You think you real cool, you’re not!

With a cup of much needed early morning coffee in hand, Taeyeon picked up her phone and raised her brow at the sender of the new Kakao message that had called for her attention.

Tiffany Hwang Seoul Sister Editor

She remembered Tiffany from yesterday. She was the fashion magazine editor who had gotten a tattoo done at her shop. Wondering what the message could be about, Taeyeon tapped and looked—and almost spit out the coffee she had just sipped. Staring at her was an up close shot of Tiffany in a bathrobe, freshly showered, holding up her tattooed finger for display.

Applied Curel as you advised. Thanks (:

Taeyeon stared at the picture and forgot about her coffee. Tiffany looked like she was lying on a bed or something. And her milky white skin contrasted well against the brand new tattoo on her ring finger. Dreamer. Taeyeon remembered how her heart thumped in her chest when Tiffany smiled at her and said “dreamer” yesterday. Damn it. She had almost forgotten do the usual health survey after that. And she had almost dropped the needle when Tiffany called her Taettoo, her artist name.

What the was wrong with me?

Shaking her head, Taeyeon replied with a simple message and put her phone away.

T

It was mid-day and Taeyeon had just completed a tattoo for her customer when her phone started singing again.

You think you real cool, you’re not!

Pulling off a tattoo glove, Taeyeon reached for her phone and looked.

 Tiffany Hwang Seoul Sister Editor

Again?

“Is it done?” her customer asked.

Taeyeon shook her head and put her phone down. “Gotta put a bandage on it.”

“How long will that take?”

“Not too long. You in a hurry?”

Her customer nodded. “A meeting at my company. They told me last minute.”

“You could have rescheduled to avoid the rush.”

“You’re busier than I am, Tae.”

Taeyeon shrugged. “That I am. Even if it’s illegal to be me.”

Her customer smiled and shrugged. “The whole situation is pretty ed up.”

“If your fans hear you talking like that,” Taeyeon snort, “Your innocent image will be ed.”

With a roll of her eyes, her customer snorts too. “My company has been changing my image. I’m getting older, you know. I can’t keep singing cute songs and acting cute all the time.”

Taeyeon nodded. “But you still can’t do anything too obvious. Only small ones in hidden spots.”

“Small and hidden.” Her customer looked at the fresh tattoo of a flower on her hip bone and smiled. “But it’s beautiful. Thanks, Tae.”

“Cut the crap. I’ll fix you up and you can get outta here.”

T

When the last of her customers were done for the day, Taeyeon locked up her little shop carefully and made sure it was secured. Just like every other illegal tattooist’s shop, hers was non-descript. No sign. No name. Just a plain front. A Zen concept to hide from the authorities. And she had made it through the past year without getting caught.

But in recent months, she had gained popularity and fame as a female tattooist in Hongdae after a female celebrity posted a picture of the finished tattoo and tagged her on Instagram. Overnight, she saw the number of customers increase and over time, many of more celebrities, popular idols, both male and female, came to her for tattoos.

With this rise of her status, she was expecting some jealous competitor to report her to the police. She would be slapped with a fine if she got caught tattooing a customer and even though it seemed ing unfair to her, she knew she would never report another illegal tattooist to the police. She was never going to stoop low like the rest.

It was dark as she strolled out of the building and walked out onto the streets. A slight shiver ran through her as the cool breeze slipped into her black muscle tee and teased the bare skin her black sports bra didn’t cover. She untied her shoulder-length blond hair, running her fingers through to shake it up so she wouldn’t look too worn out. Not that she cared much about what others think. If she cared, she wouldn’t be a tattooist and she wouldn’t have gotten a tattoo on her arm, perfectly visible to anyone looking.

 Her hands were beginning to get cold so she stuffed them in her ripped jeans’ back pockets as she walked. She was half way to the subway station when her phone called out to her again.

You think you real cool, you’re not!

It was a Kakao message from a new number, asking about the prices of her tattooing services. She answered the question and a few others she had left hanging earlier. Six messages down, was Tiffany’s. The fashion magazine editor. The woman who smiled and made her forget to ask about allergies.

No other customer had affected her in that way before. Not even the prettiest idols from the hottest girl groups in the current market. So why Tiffany?

You did a super good job with my tatt. I love it so much (:

The message came with a picture of Tiffany’s lips an inch from kissing her new tattoo. Blood red lips. ing hot. Unable to resist, Taeyeon sent a reply.

Why r u sending me these pictures?

Taeyeon was on the train, two stops after Hongdae when Tiffany’s reply came in.

I wanna talk to you.

What the heck about?

Life.

What?

What do u like to eat?

Food.

What kind of food?

Korean food.

So r u doing anything tomorrow?

Taeyeon could smell a date from a mile away. The question was coming. But the real question was, did she want to go out with Tiffany?

Just working.

Her phone rang after her reply went through and she answered the call with more than a little anticipation.

“Hey, Taettoo.”

“Hey.”

A husky chuckle tickled Taeyeon’s ear. “Do you remember my name?”

“Tiffany.”

“Good memory. So, wanna have dinner with me?”

Do I?

“What for?”

“I’d like to get to know you better.”

“This better not be an interview.”

“No, not at all. This is a personal request.”

“So, like a date.”

There’s a slight pause, as though Tiffany was hesitating. But her reply was honest and inhibited. “Yeah, I’m asking you out on a date. Are u gonna say yes?”

It only took Taeyeon one moment to answer. “Yes.”

T