Chapter 34

Sulli’s POV

Today is a special day. It started off with a bang! Literally. I was coming out of the refreshing shower, feeling happy because today is my day, when a loud crash filled the room. I rolled my eyes; my sister was probably messing in the kitchen again. Throwing on my school uniform, I rushed down the stairs and followed the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

“Morning Unnie!”

“Morning Ssul, happy birthday!” Yoona greeted me with an alligator smile and came forward with opened arms.

She pulled me towards her and enveloped me with her loving warmth before quickly releasing me and dragging me to the dining table. The dishes that greeted me were astonishing and I felt so overwhelmed that I felt like I was going to cry.

“Don’t just sit there, tuck in!” Yoona-unnie put the spoon in my hand and nudged me. But I couldn’t look away from the smiley face on the omelerice. The smiley was not like any other smiley… it looked just like the one that Umma used to make on my lunches and breakfasts. I closed my eyes to stop the memories from coming back, but the action strengthened my sense of smell.

This aroma… Umma’s cooking…

“Ssul, are you ok?” Her concerned voice dragged me out of my thoughts and the gentle brushing of her fingers against my cheek made me realize that I was crying.

“Unnie, did you make this?” I managed to ask in between my sobs, feeling slightly hopeful in my heart that she might say no but my brain knew that it’s impossible. Why am I crying? I thought I’m over this stage.

“Is my cooking that bad that it made you cry?” Unnie knocked on my head and spooned up some rice to feed me. “Of course I made it, silly. Who else but your lovely awesome unnie?”

The disappointment was a great blow to me again, but I hid it behind an awkward chuckle so that I won’t make my sister sad.

“I love you unnie!” I surprised her with a quick kiss on the cheek and began to eat my special breakfast. Yoona was quiet for a while, just sitting beside me and watching me eat like a mother would. Soon, however, a poke at my ribs distracted me from devouring the delicious fried rice. I turned around questioningly with the spoon hanging out of my mouth and an eyebrow raised.

“Feed unnie? Unnie is getting hungry by looking at you.” She pouted and asked in a cutesy voice.

“Yoona-unnie~” I whined at her chodingness but nevertheless fed her.

“Mmmmm. Hmmmmm. This is good!”

I fed her another spoonful before eating more. “Unnie, aren’t you going to school?”

“My class starts at noon.” She replied with a peace sign. “Can rest for three more hours~”

After finishing the whole plate of rice and drinking a whole glass of milk (to grow taller ), I was ready to go to school.

“Unnie, don’t just sit in front of the TV the whole morning ok? You should make yourself a proper lunch instead of just eating junk food. It’s not good for your health.”

She laughed at my rant and patted my head. At the same time, the door bell rang.

“Coming!” I shouted and turned to go, but Yoona-unnie pulled me back by my hand. She held my shoulder with one hand while fixing my hair and straightening my uniform with the other. The motherly gesture warmed me up with emotion and goose bumps rose when she leaned forward to press her lips gently against my forehead.

“My little Ssul is growing up.” She smiled proudly before turning me back around and propelling me forward with a slap on the .

Grabbing my bag from the chair beside me, I bounced happily towards the door with Yoona-unnie trailing after me.

“Morning, Sulli!” Taemin-oppa was standing outside as usual with a charming smile, looking neat and gentlemanly in his ironed uniform. “Good morning, Noona.”

“Hey there Minnie.” Unnie grinned as she pushed me forward again. “Aren’t you going to give her a morning kiss?”

“Unnie!!~” Oppa and I turned bright red at the same time while Yoona-unnie laughed at our reaction. Why is my sister so embarrassing? Are all sisters this embarrassing?

“Hey, what are you waiting for?”

“Huh?” We looked up from staring shyly at the ground to see Unnie standing with her arms crossed and raising one eyebrow suggestively.

“Go on.” She made little kissy faces and then laughed out loud at herself. “Be a good boyfriend.”

“Unnie!” I whined again, facing her with a frown. “Sto—”

A pair of hands wrapped around my waist and pulled me backwards. When I turned to see what was happening, a pair of lips quickly pecked my right cheek.

“AWWWW you two are so cute!~” Yoona-unnie grinned so widely that all her teeth showed and clapped hands excitedly.

I rolled my eyes and, with an annoyed huff, grabbed Oppa’s hand and led him away.

“Goodbye Noona!” Being the good boy he is, Taemin turned to bow and waved our entwined hands. Then he nudged me with his elbow and made me bid goodbye quite unwillingly.

“Bye kids! Don’t make out at school!”

Gosh, can’t she get any more embarrassing?

``

“Your sister is funny.”

“Really?” I faced him with a raised eyebrow. My sister could not really be considered as funny in my standards.

Apparently, Taemin-oppa took my skepticism as jealousy.

“But of course, she isn’t as awesome as you are.” He reassured me while putting his arm around my shoulder.

I eyesmiled up at him and he grinned back at me.

“Your pigtails look cute.” I pouted when he pulled on the ends and played with them. “You’re pretty.”

My cheeks warmed up with the compliments. What girl doesn’t like compliments? But what’s with him? Why was he saying all this? We continued walking to the school peacefully but I couldn’t help wondering: Did he forget that it’s my birthday today?

When we arrived at school, Oppa walked me to my first class and we met Krystal and Minho on the way.

“Hyung!” Taemin called to Minho who waved back and stopped to wait for us.

“Hi Krys!”

Krystal just smiled in greeting and took my hand when the four of us continued walking in a row.

No ‘happy birthday’? Did they really forget? Even Krystal? Well, we are pretty loaded with tests and projects these days…

Krystal caught me staring at her and cocked her head to ask me what’s wrong. I just gave her a quick smile and shook my head. She smiled widely and squeezed my hand twice.

```

School passed by fairly normally… maybe a bit too normally that it seemed weird. I tried to concentrate well in classes but something was bugging me. No one, except a few teachers, wished me happy birthday. I’m not saying that the whole school should remember that today is my birthday, but it just seemed weird that no one remembered.

“Hey you guys want to go grab some drinks at Sunflower?” I asked Taemin, Minho, and Krystal while we were packing up afterschool at the lockers.

“Sorry, we can’t. We already planned to go somewhere.” Krystal apologetically told me and glanced up at Minho who nodded in agreement.

“I can’t either. I need to run an errand for Appa.” Taemin looked at his watch and gave me a quick kiss in a hurry. “I have to go now. I’ll see you later.”

“Oh okay.” I disappointedly waved to him. Turning back to my other two friends, I found them hugging and whispering into each other’s ears. They looked so cute together but I felt jealous seeing them together like this.

“Uh… ahum.” I cleared my throat to bring awareness to my existence, causing the couple to break apart.

Krystal grinned at me again while Minho continued looking at his girlfriend lovingly.

“We actually have to go now too.”

“Oh okay.” I repeated the two words again in the same manner and raised my hand limply in farewell.

Krystal giggled at my action and gave me a quick peck on my right cheek.

“I’ll see you soon!” She waved and went down the hallway, linking arms with Minho.

I heaved a sigh. There was nothing to do. What a boring birthday the day was turning out to be. Slamming my locker shut, I picked up my bag to go back home and do nothing… maybe some homework.

Happy happy birthday to me.

~~

Jessica’s POV

“MOM! I’m home. Tiff’s here too.” I announced happily as soon as I closed the door after Yoona stepped inside. I took off my flats quickly before bending down to help Tiffany untie the laces of her sneakers.

“Thank you, Jessi.” Tiffany smiled beautifully at me and giggled, causing me to smile shyly back at her.

Yoona let out a hearty chuckle while waiting for us to move. “Sica-unnie, you’re so romantic!”

“Shut up.” I mumbled as I took Tiffany’s pink shoes and placed them on the small shelf between my shoes and a pair that I’ve never seen before. “Oh, there’s a guest!”

Tiffany held my hand and allowed me to lead her to the kitchen where we can hear my mom and Krystal talking with another lady.

“Mom— oh!” My gosh!

My mind froze when the lady turned around and flashed us a dazzling eyesmile.

WHAT’S SHE DOING HERE?! OMG she’s in my house!

Suddenly feeling self-conscious under her unwavering observant gaze, I fixed my hair and clothes quickly.

“Hi Aunt Jung!” The girl beside me greeted loudly, reminding me of her presence. Her knuckles brushed against my thigh as she tried to reach for my hand again, but I slightly moved away.

Tiffany, no! I mentally told her while keeping my eyes on the lady in front of me who was watching our interaction.

“Hello, Tiffany. Great timing Jessica, we were just talking about you with—” My mom placed a hand on the shoulder of the older version of my girlfriend.

“Hey there Steph.” She interrupted my mother coolly with that charming smile of hers.

Upon hearing the voice, Tiffany immediately stopped trying to find my hand and faced her sister. “UNNIE?!”

“Yup.” Michelle’s eyes were twinkling mischievously as she answered.

“Unnie, what are you doing here?” Tiffany’s voice remained loud with surprise.

Michelle smiled at my mother, who patted her shoulder like she does to me, before answering. “Visiting Aunty Jung.”

What?! They know each other?! How come Mom never told me before? How come Tiff doesn’t know?

While everyone was still in the shocked and confused silence, another loud person appeared on my left.

“Hello, omonim! Hey there Krys!” Yoona’s grin grew even wider when she spotted the stranger in the room. “Oh, you must be Tiffany-unnie’s unnie! Nice to meet you. I’m Yoona, your neighbor!”

“Hi. I’m Michelle.” She shook the younger girl’s hand and flashed her pretty eyesmile again.

“Unnie, you’re as pretty as Tiffany!” Yoona exclaimed again.

“Oh! Am I?” Michelle asked coyly and glanced my way while twisting the end of her long wavy hair.

Yoona, Krystal, I stared blankly at her for a while, bewitched by her charms. “Yes you are!”

She giggled at our simultaneous answer and winked at all three of us. “Thanks girls.”

Mom faked a cough awkwardly, frowning slightly. “Sica, why don’t you go set the tables with Tiffany? Everything is already piled on the counter.”

The familiar hand held mine again as Tiffany inched closer to me. I tugged on her hand and led her back into the living room where two tables were joined to make one long one.

“I’ll go help them Aunty.” Michelle-unnie held my arm to stop me. The hand then slid down to separate Tiffany and my joint hands and she stepped in between us, putting her arms around both of us. “I want to get to know my little sis’s best friend.”

“Mimi…” Tiffany sounded like she would have rolled her eyes if she can.

She’s curious about me?

We approached the long table and decided that Tiffany will pass Michelle-unnie and I the plates, utensils, and cups while we place them down.

“So Jessica, you’re into fashion huh?”

“Yes!”

“Aunty Jung was asking me if I would like you to work with me. And I thought why not? Would you like to work in my company?”

“Yes!” I repeated again, hardly able to contain my excitement.

Michelle’s melodious giggles almost harmonized well with my little giggle. “You’ll be seeing more of me in the future then.”

Her wink brought more blood to my cheeks again as I looked down at the tablecloth shyly. I thought I heard a disgruntled ‘hmpfh’ but Tiffany looked emotionless.

“You’re quite a eye-catcher…” Michelle continued with her questions, eyeing me not so stealthily. “Though sadly, I heard you already have a girlfriend.”

A loud crash sounded from my right side as Tiffany dropped a plate whilst passing it to me.

“Tiff, are you ok?” “Steph!” We turned to her concernedly at once.

“I-I’m fine.” She sounded shaken. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s ok. Just don’t move. I’ll clean it up.” She nodded obediently and remained frozen, leaning onto the table for support. I kneeled down to pick up the broken shards of porcelain while Michelle ran towards the kitchen.

“Ow! F**k!” A jagged edge sliced my fingertip and blood began to ooze out slowly.

“Jessi…” Tiffany reached out worriedly and crouched down to my level, trying to find me.

“No, Tiff. I’m fine.” Tiffany retracted her hand and stayed still, biting her bottom lip feeling helpless.

“Hey you ok?” Michelle placed the broom and dustbin on the ground and held my hand to see the wound. “Where is the first aid?”

She hurried to the bathroom and came back with the box of medicine in less than a minute. Michelle tended to my little cut while Tiffany remained beside us, apologizing incessantly and looking as if she was about to cry.

“There. It’ll heal soon.” Michelle-unnie smoothed out the band aid one last time and smiled reassuringly. “Go sit down while I clean this up.”

I stood up to follow her instruction with Tiffany in tow.

“Jessi, I’m sorry.” She apologized again, sounding like she was feeling terrible.

I sat her down beside me and placed my bandaged finger on her palm. “I’m fine. See?”

Tiffany shook her head. “That should’ve been me.”

“Huh?”

Tiffany was silent for while as she listened to her sister’s footsteps fade away. Then she brought up my finger to her lips and kissed it gently. I grinned at her sweet gesture and leaned forward to wipe off the frown on her forehead with a kiss.

~~

“Ok so everything ready? Everyone here?” All the plates were already all set on the table, trays full of food and jars full of fruit punch were lined up in the middle, and in the center of everything stood grandly the birthday cake that Taemin had made for Sulli. Mom stood at the head with her hands on her waist, looking around at the kids surrounding the table who nodded in reply. “Great, let’s call the birthday girl then!”

She clapped excitedly her hands with a wide grin and bounced her back into the kitchen to clean up with Michelle-unnie at her heels. Krystal, Minho, Taemin, and Yoona chuckled along with me at the way my mother was acting like a teenager, but it was the element of surprise in the atmosphere that can be held responsible. We all were looking forward to the party that was soon going to take place as soon as Krystal calls Sulli.

“So…” Krystal took out her phone and waved it in my face. “I’m calling her now. Be quiet, yeah?”

We nodded and our circle moved around her in preparation for eavesdropping on their conversation.

“here goes nothing.” Seeing Krystal fidget nervously while waiting for her call to be answered, Minho approached her with a back hug, pressing a quick kiss onto her temple. Krystal looked at me in alarm at the display of affection, a faint unnoticeable blush coloring her cheeks. I grinned at her before pulling Tiffany into my arms and doing the exact same thing Minho just did.

This is what you look like. Krystal sent me a glare when I mouthed the sentence to her but her expression immediately changed when Sulli picked up the call.

“SULLI-AH!” The loud unexpected wail shocked all of us and almost made our presence known to Sulli.

“Krystal?”

“SULLIAH!” Krystal faked a sob, totally getting into the mood.

“Soojung-ah, what’s wrong?”

“I… Minho…” Minho raised an eyebrow and pointed to himself in amusement.

“Did something happen between you and Minho?”

“Sulli-ah, I need you here right now.” Krystal trailed off and faced us with a victorious smirk when Sulli concernedly tried to comfort her.

“I’m coming over right now. I swear I’m going to kill oppa when I see him. Stay strong, yeah?” Sulli slammed the phone down.

“And… she’s rushing over here.” Krystal ended dramatically. Minho, on the other hand, gulped at his girlfriend’s best friend’s threat.

“Am I just a great actress or what?” He quickly put on a smile when she turned to face him with hands on her hips and a satisfied expression.

“You’re the greatest.” Minho replied proudly as if he really meant it.

Krystal beamed when he kissed her on the cheeks and dragged him away from the crowd, saying that she needs to prepare Sulli’s present. The crowd also dispersed back into doing their own things around the living room while waiting for the arrival of the birthday girl.

When everyone left Tiffany and me alone, I returned my attention to the girl in my arms, nuzzling her neck affectionately. Tiffany hummed in response and played with my fingers that were resting on her flat well-toned stomach. Sensing the many thoughts running through my mind, she turned her head to kiss the corner of my mouth and leaned into my embrace. It was her way of saying ‘talk to me’.

“Krystal and Minho are very cute together.”

“They remind me of us.” Tiffany agreed.

“Krystal’s all grown up now.” It’s true that I’ve been living with her all this time, growing up together over the years, but I’ve never really realized how much of a young lady she had become. While the young Krystal used to come running to me for confirmation in anything, to be praised, to be comforted, the Krystal now no longer needed me like that. She has Minho now, and Sulli. It’s nice that she’s no longer so dependent on me; in fact, she should be independent like she is. But seeing my own sister grow up in front of my eyes, from being a little baby whose bottle I drank from into a teenager with a boyfriend, it was shocking and it felt as if I’m not needed anymore.

“Yes, she is.” Tiffany turned around and held my face in her hands. “Jessi, what’s troubling your mind?”

I sighed, not knowing how to explain and not wanting to trouble Tiffany with my petty problems.

“Jessi…” Her tone became more demanding, almost like a low growl. “Tell me.”

“It’s just it feels like she grew up too fast. It feels like we’re growing apart.”

Tiffany pondered for a while before nodding in understanding. “I know what you are feeling. It’s the same thing I felt when my best friend back in the US got a boyfriend. But Jessi, she’s not going anywhere. Krystal is still your sister, maybe not your baby sister, but still your sister the same.”

“Is she going to love me less, now that she has other people to share the love with?” The question came out sounding so pitiful and childish that my face burned with embarrassment right afterwards, thankfully, Tiffany cannot see it.

Tiffany shook her head and laughed as if she heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. “That’s not the same type of love honey. You don’t love Krystal and me the same way do you?”

“No, of course not!” My face scrunched up at even the thought of looking at Krystal the way I see Tiffany, and merely treating Tiffany the way I treat Krystal.

“Then there you go.” Tiffany clapped her hands concluding. “For love, no more, no less. But as for the time you two might spend together, totally less. But then again, you’ve already given up your leisure and family time to be with me, so she’s probably just going to use the time when you ditch her to be with her boyfriend too.”
It finally dawned on me that I also have a girlfriend. Not in the literal way, but more like the implications of that sentence. Krystal might have felt the same way when I started dating, like she was losing me. It must have been even harder for her because she was someone that she used to be very dependent on. I wished I could have been a better sister, and I was happy that she finally has someone that will give her the security and love that she needs and deserves.

“Wow, I have such a smart girlfriend.” Pulling her against my side, I ruffled her hair affectionately.

“Duh, I’m great!” She playfully elbowed my stomach in return with a foolish arrogant grin.

“Yes, you are princess.”

Just as we broke out into chuckles, the long awaited sound of the doorbell chimed.

“The birthday girl’s here!” Krystal exclaimed loudly as she almost flew out of Minho’s arms towards the door.