Chapter 30

24 hour punishment (p1 1200h)

To: Tiffany

Tiffany, meet me at the airport tomorrow at 6 am sharp. 

It's time for your punishment! 

Your 24 hours will be mine starting tomorrow.

From: Taetae

Tiffany looked at the message on her phone for the 15th time. She and her hallyu star 'lover' haven't properly communicated since the day before. Tiffany had to inspect the stage design again along with the sound systems at the stadium while Taeyeon went to the radio show. Later that night, Tiffany had invited Taeyeon for dinner but the star did not reply except for the one message she had been reading, now for the 16th time on her cellphone. Bewildered by the sudden change, Tiffany had tried calling Taeyeon but again the hallyu star didn't answer. Instead, the same message about the 6 am meet at the airport was sent again. Seeing that the short brat was being stubborn as usual, Tiffany gave up. She just had to play along with whatever her Taeyeon had in mind.

She woke up earlier than usual today and prepared a one day trip luggage and headed to the airport. A bit exhausted from thinking and from work, Tiffany slumped at the backseat of the cab with her carry-on brown travel tote at her side. The brunette in her black cotton sweater and red pants held on to her jacket and her dookong plushie while recollecting the memories at the theme park as the cab drove its way through the early dawn. 

Taetae...Why of all places are meeting at the airport? I was hoping we would spend the day at your house and watch a DVD or something. Why do we have to go somewhere else? Sometimes that hallyu star is frustrating. I hope you're not planning something outrageous, Tae.

Tiffany got out of the cab and paid the driver once they reached the entrance of the airport. She checked her watch and she was able to reach the airport 15 minutes before 6 in the morning. She quickly took out her phone and dialled Taeyeon's number. This time, amazingly, the hallyu star picked up the line.

"Yoboseyo, Tiffany?" Taeyeon greeted in a cheerful yet hushed tone.

"Yah. Tae, I'm here. Why haven't you replied to me? Why didn't you answer your phone until now?" Tiffany groaned and rained Taeyeon a barrage of questions. "Why are we at the airport?"

"Meet me near the Korean airline ticketing booth." Taeyeon said in a very soft voice slowing her manager with the queries.

"Wait, where are we going?"Tiffany asked back quickly but only heard the dial tone.

Slowly, Tiffany's temper began to rise. She loves that little danshin but her rudeness can test her patience at times. Tiffany trudged her way to the Korean airlines section of the Gimpo airport. She donned her sunglasses as she placed her tote in one hand and the plushie and coat in the other. Beyond a line of check-in counters, she immediately spotted a short girl adjusting her black military cap and pacing back and forth with her glittery backpack. The danshin was dressed in all black, from head to toe with only some gold diamond-shaped designs reflecting fron under her coat and her chesnut blonde hair somehow sticking out. Scouting the people around her, Taeyeon inspected the travellers and one woman in her red pants stood out in her sight.

"Tiffany, I'm here." Taeyeon called out in a hushed tone.

"Tae?" Tiffany asked as she tried to confirm if it was really the hallyu star.

"Yeah." Taeyeon beamed at the brunette. "You're quite early."

"The cab I took drove fast. How'd you get here?" Tiffany tilted her sunglasses.

"Yuri picked me up early in the morning and dropped me over before going to the dance school." Taeyeon explained and then readjusted her scarf since a couple of girls started to take notice of her.

"Oh. ok." Tiffany said. "Anyway, why are we here? You've got no schedules for today and what's with the bet? You know you're not supposed to go out in public too much because your concert is coming up. Look at you, you're like a kimbap, wrapped in roasted seaweed, hiding from all these people. Let's just go home. Let's just rest for today. C'mon."

"We're going to Jeju-do." Taeyeon said briefly raising two plane tickets.

"WHAT?!" Tiffany exclaimed.

Taeyeon quickly placed a finger on Tiffany's lips, shushing the brunette but also making her blush at the same time.

"Yah. Quiet Tiffany. Look here, remember that you lost so I get to say and do whatever I want for 24 hours and you'll follow me without a tinge of complaint or whatsoever." Taeyeon commanded. "Well, today's the day!"

"But Tae~"Tiffany started to whine. "Can't we do the punishment another day? Why today out of oh so many?"

"Look here my manager. Have you been paying attention to my schedule? I probably won't have a break even after the concert. Am I right?" Taeyeon hissed. "I won't be able to sleep until like the next 3 months."

"Well~" Tiffany paused and remembered the hallyu star's completely packed calendar. "But still, why Jeju? Can't we just go somewhere closer to the mainland?"

"Quit complaining, Tiffany. This punishment, I believe, is way overdue.  Plus this was Yuri's idea. We shouldn't turn down a friend's gift, should we?" Taeyeon chided. "Now quick, go and check-in our tickets for us. People are starting to suspect me here."

"Tch. Of course they would. You look like a walking sushi roll about to hijack a bank or something." Tiffany said with a snide remark and swiped the tickets off Taeyeon's hands.

"Aish. just go." Taeyeon pouted.

Tiffany and Taeyeon went to the counters and presented the tickets. Tiffany then slipped in her ID card as well as Taeyeon's. The lady behind the counter raised her brow as she realized it was the hallyu star right behind the brunette, constantly fidgeting. Understanding the situation that the star may be off for a schedule of some sort, the airline worker gave them their boarding passes without squealing about the star's presence. Surprisingly, nobody else noticed that Kim Taeyeon was amidst the crowd of tourists heading for the island. Even her die-hard fans weren't able to sniff about her day's rendezvous and for once, everything was like any other normal day at the airport.

The two passed through the airport security with a breeze despite some personnel and passengers recognizing and speculating on the chestnut haired shortie as they finally entered the plane. Both women settled in their seats, Tiffany by the aisle and Taeyeon next to the window. Tiffany propped her dookong plushie on her lap as she finished stashing away her tote and Taeyeon's backpack at the overhead bins. Taeyeon wasn't able to notice the toy until Tiffany hugged it tightly on her airplane seat.

"What is that? Is that a peapod?" Taeyeon asked, pulling down her scarf so she could speak.

"Uhumm..it's a dookong plush. I never go to an airport without it. I used to have a Totoro but I've grown fond of these peas. It's like my security banket when I'm around airplanes." Tiffany said back showing Taeyeon the green felt-made cotton-filled veggie toy.

"I thought you like pink? This is green." Tayeon snatched the plush from Tiffany's embrace.

"I love pink but they don't make pink peas." Tiffany pouted as she watched Taeyeon inspect the plush and she herself then proceeded to browsing on a tourism magazine from the airlline seat.

Taeyeon curiously ped the plushie which revealed three lime-colored spheres with different smiling facial expressions. She then pulled out two of the peas out of the pod and smirked. An idea suddenly sprouted in her head and she tucked the two spheres under her jacket.

"Hey Tiffany. Look." Taeyeon nudged the brunette.

Tiffany shifted her gaze from the glossy magazine to Taeyeon and her eyes bulged after viewing Taeyeon's enlarged chest.

"What do you think? Should I get some implants and change to a bigger cup size?" Taeyeon shook her torso from side to side and joked around with her manager.

"Yah! TAETAE!" Tiffany exclaimed as she rolled up the magazine and hit the jestering hallyu star on her arm, earning a few heads of some passengers turning towards them.

Taeyeon quickly removed the two peas and stashed them back in the pod while trying her best to control her ahjumma laugh. Tiffany just glowered at her lover for making such a lewd joke.

"Yah. You're such a BYUNTAE!" Tiffany scolded and hit Taeyeon again, this time on the bill of the star's cap.

"What? It's funny. It's a GREEN joke!" Taeyeon laughed some more but was muffled by the black scarf. Tiffany just brought her palms to her face and breathed in, totally abashed at the immaturity of the one beside her but somehow deep inside, seeing Taeyeon's chest like that turned her on. Tiffany then realized she was spending the night with Taeyeon and the possibility of going beyond making-out was clearly plausible. Tiffany buried her face in her hands and blushed like a tomato.

Taeyeon hugged the plushie and took Tiffany's hand in hers. Turning her head sideways, she gently whispered to her manager. "I'm sorry for not replying to you for the past days and not going with you for dinner last night. I was kind-of preparing for this trip. Hope you didn't mind."

For a moment, Tiffany disregarded her ual desires and just smiled back at the hallyu star. Tiffany responded back by interlacing her fingers between Taeyeon's and squeezed their palms together tighter. "No. This is nice. It's like an escapade. Thinking about it, it doesn't seem like a punishment at all."

"Not a punishment? Well, that shouldn't be the case. We'll see about that manager Hwang. I should be the only one enjoying this trip. Not you." Taeyeon snickered and looked back at the window. "24 hours starts now."

Tiffany pinched Taeyeon's arm which definitely elicited a painful growl from the shortie. "Yah! we'll see about that!"

"Mhm. We sure will."

The plane finally took off for the one hour flight from Seoul to Jeju island. The couple decided to sleep during the whole flight, with Taeyeon's shoulder pillowed under Tiffany's head. The rest of the passengers and even the flight attendants just ignored the two assuming that they were sisters or close friends. Nobody seemed to recognize them.

Arriving 10 minutes before the expected time, Tiffany and Taeyeon then exited the plane calmly and discreetly along with some Japanese and Korean tourists. JIA was a small airport and Taeyeon have been on it more than once. Usually when Taeyeon would get off from a plane, at least a hundered of fans would be shouting her name, waving light boards and asking for her autograph but today, not even a single person with a digital camera was around taking pictures of her or recording her every move inside the airport. Taeyeon was able to freely move around and walk through travellers like her. And this already made Taeyeon more than happy.

Wow. It's been a long time I've experienced this. No fans. No lights. No papers to sign. No videos. Just plain ol' me strolling through the airport.

Tiffany walked beside Taeyeon as she adjusted her bag and wore her coat. From inside the small international airport, she could already see the island's sunny yet windy weather, which is what Jeju island is basically known for. While the other tourists were met by their guides and huddled into shuttles, Tiffany stopped in her tracks and tapped Taeyeon.

"Hey Tae. Where are we going to stay for the night?" Tiffany asked.

"Yuri got us a reservation. Don't worry." Taeyeon browsed through a series of ahjussi's raising plackards of names. Taeyeon immediately spotted one old man raising a bond paper with Kwon Yuri written on it. Taeyeon took Tiffany's hand and dragged her in front of the white haired car driver. The old man inspected the two ladies who stood in front of him and gently whispered, "Ms. Kwon? I'm Park Sukjin, your shuttle driver."

"Ne harabuhjee. Are you going to take us to the hotel?" Taeyeon inquired and the man nodded courteously and led the two to the parking lot. They all went inside the car and the two women were driven to the Sinjeju neighborhood where many small hotels and inns have sprouted for business. Around half an hour later, they arrived at the hotel entrance. With his peaceful demeanor, the old guy led the ladies out and directed them towards the reception desk of the 5-star and number 1 ranked hotel of Jeju, the Lotte Hotel.

It was the first time for Tiffany to enter such a hotel but it wasn't the case for the hallyu star. Taeyeon had been in that hotel for several times before but it was always because of work. Everytime she came to Jeju, it was due to a schedule or a performance.

Both she and Tiffany reached the receiving area and the concierge was close by to attend to them both. The old guy who drove for them immediately retreated to the door once he saw that his passengers were settled. Delighted by the man's service, Taeyeon and Tiffany bowed respectfully before he went away.

Behind the desk, a couple of ladies and a male manager welcomed the new guests. Slowly, Taeyeon approached one of them and leaned her elbows on top of the booth. The petite and pretty receptionist immediately formally bowed before her and inquired for any reservations made.

"Ah. Ne. I'm here for a reservation made by Ms. Kwon Yuri." Taeyeon directly asked the information booth attendant while making sure her face wasn't fully exposed.

The attendant looked at her new guest and then looked warily from side to side checking if there are other guests close by. Tiffany, who was amazed with the 5 star quality of the hotel, simply drummed her fingers over her coat and gazed all around while waiting for Taeyeon to finish up any business at the counter.

"Ah. Yes, Ms. Kim Taeyeon? Ms. Kwon had reserved a single room with one full size bed and accomodities. Your stay had already been covered. Your room number is 3576. A room attendant will show you your room. Breakfast will be served at the hotel restaurant tomorrow starting at 7 in the morning. Check-outs should be done before noontime. If you have ay questions regarding our services, we'll be glad to help you in any way." the receptionist smiled back and handed the key card in a hotel envelope.

"Oh. Wait. How did you recognize me?" Taeyeon's shoulders jumped in surprise while the lady receptionist simply smiled back.

"Ehem...Ms. Kim. I've received some specific instructions from your friend. You see, Ms. Kwon was an acquaintance of mine back in the days so she asked me a favor about this saying it's your private mini-vacation. Don't worry Ms. Kim. I've got your back on this one. We're glad you've chosen to trust our hotel for your stay." the manager suddenly budged in the conversation in a whisper which shocked the hallyu star even more but both employees just smiled in reassurance.

"I see. I'm certainly glad that you're a friend of Yuri's. However, dId you just say a single bed in the room? I'm actually with my manager." Taeyeon mumbled and asked making sure that the room reserved was indeed just a single bedroom.

"Yes, Ms. Kim. Is there a problem? All of our suites with two single beds are all occupied right now. Would you like to change into two separate rooms instead?" the manager asked, raising a brow.

"Uhm...Anniyo. I guess it's fine. Geomapsumnida." Taeyeon replied modestly but deep inside, her heart started to race. Unaware of the situation, Tiffany was just patiently waiting and sightseeing from the corner of the desk.

Oh crap. One bed? Yuri-ah! I'm going to kill you for sure! But on the other hand...aish. yah! Kim Taeyeon. stop being a byuntae!

"Is there some manager issues?" the female attendant timidly asked as she saw Taeyeon's face turn blank. Apparently even the receptionist had an idea of the last press conference Taeyeon had. Just great.

"Ah. Anniyo. Nothing like that. I got good relations with my manager. We're really good friends... There's completely nothing wrong with two women sharing a bed.....Why would I have some issues with.........that........." Taeyeon awkwardly replied, both annoyed and uncomfortable from the pop-up question and then realized she was blurting out complete nonsense. Trying to cover her embarassment, she quickly bowed down and added. "Thanks again."

Trying not to show any more discomfort from controlling her erted mind, Taeyeon took the card and walked over to Tiffany. The receptionist and the manager wondered what Taeyeon meant but they shrugged it off once Taeyeon left the counter.

"Do you have the room keys?" Tiffany asked.

"It's just a room. We'll be sharing a suite." Taeyeon whispered uncomfortably, apparently not revealing everything about the reservation.

"Oh? Okay. That's fine." Tiffany mumbled, thinking that the suite had separate beds for her and Taeyeon.

"Tiffany, let's go." the small gal nudged her manager and the brunette easily complied.

"This way ladies." a young man, who serves as a bellboy, said as he raised his arm sideways and led the two ladies up a lift. He pressed a button on the lift and tried to sneak in some glances on the two ladies who were with him alone in the elevator. He suspiciously stared at the two which made both Tiffany and Taeyeon very much uncomfortable. Taeyeon looked back at the young gentleman and the guy simply smiled back and turned his gaze away. Once they reached the hotel room, he courteously opened the door for the two women and showed where the parts of the suite are situated. He pointed over to the kitchen, the bedroom and the decent sized living room. He then opened up the drapes of the wndows and  let the sunshine in while he explained several amenities and standard lines relating to tourist spots that can be enjoyed in Jeju. 

"I hope you both have time to visit some great places here in Jeju, especially the Halla-san nature park. It's  just a short distance from here and you can easily take a bus. Other places to go to would be the the Cheonjeyeon waterfalls, the Teddy bear museum, Seongup folk village and many more. You could easily take your pick. Here's a map of Jeju if you wish and the front desk will be glad to help you in any way. And by the way, after all the visits at the end of the day, you can also visit the Lotte Bathhouse where you might want to enjoy a relaxing evening."

Tiffany was dumbfounded with the amount of places that were very fascinating to hear and visit. She suddenly wished that her 24 hour punishment would be extended to 7 days, however, she knew that she and Taeyeon have to work the next day and make sure everything is set for the concert.

"Here you go ma'am. On behalf of the Lotte hotel staff and management, I hope you both enjoy your stay." the bellboy finished with a smile and handed back the card key to Taeyeon. 

"Ah. ne. Kamsamnida." Taeyeon reached over and slightly bowed. Tiffany quickly took her bag and tried to find some bills to hand as a tip when the young man suddenly noticed the brunette.

"Uhm. Sorry to decline your money but if it would be alright, could I ask for something else?" the bellboy shyly asked.

Tiffany stopped rummaging into her wallet and asked back. "Oh. Is that so? What is it?"

"Uhmm. Ms. Kim. Could I shake hands with you and get an autograph?" the lad requested while rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the ground, embarrased. "I'm also a fan of yours."

Tiffany was getting quite concerned with the bellboy recognizing the star and Taeyeon very well knew what her manager was feeling, too. Despite that, Taeyeon graciously gave in to the young bellboy's request. She took the pen and pad from the kitchen counter top and signed an autograph. She handed the piece of paper to the guy and shook his hand afterwards. The bellboy thanked Taeyeon and Tiffany several times before going towards the door as Taeyeon loosened up the scarf around her neck to speak.

Before he officially left, Taeyeon called the young lad's name, which she barely read off from his name tag."Uhmm...Minho-ssi...that's your name right?".

"Yes Ms. Kim?" Minho asked back beaming, glad for his great fortune of meeting the hallyu star and being referred on a first name basis.

"I have a request also to ask of you. I hope you'd just keep quiet about my presence here, I don't want to cause much discomfort to the staff. I just wish to be treated like the rest of your guests. Just want to enjoy a mini-vacation with my manager. Would that be alright?" Taeyeon said firmly, clearing up the situation for the young guy and erasing any possible speculations that the staff might think.

"Ah. Ne. Ye algesumnida Ms. Kim. I'll make sure to relay the message to the head too. Thank you for the autograph." the bellboy bowed down in a 45 degree angle and finally left the two alone in the room.

"Well, that was nice of you." Tiffany teased.

"He's a fan. Plus that should shush him up." Taeyeon mocked back.

"Mhm. Sure Tae." Tiffany walked up to the window area and leaned on the window panes. Rolling hills and the mountain sight of Jeju island created a backdrop scenery for the suite and on the side,opposite to the hills was the ocean, smashing into cliffs of jagged rocks. It was such a beautiful panorama.

Tiffany panned her gaze from the window to her lover. Taeyeon was already sitting down quietly on the couch and reading off from the map that the bellboy gave earlier. She had that very serious expression on her face, not wanting to be disturbed so Tiffany thought of something else to entertain herself.

Like a cat, Tiffany tiptoed around the hallyu star and inspected the other rooms, curious of how the whole floorplan looked like. She went directly to the bedroom and opened up the door. She suddenly gasped and held her hand before . At a corner, there was an oak wood desk and a dresser complimented by a rectangular stand-up mirror. On the southern wall, a huge painting of the sea and the cliffside hung next to the door to the bathroom. The whole room was carpeted. Yet, there it was. In the middle of the room was a queen-sized canopy bed, a single bed covered with white linen cloth that resembled those that can be found in beach resorts from Bali, complete with the heart shaped mound of rose petals and towels formed into swans.

"Yah! Tae! WHY IS THERE ONLY ONE BED? Did you plan this?" Tiffany yelled, obviously flustered with her discovery. All along she thought she and Taeyeon would be sharing a room but with separate beds.

"Blame Yuri and not me! And what's with the shouting? What wrong with sleeping together?" Taeyeon bluntly said while still browsing over the pamphlet. She was trying hard not to choke on her spit and played it cooly although deep inside she was nervous as hell. "It's not like we're going to do anything..."

"Ah! Andwaee! Shiro! I'd rather sleep on the floor!" Tiffany retaliated. She didn't know why she was overreacting to it. She was torn; half of her wants Taeyeon lying beside her but a part of her was also very much nervous. Sleeping next to each other on airplane seats is one thing but sleeping next to each other in one bed was something on a higher level. She blushed some more at the thought but she was definitely at the same time, imagining Taeyeon's whole body next to hers. 

What could go wrong? It's just two women lying in bed together to sleep. There's nothing that's gonna happen, right? Ah Tiffany. Are you even thinking of that? Tiff, seriously? Well, we could do it now, could we? Ah!!! Michitgeda! I'm going to go crazy!

Seeing that her manager was lost in her thoughts, Taeyeon stood up from the couch and leisurely backhugged her manager. Whispering to Tiffany's ear, Taeyeon assured the brunette."Tiffany, what are you even thinking about? Yah. I thought I was the byuntae here? I'm not like that if you're worried. Well...maybe slightly but not entirely... Tiffany, if it makes you feel better, you can take the bed and I'll take the couch. I'm fine out here."

Tiffany blushed profusely at Taeyeon's gentleman attitude and awkward honesty. Hearing those words certainly earned Taeyeon a huge number of points. Tiffany turned her body so she would be facing the other. "But Tae. You're the star. I'm just your manager. You should be the one in the room."

Taeyeon squeezed Tiffany into a tighter hug and placed her chin on the brunette's shoulder. "Anniyo. When I'm with you alone like this, I'm not a hallyu star and you're not a manager. We're just two normal people who share the same feelings together. Understand?"

"Tae~".

Taeyeon pecked on Tiffany's cheek once but the brunette pushed back to face her 'knight' at eye-level. She then leaned in closer and gave Taeyeon a well-deserved kiss. The words that Taeyeon have spoken have melted all her defenses and all Tiffany wanted was now give herself fully to Taeyeon. With one hand at Taeyeon's back, Tiffany slid her fingers upward along the hallyu star's spine. Tiffany continued her hand's upward movement and brushed her fingers into Taeyeon's tucked locks, pressing Taeyeon's head forward. Tiffany in Taeyeon's lips deeper and moaned. At that moment, Tiffany was definitely the one aroused. Taeyeon's eyes flickered open at the sudden aggressiveness wishing she could continue but she had to restrict herself and wait.

"Tiff--" Taeyeon mumbled within the kiss. Taeyeon wanted to pursue beyond the kiss but she was holding back. She wasn't sure why but she didn't feel it was fair for Tiffany.

An idea bursted into the byun's mind and the thought of playing around with Tiffany for the rest of the day made her grin instead.The brunette on the other hand was still lost in the bliss, savoring Taeyeon's lips against hers. She was conscious enough to realize that she was already groping Taeyeon in places she had not touched before but despite all that, she felt something with Taeyeon's apprehension

By the time Tiffany pulled away, she was breathless. She expected Taeyeon to take the step and continue their make-out. Instead, Tiffany saw a big grin plastered on the danshin's face and Taeyeon was waving the pamphlet in one hand. Tiffany's lips suddenly twisted in disappointment.

"Yah! Tiffany, no more kissing. For your punishment today, you are not allowed to kiss me until the 24 hours is over." Taeyeon took Tiffany's hand and swung it playfully, teasing the brunette.

If we stay here any longer, I swear I wouldn't be able to control myself Tiffany. It's more like punishment for me than for you. So let's see how long you can hold out for me.

"No way Tae! What kind of punishment is that? Let's just stay in. It's hard to enjoy while you're out playing hide and seek with the public." Tiffany groaned and leaned herself thwartly on the wall right next to the bedroom door hoping Taeyeon would get the hint. "I think it's better we play hide and seek in here. With just us two. What do you think?"

Arrgh. Tae, don't you want me? Should I just make the move? Geez, I'm not normally like this but I'd really wish you'd take this opportunity for us to be together Tae. Ahh! I want you so bad! What the heck has gotten into me?

"Why do you want to stay inside when we've got a beautiful island for us to explore? C'mon Tiffany. I just want to enjoy my free day with you on a date. The one at the amusement park wasn't really much of that so I want to take this opportunity to spend time with you like normal lovers would do. Ok?" Taeyeon said, brushing Tiffany's arms to convince her.

"Date? Can't we just stay here instead and have our date? I don't really mind dating anywhere, as long as I'm with you." Tiffany pouted and leaned in over Taeyeon, challenging the hallyu star for another kiss but Taeyeon quickly evaded and poked Tiffany's cheeks.

"Ah no! No more kissing, I said!  You're still under punishment, so whatever I say, you do. No buts! If you fail...I...I...I'll call the press and cancel my concert. I'll call in sick or something." Taeyeon pretended to resist and thought of ways that would make her manager mad. "You wouldn't want that, would you manager Hwang? You know I don't joke around with such things. I've done it once, I can do it again if I want to." 

"Don't you even dare drop your obligations for the concert!" Tiffany threatened. 

"I won't if you follow my rules." Taeyeon challenged back.

"Ah! I hate it when you do that!" Tiffany said, giving up on the thought and intentionally pinched Taeyeon's nose. Taeyeon was being stubborn again as Tiffany had thought all along but it somehow bothered her that Taeyeon was holding back instead of taking the initiative in heightening their relationship. She badly wanted Taeyeon to take her to bed instead. Judging from where she came from, her progress with Taeyeon in the relationship was actually slower than a snail's pace. Tiffany was utterly frustrated from being always teased but still deprived of closer contact.

"OWWWWW!!! YAH! TIFFANY! THAT HURTS!" Taeyeon yelped in pain.

"You deserve it." Tiffany ran off to pick up her bag from the couch and pushed her 'lover'. "Whatever Tae! Now, let's finish this punishment and get back to work. Looks like you're only interested in the island and the concert anyway."

"Waeyo?" Taeyeon asked playfully, wondering why Tiffany was so pissed but Tiffany ignored the hallyu star. Tiffany just grumbled all the way down the hotel while Taeyeon tried her best to not laugh, knowing she had Tiffany well enough. Despite the furrowed brows of the brunette, the two had set off for their first official date and hopefully get through the 24 hours without any mishaps.

The two ladies made their first stop at the Teddy bear museum. Both being kids at heart, they forgot about their little argument back at the hotel and took pictures with the furry toys. They spent their time like the other normal couples did around them and they went smoothly through their mini-date. They made fun of each other while eating a chocolate candy sundae. Afterwhich, both purchased matching teddy bear cellphone chains for each other, one in pink and the other in violet. With the new chains dangling from their pockets, Taeyeon and Tiffany continued to stroll and held hands, spending their entire morning at the museum. They quickly had lunch at a bear cafe and then they decided to check out the Hallya-san mountain park for the afternoon.

Like the other tourists, they took the bus for the experience as they travelled within the city. Like what they did in the morning, Taeyeon did her best keeping a low profile the whole time while Tiffany acted normally blending in with most of the people around her. So far, not a single autograph was given out nor a fan photo taken much to Taeyeon's delight. People continued to pass by them without noticing the star and the manager and everyone else was just busy marvelling at nature that the island had to offer.

At the park, both hiked up the mountain trail for about half an hour, which earned a few complaints here and there from Tiffany.

"How far are we supposed to go up still?" Tiffany complained.

"A few more steps. Maybe half a kilometer." Taeyeon explained, also catching her breath.

"Nice pick for a date Ms. Hallyu star..." Tiffany grumbled, huffing on her knees.

"Ha. And I thought the star was the one supposedly complaining to her manager. What's with the salty attitude?" Taeyeon prodded. 

"I'd rather stay in the hotel..." Tiffany grumbled some more.

"Aw. C'mon Tiffany." Taeyeon dragged her manager up and told her that a surprise was waiting for them.

When they reached the edge of the botanical garden at the top of the hike, Tiffany's eyes started to well up. All the bushes were in bloom. The dwarfed trees' leaves were ridiculously pink in color like a cotton candy haven. Everything was just a shade of coral to salmon and Tiffany was just in awe. Taeyeon was equally surprised with the wonderful beauty of nature in front of her. Tiffany must really love this.  

Taeyeon looked to her side and saw her manager overwhelmed. She was extremely proud of herself as a lover. Taeyeon had not expected it to be that way even though she had already looked it up online on her phone the night before but she was glad she made her girlfriend smile even after an exhausting climb. Tiffany hugged Taeyeon and started to caper into the bushes, imagining like she was Maria from the sound of Music. Taeyeon just smiled looking at her girl go crazy over pink. However, Tiffany's prancing ended abruptly when she realized that several bugs escaped from the shrubs and flew to her direction. This caused Tiffany to scream loudly and Taeyeon couldn't contain her laughter as she embraced the terrified girl in her arms.

"Get them away from me Tae!" Ah! Bolleobolleobolleobolleo!!!" Tiffany screamed some more. A few other hikers around them heard her and just laughed discreetly at the sight of a terrified lady.

"Bolleobolleobolleobolleo!" Taeyeon laughed some more and wiped a tear from her eye, completely teasing Tiffany.

"Arggh! Stop it Tae! I hate bugs!" Tiffany smacked Taeyeon on her back.

"Bolleobolleo...oh Pany-ah...maybe I shoud write a song for that." Taeyeon rubbed in more, earning a nasty glare from her manager.

"I'm going back to the hotel. You're no fun at all. Enjoy your date with the bugs!" Tiffany grumbled. She turned around and started descending on the steps but Taeyeon tugged on the white puffy coat which stopped Tiffany in her tracks.

"No.no.no. You're not going anywhere."Taeyeon said. " but I'm glad you liked that pink surprise. The bugs were not part of the plan though...Bolleobolloe..." she laughed some more but stopped as soon as piercing eyes drilled into her. :ehem...aaahhh...ok...Let's see, I still have 15 hours left before we get back to Seoul. Let's check out more of the other places here in the park then let's go to the bathhouse. I wanna relax there." Taeyeon said sternly but sweetly took Tiffany's hand and tucked it close to her chest.

"Whatever Tae."

The contact between them made Tiffany forget about the tease and just made her think about kissing Taeyeon again on the lips. It hasn't been long since their last kiss at the hotel but Tiffany was missing her hallyu star's caress on her. Like a party pooper to her mood, Tiffany instantly remembered the punishment and she was sure Taeyeon wouldn't think twice of fulfilling her threat if she ignored the rules. Her mood dumpened sooner and she wished she had won the bet at the theme park so she wouldn't have to suffer that way. Missing each other because they were apart was miserable but missing each other even though they're inches apart was pure torture.

"Tch. Stupid bet. Grr. Taetae, pabo!" Tiffany pouted some more and kicked a pebble off the trail.

"Wae? How come you're calling me stupid now?" Taeyeon replied back and then quickly landed a kiss on her girlfriend's forehead, taking precaution on the other onlookers from the trail. Taeyeon was still trying to be careful of her actions.

"Yah! That's unfair. Why can you kiss me but I can't?" Tiffany hissed softly, knowing there were still in public and glared at Taeyeon.

"My day, my rules" Taeyeon cooed happily, enjoying the thrill of teasing Tiffany while hiding from public eyes.

"You are going to regret what you just said." Tiffanay muttered under her breath.

"Mwo?" Taeyeon asked as she heard Tiffany mumble.

Tiffany gave Taeyeon her signature eye-smile and replied smugly. "Oh nothing Tae. Just you wait."

Wae? Now, what is Tiffany thinking about? Did I go too far with my punishment?

They left the park after another 3 hours and by the end of the day, the two were exhausted from playing around. Taeyeon snatched a few more kisses here and there from her manager and evaded the ones that Tiffany had attempted to lay on her. Eventually, even Taeyeon forgot she was a big hit star and couldn't care less that people would get suspicious around her as long as Tiffany was just right beside her. 

Before retreating back to the hotel, they had their dinner at a seaside restaurant and they managed to kill another two hours with their meal and gazing at the lit ports. Several other tourists walked the rocky beaches while others took more pictures of the evening sea. The two continued with their simple date and were able to talk about their interests and their views of other people in their line of work. Time passed too quickly as they to enjoy every second remaining in their stay. When both of them reached the hotel, they directly went to the bathhouse and between the two, Taeyeon yearned for the last stop of their relaxing evening more than the other.

"Uwa! This is such an amazing spa. I've never gone into a public bath house before." Taeyeon said as they both entered the bathhouse.

"Are you sure this is okay Tae? It is a public bath house." Tiffany worried again although the entire day went smoothly without any fans or media bothering them in any way. "We can just take a bath in our room."

"C'mon, I want to try it. No complaints right. I'm the boss this time. Just once." Taeyeon smiled broadly and dragged Tiffany along.

Since Tiffany saw how Taeyeon wanted it so much and she herself would want to enjoy the evening in a relaxing hotspring, Tiffany agreed and even managed the whole receptionist and counter checking related issues. Finishing up the task, Tiffany went back to Taeyeon and the two women were led into a small changing area and were given bathrobes and towels by the staff.

Taeyeon quickly changed separately from Tiffany and wrapped the towels around her body and her head, covering the bright chestnut locks. There were a few ahjummas in the changing room who were dressing up to their normal clothes. Most of them were old enough to be beyond Taeyeon's generation such that they weren't able recognize the hallyu star at all even with her bare face exposed. Unknowingly, the older women just continued with gossiping to one another, ignoring Taeyeon and Tiffany who just came in to change. 

Feeling much more confident that nobody could identify her, Taeyeon called back to her manager before entering the steaming bath pools in the next room.

"Tiffany, I'll go in first. You just follow right after, okay?" Taeyeon cupped her hands and moderately shouted.

"Ne. I'll be out in a while." Tiffany answered back.

Taeyeon opened the door and hot steam greeted her as she entered the bathhouse for women. The room was vast with a total of five pools; two of them were large ones and three that were medium sized and differently colored with different fragrances ammended in the waters. Steam covered most of the middle of the pools but the edges were clear enough for people to pass through. 

As the hallyu star walked in, she saw around four other women in some of the pools that were closer to the door, casually washing each other's backs and discussing amongst each other. They all looked up as they saw Taeyeon come in and Taeyeon tilted her head immediatly and slightly covered her face as she walked past them. Discreetly, Taeyeon went for the last pool, farthest from the door and slowly removed her bathrobe and head towel, releasing her hair on her shoulders. She calmly dipped herself into the warm water with only her towel around her and rested her head on the edge of the rock-laden pool, hidden from the rest of bathers.

Aahhh. This is the life. Never knew the public could enjoy these free-willingly. Oh man, I never felt so tired. My muscles are all sore from the constant practice and this heat feels so good. I should tell Hyo, Nicole and Yuri to come with me next time and go to a bathhouse in Seoul...

Taeyeon adjusted herself on the underwater bench and stared into space. Her mind continued to wander as the sound of rippling water invaded her ears.

Seoul...aish. By tomorrow morning, I'll be back to being Kim Taeyeon again, the hallyu star. Time to face the public and hide. I wonder when I could go out on a date with Tiffany like this again. I hope she understands. I think she does, she does love me right? Tiffany, are you really wiling to go through the rought times with me? How long are you willing to take this? Do I like...no....Do I love Tiffany enough? Does she love me enough?

Wading her arm on her sides, Taeyeon cupped her hands full of water and splashed her face. Sudden thoughts of her past relationship sprang into her head. It seemed that the odd feeling of her past had been lurking around, waiting for an opportunity to distort her thoughts.

Sigh. Three years...It's been that long...

I wonder if Tiffany will leave me like you did...

...now I'm confused...should I proceed this relationship with Tiffany? What if I end up hurt again?  What if she does the same thing that you did...

The image of her past girlfriend flashed before Taeyeon's very eyes as she closed them shut and pain drove through Taeyeon's heart once again.

Why? Why did you send me those flowers again? What do you mean for the last time? Have you moved on? Why? Where are you? Will you come back to me Soo-?

"Tae, are you out here?" a husky feminine yet familiar voice called out. Taeyeon was cut off from her thoughts. Suddenly, the grip in her heart loosened at the sound of Tiffany's voice. It seemed that all that mattered to her now was the person who called her out.

"Ne. Here. The temperature's great. You'll love it." Taeyeon answered back, lowering her pitch so the women still taking their baths wouldn't recognize her voice.

Tiffany was able to pick up where the sound came from despite the thickness of the steam coming up from the pools, she instinctively went for the farthest pool knowing Taeyeon would be hiding from the group of chattering women who were still enjoying the bath house in the other puddles. The brunette manager spotted the hallyu star with her head against the edge of some rocks with her hair sprewn all over like the sun's rays and her eyes closed. Tiffany dropped her bathrobe and immersed her towel-covered body in the pool. She walked over to Taeyeon's side and sat beside the hallyu star on the concrete manmade bench under the blue water, leaning her back.

"Uggghhhhh. You're right Tae, this feels good." Tiffany exhaled as she let her body get relaxed.

"Uhummm..." Taeyeon agreed, her voice trailed off as she still closed her eyes and savored this repose.

"Gwaenchana? You seem quiet Tae?" Tiffany said while mimicking Taeyeon's position and laying her head also on the edge of the pool. "Is something bothering you?"

"Hmmm? Nope. It's nothing. Just thinking and relaxing." Taeyeon replied and grabbed Tiffany's hand underwater, interlacing their fingers together. A few minutes later, Taeyeon, readjusted her position and laid out her arm and rested Tiffany's head right next to her chest. Tiffany was breathing in deep from the steam and the heat that was emanating from the danshin's body made her uneasy. She laid her hand on top of Taeyeon's abdomen and felt the danshin's toned stomach rise and drop parallel to the slowed breathing. Taeyeon was somehow lost again in her thoughts. She couldn't understand why she kept on thinking about her past love even though Tiffany was right beside her.

A few giggles erupted from the group of four women in the distant front of the bathhouse. Splashes of water were heard as all four emerged from the pool and exited the bath, leaving Taeyeon and Tiffany alone. The whole room became fairly quiet, with the only constant ripples of water and hissing from the boiling steam resounded through the bamboo decorated walls.

"Tae?" Tiffany asked, her voice huskier than the usual.

"Hmm...Ne. Tiffany? What is~" Taeyeon answered back with her head still at the edge and peeked to open one of her eyes when she sensed a pair of lips on her own. Tiffany claimed Taeyeon's mouth and heaved in deeply as she moved her lips aggressively. Taeyeon responded back by turning her head from side to side. Tiffany lifted Taeyeon's head from the edge and dragged her into the middle of the pool, steam rising all around them. Desperate for air, Taeyeon peeled away from the liplock and braced Tiffany before her.

"Huff... Yah...Huff... Tiffany. What are you doing? Somebody can just come in. " Taeyeon said, catching her breath and taking glances at the bathhouse door. She was slightly taken aback and felt a bit guilty. While she and Tiffany were kissing, there were times that the old image of her past lover rose from the back of her mind.  

"Stop this Tiffany." Taeyeon warned, a bit flustered from trying to get hold of the situation. "I'm seriously going to cancel my concert if you take this further."

Taeyeon suddenly was concerned and thought Tiffany was challenging her in some way if she stuck to her word. She was about to get mad at her manager but her eyes got diverted to the creamy white bare shoulders covered only by the pink cotton towel under the dark blue waters. Taeyeon swallowed her spit and gazed back to Tiffany's eyes. The chocolate brown orbs just stared at Taeyeon with lust. Gone were the crescent moon shaped timid eyes that went along with an innocent smile. Instead, Tiffany's stare was similar to a viscious tigress awaiting her prey.

"Taetae, screw your rules and your concert. You've been teasing me all day. I can't take it any longer. Time to switch. This time it's your punishment!" Tiffany finally blurted out, unable to control her emotions any longer.

"But Tiff~" Taeyeon retreated a few steps. "Wait~"

Tiffany compelled and pulled the hallyu star close to her, commanding Taeyeon to claim once more."Just...shut..your...mouth and kiss me. Kiss me Kim Taeyeon."

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ah. i can't believe i made that joke on dookong plushies. now i'll never look at those adorable peas the same way again...hahaha...my mind is severely corrupted...