This Love
This Love
Their way down was beautiful. There is no doubt about that. It is what Jessica has wished for. Here, she sits in a café in America. She is back home, back in her beach house which her parents left her. They are in Korea, they are looking after her younger sister, Krystal Jung. Krystal is climbing to that peak Jessica and her members had been once. That peak now to Jessica is just a piece of memory she wants to relive yet not at the same time. That peak is when she gets almost an hour sleep every other day, trying hard to catch up with sleep in cars, in waiting rooms and anywhere possible. That peak is when she sees her members each day, tired, happy, exhausted, lethargic, excited, the list can go on and on. After that peak, there was a much needed break. Jessica used that break well, stayed home everyday, showered only once per day, used her laptop in bed, ate in bed, watched movies and again, the list can go on and on. Most would assume their popularity would die down a little. After the break, the most were proven wrong. New single, new album, more concerts which now spread across the globe. Tiring, yes, but it was all worth it because after each concert, there’s that week break the members get to tour the country they currently reside in.
Here, Jessica sits, her habits are still there. She zones out and daydreams, still sleeps for more than 8 hours. Uses the laptop in bed and still watched movies she has yet to watched. She has finally got out of the beach house, told herself she needed some air before her eyesight worsen from staring too long at her screen. Here, she sits with a cup of coffee, sweetened to her liking and no one to shield her face away from. After all the fame and popularity, Jessica gets to relax, watch the clouds go by and not rush for a schedule anymore.
**
The last time Jessica has seen her members cry was when their last concert ended. They held hands tightly, bowed gratefully for a minute longer than the last concert. To them, with each concert done and over with, it meant a step nearer to the end of their fame. Jessica hugs every one of them. The tallest still remained the tallest, the shortest still remained the shortest and Jessica’s height still remains the same for the eight of them. Their tears run down their faces when they see each other at the airport. Jessica was so happy to see them. She remembered days when she had to dress well in airports, but here she is in a tank top and sweatpants, greeting her members who exited the arrival hall messily. Their group hugs are messy and people stared, never seen a group of friends as huge as that. Everything did not matter anymore now. Back then, they had to watch their behavior and their words but now, they spoke messily. SooYoung accidentally curses in Korean and TaeYeon laughed so loud, people stared again. They squeezed into two different cars. Jessica apologizes for the squeeze but the other members don’t mind. Jessica has her high school friend to help her drive the others. He is a tall man, taller than everyone there and has an awkward grin because he’s not used to the Korean conversation shared behind him but he drove them to Jessica’s house anyway.
When he dropped the girls off and received accented Thank You’s, he smiled and waved them off. He thought about how Jessica was lucky to have friends like them. Friends who stayed by her side for more than a decade. That is something really special.
**
The girls tumbled into their respective bedrooms. Jessica thought about how it’s been a long time since she has last done anything in a rush. She had ran to one room to the other, making sure her ex-members are comfortable in their bed, that they had a duvet and towels. Some of them slept in the living room where Jessica had moved out the tea table so that there was enough space for two mattresses. When everything was settled, Jessica heaved a huge sigh of relief. The members slowly start to gather around in the living room after having changed out of their clothes and into comfortable ones. They start talking and the waterworks happened.
**
There was a knock on the door and Tiffany got up, offering to answer it. Jessica waved her off, lazy and already having her legs spread across YuRi’s lap. They had ordered pizzas for dinner. Jessica had wanted to bring them out but the members are still jetlagged. Because Jessica was so into the story Sunny was telling, she failed to realize that Tiffany had taken a couple of bucks out of her own wallet to pay for the pizzas. Tiffany decides to keep quiet about it because Jessica is like her sister and paying for something is as much as sharing between family members. Like any other time they had spent in the dorm, they were rowdy during dinner. Played mindless games and talked about mindless things. At the end of the day, they all retreated to their bedroom and Jessica is left to talk to YuRi.
**
Secrets like how YuRi slept with her tongue out is nothing to worry about. There were many other secrets the girls kept. Like how YuRi had many female flings in the past and how Jessica did dated TaeYeon before but broke up because the managers wills it so. However, as Jessica looked at TaeYeon tonight and noticed how happy she was, Jessica realized there was not much of that love she used to feel for her leader. Rather, it was a sisterly love Jessica had for TaeYeon. But as YuRi gazed at her under the dim light of her lamp, Jessica felt that familiar pound in her heart. That feeling she get once when she fell in love with TaeYeon. Jessica smiled at YuRi, bid her goodnight and turned the other side. She is unable to find the strength to continue their little staring contest. Jessica had never thought of it, of why YuRi had requested shyly to sleep with her. Now, she knows and she was not sure how to react to that.
**
Day three of the vacation and Jessica finds herself clinging onto YuRi more often than usual. The taller girl never said anything and allowed her so without a word. They share small talks when it’s just the two of them but it was never uncomfortable. It was nice, Jessica liked this and she wants it to stay that way. She sits next to YuRi today, stole some food from her plate and YuRi only gave her a look and said no more. They chatted and laughed, YoonA dropped bits of food on her pants because she was laughing and they all laughed harder. Jessica was so sure they were going to get kicked out soon but by the end of their lunch, she was only given the stink-eye by one of the waitresses there. Jessica did not care. Her members are like that and she is never ashamed.
“Your friend,” YuRi starts when Jessica’s high school male friend drove them to an amusement park and left, “Do you like him?” She had asked that with a grin.
But more than a decade has Jessica spent her life with YuRi. She knows what was behind that grin.
“No, he’s just a friend.” Jessica answers and laughs when she sees an obvious sigh of relief from YuRi.
For the rest of the day, they enjoyed themselves. Took countless of photos in which there were many shots of YuRi and Jessica stuck together like glue. The members noticed and SeoHyun comments;
“You two are always together!”
Jessica was sure her face were red but she hid it away behind YuRi’s sleeve.
**
“Why did you not tell me?” Jessica asks one day, it was the fifth day.
“Hm?” YuRi faces her, confusion written all over her face.
It was very clear now where their relationship lays. It should have been obvious from the start at how YuRi is always sleeping with Jessica and how they were always next to each other every single day. The living room is starting to become a mess. Jessica should have scolded but that was how Sunny and TaeYeon are. They are not organized and leave things within reach. They were girls but behind the scenes, they are like boys. They hated the glamour and had always gone for the simplest of things. Jessica won’t complain but it is quite a distasteful sight, nevertheless, to walk out of her bedroom and see the two members sprawled out on their mattresses with their stuff all over the floor. It is morning, and Jessica is greeted with the exact same sight as she stepped out of her room. YuRi trailed behind her, scratching her bum lazily and going ahead when Jessica walked too slow. Jessica sat at the dining table and watched, really just watching as YuRi went around the kitchen like it was her own place. When she sat down, she had already prepared a bowl of cereal for herself and Jessica but not for the others.
“We lived with each other for more than a decade, when did you know?” Jessica decides to change the question.
“Knew it since I saw you and TaeYeon going for your first date.”
“That was…” Jessica calculated in her head and her eyes widened in surprise. “That is quite a while.”
YuRi shrugged.
“But why?” Jessica was curious.
“It happens. And it’s not like I can stop you then, you were so happy and in love.”
“I was.” Jessica agrees.
YuRi continues to eat and the others starts to join them. TaeYeon being the last and getting nothing but a cup of milk for she was still too full from last night’s meal.
**
When Jessica looked at YuRi now. It was not just plain staring anymore. It was a vision she sees with YuRi. She sees herself spending the rest of her life with YuRi in her beach house. The others has gone down to the sea, YuRi included. Jessica remains on shore, however, and she shares the comfortable silence with TaeYeon. YuRi had glanced her way many times and Jessica would flash her a small smile.
“I’m so happy.” TaeYeon stated and Jessica cuts her thoughts off to look at TaeYeon curiously.
Sensing her stare, TaeYeon continues.
“I’m so happy that we are all still here together, going back and forth between Korea and America to have vacations with each other. It’s wonderful. I’m so glad I met you all.”
“I’m glad too.” Jessica agrees.
She could not gauge TaeYeon’s expression for the older girl has her snapback over her face to cover herself from the sunlight. Jessica thought about how pale TaeYeon was and how she can never imagine TaeYeon tanned. Jessica returns her gaze to her playful friends in the sea. YuRi was splashing in the water, trying to evade YoonA’s water gun attack. It was funny and endearing.
“YuRi was really excited to see you again. She could not stop talking about how she is going to finally spend some time with you.” TaeYeon was now looking at her, snapback fallen over her nose, revealing her shiny eyes. “Come to Korea again, SooYeon-ah. YuRi would love to show you the studio she and I have been working on.”
Jessica’s eyes widened in surprise.
“You’re singing again?”
“Teaching is not my thing. I can’t fit in any other kinds of job so I took YuRi in to be my music producer.”
Jessica smiled and laughed lightly.
“I will come to Korea but don’t tell YuRi yet.”
“I won’t.” TaeYeon promised with a wink and adjusted the snapback over her face again.
**
On the last day of their vacation, Jessica was taken by surprise when YuRi kissed her against the wall of her bedroom. They had just returned from dinner and YuRi had been awfully quiet to the point where Jessica was starting to worry. She had meant to ask YuRi about it but her plan changed when YuRi’s tongue seek their way between her parted lips. They kissed and kissed, only stopping to catch their breath. Even then, they did quick work of removing each other’s clothes. YuRi carried her to bed, hovered over and matched their lips together again. Jessica gasps and whimpered, moans in pleasure when YuRi’s finger passes over her . Cried out her name when YuRi brought her to an . It was such a passionate night that Jessica forgotten what she had even wanted to ask YuRi in the first place. In the middle of the night, Jessica was awoken by soft lips on her ear. She kept silent, not wanting YuRi to know that she is awake.
“I want to remember you when I get back.” YuRi had whispered into her ear and wrapped her arms tighter around Jessica’s waist.
Jessica only smiled, for the next day, she’s going to pull out her packed luggage and surprise YuRi.
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