Eleven

Tiffany began to slowly stir up on her sleep when she heard the faint knock on her door. She carefully went to the door to check on who’s knocking and saw an old woman around her early mid-fifties smiling warmly at her.

“Good evening, Miss.”

Tiffany bowed at the older woman in respect and felt shy to be addressed like that.

“Uhm, please just call me Tiffany. No need to be so respectful to me…”

“You are Miss Yuri and Miss Jessica’s guest.”

“But—“

“Dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. Will join the Misses for dinner or do you want me to just bring yours to your room?”

“No no… that won’t be necessary, I’ll go down for dinner… I’ll just make a quick shower and change my clothes…”

“Are you sure? You look so tired.”

Tiffany smiled and bowed once more at the kind older woman.

“It’s really okay, thank you.”

“I’ll come back for you after half an hour then,”

“No no please, I can go down myself… Yuri showed me the dining room earlier so I think I can get myself there.”

“Okay then if you insist.”

Tiffany felt instantly fresh after her warm shower even though it was a quick one and hurriedly took out a new change of clothes in her suite case. She took out a white long sleeve polo shirt and black pants then she took her black leather slip on sandal that looks presentable enough for dinner because she doesn’t want to look so overdress for a simple dinner at home. She didn’t bother to apply any make up and only applied moisturizing cream on her face and lip balm on her lips and she already head down stairs to the dining room.

Tiffany’s eyebrow involuntarily rose on its own when she saw Taeyeon along with Juhyun and Yuri on the living room, the three women looks like talking while drinking some wine.

Her eyes immediately drifted back to the petite woman, Taeyeon was still wearing the same clothes she had earlier— white v-neck shirt and ripped denim pants with her denim jacket hanging over the couch backrest. Even Juhyun’s clothes were still the same. Only she and Yuri had changed their clothes.

“Fany-ah, come here and join us!”

Yuri stood up and approached her and led her to sit with them in the living room.

“Tae, pour Fany some drinks,”

“What do you like? Red or sparkling white wine?”

Taeyeon asked her and again, Tiffany felt that strange sensation at the pit of her stomach once again when Taeyeon looked at her with those dark mysterious eyes of hers.

“No, thank you. I don’t drink before a meal.”

She saw the corner of Taeyeon’s lip curve upward and Tiffany never saw a lopsided smile as cute and y at the same time like Taeyeon’s devilish smile.

“It has low alcohol content,”

Tiffany almost instantly regrets it when she raised her head and her gaze was automatically pulled in by those eyes that keep on twisting her stomach. Because now that she sees those pair of lovely eyes, Tiffany just finds herself slowly drowning in it.

“Just try a bit,”

Tiffany mentally thanked Yuri when she heard her voice. She immediately looked away from Taeyeon. But the worst is yet to come, Taeyeon came back with a flute of champagne on hand, the petite woman handed her the glass with that devilish smile of hers once again and Tiffany got no other choice but to take the offered wine to her.

And when she gets to take the wine glass from Taeyeon the woman somehow stealthily move her hand, making their hands touched and as their skin made contact, Tiffany felt shivers run through her whole body.

Taeyeon saw her reaction and probably felt it too and that gave Taeyeon a chance to smirk at her.

Upon seeing that smirk, the irritation Tiffany had since yesterday for Taeyeon has been brought back to the surface tonight. And somehow Tiffany had a strong feeling that Taeyeon has been doing all of this in purpose. The woman was irritating for a cause and Tiffany can even bet that Taeyeon was also surveying all her action since yesterday.

Tiffany wanted to asked Yuri way this annoying woman is also here with them, although she doesn’t mind Juhyun being here, Taeyeon is a different case. Tiffany try to calmed herself silently because she knows that no matter how much she feels annoyed for Taeyeon’s presence, she just know that she doesn’t have any rights to do so, because one, Taeyeon is Yuri’s cousin and two, she’s actually the outsider among all them in this house.

Tiffany sipped a little bit of the wine and somehow the sweet and tangy flavor of it had managed to divert her attention for a moment. The three women continued with their ongoing conversation that Tiffany didn’t paid attention to, all she managed to understand were the words angry, board members and the repetitive use of the words father. The three women only stopped when the ajumma from earlier came towards them and announced that the food is ready.

“Come on, Fany. Let’s eat.”

Yuri stood up and lead Tiffany to the dining table. The house owner sat on the center of while Juhyun sat on the left side and Tiffany sat on the right with Taeyeon following her on the same side.

Their dinner was serve and Tiffany momentarily forgot about her on going irritation with the woman sitting just beside her. Tiffany noticed how quiet the three other woman around her while eating so even if she wanted to compliment the ajumma for her great cooking she just decided to keep quiet.

“Ms. Hwang,”

Tiffany turned her head to her right.

“Yes, Ms. Kim?”

“Hey, you two are so serious and formal! Just call her Fany, Tae.”

Tiffany watched Taeyeon’s expression when Yuri joined into their conversation.

“You said you also teach Math, Ms. Hwang. That means you’re also good at numbers.”

From the corner of her eye she saw Yuri let’s out a defeated sigh after hearing what Taeyeon had called her again, Tiffany herself, somehow also felt a little disappointed with the way Taeyeon still calls hers.

“Yes.”

She plainly answered and she noticed the slight frown in Taeyeon’s face and she wondered what’s going on in the petite bossy woman’s mind yet again.

‘This woman is really making me crazy thinking about everything she does. What’s wrong with her?’

“Are you originally from here in Seoul? I mean you grew up here?”

“No, my parents said we stayed at Gunsan for a few months when they first got me and then we transferred to Daegu we stayed there until I was five then we left to the states and came back and settled down here in Seoul when I was around twelve.”

“I see.”

Taeyeon kept on asking her a lot of things, some are personal and some just random stuffs. Sometimes Yuri and Juhyun will join in too but it was really rare and Taeyeon and her mostly do the talking.

Tiffany couldn’t hold in the question that she’s been itching to ask since earlier but find no right to ask but since Taeyeon has been asking her personal questions non-stop, Tiffany thought that it’s just fair that she can also ask something personal.

‘And besides I only have one question…’

“Do you live here too?”

Tiffany asked slowly and she saw that annoying smirk was displayed on Taeyeon’s lips once again.

“Why is there a problem with that?”

‘There she goes again… why is she smirking at me?’

Taeyeon simply replied to her with her small smirk that Tiffany badly wants to wipe off the latter’s face.

“Yes, Taeyeon stays here for now. She insisted to accompany me since Jessica went missing. Taeyeon now watches me breathe 24/7.”

Tiffany sensed the same irritation in Yuri for the petite woman sitting beside her and she mentally smile at the thought.

“Yul, I already explained everything to you, right?”

“Yeah yeah! You just want to make sure that I won’t do anything stupid and if just in case Sica would call me, you’re already here. So you can report her to your men immediately.”

“Yul, it’s not like that.”

She heard Taeyeon lets out a soft sigh and Tiffany somehow also sensed the aura of the petite woman also gets softer.

“I just want her to e