SURPRISE! DOUBLE UPDATE... This is my way of saying thank you for waiting.

Chapter 9 - Jessica Moment

When Jason entered the SNSD dorm for what had now become a regular weekly dinner session, he didn't expect to be greeted by Yuri's strained smile.

He had come to know her as someone playful and funny, but the hard edges of her smile as she ushered him made him falter.

"How are you, Yuri?" he asked cautiously.

There were shoes lined up against the wall to the left of the entrance. Jason observed how each of them were stacked in neat rows as he thought of hours to approach the obviously troubled girl.

"I'm fine," she said, "How was work today?"

"It was busy, mostly finishing up a few end of year reports on this year's contracts."

He followed her down the now familiar cream coloured corridor. It's blank walls offered him no inspiration on how to steer the conversation where he needed it to go.

"That's good," she mumbled distractedly.

Jason stopped her just before they entered the living room. With a gentle hand on her elbow, he slowly turned her to face him. Darting eyes that refused to meet his gaze gave away the fact that she was upset or avoiding something.

"Is everything okay?"

"...I don't know..."

There was a loose thread on the hem of her shirt. Yuri played with it nervously to give her hands something to do. Jason placed a hand on top of hers to still the motion,"You know you can tell me anything."

She glanced at him for amount and looked away, reluctance was painted all over her face, he could see it in the way she bit her lip and in the way she tensed at his words.

"I know," she said bitterly, "But I actually don't know what's wrong. So I don't know how to fix it."

Her nimble fingers snapped the loose thread. Jason flinched at the harsh sound, he felt like the thread, any moment moment now the tension will build and something will snap.

Yuri shot him an apologetic gaze, he understood her message from the way her brown eyes softened and the way her shoulders dropped as if she had let the tension drain away.

"Come on," she said.

Helplessness settled like a heavy weight in his stomach as he followed her into the living room. If Jason thought the sadness and confusion on Yuri's face was unsettling, nothing could prepare him for the heavy atmosphere that tried to suffocate him the living room. Everyone was there, on their phones, or their books or their laptops, just doing their own things. Anyone outside would have seen a group of girls enjoying a quiet night in.

Except the quiet wasn't a peaceful one, rather an enforced one. The way Taeyeon bit her lip and shifted uncomfortably on the sofa as she played a game on her phone belied her unease. Seohyun's eyes scanned her book back and forth, but never turned a page spoke volumes. Hyoyeon and Sooyoung on the floor, leaning back against the sofa with earphones in both ears and 'napping' bothered him to no end. Where were the pranksters who never failed to greet and ?

On and on the little ticks of each girl discomforted him more and more. The way Tiffany drummed her fingers on the arm of the couch. Sonny's foot bouncing up and down with impatience. Yoona chewing her lip till they came away red and puffy.

"Good evening, noonas. Evening Seohyun, Yoona and Sooyoung," he choked out.

"Hi Jason." "Hi oppa." "Hi senpai."

Jason looked at studied the Ice Princess sitting on one of the individual couch chairs. Their lacklustre greetings washed over him, but pushed it to the back of his mind as his told him that something was wrong with Jessica. Physically, she was still beautiful with a cool gaze as she typed away at her laptop. Except... He couldn't help but think there was something amiss. Her posture was too rigid for someone at home, her eyes gazed at the screen too intensely, his very instincts told him that she was stressed about something.

As if his stare had alerted her to him, she jerked up and looked at him. A moment passed as concerned brown eyes met tired ones. Abruptly she stood and snapped the lid of her laptop shut. Jason flinched at the sharp sound.

"I'm going to go take a nap," she said, "You can start dinner without me."

Her sock clad feet made no noise on their soft carpet. Every step she took towards her room was silent. No one dared breathe a word. Her bedroom creaked as she opened it, and shut with a click.

Like a breath that had been held for too long, the atmosphere in the room seemed to sigh. The very air felt lighter somehow. Jason looked at everyone else, their agitated motions had stilled. This only served to confuse him even more.

"What's going on?"

An unspoken message passed between them all, he could tell from their knowing looks and small nods.

"Come here Jason," Taeyeon beckoned him over.

Tiffany shifted so that he could sit in between the two of them on long couch. Taeyeon let out a heavy sigh, and in that moment he could see the weight of being the leader on her shoulders.

"We don't know what's wrong," she began, "But Sica has been acting really weird lately."

"She stays up late on her laptop," Yuri chimed in.

"She's been really snappish," added Hyoyeon.

"Like she's troubled, but she won't tell us anything," Tiffany's miserable tone was like a shot to the heart.

Jason could see her concern for Jessica, he could see it in the way her eyes watered and the way they couldn't look away from the closed for of the bedroom.

Without thinking he suddenly stood and matched to said door and pounded on it hard. He didn't knock, the sound of his fist in the door were like  a battering ram, it shook in its wooden frame with every strike.

"Jessica-noona, can I talk to you?" he shouted.

Taeyeon and Tiffany jumped up and pulled him away from the door.

"What are you doing?" Taeyeon whispered harshly.

"Stop it! Stop hitting the door!" Tiffany tugged uselessly at his arms.

Jason dug his heels in and stayed put. His normally kind brown eyes hardened with determination, a flame they had never seen before burned in them.

"Let me help," he said firmly, "Trust me."

Maybe it was the shock of him speaking to them so firmly, maybe it was inferno they had seen in him. But either way, both girls recoiled and let go as if they had been burned. The two of them stepped away and he ce more to hammer on the door.

"Jessica-noona, will you please come out?" he raised his voice again.

"I'm busy!" was the muffled yell from the bedroom.

"Please! I want to talk!"

"We can talk later!"

Her door had no marks on it, just plain off-white painted wood. This was probably the most beating it had ever received. Jason studied it closely as he chose his next words, "I'd like to talk now!"

"It can wait!"

The door was locked. He knew that. He had heard the click of the lock falling into place earlier, just like everyone else. But desperate times call for outright threats.

"I'm going to break your door down!"

"You wouldn't!"

The young man cast an apologetic look back at the others behind him. Their wide eyes, widened even more as they took in the seriousness in every fibre of his being. He meant it. A deep breath to steady himself. One step back and to the left for the best distance and leverage. Once more he apologised silently. Then he slammed a kick right beside the door knob, where it would be weakest.

Slam! The door shuddered from the force of the kick. Splinters came away, but it held strong. It was thrown open wide by an angry Jessica Jung. She was angry, incredulous, but very very angry.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Face flushed, nostrils flaring and eyes burning, she was the picture the very picture of rage. Nonetheless, Jason looked at her coolly. A side of him that the girls had never seen before was showing. It was the side he used when looking at opponents at a karate tournament. It was his game face.

"I told you I was going to break your door down," he said calmly, "I don't make promises I don't intend to keep."

" Are you insane? If I hadn't opened the door you were ACTUALLY going to break my door?"

" Yes," was his simple answer.

Her right hand rubbed her forehead to ease the oncoming headache already blooming. Frustration and incredulity filled her.

"You're an idiot," she sighed exasperatedly and crossed her arms, "Well I'm out now, what do you want to say?"

It was dark outside, inky blackness was all he could see from the windows. Strangely it called to him.  Like a force or a voice in his mind was telling him that he needed to be out there to help his noona.

"Can I take you somewhere?" he asked, "Still in the building, but I want to show you something."

She sighed once more,"Do I have a choice?"

"You always have a choice," his eyes locked right on hers, "This time though... I'm going to persuade to choose yes."

"Is another way of saying that if I say no, you'll break my door down?"

"If I have to, then yes."

Within moments the two of them bid the others goodbye and walked out dressed in think jackets and scarves. It was at his insistence. To say that everyone was too shell shocked, would have been an understatement. To see their usually shy, mild mannered friend, yelling, threatening to break down a door and actually attempting it was a turn around so fast that they almost had whiplash.

Jason and Jessica were quiet as they walked down the empty hallways of the Apartment Complex. Eventually, they climbed the metal stairs and found themselves up on the roof.

Puffs of white mist appeared with every breath the took. Cold December air made them glad that that they worn the thick jackets and scarves. Its biting chill was kept at bay.

Jason swept an  arm out and gestured to the railings at the edge of the roof. Together they leaned on it with their elbows and looked out over the twinkling lights and the hustle and bustle of Seoul's night life. For a few moments they chose to admire the scene together, before Jessica's quiet whisper broke the silence, "What did you want to talk about?"

"Actually, I took you here so you could talk," he answered, "If there's something on your mind let it out. If you don't want to, then let the sounds soothe you till you can think clearly."

Buildings around them had billboards with bright lights that created pictures and videos and ads. The park not too far from the apartment was dark with only a few lampposts to illuminate the windy path in it. Everywhere you looked, people were there. Whether it was the couple walking hand in hand near the street vendors or the group of friends boisterously hopping from bar to bar, there were always people.

"Have you ever wanted something for so long that it almost felt unattainable?" she asked him.

He watched a few people stand in line for the tteokbokki from the ajusshi as he mused inwardly about his answer.

"Do you want to know something, noona?" he asked rhetorically, "I really hate law, but I studied it for five years at university and now I have to do law everyday for work."

"W-why do you do it if you hate it?"

"It pays well," he shrugged, "It's a respectable career and my mother is proud of me."

The fabric of his jacket rustled with every move he made. It's crinkling sounds were the sound effects of his story.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.

"As someone who has spent all his life doing things to please someone else, I can tell you it's not worth it," he looked at her intently, "If you have a dream, chase it. If you have two, chase them both. One after another or simultaneously, it doesn't matter. You have to do what makes you happy."

Jessica watched the leaves of the trees in the park rustle listlessly in the evening breeze. His words washed over her and she mulled over them again and again in her head.

"I love singing and performing, but ever since I was a little girl I've wanted to do fashion," her tone grew helpless, "But I don't how I can be in SNSD and open a fashion company at the same. And I don't want to leave the group. I'm so lost."

Jessica turned to the younger man and saw the way the breeze played with his hair. The way the city lights made shadows dance across his face. A chiselled jaw, cleanshaven face and high cheekbones, he could've been a model of he so ever chose. His slim frame leant on the metal rails, but she knew beneath those clothes were muscles that had made her door shudder and crack with a single kick. Jason for his part just stood still. He waited as she studied him in detail. Her mesmerising eyes flitted up an down.

"How can I do both?" she asked, "I won't be able to practise and focus as much if I'm trying to get my company set up. And I could get kicked out for that..."

Jason slung an arm over her slim shoulders and pulled her closer as she shivered. The wind grew colder as the night wore on.

"If you ever need any help with your company, ask me and ask the girls. Keep them involved," he bent down, looked her in the eye and with a cocky grin said, "As for SM Ent. kicking you  out... Luckily for you, you have one of their top contract lawyers as your dongsaeng."

Jason hugged his shaking noona and rested his chin on top of her head,"I promise I will do everything I can to make sure they can't kick you out."

Jessica wrapped her arms around him and pressed herself closer to his embrace, "Thank you. For everything. Sharing your story and offering help and advice."

" For you, noona? Anything."

She pulled back to look him the in the eyes, but not enough to leave his hug.

"Can you tell me..." she paused, "What do you like?"

"Science and Maths," he said with a wry grin.

She frowned at him and finally pulled away, "Those are respectable too. Why didn't you pursue them?"

He ran a hand through his messy hair and looked away, "Science and Maths are what I love... But law was the one with a job at the end of the degree."

"You should follow your dreams too. You deserve it."

She placed a hand on his arm and squeezed softly. It was her promise, her way of saying be strong, of telling him that she would support him if he ever chose to follow his dreams. How he could have ever thought she was an ice princess was beyond him. Her warm heart was practically on her sleeve as she gazed up at him. With her face illuminated by moonlight and the city scape, she was beautiful, pink cheeks, red nose and all.

"Maybe some day."

Hi all! This is not confirmation that the ending is with Jessica! I just wanted to show the moment where the Ice Princess begins to melt and he starts seeing his noona in a different light. I'm planning on him having a few moments with different girls, based on the results of people commenting on their preferred pairing.