Circa 2010

“Hara, tell me I’m pretty.”

“You’re extremely pretty, Miss Gyuri.”

“I know.” The lady in red smiled seductively at her assistant before looking back at the mirror.

Park Gyuri. Thirty-three year old widow who married the now late Kim Sang Woo, a direct descendant to South Korea’s royal family. Initial reports stated that he died due to heart attack. Gyuri married him mainly because of his family’s wealth.

Hara, who donned a long hair and whose eyes were as big as a bug’s, looked around the store. It was the fifth one they’ve been to this day. Her lady boss was busy trying to find a dress to wear for the party next week.

She spotted another girl who was getting out of the fitting room wearing the same dress Gyuri was wearing. She shook her head knowing that it would only lead to her lady boss blowing up and making a fuss about it.

“Taeyeon!” she spat out, “Why are you wearing that?”

“Uh, I think it looks good, m-mother,” she answered timidly.

Kim Taeyeon, twenty-three years of age, is Kim Sang Woo’s only daughter and was his only remaining memory left from his wife who passed away giving birth. Ever since her father died, she had to deal with her step mom who’s nothing short of a witch.

She had to constantly deal with her faux concern. Gyuri enjoyed mocking Taeyeon, embarrassing her in front of their employees but she had to endure it for the memory of her dad. Why her dad loved the woman and even married her was still a mystery to Taeyeon.

“It does look good…on me. Not you, dear.” She put on a fake smile and held Taeyeon by the shoulder. “Now go back in there and change. I wouldn’t want to be caught wearing the same dress as you.”

“Yes, mother.”

Gyuri watched as Taeyeon went back to the fitting area and turned to Hara. “Don’t you agree that I look so much better in this dress than her?”

“I think it actually suits her more, Miss Gyuri.”

Hara actually feared for her life when she saw Gyuri’s face turning red.

“It just suits her skin tone more.”

“Are you sure you want to continue saying that non-sense, Hara?”

Hara vigorously shook her head, regretting how she chose to answered back instead of shutting up or just plainly agreeing.

“I’m better looking than her. I’m better looking than most people. You got that?” Hara nodded. “Tch! Seungyeon’s a way better assistant than you. Too bad she slipped and fell on her head.”

Hara shivered as she remembered what happened to her co-worker a year ago. She didn’t slip. Gyuri pushed her and her head hit a rock while they were in Jeju last summer. She didn’t dare tell that to the police because she knew she’d end up in the same fate as Seungyeon if she did that.

“You know what, I think I’ll go for this black dress. We never know when we might need it.” She winked at Hara and right then she knew what was going on inside Gyuri’s head. She was going to commence her plan on taking over the Kim Industries and another Kim is going to die.

---

2013

“You don’t understand. I don’t want to get married to that guy.”

“Who do you want to marry then? That Jaebeom guy you’ve been meeting with? Don’t think for a second that I don’t know where you’ve been going during your free time, young lady.”

“I don’t want to get married yet! I don’t want to get married to either of them.”

Her mom sighed. “Jessica, we’re not getting any younger. We just want you to be in good hands before we leave this world.”

“I know you have the best intentions for me, mom but I don’t think dad shares the same views as you.” She glared at her father. “He wants me to go and marry Taecyeon because of the Ok’s wealth and that’s it.”

Her father scoffed. “Twenty-two years of feeding you, giving you shelter, giving you all you want, sending you to a great school and this is what I get? Don’t be an ingrate, Jessica. You have a duty to keep my legacy alive. This company is my legacy. You’re the only heir to my fortune and the least you could do is to do as I tell you and marry someone from an affluent family. Imagine how powerful our families could be if that happens, Jessica.”

Before she could retort, her father pointed his finger at her. “Don’t you dare reason out with me. I’m never going to let you marry a Park. Much less the son of Park Jin Young. I won’t let that traitor be part of our family.”

Jessica pinched the bridge of her nose. She doesn’t get her dad and her dad clearly doesn’t get her. She wanted to tell him right then and there that she was not interested in having a budding romance with Jaebeom whom she considers her best friend.

She doesn’t even like guys for crying out loud but being born in a very conservative family meant she had to keep her ual preference a secret. If there was anything she fears more than dying alone, it’s that she would die without anyone in her family knowing that she’s gay.

“Taecyeon is the right man for you. You probably don’t see it now but you will once you get married and live under the same roof.”

She rolled her eyes before going upstairs to her room and out to her balcony. Sometimes she wishes she wasn’t an only child so her father could bother the other offspring instead of her but then she feels guilty for wanting someone to suffer the same fate as her.

Jung Jessica. The only daughter and sole heiress of the business mogul, Jung Woo Sung. The Jungs live at an estate just outside the outskirts of Seoul. Growing up she had everything handed to her on a silver platter. She was used to living luxuriously and being pampered. When she was sent abroad to study though, she made an effort to live differently.

She tried being domesticated. Cooking her own food, washing her own clothes and doing other chores that most people her age normally do. She even decided that it was best to live in a dorm to mingle with other students but mostly to do things that people her age should experience doing. Drinking until you pass out, doing random stuff like jumping on a table, back first, hoping that it would break and making out with a total stranger. College, basically.

It was during her sophomore year before spring break that she found out just how exciting it was to kiss another girl. She’d never done it before but her friends coaxed her into doing so. It was different. It sends her to a roller coaster of emotions. Heck, even her stomach couldn’t deny that. Every time she kisses another woman, she would feel things that she normally doesn’t feel when kissing a man.

It explained a lot of things for Jessica. For quite some time, she felt like something was wrong with her. While her friends back in Korea talked about how wonderful their first, second, third kisses were with their ideal men, she would just shrug and tried to recall what was so special about hers. She couldn’t come up with anything. She went on to realize that she simply just wasn’t attracted to guys. It was the women that she enjoyed kissing. That she enjoyed being on a bed with. It was a woman’s touch that she longed for.

“Psst! Jess!”

She broke out of her reverie and looked around to find where the voice came from. When she looked down, she saw Jaebeom trying to climb up to her balcony using a rigid ladder.

“Why are you here? How’d you get in?”

“I have my ways. Do you want to hang out? Wooyoung’s bar is having its grand opening tonight.”

“Can’t. You know how Woo loves the media. There are going to be lots of them there and you know I can’t afford my pictures to be taken on a place that has something to do with you, your cousin or any of your distant relatives.”

“Well, that’s too bad. There’s going to be lots of free booze, you know?”

He pulled himself over the railings and stood beside Jessica. “Did you have an argument with your dad again?”

She groaned as she was reminded of the events earlier. “Yeah. You know this Ok Taecyeon dude?’

“Do they own a shipping company?”

“Yes.”

“Yup, I know him. The guy with the big ears. Why?”

“Dad wants me to marry him.”

Jaebeom snickered. “Like hell I will let that happen. I know you don’t want to get married to me but just say the word and I’ll call a priest to wed us right now. I’m not going to let you end up with big ears.”

“That’s really sweet of you but I don’t really want to get married to you either.”

“You should tell your father that so he’d stop glaring at me every time he sees me.”

“You think I haven’t done that countless of times before?”

Jaebeom stared at her, wondering if he should really ask her the question that’s been bothering him for quite a while now. “Jess, I have something to ask you and I want you to be totally honest with me. You could do that, right?”

“Depends on the question, I guess.”

“Why don’t you seem to be interested in guys? I mean, you hang out with me, Wooyoung and the other guys but all of us are clearly just your guy friends. You made that clear already but I just don’t get why you don’t seem to be attracted to any other guys. Not just us. Every time we try to set you up with a friend that we know, you decline and change the topic.”

She sighed for the nth time that night. Maybe it was really time for her to come out to one of her friends.

“Well, that’s because I’m gay.”

“Oh, so that’s why you prefer joining our conversations about girls and their body parts than talking about guys that we want to set you up with.”

It was quiet between the two for a second until Jaebeom broke out into a grin. “I know this really hot girl. I could introduce you to her in one condition. I want to see you guys make out.”

Jessica hit the back of his side and scowled. “ert.”

“What? I think that’d be really hot.”

“You’re missing the point here. I don’t want to get married to a guy that I don’t even like to begin with.”

“Well, right now I don’t really know how I could help you but if you come up with an idea on how to dodge that bullet, just call me, okay?”

He smiled and Jessica returned it with a small one. Before he began climbing down the ladder, he called her again and said, “I’m glad you couldn’t come tonight. I’d be really insecure having you with me in a bar filled with hot ladies now knowing that you like them, too.”

She just chuckled at his antics and went back inside her room, deciding that it would be better to sleep it off than to stress herself about the impending arranged marriage.

---

Jessica crouched down beside the van that was delivering the flowers that were going to be used in her wedding day. As expected, her father didn’t even bother listening to her and made the decision himself but she wasn’t going to have any of that so tonight, the night before her wedding, she was going to get out of this hell hole and stay as far away from her father as possible.

She had her doubts but only because she didn’t want to leave her mother and make her worry but she had no choice. It was either this or she has to live the rest of her life with a man she doesn’t love.

She only had one backpack with her. contained her most prized possessions and a huge wad of cash. She had to withdraw her money from her bank account, most but not everything, so she wouldn’t have to deal with using a card and risk being tracked. If people saw this, she’d probably be suspected of being either a drug dealer or a robber but she couldn’t care less.

She heard the trunk of the van being opened and when she glanced at it, she saw that the space was enough for her to fit into. When she was sure that the flowers were all taken away, she stealthily hopped onto the van and closed the door. Just as she expected, the guys didn’t check the trunk and left when they were done with the delivery.

She wanted to sleep but decided against it. She’s devised a plan on how to get out of the van unnoticed. The van halted at a rest stop and Jessica took this chance to get out of there before the guys caught her.

She started walking as she held on the straps of her bags.

“Let’s see where the hell I am right now.” She looked for signs and saw one that says, “Daejeon.”

“Daejeon, huh?” She stated walking again with no destination in mind.

Jessica looked at her watch and sighed. “I should find a place to stay.” But she knew she couldn’t check in a hotel. That would make it easier for her dad to find her. She tried looking for a small in but there wasn’t any of that in sight and her eyes were starting to droop.

She saw a building that seemed like an abandoned warehouse and when she opened the gate, she was surprised to see that it wasn’t locked. She did a bit of an ocular inspection and she had to admit that for an abandoned warehouse, it was very neat and it looked more well-kept than her own room despite the lack of lighting.

“I guess it wouldn’t hurt to stay here for the night.”

Any normal day she would’ve find this scary but she was just too tired to even think about it.

“Where the hell will I sleep though?”

Just then the darkness that welcomed her when she first got inside disappeared and was replaced with blinding lights. It took her eyes quite a while to adjust and when it finally did, the first thing she laid her yes on were two Siberian huskies, three cats with very short legs and a chipmunk…or a squirrel. She wasn’t so sure.

The dogs were barking at her and it made her back up until she couldn’t anymore because of the wall.

“Oh god, this is not how I intend to die. HELP!”

“Who are you?”

Jessica removed the backpack that she was using to cover her face to make sure she wasn’t dreaming and it wasn’t the dogs that talked.

“I’m Jessica. Are these your pets? Can you please tell them I’m pretty harmless?”

The girl stared at her with her round eyes while Jessica took the time to admire the girl in front of her. Innocent face, skin as white as a snow and…two short legs. Very short legs.

“How’d you get in? Are you here to rob me?”

Jessica tilted her head. What was there to rob in an abandoned building?

“The gate was opened and I didn’t think there would be someone else in here.”

She did a double take on the girl. Doesn’t look like a hobo. What the hell is she doing here?

“Do you, uh, do you live here?”

“Yes.”

Jessica eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “How could you live in such state? Where’s your family?” she asked, not bothering to be formal.

“My parents have passed away. I live here now.”

“I see. Do you get any help from the government?” she asked as she watched the short girl closing the gate as she held on to the leashes of her dogs. The cats have dispersed and the rodent is now on top of her shoulder. How it managed to get there, Jessica doesn’t even want to know.

“Why should I?”

“Well, you know, because you’re…” She had no idea how to put her thoughts into words that won’t offend the girl.

“An orphan?”

“Yes! Yes, that’s it.”

“No.”

“How do you eat though? Where do you get money to buy the things you need?”

“Are you some sort of reporter because if you are, I’m going to need you to leave right now.”

“What? No, no, I’m not. I swear. I’m sorry for intruding. I just need a place to stay. If you want I could pay you for the trouble. Just let me stay here. Just for tonight.”

The girl shrugged and said, “Alright.”

“Thank you.” Jessica was inspecting the place, looking for a spot to sleep on and wondering where the girl sleeps.

“What are you standing there for, Jessica?”

She was dazed for a second when she heard the stranger saying her name. She liked how it sounded coming from the girl.

“I’m just trying to find a good spot to sleep on.”

Then she heard the girl giggling and she had to admit that it was cute. Like music to her ears, really.

“You’re not actually planning to sleep here, are you?”

“But you said I could…”

“Not here. Upstairs.”

That’s when Jessica saw the staircase.

“I thought this was just an abandoned warehouse.”

“That was just a front. The owners of the house thought it would be a good idea to do that. You know, to fool the robber into thinking that there was nothing valuable here.”

“Oh. You haven’t told me your name yet.”

“Taengoo. It’s actually Taeyeon but the owners of the house, my friends, they call me Taengoo.”

“Taengoo,” she mumbled. “Where are they?”

“Right now, they’re in Seoul but they’re coming back tomorrow.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for them that you’re going to let me sleep here for tonight?”

“You don’t seem like a bad person so why not?”

Taeyeon gave her a warm smile and led her to the lounge. She pointed at the couch and said, “Is it okay for you to sleep there? We don’t really have spare rooms and although I don’t think they would mind having someone stay here for the night, I do think they would mind if a stranger slept on their beds.”

“Of course, it is. I should be thankful you’re even letting me stay here. I’ll pay you for all the trouble I’ve caused you tonight. Thank you…Taengoo.”

“Sleep well, Jessica.”

---

Jessica woke up the next morning and took in the new surroundings. Last night felt like a dream to her. A stranger took her in, didn’t even ask that much about her, trusted her enough to give her a place to stay for the night.

Now that she thinks about it, how could she have trusted the stranger named Taengoo. Nicknames could be deceiving. What if she was actually a serial killer who skin people alive after convincing them that she’s this innocent and kind girl?

Jessica checked if all her body parts are still intact and sighed once she’s done. She chuckled at herself for even thinking that way.

“Who the are you?”

___

i guess you can already tell what i plan on doing with this fic because of the title. i'm not sure how may parts there would be but it won't be too long. 3 parts maybe?

got the idea while taking a bath. the things i think about lol. i'm sure everyone's familiar with snow white and the seven dwarfs and romeo and juliet. if not then WOW, which planet are you from? but whatever i'll explain it just in case you didn't get it. so

jessica=juliet

taeng=snow white

gyuri=evil witch

hara=mirror

jaebeom=romeo

park=montague

jung=capulet

i'm not too sure about the romeo and juliet thing because honestly i've only watched the film with leo dicaprio and claire danes so...lol i might focus on snow white and the seven dwarfs reference.