Chapter 3
Trust
Chapter 3
"Just leave her alone, Jess, I'm sure she's okay." Tiffany assured, giving Jessica her famous eye smile.
Jessica hesitated, before she let out a growl of frustration and flopped down on the sofa.
"She has to ignore me while we have a schedule-free day." Jessica complained.
They both sat in silence until Jessica asked, "where's Taeyeon? Aren't you supposed to be with her on some cheesy date or something?"
Tiffany waited for a while before she professed, "we broke up."
Jessica cleared and her eyes widened, "You what?"
"It wasn't working out. She told me that we were supposed, I mean, that we were made for each other as friends. Just close friends, and since the feeling was mutual, we broke up." Tiffany explained, curling up on the sofa as she rested her head on Jessica's shoulder.
Heat rose to Jessica's face as she offered, "That's too bad."
A rustle of Jessica's shirt told her that Tiffany had nodded.
"I never really liked Taeyeon that way, though. We just thought we'd try it out and truthfully, I knew that we wouldn't work out as...a couple." Tiffany continued.
"I know that feeling." Jessica said abruptly.
“You?” Tiffany’s voice was disbelieving, to say the least.
Jessica looked up and a slight smile was on her face, like she knew something Tiffany didn’t.
“Yeah,” Jessica said, although her voice was softer than normal and her eyes shifted left and right, lips thinned.
To Tiffany, that was a sign that Jessica didn’t really want to talk about the topic anymore.
But she pressed on, because she was curious.
One did not just get Tiffany curious and leave her hanging.
“…You feel that way about Yuri?”
Tiffany was using the careful approach—not too hard, not too soft.
Hard enough to get something out of Jessica, soft enough to not piss Jessica off.
It was a technique that she and Taeyeon had both mastered in the time that they had spent with Jessica.
“If I tell you, what difference will it make?” Jessica asked amusedly.
“It’ll make a lot of difference,” Tiffany said softly, but Jessica caught it.
Jessica the ring on the coffee table beside her absentmindedly. It had been a ‘one month’ anniversary ring from Taeyeon to Tiffany.
“Why?”
“If I tell you, will it make a difference?” Tiffany mocked.
Jessica laughed at Tiffany’s attempt to beat Jessica at her own game.
“Yeah, it’ll make a difference.” Jessica said truthfully, her toes raking the carpet below.
A bitter smile appeared on Tiffany’s face as she said,
“Because I like you.”
*
Yoona asked jokingly, “Aren’t you afraid that I’d upload photos of you onto the Internet? They’re worth lots of money, you know.”
A smile painted itself on Yuri’s face but her face remained blanched.
“I don’t worry, I think you’re better than that.” Yuri continued, “I mean, you’ve been helping me for…I don’t know, there’s no reason to help me, but you still are doing it.”
Yoona let out a laugh.
“You’re right, because I’m nice, right?”
Yuri nodded.
“Okay, then, in the bathroom you go,” Yoona helped Yuri in and sat Yuri down on the covered toiletbowl.
“I’ll remove your dressings for you, but the rest…”
“I can do by myself, don’t worry.” Yuri assured quickly, blush rising to her cheeks.
“Okay, then.”
Yoona slowly took off the white gauze.
It was relatively better, but the cut wasn’t healing by itself. Yoona kind of foresaw that the cut would need stitches.
“Go wash up, I’ll wait with my back turned.” Yoona promised as Yuri’s fingers travelled down to the zipper of her shorts.
Yoona did as she had said, eyes fixed on the back of the wooden door.
She heard the rustling of clothes behind her and the sound of cubicle door closing.
Just keep your eyes on the door…
Yoona swallowed as she caught sight of the mirror that reflected the fogged glass and a slim figure in it.
No. No, you shouldn't. Turn your head back.
Yoona bit down on her lower lip. She had to turn her head, she couldn’t—
“Are you looking?” Yuri asked, her voice light and teasing.
“N—no, I’m just…re-arranging my hair. I…it was messy!” Yoona said loudly, her face all of a sudden going red as she snapped her head back to the door.
“Okay—by the way, I think this soap thingy is stuck? I need some help?” Yuri called, as her hand reached out to grab for a towel.
“Oh, okay, hold on, get a towel and wrap it around yourself first. I’ll…uhm, be right there!” Yoona said clumsily as she shot up from the edge of the bathtub to help Yuri.
“Thanks, I’m done. It’s this bottle of soap; it can’t open.” Yuri said, pointing to a white bottle sitting on the ledge.
Yoona walked over with tiny steps, eyes fixated on the ground.
She saw it. Oh, it was a newly-bought bottle of body wash, she had forgotten to open it for Yuri after disposing the old one.
“I need scissors for this, hold on,”
She walked out quickly, and returned, sliding the blade down the plastic and cutting it.
“Okay, here you go,” Yoona stepped out of the wet cubicle and went back to the edge of the bathtub, hearing the sound of water again.
After a while, the water stopped and Yoona praised herself for managing to keep her eyes solely on the door instead of sneaking glances.
She heard more rustling of clothes.
“Okay, you can…uh, turn your head now.” Yuri said, patting Yoona slightly on the shoulder.
“Oh yeah, which reminds me.” Yoona stood up and brushed some dirt off her shirt, opening the bathroom door.
“Yeah?”
“Your…friend called.”
“What’d the Caller ID say?”
“Jessica Jung.”
Yuri’s face fell slightly.
“I’ll return her calls later.” Yuri said, walking out of the door with Yoona.
“Alright…let’s go, then.”
“Breakfast?” Yuri asked, taking her phone from the desk before sliding it into her pocket.
“Yeah,” Yoona unlocked the door, “Western or Chinese?”
*
“You what?” Jessica asked, eyes widening.
“I like you. I like you a lot.” Tiffany said, eyes flitting to the ground.
“Well…I like you too?” Jessica offered, although she probably knew that Tiffany wasn’t referring to friend-wise ‘like’.
Tiffany pursed her lips in thought before her loud voice rang out,
“No, not like like. I love you.”
“Oh.”
Jessica fiddled slightly with the hem of her blouse, not knowing how to answer.
“Tiffany, we…”
“Good thing I’ve gotten that off my chest,” Tiffany cleared and stood up from the sofa, “I’ll just go to rest now. Better make use of my rest day.”
“Wait, Tiffany.”
Jessica caught Tiffany’s wrist as the younger girl started to walk back to their shared room.
Tiffany swivelled around.
“I…I don’t know,” Jessica stuttered.
“I didn’t expect anything, don’t worry.” A forced smile made its way onto Tiffany’s face before she turned, once again, away from Jessica.
“We…”
“Why do you think I broke up with Taeyeon?”
Although Tiffany’s back was turned, Jessica could hear a slight bitterness and sadness it her voice.
She knew Tiffany well enough to read her like a book.
Tiffany was sad, and a little angry—no, not at Jessica, but at herself.
Tiffany was angry, angry that she could not give what Jessica wanted, what Jessica needed. She was angry that Jessica liked girls, but just not her. Angry that she could not provide for Jessica, love Jessica the way Jessica wanted her to.
Or so she thought.
“Tiffany…”
“I was really expecting rejection, so this is better than it.”
Tiffany’s words echoed around the otherwise empty dorm as soon after, the sound of a door slamming could be heard.
*
Yuri knew that there was something wrong—her idol senses told her so.
The moment she and Yoona had stepped out of Yoona’s house, cameras and microphones were stuck in their faces.
Yuri’s leg was still as bad as the day before, if not a little better, but not enough for her to walk normally.
It still hurt. Bad.
“Let’s go. Just walk.” Yoona muttered, grabbing hold of Yuri’s wrist as both of them tried to make their way through the crowd.
The crowd actually consisted of middle-aged paparazzi men, fangirls, fanboys and a bunch of rumour-starters.
There were so many of them that they hindered Yuri and Yoona’s movement.
All around them, untrue rumours started to spread.
“They’re dating!”
“What are you talking about? They’re girls! Nonsense! She’s Yuri’s long-lost sister!”
“Maybe relative?”
“No way! Her sister!”
“See? That’s what I said!”
“Oh my god! Isn’t that the girl from before? The one who dragged Yuri out of the crowd in Dongguk? Are they in love?”
“Stop the nonsense!”
Of course, there were the reporters that wanted a good scoop to get an extra pay rise.
“Yuri, is it true that you were at this girl’s house yesterday?”
“Are you two close?”
“Are you two dating?”
“Excuse me—sorry—oops!”
Yoona tried her best to ignore the oncoming wave of people.
It was a rather good thing that Yoona had gotten her driver’s licence early—she and Yuri wouldn’t have to walk the long way.
No breakfast for today, then.
Just the doctor’s was enough.
Yoona opened the door for Yuri, pushing the older girl in before she waded through the crowd to climb into the driver’s seat, pulling out just before the fans could hop into the car.
Once they were a far distance from the fans, Yoona asked, “So this is what you deal with every day?”
A nod came from Yuri.
“That’s harsh,” sighed Yoona.
Yuri gave Yoona a smile, “Music industry’s a .”
Yoona couldn’t help but agree.
She had that cousin—what was her name again? Was it Sunny? Sunny had a manager named Sooyoung and apparently they were very close, so close that Sooyoung and Yoona were friends, too.
So basically from Sunny, Yoona had heard lots of cruel industry stories that made fall open.
“I think we’ll have to forget about breakfast, can you do without it?” Yoona asked, as she parked the car.
“Yeah, sure, I can.”
“Let’s get your leg treated then.”
“What about the fans? I’ll go by myself.”
“Are you mad? Let’s go together. I don’t mind, I told you.”
“I mind, okay? I mind. I don’t want you out there anymore you’ve done enough for me.”
“Just get out of the car.” Yoona didn’t want to waste her breath fighting with Yuri over whether she should go or not—the answer was obvious: Of course she should go. Yuri was her chosen responsibility, after all.
*
It was no more than three minutes before many taxis stopped by the sidewalk and people started streaming into the hospital.
Thankfully, Yoona was quicker, so she had gotten them a ward by the time the fans had arrived.
“This cut needs stitches,” the doctor explained while rolling up Yuri’s pant leg.
Yoona nodded as Yuri’s eyes widened.
“Stitches?”
“Yeah, it won’t hurt. It isn’t as bad as what they show on movies, don’t worry,” Yoona smiled.
“So, I’ll do it now, yes?” The doctor ordered some nurses to get the adequate materials before he took out the sharp needle, causing Yuri’s face to turn a nasty white colour.
“Just take my hand. It’ll be over quick,” Yoona assured.
It had almost become a habit—the hand-holding.
It seemed so natural for fingers to be threaded through Yuri’s, being the only other thing that Yuri could concentrate on other than the pain on her calf.
Yoona raised her head and locked eyes with Yuri, her smile reaching her eyes.
Her eyes.
Yuri found that she could easily divert her attention away from the pain to Yoona’s eyes as easy as solving the math equation ‘1 + 1’.
The stitching was over in less than a second (okay, Yuri might have exaggerated), but she nodded all the same when the doctor told her, “Be careful, it still has a chance of splitting open. Stay home, change your bandage every four hours, drink lots of water, that’ll speed up the healing process. Last but not least, remember to get your nutrition.”
Yuri didn’t like the fact that after visiting the hospital, her slight ‘stay’ with Yoona would come to an end.
Yoona dropped Yuri off at the dorm, not before tolerating all the yelling and chasing fans for about fifteen minutes (Which was a lot, for the record.).
“Bye, call me if anything goes wrong!”
Yuri smiled as she yelled, “Thanks and bye, Blanky!”
The world was slightly blurred around them, fans hopping up and down hysterically, DSLRs flashing crazily around them, tabloids being woven here and there.
It might have seemed a little cliché, but there it was:
Yuri felt like there was only Yoona in that little world of hers, and Yoona vice versa.
*
After the next few days, Yuri paid another visit to Yoona, and this time, she was extra smart to ask Yoona to meet near the warehouse so that nobody would be there.
“How’ve you been?”
Yuri passed the cup of coffee in her fingers to Yoona and gave a breathtaking smile.
“O…okay,” Yoona managed slightly, but flinched when Yuri’s eyes widened at the cut that was around Yoona’s cheekbone area.
“What happened?” Yuri reached out a finger tentatively to trace the cut but Yoona jerked her head back.
“Nothing,” Yoona turned away.
“Tell me.” Yuri said stubbornly, grabbing Yoona’s shoulders and spinning her around so that Yoona was facing her.
It took a while, but Yoona managed to get it out of her anyway.
“Uh…your fans were kind of angry at me.”
“Why?” Yuri’s finger hooked under Yoona’s chin and she tilted Yoona’s head up so that she could get a better view of the cut.
“I dragged you out from them, remember?” Yoona’s mouth tilted up in a half-grimace half-smile.
“This can’t continue. Who did it?” Yuri asked, releasing Yoona’s chin when she saw a light blush creep up Yoona’s cheeks.
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. Tell me.”
“Really, it’s nothing. There’s no need to—”
“Just tell me.” Yuri’s voice had turned gentle and she pulled Yoona into a hug, whispering the words into Yoona’s ear.
“Yunho.”
After Yoona had reluctantly told Yuri the name of her ‘attacker’, Yuri was already off and running.
Judging from the black eye Yunho had the next day, Yoona knew that Yuri must've really taught him a lesson.
*
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