(Krystal’s POV)

I woke up with a terrible hangover.

Uggghhhh… What happened last night?!

My head was really hurting but I tried my best to focus and think back on the night before.

Oh crap! Did I really do what I think I did?! Did I really confess to Jessie while she was sleeping?! Did she hear me?!

Panic started to set in. I couldn’t be 100% sure of what I said exactly to her. I was completely wasted. All I remembered was entering her room. Confessing… crying… I know I had decided to stop loving her somehow…

OHMIGOD! I kissed her! I kissed Jessie! She was asleep but still… I KISSED HER!

What have I done?! GAH! I’m so stupid! Why did I drink so much?! I’m never drinking ever again!

This is so surreal… Did it really happen or was I just dreaming? No… I know that it really happened because even with the hangover, my resolve to get over what I felt for Jessie was still there.

I have to get over it! It was for her sake… my sake… both our sakes… It was the correct thing to do. We’re sisters. Nothing more can ever be…

As I started to sober up, I realized how thirsty I was.

I should have drank some water before going to bed. I wouldn’t be having this terrible hangover now if I did.

Why does that even matter now?! You were smashed, Krystal… You nearly told your sister that you loved her and you’re thinking about how you could have avoided your hangover?!

I was scolding myself in my head… I’ve officially gone crazy!

Yup… just another condition to add to my list including mental instability, alcoholism, and … Great job Krystal… You have an amazing control of your life…

I really needed some water so I headed for the kitchen but when I got there, Jessie was standing at the counter, pouring herself a bowl of cereal. Even though she had just woken up; hair disheveled, in her pajamas, and barely awake… she looked absolutely radiant.

Dammit Jung Soojung! Didn’t you tell yourself that you would stop doing this?! Get it together!

I wasn’t exactly sure if she knew what happened last night at all, so I decided to test the waters…

“Ughhhh… My head hurts!” I complained. If she was awake last night, she would know that I was having a hangover.

“Are you okay? What time did you get home last night? I didn’t even hear you come in…” she asked.

She didn’t seem to know anything… That was a good sign. But now I had to make her stop treating me so well… I had to hurt her.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t concern you anyway,” I told her brashly.

“Did you want some cereal?” she offered, unfazed by my attitude. I guess I wasn’t being harsh enough.

“I can make my own breakfast, unni!” I knew she didn’t like it when I called her that.

“Why are you calling me that?”

“Because you are my unni, so I should call you that…”

“Are you coming home for dinner tonight?” she asked. She still wasn’t reacting to what I was doing.

“No, I’m going out with my friends,” I lied impulsively. I guess I’ll just stay out somewhere until after dinner.

“What time are you going to be back?” She sounded concerned like usual.

Stop being concerned about me! Can’t you just scold me for being a brat?!

“Don’t worry about it. I can take care of myself,” I said, trying to sound indifferent.

“Well just be safe okay?

She started to reach out for a hug so I decided to just turn and walk away.

For a second, I felt like I had crossed the line. I wanted to look back and apologize but I knew that I couldn’t. I shouldn’t. It took every ounce of my strength not to run back to her and tell her I was sorry, that I was just pretending.

I slammed my room door close and locked it behind me. I collapsed onto my bed in anxiety.

I don’t know if I can keep this up…

(Tiffany’s POV)

Something was definitely wrong with Jess today. First off… she was early for work; she got here before I did. On top of that, she had been extremely quiet and gloomy the entire day. Every time I asked her a question, she replied with short, one word sentences unless I needed information.

“Jess… seriously… what’s wrong?! You’re being weird!” I asked after I finally had enough of the depressing atmosphere in the office.

She let out a long and deep sigh.

“It’s Krystal again, isn’t it?” I predicted.

She nodded.

“Did you two fight… again?!” I assumed.

She shook her head.

“Not exactly. She’s having some issues and she’s taking it out on me. I’m not mad though, I understand. It just hurts that’s all,” she explained.

“Why don’t you just use your God given right as an older sister and call her out on it? Why is she taking it out on you anyway? What did you do to her?!”

“I did nothing… I guess it’s just because I happen to be there and I guess I’m always nagging and babying her. She must be sick of me treating her like… my baby sister…” she muttered.

“But she IS your baby sister…”

“Yeah but she’s… she’s an adult now and I guess it’s difficult when I won’t let her go… But I can’t help it…”she babbled on.

“You and my sister are the same… You’re too overbearing… Just let her be once in awhile,” I told her.

“Yeah, well… now she’s being really cold to me and avoiding me. She refuses to talk to me and she doesn’t want to tell me anything… She doesn’t even want to come home for dinner… I don’t really know what to do about it. I mean I don’t want to push her even further…”

It seemed pretty serious this time around. Even when they fought, Jess and Krystal were always the type to be at each other’s throats, not block each other out completely. It was rather unheard of between the two of them.

“I don’t know what’s going on with you two but you guys always find a way of solving it…”

“I’m just hoping it won’t take too long…” she said pessimistically.

“Uhm… Jess… since Krystal’s not going home for dinner… Would you like to go to dinner with me instead?” I asked hoping she’d say yes.

“Sure, why not… It’s not like I’m going to cook for myself anyway…” she replied unenthusiastically.

I was just so happy she said yes that I didn’t even care that she sounded so halfhearted.

During dinner, Jess seemed distracted and preoccupied the entire time. I tried to make small talk with her to cheer her up but the subject somehow always turned back to Krystal. It was unavoidable… Until this problem between her and Krystal was solved, I’d probably never hear the end of it.

She kept pulling out her phone and check it probably to see if Krystal had texted her. Occasionally, she would send a text out but I was pretty sure that there had been no responses.

Damn, Krystal really is giving Jess the cold shoulder!

After dinner, Jess by some kind of miracle had asked me to come over to her place to hang for awhile. I think she was feeling a little lonely but I didn’t care what the reason was even if it was just to sit and watch TV with her, which was basically what we ended up doing.

The night ticked away and Jess kept bombarding text messages to whom I can only imagine to be Krystal… It was almost 10.30 when Krystal finally came home.

When she heard the door open, Jess immediately jumped out of the couch and bolted to the door.

“Kryssie! You’re home! I was so worried… Why didn’t you return any of my texts?” she asked.

“Unni, I told you not to bother with me! Do you know how many text messages I got from you? 17! Don’t you think that’s a little excessive?!” Krystal said in frustration.

Honestly, even I thought that 17 texts were definitely excessive but I also couldn’t blame her since Krystal refused to answer her.

“I’m sorry, I just-“

“Why don’t you just enjoy your night with Tiffany unni and leave me be. Hi unni, by the way…” she waved at me but she wasn’t smiling.

“It’s not even like that Kryssie… She’s just here-“

“I don’t care what you do… so you shouldn’t care about what I do either…”

It was unreal. I had never seen Krystal like this before. The argument was starting to get awkward and I started to get the feeling that I should leave.

“Uhm… Jess, I think I should go… I’ll talk to you tomorrow?” I excused myself.

“I’m so sorry about this…” Jess apologized.

“It’s okay. I hope you two can work this out…” I told them. “Bye.”

“Bye, unni. Sorry…” Krystal said apologetically.

I just nodded and left.

(Krystal’s POV)

I felt bad that Tiffany unni got caught in between Jessie’s and my exchanges. But the truth was that seeing them together right after I got home made me feel a little jealous.

But what I didn’t understand was why Jessie wasn’t getting angry… Usually, she would get mad at me by now and she would start scolding me. But all she’s doing now is being even more concerned about me…

Uggghhhhh! Jessie, you’re driving me crazy! How am I supposed to get over you?!

“Kryssie, please don’t be mad… Tiff only came over because she knew that you and I are in a rough patch and she’s just being a good friend,” she explained.

“I told you, I don’t care unni! You can do whatever you want; it’s none of my business…”

I honestly wasn’t mad. It’s not like it’s such a big shock for Tiffany unni to be over… I was just… jealous.

“So you said you went out with your friends? Where did you go?” she asked.

“I’m tired, unni! I’m going to my room now…” I walked quickly to my room before she could stop me and I locked the door.

She knocked on the door. “Goodnight, Kryssie! I love you! I’m here if you want to talk!” she called from the other side of the door.

God, she’s relentless!

I just don’t get it. My plan isn’t working at all… If anything, it seems to be backfiring.

This ! I need a new plan…