“You are an idiot–” Taeyeon raises her hand to smack her henchman’s head but he dodges and her temper rises to new heights. “Come back here! Don’t you dare avoid my hand.” Impatience is written all over her face as her henchman steps back in front of her. He winces and flinches when she raises her hand again but doesn’t dodge her smack this time. “What do you do when they don’t let you jump the queue?”

“I’m so sorry, Miss Kim. I did everything I could do to get in front of the queue but when I got to the front, the shopkeeper refused to sell me her toffees. She told me to go to the back of the queue.”

“Didn’t you threaten to trash her shop if she didn’t sell them to you?”

Her henchman nods. “I said all the usual things. I even threw in a menacing growl at the end but she didn’t even flinch.”

“That thinks she’s the toffee queen or something? She hasn’t seen me yet. Bring me to the shop tomorrow. And bring two more men with you. Bring the meanest looking men you can find.”

“Do we still wear suits then?”

“Of course! Appearances are important. We have to look good while threatening to burn down her shop if she doesn’t sell me her toffees. Go in black and white suits. Your best ones.”

“Yes, Miss Kim!”

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

“Is this the shop?”

“Yes, Miss Kim.”

Taeyeon looks up at the luminous pink sign hanging above the entrance.

“Are you sure this is the shop?”

“Yes, Miss Kim.”

“This is the famous shop that everyone is queuing to buy toffees from? With such a huge disgusting pink sign up there?”

“Yes, Miss Kim.”

Taeyeon shakes her head, her shoulder-length platinum blonde tresses shaking in turn, and her henchmen let out a contented sigh.

“Why are you sighing away! Stand straight! Look tall! Beef up!”

“Yes, Miss Kim!”

Bracing her shoulders and straightening her back, Taeyeon looks at the long line snaking out from the shop onto the street.

“Watch and learn, boys. Watch and learn.”

With steps as sure as the sun will rise, Taeyeon flips down the collar of her denim vest before entering the shop. The bell jingles and eyes around the shop land on her. Sure, she is striking to look at. Her skin is fair and soft as a newborn’s, height as challenged as an elementary schooler’s yet the fire in her eyes is a force that pulls you in and burns an impression on your mind.

Like a boss, she hones in on the queue and cuts right in front.

“I want to buy toffee.”

The shopkeeper turns around and stares. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

Taeyeon is a little stunned by the chocolate brown eyes that capture hers. She is also appreciative of the long brown hair tied into a pony tail and left hanging over the shopkeeper’s shoulder. But she doesn’t forget her purpose in coming here so she looks to her left and right and shrugs. “I’m here right now and nobody is objecting.”

“I object. The lady behind you is supposed to be next.”

“That was before I joined the line.”

“Miss, go to the back and queue.”

“But your toffees will sell out by then!” Taeyeon protests with a pout.

“Acting cute won’t get you anywhere. I’m not selling you any toffee unless you queue properly.”

“Cute?” Taeyeon guffaws. “You think I’m cute? You won’t think I’m cute after I trash your shop so bad you’d think you walked into a junkyard.”

The shopkeeper looks Taeyeon up and down. Then, she turns to her long line of waiting customers. “Dear customers, I have something to settle with this punk over here so please wait for a moment.”

She turns back to Taeyeon points at her and says, “You come with me.”

Taeyeon grins and winks at her henchmen. This is how you do it, boys. Wearing a triumphant smile, she follows the shopkeeper and is surprised when she ends up in the back alley behind the shop.

“Are these dudes with you?”

Taeyeon holds the shopkeeper’s glare and nods. “They are my people.”

“I recognize him,” the shopkeeper says, as though accusing him of a heinous crime. “He tried to jump the queue yesterday so I sent him packing. You’re his boss?”

Taeyeon lifts her chin. “Yeah.”

The blast comes from nowhere.

“THEN YOU OUGHTA BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. HOW CAN YOU EXPECT TO BUY TOFFEES FROM ME WHEN YOU DON’T EVEN TRY TO BE DECENT! JOIN THE QUEUE OR I’LL WHACK YOU WITH MY ROLLIN’ PIN AND I PROMISE YOU IT’S GONNA HURT REAL BAD.”

Taeyeon stares at the shopkeeper gone mad. She’s kind of scary.

“WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT! YOU SHOULD BE HANGING YOUR HEAD IN SHAME! HANG IT. NOW!”

Taeyeon hangs her head immediately. She doesn’t want to be beaten up by a rollin’ pin. And this shopkeeper has a really loud voice that scares her.

“Your men are really obedient.”

Taeyeon steals a look. Her three henchmen are hanging their heads too, looking very sorry for their immoral behavior.

“WHO SAID YOU CAN LOOK! HANG YOUR HEAD!”

Taeyeon hangs her head so quickly that she almost sprains her neck. “I’m sorry,” she mumbles.

“You should be. Now, stand here and reflect on your behavior. I will come back here later and if you’re good, I will give you a toffee.”

“Yes, Madam!” Taeyeon replies.

“I’m not a Madam. I am Tiffany. Call me Tiffany.”

“Yes, Tiffany!”

Taeyeon stands very still as Tiffany the shopkeeper walks back into the shop. But she cannot resist turning to look at the shopkeeper’s . That is one cute . And the shopkeeper is one fierce woman.

She likes.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .