Yuri desribed herself as freedom-lover, asked her what she wanted in life and she would answer the freedom to do anything she wants to do. She is her parents only child, they splurged her with every possible things she wanted to have. An expensive guitar set ? A a costly guitar lesson ? A DJ set ? A 16mm video equipment ? She can have everything she wanted but one thing, her parents precious time. Yuri's parents struggled to maintain their business empire, unlike Taeyeon's family who inherits their family business empire from the first generation, Yuri's parents were the later generation who struggled before finally succeding in their business. Yuri lacked of her parents precious time. She has an abundant amount of energy and time but she was an only child and because her parents were so busy, she dedicated her time elsewhere, to music, movies, books, friends. She has a lot of acquintances, a popular girl whom everyone admire for her charm and liveliness but she found comfort in Taeyeon, her childhood bestfriend whom she looks up to more than anyone. Their personality contradicts each other but it was true that opposites do attract each other. Yuri loves adventures and she would come looking for Taeyeon and spilled her stories about her adventures and Taeyeon would listen intently with notebook in her hand, scribbling Yuri's stories and turned it into an interesting fiction. Yuri was Taeyeon's main character in her childhood's fiction; Yuri the Demon Slayer, Yuri the Knight in a Pegasus Horse, Yuri the Indiana Jones's Rival, Yuri the Intergalactic Police, Yuri the Double Agent. Yuri's father and Taeyeon's father are also the best of friend, their father shared the love for jazz music and would often visited each other and listen to new records while Yuri and Taeyeon would run to their room and create their own adventure. 

Taeyeon and Yuri's common interest also lies in their love for adventure and travelling. They started to travel together since their first year of high school, they travelled the world together. They were a lover of beautiful things, a sensitive soul bounded by appreciation towards Earth's beatiful things. 

Their other common interest were girls. Though they have different types but the outgoing Yuri was more open towards relationship compared to the timid Taeyeon. Yuri didn't mind physical intimacy, and she proved herself to be affectionate, inquisitive, and open-minded lover who love to share pleasure with willing and reciprocative partners and thus she dated a lot and frequently though none of it were serious. On the other hand, Taeyeon approached relationship carefully and quite picky. Yuri bombarded girls to Taeyeon and it wasn't like the girls whom she introduced to Taeyeon didn't like Taeyeon but rather they were bewildered with Taeyeon's timidness and hesitancy to initiate things and most of them back off immediately after the first meeting. 

- - - - 

Yuri travelled to New Zealand, driven by her spontaneous nature. She was the type who get bored easily and after two years of managing her bar and lounge business, she gets so fed up and packed her bag and just jumped to the next airplane boarding to New Zealand. She rented a luxurious apartment at the heart of New Zealand and rented a Mercedes Benz SLK for her to drove around aimlessly. Her days in New Zealand was filled with meeting new people, building friendship and connection, and enjoying her life to the fullest. And one peaceful day in the beginning of winter, Yuri started to miss Korean foods after almost one month staying in New Zealand. She decided to walk to downtown Auckland and visited one of the most famous Korean restaurant in there. Upon arriving, the place was beyond crowded with most of the visitors being Korean. The waitress offered her to share her table with other people who were eating alone if she wanted to have her foods immediately. Yuri scanned the room and just like a force of magnet, her eyes landed on a really cute-looking girl who was sitting alone, eating her ramyun joyfully. The girl was very skinny and she has flawless pearl-white skin with a brown hair and a doe-like eyes. Her face radiated a traditional Korean beauty and Yuri felt Cupid shot her right through her heart. For some people love at the first sight was ridiculous but Yuri didn't care about others standard and paradigm, she cared only about her own view of the world. She quickly told the waitress that she would like to sit with the girl who stole her attention and the waitress arranged them to sit together and so with that occurence, Yuri met Im Yoona, a Korean who've lived for almost eight years in New Zealand. 

They established a friendship, it wasn't easy for Yuri though. Yoona was friendly but she's a closed book that took persistent to get to know. Yoona didn't readily shares her thoughts and feelings to Yuri. But Yuri's persistency and her lively aura tamed Yoona and Yoona started to look at Yuri with admiration. Yoona enjoyed Yuri's company because Yuri always made her laugh and took her to an adventourous journey, a kind of life she never knew before. The fact that they are both an only child sort of smoothened the process of them getting to know each other. When Taeyeon finally arrived at New Zealand, it's been three months since Yuri and Yoona became friend with each other. 

- - --

"How come your best friend is so different in terms of personality with you, Unnie ?" Yoona asked Yuri. They were at Yuri's car, on the way to Yoona's campus. 

Yuri laughed, she knew already that Yoona would ask because it was rather obvious Yuri and Taeyeon was opposite in terms of character and personality. 

"You could say we're two side of a same coin. We actually have a lot in common," Yuri answered Yoona and Yoona nodded with Yuri's explanation. 

"So she likes books, music, movies, and travelling just like you ?"

"Well, not just general books, music, and movies though. We like the same genre of each books, music, and movies. We used to say that we're a lover of all beautiful things in the world that often concealed by day-to-day basis."

"What sort of beautiful things ?"

"Remember when we were at Wellington and I told you I love the sound of the crazy wind in Wellington when they swept of the leafs ? or when I told you I love to see the ray of sunshine that glimmered under the water ?"

Yoona nodded.

"That sort of beauty, Yoong. We're attracted to simple things that most people overlooked. We are  always attracted not by some quantifiable, external beauty, but by something deep down, something absolute. It's almost like we have a secret love for rainstorms, earthquakes, or blackouts."

Yoona chuckled at Yuri's explanation,"In short. You are both poetic."

Yoona always thought that Yuri was amusing and thought-provoking. Behind Yuri's lively, carefree attitude, lies a delicate old soul. Yoona's life has always been plain, ordinary, nothing out of the box. But Yuri came with a different outlook of life and Yoona liked that about Yuri. 

"What do you think about Taeyeon and Jessica ?" Yuri suddenly asked Yoona.

Yoona paused for a second before answering Yuri. She thought that Taeyeon and Jessica look cute together and it's such a disappointment that Jessica already has a boyfriend who soon would become her fiancee.

"I think they look really cute together, don't you think so ?"

"I agree," Yuri chuckled, "But Taeyeon is a fool, I don't think she'll be brave enough to make a move because she's way too well-mannered to make a move to someone who already has a boyfriend."

Yoona nodded again in agreement at Yuri's statement. 

"What if someone like Taeyeon make a move at you ?" Yuri asked Yoona, she concentrated her look at the road, gripping her wheels tightly out of nervousness. 

Yoona smiled, she thought Yuri's question was funny because they hardly ever talk about romantic stuffs and relationship. 

"I think I would like it," Yoona answered. 

Yuri's heart tightened at Yoona's answer, she stayed silent, waiting for more words to come out of Yoona's mouth. She felt quite disappointed with Yoona's answer but more to herself because she was the one who blurted out the question.

"I don't know if I could like a girl. I never like a girl before, or a boy. It's just a funny notion to think that I might like someone. But I could tell Taeyeon Unnie is smart and she's very polite as well. She's exactly the type of person who could probably sweeps me off my feet."

Yuri's face tensed up but she tried to remain lively as usual. 

"So I guess I'm not your type, huh ?" Yuri laughed but she could feel an awkwardness lingered in the air of her laugh. 

Yoona laughed and looked at Yuri. She smiled an absolutely beautiful smile to Yuri that Yuri felt she was about to lose consciousness if she didn't quickly remember she's still driving. 

"I'm way out of your league, Unnie."

"I'm not good enough for you ?", Yuri answered and made a fake sad expression. 

Yoona laughed boisterously and she playfully slapped Yuri.

"Aniyo  Unnie! I'm the one whose not good enough for you. That's why I said I'm out of your league."

Yuri laughed and looked at Yoona in amazement. There she was, completely smitten by Yoona and yet Yoona thought she was out of her league. 

"That's absurd, Yoong."

"What's absurd ?" Yoona asked, seeming to didn't grasp the meaning of Yuri's word. 

"You thinking that I'm too good for you. I'm basically jobless with no college degree and you're the one who will be a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a job waiting for you."

Yoona laughed shyly and Yuri smiled hearing Yoona's laugh. Yuri loved it when she could make Yoona laughed at her, she didn't mind being a joke if it could make Yoona happy. 

"Well Unnie, you're an entrepeneur. You run a succesful business and you're good at what you do even though you don't have a college degree. And what's a degree anyway, it's just a piece of paper."

"Thank you," Yuri said in a calm manner, almost nothing like her who almost always talk in a lively tone and manner. 

"For what ?" 

"For thinking that I'm not some slacker and that I'm worth something as a human being."

Yoona looked at Yuri's direction and smiled, she hardly seen this side of Yuri but sometimes Yuri would show it to her. The side of a gentle, mature Yuri whose actually a sensitive soul, disguised under a cheerful and carefree persona. She always thought Yuri was carefree indeed but she's not irresponsible and immature, Yuri might lost her way once in a blue moon when she's bored but she would snapped back to reality when she was confronted with it. Yuri longed for freedom but she didn't run away from responsibility and Yoona admired that quality. 

Yoona then slowly rested her head on Yuri's shoulder and slipped her arm to intertwined Yuri's arm.

"I think you're a wonderful and beautiful human being."

Yuri's heart pounded wildly. The warmness permeating from Yoona's body seemed to froze her whole being but the core of her very heart. She smiled and looked of the distance, thoughts running wildly at her mind. 

'What does she really think about me ? Does she just see me as an unnie to look up to ? Should I become more clear with my feeling ? That I wanted her to look at me not only as an unnie and friend but as....someone more ?'

She brushed off the thoughts quickly. She lightly Yoona's sleek brown hair and kissed the top of her head gently. Yoona didn't move, she stayed still and snuggled closer to Yuri's arm, her warm cheek brushed upon the fabric of Yuri's black sweater. Yuri was dying to hold Yoona's whole body close to her and feel its warmth. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. All she could do was her hair lightly and occasionaly she would kissed Yoona's head and inhaling the smell of Yoona's sweet shampoo. It was warm and soft and soothing. They stayed like that for quite a minutes until they arrived at Yoona's campus. 

Yoona bid Yuri's farewell and flashed a sweet smile that froze Yuri's body again. Yuri smiled back and by the time Yoona stepped out of the car and gone with the crowds of college students, she felt hollow and lonely. Yuri stayed for a few minutes at her car, she grabbed her phone and dialed Taeyeon's number.

A voice came out of the other line.

"Yoboseyo."

"Buddy, where are you ? Can we meet up ? I just dropped Yoona off at her campus."

"I just had lunch with Jessica. Can you pick us up at her hotel ? I want to show her around if you don't mind."

"Sure. No probs bud. Let's show your lady around," Yuri laughed heartily. Her loneliness slowly faded away with Taeyeon's presence over the phone. Taeyeon blurted out some cursing words and they said goodbye over the phone. 

- - - 

By the time Yuri reached Jessica's hotel, it was nearing sunset. The sky started to darkened on the horizon and the wind blew heavily over Auckland. Yuri quickly spotted Jessica and Taeyeon, they were both looked like in the middle of conversation and she had to agree with Yoona that her best friend does look cute with Jessica. The way they interacted to each other was quite obviously showing that they were both into each other.

"Hop in," Yuri gestured Taeyeon and Jessica who took off their coat once they got into the car. 

"Where to ?" Yuri asked and Taeyeon looked at the back row where Jessica sat. Jessica shrugged off her shoulder, she didn't know either where they should go. 

"How about The Paddington ? The one in Cornell, you remember that place ?" Taeyeon asked Yuri.

"Sure. That place is nice. Do you like wine, Sica ?" Yuri asked Jessica and looked at her through the rear mirror. 

Jessica nodded her head and answered Yuri,"I love wine."

"So does my best friend here," Yuri winked at Jessica still through the rear mirror and Jessica shook of her head in amusement, laughing with Yuri's statement. 

"You love wine as well, Tae ?" Jessica asked Taeyeon, a hint of excitement could be heard from her voice.

"I have a wine collection at home back in Korea," Taeyeon answered, also with a hint of excitement of another possibility of similarity in interests. 

"She has a crazy awesome wine collection, Sica. You should come visit her at Korea, her house is also crazy awesome. Everything about my best friend is crazy awesome."

"Yah! Kwon Yuri !" Taeyeon slapped Yuri's arm and Yuri let out a winning, joyful laugh while Jessica laughed along with her. Jessica found it funny how Yuri seemed to be selling Taeyeon to her and she liked to see Taeyeon's blushing because of Yuri's comment. When Taeyeon blushed, Jessica thought she looked like a kid who got teased about her crush. 

"Where do you guys live in Seoul ?" Jessica asked both Taeyeon and Yuri. 

"I live in a Seongsu-dong, Galleria Foret," Yuri answered Jessica and Jessica exclaimed in surprise,"Seongsu-dong ?! I live in Hillstate."

Yuri opened in surprise,"That's close to my place ! You should come over sometimes," Yuri turned her head to Taeyeon and said,"Buddy, bring Sica to my apartment for dinner."

Taeyeon sighed, sometimes she wanted to kill Yuri for opening too much but she felt relieved at least she didn't see a hint of annoyance at Jessica's face rather Jessica was getting friendlier and more open to conversation. Taeyeon admitted Yuri does have an outstanding magnetism that could turn the atmosphere brighter and make people feel welcomed.

"So where's your crazy awesome house, Tae ?" Jessica then proceeded to ask Taeyeon. She didn't want to leave Taeyeon out in the conversation. Furthermore she's actually afraid that Taeyeon might think she's interested in Yuri since she opened up faster to Yuri than to her. But she felt differences of feeling. To Yuri, she felt comfortable to open up because Yuri a lively person who seemed to be interested in almost anything that anyone say while Taeyeon seemed to be very hard to impress and she couldn't help to feel that she wanted to impress Taeyeon which was why she selectively choose her words when speaking with Taeyeon.

"Hmm..I live in Mark Hills, Cheongdam-dong."

Jessica nodded, she was trying not to be too surprise with the fact that Taeyeon lives in the most expensive apartment in Seoul.

"Cheongdam-dong is not far from Seongsu-dong, so you can see Taeyeon's wine collection, right buddy ?" Yuri chuckled, a mischievous look plastered around her tanned face.

Taeyeon just nodded in annoyance but Jessica managed to said she would love it if she could see Taeyeon's wine collection and Taeyeon just smiled sheepishly, quietly murmuring that she would be very pleased if Jessica paid her a visit. 

After grueling through Auckland's rush hour traffic, they both arrived at the aforementioned place called The Paddington. Taeyeon picked one bottle of wine and Jessica picked another bottle of New Zealand wine because she never tasted New Zealand wine before. Yuri ordered a beer and then she told Jessica how she doesn't like wine because wine tastes too sweet. All three of them engaged in a lively conversation and then at 9 it was time for Yuri to go because she needs to pick up Yoona again. They had one bottle of wine untouched because both Taeyeon and Jessica were already feeling a little bit lightheaded. Taeyeon told Jessica to kept the wine and they were engaged in a battle on who should take the wine until Yuri grew tired and told both of them shewas going to keep the wine and give it to Yoona. 

In the car Jessica broke the silence by questioning Yuri about Yoona.

"So what's going on with you and Yoona ?"

Yuri laughed another infectious laugh and Jessica chuckled because she knew she's succesful in teasing Yuri. 

"I'm taking it slow."

"Too slow for a person like you to be honest," Taeyeon blurted out a comment. 

"She's different," Yuri answered Taeyeon, her calm side once again appeared on the surface and with that Taeyeon knew her best friend was on the verge of falling in love or maybe she already does. 

"How so ?" Jessica asked again, continuing her interrogation.

"I can't describe it clearly but I know from the moment I get to know her that I wanted to know more about her. Her interests, her view on life, her likes and dislikes, her dreams, her daily life, her background. Literally everything," Yuri took a pause, her eyes gazed into the queueing of cars in front of them and there's an aura of subtle sadness permeated through her tanned face,"Honestly. This is a completely strange feeling for me. I never feel like this towards any woman before. My previous relationships never last long because all I care about was how to get into their pants. For me the question of love was irrelevant."

Taeyeon and Jessica stayed silent, they let Yuri poured out her feeling.

"Do you guys ever felt like that before ?"

Taeyeon had but she didn't say anything because she saw Jessica shook her head. Taeyeon had completely, hopelessly, devotedly fell in love before but her love was crushed into a miniscules of atomic heartbreak when the words of rejection came through the thin, delicate lips of Tiffany's. Even years after, Taeyeon could still remember it clearly. The drizzle of the cold Autumn night, the view of Seoul's city lights at the balcony of her apartment, the sweet flowery smell of Tiffany's perfume, and the apologetic look at Tiffany's face. 

"I'm sorry," Tiffany held Taeyeon's hand tightly and Taeyeon felt like she could hear the voice of her heart shattered into the ground. 

Taeyeon remembered Tiffany's wet cheeks when Tiffany buried her face at Taeyeon's neck and the sound of rain dropping slowly at the roof of her balcony. At that moment she felt she was elsewhere but there at the same time. Taeyeon had a tough time recovering from her first love who rejected her. The love whom she kept for almost nine years. But Tiffany was persistence in trying to patch up things again with Taeyeon and slowly Taeyeon started to mend her wounded heart, she would no longer be hurt when Tiffany went out with boys or told her stories about her date night. No pain was felt by her anymore, only a subtle kind of numbness and a damaged hole at her heart each time she saw Tiffany's eyes turned into a crescent-moon shape in excitement. 

"Taeyeon ?" Jessica's voice brought her to the present moment. Jessica put her soft hand at Taeyeon's shoulder and Taeyeon looked up to Jessica and see a genuine worry at Jessica's face. For some reason, Taeyeon felt the damaged hole started to recover each time she looks at Jessica.

"We're here buddy."

Turned out they already arrived at Jessica's hotel. Taeyeon and Jessica procedeed to said good night to Yuri and Yuri told them to call her again tomorrow if they wanted to have some fun. Taeyeon snickered at Yuri's offer of having some fun because she knew Yuri would take them to a crazy adventures that might kill them. 

Taeyeon walked Jessica to the entrance of the hotel and then she said,"I'm going to smoke first, you should go inside," She could see Jessica was freezing. 

Jessica hesitated and then she said,"Can I keep you company for a while ?"

A little smile could be seen at Jessica's face although her gleaming beautiful face still plastered with a worry look she had earlier in the car when Taeyeon's spacing out. 

"You can but you have to use my scarf. You're freezing to death," Taeyeon pulled off her scarf and put it around Jessica's neck gently.

Jessica smiled, she's glad Taeyeon let her to spent more time with Taeyeon because she felt like she didn't want the day to end. She felt like she wanted to talk to Taeyeon until the morning came and with that many hours, she knew she would be still engrossed with whatever words and stories that came out of Taeyeon's mouth.

"Are you okay, Taengoo ?"

Taeyeon snorted and laughed,"Taengoo ? How on earth you come up with that name."

Jessica laughed, she felt glad that she made Taeyeon laughed because Taeyeon had been really quiet and seemed to space out in the car.

"I just thought it sounded cute. It fits your image. Don't you think it's cute ?"

"And what kind of image do I have in your head ?" Taeyeon smiled, she did think it's a cute nickname, especially when Jessica was the one who said it. She felt sort of special and more intimate because Jessica called her with a nickname.

"A dorky kid," Jessica chuckled. Her laughter filled Taeyeon's ears like music and suddently the cold winter night seemed to be not so cold anymore.

"Does an image of me as a dorky kid makes you happy ?"

Jessica nodded excitedly and Taeyeon laughed seeing Jessica's reaction. They both fell into laughter for a while until they stayed silent again. Taeyeon's ciggarete has died off and they both knew it's time to parted away. Taeyeon looked on the ground, she's trying to find the right words to convey her desire to spend time again with Jessica tomorrow. She wanted to tell Jessica that she had a really nice time today but was dry and words couldn't come. Taeyeon prayed, she never prayed but she prayed at that time, she prayed that God granted her wish to be able to spend more time with Jessica. And her pray was answered.

"May I see you again tomorrow ?" Jessica shyly asked, she played with her hair out of habit and the she reached for Taeyeon's scarf at her neck,"I think I'm going to keep this scarf so I can see you again tomorrow."

Taeyeon smiled, she beamed a pleasant smile at Jessica. Half-amused an one hundred percents happy that God answered her prayers. 

"I think you're going to see me not only tomorrow but more days to come. Can you still stand being around me ?" Taeyeon threw a joke at Jessica to ease her own nervousness. 

"I'll be waiting," Jessica's short but clear answer resonated in Taeyeon's head.

As they said good night, Taeyeon walked half off the ground to her car. For a long time in many years, she once again felt how time was relative and how a night could feel like a thousand years when she nervously wait in excitement for the morning to come.