At Kwon’s residence...

 

     “Unnie,wait!” Tiffany shouted once they had arrived at their house. But Yuri didn’t bother to stop.

“Unnie,please!” Tiffany finally managed to catch her and grabbed her arm. Yuri stopped once there was a strong grip on her.

   “Now,what?!” Yuri gave a sharp glance.

“………….”

          Tiffany was remained silent. She was gasping for air as she was tired having Yuri acting cold to her.

“If you don’t have something to say, let me go. Don’t waste my time!” I’m totally tired of you.” Yuri said and she pulled away her hand from Tiffany’s grab.

                “When are you going to stop avoiding yourself from me?” Tiffany stared deeply into her eyes. Yuri looked away and grumbled. 

“Who are you to judge my life? I’ve told you I’m not gonna be your sister. Don’t ever call me unnie.” Yuri started to walk out from the garage.

          “I..I won’t give up!” Tiffany yelled. The tanned girl stopped walking. She turned around and stepped closer approaching Tiffany again.

“Mwo?”

           “I said, I won’t give up on you. Wasn’t it clear enough?” Tiffany repeated. Yuri laughed. She shook her head with a ‘sad’ look.

“Huh! You must be out of your mind. You’re psycho!”

Tiffany gave her a long stare. Yuri felt it was annoying.

“I’m not crazy.”

There was a deep silent before Yuri started to talk. She made another step forward.

“Okay. If that what you want, I will fulfill your wish. But there’s something you must do.”

“Okay…what is it?” Tiffany was stammered. She tried hard to gain back her strength.

     Yuri smirked and she smiled like a devil. She took another close step towards Tiffany. It was making the shorter girl almost trembled down.

“Be my personal assistant.” Yuri whispered down with a sly grin.  She was totally excited with the unplanned ideas. Tiffany looked puzzled and it seemed that she had no idea what Yuri wanted her to be.

“Personal assistant?”

“Ne. Didn’t you get it? My personal assistant or I can say as my ‘maid’.” Yuri answered and she looked so calm telling about it to Tiffany. She pinned Tiffany onto the wall and pushed the girl hard.

“How?”

        This girl is gone too much but I’ve no choice since I’m thinking about her father’s kindness and because I respect him. He is my father as well.”

   Tiffany slowly nodded. Yuri let go of her hands.

      “Okay, if that would make you happy as long as I call you my ‘unnie’. I’m willing to do anything to you. I’m fine with that.” Tiffany exclaimed. She was almost broke into tears and her voice was shaky.

             “Wow…Glad to hear that.” Yuri clapped her hand and smiled.

           “From now on, you’re my ‘maid’.” Yuri said and then she left Tiffany alone at the garage.

     “Yuri unnie, I’m wondering if you feel hurt like me.”

Tiffany slowly trembled down to the ground. There was a pain in her heart. 

      “Yuri-ah, I understand why you left, But what I don’t understand is, why I’m still waiting.

I want to be able to hold your hand when I am hurting instead of having someone else because you are the one hurting me.” Tiffany was crying facing the ground.

“But I’m going to smile like nothing wrong, talk like everything’s perfect, act like it’s all a dream, and pretend it’s not hurting me.”

...............

 

Madam Kahi saw Yuri entered the main door. But she didn’t see Tiffany came along with Yuri.

   “Yuri, where’s your sister?”

Yuri was almost dropped her school bag because she was surprised to the sudden voice. She scratched her hair aimlessly. Madam Kahi looked so serious.

   “Did you leave her again?” Madam Kahi hardened her voice. Yuri gulped down her saliva. She snorted. She took a deep breath before she could answer Madam Kahi’s question.

   “Oh…she,..she was at my back just now. Maybe she’s still outside. Probably at the garden taking some fresh air.” Yuri tried not to be obviously nervous. She scared Madam Kahi would be misunderstood. And she could be blamed again. Madam Kahi crossed her arms and came closer to approached Yuri.

   “Okay. By the way, your father is already here. He’s at the study room. Your step mother is here too.”

Yuri’s smile faded away. She sighed.

        “Ne. I take my leave now. I’m so tired, Madam Kahi.”

“So, take a well rest. See you later,kid.” Said Madam kahi and she gave a light kiss on the girl’s forehead.

......................

Tiffany walked slowly into the house. Her eyes felt so sore. She took out the compact mirror from her school bag to check her looks. Her eyes were red. She cast away the dirt on her shirt and the remained tears on her face.

  She looked around and found no one except the family’s personal bodyguards. Tiffany bowed her head down and slowly passed by them and headed up straight to upstairs. As she passed by Yuri's room, she stopped in front of the door. She thought to knock the door but she didn't have the courage. A hesitation began to feel her inner-self. But the desire was so strong. Tiffany couldn't helped herself anymore and she chose to forget the desire. She took a first step forward as she was about to leave.

   "I wish I could see in front of the door and you would smile to me."

The second step...

   "And you would call my name. I would smile back to you."

The third step...

   "I wish this is only a bad dream. But, now I choose to continue walking to my own room. Yeah, I'm walking away passing by your room."

Tiffany fastened her steps. She thought it was the best way to avoid herself from losing control against her own feelings. And it would be embarrassing if Yuri caught her standing outside her room. 

 

“I wish I could just simply barge in…”

Tiffany muttered on her bed. The door opened wide and she quickly got up. It was her mother. Tiffany gave her mother a bright smile. She jumped off from the bed and hugged her mother happily. Tiffany has been missing her mother very much.

“Mom! Omo…I’ve been missing you so much! What was taking you so long in the States?”

Her mother patted her back and caressing her long black hairs. They finally pulled away from the hug.

   “I’ve been missing you too, honey. How are you? Seems like you’re getting thinner” Said her mother and she giggled. And she hugged her daughter again. Tiffany seemed so excited but deep inside of her heart, she was really sad. She was lonely. Yuri had come back into her mind suddenly. The girl’s face kept replaying in her mind. She started to flash back all the moments that they had been through together when the eldest weren’t around.

Tiffany tried to control her tears to roll down and she was barely to do it. Both of the mother and daughter were staring at each other.

 “Tiffany, my daughter, you look so tired. How was everything?” the old woman cupped her daughter’s face and stared at the innocent face lovingly. Tiffany smiled. The adorable smile made her mother’s heart became calm.

“Everything was fine,mom. Now I’m feeling okay.” Tiffany replied. She hugged her mother again. She was strictly thinking that the sadness in her eyes cannot be seen by her mother. She didn’t want her mother to know everything wasn’t that good at first.

“Never mind the pain. I still can go through it,mom. It’s because I love our family so much. And I’m missing dad so much. I wish he would still alive.” Tiffany murmured in her heart. There was emptiness in her heart. The emptiness which caused her life turned messy. Her real father died two years ago because of heart disease. And same as Yuri, Tiffany came from a broken family even though they’re rich. And she didn’t understand how her mother met Yuri’s father and how did they fall for each other? Tiffany was hurt as well because of that.

She was thinking about her late father when he was still alive. She would hear them fighting with each other. There would always a problem happened. And her mother would fly back to South Korea or somewhere else.

“Are you sure that you’re really okay now?” Tiffany just nodded and grinned.

“What about you and Yuri?” Tiffany’s grin faded away. But then she slowly was putting a smile. It was to make her mother to ask a many questions.

“Mm…we…we’re just doing fine.” Tiffany answered. She can’t handle her startled anymore so she replied as sweetly as possible.

The old woman seemed relief when she heard that both of her daughters were going well with one another.

“Good. I hope both of you will get along like real sisters. Just give time to know each others deeply. Don’t worry, Yuri’s a good girl. She’s still upset. And you must try to be patient with her? Arraso?” Tiffany smiled again once she heard her mother said Yuri’s name and told her little information about Yuri.

“Gurehyo? Mom, how you know that Yuri unni is a kind girl? Didn’t you see how cold she is toward us?”

Her mother burst into a small laughter. Again she patted the girl’s head. Tiffany looked at her mother weirdly.

“Why,mom? Why are you laughing? What’s so funny?”

Her mother shook her head.

“It’s nothing. I’m just laughing at you. But, no matter what will happen, just hang in there. Mom’s always be with you, okay? Promise me, both of you will be fine.” The mother gave a peck on her cheek. Tiffany slowly nodded.

“Yuri unnie, I thought of you today but that’s nothing new
I thought about you yesterday and the day before that too 
for every day good or bad you'll always be in my head. “

…………..

7:45 p.m...

      Yuri was spacing out again. She has been thinking a lot about her life and her family. She thought about her crestfallen too. She stared far away from the balcony. The soft wind fondled softly her hairs. Suddenly, she heard someone knocked her door. She turned around.

    "Oh...Madam Kahi." said Yuri smiled. 

"Yuri, it's time for dinner. Go downstairs right now."

   "Dinner? Er...I'm not in the mood to eat." Yuri answered. Madam Kahi raised her eyebrows and that was making Yuri grinned.

"Come on, you must go now. Your father will get mad. Go quick because everyone is waiting for you." Madam Kahi pushed her back towards the door. 

.....................

      Once she had arrived at the dinner table, she was surprised because there was also the Im’s family coming over. Yoona waved at Yuri and smiled. Yuri grinned but then she smiled. She bowed down to the Yoona's parents.

    "Oh? Yuri, what are you doing? Have a seat." her father said. She saw an empty seat and it was beside Tiffany. She was hesitating. She walked slowly and sat down without even bother to look at Tiffany. Tiffany was quiet the whole minutes. It was probably because the Im's family was there.

   "Yuri-ah? Aigoo..it has been a while. You're getting prettier. Sangwoo, both of your daughters are so wonderful. See? you're blessed." said Mr. Im Gary. Yuri chuckled. Yoona smiled and Yuri realized that. Mr. Kwon laughed as well. Yuri seemed so annoyed. Plus, she was still surprised because of the unexpected dinner meeting between the two families.

   "There's nothing I can say anymore, my friend. You know,looking after them sometimes are hard. But thanked God, my Yuri has grown up very well and she can adapted very well too. I mean, to my another daughter, Tiffany. They should be get along very well with each other since they're just met." 

    Yuri glanced at her father and Tiffany was taken aback. She was barely lifting her head up. If not because of the elders, she would not giving too much bowing. 

     "Appa, that is too much. You're the one who was hard to see me everyday because back then you rarely spend your time with me." Yuri grumbled in her heart.

    The food was already served by the maids. Mr. Kwon invited everyone to enjoy the dinner.

"Oh? Yuri, how about you and Yoona?"

    "Eh?" Yuri was taken aback. 

Everyone was quiet. Yuri and Yoona were looking at each others. Yoona then shrugged her shoulders.

         “What’s that supposed to be mean?” Yuri was still confused. She looked at everyone especially her father and Yoona’s parents. Yoona stopped chewing the food. The elders suddenly burst into laughter. And both of the young girls was getting more confuse.

[Tiffany’s P.O.V]

“What are they talking about?”

“Yuri and Yoona?”

“What’s the fuss?”

She kept replaying the words in her