Once again the alarm rang. Tiffany groaned.

Without even opening her eyes, her hand roamed the nightstand and she turned off the annoying alarm that kept ringing for every five minutes. Well, it wasn’t that often, but Tiffany was in her deep sleep. When Sunny said she had work to do for the day and told her best pal to have fun with her own, Tiffany decided to just sleep.

She opened her right eye. The sky was dark.

Oh God, how long has she been sleeping?

When she stretched, she realized her body was aching like crazy. Great. She shouldn’t have slept for too long. Tiffany then lazily grabbed her phone and realized she got four missed-calls from Sunny. Tiffany cringed.

But she didn’t have the urge to call back either. So she threw her phone carelessly onto the bed as she stood up and walked to the window. She hesitated in opening the curtain, but she slowly did. And the too familiar neighbourhood came to her view. Tiffany sighed and crossed her arms. She should get used to it.

To be very honest, she wants to go home. Home means, Los Angeles. But it wouldn’t make any sense because she just stayed for nearly three days. Travelling far away to Korea only for three days surely isn’t worth it. And she did it for Sunny’s birthday. Even though she missed the D-Day, Sunny said it was okay and she’d spend Tiffany’s days with her. Today’s work was nowhere in the plan, Sunny said. And she promised it’s only for today.

Just then she almost jumped when she heard her phone rang. She was about to answer when she realized it wasn’t Sunny. The number was unknown.

Tiffany gasped.

Could it be…

She violently shook her head. No, of course.

“Hello?” She finally answered it.

“Hey!”

A relieved sigh she muttered because she recognized the voice, “Sooyoung?”

“Yup, it’s me! Wow, Sunny said she tried to call you thousand times and you didn’t answer. But look, I only try one time and you’re there!”

“Sorry…” Tiffany bit her lip, “I was sleeping.”

“I knew it. You’ve been a bum for all day inside, haven’t you?”

Tiffany chuckled.

“So, because Sunny is still feeling guilty and whatever she asked me to accompany you, for the rest of the day. At least you’re going out today. How?”

“Huh?”

“Yeah, I’m being a kind girlfriend here. And it’s Sunny’s order. I literally beg you to agree because… you know her.”

Yes, Tiffany knows exactly who Sunny is. And hanging out with Sooyoung seems like a good idea.

“Alright, sure.”

“Great! Where do you want to go? I’ll drive you there.”

“Uh… I actually don’t know… you decide.”

“I decide?” Sooyoung hummed, “Well, I have one place. And it’s a club in Gangnam.”

Tiffany’s eyes lit up instantly.

“Can you drink, Tiffany?”

“Of course I can.” She smiled proudly, “My ability even almost reached Sunny’s.”

“For real?! Wow, that’s really cool!” A laugh, “Okay, then. I take that as a yes. I’ll pick you up in an hour, you better be ready.”

“Okay, I’ll be waiting. See you, Sooyoung.”

“See you!”

With a smile Tiffany put her phone down and closed the curtains to get ready. Tiffany doesn’t really like drinks as much as Sunny, but as for now she feels okay with it. At least she’d have some fun for the night.

Hopefully.

-

Years of being outside Korea had made Tiffany completely forgot about the capital city. She was clueless because she didn’t remember how to get to Gangnam from the apartment. Sooyoung kept telling her that they’re going here, then here, and so on, but Tiffany’s mind couldn’t comprehend it well.

But that didn’t matter anymore as they arrived. It was one of the biggest clubs in Gangnam and Tiffany was satisfied by just seeing the building. She clutched onto Sooyoung’s arm as they got inside. The first floor was a mess, though. Music blasting loudly and tons of people were dancing mindlessly without an end was seen on the dance floor.

“Are we going to drink here?” Tiffany asked, raising her voice a little so Sooyoung could hear her.

Sooyoung shook her head and pulled Tiffany to walk faster, “Nope.”

The crowd was no joke as Tiffany and Sooyoung had to squeeze between drunk and unconscious people to get to the elevator. Luckily when they pressed the button, the elevator opened instantly and they quickly got in.

“Wow.” Tiffany exhaled, “That was really crowded.”

“Yeah. That’s why we’re going to drink on the second floor. It’s actually the VIP section. But my friend is a bartender there. I know her really well. She will give us all our requests.”

Tiffany was amazed, “Oh, so you visit here often.”

The elevator dinged. Sooyoung mouthed ‘yes’ before she pulled Tiffany with her. The second floor was quiet. The music downstairs could still be heard but Tiffany didn’t mind. As expected, this VIP section was filled with class A people who wanted to relieve their stress. And probably, get entertained.

“Ayo!”

Tiffany was too busy eyeing the people that she didn’t realize she was already in front of the bar stall. There was a young bartender with a cute hoodie. She was beautiful, and Tiffany was sure, she was younger than her.

“Hey, long time no see.” Sooyoung did a high-five with the bartender, “I’ve been busy.”

“Busy making out with Sunny Unnie, huh?”

“Hey.” Sooyoung glared as she took a seat, “And, meet my friend. This is Tiffany.”

The bartender smiled at Tiffany and the latter had to hold her breath because she was so pretty, “Hi! Oh, you’re Sooyoung Unnie’s friend? Earlier I thought you’re her mistress or something.”

“Hey!” Sooyoung slapped the bartender’s arm before she said to Tiffany, “Don’t mind her, she just can’t control that mouth.”

Tiffany only chuckled.

“I’m Yoona by the way, but you can call me Yoong.” She introduced herself, “Please take a seat! What do you guys want to drink tonight?”

“Tequila for me. You, Tiffany?”

“Tequila is okay for me too.”

Yoona nodded, “Okay, wait a second.”

With another wide smile Yoona excused herself to prepare the drinks. Tiffany found the bartender cute meanwhile Sooyoung could only scoff at Yoona’s behaviour.

“Sorry about her, she’s just like that.”

“That’s fine.” Tiffany shrugged, “I need more people like her in my life.”

They spent the next hour talking with Yoona and for the first time since Tiffany stepped in Korea, she could laugh until her stomach hurt. Yoona is a year younger than her, but she calls everyone Unnie and Oppa since she’s a bartender and has to act cute in front of the customers, she said it like that. Sooyoung disagreed, though. She said Yoona’s definition of cute is different.

Suddenly Sooyoung’s phone vibrated. She excused herself to answer it, which was Sunny.

“What did she say?” Yoona asked after Sooyoung had finished.

“It’s a good news, she’ll join us.”

Tiffany smiled brightly and Yoona cheered.

“But I have to pick her up. Is that okay? Can I leave Tiffany with you, Yoong?”

“Of course! We’ll be waiting! I’ll stay with her. You can pick up Sunny Unnie first.”

“Okay.” Sooyoung stood up, “It won’t take long, Tiffany. Is it okay?”

Tiffany nodded, “It’s okay, I can stay with Yoong.”

When Sooyoung left, Yoona kept talking to Tiffany and only excused herself when there was another customer. There weren’t much people in the VIP section, though. Yoona said people prefer dancing downstairs. Or get entertained upstairs.

“I’ve been a bartender since my college days. It’s not a full time job because I have a life outside too! I remember the first time I told my friends, including Sooyoung Unnie about this job they were like, ‘what the hell are you thinking?!’.” Yoona giggled, “Well, they couldn’t tell the difference between a bartender and a stripper, though.”

Tiffany let out another throaty laugh.

“By the way, do you want to see the strippers upstairs?”

Tiffany quickly shook her head, “Nah, I’m not interested.”

“You’re not?” Yoona pouted, “Well, that’s rare.”

They went silent and Tiffany took another sip of her Tequila. Yoona tapped her fingers on the bar stall before suddenly they heard the elevator dinged.

Yoona gasped loudly followed with,

“Ayo!”

Hearing the gasp made Tiffany turned her head to see who it was.

And she almost spit her drink.

A woman wearing a white loose shirt with her blazer in her arm, black jeans, and a pair of flat shoes, walked out of the elevator. She was keeping her head down as she made her way to sit in front of the bar stall, in front of Yoona, and she dropped her handbag carelessly on the bar stall, which surprised Tiffany even more.

Despite the now dark brown hair that covered her face, Tiffany could recognize who it was.

Oh, she definitely could.

“Bad day?” Yoona asked as she brushed the woman’s hair lightly.

Tiffany gripped her glass tight as her eyes fixed on the woman, but none of them realized she was staring.

“Yeah.” The woman said lowly, nodded slowly, her hand on her forehead.

“Aw, you don’t look good indeed, Unnie. Want a upstairs?”

The woman lifted her head in a cold glare, “Lim Yoong.”

Yoona cringed, “I get it, don’t be mad at me.”

After she planted a quick kiss on the woman's forehead, Yoona walked away. Tiffany was still there. Staring with her eyes wide opened at the too familiar woman who was sitting two seats away from her. But the woman didn’t realize.

Instead she took out a pack of cigarette from her jeans pocket and light up one of it, before she put it in between her lips, inhaled it deeply, and puffed a white, thick smoke into the air with a heavy sigh.

Tiffany clenched her fists.

The woman then ed the first two buttons of her shirt and Tiffany couldn’t stand it anymore.

“You still smoke?” Yoona came back with Vodka and a frown in her face.

The woman didn’t answer.

“Sooyoung Unnie will definitely be upset.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t tell her.”

“But she’s on the way here with her girlfriend, FYI.”

The woman scoffed, “Great, that’d be--”

Their eyes finally suddenly met. Both Tiffany and the woman couldn’t say a word. The sly smirk on the woman’s face erased instantly as her eyes caught those familiar eyes. And before she could say a word, Tiffany already put her glass down and hurriedly walked away.

“No, wait.”

The woman followed her. Tiffany could tell. Her eyes were already teary as her heart beat faster than it’s used to.

“Tiffany, please.”

And the moment when the woman stopped her by the hand, Tiffany let out a heavy breath. She slowly turned around to face her.

Her mind suddenly went blank. Her heart sank and she could feel herself flying when she saw her suppressing a smile.

With her remaining strength, she pulled herself away from the woman’s grip and turned around before she lost herself.

She couldn’t, she shouldn’t, and she wouldn’t look back.

****