Waking up in Jisoo’s arms was an experience that Jennie had never anticipated. They’d slept near one another before, on long car rides to schedules or plane rides to other countries, but never with each other.

    But that morning, when her weary eyes fluttered open and the bleary reality of the waking world came into focus, she found herself tucked into the secure embrace of her best friend. Jisoo was still asleep, her chest rising and falling with a slow rhythm that reminded Jennie of being rocked to bed in a hammock by her father.

    I gotta stop being so creepy, Jennie thought to herself, face growing warm, glad that Jisoo couldn’t read her mind.

    Taking care not to disturb Jisoo, Jennie rolled over in bed so she could see the window. There was no sunlight streaming through the blinds, and when she glanced at the alarm clock she saw that it was fifteen minutes to five. From somewhere else in the dorm came the sounds of light, shuffling footsteps and running water. Rosie and Lisa were already awake and getting ready, then.

    Jennie paused for a moment, staring down at Jisoo, remembering everything that had happened last night. Well, technically, it had been just a few hours ago, but that just made it more surreal. Had they really been holding each other on the couch? Had they really slept together in the same bed?

    But those ideas were secondary to Jennie’s main focus, to the heavy rain cloud that hung above her head, pouring sadness and emotional exhaustion on her. Joohyun had ended their “relationship” last night.

    Jennie sighed, rubbed her eyes, and inched her way out of bed. Jisoo was a notoriously heavy sleeper, so she barely twitched as Jennie tiptoed her way to the washroom.

    A shower helped to clear Jennie’s sleep-deprived brain, but thoughts of Joohyun still haunted her, sensations of wet kisses and illicit touches beneath thin sheets. Jennie stood under the mist-shrouded spray, allowing the hot water to run down her body, hugging herself as she fended off the urge to lay down right there and go back to sleep. She could simply curl up in a ball, shut her eyes, and forget about the world. Why did it have to be so cruel? Why couldn’t she just be happy for once?

    Then came a knock on the bathroom door. Jennie shot her head up.

    “Hey, Jennie,” Jisoo said. Though her voice was muffled by the door, it was clear that she was still half-asleep. “Is it okay if I come in and brush my teeth? I have to get ready before Lisa has an aneurysm.”

    Jennie let out a tiny, involuntary giggle. “Sure. I’m just finishing up.”

    From behind the distorted glass of the shower door, Jennie watched as her pajama-clad unnie stepped inside. She felt herself relaxing, returning to washing the filth of the night from her skin. With Jisoo around, the knot that constricted within her chest came loose, and Jennie felt as though she could breathe somewhat freely again.

    “I didn’t even notice you getting up,” Jisoo said as she struggled to coax the last of the toothpaste out, “You were really quiet.”

    Jennie smiled. “No, I wasn’t. You just sleep like a rock.”

    “I’ve been told that before,” Jisoo said. Then, she began brushing her teeth.

    What followed was a stretch of brief, but amicable silence. In it, the two women went about their morning routines in tandem. Jennie scrubbed vigorously at her legs, knowing that the dress she was slated to wear today would show lots of them. There was a sort of catharsis to it, watching the murky, soapy water as it ran down her thighs and calves,