“Why are you nice to me, Choi Siwon?” Jessica repeated.

             “Because I like you.” His honest answered make her fluttered. He shot a shy quick glance at her, “I like to be nice to you. Why, you don’t like it?” He looks at her. Jessica hesitates to answer him back.

            “Are you this nice to every girl you like?” She asked. She find herself disturb think about his wedding day.  

            Siwon shook his head lightly, “No, just you.” Jessica shyly smiles with her head down.

            Suddenly her face expression change when Kris confession pops in her head. A short pauses between the two of them as the horse trail along the trails.

            “I like you, Jessica. I like you a lot. –Kris.”

            Kris voice continues to echo in her head. She’s happy her love is finally return, but at the same, hurt and frighten. She doesn’t want to hurt Tiffany.

            Seeing her space out, “Is there something wrong?” He asked.

            “I want—Can I ride the horse myself.” Jessica quietly said.

            Siwon understood and stop the horse—get off—and handed her the rope. Jessica grabbed the rope and gently kicks the side of the horse; pacing slowly. Siwon follows by foot. An employee runs up to him with the horse, but Siwon reject, signaling him to leave. For the next ten minutes, it was quiet trail at night with lights surrounding the field. He looks at her, trying to read her from the back, but fail to do so. He sighed and looks back down at the ground.  

            Jessica stop the horse and pull the rope to the left—turning the horse around. “Choi Siwon.” She called him. Siwon looks up at her. Is love painful?” Her questioned left him clueless.

            Siwon wasn’t sure what she meant by “painful” but he did get the clue something is bothering, someone is making an impact on her, someone that she possibly have strong feeling for.

            “I like this man for so long, but I can’t have him because he’s with someone else that is important to me. I can’t hurt her.” Jessica continues. “But when he tells me he like me back, I was really happy, but scare at the same time.”

            Listening to her, keeping the positive face; he was truly hiding his sadness from her. He felt deeply hurt for the first time again in his life since the day his parent died in an accident.

            “What should I do, Choi Siwon?” Jessica begs for help.

            Siwon force a smile on his face, “If you love someone deep enough, then you should fight for it in a righteous way. There is no boundary in love. If you and him are destine to be together, then don’t let go.” Speaking in a calm tone when, in fact, he wish those words remain inside of him.  “If loving someone is a foolishness, then be that foolish person…just like me.”

            Wipe a tear away, Jessica gazes softly at him, mesmerizes in his eyes. Thinking what he meant by his last sentence, it was as if it was meant for her. Siwon quietly sighed then walks up to her. He grabs the rope and walk along the trail beside her and the horse through the long night.

* * *

            Four hours later, Siwon drop her off at her house. He turn off the engine, walk around the car and to he passenger door, he open it for her and her to the front door.

            Both of them come to a stop in front of the door. “Thank you for tonight.” Said Jessica. “It was really fun tonight.”

            “No problem. I’m glad you had fun.” Said Siwon. “If you need someone to talk too or keep you company, you can always come look for me.”

            Mrs. Jung came running to the front after hearing a car engine turn off in front of the house. Mr. Jung and Tiffany pursue closely behind her. Mrs. Jung opens the door and sees Siwon and Jessica shyly looking at each other.

            “Why are you with him? Where have you two been?” Mrs. Jung flooded them with questions. “Did you know I worry sick about you? You could at least notify me, appa, or Tiffany that you would be gone.” She was a little upset by Jessica absent before the cake surprise.

            “I’m sorry for taking her away.” Siwon apologized with a light bowed. “She didn’t happy, so I thought I bring her somewhere for fun.”

            “Fun?” Mrs. Jung said with her arms crossed. “What fun could it be this late at night?”

            By the tone and her action, Siwon knew she misunderstood them, thinking they done something else inappropriate.

            “Omma!” Jessica pouted.

            “Yobo, stop it. Why do you have to make it so complicated? They didn’t do anything. You’re just thinking too much.” Said Mr. Jung.

             “I’m thinking too much?” Mrs. Jung raised her eyebrows at him. “She’s 18 and he’s 40 something.”

            “I’m 36.” Siwon corrected her.

            “It doesn’t matter. You are two decades older than her.” Said Mrs. Jung rudely.

            Siwon uncomfortably looks down. Jessica worry glance at him, yet praying for her mom to stop scolding at him.

            Mr. Jung ignore her and warmly smiles at Siwon.” Thank you for bringing her home safe.” He said. Siwon warmly smiles. “Donghae and Krystal were looking for you.”

            “Thanks.” Siwon warmly smiles at Mr. Jung. “Have a good night.” He politely bows to the family before walking back to his car.

            The family walks into the house and Mr. Jung closed the door. Jessica turns and faces her mom, “Omma, why did you yell at him? Nothing happen between us.”

            “Jessica, you’re out late with an older man.” Said Mrs. Jung.

            “He’s a gentleman.” Jessica defensively said.

            “I don’t know. I don’t trust him. He have been divorce twice already.” Mrs. Jung continues her mistrust talk.

            “Yobo, enough already. He’s good friend of mine and I trust him.” Mr. Jung helping Jessica out.

            Mrs. Jung sighed, “Why can’t you be like your sister, find a man like Kris.”

            Jessica upsetly pouts and walks up to her room.

            “Jessica!” Mrs. Jung called her, but Jessica ignores her.

            “Omma, stop it already. I think she had a rough day already.” Said Tiffany.

            Mr. Jung minding his own business and walks away again. Tiffany’s cellphone rings, she answers the call.

            “Hi Kris.”

            “Hi, is Jessica home yet?” Kris asked.

            “Yes she is now. Siwon just brought her home.”

            “Siwon? Who is he?” Kris nosily asked.

            “Siwon’s is my appa friend. They’ve known each other for a very long time. We attended his wedding in Paris remember?”

            “Oh.” Kris said in an uncomfortable tone. “It’s late, you should rest.”

            Tiffany smiles. “I will, you too, okay?” She said in a sweet tone.

            “Good night.” Kris said before hanging up the phone.

             Tiffany ended the call and give her mom a kiss before walking up to Jessica’s room. Knocking a couple times before she enter and sees Jessica sitting at the end of her bed.

            “What’s wrong?” Tiffany asked as she walks up to him.

            “Nothing.” Jessica said in a sad tone. “Just tire.”

            Tiffany take a seat beside her on the bed, “Jessica, honestly answer me this.” She said. Jessica turn and look at her. “Is there anything going on between you and Siwon?” She asked.

            “What?” Jessica puzzlingly looks at her. “What do you mean?”

            “Is there anything, any sparkles happening between you and him? I mean it seem like you and him are really close.” Said Tiffany.

            “No.” Jessica unsurely said. “I—I…”

            “You don’t know?” Tiffany tilted her head to the left a little as she looks at Jessica. “You look very comfort with him around. Let me ask you this, does your heart flutter when you’re around him?”

            Jessica paused and rethink the moment her heart flutter when he’s in front of her. This brought her back to when she first met him at a hotel in Paris and when was alone with Siwon in the mansion.

            “Jessica, you only live once, so you need to make clear. You need to know what your heart want.” Said Tiffany as she slides her bang to the side. “Times do not wait for you.” After saying so, she stands and plant a kiss on her head before leaving the room.

            The door shut, leaving Jessica sitting on her bed, thinking and confuse. Her computer screen brightens with a ding. Jessica looks to the left and sees a message from Kris. She walks over to the compute—sat on the chair—and open the message. She reads it.

            “Jessica,

            Are you home? Where did you go? Why didn’t you tell anybody you were gone? I’m worry about you…. Beside, I want to let you know the night after Tiffany performance I will end the relationship…”

            Before she finishes reading the message, Jessica immediately reply.

            “No you can’t.”

            “I will. Jessica, I know who is in my heart. I can’t keep lying to myself. I can’t keep lying to her.”

            “You can’t! She loves you.”

            “But I love you. Jessica, please don’t make it any harder for us to be together. I like you and I want to be with you.”

            Jessica body stiffens after the last message. Her heart ache both pain and happiness. She’s really lost. A part of her want to be with him, yet another part of her does not.

            “If loving someone is a foolish, then be that foolish person… just like me.” Siwon words suddenly whispers in her head. Somehow, unknowingly somehow she thought of him. Tonight, she had shared a secret with him, a secret she have never shared with any one but him. Could it be that he have hold a special position in her heart?

            “Jessica, I know you like me too…. So I must end this relationship with Tiffany. I can’t keep hiding my feeling for you.”

            Puzzle by her own feeling, she did not reply back to him, instead, ended the message by shutting her computer down. Jessica walks over to her bed, lies down on her bed, and hugs her stuff bear about her size. Her cellphone vibrate and ring at the same times, but she ignores it and let herself drift through the night.

To be continue……………………