*Krystal POV*

I awoke feeling like I'd just taken the world's longest nap. I was still a little groggy and a bit languid from last night though. I guess all that crying must have done this to me. Never in my life had I cried as intensely as last night. 

But I felt better this morning, as if a bit of my anxieties had been lifted off and taken away somewhere far off.

Also, it was really warm. 

I scooted closer to Jessica and let her warmth wash over me. 

My sister!? I thought with alamr, but I was too exhausted to have any reaction. I don't think I even had the strength to try and escape. Are you crazy? I thought, why are you trying to escape? And how can I if I can't even see where I'm going?

I sighed. Old habits are definitely hard to break. Of course there was no need to run away. Jessica had come back for me. Jessica wanted me to stay here. Jessica had let me cry on her shoulder last night instead of brushing me off like in the past.

Last night's events replayed in my mind, and I suddenly remembered how close we were together since we'd separated--her arms around me and her comforting kisses. It was so surreal.

Then I remembered when she told me she loved me. I was still doubtful towards her especially after everything Victoria and Sulli had said, but her tone had been sincere. There was no malice under her voice. I had actually been surprised and my heart was literally pounding out of my chest. That's why I couldn't answer. I was embarassed and I didn't even know what to say. I had heard her sigh...like a defeated kind of sigh. It made me feel terrible just added to all those locked feelings inside of me. 

And then they all tried cascading out last night. 

But I couldn't ignore that I was feeling something else. Something I'd never felt before in the 16 lucky years of life I'd lived. I had never been attracted or interested in anyone. I mean, guys were ok and some were kind of cute, but I didn't really like them. All they cared about was . And the girls I knew were just not my type. So I found no interest in relationships, and I never thought I'd be in a relationship ever. I liked being single. I was free.

Since I went to that program thing, I'd had a bit more time to think...and more time to think about my unnie, like...how pretty she was when I saw her through the peekhole in my door and how I liked being in her arms, and feeling her kisses.

Oh snap! Am I...am I crushing? I thought with alarm. No, it's just a stage. It has to be. I'm just going through a stage...

Yes. That had to be it.

The memory of Sulli kissing me resurfaced in my mind and I tried to push it out again. I tried not letting it bother me like what TIffany did to me, but it had scared me when she pinned me down. I really felt helpless then. Although she wasn't feeling up on me, Sulli had purposefully immobilized me under her so that I couldn't do anything. I bit her too but not enough to make her bleed cuz she pulled right off.

--(Flashback)--

I heard her laugh. "Wow, Krys, you're really feisty aren't you?" It sounded mocking. "Amber never told me about that!" She caressed my cheek and I shivered at her intrusive touch. "Your lips are enjoyable to kiss. Much better than the last roommate."

I was too shocked and scared to do anything. Why does everyone keep trying to take advantage of me?! My heart was beating uncontrollably, but my whole body was like lead.

"W-why? Why would you do this?" I stammered breathlessly.

"Ever heard of love at first sight?" she purred and started to lip at my neck. 

I pushed her face off from my neck and felt like a wild animal ready to punch her.

There was a knocking at the door and Sulli's weight disappeared. "Good morning!" Taeyeon cried cheerily as always.

Sulli replied brightly and I tried to calm myself down before Taeyeon got suspicious.

--(Flashback end)--

If Jessica ever found out about Sulli pulling a "Tiffany" on me, she might get even more hysterical than when I revealed the truth to her about Tiffany's kiss. I didn't want her to freak out again...or have to worry that this might happen again elsewhere. What if she thought I was trying to be a 'player'?--which definitely was not true. I would never do that ever.

I started to bite my index finger nervously as those thoughts crossed my mind. 

I was shaken out of my dark memory when I felt Jessica take my finger out from between my teeth with one hand. 

"Soojung?" she said sleepily. "Are you awake?"

I gulped nervously. I was still feeling embarassed about crying in front of her so I did the worst thing you could ever do to anyone who was trying to show some care.

I turned away from her.

Bad call, me. I mentally beat myself up.

"Soojung." I heard her sit up. "If you think I'm upset about last night, I'm not."

I didn't reply. How much more awkward could this get? Why can't I just talk?! This was even worse. I even told myself last night to let go. Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid, I kept telling myself. Things have changed.

Or did it?

"Soojung, why were you crying last night?" she asked me. She sounded desperately worried--or was she just trying? "Did I do something to you? Did I hurt you?"

No. No. Stop. Stop being negative! I rubbed my eyes which felt swollen from all the crying. I must look terrible. 

"Please talk to me," she begged. She sounded really desperate this time.

A small part of my heart cracked because I was causing her distress now. I was debating whether or not to talk, or to do something else...but what else could I do?

"I'm sorry, Soojung," she said sadly. "I don't know why you cried last night, but I feel like it has something to do with me."

It must have been some sort of trigger because I immediately twisted to turn and face the blank space I heard her voice coming from. "W-wait! It's not!" I cried out my voice cracking a little bit. I blushed with embarassment. "It...It was just...I--" I was a spluttering mess. The problem was I cried for so many things I didn't even know which one came first. "It was nothing..." I ended up mumbling.

The best lie ever.

The only thing is that she was right. Well, kind of. It wasn't just her I was crying about, but everything else before and after and in between.

So pretty much everything in my entire life. 

But as I thought about all those things I was crying about, I felt more tears wanting to come out and I needed to stop before I cried the morning away!!

I'm such a crybaby...

I hid my face in my hands and flopped back down onto the bed, hiding my face in the covers.

Dammit...not again...

"Ah, jinja!" I heard my sister trying to sound playful to cheer me up. "We have a problem don't we?" She rubbed my head soothingly. "What are we going to do with you?" 

I wished there was manual button to turn off my the tears.

I just wanted to crawl under a rock and cry, and hide forever. 

---------------------------

*Jessica POV*

Krystal seemed bummed out all morning. She tried to hide it, but I could tell there were a lot of things on her mind.

She got up to get changed and freshen up for the day, but she seemed tired. She barely ate anything this morning, and I managed to get her to drink juice. Maybe she was sick? But her temperature was regular.

Maybe she didn't get a lot of rest at that program, I concluded. At least she feels comfortable enough to sleep here. I watched her dozing beside me on the sofa, and I smiled sadly at her before I went back to reading. But I couldn't focus. I was worried about her. There were a lot of things that I didn't know about, and she needed to let those feelings out. She was so upset last night. It took everything I had not to cry with her. 

I had never seen her cry so much before. She was always calm and collected, and not so very expressive.

So she had to be crying for something that was a huge deal to her. I began to ponder what it could be. Was it because I burnt the letter? It couldn't be. She didn't seem too upset about it, just a little grumpy that I was coward enough to have the guts to burn it. Or maybe it was because father left, and I made it clear I didn't want her before...

There was no way I could know for sure until she told me, which probably wouldn't be happening anytime soon...unless I forced her to tell me. That didn't seem like a good plan, but there had to be a way to find out.

One thing I knew for sure was we needed to talk. About lots of things.

"Soojung, unnie loves you. Why don't you believe me?" I murmured half to myself and to her. "I don't want to see you in so much pain like this." My heart felt heavy with sadness.

DING-DONG! I sighed and wiped my watery eyes. I gently moved Krystal off of me so I could go see who was at the door.

I opened the door and was startled when Amber tackled me in a sobbing hug. "You're alive! Thank god!"

I pushed her off. "Will you keep quiet?" I hissed at her crossly. "She's sleeping!"

"No she's not," Amber smirked at me cheekily. "Hey, Krys. How's it going?"

I turned around and saw that she was sitting up and rubbing her face. She turned her sightless eyes in our direction and offered a smile. "Hey, Amber."

As Amber hopped over to go see her friend, I turned to close the door and saw Fany standing there. She stared back at me as I looked her up and down skeptically. "What are you doing here?" I said in a hushed voice.

"We just wanted to see how you were," Tiffany replied. "Can I come in?"

I shrugged. "No one's stopping you." I let her close the door for us, and we headed over to where the two younger girls were sitting together on the couch. 

"I'm so sorry, Krys! They didn't do anything did they?" Amber cried. "I forgot how crazy they can get to newcomers sometimes!"

Krystal smiled at her needless distress. "No, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Amber asked doubtfully. "I mean, they can be really assertive about things."

"Unnie came to pick me up," Krystal said simply.

Amber sighed in relief. "Oh good. I'm glad."

"Actually, they were trying to force her to stay," I interrupted. "They didn't want her to leave."

"DAMMIT! I knew it!" Amber wailed. "Why didn't you say so, Krystal?" She sobered up. "By the way, Tiffany is here too."

"Really?" she said with surprise.

"Hey, Krystal," Tiffany said. 

"Yeah, but back to this!" Amber cried before Krystal could return the greeting. "They didn't say anything to offend you did they? How can you act like nothing happened?"

Krystal looked thoughtful. "Well...Victoria hit my sister."

Amber gawked at her in disblief. "No ing way!" Amber jumped up at me and bent down on her two knees. "I'm so sorry! Forgive me! I didn't know she was so brutal!"

"Amber, just calm down. You've been forgiven, " I poked her head sharply. "Now stop crying. It's not your fault. And Krystal told them off for me."

"Wooooow!" Amber's eyes glowed with pride at my sister. "Good job! No one else would ever have done that!" She grinned at me cheekily. "So...did you guys go on berserker mode?"

"We didn't have to," Krystal replied. "They didn't do anything else. They can't. Not while they had witnesses there. They were going to make up some lie, but Taeyeon-unnie was there to back us up." Her sightless eyes suddenly brightened and she grinned mischievously. "Tifffany-unnie, she wants to take you out."

"R-really?" Tiffany stammered.

I was slightly confused. How can Krystal still joke around with the girl who had tried to take advantage of her? Plus, I was a little disconcerted that she was more happy with them than with me.

Amber smiled at all of us and started to head away. "Well, I wish I could stay more, but I gotta lecture 'em real good about bothering my friends. I just wanted to see how you guys were though. See ya!" She left us and closed the door on her way out.

Although Amber's enthusiasm was slightly annoying, I kind of wish she hadn't left. She knew how to brighten the atmosphere up, and at least lighten up Krystal's depressed mood.

Now it was silent and tension filled the air. 

"H-how was your trip in California?" Tiffany asked nervously.

"It was ok, I guess," I replied. But it wasn't of course.

"O-oh. Uh that's good, I guess."

I went to sit down beside my sister on the couch, and I pointed to Tiffany to sit on one of the chairs adjacent to us.

"What do you want here, Fany?" I asked a little too harshly.

---------------------------------

*Narrator POV*

Krystal sensed hostile energy emanating from her sister. I guess she's still mad about what Tiffany did, she thought to herself.

It was very quiet. Amber's energy could have been useful at this moment. It seemed that Tiffany was here for a different reason, and not just to accompany Amber, who had left in a jiffy.

Jessica seemed to figure that out too. 

"Look, Jess...Krystal, I'm here to apologize," Tiffany said cautiously. "About what I did to you, Krystal. I pretty much just crushed the trust between us, and I shouldn't have acted that way."

"And?" Jessica prompted her.

"And I'm sorry, Jess, for almost taking advantage of your younger sister," Tiffany finished. "you guys trusted me, and I blew it." She paused and swallowed. "Please forgive me. I was being stupid, and I already told Krystal here that she's just another little sister to me."

Jessica narrowed her eyes at her. "Why did you do it?"

Tiffany gulped. She glanced at Krystal quickly, trying to find words to excuse herself without causing anymore damaged than she'd already done. Krystal seemed to sense her desperation and she scooched closer to Jessica to get her attention. However, Jessica pressed the back of her fingers against the younger girl's lips to silence her, intent on getting the whole truth out of Tiffany.

"You didn't just take advantage of her, Fany!" Jessica growled scarily. "You took advantage of me too. I asked you to watch her for me and then you go and put your lips where they don't belong!"

"Jess! I'm sorry! I really am! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" Tiffany cried. "I got carried away and I didn't stop to think things through!"

Jessica glared at her friend. She opend to say a scathing remark but Krystal beat her to the chase.

"Unnie, it's not a big deal," Krystal pleaded. 

Tiffany saw Jessica turn to her sister in surprise. But Tiffany knew that it was a big deal. Krystal was just trying to save Tiffany's . "Soojung--"

"It's ok, Tiffany-unnie!" Krystal said reassuringly. "Go run away with Taeyeon-unnie." She was just anxious with all the tension between the two older girls. She didn't want to get caught in the middle of a needless fight.

"Th-thanks, Krys," Tiffany said thankfully. She looked at Jess, who was looking really puzzled. 

Tiffany stood up. "Well, I'll see you then." She gave Jessica a level look. "I'm really sorry, Jess. I promise you that I know it was my fault and I have no romantic interest in her."

Jessica didn't reply and Tiffany left. You better not, she growled inwardly. But she was confused as to why Krystal was just letting Tiffany off so easily like that. If she were Krystal, she probably wouldn't want to speak to her friend for a long time. 

"Soojung, what were you doing?" Jessica asked Krystal incredulously and slightly annoyed.

The younger cowered a little bit at Jessica's tone. "Unnie, Tiffany already said sorry. I think she doesn't need to be ground like that."

"Huh?"

"She's your best friend. She wasn't trying to hurt anybody. She just made a big fat mistake." Actually a huge one, Krystal involuntarily shuddered as she remembered Tiffany's hands feeling up on her. Guess the fear still hadn't gone away.

"But...but Soojung, you were scared...how can you act so indifferent now?" Jessica protested.

Krystal sat back on the sofa. "I...I'm just not one to hold grudges," she said quietly. "Tiffany-unnie meant it from her heart, or she wouldn't have come to apologize. She could have called you but she came to see you. You should keep on being her friend, Unnie."

Jessica was at a loss. "Jung Soojung," she said in a daze. She looked into Krystal's sightless dark eyes. "Why are you so good to people?" 

Krystal had closed her eyes during the time it took for Jessica to say that. She was still a bit tired. She vowed never to cry like that again. It was too draining. But she was shaken awake when she felt her head being pressed into Jessica's shoulder, and being pulled down onto the sofa with her.

The younger girl was startled and she protested as she was locked in Jessica's arms. Eventually she gave up and the two of them lay there on the sofa in silence.

Krystal felt Jessica's fingernails lightly scrape her neckflesh as she toyed with the pendant on the necklace. "You're still wearing it."

Krystal's heart beat quickly at the close contact with her sister. They were very close. She was sure they were close enough for her to press her lips against Jessica's. She could feel her sister's body warmth against her, and it was really comfortable regardless of her persistent wariness around Jessica.

Without thinking, Krystal gripped the hand that was holding the pendant with her own shaky hand, and pressed Jessica's warm hand against her cheek. Jessica rubbed her temple soothingly with her thumb before pressing a lingering kiss to her forehead. Then the older girl tilted her chin up to press another warm kiss to Krystal's cheek. She pulled away and pressed her forehead against Krystal's. The dream of kissing Krystal's lips replayed in her mind and she wanted it to come true. She remembered Krystal's silky dark hair, her soft lips, just holding her in her arms and being the one Krystal could look to for love...

Both girls, unknowing to the other, wanted the same thing.

Memories of Tiffany and Sulli kissing her flashed through her mind, and she immediately tensed up. Adrenaline poured down her veins as her skin prickled. Just as Jessica's lips barely touched hers, she pushed away falling and hitting her head hard against the edge of the table.

It hurt so bad! She curled up and clutched her head in her hands where it throbbed with pain.

Jessica looked at her in alarm and she swallowed nervously. Oh no...did I just...? She watched her writhe on the floor in pain. What was I doing? she scolded herself, don't do what Fany did!

However, she was fighting internal feelings clashing in her heart. She wanted her sister in ways no one could ever understand, yet she had to put a line on it. It was wrong. She couldn't love Krystal like that. But she wanted to. So much...

Krystal sat up, hiding her face with her dark hair and rubbing her sore spot on her head. What the heck just happened? 

W-was unnie trying to kiss me? she thought. Part of her was nervous and timid, while the other was excited.

Perhaps if Krystal had waited longer she could have felt what a real kiss was like--or at least a kiss from someone she wanted it from. I must be cuckoo, she thought, there's no way she would want to love me like that! Not even if we weren't related!

-----

good morning. I just finished my paper. I also had an exam. ;A; it's 5AM. what time is it where you are? 

I accidentally took too long a break this afternoon after coming home from school because I so tired and then I had other things and now here we are!! :) I actually had this chapter written already but I just decided to update now instead of later today because...why not?  :D

Will update either this weekend or next. Prepare your heart. I will try to make you cry...lol probably won't happen (the crying part...I don't cry a lot  :/ )

this is one of the sunsets last month from the staircase way up high on the roof (i think it was the week before July 4)

sorry it's not as long as others. hope this update was ok. (i say the same thing every time...)

byebye

and take care.