Tiffany POV

"Hey." Jessica greeted me as soon as she opened the front door of Miss Boa Kwon's residence.

"Hey." I uttered in response. She led me inside. "How's Yuri?" I asked.

"Still the same. At least, he's now out of the room, you know." She then looked at me with a weird smile. "You were here just two hours ago, yet, you're asking me such question now?"

"I'm just curious if there's already a progress or something while I'm gone, okay."

"And, do you think two hours will give you the result you want?"

I looked at her boringly, "Just leave it, Jess. Any little progress is already material for me too."

"Alright. Alright. If you say so..."

"Yah. What's with that look, huh?"

She teased, "Am I sensing a comeback or something?"

"Huh?"8

"Like, a return of the feelings? Like a return to the happily-ever-after lane for you two?"

I sighed deeply, "Please, Jessica. This isn't the time to discuss such thing."

"Well... love can be the reason for him to overcome this, you know."

"..."

"And, even you."

"..."

"Don't freaking tell me you don't want to take a risk anymore, Tiff. You will never be happy in your life if you try to always resist yourself to love again."

"Wow. I can't believe I would be scolded by you on that aspect. Didn't you do the same back then? Wasn't it because of your stubbornness and weird outlook in life, you and Yoong broke up?"

"Tiff, that was soooooo long ago. I was too young back then to only realize I made a very, very wrong decision. But, past is past. I already learned from my mistakes."

We stopped at the exit door to the backyard garden. I asked her, "So, are you two now back together?"

She sighed loudly, "That isn't something that we should be discussing and focusing now."

"It's just a simple question, okay. Please just answer it."

"Fine... We're still not."

"Why not?"

"And, I don't know about him. We still haven't talked 'til now. The last time was during the soft opening of Sunny's Cafe. But yeah, impliedly, it's still in the status quo. Friends."

"Oh. I see..."

She then smiled and tapped my shoulder, "Come on. This isn't something we should talk about now, you know."

I chuckled, "Right."

"Stephanie." Miss Boa called which caught both of our attention.

"H-hi, Miss Boa." I greeted as she went near.

She smiled faintly at me, "Can we... talk?"

"Y-yes, of course."

Jessica snapped, "I'll leave you two alone. I'll just go prepare some beverages."

As my best friend parted, Miss Boa led me to the living room. We both sat on the opposite couches. "Uhhmmm... mind tell me what's our talk about, Miss Boa?" I uttered.

She smiled again, "Nothing much... I just thought... our first meeting somewhat ended badly."

"I apologize for all the hurtful things I told you weeks ago, Miss Boa. I really didn't mean to insult you."

"It's okay. You have a point, anyway. I've been a horrible mother to Yuri."

"..."

She sighed deeply, "All I ever wanted was to never witness my son suffer in life. All I just want is for him to be happy always." She chuckled bitterly. "But, yeah. Look at the consequence of what I did. I brought my son greater sadness... I even made him loathe me." Tears escaped from her eyes. She quickly wiped them then faked a chuckle, "Sorry about this."

"It's okay, Miss Boa. You just chose what's the best for Yuri. It was not entirely your fault. It was actually me, since, I sort of blabbed it on him."

"He really has the right to know, Stephanie. You just did the right thing..."

"..."

She continued to smile at me meaningfully.

"Uhhmmm... Yes, Miss Boa?"

She responded with her smile still never left her lips, "You never changed."

"H-huh?"

"You're always the same little angel I met eighteen years ago." She chuckled, "I have to admit. I hated you before when you baked a cake for Yuri out of non-edible things. I thought you changed." She looked at me quizzically, "Did you really intend to kill my son?"

"Err-- uhhmmm..."

She chuckled, "Never mind. I'm just lightening up the mood." She continued to smile at me. It's actually getting me weirded out now. "So, how are you, by the way?"

"H-how am I?"

"Yeah. How are you feeling, I mean. Have you... coped out with it, yet...?"

"I... I don't know... My own feeling is not actually my focus right now. I don't think it's something I can get over with permanently, though."

"Yeah, you're right. This isn't really something one can move on completely."

"Yeah." I smiled back. "But, anyway, for now, my priority's Yuri first..."

"Thank you so much." She held my hand and squeezed. "I know you shouldn't be any more concerned about him. Yet, you're here taking care of him."

"..."

"You are really a good woman." She then lowered her head. Sadness was now obvious in her face. "I'm sorry for everything that happened."

"..."

"I shouldn't have taken him away. I really shouldn't have. If only I didn't, probably, Yuri didn't suffer from coma, you didn't suffer from depression. And..." She looked at me sadly, "Kyungsan wouldn't have died." She burst into tears. "I'm really sorry."

I went and sat on her side. I rubbed her back to calm her down. "You just did your part as a mother, Miss Boa. You don't have to blame yourself." I had her in an embrace as she sobbed harder.

"I'm sorry. I'm really so sorry..." she continued to plead.

"You better hold yourself together, Boa." Uncle suddenly uttered as he headed towards us. We broke away from our embrace. "I'm sure Yuri never meant to hurt you. He was just on the verge of his emotions, that's why."

I stood up and greeted, "Hi, uncle." He smiled back at me and had me in an embrace.

"I'm glad you're not giving up on Yuri."

"Yuri's always been special to me."

"Important to you, you mean."

I smiled faintly, "Yeah..."

He placed his hand on my shoulder. "I hope you won't get tired of helping him out. You're the one that can help him out the most right now." He sighed, "Though, I know, you're dealing with the same sadness too..."

I chuckled, "You don't have to worry about me, Uncle. For now, what we should we really be focused on is Yuri."

"You are really kind." He looked at Miss Boa. "Yah. Boa. See how kind your future daughter-in-law will be? You better not try to interfere with their relationship in the future, okay?"

"Yah. Oppa! I never interfered with them, okay. It was Yunho who did."

"R-really?" I butted. "Uhhmm... S-sir Yunho was against us?"

"Oh." They both uttered as they stared at me. Uncle then asked me, "So, until now, you still haven't remembered anything from your past fifteen years ago?"

"I do remember some but not fully."

Miss Boa then sighed, "It's better for you not to know everything. It'll just add up to your heartaches." Then, she looked down sadly. "That might have contributed to what Yuri's been feeling right now too..."

"Okay. That's enough of negativity." Uncle pulled her by the hand to make her stand up. "Let's go to SKY already. I'm sure Yuri will get mad at you eventually if you didn't take care of the company at this moment."

"Alright. Alright." Miss Boa said then sighed loudly. She redirected to me, "Thanks again for still dropping by here. We'll be leaving now."

"Okay. Take care, Miss Boa, Uncle Vincent."

Uncle then chuckled, "Why don't you just call her mother-in-law, like, you know, for old time's sake?"

That had me felt a little embarrassed. Uncle seemed to notice it and slapped my back forcefully. "Relax, Stephanie. No pressures. Just take your time."

After I parted ways with Miss Boa and Uncle Vincent, I headed towards Yuri who was sitting at the outdoor dining alone and was just staring at nothingness.

It's been two weeks passed since Yuri's break down, well, specifically on the fact that I laid out the truth on him...

For almost a week, Yuri stayed at that same isolated padded room. He's been responding only to me, though, during that time. He never engaged in any conversations with anyone else. Then, just by last week,  he finally got out of the room on his own will. Thankfully, he now responds to the others. However, they were all just minimal interactions. He never really talks about the tragedy to anyone else ever since my first visit, though. Yes, not even with me.

Until now, I still feel so freaking guilty on what I did. I shouldn't have told him the truth. *Sigh*. But, yeah, that's why I'm here, constantly and frequently visiting just to mend the wrong thing I did.

"Hey, Yuri-yah. I'm back." I uttered as I went closer.

He responded, still not looking at me, "You're supposed to be in HGC. Why bother to visit here?"

"Nah. I decided to ditch work." I sat on the free chair at his side. "There's nothing much to do there, anyway."

"Aren't you planning to expand your business in Europe? There are so many things needed to be done for that."

"I decided to cancel that plan of mine. It'll be pointless, anyway."

He looked at me, still with the same emotionless eyes, "Is that decision because of me?"

"N-no."

"Why, then?"

"It's not yet the right time. Maybe if, uhhmmm, I'm already married, or maybe after five years from me settling down to a family life, I'll try to venture on the expansion of Hwang empire."

He didn't anymore respond and just stare again at nothingness.

After a few moments, I snapped to break the ice, "H-how are you, Yuri-yah?"

"..."

"Are you feeling better?"

"..."

"I mean... with your physical wounds." I faked a chuckle. "I'm sure you're thinking of the same thing I've been thinking while I said that. I'm not exactly saying on the pain of uhhmmm..." I said softly as I looked away. "... the heart."

"..."

I'm so much foolish. I'm supposed to be the one who should know how to cheer him up well. I've been through this, I know. But... yeah... I haven't really been through this. Until now, it still hurts me too. That's why I... I don't know how to really make his feeling even lighten up.

*Sigh*.

Yuri-yah...

Let me know how can I be able to help...

Please...

Subconsciously, I reached for his hand. I squeezed it lightly. He looked at me again, "What is it?"

I smiled faintly, "You can tell me anything. Everything."

"..."

"What's on your mind? Please do tell me..."

He looked down then, stared at the flowers in front of us, "I've been thinking... of what I've realized... everything makes sense to me now..."

"..."

"On why you cried so much the first time we met again last year... On why you told me you lost your everything because of me... On why you suffered from nightmares... On why Yoong was so mad at Taeyeon for him knowing the earliest out of the others... On why those people settled to almost take Sunkyu's life for you to snap out last May..."

"..."

"It made me feel like I'm being literally erased in this world. I was meant to not know anything in the first place. Well, can't blame them. I really should have died that time for real..."

"Yuri-yah..."

"..."

"Please..." I squeezed his hand. "Please, forgive me. I just... I just don't know how should I open up the truth to you. I'm really sorry for keeping it from you."

"It's okay... I understand..."

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