2 months later...

       “Wanna tell me?”

       “Mwo?”

       “The lucky man.”

       “What?”

       “The thief of your heart.”

       Jessica almost choked when heard the last sentence from her best friend. Tiffany was still staring at her curiously, waiting for the answer. Jessica was releasing a fake cough while cutting off the meat at her plate. She was looking down, avoiding gaze with Tiffany.

       “It’s juicy,” she commented, ignoring her best friend question. “Wanna try?”

       Jessica was skewing a piece of steak with fork and handing it to Tiffany. Tiffany was opening , receiving Jessica’s offer, and tasting it.

       “It’s delicious,” she commented. Jessica smiled.

       “Yeah,” Tiffany was rolling her eyes. “And I’m still waiting for your answer.”

       Jessica was releasing a deep sigh, found that she failed shifting Tiffany’s mind.

       “You don’t want to tell me? I think we used to share everything,” Tiffany said; there’s a disappointment inside her voice. Now Jessica was looking at her, feeling guilty as she didn’t really mean to hide it from her best friend.

       “It’s not like that, Fani,” Jessica said.

       “So, give me explanation then!” Tiffany was demanding. “You often back home by yourself; we don’t spend time together any longer, and…”

       Jessica could see Tiffany’s eyes were almost wet.

       “I miss you,” Tiffany said bluntly. “I just feel I’m losing you,” Tiffany added and shook her head. Jessica was rubbing Tiffany’s back with guilty feeling.

       “If I made any mistake to you, please tell me,” Tiffany asked.

       “Aniya, Fani-aaa,” Jessica replied. “You didn’t do any mistake to me.”

       “So, what’s it? It’s almost one month and initially I just thought you needed ‘a-me-time’; but now I know there’s something happened. Something that you didn’t tell me.”

       “Fani… Mianhae…”

       “If I didn’t make any mistake to you, what else would be make sense unless a guy’s presence in your heart?”

       “Are you falling in love?” Tiffany guessed.

       Finally Jessica was nodding her head as she was thinking it was only matter of time before finally sooner or later, Tiffany would find the truth.

       “Jinjja?” Tiffany was widening her smile. Now her face was turning to be bright.

       Jessica was only nodding again. She was trying to avoid any eye-contact with Tiffany.

       “Aigooo… You should’ve told me earlier, Sica. It’s a good news!” Tiffany was showing her eyesmiles. She hugged Jessica, full of excitement.

       “Who’s the guy?”

       This time Jessica was shaking her head. Tiffany was narrowing her eyes in doubt. Jessica was collecting her courage to look at her best friend. Finally her gaze shifted toward Tiffany. Jessica looked up at Tiffany with her gloom brown pupils and pursed her lips for a moment before telling the truth.

       “It’s… a girl, anyway,” Jessica said bluntly.

       Tiffany’s jaw was dropping, agape for a moment.

*****

       “Yuri-aaaa,” Jessica was calling.

       They were hanging out at the mall after finishing their class in the afternoon. Since the day when Yuri got sick and Jessica came to her house, they were just significantly getting closer each other. They often spend most time together after the class, just like today.

       Jessica’s arm was linking Yuri’s one. They were ambling side by side while looking around. Yuri was tilting her head to face Jessica and smiling.

       “How about watching movie?” Jessica suggested. Yuri was frowning for a moment.

       “Why? You don’t like movie?” Jessica was asking when caught Yuri’s expression.

       Yuri was shaking her head.

       “I like watching movie, Sica. But...,” Yuri was hesitating for a moment to continue her sentences. “I think I have to be thrifty; since ehm, I have to save more,” Yuri said.

       Jessica was smiling. “Gwaenchana, Yuri-aaaa. Let me treat you, kay?”

       Yuri shook her head. “Aniya, Sica. I think it’s not right; you too often treat me already,” Yuri said.

       Jessica was puckering her face. She was crossing her arms to show her annoyance.

       “Ah, Sica-aaaa, don’t be mad,” Yuri was pleading. “You’re too nice to me. I just felt... I won’t be able to recompense it,” Yuri was explaining. Jessica was glaring at her when she heard that explanation.

       “Did I ever asked you to do some return?” she was feeling offended by Yuri’s words.

       Yuri was chuckling.

       “Aniya, Sica. Don’t get me wrong,” Yuri said, calmly. Her hand was about to hold Jessica’s hand again, but Jessica was just pulling away.

       “Mianhae, Sica, mianhae,” Yuri said. “You don’t have any idea, how I was being thankful everyday, have a chance to know someone as nice as you,” Yuri was admitting. “I just felt sorry and shame for myself, I couldn’t did anything for you; while you’re too much for me,” Yuri said sincerely.

       Jessica was yanked when she heard that words – the sincerety – as she felt very touchy about it. Her annoyance was just disappeared as Yuri’s word really touched her heart.

       “You don’t need to do anything, Yul,” Jessica said. “Just promise me, always be there for me,” she added. Yuri was nodding her head happily, when she found Jessica wasn’t getting mad at her any longer.

       “So? Mind if I treat you watching movie?” Jessica was back to her offer.

       “Ah come on, don’t tease me. You know what I supposed to answer,” Yuri replied and smiled, while holding Jessica’s hand, walking toward the cinema.

       It was a little bit cold inside. Jessica was shivering for some moment, until she felt the coldness was just gradually faded away; replaced by a comfortable warmth, that earned from no other than Yuri. Yuri had already took her jacket off and wrapped it to Jessica. Jessica was staring at Yuri’s face deeply, felt so thankful she had a chance to know and get closer with her. She was never felt to be trapped into this kind of feeling before – undescribable feeling where she just found it comfortable and secure whenever she’s near Yuri – that she never got from anybody else before. Then Jessica was reaching Yuri’s hand, intertwining her fingers with Yuri’s and leaning them onto the seat arm.

       “Yuri-aaaa,” Jessica was whispering. Yuri who were still concentrating at the movie was turning her head, facing Jessica.

       “I feel comfortable now,” Jessica said.

       “Of course. It’s leather, anyway,” Yuri replied innocently. “Next time just told me, don’t let yourself getting cold like that, okay?” she was demanding.

       Yuri’s naive words earned a pinch from Jessica.

       “Ouch... What’s it, Sica?” Yuri was complaining, while struggling to hold the sting pain.

       “Don’t you get it, Yuri-aaa?” Jessica was asking with her aegyeo.

       Yuri just looked dumbfounded.

       “Get what, Sica?”

       “You really don’t get it, Yul?” Jessica was asking again, raising her tone a little, and pulling her face closer to Yuri.

       “I don’t understand what you’re talking about, Sica,” Yuri seemed so clueless.

       “Yuri-aaaa,” Sica said. “I want this lasts forever,” finally she admitted.

       And put her smooth lips to Yuri’s lip, warm, and passionately.

       But, finally she was pulling away her lips, as Yuri didn’t give any reaction; even she was tending to be numb. Jessica was feeling very disappointed by that. She couldn’t held her pain anymore. She was beginning to sob. In front of Yuri. Disappointment, anger, and... shame feelings, were tangling together now. And the pain, just penetrated deeply into her heart.

       “I-I’m sorry, Yul,” she said in the middle of her sob, as she thought Yuri had no mutual feeling with her. She really really felt embarassing for what she’s doing not long ago. She just hoped could turned back time and didn’t do that stupid thing again.

       Couldn’t held it anymore, Jessica was just standing up and getting away from the cinema, left Yuri who hadn’t totally recovered from the scene yet. But didn’t take too long, Yuri just found herself as a fool and she was running away to chasing after Jessica.

       She was trailing behind by half running, since she caught Jessica wasn’t running with all of her might. Finally she approached Jessica at the corner of the room, that was quiet enough for them to build some conversation.

       “Please stay away from me, Yul,” Jessica was begging while sobbing. She wouldn’t wanna to face Yuri’s face.

       Suddenly, just suddenly, Yuri was hugging her from behind. Her arms were wrapping Jessica’s waist, and her chin was leaning on Jessica shoulder. Jessica was shocking for a moment by Yuri’s sudden action. But the next moment, she was getting uncurbed and struggling to release herself from Yuri’s hug. But Yuri just kept it tight, as if she didn’t want to let her go again.

       “Don’t go, Sica. Don’t go away from me again,” Yuri was whispering.

       Just like a magic spell, it worked for Jessica. It stopped Jessica from her craziness and made her sober again.

       “Mianhae, Sica, mianhae,” Yuri said.

       “You didn’t like me, Yul?” Sica asked.

       Jessica could felt Yuri was shaking her head.

        “I love you, Sica. More than anything,” Yuri finally admitted.

       Now Jessica was slowly tilting her head, to face Yuri, to stare at her eyes. Unconsciously, she was smiling at her.

       “Mianhae, Sica. I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Yuri said.

       “B-but why? Why... you never told me? Why... you acted like that when I kiss...”

       “Because I’m afraid, Sica. I’m afraid to lose you. I’m afraid... I’m not good enough to deserve your love. If there’s one thing I afraid most, it is only... losing you,” Yuri said, bluntly. Jessica’s happiness tears were streaming down her cheek. She was caressing Yuri’s cheek while staring deep inside her eyes, that the only thing she could found was only sincerity.

       “You’re stupid, Kwon Yuri,” Jessica said and wrapped her hand around Yuri’s neck.

       Yuri was smiling when heard it.

       “Jessica?” She was calling. “Be my girlfriend, please?”

       Jessica was widening her smile and nodding joyfully.

       Yuri was pulling her face toward Jessica, just to meet her lips with hers, and give her sincere passionate kiss there, for the one and only girl she loved the most in this universe.

to be continued