Jessica POV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s been 2 weeks since Yuri and I have worked on lyrics together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few days after Taeyeon went home, Yuri ended up leaving for 6 days because of a family emergency.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She was vague about what the emergency was, but it reminded me of when I still lived with Dara and she was absent from her balcony for several days.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A family emergency was her excuse then, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based on conversations I’ve heard Donghae have on the phone with Yoona, I know it didn’t have anything to do with Yoona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But she’s never mentioned having family other than Yoona.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When Yuri returned a few days ago, I asked her if everything was okay and she said things were fine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She didn’t seem to want to share any details, and I’m trying to remind myself that her personal life is none of my concern.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve immersed myself in school, and every now and then, I’ll attempt to write lyrics on my own, but it isn’t the same when I don’t have the music to go along with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri has been home for a few days now, but she’s spent most of her time in her room catching up on work, and I can’t help but wonder if she’s kept her distance for other reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve been hanging out with Donghae a lot and have learned more about his relationship with Bora.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I haven’t had any more interactions with Bora, so as far as I know, she still assumes I’m deaf.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Based on what Donghae has told me, their relationship is anything but typical.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae never met Bora before she moved in 6 months ago, but she’s a longtime friend of Yoona’s.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae says that he and Bora don’t get along at all, and during the day, they live separate lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But at night, it’s a completely different story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He has tried to go into more detail than I care to hear, so I force him to shut up when he begins to overshare.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m really wishing he would shut up right now, because he’s in the midst of one of his oversharing moments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to leave for class in half an hour, and I’m trying to finish reading a last-minute chapter, but he’s intent on telling me all about last night and how he wouldn’t let her take her Hooters uniform off because he likes to role-play, and oh, my God, why does he think I care to hear this?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luckily, Bora walks out of her room, and it’s more than likely the first time I’ve ever been happy to see her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Good morning, Boo,” Donghae says, his eyes following her across the living room. “Sleep well?”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Screw you, Hae,” she says in return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m beginning to understand that this is their typical morning greeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bora walks into the kitchen and glances at me, then at Donghae seated next to me on the couch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She narrows her eyes at him and turns toward the refrigerator.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yuri is at the dining-room table, concentrating on her laptop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“I don’t like how she’s up your all the time,” Bora says with her back to me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donghae looks at me and laughs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apparently, Bora still assumes I can’t hear her, but I’m not finding much humor in the fact that she’s talking about me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She spins around and eyes Donghae.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You think that’s funny?” she says to him. “The girl obviously has it bad for you, and you can’t even respect me enough to distance yourself from her until I’m out of the house?” She turns her back to us again. “First she gives Yuri some sob story so she’ll let her move in, and now she’s taking advantage of the fact that you know sign language so she can flirt with you.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bora, stop.” Donghae isn’t laughing anymore, because he can see how white my knuckles are, clasped around my book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think he’s afraid Bora’s about to get hit upside the head with a hardback.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s right to be afraid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“You stop, Hae,” she says, turning back around to face him. “Either stop crawling into bed with me at night or stop shacking up on the couch with her during the day.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I drop my book onto my lap with a loud slap, then kick my feet up and down against the floor out of frustration, anger, and flat-out annoyance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can’t put up with this girl for another second.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Bora, please!” I yell. “Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Christ! I don’t know why you think I’m deaf, and I’m definitely not a , and I’m not using sign language to flirt with Donghae. I don’t even know sign language. And from now on, please stop yelling when you speak to me!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bora her pretty little head, and hangs open in shock.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She silently stares at me for several seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No one in the room makes a move.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She turns her attention to Donghae, and the anger in her eyes is replaced with hurt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She immediately looks away once the hurt takes over, and she heads straight back to her room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I glance over to see Yuri staring at me, more than likely wondering what the hell just happened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I lean my head back against the couch and sigh.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was hoping that would feel good, but it didn’t feel good at all.