Chapter 4

The sun had set, and the sky began to dim. Yellowish street lamps illuminated the busy streets. Cars came in a stop as traffic lights turned red let pedestrians crossed the road. Some people walked briskly towards their own destinations. Some of them were still wearing their work attires and the others were on their casual clothes.

From the corner of her eyes, Taeyeon watched a grandmother and her granddaughter holding hands. The little girl talked animatedly about something, the old woman just smiled and nodded at whatever her granddaughter talking about. Taeyeon smiled at the sight.

After wandering alone for a little over one hour, she rode her bicycle to her favorite fast food restaurant as it was past dinner time. When she had nothing to do and wanted to go out, she loved to take her bike around the city. A cool breeze caressed her face as she pedaled her bike faster, she was starving so faster she gets there better.

"Ahjussi." She greeted the guard man politely as she parked the bike near him and took off her helmet.

"Oh hey. Dinner?" The old man asked smiling kindly.

"Yeah. Please looking after my bike, Ahjussi." He gave her a thumb up and ushered her in. He knew her well since she came regularly, she sometimes treated him the restaurant's foods too.

She ordered foods as she decided to eat there. She brought the tray with her, scanning around looking for less crowded area. She sat at an empty table in the end of restaurant near windows. After washed her hands, she grabbed her chicken and starting to dig in. When she finished her foods she leaned back on the chair, feeling her stomach full.

She looked out windows glanced up at the sky, where the clouds had gone from black to gray-ish color and the wind blowing heavily. Nah, you don't rain on me. Taeyeon muttered.

She handed over the paper bag filled with foods that she bought before rushed out of the place to the old man, thanking him for looked after her bike. She hopped on, and rode her bike faster as she felt the wind blew stronger.

When she was a few blocks from her apartment, she paddled her bike slower. Then she spotted a woman opposite direction of her,  standing next to the car that parked on the side of the road with a phone on her ear.

Taeyeon paid no mind at first, but then she came to a halt stopping her bike as she found the woman was her boss. She crossed the street, approaching her. Cleared , she called her out. "Ma'am?"

She turned around, surprised to find Taeyeon in front of her. "Taeyeon?" She raised her eyebrows. 

"What are you doing here, Ma'am? Is everything okay?" She asked concern.

She sighed. "I don't know, but suddenly my car broke down." She heard a car behind hers honking their horn annoyingly before passed by her, her brows knitted in displeasure. Luckily the road was not too crowded because she wasn't too sure she can handled it calmly. She set her eyes on Taeyeon again. "What about you? What are you doing here?"

"I was on my way to my apartment, I live in this neighbor." She lifted her hand, index finger pointing at the building not too far from where they were standing. "That's my apartment building."

There was a knock sound came out of the car, following with car's window rolled down. A head popped out, a grinning boy waving at Taeyeon enthusiastically. He delighted can meet his new friend again, after his mother forbidden his to come to her office as a punishment. "Hi Taengoo." He said, voice filled with excitement. 

She waved at the boy back awkwardly, it's been awhile since their encounter.

Tiffany stopped her son when he seemed like want to come out of the car. "Sweetheart no. Stay there and close the window. It's cold outside." She warned.

His lower lip protruded in sulky pout but listening to his mother nevertheless.

Suddenly lightening flashed around them and thunder roared, it was just a matter of time till rain pouring. Tiffany cursed. "Taeyeon, do you know nearest car repair shop?"

"I do. But Ma'am, I think it's going to be rain soon. Do you want to wait for the mechanic here in the car or in my apartment building? We don't know how long it takes him to fix it especially when the problem is possibly the machine, and it seems like it's going to be rain any minute now and probably he needs to take the car for shop first before check it." She explained. "If you want I can take care of it, you can just waiting in my apartment building." Taeyeon offered.

Tiffany bit her lower lip, considering. "Is it okay with you?"

"Yes, of course. Come on I'll take you there."

While she was waiting for her to help her son got out of the car and gathered her things, she took her phone out of her waist bag and made a call. 

"Hello, it's Taeyeon." Tiffany heard her talked on the phone. 

"Can you come to my apartment? A car broke down near my area." There was a brief silent as the other line talking. "Yeah. Yes. Okay. Bye." She hung up the phone. 

When she finished the call, a sound of door closed heard. She looked at her boss and son came closer to her, her son somehow still grinning from ear to ear. Taeyeon brought her eyes on her. "Let's go." She began to walking, herding her bike. 

"Is it okay if I leave my car here?" She asked as she followed Taeyeon, holding her son's hand. 

"Don't worry, Ma'am. I will go back here after I take you there." Taeyeon tried to reassured her. 

Tiffany nodded. Then suddenly her son spoke. "You ride a bicycle." He looked up at Taeyeon, pointing at her bike. 

"Yes, I'm." She replied simply. 

"Can you teach me how to ride a bicycle?" His eyes pleaded full of hope. "Mommy can't help, she can't ride a bicycle." Tiffany looked away embarrassed. "And Daddy-" He trailed off, thinking for a moment. "Daddy is so busy. I don't think he can help too. I don't even know if he can ride a bicycle because he always drives a car. " he said sadly. Before the mother can in, he speaks again. "Can you help me please? We're friends, right? Friends help each other! "

"Sweetheart no. She's busy too." She said crushing her son's hope. She doesn't want to bothering Taeyeon furthermore and if he really want to learn to ride a bike, his father is the one who going to teach him not a stranger. 

The boy jutted his lower lip, feeling sad think about some of his friends can bicycling but he didn't. "Really?" A crack of his voice devastating her but Taeyeon just nodded her head, had no choice as Tiffany hinted her to just told him so.

Tore her gaze off him, she opened the glass door of the entrance to let the mother-son in. They stopped at the lobby. "Do you want to wait here or in my apartment, Miss Hwang?"