For the rest of their time at the resort, Jessica and Yuri behaved like newlyweds on their honeymoon. This, of course, was no surprise to Amber or Krystal since they knew that the couple were very much in love and had witnessed the unfolding of their love story.

Jessica really enjoyed spending time with Yuri. She was in love, and for the first time she was able to relax and not worry about hiding her relationship. At the resort she wasn’t a public figure…no one recognized her. She was able to freely express her love to her girlfriend without fans or the media scrutinizing her. Jessica knew that this bliss would be short-lived and that when they returned to Korea it would be more challenging because of her very public life and idol image.

While SM was aware of the same- idol pairings within the company and although idols (gay or straight) were generally not allowed to openly date, some allowances were made. Lee Soo Man was less stringent with SM's dating rules after he found out his niece Sunny was dating Hyomin. However, the gay couples were required to be even more discreet because of the greater risk of damaging their image and potentially their careers since homouality was frowned upon in Korea.

Jessica had been under a lot of pressure to keep her relationship private and she knew it would be even more difficult now for her to be out in the public with Yuri when they returned to Korea. After taking their relationship to an intimate level, Jessica became clingier and constantly doted on the tomboy…just like how any girl in love would be.

It was a little easier for Amber and Krystal, and for Taeyeon and Tiffany, since each of the couples was in the same group, lived together, and had similar schedules. Plus, being in the same group they were expected to be close and skinship between fan-paired idols was encouraged since it was a big source of fan service. For Jessica, dating someone outside of SM or the entertainment industry in general, would be more challenging. She needed to be even more discrete than her counterparts. Also, it was one thing for her to be dating, but another if it were discovered that she was dating a woman.

When they returned from Thailand, Yuri and Jessica were inseparable. They spent every waking moment together as Jessica’s schedule allowed. It was actually easy for her to spend her nights with Yuri since they lived in the same dorm.

Her band members were aware of her relationship, as well as her parents and closest friends…even Mr. Lee. Jessica was one of his favorites so he let things slide, but there were still rules to follow, especially when out in public. Public outings always had to be in a group and while Jessica and Yuri stuck close to one another, they were always mindful about getting too close or acting like a couple.

It had been 2 weeks since the Thailand trip and things were going great for Yuri and Jessica. Yuri even requested to stay an extra month in Korea, which thankfully, her hospital’s department chief approved. As the weekend approached, everyone was excited for ‘Idol Day’ at Lotte World. SM and other entertainment agencies collaborated and rented out Lotte World for one day. All of the trainees, idols and staff from the different companies were invited to attend. It was a day when the idols could run amok in the park without worrying about being mobbed by fans.

Yuri had caught a cold a couple of days before the event and Jessica insisted that she wear a mask to the Lotte event to keep from getting others sick. It was so much fun for the couple to be at the park with Krystal, Amber, Tiffany and Taeyeon. It was just like a triple date except that Jessica couldn’t be openly affectionate with Yuri which made her a little sad. She watched how Krystal clung to Amber, how Tiffany playfully fed Taeyeon ice cream, and couldn’t help but feel jealous.

As the group walked through the park, they came across the carnival game booths. Amber, Taeyeon and Yuri each took turns trying to win a stuffed toy for their girlfriends at the ring toss game. Amber and Taeyeon came close, but missed. Yuri stepped up and tossed her last red ring at the rows of empty soda bottles. The ring bounced off two bottles, flipped, caught the edge of one bottle top and slipped around the neck. Jessica couldn’t contain her excitement. “Yay! I want the pink unicorn, baby!” she shouted while she hugged Yuri. After a night of rides, games and junk food, everyone went home with exhausted smiles on their faces.

The next day, Lee Soo Man called Jessica into his office. When she sat down in front of his desk, he tossed a copy of a local tabloid in front of her. “Have you seen this, Soo Yeon? This is only one of the stories. It’s everywhere…all over the internet and gossip magazines.”

Jessica picked up the paper and read the headline. ‘Secret Date at Lotte World: Jessica Jung and Mystery Guy!’ Below the headline was a picture of Jessica and Yuri in a romantic embrace.

Unfortunately for Jessica, one of the Lotte employees at the ring toss booth snapped a photo of the couple hugging with his cell phone with the intent to make a few dollars selling the photo to the tabloids. After a quick investigation, the employee who took the photo was identified and fired. Fortunately, Yuri was wearing the surgical mask so her face wasn’t visible and her tomboyish attire masked any hint that she was a girl.

Mr. Lee was upset at the situation and gently scolded Jessica. “You have to more careful, Soo Yeon. You’re risking a lot if you get caught. Please be more discreet. We’ll just deny the rumor for now, but you have to be more aware of your behavior with Yuri in public.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Lee. It’s my fault. I’ll talk to Yuri and we’ll be more careful, I promise.”

Since that incident, Jessica became paranoid about Yuri being too close to her whenever they went out. She always made sure that someone walked and even sat between them in public. She was also afraid that Yuri’s tomboy appearance would raise greater suspicion and pushed her to wear more feminine clothing which, of course, Yuri refused to do.

After the Lotte World incident, the couple decided to lay low in the dorm until the heat from the press died down. As stressful as it was, they were both willing to put up with it because they were deeply in love. One topic that they avoided, however, was the fact that Yuri would be leaving back to L.A. in less than 2 months. They both knew that the distance would only add additional stress to their relationship, something that Jessica was particularly mindful of.

As the month progressed, the stress of it all began to wear on Jessica. She never told Yuri, Krystal or even her best friend Tiffany that she was having a hard time dealing with the pressure from the company and the restrictions placed her romantic life. She also felt that she wasn't being fair to Yuri.

Yuri had never asked Jessica to prove her love with public displays of affection. In fact, she always respected Jessica’s need for privacy and never complained about the constraints placed on their relationship because of her career. Despite this, Jessica still believed that a part of Yuri was unhappy with the situation. She knew it wasn’t fair that Yuri put up with everything just for her. To add fuel to the fire, Jessica was also fearful that she and Yuri would grow apart when the tomboy returned to the states and that she would eventually leave her for another girl.

Jessica kept everything to herself and people close to her began to notice a change. She spent every single free hour and second she had with Yuri, but often seemed sad and less energetic.

“Are you feeling okay, babe?” Yuri asked her one night.

“I’m fine, yeobo. I think I’m coming down with something, that’s all.”

“Are you sure? I’m worried about you, Jessi,” Yuri said as she caressed her girlfriend’s face. “We haven’t gone out with the girls for the past couple of weeks and you seem more out of it than usual. Is there something you want to talk about? I’m here if you need to talk. Or do you want me to call Krystal or Tiffany?”

Jessica hugged Yuri. “I’m okay, baby. Really…it’s nothing. Don’t worry, okay? Let’s go to bed.”

After Yuri fell asleep, Jessica lay in bed next to her and stared at the ceiling. She felt torn and confused inside. The love she felt for Yuri was greater and more intense than she had ever felt with anyone. As much as she wanted to be spend the rest of her life with Yuri, Jessica felt she was holding the tomboy back…that Yuri deserved to be with someone who could love her openly and without restrictions.

No one realized that Jessica’s heart was breaking. As much as it hurt her to do it, she made the decision to end the relationship. She didn’t want to let Yuri go, but she knew she had to do it…she just didn’t know how or when.