What comes after "happily ever after"...? - Tiffany
Even the emerald editing department isn't a war zone all the time.
"Man..." Tiffany smiled blissfully "The two or three days after the cycle sure are a happy time..." Meaning because the whole room is filled with pink and teddy bears and flowers and girly stuff.
"Yuuup!" Sunny agreed and took a bite of a cookie.
"Makes me wonder if all our frantic scrambling was just a dream..."
"No waaay, Tiff, it's the other way around! Right now is the dream!"
What a fluffy atmosphere...
"I wish it could be like this all the time..."
*Whack*
"Oww!" Tiffany looked back holding the back of her head, she was just whacked again by Taeyeon who was passing by "What's the big idea?!" She glared.
"If you don't have anything to do, then get started on your next assignment," Taeyeon said.
"I am! I'm just getting organized at the moment!"
"Oh, would you look at that. It's already noon." Taeyeon said, acting surprised after looking at the time on her phone "Tiffany, let's grab some lunch."
"Huh?"
"You two sure are such good friends! 3 3" A girl from another department said bashfully.
"Right?" Taeyeon smiled back at the girl.
"How so?!" Tiffany yelled.
Apparently, the two of them bickering made a moment for all the TaeNy shippers in their company.
"Here I am kindly offering to manage your meals for you and you're always dragging your feet," Taeyeon said, passing by again.
Tiffany grimaced "While I'm grateful for your concern, I can handle my meals just fine on my own!"
"Liar."
"It's not a lie!"
Taeyeon crossed her arms, "Then let's hear what you had for dinner last night."
Tiffany had a dark look on her face before looking away "S-...Some bread and...a beef patty with tomato and onion and cheese and pickles and...some potatoes that had been fried...and a sugar based carbonated drink."
"That's a fucking cheeseburger set, idiot!"
"Tiff, that's no good!" Sunny suddenly started laughing, "If you keep eating like that, you're gonna see a lot of things break down when you hit 30!" She snickered.
"We're heading out for lunch," Taeyeon announced.
"Have fuuuun!" Hyoyeon said with a wink.
"Come on, let's go." Taeyeon pulled Tiffany by the arm.
"Wai- Wait a minute, Taeyeeeeon!"
In the end, Tiffany walked willingly with Taeyeon.
I need to come up with some sort of excuse to get away...
What kind of sick joke is it to have my boss make sure I'm eating properly?!
I really can't figure out what she's thinking...
"I will cook you meals every day...so wanna shack up together ?" - Taeyeon
Suggestive things like that...sh- she's always saying things that sound like marriage proposals too...
"Hey," Taeyeon called "Why won't you just give in and admit it?"
"Huh?" Tiffany raised an eyebrow, not getting what Taeyeon is implying to, "Admit what?"
"That you're in love with me."
"Huh?!" Tiffany frowned
"If you just say it don't you think it would be a load off?" Taeyeon also frowned.
"S- Says the girl who just told me the other day that she would gladly wait for me...!" Tiffany said in a grumble as she followed Taeyeon inside the elevator.
What is with her?!
Taeyeon looked back at her, clearly pissed off, "...do you even realize what you're saying?!"
"Huh?!"
"You are telling me you still don't get it?!" Taeyeon glared as she approached her.
"W- Wait...wait Taeyeon!"
Before Taeyeon could even do anything further, Tiffany's phone rang, and the elevator door opened giving Tiffany the perfect chance to run away, "Hello? Huh? Oh, Mom?" Tiffany immediately answered the phone without even looking at the caller ID, "Uh, wait for just a sec!" She looked back at Taeyeon who quietly stepped out of the elevator, "I'm sorry, Taeyeon. I will just eat on my own today!"
"Tiffany!" Taeyeon called but it was no use. Tiffany had already gone back to her phone call and was not listening to her. Taeyeon sighed and left, Tiffany doesn't seem like she will be finished anytime soon.
"Ah, yeah, it's fine...so? What is it?" Tiffany sighed in relief, "Huh? Hey, calm down! What's the matter?" Tiffany's eyes widened, "What?...Kanggun did what?!"
"Kanggun officially canceled your engagement!" Her mother yelled.
"Wait...seriously?" Tiffany asked, not believing the news.
"He said he loved you as a childhood friend but couldn't bring himself to see you as his wife!"
Kanggun...
That's how he passed off his feelings to me...?
"This is what happens when you drag your feet like you've been doing! Where on earth are you going to find a man as fine as him?! What do you plan on doing about all that?! Now we will have to find you someone else!" Her mother was clearly not pleased by what happened.
"Ah...wait, Mom ?...Does Dad know about this?"
There is no way my father will take this lying down.
"Of course! But all I got out of him were two words: Okay, understood. He agreed to the whole thing!"
Huh?
"What?...Wait a minute...what...does that mean?" Tiffany put a hand on her head, not understanding what the hell is going through her father's head.
"Well, he was never all that keen on the idea in the first place."
"He wasn't?" Tiffany raised her eyebrows in surprise, wasn't her father the one who chose Kanggun?
"No, he wasn't!" Her mother screamed in the phone, "That's why I set up the engagement myself with Kanggun's mother, for the sake of you and the company! And that's why I can't fathom what's going on through you or your father's heads right now!"
Tiffany took the phone away from her ear in pain when her mother screamed.
"Tiffany! You had better not tell me you're seeing someone else right now!"
"Huh? Oh, uh, s- sorry, I have to hang up! I'm at the office right now!"
"Tiffany!"
"I have told you I'm not! Yeah, yeah..." Tiffany yelled through the phone, "I will take care of my own business myself!...Yeah, okay, whatever. Bye, see you!"
With a huff, Tiffany hung up and went to the break room. She really just needs a drink to cool her head off right now.
What's going on?
So Dad wasn't involved in the engagement with Kanggun at all? Does the engagement have anything to do with the company at all?
But, when I think about it...I think my father never said anything at all about the engagement. Was it all just mom running wild? In fact...did my father ever actually tell me that I was going to take over the company from him someday...?
Even when I told him that I was quitting Hwang's publishing and joining Im's publishing...I don't recall him being particularly against it or reprimanding me. When I demanded to go back to America back during high school too...he agreed to it without even asking me my reasons.
So...what's going on?
Mom was always the one throwing a fit from the sidelines so I must have just assumed dad was of the same mind.
Wait, is it possiblethat...I don't have to take over the company, then?
What exactly does my father expect from me?
"Hey."
Tiffany turned around to the voice only to have a finger poke her cheek.
Taeyeon...of course...who else...
"Excuse me, Taeyeon..." Tiffany spoke sharply with a dark look on her face, "But when you do things like that, that even elementary school children wouldn't do...it actually really seriously crazily pisses me off."
"Oh, does it?" Taeyeon smirked.
Just then Tiffany realized that Taeyeon had her work bag with her, ready to go out, "Are you going somewhere?" She asked
"To pick up a manuscript. Because a certain someone wouldn't have lunch with me."
Tiffany grimaced "Please at least eat lunch on your own!"
Good grief, this woman...
"Tiffany."
"What now?" Tiffany looked back at Taeyeon grumpily.
Taeyeon was looking at her with a concerned expression, "That phone call...did something happen?"
"What...?" Tiffany raised an eyebrow, "No, not particularly. It was from my mother, but...I'm on lunch break, so it should be fine, right?" Tiffany said reluctantly thinking that Taeyeon is concerned about the company's policies, "I'm going to get something to eat now!" Tiffany dashed away.
Completely missing the look Taeyeon was giving her.
Ugh
Tiffany tiredly dragged her feet. She needs to get back home. Today she has screwed up so much that Yuri excused her home early.
Man, I totally spaced out the whole afternoon!
This isn't good at all...I can't let myself go like that just because things are slow at the office now!
*Sigh*
It's just that phone call from earlier has kind of been bugging me. I just don't know what my Dad's intentions are. He might just not be taking it seriously, but...maybe because mom has been hounding me this whole time I just assumed I had no choice but to take over the company. I do feel like I have got duties I have to fulfill as the only child, after all.
But if I have realized I had options outside of taking over the company...then does that mean...that it's alright for me to keep working under Taeyeon?
"..."
Oh right...should I tell Taeyeon that the matter with Kanggun has finally ended?
"..."
Wait, I'm under no obligation to tell her anything!
But...shouldn't I shape up and go ahead and tell her maybe...?
There have been so many moments where I have been so close to telling Taeyeon that I'm in love with her...so...I'm pretty sure I have got a clear handle on just how I feel about her, but that doesn't make Taeyeon's confession any easier to accept. After all, there's a much bigger problem to consider first of all.
What's the point of two girls dating?
I-...I mean, I'm not refusing to accept that homosexuality exists. Just...kind of like in romance comics. First, you're at odds with each other...then there is a confession...and then you're both feeling the same way about each other. And then...get married?
"..."
NO WAY
Besides, I don't even know what Taeyeon is expecting of a relationship between the two of us. There is no way we could become one of those lovey-dovey couples you see around all the time when I have got the personality I do! We're not gonna turn out like some couple in a comic where they realize they love each other and then suddenly just start living together happily.
Yeah...I know we won't get a happily ever after. So...I can't help thinking that someday we might break up...and I just don't think that I will be able to pick myself up and move on for the second time.
In reality, there is still further to go after the happy ending...and it's terrifying.
"Tiffany."
"Yes?"
Upon turning around to the voice calling her, a finger poked Tiffany on the cheek.
It was Taeyeon again. Of course.
"What are you doing here?!" Tiffany snapped. She was walking on the sidewalk, on her way back home. And somehow Taeyeon is here as well.
"I heard you left so I took off too," Taeyeon said nonchalantly.
"What the-...would you please stop with this behavior that sounds like you're stalking me?!"
Taeyeon crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "You sure you want to go there? Tiffany Kang?"
"Please forget that name!"
Taeyeon smiled at the sight of Tiffany looking down with her face as red as a tomato, "So? Were you going to have dinner here?" Taeyeon asked.
"What?" Tiffany looked at where Taeyeon was looking. It was Subway. The same sandwiches place they ate at when they used to go out during high school, (Check Chapter 16)
"Ugh, more bread? For fuck's sake. Eating only this kind of stuff is gonna..." Taeyeon sighed, "Well, whatever."
"What?!" Tiffany stared at Taeyeon who was already going inside, "Wait, Taeyeon!" So, Tiffany had no choice but to follow.
Taeyeon walked inside in a slow pace causing Tiffany to get frustrated and walk ahead of her, completely forgetting that she would have to order.
"Welcome! Will you be dining in or is this for a take-out?"
Tiffany jolted back a little because of how enthusiastic the woman taking orders was, "Uh...umm...dinning in..."
Taeyeon waited at the side and watched Tiffany make their order.
"All right! May I take your order?"
"Uh...eh, um..."
"Here are our monthly specials!"
"O- Okay..."
"I-...I'm so sorry" Tiffany looked at the sandwich Taeyeon ordered for her with a traumatized look. They are currently sitting at one of the tables inside.
"So you're telling me you still can't order food from this kind of place?" Taeyeon put the straw of her soda in her mouth.
"Of course, I can!" Tiffany snapped, "I just can't handle it when they put me in the spot like that, that's all!"
"Right."
Ugh...this situation is giving me all types of really horrible flashbacks.
The flashbacks were interrupted by the sound of Tiffany's phone ringing.
"Uh oh." Tiffany frowned upon looking at the caller ID.
"Who is it?" Taeyeon asked.
"It's um...Donghae-ssi."
"What?!" Taeyeon snapped upon hearing the name, "You still have his number in your contacts?! Delete it!"
"Why should I have to do that just because you tell me to?!" Tiffany yelled back.
"I told you, remember?! Nothing good could come of him having his eye on you!"
"There's no way he would ever see me like that!"
"I'm telling you this because it is possible! Don't you get it?"
"How on earth am I supposed to tell?!"
Taeyeon huffed and face palmed. It took a few seconds for her to regain her composure before taking a sip of her soda, "Before...something happened. When I was working at Weekly Earth...I got caught up in his affairs because the guy he was dating at the time decided he was in love with me." Taeyeon frowned at the memory.
"What?...wait...in love with you?" Tiffany's mouth hung agape, "In the office?"
"Yup." Taeyeon huffed again, "That asshole brought his personal problem into the workplace, and it wound up causing an issue with an author too. It was mortifying."
"Wait...are you saying..." The realization then sank in on Tiffany, "That was the reason you quit Jang's publishing?"
"Well, there were some issues with the company's organization as well, but yeah, I guess that was the main reason." Taeyeon looked down at her sandwich, "No matter how great an editor Donghae may have been, I knew there was no way I could work with him ever again. And then right about that time, Kangin got in touch with me, so I transferred to Im's Publishing."
Tiffany nodded slowly "So that's how it went..."
Hm...but...the other day...Donghae was heaping praise on Taeyeon...
I wonder what's going on?
"Ugh...now I have got all these horrible memories coming back to me." Taeyeon grimaced and roughly grumbled the wrapper of the sandwich she just finished eating.
I still don't understand what she and Donghae's relationship was. It makes me think, there's a lot more to it than this. I wonder how much I can ask about it without offending...?
No...no...I probably shouldn't ask at all.
"Um..." Tiffany looked down nervously.
"What?" Taeyeon asked.
"If that's...how it went, then...do you still feel like maybe you might...want to go back to action comics someday?"
Hearing that, Taeyeon looked down, "Do you want to take over Hwang's publishing?"
"What?" Tiffany was surprised by the question, "Uh, well, I haven't really thought about it..." She looked away awkwardly.
"But are you going to take it over?"
"Umm...about that..." Tiffany started hesitating, should she tell Taeyeon about Kanggun? Or...
"Well, and an editor is just one kind of office drones. If the higher-ups decide they want to switch things up, I have got no choice but to comply, but for the time being..." Taeyeon leaned back on her seat, "I have got no interest in going anywhere until someone who can do better in Emerald than me shows up."
Tiffany stared at Taeyeon. You can only expect an answer as cocky as that from Taeyeon.
"Though, the company probably wouldn't let me switch even if I wanted to until that happened." Taeyeon put the straw in her mouth and sipped.
"That's some confidence you have there," Tiffany said.
"Plus...I want to stick around as your boss to see the kinds of things you make in the future..." Taeyeon smiled, "So you should just stick by my side."
Tiffany's breath hitched upon hearing that. The moment she felt her face get hot, she immediately grabbed her sandwich and took a big bite.
"Ah...look at you..."
Tiffany's eyes widened when she felt Taeyeon's hand on her cheek.
Taeyeon had just eaten a crumb that was on Tiffany's cheek, "Be sure to chew your food well. Mistress Fany."
Let's just say that all the food in Tiffany's mouth went down the wrong pipe.
On their walk back to their apartment building, the atmosphere was full of anxiety and worrisome.
I really really really should seriously consider moving. Why do I have to see this girl's face from dawn to dusk?!
"Ah...the days are getting longer now..." Taeyeon looked up at the dark sky.
"Oh...but it's always dark by the time we leave work..."
Taeyeon frowned, "You really have no emotions."
"So what?!" Tiffany snapped.
It's so awkward. Even if we are going in the same direction. Please let us make it to the complex soon...
"Hey..." Taeyeon started, "About that phone call you got earlier..."
"Hm?" Tiffany looked up.
Taeyeon sounded hesitated, "No...nevermind."
The call I got earlier?
Did she maybe...hear about Kanggun or something?
She's usually super noisy about this kind of thing...
Tiffany huffed and tucked her hair behind her ear "Uh, umm...Taeyeon...?"
Taeyeon glanced back at her.
"Please excuse the rather personal conversation topic, but I thought I should let you know..." Tiffany stopped and took a deep breath, "My engagement to Kanggun...has been formally dissolved."
"...what?" Taeyeon had turned around fully to face Tiffany, her eyes so wide and her mouth slightly open.
"The-...The phone call I got this afternoon was from my mother." Tiffany looked up, "It seems like Kanggun contacted my mother himself. My mother wasn't exactly thrilled but my father agreed to it. So..." Tiffany swallowed in an attempt to get rid of the dryness in her throat, "...the matter appears to be resolved...I guess."
Upon hearing that, Taeyeon clenched her fists and looked down away from Tiffany's vision, "...I see." She muttered.
"Yeah."
Not quite the reaction I was expecting...
Feeling quite awkward standing in silence in an empty street alone with Taeyeon, Tiffany unconsciously started fidgeting, "W- Well! That's that!" She laughed awkwardly, "I'm sure I have caused you a lot of trouble with this matter, so I thought it best to let you know!"
And again, there was no reaction from Taeyeon.
"Taeyeon...?" Tiffany walked closer to Taeyeon after seeing then she was yet to look up, "Umm...are you all right?" Tiffany gasped lightly when she felt Taeyeon clench on the front of her sweater and rest her forehead on her shoulder, "Umm? Taeyeon? Are you not feeling well?" Tiffany's breath hitched when Taeyeon's arms wrapped around her neck in a hug.
"I'm so glad..."
When Tiffany heard the desperate tone of Taeyeon's couldn't help it but take in a sharp breath. She could's see Taeyeon's face because it was resting on her shoulder but she's sure Taeyeon had that look on her face again.
"That guy...he was pretty handsome, and he seemed to understand you really well. He was a nice guy...so I thought...maybe...maybe he would take you from me." Taeyeon inhaled sharply, "So...I'm so glad...so glad."
Tiffany's eyes widened. Her face flushed.
So that's what Taeyeon had been feeling all along?
"Wh-...Why are you getting so sentimental? It's creeping me out! Haha..." Tiffany laughed awkwardly after a moment of silence between them.
Taeyeon leaned back to look at Tiffany's face, her arms still wrapped around her neck.
Tiffany was so shocked upon seeing Taeyeon's eyes slightly glazed as if she's about to cry, and her expression screamed so too, "Taeyeon..."
Taeyeon's hands held Tiffany's face securely between them. Tiffany could see the daze in her eyes before looking around to see if there was anyone that could be watching. Taeyeon not minding that, leaned closer, capturing Tiffany's lips in a soft kiss.
Hugging Taeyeon tightly, Tiffany's eyes fluttered shut.
After literally fast-walking back to their apartment complex, Taeyeon closed the door of her apartment and kissed Tiffany while leading them to the bedroom at the same time.
Something about Taeyeon today...
"It feels like... kind of like...is weird..." Tiffany said, almost breathless.
"How so?"
"Huh?" Tiffany looked at Taeyeon's eyes surprised as she pulled away.
"What do you mean by weird?" Taeyeon asked, still holding Tiffany's face in her hands securely.
"Eh?"
Taeyeon squinted, "What? You trying to say your thoughts just leaked out?"
"No, that's not...that's not it!" Despite getting flustered, Tiffany did not let go of Taeyeon's body.
"Hmm...is that so?" Taeyeon smiled gently, "Tiffany..." She placed a kiss on Tiffany's forehead, "What's weird about me?"
Tiffany looked down at Taeyeon's sweater and got even more flustered, "N-No...just...th- the way...that you're kissing me today is kind of...g- gentle?" She mumbled, "J- Just, you're usually super forceful!"
"Stop making me sound like some criminal!"Taeyeon grimaced.
"W- Well you kind of are!"
"What?!" Taeyeon eyes widened "The hell...but you always go on about how amazing it feels at the end, so..." She shrugged.
"Stop that!" Tiffany yelled in embarrassment.
Taeyeon chuckled before leading Tiffany to the bed and laying her on the pillow gently and interlocked their fingers together, "Oh...but, well...yeah...I guess I did have my memory refreshed."
"About what?" Tiffany asked.
"How much I really do love you." Taeyeon let out a smile that made Tiffany just want to give everything that is her to Taeyeon.
This is so unfair.
Taeyeon is so unfair.
When she smiles at me like that...
When met with such a happy face...
I just can't!
You really need to learn your lesson, Tiffany Hwang.
How many times are you going to get swept away like that?!
Tiffany face palmed as she sat on the edge of the bed. The sun coming in through the window let her know the horrible horrible reality. She was naked, and Taeyeon, facing the other side, also naked, was sleeping on the bed beside her.
With a sigh, Tiffany tiredly got up and started searching for her clothes and proceeded to wear them.
With the way things are, we're more like fuck-buddies than anything...
I really need to do something about this. I will just take my leave before she notices...
Just when Tiffany thought that she got away safely, she was grabbed by her sweater. Although she knew it was Taeyeon, she let out a loud yelp when she was pulled back to the bad.
"What's the big idea, trying to sneak out without telling me?" Taeyeon was clearly upset as she hugged Tiffany on top of her.
"Ah. Taeyeon, I think you're still asleep. I'm not really here. This is a dream." Tiffany said in a hurry struggling to get up because seeing Taeyeon's gorgeous naked body under her affected her more than she would ever admit. Her eyes widened upon feeling Taeyeon's wondering hands in unmentionable places, "Hey! Where do you think you're touching?! Please let me go!"
Roughly 2 hours later
Tiffany had finally managed to push Taeyeon away after they have done various things again. Taeyeon got away mainly because Tiffany got fed up with all what they were doing so early in the morning and tried to throw a punch that she dodged successfully.
"Ugh, What's with you first thing in the morning?" Taeyeon yawned.
"Excuse me...but..." Tiffany huffed as she proceeded to gather her clothes one more time, "I'm going to take the opportunity to ask this...what do you want with me?!" Tiffany yelled out her question, feeling frustrated with their questionable relationship.
"Huh?" Taeyeon leaned on her palm as Tiffany finished dressing up and stood in front of the bed, trying her best to avoid looking at Taeyeon's body.
"I-...I don't like this kind of...f- fuck-buddy relationship..." She flushed red upon saying that word.
"So then just admit that you're in love with me already!"
Tiffany took a breath and clenched her fists, "E- Even if I were to do that...what would happen then? Say we were to start dating...I just can't imagine what kind of future we could possibly have!" She inhaled, "So what I want to know is...what you hope to get out of dating me!"
Taeyeon took a deep breath and looked at Tiffany in all seriousness, "I want to be super lovey-dovey with you."
"..."
"..."
"What." Tiffany's eyebrow twitched.
Taeyeon said again in all seriousness "I want to be totally lovey-dovey and cuddle and flirt with you."
"..."
"..."
"Forget it!" Tiffany snapped, "I have now learned that you're way more of an idiot than I imagined! I will be taking my leave now!"
"Tiffany!" Taeyeon stopped Tiffany from leaving with a back hug that Tiffany didn't see coming. Her eyes widened and her face got the reddest it ever had her whole life upon hearing what Taeyeon said next, "I have always longed to spoil you rotten..."
W- What the hell is that?!
That is so unfair so unfair so unfair so unfair!
I hate that about you!
Days until Tiffany falls (completely) in love: 90