(11) Jung Vs. Jung

"Y-you need to hide," Sinb frantically uttered. She gently pushed the confused Yerin and started to look for a hideout. Her mom should not see Yerin right now, Sinb thought. The brunette still needs more practice honing what and how to behave in front of Jessica. Oh gosh, did her employees even mentioned she was having a guest over? Please no, please no.

"But why do I need to hide?" Yerin asked confusedly. She was just getting Sinb to eat her food when a disturbance came. Oh come on, all she wanted was to get Sinb healthy. Why is it so frustratingly hard? "I don't understand."

Sinb looked at her wide-eyed. There was a storm coming and Yerin still does not understand the situation. They are weathering a Jessica storm. "My mom. My mom, Yerin, she's here! Hurry, hide!"

Upon hearing that, Yerin became frantic too. Oh geez! Does her mother work at this company? Why did not Sinb told her so?! She should not have come in the first place! Due to hurrying, she forgot to set aside the lunchbox and just went underneath Sinb's table. She was silently praying that her mother would not walk near where she hid. 

Creepers, is Sinb's mother that evil?

"Open the door Sinb! You don't want to make me wait!" 

Sinb immediately opened the door once Yerin was secured in her hiding place. "Y-yes mom?" She stuttered. Oh my God, why does her mother have to be this short-tempered? Sinb would die of anxiety because of that. 

Jessica raised an eyebrow as she went inside the office. Everyone was quiet, even the employees outside seemed to hold their breath. The director eyed the room as if inspecting for an unwanted presence. "Do you have someone here?"

Sinb tensed when she heard that. But before she closed the door, she eyed one of the employees if they had told the director anything. She would definitely kill anyone who dared tell her mother that she has a guest inside. 

Luckily, they whispered that they haven't. 

"I asked if there's someone here Sinb," the director reiterated with emphasis. "You should be answering me right? Answer me Sinb!" 

Sinb jumped at the voice she nearly slammed the door shut. God, why does she need to scare the hell out of her?!

"N-no mom!" Sinb replied immediately albeit cautiously. Her mother still has yet to take a seat in either the long red couch or the mahogany chair situated in front of her main table. She was still not yet done inspecting.

Sinb warily scanned the area also looking for something that could catch Jessica's eyes. And there she saw something on top of the small table. Holy cow! The bag was over there! There is just no way her mother could skip on that.

And she was right.

"You have your lunch I see," Jessica noted as she went near the table where the bag and some lunchbox lids are located. She has seen the bag before though she could not pinpoint where. Just where did she seen that?

Oh I remember now.

"You got some visitor?"

"I already told you mom," Sinb answered as she went to her table. "I'm not even expecting someone to come here."

"Then who brought the lunch?" Jessica further inquired. She was actually having a gist of an idea on what was up though she still wants to clarify. "It does not magically appear here darling." 

Jessica turned her back at Sinb to see more of the bag's content. She then smiled when she saw the pieces of lids on the table. So someone bothered to give her daughter such a big meal eh? Sinb was not even a big eater. 

"Uhm," Sinb stalled as her mind rack up some alibis. Then Yerin tugged her pants underneath. Sinb discreetly looked down to see Yerin flashing some instructions in her phone. Oh. "Yuju came to make some lunch but decided she wants to eat outside since I got a ton of paperworks to do." 

"Oh really?" Jessica turned to Sinb. "How sweet of her! And here I was thinking that some other girl brought this for you. My, what a shame."

Sinb does not know if her mom was faking it or not. How would she know anyways, Jessica always has this poker face on. 

"Now let me see the papers." Jessica ordered as she went near the table. Sinb swore she was having a panic attack. 

No please don't come near the table. 

Yerin sensed that Sinb's mother was getting nearer because of the clacks of the woman's heels. She tugged Sinb's pants again and signaled for the pink-haired girl to sit. Sinb complied and plopped herself on her chair and made a signal for Yerin to stay put as she pulled herself near the table. 

"Here they are," Sinb uttered as hand over the papers. "I'm 50-60% finished on those." 

"Why are you taking so slow?" Jessica remarked while looking at the papers. Then something caught her eye. "Ooh, looks like your lunch is delicious."

There beside Sinb's table was the lunchbox with her food. So Yerin did not have cleaned that up. Great.

"Yeah, want some?" Sinb offered.

"No thanks," Jessica declined. "Seemed to me like Yuju doesn't know your palate after all."

----

Yerin was squished between the border of the table and Sinb's legs. She was not complaining about the space since it was logical for her. She was hiding so she does not need to be butthurt about the space. But to tell that she was uneasy was not her imagination. 

And no, it was not about the familiar voice she was hearing nor about Sinb's nervousness which was obvious by the way, but something else. She was feeling hot. And all because she could see Sinb's in her line of sight. 

No matter where she take a look, she could still see it. It was a very cramped space after all. And even though Sinb was wearing pants, it never failed to highlight that cheeky of the woman. Talk about torture. 

----

"You don't eat those right?" Jessica said without looking at her daughter, Her focus still on the papers on her hands. "You hate kimchis."

"I got a spoonful of that though," Sinb tried to explain. "I told you I want some change."

"But a change doesn't have to be so drastic Sinb," Jessica reminded her. "You don't eat that food in the first place. You can't even stand its taste. Why force yourself to eat something you can't stand? I don't get the logic in there Sinb. Or you just don't want to hurt Yuju's feeling?"

Sinb clenched her teeth. She should not have said that! It's true though that she does not eat kimchis especially if its cabbages. Just...just kimchis in particular. But she managed to eat two spoonfuls! That's a feat. 

Plus the fact that Yerin was inside the room though Jessica does not know that. She does not want to hurt the other's feelings. Maybe that was why she forced herself to eat because she knows Yerin made it. For her.

"Well anyways, I think I'm done here," Jessica said as she returned the papers to Sinb. "Try to finish this load today Sinb. And please I told you to stop fooling around. See you later darling!"

Sinb held her breath for a second more because Jessica was still inside her room though the latter has the door opened. "Oh Sinb,"

"Yes mom?" 

"I don't know who she is you're talking about the past night but I got a hunch on what kind of person she might be," Jessica started. "And to tell you honestly, I could not wait to see her." 

----

Yuju abruptly opened the office door of Sinb once she saw the director taking the elevator. Shoot! What just happened? Did Sinb got scolded for not finishing the load? Heck, how could one even finish that mountain of sales requests and reports in just one hour of break?

"Sinb!" Yuju exclaimed once she entered the room. But girl was she so surprised at what she saw. "Really, at the office?!"

There in front of her was Sinb standing behind her humongous table and Yerin just below her friend's waist area. 

"What?" Yerin asked confusedly as she tried to get up.

Sinb, on the other hand, was beet reed all over when she realized what might Yuju translate their positions. "T-that's not what you think!"

"Then what are the two of you doing?" Yuju asked as she locked the door behind her. Then she faced Yerin. "And you, what are you doing here?"

"Uhm," Yerin stammered. She just realized what kind of position they have been awhile ago. How shameless, Yerin thought to herself. "I-I just want to make sure Sinb takes her lunch." 

"Aww..." Yuju cooed. "I don't think the two of you needs practice anymore. Why not make your relationship real then?"

"What?!"

----

"Aren't you tired that you need to fetch me?" Yerin asked. The mere thought of having someone to fetch you was flattering but Yerin does not want to push Sinb too much. After all, she just realized that she really does care for the welfare of both Sinb and the baby. "I mean I could go there by myself. You don't need to push yourself too far."

Sinb sighed. How much she wished that Eunseo can be like Yerin , Eunseo was her own person. Geez, she remembereed her again. "Just let me do this Yerin, okay? Think of this as a thank you for the lunch yesterday."

Sinb gestured for Yerin to go inside her car. Yuju and Umji tagged along and settled at the backseat. Sinb silently wished that Yuju took her own car with her that day because she does not want to see how the two flirt. 

"You don't really have to say thank you," Yerin mumbled but Sinb heard it. 

"Why shouldn't I?" Sinb asked lowering her voice so that the two at the back who were busy sharing earphones could not hear. 

"Because I'm thinking of doing it everyday."

----

Yerin did not know how she ended up trying dresses that night.  All she knew was that she was being dragged by Sinb in every boutiques and shops just to fnd something that could make her look presentable. How presentable? Sinb thought on what kind of look does Jessica wants to see.

But to Yerin, it was a whole different case. Was Aphrodite's daughter not pleased in the dresses she wore? They were all decent and luxuriant looking to Yerin's eyes. But everytime she does wear one, it seemed that it was not a perfect fit for Sinb. 

Yerin was sulking deep inside when she thought of that. She does not know why she felt that way but she was sure feeling down. The fact that they were shop-hopping and she was trying different dresses makes her feel like...she's ugly. 

Ugh, Yerin! Don't think too much okay?

"How about this unnie?" Umji asked as she showed Yerin a yellow dress. "This would certainly look good on you!"

Yerin wants it too but she was wary of how Sinb would react on the dress. She has been changing tens of dresses in a span of one hour. To tell honestly, she was feeling tired and wanted to rest for a bit. Plus her negativity keeps on pushing her on edge. "I-I don't know Umji. Maybe you should tell it to Sinb."

"Are you okay unnie?" Umji asked concerned. She somehow sensed how off Yerin was since yesterday afternoon. But then her partner would not disclose anything to her and so she merely stayed quiet. 

"Yeah," was a breathy answer Umji received.

"You look down, are you sure you're alright?" Umji further asked as she held Yerin by the arms. "You could tell me anything, you know?"

"It's nothing, just feeling a little bit tired? Anyways, what time is it?"

"Try this one Yerin," Sinb unconsciously interrupted. She was busy finding that perfect dress for Yerin she did not even notice that something was off. What Sinb was carrying was a red dress and from Yerin's eyes, it was so regal looking and she knows it would not make her presentable. "C'mon, you don't want to be late to your curfew right? This should be the last one."

----

(That fateful day) 

Sinb did not know what went wrong. She planned it the whole week, how the meeting would somehow start and end, but it seems to be not the case now. And looking at the trembling Yerin beside her, she felt guilty. That unreadable expression Yerin wore was making her anxious too. 

Oh God, what did I do?

Her mom, Sinb swore she was never more angry at her mother until now. Yerin did nothing wrong, they are just even starting on the introductions but why does her mom so agitated at Yerin? Sinb noted how Tiffany was more than giddy to welcome Yerin, but Jessica? She just...

----

"How dissapointing," Jessica commented as soon as she and her wife arrived. She knew she was the woman she met at the elevator. Actually she was having an idea since that day because of the lunchbox, she was just surprised on how correct her hunch was. "Plain..."

"Jessica," Tiffany warned her as she tried to take a seat in front of the young couple. "Please this is our daughter's girlfriend, be mindful atleast. And to tell you, I'm kind of liking this girl."

"Well..." Jessica trailed making sure Yerin and Sinb were listening to her. "I don't like you."

"Mom," Sinb warned sternly. She knew her mom's going to be hard on Yerin. Jessica always did that to her past relationships. But this time was by far the worst. She did not even took a minute before she lash at someone. "Can we just--" 

"I can't see the reason why you are even taking her very seriously Sinb. It's so not you. Or maybe this is just a part of the 'I want some change?' I told you that change should not be so drastic." Jessica emphasized. "What did that girl do to you?"

"You speak as if I'm not here," Yerin softly said. She was afraid, but she was more hurt than feeling fear. How could she judge her just by looking at her? It does not make a person a person just by a single glance. That was just not the way people try to get to know other people. "Did I do something wrong to you?"

Yerin buried in her mind how Jessica was so full of herself. Why does Sinb even have a mother like her?

Oh. She was seeing some resemblance. Geez.

"Nothing...yet." Jessica said. "I'm just avoiding getting my daughter further damage. To tell you, my daughter hates drinking milk. She hates eating kimchi. She even hates how she wastes time on unimportant things like going to the mall. She doesn't even want to spend a second inside it. She hates commuting that's why she prefers to drive even if she's tired."

Jessica was boring holes to Yerin. She wanted her to be afraid. And yet...she wants Yerin to fight back at her. She got a feeling Yerin would, the latter just don't know how to. Maybe she could teach her.

"And I'm not even on the half of what Sinb is like. And I could already tell that you failed in those things." Jessica said. "I suspect you made her drink her milk. I even know you were the one who made that kimchi. And I even have a hunch that you don't even have a license to drive. So how would you meet my daughter's picky personality? How?"

Yerin was trembling. She was feeling the tears already b and sooner they would fall. No, it's still not time to do that. She needs to fight back. Atleast, claim her dignity Jessica just throwed out the window.

"I don't know how you manage to know everything these past week, but I don't care at those." Yerin said with a shaky voice. "All I know is you don't know me."

"I know everything about you darling, just by the way you present yourself to me." Jessica smirked. What she was seeing in front of her was not Sinb's girlfriend. What she was seeing was a woman Sinb made for her to accept. And she was dissapointed in that. Jessica thought that she could actually be that different like what Tiffany said awhile ago. "You are not you. Right now, all I see, is what my daughter wants to present to me."

Sinb kept silent. She does not know what that meant but she knew it hurt Yerin. She glanced at Yerin and she was met by those lonely and fearful orbs of the latter. Oh God. What did I do?

"And here I thought I would be wasting a good amount of my time knowing you," Jessica said coldly. "Turns out, the woman at the elevator seemed stuck inside. Well anyways, I wasted enough time and I got zero energy to be eating food with you. I'll go now."

Yerin kept standing there with Sinb looking at her. Sinb's menacing mother was gone but it seemed to Yerin that the presence never left the restaurant. And there was only one thing going inside Yerin's head at that moment.

'...the woman at the elevator seemed stuck inside.'

What does that mean?

-oo0oo-

(12) A PromiseTo Change

-oo0oo-

I was thinking of a double update but time is being a jerk. -.-