Chapter 25 - Charming Yul 

Cre:ssf 

Author: soshiSAID 

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 really likes 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."