Hi there! This is my very first Mystic Messenger fanfic! If there's anything you need to know about me, it's that I adore Jaehee! I loved the Christmas story that came out this past month, but I feel like it wasn't enough! The original playthrough didn't have enough romance in it when it came to Jaehee's route, so I wanted to fix that!

This story is based off of one of Jaehee's phone calls, where you have to option to say that she sounds romantic. In response, she chuckles and says something along the lines of, 'romantic...? That word hasn't been used to describe me in a long time. But then again, you are reminding me of a lot of words, MC'

I hope you enjoy the story!

Chapter 1

Jealousy

Jaehee watched from a distance as Zen stood outside of the coffee shop, eyes lit up as he spoke animatedly to the little MC in front of him. As usual, her brown hair had fallen over her eyes as she nodded along to whatever Zen was spouting. The three of them had become the best of friends over the course of the few months that the members of the RFA had known MC, and Jaehee couldn't have been more grateful.

However, she was also very jealous.

Shaking her head quickly, she refocused herself on the coffee that she was making for a dreadfully tired looking Yoosung. He sat at the barstool in front of her, his head dropped down onto the table.

"Jaehee…" Yoosung picked his head off of the table, dark circles under his eyes. "You, Zen, and MC sure have gotten really close, huh?"

"Yes, I'd say we have." Jaehee bristled, trying to hurry up with his coffee. "Now, I think we should talk about your video game addiction…"

"Awh!" Yoosung shook his head, groaning obnoxiously. "Don't change the subject! We can talk about that later. It's not like it's going to change any time soon."

Jaehee looked up at him, eyebrow raised.

"I don't see why you're so interested in talking about the three of us."

"Well...don't you ever get a little curious about how the friendships will turn out?" Yoosung shrugged, swinging his legs back and forth under the table. "I mean, it's almost like a love triangle! Zen will eventually start dating one of you...although, I'm sure both of you are pining after him."

"That is ridiculous…" Jaehee muttered, grateful that she was almost done with the coffee. "Neither one of us are interested in the other."

"Once one of you starts dating him, it'll completely ruin the friendship. MC will no longer talk to you, or you will no longer talk to her. Jealousy is really dirty." The younger boy ignored her words and continued to ramble, his face saddening slightly. "Even when that friendship ends, I hope that none of you leave the RFA. It would be very sad."

Jaehee said no more, and placed his coffee on the counter. Glancing back towards the window, she noticed Zen lean down to give MC a small hug, and with that, she quickly exited into the backroom.

Yoosung smiled knowingly as he watched the woman slam the door behind her. He sipped from his cup hesitantly, but sighed in relief as the liquid touched his lips. It was the perfect temperature, and the perfect medicine to relieve his drowsiness.

"Hey, Yoosung. Where did Jaehee go?" MC asked, the bells above the door jingling softly as she entered. "I have some news for her about Zen."

"Oh, are the two of you dating now?" Yoosung smirked, spinning around in his seat. "It was only a matter of time."

"What…?" MC raised a brow, before she chuckled. "You're kidding me, right?"

"It's either gonna be you or Jaehee, you know." He shrugged, taking another sip of his coffee. "Whichever one he gets to first."

"You sound too much like 707 right now." MC deadpanned, furrowing her brows. "You know that Jaehee would never let Zen get in between us."

"Love makes us do mysterious things." Yoosung sighed, laying his head back down on the table. "I sure would like a girlfriend…"

"Okay, now you sound like Yoosung." MC chuckled, running some water to wash a few dirtied mugs. "What makes you mention that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Have you seriously never even considered it? This is like some generic, teen romance novel. One of you will get with Zen."

Yoosung studied MC's figure carefully. She washed the dishes roughly, as if trying to calm herself down. Through that calm exterior was a very distraught woman, Yoosung could tell.

"So, who will it be?"

"Huh?" Yoosung blinked, raising his brows in surprise.

"Who do you think Jaehee will choose?" MC turned to face him, her face filled with nothing but pure determination. "If this is a story, then Jaehee is definitely the main character. Not Zen. Not me. I want to be the one that Jaehee chooses at the end of the book."

"Woah...you and Jaehee really are close, aren't you?" Yoosung chuckled. He bounced off of the stool and grabbed his backpack, throwing a few of his textbooks inside before zipping it back up. "If you want to be the one Jaehee chooses, why don't you do something about it?"

"Bye, Yoosung. Keep studying." MC nodded, reaching out to stop him as he started to pull out some money for a tip. "No, that's not needed. You're always welcome here as a place to study...I think that's payment for us enough as it is."

"Thanks, MC. Good luck!" Yoosung winked, before walking out of the shop.

Jaehee Kang was not a jealous woman. In fact, the older she got, the less the word 'romance' meant to her. Every once in awhile, she would find someone who would occupy her time for a date or two, but it never developed into anything serious. Her work meant more to her than any person's heart, so she never gave romance a second thought.

Along with romance, came the word 'jealousy'. Occasionally, Jaehee would be jealous that other women were able to score tickets to Zen's show (and actually had the free time to go and watch them), or jealous of those who didn't have to watch over Elizabeth the 3rd, but she had never been jealous because of romance. When potential love interests would leave her for another woman that was more in tune with themselves than she was, Jaehee felt nothing but relief. No longer was she tied down, and could finally continue to focus on her work.

However, the feelings she was experiencing now were very foreign.

Jealousy did not sit well with her. She plopped down on on the cushy couch that decorated the break room, holding her head in her hands. Somewhere along the way, MC had managed to become everything. More than a friend, more than a partner; she had become the entire world.

"Jaehee? Is everything okay?"

MC entered the break room casually, but grew concerned as soon as she saw Jaehee bent over the couch, a pained look resting on her face. It was time to close down for the evening, and MC had already locked the doors and turned down the lights, but she couldn't bring herself to head upstairs without Jaehee.

Jaehee looked up at MC quickly, her eyes shrouded with worry. Her face reddened and her back straightened as she sat up quickly.

"Everything is completely fine!" She replied, trying not to meet MC's gaze.

"Well...alright." MC chuckled as she sat down beside of Jaehee. "Are you positive that nothing is bothering you? Yoosung didn't get to you too, did he?"

Jaehee let out a ragged breath, and ignored her partner. Instead, she focused on the decorum of the break room. When designing the coffee shop, it had been MC that chose the layout of the break room. Jaehee allowed her this one small liberty, and although they both had a say in the final decoration of every room, she wanted this one to belong to MC. Jaehee wouldn't have minded if MC had chosen to decorate the room in nothing but animal print, but she was still pleasantly delighted when MC's tastes came out more refined. Simple. A couch, two chairs, a table, a small TV, and some plants, all surrounded by smooth, mocha colored walls. The room felt as calming as a cup of coffee, and the aroma wafting from the kitchen only made it more real. So, they decided to make every wall in the shop the same color as the break room.

MC nudged Jaehee's shoulder, smiling at her softly.

"C'mon, it's just me. You can talk to me about anything."

"I…I know I can." Jaehee finally relaxed, sagging backwards into the couch. "I'm just not sure how to say what I want to say. For the first time in a very long time...I'm worried about how you will react."

"No matter what, I'm going to support you, Jaehee. I'm always going to be here. Don't you know that?"

After a moment, Jaehee finally spoke.

"I don't want you to end up with Zen." Her voice almost sounded broken, MC noted. "I don't want to lose you to someone who...who doesn't value you the way I do. Don't get me wrong, Zen is a wonderful friend, and an amazing actor, but he will never be able to build such a strong bond with you as the one we have between each other."

"You don't have to worry about Zen. I honestly don't have any feelings for him."

MC sunk back into the couch, her shoulder making contact with Jaehee's. Their relationship had always been on the thin border between romantic and platonic, each of them just waiting for something to push them to further to one side or the other. MC never tried to make a move into something more serious, for the fear of scaring Jaehee away, while Jaehee never pushed because she assumed that MC wouldn't feel the same way.

"I saw the two of you embrace at the end of your conversation. It made me feel hurt. Though...I'm not sure why. If you wanted to pursue a relationship with Zen, I would support you." Jaehee sighed, looking over to stare at MC sheepishly. "Yes, I would support you, as you have been supporting me. Please don't hide the relationship from me…"

"I'm not hiding anything from you." MC leaned her head down onto Jaehee's shoulder, letting out a long sigh. "I would never hide anything from you. Which is why I have to tell you that it's Zen who's interested in you."

Jaehee gasped, hand flying to her chest in shock.

"M-me?! What do you mean…? We're nothing but friends -"

"That's not what he thinks. He's...developed feelings for you. That's what he came by to talk to me about." MC closed her eyes, trying to escape the sight of the strange look that was growing in Jaehee's amber eyes. "He's leaving town for a week or so with his manager to pursue some oversea work. But he said that when he gets back, he's going to ask you on a date. He wanted some advice on how he should ask you."

MC could feel Jaehee's heart hammering in her chest, the feeling reverberating through taller woman's body. It left MC feeling breathless.

"Oh…" Jaehee mumbled, staring down at MC with wide eyes. "What...what do you think about the offer? The date, I mean?"

"I'd say that you should go with whatever your heart is telling you. If you're interested in Zen, then feel free to go on a date with him. Perhaps it would develop into something more serious."

MC moved away, sitting straighter on the couch. The space between them became overly obvious, and Jaehee missed the contact completely.

"I don't want advice, MC. What do you think about the offer?" Jaehee reached forward, lacing her fingers with MC's. "Personally, Zen is only someone I care about as a fan, and a friend. There's nothing more I would ever want with him. But...how did it make you feel when he asked you that?"

"It made me feel as if my chest was about to snap in half with jealousy."

MC squeezed Jaehee's hand and gave her a soft smile, noticing that the other woman had grown a deep blush on her porcelain face.

"If I'm being honest, it made me feel that same way when I saw him embrace you. I...I wanted it to be me that you were hugging. Not Zen." Jaehee looked away, her blush spreading down her neck. "But I'm not sure what that means."

"I think it means that we should go on a date, instead of you and Zen."

Jaehee's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a small gasp, her eyes growing wide in shock. MC stared back at her, a large smile on her face.

"Jaehee, will you go on a date with me?"

Tears formed in Jaehee's eyes, although MC could see the hint of a smile growing from behind her hand. Almost as if acting on instinct, MC reached forward and brushed a few of the stray tears from Jaehee's cheeks.

"What's wrong?" MC whispered, tucking a lock of hair back behind Jaehee's ear.

"I never thought...that you would feel the same way for me as I have felt about you." Jaehee laughed, allowing the tears to slide down her cheeks. "I'm just so happy."

MC pulled Jaehee into her, wrapping her arms around Jaehee's shoulders. She felt Jaehee's own wrap around her waist, meshing their bodies even closer together. Suddenly, Jaehee began to sob, her body shaking violently in MC's arms.

"I've...I've never been hugged so lovingly before. Not since my mother passed away," Jaehee cried, hot tears falling onto MC's neck. "Thank you…I would love to go on a date with you, MC."

MC buried her face into Jaehee's neck, unable to stop the giant smile that was stretched across her face.

"No, Jaehee...thank you."

Jaehee stared up at her ceiling that night, unable to shake the large smile that was plastered to her face. Just down the hallway, she knew that MC was feeling the same way about her. It was because of those confusing feelings that Jaehee always tried to manage to keep herself at a distance from MC. There were things that the two of them didn't know about each other, but now, Jaehee couldn't wait to find them out.

A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts, and she instantly sat up in bed.

"I know it's late, and I'm sorry to bother you, but…" Jaehee could make out the form of MC in the darkness, her long hair pulled back by a small clip. "I just can't sleep. Not after admitting all of those feelings…"

Jaehee patted the empty space beside of her on her bed, trying not to blush. MC shut the door behind her softly, before hesitantly crossing the room. Locking eyes, MC pulled back the covers and slipped underneath, crossing her legs together.

"I don't know why I feel so nervous…" Jaehee chuckled, leaning back against the headboard. "It's not like we haven't had sleepovers before."

"Maybe we can talk? Like we usually do, you know?" MC asked quietly, reaching out to hold Jaehee's hand.

Jaehee stared down at their intertwined fingers and slowly brought them to her mouth, kissing MC gently on the hand.

"No, I'd like to talk to each other like we're more than what we used to be. I want to redefine our relationship." Jaehee smiled, dropping their hands back on the bed between them. "I want to know more about you."

"I'd say you know everything about me."

"Tell me about your family? What did you do before moving into Rika's apartment? I know your interests, and some of your history, but I...I want to know it all."

MC let out a long sigh, settling against the headboard. Jaehee looked over at her expectantly, excitement lighting up her eyes. MC chuckled, wiping her bangs away from her face. Even with the clip, they always managed to get in the way.

"Well...I grew up with a normal family. It was nothing out of the ordinary. My parents got divorced when I was little, but I almost feel as if that is normal nowadays." MC shrugged. "I went to university to become a teacher...or a writer. Whichever happened first. But...when Unknown reached out to me, I was working at a bookstore, just waiting on a position to open up."

"I had no idea that you wanted to become a teacher…" Jaehee spoke softly. "It makes so much sense, with your personality."

"I'd say I wanted to be a teacher until I was able to start producing pieces of published work. It was more or less just a backup plan, in case nothing ever got published." MC shrugged, letting out a small laugh. "Although I wasn't able to leave the apartment for a day or two, I did resume working at the bookstore for a while. As soon as you gave me the key to our new place, I quit."

"If you want to continue to strive to write, I will do all that I can to make those dreams come true."

MC smiled brightly, leaning in to give Jaehee a small peck on the cheek. Jaehee's hand flew up to her face, covering the spot that MC's lips once were.

"I'd say that you've become my biggest dream. You and me, living above our coffee shop, is something I never realized I wanted so badly until I had it." MC whispered, touching her forehead softly against Jaehee's. "Maybe I'll keep writing...but if I never get anything published, I wouldn't regret it. Because I have you."

Jaehee closed the space between them, pressing her lips against MC's slowly. After a moment's hesitation, the two women fell into each other. Lips danced against lips, arms wrapped around each other's bodies, pulling them closer to one another. It wasn't a perfect first kiss, but it was everything the two of them could have asked for. The taste of toothpaste and lingering coffee breath was a combination that neither of them expected to enjoy, but realized it would become their favorite flavor.

Pulling away, Jaehee traced MC's jaw with her hand, smiling to herself when MC's head fell into her palm.

"MC...I think I'm going to fall in love with you. Don't be surprised when I tell you that I am." Jaehee breathed, leaning in for another kiss.

"I think I already am." MC replied, closing the space between them.