Cp. 25

“Your wish.”

I gained my composure and brought my gaze back to look at her, watching her stare at me with soft eyes and I gulped unconsciously because of that. She chuckled a little when our eyes met. “I was kidding, don’t be a sore please?”

Her tone was a bit off but I shrugged it casually. Thinking that she was always like that. Read, teasing me.

“Well, the break is going to over soon and we’ll have to suffer these mid-term exams.” I started a topic and saw her raising an eyebrow. I couldn’t help but mirror her expression, well, all I wanted to do was diverting that topic, which only made me overwhelmed with feelings.

Jealous? Pffft… What a direct shot.

“Wait,” She placed the cup and lunged forward, examining me most likely.

“You’re thinking about study now?”

She scrutinized me and I felt my face was heating up because of her intense gaze. This table turning moment was not the one I expected to happen. She still somehow had this effect on me. Since those commotions with her acting strangely different, abruptly wanting to stop our deal, then a trip back to Jeonju, I couldn’t guess what exactly she thought inside her mind.

This wasn’t my first time in wondering about what Taeyeon thought of me as me though.

Not as her childhood friend, not as her best friend but me.

I liked her personality, be it caring or playful, I didn’t mind, I liked it either way. But those actions had its twist side for other people, you know. I meant the fact that she was a caring person, way too caring to say the least. Wouldn’t it make people mistake her intention?

Let’s just say people like me? A hopeless romantic kind of person?

Me, a girl who had watched and grew up together with her, was able to hopelessly fall for her charm then why people could not do the same?

There was a moment I noticed her behaving a bit too much towards me. Like when she ate my sandwich and ended up inside a hospital, eating my burned food, dealing with him, taking care of me from a far when we had that painful cold war, and the list went down.

I meant she did all these things only to me. Not to Sooyoung, Jessica, or Krystal.

I always wondered and curious.

And when her tricky side made appearance, all those hints successfully went down the drain.

Her teasing was confusing.

Clearing my throat, I didn’t want to embarrass myself further so I decided to play with my food again. Choosing to remain silent.

I didn’t answer her question though, because I was sure my voice would crack and it would only humiliate myself more.

“It’s so unlike you.”      

She said to me and I just nonchalantly nodded. But I love you.

“You know I’m curious about what did you say to him to be able to make him stare at us with shocked look?” Taeyeon looked at me with twinkled eyes. “How do you do that?”

“I-“ Heck. What should I tell her?

What.

Should.

I.

Exactly. 

Tell.

With each words, I jabbed my food again. My mind was recalling that encounter that leaving him quite dumfounded. I was practically telling him my boyfriend who he desperately wanted to meet was sitting in the corner waiting for me with a shifting of gaze. And my gaze of course fell over Taeyeon. He seemed to not expect it, he even thought that I was kidding him, which resulting me to spat “I’m not ing kidding you right now.” to get along with my growing smirk.

But now my smirk was long gone. I could not tell her, could I? COULD I?!

She suddenly grasped my hand that worth of me screaming ‘hallelujah’ loudly. She touched my hand! She freaking touched my hand! I will so not going to wash that spot!

“Stop torturing your food.” She held my hand and I freaking liked it. I stared at her and waited for her to let go, but she didn’t. As much as I liked the feeling of it, how about my food then? How in the world am I going to eat my food from now on?   

“Open your mouth.”

I blinked once, twice, thrice but the view didn’t change. She still had her hand extended to feed me. I was too shocked to react, because the next second she had shoved the food inside my mouth. She might be tired for holding her hands over gravity, Well, I couldn’t blame her. My response was just too slow, I admitted myself.

“Why are you staring at me like that?”

I coughed. “You are weird.”

“Thank you and so are you.” She grinned. “Just finish your food then we will go somewhere.” She said, eager to jostle me with another forkful of my sandwich. I munched with all my might whenever she poked my lips with another food. I was wondering where did she planned to take me, well wherever it was, it didn’t lessen my excitement. As long as I would stick with her then there was no need to complain.

***

“You remember this?”

She stopped in her place, making me do the same. She was frantically waving something in front of her face with wide smile. It was then when she stopped her mad movement, I was able to tell what kind of object it was. 

“Lollipop?”

Instead of answering, she pushed it right to my hand to take. I picked it and looked at her questioningly. What I was supposed to do with it? Should I eat this? 

“Thank you.”

And what with this ‘thank you’ thingy? Should I be the one who thanked her?

She creaked a laugh, noticing my confused expression.

“You said that one time when you gave me your candy.”

“Ah…”

I remembered it. It happened when she helped me out of that bully kid. “You remember? I thought you forgot.”

“Why would I? It’s one of my unforgettable moments shared with you.”

“But you said before? At that mall? When I asked you?”

Taeyeon only smirked. “I was kidding you at that time.”

My punch landed on her shoulder straightaway. She only snickered and we both continued walking again.

As we were going even further, I noticed that she brought me to this park, which a bit far from that café. We went on until I was sure that we had reached the furthest part of the place where a small pond-Taeyeon bragged about once we stepped around this park- located.

There wasn’t many people lurking around that pond, maybe because they preferred to take a walk instead of sitting on the grass while watching fishes swarm inside that tarn like what I assumed, would we probably do.

Wait,

Fish.

No, it’s plural.

Fishes.

Damn. Why would she bring me here to see those kind of things?!

“I’ve something to tell you.” She chimed in after we both sat above the grass, as I had predicted as much.

“I’ve something to tell you as well.” I retorted back, feeling my hair on the back raise by second at the thought of having a staring battle with those fishes.

“But I-“

“Mine, I believe is more urgent,” My teeth unconsciously gritted, as she looked at me in question. She nodded and let me finish my ongoing protest. “Why do you bring me to this place?” 

“Because I want to tell you something?”

“Right, just why would it be here? I mean, look!” I pointed at the source of my apprehension without sparing any glance. “You do realize what is currently living under that place?”

“Probably fishes, might as well some frogs or even little bugs?”

She answered without hesitation and I grimaced at the mentioned creatures. Very well, Kim Taeyeon.

“Thank you for pointing out. But please kindly consider my condition for not blatantly saying it out loud.”

She chortled and I was not amused. She knew how I feared those kind of things yet look at what she did now.

Her laughs finally died down when she saw me throwing daggers.

“Easy there.” Taeyeon smiled. “I was lying. There wasn’t any fishes around there and frogs, and bugs. Oh well, about bugs,” I saw her smirk growing. “I don’t have any idea about it.”

I quickly stomped on her foot, ignoring her pain look and processing to ask her, just making sure though. “So, you said that pond is empty? Only water inside that?”

She flinched a bit and nodded her head nonetheless. “That’s way people not interested in sitting on this spot.”  

“I see, so you aren’t those people.”

“Well, it’s their loss.” Taeyeon stretched her hand to point out. “The view from here is actually beautiful, they don’t see it just yet.” 

“So, why are you letting me to see it?” I couldn’t help but ask. She withdrew her hand and turned at me.

“Because I want to share this moment with you.”

I quickly eyed her, inspecting any hint of her being playful but what sight that welcomed me was her serious look, with such intensity inside her eyes. I bored through her eyes, wanting to reveal more about these seemingly enigmatic eyes.

“I’ve something to tell you.” 

She held my gaze and I could barely exhale when she began to speak. “I’ve been thinking a lot. About everything, everything around me. Just anything, my mental state, my family, my friend, and you.”

I could feel shivers were making its way to shake me from inside as she mentioned the you part. I tried to fight the urge to faint though. Trying to blow those carbon dioxides out of my system desperately, I resulted to the much-needed air and process in speaking later.

“What about me?”

“You. You’ve been running a lot. Aren’t you tired, huh?” Taeyeon smiled at me and I had to raise one of my brows at her out of topic answer. What the heck?

“You’ve been running inside my mind for a while, I couldn’t stop it even if I want to.”

I was pretty sure that my cheeks were having mutation right there. It turned bright red and certainly not the one I used to see whenever I didn’t use blush on. Okay, I was exaggerating, but hell no did it help? Did it help this raising heat I painful endured? Heck, no.

I couldn’t believe this day would eventually come. She used pick-up lines on me. What the actual heck. I managed to ask her without completely being a fool after this long suffocated pause she caused.

“What do you mean by that?”

I saw her running her finger against her own hair slowly, seemingly wanted to ease herself. She looked somewhere and picked some pebbles before tossing it inside the pond.

“Did you know why I did what I did back then? Avoiding you all of sudden?” Taeyeon squeaked while she kept on throwing things like before.

“You said you want to settle something?” I mumbled, quite unsure with myself. It was more than two months ago, considering that I, most of the time could easily forget everything rather quickly; I was amused with this fast calling of memories.

“That’s right,” She paused then stopped all her act. She brought her eyes to meet mine again. “And what I settled at that time was my feelings.”

This time she beamed and my lips was starting to curve as well, but I had to hold it. This wasn’t over, yet. So what with feelings? Don’t get your hope up too high! Like the last time you did, what it made you go through? You were hurting yourself. She might need to settle feelings that involved her family for all I knew.

“Regarding you.”

“What?!” I felt my heart racing again as she gazed at me with the same calm and serious look. She wasn’t joking, was she?

If it either turned out to be her jokes then I would not hesitate to slap and then kiss her. Hard.

Taeyeon took my hand and squeezed it softly. “I was confused. Scared. No, I was freaking confused and scared. It came to point where I didn’t know what to feel anymore. That’s because-”

She began to play with my fingers as I tried hard to focus on the words instead her superficially childish gesture that I liked most. Since when did she even take my hand?

“-Ithinkilikeyoumorethanithought.”

Suddenly, she muttered in flash as I could barely peel my eyes off her hand that was still playing with my own. I wasn’t able to process anything because she had started speaking again.

“We’ve been best friends for long period of time. So, it’s safe to say that I know you best and vice versa. Could you imagine it? If we could have something more than we already have?” Her eyes were twinkling throughout her talking. “I thought it was weird, at first. I couldn’t possibly like you like you right? But the more I think about it, the more I find it hard to look at you in the same way after everything that happened between us. Everything indeed has changed.”

“I’m at this.” She heaved a sigh a moment after as I could hardly process those words she had been throwing at me. “And I know you couldn’t catch my word before so I will say it again. Painfully slow this time.”

I gulped as she breathed out again.

“I like you, Tiffany. Awfully a lot.” Her eyes were glassy as she stared deeply at me. “And I just realized, after everything we were going through, I couldn’t change the fact that you’ve been permanently imbibed inside my heart as one of my important people. People who loves me, for who I am, giving me strength that I need to-” She bit her lower lip. “-to fight my own fears. The one I cherish, treasure, and love most.”

Without even me noticing it, I had already halted my breathing.

“I will love you in every way possible if you let me to.”

I wanted to just bluntly say I love you to her, but guessing that she would mostly take it slow, I chose to show her how much she meant to me as well.

I grabbed her hand and squeezed it back it return, giving her my best smile. “I would love to see that.”

She looked at me in amazement. “You want to? Wow…”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. Is she being serious? “If I don’t, wouldn’t I slap you and run away instead grabbing your hand like this?” Might as well kiss you though. I was able to hold those words from spilling out.

Taeyeon giggled.

“You aren’t the only one who feel that odd feelings. I’ve been through it as well. We both kinda in denial, I think.” While grinning, I pulled her hand to rest on my laps. I began to pinch it lightly. “The only the difference is, I didn’t literally run but only ‘run’ to a certain people who was kind enough to enlighten me.” I mockingly said. “And yes, I was being sarcastic at that ‘kind people’ part.”

“Jessica?”

“Nothing can beat her, so yes.” I smiled while poking her palm. “And Luhan.”

I could feel her flinching under my touch, or was it because I just mentioned Luhan’s name?

“He- knew? H-how is that even possible?”

The look of disbelief planted on her face and I just smiled back. “He said he has this gaydar, so he happens to predict it when he looks at us.”

I twisted my words, leaving the part when Luhan said that I was gay for Taeyeon only. She didn’t need to know the rest of details for the sake of my image.

“If you wonder about what I said to my ex,” I her arm, making her look at me again. “I pretty much told him your identity and I think he was kinda shocked.”

“I thought he have already known it? Since I told you that I ran into him while waiting for Sooyoung?”

“He might suspect it, but did not certainly think that it would be real.” I reasoned out. “Because he clearly was shocked and I could tell you his expression was epic when I revealed the truth.”

“I saw it too.” Taeyeon smirked. “Superb!”

We both laughed and fell into quiet state, valuing this familiar silence we enjoyed much.

“Then what does it leave us?” I mumbled with smile. “Are we start dating each other?”

“I don’t know but I cringed after hearing it.” Taeyeon chuckled, making me roll my eyes. I was asking for any confirmation here, couldn’t she be serious for once?

“But I like the idea of dating you.”

“No only that,” My other hand was slowly making its way to fan my face when she started listing her muse without mercy. “I like the idea of holding your hand as well. I also like the idea of your hair and hugging you tight. I like the idea of listening to your unstoppable blabber although I have to check my ears later on.”

I really wanted to slap the back of her head. Seriously, how could she joke in this kind of situation? This is supposedly to be romantic!

“I like the idea of taking care over you most of the time. And I like the idea of kissing you too, you know that?”

It made me take back my words of wanting to slap her when she looked at me with those sparkling eyes, which successfully made me lurch inside. She shifted and leaned forward, eyes glued at me before slowly trailing down and resting her gaze at my jaw dropped mouth.

“Can I?”

She stopped moving any further, asking for my permission with her round eyes, causing me to feel all giddy. But, I wasn’t sure if we were okay to kiss, right at this place? Where people would mostly pop up anytime soon? Strangely, that idea was trilling me even more.  

“Y-yes? But how about people around here?”

Taeyeon only chuckled, tilting her head before closing her eyes while capturing my lips. I could feel her grinning against my lips, and I knew the reason of that. I was still having my eyes open and doing nothing but barely breathing.

She sure had astounded me, and I didn’t feel the need to object.

“Let’s head back then,” She pulled away with smirk, towering me as she stood on her ground. “You look so out of place.”

“I will take my revenge at home.” I muttered while slowly bringing myself up, all flustered—refusing her help to get up. “Just you wait and see.” 

“Oh my,” Taeyeon chortled beside me as we started to walk again. “This is interesting. Didn’t even one hour into this, yet, I already got to see this side of you.” She cheekily slapped my and I was seriously going to choke her alive. “But sorry, not sorry. We’re going home and all we do is studying. The mid-term is not joke, although I want to play with you a little bit more.”

She quickly dodged my hit and dashed out of my arm reach almost immediately when she saw me bending down in search of something hard, preferably rocks.

Nonetheless, I was glad with the progress of our relationship. And I was sure, Taeyeon had already loved me in a way where I could clearly see that through her eyes.

And how in the world I could fall for this dork?

I swiftly wiped my smile off and started to charge on her.

She had run for a while before she stopped in a safe distance away of me though I could see her shouting back while jumping slightly from my current place.

“CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!”

My hand made its way to massage my forehead, Taeyeon had pretty much humiliated herself and she didn’t even care about it. And just then, my corner of lips raised at the thought of it, I could do the same. We simply did not care, so why bother to protest when we clearly enjoyed every moment we had.

“YAH! COME BACK HERE!” I yelled back, catching her off guard.

Well, whatever it is, I will just follow her lead. True beauty doesn’t care right?

Hellooooooo ^^
Well, I just want to thank everyone who always supports this story!

Ah, did you guys have watched on style ep. 6 yet? So many Taeny's momentsssssss xD

Taeyeon's manito is Tiffany LOL wonder about the present she bought for her xDDDDDDDD
They're just so cute together!!! And congratulation for lion heart 3rd winning! ^^  

PSSTT... #HAPPYTAENYDAY!