Sooyoung – 2022

"You gotta be kidding me." Sooyoung was all but slapping her hand against the table. Glaring her eyes out wasn't even enough to express her disbelieve. From the way Key stared down at this girl, Yuri's girlfriend, Sooyoung could also tell that the man was having a hard time digesting the whole story.

"I know this doesn't sound plausible but it's the truth." Looking like she was about to curl and cry in the corner, Jessica took a deep breath. "I have been hiding it for so long because I know people will react like this."

"No. No. No." Key wriggled his index finger at the girl while keeping his eyes on Sooyoung. "This is her excuse. Her over-dramatic way to escape Yuri. Girl, I know you did my best friend dirty by rejecting her proposal but this lie is totally disgusting."

"Key, please. Listen  I-"

"I think you're the one who should listen." He side-eyed Jessica now. "Yuri had been thinking of proposing you since forever. I've seen her toss and turn for the last two years, worrying about the right place and the right time. For you to reject her over a drunk wedding that happened a long time ago just so ugh." The right word got lost in his groan.

"I know."

"No, you don't. " Taking a deep breath, Key shook his head. "You don't know that I gifted Yuri a European trip for the perfect proposal. You don't know that her basic chose Paris. You have no idea what we had planned for you." With a roll of her eyes, Key took out the rose gold cigarette case from his pocket. "Taemin and I even flew to France overnight to help with details. It was supposed to be the most romantic proposal, glittering Eiffel in the background and all."

Jessica's gasp was barely audible but Sooyoung easily heard the remorse within.

"She canceled everything the day before. That fool." Bringing a slim cigarette in between his lips, Key shot daggers at Jessica. "Others might have asked why but Taemin and I, we know she wanted to show you her purest intention. We know she would pick the simplest spot, say the simplest words, yet create the most romantic atmosphere that is. She is precious that way. Too precious for your bull."

"Key..." Sooyoung leaned forward to get Key's attention. The man needed to stop. As much as she agreed with him, the tears falling from the corner of Jessica's eyes made Sooyoung feel bad. It seemed like the girl's heart is actually shattered into pieces at the moment.

"I wish as was lying." Jessica wiped her tears with the back of her right hand. "I really wish I could just say yes. You are right, Key. She's too pure to be mine but I really want her to be. I am hers and I want to do her right."

"By rejecting her?"

"Key. That's enough." Sooyoung grabbed her stylus while glaring at Key. "Let's restart this whole conversation without prejudice now. Jessica, I need you to retell that story once more while I'm making notes. You were saying you married this guy in Fiji?"

"Yes."

"And you forgot the exact place and when."

"It's definitely the half end of 2010 and in a cottage by the sea. We were doing a pacific ocean tour on a yacht."

Writing down the information into the app, Sooyoung could catch another roll of Key's eyes. "And you also forgot his name?"

Jessica nodded. "He's half Korean half Indonesian, I think."

"Okay, anything else?"

"He's tall. Handsome. Well-built. Dark skin. Dark hair. Small face. Nice jaw."

"Good lord, Jessica." Key face-palmed himself while tapping his cigarette against the pearlescent ashtray.

"I was so drunk but I remember we were wedded by a kind of tribal chief. I also remembered signing a document."

"But you can't remember his ing name?" To Sooyoung's dismay, Key cut in again.

"Yes. You can call me dumb but too much alcohol does that to me. Always. Have you ever seen me drinking excessively in the past few years?"

"Ugh."

"Key, come on." Sooyoung narrowed her eyes at the man. "Please, Jessica. Ignore him."

"There was a party before, during, and after. I remember feeling sleepy on a bed, in his arms. I remember tracing his skin with my finger." Jessica's cheeks got pinker. "I remember his laugh and a cigar between his lips but I don't remember anything else. When I fully sobered up God knows how many days later, I was already back on the yacht. I haven't seen him since. Nobody knew him either."

"Nobody?"

"I asked a few of my friends if they see this good-looking guy on our trip and nobody recalled seeing someone fit his description. But then again, we were a bunch of party people who pay no heed to details those days."

"And you didn't search for him anymore."

Jessica looked up at the ceiling for quite a moment before meeting their eyes again, regret shone in her eyes. "I was a very different person those days. Selfish. Careless. Some stuff happened after the yacht trip and the marriage was kinda buried deep within me until last year."

"What happened last year?" Butting in once more, Key leaned in while blowing out a thin layer of nicotine smoke.

"I started to realize that Yuri is the one. That I want to be with her forever." The girl now looked down at her shoes. "I am not a frozen cod in a tin, Key. I have feelings. I can sense that Yuri is planning something for our future and it fears me. When she proposed, my fear became reality. How can I let a perfect girl like her marry someone like me?"

"This would have been a lot easier if you just said yes then tell her everything. The Yuri we all know will understand." One hand holding out the cigarette, Key pulled out his diamond-encrusted iPhone from the pocket of his Tosca chinos. "I'm calling her out of the meeting so she can be here and see how stupid her girlfriend is."

"Key, no!"

"This is an unnecessary hassle for some hunk that probably already has two wives and a dozen kids on an island somewhere. I said you forget this guy, beg Yuri to marry you, then live stupidly in love together forever." Key walked away to the corner with the phone pressed to his ear. "Sorry, Soo. This could have been fixed since day one without even bothering you."

"It's fine by me but I really think you should listen to Jessica." Sooyoung glanced at Jessica again. There was something else. She could sense another layer hidden behind the girl's explanation. "This is her story. She should be the one to decide."

"No, this is Yuri's story too. As her best friend, I say Yuri deserves to know everything."

"I've been having nightmares." Jessica grabbed the piece of paper and handed it to Sooyoung. "Since last year. Since I realized that Yuri might propose me someday."

"Nightmares?" Key pocketed his phone back in, taking another swig of poison from the lungs destroyer.

"Mostly about a faceless man and burning altar. The scariest nightmares that often wake me up at night." Jessica stood up. "I want it to stop. I want to move on. I want a happily ever after with Yuri. Therefore, I need to face this fear. I need to find that man. Before I know exactly what I'm dealing with I wish Yuri to stay away from this problem and I hope you, as her best friend, will understand."

Key took one deep, annoyed breath be