Taeyeon just could not believe her rotten luck after putting in so much effort to rush back home. Admittedly, it would have been better if she had put in more effort in remembering that she was supposed to go back early for the sleepover party but work was work. Besides, has she not been punished enough at work for that unpleasant impromptu meeting with the girl whom she had been thinking about so frequently for the past few days?

Now, Taeyeon was further punished by getting locked out of her own apartment for she could not find her set of keys and ringing her house-mate did not help either. The over-partied girls were already deep in slumber after their drunken stupor, even the usually disciplined Seohyun. Besides their drunken state, the music left playing inside of the apartment also drowned out Taeyeon’s summons.

Taeyeon finally resorted to pounding on the heavy oak door barbarically.

“Damn it! Im Yoona, I swear I am going to set fire to this apartment if you do not wake!” Taeyeon threatened uselessly.

She then heard her neighbour’s door creak open and scampered away to conceal herself. She had forgotten that yelling at night was not a good option since they were living in condominiums. The Film Director has also learnt enough to never incur the wrath of a neighbour, especially not one who was a woman in her mid-forties.

“I really hate you guys,” Taeyeon muttered angrily under her breath. It was bad luck enough that she had encountered Tiffany Hwang on her first day of work and now this happened. She had regretted allowing Yoona to organize a sleepover party to celebrate her first day back at work. Now the girls are enjoying a sleepover session while she was in for a sleep-out session.

Taeyeon began rummaging her bag once more for the precious set of keys. She remembered leaving home with them tugged away in the side pockets of her bag. Where could it be? An attempt at retracing her memory proved to be useful and the girl hurried along to hail a midnight cab. She briefly recalled hearing a small cling in the Filming Studios put had paid it no mind in her haste to return home.

“Uncle, to Amoeba’s studios please.”

How could I have been so careless as to drop my keys there?! The girl chided herself mentally

**

The Amoeba Studios was all dark except for a discreet corner in the far end of the room and bathed in the light shed by a lone fluorescent tube was Amoeba’s Creative Director. Tiffany Hwang had no clue what was with the dissatisfied expression on the Film Director earlier but the Creative Director was certainly bothered by it. Tiffany, being the workaholic she is, had stayed on to continue reviewing the shots taken even after every single one of the Amoeba’s staff has left.

Ignoring the rumbles from her starved stomach, the Creative Director had pulled her long mane of black hair into a ponytail, rolled up her shirt sleeve and set herself to work promptly. Wheeling herself about on the roller chair in the dark soon proved to be a perilous activity with the many thick cables laid carelessly about the floor. Tiffany cursed when her chair had tipped over once and she almost fell.

Around half an hour into analysing the shots, Tiffany began to tug at her hair frustratedly. No matter how many times she viewed the shots, they still seem perfectly taken to her. What was the problem then? Tiffany slapped her cheeks to urge herself to think harder and scrutinise closer. A thought struck her and that set the Tiffany back into a frenzy of work.  Taeyeon must have been unhappy because of the safety issues she mentioned earlier. The Creative Director concluded that Taeyeon must have been harping on that issue and that had affected her overall filming performance.

Sighing at that thought, the Creative Director dragged her feet across the messy ground reluctantly to find herself a sheath of papers and pinned them up on a wheeled corkboard. She then began drawing furiously on her makeshift drawing board, adjusting the details of her story board, especially modifying those scenes which required the use of stunt performances.

**

Taeyeon had to beg the security guard to let her into the building using every means she could muster. Eventually, the security guard had gave in to the shameless pleas and acts of cuteness. It was a flout of rules for Taeyeon was no worker of Amoeba, however she had also managed to produce names which were notable enough in the company for her to creep back in. One of which was undoubtedly Tiffany Hwang. She swore her obedience on Tiffany’s head which had greatly amused the security guard.

“Just fifteen minutes. If you don’t come out by then, I will personally go in and apprehend you,” The uncle threatened jokingly.

“Thank you uncle!” The girl said gratefully and then sped off, towards the dark building.

Taeyeon tapped the visitor’s pass urgently on the card reader which let out a soft beep. The visitor felt suddenly intrusive and pushed back the door silently as silently as she could. She was surprised to find that a small area of the studio was still brightly-lit and even more surprised to find a person still working. Excitement had almost gotten the better of her but she managed to clap her hand over to muffle the gasp that escaped from . It was the Creative Director, Tiffany Hwang.  

Coincidentally, the place Taeyeon suspected where she had dropped her set of keys was near Tiffany. The intruder crept silently along the walls, all the while observing the Creative Director in the darkness. Taeyeon’s heart pounded loudly in her chest and she only prayed that it was only audible to her.

The intruder jumped when Tiffany had suddenly cried out in frustration and it took a while for Taeyeon to still herself before she dared to move in the dark.

Taeyeon reckoned that Tiffany had been working relentlessly to modify her storyboard.  Taeyeon soon saw the big bold letters written on the board and learnt that Tiffany had done so because of her.

“SAFETY CABLES.”

“TRAINED PROFESSIONALS.”

“FUSSY TAEYEON.”

Taeyeon scoffed at the last two words but found herself smiling sweetly afterwards. She cares. The Film Director felt touched for a fleeting moment. Also, the sight of Tiffany being frustrated while at work reminded her of the scene where she had spied on Tiffany working on her laptop in the café back at Zimbabwe and brought back sweet memories to her. She felt her heart grow warmer the more she thought about it. Back then Taeyeon had found Tiffany a lonely character. Right now, Taeyeon found her to be the loneliest person for Tiffany always seemed to be working alone and kept her frustrations to herself.

Snapping to her senses and recalling that she only had fifteen precious minutes, Taeyeon inched forward, as soundlessly as possible in an attempt to search for the keys in the dark and not disturb the still-working girl. Unfortunately, she had missed a cable in the way and produced some scuffling noises.

“Who is that?!” Tiffany demanded in a loud voice.

Taeyeon squeezed her eyes tightly shut as she felt the Creative Director making her way towards her. She will find out it is me sooner or later.

Taeyeon then threw up both hands, as if she was surrendering herself to some crime she had committed. “It’s me, it’s me!”

Instead of providing Tiffany with more relief, the Creative Director became even more alarmed and tripped herself over a cable when she retreated in shock from the intruder. Taeyeon winced when she heard a crash followed by a sickening pop sound that was not produced from her body.

“Ouch! Damn, it hurts,” The Creative Director cried.

“Oh my god! Are you okay?!” Taeyeon instinctively lunged forward at Tiffany’s cries and tried to help but the dim of studio has caused her to misjudge her steps. The girl ended up being more of a trouble than help when she had tripped over the very same cable and landed herself heavily on top of the other girl. A louder pop sound cracked through the stillness of the room.

“Ouch!!! Damn, damn, damn! It hurts even more now!” Tiffany screamed louder.

The lights in the entire studio flickered on suddenly at the commotion.

“What happened in here?!” A sonorous voice shouted over to them. “Hey, the Kim girl, you in there?! You promised fifteen minutes, that was a good half an hour!”

“U-Uh uncle I-I am here! I-I am sorry.” Taeyeon peeled herself off from Tiffany’s body clumsily before trying to help the other girl up.

Tiffany groaned in pain as she attempted to help herself up but staggered on her injured ankle. Fortunately, Taeyeon caught the casualty before she fell again.  

**

I must have owed you something in my previous life. Tiffany complained mentally as she attempted to hop to her sofa by herself. She winced when she had accidentally shifted her weight to her now-swollen ankle.

“Here, let me help you.” Taeyeon did not wait for Tiffany’s approval before sliding an arm under the injured girl’s armpit. Tiffany had not expected that the short Taeyeon would have the strength for her guest was practically semi-carrying her to the sofa. With their bodies plastered so closely to each other, it was inevitable that their hearts would race.

With her injured leg propped up on the arm of the sofa, Tiffany eyed her shorter guest fluttering about her house. Taeyeon had busied herself with the arrangement of both their shoes, occasionally clucking in displeasure at the messiness of the house. Their eyes met when Taeyeon threw a disapproving look to her host, momentarily forgetting that they were still on the poor terms.

Upon remembering, Taeyeon’s eyes darted away and she moved to the kitchen to prepare her host’s painkillers. The only time Taeyeon spoke was to ask where her host had placed her drinking water. When Tiffany replied that she only had bottled water in her house, Taeyeon’s eyes went as wide as a pair of golf balls in disbelief.

The injured girl pretended that she had not been looking when Taeyeon walked over to her with some pills in her tiny hand and a cup of water.

“Eat up.” The girl spoke authoritatively.

Tiffany took it sulkily and grimaced when she swallowed those bitter pills with cold water.

Silence loomed over them for a while until Taeyeon spoke.   

“Follow the doctor’s instructions and eat the painkillers only when it hurts. Get your ankle re-bandaged when you find the need to,” Taeyeon instructed, “and, boil yourself some water. Do you even have a kettle?”

Tiffany shook her head ashamedly and suddenly found herself pathetic to have to behave in such a way in her own house. Yet, she could not find her usual feistiness, especially not in front of Taeyeon.

“I do have a pot,” Tiffany offered.

“Then boil yourself some water,” Taeyeon snapped.  

“O-Okay. I will,” Tiffany answered timidly like an obedient child.

Once again, quietness descended upon them. It was very similar to the time when they were in the café in Zimbabwe after discovering that they have misunderstood each other. The only difference was, there was no weather to talk about this time round and there was more hostile feelings than pleasant ones.

“Sorry for causing your plight.” Taeyeon finally said, breaking the silence once again but still avoiding Tiffany’s gaze.

You should at least look at me if you are sorry. Tiffany thought. “It’s okay.” Yet, that was all the mighty Tiffany Hwang could say before the uncomfortable silence took over the atmosphere once more.

“Well then, I should get going…” Taeyeon disrupted the silence once more and headed for the door.

Tiffany’s eyes widened as the girl turned to leave so suddenly. She knew that if she let Taeyeon go now, she might not find such a good chance to speak to her in private again and so Tiffany made an attempt to stall for time.

“H-Hey… why did you go back to the studio for?” Also, a part of Tiffany was actually hoping that she was back there for her but she knew it was not possible since Tiffany had been a jerk to her. It was also all the more impossible since Taeyeon could not have known that she was there.

It was then Taeyeon had remembered and she let out a groan of frustration. The keys… She scold herself in her mind for leaving the studio again without her keys. I’m going to sleep on the streets tonight… Taeyeon thought bitterly.

Bewildered by Taeyeon’s response, Tiffany urged for a reply. “U-Uh… well?”

“I was there to look for my keys,” Taeyeon grumbled. I would have found it if not for you, you clumsy girl.

“Keys? You mean the keys to your house? Why did you leave it there?” Tiffany asked, genuinely surprised and hopeful at the same time.

Taeyeon let out an exasperated sigh and turned back to face her. “I, the clumsy Film Director, dropped it there, satisfied with the answer?”

“U-Uh… so you do not have access to your house now?” Tiffany pressed on eagerly, clearly hoping for something but the short girl was too impatient to sieve out that hint.

“Why else would I go back to retrieve it then?” Taeyeon asked with a raised brow.

“It’s late now, besides you have got no transport of your own… Why don’t you…” Tiffany paused before stating the obvious hoping that Taeyeon would grasp her intention.

The two girls stared at each other for a long moment, their eyes so locked on each other that it seemed as if invisible messages were whizzing between them.

Is she… hinting for me to stay? Taeyeon then scrutinised the host’s face more closely and saw a tinge of red spreading over Tiffany’s face. Their staring game went on for a good five minutes, neither making any remarks even though their thoughts were as clear as day.

“Stay?” Tiffany suggested, impatience had finally gotten the better of her.

F-For real?! Stay in Tiffany’s house?! Taeyeon stared back at her host, flabbergasted but feeling slightly elated at the same time. Taeyeon resented herself for the confusion and weakness of her own feelings.

W-Why is she looking at me like that? Does she not want to stay? Tiffany thought as her eyes implored into Taeyeon’s own and she found herself gulping nervously as she waited for a reply.

**

A/N:

Hey guys, I rushed a bit for this chapter so please pardon me if there are mistakes and please do point them out if you guys spot them :) i will be really grateful. 

xD because of taeyeon's clumsiness, the two girls finally have some private moments together :)

and of course... that offer to stay at the end. who wouldn't take it? xD

so sorry for this short A/N, it's getting late here and i've been under the weather recently so I've gotta rush a bit.

Of course I wouldn't forget to thank you guys for the subscribes and comments! :) Hope to see you guys soon to make up for this short A/N.