The final Chapter, here it is.

I don’t want to end this but we need to. TT TT

AND Sorry for making you all wait for so long. keke

 

Oops.

 

I have nothing to say for now.

So, start scrolling and read it now. Haha!

 

Badump!

 

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Stand Up and Run

 

 

"What? I don't even— Who are you?" Sooyoung spoke quickly into the phone, frantically running from one end of the house to another.

 

It was the morning of her wedding and Jessica was nowhere to be found. Apparently the tradition of not seeing the bride before the wedding still counted in their arrangement. But here she was attempting to handle everything to such an extent that she hadn't even gotten dressed yet. Luckily, the ceremony was to take place at a plateau on the same mountainside their land was plotted on. She wouldn't have to go far at least, but this was getting to be too much.

 

"Need some help?" the familiar voice was accompanied by a light knocking on the frame of the open door.

 

"Hyo!" Sooyoung shouted, pressing the phone to her chest to muffle it and running over to her friend.

 

"I have no idea what I'm doing. I thought I just had to show up and now people are asking me for what I want! I have no idea!"

 

"Okay, calm down, let me handle this." the blonde took the phone and ended it with a few short words.

 

"How did you do that?"

 

"Hehe, that wasn't me. Wrong number."

 

"Oh." the girl shoved a palm to her face, "I seriously just want this day to be over."

 

Hyoyeon gave a lopsided smile, mostly sure that the comment had come from stress and not much else. She pulled her friend into a hug.

 

"I need Jessica… or at least I need these people asking her opinion. They're all treating me like—"

 

"Like you're an equal part of this wedding?"

 

Sooyoung pulled back, staring at the girl's eyes incredulously.

 

"I guess… I just always felt that this was Jessica’s wedding, and I was just a part of it…"

 

She sat down on the piano bench, staring at the floor while her friend gently patted her back.

 

"I'm really lost without her, Hyo. This whole thing is so much and… I want her to love it."

 

"So go find her!"

 

"Huh?" Sooyoung glanced toward the smirk.

 

"Come on, do you really think she would care in the slightest about tradition if it was making you this stressed? Go get her! I'll handle anyone who tries to get to you."

 

"Heh, you're right. She'd do anything for me… no matter who – or what – was in the way. She's always bent over backwards to make sure I was happy."

 

"And today's no different! Go see her, Soo!"

 

With a quick nod and a smile, the girl darted up the stairs and down the hall to their bedroom. But it was so quiet. Maybe it was just because everything felt so hectic down there, and all Jessica was doing was putting on a dress.

 

I bet she looks amazing…

 

Sooyoung blushed and covered her eyes.

 

At least I can keep the tradition of not seeing her, even if I'm talking to her.

 

She gave a few casual knocks on the door and called out the girl's name. Oddly enough, there was no reply.

 

"Sica? You're taking this a bit too seriously." she laughed to herself, in part to ease her growing concerns.

 

"Hey… Sica? Umm… I'm coming in, okay?"

 

While her vision was shielded for a few seconds, it was apparent that there was no one in here. Sooyoung quickly scanned the room for her fiancée but all that caught her eye was the gentle breeze blowing through their bedroom window.

 

"Why would she leave the—" her voice stopped, frozen as her eyes followed the drifting curtains down to the desk.

 

The open window, the breeze, it was all to direct the girl's attention to the papers left behind. Sooyoung's delicate fingers trembled as they lingered over the torn edges. Her jaw was tight, as was her other fist.

 

"… Damn it." she cursed aloud, glaring furiously at the ripped marriage contract.

 

Her stare then fell on a scribbled note attached to the rest of the documents. This one was small and handwritten, words that would sting the girl's heart beyond all imagination.

 

"You deserve to have a choice."

 

Teeth grit together and eyes shut tight, forcing back the tears and leaving the note to be crumpled in her fist.

 

"Jessica… you idiot…"

 

Sooyoung stared down at the papers in her hand, fist clenching around the torn edges. Her teeth grit together as she stood there, alone, reading the words of and over.

 

You… You…

 

"Why!"

 

Her life flashed before her eyes, she saw everything from memories of her mother, to fighting, to music, to Jessica. That was her life. The girl sank down into the wooden desk chair, her eyes burning a hole in the words that simply would not disappear. Sweat bled into the ink, and shivers were fumbling around her entire body. Her heart was trying to break her.

 

No…

 

Her mind wouldn't – couldn't – stand for it.

 

After all we've been through, after everything… I'm not letting it end like this!

 

A fierce inhale pierced Sooyoung's lungs as she stood, her gaze finally prying from the note down to the view of the city beyond the bedroom window. The breeze continued to play with her hair, oblivious to the tension in her muscles. Anger breached the surface of the girl's thoughts, if only briefly.

 

"How could you do this? Why did you…?" she glanced down one last time, scanning the entirety of the abandoned contract.

 

"I deserve a choice…" she mused aloud, reading over the original marriage contract one last time before a smirk rose above her grimace.

 

"Damn right I do!"

 

Just at that very moment, Hyoyeon appeared in the doorway. The curious blonde was worried about what was taking so long, after all, there was a wedding being prepared. The backdrop was just too ironic for Sooyoung, who raised a palm to her face, ruffling some hair, as her friend entered cautiously.

 

"She's gone."

 

"What?" Hyoyeon stopped in her tracks.

 

"Of all the times for her to freak out, it's now! This is the day she's been—"

 

SLAP!

 

A forceful impact, aimed for Sooyoung's face, Hyoyeon’s slap have connected quite painfully.

 

"What's that for?!"

 

"Because you keep saying stuff like that!! And now that Jessica is gone, you should know!!"

 

"Should know what?"

 

Hyoyeon stared deep into her friend's eyes, if the girl could ever look menacing, now was the closest she would be. She had taken care of Sooyoung for years, befriended her in her darkest time and would always remain loyal. And as a loyal friend, it would occasionally come down to telling the harsh truth.

 

"You still act like this is one-sided!!" without hesitation, Hyoyeon grabbed the handwritten note and read it to herself.

 

"What do you mean? We've been together for months now, she knows I love her!"

 

"But she doesn't know you want to marry her!!" Hyoyeon shoved the note back to her friend.

 

"How often have you said things like 'this is her day' or 'this is what she's been waiting for'?!"

 

Sooyoung stood there, stunned silent as her friend spoke nothing more than the simple truth.

 

"You've played the role of a fiancée by helping out with what was left of the plans, but the last she heard on the subject was that you would do anything to be the perfect wife no matter what. She loves you too much to force that responsibility on you!!"

 

"But… it's not…" Sooyoung whispered.

 

"It's not what?"

 

"It's not a responsibility…" the girl's limbs had since fallen to her side, lax once more, "It is, but… not one that I don't want."

 

Sooyoung slid her feet across the carpet and sat down on the soft mattress. Her eyes had turned soft, staring at her reflection the wardrobe mirror. She paid no mind to the sight of Hyoyeon calmly sitting next to her, her thoughts on only one thing.

 

"I'm sorry, but you had to hear that."

 

"I did…" Sooyoung head fell limp between her shoulders, "You know, I've never called it 'our day' or 'our wedding'? Always 'her's' or 'the'… I'm such an idiot!! Of course that's what she thinks."

 

"Jessica’s come to learn what a loyal person you are. And we all appreciate that, really, we do. But there's a downside to that loyalty of yours."

 

"Which is?"

 

"It's hard to tell when you're sincere…" Hyoyeon offered a smile, "You'll always do what you think is right. You act on logic, not emotion. You have more honor than anyone I know. I don't think there's a single person coming to this wedding who doesn't think you'll be an amazing wife; but only a few of them care about why."

 

"I have to find her!!" Sooyoung exclaimed, in slight disbelief for a moment – as if it had only just occurred to her that she would actually have to go out and get her bride-to-be.

 

"Huh?" Hyoyeon angled her head accordingly, "That's another thing entirely! She could be anywhere by now!"

 

"Well I have to try!" Sooyoung was already dashing towards the door, her friend following suit.

 

"Look, Hyo, try to stall everyone for a while. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

 

Just as Sooyoung reached the stairs at the end of the hall, a thought sparked in her head. Mid-explanation, she rushed back into the bedroom, if only for a second before running back out and holding up the torn papers for Hyoyeon to see.

 

"I'm going to need these." she grinned; hurrying down the steps and grabbing her leather jacket and helmet from the hooks by the front door.

 

"Wait! Where are you even going? What do you want me to tell people?!" Hyoyeon shouted at her friend, who had already made it off the porch and under the tent where she kept her bike.

 

"Just think of something!" the engine roared, "You're the smart one, Hyo! Come up with anything!"

 

"But I don't even know—" her sentence was cut off by some quiet choking on the dust left in the girl's wake, "—These people…"

 

Hyoyeon sighed at the sight of brown-hair flowing in the wind, disappearing quickly into the trees and down the pathway. Her exasperation, while a legitimate concern, was still overpowered by her smile. Sooyoung was always one that needed to be pushed into action, at least whenever emotions were concerned. She looked to the sky. The sun loomed over her, apparent that the mid-afternoon ceremony that was planned would not be happening on time.

 

Sunset! If I can get them to push it until then, that will buy some time without questions!

 

The girl grumbled.

 

Assuming all these stuffy old business people listen to me.

 

------- --------

 

Where… Where…?

 

Sooyoung’s brow tensed as her eyes panned the road ahead. No matter where she looked, everyone seemed to remind her of Jessica. She wanted nothing more than to see her, to find her; the girl was blinded by her determination. The bike skid around another corner as Sooyoung followed—

 

I don't even know where I'm going! How am I going to find her?

 

Sooyoung continued down the street, weaving seamlessly through the traffic. There was no path, no directions to where she was going; she was steering on intuition alone to find the one she sought. The red light up ahead forced her to slow to a stop, allowing a moment to refocus and catch her breath.

 

Where would she go? She's upset… about us…

 

The girl gripped tight to the handlebars and scowled to herself, heart pounding inside her chest.

 

I know where.

 

Much to the displeasure of the other drivers around her, Sooyoung made a sudden U-turn and raced back the way she had come. There was only one place she could imagine Jessica being right now: one place that stood out above all the others. The smoothly paved streets quickly turned to battered side roads up the mountainside, twisting and turning between the suburban houses. Spring air filled her lungs, bringing new energy into the girl's body as she rode up to the sidewalk and came to a stop next to a set of concrete steps.

 

The sun shone brightly, but the wind kept her cool when she removed her helmet and let her brown locks fall down her back. There was no time to waste in locking up the vehicle and rushing down between the buildings. This hidden, old and abandoned park was definitely the place where she would face her fate. Sooyoung smirked at the thought.

 

Face my fate, huh? Oh, I'm going to face it alright! She can't just leave like that!

 

----- -----

 

In the meantime, Hyoyeon was frantically trying to stall the curious guests. The poor girl hadn't the slightest idea who any of these people were, and quite frankly, they were all very intimidating. No one had been particularly angry, but they were all so terse and stiff; not like much of th