Part Three

Winter ended early and spring snuck its way into the air.

The wind was no longer freezing and various shades of green reappeared, here and there, as animals woke up from hibernation. A pretty sight, but Jessica wasn’t feeling it.

She disliked this particular block of time during the year. Restlessness often kept her on an edge. The transition of having the world draped in a white blanket to the rebirth of nature bothered her, and she would be extra irritable and uneasy.

Jessica sighed and rubbed her eyes,  leaning her face into her palms; studying felt thoroughly unappealing at the moment, and, while she needed her grades, the need to be away from the confinements of her room had clawed its way to the surface.

Books can wait.

Changing into jeans, she  grabbed a warm jacket and strode out of her room.

***

The change in season was obvious, she could literally see more life on the streets. Chirping of birds, fluttering of butterflies and colors that came back to life. Poetic, really.

Almost charming, almost.

She stood at her doorway, a foot to the outside world but not having enough desire to really step out. Stuck in that awkward position, Jessica sat down and looked at everything that passed before her. People, dogs, birds. All of that registered inside her.

The start of spring had always been too peaceful and alive for her to appreciate it properly.

“Um… Hi?”

The tentative greeting caught Jessica’s attention. That childish tone of voice was not the one she loved, but it was familiar all the same.

“Hello, Sooyoung,” Jessica tried to smile but it came across as a grimace.

Sooyoung scratched her head, and for a moment, her features scrunched up in confusion.

“Are you sad?”

“I just don’t really like this weather.”

Jessica managed a proper smile this time, her lips tugged up enough for it to be considered friendly. Sooyoung tilted her head, looking thoughtful, as though she was pondering about the authenticity of Jessica’s words. The kid was way more grown up than Yoona, although they were merely a little over three months apart. Even height wise, Sooyoung kind of towered over Yoona, being almost similar in height with Jessica. It was a mystery, how Sooyoung was that tall being just a twelve year old kid.

Seconds later though, Sooyoung lost the serious look and a wide grin broke out, sweeping away the slight frown that was on her face.

“Yeah, I prefer the cold winter too!” Sooyoung made her way towards Jessica, and plopped down beside her, “food taste awesome during winter! Hot beef stew, spicy rice cake, even ice cream in winter!!”

Sooyoung had a dreamy look on her face, her lips as her imagination ran wild with food. Looking at the skinny young girl, Jessica was a little captivated by her love for food.

“How do you remain so thin? Any secrets?”

“I’m a growing girl! But mummy says I’ve got a hole to another world in my stomach, and all the food falls into it,” Sooyoung shrugged.

Jessica giggled at that thought of a parallel universe in Sooyoung’s stomach.  Sooyoung was a cheerful bit of change, and Jessica appreciated it. She could see why Sooyoung was Yoona’s best friend, they had the right balance of pranks, maturity and understanding when put together.

“You’re fully grown, so it won’t work on you,” Sooyoung suppressed a snigger and a friendly smack landed on the arm.

The tension Jessica felt earlier had subsided a little. She enjoyed Sooyoung’s company more than she would have anticipated, even though she simply sat and listened to Sooyoung’s random stories. Sooyoung was engaging, tales from her everyday school life seemed colorful, especially when she slipped in quirky comments and hilarious expressions ever so often.

Jessica was glad to have grown a little closer to Sooyoung through Yoona, and glad too, that Sooyoung dropped the respectful way of talking. The casual tone Sooyoung adopted was way more comfortable for Jessica.

“Yoona asked me to meet her near the playground, she’s going to have some weird battle again. So… I guess I need to go,” Sooyoung stood up and waved before walking away.

It was just a few steps, but Jessica felt like the weariness was forcing its way in again.

Unexpectedly, Sooyoung stopped and turned back, looking mildly awkward.

“Uh, wanna come along? Yoona would be happy.”

“Yeah okay!”

Jessica stood up quickly, dusting her bottom and joined Sooyoung at her side.

***

“She’s on a mission to destroy another sub-unit.”

Sooyoung explained to Jessica as they walked to the location of the rendezvous. It was a little surprising, Jessica realized it was the first time in almost six years that she’s actually stepping into the, so-called, battlefield.

Sooyoung was accustomed to it though, Jessica knew she had been somewhat on the fringe of Yoona’s group, but she was too skeptical of their activities to actually join in. Sooyoung rattled off what Yoona told her about the upcoming battle, it was going to be a huge clash involving water gun, paint and other obstacles.

Exciting, Jessica mumbled to herself.

“She’s bent on destroying that group, but I don’t know if she’ll succeed this time.”

“Why? Did they quarrel?”

“She said that sub-unit was going too far. Have you heard of the Flip Up Girls’ Skirt sub-unit?”

Jessica nodded, it was one of the longest running sub-units, according to Yoona, and she had previously expressed her disapproval with its nature.

“Nowadays, they kinda just prank girls horribly. Yoona has been trying to terminate it for ages, since the flipping skirts days,” Sooyoung sighed and did a series of gesture which Jessica read as ‘don’t know what the are in those boys’ brain’, “she said you hated that group too.”

“Yeah, I do. It’s stupid and mean, much stupider than all the other little sub-units.”

“She said if you’re so against it, all the more she should destroy them. But she has too few people backing her.”

Sooyoung sounded so worried that Jessica was actually drawn into the mood, her heart rate climbing until the thumping became obvious in her ears. Jessica found everything unsettling, as if the danger was real, even though she rationalized that it was all in her head. Yoona would only end up with scrapes, maybe some cuts and perhaps lots of bruises. That would be it.

With all her willpower, she pushed away thoughts of Yoona being surrounded by her kid enemies, totally defenseless, with the boys ready to do her in.

Impossible, Yoona would never let herself be defenseless.

Right?

“There!”

Jessica had been so lost in her thoughts and only at Sooyoung’s shout was she brought back to reality. They were at their destination, a small field beside the playground, cleared of the winter’s snow and Jessica could make out Yoona at one end, busy talking to a few boys.

Too young, holy , Jessica wanted to grab Sooyoung and ask her how useful were those younglings but realized that it would only fuel her anxiety if she got an unfavorable answer.

Jessica bit back the thousand and one questions as Sooyoung madly waved and called out to Yoona.

“Yoona!”

“Eh? Soo… UNNIE!!!”

The elation in Yoona’s voice, the way her face lit up and grin grew wider as Jessica walked closer was in a typical Yoona fashion. Jessica pulled Yoona to the side, noticed the water gun in Yoona’s hand and felt the anxiety set in again.

“Yoongie, you’re going against ten odd boys with your pathetic little army?!”

“Unnie, they are good!” Yoona declared proudly, but no sooner had she said those words, her expression faltered, “…I think? They’re my only loyal followers in this.”

Yoona actually sounded serious, and if that’s anything to go by, Jessica was sure that this battle was of great importance to Yoona. That determination in Yoona’s eyes was not often