Jessica paced up and down the carpeted floor of her bedroom. She couldn’t decide what to wear. It was highly unusual for Jessica to be undecided as she had a good sense for fashion and knew what would work and what wouldn’t without even having to try the outfit on.

 

I’m was not even this nervous on the first date of my life! Argh! Jessica Jung! If you can’t decide, we’re going to be late!

 

She huffed and puffed her fringe up before grabbing the outfit she had prepared the night before. She had gotten second thoughts about her outfit just as she was about to change into it an hour ago and landed herself in this mess.

 

I won’t have time to do my make-up properly!

 

She scurried around trying to get everything done in the limited time she had left. She couldn’t believe herself. This feeling of butterflies fluttering in her stomach was definitely unprecedented.

 

What’s wrong with you today, Jessica Jung?

 

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, using the colours and powders to enhance her already beautiful features. Finally, she stood up, satisfied with how she looked.

 

~~~~~

 

Please don’t do anything stupid again like last Saturday.

 

He mentally chided himself yet again. He’d been at odds with himself for the entire week, resulting in his colleagues whispering about his mental health. He’d always been very tense at work but this week had him looking like he was on the verge of losing it for real.

 

When Jessica had called him to remind him about the dinner on Saturday night, he’d sighed inwardly. He’d been trying not to think about her or the things that had transpired that night but hearing her voice over the phone reminded him of every bit of it.

 

Just as he was about to step out of his apartment, he stood at the door and clenched his fist.

 

“Yul, you can do it. You can do it,” he uttered out loud, trying to psyche himself for the night.

 

He had no idea how he would face Jessica in person again after kissing her like that but she had made no mention about it. She hadn’t even seemed displeased or bothered by it. It was almost as if it had never happened. The same car pulled up along the pavement and this time, he opened the door without her beckoning. Slipping into the car, he kept his eyes out on the road and averted from her. She looked at him in slight amusement, noticing how he shifted uncomfortably several times. Gone was his confident demeanor and upright posture. She smirked, thinking that he looked a lot cuter when he was not in his element than when he was.

 

~~~~~

 

They got down the car and he had opened the door for her, behaving like the perfect gentlemen that he was. She hooked her arm around his as they entered the majestic doors of the restaurant. He felt the weight of her arm as it hung lightly on his and noted how relaxed her poise was.

 

How can she be so nonchalant about it? Does it not bother her at all? Or is she a very good actress?

 

Thoughts ran wild through his head but before he could come to any conclusion on them, they had arrived at the VIP room that her parents had reserved for dinner. She was pleased to see that they had added a chair to accommodate Yul. She pulled him to her side and they walked towards her parents. Yul was certain that the smile on his face was as stiff as a log of wood.

 

“A very good evening to you, Mr. and Mrs. Jung, I am very glad and honoured to meet you in person.”

 

He extended his hand towards Mr. Jung and they shook hands. His handshake always impressed and it did not fail him in this instance either. Mr. Jung looked at him appraisingly and gave him a quick nod of approval. Mrs. Jung was simply swooned by his boyish yet rugged good looks. He looked even better than some of the celebrity singers and actors that she had met at various functions and fashion shows. She looked at Mr. Jung and signed inwardly.

 

I should have chosen a better looking husband for myself. Sica is smarter than me in this aspect.

 

She looked at Yul and smiled warmly.

 

“Pardon my asking but Jessica had refused to tell me anything about you prior to tonight, so I would like to ask you a few questions about yourself.”

 

“I will answer you to the best of my ability, Mrs. Jung.”

 

She smiled again, noting his good manners.

 

“What is your occupation?”

 

“I’m a prosecutor, Mrs. Jung.”

 

“Oh my, you must be outstanding then. It is difficult to be one.”

 

“There are many other outstanding people besides me, Mrs. Jung. I’m just one of the many prosecutors in the office right now but it has always been my ambition to help do justice to others and so I worked hard to achieve it.”

 

She smiled wider and wider. This man was not only young, dashing and polite but also humble as well. She was a little surprised that Jessica would date a man like him however; she knew that her daughter liked the bad boy type.

 

Maybe my dear little Jessica has finally found her Mr. Right!

 

She was about to ask more questions when the door opened and a tall old man with neatly combed grey and whitish hair walked in with an air of grandeur. She immediately stood up with her husband to greet the newcomer.

 

“Oh gosh… Mr. Im! It is so nice to meet you again after so long. We will have lots to catch up on!”

 

“Mr. Im, it is great to see you again.”

 

Mr. Im shook hands with Mr. Jung and smiled at Mrs. Jung.

 

“Still the perfect couple after so many years… how do you do it? Ha ha… you need to pass some tips to the young ones these days, especially my grandson. Yoong’s father has a last minute meeting to chair and so I came on his behalf. He sends his apologies for missing this dinner.”

 

“My goodness… It’s perfectly alright. No apologies needed. Your presence here is more than enough.”

 

“Hahaha… Mrs. Jung… You always know what to say and when to say it,” said Grandpa Im with a twinkle in his eye. He then turned to the younger couple who had been standing still while their elders were chatting. He nodded in satisfaction at their manners.

 

“Little Jessica has grown up to be a very elegant and beautiful young lady,” he said while smiling with his eyes.

 

Jessica smiled back at him and said, “Thank you for the compliment, Grandpa Im.”

 

Then he turned to Yul and looked at him intently.

 

“Where have I seen you before…” he mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows as he tried to recall. Yul stood still, stunned.

 

Where would he have seen me before? I’ve never seen him before in my life!

 

“Ah! You are Kwon Yul. Yes, very nice. You are well-groomed and well-mannered. Excellent.”

 

“Pardon me for asking but how did you know who I am?”

 

Grandpa Im chuckled and said, “I know your Prosecutor General. You have been outstanding in your work and naturally your name travels far. I’ve seen you in court. You were very impressive.”

 

Yul blushed under his compliment and bowed low in appreciation of it.

 

“Thank you for your praise, I do not deserve it but I will continue to give my best.”

 

Grandpa Im chuckled again, “My, my, Yoong could learn a thing or two from you.”

 

~~~~~

 

Yoong stood at her door for the third time in less than twenty-four hours.

 

KNOCK. KNOCK.

 

The door opened and Sunny stepped out of her apartment looking like she was dressed to impress. He had difficulty not dropping his jaw again. From her y office wear, to her cute night wear, he was really seeing Sunny in many different lights. Right before him stood a ravishing girl who was elegantly dressed to the nines. He swallowed the lump in his throat and offered her his arm. She rolled her eyes and walked to the elevator ignoring his gesture.

 

“YA! Sunny, wait or me!” he said as he caught up with her.

 

How in the world does she walk so quickly in heels that high?!

 

It was a mystery to him. That and the many sides he saw in Sunny. She intrigued him to no end. So far, no other girl had been able to keep him excited for this long. Too many girls would have thrown themselves at him in a bid to make him theirs and thereafter, enjoy his massive wealth as the heir of the Im empire.

 

Sunny, how can I make you mine?

 

“Yoong…”

 

The elevator doors had opened but he hadn’t noticed. A nudge jolted him out of his thoughts and he blinked. Sunny rolled her eyes at him again and linked her arm in his, pulling him towards his car.

 

~~~~~

 

He flung the doors open and strode in cockily, causing everyone in the room to turn their heads in their direction.

 

“Good evening everyone… Im Yoong has arrived,” he announced loudly, waving his hands in their general direction.

 

Sunny looked up at Yoong in disbelief. In the blink of an eye, he has transformed himself into some kind of spoilt assh*le. She noticed that the old good-looking man was breathing heavily through his nostrils, looking ready to shoot daggers through Yoong.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Jung smiled politely and greeted him. They stole glances at Grandpa Im. The old man did not look pleased at all. Yoong sat down and pulled Sunny onto a chair next to him. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat before standing up again, bowing to all the elders in the room.

 

Mrs. Jung noticed the girl’s discomfort and tried to help her.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Sunny,” she replied, bowing again to Mrs. Jung.

 

Mrs. Jung nodded and said, “Sunny ssi, I am Mrs. Jung and she is my daughter, Jessica.” Mrs. Jung gestured towards Jessica. “Her friend is here too but he has just left for the washroom. I will introduce him later. This is Mr. Jung, my husband and Grandpa Im is Yoong’s grandfather.”

 

Sunny raised her eyebrows at this and immediately bowed to Grandpa Im saying, “Good evening, Grandpa Im.”

 

Grandpa Im smiled at her politely but kept his eyes on Yoong. He was fuming mad.

 

Why did he bring a girl with him unannounced?! Not only has he put the girl in an awkward position, he has also made everybody else thoroughly uncomfortable as well!

 

Yoong spoke up again, “I believe that we are gathered here to discuss the possibility of Jessica and me getting together to be engaged. Grandpa, you must be wondering why I brought a girl with me today without telling anyone. Well, she is my girlfriend and I love her very much. Therefore, I decline the proposal for Jessica and me to be engaged. That is all I have to say. Have a lovely dinner everyone. My sincerest apologies if it hasn’t been the most pleasant evening for you.”

 

He stood up, grabbed Sunny’s hand and marched out of the room, slamming the doors shut behind him and stomped down the hallway ignoring her protests for him to slow down.

 

~~~~~

 

The people in the room looked at one another and remained silent. Grandpa Im looked at their faces and apologized, “I’m sorry about my grandson’s behavior. He was very rude to everyone tonight. Please accept my apology.” He stood up and bowed.

 

Mr. and Mrs. Jung stood up in a hurry and stopped him.

 

“Grandpa Im, there’s no need to apologize for him. Young people these days are very different, aren’t they?”

 

“I guess, dinner has ended and I will take my leave now,” said Grandpa Im and left the room.

 

Jessica was feeling extremely relieved. If she had known that Yoong was going to pull this stunt, she wouldn’t have had to get Yul’s help at all! She smiled happily, thinking those happy thoughts.

 

Yul re-entered the room, looking rather surprised. He came back just in time to see a young man marching out of the room with a girl beside him. He found the girl vaguely familiar but he didn’t get to see her face properly—they were walking so fast.

 

“Yul…thank you for joining us tonight. We would like to invite you to have dinner with us another day if you have the time. I would like to get to know my daughter’s boyfriend better,” said Mr. Jung.

 

“NOOO!!!” yelled Jessica instinctively before she could stop herself.

 

Opps. Did I just yell my thoughts out loud? Argh!

 

“Ahem, what I mean is Yul is very busy with his job, Dad. Let’s not take up too much of his time.”

 

“What nonsense. A busy man has to eat dinner regardless. Yul, will you accept our invitation to dinner?”

 

“Yes, I will accept. Thank you for inviting me,” replied Yul, ever so politely.

 

~~~~~

 

With her arm linked in his, they walked to her car. Sensing her parents’ eyes on her, she tip-toed and kissed Yul on the lips before getting into the car. Yul tensed up and stood stiffly for a moment before getting into the car as well.

 

Mrs. Jung saw their interaction and giggled.

 

“My dear…aren’t they sweet?”

 

“Mmm…” replied Mr. Jung thoughtfully.

 

He wasn’t as easily fooled as his wife was. He sensed that something was up between his daughter and Yul and he was determined to find out what it was.

 

~~~~~

 

“What did you do that for?” asked Yul, once they were inside the car.

 

“What did I do?”

 

“You kissed me!”

 

“Oh, that. I did it because my parents were watching. My Dad isn’t so easily fooled. He will be observing us. That’s why he invited you to dinner.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s not like I wanted to kiss you or anything. You are the last person I would fall for, seriously.”

 

“Same here. Try not to kiss me anymore please. I’m not into girls like you either.”

 

Jessica shot him an icy glare but he was already looking out of the window.

 

Hmpf! I’m Jessica Jung! What do you mean by girls like me? I’m unique! I’m unlike any other girl.

 

She crinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue at him and turned to face the window on her side, watching the cars pass them by.

 

He looked out of the window but saw nothing. Their lie had just gotten serious. Grandpa Im’s appearance was something that he did not expect. He shuddered to think of the damage Grandpa Im could do to him should he find out that he was really only a pretend boyfriend of Jessica’s.

 

Grandpa Im knows the Prosecutor General?!?!

 

He groaned inwardly.

 

Nothing good ever comes out of being with Jessica Jung.

 

~~~~~

 

Yoong drove fast; very fast. He was way above the speed limit when he heard the siren. Sunny glared at him as he groaned and pulled to the side.

 

Serve you right for driving so fast punk.

 

He unwound his window and gave the traffic police his driver’s license together with a huge bill slipped under it.

 

“Sir, are you trying to bribe me right now?”

 

It was a rhetorical question and Sunny knew that Yoong would be in serious trouble if he went any further with it. She leaned over to the window and smiled at the office.

 

“Sir, he didn’t mean to do that. It was stuck under his license card.”

 

She retrieved the bill and smiled again.

 

“Sir, he’s just heard really bad news so he didn’t realize that he was driving so fast. Please show him some leniency officer,” she pleaded, showing him her best smile.

 

Yoong looked at Sunny smiling so charmingly and remained silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. He was unhappy about her smiling at the officer and flirting with him for his sake. He bristled even more when he saw that the office was eyeing Sunny’s cleavage which was showing prominently as she was leaning towards his window.

 

“That’s enough,” he mumbled gruffly as he pushed Sunny back to her seat and away from the window.

 

“Sir, I’m sorry for speeding. I promise to watch my speed in future,” he said, putting on a remorseful looking expression.

 

“Young man, count yourself lucky to have a pretty and understanding girlfriend. I’m giving you another chance because of her, alright? Drive safe. Go.”

 

Yoong nodded his thanks and drove off slowly. They drove on for a short while before he pulled to the side of a quiet road. Sunny looked at him curiously.

 

“Why did you stop?”

 

Yoong turned to her, looking frustrated. His eyes stared at her lips.

 

So luscious. Waiting to be kissed.

 

And the last bit of his restraint melted away. He leaned towards her and cupped her face in his palms. She continued to stare intensely into his eyes instead of looking away.

 

Damn. This girl is so different.

 

He closed his eyes as his lips landed on the softest, most luscious lips he had ever kissed. Sunny tensed up for a moment before relaxing under the gentle caresses of his tongue. She began to respond and their tongues danced a fiery dance as they teased, flirted and explored each other. His hands danced their way down her arms and onto her waist as he pulled her closer to deepen their kiss.

 

As their lips locked, Sunny wrapped her arms around his neck, raking his hair with her fingers. His palm glided over her waist and inched down her thighs. His hand then went under her dress and pushed the hem up higher. She was and whimpering under his touches and kisses and those sounds pleasured him to no end. Just as his hand was about to hit the jackpot, he heard a most unwelcome sound.

 

KNOCK. KNOCK.

 

The same officer from before was knocking on his window! Suppressing a growl of frustration, he unwound his window again.

 

“I understand that it is hard to keep your hands off a hot girlfriend like yours but you can’t stop here and make out. Move it.”

 

Yoong nodded tersely and wound up his window before hurling curses at the officer and driving off again. Sunny leaned back in her seat and laughed her off at his tomato-red face.

 

~~~~~