“Ugh….”

Jessica burped on her bed, one hand on top of her eyes, after a long night of drinking. Her head was spinning like a carousel, stomach growling and aching as if a monster was living there. Both of her eyes were moist after throwing up three times in a row and legs were as weak as a soaked noodles.

A warm wet towel was thrown to her face and a familiar voice called out to her. “Put that on your face.”

“Thank you, Yuri…,” she said weakly as she rubbed her face slowly with the towel.

Yuri sat next to her on the bed in silence. That was when Jessica felt fear creeping up her body. This is bad, she said in her heart, Yuri is angry. She pulled the towel lower until one of her eyes could see Yuri and then she muttered.

“Sorry….”

Yuri looked down on her with her sharp eyes and just as quickly averted her gaze again.

“Yuri….”

Yuri was still silent with her hands crossed in front of her chest.

“I’m sorry.”

 “You should be,” said Yuri with a lower voice. “You could’ve died.”

“I know…,” Jessica nodded. “Sorry.”

“You keep on saying sorry but you repeat it again and again.”

“Sorry….”

Yuri, clearly still upset to her friend, stood up and about to walk to the door if Jessica did not stop her from leaving. “Don’t leave!”

Yuri froze and stared at the weak Jessica on the bed. A few seconds later, her strict expression softened and she sighed. “I care about you, Sica, you know that right?”

Jessica nodded and bit her lower lip.

“So please don’t go out drink your troubles away without seeking for my help.”

Jessica bashfully covered her face with the towel. “I’m sorry. I thought I could handle it myself.”

“Even so…,” Yuri sat back down on the bed, “I know I’m nothing more than just a friend to you but I can be your crying shoulder, Sica. I want to.”

Then the two of them said nothing after that. Yuri gently took the towel from Jessica and brushed her hair. “You go get some rest. I’ll check on you later.”

She stood up after saying that walked to the door.

“Yuri…,” Jessica called her name and Yuri turned around. “I’m scared that if I rely on you too much then I will become a nuisance to you. I don’t want to annoy you in any way and make you hate me because of that. I don’t want to lose you.”

Yuri stopped at the door. “You will never be able to push me away. You’re stuck with me forever,” she gave Jessica a smile. “Now go to sleep.”

Jessica smiled back and let Yuri turned the lights off and closed the door.

“Thank you, Yuri,” Jessica whispered and she put her tired body to rest.

--