Sugar Babies Candy

“Ya! Seo JooHyun ah!” Sooyoung said as she looks at Seohyun who was busy decorating a baby pink cake. Sooyoung was munching on sugar babies candy (a caramel coated candy).

“Oh??” Seohyun answered. Her hand was slightly shaking as she deals with the icing design.

“Ya! Pabo! Twirl it! You’re going to ruin the icing…” Sooyoung said. She directed her index finger in a specific angle towards the cake. “You have to lightly press the nozzle of the icing bag and make a twirl for the ribbon…then you place the sugar baby candy over the middle.”

“Ei?!” She squealed. “I can’t, you do it!”

“Ya! When we’re not doing anything, we need to practice your cake decorating skills.” Sooyoung said as she took the icing bag from Seohyun’s shaking hands.

“Okay, unnie…” Seohyun let out a huge sigh and grabbed herself some caramel sweets from the sugar babies candy bag.

“Don’t worry, you did fine. You just need practice.” Sooyoung said to enlighten Seohyun’s feelings.

*DING!* Hyoyeon sounded the bell. “Hot pot coming through!!” She shouted. She walked quickly with a huge soup pot in her hand and placed it above the hot kitchen table.

“YA!!! PABO!!!” Sooyoung shouted. “You are not supposed to bring such heavy things if you’re pregnant!!!”

“SHHHH!!! YOU PABO!!!” Hyoyeon said aloud and placed her index finger above her lips to make a shh sign. “If you are heard by the others, I swear I will shake your brain!” Hyoyeon was about to choke Sooyoung with her bare hands when suddenly Tiffany came running into the kitchen.

She was holding a plastic and suddenly she threw a small box over the chef’s table.

“What’s this??” Hyoyeon asked.

“Pregnancy kit…” Tiffany answered.

“I am not pregnant!!!” Hyoyeon argued.

“Then let’s try it…” Tiffany said. “I bought the cheapest testing kit I could find.”

“You shouldn’t have bought one…”

“Then how do we know right? Do you want to go to a doctor for a checkup? That will triple the price of the cost. Right?” Tiffany said.

“She’s right…” Sooyoung reasoned.

Hyoyeon folded her arms. “I am not going to take that test because I am not pregnant…”

“Do you have your period now?” Tiffany asked.

“No…” Hyoyeon pouted. “Not YET…”

“And damn Hyo… You’ve been eating a lot lately. I tell you, what if you are pregnant?? You won’t keep it a secret right?? Of course the others would know about it. EVENTUALLY…”

“Okay, enough. I am not pregnant!”

“Do you think by being in denial would make you forget that you are pregnant?? Come on Hyoyeon. Let’s be practical. What’s the lost if you take the test kit…”

“I agree with Tiffany unnie…” Seohyun said.

“Fine…” Hyoyeon said. “Give it to me…”

Seohyun handed Hyoyeon the kit and then- “Wait… Three day pregnancy kit?! You didn’t buy the instant one??”

“Ya. The instant one is kind of tricky, it couldn’t identify if you’re pregnant at an early time. This one is assured and better. It will test you inside three days. Just follow the kit” Tiffany smiled. “What if Hyo is going to be a mom?”

“Awee!!! We’ll have a niece!!!” Sooyoung said dreamily. “Then little Hyo will run around the place! Ah… so excited.”

“YAAA!!! It’s not funny!!! My parents are going to kill me!! Plus I haven’t told Lee Joon just yet…” Suddenly Hyoyeon noticed the cake that Sooyoung and Seohyun have been decorating (for almost an hour) is for a baby shower. “JINJJA… Will you keep that away from my eyes?!”

“Hmm… Whose fault it is to sleep around??” Tiffany pointed out.

“Fany-ah…” Sooyoung said. Then she shook her head and warned Tiffany not to make the situation worst.

Hyoyeon just kept quiet, she knows what she did was wrong but there has no need to push and pin down the situation on her.

“Sorry…” She said with a peace sign and hugged Hyoyeon.

“By the way, where is Sica unnie??” Seohyun asked. She literally changed the subject. She hated the subject and she doesn’t want to listen to it any longer. Soehyun was totally hoping that it would be a false alarm.

“Oh… Sica… She’s in her sister’s dorm. She’ll be back later.” Tiffany answered.

“Wait, why don’t we just let Krystal stay here?” Sooyoung asked as she continued to decorate the cake.

“As much as we and she wants too… but Krystal finds it too crowded already so she rented a dorm along with Yuri’s cousin Sulli.”

“Uhm… What if we just go find a bigger place?” Hyoyeon asked.

“Bigger place?? Where are we going to get the money? We’ve already settled ourselves here and this place is ours already…” Tiffany suddenly paused. “Sooyoung!!! I forgot to tell you!!! Moo Jin told me that Kangin called and said to hold the operation for Taeyeon…”

“Bo??” Sooyoung got shocked. “He did what??”

“Is that a good news or a bad news??” Seohyun asked.

“I don’t know why he said to hold it…” Tiffany said. “But…”

“Operation?? What operation??” Hyoyeon asked. She suddenly got confused.

The three of them froze. “Aigoo… You and your big mouth, mushroom…” Sooyoung said.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Yuri~

A girl with black shoulder hair length styled in fly away by the ends was sitting in a tacky café shop. She was drinking sugar baby coffee and it was as if she was waiting for someone. She checked her phone twice but there was nothing to expect. Out of boredom she started tapping her fingers over the table.

“Yuri unnie.” A tall girl said. She lightly tapped her unnie’s shoulder.

“Sulli.” Yuri grabbed her bag from the other chair to let her baby cousin sit.

“Unnie, sorry I’m late.” She said as she settled herself.

“It doesn’t matter; the person we will be meeting is also late.” Yuri laughed. “So, where have you been?”

“Oh, I came from the dorm.” Sulli said. “By the way, Sica unnie is there.”

“Jinjja??” Yuri was surprised.

“Yeh. She visited our dorm and checked on Krystal…She even got us lunch.”

Yuri smiled. “Jinjja?? She’s such a thoughtful sister. Don’t worry, when financial issues are stable, we’ll get a bigger house so you guys can live with us. I hope this job offer helps us…”

“Ahnyong.” A guy in a black suit greeted.

“Whoa…” Sulli expressed. “Mr. Kim? The- The…” She stuttered.

Heechul smiled. “Hi. Just call me Heechul oppa. I find Mr. Kim old… So, I’m here to discuss the open and possible job positions for the two of you. Wait just you two?”

Yuri nodded.

“Ahraso. Okay…” Heechul said. “What’s your name?” He asked Sulli.

“I’m Choi Sulli and I’m eighteen years old.” Sulli smiled.

“She’s my baby cousin…” Yuri said.

“Oh! Perfect! You know there’s an opening at Etude House right now, they are looking for possible teenage girls who could model and do a commercial for their upcoming Sweet Recipe Series. Do you think you can handle it?”

“Wait?? Etude? You mean the make-up line?” Sulli asked, almost shocked.

“Yes. Correct.” Heechul said.

“I’ll take it!” Sulli giggled. She sounded excited.

“If you know anyone else with pretty face and has the potential for this then try bringing her in with you.” Heechul suggested. “They are in need of two models…”

“Krystal! Krystal is okay right, Yuri unnie?” Sulli asked. She looked at Yuri for her opinion.

“Yeh…” Yuri thought. “If she approves, try to ask her later when you get home.”

“Then for you... I sent Dior Addict the pictures you gave me, and they liked you. They are setting up a meeting to meet you. Here are the details…” Heechul took out a piece of paper from his bag. “Read it when you get home and tell me about your thoughts. Oh, there will be a contract signing for you guys too, and I hope you could bring your friend Krystal with you.”

“Wait… I can’t keep up. Everything is so fast phase… Come again? Contract signing already?”

Heechul nodded. “I’m a talent agent… so I approved of you and I will pass you to Etude House. Just that simple.”

Sulli’s eyes grew large. “Omo… Can you possibly give me training?”

“Training? Why? Are you planning to become an artist? Singer? Actress?”

“YES!!” Sulli said aloud. “It’s been my dream!!”

“Hm… It’s possible. Here’s a thing. Do the Etude House first then I’ll see what I can do.”

Yuri was shocked. “We- wait… Training? You mean… training training? Wait… she’s studying…”

“Uhm? What’s the problem with that? She will study while she’s training.”

“No. No. I disapprove.” Yuri said as she vigorously shakes her head.

“WHAT?! UNNIEE!!!” Sulli reasoned.

“When your parents finds out, I’m dead!”

“They’re abroad… You’re my guardian…” Sulli scoffed.

“That’s the point!! I say a no. I can let you model or do commercials. But training?? Gosh… Sulli. That’s over the line.”

“Come on… this will help us financially. Please? You can be my manager…come on…When my parents finds out they can’t do anything anymore.”

Yuri pinched her nose bridge. “I’ll think about it… But don’t be too happy Choi Sulli!!!”

Sulli smiled and clasped her hands together. “UNNIE!!! I LOVE YOU!!!” She hugged Yuri.

“You know, this will help you financially…” Heechul said. "Imagine the popularity, the fans, and events."

Hours have passed and they were still talking about the job position that Heechul is offering. Yuri hasn’t made up her mind for Sulli just yet.

“I guess that’s a wrap?” Heechul asked. “Just text me if you have questions. Then I’ll contact you both for the next meeting. Okay?”

“Ahraso…” Yuri said. She sounded contented.

“Oh gosh unnie! I’m excited to tell Krystal about this!!” Sulli said.

“Uhm… I’ll talk to Jessica first.” Yuri gave Sulli a sarcastic smile.

“Then it’s done?” Heechul asked.

“Yes.” Yuri smiled and gave Heechul a hand shake.

“Unnie, where are we going now?” Sulli asked as they stood from their chairs.

“Where do you want to go?” Yuri asked as she fixed Sulli’s hairline that was slightly messed up.

Sulli tilted her head. “Dorm??”

Yuri nodded. “Okay, I’ll take you to your dorm…”

“Huh?? Why??” Sulli asked as they went out of the café shop.

“Why?? Are you going somewhere else??” Yuri asked suspiciously.

“No…” Sulli answered defensively. But truthfully Sulli has other plans but she decided to cancel it. She took out her phone and she started tapping the screen. She busily texted someone quickly and immediately covered her S4 as soon as she was done.

“Good. Then let’s go…” Like a sister, Yuri held Sulli’s wrist.

“Uhm… I’ll see you then?” Heechul said.

Yuri sweetly smiled. “Yeh… Take care! Say hi to your mom for me?”

Heechul laughed. “Will you visit her this Sunday?”

Yuri nodded. “Neh. I’ll make her a cinnamon apple pie…”

“Can’t wait. Oh, how are you going to the dorm by the way?”

“We’ll just walk. It’s near here anyway…” Yuri said.

“Are you sure? I could drive the both of you there.” He offered.

“Ahneeyo, Walking is better.” Yuri said as she smiled sweetly and held the strap of her shoulder bag with her free hand.

“Okay. I’ll go now. See you soon!” Heechul said his goodbyes.

Yuri watched Heechul disappeared from her sight and finally she turned towards her baby cousin. Sulli looked at Yuri with a fishy smile. “Ayiiieee…. Unnie… what was that about??” She asked.

“What that??”

“That… The way you look at him…”

“Ya… I wasn’t… I mean….”

“Unnie… remember you still have a boyfriend… I don't think it's not good to see other people when you still have a... hehe... anyways... *clears throat* By the way you owe me a lot of stories…” Sulli blurted.

Yuri sighed hard. “Fine… but would you even understand what I’ll be saying??”

“Unnie… I’m eighteen… I’m not a child. I’m about to become a lady or something…”

Yuri tangled her left arm onto Sulli’s right arm, and then together they walked the streets towards Sulli’s dorm apartment. “It’s complicated, Sulli…” Yuri said.

“What is this all about? Just tell me the reason and don’t tell the subjects…”

“Okay, I have a boyfriend right? But I’m in love with someone who by the way I shouldn’t be loving because it’s so wrong. It made me confuse at first but then my feelings towards my boyfriend vanished just like that… and now… I’m torn again because I’m confused with another someone….”

“Let me identify… the boyfriend is Wooyoung oppa right? Then the another someone is… Heechul oppa? Am I right?” Sulli asked as they walked down the street.

Yuri closed her eyes and nodded guiltily.

“Then… who’s the someone you shouldn’t be loving??”

That question was the part that Yuri can’t tell. She can’t let her baby cousin know that she is gender confused.

“Don’t think about that anymore…” Yuri told Sulli.

“Okay… You know unnie. All I can tell you is…Think about your feelings, think about three points, the person you love, the person who is important to you, and the person who you can’t live without…”

Yuri suddenly snapped. The person who is important to her is all of them, Yoona, Heechul, and Wooyoung, then in the category of the people she love is Yoona and slightly Heechul, but the person who she can’t live without is totally just Yoona. She knows perfectly it was Yoona who she likes and longs for but Yoona falls in the category of she can’t totally love her freely because it feels so wrong but it’s so right.

“Unnie??” Sulli said as she watches her Yuri unnie who was blankly staring over the floor of the pavement that they are walking on. They became quiet all of a sudden like an angel just passed by. “Ya… why aren’t you talking??”

“Oh… uhm… it’s nothing…” Yuri said as she shook her head. “We’re almost close to the dorm.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~Jessica's POV~

“Ya! Jung Soojung-ah!!!” Jessica said aloud as she scolds her sister who lazily sat by the couch. “Look at the mess in the study room! Did you see Sulli’s side of the room? Hers was in ship shape and yours looks like a tornado came in!”

“SHHHH!!! Unnie! I’m watching the news…”

“Since when??” Jessica asked. “Ya… You’re not like this. What’s wrong? I know you Soojung… “

“Since now…If you don’t mind sis, I’ll just fix my tornado things on my own later so you could shut your nagging. Geez…” Krystal said. “Give me a break unnie…”

“Wow?? Don’t talk to me with a tone like that.”

“Unniiieeee!!!!” Krystal shouted. “”ERGHHHH!!!!”

The door suddenly opened. “Ya… You two, what’s going on?? You’re fighting again.” Yuri said as she and Sulli came in.

“We heard the shouting just outside the door…” Sulli commented.

“Ahnee…I’ll just fix it…” Jessica marched straight to the study room to fix Krystal’s mess.

Jessica started to arrange Krystal’s books and placed it back to the shelves; she closed all the open notebooks above the table and placed all the scattered pens back to the pencil case. She picked up the jacket that was on floor, it must have fallen from the chair where Krystal must have hanged it then she went to the other room (which is the bedroom) by using the connecting door. Jessica went to the bathroom of the bedroom to place the jacket by the hamper.

Yuri on the other hand sat beside Krystal while Sulli busies herself in the kitchen to find something to eat. “What happened?” Yuri asked delicately.

“Tssss! That sister of mine… is a nagger…” Krystal said as she rolled her eyes.

“What did she say?”

“That my things are a  mess bleh bleh bleh… Like I can’t fix it…”

“Hmm…Sometimes…” Yuri thought of a good and lighter sentence to say. “Your unnies are right.”

Krystal just looked at Yuri.

“Jinjja… Believe me…” Yuri said again as she smiled.

“Unnie… Come with me. Quick!” Sulli said.

“Wait a sec.” Yuri said to Krystal as she stood up and followed her cousin to the bedroom. Sulli locked the door behind and even locked the connecting door from the other room. “Shhh… Sica unnie is in the other room right?” Sulli asked.

Jessica was about to come out from the bathroom but the moment she opened the door she heard Yuri said something.

“Okay…I’ll tell you now. But promise me you will not tell anyone…” Yuri said.

“Duh… we’re cousins… So who’s the three points I asked. Wait, this first, why did you lie? And…”

“Okay hush… I’m telling you the story…Uhm…I lied because that night I got drunk in a bar and I bumped into someone and that’s Heechul…”

“Wait unnie… isn’t he… Sica unnie’s ex?” Sulli asked.

“Shhh…. Don’t say it aloud! She’s in the other room!” Yuri hushed. “I didn’t tell my friends because I don’t want them to freak out and I don’t want them to think different things… He just saw me in the bar that night and bumped into him. Then I was so drunk, he’s just too kind and he decided to take me home but the problem was I was too drunk that I didn’t know where my house was and so he decided to take me to his place…”

“UNNIE…” Sulli said as she placed a hand over . “That’s… not proper…”

“I know but nothing happened…He was like a friends that’s all…”

“Then why did you lie to all your friends??” Sulli asked again.

Jessica was listening behind the door of the bathroom. She knows that she shouldn’t be listening but she couldn’t help herself. She felt hurt and angry at the same time because how could Yuri do this to them. Heechul doesn’t matter to her anymore and she doesn’t care if they started seeing each other but… Are we her friends? She thought. Shouldn’t she be talking to us about this things? Why does she have to keep it a secret??

“I was scared… When I entered the house if you just saw the look in their faces… gosh I thought I was dying… and I can’t tell them about Heechul… there’s-“

“Unnie… if there is nothing going on between the two of you then there’s nothing to worry about. Your friends can understand it…”

“But she’s Sica’s… ex… you know I’m scared of what she’ll react and tell me… and there’s nothing going on…”

“So? Unnie he’s her past…and really? Nothing? Unnie, I’m not stupid…”

“Sulli… people’s point of views are different... Your opinion differs from my friend’s… and… I don’t know I’m so confused.”

“How would you know? You haven’t asked them right? and unnie… what happened?? You have a boyfriend… remember?? Earth to Yuri unnie! Come on… don’t tell me you’ve fallen out of love??”

Yuri sighed and she pinched her nose bridge again. “Yeh…” she finally said. “That’s why I feel so bad… the reason I got drunk was because we fought that night… it was our anniversary and I totally forgot and he remembered… he gave me a gift, it was the dark chocolate I love the bitter sweet one… and we’re bitter sweet alright… Ergh! Sulli… what to do?? I don’t know why I’m even asking help from someone younger than me….”

“Then… go and tell your friends everything, at least you’d feel lighter because they know what is happening to you. Unnie, they’re your friends… It doesn’t matter what kind of problems you have, even if it’s a dark one, they’re your family…they will listen to you and they will help you. Unnie… We’re so miles away from our parents and ever since the day you lived with them they became the people who supported you.”

“I know!” Yuri said as she sat down beside Sulli. “I’m a bad girl… I’m a liar…”

Jessica wanted to run out of the bathroom to give Yuri a hug. But she can’t… She thinks it’s best for her to stay hidden and not to ruin the cousin moments.

“No you are not. Sometimes unnie… we lie because we protect the ones we love. But sometimes it’s not a good thing to do… right?”

“Sulli… what if I tell you… I’m not the person you think I am??” Yuri finally said.

“Huh?” Sulli became puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve think things over earlier about the three categories you gave me… I have three people in mind but everything leads down to one person, and that person is someone I love, I care, I truly can’t live without, someone who is totally important to me.”

“Then… what’s wrong with that? It’s not a crime to love…”

“What if… that person is someone who I am not supposed to love…”

“Who is this person anyway? How can it be so complicated? So… forbidden…???”

“That person is… Yoo-“

*tok tok tok!*

“Uhm…. Guys?” Krystal’s voice said over the locked door. “Did anyone order pizza??”

“Pizza??” Sulli questioned. Yuri and Sulli stood up from the bed and went to unlock the door. “What pizza??” Sulli asked.

Jessica slapped her forehead. I ordered pizza… She thought to herself. Like a ninja, she quickly ran to the connecting door while Sulli and Yuri were busy tending to Krystal. Jessica didn’t know how quick she moved but she was like the flash.

“I ordered pizza.” Jessica said happily as she popped her head by the study room’s doorframe.

“Aigooo…” Krystal sighed. “Why weren’t you answering me? I was asking you so many times through the door..”

“Sorry…. I spaced out…” Jessica giggled. She grabbed her purse by the sofa and she paid for the pizza delivery. “Why don’t we all eat some snacks first, and then let’s leave by 5?” Jessica asked Yuri.

Yuri nodded. “Okay, we’ll leave by 5. Did you bring the car?”

“Yeh.” Jessica smiled.

“Ahraso.” Yuri said.

Deep down Jessica wanted to confront Yuri about what she just heard. But there’s a right time for that… For now… it’s pizza time...

Strawberry of Honesty