Chapter 2

The Eye-Smile

Every day, Jessica went home with Heechul. Not for obvious reason, of course. Heechul will never looked at her like that, despite his parents persistent effort for that. Heechul couldn’t. He simply couldn’t. She’s his sister, his friend who also shared the same fate in the orphanage since twelve years ago until six years ago. She wasn’t lucky though, no couple would even consider Jessica as their daughter.

Jessica was too smart, too emotionless, and too quiet for her age.

But she was lucky to found her blood relative—Aunt Krystal. She was a rich 25 years old woman, and ever since Jessica was born, Krystal took care of her whenever her mother aren’t available. And until now, Krystal devoted her life to take care of Jessica, after discovering the ‘illness’ plagued her niece’s brain.

Today was different. Jessica was the one who walked Heechul home, since the hospital was closest from there than her home. Heechul however, didn’t notice it until they reached his home.

“Say, Sica,” Jessica looked at him with the same look she gave him since forever. “When is your check-up with Dr Kim again?” Heechul asked, sneaking a glance to his watch. Jessica tilted her head and answered, “In an hour. Why?”

“Dang…” Heechul sighed, running his fingers through his long hair. “You should go home.” He said shortly. But Jessica looked at him with a questioning yet blank look, and Heechul knew she demanded an answer.

So he sighed.

“Some lousy teenager got himself on a severe collision, damaging his brain tissue or something along the lines. Dr Kim had to supervise the surgeons as the neurosurgeons are doing some kind of life and death surgery at the moment. A friend of hers, called herself Dr Kwon, called me she wouldn’t be available for check-up until at least 7 PM. They had just begun the surgery, actually.” He explained as he looked at his watch.

Jessica nodded. “Then I will be at Okcät.” She declared and walked away, leaving Heechul groaning himself.

“A café full of cat face everywhere!” Cried Heechul dramatically. “Tell Taecyeon to please consider changing the pictures, will you?” He sighed again when a glint, although it was a split second, of mischief appeared on Jessica’s eyes. “You won’t do that?” He concluded in a rhetorical question. God knows how relaxed Jessica was when cute pictures of cats are scattered everywhere.

“Maybe, maybe not,” Jessica teased, her right corner of her lips pulled upwards, something she copied whenever Donghae or Siwon remarked something sarcastic or teasing. Jessica always got the latter. “Besides, the cats liven up the name.”

The smirk caught Heechul off guard, but he brushed it off like it was nothing.

But he knew it was never a [nothing].

.oOo.oOo.oOo.

Jessica felt really relaxed and content whenever she settled down on this café near her school. Okcät is Taecyeon’s café, and he is the chef and everything here. He had a restaurant down the street, but decided it was the best to let Chansung and Junho handled it. He loved café more than restaurant, after all.

Like its name, Okcät is full of cats. Cats in pictures, to be specific. Jessica found it amusing and relaxing to see ‘Sica’, the lazy cat Taecyeon has, pictures in every corner of this café. She liked the snow-white cat. Its lazy attitude was basically the same as her. Too bad Jessica has allergies for animals’ fur.

“Reading something, Sica?”

Jessica looked up, not too surprised to see Taecyeon standing beside her with a tray in hand. Taecyeon always personally served her, being her ‘brother’ and all. He, Chansung, Heechul, and her came from the same orphanage, though their age difference was quite a lot. Jessica barely caught a glimpse of Taecyeon’s Bettcheese, a snack she always ordered because of its cheap price and deliciousness. Strange, Jessica hadn’t order yet. But Jessica just shrugged, thinking it was another [Pavlovian conditioning], because she always ordered it.

“Wattpad?” Taecyeon guessed, placing a chocolate milkshake and the said Bettcheese in front of her. Jessica smiled in gratitude, but Taecyeon knew her smile wasn’t real. He himself was the one who taught Jessica to smile, to laugh, and to appear happy. He knew Jessica was like that since a child, at least since the incident.

“Webtoon actually,” Jessica answered absently. “I found something interesting a month ago, Oppa. It’s Dr Frost. Have you read it?” Taecyeon nodded almost too quickly. He himself started reading it in this year. “It seems he’s in the same state as I, right?” Jessica continued, looking blankly to Taecyeon as she questioned.

“I’m not too sure,” Taecyeon replied with creased eyebrow, promptly sat on the vacant seat in front of her. “Dr Frost lost all of his emotions permanently. Dr Kim said you could regain your emotions back gradually, right? Speaking of Dr Kim, don’t you have a check-up today?” He asked, looking at his watch. Jessica silently noted his action, thinking it was, again, [Pavlovian conditioning] that whenever someone asked about her check-up, they themselves will always looked at their watch. It occurred more than she could count, and when Heechul asked it yesterday, “When is your check-up?” He looked at his wrist, even though yesterday Heechul didn’t wear watch.

“Dr Kim won’t be available until 7 PM, at least.” Jessica replied quietly. “But how could I regain my emotions back? I also had a brain injury – or dysfunction almost similar to Dr Frost, so what differs?”

“Well,” Taecyeon shifted on his seat. His eyes started roaming everywhere but to Jessica. Jessica recognized that immediately, but decided to stay quiet. “Dr Kim said your brain could recuperate since it wasn’t too serious, though it did ‘erase’ your emotion. Your emotion could be returned, if you want to undergo the therapy Dr Kim offered to you.” He explained uncertainly.

“Heechul oppa said Dr Lee isn’t professional,” Jessica pointed out, taking a small bite on her snack. “She’s 21, right?”

“She’s a genius, Sica,” Taecyeon groaned. “She’s an acceleration student on every school she’s in. She’s a genius and those eye smiles…” Taecyeon trailed off, his eyes looked dreamy at a moment. But he then noticed Jessica’s raised eyebrows and cleared his throat. Embarrassed, he continued, “Seriously, you should consider going to therapy with her. She’s a professional.”

“One thing I’m interested is the ‘eye-smile’ you mentioned,” Jessica spoke after a moment. “Can you explain that?”

“Ah-“

Suddenly, the café’s bell chimed, signalling another customer entered the café. Taecyeon and Jessica turned their head in reflex to see whom had entered. Taecyeon’s eyes widened and his jaws dropped, while Jessica looked very surprised for the first time.

Leeteuk, Taecyeon’s best employee, greeted without his eyes leaving the cashier. But when he did, he almost melted.

“Hi,” the girl smiled to Leeteuk. Her eyes were curved like a pair of crescent moon. “Can I have two Jovian Milkshakes? Oh and add the chocolate chips as well!” She ordered cheerfully. Leeteuk slowly nodded, as if in trance. “Ah, Bettecheese and spaghetti please! Ah, by the name of Hwanghssang.” After noting, the girl sat on the table right behind Jessica.

“Freaking hell,” Taecyeon commented, his eyes not leaving the back of the girl. “That’s what I call eyesmile! Nichkhun lost! Definitely lost!”

“I must say her smile is indeed interesting,” Jessica nodded her agreement. “Oppa, do you think I could do that? Doing the eyesmile?”

“Depends.” Taecyeon sing-sang.

"By the way, do you think that's her real name?" Jessica inquired curiously. Taecyeon just shrugged at that. "I don't know," he replied with his cheeky grin, "you're the one who studies pyshiology."

Jessica let out an audible sigh. "What's your point, Ok?" For a reason, Jessica knew Taecyeon was teasing her. "Enlightenment." Taecyeon breezily answered.

"She has a sibling on the way here, of course," Jessica guessed. "She doesn't radiate pink aura, so I think it's one of her big family." She continued calmly, looking thoughtful. "How do you know she has a big family? And what do you mean by pink aura?" Taecyeon asked incredulously. He didn't regret asking though, as Jessica answered in her usual-innocent-emotionless voice of hers, "Pink suffocating aura Dr Kim always has around Dr Kwon."

The two shared a grin. One was amused, one only copied the other..

Not long after that, a boy entered the café. Leeteuk greeted him, and his jaw dropped when he saw the similarity between the girl before and the boy. He almost thought the boy was the girl. “Hello,” he smiled to Leeteuk before asking with his deep and soft voice of his, “Did my sister enter this café? My sister mentioned she’s in a café with ‘cat’ on it.”

“Interesting,” Taecyeon commented and raised to his feet. He sensed Leeteuk somehow was in trouble. He looked to his left and right, but didn’t found the girl. So as a good boss he is, Taecyeon sauntered to him. “Your sister is on table 26, right behind this emotionless lady over there,” Taecyeol helpfully informed, pointing Jessica with his thumb and to the girl who was listening with headphones attached.

“Ah I see,” The boy smiled. Taecyeon felt his smile was different than the girl, despite he’d seen her smile from far and his from close distance. “Thank you for that er," Jessica noticed a brief glance to Taecyeon's nameplate. "Taecyeon-sshi,” he continued confidently. "It's a nice cafe. And thank you again." He thanked before walking to the table.

“Enjoy your meal in 15 minutes er,”

The boy turned his body. “Stephen, Stephen Hwang.” He supplied with a small smile.

“Right,” Taecyeon chuckled. “Enjoy your meal with lady Stephanie in 15 minutes or so!”

Stephen looked surprised, but nodded.