The second part of the double update. Enjoy.

Tiffany POV

The bomb explosion incident has reached the headlines. According to the report, it was speculated that the culprit only has a personal or business-related conflict against my family. It was also rumored to be related politically and militarily due to the earlier rumors as well that my father's running for the upcoming elections. Well, he actually had plans early of this year but mom and I were against it so he decided not to, in the end. I tell you, though, despite the dark rumors behind his name, my father is somewhat popular to the mass. He can actually win a position in the government if he wants to.

Anyway, it was already two days passed since the two were confined at this hospital with rooms adjacent to each other. With those two days, Tao was almost unconscious and was just sleeping most of the time. It was probably because of the anesthesia injected on him. Nonetheless, our family never left his side throughout his recovery.

Jessica has been doing the same on Yoong too. Actually, she always snuck inside her lover's confinement room every night to sleep beside him. Visitors are not actually allowed to stay overnight according to this hospital's policy. And also, just to mention, the rest of our friends and families visited from time to time too.

Oh. And by the way, Sunny had already admitted to us of her intimate relationship with my brother. Err-- uhhmmm... yeah... she's my younger brother's girlfriend for more than a month now.

Currently. Tao's still sleeping soundly and Sunny's just seated at his bed side while she stared at my brother in full of worriment. I'm the only family member here now, though. Dad went to talk again with the police about the incident while mom went out to with Aunt Boa and Kyu.

"What's up, bestie?" Jessica suddenly snapped from the already-opened door of Tao's room. She went near me.

"He's still sleeping like a log." I answered.

She sighed, "Poor kid. He lost his two legs. Have he realized it yet, though?"

"Nope. He's still somewhat groggy from the medicine until now."

"I see..."

"..."

"Wow..."

"Wow on what?"

"Look at them."

"Oh. Yeah... Wow... I never actually imagined they will date."

"Me neither. Oh well... Sunny already had a record of being a pedo, anyway."

I chuckled, "Come on. They only have a four-year gap."

"Still, Tao's younger."

"Yoong's younger than you."

"Yah! I'm only a year older than him!"

"Shhh. You're gonna wake up my brother with your loud voice."

Then, she repeated in a whisper as she glared at me, "It's just a year, Hwang. Shut up."

"It's one year and two months, Jess."

"It's one year, one month and twelve days, babo!"

"Gee. It's only a few days' difference compared to what I said."

"Still, what you said is inaccurate. How about you, huh? Yuri's younger than you too, anyway."

"Well, he's not my boyfriend anymore. And FYI, we just have a four-month difference, okay. We're just the same age so, shut up."

"Wait. So, he's still on to his decision to not get back together with you?"

"Yeah, sort of." I sighed, "There's no more point forcing him to get back together with me..." I tried to suppress my smile from the thought. "I mean... we're already like back together, anyway."

"Really?" she said and squealed. "Details! Details, please!"

"Well... Ever since the incident two days ago, he's been so overprotective of me and Sunkyu. He calls me from time to time and even sends messages to me. He actually gets mad if I didn't respond to his messages right away. It's like we're back to our silly past." I giggled.

"That's it?" she asked back, sounding too disappointed.

"Err-- yeah?"

"Not even a personal interaction or something?"

"He always visits me here. Though his actual purpose is to visit the two guys actually. But he always checks me and Kyu if we're doing okay."

"And that's it?"

"Yeah???"

She narrowed her eyes while looking at me, "How could that be counted as like you're back together? Yuri has always been like that to you."

"Oh no. He never texts or calls me out of the blue. I mean, recently, okay." I chuckled. "Back then, Yuri always sends me texts messages so out of the blue."

"Alright. But... are you aware that he's doing the same to me too?"

...

...

...

"Err-- Tiff?"

...

"Please stop staring at me like that."

...

"You're like trying to skin me out alive. Stop glaring at me, please. As much as I want to die, Tiff, not today, nor sooner. Maybe, someday."

"Why, Jess?"

"Huh?"

"Alright. Let's settle this once and for all."

She looked at me in so much confusion, "What should we settle?"

"Are you still in love with my Yuri?"

She chuckled, "Oh. Come on. Don't tell me you're still seeing me as a threat to you?"

"Just answer me!"

Sunny suddenly shut us out, "Shhh! You're waking my boyfie up, you stupid bisshes!"

I ignored her and continued to shout at my 'best friend', "Answer me, Jessica!"

"Tiff, stop with this stupid jealousy! You know enough I still love Yuri and he will always hold a special place in my heart! And our feelings are mutual, of course!"

"B-but--" I snapped proudly. "He loves me more than you."

"Yes, of course." Then, she started to look at me weirdly, so weirdly like it's getting me so annoyed.

"What the hell do you wanna say, Jess? Just freaking spill it and stop looking at me like that."

"Well..." She sighed loudly. "You are my bestest friend in the whole world so I wanna be honest with you."

"What?! What freaking is it?!"

"Yuri and I made a pact."

I looked at her quizzically, "What pact?"

"It's a marriage pact. If we both already reached thirty and we're still not ending up together with the ones we deeply love more than anyone else, we agree on marrying each other as in just right away."

...

...

...

"Err-- Tiff?"

...

...

...

"Tiff? Are you really mad at me?"

"Tell me, Jessica. Why is he okay to end up together with you and not with me? Why? Just... why? What ing sorcery did you do to make him surrender to you even without an effort, huh?"

She laughed loudly. Then, she rubbed my shoulder annoyingly. "Gee. Relax, Tiff. I'm just messing with you."

"So, everything you told me was all made up?!"

"Oh. No. Everything's true."

GRRRRRRRRRRR--!!!

Sunny went near us. "Alright, alright. Wrap this up, bisshes. Jessica, stop teasing Tiff."

I uttered while still staring at my 'best friend', "Sunny... Is it wiser to stop being friends with this woman, huh?"

"Err-- uhmm-- no? You will taste a lot more of her teasing if you do. Remember how she treated me over the years? Oh-- wait. It's just the same. Friends or not, she'll never stop."

Jessica grinned at me widely, "Oh. Come on, Tiff. I know you'll never disown me as your best friend ever again. I know you love me~" Then, she hugged me tightly and showed me her annoying puppy-pose aegyo.

"Try me." I removed her hold of me. "Don't you dare try to steal Yuri away from me or else."

"Silly. I won't be, okay. Yoong's enough for me, okay. Actually, he's more than enough."

Sunny then asked her, "Are you two now back together for good?"

"Well... we do practice the 'together' thing but, there's no official declaration."

"So, still no label-dating?"

"Yup."

"Why not officialize it, Jess?" I asked.

"I am actually planning to propose marriage to him now."

And yes. That had me and Sunny in so much shock. Both our jaws were dropped so low as we stared back at Jessica.

She chuckled, "What? Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Are you serious?" Sunny asked.

"Yup.

"As in really serious?"

"Yup."

I butted, "That's your final decision, right?"

"Yup."

"As in you're never gonna back out from that?"

"Yup."

Sunny snapped, "How can we be sure you're not fooling us?"

"Hmmm. If you guys want, you two and Hyoyeon can accompany me on buying a ring."

"ARE YOU REALLY FREAKING SERIOUS?!" we both asked in disbelief.

"Yah. Stop questioning this decision of mine. I'm telling the truth."

"Without hesitation? Without a second thought?" I asked.

"Why should I have a second thought on this?"

"Well... Didn't you tell me your wicked plan is not yet done? That, you're still avenging for the mastermind behind your mother's death?"

"Yeah but that doesn't mean I can't do that while I'm married to my man, you know."

"Are you sure?"

"Yah. how many times are you gonna ask me that, Tiff?"

"I'm just trying to be sure. I don't want Yoong to get hurt again, okay. What if in the end, you decided to back out just because you realized you're in love with an ex of yours more?"

"Who, then? Yuri?"

I didn't respond and instead just stared at her intently. She returned the same. Afterwards. she sighed in defeat and she closed her eyes briefly, "Please stop trying to involve Taeyeon in this. Yoong's the one I love. How many times should I prove that to you?"

I was about to rebut when I noticed Taeyeon standing in the hallway. Jessica seemed to got curious of who am I looking at. She turned and was surprised by Taeyeon's presence as well. "T-Taeyeon, wh-what are you doing here?" she asked.

He smiled at us, "I came to visit Tao and Yoong, of course. And I brought fruits." He went near me and handed me the basket of fruits.

"Thank you." I uttered.

He smiled in return. Then, he looked at Jessica, "I already brought Yoong's at his room, by the way. He's still sleeping, though. I don't wanna wake him up."

"T-thanks."

Sunny and Taeyeon exchanged smiles first. Then, Sunny offered to arrange the fruits basket at the top of the side table. Taeyeon then went near Tao and stared at him, "Still not waking up, huh?"

We both went near him. I answered, "Yeah."

"Too much anesthetic, I guess."

"It definitely is."

Then, he looked at Jessica who apparently, went mute ever since he arrived. Then, he , "Now, what's with the long face, emo-girl?"

Jessica looked at him sadly, "C-can I talk to you privately?"

"What for?"

She avoided his gaze, "I just... wanted to tell you something."

"Is this about your plan to propose on Yoong?" He chuckled. "Yeah. I heard that earlier. So... do you need my help or something?"

"No! I--- It's about... Uhhmmmm..."

"About what?"

"About... us...?"

"Us? Why?"

"..."

"I'm totally aware of my place in your life, Jess." He chuckled. "There's no need for you to clarify it again."

"It's not about that..."

"Then, what?"

"..."

"Jess, how many times you want me to tell you that you can date or marry anyone you like? When you decided to marry Yuri before, you asked for my consent. Now, with Yoong too? I really don't get your point why---"

"Taeyeon." she called, cutting him out.

Yet, he still continued, "Why are you still asking my permission? You already declared to me that there's no more us since many years ago. I completely understood and accepted your decision." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to worry about me, Jessica. I'm all okay. Please stop asking for my permission as if I'm your father." He chuckled again.

"I'm sorry..."

"You don't have to say sorry to me."

"..."

"Look. I know. I understand why are you feeling this way all the time. Just because I decided not to date anyone else after you, it doesn't mean it's your fault. I just decided not to. That's it."

"Didn't you date Seohyun after her?" I butted in my attempt to lighten the mood.

He chuckled again, "It was all just for physical intimacy and nothing else, Tiff. And I don't count that as a date." Then he redirected, "Anyway, I gotta get back to Yoong's room. Laters." And he left.

I asked her, "Why need to ask Tae's permission all the time, anyway, Jess?"

She looked at me in annoyance. "I was not asking for his permission, okay! I was just concerned of..." She looked down. "...him."

"..."

"I don't wanna hurt him."

Sunny sighed deeply, "Idiot. You're just hurting him more every time you ask for his consent on your dating decisions, Jess. You're giving him wrong signals."

"I--- I did not..."

"Look. You always ask if he's okay every time you decide to marry someone else. But, what if he says he's not? What if he admits to you that he's hurting. What are you gonna do then? Revoke your decision?"

"..."

"Your question depicts two meanings, Jess. First, you're just concerned if you're gonna get him hurt. Second, you're impliedly asking him to stop you on your decision. That second's the wrong signal I am talking about."

"I am just genuinely concerned about him and nothing else, Sunny. Look. Taeyeon's really just important to me. We both know our boundaries on each other."

"Then, stop asking him again. Stop your concern on him. It's just the same effect, anyway. You ask or you don't. Of course, he's obviously hurting. Just stop confirming it."

...

"I'm just gonna head downstairs