Round Thirty-Six

 

Jessica looked out of the small little window as the plane descended. She watched as the tiny little ‘ants’ grew bigger and bigger, eventually turning into cars, speeding along the highway. This scene never ceased to amaze her. She loved seeing things from afar because it always looks so much better from afar than up-close. The closer you get to anything, the more cracks you’ll find. This theory applies to all things, especially those you love, as Jessica so recently found out.

 

Yul reading her journal was something shocking to her. It was an invasion of her privacy—her little world that she retreated to whenever she was feeling low or threatened. She hadn’t expected him to be the one who crossed that line. She didn’t know what he had read or seen and it made her nervous. Being nervous made her doubly defensive and she was all ready to lash out at him.

 

Yul, just you wait.

 

~~~~~

 

Yul was beside himself with worry. He had no idea why Jessica was so angry with him. It couldn’t be Taeng, could it? No. It’s not him. What is it that Sica is so angry about? What did I do?

 

Yul couldn’t figure it out. He hadn’t done anything wrong except—oh no. It couldn’t be. She couldn’t have found out… could she?

 

~~~~~

 

Jessica got off the plane with her mother and sister. The three Jung ladies were greeted by a very tense Yul.

 

“Welcome back, Mrs. Jung.” He greeted her courteously.

 

“Yul, you can call me omonim.” Mrs. Jung smiled warmly at him. Jessica merely snorted derisively.

 

“Mum, I’m not too sure if I want him to call you that.”

 

Mrs. Jung and Krystal looked at her in shock before eyeing Yul.

 

What’s wrong? Krystal mouthed silently to Yul.

 

He shrugged helplessly in response. He had no idea why Jessica was being like this but he intended to find out.

 

“Sooyeon ah, why are you talking like that? He’s your fiancé and my future son-in-law. It’s only right for him to call me omonim.”

 

Jessica’s face was as black as thunder as she glared at Yul. “We’ll see about that.” She turned back to her mother. “I have something to talk to Yul about. Can you go home with Soojung first?”

 

“Alright, I’ll let you handle whatever it is that is wrong between the two of you but remember to be nice to Yul.” Mrs. Jung smiled lovingly at her daughter and patted her head. ‘We don’t have to win every battle every single time, okay?”

 

Jessica was touched by her mother’s words for she knew the depth of emotion it involved. Her mother was also telling her something else by saying that—she had decided not to go through with the divorce after all. A harmonious family was worth sacrificing for. Jessica knew that she was a huge factor in her mother’s decision to stay. Will I be able to sacrifice as much for my own children one day?

 

She hugged her mother and Krystal tightly as her mother’s love warmed her heart through and through. It was a really good feeling. “Mummy, I love you.”

 

Mrs. Jung smiled through her tears and her back gently.

 

Yul stood by watching the interaction between Jessica and her mother and sister. He was happy for Jessica. The improvement in their relationship was very much visible. For one, they were a lot less awkward with each other. They were actually beginning to look a little like a family.

 

He couldn’t help smiling for his heart was glad. However, as Jessica turned and walked towards him, his heart began to palpitate instead for the look on her face was venomous, to say the least. He gulped. Hell was about to freeze over.

 

“Back to your apartment. Now.” She spoke icily. Chills ran down his spine quite literally. He could feel his blood turning cold at the tone of her voice—he had never felt this uneasy before.

 

~~~~~

 

“Explain yourself.”

 

Yul couldn't help but shudder at her ominous tone. This was new. He'd never seen her being this 'calm' before. This 'calm' was anything but peaceful, however. He could feel her wrath simmering just below the surface. It was most unsettling.

 

“What's the matter, Sica? Did I do something wrong?”

 

Jessica's eyes were practically shooting knives and daggers at him as she glared at him. Shivers ran down his spine. Quiet HellSica was definitely a lot scarier than loud, explosive HellSica.

 

He was all ready to weather the looming squall that he thought was coming for sure, so he was utterly shocked when Jessica's eyes watered instead. Tears filled to the brim as her lips pressed into a harsh line on her face. The next thing he knew, she had disappeared into the bedroom as the first teardrop made its descent from her eyes.

 

“Sica! Baby! What's wrong?” He hurried over and caught the door as it was closing. “Why are you crying?”

 

“Let go of the door!” Tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks as she tried to shut the door on him. “I hate you! Get out of my face!”

 

“Why? For Pete’s sake! Tell me what’s wrong!” Yul yelled in frustration. He pushed the door open with one big push and she stumbled backwards, reeling from the impact. He stepped towards her, heaving shoulders, intense looks and all.

 

“You know what you saw! Don’t pretend not to know anything about it!”

 

“What did I se—“ Oh no. Did she find out that I read her journal? But how?!

 

Jessica saw the look on Yul’s face and sniffed angrily. “You forgot all about it, haven’t you? You don’t remember calling me last night? You don’t remember asking me about my seven wishes?” she asked through gritted teeth. “I trusted you so much! I can’t believe you’d do such a thing!”

 

Yul was horrified. What does she mean I called? Did I call her last night? Why can’t I remember anything? Oh no!!! What did I say to her?!

 

“Sica, I’m sorry.” His heartbeat quickened incredibly. He knew that he was wrong this time. “Please don’t cry. My heart hurts when you cry.” He reached out for her face but she slapped his hand away angrily.

 

“Get away from me. Scumbag. And your good friend is an . Scumbag and . No wonder you two are good friends,” she seethed.

 

“Sica, please hear me out. Taeng isn’t at fault he—“

 

“TAENG ISN’T AT FAULT? THAT IDIOT BROKE UP WITH TIFFANY JUST,” and she snapped her fingers, “LIKE THAT!”

 

Yul was getting desperate. He needed Jessica to calm down and listen to Taeng and Tiffany’s problem but it didn’t look like she was ready to listen to anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

 

He lunged at her and wrapped his arms around her forcefully, and she ended up backing into the wall with him pressed up against her. Their faces were within an inch of each other when he suddenly planted a kiss on her nose.

 

“Sica, I’m really sorry.” He wiped her tears gently with his thumbs and ran the back of his fingers down her cheeks in a loving caress. “I’m sorry.”

 

“What are you sorry for?” Jessica’s eyes were no longer as harsh as before although her tone was still very much a cold one.

 

Yul looked straight at her with his earnest eyes which rapidly melted Jessica’s heart without him realizing it. “I’m sorry for reading your journal. I really am. It was wrong of me to do it.”

 

Yul pouted and Jessica’s heart went wild. “Will you forgive me?”

 

Jessica was stunned by his sudden dorky cutesy attack. Where in the world did he learn to pout like that?!

 

“Sica… please forgive me… please?”

 

Jessica almost convulsed from the onslaught of Yul’s sudden display of dorky cuteness. “Oh my gawd, Yul. Stop pouting. Please.”

 

Yul’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Can’t handle my pout?” And he proceeded to put on a huge pout for Jessica’s benefit.

 

“It’s so unfair!” Jessica whined.

 

“Why?”

 

“I’m supposed to be very angry with you!”

 

Yul threw his head back and roared with laughter. Then he planted his lips on hers chastely. “No, you’re supposed to be very much in love with me.” And he kissed her again, this time on her forehead.

 

Jessica pouted. “I’m supposed to be throwing my stilettos at you. I’m supposed to be stabbing you with my stilettos!”

 

Yul grinned most handsomely, knocking even more wind out of Jessica as she caught his grin. “You love me too much to be mad at me.”

 

“I’m still mad at you.”

 

“No you’re not.”

 

“Yes I am.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“Yes, really.”

 

“Then can you explain why you have your arms around me, hugging me like that?”

 

Jessica gasped and retracted her arms immediately but Yul stopped her. He caught her wrists and pulled her arms back around him again.

 

“Sica baby loves her Kwon seobang. There’s no denying it.” He grinned widely, showing his perfect set of pearly whites.

 

Jessica turned red and smacked his arm violently. “YA! I hate you, I don’t love you at all, scumbag!”

 

“Yes, yes I’m a scumbag, but I’m your scumbag. What are you going to do to your scumbag?” Yul’s lips brushed over her ear as he whispered into it, teasing her.

 

Much to Jessica’s consternation, she was very by Yul’s playful banter. She didn’t know where it was coming from but she knew that she liked it a lot. She bit her lip and tried to stop her eager grin from forming on her face but it wasn’t working very well.

 

“I’m going to punish you.” Jessica’s voice turned husky as her blood began picking up speed in the vein circuit.

 

Yul pretended to look scared. “Please have mercy on me, my dear ice princess.”

 

Jessica’s eyebrows cocked quirkily. She could barely hold in her laughter as Yul pulled his face into a pitiful expression.

 

“Yul! HAHAHAHAHA” Jessica lost it and began laughing hysterically. She collapsed onto his chest and her body shook with laughter as Yul continued making pitiful faces. “STOP IT! HAHAHAHAHA!”

 

Yul wouldn’t stop. He was delighted to see her respond so favourably to his antics. He couldn’t remember when he last acted cute like that but it sure felt good to let his hair down once in a while.

 

Moments later, Jessica finally managed to calm herself down and Yul stopped his antics. He smiled tenderly at her as he ran his fingers through her long, silky hair.

 

“Has Sica baby forgiven her Kwon seobang?” he asked to make sure that all was right again. His inner child whooped and turned cartwheels when Jessica bit her lip and nodded but the adult Yul gave her a resounding peck on the lips instead. “Just so you know, I only saw the page with your seven wishes and nothing else.”

 

Jessica traced the checks on his shirt with her finger as he confessed. Her cheeks turned into cute little tomatoes as soon as he mentioned the seven wishes. He noticed and was immediately curious to know the cause.

 

“Why are you so red right now?” He grinned, sensing that she was embarrassed about something. “It’s because of the seven wishes, isn’t it? What are your wishes? Tell me what they are. I’ll try my best to make them come true for you.”

 

Jessica flushed into a deep crimson red at his words. Oh, Yul… you have no idea what you are promising me…

 

“I want to take a shower and go to bed. I’m tired.” Jessica ducked her head and tried to extract herself from Yul’s arms but he wouldn’t budge.

 

“I’m not letting you go until you tell me what your wishes are.” Yul tilted her chin up to look into her eyes. “I want your wishes to be fulfilled.”

 

Jessica shook her head firmly. “I’m not telling you. Let me go.”

 

“If you won’t tell me, I’m going to tickle you till you can’t stand straight.” Yul waggled his naughty fingers teasingly in Jessica’s face.

 

Jessica gasped. “You wouldn’t dare.”

 

Yul’s eyes twinkled as he brought his face near to hers. “Are you going to tell me?”

 

Jessica shook her head obstinately.

 

“ATTACK!!!” Yul yelled like a little boy and unleashed his fingers on her sensitive sides.

 

“YA! YUL! STOP!!!” Jessica sputtered in between laughs and giggles. “STOP!!!”

 

She struggled to escape but ended up falling onto the bed with him on top instead. He made full use of his positional advantage to tickle her mercilessly and tears welled up in Jessica’s eyes, only this time, it was tears of laughter instead of anger.

 

“S-Stop.” Jessica was breathless from laughing too much. Yul stopped and leaned back against the headboard, panting. A silly grin was plastered to his face as he pulled Jessica into his arms and cuddled her.

 

“Mmm…” Jessica laid her head on his chest and snuggled against him comfortably. ‘You’re a big, bad boy, Yul.”

 

“You’re responsible for turning me into a bad boy, Sica.”

 

She pouted cutely. “What? So it’s my fault that you’re so naughty now?”

 

Yul nodded matter-of-factly. “I learnt all this from you.” And he pouted, mimicking hers.

 

“YA! I do not pout like that. I look better than that!” Jessica didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at Yul’s dorky imitation of her pout.

 

“Yes, you look better.” Yul smiled as he ran his nose up and down the shell of her ear. It sent a delicious sensation zipping through Jessica who sighed contentedly. This was it. Moments like these were her favourites. There was no other place that she’d rather be in than Yul’s arms.

 

~~~~~
 

Taeng’s tears fell like monsoon rain. One after another, big round drops of tears rolled down his pale cheeks. He sniffed repeatedly as he packed some clothes for his trip back to his hometown, Jeonju. He hadn’t even left town but he was already missing Tiffany like crazy. His heart ached as he recalled how sad her eyes looked when he ‘broke up’ with her.

 

Fany ah, please wait for me. I’m doing this all for you. I will protect you and your job at all costs!

 

He wiped his tears bravely and picked his peas up from his bed. They would be the last item he packed into his luggage as he wanted them to the first thing he saw when he opened his luggage.

 

“Peas, do you think Tiffany is okay?”

 

The peas looked a little less cheery than usual. Taeng sighed and pouted sadly. Even his peas were sad. He was beginning to question his plan to shake Mr. Lee and Jieun off his and Tiffany’s back. Would it really work? Was this for the best?

 

It was a little too late to do anything about it, however. He had already broken up with Tiffany and his bags were packed. He was all ready to go but his heart wasn’t. His heart was crying out for Tiffany’s embrace and her lovely, twinkling crescent moon eyes.

 

“Fany… I miss you…” Taeng whined to his peas pitifully. The peas smiled sadly back at him.

 

~~~~~

 

The Earth continued to revolve and before anyone knew it, morning had come yet again.

 

Yul stretched and yawned. He felt a little stiff but he was not bothered by it at all for Jessica was the cause of it. She was sprawled over him in a rather careless manner and he found it amusing to see her like that. was slightly parted and her hair was everywhere. He ran his fingers down the messy strands of hair and marveled at how silky they felt in his hand. If there were anything he could never get tired of, it would be this—waking up with her next to him, or on top of him.

 

Marrying her would be the best decision he ever made in his life. He smiled to himself as his heart swelled; full of happiness and love.

 

Then his stomach disagreed. It growled in hunger; pestering him to get up and get some breakfast. He shifted himself from under Jessica very carefully and got off the bed. Jessica was still sound asleep. He shook his head with a smile at her—her ability to sleep never ceased to amaze him.

 

He headed to the kitchen and made his healthy drink. He had a habit of drinking a juice made from ‘ma’ which is basically a type of yam. His dad got him started on it when he was younger and it became a daily routine for him ever since.

 

The sound of the blender resounded through the apartment as he grinded a generous slice of yam. Moments later, he had himself a huge glass of ma juice and downed it in a few big gulps. He smacked his lips and grinned widely. Drinking ma juice always perked him up in the mornings. Looking at the clock, he decided that he had enough time to go for a quick jog around the block and so he did. When he came back from his jog thirty minutes later, Jessica was still sound asleep. He left her to sleep on and stepped into the bathroom to take a shower.

 

He took his clothes off and placed them in the laundry basket. Then he the shower and stepped under the running water. He closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, enjoying the feeling of water running down his body in rivulets. He jumped in his skin when a pair of arms s around his waist. He turned around and was pleasantly surprised to see a rather sleepy Jessica standing behind him.

 

“Sica? What are you doing? You’re getting wet!”

 

Jessica smiled sleepily. “I just felt like hugging you. Can’t I?”

 

Yul pushed her out of the shower gently. “Don’t get yourself wet, Sica. I’m glad you’re up though. Would you like some gaeran tost-u for breakfast?”

 

Her eyes lit up like Christmas lights and she nodded enthusiastically. “Yes!”

 

“But you need to wash up first.”

 

“Yes Daddy.” Jessica teased Yul as she left the bathroom to get a towel to wash up with.

 

Yul merely chuckled and continued showering.

 

 

~~~~~
 

 

It wasn’t until after breakfast that Yul finally remembered something very important—Taeng’s problem.

 

“Sica, I need you to listen something without getting worked up.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Promise me you’ll listen to the whole story before blowing up.”

 

“Fine, I promise. Now, what is it?” Jessica’s curiosity would always get the better of her.

 

“It’s about Taeng.”

 

Jessica bristled instantly but Yul gave her that you-promised-look so she held her tongue. She listened as Yul told her all about Mr. Lee and his spoilt brat of a daughter, Lee Jieun. Much to Yul’s surprise, Jessica scrunched up her face in disgust at the mention of Mr. Lee and his daughter’s name.

 

“Jieun? Argh! I hate that girl!”

 

“You know her?”

 

“What do you mean do I know her… of course I know her! We’re all in the same circle and she’s really unpopular among us. A total brat, she is. I thought I was bad until she came along. She makes me look like an angel.”

 

Yul couldn’t agree more. “I haven’t met her but she sounds so horrible and unpleasant. Can you help them? Taeng had to break up with Tiffany so that Mr. Lee wouldn’t make her lose her job. He’s probably packing his bags as we speak to go back to Jeonju so that he wouldn’t have to date Jieun. Thanks to that father and daughter tag team, Taeng and Tiffany have to go through all of this!”

 

“Taeng was right about not telling Tiffany about this. I can just imagine her getting all fired up and marching right up to Mr. Lee to give him a piece of her mind. That’d get her into trouble faster than I can fall asleep.”

 

Yul laughed suddenly. For some reason he found what she said very funny.

 

“YA! What are you laughing about? Things are really bad for Tif, I have to see my dad. He hates Mr. Lee. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to get Mr. Lee to back down.”

 

“Really?” Yul got excited.

 

“Yes,” said Jessica solemnly. “Mr. Lee pulled a dirty trick on my dad last year in a business deal and my dad has hated him ever since. This is his chance to get back at him.”

 

“That’s good! I better let Taeng know about it. That poor guy is probably moping around with his peas right now.”

 

 

~~~~~
 

 

Taeng was moping around with his peas when Yul called him.

 

“Taeng! Where are you?”

 

“I’m at home.”

 

“I have good news for you!”

 

“Really?” Taeng felt hopeful at once. “Has Jessica’s dad agreed to help us?”

 

“We haven’t spoken to him yet but Sica says that her dad really hates Mr. Lee. She thinks her dad will definitely help.”

 

“That’s great!”

 

“You don’t have to go to Jeonju if Sica’s dad is going to help.”

 

“But I’ve told my parents that I’m going home for a while. They are really excited about it so I can’t disappoint them now. Besides, I don’t want Jieun to find me in the meantime.”

 

“Oh… what about Tiffany then? Are you going to let her stay heartbroken?”

 

“I don’t want her to be sad but I can’t go back to her until this whole thing blows over. I don’t know what Jieun or her dad might do to her if they find out about this. They won’t do anything to her since I’ve broken up with her so she’s safe for now.”

 

Yul sighed. “Alright, I understand. Have a safe trip to Jeonju then. I’ll call you again Taeng.”

 

“Okay!”

 

Taeng looked at his peas, feeling significantly happier than before.

 

“Peas! Mr. Jung is going to help us! Tiffany’s going to be safe!”

 

~~~~~
 

 

Yoong was at the airport. A really good friend of his was returning home after her studies overseas.

 

“SUN! I’m here!” Yoong yelled excitedly and waved his arms ecstatically.

 

A really pretty girl with stylish short hair walked through the sliding glass doors, pushing a trolley full of her luggage.

 

“OPPA!” Sunye grinned widely and gave Yoong a great big hug when they were close enough.

 

“Let me grab your bags. I can’t wait to sit down and have a good chat with you.”

 

“Have you missed me, oppa?”

 

Yoong grinned and ruffled her hair affectionately. “Of course I missed you. You’re my favourite girlfriend remember?”

 

“You haven’t quit your player ways, have you?”

 

Yoong’s eyes twinkled cheekily as he gave Sunye a don’t-be-too-sure-look.

 

“Oh…you’ll be surprised. I’ll tell you all about it later. Come on, let’s get you home first.”

 

~~~~~