YURI'S POV

While staring at the eyes of the woman I stumbled with, I didn't notice the seconds that passed by. It's like everything around us has stopped moving except for the wind that gently brushed a strand of hair to her lovely face. My skin felt nothing but her warm hands gently gripping on my arms and all my eyes can see was her. If I didn't hear someone speak, I shouldn't have gotten off my trance.

"Is everything alright, Miss Jung?" That person asked in a feminine voice and a Western accent. I turned my head to where that person stands and saw a lady in her early thirties who was dressed in black. The way she stood and the way she talked made me assume that she's probably working as the gorgeous woman's bodyguard.

"Yes. Everything's fine Reina," the woman called Miss Jung answered in a voice as angelic as her face. Her family name is Korean so I guessed she's the neighbor Mr. Mordeux told me about. "You must be Kwon Yuri," I heard her say few seconds later. I was unable to respond quickly because I was astounded to find out that she knows who I am. Miss Jung smiled at my reaction. But how spellbinding her smile was made me even more surprised. "I'm glad to finally see you out of your room. Chef Mordeux was right when I asked him to describe my neighbor. I'm not going to object because you truly are stunning Miss Kwon."

I was flattered to hear her complimenting me when in fact it was her who deserved such praise. After giving me a short introduction of herself, Miss Jung wished me goodnight and left with the female bodyguard walking behind her.

Jessica Jung. Such name got stuck on my mind that night. No matter how much I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about her. Her image kept flashing on my mind and I can't help but adore every single feature that made up her perfection. And because I stayed up late thinking about her, it was already ten o'clock in the morning when I woke up. I have just finished taking a shower when I heard a knock on my door. When I opened it, I was welcomed by the sight of the beautiful angel I stumbled with last night. Her charming smile can also be seen so my heart pounded like crazy once more.

"Good morning Yuri!" she greeted cheerfully which unintentionally made my lips curve into a smile. "I'm going to eat my lunch at Freddy's. I'm wondering if you'd like to join me. It's my treat," she added excitedly. Although Jessica's family name is Korean, her accent while speaking English is American. I presumed that maybe it's because she didn't grow up in my country nor did she live there for some years. Because if she did, I should have met her before since my parents are acquainted with all the affluent families with the surname Jung. "So? Have a think?" she asked when I remained mum while staring at her.

At first I hesitated to accept Jessica's invitation because her Asian features reminded me of the people I lost. But her mesmerizing beauty and my curiosity with her life story forced me to choke out the words she wanted to hear me say. "Yes. I'd love to."

Jessica's smile became wider because of my reply. She was so happy that she even held my hand. "I'm glad to hear you say yes, Miss Kwon. I'll come back after an hour to fetch you. See you later." With that said, Jessica sashayed back to her room.

"What's happening to you, Kwon Yuri? It was just a simple touch so why were you electrified?" I told myself while looking at my hand which Jessica held earlier. It really confused me why I always feel something different when I'm with her. Does it mean I like her? I am not quite sure if I do because I've never felt this way to a woman before.

"Why do you keep on looking at me?" Jessica asked when she saw me stealing a glance at her for the third time. "Do I have a sauce on my face? Or, would you like to tell me something? Is it about the food? Would you like to order something else?"

"No. It's not like that. I'm just wondering why you're so nice to me. You even reserved the restaurant's VIP area just to have lunch with someone you've just met."

"It's like you're telling me not to trust you easily."

"Huh? N-No. I-It's not what I meant Jessica. I'm just...I'm just curious. We've just met last night. You barely know me but you're already treating me like we've known each other for a long time. A simple lunch by the veranda is just fine with me. You need not to bring me to this exclusive place and pay for everything."

Jessica flashed her spellbinding smile so I made a mental note to get used to it from now on. "It is my way of welcoming you as a new resident of this ship. Most of the people living here are twice older than me hence, I am not comfortable making friends with them. So when I heard that my new neighbor is also twenty eight, I was really happy and looked forward to meeting you on your first day. But sadly, you barely came out of your room. And when you did, I was busy so I didn't get the chance to meet you until last night." She paused and propped her chin with her clasped hands. "Looking at you again this close, I noticed how gloomy your eyes look. I hope it's okay for me to ask why. Do you have something troubling you? We may have just met, but you can tell me anything Yuri."

I don't know what's gotten into me at that very moment. I came to this ship because I'm fleeing from my past and everything that could remind me of it. I also do not wish to talk about my life. But looking at Jessica's eyes and listening to her sincere voice made me want to have someone who'll listen to me and understand why I'm living like a shattered glass. Hence, I did what Jessica encouraged me to do. I told her about my hurtful experiences, starting from the day I lost my father up to the time my fiancé died. She empathized with me and didn't judge the way I coped with my situation. And the next thing I knew was that I'm already secured in her arms. She didn't bother if I stained her clothes with my tears. She allowed me to cry my heart out until all my tears have run dry and my burden felt lighter than before.

Because of that moment at the restaurant, I became more comfortable with Jessica's presence. We agreed to meet everyday, either at my room or at the spot where we first met. We talked about our random experiences when we were just kids. But most of the