Rolling down the street, Taeyeon ignored pedestrians who glared at her and arrived at Tiffany’s apartment in good time. She hopped off her skateboard, kicked it up and leaned against a ledge to wait for her girlfriend.

A few minutes later, two hands reached from behind and covered her eyes. “Guess who I am?”

“Someone who has watched too many cheesy Korean dramas.”

The hands disappeared and Tiffany appeared in front of her with a pout. “You’re no fun.”

“You’re too lame.”

“Is that yours?” Tiffany asked, pointing to the skateboard beside Taeyeon.

“Yes.”

“Cool!”

“My ear is right next—”

“I’m sorry.” Tiffany patted Taeyeon’s ear and pulled a sheepish grin. “Will you teach me how to skate on it?”

“Sure. It’s not that difficult.” Taeyeon put her skateboard flat on the ground and took Tiffany’s hand. “Stand on it.”

Tiffany put a foot on it tentatively. “Stand? Both feet?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay. Don’t let me fall.”

“I won’t.”

Taeyeon clucked when Tiffany hesitated. “Get on. Trust me.”

“Okay,” Tiffany replied and got both feet on the skateboard. “It’s wobbly.”

“Of course it is.” Taeyeon stepped in front and held out her hands. “Take my hands.”

“Don’t let go.”

“I won’t.” Taeyeon made sure the path was empty before pulling Tiffany forward. “Look straight. Not down.”

“I’m trying.”

“Look at me.”

“I’m looking.”

“Flex your knees. Don’t stand stiff like a statue.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m moving.”

“Look at me, look at me.”

“I am.”

“You’re doing well.”

“This is fun.”

“I’m going to let go.”

“No!”

“Relax, for ’s sake. You won’t fall.”

“Don’t let go.”

“One hand. I’ll hold one hand.”

“Okay.”

“See, you’re doing well.”

“Don’t let go.”

“You’ll be fine.”

“No . . .”

“Trust me. It’s going to be o—”

Tiffany wobbled. Taeyeon stepped back. Tiffany lurched forward. And everything went down.

=

“Kim Tae Yeon!”

Taeyeon froze in her crouching Pink Panther position and cursed under her breath. Behind her, Tiffany whispered, “Oh no.”

“I see your bad influence has rubbed off on the new student. Shame on you for leading her astray.”

“We didn’t come to school late on purpose, Mr Kong,” Tiffany said quickly.

“I believe you didn’t do this on purpose. But Kim Taeyeon is another story.”

Taeyeon said nothing, merely scowling as she stood still with her skateboard by her side.

“But it isn’t her fault. She’s late because I got an accident.” Tiffany stuck out a leg and pointed at her scraped knee. “Look.”

“Oh, that’s quite a bad cut. But what has it to do with Kim Taeyeon?”

Taeyeon rolled her eyes. “Tif, you don’t have to say anymore. Just go to the school nurse and get your knee treated.”

“Now, hold up just a second here, young lady. You don’t get to give orders in front of me. Tiffany, go to the nurse’s clinic and get your wound cleaned up. Kim Taeyeon, come with me to the office.”

Tiffany opened to protest. “But Taeyeon is hurt too, Mr Kong.”

“She is?”

“Her back hurts. She fell on her back trying to stop me from falling.”

Mr Kong frowned. “What in the world were the two of you trying to do?”

Biting her lip, Tiffany pointed at the skateboard. “Taeyeon was trying to teach me how to skate on the way to school.”

Mr Kong snorted and shook his head. “Girls are bad at these things. You shouldn’t be playing with skateboards. It’s for boys.”

Taeyeon drew to her full height, which wasn’t much. “Girls aren’t bad at skateboarding. I’m a girl and I’m ing good at it. You’re stereotyping.”

“Kim Taeyeon! Watch your language.”

“Sure, change the subject and pick on my language,” Taeyeon retorted while rolling her eyes.

“Kim Taeyeon, see me at the detention room after seeing the nurse.”

“I’ll just go straight to the detention room. There’s no need to see the nurse.”

“Taeyeon,” Tiffany said in a small voice, tugging on the angry girl’s sleeve, “I don’t know where the nurse’s clinic is.”

Taeyeon stared hard at Tiffany for a moment before her glare softened. “Fine, I’ll bring you to the clinic. Come on.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr Kong. Taeyeon’s in a bad mood because she’s hurting,” Tiffany tried to explain but Taeyeon yanked her arm hard and prevented her from saying anymore.

When they were finally out of earshot, Tiffany turned to Taeyeon and asked, “Why did you go all double spicy kimchi on Mr Kong?”

“He’s an . Did you even hear what he said?”

“I heard him. But he’s got the power to give you detention.”

Taeyeon shrugged. “Detention is no big deal. I’ve got my chips stashed in there. And I can do my homework.”

“Do your homework?”

“Why are you starting to sound like my friends?”

Tiffany laughed. “Okay, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”

“I do my Art homework by myself. And Korean. Just not Math.”

“But how did you get sent to detention so many times? Was it always because of teachers like him?”

Taeyeon snorted. “The first time I got sent to detention was for fighting with a guy. He was always smacking the back of my head and running away. And when I reported him to a teacher, guess what she said?”

“What?”

“He’s doing it because he likes you.”

“Seriously? That’s what she said?”

“It’s lame, right? So I smacked him back the next time. Chased him down and smacked him back for all the times he smacked my head. And the ing teachers put me in detention.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. It’s terribly unfair.”

“It’s worth it though. The guy never smacked my head again after that.”

“Guess he got the message.”

“Uh huh. I learnt to stand up for myself. Can’t rely on these teachers for help.”

“I feel sorry for you.”

“You don’t have to. I’m fine.”

“But you were really innocent this time. You shouldn’t have to be in detention for this.”

“Tif, chill. I’m cool with it. Really.” Taeyeon turned the corner and tugged her along. “We’re here. Go get your knee fixed.”

“I want you to get your back checked. Don’t back out on me here,” Tiffany insisted before Taeyeon would resist.

“Fine.”

=

Taeyeon had just gotten comfortable in her seat when a student entered the detention room with a note. She watched with interest as the note was handed to the detention teacher. He read the note, looked up at her, and surprised her by saying, “Kim Taeyeon, you may go now.”

“Now?”

“Yes, now.”

“But why? I’m supposed to be here for two hours.”

“The note says your detention has been reduced to ten minutes. Your time is up.”

Taeyeon shook her head in disbelief. “Ten minutes?”

“Here, read it for yourself.”

Taeyeon walked to the teacher and read the note. “Ten minutes. And it’s signed by Mr Kong.”

“You’re free to go.”

Taeyeon chewed her lip. “What if I want to stay here to do my homework?”

The teacher snorted. “This isn’t a café, Taeyeon.”

“I know. But there’s plenty of seats in here. So why not?”

“Must you rebel against every single instruction given to you?” The teacher shook his head and sighed. “Go ahead. Stay here if you want. But don’t make a nuisance of yourself.”

Taeyeon grinned. “I won’t. Thanks, Mr Han.”

The teacher waved her away and she returned to her seat. Her Korean homework for the day was to write a poem based on the characters of her name. She thought it was fun and was thoroughly engaged in writing it when someone tapped her shoulder. She looked up, annoyed, then gasped when she was greeted by a warm smile that could melt a snowflake.

“Tif? What are you doing here?”

“I should be asking you this.”

“I’m in detention as I should be.”

“No, you’re not supposed to be in detention. Mr Kong said he would shorten it.”

“Did you go to him and explain? Even though I told you not to?”

Tiffany raised a defiant chin. “Yes, I did.”

“Damn it, Tif.”

“You’re cool and you’ve got your stand on things, but so do I. I don’t think you deserve to be detention for this so I told Mr Kong the whole story, without swearing.”

“Show-off.”

“I’m not showing off. I only wanted some justice to be served for once. A few bad experiences with your teachers shouldn’t make you condemn every single teacher out there. Mr Kong was actually quite understanding after I explained everything to him.”

“Understanding?” Taeyeon rolled her eyes. “He is anything but.”

“Well, he did reduce your detention to just ten minutes. It was because you swore in front of him, he said. That warranted a punishment.”

“Ten minutes is a joke.”

“Ten minutes is him being understanding if you explain the situation to him without flaring up.”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I was released from detention after the note arrived but I chose to stay here.”

“Why?”

“If you look at it, there’s air-conditioning in here, tables and chairs. I had just started on my poem and I didn’t feel like moving.”

“Okay, if you’re not leaving, I’m staying here with you.”

“Why?”

Tiffany grinned. “If you look at it, there’s air-conditioning in here, tables and chairs. I’m just starting a relationship with one of the girls in here and I don’t feel like moving.”

Taeyeon snorted. “Smartass.”

ping her bag, Tiffany took her homework out and laid it on the table. “Rebel.”

Silence reigned for the next few minutes as both girls concentrated on their homework. Until Taeyeon tapped Tiffany’s arm. “Want to read my poem?”

Tiffany nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, please.”

Taeyeon passed her book to Tiffany with a grin and waited as her girlfriend read it in a soft whisper:

Kim chi, as spicy and popular for all meals, to me, she is of such existence.

Tae yang, as warm and bright for all days, to me, she is of such importance.

Yeon ae, as passionately and deeply, from me, she brings out such emotion.

Tiffany was blushing furiously at the end when their eyes met over the book she was holding. Then, as slowly as slow-motion scenes in movies, she raised the book so it covered their faces and leaned forward.

Taeyeon froze in suspense, anticipating something good, yet unsure if it was coming. And then it happened. Tiffany closed the distance between them and their lips touched for the first time. Taeyeon stopped breathing. Her lips were burning and crying in heaven. Her heart was about to leap out of her chest. And it almost did when the loud, booming voice of Mr Han ruined the moment.

“What are you doing over there!”

Taeyeon and Tiffany leapt apart, turning away from each other. Tiffany had her face behind Taeyeon’s book and Taeyeon had nothing but her hands so she covered her face with them and feigned a long yawn.

“Get out of my detention, Kim Taeyeon,” Mr Han hollered. “And take your girlfriend with you.”

Taeyeon jumped to her feet, grabbed her bag in one hand and Tiffany’s hand in the other. “Yes, Mr Han.” This was the best instruction a teacher had ever given her this year.

=

THE END.
THANKS FOR READING B)
AND I'VE GOT A NEW STORY COMING OUT SOON.
SEE Y'ALL OVER THERE IN THE NEW WORLD <3