Chapter 15

Taeyeon gently caressed the cheeks of the sleeping Taeji in her arms. There are a lot of things that’s running on her mind this very moment but the feeling of her daughters’ soft skin under her finger tips somehow eases her mind.

“I know you’re thinking of ways on how to get rid of Nana. Don’t worry we’re also thinking of ways but Taeng, don’t so anything drastic. Okay?!” Sunny held eye contact with her best friend and was glad when she received a silent agreement with her. She was about to turn around when Taeyeon called her again.

“Sunny.”

“Yes?”

“Where’s Tiffany and her friends?”

“There outside with your parents. Yuri and Yoona are keeping them entertained.”

“How about Hyo?”

“She’s making some tea for everybody. She said tea would be best during this kind of time. It’ll help to relax all of us.” Sunny smiled a little to Taeyeon and Taeyeon return it with a smile too.

“I’ll just put Taeji on the couch and I’ll get back at you guys.”

“Okay.”

Taeyeon placed the blanket gently, she caressed Taeji’s cheeks again and gently plant a kiss on the child’s forehead.

“I love you baby.” She gently whispered.

She heard a gentle knock just when she’s about to get up and saw Tiffany peeked her head in the opening.

“Hey.” Tiffany greeted first. “I just wanted to check on Taeji.”

“She’s still sleeping.”

“Ah. Are you… okay?” She stammered a little bit. Since she doesn’t know if it’s okay for her to ask Taeyeon such personal question.

“I think I’m feeling better now. But I still feel a little bit… you know… aish I don’t know… but yeah I feel much better than earlier.” Taeyeon gave out a little smile to Tiffany since she doesn’t want to worry her. They’ve already caused a huge scene earlier and she doesn’t want to burden her anymore, since they’ve only just met. She thinks it would be so rude of her.

“It’s okay Taeyeon.” Tiffany sensed the older girl’s hesitation towards her.

“I think I owe you an apology.”

“Taeyeon, it’s really okay.”

“Aside from the ruckus that happened earlier, I think I kinda misled you, like I kinda lied to you about my relation to Taeji.”

“Taeyeon, please stop. It’s really okay. And you didn’t mislead me or lied to me. I think I also kinda assumed that Taeji is your daughter. I mean, look at you two.” Tiffany pointed at both Taeyeon and Taeji’s faces.

“You two looks like the toilet bowl and lid! Perfectly fit each others.”

“Hahaha! Where did you hear that lame joke? Did my Umma tell you that super lame joke? Hahaha” Tiffany smiled when she heard Taeyeon’s laughter.

“If it’s lame then why are you laughing like that? And yes I got that from your Umma and I think it’s not a bad joke to tell since I got to make you laugh!” She smiled even brighter when Taeyeon look at her with a bright smile.

“I laugh because it was lame! It’s supposed to be an idiom where were like a fruit perfectly cut in halves. Perfectly the same.”

“Whatever. I prefer your Umma’s version, yours is boring.”

“Hahahaha you’re just trying to impress my mother.”

“Of course! I should impress her. I need to impress your Appa too.”

“And why do you need to impress them?”

“Because it’s important to always have the parents blessing.”

“Blessing on what?”

They keep on throwing silly banters with each other that Tiffany didn’t notice that with each word Taeyeon gets closer and closer to her till she’s standing right in front of her.

“Blessing on what Tiffany?” Taeyeon was still wearing that sweet smile on her face and seeing that up close made Tiffany’s heart accelerate into fast phase.

“I… You…” She stuttered. She could feel her tongue freezing on her again making it hard for her to form any coherent word.

“Come on don’t freeze on me again.”

“IYOUWENEEDTHEIRBLESSINGINTHEFUTUREFOROURRELATIOSHIPYOUKNOW!!!!” Tiffany blurted out in due to nervousness and because of Taeyeon close proximity with her.

Taeyeon raised her hand and slightly pinched Tiffany’s cheeks. “You’re so cute and yeah I totally agree with you. I’ll tell you tips on how to impress them if you’ll also tell me tips on how can I impress yours. Okay?”

“OKAY!” Tiffany yelled her answer that made Taeyeon laugh again.

“Good thing Taeji is a heavy sleeper like her Dad, she doesn’t get to wake up easily with loud noises.”

“I’m not loud!” Tiffany pouted ang that made Taeyeon pinch her again.

“Aw cute!”

“Yah!” Tiffany tried to squat Taeyeon’s hand but the latter was quick in avoiding the slap.

“So, do we have a deal?”

“What deal? Since when did I say I’ll be having a deal with you?”

“Playing forgetful now? Fine, allow me to refresh your memory Ms. Tiffany Hwang. it’s for our future relationship.” Taeyeon was now grinning from ear to ear as for Tiffany, she’s now blushing from head to toe.

“I know the timing isn’t really perfect. It’s not even nice since what happened earlier. But somehow, I felt something, and it’s telling me that it’s just about time that I shouldn’t beat around the bush anymore.” Taeyeon sighs.

“Am I making sense?”

“Yes. So please continue.” Tiffany regained her composure and just looked straight to Taeyeon’s sincere eyes.

“Can I… Can we… I mean… Aish I can’t decide what word to say!” Taeyeon scratched her head in slight annoyance. She thinking how can she be clumsy at times like this. She stopped when she heard Tiffany giggled.

“Just say it Taeyeon.”

“Are you sure? Aren’t we getting too fast?”

“Hmmm I don’t know. But just like you said I think the moment just seem right.” Taeyeon regained her confidence when she heard Tiffany’s response.

“Tiffany, will you be my girlfriend?” Taeyeon looked straight into Tiffany’s eyes as she finally asked the girl.

“I’d like to.”

‘No Taeyeon I’d LOVE to be your girlfriend!’ Tiffany tried to keep her cool as she answered Taeyeon but deep inside she would like to scream to the older girl the response she has on her mind.

“Really? As in are you really, really sure about it?”

“Yes Taeyeon, I’d like to be your girl friend!”

“Okay! I’ll take that! Now you can’t take it back! Starting tonight you’re officially my girlfriend! Mine! Okay?!” Taeyeon still couldn’t believe it.

“Okay.” Tiffany replied while smiling at Taeyeon.

“Let’s seal our deal.”

Before Tiffany could react and asked what Taeyeon means, she just found the girl slowly leaning forward to hers. Tiffany closed her eyes the moment Taeyeon’s soft lips landed into hers. It was just a soft and simple peck. She wanted more and was a bit disappointed that Taeyeon only pecked her lips. But her disappointment instantly vanished when she opened her eyes and saw Taeyeon sweetly smiling at her.

“There, we already sealed it. You can’t back out on me now.”

“I’ll never back out. Just…” Tiffany didn’t get to finish what she’s about to say for Taeyeon already claimed her lips again and this time it was more than just a peck and Tiffany quietly rejoiced inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tiffany finally closed their apartment door but a huge smile is still painted on her face. She rested and her back against the door and dreamily let out a sigh.

“Something good happened to you when you went to Taeyeon’s office earlier don’t you?” She didn’t notice Jessica came to her and is now standing in front of her with her hands across her chest. Tiffany wouldn’t even notice if a bomb suddenly explode outside their house what more the presence of one of her best friends?

“Jessi, you scared me.” Tiffany straightens up and starts to walk towards their kitchen. She felt Jessica’s eyes followed her every move and wonders when her best friend would start questioning her again. Just as she put down her glass of water Jessica did began to speak again.

“So, what happened?” Jessica repeated her question again. Then Sooyoung and Juhyun came in to the kitchen and sat with the remaining stools.

“Just in time!” Sooyoung beamed a smile and began grabbing some banana in the counter to munch on.

“Unnie we’re complete you can start now.” Juhyun also sweetly smiled to her unnie and waited with her other unnies to have Tiffany’s story.

“Well, something nice did happen. I think it was more than nice. It was wonderful!” The three girls rolled their eyes at the same time when they saw Tiffany was so high.

“Taeyeon, finally asked me to be her girlfriend!” Tiffany then tells the news to her friends. Her friends, well let’s just say shocked is not enough to describe their reaction when they heard it.

“That was so sudden. I mean, with what happened earlier at the café. That woman who came barging in and almost ruin the party.” Sooyoung shook her head in disbelief.

“Yeah can’t Taeyeon find a more romantic setting than that? Tsk I’m a bit disappointed with her move.” Jessica also commented on Tiffany’s news.

“Girls, I really don’t care. To me it doesn’t matter where, when or how Taeyeon would confess. What only matter to me is she finally admits her feelings for me.” Tiffany gave a simple smile to her friends. It was simple and yet the people that get to witness it couldn’t deny the fact that the girl was indeed happy.

“Unnie, I’m happy for you and Taeyeon unnie!”

“Thanks Juhyun!”

“Well, we just thought that Taeyeon would do cheesy stuffs before she finally ask you to be her girlfriend. But it doesn’t mean we’re not happy for the two of you. Right, Sooyoung?”

“Yeah! We’re happy for the two of you. Really!”

“Thanks girls! I appreciate it so much!”

The four girls soon engage into a group hug and began teasing the newly no longer available friend of them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taeyeon let out a heavy sigh before she turns in the door knob of their house. She knew that her parents are probably waiting for her on the other side. Like them she also has a lot questions and like them she also have a lot of worries.

She found her parents sitting together in their long couch. They didn’t say a word, so Taeyeon just walk towards them and sat across from them.

“We tried calling your brother but he’s not picking up. What’s wrong with him? What is he doing? Doesn’t he know what that woman is doing right now? What kind of man is he? That’s why that woman is so brave facing us because she knows the nature of your stupid brother!” Taeyeon flinched when she heard her father’s tone, from mellow to uproar. The last time she heard that tone was when her brother told them that he got Nana pregnant.

“Appa, please don’t say those things to Oppa. I’ll try calling him.”

“Stop defending him! If he told that woman the first time she approached him to stay away from my granddaughter these things wouldn’t even happen! If he man up and didn’t let himself be swayed by her vicious words she wouldn’t have the guts to show her face to us!”

“Appa please calm down shouting is not good for your heart. Appa please!” Taeyeon tried to calm her father down.

“Yeobo, listen to your daughter and I know you don’t want wake Jiji from your angry voice.” Mr. Kim somehow managed to calm down. Seeing the worried faces of his wife and daughter and the fear of waking her precious granddaughter really made the deal.

“You better talk to your brother. I don’t want another incident like earlier to ever happen again. If my granddaughter gets traumatized by that woman, I swear I’ll break our deal! Do you hear me Taeyeon?”

“Yes Appa!” Was all Taeyeon could say.

Taeyeon’s father is serious and it really scared her, when one night Jiwoong come home with Nana to tell them that he got her pregnant but got no plans in getting married. Their father just shouted and slightly raged at them, since he knows who Nana is to Taeyeon.

Nana is, safe to say was the only girl Taeyeon ever dated. She was her first in every sense of the word. And the reason why they broke up was not really a secret to their family although Taeyeon never told it to her family. Her father has his ways to know.

When Nana just disappeared one day leaving a few months old Taeji their father just calmly told them to not bother and look for her. He said no parent would leave their child behind without a reason and Nana just left without giving them any reason at all. He also said that if one day Nana came back and gave them a valid reason, an acceptable explanation then they would accept her. But if she’ll only comeback to cause another crack to the relationship of his family then she would have to think again. Because he won’t let her near any of them and that he would make sure that Nana would never be known as Taeji’s mother in paper or words. She won’t ever be acknowledged it would be like she never existed at all.

Back then Taeyeon wonders how her father would be able to that but now she clearly knows what that means. Her father can easily just ask favors and law would easily be just ignored. It was her father that helped Hyoyeon out when her business partners conned her and left her to face the public’s wrath alone. It only took a simple phone call and Hyoyeon’s name was cleared. That’s the first time she witness her father’s connection. Their father was never the one who uses authority, he only does it when it’s his families safety was at stake.

When Taeyeon was done reminiscing the past, she took her phone out again and tried to contact her brother. But like their earlier attempt, he’s still can’t be reached.

She sighs and just opts in sending her brother a text message.

Oppa, please call me as soon as you get this message.

Jinah is back to Seoul and she went to our café anniversary party un-invited and obviously caused trouble.

Appa is beyond mad and I’m afraid about what he’ll do if Jinah would go on with her plan.

Oh! Her plan, well she just told us that she’ll take back what is hers.

So, call me ASAP!!! You know I won’t let her take Jiji away. It’s just that Appa is really mad. You and I already talked about this right?

Taeyeon sighs again as the sent notification flashed in her phone’s screen. After putting her phone back to her pocket again she slowly made her way to Taeji’s room to check on the little girl on last time. She sat down beside Taeji and gently caressed her cheeks again it was her habit whenever she sees the child sleeping.

‘Baby, I’m sorry if I think your mother won’t be a good mother to you. It’s just that, there was never a moment single moment during that short time that Nana looked at you with a mother’s eyes. I know I’m not yet qualified to say that back then but I know, because Umma always looked at me and your Daddy with those kind of eyes and now not to be bragging but I looked at you with those kind of eyes too. You see, your Daddy and I promised that one day when you’re big enough to understand what’s right and wrong and when you’re big enough to really understand certain things. We would tell you the truth, everything, from the start until the end of it all. Slowly we will let you know about it, bit by bits we’ll tell as you grow up, until we reached to all the complicated stuffs.’ Taeyeon silently told to herself.

“I’ll start tonight, your grandpa was wrong. Nana never left you without a word. Your Daddy and I just decided to lie to him. Because we don’t want him to completely erased your mother in your life. I admit I hated her back then and still hate her till now, I still don’t want to take her completely out of your life. And because at some point, I thank her, I truly thank her for giving you to us. I hate her at the same time like her. It’s like love and hate. Oh my, see? I’m already telling you complicated stuffs. Glad you’re asleep and can’t hear me, don’t worry baby one day I’ll repeat this again to you. Just sleep peacefully and Mama will take care of it. I love you.” She gently whispered while she continues caressing the sleeping child.

Taeyeon glanced again to check Taeji before finally closing the door. Then she tiredly make her way to her own room which is only beside Taeji’s room, but to her she felt like she walked a mile before she was able to reached her door.

She just dropped her body to her bed, Taeyeon even didn’t bother to change her clothes nor have her nightly routine. She was ready to drift off to oblivion and for the first time in years she was going to sleep feeling sad again but then her phone lights up and rings signaling a call and it caught her attention, without giving a glance she just answered the call.

“Hi~” the voice on the other line caught her full attention now. Taeyeon flipped over and lay properly on her bed with her phone on her hand.

 “Hello Tiffany.”

“Did I woke you up? I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m not yet sleeping. I should be the one apologizing to you, I’m actually about to go to bed when you call. I’m sorry I totally forgot to call you first, I’m such a bad girlfriend forgetting to her girl on their first night being together.”

“It’s okay Taeyeon, I understand. There must be a lot of things going on in your head right now.”

“Yeah you’re totally right…” Taeyeon’s answer somewhat made Tiffany sad. Although she truly understands but it still feels disappointing that Taeyeon forgot about her and seems to not feel anything about it.

Taeyeon sensed that Tiffany is getting quiet on the phone because of what she said and slightly her lips curved upward.

“I’ve been thinking a lot of things. Do you want to know what occupied most of my mind tonight?” The lack of reply made Taeyeon’s smile wider and in instant she forgot her worries on how she’ll deal with Nana the next time they meet again.

“You.” She just blurted out of nowhere.

“What?”

“I said you.”

“I don’t get it.”

“I just told you that I’ve been thinking a lot about you.” Tiffany’s face heat up upon hearing Taeyeon’s words again. She was thinking if the older girl was just playing with her earlier.

 “I don’t believe you.” Tiffany tried to joke but she instantly felt worried when she heard a sad sigh instead of Taeyeon’s laughter.

‘Was I being too much? She tried to make up for her little mistake and it seems like I making it big. Aish Tiffany how could you joke about a very sensitive matter.’

“I…”

“I’m sorry Fany. It’s true you really slipped out of my mind, the thing that Jinah caused earlier is really making me worry. I’m sorry if I dragged you into a relationship where I can’t put my whole attention at for the whole time. I’m sorry. I’ll totally understand if you would call it quits after this. But believe it or not my feelings for you are true.”

“I’m sorry Tae I didn’t mean it the bad way. Please don’t think that I don’t really believe you I’m just trying to throw a joke at you since you’re being too cheesy again. I’m sorry I’m such a failure! I’m so really, really bad at telling jokes! I’m sorry Taeyeon!” It took Taeyeon three second to have everything Tiffany said registered into her brain and when it finally hit her she just cracks up.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA~~~”

“Taeyeon?!”

“HAHAHA!!! Oh my god! HAHAHA!!! I… I see… But…” Taeyeon breathe and tried to calm herself down and Tiffany waited for her, she felt better after hearing Taeyeon laugh at her.

“Yes Tae?” Tiffany asked when she heard Taeyeon breathing normal again.

“But you see we’re such a silly couple. Wanna know why?”

“Why?”

“Because we’re saying I’m sorry more in our first phone conversation and…”

“And? What?”

“And did we just have our first fight tonight too?”

“Hmmm it’s more like our first misunderstanding really. You’re just assuming and wanting to jump into finishing it off quickly. I’m quite sad when I heard that.”

“Aw~ I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it that way!” After what Taeyeon has said, it was Tiffany who threw a fir of laughter this time around.

“HAHAHAHA! OH my god! We’re so silly we’re just getting back to the topic round and round.”

“I like that.”

“Huh?” Tiffany asked, she was caught off guard and really didn’t understand what Taeyeon has just said.

“I said I like that, what you said. I hope in the future we’ll be like this conversation we’re having right now. That even if we get off with each other and might have misunderstandings but at the end of it all we’ll still get back to each other. And I specially love the last part of what you said.”

“And what is that?” This time Tiffany is smiling widely on her own.

“That round and round part.”

“Hmmmm…” As Tiffany hums her answer, Taeyeon too was smiling on her own.

“Let’s aim for that Fany.” Taeyeon said those words with so much conviction and determination and hopes Tiffany felt it. For Taeyeon truly meant it with all her heart and soul. She hopes that she and Tiffany could have it. A forever with each other.

When Taeyeon thought that she’ll be ending her night with so much worries swimming all over head. Tiffany called and now her heart is swimming with so much happiness. She can’t help but feel grateful that someone like Tiffany happened into her life accidentally or not.