In Between Love (Special Chapter)

As if thing happened in previous hour has never existed, the atmosphere of a room is now far different from how it was an hour ago, peace is returned, voice drowns, more room to breathe. It has been several minutes after a group of people left, allowing the two remaining occupants their privacy, the room remains quiet welcoming the necessary silence when none of the two hasn’t initiated the conversation, only unspoken words are exchanged from their gazes through a mirror. A taller figure standing behind today most gorgeous woman, seated in front of a mirror, dressed up in pastel pink dress, light natural make-up doesn’t cloud her shine a bit, it just looks perfect and she looks so much beautiful than ever.

A slim hand is placed on a shoulder of a woman sitting there for quite a long while or three hours to be exact ever since the moment a team of make-up artist team started to put on their work of art on her face, and hair. A genuine compliment is given, “You’re so beautiful today, Jess”

It’s not like a Jessica doesn’t know how to take compliment properly, but words like “thank you ”, is needless between them, sometimes even they say nothing at all but it’s understood between sisters, and family doesn’t much words to begin with. Jessica smiles and her reflection is seen by a person behind her.

Smile once again appears on Hyomin’s face, still her heart is somehow, feeling weird yet happy for her most precious person, her wonderful sister.

Jessica gently rubs the back of Hyomin’s hand sitting on her shoulder as she tiles her head a bit, chewing the bottom of her lip, she can’t quite tell whether it’s the overwhelming feeling or her over excitement that causes her anxiety, she feels a lump on and it just happens when single tear pools up in her eyes. Hyomin is quick to notice.

“Aw, why are you crying?” Hyomin kinda expects it, still she doesn’t want to see her sister crying, not after she looks so perfect for her day. Hyomin lowers herself from a standing position so she can look at her sister in the eyes, calming her down

“I don’t know” Jessica answers, sensitive and childish. It earns an amused laughter from her younger sister who soon gets a light slap on her arm for laughing at her.

“Don’t ruin you make-up, it took them forever to make you look this perfect, it won’t worth your hour nagging, and you won’t want to look less beautiful than Tiffany” Hyomin teases, her thump carefully and gently cleans up the droplet at the corner of her older sister’s eyes. Her same older sister from back then, same old Jessica, a cool and smart woman she looks up to, and at the same time, a warm and sensitive sister Hyomin could ever wish for. Hyomin can’t be more grateful to a person who brings back her sister, while makes her a happier person.

“I’m nervous”

“No doubt but everything will be fine and you know that … a bride to be”

“Hyomin ah” Jessica whines, shy, instead of saying more word of comfort, Hyomin just let her bright smile relax a nervous woman, which it works when Jessica smiles back. After making sure that Jessica doesn’t smear her make-up, and she still looks perfect as she is, Hyomin retreats her hand away, and then she slowly forms an open arm for a hug , a solace, Jessica is looking for in one and only family she has left, a person she wants to share her joy and celebration with, on this most wonderful day, the best day of her life, her wedding day, “ I’m so happy for you, Jess”, and now it’s Hyomin’s turn, who is even though considered less sensitive, sheds her happy tear.

“She was born for pink” Admiring smile is sending its way to a person being mentioned, and Jiyeon knows who her girlfriend is exactly talking about even though all of them dressed in pastel pink today, her gaze falls upon a couple standing a fair distance, she can still tell which one of the two Hyomin directs to, Jessica and Tiffany with their glasses of champagne in their hand cross arms toasting to their very few friends, more like Tiffany’s friends. Taeyeon seems to enjoy her drinks quite a lot, she is here with someone, called Yeri, if Jiyeon remembers it right, and Jiyeon’s eyes dash to a tall figure, she wonders what Sooyoung’s joke is all about to make Taeyeon laugh her signature laughter, loud and happy, she can’t help but smiles along.

“You don’t look any less prettier in it too” Jiyeon turns to a woman beside her, while Hyomin has a side glance at her girlfriend sending her a gentle smile before returning to memorize the view before her. “I can’t believe Jessica is getting married”, Her voice is that one mixed with sweet and touched feeling, Jiyeon tiles her head watching Hyomin’s every move, every gesture about this woman reminds her of her own existence, knowing that she lives to love her. It has been five years with her, a person who made Jiyeon stop right where she is now, where she belongs. “ They are a perfect match”, Jiyeon’s arm, one which is not busy holding a glass of wine, making its way to secure around Hyomin’s waist. “Aren’t we?” Hyomin rests her head on Jiyeon’s shoulder, their same heights just make everything so right.

“Of course we are” Jiyeon responds.

If they aren’t then who else. All those years of their journey together, they become each other’s happiness, joy and support. However, it’s evitable that they had to go through some fights here and there, but at the end of the day, they know they care for each other way too much than to allow the argument to get on their ways or unnecessarily upset one another too long, they always make it up or mend things before more damage takes place.

Back in two years ago, there came one of the most supposedly disagreement between Jiyeon and Hyomin that they never thought they would ever be having, it was about moving in together. By that times, they had been together for 3 years and at some point, Jiyeon was confident that Hyomin wanted the same thing she wanted too, judging from how comfortably Hyomin would stay over with her time to time but she was wrong.

“Jiyeon, I think I’m not ready to move in yet” Hyomin was reluctant, she tried hard to make her refusal sound less bitter, but she knew she couldn’t save Jiyeon from her disappointment judging from her expression that she failed to hide.

Jiyeon remembered how disappointed she was at that time, she was unreasonably sad and hurt, when all her expectation went crumpling down, all the thing she pictured went all wrong and she failed like she never did before.

“That’s alright, I get it” Jiyeon could only mutter, she couldn’t make it worse when she witnessed confusion and apology written in Hyomin’s face.

“Jiyeon, I’m sorry, but can we wait a little longer?”

“Sure” Jiyeon forced a smile, but Hyomin knew she wasn’t fine.

Raised up differently, Jiyeon wasn’t deeply bonded with her sibling, unlike Hyomin and Jessica, she wasn’t really connected to home, or in other words, she didn’t feel it for quite a long time since her mother gone, which was a main reason why she once went downhill living a messed up life and went overseas. Though she told Hyomin she understood but the truth was Jiyeon couldn’t quite relate to it, she thought Hyomin loved her enough to move in with her.

It took them couple days afterward to think it over, both Jiyeon and Hyomin gave each other space.

“This is not very funny, Jiyeon” Hyomin was indeed worried when her girlfriend didn’t answer her phone all day long, it was the third day after their talk, at first she thought she would need more time, but she couldn’t get herself together knowing Jiyeon was so distant, she didn’t talk to her like usual, not even message and worse now she didn’t answer her phone. Hyomin went looking for Jiyeon at her place only to find Jiyeon sleeping on her bed, and it wouldn’t cause them any trouble if she didn’t see Jiyeon’s stuff all over the place, with couple of giant suitcase stood in the middle of the room, well packed. Hyomin sat there at the edge of Jiyeon’s bed waiting for the latter to wake up, several possible question ran to Hyomin’s mind, and anxiety kicked in. She didn’t know how long she stared at Jiyeon until her girlfriend blinked her eyes indicating that she finally woke up.

“Eh, why are you here?” Either she wasn’t fully awake or it was seldom to wake up to see Hyomin there, Jiyeon greeted Hyomin, confused and surprised.

“You didn’t answer my phone so I came” Hyomin looked away, so Jiyeon couldn’t predict her mood, she sat up and stretched out tiredly.

“I stayed up all night, I just got some sle…”

“Why did you pack?”

Hyomin’s voice was thicken cut in before Jiyeon could finish her statement, a question was ringing like bug buzz to Jiyeon while Hyomin already went far overthinking of any possibilities, Jiyeon’s gaze followed where Hyomin was looking at, her two suitcases, with some stuff lying on the floor.

Jiyeon kept silent, it wasn’t what she planned to do though. And it was probably a side of effect of inadequate sleep, her head was all frenzy, and for a minute she forgot about it too.

“Do you plan to go somewhere without telling me?” Hyomin shot another question, she turned around with unreadable expression that warded Jiyeon off

“Ah ..Yeah” Jiyeon was still in her trance, she stuttered and her head was slow, she remembered packing last night “I did pack …” by the time she got her an answer, she only realized that Hyomin was walking half way leaving her room while her back was facing her.

Jiyeon hated it, hated seeing Hyomin walking away. Something she would trade everything just to prevent it from happening. Jiyeon jumped off her bed, got to Hyomin.

“Why are you walking away?” Jiyeon grabbed Hyomin’s hand. “Aren’t you here to see me?” Jiyeon’s voice was full of begging than the question.

“Yes, I’m here to see you, to check on my girlfriend because I was worried about her not answering my phone. I’m relieved to see you are ok, but I didn’t see this coming, Jiyeon” Hyomin took it out, she didn’t turn around to look at Jiyeon, “You were leaving, and you didn’t bother to tell me ?” Hyomin tries to surpass her emotion.

“Wait, I didn’t say I was leaving” Jiyeon corrected.

“With your half apartment empty and you not having told me you planned to go somewhere, what would you put into word?” Hyomin now turned to face Jiyeon, her eyes were getting red, and it wasn’t hard to tell that she was fighting back her tear. Jiyeon felt her heart ache, a burden fell upon her.

“First of all, I’m sorry” Jiyeon held Hyomin’s hand tight, as though to hold on her last chance.” But please listen to me till the end” She begged. Jiyeon knew Hyomin was reasonable and she took her silence as a permission to continue.

“I just got everything dealt last night, and by then it was already 1 am in the morning, I didn’t want to wake you up, plus I was so excited so I started, em, packing until 6 this morning” Jiyeon started to explain.

“Got everything dealt?” Hyomin frowned

“Yeah” Jiyeon responded with one word answer then she grinned like idiot, Hyomin got more confused.

“I’m moving in with you” Jiyeon broke the news loud and clear as if announcing an award, she clearly saw Hyomin frown harder, her girlfriend formed a word at , but it didn’t come.

“Jessica unnie allowed me to move in” Huge grin spread across Jiyeon’s face

That was when Jiyeon learned how it was like to return home seeing family-like members which sometimes including Tiffany, Jessica’s girlfriend at time, at dining table. How lively life could be to bicker with her girlfriend’s sister on little silly things over breakfast, which most of the time Jessica won with the support from her younger sister. How she could laugh about Sooyoung’s sarcastic jokes after a stressful day, how special she felt when they asked for her opinion on things, and honored she was to become a part of her most loved person’s family. All those little things, Jiyeon had never been filled up, she was truly welcomed and naturally included in this family and Jiyeon found where she belonged.

“It’s time to get our own place” Hyomin speaks while her head still rests on Jiyeon’s shoulder, she enjoys watching a newly-wed couple moving in sync, leading by waltz step underneath the bright moonlight on the designated dance floor. Jiyeon doesn’t respond because they both know what the answer is, instead, she plants a soft kiss on Hyomin’s silky hair that she doesn’t remember when, but by now she loves this shampoo scent so much.

One of the most valuable lesson Jiyeon practically has learnt love is to meet each other half way, so it’s not too tiring when both of you lead a different lifestyle, and it’s best to bend into one another’s life over time. Now she knows she’s gonna miss this homey vibe.

"Shall we dance?” Jiyeon asks, Hyomin moves her head away allowing Jiyeon to stand up, taking her by the hand and leads her to the dance floor.

If Jiyeon feels honored to be part of Hyomin’s life, then Hyomin would feel so lucky to have Jiyeon as another part of her, a faith in love she once lost, Jiyeon has brought it back to her.

They join Jessica and Tiffany on the dance floor, which now Taeyeon and Yeri are also there. Song after song, they are tirelessly rotating the dance couple ,there are times that they switch the dance couple between Jessica and Jiyeon, Tiffany and Hyomin , while other times , Hyomin pairs up with