They stop talking about the deadline and what will happen afterwards since that day but Tiffany has been keeping a closer eye on Taeyeon, observing her gestures and words.
She has asked Sunny whether Taeyeon had feelings for her but the woman refused to give her a straight answer. She said that it was something private that Tiffany and Taeyeon had to sort out among themselves.
But when Sunny asked how she felt towards her best friend, Tiffany honestly told her that she couldn't be sure.
"I mean, I like her. I consider her a very good friend but-..."
"She doesn't make your heart flutter?" interjected Sunny. "Or make you feel things that your other girlfriends normally won't?"
When she couldn't answer right away, Sunny smiled at her and said, "That's okay. I don't expect you to be able to return her feelings now but it would be nice to see you get together for real. It's time she has someone who loves her for her, not for her money, looks or power." She sighed, looking out the window of the café. "My friend Kim Taenggoo," she mumbled. "When will you be happy?"
The sound of a door opening and closing upstairs brings her out of her reminiscing and Tiffany looks up to see Taeyeon coming down the stairs, still in her pajamas. Her hair is messy and her eyes are barely open.
Even though she has witnessed her like this countless times in the past nine months, she never gets tired of this view because this Taeyeon is the cutest and most Taeyeon-like. There's no pretense, no acting strong or cool. This is the vulnerable Taeyeon that both Sunny and Tiffany want to protect.
"Morning," she greets the sleepy girl who mumbles a reply while rubbing her eyes.
Taeyeon walks past Tiffany, going to the kitchen to get a drink. When she returns with her glass of water, she sits down next to Tiffany and asks, "What are you watching?"
Then she pulls the blanket covering Tiffany so that they can share it.
"Some random American reality show. They're so dumb it's entertaining to laugh at them."
Taeyeon frowns. "Change it."
"To?"
"Cartoons."
Tiffany gives the remote to Taeyeon, telling her to change the channel herself.
They sit there quietly, watching TV. But Tiffany keeps stealing glances, wondering how it feels to lean against Taeyeon, snuggling against her soft, warm pajamas—especially since the weather has turned cold. She likes hugging her and she hasn't been able to forget that gentle stroking of her hair Taeyeon did two weeks ago.
To honestly answer Sunny's question, yes, Taeyeon made her heart flutter. She remembers clearly how nervous and shy she felt just because Taeyeon looked at her and thanked her. Back then she wasn't sure why that happened but after that talk with Sunny, after realizing Taeyeon's feelings towards her and what she was willing to do for her, she can't help but wonder whether it's possible that she, too, has started to develop feelings for Taeyeon—feelings that go beyond mere friendship. After all, she has never met anyone like her.
Maybe it's because of the situation they found themselves in. The uncertainty and absurdity of it all make Taeyeon's kindness and care shine even brighter, breaking through whatever boundaries her heart had. She knows that anyone in Taeyeon's position could have easily taken advantage of her but not once did Taeyeon do or say anything disrespectful. Even when the girl has clearly fallen for her, she didn't change her attitude towards her. She was willing to sacrifice her dream for Tiffany's happiness and that's saying something.
