CHAPTER 8

       Here they were. Gathering at the one of well-known Western restaurant at the downtown. Yuri led them and picked the table for four persons at the corner, confined with the glass which practically made them able to enjoy the night scenic view of Seoul. The atmosphere was so good. It wasn’t noisy hence not too quiet. They preferred to order some share-items than ala-carte menu since they found it’d be more pleasuring to share the food together than enjoying your food alone. Moreover, you would be able to sense various taste of food. The girls were sitting at the glass window side, while the boys were at the other side. By the next second after ordering some food: a big platter consisting of deep fried dory, French fries, boiled shrimp, and abalone, a plate of onion ring, a plate of crispy calamari, and a big pitcher of blackberry tea with refill compliment, Yuri immediately stood up and got up from their table.

       “I wanna go to salad bar,” he said to them. “I’ll take some salad for you.”

       “Let me help you to bring some of them too,” Jessica abruptly said and smiled.

       Yuri glanced at her and nodded her head. He didn’t say anything again and Jessica just trailed him behind, heading to salad bar. Left both Taeyeon and Tiffany at the table. For a moment, they were remaining quiet.

       Taeyeon earned a fake cough. Tiffany glimpsed at him.

       “How is it?” Taeyeon tried to build conversation, finally. “The restaurant,” he added as he caught Tiffany didn’t get it.

       “Owh… It’s good. I like it. Moreover, I’m a big fan of Western food if I haven’t told you,” she said and smiled sweetly.

       “Note that,” Taeyeon voluntary smiled back. “At least I knew that it’d never be wrong to bring you some pizza, pasta, or steak,” he spontaneously said.

       Tiffany looked at him, and though it took some effort, finally she could spill out her next sentence.

       “Why should you bring some food?” she asked teasingly. But she set her tone casual.

       Taeyeon cleared his throat. “Why shouldn’t I?” He replied and smirked.

       Tiffany snorted and furrowing her eyebrows. “Do you always answer a question with a question?”

       Taeyeon giggled. “No,” he shook his head. “Just to some people that I want to get interaction with,” he said. “You knew I barely talk to anybody.”

       Tiffany widened her smile when heard what Taeyeon was saying though actually it was too weak to be mentioned as indication of something. However she was satisfied enough, at least during this week, Taeyeon was no longer being as cold as before. He gradually began to be warm, normally talk, and sometimes tend to talkative.

       “What?” Taeyeon asked and waved his hand in front of her face, yanking her from her thought.

       “Nothing,” Tiffany replied. “I’m glad we’re having a good time,” she added with her blushing cheek. Taeyeon gulped and save himself by looking down at the menu again.

       “Me too,” he said above a whisper. There was a short pause. Taeyeon shifted his gaze from menu to Tiffany again. Tiffany was staring out of the window.

       “Fani~aaa,” he called softly. Tiffany turned to face him.

       “I’m sorry,” Taeyeon said after hesitating for a moment. “About the kiss,” he continued again. He felt his cheeks were burning now. And Tiffany was also the same. Strangely, somehow, she couldn’t help but smile.

       “I knew it was improper and unacceptable,” Taeyeon uttered seriously after releasing a deep sigh. Tiffany was still silent as she willingly to listen to Taeyeon until he finished his sentences.

       “I’m really thankful to Jessica,” Taeyeon beamed a wry smile. “For slapping me. At least it made me know, I deserve to get that.”

       “Or if you want to slap me now, I also don’t mind,” Taeyeon lifted his head and faced Tiffany. He seemed serious.

       He’s really irresistible! Tiffany talked to herself. She couldn’t bear her giggle anymore. Taeyeon raised her eyebrows in doubt.

       “You laugh? What’s funny?” Taeyeon looked puzzled.

       “If I willingly to slap, I supposed to already slapped you by that time, or the next day, or the couple of next days, and no need to wait until you gave me permission, Taeng,” Tiffany said and struggled to manage her giggle.

       “Owh,” Taeyeon gasped, found how absurd he was. Then he just giggled along with her.

       “I I… How stupid I am,” he admitted bluntly. “But I’m really sorry, Fani~aaa,” he said again. “I wish I could tell you the reason and everything about it so you wouldn’t be misunderstanding with me.”

       Tiffany shook her head calmly. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to, Tae,” she flashed an assured smile.

       Taeyeon seemed shock with Tiffany reaction.

       “You don’t mind if I don’t give you any explanation after I kissed you?” He repeated in disbelief. “You don’t wanna know the reason or else?”

       “Of course not that,” Tiffany replied. “I’m willingly to know. But I don’t mind if you don’t want or maybe weren’t able to fire away,” she said, so understanding. “I won’t bother you for that.”

       “Fani~aaaa, Oh my God,” Taeyeon gasped again. “I was the one who kissed you and you say you won’t bother me for the explanation?” Taeyeon smacked his head dramatically in his disbelief. “You officially made me bad, Fani~aaa,” Taeyeon said in his guilty.

       “No, Taeng. I don’t mean that,” Tiffany convinced. Her eyes were so bright.

       “I know you aren’t bad. I know you have a lot of secrets, though I have no idea about it. I know you tried so hard to suppress all of your charming side and pretend to be someone else, but yet I still have no idea about it. You tried to be rude to make people stay away from you. But sorry, unfortunately I just don’t buy your lie,” Tiffany smiled confidently.

       “But for instance, as long as you feel you can have some great time with me, I won’t take it as a matter too. For me it wasn’t really important, to know somebody’s secret, somebody’s dark side, or else. It was unnecessary to know somebody’s past as well. Coz what I want to live with and for is the present and the future time,” Tiffany said without a pause. Afterward, Tiffany found herself was shock and couldn’t believe her tongue could release that kind of speech toward a guy like that – the thing she never said or even never expected to be before.

       Taeyeon was also finding himself shock about what he already heard. It was so touching, it was so sincere. It was a blessing. And he realized he would spend all of rest of the time of his life by regretting and being a fool if he still keep run away from her. She wasn’t only beautiful. She was more than that. She was everything he needed. He knew that.

       There was an awkward pause between. Tiffany couldn’t imagine how red her cheeks were now. And Taeyeon was so just same.

       “Tiffany,” he said gently and naturally held Tiffany’s hand. Tiffany didn’t pull away.

       “Tell me who are you?” Taeyeon whispered and leaned his face forward hers.

       Tiffany’s heart was fluttering at the moment. Her beat was thumping hard as she expected what would happen just by the next second.

       “You tell me first, Taeyeon,” Tiffany whispered teasingly.

       “I’m a fool guy who had already been hypnotized under your magic,” he said and slowly got his face closer again. Until both of them could felt the warm air earned by their own nostrils. Taeyeon was still holding Tiffany’s hand tightly.

       Tiffany smiled joyfully heard the cheesy answer from the boy. Her heart was pumping faster. Even she could felt it was almost erupt from her chest. Taeyeon was staring deeply at her before she closed her eyes.

       “And I’m proudly saying, I’m a fool girl who…”

       “Guys!!”

       The moment suddenly broke. They just quickly pulled away each other. Avoiding their gaze as soon as possible. Managing themselves to keep the gap as normal as possible. Tiffany released a fake cough a few times, as though there were lumps in . Taeyeon pretended to look down at the menu again while humming a little. It was Yuri’s voice, accidentally calling and interrupting the moment from across.

       “Wanna potato salad?” he asked, about around 40 yards from their seat.

       “Yeah, I like it!” Both Tiffany and Taeyeon replied in unison. And again, they found their cheeks were getting hotter.

       He walked toward them within few seconds, side by side with Jessica. They brought so many plates of salad.

       “Let’s eat, guys!” Jessica said cheerfully and grabbed some salads.

       Both Tiffany and Taeyeon still managed themselves to recover. It was still awkward, actually. Jessica stole a glimpse toward both of them.

       “Something wrong?” she asked curiously.

       “NO!!! We didn’t…,”  (kissing) :p

        Both of them said in unison again then exchanging an odd glancing. Yuri was furrowing. Jessica was creasing up her eyebrows.

       “Didn’t what?” Yuri raised the question while smirking.

       Tiffany hoped something help her. Something like blackout perhaps? She was pretty sure, her face was as red as tomato right now.

       “We didn’t want to waste time again. Let’s eat. We’re starving!” Taeyeon tried to work out though it actually was a really good saving. However, luckily, both Yuri and Jessica didn’t mind with it and as they were ravenous as well, they just vehemently grabbed every food which was displayed at the table. While they were eating, Taeyeon and Tiffany once again exchanged a glance, and this time, Taeyeon caught the girl didn’t look awkward anymore; instead she flashed him her irresistible eyesmile and mouthed “thank you” to him.

       Gyuri puckered her face in front of his father. She leaned her head on his father lap in the silence. His father smiled and caressed his daughter’s hair.

       “Something bothering you?” his father asked, full of concern.

       “Appa,” Gyuri lifted her head and faced his father - an old man in black suit and trench, with grayish hair which indicating his age, with a pair of black sharp eyes, with a pair of bold eyebrows, with manly jaw structure, and with an undeniable power and charisma, which make everybody needed to collect all of their courage just to talk with him, unless his spoiled beloved daughter.

       “I hate the girl!” she cried out.

       “What girl?” his father furrowed.

       “Tiffany Hwang. She took Taeng from me,” she uttered.

       His father was remaining silent, but looked like he was musing and considering something.

       “Appa!” Gyuri called out again and stared at his father. She was kneeling now.

       “Do something for me, Appa, please! I want him back to me,” she said with aegyeo deliberately since she knew no matter how fierce his father, this way was never failed to melt his heart to grant her everything she wanted. 

to be continued...

Hi guys, do you have any idea what will Gyuri's father do?

Will Taeyeon have any chance to make his relationship be official?