DERANGER - SEULRENE

028

"so, how's you and your student girlfriend?" tiffany asks as she puts down the mixer and uncaps it.

you pout. "unni..."

she giggles. "i'm only making fun of you. you know how i am very much supportive of your relationship."

"but mentioning it sometimes makes me feel old." you touch your face. "i feel like people will look down on me if they find out someone my age and my stature is dating a university student."

"so, what of it? she's of legal age and can make decisions for herself. and she's graduating soon, right?"

"still..." you pout again.

tiffany sighs. "you know, it's just you and your insecurities. you're probably thinking of what your family would say if they find out about this relationship of yours."

you take in a deep breath and exhales as you lean down to sip from your drink.

tiffany looks at you as she pours the mixture into a glass. "but seriously, how's you and seulgi?"

"we're great. it's been great." you play with the straw. "i thought i knew what was love before. i never imagined it would feel like this, that i can be this happy."

"hm. i heard from taetae you've been taking cooking classes. has she got something to do with that?"

you nod. "seulgi has this thing with continuously studying and improving oneself. and after observing me for quite some time, she declared that cooking is second nature to me and suggests i take classes--which i think is a good idea, so i did."

"and are you enjoying these classes so far?"

"i am. it's like i discovered this side of me i never knew existed. the topics are new to me, yet it surprises me how i can easily catch up like it's natural. and it feels great to do something and express me through a craft."

"well, that's great." tiffany lifts the glass. "i'm glad seulgi's helping you discover your strengths."

"i'm glad too. i feel like i'm irene 2.0 now as i understand myself more and more each day."

"mm. it seems your girlfriend's a great observer."

your shoulder shakes when you chuckle. "she's has this knack for observing and seeing patterns, which makes her more intuitive. we're a product of the same course, yet i can already tell her strenghts are more inclined on the strategic side. while me, i'm more on the implementation side."

"so, that explains why she's good in bed, huh?"

"unni..."

tiffany laughs. "i'm having fun teasing you!" she sips from her glass again before putting it down. "but i'm glad you're feeling more accomplished now. taetae also mentioned you signed a contract with seulgi's cafe to sell your pasta recipe. is that true?"

"yes, unni. i start receiving money for it too. it's not that much, but an extra income stream is great. i get to do something i love and not worry or burden myself with building an actual business or managing people."

"smart. i should have thought of that one too before. we've been getting feedback from some customers about the menu. we're looking to have it improved."

they way tiffany looks at you tells you something. "d-do you... do you want me to recommend recipes for you?"

"that's the real reason i called you tonight. it's business talk, darling." tiffany taps your head. "but only if you'll agree."

"of course, i would. anything to help you and taeyeon unni. i'd do it for you for no fee at all."

"why, thank you. but no. i don't want to ruin our relationship with business misunderstandings. let's make it black and white with a contract."