Part Ten

Yoona burst into Jessica’s house at seven-thirty on a lazy Saturday morning. Quick feet explored the house for Jessica’s presence, and swift arms opened the door to the bedroom.

Jessica was snugly in bed with an arm sticking out of the blankets, blissfully in sleepland.

Yoona suppressed her excitement and urge to scream Jessica awake, instead opting to shake the sleeping girl’s arm and coo, “Unnie~”

However, the only response Yoona got was some mumbles and movement under the blanket. Jessica didn’t even crack open an eye, but now she was face to face with Yoona who was squatting by her bedside.

Yoona was suddenly struck with an epiphany.

Jessica was breathtakingly beautiful.

Yoona tilted her head and drank in the view. The long lashes, porcelain skin. The doll like features. Like a scenic painting, the early morning sunlight sprayed over slumbering Jessica’s back. The gentle rise and dip of her body with every breath she took was sensuous in motion; Yoona found herself enthralled by the sight.

The easily spoken praises and aegyo filled words of ‘pretty unnie’ were never taken seriously, but suddenly, the weight of it all seemed beyond comprehension. Like a prophecy or a spell, those words were physically before her now.

“Unnie,” Yoona dismissed all the unusual revelations and poked Jessica’s arm to wake her up again.

Jessica shifted uncomfortably but with no hint of actually rousing.  

“Unnie,” increasing  her volume,  Yoona shook Jessica’s arm until her eyes fluttered open lazily.

“…Mmm? Yoongie?”

“Umm, morning, unnie,” Yoona began tentatively. There were clashes of dissonance in her brain that she couldn’t really spell out.

“Wha- It’s so early,” Jessica frowned, burying herself deeper into the blankets, “I didn’t give you the keys to wake me up at seven in the morning.”

“It’s seven forty-two to be exact.”

Jessica groaned and turned her back to Yoona, determined to wander back into enticing slumberland again. She could still feel its welcoming essence cling to her brain.

“We’ve to go for the volleyball competition, unnie.”

“It’s too early!

“The first half of the competition starts before noon!”

“Go for the second half then!”

“I’m gonna tell Tiffany unnie…”

Jessica shot up, hair disheveled, and threw a mild glare at Yoona. A cheeky smile answered her.

“Fine, don’t go tattling to that horrible friend of mine,” Jessica walked toward the bathroom, sleep-laden steps heavy on the floor, “She’s the devil incarnate.”

“What did she do, actually?”

“Stupid, childish, annoying threats.”

Silence filled the air while Jessica brushed her teeth. Yoona leaned languidly on the wall, right beside the bathroom door until Jessica finally stepped out.

“She threatened to give my phone number, minus two numbers, to this greasy dude,” dragging Yoona by her hand, Jessica walked towards the kitchen with irritated steps, “and release a recording of me singing. Breakfast?”

Yoona was too bent over from laughter to give a proper reply.

***

Sighing heavily, Jessica took her eyes off the road for a second to glance at Yoona. The excitement painted on the girl’s face was becoming clearer with each passing kilometer on the road. Jessica was almost certain that Yoona would burst like a vigorously shaken can of coke sooner or later.

“Don’t bounce on your seat, Yoongie,” Jessica sighed again, “It’s distracting.”

“Sorry, unnie! But isn’t it exciting!”

“Not really, I only caught like three hours of sleep.”

“Unnie, I told you so many times before-”

“Stop my crazy studying in the middle of the night,” a wispy laugh escaped Jessica’s lips, “I forgot about this ty volleyball thing. Wouldn’t have done that if I remembered.”

“Mummy’s gonna be pissed with you for studying too much.”

“She’s already pissed with you for studying too little.”

Yoona made a noncommittal throaty gurgle, pouty lips and all, but no attempts at rebuttal were made. High school changed something. Yoona could tell with those concerned looks her mother threw over and those endless discussions she had with Jessica.

“She’s just an overly worried lady,” Yoona finally grumbled in defense, “I’m smart enough to swim my way through.”

“You’ve been saying that for ten years, I’m not sure your genius brain will be enough to save you this time.”

The topic was closed with a huge sigh from Yoona. Academic performance was something she didn’t like to discuss, Jessica knew that much. She trusted Yoona to make the correct decision, even though her instinct was to just take her hand and guide her through life.

Yoona’s all grown up, Jessica had to constantly remind herself, she’s no longer that six year old girl.

“Why didn’t you just get some high school friends with you for this?” Jessica smoothly changed the topic, “I’m sure they would be more effective in cheering.”

“It’s unnie weekend,” Yoona stated simply, gaze fixed on the moving backdrop, “I prefer to hang out with you and your friends anyway.”

Jessica grinned. It was always nice to hear of Yoona’s attachment, although she did wonder why a little. Yoona used to flitter through people and this level of attachment, to Jessica’s friends even, seemed a little out of the norm.

“It’s great being the youngest.”

“We shower you with love,” Jessica tried to quell those worries, maybe Yoona simply liked the fact that she could be a carefree kid before them.

“Yep!” Yoona chirped, “Oh! We’re near! I can see the sea!”

“Now all we have to do is to find your crush, little miss volleyball,” Jessica rolled her eyes.

***

By the time Jessica parked the car and the two made their way to the competition location, they found out that the last much for the first half of the tournament was already midway through. Yuri’s team was done with all their pre-noon matches.

Yoona ran up to Yuri, and the flurry of conversation that followed led Jessica to notice that there was a shift in their interactions. The shy high school girl Yoona was gone and replaced by pretty much the normal playful personality, but the admiration was still present, clearly shining through her eyes and smile. Jessica still couldn’t tell what was so fascinating about Yuri though.

“UNNIE!” Yoona shouted at the top of her lungs, wildly beckoning Jessica over.

Rejecting with a shake of her head, Jessica  gave a polite  smile. Knowing Yuri was enough for her, she didn’t need to be introduced to a bunch of young girls. Besides, she was sure the team wouldn’t be all over her and showering her with affection like what they were doing to Yoona. That girl was definitely an unnie magnet.

But it was not to be, Jessica should have predicted, as Yoona jogged over and forcibly pulled her to the group.

“Jessica unnie!” Yoona pointed and beamed, “But just call her Jessica, she doesn’t like being respected!”

Jessica froze and braced herself for questions as she noticed a few curious expressions in the group. The America Jessica topic was dropped ever since she mixed with Tiffany and Sunny, but it was probably coming up again.

“I call her Jessica too,” Yuri said loudly before the rest could respond,  “Although my pronunciation really .”

The whole group roared with laughter as Yuri repeatedly fumbled over the name, and Jessica found herself laughing along a little. The curious looks were wiped out and everyone decided to acknowledge that form of address.

“That’s good enough,” shaking her hand at Yuri’s nth attempt at pronouncing it without an accent, Jessica smiled, “Stop before you bite your tongue.”

“Thanks, Jessica. I thought I’d have to practice throughout lunch!”

“Yul, your English is terrible.”

“As usual,” Yuri grinned and the casual tone came as a surprise to Jessica, “Food time! Let’s go pick up the free lunch!”

“Help us find a good spot for lunch, Yoona,” One of the girls patted Yoona on the back, “Go, Mission number one!”

“Roger!” Yoona did a salute, and took Jessica’s hand, “I’ve got this huge mat my mom gave me.”