The loud thumping bass of the stereo was practically rattling every single bone in Taeyeon and it made her head pound and eardrums split (and bleed).

Kim Taeyeon never liked clubs.

And parties.

Okay, maybe not so much for parties. Unless it involves rounds of crazy dares and, god forbid if she were to ever play such an embarrassing game like, seven minutes of heaven. But she digressed.

She hated clubs and especially being in one like this. Then what in the world was she even doing here in the first place?

Well, because of a certain somebody, she thought bitterly.

Taeyeon nibbled on her bottom lip, giving her peripherals a quick sweep or two.

The growing mass of bodies grinding against each other on the dance floor with the distinct hint of sweat and what smelt like dirty laundry lingering in the air only made Taeyeon all the more nervous and jittery.  And if it was even possible, she sat with her back a little straighter and tugged at her sleeves of her cardigan in her attempt to cover up as much skin as possible. She didn’t mind if she looked like a sushi roll at this point— all wrapped up and conservative.  She just hoped that by looking like a prude in the middle of a  ‘popular’ dance club in town would keep all those erse stares and ‘big bad wolves’ away.

And it kind of did.

Some had rolled their eyes at her and turned to look elsewhere. Some snorted and sniggered before fading into the rowdy background of people. But mostly, she was ignored and treated with much indifference by the clubbers. Well, except for the bartender who had been throwing her dirty looks for the past forty five minutes as she sat by the bar, nursing on her diet coke silently while everyone else was either downing some kind of alcoholic beverage one after another or were just simply chatting; which boggled Taeyeon’s mind for she had no idea how anyone could ever hear themselves over the blaring music.

She craned forward, sticking her head out higher, further, eyes once again roaming through the sea of bodies on the dance floor, the bar and practically everywhere, a little more desperate than before.

And then, her eyes lit up, her tensed features melting away into relief.

There she was.

Tiffany.

Taeyeon could see her mop of fiery red hair— she got it dyed just a month ago, after much whining and over how her previous hairstyle was dull and boring despite Taeyeon constant reassurance that it was not so— bobbing out in the dark corner to the side of the club.

And now all Taeyeon needed to do to reach her was to take a step out of her protective little bubble by the bar and make her way across the dance floor where she would risk getting herself accidentally rubbed against by a sweaty clubber.

Huh. For the first time that night, Taeyeon was actually considering getting herself something alcoholic.

Maybe with some booze in her system, the dancing, the flashy lights and the music would look and sound a lot less intimidating and more… mild. Then again, the last time she ever tried a can of beer— just a sip or two— she had almost choked and spat it out, vowing to never again touch that vile, disgusting substance packed in a seemingly harmless aluminum can.

But then again, she wanted to go home. And she wanted to be home bad. Granted, she could just waltz out of the club with her own two legs and drive home; but to ditch Tiffany for her own selfish wishes without a word and leaving her with no transport back other than taking the bus or a cab… was just wrong. 

Taeyeon sighed, downed the last of her diet coke, slammed it down onto the bar counter and got up from her stool. Huffing, her eyes now burned with a determined spark as she swallowed down the block of unease in .

She sure hoped that her smaller stature would make it easier for her to squeeze through the crowd.

--

“F-Fany-ah…” Taeyeon had called out, albeit rather feebly the second she figured that she was within earshot of Tiffany’s but for better measure (with the deafening music surrounding them) she had decided to give her sleeve a gentle tug as well.

And finally Tiffany spun around at her, donning her with the attention Taeyeon so rightly deserved after what she had been through only minutes ago.

Eyes landing onto Taeyeon, they had immediately shot up, widening slightly as a look of surprise, which quickly spiraled down into what seemed like concern, washed over the features of Hwang Tiffany.

“Tae-Tae!” She gasped and Taeyeon could only offer her a weak smile and was dimly aware of how the redhead was looking her up and down in appraisal.

“Hi…”

“What in the world happened to you? You look like you’ve been in and out of a hurricane!” Tiffany shouted over the loud music and began fussing over her, fingers smoothening down the tangles and mess that was her hair.

Taeyeon gave a shudder; still very much traumatized over the ordeal she had (not so) willingly put herself into not long ago.

Just three minutes into the crowded dance floor, she had her face smashed up against into a variety of body parts ranging from sturdy, brick-like chests to some dude’s unfortunate armpit. So much for being short. Oh. And she had also bumped butts with several other strangers along her way. Urgh.    

“Let’s go home, Fany-ah.”

“What was that?”

“I said that it’s time to go home!”

“I’m sorry, Taeyeon-ah, but I can’t-“

And the rest of whatever Tiffany had just said seemed to blend in with the sounds of their surroundings. Frowning, she breathed a sigh and briefly turned her back on Taeyeon. It was only then, that Taeyeon finally realized that for the past couple minutes, she had been in the presence of Tiffany’s small group of friends from college.

After saying a word to her friends, most likely bidding them goodbye from the way Tiffany had wiggled her fingers and her friends had nodded and waved back, Tiffany reverted her attention back onto Taeyeon. With her fingers curling around Taeyeon’s wrist, she began lugging her out of the club through the back exit.

“You were saying?” Tiffany started, once they were finally away from all that music and flashing lights and Taeyeon found herself releasing a breath which she had been unknowingly holding on to. The corners of her lips were pulled back into her usual winning smile, eyes sparkling down at Taeyeon expectantly.

Soughing in deeply, the shorter brunette pursed her lips. “Can we go home?” She asked, in an awfully meek voice.

“What? But why? It’s not even an hour since we’ve been here.” Tiffany whined, puckering her lips into a cute, adorable pout, she knew Taeyeon could not resist. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself, Tae-Tae?”

Then again, they had been friends for five years and living under the same roof for two, so it was natural for Taeyeon to have figured out ways to overcome some of Tiffany’s… persuasive tactics.

Careful to not meet those puppy eyes, Taeyeon grounded her lips into a paper-thin line, hardening her features. “Actually, we’ve been here for sixty-three minutes and that qualifies for slightly more than an hour. And no. You know I hate clubs, Fany-ah. They’re not my kind of thing.” Now, Taeyeon was sure she was doing the whining now.

“That’s ‘cause all you do is hang around the bar, ordering diet coke and orange juice!” The redhead rolled her eyes, exasperatedly. “Besides, there’s nothing to do at home. As much as you can’t stand clubbing, I can’t stand boredom either.” She huffed indignantly.

“Didn’t you say have those drafts to complete?”

“They’re due on Thursday, I’m sure they can wait.”

“Fany…” Taeyeon admonished gently.

Tiffany threw her hands up in the air, rolled her eyes and scowled. “Okay fine. We’ll go home… “ Taeyeon instantly straightened up, face lighting up expectantly with a hopeful grin. “Only after you agree to play a simple game with me.” Tiffany winked, lips curling into a ravishing smile and Taeyeon felt her stomach plummeting down into oblivion.

Any flicker of hope that remained was immediately extinguished by an all too familiar beguiling smile that was closely accompanied by an artful glint in those beautiful dark brown eyes.

Oh, Taeyeon recognized that look anywhere. It could only mean that Hwang Tiffany was definitely up to something. And she had mentioned a game. Game! With the two freaking inverted commas. Taeyeon knew this wasn’t going to end well at all. She could feel it so strongly in her gut that it made her a little queasy.

“Can’t we just go home? No games, no clubs. Look, we’ll even go shopping tomorrow if you want.” Taeyeon pleaded, implored. No, begged. It’s nearly twelve midnight and she’s tired, exhausted and bored and all she really wanted to do was to go home, have a cup of hot chocolate and fall back into her soft, warm bed.

Tiffany merely giggled and clicked her tongue, wagging her finger at her. “Nah-uh. You’re going to play a game with me first and then we’ll go home. I’ll take you up with your shopping offer tomorrow, thanks.” She grinned and Taeyeon frowned deeply.

“Okay fine, as soon as we get home, I’ll go set up the checkers board—“

“Taeyeon.” Tiffany flashed her pointed look.

The short brunette frowned, sighed and rolled her shoulders resignedly. “Just trying my luck…” She grumbled bitterly. “Please tell me we aren’t going to play ‘pretend couple’ like what Yuri and Jessica did back in high school…”

Tiffany laughed before lifting a brow, an amused grin decorating her lips as her eyes sparkled with mischief. “Why? Afraid that you’ll fall head over heels for me, Tae-Tae?” Taeyeon blushed and bit at her bottom lip. Tiffany let out another chime-like giggle and waved her off flippantly, still smiling in a way which Taeyeon found uneasy. “Relax, I’m kidding. Though, we will be playing a game similar to theirs.”

“What?” Taeyeon stiffened immediately, eyes shooting right open in alarm.

“The rules are simple: the first one to get a boyfriend within six months, gets to lay off chores for the rest of the year.”

Taeyeon scoffed. “You don’t even do half of your chores.”

The redhead drew her lips wider, thinner into a simper, eyes twinkling. “Oh, but I’ll do all of them for the rest of the year, yours included, if you can get a boyfriend before me in half a year, Taeyeon.”

Said-girl closed instantly and all thoughts of violent protest had simply vaporized from her mind. Frowning, with her eyes gradually turning into steel, Taeyeon glanced up to meet Tiffany’s steady gaze. Dark brown pools were winking down at her in that usual teasing glint, goading her on. And she knew what the redhead had posed wasn’t just a simple ‘game’ as she had claimed. It was a challenge.

Taeyeon narrowed her eyes subtly at Tiffany and the girl merely gave her an offhanded shrug of her shoulders, that insufferable smile of hers still hanging off the edges of her lips.

Damn it, did she still think that she was still the shy and meek little wallflower from high school? Well, Kim Taeyeon will prove her wrong.

Lips pursed tightly, eyes flashing, burning into the pair of watchful dark eyes before her; Taeyeon raised her chin and stood a little taller. “You’re on.”

At that, Tiffany’s eyes very much glowed as she grinned down at her in that usual dazzling manner of hers.

“Then game on it is.”