-Tiffany-

I stared after Seohyun in shock. Taeyeon gave me a pat on the back.

"We'll just let her cool off. Now c'mon! Time to partaayy!!!!" Taeyeon squealed as she dragged me over to the dance floor.

Taeyeon soon let go of my wrist and we wound up getting separated from each other. I sighed in resignation and began to sway to the beat.

Might as well dance. It'd be a shame to waste a good song.

"Mind if I join you?" Someone whispered huskily in my ear.

I turned around to find Siwon standing behind me. He held a hand out in invitation. I bit my lip.

Since the day I met Choi Siwon, I've known that it would be best for me to stay away from him. The looks I receive from him unnerve me. So when my instincts told me that this guy was bad news, I started avoiding him when I can. But no matter how hard I try, he keeps popping up. He's like that pimple that just won't pop.

Before I could give him my answer, an arm wrapped around my middle and pulled me deep into the crowd away from Siwon. I let out a squeal and turned around to find my best friend grinning childishly at me.

"Hey there, beautiful." Taecyeon flirted jokingly.

"Hey there, handsome. Like what you see?" I asked airily.

I had my hair up in a stylish ponytail and wore a baby pink halter dress that went up to the top of my knees, finishing the outfit with the pair of pink stilettos he bought for my birthday.

"Meh. I've seen better." He said casually.

I chuckled and he pulled me in for a tight hug.

"OkCat, are you okay?" I asked feeling confused as I hugged him back.

"Just peachy. Less talking, more dancing!" I giggled as he swayed us along to the beat.

I've known Ok Taecyeon since we were in high school back in California. The story of how we met is what Fai would call "something pulled out of a Romance novel".

One day, Jessica and I were studying at the public library. She had fallen asleep at the study table so I took that opportunity to sneak off to the Shakespeare section to check if they had Romeo and Juliet. Just as I reached for the book, someone pulled me away. At that moment, there was a loud crash. I later learned from Jessica that someone was shoved into the bookcase hard, causing the books on my side to fall off the shelves. I looked up and recognized the boy who saved me.

It was Ok Taecyeon, leader of a dance crew called Noizebank. He asked if I was alright and I assured him that I was. I thanked him for saving me and decided to treat him to coffee the next time I see him. Which happened to be a few days later. It turns out, he was a transferee from Boston. I was the one they assigned to show him around school which ended with us becoming best friends.

From the corner of my eye, I could see Siwon making his way over to us.

"So, who was that person I saved you from?" He asked as he placed my hands on his shoulders.

"Just a guy." I answered vaguely as we started to sway along to the song.

"From the way it looked earlier, I'm pretty sure he's not just a random guy." He pointed out.

"Are you stalking me now, OkCat?" I asked jokingly, trying to change the topic.

We stopped swaying and he tilted my chin up so our eyes could meet. I fought down the blush that was threatening to make an appearance.

"Stephanie, is he bothering you?" He asked me seriously.

Ah, the first name card. Time to change tactics.

"Pfft. No! What makes you say that?" I said, looking everywhere except him.

"Your behavior says it all." He bluntly states.

I felt his grip on my waist tighten. I looked up at him questioningly. He was glaring at something behind me. I placed a soft pat on his cheek to get his attention. He stopped glaring and looked at me expectantly.

Time for me to 'fess up.

"His name's Choi Siwon and is in no way related to any of the female Choi's in this apartment building. My instincts scream that he's bad news. OkCat, you know me. I trust my instincts as much as I trust you. And I trust you more than anyone I know. Whenever he tries to talk to me, I give him short answers and let Faith or any of the girls deal with him while I sneak off. I also avoid being alone with him." I spilled, not meeting his eyes.

"The way he looks at me... It's unsettling. The way he watches me is like a hunter stalking his prey. I don't like that feeling. I hate it. Very much. Oppa, that man scares the heck out of me." I whispered the last part, pulling him into a hug.

I buried my head into the crook of his neck and closed my eyes, subconsciously breathing in his scent. He wrapped his arms around me, rubbing my back comfortingly.

"Don't worry. I've got you. Everything will be alright. I'll protect you from that guy and anyone else who bothers you. I promised Auntie after all." He whispered fiercely.

My voice got caught in my throat at the mention of my mom. I hugged him tighter knowing that if I speak, it would trigger the waterworks.

"Let's get out of here." He whispered softly.

I couldn't agree more, OkCat.

I nodded in agreement and let him lead me away from the dance floor. I untangled myself from him and took a deep breath to compose myself. We found ourselves leaning on the wall, watching everyone have fun. Several of the girls were on the dance floor with their boyfriends as JLo's song blasted through the speakers.

"Have you met my roommates yet?" He asked me.

"Hmm... Let' see... I met Yonghwa a couple years back when Faith and I interviewed his band for the show. I know about Jaejoong via Faith's rants. And I met Changmin when he came to pick up Sooyoungie for a date. Did I miss anyone?"

"Yeah. You forgot Nickhun."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "Nickhun... Ah! He's your friend from Thailand, right?"

He nodded in confirmation. "Yeah. I think I mentioned him to you a couple times."

"Uh huh. But I only know you, Changmin, and Yonghwa personally. Mind introducing me to the other two?" I looked up at him, batting my eyelashes innocently to mess with him.

"Someday." He answers mysteriously.

In my peripheral vision, I spotted Jessica and Hyoyeon chatting with their boyfriends a few feet away from us. I nudged Taecyeon with my elbow, catching his attention, and slightly tilted my head toward Jessica and the others. He nodded in understanding and linked my arm with his. We made our way over to them and I waved at them in greeting.

"Hey guys! What's up?" I asked cheerfully.

"Fany, Fany, Fany, Fany, Tiffany!!" Eunhyuk-oppa and Donghae-oppa greeted as the two of them pulled me into an EunHae sandwich.

I laughed and hugged them back briefly. "How are you doing, you two?"

"Good. My taco grill is doing really well. You should stop by sometime. I'll give you a 25% discount!" Donghae-oppa proudly stated.

"TLJ is doing great, as usual. Drop by when you're free and I'll give you a 30% discount." Eunhyuk-oppa told me, grinning smugly at Donghae-oppa who glared at him.

"Guys. Yoona's coming over." Hyoyeon warned us.

We broke apart and Jessica moved closer to Donghae-oppa, slipping her hand in his. From the corner of my eye, I could see Taecyeon stiffen slightly.

"Annyeonghaseyo!~" An overly-cheerful voice called out to us.

"Annyeong, Yoona-yah." Hyoyeon and Eunhyuk-oppa greeted her.

I faked a smile and bowed my head slightly in greeting. Jessica and Donghae-oppa did the same. She returned it with a fake smile of her own and shot a flirty look at Donghae-oppa. That's when she spotted Taecyeon standing beside me and her expression changed.

"Annyeonghaseyo. Im Yoona imnida." She said, acting nice and innocent.

"Annyeonghaseyo. Ok Taecyeon imnida." He answered stiffly.

"Ok Taecyeon... As in, Ok Taecyeon the drama actor?" Yoona asked, her eyes widening in realization.

Before we started college, Taecyeon got scouted and became a trainee at JYP Entertainment. He debuted as an actor and went on to star in dramas that launched him into stardom.

Aw crap.

"Um... Yeah?" I fought the urge to facepalm.

Ok Taecyeon, you idiot... She'll never leave you alone if you keep this up.

"Omo! I can't believe it! Can I get a picture with you?" My eyes widened in alarm.

Instinctively, I stepped in front of my best friend. Yoona shot me a glare and tried to move around me but I blocked her path.

What can I say? Old habits die hard ;)

"Get out of my way, Hwang. It's just a picture. Not a big deal. Who are you to stop me from taking a picture with him anyway?" She questioned, venom lacing her voice.

"I'm his manager. He doesn't like his personal space being invaded. So unless you want a restraining order, back off." I threatened.

When Taecyeon got scouted, I got scouted as well. But I declined, so they offered to let me be his 2nd manager which I accepted (Seeing as I'm best friends with Taecyeon and therefore knew the most about him). Although, I only step up to the plate when Jaemin-oppa isn't around. Like now, for instance.

She scoffed. "You're bluffing."

I crossed my arms. "Does it look like I am?"

I felt a hand on my shoulder. I didn't have to look to know that it was Taecyeon. He gave my shoulder a light squeeze telling me to stay calm.

If looks could kill, I'd be six feet under from Yoona's glare. I returned it with one of my own. She subconsciously took a step back, probably surprised I could pull off a glare that intense.

Eunhyuk-oppa and Donghae-oppa suddenly jumped in between the two of us and started wiggling their bodies randomly. The odd scene broke us out of our staredown and she directed her glare to the two of them.

Before I could even begin to process what happened, Taecyeon swept me up bridal-style.

"C'mon Hwang Manager. Time to make our escape." He said cheekily and left the apartment.

When we got arrived at my front door, I smacked his chest.

"Ow! What was that for?!" I crossed my arms and frowned at him.

"That was for being an idiot." I answered curtly.

He rolled his eyes and his grip on me faltered slightly. With a squeak, I clung to him for dear life.

"You're such an jerk!" I grumbled.

He grinned. "But I'm your jerk."

I ignored him and fished out my keys from my clutch.


 

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the annoying alarm clock. I blindly grabbed the nearest object to me, which happened to be a pocket novel, and was about to throw it at the alarm when a loud smacking noise beat me to it.

Looks like Jessica is up.

I sat up and stretched my arms until I heard a satisfying popping noise.

"Stupid alarm..." A male voice mumbled from beside me.

I opened my eyes, suddenly wide awake.

That's not Jessica. If it's not her, then is it...

"OkCat?" I asked reluctantly.

"Morning!" He answered back cheerfully, his voice thick with sleep.

"EEK!" I squealed and leaped out of the bed.

I tripped over the sheets and fell to the floor with a loud thud. I scrambled to my feet, my mind going into overdrive.

What happened last night? ! Did we do... "It"?

I looked down and saw that my clothes were still intact, if not a bit wrinkled. I sighed in relief and turned to find my bed still occupied by my best friend.

I threw a pillow at his head and looked at my sleepy best friend sternly. "Ok Taecyeon, you have some serious explaining to do!"

He groaned in response and turned to lay on his back, revealing some of his washboard abs. I stood there shamelessly ogling my best friend. The sound of the door opening distracted me from my ogling. Fai poked her head in.

"Oh, you're awake." She said, not at all fazed by Taecyeon's shirtless form lying on my bed.

Maybe she knows how we ended up... like this.

"Fai, do you know what happened last night?" I asked her.

She grinned mischievously and said "Ask OkCat. Come out when ya'll are done. We're gonna interrogate Seohyunnie when she gets here."

I turned back to my best friend only to find him snoring away while lying on the side I slept on. I rolled my eyes and went into the closet. I shut the door behind me, as a precaution, and peeled off my pink dress.

I changed into a pair of gray sweats and a pink tank top, layering a oversized black hoodie I found over it and slipped on a pair of socks. Then I went into the bathroom to wash my face, put my hair up into a neat ponytail and brush my teeth.

I came back out and found him still asleep.

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

I leaped onto the bed, landing beside him and began poking his cheek.

"Wake up."

He swatted away my hand and I tried again.

"Ok Taecyeon!!! Wake up!!!" I shouted as I grabbed a hold of his cheeks and pinched.

"Alright already, woman! I'm up! I'm up!" He shouted back as he sat up grumpily. I smiled and dragged him out of bed.

"Good to know. How did you end up in my room again?" He blinked.

"We snuck down here to avoid that Yoona chick, remember? Then we talked and must've fallen asleep at some point." He reminded me before covering his mouth to yawn.

That doesn't explain why you're shirtless though.

"Oh. I guess you should run along to your apartment then. We'll meet up for lunch in an hour and go to the store to pick up the camera before we start filming." I rambled as I waited for him to fully wake up.

He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head and putting on his discarded shirt.

"Sounds good. I'll see you later, Steph." He said as he came over and kissed my cheek before climbing out to the fire escape.

"Later OkCat" I whispered, feeling odd.

That was... weird. He never kisses me on the cheek. Only forehead kisses and hugs. Hmm... He was just sleepy. Yeah. Just sleepy.

Before you guys go on about how sweet that was, let me clarify. He is not my boyfriend. He's my best friend who, aside from Sica and the girls, always has my back. Therefore, that forehead kiss was a friendly gesture.

...Right?

 

Up until now, I still can't get Taecfany out of my head. I often watch their Family Outing 2 clips together and the amount of chemistry they had there caused me to start shipping them together. 

Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed! Don't forget to Vote/Comment ^ ^