Chapter IV

Lisa brought the sheet of paper closer to her face, squinting hard at it, as if it would change the words that were inscribed there. She reached up and rubbed her eyes, seemingly convinced that there HAD to be a mistake.

She took one more disbelieving look at the official document, before letting out a shaky breath. It was real. There had been no mistake.

In black, printed script it read, Jeong Jungkook.

Jungkook. The most popular guy in the singing division, a prodigy in both the arts and the sciences. The most handsome, sweet and dorky guy Lisa has ever seen.

These days, though, she just refers to him as 'my ex'.

How could things go bad so quickly? Sure, they'd parted on mutual terms, and she'd moved in quickly, but it was bound to be awkward to have an ex as your partner.

Especially when a certain someone had decided to barge her way into Lisa's heart recently, declaring possession of it without hesitation.

But the system was never wrong...right?

If it decided Jungkook was her soulmate, he had to be...right?

Lisa blinked, her bloodshot and weary eyes tearing a little. Maybe this was all a bad, bad nightmare.

Things would get better tomorrow.

They did change tomorrow, but not for the better. In fact, things would start going downhill from there very quickly.

##

Chaeyoung awoke to the sound of her phone vibrating, the chiming of the ringtone signalling Lisa's distress.

The redhead felt about her duvet for the cool metallic feel of her phone, before clumsily sliding to answer, her voice filled with sleep.

"What's up-" she started, before she was met with a barrage of words.

"Igotmyreportbackbutmypartneriskookieand idontknowwhattodo-" Lisa said in a flurry of words, before Chaeyoung cut her off.

"WAIT slow down...you got your report? Who did you say was you partner again?"

Chaeyoung heard Lisa in a breath of air on the other side on the line, before she said, "Jungkook."

Chaeyoung's breath caught, stunned.

Jungkook? Lisa's ex? She had not expected this.

Sure, it had been a long time ago, almost like a fleeting memory of a distant past, but Chaeyoung always knew (although how she knew she couldn't explain) that Jungkook held lingering feelings for Lisa.

And that was before Jennie was in the picture.

Chaeyoung could swear the smouldering sparks that passed between the two of them were brighter than those that passed between Jungkook and Lisa. They were so bright, it seemed to blind Chaeyoung momentarily, catching her off guard at times.

Because she knew what had happened the last time Lisa got hurt, and she never wanted to witness that ever again.

“Chaeng? You still there?” Lisa intoned, confused over Chaeyoung's abrupt silence.

“Y-yeah,” Chaeyoung replied, “I was just really shocked.”

“I am too and I don't know what to do,” Lisa said, sighing audibly, “it's not like we're strangers but to get together again after all that…” she trailed off.

“I know what you're getting at,” Chaeyoung agreed, her eyebrows drawing together in frustration, “this...this isn't going to be easy, Lisa.”

“What do you mean? Can't we call off the report if we don't like it?” Lisa asked.

“Don't you remember the last time someone appealed to opt out of the system?”

##

Chaeyoung remembers the account like it was yesterday. After all, it happened to a relative of hers.

Her cousin Seulgi was a strong skeptic of the system, and she remembers how Seulgi would spend hours picking at the ethical and religious questions the system raised.

“It's not romantic, Rosie,” she remembers how frustrated Seulgi would get trying to explain the flaws of the system to her to no avail, “you get one soulmate in your entire lifetime, and on top of that it's someone other people choose for you? That's ridiculous!”

Often Chaeyoung would pretend to agree, nodding her head just to see the look of satisfaction flash across Seulgi’s face, usually followed by a praise, “I knew you would get it, my little chipmunk!”

But Seulgi had ran into more trouble than she had bargained for when she got her report at the age of 20, a look of resolve come over her delicate features.

She protested against the match, demanding an audience with the system’s heads.

And she got what she wanted, but it was not all she got.

Seulgi went missing for half a year, the government claiming that she was in for a project they were working on and that she was fine.

Seulgi was released in July that year, and they welcomed her home, their faces flushed in relief. But that Seulgi they welcomed home was not the same Seulgi they knew.

She accepted her report and met her partner, and they were quickly married the following year.

And even though none of them spoke it into words, they all resigned themselves to the fact that she would never be the same again.

The rebellious, feisty Seulgi unnie that Chaeyoung knew was never coming back.

##

“I'm sorry, Chaeyoung,” Lisa said, not wanting to have to worry her best friend of the possibility that she would have to go through the same thing twice, “I have afternoon classes so I have to go now, catch you later!”

The pair said their goodbyes and hung up.

By now, Lisa's mind was a whirlpool of confusion, her thoughts scattered all around.

All she could think about was Jennie.

Jennie, giggling with a hand over .

Jennie, stoically looking out of the window during breaks.

Jennie, grazing her fingertips lightly across Lisa's arm.

Lisa knew then that she would have to settle this herself.

##

Jennie skipped a little as she made her way to the practice rooms, a little smile on her face as she recounted the time she had spent with Lisa.

She couldn't wait until their next meeting. Jennie mused over possible encounters that they might have, and she smiled to herself.

I can't wait for tomorrow to come.

Jennie glanced out of the window, where the gray skies hung heavy, a light storm already brewing.

The light drizzle spattered the windows, before the small spray grew to a heavy patter of raindrops on the frosted glass, the droplets leaving tiny trails in their wake.

Thunder cracked overhead as Jennie made her way to her destination, a frightening sense of foreboding settling amid the atmosphere.