[Chapter 7]

Cafe Chaos

 

 

 

[Tiffany's POV]

 

“Tell your friend she has great timing!”

 

I took a glance towards the hallway from where Taeyeon's voice echoed only to get my view blocked from the double doors. Ugh. Looks like we're gonna have to talk about this later. I tried tugging my arm away, but Jessi knew that if she lost track of me, I might run off...like I did a few times before. In the end, I did manage to slip my wrist free...but now she's holding my hand. My attention quickly went forward when something very unusual caught my attention; customers talking, and a lot of them. Finally scanning the cafe, I was very shocked to see that there were probably twice as many customers now compared to the customer count from all day yesterday. I wanted to squeal with excitement, but I knew not to. That would probably scare all of my potential regular customers.

 

“Uhh, Tiff. Mind letting go?” Jessica's voice seeped into my head. It didn't really seem like a question, but more of a demand.

 

Looking down at our held hands did I finally realize I was squeezing her hand really tightly...like, white knuckle tightly. “Oh. Mianhae Jessi. I'm just so happy at how many people are here.” I whispered finally releasing her now reddened hand. A bit of my squealing came out, but thankfully my hushed voice was drowned with the surrounding chit chatting.

 

Jessica's head bobbed up with a face saying 'oh' while she rubbed her hand to soothe the pain. Sorry Jessi...really. She took a look around and then I realized that something had caught her attention. Her eyebrows suddenly rose before pulling me by the arm towards Yuri. “C'mon. There's a back up of orders we have to make.”

 

“A-A back up?” My ears couldn't believe it. I haven't heard those precious words since I first opened this cafe. That only lasted for the first month or so before the customer count started to die down. This has to have been some joke right? We haven't had a back up in a long time. My eyes frantically searched the back counter for the orders. Maybe near the coffee machine? Nope. The small stack of chocolates? Nope. Finally, I spotted the stack of orders right beside Yuri at the cash register. After writing down the order and doing the exchange of money, she placed the paper on top of the stack and started again with the next customer. Wow. We really did have a back up.

 

Hurrying over, I grabbed the stack of orders while Jessica took her usual position behind the register. That left the orders for Yuri and I to make. We quickly flipped the pile so the first transaction was the first drink we'd make. After that, we split the orders between us. One for Yuri, one for me. One for Yuri, one for me. Now, show time.

 

It's been a while since I've made a lot of drinks, but that didn't matter. I would just be a little slower. Plus there's the recipes mounted on the walls in case any of us forget what goes in what exactly. I took a quick glance at the first order in my stack and was relieved to find out that it was one of the more common orders that I knew how to make by heart. I checked the order after that, and the one after that. All were ones I knew by heart. Perfect! I can make multiple drinks at once! My hands slowly began their magic with the customer's requests; adding hot water to this drink, milk to that, and a squeeze of honey to the other. That slow pace I started with began to pick up as I soon started to finish the requested orders quickly.

 

Checking over to see how Yuri was doing, I noticed that she was working at full speed. It had been so long since I've seen her like this; rushing back and forth frantically. Her stack of orders was undoubtedly smaller than mine. What a good worker. Jessi was doing well also, reciting the orders back to the customers and giving the right amount of change. Those that received their orders already nodded in approval to what we were serving. That was always a good sign. More potential regulars perhaps? That long line that s around the inside of the cafe finally came to an end. Still, Yuri and I were brewing up the drinks as fast as we could while Jessi did the dishes so nothing would pile up.

 

In no time, we were like a well oiled machine. The three of us worked together for so long that we knew where the other would be without having to look over our shoulders. We'd know what the other needed help with and what orders were ready to be called out for pick up. Yeah, we were a small group, but we worked like one. In a sense, I kind of miss this adrenaline rush of having to make so many orders at once. I miss the fast pace work environment behind the counter. Those four boring white walls in that tiny cramped room just wasn't cutting it. This...I need to figure out what would cause this every day. Not only would profit be going up, but I'd be able to step away from all of those papers in the back. Yeah, I need to recreate this. Somehow.

 

I had a few more orders left in my, now small, stack of papers. Just as I reached for the next piece of paper, my hand accidentally bumped into someone else's. Their hand was drastically cold. Immediately I thought of Taeyeon and how Yuri and Jessica said it was cold when they walked through her. Uh-oh! Did I accidentally run my hand into my Guardian? I thought about it for a quick second. No, it couldn't be Taeyeon. My hand would have went right through her, right? I glanced over at the stack of papers and noticed that it was all gone! Looking around, my eyes settled on Jessica. Oh. It was just her. Her hands must have been cold from constantly washing the dishes. She hates hot water. I watched as she was now flipping through the orders quickly. “Err...Jessi? What are you-”

 

“Just go.” She stated bluntly. Her eyes never peeled off the stack of papers in her hands until she went through it all once. Seeing that I was still staring at her very confused, Jessi sighed and put her hand on my shoulder. “Go to the front and make friends with the customers. Like you usually do.” Her voice was encouraging as she began to push me to the split between the two counters.

 

My lips pursed slightly as I glanced down at the stack of orders in her other hand. “Er...are you sure Jess?” As much as I wanted to go and do as she said, I knew that her skills with anything consumable wasn't exactly those that belonged to an expert. With new customers, a messed up order would for sure mean a potential lost of profit.

 

Jessi sighed and shoved me between the slit in the counters. “Yes. I'm sure. Plus, Yuri's done with her stack. She can supervise me to make sure I'm doing them right. Now go. Make friends.” Before I could protest any further, my best friend spun me around and pushed me to the front.

 

The awkward interaction between the two of us undoubtedly caught the attention of the customers in the room. Some with raised eyebrows trying to comprehend everything, others with slight grins on their faces. I quickly composed myself the best I could, but my embarrassed cheeks were something I couldn't cover up. My curious orbs scanned the room once to look for any familiar faces but sadly, there weren't any. Then, I remembered that one day I met Yuri's look-a-like. What was her name again? Yoo...Yoona? Yeah, Yoona. Again I scanned around for that face I had met just days ago, but again, I came up unsatisfied. What now?

 

Judging from the looks of the workers, some were dressed as chefs, a few as bar tenders, but a vast majority were dressed as waiters. “I'm a waitress at the new restaurant across the street over there.” These people are from that same restaurant so they must know Yoona. Maybe they could explain why the young girl was always laughing by herself...if she even does that during work. I won't know if I don't ask.

 

With a quick breath to calm my nerves, I walked up to a pair of girls that were dressed similarly to those of a waitress. I planted a warm smile on my face as I approached one corner of the table. “Hey there. Are the two of you enjoying your drink?”

 

Each of the girls nodded with just as warm smiles as mine. I went over their features to remember their faces. Omo, these two are really young. I thought Yoona was young but these two seem even younger than her! For all I know, I'd guess that they're still in high school. One had really long auburn hair like Jessi but she seemed to have the skin tone of Yuri. The other had long black hair like Yuri but the skin tone of Jessi. Wow. Both, of course, had that young baby face.

 

“My name's Tiffany. Do you two mind if I take a seat here?” I gestured to one of the empty seats at the four seater table.

 

The one with Jessica's hair color shook her head. “Oh go ahead. We don't mind.” She answered cheerfully. With a quick sip of her drink, she set the hot liquid down and sighed happily. “This is so good.”

 

Hearing the compliment made me present a genuine eye-smile while I slithered into one of the empty seats. “I'm glad you like it. My workers and I make sure it's done perfectly before even sending it out to the customers.”

 

The other girl set her drink down after a sip and nodded. “I'm glad you think a lot about the customers. Otherwise it wouldn't taste this amazing.”

 

All the compliments were making me all bubbly inside. Did that mean that these two were gonna come back in and be regular customers? “I'm so glad you enjoy the drinks. May I ask what your names are?”

 

The girl with Jessica's hair color bowed her head slightly. “My name is Luna.” She introduced happily.

 

It wasn't long for the other girl to follow suit. “And my name is Sulli.”

 

Suddenly, Luna wrapped her arm around the other girl and grinned. “Neh. We're both in high school. I'm in 12^th grade while Sulli here is my little hoobae in 11^th grade.” I watched as Luna began to pinch and squish Sulli's cheeks. How cute.

 

My head bobbed up and down as I comprehended everything. “Luna and Sulli. Well, thank you for coming to my cafe and trying some of the drinks here, but isn't it hard to go to school and work at the same time?”

 

Sulli swatted away her unnie's hands before rubbing her cheeks to sooth the slight pain. “Neh. We're the only workers in high school out of the entire staff. Our boss doesn't want to over work us since she knows we're going to school so we cover half the amount of tables compared to the other waiters. Plus we only work for a few hours so we can study and do homework.”

 

Again I nodded my head. That made sense. At least their boss was caring and everything. Maybe if I make friends with their boss, I can have her refer her customers to my cafe! Plus, I can learn more about Yoona. I don't exactly know why, but something was constantly drawing me into her. “Your boss sounds really nice. What's her name?”

 

Both girls beamed at the talk of how nice their boss was. They must really love this person. “Her name is Victoria Song.” Luna answered with that still bubbly attitude. “She treats everyone really well, but mostly the two of us since we're the youngest. We even call her 'umma'.” Again the two beamed.

 

My heart hurt a little, hearing that painful word again, but I made sure not to let it get to me. Besides, that boss of theirs is just a fill in, not the real deal. I decided to get my mind off confusing thoughts swirling in my head by focusing on my main reason for sitting down and chatting with these girls. “Is Victoria late to work or something?” My head tilted to the side, hoping to seem like nothing was mentally bothering me.

 

Sulli shook her head. “Aniyo. Victoria Umma said she'd be gone on vacation for a week. By the looks of things...” The younger customer rose her head and scanned my tiny cafe, as if looking for someone. Once she finished, she settled her eyes back onto me. “our co-worker Yoona is the one that's supposed to open for today. She's the only one not here and I'm pretty sure Victoria Umma gave her one of the keys to open the restaurant. Someone on the night shift has the other key for locking up.” Sulli informed.

 

Bingo! Yoona's name came into the conversation. Now I can ask questions about her without being too suspicious. This plan worked out better than I thought. “Yoona?” I purposely tried to act forgetful. “Oh! I had her as a customer the day the restaurant had it's grand opening. Is she a good worker?”

 

Luna took a sip of her drink and smirked. “Yoona's...” The two customers shared a quick look. “She's interesting.” The bubbly girl responded looking back at me. To the side, I saw Sulli smirk as well before grabbing her drink. Apparently, Luna would be doing all the talking.

 

So Yoona's 'interesting' huh? I found it best to not ask any extreme questions for now and just go with what anyone would say. “She's interesting?” The older one nodded. “How so?”

 

“Well, Yoona is a good worker. She'll do whatever she's asked, be kind to everybody, and just have a great personality. But the thing is...” Luna leaned in closer to me, so I did the same to hear her correctly. “One time, Sulli and I walked in on her talking...to herself.” I rose my eyebrows as she leaned back. Following suit while Luna took a sip of her drink, Sulli nodded some more and giggled a little. “The thing is that she was having a full on conversation.” The older girl continued, placing her drink back on the table. “It wasn't like someone who mumbles when they're counting or reading something. It was as if she were really talking with someone that wasn't-”

 

[Ding!]

 

A tall figure walked into the cafe, somewhat out of breath. Lo and behold, it was the person we were just talking about. “So this...is where...everyone is.” Yoona managed to spit out while catching her breath. She quickly stood up straight, dangling a pair of keys in the air. “I'm sorry for being late, but I have the keys to the restaurant. We can all go in now.” Her voice was uplifting as her expression was relieved...and so was everyone elses.

 

Then, something caught my attention. Her once relieved face quickly turned into an ear to ear smile. Hmm? Did she find everyone's unison sigh of relief funny? Well, I probably would too. That's not...out of the ordinary right? Everyone slowly got up, including the pair in front of me. I also stood up and bowed to everyone. “Gamsahamnida.” I waved to the now leaving customers. “I hope you all come back soon.” There were a lot of friendly faces that gave me nods of the heads as they sipped their drinks and walked out. Well, I didn't get that much information on Yoona...but I think I got enough.

 

Slowly, my tiny cafe turned empty. Customers were happy, drinks were right, and I definitely got money. With just Jessi, Yuri and I in the cafe, I strolled over to the bar-like counter and took a seat on one of the stools, leaning my back against the counter as we all watched the workers disappear into the restaurant. It wasn't until their front doors closed did I notice my friends had joined my side, Jessica in the middle. “I'm so tired.” Jessi complained.

 

“Yah.” Yuri called out, catching both of our attentions. “You're always tired. I'm surprised you didn't fall asleep while doing the dishes.” She cracked with a chuckle. “We haven't had something like this in a long time.” She looked over to me with a smile. “This is really good business. Right Tiffany?”

 

I nodded happily to my raven haired worker. She knew what to say to keep me happy. “Neh. That many customers every day would really pay for all of those bills. Speaking of which,” I quickly stood up and slipped to the back counter and opened the register. “I wonder how much money we made with just that many customers.” Before anyone could say anything, I pulled out the cash and began to count. Being money manager and all, it didn't take long for me to realize that only a fourth of just the rollover bills would be covered with this. Even though we made a lot of profit, those rollover bills would just not keep eating up the majority of it. Ugh, I need another way to make money...

 

“You know I get tired easily Yuri. I feel like all of my energy has been drained.” I heard Jessica. Energy...Taeyeon! My eyes flickered over to the double doors that were completely untouched during the morning chaos. I wanted to rush over to the office and check if she were still there. I'd make sure she were better then wish for the unimaginable riches! It would work out so well! That must be the only way to save the cafe. All the riches in the world! Right? Without a second thought, I shoved the money back in it's place, causing the register drawer to slam shut loudly. They can't stop me now! I've got to make that wish!

 

I heard the two behind me rustle around until Yuri finally called out, “Tiffany?” I didn't answer though. “Did we make enough money for the bills?” She tried again, but still I remained silent. Why answer her about the struggles of money when I can wish for it and never have to worry ever again?! I can do this! I can make that wish and keep this cafe forever!

 

 

 

[3^rd Person]

 

“Tiff?” This time Jessica tried, but failed to stop the cafe owner from marching past the double doors. Something was up, and Jessica knew to stop her best friend before something regrettable would happen. In an instant, the worrisome worker hurried to the double doors. She could hear her co-worker following behind as well.

 

[Ding!]

 

Before Jessica could react to the sound of the door opening, she felt a slight push on her back. “Go, I'll take care of the customer.” Yuri mumbled just as the auburn haired girl pushed through the swinging doors. The raven haired worker knew that if she were to try and stop Tiffany from doing whatever it was she was going to do, she would fail. With Jessica being her best friend, she would have a better chance at succeeding.

 

Right down the 'employees only' hallway Jessica managed to spot the, apparently deaf, store owner fidgeting with the door knob that lead to her office. “Tiff!” The startled owner looked up at her with wide eyes though she never said a word. “What's wrong with you Tiff? You're acting really weird lately.” Slowly, the worker cupped her boss's cheeks with both hands. “Are you sick or something?” Jessica brushed the store owner's cheeks with both of her thumbs, careful not to smear any make up she had.

 

“I-I'm fine Jess!” Tiffany reassured as she took steps back to part themselves. Her attention quickly focused back onto the door knob of her office. “Just...Just leave me alone for a bit alright?” She took a quick glance at Jessica just as she was reaching for the door knob.

 

Knowing that her best friend would probably barricade herself in the tiny room, Jessica pushed aside Tiffany's hands from the knob and slammed both of her hands against the wooden object, entrapping her boss's head in between them. “Aniyo Tiff. The last time I 'left you alone for a bit' you were crying for hours wishing someone would have 'come to your rescue'.” She stared down her friend who diverted her gaze onto something behind the now aggressive worker. It was all just to not make eye contact with her friend. “Well guess what, I'm not letting that happen again.” Tiffany glanced up at her friend, who was still giving that icy stare. Please go away. She mentally prayed. Though she wasn't quite sure if she was referring to her best friend or to her flustered cheeks.

 

Jessica eyed her friend up and down with a sigh before dropping her arms to her sides. “So, tell me what's going on Tiff. Your cheeks were really warm, you're acting really weird lately, and you're not telling us anything about money and this cafe. So spill.” Serious Sica shifted all of her weight onto one foot as she folded her arms. It was obvious that she wasn't going to be moving any time soon and with her being so close to Tiffany, the store owner knew that she couldn't make a run through the office door either.

 

Should I tell her? No! Then she'd think I'm crazy! But that's not fair because she already thinks that I am crazy because I'm not telling her about TaeTae! Ugh! This is so unfair! Tiffany's eyes flickered around everywhere except onto her best friends anticipating orbs. How would she be able to fib if she locked gazes with that icy stare? She just couldn't! It'd be impossible to. I need a miracle. Someone save me!

 

“Yah!” Yuri called out as she pushed one of the swinging doors open to stick her head through. Thank you Yul! Both American's turned their head to the youngest worker, but Jessica made sure to watch her best friend from the corner of her eye. “We've got another back up of orders. The two of you need to come to the front now!” When neither of them moved, but instead shared a look between each other, Yuri groaned loudly. “Pali! Pali!”

 

With that, Jessica quickly grabbed Tiffany's arm and began to drag her towards the double doors. Sheesh. Talk about deja vu. However this time, Tiffany was more than willing to cooperate. At least now she didn't have to answer any of Jessica's questions she had bombarded on her earlier. How would she be able to answer any of those questions without freaking out her best friend? She couldn't. Once pushing past the double doors, Tiffany's eyes widened at the customer count. It wasn't as insanely packed as it was before, but there were still enough people to occupy every chair and table available. There weren't that many to begin with though.

 

Just like before, the well oiled, three team, cafe machine got into action. Now familiar with the drinks, Tiffany was able to keep up with Yuri's speedy pace, and Jessica was able to dish out the order and change in no time. This was what business had to be like in order for the cafe to keep running. “Where did you guys come from?” Tiffany heard her cashier friend question one of the customers when there was a break in the line.

 

“We came because we saw a whole bunch of people walk out of here with drinks. They all looked really happy too. Why not try it out before work?” The older man answered honestly. It was at that time where Tiffany mentally thanked Yoona for being late. She took a quick peak towards the customer and saw a middle-aged man with a supermarket uniform on. Next to him was an older man with the same uniform.

 

As Tiffany finished another drink, she called out the order ready for pick up and soon saw more people enter as a few customers left. If we keep this steady pace all day, then we can pay for about half of the rollover bills! Her eyes turned into crescent moons just as the customer slipped across from her to pick up his drink. Just before he left, Tiffany noticed the small wink he had given her. That left the young owner confused for a moment before the slam of the cash register drawer brought her back to reality.

 

Slowly, the customer count began to die down. They were able to rack up a good amount of customers but the minute the usual school and work time came around, the cafe was once again...empty. Tiffany rounded the counter and planted her on the stool again. She let out a tired sigh while resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “Wow...business really boomed today.” Her words were also intertwined with fatigue.

 

“Neh. But I like the fast pace work environment.” Yuri smiled as she stopped right across from Tiffany. It was no surprise that the one who loved working out would rather be on her feet than slouching around. “Oh. One of the guys wanted me to give you this.” The youngest worker reached in her pocket to fish out a small folded piece of paper. “He had said he didn't want to bother you since you were so busy, but he had to leave for class.” Yuri placed the folded paper in front of her boss.

 

Tiffany stared at the parchment that was folded just once. She was too busy trying to figure out which guy it could have been. It wasn't long for her to remember the only guy that winked at her when she called out an order. Reluctantly picking it up, Tiffany unfolded the paper and read it. She rolled her eyes and let out a soft groan, mumbling out a very much annoyed, “No thanks.” before crumpling it up and tossing it in the middle of the counter.

 

In the back, Jessica had just finished washing the dishes that were dirtied to make the vast amount of orders. “What did it say Tiff?” She questioned as she dried her hands. In a slow second, she strolled over beside Yuri who had picked up the, now crumpled, piece of paper.

 

Knowing that Yuri would read the words scribbled on the paper out loud, Tiffany gestured for the younger worker to go ahead. “Here. It said, 'Hey cutie. You should call me'. Then it has his name and number underneath that.” Yuri opened the paper the best she could to show to her co-worker.

 

Leaning in, Jessica read the paper as well. “So his name is Siwon.” The Ice Princess made a thinking face as she debated with herself to approve or reject the guy. She wasn't sure which of the customers was Siwon but she didn't remember any guy that would give off that sort of impression either. The impression that she had found in the writing, which looked more of like someone that wanted to just hook up for a quick minute. Jessica didn't want that for her best friend. Approve or deny? Her eyes finally settled on Tiffany. “Are you gonna give him a chance?”

 

Without a second though, Tiffany rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Like I said before, no thanks.” The cafe owner slowly stood up and let out a sigh. Her feet dragged as she strolled to the register to recount the money. Doing quick math, she had figured that there would be enough money to now take care of about a third of the rollover bills. All the thought about money and how to pay the bills was really getting to her. Looks like that wish for riches is my best bet. Tiffany nodded her head as she stuffed the money back into the register. Its drawer once again crashing loudly into itself. Tiffany turned to face her employees. “I'm gonna go to my office and probably take a nap. Call for me if you need me okay?”

 

Yuri nodded with no hesitation. Jessica on the other hand... “Oh no you don't. We are not gonna go through this again.” Quickly approaching Tiffany, Jessica set her hands on her boss's shoulders and pushed her through the split in the counter. “I'm not leaving you alone back there to do...whatever it is you're planning on doing. Aniyo. You're going to stay here at the front with Yuri and I so we can make sure you're fine.”

 

At first, the youngest worker wasn't sure of what exactly was going on. She thought everything was fine and that Tiffany just needed to take a break. Being the owner of a business isn't really easy. Whatever was going on between the two, Yuri found it best to go along with it. But who's side should she take? Well that was easy, especially when someone is completely staring at you with a very cold look. “I think you should stay out of your office more often. Stay in the front with us for today. Have a good laugh instead of just coming out when Hyo is here after school. We might have another back up later on.” Yuri peaked over at Jessica who now had a look of approval.

 

Tiffany sighed deeply when she plopped her onto the stool again. There's no way they're letting me out of their sight now... Her eyes flickered over to Jessica who stood in the split between the counters. It was the only way to get to the employees only hallway without vaulting over the counter, which she wasn't planning on doing anytime soon. Looks like I'm stuck. With another hefty sigh, Tiffany rested her head on her hand and waited for more customers to come in.

 

 

[Ding!]

 

Tiffany's eyes flickered to the front door where Hyoyeon happily walked in. Before the Dancing Queen could say a single word, the shop owner rushed to her feet and hugged the blonde. “Hyo!”

 

“Omo!” Hyoyeon took a step back to balance their crashed bodies. “What's going on here?” Her eyes flickered around and locked onto the two other workers who were just grinning.

 

Pushing away from the hug, Tiffany pointed an accusing finger at her workers. Maybe acting like a little kid would make the dancer take her side. “These two are mean to me!” She answered childishly. Tiffany looked over to Hyoyeon and jutted her bottom lip in hopes to being the icing on this pity cake.

 

Instead, the passionate dancer head locked the young store owner and gently grounded her fist on the top of the latter's head. “It's because you're just so cute that they have to pick on you.” She joked, but she had a feeling that Tiffany didn't hear her through all of her cries of help. Eventually the daily customer let go and entrapped the whining girl in a tight hug. Her attention now diverted to the two workers. “Yah! Be nice to your boss! She might cut your pay!” She smirked, patting Tiffany's head when she saw the small smile on her face.

 

Yuri chuckled and stood up straight. She was completely oblivious to the threat, as was Jessica. “The usual?” When there was a nod of approval from the latter, the main barista went right to work.

 

The customer and the boss strolled to the bar-like counter and took a seat together. It was just those four as usual. Sure the morning was a great start but once the lunch rush disappeared, so did the constant wave of customers. Still, Jessica and Yuri forbade Tiffany from disappearing into her office. Hyoyeon was their first customer for the past couple hours.

 

“So how was today guys?” Hyoyeon asked, mainly to the workers. She figured Tiffany was just in her office the whole day.

 

Instead, the boss clapped, happy that she could talk to someone who wasn't holding her against her will. “We had two back ups today! I mean, it's a little bad that the orders were backed up, but we still got a lot of customers!” Hyoyeon's raised eyebrows meant one thing; she wanted to know more. “The worker with the keys to open the restaurant over there was running late.” Tiffany pointed a finger towards the store across the street. “So all the morning workers came in here while they waited. Then when the big mob of people left, other people walking by decided to check us out since we had so many customers. It was great!”

 

Hyoyeon smiled widely, glad that her friend was happy and not stressing over money or anything. “Wow. Daebak.” The dancer nodded her head approvingly. “Was it like that all day?”

 

A hand placed the freshly brewed drink in front of the dancer. “Aniyo.” Yuri answered. “Once the lunch rush was finish, so was our customer count.”

 

“Aww. It's okay. You guys still had a great morning.” The blonde reassured before taking a sip and letting out a pleased sigh.

 

Yuri quickly rounded the counter to sit on the other side of Hyoyeon while Jessica washed the one dirtied dish to make the dancer's drink. “On a brighter note,” The raven haired worker spoke out. “Tiffany also got this from one of the customers.” Again, Yuri fished out the piece of paper.

 

“Oooh. Someone wants you.” The dancer teased. It wasn't long for Hyoyeon to read the piece of paper and glance over at her friend just in time to catch the eye roll. “I'm guessing you're not gonna give this Siwon guy a chance?”

 

Before Tiffany could answer, Jessica joined the pair on the other side of the counter, mainly to stop Tiffany if she ran for the office. “You should give him a chance. He might be rich and actually help you pay for all the bills.”

 

An agreeing nod came from Yuri. “Yeah, and he can help you relax instead of stress over everything.”

 

Tiffany groaned. “A.NI.YO.” She answered very much annoyed.

 

“Alright, alright. Just saying, he's there if you ever change your mind.” Jessica snatched the paper away from Yuri and pinned it to their cork board. “You're probably just saying 'no' right now because you don't wanna burden him with your problems. I'm sure you'll come around to giving someone a chance.”

 

Again, Tiffany rolled her eyes. She could have sworn her eyes were gonna roll right out of their sockets at this rate. When are they gonna get it? I'm not interested in this guy. She then shook her head when she heard her friends agreeing to Jessica's statement. Apparently, it's impossible to reject a guy with these two around. Hyoyeon seemed more understanding though, but she didn't exactly disagree either.

 

“So, did you make friends with any customers while they were here?” Hyoyeon questioned, taking a sip of her warm drink.

 

Tiffany thought about it for a minute before nodding. “Neh. I talked to two girls that work at the restaurant. Their names are...Sulli and...Luna.” She nodded to the names. Yeah, that seems right.

 

Jessica tilted her head to the side. “Sulli and Luna?” She watched the latter nod. Everyone was wondering what she knew about the mentioned pair. “Those are Krystal's friends.” One of her hands suddenly went under her chin. “I think I remember her saying that they were together...” Jessica's lips twisted slightly in thought. She wasn't sure if she had gotten her facts right.

 

“Krystal's friends?” Tiffany tilted her head, eyes locked right on Jessica. “Jinja?” When the latter nodded, the cafe owner's eyebrows rose. “But they look so young! They said they were still in high school. And didn't you say Krystal was in college now?”

 

With a quick shake of her head, Jessica explained, “She's going to be graduating and entering college...but that won't be for another year or so. She's in the same grade as Sulli. My parents just wanna start saving now so they won't have to worry about it later. That's why they can't donate any money.”

 

“So you're still trying to figure out how to get money for the bills?” Hyoyeon asked. Tiffany only answered with a simple nod. “I can still help if-”

 

“Aniyo.” The store owner interrupted. “Thanks, but no thanks Hyo.”

 

The dancer pursed her lips gently. “Then how are you gonna pay for all the bills on time Tiff?”

 

Everyone's eyes were on the store owner, but her eyes were set on a pair of swinging double doors that lead to her office. “I'll find a way.” She mumbled subconsciously. It's the only way.

 

 

Barging into her room, Tiffany kicked off her shoes, dropped all her stuff on the couch, and crashed into her bed. Ugh. What a day...How am I gonna pay for the bills? She suddenly sat up. That's right! My wish! Her curious orbs searched her pink room anxiously. “Taeyeon.” The shop owner called out. No response. “Taeyeon?” She waited for a little longer, but still, no response. “TaeTae? Are you there?” It was quiet. Where on Earth would her Guardian be? If she even was on Earth.

 

Just before Tiffany could call again, the white figure appeared in the middle of the pink room. “Annyeong Fany-ah.” She stated cheerily with a wave. “Mianhae. I was still testing myself out. I ended up popping into your kitchen the first time.” The white clothed girl chuckled embarrassingly. “So what did you call me for?” Taeyeon questioned happily. She rose one hand and started some ice cream that seemed to have come from no where.

 

Tiffany's eyebrows rose. Where did she get that? Her head tilted to the side confusingly. “Did you get that from my fridge?” She watched as her Guardian smiled and lowered the sweet treat.

 

“Aniyo. You don't even have ice cream in your freezer. I checked.” The Guardian laughed, her ahjumma laugh filling the room. “I got this from the supermarket near your apartment complex.” Taeyeon giggled happily. The sound of her laughter made Tiffany smile. That's when Tiffany realized just how much she enjoyed this girl's company. Even if Taeyeon was mysterious and very broad with a couple answers, her being this dorky girl was something she enjoyed. “There weren't many choices but I'm happy with this.” The Guardian continued. She snuck a quick to the yummy dessert and giggled when she noticed Tiffany had witnessed her actions. “So any reason why you called me here?”

 

Look at her. How can I just make her disappear? She's so happy...she's making great company...I can't just wish her away. Her lips pursed gently when she knew that Taeyeon was waiting for an answer. She wanted to make the wish, but at the same time she didn't want to lose her Guardian's company. How could she choose? “Err...I just called you to see if you were doing okay.”

 

Taeyeon nodded her head. “Neh. I'm okay now. I just needed to relax and have some ice cream!” She answered truthfully while going back to eating her sweet treat. It seemed as if no matter what, this girl would not be able to resist her favorite dessert. In a quick motion, Taeyeon had sat into an invisible chair.

 

Hearing how ice cream came back into the topic, Tiffany couldn't help but giggle. What a dork. Hey wait! “TaeTae. Did you steal that ice cream?” Her eyebrows rose curiously. Taeyeon was supposed to be one of the good guys, or good girls in this case, right? If she really was, then why would she steal?

 

Shaking her head, the Guardian lowered her ice cream to answer. “Aniyo. I payed. I put the money in their register and popped up here with the ice cream.” She stole another to the much smaller dessert. “It's just going to be one of those indescribable moments. No harm no foul. Even the Big Man said we can do that.” She pointed a finger towards the ceiling. It didn't take long for Tiffany to figure out who Taeyeon meant by that.

 

“So you have a stash of money?” Tiffany questioned. Her hopes were now high. Maybe she can loan me her money to help me pay the bills!

 

With a quick nod, Taeyeon pulled out a few coins. “We get to collect all the loose change if we find any. Though, Guardians don't have that much money since we can't go on and off Earth as we please. We aren't Genies.” She shrugged and shoved the round object back into her pocket.

 

There it was again. Her famous catchphrase. This time, Tiffany couldn't let it pass now! She had to know! There would be nothing to stop Taeyeon from answering now! “TaeTae. You have to let me know, why do you keep saying that? What do Guardian's and Genies have to do with each other?”

 

Taeyeon smirked and wagged a finger. “Ah, ah, ah. I'm not gonna tell.” She pointed to the clock mounted on the wall. Again, pink. “Your work shift is over. It's too late now. You'll have to ask me another day.” The Guardian chuckled softly and went back to eating her ice cream.

 

“But! But!” Tiffany's jaw was dropped, her hands were reaching out to the grinning Guardian, all signs that she was about to go crazy if she weren't told the answer. “TaeTae! You have to tell me!”

 

“Neh. But you also agreed to no mystical questions after work.” Standing up, Taeyeon quickly finished the rest of her ice cream. “What I have to tell you is, 'go to sleep'. It's late.” She chuckled again. “I'm off to go get more ice cream.” She flashed her Troubled One a toothy smile. “Goodnight.”

 

Before Tiffany could protest, the Guardian was gone. In much frustration, Tiffany plopped back onto her bed and slammed her pillow over her face. “You're so unfair TaeTae!” She yelled into the soft cushion. Looks like she'll have to wait for tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

N/A: Hello readers! I am SO sorry for taking FOREVER just to update this story! I didn't mean for it to take this long! It's just that with it being holiday season and all that I was completely busy and everything! I had to buy gifts, wrap presents, cook for the big family party! Aigoo! But here it is! Chapter 7! I wanted to reward everyone with a long chapter! Consider this as my [late] Christmas present to all of you!

 

Also! I've been writing a holdiay themed fan fic also! It's only gonna be 7 chapters or so. That's where a majority of the writing for this story went to. You can check it out here!

 

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/342687/

 

It's a Royal Family fan fic! All of the members are present in this fan fic as well! I really just wanted to upload it during the holiday season because that's the time setting I made it for!

 

Mianhae! Please forgive me readers! OTL I'm juggling two stories at once and I really don't wanna disappoint you! Mianhae!

 

Yeah! You better say sorry Jeo! I was stuck wondering what in the world Genies and Guardians have in common! You left everyone hanging! And me! 

 

Neh! And you left me almost dead in a cafe office! You better manage your fan fics more often!

 

Mianhae everyone! Mianhae! I'll take better care of you and the readers! Just don't hurt me! *runs away*

 

-Jeo