Part Thirteen

"You know… I think we need some excitement." 

Tiffany was only a voice muffled by crunching chips that seemed to emanate from the large couch; her hand then made a hovering appearance to offer the bag of snacks to Jessica.

"I believe, this very very rated movie is grossly exciting enough for me."

Jessica coughed and turned away from a particularly graphic scene - chains, whips, a little blood - to roll her eyes at Tiffany. However, all she got was an extremely suggestive eye-smile and 'ooh' in response. Tiffany was sometimes too wild to control and having come back after packing Yoona's messy table, Jessica found steamy scenes on display.

"Where the heck is Sunny? You used Sunny as an excuse to barge in, forcibly inserted the disc-"

"Ah hah! Inserted~!" Tiffany wriggled her brows cheekily. 

"Right," Jessica landed a sharp kick on Tiffany's dangling leg, “I don't need a fest in my living room. You'd better leave before Yoongie gets back. Or else..." 

“Yes, little Yoongie’s unnie,” Tiffany mocked as she picked up the TV remote to increase the volume of the movie which resulted in louder moans, “Sunny has this real- OW!" 

Jessica slapped Tiffany's hand off the remote and grabbed it, only to toy with the red power button.

"Okay, fine! You win! As I was saying, before you painfully interrupted me, Sunny-" 

Her sentence was cut off once again by the ringing of the doorbell; Tiffany reacted immediately, shooting up from her lazy position and running to the door.

"Fany!" 

Throwing an arm over Tiffany, Sunny pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. 

"How's that crazy thing going?" 

Tiffany only giggled as a response to that playful whisper by her ear. 

"Okay. Double trouble, what exactly do you two want to discuss?!" Jessica groaned with a over the top bed scene playing in the background, and fired the duo a questioning look. 

"We should plan a housewarming party! It's been months since you moved in! Exams are over! Let's party!" 

Sunny burst out in a mischievous jiggle, grabbing Tiffany's hand naturally to have her join in.

Jessica stared, dumbfounded. 

Was that all?!

"Where does this horrendous movie on my TV screen come in then?!"

"We could have hardcore as the theme for the party~" 

"NO, TIFF." 

"Actually," Sunny was fighting hard to contain her laughter, "we downloaded that to prank you. Just wanted to see you squirm~"

Snarling in fury, Jessica launched a projectile cushion toward the sickeningly giggling couple. Of course, the cushion veered off its intended course to target and make contact with one of Yoona's trophy that Jessica proudly displayed. 

She shrieked.

Sunny’s quick hands saved the wobbling trophy. 

"You have horrible aim Jessi." 

"Lee Soonkyu, I'm letting this go because you saved the trophy." 

"Why did you even move those over?" Tiffany plopped back on to the couch with Sunny settling comfortably on her lap. 

"Trophies don't make a place more like home, Jessi~"

"You," Jessica ignored Sunny in favor of pointing a suspicious finger at her likewise offending head instead, "Tell me this is a wig. I can't accept straight black hair and bangs on you. It's too unusual." 

"Not sure if that’s an insult… It's a wig, I was just feeling a tad bit innocent today," Sunny laughed, leaning back further until her face pressed into Tiffany’s.

"Innocent," Jessica threw a dirty look at her TV, "Sure thing." 

***

"I suppose I ought to ask where's Jessica right?" Sunny began warily, " but I'm not gonna bother because-"

"We both know she isn't gonna help out anyway."

Dramatic sighs and grim nods later, they trod into the supermart on the look out for supplies.

“It was your suggestion,” Tiffany channeled Jessica’s mannerisms, “Settle this yourself. Do not involve me.”

“Soooo like Jessi,” Sunny rolled her eyes, “Why is she doing this to us? She’s the only one out of us three who can actually cook!”

“Although she honestly looks like she’d blow up the kitchen.”

“Appearances lie,” Sunny nodded philosophically with a somber tone while flicking her still black hair behind.

Tiffany snickered and laced her fingers with Sunny’s in preparation for the scouring of needed supplies. A task that crumbled within in the five minutes into chaos as Tiffany made it her life-long goal to grab anything that held even slight resemblance to pink.

“These will come in handy!” Tiffany held up a three pack strawberry milk in each hand, beaming brightly, “It’s a new brand, it’s on promotion, and most importantly-”

“It’s entirely pink and completely useless for a housewarming party.”

Sunny plucked the items out of Tiffany’s hands and placed them back. However, Tiffany was not deterred. That pink cow logo was just beckoning to her. She would never find another pink cow!

“Variety, Sunny! That’s important!”

“Not MILK!”

“FINE,” Tiffany huffed, reluctantly putting back one of the packs, “Just one?”

“GOSH. OKAY JUST ONE. PUT IT IN, LET’S GET GOING.”

Tiffany’s immediate cooing and embrace had Sunny mumbling about Yoona temporarily taking over Tiffany’s body.

“I heard that! That’s why I get along best with her~”

“You’re second, Jessica’s first.”

“Nope, I’m first. Jessica’s special,” Tiffany preened before she gasped and rushed toward the horrendously pink-washed snacks section.

“SUNNY!”

“WHAT?!”

Heads turned disapprovingly at their unceremonious shouts, but Sunny couldn’t give a about them. She wanted to get the shopping over and done with. This stupid housewarming party was doomed from the start; she should have known that Jessica wouldn’t want to participate in it.

“LOOK!”

Sunny was that close to imploding before she noticed what Tiffany was holding. It was a very and disgustingly pink box, but it was also one that held significant sentimental value for them.

“Pink strawberry pocky. Freakin’ imported from Japan,” Sunny grinned, repeating what Tiffany had said months and months ago, “So damn classy.”

“I don’t like strawberry flavored stuff,” Tiffany quipped, her usual low register pulled into a squeaky high pitch, “and you ing ate half of my last box. .”

“You offered.”

“Because you looked sad.”

Sunny’s soft gaze connected with Tiffany’s, and her heart ached, hollow, when she saw understanding and acceptance in those eyes.  That was the limit to them. Sunny could never understand what else she could or should give to this. What would come out of this? What was this even?

There was never a black and white, yes or no, right or wrong.

“Okay, I’ll buy a dozen box for you as compensation.”

“One will do,” Tiffany smiled way too warmly and the sting in Sunny's eyes compelled her to tilt her head away, “You still remember that night.”

“Yeah, a mad woman with her box of pink biscuits.”

***

Tiffany had decided, in the spur of the moment, and possibly due to too much pseudo fang-flashing by a creepy dorm mate, to explore the other buildings. It was a mini adventure and ideally, she'd drag her newly acquired college bestie along, but said girl had adamantly rejected dorm life. The slightly enigmatic Jessica who, Tiffany had somehow figured out but never really asked, hailed from America just like her. Tiffany liked how enigmatic Jessica was. A challenge, she was.

Hopping over to where most of the law students resided, Tiffany wondered how the law kids lived. Maybe they bickered all the time because they were quarrelsome creatures. 

"Are you ing kidding me?!" 

Well, that escalated quickly, Tiffany looked on, amused, behind some poor excuses for decoration shrubbery. It started as a random thought, but now, a fight was happening right before her.

"I wasn't leading you on," the girl with blue hair calmly stated. 

The color caught Tiffany’s eyes, and that was all she needed to stay cemented to her spot, eavesdropping on a scene in which a slap, an insult, or maybe some spitting seemed inevitable.

The other girl looked livid.  

"You shouldn't have kissed me then, if you don't know what you want," the girl snarled with a clenched fist. 

It was a sudden urge, just a split second really, but she wanted to drag the blue haired girl away. She looked lost and sad, despite of her tough, almost unfeeling, tone.

"Sorry, I thought both of us could handle it." 

" you, Sunny." 

The punch never came, the other person marched off, expletives shot out even as the night smothered her presence. 

Blue haired Sunny stood still for seconds, frozen in the night, before she crouched down and buried her head between her knees. Something about her screamed at Tiffany. Like she needed love, because she was lost in this vast world. 

And before she knew it, Tiffany's motherly instincts had kicked in and her feet were taking ginger steps toward the girl.

I should've aimed to be a psychologist, not a neurologist. 

"Hey?" 

Blue haired girl looked up, eyes red but tears nowhere to be found.

"Pink strawberry pocky?" Tiffany held out the box to the girl, before adding on helpfully, "It's imported from Japan." 

The girl blinked, wide eyed, undoubtedly observing Tiffany and looking for signs of whether she was some psychopath who used pink snacks to bait her victims. 

"I don't like strawberry flavored stuff." 

The girl finally broke her silence, but with that said, she stuck a hand into the box and pulled out a pocky. Tiffany raised an eyebrow. 

"But it's only polite, since you offered," she continued and took a bite. 

"You're welcome?" A half amused smile found its way on to Tiffany's face, as Sunny got up, pocky dangling from her lips. 

"Never seen you around before." 

"Me neither." 

"Well," Sunny motioned to leave, "I don't know what you heard but..."

Tiffany watched as Sunny trailed off, her brows knitted and the flash of helplessness caught Tiffany's eyes. Those blasted instincts activated again and she wanted to entrap the shorter girl in a hug and not let her be all alone in this cold night. 

"I'm bored, I'll share my precious pocky with you. Accompany me, please?"

Tiffany swore she saw a ghost of a smile on Sunny, but a blink later, it was gone and replaced by a neutral expressio