Author's Note: I am sorry to have kept you waiting so long.

I'm almost done with my thesis so that means I already have time to update.

Thank God I'm still alive. LOL

Okay I'm done with my excuse, continue scrolling and happy reading!!

Chapter 15: Crush

Are you alright?

I snapped my phone shut, leaning against the couch with a sigh.

"Not gonna reply her?" Hyoyeon asked from her favorite spot at the couch opposite me.

I let out another sigh.

"I don't know what to say," I said dully as I slumped to my left, collapsing on the soft leather completely.

My best friend shifted in her seat, carefully placing the book which she had been reading on the small coffee table. I idly noted that it was the sixth volume she had devoured since morning.

"You can't avoid her forever. And even if the doctor's a quack, he can't keep providing you with medical certificates."

I rolled my eyes. I was too lazy to sit up, so I continued to lie on my belly, wriggling a little sideways while stretching my arm towards the coffee table. My hand d around blindly for a moment before I finally found my phone.

I flipped the cover open and scrolled to the "reply" button.

I'm okay, just feeling a little unwell.

I pressed the "send" button, and stared at the screen sullenly. It irritated me to no end that I was lying to her. But technically I wasn't lying, right? I was indeed "unwell".

To my surprise, a beep sounded, signaling another new message from "Jessica Jung".

Will you be coming tomorrow?

I puffed my cheeks and locked the phone.

Ever since my rather undignified escape from the ballroom, I had decided to call in sick at work. The first day came and went peacefully. Today, however, Ice Princess sent me a text message.

"It'll be so… awkward…" I buried my head in the pile of cushions, such that my voice came out muffled. Awkward was an understatement, really. I wasn't sure whether my body would even function, given that I knew that I lik— Well, you know what I mean.

"But you've to work right? You can’t just go and leave them without knowing."

I silently cursed my best friend's voice of reason. But as much as I hated to agree, Hyoyeon was right. I have to go back to work sooner or later.

When I did not respond, she decided to carry on. "And honestly, I don't even know why you took so long to realize it."

I turned my face to the side and looked at the blonde. "Gee, Hyo, thanks," I answered dryly, "it's not as if you decided to enlighten me or something."

gaped as she desperately tried to think of a comeback, and I waited patiently for her to astound me. She eventually closed .

As expected.

"Okay," she admitted a tad sulkily, "I guess you're right, I didn't see that coming either."

"But thinking back, it seems so obvious. I don't think I've seen you so interested in another person before," Hyoyeon said as she reached for the box of donuts sitting on the coffee table. She picked one coated with frosted sugar and took a bite.

"Really?" I mumbled glumly. Not that it mattered now, seeing how I didn't have a say in it in the first place. It just… happened.

Having spent the past two days reflecting on the issue, I concluded that I wasn't so much disturbed by the fact that she's a girl, but by the fact that she was both my boss and the Ice Princess of Korea.

Other than to say that I've awfully good taste, I wasn't sure how to console myself.

I flipped on my back, grabbing a cushion and hugging it.

"Hyo…"

"Mmm?"

"You're… okay with this?"

The blonde raised her eyebrows as she continued to chomp on her food. "You mean the fact that you like a girl?"

I twitched slightly at the word "like".

"Please, Soo," she said, sounding affronted by my question, "I've known you long and well enough to not judge you just by that."

I smiled despite myself.

"Anyway, it's probably just a crush. It'll go away eventually."

This had me scrambling to sit up on the couch, although I continued to hold the cushion captive in my arms.

"Aren't I a little too old for crushes?" I scoffed indignantly. Somehow I felt rather offended that she thought these feelings I had were merely something shallow.

"Well," Hyoyeon’s expression turned somber as she eyed me intently, "I do hope for your sake that it's just a crush, since you'll have to leave Korea soon."

The full force of her words had yet to hit me when the doorbell sounded.

Hyoyeon stood up from her seat and strode towards the entrance. As the door swung open…

"Hello guys!" Yuri chirped as she flashed us a bright smile, which faltered when she sensed the tension in the room. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," I said placidly as I brought my feet up to sit cross-legged on the couch. "So what trouble have you gotten into this time?"

My dear cousin pouted as she walked towards me. "What, can't I visit you because I miss you?"

"Yes you cannnnnn," I grinned as I pinched her cheek. She gave me a mock scowl in return.

"I heard from Tiffany that you've been on sick leave these two days. But you look plenty healthy to me," Yuri said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hmm?" I coughed. "Ah, well, I've been having a migraine. You know how bad it gets. I'm a lot better now that I've taken the medicine though."

I glanced guiltily at Hyoyeon, who had buried her nose within the pages of her comic book once more.

Yuri looked a little unconvinced but she decided to drop the topic. "Anyway," she suddenly brightened up, "I've brought you guys juicy news!"

Both Hyoyeon and I watched in part suspicion and part amusement as she rummaged in her very over-stuffed handbag. Eventually Yuri straightened her back, and dumped several copies of colorful magazines on the coffee table.

"These just came out today!" she proclaimed with some pride.

My gaze immediately fell on the magazine on the top of the stack. Since the incident where I got Hyoyeon to translate my speech to Ice Princess (and thereafter fretted for days), I had been diligently studying Korean in my free time. It was a royal pain in the posterior at first, but as I progressed things started getting easier. And unfortunately, that meant that I understood what was written on the cover of the magazine.

The headline read: "Jessica Jung and Lee Dong wook’s secret date under the moonlight!"

As it turned out, I went on another day of sick leave.

The skies were unusually overcast when I finally returned to the studio, and I was in a similarly grumpy mood. Curiosity had gotten the better of me and I had pored through the magazines brought by Yuri, which described in excruciating detail how Jessica and Dong wook were spotted meeting late at night. The articles even came with grainy photos, in which I could barely make out their faces.

As I said, excruciating.

"Good morning, Soo!" A girl bounded into my field of vision. "Are you feeling better now?"

I managed a small smile. "Good morning, Yoona. Yes I'm feeling, err, better, thanks."

"That's great!" The girl beamed. She was about to walk away, when she suddenly spun around. "Oh, I think I should let you know since you weren't around for the past few days. Jessica is holding a press conference today."

"Huh?"

"Haven't you heard? The magazines and tabloids are exploding with news about Jessica and Dongwook!"

I could feel dark clouds gathering swiftly above my head. "Well yes I have…"

But Yoona remained blissfully oblivious.

"Yes, there's such a big hoo-ha that she has to hold a press conference to clarify things!"

"You mean there's a need to clarify?" I deadpanned.

Yoona shrugged. "I dunno, apparently."

Although I knew better than to trust the rumor mill, the widespread speculation that Jessica and Dongwook were having "secret dates under the moonlight" made me… unhappy, to say the least. On one hand, unless they were in some kind of sadomasochistic relationship (in which case I'm absolutely not interested to know), the probability that they were dating was almost zilch. On the other hand, you know what they say – Never Say Never.

This is so annoying.

I felt someone prod me in the arm. "Speaking of the devil," Yoona whispered excitedly.

My gaze drifted instinctively towards the door, landing on Ice Princess who was striding into the studio. My brain immediately commanded my feet to do an about-turn, but my stiffened limbs could not move quickly enough, and she caught sight of me.

As she walked in my direction, Yoona leaned close to my ear.

"I think she missed you."

I snapped my head around, giving Yoona a bewildered look. But before I could demand an explanation, she flashed me a mischievous grin and scurried off.

Leaving me rooted to the spot.

I gulped.

Okay, Sooyoung, you're ready for this.

"Hey," Jessica said softly, the corners of her lips quirking upwards.

And… damn. I saw my resolve wobbling like a plate of jelly bouncing on a trampoline.

I breathed in sharply, stuffing my fidgety hands into my jeans pockets.

Haven't you spent the whole of yesterday prepping for this?

Get. A. Grip. On. Yourself!