Jessica was walking down the street with her suitcase pulled behind when the first raindrops hit her face. She moaned at her misfortune, remembering that she had left the umbrella in Yuri's apartment. Having no other choice, Jessica ran as fast as she could to the nearest bus stop and prayed for the rain to not get heavier. As if having sympathy with her situation, the sky didn't start to pour until she arrived safely under the roof of the small bus shelter. Jessica sat down on the cold bench and watched the rain cleanse the empty street whilst waiting for her bus to come.

Not long after, the rain left, just as sudden and unannounced as it came. Jessica was getting impatient as there was still no sign of the bus. She temporarily left the bench to study the bus schedule when a bright light from behind lit up her surroundings. Jessica turned around and realized it wasn't the bus she was waiting for but a car flying past her and braking hard a few meters after where she was standing. Jessica recognized the car at once. It was Yuri's.

Knowing that she was caught, Jessica didn't think twice and just instinctively grabbed her suitcase and ran into the opposite direction as fast as she could. Yuri, on the other hand, exited the car calmly, relieved to have found Jessica. But soon enough she noticed that the girl was trying to escape from her again and picked up her speed.

"Sica! Hey! Wait!"

Yuri called out as she ran after Jessica. The chase was merely a ridiculous catch-me-if-you-can game, with Yuri yelling like a madwoman and Jessica pretending to be deaf.  As expected, it didn't take much time for Yuri to catch up, and the taller girl could only chuckle at how Jessica was still trying so hard to run even though her legs were clearly shorter than Yuri's and the suitcase wasn’t doing anything to help her move faster.

"Stop running, you dummy!"

Yuri practically jogged next to Jessica, but the latter seemed to be determined about fleeing from her. Jessica pushed Yuri away and made a sudden turn to the side, attempting to increase their distance again. She took advantage of the few seconds Yuri was tumbling and ran into a dark area, intending to make use of the lack of illumination there to escape.

"Wait Sica, don't go there!" Yuri yelled from behind but Jessica didn't listen. "It's dangerous! There are—"

"Ahhh!"

A shriek filled the air and in the blink of an eye, Jessica disappeared from the face of earth as if the ground had swallowed her. Yuri gasped and sped up as she could already guess what happened. They had run into a small park that was under construction, and Jessica must have fallen into one of the numerous pits lying around.

Yuri stopped at the edge of the nearest pond hole a second later, which was waist-deep and very large. Worry left her face as she saw the blonde sitting on the ground of the hole, next to her suitcase. Other than being stuck in mud, which elicited little heart-melting pouts and whines, Jessica seemed fine.

Yuri crouched down, eyeing Jessica's dirty clothes with a suppressed chuckle.

"Are you alright?" Yuri asked.

"Never been better!" Jessica quit whimpering and snapped at Yuri. She struggled to stand up. "And no, I don't need your help, you jerk! Keep sitting there and laugh at me!"

Yuri bit her lip to stop the smile from growing but failed. Luckily, Jessica was too busy trying to pull up the suitcase to notice. Yuri hopped into the pit easily, helping Jessica throw the suitcase up.

"Didn't you know this park is under reconstruction?" Yuri asked. "They're planning to have more water installation, hence these pond holes. I bet you didn't even know you were running into a park, seeing how you ran so aimlessly earlier."

Jessica ignored Yuri, including that tanned hand that was stretched out to her, offering help to lift her to the ground.

Yuri retreated her hand and just smiled, watching Jessica struggle her way up to the surface. The heels on the slippery dirt made the task impossible, but Jessica stubbornly refused to give up because that would mean she would have to take Yuri’s help. She kept trying and trying until she slipped and lost balance, falling right into Yuri's arms.

"Sica, Sica… what would you do without me?" Yuri softly said as she held the girl securely.

"Without you I wouldn't have to run in the first place. I wouldn't have ended up in this hole!"

Jessica tried to back away but Yuri acted faster this time. The tanned girl grabbed Jessica's hands as she spun around and crouched down, pulling Jessica's arms over her shoulder. Her hands went down to grab Jessica's legs and then she straightened up, thus lifting the blonde off the ground on her back.

"Kwon Yuri! Let me down!" Jessica tried to slide down, but only to have Yuri hold onto her tighter.

"No," was Yuri's simple answer.

"Let me down!"

"No."

"Let me down, or I'll—"

"No."

"Let! Me! Down!"

"No!"

Jessica struggled for another while until she got tired and her screams subsided into half-hearted demands of wanting to be let down. That was when Yuri loosened her grip, even though she still replied to every demand of Jessica's with a firm, "No."

"What do you want?" Jessica asked in the end, defeated.

"I just want you to trust me."

"How can I?"

"I will bring you up there, okay? I will climb up with you on my back, and I promise you won't be hurt the slightest bit. Can you trust me on that?"

"Do you even realize how much you're asking for?"

"I never want you to hurt, Sica."

"This is silly, Yuri. You don't have to put both of us in danger just to prove you don't want to hurt me."

"I don't care. I just want to know: do you trust me?"

Jessica sighed in frustration as her patience ran thin again. "Just let go of me, okay? I can walk up by myself!"

"No. You can ask me to do anything," Yuri’s voice turned softer as she spoke, "but I will never let you go."

There was a certainty in Yuri's tone that suddenly quieted Jessica down. As Yuri packed her legs again, frustration slowly made place for a muzzy feeling inside of Jessica.

"Fine…" she said, giving in. "Be careful. And you know what will happen if you let me fall."

"I don't even want to think about it." Yuri chuckled. "But if I bring you up safely, do I get a kiss?"

Jessica replied by slapping Yuri's shoulder, but then quickly held onto Yuri as the taller girl let go of her legs. Jessica's heart started to race when Yuri made the first steps upwards, her arms tightening the hug around Yuri's neck. She watched as Yuri's hands dug into the dirt to find something to hold onto and to pull their bodies up. What she didn't see was the huge smile on Yuri's face, a smile that only described one tenth of the happiness Yuri was feeling. The minute they needed to climb up was the longest Jessica had ever experienced, but Yuri proved she knew what she was doing as they reached the surface safely without any other heart-stopping incident. Jessica heaved a relieved sigh, her body loosening up. Yuri cleaned her hands on her jeans before snaking them around Jessica's thighs again, holding the blonde close.

"Are you not going to let me down?" Jessica asked as Yuri strode forward, leaving the suitcase behind.

"I don't want to."

Yuri expected Jessica to struggle and protest, but the girl was too tired to do so. A weak sigh came as a response instead.

"Fine. This isn't so bad either…" Jessica rested her head against the crook of Yuri's neck. "What about my stuff, though?"

"I'll get you into the car first, then we'll drive back and get your suitcase."

Jessica didn't reply, but the fact that she wasn't struggling already told Yuri enough.

"I hate you…" Jessica mumbled, and Yuri's heart almost stopped beating for a second. "I hate you for doing this to me."

"For… giving you a piggyback ride?"

"For making me always come back into your arms."

Yuri turned her head, but all she could see was Jessica's hair.

"But… isn't this where you want to be?"

Jessica's answer was nothing but a sniff. Yuri was unsure if she said the wrong thing as silence lapsed in. She could only hope she wasn't making Jessica cry.

"You know what?" Yuri tried again. "This kinda reminds me of this incident during our first days in the vacation house. You were also wet like this, remember? You fell into the stream and a fish was sucking on your toe. I was in the house and you were screaming my name so loud, it almost gave me a heart attack. I thought you were seriously drowning. Why is it always you who gets into such… silly accidents?"

Jessica only grumbled.

"Back then you really liked being carried," Yuri continued. "I remember the first time I carried you, you were asleep and I placed you on the bed. Then the second time, I found you unconscious on the balcony. You passed out because I starved you, because I refused to cook and told you to eat apples, remember?" Yuri chuckled at the memory. "Then the next time, you fell asleep on the swing after our first dinner together. I remember that was the first time I… felt something… in my heart… when looking at you. You just look really beautiful when you sleep, you know that? And after we got together, I realized you look even more beautiful when falling asleep in my arms."

Yuri paused and expected a reaction, but nothing happened. After a while, she realized Jessica must have fallen asleep for a while already. The rhythm of Jessica's gentle breathing caused a smile to spread on Yuri's face.

Some things changed in this world, but some other things surely didn't.

----------

Jessica was sitting on the edge of the bathtub and stared at the floor. She looked up as the bathroom door opened and Yuri came in with a set of pajamas on one arm.

"Why didn't you undress? You'll get sick if you stay in those wet clothes."

Yuri put the pajamas aside and turned to the still motionless Jessica. When Jessica's gaze wandered to the floor again, Yuri approached the blonde and crouched down in front of her. She took Jessica's hands into hers. A frown formed on Yuri's face as she stared into Jessica's sad eyes.

"Sica... look at me."

Yuri's voice set off a small stream of tears to run down the blonde's face, but Jessica quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand.

"Sica..."

"I'm fine," Jessica said, shaking her head. She withdrew the other hand that was still in Yuri's and added, "You don't have to do this. I can take care of myself."

"Of course you do. But if you're telling me to not care about you, I can't."

Yuri stood up to take the place on the bathtub next to Jessica. An arm went around Jessica's shoulder, a hand searched for Jessica's delicate fingers again.

"Tell me what happened." Yuri said softly. "Why did you run away again? I thought... after yesterday... after you kissed me..."

"Who are you telling that!" Jessica turned away. She felt like crying again. "Why did you kiss me one day and buy a ring for Seo Juhyun the next? Do you think that makes any sense to me?"

"What? But how—"

"I saw you today," Jessica turned back and looked straight into Yuri's eyes, "with Seohyun and her parents, entering a jewelry shop. This is exactly why I have to leave, Yuri. I have a dad to find, I have a mom and a sister to take care of, even a lawsuit to fight against. But being with you... with you around me, all I can think of is that I don't want to see you marry anyone else. How can I let this go on? There are barely three weeks left for my dad and I still haven't found a way to get him back. I'm failing miserably… and I've even turned into a liar! I'm lying to my mom and my sister because I don't want to see them devastated, I—"

Jessica looked away quickly to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks again. But Yuri’s stronger arms pulled her into a tight embrace, leaving her no chance to resist.

"Jung Sooyeon, listen," Yuri said softly as she stroked Jessica's hair. "Firstly, I love you and only you. You're the only person I will ever want to marry. Stop doubting my relationship with Seohyun because she will always be my precious little sister. I did buy a ring for her today, but because her parents and my grandfather insisted. We have agreed to not cause any trouble until I settle things for your dad. Which brings me to the second point: You're not the only person who's trying to find the wanted fugitive. You're not the only one who's fighting the lawsuit."

Jessica lifted her head from Yuri's shoulder, her round eyes fully receiving Yuri's loving gaze.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about it tonight, Sica. I have good news."

"You—you found my dad?"

"No, but there's a way we may be able to stop the sentencing process. Funnily enough, Jiyong is the one who gave me that idea. Remember how he had you arrested? You got out easily because he didn't file for a lawsuit, because it wasn't necessary to go that far to get rid of you from the company."

"What does that have to do with my dad?"

"Your dad incurred debts in contracts with the Kim company and couldn't pay off the money, so the Kims filed for a lawsuit against him. The solution is actually quite simple. If we somehow can persuade the Kims to withdraw the charge, your dad will be let off the hook without complications."

"They won't. Withdrawing means they'll have to pay all the fees for the trials up to date and they get nothing."

"We have to negotiate. We will tell them the Jung Enterprises will pay them a fair amount of money and put up a time limit for that to happen."

"Is—Is that going to work? I don't have money now, I think everyone can see that—"

"You have me. Plus, I have an old friend who is working for the Kims. I'll meet and talk to her. I'll do whatever I can, Sica. I was the one who caused this in the first place anyway. I promised to make it up to you, didn't I?"

And as if she was afraid Jessica's reaction wouldn't be the one she hoped for, Yuri pulled Jessica into a hug again.

"Trust me. I can't allow myself to lose you another time. And don't refuse me or ask me to stop caring about you, silly, because I can never do that."

Jessica was still overwhelmed by the sudden solution to the entire issue that had been causing her headaches for weeks. It took her a couple of minutes to believe Yuri had saved the day, and when she finally did, her arms wrapped around Yuri as tears spilled from her eyes again.

"Shhh, don't cry," Yuri cooed, though she knew those were tears of relief.

Yuri waited for Jessica's sobs to subside before slightly pulling the blonde away. With much gentleness, she wiped the tears off Jessica's cheeks.

"Don't give me just empty words again, Yuri... You know how badly I want to be with you too… But this whole situation, it's just—"

"I will do anything for you. Anything." Yuri took Jessica's hands into hers. "Just promise me one thing. Don't ever run away from me again. Because every time you do, my heart..."

Jessica leaned in and kissed Yuri's lips lightly. "I'm sorry."

The surprise gesture shut off Yuri's self-control and she couldn't help but to beam like a fool. Jessica could only smile at the look of immense happiness in Yuri's face. The tanned girl stood up and pulled the blonde along.

"Let me help you shower. If you stay in those wet clothes any longer, you will get sick."

Jessica blushed at the words but went forward and put her arms around Yuri's neck nonetheless.

"You are dirty too. Let's shower together."

----------

Two hours later, Jessica was already tucked up in bed when the bedroom door opened and Yuri stuck her head in. Jessica waited but Yuri didn't move or say anything.

"What are you waiting for?" Jessica chuckled. She moved over on the bed and patted the empty space next to her. "Come here."

Yuri smiled and came in. She sat on the bed and looked down at Jessica.

"Are you sure?” Yuri feigned hesitation. "Because… I mean… I don't know if I can control myself…"

Jessica slapped Yuri's arm and glared but pulled her down at the same time.

"Don't even try to think about it," the blonde said and turned to face the other way.

Yuri just chuckled. She understood the gesture and inched closer, spooning Jessica from behind. A small kiss was placed on Jessica's smooth shoulder, but other than that, Yuri stayed still.

"Yuri?" Jessica asked after a while.

"Yes?"

"Don't… don't disappoint me again, okay?"

"I won't," Yuri firmly said.

Jessica seemed assured as she placed an arm on top of Yuri's that was lying on her waist. She took Yuri's hand into her own and led it to her neck, where a cool, silver object was lying. Yuri immediately recognized the necklace she gave Jessica before.

"Do you know that every time I started to lose hope in you, I looked at this pendant and something pulled me back from completely giving up on you?" Jessica softly whispered. "Every time I look at it, I remember your face when you said you love me… and I just had this feeling that beneath all the lies, there's at least this truth that still exists. And knowing that, I just can't completely let you go…"

Yuri tightened her hold around Jessica's body, her finger tracing the heart-shaped pendant in a slow motion. "Thank you…" she whispered back. "You have no idea how much it means to me that you are willing to trust me again."

"That's why I want you to be completely honest with me about everything. I can forgive you, Yuri, because I don't want to lose you. But you have to be honest with me."

"I know… I know." Yuri inhaled deeply before continuing. "Then let me tell you this secret first. This necklace you're wearing… It's my father's first present for my mother. It's the thing my mother cherished most when she was still alive. And it's the thing I cherished most after she died."

Silence lapsed in shortly as Jessica became speechless upon that information.

"Why did you give it to me?"

"Because the moment you said you loved me too, I knew you're the one I will cherish the most until I die. Despite any plan I have to follow, despite any betrayal I was going to commit because I was a coward, I knew my feelings for you were never going to change and I would badly regret hurting you one day. I silently hoped that when that day came, you would realize my feelings are true and give me chance to make it up."

Yuri paused to take a breath.

"Everything belonged to a plan… but you capturing my heart was so unplanned, Sica. If there's one thing I know for sure, then it's that I can't live without you."

Jessica didn't reply, but the day on the Chalk Peak when Yuri gave her the necklace was vividly replaying in her mind. Yuri had asked her to promise to trust in Yuri's feelings… back then she didn't get it but was too happy to bother, but now she understood. And she was glad she kept her promise now.

"I love you," Jessica softly whispered.

Yuri was dozing off but that sentence woke her up instantly. She didn't know why, but hearing Jessica say those words after such a long time was making her heart burst.

"I love you too… I love you too."

A small tear secretly escaped Yuri's eye, but Jessica was oblivious to it as the only thing she felt was the embrace being tightened. The warmth of Yuri's love sent her off to a peaceful sleep very soon after.