Chapter 6

*Flashback*

Yuri clutched her books tighter towards her as she walked across the campus of the university. She had worked so hard to get the scholarship here & it was all going to be for nothing. The campus used to be so loud & noisy, with a cheerful atmosphere. Now, it felt like a ghost residence. Yuri rose her head as she heard whispering, “Ew, its her.” A girl whispered, pointing.

“We better stay away from her.” Another said.

‘They are talking about me.’ Yuri thought sadly, as the girls walked past her as if she was some strange creature from Mars. Trying not to pay any attention, Yuri walked on with her head held high, although her eyes were swelling up with tears. She should have been used to this endless torture by now but Yuri knew she never would. Tears were her closest friend.

“Hey.” Yuri turned to see a few young men coming towards her.

“Oh, no.” She muttered, under her breath, her heart beating furiously. The girls were bad, slipping past her like she would gobble them up but they boys, they didn’t care. To them, Yuri was just a victim of their amusement, even though it meant much more to her than that.

“Why are you still here?” One called. Yuri started at him, glossy pale pink lips quivering, “Yeah, you gross ! If we get sick, it’s all your fault.”

Still, Yuri said nothing, afraid she was going to break down as soon as she opened . She let her mid-back length, wavy black hair fall in front of her face like a curtain, covering her pained expression. Yuri knew they were right. She had no right to be there.

“How about you pack up everything you have touched & just leave?”

“Even then, we will still have to sterilize the whole campus.” “I can’t believe your mother would be such a !”

“If I was little Ms. Kwon, I would have died of shame by now.”

The comments went on & on. Yuri tried to move but her feet seemed to be stuck to the ground. She had no energy left for tears. The comments bore into her mind like a drill, chasing each other around & around. Her ears roared & her head spun until she got so dizzy she could hardly stand & then Yuri remembered nothing. The bright lights of the emergency room blinded her as Yuri forced her eyes open. A fragile woman in a hospital gown was her hair, “Mom?” Yuri asked shakily, “What happened?”

“You fainted, darling.” Ms. Kwon said, failing at an attempted smile, “The doctor will be here any minute.” Ms. Kwon soothed, smoothing Yuri’s hair gently. Yuri closed her eyes & wished away the pain she knew would soon come.

“Ms. Kwon?” Yuri heard the voice of the doctor, now standing in the doorway with his white lab coat. She sat up, rubbing her eyes like a little girl might have done. Yuri wished time could stall here & stay this way so that her condition would never be confirmed.

The doctor sighed, looking very grave, “Ms. Kwon. I’m afraid it’s true. Your daughter does indeed have aids.”

*End of Flashback*

Yuri’s eyes snapped open to the shrill shriek of her mom. Gasping, Yuri bolted upright in bed, clutching the blanket to her chest, “Breathe.” She told herself, “It’s okay, you have known for a while now. Its nothing shocking.”

Ever since that fateful day, Yuri had learnt to keep that secret to herself. She had learnt to build up walls around her so that no one could know the truth. Yuri had learnt that the hard way. Ever since that day, the tears of grief were shed into her pillow, the words of anger in her diary. Never, ever, ever in front of people until she met Jaejoong. From the day Yuri walked into Jaejoong’s store, those walls vanished like mist in the sunlight & no matter what she tried to do, it was impossible to replace them. Jaejoong could see the truth if he looked hard enough & he was very close.

Yuri shuddered, “I can’t let him know! He’s the only person who cares about me! I can’t lose that! I can’t!” Yuri cried out loud, before remembering suddenly that she wasn’t alone in the house, “I must not. I must not bridge the connection between us.” Yuri whispered, to the sympathetic darkness.

“Yuri!” Mrs. Choi shouted, up the stairs, making enough noise to wake the dead, “Hurry up! You are going to be late for work!”

Yuri groaned, opening her eyes to bright nine o’clock sunshine dancing off the walls, “Never mind going to be late, I’m already late.” Yuri muttered grumpily. She had stayed up until past midnight, thinking about Jaejoong until she had finally fallen asleep, exhausted.

“Coming!” Yuri shouted, as she ran around the room frantically, ‘I hope Jaejoong Oppa would understand if I got there a few minutes late.’

“Mom!” Yuri heard Sulli whine as she rushed into the kitchen, “Why does she get to work there?! I want to work at everlasting boutique, too!” Yuri dropped into her seat silently, too tired to retort.

“Darling.” Mrs. Choi crooned, filling Yuri’s bowl with rice, “I already said you can go with Yuri to apply for a job there.”

Sulli pouted, evidently displeased, “But I want to work there instead of Yuri. Why does she always get the best?”

Yuri rolled her eyes, stiffening ‘Welcome to grade three.’

“Sulli!” Mrs. Choi warned.

“Alright, alright. I will go with her.” She pressed her pink lips together. Yuri tried to smile but ended up frowning as she imagined herself working in the same store as Sulli.

“So, this is the place, is it?” Sulli asked, getting out of the black ferrari & surveying the store with narrowed eyes.

“Yes.” Yuri smiled proudly. Everlasting boutique was a beautiful, old-fashioned, oak-wood building. Bright, colorful flowers that Jaejoong had coaxed into bloom were clustered inside the low, white fence. There was even a stone birdbath in the middle & a sound of rushing water prevailed around them. This place was like a world taken straight from a fairy tale.

“It’s so old-fashioned! Nothing like the stores we had in paris!” Sulli complained, strutting up the walkway. Yuri sighed & followed from behind. She would have been horrified had she realized she was hoping unconsciously for Jaejoong to be there.