Jessica blinks a couple of times, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. She’s standing in the middle of a beautiful garden. There was a smile on her face while her fingertips touched the colorful flowers beside her. She looks up, her smile widens. “Yuri?” she furrows her brows. She looks like Yuri but the person standing in front of her look like a man, clad in an armor like he’s in the army.

Yuri smiles at her, her eyes glinting at the sight of her. Jessica’s heart swells. How long has it been since she last saw Yuri? Since she last saw Yuri’s smile? Jessica smiles, the kind of smile that reaches her eyes and slowly makes her way towards Yuri. As she was about to take a step forward, someone beat her to it.

A woman, and she recognize that dress. It was the same dress in her dream, the one that she killed herself. Was that her? Is she the one running to Yuri? Jessica tried to move her feet but it seems that she’s rooted to the ground. She looks up to Yuri, again, eyes begging. Her heart ache when she saw Yuri wrapping her arms around the woman’s shoulder hugging her. Her heart broke when she saw Yuri’s genuine smile directed to the woman.

Jessica can only cry and clutch her chest. “Yuri…”

“Honey…”

Jessica groans.

“Wake up darling”

Jessica slowly opens her eyes. It was a dream? Blinking rapidly, letting her eyes adjust to the morning light. Thank god it was only a dream. She saw her mother staring at her worriedly. “Mom?”

Taehee smiles and used her thumb to wipe the tears in Jessica’s eyes. “Bad dream?”

Jessica touched her cheeks and it was indeed wet. She quickly wipes them off and shakes her head. She doesn’t want her mother to worry, she doesn’t want her mother to know that she’s been having weird dreams ever since they arrive here in Korea. “I don’t even remember what I’m dreaming about” she lied, her dreams were very vivid that up until now she remembers every one of them.

Taehee sighs. She knows her daughter like the back of her palm and she knows that Jessica is lying to her. She knows about the nightmares or else she wouldn’t wake up in the middle of the night to a screaming or crying Jessica. Of course, Jessica doesn’t know this because she’s still deep in her slumber, but it was her mother who would lull her back to sleep, who would hug her until her tight hold loosen, and only leaves an hour before Jessica wakes up.

“You were calling someone’s name, honey. Are you sure you’re not having a nightmare?” Taehee tries.

“Mom I don’t remember what I was dreaming about.” Jessica smiles. “And what was the name I was calling?”

“If you say so…” Taehee decides not to pry. After all, its Jessica’s decision not to tell her. All she has to do is be a mother and understand her daughter. “You were calling Yuri…”

›››

Almost a month of missing, Yuri picked the right time to return, no time for greetings and ‘welcome backs’. Everyone were practically busy putting up stalls and decorating. Tomorrow is the university’s foundation day after all hence the busyness and preparation. Yuri walked aimlessly letting her feet dragged her to wherever it wants to go. She found her feet stopping in front of the school’s theater where she can hear music coming from the inside.

Without giving it too much thought, Yuri opened the door. Would you believe her luck? She picked the right door, the door near the back bleachers. Giving her a full view of the stage without attracting everyone’s attention. Yuri smiles, standing in the middle to the stage was the woman she wanted to see the first day she went hiding.

I call out to you as far as it reaches the sky

I draw out my heart that is as deep as the ocean

Jessica sang with all her heart, her eyes were closed. Every word, every phrase she sang it felt like it came from her heart. Yuri wasn’t the only person mesmerized by Jessica and her angelic voice, practically everyone inside the theatre had their eyes on her, awed by her.

Time, you will know where the place is

That I will meet my beloved

If our fates will be crossed, someday, far ahead,

Please tell my beloved about my heart

“Please tell my beloved about my heart…” Yuri mumbles. She remembers it. How could she when every word Sooyeon uttered is etched in her heart.

So that’s why every word, every phrase Jessica sang came from the heart, it was because the song itself came from her heart. Yuri smiles watching everyone clapped their hands as soon as Jessica stop singing. Her heart flips when she saw Jessica smiling brightly and bowing to everyone, god! How much she missed that smile. Then frowned graced her beautiful lips at the same time her heart drops.

Someone—a man—just wrapped his arms around Jessica, hugging her. Yuri saw him emerging behind the curtains, at first he was just clapping but as soon as he got near Jessica, he gave her a warm hug. Yuri’s hand shot up to her chest. No, her wound doesn’t sting, as a matter of fact it stopped stinging and Yuri just noticed it now. She flashed a sad smile. Jessica is no longer hurting.

“Yuri?” Jessica mumbles. She pulls away from the hug and squints her eyes hoping to get a clearer view of the person standing at the very back of the bleachers. Curse her blurry vision but then again no one can give her a thumping heart, except Yuri.

“Jess are you okay?” the man asks worriedly.

“I’m fine oppa” Jessica assures before running down from the stage.

“Jessica!” the man yelled but Jessica didn’t show any signs of stopping.

“Yuri!” Jessica yelled as soon as she walked out of the door where she last saw Yuri. She look left and right, no tall tanned girl in sight. Not even a mop of jet black hair. “Yu—”

“Jessica…”

Jessica steps back. “You…” The man from the music room and lunch, standing in front of her giving her a different kind of thumping heart. “Why are you here?”

“For a job well done” the man smiles. “I saw your performance you were amazing”

Jessica remain mum but she was staring, not at the man but the person behind the man. “Yuri…”

The man coughed, and turn around. He smiles, Yuri is giving him a cold, deathly glare. He raised his free hand in defeat. “I come in peace…” he showed the box he was holding, inside was a flowers. “I’m a fan. I’m just here to give Jessica a flower”

Yuri wasn’t convinced, plus her presence alone didn’t ease Jessica. So she approached the scared girl and stood beside her. Jessica immediately held Yuri’s hand and grip tightly on her arm. She doesn’t know why but his presence scared him. He was like death in a form of a man.

“What’s your name?” Yuri asks, her voice cold and threatening.

The man smiles and bows his head. “Kangin” he stares directly in Yuri’s eyes.

As soon as she heard his name, Yuri gently pushed Jessica, hiding the latter behind her. Jessica got the massage, so she let go of Yuri’s arm but quickly grip on the tanned girl’s shirt from behind. This simple action of Yuri didn’t go unnoticed by Kangin, Yuri hiding Jessica from him only means one thing. Yuri knows him, and it brought smile on his face.

“Well then I give this to you” Kangin hands the box to Jessica.

Jessica, of course, was reluctant to receive them but it’s disrespectful to reject a gift. He did made an effort after all. So with cautious and uncertainty, she takes the box. “Thank you” she mumbles but nonetheless Kangin heard her.

“I’ll s