Heavenly Forest

Taeyeon woke to the sound of cars honking. Seoul was a totally different place compared to Jeonju. It was so noisy. People walked as if they’re always in a hurry. And since there weren’t any curtains on their windows yet, the sun shined freely in their room. This irritated her but it was OK, she had Tiffany beside her.

Taeyeon arms moved to embrace her best friend but her hands found nothing. When she opened her eyes, all she saw were the messy bed sheets they laid on the floor. She tried her earnest to sit up but her back killed her. Even her hands and feet weren’t in good shape, she felt so cold she had frostbites on each finger.

It took her a few minutes before Taeyeon had the power to finally stand up. She scanned the room. There weren’t anything but bags on one corner and their makeshift bed.

“Ppaniyah?” She called. There was no response. She fished her iPhone from under her pillow. It was a graduation gift, practically the only thing her parents gave her that actually had some worth. Six twenty two. She read. There were notifications on almost five apps on her phone but she didn’t bother checking any of them. She just chugged it in her pocket and looked for her roommate.

Where is that mushroom head? She frowned as she walked outside to the living room. There was no one there. The kitchen was empty. When Taeyeon heard her stomach growl, she looked in the cupboards and inside the fridge. Completely empty. This made Taeyeon even more frustrated.

Her brightest time of the day, if she spend the night at Fany’s, was to wake up to her angelic face. She figured the mushroom head might have gone out to get breakfast; but was hurt that she didn’t even bother to wake her up! She looked around their barren dorm. I can’t even sit down. She thought as she stared on the floor.

Oh, there’s one place I haven’t checked yet. She proceeded to the bathroom to see if Tiffany was there… But she wasn’t.

Taeyeon decided to wash up instead. She hopped in the room to fish our skincare products out of her bag. The small girl skipped back to the tiled room, splashed her face and foamed the facial wash on her face.

Click. Thud!

Figures, always in the worst timing, Panyang. She hastily splashed water in her face and dried it with a face towel. She pulled her blonde hair up and wore glasses.

Tiffany was taking her shoes off when Taeyeon saw her. She hasn’t seen her yet because she was carrying these three really huge paper bags. It looked as if she came from the grocery. Taeyeon didn’t need to be told when she automatically rushed to her side and took two bags in her arms.

“Ah! Taeyeonnie!” Tiffany said, surprised that she was already up so early.

Taeyeon placed the goods on the counter and faced her. “You should’ve told me you went out. I was worried.”

“Don’t be silly.” She said, planting a sweet kiss on Taeyeon’s cheeks before placing her bag beside all the others. “You came from Jeonju last night. I think its better that you rest.”

Tiffany fished out packed muffins from one of the bags and opened it. She gave it to Taeyeon. “Wash your hands before you eat this.”

“I just washed up.” She replied, taking the bread and biting it as soon as the scent of blueberry filled her nostrils. “Are we going shopping today?”

Tiffany washed her hands. She wished they had light conversations like this with Taeyeon often. She would ask time to slow down so she can fully experience carefree moments with her. She wanted none of the confusion she experienced last year. The plan was simple enough. They’d go to their classes, attend parties and explore the city whenever they can.

She dried her hands and grabbed Taeyeon’s muffin right out of her hand, winking as she dug her teeth into the soft and moist core of the pastry.

Taeyeon stared at Tiffany’s lips. She would always get this reaction whenever Tiffany took her food away. She didn’t do it for the purpose of luring her in. It was just a funny thing to do and for Taeyeon to react dorkishly was simply hilarious to the red head. If someone took a picture while Tiffany chewed her food in front of Taeyeon, the captions would read SEDUCTION in big bold letters.

“What is it?” Tiffany giggled.

“Nothing.” Taeyeon diverted her attention to the pack of muffins. Her hand dived in the plastic pack while avoiding Tiffany’s eyes.

Tiffany scanned the features of Taeyeon’s face. There were moments that she wondered if she still felt love for her friend. Whenever her eyes would travel from the side of her face down to her neck, it would lock on her collarbones and would water on its own.

There were also times that Taeyeon ate her food and Tiffany witness her chew and swallow in slow motion. It wasn’t even pretty to look at! Her friend never paid attention to the crumbs on her face!

Like what was happening right now. She thought as she wiped the sides of Taeyeon’s mouth. The other girl snickered.

Things like that made her question if she really did see Taeyeon in a different light after the White Tree burned down. They went in this awkward state of avoiding the issue. They never opened the topic. Tiffany couldn’t tell if it helped her cope with it or if it was just temporarily pushing the events of that night away. Until it became blurry, until it was something she can’t remember anymore.

Her mind fixed Siwon as her lover. He was her boyfriend and that kiss under the tree confirmed that she did feel something for the boy. It wasn’t as strong and convicted as Taeyeon’s but she believed in their sincerity just as much as she trusted her relationship with the other girl.

But why make problems on things that’s already done? She imagined Taeyeon saying these words and believed that logic before she would even get a chance to say it.

Tiffany was happy like this, just being with her, no funny stuff. It made her worry less. She wrapped her arms around her friend. “Thank you for being here.”

“I’d do anything for you, y’know.” Taeyeon said. When they broke their embrace, she immediately went to Tiffany’s lips but was blocked when the taller girl turned her head to the side whilst looking at her phone.

“The furniture people should be here before noon.” Tiffany said as she pulled away from Taeyeon’s hands. She took two small milk cartons from one of the bags and plunged straws through them. She placed one carton on the table before heading into their room with hers. “I’m gonna take a quick nap, kay’?”

“Okay.” Taeyeon answered; disappointed that Tiffany still didn’t want her the same way they did before. She took her phone from her pocket and checked her mail. There were emails from her brother and a few text messages from her parents. Some of them came from their old friends back at the Academy, since her tweet yesterday said she was supposed to leave today, most of them posted ‘Jalkaseyo!’ and other social networks she used was flooded with the same thing.

One message caught her eye though.

Teukkie: Im @ Seoul now. 8s a bit cold here, isnt 8? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ Can we meet? :)))

Leeteuk? She read it twice. She had almost forgotten he intended to attend med school not far from the University she enrolled in. She thought for awhile. After what happened, she really felt awkward when he was around. Then again, what can she do at six in an empty house? If the furniture people would arrive, she would have to say they’d be here at eleven or maybe ten if they’re really early.

She placed her phone on the counter and took the groceries out and grouped the food away from toiletries and the like. She temporarily placed the fruit and vegetables in the crisper, meat in the freezer and eggs in the poultry. She was buying time, weighing the pros and cons of meeting Leeteuk as she arranged the grocery.

When she was done, she opened the cupboards and placed all the canned goods in one cabinet and all of the other non edible items in another. She neatly stacked the bags at one side of the counter. She grabbed her phone again and started typing a response.

Taeyeon headed inside the room to ask Tiffany is she can head for a walk; but when she went inside, the girl was already halfway to dream land. It hadn’t occurred to her that she might’ve woken up at about four or five to buy food. The food didn’t came from those 24 hour supermarkets downstairs, the quality and freshness of the goods she brought could only come from those wet markets roughly thirty minutes away.

She briefly considered the fact that both of them fell asleep at about one or two last night.

Taeyeon tossed her phone on the stack of bags they had, not bothering to hit send to anyone who sent her messages. She laid her head on Tiffany’s shoulder instead. The other girl weakly smiled at her, half aware that her best friend snuggled next to her.

“Are you cold?” Tiffany tossed part of the bed sheet to Taeyeon so they can share it.

“It was cold when you left.” Taeyeon answered. She can smell the fruity smell of oranges in Tiffany’s hair. She buried her nose in it happily.

“Miane.” She whispered. “Saranghaeyo.”

“Nado.”

•••••••

Jessica sat down on one of the Park’s benches. She glanced at the iPod that she strapped on her bicep. She ran at least four miles this morning and felt as if she burned all of the toxins out of her body. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

Sunbun: R u @ the Park now?

Gorjess: Y?

Sunbun: Y d heck r u running around half in this weather?

Jessica looked around. She was wearing a jacket to shield her from the cold spring weather but she wore shorts for her bottom. She figured the weather would help her shape her legs if she burned off the extra lard.

Gorjess: Not , Adidas.
 Where r u?

“Why… Inside that rotten heart of yours.” Sunny laughed, revealing herself behind one of the trees. She took a seat next to Jessica. “How can you stand wearing this? Your legs will fall off, y’know.”

Jessica tucked her phone in her pocket and removed her earphones. “I see your lips move but all I hear is GD’s cursing.” She pressed ‘pause’ on her iPod and took her time in observing the smaller girl.

While she dressed casually, Sunny was wrapped in Uniqlo from head to toe. Her shirt, pants and coat was made of the same unique patented insulating fiber. She was wearing very light but warm clothing. Looking at her, Jessica can’t help the nagging feeling that Sunny intended to wrap herself up like a mummy today.

“Where were you yesterday, you er?” Jessica asked, completely ignoring Sunny’s previous question.

“I was sick.” Sunny answered.

“And it would kill you to send me a text?”

“Ow, Sicachu! Don’t be such a baby.” Sunny smirked. “You really can’t function without me, can you?”

“You put too much credit on yourself.”

Sunny pulled her camera out. She brought a different toy this time, a Nikon D90 that she got a few years ago. Not as powerful as her Canon, but it was lighter and her hands can grip it better. She turned it on and showed Jessica candid pictures of random people walking in the Park. “I wanted to kill time.”

“What do you plan to do, Sunny?” Jessica asked. “You didn’t enroll at the University and I don’t see you much in the office either.”

Sunny kept silent. She looked at the world using the eyes of her camera. She saw an old woman walking. She adjusted the lens to focus on the lady. Click. She looked at the photo, it turned out beautifully. She took at least three more shots before responding, “Do you ever wonder if old people ever found and achieved their calling?”

“Answer the damn question, Soonkyu.” Jessica was impatient in getting answers. She even grabbed Sunny’s arm to prevent her from taking anymore pictures. But before Jessica can add anything to what she said, Sunny winced and dropped her camera in the cold budding grass.

“Soonkyu?” Jessica asked again. Sunny hastily picked up her camera and dusted the dirt off. She must’ve been really startled because her cheeks fumed and was shouting random curses!

However, Jessica couldn’t care less of what she was saying, the way she dressed and cowered at her touch; something was up.

“… It’s a good thing it’s not broken.” Sunny sighed as she glanced at the lens. However, she was caught off guard again when Jessica pulled her arm and raised her sleeves to reveal a hefty number of bruises. Both of their eyes widened as they stared at each other. She knew her friend would begin interrogating her for it.

“Who did this to you?!” Jessica roared. She grabbed her arm tightly, demanding an answer.

Sunny cringed as the nerves her arms and legs shot shocks of pain to her brain. She didn’t want her sister to be blamed for this; part of it was her fault after all. “I was just clumsy that’s… AH!”

Jessica dug her fingers on one of the purple bruises that populated her arm. “Look, you little twerp. You’re going to tell me which bastard did this so I can kill him myself.” She ordered, at that point. Sunny was in too much pain to resist.

“Jinkyu! Jinkyu and I fought the other day!” Sunny yelped. Jessica released her and went to hold her hand instead, pulling her up to hug her, softly this time, careful not to cause any more physical pain than necessary.

“Jinkyu unnie?” She repeated. “What happened?”

Sunny narrated the story from the beginning, on how she had really wanted to cover this skating competition, how she wanted to enter the edits she would make on an online competition and how her sister beat her to a pulp when she found out the venue was at the most crime infested district in Seoul.

Jessica anger was half hearted at this point but if there was one thing she needed to do, it was to get Sunny away from only remaining family she had. She felt her guts sink as she covered Sunny’s discolored skin with her clothes. She let the girl cry silently on her shoulder.

Although they can never be truly protected from the harsh realities of life, Jessica had Sunny and Krystal. She felt secure and safe as long as she knows they're all on the same side. 

However, Sunny's situation was a different ballgame. Jinkyu proved that she is willing to take drastic measures to discipline her younger sister. Jessica didn’t like that. She had never once raised her hand against her little sister. She was cold, to most people; but to Sunny and Krystal, she was warm and considerate.

She took out her phone and dialed the number of the only person she can trust Sunny with. It took several attempts to get in touch with her before she finally picked up.

“Taeyeonssi, I’m sorry to bother you on such short notice but…” Jessica hesitated for a moment. This is a make or break deal for her. She hoped with all her heart that she is making the right decision. “Can we meet today?”