“Damnit! Why are they so hard to hit!”

The shrill, high-pitched complaint made Taeyeon look up from her mobile phone. She halted her footsteps and stared at the back of the woman. She first noticed the long black hair. Silky and straight. Then she noticed the shoulder. Bare and fair. The white cotton shirt the woman was wearing was loose and had slipped off one shoulder, revealing the thin strap of a black tank underneath. Taeyeon wasn’t sure if it was deliberate or not, but she liked the style.

Made curious by the woman’s plight, she stepped to the side of the road, all plans to buy bread from the bakery forgotten. She dug a hand into the back pocket of her jeans and shifted her weight onto her left foot as Miss Bare Shoulder raised the booth’s body-length pink bow. The way Miss Bare Shoulder pulled the arrow through the bow had her cringing.

Bent elbow. Wobbly arm. Weak pull. Argh.

It was no surprise to Taeyeon when the arrow failed to reach the target and she tried not to chuckle when Miss Bare Shoulder groaned again. Then she saw the dejection in Miss Bare Shoulder’s slumped shoulders when the man next to her shot the bullseye. She saw the envy in Miss Bare Shoulder’s eyes when the man’s girlfriend claimed her little smiling brown mushroom. And she saw the depressed pout on Miss Bare Shoulder’s face as she gave up and turned to leave.

Suddenly, it wasn’t funny anymore. Suddenly, she wanted Miss Bare Shoulder to win something tonight.

“Hey, you really wanna win a prize?” she asked Miss Bare Shoulder as she walked past.

Miss Bare Shoulder met her gaze with a look of surprise. “Were you watching my epic fail?”

With a tiny nod and lop-sided smile, Taeyeon offered to help.

“Nah, it’s okay . . . I guess it’s just not my day.”

Something stopped Taeyeon from going with the flow and letting the moment pass. Something made her say, “Trust me, I’ll win you the biggest mushroom the booth has.”

“You will?” An ounce of sparkle returned to Miss Bare Shoulder’s eyes and they shone anew.

The change in Miss Bare Shoulder’s countenance lifted Taeyeon’s spirits and she nodded with a wide smile. “I definitely will. Come with me.”

With Miss Bare Shoulder in tow, Taeyeon stepped up to the booth and asked the man, “Which is the biggest mushroom you have?”

“That’s the biggest,” said the man, pointing at the long brown mushroom that was at least half as tall as Taeyeon. “It’s worth a hundred thousand won.”

“How do I win it?”

“Hit the bullseye eight times consecutively. You get ten arrows but you can buy more if you want to go for that.”

Oh, I won’t need more than ten. “How much for ten arrows?”

“Eight thousand won.”

“Let me pay for it,” Miss Bare Shoulder interjected and handed the man a ten thousand won bill. “And I’ll pay for her if she needs anymore.”

“I’ll do my best to save your money,” Taeyeon said with a smile.

“It looks easy but it’s actually really difficult,” Miss Bare Shoulder whispered in her ear.

For you, that is. But not for me. Taeyeon smiled. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll try my best.” She picked up the bow, and weighed it in her hand. It was much lighter than any bow she was used to, despite its size. With that in mind, she pulled the arrow towards her chin slowly, testing the elasticity of the bow string. When it felt tight enough, she let go.

Whoosh.

Taeyeon watched as it travelled, noting the path and where it landed.

“Wow! You’re good!” Miss Bare Shoulder exclaimed. “So close!”

She gave Miss Bare Shoulder a smile, mildly disappointed that the arrow had hit the target an inch from the bullseye. But it didn’t matter much. The next eight arrows were going to hit the target exactly where she wanted them to—dead centre.

Maintaining her calm, Taeyeon slotted the next arrow and adjusted the angle accordingly.

Whoosh.

Taeyeon smiled when it hit the bullseye right in the middle, setting off the buzzer and flashing lights.

“Oh my God! You did it!” Miss Bare Shoulder was jumping on her toes. “Oh my God!”

Stoically, Taeyeon shot the next few arrows, hitting the bullseye every single time. Miss Bare Shoulder was a loud celebrator and a little crowd had gathered behind her. This wouldn’t do. She had to get the last bullseyes and get out of here quickly.

With the last arrow, Taeyeon drew the bow and let it rip.

Whoosh.

“Yay! You did it! You did it!”

Taeyeon smiled awkwardly at the astounded man and stretched her hand for the giant mushroom stuffed toy. “Here, it’s yours,” she said, pushing the mushroom into Miss Bare Shoulder’s arms.

“Thank you. Oh my God, thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Taeyeon replied with pleasure and turned to leave. A hand on her arm prevented her from leaving, however.

“Do you have time for a drink? My treat.”

Taeyeon smiled and shook her head. “You don’t have to.”

“You’re too kind. How did you do it? You looked like a professional.”

“I was just lucky. I had the Good Samaritan’s luck on my side.”

“You’re more than lucky. Did you see the man’s face when you shot the last arrow?” Miss Bare Shoulder’s eyes glittered under the street lamp. “He was in shock.”

“You can’t stop luck when it comes. Anyway, I really have to go now. Goodbye.”

“What’s your name?”

Taeyeon was about to give a fake name when she heard herself telling Miss Bare Shoulder her real name.

“Taeyeon. You’re the coolest. I’m Tiffany by the way, and I’m very, very glad I met you here today. Maybe I’m not that unlucky after all.”

“You’re definitely not unlucky,” said Taeyeon. “In fact, I’d say you are very, very lucky.”

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