"How's everything between you and your date?" Taeyeon asked. "Or should I say boyfriend?"

Her best pal, Sunny, brought a man over to their high school reunion last weekend and introduced him as her date. He was really caring towards Sunny and was a gentleman. Taeyeon had hardly seen anyone treating Sunny like that and she wondered how they met. In her opinion, her best friend only dated jerks so it was a surprise to see such a caring guy. He proved that chivalry's not dead.

"Oh, you mean Joongki? He's not my boyfriend or my date," Sunny answered flatly as she slurped the noodles.

"He's not?" Taeyeon frowned. It was the beginning of the reunion so there was no way she was drunk and hallucinated everything. "But you introduced him as your date. And I thought it meant you guys are dating."

Sunny lifted her index finger, silently telling Taeyeon to give her one second to finish the food in . "Now, this is where you're wrong. I just didn't want to look pathetic infront of others, considering my bad reputation of dating jerks, so I hired him."

"You what?"

"I hired him to be my friend. I paid for his time and he showed up as my date. It was a transaction."

Taeyeon's jaw dropped at the revelation. "How'd you find him in the first place? Is he a mutual friend or a stranger you met at a bar or on the streets?"

Sunny laughed, wiping the corner of her lips with the napkin. "Neither. I met him through an app. You should probably take a look when you have the time. You might need it."

"You know I don't like meeting people like that." She frowned.

"If you don't step out of your comfort zone you'll never be able to find someone, Taeng." Sunny shrugged as she continued with her meal.

"I believe I will be able to find someone. Even if it means I have to search high and low."

"I don't get why you're so stubborn. You created a Facebook account just to play games and you hardly have any social networking sites' accounts. How'd you even survive in this world like that?" She shook her head at her friend's stubbornness.

"In the past where there weren't any of those, people met their respective partners. So why can't we meet someone like how they used to?" Taeyeon argued.

Where's the fun in meeting someone through apps or websites? You'll never know if the person was using their real picture, or if the person's real. It could all be a brilliantly packaged scam.

"You know what?" Sunny questioned. "This argument is going nowhere because you're never going to listen."

---

Taeyeon never believed in meeting friends or your other half through social networking sites. She always preferred to meet a person face-to-face or through mutual friends. That way, it's easier to guarantee a person's character and trustworthiness. If the person's a mutual friend, what were the chances of the person being a drug addict or dealer? Well, it could still happen but chances were slim compared to someone you met online.

So she couldn't understand how Sunny could judge a person based on what he posted on the site and his pictures. For all they know he could be a or serial killer searching for his prey through this platform. What if he's a stalker? What if it's not just a transaction for him?

She never believed in 'money can buy you everything' but it seemed like a certain amount of money could buy you a partner for that few hours. Could you imagine the awkwardness if someone whom had hired the same person previously, was in the same party? Yeah. Instead of being the one being envied by people, she was going to be the laughing stock.

Even though Sunny explained to her that it's a friend for hire app which meant nobody would suspect anything- being on a date didn't necessary mean that they're boyfriend-girlfriend. To Taeyeon's innocent and pure mind, dating meant they're seeing each other exclusively and there was no way they could date other people.

Sunny often laughed at her innocence and told her she'll know once she meets the one. And that dating wasn't what she had thought. Dating's more like two persons trying to get to know each other better and it's slightly more than a friendly outing.

Taeyeon's head hurt at the thought of it. There were so many things for her to learn and to grasp but she could care less. Why complicate things like that? You get to know each other well as friends, too. Why go on a date and make everything seem so fluffy, with unicorns and rainbows?

Taeyeon's 25 years old and she's never been in a relationship. She wanted to, but it was so difficult to meet someone she clicked with. She might find a person funny and interesting but it would die down as fast as three days, sometimes even hours. The text conversations she had with someone new would never exceed a week. She always run out of things to say or that she didn't find the person interesting anymore.

The secret was that Taeyeon's into girls. This made it even harder for her to find a partner. She tried talking to guys but she just couldn't pull through. Not that she despised them or anything. She just didn't feel the spark with men.

She had an inkling that her parents knew of her preference but chose to keep quiet about it. Thankfully, her parents were more anxious about her older brother's relationship status to care about hers. She could count with one hand on the number of times her parents asked about her nonexistence other half ever since she turned twenty. Like now.

"Taeyeon-ah, Jiwoong has already been dating for about three years now and he's planning to start a family with his girlfriend. Isn't it time for you to bring home your boyfriend?"

You obviously know of my preference since you stressed the word 'boyfriend', Taeyeon thought and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes at her mother's not-so-subtle hint.

"Umma, there is no one in the picture yet. You'll be the first to know if I'm dating someone," she answered truthfully.

"Yah~ my sister is such a babe. She'll be able to find someone in no time, right Tae?" Jiwoong placed his hand around Taeyeon's shoulder and winked at her.

She loved it whenever her brother came to her rescue. Her mother listened to him best, so she knew she's off the hook- for now, at least.

"Oh alright," Mama Kim sighed. "I just want to make sure that she'll have someone with her for the rest of her life. You know, just in case we're not around to take care of her anymore."

"Umma~" Taeyeon whined. She disliked topics like this. It always made her feel sad and she often wondered if her mother was trying to guilt trip her.

"Let's not talk about things like that around the dining table." Papa Kim finally spoke up. "I agree with Jiwoong. Our Taeyeon is a good catch. I'm pretty sure she'll be able to find someone soon. There's no use rushing love."

She smiled sweetly at her father and placed a slice of meat each on her father, mother and brother's plate respectively.

"Don't worry, I won't die alone," she said determinedly. "Before Oppa's wedding next year I'll find someone and I will attend the wedding ceremony with my date."

I will find somebody worthy of my love and spend the rest of my life with her, that was what Taeyeon thought as she made the promise.

---

"Sunny-ya."

Her friend looked at her like she had grown two heads. "When you're being this yucky means you need something from me. What is it, Kim Taeyeon? And stop battling your eyelids. It disgusts me."

Taeyeon pouted and scooted closer to her best pal who was playing a game on her portable gaming device.

"That app you told me about... the one where you're able to find a friend to go to an event with you? Are you still an active member? Is it still around?" She asked shyly, fiddling with her fingers.

Sunny paused her game and turned to face Taeyeon, laughing at her shyness. "Aww, what is it? Do you need a friend now?" She teased.

She sighed and ruffled her blonde locks. "If I don't find someone to be my date for my brother's wedding, my mother will find me one. Can you imagine the horror?" She shivered at the thought. There was no stopping her mother to go all out just to find her a partner for her brother's wedding. There was no way she would allow her mother to ruin her life.

It had been almost a year since the day she determinedly told her family she would have found someone by her brother's wedding ceremony. But reality check: she's still single and very much available.

"The app is still around but I don't use it anymore. So I don't know how many active members are there. It's been a while afterall." She pursed her lips.

"Oh?" Taeyeon was surprised. If she had remembered correctly, for the past few months Sunny had a few events like cousin's wedding and stuff and she did mention she went with someone. If she didn't find someone from the app, then who was the person who accompanied her?

"Because I have my boyfriend now," Sunny admitted shyly, feeling a slight blush creeping up her cheeks.

"You what? Since when?! Why didn't you tell me?" She hit Sunny on the shoulder. "I thought we’re best friends."

"We are! It's just- we just started and I didn't want to announce it just yet. But you know, I really really like him." She tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled.

Sunny had this stupidly-in-love smile on her face and Taeyeon wanted so much to wipe that off. She's obviously rubbing salt onto her wound. Intentionally or unintentionally, it didn't matter. It was new to Taeyeon to see her best friend behaving this way. The guy must be really nice to elicit such response from Sunny.

"Who's this guy who got you smitten like that?" She probed.

Sunny reached out for her phone and tapped on the screen a couple of times before showing Taeyeon a picture she took with her boyfriend.

Taeyeon gasped when she saw the photo, pointing at it. "J-Joongki?! That guy you hired?!"

Sunny turned her phone around and grinned at the picture before placing her phone back to the table. "Yes. Turns out he's exactly the same as he mentioned in his profile. We went out a couple more times after that night, like on a date, and we recently just got together officially."

Looking at the blissful smile on her friend's face got Taeyeon feeling very envious. She wanted this too. She wanted to feel that flutter and to have someone whom she could call hers. Unfortunately she could only imagine how it's like to fall in love by reading and watching movies and dramas. And now she got to see how it's like in real life- Exhibit A, Lee Soonkyu.

"Congrats! I'm so happy for you!" She pounced on Sunny and hugged her tight. "If he's exactly the same as the last time I saw him then yes, he's a good man. Good catch, Sunny-ya!"

Sunny laughed and patted Taeyeon's back. "Thanks, pal," she paused. "Now let's get you started on your search shall we?"

She took Taeyeon’s phone and downloaded the free app. After loading, she immediately went through the process of creating an account with Taeyeon.

"Okay, so you can sign up using your email. Then input your details like name, age, gender, and if you're comfortable, your contact number. Over here you need to upload a picture of yourself," Sunny pointed out, stating the required fields. "And your contact details will be hidden until both parties accept the request so don't worry about people seeing your number or email address by browsing through your account. Privacy guaranteed."

"What is this 'About Myself' section? Can't I leave this out?" Taeyeon asked as she scrolled through the mandatory fields using her phone.

"Nope. Whatever that has an asterisk, you need to fill it up. It's to better match you with someone of your preference or one that is suitable for the event you are going."

"Oh, they have a checkbox for preference. Does this mean if I were to check the box for females I will only be shown female profiles?" Taeyeon asked excitedly.

This seemed a lot more simple and promising than she had thought. At least nobody would discriminate her since there's an option to choose your preference, right?

Sunny chuckled. "Yeah, you got the gist of it. But I think it should be better to just check both boxes. You can change it in future."

Taeyeon nodded her head as she came to the end of the page. "Okay, I think I got the hang of it. I will take a better look later. Thanks Sunny."

"No problem. Hopefully you'll be able to find someone like how I found Joongki. I'm happy you're stepping out of your comfort zone. Even if it's just a one-time usage, I'm still happy." She ruffled Taeyeon's hair, earning loud protest from the latter.

"Yah! I'm thankful doesn't mean you can take this chance to mess with me." She pouted, running her hand through her hair to tidy it a bit.

"Good luck, Taeng." Sunny gave Taeyeon a thumbs-up then went back to her game. "If you need me to recommend you someone, let me know. I'll help you search. Plus, I think Joongki knows a few people there."

"Thanks Sunny, appreciate it. I'll do my initial search first. If all else fails, I'll come to you for sure."

---

She browsed through the profiles and it was limited because apparently women only look for men. She rolled her eyes. Wasn't this app supposed to be 'Friend for Hire'? It seemed like most of them were trying to look for romance amidst earning some extra cash. She shook her head.

She was about to exit the app when her eyes landed on a star on the bottom left of the app. It stated "Featured". The first thought was to give it one last try. Who knows one of the featured women would look decent enough to be her date? And who knows if one of the women was exactly the person she was looking for? She's keeping her fingers crossed.

She tapped on the icon and the page refreshes, showing her the most popular and most sought after 'friends'. Her fingers stopped when she landed at the profile of a girl with an eyesmile. The first thought she had in her mind when she saw it was "wow". Nothing but "wow". After staring at the profile picture for a minute, she decided that this could be one of her choices so she clicked on the little red heart on the top right hand corner of the profile to favorite it and continued scrolling.

At the end of the day, the only one in her favorite list was the girl with the eyesmile.

"Tiffany," the stranger's name rolled off Taeyeon's tongue easily. "Tiffany Hwang."

She then proceeded to read the reviews and there were nothing but praises for the girl. Some said she's super friendly and it didn't feel awkward meeting a stranger at all, while some said she was the perfect friend to bring to events. Some even went as far as saying they'd date her without a doubt.

Seems like she's really good at this, Taeyeon thought to herself. She clicked on the 'Request To Chat' button and watched as a pop up appeared, stating 'Request Sent'.

She exited the app and prayed that this girl could help her. If not, she would have to trouble Sunny's boyfriend and ask him for help. And the thing Taeyeon disliked the most was to trouble people so hopefully it wouldn't happen. She had a good feeling about this somehow and it fueled her confidence.

---

Taeyeon forgot about the app until a notification popped up while she was at work a few days later.

'Tiffany Hwang has accepted your request. Swipe to chat now.'

She almost bolted out of her seat. She looked around to see if any of her colleagues saw her and made sure none of them were paying attention to her before she grabbed her phone and unlocked it.

As the app loaded, she thought of what to say to the girl. Should she say hi first or should she ask if she's alright being her date for her brother's wedding? Who knows if she's very homophobic and there's no use trying to talk to her any longer because she'd say 'over my dead body' to Taeyeon's request.

What she saw after she got into the app was a chatroom-like page and Tiffany's profile picture was on the top, right beside her name.

'Hi Taeyeon! Sorry it took me so long to accept your request. I was swamped with work. /:'

Taeyeon bit her thumb and wondered what she should reply to that. Think! Think! Or at least just say hi first.

'Hi Tiffany! No worries. Thank you for accepting my request.'

She wondered if she should've said something more but she pressed the 'Send' button before she could add on.

The reply came almost immediately.

'Not a problem. Pardon me if I'm wrong but are you new to this?'

How did you... Taeyeon gasped, her thumbs flying around the keyboard to type her reply.

'Sorry, I am being awkward huh. And yes, this I am new to this.'

'Your profile looks really bare and new. But don't worry! You can slowly update your profile while you tell me more about your requirements and what kind of event it is, the one where you'd need my help? (:'

A small smile played on her lips the moment the reply came. The reviews were right. This Tiffany girl had the power to not make things awkward.

'Well, I’m kind of looking for someone to attend my brother's wedding with... if I don't succeed my mother will be the one to find me a date.'

'So this is more like your last resort?'

'Second last, actually. I've been trying to get attached for the past year but to no avail. So I can only count on sites like this.'

Taeyeon regretted it the moment she sent the message. Dammit, way to make your pathetic self seem unwanted to a person you barely know.

'Hahaha! Don't worry about that. Do you mind if we were to chat a little more, get to know each other a bit before we proceed further? (:'

'Sure! I mean, yeah, that's only right. ^^'

'Alright. So tell me more about yourself, Taeyeon.'

'My name is Taeyeon, born in Jeonju and I am 25 years old. I work as a boring administrative executive and I love staying at home.'

That wasn't attractive at all but Taeyeon didn't want to hard sell herself. She wanted the person on the other side to know she's sincere and serious in getting help.

'You're a homebody huh? Well, I am Tiffany, born and raised in California before moving to Korea in my teens. I'm also 25 years old. I'm working in the marketing and PR field, and I love being outdoors.'

After reading the reply, it felt like they were worlds apart. But fret not, she told herself. Opposites attract so maybe she'd be alright with being my date for Oppa's wedding.

Taeyeon didn't want to judge but by looking at the things Tiffany told her so far, it seemed like the girl was a little on the high maintenance side. Being in the marketing and public relations field meant that she's a social butterfly. Which is perfect for this friend for hire thing, she thought. And at the same time, it meant Tiffany had to go to a lot of events and social parties. Where did she get the time and energy to do this?

'Ah, that's cool. How long have you been doing this? Like being someone's friend for an event or a party. Why did you decide do this in the first place?'

'I've been a member since a year and a half ago? The reason for this is because I do have a few friends around me who're really shy and introvert. At times they really want to make friends but couldn't take the first step. I thought that by doing this I might be able to help people alike. People like you, Taeyeon.'

'Oh. That's... very cool and admirable of you, Tiffany. ^^ I have to go to a meeting now so can I talk to you later?'

'Sure, I shall not hold you up any further. I'll talk to you soon! (:'

Alright, Kim Taeyeon, you can do this. You're still in the game. You can have a normal conversation with a stranger. Don't let it end there. You're doing great so far, Taeyeon chanted in her head as she pocketed her phone and grabbed her materials for the department meeting.

---

Taeyeon was beyond elated when Tiffany agreed to be her date for her brother's wedding. She went into details, like where should she pick up Tiffany and what time the ceremony would end approximately. She tried her best not to seem very excited but she was so close to hyperventilating.

'Hey Tiffany, just to remind you that the ceremony is this coming Saturday. I'll fetch you at the location we've agreed upon at about noon.'

'Hey Taeyeon! Thanks for the sweet reminder. I've already chosen my outfit and everything. Looking forward to seeing the real you on Saturday! (;'

'Great! I'm looking forward too! ^^ Thanks for agreeing to do this, by the way. I know how weird it is to go to a wedding ceremony with another girl.'

Taeyeon bit her lip as she waited for Tiffany's reply anxiously. She wasn't sure why she was being this way. It was almost as if she had a crush on Tiffany already. Maybe it was because this was very new to her and it excites her. Like, it would be her first time meeting someone she met online. A vibration pulled her out of her trance and she grinned at the reply.

'Oh, don't worry about it Taeyeon! You're not the first female client I've had. (; Rest assured that I'll behave well and not let you feel embarrassed at all, okay? Trust me.'

'I'll leave it to you then. > < Thank you once again!'

She exited the app and thought that maybe she could be friends with this Tiffany in real life. If she was anything like the person she's been chatting with.

Since Tiffany did not ask for her number, Taeyeon felt like she should do the same. Although she had wanted to ask for the girl's number so she could take it offline- their chat, she meant. One step at a time, she told herself. She didn't want a situation whereby Tiffany only saw her as a client and nothing more whereas Taeyeon - as a fool - thought that they were already friends.

You couldn't blame Taeyeon for feeling that way though. For the past week Taeyeon and Tiffany were chatting with each other like they were friends for a long time. They'd start with a 'Good morning' and end with a 'Good night'. Taeyeon swore this was almost like her lifetime's worth of messages. Alright, maybe with a little bit of exaggeration there. But she was surprised she could chat with Tiffany non-stop for eight days straight. The hype would usually die down in about three days.

Maybe I should ask for her number if it all turns well this Saturday. It wouldn't hurt to add another friend into my pathetic list, huh? She smiled as she thought of what Tiffany would wear on that day, and how the girl would sound like. She would definitely sound as sweet as her looks. At least that was what Taeyeon thought.

---

Taeyeon parked on the road shoulder and waited excitedly for Tiffany. She was ready to bolt out of her door, plus she couldn't wait anymore so she got out of her apartment earlier than intended. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, looking around to spot Tiffany. She didn't need to look at her photograph no more because how she looked like was etched in her mind.

She took multiple deep breaths to regulate her heartbeat. She was excited and at the same time afraid. What if she didn't live up to Tiffany's expectations and made it awkward instead? What if the girl didn't find Taeyeon someone whom she could hang out with? What if she made a fool out of herself at the wedding ceremony?

She jumped in shock when the door at the passenger side flew open. She immediately turned over to see who the intruder was and fell open. She stared, mouth agape, at Tiffany who had her hair swept to one side of her shoulder and it cascaded down her collarbone. She wore an off-shoulder light pink dress, carrying a black clutch which Taeyeon was sure it's branded.

"Oh, I'm sorry, did I startle you?" Tiffany spoke, a smile played on her lips as she took in Taeyeon's expression.

That voice! Taeyeon let out an audible gasp. When she realized what she had done, she shut instantly. Crap, I look and behave like an idiot, she thought as she cleared .

"H-hey. Don't worry about it. Hop on!" She invited Tiffany into the car and tried her best to mask her nervousness.

Tiffany got into the car and put on the seat belt. She turned her head towards Taeyeon and smiled, her eyes turning into crescents. "Hi Taeyeon."

Taeyeon was sure she would force herself to talk to Tiffany endlessly just so she could hear her voice. She thought Tiffany would sound sweet but the huskiness of her voice caught her completely off guard. Not that she minded though. It was a pleasant surprise. It made her seemed even more... y.

"H-hi," she replied shyly as she turned to look at Tiffany, but breaking the gaze the moment their eyes met.

The deep chuckle that came from Tiffany made the ends of Taeyeon's lips curve up a little.

"Don't be that shy. Come on, you should be comfortable talking to me already. We've been chatting non-stop for the past week."

"Yeah, you're right." She took a deep breath and exhaled through her nose. "It's nice to finally meet you in person, Tiffany. And you look great, by the way."

"I could say the same to you. You're not bad yourself." She smiled. "I like your blue dress."

That smile of Tiffany was doing wonders to her heart and Taeyeon wondered if she was about to have a heart attack soon. Could she infer that they're telepathic? They did not once discuss about what they were going to wear to the wedding and yet she turned up in blue and Tiffany in pink. You're overthinking it, she mentally scolded herself.

"Thanks." Taeyeon started driving to prevent Tiffany from seeing how shy she was at the compliment.

During the car ride, they talked about anything just like when they were messaging each other. It went from their neighborhood, their work, their choice in music, to their most preferred food. Taeyeon was slowly warming up to Tiffany and the smile which never left the latter's lips was proof that she was enjoying herself.

When they reached the ceremony location, the only thought in Taeyeon's mind was that the meeting wasn't awkward at all. Tiffany's really pretty and nice and she hoped that she felt the same with her. She didn't mind meeting Tiffany again in a more friendly setting and get to know each other better. She wouldn't call it infatuation or a crush, but she really liked Tiffany's company. Was this because of the happiness she felt for meeting someone new and they happen to click well? Probably. She'd take it as that for now.

---

Taeyeon almost laughed the moment she saw her mother's shocked expression when she reached the venue with Tiffany. The latter hooked her arm with Taeyeon, and they stood close to each other.

Her brother who was standing at the altar gave her a stealthy thumbs-up as he waited patiently for his soon-to-be wife.

During the ceremony, she noticed how Tiffany paid attention to everything and clapped along whenever required. She never once took out her phone to check for calls or texts- which Taeyeon really appreciated.

Tiffany was by Taeyeon's side and never once did she leave her alone. The blonde made it a point to bring Tiffany anywhere she went and introduced her as her friend to her relatives who were curious as to who the beautiful brunette was.

It would be a lie to say that Taeyeon's not proud. She's proud as hell whenever people looked at Tiffany or when they did a double take. Take that, ha! She would mentally congratulate herself that she found the right person. All eyes were on them, she could feel it. They were almost like the best looking pair at the ceremony, apart from the bride and groom.

She caught one of her cousins drooling over Tiffany and she hovered a protective hand over the small of Tiffany's back to indirectly say 'she's mine'. She knew that the way Tiffany mingled with her family and the smile that was on her face attracted a lot of attention. Taeyeon wasn't one who liked being in the limelight but she'd willingly let people stare because she felt great.

"Here. I went to the food tasting session with my brother so I know what's nice. This shrimp is good," Taeyeon said as she scooped the said dish onto Tiffany's plate.

They both moved down the buffet line and Taeyeon was the one in charge of putting food onto the plate whereas Tiffany just had to hold her plate and move with Taeyeon. She patiently told Tiffany about the spread and she always made it a point to ask the brunette if she wanted this or that.

They ate and had small talks here and there, enjoying themselves before Taeyeon's brother came over. Both of them stood up to congratulate the newlywed.

"Hey Tae," he greeted as his eyes flickered from Taeyeon to Tiffany. "Enjoying yourselves so far?"

"Oppa," Taeyeon called out to her brother before engulfing her sister-in-law in a hug. "Unnie, welcome to the family."

"Thank you, Taeyeon-ah. Who's this pretty girl?" She asked the moment they let go of each other.

Tiffany politely bowed. "Hello Oppa, Unnie, my name is Tiffany and I am Taeyeon's friend."

"I didn't know you have such a good looking friend." Jiwoong's comment made Taeyeon blush.

"Oppa!" She whined, unhappy at her brother making fun of her. "Don't embarrass me."

The brunette chuckled at the cute sight and squeezed Taeyeon's hand lightly. "It's alright, Taeyeon. Congratulations, by the way. It's a really sweet and heartwarming wedding."

Taeyeon looked at Tiffany in admiration. How could she know what to say at the right time? Must be the reason why I don't have many friends. I'm just not sociable enough.

"Alright. I'll have to go around thanking people for coming. You two enjoy yourselves alright? If it's too boring I give you the permission to get out of this place." He winked.

"Thanks." Taeyeon gave Jiwoong's arm a light punch. He always looked out for her and she felt loved and cared for.

"It's great seeing you, Tiffany. Come over to visit whenever, okay? Sorry we couldn't talk to you longer." Jiwoong's wife apologized as she squeezed Tiffany's arm lightly.

"That's okay. It's your big day, so I understand how busy you guys are." Tiffany smiled. "If there's a chance in future I'll be sure to visit you."

Taeyeon's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Does this mean that there might be a chance of us becoming real friends after this? Or is this just Tiffany's way of being courteous?

"We shall look forward to that then, Tiffany. It's been a pleasure to meet you. My sister can be a handful at times so please be patient with her."

"Oppa!" Taeyeon hissed. "Just go thank your guests already."

Jiwoong laughed and held his wife's hand, walking to the next table. Taeyeon gestured for Tiffany to take a seat and before she sat down beside her.

"Sorry about that. My brother can be a little annoying at times," she apologized, clearly embarrassed at her brother's behavior. "He must be too happy."

"He didn't say or do anything out of line so don't worry." Tiffany assured with a smile.

---

They mingled around after dinner and when Taeyeon felt it's about time to send Tiffany home, she bid her family goodbye with the brunette by her side. Although reluctant to let her daughter leave - since she did not have the chance to drill the relationship between Taeyeon and Tiffany - Mama Kim could only instruct Taeyeon to visit them more often and to bring Tiffany along.

Taeyeon peeked at Tiffany's reaction before softly replying to her mother, promising that she'd try her best to go home more frequently. She did not directly reply to the part about Tiffany because she wasn't sure if there would be a second meeting. No one knew that Tiffany wasn't really her friend, and she was sure her mother thought that she's dating Tiffany.

The ride back to Tiffany's place was silent save for the music playing over the system. Taeyeon felt that Tiffany must've been tired for socializing so she tried her best to keep shut even though she’s dying to talk to the brunette. And since Tiffany, being the more talkative one, did not utter a word, she took it as a hint that the brunette did not wish to talk.

It was kind of disappointing, to be honest. She wasn't sure if this was the real Tiffany and she had been pretending or forcing herself to have fun, or that she was just tired. Taeyeon was not one who'd probe so she could only secretly pray that it was the latter.

"Thank you for accompanying me to my brother's wedding," Taeyeon said as she pulled over before pulling up the handbrake.

"Not a problem, Taeyeon. I had fun. You have a really nice family," Tiffany commented and smiled.

"You must be really tired. Sorry to keep you out longer than expected." She noticed how Tiffany's smile didn't reach her eyes anymore. "How do I make payment? Do I give you cash or bank transfer? I think I have cash..." she trailed off and was about to reach to the back to grab her purse when Tiffany's hand stopped her.

"It's okay. Since it's the start of the year and you're the first client, no payment is required." Tiffany's smile widened at the drastic change of Taeyeon's expression.

Taeyeon gulped at the physical contact. "B-but... at least let me pay a little? I mean, I took up almost one day of your time. On a weekend, no less."

"You made my day. So don't worry about it." Tiffany patted Taeyeon's hand lightly before withdrawing her hand. "I had a good time, Taeyeon. I'll see you around then? Drive safely and have a good night."

The blonde panicked when she heard Tiffany bidding goodbye. I haven't gotten her number yet! Come on, Kim Taeyeon! It's just a mobile number.

"T-Tiffany!" She called out.

Tiffany held onto the handle and turned around to face Taeyeon with a raised brow. "Yes?"

"Can I- can I get your number?" She cleared . "I had a really good time today with you and thought that since we kinda click so I'd like to be your friend. For real. You know, like hanging out and all as real friends instead of this pretense. If you're comfortable, that is," she quickly added.

Oh my gosh, you sound like a teenager trying to score yourself a date. She buried her face in her hands and groaned. "I'm sorry. I'm really bad at this." She took a deep breath and lowered her hands, turning to face Tiffany. She was met with Tiffany's amused smile and she smiled back, albeit shakily. "Never mind. Forget I ever asked. Have a good night, Tiffany."

The brunette burst out laughing and it was so contagious that even though Taeyeon felt like crap, she had a wide smile plastered on her face. Her laughter is actually quite pleasing to the ears, Taeyeon thought as she watched Tiffany clapping as her eyes disappeared into thin lines.

"Oh, Taeyeon, why are you so cute?!" Tiffany chuckled. "You're so new to the app and I feel so bad for not letting you know."

"Know what?" She frowned.

"Right after I accepted your request, you can actually see my contact details through my profile and I can see yours."

"I was at your profile countless times but I didn't-" Taeyeon clasped a hand over , instantly regretting the fact that she did not think it through before replying. Way to sound like a stalker. "I mean, maybe I missed it. Then does this mean that I can be your friend?"

"Of course." Tiffany extended her hand out for a handshake. "Glad to meet a new friend today."

Taeyeon held onto Tiffany's hand like it was the most precious thing ever and shook it lightly. "Thank you, friend. You should probably head in. It's getting late."

"Alright, see you soon Taeyeon!" Tiffany opened the door and got out. She leaned down and waved a little before closing the door.

Taeyeon watched as the brunette disappeared into the lobby before she drove out of the drop off point. On her way back, she thought of Tiffany and couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

What is this that I'm feeling? Am I interested in Tiffany? Already? We've only talked to each other through the app for about two weeks and today's the first time we met in real life. It can't be that I have a crush on her, right? What is it that's so attractive about her? She reeled me in effortlessly and all I wanted to do was to look at her, talk to her and pay no attention to anyone but her. What in the world is happening?

---

There's no way I can finish this before next week because there's so much to write. I'll separate it into different parts then. It should be about 3 parts in total. And maybe I'd throw in a bonus with Tiffany POV at the end. I just turned a oneshot into a short story. Yay?

And so here's Part 1! So far so good? Let me know your thoughts. If you're too shy to comment you can always drop me a private message. ^^

How did you meet your 'Tiffany'?

I feel that it's kind of cool to have someone who likes Soshi as much as you do, as your partner. Spazzing together and such. But then it might lead to fights too. Jealousy and all. Haha!

-E