TSURT SPELLED BACKWARDS

By princessofdisaster
Why do people find it hard to trust others?
Why do some of them find I trust you sweeter than I love you?
What is trust, anyway? And what difference does it make?

TSURT.
Light from the fluorescent lamp slightly blinked above our ice princess as she t
ook her late afternoon break from work. The blinds in the room were slightly ope
n, revealing a little of the downtown view below. The sky was in shades of deep
violet to black as the sun set to give way to the evening bliss.
It was barely a week since she had just told Yuri how much she was in love with
her, and luckily for her, Yuri returned it with a kiss more like a bliss that came
down from heaven. Jessica couldn t help but smile at the thought as she read Soph
ie Kinsella s Remember Me? book on Yuri s bed.
Amber, the time?
Oh, uh, ten minutes past six.
A short-haired girl who was sitting at the foot of Yuri s bed in her fitted graphi
c shirt and baggy pants, blurted out the time in a somewhat monotonous tone. She
then resumed to plugging her earphones in her ear and listening to songs in her
music player. Jessica frowned a bit as she watched Amber sway her arms frantica
lly from left to right and nod her head repeatedly.
Excuse me? I m reading here. Duh.
W-what? Not again, cuz. I m not even singing the song!
Jessica smirked. Wait until you sing, and I ll put this book on your sorry mouth be
fore you know it.
Whatever, Jessica. I m not listening to
I m serious.
Amber then stopped waving her hands before the book could get into her mouth. Sh
e pouted with her shoulders slumped against the bed, and gazed at the surroundin
gs. Where is this Yuri, anyway? she asked.
She s my Yuri, Jessica said confidently, her smile beaming at Amber.
Ew. Okay, where is your Yuri? Amber restated her question. She glanced back at the
screen of her Nintendo DS and started pressing some buttons.
Jessica then put down the book she was reading and looked at her cousin. She pou
ted and sighed.
Well, she is
All of a sudden, a petite, small-eyed girl in her tank top and comfy short skirt
s opened the door to the room. Sungmin! Sungmin-oppa is coming! she shouted. He s com
ing here in Apkujeong, and we have a date tonight!
Jessica let out a deep sigh. Good for you, Sunny, she remarked. Sunny let out a wi
de smile which almost left her eyes half-closed.
===
Yuri held her umbrella tightly as she waited in a line of people outside the tic
ket booth. She didn t expect rain in Incheon. Back in Apkujeong, the weather was f
ine when she left. When she arrived at the place, she stumbled upon a souvenir s
hop, with her jeans partly drenched in rainwater and her bag soaked wet. She dec
ided to buy a cheap, black umbrella from the shop and left immediately to catch
up with the long line of people waiting for their ticket reservations.
Should I ?
Minutes later, it was her turn in the line. She pulled out her credit card from
her wallet and handed it to the guy at the counter. Her fingers fumbled at the e
dges of the card as she softly spoke,
Are there any flights bound for Shanghai, China?
The guy at the counter smiled.
Yes.
===
Jessica tapped her fingers incessantly on the table. It had already been an hour
, and Yuri had promised her dinner at seven. She had been so impatient, that she
decided to stop reading Sophie Kinsella and literally dragged her poor cousin i
nto one of the sofas in the living room so they could wait there.
Sunny came out of the bathroom in her bathrobe and with a towel wrapped around h
er head. She tried to speak to Jessica as she brushed her teeth vigorously, as i
f she was going to pull out her teeth with the toothbrush,
It se ve-n. Sunny said. Jessica saw white foam spurt out of Sunny s mouth.
Y-yeah, Jessica remarked, trying not to laugh at the sight before her. She s not back
from Incheon.
What if she ran away for good? Amber interrupted. She looked up at her cousin, who
se eyebrows were then starting to meet halfway.
What if you ran out of this house for good?! Jessica shouted.
Keke, is this your house? Amber chuckled.
Why you
Mm! G uys! St th op alrea y! Sunny held her toothbrush with her mouth and tried to stop J
ssica from strangling Amber. More white foam flew out of her mouth as she strugg
led to break them apart.
Just wait til I get your mom, Amber said, laughing. Jessica was panting, her face a
n angry red.
I shouldn t have brought you here, Jessica shot back in between her gasps, I should h
ave left you drowning in boredom with our cousins in Krystal s theater play!
 Ding dong!~
Be er ge-that, Sunny said. She then rushed to the bathroom to finally spit out the f
oam remaining in her mouth.
Jessica jumped out of the sofa and ran towards the door. Taking in a deep breath
, she turned the knob and slowly opened the door.
Suddenly, two girls carrying two, three, or even more, dozens of roses, entered
the door. One of them, a tall girl which somewhat resembled Yuri in a way, but w
ith softer features, pulled out a small guitar out of her backpack and struggled
to hold it properly with her hands.
Jessica raised an eyebrow. Who the hell are you? she asked.
I m Taeyeon, and this is Seohyun, my assistant, the girl who was about Sunny s height
spoke. She then gestured to the taller girl beside her. Miss Kwon Yuri asked us t
o be here. We re her friends.
Jessica kept her eyebrows raised as the two girls in front of her danced a bit,
moving their legs from side to side, as the tall girl, Seohyun, strummed the str
ings of her guitar. Anyone could tell she was a beginner just by the way she plu
cked its strings. Nevertheless, she smiled as Taeyeon belted out the lines:
Please baby baby baby, you are inside me
I just want to fill it with a special love
baby baby baby now you re
my pretty girlfriend, I won t be jealous of anyone.
Jessica s frown turned into a smile as she clapped her hands continuously. The two
girls bowed down and approached the auburn-haired girl. They handed her the bou
quets of God-knows-how-many-dozens of roses and a small card.
Thank you! Thank you very much, Jessica said, Amber, a hand, please? She then turned
to her cousin who seemed to have not paid attention to the little show earlier.
My hands are full, Amber held her hands up high, her music player on one hand, and
her earphones on the other.
Well, now that Sunny isn t here, I m free to strang
Okay. Amber went to Jessica and carried half of the bouquets of roses. She then du
mped these on the sofa and propped herself carelessly on it, sitting on the flow
ers. Jessica was about to snap at her cousin again when Taeyeon spoke,
The card, Miss? The small girl pointed at the card.
Oh, yeah, Jessica said. She flipped the card open and read it, her eyes focused on
the neat penmanship on the card.
Will be late, be there at ten. Yuri
Jessica s smile slowly faded away as she put down the card. Great. She said, her voi
ce apparently a note higher than the usual. She quickly grabbed more of the rose
s from Seohyun, who was struggling to pick up more of the bouquets on the floor
with a guitar on one hand.
Tell Yuri, it s a thank you , too, Jessica shot back at Taeyeon, And Seo whoever you ar
you can always put that guitar down before picking up the bouquets. Seohyun gave
her a confused look, her mouth slightly pursed and her eyebrows wrinkled.
Sunny then ran out from her bedroom. She was dressed simply in a yellow shirt wi
th shirring sleeves, a very short pair of shorts, and a matching pair of yellow
flats. Her hair was tied up in a bun, with some of her bangs showing above her e
yes. Jessica, Yuri told me to let you read this text message,
I know, Sunny, she s not going to be home until
Babo, Sunny said, What are you talking about? She then handed Jessica her phone. Jes
sica s face lighted up a bit when she read the message.
Kidding, okay? Dinner is ready at the rooftop. Yuri
My Kkabyul, Jessica said with a smile. She then turned to Taeyeon and Seohyun and
shook their hands vigorously. Ah, yes, you re welcome, Miss, Seohyun tried not to wi
nce at Jessica as she pulled free from the handshake. Just tell Yuri unnie we re go
ing now. Taeyeon nodded her head to Jessica, who just stared blankly at them, sti
ll wearing that smile she had been wearing for seconds.
Hello, echo, echo, echo! Amber shouted, waking Jessica from her subconscious state
. Oh, snap! Have you reached the edge of the solar system now?
After you, Jessica snapped. She then led the two guests out of the room. Thank you
very much, Taeyeon-sshi, Seohyun-sshi. That was sweet of you.
Taeyeon peeped out of the door as Jessica was starting to close it. Sure, sure, a
ll for Yuri and her girl, she said.
Amber stood up and headed for the door. I m getting bored making fun of you. I bett
er go back to the hotel.
===
M-miss?

H-hey,

Yah! This is not a bedroom, you know!

Excuse me, but who are you?
Do you know who I am? Jung Sooyeon, financial journalist!
That makes us two. Jessica, right?
How do you know me?
I think I heard your name during our company orientation. Hi there, officemate.
You shouldn t be sleeping here at the rooftop. Don t change the subject.
Kwon Yuri. Also a financial journalist.
I don t trust you.
===
Jessica stepped out of the door. In a glance, she saw the stars pinned up agains
t the sky, twinkling endlessly as if they never ran out of light to shine upon t
he ink black sky. A layer of clouds slowly streamed away from the full moon, whi
ch, in all its glamor and magnificence, revealed tiny gray flaws on its surface.
Nevertheless, to Jessica, the moon was beautiful.
Not too far from her, her girlfriend was standing beside a small table laden wit
h food and a bottle of wine. She gestured at Jessica to come over as she walked
slowly to pull out one of the two chairs from the table.
How is Incheon? Jessica smiled weakly at Yuri. She walked slowly towards the table
and sat down on the chair which Yuri had pulled out for her.
Uh, it s fine, and I already got myself a ticket. Yuri spoke back, also in a weak to
ne, trying to feel in the same way what Jessica was about to feel at that moment
.
You re not staying there forever, right?
I don t know, it s a job recommendation from our boss, and
Babo! What I mean is, you should sit down now. You re not going to stand there fore
ver and catch a cold, right? Jessica chuckled as she motioned for Yuri to sit dow
n.
Oh. Right. Keke~ Yuri said. She sat down gently on the table. Even in her jeans an
d shirt, and with her hair propped up in a slightly messy bun, Yuri looked beaut
iful to Jessica. Yuri then leaned forward to light up the candles on the table.
Jessica stared at Yuri intently, not wanting to take away her gaze at her girlfr
iend.
She was, after all, going to miss the sight in front of her.

Can you stay here with me?

They spent the rest of the evening eating and chatting about anything under the
sun. They occasionally exchanged glances and smiles, and all the sweetest words
as they talked and played footsies on the table. After what seemed like a centur
y, Jessica finally stood up from the table. Yuri watched as she walked over to t
he edge of the rooftop and leaned on the cemented barrier that drew a line betwe
en the edge and the seemingly infinite abyss of cars and people below. She didn t
look down, though she had the usual fear of heights, aside from cucumbers and melo
ns.
Jessica let out a deep sigh. It s only been a week since she and Yuri were officia
l, but her mind was already swimming, drowning itself in the thoughts of the ice
princess without the black pearl. She felt miserable at the thought.
A pair of arms held Jessica s waist. Soon, she felt Yuri s chin on her neck.
It s funny, we first met here, Yuri whispered.
Jessica smiled without looking at Yuri. She then held on to Yuri s arms, which wer
e still wrapped around her slim waist. Her head leaned gently on Yuri s as her tea
rs started to well up at the corners of her eyes. She choked these tears back, u
ntil her throat ached.
Y-yeah, you were so stupid, Jessica said jokingly. I almost had to drag you here in
 this spot and throw you out to the ground below.
Yuri leaned in closer to Jessica s ear. I m glad you didn t, she whispered even more, Ot
erwise
Yuri s hands then spun Jessica s waist until Jessica was standing face to face with
her. Yuri then stared at her intently. Jessica s tears started to flow from the co
rners to the inner folds of her eyelids. She didn t want to cry, not in front of Y
uri.
there was no other way I could have met someone as stupid as me.
Yah! Kwon Yuri! Jessica tried to laugh. She pounded gently on Yuri s shoulders, once
, twice, thrice, four times until she was reduced to tears and drowned in her own
sobs. Yuri caught her and tried to stand her up.
Baby, don t cry, please, Yuri said, pulling her auburn-haired girl in an embrace. Ssh
h, it s going to be okay, I m here. I m still here She rocked Jessica gently as they sto
od there for a moment, holding each other in a tight hug.
B-but, but
You can always ask me to stay.
I, I
Then, slowly, Yuri leaned down to cup Jessica s face, whose tears left dried strea
ms on her cheeks. She then pressed her lips against Jessica s, and they soon caugh
t in a passionate kiss for what seemed like an epoch already.
Heaven knows what happened after that.
===
I ll do anything anything just to make you stay. What must I do?
Jessica woke up to find her naked body covered up in linen sheets of white and b
eige. She hated how the bright sunlight peeped out through the blinds of the roo
m and into her eyes. She covered her face with the blanket for a while and close
d her eyes. She suddenly reminisced the bliss that they had last night Yuri touchi
ng and feeling every part of her, her body giving fervent responses, her mind da
zing
Yuri.
She suddenly turned only to find an empty space beside her. She leaned closer to
that space and sniffed the lingering scent of the black pearl before realizing
that she was not there.
Y-yuri?
There was no response.
Kwon Yuri? Jessica called out again. And, again, there was not even a faint whispe
r from Yul.
Jessica wrapped herself in a blanket before standing up to look for Yuri.
Sunny? she then called out to Sunny, hoping that a small figure would peep out of
the living room or the bathroom. Meanwhile, she didn t hope to see a Sunny with wh
ite foam on her mouth again. Unfortunately, minutes passed, and Sunny was nowher
e to be found in the house.
Maybe a note on the fridge?
Jessica headed to the refrigerator and examined it. On the door of the fridge, s
he found some heating instructions, recipes, daily menus, funny Polaroid picture
s all the other whatnot she was almost losing hope. Until she found stuck to one c
orner of the refrigerator, a piece of paper roughly torn out of a notebook, with
a note scribbled on it:
Sica baby,
In a meeting at the office.
Just stay there. Made bibimyun for you, just reheat in the microwave.
Told the boss you had a fever.
Can t wait for dinner again with you.
Jessica smiled as she sat down beside the kitchen counter. However, as she gazed
at the scene in front of her, her smile faded away. She never felt this vulnera
ble and lonely, and it was only just because Yuri was in a meeting.
What more if you left for good?
She had to do something.
Jessica ran back to Yuri s room, dressed up in her clothes, and soon walked out of
the apartment with her phone to her ear.
Pick up, Yuri-yah, pick up, Jessica said to herself as Yuri s phone rang over the ot
her line.
Suddenly, the ringing stopped.
Six rejected calls and more than ten text messages that said, How are you Yuri-ya
h? later, Jessica looked miserable as she rushed to a party favors shop. She didn t
even take the time to greet the guy in front of the counter as she said,
I need you to do something for me.
===
Can t you keep your phone silent, Yuri-sshi? a tall man in his forties, who was clad
in a light blue polo shirt and a black tie, a black cardigan, and a pair of bla
ck slacks, asked as he tapped the silver pointer on the table. The other people
seated along the sides of the long conference table glanced at the black-haired
girl who was seated at the other edge of the table.
Oh, yeah, I-I ve had it silent, see, she waved her phone awkwardly in front of the s
tern boss. Letting out a deep sigh, she managed to go down over her notebook and
ask the boss a question.
Uh, sir, I was just wondering, Yuri began to speak, How long am I staying in Shangh
ai? You see, there are a thousand investors dying to get a promotion of their in
surance products and other offers, and I think it would take like, forever to ha
ve each of them speak
The boss again shot a stern look at Yuri. She tried to avoid that gaze. Miss Kwon
, we have already prepared a list of the investors which we think would be a goo
d candidate for our two-week-long investment special. All you have to do is get
to the basics. The boss then tapped the pointer back to the white projector scree
n.
A long list appeared before Yuri, and it shocked her. It turned out that their c
ompany chose about a hundred insurance companies for the task.
The boss smirked at her. Well, most of them are located in the outskirts of the c
ity, but you don t need to worry, he said, We ll have a correspondent accompany you wi
th the task. Miss Kim, please call him out.
Yes, sir.
Minutes of buzzing and unnecessary chatting later, Yuri s eyes widened in shock as
a tall guy, probably the tallest one around in the room, walked in front of the
conference table. He had a pair of small yet fierce-looking eyes, a long, sligh
tly pointed nose, and a small mouth. His strongly carved chin matched his broad
shoulders and his lean body frame.
Ladies and gentlemen, Kwon Yuri, the boss walked beside the guy and let out a smal
l smile, This is our newly-hired correspondent to Shanghai. Why don t you tell us m
ore about yourself?
The tall guy gave his most handsome smile to the black-haired girl at the end of
the table.
Annyeonghaseyo. My name is Ok Taecyeon. He gave Yuri a wink. Please take care of me
well.
Yuri s mouth slightly hung open. Then, she straightened up from her seat.
N-no, you re not the famous Ok Taecyeon? The financial journalist, author of What s W
rong with Microfinance in Korea? The stock market journalist? Yuri stuttered with
her words. She couldn t help but smile back at the tall guy. Gawd, I loved you wor
ks, and your book on microinsurance, I had that on my research list
Yes, yes, Yuri-sshi, now will you please keep your voice down? the boss led Taecye
on to his seat. You two can talk about things later.
A few more hours had passed as Yuri kept staring down at her phone. Its screen l
it up from time to time, displaying never-ending notifications. Yuri looked worr
ied as messages and missed calls kept coming.
6 missed calls | 10 new messages | From: My Sica Baby~
She wondered if she put something bad on the bibimyun she made for her Sica baby
.
Was it somewhat spicier than the awesome night we had?
Uh, excuse me, Taecyeon-sshi, Yuri was in a middle of a nice conversation with Ok
Taecyeon when she finally decided to answer a phone call from Jessica. Emergency
call.
Taecyeon nodded as Yuri went out of the conference room and pressed the Answer but
ton.
Sica baby?
Yep, it s me.
Why are you calling? Did you burn down the house already?
 No. I loved your bibimyun.
Is that why you called me?
Yeah, I think. How s the meeting?
I m in the middle of it right now. I can t join you for lunch, so
Please, come with me to lunch.
Oh, but this meeting might take long~
I want to see you, Yuri-yah,
Oh, okay. Okay. I ll be at the restaurant across the street from this building at t
welve. Okay? See you. I love you, Sica baby.
Yuri pressed the End button. She leaned against the wall, her shoulders slumped do
wn. She then pressed her temples with her fingers as she looked down to the floo
r.
I wonder what she s up to? she asked herself.
===
A pair of aviator shades covered Jessica s eyes as she looked out into the window
of the restaurant, hoping to find a tall, slim, sexy Yuri walk out of the entran
ce of their office building. She suddenly remembered how Yuri lied about her abs
ence from work, and she was determined not to be seen by any one of her officema
tes, or worse, her boss.
Five minutes to twelve, ten minutes time slowly passed as Jessica drummed her fin
gers on the table. Even though the restaurant was airconditioned, the heat of th
e sun which shone overhead above the busy downtown streets kept Jessica restless
and irritated. A waiter walked over and asked her in a foghorn voice,
Your order, Ma am?
Later I m waiting for someone. Jessica waved her hand briskly, as if telling the waite
r to get lost.
Kwon Yuri, where are you?
She dialed Yuri s number on the phone. It only rang continuously and didn t answer.
She had already sent what seemed like thousands of messages saying that she was
already in the restaurant, waiting for a century for her to come out.
Minutes more passed.
Suddenly, she leaned on the window and watched her Yuri talk with a tall, handso
me guy. He s cute, Jessica said to herself.
Wait. Let me get this straight.
Kwon Yuri, with a guy?!
This is SO out of the plan.
She suddenly found herself sprinting out of the revolving glass door. She didn t m
ind the cars passing by across the street, the people she was running into, and
the boss who suddenly came out of the building entrance, following Yuri and the
tall guy. She was walking very confidently, her vision tunneling towards the tal
l guy beside her girlfriend.
The cars honked, angry drivers shouted, and the boss called out
Miss Jung? Why are you absent from
WHACK!
A palm landed on Mr. Tall Guy s cheek hard. He stumbled back a bit and winced in pai
n.
Yuri, on the other hand, could only stare helplessly at Jessica. Jessica s shades
slightly skewed to reveal her eyes, probably from the force of her slap on the t
all guy.
What on heaven s gates is wrong with you?! Yuri shouted at her.
===
Jessica sat back on the car seat as Yuri turned the keys hanging under the steer
ing wheel, switching off the engine of her car. The auburn-haired girl leaned on
the glass window, dazing at the trees, buildings, and sidewalks in front of her
. She remembered how the two of them kept silent inside the car as Yuri drove he
r home. It was the same awkward silence that haunted them when they were still f
iguring out their feelings for each other.
What a morning. Yuri spoke, letting out a deep sigh.
Who was that Jessica started speaking, too.
He s a fellow correspondent for my Shanghai trip. A famous journalist I was to work
with. Nothing else.
He s had his eyes feasting on you. Didn t you notice? Jessica continued, still not loo
king at her girlfriend.
So? Yuri shot back. Ok Taecyeon is a colleague. Our colleague, though I honestly wa
nted to have my copy of his book signed personally by him, she removed the keys f
rom under the steering wheel and opened the lock of the door. You shouldn t have sl
apped him. Not in front of boss.
Jessica kept silent.
Jessica closed her eyes for a while. She didn t want to get out of her seat. She f
elt her face growing hot as she thought of the incident earlier. Luckily for her
, the boss was in a better mood, thanks to Ok Taecyeon s charm. He told Jessica to
show up tomorrow for work or she d get fired. After that, Yuri and Jessica had a
rather silent lunch together at the restaurant.
What about trust, Sica? Yuri finally turned to Jessica. She went to cup her girlfr
iend s face, and then she leaned closer to her. She kissed her on the forehead. Rem
ember what you told me? You told me you d only get drunk with me. I will always sa
y the same for you. I love you, Jessica Jung.
Jessica then looked at Yuri intently. The face, I m going to miss that.
Yuri smiled. This face? Or maybe this ?
She then kissed Jessica on the lips.
 Feeling fine now? Yuri whispered as she broke the kiss. Jessica nodded in reply.
The auburn-haired girl soon got out of the car and waved at her lover. I ll see you
at dinner, then, Jessica said. Yuri again smiled as she brought the car engine b
ack to life. Slowly, the car wheels rolled along the street as the car gleamed u
nder the hot early afternoon sun.
Please, before you go
Notice me
===
Yuri spent the rest of the afternoon working on a pile of documents for her upco
ming article specials on investment companies in Shanghai. She struggled with th
e art of multi-tasking looking at each of the documents, staring at the computer s
creen, and typing out incessantly the words which only the financial and busines
s world would know
In Shanghai, many investment companies cater to the interests of the less fortuna
te population, composed of children, women, and
Yuri stopped typing.
Women like Jessica they re hot if only she would be nice then maybe she could be my w
n
Yuri s head swam in nostalgia as she remembered how Jessica accidentally read her
notes on microfinance two weeks ago in the library. She smiled to herself and we
nt back to work.
What the heck is this, Yuri-yah? A tall girl appeared from behind Yuri. She was ca
rrying a pile of small white cards on one hand, and a box of doughnuts on the ot
her. Do you have a stalker or something?!
Yuri turned around. Oh, Sooyoung. She then looked at the white cards that Sooyoung
were holding. W-what do I have to do with those?
R.S.V.P., I think? Sooyoung struggled to gobble a doughnut from the box. It s from th
e so-called ice princess . Who s that, your mom?
Yuri suddenly grabbed each of the cards from the shikshin and stuffed them into
her drawer. Uh, yeah, I guess, Mother s Day, isn t it?
But it s June
Every day is Mother s Day! Come on, Sooyoung, Yuri chuckled as she tried to give her
officemate a high-five. Whatever, Sooyoung bluntly said as she walked out of Yuri s
cubicle, munching her doughnuts without a thought.
W-what is that?!
Yuri almost jumped at the screaming voice not too far from her. She stood up fro
m her chair and went to where the scream came from.
The black-haired girl just stood their, her jaws literally dropping to the floor
as she saw a group of accordion players lined up together, with a large box pla
ced in the middle. Yuri can tell that a human being can even fit inside the box.
jeone aldeon naega anya brand new sound
saero wojin nawa hamgge one more round
Yuri covered her mouth with her hands as she listened to the loud sound of accor
dions ringing across the room. She looked at her officemates some were trying not
to laugh, others also had their jaws dropping to the floor, while a few were whi
spering to each other and had their eyebrows raised.
What s going on?
Oh, Taecyeon-sshi, I
Yuri was surprised to see Taecyeon standing beside her. His forehead wrinkled in
confusion. He then walked to the accordion players, plugging his ears with his
palms, and tried to talk to them.
Excuse me, but this is a work area
This is for Miss Kwon Yuri. Sorry, we re paid to do this.
W-what?! Taecyeon s eyes seemed to have popped out of his eyeballs. Who gave you the
p-permission to get here?
Ice Princess, sir.
Yuri gasped. She just stared at the awkward scene in front of her as the accordi
on players kept singing and playing the loud music. Moments later, a long-haired
girl who was about the same height as Jessica pranced out of the box and starte
d dancing to the song. Hyoyeon, your dancing queen, at your service! she said.
Whoa! Almost all of the people in the office jumped in surprise.
WHAT IS THIS?! A voice boomed.
The boss walked slowly to Yuri and spoke in a firm voice.
Miss Kwon, care to explain this mess to me?
===
===
TRUST.
Did I do it right? Will you stay now?
Jessica stood at one corner outside the building, beside Yuri s car. It was gettin
g late in the afternoon the leaves turned orange and red as they flew across the s
treet. Cars were starting to zoom away and honk their horns again, and people we
re starting to walk out of their workplaces, buzzing and chatting about the day
that they had. Thank God, it was Friday.
Her face slowly wore a smile as she saw Yuri walk out of the building. After wav
ing her officemates goodbye, the black-haired girl made her way to her car. She
then saw Jessica.
Hey, honey, how was Jessica asked with a wide grin on her face.
We need to talk. Yuri cut her off. She looked intently at the auburn-haired girl i
n front of her.
Did you have a bad
 What s with you today?! Yuri asked her in a loud voice. Jessica, on the other hand,
was taken aback. She gasped as she held on to the collar of her blouse.
I was just trying to show you how much I care, Jessica answered.
You re going overboard, Jessica! Yuri shouted. I know how much you care. But why do t
his?!
Yuri pulled out a handful of white cards from her pocket. What s with these love po
ems?! And what s with slapping Taecyeon in front of the boss? What s up with you not
being able to wait for me for lunch?! And what s with the little show you put up
at the office?!
Jessica remained silent.
I m going home. I m tired. Yuri sighed. She opened the door of her car, then looked at
Jessica, who was staring down at the concrete floor. I suppose you can go home b
y yourself?
Jessica then kept her eyes on Yuri as they were being driven onto the verge of t
ears. What should I do then?! What should I do to make you stay?! Jessica blurted
out, her voice cracking like a fragile eggshell being struck out with a fork. It s
the least I can do, Yuri-yah. You ve always been sweet to me, and now I thought I
had nothing to do in return. She put her hands in her mouth to suppress her incom
ing sobs.
Yuri just stood there, frozen. After letting out a sigh, she put her hands on Je
ssica s shoulders, grasping them firmly. You didn t need to smother me with all those
stupid things, Sica, she said gently, You know how much you make me happy just by
saying a simple I love you.
Jessica shoved Yuri s hands away from her shoulder. She couldn t take it anymore. Sh
e was tired of playing the role of a baby, a damsel, a girl who couldn t do anythi
ng in return.
If I told you, I love you , would it even make you stay here? Jessica said, her tears
starting to fall down from her eyes, Would it even make a difference?
Jessica did not anymore expect an answer as Yuri drove away, leaving her sobbing
where she stood.
===
A week had passed. Yuri continued gathering information for her article specials
. However, she didn t have the usual energy and spirit to work with her assignment
. She would be leaving for Shanghai the next day, and she didn t want her preparat
ions to be ruined just because she was this uninspired.
Her thoughts of Jessica, however, had haunted her. She suddenly felt sorry for h
aving left her in the parking lot that day without waiting for a yes or no . But she
couldn t help it. Jessica had practically smothered her that day, and she didn t wan
t to be smothered any further. Her boss had already reprimanded her for that; lu
ckily she succeeded yet again in lying that her mother did it because every day
was Mother s Day for her mom. Well, every day should really be a Mother s Day, right
?
Yet, she badly missed
Her face,
Her touch,
Her warm embrace,
Her kisses,
Her rude punch lines,
Everything about her.
She tried to call Jessica back that day, but she didn t answer any of those calls.
Her text messages were left piling up in her Sent Items section without any repli
es from the Ice Princess.
The next day, and in the following days, Jessica never came to the office. From
time to time, she visited Jessica s apartment, only to be greeted by her cousin, A
mber.
Hi, is Jessica there?
Oh, hey, Yuri-yah. She s in Seoul right now, she s moving out for work.
What?
Heard me right. She asked your boss if she could move in to Korean Gazette.
W-what the
Maybe you can talk to her some other time. She s really busy.
In spite of those reveries, the black pearl continued to work her butt off in th
e office that day. People buzzed in and out of the office, answered phone calls
and scrapped out faxed letters, and shouted at their assistants mistakes. Everyth
ing was a stressful hustle and bustle to Yuri, but she didn t care.

Tok, tok~
Yuri turned around to see Taecyeon smiling back at her. Howdy, Miss Kwon Yuri? he
asked, trying to peer over the pile of papers that Yuri was reading. Yuri smiled
back weakly at the tall figure behind her.
Stress?
Y-yeah.
Hm. I think there s someone bothering you.
I don t know. Maybe, you? Yuri chuckled. She then went back to the pile of papers on
her desk and started to fumble at these. Smiling, Taecyeon snaked out her hand
in front of Yuri and showed her a book.
What yah, that s mine! How did you get that?
Yes, it s yours. Taecyeon swung the book above Yuri. But I wrote it.
Yuri swayed her arm frantically over her head, trying to keep the book from bloc
king her scan on the documents in front of her. Jinja. I m busy here, Taecyeon-sshi
.
Taecyeon then dropped the book quickly in front of her, causing Yuri to let out
a sigh. Okay, he said. He then walked away, humming a tune
Today is a brighter day, don t worry, be happy
Yuri shook her head and looked down at the book which flattened down the papers
she had been reading earlier.
Omona.
She was shocked to see Taecyeon s signature on the front page of the book, What s Wro
ng with Microfinance in Korea? , and a little note:
To Miss Kwon Yuri,
Your wish granted.
All thanks to the girl who slapped me in the face that day.
Ok Taecyeon
Yuri sank back into her seat as she tried to suppress her tears. It was no use,
however, as streams of the warm, salty liquid fell down along her cheeks.
J-Jung Sooyeon, Yuri let out a whimper.
===
Jessica could smell the sweet aroma of cappuccino as she held the tall tumbler c
lose under her nose. She then turned to face the window at the café and stared b
lankly outside. It was early in the morning, but the sky was already becoming mo
re and more overcast as dark, grayish clouds climbed on top of one another, read
y to throw out bolts of lightning at anything or anyone who tried to mess up wit
h nature. Soon, small droplets of rainwater tainted the windows. Outside, some p
eople pulled out their umbrellas and had them hovering above their heads. Couple
s shared one umbrella each, while others started running to get some shelter.
Oh, great.
It had been a week since she caused too many scenarios at what used to be her of
fice. She didn t really know what she had in mind when she asked her former boss a
week ago to have her transferred to Korean Gazette in Seoul. The reason:
In search of better employment opportunities, she wrote on her resignation papers.
As stupid as it sounds, however, the boss easily accepted it, taking into consi
deration the incidents that happened last week.
Her resignation was to take effect the next day. By that time, nothing and no on
e would be left in her cubicle but perhaps some scraps of paper from her paper t
hresher.
And perhaps, hours from now, no one would be left in her Yuri s cubicle but
Hello? Jessica? A girl sitting in front of her slowly smiled, her eyes slowly turn
ing into happy crescent shapes. Back to earth now? She waved her hand in front of
Jessica.
Jessica shook her head and realized she had been spacing out. Yah, Tiffany, stop
it! And please I wish Korea would ban aegyo.
The girl smiled even more. As if! It s something everyone here in Korea is trying t
o do, Jess. She then reached for her cup of cappuccino and stirred it with a smal
l plastic stick. When I arrived here yesterday from L.A., even the stewardesses a
t the entrance of the plane were pulling it all off. Jessica just sighed in reply
, returning her gaze to the view outside.
Anyway, are you sure you re going to Korean Gazette? she asked, I don t think you can m
ake it there, what with the stress, the bosses, the size of cubicles, and, as yo
ur childhood friend, I ll be missing your stupid
Cut it out, please. Jessica mumbled. She put down the tumbler firmly on the table
and looked at Tiffany. It s the only way I can somehow grant her wish.
Come on, Jung Sooyeon, Tiffany said, Your best friend Kwon Yuri already had her wis
h granted two weeks ago. What more can she ask of you?
I don t know, Jessica bit her lip. Maybe, some space?
Tiffany then looked out into the window. You haven t heard from her yet?
Jessica swung her head sideways.
No.
Tiffany then continued, without looking at her childhood friend, You know, Sooyeo
n-ah, the answer is simple. She wanted you to trust her. Love without trust well,
it s not love. It s just plain obsession, or paranoia.
Jessica nodded in agreement. The mushroom-haired girl in front of her then patte
d her on the shoulder.
Maybe that was one thing she needed more from you.
The auburn-haired girl finally understood. She had been strangling her girlfrien
d out of the fear of losing her, and instead of succeeding in making her girlfri
end stay, she had unintentionally:
One. Almost robbed Yuri of her chances to become a successful financial journali
st.
Two. Forced Yuri to become a damsel in distress.
Three. Kept Yuri away from her.
And damn, did she miss her badly.
Maybe, an hour or two from that moment she stayed at the café with Tiffany, Yuri
would be in a plane bound for Shanghai with that beastly Taecyeon. At that poin
t, they would be in the plane, together, drinking champagne and chatting about t
he possibilities of working out their relationship with each other, leaving her
Jessica with so many thoughts and words left unsaid
She s leaving now, isn t she? Tiffany cut her out from the dazing session.
Jessica went back to reality. She nodded her head.
Well?
What?
What are you doing here, then?
Jessica swayed her head frantically. No, I m not going to do that, if I were you. S
he s leaving and that s it. I ve ruined everything, Tiff.
Tiffany once again wore that eye smile that she had earlier. Don t be so hard on yo
urself, Jess. A week of not talking or even saying anything to each other is too
much, at least for a couple like you two.
But
Too much things unsaid, can leave you with nothing more.
Jessica suddenly found herself jumping out of her seat. She ran out of the café
as Tiffany went cheering for her, raising her right fist repeatedly up in the ai
r, shouting at her childhood friend just like the good old days:
Jessica, hwaiting!
On the other hand, the auburn-haired girl had already flagged a taxi. She flung
her shoulder bag to the street as a taxi stopped at the curb, in front of her.
Incheon Airport, please.
===
Yuri took a final look at the airport tarmac from the window as she carried a la
rge handbag with her to the airplane. She was definitely going to miss Incheon,
Apkujeong, Korea, and well, everything and everyone in it.
Outside the small window, small trucks that hauled cargo and luggage zoomed to a
nd from under the planes. Fuel trucks and ambulances parked under the shelter of
the huge building as people no doubt, airport staff ran in and out of the area in t
heir orange and yellow overalls, with large earmuffs covering their ears. They s
eemed unaware that, perhaps, the people aboard the large planes under their head
s were their lovers who were about to leave them for good.
The assignment would take Yuri half a year in Shanghai without the one she reall
y loves. She wasn t even able to tell Jessica how much she would miss her ice prin
cess, let alone bid Jessica goodbye.
Just then, Yuri found herself trapped in a day dream. She watched blankly, her m
outh slightly ajar, as some of the airport personnel jumped out of the carts the
y were driving and struggled to keep a short auburn-haired girl from going under
the plane. Their shouts were muffled the tunnel from the boarding gate to the air
plane was sound proof. Suddenly, a hand patted hard on Yuri s shoulder. She was sn
apped out of her dream.
Hey, Taecyeon-sshi, Yuri quickly turned to the tall guy beside her, I was just look
ing at the scenery. I ll be there aboard the plane, just go ahead.
She saw that Taecyeon was not looking at her, but also outside. His mouth also h
ung open.
Missing Korea, too? Yuri asked, still looking at him.
What the is that, Jessica?
Yuri swiftly moved her gaze from Taecyeon to the view outside the small window.
She was not daydreaming.
===
Let me go! Yah! I m just going to say goodbye to a friend! Jessica screamed and trie
d to kick away some of the airport personnel in orange and yellow uniforms. Howe
ver, she felt she was being outnumbered as more and more of them jumped down fro
m their trucks and carts and started hovering towards her. Cold sweat trickled d
own Jessica s forehead.
Can t you see, Ma am? Going beyond the confines of these orange markings, one of the p
ersonnel said, pointing to the markings under the plane, is prohibited. Now, plea
se, you can say goodbye to your friend after she arrives
But I WANT TO SEE HER NOW! N.O.W! Jessica shouted at the top of her lungs as the m
en in their overalls grabbed her by the arm. She kicked one of them squarely at
the groin, leaving him wincing in pain as others went to restrain her from hurti
ng others any further.
Y-Yuri-yah! Yuri-yah! Jessica shouted. I want to talk to you, please! she tilted her
head upwards and looked at the plane. She felt her strength draining as the per
sonnel slowly pulled her away from the tarmac.
Security breach at the airport tarmac, over. A guy wearing yellow overalls spoke o
ver his walkie talkie. He then turned to the girl in front of him. How did she ev
en get here?
Are you sure she s just looking for a friend?
I don t think so
The men started to mumble and give each other their speculations about how Jessi
ca was able to walk to the tarmac. Jessica could hear them, but she was so weak
from the shouting and kicking that she didn t even dare to look up and give them a
n icy glare.
I was too late.
Tears fell from Jessica s eyes as she looked down, twitching her arms and legs a b
it to see if she could still fight the force which dragged her farther away from
her one chance the chance to talk things out with Yuri.
Excuse me, sir.
A deep, manly voice caused Jessica and the airport personnel to turn their heads
towards the tall, lean guy standing in front of them. His gentle expression fai
led to cover up his fierce-looking eyes and strongly carved chin. Beside him was
a black-haired girl carrying a large handbag. Her eyes rolled sideways, trying
to avoid Jessica s gaze.
I believe she was looking for her. Taecyeon stepped aside as Yuri walked slowly to
wards her ice princess. The airport personnel shook their heads in confusion.
H-how did you get here, sir? And your flight for Shanghai is
Emergency exit in the tunnel. I took care of this. The plane can wait. Taecyeon sa
id coolly. He then waved her hand at Yuri and smiled.
I ll wait for you in the plane. Just don t take too long you only have five minutes.
Yuri nodded, and as Taecyeon walked back to the plane, she took Jessica and pull
ed her into an embrace. The airport personnel scratched their heads and walked a
way from the two of them, climbing back to their vehicles and resuming their wor
k.
Whew, what a day, one of them let out a deep sigh of relief.
===
Yuri didn t say anything as she tightly hugged Jessica, patting her head gently wi
th her one hand and caressing her back with the other. She inhaled the auburn-ha
ired girl s sweet strawberry scent as Jessica sobbed on the broad front of her sho
ulders, struggling to take a deep breath in between her soft whimpers. Yuri coul
d feel the front of her blouse getting wet and warm with Jessica s tears.
Yuri, Yuri-yah, I-I m s-sorry, Jessica tried to speak. I wasn t I wasn t able to trust
Yuri then lifted Jessica s head and gave her a smile. It s alright, Sica baby, it s oka
y I m here, see? I m sorry I snapped at you. I m sorry I said you were stupid. You were
n t stupid, Sica I was just too preoccupied
Yah, are you getting on the plane? We only have a guy holding a pair of what looked
like glowsticks interrupted them.
One more minute, please? Yuri said. She then looked intently at Jessica and wiped
her tears with her thumbs.
You can always ask me to stay, Sica baby. Just tell me. Yuri then pulled Jessica s f
ace closer to her and kissed her lightly on the lips. She could taste the tears
that ran down Jessica s mouth as she moved her lips gently. Jessica kissed her bac
k, and they stayed there for a while until,
One minute is up! the guy shouted. With the unlikely sight in front of him, he sli
ghtly covered his eyes with one of the sticks he was holding.
Yuri quickly broke the kiss. Please, tell me if you want me to stay, she said husk
ily, resting her forehead on Jessica s.
Jessica paused for a while. The guy with the odd-looking sticks was about to sig
nal the plane to being taxi out of the runway when Jessica looked up at Yuri s fac
e for the last time. Even with her eyes all red and puffy from crying, she gave
her girlfriend the sweetest smile ever.
I trust you, Kwon Yuri.
===
Somewhere in the sidewalks of Apkujeong, one late afternoon, two girls in their
office attire walked slowly, pausing to give way to the shorter girl, who was ta
lking over the phone. The other girl, who was tall and had long legs that accent
uated her slim body, munched down on some patbingsoo that she took out from a st
ore.
Yah! Amber! I ve got things to do, so please Jessica spoke over her phone, TELL ME WHE
RE YOU ARE RIGHT NOW!
Duh, how many times do I have to tell you, my lovely cousin, Amber said over the l
ine, I m here at the public library! I m doing my homework!
Jessica felt like she was about to throw her phone away. Why you okay, fine! I m goin
g there, just stay there, okay! Jeez, why did I even have to forget my keys in t
he house
Amber laughed hard. Jessica could hear her sniggers over the line, and she could
tell it was not funny, not at least for her. Suddenly, she felt a chiming sound
of keys over the line.
Babo! I got your keys, Jessica, keke~ Amber chuckled, Better get them here!
Before she could hear more of Amber s laughter, she quickly pressed the End button o
f her cellphone. She breathed in the gentle breeze that blew some strands of hai
r away from her face, then let out a loud sigh as she slowed down her pace along
the sidewalk. She was determined to calm herself down, for the sake of her cous
in. After all, she didn t want Amber to go back to U.S. with a broken nose, or may
be, in a gurney with all the needles stuck to her. The back of her mind smirked
at the thought.
What s up with that? Sooyoung said as she stirred her spoon into the cup she was hol
ding. Her patbingsoo melted even in the late afternoon sun, leaving some gelatin
floating at the brim of Sooyoung s cup.
Nothing, just my stupid cousin. Jessica muttered.
Well, that surely adds to the stress, Sooyoung chuckled, What more if you re at Korea
n Gazette by now?
Jessica smiled weakly. I know, I know, it was all a mistake, she replied, I love my
job.
Sooyoung then stopped at a signpost which said, BUS STOP . She then waved at Jessic
a.
It seems I m staying here to wait for my bus home, the shikshin said, See you again t
omorrow morning.
Okay, bye.
Soon, Jessica was walking alone, oblivious to the people who were going in the o
pposite direction, probably headed for home.
She gazed at the same old sidewalk where she and Yuri used to walk together duri
ng late afternoons. Although the remaining light from the sun shone among the th
inned clouds in the sky and warmed her up, it was nothing compared to the warmth
that her Kwon Yuri could give her. While the sun can give the warmth that anyon
e in the world needed, Yuri gave her one that only she Jessica Jung needed most.
A year had passed.
It seemed to Jessica that Yuri s assignment in Shanghai turned out to be longer th
an usual. Sure, she was able to receive an occasional e-mail from her girlfriend
for the first few months, but after that, she didn t hear anything from her anymo
re. Worse, the six months passed by, but Yuri didn t come home. Jessica s hope was h
anging by a thread. The only thing she held on to were the words she told Yuri,
I trust you.
The ice princess again sighed when she stood in front of the library. It reminde
d her of the day when she peeked over Yuri s notes on microfinance, and found, cro
ssed out by a thin line,
if only she would be nice, then maybe she could be my woman.
Jessica laughed to herself at the ongoing nostalgia in her head. She barely made
out in her mind Yuri s confused expression the day she first pecked her on the ch
eek and ran away. Then, she shook her head, only to find Amber standing a few me
ters from her, dangling her keys mischievously.
YAH! You brat! Come here!
Jessica ran and chased Amber to the entrance of the library. Just then, she saw
a familiar figure walk out of the door, causing her to stop in her tracks. Amber
handed the stranger at the door the keys and a high five.
Meanwhile, the stranger looked at the auburn-haired girl and smiled. Her black h
air, slightly longer than the usual, flowed smoothly to the gentle breeze as she
fixed her eyes on Jessica. It was the gaze that took her breath away. The girl
gently threw her arms out and smiled.
Jessica smiled back at the beautiful stranger in front of her. She sprinted towa
rds the person at the door, her eyes beginning to tear up as she held out her ha
nds, ready to return the girl s hug. She didn t need a pair of reading glasses to se
e who it was.
Soon, Jessica found herself in that warmth she was longing for a year.
It was when she finally learned what trust is.
the end