Part 1
What's the problem?===
Tiffany tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk as she waited for her call to be answered. A few seconds later, she heard the continuous beeping sound from the other line, signaling the call was disconnected. "What?!" She stared at her phone in disbelief. "No, this can't be! I need to finish this tonight!" She almost yelled at the innocent device.
Fingers tapped furiously, dialing the IT department's number, which she knew now by heart due to constant technical problems every time her deadline was near. "Pick up!" She said exasperatedly when she heard the dial tone. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." The call was finally answered and she almost jumped in joy.
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?" Tiffany almost gasped at the voice. It was that person again, the one who would always answer the phone every time she would call the IT department at night. She had almost forgotten about the person on the other line, how her voice sounded angelic and so calm.
"Hi, good evening." She didn't know why but Tiffany smiled when she said that. It's not like the other person could see her or something.
The person shamelessly groaned upon hearing her voice. Maybe she was accustomed to react this way since Tiffany would take forever to follow her instructions. "Hi. What seems to be the problem this time?" She almost giggled at the question, finding it endearing how the person sound exasperated.
"My computer died all of a sudden."
"Oh." The person sounded amused since this was not her typical internet connection problem. "What happened?"
"I really don't know. I was just typing an essay for my literature class then it suddenly died."
"Prior to that, what did you do?"
Tiffany went silent as she thought for a while. "Nothing. I just went straight to type my essay."
"Did you accidentally press any button while typing?"
She gasped as she wasn't sure if she pressed a button or not. "Oh my, maybe I did! But I'm not entirely sure."
"Uhh..." The person sighed into the phone. "Did you check the plug?"
Tiffany ducked down and looked at the plug. "It's plugged in."
"Did you try rebooting the unit?"
"What?"
"Rebooting the unit."
"What's that?"
Exasperation was evident when the person sighed again. "Did you save your document?"
"Thank god I did."
"Okay. So here's what you have to do. Listen carefully, okay?"
Tiffany wasn't able to hold back her giggle this time. If it wasn't for her cute voice, she would've been furious by now at how rude she sounded, like she was too dumb to talk to her. "Okay, I will."
"Press and hold the power button then wait for about 10 to 15 seconds. The computer should shut down by then. After doing that, wait for a few seconds before turning it back on."
Tiffany was too preoccupied swooning over the person's voice that she completely forgot to listen to the instructions.
"Did you get it?"
"Get what?"
"The instructions."
“What instructions?”
Another, much deeper sigh. “To reboot the computer.”
“Oh.” The line went silent for a while. Tiffany would’ve thought the person left and didn’t bother to end the call but the sound of heavy breathing reassured her that the other person was still there, maybe rolling her eyes at her stupidity.
“Press and hold the power button for 10 to 15 seconds.”
Tiffany nodded, only to realize that the person couldn’t see her. “Okay, got that.”
“Wait for a few seconds before turning it back on.”
She counted up to ten, thinking it was enough before turning the computer on. “Oh my god!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
Tiffany would’ve jumped in joy at that very moment but the displeased look on her fellow schoolmates made her sit in place. “It’s back!”
“Great.” She couldn’t help but giggle again when the person sighed in relief. “Everything’s okay now?”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
“Okay. You’re welcome.” The line went dead for real this time and Tiffany instantly felt sad but she had an essay to finish, and she must finish it before the community center would close.
Ring, ring, ring
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?"
“Hi, it’s me again.”
The person groaned out loud this time. “What’s the problem?”
“I can’t connect to the internet.”
Tiffany heard the person mumble a damn it that made her smile.
===
Tiffany stepped out of the building feeling extremely alive after getting her essay back. The professor was impressed by her output that he gave her an A+, a very rare occasion coming from one of the terror professors in the literature department. Thinking she must celebrate for her success, she decided to drop at the nearby bakery to buy their delicious scone. Tiffany was skipping in joy as she walked to her destination when she suddenly stopped at the door. She saw the familiar petite girl behind the counter and couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at the sight of her crush.
“Good afternoon!” The petite girl greeted as soon as she stepped into the store.
“Good afternoon!” She greeted too enthusiastically. But as soon as she saw the empty tray behind the display glass, all the positive energy left her body. “What?!” She moved closer to the display and looked at the missing scones.
“Hi.” The girl greeted again which made her look up. “I’m sorry but we’re out of scones.”
“What?! Again?! Why?!”
“The person who just left bought the last one. I’m sorry.”
Her head snapped towards the door. The person was nowhere to be found and for a second, the thought of hunting them down crossed her mind.
“Wow.” The amused tone of the petite girl snapped her out of her plot to find the culprit.
“Excuse me?” Tiffany couldn’t help but feel offended at the girl’s reaction. Her eyebrow was lifted and she had a judgmental look on her face. On her pretty, cute face, she might add.
“Nothing.” The girl shrugged and prepared to take her order. “How about you try our blueberry muffins? They’re freshly baked.”
“I’m not a fan of blueberries.”
“Then how about you try our red velvet cupcakes? They’re freshly baked too.”
“Not a fan too.”
“Uh…” The girl looked through the display. “How about some chocolate muffins? They’re freshly baked as well.”
Tiffany furrowed her brows as she stared at the cute expecting eyes. “Why do you always have to mention that they’re freshly baked?”
“Our store wasn’t named Freshly Baked Treats for no reason, you know.” The girl said matter-of-factly that it came out quite rude but strange enough, she found it cute as well. She would’ve called the manager to report such impolite behavior but the girl was cute, and totally her type so she let it slip this time. Again.
“How would I know if you’re telling the truth?’
“I just placed them there before you came in. It’s still hot.”
Tiffany stared at the said treat and nodded without much thought. “Okay, I’ll take one.”
“Sure. For here or to go?”
“Here. And a glass of iced Americano too, please.”
“Okay.” The girl carefully took the muffin and placed it on a baby pink plate. “Do you like pink that much?”
“Huh?” She looked up upon hearing the question.
“Do you like pink that much?”
“Sort of. Why?”
“Ah, no wonder your eyes light up every time we give you the pink plates.” The girl smiled amusedly that made her blush in embarrassment. “Hey, no need to be embarrassed. We’re free to be happy over little things.” She shrugged before turning around to prepare her drink.
Tiffany’s face grew deep red at the comment. The girl upgraded from pretty to beautiful in her eyes at that very moment. The thought of asking the girl out right here, right now crossed her mind but the moment she turned back with a glass of freshly made iced Americano in hand, her mind decided to shut down.
“Here you go. That’d be 8 bucks.”
“What?”
“Your order.” The girl pointed at the tray.
“Oh. Right.” She fumbled as she took out her wallet from her bag and placed the bills on the counter.
“Thank you for giving the exact amount. Enjoy your treat.” The girl pushed the tray towards her and gave her a smile.
“T-thanks.” Tiffany inwardly scolded herself for acting like a fool in front of her crush. She scanned through the store and found a vacant seat near the window. After settling down, she took out her phone and snapped a few photos of her order. The smile on her face was silly, borderline alarming, but she wasn’t aware of it. She was too engrossed in choosing the right filter to beautify the photo before uploading it on her SNS.
“So how’s the muffin?” The voice startled her that she almost choked. The girl laughed lightly at the sight and continued to wipe the table clean.
“It’s tasty. Very fluffy too.”
“Of course. They’re freshly baked after all.” The girl smiled smugly. If it was a different person, she would’ve hated them for looking too proud of themselves but then again, it was that girl. That cute pretty… scratch that. That beautiful girl from her favorite bakery. That girl who would shamelessly express her rude amusement. That girl with a cute grin on her face. That girl who looked years younger than her but she bet they’re of the same age, because she wanted them to be of the same age, because she doesn’t date younger girls.
“Will you go out with me?” The words came out of nowhere. It was too late, her stupidity got the best of her and there’s no way out. Or maybe there was. She could just grab her things, rush out of the bakery, and never come back. But the thought of not being able to have those delicious scones gave her courage to sit back, feign confidence, and looked at the girl in the eye.
“What?” The girl looked at her as if she said the dumbest thing in the world.
Tiffany cleared awkwardly and straighten up. “Will you go out with me?” She looked at everywhere but the girl’s eyes and that’s when she saw it. The nametag. The shiny, silver nameplate on her chest. How come she hadn’t notice this? Maybe she was too blinded by the girl’s pretty smile to notice it.
“Are you for real?” The girl, who by the way was named Taeyeon, looked around before turning back to her.
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re trolling.”
“No. I’m serious.”
Taeyeon looked around again, intently this time. “Where’s the camera?”
“Camera? What?”
“You know, hidden cameras?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you making a social experiment or something?”
“Social experiment? What?!”
“Oh. This is for real?” Taeyeon looked at her with wide eyes. There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other.
Tiffany blinked and if it wasn’t for her straining neck, she would’ve kept quiet until the earth would swallow her whole. “Well, that was awkward.” She laughed awkwardly. “Don’t mind me. I was clearly not thinking straight.” She waved her hand dismissively and proceed to eat, only to find that the muffin was completely gone, as well as her drink.
“Okay, sure. Whatever.” Taeyeon shrugged and moved next to her table. “Are you done? I’ll clean this up.” She pointed at her empty plate and glass to which Tiffany absently nodded.
Tiffany felt like the girl took forever to clean the table. She wanted to get out of there, go somewhere secluded and burry herself alive. But she thought it would be rude to suddenly walk away before Taeyeon could finish cleaning up so she waited patiently, ignoring the growing embarrassment as the girl stole glances at her while grinning.
“Okay, done.” Taeyeon dusted her hands and held out a hand to her.
“Excuse me?”
“Your phone.”
“What?”
“Give me your phone.” The girl pointed at her discarded phone on the table.
“Why?” Tiffany furrowed her brows in confusion.
“So I can save my number.”
“Huh?”
“So you can call me and we’ll arrange that date.” Tiffany had never seen her grin like this before. It was a playful grin. It was a cute, cheeky grin. She was pretty sure by now that Taeyeon was definitely her type.
===
“Should I call her? But I don’t want to appear too eager…” Tiffany paced around the living room as she stared at her phone. “Maybe I should just leave a message?” She stopped in front of the couch and tapped the messaging app. “Hi, it’s me, Tiffany. Are you free this Friday? Will you be able to go out with me by then?” She said out loud while typing. “Wait. That sounds too desperate.” She erased the last part and decided it was enough before sending it.
“What if she won’t reply? What if she forgot about me? But it’s only been three days, she won’t forget me that easily, right?” She asked herself as she slumped on the couch. “Oh my! What if she was just trolling me?!” The thought made her sit up straight. Before another crazy thought could form in her head, her phone vibrated and a notification with Taeyeon’s name in it flashed right back at her. “Oh my god! She replied!” Her hand was shaking as her thumb hovered above the notification. She took in a few deep breaths before finally tapping it.
Taeyeon: What time?
“Oh my godddd!!!!” Tiffany jumped in joy as she screamed her lungs out. She was clearly aware that her voice could be heard up to the tenth floor of the building but she would deal with the complaints later. Her date with Taeyeon was much more important right now.
Tiffany: Do you work on Fridays?
Taeyeon: I do. Until 4 in the afternoon.
Tiffany: Would you like to go out after work?
Taeyeon: Sure.
Tiffany: Okay! I’ll drop by at the bakery by 4.
Taeyeon: Okiedokie. See you.
Tiffany almost fainted at the last message. She knew she was being foolish. Who would faint at such simple message? Tiffany. Of course.
===
Her heart was beating out of her chest as she made way to the familiar small bakery. Today. Today was the day. The day when one of her dreams would come true. The day when she would have the time of her life. The day when she would finally be able to get to know the person who’d been constantly giving her mini heart attacks every time she would smile.
“Hi, Tiffany.” She stood there frozen when Taeyeon greeted her with a smile.
“H-hi.” The way she stuttered was totally unplanned. Embarrassing herself on their first date was the last thing that she had in mind but the universe must hate her or something.
“So where are we going?” Tiffany opened but quickly closed it. She had completely forgotten about making an itinerary for their date. She was too excited that she forgot to make one. She was too happy that her brain flew to cloud nine and never came back. “Don’t tell me you don’t know where we’re going?” Taeyeon chuckled.
“If I say yes, will you find me stupid?”
“I wouldn’t completely label you as stupid.” The girl shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe just a little stupid. But you’re really cute so I’ll let that pass.” She grinned widely and took her hand without permission, then dragged her to god knows where.
To say that her mind was blown away was an understatement. Did Taeyeon just call her really cute? Really cute? Really? Cute? She found her reallycute?! Oh, who would’ve thought they were thinking the same? Yes, definitely not Tiffany.
===
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?"
“Hi, it’s me. Again.”
“Oh god.” The person didn’t bother to hide her displeasure this time. “Internet connection problem again?”
Tiffany bit her lip in embarrassment. “Yes…” She said meekly.
“Ah, damn it.” The person said it out loud this time. “Okay, so here’s what you have to do.”
===
Taeyeon: Hi, I’m sorry but I’ll be late today. Caught up at work.
Tiffany: Oh, don’t worry. I’m still here in the community center. I’m just finishing my homework.
Taeyeon: Oh, okay. I’ll see you there. Don’t go anywhere, okay?
The frown on her face (due to internet connection problem, yes, again) was quickly replaced by a bright smile upon reading her reply. They had been constantly seeing each other after their third date. Two weeks had passed but she couldn’t help but feel giddy every time Taeyeon would send her such message.
Tiffany: Okay. See you. :)
===
Ring, ring, ring
Tiffany fumbled on her phone and quickly answered the call without looking at the caller ID out of shock. “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m really almost there. Please wait a bit.” She furrowed her brows when she heard the familiar voice. “Tiffany?” Yes, that’s definitely her. The IT person from the IT department. Her other crush. Okay, maybe her ex-crush since she’s not as infatuated as before ever since Taeyeon happened.
“Huh?”
“Where are you?” The person’s ragged breathing indicated that she was running.
“I’m at the…” Tiffany held out her phone and had the shock of her life. There it was. A photo of Taeyeon, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.
“Hey!” Someone called out which made her to turn towards it. And there she was. A phone pressed against her ear, standing limply as she tried to catch her breath. Taeyeon waved at her frantically, it was unnecessary since there were barely any student around.
“Hello?” Tiffany finally snapped out of her daze and spoke through the phone.
“I’m sorry I’m so late. Can I just wait for you here? I kinda ran all the way here and my legs are about to give up.” Taeyeon was quite a distance from the center’s entrance but she could see her grinning. She ended the call then absently walked down the stairs and went to her.
“You didn’t have to run all the way here.” She reached out and wiped the sweat on the girl’s forehead with her handkerchief.
“But I don’t want you to keep on waiting.” Taeyeon took the books from her arms before cutely tiptoeing to kiss her on the lips. “How about I treat you to dinner to make it up to you?” She smiled that smile that wouldn’t fail to make her heart beat faster.
Tiffany couldn’t believe it. The IT person from the IT department. The petite girl from the bakery. Taeyeon. It was Taeyeon. It was Taeyeon all this time. Who would’ve thought she’s been crushing on the same person all this time? Yes, definitely not Tiffany. And she couldn’t be happier. She doesn’t have to feel guilty every time she would giggle when the IT person would sigh exasperatedly when she’d ask a seemingly stupid question. Will she tell Taeyeon about it? Maybe? But definitely not today. Dinner with Taeyeon was the most important thing right now. “Okay! I’m craving for pizza.”
“Not again?” Taeyeon whined as her shoulders slumped.
“I thought you’re going to make it up to me?”
Taeyeon laughed adorably before placing another kiss on her lips. “I was just kidding. Let’s go on a date, cutie.” She winked and took her hand without permission. It felt like their first date all over again. Who’s the luckiest girl in the world? Tiffany. Definitely Tiffany.
===
Tiffany tapped her fingers impatiently on the desk as she waited for her call to be answered. A few seconds later, she heard the continuous beeping sound from the other line, signaling the call was disconnected. "What?!" She stared at her phone in disbelief. "No, this can't be! I need to finish this tonight!" She almost yelled at the innocent device.
Fingers tapped furiously, dialing the IT department's number, which she knew now by heart due to constant technical problems every time her deadline was near. "Pick up!" She said exasperatedly when she heard the dial tone. "Pick up, pick up, pick up." The call was finally answered and she almost jumped in joy.
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?" Tiffany almost gasped at the voice. It was that person again, the one who would always answer the phone every time she would call the IT department at night. She had almost forgotten about the person on the other line, how her voice sounded angelic and so calm.
"Hi, good evening." She didn't know why but Tiffany smiled when she said that. It's not like the other person could see her or something.
The person shamelessly groaned upon hearing her voice. Maybe she was accustomed to react this way since Tiffany would take forever to follow her instructions. "Hi. What seems to be the problem this time?" She almost giggled at the question, finding it endearing how the person sound exasperated.
"My computer died all of a sudden."
"Oh." The person sounded amused since this was not her typical internet connection problem. "What happened?"
"I really don't know. I was just typing an essay for my literature class then it suddenly died."
"Prior to that, what did you do?"
Tiffany went silent as she thought for a while. "Nothing. I just went straight to type my essay."
"Did you accidentally press any button while typing?"
She gasped as she wasn't sure if she pressed a button or not. "Oh my, maybe I did! But I'm not entirely sure."
"Uhh..." The person sighed into the phone. "Did you check the plug?"
Tiffany ducked down and looked at the plug. "It's plugged in."
"Did you try rebooting the unit?"
"What?"
"Rebooting the unit."
"What's that?"
Exasperation was evident when the person sighed again. "Did you save your document?"
"Thank god I did."
"Okay. So here's what you have to do. Listen carefully, okay?"
Tiffany wasn't able to hold back her giggle this time. If it wasn't for her cute voice, she would've been furious by now at how rude she sounded, like she was too dumb to talk to her. "Okay, I will."
"Press and hold the power button then wait for about 10 to 15 seconds. The computer should shut down by then. After doing that, wait for a few seconds before turning it back on."
Tiffany was too preoccupied swooning over the person's voice that she completely forgot to listen to the instructions.
"Did you get it?"
"Get what?"
"The instructions."
“What instructions?”
Another, much deeper sigh. “To reboot the computer.”
“Oh.” The line went silent for a while. Tiffany would’ve thought the person left and didn’t bother to end the call but the sound of heavy breathing reassured her that the other person was still there, maybe rolling her eyes at her stupidity.
“Press and hold the power button for 10 to 15 seconds.”
Tiffany nodded, only to realize that the person couldn’t see her. “Okay, got that.”
“Wait for a few seconds before turning it back on.”
She counted up to ten, thinking it was enough before turning the computer on. “Oh my god!”
“What? What’s wrong?”
Tiffany would’ve jumped in joy at that very moment but the displeased look on her fellow schoolmates made her sit in place. “It’s back!”
“Great.” She couldn’t help but giggle again when the person sighed in relief. “Everything’s okay now?”
“Yes! Thank you very much!”
“Okay. You’re welcome.” The line went dead for real this time and Tiffany instantly felt sad but she had an essay to finish, and she must finish it before the community center would close.
Ring, ring, ring
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?"
“Hi, it’s me again.”
The person groaned out loud this time. “What’s the problem?”
“I can’t connect to the internet.”
Tiffany heard the person mumble a damn it that made her smile.
===
Tiffany stepped out of the building feeling extremely alive after getting her essay back. The professor was impressed by her output that he gave her an A+, a very rare occasion coming from one of the terror professors in the literature department. Thinking she must celebrate for her success, she decided to drop at the nearby bakery to buy their delicious scone. Tiffany was skipping in joy as she walked to her destination when she suddenly stopped at the door. She saw the familiar petite girl behind the counter and couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at the sight of her crush.
“Good afternoon!” The petite girl greeted as soon as she stepped into the store.
“Good afternoon!” She greeted too enthusiastically. But as soon as she saw the empty tray behind the display glass, all the positive energy left her body. “What?!” She moved closer to the display and looked at the missing scones.
“Hi.” The girl greeted again which made her look up. “I’m sorry but we’re out of scones.”
“What?! Again?! Why?!”
“The person who just left bought the last one. I’m sorry.”
Her head snapped towards the door. The person was nowhere to be found and for a second, the thought of hunting them down crossed her mind.
“Wow.” The amused tone of the petite girl snapped her out of her plot to find the culprit.
“Excuse me?” Tiffany couldn’t help but feel offended at the girl’s reaction. Her eyebrow was lifted and she had a judgmental look on her face. On her pretty, cute face, she might add.
“Nothing.” The girl shrugged and prepared to take her order. “How about you try our blueberry muffins? They’re freshly baked.”
“I’m not a fan of blueberries.”
“Then how about you try our red velvet cupcakes? They’re freshly baked too.”
“Not a fan too.”
“Uh…” The girl looked through the display. “How about some chocolate muffins? They’re freshly baked as well.”
Tiffany furrowed her brows as she stared at the cute expecting eyes. “Why do you always have to mention that they’re freshly baked?”
“Our store wasn’t named Freshly Baked Treats for no reason, you know.” The girl said matter-of-factly that it came out quite rude but strange enough, she found it cute as well. She would’ve called the manager to report such impolite behavior but the girl was cute, and totally her type so she let it slip this time. Again.
“How would I know if you’re telling the truth?’
“I just placed them there before you came in. It’s still hot.”
Tiffany stared at the said treat and nodded without much thought. “Okay, I’ll take one.”
“Sure. For here or to go?”
“Here. And a glass of iced Americano too, please.”
“Okay.” The girl carefully took the muffin and placed it on a baby pink plate. “Do you like pink that much?”
“Huh?” She looked up upon hearing the question.
“Do you like pink that much?”
“Sort of. Why?”
“Ah, no wonder your eyes light up every time we give you the pink plates.” The girl smiled amusedly that made her blush in embarrassment. “Hey, no need to be embarrassed. We’re free to be happy over little things.” She shrugged before turning around to prepare her drink.
Tiffany’s face grew deep red at the comment. The girl upgraded from pretty to beautiful in her eyes at that very moment. The thought of asking the girl out right here, right now crossed her mind but the moment she turned back with a glass of freshly made iced Americano in hand, her mind decided to shut down.
“Here you go. That’d be 8 bucks.”
“What?”
“Your order.” The girl pointed at the tray.
“Oh. Right.” She fumbled as she took out her wallet from her bag and placed the bills on the counter.
“Thank you for giving the exact amount. Enjoy your treat.” The girl pushed the tray towards her and gave her a smile.
“T-thanks.” Tiffany inwardly scolded herself for acting like a fool in front of her crush. She scanned through the store and found a vacant seat near the window. After settling down, she took out her phone and snapped a few photos of her order. The smile on her face was silly, borderline alarming, but she wasn’t aware of it. She was too engrossed in choosing the right filter to beautify the photo before uploading it on her SNS.
“So how’s the muffin?” The voice startled her that she almost choked. The girl laughed lightly at the sight and continued to wipe the table clean.
“It’s tasty. Very fluffy too.”
“Of course. They’re freshly baked after all.” The girl smiled smugly. If it was a different person, she would’ve hated them for looking too proud of themselves but then again, it was that girl. That cute pretty… scratch that. That beautiful girl from her favorite bakery. That girl who would shamelessly express her rude amusement. That girl with a cute grin on her face. That girl who looked years younger than her but she bet they’re of the same age, because she wanted them to be of the same age, because she doesn’t date younger girls.
“Will you go out with me?” The words came out of nowhere. It was too late, her stupidity got the best of her and there’s no way out. Or maybe there was. She could just grab her things, rush out of the bakery, and never come back. But the thought of not being able to have those delicious scones gave her courage to sit back, feign confidence, and looked at the girl in the eye.
“What?” The girl looked at her as if she said the dumbest thing in the world.
Tiffany cleared awkwardly and straighten up. “Will you go out with me?” She looked at everywhere but the girl’s eyes and that’s when she saw it. The nametag. The shiny, silver nameplate on her chest. How come she hadn’t notice this? Maybe she was too blinded by the girl’s pretty smile to notice it.
“Are you for real?” The girl, who by the way was named Taeyeon, looked around before turning back to her.
“Yes, I am.”
“You’re trolling.”
“No. I’m serious.”
Taeyeon looked around again, intently this time. “Where’s the camera?”
“Camera? What?”
“You know, hidden cameras?”
“Huh?”
“Aren’t you making a social experiment or something?”
“Social experiment? What?!”
“Oh. This is for real?” Taeyeon looked at her with wide eyes. There was an awkward silence as they stared at each other.
Tiffany blinked and if it wasn’t for her straining neck, she would’ve kept quiet until the earth would swallow her whole. “Well, that was awkward.” She laughed awkwardly. “Don’t mind me. I was clearly not thinking straight.” She waved her hand dismissively and proceed to eat, only to find that the muffin was completely gone, as well as her drink.
“Okay, sure. Whatever.” Taeyeon shrugged and moved next to her table. “Are you done? I’ll clean this up.” She pointed at her empty plate and glass to which Tiffany absently nodded.
Tiffany felt like the girl took forever to clean the table. She wanted to get out of there, go somewhere secluded and burry herself alive. But she thought it would be rude to suddenly walk away before Taeyeon could finish cleaning up so she waited patiently, ignoring the growing embarrassment as the girl stole glances at her while grinning.
“Okay, done.” Taeyeon dusted her hands and held out a hand to her.
“Excuse me?”
“Your phone.”
“What?”
“Give me your phone.” The girl pointed at her discarded phone on the table.
“Why?” Tiffany furrowed her brows in confusion.
“So I can save my number.”
“Huh?”
“So you can call me and we’ll arrange that date.” Tiffany had never seen her grin like this before. It was a playful grin. It was a cute, cheeky grin. She was pretty sure by now that Taeyeon was definitely her type.
===
“Should I call her? But I don’t want to appear too eager…” Tiffany paced around the living room as she stared at her phone. “Maybe I should just leave a message?” She stopped in front of the couch and tapped the messaging app. “Hi, it’s me, Tiffany. Are you free this Friday? Will you be able to go out with me by then?” She said out loud while typing. “Wait. That sounds too desperate.” She erased the last part and decided it was enough before sending it.
“What if she won’t reply? What if she forgot about me? But it’s only been three days, she won’t forget me that easily, right?” She asked herself as she slumped on the couch. “Oh my! What if she was just trolling me?!” The thought made her sit up straight. Before another crazy thought could form in her head, her phone vibrated and a notification with Taeyeon’s name in it flashed right back at her. “Oh my god! She replied!” Her hand was shaking as her thumb hovered above the notification. She took in a few deep breaths before finally tapping it.
Taeyeon: What time?
“Oh my godddd!!!!” Tiffany jumped in joy as she screamed her lungs out. She was clearly aware that her voice could be heard up to the tenth floor of the building but she would deal with the complaints later. Her date with Taeyeon was much more important right now.
Tiffany: Do you work on Fridays?
Taeyeon: I do. Until 4 in the afternoon.
Tiffany: Would you like to go out after work?
Taeyeon: Sure.
Tiffany: Okay! I’ll drop by at the bakery by 4.
Taeyeon: Okiedokie. See you.
Tiffany almost fainted at the last message. She knew she was being foolish. Who would faint at such simple message? Tiffany. Of course.
===
Her heart was beating out of her chest as she made way to the familiar small bakery. Today. Today was the day. The day when one of her dreams would come true. The day when she would have the time of her life. The day when she would finally be able to get to know the person who’d been constantly giving her mini heart attacks every time she would smile.
“Hi, Tiffany.” She stood there frozen when Taeyeon greeted her with a smile.
“H-hi.” The way she stuttered was totally unplanned. Embarrassing herself on their first date was the last thing that she had in mind but the universe must hate her or something.
“So where are we going?” Tiffany opened but quickly closed it. She had completely forgotten about making an itinerary for their date. She was too excited that she forgot to make one. She was too happy that her brain flew to cloud nine and never came back. “Don’t tell me you don’t know where we’re going?” Taeyeon chuckled.
“If I say yes, will you find me stupid?”
“I wouldn’t completely label you as stupid.” The girl shrugged nonchalantly. “Maybe just a little stupid. But you’re really cute so I’ll let that pass.” She grinned widely and took her hand without permission, then dragged her to god knows where.
To say that her mind was blown away was an understatement. Did Taeyeon just call her really cute? Really cute? Really? Cute? She found her reallycute?! Oh, who would’ve thought they were thinking the same? Yes, definitely not Tiffany.
===
"Good evening, IT department. How may I help you?"
“Hi, it’s me. Again.”
“Oh god.” The person didn’t bother to hide her displeasure this time. “Internet connection problem again?”
Tiffany bit her lip in embarrassment. “Yes…” She said meekly.
“Ah, damn it.” The person said it out loud this time. “Okay, so here’s what you have to do.”
===
Taeyeon: Hi, I’m sorry but I’ll be late today. Caught up at work.
Tiffany: Oh, don’t worry. I’m still here in the community center. I’m just finishing my homework.
Taeyeon: Oh, okay. I’ll see you there. Don’t go anywhere, okay?
The frown on her face (due to internet connection problem, yes, again) was quickly replaced by a bright smile upon reading her reply. They had been constantly seeing each other after their third date. Two weeks had passed but she couldn’t help but feel giddy every time Taeyeon would send her such message.
Tiffany: Okay. See you. :)
===
Ring, ring, ring
Tiffany fumbled on her phone and quickly answered the call without looking at the caller ID out of shock. “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m really almost there. Please wait a bit.” She furrowed her brows when she heard the familiar voice. “Tiffany?” Yes, that’s definitely her. The IT person from the IT department. Her other crush. Okay, maybe her ex-crush since she’s not as infatuated as before ever since Taeyeon happened.
“Huh?”
“Where are you?” The person’s ragged breathing indicated that she was running.
“I’m at the…” Tiffany held out her phone and had the shock of her life. There it was. A photo of Taeyeon, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.
“Hey!” Someone called out which made her to turn towards it. And there she was. A phone pressed against her ear, standing limply as she tried to catch her breath. Taeyeon waved at her frantically, it was unnecessary since there were barely any student around.
“Hello?” Tiffany finally snapped out of her daze and spoke through the phone.
“I’m sorry I’m so late. Can I just wait for you here? I kinda ran all the way here and my legs are about to give up.” Taeyeon was quite a distance from the center’s entrance but she could see her grinning. She ended the call then absently walked down the stairs and went to her.
“You didn’t have to run all the way here.” She reached out and wiped the sweat on the girl’s forehead with her handkerchief.
“But I don’t want you to keep on waiting.” Taeyeon took the books from her arms before cutely tiptoeing to kiss her on the lips. “How about I treat you to dinner to make it up to you?” She smiled that smile that wouldn’t fail to make her heart beat faster.
Tiffany couldn’t believe it. The IT person from the IT department. The petite girl from the bakery. Taeyeon. It was Taeyeon. It was Taeyeon all this time. Who would’ve thought she’s been crushing on the same person all this time? Yes, definitely not Tiffany. And she couldn’t be happier. She doesn’t have to feel guilty every time she would giggle when the IT person would sigh exasperatedly when she’d ask a seemingly stupid question. Will she tell Taeyeon about it? Maybe? But definitely not today. Dinner with Taeyeon was the most important thing right now. “Okay! I’m craving for pizza.”
“Not again?” Taeyeon whined as her shoulders slumped.
“I thought you’re going to make it up to me?”
Taeyeon laughed adorably before placing another kiss on her lips. “I was just kidding. Let’s go on a date, cutie.” She winked and took her hand without permission. It felt like their first date all over again. Who’s the luckiest girl in the world? Tiffany. Definitely Tiffany.
===
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