“Okay sure, just hurry up.”

 

Yuri sprinted straight into the bathroom while Taeyeon was observing the map of the mall.
 

I swear this map is useless. Why build a mall that’s as big as Everland? There are literally 50 stores, 10 restrooms, 4 arcades, and 6 food courts. Do you even need that many places to eat at a mall? The creators of this map should’ve placed a ‘You Are Here’ sticker so at least I’d have an idea where I am. All these stores look alike and the list of shops isn’t helping.
 

Taeyeon was feeling irritated; lost in thought while she was trying to decipher the map. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she heard the mall’s PA system ringing.
 

*been* *boom* *bum* *bing* “Attention shoppers, may I have your attention please. We have a little boy lost in the mall who is desperately looking for his mother.
 

Aww that’s too bad. I should probably keep a lookout for that little boy.
 

The little boy’s name is Kim Taeyeon. He is about 5’1 and has a blue backpack. Kim Taeyeon, if you are hearing this message, please meet your mother at the Baby Maybe clothing store. She has your Dookong waiting for you. I repeat, we have a lost little boy…
 

As soon as Taeyeon heard her name on the PA, all of her attention was directed to the intercom message. Her mom couldn’t have been here. According to the clock, she should still be at work right now, and she was pretty sure her mom knew that she was a girl.
 

That’s when a light bulb finally above Taeyeon’s head.
 

Tiffany…
 

Of course, it was that brunette – who else would call her a little boy over the intercom? Well it just goes to show how far Tiffany would go to humiliate someone. Taeyeon was about to brush off the PA message until she remembered the last part of the announcement.

The PA said that she has my Dookong waiting for me. But that’s impossible. She would’ve had to break into my apartment and…
 

The terrifying thought of Tiffany finding her apartment and breaking the lock was swimming in Taeyeon’s mind. The brunette already had her permanent record and already knew about her school history. Who was to say she didn’t know where Taeyeon lived?
 

But even if she did break into my room, how would she know I value my Dookong more than my laptop? She would have…
 

Taeyeon almost forgot. Everything was in her permanent record. Tiffany would know about the incident in elementary school when she brought her Dookong to show and tell, but at least she wouldn’t know ‘why’ it was considered a special treasure to Taeyeon.
 

I don’t know if she’s bluffing or not, but if it concerns the Dookong Grandma got for me then I’ll do anything to get it back. Even if it means confronting the mushroom.
 

Taeyeon noticed a lot of people were staring at her. They probably heard the announcement and were probably wondering if Taeyeon was ‘the lost little boy’. Embarrassed by the looks people were giving her, Taeyeon kept her head down as she made her way to the Baby Maybe store. Thankfully it wasn’t too far away from the kiosk since the mall map probably wouldn’t have helped her anyway.
 

Taeyeon was making her way towards the store before she almost forgot about someone. Yuri. She was most likely still in the restroom and she figured it would be a smart idea to bring Yuri along. Before she could make her way back to the bathroom, an older woman carrying a bag of fruits managed to stop Taeyeon.
 

“Oh there you are. You must be the lost child the intercom was talking about.” The older woman had very thick glasses and seemed to be having a hard time deciding whether or not Taeyeon was a boy.
 

“Actually ma’am, that was a joke someone was trying to-”
 

“Now, now, don’t you worry young one. I actually passed by the Baby Maybe store so I can personally help you get there. Your mommy is probably worried about you.” With her free hand, the old woman took Taeyeon’s hand and started leading her back to the clothing store.
 

Surprisingly the old lady managed to keep a good grip on Taeyeon. She could’ve just broken free from her, but she didn’t want to be rude. Even if it was a misunderstanding, she knew the old woman’s heart was in the right place.
 

After only a few minutes of slow paced walking, Taeyeon finally made it to Baby Maybe.
 

“Now don’t you worry young one, I’m sure your mommy really misses you right now. Be safe now!” The old woman said kindly as she put a piece of candy in Taeyeon’s hand before walking away. Taeyeon stuffed the candy into her pocket. Since she was already here, she decided that she might as well confront Tiffany.
 

Taeyeon started to analyze the Baby Maybe store. Normally clothing stores were about the size of two classrooms. What she didn’t know was that Baby Maybe was a giant department store within the mall. There were endless rows of clothing racks as far as the eye could see and somewhere around these racks, Tiffany was hiding and waiting for her.
 

Taeyeon cautiously made her way around the mannequins and the stacks of jeans that were as tall as her. She quickly checked inside the circular clothing racks to see if she could find her peapod plush or a hiding Tiffany. By the time she made it to the other side of the store, she couldn’t find any signs of Tiffany or anyone for that matter.
 

It seemed that the only people in the whole store were Taeyeon, a few cashiers and a security guard. Taeyeon guessed that maybe the store wasn’t that popular. Since she was already here, she might as well try on a few clothes. Maybe Tiffany wasn’t even here and was just trying to scare her.
 

At the corner of her eye, Taeyeon noticed a very cute red letterman jacket. It looked like the kind of jacket the high school kids would wear in the American high school drama Taeyeon was currently watching.

 

She took off her backpack and placed it near a stack of khakis. Since there wasn’t anyone else in the store, Taeyeon thought it would be easier if she just tried on the jacket here instead of in the dressing room. She was surprised that the jacket fit her like a glove since most of the clothes looked 2 sizes too big for her. She took a Polo cap and thought it would make a nice accessory.

Now I just need to find a mirror.
 

Taeyeon walked around looking for a mirror until she felt a presence. She stopped in her tracks and took a glance behind her back.
 

“Hello? Tiffany?”
 

No response.
 

The feeling that Taeyeon was sensing was way too familiar. It was the same dark presence she had felt in the locker room yesterday. That same presence haunted her in her sleep last night. It was the feeling that a hundred eyes were looking at her, yet no one was there.
 

“Damn it Hwang!  Where are you? Show yourself!”
 

Again, an eerie silence could be heard.
 

Taeyeon knew that Tiffany was watching her from somewhere, but didn’t know where. She constantly turned her head and was searching for the scary brunette. Taeyeon’s heart rate started to get faster and beads of sweat were starting to form on her forehead. Out of fear, Taeyeon ran to the changing rooms nearby in hopes of getting rid of the dreadful feeling.
 

Good. It looks like she’s not in here.
 

The changing room was small and Taeyeon checked to make sure that there was no one hiding in the rooms. In order to cool down, Taeyeon threw the hat and jacket she was wearing aside and saw her own reflection. However, she didn’t notice a girl wearing a pink hoodie who could barely be seen in the corner of the mirror.
 

“Sheesh Kim, you need to relax. You do know you’re in public right?”
 

“KYAHH!”
 

The sound of Tiffany’s voice right next to Taeyeon’s ear made the blonde jump almost a meter into air. Tiffany had a look of amusement on her face.
 

“My my Kim, you’re so twitchy. I’m glad you got my message, I really did miss my bouncing baby boy.” Tiffany took a step towards Taeyeon which in turn made Taeyeon take two steps back.
 

“Cut the bull Hwang, just give me my doll and we can just get on with the rest of our day.”
 

Taeyeon couldn’t explain it, but she felt as long as Tiffany was a good three meters away from her, she was safe. For the most part she felt braver when Tiffany wasn’t toe to toe with her.
 

“Tsk, tsk. Now is that how I raised my little boy?”
 

“I’m not your little boy and you’re not my mom.”
 

Tiffany smirked. “Okay then. I guess you don’t want to play. That’s fine.” Tiffany took a few more steps towards Taeyeon and as if it was automatic, Taeyeon stepped back in order to keep her distance.
 

“Come on Kim, it took a lot of effort to follow you from school in order to arrange this meeting. Can’t you at least give me a hug?” Tiffany playfully stretched her arms out, but Taeyeon saw no good reason why she would hug the only person who could permanently ruin her life.
 

“Wait a minute, you followed me? Why the hell would you follow me all the way to a mall?”
 

“Why? Because I just wanted to talk to you Kim, that’s all.”
 

Taeyeon kept her feet planted to the ground in a firm stance. She was not going to let Tiffany get to her again.
 

“Okay fine. You want to talk, let’s talk. Did you post the v-video already?”
 

Tiffany noticed the small stutter in Taeyeon’s voice. She knew Taeyeon was terrified on the inside and hoped to exploit that. “Relax Kim, I didn’t post the video. Yet.”
 

It sounded almost too good to be true, until Tiffany uttered the word ‘yet’.
 

“…So what are you waiting for? An invitation to post it?” Taeyeon had no idea what she was saying. She thought that if she continued to act bold, maybe Tiffany would get scared and leave her alone. Best case scenario, Tiffany deletes the video and everyone lives happily ever after. Given the amused smirk Tiffany was showing, Taeyeon thought that Tiffany probably wasn’t buying it.
 

“Wow Kim, when did you grow a pair? Oh that’s right. I guess you always did have a pair a pair of peanuts between your legs since you’re just a little boy. Why else would you feel hot and bothered whenever you see a nice piece of ? That is, unless you’re a dyke… Are you a dyke, Kim?”
 

Taeyeon was trying to take deep breaths. She couldn’t lose her cool yet. She needed to be strong.
 

“No response? Well I guess we all know the answer, but back to what I was saying before. I knew you were spying on us Kim; you and that darkie friend of yours. What was her name? Yuwree? Well anyways, I thought that was very disrespectful Kim. Least you could’ve done was said hi.”
 

, so she did know we were hiding behind the banner? Her friend probably tipped her off.
 

“Well… you dug into my permanent record. Me and Yuri attempting to listen to your conversation doesn’t even come close to what you did.”
 

The smirk on Tiffany’s face was quickly replaced by a scowl. “And who the are you to say that you can listen in to my business?” Tiffany purposefully marched towards the shorter girl. Taeyeon tried to back up more, but found that she was trapped in the corner of the changing cubicle.
 

“My life is my business, nobody else’s. As for your life and your business… according to your records it was a train wreck. You could get hit by a bus tomorrow and that would be the highlight of your life.”
 

Taeyeon was shaking as Tiffany just stared down at her with fiery eyes. Her gaze was so menacing that Taeyeon could actually feel her limbs growing more and more numb with each passing second.
 

“You know what? You may have a life, but even I feel sorry for you sometimes, so how about this. Why don’t you take a swing at me? Come on, it’ll make you feel better.” Tiffany stuck out her chin as she lightly tapped her jaw.
 

What was this girl doing? The sudden request from Tiffany made Taeyeon show a questioning look.  

 

“I don’t want to hit you.”
 

“Ha! Come on now Kim, I’m trying to do something nice for you and you don’t even have the balls for that? Fine, then how about this? You remember your little Dookong?”
 

Taeyeon almost forgot about that. The whole reason she came to this store was to get back her toy. Taeyeon was mentally hitting her head.
 

“Yes, that was the whole reason I came here. Please give it back”
 

“Well to be you because I actually don’t have it. That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.”
 

Oh no… She can’t know about that, she can’t! That information shouldn’t even be in my records!
 

Even though Taeyeon was feeling scared right now, her blood started to boil. The fact that Tiffany might know about what happened with her grandmother made Taeyeon’s hands start to shake.
 

“It’s a cute little toy, Dookong. They first made those around elementary school, right? Would you happen to remember who bought that toy for you?”
 

Taeyeon’s mind went blank as she was completely silent. Her mind barely comprehended what the brunette was saying. Her heart started to beat rapidly and her breathing was also becoming short. The only thought that occupied Taeyeon’s head was the thought of knocking Tiffany out.  All she knew was that if this girl mentioned it…
 

“Still no response? I guess I’ll be doing most of the talking. It was from your grandma right? Apparently you were close to her and she bought that for you at an amusement park? That’s sweet of her. You were so close to her yet you had the nerve to-”
 

“Shut up.”
 

“Huh? What was that? I’m sorry Kim but you’re going to have to use the big boy voice.”
 

Taeyeon’s eyes were shut tight as traces of tears slowly slipped past her closed eyelids. Her hands were clenched so tightly that they were actually shaking as they turned white.
 

“Shut up.”
 

An excited grin formed on Tiffany’s face. “What? Oh, did you want me to stop talking about your of a grandmother? You know, the one who you told to-“
 

“I SAID SHUT YOUR ING FACE!”
 

Taeyeon lunged from her corner and swung her right fist towards Tiffany’s face. As if Taeyeon was moving in slow motion, Tiffany slowly ducked her head low enough for Taeyeon to just miss.
 

Out of anger, Taeyeon ran towards Tiffany while swinging her fists.
 

that ing mushroom! her! her! her! her!!!  Why can’t she just leave me alone! Why?!!! Why can’t she just ING leave me ALONE?!!!
 

Taeyeon’s face was drenched in tears as she wildly tried to land a single hit on Tiffany’s face. Tiffany, on the other hand, looked like she was having a ball. She kept her hands behind her back and was fast enough to dodge every single punch Taeyeon threw.
 

Tiffany was laughing like a maniac as Taeyeon was trying her best to land at least one punch on Tiffany’s smug face. The only thing in Taeyeon’s mind was to wipe that ing smirk off her god damn face.
 

“That’s it Kim! You almost got me!” Tiffany didn’t even seem like she was trying. She constantly ducked and moved her head as if she could predict Taeyeon’s every single move. Tiffany maneuvered her way towards a fire extinguisher on the wall. When Taeyeon attempted to land another punch, Tiffany ducked her entire body and Taeyeon’s hand connected with the hard red fire extinguisher.
 

The sound of bone hitting metal was loud enough for both of the girls to hear. Taeyeon didn’t even care anymore as she bit back the pain. Her only priority was to shut up Tiffany. While Tiffany continued to laugh, Taeyeon charged towards Tiffany at full force, hoping to at least tackle her down.
 

All Tiffany had to do was move slightly to the left and stick out her right foot. Being as uncoordinated as she was along, Taeyeon didn’t notice the leg sticking out and painfully tripped over it, causing her whole face hit the ground hard.
 

“Hahaha! Oh my god Kim. I didn’t even have to throw a single punch.”
 

Taeyeon finally became more aware of her surroundings and the pain that accompanied her rash actions. The searing pain in her left hand was starting to become more evident, as well as the throbbing pain she felt in her head and on her face which was very numbing. Taeyeon felt her hair being yanked harshly and gritted her teeth as she was forced to look at Tiffany.
 

“Well this was fun Kim. I’m sorry there aren’t any lockers here for you. I just know you would’ve loved to stay in a mall locker.”
 

Taeyeon’s vision was slightly blurred, for she was still dazed from the fall. She wasn’t able to make out Tiffany’s face completely, but she could tell from her tone of voice that she was probably smiling that infuriatingly smug smile of hers.
 

“It just goes to show you that I’m better than you. Whatever you do or have already done, I probably already know about it or will know about it. In a way, I’m helping you out Kim. I’m letting everyone see the true you! The crybaby, grandma hating, for a mom having .” Tiffany dropped Taeyeon’s head with an audible smack from the floor and was starting to make her way out of the store.
 

“You be a good girl Kim. Remember the next time we meet, don’t be such a . Also before you leave the mall, you’ll notice that I arranged a surprise for you. Don’t worry, you don’t have to thank me now, but I expect you to return the favor next time. See ya Kim!” Tiffany made her way out of the store as if nothing had happened; none of the cashiers or the security guard seemed to be aware of what had transpired at the back of the store.
 

Taeyeon didn’t move from her spot on the cold, hard ground. She had hit her head so hard that her head kept throbbing like there was no tomorrow. She felt as though it would be best if she just stayed like this until someone came and picked her up.
 

A few minutes passed and Taeyeon was still face down on the floor. She hoped a salesperson or a cashier would walk over and help her up soon.
 

“Oh my god, TAEYEON WHAT HAPPENED?!” To Taeyeon’s luck, Yuri happened to be running around the store and eventually spotted Taeyeon in the changing room. She gently flipped Taeyeon over so she could get a better look at her.
 

“Taeyeon! What happened to you? Talk to me!”
 

As Taeyeon’s vision started to clear up, she could finally see Yuri’s face clearly. Her eyes were very red from the tears she probably shed. Her skin also seemed very flushed. She probably ran through almost every store looking for her.
 

“Hey Yuri, how do I look?” Taeyeon muttered, feeling slightly hoarse.
 

Tears were starting to form around Yuri’s eyes as she finally showed the shorter girl a smile. “You idiot, you look fine.”
 

While kneeling, she put her arms around Taeyeon and captured her in a warm embrace.
 

“Why did you leave? You knew it was Tiffany who called you. You should have came and gotten me first.”
 

Taeyeon didn’t have anything to say. Her head was resting in the area between Yuri’s neck and shoulder. She couldn’t help but notice that whenever Yuri hugged her, she always felt safe in her arms. It was very relaxing.
 

Yuri finally broke the hug and helped Taeyeon up. “You don’t look too bad. Your face is a little red, but no scratches or bruises. Is anything broken?”
 

Taeyeon slowly lifted her left hand. Yuri gently held the injured hand and was inspecting it thoroughly. “It looks like you just sprained it. Doesn’t look like anything’s broken.” Yuri slowly placed Taeyeon’s hand back to her side. “Come on, we should probably get out of here. You can tell me what happened once we head back to the apartment.” As if Taeyeon had nothing else to say, she nodded her head in agreement.
 

“You know I was about to leave this store until I noticed your blue backpack lying on the ground. Once I saw it, I knew you were around here.” Yuri handed the backpack over to Taeyeon, who took it reluctantly.
 

“Thanks.” Taeyeon tried to show a smile, but her face was still sore from the fall earlier.
 

Taeyeon and Yuri made their way to the entrance of the store. Taeyeon was still trying to comprehend what had just happened during the past hour. Yuri kept a tight grip on Taeyeon’s right hand as though Taeyeon was going to wander off back to Tiffany.
 

Just as they passed through the security sensor, the red sirens started to go off.
 

*WOO-WOO-WOO-WOO-WOO*
 

Yuri and Taeyeon were startled by the blaring sirens. The store security guard stepped right in front of them, guarding the exit. “You two, open your bags. Now.”
 

Being a little shaken, Yuri slid off her bag and quickly showed that she only had a notebook and a textbook. The security guard nodded his head. “Okay, you’re good. Next.”
 

Taeyeon slowly slipped off her bag and pulled the zipper. The security guard’s eyes bulged as he saw that her bag contained a lot of tagged stuff including sunglasses, random blouses, and even a high class wallet. Taeyeon was just as surprised as Yuri; it was obvious to the duo that Taeyeon had not personally taken any of the items.
 

“Officer please, you have to believe me. I didn’t do this, I-“
 

“Save it kid,” The security guard snarled as he snatched Taeyeon’s backpack from her and zipped it up. He slung the bag over his shoulder. “You two are coming with me. I’m sure the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency would love to have a word with you two.”
He pulled out a pair of handcuffs and placed a cuff on Yuri’s left hand and Taeyeon’s right hand.
 

“Officer, isn’t this a bit much?” Yuri was looking really scared as though she was hoping Taeyeon could back her up.
 

“Shut up and come with me.” He grabbed the metal chain of the handcuffs and the two scared girls had no choice but to follow the scary security guard. As they were being dragged to the back of the mall, Taeyeon noticed Tiffany and her blonde friend was sitting on a bench outside of the store, almost as if  they were waiting for them to get arrested.
 

So this is what she meant by surprise? Hiding unpaid stuff in my bag and getting me arrested? What the hell is wrong with this girl?!
 

“Yah! Hwang! You did this didn’t you?! Tell them it was you! You stupid mushroom! Tell them! Tell them you did this!” Taeyeon was trying to fight her way towards Tiffany, but the security guard forcefully yanked on the handcuffs, stopping Taeyeon from struggling any further.
 

Before they entered a hallway which led to the mall’s holding area, Tiffany was shamelessly wearing a big grin on her face as she waved goodbye.
 

At that moment, Taeyeon had never felt so defeated in her whole entire life. Her heart slowly sank as she eventually lost sight of the grinning brunette and the only thing she could see was a bleak white wall along with the smell of rotten coffee.
 

The security guard finally dragged them to the holding area and held open a giant metal door which led to a small looking prison.
 

“Get in.”

---

안녕! (annyeong)! I hope you guys enjoyed the Mall chapter. Again, it was meant to be 1 chapter in itself, but inspiration hit me and it took me a while to capture it all into 3 chapters, lol. Now here come's the bad news. As some might already know, I put a lot of work in the past 4 chapters since I felt a little guilty not updating regularly last month. What can I say? I'm a student and I have a lot of exams and projects to focus on. That being said, it looks like I'm going to be busy again during March. I promise to try my best to write the next chapter whenever I have free time. Please be patient with me >.<

That being said, I appreciate everyone who subscribed to the story and left comments. Comments help me know what you readers think of the story and it really encourages me to keep writing. Also if you really like this story, you can upvote it too. I hope everyone will continue to show their support for  "ATYW". Take care everyone!