Dear Readers,

Even though I really really want to take a break but this story always playing in my mind, can't help but to write it.

That's why even though I only have one day off, I need to treasure it by TYPING STORY hehe :D

I just wish that you enjoy this story and I really thank you for your feedback. I really appreciate it :)

And sorry for saying I hate silent readers and makes you force yourself to leave a comment. You knows sometimes I just have bipolar behavior, like certain someone here.

That's why I want to tell you that, just leave comment when you feel to do it.

And like usual, enjoy your time and happy holiday for you all :)

Your Author,

SYLove

“How is she?”

“Hm? Who?” Jessica still focus on the magazine in her hands while Tiffany checking her ‘homework’.

“I’m asking you, ‘How is she?’ Jessie,” Tiffany repeats.

“And I’m asking you back, ‘Who?’ Tiff,” Jessica replies.

“Don’t play dumb, Jess. You know who I’m talking about,” Tiffany says. “Someone who lives here with you.”

“Be smart, Tiff. There are two people who live here beside me,” Jessica strikes back.

“But I think you know I’m talking about the present, not your past.”

Jessica is exchanging her focus from magazine to Tiffany. She doesn’t move even an inch but it feels like there is many questions behind those stares she gives to Tiffany. Somehow… it successfully makes Tiffany freezes in her seat.

“She’s at work and I think you know where. Just go there and ask her by yourself,” again Jessica switches her focus on magazine.

“Should I find a new place for her if you feel irritated with her presence?” Tiffany dares herself to ask even though she doesn’t know if she can continue it if Jessica stares her again like before.

Jessica releases a sigh. Frankly, she feels a bit annoyed with Tiffany’s question. She doesn’t know the reason. Maybe because the way Tiffany asks her, but that question really disturb her.

“I’m okay with her. She also helps me with that story.”

“You will make her as your co-author?” Tiffany asks again.

Slightly Jessica shrugs her shoulder. “Depends on how much she asks for that.”

“So… you will extend her stay in here?” Tiffany hopes.

Again, Jessica only shrugs her shoulder.

“Depends on?”

Jessica releases another sigh and stares at Tiffany. “What do you want?”

Tiffany shrugs her shoulder. “Maybe… I just want to know. And I kind of don’t want to burden you with Sooyoung’s presence in here since… it’s been awhile since you never stay with someone else at the same roof. If that’s the matter, I’ll find a new place for Sooyoung to stay.”

“I already told you, I’m okay with her.”

Tiffany nods. “That’s good to hear.”

“Even though she is a bit weird,” Jessica continues.

“Weird?” Tiffany frowns.

Jessica nods. “She always sings food song while cooking. But I think it’s just like what you said, she loves food.”

“Ah~!” Tiffany points at Jessica. “That’s not the reason.”

Jessica frowns to see a sudden excitement in Tiffany’s voice. Maybe her eyes play trick on her, but it feels like Tiffany’s eyes sparkling.

“Her restaurant has a live performance every weekend. She and her co-workers along with her boss will sing any song related food. It can be the title, the group name or the lyrics. The customer also can join them or give another performance. That’s why her workplace always crowded on the weekend,” Tiffany explains.

“Are you… their regular customer?” Jessica asks.

Tiffany nods. “But I know Sooyoung before that. I accidentally find her in that restaurant when I’m eating my breakfast. That day she was the one who served my food.”

“Before that? How long you know her?”

Somehow Jessica feels curious about their past. Could it be...

“She’s not my past lover if that crossed in your mind,” Tiffany cut Jessica’s thought. “She’s my classmate in high school but I lost her contact when she moved to Japan for study. Even though I can use LINE, wechat or KakaoTalk to keep our contact but I’m not that close with her in the past.”

Jessica nods. That’s completely explains why she never knows about Sooyoung before. She was becoming friend with Tiffany in college time when Sooyoung moved to Japan.

“So… do you want to join me this weekend?” Tiffany asks.

Jessica stares at Tiffany in silence.

“Please…?” Tiffany starts to plead. “I have special seat there. So I promise that you won’t be chokes with the crowded. Beside…”

“Beside?” Jessica asks.

“Beside… Sooyoung will be busy that night, so won’t you feel sorry if she exhausted because she needs to run here to cook your dinner and goes back to entertain her customers?”

 “It’s her job,” Jessica coldly says.

“Jessie, please… Just once, please… I just want you to see how she works,” Tiffany utters. “You will see how serious she is with her dream.”

“In condition…”

“Mention it!” Tiffany challenges her.

“No smoke from cigarette,” Jessica starts.

“They have aircon restaurant, so you won’t find any of it in there,” Tiffany grins with her first victory.

“No one flirt with me.”

“Theywillafraidwithyourstare,” Tiffany mumbles.

“What did you say?” Jessica glares at her.

“Nothing. I just said, ‘I promise’,” Tiffany makes a peace sign with innocent smile.

Jessica actually wants to hit the eye-smile-girl, but somehow she feels lazy to do it.

“I don’t want to pay for the food since I can freely get it in this apartment.”

“It’s my treat since I invite you,” Tiffany smiles.

“Last thing, I can go home whenever I want to,” Jessica ends her terms.

“Ay, ay, captain!”

Tiffany salutes with stupid grins like Spongebob. Again, Jessica feels the urge to knock her head but again, she refrains from doing so.

“How about the story?” Jessica asks.

“This is quite interesting,” Tiffany admits. “But what is your goal with this story?”

Jessica shrugs her shoulder. “For now, I still want to let it flow. I haven’t decided yet, but I have a picture what will happen next.”

“And you will ask Sooyoung to help you?” Tiffany asks.

Jessica looks away. “Depend. I can’t always depend on her, right?”

‘But that can be a reason for extended her stay in here, right?’

Even though Tiffany badly wants to ask that question, she doesn’t let it escape from . She chooses to swallow it.

“Alright, I’ll wait until you finish the first chapter,” Tiffany stands up. “You have a plan to picture their pasts in the first chapter, right?”

Jessica nods.

“Just suggestion, maybe you can go back to the park to get more inspiration,” Tiffany says. “That day, you asked Sooyoung to take many pictures, right? How about you do that now if you want Yuko as the main character?”

Jessica is stunning to hear that request.

Even though in her story Yuko seems to be the main character but somehow she always think as Haruna. Like example when Yuko tells about the story from her dad or what will Haruna’s reaction when Yuko asks her to join in her trip with her dad.

Beside… all this time, Sooyoung is the one who starts to tell her about Yuko, that’s why she takes another main character’s role. She can understand Haruna, the one who only follow the flow. She likes to observe the main character, like what Haruna did.

“Jess?” Tiffany wave her hand in front of Jessica’s face when she thinks her friend start daydreaming.

Jessica blinks her eyes before she looks back at Tiffany. She is trying her best not to catch daydreaming although she knows it’s a bit late.

“What do you think about my suggestion?” To end their awkwardness, Tiffany decides to ask again.

Jessica shrugs. “I can use the old pictures Sooyoung took that day. I don’t need to be Yuko. I observe all the characters, not becoming them since in this story I’m using third person point of view.”

Tiffany nods. “So when you think you will finish this first chapter? It will end with their visit to the park, right?”

Jessica shakes. “You’ll know when it done.”

“Playing secret, huh?” Tiffany teases.

“That’s author’s weapon. If the reader knows what they will write next, they won’t be curious and continue read their stories,” Jessica explains. “I don’t want my book ended to be a broken table leg brackets.”

“Alright, alright, I will patiently wait,” Tiffany gives up. “And Jess?”

“Hm?”

“Did Sooyoung ask you about your pen name?” Tiffany asks.

Jessica frowns. Hesitantly she shakes her head. “Wae?”

Tiffany grins and shakes her head. “Nothing. I’m just curious. Since she helps you with your new story, she might be curious about your pen name, right?”

“But she is not.”

“Or maybe she just forgets to ask.”

“Are you hiding something from me, Tiff?”

“Definitely not.”

“That kind of answer makes me suspecting you more, Tiffany Hwang Miyoung.”

“Never mention my Korean name, Jessica Jung Sooyeon.”

There is silent battle from their stares to each other, but Tiffany quickly breaks it. She can’t stand to see Jessica’s cold stare. It always reminds her the day when she sees her best friend start close her heart from anyone.

“Tiff?”

“Hm?”

“Did Sooyoung ever ask about my past?”

Tiffany shakes. Of course she lies. “Wae? You don’t want me to tell her?”

Jessica keeps quiet. She doesn’t know the point to keep it as secret although she also doesn’t want Sooyoung to know about it. Somehow she afraid Sooyoung will pity her or something likes that.

“Jess, as a friend, can I give you suggestion?”

“What?” In some reason, Jessica puts her guard on.

“Try to deal with your past. You know… past is past. And let time heal your heart,” Tiffany says. “And beside… the broken heart part isn't completely your real story, right?”

Jessica goes back in her silent mode.

“Don’t let your past screw your present. You live now, not yesterday or tomorrow. What matters is now,” Tiffany continues. “And honestly… one of the reasons why I introduce Sooyoung to you is… I want you to see someone who lives in present to catch her dream in the future. She never gives up although she knows how hard the step she takes.”

Tiffany slowly curves a smile on her face when Jessica only keeps staring at her.

“A lot of people out there is still struggling to keep alive today, that’s why Jess, don’t give up just because you screw your life in past,” Tiffany add. “Open your heart again, Jess. I miss Jessica that I used to know, the one who happily tells me about love story that she wrote.”

“Why you suddenly talk about my past and healing thing?” Jessica says with cold tone. “You remember what I ever told you?”

“About what?”

"I'm so sick of love and I don't want to talk about it. But when they asked me to write about love, I can't complaint because that's why they paid me. Yeah.. even I hate love but I'm an author who always talking about love in my stories. Except I don't need money anymore, I still writing about love, thing I HATE THE MOST."

Tiffany is stunning to hear it. Of course she still remembers that, but honestly she wishes Jessica who sit beside her is no longer the women who said that before.

“I still hate writing about love. I do this because you asked me to do,” Jessica continues. “So don’t bother to advise me about life. I know what I do with my life.”

Tiffany sighs heavily to see Jessica’s stubbornness. She thought that Jessica slowly change after she allowed a stranger entered her life but it seems like time really had to work hard to heal this woman. Sooyoung’s presence maybe still means nothing in Jessica’s eyes. At least that’s what Tiffany can see from how Jessica answers her question about that soon-to-be-chef.

“Alright, mianhe. You can ignore what I said if you don’t like it.”

Jessica only stares at Tiffany. Actually deep inside her heart, she feels guilty when Tiffany says sorry to her. She knows Tiffany do it because she cares about her, but in another side she also doesn’t like the feeling when Tiffany lecturing her about life. She knows what she done with her life, really.

“I’ll go now, I need to go back to my office. I have paperwork to do. Don’t forget about this weekend, okay?”

Jessica only nods her head. That’s the only thing she can do to her dearest friend who leaves her apartment with no spirit.

*

♫ Can I get some love my girl~ Can I give you all my love~ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

♫ Naneun mwodeun jul su itjyo~ geudaega wonhaneun modeungeol~ ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬

Yuri frowns to hear Dalmatian’s Really Really plays in her phone. But what makes wrinkles in Yuri’s forehead is the caller ID. She glances at Sooyoung who still busy in the kitchen, cooking for her customers.

“Yoboseyo?”

“Yuri-sshi! May I ask you a favor?”

“Er… what is it? Do you want to talk with Sooyoung?”

“Definitely not,” the caller answers. “But I want to do something that has relation with her. Would you help me?”

“May I know first what your plan is?”

Yuri only listens carefully to what the caller told her. She nods several times, but in the end she has one important question.

“Are you sure it will turn well?”

“I’ll take all the responsibility for that! I promise!”

That promise actually makes Yuri feels more hesitate, but seems like she has no choice because the caller starts pleading. With a heavy sigh, finally Yuri agrees with it.

“Thanks, Yul. That’s really a big help!! Really really thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Tiff. But can you stop shouting? Your voice is already loud enough before you shout, so please… before I turn deaf, lower your voice!”

“Mianhe, Yul… I just feel so excited for the weekend, hehe.”

With that, both of them is having a deal for their plan for this weekend. But at the same time, they need to cross her fingers that something bad won’t happen later.

*

“Yul… Why people close their hearts?” Sooyoung asks in the middle of her break time.

Yuri silently stares at Sooyoung. Again, she is astonished with Sooyoung’s change after she lives with her new boss. Before this, Yuri only knows Sooyoung who cares about food. She still remembers what Sooyoung said when they talk about love on the day Sooyoung decided to leave her house.

-Flashback Start-

On the day Sooyoung left her house, she only had one place in her mind which is Yuri’s restaurant. She knew where, that’s why without thinking she asked the taxi driver to take her there. Gladly Yuri opened her place and let Sooyoung came in to her restaurant. Yuri even served dinner for her that night.

“Soo, what will happen to you if you find love when you case your dream?” Yuri asked while accompany Sooyoung enjoying her dinner.

Sooyoung paused for awhile before she put down her spoon.

"I don't care about love, for me, food is everything. That's why I want to be a chef, so I can make my own food and let people pay me for that. I live for food, the beautifulest thing in this world."

“But… what if you find someone you care the most?” Yuri asked. “You can be accidentally in love even though you don’t want it, you now.”

Sooyoung looked at Yuri intensely.

“It won’t happen, trust me. I only care about food. The only problem I have is… how to make a great food that everyone can accept. That’s all.”

-Flashback End-

Although Yuri badly wants to about what Sooyoung said in the past, but she knows it won’t be a wise choice. This is the first time she sees her best friend in love and it’s great to know that. But she also knows very well, Sooyoung hasn’t realized that.

“Yul?” Sooyoung shakes Yuri’s shoulder and successfully takes her back to reality.

“Hm?”

“Answer my question. Why people close their hearts?” Sooyoung asks.

“Try to smile, Soo,” Instead answering Sooyoung’s question, Yuri gives an order.

Sooyoung frowns to hear it. But in no time, she manages to do that.

“It’s easy to fake a smile, right?” Yuri asks back. “Even though we’re not an artist, we can fake our smiles. Just for politeness or hide our hurt feelings. Sometimes it works when we don’t want to answer a question.”

Sooyoung nods.

“But… are there people who happily fake their smiles?” Yuri asks again.

Sooyoung is silent, thinking.

“In my opinion, people want to show their true smiles in front of other people, but some of them has a reason to fake it,” Yuri continues explain without waiting Sooyoung’s answer. “There is a quote that said: sometimes it's easier to smile than we should explain why we hurt.”

Sooyoung nods.

“And for those people who close their hearts, they must be have a reason too,” Yuri add. “Tiffany told you that people who heartless once care too much, right? Maybe that’s her reason.”

“For example, someone ever betray her trust?”

Yuri shrugs her shoulder. “Or she can’t trust people after what happened in her past. Like something that she has faith on it but ended with something else that she never expected.”

Sooyoung frowns. Somehow she can’t get what Yuri tries to explain.

“Hmmm… how to say it… like for example, since you were kid, you always listening fairytale story from your mom before you went to bed, but when you grow up, the reality takes you to something different?”

“Like there is betrayal, love triangle or unrequited love?” Sooyoung asks.

Yuri nods.

“Maybe because in fairytale everything seems smooth even though not as smooth as it seen,” Yuri continues.

“For example?” Sooyoung tries to remember all fairytale stories she ever read before.

“Sleeping beauty need to wait a thousand year to met her prince. Cinderella might cause something bad to her feet because she wore glass shoes to the party where she met her prince. Bella even married a beast before she knew that he is the prince.”

Sooyoung is amazed how Yuri re-storytelling her about the fairytale she ever heard before. Now she knows how un-smooth it can be in Yuri’s eyes.

“All mothers in this world maybe forget to tell their daughters about that kind of risk. Life isn’t life if there’s no risk on it. It can’t be always smooth. Roller coaster is the best to describe life because there is upside and down and you never know when it happens except you ride it.”

Sooyoung finally nods after long explanation that Yuri gave to her.

“I don’t know if those people who has cold heart is hurting so badly in the past until they can’t open their hearts again but… maybe they just can’t make a deal with their past,” Yuri utters. “If only they can accept that past is past and understand that we can’t do anything to change history, maybe they can feel better. Everything happens with a reason.”

“You’re optimistic girl, Yul, maybe that’s the reason you can’t understand them.”

Yuri shrugs her shoulder. “Times heals wound if you allow it happens. And people change every day, but that’s their choices to be better or worse.”

“Do you think I’m changing too?”

Yuri nods. “Remember you get diarrhea after you ate your unwell made cooking, yeah… you’re changed. But the best part where you change is here…”

Sooyoung freezes when Yuri points at her heart.

“We ever talked about this before, right?” Yuri says. “About everyone has past but it depends on them how they deal with it?”

Sooyoung nods.

“But do you ever think to help her to open her heart again?”

“But you told me if Ijust re-open her wound without heal it, she will be devastated,” Sooyoung replies. “I don’t want it happens.”

“But now I know how care you to that women, maybe you can help her slowly,” Yuri continues.

“I’m not sure, she’s really timid.”

“And with that you’ll just giving up?”

Sooyoung shakes her head even though she feels hesitate.

“Is Tiffany gives any hint about her past?”

“She told me to read one of her book. The title is Desperately In Love with You, but I don’t find a good timing to ask about her pen name.”

“Have you tried to find it in bookstore?” Yuri asks.

Sooyoung nods. “Out of stock.”

“Order it?”

“The seller not sure when it comes, but he promised that he’ll contact me if he finds the book.”

“Hmmm… Does she have a bookshelf in her apartment?” Yuri asks. “Maybe she keeps the first publish in her place.”

“How to ask for it?” Sooyoung wonders.

“You told me that you help her for her new novel, right?” Yuri asks. Sooyoung nods. “Just tell her that you want a reference so you can help her more. Just tell her that you want to see her writing style. Don’t directly ask that book, but all books she wrote.”

FLICK!

Sooyoung flicks her fingers. Somehow she wonders why she never thinks that idea before.

“Ah! Sensei~!!! You’re always the best!!!” Sooyoung shakes Yuri’s hands and jumping around happily.

Yuri only giggles to see that. Although she actually wants to wait to see the progress, but she also doesn’t want to see Sooyoung always frowns. Her innocent heart needs a help, that’s why Yuri chooses to step in.

“And Soo…”

“Yes, Sensei?”

“Have you practice for our performance this weekend?” Yuri asks.

“Yes, Sensei. I promise I won’t disappoint you!”

“That’s good to hear, but Soo…”

“Yes Sensei?” Sooyoung curiously asks.

“Can we add another song?” Yuri asks again, remembering her deal with Tiffany. “I want to practice with you after work. If you can, come back here after prepared dinner for your new master, how is it?”

“Ay, ay, Captain!!!” Sooyoung excitedly salutes.

Yuri only giggles to see her behavior. She feels glad that she can see the cheerful chef she used to know. And helping her chef with her love life is one of the ways to make that happens.

“Now, focus on your work. Just find me if you have another question, okay?”

“Roger that!”

Yuri only laughs and leaves Sooyoung alone in the kitchen.

“New order for 2 Korean-Style Ma- Marinated Skirt Steak with Grilled Sca- Scallions and Warm Tor- Tort- Tortillas!” Hyoyeon yells from the front desk.

“Tch, why this food has a long name!” she continues grumbling. “Kim Hyoyeon, short, nice and perfect. Why it can’t be like that?”

Sooyoung giggles to hear Hyoyeon’s comment. “Hehe let me handle it, Hyo.”

“Next time, give a short name for your food, okay?” Hyoyeon suggest.

Sooyoung only raise her thumb up and happily takes the paper from Hyoyeon’s hand. She finally find a way to get the answer, the only thing that she needs now to help her figure out about Jessica.

-THE END-

Nah~ you know the story is still has a long way, right?? ^_^