Snatches of Conversation 3
A/N: Just Yuri and Jessica talking a lot one cold, sleepless night. Inspired in part by this -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6jKIS4BbaA and a particularly long convo I had with someone on Twitter. I hardly ever have the chance to chat with other YulSic shippers, so, thank you for chatting with me that day ... you know who you are!
"Aiiishh!" Yuri clapped shut her laptop, irritably, and with such force that the loud CLACK produced in the process startled a peacefully sleeping Hani at the foot of her bed.
The pomeranian gave a soft whimper, as if to enquire if anything was wrong, briefly lifting her furry head to look at her flustered mistress, before laying her head down again.
Affectionately ruffling Hani's soft fur, Yuri muttered, "Sorry, girl. Scared you, did I?"
She had only been catching up on fan accounts and browsing through pictures and videos of their recent 'I Got A Boy' promotional events and TV appearances that over-zealous fans had uploaded all over the Internet and on YouTube. There were some pretty amazing pictures which showed her looking suave and generally goddess-esque, but most were simply embarrassing, like the ones where she was caught with her eyes and mouth wide open in shock or had her tongue sticking out.
Ugh. Jinjja. Fans sure have a knack of catching me at the most awkward moments.
And then, there were the pictures where the main focus seemed to be on her infamous trident abs and power thighs - as if they were deliberately bared for the whole world to see. One had her standing with her legs wide apart, wearing those barely-there, tiny shorts that left little to one's imagination....
Oh, crap. Can't be helped...that was during one of the IGAB performances. It's beyond my control, all these weird, obscene camera angles.
But surely, what gave her more cause for concern were all those accounts about Jessica and Yoona, or Jessica and Hyoyeon - or Jessica with just about anyone except Kwon Yuri, herself - kidding around during TV studio recordings and fansign events. Also, riling her up quite a bit were all those video footages that featured Jessica and Yoona engaging in silly antics that basically seemed to imply that her Ice Princess and Im Choding were an item. AND further ruffling her feathers yet, was a term that seemed to be repeatedly mentioned in all those fan accounts...
...YoonSic moments, HEOL. Really. What's all this talk about YoonSic when the YulSic ship is still formidably float-worthy? Okay, granted that maybe these days you guys don't see us sailing much, but just call us THE UNSINKABLE and get on with it. We're talking about a freaking submarine here, jeongmal.
At this juncture, peeved and allowing the green-eyed monster in her to briefly surface, Yuri made a mental note to have a stern word - or two, maybe even three - with Jessica, regarding her public display of affection towards Yoona.
Yes, Kwon Yuri possessed a rather jealous streak that was - for the most part, dormant - buried somewhere deep down within her that few had knowledge of. Even the cool, full-of-nothing-but-swag Kwon Yuri, herself, did not realise she was capable of such a vice as jealousy. Until now, that is.
But because she didn't have it in her to be petty over what she knew full well could only be Jessica's sisterly affection towards Yoona, that jealous streak was quickly suppressed before it could further nip her in the butt, as something more deserving of her attention arose.
That Lotte Pop-up Store video....
It was a seemingly harmless fan-made video of the girls gracing the store with their presence, browsing through the merchandise on display, but it was pretty clear who the main protagonists were.
Indeed, it was those few isolated seconds within that particular clip that somehow got to Yuri, eliciting certain emotions within her, leaving her overwhelmed with remorse as she bit on her lower lip, bitterly.
For those not in the know, those few seconds were insignificant. But that was NOT the case for eagle-eyed fans aboard their ship who were only too quick to analyse every single, minute detail depicted within that short time frame. It was perfect fodder for fan fiction as they scurried off to their computer keyboards to thump out yet another imaginary piece that would soon debut over the Internet - maybe on LiveJournal, Soshified, or wherever it was that deluded authors post their stuff, to be eagerly lapped up by equally deluded readers.
Only that was real and not imagined. YulSic... I mean, Jessica and I... we really WERE caught in that moment... Yuri mused, somewhat uneasily.
The video had captured her smiling at Jessica when Jessica had, enthusiastically, with a bit of aegyo, held up those two cute, little bears for her approval, only to have that smile instantly wiped off her face - indeed, a 180-degree change in facial expression - when their manager had ambled over. The clip then showed her stalking off, leaving Jessica high and dry, and the unmistakable hurt on Jessica's face thereafter, was so clearly captured.
It was precisely that hurt look, coupled with a certain, tired melancholy, that had clawed at Yuri's heart, tearing it to shreds.
And that was how the remorse bit came in, of course. It would appear that she had acted rather callously towards Jessica. But surely Jessica should understand why, shouldn't she? Their managers were SO on to them, surely Jessica should know that by now? Hadn't they already been through this a dozen times? That they should be careful?
BTS, Jessica... we're supposed to go BTS, remember?
It was then that Yuri began to wonder if all those recent, so-called 'YoonSic' moments had anything to do with the Lotte incident, and whether Jessica, of late, was exacting revenge on her by intentionally showering all her attention on Yoona, or sometimes, even on Hyoyeon. To the best of Yuri's belief, those two weren't likely to pose a threat as there probably wasn't a single gay bone between them - they both clearly like men.
Oh God. How is it that these latent vices - jealousy and my suspicious nature - are rearing their ugly heads all at once? Not cool, KwonYul. Not cool, at all.
The time displayed on her Mickey Mouse clock declared that it was long past the time for her to hit the sack but bushed as she was after a full day of schedules, Yuri knew that sleep would be eluding her.
The hell, Jessica. See what you've done? I'm not getting any sleep tonight and it's all your fault. And if I get a breakout due to lack of sleep, it's also your fault.
Slipping out of bed, she addressed her dog, "Hey girl, how about you and me going for a little walk, huh?"
Recognising the word, 'walk', the little pom perked up her ears and gave a sharp bark of approval, jumping up at Yuri, wagging her bushy tail.
*
For reasons unbeknownst to Krystal Jung, her sister was still very much awake, warmly wrapped in a blanket, spaced out in front of the TV in their spacious living room, when she returned from her schedule.
"Hey." Krystal flopped down heavily onto the couch, next to Jessica.
"How was your day?" Jessica asked, without taking her eyes off of the TV.
"Not too bad." Krystal snuggled closer, resting her head on her sister's shoulder. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, sat up straight again. "Sis, I THINK I saw Yuri-unni across the road just now when Manager Oppa dropped me off downstairs."
"Hm. And what would Yuri be doing there, in sub-zero temperature and at..." Jessica took a cursory glance at the clock, "...1:15 in the morning when she's obsessively concerned about sleeping early so her skin cells will regenerate or that she doesn't get some kind of skin breakout?"
"I thought that was Seohyun-unni - "
"Both. Health freaks, both of them."
"Yeah? And why would Unni, yourself, still be up at 1:15 when you can never have too much of sleep? Something on your mind?" the younger Jung queried, nudging the older one with her shoulder, a mischievous glint in the eye. "Yuri-unni's been giving you a hard time, huh? You guys aren't getting it on enough, I'll bet?"
I'll be damned....this kid. But she's hit the nail right on the head. Guess I've just got too many issues going on inside my head all at once that sleep eludes me. Kwon-related issues, that is.
Jessica only wished she knew where her closely-guarded relationship with the tanned Goddess was leading to. It was getting harder to see each other, since they had both moved out of the dorm, and were busy with different work schedules. Even when they were working on the same ones, they had to be mindful not to get too close to each other, no thanks to the ever-watchful eyes of their guard dogs, a.k.a managers, who had the uncanny knack of sniffing out mischief a mile away. Indeed, fully aware that there was more to their relationship than meets the eye, verbal warning had already been issued by the managers - they were to stay away from each other, and hence, their different work schedules. Stealing moments in between were proving to be virtually impossible. And as for "getting it on", as Krystal had put it, well, Jessica couldn't even recall the last time they did anything remotely along those lines.
And when you'd rather not discuss your love life - or your lack of one - with your pesky dongsaeng, ignore and evade...
Giving Krystal a sharp prod with her elbow, Jessica snapped, "Never you mind. Go shower. Whip up a snack or something. ANYTHING. People are trying to watch TV here."
Krystal looked briefly at the TV, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Really? Rerun of Queen Seon Deok? My sister, the one who doesn't even know the Korean term for Queen Mother?"
So, historical period dramas weren't exactly the genre of TV entertainment Jessica Jung would sacrifice precious sleep for but did Krystal have to rub that in? Jessica gave her another prod to get her going. She didn't want her sister probing. "Krys, really, go take that shower, hm?"
"Oh-kay... I know when I'm not wanted." Krystal got off the couch reluctantly, stretching her arms above her head. Noticing that it had begun to snow, she walked towards the wide expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass panes, peering down several floors into the street below. Then, she exclaimed excitedly, "Ohmygosh! I was right. It WAS - IS - her! Yuri-unni! "
Wide-eyed in disbelief, Jessica joined her sister at the window and peering down, sure enough, there was Kwon Yuri standing across the road, with her little dog in tow.
Wait. What. Why's that insufferable Kkab standing there...in freezing cold weather ...at this ungodly hour?
Then, her cell phone buzzed...
"HEY. I'M ACROSS THE ROAD FROM YOUR PLACE. COME ON DOWN."
Seriously, Kwon Yuri?
Totally convinced that Yuri was completely off her rocker, Jessica looked up from her phone, turning to look at Krystal, querying, "How did you even recognise her the way she's all wrapped up like pigs-in-a-blanket with her muffler practically covering her face?"
"I didn't, actually. " Krystal had her chin hooked over sister's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the text message. "It was the dog I recognised."
KwonYul, you really need to work at fostering better rapport with your sister-in-law.
Jessica sighed. "How cold is it out?"
"I dunno. -10 thereabouts?"
"Brrrrr." Jessica shivered involuntarily, as her fingers moved dexterously over her phone's touch screen, nimbly keying in her reply:
"CAN'T. I'M SLEEPING ALREADY."
Nuh-uh. Wild horses couldn't drag me. Not even my Goddess of Kkabness herself.
*
Shifting from one foot to the other due to the cold, Yuri clucked her tongue in annoyance at Jessica's reply. Although her hands were cold which hampered a little with texting, her fingers still managed to work adroitly,
"IS THAT A LATENT TALENT - SLEEPING STANDING UP WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW? OR DO YOU CONSIDER THAT MULTITASKING? I CAN SEE YOU FROM WAY DOWN HERE. GET YOUR BUTT DOWN ALREADY!"
And as an afterthought, added,
"PLEASE, JESSICA?"
*
Although they had known each other for almost half their lives, meeting as trainees at SM, and been in love for at least the last five of those years, Yuri had always felt this inexplicable sense of warmth coursing right through her each time she laid eyes on Jessica Jung. And right there and then, Yuri was rocked by that very same sensation, when she saw the blonde emerging from her apartment building, sauntering across the road towards her, in that lazy, unhurried manner that was so distinctly Sergeant Jung.
That walk...she definitely owns it...
Jessica had conveniently borrowed the military parka and uggs that Krystal had discarded upon reaching home. On top of that, she had a thick, Mickey Mouse-print, fleece blanket draped around her shoulders that Yuri found most familiar...
...Hey, isn't that mine? Jessica Jung, you blanket thief!
If stealing her heart wasn't enough, Jessica had to make off with her favourite Mickey Mouse blanket, too. Yuri had searched high and low for said blanket when she was packing her belongings, all ready to move home. She didn't once think that the next time she was to see it again, it would be draped around her Significant Other's delicate shoulders.
Hi again, blankie. And bye, since you're now hers. Make sure you keep her warm....Yuri could only stare at it, wistfully.
Jessica Jung was certainly not showing the least bit of remorse for having taken her other half's favourite blanket without asking. Perhaps she was of the mentality that whatever belonged to Yuri, also belonged to her.
Instead, she grumbled, "Are you mad? It's easily -10 right now and look, it's snowing." Brushing away snowflakes that had gathered on Yuri's shoulder, and clasping Yuri's cold hands between her still warm ones, she asked, "What are you doing out this time of the night anyway?"
"I couldn't sleep, so, I took Hani for a walk." Addressing the pomeranian who was jumping and yelping in excitement at Jessica, "Say 'hello' to Mommy, Hani."
"What?" Jessica indignantly released Yuri's hands like hot rocks while looking down disinterestedly at the dog. This is carrying things a bit too far. If I'm a dog's mommy, doesn't that make me a bitch? "No, seriously, you walked all the way here from your place? And you made that little fleabag walk with you?"
"Awww...don't call her a fleabag? You'll hurt her feelings. Anyway, it's only 2 km or so, and I carried her part of the distance. No big deal."
"Why does she keep sniffing and jumping at me?" Jessica wasn't exactly fond of dogs.
"Maybe she smells Bruiser on you?"
"Yeah, right. Tell me something lamer, why don't you? " Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon. She's a dog, Sica. That's only her way of getting acquainted."
"Well, make her stop."
"Okay, I got her." Yuri sighed as she tugged gently at Hani's leash. "Why don't you like her?"
"Yuri, that pooch gets to spend more time with you than I do. She even gets to sleep with you. I don't, and I'm your girlfriend."
"You're jealous of a dog?"
Jessica was about to retort when something made her take another look at the dog. Goodness. What's that dog wearing? "Uh, Yuri, that must surely be insult to a dog - a turtleneck with a tutu?"
"Insult nothing. She loves it...don't you, Haniiii?" Saying so, Yuri picked Hani up, letting the dog lick her nose, and then encouraging it to do the same to her girlfriend, much to Jessica's disgust as she shied away. "Don't you think it's cute? "
"I don't. It looks silly on her. Especially the tutu. I'm convinced that your taste in, uhm, doggy fashion, is sadly lacking." Jessica didn't like being a killjoy but she would rather be honest with her opinions. Besides, she was more curious as to why Yuri couldn't sleep, and why Yuri was walking her dog in the middle of the night, and was now standing before her, with snow falling all around them. "Honestly, Yuri, why are you here? You dragged me out of my comfort zone, so, this had better be good?"
The snow was beginning to fall harder. Putting her dog down, Yuri slung one arm around Jessica's shoulders, guiding her along to the bus shelter a few meters away. Under the bus shelter, she busied herself brushing the snowflakes off Jessica's head, and stooping slightly, she gazed into Jessica's eyes, rasping in her usual husky tone of voice, "Sica, close your eyes."
"Wae?"
"Tch. Will you for once just do as I say?"
"Okaaay...you're the seobaaanggg..." Jessica drawled, obediently closing her eyes.
And then, she felt light spurts of warm breaths against her eyes as Yuri gently blew against them to dislodge snowflakes that had fallen on her eyelashes, and savouring the moment, all doubts slowly slid off her mind.
There were times when Jessica had been so bogged down that she had nearly wanted to call it quits. But each time that she had been on the verge, an unsuspecting Yuri would unknowingly come up with something random, sweetly thoughtful and totally unexpected; making her feel that her fears were unfounded; that their going BTS was worth the while; once more affirming her position in Yuri's life; more so, her heart.
"There. Done." Yuri grinned, patting Jessica's head affectionately.
Upon opening her eyes, Jessica immediately lowered her gaze to the ground, her cheeks flushed. Five years and I'm still shy... "Yes, you're a good seobang..." Jessica cleared her throat, hooking her hair behind her ear. "...But uhm, I still want to know why you couldn't sleep and why you're walking that flea - I mean, dog - in the dead of night? How did you end up here?"
"And you? Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I can afford not to. I haven't an early schedule like someone here..."
"Oh crap...I forgot..."
"Yuri, it's effing cold out here and if you're still not telling me, then good night..."
As Jessica made to go, Yuri caught her hands to stall her, then proceeded to hurriedly direct Jessica's hands into her hip pockets.
"Feel my warmth?" Yuri snaked her arms around Jessica's waist, an action that drew their bodies closer together.
"Mmm...I feel your buns..." Jessica gave each firm lobe a squeeze.
"Aarrgh..." Yuri gasped, drawing her breath in sharply.
"Your ass is at my mercy.. " Jessica hissed, giving Yuri's butt another squeeze - and held on it tight. "...So tell me...quick!"
"Alright, alright! I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about you, so, I took Hani for a walk. We walked and we walked and I thought about you some more and wanted to see you real bad. So, we ended up here."
"Why were you thinking about me?" Great. We were both sleepless because we were thinking of each other. Talk about great minds.
"Hello? Is it something out of the ordinary to be thinking of my girlfriend whom I have missed and have not..." Yuri lowered her voice, "...touched...for some time? And darn those fancams."
"I'm surprised - and honoured - that you still regard me as your girlfriend, the one you haven't... " Jessica's cheeks were burning... "...touched... for some time. Wait, what fancams?"
"Just - fancams ... "
"Viewing fancams would actually put you in sleepless mode?" Jessica was extremely curious as to what fancams Yuri had been watching.
"They would - if they feature your girlfriend throwing herself at someone else other than yourself....aarrghh...Sicaaa!"
Jessica had just given Yuri's lobes another hard squeeze, digging her nails in this time. "You better make yourself clear. SO, who have I been throwing myself at, hmm...?"
"Yoona....Hyoyeon...just about everyone but me!"
"Seriously? Yuri, Yoona reminds me so much of Krystal, and Hyo is just crazy-fun, someone everyone loves to hang with, you inclusive. Just kill me already if you're jealous of people you know full well there's no way in hell I could ever think of ....the way I think of ...you."
'You' was uttered so softly that it was almost inaudible but Yuri heard it, and was immediately ashamed of herself. By then, Jessica had already released her hold on Yuri's derriere, but her hands remained in her pockets, feeling the comfort of her warmth. She looked up at Yuri, her eyes beseechingly searching the taller girl's face for some kind of acknowledgement - that Yuri had understood her take on the matter. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding or miscommunication between them. Jessica preferred clarity if she could help it but she knew Yuri hated form and convention; anything that she thought would possibly cramp her style. She would try to get away with murder if you let her.
"I'm sorry..." Yuri mumbled when she finally found her voice, tightening her arms around Jessica, pulling her in closer, resting her chin on top of her tousled blonde head. "Maybe we shouldn't have moved out of the dorm. "
"But we both agreed that we need to spend time with our own families. Is there anything else you feel you want to get off your chest? So you can go home and sleep easy?"
"That day at Lotte?"
"What about Lotte?"
"I was mean to you when you showed me the bears? It was all captured on someone's fancam."
"Oh that. You were really mean that time. I was very hurt but I do understand where you were coming from. You were only being careful since Manager Oppa was watching us like a hawk."
"When the Japan Arena tours and everything else blow over, let's go on a trip somewhere. Just the two of us. Melbourne, Australia...always wanted to go there."
"Sure. It'll be our little secret. No one needs to know, okay? And Yuri?"
"Hmm?"
"Stop watching pointless fancams?"
"Okay."
"You think you can go home and sleep now?"
"D'you think you can drive us? Hani's tired." Yuri looked down at her dog who was lying at her feet.
Jessica whipped her car key out of her pocket, waving it in Yuri's face. "I came down all prepared."
*
Unlocking her car, Jessica narrowed her eyes when she saw Yuri picking up her dog, about to get into the car.
"The mutt goes in the trunk," she said.
"Awww...Sicaaa! " Yuri protested, stamping her feet like a spoilt child.
"Just kidding. But she sits behind. I want nothing between me and my girlfriend. That dog's like a third wheel."
"No worries. Hani understands. Stay, Hani. Goood girl." Yuri put her dog in the back before slipping into the front passenger seat. Reaching for her seatbelt, Yuri looked around the basement carpark facility of Jessica's apartment building.
"Looking for something?" Jessica asked, strapping on her belt.
"Are there CCTVs here?"
"There's one right over there, pointing directly at us. Why?"
"No chance of any YulSic sexy times then," Yuri replied ruefully, looking longingly at Jessica.
"Well, you're certainly not getting any here!" An alarmed Jessica exclaimed, a faint blush tinting her face. Where on earth did she learn the term 'YulSic sexy times' from? But it soon dawned on her. "Have you been reading a certain genre of fanfics about us?"
"One or two." Yuri readily admitted, grinning.
"In English?" Jessica's eyes widened in mock horror. "But Kwon Yuri, everyone knows your English is atrocious!"
"Yeah, I read one on somewhere called LJ. It said, 'YulSic smut'. I didn't know what 'smut' meant so I Google-d it. It was pretty steamy. You really don't need to be good in English to understand smut." Yuri said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh my God...you read about us having - sex?!"
"Yeah, it was embarrassing."
"Well, I certainly hope you were at least embarrassed, KwonYul!"
"Hmm. Is there really not the slightest chance of us doing it here? In your car?"
"You're disgustingly shameless." Jessica shifted out of neutral.
"Say when, Sica? YulSic sexy times, I mean?"
"Definitely not now! Now shut up about YulSic sexy times! I have to get you home!"
As Jessica's Beemer ascended the slope leading out of the basement, Yuri asked, "Can you take a longer route?"
"Why? You need to sleep, Yuri. Your morning schedule - "
"I know, but I just really want to be alone with you a little longer?"
*
Jessica drove slowly, circling Yuri's neighbourhood several times over, one hand on the steering wheel, the other tightly holding on to Yuri's hand.
Finally, after convincing Yuri that she really should get some sleep, Jessica pulled up a short distance just before her apartment building, at her request.
"I know YulSic sexy times is out of the question but how about a good night kiss?" Yuri asked, looking hopeful.
"Fine but only if you promise you'll do something for me?" Saying so, Jessica reached over to the glove compartment, pulling out an envelope and handing it to Yuri.
"What's that?" Yuri peeked into the envelope, then drew out a ticket. "Ticket to Legally Blonde on 14 February? Ugh, Sicaaa..."
"Don't 'ugh Sica' me. You didn't attend the other time."
"Well, neither did Taeyeon and Hyo."
"I don't give a rat's ass about the Kims not attending but it would mean so much to me if you could come. I really want you to come, Yuri. Please? There may be an added bonus for you if you promise to come?"
"Oh alright. " Yuri nodded, a little grudgingly. "What bonus?"
"It's February 14th, Yuri."
"So?"
"IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY, BABO! Why are you always so slow?"
"Oh, does that mean YulSic sexy times after the show?"
"I dunno..." Jessica shrugged, with just a faint hint of a smile. "Maybe?"
Yuri kissed the ticket before carefully putting it away in her coat pocket, "You're such a tease, Jeshka. Now, can I claim my good night kiss? No CCTVs here."
"You think of everything, don't you?"
Willingly allowing herself to be pulled into Yuri's arms, and as her lips yielded to Yuri's, a barrage of thoughts flashed through her head, as she thought of the many more hurdles they had to cross. Whether their clandestine relationship would ever see the light of day, or rather, whether they could ever publicly make known their relationship, still had this humongous question mark looming over their heads.
But for now, she told herself to stop worrying, reminding herself...
I'm Jessica Jung. I'm a free spirit. I live only for the moment.
She was in Yuri's embrace, they were madly in love, and alternating between sensual touches and soft kisses, feeling Yuri's warm breath against her ear, hearing her whisper, "I love you" was all that mattered to her.
***
A/N: Absolutely no disrespect meant to YoonSic shippers for the reference made to YoonSic here. It's only fiction, yes?
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Of course, everyone knows that Yuri attended Legally Blonde on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2013. I thought Jessica never looked happier! ( credits : owner of picture)
"Aiiishh!" Yuri clapped shut her laptop, irritably, and with such force that the loud CLACK produced in the process startled a peacefully sleeping Hani at the foot of her bed.
The pomeranian gave a soft whimper, as if to enquire if anything was wrong, briefly lifting her furry head to look at her flustered mistress, before laying her head down again.
Affectionately ruffling Hani's soft fur, Yuri muttered, "Sorry, girl. Scared you, did I?"
She had only been catching up on fan accounts and browsing through pictures and videos of their recent 'I Got A Boy' promotional events and TV appearances that over-zealous fans had uploaded all over the Internet and on YouTube. There were some pretty amazing pictures which showed her looking suave and generally goddess-esque, but most were simply embarrassing, like the ones where she was caught with her eyes and mouth wide open in shock or had her tongue sticking out.
Ugh. Jinjja. Fans sure have a knack of catching me at the most awkward moments.
And then, there were the pictures where the main focus seemed to be on her infamous trident abs and power thighs - as if they were deliberately bared for the whole world to see. One had her standing with her legs wide apart, wearing those barely-there, tiny shorts that left little to one's imagination....
Oh, crap. Can't be helped...that was during one of the IGAB performances. It's beyond my control, all these weird, obscene camera angles.
But surely, what gave her more cause for concern were all those accounts about Jessica and Yoona, or Jessica and Hyoyeon - or Jessica with just about anyone except Kwon Yuri, herself - kidding around during TV studio recordings and fansign events. Also, riling her up quite a bit were all those video footages that featured Jessica and Yoona engaging in silly antics that basically seemed to imply that her Ice Princess and Im Choding were an item. AND further ruffling her feathers yet, was a term that seemed to be repeatedly mentioned in all those fan accounts...
...YoonSic moments, HEOL. Really. What's all this talk about YoonSic when the YulSic ship is still formidably float-worthy? Okay, granted that maybe these days you guys don't see us sailing much, but just call us THE UNSINKABLE and get on with it. We're talking about a freaking submarine here, jeongmal.
At this juncture, peeved and allowing the green-eyed monster in her to briefly surface, Yuri made a mental note to have a stern word - or two, maybe even three - with Jessica, regarding her public display of affection towards Yoona.
Yes, Kwon Yuri possessed a rather jealous streak that was - for the most part, dormant - buried somewhere deep down within her that few had knowledge of. Even the cool, full-of-nothing-but-swag Kwon Yuri, herself, did not realise she was capable of such a vice as jealousy. Until now, that is.
But because she didn't have it in her to be petty over what she knew full well could only be Jessica's sisterly affection towards Yoona, that jealous streak was quickly suppressed before it could further nip her in the butt, as something more deserving of her attention arose.
That Lotte Pop-up Store video....
It was a seemingly harmless fan-made video of the girls gracing the store with their presence, browsing through the merchandise on display, but it was pretty clear who the main protagonists were.
Indeed, it was those few isolated seconds within that particular clip that somehow got to Yuri, eliciting certain emotions within her, leaving her overwhelmed with remorse as she bit on her lower lip, bitterly.
For those not in the know, those few seconds were insignificant. But that was NOT the case for eagle-eyed fans aboard their ship who were only too quick to analyse every single, minute detail depicted within that short time frame. It was perfect fodder for fan fiction as they scurried off to their computer keyboards to thump out yet another imaginary piece that would soon debut over the Internet - maybe on LiveJournal, Soshified, or wherever it was that deluded authors post their stuff, to be eagerly lapped up by equally deluded readers.
Only that was real and not imagined. YulSic... I mean, Jessica and I... we really WERE caught in that moment... Yuri mused, somewhat uneasily.
The video had captured her smiling at Jessica when Jessica had, enthusiastically, with a bit of aegyo, held up those two cute, little bears for her approval, only to have that smile instantly wiped off her face - indeed, a 180-degree change in facial expression - when their manager had ambled over. The clip then showed her stalking off, leaving Jessica high and dry, and the unmistakable hurt on Jessica's face thereafter, was so clearly captured.
It was precisely that hurt look, coupled with a certain, tired melancholy, that had clawed at Yuri's heart, tearing it to shreds.
And that was how the remorse bit came in, of course. It would appear that she had acted rather callously towards Jessica. But surely Jessica should understand why, shouldn't she? Their managers were SO on to them, surely Jessica should know that by now? Hadn't they already been through this a dozen times? That they should be careful?
BTS, Jessica... we're supposed to go BTS, remember?
It was then that Yuri began to wonder if all those recent, so-called 'YoonSic' moments had anything to do with the Lotte incident, and whether Jessica, of late, was exacting revenge on her by intentionally showering all her attention on Yoona, or sometimes, even on Hyoyeon. To the best of Yuri's belief, those two weren't likely to pose a threat as there probably wasn't a single gay bone between them - they both clearly like men.
Oh God. How is it that these latent vices - jealousy and my suspicious nature - are rearing their ugly heads all at once? Not cool, KwonYul. Not cool, at all.
The time displayed on her Mickey Mouse clock declared that it was long past the time for her to hit the sack but bushed as she was after a full day of schedules, Yuri knew that sleep would be eluding her.
The hell, Jessica. See what you've done? I'm not getting any sleep tonight and it's all your fault. And if I get a breakout due to lack of sleep, it's also your fault.
Slipping out of bed, she addressed her dog, "Hey girl, how about you and me going for a little walk, huh?"
Recognising the word, 'walk', the little pom perked up her ears and gave a sharp bark of approval, jumping up at Yuri, wagging her bushy tail.
*
For reasons unbeknownst to Krystal Jung, her sister was still very much awake, warmly wrapped in a blanket, spaced out in front of the TV in their spacious living room, when she returned from her schedule.
"Hey." Krystal flopped down heavily onto the couch, next to Jessica.
"How was your day?" Jessica asked, without taking her eyes off of the TV.
"Not too bad." Krystal snuggled closer, resting her head on her sister's shoulder. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, sat up straight again. "Sis, I THINK I saw Yuri-unni across the road just now when Manager Oppa dropped me off downstairs."
"Hm. And what would Yuri be doing there, in sub-zero temperature and at..." Jessica took a cursory glance at the clock, "...1:15 in the morning when she's obsessively concerned about sleeping early so her skin cells will regenerate or that she doesn't get some kind of skin breakout?"
"I thought that was Seohyun-unni - "
"Both. Health freaks, both of them."
"Yeah? And why would Unni, yourself, still be up at 1:15 when you can never have too much of sleep? Something on your mind?" the younger Jung queried, nudging the older one with her shoulder, a mischievous glint in the eye. "Yuri-unni's been giving you a hard time, huh? You guys aren't getting it on enough, I'll bet?"
I'll be damned....this kid. But she's hit the nail right on the head. Guess I've just got too many issues going on inside my head all at once that sleep eludes me. Kwon-related issues, that is.
Jessica only wished she knew where her closely-guarded relationship with the tanned Goddess was leading to. It was getting harder to see each other, since they had both moved out of the dorm, and were busy with different work schedules. Even when they were working on the same ones, they had to be mindful not to get too close to each other, no thanks to the ever-watchful eyes of their guard dogs, a.k.a managers, who had the uncanny knack of sniffing out mischief a mile away. Indeed, fully aware that there was more to their relationship than meets the eye, verbal warning had already been issued by the managers - they were to stay away from each other, and hence, their different work schedules. Stealing moments in between were proving to be virtually impossible. And as for "getting it on", as Krystal had put it, well, Jessica couldn't even recall the last time they did anything remotely along those lines.
And when you'd rather not discuss your love life - or your lack of one - with your pesky dongsaeng, ignore and evade...
Giving Krystal a sharp prod with her elbow, Jessica snapped, "Never you mind. Go shower. Whip up a snack or something. ANYTHING. People are trying to watch TV here."
Krystal looked briefly at the TV, raising an eyebrow in amusement. "Really? Rerun of Queen Seon Deok? My sister, the one who doesn't even know the Korean term for Queen Mother?"
So, historical period dramas weren't exactly the genre of TV entertainment Jessica Jung would sacrifice precious sleep for but did Krystal have to rub that in? Jessica gave her another prod to get her going. She didn't want her sister probing. "Krys, really, go take that shower, hm?"
"Oh-kay... I know when I'm not wanted." Krystal got off the couch reluctantly, stretching her arms above her head. Noticing that it had begun to snow, she walked towards the wide expanse of floor-to-ceiling glass panes, peering down several floors into the street below. Then, she exclaimed excitedly, "Ohmygosh! I was right. It WAS - IS - her! Yuri-unni! "
Wide-eyed in disbelief, Jessica joined her sister at the window and peering down, sure enough, there was Kwon Yuri standing across the road, with her little dog in tow.
Wait. What. Why's that insufferable Kkab standing there...in freezing cold weather ...at this ungodly hour?
Then, her cell phone buzzed...
"HEY. I'M ACROSS THE ROAD FROM YOUR PLACE. COME ON DOWN."
Seriously, Kwon Yuri?
Totally convinced that Yuri was completely off her rocker, Jessica looked up from her phone, turning to look at Krystal, querying, "How did you even recognise her the way she's all wrapped up like pigs-in-a-blanket with her muffler practically covering her face?"
"I didn't, actually. " Krystal had her chin hooked over sister's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the text message. "It was the dog I recognised."
KwonYul, you really need to work at fostering better rapport with your sister-in-law.
Jessica sighed. "How cold is it out?"
"I dunno. -10 thereabouts?"
"Brrrrr." Jessica shivered involuntarily, as her fingers moved dexterously over her phone's touch screen, nimbly keying in her reply:
"CAN'T. I'M SLEEPING ALREADY."
Nuh-uh. Wild horses couldn't drag me. Not even my Goddess of Kkabness herself.
*
Shifting from one foot to the other due to the cold, Yuri clucked her tongue in annoyance at Jessica's reply. Although her hands were cold which hampered a little with texting, her fingers still managed to work adroitly,
"IS THAT A LATENT TALENT - SLEEPING STANDING UP WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW? OR DO YOU CONSIDER THAT MULTITASKING? I CAN SEE YOU FROM WAY DOWN HERE. GET YOUR BUTT DOWN ALREADY!"
And as an afterthought, added,
"PLEASE, JESSICA?"
*
Although they had known each other for almost half their lives, meeting as trainees at SM, and been in love for at least the last five of those years, Yuri had always felt this inexplicable sense of warmth coursing right through her each time she laid eyes on Jessica Jung. And right there and then, Yuri was rocked by that very same sensation, when she saw the blonde emerging from her apartment building, sauntering across the road towards her, in that lazy, unhurried manner that was so distinctly Sergeant Jung.
That walk...she definitely owns it...
Jessica had conveniently borrowed the military parka and uggs that Krystal had discarded upon reaching home. On top of that, she had a thick, Mickey Mouse-print, fleece blanket draped around her shoulders that Yuri found most familiar...
...Hey, isn't that mine? Jessica Jung, you blanket thief!
If stealing her heart wasn't enough, Jessica had to make off with her favourite Mickey Mouse blanket, too. Yuri had searched high and low for said blanket when she was packing her belongings, all ready to move home. She didn't once think that the next time she was to see it again, it would be draped around her Significant Other's delicate shoulders.
Hi again, blankie. And bye, since you're now hers. Make sure you keep her warm....Yuri could only stare at it, wistfully.
Jessica Jung was certainly not showing the least bit of remorse for having taken her other half's favourite blanket without asking. Perhaps she was of the mentality that whatever belonged to Yuri, also belonged to her.
Instead, she grumbled, "Are you mad? It's easily -10 right now and look, it's snowing." Brushing away snowflakes that had gathered on Yuri's shoulder, and clasping Yuri's cold hands between her still warm ones, she asked, "What are you doing out this time of the night anyway?"
"I couldn't sleep, so, I took Hani for a walk." Addressing the pomeranian who was jumping and yelping in excitement at Jessica, "Say 'hello' to Mommy, Hani."
"What?" Jessica indignantly released Yuri's hands like hot rocks while looking down disinterestedly at the dog. This is carrying things a bit too far. If I'm a dog's mommy, doesn't that make me a bitch? "No, seriously, you walked all the way here from your place? And you made that little fleabag walk with you?"
"Awww...don't call her a fleabag? You'll hurt her feelings. Anyway, it's only 2 km or so, and I carried her part of the distance. No big deal."
"Why does she keep sniffing and jumping at me?" Jessica wasn't exactly fond of dogs.
"Maybe she smells Bruiser on you?"
"Yeah, right. Tell me something lamer, why don't you? " Jessica rolled her eyes.
"Oh, c'mon. She's a dog, Sica. That's only her way of getting acquainted."
"Well, make her stop."
"Okay, I got her." Yuri sighed as she tugged gently at Hani's leash. "Why don't you like her?"
"Yuri, that pooch gets to spend more time with you than I do. She even gets to sleep with you. I don't, and I'm your girlfriend."
"You're jealous of a dog?"
Jessica was about to retort when something made her take another look at the dog. Goodness. What's that dog wearing? "Uh, Yuri, that must surely be insult to a dog - a turtleneck with a tutu?"
"Insult nothing. She loves it...don't you, Haniiii?" Saying so, Yuri picked Hani up, letting the dog lick her nose, and then encouraging it to do the same to her girlfriend, much to Jessica's disgust as she shied away. "Don't you think it's cute? "
"I don't. It looks silly on her. Especially the tutu. I'm convinced that your taste in, uhm, doggy fashion, is sadly lacking." Jessica didn't like being a killjoy but she would rather be honest with her opinions. Besides, she was more curious as to why Yuri couldn't sleep, and why Yuri was walking her dog in the middle of the night, and was now standing before her, with snow falling all around them. "Honestly, Yuri, why are you here? You dragged me out of my comfort zone, so, this had better be good?"
The snow was beginning to fall harder. Putting her dog down, Yuri slung one arm around Jessica's shoulders, guiding her along to the bus shelter a few meters away. Under the bus shelter, she busied herself brushing the snowflakes off Jessica's head, and stooping slightly, she gazed into Jessica's eyes, rasping in her usual husky tone of voice, "Sica, close your eyes."
"Wae?"
"Tch. Will you for once just do as I say?"
"Okaaay...you're the seobaaanggg..." Jessica drawled, obediently closing her eyes.
And then, she felt light spurts of warm breaths against her eyes as Yuri gently blew against them to dislodge snowflakes that had fallen on her eyelashes, and savouring the moment, all doubts slowly slid off her mind.
There were times when Jessica had been so bogged down that she had nearly wanted to call it quits. But each time that she had been on the verge, an unsuspecting Yuri would unknowingly come up with something random, sweetly thoughtful and totally unexpected; making her feel that her fears were unfounded; that their going BTS was worth the while; once more affirming her position in Yuri's life; more so, her heart.
"There. Done." Yuri grinned, patting Jessica's head affectionately.
Upon opening her eyes, Jessica immediately lowered her gaze to the ground, her cheeks flushed. Five years and I'm still shy... "Yes, you're a good seobang..." Jessica cleared her throat, hooking her hair behind her ear. "...But uhm, I still want to know why you couldn't sleep and why you're walking that flea - I mean, dog - in the dead of night? How did you end up here?"
"And you? Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I can afford not to. I haven't an early schedule like someone here..."
"Oh crap...I forgot..."
"Yuri, it's effing cold out here and if you're still not telling me, then good night..."
As Jessica made to go, Yuri caught her hands to stall her, then proceeded to hurriedly direct Jessica's hands into her hip pockets.
"Feel my warmth?" Yuri snaked her arms around Jessica's waist, an action that drew their bodies closer together.
"Mmm...I feel your buns..." Jessica gave each firm lobe a squeeze.
"Aarrgh..." Yuri gasped, drawing her breath in sharply.
"Your ass is at my mercy.. " Jessica hissed, giving Yuri's butt another squeeze - and held on it tight. "...So tell me...quick!"
"Alright, alright! I couldn't sleep because I kept thinking about you, so, I took Hani for a walk. We walked and we walked and I thought about you some more and wanted to see you real bad. So, we ended up here."
"Why were you thinking about me?" Great. We were both sleepless because we were thinking of each other. Talk about great minds.
"Hello? Is it something out of the ordinary to be thinking of my girlfriend whom I have missed and have not..." Yuri lowered her voice, "...touched...for some time? And darn those fancams."
"I'm surprised - and honoured - that you still regard me as your girlfriend, the one you haven't... " Jessica's cheeks were burning... "...touched... for some time. Wait, what fancams?"
"Just - fancams ... "
"Viewing fancams would actually put you in sleepless mode?" Jessica was extremely curious as to what fancams Yuri had been watching.
"They would - if they feature your girlfriend throwing herself at someone else other than yourself....aarrghh...Sicaaa!"
Jessica had just given Yuri's lobes another hard squeeze, digging her nails in this time. "You better make yourself clear. SO, who have I been throwing myself at, hmm...?"
"Yoona....Hyoyeon...just about everyone but me!"
"Seriously? Yuri, Yoona reminds me so much of Krystal, and Hyo is just crazy-fun, someone everyone loves to hang with, you inclusive. Just kill me already if you're jealous of people you know full well there's no way in hell I could ever think of ....the way I think of ...you."
'You' was uttered so softly that it was almost inaudible but Yuri heard it, and was immediately ashamed of herself. By then, Jessica had already released her hold on Yuri's derriere, but her hands remained in her pockets, feeling the comfort of her warmth. She looked up at Yuri, her eyes beseechingly searching the taller girl's face for some kind of acknowledgement - that Yuri had understood her take on the matter. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding or miscommunication between them. Jessica preferred clarity if she could help it but she knew Yuri hated form and convention; anything that she thought would possibly cramp her style. She would try to get away with murder if you let her.
"I'm sorry..." Yuri mumbled when she finally found her voice, tightening her arms around Jessica, pulling her in closer, resting her chin on top of her tousled blonde head. "Maybe we shouldn't have moved out of the dorm. "
"But we both agreed that we need to spend time with our own families. Is there anything else you feel you want to get off your chest? So you can go home and sleep easy?"
"That day at Lotte?"
"What about Lotte?"
"I was mean to you when you showed me the bears? It was all captured on someone's fancam."
"Oh that. You were really mean that time. I was very hurt but I do understand where you were coming from. You were only being careful since Manager Oppa was watching us like a hawk."
"When the Japan Arena tours and everything else blow over, let's go on a trip somewhere. Just the two of us. Melbourne, Australia...always wanted to go there."
"Sure. It'll be our little secret. No one needs to know, okay? And Yuri?"
"Hmm?"
"Stop watching pointless fancams?"
"Okay."
"You think you can go home and sleep now?"
"D'you think you can drive us? Hani's tired." Yuri looked down at her dog who was lying at her feet.
Jessica whipped her car key out of her pocket, waving it in Yuri's face. "I came down all prepared."
*
Unlocking her car, Jessica narrowed her eyes when she saw Yuri picking up her dog, about to get into the car.
"The mutt goes in the trunk," she said.
"Awww...Sicaaa! " Yuri protested, stamping her feet like a spoilt child.
"Just kidding. But she sits behind. I want nothing between me and my girlfriend. That dog's like a third wheel."
"No worries. Hani understands. Stay, Hani. Goood girl." Yuri put her dog in the back before slipping into the front passenger seat. Reaching for her seatbelt, Yuri looked around the basement carpark facility of Jessica's apartment building.
"Looking for something?" Jessica asked, strapping on her belt.
"Are there CCTVs here?"
"There's one right over there, pointing directly at us. Why?"
"No chance of any YulSic sexy times then," Yuri replied ruefully, looking longingly at Jessica.
"Well, you're certainly not getting any here!" An alarmed Jessica exclaimed, a faint blush tinting her face. Where on earth did she learn the term 'YulSic sexy times' from? But it soon dawned on her. "Have you been reading a certain genre of fanfics about us?"
"One or two." Yuri readily admitted, grinning.
"In English?" Jessica's eyes widened in mock horror. "But Kwon Yuri, everyone knows your English is atrocious!"
"Yeah, I read one on somewhere called LJ. It said, 'YulSic smut'. I didn't know what 'smut' meant so I Google-d it. It was pretty steamy. You really don't need to be good in English to understand smut." Yuri said, matter-of-factly.
"Oh my God...you read about us having - sex?!"
"Yeah, it was embarrassing."
"Well, I certainly hope you were at least embarrassed, KwonYul!"
"Hmm. Is there really not the slightest chance of us doing it here? In your car?"
"You're disgustingly shameless." Jessica shifted out of neutral.
"Say when, Sica? YulSic sexy times, I mean?"
"Definitely not now! Now shut up about YulSic sexy times! I have to get you home!"
As Jessica's Beemer ascended the slope leading out of the basement, Yuri asked, "Can you take a longer route?"
"Why? You need to sleep, Yuri. Your morning schedule - "
"I know, but I just really want to be alone with you a little longer?"
*
Jessica drove slowly, circling Yuri's neighbourhood several times over, one hand on the steering wheel, the other tightly holding on to Yuri's hand.
Finally, after convincing Yuri that she really should get some sleep, Jessica pulled up a short distance just before her apartment building, at her request.
"I know YulSic sexy times is out of the question but how about a good night kiss?" Yuri asked, looking hopeful.
"Fine but only if you promise you'll do something for me?" Saying so, Jessica reached over to the glove compartment, pulling out an envelope and handing it to Yuri.
"What's that?" Yuri peeked into the envelope, then drew out a ticket. "Ticket to Legally Blonde on 14 February? Ugh, Sicaaa..."
"Don't 'ugh Sica' me. You didn't attend the other time."
"Well, neither did Taeyeon and Hyo."
"I don't give a rat's ass about the Kims not attending but it would mean so much to me if you could come. I really want you to come, Yuri. Please? There may be an added bonus for you if you promise to come?"
"Oh alright. " Yuri nodded, a little grudgingly. "What bonus?"
"It's February 14th, Yuri."
"So?"
"IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY, BABO! Why are you always so slow?"
"Oh, does that mean YulSic sexy times after the show?"
"I dunno..." Jessica shrugged, with just a faint hint of a smile. "Maybe?"
Yuri kissed the ticket before carefully putting it away in her coat pocket, "You're such a tease, Jeshka. Now, can I claim my good night kiss? No CCTVs here."
"You think of everything, don't you?"
Willingly allowing herself to be pulled into Yuri's arms, and as her lips yielded to Yuri's, a barrage of thoughts flashed through her head, as she thought of the many more hurdles they had to cross. Whether their clandestine relationship would ever see the light of day, or rather, whether they could ever publicly make known their relationship, still had this humongous question mark looming over their heads.
But for now, she told herself to stop worrying, reminding herself...
I'm Jessica Jung. I'm a free spirit. I live only for the moment.
She was in Yuri's embrace, they were madly in love, and alternating between sensual touches and soft kisses, feeling Yuri's warm breath against her ear, hearing her whisper, "I love you" was all that mattered to her.
***
A/N: Absolutely no disrespect meant to YoonSic shippers for the reference made to YoonSic here. It's only fiction, yes?
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Of course, everyone knows that Yuri attended Legally Blonde on Valentine's Day, 14 February 2013. I thought Jessica never looked happier! ( credits : owner of picture)