Melody is a form of remembrance. It must have a quality of inevitability in our ears.

 -Gian Carlo Menotti

It is really amusing how a book, a movie, a song, or a melody could bring you back in time, and make you feel those particular feelings that you felt when you first read, seen, or heard them… feelings that only those could make you experience.

oOo

The early sunrays entered through the glass windows of the four-cornered room, as it reflected back to the infinite blue sky upon touching the perfect edge of the white piano positioned in the middle of the quiet room. The grand piano shimmered under the yellow sunlight, making it glossier than it appeared to be.

Thin slender fingers traced the grand piano, smearing fingerprints all over its smooth surface. Then, those delicate fingers cascaded down to the white keys, pressing one after another lightly, producing faint random melodies.

‘Fany-ah, what are you trying to play? You’re not making any sense…?’

‘I can’t find the right melody……’

The younger girl removed her hands away from the white piano before hiding her sulking face in them, feeling frustrated from not being able to play the right melody which was playing inside her head over and over again.

The older girl caressed her back, hoping for the best to comfort her frustrated girlfriend.

The annual school competition was only a month away, and Taeyeon knew how important this is for Tiffany.

Tiffany was a music student back then, while Taeyeon was a creative writing student, but it was her hobby to play the piano during her spare time. Both of them were graduating students so they did their best to excel in their academics and win every competition as possible.

The two of them supported each other through different ways, though their fields were different.

Taeyeon and Tiffany crossed each other’s different worlds, intersecting in their shared emotion called love.

Feeling bad for not being able to calm her lover, Taeyeon moved her chair behind Tiffany, before embracing the latter in her gentle arms.

Taeyeon pulled Tiffany’s waist closer, pressing her own body against the younger girl’s back.

Tiffany closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that her lover was giving off.

Her heart pounded in joy and excitement as she felt another thumping against her back, creating the unknown melody that was haunting her head for weeks.

Her hands subconsciously reached the white piano in front of her, as her slender fingers began pressing the right keys smoothly, creating the melody that she previously ached for.

She was finally able to convey the unique, beautiful tune, by merely following the tune of the vibrating sound from her back.

Tiffany finally found the unknown melody - Taeyeon’s heartbeat.

A tear escaped from Tiffany’s eye upon remembering the precious memory. Then out of nowhere, a hand holding a white handkerchief, appeared from her side.

Tiffany felt startled and panicky, considering her current state.

No one has ever seen her so vulnerable, not even Seohyun. No one was allowed to see her like this… except for Taeyeon.

She slowly turned her head to the direction of the unwelcomed guest. She looked up, but the bright sunlight from the back of the intruder made it hard for her to take a look at the stranger’s face.

The stranger slowly leaned closer to her, closing the distance between them. Tiffany froze in her seat and closed her eyes as she felt a soft cloth against her cheeks, guided by a hand which was gently wiping the dampness away.

Tiffany felt right, though she knew she shouldn’t.

She then realized what the stranger was doing, so she opened her eyes and furrowed at the sight before her.

The lady’s beautiful face was full of concern. Her tanned skin looked delicate, like a glass. Her soft lips were compressed as a sign of concentration. Her perfect nose was perfectly carved. Her dark brown orbs seemed to be piercing through her soul.

After two long years, Tiffany heard the unknown melody once again.

oOo

“Yuri Unnie! I can’t hold it anymore! I think I’m going to pee in my pants!”

“No, no, Seohyun! Go to the school first! Run to the restroom! Himnae!”

“But what about you?!”

“Don’t mind me, I can find my way toward the school, you’ve already showed me right?”

“Okay! Be careful Unnie! Ahhhhhh!”

“Run, Seohyun, Run! Fighting!”

Yuri laughed at the sight of the little girl who was clutching her tummy in one hand, whilst the other was holding the bouquet of flowers firmly, as she ran in a curvy path toward the school that she was also heading to.

Yuri merely followed the sight of running Seohyun to find the kindergarten which was their destination.

She slowly crossed the playground in front of the small building, admiring the nostalgic feeling that the place gives off.

She finally reached the entrance; she stepped inside as she observed the old school. The wooden floors were already creaking, and the paint on the wooden walls has already faded.

Despite the oldness, the school was still beautiful, because she knew that timeless memories were imprinted on every corner of this building.

Yuri wondered if she could also be a part of those precious memories.

A faint tuneless sound vibrated from one of the rooms. Yuri walked slowly along the sunlit hallway, finding which room the sound came from.

The sound grew louder and louder as she reached the end of the hallway, and finally she peeked through the slightly opened door of the last room, where the sound was coming from.

And this time, the faint tuneless sound was accompanied by silent huffs.

Yuri opened the door slowly for her to fit in. The room was full of glass windows, causing the sunlight to penetrate inside and illuminate the small room.

In the middle was a white grand piano, but her sight was fixated at the silhouette of a lady sitting in front of the piano, whilst tears from her eyes dampened her fingers that were carelessly pressed on the keys.

Yuri’s heart ached upon the scene, she didn’t know who the girl was, why was she crying, but something inside her made her feel the girl’s pain.

Her feet suddenly had a mind of their own and slowly paced toward the side of the weeping girl.

Yuri couldn’t see her face properly, for her raven black hair was covering it. Seeing how the girl was still weeping, she unconsciously reached her pocket and took out a handkerchief.

She kneeled at the level of the seated girl. Her trembling hands reached for the girl. Yuri froze in anticipation as the girl slowly turned to face her.

Time seemed to stop, as her knees weaken at the sight of the girl’s face. She was an angel, despite the tears flowing down from her dark yet gentle eyes.

Yuri felt the need to take away the sadness upon the angel’s face. She slowly the white cloth on her hand upon the girl’s delicate cheeks. Her heart pounded whilst wiping the tears off the girl’s milky white skin.

“Umma! Unnie!” a high-pitched voice echoed through the room.

Yuri realized what she was doing. Her senses that were lost earlier seemed to hit her back as she removed her hand away.

Tiffany also felt like she was lost in a trance and snapped back to reality. She looked at the stranger kneeling in front of her again. A mix of emotions clouded her judgment as she stormed out of the room.

oOo

The morning star has already reached its peak in the sky, illuminating the colourful blossoms around the wide yard, and sending heat to the steamy afternoon.

The child quietly walked toward the swing on the playground, where her mother was seated and lost in a trance once again.

Seohyun sat on the empty swing adjacent to her mother, before extending her hand holding the bouquet of flowers sideward.

Tiffany noticed the hand extended beside her, and smiled upon the sight of her favourite flowers.

The child slowly lowered the flowers covering her sight, and smiled when she saw her delighted mother.

“Cherry blossoms, my favorite. Thank you, Hyunnie!” Tiffany grabbed the flowers before sniffing them.

Seohyun giggled and felt satisfied that she made her mother smile. Then she remembered about Yuri.

“Umma, that Unnie was the one who returned your necklace. She also bought those flowers for you.” 

Tiffany diverted her gaze from the flowers to the wide grassland in front of them. “Oh is that so? I must thank her then.”

“But she already left. She had to go to her job.” Seohyun disappointedly stated and pouted her lips.

Tiffany reached for the sulking girl’s arm and pulled her to sit on her lap. “Awww that’s okay Hyunnie. Umma also has class in a few minutes. So, we must get ready okay?”

“But what about Yuri Unnie?” Seohyun asked, whilst looking at her mother with her puppy eyes.

So her name is Yuri… Tiffany thought.

“We’ll invite her for dinner later. Is that okay with my baby?” Tiffany suggested in her aegyo voice before kissing her daughter’s cheek.

“Yay! Seohyunnie approves!” Seohyun jumped out of her lap and showed her two thumbs up before running back to the building.

Tiffany chuckled at the sight of her playful daughter. She didn’t know why, but she felt light hearted upon knowing that she will meet Yuri again later.

“Yuri…” Tiffany mumbled. Saying her name sent different emotions through her.

And once again, for the second time of the day, the unknown melody played.

oOo

Tiffany arranged the dining table and placed the dishes carefully. She heard the door slammed open and a loud bawling echoed through their house.

She rushed toward the living room and saw Seohyun sprawled all over the couch whilst crying her eyes out.

“Seohyun!” She immediately lifted the child up to her arms and her back. “Shhh.. What happened?! Why are you crying? Did you go to your Yuri Unnie’s place?” Tiffany concernedly asked, feeling panicky when her daughter cried even harder.

“Yuri Unnie said she couldn’t come because she was called in their station! She wasn’t going to dine with us anymore!” Seohyun yelled in between her sobs before continuing her loud weeping.

Tiffany swayed the child in her arms, hoping to make her feel better. Seohyun hates cancelled plans, because it reminded her of their family dinner that was cancelled because of Taeyeon’s accident.

The last time Seohyun cried like that was when she realized what the word gone meant.

Gone, meaning her Taeyeon appa wouldn’t be able to join them for dinner ever again.

After a few minutes, Seohyun’s sobs lowered until the flustered girl fell asleep in her mother’s arms. Tiffany carefully laid Seohyun on her bed, before making her way back to the kitchen to place the unused utensils back to the cabinet, and placed the food inside the fridge to prevent them from being spoiled.

Tiffany went back to Seohyun’s room, and sat beside the sleeping child. She observed the little girl’s breathing and caressed her forehead.

Seohyun’s dress was crumpled from her slapdash tantrum earlier, the top of it was dishevelled and exposed the child’s scarred chest.

Tiffany ran her finger along the length of the scar along Seohyun’s chest, stopping when she felt the beating organ underneath it. She felt the pounding underneath her palm, and closed her eyes, allowing the uneven thumping to calm her.

oOo

Yuri rushed toward their police station whilst her chest was feeling heavy from the guilt of disappointing the little girl. She was really willing to come to the dinner that Seohyun offered her, but her job prevented her from doing so. The child ran back home crying, and she was worried if Seohyun managed to get home safely.

Being a police officer was no joke. She was always called to report at the most unexpected time and place. Why do emergencies always happen during her most critical moments? And being dedicated to her work, she would never think twice to capture those criminals. She would not waste a second because anything could happen in a second, and an innocent person could be placed in danger if she didn’t act right away.

“Officer Kwon! Good thing you’re here now. Take charge of the newly-detained woman. Here’s her case.” Chief Lee informed her and handed her the necessary papers the moment she stepped inside the station. “I need to go now; there was a reported crime in the market.”

“Yes, sir! Please take care.” Yuri bowed upon accepting the papers. Chief Lee patted her back and made his way toward the exit.

“Oh!” Chief Lee turned around and faced Yuri again once he remembered something. “The woman was with a child. That little girl didn’t say anything from the moment they arrived here. I don’t know if she’s mute or something. Go take care of that child.”

“Okay, sir!” Yuri saluted at Chief Lee as the middle-aged man made his way out of the station.

Yuri was the only officer around since her colleagues were out to solve a crime reported at the market, which was stated by Chief Lee earlier. She sat in front of her desk and reviewed the files regarding the woman detained.

“Jessica Jung Sooyeon, 26 years of age, was caught driving under the influence of alcohol, and punching the police officer who caught her.” Yuri read the information aloud. “Hmmm this woman is quite violent huh?” Yuri commented and smirked at the woman’s second offense which prolonged her imprisonment from three days to a week.

Yuri walked slowly toward the back part of their station, where a jail cell was located.

The woman was slumped against the wall; her make-up was ruined, whilst her hair went to all directions. She was wearing flashy clothes that showed too much of her skin.

A girl was sitting outside the cell, leaning on the metal bars, whilst her head was buried in her knees.

Yuri kneeled toward the girl, and shook her a little, but the child didn’t budge an inch.

“Stop. That child wouldn’t listen to anyone.” Yuri was startled when the woman inside the cell spoke. “Even to me, considering that I am her own mother.” Jessica added, and let out a nervous laugh, but she didn’t notice a tear that escaped from her swollen eyes.

Yuri looked at the woman again, she looked too young for having a child who looked like around eight years of age. She didn’t know how to react with what the woman stated. She felt pity as she saw the sadness through Jessica’s eyes.

“Well except for one. She would listen to this person like her own mother.” Jessica sighed and reached for her pocket, she took out a small piece of paper and handed it to Yuri. “Call her, officer. She’s the only one that could help.”

Yuri extended her hand to grab the small piece of paper where a name and a number were written. She looked at the child again then to Jessica, who gave her an assuring nod before she walked toward the telephone and dialled the number written.

After a few rings, it stopped, indicating that the call was answered. Yuri’s heart thumped loudly in anticipation, she has made and answered many calls before, but this particular call made her nervous for no apparent reason.

“Yobosaeyo?” A husky voice from the other line echoed through Yuri’s ears, which made her gulp.

She looked at the note in her trembling hands before muttering the name written.

“Tiffany Hwang-ssi?”

The thumping in her chest grew louder, creating a melody upon saying her name.

Life is like a beautiful melody, only the lyrics are messed up.

-Hans Christian Andersen

AN:
Hello again... Sorry if I don't update much. My mind was messed up these passed few days >.<
Sooo YulTi has finally met in this chapter, and how could Jessica help to make them closer?
Well, please stay tuned for the next chapters to find out.. 
Thank you for your patience! Thank you for subscribing, reading, and commenting.. I love knowing your opinions :)
Fighting~!