“Sometimes it lasts in love but sometimes it hurts instead”

Someone like you - Adele

It was the next Wednesday when Jessica finally appeared in class.

Mr Park had just started the register, calling out names when the door opened from the back.

The whole class turned their heads to look at who was the late of the day, but when they saw a girl with brown hair, they wondered whether they had a new student in class.

Her hair covered her face as she bowed down to apologize for the tardiness, and when she finally stood up, her hair brushed back, there she was.

Jessica.

“Oh, Ms Jung! Are you all right?” the question surprised the others, had she been ill? Why was she gone for so long? Now everyone was wondering, but no one dared to ask anything.

Jiyong couldn’t keep his eyes off her, it was like he had been hypnotized by her change, her white milky skin seemed even paler now with her hair darker and she was wearing more make-up than allowed.

“I see you finally decided to adhere to the rules about your hair, Jessica. But you’ll have to wash your face” Mr Park said softly, not wanting to cause too much of a scene on her day back.

Jessica only nodded, her expression was bored but there was something different from the usual dullness she emanated, she looked unapproachable.

Her eyes caught his, then he saw the tiredness she was holding in her eyes. She looked exhausted.

He gave her a smile and a comfortable “hey”, she answered back with a small nod but said nothing.

Why wasn’t she talking?

“Are you okay?”

She started scribbling something down on a little piece of paper, then she carefully put it on his table.

I lost my voice, it read.

From that moment on, he knew that everything would be all right nonetheless.

***

Jessica’s return news wasn’t limited to just their class, everyone in the school had been talking about it. Even teachers.

She was used to people looking at her when she walked by, but as she was gone for a while, the stares were magnified which made her uncomfortable.

I wasn’t even away for that long, what is everyone’s problem, she thought frustrated.

Tiffany was walking next to her noticed how Jessica’s steps were getting faster, so she tugged her friend’s arm, asking her to slowdown.

“Stop staring, haven’t you seen ever seen someone walking? God” Tiffany said out loud for everyone to hear.

Jessica slightly smiled in gratefulness, she put her arm around hers, they walked over to the cafeteria.

Jessica knew that the other girl usually wouldn’t spend her lunchtimes with her, so she took her phone out and typed in “Thank you”.

“Why are you thanking me? Shouldn’t you be apologizing?” Jessica raised her eyebrows as to ask her why.

“You worried us, and by us I mostly mean Jiyong, you have no idea how he kept pestering everyone, I swear. Where’s Jessica? What happened to Jessica? Can you come and visit her with me? Can we go and-“The girl didn’t get to finish her sentence that Jessica pushed her lightly, smiling.

He’s such an idiot, Jessica typed in her phone, making Tiffany laugh.

“Yah, that idiot likes you, can’t you tell?”

Jessica nodded, a small smile on her lips then shrugging her shoulders.

“He likes likes you, Jessica. As in, like like” she emphasized.

I know, I could tell from the 38 texts.

“So what are you going to do about it?”

Nothing. He’s not the first guy that likes me, he’ll get over it.

Tiffany shook her head and sighed, realizing that the idiot in this situation wasn’t Jiyong, but her friend right there.

She didn’t bother saying anything else, what else was there to say? She could only hope for the best as Tiffany actually liked Jiyong, he was a nice guy and there were times where she didn’t understand what he liked about Jessica, she felt sorry for him.

Although she was her best friend, there was no one that knew better than Tiffany how Jessica could not see beyond herself sometimes and that was the cruel reality.

***

Usually Jessica never really got ill, but when she did, it was always full on.

She didn’t mind being unwell if that meant missing days of school but after a few days, being at home was boring but then, the situation was even worse as she refused to get out of her room and say a word to her mother.

The funny thing was the way her voice was really sore so not talking wasn’t a problem but one day, her mother got so annoyed with her attitude that she started yelling at Jessica and the poor girl, already weak because of the cold, couldn’t take it anymore so she yelled back, causing her loss of the voice.

She had no idea how she got the cold as no one around her did, but it was sure as hell that she passed it on to her mother as a week later, she found her coughing in the kitchen. As mean and harsh it might have been, Jessica smiled, a piece of herself enjoying that she wasn’t the only one to pay.

Her father came home one day unexpectedly and Jessica refused to interact with him, as she couldn’t face him with the knowledge she had. How could you tell someone that your wife of 19 years is cheating on you? Jessica could see how much her father loved her mother just by looking at his eyes, it was beyond her how her mother could live with herself and pretend to be the loving wife, mother she was.

But she would make her tell him, or she’d tell him herself, she swore because if she didn’t, then didn’t that mean she was in on it too?

Part of herself wished she didn’t know, because knowing made it impossible for it ever to go back the way it was and knowing was killing her, but could she handle the consequences? She was only a teenager after all, she didn’t want to have a hand into breaking her family and breaking her parents’ marriage.

She wasn’t sure what hurt more, the fact that her mother hadn’t even apologized or how she was getting on with her life as if nothing happened.

What would Soojung say? Oh, she’d love it, Jessica betted, thinking about it.

Her little sister never got on with their mother, she’d be thrilled if anything ever happened to make her right.

Jessica made up her mind to talk to Soojung as soon as she could, this wasn’t something she could do on her own and it was a family matter that family needed to solve themselves.

The cold was horrible as it lasted more than a week, she lost her voice in the middle of the week so when she decided that enough was enough, that’d go back to school, she still couldn’t speak but Jessica didn’t care, because she barely spoke to anybody willingly and if she didn’t, people would understand.

It was Jessica Jung after all, she didn’t need to.

***

It was only the start of November, but Seunghyun was already behind in almost all subjects.

Every time he opened a book to try and study, he’d stare at the words for a few minutes, reread the same sentences over and over but nothing, it was like he was reading a foreign language.

So it was no surprise when the results from the assessment week came back, he only passed two subjects.

“Aren’t you one weird fellow, eh Seunghyun? How can you pass Maths and English, but fail in Korean? What do you speak every day?” Mr Park asked him rhetorically, waving the failed papers in front of the student.

Seunghyun’s posture was nonchalant, he looked like he couldn’t care less about what happened to him, but his left foot betrayed the façade, as it kept ticking on the floor, nervously.

“I don’t want to see you next year repeating the second year, understood? Go now”

He exited the staff room, sighing after he closed the door behind him.

I will not be stuck here again, he thought but he knew that it was easy to say that, but reality was harder.

“Choi Seunghyun, what’s the long face for?”

“I thought you didn’t talk to people like me?” he mocked with a hint of surprise tinging his voice.

“What can you say, I’m in a good mood today. So, what’s the problem?” she asked him casually, walking in front of him.

“Why would Jessica Jung care?”

“Jessica Jung doesn’t care, Seunghyun” she fired back, tilting her head around to give him a smirk.

“Ugh, why does Jiyong even like you?”

“Well, what’s there not to like?”

“Wow, seriously, what does he see in you?” asking more himself than her.

“Everything has beauty, not everyone can see it” she quoted, moving her forefinger left and right.

“That was in our test, wasn’t it? Bloody Gandhi and his sayings” Seunghyun huffed, curling his upper lip in distaste.

Jessica suddenly stopped walking, she gasped and turned around, looking at him in disbelief.

“Yah, Gandhi my ! That was Confucius, idiot! Wow, are you seriously repeating a year?”

“Can you get anymore stupid? Gandhi? Gandhi?” she repeated, but Seunghyun just rolled his eyes in annoyance. Not just vain, she was also a drama queen. He felt embarrassed too, but no way was he letting the young girl see that.

“How did you even pass the tests?” The silence that followed her question was the answer to it already, she took a few seconds to take it all in and then she nodded, as to acknowledge something.

“I’ll get someone to help you out” Jessica said, looking too happy about the idea, too happy for Seunghyun’s liking.

“Why would you do that?” he asked suspicious.

“I’m in a good mood, so it up and get over it” she chuckled. “Besides, you don’t really need a reason to help someone, right?” she walked into the class before him, ending their conversation

She’s not that bad, Seunghyun thought, seeing a little bit, but only a little bit, why Jiyong liked her.

Later on in the day, he received a text from the girl.

Library, after school. Don’t be late.

***

Hello everybody.

Sorry I'm late, but I wanted to make this chapter longer but... I couldn't.

It's not short, but it's more of... a filler? It kind of sets the future I guess.

There's a surprise for you guys regarding Jisica next chapter!

Can't wait.

Have a great weekend.

See you on Monday.

Minnie xx

P.S I am loving the TopSica bonding here, but don't worry, it's the same as JiFany.