10



“That’s her! Tiffany Hwang, The parents killer!”

“Shush..!! Can’t you see Who’s with her?”

One of the students whispered but was quickly shushed by another. I glanced up to see Taeyeon sipping Ocha quietly in front of me in an absolute zen state. I also noticed that her eyes had slowly risen up, looking nowhere in particular. Her gaze was relaxed, but I could sense restrained tension beneath that calm gaze. Her eyes turned to look at the group of students, with her head resting on the side of her palm.

Upon noticing that Taeyeon had looked up from her tea, they hurriedly bent their eyes down and scuttled away in fear.

She placed the tea down easily looking as if nothing had happened, and got up. Reaching one hand to me, she smiled, almost gallantly, “Ready to collect your books to head back?”

I looked at her, and nodded my head lightly. This routine had repeated for a week already, her eating lunch with me in the school’s cafeteria, her sitting in front of me sipping tea quietly in a relaxed state, her fetching me to and from school. It was rare for her to even be in school, much less for a solid full week.

Even without thinking, I know that she was guarding me, or protecting me from the rumours with her presence. And the rumours did die down, only a few dared to whisper about me in front of her…

Walking quietly beside me, she finally asked, “Do the rumours bother you?” She looked thoughtful. I shook my head, “No, it’s fine…”

The wind felt cool against the afternoon light.

She shook her head. “Even if it does bother you, you do hide your expressions away so well…,” Taeyeon said idly as she looked at my face, her head was tilted to one side as she attempted to trace my expressions with her eyes.

“What’s in that pretty head of yours, Tiff?” Taeyeon asked again as I narrowed my eyes to look at her silently. I could feel her gaze attempting to devour me whole, but I held that gaze unwaveringly, despite that unbearable urge to fidget, or even move an inch. She tore her eyes away and that unexplainable prolonged spell was broken. She smiled, satisfied.

I let out a soft sigh despite myself.

But that sigh was soon disrupted in itself. “Tiffany, you’re back! We’re sorry that we’ve misunderstood you.” A group of girls surrounded me and I looked at them in alarm.

Taeyeon stood quietly at the edge. She appeared deeply unfazed, almost as if she was prepared for this.

“We’ve heard about the news… that it’s Yuri.”

“What?” I looked at them, finally opening my mouth, “Why would you say that?”

They looked at me, deeply surprised at my outburst. Even Taeyeon appeared pensively deep in thoughts. I looked at her unfazed expression once, then turn to look at the group of girls again.

“We heard that she’s the one who killed her own parents, not you, it was all a mistake…” They said enthusiastically, “I’ve always known that there’s something brutal about Yuri, despite her winning looks and smiles.”

I dropped my books, silencing them in an instant. “Where is she?”

“Who?” They looked at me, all incredibly surprised by my sudden spurt of emotions. I sighed and made my enquiry clearer, “Yuri!”

Another girl stood up, the “I think I saw her by the school roof…”

Taeyeon, who had been standing by the door, looked at me. Her intentions were clear, “Don’t go.”

Two words.

I looked at her and then at her wrist that was holding mine tightly in a death grip. “Let go.”

Another two words.

She held on tighter, before finally releasing me quietly. Even without glancing at her, my steps were already dashing to the roof…

No one knew about that dark secret of Yuri, no one… she couldn’t possibly handle it, could she? Now that it’s out in the open.

Probably, not.

I sighed, as my hands pushed the door connecting to the roof.
-

The afternoon light reflected off my face the moment I rushed to the top of the school roof. I was panting, and my breathing came out laboured. The wind was cool, and I rested my hands on my knees as I called out her name feebly.

“Yu….” I tried again, my voice came out weak and strangled.

“Yuri!”

She was standing outside the railings dangerously with her back facing me; like a lone ranger who was facing off against the entire world, her small, slim back froze in an instant, but it didn’t budge to safety.

“Don’t….jump.” My voice came out agitated. I tried to search for encouraging words but found none. I never did learn how to dissuade people. This was a proving to be more difficult than I thought.

Even without turning to look at me, she asked, “Why not?”

I sighed, ruffling the back of hair as I tried to think of a good answer to that. None. Nothing came up. “Just…don’t jump.” I answered with a feeble answer.

“Not convincing, Tiff.” Yuri sighed out loud, shaking her head, still refusing to turn around.

I gave an exasperated sigh, “You. You’re driving me insane! Could you just not jump and get yourself back here? Plus, It’s cold.” I said angrily, wiping my arms to keep the cold out, I could feel goosebumps on my arms surfacing, so did my emotions.

She chuckled slowly, and I looked at her in amazement as she got around the railings, “Score.” She smiled easily as she held a puppy in her arms, “I just wanted to hear you show some emotions. So, you’re capable of showing what you’re thinking after all, Tiffany.”

On a scale of 1 to 10 for unregistered shock, I was a 10 and more. She patted my back gently, “I was just saving this puppy, Tiffany. I wasn’t thinking of jumping. You merely misunderstood. Cheer up.”

“Cheer….up?” I coughed out the words and looked at her in disbelief.

She nodded her head once, “Yeah, lighten up. It’s not doomsday you know, and I was just kidding, plus you just saved this pup too. Isn’t it cute?” She pushed the puppy’s sleeping face to my face and I looked at her, then at the pup’s sleeping face, and then at her smiling face again.

I turned away, defeated.

“We’ll name this pup Tiffany.”

“No.” I said. Isn’t it almost an insult?

“But the puppy’s cute, don’t you think it looks like you?”

“No.” I repeated and sighed. My emotions had more or less calmed down when I remembered why I had even rushed up, “Haven’t you heard the rumours about yourself?”

“Yep.” She said easily, appearing unaffected, and was already walking away with the pup when she paused, “Wait, did…. you just show some concern for me?”

Realising that I was silent, her eyes brightened, “So, the great Tiffany Hwang does care for someone.” She smiled easily, before holding my hand and the tiny puppy in another, “I was just about to make a public announcement anyway, and now that you’re here. We’ll do it now. In class.”

“Wait….What public announcement?”

-

“…And so you see, guys. That you’ve misunderstood. I have the police report that said my parents died of their own causes, absolutely nothing to do with me. And as for Tiffany’s rumours… they were just a misunderstanding, as you all know.” She said charismatically to the audience, “Plus, don’t you think the pup here looks like her?”

The students in our class appeared dumbfounded, and she nodded her head, unfazed, “You’re right. The puppy’s cuter than her.”

This time there were laughters all around and the entire class lightened up considerably.

I could only look at her in her confidence – it really was pretty mesmerising. She smiled as she walked out of the class with me, just as Yoona bumped into us. She appeared panting, almost as if she had rushed here the moment she heard the news about Yuri’s past.

“I heard about the rumours…. Are you alright?” She looked at Yuri worriedly. I couldn’t help but notice the smile fade away from Yuri’s eyes for an instant.

It was back and she smiled lightly at Yoona, “Yes… we’re fine.” She said before patting Yoona’s head, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. We’ll make a move first.”

I turned to glance at Yoona’s slim figure, as Yuri tugged me forward confidently. Since when did they become so close….?

But, I soon bumped right into Yuri’s back as she had stopped abruptly. I closed my eyes for a second remembering something as I opened them, “Right.”

Taeyeon!

“Let go of her.” Taeyeon said icily, and Yuri swiftly handed the puppy to me. Letting go of ‘her’ – the pup.

A smile crept up to the edge of my lips. I noticed Taeyeon looking at me, her eyes were narrowed for a second, but it soon returned to normal.

“Not the puppy.” Taeyeon said matter-of-factly, before frowning, “Is….this…a…joke? Do you think that’s funny?” she asked slowly, each word appeared weighted.

Yuri looked at her, and before I know it, an icy smile that rivaled Taeyeon’s surfaced, “Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Taeyeon’s eyes sharpened for a swift moment, as if sensing something, when Yuri’s smile changed to her usual charismatic one, “I’m kidding. But it’s up to her, whose car would she like to sit for a ride home?”

Two pair of eyes met mine. Taeyeon didn’t look happy. Yuri was smiling.

I pulled my hands away from Yuri and stood in front of Taeyeon, “Let’s go.” Then realising that I still have the pup in my arms, I turned to Yuri and said, “It’s yours, you saved her.”

Yuri shook her head, “Unless you intend to abandon her, otherwise, I’m not taking it back.”

I stared (bordering on glared) at her, and she simply smiled, turned around and waved.

Now what?

-