I feel like it's winter over where I live right now. It's so cold T_T

Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

Love you all<3

I pulled down the white mask that covered my mouth and sighed. I started eating the food on my plate.

''Didn't she just say that she was losing hope in men last week?'' Yuri muttered under her breath.

I turned my head and looked at the girl talking happily with a guy a few tables away from us. I shook my head at the sight. Yuri hadn't even touch her food since she stared at them until I told her to start eating. I knew her heart was slowly breaking into pieces and the mere thought of that made me feel awful. Jessica wasn't someone who would break people's hearts for fun, but she was doing that to Yuri though without realizing it, and it was still wrong. It was putting me into a bad spot in between them.

''We really need to stop doing this,'' I said before taking a sip from my glass of lemonade. ''She is an adult and what she says falls under her own responsibility. You're only hurting yourself by doing this Yul. She says that and then does the other, I think you should know by now what to expect when she talks about such things.''

Yuri took her eyes off the couple and looked at me. ''I know that Taeyeon...''

I looked up and pursed my lips. When she called me by my real name I knew she was getting annoyed with me and my words, even though I was sure she knew I was right.

''After this, I'm going home and so should you,'' I told Yuri who just nodded at me as she finally continued to eat.

''Can we just...talk about normal stuff?''

I nodded. ''Of course.''

''So how are things with Tiffany?'' she asked after a short pause.

I shrugged. ''I just don't know what to think of this anymore. Sometimes it feels different, and sometimes it feels like it's just all in my head. Like that night when Tiffany declared her ideal man, it's like all my hopes were crushed in an instant.''

''Yeah, I know what you mean,'' Yuri replied. ''I know exactly what you mean.''

She did know. That had already happened to her and I strangely envied her willingess to endure it all for the sake of her friendship with Jessica. I knew that friendship meant more than anything to her. I didn't know if I would be capable of doing that with Tiffany.

I played around with the remaining food on my plate. ''There was that presentation I had to attend last week and Tiffany was there with the company she works at.''

She raised her brows. ''Yah, how come you're telling me this now?''

''Because it was nothing Yul,'' I said. ''We ate lunch together but it was just a friendly lunch. But I swear the way she smiled at the CEO of the company...I wanted to bomb that building down with that damn CEO in it.''

Yuri snorted into a small laughter. ''I bet you ogled at her the whole time.''

''I did,'' I blushed. ''I couldn't focus on the presentation until I heard her voice.''

''Oh my god...'' Yuri snickered. ''So she works in business area too?''

''I guess. She told me she works as an accountant or something.''

''Awww, you should have texted me...I could have been there,'' she pouted.

''And do what?'' I asked and frowned. ''Look at her?''

''No. Laugh at you while you slowly become mesmerized by her. Though you already are,'' she wiggled her eyebrows at me.

''Whatever,'' I muttered, not wanting to hear anymore of her usual teasings about Tiffany. I already knew I was totally mesmerized by her. Who wouldn't be? ''I'm serious. I'm trying to be assertive around her and we've hung out many times and she even knows you guys...how long has it been? Almost four months? Things only look worse for my case as time goes by.''

''Taeng,'' Yuri then set her chopsticks down and gave me a serious look. ''I'm not kidding when I say this but Tiffany seems really odd around you, not in a bad way though. But she has this strange way she looks at you and of course you can't see it because she does it when you don't notice. At first, I thought it was just because she's grateful that you're putting effort into your friendship with her since there's the and other stuff, and you even introduced her to us. I would feel overwhelmed if someone did all that for me too.''

I chewed the inside of my cheek, remembering the time when she came over when I was sick and took care of me, and all the other times we've hung out together so far. But I was still uncertain.

''I think it's just platonic. Although I sometimes feel like she acts differently with me but I am not so sure about it. I don't want to interpret it wrong and then ruin everything,'' I said, letting out another sigh. ''But I want to try Yul. What if there is something?''

''I have a feeling she would consider you if you just told her about your feelings,'' Yuri stated. ''Just saying.''

The irony of her words didn't go unnoticed but I decided not to bother Yuri by mentioning it.

''I'm still scared,'' I admitted. ''You know that.''

Yuri smiled a little. ''Mm. Yes I know.''

Her smile however, slowly faded away as she looked to the direction where the couple was at.

''They're about to leave,'' she spoke quietly, pulling down the cap a bit to cover her face, picking up her chopsticks again to eat. I bowed my head and looked up again when I saw Jessica exiting the restaurant alone.

''That guy is still there,'' Yuri said, confused.

''She ditched him?'' I asked with my brows furrowed. I didn't see Jessica's face so I didn't know in what state she left.

Yuri was about to say something back when she pulled out the ringing phone from her pocket.

''Hello?'' she took the call. ''Sica? What's up?''

Yuri looked at me with a serious expression. ''Okay, I'll be right there.''

''Bad?'' I asked.

She exhaled deeply. ''Yup.''

I bade goodbye to Yuri in front of Jessica's apartment building since she had summoned Yuri over. I had a guess that the date didn't go that well and she needed someone to talk to. In those cases it would be better for Yuri to talk with her. She knew exactly how to console her if she needed any consoling.

I knew if I had come over, it would look a bit suspicious so I decided to take a stroll outside since the evening wasn't that cold.

Snow had already arrived and Christmas was just a few weeks away. I wondered what should I get Tiffany for Christmas, if I should get anything for her at all. I already knew what to get for Yuri and Jessica but Tiffany's present was something I probably should think about more properly. I was never good at buying people gifts.

I heaved a sigh and headed back home.

After taking a hot shower, I turned up the heater a bit to keep myself warm and climbed in my bed. I took my phone to check for new messages.

From: Yuri

Just left Sica's apartment... She's fine.

To: Yuri

Did she tell you what happened?

I sent the text message and went through some news online as I waited for the reply. My phone vibrated again and I opened the new message.

From: Yuri

She told me about having dinner with someone but that's it. She was a bit angry but I couldn't get her to tell me anything else... T_T

I sighed. Sounded exactly what Jessica would do when she was angered by someone or something.

To: Yuri

Alright. She'll tell if she wants to, you know that...go home safely Yul. See you tomorrow~

From: Yuri

See you Taeng.

I spotted Jessica sitting in the empty hallway and decided to go talk to her.

''Hey Sica,'' I said. She saw me and smiled.

''Hey Taeng. What's up?''

I sat down next to her and exhaled dramatically. ''Bored. Hungry. You?''

''Bored too.''

I nodded and watched her silently as she did something with her phone.

''Sica,'' I said.

''Hm?''

''So are you still seeing guys?'' I asked.

Jessica bit her lip and avoided my gaze. ''Yeah.''

From the side of her eye she could see me nodding at her answer.

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