Ever since that night, days went by fast. Jessica had woken up about the day after everything happened. Without a clue of what happened, Yuri filled her in the details, but she never heard the words that got exchanged between the white angel and the princess. Everything seemed like it was all normal. They were just teenagers on vacation. That very same day, they returned to the mainland. Then, time just passed so slowly.

Jessica was in her house, lying on her bed again. There was nothing to do. She stared at the light that came running in her room from her window. It was bright and supposedly warm but she took no comfort in them. She has made up her mind not to think of such beauty.

A face flashes before her mind… she opened to speak but no words came out. She wishes to bask in the warmth of beauty, whose beauty she can never be in.

Ding! Dong!

Her eyes dart towards the door of her room. There was someone? Today?

She didn’t move. Maybe whoever it was would leave.

Ding! Dong!

 She glared at the door now. With a sigh, she walked out of her room. Surely enough, the ringing stopped but she knew there was still someone there. She paused in front of the door, her hand on the knob. With a slight pull, light came in with a cool breeze. She looked down to meet the eyes of a princess.

“Good morning, Jessica.” She was greeted by a sweet smile. She was surprised. She didn’t expect a visit from this girl.

“Tiffany. Do you want to come in?” She asked. Tiffany nodded her head before Jessica stepped aside.

The light entering from the windows made the house look vintage. It was no really no surprise. The Jung families were much known for their eye for art. From their own paintings to sculptures, their house was no exception to take the breath of critics. 

Tiffany stared in awe. It was the first time she step foot in here.

“Is there any-”

“Jess, I’m called to work so- Oh? A friend of yours?” Tiffany turned her eyes away from the designs to meet with a man.

“Ah, Annyeonghaseyo.” She greeted.

“Ah, Tiffany Hwang right? Nice to finally-”

“Aren’t you leaving? The door is right there.” Jessica coldly stated to the man, pulling Tiffany behind her.

“Ah, that’s right. I’ll be going now.” The man said before putting on a blazer and his suitcase. He made his way to Jessica, patting her head.

“I’ll be back, Jess.” He paused before looking at Tiffany and gave her smile. He exited through the door, leaving the two in silence.

“Was that your father?” Tiffany asked. Jessica nodded but her back was still facing Tiffany.

“Jessica.” She called, earning Jessica’s attention.

“What is it?”

“Let’s go out today?” Tiffany asked, showing Jessica the bag she had.

“It’s a good day so don’t be cooped inside.” Tiffany said before pushing Jessica up the stairs.

“Change. I’ll wait for you here.”

In a few minutes, Jessica came out in a solid grey tank top and shorts, paired with some sandals. In her arms, she had a striped blazer thinner than most whose sleeves were about three-quarts in length. Tiffany was wearing a thin, light pink blouse and a white flowing skirt with flats.

“Let’s go?” Tiffany asked with a smile, turning her back, completely missing a faint blush on Jessica’s face, surely not caused by the heat.

Taeyeon was sitting near the fountain a several minutes from their house. Unlike the last time she came here, Dan wasn’t with her. It was too hot for him so he stayed at home in front of the electric fan.

She stared up to see the sun shining brightly. It wasn’t hot so it was the perfect day. She had with her some of her drawing utensils and a canvas. She was looking for inspiration. She had been troubled since she got back. She wanted to create a painting, to paint something that she couldn’t see yet she longed to create. However, it was just not easy…

“What should I paint?” She asked no one but herself. She continued staring at the blank canvas in front of her, not noticing a girl silently making her way towards her. The girl stopped just behind her and covered her eyes.

“Ah!” The sudden darkness made Taeyeon exclaim in surprise. She raised her hand and when she felt a familiar pair, she calmed down and smiled.

“Sunny!” Taeyeon greeted cheerfully, watching as the girl sit next to her. Things didn’t seem to change much since that night for the both of them. The only difference was that every gesture and action they do now, they know that the other does for them specially.

“Tae.” Sunny said her name. Taeyeon remained attentive.

“Are you going to paint?” Sunny asked, pointing at the canvas in front of Taeyeon.

“Ah, right. When we got back, I felt that I had to paint something. I thought it wasn’t that serious but I couldn’t shrug the feeling off. Now that I’m out here, I don’t even know what to paint.” Taeyeon couldn’t help but sigh at her predicament. Sunny thought for a bit.

“Hm… How about we spent the day together? Maybe later in the day, you could get the inspiration you need.” Sunny suggested. Taeyeon looked from Sunny to the blank canvas.

“Ok. What do we do then?” Taeyeon said as she started packing. Sunny stood up with a smile. When Taeyeon turned to her, she found Sunny with her bike.

“What about just an easy ride?” Sunny said with a bright smile, making Taeyeon’s heart skip a beat. Sunny patted the seat behind her and Taeyeon sat there, with her arms around Sunny, the canvas and her bag safely strapped by her back.

“Let’s go.” Sunny started pedaling, making Taeyeon hold a bit tighter for security.

The ride was smooth and the roads were not busy so it was the perfect day for a bike ride. The wind blew at them gently, the cool breeze meeting with their skin, going through their hair. Sunny’s hair was tied back but Taeyeon’s was down freely.

“Sunny…” Taeyeon whispered, her face had a smile. Sunny didn’t hear it but felt Taeyeon’s hold tighten. She momentarily looked at Taeyeon before a smile also graced her face. It was such a peaceful day. Unknown to them, a man watched them from afar.

“Ah… It’s hot!” Tiffany complained. Jessica didn’t like the heat either. She didn’t know why she agreed to go out as well. ‘A day with Tiffany?’ she questioned herself.

“Let’s stay under there.” Tiffany pointed at a shade under a tree. It was then did Jessica think that the place was familiar. It was the old park. The park where they first met.

“Do you still remember this place?” Tiffany asked. Jessica looked around, nodding. It hadn’t changed that much.

“This is where we first met. I made a promise then.” Tiffany said, staring off into space, clearly reminiscing about the memory.

“A promise?” Jessica asked. Tiffany smiled at her once again.

“I made a promise to myself. Since when you got a scratch then, you didn’t let me help you. I made a promise that I would make you accept my help one day. And I’m still not giving up. If I can’t pass you in school, then I’ll do something else.” Tiffany said with a smile. That same smile made Jessica’s heart beat fast. Tiffany didn’t notice since she wanted to spend time with Jessica.

“Okay. Do you want to do some sketches? It’s the perfect weather.” Jessica didn’t know what to say. Art is natural for her, being a Jung. But every original creation she manages is always cursed. Things always go wrong. She was reluctant. And thinking that she upset Jessica, Tiffany tried to change it up a bit.

“I need help with a sketch.” She quickly covered. Surely enough, it managed to take things off of Jessica’s mind.

“Help with a sketch?” Tiffany nodded. She wasn’t going to show this to anyone but it won’t be bad if she showed it to Jessica.

“I’m trying to draw an angel.” Tiffany showed her the sketch of a young girl. If Jessica didn’t know better, she would say that it was her but she didn’t voice it out. It would save the girl embarrassment.

“Oh, the wings?” She asked. Tiffany nodded. ‘How cute…’ she thought to herself.

“Well, that depends on how you want it to look like.” Tiffany handed Jessica an extra sketch book and a pencil. Jessica started drawing wings, occasionally changing the position.

“You could put some lines over here so it stands out.” Jessica said, explaining some details but Tiffany wasn’t entirely listening. Looking at Jessica right now, she knows that what she is seeing isn’t fake or an illusion. Under the light of the bright sun, she could see large white wings, folded, and she would love to see them outstretched.

“Beautiful…” She whispered.

“Isn’t it?” Jessica asked. At first, Jessica thought that Tiffany was praising the drawing but found the girl looking straight at her.

“Um, Tiffany?” It confused her even more when Tiffany moved closer.

“What are you-”

“Ah!” Everything was halted when two figures came crashing down in front of them.

It was an unusual sight. Sunny and Taeyeon were on the ground, recovering from crashing beside Sunny’s bike. A bag and a canvas were beside the bike, unscathed, but the same cannot be said for Sunny and Taeyeon. Taeyeon was sitting up, her hand clutching her head, while Sunny was sprawled on Taeyeon’s lap. On the other hand, Jessica was looking at them amusingly while Tiffany had her right hand just about to wind around Jessica’s waist, the left holding Jessica’s wrist.

“Umm…” Taeyeon spoke first, seeing the atmosphere between Jessica and Tiffany. Jessica stood up from her seat next to Tiffany and helped the two up. Taeyeon chuckled nervously as she was helped up; Tiffany sent her a ‘you ruined the moment’ look.

“Mian…” Taeyeon whispered to Tiffany as Jessica helped Sunny up.

“It’s fine.” Tiffany said with a sigh. “It’s nice to see you two together today. What’s with the canvas?”

“I’ve been troubled lately. There’s something I feel I have to paint but I don’t know what it is exactly.”

“Oh? You’re doing something artistic today too? I was trying to make Jessica draw something with me.” Tiffany explained, showing the wing patterns Jessica drew a while ago.

“Sorry about this, Jessica.” Sunny apologized as Jessica set her bike up.

“No, it’s fine. In fact, I should be thanking you and Taeyeon for crashing in.” Jessica whispered.

‘Is she trying to say that the two of us crashing was good?’ Sunny thought. Then she noticed how the two were so close a while ago. She stared at Jessica. ‘Are you afraid?’

“What?” Jessica had noticed that she was looking and asked.

“Nothing. Don’t mind me.” Sunny said before taking a seat next to Tiffany in the shade. Taeyeon sat next to Sunny. Jessica handed the bag and the canvas to Taeyeon before sitting next to Tiffany. At that, Tiffany was relieved that Jessica didn’t move away from her. She took the same seat she was at a while ago, and it made Tiffany glad.

A breeze blew at them. Taeyeon looked around and noticed that it was passed lunch time.

“Ah! Umma is going to kill me. Sorry guys, I have to go now. I’m late for lunch.” Taeyeon said as she started gathering her stuff.

“I’ll give you a ride home.” Sunny quickly said, making her way toward her bike. Taeyeon sat behind her again and they biked away.

“See you again, Jessica, Tiffany!” The two watched the other two as they vanished. There was silence.

Suddenly, Jessica turned her head at a certain direction.

“What’s wrong?” Tiffany asked.

“Nothing. Well, I’m going home.” Jessica said, turning to a direction.

“Wait!” Tiffany held onto Jessica’s wrist.

‘This… I don’t want to let go…’ Tiffany thought.

‘Her hand… just like a while ago…’ Jessica thought.

“I-um… could I stay over your house for a bit?” Tiffany asked, not looking at Jessica but still holding onto her wrist. Jessica couldn’t answer.

“You don’t have to prepare anything. I just…” Tiffany’s voice trailed off. Jessica understood it somehow. Like an unspoken dialogue.

“Alright.”

Kim Residence

“Aish… I told you be home before lunch time.”

“Mianheyo, Umma….” Taeyeon apologized.

“And more importantly…” Taeyeon internally prepared for scolding.

“Why didn’t you tell me Sunny was coming over?” At that, Taeyeon immediately looked up to see Sunny being hugged by her mother.

“Eh?” was all she could mutter.

“Come in, the both of you. I cooked a lot today. It’s a good thing you came along, Sunny.” And with that, Taeyeon and Sunny found themselves sitting in the dining room with Taeyeon’s mother, Yoona, and Sooyoung. There were so many foods and it made Sunny wonder how they would finish it.

“Oh, Sunny unnie, I didn’t expect you to visit.” Yoona greeted with a wave.

“Oh! Sunny is here?” Sooyoung exclaimed as she took a seat in the group.

“Alright, eat up.” Mrs. Kim said as she unplugged the rice cooker. Sunny nervously watched Yoona and Sooyoung eat the food. They gulped the food down as if it was water. It didn’t look like they were chewing at all.

“Ah, those two really eat a lot. And to think they just ate breakfast this morning.” Mrs. Kim said casually.

“You won’t believe how much they eat in a day.” Taeyeon pointed to the two. “An average would be about five bowls of rice every meal. It varies.” Sunny laughed lightly at the scene. Yoona and Sooyoung were glaring at each other as they both had their chopsticks on the meat.

“Okay, that’s enough you two.” Taeyeon said before taking the meat with her own and placing them on Sunny’s bowl.

“Eh?” Sunny looked at Taeyeon. The girl only gave her a smile.

“You like meat right?” Sunny nodded before a blush settled in her cheeks. Mrs. Kim squealed.

“Aw~”

“Unnie, that’s unfair.” Yoona whined.

“That’s so unfair, Taeyeon.” Sooyoung frowned. But the two switched from the beef to the fish and the vegetables now, resuming in filling their stomachs.

This was it. She had done it. Right at this moment, Tiffany was sitting in Jessica’s room. This was the first time. She’s so nervous. Of course, the room wasn’t all that tidy, which made her focus on something else other than her uneasiness.

Jessica’s sergeant uniform was on the floor, at the base of her cabinet. Her school uniform was laid out on a chair in the room. There were papers on a desk as well as a computer that seemed to have died already. She took the charger cord and plugged it in. There were a few sounds, signaling that the computer was charging. Some of the pillows were on the floor while the blanket was messily laid on the bed. 

Tiffany stood up, took the pillows and placed them on the bed. She held onto the blanket which was silky to the touch that it surprised her. She neatly straightened it out before moving to the uniforms on the floor and the chair. She took a hanger and made sure that the clothes didn’t get wrinkled. The door opened, halting her in her actions.

“You… cleaned my room?” Jessica asked.

“I’m sorry I touched your stuff but I had nothing to do so…” Tiffany explained. ‘Actually, I was nervous so…’

“It’s alright. They are just stuff. I brought some ice cream. You don’t mind right?” Jessica set down two bowls with two flavors in them. She handed Tiffany a spoon and pointed at the bowls.

“Which one do you like?” She asked.

“Strawberry, please!” Tiffany said cheerfully. Jessica handed her the bowl while she took the other, cookies and cream. She ate silently while Tiffany enjoyed hers very much. This made Jessica smile. ‘Moments like this…’ At the thought, her heart immediately dropped. She set down her ice cream on the small table. Tiffany looked at her.

“Jessica?” Tiffany called out.

‘What I wouldn’t give to spend time like this every day… with Tiffany… without any worries… even for just a little while.’ Jessica was thinking too much. She didn’t notice Tiffany set down her own and made her way behind Jessica. Tiffany raised her hand to Jessica’s cheek, touching it slightly, making the girl look at her. She stared very long that Jessica didn’t know how long. She felt like she was getting deeper and deeper in those eyes. That is, until Tiffany moved closer.

With a hand to touch Jessica, Tiffany moved closer until she was about an inch from her lips. Her gaze switched from Jessica’s eyes to her lips, back to her eyes again. She saw Jessica’s eyes slowly close as their distance lessens. Just before their lips touched, she felt Jessica hold her shoulders, keeping her in place.

Tiffany didn’t move as she watched Jessica look down. She noticed that she had moved really close that she was cornering Jessica to the wall.

“Don’t…” She heard Jessica say. At this time, Jessica’s face was not visible to Tiffany as the girl’s hands were keeping it covered. She reached out to hold the girl’s wrist. She was trembling. Tiffany’s eyes softened. She brought her arms around Jessica.

“When this is all over…” Tiffany hadn’t even finished when she felt Jessica move, hugging her back tightly. She smiled before placing a kiss on Jessica’s hand.

At that very moment, Taeyeon’s eyes turned red. Dan’s eyes met with Taeyeon’s and both were red. Dan went over to Taeyeon with the canvas and a pencil. She started sketching and sketching. Lines went over lines and darkened each other. A face became apparent of the lines. Then oil paint was used. Color after color showed the light’s effect on the picture. A beautiful girl’s visage started appearing. Sunny entered Taeyeon’s room to find the two on the floor, Taeyeon was sketching. She stood there until Taeyeon stopped. She fell back.

“Taeyeon!” Sunny called, hurrying next to Taeyeon.

“Taeyeon? Taeyeon!” She called again. Taeyeon opened her eyes and saw Sunny looking down on her.

“Sunny… Ugh… what happened?” Taeyeon asked, looking around.

“I walked in and you were working on that and you collapsed.”

“Working on what?” Taeyeon asked. The two of them looked at the canvas. A familiarity hits the both of them.

“That’s…”

A/N: Sorry I’ve been out for a long while guys. It’s been really busy in school. And I’m getting this feeling of writing about something else but I don’t want to. I want to finish this first before I start on another one. The comments, Mianhaeyo... I'm still busy.

Thank you, guys again for staying with me and the new subscribers.

The story is ending soon. I’ll only focus on DP: KTA for a while. DoRS would be on hold. Or tell me which want you guys want me to do. Your choice. DP:KTA or DoRS?

If you guys are curious, I’m out of school by the 24^th. I’ll try my best to still write with a service learning job over the summer. Aigoo… ^-^v