*ring ring*

*ring ring*

 “What is that god forsaken noise?” Yuri growled before she raised her head from the pillow and flipped on the lamp next to the bed. “Soo, it’s your phone.” She shook the woman next to her.

“Urgh.” Sooyoung let out a throaty groan before she opened one eye to peek at the caller-id. Her eyes shot open and she sat up with a start. “Holy Crayola! Kahi-unni!”

“What?! She’s here?! WHERE?! Don’t tell her I’m back!” Yuri fell out of bed and attempted to slide underneath the bed.

“Nonononono … she’s calling!” Sooyoung held the phone far away from her, as if it were a bomb. “I didn’t go to work yesterday … or today!” The screen of the phone continued to flash as it kept ringing. “What do I do?!”

“Don’t pick up!” Yuri jumped back onto the bed, grabbed Sooyoung’s phone, and the hid it underneath a pillow. The phone went silent soon after that.

The two women looked at each other in a moment of silence before both busted into laughter. “Did you see the look on your face? Priceless.” Yuri pointed at Sooyoung’s face.

“It’s all your fault, you know? She’s going to skin me alive for skipping work … and I can’t even tell her that it’s your fault.” Sooyoung’s shoulders slumped and she stared at the cackling Yuri before she hit her in the head with a pillow.

“YAH!” Yuri tackled Sooyoung to the bed and they rolled around giggling and tickling each other, until a chirp from Sooyoung’s phone caused them both to scream.

“She left a voicemail!” Sooyoung cried.

“Don’t listen to it!”

“But I have to!”

“NOOOOO!” Yuri reached for the phone, but it was too late. Sooyoung already pressed listen.

[“CHOI SOOYOUNG! YOU HAVE SOME NERVE TO SKIP WORK AND NOT PICK UP MY CALL! I HOPE YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE! I’M GOING TO …”] Kahi’s loud voice was interrupted by a softer one that sounded like Jungah’s. [“Yeobo, please don’t leave our employees threatening voicemails, remember the safe workplace seminar.”] Then the line went dead.

Yuri and Sooyoung looked at each other before they shook their heads. “Only Jungah-unni can quiet the lioness.” Sooyoung said and Yuri nodded in agreement. They have known both women long enough to chuckle at their relationship.

After a moment of stillness, Sooyoung looked out the window, it was already dark. After they had tousled in the sheets, the two fell asleep and now it was already eight o’clock according to Sooyoung’s clock. Whenever Yuri was around, Sooyoung often lose track of time and place. Her head felt groggy and her body even more sore than in the morning. It was a good kind of sore, though.

“It’s dinner time … do you want to order take out?” Sooyoung rose from the bed and wrapped the cover around her body. She collected her clothing from the floor and turned around to see Yuri still in bed. The golden light from a nearby street lamp filtered through the windows and outlined Yuri’s figure. Starting with those dark locks and ending with her neatly painted toes, Yuri’s curves are smoothly sketched out by a soft glow.

“You’re drooling.” Yuri positioned her body in a way that kept Sooyoung’s gaze.

“… you’re going to catch a cold like that.” Sooyoung hated herself for being too easy to read. She tossed the cover over Yuri and slipped into her .

“Hey, I was enjoy that … don’t get dressed.” Yuri protested.

“We … no, I need to eat.” Sooyoung blushed as she turned her back to Yuri, feeling somewhat self-conscious about the way Yuri was watching her. As she struggled to clasp her bra, Yuri came up and helped her with it.

“You can have me for dinner instead.” Yuri hugged Sooyoung from behind and nuzzled their round cheeks together.

Sooyoung’s heart tightened because in the back of her mind, she knew that these moments would not last much longer. Her resolve had been weakened by Yuri’s caress, but she could not completely be with Jessica if this continued. She pressed her lips together tightly and pulled away from the warmth of Yuri’s body. It made her feel cold and depleted.

She stepped into her jeans and pulled her shirt over her head. “I’ll call for some Chinese food.” She felt bad, but she needed to step away from Yuri so that clarity would return to her once more. Being so close kept her drowning in the other woman’s scent.

“What’s wrong, Sooyoung?” Yuri pulled her back.

“Nothing, you know I’m cranky when I’m hungry.” Sooyoung’s pacifying smile was not enough to push away Yuri’s concern.

“Never like this.” Yuri could tell something was wrong, but she could not place her finger on it. “Are you still mad at me? About …”

“No.” Sooyoung shook her head. “I could never be mad at you for long … there are just a lot of things on my mind.”

“Or lots of women?”

“No.” Sooyoung frowned and shook her head again. “I told you, they’re just good friends of mine. Taeyeon-unni is like a sister to me … and that would make Tiffany my sister-in-law.” She made a disgusted look at the thought of dating either one of those two.

Yuri eyed Sooyoung with suspicion. “Why haven’t I heard of them before? As your best friend, I thought I might know you well enough to be aware of someone who is “like” a sister to you.”  

“A lot of things happened while you were gone, or did you forget the three months that you were away?” Sooyoung grew tired of Yuri’s inquisition.

Yuri Sooyoung’s hair. “Ah … so we are back to that. You are mad.”

“No!” Sooyoung raised her voice, but decided to lower her voice. “I am not mad … I just have a lot on my mind right now.”

“Like Jessica?”

Yuri’s nonchalant tone was a contrast to Sooyoung’s surprised look. Sooyoung stared at Yuri for a moment, wondering if she had heard what Sooyoung said during her sleep. “Why do you bring her up?”

“Because she’s always on your mind. Like a plague.” Yuri shrugged.

“She’s not like a plague.” Sooyoung corrected Yuri while the other woman walked away from her. She watched as Yuri slipped on the oversized shirt from earlier and buttoned it up.

“She’s worse.” Yuri muttered to herself before she whirled around and suddenly smiled at Sooyoung. “But she’s not here, so let’s not talk about her.” She cheerfully walked to the door and gave Sooyoung a ‘come hither’ look. “Aren’t you hungry? I’ll order some Chinese food.”

Sooyoung watched Yuri exit the room. She felt like apologizing to her best friend. She knew that telling Yuri about Jessica would be like Sooyoung was abandoning Yuri. She could never abandon the woman who never abandoned her, that would be heartless. Sooyoung already knew that she would never forgive herself for this, but it is better than both Jessica and Yuri hating her later. She tightened her fist and steeled her resolve before she went out to the living area.

Yuri was sitting on a barstool while perusing through Sooyoung’s collection of take out menus. She selected two when Sooyoung came out of the room. “What do you want? Dragon Palace or Little Panda?”

“Jessica is back.” Sooyoung let the statement hang in the air as she held her breath.

“That’s not an option.” Yuri was reading the menus and did not pay attention to what Sooyoung said.

“Yuri … I said … Jessica is back.” Sooyoung repeated.

This time, Yuri looked up at Sooyoung and stared at the tall girl while the statement registered in her mind. Sooyoung could be mistaken, but she thought she saw several emotions on that cool face at the same time. She saw shock, disappointment, grief, and … fear? No. Yuri did not fear anything.

“And?” Yuri put down the menus and fully faced Sooyoung.

Sooyoung was at a loss for words. She did not think of the next thing to say after that declaration. “And once I get into medical school, she and I will start over so … we … this thing between you and I …”

“You want it to stop.” Yuri finished Sooyoung’s statement before she snickered. “You want to be with your one true love and leave me behind … do you want me out of your life, Choi Sooyoung?”

“NO! That’s not what I want at all … I always want you in my life. You’re my bestfriend, my soulmate … the person who understands me …” Sooyoung stuttered and could not look into Yuri’s eyes.

“But not the person you want to spend the rest of your life with … not the girl you want to hold in your arms … not the woman you want a family with …” Yuri said in a singsong voice so light that it made the bitterness of her words sunk deeper into Sooyoung’s heart.

“... no, that’s not it …”

“Then make up your freaking mind, Choi Sooyoung.” Yuri grabbed hold of Sooyoung’s collar. “Tell me that you don’t want my kisses … that you don’t want me to touch you anymore …” Yuri’s breath brushed against Sooyoung’s lips as she tiptoed closer. Sooyoung knew Yuri was upset, but that made her so much more enticing.

“Yuri, please stop, I want to have a serious conversation with you …” Sooyoung unconsciously her lips. Her physical hunger had been ignored, but Yuri’s wanton eyes stirred up another form of hunger inside her. She would never call herself a lustful person; Yuri was just the catalyst that drew out so many strange feelings inside her.

“We can have a serious conversation … in bed …” Yuri grinned and leaned closer.

Sooyoung leaned back. “No, that’s how we always are. You and I hang out, then we go to bed … it’s all physical … we both know that you can get physical with about any pretty girl.”

Yuri was hurt by Sooyoung’s statement. She released Sooyoung’s collar and pushed her away. “Yea, you’re right. I’m just a cheap, disposal compared to your pure, irreplaceable goddess Jessica.”

“Stop it, Yuri. That is not what I’m saying at all.” Sooyoung frowned and reached for Yuri, but the other girl slapped her hand away.

“Don’t touch me, you might dirty your hand.” Yuri stripped off the oversized shirt that belonged to Sooyoung and threw it against the younger woman. “I’ll get my things and you’ll never have to see me again.”

“Stop overreacting, damn it!” Sooyoung finally yelled and gripped Yuri’s shoulders to keep the other woman still.

Yuri tried to shake Sooyoung’s hand off her shoulders. “Overreacting? How am I overreacting? Between Jessica and I, there could only be one person your life. If you choose her, then obviously I have to go.”

“Why does it have to be like that? You were my best friend before we started having . We can go back to before …” Sooyoung fought desperately to keep Yuri from breaking away.

“No we can’t! I can’t!”

“Why not?”

“Because I … I don’t want to share with Jessica.” Yuri cried and collapsed into Sooyoung’s arms. “I can’t stand the thought of you being with someone else.”

“…” Sooyoung held Yuri’s quivering body close to her. For the first time in a long time, she felt Yuri’s frailty. “You’re being selfish.” She whispered while hugging the other woman close.

“I want you, Choi Sooyoung.” Yuri cried against Sooyoung’s shoulder. “I need you. I don’t want to go back to before. You are mine, she can’t have you.”

“Yuri … please …” Sooyoung Yuri’s back, but it did not help as the other woman cried louder.

Yuri pulled away and looked into Sooyoung’s eyes. Her beautiful face was stained with tears as those red, watery eyes pleaded to Sooyoung. “Kiss me.”

“That’s not a good idea …” Sooyoung shook her head and released Yuri, but the other woman clung onto her and refused to let go. “Yuri, I can’t do this anymore. I love Jessica …”

“But you also love me.” Yuri sniffled.

“You’re mistaken …”

“No I’m not. You would never agree to our intimate acts if you did not feel something for me.” Yuri smiled, a bit maniacally. “You know that’s true.”

Sooyoung did not know if there was a way to explain without hurting the distressed woman. “No it’s not, what we have … had,” she corrected herself, “was purely physical … even if you are my best friend.”

“Who else have you slept with, beside me?”

Sooyoung thought silently before she shook her head. “You know there is no one else, because I’m not …”

“A ?” Yuri smiled bitterly.

“That, too. But because I’ve only been attracted to you physically.”

“Or is it because you have an intimacy issue, you can’t perform the physical act without being attached to someone. There is no such thing as strictly physical with you. You need emotion and love and warmth or else you would never sleep with me. You’re not the type to do that.”

“Don’t psychoanalyze me, Yuri.” Sooyoung shook her head. “You know the issue is not my performance … this thing that we did can’t happen anymore.”

“Why can’t we continue as we were?” Yuri smiled, hoping that Sooyoung would change her mind.

 “It’s not that easy.” Sooyoung kept herself at a distance. “I want to be with Jessica and what we have been doing may be considered cheating. We will always be best friends, no matter what.”

“I don’t want that at all. Either you choose her or me, there is no other choice.”

“Yuri …”

“I don’t know why I need you, but I do. I know you need me, too. For the past three years, we have depended on each other to pass the days. I can’t believe you would give all this up for a highschool crush that you haven’t seen in four years.”

“You know that is not the case.” Sooyoung wanted to shake some sense into Yuri. “You’ve known how I’ve always waited and searched for her. When we starting sleeping together, we agreed that there wouldn’t be any attachment.”

“Whatever excuse you use will be fine with me. All I ask for is one last kiss before I leave you to your happiness.”

“Why are you …” Sooyoung felt like tearing her hair out.

“Shut up and kiss me before I start crying. All I ask is this one kiss I will be out of your lives so you can be happy with Jessica.”

Sooyoung found it hard to be tough with Yuri, since she owed the other woman so much and she definitely did not want to make her cry. Sooyoung sighed and reluctantly nodded. “One last time.”

Yuri smiled and felt rather satisfied with herself, because she knew there was no way Sooyoung could leave her. She knew how Sooyoung liked her kisses to start soft and gently, like butterfly touches. Yuri would always tease Sooyoung’s lips with her tongue before nibbling on each of them in a playful manner. She knew where to touch Sooyoung while she explored . She knew how to twist her tongue to draw Sooyoung’s back to . These were the things that put her at an advantage against this Jessica. Yuri had the three years of experience that Jessica missed.

The tall woman had her apprehension about giving into Yuri’s request, because she always lose these mind games that Yuri played. The kiss started just as she expected, slow and sweet like a warm greeting. Then, Yuri’s hands wandered and roamed along her body, making it challenging to focus on this one last kiss. Since Yuri was in the , it was even more difficult for Sooyoung to turn away. Before she knew it, she was pushed back until her bottom hit the sofa and Yuri was straddling her lap.

“Stop …” Sooyoung pulled her slightly swollen lips away. Her cheeks were flushed and she struggled to stay in control of her well-trained body.

Yuri cooed. Her voice was like a siren’s call. “Just one more time, baby.” Her bare s were staring right into Sooyoung’s face.

Inwardly, Sooyoung cursed herself for her lack of willpower. If she had any, it all dissipated along with her ability to close her legs. Before long, was ling on those warm, pillowy s while Yuri inappropriately touched her elsewhere. In the back of her mind, she told herself it was just one last time. What’s the harm in that?

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR!

Here is the 2nd part of Day 16. I had to split it up ... or else  chapter 15 would have been gigantic!

I've had some awesome discussions  about the characters and story  with some awesome readers. I appreciate everyone reading and commenting on this story. You guys/gals give me strength to continue :) Thank you with all my heart.

In addition, here is a similar layout to Sooyoung's apartment. I find it help me visualize better.