Yuri Is Trying. Hard.

In fifth grade. Yuri joined her first interschool swimming championship. She can still remember the nervousness of competing against other talented children for the first time. The way her heart felt like it was trying to jump out of . The tremble of her legs as she stood on the edge of the swimming pool waiting for a cue from the referee.

Those feelings come back to her now she's standing in Jessica's bedroom. She sits on the edge of the bed, standing up, then sits down again. Like a fool, she formulates ten different reasons to get out of this situation only to realize that she has no choice but staying. This is the time for her to rip that bandage open. If she stalls any further, Jessica might disappear for good.

"Hey." The subject of Yuri's thought comes out of the bathroom in nothing but a fluffy white bathrobe. Her cheeks are pink. Her hair is damp. "You want to take a shower too?"

"Yes." Yuri stands up almost too quickly.

From the cute post-it Yuri put in Jessica's locker to the perfect date night on the expensive restaurant Yuri could barely afford, she's been doing nothing but smoothing her way to this moment. The dance and drink on Funky Rabbit that followed after the dinner. The kisses they shared on Jessica's car. The heavy make-out season on her velvety couch. All lead to this. There's no backing down now. She wants this.

Wanting something doesn't always mean she's ready for it though. Slowly taking off her pastel blue jacket, Yuri stares at her reflection in the mirror. There's no way Jessica will overlook the anxiety in her eyes. She will definitely embarrass herself before the night end.

Sighing, Yuri gives herself another pep-talk while undoing the sash of her black jumpsuit. The lucky satin underwear comes next, throwing Yuri back at all the effort she made to pick them from more than a  hundred of y underwear selection at the mall. Maybe she will put them back on after the shower. Maybe she will put them back on in front of Jessica. Will she be bold enough? What if Jessica thinks the tongs are tacky? What if she laughs at them?

Afraid of ruining her own mood before they even started, Yuri opts for a cold shower. Drizzles of water hit her head like a massage of tiny fingers. Yuri closes her eyes. She just needs to go with the flow, doesn't she? She pleased so many men before. This shouldn't be a problem at all. She overthinks. That's all.

"Oww. Cold."

"Jessica..." Yuri turns in the shower, finding Jessica right in front of her. Stark .

"Why so cold?" The girl reaches for the control panel behind Yuri. Her arm not-so-accidentally brushes against the side of Yuri's .

"I...." Yuri gasps, trying to look away but her eyes refuse to cooperate.

"See. This is better." Jessica steps closer to Yuri as the water getting warmer.

"Haven't you had a shower already?" Pretty sure that her face has turned pink all over, Yuri glances down. Jessica is shorter by a few centimeters. Yuri now has a good view of those perky little s her hands have been itching to touch.

"You took so long I feel dirty all over again." Jessica presses forward, forcing Yuri to get under the drizzling water.

"Oh."

"Want me to help you get clean?"

"Uh...."

Jessica doesn't wait for any coherent answer. Getting impossibly close, she squeezes a dollop of bath gel from the tube on the glass shelf onto her palm.

"Jessica..."

"Shhhh. Turn the water off."

Blinking, Yuri turns her head and moves her hand to the digital panel. The second the drizzles stop falling, she feels Jessica's lips against her lips. Then comes Jessica's delicate hands that move gently across her back, lathering her skin with the gel.  When the hands move to her s and the thumbs rub delicate foam around her s. Yuri can feel a jolt of electric feeling zapping from her chest to her groin. Her toes curl on the wet Italian marble tile. Her hands instinctively grab Jessica's waist.

"I think you are all soaped up now." Jessica smiles is a teasing one when she tilts her head to the side and rubs her hand together. "Any spot I miss?"

"Here." Yuri crashes her wet lips against Jessica's lips. Tongue prods into that warm cavity. Her hands then draw Jessica's lithe body against her sudsy s. "You miss this spot."

Giggling, Jessica moves her hands to Yuri's tush, squeezing hard.

Lemon scent wafts in the air as Yuri struggles to catch some air. Jessica's feathery touches drive her crazy. So crazy she almost forgets how to breathe. Closing her eyes, Yuri barely can hear Jessica's order to turn the water back on. When the soft drizzle touches their skin again, Jessica kneels down

"Jessica..." Yuri gasps at the feeling Jessica's hands moving down her thighs.

"Don't drown us." She looks up, smirking. "Set those drizzles to a minimum."

"Y... yes....."

That one syllable is the last thing Yuri can say before Jessica turns her world upside down. With just a few of a tongue, Jessica manages to tip Yuri over the edge. When Jessica starts lapping and prodding, Yuri can only throw her head back while pressing both hands against each side of the glass wall. She comes undone under the spraying water, ally instead of screaming. Never in her wildest experience, she ever felt this way.

"Yuri... it's fine."

"No." Shaking her head vigorously, Yuri runs to grab her clothes from the bathroom. Never has she ever felt so embarrassed. Jessica made her scream three times tonight yet she can't even please her just once.

"I understand." Still , Jessica sits on the bed and covers her front with the white blanket.

"I have to go." Hurriedly putting everything back on, Yuri catches a glimpse of her red face in the mirror. She can see Jessica from the open door too, feeling like a total fool. "Early surgery tomorrow."

"Come on now. We both know you 're lying." Frowning, Jessica pats the mattress beside her. "Don't mind what just happened. Let's just cuddle for tonight. We can try again tomorrow."

Cuddle? How can Yuri cuddles with Jessica after all that mess? What if she only repeats the same mistake tomorrow? Not even caring to fix her hair, Yuri gets out of the bathroom. "I'm sorry, Jessica. I have to go."

"At least take my car." Huffing, Jessica lets her body fall onto the bed. "It's 3 a.m for god's sake."

"I'll be fine-"

"Take my car, please." Covering her face with her arm, Jessica sighs deeply.

"I'm not-"

"Take it or stay, Kwon Yuri. I deserve to sleep peacefully tonight."

"I'm so sorry, Jessica." Getting out of the bedroom with the heaviest regret of her life, Yuri takes one of Jessica's keys from the bowl by the door and sighs. She will never recover from this. Their relationship is definitely done for.

It's too humid. Too uncomfortable. Yuri can't feel her legs. Her neck stiff. The light is too harsh she shut her eyes again a second after opening them. Turning her body, Yuri realizes that she's in the back seat of a car. Jessica's car.

"Oh, !" Sitting up straight, Yuri sees a very messy reflection on the rearview mirror. Her hair is sticking in every direction. Her make up is now a blotchy spot here and there. Her lipstick smears up to her cheekbone. Her head pounds, her body sore, and it feels like it has been years since she last had a drink of freshwater.

"!" Realizing her ness from the waist below, Yuri doesn't even know whose oversize T-shirt she's wearing. One look at the floor of the car gives her a sight of her underwear and jumpsuit. In her brain, last night even passes in a blur.

From Jessica's apartment, she went straight to a bar. Funky Rabbit? Yes. Funky Rabbit. She met someone there. They kissed.

". . !" She knows who she kissed last night. She's doomed.

"Hey, there sleepy head." Max peeks from the open car's window, holding out a small paper cup. "Coffee?"

"Hey... Um...Thanks." Yuri grabs her jumpsuit and uses it to cover her crotch before taking the cup from Max's hand. She takes a sip of the black concoction, hoping the caffeine will kick some sense back in. The coffee tastes like tar with sugar though.

"Bad. I know. It's the only stuff available in this random gas station." Max sits on the driver seat, drinking from his cup.

"Where are we?" Yuri tries another sip and gives up, putting the cup back into the holder Max has rested on the middle console.

"A few miles out of Yosae, I think"

"Oh, God."

"Exactly. You should have allowed me to take you home last night. At least we wouldn't have to end up with such ty coffee."

"Last night..." Yuri can't find the words. It's pretty obvious, isn't it? She ed Dr. Shim Changmin last night.

"Was wild. Never had in the back of a Porsche before." Max smiles a little. He takes off Yuri's jacket from his chiseled body, giving it to Yuri then holds out his hand. "Can I have my T-shirt back?"

"Ah, yeah." Yuri looks down ant the T-shirt she's wearing. "Can you look away?"

Frowning, Max raises his eyebrows. "I've seen everything, you know?"

"Please, Max."

Shrugging, Max looks away.

"Here." Yuri tosses the shirt onto Max's lap then tries to put her clothes back on. The jumpsuit is hardly cooperating with the narrow backseat. She ends up stumbling onto the seat.

Max snorts, staring at Yuri through the rearview mirror. "Easy there, honey. We've done enough acrobatic last night."

"We really did it, didn't we?" Yuri tries to fit herself back into the jumpsuit once more. Her eyes innocently catch a feast of Max's muscled arms as the good-looking doctor put his T-shirt back on. Guilt immediately washes her away from the inside, giving her the hardest mental-slap ever.

"If all those screams you made are any indication. Yes." Max turns his head to stare into her eyes. "You regret it, don't you?"

"Max, I'm so sorry."

"No. We were both a little irresponsible last night. Alcohol in our blood. in our minds. A Porsche that goes ten kilometers per minute. We're lucky we didn't cause an accident."

Covering her face with her hands, Yuri sighs deeply. She can't remember who took the wheels last night. She only remembers being so frustrated and disappointed with herself. How could she be so irresponsible? How can she be so stupid?

"I'm sorry, Yuri." Max touches her shoulder. "I'm sorry I took advantage of you."

"No." She shakes her head. She knows what alcohol can do to her -drive. She knows Max. 99% of last night was her fault. Painfully, Yuri tries to make eye-contact with the doctor while pushing Jessica's image to the back of her mind. "It takes two to tango."

"Alright. Let's move on then. Do you want me to drive you home now or do you want to get some breakfast first?"

Blinking, Yuri can only see Jessica in Max's gentle smile. Shaking her head, she makes a quick decision. "Actually, Max. I think I need to be alone right now."

"Are you sure? You can't possibly drive with that hangover."

"I'll stay here until I feel better." Yuri hugs herself. "Can you please find another transportation to get you home?"

He blinks, taking time to think while staring deep into Yuri's eyes. "Fine."

"I'm so sorry, Max."

"It's okay." He gets out of the car, taking the coffee cups with him.

"Max!" Yuri opens the passenger door and steps out. "Last night was a mistake. I can't let stuff like this happen again. I won't. I'm sorry."

"Is it because Jessica?" The man stops a few meters in front of Yuri, asking without looking back.

"Yes." Yuri leans back on the car, feeling weak in the knees. Even after all the mess, she made last night, she's still hoping for Jessica to take her back. "It's Jessica"

"Alright. Stay safe."

It's only after she sees Max leaving in a taxi, Yuri can allow herself to cry. Resting her forehead on the steering wheel she let tears streaming down her face. How will she explain last night to Jessica? Should she hide it from her? She feels so bad. This guilt feels too heavy for her to bear alone.

An hour later, still crying inside, she puts the car into ignition. The expensive engine revs softly when Yuri hits the gas pedal. There's only one person can help her now. She knows where she needs to go.

"Taeyeon!"

"Holy , Kwon Yul!"

Yuri doesn't answer, simply crossing the lobby to hug her best friend. It feels a little better already. She knows Taeyeon will get her out of this sticky situation.

"What are you doing here?" Taeyeon holds Yuri at arm-length. "Is everything okay?"

"Long story." Yuri sighs deeply. "Are you off work already? Can we talk?"

"I'm on the clock until 11 but it's fine. Let's talk."

"Really?"

"Yeah. My place is just a few meters out. We can talk there." Taeyeon already wraps a hand around Yuri's shoulder. "Hey, Minho, tell Wendy to cover for me, alright?"

"Yes, Dr. Kim." The handsome nurse behind the desk smiles at Yuri.

"Reach me on my phone if there's an emergency."

"I'm sure our slow weeks won't end tonight, Dr. Kim."

"Don't jinx it." Taeyeon waves at another doctor who sits eating cup ramen on the couch in front of the TV. "Let's go to my humble abode, Kwon Yul. We have a lot to catch up."

"Okay, tell me." Taeyeon puts two cans of cherry Milkis on the bedside table before laying down beside Yuri on the bed, not even bother to takes off her coat. "You clearly didn't book a flight out of the city just because you miss me."

"I didn't take a flight." Yuri sits up to lean on the head of the bed, grabbing the drink. "I drove."

"No kidding."

Shaking her head lightly, Yuri takes a sip of the milk and yogurt soda. It feels so refreshing; the drink, and the presence of her best friend. "I kinda ran off with Jessica's car."

"What?"

"I had with Max." Yuri looks at Taeyeon hopelessly. "In Jessica's Porsche."

"No way."

"Wait until I tell you that I did it after I failed to pleasure Jessica the night before."

"Holy , Yuri." Taeyeon sits up straight now. "What have you done?"

"Exactly." Yuri puts the can down then bury her head in Taeyeon's lap. Her voice muffled as she wallows in self-pity. "What have I done?"

"Did you drunk or something?"

"I can't really blame alcohol on this. I can't blame Max too. You know me."

"Oh, my dear friend." Taeyeon rubs Yuri's back. "I'm so sorry."

"What should I do, Taeyeon? How can I tell Jessica?"

"Let's get you some rest first." Sighing, Taeyeon slowly gets up from the bed and put a pillow beneath Yuri's head. "Have you ate lunch?"

"No. Just a chocolate bar I found in the dashboard."

"You are lucky that Jiyong bought me a lot of supply the last time he visited. This fridge is usually empty." Taeyeon opens said fridge and bends to check it's content. "Bacon and egg?"

"Can I have something fresh?"

"There's rice in the cooker. I can do some mushroom and seafood stir-fry. The shrimps are fresh from this morning catch."

"Yes. Please. Hot tea too if any."

"Yes. Ma'am." Taeyeon takes out a few packages from the fridge before filling the kettle with water and puts in on the stove.

"So, the love-making, it couldn't be that bad, could it?" She asks after taking off her coat and rolls the sleeves of her undershirt up.

"I poked her. She gifted me with three earth-shattering s and I poked her in return." Yuri sits back up and opens another can of the milky drink.

"You poked her there?" Grimacing, Taeyeon starts dicing the onion and red peppers. "Like there, there?"

"Yes. In there. She yelped, Taeyeon! She yelped bloody murder."

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry, Yuri. But I have to laugh." Taeyeon chuckles a little. "You forgot to trim your nails short, didn't you?"

"I should have consulted you before making the move, shouldn't I? This is why I hate being so far apart. No one in this world influences me to use logic as you do. Aaargh!"

"Okay. Calm down." Taeyeon takes out a wok and starts the fire. "We only need to do some damage management now. Have you called her?"

Slowly, Yuri shakes her head.

"Did she knows that you take her car here?"

Eyes wide, Yuri shakes her head again.

"Damn it, Yuri. Kicks some sense into yourself. Cops are probably ready to arrest you for stealing a Mercedes Benz out there."

"It's a Porsche."

"Same difference! Call her, now!"

Please Subscribe to read the full chapter