Winning Goal

By: Keller

Date Started: 28 Dec 2009

Date Ended: 31 Aug 2010

A fan fiction written on Soshified.

 Prologue

Goal.

It can be interpreted in two ways.

It can be a point scored in some sports.

It can be an aim or a purpose.

How far will you go to achieve that goal?

Chapter 1 ONE
"My savior is tall, dark and handsome... and is attending the same school as us!"

Jessica Jung frowned at the words of her friend, Tiffany Hwang as they made their way to class. "Fanyah,
did you made a mistake? Soshi High is an all female school."

The two friends came from US to study in Korea. Actually it was just Tiffany who had wanted to prove
her independent side, which eventually lead to them being in Korea. Tiffany even had a huge argument
with her father over it and Mr. Hwang only gave up trying to persuade his strong willed daughter after
being assured by Jessica that she would go to Korea as well to keep an eye on Tiffany. Unfortunately,
Tiffany wanted to stay in the school's dorm which is a short walk from the school and Jessica could only
secure a one application. Tiffany had insisted on taking the slot in the dorm instead of staying in Jessica's
apartment. Furthermore, Tiffany had rejected Jessica's offer to pick her up from the dorm.

"It's just a five minute walk. I can get to know the neighborhood at the same time. Plus you know how
much I hate riding your car. You drive too fast Jessi."

Jessica could never win Tiffany in an argument. Just as Jessica had predicted, Tiffany got lost. Luckily the
tall dark and handsome savior warned Tiffany that she was heading the wrong direction and walked
Tiffany to school.

"Jessi, I am talking about a female. She is wearing the same school uniform as us. I wonder if I would see
her again. Did I mention she is really sexy too? Maybe we will be in the same class! Aren't you glad I
chose for us to study in Korea? I got to meet an ideal other half on my first day and you made a new
friend!" Tiffany exclaimed. Tiffany could not help but giggle at the thought of what had happened at the
school gates before school had started.

Jessica sighed at Tiffany who is skipping ahead of her. "No. I don't even know you swing that way. Please
don't mention her. I am not going to be friends with a pervert."

"It's not nice to call people a pervert. Although she is a little on the short side but I think that makes her
look kind of cute."

Jessica sighed again. "I didn't see you for two days and you had a change in gender preference. You can
add her to your list of ideal other half if you like. I don't care. I don't think it's nice of you to call people
short either."

For some reason, Jessica was in a bad mood. Tiffany tried changing the topic. "Do you like coming to
Korea? You arrived two days before me. What did you do?"

Another sigh from Jessica. "Make a guess. It starts with 'S'."

Tiffany could not decide if Jessica had purposely avoided the question. Or perhaps she was reading too
much into it. “Sightseeing? Shopping? Or sighing? It's like the third one since we left the principal's
office.”

“Sleep.” Jessica did not have the heart to tell Tiffany, who was trying to be independent that she had
taken care of everything from paperwork for school and dorm, apartment furnishing to getting their
school books and uniforms.

Tiffany could not help but smile at Jessica's reply. Jessica has the ability to fall asleep anywhere. The
three loves of Jessica's life, eating, reading and sleeping. "You sleep too much! You should find a
boyfriend."

No reply from Jessica just another loud sigh.

"Jessi, you can talk to me if you are upset."

"It's nothing. The pervert ruined my day." Yet another loud exhale from Jessica.

Tiffany had reached the end of her tolerance. She turned to face her friend. "Are you regretting your
decision to come to Korea with me?"

"No, I am glad." Tiffany studied Jessica carefully while she answered. Jessica's answer was honest but
Tiffany could hear the sadness in her voice. Tiffany was about to let the matter slide when she heard
Jessica murmur "I am glad that you are happy."

Before Tiffany could question Jessica about it, Jessica snatched the map out of her hand. After a quick
glance, Jessica rolled the map given by the principal into a rod and lightly hit Tiffany on the head with it.

"Fanyah, you pabo. You should have told me when you could not find the classroom."

Tiffany was about to protest but Jessica soothed the spot where she had hit. "I know, I know, it's not
your fault."

...
...
...

"I should not have trusted someone who got lost when it's only a five minute walk to school."

"Yah! Jessica Jung!"

Chapter 2 TWO
"Yuri, what should I do? I think she hates me."

Kwon Yuri turned to her left and her eyes met a pair of watery eyes. "You can apologize."

"I really did not mean to grab her butt. I was aiming for her hand but someone knocked into me and that
is why I accidentally touched her butt instead."

"I saw it happen as well Taeyeon. You grabbed her butt. Try explaining it to her during lunch break.
Maybe she will forgive you." Yuri snickered.

"You have to believe me Yuri. It was an accident! She is scary! I know she is glaring at me."

Yuri turned to sneak a peek at the new student who is seated two desks behind Taeyeon. "Nope, it looks
like she fell asleep. She is definitely not glaring at you. She is gorgeous. I'll bet she has a nice butt too. No
wonder you couldn't resist."

"No! I am telling you it's not like that! I mean Jessica does have a nice butt..."

"KIM TAEYEON!" The teacher's voice cut Taeyeon off in mid sentence. Taeyeon gulped and looked at the
teacher who is now standing in front of her desk. "Do you have anything else to share with the class
other than your opinion on Jessica's butt?"

"No sir."

"Then pay attention to my class. One other bit of advice Miss Kim, keep your fetish in check. If you have
to act on it please chose somewhere else besides the school's front gate."

Taeyeon lowered her face in embarrassment as the class broke out in laughter. Taeyeon glared at Yuri
who was laughing the hardest but soon felt blood drain from her face when Yuri held her a thumb up
after sneaking another peak to the back of the class before cracking up with laughter again.

Taeyeon was sure she was going to die before school ended.

********************
Lunch Break
********************

This may be the worst day of my life. Taeyeon thought miserably. She had bolted from the classroom
the second the bell rang for lunch period to avoid confrontation from a certain ice princess. Taeyeon
was too busy looking behind her shoulders and ran right into Jea and gang. As expected, Taeyeon had
gotten a beating. To make matters worse, the person she tried so hard to avoid found her.

This definitely is the worst day of my life.

"What happened to your eye?" Jessica asked as she made her way to the small crumpled heap at the
bottom of the staircase.

"You are probably thinking I tried to take advantage of another person and deserved to be beaten up
right? If you want your revenge, now would be your best chance. I don't have the strength to fight
back." Taeyeon closed her eyes and braced herself when Jessica came to a stop in front of her. However
instead of receiving knuckles or kicks, Taeyeon felt a finger lightly tracing her black eye. Taeyeon opened
her good eye to see Jessica kneeling beside her. With Jessica leaning forward to examine her eye,
Taeyeon had the opportunity to admire her features up close. Orange blonde hair cascading past the
shoulders that frames her oval face, sharp nose and the pair of clear black eyes that seem to keep
drawing Taeyeon's attention.

She's beautiful.

"Does it hurt?"

"Y-Yes." Taeyeon noticed a worried look flashed briefly across Jessica's face and it is quickly replaced by
an expressionless one as she withdrew her hand.

"I mean no! I mean yes of course a black eye hurts. Not because your touch is painful. Your touch is very
gentle and warm. It hurts less when you touch it actually. I like your fingers on my face. EH? No, that's
not what I was trying to explain. I... I... I think I better head to the infirmary. I don't know what I am
saying anymore."

Aish, Kim Taeyeon. What were you saying! It hurts less when you touch it? Did you think Jessica has got
healing fingers or something?

Taeyeon hurriedly stood to escape but her legs gave way and she fell back down. Jessica frowned at the
little kid who was trying to stand again.

What the heck. She is so small sized. How much can she weigh?

Instead of hitting the hard floor the second time, Taeyeon felt a pair of arms lift her up.

"If you move too much I will drop you without a second thought. Which way is it to the infirmary?"
Despite Jessica's threat, the taller girl had shifted Taeyeon closer to her body.

"I am sure you wouldn't." Taeyeon whispered to herself as she tried to hide her smile by laying her head
on Jessica's shoulder.

"I can't hear you. You were muffled."

"You know, there is a way to prevent me from falling off easily. It can also lighten the weight by a bit."

Jessica raised an eyebrow at the girl in her arms. She had looked so vulnerable but now, she is staring at
Jessica with sparkles in her eyes.

Taeyeon wrapped her arms around Jessica's neck with a slight giggle. "Ta-da! Like this I can hold onto
you as well. Does it feel there is less weight on your hands like this?"

There was no reply from Jessica but Taeyeon noticed the slight blush in her cheeks.

Strike the thoughts about it being the worst day of my life. Maybe it isn't so bad after all.

*************************************************************************************

Jessica had gingerly carried Taeyeon to the infirmary in her arms. Taeyeon felt safe in those arms. The
warmth soon retreated when she was carefully laid onto one of the beds in the infirmary. As much as
she enjoyed the feeling, Taeyeon could not help but feel guilty.

"I am heavy aren't I?"

"No." Just a single word reply from Jessica but Taeyeon was pleased. It's a start. Taeyeon had tried to
start a conversation during the journey here and Jessica had ignored her.

"You are a bad liar." Taeyeon watched as Jessica searched the shelf for appropriate medication.

"Don't move. It should sting a little." She carefully applied some medication on Taeyeon's wounds.
When Jessica was satisfied that she had covered most of the cuts, she finally answered Taeyeon's
questions. "I am not lying. Are you hurt anywhere else? I don't know what to do for your eye though."

"Nope, thanks for helping me. My eye will be alright, the bruise should go away after awhile. Your left
hand is trembling badly." Taeyeon eyes widen and she grabbed hold of Jessica's retreating left hand.
"Oh! I totally forgot! Let me see your left hand for a moment!" Without waiting for consent, Taeyeon
pushed the sleeve of the school's blazer upwards to reveal a bandaged forearm. "I am right! It's you!
Your hand is injured!"

Jessica shook Taeyeon's hand loose and scowled at the grinning little kid. "You are happy that I am
injured? Now I wish I had left you alone at the staircase."
"No! Wait! Let me explain!" Taeyeon chased after Jessica who had left the infirmary. "You saved a girl in
front of the school's dorm from a falling flower pot yesterday and a piece of the broken flower pot had
sliced your arm right?

"How did you know?" Jessica slowed her pace to let Taeyeon catch up.

"That girl was me." Taeyeon felt hurt that Jessica did not remember. "Do I look that different in school
uniform?" Taeyeon felt the pang in her heart deepen when Jessica ignored her. Taeyeon positioned
herself in front of Jessica, blocking her path. "Look, this morning was an accident. I wanted to check if
you were the girl that saved me yesterday. Someone bumped into me and my hand touched your butt.
It really is an accident! I am so sorry about it. Honest!"

"Apology accepted." Jessica scooted around Taeyeon and continued walking.

Taeyeon was shocked that she was forgiven that quickly. Even Yuri, her best friend did not believe her.
"Wait!" Taeyeon ran ahead to block Jessica's path again and held her hand out. "My name is Kim
Taeyeon. I really hope we can be friends."

Taeyeon watched as Jessica's face grew cold and expressionless again. Jessica took a deep breath before
giving her cold and short answer. "No."
Chapter 3 THREE
"Thanks again Yuree! Are you sure your friend won't mind me joining? It's a secret spot for both of you
after all." Tiffany asked as she took a bite of her sandwich.

Yuri waved off Tiffany's doubt with a flick of her hand while munching her own sandwich. "It's not much
of a secret spot. I am sure Taeyeon wouldn't mind. What were you doing wandering around in the
corridors anyways?"

"Truthfully, I sort of lost Jessica and my way to the cafeteria." Tiffany blushed slightly in embarrassment.
It was the second time in a day where Yuri had found her when she had gotten lost.

"What's the relationship between you two? Both of you seem really close." Tiffany and Jessica were
placed into Yuri and Taeyeon's class. Based on the self-introductions they had given the class just a few
hours ago, Yuri came to a conclusion that Tiffany is the friendly and cheerful kind whereas Jessica has a
mysterious aura. Actually, Tiffany's self-introduction lasted more than seven minutes and Jessica only
said seven words. "Jessica Jung."After a long pause and a nudge from Tiffany, "It's a pleasure meeting
you." Jessica had looked far from pleased. More like bored to death.

"Best friends! I have known her since forever. She's a very nice person. I must introduce her next time.
OMG!"

Yuri turned to look at Taeyeon who had plopped herself beside Yuri and saw the cause of Tiffany's
exclamation. With a black eye that could not fully open and minor cuts on her arms, Taeyeon was a
wreck. "Tiffany, do you know if Jessica is a good fighter?"

Tiffany gasped at Yuri's question. "You think Jessica did that? She may have a bit of temper but she
wouldn't hit others without a good reason!" Tiffany was quick to defend her friend but there was some
doubt in her head. "Jessi was in a bad mood this morning for some unknown reason. She wouldn't have
taken it out on you would she?"

Taeyeon laughed when she met Tiffany's worried eyes. "Yuri was just joking. You should have more faith
in your friend. Jessica has got nothing to do with my injuries. Except that she was the one that helped
me to the infirmary. She even applied medication on the cuts for me. She's really nice."

Yuri prodded on Taeyeon's black eye. "Jea and gang must be having an off day. Or maybe you are getting
more resistant."

"Oww! It hurts! Stop jabbing my eye!" Taeyeon swatted Yuri's hand away.

Yuri had noticed Tiffany's worried look. "Oh don't worry about Jea and her gang. They are actually quite
nice. It's just Taeyeon whom they have a problem with. They are seniors in our school, third year
students. We used to be teammates in the soccer club. Basically there was a fight, someone had
informed the teachers and Jea and gang were caught. Those that were caught were suspended from
club activities. To make it worse, Taeyeon, a first year, was named captain despite there were other
students to choose from. Then there were rumors that the reason Taeyeon was chosen as captain was
that she had informed the teachers about the fight. The students believed that and started quitting one
by one. In the end we did not even have enough players to form a team to participate in the school's
tournament. It's such a sad story isn't it?"

Taeyeon smacked Yuri's arm. "Yah! You should have emphasized more on the part where I was framed!
Those rumors are not true! I did not rat out on them."

Yuri rubbed the now red part of her arm and stuck her tongue out at Taeyeon. "That's how the bad
blood between them started. It didn't help that this shortie here, went berserk and tried to fight back
whenever someone accused her of being a traitor. I don't blame the students for leaving the club. It is a
team game. It's hard if they cannot trust the leader. We still have no idea who the rat is but I know for
certain it is not Taeyeon. Hopefully the other students will come to the same conclusion."

"I just wish they will realize it sooner. At this rate, we won't be able to participate in the inter-schools
mix genre tournament held by SM University." Taeyon pouted. "Wait, did you call me short?"

Tiffany watched in amusement as the two friends wrestled to put the other in a headlock. She decided
to speak up before things get out of hand. "You guys can try to get Jessica to join."

The duo was so were so absorbed in their wrestle that Tiffany wasn't sure if they had heard her. Yuri
was taunting Taeyeon by calling her short and Taeyeon was jumping futilely trying to hook her arm
around Yuri's neck while evading Yuri's long arms.

"Is she any good? It's easy to just grab anyone to fill a spot but we are seriously lacking talents at the
moment." Taeyeon asked while making yet another useless attempt to seize Yuri's neck.

"She's the best! Even Coach Henney admitted to her abilities and potentials." Tiffany gave an eye smile
to the duo that had stopped wrestling and are now staring at her.

"Coach Henney? The Coach Daniel Henney?" Taeyeon could not believe her ears. Coach Henney is a
really famous coach. Taeyeon had wanted to train under him therefore SM University is her choice of
university. A prestigious school that excels in both sports and studies is extremely hard to get into.
That's why the inter-schools mix genre tournament held by SM University is so important. If you impress
the head coach, namely Coach Henney, during the tournament, there are chances of getting in on
scholarship. The chance is very slim but that is the best chance to get into SM University unless you are a
genius or have powerful family lineage.

Two jaws fell to the floor when Tiffany nodded in confirmation. Tiffany gave the duo another eye smile
before she delivered the bad news.

"Here's the problem. Jessica won't mind playing one or two games but she will never agree to commit
her time for the team."
Chapter 4 FOUR
She is just protecting herself.

Tiffany had explained that Jessica's family is pretty influential in the business world. There were many
occasions where others had befriended Jessica for money and privileges. The ugliness of human nature
had pushed Jessica to distance herself and reject all hands that tried to reach out to her, no matter good
or bad.

Jessica will accept your friendship if she realizes your feelings is pure. Don't give up!

Tiffany even made Taeyeon and Yuri promise that they would try hard to make Jessica their friend.
Taeyeon smiled as she recalled Tiffany hooking pinkies with them. Unlike Jessica, Tiffany is friendly and
talkative. The three of them instantly clicked over lunch and even agreed to meet at the not so secret
table in the garden for lunch breaks.

As Taeyeon unlocks the door to her dorm room, she wondered if her new roommate will be as nice as
Tiffany. Each dorm room has got a common living room which leads to the kitchen, a toilet and two
bedrooms. Taeyeon had not met her roommate yet as she had left for school early.

There was another pair of shoes on the rack. The new roommate must have returned from school as
well. Taeyeon spotted her roommate immediately. The girl wasn't aware that Taeyeon had entered the
room. She had her back to Taeyeon and the shade of orange brown hair seemed somewhat familiar. Not
wanting to startle the girl, Taeyeon cleared her throat softly before introducing herself with a bow.

"Hi, I am Kim Taeyeon, your roommate. Since we will be living together, let's be friends." Taeyeon felt
her body froze when she recognized her soft melodious voice.

"I am not your roommate. Tiffany is. She should be back soon. I am just here to deliver some stuff her
dad had sent over. About being friends, my answer remained unchanged. N.O. No. I am leaving.
Goodbye."

Taeyeon grimaced. Double ouch.

Jessica picked up her blazer that was draped on the sofa and was almost out the door when Taeyeon
pulled her back into the room.

"Wait! What happened to your bandage? Why are you in such a hurry to get away from me?" The
perfectly wrapped bandage Taeyeon had seen during lunch was gone. It is now replaced by a carelessly
wrapped one.

Jessica was about to brush Taeyeon's hands off when she saw the sorrow in her eyes. She heard herself
explaining despite her head was telling her to walk away. "I wasn't trying to run away from you. Tiffany's
dad thinks his so called independent daughter would not accept the stuff he sent to her so he got me to
secretly take care of her. Do me a flavor and don't tell her I was here. The wound re-opened when I
carried heavy weight. I needed a new bandage. That's the best I can do with one hand."

The sorrow in Taeyeon's eyes disappeared momentary but reappeared when Jessica mentioned that the
cut had re-opened due to heavy weight. "It was the box! It's not you. You are not that heavy. Please
don't start crying. It was the box okay?" Jessica panicked when Taeyeon's eyes grew watery.

Jessica sighed in relief when sparkles soon returned in Taeyeon's eyes as the shorter girl led Jessica to
the sofa. Jessica sank into the sofa in resignation and allowed the petite girl to re-do the bandage on her
arm. She is amazed at how Taeyeon could be sad one moment and cheerful the next.

"Done.” Taeyeon announced happily as she admired her art piece.

"Yah! Who said you can draw on it!"

"I did ask for permission! Silence means consent. It's your fault for zoning out. I am cooking ramyun. Do
you want some? You should join Yuri and me for lunch from tomorrow onwards. Tiffany had already
accepted our invitation." Taeyeon skipped her way towards the kitchen leaving Jessica to stare blankly
at the picture of a girl and a speech bubble saying 'Get well soon!'.

"You are zoning out again. I'll take that as a yes then."

"The queue in the cafeteria is too long. I rather sleep. I can't stay. I need to leave before Tiffany gets
back. Besides, I am not hungry." Jessica heard her stomach growl loudly in protest. "I would thank you
for re-bandaging my arm but the picture is way too ugly."

"You rejected to be friends with me twice in one day. Couldn't you at least accompany me for a meal? I'll
even cook for you.”

...

Taeyeon watch Jessica pick up her blazer once again.

...

"I am a really good cook."

...
...
"What if I told you that Tiffany won't be coming back anytime soon?"

That caught Jessica's attention. "Why? Did something happen? Where is she?"

"Something did happen. I see you still haven't heard about it yet." Taeyeon grinned mischeiviously. "Oh
no... I have already thrown two packets of ramyun into the pot of boiling water. I can't eat two packets. I
hate to see my delicious cooking go to waste. Maybe someone would kindly eat half of it for me in
exchange for some information?"

"Is that a threat?" Jessica shot one of her deadly glares at Taeyeon.

Instead of cowering in fear like all others, Taeyeon held her gaze.

"I didn't know eating ramyun cooked by a cute and innocent 2nd year high school student was so scary."
Taeyeon teased with a slight smirk.

"Eat with me. Pleeaasse?"

Sighing in resignation for the second time, Jessica threw her blazer onto the sofa and made her way to
the dining table, cursing those sparkling brown orbs inwardly with every step she took.

*************************************************************************************

Candlelit dinner in a fancy restaurant reserved just for the two of them. A large banquet of roses
delivered on a large covered tray. Scrumptious meal enjoyed with a romantic violin piece playing softly
in the background. It's every girl's dream.

Everything is perfect, except for the fact that Tiffany had known the charming girl seated across her for
less than twenty four hours.

"You hold events like this often don't you?" Tiffany had noticed that the waiters seem to know her date.
The flow was too smooth. Either the whole thing was rehearsed or the waiters here did events like this
often.

"I have meals here once in a while. Ah, here comes the dessert. The cakes here are highly
recommended." Yuri had skillfully changed the topic.

Yuri had suggested showing Tiffany around the neighborhood after school. The main reason for Tiffany
to accept the offer was that she had wanted to spend more time with Yuri. The second part of the
reason was she did not want to be teased by Jessica for getting lost. After the tour, Yuri insisted on
treating dinner at a place she knows to celebrate Tiffany's arrival in Korea. That place turned out to be
an expensive looking restaurant.
Tiffany is no amateur in dating. Yuri definitely is a player. There is no way a stunningly beautiful person
like Yuri is available. Tiffany watched as Yuri tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture and the
long silky jet black hair of hers are driving Tiffany crazy. They look so soft. She had wanted to jump up
from her seat and dash to the other end of the table to run her hand thru them. It did not help that the
strands of Yuri's hair seem to have a mind of its own, slipping from its place every so often, making Yuri
repeat the process of adjusting them back in place.

Tiffany took a bite of the strawberry cake without taking her eyes off Yuri.

"How is it? Is it to your liking?" Yuri politely asked.

Tiffany took her time to finish the slice of cake before answering. "Delicious." She licked her lips
seductively and noticed Yuri's gaze immediately lowered to her lips.

"I love…" Yuri snapped out of her trance and refocused her gaze on Tiffany's eyes when Tiffany spoke
again.

"... the cake, of course." Tiffany gave Yuri another eye smile.

Two can play the game.

Chapter 5 FIVE
"Thanks for gathering on a Saturday. The tourney starts next week. We need all the extra practice time
we can get. I know it's impossible to win but let's just participate for the experience and let's have fun
while at it. Alright guys, start your warm-ups." Taeyeon nodded for Yuri to take over and headed to
Tiffany who is watching from the bench.

"We normally practice on Wednesdays and Fridays. Today's session is specially added to allow you and
Jessica to get a hang of our playing style. Here's your jersey. You can change in the locker room when
Jessica arrives. I have prepared lockers for both of you as well. Did you inform Jessica?"

Tiffany caught Taeyeon glancing at the entrance of the stadium. "Don't worry, she will be here."

"Do you think she will give you a hard time for signing her up in the soccer club?" Tiffany had mentioned
the day before at lunch that Jessica would never agree to commit her time for the team. "Do you think
she figured it out and decided not to come?"

Tiffany's plan was fairly simple-

1. Get Jessica to show up.
2. Get Jessica to participate.
3. Remind Jessica how fun soccer can be and carefully break the news of having submitted her name in
the tournament to her.
4. Pray Jessica won't kill them all.

"I just messaged her to come to the school's stadium as soon as possible. That it is an emergency."
Tiffany looked at the large clock mounted on the scoreboard. "I sent it five minutes ago. With her
driving, she should be here about now."

As if on cue, the gates of the stadium squeaked as it was flung open forcefully. Jessica anxious eyes
hardened when she caught sight of Tiffany seating on the bench in one piece and unhurt.

"You!" Jessica wanted to give Tiffany a long lecture but the anger subsided when Tiffany smiled brightly
at her. Jessica sighed. She can never win against Tiffany's eye smiles. "What's the emergency?"

"I've joined the soccer club!" Tiffany announced. "The emergency is that we need some practice
opponents. Everyone called some friends down to help."

Jessica raised an eyebrow at Tiffany's announcement. "You never liked soccer."

"Well, I changed my mind. I love soccer!" Tiffany has an outgoing personality and can be very
spontaneous at times, like coming to Korea despite her lousy Korean but it is not the cause for the
change in Tiffany this time. Jessica followed Tiffany's line of sight to the goalkeeper, Kwon Yuri. That
explained everything.

"One game. Then I am going home to my bed."

Tiffany handed Jessica a white Jersey. "Here, wear this, its red jersey versus white jersey."

Yuri is in red. So is Taeyeon. Tiffany is holding a red jersey.

"You guys planned this didn't you?"

"No! It was divided randomly by drawing lots." Taeyeon piped in when Tiffany froze at Jessica's
question. The truth is, Taeyeon had arranged for Jessica to be in the weaker opposing team. The red
team consists of the most of the main lineup plus Tiffany. Taeyeon had only shifted the reserve
goalkeeper to the white team. The other members of the white team are made up of friends or
classmates of the team that knows the rules of soccer. The arrangement is to test Jessica's abilities as
Tiffany had somehow described Jessica to be some kind of soccer legend.

"I am talking about the jersey. I don't really care which side I am on." Jessica pointed to her name
printed on the back of the jersey. The other white jerseys distributed were all nameless.

"Errr… Okay! Hurry up and get changed." Taeyeon pretended not to hear and pushed the two of them to
the direction of the changing room.

*************************************************************************************

"The white jerseys will kick-off. Play fair girls."Mr. Park, a gym class teacher had kindly agreed to be their
referee.

After a whole lot of introductions, the game is finally underway. Both sides used the four-four-two
formation.

Jessica - white team, jersey no 52, attacking midfielder

Tiffany - red team, jersey no 7, attacker
Taeyeon - red team, jersey no 22, attacker
Yuri - red team, jersey no 19, goalkeeper

Jessica charged directly at the red team's net as her teammate kick off the ball to her feet. The red team
wasn't expecting an attack as soon as the whistle had gone off. Jessica easily passed the midfielders and
the defenders hurried to hinder her advance. Jessica flicked the ball into the air and jumped over the
defender who had tried to tackle the ball. Before the ball hit the ground, Jessica's foot connected with it,
sending it flying past Yuri and into the net.
Taeyeon's mouth was agape and Tiffany was wearing a smug grin on her face. The white team was
cheering and giving Jessica pats on the back as she jogged to her position. Even the members in the red
team were telling Jessica what a great goal it was.

"Come on people. Look alive." Yuri shouted to the defenders and retrieved the ball from the back of her
net. She is going to need the full support of the defenders to stop Jessica from scoring any more.
Chapter 6 SIX
The game was over. The white team had won 3-2. Taeyeon had two goals but it is nothing compared to
Jessica's hat-trick. The white team's defense wasn't that strong. Frankly speaking, for Taeyeon's
standard, there was hardly any defense at all, only a goalkeeper to beat.

In Jessica's case, it's a totally different story. After Jessica's first goal, the red team had played very
defensively. Jessica had created many opportunities for her team to score but the red team's defense
plus Yuri quick reflexes had prevented others from scoring. When Taeyeon had equalized Jessica's first
goal, Jessica immediately replied with another of her own within the next minute.

Jessica's goals were not lucky shots. She had three attempts on the goal and she made all three. During
the game, anyone could tell that Jessica wasn't even trying. She had a bored look on her face throughout
and attempted to shoot simply to put her team one goal ahead.

"I am told that you are the captain. Would you care to explain what you are planning?"

The voice broke Taeyeon out of her analysis of the game. Taeyeon knows who the voice belongs to and
desperately search the field for Tiffany and Yuri. To her dismay, it seems like they had gone into hiding.

Taeyeon took a deep breath before she delivered her speech. "Our meeting is accidental but I am sure it
is not a coincidence. Fate chooses for our paths to merge. The timing of everything is too perfect. We
needed talent in our midfield and you came along. It must be destiny that brought you here today to
have this game and to have many more joyful games together in the future. Please agree to be my team
mate."

"Fate? Tiffany chose to come to Korea and Tiffany was the one that told you about my skills in soccer. It
is also Tiffany that messaged for me to come here today. So I guess Tiffany is fate and destiny. Or is
Tiffany a modern cupid that uses messages instead of using arrows? It sounds like a confession. Tiffany
told you to say that didn't she?"

The look on Taeyeon's face told Jessica that she had guessed it right. "Look, you don't have to listen to
Tiffany. She thinks I need more friends and she has been trying forever to get me a partner so she can go
on double dates. Tiffany can be a bit persuasive but she won't force it if you refuse. So just tell her next
time she tries to get you to do things like this and don't worry, she won't break friendship with you just
because you don't want to do things her way."

*************************************************************************************

Was I too harsh?

Jessica wondered why she is even thinking about it. She had left a dazed Taeyeon alone on the field.
Jessica stepped out of the shower stall drying her wet hair with a towel. The locker room was eerily
quiet. The others had already finish washing up and had left ahead.

Is she still stoning there?

Jessica was about to put on her shirt when the curtains of her stall is pulled open.

"Jessica, I have thought about what you had said and..." Taeyeon's voice trailed off as her brain
registered what she is seeing. "I think you are really gorgeous. I really need you. Please be my girlfriend."

Jessica fumbled to button up her shirt while Taeyeon's overloaded brain rebooted. "I... I... I meant to say
you are really talented. We need you. Please join the team."

"Our team’s midfield is really lacking. They have a hard time keeping the possession of the ball and could
not create many opportunities for the strikers. With your help, our team can do really well. You have
great ball control. During the game, you had unselfishly provided assists despite knowing you are a
much better player and could have made the goals instead of including the other players. You are a
team player. Tiffany is right. You are very skilled." Taeyeon paused when Jessica held out her palm
signaling for Taeyeon to stop.

"I don't think now is a right time to talk about soccer." Jessica had been pulling on her shirt trying to
cover as much as she could. "Do you think you can step out and continue your talk after I am fully
dressed?"

Jessica's face flushed as Taeyeon's gaze rake over her body. When Taeyeon meets her eyes again, Jessica
shot her an angry glare. Taeyeon quickly averted her eyes to the floor. "Ahahaha, we are both girls,
there is no need to be so shy. Plus your body is really hot. You should flaunt it. Especially your curves
and..."

"Arughh! You little pervert! Stay outside. I'll talk to you when I am dressed." With that, Jessica gave
Taeyeon a forceful push and yanked the curtains close.

...

...

"You know, your silhouette looks really sexy too."

...

*BLONK!*
*************************************************************************************

"You will make an excellent pitcher."

"Look, I said I am sorry."

"Is anyone hungry? I have a large bun on my head."

"Grrr… You want another one?"

"Oooo… Scary. What object are you using this time? You need something metallic right?"

"I just grabbed the object nearest to me. It was not on purpose."

"Yea right. Who ever heard of shampoo in metal bottles anyway? It hurts you know. Why couldn't you
have grabbed your soap bottle instead? I saw that your soap bottle is made of plastic."

Jessica massaged her temples. Both of them are arguing throughout the journey to Jessica's car. "Are
you thinking of trying to blackmail me to join the team by making a huge fuss out of one small bump?"

"Why would I do that? You are already on the team. Tiffany already signed you up. I was just being nice
seeking your permission. It's a huge bump by the way. It's at least 2cm!"

"So what if Tiffany applied for me? I can withdraw. I helped you increase your height. You should be
thankful."

"You need my approval to withdraw and I will never approve it. Are you making fun of my height? You
have already hurt me physically and now you are hurting my ego as well."

"If you don't accept my withdrawal, your team will have a ghost member then. Don't expect me to show
up for any of your trainings or matches. If you trick me there, I will throw the game for you."

Taeyeon smacked herself on the forehead with her palm. Jessica has a point. Even if they had somehow
forced Jessica to play, it would be no use if Jessica just stood on the field and not help out. Or worse,
Jessica could purposely commit fouls to get herself out of the game.

"Are you ok?"

Taeyeon had stopped walking while she was lost in her thoughts, her hand still clutching her head.

"Did I really throw it that hard?"

Jessica reached out and gently rubbed on the bump on Taeyeon's head. Taeyeon could see the worry in
her eyes.

"Why? Why do you distant yourself from people? You obviously put others before self." Taeyeon is
puzzled.

The randomness of the question brought a frown onto Jessica's face. "It's better off alone. I like being by
myself. Everything I do is for my benefit." Jessica replied with a slight nod as if to reassure herself.

"Stop telling yourself that. I think you find that being alone is depressing. That's why your play style is
very team oriented. You don't want to leave others out."

The rubbing paused before continuing. "You are wrong. You can't possibly understand me based on
playing style alone."

"I know you have a very kind heart. Did you really think I would fall for someone just base on looks?
Honestly, I fell for your soulful eyes and caring nature. I get a weird feeling that makes me want to
shower you with love every time I look into your eyes. There is warmth that I can't explain behind that
icy exterior you hide behind."

The hand on her head froze. Taeyeon looked deep into Jessica's eyes and continued. "It is not derived
solely from your playing style. I know you are actually hoping for someone to break down that wall of
yours."

The hand rubbing the bump on her head was hurriedly retracted. Taeyeon watched as Jessica took a few
steps back, away from her.

Taeyeon looked skeptically at Jessica. "See, you know I am right. That's why you are even purposely
distancing yourself physically to convince yourself."

Jessica came to a halt. "No I am not."

Jessica stubbornly bit down on her bottom lip and stopped herself from backing away when Taeyeon
took a step towards her.

"You put up a strong front. But you can't fool me. I will break down your wall."

Jessica held her breath as Taeyeon approached her once again. This time, Taeyeon came to a stop
beside her, their shoulders in a line.

"The proposal of being my girlfriend and joining of the team still stands. Although my first confession
seems somewhat mindless, I meant it. Tiffany did urge me a little but the conclusion was decided by me.
So I am sincerely asking again. Please consider to be my girlfriend. About the withdrawal, I will not
agree. I am hanging onto the hope that you will change your mind, no matter how slight it is. I will ask
Tiffany to send you the details of our matches. Even if you don't want to participate, do come and watch
us play if you have the time."

Taeyeon waved goodbye without a backward glance as she walked past Jessica.

Still not looking back, Taeyeon pumped her fist into the air with a jump while yelling "Jessica! You should
come and cheer for me! I will win all the matches for you if you watch only me."

A smile crept onto Jessica's face as she watch the back of the retreating figure wave goodbye once again
before disappearing round the corner.
Chapter 7 SEVEN
"Yuree-ah, do you think Taeyeon will be fine without us? I still feel kind of bad to let her handle Jessica
alone. We did agree to talk to Jessica together."

Yuri gave the shorter brunette a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about it. Taeyeon may look and acts like
a kid but she is very dependable. She will step up when she needs to."

"Wow! This place is huge! Look at the shops!" Worries left Tiffany as the duo stepped into Soshi mall, a
shopping mall near to their school.

Tiffany's heart skipped a beat when Yuri held her hand.

"Don't let go and stay close to me. There is no guarantee that I will find you if you get lost here." Yuri
teased.

"Come on, the sports department is this way." Yuri led the way with a slightly blushing Tiffany in tow.

*************************************************************************************

"Welcome! We have the widest variety of sporting goods! Which equipment are you looking for? Maybe
I can assist you." A friendly looking salesman offered his services the moment Yuri and Tiffany stepped
into the store.

"We are looking for soccer cleats." Yuri replied.

"We have many different types and brands of soccer cleats. Do you have any preferences? Or would you
like to browse the designs we carry? They are all displayed along the wall over there." The salesman
helpfully pointed out where the soccer cleats are placed.

"Oh! I want it in pink!" Tiffany exclaimed.

The salesman stared wide eyed at Tiffany. "Did you say pink?"

Tiffany nodded excitedly like a kid.

"You want pink soccer cleats?" The salesman asked again in disbelief.

Tiffany nodded her head again.

The salesman turned to Yuri for some confirmation but Yuri just gave him an amused grin. He gave an
awkward cough before delivering the bad news to Tiffany. "I am afraid there are no pink soccer cleats. I
don't think you will find any."

Yuri can't hold her laughter anymore. "Fany-ah, I don't think you can get pink soccer cleats unless you
know the manager of a company that produces soccer cleats and get him/her to specially create one for
you."

Tiffany looked so disappointed that Yuri felt bad for laughing.

The salesman must have felt guilty for Tiffany's pout as well as he hurried to show her some cleats with
a nice design.

*************************************************************************************

"Cheer up. It's just a soccer cleat."

Yuri and Tiffany are sitting on a bench outside the sports department. Tiffany had bought a soccer cleats
that is recommended by both Yuri and the helpful salesman. It is comfortable to wear but it is not pink.

"Do you want some ice-cream?"

Tiffany's face brightened. "Strawberry flavor please."

"You are so easy to please. Wait here. Don't move from that spot." Yuri said before disappearing into
the crowd.

Ten minutes had passed but Yuri had not returned.

Did something happen to Yuri? What if she got hurt?

Tiffany wanted to get up and search but she remembered that Yuri had told her to wait for her.

Five more, five more minutes. If she is not back by then, I will look for her.

Tiffany glanced nervously at her watch. The additional five minutes is up. And there is no sign of Yuri.

*************************************************************************************

Where did she go?

After twenty minutes of frantic search, sweat is running down her neck.

Where is she?
She had checked everywhere that she could have went. Eateries, toilets, shops, everywhere! But she is
nowhere to be found.

Where are you?

Exasperated, she yelled out startling the shoppers around her. "Where are you? Tiffany!"

Yuri bowed in apology when the other shoppers stared at her weirdly. With a much softer volume this
time, Yuri muttered to herself "Aish! Where did she go? I told her to stay put!"

Ahhh! This is driving me nuts. Dear God, please let me find Tiffany. I will break up with one of my
girlfriends if you help me out.

Yuri scanned the area. No Tiffany. A particular radio in the electronic store behind started playing Lady
Gaga's - No way.

Dear God, I have a really bad feeling that something happened to Tiffany. I admit I really like Tiffany. She
feels different from the rest. Please help me find her. I will break up with half of my girlfriends AND
boyfriends.

No sign of Tiffany. The song 'All or nothing' by Westlife is now blasting thru the speakers. Yuri sighed and
closed her eyes.

Dear God, you are so greedy! Fine! If you help me find Tiffany I promise to break up with all of them and
devote myself to Tiffany. She better be safe when I get there!

The Westlife song stopped and is immediately replaced by another song. 'Outside' by Staind.

Yuri made a dash for the exit. She spotted Tiffany almost immediately. Two guys are hitting on her while
blocking any escape attempts made by Tiffany.

Yuri let out an angry shout. The two guys looked up to see Yuri charging towards them like a mad
woman and skittered off in the other direction.

"Yuree! Those men threatened to use force to pull me to their car. Thank God you came at the right
time." Tiffany let out a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, thank God." Yuri said grudgingly as she dumped the melted ice-cream into the bin.

"You'll have to help me." Yuri eyed the piece of tissue that Tiffany held out.
"Sure." Tiffany wiped Yuri's hand carefully. "You don't have to carry my soccer cleats to buy ice-cream
you know."

Yuri held the bag in her other hand to Tiffany. "Open it. I modified it a little."

Tiffany squealed as she admired her modified cleats. Yuri had changed the laces to pink ones and added
a letter 'T' formed by pink plastic jewels on both sides of the shoes.

"The man said the jewels will stick even if you wash them. So it should be alright. Hope you like it."

"Thank you Yuree! I love it! This is for the modifications." Tiffany threw her arms around Yuri and gave
her a tight hug. "And this is for finding and saving me again." Tiffany released Yuri a little and proceeded
to give her a peck on the cheek.

Before Tiffany can react, Yuri turned her head making their lips connect. The initial shock had given Yuri
time to deepen the kiss.

"Kwon Yuree!" Tiffany touched her tingling lips with her fingers. "Why did you do that?"

Yuri grinned at the blushing Tiffany. "I sacrificed a lot to find you. I figured I deserved a better reward."
Chapter 8 EIGHT
Tiffany woke up to the mouth watering aroma that had seeped into her room. She reached for her alarm
clock while stretching the other hand lazily over her head. After consulting the time, Tiffany pondered if
she should spend five more minutes in bed till her alarm goes off. It's a Monday. School starts in an
hour. Deciding against the idea, Tiffany swung her legs to the side of the bed and forced her tired body
to get up.

Embarrassed by her skills or more accurately, lack of skills, Tiffany had called Jessica out for some
private training yesterday. After long hours of special training, Tiffany had come to the conclusion that
not everyone is made for playing soccer.

After washing up, Tiffany trotted into the kitchen to find Taeyeon humming to herself while hugging a
blue lunchbox.

"You really like Jessica don't you?" Tiffany whispered into Taeyeon's ear.

"What's not to like? She's gorgeous, kind, splendid in every way... Ack! Tiffany!" Taeyeon blushed when
she realized what she had admitted to. "Umm... Is it alright with you? I am serious about pursuing her."

"You don't have to ask my permission. In fact, I have already told you where I stand with this. I am
totally siding with you on this one. Jessica should date. Plus I've always wanted to go on double dates!"
Tiffany suddenly grabbed hold of Taeyeon's shoulders. "However..." Tiffany's voice dropped to a harsh
whisper. "If you should break her heart, I will haunt you. You understand?"

Taeyeon swallowed hard at Tiffany's piecing glare. Taeyeon nodded in response. "Completely, don't
worry it won't happen. I think you are spending too much time with Jessica, your glares are on par with
hers."

"Ooohhh... Lunchboxes! One of it is for Jessica?" Tiffany examined the two identical boxes of different
colors, completely ignoring Taeyeon's last statement. "No wonder you kept asking about her likes and
dislikes."

"She mentioned that her reason for skipping lunch was because the queue in the cafeteria is too long.
So I decided to make her a lunchbox."

"Awww... I am getting jealous. I see that you did not prepare my share or Yuri's." Tiffany eyed the two
lunchboxes.

"How about giving one of it to me? That way, you and Jessica share one lunchbox."
"No." Taeyeon placed both of the lunchboxes carefully into her bag. "Jessica should eat more. She's way
too skinny already."

"Meanie." Tiffany stuck her tongue out at Taeyeon.

"You can ask Yuri to make lunches for you. She's a good cook as well. I heard she broke up with all her
partners yesterday."

"She did?" Tiffany smiled a little as she considered Taeyeon's words. "Do you think she did it for me? But
she did not confess her feelings to me."

"I don't have to think. I know she did it for you. Give her some time. This is the first time I've seen her
panicking. She doesn't want to be rejected by you. You must mean a whole lot to her."

"I just hope she is not playing with my feelings."

"Yuri has feelings for you. I am sure of it. You should change into your uniform. A certain someone has
been waiting for at least thirty minutes." Taeyeon gave Tiffany an assuring smile and pointed to the
window facing the front entrance of the school dorm.

Tiffany looked out of the window Taeyeon pointed to and saw Yuri anxiously pacing outside the gates.
Tiffany let out a squeal as she hurried to her room to get changed.

*************************************************************************************

“Jessi! Good morning!”

Jessica snapped her book shut and got up from the wall she is leaning against. She is frustrated. Since
Tiffany had forbid picking her up, Jessica had decided to wait for her at the school's front gates.

On the first day of waiting, Jessica had encountered a butt groping incident involving Taeyeon. Today,
she felt like the main attraction in a zoo.

"Morning." Jessica returned Tiffany's greeting and gave a slight nod to Yuri who is beside the smiling girl
and a slightly green Taeyeon behind them.

"Good morning Jessica." Yuri and Taeyeon greeted, terrified with the dark atmosphere around Jessica.

Tiffany had noticed the semi-circle of fan girls formed around Jessica but all of them have kept a weary
distance. "I guess there is no difference in Korea or back home. Your looks and behavior never fail to
attract them. They mean no harm. Stop emitting such a scary aura."
"The aura is the only thing keeping them from bothering me. What's wrong with her?" Jessica pointed to
Taeyeon.

Tiffany shrugged. "No idea. She was fine when we left the dorm."

Jessica watched as Tiffany asked if Yuri knew the reason to Taeyeon's sickly look. It only took a nano
second for them to change topics and be all lovey-dovey towards each other.

"Are they like that throughout the walk here?" Jessica asked Taeyeon. When Taeyeon nodded, Jessica
patted her back sympathetically. "Let's ditch them."

*************************************************************************************

"You don't have to accompany me you know."

After leaving Yuri and Tiffany at the school gates, Jessica realized she needed a book from her locker and
Taeyeon had insisted on going with her instead of heading to the classroom first.

"I told you. I want to."

Jessica entered the combination to her locker. When the lock clicked open, several envelopes fell from
the small opening at the bottom of the locker. Before Jessica could react, Taeyeon collected all the
envelopes off the floor. Instead of handing them to Jessica, Taeyeon dumped them into a nearby
rubbish bin.

"Okay..." A clearly surprised Jessica turned back to her locker to search for her book.

"It is only your second day of school and they have already written confession letters! They must be
perverts that want to take advantage because of your looks." Taeyeon grumbled angrily.

"If I remember it correctly, you confessed after knowing me for two days as well." Jessica located her
book and shut her locker. "Looks like I've got to be careful with my letters next time you are in the
vicinity."

Taeyeon hang her head in guilt and dismay. "I'm sorry. I acted without thinking. I'll retrieve them from
the bin."

Taeyeon sulked as she turned to make her way towards the bin only to be stopped at midstride.
Taeyeon stared at the pale hand gently gripping onto her wrist of her hand that is stopping her from
leaving.

"I got my book. Let's go to class." Jessica gave a light tug and Taeyeon found herself automatically
following after her.

Taeyeon looked back at the bin that is rapidly shrinking as the distance between them increased. "Wait!
What about the letters?"

"Leave them. They are right where they deserve to be."

Jessica let go of Taeyeon's hand when they reached door of their classroom. "I would appreciate it if you
would sort through it first next time. I don't mind you discarding the love letters, just don't throw out
the important ones as well. The admins at the office said they will slip notices into my locker since I
haven't confirmed my home address."

Jessica left Taeyeon at the doorway and headed to her seat. She folded her hands on the desk and is
about to lay her head to sleep when a blue lunchbox is placed in front of her.

"For you, so you cannot excuse yourself from joining us at lunch time. I intend to continue making you
lunches. Be prepared to spend all your lunch periods with me. Bwahahaha!"

*************************************************************************************

"No one is going to steal your lunchbox. You don't have to hug it while sleeping." Tiffany teased.

"I am using it as a pillow. What did you tell her to do this time?" Jessica sleepily stretched while
surveying the room. The teacher is no longer behind his desk and students are streaming out of the
class.

"I didn't do anything! Apparently it is because of something you said to her." Tiffany took hold of
Jessica's arm and pulled her from her seat. "It's lunch period. You are coming with us."

Jessica allowed herself to be led by Tiffany and Taeyeon to a small garden with a wooden gazebo in the
middle. Yuri, who had dashed off to buy Tiffany some food is already seated on the bench to the right
side of the table located under the wooden structure. Tiffany sat beside Yuri, leaving Taeyeon and
Jessica to share the remaining bench on the other side.

Taeyeon held her breath as Jessica tasted her lunchbox. After the third bite, Taeyeon looked to Tiffany
for help. Taeyeon could not tell if Jessica liked the food.

"Jessi, let me have a small piece of sausage. I want a taste too." Tiffany reached for the sausage but
Jessica shifted the lunchbox away.

"Please Jessi, one small piece." Tiffany used her eye smile.
Tiffany grinned when Jessica paused. Eye smile works every time. Tiffany reached for the sausage again,
confident that she will get to taste Taeyeon's cooking. However, the lunchbox moved away from her
again. This time, Jessica lifted the lunchbox and hastily wolfed down every last bit.

"Yah! I am your best friend! Couldn't you have shared one small piece with me?" Tiffany yelled.

Jessica ignored Tiffany and got up to leave. Jessica pushed the now empty lunchbox to Taeyeon. "Thanks
for the food. I'm done eating."

"She definitely liked it." Tiffany guaranteed after Jessica disappeared into the school building. Judging
from the dorky grin Taeyeon have on her face, it appeared that Taeyeon had figured it out as well.

"Ahhh! Jessi is so lucky to have lunch prepared for her." Tiffany pouted.

Yuri gulped. She knew that was a not so subtle hint from Tiffany. "Fany-ah, what foods do you like?"

"Pizza!"

Yuri smacked her own forehead with her palm. "Why couldn't I have fell for a normal person." Yuri felt
Tiffany glaring at her. "Errr, I meant I need to go shopping for groceries after school."

"Yay! I'm having pizza for lunch tomorrow!" Tiffany clapped her hands gleefully.
Chapter 9 NINE
This is it. It's the start of the competition. The locker room is bustling with activity as the members of
Soshi High Soccer team get ready for their first match. The first matchup is against Coral High, an all girls
school as well. Coral is not much of a threat. Taeyeon know that her team should win this round. But the
numbers are demoralizing.

-Coral has all 18 players on the name list present. Soshi only have 13 names on the list and only twelve
accounted for.
-Coral has got a coach and a manager. Soshi has neither of those.
-Since the match is held at Soshi High, Coral's supporters travelled all the way to cheer for them. They
filled up nearly half of the stadium. Whereas Soshi high only have two benches filled out the entire
section A.

"What's with the long face? This should be easy for us. Coral's attacking style will not break our
defense." Yuri is confident as usual.

Taeyeon took a deep breath to calm her nerves. "Its elimination style Yuri, we need to win to proceed.
And we can't afford to draw. We will lose the penalty kick out. The only ones here that can shoot
accurately are only you and me."

"Don't worry! I've got good news. Jessica is here."

"She is? Where is she?" Taeyeon gripped onto Yuri's hand so hard that Yuri winced in pain.

"Whoa! Relax! I didn't exactly see her. I saw her car in the parking lots."

"Are you sure it's her car?" Taeyeon asked doubtfully.

"Are you kidding? Do you know any other high school student that drives a Bugatti Veyron? Can you
please let go now? You are hurting my hand." Yuri pleads.

"It's Jessi's car alright. But she is not playing. She's just here to watch. The officials said it's time to start
the match. We need to get on the field." Tiffany clarified while removing Taeyeon's death grip on Yuri.

Yuri smiled gratefully when Tiffany succeeded on removing Taeyeon's grip. "Can't you get her to play?
We only have one reserve GK. If anyone is injured we are in big trouble."

Tiffany gave a weak smile. "Sorry Yuree, I really tried. I would prefer it if she can take my spot. I hope I
don't spoil the game for you all."

Yuri pulled Tiffany into a hug. "You will do fine. I don't care if you give the ball to the opponent. Just
don't get hurt."

"Awww? You are so sweet Yuree." Tiffany whispered something into Yuri's ear and Taeyeon could see
the fire in Yuri's eyes.

"I'll block everything! Bring it on!" Yuri yelled as she headed to the field. Yuri's enthusiasm gave her
teammates strength and they followed her out.

"Cheer up Taeyeon. If you look so sad, your team will feel worried too. I am your roommate, teammate
and friend. You can confide in me."

Taeyeon sighed. "We had lunches together. We talked. I thought we are getting closer. Then she starts
acting weird again. She even asked me some weird questions. Why does she insist on not playing? Did I
do something wrong?"

Tiffany frowned. She had noticed Jessica's weirdness as well. There was once she overheard Jessica and
Taeyeon's conversation. Jessica was questioning Taeyeon about the males in Taeyeon's life.

"Taeyeon-ah, you are thinking too much. I am sure Jessi has her reasons." Shaking the worries out of her
head, Tiffany headed out onto the field with Taeyeon in tow. "Concentrate on the game Taeyeon. I
thought it is your aim to get that invitation into SM University."

"You are right. Thanks Tiffany." Taeyeon tried to get her head in the game as she jogged to her position.

*************************************************************************************

"What is that pervert doing?" Jessica threw her hands up in dismay when Taeyeon's shot went wide.

Soshi's high midfield hardly got any possession on the ball. There were only two opportunities to score
so far and Taeyeon had wasted them both. Luckily the defense is effective against Coral's attacking style
and Yuri seems to be in top form today. When the whistle blew for half time, the match is still goalless
for both sides.

"You! The field is that way! " Jessica glared at a fellow Soshi High supporter sitting next to her. The guy
had been filming her the entire time instead of the match.

Unable to sit and watch further, Jessica decided to talk to Taeyeon personally. Taeyeon seem to be
feeling down and her mood is affecting the team. On her way to the locker room, she spotted Taeyeon
in conversation with another male while laughing merrily together.

"She doesn't need cheering after all." Jessica muttered dryly.

"Jessica!" Taeyeon had spotted her when she is about to leave. "Come meet my friend."

"Jaejoong, this is Jessica, she's the owner of the Veyron parked outside. Jessica, this is Jaejoong. He is a
childhood friend. He is quite a car fanatic." Taeyeon introduced them to each other.

"Hi! Taeyeon had told me a lot about you." Jaejoong held his hand out. "I was wondering if you could let
me take it for a spin."

"No." Jessica ignored his outstretched hand.

Jaejoong withdrew his hand his hand awkwardly with a laugh. "That car cost a lot. If it belongs to me, I
don't think I would let anyone else drive it either."

"How about just letting Jaejoong ride around the school?" Taeyeon suggested.

Jessica crossed her arms. "No."

"Why? It's just a short drive."

"I am not a chauffeur."

"How about you let me drive him then? My dad taught me, I'll be really careful."

"No."

"You don't trust me with your car?"

"That's not the problem."

"Then why?"

"I don't trust him."

"Okay! That's enough." Jaejoong interrupted the bickering pair whose voices are getting louder with
each sentence.

"Taeyeon, it's her car. Respect her decision. Why are you getting worked up when I am okay with it?
Thanks for trying." Jaejoong ruffled Taeyeon's hair. "Sadly, I can't stay to watch the second half of your
match. Sms me the results later ok?"

"It's nice to meet you, Jessica." Jaejoong gave a bow.

Jaejoong left with a wave and Taeyeon felt guilty after considering his words. "I am sorry for questioning
you. I guess I was frustrated with the way I am playing the match. I guess I kind of took it out on you. Are
you looking for Tiffany? I'll call her for you."

"Wait. The one I am looking for is you." Jessica cleared her throat. That sentence came out wrongly.
"You told me to watch your match. I am here. Don't make me come all the way here for nothing."

"The one you are looking for is me?" Taeyeon batted her eyelids coyly.

"Yah! Don't misinterpret it. You know what I mean. Forget about the first half. Do better during the
second half. Show me what you are capable of."

"You are the one for me too!" Taeyeon cheekily replied when Jessica started to make her way back.

"Aish! I told her not to misinterpret it. Out of all the things I've said she only heard that one line?"
Jessica shook her head in apprehension as she headed back to her seat.

*************************************************************************************

"Your team must be really awful. It's your home ground yet only a handful of people came to support."

"Your team only has twelve players? Did you scare off the other people that wanted to join?"

"Can't get a coach? Or the school thinks that your team is unimportant and didn't hire one?"

The mental game started ever since the whistle blew for the second half of the match to commence.
There is only ten minutes left into the game and it is still goalless for both sides. Attempts to get the ball
forward had been futile. Soshi team is slowly losing hope. To make matters worse, the cheers for Coral's
team are deafening. Taeyeon is both physically and mentally exhausted. With the sneers of the Coral's
players are ringing in her head, she came to a complete stop. Raising her face to the sky with her eyes
closed, Taeyeon wondered why she had signed her team up.

The soccer club used to be a pride of Soshi High. Ever since the suspension of the third years, Jea and
gang, the soccer team has never been the same. The school paid less attention on their club and it has
faded into the shadows over time. Taeyeon had wanted to prove her innocence, to earn back the trust
of players. That failed miserably. Now Taeyeon and Jea's gang come to blows whenever they bump into
each other.

Wanting to restore its former glory, Taeyeon worked hard to build up a team again. However, it all boils
down to nothing. Taeyeon had wanted to prove herself. But there is no one to prove it to. No one is
watching.
An object hit her squarely on the back of her head. The force of it made Taeyeon stumble forward.
Taeyeon opened her eyes and spotted a half empty water bottle on the ground. Bringing her hand over
the area where it hit, Taeyeon looked up towards the stands. Her eyes meet Jessica's fierce stare
immediately. Jessica is standing with her arms crossed and the people seated around her are staring at
her with their mouths open. Even with the distance, Taeyeon could tell she is angry.

She really is an excellent pitcher.

Taeyeon smiled at the thought as she kicked the bottle out of the field. There is only two minutes left to
the match. Taeyeon signaled for Yuri to kick the ball as far as she could.

"Ball! Pass it back!" Yuri yelled to the defenders. "Finally, that midget is back in the game."

When her defender passed the ball back, Yuri sent the ball flying deep into the opponent's half. When a
Coral defender headed the ball down for a fellow Coral player, Taeyeon intercepted it with a burst of
speed. With that momentum, Taeyeon had gotten behind the defense. With only the goalkeeper to
beat, Taeyeon kicked the ball as hard as she could towards the far corner of the net.

The goalkeeper dived in the wrong direction and the ball buried itself into the net. The scoreboard
registered Taeyeon's goal as the whistle signaled the end of the match.

After Taeyeon untangled herself from her elated teammates that had piled on her to celebrate her goal,
Taeyeon looked towards the stand where Soshi supporters are seated.

"She really is something else."

Tiffany heard Taeyeon's comment and followed her line of sight. The supporters are all on their feet
jumping for joy. All save one. Jessica is leaning back on her seat with her legs crossed and arm draped
behind her chair.

"Don't mind Jessica. Your goal is marvelous! You should celebrate."

"Nope, you got wrong Fany-ah. We owe it to Jessica for knocking some sense into this midget here. I
was about to leave my line to do that but Jessica beat me to it."

"Huh? What did Jessica do?" Tiffany is clueless as she did not notice the bottle throwing incident.

"I guess you can say that she let me know that I am not alone."

"That's what the team was trying to show you all along you midget. Are we not comparable to one
Jessica?" Yuri complained.
"I guess not." Taeyeon joked.

"You are asking for a beating Kim Taeyeon!" Yuri lunged at Taeyeon but the shorter girl is much faster.

Tiffany sighed as she watched the two play catching. She wondered how they can be so hyper when she
is dead beat. Soccer is definitely not made for her.
Chapter 10 TEN
It's another Monday morning and at the front gates of Soshi High, giggling fan girls as well as students
from a neighboring all males school are crowded around a lone figure.

The murmurings stop when a brave student in Soshi High uniform ventured towards the girl with blonde
hair in the center of the crowd. The brave student came to a stop a few steps in front of the girl and
willed her to look up from her book. When she did not do so, the brave student cleared her throat and
introduced herself.

"Hi, I am the captain of Soshi's High softball club. I would like to personally invite you to join..."

"No thanks." The girl with beautiful golden hair replied without looking up from her book.

A chorus of 'Ooohhhs' came from the crowd. The poor girl was looking for a hole to shrink into when an
arm draped itself over her shoulders.

"Jessica belongs to the soccer club. Don't poach my talents. Next time I won't be so courteous." Taeyeon
growled at the girl. When the girl nodded, Taeyeon did a 180 change. "You must have seen the video on
Youtube! She has a great arm doesn't she?" Taeyeon proudly announced. "The aim, the power of the
throw… I knew she would make a great pitcher."

Taeyeon was about to continue boasting when a knuckle connected with her head. "Owww! What's that
for?"

"I am not your property. Let the girl go. What video on Youtube are you talking about?" Jessica
demanded.

Taeyeon released the squirming girl. "Someone posted a few videos on Youtube. It appears to be filmed
during the match. Seem to be quite a fan of yours. One of the video includes you throwing that bottle at
me. The videos are clear and most of it are close ups of you. Really well taken I'd say. I even subscribed
to the channel."

"You did what?!" Jessica glared at Taeyeon who just shrugged it off.

"There are some videos of the match. They could be useful in the future." Taeyeon defended herself.

A short silence later...

"That's it! I have had enough. Will you two please stop making out in public? Since when did you two
officially get together?" Jessica shielded her eyes as Yuri and Tiffany lock lips. "Am I right to say it has
something to do with Yuri's brilliant performance during the match against Coral?"
"Bingo! You can say that it's an incentive and I've earned it." Yuri broke the kiss briefly to reply only to
be pulled back by Tiffany a second later. "Stop talking and come here, you sexy thing."

"If you want my point of view, I'd say Tiffany gave up waiting for Yuri and took the first initiative
instead." Taeyeon contributed.

There is no doubt in Jessica's mind. It's definitely Tiffany that initiated. Tiffany has got Yuri hooked
around her little finger. Jessica sighed at the scene in front of her. "Can you two at least wait till you are
behind closed doors?"

"They are worse behind closed doors. Yuri was over at the dorm the entire day yesterday and Tiffany
was moaning loudly enough for the whole level to hear." Taeyeon snickered with a lewd look.

"Aish! I really don't need to know that." Jessica covered her ears with her hands and stormed off
towards the classrooms.

"Stop fantasizing you midget! I was just giving Tiffany a massage!"

*************************************************************************************

Its lunch break and Taeyeon had detoured to visit the restroom when she bumped into her old enemies.

"I heard you guys won the first match. Congratulations."

"What do you want Jea?" Taeyeon braced herself for the fight.

"Relax. We just want to talk."

Taeyeon is confused. Normally they will just brawl it out. This time they wanted to talk?

"You remember that day when we got into a fight with the players from JYP High?" Narsha asked.

"They are jerks. They are picking on us, the first years at that time until the seniors, you guys and some
third year members came. After an argument for an apology a fight broke out. Someone must have
alerted the authorities and we split when the cops came. No one was actually caught that day. However
the principal summoned you four and five other third year students the next day." Taeyeon recalled.

"The captain at that time is one of the five third year students. We are at the second year. It was so
coincidental that the captain is requested to step down ahead of time and the next in line captain for
the following year is to be suspended from activities for a year. A first year is named captain and rumors
spread like wildfire." Miryo continued the story.
"Everyone believed I had told the teachers about the fight for the captain role." Taeyeon sighed. "It
really wasn't me. I still don't know the reason why you four are so certain the person who ratted was
me."

"We had the call traced. The call to the police was from your cell." Gain said gravely.

"What! How is that possible? I was with you all the whole time. How could I have made the call?"
Taeyeon questioned.

"It was hectic during the fight. We thought you could have slipped away to make a call then come back.
But we received this yesterday." Jea held a photograph out to Taeyeon.

Taeyeon took a look at the photo and exclaimed. "I remember now! We dumped our bags on the bench
and we had to sneak back to get them after we lose the police. My phone wasn't even with me! It's in
the bag. This shadow that is searching our bags must be the real culprit!"

"From the size, it should be a well built tall male. You are too short to be the person in the photograph.
Should we call a truce for now? If you manage to find more concrete evidence that you are not the
culprit, the four of us will gladly rejoin the soccer club. We know you need more players." Jea said
sincerely.

"You are not making fun of my height are you?" Taeyeon growled.

Narsha laughed. "You are still so sensitive about your height."

"If you'll stop making fun of my height I'll agree on the truce."

"Deal." Jea said with a smile. "I am tired of all the fighting."

"One more thing, do you know who sent you the photo?" Taeyeon asked as the foursome are leaving.

Miryo shrugged. "We thought it was you or Yuri. Since it is not you, maybe Yuri sent it?"
Chapter 11 ELEVEN
"Maybe it's a trap. Make you believe they are on your side first, then whack you when you least
expected it." Yuri said dramatically.

"You are watching too much drama. Who could have investigated for me?" Taeyeon had been racking
her brains the past few days. Yuri claimed the photo did not come from her.

Then who is it?

"You have been thinking about it for five days already. Give it a break. You can't afford to be distracted
for today's game. We have a history with these guys. We need to win this." Yuri looked up when the
door to the locker room opened. "Oh my, look who's here."

Taeyeon found Jessica dressed in her soccer uniform with Tiffany following close behind. "You are going
to play?"

"Tiffany had been whining non-stop about how unfair it is to go against a bunch of guys. In the midst of
it, she somehow tricked me into agreeing to help in today's match." Jessica explained as she dropped
onto the bench and retied her cleats.

"Nice job roomie!" Taeyeon gave Tiffany a high-five. "Since you got Jessica to play, do you want to rest
today? We can move one of the midfielders to the attacker slot."

Tiffany shook her head. "Let me play today. There is something I want."

"Good luck getting it. Today's opponents are quite tough." Yuri smirked.

"That's why I had spent so much effort getting Jessica here today. You'll see." Tiffany retorted.

"Amaze me."

"Oh, I will."

Taeyeon looked back and forth between Yuri and Tiffany. Something is odd about them today.

"Yuree-ah, is there a special way to tie the laces? Mine always come lose after a while."

"Here, I'll tie them tightly for you." Yuri lifted Tiffany's foot and placed it on her lap. "Be careful out
there. Please don't get hurt."

Taeyeon smacked herself mentally for reading too much into it. The YulTi couple is back being their
lovey-dovey selves.

*************************************************************************************

"Taeyeon, they are here." Yuri gestured towards the stands.

Taeyeon gave Jea and gang a wave which they returned. "It is an away game. Yet they travelled all the
way here to watch us play? What does it mean Yuri?"

"Either that they are stalking you for a chance to strike or they honestly want to cheer us on."

"I sure hope it's the latter." Taeyeon said uneasily.

"I hope so too. However the fact that you guys spent one long year going at each other's throat kept
bringing doubts into my head." Concern can be heard from Yuri's voice.

"Let's worry about them later. At the moment, the match is more important. I've spotted a few familiar
faces and one of them is headed right this way."

"We meet again, Kim Taeyeon. I see that you are captain. I am selected captain as well. Unlike you, I
didn't step on my teammates to get the role. I heard that you are a little rat."

"I didn't betray them! Get your facts right!"

Taeyeon wanted to hit the guy but Yuri held her back. "Taeyeon, calm down. Don't you see? It's his
plan."

"I'll show you why females should not play soccer." The guy scoffed before walking off.

*************************************************************************************

"We will be starting the kick off." Taeyeon informed her team.

"You remember what you did during our friendly match? Should we try that?" Taeyeon asked when
Jessica ambled towards the halfway line.

Jessica surveyed the opponents and shook her head. "It won't work. They are vigilant even before we
are at the line."

Jessica gestured Tiffany to the line. "Fanyah, you kick off."

"Are you kidding? Have you forgotten this is only my third match? I don't know what to do. What about
Taeyeon? Ask her to do it instead." Tiffany is troubled by Jessica's request. For the other games, the kick
off has always been done by Taeyeon and another player. Tiffany's role in the matches so far is almost
nonexistent and a kick off sounds burdensome.

"Relax, it's really simple. When the whistle goes, all you need to do is roll the ball forward to me." Jessica
led Tiffany into the center circle and positioned her beside the ball.

Tiffany blinked. That's rather easy. "That's it?"

"That's it. After you rolled the ball to me, just go to your position. Trust me, I won't ask you to do
impossible stuff." Jessica reassured Tiffany and the latter lighten up.

"Have you girls decided on whom to take the kick off?" The referee inquired, puzzled about having three
Soshi players in the circle.

"Yes Sir. Can you give us a minute before staring the match?" Jessica gave the referee and smile and he
agreed almost immediately.

"Jessi, what about Taeyeon? She normally does the kick off." Tiffany felt a little guilty for taking
Taeyeon's spot.

"Don't worry about it Fanyah. I need Taeyeon somewhere else to secure the first goal within the first
minute to put us ahead. Just concentrate on your position."

Jessica wrapped one arm around Taeyeon's shoulders "Here's the plan. I will..." Jessica's voice trailed off
when she noticed the nearby opposing player trying to hear what she is saying. Rolling her eyes, Jessica
whispered the plan into Taeyeon's ear instead.

"Yes boss!" Taeyeon gave Jessica a mock salute and proceeded out of the circle.

When Taeyeon reached her position, Jessica informed the referee that they are ready. The three of
them formed an invisible line with Tiffany in the middle, Jessica to Tiffany's left and Taeyeon to the right
near the sideline.

'Prrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeppppphhhhh'

Tiffany did want she was told to do perfectly. She rolled the ball to Jessica and jogged forward towards
the goal.

Taeyeon ran into the opponent's half as soon as the whistle blew. Taeyeon is in the attacking third of the
field but the anticipated pass did not occur. Taeyeon glanced back and saw the cause. Jessica is
surrounded by three enemies.
"Over here!" Taeyeon know Jessica can get past them and she wanted to let her know her position.

When the enemy on the right attempted to get the ball, Jessica quickly moved the ball away while
making a 180 degree turn. With her back is towards the middle opponent, blocking his view on the ball,
Jessica made her move. She slides the ball between the third's legs and made a quick turn around him.

Leaving the three behind, Jessica chased after the ball that is heading towards the left corner flag. One
of the opposing defender is running for the ball while another is standing guard near the goal in case
Jessica makes an attempt at the goal as soon as she got to the ball. Jessica got to the ball first as she is
relatively nearer. Jessica tried to find Taeyeon but the shorter girl is flanked by two defenders. Even if
Jessica did have a player to cross the ball to, she did not have the chance. The defender arrived a second
after Jessica got to the ball and he forced Jessica dangerously close to the line. The other defender
joined in and they applied pressure hoping to get Jessica to make a mistake of letting the ball cross the
end line.

Seeing Jessica in a pinch, Taeyeon ran out of the box trying to rid the two defenders that are looming
over her. When the two defenders followed Taeyeon out of the box, Jessica flicked the ball into the air
to the left of her and her defenders and slammed her right leg against the ball with a half turn.

The direction of the ball is not to the goal. It is heading towards the right sideline and slightly backwards.
However it is not that far back to where Taeyeon is. Despite all that, it is not a mistake. Jessica did not
randomly kick the ball in any direction just to get it out of the sandwich. In fact, the course of the ball is
exactly where Jessica had wanted it to be, the area where Taeyeon was at moments ago. Except that
now, it is free of defenders.

Taeyeon had slipped between her defenders and is making a dash for the ball. Jessica had kicked it
rather forcefully and Taeyeon did not even have the time to position herself properly before swinging
her leg back to shoot.

Judging from Taeyeon's body angle and the speed, the goalkeeper deduced that Taeyeon can only aim
for a powerful shot towards the direction to his right and pray he doesn't get there in time. The
goalkeeper had dived ahead to cover that direction. Just as he made his leap, the goalkeeper eyes widen
in surprise when Taeyeon stopped her leg in mid swing and twisted herself away from the ball.

The ball continued its flight until it hit another Soshi player's body who is a few feet behind Taeyeon and
the ball changed direction towards the goal. The goalkeeper can only watch helplessly as the ball
crossed the line and came to a stop after a few bounces. His defenders are all busy defending Taeyeon
and Jessica. No one had marked the other player that is in the box.

The goalkeeper picked up the ball in his net at threw it angrily against the ground as the referee
awarded Soshi High's player with the number 7 jersey with the goal. He knows that they had fallen for
Soshi High's trick. The number 52 had intentionally let the conversation before the kickoff to be heard
by them. And just like she had predicted, Soshi High had secured the first goal.

It is only forty five seconds into the game and the scoreboard reads:
Soshi 1 : JYP 0

****For reference, in case of confusion****

7 – Tiffany

52 – Jessica
Chapter 12 TWELVE

It happened so quickly. In a blink of an eye, the ball is already in the goal. Some may say the ball hit the
back of her leg. Others may argue otherwise.

Tiffany scanned the faces of the players that are hugging her. Not finding the one she is looking for, she
wormed her way out of the pile and immediately spotted her target. Unlike her celebrating teammates,
the person she is looking for is nonchalantly walking back to their half of the field.

"Yah! Why did you do that?" Tiffany yelled while staring at her back. When she did not answer, Tiffany
ran up to her.

When Tiffany caught up, the girl replied. "You scored. I thought that was what you had wanted."

"Jessi! I did ask you to help set me up so that I can score a goal but not this way! No wonder you told me
to look at Yuri when I got into the box." Tiffany whined as she rubbed her butt. "Ahhh! This is so
embarrassing. And do you have to kick it that hard? It hurts you know."

"At least you got your goal." Jessica said with a shrug. "Why are you so desperate to score anyways?"

"Western lunch! Chicken chops!" Tiffany brightened immediately as she revealed her reason. Tiffany
clarified when she saw Jessica's puzzled look. "Yuree promised to make me western lunches if I manage
to score a goal in this match."

Jessica's frowned. "Chicken chops?"

Tiffany nodded.

"In a lunch box?"

Tiffany nodded again.

Jessica's frown deepened and she turned to look at the only other person in Soshi team that is not
celebrating. At the sight of the tan girl with her mouth wide open, Jessica can only shake her head in
sympathy.

*************************************************************************************

"Let's celebrate! It's Taeyeon's treat!" Yuri announced. The match against JYP has ended and most of the
Soshi High players had already washed up except for a few slower ones.
"Hey! Why am I treating?" Taeyeon smacked Yuri's arm.

"We won! 4-3. You are the captain, you should give us a treat for our hard work." Yuri replied.

"I scored two out of the four. I did most of the work. Shouldn't it be you guys treating me instead?"
Taeyeon grumbled.

"Come on, rightfully speaking, Jessica did the work. We should be screwed. Luckily, Jessica scored at the
last minute to let us win the game. You panicked and wasted a lot of her passes. You should treat us to a
meal for your lousy play. Plus this could be a chance for you to spend more time with her." Yuri nudged
Taeyeon while she whispered the last sentence into her ear.

Taeyeon rubbed her chin as she considered her best friend's words. Spending more time with Jessica
sounds good. But it would cost a bomb to feed thirteen people.

Before Taeyeon could come to a conclusion, the door to the locker room was flung open.

"Kim Taeyeon! Come out! NOW!" Jea slammed the door against the wall to put emphasis on the word
now and a loud bang echoed through the now quiet room.

Frightened by the abrupt imposition, Taeyeon hurriedly followed Jea outside without any consideration.
Gain is waiting outside the locker room and gestured for Taeyeon to hurry with a few impatient waves
of her hand.

By now, all kinds of weird assumptions are filling Taeyeon's head.

What do they want with me?

Did I do something to piss them off?

Or maybe Yuri was right. This is may be a trap!

Or maybe they going to beat me up first then sell me off for money!

When Jea stopped walking and started to turn, Taeyeon instinctively held up her arms to shield her
head.

"Relax, we are on your side." Jea pointed to a very familiar car. "There is a blonde in your team. Is this
her car?"

Taeyeon blinked in confusion and looked at her surroundings. She had followed them into the car park.
Miryo had joined them when Taeyeon was lost in thoughts and they are now standing in front of a
Bugatti Veyron parked in JYP's visitor lot.

"Yes, it belongs to Jessica. What's going on?" Taeyeon looked at her seniors in confusion. Taeyeon could
not read their expressions.

"We don't have time to stand around and talk. We will move and explain at the same time. Follow us."
Jea punched a few numbers into her cell and led the way while Gain kept pace with Taeyeon to explain
the situation.

"The blonde was ambushed by four men in motorcycle helmets by her car. Narsha happened to witness
it. Narsha called Jea saying that they are trying to force her to move to another location and she is
following them."

Upon hearing that Jessica is in trouble, Taeyeon picked up her pace.

"Over here!"

Aware that Narsha is alone, Taeyeon shook the older girl roughly. "Jessica! Where is she?"

Narsha grimaced at the strength of the shorter girl's grip. Guilt pieced her heart when she looked into
Taeyeon's eyes.

There is a mixture of hope and fear.

...

Hope that Narsha could tell her where Jessica is.

Fear that something bad had happened as Jessica is nowhere in sight.

...

Unable to hold Taeyeon's gaze, Narsha averted her eyes to the floor.

...

"I am so sorry. I lost them."

*************************************************************************************

Jessica tried to wriggle her hands free but they are tightly bounded by a rough rope. With each tug, the
rope seems to bite deeper into her wrist, giving her abrasions instead.

Help! Somebody! Anybody!

That was what she wanted to scream out but only soft murmurs escaped from her gagged mouth. She
had managed too get away form her kidnappers but it's only a matter of time before they caught up
with her. Not being able to see where she is going, she stubbed her foot on a step and fell. Wincing in
pain, Jessica picked herself up from the nasty fall. She had tried to cushion her fall but the stairs must
have scraped her knee and her arm as she felt warm liquid slowly trickling down. After hobbling up two
steps, Jessica froze when she heard footsteps. They are heading her way in a hurried pace. Jessica held
her breath when the footsteps got closer. She had been retracing her steps. If her memory is right, this
is a flight of stairs has only three steps and it connects to a walkway to her right. As soon as the
footsteps reached the stairs, Jessica rammed her body hard as she could in that direction.

A loud "Ooomph!" was heard as she collided into something soft.

Knowing that she had hit her target, Jessica tried to run but the person had hugged her tightly, not
letting her get away. Jessica thrashed about hoping to break free but the person will not let go. She
heard the person cough while wheezing for air.

"Jessica! Jessica! Stop, it's me. Sica, it's me." The person finally spoke when the coughs subside.

Jessica stopped moving and muttered something incoherent.

"I don't understand what you are trying to say. Hold on, I am going to remove the gag, don't fight me
ok?"

After the gag is removed, Jessica repeated what she had said. "I knew something was different. My
kidnapper shrunk."

"Haha, very funny. Turn around so I can untie your han..."

Her sentence is cut off with a shriek, a loud clang and a splash.

"Wh... What happened? Where are you?" Jessica chastised herself for not demanding the removal of
the blindfold to be first.

"Answer me!" Jessica demanded but all she heard are hushed whispers.

Chills ran down her spine when she recognized the voice of one of her kidnappers. They seem to be in
an argument and Jessica caught some of it.
"What... Taeyeon?"

"... grabbed... let go... she bit... fell..."

"... bad... we need to get out of here..."

"We didn't touch her at all. Only him!"

"It wasn't my fault! She slipped!" The voice Jessica recognized protested. Their voice had grown louder
when the argument became more heated. Jessica no longer needs to strain to hear. They are practically
shouting now.

"What had you done?" Unable to keep quiet any longer, Jessica spoke out. Her words are dripping with
menace. She had gotten the attention of the kidnappers. She can feel their stares on her now.

"It is not my fault! I let go of her when she bit my hand. She slipped and fell off the steps." The voice
Jessica recognized was so afraid that he replied without thinking.

"Yah! Don't tell her anything. Someone is coming. We need to get out of here."

"Is she hurt? Untie me!" Jessica heart sank when she heard the footsteps of the kidnappers running
away.

Something definitely happened to Taeyeon. Something bad.

"Taeyeon! Are you alright? Answer me please. Taeyeon!"

...

"Jessica!"

Jessica perked when she heard her name but it's not Taeyeon.

"Yuri! Over here! Please hurry. Something happened to Taeyeon, check on her first. Please hurry Yuri,
please hurry."

"The blindfold, remove it first please. Did you check on Taeyeon? Is she alright? They said she slipped
and fell off the stairs. The stairs has only three steps! Why won't she answer me? Is she badly hurt?" Yuri
complied with Jessica's request and worked on the knot of the blindfold.

"Yes, I've checked on her. She fell into the pool. Do you know CPR?" When Yuri pulled off the blindfold,
Jessica spotted Taeyeon lying at the edge of a large swimming pool in a growing puddle of water. Yuri
must have pulled her out from the pool.

"OMG! Taeyeon! Is she breathing?"

"Stop moving." Yuri commanded as she concentrated on the ropes around Jessica's hands. "Why do you
think I asked if you know CPR?"

"I don't. How... What... What should we do?" Jessica wondered how Yuri can be so calm when her best
friend is not breathing.

"Not we. You." Yuri untied the last knot and gave Jessica a light push toward Taeyeon.

"What? I don't know CPR!"

"I don't either."Yuri shrugged. "But I watched Baywatch. I'll tell you the steps and you just follow my
instructions. You better hurry. You don't want Taeyeon to die do you?"

Yuri gave Jessica a reassuring smile and the bewildered girl knelt beside Taeyeon.

"Tilt her head back and lift her chin." Yuri watched as Jessica blankly followed her instructions. "Next,
take a normal breath and cover her mouth with yours and blow out your breath."

Yuri held her breath when Jessica leaned forward. Closer, closer, just a little bit more... and... and... and
nothing... Jessica came to a stop inches from Taeyeon's lips.

"Are you sure you got the steps right? Shouldn't we pinch her nose as well?" Jessica asked quizzically
with her head slightly tilted to the side.

"Ahahaha... I am pretty sure there is no need for that in this case." Yuri said with an awkward laugh.

Something was definitely wrong. Before Jessica could react, the supposedly unconscious Taeyeon closed
the gap and pressed her lips against Jessica's. When Taeyeon had her taste she sat up and gave a mega
watt smile at the still dazed Jessica. "We had known each other for three weeks and today is the first
time you call me by my name. We even had our first kiss today. I'd say we are definitely getting closer."

"Or maybe not." Taeyeon said dejectedly as she watched Jessica got up and left without a word.

"Uh -uh. Not cool." Yuri shook her head at her best friend.

"You are my partner in crime." Taeyeon reminded Yuri.

"Arugh! Don't rub it in. I feel bad already for helping you trick Jessica."
"The goons were running away and you are on the way. I thought it wouldn't hurt to act like I've
drowned to earn a kiss. Was it such a bad idea?" Taeyeon eyed Yuri. The taller girl seems genuinely
worried about something.

"I think you should go after her. And yes it was a bad idea. She was really worried about you. She kept
on struggling with the ropes around her hands. Even when I was untying her, she was trying to force her
hands free. She bled a lot Taeyeon. I think she is in more pain then she let on." Yuri tossed the
bloodstained rope she was holding to Taeyeon.

"And she is still bleeding profusely." Yuri pointed at the trail of blood on the floor. "You better hurry.
Find her and bring her to the infirmary. I'll get help."
Chapter 13 THIRTEEN

"Miryo, go back to the locker room and tell Yuri the situation. Get the team to help. We'll split up and
search."

Taeyeon sprinted off even before Jea finished speaking.

Jessica. Where are you?

Taeyeon found herself at the top of a flight of stairs consisting of only three steps and a large swimming
pool further down.

The scene felt eerily familiar.

Taeyeon pushed the thought to the back of her mind. Only one thing mattered at the moment.

Jessica.

There is a blinding light and a blonde girl covered in blood appeared right in front of her causing
Taeyeon to stumble backwards in shock.

"J... Je... Jessica?"

The girl raised a bloody hand and pointed a finger accusingly at Taeyeon. "How can you kill me?"

"What? I killed you? How?"

A flashback of pretending to be drowned kept repeating itself in Taeyeon's mind like an old film.

"Do you know how much pain I was in? I thought you liked me. How could you do that to me?"

The old film in Taeyeon's mind stopped playing and she is now chasing after Jessica. No matter how hard
Taeyeon ran, she could not catch up with the girl in front of her.

"Jessica! Wait! Jessica!"

She soon lose sight of Jessica but she kept running following the trail of blood that seem to go on and on
in an endless hallway.

"Jessica!"
*************************************************************************************

Taeyeon jolted upright from her lying position and found herself staring into the pair of mesmerizing
clear black eyes that she loves so much.

"Jessica!"

As if the loud screams and the sudden zombie-like-springing-back-to-life movement were not scary
enough, Taeyeon clamped both hands down tightly on Jessica's shoulders making the already pale girl's
face turn a lighter shade of white.

"I am sorry. I love you. Don't leave me."

Was it the grave tone? Or was it the sincerity? Or maybe it was the puppy eyes?

Jessica could not pinpoint the reason for her fluttering heart and had to fight hard to stop the smile that
is tugging the corners of her lips. She lightly flicked Taeyeon's forehead.

"Pabo. It is just a nightmare. You are scaring other people with your loud screams."

Taeyeon slowly became aware of her surroundings. She is lying on the bench in a white corridor.
Serveral people with bandages or casts are eyeing her in a weird way, nurses and doctors are scurrying
about.

The hospital!

Memories came rushing back to Taeyeon. She had went after Jessica and found her collapsed in the
hallway not far from the swimming pool.

"You need to eat more. How can you be so light when you are taller than me?" Taeyeon blurted when
she recalled the ease when she had carried Jessica to the meeting point where Yuri had an ambulance
waiting.

"Yah! Are you not awake yet?" Jessica gave Taeyeon's cheek a few pokes.

Taeyeon growled and tried to bite Jessica's finger. "Just when I thought we are getting closer, it's back to
'yah' again."

Taeyeon stopped fooling around when she caught sight of Jessica's bandaged wrists. "You are injured
because of me again. I am really sorry for that prank. I was selfish and thought only about getting a kiss
from you. I should have noticed that your pain. I should have protected you but I caused you more
injuries. I should have..."
"Shhhh... Enough of the I-should-haves. It doesn't hurt much. I don't even need to stay in the hospital.
The doctor advised against lifting heavy weight and it should be healed in a few days. Don't think too
much about it okay?"

When Taeyeon did not look up from the floor, Jessica knew her efforts to cheer the petite girl had gone
to waste. Unable to watch the girl beat herself up, Jessica did something drastic.

"Taeyeon, thanks for saving me." Jessica lifted Taeyeon's chin and gave her a kiss on the lips.

Jessica was worried at first as she is inexperienced in kissing. However, judging from Taeyeon's silly grin,
Jessica reckoned that she must have done a pretty good job.
Chapter 14 FOURTEEN
It's another Monday morning and listless students of Soshi High are slowly making their way to school.

Among them is a couple with entwined hands. The shorter one is bubbly and chattering away with a
loud voice while the taller tanned brunette looked lost in thoughts.

"Taeyeon said we get a break after winning two matches. That means we are free this weekend and we
can go on a date!"

"Yuree? Are you listening?" Tiffany asked when Yuri did not reply. "What are you thinking about?"

Tiffany gave Yuri's hand a squeeze making her girlfriend look at her. She wondered what could have
made the usually jolly girl become so serious.

"I am just thinking about the kidnapping. The timing of it seems really suspicious. Do you know if Jessica
has got any enemies in Korea?" Someone is targeting a member of the team and both Taeyeon and her
did not like it one bit. They are halfway through the competition for their region. Their numbers are
small, if any of them are seriously injured, especially the key players, all hopes would be lost.

Jessica is definitely one of the key players. If anyone watched their latest match against JYP, they would
know just how ridiculously good she is. Another reason to target Jessica is because of Taeyeon. If Jessica
is in trouble, Taeyeon would crash. Despite Taeyeon's playful ways, she is a wise and fair leader. She
encourages the team, gives advices, is always helping out and never forces anyone. Taeyeon always
request nicely and does not abuse her power as captain to make the members do things her way. The
other members of the team respect that and followed under her lead. If Taeyeon is distracted, the team
will be in disarray as well.

"Jessi thinks that it could not have been done by enemies of her family. She said it was way too sloppy. If
they had known the power of her family, they would not have left her there alive and run away. They
would have killed her or die trying."

Tiffany had mentioned that Jessica's family is influential but she never explained the reason. Yuri did not
see the need to probe at that time but this time, curiosity won.

"Why is that?"

"They take care of their own, you mess with one, and you will be against them all. Plus Jessi is like their
treasure. She had been helping the family business since young and she had achieved astonishing
results. They had already appointed her to take over the empire. Trust me, you would not want to go
against them. Her dad can be quite scary. There was a time where a group of gangsters in front of our
school picking on random kids. I happened to be the unlucky one and Jessi stood up against them for
me. Those poor guys didn't know who they were messing with when they hit Jessi. Her family flew into a
rage when they saw her injuries. Bottom line, it's like a stroke of never ending bad luck. Nothing ever
went right for those guys and the police kept on busting the gang."

Yuri swallowed nervously and made a metal note not to get on Jessica's bad side.

"Watson, do you think it's the JYP guys? You have a history with them and they could be angry about
their defeat." Tiffany eyes gleamed as she pretend to look through an imaginary magnifying glass. "Or
maybe Jea and her gang hired someone to kidnap Jessica to get back at Taeyeon!"

"Nope. The JYP guys were so in awe with Jessica's abilities that they changed their minds about their
soccer-is-for-guys believes. They even volunteered to help search. You can eliminate Jea and her gang as
well. They are the ones that had warned Taeyeon about the kidnap and they had officially joined the
team yesterday. The police keep a record of all emergencies calls. A copy of the call made by Taeyeon's
cell that day was sent to Jea. The caller is a guy. The voice is deep and husky and it is definitely not
Taeyeon." Yuri went along with Tiffany's play detective act. "Any other ideas Sherlock?"

Tiffany snapped her fingers when she remembered something. "Oh! Jessi thinks it is not her enemies.
She said they know Taeyeon. They called Taeyeon by her name whereas they only referred to Jessi as
'her'. She claimed she figured the culprits behind Taeyeon's dispute with Jea because of this."

"Wait. Jessica knows about that too?"

"Was it supposed to be a secret? I am sor..."

"It's not a secret." Yuri stopped Tiffany from apologizing.

Tiffany stared at Yuri with wide eyes. "I am such a blabbermouth! You cannot tell Taeyeon about what
Jessi said. She wanted to confirm her findings first and made me promise not to tell. Jessi said Taeyeon
would be depressed if she knew the kidnapping may be because of her."

Yuri nodded in agreement. Taeyeon already felt very guilty about the drowning trick. Not letting
Taeyeon know is the right choice.

"Jessica must have really liked that midget."

"Of course she does. How I wish they will hurry up and get together so we can go for double dates."
Tiffany said with a dreamy smile but the smile vanished when she realized something was wrong.

"Wait, are you agreeing with me now?" Tiffany is surprised by Yuri's statement.

Yuri was not that supportive of Taeyeon and Jessica together. In fact Yuri thinks that Jessica is too
heartless. Taeyeon had asked Jessica to be her girlfriend but Jessica did not give Taeyeon a concrete
answer. Jessica was hot and cold towards Taeyeon. Yuri claimed that Jessica was just leading Taeyeon
on. Making Taeyeon believe that she has a chance with her and Taeyeon would continue to do stuff for
her, like making lunch. Tiffany never blamed Yuri for her thinking. She is just looking out for her best
friend and Jessica can be rather cold at times.

"I can't think of another reason why Jessica would try so hard to find the real culprit to clear Taeyeon's
name. Jessica does care a lot for Taeyeon. She even knows that Taeyeon has a serious case of self
criticism."

"Are you telling me that Jessi is the one who sent the evidence to Jea?" Tiffany is puzzled. She did not
see how Yuri had arrived at her conclusion.

"It can't be easy to get a copy of that tape. You said police kept busting the gang in which the gangsters
are in. Is it possible that Jessica's family has got connections like that here in Korea as well?"

Tiffany's mouth formed a circle. "OMG! You are right. It totally makes sense now. It must be Jessi!"

Yuri laughed at Tiffany's slow realization. "You are the one that gave me all the clues. I can't believe you
just pieced it together. I should be Sherlock and you, my sidekick."

"I don't want to be the sidekick!" Tiffany pouted.

"The smarter one should be Sherlock. That's obviously me. Hence, making you the sidekick."

"I'll show you a kick!" Tiffany swung her leg towards Yuri but Yuri nimbly avoided the attack.

"Alright! You can be Sherlock." Yuri gave up immediately when Tiffany used her puppy eyes. "I wonder
why she rejected Taeyeon when she obviously cared so much about her. She doesn't even want to be
Taeyeon's friend."

"I would like to know the answer to that too. Come on, let's hurry, that little missy has got lots of
explaining to do. I can't believe that she did not tell me anything even when I am her best friend."

Tiffany's pace slowed when they approached the school.

There isn't a crowd at the school gates today.

The golden haired girl is not at her usual spot.

Chapter 15 FIFTEEN
Tiffany jabbed the end call button for the seventh time. "Where are you?" She yelled to no one in
particular.

Tiffany had sent countless messages to Jessica. It is already lunch period however there isn't a single
reply. Fed up with waiting, Tiffany called her but she did not answer her phone.

"Maybe she overslept." Yuri said. It is a simple comment but Tiffany yelled at her.

"No! She would always answer whenever I call. Always!"

Tiffany dialed Jessica's number again and paced thru and fro about the gazebo, mentally willing Jessica
to pick up. When she is directed to the voice mail, Tiffany groaned in frustration and jabbed the end call
button again.

"Or maybe she is ignoring you. Why does she have to always answer your calls anyways?"

Tiffany was about to retort but she held back when she caught sight of a sulking Yuri.

"Are you jealous?"

Yuri snorted and looked away.

Tiffany giggled. "You are cute when you are jealous."

"I am just worried about her. Because of the kidnapping attempt, all sorts of scenarios are popping into
my head one by one, each worse than the one before." Tiffany walked over to where Yuri is seating and
seated herself onto her lap. She gave Yuri a kiss on her cheek. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"Just a kiss on the cheek and you expect me to forgive you?" Yuri grumbled. "You didn't even touch your
lunch. You are showing too much concern for a friend. She's not a child, she can handle herself."

"Yuree-ah, there is nothing between me and Jessi, you are the one for me. You know that right?"

"I don't know. When you talk, it's always Jessi this Jessi that. She did so many things for you, always
answers when you call and when you come to Korea she follows you here. Did it cross your mind that
she may have romantic feelings for you? Perhaps that's the reason why she did not want to accept
Taeyeon."

Yuri never felt this insecure. Tiffany had become so much to her. Her bright eye smiles, her positive
attitude, easy going personality. Yuri often wondered what she would do without her. "What if one day
she confessed to you? Would you leave me?"

"Who are you? What did you do to my overconfident-all-the-time girlfriend?" Tiffany teased. "Pabo,
Jessi doesn't like me that way. She can get excessively concerned about me as I am her only friend. Plus
her dad and mine are good friends. Whenever there are family dinners, she always complained
afterwards that her dad lectured her to take care of me. I suspect that my dad had something to do with
that. Poor Jessi, she feels her family only sees her as an asset to the company and that they like me
more as a daughter."

"Besides, Jessi knows I am taken and how smitten I am with you and I am certain that she fell for
Taeyeon." Tiffany added.

"I will agree on that Jessica has got feelings for Taeyeon." Yuri said. "But I think I need some convincing
on the 'you-are-smitten-with-me' part."

Tiffany pressed her lips against Yuri's, kissing her wholeheartedly. The passionate kiss went on for a long
time. Both parties are trying to convey their love through the kiss.

"So, are you convinced?" Tiffany asked after they broke the kiss for air.

Yuri who is now wearing a huge goofy grin nodded her head readily while removing her Micky Mouse
watch from her hand and placing it on Tiffany's wrist.

Tiffany gave Yuri a puzzled look. Yuri cherished the watch a lot. She is always seen wearing it. "You are
giving it to me?"

Yuri nodded again as she secured the watch strap. "I am marking you. You are my property now. You
better wear it all the time."

Tiffany giggled. Yuri is back to her usual self. "Why would you consider Jessi as a rival anyways?"

"She's very beautiful. The mysterious aura around her, it's intriguing. She not only has the looks but is
also athletic, intelligent..."

"I can be all that too!" Tiffany exclaimed but softens with each word. "Well, maybe not so much in the
athletic aspect, or the intelligent aspect and you've never ever said that I am beautiful..." Tiffany's voice
trailed off at the end.

"Ehh?! Why are you saying that? You know I think that you are the most beautiful in my eyes." Yuri
blinked. Tiffany is acting weird. However Yuri got the hint quickly when she saw Tiffany stick out her chin
and pouted her lips. "You get jealous so easily."
"Yes, I am easily jealous. You better not look at another girl for more than two seconds and don't say
someone else is beautiful or you will feel my wraith. Your praises for Jessi may have made me doubtful. I
think I need some convincing as well." Tiffany pulled Yuri in for a second round of long passionate kisses.

"And now, the final step."

The intensity of the kiss left Yuri a little lightheaded and she had to think hard about Tiffany's statement.
After the kiss, Yuri had given Tiffany her watch. However, at the moment, Tiffany did not have on a
watch of her own or any accessories.

Yuri gasped in pain when Tiffany sucked hard the sensitive part of her neck. "Wha... What are you
doing?" Yuri stuttered and a moan escaped her when she felt Tiffany's tongue flick briefly on her skin.

Tiffany paused to give Yuri a sly grin before continuing. "Marking my property."

*************************************************************************************

It is history period after lunch. The combination of the teacher's low drone and the filled stomachs
equals a result of 70% of the class falling asleep. Tiffany glanced at the empty table beside her.
Normally, she would be one of the 70%, but today, she is too worried about Jessica to fall asleep.

Tiffany took out her cell and rapidly typed another message to Jessica.

'If you don't reveal your location within five minutes, I will make you eat cucumbers everyday!'

Tiffany pressed the send button and stared at the clock. To regular people, it may not be much of a
threat but for Jessica, it's a big deal. She hates the smell of it.

One minute left. You better hurry, Jessi.

As if the golden haired girl had heard her, the classroom's door opened and Jessica strides in
nonchalantly and handed a piece of paper to the teacher. After scanning the contents, he gave Jessica
permission to return to her seat.

As Jessica walked to the back of the class, she could not help to notice that the pervert was not at her
desk. Tiffany questioned her whereabouts by mouthing the words even before Jessica could seat down.

Instead of replying, Jessica mouthed back. 'Where is Taeyeon?'

Chapter 16 SIXTEEN
History class had ended and the teacher for the next period is not here yet. Jessica took the chance to
question Tiffany about Taeyeon's absence. However, Tiffany refused to divulge any information until
Jessica answered her questions.

After some disagreement as to whose question should be answered first, Jessica gave in thinking that it
would be faster answering Tiffany first instead of continuing the pointless argument. "I was in a meeting
and I had to switch off my phone."

"What meeting? I didn't know you are working." However, Tiffany's questions are seemingly endless.

"New company, dad put me in charge, he wants to see the progress for the development and ordered a
meeting." Jessica gave short answers hoping to hurry the questioning process.

"Your dad is here, in Korea? Is the new company the real reason why you came to Korea with me?"

"I've said many times, I came with you because you are my friend. My dad just wanted to take
advantage of the fact that I am here, hence expending the empire here. He arrived today." Jessica
answered in an annoyed tone.

"I am your best friend right? You know you can share your worries with me. Best friends don't keep
secrets from each other..."

"The meeting was a last minute thing! I only knew about it this morning when my dad called to tell me
his plane just landed and wanted me to pick him up. I am sorry that I made you worry but I really did not
have the time to inform you about it. I promise I will make more effort if it happens again."

"That's not it. Are you the one that is helping to clear Taeyeon's name?"

"Yes. I sent Jea a photo and a recording." Jessica wondered if Tiffany had forgotten about her question
and decided to ask again. "Can you tell me what happened to Taeyeon now?"

Tiffany wasn't planning on answering so soon, she has a few more questions. Tiffany wanted to squeeze
the truth out of Jessica but Yuri spoiled her plans.

"Taeyeon did not come to school today. She is sick." Yuri informed Jessica.

"Sick." Jessica frowned. "It's the wet clothes isn't it? That day when she fell into the pool, she was still in
them when we are at the hospital. She caught a cold didn't she?"

"Bingo! You got the cold part right. As for the cause, it may be the wet clothes, but it may also be a
coincidence. Don't think too much."

Jessica knows Yuri is just being nice. It must be the wet clothes. "It's my fault. I should have tried harder
to make her change out of it as soon as possible." Jessica said in a grim tone. "I need to go."

Yuri and Tiffany looked at each other wondering if they heard Jessica correctly.

"Where are you going? You just got here." Yuri asked.

"You are not going anywhere. I have more questions for you." Tiffany grabbed onto Jessica's hand to
prevent her from escaping. "Answer honestly, do you love Tae..."

"The interrogation will have to continue later. The teacher is here." Yuri interrupted.

Mrs. Chin, their mathematics teacher is already behind her desk, rapping a wooden ruler on the table,
sending a warning to the class to settle down. The students scurried to their seats as Mrs. Chin is a strict
teacher and they do not want to be at the receiving end of the wooden ruler.

"Miss Kwon, Miss Jung and Miss Hwang. Back to your seats, or would you prefer standing at the back of
the class for the rest of the lesson?" Mrs. Chin hard beady eyes frightened Tiffany and when her grip on
Jessica's hand loosened, the latter shook free and marched to the front of the class. Jessica stopped in
front of the teacher's desk and slammed both hands on the table startling the whole class.

"What is she doing?" Yuri asked in a hushed tone. "She's going to get herself into detention!"

Tiffany stared at the taller girl. "What are YOU doing? Why did you have to interrupt? Aren't you
interested to know if she likes Taeyeon? Plus if you don't return to your seat, you are going to be
punished as well."

"There's your answer." Yuri tilted her head towards the front of the class before heading to her seat.

Jessica is leaning forward, her eyes leveled with Mrs. Chin's. She kept eye contact and drawled her
words with underlying menace while glaring fiercely the whole time.

"I am sick. I need to go home. I am excused."

Mrs. Chin had encountered many problematic students. Gangster type with hidden tattoos, long battle
scars displayed like some trophy, multi colored hair and even more colorful languages to go along. She
had stared them down and put them in their place. However, this skinny Barbie doll like girl frightens
her. There is a perilous look in her eyes but at the same time, portraying incredibly poised confidence.

Sweat appeared on Mrs. Chin's forehead and she swallowed loudly. Jessica is not seeking permission. It's
more of a command, a threat, one that would definitely be carried out is she failed to comply, unlike the
empty words that she is used to hearing from her many years of teaching. Pressured by the cold
unwavering eyes Mrs. Chin slowly nodded. When the owner of the pair of icy eyes dashed out of the
classroom, Mrs. Chin shakily exhaled the breath that she had been unknowingly holding.

*************************************************************************************

Jessica let herself into Tiffany's and Taeyeon's dorm room, careful not to make too much noise in case
Taeyeon is resting. Just as the door's lock clicked into place, someone jumped on Jessica from behind.

"Sica! You came to visit me!"

Startled, Jessica emitted a shrill shriek.

"Your scream has a really sharp piercing effect. I nearly went deaf." Taeyeon said while clinging onto
Jessica, her arms around the blonde girl's neck and legs wrapped around her waist, like a koala.

Bending slightly forward to balance the weight on her back, Jessica cupped her hand over her mouth in
embarrassment. The shame soon evolved to anger.

"That's your fault for surprising me. You should be in bed." Jessica chided.

"I thought it was a thief breaking in..."

Jessica scoffed at Taeyeon's lousy excuse. The first thing the shorter girl had shouted out was Jessica's
name, even before jumping on her. Or to be more precise, a short form of her name.

"I see. You give all thieves that try to break into your dorm room a hug from the back and make them
piggyback you. I am sure that will scare them away." Jessica said sarcastically. "And don't shorten my
name however you like."

"Tiffany has a nickname for you. I want to give you one too. You didn't object when I called you Sica at
the pool." Taeyeon smiled when Jessica made a loud humph. Jessica may look cold and scary at times
but Taeyeon knows she's a very nice person.

"That was in the middle of a kidnap. It wasn't the right time to be calculative." There was a slight pause
before she continued in a softer voice, "You can continue calling me Sica if you want."

Taeyeon hugged the girl tighter. She knew that Jessica would give in. "You're a big softie." Taeyeon
whispered into her ear and laid her head onto Jessica's shoulders.

Taeyeon's action and words made Jessica blush. Coughing to clear her throat, Jessica tried to act
nonchalant about it. "It's just a name anyways. No big deal."

"As I've said, you are a big softie. You don't have to justify your reason for being nice." Taeyeon patted
Jessica on the head like a child. "And for the record, I don't jump on just any thief. Only you."

Jessica was about to protest for being called a thief when Taeyeon spoke again.

"You are a thief. You stole my heart."

The statement caused Jessica's heart to flutter and she hastened towards Taeyeon's room, knocking her
leg against the edge of a table in the process. Despite the pain, Jessica did not slow down. Upon
reaching the single bed, Jessica lowered Taeyeon and ordered her to lie down. Surprisingly, the petite
girl did what she was told. However, when Jessica leaned across to pull the blanket over Taeyeon, she
noticed the mischievous glint in her eyes.

"Ooooohhhhh... Are in such a hurry to get me in bed?" Taeyeon asked in a husky tone and an arrogant
smirk.

Jessica's eyes grew wide and she felt herself blushing again. With fumbling hands, she quickly covered
the girl underneath her with the blanket.

"If it is you, I don't mind being taken advantage of. No commitment needed." Taeyeon called out after
Jessica as she is leaving the room.

Taeyeon watched in amusement when a red faced Jessica returned into the room shortly after carrying
Tiffany's pink blanket.

After Jessica is satisfied with her job of covering Taeyeon with the blankets, she gathered all the
sternness in her eyes and glared at the girl under the pile of blankets. "Stop spewing nonsense and rest."

Her glare is met with sparkling brown eyes.

"Are you that tempted that you had to wrap me up like an Egyptian mummy?" Taeyeon mocked with a
lopsided grin.

Jessica concluded that those sparkling eyes have a special effect. They can negate all her glares. As per
usual, Jessica chooses to ignore Taeyeon's question. Instead, Jessica asked if she had taken her lunch
and meds. To which, Taeyeon responded with a series of 'yes mum'. And when Jessica commanded
Taeyeon to sleep, the latter cheekily asked if she would be sleeping as well, adding that she is willing to
share the bed.

Escaping quickly from the room, Jessica closed the door behind her and leaned against the wooden
surface heaving a sigh. She wondered where her ice princess image went as she tried to cool her burning
cheeks by pressing them against the back of her palm.

Everyone feared her glares. Well, almost everyone, minus Tiffany. Now, it is everyone minus Tiffany and
Taeyeon. And they have a similarity. Both of them enjoyed teasing her.

Today, Jessica felt like a blushing idiot with a heart attack.

Maybe I am sick. I should check myself into the hospital.

Rubbing her temples tiredly, Jessica disregards her thoughts with overworking as the cause of her weird
symptoms.

Opening the door just a crack, Jessica peeked into the room and saw that Taeyeon had fallen sleep,
probably due to the effects of the medication. Tip toeing across the room, Jessica seated herself on the
floor beside Taeyeon. The toll of working overnight for the company's new project soon overcame
Jessica and she fell asleep with her head leaning on the headboard.
Chapter 17 SEVENTEEN
It's another ordinary day at Soshi High and a girl is leaning against the wall beside the front gates of the
school with an alarmingly large amount of students flocking around her. Jessica knew it would be a
hopeless effort to chase them away and she tried her best to ignore them as long as they maintained
the gap between them. Today, instead of reading a book, Jessica was jabbing the buttons on her phone
in frustration. Shooting glares every once in a while at any poor souls that had failed to keep their
distance.

Tiffany was flooding her with messages. Jessica did not see the point for the constant messaging. They
are going to meet in just a few minutes anyways. Jessica groaned when her phone vibrated again.

(Tiffany – pink, Jessica – blue)

‘You love Taeyeon. You are happy when you are with her.’

‘It feels weird when I am with her. You can’t prove that I felt happy.’

‘You love Taeyeon. You smile more when you are with her.’

‘I don’t smile more. If I did, it is because she’s a dork.’

‘You love Taeyeon. It would be easier if you don’t fight your feelings.’

‘There are no feelings.’

‘You love Taeyeon. You are in denial. You already admitted falling for Taeyeon.’

‘Since when did I admit it?’

‘You love Taeyeon. Being with her made your heart beat irregularly. She stirs up feelings that you kept
locked away. You do things you normally would not. You classified it as weird. I classify it as love.’

Jessica stared hard at the screen of her phone, at a loss on what to reply. The phone in her hand
vibrated again and she opened the new message.

'You never once denied my first sentence on all my messages.'

Jessica shoved her phone into her pocket with a scowl and assured herself that her confusion was all
Tiffany's doing. She was being hypnotized by Tiffany's repetition of that sentence on every message.

All the thinking brought about a headache. And the psychology games Tiffany had been playing
contributed to it as well. Jessica felt the pain in her head worsen as she recalled yesterday's teasing.

"OMG! You guys slept together!"

YulTi returned from school and found Taeyeon wrapped in a cocoon of blankets and Jessica asleep beside
her.

"We did not! I was on the floor! I was not even on the bed!"

"What are you thinking about? I merely meant that both of you were sleeping." Tiffany cracked up at her
best friend's flustered face.

"Good morning Sica!" Taeyeon greeted cheerily.

"Should you be coming to school? You could rest more you know."

"The doctor said I can attend school. If I don't come, you are going to skip lunch again. Besides I wanted
to see you. You said you wouldn't visit again." Taeyeon pouted.

"I was not needed." Jessica sulked. When Jessica was leaving yesterday, Taeyeon had asked if Jessica
would visit again if she could not go to school the next day. Jessica had answered no. She had felt
helpless as she watched Yuri and Tiffany take care of Taeyeon. When she had volunteered to cook,
Tiffany insisted that Yuri was itching to cook and pushed the clearly confused tan girl towards the
kitchen.

"You have Yuri and Tiffany." Jessica cast an invidious glance at the YulTi couple who is behind Taeyeon.

"You should have tried harder to cover it up."

"Cover what up?" A clueless Taeyeon asked.

Yuri knew the last statement was directed at her and adjusted her collar self-consciously, trying to pull
them higher.

Taeyeon caught Yuri fidgeting and narrowed her eyes on Yuri's neck making Yuri feel even more
awkward.

"Cover what up?" Taeyeon asked again, questioning Yuri this time.

Swatting Taeyeon like a pesky fly, Yuri looked worriedly at Jessica. "Is it that noticeable?"

Jessica nodded in response. "It is one of the top three few things I noticed when I stepped into the
classroom yesterday. You should have asked Tiffany to mark it on a less exposed spot."

"Oooo... Love bite! I want to see! Let me see!" Taeyeon jumped up and down excitedly like a child.
Unfortunately for her, Yuri had turned up her collars and no one paid Taeyeon any attention.

"What good is a marking if no one can see it?" Tiffany said smugly.

"What! You told me it could hardly be seen!" Yuri exclaimed in horrification at Tiffany's words.

*************************************************************************************

"Party!" Taeyeon whooped. "I can't wait for Friday!"

Jea and gang had announced that they are throwing a party for the team as a source of relaxation since
there isn't a game that week. The word has been circulating the school and the students are hyped up
for two main reasons.

One, the soccer club is gaining recognition and had become a hot topic among the student body. Most
High school students prioritized fame and popularity over studies. In short meaning, showing up at
major parties. Two, Jea and her gang are well known in the school. Their parties are huge events.

"You sure are excited about the party Tete." Tiffany commented.

"Of course! We were enemies last time and could not attend the parties. This time we are all
coordinately invited. How cool is that? You will be attending right, Tipanny?"

What are those two up to now? Tete? Tipanny? Since when did Taeyeon have trouble pronouncing
Tiffany's name?

Jessica's eyes flickered back and forth Tiffany and Taeyeon, observing them.

Tiffany nodded a confirmation that she will be attending and turned to Yuri. "You are coming with me
right honey?"

"If you are going, I am going." There is no way Yuri would let Tiffany attend alone. One fact about Jea's
parties is that there will be students from the neighboring schools. That means there will be boys. The
combination of boys and students from an all female school often spells crazy wild parties. "I'll need to
protect you from wolves."

"Awww... My hero." Tiffany snuggled closer to the girl seated beside her.

"Errr... You are missing ine..." Taeyeon received a puzzled stare from Tiffany. "Heroine. Plus I think you
are clearly mistaken. The biggest wolf is right beside you."

Yuri delivered a swift kick to Taeyeon's shin under the table making the shorter girl howl in pain.

"You sound more like the wolf to me." Yuri snickered.

"I am done eating. I'll head back to class first." Jessica suddenly said.

The laughter died abruptly and the joyous mood vanished.

Feeling uncomfortable with three pairs of eyes on her, Jessica gave an awkward laugh and hurried away
from the gazebo.

"She did not say that she will attend the party." Taeyeon said dejectedly cutting into Tiffany's
explanation of 'Sica effect'.

"She did not say she won't attend either." Yuri rationalized.

Taeyeon is looking at Tiffany with the same pleading eyes as the night before when she had went to her
for advices on how to get Jessica to call her by a nickname.

Just like last night, Tiffany smiled warmly and replied. "Leave it to me."
Chapter 18 EIGHTEEN
Throwing her pen down on top of the papers scattered on her desk, Jessica leaned back on her chair and
rubbed her eyes tiredly. Unlike the other students who are 'thanking god that it's Friday', she drove
straight to the company and shut herself in her office after school had ended, immersing herself with
work.

There was a knock on the door breaking the silence. Jessica groaned inwardly, hoping that it is not more
work related trouble and gave permission to the person outside to enter.

The door opened and Yuri stepped into the room.

"How did you find me?" Jessica is surprised by her visitor. Despite it not being work related, Jessica knew
at once the outcome will still be the same, troublesome.

"I have my resources." Yuri said with a light smile. "Tiffany wants you at the party. And she is pissed that
you did not answer her calls."

Jessica rummaged through her pockets for her phone but came up empty. "I must have left it in the car."

"Are you going to make me go if I am unwilling to?" Jessica eyed Yuri apprehensively.

Yuri shrugged. "Tiffany promised Taeyeon that you will be there. I should be helping her get you there."

Jessica could feel the conjunction coming.

"But it is your choice, I won't force you. I would advise that you think carefully before you answer."

Jessica had never seen Yuri this serious. There is no hint of playfulness at all. Even the tone in her voice
is solemn. "I've been to a number of parties. Business parties. I've never liked them. If this party is
anything like that. I am not sure if I want to go."

"I can't assure you if this party will be fun. Does that mean you don't want to go?"

"I don't know. Do you think if I should?"

Yuri can see Jessica's uncertainty clearly. She must have been very confused to let Yuri do the deciding
for her when Yuri had clearly stated that she is on Tiffany's side. "Sometimes, it is good to be bold. It's
better off knowing that you had tried instead of regretting about what it could have been."

"Be bold." Jessica repeated as she shoved her papers into a file. She knows Yuri had meant Taeyeon, not
the party. Jessica had questioned herself about how she felt towards Taeyeon and did not manage to
come up with an adequate answer. The thoughts are suffocating her and she could not rely on her best
friend for help. Yuri may not the best choice to get advices from about the topic as she is Taeyeon's best
friend and Tiffany's girlfriend but Jessica was desperate for some answers. At least Yuri did not try to set
them up with every chance she got or aggressively try to psycho her into believing that she has got
feelings for Taeyeon.

"What made you so sure that Tiffany is the one for you? You even gave up all your companions. Tell me
how the two of you got together." Jessica wanted an unbiased opinion and Yuri's would the least biased.
Taeyeon is out of question and Tiffany obviously already decided.

"There is force that draws us together. I can't explain it well. I am willing to sacrifice everything for her. I
want to spend all my time with her. There isn't a need for so many companions anyway. Even if I added
all of them together, they could not compare to Tiffany." Yuri paused to check if Jessica understood and
was met with eyes of admiration.

"As for how we got together, I guess it was because both of us recognized the mutual feelings we have
for each other. Actually neither of us had requested the other to be girlfriends. There was a magical
feeling as we stared into each other's eyes and pledge our loves to each other without words. I guess
the marking of property episode was us sealing any uncertainty that we are a couple if there were any."
Yuri said sheepishly. "Basically, it was mutual and simple yet extremely complicated."

Yuri laughed out loud when she saw the confusion in Jessica's eyes. Yuri swears she could almost see
spirals in them. No wonder Taeyeon liked her eyes so much. They will tell you exactly what Jessica felt or
thought if you look hard enough. A charming trait that connotes innocence, which is not something one
would expect given the air of confidence that shrouded Jessica.

"I am not sure about how I feel. I guess Taeyeon is not the one for me?"

"Love can develop over time." Yuri glanced at Jessica who had packed up and is ready to leave. "I
assume you are going to the party?"

Jessica nodded and Yuri handed her a bag with casual clothes. "Tiffany prepared it. It would be weird to
attend in your school uniform."

Jessica took the bag with a raise brow. "You planned to get me to the party all along didn't you?"

Yuri simply laughed at the accusation. "Since you are such a good student, I shall reward you with
another bit of advice. If you happen to enjoy the party, stay. If the party is boring, you could always
leave in the middle."

"Thanks for the advices. I'll keep them in mind." Jessica understood the underlying message
immediately. "You know, you are smarter than I had given you credit for."
Taking no offense from Jessica's cynical remark, Yuri smiled and replied with the same manner of
speaking. "And you are the stupidest and most naive clever person I've ever met."

*************************************************************************************

"It's screaming come rob me." Jessica scoffed as she maneuvered her car into a relatively large two
storied house on a private property. Loud music escaped through the wide opened front door.

"Here, wear this." Yuri handed over a mask.

"Ah, the most important part of being a robber, a mask to hide your face."

"What? I am just saying. I am not actually going to steal anything." Jessica said when she caught Yuri's
disproving look as they got out of her car.

"Are those alcoholic drinks?" Jessica pointed to a clear plastic cup in one of the passing girl's hand. It is
half-filled with a colorless liquid.

"Yups! They most likely contain slightly alcoholic contents. It's a party, stop being so uptight! High school
students don't normally drive anyways. I've no idea how you managed to convert your license." Yuri
shouted over the music as she pulled her own mask over her eyes.

"It's a casual, non-fancy masquerade theme. Your best friend came up with it and presented the idea to
Jea. She is trying to help you. Behind the mask, you can be someone that you are not. Even if you
messed up big time, you can always take off the mask and revert back to your old self." Yuri smiled
when Jessica followed her example and wore her mask while glancing nervously at the surroundings
every once in a well. "This is an opportunity for you to confirm your feelings. Taeyeon is here as well.
See if you can find her."

"Wait! How am I supposed to find Taeyeon in this house cramped with people who are hiding behind a
mask pretending to be someone else?" Jessica asked as Yuri turned to leave.

"As I've said this is an opportunity for you to confirm your feelings. Stop withholding and just follow your
heart. Or you can just leave it to fate." Yuri giggled as if she heard an unspoken joke. "If you do find her,
remember my advices. I am going to find my other half now. Have fun!" With that, Yuri left in search of
Tiffany, leaving Jessica all alone.

A large screen projecting videos of their matches caught Jessica's attention. On screen now are
highlights of their match versus JYP High. Jessica felt weird watching herself on the screen. The Jessica
on the screen delivered a pass to Taeyeon who made a quick turn to slip past the defense and the
captain lobbed the ball over the goalkeeper into the net without hesitation.
Theoretically, it was their first time playing a soccer match together. The practice match doesn't really
count as they were on opposing sides. Such flawless synergy should not exist. The video replayed in slow
motion. Jessica watched herself zigzagging between the defenders before making the pass. The amazing
thing is, Jessica realized she had made the pass without even looking up to check Taeyeon's location.

Could this be what Yuri was trying to explain?

All of a sudden, Jessica felt the need to look for Taeyeon. She wanted to see her so badly. She needed to
set things right. Unsure how to go about finding her, Jessica randomly scanned through the crowd for
any females that may fit Taeyeon's description.

Too tall, too tall, still too tall.

Jessica grumbled in irritation. She had already eliminated more than half of the females present for their
height. "Why is it so hard to find that short dorky girl?"
Chapter 19 NINETEEN
"We need to talk."

Turning her head slightly while tilting her neck upwards, Tiffany brought her lips dangerously close to
the pair of lips that was just beside her ear. Tiffany checked out the owner of the luscious lips. Slightly
taller than she is, clad in a plain colored black sleeveless tee and a low waist leather pants.

Tiffany smirked when the taller girl's breath hitched. Music was blaring through numerous speakers but
she could hear the thumping of their hearts with the closeness.

"Let's go somewhere quieter."

Their hands joined automatically. Tiffany found herself following obediently while admiring the sight of
the long straight hair swishing against the tan back exposed by the extremely low cut design of the top.
Protests can be heard as the girl in front pushed through the crowd of people, clearing the path for
Tiffany.

"Someone is in a hurry." Tiffany teased when she is pulled into an empty bedroom on the second floor.
She heard the lock click into place.

When she did not find arms around her, Tiffany turned and eyed the person who stood rooted to the
floor beside the door staring at the floor. "Or maybe not."

"What's with the sudden act of shyness? You are usually very bold when it comes to showing
affections." Finding it weird that she is getting no replies, Tiffany took the initiative and approached the
girl. Tiffany leaned in to capture the girl's lips but she found empty space where her prize was seconds
ago. The girl had moved backwards to avoid the kiss.

"What's going on?" Tiffany is puzzled. There is no way she would mistake the girl for someone else. Not
even with a mask on. However, purposely avoiding skin ship is something unknown to the girl in front of
her, until now.

"We need to talk." The girl finally found her voice. Deliberately ignoring the advances of the dazzling girl
clad in pink is difficult. The simple dress hugged the curves and tight hem of the dress brought emphasis
on the well toned thighs.

Tiffany smirked when she caught the girl ogling at her leg. "No you don't. I like it better when you just
show it with actions instead of words."

Frustration weld up when Tiffany leaned forwarded to kiss air for the second time. "Okay! What is it that
you want to talk about?" Tiffany snapped at the girl and folded her arms across her chest.
"Look, I don't really know how to say this. I really hope you will understand. Everything we had done
were spontaneous acts fueled by our mutual feelings for each other. There wasn't a definite declaration
in our relationship, hence making it..." The frightened girl took a deep breath and searched for the right
words. "...well, a little complicated."

"Kwon Yuree! Are you trying to break up a hypothetically nonexistent relationship with me?" A wide
eyed Tiffany threw her hands up in the air totally bewildered by her supposedly girlfriend.

"What?! No! I am not breaking up with you. All I am saying is that we are not really in a relationship per
se." Yuri wrapped her arms around Tiffany from the back preventing her from leaving the room.

"You are a jerk! That's the same as saying that you don't love me anymore but since we are not in a
relationship, we are not really breaking up!" Tiffany's voice was several octaves higher than usual.

"Stop adding your own stuff! I didn't say that I don't love you anymore and I am most certainly not
breaking up with you! You are everything to me. The one for me, my other half, the only one I truly
love." Yuri fought hard to keep the hysterical girl who is screaming for her to let go from breaking her
hold.

Yuri lifted one of the hands that is clawing her above Tiffany's head, like a dance move, Yuri twirled
Tiffany around so that they will be facing each other. The hysterical Tiffany is strong. Yuri winced in pain
as Tiffany's other hand hammered on her chest with a tight fist. With a grunt, Yuri slammed the shorter
girl against the door. The impact caused a momentary shock that made Tiffany stop moving hence
allowing Yuri to pin both of Tiffany's hands above her head with one hand. With her free hand, Yuri
lifted Tiffany's chin, engulfing her lips with her own.

The slamming and the strength used to overpower Tiffany may be forceful but the last two gestures are
gentle. Tiffany tried to resist by turning her head away but the hand on her chin prevented her from
doing so. Tiffany soon gave in to the passion of the kiss, with equivalent zeal, she found herself kissing
Yuri back.

I love you and I will love you forever. Nothing can change my love for you.

"Don't ever doubt how much I love you." Yuri whispered while looking deep into Tiffany's eyes when
they stopped for air. Yuri hoped that she had managed to convey her feelings through the kiss.

"Are you trying to show that you are a really good kisser?"

Yuri's spirits fell at Tiffany's conjecture. "Can we rewind the last ten minutes? I made a mistake. I
thought that it would be better off if we could be certain of our relationship but I was wrong." Yuri
begged. At least Tiffany is not trying to escape anymore.
"So... You aren't trying to break up with me?"

"No! Weren't you listening?" Yuri sighed and decided to explain from the beginning. "When you sent me
to get Jessica, she asked about how we got together. How would you answer her?"

Tiffany thought hard before replying. "Mutual consent due to similar feelings? A two way attraction?
What's your reply?"

Yuri smiled when Tiffany's answer corresponded with hers. "Something along those lines, just not as
nicely put. I somewhat blabbered quite a whole lot of additional useless stuff trying to explain those
points. You should not have sent me, explaining what love is to Jessica is a task too difficult for me."

Tiffany smiled slightly at Yuri's silliness, she could totally imagine Yuri racking her brains trying to form
the feelings into words.

After Tiffany's smile, breathing became a little easier for Yuri. "I am not sure if Jessica understood what
I've said but her question about how we got together got me thinking. We skipped a step in our
courtship. It may be just a formality but maybe it can clear any uncertainty in our relationship. I wanted
to prevent insecurity and I failed to accomplish that. Instead, it made you think that I wanted to break
up with you. I apologize for the negative effect. Will you forget it and forgive me?"

"I will not forget it. Why should I forget your thoughtfulness?" Tiffany gave Yuri a light kiss on the
cheeks.

"You are terrible with words. Next time just stick to conveying through actions." Tiffany gave another
kiss, much closer to Yuri's lips now.

"I will forgive you. It's partially my fault for jumping to wrong conclusions." The third kiss landed on the
corner of Yuri's lips. Yuri was expecting more but Tiffany moved away.

"You know, you still manage to look really sexy even when scared to death." Tiffany stated.

Yuri's jaw dropped to the floor. She only managed to utter one word. "When?"

"The kiss." Tiffany said breezily. "I felt your feelings. I stand by my words. You should stick to conveying
through actions."

"You nearly gave me a heart attack! Do you know how desperate I was trying to explain it to you? It felt
like I was walking in a mine field, a single wrong word and I would lose you forever. And you were
playing a prank on me? You are unbelievable!" Yuri felt her legs weaken and she sat herself on the bed.
Tiffany sashayed over and settled on Yuri's laps, arms around her neck. "Do you regret being with me
now? Do you not like me anymore?"

"On the contrary, I actually like the unpredictable part in you as well. I think I like every part of you. Is it
too much to ask if you could limit jokes like those? That shortened my life span by a few years." Yuri
wrapped her long arms around Tiffany's waist and pulled her closer, eyes never leaving Tiffany's lips.

Tiffany gave Yuri what the girl wanted as an apology, kissing Yuri feverishly, whole heartedly, trying to
make it up to her.

"On a second thought, the shaved years are worth it. You can pull those jokes anytime." Yuri wanted
more but Tiffany stopped her.

"Magic words first."

"I love you?" Yuri said the first thoughts that came to her mind.

"I guess they could count as magic words but no." Tiffany decided to give Yuri a hint. "It's long
overdue..."

"Ah! The formality!" Yuri stood Tiffany to her feet and with a ninety degree bow, she said with
confidence and assurance, "Tiffany Hwang, will you please be my girlfriend? I promise to be faithful to
you, take care of you, share your joy or sadness, and be with you through sickness or health, till death
do us part."

Yuri sneaked a peek at Tiffany when guffaws were heard. Tiffany was covering her mouth with one hand
trying to muffle her laughter.

"That was what I had prepared when I wanted to confess to you the first day I waited for you at the
front of your dorm but chickened out when I actually saw you. Did I do it wrongly?" Yuri asked
worriedly. "It's my first time confessing. I even searched the web about what I should say. I compiled it
and added some of my own to string it together. Maybe I remembered it wrongly, I apologize for getting
it wrong."

"Did you search under vows?" When Yuri nodded, Tiffany could not hold her laughter in anymore. "They
are wedding vows, Yuree! I can't believe that's your first confession. I thought you have tons of
partners."

"Well, they did the confessing and I failed to pay attention to any of it. If I did, then I would not have to
get advice from that midget." Yuri said darkly.

"Will... Will you be my girlfriend?" Yuri repeated nervously. Hoping that she is doing it right this time.
"I would love to continue being your girlfriend." Tiffany corrected and kissed Yuri's frown away, as well
as her thoughts of killing Taeyeon for advising to goggle vows.

"Actually, I am glad you did not pay attention to the other confessions. Thanks to your sincere and
extremely cute confession, now I know where I stand. Honestly speaking, I was waiting for a verbal
confirmation all along. It's weird that it was Jessica that led you to... Jessica!" Tiffany exclaimed.

"OMG, I completely forgot about her and the plan!"

Chapter 20 TWENTY
"I can't believe that self proclaimed cupid abandoned me." Taeyeon muttered and kicked an odd colored
stone through the gap between two large flower pots.

"Goal!" A deep voice exclaimed behind Taeyeon.

Whipping around, Taeyeon knocked into a tall sturdy body that was right behind her. Two large hands
grabbed her shoulders and steadied her.

"Jaejoong oppa! You scared me!" Taeyeon eyed the mask hanging loosely around Jaejoong's fingers.
"The point of a masquerade is the mask you know."

"The party is over there." Jaejoong pointed to the house with blaring music. "I don't think a mask is
needed in a garden. Speaking of which, it's not like you to choose a walk in the garden over a party."

"It's not that fun to party alone." Taeyeon sighed. Rightfully speaking, she is alone in a room full of
people. She came to this party with Tiffany, who was supposed to direct her to Jessica. Just a few
moments ago, she spotted a tall girl dressed entirely in black who she identified as Yuri, pulling Tiffany
away. No directions, no signs, no nothing. Assuming that Jessica did not come, Taeyeon decided to grant
the couple some privacy when they disappeared into a room on the second floor and escaped into the
garden at the back of the house by herself.

Jaejoong took hold of her hand and pulled her towards the direction of the house. "Do you remember
my buddies? I came with them. Come on Taeyeon, you can join us."

"Sorry oppa, I am not in the mood. You go ahead." Taeyeon frowned at the fingers still gripping her
wrist. Jessica had the same hold when she pulled her away from retrieving the letters from the bin. The
same hold, two different feelings. Taeyeon recalled herself hoping that Jessica would not let go. Unlike
Jessica's gentle yet firm grip, Jaejoong was squeezing her hand a little too hard.

Not getting the hint, Jaejoong pointed at a nearby bench with his free hand. "Or we could sit here and
chat. You can tell me about Jessica."

"Well, she's not here." Taeyeon replied sadly.

"I heard she's quite skilled. Why didn't she play against Corel?" Jaejoong is now pulling her away from
the house and towards the bench.

"We had some problems persuading her to join at the beginning. Seeing that she played against JYP, I
think we are making progress in getting her consent. She's good, but she doesn't seem serious about
soccer. If only she would stop playing half heartedly, she can do much better." Taeyeon's frown
deepened when Jaejoong's grip tighten. "Oppa, I can walk to the bench myself. You don't have to drag
me there. My hand is starting to hurt."

When Taeyeon refused to be pulled any further, Jaejoong turned back to face her with mouth opened to
speak but closed it when he caught sight of a blond head exiting the house.

"Are you sure Jessica is not here?" Jaejoong finally found the strength to speak, his sight never leaving
the girl with striking blond hair that is making her way towards them.

Wondering what could be behind her that could make Jaejoong turn into a fish out of water, Taeyeon
turned to see what Jaejoong is looking at. The girl is wearing a mask but there is no doubt who she is.

Blond, almost golden hair. A sergeant walk. Harden eyes that are shooting icy glares. A deadly aura.

"Jessica... She came." Taeyeon's voice came out in a low whisper. The moonlight illuminated Jessica's
golden tresses. The glow made her look absolutely stunning, even when she is clad in a simple tee shirt
and jeans.

"I need to go." Jaejoong suddenly said.

Taeyeon is glad that her hand is freed but there is something that she had to ask. "Wait, I am curious
about something. How did you know it is me?"

"Simple, I saw you with the girl in pink. That was before you put on the mask. Then I followed you here. I
really need to go."

Taeyeon thought it was weird that Jaejoong was so nervous. He even bowed a full ninety degrees to
Jessica as she neared. Jessica on the other hand ignored him and Jaejoong scrambled off as soon as she
passes him.

"Taeyeon, was he bothering you? What did he want? Why was he holding your hand?"

Taeyeon smiled at Jessica's bluntness. No greeting whatsoever, just straight to the point. There seem to
be an underlying tone in Jessica's voice as well. "Are you jealous?"

"What?" Jessica was clearly taken aback.

"Then why are you so shocked? It's a simple yes or no question." Taeyeon smirked.

"Hmmmph... Why would I be jealous?" Jessica harrumphed. "It's not like you are my girlfriend, which
you are not. As for future tense... Not that I am looking for a girlfriend. I don't think I am gay. I am
supposed to like boys, males. I haven't met any that I like yet but that doesn't mean that I don't like boys
and like girls right?"

"Rrrrriggghhht." Taeyeon nodded. "You used words with lots of ambiguity. Don't think I did not notice.
You can't bring yourself to say that you did not consider being together with me in the future so you
skipped that part. You did not say you are not jealous either."

"Just admit it Sica, you were jealous." Taeyeon challenged. "Or you can just say that you aren't. It's not
your personality to beat around the bush."

"I... I..." Jessica gulped. All she had to do was to deny it but the words would not form. She was never
good at lying. At best she could try think of another way of expressing it hoping to muddle it over.
Tiffany knows her weakness and now, apparently Taeyeon does too.

Wait. Does that mean that it is true? That I was jealous and I considered Taeyeon as my other half. Is
that why I could not deny it?

"Was I jealous?" Jessica asked weakly.

Taeyeon blinked then burst out laughing. "Sica-ah! You are not supposed to ask me back! If you want my
opinion, I would say yes. Yes you were."

Jessica stared at Taeyeon. She was so confused, so lost and so frightened. She felt like there is a combat
going on inside of her. Her brain is fighting with her heart. She was battling within herself, struggling
with the mixture of feelings that is tearing her apart and Taeyeon's guffaws are not helping. She did
what she thought was most logical. Run away.

"Woah! Wait wait! Don't leave! We could change topic if you like." Taeyeon caught the fleeing girl's
hand. "Stay with me please?"

Sensing Jessica's hesitation, Taeyeon knew she need more than just a pleading look to convince her.
"We could be two complete strangers just having fun in a garden. How about playing a game?"

Jessica stopped to consider Taeyeon's suggestion. She came to check her feelings, running away would
not help. Yuri's words are nagging in her head. Perhaps she should try and relinquish her logic for once
and see how it would turn out.

"Depending on what you have in mind. It better not be some weird game."

"Originally, I was thinking maybe we can have a mini soccer match. After you mentioned weird games, a
few new ideas popped into my head." Since Taeyeon is wearing comfortable shoes, jeans and a shirt as
well, running and kicking would not be an issue.
"Let's just stick to your first idea. But there are a few problems. Where are you going to find a ball?"
Jessica warned and watched Taeyeon went around the large flower pot. "And won't you find it hard to
move in your jeans? It look taut around your... err... urm... They seem really tight. Aren't you
uncomfortable?"

"It is rather uncomfortable but it is worth it since you checked out my butt." Taeyeon teased. Unlike
Jessica, Taeyeon is wearing skinny jeans. The material is sticking to her like a second skin. She found the
half black half white stone that she kicked earlier. Lightly tapping it with the tip of her shoes, she sent
the knuckle sized stone flying through the gap between the two pots and it rolled to a stop at Jessica's
feet.

"The stone will be the ball. The gap between these two pots will be my goal. Yours will be the two pots
at the other end. Whoever that scores five goals first wins." Hearing no replies, Taeyeon hurried around
the flower pot. She had feared that Jessica had run away again but she found her at the same spot,
shuffling her feet and looking embarrassed.

"It's not a crime to check out a stranger's butt. You can speak your mind." Taeyeon urged.

"But I already know you are Kim Taeyeon, the pervert."

Taeyeon grimaced at the description. "Nope! I am Kim... Taengoo, the nice twin of Kim Taeyeon. Please
don't compare me to my dorky twin." Taeyeon feign distress which was over dramatic.

"I am sad to inform that the both of you are equally dorky." Jessica distracted herself with the stone at
her feet fighting hard not to laugh.

Happy that Jessica was going along with it, Taeyeon decided to make things more exciting. "An extra rule
about the game, each time someone scores, they get to ask one question which must be honestly
answered."

Jessica was about to protest when Taeyeon added. "I am Taengoo and you are not Jessica. Questions
and answers that will not be hold accountable to Taeyeon or Jessica. To ask a question, I need to score
first. If you can prevent me from scoring and score five against me, I would need to answer your
questions and I won't get to ask. How good is your skills stranger? I reckon that you have nothing to
lose. What say you?"

Taeyeon had made a great sales pitch but Jessica took her time to consider.

Sounds like a win-win situation. Just five goals should be easy. Right?

"Deal."
Chapter 21 TWENTY ONE
"Ready?" Taeyeon asked Jessica.

Both of them were standing in front of their goal and the rock, which is their substitute for a ball in the
middle between them.

"Three, two, one, go!" Taeyeon counted down when Jessica nodded.

The two of them raced towards the rock. Being the faster sprinter, Taeyeon reached the rock first. She
managed to bring the ball forward a few steps before Jessica positioned herself to hinder her process.

Jessica is a superb soccer player but this is not a normal match. One on one means you will need to both
defend and attack. In situations like this, speed helps and thus giving Taeyeon a slight upper hand.

With the outside of her shoe, Taeyeon kicked the stone to the far right and ran after it, hoping that
Jessica would chase after the stone as well. Nearing the stone, Taeyeon could hear Jessica's footsteps
behind her. Jessica is fast. But Taeyeon is faster.

Taeyeon knows she can easily out run Jessica. Her style of playing is using her speed to break the
defense. This game is to her advantage. When she got to the stone, she kicked it back towards the
middle. With a sudden burst of speed, Taeyeon dashed to the stone and carefully slotted it between the
two pots that are supposed to be Jessica's goal post.

Taeyeon was grinning widely looking as if she had won the grand prize in a lottery whereas Jessica looks
as if she was sentenced to a life time in jail.

Jessica sighed as she watched Taeyeon do a weird dance around her, waving her arms in the air like a
madwoman. "Stop making me dizzy. Just ask the question."

Taeyeon stopped swinging her arms around and considered on what question to ask. "Are there any
features about me that you find attractive? If yes, name one."

"I thought we agreed that the question cannot be on our real selves and why a two part question!?"
Jessica protested.

"My question is acceptable." Taeyeon insisted. "I asked you to name an attractive feature of Taengoo.
Remember, you have to answer honestly!"

Her smile? The way Taeyeon smirks is cute. Wait, which normal person will think a smirk looks cute?

Shaking the thought off, Jessica thought hard for something more general. She needed to reply carefully,
something that Taeyeon won't be able to use against her in the future.

"Stop looking like a prisoner on death row. I started off with a simple question. My other questions are
way harder."

Jessica noticed Taeyeon pouting while waiting for her answer, her eyes unconsciously wandered to
Taeyeon's lips.

She looks adorable she pouts. They seem so soft, so kissable.

Jessica blinked and swallowed hard. Where did that came from!?

Taeyeon was amused when Jessica slapped her palm against her own forehead but hurried to stop her
when the action repeated in a loop with each hit getting harder. Grabbing both of Jessica's wrists,
Taeyeon secured them tightly in one hand. With the other, Taeyeon reached up and rubbed the redden
forehead of the taller girl.

"Are you calm now? I am going to let go. Don't hurt yourself understand?" Taeyeon admonished when
Jessica stopped struggling.

"Sorry, my brain broke down momentary." Jessica apologized. "But because of that I thought of a
perfect answer. Your motherly behavior really stands out."

Taeyeon's jaw dropped. "Motherly behavior? I guess it could pass as a feature but how is that
attractive?"

"Attractive: very pleasing in appearance or sound, or causing interest. In this case, your motherly
behavior caught my interest. My answer is acceptable? Umma." Jessica teased.

Taeyeon is unhappy with Jessica's answer. Her own words are being used against her. "If I am the
Umma, you are the Ahjumma!" Taeyeon shot back.

"What! I don't want to be Ahjumma! Why am I Ahjumma?" Jessica whined, stomping her feet while
slightly shaking her shoulder back and forth.

The sight was so adorable that Taeyeon froze. "Cute..."

"L... Let's get back into the game. It's my ball now right?" Jessica touched her fingers to her ears as she
hurried to retrieve the stone.

"Yups, it's your ball. Score and I will answer your question. You are cute when you are shy too." Taeyeon
knows it's an action Jessica always does when she felt embarrassed.
"Shut up. I am going to start. Aren't you going to block me?" Jessica sounded annoyed but her red ears
gave away her true feelings.

"I can outrun you, my dear. You can start whenever you like. I'll even give you a head start." Taeyeon
laughed lightly when Jessica's ears turned a darker shade of red at the words 'my dear'.

Jessica studied the distance from her current position to Taeyeon's goal. Since it is not a real field, it's
not that far. The only problem is the gap between the two flower pots is very much smaller than the real
goal post. But then again, the stone is much smaller too. Deciding that she can make it, she swung her
right leg back and sent the stone flying across the grass. Taeyeon could only watch helplessly as the
stone whizzed past her and continue towards her goal.

Taeyeon's jaw muscles are slackened once again. Not only was Jessica shot powerful, it's also deadly
accurate. It went flying through the middle of the small gap without even touching the ceramic pots.

"I think you have forgotten who you are up against." Jessica said smugly. "Now answer my question.
Why am I Ahjumma?"

"Cynical, always considering the pros and cons before acting and you don't act like a high school
student. It's okay being a little impulsive at times you know. That's what makes teenagers, well,
teenagers. If you think too much about things, you will get wrinkles like an Ahjumma."

"What! I don't have wrinkles!" Jessica exclaim. "Hey! No cheating!"

Taeyeon had started while Jessica was busy protesting, hoping to sneak the stone into her goal but
Jessica caught her act and managed to block the shot. Taeyeon then tried the method when she scored
the first goal but Jessica is not fooled. She stayed between the goal and the stone instead of running
after it again.

Taeyeon needed a new trick.

Kicking the stone forward, Taeyeon advanced straight towards Jessica's goal. When Jessica stopped
backing up, Taeyeon turned, placing herself between Jessica and the stone.

"Are you going to force your way through?" Jessica asked, holding an arm out to stop Taeyeon who kept
going backwards like a car on reverse. Taeyeon's back is pressing against her body but she cannot afford
to move back any more. It is way too close to her goal now. Jessica leaned over Taeyeon's shoulder
trying to see where the stone is at.

At that moment, Taeyeon turned her head and Jessica forgot all about the stone. All she could see was
Taeyeon's sparkling eyes and her soft looking lips that are curled upwards into a slight smirk.
Jessica froze and Taeyeon disappeared in an instant. Making a quick turn, Taeyeon got behind Jessica
and lightly tapped the stone into the goal.

After a celebrating run, Taeyeon gave the still frozen Jessica a smack in the butt, waking the younger
from her trance with a yelp.

"Ya! I thought you are Taengoo, not the pervert Taeyeon." Jessica said angrily. "I refuse to answer the
question for this goal since you took advantage of me."

"Oops... I guess the perverted gene does run in the family." Taeyeon said sheepishly. "Fair enough, since
I did get a reward."

*************************************************************************************

Three minutes later...

"You think I'm gorgeous... You want to hug me... You want to kiss me... You think I'm..." Taeyeon sang
repeatedly while wriggling her butt.

Jessica squeezed her eyes shut trying her best to calm her racing heart. She's losing both her mind and
the game. Jessica's number of goals remained the same, lonely and alone whereas Taeyeon just scored
her fourth.

For the third question, Jessica had admitted to checking out Taengoo's butt earlier hence the weird butt
dance.

"Can I forfeit?" Jessica pleaded.

Taeyeon grinned wickedly. Her trick had worked marvelously.

Step one, aegyo attack. After successfully stealing the ball proceeded to step two, which is a repeat of
the second goal.
Step two, press body against Jessica's, making as much contact as possible and finally turns head
upwards towards Jessica's. The nearer their faces are, the slower Jessica reacted.
Step three, effortlessly shoot the stone into the goal.

And that's the three step Taengoo's foul play.

Side note: Super effective against Jessica when used by Taeyeon. Tested and proven.

"If you forfeit, you will have to dance with me." Although Taeyeon would like to tease Jessica further,
Taeyeon figured that it would be too much of a waste to come to a party and leave without a single
dance.

Jessica frowned. Dancing in a room full of people body contact is unavoidable and that's the last thing
she needed. With each goal their faces had gotten nearer during Taeyeon's step two. In fact, for the last
goal, their lips were nearly touching.

"I didn't know your stamina was so lousy. It's so weird how you can play two forty five minute rounds
without difficulty but a one on one with me can make your breathing so labored." Taeyeon teased the
flushed Jessica who was taking short quick breaths. Not wanting to give up the chance of a dance with
Jessica, Taeyeon offered a deal. "One dance and you don't even need to answer the question for the
fourth goal."

Jessica nodded, agreeing to the deal, thankful that she did not have to go through another round of
torture and for being spared from answering another awkward question.

However, Taeyeon was not being generous when she gave the offer. It was because she already knew
the answer to the question she had wanted to ask. "You think I'm gorgeous... You want to KISS me..."
Taeyeon began singing again as she pulled a red faced Jessica towards the house.

It appears that Taeyeon wasn't singing that song a while ago for no particular reason. Jessica wished the
floor will just swallow her up.

During the step two for the latest goal, all of Jessica's will power was not enough to stop her from
closing the tiny gap. Because of her slow reaction, when she did lean in, Taeyeon had already moved
away. She could not decide which is worse. Her late reaction or that Taeyeon actually saw what she did.
Chapter 22 TWENTY TWO
Shrill rings broke the silence in the dark spacious room.

Waking to a pounding head, Taeyeon forced one eye open to locate the disturbing noise. Red numbers
of a digital clock on the bedside table showed that it is already two in the afternoon.

Shouldn't the room be bright then?

Taeyeon frowned. Her brain is fuzzy from having just awakened. Her colorful cartoon alarm clock
transformed into a plain black digital clock overnight.

The ringing stopped. Taeyeon snuggled deeper into the blankets. The dark room and the warmth of the
arms wrapped around her are slowly luring her back to sleep.

Arms??!!

Taeyeon's eyes shot open. Sleep left. Confusion and panic took its place. She should have known clocks
don't transform overnight.

Not daring to move, she surveyed the room once again. Large with carpeted floors, the furniture look
expensive, heavy dark colored full length curtains covering the entire outer wall and no personal
touches in the room at all. No picture frames, no display figurines.

With a sinking feeling, Taeyeon glance back at the bedside table. Besides the digital clock, there is a
telephone and several thin booklets. Taeyeon managed to read a few words that were not obstructed.

Hotel... Room service...

Taeyeon's heart jumped when a leg brushed against her own. Suddenly aware of the light breathes on
her bare shoulders, her heart begun to race. Not remembering what had happened, yet dying with
curiosity, Taeyeon turned with small movements until she faced the person cuddling her, praying that it
would not be some ugly old Ahjushi.

Omo...

Her headache was forgotten as she stared at the serene sleeping face inches from her own. Taeyeon
prayed hard that it is not a dream as she pressed her lips lightly against the Ahjumma that is holding her.
When the angel like Ahjumma responded by kissing her back, Taeyeon felt so elated that her soul
floated with the angel to heaven.

Then loud ringing sounded again.

*************************************************************************************

The two girls lay on the extremes sides of the bed. One is covering her lips with her palm, the other
holding her left cheek. Shrill rings are continuing in the background.

"Did you have to hit me that hard?" The shorter one spoke up first.

"I just reacted. Is it painful? Jessica whacked herself mentally for asking a ridiculous question. The
slapping sound was so loud that it could be heard clearly in spite of the loud ringing sounds.

Removing her hand from her cheek, Taeyeon retorted. "What do you think?"

Even with dark curtains obstructing the light, the bright red hand print is noticeably visible. The blond
girl winced, deeply apologetic for her strength. It does look painful.

"Will you stop the noise? It's driving me crazy." Taeyeon groaned when the ringing died for a second but
restarted its mission to annoy her again.

Extending only one arm out from the covers, Jessica found her phone and after a quick glance at the
caller id, she pressed the answer button, making the loud ringing stop. "Fanyah? What's the emergency
that you need to send me twenty messages and infinity calls?"

"Yeah, I know where she is. Why?" Jessica took a glance at Taeyeon's direction and spoke into the
phone.

"Ya! It's not like that! I am not a pervert." Jessica blushed and yelled into the phone only to hear the
monotonous beeps.

"You!" Jessica pointed an accusing finger at Taeyeon. "It's your fault. Get out now. N.O.W. Now."

Taeyeon sat unmoving staring innocently at Jessica. "You are going to throw me out after taking
advantage of me when I got drunk?"

"What! For the record, you drank on your own account. I told you not to drink that suspicious looking
"punch"." Jessica drew the invisible quotes in the air with two fingers for each hand in the air. "I should
have left you when you refused to take a cab back with Tiffany and Yuri. I knew I should not have agreed
when you begged me not to send you back to your dorm to be with them. And I did not take advantage
of you! I was at the disadvantage, you are a pervert even when you are sleeping."

"Ahhahah... That punch was something else." Taeyeon remembered the room started spinning after just
one cup. "If you did not want to take advantage of me, why are we in a hotel, us being in bed together
without clothes on?"

"Stop fantasizing! I had to take off your jeans and shirt as you threw up all over them but you are still
clothed. You gave me so much trouble! I was too tired to even change myself." Jessica got out from
under the cover of the blanket fully dressed. Jessica threw the phone that is in her hand at Taeyeon's
head. It bounced off the intended target before falling harmlessly onto the bed.

"Ohhhh... That makes sense." Taeyeon nodded the blurry images in her mind are starting to clear up.

"Why am I even explaining?" Jessica shook her head to rid the feeling of being a defendant. "I am taking
my long delayed shower now. You better be gone when I come out."

Taeyeon stared at the bathroom door that closed behind Jessica in dismay.

Nothing had happened. Taeyeon sighed.

Stepping out under the blankets, Taeyeon shivered. The air con is way too cold. As there is only one
blanket, Taeyeon knew the kind hearted Jessica could never leave her on the sofa, hence resulting to
them sharing the bed. Pulling the blanket off the bed and wrapping it around her body, Taeyeon half
dragged the large blanket to a beautifully sculptured wooden desk where a remote control lay.

Taeyeon gave up after jabbing the temperature button a few times. The air con is way powerful, even at
its highest temperature, it is still too cold for Taeyeon's liking. Spotting a button labeled curtains,
Taeyeon depressed it and the curtain covering the entire length of the outer wall slowly opened with a
soft whirl revealing an overlooking view of city. When the curtains fully opened, Taeyeon whistled. The
entire wall is a large glass plane. "When viewed at night, the lights would provide a view that is much
more splendid." She thought out loud.

"Hmmm... Wonder what this does?" This time, Taeyeon pressed a button labeled fireplace. The room
has a modern design despite a few antique looking furniture and there is definitely no fireplace or
chimneys in sight. A large flat screen TV flicked to life display a virtual image of fireplace accompanied
with soft crackling sounds.

"Wow! It looks so real!" Taeyeon exclaim and excitedly depressed more buttons.

*************************************************************************************

"Why are you still here and what do you think you are doing?" Jessica snatched the remote from
Taeyeon who was in the middle of disco lights in the making by switching between lighting ambiances
really quickly.

"I need some clothes and there is no wardrobe in sight. I can't go out in only my underwear right?
Maybe I can borrow some clothes... or maybe a robe?" Taeyeon eyed the sash that held Jessica's robe
together. "They look a little loose. Is it an invitation?"

"In your dreams." Jessica growled. "Stay where you are. Move an inch or I will throw you out with just a
blanket." Jessica depressed a button on the remote and a panel slid open. She disappeared into the walk
in closet.

Taeyeon pouted. Jessica had taken the remote along.

Light knocks came from the front the door.

Taeyeon waited but Jessica must not have heard it.

Moving away from the spot, Taeyeon decided to be useful and proceeded to open the door...
Chapter 23 TWENTY THREE
"Who are you and what did you do to my Jessica unnie?!"

"Your Jessica? Sica is mine!"

"Kyyyaaahhh! You are not wearing any clothes are you? You better not try seducing my Jessica unnie!
Jessica unnie doesn't like shorties."

"Yah! You are not so tall yourself!"

"At least I am taller than you."

"Little kid, you should show some respect for your elders."

"Phhhfftt... You are the one that look like a kid."

"Ya! I am older than your Jessica unnie by a few months."

"Ohhh, short Ahjumma, thanks for admitting that Jessica unnie is mine. For your information, she
prefers younger girls. Short and old is so not her type."

Taeyeon was seeing red for being called short Ahjumma. She wondered if it was karma for calling Jessica
an Ahjumma. "AHHHH! I am going to kill you!" Taeyeon took a swing but missed when Jessica dragged
the other girl off her.

"What's going on? Why are you two fighting at my doorway?" Jessica sighed. After dressing and getting
a change of clothes for Taeyeon, she came out to find two girls on the floor close to exchanging blows.

"She started it." Both girls replied at the same time.

"It's not my fault! She tackled me as soon as I opened the door!"

"Jessica unnie, I thought a hooker sneaked in." The stranger with long straight hair batted her eyelids at
Jessica innocently.

"Ya! I am not a hooker!" Taeyeon felt disgusted by the stranger's innocent acts and tried to give her a
kick to the shin. The girl saw it coming and evaded the attack before delivering one of her own.

"I leave you alone for a minute and you had to find more trouble. Did I not tell you not to move?" Jessica
glared at Taeyeon first then the girl who she is holding by the collar. "Hara, what are you doing here?"
"I am bringing you your order. I didn't know you like strawberry cakes. Normally you would order
noodles." Hara said sweetly showing no sign of the leg fight going on with Taeyeon.

"Will you two stop acting like five year olds? I am not blind you know." Jessica sighed tiredly. "I didn't
order anything."

"Huh? That's weird. Gyuri unnie said that an order of nine slices of strawberry cakes was placed from
your room. I even packed them into individual boxes so you can take it with you if you are in a hurry. If
you did not order them, I guess I'll just take them back." Hara said gloomily.

Jessica glanced at Taeyeon who is now coughing uncontrollably. "It's okay, I'll take them, charge it to the
room as usual. Thanks Hara and goodbye." Jessica took the package before shoving the girl out the door.

"Get dressed." Jessica threw the clothes she was holding at Taeyeon. "Nine slices? You were craving for
strawberry cakes that badly?"

*************************************************************************************

"I knew I should not have taken her home." Jessica muttered to herself. Two pairs of hands latched
themselves onto her and pulled her into the dorm for nonstop questioning.

"You two spent a night in a hotel?!"

Taeyeon nodded and a chorus of 'ohhh's echoed through the room.

"Ya! Stop muddying the water." Jessica glared at the shortest of the trio that are happily eating
strawberry cakes. "Taeyeon wanted to follow me home to give you two time alone. Nothing happened
at all!"

"You are staying in a hotel? What happened to the apartment?" Tiffany asked.

"When you insisted on staying in the dorms, it became less important and everything got held up when I
failed to approve the designs on time. Therefore I am staying at the hotel for now. It's nearer to the
school and my office is right there anyways. I swear I did not do anything unethical when Taeyeon was
drunk."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk... I was expecting more from you." Yuri wagged her finger at Jessica.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know, you should have jumped Taeyeon. I am sure she is still a ByunTae even when drunk."
"She was." Jessica said bitterly, remembering how she had to prevent Taeyeon hands from wondering
by trapping them to the side in a hug. It was so hard not to lose control then.

"And you did nothing? Even after telling you to be bold and dropping so many hints, you are still thinking
with your head and not your heart. You are such a failure student of mine. I should disown you." Yuri
sighed.

"I was being a gentleman. Even if I am thinking with my heart, it would not have led to lust. It's wrong to
take advantage of someone who is drunk.?"

"Firstly, you are a lady, not a man. Secondly, if both parties consented to it, it would not have been
unethical. I am sure Taeyeon wouldn't have mind. Right Taeyeon?"

Taeyeon nodded to Tiffany's question, not even slightly bashful as to what she is agreeing to.

"Gah!! You three are shameless!? A flushed Jessica and stormed out of the dorm room slamming the
door behind her forcefully.

"How cute, she is so shy! Sadly, your plan semi flopped." The shortest one said.

"See, I told you we should have made her drink my specially mixed punch instead." The tall tan one
added.

"You are right. For a genius, my best friend is dumb." The one with average height agreed. "Sorry that
my plan did not work out. Playing cupid is hard."

"I said semi flopped."

"Eh!!!" Two pairs of hungry eyes landed on Taeyeon.

"More cake?" Taeyeon dug into her second slice.

"Jessica said she did not do anything unethical." Yuri recapped. "It was a complete flop."

Taeyeon replied after a few more bites of the cake. "No, she said she did not do anything unethical
when I was drunk."

"No wonder you were grinning like an idiot ever since you came back! So? Are you going to tell us or
not?" Yuri demanded.

Still taking her time to answer, Taeyeon chewed her cake slowly. "Sica told me not to tell..."
Annoyed by the suspense, Tiffany snatched the spoon away and held it to Taeyeon's neck like a knife.
"Spill or die."

*************************************************************************************

(Rewind...)

"Get dressed." Jessica threw the clothes she was holding at Taeyeon. "Nine slices? You were craving for
strawberry cakes that badly?"

"I thought it wasn't working so I clicked it a few more times..."

Jessica threw her hands up in frustration. "Arugh!!! Just get changed and go home!"

"Help me up?" An almost naked Taeyeon lay on the floor with a blanket covering only parts of the body
extended her hand. The movement made the blanket fall off her, revealing more of her skin.

Jessica tore her eyes away from the milky white skin and roughly pulled Taeyeon to her feet. She had
used too much strength and Taeyeon collided into her.

"Sorry." Jessica hastily apologized and stepped away.

"Do you really prefer younger girls?" A timid voice asked Jessica. "The girl earlier, Hara, said short and
old is not your type. Even if it's just a few months, rightfully speaking I am older but it's only a few
months right? It's not that much and maybe I can grow tal..."

Jessica silenced her with a finger to Taeyeon's lips. "You are not still drunk are you?"

"No. My head hurts a little, I think I have a hangov... Mmmmmm..."

Jessica cut Taeyeon off once again, this time with a gentle kiss. "It's good that you are not drunk
anymore. It did not feel right to tell you how I felt when you were drunk. You are driving me crazy both
mentally and physically. The only thing holding me back last night was the thought of a confessing when
you are drunk does not have any impact or credence."

"Forgive me for taking so long to sort out my feelings. I felt like I needed to consider the potential
problems, calculate the possibilities of the success and failures... Well, to make the long story short, I got
scared." Jessica admitted.

"Then Yuri came along and reminded me that I am missing out because of fear of trying and it was unfair
of me to be hiding away when you were giving your all. While my mind is still disconnected, I need to ask
this before my brain can advise me against my heart. I am still not certain what the results will be like in
the future but I am willing to try my best. My heart skips a beat whenever you are around and it is
drawn towards you when you are not. Kim Taeyeon, I think I am hopelessly falling in love with you,
please be my girlfriend."

"Gosh, you are so cheesy. My heart skips a beat whenever you are around and it is drawn towards you
when you are not?" Taeyeon teased with a little smirk.

"W... Wh... What?" Jessica is confused. "It's true. During the party, when I tried looking for you
systematically combing the area by sight, I did not find you. Instead of using logic, my feet randomly
carried me to the garden and there you were!"

Jessica felt sweat forming despite the powerful air con. Feeling as taunt as a drawn bowstring, Jessica
fidgeted when silence befall. "I don't quite understand you reply. Was that a yes or a no?"

"No." When Jessica's shoulder slumped, Taeyeon giggled and added. "But I'll agree to be your boyfriend.
You are not going to be the guy in our relationship. Besides, I was the one that asked first."

Seeing a mixture of shock and relief on Jessica's face, Taeyeon could not help but tease the girl. "Your
shoulders disappeared completely when I said no. Were you that disappointed?"

"I thought I took too long... I thought you gave up on me... I thought..." Jessica was interrupted when
Taeyeon's knuckles lightly rapped her on the head.

"You think too much. Did you really think I would reject you? Can't you tell that I love you too much and
there is no way I can ever give up on you?" Taeyeon wrapped her arms around Jessica's waist and
whispered reassuringly into her ear. "Don't think too much about the future, I am sure that together, we
can take on any problems."

Jessica tightens the hug for a second before releasing a little to give Taeyeon a long passionate kiss
which broke only when Jessica felt Taeyeon trembling. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking. I should have let you put
on some clothes first."

"I like the times where you lose control. I am cold, but that's not the cause." Taeyeon grinned
mischievously, striking a seductive pose. "Do you like what you see? You have been staring at my body
for quite some time now. Since we are now together and I am half undressed in your hotel room, should
we spend the rest of the day in bed?"

Jessica turned bright red and diverted her gaze to the floor, making a mental note to get the hotel to
have the air con fixed. Her body felt extremely heated and her heart doing a 100meter dash.

"You are so going to kill me one day." Jessica placed her palm over her heart. "You sure know how to
pick a time to fuss about which of us being the male in the relationship. It stopped when you replied no
and now you are trying to give me a heart attack."

*************************************************************************************

(Present...)

"What happened next?"

"Sica sent me back. She wanted to take things slow. You two better not tell her that you know. She
wasn't sure she can take advices from you two just yet." Taeyeon replied Tiffany.

"Hmmm... Demerits for not taking the offer but I think I will not disown her just yet. She does give good
speeches." Yuri said rubbing her chin.

"Master Yuri, you will be proud of me." Taeyeon raised her hand. "I told her that normal couples kiss at
least nine times a day to keep their relationship strong."

"Hahahaha! Way to go! You are definitely my top disciple!" Yuri patted Taeyeon on the back and
Taeyeon did a bow with hands clasped in front of her like those in the olden chinese martial arts films.

"She believed that?" Tiffany is amazed.

"Oh, no wonder Fany and Yuri is always making out." Taeyeon said in a high pitched voice with a raised
eyebrow reenacting the scene for them. "She believed it instantly. My Sica is so innocent and the two of
you, are bad influences."
Chapter 24 TWENTY FOUR
"Oh why do they have to hold the matches so early in the mornings?" Jessica muttered woefully as she
made her way to the Soshi High's stadium.

"Jessica-ssi , please do your best! We'll be cheering for you!" Said two students in Soshi High's uniforms
shyly and there was a chorus of encouragements from the crowd around them. Jessica stifled a yawn,
stirring up murmurs of worries for her lack of energy from the crowd.

"Jessica unnie! Good morning!" A cherry voice called out. Undaunted by the glares of Soshi High
students and fans, Hara gave the sleepy girl a hug.

"Ya! Get your hands off my Sica!" Another voice shouted. The crowd parted at the angry voice to reveal
the hidden Taeyeon.

"GAEHHH! Ahjumma, what are you doing here? Don't you need to go groceries shopping of something?
Jessica unnie is mine!" Hara shouted back.

"She is mine! I am no Ahjumma! I am a student here! Why are YOU here?" Taeyeon challenged.

"Why is everybody shouting so early in the morning?" Jessica massaged between her eyes tiredly. Her
words were drowned out by the din Taeyeon and Hara are making. Jessica took a deep breath. The
civilized method did not work and she wasn't in the mood to be nice. "I don't belong to either of you!
Stop treating me like a piece of property that you can own! I belong to myself. Understand?"

The two of them were screaming 'She's mine' at each other stopped and watched Jessica stomp off. The
silence did not last long. As soon as Jessica disappeared from view, the screaming match continued with
a new sentence, 'You made her angry.'

*************************************************************************************

"Sica, please don't be mad at me. It's not entirely my fault. You are my girlfr..." Taeyeon caught herself.
Jessica did not want to publicize their relationship just yet. "I got agitated when I saw her hugging you."

"I am not angry. You did nothing wrong. In fact, I think I owe you an apology." During the yelling match
with Hara earlier, Jessica could tell that Taeyeon was dying to announce that they are together and
when she had intervened saying that she belonged to neither of them, Taeyeon had looked so
depressed. Jessica cupped one palm to the side of Taeyeon's small oval shaped face and lightly caressed
her cheek affectionately with her thumb. "Sorry Taengoo."

Taeyeon smiled a little at the nickname. Ever since the party, Jessica had been frequently using the
name Taeyeon had thought of and Taeyeon loves how affectionate it had sounded whenever Jessica
called her Taengoo.

"Kiss and make up!" A voice so low that it sounded like a man's said.

"If you want to make out give us a warning. We'll gladly go out." Another said in a high pitch whining
voice.

Soshi High female's locker room erupted into guffaws and Jessica quickly retracted her hand. Despite
them trying to alter their voice, Jessica could tell who the two jokers are, Tiffany and Yuri. Those two is
one of the main reasons why Jessica did not want to go public with the relationship. Jessica wanted her
relationship with Taeyeon to progress normally, without influences from the speedy couple. However,
Jessica has a bad feeling they already know. A few days earlier, Yuri suddenly brought up how
inexperience she looked at kissing and had offered her tips in kissing, by warning that tongue
exploration is quite common during kisses. Quote Yuri's ending, 'Don't be too surprised and bite
Taeyeon's tongue off if she inserted her tongue during a kiss. Just relax and enjoy.' And just yesterday,
Tiffany told her that the broom closet can fit two people.

"Alright people, focus please. We have a match to play. Since we are ready, let's head to the field first."
Jea suggested. The team understood that Jea wanted to give them time alone and followed her out.

When freed from on looking eyes, Taeyeon hugged Jessica. "I was so jealous. You are my girlfriend yet
she gets to hug you but I need to control myself in public. It's so unfair."

"Sorry Taengoo, please bear with it a little longer." Jessica wrapped her arms around the shorter girl.
One around the waist and the other, rubbing Taeyeon's back soothingly.

Taeyeon nodded. "Can you at least play soccer with me?"

"I am here aren't I?"

"Don't try that with me, Sica. I know your pattern well enough." Taeyeon shook her head, implying that's
not the answer she had wanted to hear. "Not just today's match. Say you will join the club. Promise that
you will make an effort to come for all our matches and practices."

"Can I at least skip the practices?" Jessica asked. What she had thought to be a harmless question made
Taeyeon's shoulders slump downwards further.

"It's okay. It was just my selfish demand. You don't have to do it for me."

Jessica was dumbfounded. Taeyeon is literally trying to force her to agree.

"I just wanted to spend more time with you." Taeyeon looked at Jessica with her round eyes.
"You are so cheating." Jessica tried hard to avoid the puppy eyes.

"Forget about my request. Who would want to spend time with a pervert anyways?" This time around,
guilt attacks.

"I don't call you that anymore."

"But you did. I remember those times clearly. It hurts." Taeyeon knew Jessica had lost.

"Okay okay! From now on I am officially a member of the soccer club. I promise to make an effort to join
all matches and practices." Jessica gave up.

"Yay!" Taeyeon jumped up and down like a little kid. After only two jumps, Taeyeon suddenly stopped.
Before Jessica can ask what's wrong, Taeyeon whirled around to face her. "Seal the promise with a kiss."

"Four times." Taeyeon said when Jessica hesitated.

Jessica raised an eyebrow.

"The number of times you called me pervert to my face. Four times"

Jessica frowned. "Do you have to remember the exact number? You sure don't let bygones go easily. No
wonder you are so easily stressed."

"Make me forget." Taeyeon puckered her lips and jutted her chin outwards with eyes closed.

After checking the door was tightly shut, Jessica gave Taeyeon a quick peck. "I am counting the seal as
one for the day as well."

"Awwwww... It's over too quickly." Taeyeon was disappointed. "I miss the method of kissing you used
when you confessed in your hotel room."

"That was so embarrassing! I didn't know where the words came from and my body just reacted. I told
you my mind was having a slight disconnect then." Jessica turned pink.

"Oooo... I wonder what will happen if your brain totally shuts off then? If slightly disconnect makes you
kiss me that fervently then..."

"Pervert." Jessica's cold voice cut Taeyeon off from her daydream.

"That makes five." Taeyeon said as Jessica pulled her out of the locker room towards the field.
*************************************************************************************

Clapping her hands to gather the team's attention, Taeyeon announced Jessica's decision to join the club
officially. A prep talk wasn't needed today but Taeyeon did remind her team to stay sharp. The team is
psyched knowing that Jessica is with them officially. With such a strong player in the team has raised
their confidence level already, Taeyeon did not want to her teammates to be over confident. Taeyeon
then announced the starting lineup and dismissed the team for their individual warm ups.

"You guys sure took a long time in there. I am sure it was more than just talking right?" Yuri appeared to
Jessica's right side as the blonde girl was stretching.

"Omo! Her ears are red! Jessi's ears are a dead giveaway whenever she is embarrassed." Tiffany
appeared to the left of Jessica. "Did you two kissed?"

Yuri laughed when Jessica covered her red ears. "Now, I am sure they did."

"That makes one for today! Or did you two kissed more than once?" Tiffany teased.

"We can safely assume it's one. Your shy best friend only makes a quick kiss and then run away." Yuri
concluded when Jessica pretended not to hear.

Jessica could feel her eyebrow twitching.

"That means eight more to go for today."

There are no doubts for Jessica anymore. Taeyeon had told both Yuri and Tiffany.

"YOU!"

Taeyeon's angry shout caught everyone's attention.

Yuri thought her best friend is mad at them for teasing Jessica.

Tiffany thought her roommate is angry that they let the cat out of the bag.

Both of them were wrong.

Chapter 25 TWENTY FIVE
"YOU!" Taeyeon shouted at a slim girl with long straight hair holding a large cardboard over her head.

"Ahjumma! You are blocking my view!" Still waving the large cardboard, Hara leaned to the side so she
can see her idol. "Jessica unnie! I am cheering for you!"

"Sica, how can you wear such an outfit?" Taeyeon cried in despair while pointing at the full length poster
of a scantily clad Jessica in a small leather outfit with many large holes. Turning to face Jessica, Taeyeon
continued whining. "You didn't even let me see you wearing it in person!"

Jessica smacked her own forehead. "I don't have clothes like that. Even if I did have clothes like that,
why should I wear it to show you?"

"Will you wear such an outfit just for me if I asked? If I do have such an outfit. Not that I really have one.
Just IF I do happen to have one like that..." Taeyeon asked cautiously but trailed off when the
temperature dropped drastically.

"Get the idea out of your head." Jessica growled and flicked Taeyeon's forehead before addressing Hara.
"Return to your side, the match is staring soon and get rid of the poster, it's disturbing."

"Sorry unnie. It's good that I made full use of the cardboard. Short Ahjumma, look." Hara apologized to
Jessica before taunting Taeyeon. Hara turned around to walk away showing Taeyeon what is printed on
the other side of the cardboard.

Three points are printed on the back of the cardboard.

1. Jessica unnie like young, tall beauties.

2. Jessica unnie hates a short ahjumma with baby face.
3. Jessica unnie is the property of Goo Hara.

There are also three pictures to accompany the points. Next to the first point, Hara's picture is printed.
The second point has an arrow pointing to a picture of an old grandmother in tattered clothes with
Taeyeon's face and it is crossed out with a red 'x' sign. Lastly, an arrow pointing downwards from the
third point to a picture of Hara's and Jessica's faces very close together in a heart shape.

Jessica grabbed Taeyeon before she can jump on Hara.

*************************************************************************************

"... hope we have a good game... I sincerely apologize for Hara's childish behavior..."
Not paying much attention to the voice, Taeyeon shook the extended hand, her eyes keeping Jessica and
Hara in sight. An arm squeezing her neck broke Taeyeon's concentration.

"Which side are we at and who is starting the kick off? And did you see the way she was flirting with
you?" Yuri asked with a disgusted look.

"They will be starting the kick off. Was she flirting with me? I did not notice." Taeyeon struggled
helplessly against the taller girl's choke hold.

"Huh? She was batting her eyelids a hundred times a minute and she even threw in a wink. You didn't
see that?" Yuri tightened her hold when Taeyeon shook her head. "How about the way she caressed
your hand during the handshake, you felt that right?"

Another shake of Taeyeon's head.

When Taeyeon stopped struggling, Yuri got worried and released her. "What's wrong with you?" Yuri
gave Taeyeon's seemingly lifeless body a few hard shakes.

"She is on the field, beside Jessica, hand in hand, swinging it happily..."

Yuri followed Taeyeon's line of sight. Hara was clinging onto Jessica's arm but Jessica was trying to shake
free. "Don't tell me you just noticed that she was wearing Kara High's soccer jersey. I wouldn't call that
hand in hand or happily."

Jessica looked anything but happy. She was staring at Gyuri so fiercely that Yuri could almost see the
lasers shooting out of her eyes. She must have saw Gyuri's flirting attempts.

"Ahhhh... It must be nice to have Tiffany as your girlfriend. She so supportive of you and is not ashamed
of a girl and girl relationship." Taeyeon sighed when she saw the bubbly girl wave pompoms while
jumping up and down shouting cheers for Yuri at the side lines.

"Did Jessica say that?" Yuri asked in reference to the last point.

"No. I think it's either that or that she is ashamed of me." Taeyeon sulked.

"You are really pessimistic when it is about you. Have some confidence in yourself." Yuri blew Tiffany a
kiss, appreciating her girlfriend's cheerleading act for her since she is not in the starting lineup today.

"I am going to puke." Taeyeon stated when Yuri clutched her heart and fell to the ground, pretending to
be shot as Tiffany returned a flying kiss to Yuri.

*************************************************************************************
Its twenty minutes into the first half of Soshi High versus Kara High and both teams have yet to score.

Hara had been sticking to Jessica's side like glue as soon as the match commenced. Wherever Jessica
went, Hara followed. When Jessica stopped moving, Hara stopped too. Even when team Kara is
attacking at the moment and Hara was the nearest to help when her attacker got flanked, Hara made no
contributions to help her team and just stood on the spot next to Jessica.

"What are you doing?"

"I am specially guarding you, Jessica unnie!" Hara replied sweetly. Seeing Jessica's raised brow, Hara
explained. "You know like the defensive technique, box one."

"It's box-and-one." Jessica replied shaking her head. "That's basketball."

"There is no rule saying I can't use it on soccer as well. Besides, it totally fits this scenario. Best offensive
player guarded one on one with the rest of the team responsible for the other parts of the field." Hara
pointed to Jessica as she said best offensive player then herself then waving her arm to gesture her
team. "Box one."

"As you said, it's a defensive technique. You don't have to follow me around when your team is
attacking."

"You are not tricking me into leaving you unguarded unnie. I am going to guard you very closely." Hara
said as she leaned closer, pressing her body on Jessica.

"Okay! You can follow me around to guard me but not that close!" Jessica knows that Taeyeon is
troubled enough with her not wanting to disclose their relationship just yet and Hara's audacious
behavior is adding strain to Taeyeon's thinking. The strain is distracting Taeyeon making her miss a really
good chance at scoring during the fifteenth minute.

Jessica jumped backwards quickly distancing herself before looking over Hara's shoulders to check if
Taeyeon had seen that one second of contact and saw Taeyeon kicking the ball with full strength.

Jessica gulped. Taeyeon looked angry.

Should I warn her?

Hara does deserve some punishment.

"Sorry, Hara." Jessica said under her breath. Deciding to let Taeyeon vent her anger, Jessica let the ball
connect against its target.
"Huh?" The unsuspecting Hara thought she heard Jessica mumble something but she could not make
out the words. The ball hit against the back of Hara's head with a loud thud and flew out of the field. The
sheer force of it sent Hara falling forwards and Jessica sidestepped letting the girl land on her face.

Jessica winced. That got to hurt. "I am sorry, Hara." She said in an audible tone this time before backing
away to let the concerned members of Kara High crowd over Hara.

*************************************************************************************

(Outside Soshi High locker room...)

"You pulled her into your arms!"

"I may have pulled a little too hard but it was because you have carried the prank too far."

"Are you siding with her?!"

"Taengoo, If I was siding with her I would not have let the ball hit her the first time."

"You were saying that I was in the wrong for kicking the ball at Hara's head!"

"You are in the wrong for trying to repeat the process an additional five times. Do you know how hard it
was to convince the referee that it was an accident?"

"See! You are siding with her! You must really prefer the tall young type to choose her side over mine!"

"..."

When there was no reply, one figure gestured for everyone to move away from the locker room door.
"Do you think we should step in? Taeyeon is going overboard this time." Yuri asked when they are far
enough not to be heard by the duo in the locker room.

"T... That was too quick to mean anythi...!" Taeyeon's voice came from inside the locker room.

Tiffany stopped Yuri from opening the door. "Did I hear a slight tremble? Maybe Jessi don't need our
help after all."

"You saved her four tim..."

Yuri who was nearest to the door heard Taeyeon gasping for air. A soft moan included during the forth.

"Now, will you quit thinking about all those useless things and get your head back in the game?" Jessica
voice was heard this time.

"There seem to be a little left, for the dazzling smile you had shown to the referee. Maybe with one
more ki... hmmmm..." This time Taeyeon's moan is loud enough for the entire team to hear.

"It seems like Jessica finally understood why we gave them the locker room to themselves. I want one
too." Yuri puckered her lips in Tiffany's direction which Tiffany lightly kissed.

"Be serious, the second half is starting and it is still zero to both sides." Tiffany could not help but giggle
at Yuri's crestfallen face.

"Hurmph... Just you wait till the match is over..." Yuri whispered into Tiffany's ear.

"How about one more?" Taeyeon's voice was heard again.

Feeling rather unfair, Yuri barged into the locker room breaking Taeyeon's and Jessica's moment. "The
second half is starting, we need to go out now! You guys already completed eight of nine, the day is still
young, no rush to finish in such a hurry."
Chapter 26 TWENTY SIX
"Arugghh!" Taeyeon screamed in frustration as her ball bounced off the post and out of the line for
Kara's goal kick. "That ball has a mind of its own!"

"I thought that was an extremely good shot for someone that keeps glancing backwards instead of
where she is aiming at."

"Tiffany! I thought at least you will be on my side!" Taeyeon sighed.

"I am on your side. Jessi wanted to sub herself out since it was causing you that much discomfort. I told
her to sub me with another so I can talk some sense into you." Tiffany continued when Taeyeon did not
reply. "You are not the only one who is feeling uneasy. Don't you think Jessi is acting strange too?"

"Is she mad at me? She keeps glaring fiercely at me." Taeyeon asked.

"It's not you that she was glaring at. She is displeased when Gyuri was too touchy with you and was
glaring at her."

"So... she is not mad at me?" Taeyeon felt slightly lighter as weight lifted off her.

"You really do think too much into the useless stuff." Tiffany reprimanded. "We have much catching up
to do."

Taeyeon nodded grimly and glanced at the large clock on the scoreboard, there is barely fifteen minutes
left. While she was too absorbed about her worries, Kara High had already scored two goals. Closing her
eyes, Taeyeon concentrated as hard as she could and pushed the nagging thoughts about Jessica and
Hara as far back as possible.

"Taengoo! Catch me if you can."

Taeyeon's eyes flew open at the shout to catch a glimpse of Jessica speeding past with her golden
ponytail trailing behind. A grin slowly spread and replaced the worried expression she had had on. Her
legs took off automatically and caught up in no time. "What's that for? You know I am the faster runner
between us. Unless... Unless you want to be caught?"

Jessica laughed and gave a smile to the smaller girl that is keeping pace beside her. "What if I say that I
had purposely slowed down so you can catch up? Shall we see who reaches the ball first?"

Jessica signaled for Jea to pass the ball to space when she had turned back, Taeyeon had already taken
off after the ball.
"Kekeke... It's mine!" Taeyeon shouted as she dashed towards the ball. Two other Kara's defenders are
going after it as well but Taeyeon has confidence in getting there ahead of them.

"Catch me if you can." Jessica egged as she overtook a bewildered Taeyeon and got to the ball first.
Dribbling the ball past the two oncoming defenders, Jessica charged at the goal with the ball at her feet.

Seungyeon, Kara's goalkeeper, readied herself as Jessica got past her defenders. When Jessica came too
close, Seungyeon made a move to grab the ball off her feet only to swipe air. Jessica back heeled the ball
at the last minute to Taeyeon who tapped the ball into the open goal.

The supporters for Soshi High cheered and laughter broke out as they watched Taeyeon's weird
celebrating run. Taeyeon had evaded all her teammate’s hugs when they lunge themselves at her,
leaving a trail of fallen bodies.

"Sica!" Finally spotting the correct target, Taeyeon threw herself on the blonde girl.

Jessica teetered at the sudden extra weight on her back but managed to stabilize both their weights.
Jessica smiled at the familiar feeling. She did not have to look to know that Taeyeon was clinging onto
her like a koala again. "You should stop doing this. It's dangerous. What if I failed to catch you?"

"You will always catch me." Taeyeon replied. Jessica could feel Taeyeon smiling against her neck and felt
her own smile widening.

"Unnie! That was such a nice run and pass!"

Hara's voice startled Jessica, reminding her that they are not alone, caused her to release her grip on
Taeyeon.

"Can't you leave us alone? We are still enemies! Shouldn't you at least save the compliments until the
match is over?" Taeyeon rubbed her sore butt gingerly unhappy that Hara had once again squeezed
herself between them, separating Taeyeon from Jessica again.

"Unnie! You are such a fast sprinter as well! You suddenly took off and totally left me behind. I will be
ready, next time I'll catch up with you!"

"You will never catch up!" Taeyeon scoffed.

"I was just taken by surprise. Unlike you who had a head start but was still left behind." Hara jeered.
"Shorty, want to have a competition? Let's find out which of us is capable of keeping up with Jessica
unnie. If I manage to stop Jessica unnie from scoring, I win. If you can keep pace with her to get yourself
open and score, you win. I'll even throw in a bonus if you win, I'll play properly for the rest of the match,
no more one on one."

"Deal!" Taeyeon quickly accepted. She would try anything just to prevent Hara from staying so close to
Jessica.

"Here's your chance." Hara announced when Yuri caught the ball that Nicole, a Kara attacker shot and
threw it far out towards Narsha, away from the Kara attackers that are clustered in the box. "Jessica
unnie, don't hold back anymore."

Hara's last line bothered Taeyeon but she did not have the time to think about it. The ball is passed to
space and the three of them raced after it.

What happened next was a huge mess.

Jessica had gotten to the ball first, followed closely by Hara then Taeyeon. After Taeyeon's goal, Kara
defense has numbers in their box. The wall of oppositions made Jessica slowed her run, trying to figure a
way to break the defense. Needing more time to think, Jessica turned her back towards her oncoming
defenders, keeping her foot on the ball and keeping it as far away from her defenders as possible. As she
slowly edged her way into the box, she quickly came up with three choices.

One, make a quick dash to the outside of the field then cross the ball back into the box and hopes it
finds Taeyeon amongst the sea of Kara players.

Two, pass the ball to Taeyeon and let her shoot from outside the box.

Three, charge towards the goal herself gaining the attention of the defenders then get the ball out to
Taeyeon.

Jessica sighed inwardly at her ideas. Finding Taeyeon amongst the tall Kara defenders? Blindly shooting
into a box packed with defenders? It would take a miracle for the first or the second to work. That
means there is only one option left.

Just as she was about to turn and proceed with option number three, a large impact forced Jessica onto
her back, winded.

"I am so sorry Jessica unnie! Are you okay?" Hara asked with concern as she pushed herself up from the
unmoving body beneath her.

Taeyeon had seen the whole situation clearly. She and Hara had been chasing after Jessica when Hara
had tripped over her own feet. Hara lost control and flew forward bowling over Jessica forcefully. It was
an accident but Taeyeon felt her jaw tightening.
"Yah! Get off my girlfriend!" Taeyeon snapped at the sight of Hara straddling Jessica. She was about to
forcefully remove Hara when hands restrained her. "Let go off me!"

"Calm down. I want to check on Jessi but I can't course she would not forgive me if I had let you run
rampage."

Feeling guilty for letting her jealousy overwhelm her thoughts when she should be more concerned
about Jessica's well being, Taeyeon stopped struggling. "Check on her please."

Tiffany nodded, pleased that her words had gotten through but she did not leave Taeyeon until Jea
reached them and took over her role. Taeyeon dug her fingernails into her palms as she watched Tiffany
and Hara on either side of Jessica supporting the latter to stand.

"Keep your cool. We got the penalty."

Looking up, Taeyeon saw that Jea was right. The referee is pointing to the penalty spot. Being too caught
up in emotions, Taeyeon did not even hear the whistle.

"We are running out of time and this penalty could be our last chance to get back into the game."

Jea's eyes flicked back and forth between Jessica, Soshi High's best player who is clutching her side
gingerly while being helped up and Soshi High's captain and attacker, Taeyeon, who looks really
disgruntled at the moment.

"Here's the question. Who is going to take it?"

Chapter 27 TWENTY SEVEN
“Taeyeon.”

All eyes instantly focused on the speaker.

Taeyeon wanted to ask about her injury but refrained herself when she saw that Jessica was trying to be
strong. They had made two substitutions already. Although there is one left, this match is going into
extra time for sure and they may need it as some of the players looked dead tired already.

At Taeyeon’s worried gaze, Jessica had shrugged herself free from Tiffany’s support. Still cradling her
right side, Jessica repeated. “Taeyeon should take it.”

Glancing at the captain’s alternating expressions, Jea voiced her thought. “I am not sure if Taeyeon is up
for it.”

Taeyeon felt that someone else should take the penalty kick as well. There was too much activities going
on in her brain, she wasn’t sure she could focus.

“Taengoo... I am fine. Just a little winded.” Getting no reaction from Taeyeon, Jessica looked at Tiffany
for some help.

Jessica repeated Tiffany’s words as she mouthed them. “Your… jealous… face… looks… cute...”

Frowning at what Tiffany had made her say, Jessica shot Tiffany a cold glare but the other girl was too
busy laughing to notice.

Taeyeon seemed to have perked up a little, hence postponing Tiffany’s execution.

“Sica, I kind of blurted that you are my girlf...”

“Hey, everyone, listen up! Taengoo and I are together!” Jessica joined hands with Taeyeon and shouted
her announcement as loudly as she could.

There was a chorus of ooohhs from their teammates and Taeyeon could only tug on Jessica’s hand,
wondering why Jessica had suddenly changed her mind about being quiet about their relationship.

“Yah! Couldn’t you guys act a little more shocked?” Jessica asked.

“Pshh... It’s too obvious! At least we added some sound effects didn’t we?” Heads nodded in agreement
with Narsha’s words.
“See, they already knew. So you don’t have to worry about it.” Jessica hugged Taeyeon close, whispering
the apology into her ear. “I’ve seen the error in my ways. I should not have tried to hide your love. I am
sorry that my selfish request made you so miserable. Now I am thinking about challenging YulTi for their
most compatible couple title. What do you think?”

“Most compatible couple, cheesiest couple, sweetest couple, hottest couple... Let’s get them all.”
Taeyeon said while smirking. An idea had suddenly popped into her head, something that she was dying
to do.

“Hey Hara! Sica is mine!” Taeyeon shouted and with her free hand behind Jessica’s neck, Taeyeon pulled
Jessica in for a kiss. It pleased Taeyeon to no end when Jessica deepened the kiss.

Tiffany felt a little sorry for Hara and most importantly, they are making her miss the make out sessions
with Yuri. Before the kiss got intensify any further Tiffany forced a loud cough and broke the two apart.
“Okay! You’ve made your point.”

Taeyeon grinned in triumph when she saw a devastated Hara.

“You are so childish.” Jessica said with a laugh.

“And you are my blushing princess.” Taeyeon teased, causing the already bashful Jessica turn a brighter
shade of red.

“Dork.”

“Yups, that’s another of my many charming qualities.” Taeyeon replied easily with a wink.

“Hello? Are you guys still with the game? Remember the penalty kick?” Tiffany interrupted again.

“Oh yea! The penalty kick...” Jessica nodded. “Of course I remember...”

Tiffany’s mouth dropped. Jessica had forgotten.

“Taengoo, score for me?” Jessica asked sweetly. So sweetly that Tiffany wondered where her icy best
friend went.

“Your wish is my command!” Taeyeon marched up to the penalty spot with fire in her eyes.

“What’s wrong with you?” Tiffany smacked the giggling blonde on her butt. “You actually lost focus in a
game and since when did you have the guts to openly display acts of affections in public like that? I can’t
believe you returned Taeyeon’s kiss with such fervor.”
“All I felt and saw was Taengoo... It’s happening more often, like the rest of the world disappeared
leaving just the two of us. It’s weird isn’t it?”

“OMG, Jessie, you are so deeply in love with Taeyeon.”

“Yeah, I think I really am.”

Tiffany stared at her best friend, finding it hard to believe that Jessica had agreed that she’s in love with
Taeyeon instead of denying.

“Kyah! Taeyeon looks so cool! Did you see that?” Jessica elbowed Tiffany when Taeyeon pointed at
Jessica immediately after having secured the penalty with a powerful shot, dedicating it for her.

That was the last straw for Tiffany.

“What did you do to my best friend?” Tiffany accused while starring in horror at the Jessica look alike
that is making aegyo like noises.
Chapter 28 TWENTY EIGHT
The crowd is bustling with activity. Soshi High versus Kara High match had ended at with two goals for
each side. Even after extra time, the score had remained tied.

Majority of the players for both Soshi and Kara are worn out. It’s not easy to play the full a hundred and
twenty minutes, consisting two forty-five minutes halves and two fifteen minutes halves of extra time.

During the extra time, Taeyeon had tried hard to score but Kara played very defensively with majority of
their players defending their box. Taeyeon complained to her teammates about Kara parking the bus but
inwardly, she felt that it was a good strategy to shut down a highly offensive team.

Hara had lost all fighting spirit and was subbed out for Kara. Both teams had used all up all three of their
substitutions, swapping their drained players for a fresher one hoping to turn the tide during the extra
time. That did not happen and therefore they are now going to fight it out in a penalty shoot out.

A coin toss decided that Soshi High will be the first to defend.

Round 1:
Proceeding to her line, Yuri readied herself. The Kara attacker took the kick after the whistle blew with a
short run. The shot is powerful but the Kara attacker had aimed too far. From the angle, Yuri knew that
it would not score but she leaped to cover her goal just in case. As she predicted, it was slightly off
target. The ball slammed into the upright and away from the goal.

The Kara attacker covered her face with both hands in dismay and can only pray that her mistake did not
just cost her team the victory.

----

Seungyeon, Kara High’s goalkeeper, rubbed her gloves together nervously as she watched Taeyeon place
the ball on the spot. For this game, both goals had been scored by Taeyeon and one of it was a penalty.
Having had a taste of Soshi High’s captain and main striker’s powerful shots made Seungyeon more
nervous. It did not help knowing that if Kara had missed the first attempt and if Taeyeon converted hers,
Soshi High will have the advantage.

When both sides were ready, the referee blew the whistle, signaling the okay for the kick.

Taeyeon had looked behind for a second where the Soshi members are gathered. When she turned
back, Taeyeon took a glance at Seungyeon, and begun her run. She buried the ball into the net even
before Seungyeon could make a move.
Round 2:
“It’s time for highlight! The great Kwon Yuri saves the day!” Yuri proclaimed as she adjusted her gloves.

“What? Shouldn’t the highlight be my amazing goals?” Taeyeon protested as she overheard Yuri when
she was rejoining the group. “Didn’t you see my goal? The goalkeeper did not even have time to react!”

“If you want my opinion, I would say she froze up when she saw your weird smirk.” Yuri sniggered when
Taeyeon went running to Jessica.

Yuri paid no attention to what Jessica said to Taeyeon but it had to be something nice as the little kid
brightened instantly. However Jessica’s next line caught Yuri’s attention.

“Yuri! Tiffany says that if you block all of the remaining four goals, she will cook you a homemade
lunch.”

Bewildered by Jessica’s statement, Tiffany stared wide eyed at her best friend. “Are you crazy? You
know I can’t cook.”

“Work with me. She’s waiting for your signal.” Jessica nudged her friend.

Sure enough, Yuri was waiting for her confirmation. “I am holding you responsible if anything happens
to Yuri after eating my food.” Tiffany hissed at Jessica before smiling and nodding in agreement to the
statement that she did not make.

Yuri felt confident about blocking her second opponent’s shot.

The second shooter for Kara failed to meet Yuri’s eyes and had been taking large breathes. The girl is a
nervous whack. She had played it safe shooting low and near the center but her lack of confidence
resulted in a lack of power into her shot.

Yuri easily blocked the shot, increasing the advantage to Soshi High and a step closer to Tiffany’s lunch.

---

Jea had scored the second penalty for Soshi High, putting them in the advantage of two is to none for
the shoot out.

Round 3:
“I am so going to get your lunch.” Yuri said confidently to Tiffany with a victory pose when the third
round begun.

The third shooter for Kara is one of the attackers that had scored. Jumping a little to loosen her muscles,
Yuri watched her opponent carefully. When the whistle went off, the attacker sent the ball flying to
Yuri’s far right. It is a well taken shot, but with sheer determination, Yuri stretched out as far as she
could and knocked the ball off course.

Having wasted one chance and having two blocked, hopes were diminishing for Kara High. They are
being destroyed by the tall tan Soshi goalkeeper who is another step closer to Tiffany’s lunch.

---

Being the one doing all the cooking so far, Yuri is excited that she finally gets a chance to taste food
cooked for her by Tiffany. Just the thought of Tiffany preparing a love filled lunch just for her made Yuri
grin widely.

“It appears that she doesn’t know how bad your cooking skills are.” Jessica whispered to Tiffany.

“Your skills are as bad, no, you are worse than me!”

“What skills?” Yuri asked, wondering what Jessica had whispered to Tiffany and what category of skills
Tiffany was referring to.

“Penalty taking skills!” Jessica answered quickly. “Tiffany was just saying that she can do better than me,
so I’ve decided to let her take the next one.”

Tiffany felt her blood freeze. Taeyeon had explained the importance of the next shot. If Soshi High
scores, they will win this game and proceed to the next round. If they did not score, Kara High has a
chance of a comeback.

“Haha, Jessie was just trying to be funny. It’s such an important round, there is no way I would be taking
it.” Tiffany tried to laugh it off. “Excuse us for a moment.”

Hooking an arm around Jessica’s neck, Tiffany dragged Jessica aside. “It’s so not you to lie. What are you
trying to achieve? You can’t be serious about me being the next shooter.”

“What’s wrong about you being the next shooter?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Jessie. I’m still a newbie. Wouldn’t it be better if you take it instead?”

“You may be slow in picking up the formations, the runs and everything else but I honestly think you can
handle the penalty kick. You have worked hard, calling me out for extra practices and when I was not
free, you got Yuri to coach you instead. By chance, I saw the two of you and I’d have to say that Yuri is a
better teacher for you. Your shots improved a lot.”
“Aim low and to the keeper’s left. Strike as hard as you can. I already have a backup plan if you missed.
I’ll just offer you as the lunch to Yuri as reward if she blocked the next shot and then I’ll score for our
side. I know the idea of being Yuri’s lunch is tempting but don’t miss on purpose.” Jessica teased before
giving Tiffany a slight push, while announcing to the team that Tiffany will be the third shooter for their
side.

Tiffany expected protests but none came. Looking at her teammates expectant faces, Tiffany felt her
body stiffen.

Taking a few robotic steps forward, Tiffany found herself staring at a tan slender neck, sharp chin and a
pair of grinning lips displaying a row of pearly whites. Her field of vision which had narrowed due to
pressure returned to normal and Tiffany realized Yuri had obstructed her path.

“Just kick the ball towards the goal and I’ll make sure it evades the goalkeeper’s reaches and into the
net.”

Tiffany laughed when Yuri demonstrated the path of the ball with her hands, going straight at first then
a series of sharp ‘S’ shaped turns. “And how are you going to do that?”

“Will. Power.” Yuri drawled out the two words slowly in a low tone. Her narrowed eyes and grave tone
cracked Tiffany up.

Feeling somewhat less burdened, Tiffany walked up to the spot and got the ball from the referee.
Following the examples of the earlier penalty takers, she placed the ball on the spot and took a few
steps back, visualizing her run as she reversed.

When she heard the whistle, Tiffany took a deep breath and ran up to the ball. Her foot connected
solidly against the ball sending it low and to the keeper’s left, just as Jessica had instructed. Her aim was
a little too near to the keeper and Tiffany felt her heart leap to her throat when the keeper’s left hand
inched closer to blocking the ball’s course.

Seungyeon got her fingertips to the ball but she could not prevent it from crossing the line. The velocity
of the shot was stronger and the ball buried itself to the back of her net. Loud cheers resonated from
the Soshi supporters’ side of the stadium.

The result for the match was two all, Soshi High winning 3 – 0 in penalty shoot out.

Penalty kicks are tough for the goalkeepers. The pressure is intense and chances of saving are slim.
Exhausted by the taunt nerves and muscles, Seungyeon dropped to the floor in defeat with one thought
in mind.
Kwon Yuri is a monster.

*************************************************************************************

Unknown to the fact that someone is calling her a monster, Yuri was busy yelling at her teammates.

“You guys better don’t drop her! If she is injured you all are dead!”

“Yah! Hands! Hands! Watch where you are touching!”

“Yah! You all are taking advantage of my Fany!”

Yuri frowned, she was being ignored.

“Yuree! Help!” Tiffany screamed as she was being tossed into the air again.

Aggravated by the hands that are touching her girlfriend, Yuri pushed her way through to the middle of
the pack. Catching Tiffany with her arms, Yuri grinned wildly.

“Gotcha!”

With Tiffany still in her arms, Yuri spun on the spot a few times, swinging Tiffany’s legs outwards making
her teammates back away to avoid getting kicked. Still cradling Tiffany protectively, Yuri growled a
warning that Tiffany is off limits.

Tiffany giggled and wrapped her arms around her lover’s neck. She rested her head against Yuri’s
shoulder, eyes never leaving the tan girl. She likes it when Yuri is jealous. Tiffany finds it incredibly sexy.
Chapter 29 TWENTY NINE
Tiffany scored. They had won.

When the team had rushed forward to celebrate the win with Tiffany, one had slipped away.

After quickly grabbing her belongings from the locker room, Jessica briskly walked away from the
stadium and towards the lot where her car is parked, bag in one hand and shoes in the other. She was in
such a hurry that she did not even change out of her soccer cleats.

A little further, just a little further.

Only two more steps to her car, her eyes widen when she saw an additional shadow on the reflection of
her car’s tinted windows.

Seeing that Jessica had tensed up, the predator pounced.

Jessica gasped when a hand went under her shirt, traveling upwards. Dropping her stuff, Jessica turned
to grab the hand while backing away. She did not get very far as her back soon hit the side of the car.

There was a small struggle and Jessica lost. Pinned against the car and with both hands securely held in
one hand of her predator, Jessica trembled slightly at the caress of the wandering hand that is sliding up
her stomach.

“You thought you could get away didn’t you?”

Jessica could only whimper. Fingertips are now slightly below her bra tracing along the edge of the cloth.

“You thought you could hide from me?”

Jessica yelped when the fingers ventured to her right side and lightly prodded at her ribs. With tears
forming at the corner of her eyes, Jessica managed to utter three words. “Hurts… Taengoo… Please…”

Taeyeon removed her hand from under Jessica’s shirt. Jessica had most definitely fractured a rib. Rib
fractures are usually painful and judging from Jessica’ reactions, Jessica is very bad at handling pain.

“You are banned from playing the next match.” Taeyeon told Jessica.

“You shouldn’t decide that quickly! It may just be a slight bruise. I could recover by next week. Even if
not fully recovered, I can always rest after that. You need me. The team needs me. You know it. Please,
Taengoo, let me play next week’s game and I’ll rest after that.”
Taeyeon did not know if she should smile or cry. She knows what Jessica was thinking. All the matches
so far are only the beginning of everything. The next match is the biggest match. As long as they win that
match, they will be the district champion and will qualify for the actual competition. The scout only
watches the matches between the district champions. As long as they qualify, there is a chance of
getting chosen for the scholarship.

“High five.” Taeyeon said suddenly. She raised her hand slightly above her head. “Use your right hand
and give me a high five. If you can do that, I’ll let you play.”

Under normal circumstances, Jessica would have slapped it easily and with great strength. Now, Jessica
was eyeing her palm and biting down on her lower lip, hard. Raising her right hand as high as it would
allow without crying out in pain, Jessica slapped her palm against Taeyeon’s with the help of a jump.

The pain was too intense for Jessica that she could not even raise her right arm above shoulder height
and yet she was still trying to cover the injury. The smug look on Jessica’s face after succeeding
squeezed Taeyeon’s heart.

Sica-ah, you pabo.

There were many feelings that Taeyeon had wanted to convey but the determination that Jessica had
shown, her selfless act to withstand the pain just for her, left Taeyeon slightly overwhelmed. Instead of
endless babbles, Taeyeon hugged Jessica gingerly, careful to avoid pressing against her injured right side
and whispered lovingly into her ear.

“I love you.”

*************************************************************************************

“Sica, wake up. Sica-ah…”

Taeyeon gave up shaking and gave the sleeping beauty a kiss instead.

“Good morning! Your prince has woken you from slumber with a tender kiss.” Taeyeon greeted when
Jessica woke up. “It’s weird how a method from a fairy tale is so effective.”

“It’s only eleven and it’s a Sunday. Let me sleep.” Jessica grumbled and closed her eyes again.

“You’ve slept more than enough. You had done nothing but lie in bed since yesterday!” Taeyeon said
sternly.

“It wasn’t my choice. You would not allow me to do anything.”

Taeyeon had followed Jessica home yesterday and had commanded her to lie on the bed with an ice
pack on the injured area. For the entire day, Taeyeon had kept herself busy overseeing Jessica’s needs,
not allowing the other girl to move an inch. It was fun watching Taeyeon scurry around at her command
for the first few minutes but Jessica soon grew tired of it and requested for Taeyeon to hug her to sleep
when Taeyeon refused to return to the dorm.

“It was for your sake. You need to get more rest if you want to recover faster.”

Jessica nodded, snuggling closer to Taeyeon. “I’ll be doing exactly that now. Good night.”

Taeyeon stroked Jessica’s hair and carefully lay down, letting Jessica use her arm as a pillow just like
yesterday night. Taeyeon spent the next few minutes examining Jessica’s features and listening to her
steady breaths.

“Good night.” Taeyeon smiled at the peacefully sleeping girl and closed her eyes as well.

…
…
…

Taeyeon forced herself to sit up. “Jessica Jung! You tricked me!”

There was no reply from Jessica. She is already back in dreamland.

“I guess it should be alright to let you sleep a little longer.” Taeyeon caressed Jessica’s hair once again
before reaching for her phone. Quickly typing out a message to Tiffany saying that they would be slightly
late, Taeyeon sent the message and tossed her phone back onto the side table, in a hurry to return to
her original position, as Jessica’s pillow.

*************************************************************************************

“Remind me again, why are we here?” Jessica asked as Taeyeon unlocked the door to the dorm that she
and Tiffany shared.

“Tiffany is cooking lunch for Yuri and invited us as well.” Taeyeon was about to enter her dorm when
Jessica pulled her back.

“Let’s eat out.” A rather pale faced Jessica pled.

Before Taeyeon could reply, the door opened and Yuri greeted them cheerfully.

“What are you two waiting for? Come on in! Tiffany should be almost done with the cooking.” Yuri
pulled the both of them into the dorm.

Jessica stopped Yuri from closing the door. “Yuri, let’s eat out. My treat. You can choose anyplace you
want.”

“There is nothing that I would choose over Tiffany’s cooking.” Yuri removed Jessica’s hand from the door
and closed it, clicking the lock in place. Laughing slightly at Jessica’s worried face, Yuri assured the pale
girl. “Don’t worry, I gave her some guidance.”

“Sica, if you are so worried, why don’t you check on the food?” Taeyeon suggested.

Jessica raised an eyebrow at Taeyeon’s suggestion but left for the kitchen despite knowing she would
not of any help in the kitchen. The lone figure in the kitchen is too absorb in her preparations and failed
to notice Jessica’s presence.

“Spaghetti?” Jessica had peered over Tiffany’s shoulders to see what Tiffany was making.

Jessica’s voice startled Tiffany but she recovered quickly. “Jessie! Nice timing! I am almost done cooking!
Yups! It’s spaghetti!”

“Since when did you know how to cook spaghetti? And why did you invite me and Taeyeon as well?”

“I think I have talent in cooking. I learnt it in a day.” Turning off the stove, Tiffany distributed the Italian
noodles into four plates. “Why are you questioning my motive for inviting the two of you? Can’t I be
generous and offer to cook your share as well?”

Jessica shook her head, not believing Tiffany’s generosity. “You would not be that generous to invite two
light bulbs to ruin your time with Yuri alone. I think it is your revenge for making you cook. If your
cooking is going to give Yuri a stomachache, you wanted me to suffer as well.”

“The spaghetti is done! Why don’t you tell the other two that lunch is ready?” Tiffany quickly changed
the topic, away from Jessica’s spot on deduction.

*************************************************************************************

(Meanwhile in the living room…)

“What was that about? She obviously knows you are trying to send her away.”

“She fractured a rib during yesterday’s game but she is determined to play the next game as well.”
Taeyeon rubbed her brow furiously. “What should I do Yuri? I know I should be firm about banning her
from the game but she is right, we would not make it without her. ”
“Jessica fractured a rib? Are you sure? I thought she was just winded from the impact? She did not seem
too badly injured yesterday.” Yuri frowned, trying to recall Jessica’s condition during yesterday’s match.

“She’s hiding the pain. We visited the hospital and confirmed it was a fractured rib. It’s not that serious
but it can be painful with movements. The doctor had advised to rest more and to put ice on the area.
Estimated recovery is about three or four weeks. The competition is one week away. She won’t
completely recover by then.”

Yuri gave Taeyeon a weird look before sitting on the sofa. She felt the story is going to be a long one. “I
don’t see how it’s such a dilemma for you. She is injured and doctors recommended more rest. It should
be an easy choice. An injured player can’t contribute much in the game as well. You feel that she should
not play as well. Why are you so hesitant about enforcing your choice?”

“It’s hard for me to say no to Sica and I kind of said that I will allow her to play.” Taeyeon slumped down
beside Yuri and told her about the hi-five test.

“That’s it?” Yuri refused to believe Taeyeon’s excuse. “There must something else that is bothering you.”

Taeyeon swallowed hard and said slowly. “Well, it’s the last district match…”

Yuri stared at Taeyeon in disbelieve. “You are willing to ignore Jessica’s pain for a chance at the
scholarship?! She is injured and will not play up to standard. It’s not worth risking her health. Does it
even matter if we qualified or not? We can try again next year.”

“It’s not like I am forcing her! It’s what she wanted. She said it herself. It hurts me to see her in pain but
she is right, just one match and she can rest after that.” Taeyeon protested. “You know she is holding
back, with her skills, injured or not, she can get us to the final round. We had come so far. It’s too good a
chance to pass up.”

“Listen to yourself! I am disappointed in you, Taeyeon. Stop using her words as an excuse. I thought
Jessica is important to you. Even if she is willing to sacrifice for you doesn’t mean that you have to allow
it.”

“She is important to me.” Taeyeon sink lower into the sofa. “But the scholarship is important too.”

“Why are you discussing it with me when you had already made your choice?” Seeing her guilt ridden
best friend, Yuri sighed. “You feel terrible about your choice and hoped that I would either agree with
you or talk you out of your choice, didn’t you?”

Unable to meet Yuri’s eyes, Taeyeon stared at the floor. “Is my choice wrong? I don’t want Sica’s injury
to get worse, but I can’t easily pass up such a good chance as well. You know it has been my dream to
get in their squad. I am thankful seeing Sica’s determination to get me into the finals but I felt horrible
the entire day yesterday. I willingly did everything I could to help her, cook, clean, tidy. Even after all
that, it did not lessen the guilty feeling, like I am using her to get to my goal. What would you have
done?”

Soccer had been everything for Taeyeon since young, although it was greatly influenced by Taeyeon’s
dad. He had wanted her to follow his interests and accomplish what he could not.

“I guess I was a little harsh on you earlier.” The importance of the scholarship to Taeyeon had slipped
Yuri’s mind. “It would be nice if Jessica is well enough to play by the next match. It’s hard to decide if
playing injured would be a wise choice. I can’t predict the future. She could play and still do well without
further straining herself or she could just injure herself more and be in more pain for nothing.”

“Are you telling me to consult a fortune teller?” Taeyeon joked.

Yuri whacked Taeyeon for her lousy input. “I am saying, since she is trying so hard for you, you should do
your best and help her. Take care of her, make sure she gets her rest and don’t let her add strain to her
injury. Maybe she will heal faster and be well enough to play by the next match. Let’s just go with the
flow, but keep an eye on her. If she insists on playing, give her a warning to know her limits and we can
pull her out the second she overexerts herself.”

Feeling better from the guilt, Taeyeon leaned over and pulled Yuri into a hug. “Thank you Yuri. Your
solution is much better than mine. And I can use me taking care of her 24/7 for faster recovery as an
excuse to be with her all the time for the next few days! You are a genius!”
Chapter 30 THIRTY
“AHEM! Sorry to interrupt but lunch is ready.”

Taeyeon’s body froze at the sound of Jessica’s voice. With her arms around Yuri’s neck and their body
pressed together with Taeyeon leaning onto Yuri, their position is rather uncompromising. To make it
worse, Yuri, who is facing the kitchen, had saw Jessica coming and had quickly raised her hands up
above her head and put on an innocent look, trying to suggest that she was a victim of a forced hug from
Taeyeon.

“Yuri. Kitchen.” Jessica commanded.

Taeyeon groaned inwardly. Jessica bought Yuri’s act.

Ducking out from Taeyeon’s embrace, Yuri gave Taeyeon a grin before slipping into safety, the kitchen.

“So… You sent me to the kitchen so you can hug Yuri?”

Taeyeon trembled at the coldness in Jessica’s voice. Before she could explain herself, Jessica spoke
again, softly this time.

“From now on, you are not allowed to hug anyone else.”

Taeyeon turned and found Jessica shyly looking at the floor. Finding the sight too adorable, Taeyeon
could not help but tease Jessica. “Are there any exceptions? Like maybe when I was too happy and
mindlessly hugged my best friend?”

“Not allowed.” The coldness in Jessica’s voice came back.

“Children? Babies? Cousins? Parents? Grandparents?” Taeyeon fought hard not to laugh when Jessica
paused a little to consider when Taeyeon mentioned parents and grandparents but still stubbornly
continued to shake her head for everyone. “Don’t you think it’s overboard of you to disallow me to hug
my parents or grandparents?”

After looking stricken for a few seconds, Jessica came up with a solution. “I could allow parents and
grandparents, with a condition. You will have to hug me twice as long as the hugs you gave them.”

“You know, you did not have to go through so much trouble. All you have to do is ask and I would have
gladly given you a hug.” Taeyeon laughed when Jessica raised her hand to her ears unconsciously while
looking away.

“Hug.” Jessica said in a barely audible voice with her hands slightly outspread.
Smiling at Jessica’s shyness, Taeyeon walked into her arms and embraced her. “See, it’s not so hard is
it?”

Jessica nodded, enjoying the hug before speaking again. “Taengoo-ah, the decision to play in the
upcoming match is my own. You don’t have to beat yourself up over it.”

“You overheard my conversation with Yuri?” Taeyeon asked in surprise.

Jessica nodded again. “Some, I only overheard the end.”

“Then you should have heard about my plan to be with you 24/7, taking care of you. Will you allow me
to do that?”

“I would like that.” Jessica smiled as she answered. Spending more time with Taeyeon sounded great.
She had wasted too much time denying in the past.

“You can start by feeding me.” Jessica said, leading Taeyeon into the kitchen by the hand.

“You guys sure are slow. The spaghetti is getting cold.” Tiffany complained as soon as they walked into
the kitchen.

“Hurry up and grab a seat.” Tiffany said, gesturing to the two empty chairs. “I think I did very well. Take
a bite and tell me what you think.” When her usually shy friend had waited for Taeyeon to take her seat
before happily plopping herself into her lap with her arms wrapped around Taeyeon’s neck, Tiffany
added in a confused voice. “Did I miss something?”

Yuri filled Tiffany in, including the parts about Jessica disallowing Taeyeon to hug anybody else which
she had eavesdropped. “It turns out the Jessica is very possessive. Taeyeon gave me a simple hug and
she looked like she was ready to kill me.”

Jessica glared at Yuri and Yuri hurriedly changed a topic. “Mmmm… Delicious! This is really good!” Yuri
exclaimed after tasting the spaghetti.

“Really?” Tiffany asked, wanting to check if Yuri was lying just to make her happy. She thought she had
done okay but she did not expect such a good review.

Busy devouring the food on her plate, Yuri just nodded and held up a thumb up as her mouth was full.

Clapping her hand gleefully, Tiffany looked expectantly at Taeyeon and Jessica, eagerly waiting for them
to try her food.
Jessica stared at the plate of spaghetti in front of her suspiciously. The color is alright, not burnt, and
even has a nice aroma. It looks edible. Strike that, it actually looks mouth watering. With her stomach
growling in hunger, Jessica took another look at Yuri, who did not seem to be pretending that the food is
good and had finished off two thirds of the spaghetti already.

Deciding that the spaghetti is safe, Jessica turned slightly towards Taeyeon with mouth slightly open
with a soft ‘Ah’, signaling for Taeyeon to feed her. Taeyeon on the other hand had other ideas. Picking
only one strand, Taeyeon put one end into her mouth and held out the other end to Jessica.

Jessica hesitated due to two pairs of eyes staring at them but soon complied, giving in as soon as she
saw Taeyeon’s eager eyes. With her eyes on the prize, Taeyeon quickly slurped up the noodle with great
speed and claimed the pair of lips on the other end before the frozen owner could pull away.

Yuri and Tiffany shared a side glance. The massages behind their eyes are the same. They refuse to lose
to Taeyeon.

“Say ahhh…” Scooping up the spaghetti, Yuri directed the fork towards Tiffany’s mouth. Tiffany did as
told and allowed Yuri to feed her. However, Yuri smeared the sauce all over Tiffany’s lips carelessly but
on purpose in the process. “I am sorry, let me clean it up.”

Slowly, Yuri licked the sauce off starting from the corners. As a final touch, Yuri covered her lips with her
own and ran her tongue across Tiffany’s lips till they parted for her. Yuri slipped her tongue in and
meticulously wiped every inch, earning a moan from her girlfriend.

Satisfied, Yuri pulled away but Tiffany felt like she should repay Yuri. Picking a very short strand of
noodle with the fork, she flicked it towards Yuri and it landed on her neck. It was exactly where she had
aimed for. “I am such a klutz. Let me get that.”

Yuri gulped when Tiffany placed her mouth on her neck. Tiffany is lightly nibbling her neck and it drove
Yuri insane. Tiffany grinned when she saw Yuri with her head thrown back and eyes tightly shut. Licking
the area clean, Tiffany trailed feathery kisses down Yuri’s neck, completely forgetting about the
audience of two.

Taeyeon kept looking back and forth the plate of spaghetti and Jessica’s shirt. Half driven by desire,
Taeyeon picked up the plate with one hand while the other crept towards the collar of Jessica’s shirt.
With her fingertips only inches away, Taeyeon made a mistake of checking to see if Jessica had noticed.
The cold glare sapped all determination and Taeyeon hurriedly returned the plate to its spot on the
table.

When Yuri’s hand disappeared under Tiffany’s shirt, Jessica could not stay quiet any more. Clearing her
throat loudly, she broke them apart. Tiffany looked up for a moment but soon lost to the sensation of
Yuri’s fingers tracing her back.
It was only a second of eye contact but Jessica got Tiffany’s silent message loud and clear.
Taking hold of the hand of an over engrossed spectator, Jessica pulled Taeyeon away from the soon to
be rated zone and out of the dorm.

The slightly disappointed party pouted while trying to make her way back into the dorm. “It’s my dorm
too. And things are just starting to get heated. We could watch quietly without them knowing.” Taeyeon
suggested, hand on the knob ready to re-enter the dorm when she heard a growl from behind her.

Turning back, Taeyeon found an angry Jessica with scowl on her face. Timidly offering a smile to ease the
tension, Taeyeon released the knob and clasped Jessica’s hand instead. Instantly, Jessica’s expression
brightens. Loud crashes of plates being broken and a scream brought Taeyeon back to the door. Before
she can turn the knob, another low growl was heard.

“I am just going to check if everything is alright.” Taeyeon justified. “The scream was Tiffany right? What
if she got hurt?”

There was no reply from Jessica. The blonde only stood there with her arms crossed silently observing
Taeyeon’s every movement. When Taeyeon turned the knob just a little, a dangerous sounding low
rumble came from Jessica once again.

Fearfully releasing the knob once and for all, Taeyeon made her way back beside Jessica. Taeyeon led
the way out of the building and recommended a restaurant nearby since neither of them managed to
eat Tiffany’s spaghetti save for that one strand.

Smiling at the feel of their joined hands, Jessica happily agreed and followed obediently. After a short
walk, Taeyeon announced that they have reached their destination. Upon seeing how deserted the
eatery is, Jessica worriedly asked Taeyeon what is the specialty of the place.

“Fish!” Taeyeon replied.

Taeyeon’s short answer made Jessica more curious why Taeyeon had chosen this particular place. After
taking a glance at the menu which consisted only of dishes made by whole fishes of different types,
Jessica asked. “You like fish?”

Taeyeon shook her head. “No, you do.”

Jessica is puzzled by Taeyeon’s reply. Fish is alright but Taeyeon knows she likes meat or noodles better.

Taeyeon smiled at the sight of Jessica’s raised brow. “You remind me of a certain short tempered yet
kind and very cute dragon.”
Chapter 31 THIRTY ONE
“Don’t you have somewhere else to go? Some place spelled H-O-M-E?” Taeyeon spat irritably at her tall
tan friend that is lazing at her dorm’s sofa watching the television.

“Oooo…” Yuri cooed. “Someone is in a bad mood.”

“Probably because she’s stuck here with us instead of being with Jessi.” Tiffany said as she exited the
kitchen with two mugs of milk.

“What happened to your plan of taking care of Jessica 24/7? Shouldn’t you be like over at her place?
How are you going to take care of her when she is there and you being here?” Yuri waved her hand
gesturing the dorm before taking one of the cup being handed to her from Tiffany.

Taeyeon fumed inside. Yuri had nailed the spot. Taeyeon cannot understand why Jessica had agreed of
being taken care of at first then refuse to allow her to stay over. Taeyeon had even promised to be on
nun mode but yet Jessica did not even reconsider her decision.

“I think when Jessie agreed to it, she was thinking more along the lines of being taken care when she is
with Taeyeon. Not literally follow her home that kind of 24hours.” Tiffany sat down next to Yuri and
drank from her own glass of milk.

“You are right. With the kid around her 24/7 would be more taxing for her.” Yuri wrapped her free arm
around her girlfriend hugging her closer. “I’ve placed the movie you chose into the player. Here, you can
press play.”

“Thanks honey.” Tiffany took the remote from Yuri and hit the play button immediately. “I heard this is
highly recommended.”

Left alone in the corner of her own dorm living room and excluded from the conversation, Taeyeon
became more depressed. With her mind clouded with doubts and anger, Taeyeon made up her mind. “I
am her girlfriend. There is no reason why I cannot stay over at her place.”

With that said, Taeyeon stormed into her room, threw some clothes into a bag and was out of the dorm
before YulTi could stop her.

“Is that a good idea?” Yuri asked, staring at the front door of the dorm, still shocked that Taeyeon made
such a rash decision.

“Maybe I should warn Jessi about it.” Tiffany picked up her handphone and speed dialed Jessica.

“Hey, why is she number one in your speed dial? Shouldn’t I be number one?”
“That’s weird, she is not picking up.” Tiffany ended the call when she was told to leave a message. She
was about to try again when her phone was snatched away from her.

“Yuree! Return me my phone!” Tiffany tried in vain to reach for her pink phone that was being held
away from her by her girlfriend’s long tan arms.

“Jessie, number two… And number one on speed dial…” Yuri muttered as she made the changes.
“Darling Yuri…”

“Set!” Yuri announced and happily passed the phone back to its rightful owner.

Tiffany shook her head at the childish girl. Yuri had even added hearts after her own name.

*************************************************************************************

Standing In the middle of the lobby of the hotel that Jessica is staying at, Taeyeon felt a little stupid for
making such a rash decision. What if Jessica doesn’t allow her in? Was she to sleep in the hallway?

Maybe I should turn back now.

Shaking the thought off, Taeyeon marched up to the receptionist. Since she had already came, she might
as well try.

“Hi, I lost my key to room 2209. Could you please give me a replacement?” Taeyeon said in her sweetest
voice and even batted her eyelids at the male staff behind the desk.

The poor guy fumbled about in search of the key for her but came up empty. “Are you sure you got the
room number right?”

“Yes, room 2209. It’s on the top level.” Taeyeon watched the poor guy search for the second time, and
then for the third.

“Can I help you?” A man with a blazer approached when he noticed his subordinate in disarray.
Taeyeon noticed the gold badge with the word ‘Manager’ just above his left breast pocket and fought to
keep her cool.

The manager dismissed the male staff that was helping her after he was informed of the situation. “My
apologies. He is new. Which room did you say you are in again?”

“2209.”
“Ah! The room at the top level. Is that right?”

Taeyeon nodded. She wondered if she should run. The man was not even searching for the key.

“That room belongs to our CEO. May I ask why you need the key to that room?”

“Errr…” Taeyeon panicked when two guards appeared on either side of her, ready to intervene with the
manager’s command.

“She’s the CEO’s friend.”

Taeyeon found Gyuri leaning on the far end of the long counter.

“She is a very close friend of the CEO. I think Jessica wouldn’t mind if you gave her a spare key to
Jessica’s room.” Gyuri winked at Taeyeon and turned to leave. However, before walking away, she
added. “Oh, and I am sure Jessica would be angry if you don’t see to her needs. She’s a very important
person indeed.”

Seeing the calm manager break a sweat, Taeyeon repeated her request in a demanding tone. “Key to
room 2209.”

The card key appeared in her open palm almost immediately.

Waving the card key in triumph, Taeyeon caught up with the girl with slightly curled brown hair. “Thanks
for your help.”

“I was just stating the facts.” Gyuri said matter of factly. “If Jessica finds out he had thrown you out by
force, he is so fired.”

“Thanks anyway.” Taeyeon gave a heartfelt smile and Gyuri felt her face heat up.

“By the way, that guy said Jessica is the CEO. Did he get it wrong? I thought Jessica is supervising or
something. Shouldn’t Mr Jung, Jessica’s dad be the CEO?” Taeyeon asked, oblivious to Gyuri’s feelings.

“It seems like Jessica doesn’t tell you much. It wasn’t a mistake. Jessica is the CEO. She pretty much kept
everything running here.” Gyuri took one look at Taeyeon’s awe stuck face and understood. “Yups, she
is amazing.”

Taeyeon did not know Jessica has that much workload. Jessica took time off from school but she still
attends majority of it. The longer Taeyeon thought about it, the more she understood why Jessica
looked tired all the time and hopes to skip trainings.
“That pabo, she should have just told me the reason.” Feeling slightly guilty about the time where she
had forced Jessica to agree to come to all matches and trainings, Taeyeon hurried towards the elevators,
wanting to see Jessica as soon as possible and cancel the stupid promise.

However Gyuri grabbed her arm, stopping her from entering the elevator. “Would you like to come to
the café my family runs for some cakes?”

“Sorry, maybe next time.” Shaking Gyuri’s hands free, Taeyeon pressed the button for the top floor.

“I would advise against going up now.” Gyuri said as the doors started closing. “Do keep in mind that
you are welcome anytime.”

Taeyeon stared at the mirrored surface of the reflective material that covered the closed door of the
elevator. What could Gyuri have meant by those words?
Chapter 32 THIRTY TWO
On her way up, Taeyeon decided to let Jessica get more rest and had planned to stealthily check on her
and leave soon after. Thinking that Jessica is most likely to be sleeping, Taeyeon tried to be as quiet as
possible when entering the room. To her surprise, the room is brightly lit.

Chickening out, Taeyeon tried to close the door to leave but a force pulled the door open. A young man
in a crisp suit stepped out and caught hold of her arm. “Who are you? Why do you have the key to this
room?”

“Who is it?” A voice inside the room called out.

“Someone tried to break in.” The man pushed Taeyeon in front of a lady with graying hair dressed in fine
clothes.

“I… I am not a burglar. I am Jessica’s… Err… Jessica’s…” Taeyeon swallowed. The piercing stare of the old
lady makes her mouth dry.

“Spit it out. I don’t have the whole day.” The old lady continued staring at Taeyeon. Her sharp impatient
tone and the stare that seem to be able to stare into her thoughts made goose bumps surface all over
her arms.

“… friend.” Taeyeon is so frightened that she could only force out partial of the word she had wanted to
answer.

The old lady scoffed and narrowed her eyes at Taeyeon. “Well, friend of Soo Yeon, seeing that it’s a
school night, I shall ask her fiancé escort you out and I’d suggest that you head home. Also, make sure to
leave your card key behind.”

With a wave of her hand, she dismissed Taeyeon and the young man in crisp suit pushed the stunned
girl out the door.

Taeyeon felt the card key being pried from her fingers and when the guy finally got it free, Taeyeon
found herself facing the tightly shut room door.

“Fiancé?”

Taeyeon needed some answers. Not daring to face the old lady again, Taeyeon ran back to the lift and
jabbed the button for the floor labeled cafes.

The one that warned her should know.

Gyuri’s words make sense now.

*************************************************************************************

“Miss Jung! Miss Jung!”

Jessica groaned softly when she turned to find one of the staff calling out for her. She was called out of
her room to discuss about a problem encountered by the human resource manager and now the
reception manager is trying to catch her attention. “What’s the problem?”

“No problem I hope. Just wanted to inform that you had a visitor and the daughter of the head chef that
runs at the cake café claims she is your important friend and we gave her the key to your room.”

“Gyuri said she is my important friend? Describe the visitor.”

“She looks no older than an elementary school kid, short…” The manager paused, surprised to see his
boss giggling. The boss he knows is always tough as nails and is often expressionless.

“Taeyeon is so going to kill you if you say that in her face.” Jessica could just imagine Taeyeon going
ballistic over it.

“So you know her?” The reception manager heaved a sigh of relieve when his boss nodded. “Then it
should be fine that we gave her a spare key to your room.”

“Yeah it’s…” Jessica frowned when she remembered who she had left in her room before she was called
away. “Not fine. Not okay at all. How long ago was it?”

The manager’s face paled. “About five minutes ago. Should I call security?”

“No. I mean, you did the right thing by giving her the card key to my room but the timing couldn’t be
worse. Did she leave already?”

“If she did, she did not use the front entrance.”

“Stop her if she passes by here.” Jessica instructed as she ran for the lift and to her room.

*************************************************************************************

“Welcome back.”

Ignoring the man that had greeted her as soon as she opened the door, Jessica pushed past him and
surveyed her room. Everything seemed in place, even the two people she had left in her room are right
at the same spot where she had left them. “Where is she?”

The grey haired lady seated on the couch stood up. “I don’t know who y…”

“You can stop pretending. I know she was here. Where is she?”

“Is that the way you should be speaking to your elders?”

Taking deep breaths, Jessica calmed herself down and tried again. “I am back grandma. I heard I have a
visitor. Did someone dropped by?”

“Welcome back. Can I assume that you settled the problem?”

“It’s settled.” Jessica gritted her teeth as she watched her grandmother making herself comfortable on
her couch, clearly having no intentions of answering her questions at all. Eying a card key beside a pile of
electronic which looked like her handphone, trying hard to control her temper, Jessica asked again, her
voice shaking and tone low. “Did Taeyeon come by? What did you say to her?”

Grandma Jung decided not to push her luck any further. “Ah! I remember now, someone who claimed to
be your friend came by. I did not say anything in particular to your friend and your friend should be
home and in bed by now.”

If Taeyeon had said that she is a friend, she should be fine. But Jessica could not help but feel worried
when the word friend was mentioned too many times to her liking.

“Soo Yeon, your phone rang and when I tried to answer it for you, I accidentally dropped it and it
smashed to pieces. Phones nowadays are so flimsy don’t you agree?”

Looking at her deformed phone, Jessica thought someone had deliberately smashed it a few times but
she kept the thought to herself. “Don’t worry about the phone. I can get it replaced. Your rooms are
ready. I am sure you are tired. Let me show you to your rooms and lets all have an early night.”

Paying no attention to the sneer her grandmother is giving her, Jessica courteously chased the two
unwanted guests out of her room.

*************************************************************************************

Gyuri winced as she watched a sobbing Taeyeon stab the piece of cake that she had offered her
repeatedly for the past twenty minutes, sprouting random thoughts throughout. Good thing they have
the whole café to themselves as it is closed already or people would think she had gone mad.

“You knew about her fiancé didn’t you? That’s why you warned me not to go up.”
“Recently a young man in suit has been visiting her room often. I did not know he is her fiancé.” Gyuri
wondered if she should have lied when Taeyeon cried harder.

“He is the reason why Jessica doesn’t want me to come over right? I mean, he seems rich and is rather
good looking. Anyone would have picked him instead of a short kid that was so frightened of an old lady
that she ran away.” Taeyeon stabbed the cake harder, remembering her pathetic self.

“I don’t know about her, but I would certainly choose you over him.” Slapping her hand over her mouth,
Gyuri tried to cover what she had accidently blurted out. “I’ve seen him a couple of times, he’s not that
fantastic looking. I saw the old lady today as well, she seem really scary to me too.”

Gyuri shifted uncomfortably in her seat when Taeyeon’s rants and babbles suddenly stopped after her
comment. She could tell the girl is still crying despite having lowered her head as tears continued to roll
off her cheeks and soaking the mashed cake.

“Come on, something sweet will cheer you up.” Unable to seat in silence and watch Taeyeon beat
herself up, Gyuri took hold of Taeyeon’s hand and led the way to the back of the café where the kitchen
is located. Surprisingly, Taeyeon showed no resistance and followed.

Laying out the necessary utensils and a fresh sponge cake on the counter, Gyuri pulled Taeyeon to a
metal door. “Since you destroyed the last piece of cake that I had saved for you, you get to choose your
own ingredients and make your own cake.”

Opening the door to the cooler, Gyuri stepped inside and roughly pointed out where each type of
ingredients would be found. They have a wide variety each neatly separated into different sections.
Pointing to another metal door at the deepest end of the cooler, Gyuri said. “That’s our freezer, we keep
ice cream over there.”

Seeing how Taeyeon’s eyes lit up, Gyuri knows ice cream is the answer to cheer the depressed girl up
quickly. “Why don’t you head back outside and grab two spoons. Let’s just forget about the cake and
stick to pigging out on ice cream instead.”

“She’s such a kid.” Gyuri shook her head at Taeyeon skipping on her way out. “A really cute one.”
Opening the freezer, Gyuri pondered about what flavor to pick. “Aish, I should have asked what flavor
she wanted.”

“Do you have the flavor with chocolate and tiny mush mellows?”

Taeyeon’s voice startled Gyuri. She had expected Taeyeon to wait for her outside.

“This is a freezer for a cake café, not a supermarket!” Gyuri laughed and she is glad Taeyeon laughed
with her. She likes Taeyeon with a smiling face better. “You will have to make do with just plain
chocolate for today.”

Picking a tub of chocolate ice cream, Gyuri turned and is surprised that Taeyeon is right behind her
instead of making the way out. “What’s the matter?”

“Is there a secret switch or something?” Taeyeon asked with hopeful eyes.

Looking behind Taeyeon, Gyuri noticed the firmly shut door of the freezer.

“I thought I was saving energy by not letting the cold air escape but after I shut the door, I noticed there
is no handle on the inside.” Taeyeon explained. Tears welled up when she saw Gyuri panic stricken face.
“I trapped us in didn’t I? I am such an idiot. No wonder Yuri says that if I am with Jessica 24/7 it would be
taxing for her. She is right. I would only cause more trouble for her. I will cause trouble for anyone
around me.”

“Hush, hush, there is no trouble at all, the door will open soon. It opens every half hour in case someone
is trap inside.” Gyuri lied as she pulled the sobbing Taeyeon in for a hug.

Gyuri patted Taeyeon’s back until the girl quieted down. Ten minutes? Twenty? She can only guess how
long they had been trapped. Taeyeon shivered in her arms and Gyuri pulled her closer. Taeyeon is
exhausted from too much crying and is now sleeping on her shoulder.

“If you felt so inferior to Jessica, why did you still pick her? I am not that bad of a choice. Maybe I am not
as capable as she is nor as rich but I am comparable to her in looks. Why do you have to set your
standards so high? Why won’t you notice me at all?” Lightly touching Taeyeon’s white cheek with one
finger, Gyuri gasped.

Both of them are dressed in a tee and jeans. Gyuri felt cold, but Taeyeon’s check felt absolutely freezing.
Wrapping both arms around Taeyeon, Gyru tried her best to keep the smaller girl warm. Staring at the
door of the freezer that is still tightly shut, Gyuri cursed Jessica. “What is taking Jessica so long? Isn’t she
worried about Taeyeon at all? She knows that I have feelings for Taeyeon. Surely, she can’t be that
confident about herself to allow her girlfriend that is heartbroken to run to me and do nothing about it.”

“Sica doesn’t know that I am here. She properly thinks I am at my dorm.” Taeyeon muttered with
chattering teeth, her eyes still closed. Gyuri can’t tell is she is awake or sleep talking.

Frowning as she processed the new bit of information, Gyuri started to panic. She had counted on
Jessica coming after Taeyeon but with that out of the picture and with the café closed, their survival
looks grim. She had tried calling out with her handphone earlier but there is no service, running low on
choices, Gyuri pulled out her handphone again. No luck.
“Taeyeon, you have a phone right? Where is it?”

Getting no response, Gyuri patted down Taeyeons pockets till she found the little rectangular device.
Spotting the empty bar for signal, Gyuri returned it to Taeyeon’s pocket with a sigh.

Leaning Taeyeon against the wall, Gyuri got up to try the door again. It remained shut and Gyuri started
banging on it in frustration. She even tried calling out for help despite knowing that the freezer is
insulated and no one is outside to hear them.

Taeyeon is getting paler and her shivering more violent. Gyuri felt no better, her movements seem to be
slowing down.

“Don’t leave me.” Taeyeon held out her hand towards Gyuri.

Making her way back to Taeyeon with difficulty, she slumped down beside Taeyeon and took her hand.
“I am here.”

“I often wondered how you managed to hide such warmth behind a cold exterior.”

“What?” Gyuri looked up to see Taeyeon staring deeply into her eyes.

“You are always so kind to me. So warm.”

Taeyeon’s arms are wrapped around her now.

“You are like the sun. When you are hidden from me, everything gets dark and cloudy.”

Gyuri gulped when Taeyeon shifted closer to her. She can feel Taeyeon’s breath on her lips.

“It hurts as I get closer to you. Like the sun, you burn everything that tries to reach you.”

Gyuri knows it she is not the one Taeyeon is describing and it hurts her heart.

“Even if I am to melt, I can’t help but keep chasing that brilliant gold of yours.”
Chapter 33 THIRTY THREE
Tapping her foot impatiently as the elevator made its descend, Jessica reached to her back pocket for
her phone only to feel an empty pocket. Remembering the pile of rubble that her phone was reduced to,
Jessica’s anxiety grew. Something is not right. She can feel it.

She found the way her grandmother had kept emphasizing on the word friend being odd. And when she
had tried to get rid of them quickly by showing them to their rooms, her grandmother seem to be trying
to keep her occupied for no reason and did not want to let her leave.

Slipping past between the gap of the opening elevator doors, Jessica hurried to the lobby and caught the
reception manager’s eyes immediately. The poor man must have been on vigilant guard watching
everyone that passes by for the past forty minutes.

“She did not pass by here Miss Jung.” Mr. Lee reported as she neared the counter.

“Go to the security room and ask them to check if she had left by any other exits.” Jessica ordered as she
leaned over the counter to grab the desk phone. After quickly punching in Taeyeon’s number, Jessica
slammed the receiver back into its cradle when she was sent to the mailbox immediately.

“Did she shut off her phone? Arugh! Why didn’t I memorize Tiffany’s number as well?” Jessica whacked
herself for her stupidity.

“Taeyeon had only been here once. If she came by the front exit, she should have left by the same way.
She should be still here.” Jessica reasoned. “She never even been anywhere except my room where else
could she have gone for forty to fifty minutes without leaving?”

“Well, there is one place that she could have gone to… I guess it beats standing here doing nothing.”

Grabbing a two way radio off a stunned employee that was staring at her talk to herself, Jessica headed
for the stairs and down one level to where all the eateries are located.

Depressing the button on her radio, Jessica spoke into it. “Mr. Lee, receptionist manager, Jessica here.
Have you determined if she had left?”

“Miss Jung, no cameras facing our exits caught her leaving. I am trying to retrace her steps with her
image being caught by our cameras, it seems she headed to the eateries level after she left your room. If
you can give me a little more time, I can tell you which eatery she went into or when she exits it.” Mr.
Lee voice crackled thru the radio.

“No need. Send someone to get the spare keys to the cake café. And make it fast before I break in
myself.”
“Hello? Is anyone in there?” Jessica shouted as she tapped the radio on the metal barrier that has been
pulled all the way down, indicating the closure of the shop. A key is needed to activate the controls at
the side to either open or close it. As much as Jessica wanted to break in, it’s impossible to destroy the
metal barrier.

The display window to the side of the metal barrier however, is a different story. Peering in through the
glass, the shop is dark save for one light at the very back. When Jessica was about to decide between
punching the glass or hurling the radio at it, two men in security uniform as well as Mr. Lee appeared,
the ring of keys in his hands jingling as he ran.

Slipping under the raised barrier, Jessica headed straight for the back of the store where the light is
coming from with the three men following close behind. Finding no one in the kitchen, the two security
guards went back into the dark store with their flashlights, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

Staring at the back of his boss that is standing in the middle of the empty kitchen, Mr. Lee fidgeted,
unsure of what to say. “Should I go back to retracing the steps of your friend Miss Jung?

“No, she is here.”

Mr. Lee looked blankly at his boss. Clearly there is no one in the kitchen.

“The utensils, the cake, one would not leave them like this and go home.” Jessica waved an arm at the
counter. “What’s that?”

Glancing at the smaller metal door at one side of the kitchen that Jessica is pointing to, Mr. Lee
shrugged. “A cooler I presume.”

“Cooler? Like those walk in fridges without handles on the inside?”

“Yes?” Mr. Lee could not see the point of the weird questions.

“Cake… No ingredients… Cooler…” Jessica pulled open the cooler door and stepped inside, muttering as
she went.

Spotting another metal door inside, Jessica knew it has got to be it. “Mr. Lee, follow me. They should be
trapped in the freezer.”

“What?” Mr. Lee doesn’t understand how Jessica came to that conclusion. She did not even bother to
look around the cooler first and had headed straight for the other door on the inside.

“Taeyeon loves ice cream.”

Jessica opened the freezer door but did not step inside.

“Is she not there?” Mr. Lee asked softly, afraid of making his boss angry while trying to peer around
Jessica to look into the freezer.

After a pause, Jessica turned, shoving her radio into Mr. Lee’s hand and stormed away, giving him a clear
view of the situation inside. Clearing his throat loudly, he broke the two who are passionately making
out inside the cold freezer. “Youths nowadays find the weirdest places to hide and make out.”

*************************************************************************************

“Still unable to reach her?” Yuri assumed when Tiffany returned her phone to her pocket.

Shaking her head, Tiffany sighed. “It’s the fifth day that she is missing school without notification. What
could have happened? Since that night, Taeyeon has been acting weirdly too.”

“Where are you going?” Tiffany asked in alarm when Yuri suddenly stood up from the sofa and crossed
the dorm to stop in front of Taeyeon’s door.

“Getting some answers.” Yuri replied as she knocked on the door.

“Wait! She could be traumatized by the ordeal of being trapped in the freezer…”

Ignoring Tiffany’s words and not bothering to wait for permission to enter, Yuri barged into Taeyeon’s
room and yelled at her best friend, who did not bother to look up from the paper she is working on.
“Yah, shortie! We have been nice enough and gave you time to talk to us yourself but I’ve had enough of
your hide and seek game. What happened that night when you went to look for Jessica? What could
have happened to make you like this?”

Taeyeon seemed like a totally different person. She never mentioned Jessica anymore. Gone were the
friendly and talkative Taeyeon. Now she speaks only when spoken to and has a cold and unwavering
look on her face throughout.

“Kim Taeyeon! I am talking to you. Jessica has been missing for five days. Aren’t you the least bit
worried?”

“I am sure she can take care of herself.” Taeyeon replied while still scribbling on her piece of paper. “If
that is all, I would like to concentrate on creating the game plan for tomorrow’s game.”

“Is the match tomorrow more important than your girlfriend?” Yuri tried to snatch the paper from
Taeyeon.

Not allowing Yuri to pull it away from her, Taeyeon placing her weight on it. “Yes it is.”

“What?” The shock of it made Yuri release her grip on the paper allowing Taeyeon to place it back on
the centre of her table and then started writing on it again. “Say it again, clearly. Which is more
important?”

“The. Match.”

Angered by Taeyeon’s response, Yuri grabbed Taeyeon up by the collar of her shirt. “I’ll give you one
more chance. Look me in the eye and tell me your answer. Jessica, your girlfriend that you worked so
hard to be with, or the game tomorrow is more important?”

“For our opponents tomorrow, their defense may be strong and their goalkeeper is quite skillful.
However, their attack is almost zero. I am sure I can beat the defense and score against him.” Taeyeon
smirked at Yuri’s confused expression. “The reason why I wanted her as my girlfriend is to help me get
into the finals. Since I am certain that I can lead our team to victory for the match tomorrow and
securing the spot to the finals, I have no need for Jessica anymore. Her talent will outshine mine during
the finals. Now is a good time to get rid of her.”

Yuri threw Taeyeon back into her chair with such force that the chair skid backwards, leaving deep
marks on the floor. “I can’t believe you had stooped so low for a chance at that scholarship. You can play
that stupid match alone. Count us out.”

“It would not look nice for the team if we had too many missing players and had to forfeit. Think about
the other members.” Taeyeon challenged as Yuri was leaving the room. Seeing Yuri’s slight pause in her
step, Taeyeon smirked. “I expect the both of you to be present tomorrow, 9AM, don’t be late.”

Stepping out of the room, Yuri found Tiffany hiding behind the wall, shaking with anger. Taeyeon must
have known that Tiffany is by the door, listening in to their conversation as well. Tiffany looked really
scary at that moment with a murderous look in her eyes, jaw and fists tightly clenched. Slamming the
door shut, Yuri took Tiffany’s hand and led her out of the dorm.

“Forget her. Let’s look for Jessica instead.”

Yuri had prevented Tiffany from unleashing hell on Taeyeon.

*************************************************************************************

Fifteen girls sat quietly on the benches of the locker room. Glances were exchanged and a barter of
finger pointing as to who should speak went on endlessly until Narsha finally gathered courage to break
the silence of the eerily quiet locker room. “Will someone tell us what’s going on?”

When Tiffany remained staring at the floor, Yuri knew she would have to be the one answering the
questions. However, telling the team that their leader is just making use of them to get the scholarship
just before their match would be suicidal and she still could not believe Taeyeon would do something
this shallow.

A knock on the door of the locker room saved Yuri from answering. “Five more minutes! Get on the field
if you are ready.” The voice outside called.

“We’ll be right out!” Jea replied.

“Should we give them a call or something? I mean, it’s nearly nine, and they are not here yet. Taeyeon is
late because she is fetching Jessica right?” Gain asked, her voice filled with hope.

Jessica will not be coming.

Yuri could not voice it out. She spent the next five minutes looking at the wall clock, watching the
second hand tick. When it completed five circles, bringing the short hand at the digit nine and the long
hand at twelve, Yuri grumbled. “She warned us not to be late and SHE IS LATE!”

Thinking about the irony of it, Yuri burst out in bitter laughter, shocking everyone in the room.

Worried about Yuri’s weird outburst, Miryo tried to change a topic. “Whose papers are these?”

“I am the first to arrive. They were already on the bench nearest to the door.” The reserve goalkeeper
stated.

Lots of shrugs followed and no one came forward to claim the papers.

Thinking that they look a lot like the ones she tried to snatch from Taeyeon yesterday, Yuri took them
from Miryo and flipped through the few sheets of A5 size paper held together by a clip. Sure enough,
they are the game plans that Taeyeon was working on yesterday. Yuri could tell Taeyeon’s handwriting
and one sheet is crumpled, the after effect of having endured thru being pulled. Flipping back to the first
page, Yuri quickly went through the papers again.

After going through them the second time, Yuri announced. “That midget is not coming.”

Flipping it open to show her teammates the game plans that Taeyeon had drawn, gasps of shock were
heard as the players noticed neither Taeyeon nor Jessica had been included on it.
“We don’t stand a chance if we do not have our two main players. We’ll just get a good beating if we
went out there.”

A single comment voiced out by a worried player was all it took to bring down whatever morale the
team has left to zero.

“Yuri, should we continue the match?” Despite being the senior, Jea shifted the weight of the decision
making to the tan girl.

A minute passed in silence as eyes remained focused on the tanned individual that is chewing her lips in
thought. Unknown to the others, it was not the match that she is troubled about. “Arugh! I have enough
of guessing games! I am just going to go with my feelings.”

The same individual took a deep breath and announced. “We are playing the match. And we are going
to win it.” Yuri made her decision. To believe in a short kid leader that she calls her best friend.

To believe in Teayeon.

“Our team wasn’t formed that long ago. We may not have spent much time together but I am sure we
enjoyed playing together on the field, our tiring practices, our weird celebrations and etc. You can say
that Jessica enabled us to be teammates. If it wasn’t for her, I can safely say that Jea, Miryo, Narsha and
Gain will still be at odds with Taeyeon and would never be part of the team. Plus, as much as I would like
to claim the credit, she is the one that had carried us to victory so far. Even if it is just by being part of
the team, her presence calms our nerves and allowed us to be more confident.” Heads are nodding
throughout the room as she speaks.

“In addition to that, she has some weird ability to bring out the best in us.” Yuri recalled the blonde’s
statement about Tiffany making her homemade lunch as reward for saving the remaining penalties in
one match as well as other occasions, like the time where Jessica had threw the bottle at Taeyeon’s
head. Laughing a little at the memories, Yuri could not help but find the methods being a little
ridiculous. However she can’t deny their effectiveness.

“As for our short leader, the one we love to bully every once in a while, Taeyeon has always been an
understanding captain that accepted all our qualities, strength and flaws alike. Under her lead, games
are never boring and no matter what role we play in the team, she often shows her trusts in us. Like the
freedom we are given to experiment in our playing style, who is to play a certain game, or who is to take
the free kicks. She never forces us to follow her decisions and is always willing to give the chance to
anyone that wants to try. And like how she drew these up for us. She thinks we can win the match even
without herself or Jessica.” Yuri pointed to the game plans.

“I say we should not waste Taeyeon’s hard work of drawing these out and play the match with all we’ve
got. Let’s not disappoint Taeyeon’s faith in us and win this match for them. I want to continue playing as
a team for at least a couple more matches. Now, who is with me?”

As soon as Yuri finished speaking, Narsha jumped up with a fist in the air shouting a loud ‘yeah’. The
room burst into laughter and a chorus of ‘yeah’ soon followed.

Waiting till everyone else had followed Jea out to the field, Yuri held out her hand the sole person in the
room that her speech had failed to motivate. “You are part of the team as well. The team needs you.”

Upon failure of bringing the person’s gaze off the floor, Yuri added. “I need you.”

Although still slightly hesitant, Tiffany took the outstretched hand. “Are you sure Taeyeon did not simply
ran away?”

“I don’t know. That was my initial thought as well. But I still can’t believe that Taeyeon would make use
of someone to get to her goal.” Yuri said with a sigh. “When she did not come and had left the game
plans for us, I felt that maybe, just maybe, that she is not here because she went to get our other
missing member.”

“I hope you are right.” Tiffany had taken a liking to her dorky dorm-mate. She did not want to lose a
friend.

“Well, if I am wrong, you have permission to do whatever you like to that midget.” Yuri said with
seriousness. “You know what? She better return with Jessica. If she doesn’t, I think I may even help you
hold her down while you take revenge.”

Yuri was startled when Tiffany released her hand and wrapped both arms around her waist. Pressing her
body against Yuri’s back, Tiffany leaned the side of her cheek on Yuri’s shoulder. “Thank you, Yuree.”

Tiffany knows it must have been hard for Yuri as well. Taeyeon and Yuri had been friends for years, it is
impossible for Yuri to not be worried about Taeyeon but yet, Yuri had tried her best not to take sides.

Although not quite understanding why she is being thanked, Yuri overlapped her arms over Tiffany’s and
enjoyed the warmth pressed onto her back. The two lovers stayed in that position for some time until
Tiffany suddenly jerked away.

“Oh my gosh, does Taeyeon know that Jessica is leaving Korea today?”
Chapter 34 THIRTY FOUR
A sleepy looking blonde yawned as she slowly made her way across the wide halls of the airport, not
caring that the distance between her and her companions ahead is gradually increasing.

“Soo yeon, Pick up your pace, we have a plane to catch.”

“Yes, grandma.” Jessica replied curtly as she continued at the same pace towards the duo of a lady with
grey hair and a young man that had paused to allow her to catch up.

As the group passes a wall with many large clocks displaying various region’s time, Jessica complained.
“Why are we hurrying? It’s only nine. We have lots of time to spare.”

Their match should have just started.

“Quit whining and keep up.” Grandma Jung snapped. “Young people should not be so lifeless in the
morning.”

Stifling another yawn, Jessica sighed as she wondered why they have to be at the airport this early in the
morning. Their flight is not till another two hours or so. Although unable to comprehend the rush but
not concerned enough to care, Jessica simply followed the two in front while letting her mind drift.

A fuming Tiffany and a gloomy Yuri showed up at her doorstep yesterday. Jessica almost did not get to
see them as they were in the process of being chased away by her grandmother when she was in the
shower. Luckily, Tiffany’s loud tone had alerted Jessica of their presence and she had bargained for time
alone with her friends. After being cooped up in the room for days, Jessica escaped from the preying
ears of a sharp old lady to a nearby park for a generally one-sided conversation with her best friend.

<The day before… Flashback?>

“Why are you missing school?”

“What happened to your phone? My calls can’t seem to go through.”

“Do you know how worried I was?”

“Why did Grandma Jung say that you are packing to leave?”

“When did she come to Korea? Why is she even here?”

“What happened on Sunday? Did… did Taeyeon do or say something awful? You can tell me, I will
definitely support you over that devious, deceitful short dorm mate of mine.”

Seated between Yuri and Tiffany on a bench in the park, Jessica had been smiling lightly as Tiffany shot
questions at her at great speed like a machine gun. The smile faded when Taeyeon’s name came up.
Jessica had noticed Tiffany’s hesitance as well as her anger when she said Taeyeon’s name.

Without knowing, Tiffany continued on and blurted out the incident that had took place at the dorm
earlier despite Yuri giving her obvious glances that she should stop. Yuri reached over and gave her
girlfriend’s shoulder a squeeze and the girl finally realized she had said too much.

Before the couple could come up with a new topic, the blonde suddenly dropped a bomb on them.

“Guess what? I’ve decided to go back to U.S!” Jessica announced.

“What!” Tiffany and Yuri exclaimed in unison.

“Why?”

“When?”

The couple asked at the same time.

“The business is going smoothly here. There is no real need for me to physically be here all the time
anymore. Grandma came to persuade me to return and I’ve decided to follow her back, I miss my sister.
We’ll be leaving tomorrow.” The seemingly unfazed girl answered both of their questions in a cheerful
voice and a wide smile.

Yuri and Tiffany exchanged a worried glance. Jessica had become overly cheerful and composed in an
instant.

“Your grandmother is here to pressure you to go back isn’t she?” Tiffany guessed. “You were uneasy
about following her orders as Taeyeon is here but after what I had said about Taeyeon, you impulsively
decided to go back. How warm am I?”

The happy façade dissolved right away.

Giving up the pretence, Jessica nodded indicating that Tiffany’s guess was right. “It would be better for
her… and me, if I go away.”

Biting down on her lip, Jessica willed herself not to cry. Feeling rather ridiculous for caring even after
what she had witnessed, yet unable to obtain an ease of mind until known, Jessica inquired about the
individual that was on her mind throughout. “How is she?”
“You don’t have to concern yourself about her and you don’t have to go back. Yuri and I can spend time
with you and we’ll ignore Taeyeon. The three of us can hang out. It’ll be fun.” Thinking that it would be
better for Jessica to forget about Taeyeon, Tiffany tried to come up with many fun stuff that they can do
with just the three of them.

Unable to get the answer from Tiffany, Jessica turned to her right and gave the tan girl an expectant
look. “Yuri, how is she?”

“Errr…” Yuri furrowed her brows, alternating her gaze between Jessica and Tiffany, who is signaling for
her to not answer.

“Please.” Feeling her hesitance, Jessica desperately added. “I need to know if she is feeling alright. I felt
awful for letting my anger take over me and just taking off when I should have gotten her out of the
freezer as soon as I found her, or at least get her a doctor or send her back. It was only after my head
had cooled when I realized how pale she had looked then. Even after that, I did not even visit her once.
Please, I just need to know if she is fine.”

“She is very well. Well enough to play the soccer match. She really doesn’t deserve your concerns.”
Tiffany huffed with great sarcasm.

“Wait, you are the one that found her? Gyuri had sent Taeyeon back that night. Before she left, she told
us about Taeyeon being trapped in a freezer and even assured us that Taeyeon health had been cleared
by the doctors. I had thought Gyuri was the one that found and rescued Taeyeon from the freezer.” Yuri
scratched her head, puzzled by the new info. “And if you had not visited, then who is the one that’s
leaving a box addressed to Taeyeon containing a slice of cake at their doorstep every morning?”

“Gyuri’s family owns a café that specializes in cakes.” Jessica sighs as it dawn on her that Gyuri had taken
care of Taeyeon when she had not.

“Gyuri had missed lots of parts in between.” Jessica said bitterly as she recalled that night. “She was
with Taeyeon in that freezer. When I found them, they were… making out.”

“I even overheard Taeyeon telling her that she would chase her even if she was to melt.” Blinking back
her tears, Jessica concluded. “I am not sure what melting has got to do with anything but it’s obvious
that Gyuri is the one Taeyeon wants.”

<End of flashback>

“Soo Yeon, stop spacing out and give the nice man your passport.”
Her grandmother’s voice snapped her back.

“Why are they allowing us to check in so early?” Jessica asked as she handed her passport over.

“We are changing to an earlier flight.”

“Why?”

“I have my reasons. Stop asking so many questions. You are holding up the queue.” Grandma Jung
snapped.

Shrugging, Jessica gave up prying. Her eye smile friend had argued that there was time to travel to the
airport after the game had ended to send her off. Good thing Jessica had managed to talk her out of it.
Her grandma can be rather unpredictable.

“Excuse me! Let me through! I’m sorry! Please let me through!”

After receiving her passport from the custom officer, Jessica briefly glanced at the commotion at the
back of the line.

Unable to believe what she is seeing, Jessica rubbed her eyes and looked again. Taeyeon was still there,
pushing through the queue, apologizing to each person that she knocked.

“Did that pest stalk us or something?”

Whirling around at her grandmother’s words, Jessica glared at her with narrowed eyes. “You knew that
Taeyeon is coming? Is that why you wanted to switch rooms with me the entire week? You seem to be
trying hard to not allow me to meet my friends. And the sudden flight changes. Why?”

“Sica! Please let me explain!” Finally pushing her way to the front, Taeyeon pointed a finger at the man
beside Grandma Jung. “I am not going to lose to you. I am going to fight for her! Even after she is
wedded to you, I will not give up. You hear me? I suggest you give up now if you know what’s good for
you.”

Sticking her tongue out at the stoic man, Taeyeon hastily bowed a greeting to the elderly lady before
focusing on her main target.

“Sica, you have to let me explain the situation in the freezer. I was confused. I seriously thought Gyuri
was you. The doctor explained that coldness may have caused the mental confusion. Please, you have
got to believe me. I feel nothing for Gyuri and I would give up everything for you.” Taeyeon paused
when Jessica held her palm up.
A very bewildered looking Jessica glanced at her watch, then back at Taeyeon. “What are you doing
here?”

“Huh?” An equally confused Taeyeon scratched her head puzzled by the odd question. “What does it
look like? I am obviously trying to win you back.”

“What about your very important match? You should be out on the field at this very moment! You
should go back right now. The match must have just started. If you leave on a cab now, you will properly
only miss the first fifteen minutes? No maybe twenty…”

“Woah! Have you been listening to what I have said?” Taeyeon stopped Jessica from pushing her.
“Forget the match. Even if I won the match, it would mean nothing if you are not there to celebrate it
with me. I wasn’t even planning to play in it. Look at me. Do I look like am ready for a soccer match?”

The pushing came to an end as Jessica looked Taeyeon from head to toe. Decked in casual clothes,
comfortable slippers and pulling a rather large suitcase, Taeyeon looked more like a tourist instead.

“I am going to follow you back to the U.S! I am going to keep trying until the day you will forgive my
mistake. No matter what happens, I’ll make you my girlfriend again.” Taeyeon said with a confident
smile.

“Excuse me Miss, I’ll let the cutting of queue slide but could I see your boarding pass? You are holding
up the line.” The man in uniform interrupted.

“Chasing your love across the globe does sound rather romantic. Why don’t you check in and we can
continue this inside? Oh wait, can you afford a ticket? If you don’t have one, you might as well stop
wasting everyone’s time.” Grandma Jung said with a smug grin. She had noticed Taeyeon doesn’t have a
ticket in her hands.

“Ticket…” Taeyeon licked her suddenly dry lips.

”I do have a ticket…” Taeyeon said as she reached into her pocket for the said object.

Revealing the long rectangular paper folded into half, Taeyeon slowly held it out. “But it’s for the
11.20am flight.”
Chapter 35 THIRTY FIVE
“Can you make an exception? Let me refund this ticket and let me get another for this flight.”

The man behind the counter shook his head.”It’s either you get someone to trade tickets with you, or
you wait for the later flight.”

“Will someone please exchange tickets with me?” Taeyeon asked the queue behind her but none met
her eyes.

“I am sorry Miss, I’ll have to ask you to leave the queue or I’ll have you removed.”

“Please. I really need to get on this flight.” Taeyeon asked again desperately as she spied the oncoming
security guards heading her direction.

“You don’t have to get on this flight.” Jessica suddenly spoke.

“No, Sica, I really need to be on this flight. I can’t lose you.” Taeyeon reached out for her hand but froze
inches before contact. Guilt of her mistaking Gyuri for Jessica and the kiss made Taeyeon unable to
initiate the skin ship. Clenching her fists tightly, Taeyeon lowered them to her sides.

“You don’t have to be on this flight as I am not going to be on it.” Jessica threw her carry on to the man
and took hold of Taeyeon’s hand, loosening the tight fist and then entwining their fingers together.
Taeyeon being here, trying her best to save their relationship had said a lot.

Deep down, Jessica had been wishing that Taeyeon would come after her, for she had lack the courage
to confront the older girl. Touched by Taeyeon’s actions, Jessica choose to believe in her words.

“Make sure you get those to Krystal. Tell her she can have all the souvenirs in my luggage as my
punishment for not going back.”

“Jung Soo Yeon! I will not approve of your relationship and I insist that you’ll stop seeing that girl and
come back with us.”

Her grandmother’s words just made Jessica hold onto Taeyeon’s hand tighter. “So, you do know about
our relationship. No wonder you did not seem shocked when Taeyeon declared to make me her
girlfriend again.”

Not even bothering to deny anymore. Grandma Jung replied harshly. “I’ll do everything I can to break
the two of you.”

“If that young man, what’s his name again?” Grandma Jung paused as the expressionless young man
whispered into her ear. “Ah yes, Jaejoong. If he did not show me the proof, I would not have believed it
if anyone told me that my brilliant granddaughter got herself a GIRLFRIEND!”

“That video of you and you kissing in the open field is out in the web for all to see.” Grandma Jung
jabbed a finger in each of their directions as she said ‘you’. “Do you know how much trouble I had to go
through to get it removed?”

“What good is she? She is not rich, smart or even good looking.” Grandma Jung scoffed. “I doubt her so
call love for you is even strong. All I did was to tell her that you are engaged and she cracked.”

“I am engaged? Since when? With whom? Why aren’t I told…” Jessica sighed when she recalled the
weird words Taeyeon had said at the beginning. “You lied to Taeyeon?”

“Let’s start over. Taeyeon, meet my grandmother.” Shifting slightly to the side, Jessica continued. “And
beside her, that’s her assistant. He is… not important at all and definitely not my fiancé.”

“Grandma, meet Taeyeon, my girlfriend. I guess I don’t need to add any other details, I am sure you
must have already done a background check. As to your question, does it really matter how much
wealth she possesses? She means a lot to me and if you genuinely care about my happiness, please
allow me to go with my choice, which is staying here with her.”

Seeing the determined expression her granddaughter has on, Grandma Jung sighed. “Do whatever you
like.”

“For the record, I still don’t approve of her.” Grandma Jung added as she walked away, her assistant in
tow.

*************************************************************************************

“She doesn’t like me very much does she?” Taeyeon spoke only when Grandma Jung completely
disappeared from their view. The two of them had moved away from the gate and to the side where
large panes of glass allows love ones to wave good bye to those in the departure hall.

Chuckling at Taeyeon statement, Jessica offered a smile. “Does it feel better if I tell you that I like you
very much?”

Feigning a gloomy expression, Taeyeon teased. “Only like?”

“Well, I haven’t completely forgiven you. There is still the part where I overheard you telling Gyuri that
you would chase her even if you were to melt.”

Taeyeon became serious instantly. “It wasn’t Gyuri that I was talking about. It was you.”
“It is you that is always kind to me, giving me warmth.”

“It is you that is like the sun, when you are hidden, everything became dark and cloudy for me.”

“The closer I get to you, the more obstacles we encountered. Even if the process hurts, I want to be with
you.”

“I don’t care if I spend a long time just trying to reach you, only to disintegrate in a second of being
beside you.”

“It is you, whom I will pursue forever.”

Peeking at Jessica, Taeyeon could not tell if Jessica felt pleased with her declaration. “Some reaction
please.” Taeyeon tugged on Jessica’s hand.

“I don’t like it.” Jessica said with a thoughtful look on her face. “I don’t want to burn you.”

“I am not going to actually burn you know. I am just trying to describe that I can do the impossible and
get to you… Arugh, never mind, how would you describe our relationship then?”

“Koala and tree.” Jessica answered instantly.

“That’s it?”

“It’s self explanatory.” Jessica insisted.

Taeyeon held out Jessica’s thin arms. “You are not even a tree, more like a stick.”

“Okay, fine, Koala and branch. Stick is too thin to support the heavy Koala.” Jessica compromised.

“I am not heavy! And I don’t really see a connection except me randomly jumping on your back and
making you carry me.” Taeyeon protested with a pout.

“Yups, that’s true, I often felt like I am being used to allow you to be taller.” Jessica nodded.

When there wasn’t an instant retort, Jessica glanced at the shorter girl by her side, blinking in surprise as
she saw the whirl of hurt, sadness and distress on Taeyeon’s face.

“I really did not mean it when I had told Yuri and Tiffany that the match was more important. It was lie
when I said I just wanted to make use of your skills, I had just wanted to make them search for you. I’ve
tried and your grandmother scares me. I am sorry if my words and actions made you feel that way. I will
be more sensitive of your feelings in the future and I won’t do things that only benefit me and…”

“Taengoo-ah, I was joking.” Jessica pulled Taeyeon in for a hug. “Even if it does happen, this branch
willingly wants to be the support for this koala even if the koala refuses. Actually, I think I would be
sadder if you don’t rely on me.”

“You never relied on me. You chose to run away back to the U.S. I almost lost you.” Taeyeon complained
as she tightened the hug.

“Forgive me.” Jessica apologized sincerely. She was never the strong type despite her looks. “I am a
cowardly branch. Without the koala, the branch feels vulnerable and keeps making all the wrong
choices. Actually, I think both the koala and branch are awkward by themselves. They need to be
together in order to be a complete picture.”

Taeyeon chuckled as she visualizes a standing koala instead of a koala hugging a tree or branch. “I guess
it does look rather funny if the koala isn’t hugging something.”

“Something? You mean the koala wants to substitute the branch for something else?” It’s Jessica’s turn
to pout. “I think pictures of koala hugging the branch looks nicer. It’s more natural compare to a picture
of a koala hugging anything else.”

Taeyeon snuggled into Jessica’s embrace. “This koala has already made its choice. It’s even willing to
follow the branch to the U.S. Other branches won’t do.”

Smiling, Jessica replied. “And this branch is exclusively for one koala. I’ll shake off any other.”

“You know what, I think I like Koala and Branch better now. It does define us better. You were up rooted
and I have to be the one that gets you back. The poor koala always has to do everything. How about
giving the koala a reward?” Taeyeon loosened the hug slightly to be able to face Jessica.

Jessica was about to protest but she knows that Taeyeon is right. Taeyeon had always taken the
initiative. Jessica knows it could not be easy dealing with her stubborn and guarded nature. The older
girl’s perseverance always amazes her.

Giving Taeyeon a quick peck on the cheek, Jessica tried hard not to laugh at the disappointment written
all over Taeyeon’s face.

“Only a small reward for now, you still owe me.” Putting on a sad face, Jessica said in a serious tone. “I
am adding kisses to the hugging rule...”

Taeyeon’s eyes widen as she remembered Jessica’s twice as long rule for hugs.
“… Oh wait, Gyuri isn’t even the allowed list. As punishment, duration shall be increased a thousand
fold.” Jessica continued.

Taeyeon’s jaw dropped at Jessica’s unreasonable request. “It’s impossible to hold our breaths that
long.”

“You come up with a solution then. It’s your fault after all.”

Catching a brief grin from Jessica that the taller girl hurried to hide, Taeyeon smirked. “My my, are you
jealous over one little kiss?”

“Wha…” Taken aback by the change in Taeyeon’s attitude, Jessica tried to pull away from the embrace
but was overpowered.

With one hand behind her neck preventing her from backing away, Taeyeon leaned in and captured
Jessica’s lips. Giving in, Jessica stopped struggling and returned the kiss with equal passion until both of
them broke apart for the need of air.

“I’m willing to pay in installments…” Taeyeon said while breathing heavily, while resting her forehead
against Jessica’s, their nose touching and their lips only slightly apart. “… for my entire lifetime.”

“Deal.” Her checks slightly heated by Taeyeon’s words, Jessica muttered before their lips connect again.
Chapter 36 THIRTY SIX
“We can continue this later.”Jessica broke the kiss and hug, leading Taeyeon away from the weird stares
that people around them are giving.

“Aigoo! My shy Sica is so cute!” Taeyeon teased the still blushing girl.

It was not the onlookers, but the words and actions of the affectionate girl that had caused the heat to
her cheeks. Just being around Taeyeon was all it needed to send her heart thumping wild irregular beats
yet feel calm and secure at the same time.

Obviously, shy Jessica isn’t going to disclose that. “It’s not it. If we hurry, we may make it for the second
half of the match. We need to repay Jaejoong for all his so called nice deeds.”

Nodding in agreement, Taeyeon was saddened by the troubles that her friend had caused. “I don’t
understand why Jaejoong would want to break us up. I need to confront him, but I did not pack my
soccer equipments. Maybe we can talk to him after the match?”

“What? You did not bring your equipments?” Jessica glanced back at the girl that is following her lead.
The look on Taeyeon’s face told Jessica the girl is telling the truth.

“Even I had prepared and brought along my equipments and you did not?” Jessica asked incredulously.

“Getting you back was my top priority, of course I did not pack my soccer equipments. I wasn’t even
planning on participating. Why would I bring them?” Taeyeon said honestly.

“Besides, you don’t have your equipments now either. You gave all your languages to your grandma’s
assistant.” Taeyeon reminded. “That makes us even.”

“Oh, those only contain things that I had bought for my sister. My equips are packed into a separate bag
which I left in my car just in case…” Realizing too late what she had admitted to, Jessica tried to cover it
up by quickening her pace. “Aish, you are so slow. My car is just around the corner. Because you did not
bring your equipments, we need to stop by your dorm. So hurry up. We need to participate in the match
to foul his plans.”

The last sentence made Taeyeon wonder briefly if Jessica knows more than she is telling but that
thought was soon pushed aside. A huge grin had formed onto Taeyeon’s face. “You were hoping all
along that I would come for you didn’t you?”

Ignoring Taeyeon, Jessica hurried to unlock her car and escaped into it. Taeyeon however, refused to let
the matter rest.
“You still feel for me and want to be with me despite all the misunderstanding.” Taeyeon conjured as
she climbed into the passenger seat.

“Be thankful that I have a fast car but even a driver as skilled as me needs concentration. If you want to
be in time for the second half of the match and to reach there in one piece, don’t talk to me.” Jessica
started up her car and continued to ignore Taeyeon.

Jessica’s words seem to fall upon deaf ears.

“Awww, my cute blushing doll. You are so adorable when you are too shy to express what you truly feel
and try to hide it with cold words. It’s okay, I know what you actually mean.” Taeyeon leaned over and
gave Jessica a peck on the cheek. “The koala promises to always make its way to the shy waiting
branch.”

The otherwise stable Veyron wavered a little on its course. Inside, the driver fumbled to lower the
temperature of the air con unit to ease the heat on her ears and cheeks. “Yah! I am trying to drive here.
Do you want us to crash?” Jessica scolded her passenger.

With a huge smile still on her face, Taeyeon replied. “I love you too.”

*************************************************************************************

Horror filled her face as Yuri saw the opposition defender let loose another dangerous sliding tackle
towards Tiffany. The defender swiped both the ball and Tiffany into the air. Feeling pain in her heart as
she watched Tiffany fall hard onto her back, Yuri looked for the referee when the expected whistle did
not sound. Finding the man in black uniform clustered with three players of the opposition team, Yuri
knew the other team must have obstructed the official’s view on purpose.

“Yuri! The ball!” A shout from her team mate brought her back into the game. The opposition had
noticed her loss of concentration and took a shot at the goal.

Yuri leapt to cover her goal but it was too late. She could not get to the ball in time and it flew past her
line and into her net. Punching the ground in frustration, Yuri glanced back to the opposition’s half of
the field where Tiffany is picking herself up slowly.

Feeling concerned eyes on her, Tiffany gave Yuri a smile and a slight wave, trying to soften the
murderous look her girlfriend has on.

The first half of the match had been rather uneventful. However, their opposition, DBSK High soccer
team has resulted to dirty tricks in the second half.

“Keep your cool, Yuri. Fany is fine. Your carelessness gave away a goal. You must focus.” Yuri muttered
to herself when the game continued.

Soshi High has been holding up pretty well despite their opposition being the stronger gender. Their
quick passes and tight team work ensured them longer possession of the ball but the defense of the
other team seemed impenetrable. Furthermore, with the goal scored by the opposition, they can no
longer bide their time for an opportunity to score. Knowing that they need to equalize, Soshi team tried
hard to get the ball forward.

With neat passes between the two, Narsha and Gain managed to advance forward along the right flank.
However, the two were quickly forced to the corner by the other team’s defenders. Pressured by the
defense, Narsha tried to prevent the ball from going out of bounds by kicking it towards the only gap she
could find, backwards, towards their own half.

As most of the opposition midfield had been chasing after the two that had escaped along the right
flank, Jea had lots of space and time to position herself as the ball approached. Leaping high into the air,
Jea headed the ball forward to her left. Without anyone jousting for the ball, she managed to knock it
far ahead with great precision.

Jea’s header forced the ball whirling past a defender and it bounced into the oncoming path of a
charging Tiffany. The defense of DBSK team is thin now as the defenders had spread out when they tried
to cover Narsha and Gain’s run from the right, as well as Jea from the middle.

Getting to the ball and moving closer to the goal, Tiffany could hear the opposition’s goalkeeper
shouting for his defenders to either cover her or take her down. Ball at her feet, Tiffany was almost
reaching the box when she saw defenders closing in on her. Wasting no time, Tiffany raised her leg and
shot the ball at the goal. A second later, a force crashed into her, bringing her to the ground.

Ignoring the offered hand of the defender that had bumped into her, Tiffany picked herself up while
anxiously looking towards the goal. Seeing the ball safe in Jaejoong, DBSK goalkeeper’s arms, Tiffany
groaned at her wasted chance.

“It’s okay. It was a good try. Fighting!” Jea, who had came to check on Tiffany for sign of injuries from
the collision, encouraged.

A little discouraged and her body sore from the knocks she has been receiving, Tiffany slowly walked
back to her position. Catching Yuri’s gaze, Tiffany mastered energy for another wide smile. The pained
look in Yuri’s eyes told Tiffany that she was not the only one suffering. Touched by Yuri’s concern for
her, Tiffany did all she could to keep the girl from leaving her line.

“Are you okay?” Gain asked as she neared. “Our substitutions are still unused. All you need to do is to
give a sign and we can switch players.”
Tiffany nodded in acknowledgement. “I know, but I want to play this match.”

“There is still thirty five minutes to go. Don’t push yourself too hard if you want to last throughout.”
Gain advised before taking off to help Narsha.

The opponent was pressured into making a mistake and Gain managed to knock the ball slightly off
course and enabling Miryo to get to it before the opposition. Tiffany was about to break into a run when
Yuri’s voice yelled for them to kick the ball out.

Tiffany felt confused as to why Yuri wanted to give the ball back to the opposition but it all cleared up
when the referee waved the two substitutions for Soshi High into the field. With the presence of the
new substitutes the energy of team Soshi seems to have rejuvenated.

When the substitution is complete, the referee blew his whistle signaling the okay for the match to
continue. As an opposition player prepared his run up for the throw in, Tiffany ran up to her best friend.

“Jessie! You did not leave!” Tiffany exclaimed happily as she threw her arms around her blond friend.

“Taeyeon came after me and cleared up the misunderstanding. She took away my reason to leave and
gave me a reason to stay.” Jessica added in a whisper, “You may want to let go soon. We are receiving
two sets of glares.”

“Watch it! Her rib is still injured.” Taeyeon pried Tiffany from Jessica.

“I told you I am feeling much better after lots of rest. It doesn’t even hurt anymore.” Jessica
demonstrated by lifting her arm and doing some stretches.

“Feeling much better does not mean you have fully recovered. I am still subbing you out if I feel you are
unfit.” Taeyeon stated.

Smiling at Taeyeon’s statement, Tiffany gave her dorm mate a hug as well. “You are back to normal! I
approve of your concern for Jessie. I shall forgive you.”

Before Taeyeon could say anything, Yuri yelled from the end of the field. “Yah! Kim shortie, stop
standing around, go equalize the goals!”

“She’s obviously picking on me!” Taeyeon complained. “How the hell did they manage to score
anyways?”

Tiffany hurried to calm the seething Taeyeon. “Yuree is not really mad at you. She talked the team into
playing their best for you. Even when it seemed hopeless, she believed in you.”
“I know she is not mad at me.” Taeyeon replied with a chuckle. ”It’s just that it pisses me off whenever
she calls me short.”

“Come on, it’s time for the equalizer. Sica got the ball.” Taeyeon’s eyes sparked as she sprinted ahead.

Tiffany watched their synergy in awe. With brief glances, Taeyeon and Jessica seem to always be able to
anticipate each other moves and create perfect passes that always magically find its way to each other.

Weaving through the opposition’s defense, Jessica tipped the ball into the air as she jumped to avoid an
oncoming tackle. Poised to shoot, Jessica waited till the very last minute before letting her shooting leg
drop. The keeper had leapt to cover his goal but instead of shooting, Jessica let her leg go limp as she
brought up her left leg to the ball, turning her body to add power to the contact, Jessica sent the ball
parallel across and Taeyeon finished it perfectly with a strong kick, burying the ball into the goal.

The joy of the flawless play and the adrenaline of the goal made Taeyeon momentary forget about her
words about hugging Jessica earlier. Jumping onto Jessica’s back as per usual, Taeyeon got rebuked
almost instantly by Tiffany.

“I wonder who told me to be careful of Jessie’s rib injury just minutes earlier.”

Smiling sheepishly, Taeyeon tried to get off, only to end up holding onto Jessica tighter when the blond
bent forward, not allowing her to get off.

“I guess I’ll let this one slide.” Tiffany said while rolling her eyes at her best friend’s actions.

“Can’t you weaklings do anything right? Do I have to do everything myself?” Angry shouts interrupted
the cheerful group. “This is not supposed to happen! If only the two of you aren’t here. It would easily
be my win. Mine!”

“Is that why you had informed Jessica’s grandmother of our relationship?” Taeyeon asked the person
she used to look upon as a friend.

“Don’t act dumb. I am sure she had told you everything by now.” Jaejoong pointed at Jessica.

“Everything I did, from setting you up with the call to the authorities, getting your team suspended,
making up the rumors to make your teammates lose trust in you, was all to ensure a higher chance of
me winning the match. Then she had to come along and I have another troublesome person to take care
of.” Jaejoong spat. “I tried to remove her from the picture as well and I found out what great influence
she has on you. As long as I can rid of her, you would most likely crash too. It would be killing two birds
with one stone.”

Jaejoong had thought that luck was finally on his side when news of Jessica’s father being in Korea
reached his ears. Armed with the video he had tried to show it to him but had failed to convince the
busy man for a few minutes of his time. The old lady, who had introduced herself as Jessica’s
grandmother however, was greatly interested and had asked about her granddaughter. “Your
grandmother got so angry after watching the video. She was raving that she would break the two of you
apart.”

Hearing gossips of Taeyeon being a changed person and Jessica having missed school for days, Jaejoong
was elated. A call from the old lady’s assistant offering reward for his piece of information further
confirmed that his plan had worked. He was told that Jessica will be leaving Korea with her
grandmother. Jaejoong even casted a safety net when the day of the flight fell on the same day of the
match. Explaining that Taeyeon would never give up the scholarship for anything, he had advised to get
an earlier flight to prevent Taeyeon from going after her. When Taeyeon did not show up for the match,
Jaejoong had thought Taeyeon was too depressed to play.

“Why are you here? Why are both of you here?” The appearance of Taeyeon and Jessica, bond as tight
as ever had shocked Jaejoong. The equalizer minutes after they came on pushed him further off the
edge, causing him to snap. “You should not have come back. I’ll make you regret coming back.”

The menace in his tone worried Taeyeon. Sliding off Jessica’s back, she positioned herself in front of
Jessica when Jaejoong took a step towards them. Thankfully, Jaejoong’s team mates stopped him before
he could do anything and talked him out of doing anything rash for there is still time left on the clock.

“I’m sorry.” Taeyeon said as they are making their way to their side of the field.

Jessica raised an eyebrow at the out of the blue apology.

“I got everyone into this mess. Especially you, whom he had deemed the higher threat, you must have
suffered. I must have been blind to have regarded him as a friend.”

“It wasn’t your fault.” Jessica stated. “But if you are really bothered by it, you can totally ruin his plans
by scoring another goal within the remaining time left and win the match for us.”

Brightening in an instant, Taeyeon smiled. “Yeah, I can do that.” She replied cheerfully not knowing that
Jessica had purposely said the remark to get her focus into the game again.

Taeyeon had answered confidently but her task proved to be a challenge. Her opponents seem content
with just stalling time, keeping the ball in their half instead of pressing forward. As the game of ‘monkey’
prolonged, Taeyeon started to feel its side effects. The opposition had been forcefully exchanging
shoulder contacts to block off anyone that tried to steal the ball off their feet. In addition to that, they
are also inserting jabs whenever possible while making sharp turns.
Frustrated from all the chasing and her body getting tired from the rough play, Taeyeon wondered what
good delaying the game would bring to DBSK High. Surely, a penalty shootout would be to Soshi High’s
benefits. DBSK High’s offence is rather weak.

“Fanyah! Take it easy.”

Jessica’s shout brought Taeyeon’s attention to the exhausted girl. Tiffany had been chasing down every
ball in her area, making herself the receiving end of most of the attacks. Drenched in sweat and
breathing heavily, Tiffany disregarded Jessica’s advice, and went after the ball that the opposition is
rolling lightly at his feet. Tiffany was not only unable to win the ball, she is also unable to escape the
hard jab that she received to the abdomen.

Jogging over to check on the girl clutching her stomach, Taeyeon jabbed a thumb to the back of their
field at a tan girl who is trying hard to control her emotions. “You are the one that received the blow but
Yuri looks constipated.”

“How can you be so calm?” Tiffany asked between heavy breaths while making a side note for herself to
reward Yuri soon after the match, possibly in the shower stall. “Time is running out and they are hogging
the ball.”

Glancing at the clock that showed that they have a little less than five minutes before the match is over,
Taeyeon replied with a confident smile. “We’ll make it. I trust that my team mates will be able to get the
ball. I am not saying that we should stand around and not help out. Challenge only if there is a higher
rate of success. We, being the attackers, should believe in them and find space for them to provide the
pass when it happens.”

“Like now?” Tiffany watched as their midfield managed to force the opponent to pass ball to the side
where three other quickly closed in, blocking off obvious paths to his teammates.

“Yeah, like now.” Taeyeon agreed and took off forward to get to a better spot.

The pressured opponent tried a long pass to his team mate on the other side of the field but failed as
Narsha got her boot into the ball’s path just as he kicked it, sending the ball back towards his direction
and hurling towards the line some distance behind him at great speed.

Jea, the second participant of the trio had had closed in onto the player changed the direction of the ball
before it got out, kicking it slightly forward and inwards to the third member that is waiting for the ball.
As the numbers of the opponents overwhelms theirs on the left side, Gain quickly passed the ball back
to their own half as soon as she brought the ball down and Jea sent the ball forward far off to the right
side immediately after.
Chasing down the ball with quick strides, Jessica latched herself onto it and carried it further forward.
Shouts from Jaejoong could be heard as he ordered his defenders forward to hinder her progress.
Catching her action of glancing up towards Tiffany’s position to the left of the field, the defender leapt
to cut off the path as she poised to cross. Grinning, Jessica lightly tapped the ball, sliding it under the
defender instead of the cross that he was expecting.

Zipping past the defenders and receiving Jessica’s pass, Taeyeon accelerated forward. As she got too
close to the goal, Jaejoong who was perched to leap lunged for the ball at her feet. Expecting him to do
exactly that, Taeyeon had already rolled the ball back while flipping it into the air and over her shoulder
with the back of her heel. The ball looped over them and bounced into the goal without needing any
additional touches. The numbers on the scoreboard changed 2-1 to Soshi High with only a few seconds
left. The referee would most likely end the match in a few seconds. There is no doubt Soshi High has
won the game.

“Opps… Maybe if you did not chase your defenders away, one may have stopped that.” Taeyeon gloated
with a smirk before running off to celebrate her goal leaving the figure at her feet remained lying facing
the ground.

Surrounded by her overjoyed teammates, hands that were patting her back evolved and tried to engulf
Taeyeon into their group hug. Wriggling away from their snaking hands, Taeyeon protested saying that
Jessica had forbidden her to hug anyone else but the cheerful faces around her brushed it aside and
continued anyway. Fighting a losing battle, Taeyeon thought she is going to get killed when she failed to
escape a pair of arms.

“Your goal is brilliant.”

Relaxing into the firm yet gentle embrace, Taeyeon wrap her arms around the waist of the owner of the
voice she recognized. Always so calm and too cool to celebrate the goals together with the team, she
was the last person Taeyeon had expected. Smiling, Taeyeon whispered into her ear to ensure that she
will hear the words over the racket of their cheering teammates that surrounds them. “That’s nothing,
for I’ve scored one that is far more significant that no amount of goals combined can surpass the joy of
that one goal.”

“My aim to break past the solid ice defenses, my goal to score your heart and my purpose for the rest of
my life.” Taeyeon tightened the hug around Jessica, the person that she would never want to lose, the
person that she wants to be with forever.

“You are my Winning Goal.”

- END –