“Okay, don’t tell Jisoo I’m saying this but I think you should tell Jennie how you feel about her,” Wendy said, glancing to Lisa before returning her eyes to the road. Lisa could tell by the way that the older girl’s hands gripped the steering wheel that she was nervous about this conversation.

“Why don’t you want me to tell Jisoo?” the blonde asked, blinking in confusion at Wendy.

“Because she asked me to talk you out of it, not into it.”

“Why would she ask you to do that?”

“Jennie is a player. Jisoo doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“Uh…” Wendy cleared . “That’s the reason she gave me. And I understand her concerns. Jennie is a player, and she has a history of messing around with people that are interested in her because she knows she can get what she wants. But she’s not a bad person, she just doesn’t make the best decisions.”

“How do can you be sure about that?”

“We were pretty close before and I talked to her a lot about her habits. She wasn’t happy sleeping around with people, and she didn’t enjoy hurting others. She just kind of fell into the cycle and it was difficult for her to get out of it.”

“Then what makes you think she’d stop for me?”

“Because she’s done it before, with someone she didn’t like half as much as she likes you.”

“You mean Seulgi?” Lisa waited expectantly for Wendy’s answer, but none came. “What happened between them?”

“I think you should ask Jennie about that.”

“Okay… Why do you think I should tell her how I feel?”

“Because if you don’t, you’re going to regret it forever. Even if you move on, you’ll always have to live with that feeling of ‘what if’. What if you had told her? What if she felt the same way? What if you had ended up together? What if you didn’t have to see her with someone else?”

“Why do I get the feeling that we’re not talking about me and Jennie anymore?” Wendy smiled sadly at Lisa’s observation.

“Well I may be talking from personal experience, but it still applies to you.”

“Alright then. I’ll talk to Jennie. I don’t know when but I will.” Lisa paused, studying Wendy’s profile. “Since we’re dishing out advice, I think you should talk to Irene.”

“Wh-What? Why? I can’t.”

“She deserves to know how you felt, or feel, for her. That’s not a secret you should keep from a friend. Obviously, she’s with Seulgi and all that, but you should tell her. It’ll erase the what ifs.”

“You know what? You’re right. I’ve tried telling her before but I didn’t want to cause problems between her and Seulgi. But I think I’m finally ready. I don’t have feelings for her anymore, but I’ve been dying to talk to her about it.”

“Then it’s settled. You talk to Irene, I talk to Jennie.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Wendy stopped the car in front of one of the class buildings and Lisa gathered her things, preparing to leave the car. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“Yeah?” Lisa looked up at the older girl.

“Don’t mention to Irene that I told you to tell Jennie about your feelings.”

“Why not?”

“She isn’t exactly Jennie’s biggest fan. It’s a jealous girlfriend thing.”

“Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.” And for some reason, Lisa found herself grinning like an idiot as she said goodbye to Wendy and headed to class.

***

Wendy heard the passenger side door open and close, someone shuffling into the seat, but she didn’t look up. She already knew who it was.

“So, how’d it go?” Seulgi asked, looking expectantly at Wendy.

“It went well, I think. We had a good talk. She said she’d talk to Jennie.” Wendy paused, biting her lip nervously. “And… she gave me some really good advice too.”

“Yeah? What about?”

“A similar experience I had.” Another pause. And then, “Seulgi, I need to tell you something.”

“You were in love with, Irene. I know,” the older girl said nonchalantly, a small smirk ghosting across her lips. Wendy’s lips parted, her jaw going slack, and for a moment she had trouble formulating words.

“You… You know? But… h-how?” Wendy stammered. Seulgi shrugged.

“You aren’t the most subtle person in the world. And you have a very expressive face, remember?” Seulgi reached out to playfully pinch Wendy’s cheek as emphasis. “I’ve always known. I was waiting for you to admit it.”

“You knew? And you were okay with it, with me being in love with your girlfriend?”

“Of course I wasn’t okay with it. I hardly left you two alone in the beginning, don’t you remember?” Seulgi paused to chuckle at the memory, and Wendy found herself laughing along, albeit a little nervously. “But I soon realized that you were trying to move on and that you were content just letting her be happy, even if it was with me instead of you. That’s true love for someone if I’ve ever seen it. I also knew that you were making a lot of progress getting over her and just focusing on keeping your feelings platonic. Still, you won’t ever get closure if you don’t talk to her about it.”

“So… you’re okay if I talk to Irene and tell her?”

“Yeah, go for it. You guys are friends. You have to discuss this and I understand that.” Seulgi shrugged, preparing to leave the car. “Good luck, Wen.”

“Seulgi?” Wendy called, making the older girl pause with her hand poised to open the door. “There’s a reason you asked me to talk to Lisa, isn’t there? You could have asked Yeri or Joy, who are both closer to her, but you asked me. Why?”

“Because I knew you needed advice as much as she did.” No further words were exchanged as Seulgi exited the car, smirking triumphantly.

***

“So I was thinking I could either add a body roll or a-- Jennie, are you even paying attention?” Lisa asked that evening, stopping in the middle of the room to glare at the girl in question. Jennie blinked in confusion, lifting her eyes from the floor to lock on Lisa.

“What? Yes! I mean, no… sorry, I just have a lot on my mind,” Jennie admitted, smiling sheepishly. Lisa made her way over to where Jennie was leaning against the wall.

“You could’ve just told me, you know. We could’ve rescheduled,” the blonde said sympathetically.

“We could have, but I like having an excuse to see you.” The words tumbled out of Jennie’s mouth before she could stop them and she blushed a dark crimson as she realized what she’d said. Lisa’s eyes widened, forming an involuntary smile when Jennie glanced away bashfully.

“You know you don’t need an excuse right? You could just ask.” For a moment, there was silence between them. And then Jennie’s eyes flicked up.

“Do you wanna take a raincheck on this practice and just go grab a bite instead?”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m hungry. And it’s really hard to have a conversation when I’m watching you dance. Actually, it’s hard to concentrate on anything else when I’m watching you dance.”

“Jennie, are you feeling okay?” Lisa placed a hand on Jennie’s forehead, playfully checking her temperature.

“I’m fine you weirdo,” Jennie laughed, swatting Lisa’s hand away. “So, are we eating or what?”

“Fine, but only because you offered to pay.” Lisa smirked at the way Jennie’s jaw dropped.

“Hey, I never said--!” the older girl started to complain, but Lisa was already ignoring her.

“C’mon, Jen, let’s go.” The blonde grabbed her bag and started heading for the door.

“But I didn’t--!” Jennie tried again, only to be cut off when Lisa turned around, her lower lip jutting out in a pout and her eyes wide like a puppy’s. The dark-haired girl let out a groan. “No, don’t look at me like that… Lisaaaaa, stop it… Ugh, fine!”

“Yay!” Lisa pounced on Jennie, wrapping her arms around the older girl’s neck. “You’re the best!”

“I’m starting to think you only hang out with me because you can get food out of it.”

“Not true. The food is only 80 percent of the reason I hang out with you.”

“Yeah? What’s the other 20?”

“You’re amazing and I like spending time with you.”

“Oh God, that was so cheesy. Let’s go before I puke.” But Jennie found herself grinning from ear to ear as Lisa took her hand and led her out of the dance studio.

***

“No way! That is not you!” Jennie exclaimed, looking closely at the phone in her hand, her plate of chicken long forgotten.

“It is,” Lisa laughed, used to the shock she got from people when she showed them pictures of her younger self.

“You look so different. Like, I can tell it’s you and all, but wow.”

“What’s so ‘wow’ about it? Was I really that ugly?”

“No! Of course not! You were cute. But now you’re just… hot.” Jennie cringed at the way it sounded, but Lisa seemed unfazed aside from a slight coloration of her cheeks.

“Are you saying I’m not cute now?” Lisa pouted. Jennie rolled her eyes.

“Lisa, you’re literally the definition of cute. All I’m saying is that you’ve grown a lot since then and now you’re more than just cute. You’re beautiful and y and charismatic.”

“Okay, all these compliments are starting to worry me. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Fine, I take it all back you dork. Gosh. And you wonder why I don’t compliment you more often,” Jennie huffed. All Lisa could do was giggle and nudge Jennie from across the table.

“C’mon, don’t pout. It’s only cute when I do it,” Lisa teased.

“Shut up,” Jennie snapped, trying to look upset but a smile was tugging at her lips despite herself.

“Would it make you smile if I showed you some pictures of my dance group back in Thailand?” Jennie shrugged at the suggestion, trying to force her expression into a frown but mostly failing.

“I dunno, maybe.” Lisa stood up and walked to the other side of the table, sliding into the booth next to Jennie. The blonde took her phone back, scrolled through a few pictures, decided on one, and handed the device to Jennie again. She started talking about the group and what it was like, as well as naming the other members.

“And that’s Bambam,” Lisa concluded, pointing to a boy in the picture. “We met practically when we were born and have been dancing together ever since. He was my best friend.”

“Was?” Jennie asked.

“He moved to Korea a few years ago to pursue a dancing career. We started falling out of touch because he was so busy all the time, but we managed to talk enough to keep the friendship going. He wanted me to join him over there, said he was sure he’d be able to help me settle down and get a job. But then I decided to attend school here instead. He was really mad when I told him and he hasn’t spoken to me since I left Thailand.”

“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that, Lisa.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure he’ll get over it eventually. And if he doesn’t, then I guess he wasn’t a real friend to begin with. Besides--” Lisa looked up and smiled softly. “--I’ve made some pretty amazing new friends here.”

“Yeah, you have, haven’t you?” Jennie smiled, putting an arm around the younger girl’s shoulders and pulling her close. Lisa put her head down on Jennie’s shoulder, and Jennie reciprocated by placing her cheek on Lisa’s head. They sat there like that in silence for a moment, both content in each other’s company. But then Lisa’s overactive mind got the best of her and she spoke up.

“Hey, Jen? Can I ask you a question?” Lisa started nervously.

“Sure, go ahead,” Jennie replied, her voice calm.

“I know you said you and Seulgi didn’t date and you made it seem like it was a one night stand or something but… what really happened between you two?” Lisa felt when Jennie’s body stiffened at the mention of Seulgi’s name, but she didn’t pull away and that slightly comforted the blonde.

“It’s… complicated,” Jennie said slowly, uncertainly. “It happened early last year. We didn’t date--not officially, at least. Neither of us liked labels and neither of us were particularly fond of staying with one person for too long. Somehow, we bonded over our similarities and took solace in each other. I took care of her and she took care of me, and neither of us really expected anything serious in return. But she was older and more experienced than I was, and she’d done what I hadn’t been able to do yet--have .

“I knew she slept around. Everyone on campus knew that. But for some reason that didn’t scare me. She made me feel safe, and it wasn’t that false ‘you’re safe, now sleep with me’ kind of thing either. She never asked me for anything like that and immediately stopped if she thought I was uncomfortable with what she did. I was the one who asked her to do it, to take my ity. And she did, in the kindest and gentlest fashion. Like I said, we took care of each other, and that night Seulgi made sure to take very good care of me.”

Jennie paused, biting her lip. Lisa lifted her head, pulling away slightly to look at the older girl. She placed a hand on Jennie’s knee, drawing the dark-haired girl’s gaze.

“You don’t have to tell me anything else,” Lisa whispered. “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked…”

“No, it’s okay,” Jennie assured her. “I just… I never really talked about it with anyone except Rosé. Everyone just assumed that Seulgi and I ed each other for fun and that there was no real basis to our relationship. And yeah, after that night she and I did start sleeping together a lot. But that wasn’t what it was about, not for either of us. We fell for each other the slightest bit, so when she decided she was finally ready to be with Irene for real… I don’t know, it did something to me. I’d gotten addicted to it, I guess. I mean, I’d been a player before, but after Seulgi… I think something in me snapped.

“I’m not trying to make excuses or blame Seulgi for the way that I am now, but I’m not proud of it either. I know I’ve broken a lot of hearts and ed around with a lot of people I probably shouldn’t have, but it’s like there’s something wrong with me and I can’t stop.”

Jennie was starting to cry now, her words getting stuck in . She couldn’t continue and it was taking all her willpower not to break down then and there. Lisa took her wallet out, set a few bills on the table, took Jennie’s hand, and pulled the girl out of the booth. The blonde guided Jennie out of the restaurant and to the car without a word, taking Jennie’s keys and unlocking the vehicle before pulling her into the back seat. Once inside the confines of the car, Lisa put her arms around Jennie and that was when she let the tears come at full force. Neither girl was sure exactly how long they sat there but neither of them cared. Jennie just cried it all out and Lisa let her, her hands moving up and down Jennie’s back in soothing patterns. When Jennie’s sobs died down to shaky breaths, she tilted her head to look up at Lisa.

“Why? Why are you even my friend? I’m an awful person,” Jennie hiccuped. Lisa ran the pad of her thumb over Jennie’s tear-streaked cheek.

“You’re not an awful person, you’ve just made a lot of mistakes. Nobody’s perfect, Jen,” Lisa whispered. Jennie closed her eyes, shaking her head against Lisa’s shoulder.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Lisa.”

“You won’t hurt me.”

“You don’t know that.” Jennie sat up, staring into Lisa’s eyes for a minute before looking away. “I like you, Lisa. God, I like you so much, and I’m afraid I’m going to do something stupid and mess it all up. And I can’t risk losing you.”

“Jennie, look at me,” Lisa said softly. Jennie couldn’t force her eyes up so Lisa placed a finger under the girl’s chin, coaxing Jennie to look up. “You can’t lose me. I like you too much to ever leave you.”

“Lisa, please don’t--”

“I’m not afraid, Jennie. You shouldn’t be either.” Jennie found that she couldn’t respond, her lips parted and her breathing shallow as she realized how close she and Lisa actually were at the moment. She was frozen, her eyes flicking back and forth between Lisa’s eyes and lips. So, when Lisa leaned forward, Jennie’s eyes fluttered closed expectantly and she could have sworn that electricity jolted through her at the soft press of Lisa’s lips against hers.

Sure, Jennie had kissed a lot of people in her lifetime. Like, a lot of people. But kissing Lisa was undeniably different. It was gentle and slow and tasted like an interesting combination of Lisa’s lipgloss and Jennie’s tears. What was the most different about the kiss, though, was that it made Jennie feel something. It meant something to her and she knew it meant something to Lisa too. And, though Jennie hated the word, there was only one way to describe that moment in the car with Lisa.

Perfect.

Please don't hate me for doing this to Rosé. It gets better, I promise. Sorry.

Yeah so JenLisa finally happened which means the plot is picking up. Not sure how I feel about this chapet but I hope you liked it.

~unsungpoet <3