Chapter 35

Yulti’s house

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Fany-ah?” Yuri asked as the two best friends were in Tiffany’s bedroom, packing up her stuff for the move. After talking to Yoona about the situation at the hospital, they decided that it was best that Tiffany and Yuri’s house will be their house because it has two bedrooms. Plus, they want the bigger house which is Yoona’s house for their friends staying. Even though Tiffany had said that she understood the situation but Yuri couldn’t help but feeling guilty about indirectly ‘kicking her best friend out’.

“Aigoo… how many times more are you gonna ask me this question Yuri-yah? I told you, I’m 100% fine.” Tiffany let out a frustrated sigh. “100%.” The girl repeated in English, “Besides, it’s just gonna be one or two weeks max. I know your parents, they are not gonna stay here that long.”

“I hope so too…”

“How did Yoona take this?”

“Better than I thought, maybe she knew Yong appa’s evil side better than I do. She seems apologetic about it too.”

”So… she agreed to move in with you?”

“Not entirely. She knows now that my parents are expected to move in with us in one week but there’s Jessica’s feelings to consider so Yoona told me that she will stay with me as much as she can without making my parents suspicious.”

“Where is she now?”

“At her house, I think? She needed to move her stuff here also. Wait, what’s with you and all the Yoona’s questions? When did you start to care about her?”

Tiffany just simply shook her head, “Just curious…” She turned away from Yuri, decided to drop the topic.

Yuri scrunched her eyebrows in confusion. Before, Tiffany rarely mentioned Yoona’s name in front of her let alone asking about her whereabout or her feelings. Just a few days ago, her best friend still completely hated the girl but now she was talking about her in a soft and calm tone. What had gotten into her? A curse? Yuri kept thinking about it for a while before widening her eyes as she thought of the craziest assumption ever. Yuri gave Tiffany a light push on her back, “Yah… Don’t tell me you start to like her too…” Yuri looked at her best friend with horror written all over her face.

Tiffany let out a puff of air as she exploded into laughter at Yuri’s frightened face, “Where the hell did you get that idea from? Me and Yoona? No way! It’s already an accomplishment that me and her can be in the same room without any hatred or bloodshed. My Taengoo is the only one for me.”

“Haha, okay. I thought it was crazy too.” All the muscles on Yuri’s face became completely relaxed. “It sounds like you guys are going strong.”

“Uh-huh.” Tiffany confidently nodded.

“No drama?”

“Yeah, but she gets on my nerves sometimes.”

“How so?”

“Taeyeon was the type of person who doesn’t talk a lot, when we’re together it’s pretty much me doing all the talking. But when she does, she’s gonna keep going to the point that it’s annoying like yesterday, she kept asking if I wore a thick coat since it was a bit cold outside. When she saw me in a “thin” jacket walking into her store she wouldn’t stop nagging. Then she forced me to drink those herbal medicine. You know how much I hated those right??” Tiffany rolled her eyes remembering how Taeyeon was overacted over a piece of clothing.

Yuri let out a soft chuckle, “Well, I don’t blame her. I’ve never seen anyone who catch a cold as easy as you do. Don’t get me going about how grumpy you act when you’re sick.”

“Great, now you’re taking her side also.” Tiffany mumbled as she felt unfair.

“Oh, come on. Don’t act like you are not fond of the way she takes care of you.”

“I do but herbal medicine is another story.” The eye-smile girl stubbornly argued.

“But you drank it anyway. You always give in to her in the end.” Yuri grinned as she gave a best friend a light nudge on her shoulder.

Tiffany heaved a defeated sigh, “What can I do? I just can’t stand seeing her pouting. Try to have one-sided love for someone for years, if you were me, you would have done the same.”

Seeing the way Tiffany’s eyes lit up every time Taeyeon’s name came up, Yuri could easily feel how happy in love her best friend was. To love someone for years and your beloved finally returned that love, it must have felt great. Yuri wondered if her sister was feeling the same? When they were finally together, was Jessica happy? Was Yoona happy too…? Could she be happy for her sister? Acting selfless like she would always do?

“Yah… Pay attention to me when I’m talking to you… What are you thinking about?”

Yuri turned her attention back to Tiffany with a warm smile on her face as she felt a slight pull on her shirt.

“Nothing important.”

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”

Yuri let out an amused snort, Tiffany knew her too well that sometimes it was a disadvantage. Nothing could get past her.

“Sorry, I can’t help it.”

Another sigh escaped Tiffany’s lips, “What do you to have to feel sorry for? It’s your feelings you can’t control it.”

“To be honest, I don’t know why, ha-ha…” That was a bitter laugh.

Every time someone, Tiffany to be precise, caught her thinking of Yoona, she would impulsively say sorry. She told her best friend she didn’t know why she was sorry but deep down, there were so many things that she felt sorry for. Sorry for having thoughts that should not be existed, sorry for herself trapping in this mistrustful love for so long, sorry for being a coward and not fighting for what she wanted or sorry for being selfless time after time and hurt herself for doing it. Her love life was a chain of being sorry.

“Yul, have you ever thought of letting go?” Tiffany genuinely said after a long pause in their conversation.

“I told you, I tried, I really did try but I can’t forget her. I can’t control ‘this damn thing’ when she’s around.” Yuri said in frustration as she pointed to her heart.

Tiffany shook her head in disagreement, “That’s not what I meant. What I’m trying to say is…” The eye-smile took a deep breath in, “The past… can you just forget it? Forgive what she did, and start fresh.”

Yuri stared at her best friend in daze, completely taken back by what she just said. If Tiffany asked about Yoona’s whereabouts was surprising, then this must be unbelievably astounding. Did she hear it well? Her best friend advised her to forgive Yoona? Im Yoona? The ‘once-a-cheater-always-a-cheater Yoona’? Was Tiffany in her right mind?

“Yah, just drop that look, will you? I’m serious.” Tiffany said with slight annoyance could be heard in her voice.

“I get that you’re serious but…” Yuri was going to ask if Tiffany was okay, if she was sick or something but she decided to hold those questions back, “What happened?” This was all she could ask.

“In case you are wondering, I’m still not fond of Yoona. If I were you, I would have gotten over her a long long time ago like most people would possibly do. She cheated on you, on your wedding night for god’s sake. But that was exactly the point. I’m not you, Yuri-yah.” Tiffany heaved a sigh as she gently grabbed Yuri’s shoulders, “Up until now, I still can’t believe in this love. How can one person possibly in love with someone else this badly regardless of whatever she did, of how much time has passed? I’ve always thought that you deserve someone much better than her but Kwon Yuri you… you want no one else. You are just simply and hopelessly in love with Im Yoona. Giving that love unconditionally. No one can mend that wound in your heart unless it’s Im Yoona. You won’t ever be ready to love again unless it’s Yoona.”

“I…”

“Yul, let me finish.” Tiffany quickly cut in then she took a deep breath in, “In the end, all that I ever wanted is for you to be happy. And if Yoona is the one holding the key to your happiness then I’m all for it. I honestly don’t know the reason she cheated on you before but right at this moment, I’m pretty sure she does feel something for you. If you do love her the way you always told me then this is your chance, Yul. Grab it! All you have to do is just let go of the past. Move on.”

Yuri unconsciously bit down on her bottom lip when her best friend brought her deepest desire also deepest fear to the surface. She never wanted to admit to anyone, herself even that to be with Im Yoona for the rest of her life was her ultimate goal and what had been holding her back was the past. The scene where Yoona and some random girl on their bed haunted her. It seriously did. Ever since they tried to see each other as friends again, the thought of they could get back together appeared every single time Yoona shown nothing but affection toward her but as soon as she was left alone, all kind of doubts started filling in. She started to wonder if the doe-eyed girl’s feelings were real and even if it were, how big it was and how long it would last. To be with someone for eternity, would her love alone be enough? If they were to get back together, how long would they stay happy before Yuri found her beloved on their bed with someone else again?

Do you know the kind of feeling when you are with that one person, everything felt so right, all your hopes come alive and all your worries go away, but the moment that person leaves your side, this miserable feeling takes place and left you with this utmost loneliness which tore your heart apart?

Being with Yoona made Yuri felt exactly like that.

All because of that wound deep inside her heart still stings every time someone tried to touch it.

Yuri hadn’t been able to let go. Her feelings nor her pain. Not either one.

No one could understand this easily. The deeper her love for Im Yoona… the harder she found it hard to let go.

“Letting go isn’t as simple as it sounds.” Yuri let out a breath that she didn’t know she was holding, “But even if I can, what will become of us now that she is dating my sister? You expect me to steal the love of my sister away from her?”

“Well, that’s exactly what you should do.” Tiffany calmly exclaimed as matter of fact.

“What?”

“You don’t steal. You fight for it. You, of all people, should know that feelings can’t be forced. You can’t take her away from Jessica if Yoona doesn’t want to.”

“Maybe what you said is true but I just don’t want to be the one taking that away from her. Fany-ah, I have a family, I have my parents, she doesn’t.”

All these years, because of the tragic drama that Yuri had been through, the girl had been so vulnerable that Tiffany, as a good friend as she always claimed herself to be, defensed Yuri to death whenever she felt needed. She would stand up for her best friend from the smallest issue to the biggest controversy. In her eyes, this tanned girl did not deserve any other pain or injustice in life. She had had enough. Tiffany just didn’t expect one thing.

This overprotection spoiled her best friend.  

This Kwon Yuri in front of her had lost all of her fighting spirits. As if giving up something she wanted that would do good for other people around her was a hard-to-get-rid habit. This was her fault and Tiffany knew that she had to do something about it.

“Look, Yuri-yah, I know where you’re coming from but giving up someone you love isn’t being kind, it’s called being a coward.”

Yuri’s breath hitched in . Seriously, why was Tiffany acting like this? Her loyal friend had always been supporting everything she said before. Why the harsh words now?

“Do you know what you lack the most, Yul? Courage, especially with Yoona. You have always told me how much you love her and how much she meant to you but you have always been avoiding taking the next step in your relationship with her. In LA, you have way more than one chance to confront her why she treated you the way she did but you didn’t. After your one night stand with her, once again you avoided talking to her. Even when she confessed to you, you stayed nonchalant about it. Even now, she’s dating Jessica, you should have done something about it yet you just let it happen and even support their relationship. Please, Yul, don’t do this yourself. Don’t keep yourself trapped in this dilemma. I understand what has been holding you back but if you can’t forget her then why don’t you fight for her? Fight for this love? Worst come to worst, if you come back with a broken heart, this time will be different, I’ll always be there with you to pick up the pieces. You’re not alone, Yul.” Tiffany finished as she took Yuri’s hand and squeezed it tight, letting the girl know she meant what she said.

After a long speech delivered by Tiffany, only a few words still be remained in Yuri’s ears.

Courage

And…

This time… would it be different?

&&&&&

Yoonsictae’s house

“You’re home.”

Jessica who was sitting on the couch announced as she heard the sound of the front door being closed along with the sight of Yoona entering the room.

“Yeah…” Came her short reply.

“So, what is it? You said you have something to tell me when you’re back.” Jessica asked as her attention still on the reality show playing on the TV, referring to the earlier text came when she was with Sooyoung stating that Yoona was in the hospital with Yuri now. The two people were talking to each other as if there was nothing unusual just happened a few hours ago.

“Ah, it’s about Yuri’s parents. All because of my dad now they want to stay with ‘me and Yuri’s house’ next week. Aigoo, this old man just loves putting me in a complicated situation. I guess we have to figure something out.” Yoona said as she naturally took the seat next to Jessica on the couch.

The corner of Jessica’s lips curved into a small bitter smile. Here she was guessing that Yoona would be talking about their kiss. Maybe it wasn’t that important to her after all.

“So, are you gonna stay at her place as soon as her parents moved in?” Jessica casually said while her eyes still glued on the TV’s screen.

“Well, that’s just one of many solutions. I can also say that I’ll be on a few business trips and only stayed the night when needed.” Yoona suggested as she also felt guilty to stay the night with Yuri while she was Jessica’s girlfriend. No matter how understanding Jessica could be, this situation was just odd.

“That would be too troublesome. I have a better idea.”

Jessica finally took her eyes off the TV and turned to her left to look at Yoona.

“How about… we just go back the way we used to be…”

“Wh-what do you mean?” Yoona scrunched her eyebrows. Damnn, she knew that it would be too much to ask. Which kind of person could stand seeing her girlfriend to move in with her ex and act like a married couple? It was just simple unacceptable.

“You know what I mean.”

Yoona quickly took Jessica’s hand, “Don’t be mad, Sica-yah. I’m sorry, I never meant for this to happen. It was just Yu-”

“I’m not mad.” Jessica cut Yoona’s rambling short, “It isn’t about Yuri either. It’s about us. About you and me.”

“About us?”

“Yoong…” Jessica raised one of her hand to caress the taller girl’s left cheek, her next few words might hurt herself more than it might hurt this girl, “I love you… with all my heart but… you’re never gonna be able to love me. Because your heart… is already taken.”

Yoona’s heart skipped a beat since she knew exactly who that person was.

“Do you know how many times you’re saying sorry to me the last few days? There were way more times than our years together as friends adding up. And you know why?”

The taller girl timidly shook her head.

“Without knowing, you’re feeling sorry inside because you can’t love me the way I love you.”

“Sica-yah, I never meant to hurt you.” Yoona looked at Jessica and said earnestly.

“And you didn’t.” Jessica gently smiled as she rubbed her thumb on Yoona’s cheek, treasuring these last moments with her, “Well, I would be lying if I said that I’m not hurt but not because of you. I know you care about me but this is something that you can’t do anything about. I know you try but somewhere down the line, we just have to face the fact that you and me are never meant to be. As always, I’ll be the first person to acknowledge when feelings change between us.”

As the last few words came out, Jessica couldn’t hold it in anymore and let a few tears to form around the corner of her eyes. Upon this, Yoona quickly pulled the girl in for a tight embrace. At this moment she was sure, there wasn’t anyone in this world who would treat her better than this girl did. She owed her too much.

“I’m…” Yoona was about to say she was sorry but she held it in. She knew, Jessica didn’t want to hear it.

“Don’t.”

They held each other for a while before Jessica pulled away after she wiped those leaked tears in her eyes. The girl put on a cocky smile as she spoke.

“Yah, just to be clear, I’m the one dumping you.”

Yoona returned the smile with a bright one, “It’s true. You’re the great dumper and I’m the dumpee.”

Looking at Yoona’s smile, Jessica felt as if a ton of weights had been lifted off her chest. Before she wasn’t sure if she was doing the right thing for both of them, now she was. Completely sure. Yoona’s smile had said it all.

Also, there was one more thing she wanted to make sure that Yoona knew about.

“Well, I think there’s one more thing you should know. After all, the one you should be saying sorry to is Yuri. You owe her an apology. A big one.” Jessica said as she enjoyed Yoona putting on a dumbfounded look on her face.

“Remember what happened before? How you plan your big revenge?”

“Yah… I don’t want to talk about it. That was stupid of me, I know.”

“You’re gonna feel even more stupid after you listen to what I’m about to tell you.”

“Yah…”

“I think that Kwon Yuri never betrays you. Physically or emotionally. You were never her fiancé’s substitute in the first place. That day, she agreed to be with you just simply because she wanted to, against all the odds.”

“What are you talking about? I heard it with my own ears.”

“Maybe, but it probably was just the first part of their conversation.”

“Th-there’s more??” Yoona stuttered.

Jessica nodded as she calmly told Yoona about what she overheard from the conversation between Yuri and Tiffany. What came after what Yoona heard Jessica wasn’t sure, but there was one thing she was certain of was Kwon Yuri was in love in Im Yoona, from the first moment they met through all the heart-brokens until now. Their speedy marriage was never fake. It was real all along. From feelings to the vows. Everything.

“A-are you sure?” Yoona asked in a shaking voice.

Jessica firmly nodded.

“!!”

That was all she could say.

A.N: Hope you guys enjoy this update. The end might be coming soon.