica was no longer referring to her scalded fingers. The abashed lady in front of Yuri pursed her lips as she tried to evade from Yuri's gaze. Dropping both Jessica's and her hand in front of themselves, Yuri leaned in, inching closer to Jessica. She knew it was still early to strike a chance at Jessica but Yuri, used to being such a player and getting what she wanted from a girl easily, couldn't wait to have Jessica's lips on hers. They already kissed before at the bar, this little incident wouldn't even count as a first. Yuri tilted her head forward, a few more inches and their lips could meet. Yuri closed her eyes as she anticipated for the soft luscious lips. Closer and closer, Yuri moved her head...

"Na-ah! No kiss for a player like you Kwon Yuri!" Jessica tempted as she deliberately dodged the kiss by ducking down to her knees.

The baffled player swiftly opened her eyes and towered down on Jessica. "Aish, Sica. You're such a tease!"

"Tsk. Tsk. Typical move from a player. You guys never change. Ms. Lily, I expected more self-control from you!"Jessica held her belly down in a squat as she chuckled and slapped her thigh, laughing so hard at Yuri.

Fooled by a woman for the first time on a kiss, Yuri just shook her head incredulously and placed her hands on her waist. In order to forget what just happened, Yuri decided to continue cooking. She took the bokchoy from the rack in frustration and tossed them one by one into the still ebulient ramyun pot. Jessica stood up from the kitchen floor and tried to stifle her laugh. She peered right above Yuri's shoulder and took a waft of the delicious noodles.

"Hmmm...yum. It's done! Let's eat Ms. Lily." Jessica whooped, quickly taking some bowls, chopsticks and spoons from Yuri's kitchen cabinets.

"No Ramyun for you missy." Yuri grimaced. "Punishment for making me look like a fool."

"Oh really. Well, I could go home anytime. Happy eating alone." Jessica dared as she bit her lower lip, teasing Yuri to her limits.

Without a second further, Yuri gave in. She had no resistance at all. She was too weak when it came to Jessica and she couldn't understand how this artsy woman had basically collared her like a pup. 

"Aish. You win Sica... Bobmukja. Let's eat."

"Ha. I knew you couldn't resist me." Jessica smirked.

Without any added teasing, the two finally enjoyed their ramyun dinner peacefully. Both happily talked about Jessica's artworks that she had finished back in her art  studio while Yuri talked about her work with Hyoyeon and Nicole, her co-dancers. Yuri hesitated on bringing up the star she was working with for professional reasons, even though Taeyeon was basically her best buddy. She didn't mention anything about Taeyeon nor Tiffany, seeing it was better to keep the privacy of her hallyu star friend and not elicit anymore unwanted jealousy from Sica over the eye-smiling manager she had mentioned earlier. 

Gulping on the last of her bowl, Yuri finished her meal with satisfaction. Jessica took one last bite of the kimchi side dish and drank the leftover content of her glass.

"Ah. aju masisseosseoyo. That was delicious. Gomawo for dinner Ms. Lily." Jessica thanked Yuri.

"It's nothing. Thank you for this date. It has been....interesting." Yuri managed to smile at Jessica.

Jessica stood up from her seat and took both hers and Yuri's jacket from the couch. Jessica hurled Yuri's jacket to the confused girl while she slipped her arm into her own coat. Yuri caught her own cloak and quickly asked the blonde.

"A-a-are you leaving?"

"Anniyo. Who said our little date's over. Hurry. Wear your jacket. Let's take a walk. There's a nice little park going to the Han river from here right? I wanna take a stroll with you." Jessica said back.

"Mwo?" Yuri asked, again surprised at Jessica's spontaneity.

"Aish. Don't you mwo on me. Get up." Jessica pouted as she pulled Yuri up on her feet and linked her arms on Yuri's side.

"Arasso." Yuri giggled. "You sure are one unique woman Jessica Jung."

Both wrapped theselves up pretty warm before heading out. When they were ready, Yuri led Jessica out of her apartment.

"Gaja?"

"Ne! Gaja!"

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"It's locked." Tiffany mumbled to herself as she tried to turn the knob on the door to Taeyeon's villa. She looked around the house. The lights were . Surely, the little brat was inside her cozy fortress. She pressed the doorbell a few more times and knocked on the door until her knuckles hurt.

"Kim Taeyeon! I know you're in here! Let me in! You forgot your phone!" Tiffany shouted as loud as she could.

There was still no response and Tiffany couldn't hear anyone coming to get the door.

There should be a spare key she could have kept here outside in case she gets locked out. Now, where could she put it? Under the doormat? No, It's not here. What about this mushroom garden decor? No. it's not here, too. Aish. I wonder if she leaves a key out. I'm gonna beat the crap out of you Kim Taeyeon once I get inside!

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a series of potted flowers, each with different colors and shapes. There were hydrangeas, marigolds, knock-out roses and a purple torch flower she doesn't recognize. A lightbulb lit in Tiffany's head and she remembered that Taeyeon likes the color purple. She quickly ducked, took the pot with the purple inflorescence and scouted for a key. Astounded by her own intuition, she did find a key buried halfway into the soil. She placed the potted ornamental back into place and swiftly stuck the key in to open the door.

Piano music suddenly played into Tiffany's ears as she entered the living room. The sound was coming from the second floor.

"Kim Taeyeon! Come down here!" Tiffany demanded. She dropped Taeyeon's backpack into the floor and waited for the hallyu star to bolt down the steps.

Still no response. Fed up from playing games all day, Tiffany mustered all her strength and stomped her way to the next floor.

The piano music got louder as she came up the stairs. Initially she thought someone was playing it live but Tiffany realized it was some sort of looped recording. Taeyeon's room was closed and the music came from the other room that Taeyeon had forbid her manager to enter.

Should I come in? She told me not to come inside this room last time. 

Tiffany hesitated at first, deciding whether it was right to respect the hallyu star's request. However, her frustration over the brat overpowered her and she dismissed the warnings that replayed in her head. Tiffany tiptoed towards the room and when she tried turning the door knob, the door swung open slowly. She finally saw the entire forbidden room.

To Tiffany's surprise, it was one of the least decorated rooms in the house. The entire space was painted black and there weren't any windows. Soft orange glows from wall and desk lamps served as illumination for the small studio. There was a keyboard in a corner hooked up to some speakers and some other sound system devices. Two microphone stands  stretched and hovered over the piano and blank music sheets sprawled the black and white carpeted floor. There were even some shredded pictures and letters that had been spread on the music keys and one of Taeyeon's leather jackets laid on the piano seat. On the other side was a small desk and an iMac for recording. Huge headphones hung by the monitors and wires intertwined with the legs of the desk. Several bottles of soju were laid out on top of the table and some drawn on the floor. Tiffany gasped at the thrashed place and her gaze shifted to the direction of the trail of green bottles. Slumped on the towering swivel chair was no other than the hallyu star herself, drunk.

"Yah. Kim Taeyeon!" Tiffany shouted, waking Taeyeon up. Taeyeon stirred, squinted her eyes and wiped . She took one of the soju bottles on her desk and took a swig.

"Yuri-ah. Join me. Let's drink." Taeyeon invited, unable to recognize that it was her manager she was talking to.

"I'm not Yuri..." Tiffany objected. "What's up with all this mess?"

"Ah c'mon Yuri. Just drink." Taeyeon said, ignoring the objection.

Tiffany sat in one of the ottoman chairs and took the bottle off Taeyeon's hands. She counted the number of empty soju in the room.

1..3..4...6 bottles including this one. I didn't know this shortie can handle such amount of alcohol!

"Why have you been drinking Taeyeon? You've got practice and a scheduled tv promotion of your concert tomorrow! What the heck is wrong with you?" Tiffany asked, annoyed that Taeyeon didn't seem to care at all.

"Aish. Shush Yuri-ah.*Hic" Taeyeon flailed her arms. "I'm tired of all this. *Hic. I'm sick *Hic of it."

"But you're a hallyu star. You're Kim Taeyeon!" Tiffany yelled back as she scooped up the other soju bottles from the floor. "Geez, I can't believe I'm baby-sitting for such a brat."

"Tch. hallyu. hallyu.*hic That's all *hic I hear * from * everyone! It's the reason *hic why she * also left me! To hell *hic with love!" Taeyeon mumbled then paused. "Yah. Yuri-ah. *hic come here. How *hic can you be *hic such a *hic player!?!"

"She?" Tiffany mumbled to herself. Taeyeon also likes girls? Oh well, Tiffany. How stupid can you get? Hyoyeon, Nicole and Yuri are all gay. It wouldn't be a surprise if Taeyeon wasn't.

Taeyeon stood up from the chair, staggering to gain her balance. She zigzagged and reached her hands out towards Tiffany. One of Taeyeon's foot suddenly stepped on one of the bottles and slid. Tiffany by instinct dropped the other bottles she was holding and let them roll off to the floor. She saw Taeyeon falling so she quickly drew out her hands and caught the drunk danshin on her chest. Due to the girl's added weight, Tiffany also slipped from her tiny seat and she fell with a loud thud on the carpet, perfectly sandwiched by Taeyeon's body and the floor.

Taeyeon groaned in pain as she propped her elbows and pushed herself up a bit. She lifted her head and squinted.

Even though Taeyeon was drunk as hell, she was still beautiful like a goddess. Her white papery skin glowed despite the dimness of the room and her small face was only a feet away from Tiffany's head. Taeyeon struggled to keep her eyes open but she somehow sensed she was staring straight into a pair of confused and questioning eyes.

"Yuri-ah. *Hic That's funny. Your *hic eyes look like *hic my manager's. *Hic Cute eyes." Taeyeon smiled sheepishly. "Such *hic wonderful eyes."

Tiffany plugged her nose as she smelled the alcohol from Taeyeon but the smell did not distract her enough when she realized Taeyeon's head was now just above her chest and the drunk girl mentioned something about her.

She said I have cute eyes? Do I? No. No. NO. Maybe she's just really drunk. Aish. Taeyeon, you're such a headache! Brat! Twerp! Hallyu my ! Seriously...ugh..I've got to get up from the floor!

"Yuri...one more thing. *hic" Taeyeon said, still slurring her words.

"What?!" Tiffany replied, pushing her head as far as she could. She was not liking the reeking smell of alcohol dissipating into her. Tiffany was evading Taeyeon to the point that she wasn't able to notice that Taeyeon was literally on top of her and their positions were very awkward.

"Stop *hic flirting with *hic my...........mana *hic ger..........she's *hic..............................mine."

With her last word inaudible to Tiffany's ears, Taeyeon slumped back into the soft body beneath her. Her head landed on Tiffany's chest, cushioned by her s. Within a second, Taeyeon out and fell into a deep slumber, totally intoxicated. 

Tiffany breathed in and out deeply, trying to organize her thoughts and deciphering what Taeyeon might have said.

She's what? I'm what? Yah! Taeyeon, wake up you pabo! Aish jinja Taeyeon! You still need to explain yourself!

Feeling greatly agitated, Tiffany wanted to push Taeyeon's limp body off her and just leave the brat sprawled on the floor. However, the warmth of Taeyeon's body was so cozy and familiar that her own body resisted her thoughts of escaping from underneath. All the angst and annoyance she had experienced towards Taeyeon for the past days seemed to have just melted away as Tiffany just stared into the ceiling. Tiffany raised her hand and thought of slapping Taeyeon's cheek to wake her up but instead, her hand glided softly into Taeyeon's hair and her fingers the highlighted black locks. Tiffany no longer comprehended what she was doing. It was as if her mind was being oppposed by her body and her heart was controlling all her actions. As Taeyeon breathed and pressed her heaving chest on Tiffany's abdomen, Tiffany couldn't help but hear her beating heart against her eardrums. Her heart was thumping louder and faster. 

Why is my heart racing this way? Does this mean I like Taeyeon? But we only met like two days ago? I couldn't have fallen for this brat!

 Taeyeon slightly stirred and sleeptalked.

"pany-ah."

Tiffany chuckled at the idea of Taeyeon sleeptalking and mispronouncing her name. Unknowingly, Tiffany stretched both her arms around the drunk and dreaming dame. The hallyu star was sleeping like a baby and Tiffany clutched her palms together as she pressed tighter, pulling Taeyeon into their first hug. Tiffany looked from the ceiling and to Taeyeon's crown. She started mumbling to herself, thinking aloud.

"This is ridiculous Tiffany. How can you have fallen for someone like her? She's a spoiled artist. You're her manager. Are you sure this would work out? I bet she doesn't even like you..."

Taeyeon stirred again in her sleep and unknowingly her hands automatically latched on to something soft, small,and fleshy. Tiffany's eyes widened like saucers at the sudden contact on her mounds. Taeyeon's hands were slightly squeezing her s.

"Yah! BYUNTAE!"

Tiffany immediately spun Taeyeon from on top of her to the floor, switching their positions. Taeyeon remained almost lifeless except for the deep breathing. Oddly, a smile on her face can be seen plastered. Tiffany only groaned as her hip had hit one of the soju bottles while switching. She looked back down on Taeyeon. Even though Taeyeon unconsciously acted ertedly just a few moments earlier, Tiffany couldn't bring herself to get mad at the hallyu star. She was surprised herself that she wasn't as angry as she was supposed to be.

Tiffany reached out and tucked Taeyeon's fringe behind the ear. Trailing her fingers, Tiffany absentmindedly caressed Taeyeon's cheeks and reached the edges of . With her thumb, Tiffany brushed the soft pursing lips and snapped back into reality. She instantly withdrew her hand to her side and suspired.

"Aish Tiffany, you are going to be in deep trouble...of all peaople, why Taeyeon?".

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