“Cheers!”

The large number of bar’s patrons simultaneously raise then clink their glasses together before downing whatever they have in one go. TaeYeon, however, does not share the same excitement. Instead, she flinches over the loudness before taking a small sip of her cherry coke. Drinking in a bar at six in the afternoon is never her thing, but with her messed up schedule—arriving on LA at around four then departing back to Seoul at midnight on the next day—it is the only empty timeslot that she can afford to go out. It does not mean she has to be happy over the activity, though.

I should’ve been sleeping soundly right now... the blonde pilot thinks eyes drowsy.

The only thing that keeps TaeYeon awake is the drink on her hand and the occasional loud shout coming from somewhere inside the bar. JongHun usually drags her out on Saturday nights for real drinks back in Seoul, since they have Sundays off. However, today is Monday and they are on duty within the next twenty four hours, which means they should avoid drinking any alcohol, and yet he still insists to buy her a drink. So they end up sticking with the next best thing, drinking non-alcohol beverages in the Marina bar by gate 105.

With her glass half empty, TaeYeon is barely able to keep herself awake. The small amount of caffeine in the coke does not hold a candle for a religious coffee drinker like her. So, when all of a sudden JongHyun slips to sit beside her on the deserted booth then wraps his muscular arm around her shoulders, she jolts up.

“You scared me!” TaeYeon hisses, harshly pulling off her partner’s arm from around her shoulders. “JongHyun!” She warns, but it falls on deaf ears.

“Relax, TaeYeon.” The older man pokes TaeYeon on the cheek. He then takes a swing from his glass that is filled with something that suspiciously looks like beer whilst ignoring the glare TaeYeon is giving him. “Are you serious about Rapunzel?”

The out-of-nowhere question has taken aback the blonde woman. She quirks a brow, as if to say excuse me?!, but of course the small detail slips JongHyun’s attention. “Are you drunk, Kim JongHyun?” TaeYeon fires back with a hardened look on her face. “I’m not up to spend another twelve plus hours being trapped with SiWon and his preaching just because you got ‘sick’.”

“As if a glass of A&W root beer will get me drunk...” JongHyun sneers before his expression turns solemn. “I’ll ask you again, are you serious about the ATC?”

Sensing her partner’s unsaid concern for her well-being, TaeYeon softens slightly. “It’s only a harmless flirting. I don’t know her, she doesn’t know me.” She then takes another sip of her drink. The words have left foul taste on and she does not even know why.

“And that,” the older man dramatically points his forefinger at TaeYeon, whose eyes widen in surprise, “is the reason I’m so worried about this whole harmless flirting.” He notices that the blonde is ready to talk back, so he waves his hand to stop her. “No, no. Let me finish it first. There is nothing not harmless about the exchange you have with the ATC girl. Do you remember my Nana?”

The random question gets TaeYeon confused. She really wonders whether JongHyun is drunk of his root beer or not, because it seems like he does. “Yeah...?” She answers uncertainly.

“My old wrinkly Nana has a very beautiful, soft voice over the phone. One day, she received a call from an unknown number. The caller, a boy, admitted that he had put in a wrong number and apologized.”

TaeYeon still does not know where the story is leading, but she knows better than to disturb JongHyun on his story-telling time. So, she nods politely as to signal him that she is listening, but does nothing more than that. JongHyun appreciates the gesture and grins widely at her.

“But the boy didn’t hang up after. Instead, he made a lame attempt of a small chitchat with Nana.” JongHyun chuckles. “You know the old generation and their belief in keeping up politeness no matter how shady the situation is. She held to it and entertained him, until he asked her out.” He is laughing loudly right now and TaeYeon finally sees where the story is going. “He was so adamant about it; no matter how polite she was while trying to turn him down. Until she had no more and kinda yelled at him about her age and how she is a proud grandmother of a boy that’s probably around his age. He hung up right away.”

“So you’re saying that the ATC can be an old woman?” TaeYeon actually takes offense from his insinuation.

“No. I was saying that you don’t know anything about this woman you have a crush on. She can be Asian, or Caucasian, and even Africa-American. She can be twenty, or thirty, or even fifty. She can be single, married, or a widow with three kids. You don’t even know if she plays for the same team, TaeYeon.” Seeing TaeYeon mulls over his points, he adds, “I’m all for this flirting, I really am. You have all my blessing. But you only ever heard her voice; she might turn out to be someone you wouldn’t like... and it will crush you again.” JongHyun reaches out to hold TaeYeon’s hand and squeezes it in his bigger one.

“I...” TaeYeon trails off. She realizes that JongHyun is right and she does not have anything to argue back, so she decides to flee instead. “I’m going to get a refill.” Without waiting for her friend’s reply, she slips out of the booth and goes to the bar with her empty glass in hand.

“More cherry coke?” The bartender asks whilst taking TaeYeon’s empty glass. He holds no judgment over her choice of drink, many pilots are regular patrons of the bar and every bartender knows better than offering any alcohol for them unless they ask for it themselves. “Or would you like to try our new mocktail, berry patch? It’s a mix of blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, vanilla ice cream, and milk.”

“Can you change the milk with soda?” The blonde asks after pondering over the mix.

“Sure thing! Please wait for a moment.”

TaeYeon then takes a seat on one of the stools. Everything JongHyun said is clouding her mind and she unconsciously sulks. They should be having a celebration, not a wake-up call in a bar that tempts her to drink alcohol. Too deep in her gloomy thought, TaeYeon does not realize someone has occupied the seat beside her.

Soon after, the bartender comes back and serves her drink. “One berry patch with soda.” He takes the payment, smiling at the extra tip TaeYeon has slipped in. “Enjoy your drink.” He then moves to the next customer and asks for her order.

TaeYeon is eyeing her new drink suspiciously, fearing that it is far too sour for her, when she hears the person beside her says, “Can I have pussyfoot?”

The blonde pilot freezes on her spot. Eyes wide, heartbeats roar in her ears, and pinkness dusts her cheeks. It, obviously, has nothing to do with the bizarre beverage’s name. She recognizes that voice, although it sounds a bit clearer and deeper now.

Rapunzel?! TaeYeon’s eyes look like they might pop out from their sockets after she steals a glance at the girl and then the first thought that crosses her mind is she is not a wrinkly old woman!