Stunning people wearing shades of white were already in the area when Jason and I arrived. It was fascinating how the event’s place complemented the dress code. Not to mention, the ballroom’s walls were perfectly painted light pink, my favorite color. The slow music started to play, making the whole crowd soften their chitchats. As if on cue, my eyes drifted from side to side, searching for evidence of Jessica’s existence. Unfortunately, she seemed to have yet to arrive.

I was wearing the dress Krystal wanted me to show off. It wasn’t too fabulous but way better than my personal choice. Jason was in a simple white suit with a black necktie. He seemed a bit effortless but appeared really expensive.

“Tiffany.” I heard Krystal’s voice cut through my business of gawking and drooling over the wonderful people surrounding me. “I’m glad you wore it.” She excitedly squealed.

I turned to look at her, and she was already with some friends. I couldn’t help but gape at her beauty. She seemed effortlessly sophisticated. She was wearing a sleeveless dress, and her hair limply hanging down on one side. “Well, I had no other choice after you tossed it into my window,” I joked, giggling at the idea. “Thanks, by the way.”

“No worries,” she nonchalantly brushed it off before gesturing to the guys beside her. “This is Suho, my boyfriend, and his friend Lay, who is going to help us out.”

“Help you out with what?” Clueless Jason absentmindedly butted in.

Holy , she’s still on with the plan.

“Nothing.” I defensively answered. “Oh, it’s a pleasure meeting both of you, guys. I’m Tiffa—” I tried to introduce myself, but Jason cut me off.

“She’s Tiffany, my future girlfriend.” He determinedly concluded, gaining an unpleasantly surprised reaction from me.

“We’ll see about that,” Krystal challenged him before deviously winking at me.

Are they making fun of me? I shook my head in disbelief. Just then, the crowd’s faces swept to the red carpet. Some wore astounded expressions, and some wore curious ones. Like them, Jason and I turned our backs to decode what was happening, and my heart almost fell when I saw Jessica and Nick entering the premises with their arms linked.

“Oh my God,” I heard Krystal yelping behind me.

“Your sister is so hot,” the so-called Lay guy snapped, directing the words to Krystal.

“She really is,” Suho added firmly.

“That bastard,” Jason irritably groaned, referring to Nick.

Nick was wearing a baby blue long-sleeved polo finished off with a plain white suit and trousers. On the other hand, Jessica was wearing a—

, she is so ing hot.

She was wearing a—

That exposed thighs, oh my God.

I couldn’t help but check her out.

Wait, is she even wearing anything? Because she's far hotter than the hottest functioning nudist in the world.

Seriously, she was wearing a white fitted dress with a complementary three-fourths blazer, made even hotter by the black lining all over it. The only jewelry she was wearing was a silver bracelet.

Her hair, damn, her hair. She let it down like a y mess. If only I could freeze time, I would jump her on the spot.

One moment later, the couple walked towards us for the “dear parents, we are friends” show. Krystal and the two guys welcomed them with beams, while Jason and I, well, we didn’t give a flying concern.

The seven of us walked to a table at the corner. Gentleman Jason pulled out a seat for me, and without hesitation, I took it. I thought he would sit next to me, but he bid his farewell, saying, “I need to be at my family’s table. I have to accompany my sister for a bit, but I’ll be back immediately. I’m sorry to ditch you, Tiffany.”

I shook my head sideward, “I’ll be fine here.” He casually nodded then his feet took off. My eyes caught Jessica stifling a smile in front of me. She was sitting next to Nick as expected while I was in between Lay and Krystal.

When the lights dimmed, the spotlight was directed on the stage with Jessica’s mom holding a microphone. “Thank you for coming here tonight, everyone. Let’s all have fun and meet new people.Later, we have a very big announcement to make.”

Jessica’s facade was altered by a nervous one. I was more than certain that the announcement mentioned was about Jessica and Nick. Even I myself started to frown. “I’m going to the restroom,” I excused, trying to get myself together. Krystal enthusiastically nodded.

Exasperatedly, I sighed as I was sitting inside a restroom stall. Not that I was actually peeing nor pooping, I only wanted to be alone just for once before I could get to watch Jessica and Nick flirt onstage. Because, needless to say, that would shatter my heart to bits.

When I stepped out of the stall, I jumped a little in shock. Jessica was uneasily standing inside the closed area, her back resting against the main door. “Can we talk?” She hesitantly inquired, fidgeting by groping the bracelet on her wrist.

I stood in silence, not knowing what to say. I was already tired of chasing after her, and if she was here only to disdain me again, I would rather not talk to her forever.

“About everything I said the other night in the bar, I’m really sorry. I was wrong. I asked you to cut ties the day before that, right? But you acted mental, so I thought—” Her voice was fretfully fading. “I thought if I made you hate me, you’d stop going after me.” She briefly explained, aching to face the floor.

“Then, you’re not mistaken—” I gulped to free my throat from turning knots. “Because I hate you, and I’m giving up on you now.” I was confident I wouldn’t break down or burst into tears.

Apparently, she was caught off guard. Her lips parted to rant, but she held it in by calming herself down. “If you can only give me another chance, I’ll make everything right. I’ll break up with Nick for you. I’ll go against anything—” Her words were sincere, and I was a hundred percent certain of that. “I’ll do anything to be with you.” She said her entire statement while eyeing me sadly. That made my emotions soften a little, but I knew I needed to be strong.

My heart was once again pounding in place, or melting in place, better said. I wanted to say yes, to say I would love to be with her. Unfortunately, I had to do what was right. Her mother was reasonable, and I would only cause her a lot of trouble. “I’m dying to tell you how gorgeous you look tonight. Now, if you could excuse me.” I ducked my head apologetically before she got the message. She stepped aside to stop blocking the door.

The moment I was about five meters away, I sighed in relief. I was relieved that I managed to control the lovesick monster that was eating away at me, and that I managed not to shed a single tear for that umpteenth time of goodbye.

Suho, Lay, and Nick were chatting nonsense when Krystal leaned closer to me. “Jessica followed you to the restroom, didn’t she?” She asked, and added, “Did she have a word for you?”

“She wants me to take her back,” I disappointedly mumbled.

An ear-to-ear wide smile crept onto her lips, coloring her cheeks red with excitement. “Wow, that’s great. Are you good then?”

I stared straight into her eyes, my lower lip as I internally debated. “No. I said no.”

That seemed to slap her hard. Stunned, was left agape, and her eyes constricted. She wobbled her head sideways in incredulity, demanding an explanation.

I simply shot her a smile. “I've swallowed my pride for her many times. If she truly wants me, she'll have to do the chasing.” I offered a fake explanation when, in fact, the real reason was the problem with her mom. Well, if I said that one, Krystal would undoubtedly hit the daylights out of my face.

“, you’re plain intelligent.” She smiled back, showing me a palm for a high five.

Almost five minutes later, Jessica came back and sat on her seat.

“What took you ages?” Her boyfriend asked, not as if interrogating though.

“Nothing, I was just caught up with some trouble.” She impassively responded.

Trouble, huh.

Before Nick could respond, a hand brushed against the exposed skin on my shoulder. I turned my head to check who it was, and there stood Jason, inviting me to dance with him.

His eyes were filled with positivity and hope, and for that reason, I couldn’t turn him down. Gracefully, I stood up from my seat and took his hand. We walked hand in hand to the c