Tiffany should've thought this through. She really should've. How was Taeyeon going to drive her home if she didn't tell her where her home was? Kim Taeyeon would know where she lived. Ew. It was too late to back out now, Tiffany had already gotten in the car. They were sitting in the singer's white Bentley, Taeyeon tapping an idle rhythm on the steering wheel while Tiffany wallowing in self-pity. She takes a deep breath and pulls the seatbelt over her chest.

 "Drive straight and turn right on after this block." She says, prompting the singer into action. Taeyeon shifts the car into reverse and puts her hand on the passenger seat's headrest as she looks behind them. Tiffany closes her eyes in a long blink. She tries to desperately convince herself that putting a hand on the passenger's headrest was not as hot. It wasn't. Yes, it was. It wasn't. It was Taeyeon, it couldn't be hot.

 "You got it!" She chirped, as she did this. Tiffany's really beginning to hate how peppy this girl is. And how everything she does is somehow attractive or suave. "By the way, how old are you? I don't wanna be disrespectful..."

 "25," Tiffany says dryly, not really wanting to make small talk.

 "Woah, you're young!" Tiffany's pretty sure twenty-five is not that young. And then she remembers that Korean age was a bit different.

 "I mean 26."

 "Huh? Did you forget when you were born?"

 "I forgot we're in Korea. I was born in 1989, August."

 "Oh, then we're the same age! I was born in 1989. March for me, though."

 "Cool," Tiffany says dryly, secretly bitter that Taeyeon is older than her, even if it's by a few months.

 "How'd you forget we're in Korea?" Taeyeon looks worried. "Do you have problems with memory? Are you an amnesiac?" Tiffany grits her teeth at the genuine care in the singer's voice. Don't buy it, it's all fake, she tells herself.

 "I was born somewhere else."

 "Oh! Are you American? I heard you rapping in English on Friday. You were really good. That explains why you had such good pronunciation." Tiffany openly rolls her eyes. Of course, she had good English, it was her first language.

 "What? What- why did you roll your eyes at me?" Tiffany doesn't answer at first.

 "Continue straight." She says instead when they come to an exit. "Also, your Korean is really good."

 "What? I live here, I was born here?" Taeyeon switches on the indicator and switches lanes. "I was born in Jeonju, actually. Fun fact." To be ing honest, Tiffany doesn't care a rats about fun facts.

 "Exactly," Tiffany responds, allowing the idol to think it over. Seems Tiffany hadn't been wrong in her assessment of Taeyeon's intelligence.

 "Oh... Were you born in America?"

 "Ding ding ding... We have a winner." Taeyeon actually cheers for that. Tiffany can't tell if it's sarcastic or if Taeyeon's just that dim.

 "Where in America? The USA? Canada?" Tiffany wants to point out the obvious shortcomings in Taeyeon's geographical understanding, but she doesn't. She's nice like that.

 "California." She says it with English pronunciation, forgetting that most Koreans don't understand or find it weird. Taeyeon looks at her briefly, looking really lost. "Kae-li-po-nia, you absolute dunce." She hisses and pinches the spot between her eyebrows. Any minor inconvenience, like Taeyeon's totally innocent attempts at being nice to her, feels like a mountain in her path. A headache is ringing in her ears and jostling her brain. She wants home, like, now.

 "Why are you so mean to me?" Tiffany turns her head to Taeyeon, the pain in her head replaced by surprise. They're stopped at a red light and Taeyeon's looking right at her. . She doesn't have a real answer to that. I'm mean simply because I have my personal biases against celebrities which doesn't actually have anything to do with you specifically, but I still dislike being around you just 'cause. She can't say that.

 "I... I just am."

 "That's stupid. You should at least be polite."

 "Maybe. I'm not though."

 "Why?"

 "Why should I?"

 "Because-" A honk comes from behind them. The light is green and they're not moving. "." Taeyeon shifts gears and gets moving, accelerating past the lights. Tiffany would lie if she said that wasn't attractive as all hell. She'd always been attracted to good drivers. ! Get a grip, girl! Taeyeon is not hot, she's a pain in your !

 "Because, I guess, it's the kind thing to do?" Taeyeon sounds more confused than convincing, but the point is delivered.

 "Why would I be nice to someone I don't know? I don't know them, I don't owe them anything. What if I end up being nice to a serial killer?" Tiffany makes a logical argument, steering them away from the originally personal accusation. Now it's not about Tiffany being mean to Taeyeon, but being mean to everyone. Which she is, she admits with pride.

 "That's a really bad way to view the world," Taeyeon says, keeping her eyes on the road. "What are the chances you'll ever even speak to a serial killer?"

 "Small, but never zero. I don't take chances."

 "Oh, yeah, as if you aren't in my car giving me, a stranger, directions to your home. I could abduct you right now. If I wanted to." Do you want to? Tiffany wants to ask, just to . She restrains herself, however. Taeyeon's logic isn't false though. She's not willing to lose, though.

 "You being a serial killer is not possible." It's a bold statement, but one which Tiffany is willing to stand behind. "You're a public figure, you're being watched most if not all the time and, frankly, I don't think you'd be able to kill anyone."

 "Okay, first of all, that sounds so creepy. I'm not being watched all the time. A lot, but, like, not all the time." Don't jinx it, Tiffany muses internally. "Second, should I be offended? What makes you think I couldn't be a serial killer?"

 "I've seen clips of you on that one show. What did they call you? A piece of paper? Very fitting."

 "Are you calling me weak!?"

 "Yes. Yes, I am." Tiffany says nonchalantly, ignoring the indignant gasp coming from the driver's side. "Turn left here. My place is on this street, just drop me off here."

 "Nuh-uh, we're not done with this conversation!" Taeyeon sounds actually riled up, but the twitch in her lips is telling. She finds this amusing. "I am not weak." She says with conviction.

 "Okay? If you say so." She doesn't want to argue anymore. But Taeyeon doesn't like her tone. Gosh, she could just whine and scream how she wanted to nap, but she's not a toddler so she won't. But, oh, how she wants to.

 "You don't believe me." Oh, really?

 "Wow, you caught me, Detective Kim." The sarcasm in Tiffany's answers is palpable, almost like a smell in the air.

 "I may not be able to do a single pull up-" Tiffany snickers at that. "Hey! I have great stamina!" Tiffany just stares at the idol. Taeyeon stops the car and stares right back. Their eyes lock and they look into each other deeply and heavily. It's like there's a ping pong match going on between them.

 "I'll tell the tabloids that Kim Taeyeon wants to be a serial killer and brags about her stamina to girls." A mean sneer grows on her lips as Taeyeon's amused eyes grow wary. Tiffany takes off her seatbelt. "A criminal, douchebag and womanizer all in the same package — what a steal." She giggles and goes to leave the car. Taeyeon has other ideas, though. She clicks her seatbelt off in one quick movement and the next is leaning over Tiffany's seat, hands on either side of her hips. They're dangerously close to touching.

 Taeyeon's nose is less than a centimetre from Tiffany's, her forearms maybe an inch from her sides. Their breaths brush against one another, Tiffany's more rapid than she'd like to admit. She's just surprised, nothing more, nothing less. She'd never be excited by something this grossly forward. It's almost arrogant, the way Taeyeon leans over her. For once, she has nothing to say. All her previous bravado and confidence in remaining disconnected has withered away. She doesn't know what to do and it shows on her face. All the comebacks and sarcasm has melted into an embarrassing, flustered mush of mass — Tiffany's blushing and she's never been quite this into it before. She can't deny it anymore.

 "You'll get blacklisted for lying to a news source, y'know?" The childish smile, with the dimple and Colgate-teeth, is long gone. It's been replaced by the teeth of a predator, glinting with promises and secrets. "I don't want to be a serial killer. Though, I do brag about my stamina, but only to this one girl." Tiffany raises a brow, acting like she isn't affected by Taeyeon's flirty tone. Desperately needing the upper hand, Tiffany resorts to drastic measures. She might've melted, but she's hot enough to do just the same to Taeyeon. She hopes she is, at least.

 "Oh, yeah?" She smiles with her lower lip between her teeth, smiling like she knows she's pretty. Her eyes curl in a smile just as her lips stretch into a flirty smile. She runs her hands over Taeyeon's arms, lightly scraping her nails along her forearms and biceps. She squeezes the muscle a bit and giggles at the feel. They're small like female idols are expected to be, but still toned. Taeyeon's smile isn't as sharp anymore, not as smouldering. Her pupils have dilated. It's working, Tiffany is shocked to note. It's kind of flattering.

 "Who might this girl be?" Tiffany asks, hands hooking behind Taeyeon's neck. Her nails scratch at her neck and fingers tug at the baby hairs there. With a swift movement, she yanks Taeyeon closer, their noses touching. She closes her eyes and inhales. It's both for Taeyeon's appeal and her own salvation. Looking into Taeyeon's eyes for too long felt like falling. The singer's gasp is right up against her lips. Tiffany shivers. It's not cold, she doesn't know why her body did that. (Yes, she does.)

 "You know her pretty well, I think..." Taeyeon's eyes begin fluttering and she her lips. Tiffany giggles again and she hates how it's not as fake as she'd like it to be.

 "Do I?" She takes Taeyeon's hand from her right side, the door's side, and moves it to the dashboard. Okay, the route is clear, obstruction is neutralized. Proceed with moving payload...

 "Uhuh, you sure do," The idol sounds almost dazed and Tiffany wonders how it was so damn easy to play her. Being this naive in an industry like hers was like blood in the water. As the singer closes her eyes and leans in for a kiss, Tiffany turns and steps out of the car. Payload out.

 "Wait-" Taeyeon exclaims, but Tiffany's already slammed the door shut and is walking away. Mission accomplished. She flees down an alleyway and takes a secret route to her apartment complex. The area is nice enough, filled with lots of different people. There are families, a few college students and a nice elderly couple are her neighbours. She waves to Mrs Nam who's waiting for the elevator and dashes up the stairs. She's willing to exert herself one last time before she flops down on her couch.

 Tiffany doesn't want to think about her and Kim Taeyeon's car ride until she's had at least a five-hour nap. But when she does, it'll be the only thing on her mind for the next, let's say, few weeks. In the very least. I mean, c'mon, flirting with Kim Taeyeon, a sparkly pop star, wasn't something to be taken lightly.

 Tiffany is exactly right in her prediction. Because as soon as she wakes up, after a good six hours actually, Kim Taeyeon breaks and enters her mind. Why, why had she done that? Flirting with her, even as means to get out of the situation, was outrageous. What if someone had seen them? What if Taeyeon had reported her to her manager or something? Just to make sure, she checks her phone. It's dead. She puts it to charge and lays back down and stares at the ceiling. She needs to sort out her feelings.

 Okay, she could admit Taeyeon was pretty. Fine. She was pretty. Objectively. Pretty hot, more than beautiful, cute as the earth is round. But she's still a celebrity and so, Tiffany hates her. It's simple except not. Tiffany hates all celebrities, no matter how hot, beautiful or cute. Celebrities are arrogant and obnoxious, self-obsessed and only have their own interests in their mind. She knows, she knows this very well.

 She almost was one, after all.

 But she doesn't want to think about that. Kim Taeyeon is hot, sure, but that doesn't mean anything. Tiffany doubts she's into girls and even if she was, girls like Tiffany wouldn't be on her radar. And she's a celebrity, so even if she was into girls and girls like Tiffany, it wasn't like they could ever be together. Why is she even entertaining this scenario? Stop it. Case closed. She should call Sunny. Oh no, , she's probably on her date. And her phone is dead anyway.

 She sighs into her empty apartment. She moved here when she got her first paycheck working from he current job. She'd sold her old apartment and all her belongings and bought this apartment with that money. Living with nothing hadn't been so bad. She still hadn't gotten around to furnishing this place. It'd been three years now.

 She looks around herself and wonders if her life was always this depressing. She has a couch, a TV but no table for it to stand on. She has a dinner table with one chair that she only ever uses as a stool to get to high places. She has a bed which she never sleeps in. Her wardrobe consists of work scrubs, one formal attire for emergencies, a black cocktail dress Sunny had bought her forever ago and plain shirts, pants and maybe a skirt or two. And, of course, undies from department store sale bins. But nothing else. She sold all of her clothes three years ago when she'd been tight on money. Now she had money, but her priorities had changed. A lot had changed. Disappointed in herself for falling into such a pathetic depression hole, Tiffany closes her eyes and falls asleep again.

 When she wakes up, she wishes she hadn't. It's dark out, which means she has thoroughly ed up her sleep schedule. Or not, considering she has the night shift. But what roused her from her slumber is still going. Anyone she's ever known has called her and sent her messages. Her phone is vibrating non-stop, her few social media accounts going crazy and a few texts coming through. It's as if her entire contacts list has banded together. She doesn't get to read the messages until Sunny's name pops up on the screen and Tiffany answers.

 "What's happen-"

 "You're dating Kim Taeyeon!?" Tiffany's heart drops to her stomach and then right out of her . What?

 "What the  are you talking about?" Her ears ring and the headache a few hours ago is back with vengeance.

 "A headline was published: "Kim Taeyeon and Mysterious Girlfriend on Steamy Car Date!" By Dispatch. Tiffany, what the ? There's pictures of you two in her car- it looks real​​​​​​. " Tiffany contemplates ending her life then and there. Taeyeon jinxed it. That little  jinxed it.

 "Are you ting me? How the did- never mind. I don't... Oh, ..." Tiffany rubs her face into her hands, so frustrated and defeated and done.

 "So... Are you dating Kim Taeyeon?"

 "No. Absolutely now. Ew. Why would you think that? That's disgusting. Gross. I would never ever become Kim Taeyeon's girlfriend. Or friend. Or acquaintance!" She's exaggerating too much for it to be believable.

 "Is that so?" Sunny is sceptical. For good reason. Tiffany would be too.

 "Let me explain everything..." And so, she does. She tells Sunny everything. How the singer had caught her rapping Shoop by Salt-n-Pepa in studio 56 and how Tiffany had flipped her the bird and told her to spin on it. She tells her about their encounters on Monday. (She leaves the smoking part out, though, just out of courtesy.) And then she tells her about the coffee machine explosion how everything took a nosedive.

 "Tiffany the pics look really realistic..."

 "I was flirting with her realistically, Sunny. I was flirting with her, but that doesn't make me her girlfriend."

 "You mean to say you flirted with Kim Taeyeon just for the s?"

 "No, I flirted with her to get out of the damn car, 'cuz she blocked my way."

 "Sure."

 "Sunny! I'm serious!" Tiffany shoots up from her spot on the couch and begins pacing around it. She's panicking. "I would never flirt with a celebrity for anything- for anything like a relationship. You know me, I would never want to... I don't want to go back to that..." She takes a deep breath. Sunny is silent for a moment.

 "Tiffany, think for a second. Kim Taeyeon isn't like them. Kim Taeyeon's agency isn't like them. You're not going back." Tiffany knows this. She knows how to think logically, but it's hard when everything seems to rip at the seams. "But, don't you think you could, I don't know... Let this happen?"

 "What?"

 "Look... Not all celebrities are bad. I met one of Taeyeon's group members at Friday's gala and she's really nice! Maybe you and Taeyeon can be friends. Or something more. See where it goes." Tiffany looks out of her window. It's night, the moon is big and full. She feels lonely and slightly scared. Sunny's suggestion feels like a betrayal, even if it is not.

 "Good night, Sunny." She sighs into the receiver. Sunny does the same.

 "Just think about it." And she hangs up. Tiffany knows that's all she'll do all night. Think. That's all she ever does.