“Hi.”

There she is. Tiffany pressed her lips to one another when she regretted her decision to open the door without peeking who it was. Well, not her fault because the laundry boy said he would come in anytime soon. Tiffany thought it was him, turned out it wasn’t. Nobody’s fault, she just wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“I know what you’re up to, Sooyoung.”

The tall woman’s grin faded into a small smile, “So you wouldn’t talk to me?”

Tiffany gripped the doorknob tightly before she walked away from the door, back inside, without closing the door. Sooyoung hesitated, but she followed Tiffany and closed the door. Both of them kept silent for a while, with Tiffany refused to look at the other woman.

“You know what,” Sooyoung started in a casual tone, “we both have the exact same sentence running in our minds. Which is, ‘so you know Jessica too’, am I right?”

“Right.” Tiffany gave up and turned around to face Sooyoung, “So you know her too. Great. I didn’t expect it, not at all.”

Sooyoung tilted her head, still smiling despite the sarcasm tone and the smirk Tiffany was showing her, “I was right since the beginning, then.”

“What?”

“That I’ve heard your name somewhere.”

Tiffany kept silent. Her smirk faded, she crossed her arms and looked down to her feet, exhaling a heavy breath. Dear God, she really, completely wasn’t in the mood to talk. Especially about Jessica, or anything related to her. She doesn’t want to know anymore. She doesn’t need people around them suddenly gather to interrogate her about Jessica. They can ask her instead of Tiffany, anyway.

“So she told you about me, then.” Tiffany said again, lifted her head.

“No.” Sooyoung shook her head, “She never did.”

A frown, “Then how?”

“She mentions it often.”

Another scoff, “That means she did--”

“In her sleep. Almost every night.”

And again, Tiffany kept silent.

No, there’s no way. Jessica mentioning Tiffany’s name in her sleep is beyond impossible. Well, years had passed and they both don’t see each other like they used to anymore. There’s nothing between them, not even a decent friendship relationship, but nothing. It’s basically over. There’s no need for them to reunite again.

At least Tiffany thinks so.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Tiffany gritted her teeth.

“Oh, you don’t believe me?”

“Why should I believe in such a nonsense thing?”

“You and Jessica are nonsense?”

“We’re over, okay. We’re done.” Tiffany raised her hand and turned around again, getting tired of the topic, “And I know you know her too but there’s no need to bring it up again.”

“I need to talk to you about her, Tiffany.”

“And why is that?”

“Because she is Jessica.” Sooyoung said in a colder tone, “That reason is enough for me.”

Annoyed, Tiffany looked back once more and asked in a louder voice,

“Who is she to you?!”

Sooyoung’s smile was already gone at that moment. They both stared at each other, both eyes filled with anger and impatience. Sooyoung’s were softer, though. She was patient enough in handling Tiffany, who has a higher temper compared to her. And unlike Sunny, Sooyoung is a straight-forward. She goes straight into the point, doesn’t waste any time in talking nonsense, unimportant things.

“Tiffany, she might be no one for you now but just so you know, Jessica is the one I spend almost my whole life with.”

-

Tiffany didn’t know why she could end up sitting in an unknown café with Sooyoung across her. She was annoyed, yes. But she couldn’t help but feel curious of Sooyoung’s relationship with Jessica. And seeing Sooyoung’s determination to make her talk had ensured her that this woman isn’t a stranger in this case. She’s not just Sunny’s girlfriend.

“Is there anything you want to ask about her first?” Sooyoung asked after sipping her coffee, “You know, years apart, things changed, probably you’re curious of something.”

No. Tiffany mentally told herself not to care. And she can’t show her weakness in front of Sooyoung, for sure.

“I don’t want to know anything. Not even my business.”

Sooyoung was left in silence for a moment. Probably feeling a little bit offended by what Tiffany just said. And yet Tiffany didn’t feel guilty or whatsoever. She says what she wants to say. And Jessica, Tiffany doesn’t need to think about her feelings anymore. Let her be hurt, Tiffany is okay with it.

“I see you really hate her.”

To be honest Tiffany doesn’t. But whatever, she doesn’t feel like denying it either.

“Let me hear it from your point of view, then.”

“Hear what?”

“You and Jessica, of course. What else?”

“You want me to recall my past with her? To you?” Tiffany raised her eyebrows.

“Tiffany.” Sooyoung said again in a cold tone, “I don’t want to judge based on just my point of view, because I don’t know how you see this situation, how you see Jessica. Or do you prefer me judging you instead? I’m on Jessica’s side, Tiffany. You surely wouldn’t want to hear that.”

Tiffany shifted uncomfortably on her seat. Well, okay, Sooyoung was clearly offended.

But she kept her fake expression on, “Fine. What do you want to know?”

Sooyoung smiled again, sweetly this time, “Why do you hate her so much? What did she do to you in the past that makes you avoid her? I want to hear it from you. You can say anything you want, I won’t judge.”

Tiffany sighed, hesitated. She looked to the window, avoiding Sooyoung’s demanding eyes. Her arms crossed, her shoulder tensed, her teeth biting her lower lip. Should she tell, or should she not?

“If you know her that well, shouldn’t you already know?”

“Well…” Sooyoung let out a throaty chuckle, “you should’ve known the reason why I’m here, literally begging you to tell me, because I’ve given up at how stubborn Jessica is. I don’t know how I’d open her up anymore.”

Tiffany stared at Sooyoung in disbelief, letting out a soft whimper, “How important is she to you?”

And again, another smile, “Very. I promise I’ll tell you later.”

“But she’s happy now. You shouldn’t be worrying too much.”

Sooyoung frowned, “What?”

“She is happy now, she has a better life. You know that. She’s probably just feeling guilty of me, or even worse, she pities me.”

“How do you know that? You haven’t met her for years.”

“Well, I don’t need to.” Tiffany shrugged, “I don’t want to. I don’t have to. We have different paths now. It’s a waste of time for me to recall it back. She’s happy, I am too, there’s nothing to worry about. Okay? So stop this.”

Sooyoung raised her voice, “I just want to know why you hate her so much, Tiffany. Is that too much for me to ask?”

“It is when it’s not even your business!”

When Sooyoung didn’t argue back, Tiffany quickly grabbed her purse and stood up, silently relieved because Sooyoung didn’t stop her. She might be very much angry at Tiffany and the latter didn’t even care. But when she was about to leave, she looked back at Sooyoung and said as calm as she could,

“The only reason why I hate her so much is because she let me go so easily when I thought she wouldn’t, just for a person who suddenly re-appeared in her life, ruined it, and kicked me away in such a short period of time. There you know.”

-

When Tiffany was on her way home, she couldn’t help but feel a little, just a little bit though, guilty to Sooyoung. Well, Tiffany was completely annoyed earlier, and Sooyoung insisting her to tell the story didn’t help either. And Sooyoung seemed really care to Jessica. Probably they’re best buddies, just like her and Sunny?

Oh great, should she apologize?

She stopped walking on the pavement and took a seat on an empty bench. The guilt inside her kept on growing. Right, she should apologize for her rude act earlier. She just knew Sooyoung for nearly a week and she already shouted multiple times at her.

With a sigh, she took out her phone and dialled Sunny.

“Hey! How’s the meeting going?”

Tiffany was about to say something before she shut immediately. Oh, so Sunny knows about the meeting.

Well, of course she knows. What doesn’t Sunny know, anyway?

“Fany?”

“Bad.”

“Oh?” Sunny sounded surprised, “Was it?”

A sigh, “Look, it was my fault. I made things worse. Sooyoung was probably offended-- no, she surely was. I uh… I’m really sorry.”

“Why are you saying sorry to me instead of her?”

“Because I… I don’t know.”

“What did she say to you?”

 “A lot.” Tiffany bit her lip, “You know I’m sensitive when it comes to her so--”

“I know, I understand. I’ll talk to Sooyoung. And don’t worry, despite the whacky personality she shows you, she’s actually a really understanding person.”

Tiffany smiled a little, “I see. That’s good to know. Tell her I’m sorry.”

“I will. But hey, would you talk to her again after this?”

“Well… I’ll… try.”

“Great! Now let me talk to Sooyoung first, alright?”

“Yeah, sure. Talk to you later.”

“Bye, Fany!”

“Bye.”

After she hung up, Tiffany felt relieved a little. She promised herself to try to talk nicely to Sooyoung after this. Sooyoung meant good, Tiffany knows. It’s just everything about Jessica annoys her to death. Like, how could a nice trip to Korea for her best pal’s birthday turned out to be reuniting with her number two weakness?

Tiffany then stood up from the bench, before she accidentally bumped into someone.

It was a little girl whose head only reached Tiffany’s stomach. Both of them gasped and before Tiffany could say sorry, she saw a vanilla ice cream on the ground, melted. Tiffany had open. This can’t be good.

“Oh my God, I’m sorry.” Tiffany held the little girl’s shoulder, “I’m really sorry I didn’t mean to--”

“My ice cream…” The girl suddenly sobbed loudly, tears rolling down her cheek as she stared at her ice cream, “my ice cream…”

Tiffany quickly kneeled in front of the girl and bit her lip, didn’t know exactly what to do. Well, she was just standing up and about to walk, so it wasn’t completely her fault either. But seeing the little girl crying made her feel bad.

“Hey, I’m sorry, it’s my fault.” Tiffany tried to comfort the little girl, but it didn’t work.

“Unnie… Unnie said she won’t buy me anymore after this… my ice cream….”

“Okay then, I’ll buy you--”

“Jisoon-ah?”

Both of them jerked their heads to behind the girl after they heard that voice, and Tiffany couldn’t believe her eyes.

“Sica Unnie!”

There was Jessica, standing in front of Tiffany who was still kneeling, and stared back with the exact same expression. The girl ran to Jessica and hugged her, burying her face on Jessica’s stomach, making Jessica stopped staring at Tiffany and hugged the girl back with a frown. Tiffany stunned at the sight.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“M-my ice… cream…”

Jessica then looked at the melted ice cream on the ground and chuckled, “It fell down.”

But the girl’s crying grew louder hearing Jessica’s laugh.

“Hey, hey.” Jessica tapped the tiny shoulder, “It was an accident. It’s okay. Don’t cry, Jisoon-ah.”

Jessica then lifted the girl into her arms and rubbed her back, soothing her. Tiffany slowly stood up, eyes still on Jessica. Okay, what happened? Tiffany was talking to Sunny on the phone, before she bumped into a little girl, made her ice cream fall onto the ground, and now suddenly Jessica is here?

What in the world?

“No, it’s not your fault. Don’t cry.”

Slowly the girl stopped crying and Jessica kept the position still, holding the girl with right arm as the other one rubbing her back. Her eyes suddenly met Tiffany’s and she smiled. But Tiffany couldn’t smile back. She was still stunned seeing Jessica comforting a kid, didn’t know exactly why.

“Let’s buy ice cream again, then. Okay?”

The girl gasped, “Really? Unnie will buy it for me again?”

“Sure.” Jessica nodded, “But don’t cry, I’m not going to buy it if you cry.”

With both her hands the girl wiped her face in an adorable way, “I’m not crying!”

Jessica chuckled, “Now, that’s better.” She then looked at Tiffany, “Hey, want an ice cream?”

Tiffany clenched her fists.

Now this can’t be good.

****

A little bit too early, but happy birthday to my everlasting love aka Choi Sooyoung!! Love u muchy muchyy <3