Paris En Tu Invierno (ChuuVes FF)

xx.bercy, paris, france.

Yves.

I never seen Jiwoo's face light up like that in a while. She seemed brighter and like the girl I knew again. Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree at the sight of the name brand clothes that she would be allowed to have for free. The manager let us have the whole store for an hour as most of the employees were out for lunch. Jiwoo skipped around the aisles, picking up anything from Givenchy to Versace. Heejin had already checked out her stuff at the counter. "You know she just needed this," she says to me. "A moment of peace."

"Yeah. I spoke with Max's neighbor and apparently, the damage was worse than the cops really put it," I say, recalling the stuff that the woman had told me in Max's apartment. I played with the metal bracelets on my wrist. "Jiwoo deserves the world. If I have another opportunity to give it to her, trust me, I would take it and I would do anything to keep her."

Heejin gave me a pat on the back. "You have my full support but you gotta be patient with Jiwoo. She's a lot different than 2 years ago. She's trying her best right now to fix herself. I don't need the damage to be redone."

I nodded. "Of course. I'll wait forever if I have to."

"What drama is this?" Heejin jabbed.

"It's clearly a drama with a crazy plot that isn't traditional and not to mention, it's really gay."

"KBS would reject this drama in a heartbeat with their insane censorship." Heejin furrowed her brow. "Does Jiwoo have a limit as to how many clothes she could get because I swore she just picked up the whole store."

"Allow her to shop with her heart's content. It's on my tab," I assure Heejin. "I have a black card."

"Please don't buy Jiwoo," Heejin giggled. "She isn't that materialistic, however, she is too excitable. Like, look at her. She's in the city of her dreams and she's all overjoyed."

Jiwoo had stars in her eyes. The ones that made her eyes twinkle brighter than the fluroscent lights of the store. She basically piroutted around the aisles and tried things on against her. She looked like a kid in a candy star. "I won't buy her. But, she can have whatever she wants as long as she's in my care."

"You're gonna spoil the damn child," Heejin sighed. "I know she's older than me, but she needs to be protected and often disciplined."

I laugh. "Alrighty. I promise to at least put on some restrictions. But, I can't help it. And she's a grown woman, Heejin."

"She's still a baby at heart," Heejin huffed. "She's a sensitive girl. And you know that."

Once we finally got out the store and got back in the car, Heejin climbed into the back seat. I gave her a confused look but she winked at me. Jiwoo, hesitantly, got into the passenger seat beside me. She looked around at the windshield and then at the GPS system. And then at the leather on the steering wheel. She gawked at me. "You better not crash this one, Sooyoung!"

"I'm not, I swear." I smile. She looks out the window. "You need this to be washed. We can work on that together."

"But I can just-"

"No, we're washing your car together to save your money. I don't want you being that careless with your money, CEO or not. And tonight, I'm cooking for Heejin to make up all these months she has fed me before she goes back home. I'm making tteokbokki and some steak for my friend. So you can take us to a supermarket-"

"But, I want a fancy dinner, tonight," Heejin whined. "You can never pay me back. You're forever in debt with me. Just pay me with endless friendship."

"But, Soobongie needs to have her money and stop flaunting her riches everywhere-"

"Your Soobongie offered to pay-"

"HEY!" I yell to silence them both. I guess things never change between all of us. "How about tonight we go to a more finance-friendly restaurant and then for breakfast, you can cook for Heejin and I. Then we can take her to the airport and she'll be there before noon. Is that good enough for the both of you?"

"Wait. I have to cook for you too?" Jiwoo asks. She tsked and rolled her eyes at me.

"Yes, because we're forever grateful for the beautiful swan Yves," Heejin says. "Thank you, Sooyoung!"

"Please..." I cringed. "Don't call me Yves. Ew...all of my business comrads call me that. You guys know me so, you can call me Sooyoung."

"What made you choose Yves?" Jiwoo asked. I suddenly decided that I wouldn't mind if she called me that because she sounded so cute saying it.

"I really don't know," I said. "I just decided on that name in my international passport and VISA for my English name. I liked the way it sounded. I want to defy society in every way possible and that's where it came from. My father helped me decide it, haha."

"Well...I like that name," Jiwoo said softly. "I'm gonna really miss you, Heejin." She wanted to change the subject as fast as possible. How cute. She didn't wanna completely warm up to me yet. I just grinned and kept driving. "Like, really miss you. I don't know what I'm going to do without you."

"I have an answer," Heejin says, a light chortle in her voice. "You'll do Sooyoung....I mean. You have her and your college friends."

Jiwoo frowned a little. "See the thing is, after the thing with Max, they sort of ended their friendships with me because of him."

"That asshole," I grunted. Jiwoo deserved a lot of friends, as nice as she is. But, instead she tried to smile. I know I must be Jiwoo's only friend at the moment, if she even sees me as one. I'll be there for her, every step of the way. "I got you, Jiwoo. We'll be best friends." I didn't look at her because I felt her eyes just gawking at me in shock. A warm giggle creeps up inside me, just making all of me feel all giddy.

Heejin snickered in the backseat. "No one can take my place, though."

"That's why I'll fill the other position in her heart." I winked at Jiwoo and she turned a mad shade of red.