Chapter 6

“Ji, finish your lunch now please! We have an appointment to visit dentist unnie!” Taeyeon was already fussing over on getting late wondering how she will make the little girl finish her lunch. Although the clock on the wall clearly shows that it’s only 20 minutes past 11.

“Ma, veggie no pwease!” Little Taeji asked cutely showing her cute dimples and cute puppy eyes to Taeyeon.

“That won’t work on me young lady! Since I’ve been seeing that every day in the mirror!” Taeyeon smiled at the child while lightly pinching her cheeks. The little girl pouted even more.

“Come on baby, finish your lunch already we still have to take a bath! I don’t want us to be late on out appointment! You don’t want to make Tiffany unnie sad when waiting for you?” The older girl’s thought was more likely, ‘I will be sad if I don’t get to see her again! It’s been a week.’

“Ppani unnie! Go go go!” The child squealed upon hearing the name and obediently finished her long overdue lunch much to Taeyeon’s happiness.

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Taeyeon lightly knocks on the glass paneled door of the clinic. She smiled down at the now slightly excited Taeji in her hold.

‘I hope she won’t make a fuss this time. Please let her be still as excited like this when we already enter the main room.’ Taeyeon mentally prayed albeit she herself couldn’t contain her own excitement upon the oncoming meeting with the pink dentist she unknowingly missed the whole week.

“Hi Taeyeon unnie! Hi Jiji!” The younger girl behind the reception table smiled and waved at the two incoming guest.

“Hi Juhyunnie! Are we late?” Taeyeon shakily asked.

“You’re just in time Unnie! Tiff unnie is about to finish on her last patient before Jiji.” The younger girl informed.

“Okay! Jiji and I will just wait on the couch!” Taeyeon smiled again before walking to the visitor’s mini lounge and settled the little in her hold to sit for a while.

Not much longer, Juhyun approached the playing duo in the couch and started a slight conversation to the older one.

“Hi again Unnie! Can I join you two in here? There’s really nothing much to do now since Jiji is the last appointment of the day.” Juhyun shyly asked the slightly shocked Taeyeon whose wondering why the other girl strikes a conversation with her.

“Uhm sure! Please have a sit!” Taeyeon watched Juhyun to take the empty space beside Taeji and started to help the little girl turn the glossy page of a children’s book.

“Taeji looks calm today. Did you successfully pep-talked her at home?” The younger girl asked.

“Yeah kind of. Well, she kinda more excited to see Dr. Hwang than the fact that she’ll have her teeth remove today. Is that bad Juhyun?!” Juhyun smiled when she saw the worried and anxious expression of Taeyeon after she said those words.

“Well it could be good. She’s excited to see Tiff unnie, meaning she’s getting familiar with her. And when a child has started to be familiar with someone new only means that the child has started to trust that new person.” Juhyun gave a warm smile at Taeyeon again who somehow calmed down after that talk.

Taeyeon feels like she’s the one being cooed into assuring pep-talk so she won’t be freaked out in visiting the dental clinic for the first time in her life. She’s still a little worried for her baby Taeji. Especially that in the past days the little girl started to whine and complain about her aching tooth.

“Oh I think it’s over!” Taeyeon followed the eyes of the younger girl who spoke and saw the Mother and son who walked out from the clinic’s room.

Taeyeon silently watched as the dentist kneeled down in one knee to gently pat the young boy’s head while giving her dazzling eye smile but the action the other girl did made Taeyeon scrunch up her entire face with dismay. The eye smiling doctor just kissed the little boy’s cheeks that totally made the kid all happy and smiley forgetting about the plucked tooth in his mouth.

‘Pissshh, what the?! Haist why are you thinking like this Kim Taeyeon! Being jealous over a little boy! Wait did I just say I’m jealous?! NOOOOOO!’ Taeyeon mentally screamed upon realizing what she said and felt this very moment.

‘Stay cool Taeng! Stay cool!’ She chanted over and over again in her head in hope to mask the building nervousness she’s starting to feel.

‘Focus you’re here for Taeji’s teeth! Stop thinking and feeling unnecessary things at the moment!’ She added another chant.

“Unnie are you okay? You and Taeji can enter the clinic now. Let’s go.” Taeyeon broke her inner thoughts and followed behind Juhyun with little Taeji in her hold.

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“Hi Taeji! Long time no see! Did you miss me?” Tiffany asked the little girl who made a dash into her.

“Ppani unnie! Jiji miss you a lot lot lot! I always brush my teeth now every morning and before sleep! Jiji is a good girl right?!” The little girl flashed a huge grin smile at her showing her cute little chin dimple.

“Wow! Very good baby! Since you’ve been good Unnie will treat you a very yummy ice cream! And I miss you too” Tiffany gave the little girl the same huge smile first before giving the little a girl soft peck on the cheeks.

‘How come only Jiji get a kiss? How ‘bout me? Aish stop dreaming Kim Taeyeon!’ Taeyeon mentally punched, slapped and kicked herself for having stupid thoughts towards her niece’s dentist. But what else can she do? She couldn’t help but feel a little bit jealous after that innocent peck. ‘Aish now you really admit that you’re jealous huh?! And jealous of your own little niece! What a way to go!’ Taeyeon just smiled perfectly hiding all her thoughts.

“Yippee! Ice cream! Mama hear that? Ppani unnie will treat me ice cream!” The little girl looked back at Taeyeon still flashing her huge smile.

“But Ppani unnie must check your teeth first before we go eat yummy ice cream! I heard from your Mama that your tooth has been aching lately so Unnie is also really worried. Can I take a look first?” Tiffany carefully asked the little girl in front of her. She needed to be really careful or else she might break the easy and jolly aura the child is having right now.

“Hmmm Jiji does feel pain. It’s over here Unnie!” The little girl voluntarily opened wide for Tiffany to look at the child also pointed with finger again like she did the last time. And that’s when everybody in the clinic knew that it will go on smoothly from this moment onwards.

“Ooooh baby can Unnie place you on the chair over there so I can see clearly the lights here are not very bright I can’t see the cute teeth of yours.” The little girl giggled and nods cutely obeying Tiffany’s words.

Taeyeon helped her little girl to sit from the high dental chair. After making sure that the child is comfortably sitting she lean down and gave a quick kiss on Taeji’s forehead before stepping aside giving the dentist the space she needs.

“Can I see your cute little teeth again baby?” Tiffany smiled under her mask when Taeji instantly followed her request.

“You have a very pretty teeth you know! Can Ppani unnie clean them for you?” She pulled down her mask and gave an assuring smile at the lying girl bellow her.

“Will that hurt Ppani unnie?!” The little girl suddenly went a little nervous.

“Nope baby! Unnie will use a very special toothpaste for you! See this?!” Tiffany help up a yellow tiny bottle of numbing gel disguising it as a toothpaste so the child won’t be scared more than she is right now.

“It’s colored yellow! Look!” She opened the lid and showed the contents inside. “And it’s banana flavor! I heard it’s your favorite fruit! So Ppani unnie specially brought this one for you since you don’t like the strawberry one last time!” The little girl smiled when she smell the banana aroma coming from the little bottle.

“It smells like my toothpaste!” Taeji giggle a little. Tiffany shot a knowing look at Taeyeon and Juhyun conveying through her eyes what she’s going to next. Taeyeon understanding the message silently nods and nervously stands beside the dental chair.

“What do you do first before brushing your teeth?” Tiffany asked the little girl with enthusiasm.

“Gargle!”

“Very good! Show Unnie how it’s done!” The little girl sat up and grabbed the glass of water and cutely puff up her cheeks with water then spits it out in a fountain like manner. The elders in the room couldn’t help but giggle at the playfulness of the little girl.

“Okay Jiji, say BIG AH so Unnie can apply the yummy banana toothpaste!” The little girl again followed Tiffany’s request obediently. And the dentist didn’t waste another second and swiftly apply enough amount of numbing gel into the little girl’s waiting mouth.

The dentist was ever so serious the moment she applied the numbing gel to the little girl’s gum. She didn’t forget to act like she’s cleaning the little girl’s teeth while waiting for the numbing gel to take its effect. When the time arrives, Tiffany carefully took the injection containing the anesthesia and carefully injects it to the gum. She waited for a minute again before she took the extracting forceps and carefully pluck out the little girl’s central incisor and proceeds in excavating soft carious decay in the child’s first pre-molar and filled it with a temporary pasta. While, Juhyun assisted in operating the saliva ejector. In record time the dentist finished her task. Pulling down her mask Tiffany smiled sweetly at the brave little girl who managed to stay calm all those time.

“There we’re done! Our Taeji is very brave!” The little girl still oblivious to her missing front teeth flashes her signature wide grin smile showing the still red gum in the process.

“Okay baby Jiji, please bit on this little soft cotton ball for a little while and stay sited on the couch outside while Ppani unnie and Juhyun unnie clean up the clinic first so we can now go and buy you your yummy ice cream! Is that good?” The little girl nods her head cutely before biting down the cotton ball Tiffany handled.

Tiffany then helped the little girl to get down in the dental chair and handed her to Taeyeon’s waiting arms.

“Miss Kim, I’m sorry if I didn’t ask for your permission earlier about buying your daughter some ice cream. But ice cream is really good after tooth extraction especially to kids and uhm it lessen the trauma and it also stop the gum from bleeding and uhm I’m sorry for blabbing too much! But last question please, can I buy Taeji some ice cream after this?” Tiffany mentally punched herself for losing her mind in finding words to say in order to have a decent conversation with the older girl in front of her.

‘Calm down Tiffany! It’s not like you’re asking her for a date or something! Just an ice cream for the kid for Christ’s sake!’

“Actually, my friends are already waiting for us at the mall.” After the words left Taeyeon’s mouth the smile of the dentist slowly fade away. Sensing the wrong she did, Taeyeon tried to save her stupid blunt honesty. Because the truth is, she also wants to spend more time with the cute pink dentist.

“But if it’s okay with you Dr. Hwang, you and Juhyun can come with us and then join us for an early dinner and ice cream. Since you’ve already met my friends last time.” Taeyeon sincerely smiled at Tiffany and latter smiled just as dazzling than ever.

“Sure!” Tiffany didn’t think twice and answered in high tone making the three person in her clinic flinched due to shock.

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Taeyeon carried her niece in her arms not letting her walk or worst run on her feet. Not when she just finished having her first dental experience. Tiffany and Juhyun walked beside Taeyeon while the three of them tried to make little conversation on their way to Taeyeon’s friend’s location.

When they reach the mall’s entrance they notice a tan and fair skinned girl frantically waving at them in front of the fountain, one of the two girls run towards them.

“Taeng, give me Jiji. You must’ve been carrying her from the car park up to here.” Yuri took the slightly dizzy kid from Taeyeon’s arms.

“Don’t shake her around too much okay? She’s still a little bit dizzy from the anesthesia from earlier. She’ll be fine after a couple more hours.” Tiffany carefully reminded the girl who took Taeji from Taeyeon.

“Roget that! Oh! Hi there lovely dentist! Dr. Tiffany Hwang! Hi! Juhyun! Will you guys be joining us for dinner? Ooooh wait where’s Sica?” Yuri frantically looked behind her friend and the other two in search for the said girl.

“Sica? You mean Jessica?” Tiffany curiously asked the tan girl.

“Uhm yeah! I mean Jessica. Is she with you guys?” Yuri hopefully asked again.

“Sorry we’re not with Jessi today. Since Juhyun and I came straight from the clinic. And I think Jessi still hasn’t texted me the whole day, meaning she’s busy.” Tiffany didn’t know why she answered the other girl with full details. Maybe because she doesn’t want the other girl feel more disappointed when she said her first sentence.

“Uhm that’s okay! Tiffany-ssi!” Yuri smiled at the Tiffany.

“Uhm sorry but, I kinda don’t remember your name when you remembered mine and Juhyun’s. And you’re already asking about my other bestfriend like she’s your special friend too.” Tiffany apologetically smile at the other girl with that Taeyeon abruptly laugh out loud. Showcasing her very unusual old-lady-like laughter.

“Yah Taeng! What’s so funny?”

“Tiffany unnie. That’s Yuri unnie she’s one of Taeyeon unnie’s friends we met last week at the restaurant!” Juhyun reminded her older friend about the identity of the other girl.

“Hahaha Kwon Yul got busted by the BFF!” Taeyeon continue her laughing fit at her friend who’s now pouting in embarrassment.

“No! no! no! Tiffany-ssi! I’m just really good at remembering people’s name! So, I remembered all of your names! Nothing more!” Yuri hurriedly tried to explain.

“Hey you guys plan on staying here? Let take a roll!” A brunette haired girl in Taeyeon’s built approached them followed by another blonde and a tall slender girl that Tiffany’s familiar with.

Taeyeon notice the suddenly awkward air that passed them when her friends come near them and stopped laughing to make another introduction.

“Uhm sorry! Where’s my manner. You probably wonder who are these two additional shorties. This one is Lee Soonkyu aka Sunny.” Tiffany and Juhyun followed Taeyeon’s hand when she pointed at the brunette girl. “And this one is Kim Hyoyeon!” Taeyeon pointed next to the blonde.

“Guys, these are Tiffany Hwang and Seo Juhyun!” Taeyeon introduces the other two to her friends next.

“And in case you also forgot this tall girl’s name. It’s Im Yoona!” Taeyeon directly looked at Tiffany who was caught off guard for looking so problematic.

“So, you’re the miss dentist this shorty has been blabbing about! Hi nice to finally meet you!” The girl named Hyoyeon said and waved at her. “And just call us unnie Juhyun-ssi since we heard you called these three unnies.” Hyoyeon smiled and wave at Juhyun too who shyly smiled back.

“And just call me Hyunnie or just Juhyun too. Hyoyeon unnie and Sunny unnie!” Juhyun being the youngest in the group feel really shy.

“Aigoo! So cute! Much better than our loud mouthed maknae!” Sunny squealed in delight seeing the shy flustered face of Juhyun. “Don’t be shy on us! Okay Hyunnie?!”

“Uhm okay! Sunny unnie! Thanks Hyoyeon unnie!” Juhyun looked up and met the others kind eyes.

“Come on Hyunnie! We’re gonna be the maknae duo from now on!” Yoona went beside the other girl and swing her long arms to Juhyun shoulder before pulling her along.