What a long day.

Taeyeon groaned as she straightened her back after finishing the last tattoo of the day.

“It’s a back breaking job, eh?” her customer joked.

Taeyeon laughed. “In a way.” She stood with a grin and stretched. “Are you doing alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Taeyeon nodded. “You are fine.”

Her customer gave her the eye. “Stop flirting with me now that you have a girlfriend.”

“Just stating a fact,” Taeyeon said with a shrug. “Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“You stink.”

“Do I?” Taeyeon sniffed at her armpits. “I don’t smell anything bad. It must be you. Get some deodorant, Jun.”

Jun made a face. “You should watch what you say. I haven’t paid you yet.”

Taeyeon chuckled. “I’ll just steal your wallet.”

“Thief.”

“I’m a good thief.”

“Good?” Jun rolled her eyes. “You’re definitely a bad thief.”

Taeyeon gathered the clean-up supplies and sat beside Jun’s new tattoo. It suited her well. Just above the hip bone, it was a dragon’s tail that would show above the waist of jeans or any bottoms she wore. It complimented the existing tattoos of a dragon’s wings and head at the back of her waist and her shoulder blade respectively. All three were done at Taeyeon’s shop and Taeyeon had become friends with Jun ever since six months ago when she got her first tattoo.

“I have in my hands, a powerful liquid that can put you in a load of pain,” Taeyeon informed Jun, bottle of lotion in hand. “Now, tell me again. Am I a good thief or a bad thief?”

“Good thief.”

“Good girl.”

T

Yuri called in the evening. “So I’ve spoken to a couple of your suspects and they don’t look suspicious. As in they didn’t look like they were pretending to be shocked and angry.”

Taeyeon sighed and slumped in her chair. “Thanks.”

“But I haven’t spoken to her yet.”

“Do you really think it’s Seolmin?”

“She has the motive.”

“Our break up wasn’t that bad.”

“Maybe her new girlfriend isn’t so great.”

“How is this relevant to anything?”

“Nothing, but that’s what I heard.”

Taeyeon sat up a little. “Really?”

Yuri’s low laugh came through the phone. “They were seen quarrelling at Haute last week. Word has it, things aren’t so rosy for them lately.”

“Oh.”

“You should sound happier.”

“Should I?”

“Seolmin was virtually cheating on you.”

“I’m over it.”

“That’s good too. Better, actually.”

“Let’s not talk about this. Will you sound her out soon?”

“She knows I’m your friend. I’ll send someone to do it. Like a spy.”

Taeyeon laughed. “Okay, I’ll trust you on this. Thanks, Yuri.”

T

By the time Taeyeon got home, she was reduced to a flat mess lying on the lounger. Bag to her side, t-shirt strewn at her feet and shoes tossed off. The lack of sleep last night was catching up on her and her eyes were droopy.

Ding!

Taeyeon woke with a start. Did she just doze off? She must have. This woozy feeling was a tell-tale sign of it. The doorbell rang again and her phone starting ringing too. It was Tiffany. Taeyeon chuckled. Impatient Tiffany was going to be a permanent fixture in her life now. She declined the call from Tiffany and sent a message instead.

9030.

What’s that for? Y aren’t u answering my call?

That’s the code for my door. Come in.

Taeyeon could hear the sounds of Tiffany doing as told and grinned when the door opened. “Welcome home, B U T.”

“Why are you lying there in your bra?”

“Consider it an apology present?”

“Tae, you said dinner, movie and . Not , movie and dinner.”

“I’m sorry. I was so tired when I got home that I fell asleep.”

Tiffany sat beside Taeyeon with a deep huff. “I’m really hungry, Tae.”

“Call delivery. Fried chicken? I’ve got beer in the fridge.”

“I was looking forward to eating ramyun made by celebrity tattooist, Taettoo.”

“Celebrity tattooist, Taettoo is too dead tired to move. She can’t even open the door for her girlfriend. She’s ing tired.”

With a pout, Tiffany said, “Alright then. I’ll take the fried chicken and beer with a side of jajangmyeon.”

Taeyeon lifted her phone to her ear, found the number, and made the call. She ordered two types, honey-coated and spicy, without getting up at all.

“Done. Fried chicken coming.”

Tiffany lay down on her side beside Taeyeon. “Why are you so tired?”

“I couldn’t sleep last night.”

Tiffany caressed Taeyeon’s cheek. “I’m sorry. It’s all my fault.”

Taeyeon opened her eyes. “Babe, it’s not your fault.” Spreading her arms open, Taeyeon smiled and said, “Com’ere and give me a hug.”

“Tae . . .” Tiffany fell into Taeyeon’s arms and pressed their cheeks together. “I can’t stop feeling sorry.”

Taeyeon slid a leg between Tiffany’s and nudged her suggestively. “How about I make you feel something else?”

“I’m too hungry. And the food is coming.”

“We should be coming too.”

“Tae! What’s up with you and your .”

“What can I do when you just by being here?”

Tiffany blushed and smacked Taeyeon’s stomach making the tattooist wince. “I do not.”

“You do.”

“Liar.”

“I’m not. I was into you from the day you got your tattoo.”

“You’re lying out your , Tae.”

“I swear I’m not.”

“You didn’t make any moves on me the entire time you tattooed me. And you were cold to me when I sent you selfies. What kind of “into me” is that?”

“You were a customer. I have to be careful or I might get myself into trouble.”

“So if I hadn’t continued sending more selfies, we’d never have become a couple.”

“If I had met you on the street, I would have thought of a way to get your number. But it’s trickier with customers.”

“Fine. I believe you.”

Ding!

Taeyeon nudged Tiffany. “Open the door.” That earned her another smack on her stomach but she didn’t budge.

“ Tae,” Tiffany grumbled as she got up to open the door. “And put your clothes back on!”

Roving her hand around, Taeyeon found her t-shirt and pulled it back on. “Done.” She closed her eyes and rolled over, ignoring the conversation between Tiffany and the delivery man.

A smack on her bottom had Taeyeon groaning and rubbing it. “I need to report a violent girlfriend to the authorities.”

“Are you gonna get up and feed yourself or do I have to feed the giant baby lying on the couch?”

“Feed me, please.”

“Ah . . .”

Taeyeon opened and nearly jumped out of her skin when a steaming hot piece of chicken was stuffed into . “Mmmphhfff!”

“Get up and eat. We’ve got a movie to watch after dinner and to do after the movie.”

Taeyeon yanked the chicken out of . “Babe, I was just kidding. It was a joke.”

Tiffany’s eyes bulged. “I don’t care if you were joking. We’re doing it tonight.”

“Babe . . .”

Tiffany leaned over and pressed soft, oily lips on Taeyeon’s. “Start chewing, honey. I’m feeling really .”

T