“Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow.”

- Swedish Proverb

The black canvas above was plain, only a crescent moon was vaguely radiating on a certain spot. There were no stars, it was really dark outside, but Tiffany didn’t care. Her mind was focused on her best friend.

A sudden rush of panic engulfed her when the caller, who was obviously a police officer, informed her that her best friend was detained in the island where she was currently residing.

She first made sure that Seohyun was soundly sleeping before hurrying out to go to the station, and just left a note for her daughter in case she wakes up.

“Jessica..” Tiffany muttered as she pressed the gas pedal harder, sending her car roaring along the empty night road.

Tiffany rushed out of her car, slamming the car door harshly as she ran toward the entrance of Jessica’s apartment. Whilst waiting for the elevator to arrive, she paced back and forth, feeling fidgety about her best friend’s condition.

She jumped inside the lift even before the doors had opened completely, and ruthlessly pressed on the button which would take her to the 19^th floor.

‘Ding’

The elevator finally came into a halt, and Tiffany bolted out toward the corridors. She stopped in front of the room located at the end of the hallway and entered the unit’s passcode.

Being best friends since they were born, Jessica entrusted Tiffany everything of her own.

They were total opposites. Jessica loved partying and getting wasted, living her life carelessly and mindlessly. Tiffany, on the other hand, took life seriously, excelled in academics, and futuristic.

Tiffany would normally be the one who would pick up Jessica whenever she passed out in a bar, she would be the one who would take care of Jessica whenever she suffered from numerous hangovers. She even covered up for Jessica and lied to her best friend’s parents countless of times.

Two months ago, Jessica just turned 18. And enjoying the privilege of being legal, she tried every single thing as possible. Tiffany expected this, she had already prepared herself for sudden ‘bar rescue operations’ of her best friend. But this time, something was definitely wrong when Jessica called her.

First, Jessica wasn’t in a bar. Second, she was neither drunk nor high. Lastly, Jessica was crying, screaming, and almost out of breath when she pleaded Tiffany to come over.

‘Jessi!’ Tiffany yelled when she stepped inside the apartment and saw her best friend sitting on the living room’s floor, crying, and on the verge of passing out. ‘Tiffany, help me…’

‘Yes I will help you! Just please calm down first!’ Tiffany rushed to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. ‘Drink.’ She helped Jessica drink whilst her free hand was Jessica’s back.

‘Better.’ Jessica mumbled as she finished gulping a glass of water, feeling better after dousing her scorched throat. Tiffany cupped her best friend’s face, and removed some stray hairs that were stuck against her dampened cheeks.

‘Tiffany…’ Jessica held Tiffany’s hands on hers, and placed them on her lap. ‘I….. I’m pregnant.’ She managed to say as another batch of tears flowed out of her reddened eyes.

Tiffany was dumbfounded with what her best friend had just revealed to her. Yes, her friend had gotten into a lot of troubles, but she didn’t think that it would come to this extent. She didn’t saw this coming, but she should be strong for her. She pulled her best friend to a tight embrace. Jessica buried her face into Tiffany’s shoulder which was getting soaked from her tears.

‘Shhh… Just let it all out, Jessi. I’m here.’ Tiffany assured Jessica as she rubbed her best friend’s back.

‘I-I don’t know what to do! I just turned 18 for God’s sake! And now I am a mother?! How about my dreams? Our dreams? Why me?! I’m not yet ready! This child is an accident! How am I supposed to take care of another life when I can’t even make my own life right?!’

Tiffany’s heart sank when she heard those words. Seeing her best friend’s dreams crashing in front of her, brought tremendous pain for she couldn’t do anything to stop it. She could endure to Jessica’s endless yet little trouble. Sure, she dreaded it in the past, but now, she wished she could go back to that time when those troubles were much simpler, instead of this.

In a night, their whole life changed, with just one mistake.

A sense déjà vu hit her when she rushed to the police station. Just like how she did at Jessica’s apartment 8 years ago… Tiffany wondered how time could fly so fast..

Tiffany scanned the room, looking for an officer to inquire. She spotted one sitting in front of a desk, who seemed busy writing something down at the papers placed on the table.

“Excuse me, I’m Tiffany Hwang. I’m here for Jessica Jung.” Tiffany informed the bowed officer upon reaching the desk, her hands fidgeting in anticipation.

The officer sitting in front of her looked up. And Tiffany gasped as she realized who it is. “Yu-Yuri?”

“Oh! Seohyun’s mom?” Yuri quickly recognized the angelic face of the girl.

“Ye-Yeah.” Tiffany stuttered, she felt like a lump blocked .

“Kwon Yuri.” Yuri introduced herself as she stood up and extended her right hand forward to Tiffany. “I just remembered that we haven’t introduced ourselves formally yet.”

“O-Oh right. Tiffany Hwang.” Tiffany met Yuri’s hand with hers, sending electricity throughout her whole system. Tiffany slapped herself mentally for acting like an awestruck teenager. She then slowly pulled her hand away from Yuri’s soft grasp. “My friend, she’s detained here.”

“Ah.. yes, yes! Come, I’ll bring you to her.” Yuri snapped her fingers to cope with the awkwardness between them, and lead Tiffany toward the jail cell.

They silently walked toward the room at the back of the headquarters. Yuri stayed at the entrance and motioned Tiffany to continue walking.

“Yoona!” Tiffany exclaimed as soon as she caught sight of the skinny child who was sitting against the metal bars.

The initially unresponsive child looked up upon hearing the familiar voice. “Fany Unnie!” Yoona immediately stood up and ran toward Tiffany who was already kneeling down at her level to welcome her in an embrace.

“Are you all right? I missed you!” Tiffany hugged the girl tight and lifted her up when she stood up.

“I missed you too, Fany Unnie! Please go back to Seoul!” Yoona requested as she buried her face on Tiffany’s shoulder.

“Miyoung!” Jessica shouted, feeling neglected by her best friend. Tiffany plopped Yoona down and looked at the cell beside her, where Jessica was holding against the metal bars.

“Sooyeon!” Tiffany shouted back Jessica’s Korean name before skipping closer to the metal bars.

“Yah! You’re neglecting your best-est friend here!” Jessica teased and rolled her eyes.

“I missed you, babo!” Tiffany mocked and hugged Jessica with the metal bars in between them.

“You’re stupider, Tiffany! Go back to Seoul! It has been two years for God’s sake!” Jessica pulled away from the hug and knocked Tiffany’s head.

“Yah! Why? So that you could have someone to call again to rescue you every time you passed out at a bar, and so that someone could take care Yoona?!” Tiffany crossed her arms and faked a pout.

“Exactly! Did you read my mind?” Jessica responded and smirked. “And stop pouting, my dear twin sister from another mother. You’re not a teenager anymore. It sends me goosebumps!” Jessica faked a shiver.

“Umma, Unnie, stop that eh? You two are not young anymore…” Yoona crossed her arms and raised a brow while observing the two grown up women in front of her, acting like a child of her age.

The two best friends looked at each other before bursting out into laughter. Yoona scratched her head and stomped her feet away from them.

What Tiffany said was true, Jessica needed her, not just as someone to look after her daughter or to rescue her, but as a companion, a friend, a sister.

Tiffany felt light hearted to laugh like this again, like those times during their early days when life was less complicated.

oOo

Yuri was delighted to witness the reunited best friends earlier. She walked out of the room when she felt that she was already intruding their privacy, yet their laughter was still heard throughout the room.

She played with some random scratch papers and started folding them. She formed shapes of swans, flowers, birds, and butterflies. She positioned them in front of her and was amazed by the number of pieces that she managed to create and realized that it had been almost an hour since the two best friends started talking.

“Origami?” Yuri was startled and almost jumped off her seat when Jessica’s daughter suddenly spoke beside her. “You’re good!”

“When did you get here?” Yuri asked, eyeing the child who was sitting on top of the desk beside hers.

“Since earlier!” Yoona tilted her head before smirking at Yuri.

“You know what? You really remind me of someone!” Yuri let out a laugh and looked back at Yoona, but before she could talk further, her co-officers arrived and the station was filled with noise.

“Officer Kwon.” Chief Lee stood beside her desk and knocked it a little.

“Chief Lee.” Yuri immediately stood up and bowed in respect.

“I heard that there’s already someone who would arrange Ms. Jung’s case. You can go now.”

“Yes Chief.” Yuri bowed her head once again as Chief Lee headed to Jessica’s cell.

Yuri arranged her things and placed the origami inside her drawer. She was grabbing her bag when someone called her.

“Officer Kwon?”

Yuri turned around and saw Tiffany. “Yes, Ms. Hwang?”

“Uh… hmmmm… Chief Lee wanted me to stay for a few more hours to arrange Jessica’s papers. But it is already past midnight and Seohyun…. Ah! Nevermind! I shouldn’t be asking you this.” Tiffany bowed and was about to walk away when she heard Yuri spoke.

“Want me to look after her?” Tiffany turned around and met Yuri’s worried eyes. She averted her gaze quickly.

“No, no.. It’s too much to ask you for that.” Tiffany stuttered and focused her gaze on the floor.

“It’s okay. I have nothing to do after this.”

“But-”

“Yuri Unnie! I’ll come with you!” Yoona chimed in and held Yuri’s hand firmly.

“Yoona!” Tiffany blurted out and looked at Yoona disapprovingly.

“Think of this as a repayment for not being able to come for dinner.” Yuri suggested which made Tiffany surrender.

“O-okay. My house is just a block away from you. Want me to accompany you back?”

“No need, I could find my way! See you later, Tiffany!” Yuri and Yoona waved goodbye to Tiffany before making their way out.

Tiffany…. Did she just call me by my name? She couldn’t understand, but it sounded like music to her ears when Yuri muttered her name.

This is wrong. Acting like an awestruck teenager again! Tiffany mentally slapped herself for the second time during that night.  Wait.. Who’s awestruck by whom?!

oOo

“Yuri Unnie?” Seohyun called toward the familiar figure who was sitting on the swing hanging at the back porch.

Yuri looked behind to see the owner of the voice, “Seohyun? Why are you already awake? It’s still dark.”

Seohyun walked slowly and took a seat beside Yuri. “I can’t sleep anymore. Yoona kept on ‘sleep-kicking’ me.” She made air quotations with her fingers and pouted. “Where’s umma?”

“She’s still at the police station. Maybe she’ll be back later morning.” Yuri put her arm around Seohyun’s shoulder, giving her warmth as the spring breeze blew in sync with the calm waves of the sea. “I’m sorry if I have disappointed you for not coming to dinner.”

“That’s okay… At least you’re here to look after us…” Seohyun smiled and leaned her head on Yuri’s shoulder. “Our porch has a nice view, right?”

Yuri looked around once again; the backyard was surrounded with vibrant vegetation. The house was located on top of a small hill, overlooking the vast sea which seemed to carry on through the infinite sky. Like two opposite yet infinite beings merged to become one.

“It’s beautiful!” Yuri exclaimed and heaved a deep breath. She then turned to look at the child beside her and noticed that she was clutching onto something. “A Notebook?”

Seohyun followed Yuri’s gaze which was directed on the notebook that she was hugging tightly. She nodded and held the notebook in front of them. “Appa gave it to me so I can write my feelings down.”

“Your appa must be really nice then. Hmmm but I didn’t see him anywhere?” Yuri asked when she remembered that there’s no trace of Tiffany’s husband in their house. Not even a single photo displayed.

“Gone.” Seohyun timidly answered and fidgeted her fingers.

“Gone?” Yuri furrowed her eyes, not understanding what the child meant.

“Appa died two years ago. Car accident.” Seohyun sighed and looked back toward the sea.

Yuri gasped and mentally scolded herself for not realizing immediately. “I’m sorry… I didn’t intend to pry…”

Seohyun faced Yuri and smiled at her. “That’s okay unnie. You didn’t know.”

She then placed the notebook on Yuri’s lap. “Take a look unnie, but don’t read.”

Yuri stared at the rectangular object resting on her lap, pondering for a moment before picking it up delicately. She started flipping the pages, smiling once in a while whenever a cute drawing of Seohyun came into view.

She stopped flipping when she turned to a page where a photo was attached. She lifted the notebook up to take a closer look. It was a younger version of Tiffany, smiling, showing her pearly white teeth as her eyes curved into crescents. Beside her was another girl, baby-faced, grinning in a manner which she could describe as dorkily, whilst her brown hair pulled up into a ponytail, showing her perfect jaw line. She stared at the girl a bit more, and recognized her in one of the displayed pictures inside the house.

“Taeyeon Appa!” Seohyun exclaimed and pointed toward the girl she was staring at.

“Appa?” Yuri’s furrowed her eyes in bewilderment.

“She’s my appa!” Seohyun repeated in affirmation.

“But… she’s a girl?” Yuri looked at the photo again, making sure that the person beside Tiffany was indeed a girl.

“Hmmm!” Seohyun nodded.

Yuri stared at Seohyun in bewilderment. She tilted her head as numerous questions flooded her brain. Appa? A girl? Married? So Tiffany prefers……….

“Oh my God!” Yuri gasped as she finally realized the situation. Her eyes widened in shock as was left agape. If they were both girls, then Seohyun….

“I’m only adopted, unnie..” Seohyun answered the question at the back of her mind.

Yuri’s head started to hurt from too much thinking and analyzing. There were too many revelations for her to handle on a single night. She felt that she has invaded too much of the family’s privacy.

Somehow, a part of her felt connected to them. Knowing all these private details broke the wall that sets them apart..... Like the infinite waters which seemed to extend toward the dark sky - with no concrete connection yet they are arbitrarily complemented each other. Like two opposite yet infinite beings merged to become one.

“Opposites are not contradictory but complementary.”

- Niels Bohr

AN:
Hey guys... sorry if I don't update much.. >.<
I narrated JeTi's friendship here... so no TaeNy moment for this chapter...
Also, only a little bit of YulTi moment/s bc I'm still building up the story...
But next chapter, I promise to write cute YulTi (and TaeNy) moments :D kekeke~
Again, thank you for reading, commenting, subscribing! /hugs >:D<