Reaching at something you cannot lay your hands on

Yearning for something that you cannot have

Wishing that fate didn't come to these circumstances

Accepting that this was brought still by destiny

Krystal’s POV

White. All white. Nothing comes into my mind. Still, at the peak of my dreams. Craving that I could just stay there, how long did I even stay there?

I looked at the surroundings. With a blank expression I wore on my face, I caught a glimpse of someone sleeping on the bedside. She was gripping my hand tightly.

It was her. Jung Jessica, my ‘perfect’ older sister. The lady I couldn’t afford to see.

Why? Because she threw away our sisterhood for herself. She didn’t even say goodbye to me as she walked away to the place where I should be going.

She’s happy, I think. To meet a handsome and rich boyfriend there, she’s really something.

I hate her. I despise her. I detest her. I disgust even a sight of her.

“What are these…?” I saw the wrinkles on her face. “What are these? Is she nightclubbing?” I noticed her swollen and thin face also the eye bags. “Did she cry? Did her boyfriend break up with her?” I couldn’t afford to see as I shoved my hand away and covered myself with the blanket.

I heard a thud on the door. I don’t know who came as I closed my eyes abruptly.

“Sica…Sica…” I heard the voice of my mom. “Are you alright? You must be tired. I brought food since I know that you’ve been up all night waiting for your sister to wake up.”

“No..mom…” She must have been nightclubbing for goodness’ sake. Why is my parents’ so blind? “I don’t need to rest.  What if she wakes up at the middle of the night without anyone beside her? She must be scared by then.”

“You always look after her. But, take care of yourself. Go home and take a shower. I’d be watching her for today.”

“Then, I’ll leave her to you, mom. She’d be happy that you're the first one to see if she wakes up. If it is me, then she’d just want to fall back to sleep.”

“You are such a caring sister. I hoped that the two of you could restore your closeness back at those times.”

“Yeah…” I heard the closing of the door as I pretended to sleep.

Is she for real? Did she really mean everything she said to mom? Am I really the only one thinking of her as a nasty gal?

I slowly opened my eyes. I heard the shaking voice of my mother. She’s crying.

“Mom?...” I called out my mother’s voice. “Why are you crying?” I tried to touch her face.

“Kry..Krystal!” She jolted upright. “You..you are awake.” She held my hand gently. “Wait…wait… I’ll call the doctor.”

“Mom…I’m alright.” She was relieved but panicked again.

“No..no.. I’ll call the doctor. Wait, okay?”

Really. Mom. She really takes care of me well. I really wanted my mom to smile. But, am I just causing her more sadness?

At the middle of the night, Jessica was checking her unread emails on her MSN. She yanked a deep sigh as her boyfriend didn’t even send one to her. She traveled her eyes to the other emails and found them insignificant. She let out a sigh, again. She scrolled the mouse as she looked at the recent emails and there you have it.

It’s an email from Lee Taemin.

Sender: Lee Taemin

Recipient: Jessica Jung

Subject: Here out the plan!

Message:

            Hello! Uhmmm…I’ve been staying busy all night thinking of a plan to get the two of you closer. I had come up with one. I’m thinking of the times when you are giving us your dish- kimchi fried rice. I know that at times right now, it is hard to communicate. But, I also think that the key to your sister’s heart is her stomach. She really likes everything you make her and I feel relieved at the near future.

P.S

            I’ll help out as gladly as I could. I’d be wishing you good luck. >.<

Hahaha. He really is an honest boy. Oh, I also miss the time when she’s with us.

The next day (5 days before Jessica’s return to US)

            Lee Taemin quietly waits outside of the Jung Residence. With his hands clenched, he shouted, “Fighting to himself.” He is really confident about his own plans. But, he didn’t think of the reality which could halt all of his promising propositions.

He started to ring the doorbell. “It’s me, Lee Taemin.” He said to the intercom and the butler hurriedly welcomed him with a smile.

“Sir, you’ve been here. Miss Jessica waits for you in the kitchen.”

“Yeah, I know.” He dragged himself to the kitchen place and heard of strange thuds and a woman’s cry.

At the corner of the room, there sat Jessica, gloomy and panic-stricken, her face was shaded with black and her surroundings looked horrible.

“Noo…noona…are you alright?” Taemin poked her back.

“Taemin…” Jessica looked up. “Taemin-ah!” She hugged him and cried like a little child.

“What is it? Are you having troubles with cooking?”

“No..no… but what to do if she comes back to school? Would…would she like to have cute decorations in the dining area? Or just simple decos? Or not? Even a homely style I think could be of her taste. “

“Do not worry about it. She’s going to the mall with her friend so she’d come back after 7, I think.”

“Oh..that’s good.” Jessica released him and happily gave a smile.

“That’s what the noona I know. Haha.” Taemin was hauled in the dining area. “What…what a dreadful sight.”

“Why? She’d like all pink, right?”

“Noona…you’re the only one who would like that. I prefer something really simple.”

“Really? Would it be appetizing to the eyes?” Jessica paused for a while. “Then..let’s change it.”

Krystal arrives home

“What is this?” She neared the dining area and said, “I’m starving already.” She sat on a chair and looked at the covered food. “Omo…kimchi fried rice.” She dug up and made her way to another serving after another.

I really missed the times when my sister and I used to dine together and eat a lot of scrumptious food. It was the times when I thought that she and I were very happy with each other that nothing could come between our sisterly love. But, she took everything for granted.

The maid came out of nowhere. “Miss, are you finished?”

She gladly nodded. “It’s really good. Thanks for cooking this.”

“Oh!” The maid was alarmed. Krystal twitched her eyebrows at the face of the maid who was really surprised.

“Waeyo?” She looked at the dish again. “Is…is this cooked by someone else?”

“Yeah.”

Krystal’s eyes widened and traveled her eyes through the surroundings. “Did she prepare all of this for me? “

“Yeah, Miss Jessica really prepared for your dinner as well as Taemin-sshi.”

Krystal smirked a little bit. With an annoyed face, she jolted as she exited the area.

Is Taemin on her side? Are they betraying me? All of them?

Krystal climbed the stairs up to her room. She threw her body to the bed not minding that she was still wearing her school uniform.

What are they scheming?

She couldn’t find the words to describe her feelings. Suddenly, tears came welling up to her. She had sadness and misery. “Why do I have to be reminded of the past again?” She murmured.

The door of her room creaked and there stood a woman’s figure. “Krystal…are you already sleeping?”

She heard her but Krystal remained immobile. She closed her eyes and covered herself with the blanket.

“Did you like it?” Jessica sat on her bedside. She looked at her little sister with gazing eyes of love. “I’m sorry for everything. For leaving you and taking away all of your opportunities, I’m really sorry. Are you still upset of what happened to your birthday party? I’m sorry for making you a fool in there.

“I’m…. I’m not angry at you.” Krystal rose up unexpectedly. “It’s just that… you didn’t come to save me. Are you happy now? Even my boyfriend supports you.

“Only four more days till I go back to US. If I wouldn’t be able to ease our severed bond, what a sister am I?”

“Then, just go back there!”

“Is that what you really want?”

“I’d gladly send you off if you want to.”

“Krystal…” This time Jessica said the words softly and with care. She felt guilty of everything. “I’m really worse. I know that Geun Young is your best unnie.”

“Yeah…she’s really better than you at everything. Now, get out of my room.” Krystal stood up and ushered her outside of her room. “It would be better if we don’t have the same blood running through us.”

Jessica put her head down as she walked. She was touching her wrist. She got hurt from preparing the kimchi fried rice from getting burnt carelessly. “Then, I’d be hurrying up already. I’d be booking my flight back there. So, I could be away from you ever.” She sobbed.

The next day

Taemin buried his face on his desk. He was sitting comfortably but was really bothered about what happened to the Jung Residence last night. He couldn’t think of other plans, as Jung Krystal walked passed by him.

“Krystal…no greetings!” He called out to him.

Krystal just puts her bag to the side and calmly took out her notebooks. Her expression was blank and her face was swollen. She cried all night about what happened.

Did she really take it seriously?

Sulli who was watching the scene chuckled at the dismayed Taemin. “Yah! Leave her alone for now. “She laughed aloud.

“Hey, do you know about anything?” He pierced his eyes through her again.

“Of course, I’m her friend.”

“Better tell me or you’re dead.”

“Keh. Mind your own business. Wait, where’s my reward for helping you?”

“You won’t get any.”

Krystal’s brows were batting already. “Can you to stop it already?!”

“Mianhe.”Both of them said. They looked at each other for the last time and felt sorry to each other. (awww…Taelli. >.<)

“Tsk. The two of you, really.” Krystal glanced at both of them.

Oppa, do I really see what I am seeing right now? You feel so far away with me again. Why?

As the classes got on, Krystal was absent-minded. She was always noticed by her teachers and she was reprimanded every time. Taemin always stole glances on Krystal to check if she was fine. Sulli who was also watching her behaviors do not want to get involve.

It was the end of classes when Krystal went to her club, the Home Economics. She was very fast that Taemin was not able to confront her. Taemin looking at her at every nook and cranny of the school building was grabbed by Sulli forcibly on a corner.

“What is it?!” He angrily shouted. “Tsk. You’re really…”

“I think I know of your plans. Do you want unnie and Krystal to be together?”

“No.. no..” He was so bad at lying that Sulli noticed it.

“Tsk. You could have said so to me.” The confident Choi Sulli mocked the innocent Taemin. Taemin looked at her with despise.

“Tell me what you are planning.” He felt so clueless so he began to question her odd questions. He looked at her with a very different feel like before.

Thump. Thump. Thump. There goes the beat of the heart.

“Hmm… Well, a key to a girl’s heart is shopping. Krystal really likes it so tomorrow maybe let’s all go to Lotte World.” Sulli smirked at her idea.

Taemin lifted his chin up and imagined the scenario. “I think it would be good.”

“As long as you agree with me…” Sulli held his hand. “…everything would be fine.”

“What?” He blushed and shoved her hand away. “Do not touch me. You’re weird.”

“What is it that’s weird?” Sulli who was known to be an airhead looked clueless. “Tsk. You really are so cruel to me.”

“I’m not. I’m just happy that I could open up with you, unlike to Krystal.” Taemin smiled gently at her.

It was the first time for me to see him smile at me like that. He’s really cute and innocent. But, I could feel that something is off. Something is missing to his character. It is as if something was removed from him in the past.

Sulli’s POV

My mind went blank again. I was frozen to the scene as I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He looked at me weirdly. No, don’t look at me like that. I don’t want you to look at me just like how you look at everyone else.

“Hey…” He grabbed me by his wrist. “Let’s go now.”

He again dragged me out of the classroom. His hand grasping my wrist, it was so warm. The electricity running through my nerves and these simple interactions, why do they make my heart race?

I really wanted to be Krystal. To have the life and love on her side, I wanted someone also to protect me just like how she was being protected.

“Hey…tomorrow, I’d be giving you your reward.” He said cutely.

What is happening to you? Get a hold of yourself. Do not… do not fall for him.