CHAPTER 20

“Aren’t you going work?”

       Taeyeon asked as she suddenly noticed it wasn’t weekend and the girl still lazily took her time by lounging on her sofa and reading some magazine. Krystal tilted her head and shifted her gaze from the magazine to the smaller one; afterward without saying anything she just dumped her magazine onto the table and walked to approach her.

       “You care?” she asked in such a playful way. Taeyeon rolled her eyes in disbelief.

(Somehow, I feel she helped me a lot, at least she distracted me to not keep thinking about Tiffany… I know I would never forget someone had already left footprints embedded deep inside my heart that easy, but her presence was just like an angel in disguise…)

       “Just a courtesy,” Taeyeon shook her head, pretended to act as cool as possible, but she just couldn’t hold her smile.

       “Oh, I got that,” Krystal replied and smiled back.

       “Actually, I just resigned,” finally Krystal admitted. Taeyeon looked at her with questioning eyes, willingly to get the further explanation. Krystal shrugged her shoulder nonchalantly while heaving a huge sigh.

       “My boss was ert. He couldn’t keep his hand to himself,” she admitted again hence made another boss in front of her now dropping her jaw.

       “Such a jerk,” Taeyeon commented and suddenly somehow she felt slightly pissed off about the boss, even if she had no idea at all about him.

       “Why didn’t you report to the police?”

       Strangely, Krystal just laughed hearing her question.

       “And what?” she asked. “You know the police would only keep their hand tie up until at least I get real ual offense. And moreover, instead of getting some protection, it would only create a scene and lead to some big issue that eventually would only humiliate me. You know, worker always do wrong and the boss can do no wrong.”

       “Well, that’s so bad,” Taeyeon commented briefly.

       “But… it isn’t true… In my kingdom, your knowledge didn’t work out that way. I respected my worker.”

       “Oh yeah?” Krystal rolled her eyes in disbelief, hearing the last sentence. Taeyeon made an offended face and crossed her arms and it just made Krystal giggled even more.

       “Look,” she piped up again. “I know I’m such a bad tempered person, but I wasn’t such a mean boss. I mean, I give what my workers deserve to get, including both reward and punishment. I just play fair.”

       Krystal smiled calmly discovering Taeyeon seriously had bothered herself to make some plea whereby Krystal just didn’t take it so serious. It wasn’t like Taeyeon as she used to think; that was kind of person who didn’t give a damn to other people’s opinion as she had already more or less got an image about Taeyeon either from magazine or television… or she just acted this way to some particular people???

       “Well, I think I’d be glad if I could work with you then. I like fair play as well,” Krystal commented and was about to rise from the bed again. But suddenly a hand just clutched hers, and it stopped her to move any further.

       “Did I just hear an offering?” Taeyeon asked while staring at her.

       Krystal looked slightly taken aback as she didn’t expect Taeyeon would take her spontaneous remark seriously.

       Slowly, a smile just played across Taeyeon’s face.

       “Work with me,” Taeyeon stated. It wasn’t like a question, but more sounded like a demand. And inside her voice, there’s some tone that was hard to argue, though Krystal couldn’t figure it out yet. For the first time, she knew that this person was really charismatic, and she, actually, began to adore her even more.

       “I… I… what position?” Krystal found herself slightly stuttering.

       “Same with your previous one. PA,” Taeyeon said.

       “Oh, it sounds gre...,” Krystal was about to smile but suddenly she just threw puzzle look to Taeyeon again.

       “Did I tell you my previous occupation???” she yelled in surprise.

       This time was Taeyeon’s turn to laugh.

       “You didn’t literally tell. But your story told me more than you think. ert boss. Pretty girl. ual harassment. What else I could conclude, huh?”

       Krystal’s face just blushed once she heard the compliment straightforwardly released from cute girl one.

       “Don’t be surprised. The more you know me, the more you’d get to use to it,” Taeyeon shook her head as if could read her mind. “And oh yeah, I just suddenly think over about it, about your boss. I think you can’t totally blame him,” Taeyeon added and smirked.

       Her remark just made Krystal made a face reflecting her surprise as Taeyeon seemed was on the ert one side. But before Krystal had any chance to scowl, Taeyeon had already gone on.

       “How could someone resist someone as beautiful as you?” Taeyeon asked, this time earning another blushing face from the latter. Krystal just could manage to clear and tried hard to divert the topic, but unfortunately she just didn’t get any other idea.

       “Errr… I… I… will prepare my CV and else… W-what do you n-need…”

       Taeyeon didn’t answer and just rose from the bed. She smiled even wider and held her gaze on Krystal.

        “Isn’t there another necessary question?”

        “Erm, I…,” Krystal gulped.

        “So… Being my PA. Yes or no?”

        Krystal only could manage to nod while avoiding gaze from the shorter standing in front of her now.

       Taeyeon smiled complacently discovering her agreement and just spontaneously dropped a quick peck on her forehead.

       SMOOCH.

       “Thanks. I like you and I appreciate it,” she said and passed her over afterward, directed to the bathroom, leaving the blushing dumbfounded one who was still bite her bottom lips holding her embarrassment from the sudden scene for a while.

TH

       My life, I had to admit, never been as strange as this one. It’s been already three days since the day I met her for the last time. I woke up, I bathed, I listened to the music, I read novel, I did chit-chat with some old friends, I cooked, I watched the television, I… Hell, I did anything, anything that could kill my time, anything that could distract me to not keep thinking about her. Anything that would be possible to keep her away from my mind. But, in every night before I closed my eyes, I realized, I would never get her out of my mind. Her smile, her tears, her resentment, just glued in my mind, as if had already decided to occupy into it for as long as I’m alive… But every time my other part of heart wanted to dial some number that I’ve memorized out of my head, another part of mine just dodged me to do so. It’s like reminding me to be fair… Because I was the one who started it out, I was the one who leave her, and I would only be the worst lover in this world if I just came back into her life and told her that all the things I’ve done to her was the worst joke in this world ever…

       This morning, as usual, I stared out in front of my television. My eyes could be told sticking on the screen, but my mind, as usual just flew out somewhere.

       It was a gossip channel, one I never really paid attention too much. As I was about to switch the channel, my hand automatically stopped and my heart was like racing out witnessing the one suddenly popped on the screen.

       “Director Kim, say one or two word for our audience, please?” one of reporter made an effort to approach her, while there’s so many other people trailing behind.

       “Hi, nice to meet you,” she said in good manner and waved her hand, but didn’t stop walking.

       “Director Kim, we got a lot of email about you… One frequently asked question was… You’re beautiful, young, talented, dynamic, and undeniable was counted for the young successful businesswoman in Seoul… Some of audiences wondered if you had already reached all of your achievements… Could be said, many people were envying you… Do you have some encouragement message for your fans?”

       Suddenly Taeyeon just stopped her pace and paid enough attention to the reporter.

       Calmly, she managed to smile. It’s a warm smile I knew I’d always been missing for, that once used to be mine…

       But, it wasn’t the smile only that made me felt the pain again. Her answer, just made me cried a river already.

       People just see what they want to see, but they just don’t want to bother themselves to dig deeper to get to know further.”

       “Like some people thought,” she uttered again. “I once thought that I’ve already got everything in my young age. But one day I realized, despite of everything I had, sometimes I found myself empty… until one day I thought I had already found the one I once believed that she’s designed and destined to fulfill my emptiness. It’s kinda funny, don’t laugh,” Taeyeon said but otherwise, she herself laughed for her own statement as if it was a real funny thing. But I could catch sorrow inside her laugh, and it made me hurt even more.

       “But in the end when I found I would never be the part of the person, yesterday, now, or in the future, I just realized that all the things I’ve already achieved were nothing as I even didn’t occupy some little space inside this one heart… For most people, it maybe looked like I have already had everything. But, please tell them, despite of my huge world I owned, actually, what I really need so badly was only this unnecessary person that for me, just my world already.”

       “So tell them, not to be envy. They’re all must be luckier than me!”

       With that she sealed the interview and got into her car. As she was about to slide the door close, I could catch the same expression she displayed at the night she begged me to not leave.

       It stung my heart a lot.

      I just finished washed my face for some time to soothe my swollen eyes when the package was coming. I frowned, had no idea where it came from. I carefully unwrapped it and just found myself started to fight back another tears once I found what it was.

       A knitted purple sweater.

KTY

       I was just about have some meeting with Yuri and Jessica, and also was about use the opportunity to introduce Krystal to them when suddenly there’s some riot sound outside my room. Before I had any chance to check it out, suddenly my door had already opened in a force and there’s an uninvited guess came in, followed by my security.

       “Jwesonghamnida, Sajang…,” my security looked pale as he must be thinking I wouldn’t bother to blame him for his failure to prevent this uninvited guest to enter my room.

       But I hastily lifted my hand up, giving him a cue to leave and let the guess in.

       “What can I do for you?” I asked coldly.

       “I know you hate me… But… should you give me back the thing I ever made for you?” she asked and hauled up some stuff in front of me.

       “Oh, that. May I correct? I don’t hate you. There’s no point made me hate you. I just think I don't need it.”

       “Don’t play dumb, Tae,” she shook her head sadly. It made me almost cry, but I just COULDN’T CRY now, not in front of her. If I let my tears run out again, we would never reach real ending. And it wasn’t good at all for both of us.

       “Oh,” I laughed pathetically. “Who’s playing dumb? Who’s the one who always been a fool between us?”

       She bit her bottom lips, probably was already in the edge of crying.

       “I gave it to you. You don’t have to return it to me.”

       “AND I GAVE YOU MY HEART,” I stated in sudden resentment. It just made her hushed. Afterward, there’s an awkward silence followed.

       I shook my head and rose from my chair.

       “Moreover, my girlfriend wouldn’t be glad if know about this stuff,” finally I said after a short pause.

       “Your…?” she obviously looked so taken aback.

       Before I had any chance to reply her, suddenly the door just opened again, and in time Krystal stepped in. Once she caught Tiffany’s presence, she just stopped at her track and was about to turn back.

       “Oh, I’m sorry, I don’t know you have a guest…”

       I used the chance to approach and kissed her.

       “UNINVITED GUEST,” I stated indignantly and chuckled. Krystal looked at me confusingly.

       I wrapped my hands around Krystal and made a face toward Tiffany.

       “My girlfriend, Krystal, if you need to know,” I said nonchalantly.

       I could catch Tiffany’s eyes now were teary and maybe before her tears literally pour she thought she had to escape herself.

       “Excuse me,” she said it and just made quick movement to left. The sweater was back on her hand.

       Afterward Krystal was looking at me. She was about to release from my wrapped hand, but I persisted. I even tightened my hug.

       “It’s Tiffany,” I murmured and caught her face was remained calm.

      "Why it doesn't surprise me?" she smiled and asked rethorical question. I shrugged my shoulder and hold my gaze on her.

      "You tell me," I said briefly.

      “You played drama to hurt her?” she asked dubiously while staring my eyes.

       I shook my head.

       “I didn’t play drama, either hurt her intentionally.”

       She looked at me in bemusement.

       “W-what? So… what… it was…?”

       “Let’s make it official, please?” I asked.

       “Tae~?” she seemed hesitated but didn’t pull away from me. I stared at her solemnly.

       “Krystal, I like you,” I said. She looked at me, dumbfounded.

        I nodded my head again, assuring her.

       "Jongmal, joahe."

        For the first time I caught the chic girl eyes were watery.

        “Would you be my girlfriend?” I asked solemnly. She just didn’t immediately answer and it made me bit frustration.

        “I know you may think it’s too fast… but…”

        Strangely, slowly a beautiful smile just plastered up on her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck and got herself closer to me.

        “If I’m dreaming, indeed it’s too fast for me. It even hasn’t reached my sleep time yet,” she said shyly.

         “But if it’s for real, Tae… How could I say no to a person as wonderful as you?”

I exposed Tiffany POV. I granted your wish.

And Krystal? How's her cheesiness and sincerity?

to be continued...