It was already awkward for Yuri to have a business trip with Jessica to Jeju island. And now the awkwardness became doubled, not only she was travelling with Jessica, but Taeyeon tagged along with them as well.

The office arranged for a different seat on the plane for them. They all sat in the business class, but Yuri had her own seat while Jessica sat with Taeyeon far away behind her. It was awkward when the three of them greeted each other when they met earlier at the airport, but Yuri quickly separate herself from the duo, trying her best not to witnessing Taeyeon and Jessica being sweet to each other. When Yuri took a peek, immediately she felt uncomfortable feelings in her stomach when she saw Jessica was fixing Taeyeon’s bangs.

Suddenly her phone beeped and there was text from Juran, saying to her to have a safe flight and she will be waiting for her to come back home tomorrow. Yuri slightly smiled, a bit of happiness creep in her heart as she knew there was still someone who care for her and waiting for her to come back home.
Little by little, Yuri started to get used to the attention given by Juran. It felt wonderful when she had a ‘fiancée’ who’s waiting for her.

“Hey – really this is awkward. Why you have to drag me to come with you?”, Taeyeon frowned, she felt a little bit uncomfortable tagging along with Yuri and Jessica.

Jessica chuckled. “No need to worry, Taenggo. I just don’t want to be alone with her.”, she pointed to Yuri’s seat with her chin.

“Yea but you put me in a difficult situation here.”, Taeyeon pouted. “Btw, Sica --- Uhm --- I’ve talked to SM management and I can convince them to have a collaboration with your company. What do you think?”

Jessica has shared with Taeyeon that her entertainment business was currently not in a good conditions and she was having lots of headache to save the business. But hearing what Taeyeon had offer, she frowned and looked annoyed.

“Taeyon ---“ Jessica sighed. “I told you I am fine. You just the same like Tyler! I can handle it by myself.”, she said with an annoyed tone.

“Hey, I was trying to help. I don’t mean ---“, Taeyeon paused, she was confused what to say. Jessica could be too stubborn sometimes and she didn’t want to offend Jessica.

“If you want to help, just listening to me when I share my burden is enough for me.”, Jessica scoffed.

Taeyeon raised her arms, giving up. “Alright, alright. I am sorry okay. I am so sorry.”

Looking at Jessica who sulked, Taeyeon tried to control the situation. “Sica, don’t get mad, okay. Let’s just --- sleep..Okaay?.”, Taeyeon held her hand and smiled.

“Fine! Don’t be like that again.”, Jessica glared, but she didn’t yank Taeyeon’s hand away.

When they were finally arrived at Jeju, a separate car had waited for them. Taeyeon has already rented a car so Jessica followed Taeyeon while Yuri used the other one alone. They were quickly went to the hotel to have an early check in.

When Jessica went to the receptionist desk of the hotel to do the check-in, Yuri came towards Taeyeon who sat alone at the sofa in the hotel lobby.

“Why did you have to follow me and Jessica here? Are you afraid that I am going to steal her away from you?”, Yuri asked when she stood up in front of Taeyeon.

Taeyeon raised her head and looked at Yuri. A bit startled since suddenly Yuri confronted her like that.

“What are you talking about?”

“I thought you are my friend, Tae. You sly, you took the opportunity to snatch her from me once you had a chance.”, Yuri further supplied.

Taeyeon gritted her teeth, she didn’t like when Yuri accused her like that. She stood up and shot a stare to Yuri. “She’s not yours, Yuri.  She had a problem with you because you create it. I am just being here for her.”

Yuri pushed Taeyeon a little bit when she felt Taeyeon stepped closer to her. “I never meant to hurt her.”

“But you did. You better think about your fiancée before you said that.”, Taeyeon replied in a low stern voice, she was a bit irritated from Yuri’s action.

“What??”

“What’s going on?”, Jessica suddenly showed up from behind.

Both Yuri and Taeyeon just scoffed. Jessica shot an icy glare to Yuri.

“Taeyeon came here with me because I asked her to.”, Jessica said coldly to Yuri, defending Taeyeon. “Here’s you key to your room. After this you need to go the shooting place as you need make up and everything before the shoot. I will follow later on.”, Jessica handed the key-card to Yuri.

Yuri just took it abruptly from Jessica’s hand and moved away quickly to the elevator.

**

Jessica came not long after Yuri started her shoot and appeared as the guest judge. Apparently, the contestant who won the first round will have to compete on a food challenge with Yuri. If the contestant can win over Yuri, then the said contestant would get the price by skipping to the semifinal directly. The requirement for the challenge was they need to make a dessert, a soufflé to be exact. The other judges on the show will examine each of the dessert and decided who made it better.

“A soufflé, huh?”, Jessica raised a brow to Yuri when Yuri came to her on the break time before they started the challenge.

Yuri just stared at Jessica. She already knew what kind of soufflé she would make. The chocolate soufflé, one of the dish that she made specifically for Jessica before. 

“Where’s Taeyeon?”, Yuri asked, ignoring Jessica rhetorical question, when she did not find Taeyeon on Jessica’s side.   

“She stays at the hotel, maybe she will go out by herself.”, Jessica shrugged. Truth to be told,  Taeyeon chose not to follow Jessica to the shooting place. She wanted to avoid any tension if she had to be at the same room with Yuri.

“Anyway ---“, Jessica said. “Good luck. I believe you can beat him. Your soufflé was amazing.”, she tapped Yuri’s shoulder and smiled lightly.

The challenge began and Yuri and the contestant started to do their own stuff. Yuri did her things patiently and calm. Jessica watched her closely, crossing her arms. When she was stirring to combine the egg yolk and the chocolate, Jessica unconsciously smiled at the sight. Jessica always found Yuri adorable when she was cooking and looking at how serious Yuri’s face was, it just made Jessica’s heart fluttered. It was one of the view that Jessica found it enjoyable.

When it was finished, it revealed that Yuri made a chocolate soufflé and her opponent chose to make a lemon soufflé. But the judges were not present and stay at a room when they made the soufflé so the judges would not know who made what. So when the judges were coming out from their little room, they just found two types of soufflé that have been served at the table.

 “Are you confident enough to beat chef Yuri?”, the MC asked the contestant.

He looked at Yuri and chuckled awkwardly. “I always have my respect to Yuri sunbaenim and I am one of her fan. She is one of the best chef and I am so honored that I can compete with her. I already tried my best in making my soufflé and I am quite confident it taste good. May the best wins.”, he stated politely.

“What about you Yuri-ssi?”, the MC shifted her gaze to Yuri. Yuri glanced at her chocolate soufflé, then she lifted her face and met Jessica’s gaze. When she made the soufflé she thought of Jessica and her smile.

“I already pour my heart into this soufflé. I am confident I will win this challenge.”, Yuri answered.

“Okaaayy! Now let the judge taste the soufflé”, the MC continued and the judges one by one started to taste the food.

Please be win. Please please. Please let Yuri win – Jessica.

Jessica was secretly prayed when the judge scoop the chocolate soufflé Yuri made into his mouth. The judges then gathered around to decide and finally they whispered to the MC, ready to reveal the winner. The situation on the studio was tense. Yuri could felt that her heart was racing, she could not lose this challenge.

“We have decided.”, one of the judges said.

“……..”

Yuri gulped. Jessica held her breath, anticipating for the announcement.

“We like the chocolate soufflé better. It taste amazing. Who made this?”, the judge said and the whole studio cheering and clapped their hands.

Jessica relieved a long breath and Yuri smiled in satisfaction.

“It’s chef Yuri chocolate soufflé!!”, the MC screamed in joy. “Congratulations Yuri-ssi.”

Yuri felt like she wanted to run to Jessica and hugged her. But she halted her step, when she saw Jessica only gave her a smirk and nodded.

**

The shooting for Yuri finally finished in the next 4 hours. Yuri just finished her shower in her hotel room and she was talking to Juran on the phone, informing Juran about her challenge and that she won over her opponent. Suddenly she heard a knock on her door and when she took a peek, she saw Jessica there. She was stunned, what is Jessica doing here?

“Juran, my boss is here. I have to go, I will call you later okay?”, Yuri said, she hung up the call as she opened the door.

“Uh – Hi Jessica. Is there something wrong?”, Yuri asked.

“I just want to congratulate you.”, Jessica went inside her room without waiting for Yuri to let her in. “I didn’t give you a proper one earlier today. I am so proud of you, Yuri. It was a right choice for me when I asked you to join the restaurant. I have the best head-chef.”

Yuri blushed. Jessica has almost never give this kind of huge compliment. “Err --- Thanks –“, she scratched her head.

“Why chocolate though? You can try other types of soufflé and I am sure it still taste good.”, Jessica curiously asked.

Yuri looked at Jessica. “Because ---- because it reminds me of your smile. Remember when I gave you chocolate soufflé before and it was the first time I saw you smile – and --- it – made my heart skipped a beat for the first time as well.”, she looked down as her voice became lower when she muttered the last sentence.

Jessica felt heat all over her face. Yuri’s words was so sweet she felt that could get diabetes anytime soon. She cleared and tried to hide her shyness. Jessica tried to so hard to suppress her feelings to Yuri, but why is it so hard to resist?

“Thank you --- I guess. Uhm, so yeah… congratulations once again. Can I give you a hug maybe?”, Jessica tried not to prolong the conversation and spread her arms. Yuri smiled and moved towards Jessica to hug her.    

But the hug was too comfortable for both of them. None of them wanted to release the hug so easily and just stared at each other. Both of them remained stiffen in their position and was too nervous to even maintain a normal pace of breathing.

Those lips – Yuri

“Sica ---“, Yuri whispered. Jessica closed her eyes, her mind went blank. She already could felt Yuri’s breath, when suddenly her phone ringing making her jolt in surprise.

Jessica’s face shot opened and she realized how dangerously close Yuri was to her.

“T – Taeyeon is waiting for me. I – I have to go.”, Jessica stuttered and quickly released herself from Yuri.

She didn’t even give a chance for Yuri to say anything and abruptly opened the door and got out from there. She exhaled a breath and shook her head in disbelief. Surprisingly, a guilty feeling to Taeyeon creeped her as she remembered she almost kiss Yuri. Jessica was getting more confused, was she feeling guilty to Taeyeon because she started to grow feelings to Taeyeon or because she felt bad for Taeyeon’s kindness towards her?

Behind the door, Yuri just stood still like a statue in her room. This feeling for Jessica, she could not hold it. But it seemed that Jessica's feeling for her was not as strong as her feelings for Jessica. Jessica didn't even give her chance to settle everything, to talk through it, and Jessica had made her choice, to be with Taeyeon. 

**

Taeyeon was already changed into her pajamas in the room while Jessica was still put a lotion on her skin. They just finished their late dinner and went back to hotel. Jessica chuckled looking at a bare-faced Taeyeon, she’s really cute and looked like a kid.

“You look like a 5 year old kid, Taenggo.”, Jessica voiced her thought.

“But cute right? I will be forever young.”, Taeyeon replied and laughed. Jessica just rolled her eyes in response.

“Tired?”, Taeyeon asked as she caressed Jessica’s hair.

“A bit. But it was fun. You should have come to the studio, it was tense when Yuri was competing with that boy. I think the boy was quite confident that he will win.”, Jessica said and giggled.

“Ahh --- stupid boy. He does not know how skillful Yuri is.”, Taeyeon nodded in agreement.

 “Sorry you have to deal with the awkwardness between Yuri and me.”, Jessica said softly to Taeyeon, to which Taeyeon just waving her hand and shrugged it off.

“That’s alright.”, Taeyeon replied in short.

Jessica smiled at Taeyeon, brushing her cheek and silently thinking how understandable Taeyeon was with the whole situation.

Taeyeon moved a little bit, narrowing the gap between their face. Jessica could sense it, Taeyeon was about to kiss her. This would be their first kiss and Taeyeon lips already pressed into hers even before Jessica could think of anything. But Jessica didnt mind, if she agreed to give Taeyeon chance and let her in, then maybe this is one of the thing that she has to get used to. 

The way Taeyeon kissed her was very gentle. It was nice, but suddenly the ‘almost kiss’ incident with Yuri were circling in Jessica’s head. And Jessica could not help but to compare how different Taeyeon and Yuri’s kisses was. Taeyeon’s was soft and the one she had with Yuri before was more rough and passionate.

Gosh! Stop thinking about Yuri!!!! – Jessica.

Jessica mentally slapped herself. The kiss with Taeyeon was good and she should enjoyed it. The kiss were innocent and sweet. When they pulled themselves from each other, Taeyeon just smiled to Jessica.

“I am impress that you, a byuntae, can keep your hand off my .”, Jessica giggled.

“Well – what can I say? Because it’s you, it’s not someone else. I want to treat you special.”, Taeyeon replied. Ah, she is being sweet again. Jessica smiled and snuggled to Taeyeon, ready to sleep. At least she know, she has Taeyeon and Taeyeon would always be by her side. 

Jessica fell asleep in Taeyeon’s arms not long after as she was already tired. Taeyeon was still playing games on her ipad when suddenly her phone beeping, an incoming messages. She was stunned when she found Tiffany’s name there.

Tiffany: Tae-tae, I miss you.

 Taeyeon sighed. Her thumb was ready to start typing, but she didn’t know what to type. She turned her gaze and saw Jessica who was sleeping soundly next to her.

Tiffany, why now? – Taeyeon

**

The three of them finally landed back in Seoul in the afternoon. Taeyeon and Yuri chose to stay away from each other as they do not want to create anymore tension. Yuri, again, could not sleep last night as her mind was full of Jessica. She almost kissed her but then she got jealous overnight just thinking that Jessica would sleep nicely next to Taeyeon. Yuri ended up talking to Juran the whole night and surprisingly, it was a really good conversation and helped Yuri to distract her mind about Jessica for a while.

Yuri walked in front of Jessica who linked her arms to Taeyeon. When they got out from the airport, Jessica was about to bid her goodbye to Yuri, when she saw Juran ran to Yuri and hugged Yuri. Apparently Juran came to the airport pick up Yuri.

Yuri laughed as she welcomed Juran in her arms. Jessica felt a pang of jealousy seeing that view. She really wanted to took off her shoes and throw it at them at this moment. She sighed and looked away.

“Is that her?” Taeyeon asked when she saw Yuri hugged a woman.

“Yeah.”, Jessica replied. “Come on, our car is waiting.”, Jessica didn’t want to look again and just dragged Taeyeon to find their car.

Okay. So you did choose her – Jessica.