August 1998, Wednesday

“I want to become a bra painter when I grow up.”

Mdm Park simply laughed at the puny nine-year-old's answer. “That's a very cute ambition, Taeyeon, but I don't think such a job exists.”

“It's okay. I will be the first bra painter. And I'll be the best one too.”

At the sight of Taeyeon's furrowed barely-there eyebrows and set jaw, Mdm Park laughs again and puts her arms around the girl's shoulders. “With determination like that, I'm sure you'll be.”

-oo-

June 2005, Tuesday

“I swear, you're such a ert.”

“I'm not. I'm an artist.”

“What kind of artist draws nothing but bras?!”

“A determined artist.”

Sooyoung raises her arms and shakes her head. “I give up. You win. You're an artist. Legit stuff.”

Taeyeon nods. “That, I am.”

“But you have to go out with us today. Legit or not.”

“I don't want to go shopping with you guys. It's so boring.”

“You're weird.”

“All artists are weird.”

Sooyoung throws her arms in the air. “Okay. Fine. Whatever. Go home and draw more bras. Meanwhile we'll be in the city, shopping for actual bras.”

“Wait. You're going to the bra store?”

“Yeah.”

“Why didn't you say so earlier?”

Sooyoung throws her an accusing stare.

“What?”

“And you say you're not a ert.”

“It's for research. And I need you guys to be my buffer. The last time I tried doing research by myself, I got thrown out of the bra store.”

Sooyoung rolls her eyes. “Why does that not surprise me.”

-oo-

June 2005, Tuesday afternoon

“Hey, try not to get all of us thrown out, okay?”

Taeyeon jabs Sooyoung with her elbow. “Okay.” She sticks to her friends, and tries to stay within the circle. Sooyoung, Yoona, and Yuri are tall enough to keep her hidden and she peruses the various designs of bras as she pleases, in the safety of her circle. But it doesn't last for long. Within minutes, all three girls are in the fitting room, trying on bras, and she is left alone out in the store. She tries to be as invisible as she can but the salesgirl invariably zooms in on her.

“Hi, Miss. Do you need any help?”

Taeyeon puts on a smile. “I'm just looking.”

“Why don't you try some on while waiting for your friends?”

“Mmm, I'm not really—”

“How about this one. This would look real cute on you.”

Taeyeon stares at the pink lips of the salesgirl as she tries to think of a way to get out of trying the bras on. Those lips are so pink! They are preventing her brain from functioning at full capacity. “Er...I er...”

The salesgirl shoves a few bras into her arms and pushes her into a fitting room. “Give them a try,” she says and gives her a wink before shutting the door.

Taeyeon stares at her armful of bras. Actually, this isn't so bad. There's a seat in here and she can take her time to study the bras. Why didn't she think of this before?

“Taeyeon, where are you?”

Sooyoung's voice sails through the air into Taeyeon's fitting room. “I'm in here!”

“Holy , guys. Taeyeon is trying on a bra. Come on out and show us.”

“No.”

“Don't be shy. It's not like we haven't seen your s before,” Yoona chips in.

“I'll bet she's not trying them on,” Sooyoung says. “She's probably smelling them or something.”

“I'm not smelling them!”

“Well, if you're really trying them on, show us.”

“Okay, okay. Just give me a minute.” Taeyeon grumbles to herself as she removes her clothes as quickly as possible and puts on the cobalt blue bra that the salesgirl first chose for her. Then, she opens the door slowly and sticks her head out. “Just a quick look, okay.”

“Okay, okay,” her friends chorus.

She opens the door a little more and reveals herself. “So? How does it look?”

“I was right. It looks cute on you.”

Taeyeon blushes when she realizes that the salesgirl is looking at her too. “Thanks.” Then, to her friends, she asks, “What do you think?”

Yoona is first to say, “It's cute. You should buy it.”

Yuri and Sooyoung are nodding as they say, “Yes, buy it.”

Taeyeon looks down at her chest and observes the detail along the outline of the bra and decides that she likes it too. “Okay. I'm buying it.”

-oo-

July 2009, Sunday afternoon

Taeyeon pulls her luggage into her new dorm room and leaves it standing in the middle. It's not a large room and she barely has room to walk with her luggage taking up space between the two beds. Her roommate has yet to show up and she's beginning to wonder if she's ever going to turn up. The only bit of information she has so far is her roommate's name: Tiffany and her faculty: Business, according to the tenant card that is sitting in the tenant slot on the front of the door.

Already, she's been to her room a few times over the past week. The first visit was for exploratory purposes—to check out where the bathrooms are, test her keys to the room and all the other exciting stuff. The second time was to bring in the big guns: detergent, bleach and insecticide. The third visit was spent fitting bed sheets and loading up her half of the closet with her clothing supply. Never once did she meet her roommate during those visits and with the orientation talk coming up the very next morning, her roommate's side of the room is still bare as a tree in winter. Now, is this strange or is this strange?

She's sitting at her desk on her side of the room, checking her email, when her roommate finally makes an appearance.

“Hi.”

Taeyeon turns around and her first thought is 'Pretty!' “Hi.” She stands and approaches her roommate. “Are you Tiffany?”

“Yeah.”

Taeyeon gives her a smile and tries not to rove over her roommate's slim figure with her eyes. “Do you need help with anything?”

Tiffany shrugs. “Nah. I'm good. You can go back to whatever you were doing.”

“Okay. Let me know if you need anything.”

-oo-

August 2009, Saturday morning

Taeyeon is jumped on and wakes with a squeal. “Wha—wha?”

“You’re so sweet.”

“Huh?” Tiffany’s eyes are twinkling and seeing them this close up takes her breath away.

“This.” A pink bra swings before her, obstructing her view of Tiffany’s eyes. “It’s lovely. I love it.”

“Oh. That.” A tint of pink colours her cheeks. She has never been good with compliments or praises. “I just thought we’re roommates; I should give you something for your birthday. Happy Birthday!”

Tiffany kisses her cheek. “You’re such a cutie. I’m glad my roommate is you and not some other out there.”

“Thanks, I guess.”

“I’m gonna try it on now.”

“Uh…” Taeyeon stares as Tiffany’s tank top is pulled off, leaving the latter topless (Tiffany doesn’t wear a bra to sleep). She tries to tear her eyes away from the bare chest right in front of her and looks down at her fingers on her lap instead.

“How does it look on me?”

Taeyeon raises her head and looks. “Beautiful.”

“The bra or me in the bra.”

“You, in the bra.”

“I say the bra is beautiful. The roses are beautiful. You are one talented painter, my friend.”

Taeyeon doesn’t think it’s the bra. It’s the way Tiffany fills out the bra, the way the roses appear to wrap around her curves. “A bra only makes sense when it’s worn. Otherwise it’s just a strange contraption that looks like an alien bug eye mask.”

“You are weird.”

“All artists are weird.”

Tiffany laughs. “Maybe.”

-oo-

December 2009, Wednesday night

A flash of light from Taeyeon’s phone makes her look up from her colouring book.

 -oo-