Prologue

"But Pa..." the young woman whined to her father through the phone in a voice reserved just for him.

"Yuri, I already told you, no. No more playing around. You're an adult now and it's time you start taking responsibility and learn about the family business," the owner of K-Won corporations and casinos said sternly to his only daughter, almost giving in to her pleas yet again. 

Determined to continue living her care free life, Yuri gave her final shot at freedom. "Paaaaaaaaa-ahhhh-ahhhh-AH!" Not only was her whine longer and sadder but the final syllabel also hinted her anger with her father.

Yuri always did this since she was a baby whenever she wanted things done her way. All she had to do was say "Pa" in her sweet and pouty voice and he would cave, spoiling her once more. But not this time.

"Yuri, appa already gave you a lot of time and a whole lot of freedom. When you were young, I let you play with the boys and bb guns like your brother. When you got older, I didn't care about your partying, boyfriends, girlfriends, or any of that stuff as long as you weren't doing anything bad."

The old man picked up the picture frame sitting on his massive oak desk. He ran his thumb over the smiling woman in the family portrait, as if to gather courage from his deceased wife to discipline their daughter.

"You've seen America, Africa, Jamaica --heck, you've even seen Antarctica! What other 'ica's' have you not seen? What else is there left for you to experience?" He sensed another wave of whines coming. "No more excuses. You're 22 now and you're coming back tomorrow to help your brother, Taewoo, at one of our casinos in Korea. I've already assigned you jobs and a supervisor." He quickly hung up before his daughter could say another word to change his mind --afterall, Yuri's one word was always his weak spot.

"Pa!" Yuri called after her father. Finding it unusual that he's not responding, she says more inquisitively this time. "Pa?"

Yuri looked at her cell phone to find that the call has ended. She flopped back onto her grand white bed at one of the K-Won hotels in Las Vegas. Her room was not a typical one, customized over the months of her stay to suit Yuri's style of decor and comfort. It was high up near the penthouse suites on the 21st floor. Although the size was only presidential, it had the same magnificent view of the busy world below.

Turning to her bedside table, Yuri reached for her snow globe that she brought with her everywhere. She shook it twice and watched with saddened eyes as the soft white flakes slowly fell down, landing on the miniature christmas trees, the lamp post, the small bench, and in the center of it all, the kissing couple in love.

"Pa, not true. I haven't experienced everything..." Yuri said to herself aloud as she continued to watch the miniature scene with envy.

---

Chapter 1 -Bet

After landing in Korea, Yuri went straight to go see her father so she could beg him in person to reconsider calling her back. Add the puppy eyes to the sweet voice and there was no way her father could resist --or so she thought. 

Her father was pretty adamant about Yuri managing the K-Won businesses this time. He even called his only son in as backup in case he falls for Yuri's pleas again. However, even Taewoo had a soft spot for Yuri who was 8 years younger, which led to their current negotiation during this uncommon family get together at the office located in the heart of downtown Korea.

"Oppa..." Yuri whined in an octave higher than usual to which her brother sighed, betrayed by his love for his baby sister.

"Yuri, just listen to Pa and come help out. Pa's getting old and so are you. So now it's time to assume your role as a Kwon and start learning how to do business," Yuri's brother tried to reason with her.

Yuri pouted her lips even more, like a child not wanting to return home from a day of fun at the playground. The two men opposite of Yuri exchanged looks with each other, guilt arising in both of them. 

Sensing that his father is weakening to Yuri's cries, Taewoo snaps his fingers together. "Oi!" he says to his father, bringing him out of Yuri's trance.

His dad does the same to Taewoo and the two Kwon men shake their heads to rid themselves of their waning hearts. 

"How about this, you work at the casino here in Korea for one month and we'll give you a month of vacation. Then you come back." Taewoo proposed.

Yuri thought about what Taewoo said, including the part about their dad getting old. He wasn't as strong as he used to be, usually picking her up in his arms for a hug after not having seen each other for a long time. When she saw the two of them today, it was only her brother that lifted her up off her feet while hugging her.

She looked at the aged man before her and as spoiled as she is by her family, Yuri still has a conscience. The least she could do for now is to agree temporarily so her Pa can be happy.

However, Yuri needed to guarantee her freedom. "If I'm able to stay for one month, then I won't ever have to come back." 

The possibility of his daughter never returning to the business and spending most of her time away from him was not an option. The last time he saw her was during Christmas and even that was almost a year ago.

Showing his dissatisfaction with her terms, the older Kwon shook his head. He too was acting like a young child, frowning at his daughter. "2 weeks, 1 month vacation. Then you come back for another 2 weeks and get the next month off. So on and so forth."

"1 week and if my supervisor says that I'm doing an exceptional job, then I don't have to come back unless I want to." 

Quickly, Yuri was turning the negotiations into a bet, something that her father had not expected. He was afterall a man of business where negotiations were his expertise since all the terms could be determined, respected, and results predicted. Betting, on the other hand, involved too many unknowns. And that is why although he owns casinos in many countries, he never plays. He only studies the statistics to bring in profits and would use his other businesses in the Kwon portfolio to mitigate any risks.

He looked over at Taewoo. Where the father fell short, the son made up for it. Betting was something Taewoo used to do all the time with his kid sister. They knew each other's weaknesses.

All hope wasn't lost. Taewoo smiled. "1 week, your supervisor has to agree that your performance is exceptional, AND..." This was his twist to the game, turning the bet into a sibling challenge. "...nobody could know that you're Kwon Min's daughter, otherwise you're staying forever."

Yuri narrowed her eyes at her older brother. Despite the age gap, he knew her all too well. Taewoo knew that she wouldn't be able to back down from a challenge. It was the more playful side of her, along with pride, that couldn't resist the temptation of winning.

"Deal." 

Chapter 2 -First Cold Day

Yuri arrived at the K-Won Casino shortly after getting settled in her new suite on the 28th floor of the connecting grand hotel. It had a view of the busy streets in Seoul, the colorful marketing schemes of businesses, cars rushing to their destinations, and the flood of tiny people heading to work. Today, Yuri will be one of them.

It might still be early, but that didn't mean that the casino was empty or that Yuri would start off slow. In fact, behind these money sucking walls, there was no such thing as day or night, weekend or working day. There was always people there feeding their addictions or simply passing time until something more important came up.

Taewoo had instructed his sister to wait for her supervisor at the customer service counter where she will begin her training. Where better to learn about how the business works and how to keep customers returning than at the customer service department, he told her.

It was her first time in this casino, but it didn't take Yuri long to find the service counter amid the rowdy gaming tables where an exciting game of craps and baccarat was taking place.

Yuri saw a young girl behind the counter, watching the other workers at their computer stations servicing patrons of all sorts. She was dressed differently from those standing in front of the computer screens, more fashionable unlike those in the simple K-Won black and white uniform, meaning this short young woman had more influence than others. 

Going to the far side of the counter, away from the demanding and complaining patrons, Yuri called the young woman over.

"Yes? How may I help you?" she asked Yuri with a bright smile.

"Hi!" Yuri greeted enthusiastically. "My name is Kwon Yuri and I'm the new employee."

"Oh, hi! I'm Tiffany, one of the casino hosts here. Mr. Taewoo told me that you'll be coming today. Come on over." Tiffany pointed at a door on the side. "I'll open the door for you."

After swiping her card on the security device, Tiffany opened the door to welcome Yuri. She gave a brief explanation of their roles at the service desk and the unlimited capabilities that they had, such as giving complimentary hotel rooms, shows, and meals.

"Stay here," Tiffany said. "I'm going to get your supervisor who's also a casino host." She turned to another short girl who acted like she was busy, but from Yuri's view behind the counter, she was actually playing a video game. "Sunny, quit playing. Jessica won't be happy if she finds out." Sunny switched programs to hide her game and a dull black window popped up with nothing but numbers and words. "This is your new colleague, Kwon Yuri," Tiffany introduced.

With a spurt of energy, the even shorter girl waved her hand at Yuri, smiling at her with small eyes. "Hi, Kwon Yuri! I'm Sunny Bunny, yo!" She ended with a peace sign.

Yuri was impressed by how happy and lively her co-workers are at such an hour. "Hi! Nice to meet you, Sunny."

Tiffany slapped Sunny's hand to stop her from waving at the amused Yuri who is chuckling to herself at Sunny's cuteness. "Sunny, since you're so free, you could go get her a new uniform." Tiffany turned to Yuri. "I'm going to get your supervisor. We'll be right back."

Yuri watched Sunny practically hop away while dragging Tiffany to the door. When the two of them disappeared, Yuri turned to the only other girl at the counter. Yuri waited for her to finish with a customer before introducing herself.

"Hi there! I'm Kwon Yuri. Nice to meet you!"

The other girl bowed. "I'm Seohyun. Nice to meet you," she said shyly.

Yuri was about to engage in a conversation with Seohyun before a couple dressed in Bermuda shorts and straw hats with luaus hanging around their necks approached Seohyun. 

Such contrasting outfits for the December weather here in Seoul... Must be some out-of-towners, Yuri thought to herself.

"Miss, we are extremely disappointed in your service!" The man immediately yelled.

"We travel halfway across the world every year just to come here and you give us a small room with a view of roofs?" The man's wife joined in on the yelling.

"We could've easily gone to Macau and spend our money there!"

"Yeah, and we have a lot of money!"

"We expect a free upgrade to one of your suites!"

"Yeah, and free spas too!"

Seohyun looked at them with teary eyes as they each took turns yelling at her. It was also her first time working at service instead of the security department upstairs, away from aggressive people like the oddly dressed couple. And without Tiffany or Sunny there to help her, she had no idea how to react.

Seeing the couple bully her colleague, Yuri stepped next to Seohyun who was too scared to say anything.

"Sir, ma'am, this is a very simple matter, so let's all take a deep breath and you'll be very happy with what I have to say next." Seohyun was the only one that took a deep breath. "We at K-Won apologize for the inconvenience. For that, we will give you a free upgrade to a suite with a much nicer view, and," Yuri turned to the wife, "free spa treatments for the length of your stay."

Everybody was smiling at the end of Yuri's speech. The couple were happy with their free comps, Seohyun was relieved that the confrontation was over, and Yuri was beaming at her first accomplishment.

"She did not mean that." A cold voice said from behind, instantly killing the content mood and wiping the smiles off everybody's face. 

Chapter 3 -Power Trip

Yuri turned around to see who was opposing her like that and instead of a warm smile that she's been receiving all morning, Yuri's gaze was met with cold burning eyes that looked like they were ready to kill her.

The austere business suit that this girl donned matched her expression --cold and unyielding. Although strikingly pretty, Yuri was not the least bit impressed by the authority that this light haired girl exuded.

"I'm sorry, but this girl is new and does not know what she's saying." Her words not only shocked the couple but Yuri as well. "Your room could be upgraded for one night and we'll give you one free spa treatment. If you would like to continue enjoying these luxuries, they would have be at your own expense."

The couple were flabbergasted and at a lost for words with their much more difficult opponent. "But... But... She said--" they were interrupted by the icy voice who was upset by these two bullying Seohyun earlier.

"What she said is insignificant. She is a new employee who doesn't know anything and can easily be intimidated by empty threats and I am the casino host here."

Insignificant? Doesn't know anything? Easily intimidated? Those were the words that caused Yuri's face to turn red like the demanding couple, but unlike them, it wasn't from shame --it was from anger.

Feeling insulted, Yuri showed this casino host just how unintimidated she is. "I already told them that everything will be free during their stay."

"Yeah," the couple chimed but looked nervous when the host shot them an icy glare.

"And I just told them otherwise."

Yuri held onto the shorter girl's cold stare, sparring with her eyes. Yuri was the first to pull away though and turned to the confused couple. "Sir, I will personally arrange the details of your stay." Yuri was determined to win. She nudged Seohyun. "How do I work this machine?" she whispered.

"No, you will not." The cold and angry voice stopped everybody from moving.

"I already told these nice folks here that I will be comping them for their stay." Yuri grinned. "We at K-Won should honor our words."

With more confidence, the couple affirmed. "Yeah!"

Yuri felt triumphant as the casino host, who was firm on her stand before, didn't say anything back. Instead, she elbowed Yuri out of the way and began to punch angrily at the computer keys while entering the couple's information. Once the couple were satisfied and on their way to their new presidential suite, she spun around on her heels.

"You," she pointed her finger at Yuri, crooking the index, "come with me." Passing Sunny who was holding onto the uniform in it's see-through package, she snatched it out of Sunny's hands. Meanwhile, Yuri was still frozen in her spot. "I said come! N.O.W. NOW!" the less friendly casino host ordered like a sergeant.

----

Chapter 4 -Troublesome Freedom 

Yuri found herself standing in a nice glass office with a view of the busy casino and its patrons moving about below. Behind a simple modern glass desk, that looked like it was purchased from Ikea, was a white wall hiding the private work of this office's owner. The only source of natural light came from the giant window on the side of the room. Aside from the basic office equipment in a four wall room, documents were scattered across the desk and a coffee machine was sitting in the corner next to two bouquets of flowers.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" The light-haired girl screamed with a fierce expression from behind the desk while slamming her hands onto its surface, causing a picture frame to topple over.

For the first time in a very long while, Yuri actually felt fear running through her body -like when she was being punished by her elementary teachers for the pranks that she pulled. But she couldn't let this small girl get to her. She is after all Kwon Min's daughter. The name feared and adored by all. 

Yuri matched the girl's actions, angrily placing both her hands on the desk too, locking eyes with the cold brown ones inches away from her while leaning forward. "I am Kwon Yuri, Kwon Min's--" Remembering the bet with her brother, Yuri caught herself from revealing her identity. She didn't want to be trapped working for the rest of her life. "--new employee," Yuri finished with less attitude.

"Well, Kwon Yuri, I'm Jessica Jung. Mr. Kwon's assistant in Korea and the casino host here," the light-haired casino host said without backing away. "I am also your supervisor."

Yuri's eyes widened at the fact. Oh crap! I'm in trouble now. Yuri's expression softened into a dorky yet apologetic look. Yuri silently walked across the room to pour her new boss a cup of coffee.

"Do you know what you just did, Miss Kwon?" Jessica took a sip of Yuri's peace offering.

"Made some out of town visitors really happy?" Yuri replied with a smile.

Jessica rolled her eyes. "Tsch... Out of town visitors?" she scoffed at Yuri's amateur experience with liars. "They came in a car, with a license plate from Korea. I watched them park in the lot and then try to take advantage of the casino."

"But, they threatened to go to Macau and Tiffany said we could give complimentaries to our patrons so that they're happy and will come back to our casino next time..."

"Could, Yuri. We could comp them, not have to." Jessica narrowed her eyes. "And if they had the money to go to Macau, they wouldn't be driving a 1998 Kia. You've just been conned Kwon Yuri. You also made the casino lose--" she tapped away on the calculator sitting on the desk, "--$15,872.52 for the week that they're here. You better hope that they gamble and lose."

Yuri gulped at her costly mistake. "Sorry..."

Jessica threw the packaged uniform at Yuri, hitting her right on the chest. "Go get changed and I'll show you what your duties are." Jessica shook her head and muttered silently. "Idiot."

Yuri heard the insult and refrained herself from talking back. Nobody has ever really stood up to her, yelled at her, much less insult her right in front of her face. Not even family. But what could she do. Jessica, her supervisor, was the key to her freedom and happiness. 

--------

Jessica took another sip of the coffee that the new girl made for her, wondering how her boss could hire such an impulsive and inexperienced person. 

As usual, Jessica entered her office 15 minutes earlier than her scheduled working time this morning. Although it was difficult for her to get out of bed in the mornings, Jessica's determination to be the best employee, and the salary that came with it, always motivated her to abandon the king size bed with white down blankets for her prim black business suit. 

Arriving 15 minutes earlier gave Jessica enough time to prepare her coffee and check her e-mail flooded with requisitions, high-rollers' profiles, last minute notices, and marketing plans. It was no wonder that her coffee contains more espresso than the ones outside of this room. It was also for this reason that she has her own coffee machine. 

However, as she scanned through the new emails in her Microsoft Outlook inbox, it wasn't the list of subject headings with the word 'urgent' marked in bold that caught her eye. Rather, it was a name that caught her attention. Kwon Tae Woo.

In his brief e-mail to her and 'cc' to Tiffany, he informed them that a new employee will be arriving. And although he was the one that did the hiring, he expects no favoritism towards this girl. Jessica would be her immediate supervisor and daily reports are to be submitted to him by the end of the day with a final evaluation addressed to Mr. Kwon Min. Aside from that, there were no other explanations as to why he personally hired her.

Jessica looked out her glass door at Yuri who was mingling loudly with her new colleagues. "Mr. Tae Woo could've at least warned me about how troublesome this girl is going to be..." 

Chapter 5 -The Office

"Is she always that rude?"

"Well... What some would perceive rude, others would see it as her doing her job," Tiffany defended for her best friend. "Yuri, we can't always give free perks for every player that waltzes in here."

"No, I understand that now after Jessica just lectured me." Yuri shifted her gaze over to the glass doors above them. "But there's no need to be stand-offish. I mean, Tiffany, you're not like that, casino hosts aren't supposed to be like that!" 

"Jess is the one that takes care of the more difficult clients. Actually, she's the only one who can handle them. And she somehow manages to get them to keep coming back to our casino, spending more than their last visit." Tiffany flashed Yuri a smile as she proudly boasted about her good friend.

A woman entered the room and stood behind a computer, logging on to it. "Tsch! You guys are talking about that Ice Princess?"

"Hi! I'm Kwon Yuri!" Yuri greeted.

"Stella," she said matter-of-factly. "Anyways, her nickname around here is Ice Princess --because she's as cold as ice and bossy like as if she owns this place." 

Tiffany shot Stella a menacing glare, something that Yuri did not know even existed within this bubbly girl.

"If you had stuck around Jess for a bit longer, you would know she's nothing like that."

Stella seemed indifferent to what her supervisor just said. "Plus, she's nothing but a gold digger."

"Yah!" This time, it was Sunny that got upset by Stella's description of Jessica.

Sunny was ready to attack the much taller girl, but Seohyun who was standing next to her held her from advancing. Sunny didn't need to be held back for long because Jessica's sudden presence at the counter stopped everybody from moving.

Expressionless, Jessica handed Stella a white envelope. "Your second warning letter for being late." Her tone displayed authority. "I do not like having to pull people out of their posts to cover your tardiness. If I have to do it again, I guarantee you won't even see a third warning letter."

The once talkative Stella was immediately quiet, unhappily taking the envelope from Jessica.

"Seohyun." Jessica's stern voice just now softened when speaking to the young girl. "You could go back to security. This will be the last time that we'll be asking you to replace anybody," she shot Stella a less friendly look, "right?"

Stella understood Jessica's implication and that she was serious about her threat. She didn't like being embarrassed like this, but this is Jessica that she's talking to, not Tiffany. "Right," Stella replied bitterly.

After thanking Jessica for relieving her of this job, Seohyun went back to playing with the high tech security softwares, leaving her unnies in the tensed atmosphere.

"Tiff," Jessica called out. "You take care of the others today. I'm going to spend my day training the new girl."

After witnessing Jessica's way of disciplining her staff and if anything Stella said was true, then Yuri was not looking forward to working with this girl everyday. And getting that exceptional review might not be so easy after all.

However, Yuri couldn't help but feel that there was a reason for Jessica's attitude just now. Yuri eyed her new supervisor as she escorted Seohyun upstairs to the security department in a caring way. Could it be that Jessica was mad at Stella for being late, thus causing Seohyun to get yelled at this morning? And I wonder what Stella meant by Jessica being a gold digger... 

-----

Three hours has passed since Yuri started training in service and already she was feeling the stress. She was always the one receiving the service as opposed to giving it. Never did she know how difficult and impossible some people can be, always threatening with their money. 

"Kwon Yuri!"

Of course, it doesn't help either when the supervisor from Hell keeps screaming your name for everybody in the casino to hear.

Yuri's mouth twitches into a forced smile, something that she's been doing all morning to the point where her facial muscles are tense.

"Kwon Yuri!" Jessica screams out again as she's approaching the service counter in quick marches.

Yuri smiles sweetly. "Yes?" Yes, that's my name, now stop telling the world that.

Jessica throws a sheet of paper onto the counter for Yuri to see, while poking at it continuously with her index finger. As Yuri watched her, she honestly thought Jessica's slender finger might break from impact with the hard surface.

"I didn't teach you how to override system commands so you could book two clients in the same hotel room!" Jessica throws her arms up in the air. "Geez! I can't even leave you for a few minutes!" 

Yuri picks up the paper to verify. Smith, J. Room 1608. Dec. 13.

Smith, K. Room 1608. Dec.13.

Crap. She had forgotten to ask Tiffany how to go back into the system to unconfirm and delete a booking while Jessica was in her office. Smith, J. and Smith, K were in fact the same person. Yuri was just a bit too eager to serve her first customer that she only noticed the typo after she pressed enter --and after Smith pointed it out to her. At the time, the only useful function that she learned was override.

"I... I could explain." Yuri's words did nothing to subside Jessica's anger. Luckily for her, a man dressed in a posh business suit approached the counter to pick up complimentary tickets to a concert that he reserved a week ago.

Jessica noticed the man and called Tiffany over to serve him. Leaning close to Yuri, her tone was less gentle as she hissed, "My office. Now. You know the way."

Of course Yuri knew the way. Since morning, she's been called to The Office 6 time already to avoid a scene in front of patrons.

Jessica took her place behind her glass desk. She reached for the manila folder that's in the corner of the desk, opening it to reveal several other documents.

"Kwon Yuri, what am I going to do with you?" Jessica shuffles through the papers. "Is it even humanly possible to make this many mistakes?"

"Look, I could totally explain the Smith one. I typed his name wrong but I had already confirmed the booking. He insisted that I correct it in case the hotel doesn't allow him to check-in."

Jessica sits back into her chair, rubbing her temple to make the headache disappear. If only she could do the same to the incompetent girl in front of her. "I wish I could pull a Donald Trump right now," Jessica murmurs to herself. "You're fired," she mouths while doing the Trump hand gesture.

Meanwhile, Yuri couldn't quite make out the mumbled words and interpreted the gesture as a sign for her to leave. She started walking to the door, desperate to get away from Jessica's lecture, when Jessica's head snapped up.

"Kwon Yuri, where do you think you're going?!" Jessica exclaimed.

"Umm... you did this to dismiss me." Yuri imitated Jessica's snappy hand movement. 

"Argh! Kwon Yuri, you don't get to leave until I say you do." Jessica checked her watch. "Thank goodness there's only an hour left for today. Get back to work and we'll resume the training tomorrow." 

Yuri resumed her position behind the computer, working as diligently as possible. "There's only an hour left. I can't screw up..."

After completing a request, Stella scooted over to Yuri with a mischievous grin.

"So what happened up there this time?" Stella asked, her head pointing to Jessica's office.

Yuri sighed. "Just some more scolding by the she-devil."

"Haha, Yuwree! I haven't seen Jess this alive in years!" Tiffany approached the two girls that were talking about her best friend.

"Fany, if this is her version of alive, then I would rather see the dead side of her," Yuri told the mushroom head with all seriousness. "I mean, it's my first day! Give me a break for goodness sake!"

"Told you she's an ice princess," Stella interjected, "it wouldn't matter if it was your first day or your last. That woman has no heart."

The three girls were so concentrated on their conversation of Jessica that they did not notice their boss standing at the counter, waiting to speak with his sister. Taewoo cleared his throat loudly, causing them to whip their heads in the direction of the noise.

Being the other two's superior, Tiffany was embarrassed that she had not noticed her boss and had instead acted so unprofessional, gossiping like as if she was in some vegetable market.

Tiffany quickly greeted the tall man. "Mr. Taewoo, can I help you with something?" she asked politely.

"I wanted to pick up the files on our latest sharks. Could you get them for me please?" 

"But I usually just send them to your office. There's really no need to trouble yourself..."

"No, no trouble," Taewoo reassured. "I wanted to get some fresh air at the same time."

While Tiffany went to prepare the requested files, Taewoo inconspicuously walked over to the corner where Yuri was standing. Picking up a brochure of the casino, he pretended to look at it.

"So? How's my baby sister's first day?"

Yuri played with the pamphlets on the display case, pretending to organize them. "Oppa, I demand a change in supervisors!" Yuri hissed angrily yet quietly so not to draw anybody's suspicion. 

Taewoo grinned. "Isn't Jessica great?"

Yuri narrowed her eyes, catching onto her brother's malicious plan. "You knew that she's psychotic! That's why you arranged for her to be my supervisor so I wouldn't get a good review. You knew she was going to give me a hard time!"

"Now, now... Jessica's not that bad." Taewoo chuckled knowing very well how cold Jessica can be at times. He might be Jessica's boss, but even he wasn't spared when the Ice Princess was in a foul mood. "There's a reason why Pa kept promoting her over the years; she's very capable. You should learn from her." Putting down the brochure that he was just playing with, he slips a piece of paper out from his pocket. "Here's your schedule for the week. After this, you have to go to the gift shop and then help out at Belle Seoul... Learn how the club/resto brings in business."

Yuri takes the schedule and is about to discuss the supervisor change again until Tiffany's cheery voice pipes up from behind.

"Mr. Taewoo, here are the files, organized alphabetically."

Taewoo winces as he sees the pink folders. For a big man like him, pink isn't a very complimenting color to be seen walking around with. Nonetheless, he kindly accepts it from Tiffany.

"Thank you. I'm off to go see Jessica now."

Stella waited until the big boss completely disappeared from their sights before saying to Yuri, "I told you she's a gold-digger." 

Shocked by Stella's statement, Yuri stopped playing with the casino pamphlets. Although she has been gone for awhile, she never knew that her brother was seeing someone in Korea --especially someone who is so different from her brother's jolly and kind personality. Sure, the girl was attractive, but Yuri just couldn't see anything good about her. And Jessica couldn't be that much older than her.

"You mean, they're a couple?" Yuri asked Stella.

"I don't know if they're a couple or not, but there's something definitely going on between those two. How else do you think she's at such a powerful position at such a young age while I'm still stuck here as a regular service rep?"

During Yuri's last hour at the service counter, all she could think about was Jessica. Yuri didn't like the girl very much, but even to her Jessica doesn't seem like the kind of person who would use her looks to climb the ladder. 

Chapter 6 -Everywhere I Go

Yuri sat behind the small counter waiting for Hyoyeon's replacement to arrive. She watched as the small girl bounced around, almost as if she was dancing. Hyoyeon twirled in a circle and stood on her tip toes to hit a switch that was located above the highest shelf. Being taller than her, Yuri asked her to step aside so she can help with the task. Yuri easily flicked the switch down, dimming the lights in the shop. 

"People don't seem to understand that when the door is closed, so is the store. Dimming the lights let customers know that we're closed for the moment," Hyoyeon explained. "Oh! Could you tell my replacement that he or she has to sign off on the new shipments that we're receiving today? Everything's in the folder next to the cash."

Although only having met the girl for a few minutes, Yuri liked her already. In those few minutes, Hyoyeon explained to her how the gift shop worked and how to use the computer to process the purchases. The system wasn't that much more different from the one that she was using earlier. Nonetheless, Yuri made a mental note to not touch the override function in case she receives another scolding, though Yuri has a feeling that Hyoyeon is nothing like the other short girl whose face she doesn't want to see or even think about.

"Hey, Hyo?"

"Yep?" Hyoyeon stopped tapping her fingers on the counter, stopping the melody that she was playing.

"You don't know who's supposed to come in?"

"Not today. Some of our schedules have been changed because we gave up some of our hours to somebody else." 

It was probably because of her that everybody's schedule changed, Yuri thought. Maybe that's what her brother had to speak to Jessica about... Changing schedules so Yuri could get some hours. It was a business meeting that they had and nothing more. There was just no way that her brother would be dating someone like Jessica.

"Oh, good! You're here!" Hyoyeon's voice interrupted her thoughts of Jessica and her brother.

Yuri got up from the stool to greet her co-worker, but when she realized who it was, she had to sit back down from the shock.

"You!" the two pointed at each other.

Hyoyeon looked back and forth between the two, but with the dim light, she never saw the shocked and unhappy faces. "Good, you two know each other. That'll save me the trouble of having to introduce you. Jessica, new shipment arrives today," Hyoyeon said right before taking off, leaving the two stunned girls glaring at each other.

Just when Yuri thought she wouldn't have to see the devil for another 16 hours, here she is in person. Yuri forced her frown into a smile. She wasn't happy having to spend another 4 hours with Jessica, but Yuri saw this as an opportunity to make up for getting off on the wrong foot with her supervisor.

"Sica! What a nice surprise! It'll be so much fun working with you again... And so soon." Not.

"Jessica," she corrected her subordinate.

Jessica obviously wasn't pleased to see Yuri working at the gift shop either as she slammed down her black folder onto the counter. Stepping behind it, she eyed Yuri sitting on the stool. Yuri felt as if the devil was burning her with her stare and so she looked away.

Jessica was still glaring at Yuri but didn't say anything to her. She never liked having to work with incompetent or lazy people. It was just a waste of time and from the looks of it, Yuri falls into the incompetent category. Jessica also didn't like to ask people for help, so standing as far up on her toes as possible, she tried to reach for the light switch that was much too high for somebody of her height. Jessica jumped as high as possible, but her fingers barely even grazed the switch. Darn that Yuri.... sitting on my stool!

Yuri heard Jessica huffing and turned towards her direction. She saw the small girl struggling to turn on the lights. It was the first time today that Yuri's own devil was able to make her smile. Yuri looked down at Jessica's shoes before moving up the black suit. Now although she wasn't wearing Prada, Jessica was definitely wearing the right clothes that showed off her figure in all the right places. Uh oh... Yuri cannot be thinking of her possible future sister-in-law like this. Yuri cleared her throat and mind at the same time. Getting up from the seat, Yuri stood behind Jessica and turned the lights on with ease.

Surprised to feel Yuri behind her, Jessica spun around so suddenly that she caused Yuri to lose her balance. Instinctively, Yuri reached her hands out to grab onto something to steady her. And instinctively, her hands shot out to grab onto Jessica's waist. 

"Yah! Don't touch me!" Jessica screamed. 

Yuri quickly withdrew her hands and Jessica stormed off to sit on the chair to calm herself from whatever that was causing her to feel so flustered.

Yuri felt rather insulted even though she helped Jessica with the lights. And having her scream like that, it almost seemed like as if Jessica thought Yuri was violating her. "You're welcome," Yuri said bitterly to remind her supervisor of her manners, but received no thanks in return. 

They remained silent until Jessica demanded Yuri to give her the inventory file. Yuri was still upset at Jessica for not thanking her and pretended not to hear. 

"Kwon Yuri!"

There was no way she could act deaf now... Not when Jessica's shout almost made her lose her hearing.

"Yes?" Yuri asked with a smile.

"The file?"

Yuri told her that the folder was tucked next to the cash. Jessica searched for it, but kept missing the spot. Yuri rolled her eyes and went behind the counter. As she reached over Jessica to pull the file out from its hiding spot, she smelled a sweet floral scent coming from Jessica. The scent held Yuri in her place, close to Jessica, as she inhaled again with her eyes closed. When Jessica snatched the folder out of her hands, Yuri came back to her senses. Nuh-uh, there is nothing sweet about this girl.

Yuri stayed away from Jessica for the rest of the day, yet she couldn't help stealing glances at her. What was it about this brown-haired girl that's so intriguing, Yuri thought to herself as she eyed Jessica through the glass jars of jelly beans that she was arranging.

A hand that shot out of nowhere startled her, taking her gaze off Jessica. "Excuse me, are these jelly beans any good? I'm thinking of purchasing some for a girl that I know."

Yuri looked up at the man whose raspy voice seemed so familiar. "Oppa!" Yuri hissed at her playful brother. "Don't do that! You almost gave me a heartattack!"

Jessica looked over at Yuri to see exactly what her relationship is with Taewoo. When he walked into the store, he merely nodded his head and signaled for her to be quiet. Now, he's smiling with the new employee that he had hired. What is their relationship?

Yuri noticed Jessica staring at them and stepped on her brother's foot so he would stop laughing and blow her cover. She picked up a jar of jelly beans and began to open it. 

"I believe that these jelly beans taste good, Sir." Yuri placed a red one in her mouth. "It's indeed very good. Perhaps you would like to try one before buying it?"

"Kwon Yuri!" Jessica screamed from the counter. In a blink of an eye, she was standing next to the two Kwons. Snatching the jar out of Yuri's hand, Jessica began her lecture. "What on earth are you doing? Opening our products to try? Have you ever worked before?" 

Taewoo knew the answer to that question and stifled a laugh that was dying to escape. The closest thing that his sister ever came to working was when she demanded to be paid for giving him massages when they were kids. Then she grew up and Pa said that she'll be needing an allowance and that was the last of his massges.

Taewoo glanced at the small yet fierce girl beside him to see how she will handle her sister. This ought to be interesting. "This is coming out of your paycheck." Jessica raised the jar so she could see the price tag. "$52."

"What the--?! $52 for that? That's more than what I'm making here at this store today! Yah, you can't --"

Jessica cut her off. "I can and I will," Jessica said coldly. "Somebody has to pay for their stupid mistakes... And that somebody will not be me."

Taewoo could almost see the steam coming out of his sister's head. He felt a bit guilty for Yuri getting scolded even though she was the silly one, opening the jar and then eating a jelly bean. This was his sister and he'll give her a break since it's her first day. He took the jar from Jessica and walked to the counter while the girls followed him. 

"I'll pay for it," he said while pulling out his wallet. "It'll be my gift to you, Jessica." 

What? I'm his sister! If anything, he should be buying it for me! Yuri's jealousy kicked in and she closed her brother's wallet. She turned to the girl standing behind the counter. "I'll pay for it. It'll be my gift to you, Sica. Something like 'thank-you-for-teaching-me'..." Yuri looked at her brother challengingly.

"Jessica," she corrected the dark girl again.

"Whatever... Just take it out of my pay," Yuri mumbled before walking off to go hide behind another shelf. She had to get away from Taewoo before she accidentally gets into a sibling argument in front of Sica, then her cover would be blown and she'll have to stay here forever. 

Jessica felt bad for robbing the girl like that. Maybe she was a bit harsh on her. No, this is the jelly beans talking. All Yuri did was give her a jar of jelly beans and already she was turning soft. No, it was going to take a lot more than candy to melt Jessica. She never liked working with incompetent people and Yuri isn't going to be an exception. 

Jessica turned her attention back to her boss. "Oppa, what brings you here?"

"Oppa wanted to ask you if you're free tonight..." Taewoo knew that although his sister was out of sight, she was probably still spying on them. "Could we talk outside?"

"Sure."

Yuri watched Jessica follow her brother out the store. She pretended to fix the shelf of goods closest to the door and even though she was straining her ears to hear their conversation, it was impossible to hear over the loud slot machines. Could it be possible that he's asking Jessica out on a date tonight? Before Yuri knew it, her body was leaning out, past the boundaries of the gift shop.

Jessica returned into the store and eyed Yuri suspiciously for being so close to the door. "Kwon Yuri, go make room for the new shipment arrivals."

"Yes, Sica..."

"Jessica."

----

Yuri's arms, legs, and back were hurting from real labour while all Jessica did was scream at her, telling her where to move things --rather, where not to move them. Yuri wondered if she did anything to Jessica in their past lives and maybe this was her way of getting revenge --treating Yuri like a slave until her body broke, cause that's how her body feels right now, broken. 

There was still the club/restaurant to go to. This will be her final push of the day and she knows that Jessica isn't going to be in charge here. On her way in, she bumped into Hyoyeon who was getting ready for her dance performance. Even Seohyun was there practicing on the piano. Apparently, she wasn't the only one with multiple jobs, most of them had a secondary job here at the casino. She asked Hyoyeon who was in charge of Belle Seoul and found out that it was a girl named Taeyeon. Seohyun confirmed this fact, causing Yuri to relax her body and mind. Yuri went into the kitchen where she was told she'll find Taeyeon. 

The short girl stood by the kitchen door where she was expecting her new cook. This one had better know how to cook, not like some others who almost burned down her kitchen. She looked outside at the bar where Tiffany was mixing drinks. Better out there than in here. There's no such thing as too much alcohol but too much salt or oil is a definite no-no in this kitchen.

"Kwon Yuri, reporting for duty!" 

Taeyeon looked away from her mushroom and at the tall dark dork saluting to her. Being a dork herself, Taeyeon raised her hand to return the salute.

"First of all, can you cook?" Taeyeon asked, holding onto her breath in fear of all the 'maybes' and 'microwave' answers that some of her previous chefs gave. 

"I used to travel a lot so I learned at an early age."

That answer was good enough for her and immediately sent the new girl to work while she remained by the door waiting for someone else to arrive. 

"Hey, Taengoo, sorry I'm late. There's this new girl who is driving me insane cause she doesn't know anything." The girl said while putting on her apron. She was making her way to the dishes but stopped dead in her tracks when she noticed a tanned girl that she's beginning to recognize even from behind. "You!"

Yuri's head perked up and turned around from cutting the vegetables when she heard the familiar voice. She was looking right at Jessica's fuming face.

"Ugh... Not you again," Yuri groaned. Her body was already beat from moving things at the gift shop. She's not sure if she will survive anymore of Jessica's torture. Now she kinda wished that her brother had asked Jessica on a date tonight instead of asking her to work here. With them finishing so late tonight, Yuri doubts those two are going to meet up later.

"Taeng, what's she doing here?"

Taeyeon wasn't sure what was going on, but to see her cold friend being so animated in front of others for once was refreshing. She bit into a carrot that Yuri just cut.

"Well, we needed more help... Especially after how you almost burnt down my kitchen last time."

"Yes... Well, I could do what she's doing, cut vegetables or mix while you cook!" Jessica went beside Taeyeon and spoke softly so that Yuri couldn't hear, whispering, "You didn't have to demote me to being the dish washer."

"Jessica! This isn't your kitchen at home. Customers don't want to wait an hour for you to mix or choke on your overly large slices of tomato!" Taeyeon picked up another perfectly cut julienne carrot. "Yuri seems to be doing a fine job at being the sous-chef," Taeyeon gave Yuri her first compliment of the day, earning a smile from the tall dork. "Yuri, you could order Jessica to do whatever that needs to be done. As long as it doesn't involve cooking," Taeyeon warned.

"Taeng!"

Yuri stopped cutting the carrots. She stared at Jessica in disbelief. She, Kwon Yuri, actually gets to boss Jessica around for the night? Please God, don't take this away from me, Yuri silently prayed at the turn of events while she unknowingly smirked. Revenge is going to be sweet... Almost as sweet as her $52 jelly bean.

------

Jessica alternated between washing the dishes and sweeping the mess that Yuri kept making. 

"Yah! Sica, you missed a spot. You know if I slip on these banana peels, Mr. Kwon Taewoo won't be very happy."

"Jessica!" was all she could say to the dark-haired girl that was ordering her around. Callouses were already starting to form on her delicate fingers because she snapped back at Yuri once too many times. And each time, Jessica had to be reminded that at Belle Seoul, Yuri was higher ranked than her by either opening tight jars, sweeping, or moving heavy tubs of condiments from the fridge. 

"Hey, Sica, you missed --"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jessica saw Yuri waving something long and green at her. A wave of panic rushed through her and without letting Yuri finish her sentence, Jessica's immediate response was to attack the vegetable before it attacked her. She whacked Yuri's hand hard with the broom, knocking the vegetable out of her hand.

"OW! WHAT THE PHHHHH-- OW!" 

Yuri wanted to grab the knife that was on the cutting board, but decided against murder. Instead, she took the tomato and whipped it at Jessica, landing it squarely on her face --exactly where she aimed it. It slid off her face and onto her white blouse, down the apron, and finally hitting the ground. 

Jessica was beyond shocked and dropped her broom. In each of her hands, she held onto an egg as ammunition. Although they didn't get Yuri where she wanted to, they hit the poor girl nonetheless. Before they knew it, all sorts of vegetables were flying in the air and Taeyeon had to be called back from the bar.

By the time she reached her kitchen, Jessica was already beating Yuri with a carrot in one hand and a whole stalk of celery in the other. It was an amusing sight, but her kitchen and food were getting destroyed. Taeyeon pulled Jessica back from attacking Yuri. Even though she was holding her tightly by the waist, it did little to prevent Jessica from lunging forward. 

Jessica shrieked when Yuri threw some slices of cucumbers at her, drawing even Tiffany's attention away from the bar and to the kitchen.

"What on earth..." Tiffany said when she saw the mess. The two girls were also fighting like cats in the wild. "Woah!" Tiffany rushed over to help Taeyeon hold Jessica back from stabbing Yuri with a long carrot.

"Jessi! What on earth happened?" Tiffany asked once they managed to get Jessica to one corner.

"She... She..." Jessica huffed with a weak finger pointed at Yuri. "She attacked me with a cucumber."

Jessica glared across the room at Yuri who was removing celery leaves from her hair. 

"She's crazy! She tried to break my hand with a broom!" Yuri exclaimed.

Tiffany and Taeyeon both looked at Jessica with a raised eyebrow. 

"Didn't you hear me? She attacked me with a cucumber!"

Tiffany walked over to where Yuri was brushing herself off of the mess. She helped Yuri remove an egg shell from her hair. "Is that true?"

"Fany, I did not attack her with a cucumber. I just had it in my hands when I was talking to her."

Tiffany rubbed her temples, wondering how she's going to explain this to somebody who's not close to Jessica. "Yuwree... You see, cucumbers are sort of like Jessica's... kryptonite."

Yuri glanced over at the sergeant who looked like she was in a camouflage getup for a field of flowers. She was covered with tomato stains, eggplants, asparagus, and egg stains. There's no way that this sergeant who just initiated a vegetable war was afraid of something as trivial as cucumbers. "You're kidding right?"

Tiffany shook her head. Yuri looked at the girl who was now drinking water and being calmed by Taeyeon. She did look like as if she had tears in her eyes.

It was her first day, Yuri really didn't want to cause any trouble, or a girl to cry. Making others cry is just not a very 'Kwon Yuri' thing to do. "Whatever. I'm going to finish my hours here then take a nice long bath. That... That... Jessica is not my supervisor here so keep her away from me." 

----

Yuri finally finished off her night in silence with Jessica and her body still felt like as if Jessica was pounding on it with carrots and celery. She stepped out of the elevator and made her way to her hotel room. Noticing a stench, Yuri sniffed her hair. 

"Aish, I smell like rotten eggs mixed with dead flowers."

Undoubtedly, the eggs were coming from her, but this slightly off floral scent that she was smelling... was not the smell of her perfume. It was only when she reached her door that she noticed another person in the hallway, who was sliding her card into the door across from Yuri's.

"Why are you stalking me?!" Yuri screamed, terrified to see the person that almost killed her today. 

"Kwon Yuri!" Jessica hissed coldly. "Why did you follow me?"

Yuri pulled out her card to her door. "I am not following you. Trust me." She slid the card into the reader and opened the door. "This is where I'm staying for the week."

"Impossible. You're just a regular employee, how could you possibly have a room on the 28th floor?"

Yuri was in no mood to explain to the girl whose appearance looked worse than hers. Her hand was throbbing with pain from the broom that Jessica whacked her with. All she wanted right now was to clean up and sleep. 

"I used to gamble a lot so I got my room comped for the week. Ok?" Yuri left the puzzled girl standing in the hallway. She closed the door and leaned against it. Working is hard. How will she ever survive 6 more days of this? 

------

After spending quite some time ridding the smell off her body and washing her clothes, Jessica sat in front of her laptop typing up Yuri's performance review of the day.

Date: Dec. 12, 2009

Name: Kwon Yuri

Employee ID: 12552418

Department: Service

Supervisor: Jessica Jung

Technical Skills

: Needs Improvement

Completely incompetent in areas requiring knowledge of computers, professional service, and liars. Override is not the solution to everything.

Communication Skills: Needs Improvement

Should not be giving superiors nicknames. Needs to stop hiding behind shelves, mumbling, and smiling to cover up mistakes. Also needs to wait for dismissal from supervisor before leaving supervisor's office; demonstrates inability to follow instructions.

Judgment: Needs Improvement

Impaired would have been a better rating. Incurred loss of approximately $16,000 because she was unable to gauge situations. Almost robbed the gift store by damaging goods (consumed products from the store) after a customer merely asked for opinion on jelly beans.

Collaboration: Needs Improvement

Needs to consult with supervisor before taking matters into own hands.

Punctuality: Exceptional

On time but that does not compensate for efficiency.

Overall Satisfaction: Not satisfied 

Would terminate employment immediately. Kwon Yuri is a threat to fellow colleagues as well as the company's financial position. Assaulted a co-worker today with deadly weapons.

Chapter 7 -Chicken

Taewoo placed Jessica's report back on the table and clicked on the play button for the 3rd time. The youtube clip that he was watching brought a goofy smile on his lips and when it reached his favorite part, he exploded with laughter. 

It's been a long time since he saw his sister get into a fight. When Yuri was just 12, Taewoo was always the one to fight his sister's battles. It was a bit weird for a 20 year-old at the time to pull other 12 year olds off his sister. It made him look like the bully instead. Because of all these fights, their dad decided to send Yuri overseas for school. It wasn't easy for a young girl like Yuri to be all alone in a foreign country. Everyday she would call home, begging to come back. His heart wrenched everytime he got these calls. It was a learning experience, his dad said. Oh, Yuri learned alright. She learned to use her status and relationship with business mogul, Kwon Min, to get out of sticky situations and nobody dared to cross her after knowing who she is. It's been like that for a very long time until Jessica.

"What's so funny?"

Taewoo looked away from his computer screen to see that his father had silently entered his office. He had to share the epic footage posted by the casino's employees and security with his dad. 

"Pa, you've got to see this!" Taewoo brought the old man around the desk, making him sit in the executive chair as Taewoo replayed the video from the beginning.

"Omo!" Mr. Kwon exclaimed. "Is that Yuri?"

"Keep watching, Pa. It gets better."

They're both staring at the screen intently. With each passing second, Taewoo's grin kept getting wider while his dad's eyes kept getting bigger.

"That's Jessica!" Mr. Kwon pointed at the girl lunging forward towards Yuri. "Is she holding a knife?" His question was full of concern.

"It's just a carrot."

Screams were heard from the computer speakers and Taewoo burst into laughter once more at the sight of his sister getting stabbed repeatedly with the orange carrot until it snapped into two.

The old man laughed along excitedly, like a little boy who just saw the best scene in an animation movie. "Play it again!" he instructed his son.

After watching it for the second time, Kwon Min wiped the tears from his eyes with the handkerchief that his wife sewed for him when they were dating teenagers. "Oh boy! Pa made a good choice in choosing Jessica as her supervisor, eh?"

"The best ever!" Taewoo high-fived his dad. "Even her review of Yuri's first day was unbiased. Too bad we have to wait for the final report, otherwise Yuri would have lost the bet for sure."

"Oh? Let me see what Jessica wrote." Kwon Min pulled out his reading glasses and already began to chuckle after reading the first line. Yuri has probably never heard herself being described so harshly like this. Good. It'll be a learning experience.

Taewoo grabbed the bouquet of flowers off a table by the door. "Pa, enjoy the read. I'm going out for a bit."

Without looking up from the report, Kwon Min waved his hand, telling his son to go. Impaired judgment? He chuckled again. Will Jessica Jung be the one to tame his daughter?

------

At the same time, Jessica entered the security/surveillance department. The moment she stepped in, it was almost like as if she had entered another realm where technology ruled. She was surrounded by computer screens of cameras zooming in and out of various spots in the casino, screens were pulling up records of players, and facial recognition programs were running to identify seedy characters. And the operators monitoring these high-tech machines looked just as robotic and nerdy. All except one.

Jessica spotted the youngest and prettiest security technician smiling to herself while diligently studying the screen in front of her. As she approached this girl, a much older man in his 50's greeted Jessica and she nodded her head at him, keeping on a serious expression.

"Seohyun, you called me?" Jessica asked the girl, worried that something had happened to her.

When Seohyun asked Jessica how to switch screens, she felt relieved that it wasn't anything serious, yet Jessica found it odd that Seohyun was asking her a simple computer question instead of the experienced seniors working here. Maybe she's shy, Jessica assumed and pressed the touch screen while explaining. 

"...and then you hit this here to--" Jessica froze as a window popped open, playing an all too familiar scene of her and Yuri acting like crazy school girls.

"Seohyun! Are you teasing unnie too?"

Tiffany already barged into her office earlier to show her the youtube video that was circulating through the internal mail faster than a computer virus, increasing the number of hits by the second. In one night, Yuri had managed to destroy Jessica's authoritative image. To avoid the finger pointing and snickers behind her back, Jessica hid in her office for the rest of the day until Seohyun called. 

"Unnie, I didn't mean to tease you... I didn't see you all morning and was afraid that you might've gotten hurt," Seohyun quietly said.

Now that she mentioned it, all the aches and pain from last night seemed to hit Jessica all at once. But she didn't want to alarm Seohyun who has a tendency to overworry. "Unnie's fine. It takes a lot more than a few vegetables to hurt me."

"Not unless--"

"Unless they're cucumbers," Jessica finished. "Unnie has to get back to work now. Be good." Jessica patted the young girl on her head before rushing back to her hiding spot of the day.

------

"Yuri!" Taewoo's voice boomed, causing other employees to look up from their work. He couldn't conceal the amusement in his expression and kept grinning.

"Mr. Taewoo, did I do something wrong?" Yuri asked nervously, knowing that all eyes were on her now.

Her brother lowered his voice and tried hard to keep a straight face. "Tell me, do carrots have the same effect as wooden stakes when you're dealing with spoiled brats?"

Yuri dropped her head in her hands. "Not you too... How did you get the link?" Her body was still sore from getting beaten up by vegetables.

"Haha! It doesn't matter. Now get back to work before people start asking you questions about me. I'm going to see Jessica now."

Yuri watched her brother saunter up the stairs, holding onto a bouquet of flowers. He's normally quite jolly, but today, he appears to be happier than usual, chuckling to himself. A few moments later, he left Jessica's office with empty hands, humming an upbeat tune.

"Yuri, your supervisor wants to see you."

"Oppa," Yuri whispered. "Were those flowers for Jessica? Are you guys dating?"

He wanted to poke his kid sister on the head, but there were too many people around with already too many questions. "None of your business. Hurry up and go see her. Jessica doesn't like to wait."

The fact that Yuri's freedom laid in Jessica's hands dawned on her this morning. She spent quite some time after the fight worrying about what to say to Jessica. Luckily for her, Yuri didn't see Jessica all morning and doesn't doubt that her supervisor was avoiding her too by hiding in her office. Tiffany was pretty much the messenger of the day, running back and forth between the two. And now, Yuri has finally been summoned. 

"Hey, where are you going? Her office is that way," Taewoo called after his sister.

"I know. I have to get something first..."

-----

"Where is it..."

Yuri was back at her hotel room, rummaging through her still packed suitcases. Certain that she would only be here for a week, she didn't think it would be necessary to get settled. Other than the snow globe beside the bed, everything was still in her suitcase.

"Aha! Found it!" Yuri shook the box of special tea leaves that she found hidden behind her favorite Mickey Mouse doll. 

After boiling a pot of water, Yuri placed the jasmine tea leaves in a thermos followed by hot water. The frangrant aroma quickly filled the room and the hotel's hallway once Yuri opened the door to rush back to the connecting casino.

Before entering Jessica's office, Yuri pat her thermos. "I'm counting on you to calm the crazy anti-cucumber fiend."

She knocked once and awaited for Jessica's signal to go in. Once inside, she noticed her brother's bouquet of flowers sitting next to the coffee machine, exactly like the first time she got called to Jessica's office.

"Kwon Yuri! Where on earth did you disappear to? I asked you to come here 15 minutes ago!" Jessica eyed the thermos that Yuri placed in front of her. "What's this?"

"It's jasmine tea. It's better than all that coffee that you drink."

Yuri waited for Jessica to take a sip before breathing again. She stood there with her eyebrows raised, expecting either a thank-you or compliment. Jessica said neither. Instead, she just took a second sip and tossed a file on her desk.

"He's the biggest shark to come in tomorrow. Memorize his information and try your best to avoid him. I don't want another screw-up." Jessica paused while taking another little sip to quench her dry throat. "Speaking of screw-ups, stop charming Tiffany into fixing your mistakes."

Yuri could not believe how blunt and rude her supervisor is. Even with the jelly beans and now with the tea, not once did Jessica thank her, or apologize for injuring her hand. All she knows is how to point out Yuri's mistakes and to give her orders. The more she thought about it, the more flushed she became with anger.

Jessica looked up from her work and pulled what used to be a white blouse from the bag on the ground, throwing it at Yuri. "You owe me $11.82 for ruining my shirt last night. You can keep the shirt."

The blouse was badly stained with red and purple marks all over it, almost making it look like Picasso's paint palette. Yuri didn't care about the cost of the shirt. She wasn't responsible for last night's fight.

"Then what about my clothes? Are you going to pay for them?"

Jessica blinked once. "No."

Yuri opened her mouth to say something but was at a lost for words. So she did the only thing she could think of, which was to turn around and storm out of the office.

"Yah! Did I say you could leave?" Jessica's words stopped her from taking another step 

"I already brewed you some tea to apologize for yesterday at Belle Seoul. The least you could do is say thank you or sorry for causing such a scene," Yuri said in one rushed breath.

From Jessica's wide eye yet cold expression, Yuri assumed that Jessica hasn't been confronted about manners. Normally, Yuri wouldn't be so direct either, but Jessica's actions were really starting to get on her nerves. If she had the time, she would probably write down a list of everything that Jessica's done to irritate her.

"I didn't ask you to bring me anything, nor did I ask you to apologize. You were obviously the one at fault last night... That's why you apologized out of guilt. And you have to pay for damaging my shirt." Jessica turned her head away from Yuri and stared at her computer screen. "I accept the apology," she said in a non-caring way.

The steam in Yuri was rising faster than the one coming out of the thermos. In one swift motion, Yuri took the drink off the desk and started downing it. The first gulp burned her tongue, gums, and throat. She was dying but finished the rest of the tea, slamming the empty thermos down. All that was left now were the tea leaves. Beads of sweat formed on Yuri's forehead and her breathing quickened. Feeling like the winner when she saw Jessica narrow her eyes, Yuri took the file off the table and got ready to leave.

Jessica stopped her. "Wait. I'll be taking the money that you owe me from your paycheck. And to thank you," Yuri spun around to face the girl smirking behind the glass desk, "I'm letting you off early at the gift shop so you can promote Gubne's first annual eating contest at the casino --in a chicken suit." Yuri's eyes widened in horror and a small gasp was heard. "They'll be sending the suit over later. You'll be keeping it for the rest of the week, until the event is over."

------

By the end of the week, carrots and chicken are going to be on top of Yuri's phobia list along with Jessica Jung. Never has she felt so humiliated before, prancing around in a giant chicken suit, getting laughed at by full-grown yet obnoxious adults who get a kick in knocking her stuffed head everytime they passed by her. Even the teasing from this morning with the video couldn't top this.

"Yuwree," Tiffany bit down hard on her lips to prevent herself from cracking up, knowing who was inside the ridiculous outfit.

Yuri took off the chicken head. "Ugh, Fany... Shoot me!" 

"Hehe, I can't believe Jessi made you do this. She is evil!"

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."

Tiffany hung onto one of Yuri's chicken wings. "C'mon, it's time for your shift at Belle Seoul. Let's get you out of this suit before you scare Taeyeon."

It was then that Yuri had a sudden idea of how to get her revenge. She gave the contributor a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Fany!"

------

Yuri spent ten minutes cutting and threading the slices of cucumbers together to form a necklace. When she was done, she looped it around her neck.

"Haha! Yuri, Jessica isn't some vampire you know!" Taeyeon laughed.

"No... But if she's as scared as you say she is of cucumbers, then this should ward her off and she'll stay away from me for the rest of the night."

Taeyeon shook her head, amused by Yuri's tactic. "She's really not that bad. I actually owe her for this job." 

"Owe her as in she's taking a cut of your pay?" Yuri said, remembering Jessica's ruined blouse that she paid $11.82 for.

"No, as in she got me this job." Taeyeon finished peeling the apple without breaking the skin. "I used to be a short cook at this place that Jessica used to pass by with her mom on her way to high school." Taeyeon saw the smile curling on Yuri's lips. "Don't laugh. When I said short cook, I wasn't talking about my height."

"Haha! The title sure does fit though!"

"Anyway, after Jessica started working at the casino, she passed by my work place to offer me a job here. I barely even knew her!"

Yuri twirled her cucumber necklace at Taeyeon. "Oooo, maybe she liked you."

Taeyeon looked around to see if Tiffany was lurking in the kitchen, eavesdropping on their conversation. Just to be safe, she lowered her voice. "I wished. You have no idea how many people are chasing after her. If she wasn't so focused on her career maybe she would've seen me before it was too late." Because now she has Tiffany, her little mushroom. "It was actually her mom's idea. She knew how my family needed the money, otherwise I wouldn't have stopped going to school."

At least there's one other person that Jessica listens to, however her personality doesn't seem to have been inherited from her mom. 

"You said there's a lot of people chasing after Sica... Is Kwon Taewoo one of them?" All the signs are pointing to her brother taking an interest in Jessica, with the frequent office visits and flowers.

Taeyeon shrugged her shoulders. "There's rumors, but it's hard to say with all the other guys that she's seeing at the same time."

So what Stella said on the first day was true. Jessica is a gold digger. 

"Hey, Taeng, there's a funny smell coming from your kitchen." Yuri turned around to see the person cheating her brother of his love. 

Jessica knew exactly what the smell was. She saw the cucumbers hanging on Yuri's neck and the girl started to approach her. Jessica's instincts were to grab the broom next to her, pointing it Yuri who was closing in. Feeling weak all over, Jessica abandoned the broom and ran out of the kitchen, leaving a victorious Yuri laughing by herself.

Taeyeon pulled Yuri by her ear. "Yah, don't scare away my helpers like that. Get back to work!"

As Taeyeon went to go find Jessica and convince her to come back, Yuri was busy making another fresh cucumber necklace. "Fun's not over yet. Think again Sica, if you plan on going after the Kwon money."

------

Yuri waited in a corner for Jessica to pass by the corridor, connecting the hotel to the casino and the club. She was starting to feel hot in the chicken suit, but using Jessica's own plan to scare her was worth it. Thanks to Tiffany setting off the idea like a lightbulb, Yuri was waiting for this moment since afternoon, waiting to get her revenge with the chicken suit. 

Yuri asked Taeyeon to get off work early so she could go back to her room to get the hideous yellow outfit. While waiting, security passed by to question her of her suspicious behavior. Luckily it was just Seohyun and so she allowed her to stay there to wait for her 'friend'. 

Footsteps echoed in the empty corridor and Yuri had a feeling it was Jessica. She took a quick peek to confirm and saw Jessica taking long weary strides heading to the hotel. Putting the chicken head back on, Yuri got ready to jump out. 

"5... 4... 3... 2... 1..." Yuri silently counted down gleefully before jumping out.

Jessica screamed the highest shriek Yuri has ever heard. She tripped while running backwards and fell on the ground. Yuri danced around her while Jessica kicked blindly.

Afraid that security might come, Yuri took off her the chicken head and tried to cover Jessica's mouth but ended swatting her on the face with the feather wings.

"Shhhh! It's me, Yuri!"

Jessica didn't hear her and continued to kick aimlessly on the ground, knocking Yuri off balance. Yuri landed right on top of Jessica, knocking the wind out of the girl from under, stopping the dolphin pitched screams. Yuri bounced off of Jessica and rolled over to the side. The costume made it difficult for her to get up, giving Jessica enough time to realize what had happened. 

Without a moment's hesitation, she climbed onto the chicken's stomach and started punching Yuri's chest. The soft material absorbed most of the impact, but Yuri still felt the pressure that Jessica was inflicting. She waved her hands to stop the punches, causing yellow feathers to fly everywhere. Next, Jessica slid forward, up Yuri's body, wrapping her hands around Yuri's small neck.

"S...St...stop! I. Can't. Breathe!"

Using Jessica's arms to pull herself up, Yuri managed to get in a sitting position, making Jessica fall on her behind. They were both breathing heavily, trying to catch their breaths from the struggle and strangle. 

"You... Almost killed me!"

"You, Kwon Yuri, almost killed me!"

They both got onto their feet at the same time, ready to attack again, except Jessica's right foot gave way and she toppled forward, diving into Yuri's plush chest. Yuri caught her with the now featherless wings.

"You okay?"

The tears in Jessica's eyes were a mix of fright, anger, and pain that she was feeling in her ankle. "I think I sprained my ankle."

Guilt replaced Yuri's anger with Jessica. She knew what she had to do and gently placed Jessica against the wall. Getting out of the destroyed suit, Yuri bent down on her knees.

As much as she didn't want to do this, it was her fault that Jessica can't walk. "Get on. I'll give you a ride back to your room."

"No." Jessica pushed Yuri with her knee. The girl prevented herself from kissing the ground by placing her hands in front of her, triggering yesterday's pain around her hand. 

Annoyed by Jessica's curt reply, Yuri just grabbed onto Jessica's legs and forced the girl who yelped onto her back.

"Stop moving or I'm going to drop you." Yuri pretended to let go, making Jessica stop her struggle and hold on tightly with her arms wrapped around the front. 

Jessica peered around to look at Yuri, cutting her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

Yuri turned her head to the side to face Jessica. "Wouldn't I?" Yuri's eyes moved from Jessica's scared ones down to her small pouty lips. 

Their faces were merely inches apart, so close to the point where Yuri could almost taste the sweet aroma from Jessica's breaths. Jessica also noticed how close they were as well as what Yuri was staring at. 

She cleared her throat. "Let's get going."

Yuri began their short trip back to their rooms. In the elevator, Yuri asked Jessica to press the button to their floor.

"Aren't we the perfect crippled couple? You with the injured foot and me with the injured hand. Guess we're even now, eh?" Yuri joked.

There was no response from Jessica. Her head rested comfortably on Yuri's shoulder. In less than a few seconds of pressing the button, Jessica had already fallen asleep.

Yuri didn't know where Jessica kept the key to her room and searching the unresponsive girl would be inconvenient, so she brought her back into her own room.

Gently placing Jessica on the bed, she removed her shoes and tucked her under the blankets. Yuri wanted to do the same after an exhausting day, but being couped up in that stuffy suit for so long, a shower was what she wanted the most.

After her hot shower, Yuri climbed into the left side, where Jessica wasn't occupying. After getting in bed, Jessica raised her right arm, letting gravity pull it down right onto Yuri's face, turning the skinny arm into a heavy landing.

"Ah!" Yuri rubbed her forehead. It felt like she got punched and so her mind was already thinking of pranks to get back at Jessica --until the girl facing her curled her right arm around Yuri's small head, bringing her close to her face. 

Yuri's heartbeat quickened as she stared at Jessica's soft sleeping face. Under the dim moonlight, she saw a less threatening and less serious Jessica. Her brown bangs fell to one side, exposing a bit of her normally hidden forehead. Yuri never noticed this before, but under Jessica's striking eyes were bags, indicating how tired she is. No wonder she fell asleep so quickly in the elevator. Yuri's eyes traveled down her nose and cheeks, stopping at the lips that had her mesmerized before in the corridor.

"Jessica Jung, so this is how you look like when you're not screaming or bullying me." Yuri pressed her cheek closer to Jessica's head. 

------

Even without her alarm clock, Jessica's internal clock went off, waking her up every morning at 8am. Nonetheless, she always had a difficult time getting out of bed and today was no different --except she wasn't in her bed, nor was she by herself.

She opened her eyes and saw her chicken nemesis from last night, sleeping soundly with the tip of her tongue sticking out.

"Hee hee," Jessica giggled at the sight. 

She took her time studying Yuri up close, caressing her cheek with the arm that was wrapped around the dark girl's head.

"Kwon Yuri, so this is how you look like when you're not acting like a mean dork." She snuggled closer, pressing her cheek to Yuri's face, allowing herself 5 more minutes of snooze.

Chapter 8 -Turkey Football

The noise from the hair dryer escaped the slightly ajar bathroom door. Its sound waves mixing with the microwave's beeping and traveling to the ears of the tanned girl still lying flat on her stomach on the bed. Releasing her clutch on the pillow, Yuri slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes to see why it was so noisy in her room.

The hair dryer was turned off and Jessica walked past Yuri's quizzical stare to retrieve a steamy strudel from the microwave. She watched the short girl transport the hot breakfast to the counter, tossing the strudel back and forth between her hands while making small shrieks along the way.

Yuri threw the covers onto the side and got out of bed, making her way to the bathroom without any acknowledgement from Jessica. It was odd that her nemesis was ignoring her, not even bothering to ask what she was doing in Yuri's room. Yuri had expected a lot of screaming and punches coming her way. But nope. Instead, the girl in question was just blowing air at the pastry to cool it down, acting like it was a normal part of her morning. It was probably better this way because her body is already covered in bruises and lost 30% of her hearing since she's met Jessica.

When she was done getting ready, Yuri went back to sit on her bed, observing Jessica as she took small nibbles from the hot strudel. For some odd reason, Jessica looked especially good today. Her straight orange hair flowed past her shoulders and laid neatly against the black business suit she was wearing. The suit seemed a bit long for her, but it still fit her body nicely, showing her slim curves. Yuri had a similar suit that gave off the same effect, unfortunately she has to wear the blue and white employee uniform. Even the white top that Jessica was wearing underneath the black blazer reminded Yuri of a similar top that she normally wears with that Prada suit. 

Neither of them said a word to each other. Yuri continued to study Jessica while Jessica ignored her and ate her strudel. It wasn't until the grumbling of Yuri's stomach that Jessica looked up from her breakfast to glare at the girl on the bed.

"Why are you staring at me?"

The glare from Jessica made Yuri nervous and so she walked over to the fridge and started to prepare her morning Ma juice. "I uh... like what you're wearing and was just wondering where you got it from."

Jessica blew on the strudel to cool it down. Maybe she had put it in the microwave for too long. "Your closet."

Yuri nearly choked on her health drink. "Excuuuuse me?"

"I said I got it from your closet. It was the only ironed suit you had in there. And the white shirt is from your suitcase. These clothes are yours," Jessica told Yuri bluntly, like as if wearing these clothes were her right.

No wonder they all looked so familiar... Yuri thought to herself as she reached for her box of strudels next to Jessica only to find it empty. 

"And because you didn't bring me back to my room last night, you owe me a fee for keeping you company," Jessica continued, ignoring Yuri's wide opened mouth. "You also owe me for losing my hotel key."

"Yah! You can't blame me if you lost your own key!" Yuri exclaimed at Jessica's outrageous accusations.

Jessica gave Yuri a cold stare. "It was your fault for assaulting me last night. You're lucky that I didn't call the police otherwise your butt would be in a dirty jail cell, sleeping on stone cold beds with a crazy lunatic named Martha instead of next to me on this large soft bed!" Jessica took a bite from the strudel to calm herself. "Besides, I'm not even billing you for my medical fees."

Well, thank you very much for being so generous... This girl is truly unbelievable. With Jessica's calculations, who knows how much Yuri's prank is going to cost her. 

"Yah, your ankle seemed perfectly fine to me when you were rushing about this morning!" Unexpectedly, Jessica kicked Yuri in her leg. "Ouch! What was that for?"

Satisfied with her kick, Jessica faked an innocent smile as Yuri hopped around, holding her bruised leg. "I guess you're right, my ankle is all better."

"Next time, test it on a fire hydrant. And kick harder!"

Jessica was about to kick Yuri again, but she caught Jessica's swing as her leg went up. Holding onto Jessica's leg, Yuri pulled on it, causing Jessica to hop away from the counter. Yuri was having fun guiding her new rabbit by the limb, dragging her right then left, until Jessica lost her balance and fell forward onto Yuri. Yuri landed on the not so soft floor with a shrieking Jessica crashing down. She was no longer holding onto Jessica's leg, but her hand rested on the side of Jessica's thigh. They were in the same position as last night, except Jessica was lying fully stretched on top of Yuri without the chicken barrier and staring into her brown eyes.

Yuri groaned from the hard impact, finally appreciating the cushiony chicken suit that helped absorb last night's fall. "Ugh... Lose some weight, Sica."

"Jessica!" the girl corrected, annoyed with Yuri's intimate address. Jessica sat up on Yuri and slapped her shoulder. "Kwon Yuri, that's what you get for being such a dork." She stood up and dusted herself off, fixing the suit. "And you're the one who needs to lose weight. I was barely able to breath when you rolled on top of me while I was sleeping."

Yuri couldn't remember doing that. She looked at Jessica questioningly, wondering if there was any truth to what this deep sleeper is saying. She did wake up on her stomach though. "Well, this is my bed and I could sleep however I want. If you don't like it, then you should've went back to your room or slept on the couch. But you didn't, so thank you for liking my weight." 

Jessica opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. She got caught. She kind of did enjoy Yuri holding onto her from above, breathing steadily into the crook of her neck. Furthermore, she actually wasn't that heavy. Embarrassed by her own thoughts, Jessica said nothing in response and focused on not turning red as she ate her breakfast.

Hearing Yuri drink her weird liquid, Jessica asked for the energy booster that she was looking for before stumbling upon the pastry. "Do you have coffee?" 

"No," Yuri replied while snatching her last strudel from the girl's hands.

"Yah! I was eating that!"

Yuri ignored her and took a bite. "Since you're charging me for all these unreasonable costs, I don't have any money to feed you." She finished the warm pastry as Jessica stared widely. 

"Whatever, I have to go now anyways." Jessica checked her watch. Ten minutes until 9. "You better hurry up and get changed if you don't want to be late for work." 

Yuri followed Jessica to the door, making sure to lock the crazy lunatic by the name of Jessica out. "What, otherwise you're going to deduct my pay again..." Yuri mumbled.

Jessica stopped in her tracks, spun around and glared at Yuri. She pulled the tall girl by her collar, scaring Yuri with her sudden movements. She brought her head close to Yuri's neck, sniffing the area. "You still smell like cucumbers." Jessica released the surprised Yuri. "Do something about it or I will. Next time, don't hang cucumbers around your neck. It's not attractive." Jessica was about to leave the room, but had one last thing to say to Yuri. "Come to my office at 9 sharp and bring the chicken suit."

After Jessica left, Yuri stood by the door in a daze, rubbing her neck. What a weird girl, she thought. But what was more weird was the fact that her heart was beating out of control. That's why she doesn't like to drink coffee. Because wild heartbeats are unhealthy, and being near Jessica is definitely unhealthy. 

----------

"You're a minute late, Yuri." Jessica looked behind Yuri, searching for the yellow suit that she fought with last night. "Where's the Goobne mascot?"

Yuri placed a cup of floral scented tea in front of Jessica, making her forget about the coffee that's brewing on the side. "You see, I was thinking that the suit really doesn't go with the casino's image." Yuri gave a nervous chuckle. "I was thinking of a sexier concept. Maybe a--"

"Kwon Yuri!" Jessica cut her off. "Where's the chicken suit?"

"ItgotdestroyedandsoIleftitinthecorridorlastnight," Yuri said in one rushed breath, shrinking away to the door with each syllable. 

She was about to slide out the glass door but Jessica made her way around the desk and across the room in no time, slamming it shut. "Kwon Yuri..." 

Jessica's narrowed eyes scared her once more. Yuri ran behind Jessica's desk, using that to separate them. "Look, it was your fault. You kept hitting the suit, causing the feathers to fly off."

Jessica's expression was like the roasting coffee, dark and boiling. "What are we going to do now to promote the Goobne eating contest? What are we going to use?"

"Me?" Yuri pipped. "As I was suggesting earlier, I could wear something nice and attractive and... And..."

"And nothing," Jessica snapped at the stuttering Yuri. "Go ask Seohyun to help you find the suit and feathers. You're going to wear that and dance around in it. The contest is tomorrow and I expect to see a lot of people there. End of discussion. I have to write up a report so get away from my desk." 

Yuri glanced at the computer screen before Jessica yanked her away. She saw her name and assumed that the report was about her. With all the fights they were getting in, Yuri momentarily forgot that Jessica was in charge of providing her brother and dad the final performance review, granting her the possible indefinite vacation.

Yuri held the tea in front of her, offering it to Jessica. "My body's really sore from all the physical injuries, so how about we start all over again? No more fights..."

The smell of the jasmine tea was appealing and it might have even helped with Jessica's headache as the fragrance rose to her senses. She didn't really want to be the Most Viewed topic of the day everytime she and Yuri fought. 

Jessica took a sip of the tea. "Just get that suit and do your job." She sat back down behind her desk to finish the late report on Yuri. Without looking at the tall smiling girl, Jessica dismissed her.

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

Day 2

Date: Dec. 13, 2009

Name: Kwon Yuri

Employee ID: 12552418

Department: Service

Supervisor: Jessica Jung

Technical Skills: Needs Improvement

Skills have yet to be identified. Arts and crafts involving vegetables is not considered a technical skill. 

Communication Skills: Needs Improvement

Continues to address superiors by self-given nicknames. Needs to wait for dismissal from supervisor before leaving supervisor's office. Uses props to communicate feelings (cucumbers & costume).

Judgment: Needs Improvement

Used a client's costume during off-work hours for personal use, destroying the suit. Valued at $529.

Collaboration: Needs Improvement

Scared off a co-worker today.

Punctuality: Exceptional

Punctual at all assigned posts -even when it comes to pulling pranks and scaring the wits out of somebody.

Overall Satisfaction: Not satisfied

Would replace this chicken brain immediately. Dorky actions are inappropriate and unacceptable by supervisor and colleague.

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

"It must suck having Jessica on top of you all the time, eh? I don't think I would be able to handle that," Stella commented when she saw a discouraged Yuri return from her meeting.

"Correction. She's actually under me at Belle Seoul." The one place were she can order the dishwasher around. But so far, Yuri hasn't quite used this power to her advantage yet.

"Well, if I were you, I probably would've done more than just scare her with a chicken suit." Stella said referring to the two remixed videos of their fights that have been circulating since last night. "And Yuri, you punch like my grandmother. Next time, hit her hard for me."

It wasn't unusual for subordinates to dislike their bosses, but the vibe that Stella was giving off was different from the others. There was Amanda from accounting, Susan, Chaeri, and Soomung from the blackjack tables, and the list goes on. But they just steered clear and didn't bother with Jessica. 

Yuri couldn't really figure it out at first, but having her paycheck deducted to the red and getting punched mercilessly, Yuri could see why the sergeant wasn't very popular. Her lack of people skills probably doesn't help much either.

But then there were the die-hard fans which was mostly the guys plus Tiffany, Sunny, Taeyeon, Seohyun, and Hyoyeon. It was understandable that the guys would be attracted to her looks. Even Yuri can't help checking her out at times. But what were these girls' reasons for defending her all the time? 

"Yuwree, did Jessi debrief you on the high-roller that will be coming in today?" Tiffany asked.

"Not really. She just gave me his file and told me to stay out of his way," Yuri replied, remembering the folder given to her yesterday morning.

Tiffany looked Yuri up and down once. She arched an eyebrow and nodded her head slowly. "I can see why."

Yuri thought they were insulting her intelligence or capabilities of handling clients. She learned from her lesson with the Hawaiian scamming couple. She proved just how capable she is even without Jessica's help by reciting to Tiffany the profile that she memorized during her breaks yesterday.

"Gil. World poker champion of 2007 and 2008; each tournament won him $100,000,000. Typical guy, spends all his money on girls and cars. Enjoys playing pranks on people and has a weird sense of humor. He's a VIP at K-Won." Yuri finished with a smile.

"Exactly. VIP, so try your best to not offend him and meet his demands," Tiffany told all the girls that were gathered around. "But you, Yuri, just try your best to stay out of his way."

It frustrated Yuri that even Tiffany was undermining her abilities. Well, if she ever got to meet this Gil person, she'll show them that she's more than just a girl dancing in chicken suits. Oh, that reminds her, she needs to get Seohyun to help her find and repair the featherless Goobne chicken.

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

Yuri handed out the Goobne flyers wearing a smoking hot red dress that she brought with her in case she meets someone and parties with him or her.

"Please come see the event tomorrow. There are prizes to be won!" Yuri said enthusiastically to a group of passerbys. 

Once they passed her, Yuri leaned against the entrance wall, rubbing her ankle. She didn't know which was tougher for her, looking ridiculous in a chicken suit that was at least easy on the feet or looking awesome but was a total killer on her swelling feet. 

Yuri continued rubbing her aching legs, not noticing that a bald man wearing a trench coat had approached her until he touched her leg.

Yuri jumped back, surprised by the sudden contact. "Hey! Watch your hands you pervert!" There was something familiar about this man's bald head. 

The man rose to his feet and smiled at Yuri. "I thought you would like some help." He eyed the bottom half of Yuri. "It must be hard standing in those heels all day long. Here, let me help you." 

The man was about to crouch back down on his knee again to massage Yuri's tanned calves, but Yuri stopped him by his shoulders. She studied the guy's thin moustache and his goofy smile. There's something familiar about this man. Yuri lifted his sunglasses up to see his eyes underneath.

"Oh! Mr. Gil!" 

The man chuckled. "Yep, that's me. You guys are good here at K-Won."

This was the man that won the last two years' world poker champion title, the high-roller that likes girls and cars, the whale that both Jessica and Tiffany told her to stay away from. Well, fate just has it that Yuri would meet Gil in the vast casino. She could use this opportunity to earn herself some praises from Jessica. Maybe she could even ask her supervisor to include this in her review.

"Mr. Gil," Yuri said, putting on her best smile. "Have you checked-in yet?" Gil nodded. "That's great! Is there anything that you would like? A bottle of wine perhaps? I could send it up right away!" Yuri was all too eager to satisfy the first whale she's met. Sica will be proud of me.

Gil leaned his weight on his arm against the wall, pushing the trapped Yuri to squeeze into the wall. "Well, how would youlike to come up to my room and we'll take care of that leg of yours?"

Yuri gulped. She knew what he was implying and she definitely didn't want to be left alone with this man who's creeping her out. But she didn't want to offend him either. What if he files a complaint about her.

"Um... I'm still working so I'll have to pass on this one." 

Gil leaned in closer. "I'm sure it'll be fine. You could send up that bottle of wine you mentioned earlier..." He took her hand and caressed it, sending goosebumps up her arms.

If he wasn't such an important client at K-Won, Yuri would've kicked him where it hurts the most before drumming on his bald head with both her fists. She pulled her hand out of his and slid away. His smile made her flinch and only made Yuri want to hit him more.

Yuri took a deep breath then forced on a smile. "Mr. Gil, I will gladly go and order you a bottle of wine. I'll send someone to bring it up."

Yuri was about to walk past him, but he stopped her by the arm. "No need to bother someone else, we could order it from the hotel room."

Yuri didn't know how to reply to his insistent ways without screaming 'pervert'. She was gently trying to get out of his grip, but he held on tight. Surely if she told him her real identity, he wouldn't be doing this. From her knowledge, her dad was the one that organizes these poker tournaments. Yuri was just about to tell him that she is Kwon Min's daughter when another hand broke them apart. She found this third person to be holding her hand just as tightly, but it gave a different feel from Gil's hold. It was reassuring and when she saw who it was, relief poured over her.

"Mr. Gil," Jessica said coldly. "Don't harrass my workers like that. Go relax in your hotel room and I'll send a bottle of wine right up." 

Jessica pulled Yuri by her hand and walked off, leaving Gil speechless and amazed by Jessica's cold stare.

"Don't look back," Jessica told Yuri. She led her back to her office, cutting through the crowds and without letting go of Yuri's warm hand. When they were safely in the office, Jessica closed the door behind Yuri. "What part of 'stay away' don't you understand?" Jessica looked at Yuri's provocative outfit. "And what part of 'wear the chicken suit' did you not understand?"

Yuri was sure that Jessica had just rescued her, but now she has to face the dangers of her supervisor. Yuri had taken initiative and went ahead with her suggestion to Jessica earlier without any consent: attract people with her sexiness. 

"Seohyun's helping me glue feathers onto the suit..."

Jessica crossed her arms. "Kwon Yuri, even if the chicken was as bald as Gil's head, you should still wear it instead of..." Jessica moved her eyes away from Yuri's to look at her body. "...instead of..." Jessica's ears turned as red as Yuri's short burgundy dress as she checked the tall girl out, "...instead of that," she finally managed to finish. 

Yuri noticed Jessica's flustered look when she gestured at her outfit. Yuri bit her lips to hide her smile before Jessica yells at her some more for showing any signs of amusement.

"I knew Gil would be all over you the moment he saw you..." Jessica continued to lecture as she walked to her desk. "That's why you should be wearing the costume!"

Yuri found it hard to believe that Jessica wasn't trying to ridicule her by making her dance in the chicken outfit, but to protect her from perverts like Gil. Nah, it was just a coincidence. There was no way that Jessica would care about her subordinates like that. Especially not Yuri who has been defying her since they first met.

"I'm letting you off early so you can change before starting your shift at Belle Seoul." Jessica sighed. "And Yuri? Try to avoid Gil." Jessica turned away to mumble to herself. "How am I going to save this one..."

Yuri knew Jessica hadn't intended for Yuri to hear her troubles. She actually sounded concerned about Yuri which made her feel even more guilty for leaving her supervisor to clean up after her mess. 

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

"Yuri, can you go to buy me a turkey please? I need to prepare it for tomorrow's Goobne contest," Taeyeon asked her sous-chef.

Yuri didn't really feel like going anywhere during her last hour at Belle Seoul. After Jessica's scolding, she had changed into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a hoodie. It wasn't particularly cold out tonight, but Yuri was comfortable in her snug clothes, near the warmth of the stove.

Yuri walked over to where Jessica was washing the dishes. "Sica--"

"Jessica."

"--go buy a turkey," Yuri delegated.

Jessica gave a quick glare at Yuri from the corner of her eyes before resuming to scrub tonight's chef special off the plate: chicken a la king. It was like Taeyeon's secret way of mocking them and Jessica had no doubt about it. Especially after Taeyeon whispered, "Jessica, you got owned," and then burst into laughter everytime she passed by.

"No," Jessica replied without the slightest interest of moving.

"You can't say no. I'm above you. My position is higher than yours, so you have to listen to what I tell you to do." Yuri mentally facepalmed herself after hearing what she said. Geez, I sound like such a high school kid.

"Like as if you ever listen to what I say?" Jessica rinsed a plate. "Like that time I said 'wear the chicken suit'?"

"Hey, the suit's all battered up! You can't blame me for--"

"Or the time I said that we couldn't comp the con couple for their week?" Jessica roughly placed the plate on the rack.

"I didn't know that they--"

"Or how about when you left my office without my permission?" More plates clattered as Jessica carelessly shoved another plate onto the rack.

They continued to exchange words like that, where Jessica would name Yuri's faults, cutting the tall girl off everytime she tried to defend herself, ending with a whole rack of disorganized plates. 

"Woah! Stop! Both of you!" Taeyeon shouted at the bickering couple. She looked at her plates. "Okay, I think maybe both of you should go... Before I have no more plates to serve my customers."

Jessica raised her eyebrows inwards. "But Tae..." she whined.

"It's a turkey and they're heavy. Maybe you two could use this time to work on your relationship." Taeyeon inspected a chipped plate, sighing as she tossed it out.

Jessica squinted her eyes at Yuri who almost stuck her tongue out to taunt her. "I'll only go if I could be Yuri's boss." 

Yuri's eyes widened. "Nuh uh! She can't cook!"

"No," Jessica agreed. "But I can order you to do other things."

The bickering between the two resumed, moving onto round two. This time they pushed and shoved each other, regardless of who got in between them. 

Jessica shoved Taeyeon on the head when the short girl tried to break up the fight. "You tall chicken!"

Yuri pushed Taeyeon against Jessica. "Oh yeah, who was the chicken that screamed for help last night?"

And like that, they kept pushing the short girl from one person to another until she got dizzy from it. 

"You two stop it!" Taeyeon screamed, regaining her authority in the still kitchen. "Get back to work before I fire all your lazy butts," she yelled at the staff who stopped cutting and stirring to watch the yo-yo fight. "You two, go get me that turkey and whoever brings it back gets to be in charge of the other one."

Taeyeon fixed her hair as the two contenders dashed off to put their jackets on. 

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

"Ok, look, we're both winners if we bring this turkey back together." Yuri changed hands to carry her side of the turkey. "Besides, Tae said that we should use this opportunity to work on our communication."

Jessica ignored the preacher as she struggled to transport their turkey across Belle Seoul's empty parking lot in the back. Who knew a turkey could weigh this much. The leg that she was holding onto started to slip out of her gloved hand.

"Here Sica, let me get that for you." 

Yuri took the whole frozen turkey into her arms. Just when Jessica wasn't paying attention, she used the bird as a tool to knock Jessica over, sandwiching it between them for a brief second before Jessica fell on the snow covered ground. 

"Sucker!" The competitive Yuri tried to take off with the turkey but its weight was slowing her down. 

Jessica reached up to stop Yuri. There was no way she was going to let this chicken brain boss her around. She tugged on Yuri's jogging pants, pulling her back from the waistband. This time it was Yuri who fell on the ground to prevent her pants from being completely pulled off. Jessica scrambled to pick up the chicken, giggling at Yuri who was fixing her pants. 

"Who's the sucker now?" Jessica mocked and ran off with the turkey football.

Yuri made a snowball and threw it at the running girl, using her orange bun as the target. She missed. Yuri gathered another pack of snow to form the weapon for her next pitch before the girl was able to cross the finish line. Her perfect snowball hit Jessica on the back of her jacket, causing the turkey thief to shriek.

Jessica dropped the turkey on the ground to open the door. She turned around just in time to see Yuri grab her by the waist, causing her to shriek again. Jessica couldn't help but laugh at the determined girl right before she elbowed her off. As Yuri stumbled back, Jessica kicked the giant turkey into Taeyeon's kitchen.

"Victory is mine!" Jessica announced with one foot on the frozen ball and both her arms raised.

Everybody in the kitchen paused what they were doing to stare at the small girl, sweating and huffing as another one joined her.

Taeyeon shook her head at the two girls catching their breath. One had snow all over her jacket while the other one had white patches across her butt. She looked down at the innocent bird that was covered with the snow from Jessica's boot. "Oh god... It's a good thing the food inspector isn't here today."

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

Jessica was snickering about her victory as she was typing up Yuri's report when somebody knocked on her door. Opening the door with a grin that she tried to hide, the last person that she expected to see was there. And with shampoo bubbles all over her head.

"What do you want?" Jessica stood guard at her open door.

For some odd reason, Yuri looked equally surprised. Like as if she didn't know whose door she was knocking on tonight.Jessica followed Yuri's eyes that were staring at her bare legs. She crossed them and her arms.

"What are you looking at?" Jessica's iciness seemed to have pulled Yuri out of her daze.

"Nothing... I..." Yuri stammered as Jessica tapped her foot impatiently. "...I've never seen you without pants --I mean, in regular civilian clothes."

"What, am I? An alien, Kwon Yuri?"

Yuri smacked her forehead, causing some foam to fall. "I meant I've never seen you in shorts." 

Wrong answer again. Jessica didn't have time for Yuri's dorkiness. She had a report to write and a meeting early tomorrow morning with her big boss. She was about to close her door when Yuri tried to push past her.

Jessica stopped Yuri from entering by her shoulder. "Excuse me, Miss-who-is-dripping-foam-all-over-my-floor. Where do you think you're going?"

"Aish, I need to borrow your shower. The water in my room just suddenly stopped working."

When Yuri saw that Jessica refused to budge, she shook her head a few times, flicking drops of water mixed with shampoo at the girl blocking her.

"Aiiiiie!" Jessica shrieked. 

Yuri pushed past Jessica and immediately went into the bathroom. 

"Kwon Yuri, that will be $20 to use my shower." Jessica screamed above the running water.

"I can't believe she's charging me for this..." Yuri scrubbed her head harder.

After her shower, Jessica was already in bed, half dozing off while waiting for Yuri to pay up and leave. But instead of heading to the door, Yuri sat down on the sofa.

"Ummm... Sica..."

"Jessica," she groggily corrected Yuri.

"Jessica, I kinda left my keys in my room... Could I sleep here tonight?" Yuri pleaded in the dark.

This girl was just full of surprises today, making it quite the unwanted eventful day for Jessica. How many more times does she need Jessica to save her today. Luckily for troublesome girl, she had already finished Yuri's review. 

"Go ask the concierge for another key."

Yuri already lied down on the sofa. "Tomorrow. I'm too tired to move."

And I'm too tired to kick you out. "Go ask the concierge or pay me another $20 to sleep here."

"Take it out of my pay," Yuri yawned. 

Jessica didn't bother responding. She just snuggled deeper into her blankets. She was half asleep when she felt someone roll her over to the other side of the bed. 

"It's cold on the sofa," Yuri said quietly as she climbed into the toasty warm spot that Jessica was just in.

Jessica was too tired to put up a fight for her side of the bed. She shivered as she mumbled, "why can't you sleep on the other side?"

Yuri wriggled closer to Jessica to share her warmth. "Because you do that thing with your right arm. I don't want to get hit again."

Jessica smiled as she snuggled closer to the source of the heat, remembering the funny thing that Yuri does when she sleeps. 

Chapter 9 -The Daughter

"Guys, get this!" Stella excitedly called all the workers nearby. "Kwon Min's daughter is here at the casino!"

At first, Yuri wasn't going to participate in anymore of Stella's gossip. Today, she was going to work diligently and do everything that Jessica asked of her. Her week at K-Won was going to be over in 3 more days and she absolutely needed Jessica on her side. So if she had to calm down by 10 levels, then so be it. But Stella's announcement caught her attention big time. Even though Stella's the nosiest and gossipy person at K-Won, how on earth did she know that Kwon Min's daughter was here? 

Yuri approached the loud crowd huddled around Stella, whispering amongst themselves and asking Stella how she knew. Tiffany and Sunny also joined in to hear what Stella had to say. Stella unfolded a familiar piece of paper in her hands. She cleared her voice loudly before reading from it.

"Pa, or should I say Mr. Kwon Min, the water pipes are as old as you. If you don't want your daughter to freeze during her shower, you should get them fixed."

Yuri stumbled back, eyes wide open, as Stella finished reading what she had written on the comment card right before Jessica threw her out of the room this morning. Yuri had desperately needed to use the bathroom this morning and although Jessica knew, she wouldn't let her go in while she was still using it because she had to get ready for a meeting. Yuri didn't have the key to her room yet so she continued banging on the bathroom door, honestly thinking that her embarrassing moment from kindergarten would repeat itself --she just might pee in her pants. Jessica just refused to open the door no matter how desperate the pleas, so Yuri did the next thinkable thing: pray to God. 

She thought that reading the bible might help take her mind off the urgent matter. When she opened the bedside drawer, she saw the comment card and Jessica's spare key. Without thinking twice, she swiped them, thinking that it was God's answer to her prayer. She would use the bathroom down the hallway, then use the spare key to get back into Jessica's room. However, before she could even leave the room, Jessica dragged her into the bathroom, allowing Yuri to relieve herself just before she threw her out in the hallway in only her pj's.

Along her way to the front desk, Yuri dropped off the comment card, never thinking that it would ever get picked up. At least not for another week or two and by that time, she would be relaxing on a beach in Malaysia or something.

"Does it say which room she's in?" Tiffany asked Stella.

One of the housekeepers jumped up and down, shrieking to her friend next to her. "Oh my god, what if I cleaned up after her?"

"Do you think she's here undercover?" another worker shouted.

"Miss Kwon." Yuri turned her head to the voice thinking she was being addressed. "You're not doing some undercover work in the cabaret shows are you?"

Cabaret show? But I don't even work in that department. Yuri was just about to reply when a woman in her 30's answered, clearing up the confusion. "Haha! I'm much too old to be his daughter. And Joe, do you know how many Kwons there are working here? Why don't you ask Yuri if she's the daughter undercover? She's about the right age."

All eyes turned to Yuri, studying her as she nervously smiled. Dammit! I could kiss the beaches goodbye!

"Nah, it can't be her. She has black hair."

"Yeah, his daughter is from the states so she'll probably have brown hair like Miss Jessica or Miss Tiffany."

Other people started to dismiss the possibility that Yuri might be the real daughter. One person even said that she wasn't tall enough to be her. From their description, her legs are as long and thin as a post, smile as bright as the sun, eyes like a fox, cherry lips as thin as a cardboard, and a figure as skinny as Victoria from Spice Girls also known as Victoria Beckham. Yuri realized that what these people were describing was a monster --or Barbie who is known to have an impossible figure and proportions.

"Guys?" Yuri finally spoke up. "Have you ever seen this person or know her name?"

If they knew, then Yuri would've lost her bet. Everybody looked at one another and murmurs of 'no' were said. 

"Yuwree, either people have only seen her when she was an awkward 12 year old or we started working here after she left for the States," Tiffany answered for the crowd nodding their heads. 

I was not an awkward 12 year old!

"And we only know her by her fake American name Ariel," Tiffany continued. "It's like Soonkyu calling herself Sunny." Sunny slapped Tiffany's arm while everybody laughed. 

Ok, maybe she was an awkward kid when she was younger, giving herself a fake American alias. It was only to prepare herself for when her dad sent her overseas. So before leaving, she went around telling people to call her Ariel, but once in the US, she went back to using her Korean name because she would sometimes forget, failing to respond to 'Ariel' half the time.

"Well, if you don't really know who she is, then why are you guys so excited about her return?" Yuri asked the chattering crowd.

"Honey, you must be new," the other Miss Kwon said. "Everybody here knows that Mr. Kwon Min loves his daughter to death. He'll do anything she says."

"So they're basically all wanting the daughter to put in a good word for them, get a raise or two. Or date her to live the good life," Tiffany interjected.

Miss Kwon giggled. "Oh honey, like as if you don't want any of that to happen to you either."

"We all know that Jessica's desperate for that to happen," Stella gestured at Jessica's empty office with her head.

A loud raspy voice spoke over them, breaking the party once they realize who it is. "What is Jessica desperate to have happen, hmmm?"

Taewoo was standing there with the large Goobne chicken suit in his hands and a worried Seohyun next to him. The three of them walked to a quiet corner.

"Unnie, I did my best to repair the costume..." Seohyun said, sounding like as if she had failed Yuri.

The chicken suit had feathers on it again, and unless Yuri really inspected it, then she wouldn't have noticed some of the glue marks. Seohyun did a great job at fixing up the suit, but Yuri could still see the worry in Seohyun's facial expression. Taewoo noticed it too.

"Yuri, you better thank her for her help. If Seohyun wasn't so skilled, I might be forced to charge you for the damages that you caused," he lectured his sister.

Yuri hugged Seohyun. "Thank you, Seohyunnie! You're the best!"

With her head down and cheeks blushing like the modest girl that she is, Seohyun accepted Yuri's gratitude before going back to work in the surveillance department, leaving the two Kwon siblings in the corner.

"Oppa, let me guess, Sica told you about the suit, didn't she?"

Taewoo placed the costume head on top of Yuri and snapped a quick picture with his cell phone camera before Yuri took it off, oblivious to the bribe picture.

"Nope, not with the latest video." Taewoo chuckled remembering the non-stop kicking and punching Jessica on top of Yuri. His sister was lucky she had the suit on to protect her. "And Yuri, don't do that again."

"I know... I damaged company property." She held the chicken head up, bowing with it. "Sorry," Yuri said in an imitated voice.

"It's not that. You really scared Jessica last night."

"Why do you care about her so much, oppa? Do you like her or something?"

Taewoo couldn't respond to that --not when he noticed another blue and white figure nearby. "Kwon Yuri, just remember not to do it again. And take care of the suit this time." He handed the chicken's body to her. As he was about to pass by the eavesdropper, he stopped to greet her. "Hi, Stella!"

"Hi, Mr. Taewoo," Stella replied feebly, caught in her spying act. 

Chapter 10 -Stalker Yul?

"So I want everybody to keep your eyes out for anybody suspicious today, okay?" Jessica wrapped up her speech that she gave to the security and surveillance teams working on the Goobne project.

Seohyun was one of the assigned members to monitor the event. She nodded her head along with the rest before returning to her post where a camera was zooming in and out of a crowded room, displaying images of Goobne staff in white t-shirts screaming wildly to pump up the crowd, people playing the games that were set up, and people with fried chicken drumsticks in their hands. Seohyun's screen showed one girl with three in her hands. What caught Seohyun's attention wasn't the greedy eater but her friend wearing a green Kerero t-shirt. 

This person looked just as young as Seohyun herself, but if the girl was able to get through the front security, then it must mean that she is of age to enter the casino.

Seohyun zoomed the camera in to get a better View of this strange person wearing such a childish shirt to a world of adult activities that were sure to corrupt an innocent mind, just like the innocent face of this doe-eyed girl. But she liked that. Seohyun smiled, touching the Kerero chain attached to her cell phone.

"Is everything okay?" Jessica asked peering over Seohyun's shoulder.

Seohyun unzoomed the camera, bringing the crowd back into view. "Yes, unnie. Everything's fine."

With her keen eye, Jessica pointed the girl out from the swarm of people that Seohyun was just looking at. "Is she somebody suspicious?"

For the first time today, Seohyun shook her head. 

"Do you know her?"

Seohyun shook her head again, feeling a slight warmth rising to her cheeks.

Jessica pointed to another figure on the screen, laughing at the yellow suited chicken wildly flapping its wings and breaking out into a wave, barely accomplishing it with its fat body suit. "Is that Yuri?" Jessica managed to ask between her laughter, coughing at the same time.

The younger girl nodded her head, fully aware that her seniors were staring at them. Seohyun couldn't blame them if her unnie was distracting them from their work. Seeing Jessica laugh is more rare than seeing an endangered specie. Jessica laughed again when Yuri stuck out her bottom and shook it, causing some of the feathers that Seohyun glued back on to fall off again.

"Thanks for helping unnie fix up the suit. I would've done it myself but--"

The young girl shook her head. "It's fine, Sica unnie. I understand. It was my pleasure to help out unnie and Yuri unnie. Even if you hadn't asked I would've done it anyway."

Jessica hugged the innocent girl that she grew to be fond of, always thinking of others first. Jessica knew that people working at K-Won wondered how an Ice Princess like her could be this warm and caring to just a regular surveillance employee. If only they knew Seohyun's story, then they would know why Jessica brought little innocent Seohyun into this corrupted world, forcing her to juggle work and studies at the same time. If only they knew that Seohyun's father was receiving his chemotherapy treatment in the States, leaving Seohyun to take care of her mother alone... Then they would know why Jessica is so protective of this little girl lost in an adult world. 

With one look at the girl sitting across from her, Jessica knew that she didn't belong and therefore didn't even bother to interview the timid girl. "This isn't a place for you. Go find a job elsewhere," Jessica told the tall 18 yr-old who suddenly looked so scared and small in front of her. 

"I need this job," was the repsonse given in tears. 

Jessica didn't have a problem being cold, not when the previous four applicants also begged for a job only to leave the room in tears. "No you don't. Go back to school."

"If you don't give me this job, then you might as well be murdering me and my parents..." the girl mumbled softly.

Luckily for the crying girl, Jessica's computer froze, giving the girl the chance to show her tech savvy skills even though she was just rejected for the position.

Behind her generosity, Jessica knew there was a sad story involved. So she did her best to feign a secret interview. "You passed all my tests. Welcome to K-Won, Seohyun."

That was their first encounter and Jessica's first time feeling like a big sister again after sending her real sister to study in the States. 

"Seohyun, I'm going to go down to the floor to ensure that the contest runs smoothly. Call me if anything." Jessica eyed Seohyun's thermos, sniffling a bit. "Is that tea?"

"Yes..."

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

"Unnie, I think we're being followed," one of the Goobne contestants said to her friend who was busily chomping down on one of the free drumsticks.

"Don't be silly, Yoong. There's so many people here yet so few places to go in this room."

"I don't know about that... I just find it creepy that whenever I turn around, that big chicken is there."

The two contestants moved across the room and stood near a bald man who was talking in a corner with a small girl with orange-brown hair. And just as Yoona predicted, the chicken was tiptoeing right behind them, acting like a giant yellow ninja.

"Unnie, what if someone recognizes us?"

"Yoona, you speak like as if we're here to rob this place!" Another drumstick was tossed into a nearby garbage can.

"Stop eating before the contest and focus! We're seriously being followed and our reputation could be at stake here!" Yoona screamed at her friend who wasn't even paying attention to her, but was staring at the couple in the corner. "Unnie!" Yoona shook her friend hard, causing the last drumstick to fall on the ground. 

The tall girl hated it when food went to waste. She shot Yoona a 'look-at-what-you-did' glare for a brief moment before wiping her fingers with a napkin. Marching up to the acclaimed chicken stalker, she demanded to know why it was following her and Yoona.

"What is it? Do you want an autograph? A picture with my friend? Or do you want me to perform some surgery for you? Are you the darned paparazzi again? Why must you guys scrutinize everything single little thing that we do?!"

The Goobne mascot shook its head to all four suggestions. A piece of feather from the head flew onto the girl's mouth, annoying her even more.

"Did somebody hire you to spy on me?"

Finally, the mascot revealed its head. "Sooyoung! It's me!"

Surprised to see her old friend, Sooyoung hugged Yuri, ruffling the feather in between them. "Oh my god, Yuri!" They broke apart from the hug. "Yoong, look! It's Yuri!" Sooyoung moved to the side so Yoona can see.

"Ahhh! Yuri unnie!"

The three of them hugged each other in a big group hug before jumping up and down excitedly due to their reunion. 

"Kwon Yuri..." a cold voice broke them apart.

Despite that, Yuri couldn't hide her excitement from seeing her two best friends. "Sica! Guys, this is my supervisor, and Sica, meet my two best friends! This is the famous Im Yoona, rising drama star of tomorrow and," Yuri turned to the taller girl beside her, "Choi Sooyoung, the famous Dr. Choi. And together, we are the three musketeers!"

Jessica gave each of them an awkward smile before pulling the dorky Yuri next to her. "And what are you famous for?" she whispered.

"My beautiful tanned skin and captivating smile," Yuri whispered back with a grin, drawing Jessica's attention to her lips.

"So Sooyoung, what kind of a doctor are you?" Jessica shifted her attention away from Yuri. "A family doctor?"

"Nope, I'm a surgeon. A very good one too," Sooyoung replied.

Loud music surrounded them just as a popular band endorsing Goobne went onstage to perform right before the start of the actual eating contest. Everybody burst into screams and more people joined in the crowd to get a glimpse of their favorite member on stage.

Yuri's attention went to the stage for a brief moment, only to realize later that Jessica and Sooyoung were no longer with them. 

"Yoong! Where's Sooyoung and Sica?" Yuri screamed over the crowd, only getting a shrug from Yoona who was singing along to the song being performed.

Yuri didn't have to wonder or search the swarm of people for long. Sooyoung returned alone right when the song ended. 

Yuri looked around. "Where's Sica?" 

"Yul, your supervisor is weird. She kept asking me all these questions about my job and then she gave me her number." Sooyoung held up a business card and a bunch of beautifully written numbers was plainly visible on the white backside.

"No way..." Yuri wriggled an arm out of the suit and snatched the card out of Sooyoung's hand.

An announcer called all the participants to go up on stage so that the contest could officially begin. Sooyoung and Yoona both left Yuri who never took her eyes off the card, wondering if it really was Jessica's number.

The Goobne competition had ended successfully with Sooyoung and Yoona winning 2nd and 3rd place, respectfully. Sooyoung wasn't particularly happy with the results, complaining to her two friends that if she hadn't eaten the free drumsticks earlier to open her appetite, then she would've won. She even begged the judges to count them as part of her competing pieces, even if it was just one piece to tie for first place. The judges refused to budge, but Jessica saved the judges from a repetitive argument by offering Sooyoung and Yoona a hotel room for free. It wasn't first place, but it did calm Sooyoung, although the first prize, one-year all you can eat Goobne chicken, was still better. 

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

Yuri was so sick of seeing food after witnessing just how much one person could eat. Lucky for her, she didn't have to stay behind like Jessica to clean up. It did make her wonder though exactly what the scope of Jessica's job is. It seems to her that Jessica does everything or works in every single department imaginable here at K-Won. Even the Kwon daughter in training isn't working as hard as her.

Yuri pulled out the card that she took from Sooyoung earlier and stared at the blue numbers. Yuri heard Taeyeon greet Jessica when the orange haired girl entered. She slipped the card back into her pocket and resumed cutting the peppers. 

Jessica put on an apron and stood beside Yuri, inspecting the peppers and other chopped vegetables. It was rather distracting whenever Jessica frowned while holding onto one of Yuri's vegetables, judging its size like it was some beauty pageant. And when she placed it down, she didn't even bother putting it back on the right plate; that is, Jessica placed the red pepper with the red tomatoes, mixing the two different vegetables for two different uses together. It also annoyed her that Jessica was now her supervisor at Belle Seoul, thus giving her the right to play with Yuri's food. Jessica finally reached the last plate of oddly cut potatoes.

"What is this?"

That was the final straw. Jessica doesn't know how to cook or cut tomatoes properly, but here she was criticizing. "Yah! What are you doing?!"

Jessica played with half a slice of potatoes. "Are these cut?"

Yuri laughed at the half cut potato, picking it up to take a bite. "Haha! These are Taeyeon's. She cut them for me."

After scrutinizing over the peppers, tomatoes, and kimchi, Jessica finally found something that she could lecture Yuri about, like a proper kitchen supervisor but it turned out to be Taeyeon's work. "Oh... That's very nice of her." Taeyeon glanced over in their direction, worrying Jessica that she might lose her right to be in charge of Yuri. "It's very well done. Good job!" Jessica praised, patting the potatoes on the plate. 

Jessica didn't get much of a chance to order Yuri around today because of the amount of clients eating and watching the performances at Belle Seoul. The majority of them were from the Goobne competition who stayed to gamble afterwards. With the amount of people this event attracted, it brought in an additional revenue for the casino. Her bosses would be happy to know this.

"Jessica, are you ready to leave?"

Jessica took off her apron and rubber gloves. "Yes, oppa. I just want to wash my hands," Jessica answered Taewoo who began to greet everyone else, stopping at Yuri.

"Kwon Yuri, how was your day?"

"It was good, sir," Yuri replied back, keeping it formal. "What brings you here?"

Taeyeon passed by them with a plate of sandwiches to put in the walk-in fridge, answering Yuri's question to the big man. "Oh, he's probably here to pick up Jessica."

Taewoo chuckled at how observant his favorite chef is. Without another second, Jessica appeared by his side, ready to leave.

"Let's go," she said.

Taewoo saw the puzzled look on Yuri's face. Twice, she's already asked him if he was going out with Jessica. And even tonight, he didn't get the chance to tell her.

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

They were standing in front of Jessica's door. Taewoo waited as Jessica searched for her key. Being the forgetful person that she is, it took Jessica awhile to find the key that was in her pants and not in her purse.

"Sorry, oppa..." Jessica flashed him an apologetic smile.

Just when she was about to open the door, a stealthy figured popped up next to them. Jessica of course shrieked with her eyes closed, only hearing a body being slammed against the wall. When she opened her eyes again, she saw Taewoo holding the tanned girl against the wall.

"Kwon Yuri!" Jessica screamed, her fright quickly being replaced with anger.

"Yuri-yah! Don't do that! I could've really hurt you!" Taewoo shouted at his sister.

Yuri glared at Jessica's escort of the night, groaning as she rubbed her shoulder. "Op- Mr. Taewoo..." 

Taewoo stroked his sister's back whereas Jessica slapped Yuri on her arm. "What do you think you're doing, following me?"

Through the pain and shock, Yuri still managed to chuckle a bit. "Yah! Did you forget that I live across from you?" She turned to her brother who looked like he was worried about having shattered her bones. "And op-- Mr. Taewoo! Why did you attack me like that? Seriously, you two are funny people..."

"Sorry, Yuri-yah... We thought you were the stalker," her brother apologized.

Yuri expected Jessica to do the same even though she wasn't the one who threw Yuri hard against the wall. Instead Jessica didn't appear to have any signs of pity and looked more furious than ever. "You deserved that!"

Taewoo stepped between the two girls with murder written all over their faces. "Sorry!" he apologized again, guilt written all over his face. "That's why I told you earlier not to sneak up on Jessica again. There's this stalker who's been sending her flowers with creepy messages everyday."

Yuri stopped rubbing her shoulder and looked up at him. "May I speak with you, privately?" Yuri was determined to finally get some answers tonight. They took a few steps away from Jessica, whispering lowly. "Those flowers that you bring to her office aren't from you?"

"Nope. I ask security to send them to my office first for screening, then I bring them to Jessica."

"Oppa, are you in love with Jessica?" Yuri asked seriously.

Taewoo looked over his shoulders at his assistant leaning on her door, spacing off again. Sure he found her pretty, but he wasn't shallow like that, nor was he interested in competing for a girl with more problems than the president of the United States.

"I don't love her, but I do care about her like the younger sister I never had..." he joked with Yuri who has been away from home for quite a number of years. "That's why I walk Jessica back to her hotel room every now and then when I have time."

Yuri also looked at Jessica leaning on the door, watching her eyelids getting heavier and heavier with each blink. She's so different from Stella, not caring at all about my conversation with oppa even though she's only 5 steps away, Yuri thought. "Oppa, I have an idea. Since it's inconvenient for you to walk Jessica back to her room every night and since we both end our shifts at the same time, how about I walk her to her room?"

"No way!" Taewoo said with his voice raised. He wasn't going to let anything happen to his sister. "Not when Jessica's being stalked."

"Well, oppa, if you think about it, I'm heading in this direction also!" 

Taewoo noticed Jessica staring at the two of them arguing and lowered his voice again. "Fine, then I'll walk both of you back."

"No, oppa! I'm big enough to take care of myself!" Yuri glanced at Jessica again. "And Jessica," she added.

"But you're a girl!"

"A girl who got sent away at the age of 12 and has been taking care of herself since then!"

"Ugh... Not again..." Taewoo groaned, resting his hand on his forehead. His sister was being impossible.

"If you cared about Jessica, then you should know that your actions are stirring up rumors." Yuri changed her tactic, knowing that her brother is a big caring soft teddy bear. "Oppa..." Yuri whined.

Jessica walked over to them. "What's going on?"

"Nothing. Mr. Taewoo was just asking me to walk you back to the hotel from now on," Yuri told her happily.

"Is that true?"

Taewoo was held to his place by Jessica's cold look. At times, he spoils his sister way too much. Even this fake Ice Princess sister. Guess I'll just tell security to keep an eye out for Jessica's stalker. Plus, there hasn't been an attack for almost a week, Yuri should be safe.

"Yeah, I'm going to be quite busy with the Christmas events and the employee raffle. Don't forget to enter it, you two."

Taewoo took off after that.

-----------

Yuri decided not to use the key that she swiped and knocked on Jessica's door instead. It took the other girl awhile to open the door, but she opened it eventually. Yuri stared at the girl in front of her, wearing the same shorts as last night. Her brother was right. There's no doubt that Jessica is very pretty --even in her black spectacles.

"What do you want?" The coldness of Jessica's voice broke through her thoughts.

Yuri entered the room without an invitation. It wasn't her first time doing it and Jessica didn't seem to mind this time. 

"Do you have any ointment for muscle pain or bruising?" Yuri asked, reaching her hand over her shoulder to rub it.

Jessica tossed a bottle at Yuri who was already sitting on the bed. "$10. Put it on yourself."

What an ahjumma... Yuri didn't really expect Jessica to have any with her. Yuri's purpose was to just make Jessica go easy on her tomorrow, not forcing her to work so hard.

"I can't reach..."

Jessica ignored Yuri who was twisting into weird positions, only to flop down on the bed defeated. At the sound of Yuri's frustration, Jessica looked up from the desk covered with papers. Yuri was once again trying to reach this spot in the middle, inching finger by finger down her back. Jessica bit down on her lip to stop from smiling at the dork twisting on her bed. She's pretty flexible...

"Lie down," Jessica ordered, taking the bottle from Yuri. "Here?" Jessica asked pulling Yuri's tank top down a little to expose more of her tanned back.

Yuri flinched at Jessica's touch making the petite girl think that she got the injured spot and so Jessica began to rub the ointment into the wrong spot. Yuri didn't bother to correct her, she was enjoying Jessica's simple massage far too much to interrupt it. From all the expensive and professional massages she ever got, Jessica's was --special. It made her whole body tingle even though Jessica's soft hands didn't touch her anywhere else. 

"Ten dollars... Though I should be charging you what the girls make down at the spa."

Jessica noticed a red mark forming on the shoulder that Yuri kept rubbing earlier. She stopped massaging Yuri's back and pushed the material away from her shoulder to apply ointment on the reddening spot. Yuri flinched again so she used less strength, yet Yuri still seemed to be squirming. She must have hit the wall pretty hard, Jessica thought as she blew on Yuri's injury, remembering that it always worked when her mom tried to soothe hers and her sister's injuries. 

Jessica was beginning to feel tired. Her head dropped so low as she was massaging Yuri's shoulder that her head dipped onto Yuri's back at one point,causing her to immediately jolt up at the contact.

"Yah, Kwon Yuri... Go sleep in your own room." There was no response from Yuri. Not even after she shook the girl lying comfortably on her bed, face against a pillow. Jessica slapped Yuri on the shoulder. When Yuri still didn't move, she pressed down hard on the evident injury, but Yuri still didn't budge. Wow, this girl is a deeper sleeper than me...

Jessica turned off the lights and climbed into bed, not noticing a grin and a tear roll down Yuri's cheek. 

Chapter 11 -Winning

Day 4

Date: Dec. 15, 2009

Name: Kwon Yuri

Employee ID: 12552418

Department: Service

Supervisor: Jessica Jung

Technical Skills: Quality 

Successfully attracted many to the Goobne contest. Increased players at the casino and at Belle Seoul restaurant. Revenue increase at Belle Seoul: 12%

Communication Skills: Good

Knows how to connect with people and how to create an intimate bond. Needs to be less stealthy at times (could lead to misunderstandings)

Judgment: Needs Improvement

Conversing with friends is fine, but should be done after completing duties (removed mascot mask during the event).

Collaboration: Good

Goes beyond the scope of her duties (i.e. Walking colleague home), taking over other's responsibility.

Punctuality: Exceptional

Always present and ready to work.

Overall Satisfaction: Not satisfied

Shows improvement in most areas however they lack consistency. Continued monitoring is needed.

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

Through all the commotion, Yuri found her two high school friends on the casino's Craps table. Being the more daring and bold one out of the musketeers, Sooyoung played while Yoona cheered her on from the sidelines with the rest of the spectators. Her best friend was on a roll. Craps was a random dice game based on luck and today, Sooyoung sure was lucky. Her winning streak of eight straight games attracted not just gamblers' attention but the casino's security as well, interrupting her game a few times to see if she had any hidden dice up her sleeves or in the bags of chips that she so frequently inserted her hands in only to be disappointed and had to buy the tall shikshin another bag.

"Yuri!" Sooyoung spotted her friend and waved her over to join her by her side, elbowing a very busty girl out of the way to make room for Yuri. "Blow on the dice for good luck!" 

After Yuri blew on them, Sooyoung turned to Yoona to do the same before throwing them out of her hand. Everybody watched as the two red dice flew across the large Craps table, chanting harmoniously for a ninth win.

"Yo'leven!" the casino's stickman announced. 

An explosion of cheers can be heard from a mile away, but the happiest person was the winner, jumping up and down with both her friends hugging her. Sooyoung signaled to the stickman to give the casino chips to her, ending the streak at the 9th win. The hyper crowd groaned their disappointment that their lucky star was leaving the table. They had hoped for a tenth win, eleventh win, and many more to continue the streak. However, unlike them, Sooyoung wasn't a greedy person. She was more clever, knowing that winning isn't forever. Plus, the security who's been interrupting her games ran out of Lay's chips to compensate for the ones that they've been compensating.

With the stacks of playing chips divided into three neat piles, Sooyoung gave her two friends each a stack, sharing her wealth. Each stack must have had at least $3,000 worth of chips.

Yoona kissed the girl on her cheek. "Unnie, you're amazing!"

Yuri followed suit and kissed the rich girl on the other side of her cheek. "SooYoungie, you're the best!"

Sooyoung accepted these praises shamelessly with a wide smile, nodding her head in agreement. The provocative woman standing next to Sooyoung earlier approached her, flaunting her assets in front of the tall girl. 

"Tonight's your lucky day..." she whispered flirtatiously, making her intentions very clear that she wanted to spend the night with the tall lucky girl.

Sooyoung cringed when the girl stroked her arm with a finger before stopping at the black chips in her hand. She squirmed away and wrapped her arms around each of her friends. "Yes, I am," Sooyoung replied, pulling the two giggling girls beside her to start moving. The three of them walked off, leaving the baffled and offended seductress behind. 

"Hey, Yul, where were you last night? Yoong and I went up to your room so we could catch up on things... And maybe you could explain why you were playing dress-up yesterday," Sooyoung asked as they were waiting in line to cash their chips.

"Oh... Um, I fell asleep in another room..." 

Yuri blushed remembering sleeping in Jessica's room last night, enduring Jessica's abuse till the end. Lucky for her, Jessica wasn't very determined to "wake" her up and make her leave, only pressing down on Yuri's injured shoulder once or twice. Jessica probably doesn't know it herself, but her strength was no joke. It had hurt like hell when she tried to wake Yuri up and her shoulder is still hurting. If she wasn't feeling so lonely in her empty hotel room, she wouldn't have had to pretend to be asleep. And in the past 4 days, she's been enjoying Jessica's company, even when they're fighting over childish things. It made working at K-Won mo interesting.

"Unnie, did you find your true love already?" Yoona said.

"Yah, some best friend you are. You don't tell us that you're back working for your dad, you don't tell us that you're seeing someone." Sooyoung crossed her arms. "Kwon Yuri, what else are you not telling us?"

Yuri shook her head. "I get off early today. We could chill later tonight. And I'm not seeing anybody." 

Her intended seven day stay wasn't enough time anyway. She quickly explained to her childhood friends the deal that she made with her dad and asked that they don't expose her identity. 

"So that Jessica Jung is your supervisor? And whatever she tells your dad, then that's the deciding factor for whether you help out with the business or not?" Sooyoung clarified, moving along the line that they were in.

"Yup, that's it. I'll be done by the end of this week. So far, I think I've been doing a good job..." It's true that they started off on the wrong foot, but Yuri is sure her performance has been improving and there's still a few more days for her to impress Jessica. 

"That's easy! I think your supervisor likes me. I could make her fall helplessly in love with me and then tell her to give you a good report."

For some reason, Yuri didn't like Sooyoung's idea very much. Not only was it wrong to play with somebody's feelings, but Yuri doesn't like that Jessica could be nice to her friend but cold to her. She also didn't like that the two have already exchanged numbers. 

"Unnie, once you're free, let's go celebrate in Hokkaido! Oh, and let's call Taewoo oppa to come too!" Yoona exclaimed excitedly.

Now in addition to worrying about what Sooyoung plans on doing with Jessica, Yuri also has to worry about Yoona and her brother. 

"Why?" 

"So he could come and pay for our bills. That's what happens when you lose a bet," Yoona replied without any hidden intentions.

They were busy planning their upcoming trip as the line shortened and it was soon their turn to cash in the casino chips. All three approached the bullet proof wicket. Before Yuri got a chance to put down the chips onto the counter, she heard her name being called.

"Kwon Yuri!"

Yuri turned around and saw Jessica. Her usual slow sluggish steps were quick and the expression on her face was not pleasant. Sooyoung and Yoona saw the deadly look and each put a protective arm around Yuri, Yoona's around her waist and Sooyoung's draped across her shoulder. Yuri winced slightly at Sooyoung's weight resting on her bruised shoulder. For a slight second, Yuri thought she saw Jessica's expression soften but she was furious again, pulling her to her side.

"Kwon Yuri, you're still working your shift, no?" It was a rhetorical question that Jessica asked. "And you know that as an employee of the casino, you're not allowed to gamble regardless of whether you're working or not."

Not wanting to get into trouble, Yuri gave the chips back to Sooyoung. Her two friends were amused that the once tough Kwon Yuri wasn't talking back, nor was she scaring her supervisor with her true identity. Instead, she looked guilty and worried. Kwon Yuri had turned into a soft cat.

Sooyoung let go of Yuri. She placed all the chips in her hands onto the table for the woman at the counter to count. Putting her arm around Jessica, she began her diversion, using a soft tone.

"Hi, Jessica, why didn't you call me last night?"

"Oh, Sooyoung." Jessica bowed her head. "I um... had an unexpected guest come over."

Yuri's hand was still in Jessica's as she witnessed her friend flirt and her supervisor turning shy. Well, Sooyoung saved her from Jessica who seems to have completely forgotten about lecturing Yuri as well as her presence. Feeling neglected among other things, Yuri tugged on Jessica's hand.

"Sica, we should get back to work." Not giving Jessica the chance to respond, she said a quick goodbye to her friends before pulling her away. 

Hand in hand they walked back together to the customer service corner, cutting through the crowds of gamblers. People bumped into Yuri a few times, but she was too preoccupied to notice the pain shooting across her back.

"Yuri, how's your shoulder?" Jessica asked right before letting go of her to open the door.

Yuri took a deep breath to shake off all the negative feelings. In an instant, she changed to her cheerful self again, smiling as she replied. "I think I'll be needing some more of your ointment tonight."

"Get your own. It's only $5." 

They walked behind the counter where Tiffany and Stella greeted them. Had they not been paying close attention to Jessica, they wouldn't have noticed the small short nod back from the girl. Tiffany went back to reading the file on her screen and Stella pretended to go back to work. She watched closely though as Yuri stopped Jessica by the arm from going upstairs to her office.

"Sica, did you enter the draw yet?" Yuri pointed at the employee contest box. 

"There's no point. I never win anyway."

Yuri's small eyes quickly scanned the rules and prizes. First prize was a fully paid day for the winner and guest of her choice to an all-inclusive outing. It also included one night hotel stay at one of the K-Won grande suites, all expenses and accomodations paid for, including the in-house deluxe spa massage. 

Normally, Yuri wouldn't care for these kind of luxuries since they're always at her disposal. However, having worked for four days straight, a break of any kind sounds nice right now. 

"C'mon, it won't kill you to write down your info. There's nothing to lose."

Jessica rolled her eyes. She's had her share of disappointments and knew that luck isn't with her. There simply wasn't any point in having high hopes. But she'll amuse this girl so she can get back to her work. She'll prove to Yuri just how pointless her extra entry is. Jessica scribbled her information onto the form and placed it in the box. She was about to leave when Yuri's hand tugged on her arm again.

There was a sign of hesitation. "Um... Sica, can I have your number?" Yuri asked shyly. 

"No."

Yuri didn't expect such a curt response from Jessica.

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need it."

Sooyoung doesn't need it either... Yet you still gave it to her, Yuri thought. Instead of manipulating Jessica, Yuri thought of a reason for needing her number.

"Well, what if I win the draw? I'm going to have to call you so I can invite you," Yuri said.

It seems that with each passing day, Yuri's charming smile and dorky actions were catching Jessica's interest, amusing her each time. Many in the past have tried to entertain Jessica, but none of them had this effect on her. Nor would she try to return the humor.

"When that happens, I'll give you my number." Jessica smiled the moment she turned around to climb the stairs.

"Sica, wait!" Yuri called after her. "You didn't take my number!"

"I don't need it," Jessica called back. "If I win, I'll ask either Tiffany or Seohyun to come with me." Tiffany heard and her eyes automatically formed a puppy smile. 

Stella, who has been watching the two of them jealously, rubbed Yuri's back to console her. "Yuri, don't worry, if I win tonight, I'll take you for sure. I'll give you my number."

Yuri smiled weakly at Stella. "Thanks, Stell. You're the best."

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

For the rest of the day, Yuri didn't see Jessica because she was busy training a new guy and left Yuri under Tiffany and Stella's care. In a way, Yuri felt more free to do and say what she wanted without having to worry about getting scolded. Yet at the same time, whenever she said or did something inappropriate, she had expected Jessica to be right behind her, catching her. She felt uneasy without Jessica screaming "Kwon Yuri". She even made a few mistakes on purpose, secretly hoping that Jessica would pop up. 

I guess I've just become accustomed to Jessica's routine lectures...

Yuri spent most of the day talking to Stella when customers weren't waiting to be served. She learned a lot about her co-worker. To Yuri's surprise, they had a lot in common. They both lost their mothers when they were younger and were raised solely by their dad. Since then, they both became independent. Stella showed her independence by traveling a lot when she was younger. She's even been to the Ice Hotel in Antarctica. They also both liked reading the Shopaholic series.

Yuri swiped her card in the machine, marking the end of her day.

"Oh, Yuri, you're leaving already?" Stella asked.

"Yeah, I'm finally done with this slow day!" 

"Well, I'll probably call you later to save me from boredom!" Stella joked.

Yuri had almost forgotten that they exchanged numbers earlier. When Stella's not gossiping, Yuri found their conversations to be quite pleasant and wouldn't mind having an extra friend at the casino for the next few days. "Sure! Call me, but your two hours is almost over... You'll be fine, Stell."

"Hey, don't forget to come back later tonight when Mr. Taewoo announces the winners for the draw," Stella reminded. "And do you think I could pass by your place some time to pick up the last Shopaholic book? I'm just itching to find out what happens next in Becky's married life. It sure is great when you're rich eh..."

Yuri chuckled at Stella's comment. It's not the first time she's heard that, but even rich people have problems that can't be solved with money. 

"I'm going to be busy today but you can pass by next time to get the book," Yuri said before going back to her hotel.

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

Seohyun entered Jessica's office just as the new guy left. He gave her a smile and tipped his head to greet her when he passed by, allowing Seohyun to study his good looks for a few seconds. There was something familiar about those eyes and thin lips but she couldn't quite pinpoint it. 

"Seohyun, is everything okay?" Jessica asked inviting the young girl to sit on the chair across from her.

"Unnie, who was that?"

Jessica didn't look up from the documents she was working on. "Oh, he's the new dealer. The guy creeps me out at times by standing so close to me, but he's a bright kid." She finished writing on the document and closed the folder, giving Seohyun her full attention. "So what's up?"

"Oh, nothing much. I just wanted to bring you some tea." Seohyun placed a mug in front of Jessica then reached for Jessica's thermos. She frowned at the feel of the half full thermos. Seohyun was always conscious of others' health and has repeatedly nagged Jessica about her habits. "Unnie, how many times have I told you that drinking all that coffee is bad for you? Plus you have a cold, you really should get some rest instead of pumping yourself with all that espresso..."

Jessica smiled at the concerned girl. "You'll be proud of unnie. I didn't have any coffee today. I've been drinking tea." Seohyun looked at her in disbelief. "It's true," Jessica reinforced, somewhat offended that Seohhyun doesn't believe her. "You could smell my thermos if you want."

Seohyun did exactly that to confirm that her unnie wasn't lying to her. She even looked over at the coffee machine to double check. 

"See..."

"What made unnie decide to suddenly break her habit?"

Jessica didn't quite know the answer herself. Maybe it was the sweet fragrant or wanting a change in taste. Jessica sniffled. "Oh... It's for my cold."

"How are you feeling now? Shouldn't you know better than to play in the snow?" Seohyun lectured like a mother.

"I wasn't playing in the snow... Yuri threw snowballs at me."

Jessica coughed. Seohyun's lips pulled to one side of her face, showing a worried and pensive expression. "Maybe you should ask Taeyeon unnie to let you go home early to get some rest..."

She would love to take the rest of the day off to rest her aching body, but couldn't. How great it would be if she did win the draw, winning a paid day to relax.

---------

Yuri woke up from her nap. She stretched her arms, feeling re-energized from catching up with her wild friends. By now, the sun had already set. Yuri allowed herself a few minutes to adjust to the darkness of her room before checking the time on her cell phone. There was still an hour until the winners were drawn for the contest. That gave her enough time to get Jessica from Belle Seoul and together go to the reception hall where the draw was taking place.

Flipping open her phone, Yuri scrolled down to Jessica's number. She stared up at the ceiling as the phone rang a few times, thinking that nobody is going to answer because this isn't Jessica's number. 

After the fifth ring, Yuri was about to hang up when somebody sniffled into the speaker.

"Hello?"

Yuri thought about disguising her voice, or maybe she should pretend to be Sooyoung. 

"Hello?" the voice said again, this time more impatiently.

Yuri heard another voice in the background. "Jessica, is everything okay?" she heard someone ask before she quickly ended the call.

Although the voice sounded a bit different on the phone, the last line confirmed that the owner of this number was indeed Jessica's. Yuri lied in bed for another minute, thinking about what to do with this new information. Nothing came to mind except for the million reasons for Jessica giving her number to Sooyoung. No matter how many reasons she came up with, one kept rising above the others and that is, Jessica is interested in Sooyoung.

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

"Jessica!" the short manager's voice boomed in Belle Seoul's kitchen. "Your Kwon Seobang's here to pick you up!" Taeyeon finished.

Jessica looked at her watch, wondering why Taewoo oppa was here so early tonight. She doesn't get off for another two hours, meaning the kitchen at Belle Seoul doesn't close for another two hours. Oppa should know this....

Jessica took off the rubber gloves she was wearing to wash the dishes. Swinging the door open, there was no sign of the big man that usually walked her back to her room. She was surprised to see Yuri there instead, dancing with Hyoyeon.

Seeing Jessica's bewildered look, Taeyeon explained. "I meant the other Kwon," she whispered.

Jessica heard the short manager but kept her eyes on the two girls on stage. It seemed that Yuri just joined Hyoyeon on stage while she was doing her Michael Jackson routine. The crowd was going wild with their sexy performance, whistling and screaming at the two girls.

Yuri kept up with the dance machine, knowing exactly what the next dance move is. "Taeng, did they practice this before?"

"Nope, she just jumped up on stage the moment the song came on."

They continued to watch the rest of the performance until Yuri moonwalked off the stage. She spotted Jessica at the back with Taeyeon and jogged excitedly towards them.

"Hey guys!" Yuri panted with a huge smile on her face. "Sica, you ready to go?"

Jessica was jealous of her energy. If only she wasn't working 13 hours a day... Jessica turned around, going back into the kitchen. She remembered that Yuri would be walking her back from now on, but still, she had two hours left until her shift ends.

She put on the yellow rubber gloves and resumed rinsing the dishes. "Where am I going? My shift's not over..."

Jessica paused what she was doing as she watched Yuri put on a pair of gloves. 

"Taengoo!" Yuri screamed. "Can Sica leave after she's done washing all these plates?" Yuri charmed the short leader with a smile.

"Sure!"

"But Taeng, how am I supposed to get paid for the remaining two hours? And Yuri, why on earth do I have to leave now?" 

Yuri squeezed some dishwashing liquid onto the sponge, scrubbing a plate then passing it to Jessica to rinse. "They're going to draw the winners soon. We should go so we can claim the prize." Yuri spoke with absolute confidence.

"And Sica, you can make up the hours later this week. Go home and get some rest because your fatigue is really starting to show." Taeyeon poked the eye bags underneath Jessica's eyes, causing the girl to jump back.

Yuri splashed some water at Taeyeon by flicking her fingers. "Leave us alone so we can finish faster."

And with Yuri's help, Jessica did finish much faster tonight. 

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

Jessica and Yuri cut through the crowd of employees gathered at one of the reception halls. Her working schedule wasn't a secret and so many were somewhat surprised to see Jessica there including Stella. Also, they knew that she wasn't the type to participate in any social events or to enter any contests. They assumed that with the amount of rich gs courting her, Jessica simply didn't need to rely on contests to enjoy the prizes.

"Oh, Yuri! You made it!" Stella greeted Yuri and faked a smile at Jessica.

Jessica ignored the murmurs about her and smiled at Stella. 

"Oh, I got an extra drink by accident. Here, you have it." Stella handed Yuri the other glass of sparkling water which Yuri graciously took.

Yuri took a sip and handed Jessica the rest. Neither one of them noticed Stella's jealous reaction as Yuri was too busy looking around to see if Sunny or anybody else she knew was there. Jessica was also focused on drowning out the gossiping around her, unconsciously taking sips of water from Yuri's glass. 

Jessica didn't have to feel uncomfortable for long once Taewoo appeared on stage, making them forget about her presence. After getting the crowd all worked up with his comical speech, Taewoo announced the winners, starting with small random prizes.

"Now, for the big big prize that everybody's hoping for..." Taewoo stuck his hand into the box. "Drum roll please!" 

Together with the quick drum beats, everybody's anticipation level spiked up. Even Jessica was eyeing the paper that got pulled out of the box. Taewoo created more suspense by slowly unfolding the chosen winner.

"Ladies and gentlemen, and the winner is... Well, first, thank you all for coming tonight." The crowd groaned at his stalling tactic. "Ok, are you ready? And the winner for the year 2009 is..." He saw the name and scrunched his eyebrows together in puzzlement. "Kwon Yuri?" Clearing his throat, he announced the winner more firmly again. "The winner is Kwon Yuri!"

People surrounding the ecstatic girl congrstulated her as she went on stage to shake Taewoo's hand.

"Wow, I can't believe your luck..." Taewoo whispered to his sister.

"I can't believe my luck!" Yuri screamed into the microphone. Like her brother, she gave everybody a great laugh by jesting with them and then pretending like as if she won some big award, thanking random people.

Yuri jumped off the stage and went to Jessica and Stella.

"Congratulations. I told you I wouldn't win," Jessica said.

"Give me your number," Yuri couldn't help demanding with a grin. "And technically you won too since I'm inviting you to share my prize with you." 

Jessica was touched by Yuri's invitation. Other than Tiffany and the gang, nobody else treated her this kindly. She was aware of the rumors that went on and the nicknames given to her. It was no surprise that the people at work kept their distance due to their preconceived perception of her.

Keeping her promise, Jessica pulled out a pen and wrote her number on the palm of Yuri's hand. She saw Yuri hold her breath and freeze in her place. Jessica chuckled in her mind at the irony. Yes, this is the effect that the Ice Princess has on other people. There's no way Yuri would be able to spend the whole day with her.

"Here's my number." Jessica released Yuri's hand. "But I have work tomorrow so you can bring someone else."

Stella stood in between the two of them. "Ooooh, Yuri, you can bring me. I have the day off tomorrow. We'll have a blast!"

"Yeah, you should take her," Jessica prodded. 

Yuri didn't mean to be rude by showing a bit of discontent. She didn't mind taking Stella, but she kind of had her heart set on taking Jessica. It would be impossible to convince Jessica to take the day off... Unless...

"Mr. Taewoo!" Yuri called out to her brother, dragging Jessica along with her. "The prize ssys that I could bring a guest of my choice, right?"

Taewoo took a sip of white wine. "That's right."

"And it says that it's a fully paid day, right."

"Mmmhmmm...." He took another sip.

"Well, I want to choose Jessica--"

"Okay."

"--and you have to pay her for the day off," Yuri finished.

"Oka-- hey... Wait a minute!"

Taewoo and Jessica both stared at Yuri. 

"The prize clearly says one-paid day for the winner and guest of their choice. So then I get a paid day and my guest gets a paid day." Yuri knew she was twisting it but feigned her innocence nonetheless, blinking cluelessly.

"Yuri, guest means your husband or wife, friend, co-worker--"

"Or supervisor."

"Yes, but they don't get paid. You have to make sure that the person is free first," Taewoo tried to reason with his sister.

"Yes, but it's written here that the winner AND guest gets a fully paid day..."

Jessica saw Taewoo grip his head. She told Yuri again that she didn't want to go even though a part of her did. 

"Mr. Taewoo, it's Christmas for goodness sake! Jessica's been working her butt off for you and this is how you treat her? Aw c'mon, please?" Yuri flashed him a smile similar to the one she gave Taeyeon. "Okay, how about she make up the hours on another day?" Now Yuri was making decisions on behalf of Jessica without even consulting her.

"But she doesn't have any--"

"Oppa it's fine. She'll just go with Stella." Jessica turned to Yuri. "It's not a big deal. If you really want, we'll hang out some other day."

Taewoo mouthed his thanks to God and to Jessica who was finding this whole conversation between the two quite entertaining. Taewoo oppa's too nice...

"I'll take you up on that offer, Sica. But really, it says right here--"

Taewoo her cut off. "Fine! You two both get paid for tomorrow. But don't tell anybody otherwise I'm revoking the prize and you're both working tomorrow." He got closer to Yuri and whispered in her ear. "Why did Pa send you to school? I told him you would be better off being illiterate."

"Thank you, Mr. Taewoo!"

And just like that, Jessica witnessed in one night Yuri charming two managers into getting what she wanted. I wonder if she ever tried that with me...

Yuri apologized to Stella for not taking her. "Maybe next time?"

Stella was fuming inside but didn't show it. It was always next time, never this time. Well, she's going to have to make sure that "next time" is actually going to happen. "Not a problem. I'm throwing a birthday party the day after tomorrow. You should come." Stella made sure to only look at Yuri when she said that, using only singular pronouns. It would be bad if Jessica tagged along.

"Sure, I'll come but," Yuri took Jessica's hand in hers, "only if Jessica comes too."

Jessica eyed Yuri suspiciously before quickly replying, "I don't get off until late so I don't think I can go." Don't let her charm you, Jessica Jung...

"Sorry, I guess I won't be going then. Happy early birthday though," Yuri told Stella.

Stella used every jaw muscle to unclench her teeth and smile at the two. "Jessica, you must come," she forced herself to say sweetly. "The party doesn't start until late anyway. The birthday girl won't be happy if you two aren't there..." 

Both sets of eyes were staring at her and had no choice but to agree, bringing smiles to the two girls. Jessica Jung wasn't charmed... She was manipulated.

"Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow so we can claim our prize... Or I can just sleep in your room," Yuri suggested sheepishly.

"You have my number now. Call me in the morning --from your own room." 

Day 5

Date: Dec. 16, 2009

Name: Kwon Yuri

Employee ID: 12552418

Department: Service

Supervisor: Jessica Jung

Technical Skills: Quality

Very few errors were made today in addition to having worked autonomously.

Communication Skills: Good

Demonstrates good persuasion skills and interpersonal skills.

Judgment: Needs Improvement

Needs to know when to take no for an answer. Needs to be mindful of others' decisions.

Collaboration: Quality

Yuri is a fast learner and can complement other's well; dancing skills are comparable to that of Hyoyeon's.

Punctuality: Exceptional

Was present, if not early, to pick up co-worker.

Overall Satisfaction: Not satisfied

Although persuasion skills are a towering strength, it's important as an employee in the service area to know how to be accomodating and not demanding.

Chapter 12 -Bringing Out the Fun

Yuri stared at the beautifully written numbers on her hand, giggling to herself like what she's been doing all night. From the way she was rolling around on her bed, grinning, you would think that dialing these numbers would give her next week's lottery numbers, access to any top secret national security reports, or a chance to talk to Won Bin one on one. But no, it was just a phone number, a regular number from a regular girl. However, it was just the fact that Jessica personally gave her the number that made Yuri feel a sense of victory and excitement. Now, Sooyoung and I are even.

Yuri giggled again. Despite not getting any sleep, Yuri was full of energy as she quickly threw her covers aside and dialed Jessica's number. She's been waiting all night to call. Getting new things always makes me excited and eager to try them out... Guess it's the same with phone numbers.

There was no answer, but that didn't bother Yuri. She skipped her Ma juice and got ready in her super speed mode. Using the key that she lifted from Jessica's room, she snuck into the girl's place, thinking of how she should wake her up. Scream in her ear? Pounce on her like a cat? Tickle her until she says mercy? 

Yuri didn't have to scheme for long when she heard the shower running and saw the bed empty. As she waited for Jessica to come out of the bathroom, she took the liberty of exploring the room.

It was different from her own room. Things were scattered all over the place indicating that each and every corner is being lived in. Three bouquets of flowers next to the bed caught her eye. She picked up each card and read the sender's name.Hwanhee, Seo Ji Suk, and Kevin. Yuri's never heard of nor has she met them, but already she doesn't have a good vibe towards these three guys. She stared hard at the simple bouquets. Red roses, how tacky. How could they give such boring roses to Jessica? 

Yuri didn't want to waste another minute thinking about these guys. She looked onto the other side of the bed at the night table. On it were 

piles of files and among them, novels were hidden in between the papers. Yuri pushed some evaluation reports aside, revealing two of her favorite books: The Notebook and Confessions of a Shopaholic. 

Unconsciously, Yuri started to tidy the table, creating a book pile and a file pile. She did that for the rest of the place, picking clothes off the floor, putting mugs into the sink, and organizing the counter cluttered with more documents, cans of redbull, and boxes of sweets. 

No wonder she's so skinny...

She saw the jar of jelly beans that she gave Jessica at the gift shop and opened it, placing a green one in her mouth. She chewed on the watermelon flavored jelly bean, examining the $52 jar in her hand. It no longer looks as full. Yuri took another one to ward off the sleepiness that was suddenly kicking in. Ugh... Need... Ma... Juice...

Yuri listened to the running water, wondering when Jessica would come out. Aside from the streams of water, Yuri heard a distinct humming noise. She went closer to the bathroom, pressing her ear against the door. Jessica was singing.

In an instant, the shower turned off and Jessica's melodic tune can now be heard clearly. Laaaa lalala lalaaa, laaaa lalala lalaaa, laaaa lalala lala laaaah, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!

Jessica repeated this tune to the song, Mister. Yuri tried hard to suppress her laughter with her hands pressed to her mouth. She released the silent chortles, her laughter exploding when Jessica opened the door, doing the Mister butt dance in her towel.

Jessica saw Yuri clutching her stomach and her eyes grew wide, in shock and in embarrassment. "Aaaaaaah!" she screamed, slamming the door shut again.

Yuri laughed louder. She wasn't laughing at Jessica's singing. Not at all. Even without singing real lyrics, Jessica has a sweet singing voice that could just melt your heart. What was comical was the choice of the song and Jessica's badly improved dance. Also, singing and dancing was a never before seen side to Jessica --at least not for Yuri.

Yuri slapped the door repeatedly, unable to contain her spasmatic laughter. The door flung open again with a really embarrassed and furious sergeant standing in the doorway. "Kwon Yuri! How did you get in here?!" Jessica screamed before lunging forward.

Yuri escaped Jessica's hands and ran away laughing, causing a chase to ensue.

"Give me back my key!" 

Yuri slipped the card into her backside pocket.

"Kwon Yuri! You thief!"

After a few circles around the room, Yuri ran behind the counter. Big mistake. Now she was cornered.

"Kwon Yuri..." Jessica narrowed her eyes.

Yuri smiled at the approaching girl. "La lalala lalaaa..." Yuri teased. 

The moment she started moving her bottom to the beat, Jessica's face turned into a deeper shade of red and charged at Yuri.

"Aaaaah!" Jessica let out another embarrassing yell as she held onto Yuri's body. 

Just as Jessica's hand was reaching for her room's key at the back jeans pocket, Yuri spun around, freeing herself. She ran towards the bed, where Jessica successfully tackled her down. The half-naked girl straddled Yuri, who was laughing uncontrollably. She attempted to hold Yuri's hands down, but Yuri kept pushing their entwined hands up and to the side, like some kind of partnered fast Taichi exercise.

Yuri pulled one of her hands out of Jessica's and gripped her waist with it. In one swift motion, she flipped the shrieking girl over, pinning her down with her body. Jessica was definitely stronger, but Yuri had more weight than the small girl can push with one hand. Instead of trying to push Yuri off, Jessica changed strategies, sliding her hand down Yuri's small back, scratching at Yuri's backside, desperately trying to find the opening of the back pocket.

"Woah there, pervy!" Yuri reached around back to hold onto Jessica's wrist and groping hand. "Fine, I'll give the key to you." She pulled out a card and placed it on the bed, next to the heavily breathing girl. "Here's the extra key to," Yuri winked, "my room. Come over when you're ready."

"Kwon--"

"By the way, your towel came off," Yuri lied to the flustered girl, taking this chance to escape. 

Jessica let out a long scream, thinking that her towel really did come off, only to find it still in place. She sighed against the bed, relieved. Then she screamed again when she heard Yuri singing and dancing her way to the door.

"1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7!" Yuri shouted into the room from the hallway just before closing her door. 

Thrashing her arms and legs on the bed, Jessica screamed again, this time in defeat.

----------

With her small suitcase, Jessica strolled into Yuri's room. This morning was embarrassing enough. She wasn't ready to face Yuri so soon so she used the key that Yuri gave her to sneak in. Just as luck had it, Yuri was in the bathroom.

Jessica searched the empty room, going through Yuri's drawers but she didn't find her key anywhere. The key must be with Yuri, she deducted.

From her quick search of the place, Jessica noticed that everything was still packed away in Yuri's suitcase since the first night that she slept over. Aside from a few shirts in the closet, there was only a snow globe sitting next to the bed. 

Jessica sat down on the soft mattress. While she was waiting to ambush Yuri, she picked up the water filled sphere and played with it. She watched the snow flakes fall onto the cute Mickey and Minnie figurines in the middle. She became lost in thought as she remembered her own deprived childhood. She was so deep in memory lane that she didn't hear Yuri approach or feel the shift on the bed.

Yuri tapped on the ball with her fingernail, waking Jessica from her daze. "Earth to Sica, you there?"

"I never got to go to any of these places," Jessica said absently and sullenly what was on her mind.

There was a temporary silence as Yuri didn't quite know how to respond to Jessica's unexpected vent about Disneyworld. 

"Umm... I've been everywhere..." Yuri said to break the silence.

Jessica raised her eyes to meet Yuri's. "You went with your mom?"

Yuri took the snow globe out of Jessica's hands. What the older girl asked struck a chord in her. It brought back memories of when she was younger and her mom brought her to various amusement parks whenever they went on business trips together with her Pa. Disneyworld was the last place they went together to bond and this snow globe was the very last gift from her.

"You must have been happy..." Jessica's soft voice pulled her out of a trance. 

Yuri saw how sad Jessica became and thought of ways to cheer her up. "Yes, but I was the worst student 3 times." 

Yuri's attempt to make the frown disappear was a fail. She sighed and Jessica followed, sighing even louder. Jessica was only the worst student once, but other than that, she wasn't anything else. Yuri at least got to go to places with her mom.

The mood became depressing with their woes as they flashed back to their younger years, one reminiscing about the days at amusement parks and the other longing to go to one. 

Yuri placed her globe back on the table. "C'mon, Sica." Yuri pulled Jessica off the bed. "I think there's an amusement park somewhere in our itinerary. We'll go to that one for now, and later, I'll take you to Disneyworld."

"Hah, maybe when you win the lottery." At the feel of Yuri's hand, Jessica changed back to her sergeant self, remembering that she was on a mission to silence Yuri and to get her hotel key back.

"Kwon Yuri, where's my key?"

Yuri handed her a card. P2909. It was a key to one of the penthouse suites. "This isn't it."

"Yeah it is. That's our room for the night. You have your stuff?"

"My key or else I'm not going anywhere," Jessica said sternly.

Yuri found Jessica's suitcase next to hers. Taking both of them, she began to make her way out. "You don't need it tonight. I'll return it later." She looked back with a smile, holding the door open. "C'mon, princess. Let's go." Jessica glared at Yuri. "Don't worry, my lips are sealed."

As she said that, Yuri pursed her lips together. However, it didn't stop her from doing the butt dance. Like a clumsy dork, she knocked over Jessica's suitcase as she swayed from side to side, causing Jessica to break out into a manic laugh.

"Heehee," Jessica simmered down to a giggle when she reached Yuri. She lightly slapped Yuri on her good shoulder. "You better not say anything about this morning," Jessica threatened before walking off to the elevators, leaving Yuri to carry both suitcases up to their new room for the day.

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

After a day of getting chauffered around the city, going from one fun destination to the other, Jessica and Yuri were botn exhausted. It's been such a long time since Yuri went to an amusement park, or the skating rink. At the beginning of the day, Jessica treated Yuri coldly and avoided her because of embarrassment. But after a few rides, Jessica couldn't contain her excitement and completely let loose, dragging Yuri by the hand to go on one rollercoaster after another. 

Yuri saw a different side to Jessica. She was more feminine and sounded girly every time she laughed or whined. They also became more comfortable with each other, teasing one another jokingly, laughing, and just speaking without any reservations --not that this was ever a problem for the direct Jessica.

"Yul... Wait for me," Jessica huffed as she slowly marched down the hallway with the white bear that's bigger than her on her back. She readjusted the huge doll from under its legs. 

Yuri looked back at Jessica who was hunched over, taking heavy steps. From her point of view, it looked like the bear was crushing Jessica with its weight. 

"Haha! Mama bear looks cute with Baby bear," Yuri teased.

Jessica caught up to where Yuri was waiting. She tilted over sideways, knocking Yuri with the doll. "Shut up. Why did you have to win such a big doll for?"

Yuri smiled recalling how Jessica begged her to win the biggest doll there since she couldn't get it herself. She smiled even wider remembering how gleeful Jessica was when she knocked over the small tower of cans with her perfect baseball pitch. When the vendor handed over their prize, Jessica was the happiest one in the amusement park and now, without any thanks for the gift, Jessica is complaining. 

Yuri pretended to wipe sweat off Jessica's forehead. Annoyed, Jessica dropped the bear onto the floor. She straightened her back right up from the 90 degrees. "Papa bear can take it from here," Jessica said with a mischievous smile, leaving Yuri to bring the oversized bear into their penthouse suite. 

"Ooof, what did you feed your baby? It's massive." Picking up the white doll, Yuri followed Jessica into the room without realizing that the giant doll on her back was too big to fit in the doorway. She let out a small yelp as the large doll got caught between the frames. She bounced back out from the sudden halt, landing onto the bear. 

Seeing Yuri on the ground, Jessica guessed what had happened with a perfect vision to go with it. Jessica squealed before erupting into another laughing fit for the day, clutching her stomach then her mouth.

"Yu... Yul... Yuri!" Jessica struggled to say between her laughs, calling out to the blushing Yuri who's still lying against the big white bear with her tongue slightly sticking out.

"Sicaaaa... Stop laughing." Yuri couldn't help smiling at her own embarrassment. "Come help me carry your full-grown baby in." 

Yuri pushed from the back while Jessica tugged at the front. The whole time, Jessica never ceased laughing. Not even when Yuri gave her final push, causing Jessica to lose her balance. She stumbled back and fell on the floor with the doll in her arms.

Yuri lied on top of the doll's back, resting for a second. "You know we're going to have to do this again tomorrow when we check out, right?" she said to the girl under her, sandwiching the bear.

Jessica just grinned. They couldn't see each other through the bear, but they were both grinning despite their awkward position. 

"Yul, let's call for a massage. I've been falling all day... My body's kind of sore now."

Yuri listened to Jessica's fast heartbeats through the thick cotton stuffing of the white bear. "Me too... I think you landed on me more than on your butt when we were skating. Do you know how heavy you are?"

Jessica should've felt angry for getting teased about her weight and getting blamed for falling. But instead, she felt her cheeks getting warm, blushing as she remembered how they held each other's warm hands the whole time that she taught Yuri how to skate. 

"Yah! Kwon Yuri, you're the one that kept pulling me down everytime you fell," Jessica said pushing the doll off her and to the side, making Yuri topple over.

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

"Yuri-yah, you have a really nice waistline," Yuri's masseuse complimented.

Jessica slowly opened her tired eyes to stare at the half-naked girl lying next to her. They were getting their in-house massages and both only had a towel covering their lower halves. Her eyes traveled down Yuri's dark bare back to the small waist that she just got complimented on. 

Sunny, who was massaging Jessica's back, caught her friend's eyes slowly moving down Yuri's body. A smile crept on her face. 

Unlike the others who worked at Belle Seoul as their second job, she made extra working at the casino's spa, servicing the wealthy female patrons. She kneaded Jessica's back, working on the tight knots near her shoulder.

"Our Sica has a sexy S-line too."

Sunny's comment drew Yuri's attention. Jessica closed her eyes when Yuri turned her head to face her. While Jessica was being obvious about checking Yuri out, Yuri was shyly peeking at Jessica's body and sleeping face, opening just one eye to the width of a dime. 

Yuri couldn't agree more with Sunny's comment. Even lying down, Jessica's body looked like it had a S-line. Yuri continued to admire Jessica's body while she just dozed off. Sica must be really tired if she can sleep through Sunny's massaging chops on her back.

Their massages were soon over and Jessica heard Sunny and the other girl pack their stuff. She was quite relaxed in her current position and didn't feel like moving so she pretended to still be asleep.

"Yuri, call me if you need another massage. I'll give you an employee discount."

"For sure!"

Jessica listened to Sunny's colleague seduce Yuri. Employee discount? What a phony, she thought. There actually weren't any employee discounts for the casino spa because Mr. Kwon Min didn't want any of the masseuses' hands to be tied up when they could be working on real clients. Instead, they got special discounts at other nearby spa parlors.

The door clicked shut and silence engulfed them. Jessica strained her ears to hear what Yuri was doing. The giggle that she heard caused her to have her guards up. Yuri's snickering sounded mischievous. What is Yul up to? There was more silence that made her feel nervous, not knowing what Yuri was giggling about just now. A thought came to her that made her tighten her back. Could it be that Yuri was interested in the person rubbing lotion and massage oils on her.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a faint click. Not a second later, she felt something cold on her back, going up and down, side to side.

Jessica stayed still. "Yuri, what are you doing?"

Yuri exploded, letting out her laugh that Jessica was accustomed to hearing. She heard a camera shutter go off and next, Yuri was presenting a picture to her.

With one of the massaging lotions, Yuri had drawn a circle on her back and in it, a tic-tac-toe square, turning the design to look like a turtle shell.

"Yah!" Jessica screamed at the girl who laughed even harder.

Jessica couldn't get up. She couldn't pull her towel up with all that cream on her back. 

"Sica... This is so your style!"

Jessica pouted. "Are you calling me a slow turtle?"

"Hehehe, c'mon, you gotta admit that you daze out a lot and you're always lagging when jokes are being told." 

Without warning, Yuri began to spread the cream around Jessica's back and arms, massaging her soft skin. She tensed at the sudden unexpected contact, relaxing only after a minute to Yuri's touches, letting her get away with her teasing.

"Sica..." Yuri said softly.

"Hmmm?" Jessica lazily replied.

"Let's play a game."

"What?"

"Okay, I'm going to write words on your back and you have to guess what they are." Before Jessica could object, Yuri started drawing a small circle.

She knew exactly what Korean word was being written and went along with the game, shouting the answer excitedly. "Yuri!" she guessed.

"Next one."

Yuri wrote faster this time, starting off with two quick strokes, like a moustache.

"Sica!" Jessica guessed again, playing Yuri's game happily.

"Okay, this one's going to be harder now and if you guess it correctly... You get a prize."

Yuri wrote much faster down Jessica's small back instead of across. The word was much longer and complex than the previous two. She was only able to make out some strokes here and there. 

"Ssss... Shhhh..." She started with the first letter. "Give me a hint."

"It has to do with what I wrote before."

Jessica was making all sorts of faces as she thought hard. She thought about how Yuri liked to tease her and she's probably doing it now too. Finally, she gave Yuri a look indicating that she's given up and is just saying anything.

"Sleeping Beauty." 

Yuri laughed at Jessica's wild guess. "Yes that is what you are, but no, that's not the answer. Oh well, better luck next time."

Yuri pulled Jessica's towel up to cover her back, smudging the faint lotion words. 

"That's not fair," Jessica complained. "Your hint sucked. Write it again." 

Jessica was giving Yuri a bold invitation that she wanted to accept. However, Yuri ignored the whining girl and walked off, giving a lame excuse. "C'mon, go get showered. We have to go to dinner. Taeyeon's waiting with our special dinner."

Special because there were no cucumbers or carrots in them.

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

Jessica's body was still tingling from Yuri's touches. The tingling sensation intensified when she saw Yuri's transformation for their dinner. She was wearing a black dress that hugged her small waist. Because of the bruises on her back, she wore a sweater over the dress. She had light makeup on, but had smokey eyes. Her hair was tied up with a poof in the front.

It kinda made Jessica's straight hair and simple black strapless poofy dress look simple.

"Sica, you changed already." Yuri studied her and the way she was looking at Jessica made her worry about her own appearance. 

Should I have tried harder? 

"Do... Do you think this is okay?" Jessica stammered, fidgeting on her heels. "Normally, the people eating at Belle Seoul dress like--"

"You're absolutely gorgeous."

Hearing Yuri's sudden compliment made her simple look feel special. She tried to hide her bashful smile by biting her lips then nervously licking them 

Yuri finally peeled her eyes away and nudged Jessica with a hand on the small of her back to move. "Sica, you should smile more. It makes you look prettier."

Jessica smiled wider.

Chapter 13 -Talents 

"So Sooyoung's pretty successful if she performs surgeries all the time," Jessica commented on Yuri's answer as she placed another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

Yuri was feeling rather frustrated since dinner started. She spent a bit more time getting ready, making herself look prettier than her last New Year's Eve party, but it seemed that the only things that Jessica was interested in was Sooyoung and tonight's food. Their dinner was nearly over and all they've been talking about was Sooyoung with Jessica spacing out every now and then.

"Yes, she is quite successful," Yuri replied, hoping that Jessica would hear how annoyed she is.

"So, is she seeing--"

"Jessica," Yuri cut her off from asking another question related to her friend. "Don't mind me for being direct, but are you interested in her?"

There was a pause as Jessica scooped another round of ice cream from her bowl. "You could say that."

Yuri slouched her shoulders in disappointment. She was sitting right in front of Jessica, but was invisible to the girl. She had hoped that after tonight, she might become good friends with Jessica. Especially after getting along today and having fun together outside of work. It would help her feel less lonely during her last two days at K-Won if her hotel neighbour and supervisor could keep her company.

"What about Hwanhee, Seo Ji Suk, and Kevin?" Yuri couldn't help asking. 

Jessica stopped eating, her spoon halfway in her mouth. "Kwon Yuri, did you go through my things today?"

"Maybe." She ignored Jessica's hostile stare. "So, are you going out with all those guys? Are they rich like Sooyoung?"

The implication was there. Yuri thinks that Jessica is a gold digger.

Yuri held onto her breath, hoping that what Stella has been saying isn't true. After spending a full day with Jessica, she just couldn't bring herself to believe it. Even if Jessica doesn't tell her tonight, Yuri would find out one way or another. It was just the matter of hearing it from her personally. 

Jessica breathed. "Yes, I sort of am seeing those guys."

"All three of them?" Yuri exclaimed over the sudden loud music. 

Jessica nodded, her eyes focused on the melted ice cream. "I'm keeping my options open. Ultimately this person is going to be rich, but I would also like to be treated well."

"So, even if it's a girl, it won't matter? As long as they can be your money tree." Jessica nodded again. "Jessica, is money really that important to you?" Yuri continued to probe since Jessica was being so honest, revealing everything.

Jessica didn't even take a moment to think. "Of course. With money, you can have anything."

Yuri sighed. "Not everything can be bought with money... Not happiness and surely not love." She would know, having spent time and trying all ways to find her true love like her parents.

"Well, mine can."

Yuri sighed again. Sica, are you really a hopeless cause? Jessica Jung, I'm going to teach you how to love.

"Tell me then, how much for your love."

Jessica finally looked up, locking her eyes with Yuri's. From her gaze, Yuri looked serious.

Yuri continued with her questions. "How much for a kiss?" 

Jessica stared at Yuri some more, trying to figure out what game she's playing. "Half a million," she blurted out, knowing full well that it didn't matter if it was $500,000 or $50 since Yuri was poor. "You probably think that I'm some horrible shallow person, but if I've learned anything in life, it's that money speaks louder than words."

"Okay," was all Yuri said before changing topics. She didn't want to argue and Jessica was starting to lose the smile and twinkle in her eyes that she's been showing throughout the day. 

Jessica was also glad that Yuri changed the mood so easily into a lighter one. It was one of her charms to make others feel comfortable. 

Jessica laughed along at Yuri's dorkiness, making her forget about the truthful Q&A they were having just now. 

"Sica, why didn't you tell me that my sweater was buttoned all wrong?"

Yuri pretended to look hurt as she fixed her top. 

"Kwon Seo-" Jessica was just about to apologize to Yuri for the first time until Taeyeon interrupted.

"Sorry to break up your fun here, but I need your help," Taeyeon croaked.

Taeyeon couldn't perform her usual singing act because her throat was hurting and Hyoyeon called in sick. Seohyun had already played as much songs on the piano as possible but the crowd was demanding for something livelier and upbeat. They wanted to hear Taeyeon's sugary voice and watch Hyoyeon pop.

"Yul, you have to save me. From the way you freestyled last night, you're the only one that could replace Hyo's solo dance."

Yuri looked at Jessica briefly. She then shrugged her shoulders at Taeyeon. "I don't mind, but I'm going to have to change into more comfortable clothes."

"Tiffany was just on her way to the gym. Her clothes should be comfortable enough for you. Go swap with her. Hurry!"

Yuri rolled her eyes. 

She was supposed to be relaxing with Jessica but her other short manager was still yelling orders at her like as if they were in the kitchen.

"Oh, Yul," Taeyeon stopped her. "Can you sing?"

Yuri shook her head. "Not really. I tend to forget lyrics." A sudden thought came to her. "But Sica can!"

Jessica was taken aback. She stared at Yuri. "What are you talking about?"

Yuri went up to Jessica and whispered in her ear, singing, "Laaaa lalala lalaaa... C'mon, go up and sing. Or else I'll post up your morning solo performance on youtube."

Mortified, Jessica's eyes grew wide. "You're bluffing. You didn't record anything..."

Yuri was indeed bluffing but continued putting on her poker face. Jessica didn't want to take the risk so she unwillingly accepted the blackmail. 

Yuri quickly got into Tiffany's baggy sweatsuit and her sports bra for her evening jog at the hotel's gym.

"Tae, how am I supposed to workout tonight if she's wearing my gym clothes?" Tiffany whined.

"Fany, one night of not working out won't kill you. Me, on the other hand, if I don't give these people a good show, Belle Seoul will no longer be the 'It' place to be and that will kill me."

Tiffany grudgingly agreed. She sat in Jessica's empty seat, joining Taeyeon as they waited for Jessica & Yuri's performances.

Jessica was the first to go on stage. She gripped the mic tightly until her knuckles turned white. Staring back into the expecting crowd, Jessica felt frozen. She's never sang in front of others before, only in the bathroom. The hot lights shining down along with her nervousness were causing her to sweat. She searched for Yuri or Tiffany in the crowd but couldn't see anything with the lights in her eyes.

Seohyun started to play the piano again, waiting until Jessica felt ready. Suddenly, Yuri climbed up on stage.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I can't do this. I've never sang in front of an audience before." Jessica handed the mic to Yuri with trembling hands. 

She didn't take the mic but Yuri held onto Jessica's hand to stop the shaking. "Just pretend that you're in your bathroom. You can't see their faces anyway," Yuri whispered closely. "You know the song NaengMyeon?"

Jessica nodded her head. 

"Do you know the dance?"

Once Jessica nodded her head again, Yuri gave her noodle-eating cue to Belle Seoul's DJ to play the duet song.

Jessica began singing softly to the music. It wasn't until she saw Yuri acting like a dork on stage, nudging her during their dance that she relaxed and sang louder.

Taeyeon was afraid in the beginning. Nervous that Jessica might have stage fright. Now that the two girls on stage were more at ease and have pumped up the crowd, Taeyeon let go of the breath that she was holding onto.

"They look good together." Taeyeon turned her head to Tiffany, nodding in agreement with what the mushroom said.

"Yeah, I noticed that Jessica smiles more now," Taeyeon observed.

Jessica finished singing and hugged Yuri immediately, hiding her shy face in the tall girl's shoulder.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I just did that. Shoot me NOW."

"Haha!" Yuri laughed at Jessica's beet red ears. "You were great! What I can't believe is that you stayed in the back washing dishes when you could be doing this instead."

The crowd continued to cheer asking for an encore. Jessica held on tighter to Yuri, nuzzling her head deeper in embarrassment. "Never again..."

The lights dimmed, indicating a change for the next show. Jessica left Yuri, joining her two friends at the table. Yuri stayed behind for her routine. The music changed to a hip hop beat.

"Ahhh! Jessi! I never knew how amazing you sound when you sing!" Tiffany hugged Jessica who smiled brightly but kept her eyes on the performance stage.

"Yeah, had I known, I wouldn't have sang so loud the past few nights. I would've asked you to sing along with me," Taeyeon said hoarsely from having to yell over Ciara's 1, 2, step song blasting in the resto/club.

Tiffany and Taeyeon's praises were cut short once they saw Yuri move energetically to the beat of the song. Jessica wasn't the only one that had her eyes glued to the dancing red figure on stage. The crowd watched Yuri, shaking their bodies. Hyoyeon was an amazing dancer, but the way Yuri moved brought in another flavor. She unzipped her hoodie, letting it drop on the ground. The crowd went wild when they saw her toned bare midriff.

It's her sexiness, Jessica concluded on what sets the dancing queen and Yuri apart. She was totally captivated by Yuri's dance with seductive moves. Jessica's own eyes were dancing along as she watched to the very end.

The DJ continued the hype stirred by Yuri, playing hip hop music for the party animals dancing in the middle. Yuri reached the three girls and asked them to dance, except she just had to taunt Jessica. She couldn't resist teasing the girl some more tonight.

"Well, you could sing and all, but you might want to sit down while we bust some moves." 

Jessica's mouth formed an 'O', showing her shock. "Excuse me, but I could so dance. I don't have Golden Hips for nothing."

She led Yuri out onto the dance floor. She felt nervous and clapped her hands to the music, shuffling her feet side to side. When she saw Yuri shake her head with a winning grin, and turning to dance with Taeyeon, Jessica put her hand on Yuri's shoulder to stop her. She swayed her body before sliding it down against Yuri's. She also threw in a few waves, touching Yuri's bare stomach with her own. Jessica stepped away, crossing her arms with a snug look on her face. Take that!

Yuri was completely frozen. It was like an electric current went through her when Jessica's body grazed her skin. But the look that Jessica was giving her... She recognized a challenge when Jessica raised an eyebrow. 

"Nuh uh, honey. Did you not just see me up there?"

Her waves were comparable to Jessica's as she showed the girl in front of her what she can do. During one of her waves, she raised her shoulders right then left, bringing a hand to slide down the front seductively. It was one of her sexy dance moves and she could tell that onlookers were definitely drooling --even Jessica couldn't focus on the music, slowing down her dancing. With Jessica's attention on her, the dork in her took over. She started doing the infamous butt dance that Jessica attempted this morning. Yuri chuckled when she saw Jessica shriek and cover her face. 

Jessica slapped her on the arm numerous times. "Kwon Yuri! You promised!"

"What? I'm just dancing." Yuri said sweetly as she did the butt dance around Jessica, stopping behind her. "Sica, you might have Golden Hips and a golden voice, but let me teach you how it's done."

Yuri held onto Jessica's hips from behind. She continued her dance, and with her hold on Jessica, forced the short girl to sway her hips in sync with her own. She breathed down Jessica's neck, resting her head on her shoulder. 

"You're doing a good job, Ms Golden Hips."

Jessica giggled and Yuri smiled. Jessica was dancing on her own yet she didn't push her away. Now, it's Jessica that is guiding the pair of hands planted on her hips. 

"Taetae!" Tiffany screamed at the short girl doing some weird disco moves. "Why can't you dance like Yuri? I want to learn the butt dance too."

Taeyeon stopped bobbing her head like a dork. "Well, Fany, why can't you sing like Sica? Then I wouldn't have lost my voice."

She stared at the speechless mushroom for a moment, before doing the butt dance --the dorky Taeyeon way.

The DJ changed songs, and Yuri changed dances too. She released Jessica's body and copied Taeyeon's dorky dance. Jessica giggled as she joined the two, dancing just as silly.

"Jess!" Tiffany tugged at her arm. "Your dance is ridiculous. Dance properly with me."

Jessica raised an arm in the air, then switched it. "What? This is fun! C'mon, Tiff, let's do the dive!" She puffed out her cheeks, pinched her nose and pretended to sink down an imaginary pool. Yuri laughed and hugged Jessica. 

"God, you guys are such dorks... I'm so embarrassed by the three of you," Tiffany whispered, hiding her face in her palm. "Jess... Who unleashed the kkab in you?"

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

Day 6

Date: Dec. 17, 2009

Name: Kwon Yuri

Employee ID: 12552418

Department: Service

Supervisor: Jessica Jung

Technical Skills: Exceptional

Yuri excels at many skills and even for those lacking, she is an eager individual to learn and acquire the skill.

Communication Skills: Exceptional

Aside from her persuasion skills and interpersonal skills, she knows how to make her listeners comfortable.

Judgment: Quality

Can still be too trusting at times.

*Note: explain what the employee discounts are.

Collaboration: Exceptional

Overcomes own non-fortes to help out others when they need it whether it's dancing or singing.

Punctuality: Exceptional

Yuri is very respectful of scheduled times. Ensured that today's timing of activities didn't compromise the itinerary.

Overall Satisfaction: Not satisfied

Yuri continues to show signs of improvement in all areas even outside of work. However, she still needs to learn how to respect others privacy and refrain from breaking and entering.

Chapter 14 -Day 7

When Jessica woke up this morning in the penthouse suite's king-sized bed, she didn't think that she would be the gossip of the day. And the weird thing is that the gossip isn't even related to any Youtube videos of her singing or dancing last night. It also had nothing to do with the housekeeper walking in on her and Yuri still sleeping, each clutching onto the same long round cushion, that was supposed to separate their two sides, with their foreheads pressed together.

No, today's gossip had nothing to do with last night. It was about Jessica going to Stella's birthday party held at Belle Seoul. By noon, every single K-Won employee had already heard about her attendance. Jessica was once again in the spotlight of negative news. Normally, she would just ignore whatever rumors or gossip there was about her. However, it made her uncomfortable that they were talking about her stealing Stella's rich ex-fianace. If only she wasn't invited to Stella's party last year, then he wouldn't have dumped Stella to chase after Jessica. He was unsuccessful of course, but he never went back to Stella and the tension between the two girls remained. 

Jessica hid in her office again, rethinking about her party invitation. Maybe it's best if I don't go, she heaved a heavy sigh. Another unexpected problem arose when the computer beeped one last time before the screen froze, sending Jessica into an array of panic. She didn't save the documents she was working on. Jessica clicked every area of the screen repeatedly, yet nothing seemed to have change.

She knew that Seohyun took the morning off to arrange a Skype conversation with her dad in the States. There was no one else in that department that she could call, nobody that she trusted to fix the pc with the many confidential files.

Jessica slumped back into her black leather chair, spinning it around to face the wall so she can take a nap as she waited for Seohyun to come into work. She dozed off quickly until her phone began to ring.

"Jessica, it's Taewoo. I just want to remind you about Yuri's final report."

"Oh, oppa. I was just working on it... But I find it weird that her training and testing period is only a week long instead of the standard one-month." Jessica pulled out Yuri's hard copy file from her desk drawer. "And why is half her information blank? I won't be able to make a direct deposit of her paychecks to the bank."

"Don't worry about that," Taewoo reassured. "Just write her a check."

"And the reports? Does she even know about them? Because for the last one, she's going to have to sign off on it, eh."

It seemed a bit late for Jessica to be asking questions now, but after spending a whole day with Yuri, she realized how little she knew about her and the more curious she became. There was no permanent address in her file other than the hotel room that she's been staying. Yuri also didn't give any IDs, numbers, or references. With a file like that, it makes you wonder if this person actually exists.

"Don't worry about her record," Taewoo said. "I have it here with me. She made a request to be transferred to the head casino in Las Vegas but I had to make sure that she's qualified to do so. That's why the speedy 7-day evaluation." 

Taewoo told a partial lie. Managing the K-Won empire since his teens, it was in his nature to lie. But not to Jessica who was practically family. He quickly ended the conversation with Jessica so that he could avoid anymore lying.

"Tiff, could you send Yuri up please?" Jessica called her cellphone from the office.

Jessica played with the broken computer some more as she waited for Yuri. 

"Stupid Windows Vista..." she muttered. "An Apple a day keeps the doctor away. And what about you? You're just rotting with all these viruses." She poked at the computer screen after her insult with an inanimate and still unresponsive PC. 

"Sica, you called?" Yuri asked from the door, amused that Jessica talks to her computer.

Yuri gave Jessica a cup of tea before sitting down.

"Yes, I have some questions for you." She took a sip of the hot jasmine tea. "What's your marital status?"

"Single."

Jessica checked the 'single' box and wrote Miss. "What's your phone number?"

Yuri raised an eyebrow. "Who's asking?"

"I am."

"Haha! Well, Sica, if you wanted a date, you could've just asked me directly. I'm definitely single and ready to mingle."

"No!" Jessica yelled out defensively. Yuri's so corny, but no matter how cheesy her jokes, they always made Jessica smile. "It's for your very incomplete," Jessica turned the papers towards Yuri, "employee file."

"Here," Jessica held out her pen. "You could fill it out yourself.

Yuri reached for the pen, but held onto Jessica's hand. Very quickly she wrote down her phone number onto the smooth small palm.

Yuri winked after dotting the 'i' in her name with a heart. "Call me anytime."

"I meant write it on your papers!"

Yuri chuckled as she began filling out the forms. Jessica felt her ears turn red and pretended to type on the computer, eyes fixed on the frozen screen in front of her.

"So, Yuri, I heard that you want to be transferred to the casino in Las Vegas," Jessica babbled. Changing topics and making small talk helped with making her ears less hot.

"Uhhh... You could say that."

"And is it true that it depends on my report?"

Yuri stopped writing. Today is Day 7. If nobody finds out her identity, then she gets to go back to her care-free life. 

"Yeah," Yuri replied with less enthusiasm than she had expected herself. 

Jessica picked up on the dispirited tone. She looked away from her make-believe work. "Do you... Not want to go?"

Jessica held her breath and waited for Yuri's response. If Yuri really wanted to stay, then she'll write something in her report to make Taewoo reconsider. But it was a great opportunity. After all, Las Vegas is where all the real gambling takes place and the pay is much higher. 

"Do you want me to go?"

Jessica didn't expect her question to be answered with another question. Especially not one that required a non-objective opinion. She'll admit, yesterday was a lot of fun. But then again, she's never been paid before to have fun. And if Yuri leaves, she'll miss having a dorky neighbour. It's okay, there's Taengoo. And she'll miss the tea.[/I] She took another sip unconsciously. It's okay, Seohyun will make it for you. And the loudness, the smiling rays... There's Tiff.

"You should go. It'll be better for you. At least your new supervisor won't be deducting your pay all the time or fight with you," Jessica attempted to joke, but failed when Yuri didn't laugh.

"Sica..."

"Oh, speaking of which, I should give you your paycheck now." Jessica was babbling again, trying to desperately change topics.

"I don't really care about the money."

Yes, that's the difference between her and Yuri. They established that quite clearly last night during dinner. 

"Are you sure Yuri? There's a lot of deductions here." 

Jessica figured she should just keep her mouth shut. Her ambiguous jokes weren't even jokes. Instead, they were casting a more and more awkward atmosphere since she's the only one laughing.

"Money means nothing to me. I was happy working here. Not too sure if I can find that in Vegas..." Yuri's eyes were focused on the papers in front of her, but she didn't continue writing.

Jessica handed her the cheque, studying the girl's reaction. She'll see that money is important.

Yuri took the cheque, unphased by the $5.29 amount. She folded the paper and slipped it into her uniform pocket. 

"So Sica, what video game are you playing? Unfreeze The Screen?" Yuri teased, knowing the whole time that Jessica was just pretending to type. 

Unlike her, Yuri was good at making uneasy ambiances disappear. She shifted her chair over a bit as Yuri stood beside her and extended an arm in front of her, leaning forward to press a few keys on the keyboard. 

A small Windows box popped up. Curious, Jessica ducked her head to peek between Yuri's arms, rolling her chair closer. Yuri put an arm around Jessica giving her more viewing access while she worked on closing down some applications.

"There. All your stuff will show up again the next time you open up the programs." Yuri was still hunched over Jessica as she clicked some icons. "So do you need me to pick you up tonight and we'll go to Stella's party together?"

Jessica looked up. She really doesn't want to go tonight. Stella for sure doesn't want her there and nobody will care if she shows up or not.

"Can't. I... I uh... Have a lot of work to do."

"Yah!" Yuri angrily pushed her chair to the other end of the wall. "You said that you'll be there."

"Yul, I can't. I have a lot of work since my computer crashed." Jessica rolled back to her desk.

"C'mon, you should come. You really need to learn how to relax..." Yuri flashed her a hopeful smile.

She's trying to charm me, and Jessica almost gave in to the begging.

"I'll be here working late. I really don't think I could finish in time."

"So then come when you're done." When Yuri saw that Jessica wasn't budging, she added, "Sooyoung will be there. I'll call you later tonight, Sica." 

Like how her brother and father usually give others no choice, she quickly left Jessica's office. 

Jessica was about to call after Yuri, but with her slow reasction time, Yuri had already disappeared out the door and down the stairs. Picking up Yuri's form to see if it's been completed, she began to scan the once blank lines.

Address: You can address me as Kwon Seobang.

Phone number: Is in Sica's hand.

Emergency contact number: ICE Sica on cell phone.

Bank account number: I don't think I can afford a kiss yet.

The smile on Jessica's face was wide, showing all her perfect white teeth. What a dork, she shook her head.

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

Sica, you on your way yet?

Jessica read the text message. It was the tenth one that she's received, all of them asking if she's left the office yet. She finished all her work 2 hours ago. All except for Yuri's report. She doesn't know why she's having such a difficult time writing it. She's written tons of evaluations before, and all without bias. Yet for Yuri's, she wanted to write about how dorky she looks in chicken suit, how she's a key thief, how she's a horrible skater, singer, and dance teacher. But those things have nothing to do with her work performance. The big question that's been preventing her from writing more than just 'Kwon Yuri is' is whether she should let Yuri go to Las Vegas or make her stay.

As if the tanned girl was telepathic, Jessica's phone vibrated with another one of her text messages.

Jessica Jung! You know today might be my last day here. If you don't come now, you won't see me ever again!

It's been decided. Jessica quickly typed out Yuri's evaluation report to send to the big boss, Mr. Kwon Min, before going back to her hotel to change.

----------

Conversations died down whenever Jessica walked by. Once she passed, the talking resumed, with her being the new topic of conversation. Jessica sat down on the lounge couch and sipped on some Sprite. It gave her something to do and to look at since nobody was talking to her at the party. Most of Stella's invites worked at some part of the casino. They would look at Jessica from time to time, pointing their fingers at her. It was so obvious to even a blind person that she's being talked about.

Jessica spotted Yuri on the dancefloor with her best friend, Yoona, and the rest of the gang. They were laughing and dancing, trying to outdo Hyoyeon's crazy dance moves, her popping and locking. Jessica was about to get up and greet them when she saw Stella approach Yuri. Yuri hugged the birthday girl and pulled her to join in on the dancing.

Jessica was almost all done with her drink. She would just go say happy birthday to Stella then tell everyone that she's leaving. No need to torture herself.

"You want another one?"

The new casino dealer sat next to her on the couch and offered the extra drink in his hand. She shook her head and gave him a small smile. He urged her to take the drink again.

"It's okay, I'm about to leave," Jessica leaned close to scream over the loud music.

Out of all the people here, it's the new guy that talks to me. Just like Yuri. He doesn't know my reputation yet, that's why,Jessica told herself. 

She stood up and bowed, forgetting about her unfinished drink altogether. Cutting through crowds, she made it to where the girls were dancing. Stella was dancing very close to Yuri so when she tapped Yuri on the shoulder, she kind of broke them apart.

"Sicaaaaaaaa!" Yuri threw her arms around Jessica. "You made it! Come, dance with us."

Jessica smiled and shook her head no. She turned to Stella. "Happy birthday."

"Thanks."

Jessica felt Yuri's arm around her shoulder and turned to look at her. "Yuri, I think I'm going to go now. Have fun!"

The other girls said bye to her and when she turned around, both Yuri and Stella were missing. She cut through the packed room again and finally made it out the door. Instead of going back to the hotel from the inside, she decided to take a breath of fresh air.

The chilly night air welcomed Jessica's cold breaths. The snow landed lightly on the palm of her hand. She started walking back to the hotel in the quiet night by herself when somebody grabbed onto her hand from behind.

"Sica, why didn't you wait for me when I went to get my jacket?"

Yuri's hand was still warm from dancing inside. "I... Uh... I didn't know you were coming," Jessica stammered, shocked to see Yuri out here with her.

"Did you see Sooyoung? She was by the food table."

"As usual, but no, I didn't see her."

"So then why are you leaving already? Didn't you just get here?" Yuri asked as she zipped up her jacket, never letting go of Jessica's hand.

"I felt uncomfortable in there," she said, honestly. "You should go back. You looked like you were having a lot of fun..." 

Jessica made a weak attempt to withdraw her hand from Yuri's but Yuri just held on tighter before slipping both their hands into her jacket pocket. 

"Nah, I've been there since 9 and nothing much was happening. You were smart to leave so soon."

Jessica began to feel at ease once more. Yuri always seemed to know what to say to make her feel good again. Jessica reached up with her free hand to fix the scarf that was hanging loosely around Yuri's neck.

Yuri stiffened at first, thinking that Jessica was going to pull her by the scarf to kiss her. When she realized what Jessica was doing, she smiled sheepishly.

Yuri explained, "You left in such a hurry, I didn't have much time to dress properly." Yuri moved her feet to start walking away from the club.

"You sure you don't want to go back in?"

"Nah, it was starting to get stuffy in there." An idea occurred to Yuri. "Hey, let's watch a movie in your room. We'll be warm and it'll just be the two of us so it won't be stuffy. What do you say?"

Yuri sounded too excited for her to decline. "Sure."

"You probably didn't eat yet, eh?" Jessica shook her head. She didn't step out of her office the whole day and basically survived on tea and a few jelly beans. "I know where we can get some free food." 

They started walking back to Belle Seoul, with Jessica dreading each step as they got closer. "Yul, where are we going?"

"You'll see..."

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

After some sneaking around, they finally made it into Taeyeon's kitchen and into the fridge. With the fans blowing out cold air, it was actually more chilly inside the fridge than outside.

"I saw Taeyeon make plates of sandwiches tonight, presumably for the party."

Jessica couldn't help but giggle. "Taeyeon's going to kill you when she finds out."

They heard some rattling outside and she stopped laughing. Yuri jumped in between some containers stacked high to her head. She pulled Jessica into the tight space holding onto her waist.

Jessica's eyes widened and she didn't need to see the word cucumber to recognize the stench of the vegetable. She opened her mouth to scream but Yuri placed her hand over it.

"Sica, I know you're scared, but if you scream, then we're both dead."

Jessica gripped onto the bottom of Yuri's jacket tightly, pulling it down and twisting it. Her whole body trembled. Yuri brought her head against her shoulder prior to releasing her hand. 

"Just breathe," Yuri instructed in a small whisper. 

The door to the fridge opened and voices can be heard.

"Fany, I could've sworn I turned off the lights before leaving."

"Well, it's a good thing they were on, otherwise I would've never came in here with you."

Yuri peeked through the containers and saw Tiffany with Taeyeon. Jessica kept breathing into her neck, her warm breaths sending fireworks off in her body. She was no longer clutching the bottom of her jacket but the collar. Her grip was firm, but at least her breathing began to slow down. Yuri pulled her tighter still.

"Fany, up there." 

Taeyeon stopped jumping and allowed Tiffany to reach up to the top shelf. She pulled out a heart shaped box of chocolates. 

"How did you even manage to put it up there in the first place?"

"Easy, I just threw it."

Yuri was about to chuckle, but softly moaned instead. When Jessica licked her dry lips, she had accidentally grazed Yuri's skin with the tip of her tongue. Jessica bit down on her lip. When she released it, it felt like as if she pressed her lips onto Yuri's neck, kissing her there. Yuri gulped.

"Tae, did you hear that?"

Yuri tightened her hold on Jessica.

"It sounded like... A soft moan?"

"Fany, now I think you're the one that's getting old. It was probably just the fan. C'mon, let's have some chocolates and some champagne."

Taeyeon was the first to leave and Tiffany followed. Yuri looked down at Jessica's orange-brown hair but didn't move. Jessica continued to breath in Yuri's distinct floral scent. Then she sneezed.

"Haa-chiii." It sounded like a small bird.

She released Yuri, and holding onto her breath, squeezed out from behind the containers.

"Wait!" Yuri held her hand, causing her to be yanked back and away from the door. "Don't forget to take what we came here for."

Yuri took a plate of sandwiches, a carton of juice, and stuffed a few apples into her jacket and left with Jessica through the kitchen's back door.

After a shower, Yuri met up with Jessica in her room. It was already late and watching a two-hour movie probably wasn't such a good idea, but they got to be alone at least. 

Jessica was already on her side of the bed flipping through channels. Yuri took the three bouquets of roses from Jessica's suitors and tossed them in the garbage. They were already withered, she justified. She replaced that spot with the tray of tuna sandwiches, juice, and two glasses before climbing next to Jessica. 

Like last night, Jessica had purposely put that long round cushion in between them. She took it and tossed it at the foot of their bed.

"What are you--"

"The material makes me itch," Yuri said.

Yuri propped her pillows up next to Jessica's. When she was comfortably snuggled in, Jessica handed her the tv remote while she ate her late stolen dinner. 

"Why are we watching a couple sleep? Oh my god... Is this porn, Kwon Yuri?"

"Haha! No, it's about this couple and weird things happen to them at night."

"Yuri! Is this a scary movie?"

Yuri wasn't too sure, but from the past five minutes, nothing scary happened. "I don't think so. It looks like a documentary. It'll be good. We'll fall asleep faster."

They watched Paranormal Activity together, catching it from the middle and boy was Yuri wrong. It was by far the scariest non-gory horror movie they've both ever seen. 

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Jessica panicked, hiding her head into Yuri's shoulder with the blankets pulled over. "What's happening?" Jessica asked from underneath.

"The door! Ahhhh!"

"Ahhhhh!" Jessica copied Yuri and screamed without even knowing why. "What is it?!"

"The demon's dragging her legs from the bed!"

Jessica lowered the blankets by a millimetre to peek. Nothing was jumping out, but it was just psychologically scary. There was a loud thump and she screamed covering her head again. Yuri's head was also underneath the covers, close to hers.

"Let's stop watching..."

"Kwon Seobang, I know of another activity that will take our minds off this."

"What?" Yuri turned off the tv and pulled Jessica closer by the waist. Jessica wrapped both her arms around Yuri's neck, clutching her tight as they both slid down to lie on the bed.

"We sleep."

"Good idea, let's do that."

Neither of them wanted to get up in the dark to turn on the light so they both lied there paralyzed. They heard some creaking noise and both panicked, holding each other tighter. Jessica even tucked her legs between Yuri's, in fear that they would get dragged.

"Kwon Seobang... How am I going to sleep tomorrow if you're in Vegas?" Jessica mumbled drowsily before falling asleep.

--------

Day 7-Dec. 18, 2009

Mr. Kwon Min,

Kwon Yuri is a total dork. But she's unafraid to try things even if she knows she'll be making a fool of herself. Under my supervision in the past 7 days, I have seen her grow from a clumsy know-it-all to an all-rounded individual, seizing every opportunity to learn and to improve. My final evaluation is to rate her as an exceptional team player at K-Won. It is for her boldness, energy, and charming charisma that I highly recommend Kwon Yuri to the casino in Las Vegas. 

It will be my loss to see such a great employee leave, but I believe that she will be a valuable asset to the Las Vegas team.

Jessica Jung 

Chapter 15 -Signs

Jessica stared lifelessly ahead. The casino was buzzing with people hoping to win some extra cash for the holidays. Taewoo even hired a band to perform live, adding to the jolly festive season. But nothing was registering in Jessica's head, nothing sparked an interest in her.

It was rumored that Yuri left K-Won early in the morning with her suitcase. Stella knew almost immediately but Jessica only found out after checking Yuri's room for the missing person in her bed. 

While she was mostly quiet, Stella made it known that she was upset with Yuri for not telling her about her departure. Judging from her behavior, many co-workers were able to infer that Stella had a thing for Yuri. 

"She's so going to get it when she calls me," Stella told one of the cleaners wiping the counter.

"Yeah? And what are you going to do to Yuri when she calls?" he asked with a smirk.

Stella cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to whack some sense into her until she learns how to treat a lady properly."

The man chuckled. "You ain't no lady!" 

Stella glared at him but he just chuckled some more as he wiped the counter. He was almost done but still had one area remaining. He had hoped by now, Jessica would've moved from her spot so that he could clean it.

He cleared his throat. "Umm... Miss Jessica?" Her eyes were distant and seemed preoccupied with thoughts. "Miss Jessica..." he tried again but louder.

Tiffany caught the old man's pleading eyes and poked Jessica's cheek with her index finger. "Earth to Jessi!"

Like as if her soul had just been revived, Jessica snapped back to reality, the surrounding noises filling her ear drums. The way Tiffany called her just now reminded Jessica of someone... someone who is now on her way to Vegas.

"Don't say that," she told the mushroom head sternly.

The cleaner thanked the two girls for allowing him to complete his job as they moved towards the back, away from the counter.

"What's wrong with you today, Jessi?" Tiffany asked. "You're out of it more than usual today. And you look so tired..."

Jessica touched her dark and swollen eye that her friend was pointing at. Because of the horror movie, she had such a difficult time falling asleep last night. Everytime she was about to drift off, she heard an odd noise causing her to violently jerk her body, awakening once more and frightened by the noise in the dark. 

Her jerky movements didn't seem to affect the girl next to her. Instead, Yuri continued her unique sleeping pose with her tongue sticking out while reflexively holding Jessica tighter. It was a reassuring feeling knowing that someone else was there to protect her in a way. That was why Yuri pulled me closer... Right? If it was the other way around and Yuri needed shielding from a demon, Jessica would probably push Yuri into its scary arms so she can run away while screaming her head off.

Jessica giggled at her own exit strategy.

"Jess, what's wrong with you today? You haven't so much as cracked a smile all day and now you're laughing to yourself." 

Tiffany looked concerned. 

"I'm just really tired that's all," Jessica reassured. "And I was just thinking about my date tomorrow evening."

"Oh?" Tiffany raised an eyebrow with a sense of piqued interest. "Who is it this time? Kevin?"

Jessica sighed. She received more flowers from him today but after doing a bit of research, she found out that he's just the owner of a small bookstore called Prologue.

"No... Not Kevin. Just this guy..." Jessica answered without much enthusiasm.

"It doesn't matter. You're going on a date and you look horrible!" Tiffany studied her friend, giving her a good look up and down. "Tsk tsk tsk..." She clicked her tongue, "You looked so much better a few days ago. This calls for Operation Jeti."

"Huh?" Jessica gave her friend a bewildered look, unsure if Tiffany called her a Yeti --the big, ugly, hairy Sasquatch. "What on earth is Jeti?"

Tiffany pulled her by the arm with excitement running through her blood. "Operation Jeti, you know, you and me, Jessica and Tiffany?"

Following her friend through the casino, Jessica still looked as puzzled as ever, like as if Tiffany's words were completely foreign.

"Never mind," Tiffany said remembering how slow her friend is. "Let's just get you to the spa so Sunny can touch up your roots and fix up that drab look of yours."

"It's just a date, Tiff. I look fin--"

"You look like the Corpse Bride," Tiffany finished for her. "Trust me, Jess, you'll thank me later."

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

Jessica allowed Sunny to give her a facial while she waited for her colored hair treatment to finish. There's no employee discounts at the casino spa, but it doesn't hurt to have a friend working there to give you freebies.

"Geez, Sica, what did you do last night? Have you been very busy lately? You need to rest you know," Sunny commented on her most tired looking patron of the day.

"Hey, you know what, you guys should watch this movie called Paranormal Activity," Jessica told them excitedly.

"Isn't that a horror?" Tiffany's heard of this film from her friends back in the States.

Jessica went on to convince them. "No, it's a documentary..." 

Sunny was suspicious of Jessica's sudden suggestion. "Sica, since when did you watch documentaries?"

"Since... It's just a good documentary. Talks about... Umm.. The supernatural!"

"Jess! So it is a horror!"

"No, it's a documentary!" Jessica insisted. "It's actually quite funny. And the boyfriend is a bit of a bad boy. Don't you like bad boys, Tiff?"

Tiffany exchanged looks with Sunny, both knowing what Jessica was up to.

"You're horrible at pranking people," Tiffany told her best friend.

"Yeah," Sunny agreed. "If it was Yuri, I probably would've believed her and ran out to buy the movie once my shift was over."

"So is it true that Yuri left this morning?" Tiffany asked through the white face mask that she just put on.

"When I checked her room, it was empty so I'm assuming she transferred to Vegas," Jessica replied with a bit of difficulty as Sunny kept tugging at the side of her mouth.

"Oh, that's right Sunny. Turn that frown into a smile. She's been pouting all day."

Jessica threw a bottle of face cream at Tiffany. "Oh, shut up!"

The two friends laughed at each other.

"I miss Yuri..." Sunny said. "She made working here so much more interesting."

Tiffany peeled off her mask and sat up on her massage chair. "Oh! Remember that video of the fight in the kitchen? Epic!"

Sunny erupted with laughter while Tiffany clapped her hands together, laughing hysterically.

"Oh, oh, Fany, the chicken fight!"

Again, the memory caused the two girls to chuckle.

"Yah!" Jessica screamed at them with a smile unknowingly creeping on her face. "I'm still here you know!"

Jessica was reminded of her outrageous fights with Yuri. She wondered how they ever managed to get along in the end.

"We'll miss those days where you were so much funnier," Sunny said to Jessica as she moved to massage her cheeks.

"You guys don't think I'm funny?" Jessica asked the two girls.

Her question was met with an awkward silence. Sunny even stopped her massage midway. 

"Um... So Sica, who are you going on this date with?" Sunny changed topics to avoid telling her friend that she's as funny as a plain cardboard box.

"Gil."

"What?!" Sunny and Tiffany both exclaimed loudly, drawing other clients' attention.

"Operation Jeti, over." Tiffany motioned for Sunny to stop her massaging. No need to make Jessica look good if she's going to be on a date with Gil.

Sunny placed both hands on each side of Jessica's arm rests. "We're talking about the poker champion, Gil Gil?" 

Jessica nodded her head.

"How did that happen? Seriously Jess, is everything okay?" Tiffany asked looking concerned for the second time today.

"I'm fine... It's just a date..."

"With someone who looks like your dad," Sunny said as she washed Jessica's hair.

"Well, he is a nice guy I guess..." Tiffany tried to defend her friend's judgment even though she thinks it malfunctioned this time. "And he does look like a bad boy..." Tiffany further justified, as if it's okay for her beautiful friend to date people with less than superstar looks.

"I'll be fine. Hurry up and wash my hair. I need to do some things before going to Belle Seoul."

They dropped the conversation. Sunny was giving small cute frowns at Jessica every now and then while Tiffany tried hard to keep her mouth shut from lecturing her friend. She's old enough to decide for herself what kind of a person she wants to date. Who knows, maybe Gil is the one for her.

----------

Yuri picked up a piece of meat and placed it in her dad's bowl. He happily ate it like as if it was the best thing he's ever eaten. 

"You should come home more often for dinner," he told his daughter.

"Well, since I seem to have won the bet, I'll be more free now," Yuri gloated in front of her brother sitting across from her.

"Sooyoungie, Yoongie," Yuri's dad turned to his daughter's friends next to her, "you too should come over for dinner more often."

"Yes, Pa," they both answered, copying Yuri and calling him Pa. 

They went over to Yuri's house so often when they were younger that she was like their sister and her dad treated them like as if they were his own daughters.

"Pa, what about me? Your only son?" Taewoo asked with a bit of jealousy.

"You, you need to stop coming home for dinner and go meet a girl."

Taewoo groaned at his dad's attempt to get him married. "Not this again..." 

The three girls watched with much amusement as the big bear was under attack.

"What about Jessica?"

Yuri stopped chewing at her dad's mention of the girl that wrote her the recommendation letter. Kwon Yuri is a dork, Yuri recalled the first line of the letter. It had actually made her smile when she read it, knowing that she's made an impression on Jessica. Jessica's letter also made her dad very happy. It was a bit embarrassing though because he had called his best friends to brag about all the praises mentioned in Jessica's letter.

"Pa... Not this again." Taewoo held out some meat for his dad to eat.

"What? She's a nice girl. Smart, pretty, kind..." He took another bite of the food that Taewoo held out.

"...respectful, capable," Taewoo continued like as if he's heard it many times before.

He continued putting food in his father's already full mouth.

"Is this the same Jessica that was unnie's supervisor?" Yoona asked. "Pa, you really want her to be oppa's wife?"

Mr. Kwon was about to answer despite having a mouthful of food. 

"Pa!" Yuri and Taewoo both said at the same time with their chopsticks pointed at him. "It's not nice to talk with your mouth full," they said together.

By the time he finished swallowing his food, everybody had already left to go relax in the living room. Except for Sooyoung who was finishing her 5th bowl.

Mr. Kwon waited for Sooyoung to finish eating before joining the others. With Yuri back, the house just seemed so much more livelier. The girls were teasing their big bear oppa while Yuri sat on the couch laughing at her friends attacking her brother.

He sat next to his daughter, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. 

"What's that on my pretty girl's face?" 

Yuri reached up to wipe the sides of her mouth. "What? There's nothing there..."

"Who's making my pretty girl so happy?" He pinched her cheek. "You have smile lines now."

"Pa!"

He chuckled at Yuri's whine.

"You know, you look just like your mom when you smile."

Yuri smiled wider, forming deeper creases around her mouth. "I know."

"So I hear that you're going to Hokkaido with those two monkeys over there as your victory celebration? What are your plans after that? Could you stay for a bit? I'll have the penthouse cleaned up for you." 

Up close, Yuri noticed a sadness in her dad's eyes. It wasn't that she didn't like being home. She's missed her family ever since she got sent away overseas to study. Her dad said that it was for her own good, because she was causing too much trouble. But deep down, she knew that it was because she resembled her mom a lot and it pained her dad to be reminded of the loss of his love. 

So she stayed away as much as possible, searching for her own true love that she and her mom often talked about. And even so, her dad still loved her and spoiled her.

"Pa," Yuri sat up straight, "How about I stay at K-Won for a bit longer. It's an interesting business and I don't think I learned much in just 7 days."

"Really?" Mr. Kwon smiled, creases showing around his eyes. "That's great! I'll call Jessica now to let her know that she'll have full responsibility here while we go to Vegas. You'll learn so much more there."

Yuri stopped her dad from pulling out his cell phone. "Vegas?"

"Well, yeah. Obviously Jessica isn't teaching you much... So you'll learn in Vegas."

Yuri became defensive by what her father said. "No, Pa, Sica taught me a lot. Like... How to watch out for con artists. And that every little mistake can be a costly mistake. I umm... Just don't feel ready for Vegas yet."

Hehe, he knew that Jessica was the right one to handle Yuri. Had it been Tiffany that he assigned to be Yuri's supervisor, it would most likely turn out that Yuri would boss Tiffany around and not the other way. But he didn't expect his daughter to be fond of Jessica. Even his big bear, Taewoo, was afraid of her.

"Pa..."

Like always, he quickly gave in. "Alright. We stay."

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

Jessica's body was aching all over. She really started to feel Yuri's absence when she had to do the work of two people tonight. Time seemed to also pass slowly when there's nobody bickering with you.

Even though she had just brushed her teeth, the thought of Yuri made her open the jar of jelly beans. She picked a red one and placed it in her mouth.

I wonder if she's landed yet.

Jessica's cell phone vibrated on the counter. Kwon. "Speaking of the devil..."

She flipped open her phone to accept the video call.

"Sicaaaaaa!" Yuri shouted, grinning widely. "Miss me?"

"No." She couldn't help grinning herself. "Did you just land?"

"Oh, you could say something like that."

"Yah, you forgot to take the clothes that you lent me. You're going to have to come back and get it."

"You could just mail it to me."

Jessica walked over to the chair where Yuri's business suit was lying neatly folded. "It might get damaged in the mail. It's," Jessica looked at the tag, "Prada?" She was expecting to see the word delicate on the tag instead. "How could you afford to buy this?"

"Uhh... It's fake Prada. Made in China," Yuri nervously laughed.

"No... It says Made in Italy." She ran her hand over the smooth material. "It feels good too."

"What can I say, they're really talented people. Invented paper... And silk... And... And... Fireworks!" 

At the mention of fireworks, Jessica focused in on the background. There wasn't a single neon sign around Yuri, nor was there any sunlight. "Shouldn't it be daytime there? How come it's so dark where you are?"

"Oh..." Yuri looked behind her. "I'm in a tinted car. What about you? How come it's so bright where you are?"

Jessica walked towards the big white bear doll with the jar of jelly beans and curled up in between its arms. 

"Yah, Kwon Yuri! It's all your fault that I have to sleep with all the lights on. You made me watch that scary movie. This is increasing the company's electricity bill and I should deduct your pay."

Yuri chuckled. Always the same Ahjumma Sica. 

"Hey, who walked you back to your room tonight now that Seobang isn't there?"

"Oh, Taeyeon & Tiffany."

"I miss them already! How are they?" Yuri asked. 

Jessica ignored this sense of jealousy that suddenly overcame her. This whole time Yuri only knew how to tease her and didn't seem to care how she was doing. Without realizing it, she started to pout.

"Oh, Sica, what's wrong?" 

"Huh? Nothing." She ate another red jelly bean and put on a forced smile. "We're all fine."

This feeling that she's experiencing was probably nothing more than losing a childish popularity contest to Taeyeon and Tiffany and shrugged it off. 

Yuri listened intently to Jessica's account on how the gang is doing. She went on to tell her stories about people Yuri's never even met. But that didn't matter. It just meant that they got to talk for a little bit longer, which was fine with Yuri. 

In the middle of Yuri's story about how Sooyoung once tried to use her as a mock patient in need of a surgery, Jessica slowly started to fall asleep. Even so, Yuri didn't hang up. She stared at her phone wondering why the girl in it makes her want to smile all the time even when she's asleep and not saying anything.

Yuri opened the door and quietly rolled her suitcase inside. After dinner tonight, she remembered subconsciously that she had to do something back at the hotel. It wasn't easy convincing her dad that it would be better for her to sleep at the hotel so she can prepare for her job. She managed to persuade him in the end though that what she's doing is learning self-discipline.

She left her luggage by the door and saw Jessica sitting on the ground, lying peacefully against the big white bear that she won for her at the amusement park. In one hand laid her cell phone and the other, a jar of jelly beans. It was a cute sight. Under all the bright lights, Jessica just glowed before her eyes, looking prettier than ever. 

There's something different about her though. Was it her hair? Did she do something to it?

Grabbing a blanket, Yuri sat down next to Jessica, resting her back on the plush doll. She removed the two items from Jessica's hand and brought the girl's head to rest on her shoulder. Yuri pulled out her cell and took a picture of them together, capturing the doll too, before tucking the blanket around them. She rested her head on top of Jessica's and couldn't help stroking the bottom of Jessica's chin but froze when the girl moved. Jessica snuggled closer, nuzzling her head in the crook of Yuri's shoulder.

And she said she wouldn't be able to sleep without me...

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

Chapter 16 -Jealousy 

There was a numbing feeling on her arm, heavy weight on her shoulder as well as her left side, but a soft warmness against her neck. Yuri slowly opened her eyes and was blinded by the sun's morning rays and hotel lights. She looked down to see Jessica resting comfortably in her arm.

Her breathing was slow and even. Yuri even felt the subtle rhythmic rise and falls on her lap where Jessica laid her right arm. She brushed Jessica's silky hair to the side, exposing her rosy cheek. Even without makeup on, Jessica has a nice complexion, clean and smooth. 

As Yuri studied Jessica in her pure form, the only flaw she saw was the dark puffy eyes. She really needs to rest... Also, Yuri didn't notice it last night, but Jessica seemed to be pouting in her sleep.

Yuri stroked her cheek and smiled. Not her usual dorky one but a content smile where you could see the happiness from her eyes. 

Finally having adjusted to the brightness, Yuri shifted her sight away from Jessica and looked around the room. It wasn't as messy as last time but there were a few empty cans of Red Bull lying on the counter, a shirt on the ground, and a few papers here and there. Since she was already awake and had nothing to do, she slipped away from Jessica and began tidying the room as quietly as possible.

Everything was in order once more after Yuri was done. She picked up the jar of jelly beans and cell phone from the floor. Out of curiousity, Yuri opened the phone to check what Jessica saved her number as.

ICE Yuri? 

Black Pearl?

She opened the recent call list and was disappointed that Jessica simply saved her number as Kwon. Before her call, there was a Fany Fany Tiffany. She assumed it was Tiffany. There was also a Bear Oppa, Taengoo, and Seohyunnie with a heart next to the young girl's name. It was just her and this other person named Gil that had simple, ordinary contact names from the recently called list.

Was she really as plain as Jane? Or in this case, as plain as Gil. Why didn't she save the number as Kkab Yul, Sexy Yul, or... 

With a smirk, Yuri changed her boring contact name. As she was doing so, she realized that it was already past 10am. She doesn't return to work today, but Jessica was for sure late.

A thought occurred to her. The prank that she had in mind might be a bit mean, but she just couldn't resist. Your Fany Fany Tiffany, Taengoo, and Seohyunnie are the true bores.

All the lights in the room were turned off and Yuri closed the curtains, turning the room into a dark black abyss with shadows looming over the petite girl still sleeping. From behind the white bear, Yuri poked Jessica's cheek.

In a deep voice, Yuri calls out the girl's name. "Siiii-caaa..."

Yuri waited but there was no response from the sleepyhead.

She tried again, but with a cute voice this time. Using the doll's arm, she nudged Jessica on her head a few times. "Mama Bear..."

----------

Jessica was feeling bothered by the soft hitting on her head. She swatted at it once. The second time, she began to pull out of her sleeping state. 

"Mama Bear..." she heard someone say in a childlike voice. 

The room was dark and scenes from the horror movie that she watched with Yuri flashed through her head. She brought the blanket closer to her and lifted it over her head. 

"Mama Bear..." she heard again. The voice was coming from behind her and it seemed as if the doll was hugging her.

Oh my god... It's alive!

Jessica scrunched into a ball and began sobbing under the blanket. This is all just a dream, she kept telling herself.

"Sica?"

The voice sounded like Yuri's but Jessica believed that she was just hallucinating.

"Yah, Sica."

She felt a hand grab her shoulder. Jessica jumped up from the ground and screamed in a dolphin like shriek. She kicked at the bear continuously until she heard something fall and say 'ow'.

Demons don't say Ow, do they?

Cautiously, Jessica peered over the doll's shoulder. Lying on the ground was Kwon Yuri. 

Yuri smiled and waved to her from that position. "Hi, Sica!" Then she stuck her tongue out and rolled her eyes back.

Jessica cracked up at the sight of Yuri acting like a silly prankster. 

"Wha... What was that?" she said between laughs.

Yuri laughed along. She opened the curtains to let in some sun. 

"It's the Lion pose for yoga."

Yuri walked over to where Jessica was laughing hysterically, hugging and hitting the bear. 

It was really unbelievable. Just a moment ago, Jessica was crying and shaking with fear. She remembered the cause of that and slapped Yuri on her arm.

"Yah, Kwon Yuri! What's your problem? What you just did wasn't funny!" Even though she was mad at her, she couldn't help throwing her arms around Yuri for a hug. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were in Vegas."

"Turns out I couldn't buy a plane ticket with $5.29." Yuri shugged her shoulders. "Guess I'll have to work a bit more."

"Haha," Jessica chuckled. "You're such a dork!"

It was awkward for her to be hugging Yuri like that so she let go. Jessica ran her fingers through her hair and played with the ends nervously.

"And I also missed," Yuri patted the white doll on its head, "Baby Bear and--"

Yuri was patting Jessica on her head but before she could finish her sentence, there was loud banging at the door.

"Unnie! Sica unnie!" 

Jessica ran to the door and opened it. Before she even opened it all the way, Seohyun threw herself at Jessica, hugging her tightly.

"Unnie," she sobbed, "When we heard screaming from your room, I got so scared that something happened to you."

"Shhhh... It's okay, everything's okay," Jessica coaxed as she brushed Seohyun's long hair.

"Unnie, what happened?"

Jessica saw Yuri hiding behind the door with guilt all over her face and glared at her for making Seohyun worry and cry.

"Hyunnie, unnie had this dream that Yuri turned into one of those blue Avatars. She looked really ugly and scary."

Jessica nodded her head up and down to convince the naive girl in front of her while Yuri grabbed her hand.

Jessica shook it off and continued her story. "And then she was chasing after us with a sword." Yuri poked Jessica's stomach, causing her to giggle.

Seohyun didn't see Yuri behind the door tickling Jessica's side. She wondered why her unnie was acting so weird, laughing while telling her a scary story.

"Then she turned into a lion and cornered us." Jessica swatted Yuri's playful hands away. "She jumped towards us with her tongue out and that's why I screamed."

"Oh, unnie must have been so scared," Seohyun said. 

Jessica giggled. This was her revenge for the fright that Yuri gave her. Yuri tickled Jessica harder right before encircling her arms around her waist. She rested her chin on Jessica's shoulder and did her Lion yoga pose. 

"Hi, Seohyun!"

Seohyun gasped. "Unnie! You're back!" Yuri let go of Jessica and hugged the little girl. "I missed you unnie..."

"I missed you too!" 

Yuri grabbed her suitcase and jacket that were by the door. Taking Seohyun's hand, she left Jessica's room.

"C'mon, let me tell you all about my trip to the airport while Sica gets ready for work." Yuri lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your unnie's crazy, dreaming about blue people turning into lions. If she gets fired for being late today, she'll go nuts!"

"Yah! I heard that, Kwon Yuri!" Jessica screamed across the hallway where Yuri was opening the door to her room.

Yuri pulled Seohyun in and was about to close the door but paused. Jessica caught Yuri looking at her tank top, down to her shorts and bare legs. It was quick, but Jessica noticed it and flushed.

"I'll call you later. Maybe we could go for dinner." Yuri winked at her, closing the door shut.

Jessica stood frozen at her doorway. There was this invisible magnetic force that kept her eyes at Yuri's door. Jessica wished the books that she used to read had explained about the unknown... Then maybe she would understand why after Yuri's wink, her heart was beating so fast.

----------

Jessica rested her head on her arm that was lying on her desk. She twirled her black phone around with one finger then stared at it some more.

"Jess," Tiffany snapped her finger. "Jessi!"

Jessica lazily looked away from the phone to Tiffany sitting opposite of her.

"Did you hear anything that I said?" Tiffany asked, closing the folder on the glass desk.

"Sorry, Tiff. Just leave the file and I'll read it later."

Tiffany gave her friend a worried look. She wasn't sure if something had happened that has Jessica acting all strange and spacing out all the time. The last time this happened was when Jessica's mom had to get a check-up at the hospital. 

"Is there something going on at home?" Tiffany asked.

"No..."

Somehow Tiffany didn't believe her.

"Is Krystal getting in trouble at school? I could ask my sister in California to--"

"No, Tiff. It's not that. Honestly, don't worry about me." Jessica gave her an earnest smile.

"Then who are you expecting a call from?" Tiffany asked the girl who spent their whole meeting staring at the phone. "No offense, Jess, but all your friends, the people who call you, are all here at work... working."

Then it hit her. Tiffany had forgotten all about the guys that were chasing after Jessica. They had been so busy with work lately, training Yuri and the new dealer, that Jessica hasn't been going on her usual frequent dates. Not until tonight.

"Oh. Mai. Gawd! Jess, do not tell me that you're waiting for Gil's call... Do not!"

Jessica rolled her eyes. "I'm--" 

Right at that moment, Jessica's phone buzzed. Tiffany ran over to her side and checked the caller ID. 

Kwon Seobang.

It seemed that Jessica was just as bewildered by the caller as Tiffany. 

"Hello?"

"Sicaaaa!" Tiffany heard Yuri scream over the phone. "What time do you finish work at? If it's late, we could just have dinner at Belle Seoul." 

Tiffany raised an eyebrow. "I thought you had a date with Gil tonight?" she whispered.

Jessica got up from the table and moved away from Tiffany to the glass wall that overlooks the casino. Tiffany ignored Jessica's subtle hint for privacy. After all, what are best friends for.

"Yul, tonight I--"

"Hold on, Sica."

Tiffany pressed her ear to the small cell phone, listening in on why Yuri was asking Jessica out for dinner tonight.

"I thought you guys hated each other?" Tiffany whispered.

While they were waiting for Yuri to return to the conversation, they listened to the background noise from Yuri's end.

They heard some excited screaming and people saying how much they missed Yuri. Yuri's laugh was easy to identify too.

Tiffany made out Sunny and Stella's voice. She looked down through the glass wall and there indeed was Yuri at the customer service area.

"Jess," Tiffany tapped her shoulder, "look down there."

They watched Yuri hug each girl while listening to the audio through the phone. It was like they were down there witnessing all this.

"Yuri! I missed you!" Stella kissed her cheek and Yuri smiled.

"I missed you too, Stell! You haven't been throwing any of your awesome parties while I was gone, did you?" they heard Yuri clearly say.

"Haha! You didn't get enough at my birthday, eh? Too bad I couldn't convince you to stay. You would've loved the cake. Your friend, Sooyoung, had a lot."

Jessica bit her lip.

"Stell, hold on." Yuri put the phone back to her ear. "Hello? Sica? You still there?"

"Yeah..."

Stella gave Yuri a back hug and for a second, Tiffany could've sworn she saw her look up towards the office.

"So what time do you finish at?"

"I can't have dinner with you tonight. I have a date. Bye."

And just like that, Jessica ended the phone conversation. She sat back down in her seat.

Tiffany wasn't too sure what was going on, but one thing was definitely clear --her best friend is sad.

"Jess, you okay? Do you not want to go on this date with Gil? I could call and tell him that we--"

Jessica's sudden opening of the folder surprised Tiffany and stopped her mid-sentence.

"No, I told Gil that I would go on this date. If I don't, he might never return to this casino. Don't worry, Tiff, it's just a date."

The door suddenly opened, surprising Tiffany once more. 

"Sica, what do you mean you have a date?" the intruder demanded.

Jessica didn't look up. "It means I have a date. If you don't mind, Tiff and I are in the middle of a meeting." Jessica turned to Tiffany. "So what were you saying before about..." Jessica raised her eyebrows inquisitively at Tiffany, "...about that thing there."

"I was saying--"

"Wait," Jessica stopped her. "Yuri, could you please close the door when you go out."

---------

"...And then she told me to close the door!" Yuri took another bite of the Vietnamese imperial roll. "And when I did, she didn't even say thank you! She's never said thank you!"

"How rude!"

"Sica unnie needs to learn some manners..."

Yuri was complaining to her two best friends over dinner about the way she was being mistreated at work. Since Jessica wasn't going to accompany her for dinner tonight, she called the only people that she knew who wouldn't turn down a dinner invitation.

"See Yul, all this could've been avoided. You already won the bet so why would you want to go back to K-Won and let yourself get abused like this? Imagine the sushi we could be having in Hokkaido right now... And the hot springs..." Sooyoung was practically drooling.

"Unnie, ignore her. Let it all out. Do we need more food? Sooyoung unnie's treating."

"What?!" Sooyoung almost choked on her third bowl of Vietnamese noodles. "Yoona, why am I... Yuri could just tell them that she's the daughter--"

Yoona kicked Sooyoung underneath the table. "Unnie's down. Plus you could just use those coupons that you won at the contest."

"Oh, right." Sooyoung waved her hand to call Taeyeon over.

"Taeyeonie, your Pho noodles are the best! Your restaurant is the best!" Sooyoung praised the little kid chef. "We'll have two more bowls and Yuri will have..."

"I don't want."

"Stop sulking. Food will make everything better," Sooyoung said to Yuri. "And just bring Yuri some more of those rolls."

Taeyeon wrote down the order and sighed. "Guys, it might take awhile. The kitchen's short staffed right now, what with Yuri not in, Jessica on a date, and the new guy is just all thumbs! And I'm always catching him staring out the kitchen. He had better not be checking out my mushroom. I'll bring you guys some snacks in the meantime." 

Taeyeon left to take care of the busy restaurant. 

"So Sica unnie's on a date?" Yoona asked Yuri who was playing with her food, twirling the roll in the sauce.

"Yeah. Probably some rich guy."

"I don't get it, why does your Pa like her so much then? Doesn't he know that she's a gold digger?"

Yuri barely heard Yoona's question. "You know what, I don't get it either. Just this morning we were laughing and having a good time. Then she treated me so coldly at the office."

Taeyeon returned with some sandwiches. "I could've sworn that I made a lot more..." she mumbled to herself.

"Taengoo, do you know who Jessica's on a date with?" Yuri asked.

"Oh, you know Gil the poker champion?" Yuri's mouth dropped open. "I'll take that as a yes. They're actually sitting right there." 

Taeyeon pointed to the couple sitting next to each other. They were in plain view from Yuri's table.

Yuri stared in their direction trying to figure out the progress of their date. Jessica and Gil were total opposites. Jessica looked bored and didn't touch her food whereas Gil was halfway done with his and was chatting happily. He kept leaning in to whisper something to Jessica and she would smile in politeness. 

"She's dating him?!" Yoona and Sooyoung choked. 

"I know! Ugh! Jessica really is obsessed with money." Yuri shook her head in anger. "I mean, she even wants to hook up withyou!" Yuri gestured in Sooyoung's direction.

"Yah! Kwon Yuri! What's wrong with me?"

"Argh... Nothing. Jessica Jung is no different than those mail-order brides. Except maybe she's prettier. And she's exactly like those people who wanted to date me because they knew I was made of money."

"Except she doesn't want to date you," Sooyoung interjected.

"And she doesn't know who you are," Yoona added.

Yuri just glared at her friends as she ripped open a wet napkin to wipe her hands.

"Unnie look! She's feeding him!"

"He's putting his hand on her leg!"

Yuri clenched her teeth in anger, forcing herself to peel her eyes away. "Ugh... I feel like barfing. Jessica really has no--"

Sooyoung cut her off. "Wait."

Sooyoung finally focused on the couple after she finished her noodles. She's seen the man that's with Jessica before. She thought harder. 

"Yul! That's the guy who was at the Goobne contest! I saw him talking to Jessica in a corner. He said something about how if she doesn't go on a date with him, then he's going to make a complaint and get the Chicken Girl fired."

Sooyoung and Yoona looked at each other before exclaiming at the same time. "You were the Chicken Girl!"

It dawned on Yuri that the reason why Jessica went on this date was to protect her. She looked at Jessica who was squirming uncomfortably in her seat. By now, Gil had an arm wrapped around her bare shoulder. Jessica looked up and for a moment, their eyes connected. That one look was enough to make Yuri forget about everything that happened at the office and all her anger towards the girl who was forced into this date. It was enough for Yuri to storm across the restaurant, pushing through the mingling crowds to get through to Jessica.

She yanked Jessica by her hand to stand up. "I think this date is over."

Yuri pulled Jessica away from the table so fast that she barely had time to grab her purse.

"Yuri..."

"Shut it. I don't want to hear it."

They left the noisy restaurant and Yuri tightened her grip on Jessica. Her revealing dress was drawing eyes that made Jessica feel uncomfortable. In an instant, Yuri took off her hoodie and zipped Jessica up in it. She took her hand once more and got into the elevator.

There was nobody else in there except for the two of them. Silence engulfed them but Jessica could tell that Yuri was angry about something. Her face was dark, and jaw clenched.

"Yuri..." she attempted again.

That's when Yuri exploded. "Have you lost your mind?! Because I will gather a search party to help you find it. What on earth were you thinking dating Gil?"

Yuri kept pressing the button to their floor even though the elevator was already in motion. 

"Your Kwon Seobang hasn't even been away for a day and already..." Yuri almost broke the button for the 25th floor as she hit it hard one last time. "God, Sica!" 

Jessica could almost see the fumes coming out of Yuri's nose. Kwon Seobang... Jessica didn't even lecture Yuri about going through her phone and changing contact IDs without her permission and here she was screaming her head off about some date that wasn't even really a date. If only Yuri would listen to her before cutting her off, not even allowing her to say more than Yuri.

"So what if he gets me fired? I'll get him fired!"

He's a poker player, you can't get him fired, Jessica wanted to say but kept her mouth shut. She's never seen Yuri this angry before. She's always been playful and nice to everyone.

"You should have just said something to me! I would've helped you!"

They got out of the elevator.

"Or did you really think you would fall in love with him? So what if he's rich, Sica? Did you really think that sleazebag will stay loyal to you? You'll get old and your looks will fade. And you know what rich people do then? Huh? Do you? They look for younger, hotter girls to be their mistress!"

They were now standing in front of her door. Jessica gently stroked Yuri's hand with her thumb to calm her down. It seemed to have work.

Yuri was still screaming but at least they weren't hurtful words. "Sica, you could've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble; you could've hurt yourself! Why didn't you think first? What if he had done something to you?" 

Jessica seemed to be having difficulty finding her key in the purse with just one hand as Yuri wouldn't let go of her hold on Jessica. While Jessica was awkwardly rummaging through her purse, Yuri pulled Jessica's extra key out from her pocket to open the door.

Yuri continued to lecture. Despite Yuri's hurtful words, despite the anger and angst, Jessica felt that Yuri sincerely cared about her. Yuri wasn't playing around anymore. She was seriously affected by what Jessica had done. Jessica smiled to herself knowing that her date tonight revealed this side of Yuri. 

"It's not funny, Sica. If something happened to you, do you think I would've been able to live with that, knowing that you went on this date because of me? Did it ever occur to you that I'm Kwon--"

Jessica stood on the tip of her toes, leaned forward and kissed Yuri lightly on the cheek. "Thank you, Kwon Yuri." She smiled at the now quiet girl.

Before Yuri even had the chance to rest her hand on Jessica's waist, she had already slipped into her room and closed the door. Jessica's heart was beating faster than ever. If people knew how fast her heart was palpitating, nobody would ever call her slow again.

She peeked through the door's peep hole and saw Yuri still frozen there, expression unchanged. She touched her lips and smiled wider. Yuri had a weird way of showing her concern, but what Jessica did just now, the kiss that she just gave to the girl who thought was acting like her knight in shining armor, it was out of character even for Jessica to show her gratitude like that. 

Jessica's phone flashed in the dark. She answered it and Gil immediately started thanking her.

"I'm really sorry I had to manipulate you into going on this date with me. But your looks are the only one that can compare."

"So was it a success?"

"100% because of you! I owe you big time! I'll spend 5 million everytime I come to K-Won, okay?"

"Just treat Park Jung Ah unnie well," Jessica said over the phone. "And don't try to make her jealous by flirting with my subordinates. Because if you lose her, I won't help you again."

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Bye oppa!"

When she saw Yuri tonight at Belle Seoul, she suddenly didn't feel so comfortable going through with Gil's plan to make this girl, Park Jung Ah, jealous. Everytime Gil touched her, he would whisper apologies. But it was Yuri's stares that burned her skin with every touch.

Jessica peeked through her door, but Yuri was no longer standing there. She shrugged her shoulders and got ready for her shower. It was a long day, and somehow, Jessica had a feeling that the night would be even longer because she might not be able to fall asleep.

-----------

Chapter 17 -Heartbeats, Stuttering, and All That Stuff

Stunned. That was what Jessica's simple unexpected kiss left Yuri feeling. She never knew that a person's lips could feel so soft on her skin, never imagined such a warm fluttery feeling in her stomach could exist, or the possibility of hearing her own pounding heart so clearly. The pleasures of the kiss left Yuri wanting more. That kiss was just indescribable with words and left Yuri completely speechless.

Yuri fanned herself with the small card that she used to open Jessica's door, waving it back and forth like as if she was trying to get the chemicals of a glow stick to react. 

There was knocking on the door that she was leaning on, making her whole body jump.

Yuri opened the door.

"Did you bring it?" She asked before ushering the girls inside her room.

Sooyoung held up her stethoscope. "Right here."

Yuri nodded her head at Sooyoung then turned to her twin. "And you?"

Yoona held up three bags containing ice cream, chips, drinks, and other snacks. She took off her sunglasses.

"Unnie, I risked my life for you! Imagine if people saw me buying all this food late at night?" Yoona brought a hand up to cover her face. "I could see the headlines now: Actress Im Yoona, Pig Yoona."

Yuri showed her gratitude by hugging the panicking girl then instructed Sooyoung to listen to her heartbeat.

"Woah! It's like a horse!"

Yoona took the stethoscope from Sooyoung and listened, eyes immediately growing wide.

"And listen here. My stomach's feeling all weird and tingly."

Yoona burst out laughing as she listened to Yuri's loud stomach. Curious to know what odd symptoms her best friend was experiencing, Sooyoung listened to her stomach as well, using the medical instrument. It amplified the gurgling noise that her stomach was making.

Sooyoung chuckled. "Hun, that's just your stomach digesting."

"Okay, feel my head. I'm burning up." Yuri brought her two friends' hands to her forehead. "Guys, I think I'm in trouble."

"I'm in love." 

"You're in love."

All three of them said at the same time.

With much excitement, Sooyoung opened a container of chocolate mint ice cream. She handed them each a spoon before taking a scoop.

"Tell the Love Doctor all about it. What happened? What makes you think that this time?"

Yuri's heart was still beating erractically from the kiss just now in the hallway. It was simple and sweet. Just a quick peck on the cheek and a smile accompanying it. For all the other times where Yuri thought she was in love, the kiss that would make her feel all tingly inside was when the person kissed her on the lips. There were other differences that Yuri has never felt before. Only with Jessica. 

Yuri covered her blushing face and rolled from side to side on the giant bed. She couldn't hide the giddiness.

"I don't know... When I'm with her, I just can't help myself and say whatever's on my mind. Like how I miss her. I also let these emotions guide me into doing what I want right at that moment," Yuri tried her best to explain without rolling all over the bed or jumping from one spot to another.

"Like?" Yoona opened a box of Peppero.

"Like, I'll hold her hand without thinking twice about it. I'll steal glances at her and not even realize it. I can't seem to go a whole day without her... Argh, it just doesn't make any sense. I never thought I would fall for her, Doc."

"Love doesn't make sense." Sooyoung waved her spoon around in the air. "It's like I love food, but I never gain a pound!"

"Unnie!" Yoona chuckled.

"Have you kissed her yet?"

Yuri gave Sooyoung a disappointed look. "No..."

"Have you confessed yet?"

Again, Yuri answered with a sigh. "No..." 

"Good." Sooyoung finished the small container of ice cream and opened a strawberry flavor one. "Because you remember what happened last time when you just rushed into things and told KiJoon that you loved him."

Yuri didn't want to be reminded of the time that she thought she was in love. The story was similar to hers and Jessica's. It started off with KiJoon bullying her, harrassing her everytime they crossed paths. To stop him, Yuri did what she used to always do in these type of bullying situations, tell him that she's Kwon Min's daughter. 

The bullying stopped and KiJoon even treated her nicely, like a friend and a brother. Then one day, she confessed. All the signs were there --or so she thought. Her adoration for KiJoon, the warmth that she felt everytime she was in his arms. He had her totally wrapped around her fingers. She thoug she was a girl in love. But it was all just an illusion. After dating for two months, the harsh reality hit her. KiJoon never liked her... Only her money. 

Sooyoung was a straightforward person and meant well for her friend. She really didn't want to see her friend get hurt again. She fed Yuri some ice cream.

"So who is this special person? And a girl this time!"

The glint and smile returned on Yuri's face. She held a pillow to her chest and shyly responded, "It's Jessica."

Yoona loudly snapped the pretzel stick in her mouth, her doe eyes forming big round circles. "Unnie! But she's a gold digger!"

"She doesn't know that I'm Kwon Min's daughter. Nobody knows."

"Well, if you're desperate for her to like you, you could tell her." 

Sooyoung had intended to be sarcastic but Yuri didn't hear it. "I could, but..."

"Nuh uh." Yoona shook her head. "Then she'll like you for your money only."

Yuri wanted to believe that Jessica wasn't all about money. She kissed her without knowing about her identity. For somebody who has a price tag for kisses and love, Jessica wouldn't do that unless she was feeling something too.

"Or what if she gets mad after I tell her?"

Before they could reply to Yuri's question, they heard loud knocking outside. The three of them rushed to the door, elbowing each other out of the way to see through the tiny peep hole.

"Oh! It's Tiffany!" Sooyoung whispered to the two.

They heard the door across open.

"Omo omo omo omo! Jessica's just wearing a towel and damn, even I'm starting to feel something in my stomach just by looking at her!"

Yoona instantly shoved a Peppero stick into Sooyoung's mouth. "It's just your hunger speaking."

"Let me see!" Yuri pushed Sooyoung away with an unexpected force. Why is Tiffany visiting so late? "She's giving Jessica a white envelope..." Yuri muttered to herself but it was loud enough for the others to hear.

Tiffany presented the envelope to Jessica right before getting pulled into the room. Even though the door was closed, Yuri kept staring at it, wondering what Tiffany's purpose is.

Sooyoung and Yoona went back to the bed where the bags of food were lying and Yuri followed. They reassured her that it was nothing other than a friendly visit, sort of what they were doing right now.

"Hey, maybe Tiffany is Jessica's Love Doctor..." Sooyoung suggested.

"Oh, so do you think they're talking about me right now?"

Yuri's hope was quickly shattered when Yoona brought up another possibility.

"Or Gil..." She cackled after seeing Yuri pout.

As if her ears have been trained to pick up the slightest sounds, Yuri heard some knocking again. This time, to the beat of Na Bi Ah. 

Yuri was the first to get up, but with her long legs, Sooyoung beat the others who were scrambling to the door.

"Sica baby, Taengoo baby is outside." They heard the short dork say on her phone. 

"Oh, Yuri, it's Taeyeon and it seems that she also has a white envelope with money..."

"Unnie!" Yoona hissed from below, "You're getting crumbs all over my hair!"

As the two shikshins bickered, Yuri took this opportunity look through the peep hole. 

Again, another late night visit where Jessica was still not dressed and her visitors appear to be giving her money... But for what reason?

They continued to spy on Jessica, trying to guess what the money was for. It didn't seem that it was in exchange for any goods since all her visitors left shortly, empty handed.

"Could it be... For services?" Sooyoung finally said what was on everybody's mind. "It seems that she takes a liking for short people... Her lovers keep getting shorter and shorter."

Tiffany was the first to visit Jessica, then Taeyeon, and finally Sunny. It was already late in the night. Just when Yuri thought that Jessica couldn't possibly be expecting more company, Seohyun showed up at the door. She was holding what seemed to be a piggy bank in her hands. 

"Oh my gawd! Yul!" Sooyoung loudly exclaimed. "Your Sica is a pedophile!"

"Shut up, Sooyoung..." Yuri stared hard at the two girls across the hall, hugging each other. "She's over 18."

"Let me see!" Yoona begged Yuri who was hogging the peep hole. "Unnie!" she whined when Yuri refused to budge.

"There's nothing to see."

By that time, Seohyun had already entered the room. Jessica was about to close the door but paused. She looked up at Yuri's door for a moment.

"Everybody, duck!" Yuri screamed, running away from the door and flopping on her bed. 

"Unnie, do you think she saw us?" Yoona asked from under the blanket.

"Nah, we were behind a door. She doesn't have X-ray vision you know," Sooyoung justified. "So Yul, what are you going to do now?"

Yuri has some kind of inexplicable feelings for Jessica. That, she's sure of. But because she's never felt like this before, she doesn't want to mistaken fondness for love again.

"Listen up, here are your doctor's orders. First," Sooyoung stuck out her thumb to list her advice based on the romance movies she's seen, "find out if your heart tends to beat faster whenever you see her. Next, do you find yourself stuttering at times when speaking to her. Lastly, what is it that you like about her, physically and personality."

----------

Yuri was crouched on her knees, hiding behind the counter of Belle Seoul's kitchen. 

"Fast heartbeats, stuttering, and what I like about her," Yuri reminded herself of what Sooyoung said last night as she watched Jessica quietly washing dishes.

She was slowly cleaning a plate in circular motion without any expression. The girl was spacing out again. Yuri covered her mouth with two hands, chuckling at how a dazed out Jessica could look so adorable when she washes dishes. 

Yuri had a perfect view of Jessica from her hiding spot. She raised her head above the edge of the counter to peek at her object of affection. Jessica definitely did something to her hair, Yuri confirmed to herself. The color was lighter, giving Jessica an alluring radiance. Yuri's eyes continued to move down the petite girl's curves, stopping every now and then to admire certain parts that all girls envied. 

Yuri found herself staring at Jessica's face once more. She looked like a tired angel. Jessica licked her lips before biting them. That little action made Yuri remember what happened in the fridge during the night of Stella's birthday party. She felt her face flush at the thought of Jessica's lips against her neck. The pacing of her heart also quickened. Her lips...

"Yuri!" Taeyeon's sudden scream caused her to jump up from hiding. "What are you doing hiding in my kitchen like that?"

Taeyeon's loud voice attracted Jessica's attention as well as the other busy workers who spent the night shuffling around Yuri.

Jessica stared at Yuri who was nervously blinking her eyes. Through her fast blinking, she stole a few quick glances at Jessica. Dammit! I'm doing it again, Yuri mentally face palmed herself for looking at Jessica.

Taeyeon shifted her gaze back and forth between Yuri and Jessica, who was just staring at Yuri without blinking. It dawned on her why Yuri was lurking around.

"Oh my... you were checking--"

Before Taeyeon could finish stating her observation, Yuri clamped her mouth closed with her hand, then proceeded to drag her body away.

"Checking... Uhh... I was... Umm.." Yuri looked at Jessica nervously, afraid of getting busted by Taeyeon. "Yeah, checking," Yuri held a plate of raw chicken breasts and chicken legs, "your legs and breasts-- I meant these, not yours, Sica," Yuri stammered. "These are beautiful. The chicken's, not yours." Yuri caught herself. "Uhh... I mean yours are probably nice too, but ummm... No, I mean... I was looking at the chicken! Ah, s**t!" She stopped pointing at the plate. Yuri gave up in trying to explain to the girl who cocked her eyebrow. Her other hand was still muffling Taeyeon's cries who was struggling to free herself. 

"Taengoo, let's go." Yuri was so embarrassed that she just dragged Taeyeon away.

"You're such a dork, Kwon Yuri," Jessica whispered to herself with a smile that she tried to suppress by biting her bottom lip.

Just outside of the kitchen, Taeyeon finally broke free. 

"Oh, you little liar!" Taeyeon shouted at the tall girl with much amusement in her voice. "You were so checking Jessica out!"

"Shush! She might hear you!" Yuri looked nervously into the kitchen.

"Oh ho ho! This is too good. I'm telling Sica that you like her!"

Taeyeon swung the door open but got pulled back by Yuri.

"Don't you dare... Otherwise, I'm going to tell Tiffany what you did last night," Yuri threatened.

That caught Taeyeon's attention. She looked at Tiffany who was happily mixing drinks at the bar. 

Yuri briefly looked at Tiffany before nodding her head at Taeyeon. "That's right, I know what you did last night."

She can't possibly let Tiffany find out about her secret meeting with Jessica last night. All the money that she's been saving up to go on that cruise with Tiffany, she gave to Jessica last night. Her mushroom would be so heartbroken if she found out. 

"Alright, your secret's safe with me." Taeyeon pushed the door open again but was stopped by Yuri once more. "Don't worry, I'm not going to say anything. A client just asked me to give something to Jessica."

"What is it?"

Taeyeon made her way to where Jessica was working with Yuri following close behind. She snickered at how awkward Yuri was acting around Jessica.

"Sica, this guy named Jaebum asked me to give this to you."

Taeyeon waited for Jessica to remove her gloves before handing her the piece of paper.

"Sica, what is it?" Yuri asked.

Jessica read the note without revealing any emotions. "He wants to go on a date."

"What?!" Yuri exclaimed.

"Yeah, he's asked me a few times about you ever since that night he heard you sing." Taeyeon turned to Yuri whose eyes were still opened wide. "Oh, don't worry, a lot of people have been asking about you too," Taeyeon assured her. "Just none of them has harrassed me like this guy."

Knowing Jessica for quite some time and her dating criteria, Taeyeon assumed that Jessica was quietly thinking about this guy's wealth.

"I checked, he's rich and good looking. He's outside waiting for your answer if you want to see for yourself."

Jessica finally pulled her eyes away from the paper and looked at Yuri. 

Taeyeon wasn't sure what was holding her friend back from accepting like usual. Jessica made it clear to her back when Taeyeon used to still like her that she would only marry rich and Jaebum seems like the best candidate compared to the other losers she's been dating. There's no way that Jessica could be contemplating somebody like Yuri, an average salary worker.

"Yul, I also have a message for you. Stella wants to throw you a welcome back party."

Both pairs of eyes were on her. And like as if Jessica's soul returned, she accepted the date in an instant.

"I'm going to have to tell him to meet me some other night. I'm finishing late tonight as well as the next few nights."

Jessica took off her apron. "Yul, you don't have to walk me back tonight. I don't know what time I'll be finishing at."

"I'll wait," was all Yuri said as she watched Jessica walk away.

Taeyeon didn't mean to hurt Yuri like that. But it's probably better this way before Yuri gets too ahead of herself. Jessica is a caring but stubborn woman. And sometimes, she needs to be reminded of her priorities and unfortunately, falling in love wasn't one of them. 

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

"Yuwree, could I get you something to drink? You've been... Umm.. Venting for quite some time now," Tiffany asked the energetic girl who was talking a mile a minute.

Yuri paused. "Do you have anything non-alcoholic?" 

"Soft drinks, juice..."

"You got any Ma?"

"Excuse me?" Tiffany wondered if it was a new drink that's popular with the in-crowd.

Yuri used her hands to show Tiffany the shape of a ma. "You know, the vegetable?"

"Oh!" Tiffany exclaimed. "Oh," she said again but with bewilderment this time. "How do I make it?"

"You grind it... Duh!"

Tiffany couldn't understand why she was being all moody. The whole night Yuri kept talking about her best friend going on dates with rich people. Okay, Gil might have been a bad, very bad, choice, but this Jaebum guy was perfect for Jessica. She's spoken to him a few times and he's charming, rich, good looking, great dancer, well-mannered --basically everything that you would want in guy. Plus, he wears pink sweaters.

Tiffany returned to the bar with a bag full of the vegetable that Yuri was talking about. If Taetae hadn't swept her off her feet first, she might have fought with Jessica for this guy, Tiffany thought to herself as she began grinding the vegetable.

"Hurry it up! You didn't seem to have this much trouble last night grinding..." Yuri snapped at Tiffany.

"Cool it!" Tiffany snapped back while slamming her drink on the counter, annoyed by the second with Yuri's attitude.

Yuri downed her drink in an instant and waved Tiffany over for another one.

After six consecutive drinks, Yuri began to feel funny. Her eyelids were beginning to get heavier by the second and her body was getting all hot.

"Fa... Ffffaaany," Yuri slurred. "You know, boys are from Mars and girls are from Venus."

"Uh huh."

"And you are from America... And Sica," Yuri hiccupped, "Sica is from Iceland. That's why she's an Ice Princess."

Tiffany exploded with laughter, almost dropping the glass that she was cleaning. 

Jessica approached the only two girls left at the club.

"Why am I an Ice Princess?" she asked, only catching the last part of what Yuri said.

"Siiiicaaaaaa!" Yuri screamed excitedly. "Mmmmmmmm Sica!" Yuri mimicked a popular song, replacing 'honey' with her name.

Jessica caught the girl who almost stumbled off her chair as she hugged her.

"What's wrong with her?"

Tiffany tried to answer, but she couldn't get a word through the laughing fit that she was having. She clapped her hands together again when Yuri rolled her head around in circles, pointing at Jessica and singing Son Dam Bi's song, Crazy.

Jessica looked at the glasses in front of Yuri's seat, realizing why Yuri was acting like crazy woman on crack. "Oh my god, Tiff, you're kidding, right?" She picked up one of Yuri's empty glasses. "You spiked her drink?"

Tiffany was still laughing. "She was being a total a**, so I helped her lighten up."

Jessica shoved her friend on the arm. "You're unbelievable..."

Tying her hair up into a bun first, Jessica hoisted Yuri by the waist, supporting the girl's weight back to her hotel room. Yuri dragged her feet along, making it harder for Jessica to transport the drunk girl.

"Sica, are we going to your room?"

"No."

Jessica searched Yuri's pockets for the key to her room. She found it in Yuri's back pocket.

"Of course," Jessica muttered at the obvious place where Yuri likes to keep hotel keys.

She opened the door and draped Yuri's arm around her shoulder to bring the girl in to rest on the bed. Leaving her to mumble nonsense, Jessica opened Yuri's suitcase to get a clean shirt only to find it empty. All of Yuri's clothes were now neatly placed in the closet. Jessica looked around in the dark and noticed things on the counters and table tops. Seems like she's moving in.

Jessica grabbed an orange t-shirt and black shorts from the closet. She threw them at Yuri.

"Change into these," Jessica instructed before disappearing in the bathroom to get a hot damp towel. 

She wiped her own sweat with the back of her hand, not believing that she has to exhaust herself some more after a long day's work. 

Yuri's fresh clothes were lying on the ground.

"Kwon Yuri, you should know better than to get drunk." Jessica gently pressed the damp cloth against Yuri's head and cheeks. "I'm... I'm... deducting your pay for this."

Jessica knew she was rambling, saying anything to calm her shaking hands as she unbuttoned Yuri's shirt. She wiped Yuri's exposed neck, then chest, and finally Jessica undid the last button and stared at Yuri's tanned and toned stomach. 

Jessica gulped at the fixation that Yuri's body had on her. Her face and ears were heating up. She pressed the towel to her own forehead.

"Sica, are you going to sleep here with me?"

The drunk question broke the spell that held her eyes to Yuri's perfect body. Jessica was all jittery and threw the towel that she was holding at Yuri, landing it squarely on her face.

"No," she answered.

Picking up the clothes off the floor, Jessica quickly lifted Yuri into a sitting position and slid the shirt off her shoulders. 

"Yuri, raise your hands."

Drunkedly, Yuri raised her arms up with a goofy smile. But before Jessica could even get her arms into the shirt, she fell flat on her face, ending in a praying/bowing position.

"Kwon Yuri!" 

Jessica slapped Yuri's bare back and she sprung right back up.

After much effort, Jessica finally managed to get the t-shirt on Yuri. She was about to lay Yuri down so she can change her pants, but Yuri had toppled over again --onto Jessica.

Jessica breathed heavily as Yuri rested her head on her chest, listening to Jessica's undoubtedly fast heartbeats. A minute passed, then another, and another, until Jessica managed to breathe properly again. She rolled Yuri to sleep on her back.

Cupping one of her cheeks, Jessica looked at Yuri's flushed face. She gently stroked Yuri's cheek with her thumb. 

"If only you were rich or a bit more hard-working, I just might fall for you."

Without bothering to change Yuri's jeans, Jessica got up and silently left Yuri's room.

The door clicked shut.

"Sica?" Yuri mumbled, all alone.

--------

Chapter 18 -My Cup of Tea

"Heartbeats?"

Yuri thought about Sooyoung's question as she waited for the girls to arrive. Here she was calling her Love Doctor over in the early morning to diagnose some tell-tale symptoms. Even though Yuri wasn't 100% sober last night due to Tiffany's prank, she was certain of something.

"Fast," she answered over the phone.

"Stuttering?"

"Yes."

"Physical and non-physical traits?"

This question had Yuri stumped. She scratched her head with her index finger as she thought about it. Was it the eyes? The smile? Was it the kindness or the wit? Using the same finger, Yuri tapped her head, thinking hard about what she saw last night before passing out.

"The cute beauty mark on my stomach and my sense of humor."

"Ok, nothing perverted, so Yul, you are certified in lo--" Sooyoung stopped her confirmation, noticing Yuri's use of possessive adjectives. "Wait... your beauty mark and your sense of humor? Were we analyzing Jessica just now?"

"Maybe..." 

It wasn't like as if Yuri had intentionally lied to Sooyoung or anything, but she was just curious of Jessica's feelings last night. Yuri had no doubt that the fast drumming that she heard was coming from Jessica's heart and not some imaginary instrument that she did not own. And the usual composed Jessica stumbled on her words when changing Yuri's top. 

Already, that was 2 out of 3 from Dr. Sooyoung's Lovology theorem, that is, if you're stuttering, experiencing erratic palpitations, and like something non-perverted about the other person, then you must be in love. Although, Yuri does admit that this theorem has been proven to be flawed in the past, she still believes in it because truth be told, Sooyoung is the only doctor that she knows well. And whenever Yuri thinks she's supposedly in love, she'll be needing all the 'professional' advice she can get.

Also, admist the tiny stars obstructing her vision, she saw Jessica staring at her stomach. Other than the beauty mark there, Yuri couldn't think of anything special that could possibly hold Jessica's attention for so long. It was a wild guess, but still, 2 out of 3 isn't so bad even if she got the last one wrong. That's 67%, a pass. Yuri smirked to herself. 

"Yul, why are we rushing over to your place so early? We're best friends and all, but right now, I think I want to get closer to the Sandman," Sooyoung complained, slowing down her pace and wrapping an arm around Yoona's to support her lethargic body. She needed sleep. Or food. 

"Just hurry up and get here. I'm in a dilemma and I need your help."

Yuri closed her phone to free both her hands again. She poured boiled water into the third cup of ramyun noodles. This is the biggest breakfast she's ever prepared, but with the kind of help she's asking for from her Shikshin besties, she'll be needing it. In fact, the bigger, the better.

--------

"Yoong, stop walking so fast..."

Sooyoung shifted more body weight onto Yoona, leaning heavily on her arm. Despite being on vacation, an urgent surgery last night required her expertise, especially if it's only been performed once at her hospital. They called the complicated procedure The Soo for its creator Sooyoung and its similarity to a zoo due to a patient's complete internal mess requiring simultaneous operations to prevent organ failures (or escapes as the doctors now call it).

And yesterday's patient was really messed up. The surgery took 15 hours to complete and stabilize with the heart nearly escaping twice. Sooyoung shook her head remembering how lucky her patient was to have his seatbelt on. Little boys with fast cars never were good with numbers greater than 60 whether its on a speedometer or an exam... That's why she was always the top of her class, graduating with a near perfect score.

Sooyoung closed her eyes and allowed Yoona to guide her down the hall. She must have dozed off for a split second because she could almost smell and taste her favorite ramyun noodles. She licked her lips. The smell was getting stronger with each step.

"Unnie," Yoona whispered closely. 

Sooyoung slowly opened her eyes.

"I think we're being followed..."

"Yoona, you always think we're being followed," she grumbled.

"I think we really are." Yoona glanced back. "Everywhere I go, I see this tall young girl behind me."

"Papparazzi?"

"I don't think so... No cameras."

Sooyoung glanced at the paranoid girl. 

"Fan maybe?"

"Stalker maybe? But I'm getting more creeped out than when Yuri unnie followed us in that falling apart Goobne chicken suit."

Today, Sooyoung was just too tired to be Yoona's bodyguard and backbone. It's time to teach Yoona how to deal with psychotic little fangirls.

"Yoong, you can't let these people scare you and control your normal life." 

They turned the corner, quickly approaching Yuri's room. 

"Look, this is what you're going to do." Sooyoung stood in front of Yoona, gripping her shoulders. "Be aggressive with this stalker. Ask her who she is and what she wants. Let her know that famous people are humans too and that you need your privacy. Little girl or not, don't go soft. You can do it!"

That was her prep talk before sending Yoona off. She was still young and innocent, thus easily influenced by Sooyoung and Yuri, her closest unnies. Sooyoung slumped against the wall, resting her aching body.

Yoona waited until the girl turned the corner. Once in sigt, she pinned her immediately against the wall, causing her to yelp in surprise. Just as she was taught, Yoona narrowed her eyes and spoke harshly.

"Who are you and why are you following me?"

The girl's eyes grew big.

"Just because I'm famous, it doesn't give you the right to follow me." 

Sooyoung could sense the fear in the girl. She actually looked familiar, but it was too early for Sooyoung to think on an empty stomach. Fifteen plus hours of not eating... that kid better recover well from his surgery and treat me to a good meal.

"I'm human too!" Yoona continued delivering her lines. "I don't follow you to school or to the bathroom so why do you keep invading my privacy!"

Sooyoung chuckled at Yoona's acting. Nice improv.

"I..." The tall girl never finished her sentence. Her lips quivered as tears spilled.

Geez Yoona, what did you do?

Even though Yoona was doing the screaming, Sooyoung nonetheless felt like a bully right now, coaching Yoona how to handle a stalker who appears to be harmless. But people need to learn. For goodness sake, even the girl's stealthy clothes were all black except for the white blouse underneath. 

Before Yoona could ask who was on the other end of the walkie-talkie clipped onto the crying girl's belt, Jessica stepped out of her room.

"What's going on out here?" Her eyes widened at the sight in the hall. "What are you doing?" Jessica asked Yoona.

Jessica tried to lift Yoona's arm off, but she didn't budge. The tall girl was a great actress, crying fake tears. But Im Yoona wasn't going to fall for it.

"Argh!" Jessica yelped in frustration after another attempt.

"Seohyun, karate chop her or something. Do that thing that they teach you in security school," Jessica screamed.

"Unnie... I never went to security school. I just do surveillance," Seohyun spoke softly.

"Wait a minute," Sooyoung said, holding onto Yoona's arm. "I think Jessica knows her..." she whispered to Yoona. Heck, they might even know her.

Hearing the commotion and Jessica's disgruntled screams, Yuri stepped out of her room. "Hey guys, what's going on?" 

Jessica pushed Yoona off Seohyun. She hugged the sobbing girl tightly before yelling at the trio in front of her.

"What's going on is that your big shot friend thinks she can go around beating people up." Jessica poked Yuri on her shoulder causing her to stumble back.

"Yuri unnie, I--"

"Your friend made Seohyun cry!"

Yoona touched the tear that fell on her arm, guilt arising from the fact.

Everybody could tell that Jessica was mad and Yuri, not knowing what transpired outside while she was preparing more noodles, was defenseless.

Jessica turned to Yoona, redirecting her anger. "You! Obviously you're just as crazy as Yuri, attacking people out of nowhere."

"She was stalking me!" Yoona exclaimed.

"Now, Sica, I never really attacked you--"

Jessica shot Yuri an icy glare and she immediately became quiet. 

It was Sooyoung's turn. "And you! You think you can do anything just because you're rich?"

"Woah! I didn't--" Sooyoung defended. 

Seohyun tugged at Jessica's arm, saving Sooyoung from her unnie's unreasonable wrath. "Unnie..." 

Jessica turned around to wipe Seohyun's cheek. At times, Seohyun wished she could show a strong side like Jessica, but she's way too sensitive. 

"Unnie... It's true. I was following her..." Seohyun said ever so softly into Jessica's ear.

Jessica's expression softened and whispered back, feeling slightly foolish for the overreaction. "Why would you do that for?"

Seohyun nervously played with the keychain on her cell phone. "Because... I want to be her friend."

Yuri and the others were straining to hear Seohyun, but only Jessica made out the shy mumble. She looked at the frog on the phone, then at the matching frog on Yoona's shirt.

"But my mom told me that I shouldn't talk to strangers..."

Jessica hugged Seohyun again. "Silly girl..."

Yuri waved her hands at the other two onlookers, signaling them to silently sneak into her room. They slowly backed away and nearly made it but got caught.

"Im Yoona!" Jessica shouted.

Yoona froze in her spot. "Yes?"

"Apologize."

Guilt over what she just did, Yoona couldn't bring her eyes to look at Seohyun.

"Sorry..." She meant it. This was all Sooyoung's fault. She shot the instigator a glare.

"Give me your hand."

Sooyoung and Yuri stared on from the doorway, wondering what was going to happen. 

"Jessica isn't really going to spank Yoong, is she?" Sooyoung asked Yuri.

Too scared to say no to Jessica, Yoona closed her eyes, waiting for a sudden stinging pain to come. What she anticipated never came. Instead she felt a warm, soft and smooth texture. She opened her eyes to see Seohyun's hand in hers.

"There. All is forgiven now. Friends?"

Yoona first looked at Jessica for her odd behavior. One moment she was going psycho on everybody and now, she's forgiven, just like that. Then she looked at Seohyun who looked awkwardly shy. Yoona had no idea what was going on and glanced at Yuri who laughed nervously.

"Sure!" Yuri answered on her behalf. "Of course Yoona will be friends with Seohyun. Don't you want that?"

Yoona didn't see why not. Seohyun seems to be everywhere in the casino so they're bound to meet again.

"Friends." Yoona firmly held Seohyun's hand.

"Great!" Yuri placed an arm around each of their shoulders, ushering the two new friends into her room. "Let's celebrate this friendship over some noodles." 

Jessica remained outside, unsure if she was invited after her embarrassing outburst.

"I made enough for everybody." Yuri pushed Jessica from behind. "Cucumber free."

Jessica raised an eyebrow with interest, as if to say 'oh!', right before breaking into a small smile.

Once seated around the counter inside Yuri's room, Sooyoung leaned into Yoona, whispering, "Boy, Jessica lectures you like your mom."

"Be quiet. This was all unnie's fault," Yoona hissed back.

Sooyoung could only smile since she had a mouthful of noodles. Slowly satisfying her hunger with Yuri's noodles, her brain began to wake up, becoming more aware of things. 

There was no way that Yuri could predict what just happened outside and prepared all these bowls of noodles in advance. Her favorite on top of that. 

Yuri needed a favor, she deduced. 5 bowls? And now she's making us all tea with her special jasmine tea leaves? This was going to be a big favor. She saw how messy Yuri's room was.

"Hey, Yul, how come you have clothes on the floor? It's not like you to be disorganized..."

Yoona had a dorky grin on her face. She brought her hands to her chest, palms facing out, and moved them side to side to the tune that she was singing.

"Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, looking like a fool cause your pants on the ground!"

Seohyun giggled at the Yoona's random dorkiness, no doubt a similarity shared with her best friend, Yuri.

Yuri suddenly looked shy and played with the collar of her orange Mickey Mouse t-shirt. She wasn't the only one who was acting odd.

"Hey, Jessica, why are your ears all red?" Sooyoung asked the girl who held the bowl up to her face, covering it entirely as she scarfed down the contents. 

Jessica stared into the bowl. "It's hot."

They ate in near silence except for the two girls bonding over a cartoon frog, chatting like little school girls.

"Hyunnie, finish your noodles," Jessica said.

"My mom said instant noodles are really bad for your health. You guys should eat more fruits for breakfast."

Yuri clapped her hands together at Seohyun's health lecture. "Oh! I drink Ma juice every morning!"

At the mention of Ma, Jessica's ears turned red again. She reached over and took Seohyun's untouched noodles. Sooyoung did the same with Yoona's who was too busy exchanging numbers with Seohyun to notice.

The four of them look like a happy family, Sooyoung thought. However, she wasn't sure of the roles since she now recognizes Seohyun as Jessica's only tall lover with the cute piggy bank. Somehow, Sooyoung just can't imagine an innocent girl like Seohyun paying Jessica for 'a good time'.

---------

"Alright, spill it. What do you want us to do for you?" Sooyoung asked after Seohyun and Jessica went to work.

Sooyoung was undoubtedly her best friend, knowing that this morning's meal wasn't exactly free. Yuri thought about her plan, wondering if it was going to be a dangerous mission or not. 

"Unnie, just say it."

These two are like her parasites. Even Yoona knew what was going on in her mind. They're her best friends, so she's going to be direct, not caring if they thought she was crazy or not.

"I need one of you to go undercover, get close to Jessica and find out what she thinks of me and what I could do to make her fall for me."

Sooyoung, always the witty one, was fast to answer sarcastically. "Easy, give her money. Tell her you're rich, that you're this casino owner's young heiress."

Yuri became offended. "She's not a gold digger," she emphasized.

"I was just joking," Sooyoung chuckled.

"So which one of you are going to help me?"

Her best friends exchanged brief looks before pointing at each other.

"Unnie! I can't do it. She scares me more than my mom."

"Nuh-uh, I?m not going to play with a bunch of crazies, plus I return to work soon. And Yul, aren't you afraid that she might fall for me instead?"

Point taken. Jessica did somewhat express her interest in Sooyoung before. She couldn't risk it. Yuri stared at Yoona.

"Unnie, unnie..." Yoona begged with her knees on the ground and hands clasped together. "Spare me, please!"

As usual, being the actress that she is, Yoona was being overdramatic. 

Yuri knew this wasn't going to be easy. Heck, she wasn't even sure if she has their support given her previous failed attempts at love and how they think that Jessica will only love money and not the person. 

The three took turns begging each other, for help, for exemption. 

"I have an idea," Sooyoung said, snapping her fingers. "Since Yoona is now friends with Seohyun, she should find out what her relationship is with Jessica and get information out of her. Even if those two are just friends," Sooyoung was careful not to use the word 'lovers' since it might upset Yuri, "they seem to be awfully close."

"But then won't it seem like as if I'm just using Seohyun?"

Sooyoung addressed Yoona's worry. "Well, it's not like as if you only became her friend because of Jessica... You two are already friends and you'll just ask a question here and there out of concern."

"I guess..."

Yuri hugged Yoona and kissed her. "Thanks Yoong, you're the best."

---------

After calling her brother to give her a promotion, Yuri went straight to Jessica's office to ask for a promotion. Taewoo had been less yielding than expected, but at least he provided some valuable points.

"I can't just give you a promotion like that, Yuri. Not unless you want me to announce your identity," Taewoo had told her over the phone.

"Can't you say that I won some raffle or something?"

Taewoo let out a loud chortle. "Yuri-yah, we don't hand out promotions like free cruise trips. You need to earn them. Why don't you ask Jessica? She is after all your supervisor and based on your performance, it shouldn't be too hard to get more responsibilities."

And that is exactly what she plans on doing after Jessica finishes talking to the new dealer. Yuri peered through the glass doors. Jessica looked bored with what the guy sitting opposite to her had to say. Her expression was as dull as the plain white paper on her desk.

Yuri waved her hand, attracting Jessica's attention. She did her lion face, causing Jessica to smile widely. Discreetly, yet discernable to Yuri, Jessica stuck the tip of her tongue out on the side and did a quick wink that can be mistaken as a regular blink of the eye.

When Yuri pressed her face to the glass, distorting her pretty small features, Jessica was unable to hold in her laughter and exploded, clapping her hands and then banging them on her desk. She signaled Yuri to go in with a wave of her hand. She went around the desk to where Yuri just opened the door.

"Yuri," Jessica said with a smile. She took Yuri's hand and led her where the guy was sitting. "He's the new dealer," she added. 

"Hi!" Yuri greeted the you man who was looking too happy for a casino worker.

"Hi, there! I'm Henry."

"Henry, we'll continue our discussion later and I recommend that you share your stories with Tiffany."

He got up from his seat. "I don't think she'll find them as funny as you, but I'll try my best to impress."

"Henry," Jessica called out to him before he left, "you forgot your tea." 

"Oh, it's for you. I noticed your throats been a bit coarse lately. I put extra honey in it."

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

Stella watched as the new dealer left Jessica's office all cheerful and energetic. It appears that he likes the Ice Princess. But Stella knew better. Unless he's hiding some secret fortune, Jessica would never cast her fox spell on him. Not like what she did with her ex-fiance. And now Yuri.

All the fools here at the casino never bothered to find out who Kwon Min's daughter is. They didn't even make the association with the Kwon Yuri working right under their noses. Nor did they suspect anything when Taewoo started making frequent trips on the floor to whisper a few words with Yuri. But that's good news for Stella and she doesn't blame the ignorant idiots. Google wasn't even able to make the connection. When she used the Internet, she wasn't able to find a single picture or any information on his daughter. She just disappeared from the spotlight after going abroad to study. 

If Stella hadn't become suspicious of Yuri's relationship with Taewoo, she would've never overheard their conversation and she wouldn't have gone to Kwon Min's office. She was going to disclose to the Big Boss how his son now has a girlfriend, something that would make the old man really happy. Instead, she saw a family picture and in it was a more mature looking Yuri.

It all made sense to her then. Taewoo oppa is Yuri's brother. How Jessica found out about it is beyond her knowledge. She's kept the secret well hidden, not even telling her loud mouth friend, Tiffany, about it. But of course, why invite competition. 

Stella has to find a way to seduce Yuri before Jessica does. Not only will she become part of the rich society, she will finally get her revenge on Jessica for ruining her chance at love and wealth with her ex-fiance. 

Seducing Yuri would've been easy at her birthday party if she hadn't left with that gold digger. Jessica sure has her ways... A professional gold digger. She barely even stayed for more than 10 minutes before Stella had the chance to ridicule her. 

But this silent battle over Yuri isn't over yet. There's going to be another party, and this time, she's going to act first. 

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

Steam rose from the mug, warming the surrounding area. Yuri watched it dance, creating hot waves in the air until the vapor disappeared. She has noticed Jessica's random coughs too, but didn't think they were anything too serious. 

After Henry left the two alone, Jessica slapped Yuri lightly on her arm. "I was in the middle of a meeting."

Yuri grinned. "Hey, I just saved you from a very very boring meeting and that's how you thank me?"

"Here." Jessica gave her the pink mug.

"But Henry made it for you," she teased, "What will you say if he asks you about the taste?"

To Yuri's disappointment, Jessica took the mug back and took a sip from it. "I'll say it was good but not really for me. Way too sweet."

She handed it back to Yuri to finish the rest before sitting on the edge of her table. "So, what brings you here? You're not scheduled to work today."

"That's what I want to talk to you about. I want more responsibilities. I want a promotion."

"Why?" Jessica asked, wondering why the sudden interest in wanting to do more labor.

"I want to advance in my career. And I want to impress people."

"The ones in Las Vegas?"

Whether she had dreamt it or actually heard it last night, Yuri figured that if she can't tell Jessica who she really is, then she'll show her that she is motivated to move up in the company. She wants to show Jessica that she can offer her security, to be able to give her a happy life that money can't buy. Yet, it seems that Jessica isn't seeing this. She still thinks that Yuri is going to Las Vegas. 

Oh boy... Against all rationale, she's helplessly in love. But now isn't the time for her to confess, Yuri thought. Not without first getting into Jessica's heart. 

Yuri went along with the flow, agreeing with Jessica's idea that what she's doing is for Vegas. "Yeah... You could say that."

Jessica was lost in thoughts.

"I could be your assistant," she suggested.

Jessica gave a small laugh. "Babo, you can't be an assistant's assistant." Her smiled disappeared and after some more thought, Jessica finally muttered with a frown, "I guess you'll also be needing the money to buy your plane ticket..."

----------

It wouldn't be good for the service team's morale if Yuri suddenly got a promotion after only one week of work. People would also become suspicious, spreading rumors like a wildfire of how Yuri is sleeping with Taewoo --or her.

She would know. Jessica knows just how vicious some people can be when someone moves up the ladder too fast. 

But compared to Vegas, Yuri still doesn't have what it takes to be an outstanding employee. It was an entirely different league. So despite what people might think, Jessica assigned Yuri the task of coordinating an event. And if it turns out well, then Yuri's next pay will include a bonus. It should be enough for her travel expenses. 

Jessica handed the file over to Yuri with the details of the event's objectives. How Yuri plans on achieving them is entirely up to her. Deep down, she was rooting for Yuri to do well... But the better Yuri becomes, the sooner she'll get transferred to Las Vegas.

"Hey, Sica..." Yuri's voice became serious. "Thanks for last night."

Jessica's face immediately turned red. From the moment Yuri started making faces at her outside her office, she had forgotten about whatever awkwardness that might arise from seeing Yuri drunk --and topless.

Jessica swiveled around in her chair to face the wall. "You could go now, it's a busy day for me," she said over her shoulder.

There was no reply from Yuri, no playful or dorky movements. Cautiously, Jessica slowly spun her chair around only to find an empty mug in front of her.

Jessica pouted. She drank all my tea...

Chapter 19 -Food For Thought

It was another early morning as Jessica forced her aching body to march up the stairs to her office. Her date with Jaebom last night ended much later than anticipated since they were both having such a great time. For the week that they've been seeing each other, Jessica keeps getting more and more impressed with the rich American boy. She didn't know why, but she was kind of hoping that he would turn out to be another jackass. 

She looked over the railing to see if Yuri was in yet. 8:45. Still too early. It was just Tiffany and Stella at the customer service area. 

Tiffany made eye contact with Jessica and waved energetically with a bright smile on her face. Stella, on the other hand, practically scowled at her with a quick glance. Jessica smiled and waved back at Tiffany, whereas with Stella, she didn't really care if she was pms'ing in the early morning as long as she's in on time. Clients never really complained about her attitude so Jessica knew that she was the only one getting this kind of negative treatment from her.

She pushed open the glass doors and an unexpected voice made her practically jump 5 feet off the ground. 

"Morning, Sica!"

As an immediate reaction, she threw her pass at Yuri, spooked by the visit. Luckily, she didn't scream.

"What are you doing in my office?"

"Our office." Yuri put down her pen and picked up Jessica's work pass and studied the photo. "Pretty."

Jessica blushed at Yuri's compliment but her face also reddened with anger. "Kwon Yuri, this is my office and you need to leave. Now."

Yuri refused to get up from the chair despite the cold glares. "I need a quiet place to organize my thoughts," she said, staring down at her papers scattered on the desk, avoiding eye contact with Jessica.

"Yuri, I'm giving you 5 seconds." Jessica began her countdown. "...3, 2, 1." Yuri remained firmly planted on the leather chair. "Yuuurri..."Jessica whined, shaking the girl.

Yuri was getting a kick out of playing with Jessica. It was her office and she should be in this seat instead, but Yuri knew that the moment she gets up, her butt would be out the door faster than you can say 'mushroom'. 

The phone rang, distracting Jessica from thinking of ways to threaten the tanned girl into giving her back her seat. 

"Jess! Hurry up and drink your coffee because Mr. Taewoo is going up to your office right now with Gil!" Tiffany said in one quick rush.

She heard their deep voices approaching the office. Who knows what Gil will do this time to Yuri... Or worse yet, what Yuri's reaction will be towards him. Not everybody understands his harmless teasing like she does. She can't allow a scene to happen in her office with her boss present. Yuri is under her supervision and if she offends Gil in any way, friend or not, Taewoo oppa won't like her lack of supervision skills and professionalism.

It was too late to hide the girl who's swinging her legs back and forth. The glass desk is completely see through and without a front, and there isn't really a closet for her to hide in either. Jessica rolled her eyes and regretted not having taken Sunny's suggestion to put a plant in her office for decoration.

Yuri noticed Jessica's panicked state. "Sica, what's wrong?"

Right before Taewoo entered with Gil, Jessica swung the chair around so that Yuri was facing the wall.

She clamped her hand over Yuri's mouth and hissed closely. "Not a word out of you otherwise I'll take back the project, demote you to janitor, or worse, fire you."

Yuri nodded her head in apprehension. 

"Jessica!"

"Oppa," she greeted Gil back and gave Taewoo a small nod.

"I was just telling Taewoo about our date and how I'm the happiest man alive right now."

The two who were familiar with Gil knew he was referring to his happiness with his girlfriend, Park Jung Ah. Yuri, however, assumed he was talking about Jessica. At the mention of their date, Yuri's eyes darkened. She was about to get up despite Jessica's threats, but the hand covering her mouth pressed harder and Jessica swung one leg on top of hers, holding her down with a knee. Jessica leaned forward and tried to rest her arm as naturally as possible on top of her chair.

"I'm glad that I was able to help."

"Listen," Taewoo joined the conversation, ignoring Jessica's odd way of leaning half her body on the chair's backrest. "Even though I said that it wasn't necessary for Gil to thank us in any way, he insisted. So we spoke for a bit and thought that maybe we could hold a little poker tournament to see if anybody could denounce his championship title."

"Uh huh..." Jessica twitched at the feel of Yuri holding onto her thigh.

Taking Jessica's jerky body movement in the wrong way, Gil asked, "Um... Is that alright? It's really the least I could do for you, Sica."

"While trying to increase your wealth!" Taewoo joked.

Jessica didn't really care. She needed to get them out of here as fast as possible because Taewoo would not be happy with her if Yuri suddenly lashes out on their cash cow right now. She never really did explain to Yuri about the date, the misunderstanding.

"Ok, I'll plan for it. I don't mean to be rude, but if that's all..." 

The two big men noticed all the papers on the desk, covering a large portion of it. They took the hint that Jessica was busy and got up from their seats.

"Again, Oppa is really grateful." Gil started to walk towards Jessica with his arms stretched out, but was abruptly stopped.

"What are you doing?" Jessica asked nervously with her hand out.

"To hug you?" He took another step forward, determined to show his appreciation.

It was just one leg. Yuri pushed it off her and was ready to stand up before Jessica plopped down on her lap, and held onto her hands, restricting Yuri's ability to move. Jessica glared at her briefly, then rested her elbow on the armrest, twisting her head backwards to speak to Gil. 

Jessica feigned to be dizzy, rubbing her temple. "Oppa, I'm not feeling very well. I don't want you to get sick..." 

The situation was becoming more stressful for her.

"You do look a bit flushed..." He noted, arms slowly returning to his side. 

Yuri wrapped her arms around Jessica's waist, ready to lift the girl off so she can confront the man whom she thought was not good enough for Jessica. She was more than ready to give him a piece of her mind. But what he said next made her relax back into the chair, gently caressing Jessica.

"Although we tricked my girlfriend with our fake date, she's extremely thankful to you too, otherwise she wouldn't have known about her feelings towards me."

"Oh, tell Jung Ah unnie that I want to be one of the bridesmaids when you guys get married."

Gil smiled sheepishly and rubbed his bald head. He left the room while Taewoo teased him.

"Oh," Taewoo popped back in just as Jessica sighed in relief. "You might want to hide the legs too next time, Sica. Bye Yuri!"

With the chair still facing the wall, Jessica buried her head in her hands, full of embarrassment that Taewoo knew all along. It was probably those darn red rubber boots! 

"So that date..." Yuri started. "It was to make his girlfriend jealous?"

Jessica didn't say a word, keeping her hands on her face.

"Sica-yah..." Yuri pulled at her arms to bring her hands away. "Sica..." 

She then tickled her, causing Jessica to yelp and jerk, sliding off Yuri's lap. She was on the ground smiling as Yuri reached out to help her up.

Jessica held onto her hand and while Yuri thought she was going to get a hug from the way Jessica entwined their fingers, pulling her to stand up, Jessica quickly sat down on the leather chair. 

"You can work on the couch over there." She pointed to the black couch against the corner wall that's facing her desk with a triumphant grin. "And no talking."

-----------

Yoona was roaming the casino grounds again, this time without Sooyoung. She clutched the bag closer, wondering where Seohyun is as she made her second round around the big casino. Before, the tall girl would always be nearby.

Maybe I should just call her on her cell...

Almost a week has passed and they still haven't really spoken on the phone, both of them being too shy to take the initiative. As promised from their MSN conversation last night, before Seohyun logged off to get her skin reparation sleep, Yoona brought the Keroro looking chocolate cupcakes with green icing that one of her fans made... All she has to do now is find Seohyun to give them to her.

Yoona smiled as she walked by the service area for the third time now. Seohyun will definitely like the Keroro cupcakes.Beginning to feel hungry, Yoona wondered if she should just eat one. Her hunger was overpowering, but she wanted to try it, to take the first bite, with her new friend.

Just when Yoona was ready to give up her search, she felt the lightest tap on her arm -almost like as if an angel's soft feather landed on her.

"Unnie, are you looking for me?" said a bashful Seohyun.

"Like, forever! Are you on your lunch break now?" Yoona checked her watch. "You should still have about 20 mins left. Come."

Yoona never gave Seohyun the chance to respond and just dragged her by the hand, out of the casino and into the grand hotel lobby. It was rather ironic because Seohyun always see Yuri do that to Jessica on the security cameras and she always thought it was impolite and wondered why Jessica allowed it. But the feeling of being dragged was... nice. The hand pulling her along was warm and soft.

After sitting on the couch, Yoona opened up the white box in her hands. "Surprise!" she said a bit too loudly, her voice echoing off the walls. 

Seohyun gasped and Yoona just smiled at her shocked expression. For the longest time, Seohyun just held that expression, mouth and eyes opened while staring at what looks like a green Keroro sitting in a brown swamp.

Yoona couldn't resist and shoved a cupcake into the surprised girl's open mouth, cackling after the messy prank.

"Unnie..." Seohyun whined but then quickly did the same to the famous star, not really thinking about the boundaries of their profession or unnie-dongsaeng relationship.

Their laughter now echoed through the lobby, only quieting down to lick the icing off their lips. The icing was then replaced by the chocolate cake part as they bit into the bottom half of the cupcake.

Conversing in person wasn't as easy as chatting online. On MSN, Seohyun felt much more comfortable talking and playing around with Yoona. But now, she was shyly eating her cupcake, listening to the actress express her worries about her upcoming role.

"... It's kind of hard for me to know how to act jealous when I've never had a boyfriend before, ya know..." Yoona referred to her tv-series' character. "Do you have a boyfriend? Maybe you can help me!" She said eagerly, enthused by the notion of getting Seohyun to help her with her acting.

"I don't have a boyfriend... I'm not interested in boys," Seohyun replied with a mumble.

"Oh?" Yoona raised a surprised eyebrow. "...you like girls?" Her curiosity rather than her obligation to help Yuri made her ask the next question. "So, like, are you and Sica unnie... A couple?"

"I'm not interested in anybody right now." There were more important things to think about than boys, like her family and school. Luckily for her, she has Jessica to lean back on for support. "Sica unnie takes care of me. If given the privilege, I would say that she's like my sister, my family."

This was news that Yuri would like to hear. Yoona turned to the side and quickly typed out a text message:

SeoSica = sisters

"Is everything okay?" Seohyun asked.

Putting her phone away, Yoona turned back to face Seohyun. "Yeah.... Umm... I was checking the time."

"Oh! I must get back to work now. Thanks for the cupcakes, unnie!"

---------

Yuri closed her phone, content with the message that she just received from her little spy. She looked over at the fatigued girl. In the past few hours of working in silence, Yuri noticed Jessica's eyes getting heavier and her head drooping closer to the desk's surface. She must be tired lately, Yuri thought, with the late night dates and early working mornings. 

Yuri scribbled a few words onto a blank sheet. A ball of crumpled paper flew through the air, hitting Jessica lightly on the head, waking her up from her reverie. As Jessica unfolded the paper, Yuri pretended to be preoccupied with her event planning. 

Coffee

Tea

Or Me

Jessica grinned at Yuri's obvious flirting. She might just be imagining it, but recently, Yuri has been flirting in a shy and subtle way. Picking up her pen, she wrote a reply and threw it back at the girl lying comfortably on the couch with her papers on her lap. She aimed for the head, but the ball bounced off the wall instead and onto Yuri's lap. 

Immediately after reading the returned note, Yuri left the room, leaving Jessica to pout in bewilderment. Did she upset Yuri with her response? She thought she was being witty by writing TeaFany... Obviously not everybody shared her sense of humor.

Yuri's sudden departure without any explanations was bothering Jessica. It interfered with her work. She was already lagging behind from having dozed off and now with Yuri occupying most of her thoughts, she found it difficult to concentrate. 

Jessica stared at the now empty couch. Since when did she start to care about whether she had upset Yuri or not. Anyways, Yuri was being childish. And I'm being way too analytical.

Jessica tore her eyes away from the extra quiet space where Yuri once occupied and looked at the bubbly girl opening the door. Tiffany entered her office without knocking as usual. However, even if she wanted to, she wouldn't be able to seeing how each hand was holding onto something.

"Yuri told me to give this to you."

Tiffany placed a cup of hot tea and a small bag of jellyeans on the desk. Then she handed Jessica a small piece of paper.

"Did she seem... Mad?" Jessica asked while unfolding the paper with the number 1 marked on it.

Your TeaFany...

Tiffany plopped down on the seat across from Jessica. "No... She seemed like her usual quirky and weird self. Made me promise to give you your drink and stuff." 

Tiffany handed another note over with the number 2 on the front.

Tea, Jess for Yul 

Gotta report to Belle Seoul. Enjoy the tea!

Kwon Seobang 

She knew she was thinking too much. In fact, she shouldn't have even been thinking. 

"What do the notes say?" Tiffany asked the grinning girl biting the rim of the cup. 

"They say to be careful of the drink. You might have spiked it with vodka."

Tiffany raised an eyebrow at Jessica before rolling her eyes. She got up from her seat and made her way to the door, leaving Jessica to smell the frangrant tea.

"Whatever... You two are both weird."

Yuri left to make her the tea before heading off to work at Belle Seoul. That's why she left so quickly. Tonight, Jessica was scheduled to work at the gift shop instead where Jaebom will be picking her up. She placed a red jelly bean in her mouth, sucking on the sweet candy. For once in her life, she actually wanted to be in the kitchen washing dishes. 

Chapter 20 -Waiting For You

Why do you work so much, Jessica? I barely see you nowadays.

Yuri flopped around on the bed again, impatiently waiting in Jessica's room for her to return from her date with Jaebeom. Ever since the two started dating, Jessica has been staying out later and sometimes even sneaking out in the middle of the night. Organizing Gil's big poker event was consuming most of Jessica's time too. 

Yuri sighed. She wasn't supposed to be here waiting like a pathetic love-sick puppy. In fact, Jessica banned her from entering her room unannounced like before. Said she needed privacy now that Jaebeom stops by from time to time. Yuri had no choice but to obey if she wanted to continue working on her project. But tonight, she just had to see Jessica.

The door beeped and slowly opened, causing Yuri to spring up from the bed like a five year-old who waited all night for Santa.

"Sica!" She excitedly greeted the tired looking girl.

Instead of kicking her out like usual, Jessica smiled weakly. "Oh, Yuri... you're here?"

While the orange-brown haired girl removed her shoes, Yuri animatedly described her night at Stella's welcoming back Yuri party -- that was where she was supposed to be right this moment.

"The music was so loud and lively! Everybody was dancing like as if it was the New Year!" She followed Jessica to the kitchen who placed her purse on the counter. "And then Hyoyeon started to do some crazy popping moves and then somehow we ended up having a dance off."

After putting down her purse, Jessica walked over to her closet, pulling out a tank top and short shorts, oblivious of the girl right next to her. Yuri closed the closet door as Jessica walked off, continuing with stories of how much fun the party was.

"Sica, you should have came tonight. You would have had a blast!" Yuri said, trying to make Jessica regret not having gone to the party that Stella organized for Yuri's return.

They stopped right outside of the bathroom. Jessica gave Yuri another tired smile. She reached out her hand and cupped Yuri's left cheek.

"You had a good time tonight?"

Jessica's sudden affectionate gesture threw Yuri off-guard. "Ye..yeah..." she stuttered.

"I'm glad you had fun."

She watched as Jessica slipped behind the bathroom doors, as guilt consumed her over what happened tonight at the party. She did something bad... Very bad. Yuri was full of regret. What she did tonight was worse than all the pranks she's ever done. Tugging at the bottom of her orange pj t-shirt, she waited nervously for Jessica to finish her shower.

When Jessica came out of the bathroom smelling like sweet flowers, she went directly to her bed. Yuri climbed in after her, half expecting Jessica to throw her out like usual. But she knew from Jessica's less than energetic movements that the girl was exhausted, too tired to even scream at her for being in the room uninvited. 

From her sitting position next to Jessica, Yuri went on like the Energizer Bunny, she just kept going on and on about how much fun Stella's party was. 

"Sica?" Yuri lightly poked her shoulder, receiving no response.

Jessica was fast asleep the moment she lied down on her side. 

Yuri hesitated. Jessica would kill her the next morning if she found Yuri sleeping in her room. The least she could do is ask for permission.

"Sica... Can I sleep here tonight?" She whispered.

As expected, no reply came from the girl who was sleeping soundly. Yuri's eyes darted right then left. She disguised her voice to make it sound like Jessica's, instead, she sounded like an old witch with a wicked plan.

"Yes..." she answered her own question.

With a huge smile, she snuggled close to Jessica, slowly and gently putting her arms around her, resting her head next to Jessica's to breath in the floral scent. As Jessica inhaled deeply before pressing her body closer to Yuri's, Yuri's guilt returned.

I lied... I didn't have fun at all. Because you weren't there...

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

The next day, Yuri was another YouTube hit --except this time, it wasn't a video of her and Jessica. How could they even have a video when they barely saw each other.

Five, six employees were gathered around Tiffany's computer. Instead of preparing for the big poker event that Jessica organized on Gil's behalfthey were watching a poor video clip of Yuri kissing another girl.

At first, the bet was on Jessica being the girl since she had orange brown hair. That was until Stella arrived at work with her new hair color and style. It was almost identical to Jessica's.

"What are you guys watching?" She asked them in a quirky kind of cheery tone.

Tiffany's eyes widened at the makeover. "Your new hair color... It looks..."

"Great, right?" Stella finished. "I told my hairstylist I wanted to go for a change and this was what she did." She noticed the video replaying. "Oh my... Who was so naughty to have filmed us kissing?"

Tiffany's jaw dropped. "That was you?!"

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

Yuri's head was hurting. She was supposed to be taking care of the whales that were coming to watch the poker tournament, but she couldn't stop thinking about what she did last night.

She massaged the two pieces of cucumbers on her eyes. They played tricks on her yesterday at the party.

"I don't get it, I thought you liked Jessica?" Taeyeon asked, biting into a fresh cucumber.

"I do!" Yuri exclaimed. 

She was hiding in one of the long lounge seats at Taeyeon's restaurant/club. It wasn't opened to the public yet, allowing her to hide for awhile until the reporters came. Yes, all the more reason to rest for a bit until the nosy predators arrive with their giant flashy cameras.

"Then why did you kiss that witch?" Taeyeon did not support the idea of Yuri liking Jessica. Not when she knows what Jessica's ideals are and that they're both going to end up getting hurt. But Jessica was much better for Yuri than Stella will ever be.

Yuri groaned. "She's not a witch..."

"Ok fine, she's not. She's a bi--"

"--mistaken--"

Yuri cut her off, but that didn't stop Taeyeon. "--conniving--"

"--nice..."

"--hypocrite," Taeyeon finished.

"...girl."

Taeyeon peeled away Yuri's cucumbers covering her eyes. "So is that why you kissed her? Because she's a [I]mistaken, nice girl?[/]"

"No! I thought she was Jessica!"

"Are you kidding me, Yuri? She looks nothing like her!" Taeyeon chewed the cucumbers angrily.

"I know... But... It was dark and from behind... Argh! I don't know!"

Yuri took a swig of her Ma juice, finishing it all before slamming the glass on the table. She knew it was too good to be true for Jessica to just throw herself at Yuri, kissing her immediately. And she should have known better when the rough kiss tasted like rotten beer.

After seeing Jessica again last night, she vowed to never make a stupid mistake like that again. And the only way to avoid it is to have Jessica kiss her first.

She reached into the bowl of sliced cucumbers and ate one to get rid of the nasty taste that was resurfacing again. The cucumber was refreshing... Why Jessica hates it, she'll never understand.

"Yuri, you know she's going to find out right?"

"Yeah... Well, what does it matter to her? She's happily dating that pink sweater guy."

They munched on their cucumbers in silence, finishing most of it. 

"C'mon, we have to hide this before Jessica sees."

Taeyeon disappeared into the kitchen and came back to see Yuri drinking some more of her Ma juice.

"Hey, Tae..."

"What?"

Yuri approached the shorter girl and held onto both her shoulders. "Tell me if my breath smells like cucumbers."

Without much warning, she exhaled right into Taeyeon's face, causing the short girl to shriek. 

"Tae, you never answered me! Come here."

Yuri chased the short girl around, quickly catching her. 

"Ah! Disgusting, Yuri!" Taeyeon struggled, trying to push Yuri off. "What about me then?"

They were both blowing their breaths into each others face while dodging one another, laughing and shrieking, until the door opened with Jessica standing at the doorway.

"Ahem..." Jessica cleared her throat getting both their attention. "Taeyeon, you might want to start preparing the appetizers now. And Yuri, you should go change into a dress."

The elevator ride back to their hotel rooms was filled with an awkward silence. 

"There's an odd smell in the elevator. It reeks of cucumbers."

Yuri gulped and then cleared her throat, worried that Jessica might discover that the smell was coming from her.

Jessica figured that her Sica-effect struck again when Yuri didn't say anything but inched away to a corner. 

"So you had fun last night?" she tried again to get the conversation going.

"Um... Yeah... Guess you weren't listening." 

Yuri's answer kind of bothered her. "Well, you kind of left out the most interesting part," the elevator doors opened and Jessica stepped out, "of how you and Stella kissed."

Sure enough, Jessica had seen the video clip of the two. She tried to not let it bother her, but then seeing Yuri again with her mouth open, attacking Taeyeon, she can't deny it anymore. She has fallen for Yuri's charm just like the others.

"It was an accident.... I didn't mean to kiss her."

"It sure didn't look that way." Jessica turned around to face her door before Yuri could see the tears brimming in her eyes. "Anyways, we better hurry up. The reporters are going to be here soon."

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

By the time Yuri returned to the playing tables, the casino was filled with reporters. Yuri watched from the side as they took pictures of Gil and his girlfriend and her brother. Then of Yoona, who was hired to help promote the event, before Seohyun ushered her away. She saw Yoona smile widely at her make-shift bodyguard.

Right after they snapped a few shots of Sooyoung in a gorgeous black dress showing off her flattering body, they invited the event organizer onto the carpet. Yuri found herself unknowingly walking closer to where all the reporters had a better view. Jessica looked absolutely stunning in her white dress. And as much as she didn't want to admit it, the guy who had his hand on her waist looked impeccable too.

"Yuri!" Jessica called out. 

She slipped away for a brief moment, pulling Yuri to stand beside her. "This is Kwon Yuri," Jessica told the reporters who were clicking away. "She helped me with the event."

"But I didn't..." Yuri whispered close to Jessica.

Jessica just held onto Yuri's tighter. She didn't like cameras. They made her nervous, but holding onto Yuri's hand, it somehow transferred the tanned girl's calmness into her.

"What's your boyfriend doing here?" Yuri whispered again, her lips grazing Jessica's ear. 

Jessica felt a shiver go done her spine before a tingly sensation settled in her stomach. "He's a contestant."

"Alright, let's go Jess. Time to get this party started, yo!"

Jaebeom led Jessica away by her waist, giving Yuri a small nod and smile as they walked by.

He was a nice and polite guy which saddened Yuri. It was the fact that he's everything that Jessica wanted and she's not. According to Jessica, she's stupid, a charming prankster who only has $52.

What Yuri doesn't know is that Jessica just added womanizer to that list. 

Chapter 21 -The Devil Wears Prada

Jessica turned around to look at Yuri one last time before being led off to the playing tables. She wanted to ignore these feelings that she gets everytime she sees Yuri or whenever the other girl touched her. Because even though the dorky girl can make her smile, she can also make her sad. 

Jessica bit her lip to prevent herself from pouting at the image of Yuri kissing Stella ever so passionately. And then again when she thought of Yuri flirting with Taeyeon. 

Don't be stupid Jessica Jung... Did you really think that you're somebody special to her? It hurts her to know that she's not despite how sweet Yuri has been to her.

"Hey, you okay?" Jaebeom asked, breaking into her random thoughts.

"Yeah," Jessica smiled, "Just a bit nervous," she told him, covering up her real thoughts.

With his hand still around her waist, Jaebeom took one of her soft hands into his free one, caressing it gently.

"Don't be. Look at how successful it is! And I know that other than you, nobody could organize something this grand."

Jessica smiled at his sweet encouragement. What was she doing thinking about Yuri when everything that she's ever wanted is standing right next to her.

"Oh, your friends are also participating?" Jessica asked, pointing to the two guys approaching them.

"Of course!" He flashed her a smile. "My orders. I would do anything to help you promote the tournament and what's a better way than to have the three best looking rich bachelors right here. And they also wanted to claim the Poker Champion title..."

This is what Yuri wouldn't be able to give her. Without money, she's powerless. Yet, ironically, she's best friends with a famous actress and a pretty surgeon. 

"Hi, Jess!"

"Hi, Jessica, how are you?"

Jaebeom's two friends greeted her, the more polite one being Nichkhun and the other, Taecyeon.

Before joining his two buddies, Jaebeom held Jessica close. "Kiss me good luck?"

She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then looked down smiling shyly. She can't believe she just kissed him in front of a million people. Jaebeom pretended to faint from her kiss, falling backwards into Taecyeon's arms.

People walked around them, paying more attention to the drinks in their hands, or the grouping of the contestants. However, those who witnessed the kiss were either angered by it, confused, shocked, and even one, heartbroken.

Jessica watched as Jaebeom and his friends turned rowdy. Boys will be boys, she chuckled. As she spun around to go speak with Tiffany about hotel arrangements, the sudden figure surprised her, sending her stumbling back.

"You forgot about me!" The voice was not the usual gentle one.

"Henry!" Jessica called out, holding onto his outstretched arm for support. "Don't surprise me like that."

"You forgot..." He said again, angrily.

Jessica slapped her forehead for being so absentminded. "The performance review! I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you that we're going to have to re-schedule because--"

"--because you've been too busy with your boyfriends to care?" Henry finished. 

Jessica blinked twice before changing her expression from apologetic to annoyed.

Through gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, Jessica spoke slowly. "I said I was sorry. Since I've been so busy with work, Tiffany can give you your review. Now if you'll excuse me..." 

Henry gripped onto her arm tighter, not allowing her to walk away. "Jessica..." He said firmly through clenched teeth.

His eyes looked wild and his strength was scaring her. Jessica tried to pull her arm back, but that only caused Henry to tighten his hold on her.

"Ow! You're hurting me!"

Almost immediately, his eyes softened, letting go of her hand. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to... I... I... I'm just scared that I'm going to get fired."

Guilt started to rise. She had no right to take out her frustrations on him. It wasn't his fault. Her eyes fell upon the two girls behind him, smiling at each other. 

Doesn't seem like an accident...

Jessica's attention returned to Henry, not wanting to watch Yuri and Stella anymore in case they make out again. "I'm sorry, I have a lot on my mind nowadays. But don't worry, I finished your review," Jessica quickly added before he goes crazy on her again, "and everything looks good. You're not going to get fired."

Henry relaxed after seeing Jessica smile at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have accused you of not caring. You work hard..."

Jessica chuckled. "Could we stop apologizing now? Come to my office tomorrow in the morning. We'll talk then."

Right before walking off, her eyes caught Yuri's and she just wanted to scream. The girl has Stella already, why can't she just leave her alone... Because it hurts everytime she sees Yuri with someone else.

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

Stella made sure to use this to her advantage, ruining Jessica's image some more.

"She's unbelievable... I feel sorry for her boyfriend. One minute she's kissing him and the next, she's laughing and flirting with another."

Stella watched Yuri's expression turn sour. To add more oil to the fire, Stella continued, spinning lies that would upset Yuri some more.

"I heard Henry's rich too... I don't know if you've heard, but you know Jessica seduced my fiance. I was upset at first, but that a$$ got what he deserved... Jessica cleaned out his bank account."

Yuri gave her a quick glance. "I'm sorry..."

"Oh don't be. I'm glad that I found out now than--"

"...but I don't think Jessica is that type of a person," Yuri finished her sentence while looking at Jessica walk away to speak with Tiffany.

Stella's jaw tightened. 

"Oh, and I'm sorry about your fiance too."

Stella took a deep breath, releasing any tension. Smiling, she continued with what she was saying earlier. "It's ok, like I said, it's better that I found out now than--"

"It's just, I've been spending time with Jessica lately and she really doesn't seem to be like someone who would clean out a person's bank account," Yuri defended, cutting Stella off once more.

Oh my gawd! This dumb chick just doesn't get it!

Changing topics, Stella rests her hand on Yuri's arm to get her attention. "So we're okay about the kiss now?" 

"Oh yeah, umm... Totally."

That did the trick. Yuri was no longer thinking about Jessica and her attention had returned to Stella. 

"You know, next time, you really shouldn't drink so much... You never know what could happen next time," Yuri warned with genuine concern in her face.

"I normally don't drink. I believe in a healthy diet. But I couldn't help it. I was so happy that you came back... And I'm glad that it was with you," Stella said coyly.

"Well, try ordering water or even Ma juice. Tiffany knows how to make it now."

"No way!" Stella exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with false excitement. "It's my favorite!"

"Yeah? I usually order that when I'm at Taeyeon's restaurant."

Like as if I didn't know.

"Hey, do you think I can finally pass by tonight to pick up the book that you said you would lend me?"

This is it. There's no more accepting 'no' for an answer. She's going to be much more persistent this time.

"Oh, I guess. We'll go after the competition is over. How does that sound?"

Sounds like my plan is finally going to work.

"Sounds great!"

They walked over to the tables where the players had created this quiet tension. Cameras were zooming in and out, trying to catch each facial expression.

Stella's vision was blocked by a tall man. "I can't see..." she whined to Yuri.

Yuri pulled her closer to share her viewing space. "Your hair..." Yuri scratched her head, embarrassed by what she had to say next. "It looks nice."

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

One of Taeyeon's staff passed by with a tray of red wine, serving the last round of alcohol thus marking the end of the first tournament night. Stella reached for a tall glass, grateful that the boring evening was finally over. Her feet were killing her and she needed to sit after standing on her brand new stiletto shoes.

She settled for leaning against a wall near the entrance of the casino, watching the camera crew leave. It was somewhat an exciting game, watching people lose over $100,000 in just a few minutes. There was no surprise that Gil, the previous poker champion, was still in the running. Jaebeom and his two friends managed to survive the first night along with a few international players.

Stella could go for any of the other wealthy players. But why do that when there's a big fish right here that nobody knows about. It's taking her longer than expected to have Yuri wrapped around her fingers, but it's still less competition.

"What are you doing?" Yuri asked as she watched Stella drink the red liquid. "I thought you normally don't drink..."

Stella realized what she was doing and spat everything in her mouth right onto Yuri's dress. For a split second, Stella thought she was in trouble, but then her mind reeled into motion. This could work to her advantage.

Stella dabbed at Yuri's dress with the napkin that came with the drink. It wasn't enough to soak up the damage.

"I'm so sorry! Let's get you back to your place and get you changed."

"Wait," Yuri held onto her hand to stop her from wiping her chest and stomach. "Sica!" she called out to the girl nearby, "Do you need me to walk you back to your room tonight?"

"It's okay," the other orangebrown haired girl replied in an undeniably bitter tone. "Jae will walk with me after he finishes with the journalists."

Too concentrated on Jessica, Yuri didn't even realize that Stella had resumed wiping her chest until she felt Stella's sharp fingernails graze her bare skin. She winced in pain, but quickly dismissed it when Stella held her hand.

"Yul, I think we should get going. Red wine stains."

"Sure," replied Yuri, refocusing on what had happened.

Not too long after arriving at Yuri's room, Jessica and Jaebeom walked down the corridor in their direction. Yuri was spacing out again, clumsily inserting the hotel key into the slot.

Annoyed, Stella took the key and opened the door. Before stepping inside, Yuri looked behind her to where Jessica was opening her door.

"C'mon Yuri. We have to take this off now." Stella ushered Yuri inside, closing the door behind then slid the lock in place.

From Jessica's surprised expression, Stella knew that her misleading choice of words was enough to cause a misunderstanding and possibly an even bigger drift between the two.

"Hey, I think the book is by the bed. If you can't find it, I'll get it for you after I get out of this dress. Oh, and make yourself at home." Yuri smiled at her.

While Yuri changed in the bathroom, Stella took her advice and made herself very much at home, crawling under the blankets.

"Rich people sure know how to live a luxurious lifestlye," Stella mumbled as she stroked the Egyptian cotton sheets.

If it weren't for Jessica, she would already be sleeping in a bed like this every night. Yet at the same time, because of her, Stella was able to catch an even bigger fish... An empire this time.

"So Stella, were you able to find..." Yuri stopped in her tracks once she found the other girl in bed with the covers loosely wrapped around. 

Approaching her, she shook Stella's shoulder. There was no response the first time and the second time, Stella just rolled over to her side, turning away from Yuri, determined to stay for the night.

Yuri slumped in the couch, watching Stella kick the blankets off her, exposing her bare legs from the rising dress. After awhile of just sitting and staring, she merely took the blankets and wrapped it tightly around Stella's shoulders before leaving the room.

At the sound of a click, Stella jolted upright from her false slumber, annoyed at how Yuri just left her there.

Outside in the hallway was another annoyed girl. As fate had it, Jessica slipped out of her room with her jacket on for another late night outing.

Yuri couldn't help spitting the bitter words out. "Going out again? Didn't Jae just walk you back? You miss him that much?"

"You changed into your sleepwear pretty fast. Shouldn't you be in bed right now?" With a certain someone, Jessica wanted to add but didn't.

For the first time, they were both making bitter remarks, fighting with each other due to the pain in their heart. Jessica felt her eyes stinging and looked away first from Yuri's furious ones. It was only when her back was turned and further down the hallway did she allow herself to release the burning sensation of holding back tears.

Yuri's eyes softened, allowing the jealousy to pass once Jessica disappeared into the elevator. All she wanted was some fresh air... And maybe deep down, she was hoping for an invitation to share Jessica's bed again. After all, the pretty orange brown haired girl didn't object to her self-invitation last night nor did she get angry the next morning when she woke up smiling in Yuri's arms this morning.

"Stupid..." Yuri cursed herself. "You were supposed to tell her how there's a monster in your room and that you need a place to stay for the night."

Yuri returned to her room and lied down on the couch. Jessica would've smiled at that comment, Yuri thought of how Jessica would've reacted differently if different words were said.

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

Yuri sneezed again and pulled out one of the many tissues that she stuffed in her bulging pockets. Never again is she sleeping on the couch.

"Sorry again for taking over your bed. I must have passed out from the exhaustion," Stella apologized as she fixed her dress from the night before.

"It's okay."

"Breakfast will be on me."

They were getting ready to leave earlier than usual, Stella, insisting that she treats Yuri to a nice breakfast to thank her for letting her sleep over.

"Hey, you sure you don't want to borrow some clothes?" Yuri asked as she watched Stella rub her bare shoulders. "Don't want you to get sick too."

"Umm... A blazer would be nice."

Without waiting for another offer, Stella went directly into Yuri's closet, pulling out a recently returned Prada black blazer.

"I think this will do."

"Uh..." Yuri stammered. "Sure." It was impolite to say otherwise. 

Stella pressed the elevator button to the restaurant floor, different from where they would be getting off if they were to go to work. Just as the doors were about to close, a petite figure dashed inside, joining the only other two occupants.

When she realized who she was going to be trapped with, she mentally cursed herself.

"Morning, Jessica!" said Stella.

"Sica," Yuri followed, in a less upbeat tone.

Out of the three, Stella looked the happiest. Jessica was looking tired from lack of sleep and Yuri from a virus attack on her immune system.

There was awkward silence as Jessica stared ahead and Yuri staring at her back. When the elevator descended two floors, it stopped and a bunch of young friends got on who were shouting and acting like as if their party was still going on. 

Jessica backed up, allowing more distance between herself and a few rowdy guys. One of them slipped as his friend pushed him, causing him to accidentally bump into Jessica.

"Sorry, Miss," he apologized. "You jerk face! Look at what you did!" He yelled at his friend, laughing.

The elevator was filled with laughter and loud shouting by the young guys who were jesting with one another and their girlfriends teasing them about a race that they lost.

Jessica stepped back some more until her body almost touched Yuri's. Placing her hand on Jessica's waist, Yuri closed the small gap to hold her close, surprising the shorter girl.

Their hands on the side accidentally brushed. When Yuri tightened her hold, Jessica reached out to hold onto Yuri's hand. Yuri quickly intertwined their hands together, each finger fitting perfectly with the other's.

Yuri missed teasing and laughing with Jessica. Even if the girl were to charge her for laughing, she would gladly pay. 

"Sica," Yuri whispered into Jessica's soft hair, her scent filling Yuri's mind. 

Just when Yuri was about to tell Jessica how much she missed her, Jessica yelped and Yuri quickly released her. Stella had stumbled back and stepped on Jessica's exposed left foot with her stiletto heels. 

"Sorry, Jessica! They bumped into me and I lost my balance," Stella apologized knowing all too well that it was anything but an accident. She wasn't going to stand on the side and watch the two reconcile. Not after everything that she's done.

"Look at what you did again, you clumsy doofus!" one of the guys screamed.

The guy getting blamed threw his hands up, certain that he was innocent. He apologized nonetheless to Jessica once more.

It irritated Yuri that Jessica didn't yell at him but just smiled instead. In reality, she was jealous that he got a smile from her.

The elevator doors opened to the casino floor and the partyers got out. Jessica limped out as well and Yuri was about to follow until Stella held onto her arm.

"We're getting off on the next one. Breakfast, my treat, remember?"

"Oh... Right..." 

Chapter 22 -Saviour

Jessica slowly leaned back into her office chair, allowing herself to be enveloped by the soft leather just like how she relaxed her body against Yuri's moments ago. 

How she wished the elevator ride was a bit longer and with only the two of them. The playful kids this morning reminded her of how they used to be, secretly content with each other's company despite the teasing and competitions. 

And seeing Stella in the familiar blazer that she had once borrowed brought back even more memories of their early bickering days. Jessica shook her head as if to scorn herself for thinking that what they had was special. Yet she doesn't blame the tanned girl for spending the night with someone else. She is, after all, seeing Jaebeom now.

Who was she kidding, thinking that she could get over something that barely even started. The pain in her heart didn't allow her to give Henry a thorough performance review. After only five minutes, her heart got heavy with sorrow and it became harder for her to speak without bursting into tears. She dismissed him almost immediately, telling Henry that they will resume another day.

Shortly after he left, Taeyeon banged on her office door asking for help with it since she was carrying a lot in her hands.

Jessica limped over and relieved Taeyeon of a bag. "What's this?"

"Food for you." Taeyeon placed everything onto the coffee table by the couch. "Sica, your bones are starting to show. You really need to eat," she said with concern, noticing how Jessica has been losing weight.

"You're such an ahjumma..."

Whether it was an insult or Jessica's indirect way of saying thanks, Taeyeon quickly disregarded it and took Jessica's hand, leading her to sit on the couch. She then noticed Jessica's uneven steps. 

"What happened?"

Evident to even a blind person, Jessica's left foot was all red and swollen. Opening her purse, Taeyeon pulled out an ointment. She took Jessica's shoe off and began applying, causing the injured girl to wince in pain.

"Eat my new chicken recipe while you tell me what kind of clumsiness you got yourself into this time."

It seemed that everything reminded Jessica of Yuri, from the ointment to the poultry. Finally she couldn't hold in her tears anymore and began crying, scaring the short girl.

Taeyeon bolted upright from the seat, unsure of how to react. She hated seeing her friends cry and never knew what to say or do. Opening her purse again, she pulled out a pack of tissues, ready to wipe Jessica's tears but the bawling girl threw her arms around Taeyeon.

"Jessica, what's wrong? Is everything okay?" 

Jessica just held on even tighter, sobbing. "It hurts..."

Staring at the glass doors, Taeyeon blinked her wide eyes a few times. All she wanted to do was feed the starving girl, not make her cry. Words weren't spoken, but Taeyeon knew that Jessica wasn't referring to physical pain. It was something much more.

When she felt Jessica's body begin to relax in her arms and the tears stopping, Taeyeon gave her a few pats on the bum, sensing that it was safe for her to ask questions. "Okay, tell me everything. I want names so I can give them a spanking."

Jessica chuckled at Taeyeon's way of comforting her. She took the pack of tissues from her hands. "You're such an ahjumma."

Right outside the office, two very jealous girls witnessed everything from the moment where Taeyeon's hands made contact with Jessica's bottom. It was like watching a movie without any audio where old lovers were secretly having affair. They both knew that Taeyeon used to like Jessica which didn't help the unsettling feeling in their hearts.

The door flew open, surprising Jessica who pulled out of Taeyeon's embrace. Tiffany barged into the room, leaving Yuri to stand outside gripping tightly onto a new bottle of ointment.

Instead of taking out her anger on her girlfriend, Tiffany screamed at her best friend, oblivious to her red eyes.

"Jessica, where were you this morning? Mr. Kwon Min was looking for you and Henry was waiting for his review that you were supposed to give him yesterday. And there's a man downstairs who kept asking for you. Seriously, Jess, what's your problem? Stop bringing your personal life to work."

Normally, Yuri would be the first to jump to Jessica's defense. Tiffany was upset but had no right to yell at Jessica like that. However, Yuri was too disappointed to react. Time after time, she has witnessed Jessica being intimate with others and it hurts. While she just stood there with her knuckles turning white from holding onto the medication so tightly, someone else spoke up for Jessica.

"Yah! Hwang Mi Young!" Taeyeon yelled out. "What's your problem? If you don't know how to cope with your stress, go see a psychiatrist. Don't take it out on other people."

"Kim Taeyeon," Tiffany said slowly, eyes wide, "are you calling me crazy?"

Jessica sensed the tension in the room and was afraid of Taeyeon's response. Whenever Taeyeon says a person's name in full like that, she's upset. Jessica held onto Taeyeon's arm to hold her from lashing out. 

She thought Taeyeon would apologize after taking a deep breath and stroking Jessica's arm reassuringly, but she was wrong. Taeyeon was adding oil to the fire.

"Yes, you are crazy. And you're driving me crazy with that pink obsession of yours. You're as crazy as a flamingo!"

Tiffany ran out of the office in tears and that's when Yuri moved her feet to go console her. Besides, she couldn't bear to watch Taeyeon pull Jessica into a hug.

"Are you okay?" the short girl asked with her arms tightly around Jessica.

The whole argument seemed surreal and she was the cause of it. Guilt took over and she forgot about her own problems. "Taeyeon... Why did you say all those things? You hurt her feelings." 

"Well, she hurt yours. Sometimes, she needs to grow up and realize that the world doesn't revolve around her and that it's not pink either."

Even though Taeyeon was chuckling at her own joke, Jessica knew that she was regretting having said those words to her girlfriend. 

"Taengoo... You're not still in love with me, are you?"

Taeyeon's scrunched up surprised face said it all. Jessica was thinking too much, but she still felt responsible for her friends' fight.

"I'll go talk with Tiffany, but first I have to see who's downstairs looking for me."

"Sica, I don't know how Jaebeom or any of the other guys do it. If you truly love someone, you wouldn't want to share them with anyone else."

"I know... Now. I think." 

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

Yuri wasn't feeling well, especially after everything that happened this morning. All she wanted to do was lie in the dark with her iPod in her ears. But she forced herself to stroll around in the casino aimlessly as the second night of the poker tournament took place. She tried to absorb the energy and excitement that was going on, but quickly gave up and went to the bar to see Tiffany.

The girl seemed just as distraught as her, often spacing out as she poured the drinks way past the brim of the glasses. 

"Fany!" Yuri yelled out and snapped her fingers to get Tiffany's attention. "Don't expect me to drink off the table."

Snapping out of her daze, Tiffany grabbed a towel to wipe the mess that she made. "Sorry... I was... Thinking of other things."

She wasn't the only one. Yuri tried to analyse the situation, giving Jessica the benefit of a doubt. However, no matter how she saw it, the facts were killing her inside. Taeyeon had liked Jessica at one point and had even paid to sleep with her. And Jessica, she wasn't exactly the monogamous type.

"You'll be fine, Fany. She's not worth your tears," Yuri consoled the girl who was tearing up again. If only she could believe her own words.

The poker game ended and Jaebeom was to move into the final round with Gil and a few others. While he was getting his picture taken, he told Jessica to meet him for dinner at Taeyeon's restaurant to celebrate his victory.

Jessica walked into the lounge, looking for Tiffany so that she can get her two friends back together again. But when two pairs of dagger eyes shot across the room at her, she chickened out and went to go see Taeyeon in the kitchen instead.

"Taeng, I'm assuming you guys still haven't made up yet?"

Taeyeon shook her head, lifelessly beating the eggs. To see both her friends like this, Jessica felt bad. She moved towards Taeyeon and gave her a tight hug.

"You'll be fine. Just give Tiffany a few days."

"Thanks, Sica."

Jessica's phone went off and without checking, she knew Jaebeom was looking for her. She gave Taeyeon one last hug before leaving to join Jaebeom. But as she pushed the swinging doors, she didn't expect Yuri to be standing there. 

"I can't believe you would do this to your friends," was all Yuri said before walking off, leaving Jessica speechless.

Throughout dinner, Jessica barely responded to Jaebeom's comments and questions much less touched the food on her plate.

"Hey, Jess." Jaebeom reached over and held her hand. "Is everything okay? You've been pretty quiet tonight."

Jessica gave him a reassuring smile. "I'm just a bit tired."

It was a lie. Even if she wanted to pretend nothing was bothering her, to not think about the drama, it was hard with everybody in the same room. She had noticed Tiffany's glum face and Yuri's less than friendly glares. Taeyeon was no doubt still whisking the same eggs in the kitchen. 

"I'm sorry, Jae, but I want to get some rest now."

"Sure, no problem, let's go."

Right before gathering her things to leave, a waitress walked by carrying a glass of light green liquid on a tray. She placed it in front of Jessica.

"Somebody told me to send this over."

Jaebeom looked at the drink with a funny face, wondering what was in it. "Interesting drink..."

Just from the strong smell, Jessica immediately knew what it was, causing her to pinch her nose and jump back a few feet. Gathering all her courage, she picked up the drink and marched over to where Yuri was sitting.

Rage took over as she threw the drink at Yuri, splashing her in the face. Slamming the glass on the counter, Jessica ignored the stares from nearby patrons who witnessed the scene and coldly told the cucumber drenched girl, "Grow up, Kwon Yuri."

With that, she marched off angrily, leaving everybody bewildered... Except for a girl with orange brown hair snickering behind a menu. Only she knew what had happened since she was the one that sent the kryptonite drink over and not the shocked Yuri.

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

"Could you believe how childish she is? She won't make it anywhere in life with that kind of an attitude."

Jaebeom rubbed his forehead with raised eyebrows. From the restaurant to the walk to Jessica's room, his girlfriend went on a rampant, complaining about Kwon Yuri. Jessica didn't say a word all night but here she was going a mile a minute about one of her subordinates.

"I'm sorry," Jessica apologized again for her behavior. "I'm probably scaring you off now."

"No, no. Not at all. I'll just remember to never make you angry or give you cucumbers," he chuckled at his revelation tonight.

Too furious by what happened tonight, Jessica just pulled out her hotel card from her back pocket and entered her room after a brief goodbye with Jaebeom, leaving the guy rather disappointed. 

He trudged down the hallway. He was hoping for at least a goodnight kiss or a congratulatory hug for making it this far into the poker competition.

-----------

Shortly after Jessica left the restaurant/club, Yuri recovered from the accusation, wiping her face dry with a towel that Tiffany handed over. She was about to follow the fuming girl to give her a piece of her mind, but decided to shower and change first. 

"Stupid Sica and her stupid cucumbers," Yuri mumbled, giving her meanest glare at Jessica's door while she searched for her key.

As if the orange brown haired girl heard, there was a loud thud from her room followed by a cry of Yuri's name. Yuri ignored the noise, thinking that Jessica was having another outburst in her room. 

She was about to step into her own room when she saw Jaebeom walking towards her, no doubt another late night visit for Jessica. 

It seems like this couple can't live a minute being apart from each other, always going over to the other's place late at night,Yuri thought. She rolled her eyes annoyed by the thought of them together.

"Um... Yuri, sorry about what happened," he apologized on Jessica's behalf. "Jessica's been pretty tired and stressed lately so she might not get your humor."

Annoyed by the accusation, Yuri groaned. "Ugh... It wasn't me! Anyways, did you come back to say that to me? Or are you here to see Jessica? Because I'm soaked in cucumber juice and would like to shower."

"Oh, I forgot I had Jessica's purse... Well, I guess I--"

A loud noise of shattering glass and a cry of help stopped Jaebeom from finishing his sentence. They both spun around to stare at Jessica's door. A man's growl can be heard and that's when they reacted.

Pulling Jessica's spare key from her pocket, Yuri opened the door and Jaebeom immediately rushed inside.

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

When Jessica stepped into her room, she never got the chance to turn on the lights. A figure jumped out at her from the dark shadows, covering her mouth.

"Jessica, don't scream. I've been waiting all night for you."

Fear shot through Jessica as she struggled to get out of his hold, but the man was much too strong for her. Her cries were muffled and her arms were beginning to bruise from the hard grip. Tears rolled down as she fought back helplessly.

"Jessica, you were always too busy for me. Too busy to notice me or my flowers. I sent you a bouquet everyday... Not like the other guys."

Jessica stopped jerking and slowly turned around to see who the intruder was. He wasn't wearing a mask or anything and the bright moonlight gave his identity away. Henry. 

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." He relaxed his grip on Jessica and slowly eased his hand away from her mouth giving her ample opportunity to scream for help, but she was too shocked.

"How did you get in here? I waited like always. I waited until the housekeeper came and hid in the closet when she wasn't looking. I'm tired of waiting for you to like me, Jessica." His voice became louder. "I waited and waited for the right time to come up to your room after you got that restraining order on me. But there was always somebody with you. Why didn't you ever let me walk you to your room?!" He backed her up against the door, voice softening again as he stroked her cheek. "I even got plastic surgery so I could be close to you again."

Shivers ran down her spine and realizing who Henry really was, Jessica's eyes grew big. "Hwanhee?" she barely whispered her stalker's name.

"Yes, or you can call me Henry now. We can finally be together now... No more waiting."

With that, he tried to force a kiss on Jessica's lips but she turned her head in time. He tried again despite the beating on his shoulders.

Jessica heard footsteps right outside of her door and even though it was mutters sounded muffled, she knew it was Yuri.

Henry slammed Jessica back against the door when she desperately tried to push him off her. He ripped the shoulder of her shirt as he tried to pin her.

"Yuri!" Jessica managed to cry out before Henry's pungent hands covered her mouth again.

He roughly dragged her away from the door and threw her on the bed, weighing her whole body down with his weight. The tears streamed down her face as he slobbered all over her neck and collar. He ripped open her shirt some more while she sobbed uncontrollably. She knew Yuri was right outside, knew that she had lost her chance at getting help. Jessica prayed that tonight would be one of those nights where Yuri would sneak into her room. 

Yuri, help me! Please... With his hand still over her mouth, Jessica could only call out Yuri's name in her head, praying that the girl just outside could hear her.

It was useless trying to push Henry off. His whole body was crushing hers. Jessica's hands searched the surroundings, looking for anything to use as a weapon. Her right hand came into contact with cold glass. Without knowing what it was, she grabbed it and smashed it against Henry's head. The glass shattered and jelly beans poured out, some flying across the room.

Henry rolled over and held his bleeding head. Jessica took this opportunity to run away from him. She heard him groan in pain and frustration from behind her. Yelping at the contact of his hand on her arm, she called out for help, to anybody who can hear her.

"You b itch!"

Relief poured over her as she saw Jaebeom run into the room. He punched Henry in the face and felt him release her. Jessica continued running. She just wanted to be out of that room and away from her potential rapist. It was merely an extra three steps until her body hit something and she felt herself being hugged. It was for that one moment in her life where she didn't mind the strong scent of cucumbers coming from that person.

"Sica..." the voice said, pulling her torn shirt up together. 

Jessica took it and held onto the loose fabric close to her neck. Almost immediately, the person hugging her disappeared, like as if it never happened. 

"Unnie!"

Jessica turned around to see Seohyun run into the room. More people called out her name and amidst the chaos, she never saw who hugged her.

Yuri was enraged at the sight of Jessica trembling with fear, shirt hanging loosely off her shoulder. Moreover, she was angry with herself for ignoring Jessica earlier. If only... Then maybe Jessica would've been alright. 

Yuri charged at Henry who was swinging a shard of glass at Jaebeom. She managed to hit him once before he nicked her arm then pushed her hard into the corner of the countertop. The pointy edge dug deep into her back, but no pain was felt at the moment. Yuri was ready to beat the living caca out of Henry until Jaebeom started pounding the guy on the floor. The police came and had to pull him off.

"That's enough, sir. Otherwise we're going to have to arrest you too."

Statements were taken and the night was finally over. Yuri wanted to be by Jessica's side but there were way too many surrounding her. Even Taeyeon heard and rushed upstairs to see if Jessica was okay. Tiffany was there too, but she felt too awkward to say anything to Jessica so she just stood by the door with Yuri, pouting and looking concerned.

With such commotion going on, it would've been impossible for Yuri to not hear anything. Jessica searched around the room for the tall girl and spotted her by the door with Tiffany. 

"Unnie, I knew he looked familiar and I knew something was wrong when I saw him in every camera shot that unnie was in," Seohyun said, but Jessica kept glancing at the door.

She had questions for the tanned girl, such as why she isn't coming over to see if she was hurt anywhere. Even her two famous friends that she barely knew was by her side. She gripped her shirt tighter.

"Unnies, oppas, I think we should let Sica unnie get some rest," Seohyun suggested.

The timid girl normally wouldn't talk that much, but her concern for her closest unnie made her speak up on Jessica's behalf.

Jaebeom pulled his shirt back down after Sooyoung treated it. He was about to follow the others out when Jessica held onto his arm tight.

"Wait, Jae, you're bleeding..."

"I'm fine. Get some rest, Jessi. Do you want me to get you another room?"

"No... Could you stay with me tonight, please?"

He hugged her tight and kissed the top of her head. "Of course."

Yuri was the last to leave. She was hesitant at first and knew it herself that even if she did leave, she would be returning to spend the night by Jessica's side. But after hearing Jessica's request to Jaebeom, she quickly followed the rest out, entering her own room with her two best friends so she could get her wounds treated... Especially the one in her heart. 

-------

Chapter 23 –Streaks Happen Only In Casinos 

It was the last day of the poker tournament and there were more spectators at the casino than the previous two days put together. To prevent chaos and to ensure everybody’s safety, Jessica increased the security on the gaming floors, leaving a minimal amount of guards in the surveillance room. 

Even with the amount of security guards on the floor, Jessica still felt uneasy over the attack last night. She was indeed trying to hide her jumpiness, but the way the staff stared at her, constantly giving her sympathetic looks just made it worse. It felt like everywhere she went, she was being watched to the point of feeling stalked, and whispered about to the point of feeling mocked.

“It seems like you’re quite popular here,” the man in a neat blue suit suavely remarked, raising his whiskey glass at Jessica. “Guess all that time spent waiting for you was worth it.” He took a sip of whiskey, unaware of how fidgety Jessica became. 

She tugged at her collar and pulled her turtleneck higher, closer to her chin. It was no surprise to her that everybody was already whispering and pointing at her over what happened last night. Luckily, the potential client standing in front of her was oblivious to what was going on, not knowing that the reason why she was drawing so much attention today was because of Henry’s attack. Any normal person would’ve hid somewhere for the next few days, to recover from any trauma. But Jessica needed to occupy herself. She needed to forget, to not think about Henry, Jaebeom, or Yuri.

“So when can I meet the other event planner so I can get my show started?” He gave her a winsome smile.

Still clutching onto the neck of her sweater, she smiles back at him and briefly looks past his broad shoulders to the girl taking wide strides towards them. Even better. Jessica doesn’t have to go call her and disrupt the hug between the two girls. “She’s right behind you.”

************

Yuri stared at Jessica talking to a tall man in a blue suit from the customer service area. It amazed her how calm Jessica looked, almost like as if nothing happened last night. But Yuri knew. She knew that the girl was still terrified by the way she played with the collar of her sweater. 

“Who’s the guy with Sica?” Yuri asked Tiffany who seemed to be lost in thoughts while staring at a pink notepad.

Tiffany followed Yuri’s gaze. “It’s the guy who’s been looking for her lately. Who knows what their relationship is.” There was a bitterness in her tone meaning Taeyeon still hasn’t apologized yet for all the mean things she said. 

Yuri scrunched her eyebrows together, analyzing the guy who seemed to be chasing after Jessica. She could only see his backside from the way they were standing. Nonetheless, Yuri didn’t like what she saw. His hair was slicked back and he was already drinking even before noon. 

“I don’t have a good feeling about this guy…” Yuri expressed.

Tiffany looked up from stabbing the pink notepad she was staring at earlier with her matching pink pen. “And now you could suddenly read auras. Didn’t see that on your resume,” Tiffany said sarcastically.

“Yeah, and your aura looks pretty black to me. Just like your heart.”

Yuri was offended by what Tiffany said, but she immediately regretted snapping back at her after seeing the sadness in Tiffany’s once cheerful eyes. Even though Tiffany was the one that instigated it first, she knew the girl was moody because of Taeyeon. Tiffany was a fragile girl just like Jessica, but unlike Jessica who could pretend to not be hurt, Tiffany always needed a shoulder to lean on, needed somebody else to fight her battles. But now that person seems to be a knight to another princess.

Yuri pulled Tiffany into a hug. “I’m sorry,” Yuri said to the emotional girl. “I didn’t mean that.”

“Yuwree ah, I’m sorry too,” Tiffany quickly apologized back. 

They pulled apart, both smiling at each other. Yuri made a funny face causing Tiffany to chuckle at her silliness, eyes forming into a crescent. 

“Now go be Jessica’s prince and save her from another bad guy.”

“What?” Tiffany’s remark stunned her. “Who said that I’m her prince?” 

Tiffany giggled like her usual self, momentarily forgetting about her own troubles. “Anybody with a brain and eyes could see that you’re infatuated with her. Now go,” Tiffany urged, “Go save our Ice Princess.”

Following Tiffany’s advice, Yuri took quick strides towards Jessica. As she got closer, Yuri slowed down once she realized that they were supposed to be mad at each other over the cucumber drink. What would she say to Jessica? And how is she supposed to react after the incident with Henry.

All of Yuri’s worries disappeared the moment Jessica spoke. “Yuri-ah, there’s somebody who wants to meet you.” The man turned around to face Yuri. “This is Mr. Lee Ji Koon. He wants you to help him put together an event for him.”

Yuri immediately froze in her spot the minute she saw the man from her past. 

“Please, call me Jason. I just landed not too long ago and I’m still not used to my Korean name. I could tell it’s the same for you, Miss Soo Yeon.” He gave Jessica a wink and they both laughed, momentarily ignoring Yuri’s presence. 

Yuri cleared her throat loudly and they both turned in her direction. 

“Ah, Yuri, I hope you don’t mind me calling you that. I know that Jessica is very busy so she told me how you would help organize my event for me. After seeing how successful your poker tournament turned out to be, I know I could trust you.”

There was no way she was going to work together with her ex-boyfriend and judging from his smirk, there’s definitely something more to this. Yuri glared at Jessica for a brief moment before announcing, “I’m busy too.”

“Oh, as your supervisor, I didn’t know you had other projects.” Then Jessica muttered under her breath, not intending for anybody else to hear, “unless you’re talking about how busy you are flirting with others.”

“Sica…” Yuri half whined while tugging on Jessica’s arm. “Could we discuss this, in private?”

Jessica didn’t have much of a choice as Yuri pulled her to the side. 

“I don’t want to work with him.”

“Yes, you are. End of discussion,” Jessica replied curtly before returning to speak to Jason.

There was actually a lot to discuss about, a lot of answers that Jessica wanted from Yuri. It really bothered her that even to now, Yuri still hasn’t even cared to ask her how she’s doing – not even as a supposed once upon a friend. 

“Jason, if you have any requests, just let Yuri know. Good luck with the event.” With that, Jessica left the two to go over the details of Jason’s event.

He watched her walk far into the distance before turning back to Yuri, grinning evilly. “My my Yuri. It has been a long time, eh? How beautiful you’ve become. Kind of makes me regret…”

She ignored him and walked off. She thought she could hide in the bathroom but he quickly caught up to her and yanked her by the arm. 

“Don’t touch me,” Yuri said between gritted teeth but Jason kept a firm grip on her. “What do you want?”

He squinted his eyes at her and knew that there was no point to playing any games, no point in acting nice. “Okay, I’ll be direct with you. I’m chasing after a wealthy girl and I need money.”

Yuri turned her head to the side and scoffed at his low demand. She wondered how she could have ever been blinded by a sleaze like him. “I don’t have any.”

“What? The great Kwon Yuri doesn’t have any money?”

For two years she’s been trying to hide from him. He mocked her idealistic love by having women on the side the whole time they were dating and seeing him again would just bring back bad memories. “How did you find me anyway?”

“It wasn’t hard. You were on almost every channel because of the poker tournament. You were even introduced as one of the organizers. Now, are you going to give an old lover some moolah or am I going to have to tell Jessica who you really are,Kwon Yuri?” 

In the beginning, his appearance wasn’t that big of a threat to her, but at the mention of Jessica’s name, Yuri got worried with what he might do. 

“She already knows that I’m Kwon Yuri.”

The grin on his face kept getting wider. “Ah yes, but she doesn’t know that you’re the Kwon Yuri. The Kwon Yuri, heiress to Kwon Corporation, who is here undercover. The Kwon Yuri who is going to play around with people’s feelings and then fire them because she’s been bored at home.”

Yuri tried to read his expression, looking for any sign of bluffing. He always was a good liar… otherwise he wouldn’t have successfully cheated her of her love and money.

“Go ahead and tell her. I don’t care.”

He laughed at her amateur bluff. “Judging by the way you held her hand so protectively during the poker interview on tv, I know that she means a lot to you.” He leaned closer and whispered. “You were always so easy to read.”

Before Yuri had a chance to react, a big figure in black charged at Jason, causing him to release his hold on her. 

“Oppa…”

“Don’t touch my sister!” Taewoo yelled at Jason, pinning him against the wall with his arm. 

He punched the surprised man once in the stomach without anybody seeing since they were in a secluded area and partially covered by a wall. 

“Get off our property and don’t you dare ever come near Yuri. Don’t forget, I was once in the army.”

Taewoo released Jason who was clutching his stomach. He put an arm protectively around Yuri and began to lead her away from the scumbag. 

“Think about what I said,” Jason called after Yuri, still smirking despite the pain. 

Taewoo rubbed Yuri’s shoulder. “Forget about that loser. You okay?”

Yuri nodded her head. “Oppa, don’t tell Pa about this…”

*******

Everybody was immersed in the poker game, wondering if the good-looking young wealthy boy is going to be the new poker champion or if it will be Gil once more. But Jaebeom just couldn't concentrate on winning tonight. Not after Jessica's attack last night. 

He wasn't the only one who wasn't concentrating on the game. Jason was lurking the tables, reminding Yuri of his threat. It made her feel uneasy and kept her eye on Jessica in case he decides to do pull a stunt. 

When she saw Jessica leave halfway during the game, Yuri followed her.

"Sica!" she called out. 

The orange-brown haired girl turned around for a brief moment as a natural reflex upon hearing her name, yet she never stopped or slowed down to allow the tanned girl catch up to her.

"Sica!" Yuri tried to get her attention again. She finally caught up to her as Jessica swiped her card to enter the safe, where all the money was to be transported to the bank tonight. "Sica, could you not spend so much time with Jason? He's not a good guy."

"Why do you care who I spend my time with?" 

Jessica punched in her security code and entered the room with Yuri following behind. Much to their surprise there was already another person in the room --dressed in black to match the fancy black gun he was holding.

Jessica attempted to scream but the robber was quick to react. He quickly closed the door and covered Jessica's mouth. Before Yuri could save either one of them, he held the gun to Jessica's head. "Don't move."

"You!" Jessica recognized the maskless robber as one of the guys working in the surveillance room with Seohyun.

"Yes, me," he mocked as he pushed Jessica to Yuri. "Who would've guessed right? Now don't speak a word," he instructed and searched the two for cell phones or any other communication devices but didn’t find any since they left them back in their rooms. 

He pulled out a walkie-talkie and told the person on the other end about their situation. The room has already been half emptied making him already half a billion dollars richer. He picked up the mask lying on the ground and closed the last case of money he was filling up before the interruption.

"Not your week, eh Jessica? I'm really sorry about what happened to you last night," he said insincerely, "but you know, it gave me the perfect diversion. Everybody's too busy talking about you to even know about what's going on back here. And the last poker game? Perfect timing!"

"Yah! You're going to get caught you know! Seohyun's going to figure out what you're doing and call the cops!" Jessica daringly screamed at him but cowered behind Yuri once he pointed the gun again at her.

"Haha! Don't make me laugh! Seohyun? She's going to catch me?? Don't be silly, she doesn't know the first thing about security. She thinks I'm down here doing a routine sweep while she's on my orders checking a man who is supposedly cheating on the Blackjack table."

"Yah! How dare you trick Seohyun!" Yuri shouted and took a step forward but Jessica pulled her back by the arm, then slid her hand down to entwine their hands, holding her tightly. 

"You made this too easy for me, Jessica." He then turned his attention to Yuri. "And I have you to thank for this, for being the distraction of the almighty Jessica. Otherwise, she wouldn't have made so many mistakes."

"What are you talking about?" Yuri asked, not understanding his implication.

"Before you came to work at the casino, Jessica was always concentrated on her work. She knew everything that was going on and would always think things throughly before doing anything. And now, she's always preoccupied, but not with work. She sends out all the security on the floor without a real strategy. Her eyes are sharp... but only for you."

"You... you're making things up!" Jessica denied even though he just read her like a book.

He chuckled. "Am I? That's the great thing about working in surveillance, you get to see everything!" He walked closer to the two girls, eyeing Jessica with a lustful look. "After all those years of watching you, you still become more beautiful everyday. I've always fancied you."

"Go away!" Yuri yelled at him only to be ignored.

“You like money, don’t you, Jessica? Come with me. Come and share my wealth.”

When Jessica didn’t reply, Yuri looked behind her and saw a pensive Jessica. Even in a moment like this, money never failed to capture Jessica’s interest.

“You’re not actually thinking about it, are you?” Yuri screamed, snapping Jessica out of her thoughts. 

“None of your business…”

“Geez, Jessica! Is money really that important to you?”

While Yuri continued to angrily lecture Jessica and convince her not to take up on the other guy’s offer, the robber began to slowly walk backwards towards the door. The two girls didn’t notice him playing around with the security machines.

“Time’s up, Jessica. I would love to stay and hear your answer, but I don’t want to miss my flight to Mexico where there will be plenty more girls.” He opened the door. "I could kill you two, but my conscience won't let me. Plus, the codes will be all be changed and by the time they discover you, I'll be long gone in Mexico. Ta ta!"

The door closed after him and Jessica ran over to punch in her personal security code. It beeped red.

"It's been changed..." She desperately tried punching in any random 6 numbers, then she tried a combination of 8 numbers. 

"Here, let me try." Yuri entered in her personal code. Again, the red light flickered, indicating an error.

For the next hour, they tried everything from banging the door to just pressing a series of numbers hoping to get lucky.

Jessica gave up and slid against the wall down to the ground. "Why is this happening to me?" She watched Yuri pick up a chair and slam it against the bullet-proof and smash-proof window. “It’s all your fault Kwon Yuri!”

“My fault?” Yuri put down the chair and spun around to look down at Jessica. “You’re the one that hired a thief! You’re the one who wanted to run away with him to Mexico!” 

Yuri continued to yell at Jessica, allowing her anger to take over in such a stressful situation. Instead of fighting back, Jessica just buried her head in her arms and silently sobbed as she listened to Yuri call her an incompetent gold-digger. 

“Yah…” Yuri nudged Jessica with her knee. “Yah, Sica, now’s not the time to cry. I’m sure you would like to catch that guy who just got away with millions. Think of something.”

Like a twig that’s been burning in fire, Jessica snapped. “I was thinking of something before when he asked me to run away to Mexico with him! If you weren’t so busy yelling at me, then I would be out there right now and at least we would’ve had a chance to catch him!”

Yuri had mistaken Jessica. She was ready to apologize when Jessica continued her outburst, shouting accusations. 

“He’s right, you are a distraction, Kwon Yuri! You should’ve never came to K-Won, then none of this would’ve happened! I wouldn’t have had to endure your cucumber taunts, I wouldn’t have gotten attacked last night, and I wouldn’t have lost the company millions of dollars tonight!”

Yuri angrily sat down on the opposite wall of Jessica. The girl was being unreasonable and if she had continued to stand next her, Yuri just might kick her.

“Oh, so what happened to you last night was my fault too? If it weren’t for me, who knows what Henry would’ve done to you!”

At the mention of Henry’s name, Jessica’s anger changed. She no longer became concern about the situation that they were in. Even though almost two hours has passed, somebody was bound to find them. Instead, she became saddened by Yuri’s ignorance. She looked at her sitting on the other side of the room, angrily scribbling things on a piece of paper. 

“Why didn’t you come save me that night? Didn’t you hear me scream your name?” Jessica whispered.

Yuri stopped writing and looked Jessica. “I did, Sica! I was there! Who do you think opened the door? How else do you think I got this cut and black bruise on my back?” Yuri rolled up her right sleeve to show Jessica her bandaged arm and then pointed at her back where she fell against the countertop.

“Why didn’t you come see me? Didn’t you care about what happened to me?” Jessica asked all the questions that were bothering her since that night, tears welling up. 

Yuri turned the question around to Jessica because she felt the same way. She was also jealous because Jessica didn’t give her any attention that night. “Well, why didn’t you come see me? Jaebeom wasn’t the only one that got injured. Didn’t you care about what happened to me?”

It seemed to Jessica that Yuri was just trying to pick another fight and chose to ignore her. She pulled her knees towards her chest, resting her chin against them. 

Yuri continued to write things on the piece of paper that she had on her. After writing for awhile, it calmed her down. She looked at Jessica again. 

“Of course I care… You know that I like you…” Yuri muttered well enough for Jessica to hear. 

There were too many things going on in Jessica’s mind right now, too many emotions. She didn’t know how to react to Yuri’s confession. It’s not all that easy to just accept someone when she has her doubts about Yuri’s financial capabilities… plus, Jessica was accustomed to turning people down. 

They continued to sit in silence until the door flew open, breaking the tension and awkwardness between them.

“Unnie!” Seohyun screamed, running towards Jessica with Taeyeon and Jaebeom.

Tiffany, Yoona, and Sooyoung ran towards the tanned girl, pulling her into a group hug.

“Sica unnie, are you okay? I came as fast as I can after making sure that the guy responsible for this got caught.”

Jessica slid her hand down Seohyun’s head, proud of the young girl. “So you caught him?” Seohyun nodded her head. “How did you know?”

“Well, before everybody went on security duty today, I made sure that all our walkie-talkies were synchronized with each others so that no matter what happens, big or small, we would all know about it and react accordingly,” Seohyun said like as if synchronizing walkie-talkies was just a routine thing that she did on a daily basis. “I guess the robber didn’t know that I did it and so when he used the walkie-talkie, we knew right away.”

“Jessie,” Jaebeom who hugged her the tightest grabbed her attention. “Are you okay? I was so worried…”

“I’m fine,” she smiled at him. “Did you win the tournament?” Jessica diverted to lighten the mood.

“Nah. But it’s fine. Even if I did win, I wouldn’t have been happy knowing that you were in trouble and I wasn’t there to help you this time.”

When they left the room, Jaebeom walked ahead with his two friends, explaining to them what had happened with Jessica. Right behind them were Yuri and her two best friends who were checking out the eligible bachelors. Sooyoung was practically drooling over Taecyeon’s broad shoulders and well sculpted back.

Because things were still awkward between Tiffany and Taeyeon, Tiffany walked with Yuri while Taeyeon stayed by Jessica’s side. It didn’t bother the short chef that they were all the way in the back since it gave her a good view. With her sharp eyes, she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of Yuri’s back pocket. It was the same color as Tiffany’s pink notepad. Curious to know what was on it, she released Jessica’s arm. Taeyeon touched Yuri’s bum for a brief second before pulling out the piece of paper.

“Yah!” Yuri spun around surprised by the touch. Then she noticed the pink paper in Taeyeon’s hand. “Give that back!”

Taeyeon unfolded it and began to read aloud while dodging Yuri by using Jessica as a shield. “Reason number 1,” Taeyeon read the first line. “Jessica is an Ice Princess. Reason number 2, Jessica screams like a dolphin.” As Taeyeon continued to read, the reasons began to sound more unpleasant. “Reason number 8, Jessica only cares about money and would probably sell her soul in return for a million dollars.” Taeyeon gave a worried look at Jessica who bore the same blank expression the whole time. “Reason number 9, for all the reasons listed above, I hate Jessica.”

Yuri caught the stunned Taeyeon and snatched the paper back, folding it quickly before shoving it in her back pocket again. Everybody had stopped walking and just stared at the three. Jessica shot Yuri an icy glare before pushing through the crowd and ran off with Jaebeom chasing after her. 

“Yuri unnie, you’re mean!” Seohyun was the first to say something. 

Even Sooyoung and Yoona shook their heads disapprovingly at Yuri. 

“Yuwree-ah…” Tiffany said with a questioningly look.

“Ahem.” Somebody cleared their voice, drawing the attention away from Yuri.

Taewoo appeared before them and gave Yuri a quick concerned look before changing into a serious business-like attitude. “Everybody’s okay here?” They nodded. “Good, Mr. Kwon Min heard what happened and was concerned about the staff’s safety,” he said hinting to Yuri that their father was worried about her.

“I’m fine… I just want some rest.”

Yuri excused herself and returned back to her room. She sat on her bed and pulled out the piece of paper, staring at her own handwriting. She flipped it around and read what she had written on the back. 

“Taeyeon… you good for nothing midget…” 

Chapter 24 -Ways To Reconcile 

Taeyeon and Tiffany. Yuri and Jessica. Those weren't the only ones in a sour mood with each other. Yoona and Seohyun.

At the start of their new friendship, these two young and innocent girls had already had their first fight. Seohyun was actually mad at Yuri for writing those hurtful things about Jessica, so indirectly, she was also giving Yoona the silent treatment. Being the more talkative one out of the two, Yoona never noticed.

But when the paparrazzi started harassing Yoona over how she was spending so much time at the casino even after the poker tournament, calling her a gambling addict, Seohyun's anger dispersed into a worry for her celebrity friend. She would try her best to avoid Yoona to the point of even declining the girl's calls.

Seohyun didn't want to leave her spot in front of the surveillance cameras, but had no choice as nature calls. On her way to the bathroom, she was very cautious, afraid that Yoona might see her.

Right when she entered the bathroom, somebody grabbed her by her arm and yanked her into one of the bathroom stalls. As a quick reflex, Seohyun got ready to attack the odd chubby person with a scarf wrapped tightly around her head, dark sunglasses, and bushy eyebrows. 

"Wait, Seohyunnie!" the person called out just when Seohyun's fist was about to make contact with a big round nose. "It's me, Yoona," she whispered as she removed her shades.

"Unnie?"

Yoona grinned, showing a blackened tooth to make it seem like as if it's missing. "Whaddya think? I did it myself. Pretty good eh?"

Seohyun smiled at Yoona's disguise. She then placed her hand on Yoona's stomach, wondering how it got so big in just a few days.

"Tada!" Yoona opened her winter trench coat like as if she was going to flash Seohyun. "Kerero!" Yoona exclaimed, showing Seohyun the cause of her weight gain.

Seohyun laughed at Yoona's goofiness, patting the green plush doll tied around the girl's waist, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be avoiding her. 

"Unnie," Seohyun said, her smile disappearing, "you shouldn't be here."

"Why? And why have you been avoiding me? Did I do something wrong? Are you mad at me?"

Seohyun frowned. "The newspapers and magazines..." Her voice trailed off, unsure of how to mention Yoona's new reputation.

"The newspapers and magazines can kiss my Kerero." Yoona turned around to show another plush doll tied around her butt, causing Seohyun to erupt in laughter.

"Unnie..." Seohyun lightly slapped Yoona's soft behind.

"I know what they've been saying about me, but I don't care. I miss hanging out with you." Yoona saw how worried Seohyun still was and added, "Plus, I'm good friends with the owner's daughter. I'll tell them that."

Seohyun's eyes grew big. "Really? You know her?"

"Yup," Yoona nodded her head, proud of Yuri for once.

"There's rumors of her being here undercover, is that true?"

Seohyun watched Yoona making all sorts of weird faces as she thought. She waited patiently until Yoona responded.

"I'll tell you only if you promise to not tell anybody and to stop avoiding me."

Seohyun stuck out her pinky finger to shake with Yoona's. They then hugged each other and laughed loudly as the doll got squished between the two. 

"Unnie, you look so silly!"

The two walked out of the bathroom, hand in hand. A woman stopped Yoona who had her sunglasses on again.

"Ummm... Miss?" the woman said. "You might want to get your stomach checked out. My sister's looked like that and it turned out to be cancerous."

The two girls looked down at Yoona's stomach and saw why the woman was so concerned. Yoona's stomach had 4 points sticking out, but only they knew that it was Kerero's hands and feet. They giggled at each other before running off, leaving the woman completely dumbfounded.

*********

Jaebeom looked at the one to his right, then to the one on the left. He couldn't decide which one Jessica would like more -- he is a guy after all.

"Sir, have you decided?" a salesman from the expensive grand store approached Jaebeom.

"Sorry, I'm still waiting for some friends to come."

Just as Jaebeom told the salesman this, his two best friends arrived at the store. They exchanged greetings and then looked at Jaebeom's choices.

"So it's between these two?" Taecyeon asked.

Jaebeom followed them as they checked each one carefully. "Yeah, which one do you like?"

"Well, I like this one." Taecyeon pointed at one of the shiny silver models. "It's nice and big. Perfect for my style."

"Yes, but Jessica isn't a beast like you," Nichkhun said while standing next to the other candidate. "I think girls would like this one more... It's small, pretty, and looks expensive."

Jaebeom went around and pat Nichkhun on his shoulder, resting his arm there as he thought about what his good friend said. He pictured Jessica with it and smiled at the thought. 

"You're right, Khun. What would I do without you guys." He waved the salesman from before over and says to him, "I'll take this one."

While they waited for the company to prepare Jaebeom's purchase, the three guys stepped outside into the chilly winter air. 

"Jae, you really like her, eh?" Nichkhun asked causing Jaebeom's ears to turn a bit red.

"Awww... You and Jess are so adorable," Taecyeon teased. "Her friends are cute too."

"Yah! Don't even think about playing them. They're Jessica's friends!" Jaebeom threatened.

"I think the tall security guard is cute."

"Khun!" Jaebeom shot him a glare.

"Yeah? I think the actress is pretty."

"Taec!"

The two friends laughed at how their remarks were making Jaebeom panic. After a bit more teasing, they went back inside to get Jaebeom's gift for Jessica.

*********

Jessica waited by the entrance of the casino just as Jaebeom instructed. After waiting for another 5 minutes, she was about to call and tell him to meet her in her office instead when she noticed a fancy silver car pull up in front of her.

She leaned down towards the window that was slowly rolling down to see Jaebeom smiling widely behind the driving wheel.

"Hey, Jessie, get in."

Instead of allowing her to climb in the passenger seat, he got out of the car and urged her to take the driver's side.

"Do you like it?"

Jessica looked at his new car, touching the smooth steering wheel and shift stick. It was definitely the feel of a rich man's car.

"It's nice."

"It's yours."

Jessica snapped her head around to stare at him grinning. "What?!"

"It's yours." Jaebeom stopped smiling, expression turning serious. "Look, Jessie, you're always going out late at night and I worry about you... Especially after everything that's happened."

"Jae, I can't--" Jessica started to protest.

"Jessie, please accept my gift. It's the least I could do to make you feel safe when I'm not around."

Jessica was deeply moved by his concern and sincerity. Even after losing millions in the poker game, he didn't seem bothered by the loss and spent even more money buying the car for her. "Jae..."

"C'mon, let's go on a test drive."

As they drove off after much persuasion from Jae, they didn't notice the envious stares or the murmurings of car fanatics --they especially didn't notice a tall tanned girl with a disappointed look staring at the two until the car was no longer in sight.

*******

Yuri paced back and forth in front of Jessica's office, waiting for the girl to notice her. Jessica barely looked up once. Rather, Yuri's presence annoyed her. Yuri made it very clear in her little list that she doesn't like Jessica, yet here she is. 

What does she want from me?

In the past week, Jessica's stress has just continued to increase and she has come close to breaking down. She opened her drawer for a jelly bean, but remembered that she had already finished them. She wasn't even able to refill the little tray tucked away in her drawer since she broke the jar the night of Henry's attack. Looking at the car keys next to the glass tray, Jessica decided to go for a drive. She needed to clear her head.

It showed just how deeply immersed Yuri was in her own thoughts, not noticing Jessica standing behind the door, watching Yuri mumble to herself. 

As the tanned girl kept thinking of what she should do or say after getting Jessica's attention, she didn't notice the opened glass door with an orange-brown haired girl standing next to it. Yuri walked right into the door, hitting her head hard against the glass with a loud bang. 

"Ouch!" 

Jessica gave her a blank look before closing the door and made her way towards the stairs.

"Sica, wait!" Yuri called after her, chasing Jessica down the staircase. "Um, my event is tonight and it would mean a lot to me if you came..."

Jessica continued to ignore Yuri and left her standing in the middle of the staircase, rubbing her head. By the time she was far enough, Jessica peeked behind her, worried about Yuri's head injury. Except she felt foolish for even caring because Stella was already blowing lightly at Yuri's head. 

*********

"I'm fine, Stella," Yuri said, trying to push the girl off her.

Even as she said that, the bump on Yuri's head kept getting bigger and her head hurt even more than before hitting it.

"Yul, it's super red. I can't believe Jessica did that when she knows you have to perform tonight! What are you going to do?"

Yuri frowned. Jessica doesn't care about her one bit. Had this happened a few weeks ago, Jessica would've at least scolded her for being so clumsy while applying ointment, probably charging her for each application. But this time, she just ignored her.

"I'm going to get some ice."

Stella insisted on accompanying her just to make sure she was okay, but Yuri just wanted to be alone. Stella's concern just made Yuri even more sad. How she wished Jessica was with her instead.

She opened the walk-in fridge and saw Taeyeon jumping up and down, reaching for a plate of desserts.

"Oh, Yuri, can you get that for me?" Taeyeon asked when she noticed her walk in.

She went to where Taeyeon was standing before and stood on her toes. Taeyeon rested her hands on Yuri's waist before inching it down to her butt cheeks to offer "support" even though Yuri easily reached the plate. 

She handed the desserts to Taeyeon. "Why do you place them so high up if you can't even reach up there?"

"Fany placed them there for that purpose --so I can't reach. She thinks I'm getting fat."

Yuri chuckled. She wanted to say more to the shortie, like 'stop inventing new dishes for Sooyoung to try'. Every time Taeyeon did, she would end up joining the shikshin, trying to understand her food criticisms or suggestions by eating too.

Taeyeon picked up a mushroom shaped chocolate and popped it in her mouth. She smiled like a dork at Yuri.

"Thanks, Yul," she said while slapping Yuri on her butt and left.

*********

Yuri understood how Jessica must have felt when she had to sing in front of so many people. The place was packed, making it harder for Yuri to find Jessica in the dark.

"Yo, Yul, you ready?" Hyoyeon asked while practicing part of the damce with the other girls.

Yuri adjusted the Santa hat that covered the red bump from earlier. "Yuri, hwaiting!" she said to herself.

There was a round of applause after the MC introduced the next hot hot performance. That was their cue and Yuri followed Hyoyeon out onto the stage, taking her spot in the front. She smiled nervously as the music began to play.

One of the girls began to sing. "Santa baby, slip a sable under the tree, for me..."

Yuri danced along, just as how they practiced, but her eyes were busy searching for someone. Their performance was half over and she started to lose hope until the glow of somebody's cell phone went off. It caught Yuri's attention and she looked at a table in the front. Jessica was right in front of her all along.

It was her turn to sing and unlike what they had practiced, Yuri began to descend the steps.

"Sica honey, I wanna yacht and really that's not a lot..."

Seeing Jessica smile shyly, she smiled too. She lightly stroked Jessica's hair. 

"I've been an angel all year Sica baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight..."

Yuri finished her part and went back up on stage. The crowd exploded with thunderous claps and whistling. When Yuri peeked out the curtain, she didn't notice it before, but Jason had been sitting next to Jessica the whole time. She watched as Jason put an expensive looking necklace around Jessica's neck, then leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Jessica spun around and gave him the most shocked expression Yuri's ever seen.

"C'mon, Yuri, the cabins are free now. Let's get changed," Hyoyeon excitedly dragged Yuri away from the curtains.

After changing, Yuri left Hyoyeon and the dancing girls to go find Jessica. She needed to know why he was with her and what he's told her. 

"Yuwree! You were so good!"

Yuri politely smiled at Tiffany who intercepted her on the way to the bar. "Thanks, Fany. Umm... Have you seen Sica anywhere?"

Tiffany shook her head with a puppy look. She returned to the bar and served a group of young people doing shots.

Yuri didn't get too far when Taeyeon practically jumped on her. 

"Yul!! Good job!" Taeyeon started patting her right butt cheek like as if it was a drum. 

"Thanks, Taeng. Ummm, do you know where Sica is?" Yuri asked looking past Taeyeon's head.

Taeyeon pointed towards the bar, making brief eye contact with Tiffany. Sadness came over the girl working at the bar while Taeyeon just looked away. 

"Uh... I think I should get back to the kitchen. We're short on staff."

Taeyeon ran off while Tiffany peeked at her out of the corner of her eyes. Yuri shook her head at the both of them, evidently caring and missing each other yet neither of them were willing to make a move. Yuri had her own problems to deal with and the longer that Jessica spends time with Jason, the worse her problem will be.

She started off in the direction that Yuri pointed but was stopped yet again. 

"What are you doing here? Where's Jessica?!" Yuri demanded Jason who had a wicked grin. 

He sipped his whiskey patiently. "I thought you didn't care. Besides, Jessica was the one who invited me."

"What did you say to her back there?"

"That she looks absolutely stunning in a $70,000 white gold necklace." He took another sip of his alcohol. "You know, girls fall so easily for you once they know you have money. So wouldn't it be better if I just tell her who you are? "

And lose Jessica forever? From their very first encounter with the couple who tried to con some free expensive perks, Yuri highly doubts that Jessica responds well to deception.

"You better stay away from her!" 

He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyes at her. "Then you better start paying. I'm quickly losing my patience and can't guarantee what I'll say next." Like a flash, his expression softened. "Uh-oh, the bear is coming. Think about what I said. Oh, and I'll be expecting an additional $70,000 for that necklace."

He walked off, disappearing into the crowd just as Taewoo reached Yuri's side.

"What did that jerk want?"

"Nothing oppa..."

"Come, Pa wants to speak to you."

Taewoo led Yuri away to a corner to where their dad was waiting.

"Yuri!" the old man's eyes twinkled with joy at the sight of his favorite daughter.

"Pa, shhhh..." Taewoo nudged his dad to maintain a low profile.

"Right, right..." he reassured Taewoo then turned to Yuri. "Yuri, congratulations on your first successful event! Did you really do this all by yourself?"

Yuri smiled proudly, nodding her head up and down like a little girl. 

Their dad chuckled. "You're now ready to come with me to Vegas."

Yuri didn't expect her success to lead to a faster departure. "Umm... I want to stay for a bit longer. I don't think I've learned everything yet."

Her dad was about to say otherwise but she spotted Jessica and dashed off, leaving the two Kwon men standing there awkwardly as young men and women danced around them.

"Yuri!" Jessica's face immediately brightened upon seeing Yuri. "How's your--"

Yuri swatted Jessica's hand away from her head. Just a few minutes ago, Jessica was happily accepting a $70k necklace from Jason and now, she's with Jaebeom who just gave her a car earlier. And seeing both the jewelry and car keys with her at the same time enraged her. 

"Hey, Yuri, how's it go--"

Before Jaebeom could finish, Yuri pushed him in the shoulder. "When are you going to wake up?" she screamed at him. "Your girlfriend here has been two-timing you or maybe even three, four, five-timing you with other people! Unless she marries you, she'll continue digging for gold! You think Jessica is so pure--"

A hard slap across Yuri's face stopped her from lashing out her frustrations at Jaebeom. She shot Jessica a glare while holding her red cheek. Jessica pushed her and ran away from the scene, causing Yuri to stumble back.

"Yuri, you okay?" Stella asked suddenly appearing by her side.

Jaebeom who was too lost by the situation just stood there speechless. His cell phone vibrated, snapping him out of his daze. 

"Uh... Yuri, I have to go. Jessica, she's-- well, I gotta go. See you later."

Jaebeom took off, leaving Yuri alone with Stella. It's been an emotional day for her and Yuri wasn't going to break down in front of so many people. Jessica for sure hates her now.

"Stella, I'm going to go to the bathroom."

"Sure, I'll be waiting here for you. If you don't see me here, call me."

********

Time again and again, Yuri just keeps hurting her more and more. After her drive today, she was going to forgive Yuri for everything. She thought Yuri was just jealous and stressed herself, that's why she wrote those mean things. After all, didn't she confess in the vault?

Maybe I heard wrong...

Didn't she just serenade to her?

Maybe I should get my ears checked.

Jessica took another gulp of her drink that Tiffany made her. She stirred it with the celery stalk as her eyes started to burn from holding in her tears.

Seeing her friend like this, Tiffany decided to stop being mad at Jessica. It wasn't really her fault anyway. She placed her hand over Jessica's.

"Jessie, you okay?"

Jessica looked up and tears started to fall down her cheeks from Tiffany's concern. It's been days since they last spoke and Jessica missed her best friend. It's been hard having everybody misunderstand her... Tiffany was always the one who she could turn to.

"I'm sorry," she softly apologized.

"Don't be. I blame everything that's evil and wrong in the world on a shorty named Kim Taeyeon."

Jessica wiped her cheeks and smiled, glad to have her friend back. That's all she ever needed and that's all she ever had before Yuri came along.

Tiffany had to go serve other paying patrons and left Jessica alone with her third drink. 

Stella sat down next to her. "Jessica, why can't you just stay away from Yuri?" 

"I don't want to talk to you."

Stella looked offended for a moment, but then regained herself. "Look, I'll be frank with you. You already stole my fiance once, I'm not letting you take away my Yuri too."

Jessica spun around on her stool to face the other side, away from Stella but the other girl went around. 

"You know what she told me when we were playing this game called Marry, Kill, or Sleep?" Stella continued.

"I don't care."

"Between you, me, and Tiffany, she said she would marry me, sleep with Tiffany, and kill you."

Jessica tried her best to ignore her, taking another sip of her drink. She was about to leave when Stella held onto her arm.

"Let's play the game, Jessica. I'm curious to know where Yuri stands with you."

"I don't want to play."

"You've always had interesting love lines. Yuri, Jaebeom... And Henry. Marry, kill, or sleep."

Stella kept pestering her, saying all sorts of things to provoke her. Stella's cell phone went off and she waved it in front of Jessica's face, showing her the caller ID.

Kwon Seobang.

"Look who's calling, it's my Kwon Seobang."

Jessica closed her eyes from the stinging pain again, tears streaming down nonstop.

She didn't see Stella press answer, and screamed out what Stella wanted to hear. 

"I would marry Jae, sleep with Henry, and kill Yuri! Are you happy now? Leave me alone!"

Out of nowhere, Yuri appeared. She took Stella by the hand, ignoring Jessica. "Let's go, Stell."

Jessica took the stalk of celery out from her drink. "Kwon Yuri!" The two girls who started walking away stopped and turned around. "I hate you too! Hee!" 

Jessica threw the green vegetable at them, intending it to hit Yuri. Instead, it bounced off Stella's head, leaving a red tomato mark from the drink.

"Ow! Yul..." Stella whined. "She just hit me!"

Yuri stared at Jessica who pushed past them. She needed to be alone... But with Jessica this time. They were both frustrated, hurting, and needed to talk. She was about to chase after her, but Stella tugged at her hand.

"My head hurts...." Stella whined again.

*********

It was difficult, but Yuri had finally fallen asleep. She stirred in her sleep when she heard somebody sneeze softly. Her eyes slowly fluttered open and as they began to adjust to the darkness, she made out the outline of a familiar figure.

"Sica?"

"Yuri-ah..." 

Yuri was sure she was dreaming. After everything that happened, there was no way Jessica would be in her room. Maybe it was her subconcious talking to her, telling her to go over to Jessica's room and apologize, to do anything just to be on good terms again.

"Yuri-ah," the voice said again ever so softly. "Can I sleep here tonight?"

Yuri reached out for the girl's hand. Feeling how real the smoothness is, Yuri knew she wasn't dreaming. 

"Of course you can. Come."

She scooted over to the other side of the bed, making room for Jessica who quietly crawled in, nestling in the warm spot that Yuri was just in. She wrapped the blankets around Jessica's shoulders then went back to her side, staring at Jessica's back for awhile trying to figure out what this all meant.

"Yuri-ah?"

"Hmmm?"

"Could... Could you hold me?"

Jessica's request was barely a whisper, but Yuri heard and immediately complied. She felt Jessica trembling in her arms. Something was wrong. Jessica's bahaviour... It's not like her to come into Yuri's room, especially not after such big fights. Jessica was crying. 

"Sica baby, what's wrong?" Yuri whispered against her hair. 

She asked the wrong question. Jessica turned around and began sobbing uncontrollably into Yuri's shirt. Seeing Jessica like this caused Yuri's heart to wrench in pain and she immediately started apologizing, anything to stop Jessica from hurting.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Sica. Don't cry. I don't know why I said all that stuff. I'm sorry! Forgive me."

Jessica hugged her tighter and then brought a hand up to stroke Yuri's cheek.

"Do you really hate me?" she asked.

"No! Of course not! Tae... Taeyeon doesn't know how to read. There was more to that letter." Yuri quickly said. "You know I like you," Yuri confessed softly again, this time with Jessica in her arms. "Like a lot."

Jessica's sobs were less violent. She reached her hand up and touched Yuri's bump on her head. Her hand then trailed down to Yuri's recovering cut, finally resting it on her bruised back.

"I'm sorry, Yuri. I didn't know you were there that night. I'm sorry."

Jessica began crying again and Yuri hated herself for being the reason. "It's okay, it doesn't matter as long as you're okay." She then joked with Jessica, hoping to put a smile on her face. "You're so ugly when you cry."

"Yah!" Jessica shook Yuri by the arm, half-smiling. 

Yuri hugged her tighter, glad that all the anger between them is gone. 

"So I guess you'll be doing all three with me."

Jessica gave her a puzzled look, not understanding. 

"You'll sleep with me, marry me, and then kill me with your cooking."

"Yah!" Jessica slapped Yuri on her arm and then buried her head deeper into the crook of Yuri's neck. She lowered her voice and sounded sad again. "I didn't mean what I said earlier. It was St--"

"I know," Yuri stopped Jessica.

"I'm sorry..."

"Me too."

Yuri felt so relieved that night, knowing that things were normal again, having Jessica in her arm, and finally confessing to her. She listened to Jessica sniffle every now and then, eventually subsiding into steady rhythmic breathing. Jessica's tight hold on her also started to slowly loosen. Yuri smiled to herself as she held Jessica closer, falling into a sweet dream herself.

Chapter 25 - Charming Yul

Jessica extended her arm to the right, feeling for the body that kept her comfortably warm all night. When her arm stretched as far as possible, Jessica slowly opened her eyes. The other side of the bed was empty. She was alone on the king-size bed, and that mere fact was enough to make her sit up. 

Not knowing where Yuri had disappeared to in the early morning brought a pout to her face. She was about to hit Yuri's pillow when she noticed a piece of pink paper on it. It was unfolded and undoubtedly the same pink sheet that Taeyeon read from the night of the attempted robbery.

Sadness swept over Jessica as she realized that that magic between her and Yuri only happens at night. There would be no bickering, no coldness, and no complete reservation. It was the only time during the day when Jessica would let her guard down. 

Against her better judgement, Jessica began to read the pink note. Even if it made her heart ache all over again, she had to see it with her own eyes. She was shocked, however, by the very first lines.

1. For an Ice Princess, Jessica has the warmest smile I have ever seen

There was more to this list. She turned the paper to the other side and saw what Taeyeon had read aloud the other night. After quickly scanning the harsh words, Jessica flipped it back and resumed reading. She smiled to herself. 

2. Jessica has the voice of an angel 

3. Her hands and body fit mine perfectly

Jessica smiled wider, heat rose to her cheeks as she remembered how Yuri held her just moments before she asleep.

Each point after another seemed to counter the negative points written on the other side of this note. Yuri had listed qualities she herself wasn't aware of, or qualities she has never shown to strangers and the public eye. 

There were two more lines before the end of this note, and Jessica was already on the verge of tears mixed with a huge sense of euphoria.

8. She is very tender when she cares about someone... I would give anything in this world to have Jessica care about me

Jessica felt a tug in her heart. Has she really been that cold to Yuri?

9. For all the reasons listed above, how could I not have fallen for Jessica Jung

Jessica bit the bottom of her lips. There was no doubt. It was clear in black and pink: Yuri likes her.

A tear rolled down her cheek. She brushed it away before it could stain the perfect love note --less the ugly side that Taeyeon had read. Jessica got out of bed and went to freshen up before Yuri could see her like this --somebody who just cries day and night.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, Yuri had returned and was busy transferring food from boxes onto plates. Jessica, seeing the tanned girl and remembering the note she had intentionally left on the pillow for her to see, blushed and smiled as if she knew a secret.

"Oh, Sica, you're awake. Come eat breakfast before the food gets cold. I made it myself, so I know there's no cucumbers."

Jessica knew she was acting out of character again when she crept in front of Yuri, who was busy pouring fresh juice into glasses, and surprised her with a hug. The tall girl was stunned at first but eventually wrapped her arms around the small body, hugging Jessica tighter.

She heard Yuri's heartbeat increasing and wondered if hers was doing the same.

"Sica, is everything okay?" Yuri asked worriedly.

Jessica pulled herself away slightly to look at the brown eyes that were full of concern. "Thank you, Yuri."

Then she did the second move of the day that surprised Yuri. She lightly kissed Yuri on the cheek. They were still hugging as Yuri leaned forward, anticipating a pair of delicate lips as she drew closer, only to find them resting on Jessica's fingertips instead.

"I don't kiss just anybody you know," Jessica hurriedly blurted, ears turning crimson red.

"Mfph unph jssm nnmmdee." Jessica removed her hand and Yuri said more clearly this time, "I'm not just anybody... I'm your Kwon Seobang."

Jessica was starting to get used to Yuri's shameless ways, yet because of her own insecurities, Jessica still can't accept Yuri fully. She’s always had difficulties expressing herself as well. How could she let Yuri know what she wants when she is so unsure of her own feelings?

Like a natural reaction, Jessica began to put up her wall of protection again. "My kisses aren't free you know."

Instead of getting hurt or offended, Yuri saw this as a challenge. Her eyes twinkled. She never loses a challenge, unless it involves a turkey and a girl pulling her pants down.

"Sica baby, you won't be able to resist these lips and you are going to be the first to kiss me," Yuri said with full confidence.

"We'll see about that."

******

One thing's for sure, Jessica couldn't resist her charm. Yuri had successfully persuaded Jessica to spend the day with her. She wanted to prove to the girl that they could have just as much fun without having to spend a lot.

They were sitting in the expensive car that Jaebom gave Jessica. It's been a while since Yuri has driven one of these and in standard too. The car inched forward but stalled again for the third time.

Jessica turned to Yuri with her hand hiding her face from the guy at the parking booth. "Yuri, are you sure you don't want me to drive?" she asked with a huge sign of embarrassment.

"Sica, there's something wrong with your car..."

"No, Yuri, there's something wrong with you," Jessica emphasized on the last part. "Just let me dri-- eeeeeeee!" Jessica shrieked as the car lunged forward with such unexpected speed that had her holding onto the dashboard with both her hands.

By the time they reached their destination, Yuri felt quite accomplished. After figuring out how to get the car moving, the rest was a smooth ride. 

She heard Jessica say something as she helped her get out of the car, but Jessica's initial scream might have damaged her hearing once more.

"What was that?" Yuri asked, cupping her ear.

"I said," Jessica screamed louder, "why are we at an amusement park?"

Yuri entwined their hands together after locking the car doors. She remembered when they first came here as a prize for winning the employee draw, Jessica was very distant and reserved in the beginning but warmed up very quickly. That was the moment Yuri saw the true side of Jessica, and she hoped that the orange-brown haired girl would open up completely to her once more.

"Why not? It'll be fun!" Yuri led Jessica through the crowd of people. "You know what the difference is between your car and a bike?" 

"A window? Heat, heated seats, a sound system, a trunk..." Jessica continued with her list.

Yuri gave a defeated sigh. "Okay, in addition to all of that, the major difference is that I can't hold your hand in your car."

Yuri knew that she proved her point when Jessica didn't say anything or let go of her hand.

Score for Yuri, 0 for money.

They went on a few rides, watched a few free performances, and were strolling by the games section with Jessica clinging onto Yuri's arm. 

"Yuri, look!" Jessica pointed to a huge stuffed bear hanging by a game booth. "It's like the one in my room."

Recognizing the couple as the one who won his last biggest doll, the vendor in charge of the baseball tossing game singled the two girls out. 

"Hey, you! You're that girl with the mean throw. Wanna try winning that bear again?"

Yuri saw the excitement in Jessica's eyes, but in order to win the big doll, Yuri would have to pay more; the bigger the prize, the more you pay. The whole point of this outing was to prove to Jessica that money can't really buy happiness.

She started to walk away when the guy called after her again. "Aw, c'mon! Look at how disappointed your friend looks. Do you want her to be the only girl without a doll in her arms?"

Jessica smiled weakly at Yuri and even though she didn't say it, Yuri knew she wanted the doll. She'll find another way to cheer Jessica up.

They took another step away when the vendor called out again. "What are you? Chicken?"

Jessica stifled a laugh. They were both thinking about when Yuri had to wear that yellow costume with all the feathers falling off in the end. Yuri's face turned red at the embarrassing memory. 

She marched back and handed the vendor a bill. "Don't ever call me that again."

With just one baseball, Yuri managed to knock down all the pins. She triumphantly walked over to the man to claim her prize. 

"Lady, I thought the first time was just a fluke. You proved me wrong. Here ya go." With a warm smile, he handed her a medium-sized teddy bear. "Now go make her happy."

Yuri shyly approached Jessica and held the bear in front of her. "Umm... It's not the big one that you wanted, but at least this way, you won't have such a difficult time carrying it."

Jessica took the bear into her hands with a huge grin. She could see that Yuri was still feeling guilty for not getting the bigger one judging by her constant glances at the other prize. To let her know that it was okay, Jessica stood on her tippy toes and kissed Yuri on her cheek.

"Thank you, Yuri. I love it."

Yuri wanted to break out in a dance. It was the second time that day Jessica had kissed her. At this rate, Jessica will kiss her on the lips in no time. She pat the teddy bear on the head.

Score Little Teddy! 0 for money.

Jessica held onto Yuri's arm again as they walked closer to the food court. The smell of food was making the both of them hungry, Jessica being the more famished one as her stomach could be heard almost a mile away.

Jessica clutched onto her stomach, embarrassed by the noises. "Yuri-yah... I'm hungry. I know you're all anti-money, but we're starving..."

The 'we' being Jessica and the teddy bear she was using with her pity plea, rubbing its paw on Yuri's arm.

After grabbing a seat on one of the benches, Yuri left to go get them something to fill their stomachs for the time being. She returned with two glasses of water that she got for free from one of the restaurants.

"Here Sica, drink this. It'll fill you up until we get back."

Jessica obediently drank her water but hid her face in the doll when her stomach growled even louder.

"Ahhhh!" a boy nearby screamed. "Mommy, I just heard a monster!"

"Yuri!" Jessica screamed at the girl who was laughing at the boy's comment. 

"Okay, okay, we'll go eat something." 

Yuri couldn't resist teasing the girl that was hanging on her arm and mimicked the sound of Jessica's stomach earning her a few punches on the arm.

******

They arrived at a small restaurant called Yol Saek and sat in a corner. The owner was busy watching a Korean opera, so Yuri got up and told the ahjumma her order.

When she returned to the girl who looked like she was ready to pass out from hunger, Jessica asked her with her head against the wall what was ordered.

"It's a luxury food that you won't be able to find at any expensive restaurant. They wished they had it, but can’t."

There was a glint of interest in Jessica's eyes as she sat up straight, leaning forward towards Yuri.

"Is it a winter melon soup in the actual melon?" Jessica guessed.

"Uhh... No. It's jajangmyun!" Yuri told her with a big smile.

As if on cue, the food arrived with a bowl of rice and typical Korean appetizers. Jessica looked at the ahjumma with big round puppy eyes, waiting for her to place more food on the table. When she didn't and retreated back to her spot in front of the TV, Jessica nudged Yuri.

"Yul, how is one bowl of noodles and 1 bowl of rice supposed to fill us up?"

Yuri poured the rice into the noodles to create a thicker meal. She held a bite up for Jessica, feeding her first. They ate in silence for the first few minutes, filling their mouths with food. They took turns eating from the bowl of noodles sitting in between them.

Yuri didn't notice how intensely Jessica was staring at her every time it was her turn to eat until she tried to steal a quick look. Is Jessica worried that I'll eat all the food? Yuri nudged the bowl closer to Jessica, indicating that it was her turn. 

Instead of eating, Jessica smiled widely at Yuri. 

"What is it?" Yuri questioned, not knowing why the girl was suddenly smiling.

"Yuri-yah..."

Yuri raised her eyebrows, waiting for Jessica to finish laughing and continue.

"Yes...?"

Jessica giggled. "Yuri-yah, you have something on your mouth."

Yuri quickly brought her hand to where Jessica was pointing. She touched the side of her mouth, but there was nothing there, and gave Jessica a bewildered look.

Leaning forward, Jessica wiped the bottom of Yuri's lips with her index finger. She showed her the brown sauce before licking it off. 

Yuri wasn't embarrassed by getting caught for being a sloppy eater. Her cheeks were flushed upon feeling Jessica's soft finger running smoothly along her own skin. However, her tanned skin didn't show how red she had turned. Unlike Jessica's tomato red face.

"So um... Why is jajangmyun a luxury food that can't be found in expensive restaurants?" Jessica hoped that talking would calm the blood rushing to her face.

"You really want to know?" Yuri asked the girl who was already nodding her head. "Okay, close your eyes." She placed one end of a noodle into Jessica's mouth and the other into her own. "Because they can't do this at fancy restaurants."

Jessica felt the tugging on her lips and opened her eyes to see what Yuri was talking about. Their lips were about to touch when Jessica panicked and broke the noodle in two with her chopsticks, stopping Yuri just in time. 

"Yah, don't try to take advantage of me." Jessica hid her crimson red face in the bowl of noodles, scarfing down the food.

Yuri chuckled at how easily Jessica gets flustered. The food was disappearing fast, but their hunger was still present. Yuri held out her chopsticks, offering Jessica the last piece of kimchi.

A loud grumble of the stomach was heard and Yuri was sure it wasn't hers. She grinned at Jessica who was clutching her stomach.

"It's the sound of digestion..." the embarrassed girl justified.

"Are you still hungry?"

Jessica could only nod her head that was buried in her hands as her stomach responded with another growl.

Yuri smiled at how cute Jessica gets whenever she's embarrassed. 

Waving the owner over, Yuri asked her if they could get a free bowl of rice to mix with the sauce. 

"Ahjumma, the food here is so good and I don't want to waste, not even the sauce," she explained to the elder woman who was smiling warmly at the compliment.

Jessica slapped Yuri's arm for trying to charm the owner into giving them free food. Her lips touched Yuri's ear when she whispered, telling Yuri to just pay for more food.

Yuri ignored what Jessica said along with the fluttering of her stomach as she continued to sweetly persuade the woman into giving them free food.

"Please? I'll recommend your restaurant to everybody that I know."

As long as the ahjumma was thinking, there was still a chance.

The owner finally spoke. "Missy, nothing is free in this world." Yuri turned to look at Jessica, who was nodding her head in agreement with her 'I told you so' look. "So in return for a bowl of rice, you two have to perform for me."

The smug look on Jessica's face was replaced with shock, her eyes bulging out.

"Ok." Yuri was quick to agree to the ahjumma's condition, and she knew exactly what they could do.

"Do you like singing?" Yuri asked the owner. 

"Yuri!"

Jessica's protests were ignored when the little old lady said yes. Yuri whispered to Jessica what song they will be singing. She knew the girl was shy about singing in front of others so she added, "You have a very beautiful voice. You'll be fine."

It was like the first time Yuri performed with Jessica all over again. She gave the blushing girl courage by holding her hand and started the melody until Jessica's sweet voice filled the quiet restaurant. 

"...Naengmyun naengmyun..." Jessica sang but didn't receive much of a reaction from the ahjumma, whose body was facing hers and Yuri's, but her head was turned slightly towards the TV.

She gave a worried glance to Yuri, unsure if she should continue singing.

"Oh, you're done?" The owner asked. "That was uh.... Nice."

"Ahjumma," Yuri called. "Do you like Korean opera?" she asked noticing what was capturing Jessica's audience.

"Yes, very much."

"Perfect! Our Jessica is going to do a little bit of Korean opera."

"What? I don't know that genre!" Jessica exclaimed. If she wasn't making a fool of herself before, she sure will be now.

"It's easy, just copy that woman on the TV."

Jessica turned her head away from the TV, showing her reluctance to perform. Yuri laughed at her childish behavior and spun Jessica's head around, causing the girl to scrunch her face and close her eyes.

"C'mon, Sica, it'll be fun!"

Even the ahjumma looked at her with anticipation, so she got out of her seat, sang a few high notes to tune her voice to match the one on TV, and after hearing a few lines, she attempted to mimic them. 

And then the woman on TV did something unpredictable. She screamed out her last line. 

"Eeeeyo!" Jessica copied but her version seemed almost comical.

Both Yuri and the ahjumma burst out laughing. Jessica smiled shyly, returning to her seat. Even though she was acting silly just now, Yuri was right. She had fun and she enjoyed seeing the older woman laugh.

"Ok, my turn, my turn!" Yuri said excitedly. 

She clapped her hands together and asked if they were familiar with this character from a TV show. Yuri did a simple voice imitation, quoting a line from the show. 

Jessica stared at her. The level of effort was very different from hers, but nonetheless captured the ahjumma's unwavering attention. If she had to guess, Yuri's imitation was more appealing than her monkey performance. She wasn't jealous or anything. Yuri just has this natural charm. Jessica felt even her teeth smiling once Yuri finished and looked over at her.

The owner of the restaurant smiled widely and gave Yuri a round of applause. "You girls really made my day a lot more amusing. I'll be right back with your food."

The old woman returned shortly with their hard earned bowl of free rice. She placed a second bowl down on the table.

"Butterscotch ice cream. Free of charge."

Yuri immediately jumped out of her seat to hug the woman.

"Haha, okay, okay. Hurry up and eat before your ice cream melts."

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

After their late lunch, Yuri suggested that they go to the hill nearby to watch the sunset. Feeling more energetic (and mischievous) with food in her stomach, Jessica put a handful of snow down the back of Yuri's jacket once they reached the top of the hill with their car waiting at the bottom.

Jessica ran away from Yuri after initiating a snowball fight. It was hard to resist seeing Yuri amidst the pure white snow.

Jessica turned and looked back to where Yuri was charging towards her at full speed and with a pile of snow in her arms.

"Sicaaaaaaa-yah!"

"Eeee!" Jessica shrieked as Yuri slipped and crashed into her.

They rolled a few times down the hill and just continued to slide the rest of the way down with Jessica replacing the snow that was once in Yuri's arms. As they came to a stop, Yuri continued to laugh uncontrollably. Today, they were in their own little world, enjoying every second of each other's company.

Lying on her human toboggan, Jessica's face inched closer to Yuri's. She stared into Yuri's irresistible brown eyes and wondered how this aloof girl ever managed to charm her way into her heart. Despite their constant arguing over the past few days, Jessica knew deep down that they were none other than love fights. Maybe that’s why she wasn’t worried about using the room key that she took from the hotel’s front desk or Yuri turning her away last night. Looking at those warm brown eyes, she knew that Yuri cared about her a lot... And although Jessica isn't good at expressing it, she's also falling for this girl.

They were so close that their hard breathing warmed the other's lips. As she inhaled, Yuri could almost taste the sweet delight that the ice cream left. 

Yuri caught the orange-brown haired girl staring at her lips. "Is there something on my mouth again?" she asked, chuckling subsiding. 

"Yuri-yah..." Jessica whispered, her warm breath traveling into Yuri's parted lips. "Are you going to kiss me?" 

Chapter 26 - Almost

"Yes..."

Yes, the moment Yuri had been looking forward to all day long -kissing Jessica Jung. Finally, after lusting over them for the past few weeks, she will be able to feel those soft and inviting lips against her own.

But no. Yuri's competitiveness ruined the perfect moment. 

"Yes... I should've said yes," Yuri groaned, full of regret as she threw another pillow on the ground.

It would be a miracle if Yuri could sleep tonight. The more she tossed and turned in bed, the more frustrated she was getting with herself. Jessica's question was definitely an invitation. The orange-brown haired girl was difficult to understand at times, but tonight, Yuri knew that Jessica wanted to be kissed by her. Her. But she just had to ruin it.

"No, I'm not...because you're going to kiss me first," Yuri imitated herself in a mocking tone. "Kwon Yuri, you pabo!" She screamed into the pillow below her before hitting it with her right fist.

Her confidence and judgment failed her tonight. Yuri was almost certain that despite not giving in to her own desires, Jessica would still kiss her. That obviously didn't happen, otherwise they wouldn't have returned to the casino so early, nor would they be in separate rooms right now. Because if Yuri had kissed those intoxicating lips of Jessica's, she would continue all through the night instead of dreaming about how they would taste.

The image of Jessica's subtle, disappointed pout replayed in Yuri's mind as she laid in bed alone with her body half off the large mattress and staring up at the dark ceiling. She fought off every urge to barge into Jessica's room and kiss the girl senseless. 

She already made a fool of herself tonight, and once was enough. Yuri shut her eyes tightly. "It's okay, Yuri-yah. You did a good thing to make her realize that money isn't everything. Jessica will kiss you first. And when that day comes, she will confess her undying love for you."

Yuri frowned at her consolation to herself. 

I must be crazy in love to be talking to myself at 3am.

The next afternoon, Yuri paced back and forth in the quiet corridor connecting the hotel to the casino, waiting for her appointment. After spending most of her night thinking about Jessica and analyzing their day together, Yuri concluded that the girl is far too important to her to allow a third person to ruin their developing relationship.

Yuri raised her head towards the heavy footsteps that were quickly approaching. She watched the man grin as he made his way towards her.

Just a few days ago, he entered K-Won Casino looking all suave and handsome. Today, his scruffy hair, unattractive facial hair, and untidy clothes were major turn-offs.

"Yuri, I'm glad you called. I was starting to get impatient."

Not to mention his bad breath.

Yuri leaned back, turning her face to the side to avoid the hug and kiss.

"Jason, you're disgusting."

Yuri's words only made her ex grin wider. 

"Do you ever say something new?"

She ignored him and held up the check to his face, wanting to get the deed over with as quickly as possible. "Half a million. Now pack your bags and get out of my life."

Jason clucked his tongue at how easily Yuri was giving him the money. The last time he received Kwon money from Yuri's brother, it was much more than this. Nonetheless, he took the money without any hesitation. 

"Thank you, darling." He looked at the check then back at Yuri with a devil's grin. "Jessica's one lucky girl... Too bad she doesn't know how rich you are. You sure you don't want me to tell her your little secret?"

"Ugh..." Yuri rolled her eyes with disgust. How did she ever like this person? "Jason, just leave."

He chuckled as he made his way back to the casino. Half a million would've been more than enough for an average man, but Jason did not consider himself as an average man. The money will do…for now. Yuri's downfall was always her ideology of true love. 

With Jason out of the picture, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders. Now, Yuri just has to find the courage and the right time to tell Jessica who she really is.

It has to be after Jessica is willing to forgo riches to be with her. She will have to make the girl choose her over everything else... But how? Yuri furrowed her eyebrows together, staring pensively down at her keyboard. She focused on two letters next to each other: U and I. 

I have to make this work.

"Is everything okay?" a sweet voice said from behind her.

Feeling Jessica affectionately stroke her hair before resting her arm lightly around Yuri's waist made the tanned girl's worries disappear. 

She smiled at Jessica. Yuri felt silly at how a few simple words of concern could make her feel so important all of a sudden.

She put an arm around Jessica's shoulder. "What made the angel descend from her holy nest above?" Yuri asked, referring to Jessica's office. 

"You're so cheesy." Jessica lightly punched her arm. "Seriously, is everything okay? You haven't moved much since you got back from your break, and you've never looked so serious before."

A warm feeling was growing from Yuri's heart, extending right to the center of her stomach. Even though Jessica didn't directly admit to anything, just knowing that the girl had been observing and thinking about her was enough for Yuri. 

Jessica cares about me. Yuri unknowingly smiled like a dork at her own thought.

"Are you worried about me?"

Jessica brought her eyebrows together. She moved her arm away from Yuri's waist, sliding her hand down Yuri's arm to hold onto the tanned hand. "Should I be worried?" 

Yuri quickly glanced down, her eyes being drawn to the letters U and I once more. She then looked deep into Jessica's brown eyes that were speaking a million words; they were asking Yuri to let her in.

"Sica... What if I'm not who you think I am?" Jessica gave Yuri a puzzled look. "I mean, what if I'm the-"

"Yuri! We need to talk!" Stella, who had been observing the whole near confession, interrupted. 

"I..." Yuri looked back and forth between the two girls. 

Jessica pretended to not hear Stella's annoying voice. "Kwon Yuri, what if what?"

"Yuri-yah..." Stella cutely whined to get the tall girl's attention.

Yuri sighed. She didn't have the courage to tell Jessica now. 

Yuri reverted back to her dorky self, "Sica, you should be worried. What if I'm the most irresistible person at work? You know, Taeng has been touching my butt non-stop since her and Tiffany stopped talking to each other."

"Then we'll just get them back together."

Yuri laughed at Jessica's simple answer. She also felt relieved that Jessica didn't have any special feelings for Taeyeon... Otherwise the girl clinging onto her hand wouldn't be so quick to play matchmaker.

Stella was getting annoyed at being ignored -especially by Yuri. She marched over to the two girls and held onto Yuri's other hand.

"Yuri, I need to talk to you now."

Jessica threw an icy glare at Stella before giving Yuri a pout. She held onto Yuri's hand tighter, not wanting her to go with Stella. 

"Yuri, it's important. I need to talk to you one on one," Stella said once more.

Yuri loved seeing Jessica unconsciously fight for her. Given their history, Stella and Jessica were like fire and ice -dangerous opposites.

She leaned towards Jessica, whispering into her ear, "Kiss me and I'll stay."

Jessica immediately blushed a bright red and released Yuri's hand on impulse. 

Stella seized this opportunity to pull Yuri away to a corner. She didn't plan for it to happen like this, nor did she expect Yuri to reveal her identity. Stella knew she had to get Yuri first.

Jessica's icy cold eyes landed on a melancholic girl staring down at a pink notepad. Unfortunately for the unsuspecting girl, Jessica was greatly bothered by the way Stella just took Yuri from her. 

"Tiffany Hwang!" Jessica called out after Yuri followed Stella. "My office. NOW."

Jessica's commanding voice startled the girl who was oblivious as to what was going on. She had been preoccupied with thoughts of Taeyeon since she opened her eyes this morning.

Tiffany quietly closed Jessica's office door while she peeked through the curtains to spy on two girls in a corner.

"What's up, Jess?" Tiffany asked, slumping down on the couch, unaware of Jessica taking her frustrations out on her.

"Go and make up with Taeyeon," Jessica said without peeling her eyes away from the girl throwing her arms around the tanned one.

"You must be crazy if you think I'm going to apologize first. She's the one that hurt me."

Jessica clenched her right fist while her left hand held on tighter to the curtain, making Tiffany think that she was angering the girl in sergeant mode.

In a scared whisper, Tiffany added, "If Yuwree had hurt your feelings, you wouldn't run to her and apologize..."

Little did the mushroom know, what Jessica was witnessing right before her eyes felt like a sharp knife plunged into her heart. She watched as Stella crushed her lips onto Yuri's before turning away from the window to sit next to Tiffany on the couch, shocked and hurt. She opened a jar of jelly beans and took a red one out. 

Was Yuri taunting her before about being irresistible? Was this what she really meant? And did she really expect Jessica to just throw herself at her like everyone else? That's just not Jessica's style no matter how tempted she gets or how badly she wants it--not even when their bodies were pressed together last night and lips so close that she could almost feel Yuri's reaching up to meet hers, devouring her mouth. 

"No, you're right, Tiff... I wouldn't," Jessica said in a dejected tone.

There they were, two heartbroken girls who didn't know what to do next to get their dorks back to their sides. Jessica was horrible at expressing her feelings, and Tiffany always was the more emotional one.

Tiffany broke the silence that was becoming longer by the minute. "Either way, I suck at apologizing."

"Me too."

"Must be an American thing."

They looked at each other before forming a huge smile, laughing away their pain. Tiffany was glad they reconciled, but even with Jessica back, she still felt lonely without Taeyeon.

Jessica held out a pink jelly bean for Tiffany. "You know, Taengoo really didn't mean what she said that day," Jessica said quietly, guilt rising again. "I was having a bad day and she was being a good friend."

"I'm sorry for not being more understanding. It's just... When I saw the two of you hugging and... and... Her touching you and the way you guys smiled at each other and knowing how she used to like you and--"

Jessica rested her hand on top of Tiffany's to stop the girl from stammering on and making herself feel worse.

"I'm sorry if I did anything misleading."

They looked at each other again through teary eyes before laughing aloud once more. Tiffany pulled Jessica into a tight hug.

"Guess we're not so bad at apologizing after all," Tiffany said before getting up. She wiped her eyes and made her way to the door before they both start crying. "You know," Tiffany turned back to the girl sitting on the couch. "Yuwree really really reallylikes you and I think you like her too."

Jessica opened her mouth to object, but nothing came out. She desperately hoped that her friend didn't notice the heat rising to her ears and face.

"...so for the love of god just tell that hot girl that you love her already because not only are you torturing each other but all of us too!"

"Yah!"

Luckily for the mushroom, Jessica has really bad aim. Tiffany dodged the small candy thrown at her and slipped out the door.

The whole afternoon had been mind-draining for Yuri. After dealing with Jason and then Stella, Yuri just had to see Jessica even if she still wasn't ready to reveal her true identity. Truth be told, she just wanted to hold the girl in her arms, to be lost in her scent, and forget about everything. 

She didn't know where the older girl had disappeared to after storming off with Tiffany. Hopefully, Jessica wasn't mad and avoiding her again. She couldn't have been that mad if Tiffany returned to the customer service area happier than when she left. 

Unlike most nights, Yuri was looking forward to her night shift despite the high possibility of getting sexually harassed by Taeyeon. There was also the fear of getting punished for playing hooky with Jessica yesterday. And Yuri was not in the mood to cut chicken.

Yuri wiped the tears from her eyes, not because she didn't see Jessica tonight, but because of the twenty-three onions she cut. Her phone buzzed with a text message. After reading the message from Sooyoung, Yuri didn't care what the reason was, she needed to get away before her eyes fell out.

Yuri snuck out of the kitchen, right under Taeyeon's nose. It wasn't hard since the short chef seemed to be daydreaming. 

Once outside in the lounge area, she was supposed to be looking for her tall doctor friend, yet her eyes seemed to be searching for a particular ice princess from this morning. That was, after all, the last time she saw Jessica and was beginning to miss her dearly. 

"Yul! Yuri! Over here!"

Yuri turned to her right and saw Sooyoung waving her over to a table near the bar with a chicken wing in one hand and fries in the other. Her friend must've gotten hungry from waiting for her to escape. 

"Geez, Soo, shouldn't you know better than to eat all this fried unhealthy stuff?"

Sooyoung ignored Yuri's criticism and ate another fry. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about Jessica's health."

"Wha... Why?"

"She's been making trips to the hospital pretty often. A lot of the nurses recognize her because of her new fancy car."

Yuri felt her heart racing with fear. Jessica always seemed perfectly healthy. This must be Sooyoung trying to get back at her for the last prank she pulled.

Yuri chuckled at the memory of Sooyoung biting into a burger with plastic beef. "Alright, Soo, you got me. I was scared for a minute, but let's never joke about that again." 

Sooyoung was about to eat another fry but stopped just as its golden deliciousness was about to enter her mouth. "Why would I joke about that?" she asked with the most serious face. "I'm a doctor."

Yuri was thrown into fear once more. "Well... What's she doing there?"

"Mmm iuno..." Sooyoung shrugged.

"Can't you find out?"

"Even so, doctor-patient confidentiality. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

Using a fry, Sooyoung pointed to where Jessica was happily pushing Taeyeon over to Tiffany, who was unsuspectingly standing with her back towards them.

Yuri watched as Jessica stroked Tiffany's bottom sensually, causing the girl to turn around immediately. Tiffany came face to face with a girl who was grinning widely despite having secret health issues, and another who was shocked by what Jessica had just done. Seeing Jessica smile, Yuri unknowingly felt her lips tug upwards despite a sinking feeling in her heart from the news Sooyoung just shared.

Jessica was often mistaken as a cold ice princess, but from Yuri’s long-term observation, Jessica is fragile and secretly cares about the people around her. The older girl must have wanted Taeyeon to be the one to apologize first.

However, before Taeyeon could even explain what had happened, Tiffany slapped her. Taeyeon's mouth opened even wider, looking back and forth between the girls, confused as to what was going on. She wasn't the only one surprised. It seemed like Jessica's plan had backfired.

Yuri chuckled as she approached them. She didn't want to be left out of this sweet prank.

Making sure Taeyeon saw her, Yuri touched Tiffany's other butt cheek.

"Yah! Kwon Yuri!" Taeyeon shouted above the loud music. She jumped in front of Tiffany. "That's my private property you're touching!"

Jessica reached behind Tiffany to give her another pat right before her hand got swatted away by the short guard. 

Jessica returned close to Yuri's side. "And that's my Kwon Seobang you've been mistakenly touching!" she yelled back. Meanwhile, in the background, the dorky “seobang” broke out in a brief happy dance, overjoyed by Jessica’s protectiveness.

Although Tiffany got sexually harassed three times within a span of two minutes, she couldn't help but laugh at everyone's reactions --especially Taeyeon's. It was funny seeing a small-sized girl being so possessive and overprotective. Moreover, it was with her, Tiffany Hwang. 

Jessica could be pretty possessive and overprotective too. Before her cute knight could suffer the wrath of the Ice Princess, Tiffany threw her arms around Taeyeon, giving her a long hug. It was a silly fight over nothing. Even how they made up was silly...but Tiffany expected nothing more than silliness from this kid who was currently patting her bum.

Grinning like an idiot from witnessing reunited love, Yuri turned to her side and yelled to the girl next to her, "Let's go!" 

Grabbing Jessica's hand, Yuri ran towards the doors so they could avoid working under Chef Taeyeon tonight. Who knows how she's going to punish them.

Once out of the lounge and back into the casino, the girls high-fived each other for successfully getting the TaeNy couple back together again.

Their laughter eventually faded and Yuri held on tightly to Jessica's hand, afraid of letting her go. 

"Sica, where were you tonight?" Yuri asked, full of concern.

"I...I was busy thinking of how to get Tiffany and TaeTae back together. Umm...so what should we do now since we don't have to work tonight?" Jessica asked with a wide smile, swinging their hands together.

Yuri smiled back. "Let's...get some rest. You must be tired."

"Oh... Okay." 

That was a first from Yuri. Normally, she would suggest something that Jessica would never think of doing and then whisk her away. Maybe things were changing...maybe she was too late. Jessica loosened her hold on Yuri's hand. 

They entered the elevator in silence. When the doors closed, Jessica pulled away and stood by a corner, creating some distance from Yuri.

"Kwon Seobang, is there something that you want to tell me?" Jessica asked softly.

Could she know? The way she that called her so intimately, it was like Jessica wanted to hear the truth about something.

Yuri was afraid to take a step closer in case Jessica had found out that she was Kwon Yuri, heiress to the K-Won Empire. 

Jessica avoided her gaze. She looked sad and disappointed rather than angry. Yuri couldn't tell if Jessica was talking about her hiding her real identity or something entirely different. Either way, she was not ready.

Yuri took a deep breath. "Not really. Is there something that you want to tell me?"

Jessica shook her head before reconnecting with Yuri's eyes. "So... What did Stella want to speak to you about?"

"She told me that she liked me," Yuri blatantly stated as Jessica's eyes grew wide. "And then she kissed me." 

Jessica's eyes grew even wider just as the elevator doors opened to their floor. Neither one of them stepped out into the hallway.

"And I truly do adore her--"

"--Congratulations on being a couple," Jessica interrupted.

Without needing to hear the rest, she brushed by Yuri, ready to run to her room. 

Before stepping out of the elevator, Yuri grabbed onto Jessica and entwined their hands together.

"--but I told her that I already like someone and that this person is the only one for me. Hopefully, I'm the only one for her too."

Yuri saw that Jessica was trying to suppress a smile by biting the corner of her bottom lip. The elevator doors were about to close on their arms when Yuri felt a subtle tug and followed Jessica out. 

Usually, a confession like that would have been followed with a kiss --or at least an attempt, but neither of them made a move. Their steps got slower as their rooms approached. 

Yuri didn't know what was going to happen once they take those last few steps. Will there just be a simple peck on the cheek, something that Yuri has grown to be giddy about. Will there be a real kiss, a confession, or maybe an invitation? The suspense was killing her.

"So... Sica, is there something that you want to tell me?" Yuri probed. "Or do to me?" She coyly slipped in while mentally chanting kiss me. 

"Yuri-yah..." Jessica licked her lips. "Go put on your jacket."

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