I snatch my bag as fast as my hand can swing, despretly tying to get out of this class as fast as I could that I even remember I’ve never got out of the class earlier than everyone else in here. Hurriedly, I walk through the hall along with these people that are so exaggerating knowing that weekend is coming-but who wouldn’t be happy when school is over though?

I don’t even have to open the door myself, as someone else is gladly pushing it for everyone which makes them get even wilder after the light of the sun flash through giving us a hint that it’s great weather outside. They rush out and in a split of second people start filling the parking lot. I follow them, heading towards one of the cars, the one that I rarely get into. Speaking of Sooyoung’s that is, but I don’t see her anywhere right now.

I thought she’s already here but guess not. Then I feel something poked me on my shoulder, and there’s Sooyoung, with people far behind us looking.

“Wanna go out and watch a movie?”

“You know I’m not allowed to go out,” I pull her sleeves, uncomfortable with the attention. “But a movie marathon in your place isn’t souds bad, though”

“Or maybe we could play games. That’s fun” She speed up her step, backwalking with a grin.

I smirk. “Sure thing.” I said while we walk to her car that she drives by herself everyday to school.

As long as you’re old enough to have a driving license and know how to drive a car, and not to forget to mention if you have fancy parents and rich wallet, then sweet life like this won’t be something you brag about anymore. It’s your lifestyle and class, and those are normal to you.

Sooyoung took the key out of her bag. When the car makes a beep, that’s when we get in. I automatically put on the seatbelts and she glance while fixing her hair on the rearview mirror.

“What’s the rush for?”

“Nothing. Just a habit”

“Oh. Okay” she shrug.

I let her take her time to fixing up, and then again my eyes catch a bunch of people near the lobby take a short glances at us. Thank god Sooyung’s car has very dark windows so I could freely stare them back with no worries getting caught. It looks like those people mind so much about me hanging out with Choi Sooyoung.

“Alright. I’m done. Let’s get this thing ”

The engine starts letting out a soft growl and the car moves smoothly just like any other expensive cars. I raised my eyebrows in amazement. Would love to have one someday.

[]

“. Did she just die?”

“Yeah. Just click on that button”

“Why?”

“She’s gonna go back in time to safe that blue haired girl before she got shot”

“Oh. So that what the game is all about. No wonder this is so strange”

“It’s a cool game. I’m addicted to it.” Sooyoung opens a bag of chips. “You should play it sometimes”

I smirk. “I should be coming over more often, then”

“Yeah, sure, be my guest! My house is always empty anyway”

I continue to go on with the game, feeling like I’m into it little by little. A bit carried away, I glance at the clock. It’s been a few minutes since I came into Sooyoung’s house and we went straight to play one of her video games.

Yeah. We play games instead. She turned off the lights, putting the blanket around us which makes me confused because the only reason the room gets cold, was because she the air conditioner and set it to the lowest temperature. But now I get it. This feels very comfy.

I feels like I want to stay. Even if it’s turning late and the sky gets dark, or even Haesung show up in front of the gates, or knowing mom will be so pissed that I hang out at Sooyoung’s place until night, I don’t mind-if Sooyoung doesn’t. Man, I don’t even want to think about Haesung.

“Hey, Taeyeon”

I hum. Sooyoung is right. This game is not bad at all—I can’t even turn away from the screen. The view and the soundtracks are just amazing.

“You know,” a little pause she did before she continue somehow makes me a little hard to breath. “Tiffany was so ed up when you left”

“So what.”

“Come on. Stop with the attitude.” She take the console and throw it to her bed like a trash. “Start. Right now”

“You didn’t even bother to care when I talked to you about this before this happened!”

“Corection. I thought you were too paranoid about her and I tried to help you to straight things up so that doesn’t mean I don’t care”

With all her aguments, I’ve already lost my words. I should’ve known that she’s also good at debating.

“Forget it. It doesn’t matter anyway”

“Wow. You must be so mad at her right now”

I furrow my eyebrows. “What makes you say that?”

She shrug. “You usually don’t seem to care about things. Except for her. It sounds like you give up, but I see the otherwise, you’re not”

“She hung out with Haesung for days without letting me know, how am I supposed to not be mad about that? Of course I care,” My heart shrink with the thought of them together.

“Haesung could’ve told me everything, instead he went out every night and left me uncompanied. He’s always been busy about his studies, but now when he got free time, he spend it with Tiffany. And she...” I sigh. “I don’t even want to think about it”

I feel ashamed to think about her. I feel ashamed to ever talk to Sooyoung about what I feel when Tiffany was around me. I’ve never been this stupid in my entire life.

“Calm down. Talk to me slowly, okay?” Sooyoung pull my head closer to her shoulder and that’s when my eyes gets a bit teary I surprised myself.

“I know you’re angry, but please don’t cry,” She pat my head. “You look ugly when you cry”

“Ugh. Shut up” I smack her hand and free myself from her arms. And she grins. It’s like it entertains her how I’m being teased while sad at the same time.

“Anyway, I’ve never seen you cry like this. This is totally new for me”

“I know right” I straighten my back, along with wiping the tears away. “This is so stupid. I guess you’re right”

“What about?”

“About what you said when we were on the canteen, that I’m just overreacting things”

“What? No no no!”

Sooyoung rush on her way to move and place herself infront of me. She put her palm on my knees while she stare deep in my eyes, remain unmoving for a moment before I ask what the hell is wrong with her.

“What?” I ask.

“I was wrong. I said it myself didn’t I?”

I don’t know if she wants me to answer her question or not, but in between, I really couldn’t think of what to response.

I narrow my eyes. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I was totally confused when you told me about her but now that I’ve already seen it, I think, it’s pretty clear to me.”

“What?”

“I’m not a hundred percent right”

I snort. “Just forget about it. I don’t feel like thingking about it right now”

“Why don’t you at least try to see it from her perspective? Ever wonder the reason why she acts like that towards you?”

“Tiffany was just being nice. To everybody including me. Except she only does that to get close to Haesung, worst scenario.”

“Are you sure?”

I nod.

“Still doesn’t explain her crying though”

“I-...uh”

Sooyoung pat me by my shoulder while smilling a little. Her statement make me questioning, two sides on my head are battling which one would lead me on my next step. There’s the regret and possibility.

“My point is,” She lower her voice. “You’re angry and that’s okay. But hold it in for a while until she explain. There’s always a second version of a story”

She’s right. I shouldn’t be so selfish. “What would you do if you were me?”

“Same as you, of course! I’d be freaking furious. Why would I not be? If I had a brother who’s been sneaking behind my back dating my friend late at night, that would make me so uncomfortable”

Legit.

“That doesn’t mean you’re supposed to not letting her to speak at all. It’s just doesn’t make any sense, on your condition”

Could be true.

I hide my face under my hands. “...I don’t know” I sigh. Sooyoung made a point. I’m also curious of what she’d say when I ask her about this. “I guess I’ll try to talk to her... ?”

She clap her hands. “Excellent! Better to straight things first, right?”

“Yeah...”

“Now come on! Don’t be gloomy. If your mom gonna beat your for coming home late, then might as well make it worth it!”

“I guess so,” My hand reach again for the gaming console but Sooyoung snap it from my reach.

“Sing while you play it”

Well, that’s a weird demand. “Uh, why?”

“Because you’re good at singing? What else?”

“Ugh. Fine” I snatch the console from her grip. “Any request?”

“Whatever fits your mood”

Now we back on gaming. My eyes are glued again to the scenery and I feel most comfy here. I hum the song that cross my mind at first, then it’s slowly turning into words with melodies.

 

“I just wanna see how beautiful you are, you know that I see it, I know you’re a star”

 

“Where you go I’ll follow, no matter how far”

 

If life is a movie, then you’re the best part

[]

Sooyoung opens her front door and walk me from her lobby to the front gate. It’s already dark outside, and the lamps on the streets help me see the familiar car parked close to the gate. The car’s door opens as Haesung appears with little concern on his face.

When the gate opens wide, I hug Sooyoung, thank her for the company, and for making me feel a lot better. Then I rush to the front seat, while Haesung is still outside. They’re talking on the corner of my eye, as exes and as friends. One minute or less I waited, when Haesung is done, I hurriedly close my eyes pretending my best that I’m sleepy.

The driver’s door opens and he sit without saying a word for a while. “Mom called me and it doesn’t sound pretty well” He said.

I shrug. “I know”

Haesung back to being silent again, and I wait untill the car move forward, but it seems like there’s other things that he wants to talk about.

“Taeyeon, I just want to say that me and Ti-,”

I sigh. “It’s okay. Just drive off”

I don’t get any response after that but a nod. Then the engine is , and off we go through the night to our house. The Home-Sweet-Home.

[]

“Wow. Is this what made you stay awake last night?”

I turn to face the source of the voice, Haesung, already next to me resting by his left arm on my table, gaze fully on my laptop screen. He was dressed nicely, smells good, and every inch of his hair are fixed up.

I nod. “Where are you going?”

He took a while to think. I don’t even have to play guessing on what he has on his mind, so I’ll just hit it right there. “Isn’t it too soon to meet Tiffany, though? It’s still 7 in the morning?”

He raise his eyebrows. “Well, I want to make myself free this evening”

“Why?”

“I won’t be at home for two weeks from tomorrow. There’s a tight schedule on campus that I have to attend. And I’ve been thinking for a while, that I haven’t really spent much time hanging out with you”

“...Really?”

He nods a couple times. “Yeah,” He then glance on my laptop before he weakly smile. “Since you have homework to do, I hope it’s okay if we don’t go too far. What about ice cream?”

“Wow. Thanks, Haesung, but uh,” I shake my head, remembering that I still have a lot of work to do on this project in front of me. “I doubt it if I could finish my homework by this morning”

“Are you sure?” He ask. “It’s not because of her, is it?”

“Who? Tiffany?” I roll my eyes.

“No, Haesung. If you guys are dating that’s fine, I’m not even jealous of you two. I just need some time to finish this because I’ll be the one presenting. And why do you have to bring that up?”

I sigh. The situation become a little intense because of me. I glance a little and found him lost on words.

“...Sorry if I sound mad. I’m really not.”

“That’s okay.” He stands up as my eyes follow him walking to the door. “Later, I guess?”

I nod.

“Have fun,” I said, which makes him turn around. “I’m not being sarcastic. Come on.”

[]

Mom and Dad are still out of the house, shopping for monthly supplies. Haesung is with Tiffany by now, already around two hours before he left, so I am the only one who’s on the house, still working on the project. Not long after, I hear footsteps and the front door being opened. It’s not mom and dad, but I also wonder, if it’s Haesung, then what kind of date they had?

The sound of his footsteps are getting louder-I know he’s standing by my front door right now. I turn myself away from my laptop screen, looking at my door, and expecting him to get in. Instead what I get are knocks.

“Yeah?”

“How are you doing? I bought food for you” He says behind the door.

“Oh. Okay. Cool. Thanks!”

“Are you going to eat it later?”

“Yeah. Later”

And then Haesung went silent. I feel like he’s still there, though. But at the same time I hear murmuring sound behind my door. The more I try to listen to it, the more it become clear. Haesung is talking to someone, voice really low, almost like whispering. In conclusion, he’s not alone. He brought someone to the house.

“Taeyeon?” I jolt. “I need to tell you something. We need to talk”

My heart thumps and I feel heat rising up from my skin. He made it sounds so serious that I have instant bad feelings.

Yet I straighten my back. “Well, if you want to talk, why don’t you come in?” I dare him.

Haesung replays. It looks like he know what I ment by the tone of my voice.

“So can we come in?”

I hurriedly stand up and walk to my door. Then I grab the handle along with the fear I’m about to face. And it opens. Haesung is not alone.

I glance to him and he looked shocked. I question him for half a milisecond until I notice a smaller figure next to him. Standing near his arm, long styled hair, and eyes that I recognize when I see it at school. Tiffany.

 

Tiffany Hwang.

[]

“I don’t understand”

Haesung gets in as soon as I opened the door, walking to my desk and put the hot dogs and fries he bought and I was left puzzled, only looking at him doing his things, with Tiffany standing still in front of me. She sees me, but I can’t guess what she has on her mind.

“Haesung, stop what you’re doing and explain” I ask him.

He put the last box out of the carton bag, then raises his eyebrows at me. “Don’t ask me. She was the one who wanted to do this”

I turn back to face her. Then her eyes fall down to the ground.

“I thought maybe I could help you with the project...”

“Project?” I scoff, crossing my arms on my chest. “You should”

“Alright alright. Calm down,” Haesung interupts, “At least she’s here now to help you, right?”

No one answer his question. I glance at her and at the moment I realize she hasn’t tecnically gotten in to my room. She’s still outside, near my door, standing still.

I sigh. “Fine. Come in”

She glance to me before taking small steps and then she stops near my bed, precisely across to where I’m standing. One second the room turns quite while she’s entering, so I glance back to Haesung, who’s staring at us silently.

“You said that you wanted to talk about something?” I shrug. “Well?”

“Right” He claps, blinking a couple times. “Actually I have to go now.”

He walks pass both of us to the door. I sigh in defeat watching him. I know this is one of his plan, or maybe their plan. So either one of them could get a private talk with me.

“Bye, you two. I won’t be gone for long” He said, before he dissapears.

He’s really going to somewhere, as I could hear he’s quick footsteps to the garage, the sound of the car’s engine , until slowly I can’t hear it any longer.

I sigh.

So what the heck should I do? Standing here in the middle of this awkward atmosphere until Haesung show up hours later? Hell no.

“Make yourself comfortable. Just sit wherever you like,” I dismiss our short eye contact and walk pass her back to where I was at. To my desk where my laptop screen is opened wide, showing my draft. “Sorry, but I gotta finish this”

I pull my chair and sit on it. I notice I just created loud noises, because my room turned so quite ever since Haesung went out. And Tiffany, behind my back, doesn’t even make any single sound. I wish I had the gut to throw away my ego and at least try a little bit warmer, but my feelings stay put. Checking her up right now wouldn’t be the best thing to do right now. I should just focus on the project. Not on anything else.

Oh who am I kidding. Of course I can’t focus.

I just need to figure out how to not make Tiffany thinks that I’m nervous. So I keep typing with my fingertips. It goes on until I ran out of words. I even made intentional mistakes, so I could erase it and retype it again. But it’s not enough. I’m really stuck. Soon, one of us have to start the conversation, and I’m not ready yet!

.

We can’t stay silent like this forever. Grow up, Taeyeon. If you want to end the problem, then comunication is the key. Don’t be a ing coward. Just face it. Remember what Sooyoung said.

I took a deep breath. Okay. Here it goes.

“Hey, you might want to-oh”

“Is there anything I could-oh”

“What?”

“What?”

“...”

“...”

Oh ing hell. This is beyond awkward. I guess she also noticed the silence and tried to make a conversation just like I do.

She shakes her head a little. “Sorry. What were you saying?”

“It’s uh...” I fake a cough. The nervousness has drained my throat. “You should check this out. I’m really stuck and maybe you could tell me what you think”

She blinks. Then nod slightly. “Okay”

She moves closer to another side of the bed, which is closer to the desk, closer to where I’m at. A little too far she can’t clearly see my laptop screen from where she’s sitting, so she has to walk even closer, and she stop exactly right next to me. She slightly bend down afterwards, and my heart skip a beat when I find her face next to mine. Very close.

And her vanilla scent. Oh lord give me your strength. She’s so close.

My temperature raise in instant that I wish it doesn’t radiate far enough for her to sense. I let her took time scanning my work while I’m praying that she could read faster so that I could have the my space back that she took. And then after a moment, she pulls away and I breathe freely.

“So?” I ask.

“It’s good? I don’t know what the problem is.”

“It’s this part” I point out. “This passage is too long. I want to summarize it but I feel like every sentence are important. Any idea?”

“Well, you could combine all the sentences and put away unimportant words”

I rub my chin. “Sure. That will do. Thanks”

Again, same as before, but not faking it this time, I retype the passage. And after it’s done, I had the urge feeling to show it to her again. And so I did. Because soon this project is nearly come to the end. But one that I can’t control is that how exited I am.

“Done! Just a few more pictures and videos and a little editing then it’ll be done!” I smile to her widely. I don’t know why. “What do you think?”

She sigh. Deeply. “I told you already. It’s good, Taeyeon”

I lost my sense of happiness after she said that. It’s not about what she said. It’s about how she said it. I thought a second ago there’s no need to feel emotional anymore. But now she’s bringing that up again?

“Then why do you have to sound like that? I was the one who should’ve sounded stress, not you”

She cross her arms on her chest while looking at the ceiling, avoiding my question, and I’ve never been so confused and annoyed in my life.

“I wanted to talk to you” She said. “I just don’t understand”

“If you want to ask me about your relationship with Haesung, I told him this morning. It’s prefectly fine, you guys can go ahead date as much as you want. Just leave me out of this” I blurted out.

“It’s not that simple!” She glared.

I stare at her, realizing that she’s now furious. Now is the time we’re really doing it. We’re starting it. Here comes the storm.

“You can’t pretend you’re fine with this because it’s only make things worse, Taeyeon” her voice soften.

“Well you guys are ing weirdos for dating at night without telling me anything and God knows what you were doing behind my back! Is that what you want to hear?”

She bit her lip. She’s still trying to avoid eye contact with me by looking right back at the ceiling, unless her eyes looks a bit watery than before

“Taeyeon,” her voice is shaking. She’s trying her best to calm down. “I know what you’re thinking, but your brother and I, we never... had... ‘it’ okay?”

“Sure. Whatever. Soon you guys will. Haesung isn’t the type of a guy who does the ‘goal couples’ by the way. He’ll ditch you right after your first time, just letting you know”

. What the is wrong with me? That was too far!

“What...?”

“I know some other girls who happened to be his ex. He throwed them away like trash. It’s sad that you’re going to be one of them too”

Stop.

I can’t stop. .

“...Taeyeon, what the hell is wrong with you?”

I turn away, shrugging. “I’m just telling you the truth”

I can’t look at her face. How she became dissapointed, angry, her eyes are teary and it’s all because of me. I took it too far and I can’t fix it. I couldn’t take my words back. I’m so ing stupid.

I’m sorry, Tiffany. I’m so ing sorry.

“You know what? It looks like you really don’t want me here, huh?” I remain silent. “Just before I go, I still need to tell you something”

“I know right now you’re hating both of us, I could tell on how you talked bad things about your own brother”

Those words choke me right away. It hurts somehow.

“I don’t have any idea on how things would turn out later, but I know one thing,” She stares deep which I avoid, her eyes are so fearless and furious. “I don’t believe you”

“That’s okay.” I nod. But I also have something to say. A question I would like to ask. “Were you, by any chance, trying to get close to me, waiting for me every end of the class, talking to me everytime there was no one around, just because you wanted to get close with Haesung?”

She shakes her head.

“Are you using me to get close to him?”

She shakes her head again.

“Well, if you’re not, then why?” This time I look into her face. I really want to hear her reason, the root of this problem. “What were you so afraid of?”

Her eyes soften berfore she let her head fall down staring at the floor. Her hands try to wipe her eyes but she missed a few drops. “I’d never use you for anything, Taeyeon” She whisper. “Never ever”

“I thought, by hiding it from you, you’d never think that all I have ever did was a lie. I just wished that we could still be friends like we used to...”

“What?” I furrows my eyebrows. “Tiffany, I don’t understand what you’re saying”

And that’s where she steps up standing from my bed. She’s being impatient. We both are frustated with all the answers given. Not only from her, mine as well.

“It’s when we talk!” She screams. “Like when we went to the hallway after class- we didn’t always talk, but, each time I walk with you through that hallway, I feel... different”

I look at how suddenly her cheeks blush a little after her voice tone raised then goes slow, as her hands help expressing the same frustation. I’m even more confused than before.

“It feels different, but it’s nice. And I quite... like it”

I don’t know what to say. What to answer. It’s-I guess my brain just freezed.

Noticing the silent gap, she gulps. “I just-don’t want my relationship with your brother ruins it”

“No.” I shake my head. “No.”

“Be honest with me, Tiffany. Don’t play on me”

“What? You think I’m lying?”

“I don’t believe every single thing you just said.” I stand up from my chair. I’m having enough of this. “Think you could just tell me all of that right after you date Haesung behind my back?”

“What am I supposed to say? Taeyeon, I’m telling you the truth...”

“No.” I turn my back on her. “Now I wonder how that even matters to you” I pick up every books and papers on top of my desk and tidy them. Puting books after books, papers after papers just to make myself look busy so I don’t have to hear anything else.

“Does it matters to you?” She ask. “Does it?”

Her words become mumbles to my ear. Those are the last thing she ask before she grab her bag and walk to the door, her steps are so heavy, and on purpose, creating loud noises inside my room, angry as it seems. She grab the door handle but then stops as she turns back to face me.

“You know, it does matter to me”

When she left, my hands stop. The books and the papers are all tidied up a few times. My room is now as quite as before. No more shouting, screaming, and yelling, it’s so odd. I notice around the view, to where the sunlight shines through my window.

Then I sit on where Tiffany was sitting a moment ago. Regrets start filling up inside my chest, time passes and they are weighing on me. I lay down on my bed, then I stares on the ceiling, remembering every details that happened earlier, also questioning every words that came out of her. Until I realized I still have work to do. The project isn’t done yet.

I tilt my head a little to look at my laptop. And next to it there are two unopened hot dog boxes and a small carton bag with fries inside, perfectly sealed. I curl my eyebrows.

Tiffany didn’t take one before she left.

[]

Tissue, tissue.

. I’m out of tissue.

“Here, use my sleeve” Jeongmin offers me his right arm. I narrow my eyes and he ask. “What?”

“What if your wife found the stain?”

He roll up his sleeve until three quarter of his arm. “Wipe it on the inner side. She won’t notice”

I obey without asking. I lean my face closer to his arm, use my hands to wipe the liquid off from my lips. Anyway, I’m still wondering. Jeongmin produced a lot of it, much more than before this. Probably because it’s been a week since we’ve done this.

“Alright. I’m done”

Suddenly his firm hand pull my chin to his face, his pair of lips touch mine like he’s owning me. And there goes his tounge, having adventure inside my mouth. This is so disgusting. I don’t undertand why some people like it. Especially when he tastes like cigarettes. Bitter.

After a while, he pull himself away. His hand is still on my chin, fingers caressing my skin, making circles on my cheek with his thumb.

“Thanks a lot, Taeyeon” He smiles.

I shrug. “Sure”

Then I dive my hand to my pocket to find my phone. When I got it, Jeongmin put his hand on my phone screen, just when I thought he’s finish, he then slip his hand inside my pants. Now he’s having his second adventure on me.

[]

“You look gloom today. What’s the matter?” Jeongmin ask, while his feet is stepping on the gas pedal. The car starts to move, out from this rarely visited basement.

“Nothing. I’m just worrying about how my presentation is going to be tomorrow”

“What? Don’t be! I’m sure you’re gonna smash it tomorrow” He smiles.

“I hope so.” I smiles back, weakly. Jeongmin could be a good support sometimes.

“Well, I was planning on taking you somewhere else if you’re not busy”

“Where?”

He grins. “My house”

My eyes widden. Is he really offering me-

“My wife wants to meet you” His attention is back to the street. “There’s also someone other than my wife who would like to meet you”

“Well, uhm. Right now?”

He shrug. “If you want to. Or you could come a visit some other time?”

“Sure. Why not?” It’s more like I’m going to be busy worrying about the presentation when I get home. Besides, the presentation is done. So there’s nothing I should do. “Let’s go meet your wife”

He put his right hand on the steering wheel, then softly rotate it to the right side, taking turn to the road which I’ve never been before, then heading straight leaving the main street behind. It’s no longer familiar everytime the car goes on, but I know this area is still not too far from my school.

He takes another turn after turn until we reach the residential area where the houses were not arranged really well. The road is smaller, and I have to look for the bin if I want to throw out some trash, because at some part of the road, trashes are neglected, gathered on the same spot without something or someone to collect it.

I was still looking around the place when Jeongmin took the car keys off from the plug, then he hop off from the driver street. He then signal me to follow him. I take off the seatbelt, and then I walk next to him to one of the small houses. There we meet a woman, early 40’s, holding a baby on her arms. She smiles, and that’s the moment when I know she’s his wife.

“Jeongmin, I don’t know you have a kid” I whisper.

I walk to his wife afterwards. I greet her and she smiles to me so sweetly, but I don’t know how to react to that. I couldn’t stop picturing the image of me holding Jeongmin’s part earlier. And seeing his wife, I couldn’t resist feeling guilt and ashamed of myself.

“Wow. She’s so beautiful. How old is she?” I ask, staring at a pair of round eyes, looking at me back as if she knew I’m a stranger. So cute.

“She’s four months old. Her name is Wendy” The mother answers with a big smile. Such a sweet woman she is.

“Does she always stay calm like this?” I laugh. “Most babies can’t hold their tears”

“Yes she does! You know, I wonder why she’s so different than her sister”

I narrow my eyes. “Her sister?”

The mother nods. “Her older sister. She’s so shy, not like her sister, Wendy”

“Where is she, though?” I ask.

Then she point out behind her, to where a little figure is standing near their front door. She looks a little shocked when all of us are looking to her direction, she hides even deeper but keep enough part of her face so she could still see.

“Come here, honey.” The mother calls.

She obeys, approaching her mother with head falls down. She stop right behind her mother, covering her face behind her mother’s skirt. I raise my eyebrows. She’s so shy indeed.

“Why don’t you introduce yourself, honey?” She her daughter hair, giving her courage. I only smile while looking at it.

Apparently her mother’s pursuasion didn’t work out. The little girl remain unmoving, so I think of a way on how to make her braver to show herself up. I kneel down, matching my height with hers, and talk to her eyes to eyes.

“Hello there. I’m Taeyeon. It’s good to see you,” I offer a handshake, and she stares at it. “What’s your name?”

Slowly, she then comes out after giving her mother a short look. Her mother nods.

“Irene,” Her small hand return the handshake. “My name is Irene”

“Irene?” She nods.

“Well, that’s a beautiful name”