Taeyeon’s POV

I’m heading to my girl’s flat to fetch her as she said she’ll bring me to somewhere she usually go at every Sunday and introduce me to one special person. I kind of racked my brain and thought of who is that special person she’s talking about but nothing went in my mind. It couldn’t be her parents or her sister as I know they’re in California right now, neither it’s her cousin Victoria.

So, who is this special person?

I frowned in frustration as there’s no more idea coming in my head. But the frown shifted into one big genuine smile when I saw my girl flashing a smile as she opened the door for me.

“Good morning, Taengoo!” She quickly clung into my neck and engulfed me in her embrace causing me to slightly lose my balance but thank goodness for my quick reflexes.

“Uh, good morning baby. You didn’t miss me that much, did you?”

She only tightened her grip around me, nuzzling my neck. “I did- and it drove me nuts.” She cooed.

I smiled and chuckled under my breath, then I pulled back my head to plant a kiss on her forehead. “Well, I’m here now. Let’s start our day, shall we?” She nodded cutely.

I grabbed her hand gently and we began to walk our feet towards the stop to get a cab.

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“What is this place?” I asked as I wandered my eyes around the huge Gothic style structure. There were images of men in stained window glass of different colors. There was a long walkway in the aisle and rows of wide chairs on both sides.

“It’s a church, Taengoo.” She said. “I go here every Sunday. Come on, let’s sit at the front.”

Before I start to question her again, she grabbed my hand and pulled me ahead to walk. I was gawking at the view I was seeing as we walk along the aisle. It was the first time I’ve been into a Christian church. It was beautiful. But somehow it felt a little weird and scary inside as I felt like the figures of the saints were sternly looking at me. I tried to keep my eyes away from them but there was some unseen force that’s keeping my gaze wander back to them. And that just scared me, seriously.

I sat next to my smiling girl and observed her for a while. She closed her eyes. Then she placed her right fingers on her forehead first, next to her chest, to her left shoulder, to her right shoulder and lastly, she closes her hands together.

She opened her eyes slowly after a few seconds and turned to me. “I’d like you to meet Jesus, Taengoo.” She smiled and looked up to the figure in front of us. A man in a cross.

“Jesus?” I questioned.

“Yes. The special person I was telling you.”

“Who is he?” I asked again with such interest.

“The person I turn my worries to. I lean on him in times when I’m hopeless and sad. Or when I have problems. I thank him when something good comes in my life.”

I nodded and looked up to the figure as well. Thoughts swirling around my head. I never thought that Jessica is a religious person. Not like it isn’t obvious in her outer look, but it’s just that it’s kind of odd for people of our generation to have an intimate relationship with God because people are so busy with different earthy stuffs nowadays. Knowing this small stuff about her makes my heart flutter. And makes me love her even more.

“Will he hear me out when I speak up to him?” I asked in doubt.

To be honest, I don’t really believe in god. I’ve lived up my life believing that there’s no such a thing and that our god is ourselves.

“Yes. He’s all ears. Just as long as you’re sincere enough.”

I stayed silent for seconds. I looked over to my right to see Jessica shut her eyes, her hands closed together. She’s praying, I suppose.

Still having a little doubt in my heart, I forced myself to believe. Anyway, there’s no harm in trying, right? And if Jessica believes in him, then why must not I?

I closed my eyes, slowly. I took a deep breath and began to speak sincerely to Jesus in my head. I want to know him for Jessica, because for her, I can be the person I am not.

Jessica’s staring at me when I opened my eyes after that long while I was speaking to Him. I kind of felt something has grown inside me after that talk and I swear, I enjoyed talking to Him. I don’t know if it’s just in my head, but I think He heard me out.

“What did you pray for?” she asked.

I shot her a bright smile, then I held her hand. “I prayed for us.” Tenderly, I squeezed her hand. “I thanked him for making you a big part of my life. And I asked him to give us enough strength and courage to stand the test of time – the test of this kind of love. Do you think he heard that out?” She held her gaze and surveyed me for a moment as if she’s looking into my soul. Then I saw tears filling up her eyes.

“I promised to Him as well that I will never make you cry. Please don’t let that tears fall, baby. I don’t want to be punished.” I whispered into her ears and chuckled a little.

“Silly..” She pouted and smacked my arm.

“How could you hurt me in front of Him?” I gestured my hand towards the figure. “He certainly is displeased now.” I said, trying to . I received a cute pout after that.

Shifting in to a serious one, I looked straight into her eyes. “I honestly don’t believe in god, but because you do, I think I should too. It may sound absurd to you, but I am eager to know Him better through you. Make me believe, Jessica.”

She nodded with her eyes still teary. “I will. You made me happy, Taeyeon.” She squeezed both of my hands with such tender as she plastered a wide smile on her face. I saw a different kind of happiness in her this time.

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“What flavor do you want, baby?” I mumbled the last word as we were just a meter or two away from the ice cream vendor and that had her chuckled inside.

“I want strawberry.” She answered shyly.

“Strawberry it is!” I said and walked up to the ice cream stall. I asked Jessica to sat first on the bench not too far from the stall as I buy.

“Here’s the strawberry flavored ice cream for the very gorgeous lady seated on the bench, personally bought and delivered by her ever sweet slave, Taengoo.” She chuckled, covering her hand on as I gave her, her ice cream. “May I seat with you, beautiful lady?”

She chuckled again but immediately shifted her face into a cold one. “No.”

“Eh? Why not?” I asked.

“Because I said so.” With her ever scary ice princess look, she began to shove in her ice cream, avoiding my gaze.

“Okay, I guess I should take my leave then.”

Thinking that my girl would stop me in my track, I slowly walked away. I looked at her from the corner of my eye but she just sat perfectly still, didn’t seem to have a plan to stop me or something. I began to wonder if she’s just playing around with me or I did something wrong that caused her to be like that. I racked my brain and tried to remember the things I’ve done and said before and after buying ice creams but nothing wrong happened.

I went into a halt and turned around to face her. “Are you not going to stop me?”

She tilted her head with her face still in serious mode. “Why should I?”

I walked back to her and received a glare when I tried to sit beside her. I frowned and scratched the back of my head, trying to read what’s in her head but to no avail. “Baby, why can’t I sit beside you?” I whined.

“You said you’re my slave, right?”

“Yeah?”

“Then, do the math.” I guess it is really not a good idea to fool around with the ice princess. I get the price.

“I’m bad at math, baby. You know that.” I said, pouting my lips and doing some puppy eyes to melt the ice.

Didn’t seem to contain it any longer, she chuckled out loud as she grabbed my hand and pulled me beside her. “Silly Taengoo!” She pinched my left cheek before she rested her head on my shoulder.

“Your birthday is fast approaching. What are your plans?” she asked.

“I only want to spend it with you. What do you think?”

She lifted her head and looked at me. “I think that’s selfish, Taengoo.”

“Selfish?” I frowned.

“It comes once in a year. You have to celebrate it with your family.”

I studied her for a while and she seemed serious about it. And I guess she’s right. Lately, I’ve been busy with a lot of stuffs and spent less time with my family. But I want to be with her on that special day.

“Is that so?” She nodded firmly. “Then, I think it’s about time to let my family know about you. I’m going to introduce you to them on that day.”

Her eyes widened in surprise by what I just said. “W-What? Y-You’re going to tell them about…us?”

“That’s not what I said. But if you’d like to, I would. What do you say?” I giggled under my breath and stuck out my tongue to . She frowned and smacked me on my leg.

“How long are we going to keep this secret?” I asked with a serious tone.

She looked down as she squeezed her palms. I know she hates opening up this topic and I tried to keep my mouth shut about this for weeks now. But we can’t just hide this for long as I know, sooner or later it’ll be exposed.

“I don’t know, Taengoo. I don’t know.” She paused for seconds. “I’m really scared.”

My heart sank after I heard fear in her voice. I completely understand her as I myself is scared too. But I guess she’s more scared. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to me. This is the only thing I can do for now to help her ease the fear she has inside. I must be brave enough for her – for us. I just wish that everything comes well for both of us.

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Author’s POV

After her girlfriend sent her home, Jessica received a phone call from her cousin Victoria asking her to go to the bar where the lady’s in, at the moment. Though she’s tired and really want to have some rest after that whole day time she’s spent with Taeyeon, she still went to the said place just to make sure her cousin won’t think of something stupid if ever she failed to go.

“Yeah. I’m free tonight. Where? Oh, okay. I’ll be there in sec. Bye.”

She dragged her body in her bed and lied there for a while. She’s really tired. She rolled over her bed to reach for her phone and sent her girlfriend a message.

Jess: Aren’t you home yet?

She waited for seconds, minutes, until half an hour but she received no single reply from her Taengoo. She began to wonder, of course. Then she realized that she still has to go to that bar her cousin’s asking her to go and now she’s in a hurry. She took a real quick bath and wore her favorite pink dress. After grooming herself for about half an hour or so, she took her leave.

“What took you so long, Jessi?” asked Victoria as she gulped in her wine and took a bite of her tangerine.

“I just finished up something in my flat. Uh, no thanks.” She rejected the drink her cousin handed her. Not that she don’t drink because she does especially when she’s with Tiffany, but she thought that it’s just not the right time to pour alcohol in her body.

“I ordered a lot for us, Jessi. You have to drink!” Victoria grabbed her cousin’s hand and placed the glass in her hand. Jessica helplessly took the glass in defeat.

She wandered her eyes around the place and observed everyone inside as she swallowed her drink. Then she gazed back at her cousin.

“You know Jessi, Nickhun broke up with me.” Jessica frowned as she observed her cousin. “Can you believe it? Ha-Ha! He doesn’t know how much he has lost! He’s a d*mn !! I…h-hate..HIM!”

Victoria almost fell from her seat but Jessica caught her just in time. “I think you should go home now. You’re drunk.”

“Get off me! I’m—I’m…not drunk, okay? I’m fine!” She hissed and stared at the latter. “You! You’re going out with that kid, aren’t you?!”

Feeling a little anxious by what her cousin just said, Jessica handled it as calm as possible. “Taeyeon is my friend, I told you that. Several times already.”

The latter shot her a doubtful look before she gulped all the liquid her glass has. “That’s b*ll! Friends don’t kiss passionately at the bus stop late at night!”

Jessica’s eyes widened in horror after hearing her cousin’s revelation. She couldn’t utter any word. Her heartbeat quickened and she could hardly breathe. She couldn’t believe that her cousin saw them that night. She was a little hesitant to think if Victoria really saw it because she was sure enough that there’s no one else in the vicinity that time. But she was wrong about that. Victoria saw everything.

“You are such a disgrace to our family, Jessica! I am so disappointed in you!” Victoria stood up and walked her feet out of the bar, while Jessica was left there, tears were threatening to fall any sooner, hands were trembling, and she just felt weak.

She grabbed her purse, and immediately stepped out and went to the parking area to catch her cousin.

“Don’t tell my parents… please, Victoria.” Jessica began to cry. “I love Taeyeon. I love her so much…”

Hearing her cousin’s sob, Victoria heaved a deep unknown sigh. “Do you know where exactly that love will lead you to? You’re heading the wrong path Jessica and I’m afraid that you don’t seem to know that.”

“Look at you, you’re crying because of that stupid kind of love. And you’ll certainly cry for many times more if you don’t stop your insanity. Your life isn’t normal anymore, can’t you see that?? Don’t complicate things, Jessica.”

Still in tears, she managed to look directly into her cousins eyes, fiercer than before. “When I decided to fall in love, I already accepted the reality that my life won’t be normal anymore. Love can change everything, right?”

“I don’t care anymore if you tell my parents that I’m in love with a girl or not. I love her, and I’ll never put that love into waste.”

She quickly ran away without taking a listen to what her cousin’s response would be. Her heart was pounding crazily in mixed emotions. Tears were rolling down her cheeks as she ran her feet towards the stop to catch a cab. She’s just not in her composed mind right now. She began to question the above on why He gave her such close-minded relatives. She has been a good and loving daughter ever since, then why can’t she just fall in love freely?

She dropped by Taeyeon’s flat near hers as she doesn’t want to kill herself by crying all night in her own flat, alone.

Taeyeon opened the door when Jessica knocked on, and you could see how surprised she was after seeing her girlfriend’s condition.

“Jessica? Why are you crying?? What happ--“

Before Taeyeon could even finish her words, Jessica clung to her tightly, knotting her hands in her hair, trying to tell her with the press of on hers, how much she loves her and how much she wants to be with her.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Short update. Tell me what you think. Off to school. Bye! :)