Her stomach growled. She had given up her lunch in order to go shopping for a new outfit for the party, tonight. It had been a while since she and Jinki had a chance to meet up and go out; he had the unfortunate luck to be rostered on the night shift and she worked during the day. Therefore, she determined that she would make an effort, find the perfect dress, and have a fantastic night with her loving boyfriend.

--//--//--

Jinki rushed through the shopping mall but skidded to a stop when he noticed someone familiar, looking up at a dress on a mannequin. He snuck up to the entrance and hid himself from her view. She was talking to a sales assistant, pointing up at the dress. The sales girl smiled and led her to a rack, from which the snazzy black dress was passed into the other's hands.

Jinki smiled, excited at what his girlfriend will wear for the party tonight.

His phone rang, and he was reminded that he had better get back to work.

--//--//--

She looked at herself in the mirror of the small change room and hesitatingly smiled at what she saw. The black dress showed off her curves. The material shimmered with tiny beads that added that bling factor she secretly loved. The length was a little shorter than what she was used to but it was acceptable as a party dress. Girls were expected to show the skin of their 'leggy' legs - and she had the heels at home to work them to full effect.

Just then, a gaggle of high school girls sounded on the other side of the change room door. They were talking about someone within the store; they were laughing at a mean comment made of the person's clothes.

The girl, within the change room looked at herself again but through the lens of the girls' snickers and remarks.

Another reflection layered upon the real one on the mirror. It told her that her hips were too wide, and the bump of her stomach was noticeable. Her A-cups were not B's, and her behind was too large. Her thighs, gosh! What made her think that she could get away with showing her legs off with this dress?

She was short, not lithe.

Her face was pocky and red, not smooth and white.

Who was she kidding? She would be laughed at, like that poor lady in the store.

--//--//--

Jinki was punctual. He raced up the stairs, eager to see his girlfriend. He rang the doorbell and impatiently waited.

Jinki looked forward to a fantastic night out. He actually secretly hoped that she had bought that snazzy black dress. But when she finally opened the door, the images in his mind were shattered by her jeans and over-sized sweater. The only concession she had made for the party, he noticed, was that her hair was let down about her shoulders, and there was a shimmer of gloss on her lips.

"Come in," she invited him in. "I'm just going to put my shoes on."

Disappointment contorted his features when she was not looking - a tightening between his eyes and the downturn cast of his mouth - before it buried itself behind the small smile he gave at her back. She had done it again - refused to dress up and let herself loose.

"Are you sure?" he asked her, "I can wait until you get changed. It would be weird if we arrived at the party on time."

She turned around, frowned, and tugged at her sweater. "What is wrong with what I am wearing?"

Jinki reeled back in the first words he was going to say (something about the dress she had been trying on, but then that would reveal his accidental stalking). Instead, he rubbed at the back of his neck and carefully thought out his words.

"You know that I think you're beautiful, no matter what you wear..." he started to say. He had been trying to hold eye-contact, to make sure that she understood his sincerity, and so he caught the microsecond of agony within her eyes. Jinki trailed to silence, shocked. She was hiding something and wasn't telling him anything about it. He hated to guess the answer - he invariably got it wrong all the time.

"What is wrong?" He went for the direct approach.

"Nothing," and the evasion of eye-contact.

"What is wrong?"

"Nothing," and the bite of her lower lip.

He repeated the question, this time with a lower tone and the urgency that she answer his question. She responded in kind, clamping her answer with silence and turning away from him. She stormed down the hallway, past the full length mirror. And she threw an unveiled glare at her reflection, her eyes directed at her waist.

Jinki gave a heavy, exasperated sigh and nearly screamed out his frustration. He strode after her, allowing his anger to fuel his steps and thus easily caught up.

It was like in the dramas - Jinki timed it well - he leant forward and grabbed onto her hand, yanked her backwards and dragged her out of the door and to his car. She was nearly screaming about how he nearly popped out her shoulder.

It was a relatively short ride, thankfully, because it was heavy with their unspoken anger at each other. She fumed at the ruined night - it had been bad enough during her shopping trip and now she felt shamed by Jinki. Jinki was stiff with his anger at her anxiety over her physical appearance.

She was beautiful. She was perfect.

Why did she not see it, too?

He would show it to her.

They arrived at the shopping mall and he marched them towards the shop where he had spied upon her trying the dress. He moved directly towards the rack with that snazzy black dress.

She looked on Jinki's actions as if she was an empty puppet, with wide and dazed eyes. She made no sounds of acknowledgement when he pulled out the dress of her size and paid for it with his credit card. The shopkeeper - the same girl, but now with a puzzled expression - ran the docket and handed over his purchase. Jinki thanked the girl and they left the store.

"Let's get shoes and then we can go to the party," he said.

She let go of his hand. Jinki looked back at her and a pang of concern hit him in his chest. She looked devastated.

"Why?" she asked him in a small voice. "Why is what I'm wearing not good enough? Never good enough?"

"What?" Jinki struggled for an answer because this was definitely not what he had thought her reaction would be. She was now openly weeping and he doubted that she realised that she was. He could feel the shift in the air as the other shoppers began to take notice of them. Jinki ignored them; they weren't important. She was.

And she had slumped to the ground.

Jinki crouched down in front of her and wiped away some of her tears He carefully held her and begged for her to tell him what was wrong. What did he do wrong? He was so sorry for always stuffing things up.

"You're the biggest jerk, Lee Jinki!" She snarled at him and he looked utterly dumbfounded. He was totally... clueless.

She pulled herself off the floor and marched past him, towards the exit.

"Take me home!" She yelled at him and he obeyed.

The drive back home was the same as their drive to the mall - frosty and silent. Jinki parked in her driveway. He hid his sigh and grimaced when he looked at her taut face. He had ruined their night, but he hadn't meant to.

"I had the best intentions," he said.

"I know," she sighed. She then opened the door, pulled herself out and then reached back inside. "I'll see you tomorrow." She closed the door with the shopping bag in her hand.

--//--//--

'Jinki, can we go out tonight?'

'Sure. What do you have in mind?'

'Dinner.'

'I'll pick you up at 7.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too. I am sorry about last night.'

'Forget about last night.'

--//--//--

As always, Jinki was punctual. He skipped up the stairs and pressed the button to ring the bell.

There came a shadow on the other side of the door; Jinki gulped back down his nervousness. She had forgiven him, so there should be nothing to worry about... maybe.

Jinki fixed his jacket and bit at his bottom lip when the door opened.

He blinked.

He blinked again and stopped himself from rubbing at his eyes.

"Jinki?" she asked. He could hear the slight tremor in her voice; she was nervous too.

"Pinch me," he croaked.

"I'm sorry?"

"I need to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"Jinki!" She was indignant but also laughing at his expense. She was lovely.

She was wearing the snazzy black dress Her hair was styled and he noticed that she wore makeup. She was showing him her painted nails but Jinki hardly paid any attention to it. He was dazzled by the starlight in her eyes and the brightness of her unaffected smile.

"Jinki!" This time she punched him in the arm and he yelped with surprise. "I made some effort for you, at least say something nice about it!"

"Uh, ok... hello?"

She made an exaggerated groan. "Yes! Hello, Lee Jinki! Let's go out, Lee Jinki!"

end.