WARNING: There may be grammatical errors present in this chapter. I haven't proof read it yet. Sorry :(

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CHAPTER 24

Soon-Il went back to his dorm still in shock. Whatever happened back at that auditorium should never leave the four corners of it. It wasn’t exactly a traumatic experience however it was as overwhelming as one. Never in his life has he felt more alive. He felt all these new things and all of them were wrapped in that one moment. It was euphoric at the very least but even that isn’t enough to explain what he felt. After the auditorium incident, he had not seen Yuna ever since and that seemed to be working for him until he unconsciously thinks of her, that is.

He woke up the next day still feeling pretty overwhelmed. Soon-Il didn’t understand what he was feeling but in some way only he would know, he was able to put everything aside and focus on other things. His thoughts flew here and there but it always managed to come back to the things that needed to be attended to. Soon-Il’s exams were days away and so he had to pull himself together and make sure he maintains his spot. There really wasn’t any threat to it, but he could never be too careful.

For the next few days, the campus library became his home. He would only go to back to his dorm to sleep and wash up. After classes he would go straight to the library and study. Soon-Il would be in one corner with his pile of books and determined mind. Students around the premises would look at him and be amazed, though others would be a bit pissed off. It was a known fact that he was way too young for his academic position. If things go the way he planned it to be then Soon-Il would be the youngest lawyer South Korea has ever had.

Soon-Il doesn’t really have friends from his own course however he had in others. Most of the ‘friends’ he had were his neighbors at the dorm and then he had a few from his neighborhood who ended up getting accepted in the same university as he did. Beyond that circle there was no one… well except Yuna, who he can’t quite categorize yet. She wasn’t exactly a friend but she wasn’t much a stranger either. She was something in between, whatever that maybe.

Minutes before the library was about to close, Soon-Il decided to call it a day. He left the place and went on his usual way to his dorm. The night had already settled with the moon and the stars shining brightly. Soon-Il walked without thought in his head. Exhausted, his mind definitely was. Today’s studying session was more rough than usual with the exams happening 2 days after today.

Walking down his usual pathway, his thoughts started to scatter away. There were people just like him walking to wherever they were headed to. In that moment he felt so out of place. Everyone had somewhere they could go, everyone knew where they wanted to go but Soon-Il truly didn’t. The people around him were walking in a steady and accurate way while Soon-Il saw himself as someone who was lost.

It wasn’t about directions or about a place he wanted to go to…

It was about one person… and where she was. That’s where Soon-Il truly wanted to go to.

--

The day of the dreaded exams finally came upon Soon-Il’s university. Stress and anxiety levels were on their all-time high. It was the day that would eventually decide their future so it was only natural that there were a few cases of students breaking down and throwing tantrums here and there. In the midst of chaos, Soon-Il walked a tad bit confident about today. He’s been studying non-stop and that alone reassured him that everything will go his way today.

He entered the exam hall alongside with other students. It was a make it or break it kind of atmosphere that emanated around the room. Everybody was on their feet, trying hard not to forget the things they’ve studied over the week.

Soon-Il took gave his exam permit and proceeded to his assigned seat. Once everybody else was on their own places, the proctor started handing out the examination sheets. The exam given to them was good for about 3 hours. Soon-Il’s university takes pride in its law courses and so this exam was more or less the same with a standard BAR exam. The test started exactly at 9:00am and once the students opened their exam booklets, there’s no going out of the premises unless he/she was finished.

The clocked ticked and tocked as the future lawyers of Korea took their abilities to the test. It was a gruesome exam, most were on the verge of breaking down while taking it but fortunately no one cracked and started chaos like last year. The amount of pressure on each and every person inside that room was insurmountable. Imagine a paperweight determining your future, that’s a lot to take in for anyone.

When the bell rang, signaling the end of the allotted time for the exam, the atmosphere completely changed. A mix of a big heap of relief and a hint of regret invaded the room. The worst was over and every single student inside that campus could now sleep without having to worry about anything, well until the announcement of the results that is but that would be weeks away from now.

Soon-Il went out of the examination hall and started wandering around the campus. There was nothing to do and pretty soon he’ll go back to living out his life in such a mundane routine. Gaining control of himself, he realized he was at that place again, the place where he felt something new.

He approached its doors with nervous footsteps. Before he went in, he took a pamphlet that was on a stand beside the doors.

The Last Dance

A performance by the chosen students of the Theatre Department

Written and Directed by: Im Yuna

Schedule:

6:00pm – 7:30pm

Soon-Il turned around and walked back to his dorm, still holding onto the pamphlet. Yet another moment with his mind completely blank. It was slowly forming into a habit, the way he empties his mind unknowingly. What he wanted to do, he knew but why he wanted to do it, he absolutely did not know nor did he care at all.

He arrived back at his dorm, only to freshen up and leave once again. He went outside of his dormitory and into the side of their building where the bicycle racks where. He was given a bicycle as a gift but he does not use it that much. The only time he uses it is when he needs to get out of the campus and into the town, to get necessities.

Soon-Il was gonna use it to get into town but not exactly to get groceries or supplies. There was a specific place he wanted to go to and again just like much of what he was doing right at that moment, his reasons were far beyond him.

--

Yuna’s exhaustion was way beyond her now. They have been running last minute practices and re-checking the whole flow of the play for a quite some time now. Problems sprouted here and there but it was nothing too serious however those small things built up and got to Yuna’s mind. She was beginning to have hints of doubt about her art. Her play was chosen over hundreds of entries, it was her story that was chosen for the most important event of her department. It was unbelievable not only to her but to others as well. Yuna wasn’t really an outstanding as a student. She was one of those who got by pretty okay but didn’t really do much to get recognition. She was normal in every way possible. Her decision to submit an entry for her department’s annual competition was something out of her character. Yuna submitted that entry, thinking that there was no way hers would be picked because of the hundreds of students that submit yearly and more often than not, it’s the work of that outstanding student that gets picked but it wasn’t like that at all this year.

Im Yuna, the older sister to the ever famous Im Sang Ah who was holding quite a crowd of admirers both in her work as an aspiring fashion designer and as a girl who had the looks of a goddess. The fact that she was her sister didn’t really reach other people unless they were told of it. First off, they don’t look alike at all and second their personalities are quite different from each other. Yuna had a unique personality. She was a fighter no doubt but she was also a fragile person. Sang Ah was had a really bright personality and she emitted that quite well. Her positivity overflowed from within and that’s not really much of a problem since she’s also smart enough to know when positivity won’t be enough.

There are hundreds of things that make Yuna and Sang Ah different from each other but it all comes down to the fact that they weren’t related by blood. The older between the two was adopted when their father who was a doctor, found her lying lifelessly on the streets of Seoul one cold night. They arranged the papers and soon enough Sang Ah gained an older sister which she didn’t mind at all. It was after all getting lonely when she had no one to play with at their humble abode. When their father found Yuna, all she could get out of her was her name and nothing else. Yuna said she doesn’t remember anything else except her name. She was about 8 years old when all of that happened. 

Yuna knew more than what she had told but that would be her little secret that she’ll have to die with. She was determined to live her life being grateful for the family she was in now. In other words, forgetting the life she once led before she met them.

“Yuna-nim~” A sweet voice pulled her out of her thoughts. She looked over to where the voice came from and was greeted by a smiling angel.

 “Don’t you have exams today?” Yuna said as she pulled Sang Ah into a short hug

“I did. We just handed in our project and that’s pretty much it. I came here to wish you good luck! I’ll be watching later, front row by the way.” Sang Ah smiled brightly

Yuna couldn’t help but to smile as well. She then ruffled her sister’s hair and pulled her in for another hug. The two were undoubtedly close to each other. For Sang Ah, Yuna was her sister no matter what, even if their blood says differently and the latter thought the same way too.

“Aww. Thanks. I hope a lot of people will attend. I mean I know it’s a big event but for some reason I keep thinking people won’t come.” Yuna pouted slightly

“That’s a bit too much, unnie. I’m sure people will come. I even saw some guy outside, he took a pamphlet then left. That’s a good thing…I think.” Sang Ah whispered the last part.

“I guess so. Well, you better get going. Unnie needs to do more prep stuff. I’ll see you later, okay?” Yuna walked her sister out of the auditorium and resumed her work.

--

Soon-Il was preparing to go out when he caught a glimpse of himself on the mirror. What he was doing up to now, was all a blur to him. He moved without much thought but for whatever reason he didn’t want to stop. He grabbed his things, including the one he bought earlier, and left his dorm.

He walked all the way to the auditorium, without knowing why he wanted to be there or why is he putting himself in so much trouble. Soon-Il went through its doors and sat at the back. Unlike most people, he chose to sit at the back because he was nervous… nervous about Yuna seeing him there. The whole point of him going there was to see her but that didn’t exactly mean she had to see him. Her abrasive yet surprisingly sentimental personality caught his attention. Had he not met her in the first place, Soon-Il would probably hauled up in his room, either sleeping or studying. Right now, he wasn’t doing any of those two and that was the biggest surprise for him. For the remainder of his life, he would live knowing that one person changed the way things were in his world.

At the back of his mind, Soon-Il knew why he was there and not anywhere else. His mind might not have processed it yet but his heart already knew. As clichéd as it may sound, he fell in love in the shortest amount of time. It was ridiculous to call it love already and that’s why his mind was cancelling out that possibility but his heart knew and that was something he could never cancel out even if he wanted to.

People started coming in and soon the whole auditorium was full. The play started and the whole room fell into silence. The Last Dance was a story about two lovers who against all odds fought through everything and anything that went their way just to stay together but as fate would have the last word, one of them had to go without the other knowing. The two set out on having a day that was filled with things that they would always remember but as the sun set down the time of leaving arrived quickly than the one leaving realized. Night came and before a new day started, the two listened to a song. The girl asked the boy to close his eyes till the song was over. The boy did as he was told, only to realize that the girl was no longer by his side. The song that played was the song they danced to when they met. Without knowing, he had just pictured his last dance with her.

Soon-Il sat still as the last scene played out. He stood up as the crowd began to give a standing ovation. The curtain call started and when Yuna’s name, the crowd went all out with conveying their appreciation. Soon-Il stood at the back smiling to himself. He silently went out of the auditorium and decided to wait there. He knew people would crowd around Yuna once the event was over so he decided to step outside and wait for his chance there.

The audience started going out of the auditorium and just like how he predicted, people did crowd over Yuna. Congratulating and praising her work. After some time, she was able to get rid of the attention and soon enough she went out of the auditorium as well. What Soon-Il didn’t think about was Yuna’s sister who was also waiting for her outside.

“Unnie!! THE PLAY WAS SO GOOD. THE STORY, THE PROPS, THE ACTORS. BASICALLY EVERYTHING! I’m so proud of you!” Sang Ah cheered as she pulled her older sister into a tight hug to which Yuna gladly received. Her sister swung her around, for a small girl she does have a surprising amount of strength to her. As they spun around, Yuna noticed someone familiar standing not too far from where they were.

“…Soon-Il?” Yuna called out

Soon-Il felt the sudden desire to run away but he was already seen so there was no point to it. He unwillingly approached the two sisters with one hand behind his back.

“Oh it is you. What are you doing here?” Yuna said as she got out of her sister’s embrace.

“I… saw the play. I also wanted to… uh give you this.” Soon-Il brought out his hand from behind, revealing a bouquet of roses that he had bought earlier.

Yuna took it and smiled sheepishly. She was touched because never in her mind did she think that Soon-Il would take some time off to watch the play.

“Wow… uhm thank you. I didn’t really think you’d watch though. I mean you don’t seem the type to be in this kind of stuff.” Yuna giggled as she looked back at a tensed Soon-Il.

Sang Ah sensed the need for the two to be alone so she went ahead and decided to give the two some privacy.

“I’m not, actually. I just watched it because of you.” Soon-Il started stumbling with his words, spewing them out without much thought.

“Me? Because of me?” Yuna repeated

Soon-Il swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and tried to rectify the situation in front of him.

“I mean… I just wanted to congratulate you on your play. That’s it.” Soon-Il turned around and walked exactly 4 steps away before stopping in his tracks and sighing. Yuna at this point was completely dumbfounded which was a sight to see.

Soon-Il turned right around and approached Yuna once again and gathered all the strength he could before attempting to utter another word.

“No. Wait. It’s more than that… I wanted to talk to you.” Soon-Il closed his eyes for a couple of seconds to gather his thoughts.

“I don’t know why but ever since I met you, you’ve been constantly on my mind. I found it annoying at first but then it grew on me and eventually I did the whole thinking about you voluntarily…” Soon-Il paused again. He wasn’t really sure where he was going with his words but he had to get off his chest. “…What I’m saying is that, I think you’re an interesting person and I would like to get to know you more if you would let me.”

All the starts lined up for Soon-Il that night, as he waited for Yuna’s answer. What started out as something he couldn’t understand turned out to be something he could say without falter. Carefully calculated and planned, the universe set out a path for Yuna and Soon-Il. A path that they would soo be walking on together in their own time. All Yuna did was smile and with that, just that one gesture, Soon-Il knew. That image of her smiling back at her would forever have a place in his heart.

--

PRESENT DAY

Jessica left the clinic and was pretty reluctant to go anywhere except their classroom. She did just dug her own grave. With the rumors floating around, her dragging Yuri by the hand would have its own consequences. She wasn’t worried for herself but rather she was worried for Yuri who had a reputation to keep. What’s done is done, she thought.

We’ll just have to figure it out together later.

She smiled as the thought ran through her mind. Jessica felt a sense of comfort to think that she doesn’t need to be alone in this. She felt like she could trust Yuri and as wishful as it may make her sound, she too, hoped that Yuri would trust her. She wanted to help him get out of whatever suffering he was in. Now more than ever it felt like something she had to do, almost like a responsibility but for some reason it didn’t feel as heavy as one.

Jessica walked along the hall and entered their classroom, to her surprise there was already someone inside. She felt confused for a moment as she thought that she entered the wrong classroom, considering the girl she just saw did not look one of her classmates at all. Jessica took a step back and checked the room number, she was never wrong to begin with.

“You’re in the right classroom.” the mysterious girl said as Jessica entered once again.

She didn’t exactly know how to respond and so she just nodded and gave a slight bow and quietly made her way to her seat.

“I knew you’d be here. You wouldn’t dare go out without Yuri or Taeyeon by your side.” The other girl uttered before Jessica could even actually make it to her seat.

“…I’ve heard a lot about you, Jessica Jung.” The unknown girl added further.

The words spoken made Jessica stop in her tracks. She turned to face the girl, only to see a condescending look upon her.

“…I’m also smart enough to know you’re not the girl, people say you are.” The other girl continued to talk without falter. Jessica instantly felt anxious. Her body trembled a bit, fearing whatever the other girl would say next.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Jessica tried to say it as calmly as she could but to her demise, the other person saw right through her.

“Drop the act. I know your secret, Jung…” Jessica could’ve sworn her heart stopped as she heard those words. She felt her stomach tie up into knots, a feeling of overwhelming sense of fear. Right in that moment she felt exposed, vulnerable and weak. Just who this person was, she didn’t know but what really mattered was what the other knew about her.

“…I know your little scandal isn’t true or should I say it wasn’t yours to begin with. The girl in the video and in the pictures wasn’t you. You’re covering for someone else.”

Jessica’s breathing became uneven. She grabbed the nearest thing she could to prevent herself from losing balance. Conversations and images from the past started to fill her mind and it proved to be much too strong for her to handle. Her senses clicked and just like an automatic response, Jessica took a deep breath and brought out the side of her she thought she would never ever have to let people see again.

“Listen, I don’t know what backwater dump you heard that from but that’s not the case here. I appreciate the sympathy but I don’t need it, okay? I know I’m a , you don’t need to make me feel better about it because unlike other people, I can actually live with that fact. It’s not that hard.” Jessica felt her chest burn with the words she spat. This wasn’t her talking, this was her defense mechanism.

“Cut it with the tough girl act. You? A ? Please. That’s just a downright insult to s everywhere. Though, I have to say, you could’ve fooled me for a second there. It’s just that I don’t do the whole -shaming thing. I mean come on, your face practically screams innocence.” The yet to be named girl took steps forward, inching closer to Jessica.

“…To think that this school is one of the most prestigious ones in Korea, you’d expect students here are actually smart. I guess this place is no better than the filthy reality of our society, with people running their mouths first before even thinking.”

Jessica was determined to push out whatever idea the girl was sinking into her. It wasn’t over yet, I can still win over this, she repeats endlessly in her mind.

“Believe what you want. I don’t have time for know-it-all people like you.” Jessica turned around and sat herself on her seat.

The other girl continued to approach her until she was in front of Jessica’s seat. The girl smiled, the kind of smile you wouldn’t want to see in situations like this.

“Well, this know-it-all, actually knows how to use her brain. Let’s get the facts straight there. You were from Daewon, Whimoon’s sister school. It doesn’t make sense how you even got through the admissions here without even a blink from the administration. Unless, of course, if they knew the truth.”

Jessica sat quietly. She wanted to know just how much the other person knew and judging from everything that has been revealed, it seems there’s a lot more where these things came from.

“Let’s say your family has connections and was able to get you through; that still wouldn’t explain why of all schools in freaking Seoul, you chose this one. Either you actually want to ruin your life more or you just had no choice. I’m leaning towards the latter.”

Silence filled the room. The other girl was expecting a rebuttal from Jessica but there was none. She hooked Jessica right into her trap.

“I don’t know how much you know but please keep it to yourself.” Jessica said almost in a whisper. Tears were threatening to leave her eyes any minute now but she kept it in. She had to hold it in.

“That’s not what I’m here for. If you want to get for something you’re not then that’s your choice. I came here to warn you about the people you keep close…” The other girl trailed. Truthfully, she felt sorry for Jessica. For she knew that she didn’t deserve the words people throw around about her but like what she has said, that’s not the reason why she came to find Jessica.

“…You shouldn’t be hanging around Kwon Yuri. He’s not what you think he is, that is if you even know anything about him. Just like your case, I know enough to say this. I’m not saying your stay here would be any better if you stay away from him but you’d be safer that way.”

Hearing Yuri’s name slip out from the lips of the other person, sent a hundred questions to her mind. Why is she talking about him that way? What does she mean by that? This words played in loops till it was just pure madness in Jessica’s mind. If it were another person telling her the same thing, she wouldn’t feel this way because she would have nothing to base it on but considering this person knew something about her that she was absolutely sure no other should, her words became poison.

“Why… why Yuri? What do you know about him?” Jessica pressed on but to her dismay, the other girl did not answer the question and proceeded to walk away but stopped just as she was about to exit the room.

“I don’t know him all that well but you can’t be too careful nowadays. I know what I saw and I’m not just making it up. Whether what I know is true or not is something I’ve yet to find out but looking at how that person is, he fits the profile all too well. That’s all I’m going to say for now. If you choose to ignore this then just like what I said, it’s your decision.”

The unknown girl left the room, leaving Jessica in a dazed and confused state.

--

YURI’S POV

“Where am I?” I ask myself. This place doesn’t look like the clinic.

My vision was a bit blurry but no matter how hard I tried to focus on in on my surroundings, everything just came out hazy, almost like I’m watching through a TV with bad reception.

I couldn’t feel the weight of my body at all and everything around me seemed out of place. I waited and waited and soon enough I started to recognize where I was. Our old house.

I could hear distinct voices talking but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I tried to find these voices, going along the familiar corners of my old house. I stopped right in front of my father’s study room. The door was slightly open and so I was able to hear the people inside talking.

“Where are you going with this?”

“If you want him to live a normal life then you’d let me do it. Believe me when I say I don’t want to do it either but there’s no other choice. He doesn’t deserve to live in a nightmare.”

“I believe in him. He didn’t do it!”

“That’s what I want to believe too, Soon-Il but that’s not what the evidence is saying. You need to understand that if you let things just go the way they are now then he will never get better.”

…

..

What are they talking about? Their voices are familiar but I’m not sure who they belong to. I was about to take a peek through the small crack opening on the door when I noticed someone else, listening in on the conversation as well. It was a small boy, he was sitting by the door. I didn’t notice him when I first got here.

And just like a cue, everything just started being hazy again. I looked at the boy, hoping to see his face.I knelt down to level myself with him. He was crying and so he had his hands on his face. Slowly but surely, the boy started to calm down and eventually he took his hands off his face. I tried my best to focus on the boy to block out the static noises that I started hearing as my surroundings got blurrier and blurrier.

The boy stopped crying and looked at me or rather right through me. This boy wasn’t just anyone…

it was me.

--

NORMAL POV

Yuri woke up in a fright which made him sit right up from the bed he was occupying. For seconds, he struggled to even take a single breath. Ms. Jang, who just arrived minutes ago franticly approached Yuri’s bedside.

“Mr. Kwon, calm down!” Dr. Jang put her hand on Yuri’s back, in an attempt to calm the tense boy.

It was as if Yuri forgot to breathe. When his senses came back to him, he took a deep breath to beckon his need for air. Soon enough, he was able to compose himself. Sweat trickled down his forehead, down to his chin.

“For a while there it sounded like you were having a bad dream but I didn’t think you’d get all worked up like this.” Dr. Jang commented as she grabbed a chair nearby and sat beside Yuri’s bed.

“Well, you woke up right on time. Afternoon classes are just about to start, that is if you still want to. I could excuse you for the rest of the day. That offer is still up, Mr. Kwon.”

Yuri wiped off the sweat on his face and gently shook his head.

“No that would not be necessary. I’m okay.” Yuri slowly stood up and made the bed he just used. Dr. Jang only nodded and proceeded to sign Yuri’s papers.

“Here, take this. It’s a pass. Just show this to the teachers and they’ll excuse you for the rest of your classes.” Dr. Jang says as she hands a piece of paper.

“I don’t need this Doctor. I’m okay.” Yuri says as he gestures for Dr. Jang to get the paper back to which Dr. Jang declined.

“You can use that anytime. I have a feeling you’ll need that. Anyways, if you’re all set, you may go now.”

Yuri swallowed a sigh and just gave the doctor a bow and took off. He felt much better except for the very vivid dream he just had. It was getting hard to keep up with all of the random things that has been happening to him. On his way to his classroom, he stopped walking for a while, just to take in a breather and empty his mind. It wasn’t healthy to keep on worrying about certain things when he’s in that state. It’ll only make things worse, he thought.

There was nobody around the halls, as it was almost time for class. All of the students were either inside the classrooms or at the rest rooms, brushing their teeth.

He walked and walked for what seemed like forever to him. He couldn’t really afford to walk in a much faster pace as his body was still getting accustomed to motion. Add in the fact that he just took quite a bit of strong meds, he was basically in a drugged up state of absolute weakness.

Yuri kept his pace slow but steady. The last thing he would want to happen was lose his balance and fall over like a drunkard. He reached his room with only minutes to spare until classes resume. Yuri slid the door open and revealed himself to the rest of his classmates. At first silence ensued but then passionate rumor mongers started murmuring here and there. That was when Yuri remembered what happened earlier today. He and Jessica were seen by at least half of the student body, holding hands and walking across campus. It was a sight to see, considering the rumors of them being an item were already out of control.

Being the way he is, Yuri ignored everyone and quietly went back to his seat. When Jessica saw Yuri, her mind flew back to the conversation she had with the girl she didn’t even get the chance to know the name of. She and Taeyeon were talking about something when everything for her just froze and all she saw was Yuri passing by her.

“Jessica? Jessica? Helloooo?” Taeyeon said as she snapped her fingers near Jessica’s ears to ironically snap her back to reality.

“Oh yeah. Sorry. Where were we?” Jessica turns to Taeyeon and manages to focus on her.

“Well, I was just saying about how the others are saying stuff about you and Yuri… but mostly you.” Taeyeon whispered the last part. She was half curious about the ‘incident’ that happened before to Jessica that has got everyone on her case. Taeyeon wanted to ask her about it but she knew it wasn’t her place to do so. They weren’t that close yet anyway so she figured the former would be reluctant to give out answers.

“Yeah. I’m sorry about that. You know it’s okay if you think I shouldn’t hang around you guys. I really don’t want to drag you guys into something else.” Jessica smiled bitterly. She was expecting Taeyeon to tell her that. With the way things are going, it’s only a matter of time till her problem starts dragging the people around her down.

“What? No! I was gonna tell you that you shouldn’t be taking from anyone. These people need to learn to mind their own business! Also, I want you to know that we got your back! I don’t care what people say about you. I have a feeling that you are a genuinely nice person and that’s good enough for me to stick by ya!” Taeyeon said as she brought a goofy smile that made her look like a kid more than ever.

Though they were simple words, to Jessica they were everything. It was already tough to deal with the everyday struggle of having to face school knowing that the most of the people that she would see there, have already painted her in a way that didn’t show the real her but now that she had Taeyeon and the others, it made her think that everything would be okay.

Jessica smiled and instinctively hugged Taeyeon. The latter was taken back by the sudden contact. It was awkward but she felt the sincerity from the gesture. The brunette let go of the hug first and smiled at her new found friend.

The murmuring died down when their teacher entered the classroom. It was their gym teacher.

“Listen up. For this year’s class, we’re gonna have swimming lessons. Y’all better start practicing. We’ll brush up on basic techniques then we’ll move right into advanced ones.”

Most of the male students cheered while the female students groaned. For the boys it was an opportunity to see their beloved female colleagues wearing swimsuits while some of the girls dreaded swimming, as some didn’t know how while others were concerned about their bodies.

“As you all know, gym classes had always been a joint class. For new students, in case you didn’t know, that would mean all senior students will take this class together and all at the same time.”

This was the first time for Jessica and Kris to experience a joint class. For Kris it was an opportunity to meet other people and although it was the same for Jessica, hers was a bit more complicated. All because of the dreaded rumors that has been fluttering around her name.

“For athletes, which in this class are the following: Kim Ravi and Shin Wonho for basketball, Wang Fei and Kim Woobin for Taekwondo and Kwon Yuri for Soccer. The 5 of you automatically pass this subject however that doesn’t mean you can skip my class. You’ll have to help me assist your classmates. I’ve contacted all of your coaches and they all agreed to have you participate, on top of your daily training. More work, more fun, as they say.”

Their gym teacher proceeded to remind them what to bring next meeting and all of the safety rules with regards to their behavior around the pool area. When that was done, the teacher then called it a day and left their room early. Their next classes were pretty standard and soon the day was over.

Yuri sat quietly as he watched everybody went out of their classroom. Taecyeon and Kris approached Taeyeon and Jessica up front. Yuri saw them talking for a bit and seconds after, the trio left Jessica alone on her seat, not moving. The room slowly emptied itself of the students that minutes before inhabited it. Just like before, only Yuri and Jessica were the only ones left.

Jessica packed up her stuff and went at the back to Yuri.

“How are you feeling? Do you think you can walk?” Jessica asked with pure concern. Eyeing Yuri from head to toes, she realized he looks better than earlier. Yuri looked up and only nodded his head. The silent boy stood up and wordlessly fixed his belongings and gestured Jessica to lead the way.

She took the lead and both of them exited the classroom. Just like any other day people stared at them as they walked through the halls. This time Jessica didn’t keep her head down. Instead walked looking nowhere but straight ahead, not minding the others. Over at Yuri’s side, he didn’t even notice the people around him. All he wanted to do was go home and just rest.

Before they reach the end of the hall, Jessica’s eyes caught sight of the mysterious girl whom she had an encounter with earlier. They exchanged looks for a good second or two. Clearly, the other girl looked disappointed despite saying that she didn’t care whatever Jessica chooses to do.

The pair got out of the academic building with enough eyes on them to envy the next rising idol star. They continued walking all the way out of the campus without sharing a single word. Neither wanted to talk nor to say anything at all. Both had things on their mind that prevented them to be even bothered to utter a word.

The two reached Jessica’s apartment complex. One walked past it while the other stopped right in front of it.

“I have to ‘accompany’ you home remember? That’s what the doctor said.” Jessica finally says as she looked back at a seemingly dazed Yuri.

“I know that but you should tell Kris that you’ll be home after dinner.” Yuri says he turns his gaze upon Jessica.

“What? Your house is not that far from here. I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t take me that long to get back from there.”

Yuri then walked to where Jessica was and stood in front of her.

“I know that too but I intend to invite you inside and cook dinner as a thank you.” Without waiting for Jessica’s answer, Yuri walked ahead, ignoring anything Jessica would say thereafter.

“Wait. What? You don’t need--- Hey! Wait for me!” 

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HELLO 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR ICE PRINCESS JESSICA JUNG! YAY (one day late lol)

WELCOME NEW READERS! 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!! Let me know what you think about this chapter down at the comments section!

Peace! -ymllama