Taeyeon can’t believe she’s about to do this. It seems silly but Sunny suggested it and Sunny is a wise friend worth listening to. Besides, it sure beats sitting around with the questions stuck in her head.

After a deep inhale, she approaches the well-known pair in the world of female snooker – Hyerim and Jihyun. Both play high level snooker, have won tournaments locally, and are openly together, as they are right now, laughing and smiling at each other as they do cue stick maintenance in the locker room.

Here goes nothing.

“Hi, Hyerim, Jihyun.” Taeyeon smiles at each woman and they smile right back at her.

“Hey, Taeyeon,” they reply.

“What’s up?” asks Hyerim.

“I . . . have a question to ask.”

Jihyun nods with a smile. “Sure, fire away.”

“I realize this question could sound a little rude but I really don’t mean to be rude at all.”

“What is it? Just ask.”

Another deep inhale and Taeyeon takes the jump. “I was just wonder what it is like to be with a woman?”

Hyerim turns to Jihyun who turns to Hyerim with a look of amusement. For a moment, they are staring at each other. Then, they are bursting out in laughter.

“Oh my God, are we the official spokeswomen for girl troubles now?” Jihyun says while wiping tears of laughter from her cheeks.

“We’re the right women to ask but why are you asking? You don’t date women, do you?” Hyerim asks.

“I . . .”

“Oh my God, are you bi?” Hyerim’s eyes are wide open and anticipating. “If that’s the case, you’re gonna make a lot of women happy.”

Taeyeon blinks in surprise. “Huh?”

“You’re popular among quite a few of us who are into ladies, you know?”

“I-I didn’t know that.”

“Hm, so if you’re not, why are you asking?” Jihyun asks with a cocked brow.

Taeyeon decides to come clean with them. “Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with a female friend and two days ago, she told me she has feelings for me.”

“Do you like her too?”

“I like her but . . . I’m not sure.”

“Ah . . .” Hyerim is nodding like she figured something out. “So you’re not really asking us what it’s like to be with a woman. What you want to know is if you dare to try dating one.”

“Well, I do want to know what it’s like. I mean, like, how does it work?”

Hyerim shrugs. “Like any other couple. Love is love. When two people have feelings for each other, they’ll want what they want. Their doesn’t make a difference.”

Jihyun nudges Hyerim. “Er . . . their would be a whole lot different, babe,” she says, making an animated scissors sign with her fingers.

“I meant as in male, female,” Hyerim says with a laugh. “Not in bed.”

“Oh. Right. Sorry, my bad.” Jihyun turns red. “Please, continue.”

Hyerim gives Jihyun a fond look and rub on the arm before continuing, “Anyway, my dear wife is right. There are differences, obviously. I mean, having to deal with two menstrual cycles in a household is something you won’t experience when you date a dude. But the good thing is your girlfriend totally knows what it’s like. You won’t need to explain anything to her. And shopping. Oh my God. I love shopping with my wife.”

Jihyun grins. “I’ll take the credit for that.”

“But at the end of the day, there’s gonna be perks and crap all the same. It’s gonna be the same with any relationship. That’s why I’m trying to say.”

Taeyeon nods. “I get it. Thanks for telling me all that.”

Hyerim smiles. “Good luck! And if you decide to date her, introduce her to us. We’d love to meet the lucky woman who snagged you.”

“Er . . . sure. If I, er, date her.”

“Honestly though,” Jihyun interjects, “the fact that you’re even asking us about it means you probably wanna date her. So do it. If she makes you happy, you should totally go for it.”

X

It’s a  little over an hour to forty-eight hours without a single phone call or text message from Taeyeon. The intensity of Tiffany’s sighs is increasing with each passing minute. Surely, this means the end? She stayed away to give Taeyeon space to think and breathe, hoping for the best outcome, but right now, it’s looking grim.

Life will go on, nonetheless. She still has friends. She still has Yuri, for all that’s worth. And her job. And she’ll eventually find someone else. She’s sure. It always seems hopeless at times like these but they’ll blow over and things will be okay again.

Yeah. That’s right. She will be fine.

X

“Hey girl, how you feeling?”

Tiffany smiles at her friend as she takes her seat at their table. “Sad.”

“Aww, c’mere.” Yuri opens her arms and Tiffany sinks in for comfort.

“Thanks, Yul.”

“Hey, what are friends for, right?”

“Right.”

“Order something lethal. It’s my treat tonight.”

“Gimme a .”

“Damn, Tiffany. You’re in more pain than I thought.”

“Make that three. One for each day since I last heard from her.”

“Why don’t you just call her?”

“You should’ve seen her face when I told her. She was totally put off. If she still wants to be friends, she would’ve called by now. Or texted me at least. I think this silence is her answer. Loud and clear.”

Yuri shakes her head. “Are you really planning to get drunk tonight?”

“Yes.”

A long sigh comes from Yuri. “Fine. I’ll be here to pick up the pieces.”

Tiffany smiles. “Thanks, Yul. I love you.”

Yuri rolls her eyes as she signals a waitress to take their order. “Yeah, for as long as I keep paying for the drinks, that is.”

X

“Oh my God.” Yuri blinks and stares. Uncertain if she’s seeing things, she squeezes her eyes shut then opens to look again. “Holy . Tiffany, get up.” She nudges Tiffany but the woman is too far gone. Great. Just great.

“Hi, Yuri.”

“Hi, Taeyeon.” Yuri smiles awkwardly at the living and breathing reason why her friend is dead drunk tonight. “Er, as you can see, she’s totally gone.” She bites her lip as Taeyeon sweeps a glance across their table.

“Did she drink all that?”

“Not all. But most of it. The lychee martinis are mine,” Yuri explains, pointing at the two martini glasses to her right before nodding at the mess of shot glasses strewn across the rest of the table. “The s are hers.”

“B-s?”

“The name of the shots.”

“Ah . . . right . . .”

“Anyway, are you here to see her?” Yuri jerks her chin at Tiffany, her slumped-over-the-table friend.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t you call her?”

“I did.”

“You did?”

“I called but she didn’t answer so I came down here to try my luck ‘cos I don’t think I can sleep without talking to her first.”

Yuri turns Tiffany’s phone over.

8 missed calls from Taeyeon

“Darn it. Her phone must’ve been on silent mode. Bet the vibration’s off too. I didn’t notice a single thing the entire time.” Yuri looks at Taeyeon. “I’m sorry, I don’t think she’s gonna be able to wake up till morning.”

“It’s okay. I can wait.”

“But you said you didn’t think you could sleep without talking to her first.”

“Well, now that I’m here with her, it’s fine. I can wait.”

“So . . . your plan is to stay with her till morning?”

Taeyeon nods.

“Okay then. Help me get her onto my car? I swear she’s heavier each time I haul her.” Taeyeon’s hand on her arm stops her.

“Actually, I have an idea.”

“What?”

Taeyeon grins. And points up.

“Oh . . .” Yuri remembers. Tiffany had spent the night with Taeyeon in the room upstairs when Taeyeon got drunk the first time they met. And if Taeyeon wants to spend the night with flat-out drunk Tiffany in the room upstairs, it must mean Tiffany will wake up to good news, right?

With an unstoppable grin forming on her face, Yuri gives Taeyeon the thumbs up. “You take her right arm and I’ll take her left. Let’s go.”

X