Following the events after the intense argument, Jessica felt more fatigued than normal. She slept for hours on end, and she barely got up, unless it was to eat or answer the door for her friends. Yuri suggested that she go to the doctor at least to check up on her health, but Jessica insisted that she only need rest. And it was true, she was just exhausted, day by day.  

Tiffany, on the other hand, was a whole new situation that had her friends panicking. Out of nowhere, it was like something was siphoning the cheerfulness from her personality. The shine that normally radiated from her eyesmile was gone, and the way she smiled seemed different than it used to be. Taeyeon was concerned for her friend and constantly checked in on her to be sure that she was feeling okay. Tiffany only said that school was stressing her out.       

After all, how can you not get stressed out when your "soulmate" is in class with you, but you act like you don't know it. 

The two girls went about their days as the normal girls they were. School, hanging out with friends, home, homework. What was different were the sleepovers, the hours spent at the other's house, the spontaneous night trips, the closeness. And neither girl wanted to confess that they missed it.

So Jessica decided it be better for her to move on (as much as she could), and try to give Tiffany her space. Which, to her, as absurd because Tiffany was the one that Jesica had to pry from her waist all the time. 

So, the clocks don't always work. Jessica thought as she sat at her desk in her room, chin in her hands as she stared out her window. I wonder if any of my other friends are in my position but not telling me.  

It was weird or Jessica to be thinking so deeply on this. She wasn't known to be the type of girl that chased after romance, rather, she was the one who avoided it like it was the plague. Jessica was happy and content as they were before, with no strings attached, but now she felt.. almost empty. 

Ugh, whatever, She scoffed and sat back in her chair, I'll live. I just gotta... wait.

The next day, Jessica trudged through the school hallways with that Jessica look on her face. (You know the one.) She could hear the patter of heavy footsteps, and it was like she could already tell who was going to pounce on her.

Sure enough, there  was a squeal,  and then a back hug that almost knocked her off her feet. "Morning Sica!" The voice sang.

Jessica turned her head to the side and smiled. "Good morning, Hara." 

"What's up?" Hara smiled and left her arm draped around Jessica's shoulder as they continued to walk down the hallway.

"Nothing much. Dreading class. What about you?"

"Ahh, same thing." Hara waved her free hand in her face with a groan, "Why don't we just skip today?"

Jessica raised an eyebrow and looked at Hara jokingly. "You know, as lazy as I am, I still like good grades." Hara rolled her eyes and shrugged. 

"What's one day of no classes? C'mon, it wouldn't hurt." Hara just flashed a smile and Jessica tilted her head with a blank stare. She thought about it; really, how could it hurt? She could do with a break, a distraction. 

"Yeah, sure. Let's go." Jessica shrugged. Before Hara even replied, Jessica felt a yank on her arm, and the two of them were already speeding offf campus.

The class was still as loud as usual, considering Sooyoung and Hyoyeon were seat mates, but Tiffany still noticed that one seat was empty, even if she convinced herself everyday that there was no need to look at that one seat.

Jessica was absent from class, which, surprisingly, was unusual. She was a diligent student, even if she slept a lot. Tiffany leaned forward and tapped Yuri's shoulder.

"Hey, Yul.." Tiffany mumbled, "Do you know where Jessica is?"

Yuri turned her head and puckered her lip out. "Ah, no. She probably overslept. Don't you always know where she is?" She joked lightly. Tiffany puffed air out of her nose and shook her head. "Not all the time." She smiled, but as soon as Yuri turned around, it was gone.

The whole school day, Jessica wasn't seen around campus. At least, by Tiffany, she wasn't seen on campus. No one really paid any mind; people were absent all the time. But Tiffany felt uneasy, and a bit more saddened than usual. She was getting tired of feeling this-- but all she could do was ignore it. 

So, she let days and nights pass, but the feeling was unchanged. 

How long has it been? It wasn't like they were counting... but its been three weeks since Jessica and Tiffany have spoken to each other. its not that they were intentionally ignoring each other- its just that Jessica was always out. With Hara.

Tiffany always saw them walking to class together, laughing over quiet jokes and sharing food with each other during lunch breaks. Tiffany loved Hara, they were close friends. But at the moment.. why did she feel like plopping herself right between the two, breaking their intimate space with a bright smile and a "can I help you?"

Jessica, on the other hand, still saw Tiffany walking to class with her group of friends, smiling, laughing, and being followed by lovesick, hopeful boys that stared at their watches as they walked. They didn't know that what they were doing was futile; Tiffany's watch was stopped, she didn't care, and she wasn't any their soulmates. 

The thought alone saddened Jessica. Tiffany seemed to be doing just fine without her while Jessica constantly beat herself up over it. 

"You're zoning out again." Hara laughed as she waved her hand in front of Jessica's eyes. Jessica blinked multiple times before focusing on her friend next to her. "Oh," She laughed, "How surprising."

Hara smiled and went back to splitting her meal, and Jessica went to split hers as well.

Tiffany sat at home, body pillow between her legs, squeezing it tightly to her as she stared at the boring laptop in front of her. Her house was quiet. She wasn't even playing music from her laptop. Just the soft wind outside was what made her aware of the silence. 

It's been four weeks without having Jessica over, not hearing her soft snores, her high pitched laughs, her dolphin-like screams whenever they watched a scary movie. And now, this was something Tiffany accepted; she missed it terribly. 

Rather than continue wallowing in her own pity, Tiffany stood from her bed, dressed in warm clothes, and left her house to go on a refreshing walk.

Tiffany breathed out a foggy breath as she watched the lights of store signs flicker on and off. There were many people out for a walk tonight, and cars filled the streets. It wasn't that cold, Tiffany thought, but the night was dark and stars were shining brightly in the sky. 

Tiffany decided to stray away from the streets and took a little detour through a small park. The park was significant to her; she and Jessica would come here since their younger days to pass time or relieve stress. 

The girl trudged through the park, shuffling her feet along the grass and listening to the gravel sift beneath her steps. The sound calmed her if only for a bit, when she heard the sound of metal creaking against each other within the park. She looked up, and to her surprise, someone had beat her to the swings. The figure kicked their feet into the bark, gently swaying the swing that freaked with every move. Tiffany huffed in irritation and went to go sit elsewhere in the park- but she stopped. 

She recognized those glasses. She knew that bun. She knew the way their side profile hung low, with that sharp nose and those plump lips.

Tiffany was pressured into turning back, going home, or finally coming to face the problem that's been eating away at her for weeks.

So Tiffany took a step forward. The gravel shifted. A wind blew by. And the person on the swings looked at her. 

"Oh." Was all that came out off their mouth. Tiffany let her head hang low as she sat on the swings next to them- next to Jessica- and folded her hands. 

"It's been a while since we've come here." Tiffany whispered under her breath, like this spot was a secret to be kept. Jessica looked over at her, her expression unchanged. "Yeah, it has." She hummed as she looked at the stars, hands folded within her lap. 

The silence between the two of them made them uneasy. Neither girl had the slightest idea of what to say. 

Then a voice filled with desperation spoke up.

"I hate this!" 

Jessica looked at the other girl, surprised at her sudden outburst. 

"I hate these clocks, I hate this system," Tiffany continued, her voice strong yet breaking. "I hate.. I hate myself..."

Tiffany had finally cracked. Right in front of Jessica, and Jessica was stunned. parted as if she were to say something, anything, but.. nothing came to mind. All she did was stare at the beautiful girl next to her, with glistening tears streaming down her blushed cheeks. 

"I told you that I didn't want this- us-" Tiffany inhaled deeply, "But I see you with Hara, and my chest burns. I dont like seeing you with someone else, seeing intimacy between you and someone..." That isn't me. 

This sounded selfish, and Tiffany knew it. But how else was she supposed to act? In a moment of desperation, you say whatever comes to your mind.

Jessica's eyes began to blur. "I'm.. sorry.." She choked out, but irritation soon took over. "But- what was I supposed to do, Tiff? You didn't want me-- now you're saying you dont want me to be with someone else--" She looked straight into the girl's eyes, and the sight knocked the wind from her chest.

"How much more do I have to go through before you're finally happy?"  

Tiffany swallowed her tears as these words hit her where it hurt. Oh, god, she made Jessica suffer. She's been silently battling this war inside her all this time. 

Tiffany was speechless. She felt so terrible, like a monster- how could she?

"I never liked Hara."

Now, she looked up. Jessica was gazing at her with the same empty eyes; but something was returning. 

"I never saw Hara in a way that I see you." Jessica inched her swing closer to Tiffany, so that her hushed voice would be heard amidst the howling wind. 

Tiffany's breath hitched in . She didn't know whether to smile or cry. 

She looked at the floor and decided that crying was what was going to happen. Tears dripped from her eyes, but Jessica took hold of her tear-stained cheeks and guided her to her eyes. They stared at each other with a level of intimacy that made both of them lose their state of minds. They felt drunk-- intoxicated with each other's presence. 

"I want this." Tiffany's voice cracked when she spoke, "I want you." She took hold of the hand on her face and squeezed. Jessica swallowed; was so dry. "You do? Truly?"

"Yes." Tiffany brought them closer, and the chains creaked, "Now."

A smile grew on Jessica's face, and she sighed. Seeing Tiffany's face so close, hearing those words fall from made her head spin.

Their clocks beeped once more, and then came silence. Now, their time was here, and the two of them couldn't be happier. 

Hello, my loyal JeTi lovers. How'd you like this story? Any suggestions for things to add? Make this longer? I'd love feedback. Thank you guys for waiting, and thank you for reading!