Chapter 9
Forget-Love-Not
(Part 1)

Sooyoung’s work piled up as each hour passed. Being the personal secretary of the soon-to-be CEO wasn’t easy, and she never expected it to be. Sooyoung’s work ethics were always praised by Mr. Kwon for her precise information and organization, and she was always glad that her work paid off.

Stretching her arms in the air, she stood up from her seat and decided that her brain needed a break. Sooyoung walked out of her office, heading toward the restroom in hopes of fixing up her appearance before she headed out to the streets for lunch. As she was about to step in, Sooyoung heard a conversation that was quite…not pleasant to the ears.

“Hey, do you know that new girl?” One girl asked another.

“Yeah, the one who always stick around with Miss Kwon right? She annoys me,” The other replied with a scoff.

“Same here. Just who does she think she is? I bet you she is trying to earn some favor from Miss Kwon so she could be promoted.”

“She had only been in the company for a couple days and she is already in good terms with our boss. We’ve been here for more than 3 years and all we get from Miss Kwon is a simple greeting.”

“Do you think that Victoria girl likes Miss Kwon? You know, like in that way.”

“Possibly. If she really does then we really need to get her out of here.”

“I agree.”

“Let’s go tell the others about this.”

Footsteps then drew near the entrance as Sooyoung quickened her pace to hide herself. From behind the wall, Sooyoung glanced as the two girls from earlier walked away, laughing at their imaginary aftermath of whatever they planned. Knocking her head back lightly, Sooyoung brought her hand to her forehead as she thought about what may happen.

“I have to let Yuri know about this before things get out of hand.”

With that thought in mind, Sooyoung dashed off and headed to Yuri’s office. Opening the door to her boss’ room, she found it empty with no occupant.
‘No sign of the dork…’ Sooyoung checked the time on her watch and remembered that it was break time for the company. Shuffling her hair in distress, she whispered under her breath at Yuri’s carelessness, “Aish, Yuri, you idiot. Take your little romantic interactions outside. If the girl gets hurt, I blame it all on you.”

Interrupting at her mental scolding at her best friend, her phone started to vibrate from her pocket. Reaching for the device, she gazed at the flashing screen as she unconsciously plastered a smile on her face, making her completely forgetting about the problem she had to deal with.

“Hello, Sunny?”

“Hey, I have time off work right now so do you want to go and have lunch with me?”

“If it’s food, I’m in. Where at?”

★☆★

Making her drink with the coffee brewer, Victoria stood sighing as she felt the many stares sent her way. Frustrated with all the unwanted attention and talks behind her back, Victoria turned around and sent a warning glare to all her gossipers, forcing them to turn away awkwardly as they began to mind their own business.

“I didn’t know you could do that.”

A familiar husky voice spoke up next to her, catching the latter by surprise.

“Oh, Miss Kwon!” Victoria quickly gave Yuri a light formal bow, startling the younger girl a little bit for the unexpected small act of respect.

“Hello there,” Yuri returned the greeting politely.

“Does it look scary? My stare I mean…” Victoria asked, returning to their starter subject.

“Not really. I know someone whose death glares can easily freeze people,” Yuri chuckled as she was being self-reminded of a certain ice princess.

Reaching for the sugar bags, Yuri scooted closer to Victoria, which ended up closing their distance immensely, drawing even more looks upon them. Sensing the uncomfortable feeling that she was receiving with all the devilish glares directing at her, Victoria shifted herself away from Yuri to a ‘safer’ distance, in which the observant black pearl had quickly taken notice.

“Sorry, am I bothering you?” Yuri asked, concerned that was her presence was a nuisance to her fellow employee.

Victoria shook her head as a silent response and signaled, pointing to the jealous employees at the other tables, in a way that was only visible to Yuri.

“Oh…” Yuri immediately understood as she took a quick glance at the employees behind her, who instantly avoided eye contact with their boss once they saw her look their way. Yuri shook her head and heaved a heavy sigh at her own unfortunate. “Don’t worry about them. They’re always like that,” Yuri assured as she purposely closed their awkward distance, reaching for the materials on Victoria’s side of the table. Victoria stayed still as Yuri’s words gave her a sense of relief that she was safe. She was starting to think it was ridiculous to avoid her boss, who’s also a friend, just because of others’ dislike toward her closeness in relationship with Yuri.

Nothing else was being said among the two girls as all they could hear were the clear whispers of gossiping employees behind their back. The awkwardness increased little by little, and suddenly exalted at its highest point when they both simultaneously reach for the same milk jug, involving in a short physical contact in the process.

Yuri was the first to pull back as she laughed nervously, “You first.”

Victoria giggled at Yuri’s reaction and willingly took the container as she poured a little bit of its content into her coffee cup. She then placed the jug in front of Yuri, implying that the girl could use it now. Yuri took the white jug and abnormally ‘tilted’ the white container nearly forty five degrees from its starting point, as the milk came filling Yuri’s cup in mere milliseconds. Victoria watched in astonishment, thinking that maybe it was just a clumsy act. However, as Victoria looked up at Yuri’s expression, she knew it wasn’t an accident; the girl was watching in content as her cup turned into a color of pure snow, being almost overfilled with too much protein.

“You’re… going to drink that?”

“Of course! I love milk,” Yuri replied with a cheerful smile.

Victoria completely forgot about the coffee matter as her attention was drawn to the smile that was presented to her. Yuri’s smile clearly showed Victoria two things: a sense of friendliness and an honest sincerity.

“Is there something on my face?” Yuri spoke up, touching her face to check if there was anything.

Victoria knocked out of her starring trance and replied to Yuri with an almost straightforward tone, “No. I just think you’re beautiful.”

“T-Thank you,” Yuri muttered quietly upon hearing Victoria’s response, blushing as she was uncertain of how to reply.

Apparently, the crowd behind them had been watching and listening (to part of their conversation) and had begun to resume talking among one another, annoying the usually calm Yuri.

“Are you going be here for the rest of break?” Yuri asked as she kept watch in the corner of her eyes.

“Yes…?” Victoria answered, confused with Yuri’s question.

Yuri was starting to have worries about what may occur if she leave Victoria out here alone with all of these people, who could do just about anything to her without warning. It had only been two days and Yuri had already witnessed a couple of rebellious acts she knew so well they would do.

Making her decision, Yuri turned back to Victoria and whispered to the other girl, “If you don’t mind, would you like to come with me?”

---

“So…may I ask the reason you have called me here, Miss Kwon?”

Victoria had followed Yuri into her boss’ office. It was the second time she was here and it was still organize as always, unlike many other places she had been employed to.

“No reason. I just want to talk to you,” Yuri smiled sincerely once again, showing a sense of friendliness in her words. “Take a seat.”

Victoria’s head tilted in confusion as she sat on the visitor’s seat and placed her cup of coffee on the glass table. She couldn’t help but having to reaffirm what Yuri had meant. “Talk…?”

“Yeah. I want to know my employee better,” Yuri replied naturally with a shrug, taking a sip off her own milk-filled coffee. “Sorry, am I wasting your time?”

“No, of course not!” Victoria shook her head a couple of times and waved her hands in front of her to assure Yuri.

“Good.” Yuri gave off another smile, showing her deep smiling lines.

Victoria could feel a rush of something strange within her occurred.

Without a doubt, her heart had fluttered in that split second.

“By the way... can you do me a favor?”

Victoria jolted from her seat after realizing that Yuri had moved herself so she could be seated next to the older girl. “Y-yes?”

“It’s break time so can you just address me normally?” Yuri requested, puffing her cheeks in a cute manner of pleading. It was something a boss shouldn’t really show in front of her fellow employee. “Pretty please?”

“What do you mean?” Victoria asked, as she couldn’t help but giggled at the kid-like act in front of her.

“You can drop the formality when you’re alone with me. I really don’t like to be tied by unnecessary borders,” Yuri said casually in an informal tone, “We are friends, right?”

Yuri was hoping she could remove the title of ‘business relationship’ out of the way and become closer friends with the girl next to her.

Victoria unconsciously brought her hand over her heart, feeling the quickening pace of her own heartbeat, not understanding the message that it was sending her. ‘That smile…why am I all of the sudden like this?’

A question of concern then popped into Victoria’s mind. She wanted to know if she had rightfully received the job in a fair way. “Y-Yuri, did you pick me because I’m my father’s daughter?”

Yuri went through a sudden change of expression, now frowning slightly while staring at Victoria with questioning eyes. She could not yet catch what the older girl had meant. “What do you mean by that?”

“Did I receive the job because I’m the daughter of a CEO? Is that why?”

A trail of silence followed. Victoria feared her assumption was correct and began standing up from her seat, heading her way out of the door with her head hanged low. To her surprise, she was quickly held back by the person behind her.

“Do you not trust me, Victoria? I picked you because you qualified perfectly for the job. I never even considered about how your Mr. Song’s daughter. Listen, I don’t care what your title is. You passed because of your talents. Because you’re you. So don’t go worry about these things okay?”

The tidal wave in Victoria’s heart was suddenly calmed by Yuri’s words almost miraculously. The eyes that were so sincere and the words that were so honest… Victoria was starting to wonder just what kind of power did the younger girl had over her.

Just what kind of magic had easily captivated her like this?

“Thank you… Yuri.”

And without a doubt
…Victoria knew the answer.

☆★☆

Tapping quickly on the screen of her device, her eye-smiles continuously lit on her face as each of her messages was replied. Tiffany was in her own world, shining brightly among the customers of the coffee shop. However, darkness suddenly shadowed her view as she jolted in surprise when she felt a pair of hands covering her eyes.

“Guess who?” A young man’s voice behind her spoke with a playful tone.

Removing the person’s hands Tiffany looked back as a small smile appeared on her face. She stood up from her seat and immediately received a tight hug from the young man before her as he softly whispered into her ears.

“I miss you.”

Returning the hug, the brunette buried her head into his crook of the young man’s neck. Tiffany relaxed in the warmth she had not felt in what seemed like forever.

“I miss you, too, Jaejoong-oppa.”

However, something was holding Tiffany back from fully paying attention to her boyfriend.

With much restraint, Tiffany gripped onto her shirt… holding back the temptation of checking the new message that had just being delivered on her phone.

---

“Would you like to order?” A waitress approached the couple’s table with a notepad in hand.

Jaejoong took a glance at Tiffany who had not seemed to notice a third company’s presence. It was his intention to have his girlfriend takes the initiative of ordering first, but as he silently watched Tiffany in those few seconds, he had noticed she had been switching from one expression to another in just a few seconds while staring at her phone as if being in her own little word. In his mind, Jaejoong had already begun to question the source of them all but he had quickly brush it off as a mere simple thought.

Turning back to the waitress, he politely gave his order, “I would like to have a café latte, please.”

“And you m’am?”

This time, Tiffany had heard the waitress speaking to her and was surprised to see the woman standing right in front of her. It made her realize how she had not been paying any attention to her surroundings.

“One caramel coffee, please.”

As the waitress left the table, Jaejoong turned to his girlfriend and asked, “I didn’t know you like caramel coffee.”

It surprised Tiffany to hear such a question. She tucked away her phone and hid her change of expression, while replying to Jaejoong with a slightly fake smile. “It’s what I have always liked since you first met me, oppa. Don’t you remember?”

Jaejoong scratched the back of his head, having a hard time remembering his girlfriend’s interests. “Sorry, I guess I don’t remember.”

“If you have spent time with me more maybe you would,” Tiffany spoke coldly, leaning back on her seat, picking up the attitude of a certain blonde.

“Are you mad at me?” Jaejoong then received a silent treatment from Tiffany, who did nothing in reaction but stare at the outside world from the big window. Jaejoong reached from across the table to grab onto Tiffany’s wrist, holding it tightly as he gently ran his thumb around the back of her hand. He began apologizing, “I’m really sorry for not spending enough time with you, but I still love you very much. Will you forgive me, Tiffany?”

Tiffany thought about it for a while. Back then, she would have forgiven him the next second after he apologizes, however, it was different this time around. Jessica’s words had begun to hit her, and she knew there was something missing in their relationship. Still, Tiffany replied with an “I’ll let it off this time,” along with a smile that was not so sincere as before.

Jaejoong relaxed himself as he let go of Tiffany’s hands the instance he heard her assuring words of forgiveness. Tiffany was starting to wonder if this was really a date, just facing each other from opposite sides as nothing was being spoken.

‘This isn’t how it supposed to be…’

Breaking the awkward atmosphere, the waitress soon arrived with their orders, placing the cups onto the table as she walked away and back to her job. Tiffany picked up the coffee as she drank it in silence.
Soon, Tiffany felt another vibration from her shorts’ pocket, notifying her of a received message. Reaching for her phone, she opened the text as another smile crept onto her face. She then read through the text.

“My manager just told me that my album is finally out in stores! I can’t wait to see the reviews. To be honest, I’m kind of nervous \(>A<)/”

Tiffany smiled unconsciously as her eyes ran through every word. She instantly replied, “Don’t worry! I’ll support you! I’m sure the response would be positive. Your songs and singing are amazing! After all, I’m your biggest fan, Taeyeon!”

“Who is that?” Jaejoong asked curiously.

“A friend of mine,” Tiffany answered, not looking away from the device.

“Not a guy is it?”

“It’s a girl.”

“Oh, then that’s okay.”

Tiffany looked up at her boyfriend upon hearing his mutter to himself, “Oppa… did you just thought I was cheating on you?”

“No, of course not. I was just asking.”

Tiffany stopped pressing the keys on her phone for as a frightening thought of confusion entered her head.
‘Wait… I’m not cheating on him… am I?’

“Don’t you have anything to say to me? You’re not still mad, are you?” Jaejoong spoke up, taking a sip at his coffee while looking at Tiffany’s blank expression.

Tucking her phone back into her pocket, Tiffany looked into Jaejoong’s eyes and told him straightforwardly, “Oppa, what we are doing right now is not a date, and you know that right?”

Jaejoong’s eyebrow lifted with a questioning look, “Would you like to go somewhere then?”

“Somewhere…?”

“Yeah. I’ll take you. I still have time,” Jaejoong said.

Tiffany smiled as she stood up from her seat, an idea formed in her head, “There’s this place I want to go to.”

★☆★

“Hello?”

“Hey Hyun.” A young man’s voice spoke up, calling her in a very familiar way.

“I’m sorry, but who is this?”

“Oh my bad. I guess you can’t tell me by my voice since it had been such a long time,” He giggled at his own carelessness.

Seohyun was starting to pick up a hint but all she need was a confirmation. ‘Can it really be him?’

“Long time no talk, Hyun. It’s Yong. Jung Yonghwa.”

There was a short silence for a few seconds as Seohyun was gathering her thoughts. ‘I didn’t hear wrong did I?’

“Yong-oppa…?” Seohyun asked in affirmation.

“Oh, so you remember me! That’s great!” Yonghwa exclaimed, feeling both relieved and overjoyed. “Sorry for calling you so suddenly. Your mom asked me to so I couldn’t say no.”

“It’s alright. How are you doing, oppa? When did you come back?”

“I’m fine. I just arrived two days ago. I couldn’t contact you because I don’t have your number. So how about you? Are things going fine for you as well?”

Seohyun remained silent as she contemplated on how to answer his question. She did not want to lie but she did not want to go too deep onto the matter. “I’m okay.”

“That’s great to hear. Well, I’ll get to the point. Would you like to join me for dinner on Friday?”

“Oh, right, I told mom I would tell her tonight…”

“So, what do you say?”

Seohyun stared at the 12th of November on the calendar in front of her; she had no plan for that day.

“Can I call you back tomorrow? I need some time to think about it.”

“No problem. Give me a call any time. I’ll be waiting.”

“Thank you, oppa. Bye.”

“Oh…uh, bye,” Yonghwa replied, reluctant to bid his farewell.

Seohyun hanged up and saved Yonghwa’s number onto her phone. She looked back at the calendar in front of her as she wondered why she didn’t say yes right away. Sighing, Seohyun turned off the lights and headed to sleep with thoughts of Yoona still storming in her mind.

---

“Hey Hyunnie!”

“…”

“Seo Hyunnie!”

“…”

“SeoRoro!”

“…”

“Seo Joo Hyun!”

“Huh, what?” Seohyun finally replied to the person calling out to her, although in an almost lifeless tone.

“I don’t get this problem,” Yoona stated, pointing her finger at the sheet of paper before her.
Seohyun mentally slapped herself for being off task, forgetting that she was in the middle of a study session to help Yoona be prepared for the make-up test on coming up on Friday.

“Why do you keep staring at your phone?” Yoona asked, leaning over in hope of catching a quick glimpse of the screen, although unfortunately only to have it moved away from her sight before she had a chance.

“Uh… nothing,” Seohyun replied, closed her phone and tucked it back into her pocket.

Unsatisfied with her best friend’s obvious lie, Yoona surprised Seohyun by hugging the girl from behind, wrapping her arms around her best friend’s waist. She then placed her head comfortable on Seohyun’s shoulder as she whispered into Seohyun’s ear in a soft tone, “Are you hiding something from me, Joo Hyun?”

Seohyun jolted and shuddered from Yoona’s breath against her ear and Yoona laughed upon seeing Seohyun’s reaction to her small little play of ‘seduction’. Yoona let go
of Seohyun and moved back to her space, pretending to have never done what she had did. Truthfully speaking, she was a tad embarrassed about it as well. Who’d know that Yoona had that in her?

Seohyun placed her phone on the table and excused herself out of the room, “I-I’m going to get us some snacks.”

Yoona slammed her forehead on the table, leaning her cheeks against the cold surface as voices spoke to her in her mind. ‘I can’t stand this! Why is she so cute!? I want to hug her so badly. No, wait, Hyunnie is my friend. I should respect her personal space… Control yourself, Im Yoona.’

“Arghhh! This is so frustrating!” Yoona covered as soon as she notice how loud her voice was. Knowing Seohyun, she would have thought that Yoona was finally deliberating working hard on her assignments… which is absolutely not true.

“Maybe I should just confess…”

The sudden buzzer of Seohyun’s ringtone gave her a frightening shock as it loud music startled her. Curious at who was the caller, Yoona leaned over to take a peek. It was an unfamiliar name. However, one fact she knows for sure… it’s a male’s name.

Yoona quickly scooted back to her seat and bore a neutral look when Seohyun came back in the room with some snacks in hand.

“You had a phone call just now,” Yoona notified pointing to the motionless device on the table.

Seohyun reached for the phone and stepped outside without a word after she observed who the miss call was from. Yoona sat waiting impatiently, unable to concentrate on the work before her as she worried about the things occupying her mind. Seohyun soon came back into the room five minutes later, placing the phone back onto the table as she got back to teaching Yoona.

Already being distracted, Yoona took a shot at a question she had been replaying in her head as her ego won’t stop bothering her about speaking it out loud. Fiddling with the pen in her hand, Yoona swallowed empty air as she took in a deep breath while gathering some courage. She stared at Seohyun long enough to get the girl’s attention.

“What’s wrong?”

Yoona stared back down at the table, feeling that if she made anymore eye contact, all those courage she had been building up would be drained out of her. “So…um… are you free on this Friday?”

“This Friday.” Seohyun asked in confirmation.

Yoona nodded, her grip tightened on the pen she was holding. Her nervous breakdown could easily snap the utensil in her hand. After all, she was planning something big.

But all of that hope seemed to crumble immediately when Seohyun gave her reply.

“I-I’m sorry, unnie. I already have plans that day…” Seohyun stated as she kept her head low, avoiding eye-contact with her best friend.

“Oh… I see. That’s okay, maybe another time,” Yoona assured, giving off a nervous laugh.

‘Sorry, unnie… I just...can’t bear to be alone with you right now…’

“So have you made up your mind? You know, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.”

‘I might not be able to control my feelings for you.’

“No… I’ll be there on Friday.”

‘I’m scared of losing you, Yoona-unnie.’

 ☆★☆

“So this is where you wanted to go?” Jaejoong asked as he observed his surroundings.

Compact discs, DVDs, and merchandises stacked neatly in an organize manner, separated by specific groups and artists. Walls were decorated with posters of famous idols enhanced by the bright yellow lights hanged from the ceiling. It was indeed the music store and a world that Jaejoong was completely oblivious of.

“Is this Jessica-sshi?” Jaejoong asked curiously while pointing at the poster of a certain blonde taped on the glass window.

Unintentionally ignoring Jaejoong’s question, Tiffany excitedly toured around the store the instant she arrived, picking up anything that caught her eye. She scanned every item in the shop until one appealed to her the most. That something was her sole reason to even have come here. She placed back anything she had in her hands and literally skipped to the section where she had spotted the CD she wanted. Holding it up, she stared at it intensely, flipping to check the front and back covers of the album several times. To be exact, it was more like she was staring at the person on the covers.

“Since when were you interested in pop music?” Jaejoong questioned, picking up several items only to uninterestedly drop them back to their original places.

If Tiffany was not so concentrated on the album in front of her, she would turn around and send her boyfriend a strange glare. ‘Since forever, oppa…’ Tiffany silently answered in her head, disbelieving the fact that her boyfriend did not even of know her interests.

Tiffany scanned the song titles listed in the back of the album until her eyes landed on the one song she was looking for. A smile crisped upon her lips as she recalled the memories of two days ago.

“Kim Taeyeon, I think I heard of her before,” Jaejoong stated, looking over Tiffany’s shoulder as he read the album’s artist.

Tiffany’s eye glowed the moment the familiar name reached her ears. She turned around, facing her boyfriend while flashing an eye-smile at him. It was the first time in the whole day that Tiffany’s smile was aimed at Jaejoong... although sadly enough, it was really not because of him.

“Really?” Tiffany asked in a high-pitched voice.

Jaejoong was showing a tad bit of jealousy in his tone as he explained, “Yeah. She’s really popular among the models in my company. Both males and females. Why? Do you like her?”

Tiffany, unknown to herself, suddenly turned red from the question being brought up. She stumbled and stuttered in her answer while lowering her head, “O-of course, n-no-” Tiffany paused for a few seconds as she retraced her thoughts, realizing that she was not thinking of the same meaning of the term. Tiffany quickly changed her answer and rid of her awkwardness, looking back up at Jaejoong who looked at her oddly, “I mean… Of course I l-like her! She’s my favorite singer after all. If that’s what you’re asking…” Tiffany replied, as she trailed the last few words of her sentence while feeling like a total idiot for misunderstanding the main idea.

“Are you going to buy that? Want me to buy it for you?” Jaejoong offered as he looked at the day-dreaming Tiffany, who still had a tight grip on the album.

Tiffany snapped out of her daze and stared at the object in her hand, deciding whether or not she should purchase it.

Don’t worry! I’ll support you! I’m sure the response would be positive. Your songs and singing are amazing! After all, I’m your biggest fan, Taeyeon!

Suddenly, Tiffany’s face lit up with a smile (again), shining brightly as ever. She walked to the cashier, completely forgetting about Jaejoong’s question, or even his presence for that matter, and gently placed the item in front of the store clerk.

Jaejoong inwardly groaned as he ruffled his hair and kept his composure. He followed behind Tiffany, kicking the dirt off the floor as he watched his girl smiling nonstop about some ‘ordinary’ singer… but that was just one side of the story that Jaejoong knew.

With an eye-smile that glittered at the thought of that certain someone, she made her decision with a declaration.

“I would like to buy this please.”

★☆★

Pulling her hair back, Kwon Yuri tied it in a neat ponytail, revealing her clear forehead as she attracted more attention by the minute with her undeniable appealing figure. Swinging her leather jacket around her shoulders, she wore it on as she walked to her vehicle, heels clanking on the floor. She then dusted off the seat of her motorcycle as she reached for the keys in her pocket, spinning it around her finger before she unlocked the trunk. Yuri fitted the helmet on her head and hopped on the Yamaha motor. Leaning forward while gripping tightly onto the handles, she then pedaled the engine starter as she drifted away, passing all of those who had been watching her with envy and jealousy.

Glancing side by side, her eyes then fell upon a lonely girl, who stood all by herself as she continuously checked the watch on her wrist. Yuri made a quick turn and shocked the girl when she suddenly stopped in front of her, especially with her face all covered behind a tinted glass.

Yuri took off her helmet and halted her motorbike at a legal space as she flashed a smile at the older girl, whose heart calmed when she realized it was just her boss.

“Why are you still here, Victoria-unnie?”

“I’m waiting for my ride. My father forbade me to go home by myself,” Victoria replied with a sigh. “Wait… why are you calling me like that?”

Yuri smiled again when Victoria finally noticed the way she addressed her employee. “It’s after work and you’re older than me so I’m paying some respect.”

“Then you don’t need to because we are friends, right?” Victoria stated, referring back to what Yuri had said earlier in the day.

Yuri nodded as she (unintentionally) gave off another charismatic look that knocked Victoria back slightly. She couldn’t help but stare at the person whose smile made her heart skip a beat.

A loud ringtone snapped Victoria out of her trance. She reached for her purse and took out the device giving off the sound, accepting the call.

“Hel- …Wait, what did you say? Okay... I’ll find some other way to go home. Thanks for calling… Bye,” Victoria ended the call with a huff of a sigh.

“What’s wrong?” Yuri asked in concern, witnessing the worried expression on her older friend’s face.

“My driver said that he would be roughly forty minutes later because of traffic hour,” Victoria replied as she looked into the distance at the lining of cars continuing down the road.

Yuri also took notice of the packed street. Yuri looked upward to see the sky had already beginning to turn dark. Having an idea in her head, she opened the trunk of her motorcycle and reached for another helmet. Holding onto the head protector, she offered it to Victoria, who stared at it questionably.

“Get on.”

---

Kwon Yuri sped past envious drivers that were stuck in place as she found no difficulties in getting through. Victoria held onto the rider’s waist tightly, afraid that she would fall if she was to let go. Even so, Victoria wouldn’t want to let go either way.

Halting before the red light, Victoria took her chance and observed her surroundings and the shops that filled the streets. One particular store had caught her eye as she immediately complimented the girl on the poster displayed on the glass window. Little did Victoria know, Yuri had been staring at the same shop even before they came to a stop.

“Jessica… she’s really beautiful.”

“Yeah. She is.”

☆★☆

“Jessica-sshi, can you give us some words on this person you love?”

“Jung Jessica-sshi, what is the meaning behind this message in your album? Who is this person?”

“Is this person also in the music industry? How old is he?”

“Can you give us some hints?”

Storming questions of barbarians occupied the front entrance of Jessica’s company. The blonde girl rubbed her temples in distress as her manager tried his best to resolve the problem by contacting any securities nearby. However, there were just too much of them reporters to handle.

Suddenly, she felt a light tap on her shoulder and a voice of a comrade, “Need some help?”

---

Jessica put on wayfarers and wrapped around her face a red scarf that would help her become unrecognizable. As the car drove by all the reporters that were banging up in front of the main entrance, the tinted glass help hid the two girls inside. After they had reached a safe distance, Jessica removed the dark shades as well as the scarf which suffocated her while breathing air of relief.

“Thanks, sunbae,” Jessica expressed her gratitude, bowing to the driver beside her.

“Just helping out a friend so no need to be so formal,” the older girl gave off an ahjumma laugh as she inwardly praised herself for the swift escape.

“You really know how to handle these things, don’t you, Taeyeon?”

“I didn’t know how to at first but I guess it becomes a natural reflex as time goes by,” Kim Taeyeon replied, being one of the more experienced ones in the industry. “So, what happened? Did you accidently revealed something you shouldn’t?”

“Well, it wasn’t by accident… but I guess you could say so,” Jessica answered, shaking her head as she recalled the questions from reporters.

“I watched your television broadcast yesterday. I also heard that you left a message in your album. So, who’s the lucky guy?” Taeyeon asked curiously, not expecting an answer.

But she got one anyway. In fact… it was an honest one.

“Actually…It’s a g-girl,” Jessica replied shyly.

Taeyeon was shock for a moment. Maybe it was because she didn’t even see that coming. Or maybe it was because Jessica could be so honest about it without even flinching.

“What kind of person is she? I guess she must be a really lucky one.”

“She’s really kind to everyone. Extremely charming and really knows how to treat me even though I’m very cold to her. Of course, you can’t leave out the fact that she is an idiot. But whenever I’m with her, I feel very warm inside.”

From the corner of Taeyeon’s eyes, she could clearly see a sort of glow forming around Jessica as the girl talk about her loved one.

‘So this is someone who’s in love…’

TaeYeon’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. Without looking at its caller, Taeyeon reached for the phone and left it on loudspeaker. Before she could ask who it was, the other end exclaimed loudly.

“Taeyeon!?”

It was indeed her hyper-active crush: Tiffany.

“Fany-ah? Do you need something?”

Jessica glanced over at Taeyeon to check the girl’s reaction.

‘Sparkling eyes? Check. Happiness-filled? Check. Love struck? Check. TaeNy? Double check.’

“Well I just want to tal-”

“Hey Fany!” Jessica interrupted to destroy the lovey-dovey mood. To be honest, she was getting the chills from just a few words exchange from the two.

“Jessie!?”

“Hi there,” Jessica decided to start the conversation with a language she was sure Taeyeon would not understand fully: English. It was the ultimate weapon for secret talks.

“Wait… w-what are you doing there with Taeyeon!?”

“Jealous, aren’t you? We’re going on a nice date night. Don’t worry about us, Fany. We’re having lots of fun!” Jessica answered in a sing-sang voice, purposely teasing her best friend.

“Yah!” Tiffany’s scream echoed in the car as it pained each listener with its piercing, loud tone.

“I seriously don’t know what you two are talking about… Fany-ah, can I call you back later? I’m driving right now,” Taeyeon spoke up, feeling a bit left out of the conversation.

“Okay.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, Fany!”

“B-Bye…”

Taeyeon pressed the end call button as she looked at Jessica with questionable eyes.

“What did you guys talk abou-”

“How do you feel about Tiffany?” Jessica asked out of the blue, shocking Taeyeon who, again, did not see it coming. She was starting to conclude how unpredictable Jessica could be.

Respecting fellow dongsaeng for telling her the truth earlier, Taeyeon replied with her own answer of truth. Smiling, she honestly replied…

“Like you, I think I’m in love.”

★☆★

Tiffany laid on her bed as she let the music sooth her mind, listening to the voice which she have yearned to hear.

“Why do you sing so well…?” She asked Taeyeon indirectly, while staring at the album pictures inside the album. With each page she flipped and each photo she saw, Tiffany felt an urging desire to see the girl.

She felt like she would run to see Taeyeon right at that moment… only if she knew where the girl lived.

Sighing, she placed the album aside and picked up her phone. Tiffany then dialed Taeyeon’s number as she waited for a specific someone to pick up... only to have an automatic voice mail returned her call.

“Maybe she’s busy…” Tiffany concluded as she let her phone slid out of her hand and back onto the bed.

“Say…were you thinking of anyone while you were singing the song? Your singing tells me it was as if it’s from personal experience or maybe there was someone on your mind.”

“Technically… y-yes.”

“Why did I suddenly remember that?” Tiffany asked herself as she covered her blanket overhead. The rushing memories of that day in the studio with Taeyeon continued to overflow in her mind. She simply cannot get the girl out of her head.

Tiffany cannot stop thinking about Taeyeon.

“Now I really want to know who that person is…”

Tiffany decided to give the call another try as she reached for her phone and pressed her last dialed number. A series of beeps continued… and a voice finally spoke up.

“Taeyeon!?” Tiffany happily asked, lifting herself up from her slumping.

“Fany-ah? Do you need something?” Taeyeon asked on the other line.

Tiffany could hear buzzing sounds of traffics honks and noises of cars swaying back and forth.

“Well I just want to tal-”

“Hey Fany!” A very familiar voice (that she heard practically every day) spoke up through the loud speaker, surprising Tiffany. Without a doubt, she knew who it was.

“Jessie!?”

“Hi there,” Jessica replied in English.

“Wait… what are you doing there with Taeyeon!?” Tiffany asked in the same language.

“Jealous, aren’t you? We’re going on a nice date night. Don’t worry about us, Fany. We’re having lots of fun!” Jessica answered in a sing-sang voice.

“Yah!”

Tiffany gripped her bed sheets. Even though she knew that it was just Jessica teasing her, she couldn’t help but felt an uneasy feeling hearing that they were alone together.

“I seriously don’t know what you two are talking about… Fany-ah, can I call you back later? I’m driving right now.”

Hearing Taeyeon’s voice eased Tiffany’s heart a bit as the sparkling smile came back onto her face, “Okay.”

“Bye.”

“Bye, Fany!”

“B-Bye…”

The other line ended the call as Tiffany dropped the phone back onto her bed. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it tightly, smuggling her face against it as the uncomfortable feeling returned.

“Why are they together…?”

A throbbing pain then stabbed Tiffany in the heart as she gripped her shirt from the unexpected incoming. Realization then hit Tiffany as quick as the arrow to her heart did.

“I am not jealous. I have no reason to be! It’s not like I l-like her… Not that I dislike her, but this is just admiration or maybe I’m out of my mind.”

Jaejoong’s image then intruded Tiffany’s thoughts, reminding the girl of her current relationship status. “I have a boyfriend…”

A series of vibration from her phone then shocked Tiffany. Glancing over, she gazed at the name of the person who texted her. Opening her message, another arrow shot at her heart.

“Sorry I’ll talk to you later after I drop Jessica home. You might have to wait a bit since I’m stuck in traffic. After I take a shower, I’ll call you. By the way, how was your day, Fany-ah?”

Reluctant to reply, Tiffany re-read the words several times as she imagined Taeyeon speaking to her, calling her ever so closely.

“Taeyeon, I think I…lik-…you…”

☆★☆

Tugging the plastic bag into her bag, she hid the mysterious item from a curious shikshin. The moment Yuri stepped into her apartment, she fast-walked into her room as if she did not notice her friend’s greeting or existence for that matter. She then locked herself into her own private space and took out the item she had been secretly hiding. Slowly and carefully, Yuri reached inside the plastic bag and pulled out its content.

A few seconds later, she soon found herself knocking her head on her bed mat while repeatedly calling herself an idiot.

Restrained… already tried and failed.

Yuri had bought Jessica’s album.

Yuri knew that passing by the music store again would not be a good idea but unluckily for her, there was no such detour that she could take because of the tight traffic. Tempted by the poster hanged in front of the shop, she had let loose of herself and walked in the store… purchasing something that she should have definitely stayed away from.

Sighing, Yuri took her action as a support for her dear friend and decided to just deal with her stupidity. Inserting the CD into her music player, she sat on a comfortable spot on her bed and flipped open the album.

“This is merely supporting. It’s not like I miss her or anything….” Yuri mumbled to herself as the CD was loaded into the device.

The first song was finally played.

Trying her best to ignore the pictures of Jessica that flooded the album, Yuri ran over the lyrics with her eyes. It was the title song: ‘Tears’.

The white starlight, the black darkness
is pushing me far away.
When I look at you with my smile
I always stray further apart.

It was a ballad song that started with a soft, melodic feeling of…longing sadness.

When I call out to you…when I look for you…
come to me as the wind,
hug me in secret,
so I can feel that…
You are always next to me.

The somber mood had hit its listener…and the flashbacks were replayed.

“Yuri… If I ever become a singer…will you really be there to hear me sing? Will you be there, by my side, to support me?”

“I’ll be right next to you.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“Thank you…”

The blue sky has dyed you.
Before you find out about my love,
don't feel bad for me.
If you understand my tears
you will be able to laugh too…

“I’d always knew, Yuri. I’m really sorry that I tried to pretend that I don’t… C-Can you give me some time Yuri? I’m not prepared to hear you say t-those words, yet. I… I promise you I’ll tell you my feelings when I’m ready. I’m not really sure right now, and I don’t want to hurt you. I promise you that I will absolutely not date anyone until I tell you how I feel!”

When I call out to you…when I look for you…
come to me as the wind,
hug me in secret,
so I can feel that…
You are always next to me.

“Okay, I understand. It’s a promise, right? I’ll wait for your response.”

“It’s a promise.”

Love… Like my song that is in the wind forever…
Do you hear it too?
You left so many memories…
I only think about you.

“Long time no see, Jessica.”

“H-hello there, Yuri.”

When I call out to you you… when I find you…
come back to me as the rain,
whisper to me under the umbrella,
I love you more…
so I am hurting more….

“You know what…I talk to stars.”

“You…what?”

“I talk to stars. Whenever I have a problem or feelings I cannot convey to anyone else, I tell them. They may not answer me but it gives me a feeling of relief just being able to let it out with…something.”

“What do you talk about?”

“Just…about my mistakes.”

How can I convey it to you?
My heart that really loved you
How is my love?
Over there, like that…
That love I will now
...I love you.

“I love you, Jung Sooyeon…”

The last few lines replayed in Yuri’s mind as she found herself repeating them out loud. As much as she wished those words were meant to be sung to her, she knew it was just a song and that Jessica was merely following through the lyrics given to her. A part of her believed that Jessica had written these lyrics for someone special to the girl… who was not her.

Yuri turned the pages of the album as she gazed at all the pictures taken. Jessica is really beautiful, and she was not Yuri’s. No matter how much she yearned for the girl she had loved for three years, Yuri understood that she will never stand a chance against that special person in Jessica’s heart.

The last page of Jessica’s album had said it all…

“To the person I love now and forever.”

If only Yuri had knew… that song was meant for her… that the lyrics were meant for her… that the message was meant for her…

And that Jessica’s love was meant for her… and only her, Kwon Yuri.

===========================