A/N: This chapter is dedicated for peodbear (summer), Kanae, SOLEIL_, kurdoodle (Hannah), HaesicaLover99, iLoveYuh, and  _haeshika for being such supportive friends. Thank you for the heartwarming comment in my blog ^^ I hope you can enjoy this chapter. 

Oh, and I've made replies to some of the lost comment of Chapter 20 . It may be outdated, but thank you so much!

Chapter 23

[With a Smile and a Song]

“Isn’t this cape very cute? Summer is almost over, we’ll need lots of this kind of cape to face the fall!” commented Tiffany eagerly as she picked a soft-looking, white cape from the hanger in the boutique.

Jessica stared at Tiffany as if the later was a retard. Tiffany had called her earlier that morning to join the first in a “pre-fall shopping spree”. It turned out to be that the Hwang girl had invited all other female members of Der Märchenclub to relieve the stress. Jessica almost snorted at the reason. The stress of being targeted by killers was not something that could be relieved by shopping –it was not a trivial stress due to college work or work in general. Tiffany remained an airhead sometimes, but Jessica reminded herself that she needed to act less hostile to Tiffany, especially after sharing out the talks about their befriending fathers.

Jessica glanced at the group. The female members who attended were limited to Tiffany, Sunny, Yoona, and Jessica herself. Sooyoung was preoccupied with her work in one of the Choi offices, Hyoyeon almost always refused to mingle with them as she chose to attend her dancing practice instead (Jessica questioned herself why didn’t she follow Hyoyeon’s path this time), and Yuri would practically not attend any event where Sunny was present. Save from the weekly meeting of Der Märchenclub, of course.

The presence of the high class ladies like them in one of the most expensive boutiques in Seoul was even more aggravated by the facts that their bodyguards decided to stand by near each of their mistress. Jessica’s grandmother herself already appointed a bodyguard to follow her (her grandmother was about to add another two, but Jessica strictly refused. Her current bodyguard, a Chinese descent named Han Kyung seemed to be more than capable to protect her), while Yoona and Sunny had even more bodyguards. Tiffany stuck to having no one to protect her but Jessica sensed that it was not that the Hwang girl was not under surveillance, be it a positive or negative one. In fact, after Kim Kibum and Kim Heechul’s story weeks prior, Jessica was sure that whoever was targeting Tiffany was present nearby.

“How could you still laugh like that?” Sunny asked warily at Tiffany.

Dumbfounded, Tiffany only uttered, “Eh?”

Sunny’s mood had been in a downhill for the past few weeks. In irritation, she repeated her question, “How could you act as if nothing is wrong?”

Tiffany’s face hardened momentarily. But in the next second, she put up another bright smile. “Because it’s easier to face life’s difficulties with a smile!”

Sunny stared at Tiffany and Jessica could probably guess Sunny was also thinking that Tiffany’s thickness was incurable. Sunny chose to react with a more explosive manner though. “Your fake smile is ridiculous,” she said as she returned a jacket to the hanger. “I’m leaving.”

Tiffany could not even hide the disappointment on her face upon watching Sunny’s figure –who was walking out of the boutique, leaving her with the other two girls. The white cape Tiffany was holding was held loosely and it would have fallen to the floor had Yoona not caught it.

“Don’t worry. We are all just a bit stressed. But I think your attempt to keep us optimistic is great,” Yoona said to Tiffany with a pat. “Cheer up again. Here, your cape,” the Im girl said as she handed Tiffany the white cape back. “I’m sure you’ll look very cute in it.”

Yoona smiled. Often dubbed as one to influence people with her positive energy, Yoona managed to make Tiffany smiled again.

Yoona, unfortunately, could not join their evening shopping spree after that. Her mother was still as paranoid as ever and she was ordered to go home immediately.

“Mother’s protectiveness will have to end someday,” she commented with a sigh. She grabbed her purse and stood up from her stool in that café they were at. After waving good bye to Tiffany and Jessica, Yoona gracefully followed her bodyguards back to her waiting car.

Jessica was also about to excuse herself from Tiffany but the usually smiling girl suddenly touched her arm. Looking up at Tiffany for the sudden skin contact, Jessica used her eyes to pose the question silently to her.

Tiffany, to Jessica’s surprise, was b with tears. “Can you accompany me a little more?”

“Why?” Jessica asked back, without wanting to sound too much like a .

“I hate being alone lately. I feel like there’s someone watching me… and not in a good way.”

Jessica nearly told Tiffany that her assumption might not have been completely wrong, but she decided that telling that to an insecure, nearly-crying girl would not do anything good to calm her down. So Jessica ended up saying nothing at all.

Tiffany’s tears already threatened to fall down and Jessica cautiously looked around her, glad enough that people around them seemed to be busy with their own activities. Attracting attention would be the least option Jessica wanted. Sighing, Jessica murmured, “I’m not a good listener, you know. Perhaps you choose the wrong person to bawl your heart content out.”

Hiccups and sobs were suppressed. Wiping a tear from her cheek, Tiffany then said, “I’m afraid to die…”

“…We all are.”

“I-I’m sorry. I d-don’t mean to be such a selfish girl. I know this is not just about me, but I…” her sobs returned. Tiffany spent the next minute trying to calm herself down. While she managed to do so (poorly), she spoke again, “Do you think my smile is fake?”

Of all question, Jessica could not understand why Tiffany decided to ask her that. Jessica was not a good liar and she was always used to either be silent or to blatantly share her opinion. “Yes.”

The sobs returned and Jessica sighed.

“I-I’m just trying to be optimistic… that’s what my father has always taught me… Often times I smiled not to assure other people, but to assure myself, that I would be alright, that things would be alright, but…but…”

Jessica handed her a tissue without expression. Tiffany accepted it and blew her nose noisily to it, earning a mildly disgusted cringe from Jessica.

“S-sometimes I have this thought t-that… perhaps it won’t be too bad if I died… T-that way… at least I could meet my father again. I-I miss my father very much… But I know that father would forever hate me if I lose my fighting spirit. But t-then again, it’s hard to force yourself to smile all the time…”

“You don’t have to force it. Nobody asks you to smile all the time,” Jessica pointed out.

“It’s my way to defend myself…” Tiffany slowly trailed. “And when lately I cannot hold my smile for a long time. I don’t know how else I will be able to defend myself…”

They fell into silence after that. Jessica awkwardly shifted her seating position. She really was not good in any of these things. “Tiffany, I –“

“You know what?” Tiffany suddenly said. She lifted her face again and a smile was already present on her face. “I’m sorry having to take up your time like this. I’m sorry, I must have been a burdensome girl. I’ll…figure out a way or two to get my spirit back. I’ll be strong. I’ve promised my father to be strong.”

Tiffany’s smile remained. Jessica did not buy it, but at least, she knew that Tiffany was trying her best.

And if Tiffany said smiling was her self-defense mechanism, Jessica did not want her to lose that kind of belief.

“It’s already dark outside,” Jessica pointed out. “Perhaps we should –“

“Ah yes, we should go back home,” interrupted Tiffany. “Again, I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

Jessica shrugged and only nodded. The two girls exited the café with Hankyung, Jessica’s bodyguard, trailing behind her. The Jung heiress’ car was already parked in front of the café and her old driver opened the backseat door for her. Glancing at Tiffany, she then offered, “I can give you a ride home. You live at Itaewon right?”

Tiffany shook her head. “It’s alright. I don’t want to be a burden. I’ll just get a cab. Siwon Oppa is still at work.”

“I don’t mind taking you home.”

Tiffany was almost lulled to the offer, but in the end, she declined. “That’s alright. We’re going to the opposite direction and your grandmother must have been worried. Tell her I’m sorry for taking up your time.”

“Are you sure?”

Tiffany momentarily rose her hand to stop a taxi. “Yes, I’m sure. See? I already get a taxi. You can go home yourself,” she said, not forgetting to apply her trademark smile.

“Alright, if you say so,” Jessica responded as she got into her car.

“See you later!”

“…Yes.”

Tiffany got into the cab and Hankyung closed the door of his mistress’ car once the heiress was properly sitting inside. He then went to circle the car to get to the front seat. After Hankyung already sat in, the door was closed.

Jessica’s car then drove away.

Hankyung glanced at the rear windscreen window and muttered to Jessica’s driver. “He’s not following us. Good.”