Yuri wrenched the car door open and ran to the waterside.

"Sica!"

She saw Jessica's head for a second before it disappeared in the dark water. Without hesitating, Yuri jumped into the river. She took a huge breath as she was flying in midair and kept it in her lungs when her body dashed into the water.

The water wasn't too cold, but it still made her shiver from top to toe. Yuri ignored the burning sensation on her corneas as she opened her eyes wide, searching for anything that belonged to Jessica that she can grab. She found an arm that was flailed wildly in the water and tried her best to catch it while her body, against her will, rose up to the surface again. Her head escaped the water and she hungrily took a breath, her hands tightly clutching Jessica's arm.

"Let me go!" Jessica screamed.

"No! Never!" Yuri screamed back.

"LET ME GO!"

Yuri ignored the screams and pulled Jessica towards the shore, her legs paddling like crazy. Jessica splashed the water around her not less crazily, causing Yuri to have to shut her eyes tight.

"Stop it, Sica!"

The screams turned into gurgles as Jessica's body involuntarily sank and rose to the surface repeatedly. The girl began to cough when she wasn't trying to scream, and Yuri knew she'd taken quite a few gulps of water.

"GOSH! You're killing us both!" Yuri shouted in despair. As Jessica didn't appear to calm down to cooperate at all, she took a breath and dove. Slowly letting the air escaping from her lungs, she encircled Jessica's waist in the water, thus being able to dodge all the slaps and blows caused by Jessica's arms. Fighting against the uncontrollable legs and the water resistance, Yuri successfully neared them both to the shore where they would be saved.

She almost fainted from the lack of oxygen when her head shot up from the water, and she greedily took all the air her lungs could handle. Jessica had stopped flailing her arms and legs and was now just coughing and choking, which made Yuri worry even more. Yuri quickly dragged their soaking wet bodies away from the water. She lay Jessica down onto the grass on the roadside, water drops from her hair landing on the blonde's face. Jessica propped herself up on one elbow and she coughed hard before plopping her head down onto the dirt again, her body completely sagged. She closed her eyes, exhausted.

"Sica, wake up! Say something!" Yuri panicked, slapping Jessica's cheek lightly. The blonde squinted her eyes in response, hammering on her own chest a few times and coughed again.

Yuri looked down at Jessica, thinking what she should do. Her first thought was that water had gotten into Jessica lungs as the girl squinted her eyes in what Yuri assumed was pain. But then she realized that Jessica was taking short, quick breaths instead of not breathing at all. So instead of doing mouth-to-mouth ventilation, Yuri's hands went to Jessica's top and she ripped it open. That would ease the breathing, Yuri was sure.

"YAH!"

Slaps and kicks followed at once, and Yuri hastily jumped on her feet, scooting away. She knew it would work, but didn't expect it to work this well and this fast. She blinked as Jessica followed suit, not appearing to have just been in an extremely critical state at all.

"You pervert!" the blonde screamed at Yuri. "You jerk! You're so rude! You—"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Yuri held her hands in front of her chest defensively. "Keep your hair on! I was just trying to help!"

"Of course!" Jessica yelled, furious. But her voice then went flat, as if she had realized there's no point in screaming at Yuri from one second to the next. "You're never helping."

"But you couldn't breathe, I—"

"Oh please!"

Yuri shut up, looking at Jessica. She expected to see watery eyes again, but it was hard to tell whether Jessica was near to shedding tears or not when she was wet from top to toe. The only thing that was clearly visible was the anger, and Yuri was almost positive it was just about this particular emotion this time. She gulped down her saliva, afraid that Jessica really had had enough and was now immune to all her attempts of making them get closer again.

"Did you act like you couldn't breathe just to scare me?" she asked the blonde.

"You almost drowned me!" Jessica snapped. "I can swim, you jerk!"

"What?" Yuri's eyes almost popped out of her eyeballs. "Why did you yell for help then?!"

"I was just caught off guard! The water is cold! Why did you run the car into me in the first place?!" Jessica screamed at her again. "And how am I supposed to swim if you lock my arms in the water and almost choke me to death!? How the hell is that helping?!"

Yuri was rendered speechless. Could it be true that she was really stupid this time around? Jessica surely didn't appear to be able to handle the situation earlier, but then again, it happened too fast, Yuri didn't have time to observe everything carefully.

She stood there motionless as Jessica, still as dripping wet as her, stomped to the car and got in. It wasn't until Jessica sped off that Yuri reluctantly got into her own and followed the blonde back to the hotel.

For some reason, it felt like she had just let Jessica slip away.

---------

"Taetae," Tiffany's lips curved up into a smile as she saw Taeyeon walking through the front glass doors.

"Look at what I've got you!" Taeyeon beamed and showed Tiffany the flower she had picked. It looked unique with the four white petals forming a square-like shape and the four purple stamens that looked like fingers, protruding from the middle in perfect symmetry. Taeyeon recognized it as one of nature's rarities at the first look. Almost as beautifully unique as Tiffany.

"I discovered it when I was cleaning the parking lot just now. Never saw it before, and it's the only one out there!"

"It's an Epimedium flower," Tiffany chuckled, amused at Taeyeon's excitement. "There are plenty of those inside the forest."

"What?" Taeyeon dropped the smile and disappointment took place instead. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, but I love it," Tiffany quickly said and reached out for the purple-white flower. "Thank you, Taetae."

The smile returned to Taeyeon's face as she leaned over the counter and gave Tiffany a peck on the cheek.

"Anything for you."

Tiffany tried putting the flower into her hair, but the weak stem wasn't able to support the entire bloom, and the Epimedium flower kept falling down. Taeyeon took it and carefully stuck it in the front pocket of Tiffany's top, sneakily and gently stroking Tiffany's body in the progress.

"Hey…" Tiffany half-heartedly scolded her girlfriend for inappropriate behavior at work, but the attempt turned into a small chuckle instead.

"You're really the most beautiful girl on earth," Taeyeon sighed as she cupped Tiffany's cheek with one hand, eyes gazing into Tiffany's.

Tiffany smiled, gazing back into Taeyeon's eyes. She then turned her head, closed her eyes and kissed the warm palm of Taeyeon's hand. She cupped her girlfriend's hand from outside as she pressed her cheek into the warmth from the inside. Her eyes met the loving ones of Taeyeon again.

"I love you," Tiffany said softly.

"I love you, too," Taeyeon replied without hesitation.

Tiffany then released Taeyeon's hand. "What's wrong Taetae? Something is bothering you, isn't it?"

Taeyeon shook her head. "No. It's just…" She sighed. "I've been thinking, Fany."

"About?"

"About Yuri. About Sica. About us. And…" Taeyeon paused. Tiffany kept quiet, so she continued, even though hesitantly. "Maybe you're right. We… should give Yuri a chance. Sica deserves it."

Tiffany looked at her girlfriend, surprise in her eyes.

"You're right, Fany. Sica still is in love with Yuri. I didn't notice how hard she was struggling all this time," Taeyeon smiled sadly. "I'm such a fail friend."

"You're not," Tiffany said and shook her head in disapproval.

"We are lucky because we've found each other," Taeyeon continued. "We've been through ups and downs and rows and fights, but we were never able to let go. I know you are the only one for me, Fany. My soul mate, my better half, the love of my life."

Taeyeon paused and felt Tiffany squeezing her hand as if to say 'you are mine, too'.

"That is why… I think Sica deserves to find out if Yuri is the right one for her, too. If Yuri really has changed for her, I can't be the one preventing my best friend from finding the happiness that I'm luckily sharing with you. I've never seen her more in love, Fany… Even though I still have my doubts, I can't stop her from giving Yuri a chance."

Taeyeon's head sank as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She cared about Jessica so much that it felt like she was just as confused, as scared, as vulnerable as her friend. If Tiffany had done similar things to her like what Yuri had done to Jessica, she knew she would have loved Tiffany just as much as before. Even though there might be anger and probably hate added to the fire, she would never be able to let go. Especially if Tiffany was constantly around, trying to win her back.

"I'm glad you think so," Tiffany finally said, gently stroking Taeyeon's arm.

Taeyeon looked into her girlfriend's eyes that were sparkling with relief.

"I'm just glad I have you," she said and leaned over again, kissing Tiffany on the lips. Tiffany held her sleeves tightly and gave a passionate response.

The loving kiss lasted until the reception phone rang loudly. Tiffany reluctantly let go of Taeyeon to pick up.

"Krystal?" Tiffany's eyes went round as she recognized the voice at the other end. "Hmm? Jessica? No, she's not in the forest… She's in the hotel, but I don't know why she doesn't pick up. Why, did something happen?"

Taeyeon couldn't help but to furrow her eyebrows as she watched Tiffany's reaction.

"Really?!" a sparkle of excitement lit up in Tiffany's eyes. It vanished as fast as it appeared. "What does that mean...? Is that a good or a bad thing?"

Uh-oh, Taeyeon thought as Tiffany bit her lip in worry. She tried hard to listen, but couldn't hear anything from the speaker.

"Okay. I'll tell her to call you back… Yeah. Take care. Bye."

Tiffany put the phone down, and Taeyeon immediately leaned over the counter.

"What happened?" she prodded.

"Auntie woke up."

Taeyeon's mouth hung agape in surprise. She hadn't had time to show her happiness and relief when she got reminded of Tiffany's bothered face. Something else had happened, definitely.

"She was awake just for a few minutes before falling back into unconsciousness again," Tiffany explained. "She didn't say anything. Krystal said she just stared at the ceiling. When the doctors came in, she'd already had her eyes closed again."

"And?"

"She's now sleeping again."

"No, I mean, and?" Taeyeon asked the same question as Tiffany just earlier. "What does that mean?"

"Krys said the docs told her Auntie's probably suffering from a sort of deliberate amnesia thing. The kind where the patient refuses to remember and tries to find an escape from real life in unconsciousness or sleep and dreams." 

Taeyeon was speechless at the news, not knowing what to say. Tiffany shook her arm lightly.

"We gotta tell Sica, Taetae."

"Of course we do." This seemed to bring Taeyeon back from her frozen status. "I'll go find her."

"This is not exactly bad news," Tiffany reminded her. "So don't make her panic, okay?"

"Don't worry," Taeyeon said, trying to sound reassuring.

She didn't think Jessica would panic. Compared to things that happened just a few weeks ago, this news was no shocking news. Jessica would probably worry a lot more about Krystal.

----------

Yuri threw her wet clothes into the washing machine and turned around just in time to see Hyoyeon closing the door.

"What happened?" the brunette confronted her.

Yuri scratched her head. "I… we fell into the river."

"YOU GUYS WHAT?" Hyoyeon's eyes went round. "No wait, I don't even want to know the details. Just tell me, did you screw it up? Sica looked really mad earlier. If I were you, I would seriously worry."

"I think I did screw it up." Upon seeing Hyoyeon's mouth drop, Yuri quickly held her hands up. "It's not that I have lost it all. It just looks like I have screwed things up and now need to find a way to fix everything again."

"What do you mean it 'looks like' you have screwed things up?" Hyoyeon asked, confused. "You know what? Sometimes I really think you do all this because you just can't control yourself."

"It's not like that, Hyo," Yuri put a hand on Hyoyeon's shoulder. "I have everything under control, I promise."

The shorter girl looked into her eyes, still not very convinced.

"You mean… you purposely fell into the water with her?"

Yuri laughed at the question. "No, of course not. I can't plan out details like that. But just trust me, okay?" Yuri smiled. "I will make it in time."

Hyoyeon stared at her friend for another while. Eventually, Yuri's confidence convinced her. Just then, they heard footsteps approaching the room and were immediately alarmed.

"Alright," Hyoyeon whispered quickly. "You know I don't usually question things you do. But I'm just worried, that's all." She then gestured her friend to get out. "You should go before anyone walks in and suspects us." Raising her voice to the normal level, Hyoyeon continued "I have a box of lettuce in the backyard. Can you go there and carry it into the kitchen for me?"

"Sure," Yuri replied just when the door opened and Taeyeon appeared.

"Have you seen Sica?" the shortie directed the question at Hyoyeon.

Yuri caught the sight of her friend shrugging before she passed by Taeyeon and left the two alone. It wasn't until then that Yuri let her face muscles relax and dropped the convincing smile she was giving Hyoyeon just now. Yes, she was surely good at convincing her friend. But was she good enough to keep her own words?

Entering the canteen and walking through the kitchen to the back door, Yuri was still lost in thoughts. Her legs carried her out into the backyard while her mind carried her back to where they fell into the water earlier. She remembered Jessica's face – the anger, the fedup-ness, the resignation. How much farther could she push it?

Yuri stood in the middle of the backyard as she snapped back to reality. Her eyes wandered around, searching for the box Hyoyeon mentioned. The backyard was huge enough for two trucks to park in, un-concreted just like the parking lot on the other side of the hotel building. Directly connecting the parking lot with the backyard was a four-meter tall double door, which was in fact big enough to let a truck drive through. Currently, the doors were closed, and the only car parking in the yard was the one Jessica drove back earlier.

Yuri didn't have to put in a lot of effort to spot the lettuce box. It lay in the shadowed corner of the yard, right next to the wall among other boxes of vegetables and fruits. She went there and picked up the lettuce box. As she made her way back to the kitchen door, a faint voice caused her to stop dead in her tracks. Yuri stared at the wall to her right, perking up her ears. It didn't take her another two seconds to realize what it was.

Jessica's voice, singing.

Yuri gulped. Her brain had already figured out what was obscured behind this wall. All the rooms in the hotel had similar structure, and according to that, Jessica's bathroom was located right there. Unlike Jessica, Yuri didn't take a bath but just changed her wet clothes and went out. That would explain why she was here, when Jessica was obviously still enjoying her time in the bathtub.

Yuri didn't know why she did it, but she put down the lettuce box and went to the other end of the yard, carrying the ladder over. The soil was still moist, probably from the rain this early morning, so she had to be extra cautious. But she was way too nervous and excited to pay much attention to safety.

What the hell are you doing, a tiny little voice reproachfully echoed inside her head. But it was carelessly ignored as she hastily climbed up the ladder.

Yuri found it a little demotivating that not only was the window small, but it even had totally unnecessary security bars on the outside. As if thieves would be able to get in through that mini opening two meters above the ground. But the higher she climbed, the more she was convinced that the window would not disappoint. And when the sight finally opened up in front of her eyes, she knew she was anything but disappointed. It was her luck that the window was not the slightest bit fogged, providing an absolutely clear view of the scene inside.

It was heaven.

Jessica was sitting in the bathtub, naked – Yuri noticed in amazement, as if it wasn't until now that she realized people usually strip off their clothes before taking a bath. She spotted the small heap that was Jessica's wet clothes in a corner of the room, but her eyes soon moved back to stare at the much more interesting sight. The blonde was still singing an unknown song to Yuri, oblivious to her observer as she busied herself with collecting the foam around her. Her long hair was loose, still wet from the accident earlier, its tips floating on the surface, hiding behind foam bubbles.

Yuri's heart raced.

Jessica's body was almost completely hiding in the opaque water, only unknowingly teasing Yuri with the little skin sticking from the surface. All Yuri could see from the lower body was Jessica's knees, but frustration didn't kick in because the upper body was offering much more. Aside from Jessica's head, Yuri's eyes were able to admire the bare neck and the flawless skin on Jessica's shoulders. Saliva was gathering in her mouth as she remembered the addicting taste on her tongue every time it ran along Jessica's collarbones. She was unaware of her mouth hanging agape and her fingers tightly gripping the bars as she stared on the part below the collarbones, cursing the water for covering the best of the best.

But then, Jessica dove her upper body into the water until her head completely disappeared. It was only for half a second, but Yuri gasped hard as she caught a glimpse of the bare thighs peeking from the water before they were hidden away again. Jessica's upper body came up from the water, this time she was sitting straighter, soap on her hair – Yuri's body stiffened – foam on her shoulders—Yuri held her breath—nothing on her bare chest, and—God, I need to be punished, Yuri thought—Jessica stood up from the water and—

The ladder slipped away from her feet and Yuri yelped in surprise as gravity yanked her down. She felt her right arm stretch painfully before realizing that she had instinctively gripped one of the bars tightly, her body now dangling on the wall. The next thing she felt was fear that Jessica might have heard her, and out of instinct again, Yuri let go of the bar without having time to question the decision. She regretted it too late as her body took a painful landing on the moist soil, and worst, smashing the complete lettuce box with her left shoulder.

It was dead silent for a moment.

Yuri was fully aware that the ungentle landing had created noise. But she couldn't care less when her body felt like it had broken every possible bone. She gave a moan and spit out the lettuce leaf that got into her mouth.

God, I didn't really mean it when I said I want to be punished. At least not this way.

Yuri could imagine Jessica standing inside the bathroom, staring at the window with suspicious eyes. She was wondering what Jessica would do next when she heard loud knocks on the bathroom door.

"Sica, are you in there?"

The voice was muffled, but Yuri could tell it was Taeyeon.

"Yeah," Jessica replied after a brief hesitation. "Is something wrong?"

"Hurry up! I need to talk to you."

"Oh… okay."

Sounds of Jessica moving inside the bathroom indicated that she had let go of whatever suspicious noises she had heard. Yuri sighed in relief upon this good sign. For the first time since she came back, Taeyeon actually did something she was thankful for. Knowing that she's now safe, for some odd reason her body didn't ache that much anymore, and Yuri slowly tried to stand up. She was relieved as she realized nothing was broken. She had only gained herself a few bad bruises.

"That was close," she mumbled to herself. But it was worth it. Absolutely.

----------

Tiffany looked up from the reception counter, shocked with what she saw.

"Yuri! What happened to you?!"

The tanned girl approached her in dirty clothes, lettuce leaves in her disheveled hair, looking as if she just came back from living a month in the bushes. But what was the freakiest was the grin on Yuri's face that made her look like a lunatic.

"Nothing," Yuri said with an even bigger grin.

"Gosh, you're freaking me out!" Tiffany exclaimed.

Yuri chuckled in response. "I haven't gone insane, Fany."

"Go in and change, will you? I don't want any guest to see you like this!"

"I'm on my way", Yuri chuckled, moving toward the hallway to their rooms.

Tiffany eyed the tanned girl carefully, still thinking what on earth could have happened. When Yuri stopped in her tracks and turned around staring straight into Tiffany's eyes, Tiffany instinctively stepped back. Yuri was starting to scare her.

"Say, can Jessica swim?" the tanned girl asked.

Tiffany was dumbfounded for a moment. "Huh?"

"Do you know if Jessica can swim?" Yuri repeated the question patiently.

"I… don't think so," she replied. "Why?"

"Oh I knew it!"

Yuri laughed out loud victoriously.