Chapter 31 – Let’s Believe In Fate 


STS – Cruise Sales and Reservation Department

“Time just flies… I can’t believe it’s our last day at STS already.” Jessica said as she followed Yoona making their way to the latter’s car.

“Yeah, true. And the sad part is that we don’t even time to have a farewell party with them.” Yoona agreed.

Jessica shrugged, “Well, we could have had one if Mr. Kim didn’t suddenly change his mind about the contract.”

“‘You’ could have had one to be exact. At least, Yuri would throw one for you. My relationship with them hasn’t gotten any better since that incident even after weeks already.”

Jessica turned silent at the mention of her sister or ‘Kwon Yuri’ as how she preferred to call the girl. Honestly, she was still confused about how she should treat this half-sister of her. It wasn’t like she could act like they were both strangers to each other when they accidentally met across the street. Accept it or not… they were still related by blood.

Yoona heaved a sigh when she saw her best friend was deep in thought again. It was getting more and more frequently these days. Yoona noticed ever since they went on dates, Jessica rarely talked to her anymore. She would come to Taeyeon more often instead. Not like old times, they knew exactly what was on each other’s mind. But Yoona knew that she was also the same. She wasn’t that open to Jessica like before. Maybe it was all started when Yoona had to try to hide the one and only fact from her best friend: she hadn’t been able to have her heart back from Yuri’s hand yet.

“Speaking of Mr. Kim… did you prepare all the files we needed?” Yoona asked.

Jessica snapped out of her own thoughts and started looking through the files she brought with her before stated loudly, “Oh, shoot… I forgot to bring the gray one on my desk.

Glancing at her phone, Yoona said calmly, “No worries… we still have more than half an hour until the appointment. Just go get it, I’ll wait for you here.”

“Okay, I’ll be real quick.” Jessica said over her shoulder while running to the elevator.

---

“Where is it? Where is it?” Jessica chanted to herself while searching through her already messy desk. After putting lots of effort, she finally found the one she needed which was buried by tons of unnecessary files.

“Ah, here it-”

Jessica didn’t get to finish her line when a loud yelp coming from the break area cut in. Judging by the voice, she believed it belong to Yuri. Since being curious as one of natural instincts, Jessica decided to take a look to make sure the girl was okay. Who knew, probably she was in pain. As a human being, Jessica just couldn’t ignore something like that to happen right?

As she reached the room, Jessica carefully stayed behind the door and peaking her head in. She saw Yuri was crouching under a table, one of her hand kept rubbing the spot which Jessica presumed to be the reason why the girl was crying out loud earlier while the other was clenching into a fist. Jessica wasn’t sure if it was because of the pain that she clenched her fist or there was something inside her palm.

When the pain seem to be faded, Yuri then started moving around under the table again, eyes on the floor, looking like she was looking for something really important. Shrugging the matter off, Jessica decided to leave her spot since nothing as serious as she picture was happening. However, as she was about to move, rushed footsteps coming toward her followed by the loud voice stopped her from going. Instead, Jessica thought she should stay out of their sight first.

“Yah! Yuri-yah…” Tiffany shouted loudly to announce her present even though she hadn’t reached the door yet.

Flustered when she heard her best friend’s voice, Yuri immediately found her way to stand up only to have her head collided with the table above her again.

“Oww!!” Yuri whimpered while hugging her head.

Tiffany, now arrived at the scene, crouched down to her friend’s level almost instantly when seeing the latter’s posture.

“Hey… are you okay?” Tiffany asked while helping Yuri to get out of the table and standing up.

“I’m fine but not this spot though…” Yuri said while rubbing gently over her new bruise which was easily seen with eyes since it was badly swollen from the side of her head.

“Tsk, what are you doing here, crawling under this table? Everyone’s waiting for you at the cafeteria so that we all can have lunch together. It’s lunch break, remember?”

“I know but I dropped something so I went under the table to find it.” Yuri explained.

“Is it important?” Tiffany asked, raising her eyebrow.

Avoiding eye contact, Yuri answered, “Uh… no, uh… it’s not that important. Just leave it. Come on, let’s go… everyone must be hungry waiting for me already.”

“Are you sure? I can help you find it if you want…”

“Nah… told ya. Not that important. Let’s go…” Yuri said as she threw her arm around Tiffany’s neck to pull the latter going along with her. As she did that, the necklace Yuri hid in her hand was slipping out of her palm and hit the floor. A necklace without a pendant.

As Yuri was about to bend down, Tiffany stopped her, “Let me pick that up for you…” She suggested since it was near her right foot.

Surprisingly, from the corner of her eye, Tiffany noticed there was a shiny little thing in the corner of the room, near a plant pot.

“Wait a minute, I think I found what you’ve been looking for Yuri-yah…” Tiffany quickly approached the plant pot, bent down to pick that thing up which turned out to be a ring.

Yuri gasped when she saw the thing which she had been looking for the whole time in Tiffany’s hand. Great, someone… please shoot her… now…

“Y love Y?” Tiffany read out loud the word was carved into the ring. It wasn’t that hard to put two and two together, “Kwon Yuri… don’t tell me, this is…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Yuri confessed, “It isn’t what you think it is. It is Nicole’s. I threw mine into the sea years ago. Nicole gave hers to me when she was back in Korea last time.”

“Please, tell me that you keep this by your side is because of Nicole… not her.” Tiffany harshly stated.

Dropping her head, Yuri stayed silent. What was there to say? Nicole already belongs to the past, memories... It would be completely unreasonable to keep that ring by her side all the time, besides how could she deny the fact that the ring was supposed to be the pendant for her non-pendant necklace?

“I tried… Fany-ah.” Yuri sadly started, “I really am trying every second of my life. I really want to move on by going out with Gyuri but what is the use of that when all I could think about is her when the person beside me was actually Gyuri?”

Yuri then shifted her gaze to look at Tiffany, “She is dating my sister and I should have been happy for them, I know that. But I can’t stop this wrong feeling of yearning for her keeps getting bigger and bigger every day I see her till the point that I had to wear this ring around my neck to fool my heart saying that Yoona was actually here with me. I even wonder if I have made mistake for not accepting her heart when she confessed that she loved me. Am I wrong from the very beginning?”

Tears rolling down her cheek as if it was the most natural thing in this world, Yuri was too tired to stop them anymore, too tired to keep everything inside, too tired to force herself to do something she didn’t want to, too tired to play this tug-of-war game with Yoona. Just tired.

Tiffany held back a sigh as she pulled her best friend in for a comfort hug. She knew that the latter was going to need it. Now, not only Yuri but Tiffany was also questioning herself. She did what she had done just to protect her best friend yet, in the end she still saw Yuri was crying her heart out because of Yoona. What to do now?

“You know… I started to think of crazy things, Yuri-yah.” Tiffany said while Yuri’s back, “Three years ago, what if you didn’t meet Yoona? What if you didn’t fall in love with her in just 7 days? What if you ran to Nicole’s arm when she came back for you on that wedding day? Then maybe you wouldn’t have been this heartbroken right now. Everything is just… great.”

“Even so… after everything… it’s unbelievable I can say this but… I don’t regret meeting her at all, Fany-ah…”

Tiffany pulled back from the hug and stared at Yuri in disbelief. But when she saw that glint of pure bliss in the latter’s eyes, Tiffany couldn’t help but wear a defeated smile on her face. This friend of her was so…

“Hopeless… You are.” Tiffany stated as she pinched Yuri’s cheek.

“I know I am.”

“Anyway, I guess they probably will be done eating by the time we get to the cafeteria. So we better hurry our and… this is yours.” Shoving the ring in her hand back to Yuri’s palm, Tiffany decided that to leave all of this in Yuri’s hand, support her best friend’s every upcoming decision and offer Yuri a shoulder when the latter needed. And that was all she could do.

Getting what Tiffany meant behind her actions, Yuri smiled as she pulled her in for another hug. “Thanks, Fany-ah…”

Then, they quickly left the room with Tiffany was first pull back from the hug and pushed Yuri all the way to the elevator.

And of course… as she was hiding behind the wall nearby, the whole conversation was heard loud and clear to Jessica’s ears.

---

“Hey… what took you so long?” Yoona asked as she saw her Jessica making her way here.

Absentmindedly, Jessica answered, “Uh… I couldn’t find the files so I have to print them from my computer.”

“Then hurry and get in the car, we might be late for the appointment.” Yoona said while getting in the front seat.

“Wait, Yoong-ah…”

“Huh?”

“Uh… never mind…”

Heaving a sigh, Yoona said annoyingly, “Icy-ah, don’t stop mid-sentence like that. You know how much I hate it.”

“Uhm actually, I was just gonna ask you whether you would want to go for a walk after we’re done with work or not.”

“Of course, why not? Come on, get in.”

“Oh…”

&&&&&&

Namdaemun Market – Teokbokki shop

Yoona rested her chin in her palm as she watched Jessica poking at her plate like a kid who was forced by her parents to eat vegetables. They stopped by this shop to have dinner before going on another meeting before the night ended. And here she was, watching her best friend lost in her own world again. Sixth time in a row and in only in the past two hours.

“Icy-ah… If you keep doing that, you’ll have to eat a plate of smashed boiled flour instead of teokbokki soon.”

“Oh…” Snapped back to reality, Jessica left her fork on the side and took a sip of water.

“Now tell me what’s wrong… I just can’t stand seeing you like this anymore. Your mind is always somewhere else when you’re with me. What happened?” Yoona annoyingly questioned. Needless to say, both of them felt distant to each other and she really couldn’t accept that fact. Why was Jessica acting like this? Yoona had always thought that when she decided to try to open her heart for the girl then Jessica should be happy, right? Why did she seem to be even sadder than before?

Heaving a sigh when Jessica saw how Yoona was being worried for her. She took a deep breath in as she was about to ask the question she had never thought that she would, “Yoong-ah, are you sure… uhm… Are you sure you heard right when Yuri said that she used you as a substitute?”

As soon as the question reached her ear, Yoona arched her eyebrows, “Why… Why do you bring that up all of a sudden?”

“Just answer me first…”

“I think so… Actually, Nicole asked her if she was using me and she said yes. Then I got so angry and… well, you know the story.” Yoona sadly recalled her painful memories in a low tone.

“That’s all she said? Nothing else?”

“I’m not sure… just hearing her admitting was enough to make me lose myself. I ran away as soon as I heard her confirmation so…”

“Then-”

Jessica didn’t have a chance to finish what she was about to say as a sound coming from Yoona’s pocket interrupted them.

“Wait…” Yoona dug in her pocket to get her phone out. She had a new message and it was from her father. There was no hesitation, Yoona immediately opened it to read because her father never contacted her unless there was something really important.

‘From: Appa.

Rascal, come to Seoul Hospital, Operation Room 1, asap!!’

Yoona widened her eyes at the information as her whole body became stiffened.

“Hey, what’s the matter?” Jessica worriedly asked.

Anxiously shaking her head, Yoona answered with a trembling voice, “I-I don’t know, he told me to go to the hospital right now. Operation room. Something must have happened. Is it the tumor? But I th-”

And Yoona was quickly cut off by Jessica, “Hey, hey… you need to calm down first. He is still able to send you a message right? Maybe it isn’t as serious as you thought. All you have to do right now is go to that hospital just like your father said.”

“But what about the appointment?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll cover for you and then meet you at the hospital later. You know that you can always count on me right? Now go…”

Yoona smiled, like always Jessica was always there for her “Thanks, Icy-ah…”


---

Seoul Hospital

Yoona ran as fast as she could through the hallway to the operation room. Earlier, she almost yelled at the nurse for taking too long to answer where the operation room was even though the innocent staff was just a bit startled and try to calm herself first because of her behavior. Yoona was just that desperate.

Much to her surprise, when she reached the room, Yong appa was nowhere to be seen and it was Yuri who was standing in front of the room with her father. Wait, her father? Weren’t her parents in LA right now?

In order to answer all of Yoona’s current confusion, her phone was vibrating in her pocket again indicating she had a call which she quickly picked up.

“Appa…” She said, still in a worried tone.

“Yah! Rascal!” Came Yong appa’s seem-to-be-nothing-happen voice from the other side.

“Where are you? I arrived at where you told me to but-”

“Is Yuri there?”

“Yes, she is. But I don’t understand. Are you okay?”

“Babo-yah, nothing happened to me. My daughter-in-law needs someone by her side at this moment and as a seobang, you should be there with her. So… I texted you to go there.”

And now Yoona was mad, her heart was about to jump out of its case when she received the message and this was what she got in the end? Yong appa really knew how to joke.

“Appa!!! I already said that we-”

“Okay, that’s it. Comfort her when you still had a chance, rascal. And it’s the last one for you there’s no exchange or refund. Remember that?”

“Appa… Appa!” Yoona called out but it was too late. Her father was already hung up. Aish, she was really going crazy with him.

As Yoona was standing there, hesitating whether she should approach Yuri and her father or not. The old man already took one step ahead in noticing her and called out to her right away.

“Yoona! We’re here.” Hyesung naturally called out. Of course, there was no surprise for him to see Yoona here, his daughter’s seobang.

But that wasn’t the case for Yuri.

“Aboji…” Yoona addressed the old man and bowed to him. She was quick to get on with her acting as she still remembered the situation they got themselves in when they met Yuri’s parents on the cruise ship.

Yuri, on the other hand, still couldn’t figure this situation out as a shocked expression was still pretty visible on her face.

“Wh- what happened, aboji?”

“Oh, Yuri didn’t tell you?”

At this question, Yoona just simply shook her head. It was better to let Hyesung go with whatever assumption he could come up for her lack of information.

“Well, me and your omoni were planning to surprise Yuri for our sudden visit to Korea.”

Yoona’s heart skipped a beat when she listened to what Hyesung just said. Maybe they knew that her and Yuri had divorced already? Nah, he was still treating her normally earlier. That couldn’t be true.

“I guess it was too much of a surprise for Yuri when suddenly she was called and known that her mom was hospitalized. I don’t know exactly what happen but I found Misun fainted in our hotel room. I guess she must have had a sudden heart attack. And then here we are, waiting for the doctor to come out.”

“Ah…” Yoona nodded as she held in a relieved breath when she heard the story. She really didn’t know if it was good or bad that Yuri’s mom had a heart attack now. Because sooner or later, when she found out the truth about her relationship with Yuri and that Yuri had been lying to her the whole time, plus, Hyesung’s relationship with Jessica… Well, Yoona didn’t even dare to picture that terrible scenario anymore.

“Appa, why don’t you find something to eat? You haven’t been able to have anything for over half a day.” Yuri honestly suggested. Her mom was already like this, she didn’t want something happen to her father’s health too.

“I don’t know Yuri-yah. I’m worried for your mom.”

“She’ll be okay, appa that’s why you should make sure that you are in a perfect condition so that you can take care of her during her recovery.”

After thinking carefully about what Yuri said, Hyesung weakly nodded in agreement, “Right… I think I’ll go to the cafeteria to try to find something to eat.”

As her father’s figure faded behind a corner, Yuri found herself a seat on a bench nearby. She hung her head low, looking at the floor.

None of them said anything to each other for a whole five minutes.

Yoona was just pacing back and forth in front the room. She didn’t know whether she should take the seat right next to Yuri, well just in case the girl needed a shoulder to lean on. Yuri was acting too calm and she worried Yoona. The doe-eye girl expected Yuri to at least shed a tear or something… or maybe being anxious. The funny part about this was… Yoona was acting even more anxious than Yuri when the person in there was Yuri’s own mother. Why could she just sit and do nothing? Wa-

Just then, Yoona noticed something that made her stop thinking nonsense about the situation.

Yuri’s hands were shaking.

Even though they were lacing together as the tanned was praying but it was as clear her hands were shaking so badly.

Yuri was just trying to be calm. Or forcing herself to be calm to be exact.

But why?

At this moment, no one blamed her for being tense and anxious. Just cried out loud if she needed and let’s see who the hell judge? Hello? Her mom was in an operation room. She had every right in this world to act like that.

Or maybe she didn’t want her dad to be worried.

Ah~~, this girl worried for others too much for her own good.

No more hesitation, Yoona slowly took a seat right next to Yuri. And even moving slower while being as gentle as she could, she placed one hand on Yuri’s intertwined ones in order to stop them from shaking.

Yoona began when she saw Yuri turned to look at her in confusion, “Well… I don’t know if you remember but there’s one girl told me that ‘crying is the best way to lighten up your mood’. You won’t believe when I tell you how true that is. I really was feeling much better after crying her heart out as she lent me her shoulder so that I could lean on. I guess I still somehow own her that shoulder. So…”

One surprise after another, Yuri couldn’t believe in what was happening anymore when she felt Yoona’s warm embrace around her. This feeling… Why? Why did Yoona always appear right beside her whenever Yuri needed someone comfort her? She had been trying to forget this feeling, why did Yoona just have to do this to her again?

“There’s no need to hide your feelings, Yuri-yah. You’re only human and human was supposed to have their moment of weakness. Don’t force yourself to do something that your heart didn’t want… Be true to yourself, I remember that’s what you’re best at, right?” Yoona whispered in a small voice into Yuri’s ear and before she knew it, Yuri already wrapped her arm around her waist to return the surprise hug.

Unknowingly to herself, Yuri couldn’t stop her worried tears for her mother was coming out of her eyes anymore. Be true to herself was what she was best at. Right, all this time, she had forgotten her own specialty and it was Yoona who reminded her who she truly was. As she thought of that, between the uncontrollable crying and crying, surprisingly, a happy smile broke on her face.

Yoona gave a small relieved sigh when she felt Yuri tried to soak her shirt with her tears. She guessed this was the same feeling that Yuri had when Yoona decided to open her heart and lean on Yuri’s shoulder three years ago.

When the loud crying came to a quite sobbing, Yoona decided to ask the question she had been wondering the whole time, “Have you eaten anything yet?”

Yoona could feel Yuri was shaking her head as they were still staying in the position from earlier.

“Well, I’ll go get you some sandwiches.” As she intended to stand up, Yoona felt Yuri tightened her grip around her thin waist.

Clearly, the tanned girl had no intention of moving from their current position.

“No… Stay…”

And those two words were enough for Yoona to stay in that position as long as Yuri needed her to.

From afar, there was another person who witnessed the whole situation ever since the moment Yuri cried her heart out.

Was this considered as cheating?

TBC