#08
c h a r m s

Weeks go by as Jessica and Jinki got closer to one another, their relationship being acknowledged within the company and their acquaintances. How could it not, since they were together most of the time. Now, other than going out for lunch, they hang out in the office as well. When one of them is free from work, they'll come by the other's office to just watch, or bug each other instead. He texts her often and they meet up out of work at least once a week, at places Jinki likes (which Jessica has gotten fond of as well) just to waste time–even though the time spent had never gone wasted for the two of them. All of those days were recorded in Jinki's blog, which Jessica now checks every week.

"You know, Kyuhyun hyung asked about you yesterday," said Jinki one day when they were eating out.

Kyuhyun was a friend of his. He's the director of a famous photography magazine and is a successful freelance photographer as well, and had just held his third photo exhibit a few days ago which Jinki went to with Jessica.

"Oh, really?" she asked in a mouthful.

"Yeah, I went to visit him in his office and he asked about you."

Jessica just nodded. "Thanks for taking me out for sushi," she than said, lifting the salmon sushi with her chopsticks. "I haven't gone out for sushi in a while and Tiffany just despises raw seafood."

"My pleasure," Jinki smiled at her, and soon she was busy eating again. He took the moment to aim the camera he was holding at her, determined to take a picture of her, even if in secret.

"If I hear the shutter click, you'll be sure to hear your nose break," Jessica suddenly said, calmly eating her sushi.

Jinki quickly lowered his camera and aimed at his plate of nigirizushi instead. "Aren't you cruel.." he mumbled absently, and then a click from the shutter. He examined the picture on the screen and smiled, pleased with his shot. He then aimed at Jessica's plate of chirashizushi.  "Sica, stay like that for a second, okay?"

She stayed frozen for a moment until she heard the shutter click, and looked up at Jinki who was smiling at his shot, again. "Did it came out good?"

He gestured for her to come sit beside him, and she did, to see the picture of her chirashizushi, and her pretty hand hovering above it, holding a shrimp with her chopsticks.

"Nice composition," she commented.

"Why, thank you, my hand model," he joked, and she nudged him gently on the ribs.

"Stop it."

"Yeah, yeah," he said absently, looking at the previous pictures he had taken. "Hey, where do you want to go today?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, shopping?"

"Shall we?"

"If you want to, let's go to Myeongdong again."

"And I can take pictures of you?"

"What? No!" Jessica shook her head. "I'm not wearing anything nice now, and I told you before I don't like taking pictures of myself.."

"I'm the one taking it, anyway, and besides, you look pretty in everything! Look, I'll even buy you clothes and take pictures of you coming out of the dressing room–oh! Like a fashion show!" he exclaimed, getting excited over his own idea of persuasion. "It'll be great, Sica. Please? I'll treat you for coffee after, how's that?"

Jinki knew Jessica could never resist coffee and new clothes, but he also knew that she was stubborn. So, he was completely surprised when she mumbled, "Fine.."

"What? Really?!" he blurted out, over-excitedly.

Jessica glared at him, irritated. "Look, do you want to, or not?"

"Okay, I'm sorry.. but, I'm really glad you want to!" he beamed at her, looking touched and happy. "Let's go now! Waiter, check please!"

After paying, Jinki and Jessica hopped into the car and raced to Myeongdong. He drove really fast, and she kept telling him to slow down. He was smiling the whole time, Jessica couldn't stay irritated with him. He made her smile too much. He parked in front of Caffé Bene on purpose, winning Jessica over with her favorite drink. Jinki took out his camera bag and his tripod, Jessica just leaned against the door impatiently, and worried. What have she gotten herself into?

"Jinki, let's just have coffee and not take pictures of me?" she asked once again.

"Nonsense! Come on, I got us a parking spot in front of Caffé Bene, I'll treat you to cheese cake, chocolate muffins and even six cups of coffee, if it doesn't make you hyper," Jinki said, and she just stared at him in doubt. "Come on, Sica, it's just me. Please?"

Jessica sighed in surrender. "Okay. But I'm telling you beforehand that I am not a model, don't tell me how to pose or stuff like that.."

"You have my word. Let's go!"

Jinki took her hand and they ran together along the sidewalk–or it was more like he dragged her–choosing which shop will be the best for Jessica. She had said before that she pretty much wears everything, and he added to it saying that she does look good in everything. They entered a shop called K.AL, the employees welcoming them with a bow. Jinki went to talk to the cashier and Jessica went browsing for clothes. It was a pretty big store, with quite a variety of outfits. She held a piece of summer dress to her body while watching Jinki talking to the cashier.

He then approached her, bright eyes and a huge smile on his face. "Great news, we can use the store."

"How did you manage?"

"My friend is the owner; Kim Kibum? I've known him since college, a quirky yet really great guy," Jinki said. "Now, choose whatever outfit you want and rock the dressing room!"

Jessica giggled at his cheesy choice of words, but then bit her lip doubtfully. She ended up going with it anyway since Jinki had gone through a lot only to have her photographed by him, even asking his friend to let him use his store. She took some tops and bottoms; dresses, tees, skirts and pants, even some shoes and hats, thinking on how she would style them in the process. While she was busy with it, Jinki set up his camera, secretly taking a picture of Jessica carrying a pile of outfits in her hands. It didn't came out good, though, so when she passed by him for the dressing room, he asked her to stop and asked to take a picture of her.

"Hey, you said only after I'm dressed up!" she protested.

"Just face me, Sica," said Jinki, holding up his camera at her.

"What's the point, I can't even see you through this pile of–" Jessica's whine was cut off by the sound of the shutter clicking, when she tilted her head to the side, finding the camera was already directed at her.

"It came out perfect," Jinki looked up from his camera. "Now, go get dolled up!"

Jessica entered the dressing room, hanging the outfits on the hangers. It didn't take a lot of time for her to dress up, before coming out of the dressing room wearing the first summer dress she chose, blue colored with pink flowers, and she even tied a pink ribbon under her chest to turn it into a baby-doll, wearing it with pink sunglasses, green and pink candy bangles and pink flats. "How do I look?" she asked Jinki sheepishly, playing with the hem of her dress.

He who was busy looking at his camera, turned to her, and his face brighten all of a sudden. "Beautiful," was all he said (while looking dumbfounded at the sight as well), but that made Jessica even more shy and covered her face with her hands. He chuckled, coming up to her and pried her hands off her face. "Jessica, seriously, you don't have to act so cool in front of me.. you can smile like mad, you can laugh like crazy, you can falter and break into a million pieces when you're with me. This is the first time I've ever seen you embarrassed, and might I say, you are adorable. So, don't worry! You're beautiful just the way you are."

Jessica can feel her cheeks turning hot. "And might I say, you are so cheesy," she muttered. "Fine. I'll do it, I'll do it."

"Great."

Jinki walked back to his spot, ready to take a picture. He pointed his camera at her, who just stood there, not knowing what to do.

"So?"

"So, what? Just take a picture and finish this already!" she whined, stomping her feet.

"How can I take a picture when you're scowling at me like that?" he laughed. "Smile, Sica!"

"How do I do that?!"

"Even after I said all those stuff to you, you still can't smile?" Jinki narrowed his eyebrows, amused. "Look, you think about something funny, and –" he unconsciously took a step back, accidentally bumping his calf against a chair and lost his balance, and ended up falling on his against the metal chair, resulting a clank and a seemingly bruised behind. "Ouch.."

Jessica had all of those happened before her eyes, and when he groaned, she bursted into laughter, holding her stomach with one hand while the other covered , even though it didn't do much since Jinki's fall was beyond funny and she couldn't help but to laugh so hard that tears came out of her eyes.

In spite of the pain in his , Jinki aimed his camera at her, clicking the button non-stop while Jessica while still laughing. He got a good shot of her doing that, while leaning against the door of the dressing room.

"Now, that's what I like to see," he said to her, and when the realization dawned on her, Jessica stopped laughing and got embarrassed, covering her face once again. "No! Jessica, you look great!" Jinki assured her, getting up from his crouching position and approached her, showing the pictures he's just took.

Jessica has never seen herself laughing so gleefully before. She was amazed at her own expressions, taking some time to believe that it was actually her; Jung Jessica the Ice Princess, who rarely smiles, let alone laugh like that. She felt good. Extremely good.

"See? Now, since those were candid, would you do a decent pose for once in this outfit, beautiful lady?" Jinki flashed a goofy smirk at her, and she hit his shoulder gently.

"That wasn't decent enough for you?" Jessica scoffed. "Okay, then. Let's try this one more time. For your sake, and god, am I craving for a green tea frappuccino."

Jinki laughed at her statement, and went back to his spot, taking a good position, aiming his camera at Jessica, who was thinking of good poses. She then startled him by putting on a mock pouting face with her hands on her hips. Jinki snickered and clicked the button, with Jessica changing her pose every time she hears the shutter clicks.

They did that over and over again, with different poses and different outfits; acting cute in casual, calm in preppy, fierce in grunge, charming in formal and other tons of different expressions. There were times where she couldn't take it anymore and cracked up, suddenly being embarrassed because of her silly poses, but Jinki still took her picture anyway.

"Okay, that's enough," said Jessica after taking a picture with a preppy-looking clothes; a stripy white and blue tank-top tucked into a pink pleated skirt with black belt, and a bowler hat. "Don't you think you've taken too much pictures of me?"

"Three hundred and so," Jinki shrugged. "Do you want to wrap it up now?"

"Please?"

Jinki laughed. "Okay. Then, this is the last one, I promise."

"Wait, wait," she interrupted him. "Then, you take a picture with me."

"What?"

"It's no fun if it's only me posing in front of the camera, you should too! I'll pick something up for you, wait a sec!" and Jessica dashed off to find the perfect clothes for Jinki, that match hers of course, and he just stood there, smiling as he shook her head.

Jessica came back with a gray vest that matches Jinki's white shirt that he was wearing under his sweater, a black bow-tie and a fedora. "It totally fits you," she assured him, and even helped him putting it on.

Jinki looked at his reflection in the mirror. "I look great, though quite contrast from my usual way of dressing up," he said, fixing his bow-tie. "But I like it. You really do have an eye for fashion."

"Fashion can be bought, style one must possess," Jessica quoted, smiling proudly. "Now, come on! I'm really craving for coffee, now."

"Okay, okay!"

Jinki adjusted his tripod and his camera on it, setting up the timer. Jessica stood impatiently in front of the dressing room, while pondering on what pose she should come up with, when suddenly Jinki yelled, "Ten seconds!" as he ran to her side.

They leaned against each other's back, their semi-side profile facing the camera. Jessica made a surprised expression; eyes widened, gasping with her hand slightly covering , while Jinki held his hat with one hand, winking at the camera, grinning cheekily. They stayed still for a good three second after coming up with those poses, until the shutter went off, then they let out a huge breath.

"I hope it comes out good," said Jessica.

"Well, then, let's check now!" Jinki grabbed his camera from the tripod and pressed the preview button. "Whoa, we look amazing!"

Jessica peered over his shoulder and he let her hold the camera, both of them looking at the picture. It came out excellent, with the composition, the color, the lighting, but especially their expressions; nothing seemed wrong or out of place, it was picture perfect.

"I'm totally going to print this," Jinki chuckled.

"Print one for me too," Jessica smiled in satisfaction. It was certainly a nice picture, and she had never seen herself looking brighter. Maybe it's because of Jinki. That guy has a weird effect on her, but she sure didn't mind being affected by him. He even got her into taking pictures–a lot of them–and she loved it.

"Now come on, let's go get that coffee you promised me," she said to Jinki, and he winked at her.

"Sure thing, Miss Jung."

They left the store after Jinki paid for some outfits; he did promise Jessica that he would buy her some of the outfits she wanted. She chose two outfits on her own, and he tossed in a long sleeve in  black leopard prints, saying that she would look hot in it, and that he wasn't joking, earning a punch on the shoulder from Jessica. But she ended up taking it anyway. She also got her coffee like he promised, and they stayed till late in Caffé Bene looking through the pictures over a cup of frappuccino each, a cheese cake for Jinki and a tiramisu for Jessica.

As if it wasn't enough, they took a few pictures outside in the night, under the gleaming city-lights in Myeongdong, though not as many as the pictures from the store. Jinki then drove Jessica home, dropping her off in front of her building and ended it with an exchange of thank yous and how they had a great time. It was usual, but Jessica felt that there was something more between the lines, at least for her.

"You managed to talk me into being photographed, that's amazing," she said before getting off. "Remember to print them out, okay?"

"I don't think I could forget, I'll print them as soon as I get home," smiled Jinki. "You should go inside now, it's getting late."

"Okay. Once again, thanks for today.." she said, and spontaneously leaned closer to kiss Jinki's cheek, surprising him.

"Wha–"

Before he even got to finish his sentence, Jessica already got off and slammed the door shut, waving the last bye-bye for the night through the window, and her heels, entering her building. Jinki trailed her steps with her eyes, dumbfounded, staring outside the window until a honk from the car behind his snapped him out of the trance. He touched his cheek, he can still feel the softness of her lips against his skin. He smiled, and finally stepped on the gas, leaving the apartment.

At that time, Jessica too was smiling to herself as she changed into her pajamas. That smile has been glued to her face since the first day she and Jinki went out together. She laid on her bed, letting out a big sigh as she stared at the ceiling, the moment when he kissed Jinki's cheek suddenly projected on it. She giggled, remembering Jinki's flabbergasted expression when she did that. It was just a small kiss on the cheek, anyway, she thought. A way of saying thank you.

Jessica decided to check her phone, since she hasn't checked it once today while with Jinki. As usual there were email notifications, text messages and a lot of missed calls. There were seventeen. Jessica viewed the call log, turns out those missed-calls came from an unknown number. She decided to call back later and checked her messages. There was one message from Krystal, and just when she was about to open it, the unknown number called again.

She pressed the green button. "Hello?"

"Is this Jessica Jung?" she heard a voice from the other end of the line. A familiar voice, suddenly echoing back from somewhere in her mind. She froze. 

"It's Kim Jonghyun."

© hellopsr stories, 2012

AAAAAAA I'M FINALLY ABLE TO UPDATE!!!11!!1!

I really like this chapter because Jessica and Jinki is adorable and writing this makes me want to bump their foreheads together, U G H. AND, I left you on a cliffhanger. It's Jonghyun, man! Our dinosaur~ Please wait patiently for more! ♥