[The next day]

 

The fair-skinned brunette the box of Arnica cream. She had been standing there for the past twenty minutes, trying to decide whether she should buy it or not.

 

She thinks that Taeng bought the first two for her. What if she finds out that it’s not Taeng?

 

Who cares? There’s nothing wrong with me buying her some cream!

 

Oh really? I know how you feel about Sunny, Sica… I know…

 

I’m just buying these as a friend… she needs it for her bruises anyway…

 

You’re secretly hoping for more aren’t you?

 

ARGH! Shut up! I’m buying the cream and that’s that!

 

She marched to the counter and paid for the cream.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[Sunny’s room]

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Sunny looked up at the sound of her cracking voice and sniffed. She reached for the brunette’s hands and covered them with her own. Taeyeon felt a tear roll down her cheek but she ignored it. Sunny had explained everything to her, right down to the first time Sungmin had seen her at the hospital and that was when she realized that Jessica had been completely right about Sunny. She chided herself for acting so irrationally and rashly but it was too late for that. She could not find another other words to say other than the S-word.

 

Taeyeon had then opened up and finally told Sunny about Sookyung and how she had rolled the two into one massive ball and ultimately thrown it all on Sunny. She had been prepared for Sunny to get angry with her or cry and scream at her but the blonde had done none of that. Instead, she had covered her hands with her own.

 

Taeyeon closed her eyes and focused on the feeling of Sunny’s hands on hers. She had never felt warmer hands in her life.

 

Sica… I owe you a big one for this… This and Sookyung…

 

She placed her hand over Sunny’s.

 

“Sunny… I really don’t deserve you after what I did… but are you willing to forgive me?”

 

Sunny nodded and squeezed Taeyeon’s hand to convey her answer to the brunette. Taeyeon’s lips quivered as she pulled Sunny into her arms, hugging her as tightly as she could, for as long as she could.

 

Somehow she knew that they would never be the same again. No amount of regret could change that.

 

I’m sorry Sunny.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[The next day in class]

 

Sunny smiled and jiggled the Arnica cream at Taeyeon before she slipped the box that had mysteriously appeared on her desk into her bag. She still hadn’t used up the first two and now a third one had appeared. Taeyeon smiled back and Sunny took that as acknowledgement that she had bought her the cream. That warm, fuzzy feeling spread through her body again.

 

Jessica saw the whole exchange between Sunny and Taeyeon.

 

Good. She still thinks that Taeyeon is the one who bought the cream.

 

Feeling relieved that her cover was not blown, she relaxed but a dull heartache had escalated into a stronger one and she absentmindedly rubbed her chest with her palm, trying to ease the discomfort.

 

Who are you trying to kid Sica? You want her to know it’s you!

 

Jessica groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force out the opposing voices in her head.

 

“Sica, are you alright?” asked Sunny who had heard her groan.

 

Jessica flashed a smile and replied, “Yeah… I’m just sleepy.”

 

Sunny giggled and winked at her, leaving her feeling breathless. She had no idea of the effect she had on Jessica. It was getting increasingly difficult for Jessica to be around Sunny and Taeyeon. Whenever she saw them close together, she’d imagine what it would feel like if she were the one with Sunny instead. Such thoughts were filling her mind and driving her nuts. To make things harder for her, she had grown a lot closer to Sunny after the Taeyeon episode and she couldn’t quite keep up her cold act towards Sunny anymore.

 

“Sica… lunching with us later? Sunny looked at her smilingly.

 

She found herself nodding her head although she had wanted to spin up some reason to get away from them.

 

“Great!” whispered Sunny, beaming from ear to ear.

 

Jessica groaned inwardly.

 

You’re not playing fair Sunny! I can’t resist your smile!

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[Saturday, one in the morning]

 

“YOONA!!!” screamed Sooyoung.

 

Yoona flinched and pulled her phone further away from her ear.

 

“Don’t shout! I’m going deaf!” yelled Yoona into the receiver from a distance.

 

“Sorry… I was just too excited! I gotta share the good news and the first person I thought of is you!” babbled Sooyoung exuberantly.

 

“What’s the good news then?”

 

“Well… I congratulated you on getting together with Yuri and now… it’s your turn to congratulate me.”

 

“Huh? Quit your riddles Youngie! It’s too late in the night for that!” groaned Yoona.

 

She was used to Sooyoung speaking in riddles when she was ridiculously happy but she was too sleepy to tolerate any of her riddles at that moment.

 

“Ahem. Mmm… I held Fany’s hand just now! And she kissed me before going home after our date!!!”

 

Yoona sat up straight in her bed, completely surprised by the news.

 

“Tiffany unnie?!”

 

“Yeah. I really like her, Yoona…”

 

Yoona giggled and said, “Why, at last! I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever succeed in getting her to agree to be your girlfriend.”

 

“YA! IM YOONA! Stop teasing me!” whined Sooyoung, “And she’s not my girlfriend yet. I don’t know if holding hands while crossing the road and a goodbye kiss count as being girlfriends yet. I need some advice!!!”

 

Yoona laughed at her friend’s intense state of excitement.

 

“Youngie, just ask her if you aren’t sure.”

 

“Ask her?” gasped Sooyoung.

 

Yoona could hear a hint of hesitation in her voice.

 

“Yeah, ask her Youngie. She’s already into you anyway. You have nothing to worry about.”

 

“B-but… but what if she…” Sooyoung faltered in mid-sentence.

 

“Youngie… you’ll be fine. Just do it!”

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[Saturday night]

 

They strolled down the street hand in hand. Yoona burped suddenly and she covered in embarrassment. Yuri roared with laughter and mimicked her burp with great exaggeration. Yoona slapped her arm in protest, a faint shade of pink spreading across her cheeks.

 

“Serves you right for eating two plates of escargot at dinner.”

 

“You are the one who got me addicted to it.”

 

“How would I know that you’d end up devouring two plates all by yourself? What have I gotten myself into?” groaned Yuri in a loud voice, attracting some stares from people walking past them. “I have a shikshin for a girlfriend!”

 

“Ya, people are looking!” Yoona whispered loudly. “Fine I won’t eat two plates the next time, I’ll just share a plate with you.”

 

Yuri laughed at her adorable girlfriend and draped her arm across her shoulders, pulling the fair-skinned girl closer.

 

“It’s okay... you can eat three plates if you want. I’ll still adore you.” Yuri winked at Yoona mischievously.

 

Yoona looked at Yuri and giggled, “I’ll hold you to that Yuri.”

 

Yuri smiled and pecked Yoona on her cheek, sealing the deal with a kiss.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[The following week, Wednesday]

 

“Miss Jung, welcome to our hospital. They had informed us that you were coming in today. This lovely girl here must be Sunny?”

 

Jessica nodded her head and smiled politely at the head nurse who was greeting her.

 

“This way please.”

 

Jessica and Sunny walked down the corridor, inhaling the strong scent of antiseptic as they had done a thorough cleaning prior to Jessica’s arrival. Sunny linked her arm with Jessica’s quite naturally, without much thought. Jessica however, had jumped in her skin at the sudden contact and felt goose pimples rising all over. She looked down at the blonde who felt her gaze and looked up smiling into her eyes. Jessica swallowed a lump in and smiled back.

 

“This is the room, Sunny. Ms. Jung, you can wait here. She won’t be long.”

 

Jessica sat on the row of chairs that lined the wall of the corridor. She fiddled with her fingers and wondered how she got herself into such a fix. Taeyeon had a meeting for her club so she had asked Jessica to accompany Sunny to the hospital for her follow-up checkup. Jessica, having no good reason to decline, had agreed to do it.

 

This is mental torture. Sunny isn’t making things any easier on me either.

 

I’m just her friend.

 

Just a friend.

 

A friend.

 

I need a distraction.

 

I need a distraction.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

[A week later…]

 

Jessica and Sunny sat idly at the café, drinking their fruity ice-blended drinks. They were chatting about random topics when Jessica suddenly asked Sunny a question.

 

“Taeng hasn’t been around much, has she?”

 

Sunny shook her head. “She’s been busy.”

 

“With?”

 

Sunny shrugged her shoulders.

 

“Didn’t she tell you?”

 

Sunny shook her head again. “She didn’t say much… she’s just busy with school and the club I guess…”

 

Jessica cocked an eyebrow at that but she didn’t probe any further. She sensed that something was up with Taeyeon and she intended to find out what it was.

 

She finished her drink and stood up. “Let’s go home.”

 

Sunny pouted. “I want to hang out some more. Let’s go for a movie!”

 

Jessica sighed. She still had trouble resisting Sunny’s requests even though she was now more accustomed to being around Sunny more.

 

“Which movie?”

 

“I don’t know… let’s check out what’s screening!” said Sunny in her classic aegyo, pulling Jessica along with her to the cinema.

 

They stood in front of the screen, looking at the list of movies screening as well as their screening times. Sunny tugged on Jessica’s arm and pointed at a title excitedly. The taller girl groaned inwardly. It was a horror movie. She was the biggest wuss when it came to horror movies. She let herself be dragged by the blonde to the box office and before she knew it, Sunny was holding on to two tickets to the latest horror movie in town.

 

“Sunny…”

 

“Hmm?” hummed Sunny, who had once again linked arms with Jessica and was now heading towards the popcorn stall.

 

“I… er… I… oh never mind. I’ll buy the popcorn since you bought the tickets. Sweet or salty?”

 

“Salty!”

 

Jessica smiled and asked for the largest bag of salty popcorn.

 

Sunny tugged on her arm and said, “You don’t have to get such a big one… do you even like salty popcorn?”

 

The taller girl looked at her and smiled. “It’s my all-time favourite type of popcorn. Pity it isn’t the most popular popcorn out there.”

 

“Yeah, I know exactly what you mean!”

 

The two girls grinned at each other and collected their big bag of salty popcorn. They entered the cinema and found their seats. They settled down and chomped on the popcorn happily, waiting for the movie to begin.

 

“By the way… Ohh La La is also my favourite song,” Sunny casually added while stuffing a hand full of popcorn into .

 

Jessica couldn’t make head or tails of it. “What?”

 

“That song…. You know? The one that goes Ohh la la… oh what a feeling…” sang Sunny, “You thought that I didn’t like the song but the truth is I actually didn’t like us sharing the same favourite song.”

 

That MusicIslandencounter flashed past her memory and her eyes opened wide in realization.

 

“I didn’t like you much back then.”

 

“What about now?” asked Jessica a little too quickly. She hoped Sunny wouldn’t notice. The blonde didn’t. She merely smiled.

 

“Now… I could fall in love with you…” joked Sunny.

 

Jessica nearly choked on her popcorn. She coughed and spewed half chewed popcorn all over the person seated in front of her. He turned back angrily but relaxed a little when he turned and saw her face. Instead of blowing his top, he grinned and said, “It’s alright. No worries babe.”

 

Jessica’s face turned into winter upon seeing his face. One could almost feel the icy cold winds freezing the life out of all living things.

 

“Hi Jessica. It’s been a while.”

 

“The movie’s starting. It’s better to shut up now.” Jessica’s expression was stone cold but Minhoonly chuckled.

 

“I’ll see ya around Jessi,” he quipped before turning back round.

 

Jessica bristled at his bold usage of her nickname while Sunny was quite shocked by the exchange but the movie had begun and it wasn’t too long before they were totally engrossed in the suspense and horror which had Jessica screaming while holding Sunny’s arm really tightly and hiding her face in Sunny’s comforting hug every so often.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

Sunny couldn’t stop laughing at Jessica as they walked out of the cinema. “You’re such a wuss!”

 

“YA! I did sit through the entire movie you know.”

 

“Yeah… with your hands covering your eyes half the time!” squealed Sunny with peals of laughter.

 

Jessica pouted and shook Sunny’s arm off hers. She walked briskly, leaving Sunny behind.

 

“Sica! Wait for me! Ok… alright… I won’t tease you about it…” promised Sunny.

 

Jessica smirked and slowed down, allowing the petite girl to catch up with her. The younger girl caught up in a jiffy and linked their arms again as they walked down the street.

 

Am I enjoying this a little too much?