“Hello Jessica,” said Changmin the moment she stepped inside Jaejoong’s office. He took in her dress and killer heels with a raised eyebrow. “Big night out?”

 

“A friend’s birthday party,” she replied, pulling the hem of the skirt down as low as possible. Back at the Seoul Times building Jessica hadn’t felt uncomfortable because the lighting had been so dark, but here, in the harsh fluorescent lighting, she felt utterly exposed.

 

“Jaejoong will be in here in just a moment,” Changmin told her, double-checking something on the phone. After typing something and slipping it back into his pocket, he crossed the room and took a seat down on one of the couches, indicating for Jessica to sit as well.

 

She followed and sat in the couch perpendicular to the one he was seated on. Jessica was glad that Changmin would be there as well – she couldn’t even imagine how awkward it would be if it was just Jessica and Jaejoong alone. Just the thought of it made her blush. She only wished that she wasn’t wearing a short dress, but it couldn’t be helped. When Jessica had called Jaejoong, he told her to come to COEX Mall as quickly as possible. Going straight to COEX Mall from the Seoul Times building only took about seven minutes. If she had stopped at home to change, it would’ve taken at least forty minutes.

 

Changmin’s cell phone beeped, disturbing the silence between them. He pulled it out and, a few seconds later, returned it to his pocket. He turned to Jessica. “Jaejoong’s on the way here. It’ll be around ten minutes until he arrives; he was at a business meeting. After you called, he sent me back here to give you an overview of our plan until the meeting wrapped up and he could come himself,” Changmin explained, waving his hands around animatedly.

 

Jessica nodded. “The plan…”

 

At this, Changmin smiled. “The plan is easy as pie. You two will pretend to be engaged for however long you two decide, we’ll come up with some rules, I’ll write up a legal contract, you two will sign it, and we’re done.”

 

She nodded again and tried her best not to frown. The whole thing suddenly all sounded so…serious and important, which only added to her nervousness. In her entire family, Jessica was known as the only serious, quiet one, which happened to be a stark contrast from Yonghwa’s playful grins and Krystal’s loud, infectious laugh. It was a role that Jessica felt she needed to play though – her two other siblings were always happy and smiling, without a single care in the world. It was up to her to remind them about the things that could go wrong, to remind them not to get too carried away.

 

“Don’t worry, it’s all very simple,” he reassured her, apparently noticing the shadow of a grimace on her face. Changmin stood and walked over to Jaejoong’s desk. “Would you like some coffee? Water?” He pulled open a few drawers and added, “There’s also some candy and crackers.”

 

Jessica wanted to say yes, but she just shook her head and kept quiet. She watched as he made himself a cup of coffee and grabbed a chocolate bar. When he was finished, he picked up his snacks and headed back to the couch.

 

“So, Jessica,” said Changmin, bringing the cup to his lips and taking a sip. “Do you want to tell me how you and Jaejoong met? He explained only bits and pieces of it, so I don’t know the whole thing.”

 

Jessica frowned. “I think that was the worst day of my life,” she muttered. Especially since I met Kim Jaejoong, she added in her mind.

 

Changmin laughed and leaned back into the couch. His long legs were splayed out in front of him carelessly, and Jessica noticed the bags under his eyes for the first time. They were no doubt the aftereffects of Jaejoong’s scandal and her own indecision in pretending to be his fiancée. She felt a pang in her chest and bit her lip, suddenly feeling bad about causing stress for him. He tore open the wrapper for his chocolate bar and offered some to her. She nodded and, as he broke off a piece, she began talking.

 

“Well, I was working overtime that night. I think I got off work at around eight. While I was driving on the freeway, I got really, really tired, so I exited and drove around for a bit, trying to clear my head,” Jessica said, taking the piece of chocolate that he handed her. “But then I saw a Starbucks in a shopping center, so I decided to go get some coffee. Just to, you know, wake myself up.”

 

He nodded thoughtfully. “That was smart of you, though, because if you didn’t stop, you might’ve ended up in a bigger crash on the highway.”

 

“Yeah,” replied Jessica, letting out a little laugh. Then she frowned. “But I don’t think Jaejoong sees it as ‘smart.’” And it was still the worst day of my life.

 

Changmin sighed and nodded in a resigned way. Bringing his cup to his lips again, he gestured for her to continue.

 

Jessica nodded. “So then I turned into the shopping center and drove up to the Starbucks parking lot. I remember seeing a parking spot behind a Lexus or something, so I headed towards it. But, when I was two or three cars away from the Lexus, there was this really bright light that hit the side of my face,” Jessica told him, straining her mind to remember all the details. “When I turned to look at it, I realized that it was another car, headed straight for me. So I did what any sane human being would’ve done – I stepped on the gas and swerved away. Unfortunately, I swerved away right into Jaejoong’s car.”

 

Changmin burst into laughter. “You know, Jaejoong deserves to have his car crashed into once in a while.” Then he cleared his throat, giving her an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry that you’ve been dragged into this whole mess, though.”

 

“It’s all right,” said Jessica, turning her head to look at him. Despite what she thought of his boss, she found being around Changmin made her feel surprisingly comfortable. His light, kind eyes and easy smile almost reminded Jessica of her older brother, Jung Yonghwa.

 

She smiled at him, a full, genuine smile, but the light atmosphere in the room was completely shattered a moment later when the door opened and Jaejoong stepped inside.

 

He was dressed in a black suit – Jessica wondered if his entire closet was made up of black suits – and today, his hair had been styled away from his forehead so that it stood up slightly, giving his face even sharper angles than usual. His skin looked smooth and healthy, though the dark circles under his eyes gave away the stress he was under. As he walked in and headed straight to his desk, Jessica looked away quickly, not wanting to blush or do something equally as mortifying, which she tended to do around him.

 

Unlike Changmin, who made Jessica feel at ease, just one look at – no, just the very thought of – Jaejoong made her want to run away. Everything about him had an alluring, almost magnetic pull – the gleam in his eyes, his perfect jaw line, that tall, straight nose.

 

Jaejoong retrieved a water bottle for himself and took a seat on Changmin’s left. It was the closest seat from his desk and the farthest from where Jessica was sitting, which she was glad for. The further away he was, the easier it was for her to breathe. Changmin suddenly jumped up.

 

“I’ll go grab the contracts,” he told them, straightening out his suit. He looked a bit wary, as if he too had noticed the sudden tension that spiked the air when Jaejoong walked inside.

 

Jessica swallowed nervously when she heard the word ‘contracts’ and fidgeted in her seat, unable to stay still. As Changmin exited the room, Jaejoong twisted the cap off of his water bottle and brought it to his lips, taking a small little sip.

 

Then he looked over at her. She watched as his eyes travelled over her short dress, bare legs, and heels. His brows were furrowed in confusion, as if asking the question “Why are you dressed like a cheap ?” (though, of course, probably phrased differently in his head.) Then he cleared his throat and turned away, his lips turned down slightly in disapproval. Jessica tried her best to pretend that she hadn’t noticed his once-over, even as she felt heat bloom in her cheeks.

 

Silence filled the entire room, louder than any amount of talking would be. Jessica felt acutely aware of each and every angle of Jaejoong’s body – the sharp ones of his elbows and knees, the smaller ones of his wrists and jaw line. She shifted in her seat again, hoping it would alleviate some of the tension in the air, but it did little more than make her feel even dumber.

 

Finally, she couldn’t stand the infuriating silence anymore and spoke up.

 

“Your office,” Jessica managed to say, though the moment the words left she wished that she hadn’t spoken at all, “it’s very…uh…big. Spacious.”

 

At the sound of her voice, Jaejoong turned to look at her again. He stared at her for a moment, his eyes enigmatic and unreadable, before the corners of his lips pulled upwards in a hint of a smile. “Is it? I wouldn’t use the word big to describe it.”

 

Jessica’s eyes widened. This office is more than twice the size of mine! Probably even three times as big! She fumbled to say something appropriate but only managed to come up with a lame, “Oh.”

 

“Just kidding,” replied Jaejoong, leaning back into his seat. He ran a hand through his hair, disheveling it even more, before tugging at the royal blue tie fastened around his neck. “It is pretty spacious, isn’t it? I prefer it this way. I don’t like small, enclosed spaces.”

 

She nodded, though she was barely listening to his words. She was too busy noticing just how stressed and tired he truly was. The dark circles that had looked, from a distance, insignificant and barely there, was anything but insignificant and barely there. His mouth was set in a taut, tense line and Jessica could almost physically feel his exhaustion. He looked almost twice as tired as Changmin, which was really saying something.

 

So young but so busy, Jessica thought, feeling sympathy for him for the first time. I can’t imagine how hard it would be to be a CEO.

 

“I’m sorry,” she said impulsively, the words slipping out before she had a chance to stop them. Jessica coughed awkwardly and looked away before continuing, “I’m sorry that this happened.”

 

There was a beat of silence before he spoke and, when he did, it was in a hard, cold voice. “It’s a bit too late for those words. Instead of apologizing to me, maybe you should practice your driving skills.”

 

Jessica’s jaw dropped open disbelievingly. I try to be nice to him and this is what I get back? She jerked her head up and looked him straight in the eye, meeting the granite-like expression on his prettily handsome face with an equally stormy glare.

 

She opened to give him an earful, but thought better of it and snapped it shut again. He wasn’t just another one of her coworkers; he wouldn’t back down from her words with a meek nod and an apology. No, Jaejoong was in a whole different category from anyone Jessica had ever met before.

 

At that very moment, Changmin walked back into the room, thankfully shattering the tense silence. Jessica could barely contain her sigh of relief. He was holding two sheets of paper in his hands and set them down on the table in the center of the couches. Jaejoong cleared his throat again and leaned forward to look at them. Changmin slid one over to him and one over to Jessica, who picked it up nervously. It read:

 

Temporary Engagement Contract

 

This engagement contract is between _________________ (hereinafter referred to as “fiancée”) and _______________ (hereinafter referred to as “fiancé”. This contract entitles both the fiancée and the fiancé to keep a copy and/or print out additional copies of this form.

1.)   Place of Engagement: _______________

2.)   Date(s), starting time and finishing time of engagement: ___________________

3.)   Compensation agreed upon: _________________

4.)   Additional Details:

a.     Ms. Jung (fiancée) will, to the best of her abilities, attend all the events that she is needed at.

b.     Failure to complete the full time of engagement on either side will result in forfeiture of the compensation and penalties.

c.     Both parties are expected and required to be responsible in adhering to the rules. (Rules on back.)

d.     Mr. Kim (fiancé) will see to it that Ms. Jung is comfortable and safe in the context of this agreement.

e.     Ms. Jung (fiancée) will do her best to improve Mr. Kim’s reputation and image.

f.      Ms. Jung (fiancée) shall not terminate this contract unless on valid grounds.

In witness thereof, the parties hereunto set their hands on this _____ the day of ______.

 

_______________                                                                         _____________________

Fiancée                                                                                              Fiancé

 

When Jessica was finished reading it, she set the contract back down on the table and brought a hand to her forehead, suddenly feeling a headache coming on. She hadn’t expected Changmin to actually type up a contract.

 

“So, what do you two think?” Changmin asked, beaming at the two of them. “You know,” he said to Jessica, “this is Jaejoong’s first time reading it too.”

 

She smiled back weakly at him. Jaejoong set his sheet of paper down as well and took another drink from his water bottle. Clearing his throat, he turned to Changmin and asked, “So what do we do now?”

 

Changmin reached into his pocket and pulled out two pens, placing one in front of Jessica and the other in front of Jaejoong. He grinned again. “Jessica, you need to print your full name in the first blank, the one before the word ‘fiancée.’ Jaejoong, you print your full name in the second blank.”

 

After the two of them complied, Changmin continued, “Now we fill in the blanks.” He reached for Jaejoong’s and looked at the first one. “All right. Place of engagement. That will be Jaejoong’s house.” He watched as the two of them wrote it in and then added, “Let’s decide on how long this temporary engagement will last.”

 

Jaejoong nodded thoughtfully. “It has to be realistic, which means at least four months.”

 

“When we hold the press conference, we can say that you two have already been dating for two years. Then it won’t seem as strange if the engagement is so short,” Changmin said. “Let’s go with...five months? Six months?”

 

“Six months,” replied Jaejoong.

 

“That’s perfect, considering that today is June 28^th. The engagement will end at the end of December,” said Changmin. “Is that okay with you, Jessica?”

 

Six months?!She shouted in her mind. Six months of pretending to be engaged to that – that jerk? Then she sighed miserably. I should’ve expected it to be that long. After all, it’s an engagement, fake or not. On the outside, she nodded and wrote the dates down on the contract.

 

“All right, next is the compensation.” Changmin looked back and forth between Jaejoong and Jessica. “So, as Jaejoong previously said, if Jessica agrees to the temporary engagement, she won’t have to pay for the damages to his car, the hospital bill, the dinner, or the hotel room.”

 

At this, Jessica couldn’t help but smile. The fake engagement is a bit more worth it if I don’t have to pay fifty grand for his car repairs. She quickly wrote it all down on the contract and looked back up at Changmin expectantly. “What’s next?”

 

He smiled at her. “Just sign your name at the bottom now.” Changmin turned and looked at Jaejoong. “You too,” he prompted, pointing at the sheet of paper. At the tone of Changmin’s voice, Jaejoong shot him a glare but reached for his pen and complied.

 

When Jessica was finished, she set her pen back down. “Is this all for today?” she asked.

 

He nodded. “Are you free tomorrow?”

 

Jessica bit her lip, glancing at Jaejoong for any indication of what she should say. He wasn’t looking at her – in fact, he was looking everywhere but her, as if he was intent on making her feel like a little fly or some other equally insignificant thing. Jessica gave him a dark glare (not that he would see it) and turned back to Changmin. “Yes.”

 

Changmin gave a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. We’re planning on holding a press conference as soon as possible, but that means you two need to practice being a couple before that. In fact, the lessons will be coordinated by me. Can you come here tomorrow at around ten in the morning?”

 

She nodded again. Jaejoong suddenly cleared his throat, causing the two of them to look over at him. He was standing now and, when Jessica’s eyes landed on his tall, lean body and lingered there for a beat too long, she tried her best to will her gaze away.

 

Aish, stupid! Stop staring, you look like a fool, she told herself sternly, though her body still refused to obey her. Jessica felt yet another blush rise to her cheeks and cursed herself angrily. This wasn’t her! She, Jessica Jung, never got flustered over a boy.

 

When she finally managed to wrench her gaze away from him, Jessica kept her eyes firmly trained on the floor as Jaejoong walked past.

 

“I’ve got a meeting to attend,” he said, not sparing her a single glance. “Changmin, remember to send me my schedule for tomorrow.” Then Jaejoong stalked out of his office, thankfully taking the air of hostility with him.

 

Once the door had closed behind him, Changmin turned to Jessica with a kind smile. “Don’t mind him, he never likes new people. He’ll warm to you.” He stood up as well. “Come on, I’ll walk you out.”

 

“Thanks Changmin,” Jessica told him, grateful for his kindness. She had no idea how she would’ve been able to handle the whole situation by herself.

 

“Don’t mention it,” he replied with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. “Just remember to show up tomorrow.”  

 

 

 

A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've done an author's note, huh? I've been busy with work and since school is starting tomorrow for me, I'll be busy with school as well. I'll update as often as possible and, depending on how much homework I get, could be more or less than how often I'm updating now. ANYWAY, I'd like to thank my lovely subscribers and commentors for sticking with me so far :) See you guys next time!

 

Oh yeah, one last thing. I haven't made up my mind yet about the other girl in the love rectangle. I can't quite decide between these three:

• UEE
• Hyomin
• Lizzy

So please leave a comment saying who you'd like for it to be (and also to comment on the story hahaha.) It would help a ton :)