Promises are meant to be broken, there goes the old saying. Promises can easily be said but difficult to put it in act. It’s easy to say but hard to do. It can easily be made but it can also be easily broken like how fast it was vowed. For words are not enough to make a promise, they start to search for an act, a proof of credibility. For a promise is a big word, it can either make something or breaks everything. For promises mean everything, once broken they start to lose hope and they start to believe in nothing.

Students tend to celebrate for their exams they have passed. They tend to party all night and some rejoices their achievements with their families. But there’s one who passed all these difficulties yet sees this very day like her worst nightmare. She goes to her favorite night club, not to party but to sorrow. She dances wild in the dance floor not to celebrate but to swing all of her breaking emotions out along with the club music. She drinks up not to commend her success but to forget everything just for tonight.

In this packed night club for it’s Friday night, Jennie chooses this place to discharge all her emotions out just like the bad old days of her rebellious life. In a snap of a finger her old unruly character returned, possessing her once again. In an instant like she had never once been a good woman, the defiant Jennie makes a comeback, at least for this day and for this night she wants to forget entirely. She cared not of these wild people shouting in high around her but joins them instead to the heating dance floor. She cared not of these people touching her body, all over even down to her hips where they intentionally grind against her. All she cares is that herself, herself that wants to erase this image of the person she loves so deep, so deep she’s deeply hurt by its reality.

“Unnie, please stop Jennie-unnie. She’s getting wilder. I don’t know what to do with her anymore!” Rose shouted to battle against the noises, being a first timer to such place clings onto Jisoo as they stand on a corner, merely and powerlessly watching their friend in the wild.

Jisoo does the same nonetheless, watching her best friend from afar and sighed, “Don’t worry. Let’s just endure this sight for now. I already called Jiyong oppa for a back up. If I go there all by myself then I’ll have no match against those men around her.”

“Aish! This is all Lisa’s fault! If she didn’t do such thing then Jennie-unnie wouldn’t be here right now! I don’t want this! I don’t want to see Jennie-unnie like this anymore. This is too much!” Rose whelped in her frustrations.

It is against their will and character to be in this place but for the sake of Jennie who’s emotionally suffering because of the love she deeply feels, they broke their own reputations and stepped in just to have closely watch her. They were not able to do anything to stop her for they were pushed back. They were not able to stop her from her misconducts for she turned into an unstoppable beast. Even though that’s the case, as her loyal friends, they chose to stand beside her, through this one of her worst days in her entire life so far.

“Jisoo! Chaeng!” It didn’t take long when Ji-yong arrived with his friends who are prepared for back up for the worst case scenario in this wild club that’s getting wilder as the night deepens.

Jisoo and Rose approached them halfway and one of them immediately said, “Oppa. Please help us. She’s not letting anyone to stop her. We don’t know what to do.”

Ji-yong tilted his head to where they are pointing at to the dance floor. And in the middle is his sister flirting with strangers, both to men and to women. She’s there smiling and laughing but as brother he knows this isn’t his lovely sister he vowed to protect. In so much dismay, he asks her friends while his eyes are locked to his sister, “What the hell happened? Why is Jennie here? Why did she come back here looking like that rebellious again? What’s going on?”

“Oppa, we’ll explain later. Let’s just get Jennie out of here first. She might end up getting harassed by those maniacs around her.” Jisoo worriedly persuaded as she glared at those men inching closer to her best friend’s lips while they dance.

“I want to get out of here too…” Rose cried.

Ji-yong needed not more of their pleas for him to recklessly parade towards the dance floor together with his friends he brought along with. They aren’t as drunk and tipsy as of these people blocking their narrow way towards Jennie but they have the guts to bump into them and push them out of the way with force. Jiyong didn’t care more of those men who yelled at him for their hotheaded steps as long as he can get a hold of his heartbroken sister.

Jennie’s dance, her swaying hips were detained when Jiyong firmly gripped on her by the shoulders and forcibly embraced her for protection from these men liking her body. Jennie couldn’t see his face at first but his scent gave her the hint, as she sniffs it confirming it’s her protective brother coming to save her.

“Who the hell are you?” The hot-blooded and drunken men faced Ji-yong with their muscular bodies.

Ji-yong threw them a deathly glare then barks, “I’m her brother. Do you have a problem with that?”

“Oh… a brother fetching his sister, eh?  What a lovely tiny brother you are!” They all laughed, mocking the rich man in his business suit.

Jennie heard them loud for insulting her brother. She was offended and wanted to fight back for him but Ji-yong tightened his hold around her shoulders and let her face be buried against his chest. He’s not letting her see anything, protecting her from danger and from this darkness like how he used to when she was younger.

The pressure going on in the middle of this dance floor is intensifying. And upon sensing this and sensing this, Ji-yong’s friends, four men in their well-built bodies stepped forward to cover the siblings up and one of them confidently asserts, “You should get out of here and take that rebellious sister of yours to a safer place. This isn’t the place for her. You can go while we take care of things here.”

“Are you sure?” Ji-yong asked and they all gave him thumbs up.

Ji-yong nodded at them then carried Jennie on a piggyback ride. In a queue, he signaled Jisoo and Rose from the far side, telling them to escape out of the club for it’s about to commence a war by the dance floor. While they run out in haste, Jennie takes a last glimpse back to the dance floor she left and there she witnessed rumble which she caused.

Jennie couldn’t utter a word; she couldn’t say a thing as they’re now out of the night club, successfully evading trouble while she still rides on her brother’s dependable back going to where he parked his car. Jisoo and Rose are as quiet as she does, not know what to do next. They simply walk altogether in this night silent road moving farther from the noisy streets of night clubs.

Stopping in front of his car, Jiyong requests the friends as he turns around, “I can’t bring Jennie back home like this. Dad and mom will surely grill her.”

“We can bring her at my place for tonight. Chaeyoung will be staying there too so it wouldn’t be difficult to cover up for her in case your father will call. Also, I’ll just drive her car since we cannot leave it here and absolutely, I won’t let her drive in such a state.” Jisoo volunteered.

Jiyong, with caution, he slowly brought the hushed Jennie down from his back and let her stand on her own. Taking into consideration, he didn’t ask her just yet of her current circumstances but he first inquires for her condition, “Are you alright? Do you need something?”

Jennie nodded and replied short with her head lowered, “Yeah. I’m not really that drunk. I can handle myself.”

“Good. We’re going to Jisoo’s place and take your rest there for tonight. You still have millions of things to explain to me so brace yourself.” Ji-yong said and warned later.

Rose though comes in between and chips in, “About that oppa, let us be the one who’ll explain to you. It might be hard for Jennie-unnie to say it out from her own so you can just ask us about what really happened later on once we’re all settled.”

Ji-yong observed on his sister. Certainly, she looks so wrecked and drained. Her eyes are so swollen that they are almost closing out as if she was punched straight into the eyes. Her shoulders that are usually in its ninety degrees angle have rotten. Her cheeks that used to be so puffy are dying looking like withered vegetable. Indeed, this kind of Jennie is the worst time for interrogations.

And so the understanding brother decided, “Okay. I understand. I’ll hear all of your stories at Jisoo’s place. Let’s get out of here for now.”

The group concluded and went to their respective rides, Jisoo with Rose and Jiyong with Jennie. All throughout the ride Jennie talked none as she sat at the back seat. She kept her silence, her mind that’s going out of the world while she stares down blankly at her clasped shaky hands. Soon, tears also followed, letting those painful tears drop in her lap and let her sobs be heard by her worried brother who’s giving her space. The longer she stays still, the more her hysterical mind rewinds back to that grievous happening that cracked her heart apart.

“Why…” Jennie muttered in between her sobs that are worsening.

Ji-yong couldn’t take this any longer and thus he accelerates his car to and shortly reached Jisoo’s place in no time. As he parked his car, he looks through his front mirror and eyed onto his sister’s tears, definitely the worst kind of tears he have seen so far from her, worse than that time she found out about her true self.

“Jennie, we’re here.”

Jennie has been overthinking by herself she didn’t notice her brother had long gone from the driver’s seat but he’s already by the car’s open door waiting for her to respond. She has been drowning herself too much from her nasty memory that she didn’t notice the car had long stopped and now in front of Jisoo’s place. She’s so hurt she has gone numb emotionally, mentally and even physically as she felt none of her brother’s hold upon guiding her out of the car.

Jisoo later approached her feeble best friend, giving her a gentle pat as she says, “Please do take some rest for tonight Jennie. We’ll handle over things from here on. Just don’t push yourself too much if possible. We’ll always be here for you.”

However, Jennie can only give her a weak affirmation and walks ahead of them entering the mansion first. All they can do is to watch her going up wobbly to the stairs and thankfully with a maid’s guidance she managed to go on her own safely. Jisoo prepared everything for her, including a guest room where she can stay at and be alone to think for herself. No one knows what do to yet, remaining defeated as they gathered on the mansion’s veranda while Jennie is out from their sight.

“Now tell me, what exactly happened? Why is my sister like that again? I was just chilling at home then I suddenly receive a call from Chaeyoung reporting me about her sudden behavior. I found out that she passed her exams from the administrator too but there she goes being so miserable. Then it’s like this out of the blue. So what am I missing out here?” Ji-yong confronted these two frustrated women in front of him as he crossed his arms and tapped his impatient foot.

Rose rubbed her cold palms together, attempting to answer Ji-yong’s direct concerns but then Jisoo reached out for her hands to stop it from vibrating and courageously stands for her, “Yes, Jennie did pass but Lisa didn’t. And when she found out about that, they had fight at the cafeteria. Well, it wasn’t just a typical lover’s quarrel. It’s more than just a normal one.”

“And what’s the supposed to mean?” Ji-yong questioned further as he leaned closer.

To articulate more of what really happened the entire day and how his lovely sister ended up in such a state, Jisoo started to summarize everything. She opened up about their widening distance before the finals week. She openly told him of their troubles before the final exams and how Jennie has been hideously suffering from it while Lisa remained oblivious. She admitted of knowing Jennie’s miseries regarding her relationship with Lisa. And lastly she confessed of Lisa’s rages towards Jennie, those words they aren’t sure if it was meant to be blurted out or just out of her whim, out from her stressed mind from failing exams.

Knowing all of this, Ji-yong couldn’t help but to lose his temper yelling, “Lisa blamed my sister for her failure? What the hell is that? Lisa had the guts to do that?”

“We were shocked too oppa. We couldn’t do anything. I’m sorry...” Rose frowned.

“Lisa must have been pressured between her studies and her dreams and her relationship with Jennie. She must have been so constrained and ended up blaming Jennie for her failure. Honestly, I want to satisfy myself that Lisa just said those hurtful things to Jennie because she was depressed but I didn’t see any regret in her words. And surely Jennie saw that too that’s why she’s hurt so much. Really, Lisa’s dreams must be bigger than her love for Jennie.” Jisoo unfortunately said, sharing her insights.

“What should we do oppa? If we let this go on, they might end up breaking up.” Rose asked.

Ji-yong sighed in so much disappointment towards Lisa and because of his overwhelming emotions, he can only heave out a long sigh and closed his eyes to think deeper of the situation. He had expected a bad news, but not this worse. He had expected for a bit that Lisa is the one who caused Jennie’s tears but not with this complicated reasons. As an adult he had gone through the same, choosing his top priorities, sacrificing one important thing and thus he cannot judge Lisa that easily making it harder for him on who, what and how to side this situation.

“Let’s not in to this problem.” Ji-yong resolved after giving them a minute of quietness.

Jisoo promptly disagrees, “What? That’s not possible! We cannot just watch them like that.”

“There’s a limit on how much we can do for them.” Ji-yong regrettably said which made the furious two in hush. “It’s their relationship. As much as I want to do something for them, I think I’ll have to draw a line here. Dad also warned me not to meddle with their relationship anymore and I think we was right for saying that Jennie is old enough to decide what’s right for them. From now on, whatever Jennie wants and plans to do, may it not be the best decision, we’ll just have to stand with her.” He then continued.

Though the two nodded as they agreed, Rose still bent out her frustration facing her back, “Damn. This is too much. This is damn painful.”

“How about Lisa? I wonder what she’s up to right now. Even if she said those things, I know she’s hurt too somehow. I’m worried because she might be alone while we’re all here supporting Jennie.” Jisoo wondered.

Ji-yong replies with a brush of dismay “Let her be. That’s the prize of breaking my sister’s heart. Besides she’s a strong woman. She’ll just be fine even if she’s alone.”

Meanwhile, the failed one, the failure is on her own, all alone in her dark room she didn’t bother to light up. In a pitch dark corner of her room, there Lisa sulks all by herself hugging her folded knees tight and her fists compressed. Her phone has been buzzing from various calls from her best friend and from her parents who are dead worried but there she is isolating herself from the entire world. As if her thoughts have confined and like a battery that has drained, she blankly stares into a dark space.

“Lisa… it’s me, Bam. Are you there?” Her worried best friend knocked onto her closed door gently and finally she came back from her senses because of the sudden sound.

Lisa looks up from curling and stares at her closed door far from her reach. She can hear consecutive knocks and her name being called repetitively. She gave no response however, but her tears continuously falls and faint sobs that Bam heard from the outside. That’s when he knew his best friend is indeed there, breaking apart on her own with no one to lean on.

“Hey, you know I’ll always be here for you, right? Your parents are worried too so please open the door. I won’t let you go through alone with this.” Bam pleaded as he didn’t cease from knocking the door.

After patiently knocking nonstop and after pleading so much, Lisa gave up and opened the door for him. She let her best friend see this wrecked face of hers, her face that’s covered in tears, her hair that’s so messed up, her shoulders that are dropping so low and her eyes that are so tired from crying. Seeing this, Bam wasted no time and pulled his best friend into a tight warm embrace, letting her cry it all out in his reliable chest.

“Okay, okay… I’m here.” Bam hushed her while caressing her hair softly.

Lisa weeps in her breathlessness, “Bam… I don’t know what to do… I’m so confused. I’m so damn lost. What should I do?”

Bam pushes her back inside her room and lit it bright before closing the door behind him. Inside her room, Bam was welcomed with Lisa’s scattered papers and notes. There are her things disordered all over, including her bed that’s in a complete crumple and her small study table that’s disorganized. Thus Bam concluded through the back of his mind, Lisa must have gone berserk the entire time due to all these miseries and sorrows she couldn’t handle.

Lisa went to sit on her bedside and suddenly fell into stillness while Bam generously fixes her things for her. She felt so cast-down, so depressed and so burnt out that she already ran out of tears. She sat there emotionless and barely speaks out her best friend’s name, “Bam… Bam…”

Bam immediately attended to her, sitting beside her on the bedside and assures, “You don’t have to force yourself too much Lisa. It’s alright. Don’t force yourself to speak out if you can’t yet. I know it hurts. I know it’s painful but you’re not yet sure of the outcome, right? I mean, the administrator still has to talk with you about it. Don’t lose hope. There might still be a chance for you to go on with your dreams. And if not then maybe we can find another way for you to keep on chasing your dreams. You’ll go back to Thailand and just take a detour again. Restart and do it all over again. It’s not yet the dead end. C’mon, this is so not you and you’re not the person who would give up on her dreams this easily.”

“It’s not only about that Bam. Of course I won’t give up. I got carried away from my failure earlier as it’s my first time to experience it. I just can’t accept it yet.” Lisa scowled and clenched her fists against her bed sheets. “It’s Jennie too. I’ve said nasty things to her. I recklessly blamed her for all of this. And now I can’t return back those words. I’ve hurt her… again… and it’s always been like this.” She then said and put these trembling hands onto her face to hide this guilt written all over her.

“I see. So this is why you’re this down, eh? You failed to choose who and what your priorities are and hence, you failed your important exams.” Bam said and Lisa nodded in all honesty.

Lisa drops her head onto her best friend shoulders as she opens up more of her anxieties, “I love Jennie. Of course I do. But why does it have to be this hard? Why does it have to be this complicated?”

“That’s enough. You’re just pressuring yourself even more. Take it easy and let’s wait for the day you’ll receive your verdict at the university. For now, just take a rest, call your parents and don’t go out if that’s what you want to do.” Bam comforted his best friend, forcing a stretch out from her frowning lips.

“Thank you, Bam. Seriously, I don’t know what to do without you.” Lisa faintly smiled just to satisfy her best friend full of effort.

The mild Sunday came and it’s another undecorated night and that’s the only time Jennie decided to go back home. After barricading herself since Friday night at Jisoo’s place she finally shows up at home. Weak and fragile, that’s how Jennie reveals herself at the mansion where servants welcome her hesitant for her sharp eyes are throwing daggers. Her aura, the old rebellious looking Jennie is back and so these gossiping servants say, not knowing what she’s going through.

Even if she’s so wasted she wants to go directly to her bed and want to call it a day, her respect for her parents is still there. Therefore, she walks up to her parents room and knocked weakly calling out, “Mom… Dad… I’m home.”

The door was opened wide for their daughter who’s and there’s the mother looking at her after more than a day of missing her. She looks so soft and fragile like a new born baby, that’s how her concerned mother sees her and so she let her daughter inside their room, meeting her father as well who is still by his office table working on his documents.

Upon welcoming their daughter in pajamas, the father greets without looking up to her, “I heard you passed your exams. Congratulations.”

“Dear, can’t you be at least more enthusiastic? Our daughter passed her final exams. Please show more interest in it.” The mother demanded.

Jennie didn’t mind though as she had long known that her father will always be this cold and it will probably never change. For the past two months she isn’t talking much to her father, but doesn’t fight either. Their relationship remains so dull and plain after all this time but Jennie knows very well that he has been quietly supporting her. His ways may be harsh and strict, but by the end of the day, his acts made Jennie stronger to stand in her own feet, to fight for her right.

Thinking of this, Jennie went on her way to sit on their king bed and questions her father from his office table, “Dad, you knew about the invitation letter from University of London, didn’t you?”

And the father simply answered, “Yes I do. So what about it?”

“W-well… I’m just thinking if I can get your opinion about it.” Jennie shyly asked.

The father instantly halted from jotting down more of his notes as he heard his daughter asking for his opinion for the very first time. The mother as well, who is busily making cups of tea for them both is surprised to hear her daughter asking that she proudly smiled so wide at her. As this never happened before, the father is feeling new to it and somehow got tangled with his words he couldn’t respond quick as how he used to be, and just eyed at his daughter blushing in their bedside.

“Dad, c’mon… say something.” Jennie cutely whined.

The father cleared his throat before he walked to his daughter and occupied that empty space beside her. Feeling a little awkward, he somewhat succeeded to recite but low, “You’re old enough to decide on that, aren’t you?”

“That’s not how you give advice to your daughter!” The mother scolded her husband for his poor words and later joined them as she occupied the opposite space beside her daughter.

“What do you want me to say? I just said the truth! She’s not a little girl anymore who needs to ask us for permission. She can go anytime she wants to and we can just go there to visit her anytime she wants us too, isn’t it? What’s more to talk about? If she wants it then go.” The father argued.

The mother debates back, “Just make sure you won’t regret and end up pulling her back here and force her to study business again!”

“Geez! I won’t!” The father yelled.

Jennie’s parents continue on debating and soon the topic became in between them, exchanging words while she’s there being sandwiched in between them. She wasn’t irritated or angered; rather she giggled and later bursts out laughing, thanks to her parents’ unusual childishness she had never seen before. This is her first laugh ever since that afternoon she was pushed away by her lover, a very good laugh to ease her anxieties she’s been carrying for the past days.

They heard her laughing merrily in between them so they gradually stopped from their useless argument and soon the mother giggles along with her but the father only smirked. The father, for he’s bad showing off his real emotions, he silently watches his wife and daughter smiling ear to ear, a dream view he’s been longing for.

Jennie stares at her caught off guard father and sincerely extends, “Thank you, dad. That may not be the best advice but really, that’s more than enough from someone like you. So, thank you.”

“Thank me when you graduate. Then maybe while you’re in London, I and your mom can come and visit you, and then we’ll go for some horse riding, like what we used to do when you were young.” The father returned his heartfelt smile to his glad daughter.

The mother however doubts at her daughter’s unusual mood. Her mother instincts are kicking in and so she attempts to ask breaking the small celebration, “Jennie, are you sure there’s nothing more you want to say? I know I’ve told you about this million times already but I’m your mother… you can’t fool me.”

Jennie’s smile quickly faded as her mother finally caught her covers. Knowing she cannot fool their intuitions, she’s forced to admit out of her shaky lips, “Lisa… didn’t pass her exams and ever since, our relationship isn’t going any better anymore. Well, reaching for her dreams is like her life so I had to sacrifice. Then if I go to London, I wonder if we could even fix our relationship. It might only get worse than how it is now.”

“What?” The mother gasped but the father only sighed.

“Dad, when you were still dating mom, was there ever a time when you have to choose between your priorities or dreams and mom? Was there ever a time you had distances?” Jennie examined her father, expectantly staring at him waiting for his opinion yet again.

If the father couldn’t give her a proper advice earlier, this time he wants to make sure he can give at least his support. He placed his protective arms around his daughter’s fragile shoulders, “I and your mom had gone through so many hardships as a couple too. It’s not only distance that we faced but we also faced doubts and a lot more. You see, love sometimes requires great sacrifice that comes with a great understanding. And if I were you, let me be harsh again but I’d choose to go to London because Lisa herself has already chosen her dreams over you. Moreover, in this era, chances are limited. You might not have this invitation anymore soon. If Lisa really does love you truly, whatever your decision is, she’ll have to accept it. But at the same time, make sure you’ll have to make the brightest decision Jennie. Only you, yourself, know what the best is for her and for you. This is where I step back. I cannot tell you more than this. Only that as your parent, if you end up with the best yet most painful decision for the both of you, I’ll always be here for you.”

“Dad…” Jennie cried.

The father patted her head and believes, “Love is complicated. It’s normal to feel confused at this time but don’t let this confusion stay forever in you. You have to make a decision. I trust you so I won’t go overboard and in whatever you want to do anymore. I do admit I’m kind of disappointed with Lisa though. She promised me things but she allowed you to feel like this. But still, you got my back.”

The mother said none anymore for her husband just gave his best speech ever, better than any of his business presentations she had seen and heard before. Because of his honest advice, that’s when she felt a real father towards his troubled daughter. All she can do is to watch them dearly, sharing a moment as Jennie enjoys her father’s care which she felt for the first time.

The next morning rose and it’s judgment day for Lisa. For the semester break already started for the regular who passed the exams, only a few students are left wandering around the campus. With her trembling and hesitant legs she nervously entered the university with her supportive best friend. Eyes are on her as expected and some bullies for failing her exams, chanting her to leave and all. But Lisa pretending to be so tough still, she ignored all of their loud annoying chants and goes on marching forward to the administrator’s building.

“Don’t be nervous. Look, the administrator might miraculously tell good news. Think positive.” Bam tried cheering her up while they climb up the stairs going to the administrator’s office but Lisa responded none, keeping her head low and deep loud continuous sighs.

Outside of the administrator’s office is a long line of students who failed the exam just like her. This hurts her pride for she’s the only scholar who joins the line and the rest are regular spoiled students who are granted for another set of final exams as their last chance.

“Eh~ so even the smart Lalisa Manoban failed.” One of the failed students said upon noticing Lisa by the end of the line.

And another one followed up, “I’m sure Jennie is so ashamed of you now; having a failure lover sure is so embarrassing and not to mention a poor one too.”

“It’s a good thing she’s going to leave you soon. I bet she already realized that it’s better to go to London than to stay with you.” The last one teased and they all laughed at her offended expression.

Lisa is quite offended of their insults. She’s used to their hurtful teases but one important thing caught her attention and rings to her. Giving back their glares, she questions everyone present in the corridor, “London? Why the hell would Jennie go to London?”

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