Strawberry of Honesty

Let's be honest....

SunYeon

Taeyeon just came home to their apartment. She just finished her shift from Ginger’s Paw Clinic. It was almost five in the afternoon and no one was home yet. Taeyeon was tired but she has no choice but to do house chores. It was a Wednesday afternoon so it’s laundry day for Taeyeon. Everything in their apartment was a mess, and the whole place was full of boxes for their move out. Taeyeon sighed and took off her white coat as she marched her way to her shared room with Sunny. She hanged her coat behind the door and placed her sling bag above the bed. She took off her shoes and slipped on her slippers.

“Oh… Where’s the damn hamper…” Taeyeon whispered to herself. She suddenly remembered Sunny transferred it back to the bathroom again. “There you are…” She grabbed the hamper and took it out to the balcony where the washing machine is located.

 Taeyeon went to the other room to get Tiffany, Seohyun, and Yuri’s shared hampers so there were four hampers all in all. The two were composed of whites, the third one were colored clothes and the last one was denims. “Okay… Whites first…” Taeyeon started with YulTiSeo’s hamper. She grabbed their whites and one by one she untangled the clothes.

Among the girls, Taeyeon is known for her sharpest sense of smell, her keen nose is very particular with scents, and she recognizes her friends through their scents. Even if blind folded, let her sniff her friends and she’ll know who she smells.

While entangling the whites of YulTiSeo she knows to whom the blouses belongs too.  “This is Tiffany’s…” She murmured as she tossed the blouse into the washing machine. She could smell Tiffany’s Vera Wang and Bvlgari perfume but she could trace Sooyoung, Hyoyeon and Jessica’s scent in some of her clothes. Taeyeon raised her brow. So… She was with Sica again…

“Hm… Yuri…” Taeyeon said as she rolled her eyes. She didn’t smelled Yuri’s perfume but she could smell Yoona’s strong presence in it and there was another scent that she couldn’t pick up. It wasn’t Wooyoung’s but it’s another scent, more like a guy scent and a car's scent, and it surely wasn’t their car. Taeyeon shook her head and just tossed it into the machine. “Hm… Seohyun…” Taeyeon thought. To her Seohyun was the easiest to identify unlike Tiffany who always change her perfume scent. Seohyun’s scent was like baby scents. Something smooth and soft in the nose.

Just as she finished tossing YulTiSeo’s white clothes, she began with her shared hamper with Sunny. She started to entangle their clothes until… *Sniff* Her brows met together. “Hmm….” She thought hard. This isn’t Sunny… I know this scent… Taeyeon thought hard again. *Sniff…* Then she quickly rummaged into the hamper like a wife investigating her husband’s clothes. She sniffed all Sunny’s blouse one by one, she could smell the strawberry scent perfume that Sunny uses but there's something off with it... until… Kangin… She thought to herself. The scent she could smell is Kangin. So Sunny was with Kangin all along again. She angrily tossed the clothes into the machine, she clicked the water and soap button and then she left the machine running.

Just as she was about to go to the kitchen, she heard the door closed. Finally someone was home.

Taeyeon was feeling sensitive because she was having her red days, she was tired, she wasn’t feeling good, plus the cramps, and then she still has to do the laundry plus she has to cook. She felt more irritated when she smelled Sunny’s scent that was different and it made her boil to anger.

“Oh…” It was Sunny who just came home.

Taeyeon rolled her eyes and gave her a glare.

“What?? What did I now??” Sunny asked.

Taeyeon wasn’t answering again.

“Tsss….” Sunny went to their shared room and took off her white jacket. She threw it over their shared bed and slipped on her fluffy bunny slippers.

“Where have you been???” Taeyeon asked angrily.

Sunny was surprised. She felt as if she was being scolded by a wife? “I came from work why??”

“What time is it??” Taeyeon asked.

“It’s Six thirty…”

“What time do you finish your shifts?!”

“Gahd!! Taeyeon?! What am I your husband?? Your boyfriend?? Ergh…” Sunny walked out of the room and went to the kitchen. Taeyeon tailed her behind.

“Who were you with?? Today?” Taeyeon asked.

“Why? What is wrong with you?? Seriously… I am pumped up with you and your reasonings…” Sunny said as she poured water over a glass.

“I am asking you, who were you with today?!” Taeyeon asked. “Besides our sisters…” Taeyeon could smell Sunny and she surely knows who she was with today.

Sunny couldn’t answer. She felt like she did a crime like cheating on a wife with someone else.

“Don’t lie Sunny… I can smell it…” Taeyeon said. “You’re with him??”

“So?? What if I was? Is it a law-breaking situation??” Sunny asked. She can’t even drink the glass of water that she was holding. “Are you jealous?” I guess this is a good payback for you. I love you but what did you do? You never saw me… All you could see was Tiffany… Only her…

“I am not!” Taeyeon defensively said.

“Good because you know, a minute ago it was as if I was caught cheating on my lover or something…” Sunny glared as she gulped her glass of water.

Taeyeon sighed. “I’m sensitive right now!”

“I don’t care if you are…” Sunny said as she walked away.

“YA! We are not yet done!!”

“Done with what?? Kangin?? Then let’s end this. What is your problem? Okay. Tell me. Because I hate this shouting session with you everyday, it’s tiring!!” Sunny said aloud as she threw a hand in the air.

“FINE!! I AM JEALOUS!!” Taeyeon said frankly.

“OF WHAT?! Of Kangin hanging out with me?? FINE! Then he’s yours if that’s the problem…” Sunny said. Her voice suddenly lowered as she mentions the “he’s yours” part then she walked away again.

Taeyeon grabbed her arm and turned Sunny to face her. “I don’t care a single thing for Kangin. I don’t mind if he’s dating other people but I simply don’t like the fact that he is seeing you!” Taeyeon said as she poked Sunny twice in the shoulder using her index finger.

“WHY??? What’s bothering you?!” Sunny said. ERGH! TAEYEON BABY!! JUST CONFESS!!! JUST TELL ME!!! ONCE AND FOR ALL!!!

“I don’t know!! But I am totally freakin’ jealous!”

“Because??” Sunny was pushing Taeyeon big time. This is it! Just say it! I want to hear it after that I’m peaceful. I’m all yours.

“SUNNY! I….” Taeyeon paused. Due to her sensitivity and cranky feeling she broke down into tears and she was now crying like a kid.

Sunny felt guilty for pushing Taeyeon and giving her a hard time. Instead of feeling angry, Sunny broke into a hug. Taeyeon just cried like a kid in Sunny’s arms.

“I am jealous because you’re with him, you don’t talk to me anymore, and I feel like you’re leaving me…” Taeyeon sobbed.

Sunny sighed. “I felt jealous because of you too… You always run off to Tiffany, you always find her, it was always her…”

“That’s why I stopped… because she only sees someone else… and it’s not me… and I realized that my heart is seeking you. All this time it was you…from the very beginning it was you all along… Since high school… since college… I just got carried away with someone else… Come back to me Sunny…”

Sunny was shocked in everything that she heard. She didn’t expect this one coming. She hugged Taeyeon tighter and both of them fell silent. Sunny felt Taeyeon’s heart pressed into hers, despite of the silence all they could hear was their heart beart, and it was beating as one.

“I didn’t leave you Taeyeon… I won’t, I can’t, and I will never…leave you because… I love you…”

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

Jessica was driving forty five miles per hour along the streets of Seoul. Yuri sat beside her inside their silver SUV car. It was quiet inside and at the same time cold because Jessica hit the maximum temperature of the aircon. None of them dared to open the radio and Yuri was almost hugging herself out of the cold.

“Sica…” Yuri finally broke the silence. “It’s so cold… Would you mind to lower the temp?”

Sica didn’t mind her. “Lower it yourself…” She said in a low tone.

Yuri irritatingly lowered the temperature of the aircon. What is up with her… Her mood suddenly turned berserk.

“Yuri-ah…” Jessica said. Her voice was serious and her eyes were glued to the road. “I won’t go in circles anymore and you know me. I say what I want to say simply because I want to be honest and I am your friend…”

“What is this about?” Yuri asked. She began to feel nervous.

“Yuri… don’t lie to me… I know something is going on with you. As a friend it seriously hurts to know that someone like you is lying to me and to us. Yuri, you’re not some kind of somebody to me. You’re my friend, my best friend, my sister, my family… I don’t want one day to know the things that you’re keeping from someone else… I want it to come from you…”

Yuri shut her eyes closed and pinched her nose bridge once more. Did she hear what I said earlier to Sulli? Or she just has a good sense of feeling. “Sica… I can’t tell it to you…”

“Why? Why can’t you tell me… Don’t you trust me??”

“I’m scared of what you will tell me…”

“Gosh… Yuri… All of a sudden you’re telling me this?? I’m your friend… for goodness sake!! I’ve seen you drool in your sleep, I’ve seen you in dorky angles, I’ve witnessed your embarrassing moments in life, I’ve witnessed you burp, fart, and chortle in a very un-lady like manner…then you’re telling me you’re scared of what I have to say??”

“It’s not like that… it’s also complicated…” Yuri folded her arms together.

“How complicated? If it is complicated then let’s start from the very beginning and we’ll entangle it one by one… starting with your boyfriend…the night you were missing… why didn’t you call or text us… then… what’s so complicated…”

Yuri gulped. ERGH!!!

“I’m waiting…” Jessica said as she taps the wheel of their car.

“Ahraso… Promise me you won’t tell anyone from our friends. Do you know why I don’t like to tell you? It’s because I don’t know how you guys would look at me after you guys would know the truth about me…of us… including Yoona…” Yuri finally said.

Jessica gulped. What does she mean by truth about herself and also Yoona? Are they having feelings towards each other?

“Also… Don’t get me wrong… but I shouldn’t have meddled in yours too… I accidentally know about you and Tiffany…”

Jessica couldn’t answer. Wait… What?? Does she know that we kissed? Shocks! Omo… Wait a second! Earlier the topic was on Yuri but now why do I feel like I’m being pinned down. “Ya! Yul… The topic is on you… not mine…Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not… I just want to let you know that I accept you… whoever and whatever you are…”

“Yuri…” Jessica finally sighed. “To be honest… We don’t differ…”

Yuri kept silent. “I know… That’s why I’ve decided to tell you… I’m so dumb and stupid not realizing that you should be the person I should talk too… Tiffany and Sooyoung slightly know about this because Yoona once told them but they insisted that maybe we’re just confused… etc etc.”

“Okay… Hm… isn’t that a good outcome?? Let them think that way first… but you know right now… after finally letting out what I truly feel and knowing what Tiffany also feels… I thought I was free. We were free… But I was wrong… We began to have gaps due to awkwardness and now we barely speak to each other and we can’t even look at each other anymore…”

Yuri pursed her lips. What if the same happens to her and to Yoona? “Why?”

“I don’t know… we felt awkward… But I hope we’ll be fine…”

“Sica… I have something else to say…The night that I didn’t go home was because of my boyfriend. He came to our apartment, we met by the gate then he gave me a gift, and that day was our anniversary and I totally forgot… I feel guilty. He said that he understands me… Jessica I love him but… not the way that I did the moment I said yes to him… and now I feel so sorry for him that I became his girlfriend because I totally don’t feel anything for him anymore… because… of Yoona…”

Jessica fell silent like a cat caught her tongue. But she was all ears to Yuri.

“Then… that night I didn’t plan to drink but as I was walking then I walked very far, I was almost not in our neighboring streets and I know someone was following me then I began to feel scared, so I ran to the nearest bar resto and I’ve decided to drink. Then…” Yuri stopped and her eyes looked at Jessica.

“And??” This is what Jessica was waiting for.

“And… I bumped into your ex-boyfriend… Heechul…” Yuri covered her face. “I’m so sorry…”

Jessica fell silent again. She didn’t know what to say. “And then? What happened next?”

“Oh… after bumping into him he was supposed to bring me to our apartment but I was too drunk to tell him our address and then he decided to bring me to his place… and then… he treated me so kindly he was so charming and gentle… and-“

“Ya… nothing happened between the two of you right? I mean that night??” Jessica asked.

“Nothing… Ahnee ahnee… I slept in the guest room, and he was in his room… then I met his mom… and I was carried away again… then slightly… I have feelings for him…”

Jessica was slightly hurt. Of course even though he’s her ex-boyfriend she can’t hide the fact that she once had loved him and now she feels hurt and slight pain. But its fine to her if something is going on between Yuri and him. She’s open. “Aiyo Yuri-ah… It’s honestly okay with me… It doesn’t matter if you two have something together. Promise…”

“But Sica… you know… he hasn’t moved on from you…”

Jessica didn’t know what to react. “So is that why you don’t want to tell me?”

“Yeh….”

“Ah… jinjja… It’s complicated alright…my head hurts… here’s my opinion… Follow what your heart says, make yourself clear, because I don’t want you to regret in the end…You know… I’m also keeping the thing between me and Tiffany but I don’t know how you knew…Was I too obvious?”

Yuri tilted her head. How did I know about them… Suddenly she remembered the time that she and Yoona went to the agency. She knew it from Tiffany who told Sooyoung. “Oh… Uhm…Yeah… Not just you. I noticed Tiffany too because you two don’t differ from Yoona and I. Except Yoona is braver than me and she’s willing to face risks…and I can’t… I’m scared.” Yuri just lied about the agency story part or else maybe the world won’t see light again tomorrow.

“Don’t be honey…” Jessica said.

“I’m still confuse Sica…”

“Clear up first before making your next move… Think… Who among the three of them is the person you really like? Because, hunny… remember you can’t have both.” Jessica smiled as she stopped by in front of the café. “We’re here… Don’t worry now. I’m here for you. If you’re confuse and you needed someone to talk to, just come to me.” They unbuckled their seatbelts and finally Jessica turned off the car.

“Omo… Sica. I’m so sorry… I’m sorry I lied… I’m sorry for everything. I’m so dumb and I’m getting dumber each day…”

“Tsss…. Yes I know you are getting… hehe…just joking.” Jessica smiled as she bump Yuri with her elbow. “love is crazy and don’t do crazy things when you’re in love…”

Yuri laughed. “You know… I’m glad we have that talk…” Yuri draped her arm around Jessica.

“Ya… You know while you and Sulli were talking, I was actually in the bathroom…”

Yuri’s eyes widened. “YOU WERE WHAT?! YA!!!”

“It’s okay, I’m not mad… but I understand you… and thank you for not lying to me. I’d know if you lie earlier.” Jessica smiled as they enter their Cotton Candy Café.

“Well, I wasn’t planning on lying.” Yuri said who was walking behind her, and then she saw Yoona who was sitting by the counter. She was on duty at the cashier today.

Yuri and Yoona just shared a glance, both of them looking at each other but they weren’t talking. They haven’t talked to each other ever since they fought back in the room, and now Jessica bumped Yuri towards Yoona’s direction. “Talk to her, I’ll be in the kitchen…”

Yuri just nodded. She carried the flip board and entered the cashier area. Yuri placed her bag down over the floor. “Hey there…baby…”

“Tsss…” Yoona sighed as she rolled her eyes. “Hey there… Is that all you can say to me??”

“Yeah… because I’m stupid…” She said as she sat down next to Yoona.

“Yes, good to know that you finally realized you’re stupid…”

“Ya… I know and I admit… but you don’t need to pin it down on me…”

“So?? Are you finally telling me? Because I won’t talk to you unless you tell me…”

I can’t tell her everything. First my baby cousin Sulli then Jessica and now you… I have enough for a day telling this story over and over. “Here’s something… I’ll clear everything up first.” Yuri said as she slipped and held Yoona’s hand. “Then I will tell you…I’ll start with my boyfriend and I’m… breaking up with him.”

Yoona sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m a home wrecker…”

“You’re not… It’s my entire fault…”

“It was also slightly my fault… I thought that maybe if you go for him, our feelings would finally change over time. But it just became worst and now… it’s complicated…”

“Give me a chance, I’ll fix this. I promise.” Yuri said as she pressed her lips over Yoona’s forehead.

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

Jessica entered the kitchen. “Wow!! Sooyoung-ah!! You did a good job with this three layered baby shower cake!” Jessica said as she stared at the baby pink three layered cake.

“Yeap. We know… We have a sample of cupcake bites of this.” Sooyoung said proudly as she stood beside Jessica.

“There’s one more left, here unnie! You take it, because Sooyoungnnie ate most of it.” Seohyun said as she popped out from somewhere with a small cupcake in her hand.

Jessica excitingly took it. She ate the small cupcake in one bite. Just as the sweetness and strawberry flavored cream touched her eyes gleamed. “Omo…” She covered and chewed first. “It’s so moist and the icing suits it perfectly, and the sugar babies… I thought it would never blend. Argh!! Sooyoung! Our pastry kitchen won’t live a day without your perfect culinary skills.”

“It’s from the best!”  Seohyun giggled.

“And I’m proud of you! You’re improving!” Jessica said to Seohyun. “When you take up culinary, you won’t have problems taking your on the job training.” Jessica laughed and winked.

“I know right! Unnie, I’ll take it here under the supervision of Chef Choi!” Seohyun laughed evilly.

Jessica went to the bin to dispose the cupcake wrapper just as she threw the wrapper in she saw something that surprised her. “Guys… what’s this??” Jessica asked.

“What this?” Sooyoung and Seohyun asked in unison.

“Pregnancy kit??” Jessica said. “Is anyone pregnant??”

“Huh?? What are you talking about? No one’s pregnant…” Sooyoung laughed sarcastically. “Pfff! What are you saying??”

“Ya… we’re the only people who work here and come here everyday. The other helpers are men and they don’t even come here because they deliver our goods, the other chefs are also men and they only come here every other day, and hello??? Stop lying…” Jessica said as she placed a hand in her hip.

“Have you tried it?” a voice said, it came from the hot kitchen.

“DUH?! You’ve been pushing me around all day to take it…” another voice answered. “But I’m telling you, I’m not pregnant!!” Hyoyeon said as she and Tiffany walked back to the main kitchen (the main kitchen is where the ready to serve food undergoes inspection before being served to the guests).

Hyoyeon and Tiffany stopped and froze as they saw Jessica. Hyoyeon covered as she slaps Tiffany in the arm. Aish…

“You’re… pregnant??” Jessica asked.

“Honey!” Tiffany said as she smiled over to Jessica. “No need to fuzz about this, why don’t we go out and see what is happening outside?”

Jessica glared at Tiffany. “Honey?? And now you’re being lovey dovey over me?? We’re not done yet, sweetheart…” she said. “So, you’re pregnant? Since when??” she asked Hyoyeon.

Hyoyeon covered Sica’s mouth. “I am not!! I just haven’t got my period YET! and I’m delayed for three weeks now…”

“Three weeks?! Don’t you want to go for a checkup??”

“No… I am not what you think I am…”

“Explain the cravings…” Sooyoung said.

“I am just HUNGRY!!!” Hyoyeon said irritatingly.

“Uhm… Okay??…” Seohyun finally cuts everything. I don’t want to hear any of this. She thought to herself. “If you need me… I’ll be outside…” Seohyun took off her apron and chef’s hat. She hanged it by the hanger before going out of the kitchen, leaving her sisters speechless.

“I may not know what happened… But Hyo, you have serious issues with maknae…” Jessica said. “She changed...”

Hyoyeon sighed. “I know…I know…”

Apple Cinnamon Pie, The Second to the last Chapter of Season01.

THEN SAY HELLO TO....

Cotton Candy Cafe, A Chocolate Love Series

The Prequel Series

The Story how they all met

What their old life was like

From enemies they became friends

How they fall in love

and

How their bitter past became sweet.