Chapter Thirty-Two

It was past midnight already. Yuri had been sitting in the foyer since before dinner and there was still no sight of her partner ever since that lady hunter stormed out of their dormitory this afternoon. She didn’t think too much about it initially since her device was still able to detect Tiffany’s device, so she thought her partner might either be at the training area or had wandered into the city again to cool herself down. It was only until dinner’s time, when she wanted to get Tiffany back for dinner, Yuri then realized something was amiss.

Yuri chewed onto her lower lip worriedly as she continued to stare at the small device in her hand. This time round, her device managed to reach Tiffany’s device, but Tiffany wasn’t answering it. What made Yuri even more worried is that Tiffany did not reject her calls. She would normally disconnect their signals instead if she refused to answer her call, but she was obviously not doing that right now.

“Let’s go out and search for her.” Sooyoung suggested. She threw the cushion on her lap away and rose from her seat.

They are practically wasting their time away for sitting here, waiting for the hunter to come back by herself–– that is if she returns.

Yuri nodded in acknowledgement. They wasted too much time waiting for Tiffany’s reply. She would blame herself for life if anything happened to her. Ugh! She should have just stopped her from leaving their dormitory this afternoon!

Yoona was leaning against the railings on the second floor, watching the panicking duo below. She had been standing there for the whole night when she learnt from Yuri that Tiffany went missing once again. No doubt she was still angry with her favorite unnie in regards to the betrayal and third party issue, Tiffany was still the unnie she cared for the most. She might seem indifferent on the surface, but she was certainly as worried as the other two hunters.

“Aren’t you going with them?”

Yoona felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around only to find their new housemate standing behind her. Jessica had been staying inside Yuri’s room since after dinner, with the door left opened so she could listen to the girls’ conversation. At the same time, she was unintentionally observing this doe-eyed hunter, who was standing right outside the room, doing the same thing as her for all these while. Though Yoona had hid the anxiety in her perfectly, Jessica could tell that the young hunter was worried for the missing lady.

Yoona merely forced a smile at the blonde before returning her gaze to the foyer below.

“If you’re worried, you should go.”

Yoona remained silent. She wanted to go with them, but she guessed it would be better for her to stay here.

“I’m sorry about this Yoona.”

Yoona looked at the blonde in confusion.

“If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t have quarreled with Tiffany.” Jessica said with utmost guiltiness wore on her face.

“It’s not your fault.” Yoona hurriedly explained. “This is between me and her.” Jessica just so happened to appear and become a topic for them to argue.

“Really?” Jessica pressed her lips into a straight line. She really hoped she wasn’t the cause of their misunderstanding.

Yoona opened and was about to reply when commotion in the foyer diverted their attentions away. The two girls shifted their gaze to the level below, only to see a rather pale looking Tiffany trotting into their dormitory.

Yuri and Sooyoung were following right behind her.

“Fany, where have you been? Why are you not answering my call?”

“Yah! Tiffany!”

Tiffany ignored them all. Her mind was too preoccupied to hear her friends. She stormed up the stairs and came face to face with Yoona. Yoona wanted to say something too, a word of comfort perhaps, but she wasn’t given a chance to as the cold and pale looking hunter nimbly slid through the space between her and the blonde and rushed into her room behind.

A loud thud was heard as Tiffany slammed her door closed.

Tiffany dashed to her wardrobe where she kept those belongings she brought with her from her isolated home to Aurales. She pulled out a big box from the bottom of her wardrobe and dragged it to the middle of the room. She flipped the cover opened and started to fumble through the contents within the box.

“Where is it… Where is it…”

She mumbled to herself as she kept on throwing those unwanted items to the ground. She wouldn’t care if those items were damaged in the process of her actions, she only wanted that particular accessory which was, according to her parents, left by her great-grandmother before she passed away.

The next item which met with her hand was a book. Tiffany was going to throw it away like she did to the others when she noticed the name on its cover.

Stephanie H.

“Have a taste of my bitterness Stephanie.”

Tiffany gritted her teeth and clutched her fist near to her chest when she heard that voice again.

Damn it, just whose voice is it that keeps on ringing in her head? And why is it that her chest is hurting so much now?

Tiffany inhaled a deep breath, trying to ease the throbbing in her head and chest. She placed that diary aside and continued with her search.

*

“She went into her room?” Yuri and Sooyoung came up right after. Yoona looked at them and nodded blankly.

Jessica approached Yuri and tugged onto her arm, “Is she alright Yuri?” Tiffany’s dislike towards Jessica did not stop Jessica from idolizing her. She cared for Tiffany as much as the others did.

Yuri had no answer for that too. She might have been with Tiffany for many years, but she had never seen such a flustered Tiffany before – not even when she had nightmares, had she ever acted this way. Yuri was lost and clueless about it too.

She turned to Sooyoung and Yoona, “The both of you should get a rest now. I will take care of Tiffany.” Then, she looked at the worried blonde. “I’m sorry Jessica, but I guess I need to accompany Tiffany tonight.” She took a quick glance at the patient’s outfit covering her body and frowned. “And you need to change out of your clothes.”

“But I…” All her belongings were left in the shrine and her only white dress was ripped by the mutant.

“Yeah, I get it.” Yuri understood what Jessica meant. She scratched the back of her head. “You can wear my clothes. They are all in my wardrobe. Just take any one of them and wear it, make yourself feel at home.” Yuri flashed a gentle smile at Jessica. Then, she turned to Sooyoung, “Sooyoung,” She pulled Jessica towards the tall hunter gently. “I’ll leave Jessica to you. Do help her if she needs any help, okay?”

“You can count on me.” Sooyoung took a glance at Tiffany’s room. “Let me know if you need help too.” As much as she wanted to help Yuri with Tiffany, but anyone, other than Yuri, who entered Tiffany’s room now, was as good as dead. Yuri was no doubt different from the rest of them… which was why Sooyoung was so persistence about their relationship!

The hallway was left with Yuri and Yoona. Yoona hadn’t been talking to her since the conversation they shared in the afternoon. Yuri sighed and approached her. She placed her hand on the doe-eyed hunter’s shoulder, causing her to shift her attention to her.

“Go to sleep.”

Yoona bit onto her bottom lip stubbornly and looked away.

“I know what you’re thinking. But trust me, Fany didn’t become like this because of you.”

Yoona did not reply and is still not looking at Yuri either.

Yuri sighed and patted on the girl’s shoulder, “Yoona, Fany will never blame you for anything. I know her too well. She treats you like you’re her own sister. She may be angry with you for a moment, but I know she would rather blame herself than putting faults in you.”

Frown crept onto Yoona's forehead when she heard Yuri’s explanation. “… Is Fany unnie really going to be alright?” She replied Yuri with a question eventually.

Yuri removed her palm away from the younger girl’s shoulder and diverted her attention to the closed door behind them, “I will be there for her, don’t worry.”

*

The room was practically in a mess when Yuri came in. She scanned through the dark room and easily spotted her partner sitting on the ground at the corner of the room. She skipped across the room carefully, ensuring she did not step onto any of the objects scattered on the ground as she made her way towards her.

When Yuri finally reached Tiffany and took a seat next to her, she then realized the tears on her partner’s face.

“Fany?” Yuri was surprised at the sight of a tearful Tiffany. She pulled the fragile hunter into her warmth embrace immediately. It felt like those days when her partner woke up from nightmares and needed comfort. Yuri her hair as gently as she could. She hadn’t been doing this for quite a long time, just when she thought Tiffany was finally free from her nightmares, she crumbled again… for some reason which she had yet to discover.

* Side information: Her nightmares are actually the death of her parents. She used to dream about their deaths when she was younger, but is free from them now. The dream isn’t particular important in the story, except that it was the reason why YulTi started to share um… *cough* intimate moments *cough*.

“Hush… Everything’s gonna be alright. I’m right here with you Fany. Don’t cry…” Yuri could feel the trembling in her partner’s body. She swayed her body from side to side casually, humming random lullaby to calm the sobbing lady down.

The sniffing and sobbing from Tiffany gradually softened down as time goes by. Yuri wished her partner had fallen asleep, but she knew she hadn’t. Letting out an inaudible breath, Yuri continued to sway, while her hand never stopped the already tired hunter.

“Yuri…” Yuri heard her partner calling her. Her voice sounded hoarse because of her cries. “Stay with me tonight…” She felt Tiffany wrapped her arms around her waist.

An undecipherable expression was formed on Yuri’s face.

She didn’t mind doing it with Tiffany, but… she hated it, she hated it how they did it only because Tiffany was in need of comfort.

It was not the matter of making use of her, but… it just pained her to see a despaired and broken down Tiffany. She rather received glares and punishments from her partner than to see glistening tears trickling down her flawless face.

But… it would only be flawless if those tears were not present.

Yuri shut her eyes tightly and inhaled deeply. Sometimes she really wished she had the ability to read people’s mind, so she could figure out what was exactly going on in Tiffany’s head and assisted her appropriately.

But unfortunately, she didn’t have it. And to make things worse, Tiffany never shared her problems.

Yuri pulled Tiffany away from her hug. She lowered her gaze and met the pair of sorrowful eyes. She leaned forward, having their noses touched one another and whispered, “I’m always here with you.”

Then, she sealed her lips away with a passionate kiss.