Everyday you leave your home, stalked by people who admire your everything and those journalists with a camera readied in their hands who knew the enormous worth of a single image of yours.

You enter your car, turn on the radio and hear your melodic voice airing on every station due to demand.

You stare outside the window, passing by the streets filled with billboards, posters and standees of your face coming from your advertisements that has raked greater sales and customers.

Above, a projection of your video that earned numerous clicks on various streaming websites is playing throughout the area that automatically gathered people around to sheer their attention because that's how capturing you are.

You walk on your way to a building, crowded by people who generally recognize you and asking for photos and signatures that they will cherish all their lives.

As you stand on the stage behind a cloth, your thousands of audience cheered among the stadium just by your mere silhouette in anticipation. As the crew pulls down the cover, everyone stood in unison because of you.

That was Jung Sooyeon’s dream seven years ago. Well, not anymore.

Everyday she leaves her home, swarmed by people who camped outside her residence because of their obsession over her entire being and the paparazzi who are too eager to earn money by flashing a shot of her during her only privacy. Better, catch her in a scandal.

She enters her car, turns on the radio and hears her melodic voice that has now grown nasal and hoarse due to unending demands of her company that strains her out.

She peeks through her window, passing by the streets filled with almost nothing but only her face that makes her want to vomit the milk she only had every breakfast when she knew better that those smiles were just suppressed and faked.

Above, a projection of her video that went viral worldwide is playing throughout the area that drags people away from what they should be prioritizing more instead of a video that they can watch at their own convenience. Or just not watch at all.

She makes her way to her company building, crowded by people who shove their selves towards her violently and forcefully - shouting for photos and signatures that they will boast to their friends, sell for a large amount on Ebay or worse, attempt a voodoo to make her fall in love with them.

As she stands on the stage behind a cloth, thousands of audience cheered among the stadium just by her mere silhouette in anticipation. Her hands clasp around the microphone, wondering how much longer she can keep on doing this. As the crew pulls down the cover, everyone is startled because she isn't there anymore.



She sat on the platform, dangling her legs back and forth while viewing the pitch-black skies. Her heels set next to her side for she had to walk bare foot along the demented rocks and reached her present spot. She wore a sweat shirt and dark jeans. She had her hair down, swept and flown by the moderate and cold breeze coming from continuous folds of waves of the ocean. She didn't mind not wearing a cap to keep her face stealth under a shade. It was a dark and bleak night and three hours since she had supposedly fled from her concert.

No one will recognize her. Let alone even finding her here.

News and articles documented for the public to view contained every detail about Jessica Jung. Amongst those millions of written and published works, only little information was accurate such as her basic biography, accomplishments, her hatred towards cucumbers, her infamous laziness, intranscendental love for sleep and her ever popular sarcastic wit.

Being in the industry for seven years didn't account any slight chance for everyone to really know Jung Sooyeon. Those seven years she lived through of pursuing her dreams was, in reality, losing a quarter of her life to be a puppet of a greedy company and demanding industry.

Everything that people see her of was molded by a crew. The way she speaks, walks and dresses were rehearsed during her training. The words heard from her were also practiced and memorized prior appearances - even her laughter and tears.

Did she complain? Countless.

It's exhausting that almost every second of her life she pretends. It's tiring that she had to keep an upright posture when she's feeling lazy and just wanted to slouch. It's burdening to think that those people who follow her were giving their attention to a person who doesn't really exist. It reached the point where even her dream rather became an order from the higher-ups.

She was stubborn, it's one of her innate traits that the company can never alter or dismiss. She always insists against what was told to her and sometimes she does things on her own terms. Like one time, she guested in a variety show where they spent the overnight at a village, her manager told her to act more responsible and keep her image so the residents would have good impressions. She did act responsible and was cautious until the morning came where they have to wake up early for rice planting. The MCs had to drag her to wake her up and she still managed to sleep while squatting down and her hand dipped on the muddy water.

Then there were the interviews where she was always ordered to keep her answer concise and brief. She provided short replies but it was her deadpan tone that made the buzz and became a running gag whenever she made a guesting. There's even a planned response when she's being asked of her ideal type, that it should only be among men who starred on popular movies and dramas to avoid dating rumors. She found it ridiculous when primarily, her ual orientation swings on the similar .  That, she knows would make the nation ballistic so she avoids the unconventional and only supplies her own answer of having no ideal type. Still far from true but it was safer.

It angers her manager but her staff finds it refreshing whenever she chooses to not abide the commands given to her at least once in a while, showing nothing but genuity and honesty to others regardless of her ordeal. There were only a few moments where she had opportunities of breaking the rules but somehow it was enough to unwind herself together.

"There are many eyes who watch your every move, waiting to judge anything they find wrong about you", is what the CEO and her manager always tell her. Only during the recent days that the uniform set of words finally managed to subside.

They didn't want an artist who writes songs and sings her heart out to her audience. They didn't want an artist who autographs and shakes hands happily to her fans. They didn't want an artist who bows her head in gratitude for the support given to her. They want an artist that will fool others that she's perfect -creating a caricature that she's a property of everyone else.

"I'm not perfect", she'll protest whenever she invoked mistakes. But it is true, she really is not perfect, she never was and she'll never be. In the eyes of others she may be but that's not her. What they see is just a shadow casted by her company and not the person who breathes the same air as them.

Jessica Jung is the perfect one but that person is gone. Right now, she's Jung Sooyeon who is brooding before the heaving ocean where her deceased parents first brought her when she was six and discovered her passion to sing, along with the waves that rippled as her rhythm and beat.

They never knew that. Hence, no one will find her here.

"Found you, Sooyeon"

Maybe except for that person.

A hand ruffled her hair and the tall, slim figure of a girl occupied the space next to her.

"Yoona"

Her name is what she could only pronounce when she realized there's actually one person in the entire universe who would know where she is.

Worn out for months, reached to her breaking point of frustration and weighed down by the overwhelmed provoking of others, and her very own sense of duty is how Yoona found Sooyeon.

Im Yoona is the closest thing that she and her sister has to a relative. She's a childhood friend but she's been more than just that for both of them. She's a family.s

Yoona is only twenty six but she already owns a big time conglomerate company which she inherited from her parents who passed away five years ago.

Only a few knew about the great chaebol bachelorette Im Yoona (that's really what the public calls her) being a long-time friend of Jessica Jung and vice versa. Just last year, Yoona and Sooyeon met each other for a Forbes Magazine photoshoot and they had to act like strangers (which was foolish because they know each other their whole lives, every breath and every fart) to avoid the highly possible media coverage. Heck, even the existence of Sooyeon's younger sister, Jung Soojung, was unknown to most especially after Yoona took over the guardian role for the little Jung when Sooyeon started becoming the most-talked about and in-demand rising artist a year after her debut when people became more adamant with their interest of her, including her personal life.

Both Yoona and Sooyeon wanted a peaceful and ordinary environment for their dongsaeng to grow up with since she's still on school to finish college.  They didn't want that random people would ask Soojung for her sister's autograph or take photos with the Jessica Jung's younger sister or Soojung's said friends would only befriend her because of her popular sister and all the other number of reasons.

That's also the side of the whole celebrity thing that Yoona is very allergic to. She thought there's too much negativity and annoyance that can be taken from it, precisely the taking of photos part. Yoona and her relationship with the media and press cameras and their perpetual shutters had always been malignant since she officially became one of Korea's and the world's youngest billionaires.

Even Yoona as the only daughter of her parents were kept secret for twenty one years and Yoona couldn't ask any better than that. It stirred the economy and nation when Yoona introduced herself as the successor of her parents. Suddenly, her and Sooyeon's high school enemies wanted to marry her which of course she diabolically and hysterically laughed at.

She runs a company at a young age, but a total kid at heart. Yoona is a seven year old boy whose ghost is trapped in a twenty six year old girl. She's something you wouldn't expect for a CEO who's meant to be prim and proper like how dramas portrayed them to be.

Yoona pulled pranks to her clients and even on board meetings, placing toy cockroaches on proposal folders. She had traps on her office and purposely calls the heads of departments, only to be tricked with a falling fake hand once they opened the door. The interns and newcomers were the funnier ones. Yoona and the rest of her people had to rehearse the Jung sisters’ signature attitude to scare them off for at least a week.

Despite the playfulness, Yoona did not falter in doing her responsibility. She loves her job. She likes to interact and mingle with her people. She wants them to be comfortable when she’s around instead of getting intimidated just because she's the owner. She does show her strict side and gets mad at certain situations when a work isn't done properly or if they slacken. She believes it deters their performance when they have too much fear towards her.

After stepping on her parents' shoes, the very first order she gave to her secretary was to find an architect who can plan her very own amusement park. It was number one on Yoona and Sooyeon's bucket list which they made when they were twelve and thirteen, respectively, after the playground near their residence was taken down by the government. But solely, Yoona wanted an amusement park so Sooyeon can have her fun at her own convenience where no one would bug her to sign pieces of paper or a paparazzi lurking at some corner and snapping photos.

Yoona disliked that kind of attention where you knew there are people creeping up from corners and from your behind. It is their job but it had become too disrespectful that people would be that desperate to step into a person's privacy just so to earn money. It's hard to picture how Sooyeon manages that throughout seven years but Yoona can imagine how it's affecting Jessica because she can see them.

Yoona knew how Sooyeon was caught under pressure and wrapped tightly around the fingers of those above her. Deep inside, it's hurting Yoona to see her living like that. Sooyeon would insist that she's happy, even though Yoona has long figured out how she had adapted the terms of having to lie almost every day regardless of whom she's lying too - the latter withstands to force herself to believe. She wished to stop her but she's in no position to tell her what to do thus resorting Yoona of crossing out the bucket list one by one in order to make her feel happy every now and then. From doing crazy antics like feeding the chimpanzee at the zoo and shoplifting in malls to buying an ice cream truck for street children around their neighborhood and renting the largest ice rink in Seoul.

Yoona thought it's not necessary for Sooyeon to know her real intentions behind those pretenses. She didn't have to know that Yoona would do anything for her.

"How's Soojung?" Sooyeon passively asked.

"Worried but I managed to bring her to sleep"

Sooyeon just nodded in contention.

"Everyone is looking for you" Yoona informed, her voice shaking from the cold and in anxiousness for she knew that it was the last thing Sooyeon would like to hear.

"Yeah right" Jessica grumbled.

"Yeah it is. Like, literally everyone" She persisted in astonishment and for a second there, she heard Sooyeon holding out a giggle. "Jessica Jung is missing in action headline is all over the news. It's like Korea is having a major crisis. It but the reaction is still surprising"

Sooyeon did not reply and Yoona did not bother the troubled girl to speak further.

"If you're hiding, this isn't an ideal place"

"They won't find me"

"I know that" Yoona seconded. "But it's cold. You might get sick"

"I'm already sick"

It edged Yoona, hearing the double meaning and distaste behind Jessica's word.

"Obviously, they're not sick of you" Yoona shrugged.

"Are you sick of me?" Sooyeon asked, finally catching the sight of the singer's misty eyes. Her irises pented so much sadness, pooling deep like a storm whirling beneath the dim light of the full moon shedding above them. Yoona found the question abrupt, even so she still answered.

"Sometimes when you're being irritable and spoiled"

"Are you tired of me then?"

"It depends on my mood but usually….no"

"Do you hate me?"

"Yes and no"

"What answer is that?"

"Yes, because you're still not quitting and no, because it's your choice"

"You hate that I'm doing this?"

Yoona hesitated.

She hesitated because she wanted to be selfish.

"Do you see yourself right now? The enthusiasm, the joy and the passion, it's all gone. The Jung Sooyeon I see is nothing but a masochist who tortures herself for doing something she probably does not love anymore"

Not once Yoona said a word to Sooyeon regarding the path she decided to take seven years ago to which the former had witnessed herself, watching her friend stepping on stage for the very first time with a microphone clutched tightly in her hand and stood with might to her crowd.

Sooyeon was happy until she isn't anymore. She was damned. If letting her know that would make her a selfish person, then Yoona was glad to have finally become one.

Yoona saw Sooyeon opening , about to say a word but even that failed her and instead, it was turned into a sigh. Her head sank heavily towards the tall girl's shoulder as though giving in to the freight of thoughts overpowering within her mind.

She didn’t have to take a second look to reassure her discernment over her friend.

There's a reluctant whimper until Jessica finally cried. Yoona felt cold in her skin, drops of tears flowing down the base of her neck and gradually dampened the sleeve of her sweater. Hushed sobbing elapsed to her ears while a hand was also tugging down the front hem of her sweater.

It's Yoona's favorite sweater. If it wasn't for the situation, she would've been mad and reasoned out that her sweater was not made to catch tears or to be stretched. She'd let it slip this time though.

Sooyeon just looked so tired, so lost, and so sick of being Jessica Jung - the perfect girl concealing her flawed self. Yoona had been wary of that ever since. The girl is too stubborn and Yoona was well-aware of that too. Only just now that Sooyeon decided to reveal this herself rather than continuing to hide behind her front like she always does.

Turning her head, Yoona’s lips unconsciously came in contact over the threads of Sooyeon's brown hair, almost brushing a kiss but not quite. Yoona slightly whiffed Sooyeon's floral scent that eventually hovered her, dawned by the realization of how much she longed for her.

"Sooyeon...." Her own name resonated so soft to her ears but pricked in her insides. Discreet as Yoona tried to be, her voice came betraying her will to yet another restriction to one of those impulses that naturally fleet between her and the brunette.

"Please. Stop it," Sooyeon paused and soon continued, her voice was still cracking due to her cry. "if you're trying to be platonic again....just....just don't"

Again.

Yoona was stiff as a rock. Her lashes fluttered in vitality of her shock and bafflement.

She knew.

Sooyeon is slow-witted but she's not stupid to not understand the affection of the younger girl has for her. Yoona was much too obvious for her sake. She goes full awkward mode when Sooyeon swings to one of her moods that involves intimacy - showering the kid with kisses on her face or snuggling on the couch while watching cartoons.

She thought it was cute to induce that kind of effect on someone, particularly on Yoona. Then came the day when Sooyeon stopped seeing it (her) that way because somehow, she was already returning those feelings unbeknownst to Yoona's knowledge.

Her warm breath ran up to Yoona's face, unveiling the proximity between their lips and signalled Yoona's senses in panic.

A set of slender fingers touched Yoona's feature, smoothing over her skin that blushed profusely the moment of contact and leaving her agape.

Yoona swatted Sooyeon's hand away and tried moving back to increase the distance but Sooyeon kept leaning forward, making the younger one terrified only by Sooyeon's straight face. She's even nowhere angry or scornful in that manner.

As Yoona's hand fumbled over the chapped edge of the rock, she grabbed hold of it to keep her balance and to brace herself. It's the least thing she could depend on now when obviously, Sooyeon got her cornered. Her lips pressed together in a crook and she squeezed her eyes close, promptly jerking her head away to whatever Sooyeon would do to her, if ever there is.

Noticing the prolonged waiting, she briskly opened her eyes only to catch Sooyeon who now retreated to her former position but she's staring at Yoona in amusement.

"Did you think I was gonna kiss you?" Sooyeon asked, her tone hinting a tease and the corner of her lips was close to a smirk.

"No" Yoona shook her head relentlessly and instantly sat up straight. She cleared and repeated, "No"

"You're so cute" She grinned and pinched Yoona's cheek to which the latter could only scrunch her nose at. Sooyeon was just simply entertained when she makes Yoona squirm under her presence as she hinted on leading her on.

The smile on Sooyeon's face suddenly turned solemn and she still held her gaze at Yoona with her brown eyes that snared in a pit of jadedness.

"Let's run away," She said, gaining the attention of the other. "let's go anywhere far from all of these - you, me and Soojung"

Yoona wasn't sure if Sooyeon was aware of what she just said or if she even heard what came from but her manner of speaking suggested no ridicule. However, Yoona eluded herself that the girl might only be kidding.

"Very funny" Yoona feigned a laughter that only dissipated when the expression on Sooyeon's face provided no humor. She hardened her jaw, feeling as if her tongue got cut short as her emotions were going uneasy. "Please tell me you're kidding" She spurred, eager to hear any reply but,

"No. I am not" She responded gravely and firm, vanishing every hope Yoona had.

"This is crap" Yoona blurted. She brought a hand to her forehead that dragged down her face, helpless to not speak of how Sooyeon sounded absurd and found the need to show rationality when the brunette was clearly not in her right mind.

"Run away? Really? Do you have any other.......dumber idea?"

"Dumb? That's what you think?" Sooyeon pursed her lip in contempt. "I just want to be with you and clearly, that's also what you want. You know that"

Yoona thought it was useless denying that. If there's one thing they share similar as they speak, it would be the fatigue to dire pretentions and dishonesty and portraying both roles of foolish human beings.

The secrecy of their respective feelings had went on for years where Yoona had been drifting malice away from their friendship while Sooyeon acted oblivious to all of it.

Yoona wanted the same. She wanted to be with Sooyeon more than how anyone else had imagined themselves to be. She wanted to grab her hand and just run as far as they could reach without having to care of the people or things that might hinder. But the grid of Yoona's concern could only cover the tip of the universal belief that two people who are in love should be together because, as dreading as it may sound, they can't be those people. Their world did not allow them to be.

"We can leave and not come back for....I don't know.....ten years, maybe" Sooyeon continued to prod. "We can stay in America where no one would definitely recognize me. You can do your job on your subsidiary there then we'll enrol Soojung in a new school, I'll take care of the two of you and we can all live like how we used to play house when we were kids"

Yoona wanted to laugh so hard from Sooyeon's very words, particularly the 'take care of the two of you' part when she didn’t even know how to cook noodles. It was worth the laugh but the hilarity of Sooyeon's pandering only caused frustration to superiorly overcome Yoona.

"Now you want us to play house? Is that how you thought life is, that you could just fiddle the strings to work things out your way just like what your career has done to you? I hate to break it to you, Sooyeon, but it's not. You might've been gone from the real world for seven years but not even once human life became like that no matter how everyone wished for to it to be that way"

"But you're asking me to quit"

"I didn't ask you to quit" Yoona clarified, surprised by herself that she managed to keep her voice moderate despite the fester of her rage. "I am your best friend but that doesn't give me any right to reprimand in your life even if I hate how miserable and hurt you are every time I look at you. But I know and you know there's only one person who can tell you if you still love to sing and go on or do the otherwise. But it's not me. It's never gonna be me. Yeah, I want you to quit. I really do. But do you?"

A lengthy silence manifested between them, elevating the naturally glacial atmosphere that expelled nothing to alleviate the heated dissonance.

Sooyeon lowered her head, unable to piece a proper response.

"You can't even answer my question but you're suggesting to run away and throw a large part of your life out of the window and at the same time, you'll hurt yourself more and a lot of people. So I'm gonna ask you again. Is that what you really want?"

There's still no answer.

Yoona sighed, grabbing Sooyeon's heels and taking her hand. "I'm driving you home"

Staring unwarily at the door of the conference room, Yoona was reclined to her seat, almost unmoving and paid no attention to the discussion regarding the monthly shares and received investments of the company and proposals from board members.

Yoona couldn't put her mind into listening to repetitive business talks of middle aged people when all her contemplation could absorb was where the heck Sooyeon could be right now.

She got up this morning and went to Sooyeon's room only to see no one but a neatly fixed bed. Sooyeon doesn't fix her bed and when she does, often she's up to something. It's like her own manner of taking in the guts she needed.

Even Soojung had no idea her sister just left without informing either of them. Sooyeon didn't say anything quite suspicious when they had a small chat before sleeping last night.

Yoona's phone suddenly rang, breaking her train of thoughts and disrupting the on-going meeting.

She scrambled in her seat and snatched her phone that lied on the table. "I'm sorry. I'm just gonna turn-" Yoona was supposed to reject the call after seeing the grumpy faces of the board but the caller ID said 'Soojung'.

"I really need to answer this call" She didn't need to ask permission, really. It's only out of respect. Regardless, she would still answer the call even if one objects for her not to.

Yoona pushed back her chair and went to the nearby corner and pressed the phone to her ear. "Soojung?" She sounded more worried in her whisper than she opted to be.

"Yoona unnie....Sooyeon unnie is...."

Sometimes you're just so fumed that you've bounded up a wall to explicitly distance yourself from what you dislike the most. Much similar to having a phobia where you endlessly avoid encountering what you fear above all. However, you ended up crushing that wall and dropping what was on your hand at the moment, overlooking the intimidation of what used to be a terror because you would do anything for someone in a pulse.

That's what Yoona was about to do.



It's terrifying.

Outrageous, perhaps.

Tables and chairs for broadcast companies, reporters and journalists were all set. Bazooka lenses, cameras, recorders, tablets and notebooks were also on standby. There's only one person left to complete the formula who was meant to sit behind a white cloth covered long table above the platform.

One glance from the half-opened front door of Hall would cause numerous gasping to how the whole population of the media could all turn up at a venue in just one call from Jessica Jung, voluntarily informing that she will hold a press conference.

Despite short notice, nothing can stop the avid and desperate people from getting what they want.

Articles spreaded one by one and Jessica Jung's name dominated the real-time trend list on portal sites, five minutes after she announced the said press conference. Millions of comments and inquiries flooded the articles of websites whether she'll be making a public apology for last night's disaster, inform the people where she was that evening and whom she's with, talk about the possible depression she's currently facing in the celebrity world and etc.

Controversies stirred up since her company had no knowledge prior Jessica's call nor involved in her urgent decision. The company were also being thrown with questions to why their artist would make such move following her disappearance which led to rumors that Jessica might be declaring to file a lawsuit.

But no one cares what the reason might be because anything that had to do with Jessica Jung, even the littlest thing of things, was always worth the attention that simultaneously equalled to a fortune.

A concerting hitch of hastening occurred among the people when Jessica Jung had finally stepped out of the room and making her way to the platform. She wore her hair down and cladded in a blue and white plaid shirt paired with dark pants and doll shoes that she stole from Yoona's closet. Still elegant and sophisticated albeit her casual clothes.

She stood at the center where her seat was located as rapid consecutive flash of cameras lustered to her entrance. She clenched her hands and tugged a placid smile, refusing to show the developed discomfort over the endless clicking of cameras. She bowed before taking her seat and receiving the microphone from a staff which was one of her few good friends from the company.

Much to her relief, the photographers had somehow toned down in taking photos the moment she settled. There's still flashing cameras but it's more tolerable.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Jung Sooyeon" She formally introduced herself and smiled from the novelty of using her real name that echoed through the thick walls.

"Before I get started, I'm just gonna clarify that my company had nothing to do with this nor I've received orders. This is according to my own will and I will take full responsibility to my actions throughout the duration of this"

She was about to smile after listening to herself speaking with so much righteousness that she had no idea where it could have come from. Nonetheless, she decided to keep a serious look.

"First of all, I would like to apologize for the scene I've caused that disappointed my fans. I'm really sorry. Last night," She paused, coherently piecing her thoughts together before continuing. "I...I tried running away" She said, flat out.

Numerous gasping was heard but Sooyeon proceeded.

"Truthfully, it had been difficult for me to do this career for the past few months. I'm not complaining to my company or intending to file a lawsuit whatsoever. Hardship is part of being in this industry and I've long expected that before I even signed a contract. I love performing and I thought that I could careless to shed my blood and sweat because I'm doing something that I'm passionate about. But later on, it just turned out too differently. It turned out to be a mere job that I'm not happy of. The fans who truly supported me are what kept me going because at least, I could bring joy and it makes me feel delighted and thankful in return even if I'm already fooling them"

Sooyeon fidgeted in her seat whilst fighting back the tears threatening to compose in her eyes. She can't cry. If she does, she highly doubt of finishing what she started. It took a lot from her to build the strength in bringing herself in front of everyone. She wouldn't dare any of that be wasted or else, she might not get any other chance for her to be heard - for Yoona to listen to her.

A girl came rushing to the entrance who halted to her feet as soon as she met Sooyeon's eyes. The latter watched her panting for breath from across the room as if for a second, time stopped ticking as she's still in shock to be seeing her right now.

"Yoona" She murmured.

Sooyeon knew that Yoona hated the media and all their flashing frenzy cameras that burn her eyes to which at any second now, they'll be rampaging her with.

A few people at the back whispered in unison as they've come to notice Im Yoona's presence. Yoona gestured that she should proceed. On the other hand, Sooyeon felt reluctant to go on instead of feeling encouraged now that Yoona was here. But this was what she wanted and she already went on to so much trouble to hold this press conference so she obeyed.

"When I stood on the stage last night, so many things just dawned on me like rain pouring down during a sunny weather. I asked myself if I should still go on because I realized how tired I was of lying in front of the people whose only fault is liking someone that doesn't exist and eventually became quite obsessive at some point. Ultimately, I'm tired of lying to myself. So I decided to just run away somewhere that none of you know of. I even planned of leaving Korea and go overseas where no one would know who I am and start anew"

Sooyeon muffled her laughter while looking at Yoona who was grinning at the back. As she said it again, it was a lot more hilarious than how it was meant to be earnest compared last night.

"But someone asked me if that's what I want, to just toss away what I've worked hard for and maybe even hurt people. Unfortunately, I couldn't answer. It's not because I don't want to do it. It just scared me when I realized that I would. I'd leave everything behind and hurt others for leaving them hanging just to be....." She trailed off, closing her eyes for a brief moment and letting out a deep breath. Once she opened them, it didn't look elsewhere and remained latched at Yoona. "To be with the people that I love the most"

To her surprise, it didn't cause any tremendous reaction. The media always exaggerate things, providing a meaning of their own far from what was being said despite the ambiguity. They could've made the simplest thought that Sooyeon only wanted to spend more time with her family that none of them even know other than expressing assumptions. Until....

"You're saying you're in love?" Shouted from the back, earning numerous gasps.

She smiled. "Not necessarily like that. There are people who had been around me ever since and right now, they matter more to me than anything else"

"Are you retiring then?" A reporter asked, causing the crowd of media and bystanders to stir due to adversity over the question.

"No," She responded in a whisk. "because that would be selfish and cowardly. I will finish what I started because in any angle of the story, I still owe my company for accepting me but that's it. I'm not doing this because I'm afraid of what they can do but I'm staying because of my fans. Wherever I am today is because of them. They are the ones who indeed gave me the chance and supported me until now though a bunch became stalkers. Even after I disappointed them, they're still here and those stalkers still had their tent posted up outside my building. And most importantly, I guess I still love to sing because I couldn't let it go even when it means that things will be harder than before"

It will be. Sooyeon was sure of it. She practically dug her own grave the moment she started talking and everyone would pry at the very worst way possible. She can worry about that later. What's important was that they now know the person behind Jessica Jung is just as human as they all are who just wanted to spend her personal hours to those she cares the most about.

"Just one last question," Someone rushed when Sooyeon already stood up as the staff concluded the press conference to avoid impending inquiries. "Who were you with last night?"

She just walked down the steps and a few guards were holding off the people trying to get closer to Sooyeon as she wedged her way between.

"Im Yoona is here!"

The cameras frantically diverted to an anxious Yoona who was standing a few feet from the entrance. She's frozen from the overwhelming receive and squinted her eyes from the stinging number of flashes against her eyes.

Have I gone crazy to get myself into this for Sooyeon? Yoona thought and she already knew the answer.

She then saw Sooyeon emerging from the crowd and instantly held her hand out for Sooyeon to reach. They smiled at each other once their hands were entwined. Yoona leaned in briefly, completely aware that they were out in the open surrounded by eyes and lenses but she wouldn't miss it for the world to tell Sooyeon how stupid she is.

"You know, you could've used the back door to free us from commotion"

"I know. I was just answering the guy's question"

And they ran without letting go.

a/n: So this one-shot is lying like a dead man on my Ipad notes for a month. I didn't know what to do about the story. I was stuck around quarter half but I managed to finish everything. Oh well, enjoy :) p.s I have another one-shot coming and the prompt is based from a recent really short dream of mine which had Jessica on it. Also, most of you know about my fanfic, Tabula Rasa and I'm just wondering if there's anyone of you who wants to be my beta-reader? I think I'm getting lost in the story lol just message me