“Are you sure about this?” Sooyoung turned to the girl beside her and asked seriously. “Because once Seohyun think that we are dating, there is no going back. She’s going to fault that you have moved on so quickly.”

                  Yoona turned to face Sooyoung and shook her head, “She is the one who wants to move on, and so I am only helping her to do so.”

                  Sooyoung studied Yoona’s beautifully glamorized face for several seconds before she turned to look out the tinted window of the limousine. After she had met and gone over the fabricated background story of how they met, they rode together in a limousine provided by Yoona’s parents. They thought that she was just a friend Yoona met when the younger girl visited Japan for a vacation.

                  Honestly, this contract was more complicated than Sooyoung thought it would be. The biggest problem for her was that some how, her cousin, Jinri/Sulli, knew Seohyun. If Jinri was going to be at this ball, then Sooyoung had the risk of running into her. While Sooyoung preferred to keep her life private from her clients, this situation made it very difficult for her to fabricate an appropriate story.

                  Furthermore, Sooyoung was worried about Yoona. She glanced back at the girl who hired her. Yoona looked like a perfect porcelain doll. She was beautiful, delicate, and sociable; yet Sooyoung could not shake this cold, calculated feeling from the girl.

                  “We’re here.” Sooyoung heard Yoona say, but she already knew that due to the halt in the limo’s movement.

                  The moment the driver opened the limo’s door, Sooyoung shooed away the butterflies in her stomach and put on a mask of genuine excitement. She rested her hand on the driver’s and he helped her down to the red carpet. When she managed to straighten her dress out, she turned back to wait for Yoona. Sooyoung must admit that the younger girl was even more beautiful when she smiled.

                  They made their way to the guest sign in where several of Yoona’s friends were in charge. They chattered while Sooyoung glanced around the grand ballroom. It was everything that one would expect in terms of grandeur and style. From the golden decorations to the massive glass chandeliers, everything just screamed opulence. Everyone dressed in their finest clothes and servers were darting back and forth to offer food and drinks. The atmosphere was appropriate for the occasion. Of everything in the room, Sooyoung especially liked the grand staircase that ascended to a the top where …

                  And then Sooyoung’s world stopped along with her heartbeat when her gaze travelled to the balcony. Her eyes widened as she caught glimpse of a vision of divinity in the physical form of her deepest longing. The girl had changed so much, from her hairstyle to her figure to her clothes, everything was different except for the icy aura that surrounded her. Like a moth to a flame, Sooyoung started to dazedly travel toward the staircase, but a hand pulled her back.

                  “Where are you going, Sooyoung-unni?” Yoona asked sweetly.

                  “Um … I …” Sooyoung only turned to Yoona for a second, but when she looked back up the balcony, the girl was gone. “I wanted to get us some drinks.” Sooyoung reclaimed her conscious mind and held Yoona’s hand. She blamed her eyes for distracting her from her job. She was here for Yoona, after all, and she would do well to remember that.

                  “Alright.” Yoona smiled when Sooyoung held her hand.

                  “Follow me.” Sooyoung replied without looking at Yoona. She scanned the room, still clinging to one last hope of seeing the phantom girl. As she led Yoona across the room to search for a server with water, Sooyoung found her cousin instead.

                  “Sooyoung-unni!” Sulli came bouncing toward her cousin and threw her arms around Sooyoung’s neck. “You’re here!” She gave Sooyoung a big hug while the older girl gently squeezed her back with one arm.

                  “You’re as energetic as ever, Jinri.” Sooyoung smiled at her younger cousin, who was absolutely adorable in her pretty gown. It was hard for Sooyoung to chastise the bubbly girl because she was Sooyoung’s weak spot.

                  “That’s because you’re here! You didn’t text me back and now you’re here, is it to surprise me?” Sulli replied and as she wanted to drag her cousin off, she noticed a quiet and familiar face staring at her. Most peculiar of all, this girl was holding hands with her beloved cousin. “Sooyoung-unni … this is …?”

                  Even though she dreaded this moment, Sooyoung smiled brightly and nodded toward Yoona, “This is Miss Im Yoona, my date for this evening.” She turned to Yoona, “This is Choi Jinri, my younger cousin.”

                  Yoona smiled at Sulli and offered her hand. “Hi, nice to meet you, Jinri-shi.”

                  Sulli hesitated before she shook Yoona’s hand, “Please call me Sulli, only Sooyoung-unni can call me Jinri.” Aside from height, Sulli also took after Sooyoung in frankness.

                  Yoona nodded and smiled politely, but Sooyoung could tell she seemed taken back. “Sulli it is.”

                  “Sulli, there you are! I thought you were going to get some drinks.” A dark haired girl came toward Sulli.

                  “Sorry, Krystal. I ran into Sooyoung-unni … Unni, you still remember Krystal right?” Sulli smiled and presented her friend toward her cousin.

                  Krystal looked up to Sooyoung with a surprised look on her face. Her dark eyes were rounded like pearls and slightly agape. The look on Sooyoung’s face was no better. She stared unblinkingly at the girl because a realization that just dawned on her. Yoona and Sulli stood quietly and looked between the two surprised people.

                  “Krystal … if you are here …” Sooyoung started.

                  “Hello, Sooyoung.” A sweet voice rung through Sooyoung’s ears and she slowly turned back to face the phantom who was all too real.

                  “Jessica.”

                  There she was, this beautiful girl. Jessica was standing in front of Sooyoung with a smile on her face while Sooyoung stared into her brown eyes. They locked gaze for a while, each unable to formulate anything to say to the other. It was as if their long buried memories were rushing back again. They each held back their emotions, for this was not the time nor place. Finally, someone cleared and Sooyoung felt Yoona’s hand squeezing hers.

                  Sooyoung looked past Jessica and realized that she brought the engagement party with her. There were the parents of both families and the main attractions, Seohyun and Yonghwa. Now the cold reality pulled Sooyoung out of her memories and she did not want to acknowledge it. She put on her prettiest smile and relinquished Yoona’s hand.

                  “Long time no see, Jessica. You’re as beautiful as ever.” Sooyoung quickly hugged Jessica, a hug that could have lasted an eternity.

                  “Uncle and Aunty Jung, it is nice to see you again.” Sooyoung bowed to them after Jessica hugged her back and they smiled to acknowledge her.

                  “It has been such a long time, Sooyoung. We haven’t seen you since we left for the US, but it looks like you grew up beautifully.” Mr. Jung gently patted her on the shoulder while his wife hugged Sooyoung warmly.

                  “Thank you, sir.” Sooyoung smiled back while everyone else looked on.

                  “Are you a guest of the Seo family, Sooyoung?” Mrs. Jung asked since she was a bit surprised to Sooyoung there. But the Seo family shook their heads as well.

                  Yoona, who had been staring holes into Seohyun, finally stepped up. “Sooyoung-unni is here as my date, Mrs. Jung.” She slipped her arm around Sooyoung’s and pulled the girl closer to her.

                  “Oh …” Mrs. Jung turned to Mrs. Seo who quickly explained to her that Yoona was Seohyun’s childhood friend and daughter of Im Automotives. “She is here representing her parents since they had been called away for business at the last minute.”

                  “I wanted to wish my best friend a lifetime of happiness.” Yoona smiled at Seohyun before she looked to Yonghwa, “Please take good care of my Seohyun. She is very precious to me.” Yonghwa replied with a smile and an affirmative nod while Seohyun looked anxious and pale. Sooyoung noticed the possessiveness in Yoona’s words, but right now she was more occupied by Jessica.

                  Jessica eyed Yoona, who was clinging onto Sooyoung but staring at Seohyun, and then looked to Krystal who stared back at her with concerns. Deciding that it was time to move onto other guests, Jessica looked between Sooyoung and Yoona.

                  “Well, we hope that you enjoy the evening and thank you for coming to share the joy with us. Please let the staff know if there is anything you need.” Jessica smiled at Sooyoung and then Yoona before she turned her heels and walked away. The smile faded from her lips as soon as she no longer faced Sooyoung.

                  The happy families wished them a good evening before they moved on to do their “meet and greet” host duty.  Krystal pulled even Sulli away, so that Sooyoung can have time with her date. When all was calm again and Sooyoung was left staring at Jessica’s distant back, she fought the tears that started to well up inside her eyes.

                  “I did not know that you and the Jung were close.” Yoona released Sooyoung’s arm. “You are friends with the eldest Jung, Jessica?”

                  “We … were high school friends.” Sooyoung replied and turned toward the drink that a server offered. She did not wish to continue the conversation.

                  “Was that all?” Yoona questioned, even when she was busy staring at Seohyun, she noticed the tension in the air between the two older girls.

                  “Are you jealous?” Sooyoung asked with a charming smile and handed Yoona a glass of sparkling cider. “Shall we do some meet and greet of our own? Since you are here on behalf of your parents.”

                  Without argument, Yoona walked Sooyoung through the grand ballroom and made their presence known to her parents’ friends and business acquaintances. While Sooyoung knew Yoona was a girl born into fortune, she was rather surprised by how well the girl did in discussions with those who were much older than her. The whole time, Sooyoung mentally kept track of Jessica’s location at all time. Even while engaged in the most humorous conversations, she would always kept the other girl in her peripheral vision.

                  Eventually, they event ventured into the dance floor, where Sooyoung surprised Yoona with her ballroom dancing skills. They especially flourished with the waltz, where the trains of their dresses swirled around the room. Their steps were in sync and their heights were perfect for each other. They were the elegant treat for the sore eyes that night, it was so great that they had requests for encores.

                  “Wow, this is … exhausting.” Sooyoung took a sip of her wine after she found a place to sit.

                  “Tell me about it.” Yoona sighed softly and leaned against the taller woman, “these heels are killing me.”

                  “You did really well, I think all those people were impressed.”

                  “Thanks, since it’ll soon be my job to hold connections with those people, I need to do well.” Yoona replied, “You did better than I expected, seems like you’ve had experience in these events.”

                  “Ah, it is my job after all. Though, I haven’t been to an event this big in a very, very long time.” Sooyoung looked around again and found comfort when she saw Jessica’s familiar back.

                  “You’ve been looking for her all night.” Yoona slyly commented.

                  “…” Sooyoung smiled wryly instead of a reply. She was not going to explain her complicated life to a client. Luckily, someone recognized Yoona and engaged her in some reminiscing of their high school days. Feeling rescued, Sooyoung sat back and people-watched.

                  As Sooyoung looked around with little interest, she noticed Jessica looking at her. Sooyoung smiled and offered a small wave, but the other girl immediately turned away. With a deep inhale, Sooyoung stepped away from Yoona and her clattering friends, then made her way toward the eldest Jung. But the other girl skirted around  like Cinderella running away at midnight. Sooyoung thought she lost Jessica for a moment, until she found the girl standing by the doors to the garden. After their eyes meet, the runaway princess went through the door with the pursuing companion close behind.

                  The chilly breeze of the night embraced Sooyoung when she stepped outside. She followed the clicking sound of Jessica’s heels until they stopped in front of a large fountain. With feelings of anxiety and elation, she walked toward Jessica.

                  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you meant to lead me here.” Sooyoung arrived by Jessica’s side.

                  “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were stalking me all night.” Jessica replied with an edge in her voice.

                  “You’d have been watching me, too.”

                  “…” Jessica did not know how to reply to that.

                  “So … how long have you been back?” Sooyoung asked while stealing glances at the girl beside her.

                  “A week.”

                  “So … Yonghwa is your brother, the one who’s been living in the US since childhood?”

                  “Yes.”

                  “Did you enjoy your time there?”

                  “… is that really what you want to ask me?” Jessica looked up at Sooyoung, her eyes sparkled with unshed tears and hidden emotions.

                  “No. But the only other thing left for me to say is I’m sorry and explain what happened. And this is hardly the time or place for us to talk things over.” Sooyoung could not look away from Jessica’s calm expression.

                  Jessica shook her head. “I want to talk things over now. Why did you not come that day?”

                  Sooyoung’s brows knitted together as she fought the urge to pull the other girl into her embrace. “I wanted to come … but it wasn’t in my choice.”

                  “Then why didn’t you reply to my attempts to contact you?” Jessica’s voice grew louder. She was angry and hurt at the same time by Sooyoung’s cryptic response.

                  “Please Jessica, not tonight. I will explain to you tomorrow … or whenever you have time.” Sooyoung was here on a job and she knew that if she told Jessica everything, then she would not be able to complete her task. She wished that she could run away with Jessica and not look back. But she owed Skylight too much to be irresponsible. And there was Yuri …

                  “Is it because you’ve found someone else?” Jessica pressed on.

                  “No … that’s not it, I have a lot of things to tell you.” Sooyoung hesitated before she stepped up and wrapped her arms around Jessica. “I love you, Jessica. Even after four years of separation and all the things that have been to be spoken, I still love you just as much as before.”

                  Jessica did not return the hug right away, but she felt like she could bask in Sooyoung’s warmth and scent forever. “You can’t sweet talk your way back … not after so long … not after I’ve vowed to give up on you …” Her voice started to break as tears burned her eyes.

                  “Then let us start again. Have dinner with me tomorrow and …”

                  “Unni, they’re starting the announcement.” Krystal’s voice interrupted Sooyoung, causing her to release Jessica.

                  “I’ll be right there, Krystal.” Jessica turned away to brush a lingering tear from her eyes.

                  “No, we’re going now.” Krystal, with the same strong personality as her unni, approached and pulled Jessica away. Right before leaving, she turned to Sooyoung and gave her a dirty look, “Stay away from my unni, you heartbreaking jerk!”

                  Jessica allowed herself to be pulled away before she started to scold Krystal for her language. Sooyoung looked on with surprise, but smiled when Jessica looked back at her. She felt hopeful since Jessica did not push her away during the brief hug.

                  When Sooyoung came back into the ballroom, the announcement was already underway. She searched for the longest time before she found Yoona standing in the middle of the room. The client looked like she was about to vomit blood from the look on her face. The way Yoona was staring up at Seohyun, who was standing atop the staircase while her father spoke about the engagement, would send chills up anyone’s spine. Sooyoung knew Yoona’s reasons for hiring her was far from her genial explanation.

                  “Hey, are you alright?” Sooyoung placed a gentle hand on Yoona’s back.

                  “Where were you?” Yoona said between her gritted teeth. She glared at her companion, “I didn’t hire you to go flirt with other girls.” Her tone was hushed, but harsh.

                  “I went out for some fresh air, maybe you should get some, too.” Sooyoung replied and started to pull Yoona away from the corner. She knew the younger girl could use some time away from the situation, so she wanted to remove them from the scene before a scene happen.

                  As Sooyoung led her toward the door, Yoona felt Seohyun’s eyes on her. She looked up at the younger girl, who looked on with concerns, before she looked to Sooyoung’s back. Suddenly, she pulled Sooyoung’s hand, caused the taller to turn around, and cupped the older girl’s cheeks. She saw Sooyoung’s eyes widen from surprise, and perhaps fear, before her lips crashed into the other girl’s. A collection of gasps could be heard around them while Sooyoung pushed her away.

                  “What are you doing?” Sooyoung growled under her breath, but she knew exactly what the younger girl was plotting.

                  Yoona did not reply to her. Instead, the girl smirked and planted another kiss on Sooyoung’s lips. It took all of Sooyoung’s restraint not to shove the girl away and slap her. Instead, she stepped back and shook her head. “Stop it before you do something that you will regret.”

                  “I have nothing left to regret.” Yoona smiled coolly and looked up at Seohyun, who looked aghast and heartbroken, “And it looks like you need to worry about yourself.”

                  Sooyoung confusedly looked away from Yoona and up to the stairs, where Jessica was staring at her. She felt so small and yet so big at that moment. She wish she could shrink into a mouse and run away, but at the same time, she was like a giant incapable of hiding from those brown eyes. Not all the guests have seen their kisses, but a majority, including the most important people to Sooyoung had seen it. Krystal looked at her with disdain, Sulli and everyone else looked surprise, while Jessica … her face did not betray any emotion. Sooyoung knew that look. She knew that she had very little hope of explaining this to Jessica.

                  Unable to control the anger and pain she was feeling, Sooyoung walked away from Yoona. She made her way to the exit with the heavy feeling in her stomach. She could not explain all this to Jessica, especially when Yoona just made it more complicated. Where would she begin? Her job was a companion for hire? Or why Yoona just kissed her? Sooyoung’s thoughts were jumbled all the way to the streets.

                  “Where do you think you’re going?” Yoona called after her when she reached the curb, near the valet station.

                  “Away from you. My job is done isn’t it? Are you happy now? Seohyun think that you’ve moved on and the majority of your parents’ contacts know you like girls. You’ve just complicated things for everyone in your life. Aren’t you the generous, selfless person?” Sooyoung turned and shouted at her client … ex-client.

                  “Do you think you know how I feel right now? How dare you think that you can judge me?” Yoona snarled and shook her head, “You are beneath me, so don’t you dare think that you can understand me.”

                  “No! I don’t understand you at all and I don’t want to. You are a great actress and you could have fooled me. The way you acted like you just wanted Seohyun to move on. I almost pitied you. But I noticed how you knocked over that accessory rack in the store, it was deliberate and pushed.” Sooyoung continued.

                  “Why do you care? You just want money, so why do you care what my intentions are?” Yoona’s temper flared.

                  Sooyoung sneered. “You know what? I don’t care. So let’s not cause a scene, good bye.” She started to turn away from Yoona.

                  “Don’t walk away from me or you won’t have a job tomorrow!” Yoona screamed, she was desperate to keep another person from turning their back on her.

                  “Do you think that I would get fired over an immature kid like you? I have confidence in my boss, she would understand.” Sooyoung fired back, but then she quiet down when she noticed Seohyun coming behind Yoona.

                  Yoona, who was red-faced with anger, turned around to see whom Sooyoung was staring at. Her expression softened immediately and she looked away in shame. “Sorry, Seohyun, it’s best if you stay out of this … just a lover’s quarrel, you know?” She forced a smile.

                  -smack-

                  Seohyun slapped Yoona’s cheek. “Don’t lie to me, I heard everything. I never thought you would be this childish, Im Yoona. I guess I never really knew you.”

                  “I never knew you at all.” Yoona replied with a bitter laugh, “I thought you would at least try to fight for us. I thought a lot of things … perhaps, we never understood each other after all.” She rubbed her cheek, which was slightly swollen, “Only a few moments after your engagement and you’ve already raised a hand against me.”

                  Seohyun could not respond to Yoona’s accusation, because she knew she has wounded Yoona’s heart and pride. “I’m sorry, Yoong … but there are things that I cannot help …” She felt truly sorry for her inability to control her emotions. She knew she had no right to slap Yoona, but her love was disappointing her and she was disappointed in herself, she needed an outlet for her emotions. She never said she was wise like she appeared.

                  “I’ll never forgive you.” Yoona replied without feeling and walked away to hail her limousine. She did not forget to turn back to glare at Sooyoung, “And I will deal with you later.”

                  Sooyoung stared at Yoona and something in her made her follow the girl. She could tell that Yoona was not malicious, but she was just reacting badly to the circumstances around her. Perhaps, she saw a younger version of herself in the other girl.

                  “Forgive her, Seohyun-shi, I think she loves you so much that when she lost you, she lost her soul.” Sooyoung tried to comfort the crying girl, but she too moved on. No matter how angry she was with Yoona, she still felt sorry for both girls and a part of her wanted them to work out so that Jessica would understand. She decided to make sure that Yoona would make it home all right so she got into the limo as well.

                  Yoona tried not to look back as the limousine passed Seohyun, who was still crying at the curbside. She closed her eyes and swallowed the burden in her chest. She felt like she could not breath. She did not say anything to Sooyoung the whole ride back to her parents’ place. They were each absorbed in their own problem and they knew it was just the beginning.

                  It was a very awkward ride, but Sooyoung felt better when she watched Yoona went through the door of her mansion. Sooyoung the engine of her car, which was parked in front of the mansion, and drove home deep in thoughts. It was a surreal feeling as she moved through her apartment.

                  Before she went to bed, Sooyoung pulled out her phone and texted Sulli.

                  [Jinri, what is Jessica’s number?]

Hello readers ^_^ I hope everyone is doing well. Christmas is coming, I'd like some hot chocolate and a good book right now.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a book they really like? Oh, and a good song, I'd appreciate that too ^_^