“Y—Yuri-yah?”

“Yes, it’s me.”

The tanned girl smiled widely while on the other hand, Jessica was hanging confused, moved in incomprehensible movement, between closed and open, wanting to utter something but couldn’t formed the words yet.

“Ehm, Sica?” Yuri lifted her eyebrows after not getting any response from the brunette girl.

“W-w-what are you doing here?”

“Err…to give you this.” Yuri lifted up the bag on her hand as she grinned sheepishly. “Happy birthday, Sica-yah!” The grin had turned into a sincere smile.

Jessica blinked, still not understand what was happening. It was a lot to digest for her right now. Was it really Yuri in front of her right now? After four years? Finally she appeared in front of her door and saying happy birthday to her. Was it real?

“Sica?” Yuri flicked her fingers in front of Jessica.

“Ah…yeah. What are you saying?”

“I’m saying happy birthday to you, Sica,” she tsk-ed. “You’re really getting older now. You can’t even focus. I feel sorry for you,” Yuri faked a sad face.

“Yah!” Jessica slapped Yuri’s shoulder lightly. “I’m not that old.”

Yuri laughed. “Anyway, this is your birthday present.”

Jessica snorted before curving her lips into a smile and took her gift. “Thank you, Yuri-yah.”

Yuri smiled back and none of them said a single word for the next couple seconds. Only silence and awkward gesture surrounded.

“Omo, I’m such a terrible host. Come in, come in,” the older girl finally broke the silence after realizing they’d been standing there the whole time -not forget to slap her own forehead in process. “Come on.” She opened the door wider and pulled Yuri inside.

Yuri only chuckled at the brunette girl before following her inside. They took a seat next to each other. On the same couch where they usually sat.

“Emm, is there something in my face?” The tanned girl innocently asked. She must have noticed Jessica’s look on her. The latter had been staring all the time and fidgeted in her place, but said nothing. It made Yuri grew curious and awkward at the same time.

“Ah, no. No no. Nothing. Your face is clean,” Jessica answered in a rush.

“So?” She raised one of her eyebrow.

“What?”

“You’ve been staring at my face since I arrived.”

The brunette girl looked surprise. “No, I’m not staring.”

Yuri raised her eyebrows again.

“I…I’m not,” she sighed. “Yeah, well. I…I…” she sighed again and looked down at her own hands, fidgeting her slender fingers.

Yuri waited.

“Is…” Jessica lifted up her face to look at Yuri’s brown eyes. “Is it really you, Yuri-yah?”

Yuri nodded. “It’s me, Sica. Yuri.”

“I’m not dreaming, right?”

The taller girl’s mouth curved a bit. “No, Sica. It’s real. Here,” she took one of Sica’s hand and put it on her own cheek. “It’s me.”

“Y-Yuri-yah…”

Yuri locked her gaze with the brunette and for a split second Jessica’s cheeks turned pink before she quickly retracted her hand from Yuri’s cheek.

“So it’s really you,” Jessica said with a low voice, her head looked down.

Yuri looked carefully at the brunette. “Yes, Sica. I’m sorry for surprising you like this. I thought you’ll be happy to see me again.”

“Of course I’m happy. Don’t get it wrong, Yuri. It’s just…” she paused. “You know, after all these years, you’re finally back. And I… I don’t know…” she sniffed. “I don’t know what to feel.”

“Hey, why are you crying?” Yuri touched Jessica’s shoulder gently as she moved closer to her.

“I…just,” the brunette looked down even more. “I…I don’t know,” her sniff was louder this time.

Yuri pulled the shorter girl into her embrace. “It’s okay, Sica. It’s okay. Don’t cry.” She Jessica’s back gently up and down, but it only made the latter broke into tears. Jessica tried to speak between her sob, but it made her cry harder instead.

“Ssshh. Ssshh. It’s okay, Sica,” she whispered softly. “It’s okay.” Yuri continued Jessica’s back until the latter’s sobs slowed down. Yuri let her go when Jessica moved to pull herself from the hug.

“Hey, Sica. What’s wrong? You can tell me everything.” She looked at Jessica with apparent worry on her face.

“It’s…It’s…I…I’m sorry, Yuri-yah.”

“Hey,” Yuri lifted Jessica’s face by her chin so she could look at the brunette’s face. “Don’t say sorry. You do nothing wrong, Sica.”

“Still..I…” she started to sob again.

Yuri immediately hugged Jessica again. “Ssshhh. Ssshhh. Why are you crying again, Sica?”

“I don’t know,” she said between her sob. “It’s just…I…I”

Yuri waited while hugging her tighter.

“I really miss you, Yuri-yah. I…I…miss you.” She buried herself in Yuri’s chest and let the taller girl caressed her hair in soothing motion.

“I miss you too, Sica. A lot,” whispered Yuri softly. “But I’m already here, right?”

Jessica looked up. “Yeah.”

“Don’t cry anymore, okay? Crying doesn’t suit your icy image,” Yuri joked as she flashed her dork grin.

It made Jessica’s mouth curved in reflex. She pushed Yuri away afterwards and wiped away her tears.

“Nah, that’s better.” Yuri helped to fix Jessica’s hair before smiling again.

Jessica smiled at the little gesture.

“Smiling suits you better, Sica. So no crying again, okay?”

The brunette nodded. “As long as there is no more of my best friend comes up in front of my door at night after leaving for four years.”

“It’s supposed to be a surprise, you know.”

“Not really a nice surprise.”

“But you’re happy, right?”

A merong and a chuckle.

“So how’s your life here?” Yuri started the conversation again.

Jessica shrugged. “Nothing much changes. It’s just getting busier day by day.”

“Oh, what are you doing now?”

“I’m preparing for my drama now.”

“Really? Wow! That’s great!” Yuri clapped enthusiastically. “So, a lead role?”

“Yeah, finally my dream comes true,” Jessica unknowingly smiled.

 “WAW!! You’re amazing, Sica!”

“Thanks.” She blushed a bit.

“And how are the others doing now?”

The conversation went smoothly. They mostly talked about each other’s lives to catch up about each other and also about Jessica telling about the other girls to Yuri. As times went by they finally found their rhythm in conversation again and could talk like they’d always been, like the six years of minimum contact was never existed at all.

“Can you imagine that? Really, her eyes were not on her food at all.”

“Seriously?! Is this a sign of doomsday? An Im Yoona never abandon her food.”

Jessica let out a laugh. “I know right. Nothing has been able to separate her from food.”

“So this girl, what’s her name again?”

“Seohyun.”

“Ah yes, Seohyun. She is a keeper, huh?”

“I think so. They look cute together by the way.”

“Really? I hope I can see her soon.”

“You should, Yuri-yah. She is a nice girl too.”

“I will nag Yoona nonstop about this,” Yuri let out a mischievous laughter which only made Jessica chuckle.

“You and your prankster soul.”

“Old habit never dies, you know.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” She rolled her eyes again before chuckling again.

“So,” Yuri shifted in her seat so she could look at Jessica clearer. “How about you?”

“Me?”

Yuri nodded. “Yes. How about your,” a brief pause, “boyfriend?”

“Huh?” Jessica furrowed her brows.

“Sukjin. Are you still with him?”

“Oh, Sukjin. No.” She shook her head. “We broke up a long time ago. It’s only last for months though. I think we are just not match in real life.” She laughed it off.

“Oh…okay.” Jessica noticed a change in Yuri’s expression. It somehow became brighter. Then something clicked her mind.

“Wait.” Jessica furrowed her eyebrows and stared at Yuri.

“Emm…Why are you looking at me like that?” Yuri was feeling a bit insecure under Jessica’s deep stare.

“How can you remember it?”

“Eh?”

“How can you remember about me and Sukjin. It was all in the past. Even 4 years ago.” Jessica looked closer at Yuri and her gaze got even sharper.

“Er…That…”

“What is it, Yuri-yah?”

“Actually,” she paused, scratched her unitchy head and bit her lips. “My condition is getting better these past years.” She looked at Jessica worriedly, dreading to see her reaction.

“But how? I thought you couldn’t…”

“Yeah, I know. It’s a miracle I think. It’s because of my brain plasticity.”

“Is that what I am thinking?”

“It’s the ability to re-map its neural ability which allow me the opportunity to function near-normal again. So yeah, I can remember now.”

Jessica gasped. Her sharp stare before immediately gone, replaced by a bright expression. “Omo, Yuri-yah!” She quickly hugged the taller girl. “I’m really happy to hear that!”

“You are not angry at me?” Yuri asked hesitantly between their hug. “I didn’t tell you about this earlier.”

Jessica released the hug and looked at Yuri. “Why should I be angry at you? Although it would be nice to know it in advance, but nonetheless it’s a very good news, Yuri-yah. I never imagine myself to hear it in my entire life. Really, I’m happy for you, Yuri-yah.” Jessica pulled Yuri into another hug. “I’m so happy,” she tightened her hug.

Yuri smiled hearing it and circled her arms around Jessica, hugging the brunette back.

The hug brought back so many feelings to Jessica. Every emotions that had been buried deep inside her heart was surging out, demanding to be felt again. It felt like she was taken back to her high school time. Same person. Same feeling. Same moment.

It’d been years since Jessica could feel an intense warm feeling inside, spreading to every parts of her, which coupled by the fluttery feeling in her stomach. And her heart was clearly beating faster than its normal pace.

Oh my. This feeling. I miss it.

She could forever spend time being like that, because it didn’t only make her experience that butterfly in her stomach sensation, but also brought a sense of being protected and loved.

”Maybe you don’t remember it, Yuri-yah, but we used to embrace each other like this,” she chuckled. “You don’t know how much I missed it, and,” another chuckle. “I really loved it.”

Yuri loosened her hug and released herself.

“Us? Like this?” as