“Sica-yah, stop being fussy. It’s just a few bruises and scratches.” Yuri took Jessica’s wrist, pulling them from fiddling with her pillow. An easy smile form at her lips.

 

Jessica shoots the injured girl a sharp glare. The smile Yuri was wearing wasn’t going to sway the jumble of emotions she was feeling. Fury was the primary emotion, from the scare she gave her, pulling that stupid stunt instead of telling her about it. That she thought Jessica wouldn’t notice her missing for a long time like she didn’t care for her enough not to notice.

 

Well, she was God damned wrong. Because Jessica did care.

 

She cared enough to look for her. Cared enough to be painfully aware of the way her heart constricted and her innards flip out when she couldn’t find her in the restroom. She cared enough to feel her stomach drop at the confused look on Won Joo’s face when his calls went to voicemail. She felt that short flood of relief when they finally found her followed by her heart taking a plunge when she saw her slip and roll down the slope.

 

She twisted her wrist out from Yuri’s grip, reaching to puff up the pillow propping Yuri’s top half up. She only stopped when she was satisfied with her work. Still ignoring the looks Yuri was giving her she checked on the pillow propping up Yuri’s injured left foot, checked the ice bag on top of the swollen ankle, checked the sogginess of the wrapping around her left foot, and then meticulously checked every bandaged area to make sure everything was secure.

 

The image of Yuri’s limp form as Won Joo carefully trod down the slope was still fresh in her mind. She could still see it clearly, a play by play of the nearly thirty-minute ordeal of Won Joo struggling to clamber back up to the roadside, Yuri secure in his tight grasp. Her heart went out to Yuri when she heard the small whimpers she was trying to hold back and the few stray tears that fell down her cheeks. Couldn’t forget the multiple patches of blood staining her clothes from where the rough terrain cut through her delicate skin. In retrospect, she wondered why their primary instinct was not to call an emergency team. Had it been a lot more serious it would have been devastating to move Yuri around. They could have killed her.

 

“Sica-yah..” Jessica turned her head away, hastily brushing the bottoms of her eyes and stealthily sniffing back the clog around her nose.

 

“Sica.” Yuri called again, her tone a little more desperate. Still, Jessica refuses to say anything or face her, afraid that she’ll crack. Dark thoughts were hard to push back.

 

Her salvation comes at the knock on the door. She gets up, briskly walking the short distance to the door.

 

Won Joo gives her a sheepish smile, holding up a bag of mandarins. She smiles back at him, a genuine one, and steps aside.

 

“So, how’s our idiot Yuri doing, huh?” Won Joo’s voice booms in the small bedroom. Yuri jumps at the voice, her wide eyes shooting to the cause of the ruckus.

 

“Oppa!” Won Joo laughs as he unceremoniously drops the bag of mandarins at Yuri’s covered knees. He picks up a mandarin, quickly peeling it before shoving the entire fruit into Yuri’s unsuspecting mouth. Yuri gags, instantly spitting the fruit into her hands and glare up at the smiling Won Joo.

 

“What? It’s good for you.” He picks up another piece, peeling it. “Now eat up!”

 

Jessica finds herself smiling at the two rough housing. It was pretty clear Won Joo saw Yuri as nothing more than a little sister and the thought has calmed the loud negative voices in Jessica’s mind. What more, after hearing Won Joo’s stories of their past and seeing the man jumping after Yuri has already done so much to change Jessica’s perception of him.

 

The smile fades from her face. She glances over to Yuri’s laughing face, staring unblinkingly for a few seconds. She snaps out of the haze in her mind, abruptly turning her back to them and briskly walking to the door. She mutters an excuse, not knowing (or caring) if she was heard, before stepping out.

 

 

 

 

She sits at the garden pond, staring blankly at the koi heads bobbing up in search of fish pellets that weren’t coming. Her fingers hovered over the surface. A few mouths break the still water, the koi’s pushing and swimming over each other to reach for her fingers. It brings a small smile to her face.

 

“Yuri’s right. You should really smile more. Makes you look twice as beautiful.” Her fingers curl into her palm, pulling her hand back to rest on her lap. Her tired eyes shift from the flurry of fishes to Won Joo’s smiling face.

 

His smile slowly dissipates, making way for concern and he takes the several steps to close the distance between them. “Candy for your thoughts?” he asks.

 

Jessica chuckles drily at his words. “It’s ‘A penny for your thoughts.’” She corrected.

 

His hand goes into his pocket, procuring a few colourful wrappers. “I only have candy.”

 

Jessica shakes her head but picks one of the offered candies anyway. She pops the hard candy into , rolling it over her tongue. Strawberry, her favourite.

 

“So, what’s going around your head?” He watches Jessica’s face go pensive. “You can tell me,” he urges gently. “get it off your chest. It’ll make you feel better. Trust me.”

 

Jessica sighs, her tense shoulders slumping forward. The candy in turns sour, like her mood. She glanced at Won Joo surreptitiously, the side of her lips quirking at the sight of the pink fluffy slippers he had donned.

 

“It just…” she begins, pondering whether or not to open up to him like he had to her. “It.. It feels like everything’s changing so quickly.. that I can barely catch up.” Jessica confesses, burying her face into her hands to muffle her groan. “I liked the way things were.” She absently runs a hand through her hair, showing her frustration on the matter. “But I feel like I’ll like the changes even more, and yet I’m afraid to take that first step. What if everything collapses around me, you know? I’m afraid to risk it.”

 

She sighs. She doesn’t divulge much, careful of the way she strung her words, but her chest feels a little lighter. She hangs her head, her fingers combing through her hair over her ears, resting at a point where they were barely touching at the back of her head. It was a few moments later when she felt a hand run over her back, trying to be soothing, when really it feels more like someone was trying to gently push her down. She shifted, brows raised, gaze falling on Won Joo awkwardly showing his support.

 

Won Joo coughed, pulling his hands back to his lap, eyes looking elsewhere. “Well, looks like you’ve been thinking about this for a while.”

 

Jessica chuckles mirthlessly. “Why else would I be afraid? The more I think about it the more I’m convinced that I shouldn’t risk it.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Why? What if I ruin what we have?”

 

“Ah.. it’s a person.” Jessica’s cheeks turn a deep maroon at the slip of her tongue. With a loud groan, she straightens up, tilting her head to the dark sky. “Oppa, seriously, you have no sense. Argh, I just knew it was a bad idea to talk to you.”

 

Won Joo stares at her in confusion. “What? What’d I say?”

 

“Oppa, when a girl says something and is clearly trying to make it casual, you don’t nitpick at what they say and just agree, or say something else positive. Seriously, oppa, this is why you don’t have a girlfriend.”

 

“Hey! Hey! Ease up on the sass. I can get a girlfriend easily if I wanted to. But we’re not talking about me. This is about you and Y-our friend, right?” Jessica sends him a narrow eyed glare, keeping to her silence. Won Joo takes her silence as his cue to continue. “I’d say go for it. I have the right to say this since I’m the oppa- don’t you roll your eyes at me.”

 

Jessica jerks back at the pinch to her arm, pulling her arms protectively to her chest as she sends Won Joo a pout.

 

“Eish.” Won Joo turns his head away, soughing deeply as he rubs his eyes. “That’s not fair. It’s cheating when you look that cute. It makes my heart do a little flip.” He grins cheekily, patting the top left side of his chest. Jessica shakes her head at him, a small smile playing at her lips.

 

“Look,” he reached down, gently placing his hand over Jessica’s. Gingerly, he reaches with the other hand, cupping her chin and turning her head his way. “there’s a reason it’s called matters of the heart, not the brain. Stop thinking too much with your head, it will always choose self-preservation. Listen to what your heart wants too.” Jessica blinks at the unexpected response. She bites her bottom lip, letting her gaze drop.

 

“I really hope you won’t choose the whole if you love them let them go, cause that just so clichéd. And besides, it doesn’t suit your cool image.” Jessica had to laugh at that. She lifted her head from Won Joo’s grasp, using the chance to steal a glance at the second-floor window, to Yuri’s room.

 

She sighed, feeling the light fluttering in her chest. “You’re right.”

 

“Of course I am! Now you’ve got to go pack up your things. I’m taking you both back to school.”

 

“What?” Her brows shot up in alarm, her hand reaching out to grab at Won Joo’s arm. “Shouldn’t Yuri stay here for a few days rest?”

 

“And stay long enough to feel the wrath of her father?” Won Joo chuckled, gently patting Jessica’s hand. “The idiot begged me to take the both of you back before uncle gets home. She’s already getting an earful from aunty and halmoni.”

 

“Halmoni?”

 

“Yeah, she came up a few minutes after you came here, swinging her cane around, threatening for a good old beating for scaring the living out of her.” Won Joo laughed at the mental image of the old woman punishing Yuri the old fashioned way.

 

“Halmoni can walk?” Jessica muttered absently.

 

Won Joo quirked a brow. “Yeah. What did you think?”

 

“Uh.. nothing.” She waved a hand between them, hanging her head to hide her embarrassment. What was she thinking?

 

 

 

 

 

“Our Yuri-yah!” Won Joo wailed, pulling Yuri into a tight bear hug. “I’ll miss you, you stupid dark thing.”

 

“Oppa, get off me.” Yuri whined, futilely trying to pull away. A hard task with her arms pinned to her side with her crutches digging at her skin, at the same time juggling her balance as not to put pressure on her bad leg. “And who are you calling stupid and dark?”

 

“Who else monkey girl?” He pulled back, fondly ruffling Yuri’s hair. “Now listen here, oppa can’t be with you every step of the way, so you’ve got to be smart and not hurt yourself.” He said carefully, like how a parent would explain to their child what would happen on the first day of kinder.

 

“I am not a child!” Yuri protest, her face screwed up in resentment, pushing Won Joo away by the face.

 

Jessica’s soft chuckles catch both parties attention. She stood beside the car, their overnight bags slung over her shoulder, watching the two in genuine amusement. Her smile widens when her sights fix on Won Joo. “Thanks for the ride, oppa.”

 

Won Joo slips past the disgruntled Yuri and opens his arms wide. Jessica meets him halfway, curling her arms around the male lightly. She chuckles when Won Joo playfully swings them from side to side.

 

“Come by more often. And be sure to drag the dark kid with you.” He says the last bit louder, making sure Yuri, standing a few feet away, would hear. Jessica giggles and answers an affirmative over Yuri’s loud protests and Won Joo’s deep laughter.

 

“Just to let you know, she cares deeply for you too.” He casually pulls back, grinning at the shocked look painting Jessica’s face. He pats her head, pushing her towards Yuri and slips back into the driver seat. “I’ll see you kids. Say hello to Taengoo for me.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah. Drive safely oppa!” Yuri yells after the reversing car, waving one of her crutches. Her crutch drops back to the ground only after the park lights disappear around the corner.

 

“Um.. So, shall we get back to the dorm?” Yuri says in the ensuing silence.

 

“What? Oh! Yeah... I’ll take you to your room.”

 

“You don’t have to. I can manage.” Yuri says, carefully reaching for the strap of her bag.

 

“Oh no! Not with that bad leg.” Jessica shifts her weight, letting the bags slide down her arm and securing them at the other side, away from Yuri’s grabby hands.

 

“It’s just a sprain.” Yuri retorts, reorienting her grip on her crutches. “And I thought you were angry with me.” She adds, quietly.

 

“Oh, I am. Furious! How could you do that? Up!” She holds up a hand, stopping Yuri’s half formed words from even tumbling off . The other hand goes up to the bridge of her nose, rubbing gently to stop an incoming headache. “Don’t answer that. I think I’ll only get even madder at you.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“I’m taking you to your dorm. No buts! I know you need help in the showers. The doctor said not to get your bandaged foot wet.”

 

A deep flush paints Yuri’s cheeks and she averts her gaze. “I remember. I can take a bath fine alone. It’s not the first that I’ve got a sprain.”

 

“That wasn’t up for debate.” Jessica says drily. She turns her head Yuri’s way and gives her a mischievous smile. “Hm.. I wonder if I should call Fany and Taengoo. I’m sure they can help us out one way or another. Ah.” Her eyes fall on Yuri and she holds her giggles at the blanched face and wide eyes. “But I guess you’d want to postpone feeling their wrath after your ankles feel a little better.”

 

“You are evil.” Yuri breathes. A moment later the side of her lips quirks up into a toothy grin. “I just knew you had the potential in you!”

 

Jessica calmly shrugs her shoulders. “I have a younger sister, remember? I’ve had years of practice. Now come. I’m getting my frozen out here waiting for you to decide.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Yuri grins, lifting one of her crutches. “After you.”

 

Jessica crosses her arms over her chest, clicking her tongue disappointedly. “Yuri. Yuri. Yuri. Do I look like I was born yesterday?”

 

She chuckled. “It was worth a try.”

 

 

 

 

 

“And where have you been?” Jessica cringes at the question, the first thing that greets her as she pushes past the door to her room. She feels her arm being jolted from its relaxed state and, before she can let out a yelp of mixed pain and surprise, finds herself wrapped into a tight hug. She huffs from the constriction around her middle, and when she looks over Tiffany’s shoulder she is met with Taeyeon’s chastising gaze. She sighs tiredly, shoulders dropping. She squeezes her eyes shut and wearily lift a hand to reciprocate the hug. All too soon Tiffany pulls out of the hug and begins checking Jessica all over.

 

“Are you hurt? Did you run into trouble? Were you kidnapped?!” The last question comes out in a half shout.

 

Jessica winces, stepping back to get a comfortable distance between the two of them. She knew she should have felt touched at the concern her roommate had for her, but between the knowledge of Yuri’s battered body and her mind still juggling her options regarding her emotions, she just didn’t have the energy. “If I was kidnapped I wouldn’t be here. Why would you think that?” She replies drily.

 

“Because you disappear for a good two days without telling anyone.” Tiffany responds snappily. “And why did you leave your phone? Your mother’s been calling endlessly that I had to make up an excuse as to why you never responded to her. Jesus, Jessica! We were about to call the police.”

 

“We left a note.” Jessica weakly offers, rubbing circles against her temples. She was mentally cursing Yuri for suggesting it and beating herself for going along with it.

 

“A note? And We- Was Yuri in on this?”

 

She sighs exasperatedly, slipping by Tiffany to gather her phone, then groans at the amount of missed calls and messages. “Tiff, please. I’m beat and I need to call my parents back. Can you please just drop this? I promise I’ll tell you at another time.”

 

“Is Yuri in her room?” A quiet voice interrupts Tiffany’s following barrage. Jessica looks up from her phone, just long enough to see Taeyeon anxiously waiting for her response. She internally cringes. Jessica would have preferred Tiffany’s heated questionings over Taeyeon’s single sombre one. It was then that she realized the lack of that familiar husky tone and she chanced a quick glance at Tiffany. Sure enough, though still slightly flushed, Tiffany glowered silently at her, waiting for her response to Taeyeon’s question.

 

Her mind briefly wanders back to the crumpled heap she left in the darkness of Yuri’s roo unconsciously nibbling on her bottom lip. “She is. But I’m sure she’ll appreciate a quiet night.”

 

“I understand.” Taeyeon responds plainly, but her facial expression betrays her. Her brows are furrowed in worry while unconsciously chewing on her bottom lip. It only heightens the guilt stewing in Jessica’s mind.

 

She reaches out, letting the tips of her fingers lightly graze Taeyon’s arm. She smiles at the shorter girl, ignoring the way her brown eyes glistened under the light, hoping the action would ease Taeyeon’s worries even just a little bit.

 

“She’s still in one piece.” Relatively, she adds silently.

 

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a mother I need to placate.” She jokes over the unsettling silence. Of course, it fails miserably and Jessica does her best to avoid eye contact with the two girls as she skitters towards the door.