"You aren't what I want," she tells him.

Her eyes are misty and he can't stop himself from laughing at the absurdity of her confession. Standing in front of her doorstep with a bouquet of roses, he is every type of cliché and she is doing the ultimate betrayal by fulfilling yet another cliché with her cold denial. It is absurd, the way she plays her role so well. The way she bases her entire thought process and life on movies that are written by hired hands who were probably dogged until the very last page of their screenplay that would make every regular guy in the world look like a schmuck.

Standing at her doorstep with the now wilting roses, he can't get over how clichéd he has become. Choi Sooyoung used to never be ordinary. He didn't hold hands. He didn't return phone calls. He was above any formality, any normality. And now he is standing outside of his girlfriend's apartment with a look on his face that can probably be taken straight from a bad date movie.

Yet, he would do it all again for her.

He would do anything for her. Stand in front of her door for hours; sit through endless runs of How I Met Your Mother, anything just to take in the beauty that was Jessica Jung.

His father didn't understand when he had first told him about the trouble between him and Jessica.

"Well, if you want her, get her," he had said, as if the entire situation was easily remedied. He made it sound like Sooyoung could win Jessica Jung with a snap of his fingers and he wished, himself, that it was that easy. If Jessica Jung was won over that simply, he wouldn't be groveling.

He was, though.

He had studied every movie she loved and learned from Bogart, Grant, and Brando the intricacies of groveling. Everything would be practiced, perfected. When she opened the door at his knocking, though, every scripted line in his head dropped away like petals from a flower. He was standing before her and his words came out stilted and awkward.

The truth was that he wasn't Bogart, Grant, and Brando. He was Choi Sooyoung and while he had his own charms that had served him well, in the face of Jessica Jung he found himself stripped bare of every trick he knew.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, crossing her arms over her chest. He was distracted by the milky whiteness of her wrist and did not answer for a moment.Choi?"

"I love you."

"No, you don't," she retorted. "If you loved me, you wouldn't have abandoned me in New York."

"You're right," he admitted. "I was a fool. I didn't prove my love by doing so, but I want to prove it to you now."

"No, you don't get to choose the timing,Choi," she said irritably and he could hear the unspoken ending of her sentence. "This is my movie. Not yours."

It was evident in her eyes, her stout belief that she pulled the strings in her own life. The action was set by her hand alone. He could see it in the way she held her head, the angle she lifted her chin. She was playing a part in her carefully scripted life and he realized that his coming was a scene she had not written.

"Don't write me off," he pleaded softly. "I know I'm not what you planned for, but sometimes the audience likes a twist."

"It's not that simple," she replied. "If it were, we'd already be having our happy ending."

"You can make it that simple," he urged. "It's up to you, Jung. Either you write me in or you don't."

"It's not that simple," she repeated.

"Then what is it?" He asked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I don't know," she admitted.

"We belong together, Jessica. It's inevitable."

What she said after that was so simple, so pointed that he found himself at a loss for words.

 

"You aren't what I want."

 

All at once he finds himself in front of her doorstep, the door shut in his face. Choi Sooyoung is not used to doors being shut in his face. He was used to them being opened. His mouth is dropped into a soft o and as the irony of his rejection settles he snaps it shut and lets it settle into a more comfortable scowl.

With a succinct exhale he turns on his heel and walks away. His pride would not allow him to linger outside her door like the jilted lover he was.

He refused to be the Stanley to her Stella. He had sunk to his knees once and would not do it again.

 

 

"You need to get back together," Taeyeon pleads to Sooyoung as they walk from school, falling into step beside him. Sooyoung tenses his jaw and replies, "Don't count on that, Taeyeon. Our heroine has made up her mind."

"It's terrible."

"It's not my fault you decided to take her under your comforting wing," he drawls. He draws a cigarette out of his pocket and lights up. "You did this to yourself."

 

"She needs a friend," Taeyeon defends. "I just didn't know that being her friend would entail watching old Audrey Hepburn movies."

"Don't tell me it actually surprised you," Soo says slowly, taking a drag of his cigarette. "You dated her for, what, ten years?"

"Eight," Taeyeon corrects.

"Exactly my point, you were with her for nearly a decade. How were you not aware of her obsession with old Hollywood?"

"I was aware of it," Taeyeon defends and Soo can see that he feels cornered. There is nothing Tae hates more than being challenged. "I just never realized how deep it was."

"Didn't she rope you into this while you two were enjoying each other's company?"

"I always got out of it," Tae responds. "I guess that’s a perk of being the boyfriend. As the friend, though…"

"Now you know what I went through," Soo replies.

"You would watch the movies with her?"

Soo nods and replies, "Of course I did, Tae. I was the friend."

"Let me guess, we're watching Breakfast at Tiffany's," Soo drawled, spread out on Jessica's couch. She threw him a scowl over her shoulder and retorted, "I am not that predictable, Choi. We are watching something different."

"What is it?"

"Funny Face."

He rolled his eyes and asked, "This is you not being predictable?"

"You've never seen it," she answered. "I asked Taeyeon."

"How would Taeyeon know what I have seen and not?"

She shrugged and told him, "He's your best friend."

"That proves nothing, and you are being painfully predictable. You should have picked something like One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. That would have been unpredictable."

Jessica wrinkled her nose and tossed over her shoulder, "Jack Nicholson makes me uncomfortable. Besides, he is no Fred Astaire."

"Let me guess, Fred Astaire is in this movie."

She nodded happily.

"Predictable," he said.

"Just be quiet and watch the movie," she chided, settling onto the couch beside him.

The movie began and Soo spat, "Don't tell me that is Fred Astaire."

"You don't know who Fred Astaire is?" Jessica gasped, aghast at the notion that anyone could not recognize the legend immediately.

"He looks like he's sixty."

"But I bet he performs like someone half his age."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does Taeyeon know about this complex of yours? Lusting after men twice your age? Why settle for someone popping when there are so many hot blooded ones available."

She caught the subtle fanning of his ego and retorted, "I have no intention of riding the pony. Now, be quiet and watch the movie. You're missing pivotal moments."

"I doubt there are too many pivotal moments in this," he said under his breath. Jessica looked at him pointedly and said, "If you don't talk for the rest of the movie I will let you make the selection for the next movie night So, no talking."

"Next?"

She only smiled in response.

He should have seen it coming.

One day Taeyeon is complaining about having to be with Jessica and then he is a fixture on her side. His hand goes to the small of her back in a manner that seems friendly at the start but grows more possessive with each time it touches the stiff material of her high­waisted skirt.

It shouldn't have surprised him, the way that Taeyeon stepped in to be her leading man, but he still found himself stopping for a moment when he first saw them kiss. It was entirely wrong, the scene in front of him. Yet, it was exactly what he expected.

She hadn't written him in, after all.

He walks up to them and claps a hand on Taeyeon's shoulder, breaking the lovers apart. Looking at Jessica he asks, "What won you over, Taeyeon? The movies or what you two did afterwards?"

"Back off, man," Tae threatens.

Soo grins at the Soprano tone of the scene unfolding before him and holds up his hands in resignation. "Relax, Kim Taeyeon, I'm not here to cause any trouble."

"Let's go, Tae," Jessica says softly, threading her arm through his. "I don't want to be late for class."

They walk away and the scent of her perfume hangs in the air.

Her birthday comes and he thinks that he has a chance. Her last birthday had worked to his advantage, after all. Taeyeon shows up this time, though. His friend is no longer entranced by the grim glamour of Seoul and he dutifully picks up what Jessica put on hold at Max’ Jewelries. He kisses her at the right moment, says the perfect thing, and her smile lights up her entire face.

He would believe she was happy if he hadn't caught her staring at him while an old Frank Sinatra song played in the background.

He walks towards her and asks her for a dance while he slips an arm around her waist.

"That wasn't a question," she scoffs.

"No, it wasn't."

They are close, too close for decency's sake, but Taeyeon has made his first disappearance of the night and everyone is too engrossed in themselves to even notice them, so Sooyoung pulls her in a fraction of an inch closer. He can smell the powdery scent of her skin.

"Did you see Taeyeon's present?" She baits, untangling her arm from his neck to show him the bracelet. Sooyoung takes a hold of her wrist and kisses her pulse point, just above the bracelet.

"Stop," she says softly, pulling away.

"I could give you so much more than bracelets," he murmurs.

"Maybe I only want bracelets," she counters.

"But you don't. You've always wanted more."

 

"I love him," she told Sooyoung, rifling through the dresses at Chanel.

Choi Sooyoung looked at her with interest. "Do you? I can't say I didn't see it coming."

"I love him and I need you to convince him that he loves me, too."

"Isn't that something you should do, Jung?" Sooyoung asked. "Don't tell me you've lost your touch."

"Don't be ridiculous," she told him, holding up a dress to her frame.

"It's too boxy," Soo told her, grabbing another dress and handing it to her. "Try this one."

She studied at it for a moment and then looked up at him, "I have not lost my touch, Soo. I just want you to plant the seed."

"Plant the seed?"

"I know he loves me. I just think he needs a little push."

"Why don't you tell him you love him?"

She shook her head profusely before telling him, "That is out of the question."

"Why?"

"He has to say it first."

"And what if he doesn't?"

Her hand froze above the hanger and she looked at him, her eyes wide with fear. "He has to." She laughed a bit and said, "Soo, he just has to."

"You've always wanted more," he repeats and he knows he's right when she turns her head."I'll settle for now. It will happen, one day."

"No it won't."

She looks at him and he tells her, "He will never love you like I do."

He takes her silence as an agreement.

Taeyeon returns and she leaves his arms, but he can see a change in her demeanor. She doesn't smile as much and when she turns her head as Taeyeon drops his lips to hers, something in his stomach stirs.

She may not have planned on a rival for her affections, but Choi Sooyoung was never one to follow the rules.

 

 

 

"How are you going to get Jessica back?" Tiffany asks one day, walking into Sooyoung's room.

"What do you care?"

"She's my best friend, Soo," she points out. "She is my best friend and you are my brother, kind of. I want you both to be happy."

Sooyoung thinks of Jessica stationed at the side of her Prince Charming and frowns. Jessica had gotten what she wanted, the story book ending.

"Are you even listening to me?" Tiffany asks.

"Unfortunately," Soo drawls. "What you fail to see, sister, is that Jessica is perfectly happy."

"That's a lie and you know it," Tiffany argues. He doesn't answer, only shrugs and turns away.

"You could win her back."

"How?" Soo asks her, looking her in the eye now. "How do you propose I do that?"

"She still loves you. Even after all the crap you pulled, she loves you."

"I know she does," Sooyoung answers. "Could I really make her happy, though?"

"Oh, stop being the martyr," Tiffany scoffs with a roll of her eyes.

"I'm not being a martyr, Stephanie." She scowls at the mention of her real name.

"Yes, you are," she insists. "If you really cared so much about Jessica's feelings you wouldn't have abandoned her in New York."

"I abandoned her at the airport, not the country," Soo defends airily.

"That is exactly my point. You are what you are Soo, and caring about others' feelings is not who you are."

"I love her," Sooyoung points out in a voice that almost sounds dejected.

"I'm not saying that you don't love Jessica because I know that you do. All I am saying is that you are not someone who tiptoes around others' feelings. That's who you are Soo, so don't try to make yourself into some caring guy. It's fake and she will see right through it."

"You're wrong," Sooyoung tells her. "You're wrong because I am that person you say that I cannot be. I am for her."

She moves around her room restlessly but his eyes do not follow her. He stares at the same spot on her carpet, a slight discoloration setting it apart from the rest of the floor. He imagines it is a bit of make­up, or a liquor stain from her more rebellious days.

"Prom is coming," Tiffany notes.

"Yeah."

"You know, she has this prom book she­"

"Keeps under bed," Soo finishes. "Yeah, I know. She used to always show me it during our movie nights."

Tiffany stops pacing and looks at him, her lips turning up into a grin. "I think I have an idea."

 

 

 

 

"I've dreamt of this day since I was twelve," Jessica trills, looking at her reflection in the mirror as her maid fixes her hair.

"You look beautiful, Ms. Jung."

"I'm nervous," Jessica admits frantically, laughing a bit. "You know, everything has gone too perfectly. I feel like something is bound to go wrong."

 

"You are a Jung, Ms. Jessica. Everything is supposed to go right."

 

Jessica's lips turn into a brilliant smile and she nods gratefully. "Yes, you're right, you are absolutely right."

"When does Mr. Taeyeon come?"

"He should be here soon," Jessica says, "which is why you need to finish my hair."

"Oh, yes Ms. Jung, yes."

Her stomach curls uncomfortably as she gazes at her perfection. Something seems off, even as near perfection stares back at her. A soft voice in the back of her mind whispers the source of this discomfort but she pushes it away without another thought. It would not do for her to think of such things on her special night."Jessica, Taeyeon is here," her mom says from the doorway, looking at her daughter for a moment afterwards. "Jessica honey, you have too much blush on."

"It will look good in pictures," Jessica insists.

"You look like a clown." She sighs and says, "Anyway, let's go. You shouldn't keep Taeyeon waiting."

She nods her head indiscernibly and catches her maid's eye in the mirror before rising. Her maid gives an almost undetectable tilt of her head and a silent understanding is passed between the two of them. It is a reassuring notion to Jessica that she at least has one person on her side, even if it is only a housemaid.

She leaves her room and descends the stairs. Taeyeon is waiting at the bottom of the stairs and she can't help but think how the moment mirrors the iconic one from Titanic. She is Rose, walking down to the Jack in his dapper tux. She also can't help but think of how that had all ended.

"You look beautiful," he tells her, pulling her into a gentle hug. "You're glowing."

"My mother told me I looked like a clown," she whispers with a hint of a grin.

"Nonsense," he replies and when she looks at his eyes they are so sincere that all thoughts of their sinking are dispelled.

"Tonight is going to be perfect," she insists and he squeezes her hand in response.

"Now, you two have a good time," her mom says smoothly, patting her daughter's arm. "Try not to get in too much trouble. And Jessica honey, make sure to not ruin your dress."

"I won't," Jessica assures her a bit sourly. "Good bye, mother."

Jessica and Taeyeon walk out to the limo and as he gallantly opens the door for her, she has no doubt that tonight would be a night to remember.

 

 

 

"I feel bad scheming against our friend," Tiffany says as her and Soo sit at one of the tables at prom. Tiffany is glancing around nervously while Sooyoung slowly drains his cup on punch.

"This was your idea, Stephanie Hwang Miyoung."

"I know," she says with a flit of her hand. "I still feel bad."

"So, you'll take Taeyeon and I'll take Jessica. That's the plan, right?"

"Yes, that is the plan."

Sooyoung looks at her and for a moment she can see the hesitation in his eyes. "Do you think this will work?"

"It's worth a shot."

She notices his posture straighten and knows they have arrived.

"Where are they?"

She follows his gaze and inhales deeply when she sees Jessica. It had to be killing him to see her like this.

"She's beautiful," she notes and Soo softly replies, "She always is."

"Okay, it's time to put this plan to action," Tiffany says after a moment. "I'm going to take Taeyeon to the side and then you get Jessica. Okay?"

He nods, his eyes not leaving Jessica. "Okay."

He stays seated and watches Tiffany flounce over, taking a hold of Taeyeon's arm and pulling him away. He is surprised to see that Jessica doesn't even put up a fight. All she does is nod and then look away from them the moment they start moving. She is looking around and he idly wonders if she is looking for him. Never the one to stay in the dark, he stands up and makes his way towards her. Glancing at his watch, he sees he is right on time.

"Jung," he drawls.

"Oh, it's you," she retorts. "I didn't expect you to show up. Are you here to spike the punch?"

"I wouldn't waste my booze on something like that."

"Oh, of course not," she answers.

"Come with me," he says, taking her arm.

"Why would I go anywhere with you?" She spits, jerking her arm away.

"Can you just trust me for five minutes? You know I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Hurt no, scheme, maybe."

"I promise you, the only scheming I am doing lately is for your behalf."

She props her hands on her hips and retorts, "Oh, really?"

"Come with me."She hesitates for a moment but ends up following him.

"This had better be good, Choi."

He doesn't answer, only took her arm and pulled her out into the night.

"Soo, where are we going?" He stops in front of a carriage and she stares at it for a moment before asking, "Soo, what is this?"

He grins and answers, "It's a carriage, Jessica. I believe it is page six of your prom book."

"Page seven," she answers softly. "I can't believe you remembered."

"I remember everything, Jess."

She stares at him and he wants to kiss her so bad that it hurts, but he doesn't. Instead he moves forward and asks, "Do you want to go for a ride?"

"Tae­"

"Tiffany is taking care of Taeyeon."

Jessica blinks rapidly, coming to the realization that she has fallen into the scheming web of Sooyoung and surprisingly Tiffany, but she finds herself not caring. Instead, she feels her feet move and her hand finding its way to Soo's arm as she climbed into the carriage. He takes the seat next to her and the carriage begins to move.

"What else do you remember?" She asks after a moment.

"What do you want to know?"

She grins softly and looks down at her lap. "You're turning into quite the romantic, Choi. I don't know how to take it."

"I remember that you like carriages because your dad used to take you on carriage rides when you were little."

"Every Saturday," she says.

"I also remember that you wanted to go on a carriage ride for prom and as far as I know, Taeyeon did not plan one. I thought you deserved your carriage ride."

"Not everyone can have a memory like yours, Choi," she teases, but he can see the serious light in her eyes.

"It wasn't a matter of his not remembering, Jung. He didn't know."

"You don't know that," she replies unconvincingly.

"He'll never know you like I do, Jung."

She turns away from him and gazes out into the street, but he can see the trembling of her hands. Gingerly he takes them into his own and feels something akin to butterflies in his stomach when she does not pull away.

"Jessica," he says softly and when she turns he sees that there are tear stains on her cheeks.

"You have a way of weeding your way into everything."

"I do," he agrees.

"And I hate you for it," she says softly. "I hate you because even after everything you did, I still love you."

"Well, I guess I'll have to hate you, too," he tells her with a soft grin. "Because no matter how many times you push me away, I keep falling more in love with you."

She looks so beautiful with her tear­filled eyes that he leans in and presses his lips softly against hers. Sooyoung was not used to kissing gently but as her lips softly brush against his, he finds that it is actually quite nice. She shifts a bit in her seat, the full skirt of her dress pushing against his leg, and molds to his.

"I love you," she murmurs against his lips and he whispers the same thing against hers. Everything feels so simple, so right, that he can't understand why they hadn't come together earlier.

"We should head back," he says, caressing her cheek. "You have to continue your perfect prom."

She nods.

The carriage nears the banquet hall and he feels his stomach twist with the fear that what had transpired in the confines of the carriage would stay there. His fears dispel, however, when Jessica takes his hand outside of the carriage as they walk back in, their fingers interlaced.

He stops, though, before they step in. She looks at him in confusion and he tells her, "Taeyeon is waiting, Jung."

"Soo, what­"

"You have dreamt of this night for years, Jessica. And, whether I like it or not, all those dreams featured Taeyeon, not me."

"I didn't know better," she replies.

"Well, tonight is all about that dream. Go and claim your Prince Charming, I'll be waiting for you."

She puts her arms around his neck and whispers, "Thank you."He lets her walk in before him and then watches her reunite with Taeyeon. Tiffany walks towards him with her eyebrows raised in question.

"How did it go?" She asks.

He smiles a bit and tells her, "Well, I know that she loves me."

"You always knew that," she says and rolls her eyes.

"Well, this time I heard it from her own lips."

"Then why is she back with Taeyeon?" Tiffany asks, turning her head to find the familiar forms dancing in a close embrace.

"I told her to," Soo says simply.

"What?"

"Her dream was to go to prom with Kim Taeyeon and I was not about to get in the way of that dream."

"Is this you being a martyr again?" She asks with a hint of a grin.

"Yes," he replies, "I believe it is."

"I'm proud of you, Soo," she says after a moment. "You know, I really am."

Soo spots Nickhun coming their way and frowns. "Your unripe thai prince is coming this way. Please go dance with him or something so that I don't have to listen to him talk."

Tiffany smirks and says, "I guess I can do that."

She turns and greets Nickhun with a quick peck on the cheek, leading him out to the dance floor.

Feeling more content than he has in probably years, he turns and makes his way out. Just as he nears the exit, a small hand touches his shoulder.

"Aren't you going to dance?" Jessica asks with a small grin.

"I wouldn't want to make Taeyeon's dancing skills look below my own, which they are, by the way."

When she asks him again it is more of a demand than a question. He acquiesces and follows her to the dance floor. She looks so beautiful in her gown that he can hardly tear his eyes from her.

"Did you talk to Taeyeon?" He asks.

"He understood," she tells him. "Says he saw it coming."

"I told you, Jung. We're inevitable."

She grins and rests her head on his chest, their bodies swaying gently to the music. His lips brush against her hair and she makes a throaty sound that makes his eyes lose focus.

"You have no idea how much I love you, Jung."

She looks up and the looks in her eyes mean more to him than any amount of words could. "I love you."

"Thank you for writing me in," he teases and she chuckles.

"You know, Choi, I found it never really was a choice. You were always a part, I just didn't know it yet."