She was always the best friend.

In all honesty, she wouldn’t have expected Jessica to pay any attention to her anyways. Why would someone like Jessica, who looked and had the personality of an angel turn her head towards someone like her, who decided that waves and falling off long planks disguised as equipments to ride through water were better than sitting in a classroom all day? She was the delinquent surfer of their school and Jessica was the homecoming queen.

It had always surprised her that the blonde had chosen her as the best friend, considering the better candidates in school that the older girl could’ve picked. No, Jessica had to break the norm and walk up to the table where she was picking at her salad and looking out of the window longingly, the other girl plunking down her lunch tray and proceeded to ask her personal questions.

They were twelve years old at that time.

Now at seventeen, she had played silent witness to the various break ups and heartbreaks that Jessica went through. Jessica would go to when the blonde was in tears, ice cream and spoon ready in hand, usually ending with the both of them tangled in bed, Jessica’s tears dried on her shirt and her lips pressed against her neck.

At the age of seventeen, Tiffany have already experienced heartbreak ten times over every time the blonde would jokingly say that Tiffany was her soul mate.

*

The water always calmed her down. It brings her heartbeat to a slow, her body would be in tune with the water and she felt free, heart light of all the burdens. Her feet on the surfboard gave her the illusion that she was flying, the waves taking her to a new high. HyoYeon said that she was a natural at surfing, her cousin smiling before punching her, the hazel haired girl always playing the green eyed monster to Tiffany’s ability to sense waves.

She was grateful for her presence, HyoYeon and SooYoung were practically the only parental figures she had in her life.

Paddling back to shore, she spots a familiar blonde girl jumping up and down excitedly, heartstrings tugging when she saw a brunette come up and hug her from behind. She waved a hand to the two girls and turned her surfboard around, a wave was coming and she wanted to catch it.

“Fany! I thought we were leaving!”

HyoYeon swept her bangs away from her face, confused at her cousin’s behavior.

“Yeah, you go on ahead. There is a huge wave coming.”

“Hell no! There’s a good one coming and you’re planning on getting it by yourself? No way!”

Laughing at HyoYeon’s frantic paddling, she followed calmly, ignoring the shrieks of wind that signified the next coming of crashing water. The ripples made up the sea danced around her, HyoYeon shivering with excitement, even the other surfer could feel the gigantic power of the next wave.

When it came, the both of them laughed, Tiffany feeling like she was on top of the world as she rode the wave, the majestic feeling of being one with nature soothing her beating heart. However, all good things must come to an end and HyoYeon tugged on her board resolutely.

It was time to return to the real world.

She shot Jessica a grin and took the towel the other girl gave her, toweling her hair roughly, HyoYeon pressing a kiss to SooYoung’s cheek when the older girl came over. The taller girl grinned and pushed the wet girl away.

“So, lunch anyone?”

Jessica had taken possession of the towel and was smiling at the pouting Tiffany, the blonde chastising her about the abuse she had inflicted on her hair, TaeYeon laughing at the two best friends. HyoYeon shook her head and looked up to the taller girl, SooYoung looking a bit peeved over being ignored.

“Let’s just assume it’s a yes.”

*

“So, how’s school?”

Tiffany turned her wide eyes towards HyoYeon’s question. The older girl had never cared for her studies.

Jessica did not help with the situation.

Nudging the dark haired girl playfully, she smirked. “Fany would have to be in class to answer that.”

SooYoung frowned. “You are still skipping school?”

The dark haired girl squirmed in her seat and glared at the blonde next to her, Jessica grinning before turning to feed TaeYeon a fry.

She tried to defend herself. “It’s boring.”

Snickering at the nods that HyoYeon was giving her behind the disapproving SooYoung’s back, she thanked the heavens for the distraction that was the waitress coming to check on them.

“Hi! How was the food?”

She turned to answer the question, frowning when it was a different person from before, a brunette that had a smile that was vaguely familiar.

The brunette laughed. “Oh hey, Fany!”

She saw Jessica bristle from the corner of her eye at the use of the nickname, the blonde had given it to her when they were thirteen so that she could be original. She wasn’t that concerned however, it was just a nickname anyways, frowning when she couldn’t place the girl.

“I’m sorry, but have we met?”

The smile dimmed a fraction and she felt bad, reaching out to press two fingers on the girl’s wrist.

“Sorry, I have a terrible memory plus if we were classmates, that’s even worse because I am never in school.”

The smile returned. “It’s okay. I’m Sunny, I was your seat mate throughout eighth grade.”

She recalled a faint memory of a bubbly girl and her attending most of her classes then. She also recalled several pranks they played on the teacher which resulted in them getting detention.

“Oh! You caused me several detentions!”

Sunny laughed again. “Yeah!”

The dark haired girl grinned and rested her chin on her hand.

“Maybe it’s because I am never in school now, but how come I haven’t seen you around?”

The girl juts her thumb over her shoulder to the woman at the counter.

“Mom. Made a mistake telling her about the cool surfer who sat next to me. Transferred me out the next year straightaway for fear of bad influence.”

The two of them continued bantering, TaeYeon dealing with a somewhat fuming Jessica confusedly. HyoYeon tapped on SooYoung’s shoulder lightly.

“Someone’s jealous.”

*

“So… This Sunny. You guys are pretty close huh?”

Tiffany’s ice cream makes it halfway to her mouth, the dark haired girl turning to stare at the blonde incredulously, Jessica swinging the swing slowly while she licked her ice cream. The moonlight provided a small measure of comfort, Tiffany not quite sure what she was stepping into here.

“Erm. I don’t know? I mean, I haven’t seen the girl since eighth grade.”

“Yeah. But you got detention for her.”

Unspoken words. You’ve never gotten detention for me.

Tiffany understood immediately. She transferred her ice cream to the other hand and reached out, fingers wrapping around the chain and pulling Jessica closer.

“Hey, I got detention with her. She convinced me to play some pranks with her and I got detention when the teachers found out. It’s no big deal.”

The pout deepened. “You’ve never play pranks with me.”

Tiffany sighed and pressed her ice cream on Jessica’s nose, the blonde screaming at her and chasing after her, the dark haired girl prancing away with the agility borne from years of surfing.

“You can’t complain now!”

“Get back here, you brat!”

It was times like these that Tiffany appreciated, no boyfriends or girlfriends that interrupted their time together, Jessica being a lot more like the Jessica when she was twelve.

It makes her wonder whether she should’ve told the other girl the only reason why Sunny and her got so close was because Jessica was so hung up on Yuri at that time.

*

“Fany!”

She zipped up her wet suit and her eyebrow rose in surprise to see the brunette running towards her, HyoYeon grinning as she followed from behind. Sending a look at her cousin, the older girl merely shrugged.

“She wanted to follow when I told her I would be surfing with you this afternoon.”

The look turned into a glare and she turned towards Sunny, the girl admiring the surfboard with a wide mouth.

“Wow. How do you even control this?”

Tiffany caressed the wood with a smile. “I don’t. I just let the waves take me for a ride.”

“That’s deep.”

The dark haired girl laughed. “You think so? Jessica thinks I am nuts when I speak of the waves like they are my friends.”

“No, I understand. The sea has emotions, yeah?”

Tiffany raised her eyebrow in surprise. “You surf?”

Sunny shook her head. “Don’t know how. My sister, YoonA says it’s because I am too short.”

“No way, HyoYeon is short and she surfs well.”

“I HEARD THAT!”

The two girls giggled and Tiffany looked over to the sea, an idea forming in her head, turning to the shorter girl with a grin.

“How soon can you get a wet suit?”

*

“I really don’t think I can do this, Fany.”

Tiffany grinned. “Come on, trust me!”

Suny gulped and tightened her grip around the surfboard, fingers splaying white against the pink wood. Tiffany’s grin grew bigger and she shuffled forwards, the dark haired girl leaning her chin on the other girl’s shoulder.

“Hey, I’ll be doing all the work anyways. You just have to sit back and have fun.”

“Yeah, but there is a reason why surfboards are meant for one person.”

Tiffany scoffed and waved her hand. “Rules are meant to be bro- Oooh, big wave, big wave.”

Sunny took a nervous glance at the water. “I don’t see anything.”

“Course not! You have to look with your heart! Okay, get ready!”

The dark haired girl was practically glowing, HyoYeon noted and she smiled, patting herself on the back for bringing Sunny along. At least now, her cousin would have someone to share her love for surfing with. As much as HyoYeon adored Jessica, the blonde showed too little interest in something that Tiffany cared a lot about (The fact that the blonde was oblivious to her cousin’s feelings may have unconsciously made HyoYeon place her in the bad guy territory).

Tiffany laughed at Sunny’s nervousness and patted her on the back.

“Come on, it’ll be fun!”

The wave soon rose and Tiffany glanced back, getting ready to stand up as the momentum of the sea reached her surfboard. The brunt of the wave swept the both of them up, Sunny squealing like mad when Tiffany pulled her up along with her, arms looping protectively around her waist. However, the dark haired girl didn’t manage to adjust to the weight accordingly and the two of them washed out.

The two of them broke surface, Tiffany laughing happily, Sunny spluttering water as they swam towards the floating surfboard.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry! That usually doesn’t happen to me!”

The brunette shook her head and grinned.

“That was fun, let’s do it again!”

*

Jessica frowned when Sunny exited the water with Tiffany, the two girls laughing so hard that they didn’t register her presence. The blonde has never seen such a big smile on Tiffany’s face and an unfamiliar burning erupted in her chest.

“Sica, you alright?”

She turned her head towards TaeYeon, brown eyes filled with concern and she nodded tightly.

“Yeah.”

“Jessi?”

Tiffany waved happily at her, the dark haired girl taking out the towel from her bag and handing it over to Sunny, the brunette taking it gratefully. The surfer then bounced over to Jessica and TaeYeon, the blonde immediately feeling better when she tried to engulf in a hug, wet suit and all.

“Oh my god, you’re going to get me wet!”

Tiffany merely grinned and pressed a wet mouth to her cheek, her greeting for the day.

“There! Now you can’t say I am not glad to see you!”

She presses a hand to her cheek, faking a pout as she wiped the wet spot.

“Someone is happy today.”

The dark haired girl nodded, turning around to receive the towel from Sunny, Jessica noting darkly that it was the same towel (They are sharing towels now?).

“Yeah, Sunny here was interested in surfing so I took her out. I think I have a new surfing buddy!”

Sunny grinned from beside her. “Yeah, when I stop washing out.”

TaeYeon smiled softly. “That’s nice to hear, Tiffany.”

The dark haired girl nodded. “So, are we heading for some ice cream?”

TaeYeon shrugged, fingers intertwining easily with Jessica’s.

‘That was the plan.”

“Sweet, I’ll go get my things.”

Jessica flicked the dark haired girl on the forehead. “Get changed! You’re soaking wet!”

Sticking her tongue out, the dark haired girl bounded over to her bag, Sunny reaching out for her shirt.

TaeYeon murmured softly. “They seem to be getting along well.”

The grip Jessica had on TaeYeon’s hand tightened.

*

“Fany?”

Tiffany looked up, not quite sure what she did to make Jessica as upset as she was right now. She finished making her bed and settled comfortably on it, the dark haired girl leaning on her hands.

“Yeah?”

The girl fiddled with the ends of her pajamas before nearing the bed, standing directly in front of Tiffany.

“I thought you said there was nothing going on between you and Sunny.”

Her eyebrows furrowed together. “There isn’t.”

The blonde did not look convinced, pushing Tiffany back on to the bed before settling next to the dark haired girl, brown eyes searching Tiffany’s face intently.

“You wouldn’t lie to me right? Or keep anything from me? We’re best friends, right?”

Tiffany reached out and straightened the messy bangs. “Yeah of course. What’s with this all of a sudden? You’ve never questioned me on who I choose to become friends with.”

Jessica shook her head. “Nothing… It’s just…”

She sighed and shifted closer, Tiffany’s face screwing up adorably.

“It’s just that you’ve never taken me surfing.”

“But you hate the water. Because of the jellyfish. Non existent ones, I might add.”

Jessica’s eyes widened. “You still remember that?”

“Uh, yeah. You were only screaming like a four year old when you saw the plastic bag floating around. A plastic bag which you made me get rid of, by the way.”

She winced at the pain that flooded her system, Jessica having whacked her on the arm. Hard.

“Shut up! It totally looked like a jellyfish! Jellyfishes kill, you know!”

“Yeah, if we were in Australia.”

“Jerk!”

She was met with a face full of pillow, Jessica squashing her underneath it. She reached out and tugged, Jessica falling on top of her heavily, Tiffany grabbing another pillow as her weapon.

“You’re so going to regret that.”

*

Hanging out with Sunny was different from hanging out with Jessica. With Sunny, considering the girl lived next to the beach (Not taking into consideration the girl’s overprotective mother), it was nice having someone who understood her about her feelings on the sea. While she loved Jessica, the blonde was like a princess, literally. A temperature outside her comfort zone would send her running back into the shade, sometimes standing in front of the fan or the air conditioner. It was one of the reasons why TaeYeon and Jessica worked so well, the brunette treated her like the princess she was.

After that surfing incident with Sunny, the other girl had taken to following her to the beach on the weekends, somehow surfing lessons became surfing together on a single board like their first time. It was easy and nice.

Somehow, it is hard for her to inform Jessica on such things, because the other girl has become severely overprotective over these things, causing Tiffany to share a confused look with TaeYeon before the brunette would defuse her.

She probably should’ve seen it coming, the day Sunny confessed silently to her on the beach, the both of them drinking soda while watching the sunset.

“I like you, Fany.”

She turned to the older girl slowly, fingers gripping the neck of the soda bottle tightly.

“Sunny?”

“I like you.”

She lowers the bottle slowly and smiles softly. “Sunny… I like you too…”

Sunny’s eyes start to water. “But…”

She reached out with her free hand and pressed into soft flesh of the face gently. “I can’t be with you when I am in love with someone else.”

Sunny laughed somewhat bitterly. “Jessica, right?”

“Yeah…”

The other girl seemed to have steeled her resolve and she scooted closer, Tiffany feeling like she was being put on the spot.

“If I said I didn’t care?”

“Sunny… That wouldn’t be fair to you.”

The girl placed her bottle down onto the sand slowly and pressed their lips together, Tiffany locking her body in shock before forcing it to relax. They parted and Sunny whispered desperately.

“I don’t mind. Just give me a chance.”

*

Then comes the awkward moment of telling Jessica that they were dating, the blonde giving her this look when she said that she had to tell her something important.

“What is it?”

Nervousness. It wasn’t often that that feeling surfaced but when it does, it is so obvious what with her fidgeting with her shirt or pushing her bangs from her face.

“Sunny and I… We’re kind of, sort of, dating?”

Jessica’s eyebrows came together. “Kind of, sort of? Are you asking me or telling me?”

“Telling you?”

Jessica was scowling. This is not good. She really has to stop putting a question mark behind her sentences.

“We’re dating.”

The scowl deepened. “When did this happen?”

“Yesterday.”

“When you guys went surfing?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.”

She may be nonchalant about it but somehow, it hurts when Jessica dismissed it so easily. However, years of friendship taught her to read behind the mask that the princess would put up and she scoots closer, leaning her head on the other girl’s shoulder.

“You’re not happy for me.”

Jessica kept quiet, the dark haired girl feeling the ugly emotion flaring in her chest again. She pushes it down with difficulty.

“Why?”

It took the blonde a long time to answer her, Tiffany almost falling asleep.

“I feel like she’s taking you away from me.”

Tiffany smiles softly and presses a kiss to the older girl’s shoulder.

“She won’t be. We’re best friends right? Forever and more.”

She snuggles into the shoulder happily and closes her eyes, ignoring the fact that it was their movie night together. She just wants to sleep.

She misses the bitter tone in Jessica’s voice.

“Yeah, best friends.”

*

She spends most of her time with Sunny now, the other girl doing all she can to make her forget about Jessica.

It was hard on the older girl because half the time, Tiffany would be worrying over the blonde, Jessica taking to avoiding her now. She wonders what did she did wrong.

TaeYeon assures her that the blonde was doing fine.

Today, she tries to forget about Jessica, Sunny tugging her towards the Ferris wheel and she didn’t have the heart to break the smile on the other girl’s face.

The lights were beautiful from the top and Sunny’s fingers were comforting in her hands.

She turns to look at the other girl and her breath catches.

A confession was breathed out. “You’re beautiful.”

The smile on Sunny’s face after that was breathtaking.

*

She finally sees Jessica again when she gets into an accident.

Sunny was always joking around that it was surfing that was going to kill her.

It was ironic that not being on the waves was the one that injured her.

She was walking to the parking lot with her surfboard in hand when a drunk driver came out of nowhere, smashing into the end of her surfboard. The impact sent her flying and she knocked her head on the ground.

She assumes that she blacked out because when she opened her eyes again, she was in a pure white room, right hand aching and her head feeling like it was about to split open. She groans and tries to sit up when a pair of hands forced her back down.

“Hey, don’t get up so quickly.”

She blinks once, twice at the face hovering above hers and she smiles (Although it felt more like a grimace).

“Why… Why does it feel… Like I just drank a gallon of alcohol?”

Jessica laughs and helped her up, the girl proofing a pillow behind her back.

“Do you remember what happened?”

Flashes of it come back to her. She groans.

“Oh god, that board cost me two thousand bucks.”

The blonde chuckles. “Figures that you would care more about the board.”

“Hey, you didn’t have to spend your entire savings on a board, okay?”

Jessica smiles softly and she reached out to stroke her cheek. Tiffany noticed the lack of people in her room.

“Where did everybody go?”

Jessica hummed softly. “SooYoung and HyoYeon said something about thrashing the guy’s house. Sunny went to get something to eat.”

Nodding and wishing she didn’t, she leant back and wriggled to get herself comfortable.

“Where’s TaeYeon?”

The smile dimmed. “We broke up.”

It sent her flying up. “What?! When? Do I need to be all scary and beat her up?”

“No, no! It was mutual. Considering the circumstances.”

“Circumstances? Owww… My head…”

She falls back into the pillows and sniffs sadly. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jessica smiled again and leans forwards, lips brushing past her forehead gently. “I needed to get something sorted out first.”

*

When Sunny broke up with her a week later, the dark haired girl was panicking whether she did anything wrong to the older girl. Sunny had laughed and hugged her tight, the whisper pressed into soft skin.

“No, you didn’t do anything. That’s the hard part.”

Tiffany tightened the embrace. “I did well right? I didn’t break your heart or anything, right?”

A sniff. “No, considering the circumstances, you were a darling.”

The girl pulled away and pressed one last kiss to the younger girl’s lips.

“You were the epitome of a perfect lover.”

*

Weeks later, two broken relationships and one repaired friendship later, Tiffany sat on the couch silently over the fact that it was raining cats and dogs outside and Jessica was still insisting that she came over. The doorbell rang and she bolts for the door, ignoring HyoYeon’s warning about slippery floors and clumsy girls.

Jessica stood at the porch shivering and soaking wet.

“Jessi! You’re going to get sick.”

She tugs on the girl’s hand and she frowns when the other girl resisted.

“Jessica Jung, I don’t have time to play games with yo-“

The blonde pulls her into a hug and water seeps into her shirt, Tiffany falling silent at the slightly desperate action.

“I don’t care that I hate the water because of jellyfishes because you love it.”

She stiffens. “Jessi?”

“I don’t care that you spend most of your time surfing while I wait on the beach like a stupid fool because the smile on your face when you come out from the water is always worth waiting for.”

“Jessica?”

“But I care that my hearts hurts like hell when you were with Sunny and you smiled more because she understood you and your love for surfing.”

“Jessica, I-“

“I may not understand but I accept it. I accept it all.”

She pulled back and looks earnestly into the younger girl’s eyes.

“It’s because it’s you, Fany.”

Tiffany holds her breath, hoping. “Jessi?”

“I accept it because I love you.”

She releases the breath and laughs, laughs because the weight on her shoulders was gone and she surges forwards, pressing their lips together.

“I love you, I love you, I love you too.”

Jessica laughs loudly and pulls her close, lips joined together again.

Not even SooYoung’s voice could break them apart now that they’ve found each other.

“GOOD GOD, GET A ROOM, THE BOTH OF YOU!”

'''''''''''''''''

Tiffany loves too much.

She gives too much, helps too much, SeoHyun once said that she did everything too much. The dark haired girl didn’t know the meaning of enough was enough, forcing herself to sing even though her throat was barely recovered from the bout of vocal nodules. Or that time when she fractured her ankle and demanded that she still be allowed to do promotions for Gee. If she could, she probably would’ve hobbled onto the stage to dance Hoot with them.

Tiffany loves too much.

That was why TaeYeon protested when she started the casual relationship with Jessica.

They were human. They had needs, wants. They were fueled by hormones and they want to love. They were human.

Maybe that’s why relationships blossomed in their tiny household of nine girls.

They weren’t gay. At least, they don’t think they are. But with the chokehold that the company held over their heads, this was the only way they knew how to cope. They all want the same thing, to have someone telling them they were beautiful just because or wake up in the middle of the night safe in somebody’s arms.

They needed it.

But love got in the way.

TaeYeon didn’t know when she fell for Sunny, all she knows is that she did and she fell hard. Yuri wonders when she started to live for YoonA’s smile or when her chest would hurt when YoonA was down. SooYoung laughs when she readily gave her food to HyoYeon when the older girl asks for it and SeoHyun merely stares at all of them lovingly. Maknae was still the maknae.

Tiffany loves too much.

Everyone knows that.

It was the reason why TaeYeon begs the younger girl to stop whatever she was doing with Jessica late at night.

Jessica was a lovely girl, no doubt about that. Awkward, charismatic and protective of her friends to a fault.

But her true fault would be her ability to use feelings like a weapon.

Nobody knows when it happened, not even Jessica. It could’ve been a defense mechanism born from young when schools in Korea were hard on an America born Korean kid.

Jessica takes easily and doesn’t give.

Tiffany gives easily and doesn’t take.

It was an explosive combination and one that seven girls wait for bright lights to show.

Hopefully they can pick up the pieces this time.

*

They finish with a soft moan and Tiffany shifts to her side, face facing the wall. Already behind her, she can hear rustle of clothes and the soft swoosh of wind when Jessica lifts the blanket to place a sweater over her naked form. She screws her eyes shut and pretends to sleep.

It doesn’t work obviously.

Before they were sex buddies, they were best friends.

Sometimes, Tiffany wonders if she did the right thing, giving in to Jessica when the older girl was in one of her depressed moods.

A soft kiss touched her cheek and she turned, Jessica smiling softly before making her way towards the door.

“Night, Fany.”

Don’t leave. Please stay.

She doesn’t say anything obviously, just watches as Jessica leaves the room. When she hears the confirmation with the click of her door, she gets up and pulls the sweater over her head. She fumbles around and searches for her shorts. Clothes in their proper positions, she flips the covers open and she walks out of her room.

The television was silent but the screen lights the room like a beacon. She sighs at herself.

Tiffany loves too much and takes too little.

*

She stares at herself in the mirror and frowns at her reflection. Her eye bags were noticeable and her skin was too pale. She reaches for the vast amount of make up on her dressing table and started to apply. She laughs inwardly at the face that she debuted with one of the members with the least make up on her face.

Look at her now.

Make up done, not a strand of hair out of place.

She stares and whispers to herself.

“This is what’s real.”

A knock on the door jolts her out of her reverie, Sunny’s voice calling for her. She looks back into the mirror and smiles.

Time to be SNSD’s Tiffany.

*

When Jessica comes, it is the only time Tiffany has ever seen the girl let down her walls. For that few seconds of shaking and nails digging deep into her flesh, she sees Jung SooYeon, not Jessica. And as quickly as the walls come down, they slam back up just as quick and Tiffany is left thinking that it wouldn’t hurt for Jessica to stay even just for a little while.

At the very least, make her feel better than live human vibrator.

It happened again tonight and Tiffany doesn’t even bother to pretend anymore.

Tiffany loves too much.

She pulls away from the heat and reaches over to grab her shirt, Jessica furrowing her eyebrows at the change today. She ignored the older girl and got out of bed, fingers picking up her shorts and underwear from the floor, the other girl getting out of bed to get dressed as well.

When Jessica turns around, she found the room empty and the door wide open.

The television was silent but the light from it shines like a beacon and Tiffany ignores the way Jessica looks at her as she made her way to her room. When the door clicks, she sighed and pressed the channel away.

TaeYeon would kill her for it tomorrow but right now, Tiffany can’t stand to be in the suffocating environment.

As she dials the number to Isak’s phone, she blinks and was surprised by the teardrops that made their way down the contours of her cheeks.

Tiffany loves too much.

*

Contrary to popular belief, Jessica doesn’t sleep around. One would assume that by the way she sticks to the various unnies that loves her. Tiffany knows better. Jessica said it herself when she was in the throes of ecstasy, loud and breathy in her right ear.

Tiffany loves her too much.

Contrary to popular belief, Tiffany wasn’t strong. No, Tiffany was strong. MiYoung wasn’t. She can’t blame Jessica for hiding behind a mask because essentially, she’s doing the same thing. MiYoung and SooYeon were the fifteen-year-old kids hidden deep within the confines of their hearts. Tiffany thinks that she is worse than Jessica is in that aspect.

After all, right after the MiYoung layer, there’s the Stephanie layer.

Tiffany loves too much, Stephanie is too cautious and MiYoung is just scared.

It changed again today.

After the deed was done, Tiffany reaches over to grab her shirt when pale fingers gripped at her waist. Startled, she stops midway, looking down at Jessica who was staring up from beneath her.

“Sica?”

She doesn’t call her Jessi anymore. MiYoung absolutely refuses to.

Jessica doesn’t say anything, merely drags her back to her side and she stares into brown eyes.

“Sica?”

“Sleep, Fany ah.”

She was surprised when Jessica pulls her close, fingers pressing into the notches of her spine, her chin resting delicately on top of her head.

She squashes down the bubble of hope in her chest, eyes fluttering against pale neck as Jessica hummed her to sleep.

The fingers on her back traced some words but she was too groggy to decipher them.

*

When she wakes up, she thinks that she was smart to have squash down the glimmer of hope yesterday. The space beside her was cold, indicating that the person that laid there had been gone for a while. She spots no mess, no clothes thrown around and she nods to herself.

She palms the sleep out of her eyes and scoffs.

Yet, she couldn’t debunk that it was the best sleep she has had in ages.

*

Tiffany Hwang loves too much.

Tiffany Hwang was also a coward.

She knows this intimately. In tenth grade, there was this oppa that she liked and according to her friends, he was just waiting for her to make her move because he wasn’t sure that she liked him. She had hesitated for about three months only to regret it when someone else caught his eye.

She was a coward because she couldn’t stand rejection. Even when someone tells her that there was 100% chance that it was going to go well.

YoonA worries for her.

YoonA worries because she knows that she would take all the burden that Jessica releases onto her without a sound, just like how she would stoically hold YoonA tight during Mother’s day. It doesn’t happen much now that YoonA has Yuri but when it did, YoonA felt lighter every time that happened.

She was still a coward regardless.

After that night, Jessica has taken to waiting until she fell asleep before exiting the room.

She wonders if this had anything to do with the fact that that one night when Jessica left, she left beforehand and sat in front of the television.

Tiffany Hwang was a coward who loved too much.

*

“Fany?”

She blinks into soft skin and turns her head upwards, Jessica staring at her with a look she can’t place. She sighs and releases her arms, turning away from the older girl. The wall comforts her once again.

“Fany?”

“What?”

She probably shouldn’t have snapped but her cowardice was pissing her off and Jessica happens to be the only target right now. She can’t snap at TaeYeon or Yuri, the both of them would probably want to sit her down and talk about feelings, YoonA would probably just ask what was the matter before spending the entire telling her that it wasn’t healthy. She wasn’t mean enough to make SeoHyun cry. HyoYeon, Sunny and SooYoung gave back as good as they got.

She’d almost wish that Jessica snapped back. Maybe then, in the heat of the moment she might have said something about loving the older girl.

She felt lips press against her neck and her body betrays her mind by relaxing against soft body, one arm coming around her waist, the other hand resting between her shoulder blades.

As she slowly succumbs to sleep, her brain manages to make out the first letter of the words that Jessica kept tracing onto her back.

I.

*

It was an odd few weeks with Jessica after that.

It would seem that the older girl sensed that she wasn’t feeling very good. Somehow, that translated into Jessica following Tiffany around. At first, it was annoying. She already had her nights filled with self-disgust at her cowardice, she doesn’t need to be reminded in the morning when she was supposed to be Tiffany, not Stephanie and definitely not MiYoung.

After a while, she found herself getting dependent on those pale fingers that gripped her just right and the familiar, comforting weight of the older girl soothes her when nothing else could.

It frightens her how much this girl has clawed into her heart.

*

“Fany?”

She turns around without hesitation and closes her eyes. She knows what is going to happen. Jessica would hold her for a while, her fingers soothing her frayed nerves until she fell asleep. The result is always the same, she would wake up to an empty bed and to an even emptier heart.

Her eyes close and she concentrated on the words that the other girl was tracing on her back.

I.E.

She falls asleep to a soft lullaby and a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

*

She startles awake in the middle of the night, confused over the fact that there was an extra pair of legs entwined with hers and a body pressed against her so tightly that she had trouble discerning which one was hers. She had migrated even closer to the wall, the extra pair of arms tightening the moment she started to shift.

She froze when eyelashes fluttered against her neck.

“Fany… What’s wrong?”

Her body locks when arms detaches from her body to turn her around. She found herself looking into sleep-filled eyes, concern wafting off from Jessica by the boatload. She doesn’t say anything, merely presses forwards into flesh, lips finding the length of the collarbone easily.

“Did you have a nightmare?

In truth, she can’t remember what jolted her awake but for the sake of not panicking the other girl, she nods slightly, stiffening when arms tighten around her.

“It’s okay. I am here.”

She wants to question why, how, what. But her voice chose to remain inactive as Jessica draws her deeper into the embrace, heat searing skin.

Nose wiggled at the top of her head and she pushes out a small smile at Jessica’s smelling fetish.

“Sleep, Fany.”

A low rumble was emitted from the bottom of Jessica’s throat and she found herself lulled back to sleep.

The fingers were tracing again.

I.E.U.

*

“Do you remember?”

She paused in her movements, the egg sizzling in the pan silently and she looks over to the silent girl. Jessica cleared her throat nervously and played with the rings hanging around her neck. Tiffany drew her attention back to the egg.

“Remember what?”

There were a lot of things that Tiffany remembers. The exact way Jessica’s lips furled upwards when she laughs that high laugh of hers. The way Jessica’s hand feels in hers. The way Jessica would brush her fingers lightly on her shoulder. The way her smiles brighten just that little when Tiffany brushes her bangs for her.

But she was sure that Jessica wasn’t asking for all that.

“Our first time.”

She felt the heat traveling up her neck and she focuses on tipping the omelet onto the plate.

“Sure I do. It’s not everyday you fall into bed with your best friend.”

Jessica laughs that tinkering laugh. “Not that first time, pervert.”

“Says the girl who still has my half naked pictures in her phone. Hello, pot. Kettle calling.”

She nearly drops her plate when she turned around, Jessica standing right behind her. She frowns and tries to move, Jessica taking the plate away from her and placing it on the counter.

“It was a Monday.”

The frown deepens and she thinks back. It couldn’t have been a Monday because they had slept together on Jessica’s birthday which, a year and half ago, was a Saturday.

“I remember crying so hard because of the rumors of me dating JaeJoong oppa. You were comforting me and we fell asleep on your bed. Taengoo was so pissed because she couldn’t wake the both of us up.”

Jessica had her trapped between her body and the counter. She felt her breath catching when Jessica brushes her lips past her bare shoulder, the strap of her tank top sliding off slightly.

“I treasure Mondays because of that.”

She leans her head against brown hair and interlaces her fingers behind Jessica.

“You remember the day?”

The confession was soft. “I remember everything about us.”

*

Tiffany Hwang is a coward that loves too much.

Tiffany Hwang is also confused over the way Jessica Jung is acting towards her.

She questioned the rest of her members to see if they said anything to the older girl but to her dismay, every single one of them remained uncharacteristically tightlipped. Not even her infamous pout-eye smile combination worked.

Jessica stays with her through the night now but she feels like the other shoe was going to drop.

She might be optimistic but she is also paranoid.

What if she is just staying because someone told her to?

What if she just wants to feel better over curing Tiffany’s insomnia?

Tiffany Hwang is a confused coward that loves too much.

*

Jessica doesn’t call her name anymore. Instead, the older girl just pulls her in tight, regardless on whether she is facing the wall or facing her. It makes for a blushing Tiffany.

And the fingers never stop tracing.

Tiffany tries to figure out the words but sometimes the touch was too light for her to decipher the message. Most of the time, she would fall asleep without even realizing it.

She wonders if it was anything important.

*

She was determined not to sleep tonight.

Before she went into the room after Jessica, TaeYeon had pulled her back with a worried look on her face.

“Fany?”

“Yes?”

The kid leader bit her lip and hesitated. “Is it going to be…”

She trailed off but Tiffany knows what she wants to say.

Would they explode like everyone thinks they would?

Will she ever be brave?

Is it going to be okay?

She smiles and nods. “It’s going to be okay.”

TaeYeon’s eyes hold a sense of disbelief but she releases her hold.

“Good luck, Fany.”

She entered her room to find Jessica already lounging on the bed, legs spread out and face buried into the comforter. She chuckled and sat down next to her, fingers brushing out the tangles in soft hair.

“Fany?”

“Hmm?”

Jessica shifts slightly and stares up blearily at her.

“Can we just sleep tonight?”

She nodded and pulled the comforter from beneath the older girl, Jessica shifting to make room for Tiffany on the bed. The dark haired girl squealed when the other girl pulled her over her body, Tiffany settled between Jessica and the wall.

“Sica?”

Jessica buries her nose into soft hair. “That’s your space.”

She blinks confusedly, light touches already lulling her to sleep.

I.

L.

E.

U.

Her eyes shot open when her brain clicked, eyelashes fluttering up at Jessica. The other girl smiles and presses a kiss to her forehead, a whisper breathed onto pale skin.

“I love you, MiYoungie.”

Tears spring to her eyes and she stifles a sob, Jessica’s touches soothing her frayed nerves down.

“I’m sorry. But I do love you.”

Tiffany Hwang was a confused coward who loved too much.

That’s why she can love Jessica Jung who was an awkward girl who takes too much.

Their relationship was one that went beyond normalcy but it’s one that they would never trade for the world.

Because in the end, Jung SooYeon would give her heart only to Hwang MiYoung.

"I love you too, Jessi."

'''''''''''''''''''''''

A model’s life is glamorous, a beautiful woman walking under the spotlight with the dress of the century hanging off her frame. This girl receives adoration of the audience, women yearning not only for the dress but also the posture, the body, the confidence that the model exudes while commanding the catwalk. Men trip over themselves to drool over that piece of ass sauntering down the runway, many heading to the higher ups to wave green bills in order to spend at least one night with a beautiful woman.

But that was the surface.

No one knows about the difficulties about being a model. Ask any models in an interview and she’ll give you a polite smile while the standard answer of hard work and recognition by the photographer exits her mouth. But if you pry deep enough, you’ll find out about the truth behind the glitz and the glam.

Or you could look in their eyes and see their anguish.

Tiffany Hwang is one of these unfortunate souls. Unlike some of her peers who went into the industry willingly, knowing what was ahead of them, Tiffany Hwang was forced into this life by unfortunate circumstances. If you asked about her dream and demand a truthful answer, she would reply that she had always wanted to be a landscape designer, the brains behind tall skyscrapers and majestic bridges. But she would never tell you about the bad hand that fate had dealt her, the death of her mother at a young age, the struggle her father had to go through trying to put her sister and her through school, finally bankrupting when Tiffany finished high school, YoonA barely finishing 8th grade.

She would never tell you that she went into modeling just to help her father out, to help out her sister through school without the other girl worrying constantly about money. She would never tell you about the heartbreak that her father and her sister went through, both witnessing the way she acted to secure high end deals and good jobs on the runways, her father’s heart giving out at the end of YoonA’s high school graduation, the old man unable to withstand the way his daughter had to endure so much.

What did Tiffany do? What was it that crossed your mind? A detailed study about walking confidently? Or perhaps knowing the right people in the industry? Luck, maybe?

Well, if luck was truly on your side, you would have someone notice you from the very beginning and you would get picked instead of having to flit around agencies to look for good deals. But that was not the case for Tiffany. Remember fate? When it deals you a bad hand, you’re stuck with it for the rest of your life. So the girl stuck with the old fashioned way to claw to the top.

Sleeping with business executives.

At first it was a necessity, Tiffany needing the money to put her sister through that genius school of hers while paying the debt her father owed to the bank, their house nearly being taken back by the institution. After that, it was a mechanical practice, Tiffany agreeing to whatever her manager gave her (she ignores the pleading looks that JaeJoong gives her, the looks that told her to stop it, that she was already at the top), reasoning that she had nothing else to lose. At the very least, she could have enough money to put both her and YoonA through college and become the designer she wanted to be, once the looks and the body succumbed to age (Universities were expensive, what more an Ivy League one. But only the best for her younger sister).

But there was a small detail that Tiffany conveniently forgets and YoonA bites her lip to stop herself from ranting at the dark haired girl.

That Tiffany was a girl that took everything that the world threw at her and locks it tight in her chest. And each time she crawls out of bed, a man snoring loudly while she clothes herself, a little bit of her soul dies.

*

Taking a look at the file that JaeJoong had slid over to her, Tiffany pushed the coffee she was nursing to open the cover. Scanning through the proposal that Gucci had written out, she nodded to herself before returning stack to the man, JaeJoong smiling wistfully at the model.

“It’s a pretty big job, but Gucci asked for you specifically. They think that your dark beauty would fit in with thei-“

The dark haired girl tuned out the explanation, the girl taking the cup into her hands and raised it to her face, lips pressed tight, the liquid sloshing quietly in the cup, not quite passing through the sealed entrance.

She cut through JaeJoong’s monologue with a single question.

“When and where?”

At one point of time, Tiffany would’ve included a who in her sentence but as weeks turned into months and months stretched onto years, she found that it was all the same, grunting men thrusting in and out before finishing prematurely, falling asleep with a grunt as she quietly slides out of bed and leaves with the confirmation that she had the job.

And not for the first time, JaeJoong’s eyes grow sad as he tried to reason with himself, that Tiffany did not need to do what she keeps doing, that she was a good enough model to garner the attentions of designers but fact remains that Tiffany has a shortcoming as a model. The girl barely grazed 163 cm, putting her on the shorter end for models. This alone put her in the second best list, the girl that designers would call when their taller models couldn’t make it. And Tiffany could not afford to be second best, the girl needing the money, YoonA’s tuition fees were skyrocketing and Tiffany’s own college period starting.

He sighs and brings out a card, a name, address and a phone number written on it.

“Here. She wants to meet at 8.30 pm.”

Her face twists a little but she held her surprise in well. While it was rare, it wasn’t as if she never had any lady companions for the night, usually it was dear middle-aged ladies who just want company. If anything, she was grateful for the reprieve, she wasn’t feeling very well today and feared that she might do something to insult the boss.

She nods and grips the card tightly, other hand pushing down the sunglasses from the top of her head and stands up, JaeJoong noting that the cake hasn’t been touched and the coffee that she had been nursing since he came was about three quarters full. He eyes it with disdain before looking up, the brown haired man calling out to the model that was walking away.

“Fany! Don’t you want to know who it is?”

He gets a wave in response and he sighs, the dark haired girl disappearing from his view.

*

She rolls on her mascara when YoonA stumbles into her room tiredly, the younger girl dropping her heavy bag next to her bed and face plants onto the mattress. Her hands stop and she turned around, face twisting with worry, YoonA waving a hand at her before turning her head to one side, cheek flat against the blankets. Tiffany smiles softly at her before turning back around, mascara wand moving mechanically against her eyelashes.

YoonA breathes heavily before opening her mouth.

“Unni. Are you going out again?”

Tiffany hummed and placed the mascara wand back into the bottle, frowning at the small smudge of gloss by the side of her lips. She pulled out a piece of tissue and started to rub gently, YoonA slipping off the bed and taking the tissue from her hands, the redhead wiping the smudged spot, a look of sadness plastered over her face.

“Unni… You don’t have to… I can get a job too.”

Tiffany shook her head. “You’re exhausted every time you get home, plus you have assignments.”

“I can work weekends! Or you know on my day off or something!”

Tiffany smiled and stroked YoonA’s cheek gently. “You’re sweet, Yoonie. But unni got this. Okay? Just study hard and become a doctor that I would be proud of.”

YoonA puffs her cheeks out, the redhead knowing that this was one fight that she couldn’t win, Tiffany standing up and brushing her dress off. She had opted with the one piece today, remembering the last time she had pants (She winces at the good pair of Levis that was torn at the zipper). YoonA continued to pout as her older sister rummaged through her closet for a pair of heels, a small whisper of triumph was heard when Tiffany tossed one side of a black heel out, the other was being punished by having her leg jammed in.

“Okay, so there is dinner in the fridge, all you got to do is warm it up. I won’t be back too late but if you want, you can call Yuri over, okay?”

She pressed a small kiss to the pouting girl’s cheek and chuckled.

“Bye, love you.”

YoonA sighed at the retreating figure of her sister, hand slipping into her pocket to pull out her cell phone.

Pressing a few keys, she placed the phone near her ear and bit her lip, the aforementioned organ quirking up slightly at the sound of the husky voice.

“Yul? Yeah…. Could… Could you come over?”

An affirmation was given, YoonA worrying her bottom lip as she gazed out of the window.

“Hurry, please.”

*

She stepped into the hotel room, confused as to the guy that was shuffling uncomfortably in his seat. She sighed and wound her cardigan tightly around herself, the boy standing up and brushing his pants off. She stared at him for a moment before scoffing, the dark haired girl seating herself carelessly on the couch in the room.

She hoped that it wasn’t some rich boy whose mother had set a date with. She couldn’t deal with some immature boy who wanted to play hero.

“So… Are you the one that I am meeting?”

The boy gulped visibly, eyes traveling downwards to stare at the pale legs that were crossing in front of him.

“Urrr..”

Tiffany cleared her throat loudly causing the boy to blush deep and he pulled at the collar of his dress shirt.

“Sorry, Miss Hwang… No, I am not the one meeting. My boss is going to be late, so she told me to give you the schedule for the night.”

“Schedule?”

She tilted her head to one side, fingers tightening around the material of her cardigan, the dark haired girl scowling inwardly. If there was one thing she hated more than rich boys playing hero in their own love story and tried to save her, it was rich girls who was experimenting and decided that bar hopping was a bad way to experiment.

The boy nodded and pulled out a piece of paper, Tiffany taking it and scanning it carefully. She breathed out slowly, the image forming in her head was not a good one, as it seemed like it was turning out to be more of a date than a sleep and go.

Then she remembered the amount of bills hidden in her drawer, the top being YoonA’s tuition fees.

She sighed softly and looked up, the poor boy in front of her shuffling in his seat again. Nodding to herself, she tossed the paper back towards him and leant back.

“So when is she getting here?”

*

The girl she was meeting was not a middle-aged lady, to her dismay.

It was she thought, a rich girl experimenting with her sexuality and preferred the beauty of a model rather than some random in some bar. Eyeing the blonde with distaste, she swallowed her anger and schooled her expression into its neutral face, her eyes avoiding the way the blonde had her lips quirked into a confident smirk.

She bowed politely, noting the absence of the boy in the room. He must have exited when she was busy trying to think of ways to get this over with quickly.

“Hi, my name is Tiffany. Nice to meet you.”

The blonde took two steps too close, the dark haired girl locking her body to not take a step back, brown eyes forced to look at the blonde’s when the other girl gently tipped her face upwards, clucking her tongue in appreciation.

“You’re a gorgeous one.”

“Thank you, miss.”

The blonde laughed. “Name’s Jung Jessica. Call me Jessica. Miss is too formal. And you’re not an escort. You’re a someone who has been set up on a blind date.”

Blind dat- She sighs and takes that step backwards, unable to deal with the intrusion of personal space as well as the cocky grin that was present on the other girl’s face. She relishes in the small victory when the grin dimmed a fraction, the blonde scanning her face carefully. Picking up her bag from the sofa, she nudged her chin to the direction of the door, the dark haired girl making her way slowly to the exit.

“I believe we are going to dinner, Jessica?”

The blonde nods and hurries after, Tiffany completely missing the look on the other girl’s face.

*

Her eyes fluttered open slowly as sunlight filtered in the room, Tiffany cursing at the headache that was pounding against her skull. Shifting slightly, she found that an arm held her down, the limb splayed across her abdomen, legs tangled with another set. Untangling herself quietly, she lectured herself mentally for drinking so much wine the night before and for making YoonA worry. Tiffany Hwang doesn’t do morning afters, preferring to be out of the hotel room before the business executive awoke.

When she first started and didn’t know the rules back then and stayed for the morning after. As a result, she had this girl called TaeYeon hounding after her for about two months before YoonA showed her how scary a younger sister could be.

Slipping out of bed carefully, she turned to see one of the most beautiful sights in her young life and sighs subconsciously at the intricate beauty that was the blonde she had spent the night with. Head turning back towards the ground, she hunted for her clothes, scratching her head at the emergence of her underwear on the night lamp.

She really shouldn’t have drank that much.

Clothing in place, she wrestled her phone out of her bag and winced at the amount of missed calls and messages, the dark haired girl firing a text off to the extremely worried YoonA, the younger girl replying almost immediately. Her facial expression softened and she started to look for her shoes, the girl freezing in place when sheets rustled behind her.

“Fany?”

She swore under her breath and turned around, a painful smile making its way to her face. The blonde gathered the sheets to her chest and slid off gracefully, Jessica walking slowly towards the dark haired girl.

“Where are you going?”

Tiffany blinked once, twice at the question. “Home.”

The blonde scowled and palmed her eye, the girl rubbing the sleep out furiously.

“Can’t you stay for a while?”

The dark haired girl almost laughed at the idiocy of the question, her eyes narrowing suddenly.

“Sorry. I can’t. My sister is meeting me for breakfast.”

A pout.

Tiffany could hardly contain herself, the model biting on her lip as the blonde made her way closer, sheets dragging on the floor. Jessica jutted out her lip further, fingers curling around pale wrist, Tiffany’s eyes trailing down to the burning touch.

“Stay?”

Breaking the hold, Tiffany tightened the straps of her heels, wobbling slightly as she made her way to the door. Remembering her manners, she turned around and bowed, a small smile making its way to her lips.

“Thank you for the night out, Miss Jung. I best be going now. I wish you well.”

The door clicked shut before Jessica could even reply, the blonde’s eyebrows narrowing at the rushed departure. Sighing, she turned back towards the wreck of a room and started to search, smiling triumphantly when she pulled out the phone from the crevice of the sofa, her pants hanging over the handle. Punching in a few keys, she listened to the dial tone for a few moments, another sigh exiting her mouth the caller picked up.

“Hello…”

Jessica giggled at the sleepy voice of her younger sister. “JuHyunie.”

“Unni… It’s … Holy sh!t, it’s nine in the morning, why are you awake?”

“I think I just got ditched.”

“By the model?”

“No, the beggar from the stre- Yes, the model.”

“She didn’t go through with the date?”

“No, we had the date, the sex, everything.”

“How is that considered ditching then?”

“She skipped the morning after. Couldn’t get out of here fast enough.”

SeoHyun was silent for a moment. “Unni, you don’t stay for morning after either.”

Jessica bit her lip. “I know.”

“And you know that she only went through with the night because she wanted the job.”

“I know.”

“Then why are you so worked up about it?”

The confusion was clear in SeoHyun’s voice and Jessica couldn’t blame the younger girl, Jessica herself never stuck to one person before, preferring good sex to a relationship. Yet, here she was, fretting over a girl she had just met, moving through a dinner, albeit an interesting one, straight to the romp in the sack.

“Unni?”

Jessica sighed into the phone and hitched up the drooping sheets. “Her eyes were different.”

“Eyes?”

“Yeah.”

She glanced over to the sofa, noticing a small keychain stuck between the cushions. Pulling it out, she was greeted by two dark haired girls smiling at the camera, Tiffany and her sister she assumed.

“Her eyes were sad.”

*

“Tiffany! We’re here!”

She jolted awake, fingers rubbing at her face softly to rid the sleep from her eyes. The coordinator smiled gently at her, wind caressing her hair as she helped the model down from the van, Tiffany appraising her surroundings carefully before taking out her phone. The tall girl next to her raised her eyebrow, finger waggling at the dark haired girl, Tiffany laughing at her antics.

“Soo, you know I have to check in with YoonA.”

SooYoung sighed and blocked her. “Hurry, before the rest of them see. You know no mobiles allowed when shooting starts.”

“Thank you, Soo.”

She dialed the number and waited, YoonA picking up on the second ring.

“Unni!”

“Hey, Yoonie.”

“Are you at the location already?”

“Yeah. No idea where though.”

“Okay. Is SooYoung unni there?”

“Yep.”

“Okay. Then that’s not so bad! Unni, I have to go, class starts in two minutes! Tell SooYoung unni to send you home after the shoot, okay? Taxis aren’t safe at night.”

“Yes, yes. Now go!”

YoonA laughed and the phone clicked shut, Tiffany shaking her head at the screen before moving to place the phone in her bag. SooYoung turned around when she was done, the taller girl grabbing her by her arm and dragging her over to the hairstylist.

The hazel haired girl smiled at their presence before gesturing to the chair.

“Come on! Time to glam up and go take pretty pictures!”

SooYoung grinned and picked up the make up case.

“You do her hair, Hyo, I’ll do her face.”

“Exactly what I had in mind!”

*

“That’s it, look deep into my lens! And… done! Thank you, Tiffany-shii!”

Tiffany dropped her hand from her hips, the girl bowing to the various workers that had been with her the entire day. She then handed the bag she was sporting over to the guy at the side, hands careful not to dirty the precious item. Sighing in relief, she turned and walked over to the make up station, SooYoung waving happily at her.

“You were great out there!”

Tiffany gave her a wry smile. “Thanks.”

The make up artist started to wipe away the eye makeup, revealing Tiffany in her normal everyday face. The dark haired girl winced at her reflection, eyes picking out the flaws that the makeup had covered, SooYoung noticing the harsh judgment the shorter girl was placing upon herself.

“You’re beautiful, okay Fany?”

Tiffany just smiled and grabbed her bag when SooYoung was done, the dark haired girl stopping in her tracks when she saw a familiar looking blonde chatting with the photographer. Cursing under her breath, she grabbed SooYoung by the arm and pulled the girl down, mouth placed next to her ear.

“Get me out of here, Soo!”

SooYoung winced at the volume but readily agreed. “What’s going on though?”

“Nothing, just get me ou- Hi, Miss Jung, what brings you here?”

She cursed at her luck, the blonde smirking that smirk again at her, SooYoung slinking away quietly, leaving Tiffany alone with the business executive. The dark haired girl turned towards SooYoung, a glare sent over to the taller girl who hid behind an amused HyoYeon, smiling painfully once her attention was back on the blonde in front of her.

“Nothing much. Can’t the CEO look over the new photo shoot?”

Tiffany may not have much education but she was pretty sure that CEOs don’t go out to the middle of nowhere to overlook a photo shoot. That’s why there are people who work under the CEO and do all this. Groaning inwardly, she clenched her jaw tight at the thought of yet another girl who thought she was sad and is trying to save her.

It was like TaeYeon all over again.

She nodded quickly, Jessica reaching out to grip her hand. Shooting a desperate look over her shoulder at SooYoung, the taller girl finally moving her ass to come save her from being dragged to god knows where, Jessica glaring at the makeup artist.

SooYoung didn’t even flinch. “Sorry, Miss Jung. But we have to leave soon if we don’t want to get stuck in the jam.”

“Miss Hwang has a meeting with some stock holders.”

What an excuse. One that SooYoung can’t refute and Tiffany can’t even call her out on her bullshit, the job wasn’t done yet and she really needs the money. Jessica watches as the fight in the dark haired girl slowly deflates out, Tiffany communicating with the taller girl, the brunette walking away reluctantly, looks sent over her shoulder occasionally. Grinning at her victory, she proceeded to drag Tiffany over to her car, the dark haired girl moving over to the passenger side silently.

*

Tiffany opened the door to their apartment silently, hoping that YoonA didn’t stay up waiting for her. Luck was on her side for once, the redhead fast asleep on the sofa. Tiffany crouched down silently, hand stroking her younger sister’s face, glad that the other girl was sleeping well. Sighing, she ran her hand through her hair as recalled the night’s events.

Jessica had taken her out to dinner again, the blonde seemingly interested in courting her but she knew better. The rich were all the same, always wanting something different from what they have been served, the people on the other side on the fence serving as forbidden fruit.

Tiffany knew that she shouldn’t have drunk so much that night. Now she has a rich girl who thinks that she needs saving or worse, a rich girl who thinks that she is in love with the model she had spent one night with.

She placed her bag on the coffee table, hands snaking beneath her sister’s limp body and she heaved slightly, the weight of her sister unfamiliar in her arms. She chuckled softly, making a note to tell YoonA to lay off the ice cream that she and Yuri keeps eating. Moving awkwardly to YoonA’s room, she dropped the sleeping girl gently onto the bed and tucked her in, YoonA stirring slightly. She stroked the younger girl’s nose softly, the redhead scrunching it slightly before turning her head, the younger girl deep in slumber.

Dropping a chaste kiss on her sister’s forehead, Tiffany head out of the room quietly, a soft vibration was heard from the living room. Hurrying there, she found her bag shaking on the table, Tiffany pulling out her phone and pressing answer.

“Hello?”

“MiYoung ah!”

She smiled softly and whispered. “SoonKyu ah.”

The girl on the other line giggled before taking on a serious tone.

“YoonA told me what you did, Fany ah.”

She sighed and sat on the sofa, the plush cushions relentless against her back.

“I almost wished I didn’t, Sunny.”

“Why? What happened?”

“I may have gotten myself another hero.”

Sunny clucked her tongue sympathetically. “I told you, MiYoungie, come work for me. You’d have a stable income and you wouldn’t have to deal with all these anymore.”

“But I make a lot more modeling. YoonA’s invoice came yesterday. I can’t afford to slack off.”

“She is applying for a scholarship, you know that.”

“I know. But what if she doesn’t get it? She’s a smart girl but there are always other people who are smarter.”

Sunny sighs again. “MiYoungie. You have to stop this. You promised.”

She smiles wistfully into space. “I wish I knew how, SoonKyu ah. I wished I knew.”

“Work for me. Please?”

“You’d just baby me in the office before writing off some obscene amount on my paycheck claiming it’s my bonus.”

Sunny’s laughter rang through the speaker. “I probably would. But at least it’s better for you. I haven’t seen you in a while but Hyo said that you have been looking more stressed lately. It’s getting to you.”

“Nothing is getting to me.”

Sunny sighs loudly. “No matter how hard you try to pretend that you aren’t affected by what you’re doing, you are, Fany. You’re not someone who can sleep around for the sake of money.”

“I don’t sleep around. Just with … the right people.”

It was an argument that happened a lot, Sunny calling her after finding out from YoonA, SooYoung or HyoYeon about her new job. They would banter playfully over the phone before getting into the gist of it, Sunny forever worrying that the younger girl was going to break under all the guilt, Tiffany accepting the lecture before playing it off with a new excuse.

It was a cycle that had been repeated for a long time, Sunny unwilling to give up on her best friend, Tiffany unwilling to lose the only way she knew to secure enough money.

She laughs quietly as Sunny goes off on a tangent about her day at work, the other girl knowing that Tiffany rarely slept when she had a job going on, Tiffany reasoning that she felt the pressure to do her best, Sunny knowing that Tiffany can’t sleep because she felt dirty.

She falls asleep on the couch with Sunny rambling in her ear, the older girl whispering a soft good night before clicking off.

*

Tiffany sighed and looked into the mirror, dark curls framing her face as HyoYeon rolled on the mascara for her, the hazel haired girl cooing about the beauty of her skin to her. The model smiled softly before looking up, HyoYeon checking the bottom liner before clucking in appreciation.

“You ready to go out there, unni?”

She turned around to see YoonA standing there nervously, hand intertwined with a excited Yuri, the both of them dressed to the nines to match the occasion. Tiffany could see the sly glances that the business executives, who were checking in on their models, on YoonA, the dark haired girl scowling deep before looping her arm around YoonA, forcibly dragging the younger girl out.

“Try not to come backstage, okay? There are people who aren’t very nice.”

YoonA nodded and opened her mouth, no words coming out before she shut it again, the redhead looking at her sister sadly. Yuri shook her head before dragging the girl over to the seats, the tanned girl wishing Tiffany a soft good luck.

She maintained her smile until the heads of her sister and her sister’s girlfriend vanished in the crowd, the dark haired girl unclenching her fists forcefully. She turned and made her way back towards the dressing room, muttering under her breath rapidly, a stanza from the Bible and a reassurance that she was going to be okay, that it wasn’t very long till YoonA’s education period was over, that she could retire.

She was startled out of her reverie when someone called her name, a hiss bit back when she saw it was Jessica. Bowing respectfully, she avoided looking in the blonde’s eyes, the hard gaze of the business CEO was a little too much for her (And if she could admit it, it felt like all the dirtiness of her soul was laid bare for the other girl to see).

She smiled painfully at the question before giving a curt nod, not quite noticing the hurt that flashed in the older girl’s eyes.

*

Jessica bit her lip and concentrated on the stage, her eyes following the confident strut of the dark haired model on stage. She didn’t understand how can a model with so much talent, so much command of the stage, a model who had the ability to own the clothes she wears, take people to bed in order to get jobs. And after scanning through the pictures that were delivered to her office, Tiffany Hwang also knew how to work the camera to the best of her ability. With those two aspects alone, people should have been begging at her feet to endorse their clothes.

The dark haired girl posed at the end of the brightly lit stage, sending a smirk over to the cameras at the end of the walkway, a redhead cheering for her loudly from the sidelines. For the first time, Jessica saw a genuine smile directed from the model, Tiffany shooting it towards the redhead, her tanned companion and a brunette.

Her ears soon picked up the whispers from behind her, the girl clenching her fists angrily at the comments the scouts were making.

“Such a good walk, pity she’s a bit too short.”

“A bit on the heavier side as well.”

“Must’ve slept with the boss to get this. No way this fat girl could’ve beaten my girl for the spot.”

The reason for Tiffany’s predicament was presented to her, Jessica knowing that the dark haired girl was insecure enough to let these kind of comments bring her down, enough to convince the girl that she needed to sleep with the higher ups to secure a deal. She huffed through her nose heavily, earning a look from her younger sister.

SeoHyun sent a glare behind them, the whispers effectively stopping, then turning towards Jessica with her own opinion.

“You were right, unni.”

“Hmm?”

“Her eyes. They tell a sad tale. Not only that…”

She glanced at the retreating figure, SeoHyun’s mouth turning downwards.

“She doesn’t want to be up there.”

*

Tiffany walked into yet another hotel room, pulling off her coat in a timely fashion. She was tired, her body was heavy and she sat on the bed, hands going to her head. Fingers pressed against her temple and she hissed under her breath.

Money. She wished that people weren’t so greedy. Or rather, that YoonA’s tuition fees didn’t cost that much.

The room door clicked open and she shot off the bed, plastering a smile on her face, the weakness that she had shown just moments ago schooled behind carefully crafted walls.

“Good evening.”

She held back on the frown at the sight of the blonde walking in gracefully, Jessica Jung smiling as she walked towards her. Instinctively, she took a step backwards when the blonde got too close, Jessica’s smile dimming slightly.

“I am not going to do anything to you, Tiffany.”

She hated the way that a shiver would run down her back every time Jessica said her name, hated the way the other girl would look at her as though she would accept the sins that Tiffany had made. She moved towards the bed and picked up the coat, not caring that she was probably going to blow this deal.

She needs to get out of there before she suffocates.

Fingers wrapped around her wrist and she found herself being pulled backwards into warmth. Lips found the shell of her ear and she struggled fruitlessly, Jessica was stronger than she looks.

“Please.”

The plea for her to accept the help that Jessica was offering broke her, tears that hasn’t been shed for years falling from her eyes without her consent and she collapsed to the ground, sobs wrenching uncontrollably from her mouth as Jessica rocked her slowly back and forth, the blonde never once letting go.

It was something that Tiffany hasn’t felt in a while.

*

“Why?”

Her eyes were red, her form was shaking and she was seated about a feet away from the blonde, Tiffany unable to stand the contact any longer. Jessica reached out slowly and placed three fingers on her thigh, Tiffany flinching from the contact.

The blonde’s fingers still remained.

“Because.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Jessica searched her face carefully. “I’ll answer yours if you answer mine.”

Tiffany looked up and nodded tightly.

“Why do you do what you do? I mean, from what I saw, you have the walk, the ability to make the camera love you, everything an extraordinary model should need.”

Tiffany looked away. “I don’t have the height. Or the weight.”

Jessica’s fingers curled slightly. “That’s your reason?”

“And it is a sure way to secure the deal. Business executives all have one thing on their mind, sleep with a beautiful model but they don’t want their misdeeds to travel out to the public. With the threat that I would tell the press, they would give me the job.”

The fingers left, Tiffany sniffing loudly before pushing off the floor. She knows what Jessica was thinking.

A model that was greedy.

“Why do you need so much money? Those deals are practically tens of thousands.”

She looked down, red eyes surverying the girl in front of her, Jessica getting ready to stand up as well.

She decided that she had bared her soul enough that one more couldn’t hurt.

“I need to give my sister what I couldn’t have.”

With that, she picked up her coat, hand rubbing the tear tracks away, Jessica getting up in a hurry.

“Wait, don’t you want t-“

“It’s the same thing every single rich kid wants. A chance to play the hero.”

She shot the blonde a hard look. “You’re the same as every single rich person out there who books models for the night. Then someone comes along, sparks your interest and you try all you can to ‘save’ her. When you’re done and you’re bored, you’ll dump her as quickly as you picked her up.”

She walked towards the door resolutely, wrenching the hotel door open.

“I’m not an idiot, Miss Jung.”

She didn’t give the blonde time to answer, shutting the door quickly and ran for the stairs. Leaning against the wall, she pulled out her phone and pressed the speed dial, sobbing in relief when the other girl picked up.

“Sunny ah? Could you come pick me up?”

*

Sunny didn’t know what to make of it and judging from YoonA’s face, the redhead didn’t know either. Sunny had picked her up from the hotel, startled at the puffy eyes and chapped lips that the model was sporting, the shorter girl nearly running back into the hotel to bash the person who did this, if it wasn’t for the pleading look that Tiffany had given her.

When they had arrived home to a worried YoonA, the dark haired girl had headed straight for the shower and locked the door.

The water has been running for more than 20 minutes.

Sunny bit her lip and looked over to the taller girl.

“Yoong?”

“Yes?”

“You don’t happen to have the keys to that door, do you?”

YoonA bit her lip and shook her head, lighting up when she seemed to remember something.

“The door is a bit faulty, I remember being able to jiggle it open when Yuri was hiding in there.”

Sunny raised her eyebrow andYoonA coughing slightly, blush rising up her neck. She shook her head and pointed towards the door, the redhead nodding quickly and started to tug the doorknob forcibly.

A couple of tugs and banging later, the lock gave way and the door opened with a click.

They were greeted by a Tiffany who was furiously scrubbing at her skin with the loofa, clothes still on her body, the material drenched from the water that kept beating down onto her body.

It took the combined efforts of YoonA and Sunny to drag her away from the relentless water, YoonA biting on her tongue to stop the tears from falling.

*

She was greeted by the sight of Jessica the moment she looked up from her book, the blonde’s eyes traveling from the half eaten cheesecake on the table, to the full cup of coffee before taking a journey on her face. She fidgeted in her seat and shut her book softly, breathing in deep and building her walls.

She had already shown too much weakness to this girl.

Jessica sat opposite her and slid a file over, Tiffany looking at it suspiciously.

“What’s this?”

Jessica leant back and observed her silently, preferring to let the dark haired girl see it with her own eyes.

Tiffany’s eyes narrowed at the sight of a release of contract as well as a new contract.

Her head snapped up. “Wh- what is this?”

Jessica leant forwards and pulled the file from her hands.

“My reason why I am doing this.”

“You think you’re helping me by getting me released from my old management and you taking over?”

Jessica shook her head. “I am helping you realize your potential. That you don’t need to sleep with people to get good deals.”

Tiffany scoffed. “And I suppose the CEO that I slept with the other day was your evil twin?”

“Look, I admit. I like sleeping with models. It’s easy, like you said. But you, you’re different.”

Tiffany had to bite back a mocking laugh. “Me? Different?”

Jessica nodded. “Different.”

Tiffany closed her eyes and massaged the bridge of her nose. “Exactly how am I different?”

“SeoHyun said that your eyes screamed that you didn’t want to be on that catwalk the other day.”

*

She fiddled with the hem of her skirt, the atmosphere a bit too somber for her liking, Sunny having a staring contest with Jessica, YoonA by the side with SeoHyun, the redhead sending venomous glares at the calm girl. She couldn’t blame her best friend or her sister, god knows that they had to go through years of watching her break down silently. It was also understandable that they did not trust strangers very much. Especially strangers who bought their Tiffany a date.

Sunny folded her arms, refusing to break the stare.

“So let me get this straight. You got Fany released from her previous management.”

“That is correct.”

“And you ruffled up a contract stating that she has a normal wage of $50,000 a month not including her modeling deals.”

“Yes.”

“And a clause stating that she is not a hooker.”

“That wasn’t the way it was written but technically yes.”

Sunny hissed low. “What’s the catch?”

Jessica looked appropriately surprised. “Catch?”

“Yes, catch. Whatever you’re doing is kind of a loss for your company, so there must be a catch. Rich people would never do anything that is not to their benefit.”

“As I recall, Miss Lee, you’re one of the rich people.”

Sunny smiled a tight smile. “Unlike you who inherited your company from Daddy, Miss Jung, I had to work from scratch. Whatever you see right now, all that was from years of hard work and a lot of faith.”

Jessica nodded. “Fair enough, Miss Lee.”

SeoHyun stood up from her seat and walked to her sister’s chair.

“You’re mistaken, Miss Lee. There is no catch. We’re just poaching a fantastic model from a rival company.”

Sunny stared at the two sisters for a moment before standing up.

“Fair enough.”

The three of them walked towards the door, Sunny ushering Tiffany and YoonA out first before turning around to fix a glare on the blonde.

“But if you hurt Fany in any way, Miss Jung, rest assured that you will have a miserable life after that.”

*

“And that’s it! Thank you, Miss Hwang!”

Tiffany dropped her arms to her side before bringing up a clenched fist to hit her shoulders, bowing respectfully to all the crew that helped with the photo shoot. Spotting her sister in the corner chatting happily with SeoHyun, she made her way slowly over to the both of them, YoonA smiling widely at her appearance. Her long arms wrapped around the dark haired girl’s neck tightly, Tiffany choking out a greeting to an amused SeoHyun.

YoonA finally release her from her death grip, Tiffany massaging her throat gratefully. “Unni! Can we go get dinner?”

Tiffany smiled softly, reaching up to smoothen the messy fringe. “Sure, just le-“

“If you don’t mind, I would love to have dinner with you, Tiffany.”

The three of them jumped in surprise, Jessica’s soft voice ringing through the air. The blonde smirked at them playfully, ignoring the scowl that had made an appearance on YoonA’s face, the redhead pouting at her sister.

Tiffany smiled at her sister before turning to Jessica.

“Sorry, Miss Jung, but I think I should have dinner with my sister. I have been … neglecting her for a while now.”

She twisted her arm into YoonA’s, the redhead grinning happily as they walked to the dressing room, leaving behind a pouting Jessica and a sympathetic SeoHyun.

SeoHyun patted her back comfortingly. “You’re pretty hung up on her.”

Jessica swallowed. “A bit.”

“But you know she doesn’t trust the both of us.”

Jessica shot her sister a small grin. “I have faith in myself.”

*

“So Jessica still hounding you?”

Tiffany’s fork clattered on her plate noisily, the dark haired girl looking up in shock at Sunny’s question, the brunette having a wide grin on her face.

“Sunny… Tell me you didn’t do anything.”

Sunny cupped her chin. “I didn’t. But you have to admit, chasing after you for six months… that’s loyalty right there.”

Tiffany scoffed and picked up her fork. “So now you’re pro Jessica?”

“Maybe.”

Tiffany’s forkful of food stopped mid air, the younger girl shooting a glare at the brunette.

“Not funny, Sun.”

“Wasn’t trying to be.”

She spots the seriousness behind mirth filled eyes and she sighed, Tiffany putting the fork back down.

“I can’t, Sun.”

Sunny bit into the bread delicately, cheeks moving as she chewed. Swallowing quickly, she posed her next question.

“You don’t like her?”

The rising blush clues Sunny in that that is not the case.

“You like her?”

It was the first time she has seen Tiffany blush so deeply.

“Then why?”

Tiffany picked her fork up and bit into the noodles slowly, Sunny glaring at her when the dark haired girl only two or three strands. Swallowing the noodles, the answer whispered out.

“Because I can’t trust her to not sleep with models.”

*

“She still doesn’t trust me.”

Blonde hair fell forwards, shielding her face from SeoHyun’s view, the younger girl clucking her tongue sympathetically.

“You can’t blame her, unni.”

Jessica looked up imploringly. “But I have been good to her right?”

“Yes.”

“Then why?”

SeoHyun sighed. “Unni, she has lived the past six years sleeping with men and women in order to get deals. She even slept with you. What would make her trust in the fact that you wouldn’t do it again after you get bored of her?”

Jessica slumped backwards hopelessly. “There’s nothing I can do then?”

“Not really.”

*

“Jessica?”

Jessica tore her gaze away from the moon, hands gripping at the railing tightly, Tiffany wearing Dolce & Gabbana’s latest dress while working the room moments ago. The dark haired girl smiles that uncomfortable smile before blushing under her stare, the model moving next to her.

“The moon is beautiful, yes?”

Jessica nodded tightly, admiring the way the moonlight seem to compliment Tiffany’s features instead of shadowing it. The younger girl smiled softly and Jessica saw the walls drop for a moment.

“Fany?”

“Hmm?”

Jessica found the words to be stuck in her throat and she did the only thing she could.

She reached forwards and tugged the other girl closer, lips covering Tiffany’s.

The kiss lasted for about five seconds before Tiffany pulled away, hand flying up to her mouth. She took one step backwards and turned, the shock on her face replaced by something that Jessica couldn’t place.

Her hand reached out quickly and pulled the model into a hug, Jessica wrapping her arms tightly around the girl’s waist, face half buried into black hair.

“Please. Don’t.”

The body beneath her was tense, as though it was preparing to bolt away the moment the blonde let go of her and Jessica’s hold tightened.

“I cannot guarantee that I won’t hurt you, but I’ll try not to.”

Tiffany’s body shook as she took in a shuddering breath.

“I still can’t trus-“

“I’ll earn it. Just give me a chance to prove it to you.”

The body tightened slightly and she felt Tiffany forcing herself to relax, Jessica loosening her hold slightly to allow Tiffany to turn around. The dark haired girl was crying softly, Jessica’s hands leaving small waist to wipe away the tears, her thumb catching the falling teardrop.

“I’ll earn your trust. Believe me, please. Just one chance.”

Tiffany took a deep breath and smiled, Jessica finally having that combination of quirking lips and eyes aimed at her.

“Okay.”

A weight was taken off her shoulders and she cried in relief, leaning forwards to capture plump lips between her teeth.

And she knows that this is one thing she won’t screw up.

The moment Tiffany accepted Jessica’s plea, she felt that burning sensation that has accompanied her throughout her career as a model die down.

And she feels like she can be saved.

''''''''''''''''''

Clacking of heels was heard, a dark haired girl walking down the steps of the suave looking bar. She took a glance around and spotted about a dozen people in said area, the girl nodding before making her way to the bar counter, the bartender waving an indolent hand at her before placing a martini in front of a pissed off looking blonde. Adjusting the hat on her head, the dark haired girl nodded at the blonde, the other girl looking up and down at her with annoyance before taking a sip of her martini.

She gestured to the man behind the bar. “Vodka on the rocks, thank you.”

The bartender nodded and went around to prepare her drink, the dark haired girl turning towards the annoyed blonde with a small smile playing on her face.

“Waiting for someone?”

The blonde’s eyebrow shot up. “They canceled on me.”

The dark haired girl hummed and raised her newly procured glass to the bartender. “Their loss.”

The blonde shifted in her seat and eyed the stranger carefully, startled when the conversation turned over to music.

“So what genre of music do you prefer?”

“Scream. A little bit of hardcore rock on the side.”

The girl chuckled and sipped at her drink. “RnB then. Good taste in music.”

“That’s a bit presumptuous. I could like classical you know.” The dark haired girl placed the glass down.

“You don’t look like the type that believes in fate.”

The blonde looked confused. “How does liking classical music pertain to believing in fate?”

The dark haired girl smiled a small smile. “Classical music is structured to have an inevitable beginning to an inevitable end. Just like fate. Fate is structured to control our lives from the moment we’re born. No free will.”

“And if I like RnB?”

“Like I said, good taste. And you believe in free will. RnB is all about feelings. While having an awesome bass line.”

The blonde’s stance changed, her legs crossing over seductively while she batted her eyelashes. “Oh?”

“Mhmm.”

The dark haired girl picked up the glass again and brought it to her lips, not quite letting the liquid pass through her lips. She paused, eyeing the man that just came into the bar, seating himself at one of the more comfortable chairs. The blonde observed the way the easy smile slide off, a shiver running down her spine at the serious look that replaced it. The dark haired girl set the glass down slowly and ran her fingers up her thigh, as though she was doing her own private seduction.

“Excuse me. Be right back.”

Brown eyes widened when fingers drew up the skirt to reveal a small gun holster, the dark haired girl drawing the weapon and aimed it at the man that just came in. She shot him once in the chest, the sound of the gun exploding had the blonde tumbling off her chair and onto the ground, hands around her ears. The second shot rang and the man slumped to the ground, a hole in the middle of his forehead. Just when it was about to quiet down (as quiet as it could get with people screaming), the dark haired girl turned and shot another man trying to get out of the place, a bullet through his chest then his head. She then rounded the bartender and shot him in the exact same style, the man slumping over the counter, dead.

And Jessica found herself staring down at the barrel of the gun when the dark haired girl turned the weapon towards her, all previous cheeriness gone, replaced with coldness.

*

She dragged the blonde into her penthouse, dropping the blindfolded girl onto a chair. She rummaged around her drawers, pulling out two silver handcuffs, taking the equipment over to the frightened girl and cuffing her to the chair. Looking up to a mirror, she frowned at the fleck of blood staining her cheek, bringing up her hand to wipe it away.

“W-what do you want with me?”

The dark haired girl did not answer the blonde, choosing to instead pull out her phone and pressed call. Jessica strained her ears to hear the voice that was coming out from the speakers, her captor quiet for a few moments before answering.

“You know I don’t take live subjects. It’s going to cost you extra.”

Several pauses. Jessica shifted uncomfortably, afraid of the person who was within the phone that held the power to end her life.

“At least two hundred grand. She’s alive and has the information we want. Plus I had collateral damage. Had to shoot a bartender.”

The phone snapped with a clack, heels tapping their way softly towards her. Jessica stiffen when she felt hot breath next to her ear, the blonde edging her head away when the dark haired girl brushed her lips softly onto the shell.

She felt the blindfold loosen before light shone into her eyes, Jessica blinking rapidly to adjust to the sudden onslaught. The dark haired girl’s face swam into focus, the cold expression on her face had her shivering with fright as she looked down, an attempt to avoid the stillness behind cold brown orbs. The dark haired girl’s hand slid under her chin and she was forced to look into her eyes, the other girl inspecting her face carefully before letting her go, backing away a few steps.

Jessica summoned enough courage to ask a question. “Who was it? On the phone?”

The gun was staring at her face, Jessica closing her eyes to ready her for the inevitable pain. A ringing of a phone shot through the air, Jessica’s eyes snapping open to see the dark haired girl hold a phone to her ear.

“Yeah?”

A few moments later, the gun was lowered, the girl moving over quickly to grab Jessica’s hand, pulling the blonde off her feet.

The dark haired girl was silent, eyes flickering between the blonde and the caged space behind her. Jessica observed the other girl carefully, her face swimming in the vestiges of her memory bringing up a certain familiarity.

“Your name’s Jessica Jung. Correct?”

Jessica managed a small nod. “Okay. And you’re currently the sole heiress to Jung Pharmaceuticals. Correct?”

Another nod. The dark haired girl nodded back in response before coming closer, a finger pressing against the cloth hanging from Jessica’s neck, a soft scent of chocolate filling Jessica’s senses.

“I’m Tiffany. I apologize for the shabby welcome but as you can see, I wasn’t prepared to take home a live one.”

*

“What do you mean Jessica was at the bar?! She told me she was heading to the library!”

TaeYeon smacked the file down on the counter, Yuri looking at her with a bored expression, already used to the older girl’s bout of tantrums. She reached out gingerly and flipped to the page with a picture, a brown wallet with the ID in the picture compartment.

“We recovered this wallet from the scene. Wasn’t sure at first but the ID kind of cinched it for me.”

TaeYeon stared at the picture, not quite wanting to believe that her friend was at the bar. Yuri tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for her boss to say something, almost about to smack the midget leader on the head when TaeYeon’s voice rang up clearly.

“Call YoonA and Sunny. If it’s any of their guys doing this, they better be ready for the entire police force to be on them because no one harms Jessica.”

Yuri shrugged and retrieved the file from the table. “You might be interested to know that the two men killed worked for Jung Pharmaceuticals. They were one of their researchers. Sunny and YoonA’s rings don’t deal with the kind of drugs that Jessica's company sells.”

“But they know people who do.”

*

She had friends. For the first time in her life since she was adopted, she had friends. Her adoptive parents put her in a public school, her mother telling her that she needed to be nice to people or they wouldn’t be nice back. And she was. She was quiet and polite, not quite looking at anyone in the eye, yet showing that small smile that had all her fellow classmates liking her, no matter how hard they tried to hate her.

She was approached by eight girls on the second week of school, the brunette in the front sticking out her hand to greet her, a toothy grin present on her face.

“Hi! You’re cute! Let’s be friends.”

She took the hand and felt the winds of change.

Even at the age of six, she knew that the brunette was going to change her life.

*

“What’s the meaning of this, Yuri?”

Sunny flipped her blonde hair back, legs crossing as she stared the policewoman down, Yuri sitting calmly opposite her with her fingers laced in front of her. Sunny huffed and leant back, the blonde unhappy with the fact that she was forced out of bed at this time of night just because her dear old friend said so.

“We had a deal. I keep the drugs clean, keep them away from children, hand you our troublemakers and you guys keep off our backs. We held our end, so what’s with the sudden summon to this delightful hellhole?”

Yuri stared at her with some measure of cautiousness before answering. “Jessica’s missing.”

“Just because Sica is the daughter of a multimillionaire who happens to own a drug company doesn’t mean I know where she is.”

“TaeYeon thinks you know something about it. Or had a hand in it.”

“Well, I don’t.”

Sunny leant forwards and sighed. “Yuri. We kept our end of the deal. You asked for it, we delivered. And do we look like we would harm Sica?”

“I don’t know. Do you?”

The drug lord sighed again and looked up to the ceiling. “We grew up together. I wouldn’t hurt Sica anymore than I would hurt you. Even if I am running an underground drug business.”

Yuri finally broke the calm façade and sighed, hand pressing against her temple. “Sorry, Soon. But you know how Tae gets when Sica is involved.”

“I know.”

“But seriously, if you know something…”

Sunny looked at her carefully. “Sica was kidnapped from some bar, yes?”

“Correct.”

“And two men were killed. Coincidentally, these two men work at Sica’s company.”

“Ye- how did you-“

Sunny smiled and tapped the side of her face. “You have your informants. I have mine.”

Sunny brushed her bangs back and the smile grew mysterious. “Say that I do know what is going on, maybe you should investigate what project these two men are currently running.”

Yuri frowned. “That’s going to be hard. Unless we get a warrant, which we won’t because there aren’t enough probable causes, there is no way we can access those files.”

Sunny drums her fingers against the table. “I don’t know. Maybe saying please would help.”

Yuri stared at the blonde incredulously. “You mean…”

Sunny could only smile, Yuri sighing before bowing her head. “Please, SoonKyu.”

Sunny stood up, finger tapping the metal table. “You’ll have your information on your desk by tomorrow morning.”

“Thanks.”

Humming, Sunny strolled out of the questioning room, halting when Yuri posed a hesitant question.

“Do you still… you know… her?”

Sunny threw a sad smile over her face. “It’s not going to work. A drug lord and a cop. Besides, she still hasn’t gotten over that ridiculous crush on another blonde anyways.”

*

TaeYeon slammed her hands against the table, face red. “I know you know something, YoonA!”

YoonA merely yawned and brushed the stray lock of hair behind her ears. “Tae, listen to yourself. I run an illegal black ops section for the government, not drugs. You should be questioning Sunny.”

TaeYeon threw her hands up in the air, the brunette not hearing the logic in her panic addled brain. YoonA observed her silently, quietly noting that the agitated cop had no business running an investigation that was so close to her heart. Propping her feet up her table, she decided to put out some of the rumors that she had heard from the rest of her crew.

“There is a rumor floating around.”

TaeYeon bit into it like a dog. “What rumor?”

“That the hit was done by the Ghost.”

“The Ghost?”

TaeYeon scoffed and sat herself down. “She’s nothing but a myth.”

“Oh, she’s real alright. In fact, I have contacted her to do some jobs before.”

“You contacted… a stray assassin… to finish the jobs that the government gave you?”

“Hey, those jobs were high profile, extremely difficult and out of my subordinates reach. She had them done in one day. Easy kill, collected her money, vanished from our sights the next day.”

TaeYeon stared at her suspiciously. “If you don’t want to give any information, YoonA, you can tell me. I am not going to force the director of a black ops program to give me sensitive information.”

“Hey, you wanted information to find Sica, I am delivering. The Ghost signature kill move is simple yet effective. Always a blow to the heart, never missing the shot before finishing off with the blow to the head as a precautionary measure. Always uses a Smith and Weston, .45 bullets.”

TaeYeon gaped. “How did yo-“

“I run an assassination program. I know my guns.”

“So you’re telling me… that Sica is in the hands of a trained killer.”

“Probably still alive. The Ghost rarely take live subjects and when she does, it’s usually because she wants something.”

“IS SHE GOING TO RA-“

“Information, you midget. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

TaeYeon huffed and crossed her arms. “Can you contact her?”

“Nope. Called her once, it was a public phone. The next time we contacted her, it was a disposable phone that one of our kills held.”

“So we can’t find Sica then?”

YoonA stood up, waving over to Sunny who was glaring. “Well, it’s up to Sunny. Drugs are out of my ballpark. Let’s see if she delivers tomorrow.”

TaeYeon nodded, sending a tight smile over to the blonde on the other side of the window. YoonA walked over gracefully, hand pausing at the handle.

“Also, I am sending Soo to help you. If the Ghost really is working for the opposition, you’re going to want a trained killer on your side.”

“I don’t get it. If the Ghost worked for you, doesn’t it mean that she is on our side?”

YoonA smiled and pulled the door open. “She is on the side with the cash, Tae.”

*

“You should eat something.”

Tiffany placed the food on the table and moved over to the handcuffs that kept Jessica shackled, the blonde eyeing her warily. The dark haired girl raised her hands, showing her the key and unlocked the cuffs, handing her a pair of knife and fork, gesturing towards the food.

“Sorry. I couldn’t really go out so I just cook whatever there was in my fridge.”

Jessica looked down at the meal, noting that the pancakes were done really nicely and glanced up at the assassin, the dark haired girl not paying much attention to her, back facing the blonde. Gripping the knife, Jessica raised her hand to swipe at the girl, even if the chances of killing her was slim, Jessica had to try to escape.

“That’s probably not a good idea. You might wind up with a broken wrist and I can’t afford to take you to the hospital with half the city looking for me.”

Jessica lowered her hand and began picking at the food in front of her, completely miserable. Tiffany turned around and dropped a shopping bag in front of her, the contents spilling out and she saw clothes from one of the departmental stores, taking note that the assassin had avoided buying bright colours. She blushed at the sight of the lingerie but didn’t linger too long on it, looking up to the apathetic girl, Tiffany pulling out the chair at the dining table to sit opposite her.

“You’ll be here for a while so I thought you would like to change.”

Jessica pushed the plate away from her and stared up at the dark haired girl tearfully. “Please, just let me go. I don’t know anything.”

Tiffany spread her fingers out in front of her and inspected the nails. “You’re the current COO. You’ve the information that I want.”

Jessica jumped when she clacked the gun in front of her.

“Or the rest of the collateral damage would be on your head.”

*

“What’s up, Yul! Up high!”

Yuri stared at the tall girl in front of her, SooYoung’s palm high in the air waiting for the other girl to smack it. She poked at the open palm gingerly with her pen and went around the black ops operative, SooYoung shrugging before following Yuri, the girl blowing a bubble from her gum. Yuri sat down at her desk wearily, eyeing her childhood friend in front of her and shook her head when SooYoung took out a piece of tissue and a packet of chips.

“Still eating like an alien, Soo?”

“Hey, I need my energy for my assignments, okay?”

Yuri stared at the girl incredulously before turning her attention away, HyoYeon walking through the doors with SeoHyun towing along behind her. The hazel haired girl waved merrily, nudging her younger sister to greet them as well, SeoHyun bowing slightly before returning to her slight daze. Yuri frowned and got up from her seat, making her way quickly towards HyoYeon.

“What is this, Hyo? No involving civilians!”

HyoYeon shrugged. “You asked Sunny for information, she delivered.”

“Most information comes in files!”

HyoYeon grinned. “Why read it off paper when JuHyun has all the information you want in her brain?”

SooYoung chewed the chip in her mouth quickly and swallowed. “Why JuHyun though? Thought you and Sunny hated involving her in anything.”

SeoHyun snapped out of her daze. “Because I worked on Project Tri-Gamma.”

*

It was when she was eighteen that everything fell apart again.

She was legal, therefore no more shuffling to another orphanage just because her adoptive parents died. She was considered an unlucky child by the rest of her parents’ family, her real parents dying when she was born through the same truck hitting car accident that killed her adoptive parents.

She found herself on the doorstep of her parents’ house, bags at her feet, hand gripping at the scholarship to Harvard. She didn’t cry, she wasn’t able to shed tears, something that she had discovered at the age of seven. She stared up at the stars in the sky, listening to the crashes and tumbling of furniture deep within the confines of the place that she called a home, her aunts and uncles destroying anything that had her essence on it.

She picked up her bags and slung them over her motorcycle, the one thing in life that she owned and started the machine, jumping when her neighbor stepped up beside her. Smiling at her best friend, she slung her leg over the seat of the motorcycle and reached for her helmet, the brunette pressing a palm over the equipment.

“Where are you going, Steph?”

She pushed the hand off gently and placed it over her head. “Harvard.”

“Without saying goodbye?”

She saw the hurt in brown eyes and smiled sadly, delivering a broken promise. “We’ll keep in touch. Don’t worry.”

“Really?”

“Really. I will never let anything hurt you.”

The brunette smiled and threw her hands over the dark haired girl, her smiling widening when pale hands wrapped around slim waist.

It was easier than telling Jessica that when she calls Harvard two weeks later that there would be no Stephanie Hwang registered in their curriculum.

*

Tiffany slunk in the shadows, gun pressing against the thigh of her other leg as she followed the man that was hurrying in front of her. She grinned when he turned into an empty alley, the assassin slinking up the fire escape to get a good vantage point for the kill without anyone seeing her. Once satisfied, she pulled out the gun and took aim.

In two shots, the man was on the floor, blood staining the cement floor.

She strapped the hot weapon back under her skirt, cell phone snapping open and pressed the speed dial.

“It’s done. Another three more and the assignment would be complete.”

“Thank you. I am sorry for the trouble.”

“No problem. Just ready the price.”

“Got it.”

*

“Thank you. I am sorry for the trouble.”

SeoHyun snapped the phone shut and grinned sheepishly at the four girls that were staring at her, TaeYeon tapping her foot impatiently. Quickly, she took a pad of paper and started writing out complex equations and diagrams. HyoYeon pulled the pad away and shook her head, an amused smile playing on her lips.

“JuHyun, they wouldn’t understand anyways. Just tell them.”

“Okay.”

SeoHyun cleared her throat, fingers twisting the ends of her sleeves as she began.

“About a year ago, Mr. Jung approached us to come up with a new drug, what with all the viruses flying around and everything. There were seven researchers that were pulled into this project.”

TaeYeon folded her arms, back leaning on the chair. “Project Tri-Gamma?”

“Yes. The seven of us worked on a vaccine for the upcoming wave of H1N1.”

“What happened next?”

“Long story short, the vaccine turned out to be dangerous and Mr. Jung scrapped the project. But the other six researchers took the materials and continued it behind his back.”

“And?”

SeoHyun sighed and pressed her finger to her nose, mouth twisting downwards. “I didn’t find out till later, but they took in human test subjects.”

“Mhmm…”

“But the drug was poison. And all the subjects died.”

Yuri frowned. “Why haven’t we heard of any of this? It’s considered negligent homicide.”

“It was covered up. And the six researchers were pushed into hiding by Mr. Jung.”

“Okay… So why are they being targeted right now?”

SeoHyun pulled at the fray ends of her shorts and worried her bottom lip. “Because one of them sold the drug over to Iraq.”

Clatters of pens and equipments resonated loudly through TaeYeon’s room, the two policewomen standing up with anger on their face.

Yuri huffed. “You’re telling me… that terrorists have their hands on a biochemical weapon?!”

HyoYeon placed her feet on the table and shook her head. “Not really. Sunny managed to track the drug down before it made it past our borders. It has been properly disposed of.”

SooYoung rested her chin on her hand. “And YoonA made sure that any of the freedom fighters that know about the drug has been… persuaded not to talk.”

TaeYeon sat back down, glaring at the two of them. “Then why are the researchers being targeted?”

“Because there was a vial missing from the recovered tray. It’s a small amount, but it’s dangerous enough.”

TaeYeon gaped at the researcher in front of her, the head detective slumping back.

“So, the reason why Jessica is still alive is…”

SooYoung flipped the knife in her hand expertly, catching the blade between her fingers. “She knows where the researchers are. And I think the Ghost is looking for that missing vial.”

Yuri sighed and shot a look at TaeYeon. “Why does it feel like we are practically useless in this case?”

*

“Thank you for being truthful.”

Tiffany unlocked the cuffs and gestured to the dinner in front of the blonde, pale fingers rubbing at the welts that had emerged from Jessica trying to pull out of the binds. Jessica stared at the familiar looking girl, brain still wracking to find the connection that this girl had with her past. Tiffany pulled away and sat in the chair opposite of Jessica, the blonde picking up the spoon and scooping the rice.

Her spoon hit the plate with a clang, Jessica pushing the meal away. Tiffany looked at her weirdly before settling back, the dark haired girl observing her carefully.

“Why are you doing this?”

Tiffany tilted her head. “Information.”

“No, not why are you keeping me here. Why are you doing all of this?”

“What? Killing?”

Jessica nodded tightly.

“It’s easy.”

“What?”

“It’s easy. The money comes in a boatload for one job and depending on how I spend, it can last for a while without me having to go out and work. And if it ever runs out, I just pick up the gun and walk out, let the world know that I am back.”

Jessica blanched and edged away from the emotionless killer. “But to kill… Don’t you see their faces in your dreams?”

“Anyone can take a life. Your next-door neighbor, the young boy who lives down the road. But there is a courage that you need to be able to pick up a gun, kill without leaving a trace and still have that mentality to not let it affect you. It doesn’t affect me.”

Jessica looked at her with fear, Tiffany pushing back the plate of food in front of her.

“Don’t think too much into it. Just live your life knowing that you are one of those that can get through life without dirtying your hands.”

Tiffany got out from her chair, hand dragging the hidden rifle that she had under the table.

“Besides, if those people do appear in my dreams… Well, I killed them once, I can kill them again.”

*

SooYoung leant back on the wall, rifle poised in front of her, night vision glasses perched delicately on her face. She turned over to look at HyoYeon, the hazel haired girl twirling the gun in her hand freely as she spoke to Yuri, the tanned girl glancing every once in a while to the taut TaeYeon. The group of them had received word that one of the Ghost’s targets were in the mansion below, the trees and bushes hiding their vans and ESU units from view.

“Soo.”

She turned towards TaeYeon, the girl’s knuckles splayed white across the gun resting on her hip. “Catch that Ghost.”

“I shoot to kill, you realize?”

“Aim for her limbs. Enough blood for you but not enough to kill.”

SooYoung shrugged and nodded, eyes going back to the scope that was aimed directly at one of the hidden entrances that the Ghost might use. TaeYeon huffed and unsheathed her gun, the head detective jumping slightly when YoonA appeared next to her, the director nodding silently over to the suddenly tensed Yuri.

“What are you doing here, YoonA?”

The redhead turned towards the head detective. “Making sure no one dies on this mission?”

“We have back up, as per SooYoung’s suggestion.”

“Which is good. But you don’t become the Ghost purely because you decide to name yourself.”

TaeYeon’s brows furrowed. “She didn’t name herself?”

“Nope. She was dubbed by the Russian government, you hear about her kills but you will never see her.”

“Yoong, this is not a movie.”

“Hey, where did you think Elektra came from?”

“She has a point, Tae.”

Sunny emerged from the shadows, the small girl flanked by armed men. Yuri waved the tense police force away, heading up to TaeYeon’s side to glare at the blonde drug lord.

“Why in the wo-“

“You need more than two units of ESU to bring the Ghost down.”

TaeYeon threw her hands up in the air. “FINE. But her ass is mine.”

Sunny scoffed and looked away. “Don’t worry. We’ll let you be the hero for your Sica.”

*

Tiffany eyed the red spots in the forest near the mansion, counting up to about twenty snipers waiting for her to arrive. Most people would have missed it but Tiffany wasn’t like most people. She slid across the lawn quietly, closer to the ground so that the hedges would shield her form. She was lucky, making it to the lower patio of the mansion without a hitch. Cursing at her lack of insight to bring her rifle, she felt the lock and found that it was a dead bolt, the assassin cursing before calming herself down. She pulled out a long metal string and headed for the nearby window, the girl slipping it through the space in between to unhook the latch. Wiggling it free, she paused before pulling it open, eyeing the trip wire that was hooked onto the window.

Her eyes followed it over to the fuse box, Tiffany choosing to cut the wire from where she was. If the alarm was going to trip, she would have at least three minutes before the house was stormed.

It was more than enough time.

The goddess of luck was on her side tonight, the window sliding open silently, the dark haired girl jumping through gracefully and perched low, in case they had eyes on the actual house as well. She crept through the hallway, noting the guards that were patrolling and she grabbed the low beam, swinging herself up on the wooden extension. She crawled above the guards, none of them the wiser as she jumped down, entering the study with no trouble.

She pulled the mask on, the metal covering the top half of her face, holes large enough for her to see out, but not big enough for anyone to recognize her.

The man in the chair jumped up in fright, hand going under to press the panic button. Tiffany whipped out her gun, the bullet destroying the button quicker than the man could press. He fell on the ground and backed away from the advancing girl, Tiffany aiming the gun square at his chest.

“Where is the drug?”

“I don’t know! It’s not with me! Stevens said that it had all been destroyed by the cartel!”

“Stevens?”

“Yes! He’s the head! Please don’t kill me! I don’t know anything!”

Tiffany stared at the man before lowering her gun a notch. The man breathed a sigh in relief before tensing again when the gun was cocked at his chest once again.

“Sorry. But I have been paid. And refunds are a huge pain in the ass.”

Two shots rang through the silent night and Parker Robinson fell to the ground dead.

*

SooYoung’s ears picked up the sound of muffled gunshots, the sniper bringing the scope closer to her eye. She found the form of a girl running through the mansion, effectively avoiding any of the guards that were running towards the study. She released the trigger and shot at the running form, the bullet missing the Ghost by inches, SooYoung swearing at her ruined ‘never missed’ quota.

“SooYoung! Why did you open fire?!”

SooYoung turned to the furious head detective and pointed towards the house. “She’s here! What are your people doing!?”

TaeYeon took one look at the chaotic house and screamed into her earpiece. “CAPTAIN! GET IN THAT HOUSE NOW!”

SooYoung pulled the rifle from the ground, passing it to the amused YoonA, the black ops agent pulling out a handgun, legs carrying her down the hill. YoonA raised a brow before dismantling the weapon, the director waving SooYoung away.

“Your boss isn’t coming?”

SooYoung turned towards HyoYeon, the hazel haired girl running beside her leisurely. The tall girl shook her head.

“You know Yoong won’t dirty her hands unless she absolutely has to.”

HyoYeon stared sadly at the tall girl before picking up her steps to match the other girl’s speed. “I know. I just thought…”

“She hasn’t changed, Hyo. None of us have.”

HyoYeon didn’t reply, the hazel girl drawing up to the house to find her cartel mates on the floor, each of the clutching their right legs in agony. SooYoung noted that most of the injuries were centered to the dominant arm or leg, mentally giving a thumbs up to the assassin with enough skill to gun down the pursuers without killing them. HyoYeon raised her gun, finding TaeYeon’s men on the ground as well, a dark form slinking through the night.

A shot rang through the air, bullet whizzing through the night harmlessly when the figure ducked.

“I might have missed from up there, but there is no way in hell I am going to miss from here!”

The figure stepped into the moonlight, the mask effectively blocking her features. SooYoung strained her eyes to make out the colour of her eyes, HyoYeon cocking the gun steadily.

“Ghost?”

The figure shook her head and stepped closer, gun hanging near her body. “I hate that name.”

HyoYeon’s ears picked up the familiar vibrato, the dark haired girl slinking back into the shadows when TaeYeon’s voice rang through the night, bullets showering at the girl. The Ghost backed away quickly, her bullet catching Yuri on the arm, the tanned girl falling into TaeYeon’s embrace. The head detective looked at the rapidly escaping figure and the bleeding comrade in her arms and bit her lip, the detective choosing partner over apprehending the suspect.

“Damn it!”

HyoYeon lowered her gun and frowned.

She has heard that voice before.

*

“You’re hurt.”

Jessica stared at the gash on Tiffany’s shoulder, a bullet from TaeYeon’s random shooting grazing her on the shoulder as she left. She shrugged and pressed an alcohol wipe on her shoulder, Jessica noting no change of expression on her face. The blonde edged the chair closer, cuffs rattling against the metal of the armrest of her confinement. Tiffany looked up at the worried girl, Jessica gesturing at her bonds.

“I can’t let you go, especially if my condition is like that.”

“What if I promise not to run off? I just want to help.”

“Promises mean nothing to me.”

Jessica looked at the girl in the eye and sighed. “Please. You can like lock my leg to the chair or something. I just want to help.”

Tiffany stared at her before moving, key slipping out of pocket to unlock the cuffs, tossing the metal binds onto the table before returning to her first aid kit. Jessica rubbed at her wrists quickly before taking the medicine from the box, Tiffany cleaning the wound with one hand awkwardly. Jessica took the wipe away from the dark haired girl and proceeded cleaning, the blonde wincing at the amount of blood that transferred over to the cloth.

“Its fine, you know. I have had worse.”

Tiffany’s monotonous voice cut through Jessica’s thoughts. Jessica shook her head and pressed harder, the blonde holding back her sobs.

“It…it shouldn’t have to happen.”

Tiffany turned her head to the side, eyes spotting the tears in those brown orbs. “It comes with the job.”

“Then quit. I am sure there are other jobs out there.”

Tiffany stared at her blankly before turning her head away, Jessica putting the bloodstained cloth down on the table, hand applying the antiseptic onto the wound.

“Why… Why do you kill?”

“Answered that already.”

“But that’s not the reason. I can see it in your eyes.”

Tiffany was silent as Jessica continued to tend to her wound, the blonde pulling down the shirt to wind the bandage over the shoulder, eyes widening at the amount of scars that was decorating the body. She swallowed hard and continued winding the white material, hands stopping when Tiffany spoke up.

“I do this because it allows me to have enough strength to protect someone.”

*

HyoYeon stared at her boss, Sunny staring at her with a blank expression on her face.

“Come again, Hyo?”

“That voice. It was Steph. I know it was.”

Sunny sighed and pushed away from the table, the blonde looking troubled as she shut the office door. HyoYeon looked at the door in alarm, Sunny never closing that door in case there was an explosion from one of their labs or something.

“What I am about to tell you is extremely delicate.”

HyoYeon crossed her arms. “I don’t think that there is anything that can beat the fact that my childhood friend is an assassin.”

Sunny sighed and nodded, seating herself on the desk. “Which is why we can’t allow Yuri or TaeYeon to find out.”

“How long have you known?”

“Suspected it for a while. But confirmed it with YoonA the other day when JuHyun called for her services.”

“JuHyun is behind this?!”

HyoYeon glanced out through the window, SeoHyun typing away on her computer, sensing that someone was looking at her, the researcher smiling at her two older sisters before returning to her computer.

“She called Steph to retrieve the drugs.”

“And asked her to kill the researchers as well?! I don’t believ-“

“She didn’t. Steph is working on someone else’s orders.”

HyoYeon stared at Sunny for a moment before sighing, the hazel haired girl’s head hurting from the day’s events as well as the somewhat incomprehensible information that had been relayed.

“So the drugs that was disposed…”

“Was retrieved by Steph, yes.”

“Who was working under SeoHyun’s orders.”

“And that contract was annulled the moment we received the drugs.”

HyoYeon sat up straight and looked at her older sister in the eyes. “Are we attempting to catch Steph?”

Sunny shook her head. “No.”

She glances over to the picture on her desk, smiling at the nine faces that were laughing in the frame. “We’re trying to prevent anyone of them from knowing that she’s the one killing.”

*

Jessica glanced over to the quiet girl, Tiffany allowing her a small chance of freedom, the handcuffs lying on the table in front of her. The dark haired girl had seated the blonde on the sofa and thrown a remote at her, gesturing to the vast collection of DVDs near the television.

The click of machines drew Jessica’s attention back towards the girl, Tiffany cleaning out one of the biggest guns Jessica has ever seen in her life. Her eyes quickly snapped back over to the television where someone on screen was trying to proclaim his love to the girl. She sighs and clicks the off button, the sudden silence that she plunged the room into gaining the attention of the dark haired girl.

“Is something wrong?”

Jessica nodded and fiddled with her shirt. “How long do I have to stay here?”

“I still have two more to kill.”

“Then?”

“I await instructions for your fate.”

Jessica stared at the dark haired girl incredulously. “What?”

Tiffany paused in her motions. “Surely you’ve figured out by now that I don’t control whether you live or die. I am merely the tool. Someone else is playing the puppet master.”

Silence stretched on, Jessica staring at the nonchalant dark haired girl, Tiffany checking her rifle over before locking it in its case, the girl lugging it off the table before pausing, placing the case on the floor before grabbing the handcuffs on the table.

“I apologize, but I need to cuff you.”

Jessica nodded and made her way slowly over to the chair, Tiffany locking her in with one swift movement. Fingers stretching out, Jessica gripped on the ends of the assassin’s clothes, pleading eyes looking up at the apathetic girl.

“Please. Don’t kill again.”

The girl stared at her for a moment before brushing her fingers off, hands gripping around the large case. Jessica watched the dark form leave the condominium and she sighed, a lone tear running down her face.

“Please don’t kill.”

*

“The police have picked up both the targets. They are at the station. Think you can handle it?”

“Who do you think you’re talking to?”

Tiffany lugged the case upwards, a scowl directed over at the man leaning on the car. Yunho grinned and flicked his cigarette onto the floor, the dark haired man regarding Tiffany curiously.

“I’m surprised you haven’t asked whether you can kill the hostage.”

“We agreed that her well being was for you to decide. And for the appropriate price.”

Yunho tilted his head to one side and grinned. “You really have no soul, do you?”

Tiffany shrugged and swung the case over her shoulder for leverage. “Wire transfer to Switzerland as always. Also, double charge for personal retrieval of the drug and another 2 million for the disposal of the girl.”

The grin never left Yunho’s face as he went closer to Tiffany, the man towering over the assassin. “You’ll kill her?”

And sensed hesitation. Grinning at the bluff that the dark haired girl had inevitably let show, Yunho leant back on his car, arms crossing in front of his chest.

“I’ll wire the money tonight. Make sure you have the drug and the body of the girl ready.”

Tiffany nodded stiffly and started to walk away, foot paused in mid air when Yunho spoke again.

“And if you can’t kill the girl, I’ll be sending Junsu over.”

The dark haired girl showed no reaction, merely disappearing into the shadows.

*

“Sit down, Tae. The both of them are under our custody. And as ballsy as this Ghost is, I am sure she wouldn’t storm a police department.”

“Shut up, Yuri. You’re the one with one useless arm.”

TaeYeon shooed Yuri away from her desk and continued to scroll through her computer, Yuri’s head leaning on top of hers as she attempted to make sense of the gibberish on TaeYeon’s computer.

“Are those… bank records?”

TaeYeon nodded absentmindedly. “I had the Jung’s Pharmaceuticals send over the records of their employees.”

“You’re hoping to find someone who has been wiring a huge amount of money?”

“Yes. I may not be able to catch the Ghost but I can sure as hell catch her human master.”

She highlighted a row and grinned. “Gotcha.”

*

YoonA looked up to the abandoned building opposite the police department and saw the glint, the redhead looking over to SooYoung. The taller girl caught her hint and took out her gun, following her boss over to the lift that would take her all the way up to the floor where the glint was. YoonA’s fingers paused in front of the button and the hand retracted, YoonA sighing before taking a step back.

“Yoong?”

YoonA shook her head. “I can’t, Soo.”

“But we took years trying to find her.”

YoonA smiled sadly and shook her head. “I can’t go up there and see it with my own eyes.”

“You realize it’s the exact same thing we do right?”

YoonA’s smile stiffened and she lowered her gaze onto the ground. “Except she started earlier, Soo. I cannot imagine the life she had to go through.”

“You still blame yourself?”

“Yes.”

YoonA looked at the lift doors and walked away. “I cannot imagine the life she had to go through knowing that it was my parents who put her into this position.”

*

Tiffany saw YoonA coming out from the building, the assassin following her movements with the scope. She sighed in relief, knowing that the redhead and the tall girl following her from the back was about to come up but somehow changed their decision; if they hadn’t, Tiffany would’ve had to kill them. She readjusted the scope and scanned the building opposite her, the assassin scoffing at the fact that they put two targets in rooms with windows. Without curtains.

They were underestimating her apparently.

Either that or TaeYeon was issuing a challenge.

She unlatched the safety and aimed, the red dot aim straight for the man’s head. A release of a trigger later, Peter Stevens slumped to the ground, glass shattering all over his dead body, blood oozing from his wound. Knowing that she would have limited time, she turned the gun over to the other window, Robert Hudson glancing around in fear before crawling under the table. Scoffing, she took aim and soon the bullet broke through glass, penetrated the wood and he dropped backwards from the force, eyes glassy and devoid of life as his blood ran free.

Packing away her equipment quickly, she tossed the casing out of the window and into the chasm that was the construction site and got out of there, footsteps echoing against the walls of the stairwell. Outside, she could hear the sounds of sirens and calls of the police as they entered the abandoned building, Tiffany strapping the case onto the motorcycle quickly. She placed the helmet over her head and gunned out of there, ignoring the calls of the men behind her, the vehicle skidding over the turn.

Moments later, she arrived at Peter Stevens house, Tiffany not bothering to remove her helmet as she stole in, making her way to the safe box that Yunho told her about. She spun the combination and it clicked open, the dark haired girl found herself staring at the vial, clear liquid sloshing as she lifted it carefully.

*

“Kill her. Or I will.”

She gripped the gun in her hand tightly, eyes observing the sleeping girl in the chair. She moved over and unlocked the handcuffs, the movement waking up the blonde in the chair, Jessica’s eyes flickering over to the gun in pale hands and the girl backed away, brown eyes staring up at Tiffany with fear.

“Please. Don’t… I promise I won’t say anything.”

Tiffany stared at her and raised her right hand, the click of the safety releasing resonating loudly in the room, Jessica’s heart thumping loudly in her ears. The barrel of the gun was staring at her right in the face, reminiscent of the first time Tiffany had raised a weapon against her. And just like that time, Jessica’s eyes fluttered close and she prayed.

A gun shot rang through the air.

*

“Damn it! We almost had her!”

TaeYeon threw the file across the room and turned towards the police officer near her. “Where is that motorcycle fleeing the scene?”

“We put a BOLO out, ma’am. The units are ou-”

The crackle of the radio filled the air.

“Attention all units. Gunshots were heard at Pitstreet Road, Building Number 3 in which a suspect’s motorcycle seen fleeing the scene is currently located. I rep-”

TaeYeon listened to the address and yelled for Yuri, the tanned girl skidding for the car, gesturing for TaeYeon to get in the driver’s seat. Alongside with the SWAT team, they rushed to the location, TaeYeon and Yuri throwing the car door open, feet taking them into the building.

A gunshot rang through the air.

*

TaeYeon broke down the door and the SWAT team rushed in, a blonde girl lying on the floor, hand grasping around a clear vial. TaeYeon rushed to the girl and checked her pulse, sighing in relief when she found one. Yuri came up behind her and pointed over to the dead body behind them, a dark man holding a rifle with two bullet holes in his body, TaeYeon spotting one on his chest, the other in the middle of his face.

“The Ghost shot him?”

Yuri nodded. “He’s one of the researchers’ men from Jessica’s company. Found his ID card. He was definitely wasn’t planning to die.”

“Yeah, that was pretty careless. He was definitely thinking that he was going to walk away from here.”

Yuri nodded. “How’s Sica?”

“Alive. Thank god.”

Yuri nodded and turned towards the ME taking away the man’s body. “It’s almost as if the Ghost protected her. From him.”

TaeYeon shut her eyes and carried Jessica in her arms. “And I have a sneaking suspicion why. Call Sunny and YoonA to the office. I need to have a word with them.”

Yuri was about to question the other girl when her eyes caught a frame behind Jessica was found near, her eyes making out the nine girls in the picture. Understanding encompassed her and she nodded tightly, fist curling painfully against her thigh.

*

She leant against the wall, waiting for the man to arrive, appearing from the shadows once the familiar looking car came up. She walked up next to the black Mercedes and smiled, Yunho grinning at her before opening his hand. She dropped the vial into his open palm and the man handed over a case, the brunette looking at Tiffany carefully.

“And the girl?”

Tiffany shrugged and opened the case, nodding at the amount in it. “Dealt with.”

“Are you sure?”

Before he could react, Tiffany whipped out a gun and shot him in the chest and head, the assassin blowing at the smoking gun.

“Now I am.”

*

“The police have issued a statement saying that the man behind the killings are dead and the biochemical weapon has been retrieved. The public should not be-”

Click.

Tiffany looked out of the window and tossed the remote onto the floor, grabbing her coat from the chair before leaving, ignoring the incessant beeping that was coming from her coat pocket.

She knows who the caller is anyways.

*

“Hi.”

TaeYeon whipped around to find Stephanie standing there, the dark haired girl looking out of place in the park where they all had once played at, dark coat billowing in the wind. The shorter girl’s heart hurt at the sight of the beauty, Stephanie stepping once again into the shadow, TaeYeon catching sight of the silver gun that was strapped to the other girl’s waist.

She chuckled. “Pretty gutsy of you to bring a weapon while meeting with an officer.”

The dark haired girl shrugged. “I survived this long by being prepared.”

“You don’t trust me?”

“I don’t trust anyone.”

Stephanie’s head turned to her right, the assassin chuckling at the black car waiting for TaeYeon outside the park. “I am going to have to toss this number. You understand that right?”

TaeYeon nodded and sighed. “What happened to you, Steph?”

The dark haired girl’s face hardened and she turned back towards TaeYeon, the brunette feeling the sliver of fear running down her spine.

“It’s called surviving, Tae.”

“And what about the rest of us? YoonA has been searching for you for years. And the rest of us took on our professions just to have a silver of information about you.”

“I am a trained killer, Tae. It doesn’t make for happy reunions.”

“And Jessica? Did you ever for a second think about her?! She loved you!”

The girl did not reply to TaeYeon’s outburst, instead choosing to walk away.

“Stephanie!”

“This is the last time you would be seeing me, Tae. Take care.”

TaeYeon watched helplessly as the assassin walked away from her.

*

Jessica turned her head up to the sky, hand shielding her eyes from the blinding sun. Wanting to be alone for the day, she had escaped from the suffocating grasps of Yuri, TaeYeon and SooYoung, heading to the park that they had frequent as kids.

“Please… Don’t kill me…”

Jessica’s eyes were screwed shut, fingers splayed white on the handle of the chair. She heard the click of the safety and braced herself for the pain and a shot rang out through the night, the blonde opening her eyes confusedly when she didn’t feel pain. She gasped at the turned form of the dark haired girl, Tiffany’s gun aimed directly at the man who was wielding a rifle. She shot again and the man slumped to the ground, a hole in the middle of his forehead, rifle clattering uselessly.

“Give this vial to the people who are coming. Tell them it’s for JuHyun.”

Jessica’s eyebrows scrunched at the sight of the clear vial and the mention of JuHyun. “How do you know Ju….”

She trailed off, brain finally clicking the identity of the familiar girl in front of her. Tiffany smiled and backed away, slinging a huge bag over her shoulder.

“Steph?”

The dark haired girl stopped in her tracks and turned around, a small smile on her face.

“Sorry. You must’ve been mistaken.”

The dark haired girl went back to the blonde and raised her hand.

“I’m sorry.”

Her hand connected with Jessica’s face and the blonde fell to the ground, haze entering her vision, reaching out weakly to the leaving form of the dark haired girl.

“Steph…”

She didn’t blame YoonA or Sunny for keeping the information from her, god knows how much her friends had pampered her after that fateful day when Stephanie Hwang vanished from her life; the blonde was hysterical for the first two months of her disappearance before obsessively trying to find the dark haired girl.

After that day, she had rounded on SeoHyun for Stephanie’s number, only to find out from TaeYeon later that the girl would’ve already dumped the phone, erasing all traces of her in the city.

“Steph. Where are you?”

Unbeknownst to the blonde, a dark haired girl watched her from a mile away, a forlorn smile making its way to her face before she lowered her binoculars.

A ring cut through the silence, pale fingers pressing the green button on the phone.

“Hello.”

A mumble.

“Who’s the target?”

More mumbling.

The dark haired girl sighed. “That’s going to cost you extra.”

Snapping the phone shut, Tiffany tossed the phone into her bag and swung her leg across the motorcycle, sunglasses covering her face.

“Till we meet again, Jessi.”

Ever heard of the story of Beauty and The Beast?

Unless you were stuck in a separate dimension where fairytales were forbidden and should a word of magic and fairies be uttered from your mouth, you would be hanged or beheaded or whatever gruesome death that would await you, you should've heard of it. The charms of a beautiful girl, the entire village falling in love with her yet kept their distance because of her eccentric personality, the village narcissist proclaiming his so called love for said beauty only to be turned down countless of times finishing off with the hatred filled meeting of the beauty and her prince in disguise finally falling in love, battling the countless battles to be together. Happily ever after.

Fairytales were something Jessica Jung never wasted time thinking on.

Why would she? She had everything. The most popular girl in school yet kind and beautiful. On the cheerleading team yet also one of the school's most brilliant students. Surrounded by friends who loved her for who she was but not what she could offer. Boys and girls fell at her feet, each of them wishing to take a little of that glitter that seemed to surround the girl. Yes, Jessica Jung had it all. Until one day when she arrived at school to find almost all of her classmates crowding outside the behind the entrance to the front of the classroom, each of them sticking their ears close to the door. Having entered from the back door, she placed her bag down and walked up to the crowd, tapping her friend's shoulder lightly, SeoHyun turning around to answer the call.

"Unni! You're here!"

"Yes, SeoHyun. What's going on?

SeoHyun pointed excitedly at the door. "We got a new transfer student!"

No wonder they were all so excited. Transfer students were a rare thing in their school, given that they were one of the most prestigious arts high schools in the country. Jessica stood there with an amused expression on her face as she witnessed HyoYeon and SooYoung pushing each other away from the keyhole, the taller girl winning as she pushed HyoYeon's head down, chin resting on the shorter girl's head. The door opened abruptly, causing the front line of people to fall flat on their faces, Jessica stifling a laugh at the principal's face. Their homeroom teacher, Miss Lee Hyori pressed her hand against her mouth, eyes crinkling in amusement as she looked at the scrambling students. The two teachers entered the classroom, followed by a dark haired bespectacled girl whose bangs were long enough to completely hide her right eye, huge white earphones hanging from her neck.

The intricate beauty of the new girl had the entire classroom gasping, the dark haired girl turning to face the class, hand gripping the shoulder bag tightly as her eyes roamed the classroom. The principal cleared his throat loudly as murmurs started to fly around the class. Jessica leant back in her chair, eyes roving up and down the girl, the mysterious aura that surrounded the dark haired girl already peaking her interest. She always did have a thing for the mysterious people. The principal gave some long winded speech about welcoming warmly and something else that Jessica didn't bother to listen. Instead she leant over to the right, hand reaching out to tap Yuri's arm.

"What?"

"She looks interesting."

Yuri smiled somewhat lecherously. "She's hot."

"Kwon Yuri, are you cheating on me with me right beside you?"

YoonA frowned at the other girl playfully. Yuri smacked her loudly on the arm, earning weird looks from their classmates around them, several of them making hushing sounds when the principal glanced ever so slightly at their general direction. All three of them looked away consciously, turning back once the principal said his last words and goodbyes, leaving the classroom in a strut. Miss Lee stuck her tongue out the leaving form of the principal before turning back to her sniggering students.

"Okay, sorry you had to listen to such a long winded speech. But nevertheless, please welcome Miss Tiffany Hwang to the class!"

The students clapped thunderously, waiting for the self introduction from the dark haired girl, many of the guys leaning forwards eagerly. None was forthcoming, Tiffany inspecting her headphones with a bored expression on her face, looking towards Miss Lee when the teacher cleared her throat. Shrugging, she bowed towards the class and looked back at the teacher. Giving up, Miss Lee told her to go to the back of the classroom where a seat was empty next to an excited Sunny, the bubbly practically jumping up and down at the prospect of meeting a new friend. Tiffany walked down the aisle, passing by Jessica, the blonde staring unabashedly at the beautiful form of the transfer student. Her eyes caught a marking on the girl's wrist, the school's blazer sleeve just short enough to make out an intricate tribal tattoo adorning Tiffany's pale wrist.

"Alright class, you got at least half an hour to your next class! Make good use of your time! Hint! Pop quiz the next time I see you!"

The class groaned collectively, Miss Lee leaving them snickering evilly. The moment she stepped out of the classroom, the entire class started talking loudly, some of the braver students walking up towards Tiffany, the girl placing her satchel on the table, pointedly ignoring the somewhat stupid pick up lines some of the guys were giving. She opened her bag, took out a sleek silver Macbook and booted the computer on, eyes trained on the apple on the screen as she blocked out the boys attempts at starting a conversation.

"Where did you last study at?"

"What major are you taking?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but you are extremely beautiful."

Most of them fell silent in shock when Tiffany pulled the headphones from her neck, firmly placing it over her ears, effectively stopping all forms of communication. The rejected students slid back to their seats glumly, muttering back at their friends who were teasing them. Yuri whistled lowly, turning towards her best friend.

"Wow, that was cold."

"Yeah…"

Jessica had never seen someone who was that rude in her life but then again, she never had much of an interaction with people outside of her world. Eyeing the dark haired girl who was tapping her feet to some unheard beat, she watched as Sunny got up from her seat after much discussion with SeoHyun, the short girl bravely prodding the dark haired girl on the shoulder. Tiffany turned towards Sunny, the brunette smiling somewhat shyly at the transfer student. Tiffany slid the headphones off, beats of music blaring softly from the speakers as she eyed the other girl. Sunny stuck her hand out and her smile widening at the somewhat encouraging gesture.

"Hi! My name is Lee Sunny! I am the class vice president."

Tiffany stared intently at the girl for a moment, Jessica leaning over to tell Yuri that Sunny was probably going to get shot down like the rest when the dark haired girl lifted hand from her mouse pad and gripped the offered hand gingerly.

"Hi. My name is Tiffany Hwang." She lowered her head slightly. "Please take care of me."

Her response encouraged SeoHyun to slid out of her seat, the shy girl going up beside Sunny, bowing slightly at the dark haired girl, Tiffany looking somewhat surprised at the arrival of the other girl.

"Seo JuHyun, but you can call me SeoHyun."

At this point, SooYoung, HyoYeon, TaeYeon, YoonA, Yuri and Jessica had all crowded around the girl's table, each of them introducing themselves excitedly as the girl nodded at each of them, lowering her head each time she asked them to take care of her. Jessica smiled as a single thought crossed her mind.

Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

*

Tiffany was one of those eccentric loners in school, the kind that hid behind books and smarts and thick glasses as they avoided social gatherings and disappeared to a corner during lunch, with one small difference. She hid behind the screen of her computer, forever blasting music through those headphones of hers, even during class where headphones and laptop were swapped for earbuds and iPod, head leaning precariously on her hand as she stared at the teacher in front. The only time Jessica ever saw the girl leave the headphones or earbuds off was during their shared instruments class, the girl sitting ip front taking notes vigorously. Besides that, Tiffany kept to herself, Sunny and surprisingly HyoYeon the only two who ever interacted with the dark haired beauty inside and outside class.

Jessica always wondered where Tiffany always go when it was lunch time because the frequent places where loners would go would be the library and the girl wasn't there (she wasn't stalking her or anything, SeoHyun had wanted to return a book during lunch one time and she didn't see that head of dark hair anywhere).

Out of curiosity, she, YoonA and Yuri followed her during class one day, the girl walking up to the rooftop where she sat dangerously near the ledge, laptop balanced on top of her lap as her ever present headphones perched delicately over her ears, one speaker placed slightly behind her right ear like a DJ. They approached her carefully, not wanting to frighten the girl, lest she fall off the ledge, Tiffany turning around with wide eyes when she saw the three of them smiling somewhat meekly at her.

"Hello."

She nodded, bringing her legs back from the ledge, earning a relieved sigh from YoonA, the redhead placing her hand over her heart. "Is there something you wanted?"

Yuri bravely spoke up. "We just wanted to invite you to our table for lunch. We noticed that you were always missing."

She stared at them intently for a few moments. "I eat my lunch up here. It's quieter."

"Yeah, but don't you want to hang out with us?"

Jessica wanted to slap herself at how desperate she sounded. Especially after the way the girl's lips turned down slightly, eyes hardening. "Not really. Cheerleaders aren't really on top of my list of people to hang out with."

Was it bad that Jessica wanted to push the girl off the ledge for stereotyping all three of them into a category? Sure there were some of the teammates that were missing some bolts in the head, but all of them were generally nice people, slightly loud and showy but nice. She scowled, the dark haired girl looking at the three of them with bored eyes. YoonA reached out and grasped at the hand that was hanging loosely from the ledge.

"Come join us for one day. We don't even sit with the cheerleaders, we sit with Sunny and the rest of them."

Tiffany bit her lip as she looked into YoonA's eyes, Jessica's scowl deepening when the girl nodded, YoonA smiling happily as she helped the other girl down from the ledge.

*

Tiffany had something against her. She was sure of it.

The girl didn't talk to her unless it was within the group, usually SooYoung or YoonA dragging her from her spot on the roof towards their lunch table, Sunny lighting up excitedly whenever she saw the girl. Even TaeYeon, the pervert of the group, got away once or twice with patting the other girl on the butt. She had even warmed up at Yuri, self proclaimed Casanova of the group, brushing away the tanned girl's flirtatious comments with a wave of a hand or a small mysterious smile.

Jessica tried everything, from helping the other girl in class when she was stuck to striking up random conversations as an attempt to get closer to the dark haired girl.

She had started looking up on fairytales when Yuri commented that their relationship were like the original Beauty and the Beast, the Beast doing all he can to win Belle's heart, the girl not responding to any of his advances. While she was sure that her feelings towards the other girl was nothing more than friendship, she can't help but compare her situation to Beast, both just as hard and impossible. Except Beast got his happy ending and she was still stranded wondering what she did to alienated the girl.

And she was much much more beautiful compared to the Beast. At least if she was ugly, she had something to blame the lack of interest the other girl showed her.

*

Jessica first realized the depth of her feelings months into the school year, the day she saw Tiffany coming to school, skirt soaking wet as her hands were clamped around an unfamiliar box. The group had gone up to her before she entered the school, stopping her right before the main doors. Her hands tightened around the box, eyes looking at them warily. SeoHyun moved forwards, hands opening the flap of the box when a soft yip was heard. It aroused everyone's curiosity.

A small brown puppy panted happily up at 8 pair of inquisitive eyes. SooYoung squealed for two seconds, jumping up and down with YoonA, Sunny and TaeYeon petting the animal gingerly, aware that it was wet. SeoHyun looked around timidly, aware that animals were not allowed in school. She hung around the back with HyoYeon, the both of them slightly afraid of dogs, even though this one was small. Tiffany edged the box away from them and closed the flap gently.

"Is there anywhere besides my locker where I can hide her?"

TaeYeon scratched her head. "Well… I don't know…"

HyoYeon spoke up eagerly. "I know! I often hide there when I want to skip classes!"

HyoYeon had brought them to a stairwell almost at the opposite end of the school, the part near the auditorium so it was guaranteed to be deserted almost all day. The dancer pushed open a door at the bottom of the stairwell, a well used space filled with a bean bag, a shelf filled with snacks and drinks coupled together with several books and what looks suspiciously like Sunny's Nintendo DS. All nine of them squashed into the small storeroom, barely having space to move about. Tiffany opened the box and the puppy peeked out, tumbling carelessly over the top as it explored the new place. HyoYeon dragged the bean bag over to the shelf, stuffing it viciously into an empty compartment and took out several used newspapers and laid it on the floor. TaeYeon raised an eyebrow at her.

"What? It's an animal, it's bound to make some mess."

Tiffany smiled softly at the puppy chasing its own tail, the emergence of the rare smile had everybody in the room quiet, merely basking in the beauty of a simple thing. Jessica bit her lip and trained her gaze on the floor, somewhat uncomfortable with the way SeoHyun was staring so intently, her eyes catching the slow dripping of water from Tiffany's skirt.

"Tiffany. Why is your skirt wet?"

The dark haired girl turned towards Jessica, eyebrows squishing together creating one of the most adorable sights she had ever seen. "Some elementary kids pushed the box into the pond at the lake nearby. I waded in before it got too far so my entire lower body got soaked."

All eight girls blushed, the same dirty thought entering everybody's mind, Tiffany oblivious to the effect her answer had on them. The dark haired girl moved towards the puppy, cooing softly at the hyperactive animal and Jessica blushed deeper. Somehow, this Tiffany was extremely adorable to the blonde.

Oh damn to motherfcuking hell.

*

Jessica raised her head from her desk after the test, groaning at the complexity and the difficulty of the paper. Around her, students were packing like mad cows to escape the confines of the school, vacation looking in front of them. Tiffany moved past her table, her headphones once again sitting over her ears, sound drowning out the calls of her classmates, the girl striding out almost determinedly. Jessica took her time, not wanting to clash with students at the door when she noticed a black phone sitting on the table three seats behind hers.

Tiffany's table to be exact.

Walking over, she picked up the pink encased Blackberry, hands reaching for the home button. The screen lit up and she was greeted with a sight that she would probably never see in her young life. Tiffany had her arms wrapped tightly around another girl that looked a lot like her, the two dark haired girls smiling into the camera, eyes crinkling into half moons. She smiled at the obviously self taken picture, jumping in her spot when the door slid open loudly. Turning around, she saw Tiffany standing there, breathing heavily as the dark haired girl's eyes travelled to the phone in her hand. She raised her hand in surrender, the other stretching out to give the phone to the other girl.

"I didn- I just found it."

Taking the phone from her, Tiffany lowered her head. "Thank you."

And promptly exited the room without so much of a backwards glance, leaving a hurt Jessica behind. The blonde packed her belongings sullenly, lifting the satchel to her shoulders when raindrops started hitting the window pane softly. Sighing, she extracted her car keys and umbrella, walking quickly to avoid getting drenched under the slowly forming storm. She exited the main doors of the building, about to head for the car park when she noticed Tiffany standing beneath one of the shelters the school had for the younger students to wait at for their parents, the dark haired girl reaching out into the rain as she frowned. Jessica hesitated, almost walking towards the car park.

Her conscience told her to go up to the other girl.

"Hey."

Tiffany looked almost surprised to see Jessica standing there under an umbrella. "Hello."

"Need a ride?"

She gestured behind her to the lone car that was sitting in the car park, half hoping that the girl would say yes, the other half screaming at her for being an idiot for there was bound to be awkward silences and uncomfortable conversations. Tiffany looked at the rain, then over her shoulder towards her car before glancing back down at her watch, biting her lip as she made up her mind.

"You don't mind?"

"Yeah. It's getting pretty heavy and I don't think it's going to stop anytime soon."

Nodding, Tiffany ducked under the umbrella, body pressed close to Jessica to avoid the splatter of rain on either of them. Jessica blushed at their proximity, her sensitive nose picking up the scent of the younger girl, a hint of strawberry underneath the vanilla. Getting into the car quickly, Jessica handed a tissue to the other girl, her hand stretching behind to get another for herself. Wiping the interior of her car down, she started the engine and looked expectantly at the other girl.

"Where to?"

"The hospital please."

Jessica stared for a moment before swallowing. "Erm… which one?"

"Sorry, the Saint Maria's Hospital?"

"The one over at Main's?"

"Yeah that one."

"Alright."

The car ride was silent, the swooping sound of the wipers resonated loudly through the quietness of the car, Jessica practically itching to open her mouth to fill the silence.

"So… what are you doing at the hospital?"

Apparently her mouth has a brain of its own.

Tiffany didn't answer, merely continued staring out of the window as she fiddled with the device in her hand, her phone lighting up occasionally with a message alert on the screen. Jessica sighed softly and ignored the pang of rejection in her chest and silently maneuvered the car through the traffic, the rain making the jam all the worse. The normally short car ride took twice as long, the silence stretching out making it seem like it took them ten years just to get to a building that was about a 15 minute walk from their school. Right at the entrance of the hospital, Jessica put the car into neutral and looked over at Tiffany, the girl picking up her bag silently from the floor. Hand on the car handle, the girl stopped in her motions as if battling with herself before turning back towards Jessica.

"Want to come up with me?"

*

Jessica followed the other girl awkwardly through the hallway, nurses greeting Tiffany as though she was a regular there, although the way she maneuvered through the hallway probably meant she spent a lot of time here. They took the elevator up to the 5th floor, Jessica greeted by a colorful wall that looked out of place in the sanitized building, the blonde looking around curiously as she was led by Tiffany into another room. Once inside, she saw children, most of them looking sickly as they played in a common area, beds to the side.

"Unni!"

Tiffany's face broke out into a smile, almost blinding Jessica with its brilliance as she crouched down to receive a hug from a whirling tornado of a kid. A dark haired girl, Jessica recognized her from the display picture from Tiffany's phone, was practically wringing Tiffany's neck as she jumped up and down excitedly. Tiffany laughed, the sound unfamiliar to the blonde's ears, Jessica looking at the girl up and down to check whether she had managed to lose Tiffany in the midst of the enormous hospital and the being in front of her was a clone of sorts.

"Nicole, meet Jessica. She's a friend from school."

Nicole released Tiffany and hugged Jessica's legs fiercely. "Hi!"

Jessica pat the girl on the head awkwardly, looking somewhat helplessly at the dark haired girl who had remained crouching. Tiffany shot a small smile at her and gently pulled the hugging girl from her legs.

"Nic, why don't you go get unni the guitar? Unni will start soon."

Nicole nodded once and ran off, calling for the other kids as well as going off in search of the guitar. Jessica stared after her, unable to shake off the physical appearance that was so similar to the girl next to her. Tiffany straightened up and adjusted her satchel.

"I play music for them."

"Huh?"

"You asked me what I do here. I volunteer here. And everyday I come here to play some music for them."

"Are they all…"

"Most of them have leukemia, I think that girl over there has brain cancer. They say laughter can cure any disease."

Tiffany smiled softly at the playing children. "I am trying to prove that it can."

"And Nicole is…"

"My half sister. My parents are divorced. Nic has some kind of heart disease."

"Unni, unni!"

Nicole ran up to them, dragging behind her a guitar that was entirely too big for her to carry. Tiffany reached over and plucked the guitar out of her hands, thanking the girl softly. Soon, children began crowding around them, most of them hugging Tiffany tightly as the girl addressed each and every one of them by name, while introducing Jessica at the same time. After a while, they settled down, all of them sitting cross legged on the floor, Tiffany pulling Jessica down to join them. She laid the guitar on her lap and turned to Jessica.

"Your major is singing right?"

"Yeah."

"Could you… you know sing for them?"

Jessica hesitated, taking in the pleading look in the other girl's eyes. "What song?"

Tiffany didn't answer but began strumming out the familiar tune of an old song.

All I hear is raindrops… falling on the rooftop…

*

The first time Jessica asked Tiffany out was right after their summer break and they had gathered at SeoHyun's house, the youngest throwing a before school starts party for all nine of them.

She was rejected.

The girl who had everything, perfect school life, the blonde cheerleader, the perfect grades, the perfect friends was turned down by something she really wanted for the first time in her life.

"Why?"

"I'm sorry. But… I…"

It was clear that Tiffany didn't have any good excuse for rejecting her, the dark haired girl keeping her eyes on the ground as her hands wrung the material of her shirt. Jessica picked up sounds of breathing behind her, the two of them having moved outside for privacy, and YoonA's shushing noise rang through the night. Jessica bit her lip hard, eyes forming tears and she turned away walking past her saddened group of friends. Yuri ran after her, hand rubbing up and down her back as the tanned girl comforted her friend.

"Hey… Don't give up… It's not the end of the world yet."

"Bu-but… Why? I … I don't get it…"

Yuri's motions slowed as she thought of her response carefully. "Maybe… maybe you haven't done anything to make her like you in that way yet."

*

Few months after that disastrous first proposal, Tiffany was called from their shared music class to the principal's office, the dark haired girl's face taking on an almost devastated expression as she walked out of the classroom slowly. Two hours later, she came back to class, eyes red, nose running as she pressed the sleeve of her blazer to her mouth. She sped towards her seat, avoiding all the concerns that was directed towards her and jammed her earbuds into her ears, head hiding in her arms.

Lunch time rolled around and eight worried girls crowded around her table when Tiffany did not surface from her arms.

Sunny reached out and shook the girl gently. "Fany?"

The dark haired girl was silent for a moment before emerging from her position, eyes redder than before, fresh tear tracks visible on her face. "I'm okay. Don't worry."

It was a stupid statement, how can they not worry when there were clear visible proof that she wasn't okay. Sunny pushed the other girl slightly to the side, sitting down at the space created and side hugged the girl, Tiffany hesitating before leaning against the other girl, form trembling as she tried her best not to cry again. Jessica reached out and clasped the other girl's hand, Tiffany squeezing almost on reflex as she was surrounded by her friends.

They stayed like that for the rest of their lunch period, not even SooYoung was complaining over the lack of food entering her stomach.

*

"Jessica?"

Jessica looked back at the other girl, Tiffany gripping her bag almost painfully, knuckles splayed white as she looked down at her shoes. "Yes?"

"I know I shouldn- Could you please come with me to the hospital?"

Tiffany never told any of them what happened that made her cry like that, most of them assuming that a boy had broke her heart but Jessica knew better. She knew it had something to do with the kids at the hospital (her mind went straight to a certain kid but she refused to let her mind cement that conclusion) and it looks like she was right. She smiled and opened her hand, Tiffany looking up in surprise.

"Come, your carriage awaits."

The car ride was just as silent as the first time, but it wasn't uncomfortable, Tiffany still staring at their intertwined hands, Jessica unable to let go of the hand she had so long wanted. It was a bonus that her touch serves as a comfort tool for the other girl. They reached the hospital and Tiffany made no move to exit the car when Jessica was parked and ready. She stared at the vast compound of the parking lot and knocked her head slowly against the window.

"Hey…"

"I don't want to go."

Jessica kept quiet, waiting for the other girl to go on.

"I know… I know that death was inevitable for those children, that it was something unavoidable but… But I truly believed that my music was able to help them. I don't want to go in there … go in there and face the inevitability that one day… one day the call I would receive would not be from a crying parent who was thankful I was there for their child but the nurse telling me that… that Nicole didn't make it."

She knocked her head against the window again. "I don't want that…"

Jessica squeezed the hand in hers comfortingly. "And you won't get it. You know why?"

She reached over and pulled the other girl towards her, hand touching her chest where her heart lies. "Because no matter what, those children, the ones you sang for, they didn't die. They will always live as long as you continue to remember them in you heart, as long as every song you sing is for them."

Tiffany stared at her for a while and nodded, mouth tight as her eyes began watering again.

"Thank you, Jessi."

*

Jessica soon made it a habit to accompany Tiffany to the hospital whenever she could, the blonde just being there for the dark haired girl. Although Tiffany never voiced it, she knew that the other girl was grateful for her presence, Tiffany still finding it hard to look at a certain spot where Diane was supposed to sit, the seven year old singing along to every song that Tiffany would sing even though she didn't know the lyrics. She was soon as welcomed as the dark haired girl, even having favorites among the children, her number one would of course be Nicole.

She was still chasing after her sister. Even if it was a fruitless, tiring chase.

Nicole bounced on her lap as Tiffany strummed Bruno Mars' Just The Way You Are for some of the younger children, low husky voice filling the room and sending shivers down Jessica's back. The blonde couldn't quite believe that the other girl's major was not singing but instead professional Deejaying. The girl had a great sense of rhythm that was undeniable, but the blonde couldn't quite grasp the notion of hiding that wonderful, emotion filled voice from the world.

Then again, attention was something that Tiffany hated.

Nicole tugged on her shirt for her attention and she bent down, ear ready for whatever the young girl had to whisper in her ear.

"Unni!"

She thinks her eardrum blew out from that scream. She made a mental note never to do that to Yuri or TaeYeon ever again.

"Unni! Will you be marrying Fany unni?"

The guitar strums stopped in mid note, the dark haired girl blushing deep to her roots, something that Jessica have not witnessed, but she was sure the same blush was adorned on her face. She shushed the younger Hwang but to no avail, the girl chattering away as she jumped off her lap, skipping towards Tiffany who was completely red from the young girl's statements.

"Mummy said that you two look extremely cute together! Nic thinks so too! Nic wants Jessi unni as her sister!"

If possible, Tiffany's face turned even redder.

*

Junior Prom was rolling around.

And Jessica was bombarded with date requests every day.

Except from the one girl that she wanted to receive it from.

She decided her role in this fairytale would be the Beast and marched up to the other girl, prom tickets in hand and placed it in front of Tiffany's face, ignoring the cat calls from YoonA and Yuri.

"Be my prom date?"

Tiffany shook her head and pushed her hand away. "I can't."

How much heartbreak can Jessica take? She doesn't know but it would seem that two rejections were enough for her at the rate her heart was hurting. Nodding tightly, she turned around only to stop in her tracks when the husky voice rang out again.

"But you can visit me at the DJ booth. I will be there all night."

She decided that her heart was bipolar, as with her mouth because one organ was fluttering at the small, mischievous smile that was painted on the dark haired face, the other moving in ways that had her cringing when she thought back to it.

"And I'll be dancing next to the DJ. All night."

*

Several hours into the prom, Jessica decided on two things.

One, she had made the right decision to wear flats to the prom.

Two, DJ Tiffany looked absolutely delicious spinning those turn tables.

The mystery of why the girl was forever with her headphones on was solved when the girl had blasted out remixes that had Jessica tingling everywhere, HyoYeon and SooYoung busting out some ridiculously cool looking dance moves on the dance floor, Yuri and YoonA had gone off somewhere to ease the ache between their legs, SeoHyun dancing together with TaeYeon and Sunny. At times, Tiffany's voice would ring out through the microphone, the huskiness of her baritone melding in gorgeously with the bass and beats of her mixes that had everybody going nuts.

Jessica slithered up to the booth, Tiffany smiling the biggest smile she had ever seen decorating the girl's face and she waved a hand at the blonde, one hand on her headphones, the other pressing some buttons on her computer. A new song rang out, screams of joy was heard from the crowd and Tiffany took off the headphones, raking her hand sexily through her hair and she grinned at Jessica, the blonde not able to take her eyes off the exposed toned stomach, Tiffany sporting a tight tank top with black skinny jeans and boots.

"My eyes are up here, Jessica."

She snapped up, sighing in relief when she saw the teasing smile on the other girl's face. "You're such a tease."

Humming over the blaring music, Tiffany sauntered over to the girl and plucked at the hem of her dress, Jessica sporting a tight black tube dress that showed off her shoulders with her hair coming down in light waves.

"Too little cloth."

"Says the girl who is exposing her stomach to the rest of the world."

Tiffany grinned. "Touche."

Just by looking at their clothes, you would expect Jessica to be the girl, be Belle and Tiffany to be the dashing prince, if it wasn't for one small detail. Jessica was the one sweating like a prepubescent boy, swallowing at the sight of skin and the damp feeling down in her thong as Tiffany moved to the beat almost unconsciously. A sudden burst of courage, she pulled the DJ towards her and pressed herself flush against the girl. She placed her mouth next to Tiffany's ear, grinning when she felt the other girl's heart skip a beat.

"Allow me a dance?"

Nodding, Tiffany looped her hands around the other girl's neck, the two of them started moving to the beat. Tiffany closed her eyes, the dark haired girl losing herself in the music, Jessica getting ridiculously turned on every time they had skin contact.

Maybe a dance was a bad idea.

Opening one eye, Tiffany leant forwards and brushed their noses together, a soft whisper audible over the loud noise.

"Relax. We'll figure us out later. Just have fun."

*

Later meant Tiffany and her alone in the DJ booth, prom long over and Jessica watching as Tiffany packed her equipment away into silver cases, the girl's muscles flexing with every effort made.

This was not good for her underwear.

"Jessi?"

"Yes?"

She hated the squeak in her voice that she knew Tiffany had heard, the girl placing the case down before walking towards the blonde. Tiffany gently tucked a stray hair behind the blonde's ears.

"I had a great time tonight."

Jessica didn't know how she almost gyrated the other girl equate to Tiffany having a great time, but she wasn't complaining. "Me too."

Tiffany giggled and shook her head. "You're incredibly dense."

"What?"

The girl shook her head again and moved back towards her things, lifting up the cases with some effort as Jessica stood there wondering what she meant. Tiffany strode past her, parting with a sentence.

"That was an invitation for a kiss, you babo."

*

She had caught the other girl just as she was about to load her things into her car boot, Tiffany jumping up in surprise when cold hands snuck around her midriff, cases dropping heavily into her car's posterior end.

"Jessi!"

Jessica wasted no time and pressed their lips together, Tiffany relaxing as soon as lip touched lip. It was a soft kiss, but one that had Jessica begging for more, her body yelling at her to ravage the girl in front of her.

Her brain thought of something else entirely,

"Tiff? Be mine?"

*

Jessica never believed in fairytales.

Why would she? She had everything. The most popular girl in school yet kind and beautiful. On the cheerleading team yet also one of the school's most brilliant students. Surrounded by friends who loved her for who she was but not what she could offer. Boys and girls fell at her feet, each of them wishing to take a little of that glitter that seemed to surround the girl. Yes, Jessica Jung had it all.

Until Tiffany Hwang came into her life, headphones and bored expressions, the girl with a heart of gold underneath the uncaring exterior.

She played with the lock of hair that was splayed over her pillow, giggling at the sleeping face of her girlfriend, Tiffany sleepily face palming her to shut her up.

"Go to sleep, Jessi."

Jessica Jung never believed in fairytales because there were no princes on white horses or cursed princes who awaited that kiss of true love.

Jessica believed in them simply because the fact that Tiffany Hwang was part of her life.

''''''''''''''''''''''

The First Time Jessica Laid Eyes on Stephanie.

September 4th, 2003. (Stephanie is 15, Jessica is 15)

Stephanie stepped into the hall, hands wringing together in nervousness as her eyes scanned the place for any familiar faces. Her eyes spot TaeYeon in the corner, her roommate talking animately with some unknown strangers, the girl lifting her hand up in a wave before returning to the conversation at hand. She wasn't that bothered at the girl's reaction, she was more interested in finding that one girl that had made coming to Korea all the more worth it.

Soon her eyes landed on a beautiful brunette, Jessica standing with a group of friends, a smile adorning her face. Smiling along, Stephanie could hardly contain her excitement as a sentence rip from her throat.

"American girl!"

Jessica winced at the sight of her, the cold look that seeped onto her face cutting deep into Stephanie's chest. She continued smiling, nodding politely to the hazel haired girl that had come up to talk to her.

She'll come to you when she is ready. Stephanie remembered the words that was said to her.

*

The First Time Stephanie Met Jessica.

June 16th, 1995. (Stephanie is 6, Jessica is 35)

Jessica opened her eyes and found herself in an extremely pink room, complete with Care Bears and fluffy unicorns as decorate and she knew that she was in Stephanie's room. Feeling self conscious over her naked self, she reached out and grabbed the first fabric she had seen, the pink towel that hung neatly over the bed post, shuddering slightly at the innate amount of pinkness in the room. She looks around and sees the lack of a huge calendar and concludes that this is a time before she has met with Stephanie, hence the lack of clothes or the presence of the girl. While contemplating to move out of the room before someone discovers a naked woman in a towel in a child's room, the door swung open, a young Stephanie Hwang trotting in happily as her hands clutch at a pink bear.

The blonde knows that bear. It sits on her living couch many years in the future, less pink, more grey.

Stephanie doesn't notice her presence at first, the girl shutting the door loudly as she pranced up and down, obviously excited about something. When she did however, she stopped in her tracks, her young face scrunching up and tears welled up in her eyes.

"WAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!"

Jessica panicked, never really good with children as she went forwards to shush the young girl. Her touch did not do a thing, the girl backing away from her as her cries became more hysterical. Jessica knows that if she didn't do something to shut the girl up, she would be facing with a very angry mother and possibly a night in jail.

She started singing.

It worked. After a couple of stanzas of Star, Star, Star, Stephanie calmed down, her eyes red from crying and the little girl regarded her curiously, fingers picking at the bear in her hands.

"You sing pretty."

Jessica smiled softly, hand petting the girl's head. "Thank you, Steph."

The little girl tilted her head in confusion. "How do you know my name?"

"I just do."

"Who are you, auntie?"

Anger flared up just as quickly as it died down, Jessica shaking her head internally as she scolded herself for being so petty, her smile becoming a little forced as she answered the girl.

"I am not auntie, little one. My name is Jessica."

"Mummy said to call anyone older than me auntie. She says it's polite."

Her eyebrow twitched. "Well, Stephanie. What do you call your friends?"

"I call Stacy Stacy. And Beryl Berry!"

"Exactly. I am a friend. Would you call your friend auntie?"

Stephanie shook her head happily. "Nope!"

"So you call me?"

"Jessi!"

"That's better."

Jessica seated herself on the carpeted floor, Stephanie staring curiously at her.

"Jessi, how did you get here?"

"I just appeared."

"Like magic?"

"No, honey. I am a time traveller."

"What's a time traveller?"

Jessica stopped for a moment, finding words to explain to a 6 year old child. "I come from the future. But I can go to other places."

"Oooohhh. Like ET?"

First she calls her old, now she is saying she is a wrinkled alien?

"Yes, something like ET."

"Oooohhh. Cool."

Stephanie seated herself in front of the woman, head resting on the pink bear in her arms as she regarded the older girl carefully. "Jessi, why are you wrapped in my towel?"

"I was naked."

"Why were you naked?"

"Because I can't take my clothes with me when i travel."

"Ooohh. But wouldn't that be very cold?"

"It would."

Her eyes widened and they tear up once more. Jessica panicked again, wondering if she said something to have hurt the girl.

"I am going to my mummy's closet now, to find something for you. You're too tall Jessi, you won't fit in my clothes."

Jessica caught the girl by the arm and stopped her, her hold on reality already slipping.

"It's okay. I have to go anyways."

"Already?"

Stephanie pouted, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Yes. But I'll come back."

"When?"

Jessica looked around and spotted a pink diary on the bed. Reaching out, she took the book and unhooked the pencil attached to it. Flipping to an empty page, she wrote down in large font JUNE 20TH, AFTER LUNCH. She gives it to the girl, Stephanie regarding it seriously and she nodded.

"I'll ask mummy for some clothes so you wouldn't be cold, Jessi."

"But you can't tell her that I come here, okay?"

"Why?"

"It's a secret between friends."

"Okay."

She nodded solemnly, detaching one of her arms around the bear to hold out her pinkie to me. I looped mine with hers and shook it.

"There. It's a promise. Don't break it."

"Promise!"

She disappears.

*

February 23, 2024. (Stephanie is 35, Jessica is 35)

A thump resonated loudly through the room, jolting the sleeping girl on the bed awake. Stephanie reached out to turn on the bedside lamp, surprised to see a very naked Jessica smiling bashfully at her. Understanding dawned on her sleep addled brain, she returned the smile.

"Where did you go this time, love?"

She pouted at the dark haired girl and made her way under the blankets, her cold feet eliciting a squeal from Stephanie. "You called me auntie."

One look from her wife's face told her that she did not remember a thing.

"Wha?"

"I saw you when you were six."

A grin tugged at Stephanie's lips and she tapped Jessica's nose playfully.

"You do realize that is a bit pedophiliac right?"

"Shut up."

Jessica erased the smirk that was painted on the paler girl's face with a kiss, hands roaming under the blankets.

*

June 20th, 1995. (Stephanie is 6, Jessica is 33)

Stephanie trotted along the hallway towards her parents' bedroom, hand holding her mother's, the older woman amused at the little girl's insistence of borrowing some of her old clothes so she could dress her Care Bears up. Picking out several cardigans, as well as pants and a single dress shirt, Stephanie put the clothes carefully into a bag, thanking her mother happily before bouncing off to her room, her mother smiling and shaking her head at the hyperactive girl. Her sister's head popped out of her room momentarily, catching the whirlwind that was Stephanie Hwang and the older girl shook her head, retreating back in her room.

Placing the bag on the floor, the girl sat on her bed waiting patiently for her new friend. Soon enough, Jessica dropped in the room, eyes shut from the impact of hitting the floor. Stephanie laughed at the appearance of the older girl, jumping off the bed and running towards Jessica, engulfing her in a hug.

"Yay! You came!"

Nodding, Jessica slowly pulled the other girl's hands away. "I should put on some clothes first, don't you think?"

"Yes! Lookie! I got these from mummy!"

Thanking the young girl, Jessica pulled on the dress shirt and the pants, grateful that she didn't have to sit naked in Stephanie's room.

"You did very well with the clothes, Steph."

The girl beamed at her, eye smile on full blast. "I tried my best!"

"I know. Can you tell me something else?"

"Yep!"

"What date is it today?"

"June 20th! Mummy says it's 1995!"

"Thank you!"

Stephanie tilted her head to the side. "How come you don't know the date, Jessi? You told me you would come back today."

Jessica paused for a moment, eyebrows furrowed together as she tried to find words that would explain her situation to a 6 year old.

"Steph. You like movies right?"

"Yes! Little Mermaid is my favorite!"

"Right. So when you watch a movie, you go from the beginning to the end right? You don't watch from the middle then go to the beginning and then the end right?"

"Right!"

"But it's different for me. I can suddenly appear where Prince Eric is fighting the big bad Ursula and then suddenly find myself singing with Ariel on the rock."

"Ohhhhh."

"Yes. So I get confused a lot, so I have to ask."

"Oooohhhh."

Stephanie nodded happily and started tugging the girl's sleeve.

"Would you stay tonight? I wanna show you to mummy! She would be happy that I made a new friend."

Jessica was a bit worried on how short Stephanie's attention span was. She made a note to ask her Stephanie whether she was diagnosed with ADD when she was younger.

"Remember our promise?"

"Promise?"

"It's a secret remember? Time travelers aren't really supposed to let anyone know that we can move around."

"But I know."

"You are very special to me."

"Really?"

The smile that Stephanie gave to the older woman had Jessica going weak in the knees and she had to slap herself for her reaction, causing the younger girl to look at her weirdly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. Quite."

A deep voice rang through the room, her father's footsteps audible through the door. Stephanie glanced at the door worriedly, then back at her new friend, Jessica waving at her.

"I'll be back. Don't worry."

"Really? When? I'll put it down there!"

She pointed to a pink Hello Kitty calendar, Jessica smiling at its existence. She gently picked up the small girl, and made her way towards the calendar, Stephanie grabbing the marker that was hanging from the wooden board.

"Here. Put it here."

Stephanie nodded and marked the date JUNE 25TH with a smiley. Her father's calls resonated loudly and she jumped from her hands, waving goodbye to Jessica and ran out of the room. Jessica closed the door silently and laid on the bed till it was time for her to go.

*

February 16th, 2005 (Jessica is 15 and 17)

"She annoys the crap out of me!"

Jessica continued ranting, her double from the future sitting on her bed, looking at her bored, the girl checking out her painted nails every once in a while, looking up to see whether younger Jessica was done before looking back down at her hands.

"And she assumes like she knows EVERYTHING about me!"

Jessica huffed and turned towards the bed, the Jessica from the future laying face down on the bed, snoring away slightly. Shrieking, she landed a punch on the girl's back, the sleeping Jessica jolting up awake and glaring at the younger girl.

"WHAT is your problem!"

"Listen to me!"

"I am you! I already know what you are going to say!"

"STILL!"

The brunette huffed again and folded her arms, tapping her foot impatiently at the older girl, Jessica swinging her legs over her bed. The older girl sighed and looked wearily at the younger girl, Jessica standing up and stretching.

"There's nothing I can say that would help you with Stephanie."

"Why? You are like from the future, you can tell me what I can do to avoid her! Seriously, she is like grating on my last nerve."

"I can't tell you anything, Jessica."

"Why not?! You get irritated with her too, I know!"

"It wouldn't make a difference. We are not superheroes, we can't affect the future. What I tell you won't matter, because the only time we can change is the present."

Jessica shook her head wearily and started stripping, handing the younger girl her jeans and shirt.

"Just… be tolerant. Okay?"

Before the younger Jessica could do anything, Jessica disappeared in front of her eyes.

*

August 8th, 2001 (Stephanie is 12, Jessica is 34)

"I win!"

Stephanie placed the cards down, a triumphant smile adorning her face as she wiggled her hands in the air in victory. Jessica smiled softly and placed her cards face down, piling the other girl's cards with hers and started shuffling again. The little brunette started humming a song, the tune striking Jessica as familiar.

"Heaven?"

"Yeah! You know it?"

Jessica smiled fondly, her head shaking. "Yeah. One of my favorites."

"Really?"

The sparkle in the brown eyes had Jessica smiling brightly, her hand reaching out to ruffle the younger girl's hair.

"Jessi?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is Heaven your favorite song?"

Her hands slowed down, her teeth clamping over her tongue to stop the answer from automatically coming out.

"It's… an important song."

"Why?"

She forgotten how inquisitive children were. "It was during a point in time where I finally realized I've met my most important person in the world."

She didn't expect her answer to have such an effect on the small girl, but Stephanie visibly deflated and her eyes casted downwards, a habit born from not wanting to show weakness after her mother's death.

"Oh."

Jessica reached forwards and tilted the other girl's head up. "What's wrong, sweetie?"

"I just thought I was your most important person."

*

September 26th, 2008 (Tiffany is 19, Jessica is 26)

Jessica landed heavily onto the bed, looking up to see herself in SeoHyun's and Tiffany's room. Sighing in relief, she ducked under the bed, finding the familiar bag of clothes that Tiffany always had ready for her and pulled out several clothing. As she was dressing, the door opened and a red eyed Tiffany stepped in, the girl stopping her sniffles the moment she saw the blonde in the room.

"J-Jessi?"

"Hey."

Tiffany's eyes widened and she ran to the bedside table, pulling out her diary and flipping through the pages. Landing on the date she wanted, she started bowing to the other girl.

"Ohmygod, I am so sorry! I totally forgot that you were going to be here!"

Jessica pulled up the zipper of her jeans and stared at the younger girl, her eyes searching carefully.

"You're crying."

It was more of a statement, Jessica remembering what she did that day, she had after all lived it, but she was waiting for the other girl to come forth with her problems.

"I'm not."

Of course, there is Tiffany's stubborn streak. "You know that I know when you're lying, Tiff."

Tiffany picked at the stray thread at the end of her jumper, her hair covering her face as she looked down. Jessica moved forwards, heads outstretched towards the other girl, only to have the brunette back away quickly. Feeling slightly hurt, she peered downwards, seeing the tears that she had caused dripping down slowly.

"Hey."

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?"

Wiping at her face, she forced a smile and motioned for the other girl to go to her bed.

"I'm just… a bit off today."

Jessica frowned, her hands grasping at the other girl's, frown deepening when the other girl pulled away.

"Could… could you please not?"

"Not what, Tiff?"

"Call me that, touch me. You're not MY Jessica."

"What are you talking about? I am!"

Tiffany looked up, eyes tearing again. "No. You have your Tiffany somewhere in the distant future. I can't take that away from her. Not when I know how much it hurts having the person you love most be taken away by someone else."

"You're Tiffany!"

"I'm the Tiffany from now, where Jessica hates me. Your Tiffany from the future is with you, happy and loved."

She looked away, knees drawing up to her chest. "We're two different individuals. So stop. Okay?"

Jessica looked at her helplessly, half wanting to run out of the room to give her double a piece of her mind.

"I can't have my hopes up anymore. It hurts too much."

*

April 16th, 2016 (Tiffany is 27, Jessica is 19)

Jessica dropped heavily onto the floor, her eyes taking in the unfamiliar place surrounding her. She is indoors, that's one thing she was thankful for. She stood up, her gaze landing on a picture that seemed unlikely to her. Tiffany had her arms wrapped tightly around an older version of her, the two of them smiling happily on a beach in front of a sunset. Tearing her gaze away, she found a pair of shorts and a really big T shirt on a bed and she quickly pulled it on. Turning the doorknob, she found herself in an intricate hallway, leading towards a living room as she walked her way down the hall, pictures adorning each side of the wall, the same two person in each portrait, occasionally with familiar faces, albeit a little older.

She took a look around the living room, a familiar dark haired woman sitting on the couch with a book on her lap, coffee cup in her hands. Stumbling slightly, the noise caught the attention of the woman, Tiffany Hwang ten years older looking up and smiling at her.

"Ah… I was wondering when you would be here."

"You were?"

The smile became a little more mysterious. "I always wonder, Jessi."

It was disconterting, finding that smile directed at her when just a few moments ago, she was making that same face cry in front of her. As if reading her thoughts, Tiffany placed the cup down on the coffee table in front of her and she closed her book.

"You came from that day then?"

"What day?"

Her tone was sharp, her manner was as cold as her nickname, but it didn't fazed the dark haired woman in front of her. Tiffany brushed her bangs away from her face, fingers lingering over her eyes before it returned to her awkwardly crossed legs on the couch, a small laugh exiting her mouth.

"The day that you yelled at me that you were straight and that there was no way that you would turn gay and even if you did, it would be for someone les irritating and hotter than me? Oh, and that you already had a boyfriend that is extremely successful and is currently in DBSK."

The smile playing on Tiffany's face hurt her heart and she looked elsewhere, a decision she regretted, eyes landing straight on a wedding photo above the television. Jessica's arms immediately folded in front of her chest, a defense mechanism from young.

"We're… married?"

"Life partners."

"This is wrong."

"Who said?"

"People. The bible."

"People are unusually small minded and I believe that I am a little more religious than you are, no matter what time zone you are in. The bible preaches love. Not hate."

The brunette kept quiet, her fingers gripping hard at her arms. Tiffany sighed and picked up her cup again, sipping the cold liquid slowly.

"You should drink more orange juice by the way."

"Wha- what?"

Jessica wanted to ask a lot more, like what happened after the fight, her boyfriend, her life, TaeYeon and the rest, but her vision was already blurring, her visit to the future cut short.

"Don't let me wait too long. I'm not that patient."

Those were the last words that Jessica heard.

*

September 26th, 2008 (Tiffany is 19, Jessica is 19)

Jessica stepped out of her room, still slightly disorientated from the recent time leap and she walked towards the kitchen, throat parched and calling for water. When she was done, she made her way slowly to the living room, soft voices coming from the usually noisy room.

She wasn't prepared for the sharp pain that had pierced through her heart at the sight on the sofa.

Tiffany was sitting between Sunny and TaeYeon, the two girls hugging the red eyed girl as they whispered into the brunette's ears, the girl occasionally cracking up a small smile at their words. The girl looked up from her position, eyes widening at the sight of Jessica, the other brunette staring at her with wide eyes.

"Jessi?"

Maybe it was the way TaeYeon was holding the girl so protectively or the way Sunny was caressing her brown locks. But whatever it was, Jessica didn't think it justified the words that came out from her mouth.

"Didn't take you long to find some other people to corrupt huh?"

It was regret that filled her chest when Tiffany's eyes immediately started watering, the girl fanning at her face to prevent the onslaught of tears. TaeYeon stood up, face contorted with anger as she pointed at the girl.

"JUNG SOOYEON! THAT WAS OUT OF LINE!"

"Taetae, please stop."

TaeYeon's anger melted away, Tiffany clutching at her shirt desperately, her eyes telling Jessica to leave before something bad happens. She took the escape route provided, leaving behind the three girls.

Her own heart burned.

*

April 18th, 2009 (Jessica is 20, Tiffany is 19)

It was her birthday and everybody had celebrated with her before she had to go out with JaeJoong for another celebration. The small but select party with the boy (meaning two people only) was sweet and romantic, but there was still something nagging at her chest as she kissed him before retiring to her apartment, leaving a smirking DBSK member who had just gone to third base with her that night.

She entered the apartment to find Tiffany staring at the TV with dead eyes, those eyes directed at her when she came through the door.

"Oh. You're awake."

She nodded and switched off the TV, uncrossing her legs as she slipped off the couch.

"I am. Couldn't sleep,but now, I am going to bed."

She realized what was nagging at her the whole night. Tiffany hasn't given her a present yet and even if she was unwilling to admit it, the girl always surprised her pretty well every year since they've met and she was looking forwards to this year's gift.

"Oh."

"Goodnight, Jessica."

"Wait."

Jessica bit her lip nervously, Tiffany looking expectantly at her. How did one demand a present from a friend?

"Were you waiting up for me?"

She mentally smacked herself at the stupidity of her question, cursing at her tongue for moving in ways she didn't want it to.

"No."

The short haired girl walked away, her arms folding over her chest.

"I told you before. I am done doing things for people who don't appreciate them."

The whisper was soft, but in the silence of the room, Jessica heard it loud and clear. Feet moving to catch the other girl, she was met with a dead look in Tiffany's eyes as the girl stood in front of her room, hand on the handle.

"Hold on."

The girl disappeared in the room, returning with a small white envelope in her hands.

"Happy birthday. Sorry. I didn't have time, so I just got a card."

She thrust the card into Jessica's hands, closing the door with a click on the blonde's face. Jessica looked down at the card, the intricate words that made up her name printed nicely on paper, but it was crudely done, as if little thought went into it and the writer merely placed something down as to give something to her. She tore open the envelope, pulling out the card, the card itself was nothing special. Opening the flap, she was greeted by a Polaroid of her with the rest of the girls, the one time on Hello Baby that Tiffany was missing when she was there, a small happy birthday written below the picture.

Her heart twisted at the lack of hearts that usually accompanied the signature.

*

July 16th, 2009 (Jessica is 21)

She was confused as to find herself in their living room, having being sure that she felt the world shifting moments ago. Looking down, she was naked and that confirmed that she did indeed traveled.

"Clothes to your right, in case you haven't noticed.

She was surprised at the sound of TaeYeon's voice ringing through the room. Blushing, she quickly pulled on the shorts and shirt, her eyes avoiding TaeYeon's, making a mental note to scream at Tiffany the next time she sees her, Tiffany being the only one that knows about her condition, seeing that her future self always paid a visit to the girl.

"Don't yell at Tiffany. I read her diary."

"How did yo-"

"You had that look on your face."

Frowning, she sat down on the sofa, eyes glaring at the kid leader.

"So what are you doing here?"

"I told her that I know and that I wanted to be the one that greets you the next time you come."

"She agreed?"

"Are you really that surprised?"

Falling silent, Jessica shook her head. Tiffany had been avoiding her in personal settings, displays of affection beginning and ending in front of a camera or when they were on a stage. TaeYeon sighed and plopped herself down on the couch, bangs fluttering slightly from the wind.

"What are you doing, Sica?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me."

"I'm not."

Growling, TaeYeon prodded the girl in the chest. "You. What are you doing to Tiffany?"

"Nothing!"

"Exactly! Why are you being in denial?"

"What?!"

"Oh, please! The entire group knows about your repressed sexuality from the fights you keep having with her."

"Repress- I am not gay!"

"Yeah. And neither am I."

Jessica stared disbelievingly at the pale girl. "You're gay?"

"I am. But that's not the point. Why are you stringing Fany along?!"

"I'm not! I have a boyfriend thank you very much!"

The look on the leader's face tells the blonde that she wasn't very convinced.

"Yeah. Sure. That's why you take every excuse to touch her on stage and the cuddles and everything."

"Friends do that!"

"Not friends who know that their friend is in love with them."

"She's just confused."

Raising her eyebrow, TaeYeon got up from the couch, her face looking at Jessica pitifully.

"Really? Or are you the one confused?"

*

August 2nd, 2010 (Jessica is 21 & 25, Tiffany is 21)

"What are you doing here?"

Jessica looked up to see herself standing in her clothes, the girl having a furious look on her face.

"Oh. Hello me."

"Quiet. I asked you a question."

"How am I to answer if you are telling me to shut up?"

The glare that was usually directed to someone else honed in on her and she was slightly unsettled, making a mental note to stop glaring so much.

"Okay, okay. I am reading."

"Yeah. I can see that."

"Then why are you aski-"

"What I meant was why aren't you in the park, wishing Tiffany a happy birthday and possibly sweeping the girl off her feet with a kiss?"

"Erm. Because it's late and way past her birthday?"

Future Jessica shook her head and looked up to the ceiling. "Why am I such a jerk?"

"Hey!"

"Shut up. Here is what you are going to do. You are going to put on a jumper and go to the park. You are going to tell her that you have FINALLY broken up with that asshole of a boyfriend because all he wanted was a little action from you. And then, you are going to wish her a happy birthday and tell her you were a jerk and that you are sorry for making her wait!"

"I thought you said that we shouldn't medd-"

"Shut up and listen to me! Now go!"

Jessica forcibly jammed a jumper over her head, pushing the girl out of her room to a group of smiling members, she turning around to see herself disappear. Yuri adjusted the jumper accordingly and handed her a stalk of rose, the tanned girl smirking.

"She's in the park near the ice cream shop. Go get your girl."

"Wait, what? I am no-"

"Oh shut it, Sica. I read your diary. Your entry since three days ago already confessed your gayness for Fany. There is no need for pretenses."

Glaring at her roommate, the girl sullenly trudged her way to the front door, hands grabbing the keys off the hook.

"Sica."

She turned around and saw a fierce looking TaeYeon mirroring her glare back at her.

"You better come back with a happy Fany. If you don't, I am dicing you. In your sleep."

"I'll place cucumbers in your pillow."

YoonA smiled widely and waggled her fingers, chin resting on Yuri's shoulder.

"Bye!"

Running towards the park, her eyes made out a figure of a girl sitting on the bench in the dark. Moving towards the girl, she sighed in relief when she saw it was Tiffany, the girl stargazing in her seat. Tapping the girl on the shoulder, she smiled when Tiffany turned around, mouth agape.

"Jessi?"

"Hi."

*

November 25th, 2002. (Stephanie is 13, Jessica is 31)

"Ah! Noooo! My queen!"

"Checkmate, Steph."

Pouting, the girl folded her arms and stared at the blonde, Jessica rearranging the chess pieces on the board. She smirked, the girl's inability to lose already prominent at such an age.

"What's she like?"

"Hmmm?"

"Your wife. What's she like?"

"You're jumping to conclusions again, Steph."

"No, I am not. Whenever you talk about your important person, you always say she. So wife."

Damn her for being so sharp. "Ah."

"So… what's she like?"

"Kind. Forgiving. A sore loser like you."

She smirked when Stephanie's pout deepened. "Stop making fun of me!"

"Heh."

"When I grow up and we're married, I'll remember this and make you sleep on the couch."

Jessica stared at the young girl. "What makes you think we're married?"

"You always leave your ring behind when you go to the washroom. I was curious so I peeked. I saw my name."

The grin on the brunette's face was victorious, the girl had Jessica bowing slightly.

"Would saying I am sorry help with my case?"

"We'll see."

*

July 13th, 2003 (Stephanie is 14, Jessica is 33)

Jessica fiddled with her fingers, she wasn't usually a very nervous person but as she sat there on the roof with Stephanie, the younger girl yammering away about how she got scouted and how she was going to Korea and finally meet the Jessica that was her age. She bit her lip, unable to tell the younger girl that she would be horrible to her for years to come, to break her confidence and her spirit before everything was fine and dandy.

"Steph?"

"Yes?"

"I need you to listen to me."

"Okay."

Jessica stared deep in those brown eyes that she had loved for all those years and sighed.

"Remember when I told you it's going to be hard?"

"Yeah. You said that I have to be strong."

"Mhmmm. And you are. Remember that."

"Yes, I will."

Biting her lip, Jessica thought it wouldn't hurt to tell a little more. At least, Stephanie would go through less pain from her jerk of a younger self.

"Good. And remember. We don't know each other yet. So don't go up to me and tell me that I am a time traveller because chances are I am going to call you nuts. Also, I am not really friendly at this age."

"Don't worry, Jessi. Everything would be just fine."

The smile that had adorned the girl's face did nothing to calm the worries that had lodged deep in Jessica's head.

*

December 17th, 2015 (Jessica is 26, Tiffany is 26)

Finally, the big day arrives. She woke up bright and early for once, running around checking everything, making sure that YoonA didn't put cucumbers in her flowers and that TaeYeon and Sunny weren't in some room making out when they were supposed to be looking over the guest list. She hopped around anxiously, eyes traveling towards the front door of the apartment, Tiffany some floors below with Yuri and SeoHyun, apparently it was bad luck for the brides to see each other.

She felt the floor shifting and thought to herself.

"Oh no. Not now."

*

January 2nd, 2009 (Jessica is 26)

She woke up on the floor, eye catching the design of her old room. No one was in, indicating that they were all out on a schedule.

She started cursing and swearing.

*

December 17th, 2015 (Tiffany is 26, Jessica is 30)

She ran through the grass plains, thanking whatever higher power was up there that there was a spare coat hanging in that coat room that she had appeared in because a blonde girl streaking naked across the grass would be calling for a lot of attention. She heard the church music starting and started pumping her legs faster, leaping across the fence that separated the side door of the church from the grassy plains.

She grabbed the dress that was piled on the ground, pulling her hair up into a messy bun, her curled hair from the night out before never been such a blessing to her. Stuffing her feet into the shoes, she ran across the hallway, HyoYeon gesturing quickly as she held the door open.

Smirking, the brunette picked out a leaf from her blonde hair.

"Cutting it a bit close are we?"

"Shut up. It's not like Tiff didn't tell you."

"She forgotten how slow you were at running."

Four gruesome hours later, Tiffany Hwang and Jessica Jung were married.

*

December 20th, 2015 (Jessica is 26, Tiffany is 26)

Looking down at the signed papers in her hands, Tiffany turned to TaeYeon, the shorter girl looking questioningly at her.

"What?"

"I just married twice over the course of three days. Is that bigamytry?"

Sunny laughed loudly, the girl's head peeking from Jessica's side, the blonde pouting at the dark haired girl's question. TaeYeon shushed the girl and smiled comfortingly at Tiffany.

"I think… you can marry the same person as many times as you like."

Nodding at such wise words, she turned towards her wife, the dark haired girl grinning at the blonde.

"So which Jessica are you?"

Remembering words that were exchanged many months ago, the blonde smiled.

"Your Jessica. Who loves you."

'''''''''''''''''''''

"Fany ah~! I said I was sorry!"

The blonde and the redhead thought that with the cameras on, Tiffany wouldn't do much to them, but they totally forgot about what would happen when the filming was over for the day. They also forgot to take into account Tiffany's penchant for holding on to her anger, the girl already a professional in hiding behind that precious eye smile before unleashing her rarely seen temper towards the rest. 

SooYoung smirked at YoonA, the redhead already had the misfortune of meeting with Stephanie from Hell, who was shaking slightly in a confused Yuri's arms. 

"Fany ah!!!"

Jessica pounded on the bedroom door that separated the blonde from her girlfriend, Tiffany already locking herself in the room. TaeYeon moved beside the blonde, her face contorting into a "I don't wanna know, but I think I have to or this house would be a war zone" look. Patting the blonde's shoulder timidly, she questioned Jessica.

"Erm. What happened?"

"Fany! Stephanie! Hwang MiYoung!"

Ignored. 

TaeYeon sighed and pushed the other girl away lightly, taking over the position in front of the door. Rapping the frame softly with her knuckles, she called out for the younger girl.

"Fany, Fany, Tiffany. Could you please let me in?"

"There's no way she would le-"

The door creaked open slightly, a brown eye peeking out. Convinced that it was TaeYeon, a hand shot out and pulled the shorter girl in, leaving a shocked Jessica standing outside as the door closed and the lock clicked into place. 

*

"Why in the world would you do something like that? It's not like you didn't know Fany would kick your ass!"

Sunny slumped onto the sofa, clutching her stomach as she rolled on the cushions laughing loudly. HyoYeon shook her head at the two girls that were being severely nagged by their kid leader, her mouth twitching as she held in her laughter. Yuri had pulled herself away from YoonA, joining in the laughter that had gripped everyone including the maknae. 

TaeYeon rubbed her temples and huffed loudly. "You two are responsible for making this house a war zone. Again."

"Again! I didn't do anything the last time!" 

"No. But YoonA had to hide cockroaches in her handbag and do you remember how that ended?"

YoonA shivered as she remembered waking up in a bed filled with gelatin encased worms. She didn't even know that the other girl would go through such lengths to get back at her. Thinking back to the time after the filming, she could almost hear the whisper that had her heart lurching in fear. 

"Just you wait, Im YoonA. Just wait."

"Wah!!!! Unni! Help! I don't wanna die!"

YoonA clinged onto the older girl's legs, wailing as she did so. Jessica merely glanced back at the bedroom, heart already sinking when she realized what Tiffany was about to do.

"YoonA, you just wait for some extremely bad cooking tomorrow. Jessica on the other hand..."

"She's going to ignore me isn't she."

TaeYeon merely grinned. "I think the exact words were no sex for two weeks."

*

Two weeks.

Jessica could barely make it past two days without some kind of physical contact that required some swapping of bodily fluids without throwing a tantrum and Tiffany was punishing her with two weeks.

Two weeks.

It's not like she's addicted or anything, but she was a growing girl and a growing girl needed her nutrients. 

Damn Tiffany and her extremely high amount of self control. 

TaeYeon smirked from her seat and started singing loudly. "Oh for joy. Two weeks of absolute silence where there are no weird sounds coming from bedrooms. Lalalala!" 

"Shut up."

Jessica turned back towards her food, prodding it silently when a scream vibrated through the house. Everybody in the kitchen looked up, eyes widening when YoonA came running towards them.

A blue haired YoonA that is. 

HyoYeon dropped the spatula she was holding, gripping the kitchen counter as she laughed at the frantic girl. Sunny held in her laughter, her frame shaking violently, before bursting out, hanging over SooYoung who was already giggling madly in her chair. SeoHyun looked on worriedly, her mouth twitching upwards as Yuri stared in disbelief at the younger girl before bursting out as well. TaeYeon stood up, walked over and fingered a strand of hair.

"Not bad. But... FANY! I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS GOING TO BE PINK!"

Tiffany sauntered out, a shit eating grin present on her face as she looked at the blue haired girl. "Omo! Yoonie! I totally forgot to tell you that I spilt dye into your shampoo!"

"Unni!!!! My hair is blue!!!!!" YoonA clung onto the brunette's body, eyes tearing as she begged the girl to let her off. Tiffany, heart already melting at the teary eyes chuckled softly before giving in.

"Go wash your hair before it sets Yoong. It may be temporary, but if you leave it too long, it might stay for a few days.

YoonA immediately ran to the bathroom, leaving the kitchen in a loud and cheery state. 

*

"Fany ah!!!! I am sorry!!!!"

Jessica wormed her way into Tiffany's arms, her mouth already set into a pout. Tiffany bit back a grin at the display in front of her, eyes avoiding the begging eyes as she struggled to keep her anger (that was long gone) in check. She met with TaeYeon's eyes across the room, the older girl sending mental signals to forgive the girl who was desperate enough to bring out her aegyo. 

TaeYeon came over and pulled the couple apart, grinning when Jessica whined loudly, her arms flailing wildly as she tried to get back into the brunette's embrace. 

"Jessica."

"Taeng!!!!"

TaeYeon ignored her and turned towards the grinning brunette. "Just forgive her already."

Tiffany chuckled loudly and pecked the pale girl on the cheek. "Fine. But only because you asked nicely."

She turned to Jessica who was pouting angrily at the obvious show in front of her. "Say thank you to Taetae, Jessi."

The blonde struggled to keep her temper in check and smiled painfully. "Thank you Taetae."

TaeYeon shivered. "Don't EVER do that." 

She left with a peck to Tiffany's cheek, leaving a happy Jessica jumping into the brunette's waiting arms.

"Infinite rule. Do not make Tiffany angry ever."

''''''''''''''''''''''''''

"I had fun."

"Yeah."

Jessica took the other blonde's hand and led her to the front door of her house. The girl smiled happily at her, her excitement at managing to get a date with her father's client's daughter. Hiding a small smile at the girl's cuteness, she paused in front of the steps leading to the quaint house, her hand hesitating as it was obvious that the girl was waiting for a kiss. She leant in and the girl closed her eyes eagerly and...

"Yah! Why would you try that on the first date!"

"First date equals to first kiss! I went through so much to get you on this date with me!"

"So, I should kiss you as a payment?!"

"..."

"Oh my god! You are making me regret this right now."

"Hey!"

"Goodnight Jessica."

pecked her on the cheek. The girl opened her eyes, disappointment clear in them.

"I'm sorry. I had a good time, but... I don't think this is going to work out."

She smiled at the girl whose mouth was opened in shock and turned around, getting back into her car, driving to the one destination that would make her feel better.

*

"Sica."

"Yes?"

"This is the second time in the week that you've graced us with your presence and disturbed our alone time."

Jessica pressed the cushion to her chest and grinned up to the frustrated face of one Kwon Yuri. "And?"

"WHADYYA MEAN AN-"

A pale hand came out from nowhere and clamped itself over Yuri's mouth, muffling the shout. "Yuri. What did I say about shouting again?"

"That it should only be reserved for bedroom activities."

"Good girl." Smiling, YoonA pushed a sulking Yuri onto the sofa next to Jessica, handing a cup of tea over to the blonde girl. Jessica took it gratefully, her frozen hands warming up on the surface of the cup, smirking slightly at Yuri who was making stabbing motions behind her girlfriend's back. 

"So, Sica unni, what's wrong with the girl this time?"

Jessica gripped her cup tightly, bringing it up to her lips but not actually drinking anything as she thought about it. "I don't know. I sent her home after the date."

"Was it fun?"

"Yeah. She was surprisingly intelligent and could keep up with me."

"That's good. What happened then?"

"I don't know. One moment we were outside her house, the next we were about to kiss and I kissed her on the cheek and told her we wouldn't work out."

YoonA stared at the older girl in disbelief as the blonde finally took a sip of her drink, face grimacing at the heat. Yuri bit her lip, trying to prevent the outburst that was sure to get her into trouble with her girlfriend, hand twisting the material of her pajamas. A few moments of silence later, YoonA spoke up cautiously.

"Sica unni. Didn't you do that kiss on cheek thing on your first date with T-"

"I did."

The curt reply extinguished any desire YoonA had of continuing with the subject, but Yuri wasn't so easily intimidated. Standing up suddenly, she pointed a disappointed finger at her best friend.

"Yah! Sica! Just go and apologize already! It's been 6 months and you've been rejecting every single person that ask you out after the first date! Just throw away that stupid pride of yours and get her back!"

Jessica merely kept silent, sipping the tea slowly. Yuri huffed in anger, already giving up on her friend when the blonde spoke up.

"I want to, but I don't think she wants to see me."

*

"Jessica?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you busy tonight?"

"Yeah. My parents are holding a charity ball and I have to be in attendance."

The younger girl fell silent as she looked at her girlfriend, hurt encompassing her face but Jessica ignored it, burying the guilt that was bubbling in her chest. 

"Oh. Okay."

The dark haired girl then pulled out of the embrace and walked to the kitchen.

Jessica shot awake, hands gripping to the empty spot next to her as the dream threatened to strengthen its grip on her consciousness. Her eyes searched furiously in the dark for the familiar figure that would soothe her anxious mind but her brain soon caught up with her body as she realized that she was alone in the room. Sighing deeply, she reached for the phone, the device lighting up as she scrolled through her contacts, stopping at the letter "T". She hesitated for a moment and pressed the call button, bringing the phone up to her right ear as she listened at the ringing tone.

"Hello?"

"Hey."

"Oh. Sica. It's like 3 in the morning!"

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Tae, who's that?"

Sunny's sleepy voice vibrated through the phone as TaeYeon tried to convinced her girlfriend that she wasn't having an illicit affair while sleeping next to her. 

"Just tell her that she's fine and let us go back to sleep."

"Okay. Hold on Sica."

Rustling sound was heard over the phone as Jessica waited patiently. A few moments later, TaeYeon's vibrato was heard.

"She's been going out, you know."

"I know. So have I."

A loud sigh entered Jessica's ear and she winced at the amount of disappointment that was present in a simple sound. 

"Sica. One day, she is going to move on and you'll regret it."

*

"How's she been?"

HyoYeon raised a dark eyebrow over the rim of her coffee cup, her eyes mocking the girl sitting in front of her. Jessica shifted uncomfortably in her seat, unable to dismiss the eyes that was so similar to her.

"Why would I tell you anything about her when you can't even say her name? Are you still ashamed after all this while?"

Loss for words, Jessica was reminded why she rarely meets HyoYeon anymore. The girl had a tendency to be overly truthful and the truth wasn't something Jessica wanted to hear (Deep down, she knows that the redhead was right). 

"I seriously don't know how she managed to put up with your bullshit for three years. She even left her home for you."

Slamming the coffee cup down onto the table, HyoYeon picked up her bag and stood up, preparing to leave.

"Just so you know, she and SeoHyun are thinking of moving back to America soon. She got a job there."

*

"Still don't know how to cook huh?"

SooYoung tossed the pancake expertly into the air, catching it with the pan before placing it gingerly on the plate. 

"How in the world did you survive all those years?"

Jessica merely smiled at her friend.

"Jessica! You don't put the toast in for too long! It gets soggy and hard to cook!"

Jessica looked up, her hand stopping in motion, the bread dunked in already. The exasperated girl took the bowl away from the cooking impaired girl, pouring out the excess eggs into a another bowl. 

"Think you can handle putting it on the pan, Jess?"

Nodding confidently, she stood by ready with the spatula.

"OMG, JESSI! FLIP IT BEFORE IT BURNS!"

"She cooked most of the food eh?"

"Yeah, she said I was a spoilt brat for not even knowing how to fry an egg."

"Well, you did grow up with maids and butlers catering to your every need."

SooYoung stuffed a piece of pancake in her mouth. Pointing her fork at the girl in front of her, an uncharacteristic serious look cast over her face, she chewed slowly before speaking.

"Hyo said she is going to leave soon."

"So?"

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Not  like I can do anything. SeoHyun won't let me near her."

"Are you even serious about this?"

Falling silent, Jessica prodded at the delicious meal in front of her. Was she serious about it?

"Don't go after her because you are feeling lonely or because you feel bored of the girls your family keep shoving in your face. Go after her because you don't give a shit about what people think and because you still love her."

*

It was their third anniversary and Jessica had taken her out to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Unfortunately for her, her family and their friends were there and saw them together.

"Jessica honey! How are you?"

"M- mom! What are you doing here?"

"Eating of course!"

She had noticed her mother staring at Tiffany with slight distaste, her eyes sliding over the no brand handbag and dress. However, polite upbringing kept her from saying too much and her mother questioned her.

"Sica dearie, who is this?"

She made the worst mistake of her life.

"Nobody, mom. She's just a friend. I was celebrating with her on her job promotion."

"Oh thank goodness! Come! I have someone for you to meet! Remember Seungyeon?"

"The fat little girl who's father owns that chain of hotels?"

"Yes! Well, she isn't fat anymore and she is quite beautiful! You should come meet her!"

Jessica hesitated, but her mother gave her no choice and had dragged her over to their table. By the time she got back to her table, Tiffany was gone and the necklace she had given her for their anniversary was lying on the table together with their couple ring.

She went home to an empty house and a note.

Jessica stared at the address in her hand, suspicious on the validity of the information as it came from TaeYeon and Yuri. Sighing, she turned towards the white house in front of her, walking up the pathway leading to the doorway. Before she can lose her confidence, she pressed the doorbell and waited impatiently for someone to answer.

"My sister isn't going to answer the door if that's what you were hoping for."

Jessica whipped around and found herself face to face with SeoHyun. The younger girl pushed past her and unlocked the door, placing her bag inside before shutting it again. Jessica stood there, stunned at the appearance of the wrong Hwang.

"What are you doing here?"

With her arms folded, SeoHyun looked every bit as intimidating as a politician she was aiming to become.

"I.. I just wanted to see her."

"She doesn't want to see you."

The words stabbed Jessica in the heart and her face showed it. SeoHyun looked a bit guilty speaking up to an elder like that but before she could say anything, the door opened and Tiffany came out.

"JuHyun. Why aren't you coming in? Who are yo-"

She stopped in her tracks, eyes widening at the blonde standing in front of her sister. Jessica smiled weakly and waved at her.

"Hi."

*

They sat awkwardly in the living room, SeoHyun having retreated to her room already after glaring at Jessica. Tiffany gripped at her coffee cup tightly, eyes avoiding the one thing in the room that made her uncomfortable.

"What are-"

"How've you-"

They stopped, laughing weakly at their mistake, both of them giving way to the other. Tiffany placed the cup on the table and sighed.

"What are you doing here, Jessi?"

Heart warming at the nickname, Jessica steeled herself and did what she came her to do.

"Are you really leaving for America?"

The younger girl looked surprised, nodding slightly at the question. "How did you.."

"HyoYeon told me."

"Aish, that girl. I told her not to tell anybody."

"You didn't want anybody to know?"

"Well... HyoYeon and SooYoung knows because they were there with me when I got the call. Sunny and Yoonie was by accident, they saw the job letter on the table the last time they were here and naturally if they know about it, Tae and Yuree knows."

"Oh."

"Oh! Don't get me wrong! I wasn't going to tell anybody! It's not like I have anybody here to tell anyways..."

She trailed off, looking at Jessica's change in expression. Smiling weakly, she raised the cup to her mouth, jumping slightly when Jessica placed a hand on top of the cup.

"Am I nobody then?"

Tiffany avoided her eyes as she answered. "I am, to you."

Even after six months, the hurt was still evident in her voice and eyes as the dark haired girl relived every single moment where Jessica had pushed her away whenever her family or anyone close to her family was there. Jessica never invited her to any of the balls or events that her parents threw, too afraid of what her parents may say on their precious daughter dating someone who wasn't of a blue blood family. 

Tiffany wasn't a blue blood, she was a simple Californian girl who moved to Korea with her girlfriend and sister. 

And because of that, she was a nobody whenever she and Jessica came within vicinity of her parents.

"Tiff."

The dark haired girl stood up abruptly, her voice forcefully cheery. "It's fine. I am totally.. fine. You know? I have to pack and everything. And go to America."

She was moving frantically, avoiding Jessica's grasping hands. Finally, Jessica managed to loop her arms around the girl, causing the other girl to freeze in her motions.

"Don't go. Please."

She squeezed tighter when she felt the other girl try to wriggle out of the embrace. "No. I am not letting you go again."

"Jessica.."

"I love you. I still love you. I went out with so many different girls ever since you left, but not one of them could even compare to you. I can't keep lying to myself. None of them can ever be you. You are the only one who would stop me from kissing you because you said so, you are the only one who would call me a spoilt brat when I burn toast, you are the only one who can cry and forgive so easily, you are the only one who can break so beautifully. None of them are you."

She took a deep breath and turned the sobbing girl around.

"So, please stay. I don't want to have to lie that I don't love you, I don't want have to explain to my mother why I can't go out with other girls because I love someone else, I don't need my parents' approval. I just need you."

Tiffany sniffed loudly, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she listened to the girl in front of her. "Stupid Jessica. You won't even let me be angry at you properly."

Jessica smiled and touched their lips together. "You can be angry all you want. You just have to stay by my side."

*

"You look nervous Sica."

"Of course I am nervous! It's not every day that you marry the girl you love!"

After countless number of fights with her parents, they finally gave in and accepted Tiffany into the family, falling in love with the eye smiling girl once they got to know her.

And they were finally getting married. 

The church doors opened and Tiffany walked in with SeoHyun, arm in arm. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her white dress, smiling widely as she approached the altar.

"Take care of my unni."

They were going to start their life together.

'''''''''''''''''''''''

She was supposed to be dead. 

Scratch that. 

They were all supposed to be dead.

No one survives an accident like that. Not unless one of them was secretly an alien from outer space and magically transported the bunch of them to a safe location.

No one survives a head on crash with a 10 ton trailer. 

But here they were, resting in the hospital, lucky enough to leave with a few cuts that required stitching and bruised ribs at the worst.

Something wasn't right.

Jessica was sure that she felt the fires of hell burning and licking at her skin at the point of impact. She was sure that she saw SooYoung and SeoHyun at one corner of hell screaming their heads off.

She was sure that the Underworld was their final resting place.

It made no sense.

*

5 girls found dead.

1 girl for every week.

A new serial killer have appeared in Seoul.

The entire state was in a ruckus. Parents wouldn't let their daughters out of the house, for fear that they may be  the next one on the killer's list, companies started to pull back on their female idols schedules, in case that they were targeted. Police roamed the city every night.

It was as if Seoul dropped into Jack the Ripper's fantasy.

SNSD sat in their dorm, all eyes glued on the news as they wait impatiently for any new information.

"The girls were found with a cut jugular vein, making the official COD asphyxiation through loss of blood..."

One dark haired girl stood up.

"Fany ah. Where you going?

The girl smiled weakly at their leader. "Bed. I don't feel so well."

And she left. Leaving the rest of them worried because the girl haven't been well since the accident.

*

7 girls dead.

And one SNSD member acting weirdly.

The eight of them had gathered in the living room while Tiffany was asleep to discuss about the girl's recent behavior.

"Fany is worrying me. She hasn't been feeling well since the accident. And she really freaked me out last night."

Yuri had a serious look on her face, one rarely seen. The girls motioned for her to go on.

"I was going to go return her laptop charger because I lost mine and I heard her talking to a woman in her room."

TaeYeon's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"

"YEAH! That was my reaction too, so I opened the door and when I got in, there was no one there. She was just standing there by herself!"

Sunny squealed. "Don't lie Yul! That's not funny!"

"I'm not! I asked her who she was talking to and she said she was video chatting! But her laptop wasn't even on!"

The girls started to throw pillows at Yuri, the girl vehemently standing by what she heard. The commotion only stopped when SeoHyun spoke up.

"Actually, Yuri unni makes some sense. The other day, when the news came on, Fany unni started praying and she kept saying sorry."

"Seroro, that's probably because she is kind hearted and can't stand to see the suffering." YoonA rebuffed, creaming Yuri with a throw pillow.

"But she was saying it was her fault!"

*

Tiffany clutched at the pillow in her arms tightly as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. Dreaming.

No.

Nightmares.

She woke up with pain wracking through her entire body. Groaning, she looked around her and gasped at the chaos that surrounded her. Bits and pieces of their van were scattered everywhere, and the trailer that hit them was flung to one side, steel pipes fallen from its back. She tried pushing herself up, only to find that there was a piece of the metal holding her legs down.

Gathering her remaining strength, she pushed the metal away, shouting when the metal tore at her flesh, leaving her legs bleeding and torn.

"The girls! Where are they?"

She got up slowly, ignoring the pain that was shooting through her body as she squinted through her blood filled bangs. Limping her way through the carnage, she started to look for her friends, her loved ones.

And the sight that greeted her had her crying out in anguish.

To her right, Sunny and what looks like SeoHyun was so mangled, they looked like they were tied together. 

SooYoung's upper body and lower body had been completely decimated. Jessica's face was half ripped off. TaeYeon's hands were missing. YoonA's upper torso was torn apart. Yuri. She couldn't even see Yuri as a telltale sign of black hair flowed from under the car. HyoYeon was lying at her feet, legs twisted in a way that humans weren't supposed to go.

"No. No. NO!"

She yelled loudly as she fell to her feet, eyes spotting her manager thrown at the side of the road. She grasped at HyoYeon's lifeless body, shaking her violently.

"Come on! Wake up!"

When the blonde girl did not respond, she clutched at her, dragging the lifeless body over to where the rest was at, dropping to her knees as she called and yelled for them.

"NO! SNSD FOREVER! WE PROMISED! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE ALONE! WAKE UP DAMN IT! WAKE UP!"

She placed a bleeding hand on Jessica's face, stroking her pale face. "You promised! You wouldn't leave! You promised!"

No response. Fire burned at the back of her. She started screaming for help, her voice hoarse. 

"My, my. What a pitiful sight."

She looked up, her arms still holding on to her members' bodies. "Wh-who are you?"

The woman smiled gleefully as she inspected the carnage. "I have a lot of names. Puck, for one. Lucifer, is another. But most call me Hades."

"Had-Hades? The King of Hell?"

"Humans call me Hades, only because I govern Hell. Wait. That would make me the devil."

The woman soon found herself talking to air because Tiffany had resumed shouting to the world for help.

"Hey! I am talking here!"

The dark haired girl ignored her, suddenly rifling through her members' pockets for a cell phone. 

"Sigh." She raised an arm and a mirror like portal appeared. 

Tiffany looked up in shock as she saw her members screaming in what looks like the pits of hell. "GUYS!"

Temper flaring, she got up and lunged at the Devil, knocking her to the ground. "GIVE THEM BACK! GIVE THEM BACK!"

She started pounding the woman, her fists punching at the woman's face. She caught her arms and pushed her back.

"A feisty one, aren't you?" She laughed, holding onto her arms tightly. "I like you." Tiffany struggled to get out of the hold, her eyes drifting back to the portal where Jessica was screaming loudly. 

"Give them back! Please! I need them!"

The woman chuckled. "I like you. Alright."

Tiffany paused. "What? You will?"

She laughed. "For a price."

"Anything! They are the most important people in the world to me!"

"In exchange for their souls, I need 8 pure souls."

Tiffany shot up, her eyes opening as she took in her dark room. She muffled her face into the pillow she was holding, her eyes already spouting out tears. 

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. But they mean everything to me."

*

She was being selfish. 

She knew that.

But when something comes and snatch the one thing that is most important to you, you would've done the same. 

She has killed 7 girls. 7 souls for the Devil. In exchange for the power to breath them back to life. 

In exchange for the 8 things that were the most important. 

She gave up herself to the devil so that they could live. So that SNSD would really be forever.

One more soul.

A cough wracked through her system as the curse made itself known.

She looked down at her stomach where skin was starting to rot. 

She needs to kill.

Her body was reminding her. 

*

TaeYeon caught her trying to sneak out.

In the midst of the chaos, she had somehow blurted out the truth.

The disgust and the shock were visible on their faces. 

"You... You made a Faustian deal!" Jessica had pushed her away, making her fall to the ground and her stomach was exposed. 

"What the hell is that!" SooYoung pointed at her stomach, her eyes bulging.

She couldn't take it anymore.

"I DID IT FOR YOU GUYS! YOU GUYS WERE DEAD! BLEEDING LIFELESSLY ON THE FLOOR! I WAS THE ONLY ONE ALIVE! WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO! YOU GUYS MEAN EVERYTHING TO ME!"

She was crying, she was upset, she was furious. She yanked her shirt down and made her way to the door.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist. She turned back and saw the maknae holding on tightly, crying softly.

"No! Unni! You can't! No more killing! Please!"

She struggled to get the arms off but the younger girl was strong. She held on tightly, refusing to let her older sister go out there and continue sinning.

"JuHyun! Let go! I need to! One more soul! One! And you guys wouldn't have to hang by a thread! Let go, Juhyun!!!"

Suddenly more arms gripped at her as she struggled to get out of the hold. "Let go! Please! I need to- One more! And then it's over!"

"What about us!"

"You can't leave us!"

"We won't let you do this!"

Tiffany sobbed loudly. "I need one more! One more and this nightmare can be over! Please!"

"Then kill me!"

She stopped, shocked at the yell that emitted from YoonA. The actress raised her chin, her eyes shining with tears. "Do it! One soul! It's because of us!"

"Shut up, YoonA!" Yuri pulled away from the hold and went up to the girl. "Tiffany, my soul! YoonA is still young!"

"No! Mine! I am the leader and I should take responsibility!"

The girls started arguing and Tiffany was left standing there. "STOP IT!"

They all looked at her. She huffed slightly before drawing out a blade. Their eyes widened as she placed the blade at her own neck, her motor functions already finding the vein that was necessary for death. 

"I should've done this in the first place."

And she drew the knife across her neck.

"TIFFANY!"

*

She opened her eyes and looked around.

Fire was surrounding her, licking at her naked body. Pain wrought through her system as the heat continued to increase.

"Hell, huh. Fit for a sinner like me."

"Took you long enough."

She turned around and saw the Devil. "Hello."

"Welcome."

"I am sorry. But I couldn't fill the quota. But please! They didn't do anything! Let them live!"

She chuckled. "After all this, you still think that they are the most important. What about the girls you killed?"

Tiffany hung her head low. "I was selfish." She looked up at her, full of determination. "But if you could, please return them."

"And what do I get in return?"

"I'll do anything. I'll stay down here for life, I'll take whatever torture you give me, I'll do whatever. Just please. Correct my mistake."

She smiled. "Like I said before, I like you."

She moved over to a crystalline rock. "You seemed to have learned your lesson."

"What?"

"Remember, don't be too selfish next time. Think of the consequences."

"What are you talking about!"

"Your second chance."

"What?!"

"Wake up, Hwang MiYoung Stephanie. Your friends are waiting."

*

"She's awake."

Tiffany opened her eyes slowly, her blurring vision clearing as she saw 8 worried faces in front of her. The doctor shined a light in her eyes, seemingly satisfied before walking out. 

And the 8 of them flying tackled her.

"Oh my god! You wouldn't wake and then-"

"You hit your head during the accident and-"

"Oh my god! You're alive!"

"We were so scared!"

Wait. What. Tiffany pushed them all away, her hand flying to her neck.

Only to find nothing there. 

"What's going on?"

Jessica pushed everyone away and gripped your hand. "Remember the car accident?"

"Yeah."

"It wasn't too bad, but you were knocked unconscious. You were out for 3 days."

"The doctors thought you were in a coma." SooYoung dried her eyes. 

"Wait, accident? But you guys were..."

Her eyes trailed to the dark corner of the room, spotting the woman there. She opened her mouth to ask her but she shook her head, a finger to her lips. And she mouthed-

"Your second chance."

*

"I thought we lost you. That I have lost you."

Jessica sat in the bed with her, hand stroking her hair. She snuggled deeper into the embrace, her eyes watering.

"I love you."

Jessica smiled softly and bent down to press a kiss to that pouty lips. "I love you too." 

Tiffany smiled.

"Thank you for the second chance."

Mom.

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