Please forgive me.

I am unworthy of this prestigious throne.

For I can’t achieve the glory of the previous Queen.

Sunday (6:47 a.m.)

It was a typical weekend. The city was already filled with rousing clamor as the sun starts to peek through the skies. The loud honking and buzzling of vehicles was starting to suffuse the city.

And despite the noise surrounding her apartment, Kim Jennie is engrossed in solving yet another problem at her study desk, seemingly lost in thought as she tries to discern the correct answer. Heedless to the soft rays of sunlight ading through the windows of her suite.

With only a day left for their midterm examinations, Jennie is busy studying for her lessons. However, this year was different from the previous ones wherein she would just scan her notes calmly and just focus on reviewing her lessons.

This year, she’s not prepared on taking this major exam.

She’d never thought that there would come a time in her academic life that she’d be cramming for her lessons. Being an honor student, she was always advance in studying her lessons. Typically, around this time, she’d already mastered the topics and have already reread her books and notes a number of times. It was at this point wherein she would just relax and calmly remembers each major point of the subject.

Fear and trepidation envelops her completely. She was unaccustomed to the adrenaline that was surging in her body, provoked by the mere thought of cramming all the concepts in just one sitting. Accordingly, her room was a testament to the predicament she’s currently facing.

Her queen-sized bed was now crowded with books and printed notes that were left open at a certain page, organized in a manner that would help her in memorizing each detail of the subject. Moreover, the clean walls of the room were now plastered with printed flowcharts, diagrams and formulas – indicative of the handful of lessons she needs to master.

Closing her eyes in concentration, Jennie slowly exhaled and attempts to grasp the correct solution to the problem she’s been solving.

My formula is correct, but I can’t solve this using it. Have I overlooked something? She silently deduced while tapping her pen at the desk.

She then stood abruptly from her chair and quickly bent over at her bed. Seizing the reference for the formula, she precisely flipped to the appropriate page of the book and quickly scans its content.

“I knew it! My formula is correct!”

Letting out a frustrated sigh, she weakly placed the book at its previous position and dramatically sat on her wheeled chair.

“Then why...can’t…I solve it..”

Her anxiety and frustration were already at its peak and not solving the problem really hurts her self esteem. Normally, she would just calmly let go of the questions she’s been struggling with, but her panicked-adrenaline-induced state was getting in her nerves. She’s obviously a newbie in this situation and she’s irritated for not being to cope up with it.

Deciding to give herself a short break, Jennie lazily slumps at the portion of the bed which wasn’t covered with her books and notes. The soft feel of the sheets somewhat eases her wary mind.

Turning her body to the side, she listlessly stared at her life-sized Hello Kitty doll and slowly lifted the doll’s left paw.  

Lisa probably knows the answer...

I...should ask her...

Some part of her had conceded at the thought of beating the blonde, already acknowledging Lisa’s supremacy and intelligence over academics itself. 

She traced the doll’s cheek, albeit rather slowly and wondered dolefully.

She’s really...amazing.

She can effortlessly do things on her own way...

She...

With a lifeless smile, she was somewhat reminded of someone who is an exact duplicate of Lisa.

She’s a genius.

Just like her.

The mere thought of that person immediately caused her breath to shorten. Hugging her doll tightly, she uttered forlornly.

“CL-Unnie...”

The vivid images of her sister and her parents instantly took over her thoughts. Flooding her mind with memories of the past.

A past she frantically wants to forget.

With a resolve to dismiss the images that was evoked by her pessimistic outlook, Jennie stood and grabbed her phone at her study table. She then plopped back to her bed with a puff and blared out the music from her phone’s playlist.

The sound of punk-rock music drowned the room, clearing out her thoughts with its heavy rhythm of bass.

Closing her eyes, Jennie just focused on the thundering music. Letting herself to loosen up just for a moment, granting her wish to escape reality even just for few minutes. 

She was in the midst of falling asleep –  with the resounding music as a background – when she hears the loud sound of her grumbling stomach.

“Ah...Breakfast.” She uttered unenthusiastically.

Jennie blinked a few times and slackly got up from her bed, striding to her posh kitchen with lazy steps.

She was welcomed by high end kitchen appliances, lavish plates and utensils, and a counter furnished with tiles of intricate patterns. While the cabinets, chairs and dining table were made out of pure mahogany – giving the room a classic look with its soft wooden texture.

Despite its grandeur, the thought of cooking was thrown out when the dismayed brunette automatically grabs the fridge’s handle and scans its contents for any food she can easily eat – her sour mood dampening her appetite.

“Great. I just need to forget to buy groceries.” She sighed defeatedly when she saw the empty contents of it.

Jennie closed the fridge and started rummaging the cabinets for any stack of food that she’d kept. Hoping to find any snacks, she stood on her tiptoes and reached out into the double-walled cupboards.

“Aha!” She proclaimed when her hand caught up on something at the last cupboard from the left.

She giggled when she realizes that it was her favorite treat.

“Yes! Cookies.” 

Pausing for a minute, Jennie placed the treat at the countertop and stared at it.

Her train of thoughts suddenly halted.

The memories on the events that happened yesterday came into her mind after seeing those cookies. Before she knew it, her face was blaring a bright color red as her blush continued up to her ears.

And a certain blonde was the root cause of it.

S-s-she…W-with my f-fingers…

With a hasty gulp, Jennie reveled on the feeling of Lisa’s mouth. The blonde's soft tongue gliding across her fingers alluringly.The contact of her skin with Lisa’s skillful tongue was enough to turn her on.

So when Lisa gave her that seductive look and husky moan, after onto her fingers...

It felt like her heart would literally burst out her ribcage.

Slapping herself with both hands rather forcefully, Jennie bellowed in frustration.

“Why did she do that?! She’s really weird!!”

Jennie promised herself that she will eradicated any fragments of the events that happened yesterday. She doesn’t want her focus on the midterms to be swayed by it, but she was completely triggered by the mere treat itself.

After yelling at Lisa, Jennie stormed off the room and left the blonde with a forceful slam of the door. She annoyingly slumped on the sofa at her living room and tries to collect the remains of her dignity.

An hour later, Jisoo and Chaeyoung finally returned but Jennie greeted them with an annoyed grunt and pointed out to her room, reminding the duo to lock up the front door when they’re done with the tutorial. She then got up and locked herself up at the guest’s room and restlessly contemplated on what just unfolded. 

Jennie still couldn’t get over the fact that she was still being caught off guarded by Lisa’s actions. She should be able to predict the blonde’s next move by now.

But Lisa was still a complete mystery to her.

A puzzle she can’t completely solve, with each piece changing its structure after a fleeting minute.

One second she’s sweet and affectionate…

And the next thing I’ll knew…

She’s the coldest person I’ve ever met.

Leaning against the counter, Jennie let out a sigh.

She could still hear the harsh words thrown at her by Lisa.

Her bitter tone, her stoic face...

And her ruthless dark eyes.

I really…don’t get her… 

It threw Jennie in an endless circle of confusion as to why she could be on good terms with everyone except the blonde.

And she somewhat blames Lisa on her current dilemma.

If it wasn’t for her, she wouldn’t be in this situation.

“I don’t know anymore…” Her eyes downcast at the puzzlement. “I should...just study.”

With a push against the counter, she slowly made her way back to her room.

She was halfway through the living room when her stomach loudly grumbled for the second time, reminding her of her starved state.

Finally conceding to her hunger, she muttered with a sigh of resignation.

“I guess…cookies...aren’t that bad.”
 

(6:27 p.m.)

“The Second World War was the most widespread and deadliest war in history, involving more than 30 countries and resulting in more than 50 million military and civilian deaths – with some estimates as high as 85 million dead.” Jennie expertly recited while pacing back and forth at her room.

Pointing out to the flowchart that was drawn with a timeline, she continued accurately. “It was sparked by Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939, the war would drag on for six deadly years until the final Allied defeat of both Nazi Germany and Japan in 1945.”

She sat at her chair and peruse her History book, confirming the details of the war.

One of the things she loves about studying is the pride of mastering the subject. With each subject telling its own story about the journey or the experiences that it has been through. And she can’t help but be fascinated by it.

She’s thankful, that it gave her the opportunity to widen her perspective about the world she’s living by just reading a simple parchment.

Biting her lower lip, Jennie placed a hand at her forehead when her philosophical thoughts finally dawned on her.

Geez, I’m such a nerd.

Absorb at her studies, Jennie continued reading her book and didn’t notice the knocking at her front door.