Chapter Twenty-Three

This is weird, totally weird.

Yoona said she was going to look for Tiffany and share her foods with her, but she returned almost as soon as she left angrily, with an expressionless Tiffany following behind.

When was the last time she saw an angry Yoona–– no, correction. Did Yoona even get angry before in the first place?

Ignoring the cold sweats rolling down her cheeks, Sooyoung grabbed onto the steering wheel tightly, trying her best to put all her focus on the road in front of her.

She had never seen Tiffany and Yoona quarreled before… or to be exact, she had never seen Yoona being so angry before. How on the earth did Tiffany managed to piss off her sweet and loving partner? And she thought Yoona loved Tiffany more than anything else? Why was she angry with Tiffany?

As soon as the car reached the garage, Yoona hopped down from the car and stomped towards the direction of their dormitory. Tiffany went after her. The emotionless expression on her face reflected her bad mood as well.

Sooyoung just stood still in her position, frozen. She stared at the angry duo with fear in her eyes.

This situation might be worse than the WISA war which took place a hundred year ago. If she wanted to live a longer life, their dormitory would be the last place for her to go.

Sooyoung spun around and quickly headed towards another direction.

“Yuri… Yuri… Yuri…”

The only person who came to her mind now is Yuri. There were no other better candidates than her since Tiffany only listened to Yuri and Yoona always listened to her.

Knowing that the person she was searching for would be at the infirmary, Sooyoung went straight into it and asked the nurses for direction.

She easily found Jessica’s ward with one of the nurses’ guidance. As she opened the door, the aroma of foods entered her nose almost immediately.

Right on the opposite side from where Sooyoung was standing, she saw a long-haired blonde sitting on the bed, eating a bowl of congee deliciously.

Jessica was originally feeding the congee to . Her hand came to a pause when she noticed a weird tall lady staring at her like a hungry wolf.

Uh… she is not going to eat her, is she?

A loud growl broke Sooyoung out of her foods’ trance. She lowered her head and rubbed her flat tummy in embarrassment. Thanks to Tiffany and Yoona, because their auras were so terrifying earlier on, she didn’t dare to stay put any longer to finish her foods, so now her tummy was protesting against her!

“Um… you want some?” Jessica tried her best to hide her laugh, but Sooyoung saw through it right away.

“No! I’m fine!” She might look desperate when it came to food, but not till the extent where she would snatch the patient’s foods. However… Sooyoung moved closer to Jessica and peered into the bowl. “Where did you get this congee from anyway?” It seems delicious!

“Uh, I’m not too sure either. Yuri got it for me.”

Ahhhh… Yuri. She will just get the answer from her personally later – Ah! Wait! No! She almost forgot her real motive to be here!

“Where is Yuri?” Sooyoung suddenly arched forward and rested her elbows on the table. She stared into Jessica’s eyes pitifully. She wanted to go back to the dormitory badly and filled up her stomach, but she couldn’t! Not when Tiffany and Yoona were still in a war!

Sooyoung’s abruptness startled and frightened Jessica. The hunter looked like she was going to devour her anytime! Jessica subconsciously leaned her upper body backward, extending the distance between she and the pitiful, yet desperate looking lady.

“She went out––”

“OUCH!”

Sooyoung yelped out of the sudden, interrupting Jessica before she could finish her sentence. Jessica looked at the girl with surprise, watching her hugged her head in pain. She was about to console Sooyoung when she spotted a karate-chop shaped hand hanging just right above Sooyoung’s head.

“Yuri…” Jessica called the tanned hunter who just hit Sooyoung on her head.

“Yah, Choi Sooyoung! I didn’t know you are that desperate to steal foods with a patient!” Yuri pounded on Sooyoung’s head once more, ignoring the latter’s cries.

The awkward kiss from earlier made Yuri’s heart fluttered tremendously that she almost thought she was going to have a heart attack. So, after she woke Jessica up to have her lunch, she decided to go outside and calm herself down. But who knew this shikshin would sneak at the same time to steal Jessica’s lunch!

“Um, Yuri…” Jessica tried to explain. “She was––” wasn’t snatching my foods.

“Kwon Yuri!” Sooyoung interrupted Jessica again. She stood up from where she was and grabbed Yuri by her shoulders. “You got to save me!” To hell with those punches, Yuri can hit her as much as she likes to, but pleaseeeee! Stop those two first!

Yuri raised an eyebrow at her, “You stole someone’s lunch?” She took a glance at Jessica’s congee, thank god, they are still here.

“Of course not!” As much as she wanted to smack Yuri back on her head, Sooyoung controlled herself by exerting more force onto Yuri’s shoulders. “It’s Yoona and Tiffany! They are having a fight!”

Yuri flinched at Sooyoung’s action.

Does this shikshin know her strength is comparable to her intakes of foods?

Yuri rubbed off Sooyoung’s hands from her shoulders roughly and moved a step backward. She faked a sarcastic laughter, “Sooyoung, that’s the best joke I ever heard.” Yoona and Tiffany had a fight? She rather believed the world was coming to an end.

“I am not kidding!” Sooyoung retorted agitatedly. “We were in the city just a while ago. As usual, Yoona and I went to search for foods and Tiffany waited for us at a café nearby. Then Yoona told me she was going to find Tiffany and left. But she returned almost immediately and was looking really furious! I thought my eyes were playing with me, but they weren’t! Tiffany was following right behind her and she didn’t look too good either!”

Yuri eyed Sooyoung suspiciously. She looked too serious to be lying to her, but… how was she going to believe Sooyoung’s words? She might believe the part about Tiffany, but a furious Yoona? Seriously, would that even happen to their sweetie dong-saeng?

“I swear I’m not lying!” Sooyoung knew better what Yuri was thinking. Being her assistant for one year was enough for Sooyoung to understand what this hunter had in mind by the look of her face. “You have no idea how nervous I was when I drove the both of them back! The temperature was so so so so sooooo much colder than winter! I thought I was going to die back there!”

“Sooyoung, you are exaggerating.”

Okay, she is not going to believe her.

“Well, come with me to our dorm and I will prove to you what I said is true!”

Sooyoung grabbed Yuri by her wrist and pulled her out of the ward forcefully. Yuri tried to stop her, but to no avail. There was no way she could free herself out of the shikshin’s hold, unless she used force on her, which she definitely would not do.

Yuri turned her head around and flashed Jessica an apologetic face. When she told Jessica she was going outside to catch some fresh air earlier, Jessica asked if she would still return because she felt lonely and bored to be alone in this ward. Not wanting to let the blonde down, Yuri promised her that she would accompany her till the sun sets after she finished with her stroll.

But, she guessed she had to break her promise.

“Sorry…” Yuri mouthed the word to Jessica, before disappearing around the corner with Sooyoung.

*

Yuri really wondered if she could turn a rock into dust by just clenching her fist.

She was standing at the entrance of their dormitory, watching Sooyoung crouching at the door, peeping into their dormitory as though she was a burglar preparing to raid a house.

Now, can someone kindly explain to her what is this shikshin doing?

A minute had passed… now two……… five…………… ten!

Her fists were quivering, as if trying to refrain herself from doing something violent.

No doubt, it was fun and amusing to see Sooyoung acting like a monkey at first, but as the time dragged longer, the initial enjoyable feeling was gone, only an intolerable, pissed off emotion was left.

“Sooyoung…” An unnatural deep and husky voice escaped .

Sooyoung simply waved off Yuri, signaling her to keep quiet without turning her head back.

……… This girl is asking for a whack.

Not wanting to waste her time with Sooyoung anymore, Yuri went forward and smacked the crouching tall girl on the top of her head without mercy.

“OUCH!”

Sooyoung squealed, but Yuri ignored her and stepped into their dormitory.

It is quiet.

A frown was quickly drawn on her forehead when she realized her two housemates were not around. “Where are they?” Yuri turned to the tall girl who was still squatting at the door, rubbing her head while mumbling something to herself.

Sooyoung was busy cursing…… herself, Yoona, Tiffany, Yuri – basically everyone! For all the injustice punches she had received today. What on the earth had she done to deserve all these? And most importantly, she hadn’t had her lunch yet! Couldn’t Yuri throw foods at her instead of punches?

It was only until she felt a kick on her knee, then she replied Yuri’s question with a shrug, “I have no idea.”

“Are you sure they are in here?” Tiffany and Yoona never liked to hide in their rooms when the sun is still up. They would always spend their afternoon away reading books in the foyer or doing some other things outside.

But now, their dormitory was as dead as cemetery and no way Yuri would believe the both of them were taking afternoon naps at the same time.

“I can’t be wrong. I saw them walking to our dorm.” Sooyoung rose up from where she was and headed for the stairs. “Let’s check out the rooftop. They might be fighting up there?”

“Seriously Sooyoung, if I found out whatever you said is a lie, I’m so going to kill you.” So much for a prank that caused her to break her promise with Jessica.

I wonder if she will be alright by herself…

Yuri sighed inwardly as she followed Sooyoung into the stairway which leads to the rooftop.

Sooyoung answered without turning back, “I don’t blame you for thinking that way. I would think you’re lying too if you told me the exact same thing.” Sooyoung suddenly came to a stop. Yuri stopped climbing as well. She realized they had just reached the door to the roof.

“But Yuri,” Sooyoung turned to Yuri. “You know I will never lie to you especially when the topic involves Tiffany.” She threw a mischievous wink at Yuri.

Yuri rolled her eyes in annoyance. “One more nonsense from you and you are getting it from me.”

Sooyoung scoffed indifferently, “It won’t be nonsense if you mind so much about it––OUCH!”

“I told you you’re going to get it from me.” Yuri smirked and withdrew her fist at the sight of a grievance Sooyoung. Sooyoung really needed lessons to learn things right. She should consider herself lucky that she only used her fist and not her gun at her.

Yuri pushed the door open and entered the rooftop. Before she managed to capture the clear view of the open space before her, a figure rushed towards her direction and crashed into her embrace, almost knocking her down if Sooyoung hadn’t block her from behind.

“Hey?”

Soft sniffing sound was heard, coming up from her chest. Yuri pushed the person away from her body gently, only to see Yoona with tears covering her face.

“Yoona?!”

*

Moments before Yuri and Sooyoung came…

Yoona went straight to her room after they gotten back from the city and Tiffany was following right behind her. Knowing that she only had this one chance to speak to Yoona, Tiffany quickly stuck her hand at the door before Yoona could close it.

“Let go!” Yoona yelled at her.

“Come with me.” The stern tone in her voice implied no negotiation.

“No!” She yelled again, pushing the door with all her strengths, trying to block Tiffany out of her room. “Let go! I don’t want to talk to you!”

“Yoona!” Tiffany slid one of her arms through the small gap and grabbed onto Yoona’s wrist. “Come with me, we need to talk.”

“I said no!” Tiffany’s grip left Yoona with no choice, but to release her hold to the door. Tiffany seized this opportunity and pushed the door wide open, stepping into Yoona’s room. Yoona stumbled backwards as she tried to struggle her wrist out of Tiffany’s hand, but to no avail. Tiffany’s grip was so tight that it only caused her pain and created the redness on her wrist.

“LET ME GO!”

Tiffany ignored Yoona’s protest and forcefully dragged the girl out of her room. She took a peek at the foyer below them; anyone could hear their conversation if they were to talk down there. She got to find a more isolated place.

She spun around and scanned her surroundings. The pantry is too open as well, and the storage room… maybe not. Tiffany turned to stairway which was a few feet away from her.

Probably the rooftop.

“LET ME GO! I SAID I DON’T WANNA TALK TO YOU!”

Yoona was still in the midst of freeing herself away from Tiffany’s grips. That third party, the secret lover and the betrayal of Tiffany to Yuri – it was needless to hear out what Tiffany wanted to say. She saw everything with her own eyes, explanations would do no help because she believed her eyes would never lie to her, like how Tiffany lied to Yuri!

Tiffany dragged the struggling Yoona to the rooftop successfully using little effort. For a hunter who had more experience than the younger one, it was impossible for Yoona to free herself from Tiffany. Tiffany threw the girl towards the railing and closed the thick metal door behind her.

“Yoona, let’s talk.”

Yoona’s eyes were burning with fiery flames as she glared at the unnie she once respected and trusted the most. She rubbed her reddened wrist, trying to ease the pain Tiffany had enforced on her.

There is absolutely nothing for them to talk about, her eyes already told her the truth. She is not going to believe her, anymore.

“I’m gonna tell Yuri unnie about this.” Yoona revealed her intention.

Tiffany’s expression darkened upon her statement. “You’re not going to tell anyone about it.” She made a step forward, cornering Yoona to the corner of the roof. “Especially Yuri.”

Yoona pushed Tiffany away by her shoulders.

She is not afraid of Tiffany anymore and never will that day ever come again.

“I won’t change my decision!” She yelled at the top of her lungs, showering her dominance over the shorter hunter with the louder tone of hers. “I will let Yuri unnie knows about this, I will not let her live in lies, betrayal and humiliations! I won’t let you hurt her anymore!”

Tiffany raised her hand out of reflex and swung it towards Yoona’s face. Yoona quickly closed her eyes and waited for the slap to come. However, all she felt was the sudden light breeze and nothing else.

She opened her eyes. Tiffany already backed away and was standing a few feet away from her. She had folded her arms across her chest and was staring outside the railing with an utmost serious, yet undecipherable expression on her face.

Yoona slowly let out the breath which she unconsciously held onto when Tiffany was about to slap her. She thought she wasn’t afraid of her anymore, but that false alarm proved her wrong. In the bottom of her heart, she was still afraid of this ruthless hunter before her. Tiffany’s friendliness might have allowed her to forget those fears and trembles she used to have, but her heart knew more than better she was still wary of her.

What a wimp you are, Im Yoona.

Yoona cursed herself mentally. She hated herself for behaving this way, but she hated it even more when Tiffany showed the cold side of herself to her. She didn’t like the feeling of being afraid of Tiffany. It only made her felt they were distant and from two very different worlds.

And all these happened thanks to that unknown stranger from before!

Yoona had subconsciously pushed all the blames onto Taeyeon, for turning her nice and friendly Tiffany unnie into the creepy, nasty and scary Tiffany she used to be scared of.

She had to––no, it is a must! She must find a way to stop Tiffany from seeing that stranger and returned Tiffany to her old self!

“Yoona,” Yoona snapped out of her thoughts and brought her attention back to Tiffany once again when she heard the hunter calling her name. “Who do you think is the one hurting Yuri if you tell her the truth?” Tiffany withdrew her gaze from the scenery outside their dormitory building and turned to Yoona. She looked calm and serious…… too calm and serious that it made Yoona felt uneasy.

Yoona swallowed the lump forming in stubbornly. She didn’t want to admit she was intimidated by the stern Tiffany.

Tiffany walked towards her and stopped when they were about one foot away from one another. “Will it be me? Or you? Think about it.”

Yoona clearly understood what Tiffany meant when she said that to her. But why was she the one in fault when Tiffany was the one who made the mistake?

“I said I won’t change my mind!” Her voice was quivering as words rushed out of .

She was at the verge of crying, Tiffany could sense that.

“Yoona…” Tiffany’s expression softened at the sight of a fragile Yoona, she never meant it this way and had never thought of hurting this girl. All she wanted was to stop Yoona from getting involved with Kim Taeyeon.

Or else, she and the others might be harmed.

“Stop persuading me, you liar!” A drop of tear rolled down from the corner of her eyes as Yoona screamed at Tiffany again.

Tiffany tried to wipe that little droplet away, but only to earn a slap on her hand.

Yoona slapped her hand away, “You’ve disappoint me Tiffany Hwang! You lie to Yuri unnie! You betray her! I will never forgive you unless you stop whatever nonsense you have with that stranger!”

Tiffany was stunned for a second, before she responded with her eyebrows knitted closely together.

“Never.”

And that simple word chased Yoona away, with even more disappointment and tears trailing down her face.