“So what did you want to talk to me about?” Leeyun asks after taking her seat at the bar. “Judging from the look on your face, I’m guessing . . .” she frowns, “the new girl ed up?”

Tiffany remained on her seat even though she wanted nothing more than to smack Leeyun and march straight out of Pot Shot. “What makes you think that?”

Leeyun shrugs. “When something is bothering you, it can only be three things. Family, love life or work life.”

“It could be any of the other two.”

“Work life?”

Tiffany shakes her head. “No.”

“Family?” Leeyun turns and puts her hand on Tiffany’s. “Did something happen to your brother? Or sister?”

Tiffany pulls her hand away from Leeyun’s. “It’s not my family.”

“Then what is it?”

“You.”

“Me?” Leeyun points at herself. “What have I done?”

Tiffany turns to Leeyun, any trace of a smile totally wiped from her eyes and lips. “What was your intention when you spoke to Taeyeon in the washroom?”

“I had no intention.” Leeyun breaks their eye contact and taps the counter in front of her. “All I did was ask her a few questions.”

“Why did you have to ask her those questions? Your past has nothing to do with her.”

“Nothing to do with her?” Leeyun snorted. “The situation is similar. I can see the similarities even if you’re blinded to them.”

“Are you hoping we’ll break up?”

“You know me. I don’t mince my words. It may have sounded like it but I wasn’t trying to make her break up with you at that time.”

“It bothered her for a long time.”

“It shouldn’t bother her if she is sure about her relationship with you. Coming after the person who asked the questions won’t solve your problems with her.”

“You’re too good with words. You can twist meanings and turn things around, knowing very well that you’re at fault too. I will admit that things aren’t smooth but every relationship will have its set of problems. As an outsider who knows next to nothing about us, you have no right to do that to Taeyeon. Stay away from her from now on.”

“You can’t stop me from talking to her. And you can’t stop her from talking to me. Besides, what are you so afraid of? If she’s really in love with you, a few questions from me won’t hurt her.”

“I didn’t want to bring it up again, but since you’re like this, let me remind you that you’re the one who walked away from what we had. I haven’t had successful relationships after that but I’m trying really hard for this one. If you have even the slightest bit of heart left for me as a person or as a friend, you will stay away from Taeyeon and never throw those questions at her ever again. Whether we stay together or break up in the future has no effect on you. And if I lose Taeyeon one day, I will look for someone new, not from my past.”

Tiffany empties her glass of gin and tonic and gets off her seat. “Thanks, Penny,” she says to the bartender and gestures at Leeyun. “The next drink she has is on me. Bye, Leeyun. I don’t ever want to talk to you again.”

X

The crowd is filling up in the arena and Tiffany sits proudly in the VIP box, enjoying the unfettered view of the snooker table and its surroundings. She had sent a voice message of encouragement to Taeyeon earlier but she supposes Taeyeon has switched her phone off since there hasn’t been a reply.

She hugs herself as time crawls towards the commencement of the match. Having Yuri with her is nice but she still misses Taeyeon. She misses seeing Taeyeon, hearing Taeyeon, holding Taeyeon’s hand . . .

“Hello . . .”

Tiffany blinks. Yuri is waving in her face. “What?”

“I asked if you want a drink. I’m going to get one.”

“Iced coffee, please.”

Yuri turns around. “Any drinks for you both?” she asks Yoona and Hyoyeon.

“No, thanks,” they chorus and Yuri nods.

“One iced coffee coming up,” Yuri says to Tiffany as she walks down the row of seats.

Tiffany smiles at Yuri as well as Yoona and Hyoyeon sitting behind her, before turning back to stare at the opening where Taeyeon will come out from in a while.

She can’t wait.

X

I can do it. I can do it. I can do it.

Taeyeon stares at the woman in the mirror. This is what she is meant to do. This is what she does best. This is all she wants to do. So she’s going to do it.

With a nod, Taeyeon turns around and buttons up her blazer. She picks up her cue stick case and duffel bag. Then, she heads to the familiar corridor that leads to the arena.

“Kim Taeyeon.”

Taeyeon walks out upon the announcement of her name. Once out, she puts her case and bag on the chairs, and looks around the stands. Finding the VIP section, she searches for Tiffany’s face and spots her in a second. How could she not when Tiffany is strikingly radiant? She seems to glow from within and the smile on her face puts one on Taeyeon too. Raising her hand to wave, Taeyeon feels her heart swell. Her pillar of support is right here. Now all she has to do is play her game.

X

“It’s me. Taeyeon was waving at me,” Tiffany announces to the woman on her left, not caring if the woman would be taken aback. And she tells Yuri just that when she returns with drinks.

“Darn it. I want her to wave at me too,” says Yuri and she raises her arms to attract Taeyeon’s attention.

“Don’t distract her.” Tiffany pulls Yuri’s arms down. “She has to focus on her game.”

“If she can wave at you, she can wave at me too.”

“It’s not the same.”

Yuri rolls her eyes. “Geez, you’re like one of those groupies of rock stars or something. It’s disgusting.”

“You shouldn’t be saying these things about me when you’ve got me to thank for getting a VIP ticket.”

“Sure, sure. Thank you so much for bringing me along. I’m eternally grateful for this rare opportunity.”

“That sounds more like it.”

“Your drink’s five thousand won by the way.”

“It should be your treat since you got the ticket free.”

“I have no words for you today. Oh wait, how about ‘nuts’?”

“Nothing you say can spoil my mood right now,” Tiffany says with a grin.

Yuri shakes her head. “You’re too far gone to save.”

Tiffany taps Yuri’s arm when the referee steps up to the table. “Ooh, the game’s starting.”

“Quiet, please,” says the announcer and the audience settles into silence. They watch on as the two players shake hands before one of them proceeds to make the first break.

The other player is much taller than Taeyeon, Tiffany observes. Probably about Yuri’s height. As she bends to take aim, Tiffany silently hopes that she will mess up her break.

Screw up screw up screw up screwup screwupscrewupscrewup.

She groans when the shot is good and the cue ball bounces off the cushions back to the other end of the snooker table.

“That was a good shot,” Yuri whispers to her. “This Mandy babe is good.”

“Babe?” Tiffany questions Yuri’s judgement as she scans Mandy from head to toe. Jet black hair tied back in a tight ponytail and shiny with some kind of spray that keeps it in place. Bold eyebrows that knit together as she sits on her chair, frowning. She’s decked in a vest the colour of gravel and matching pants with a white shirt and black bowtie to boot. On the other side, Taeyeon stands smartly in her navy blue vest and pants with a baby blue shirt and white bowtie. “I’m not trying to compare but Taeyeon is babe in this match.”

Yuri chuckles. “You’re too far gone to see what I see.”

“What do you see?”

“Honestly? Mandy player is more attractive overall. She’s taller, and she has more presence.”

“You mean bigger s.”

“Ah, so you’re not entirely blinded after all.”

“I’m not blinded. I can see right through your erted eyes.”

“I’m not erted. I’m just observant.”

“Observe the game then. Shh.”

X

The audience, Tiffany included, applauds Taeyeon as she pots the winning black that will put her too far ahead for her opponent to win the frame. But the applause quickly dwindles as Taeyeon continues to pot the rest of the balls.

A hushed expectation falls over the arena like a blanket, covering everyone with hope for a spectacular century with just a few more balls to go. It is perfectly attainable, judging by the way Taeyeon has played tonight, and several moments later, the audience bursts into full blown applause when she clocks in exactly one hundred and one points to get her third century of the night.

“That’s my girl,” Tiffany announces with glee, jabbing Yuri with her elbow to get her attention.

“Stop it, oh my God, you’ve been such a pest tonight.”

“I love you too, ert.”

“Worm.”

“Sleaze ball.”

“Hey, let’s go to the waiting area,” says Yoona, tapping on their shoulders.

“Yeah, let’s go,” Tiffany replies and leaps to her feet. “Let’s go greet our champ.”

X

A pair of arms and pleasant floral scent swamp Taeyeon the moment she steps out into the waiting area. The surprise shuts her brain down and she almost drops her bag and case. “Tiffany?”

“If we weren’t in public right now, I would kiss you crazy,” says the warm, husky voice beside her ear.

“It’s only the quarterfinals.” Taeyeon tries not to blush by clearing as she steps back. “But thanks, sugar.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” Tiffany smiles as she sweeps the hair out of Taeyeon’s eyes. “And winning the quarterfinals is a big deal so don’t give me the modest crap.”

“Urgh, you two are giving me diabetes. Save it for your bedroom, there’s innocent people around here.”

Tiffany shoots a glare at Yuri. “Innocent? You?”

Yuri grins. “I’m as innocent as they come.”

“Get outta here.”

Yuri pouts. “You two are making me miss my Beefy. Show me some love too.”

Taeyeon bursts into chortles and puts her things down. “Let’s get outta here for real. Before this place gets swamped. Where’s Yoona and Hyoyeon?”

“Congrats!” Yoona and Hyoyeon step out from the pillar behind Yuri, giggling away.

“Why were you hiding there?”

“We wanted to see a potential kissing show but Yuri had to ruin it.”

“You two . . .”

“Come on, we’ll help you with your stuff,” says Yoona, picking up the duffel bag. “Let’s go.”

X