Kwon Yuri wasn't a people-person kind of girl.

At home, her family would be spending time together in their living room laughing and chatting while she only remains inside her room, and she's either reading a book or listening to the music blasting from her stereo. When it comes to school, Yuri would pay no attention to the people around her. She's always at a place where nobody's around and she did not give a damn about the other students thinking that it was weird for her to isolate herself from the world.

Yuri was used to it. 

Nobody knew why she was how she was, and she did not dare explain it to anybody since she knew that no one would be able to understand her. 

No one.

She decided a long time ago that maybe she was the only one who can truly understand herself. It was better to be alone.

*

"Yuri-shi!"

Yuri did not have much time to plug the earphones inside her ears to prevent herself from hearing that familiar bubbly voice. It was a usual routine of hers to walk to school by herself, but this time it seemed as though she had a shadow following her from behind. After a few seconds she felt an arm snaking around hers and it took her a little effort to release herself free from its grip. 

"Good morning." An eyesmiling brunette greeted her in a cheerful tone. "It's nice to see you again Yuri." 

Being the expressionless person that she was, Yuri only responded with a brief nod. She kept her eyes on the street in front of them but she couldn't help but feel the other girl's eyes on her. She sighed inwardly, wondering why she was allowing this girl to walk with her in the first place.

Her name was Tiffany Hwang.

She was an exchange student from America who arrived a month ago. She's a bright girl who's always wearing a smile that is so infectious it can make any other person smile too, except for Yuri that is. She had the looks and the personality to be a popular kid at school and Yuri couldn't quite understand why the girl chose to stick with someone like her instead. 

This girl has been chasing her around constantly and no matter how difficult it was, she was trying hard to build a friendship with Yuri. If she was just any other person, Yuri might've already pushed her away and warned her never to speak with her again. 

But this was Tiffany. A seventeen year old girl who came to Korea all by herself to study. She was apart from her family. Like Yuri, she had no one but herself to rely on. 

That's why she let the girl be by her side. 

As least, for now.

"You look nice today as usual." Tiffany began a conversation, smiling at Yuri with pure adoration. 

Yuri wasn't sure if the girl was being sarcastic with her or what. She had dark circles around her eyes since she has been experiencing sleepless nights lately due to school projects and the fact that their prestigious uniform looked old and lame did not exactly help at all. 

"Our uniforms never make us look nice." Yuri responded softly right before stealing a short glance at Tiffany. "But maybe you're an exception." She looked away just in time to miss the shades of pink that flashed on both of Tiffany's cheeks. 

The shorter girl glanced down at her feet and fought the urge of her lips to spread out into a smile. 

"That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me ever since we became friends." Tiffany said thoughtfully. But her words had seemed to struck Yuri out of her thoughts and she suddenly paused in her tracks.

Yuri stared hard at the cemented pavement beneath their feet and clenched her fists. She breathed heavily as the words escaped her lips.

"We are not friends."

*

As Yuri stepped into the hallway, the crowds of students quickly whispered to one another and stepped aside to make way for her to pass. She walked past them and ignored their murmurs. They did not deserve a single percent of her concern at all. 

She entered the classroom and made her way to the very back where her chair was located by the window. She plopped herself on her chair and plugged the earphones into her ears. Rock music blasted inside her ears and she casually bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the music. 

A few minutes later the teacher arrived inside their classroom and Yuri was forced to stuff her earphones inside her bag. She knew they were up for another long and boring class discussion, but she usually sleeps on it since she has the ability to top the smartest students' list without any single effort. She was about to sleep when all of a sudden the doors opened and all the students snapped their heads to the direction of the person who had just arrived.

"Good morning. I'm sorry I'm late." 

Jessica Jung smoothed out her skirt as she stood by the doorway and was having occasional heavy breathing. She looked as though she had run a marathon. The teacher glanced at her and instead of being angry and reprimanding her for tardiness, he only gave her a nod and told her to take her seat.

That was one of the benefits of being a popular kid.

And it was no question that a lot of benefits are being received by the most popular girl in school. Jessica Jung was labelled as the queen bee and campus sweetheart. She was a lead singer of the glee club, a member of the student council, a cheerleader, and the president of their class. And all those things had earned her the popularity that every other girl wouldbe jealous of. Her looks were also a plus, for her beauty was rare and every single guy would be dying to have a date with her. 

Everybody loved her. Everybody except Yuri.

Of course Jessica's pretty face and popularity are noticable but other than that she didn't care. Yuri had a certain distaste for popular kids mostly because some of them are arrogant and most of them think and act as if they own the school. She did not like those kind of people. And the thing that she disliked most of all was that Jessica wasn't like those kind of people.

She was different. She might look cold on the outside but when she flashes that small rare smile it changes the first impression that a person has about her. Jessica fulfills her responsibilities well and acts warmly towards others as if she didn't have a high status. 

And that's what makes her so different. She stands out among the rest of them, which makes Yuri dislike her more.

Yuri hated it whenever a certain someone gains her adoration.

"For today, I'll be announcing your first quarter project." The teacher began and the students groaned in dissapproval. "This will be a project done by a pair. So you don't have to worry about failing grades." With that, the groans and murmurings have lessened.

Yuri thinks that she was the only one who was against the idea. It was better off if the project was done individually. She did not like the idea of having to do it with someone other than herself. She inwardly sighed and banged her head on the desk, forcing herself to sleep it away until she heard her name being called.

"..Kwon Yuri and Jung Jessica."

Silence filled the room. There were some gasps but other than that everything went quiet. The teacher looked around and was slightly taken aback by the students' reactions. It was as if he told them that South Korea and North Korea would be reconciling.

"Is there a problem?" He questioned.

Yes. Yuri wanted to say it aloud so badly. She wish she could, but she could not force herself to speak. She already didn't like the idea of a couple project, what more if her partner was the most popular kid? Her brain didn't register the idea well and her stomach churned up in an unpleasant feeling. 

"No, there's no problem sir." Jessica's soft voice responded. Yuri's eyes met hers from halfway across the room and after three seconds Yuri looked away with a clenching fist.

"Okay then that's settled. This project is due next week so I hope you'll all maximize the time and do it well."

No. This is not happening.

*

It was time for lunch and Yuri headed to the lockers to grab some books. Once she made it to her locker, she opened it and was surprised to see a small yellow paper attached to it inside. There was a small message written on it and Yuri had to squint her eyes in order to be able to read the words that were messily scribbled on the piece of paper.

[Meet me at the rooftop.]

She wasn't sure if it was a message from one the school bullies, those who used to threaten her and ask her for a fight. But something told her that it wasn't. Grabbing her lunch, she closed her locker and marched off towards her destination. 

*

Yuri arrived at the rooftop and saw a girl with blonde hair that was leaning against the metal railings. The girl turned around and flashed her a bashful smile, a smile which belonged to none other than Jessica Jung.

"Hi." The queenka greeted with an awkward wave. She motioned Yuri to come closer and the taller girl did not have much of a choice, although she did wish that she never should've come in the first place. 

Jessica was making her uncomfortable. Like really uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry if I had to put that mysterious message in your locker. I just figured that if I ask you personally then you would reject me." Jessica explained while scratching the back of her head. Yuri raised an eyebrow at her. "What did you want me here for?" 

Jessica leaned against the railings once more and looked down at the view below her. "It's about our project thing. Are you comfortable about working with me?" 

Yuri casually shrugged, sitting on a wooden bench nearby. "Do I have much of a choice?" She didn't mean to sound so cold but it came out that way. She thought that maybe it would annoy the girl and then Jessica would initiate the action to refuse their pairing in the project. 

Maybe I should just act like a jerk then she'd leave me alone.

"I just want to know you're opinion since we're gonna be doing this for one whole week." Jessica continued, twirling a strand of her hair behind her ear. "I mean, we both know that you're not exactly a friendly person. I thought that maybe you'd like to do it alone?" She looked over her shoulder and raised her eyebrows questioningly at the other girl. 

Yuri shrugged again as she bit on her sandwich. 

"Why does my thoughts matter to you?" 

"Of course they do. You're my partner." She knew that Jessica was trying to sound nice but there was a tone in her voice which makes Yuri think that the girl is starting to get stressed. "So, are you okay with us working together?"

"I can't believe you asked me to come all the way here just to ask that question." Yuri stated with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "And I suppose you already know the answer to that. Do you think it's fine with me to be working with a girl who tried to take advantage of me in the shower a few days ago?" 

Jessica turned around and scoffed. Yuri inwardly smirked and she knew that her plan was working. 

"Excuse me? Why on earth would I take advantage on you? I 'm not that kind of person and from what I remember I already apologized and made it clear to you that what happened back there was just accidental!" Jessica stated. "And besides, cold-hearted arrogant girls aren't exactly my type thank you very much." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, the kind of attitude that Yuri was expecting to see from her.

"Stuck up pretty-faced blondies aren't exactly my type either." Yuri said in retort and she received a glare from the shorter girl. "And besides, i think you can survive working on this stupid project without me. If you can't, then you can ask one of your idiotic fans to be your partner."

"God, you are so annoying." Jessica threw her arms in the air out of frustration. "If you don't want to do this project with me, then fine! Do it by yourself! I can't wait to watch you fail." Yuri sat comfortable on the bench and silently watched as the blonde walked out. A smile threatened to appear on the side of her lips.

Mission accomplished.

*

It was time for soccer practice and Yuri was doing her training alongside her teammate, Kim Taeyeon. Taeyeon is the only one she speaks to in a proper way and other than Tiffany, she also considers Taeyeon as an acquintance. 

"My bestfriend's not so bad." Taeyeon stated in the midst of their conversation. 

"She annoys me." Yuri said simply, before kicking the ball towards the shorter girl. Taeyeon just chuckled and kicked the ball back. It was weird though, Taeyeon was Jessica's bestfriend but she wasn't a part of the popular clique. She was just, Taeyeon. 

It made Yuri wonder why Taeyeon and Jessica are so close in the first place. 

"Hey Yuri." Taeyeon suddenly cleared out of the blue once they finished training and sat down on the grass to rest. "I know I'm not in the position to ask you of this, but I hope you'd listen to me." 

Yuri drank water from her bottle and gave Taeyeon a serious look. This girl was the one who helped her when she first transferred into this school. And despite her coldness, Taeyeon continued on being warm and understanding to her. She made her feel as though she wasn't alone and that made her open a little bit to the older girl.

"Yeah sure, whatever." 

Taeyeon fidgeted with her hands. She's usually laid-back and confident, and it was kind of weird for Yuri to be seeing her like this. It made her think that Taeyeon was going to ask her something big.

"It's about Jessica." Taeyeon began, and Yuri tried not to grimace at the mention of the name. "She..She has a huge problem right now related to her family, and I promised her that I'd help her." 

Yuri kept silent but she was still listening. 

"Her dad arranged a marriage for her but Jessica doesn't want to do it. She cried to me and begged me to help her find a way to stop it from happening. And I sort of thought of an idea." Taeyeon fidgeted with her hands even more. It gave Yuri the feeling that she wasn't going to like the next words that Taeyeon was about to say. "I thought that maybe she should hire someone to pretend as her lover to convince her father that she can't get married."

Yuri raised an eyebrow and tried to ignore the lump that was forming on . "And you're telling me this because..?"

Taeyeon looked up from her hands and looked straight into Yuri's eyes. She suddenly grabbed Yuri's hands and held them tightly. Yuri's eyes widened at the sudden skinship and before she could even try releasing herself from Taeyeon's grip, the older girl's words struck her like a lightning bolt.

"It's because I think that you're the rightful person to help her Yuri." Taeyeon breathed out. "I need you to pretend as Jessica's fake girlfriend and help her convince her father that you two are in love." 

Everything was happening so fast Yuri can't think straight. When she finally came back into her senses, she pushed Taeyeon's hands away and roughly turned away from her. 

"What are you saying? I can't do that." Yuri stated coldly, a frown forming on her face. "You can't ask me to do something like that."

"But you have to do it!" Taeyeon's voice was begging as she tugged on Yuri's sleeve. "You're the only person who doesn't like Jessica. You're different from the rest of the people I know here who adores Jessica and would be taking advantage of her if I ask them to do this. I think only you can be able to do this." 

Yuri rubbed her temples. She was getting confused. 

"No, Taeyeon--"

"Please. I'm begging you." Taeyeon pleaded. "I'll do anything in return. Just please help me do this for my bestfriend."

"I-I.." There was a debate going on in Yuri's mind. Sure, she hated people. But she wasn't completely heartless to say no to someone who was begging her with puppy eyes. But then again, she can't do this. Taeyeon must be making a mistake for believing that Yuri would agree to do this. 

"Please?" Taeyeon asked for one last time but Yuri already stood up on her feet and clenched her fists.

"I'm sorry Taeyeon. I wish I could help you--" Yuri shook her head firmly. "But I can't. Not in this kind of situation."

Then she left, leaving Taeyeon with a frustrated sigh.

*

Yuri finally went home with an exhausted body and a tired heart.

It was already dark when she entered their house, and when she got into the living room she was greeted by the sight of her grandmother sitting on the floor. Yuri walked over to her and kissed her forehead. The old woman smiled and was about to say something, but then she suddenly started throwing a fit of cough. She was coughing hard continously that it got Yuri worried. She quickly helped her grandma stand up and brought her inside her bedroom. 

As gently as she could, Yuri laid her grandmother on the bed. Then she went out into the kitchen to prepare the old woman's food and medicine. 

When Yuri went back inside to check on her grandmother, the old woman was sitting up with her back leaning against the headboard. Yuri placed the tray of food on the side table and sat beside her grandmother. 

"Hi sweetheart." The old woman spoke with a hoarse voice and a tired smile. "How was your day?"

Yuri smiled back. It was the kind of smile that she only showed to her grandmother. "It was fine. How about you? I hope you didn't tire yourself much earlier." 

The old woman shook her head but was still smiling. She then started coughing again and Yuri quickly grabbed her medicine and helped her grandmother take her pills. Yuri watched as her grandmother had trouble steadying her breathing, and the sight of it pierced her heart and made her eyes sting. 

"Aigoo, you're grandmother is getting so weak." She stated. "I don't think I'll be staying awake any longer." 

Yuri frowned and grabbed her grandmother's hands. "Don't talk like that. You're gonna live for a long time. You're not going to leave me." She stated it as if it was more of a question, than a statement. The old woman's pale lips stretched out into a smile and she leaned forward to tuck some of Yuri's hair behind her ear.

"You've grown so beautifully Yuri-ah. It's a shame I don't see you smiling much." The old woman let out a soft sigh. "Yuri-ah, you know I'm not going to be here with you forever. You should stop isolating yourself from the world and learn how to appreciate the people around you."

Yuri looked away from her eyes and stared at her lap. "I don't need anyone, grandmama." She muttered more to herself.

"But eventually, you will." Her grandmother stated with a twinkle in her eyes. "I don't want to leave this world knowing that you're still all alone and helpless."

"But I'm not helpless. I'm strong." Yuri forced herself to smile. 

Her grandmother only smiled back and gently cupped her cheek. With that simple gesture, Yuri felt as though she wanted to cry. But then the next words that her grandmother said had surprised her.

"Yuri-ah, before I die, I want to see you bring your special someone here to see me. That is my dying wish."

 

*

A/N: I hope you enjoy the story as it goes! Thank you to those who subscribed and commented! ^_^