Chapter Twenty-Six

Silence had been filling up the foyer for several days. There was no Tiffany reading books on the couch, no Yoona snuggling up against her favorite unnie to catch her sleep, no Sooyoung–– um, correction. Sooyoung was there, except the snack in her hands was always different each day.

Yuri heaved out a sigh as she dropped herself on the other side of couch which Sooyoung was sitting on.

Sooyoung was engrossed with a book when she noticed the distressed Yuri. She immediately threw her book away, not forgetting to shove another piece of her crackers into as she crawled towards her friend and nudged her.

“Yeah?” Yuri simply peeked at the shikshin with the corner of her eyes. She was too lazy and restless to budge.

Sooyoung swallowed the crackers in and plopped down next to the tanned girl. “What’s up? You look stress.” She offered Yuri her precious babies, “Want some?”

“Nah, I’m fine. Thanks though.”

“Still worrying over Yoona and Fany?”

“They are still in the middle of a cold war.” A very strange cold war to be precise. Apparently Yoona was following Tiffany all over the places, but they didn’t communicate at all.

“You know what? I think we should leave them alone. I’m sure they will get over with it eventually and it isn’t like we can do anything to help them either.”

Yuri finally made an effort to move. She twisted half of her body towards Sooyoung and looked at the shikshin with a frown, “You didn’t think Yoona cried because Tiffany rejected her foods, do you?”

Sooyoung threw another cracker into , “Uff casste nut.”

“Can you at least swallow your food first before you speak!”

“I said of course not!” Sooyoung retorted immediately after she swallowed her food. She shot a glare at her friend.

To think that she is such a thoughtful person for training Yuri’s hearing by speaking with foods in , Yuri should thank her instead of reprimanding her!

“What kind of logic is that?”

“Hmm?!” Oh darn. She accidentally voiced out her thoughts.

Yuri rolled her eyes at Sooyoung, she was not in the mood to start a childish fight with her. “I think we should do something to help them.”

“For example?”

“Make them talk?” Yuri suggested.

“What if it turns into hells of screaming and yelling?”

“…… They wouldn’t do that.” They are not that insane and uncontrollable.

Sooyoung shrugged, “Anything is possible.”

“Yoona wouldn’t scream at Fany.” Yuri shook her head, refusing to agree with Sooyoung. Tiffany had always been the core of Yoona’s heart, she believed their dong-saeng would never go against her favorite unnie. “I think we should bring them out for shopping together.” Yuri suggested again.

“You think that would work?” Sooyoung stuffed the crackers into again. “Deyr arfumant stufs dere, I fuink hwee would only make matters worse.” Her crackers were finished by the end of the sentence.

“Choi Sooyoung!” The cracking of her knuckles were echoing loud and clear against Sooyoung’s chewing. Yuri thought it was only a minute ago when she asked this girl to stop speaking and eating at the same time? Was she really THAT forgetful or was she too preoccupied with foods?!

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuri snatched the packet of chips away and did a three-pointer shoot into the bin near them.

“YAH! MY BABIES!”

And when Sooyoung came to realize it, she was left with nothing but the lonely air.

“KWON YURI!”

“I told you to stop eating, you never listen.” Yuri shrugged in an indifferent manner. Sooyoung should be content that she didn’t explode with anger instead. “Seriously Sooyoung, is your food more important than Fany and Yoona? Can’t we just focus on them first?”

Sooyoung grumpily folded her arms and looked away. Her principle in life: No food, no talk!

“Geez… Sooyoung! I didn’t know you’re this petty!”

Sooyoung snorted, still not looking at Yuri.

Alright, now she got it. The best way to offend Sooyoung is by taking her food away. Worst, throw them away right before her eyes. You should count yourself lucky if she hadn’t murdered you.

Yuri heaved out a helpless sigh as she walked to the bin and picked up the almost intact bag of chips. She returned to the couch, stopping in front of Sooyoung and held the chips to her face.

“There, satisfied?”

“Yah! You just took them from the bin!”

“So? Are you going to disown them because of that?” Yuri questioned with a grin, she clearly knew in her mind what the answer was.

As much as Sooyoung wanted to say no, her hands still naturally went to the bag and took it away from Yuri’s hand. She started stuffing the crackers into again, but to ensure the same situation would not happen again, she only spoke after she swallowed her snack.

“Okay, so I was saying their argument started in the city, I think we will only make matters worse by bringing them there.” Sooyoung’s mood changed instantly when her crackers were back in her hands.

Yuri was speechless for a second. “So what are we supposed to do?” She asked.

“Like I said, leave them alone.” Sooyoung shrugged indifferently. “Only they themselves know the solution to their problem. Our interference may be rubbing salt to their wounds.”

“I would want to leave them alone too if they hadn’t stop speaking to one another for almost a week.” Yuri clearly understood Sooyoung’s intention, in fact, that was what she intended to do as well initially. But after seeing them ignoring one another for about a week, Yuri started to get worried. She highly doubted things would result like what Sooyoung just mentioned. “We need to do something Sooyoung.”

She can’t leave them like this anymore.

“I’ve got an idea.” Sooyoung exclaimed suddenly before stuffing down the rest of her chips into . “Les achin parlnas.”

“Choi Sooyoung…” Words were forced through her teeth as she glared at the now-acting-so-proud Sooyoung who was sticking her tongue out at her. “I’m going to get a lock to our fridge.”

So this shikshin thinks there is no way she can deal with her once she finished her foods? Great mistake! There are too many ways to deal with this shikshin and specifically, her foods!

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!” Sooyoung instantly let out a loud scream and went down on her knees. Like a koala bear hanging to a tree, she hugged tightly onto Yuri’s legs with sparkling drops of tears running down her cheeks.

Yuri’s eyes widened with astonishment, watching her friend apologizing to her like a puppy begging for food.

“NO! YURI! PLEASE NO!! I WAS JUST KIDDING WITH YOU! OMIGOSH, PLEASE DON’T DO THAT TO ME! I’M KOWTOWING TO YOU! I’M SORRY! PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE! NO LOCK FOR THE FRIDGE! NO! NO! NO! PLEASE!!!!”

“Eh…” She wasn’t expecting such a big reaction, but nope! She would not be soft-hearted just because of the… um… rather amusing tears that were dangling on the corner of Sooyoung’s eyes now.

Yuri tried her best to hold her laughter and put on a stern look. She cleared loudly and, purposely, threw Sooyoung a cold stare. “So you do realize offending me is clearly not a wise option?”

Sooyoung nodded her head obediently, her hands were still hugging tightly to Yuri’s leg.

“Good.” Yuri answered with a nonchalantly tone. If Sooyoung ever realized, anyone who knew of her interest were clearly those she could not offend. And basically, that group of people applied to the whole of Aurales.

“Tell me your plan again.” Yuri tried to pull her legs away from Sooyoung’s grip, but only to find the latter tightening her grip. She looked at the kneeling shikshin with a frown, “What is it now?”

“YOU GOT TO PROMISE ME NOT TO BUY A LOCK…” Words trembled out from her quivering mouth. The sparkling droplets were not yet dry. Yuri felt the corner of twitching on its own.

This shikshin sure needs lesson to differentiate joke from reality.

Play’s time over, Sooyoung soon settled down and the duo started their discussion again. “Exchange partners. If we put Yoona together with Tiffany, they will have to face each other no matter what.”

“That sounds workable. I can get my brother to group them together for the patrolling.” Aurales sent different groups of hunters out for patrolling everyday even when mutants did not openly appeared in front of the normal beings. She could always request Hyuk-Jun to do an exchange for their next patrol.

“Wait…” Something struck Sooyoung’s mind out of the sudden. “That means I’m grouping up with you!?”

Yuri raised an eyebrow at her, “You got a problem with that?”

“NOPE! I’M MORE THAN HAPPY TO BE WITH YOU AGAIN!” She flashed a wide grin at Yuri, revealing a set of perfect white teeth.

Yuri rolled her eyes at her. “Well, that’s settled then. I will talk to my brother about this later. Anyway, I’m going to visit Jessica. Wanna come along?”

“Uh…” Doesn’t Yuri get bored from visiting Jessica every day? “Maybe not.” Sooyoung scrambled over the couch and reached for the book she threw away when Yuri talked to her. Clamping the book’s edge by her index and middle fingers, Sooyoung pushed herself up to her original sitting position. She swung the book in her hand lightly with a helpless look, “Tiffany wants me to study this. I doubt I’m going anywhere unless there’s an assignment or mutants appear.”

Yuri read the book title, “Sorcery.” Her face immediately turned into a frown. “Did she say anything to you?”

“Say what?”

“Do you know the reason why she made you read this?”

“Um… Nope?”

“And you read it just because she asked you to?” Yuri shot her a despise look. She knew Sooyoung was afraid of Tiffany to a certain extent, but she didn’t expect her to be THAT afraid that she didn’t even dare to question Tiffany’s decision.

“Yah! Stop giving me that look! Tiffany only asked me to read up on those historical sorcerers, I didn’t ask her why because I don’t think there is a need to! And yes, I admit there are times when I’m scared of her, but that’s only when the issue involves you!” Sooyoung directed her index finger right towards Yuri’s nose.

“Cut the craps.” Yuri frowned. She leaned back and slapped Sooyoung’s hand away. “I don’t understand why all of you always think Fany treats me in a special way. There is absolutely nothing going on between the both of us.”

“Deny and explain all you want, Yuri. We audiences still judge the both of you based on what we saw.”

The way Yuri and Tiffany interacted, how they looked at each other, how they protected one another, no one would think they were just normal friends!

Would normal friends stare deeply into each other’s eyes whenever they chatted? Would normal friend go head over heels even if the other party got a tiny bit cut on herself? And would normal friends even go onto bed together?

If they thought she and Yoona never noticed it before, they were totally wrong. In fact, they witnessed it (whether by seeing or hearing) several times. But since this is their private matter, they never shared or discussed among themselves before… Well, not like there was anything to discuss either.

In any case, only idiots and blinds couldn’t sense the affection hidden within them. Anyone who weren’t stupid enough, already noticed it by now.

“Fine, whatever.” Yuri knew there was no way she could convince Sooyoung. She quickly rose up from her seat and walked to the door, “I’m going to see Jessica, judge for all I care.” And with that, she disappeared from the foyer.

Only people who are guilty run so fast.

A victorious smirk spread across Sooyoung’s face as she relaxed her body on the couch. She dug for the new bag of chips she hid underneath the cushion and brought it to her laps.

And now, let’s continue with this boring book Zzzzz……