Love Should Conquer All (1/2)
Title: Love Should Conquer All
Pairing: Jay Park / Jessica
Summary: Jay and Jessica have known each other since they were 5 years old. They're completely in love. One can't live without the other and even though they could have a better life, the couple can't be happy enough. But when Jay enlists in the army he gets an unwanted surprise when S. Korea enters into a war. Jay must leave Jessica and enter the dangers of war. (JESSICA CENTRIC)
5 years old -
“Hey can I borrow a crayon?” Jessica looks up from her pretty drawing of grass into the eyes of a boy with chocolate brown eyes.
She looks at her Crayola box set which contains 64 crayons complete with a crayon sharpener.
“No,” Jessica says simply and turns back to her drawing. She decides to put a stick figure on the grass. She looks at it critically once the line is drawn.
“But it’s good to share,” the boy is persistent but Jessica ignores him. She moves over in her seat. Maybe he wants her to catch his cooties. Yes guy cooties.
The boy stubbornly grabs a piece of paper from in front of Jessica and grabs his pencil.
After a few more minutes Jessica’s drawing is complete. She has green grass, a line, and an orange sun. She’s about to get out of her chair to show the teacher when the boy puts a paper down right in front of her.
Jessica looks at it with a tilt of her head. It was a picture of a princess. Well at least it had to be; there was a crown on the stick figure.
“This is you,” the boy says as he points at the picture.
“What?” Jessica looks down at the picture, “That doesn’t look like me.”
“You’re an ice princess,” the boy says simply and turns around.
All that ran through Jessica’s mind was that the boy had called her a princess.
13 years old -
“You’re too good for him you know.” Jessica looks at the boy who was the same person who called her an ice princess just eight years ago.
“Oh stop it, Jay,” Jessica pushes him a little as they walk back home together. They became best friends after Jay called her a princess that long time ago.
“It’s true! I don’t see why you’re wasting your time with him. You can do so much better. You need a guy who will shower you with affection. A guy who will take care of you and protect you. A guy whose world revolves around you.” Jessica turns to Jay and sees earnestness in his eyes.
“Too bad those guys are hard to find,” Jessica says silently.
“You’re just not looking in the right place,” Jay puts his hands in his pockets.
They walk in comfortable silence to Jessica’s house. Being the gentleman he is, Jay walks Jessica to her door.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Jay.” For some reason, Jessica can’t look him in the eyes. Her mind is wondering to what Jay said a few minutes ago. She wanted a guy like that. Yunho was definitely not someone who would put her in the center of his world. Maybe Jay was right; she needed to break up with him.
Jay lifts Jessica’s chin gently so she can look at him, “I’ll see you tomorrow, princess.”
Jessica looks down immediately. It still brings a warmness to her each time Jay calls her that.
17 years old -
“We can make this work,” Jessica cries as she clings onto Jay’s arm.
“Jessica. We’re going to different places. How will this work?”
“It’ll work because we love each other! This is stupid! Just because we’re going to colleges in different countries you want to break up?” Jessica started fiercely hitting Jay in the chest.
Jay grabbed her hands, “But four years, Jess?”
“Is that what you’re concerned about? Do you want to see other people? Oh god,” Jessica collapsed onto her bed.
Jay immediately put his arms around her as if protecting her, “I don’t want to hold you back, Jess. You know me. I have nothing to offer you. I’m going to America to dance. I don’t even know if I’ll be successful. I only want you to be happy.”
“You stupid jerk,” Jessica said as she put her head against his chest, “I’m happy when I’m with you.”
Present Day -
“Hey pretty lady,” Jessica feels warm arms embrace her from behind and feels Jay’s breath against her ear.
“It’s about time you got back home,” Jessica turns around and puts her arms around his neck as he leans down for a kiss.
“How’d it go?” Jessica was afraid to ask.
Jay sits down on the couch and puts on a weak smile, “He said I don’t have enough enthusiasm. He says I’m not strong enough when I dance.”
Jessica looks down at the ground; it was his 9th rejection from an entertainment company. She didn’t know how he managed to always be happy when his dreams kept getting crushed again and again. Maybe he should’ve went to America.
“Hey,” Jay got up from the couch and gently grabbed Jessica’s chin so she would look at him, “I’ll get the next one, okay?”
Jessica wiped away her tears. Jay was so good to her. He’d stayed in Korea for her. He threw away his dream to be part of the American dance group AOM to be with her. He’d been trying for years to get into the entertainment business in S. Korea, but he’d been rejected each and every time. She couldn’t believe that she had someone so good.
“But it shouldn’t be like this,” Jessica said frustrated, “You’re a great dancer.”
“Well you have to go through some failures to feel the happiness of success.”
Jessica heard the news at work. South Korea was going to war. Dread filled her as she thought of Jay. He was scheduled to undergo military training just next month. Honestly he didn’t need to do military service because he’d already completed the mandatory two years. But the continuous rejections had taken a toll on Jay and he’d decided to do something else with his life. Or something to occupy his free time.
She raced home and straight into Jay’s arms.
“Please don’t tell me you’re going. Please don’t go!”
“It’s already confirmed, Sica. I have to leave tomorrow.”
“You can’t,” Jessica said it like it was the only choice he had, “You said you’d always be here for me. You can’t leave.”
“Jessica,” Jay brought her into his arms, “I promised to always protect you right? I can’t stay here if there’s a war going on. How about if they come here? I’m still protecting you, Jess.”
“You’re not protecting me that way!” Jessica screamed in her misery, “How can you say that! How can you protect me when you’re out there? You won’t be here by my side every night. Who can I talk to? Who’s going to kiss me in the morning and hug me when I feel sad? Who’s going to protect my heart when you leave?”
“Jess, please don’t be like this. It’s our last night together…at least for a long time.” Jay grabbed Jess and brought her to the couch, embracing her as she wept silent tears down his shirt. By the end of the night both of their eyes were swollen red.
1 year later -
Jessica felt a surge of relief when she saw a tattered envelope in her mailbox. She could tell by the multiple stamps that the letter went to many places before reaching her. Jay wasn’t even in Korea anymore.
She opened it. It said mainly the same things as his previous letters.
He was doing fine. It wasn’t as dangerous as people thought; he made a lot of new friends and even loved the new places he got to go to.
Jessica laughed as she read that Jay was teaching six men from his unit how to breakdance.
“You won’t believe it but one of these guys looks exactly like Rain.”
1 year later -
Two years passed since Jay left for the war and not a day went by where Jessica stopped praying for him to come home safely. She would always think about him. Even though it had been two years, she would cry until no tears came out at least once a week.
It had been happening more frequently because she hadn’t received a letter from Jay in over seven months. Before, there would be three month gaps between each letter, give or take a few weeks but never seven.
Her friends were so worried about her, they even forced Jessica to sleep at their houses sometimes. Since Jay wasn’t able to take care of her anymore, Jessica would sometimes forget to eat meals.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay the night?” Tiffany asked her as she walked Jessica up her front steps.
“No, I’m ---“ Jessica stopped when she saw a man standing outside her door.
“Can I help you?” she asked in a small voice, she felt something was wrong and immediately dreaded what the man would say. The guy turned around and Jessica gasped. He looked just like Rain.
“I’m sorry, Jessica. I have some bad news.”
Part 2