The sun strikes again, highlighting Yoona’s shop around this golden hour, customers come and go as well as Yuri’s thoughts for the whole day. Is she being reminded of Jessica? Or is she going through the degrees of grief? Either way, none of it ever crossed her mind, sisimulan at tatapusin ang kanyang mga araw na may ngiti sa labi, and it’s not because of Jessica. These faces she differently see everyday, brought her the art of letting things flow on its own. Yes, it could have been better if Jessica’s here with her or if Jessica’s proud of her, but she also thought, being alone isn’t so bad at all.

Yes, she misses her, she misses everything about her, she misses the slightest things Jessica does for her; the morning greetings, the sweet goodnights, the everyday image of her flashing right infront of her eyes, Yuri was always thankful for that, thankful at every memory she spent with her love. And it wasn’t so easy to get where she is now, a week after she left, she was just as devastated as she were before, didn't know turning her back against Jessica hurted too, in impler words—shattered her the most.

Thinking about it made her surroundings gloomy, thinking how much Jessica cried that night, still stings. The moment she didn’t do anything to stop her, ached more than ever, but then she thought, maybe it was just right, it was rightful for them to give up. Hindi naman nga lahat ng laban dapat sugurin, hindi lahat ng armas dapat sagarin. Surrendering is not a declaration of defeat, dahil may mga bagay talagang hindi na lang dapat, and that includes them, hindi na sila dapat magpatuloy pa.

Her days was just the same, she had a hard time greeting her mornings, maintaining that smile on her face, until the sun sets at rest. This isn’t a new feeling for her actually, this isn’t something she will definitely cry for a long time.Since she already felt this kind of pain, or let’s say she never got out from this pain. Dumadating at umaalis ang mga araw niyang dala pa rin yung hapdi at sakit, para na silang nakatira sa loob na kulang na lang pakainin at alagaan hanggang sa kusa na silang lumaki rito, para na rin silang mga sugat na paulit-ulit pa ring nagagasgasan hanggang sa paulit-ulit pa rin niyang dadalhin sa gamutan. Nasanay na lang siguro siya sa ganito, nasanay na lang siyang bitbitin yung lungkot, nasanay na lang siyang hindi talaga sila aalis dito.

At hindi naman siya nagrereklamo, these things are something she learned from the years she spent with Jessica, baka nga kasi hindi dapat mawala yung sakit, mababawasan pero kinakailangan pa rin, nawawala pero pinababalik pa rin, maybe these kinds of pain is what you should be living with. Kaya mas kinakaya na lang ni Yuri ang mag-isa, mas kinakaya na niya and mga oras na wala si Jessica at kakayanin pa niya kahit hindi na siya bumalik pa. Being alone after all, bloomed the best out of her.

But she never thought of that day—what if Jessica comes back? What if she tried to win what she lost? What if she wanted it to work out like before, will she ever be ready for it? These thoughts come and go for nth time today, at hindi pa rin niya masagot-sagot kung kaya na ba niya o hindi. And for how many times these questions passed inside her mind, there are seriously no answers for her to find. Sabagay isang linggo pa lang naman ang dumaan, isang linggo pa lang simula nung umalis siya, isang linggo pa lang at mahal niya pa rin naman si Jessica.

“Yung chicken po pakibilisan, iniisip mo na naman si Jessica.” The owner, it’s always been Yoona who comes to save Yuri everytime the burnt aroma touches her senses. Hindi kumpleto ang araw kapag hindi siya nakapagsunog ng pagkain sa natitirang oras niya dito sa kusina. From time to time, Yoona checks up on her, Yoona lets her rest for the last hours of her shift, and she will admit, her simple act of kindness helped Yuri survive this tragic and painful week.

“You know the drill pag minamadali kita, nandyan na naman yung tatlo mong barkada naghihintay ulit na harapin mo sila. Just go talk to them, halos araw araw na silang nandito.” Wala na siyang magagawa dahil hindi naman sila titigil hangga’t hindi niya nilalabas ang tatlong kaibigan. She haven’t said anything to them, she didn’t even inform them about what happened, and Yuri was a hundred percent sure that’s what they want to hear from her on their everyday visit.

“Okay fine, ayusin ko lang yung order at ako na magdadala sa mga ‘yon...by the way, ikaw na ba dyan?” Yuri asked politely and the latter nodded as her response. Her light steps brought her at their direction, Yuri could only smile shyly, it’s been a while ever since they called each other, para siyang walang mukhang maiharap sa kanila pagkatapos ng lahat ng nangyari.

It was a little awkward to sit with them, knowing none from the three knew what happened. But then again, Yuri knows deep down, they wouldn’t judge the decision she made for the them, sila na rin naman ang nagsabing iwan niya si Jessica kahit ano pa ang mangyari.

Sila na rin ang nagsabing tama na, dahil hindi na sila parehong masaya. At first Yuri tried to compose herself, organizing the right words on her head, and just tell them honestly what happened. Until that sound of the chicken’s crispy skin cracked in half, interrupted the well-formulated idea she have in mind, napatingin sila kay Hyoyeon na kanina pa pala walang imik at halos makadalawang kagat muna bago naisipang magsalita.

“Buhay ka pa pala sismars, nga pala, we already heard the news...” Hyoyeon started, she was directly looking at Yuri’s eyes, while the other tries to avoid them, her gazees were so strong, it was hard for Yuri to step up her game. She shouldn’t be suprised about it, pero parang hindi niya ata alam paano sasabihin sa kanila yung nangyari.

“So, how are you? Hindi mo kami sinabihan edi sana nakapag-inom tayo the night after you left her apartment.” Taeyeon said plainly, at para sa kanya, masakit pa ring marinig na wala na sila, masakit pa ring makita na, nasasaktan na naman ang kaibigan nila. It was so frustrating that a single wish they want for Yuri was never granted by the gods in heaven.

“No need, I have work the next day, ayokong pumasok ng masakit ang ulo. But to answer your question, okay naman ako, sanayan na lang siguro dahil matagal na rin akong nasasaktan sa ganong set-up.”  Yuri replied in full honesty, dahil totoo naman, hindi na sila masaya, hindi na rin magagawang ilaban pa. Masakit lang siguro yung akala mo siya na hanggang dulo, pero ihahatid mo lang pala sa ibang tao.

“Eh buti naman natauhan ka na talaga, tagal ka rin naming sinabihan about dyan, akala ko di ka talaga makikipag hiwalay. Though, anong nangyari? Did the two of you settled this properly?” Sooyoung’s statement was almost a joke, tama nga talaga si Taeyeon noon, wala namang naghihiwalay ng maayos, dahil kaya naghihiwalay ang dalawang tao kasi hindi na maayos.

“Nag-away kami, nagkaungakatan ng kasalanan, nagsisihan, and just like that, we broke up, hiniwalayan ko, iniwan ko. And after that, wala na, walang tumawag walang nagtext, we simply settled like that.” Her thoughts started clouding her mind—when will she ever be ready to face Jessica without wanting to come back in her care? Dadating pa ba yung araw na kaya niyang tignan si Jessica nang wala nang pagmamahal?

“Tangina niyo naman, sana nagbreak kayo after ng kasal ko, I’m literally flying back in France para ayusin na lahat ng dapat ayusin, tapos ganyan? Paano ko kayo ihahandle sa araw na ‘yon, myghad ngayon pa lang naiistress na ‘ko.” They were quite shocked to hear the new’s from Sooyoung's so-called wedding, but what