Chapter Sixty-Three

Yuri led Jessica to the middle of the training room once again after their short rest. She placed her palms on the blonde’s shoulders, looking into her eyes and said, “Just give it a try, okay?”

Jessica nibbled on her bottom lip and looked at Yuri with puppy eyes.

Instead of comforting the blonde like how she did before, Yuri imitated Jessica and flashed a similar expression at her.

“Just one time, pretty please?”

Jessica blinked her eyes in surprise. Yuri, in return, winked at her as a form of reply.

Her playfulness brought giggles out of Jessica. “You look so funny when you’re doing that.”

“I know right? I’m cute!” Yuri put on the puppy expression again and inched towards Jessica’s face, sniffing around exaggeratingly like a real puppy.

Jessica giggled harder and pushed Yuri away by her shoulder.

“That’s ticklish!”

Yuri stuck out her tongue at Jessica and took a step back.

“Okay, just try it for one time and we shall go back to the dorm, how’s that?” Yuri threw in the suggestion with a tinge of seriousness in her voice.

Jessica wanted to reject again, but Yuri’s tone kind of frightened her. She understood that whatever Yuri did is all for her own good. Instead of pushing her help away again, she should, at least, give it a try.

“You said it, just one time.” Jessica lifted up her index finger and said with a pout. She stared at Yuri intently, as if Yuri would take back her words if she looked away from her.

“Yeah, just one time will do.” Yuri grinned, knowing that she had finally succeeded after numerous failures.

Jessica inhaled a deep breath and breathed out heavily. She pulled her hands together in reflex and fidgeted on her position. “So… What do I do now?” She was definitely new to such physical activity and had no idea what to do.

Yuri stood in front of her and akimbo.

“Still remember what I did to Sooyoung earlier on?” Jessica pondered for a few seconds before nodding hesitantly. “Use it on me.”

Jessica nibbled on her bottom lip, “How?”

“Grab my arm.” Yuri lifted up her right arm and did a demonstration. “Twist it,” She twisted her arm and placed it behind her back. “And pressed it against my back like this.” Yuri removed her arm from her back and held it in front of Jessica again. “Try it.”

Jessica inhaled another deep breath.

“Okay.”

She grabbed onto Yuri’s arm.

Yuri instructed her, “Alright, now twist it. Make it fast.”

Jessica did as instructed. She twisted Yuri’s arm hastily and went behind Yuri, pushing Yuri’s arm up against her own back.

Yuri flinched when she felt a mild sharp pain near her wrist.

“Did I hurt you?” Jessica asked worriedly. She was about to release Yuri when Yuri stopped her.

“Don’t stop, continue with it.” Yuri turned back and flashed a reassuring smile at Jessica, who was hesitating to continue. “Don’t worry! It should be hurting when you twist it like that. Now, just kick my knee from behind to make me fall.”

Pursing her lips into a straight line, Jessica did according to what Yuri had instructed, but her kick was too weak that Yuri didn’t even budge.

Yuri looked back again and told Jessica. “Kick harder.” She instructed. “Try not to use your toes, aim it with the bottom of your foot instead. It will give a stronger push.”

Jessica nodded. She took in a deep breath and held it in, unleashing a greater force towards Yuri’s knee with her foot. Yuri’s knee bent upon the exerted force and she dropped to the ground with her arm still on her back.

“There, you got it.” Yuri turned around again and grinned at Jessica.

Jessica returned her a smile too and released Yuri.

“You are doing great for a first timer.” Yuri got back on her feet and swept off the dust on her pants. She lifted up her head and winked at Jessica, “Maybe if you practice a little bit more, you can become a hunter as well.”

Jessica scrunched her face at the thought of that. “I don’t like physical activity…” She muttered softly to herself, but Yuri’s ears were sensitive enough to capture that.

Yuri laughed and ruffled Jessica’s hair.

“Well, that explained why you are so reluctant.”

Jessica pouted and glared at her.

“Okay, okay!” Yuri stopped laughing and slipped her hand into Jessica’s hand. “As promised, we shall return to the dorm now.”

“Yay~”

Yuri snorted and poked Jessica’s nose playfully.

“Why are you so cute?”

“Hingggg~” Jessica simply stuck her tongue at Yuri and hopped out of the training room. “I’m going to sleep~”

Yuri could only smile and shake her head in amusement while following Jessica back to their dormitory from behind.

*

Stephanie shifted and nuzzled herself closer into Taeyeon’s embrace. Assuming that her lover was cold, Taeyeon hugged Stephanie tighter and intertwined their hands together.

“Wanna go back home?”

Stephanie shook her head and laid her head on Taeyeon’s shoulder.

“Taetae, are we going to live here forever?”

Instead of replying, Taeyeon asked, “You don’t like it here?”

“Nope, I love this place of course.” Stephanie got up from Taeyeon’s embrace and turned around to look at her. “It’s just that I have this dream house and I want to live there.”

“Hmm?” Taeyeon got interested at this dream house which Stephanie was talking about. She sniggered and pinched Stephanie on her cheek. “Where is it?”

“Are you going to move us there first if I tell you?” Stephanie questioned her lover with a wide smile on her face. Her crescent eyes were glistening with sparkles of hopes.

“Sure, why not?” Taeyeon shrugged nonchalantly and grinned at her lover, “I’ll stay anywhere as long as you’re with me.”

“Aww… you’re so sweet Taetae!” Stephanie threw her arms around Taeyeon’s neck and hugged her tightly.

Taeyeon patted on her back and chuckled again. “So where do you want to live?” She her back gently as she asked her softly.

Stephanie pulled herself away from Taeyeon and pondered. “Actually…” She giggled sheepishly, faking a scratch on her cheek with her index finger. “I have no idea where the place is.”

“Eh?” Taeyeon shot her a confused look.

“I pictured the place myself.” Stephanie leaned on Taeyeon again and encircled her arms around Taeyeon’s waist. Taeyeon wrapped an arm around Stephanie’s shoulder naturally and pulled her close to her body. “It is inside a forest…” Taeyeon nodded to Stephanie’s words. “And there is a lake with waterfall behind the forest.”

Taeyeon felt her eyebrow twitched uncontrollably.

“Uh huh…”

“Our house will be situated in the middle of the lake. And all of its walls will be made of glass!”

Frowns started to form on Taeyeon’s face as well.

She acknowledged Stephanie’s imagination nevertheless. “… And?”

“And every morning, we will sit in the balcony outside our bedroom, sharing kisses while watching the fishes swimming in the lake!”

Taeyeon thought that she felt the corner of her lips twitched too.

“And then?”

“And then hmm…” Stephanie paused for a while and pondered hard. “Oh! And during the night, the surface of the lake shall become ice! We will dance and play on the lake with fireflies dancing above us!” Stephanie described excitedly, similar to kids who had gotten cookies from their parents.

Taeyeon slapped her forehead mentally.

“Phanie-ah…”

Her voice was pretty much near dead.

“Yes?” Stephanie looked up from Taeyeon’s embrace and found Taeyeon looking at her with a dull expression. “Yah! Kim Taeyeon! What’s with that look on your face!” She folded her arms across her chest and glared at her lover.

Taeyeon returned her a helpless puppyish look. She replied, “Phanie-ah, I don’t know how to grant this wish of yours.” If only Stephanie wasn’t in Taeyeon’s embrace, Stephanie swore Taeyeon would have squat in one corner and draw circles on the ground.

“Aww Taetae…” Stephanie poked Taeyeon’s slightly puffed cheek. “I’m just sharing my thought with you. You don’t really have to look for this place. I’m content enough to live here with you.”

“But I want to do something for you…”

A pout had found its way to Taeyeon’s lips.

And it pricked Stephanie’s heart to see the saddened look on her lover’s face. Stephanie sighed lightly through her nose. She shouldn’t have told Taeyeon this fantasy dream of hers.

“Taetae…”

Stephanie called softly, causing Taeyeon to look at her.

“There are always other things which you can do for me as well.”

Taeyeon tilted her head and blinked her eyes curiously.

Stephanie grinned and leaned towards her ears.

“For example…” She whispered in an enticing tone, “Take us back to our room right now.”

*

Her eyes fluttered open and stared into the unfamiliar space around her. Flipping the blanket covering her body aside, she sat up, allowing her long wavy hair hung below her shoulders as she observed her surroundings with a confused gaze.

“Taetae?”

That name slipped out of smoothly as though she had said it for umpteenth times. She rubbed her eyes and got out of the bed, pacing towards the balcony on the side slowly.

Sliding the door open, she stepped into the balcony and was immediately welcomed by the lake where the water was so clear that she could see those little fishes swimming in it.

“Our house will be situated in the middle of the lake. And all of its walls will be made of glass!”

Memories started to fill up her mind.

“And every morning, we will sit by the balcony outside our bedroom, sharing kisses while watching the fishes swimming in the lake!”

Frowns were evident on her forehead as her lips were drawn into a pout.

“Taetae, where are you…” She mumbled, asking the question to herself. It might not seem to be morning now, but she had yet to share kisses with her lover.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. A familiar short girl with shoulder-length hair, golden dipped on its tips, dashed into the room.

“Tif––” Her word came to a sudden pause when the hunter spun around and held eye contact with her. “Fany?”

Her eyes evolved into the shape of crescent almost naturally when she noticed the person who had just barged into the room. A wide smile was spread across her face as she made a quick stroll towards short girl and enveloped her in a hug.

“Taetae!”