It was good talking to Dr. Park. He certainly knew her well. For once, she didn’t have to put up any barriers or walls because there wasn’t a need to. He had invited her over for dinner with his family and she had reluctantly accepted out of politeness. Meeting him was alright but meeting his family… well… they were strangers to her. She never did like strangers.

 

However, she remembered the words of Dr. Park, ‘Meet people with an open mind. Nobody knows who you really are until you show them your true self. People will surprise you most of the time. They do not react to you the way you expect them to but most people are kind and decent. They will not hurt you intentionally.’

 

She was a little confused but she understood what he was trying to tell her. So she went.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

‘Hyomin ah, set the table for one more. We have a guest for dinner today.’

 

‘Arasso omma.’ Hyomin added a set of cutlery for their guest. ‘Who’s coming for dinner omma?’

 

‘Somebody your father knows.’

 

Hyomin thought nothing more of it until dinner time approached and the doorbell rang.

 

‘Appa!’ She welcomed her father home warmly. Behind him stood a girl. She knew that girl. It was Jessica.

 

JESSICA?

 

Why would she know my dad? Could she be…his patient?

 

Her surprise was evident on her face.

 

‘Hyomin ah, do you know her?’

 

Hyomin nodded mutely. ‘She…she’s Sunny’s friend.’ She wasn’t sure if Jessica wanted her dad to know about her relationship so she refrained from revealing too much.

 

‘Sunny? You are Sunny’s friend? Why.... what a coincidence! Sunny’s a close friend of Hyomin’s. She’s a very nice and bubbly girl. It’s good for you to have friends like her. She never fails to put a smile on your face, that girl.’

 

Jessica was stunned to see Hyomin. She now wished that she hadn’t accepted Dr. Park’s dinner invitation. She didn’t want anyone to know about this side of her – the side that needed a doctor to talk to.

 

This was her worst fear coming true.

 

All through the dinner, she remained silent, only nodding politely when Dr. Park offered her some vegetables. His wife was also very nice, so she was polite in return, but really, all she wanted to do was to leave, go home, and hide under her covers.

 

At last, dinner was over and she gladly took her leave.

 

Sigh.

 

Now, Hyomin knew. She didn’t ask Hyomin to keep mum about it. Would she tell Sunny?

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

To her surprise, Sunny was waiting for her outside her door when she got back.

 

Did Hyomin pass her the message already?

 

She knew what would come next. Pity. She hated it to the poor. Pity was one thing that she didn’t need.

 

‘Sica, where have you been?’

 

‘You mean, you don’t know?’

 

‘What? How would I know? I’ve been looking for you all day after you walked out of class.’

 

‘Hyomin would have told you. That’s why you’re here now.’

 

‘Hyomin?’ Sunny was really puzzled by what Jessica said. ‘What has this got to do with Hyomin?’

 

Jessica looked in Sunny’s eyes. She wasn’t lying. Her eyes were crystal clear and very confused.

 

‘Never mind. Why are you here?’

 

‘I want to explain myself.’

 

‘There’s no explanation needed. I know that you kissed her on a dare but that doesn’t lessen the hurt that I’m feeling right now.’ She surprised herself by blurting out the truth about her feelings. It must have been the effect of talking to Dr. Park.

 

Sunny too was taken aback by Jessica’s blatant confession of her feelings. She was glad however, to hear it from Jessica. It was good for her to air her feelings.

 

‘I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking when I did it.’

 

‘I don’t need an apology. Like I said, it was on a dare. It meant nothing, right?’

 

Sunny blinked. Jessica felt a little different today. She was so… direct. Her questions so… sharp.

 

‘It meant nothing.’

 

Jessica nodded. ‘If that’s the case, I just need some time alone.’

 

Sunny looked uncertain. Jessica leaned towards her and planted her lips on hers firmly. She nuzzled her lips briefly before parting.

 

‘Go home Sunny. I’ll see you tomorrow.’

 

She turned around and entered her home, shutting the door gently.

 

Sunny stood outside for a while. Her hand touched her lips, feeling Jessica’s lips presence. It was that moment that she saw the most horrendous truth.

 

Her kiss with Taeyeon didn’t mean nothing.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

Taeyeon traced her lips with her finger tips. Although it was brief, she could still remember how it felt to have Sunny’s lips on hers. She still missed it, although it no longer hurt as bad without it.

 

But that kiss was so wrong on so many levels.

 

She called Jessica.

 

‘Taeng? Are you calling me about the kiss?’

 

‘Y-Yes. Are you mad at us?’

 

‘No.’

 

‘Really?’

 

‘I’m not mad at you.’

 

‘Please don’t take it to heart. It was just a–‘

 

‘Dare. I know..’

 

Taeyeon didn’t know what to make of this. Jessica wasn’t usually this direct and neither would she say this much.

 

‘Taeng, I’m tired.’

 

‘Oh… okay, I won’t disturb you. See you tomorrow?’

 

‘Mmm.’

 

Taeyeon sighed as she put her phone down. She felt very guilty for kissing Sunny given the history that they shared. It wasn’t good for anyone. Yet, here was Jessica, sounding as though she didn’t really mind it. She would have to take a good look at Jessica the next day to make sure that she really was alright.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

‘Ya! Are you listening to me at all?’ Tiffany asks Sooyoung unhappily.

 

She had been talking but she was sure that Sooyoung wasn’t listening. She was too engrossed in her food to listen to Tiffany.

 

‘Yes I listening!’

 

‘Really? What was I talking about then?’

 

‘Er… food?’

 

‘YA! CHOI SOOYOUNG!’

 

Sooyoung grins sheepishly and scratches her head apologetically.

 

‘I’m sorry Fany ah. I’m just too hungry.’

 

Tiffany pouts and folds her arms in a huff. Sooyoung was always so into food that she wondered who the real girlfriend was.

 

‘It’s either me or your food. Pick one.’

 

Sooyoung looked horrified.

 

‘Please don’t make me choose… you know that I can’t do without you both!’

 

‘No! I want you to choose! I hate it when I get ignored by you when food always gets your attention.’

 

‘Are you jealous of food?’ Sooyoung gasped.

 

Tiffany turned red. ‘I’m not jealous of food! I’m angry with you! Don’t try to change the topic Choi Sooyoung!’

 

‘Oh come on! You can’t be so unreasonable!’

 

‘I’m unreasonable? You’re the one who is ignoring me!’

 

The two girls huff and turn away from each other unhappily, each angry with the other, neither backing down to apologize and make things better.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

Moments later, Sooyoung broke the tense silence. She nudged Tiffany with her elbow.

 

‘Fany ah, don’t be mad, okay?’

 

‘I’m asking for a simple thing but you call me unreasonable.’

 

Sooyoung sighed in exasperation. ‘Can’t we just forget about it?’

 

‘No!’ Tiffany stood up in a huff. ‘I’m going home. That way you can eat all you want. Hmmpf!’

 

She stalked out of the eatery and left Sooyoung all alone. Her final blow – she had to pay for the entire meal. Tiffany had forgotten all about the bill in her anger.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

‘Hyominie… My love guru… Help.’

 

‘Why do you sound so disturbed? What’s wrong?’

 

‘I think…I think I’m a horrible person.’ Sunny sobbed.

 

Hyomin was alarmed to hear Sunny crying. ‘What happened Sunny ah?’

 

‘I…I kissed Taeyeon and…-sob-…it was caught on camera…-sob-…somebody put it on Facebook… and Jessica is hurt.’

 

‘Omo…’ Hyomin was worried now. If Jessica was seeing her Dad, then she definitely had some issues to iron out and her relationship with Sunny would affect her greatly. ‘Sunny ah… I think I need to tell you something about Jessica.’

 

‘What is it?’

 

‘She…well…you….argh!’ Hyomin couldn’t put it into words properly.

 

‘What are you trying to say Hyominie?’

 

‘Look, I know it’s late but I’m coming over to your place. Let’s do a sleep over…okay?’

 

‘Okay! I miss those. We haven’t done one for so long.’

 

‘Right. I’ll be there in a jiffy.’

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

The two girls sit on Sunny’s bed, all ready to talk.

 

‘What was it you were trying to say?’

 

Hyomin breathed deeply.

 

‘Jessica is more fragile than you think she is.’

 

‘What do you mean?’

 

‘She came to my house for dinner.’

 

‘What?’

 

‘My dad invited her over for dinner?’

 

‘How would she know your dad?’

 

‘Precisely. You know what my dad’s job is right?’

 

Sunny nodded. She didn’t get it for a moment. Then it struck her.

 

‘You mean…Jessica is seeing your dad for… help?’

 

‘If not now… maybe in the past.’

 

It then dawned on Sunny why Jessica had been rather strange when she met her at her door. She had mentioned Hyomin and she couldn’t figure out why. Now she knew.

 

What made her feel even worse was her new revelation about her own feelings.

 

‘Hyominie… I’m a really bad person.’

 

‘Sunny ah, don’t say it like that. You’re not a bad person.’

 

Sunny’s tears began falling like rain drops. She shook her head vehemently, disagreeing with Hyomin’s take on things.

 

‘I am…I’m a bad person…Hyominie…I think I rushed into things a little too fast.’

 

‘Rushed? Into what things?’

 

Sunny hugged Hyomin for comfort as she explained.

 

‘Jessica kissed me just now and…and… it’s just not the same.’

 

‘I can’t understand a thing you’re saying. What is not the same?’

 

‘It’s not the same as Taeyeon’s kiss.’ Sunny buried her face in the nook of Hyomin’s neck and cried.

 

‘Omo… why are you thinking about these things now? You have progressed very far with Jessica and you’re doing very well with her. Why do you have these thoughts suddenly?’

 

‘Jessica had so much confidence that our kiss was just a dare and meant nothing. When she asked me, I said that it meant nothing. Then she kissed me goodbye.’

 

Sunny wiped her tears with the back of her hand.

 

‘I don’t know why but after she went home…I asked myself that question again… was that kiss really nothing? If it were nothing… why would I feel so guilty? If it were nothing… why am I crying now?’

 

‘Oh Sunny ah…’ Hyomin looked seriously pained for her friend. She couldn’t say anything to make her feel better now.

 

It had always been there…bubbling just under the surface. As Sunny and Jessica progressed like a whirlwind through their passionate and emotional relationship…she had always kept a watchful eye on the couple. But they had passed their initial months together and she had begun to believe that they could perhaps really be deeply in love. Well… perhaps… it was not so.

 

But if it wasn’t deeply in love… then what was it?

 

A rebound?

 

Two injured souls seeking comfort?

 

Or were they truly meant to be together and this was but a hiccup that they could hurdle over?

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•

 

 

Yuri opened the letter hastily. She couldn’t wait to know if she had been accepted by the scholarship she had applied for.

 

The very first sentence had her cheering for joy.

 

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Ms Kwon Yuri. You have been accepted into our scholarship programme.

 

‘APPA! OMMA! I GOT IT!!!’ She yelled excitedly when the connection went through.

 

Her parents smiled at her over the video call.

 

‘Congratulations Yuri ah. I always knew that you would get plenty of offers.’ Her mother began, only to have her husband nudge her hard in the ribs.

 

‘Weren’t you pacing this very floor just last night worrying for our dear girl and her scholarships? Where had your confidence gone then?’ Her father teased.

 

Yuri laughed heartily and blew kisses into the video cam.

 

‘Appa, omma... saranghaeyo.’

 

Her parents smiled brilliantly. They were so proud of their talented daughter.

 

‘We’re very proud of you…you know that right? We are proud of you because you are our daughter. So we love you… no matter what…. Arasseo?’

 

‘Arassoyo!’ Yuri replied most cheerfully.

 

After chatting about some other things with her parents, she finally ended the call. It was only then that her exhilaration dipped. As happy as she was to receive her scholarship… she had one thing bugging her… the scholarship she was offered wasn’t based in Korea.

 

 

•°★°••°★°••°★°•Author’s Note•°★°••°★°••°★°•

Ah… it’s excruciating to write this fan fic.

But I’ll keep writing it.

It’s my very first fan fic and I’d love to see this finished one day.