Jennie can’t help but peer over her shoulder each time she smells the acrid odor of cigarette smoke. The plumes of tobacco sting at —Suga isn’t there.

She could say he’s been ignoring her, but it’s a two way street.  

Nearly two weeks after she last saw Suga she still can’t bring herself to believe him. And it’s this unwavering trust in him—a gangster, a thug, a murderer—that scares her the most.

Jennie’s absentmindedly restocking the fridge when Jisoo comes up to her, hand cradled on her stomach.

“Jennie, is everything alright?” Jisoo asks in a near-whisper, reaching out to touch Jennie’s shoulder. She shrugs off the gesture.

“I’m fine.” She answers curtly.

Jisoo lets out a sigh, telling Jennie to go with her to the kitchen. The older girl pulls up a chair as she watches Jennie lean against the counter, eyes diverted.

“Do we need to talk?”

“Why would we need to talk?” Jennie scoffs, instantly regretting the harshness in her tone at the flicker of pain in Jisoo’s eyes.

“Jennie, I’m not that much older than you, barely a year right?” Jisoo murmurs, looking at her with softened eyes. “I thought we were friends.”

Jennie bites her lip, gripping onto the counter behind her for support.

“I met your husband.” Jennie tells her in a small voice, knowing that she had misjudged her.

“So now you’re thinking: how could she marry someone like that?” Jisoo guesses, brushing back a strand of hair from her face. Jennie slowly nods. “Jin wasn’t always like this, but it’s not like he was ever given a choice.”

“Isn’t there always a choice?” Jennie frowns, but in her heart she knows better. Would she have let anyone talk about Namjoon like this? Would she let anyone believe he was anything else but the man she had always loved?

“We grew up together, me and him.” Jisoo continues without answering her question. Instead, she rises to pour Jennie and herself a cup of tea. “This restaurant was owned by grandmother—she raised us like we were her own, even though we were both orphans. Jin worked so I could go to school, I never really asked what he did. I was going to be a nurse, I thought we could have a better life.”

Jisoo pauses, taking a long sip of tea.

“And then what?” Jennie asks, but she can somehow guess.

“And then my grandmother died. I dropped out of school to run the shop because I couldn’t bear to see it fail. Jin and I got married, and the rest you already know.”

She doesn’t want to think that Joon could ever do what that man had done to her. That he could ever have had the look in his eyes that man had held. But to Jisoo that man isn’t a monster: he’s her husband, the father of her child.

Jennie’s eyes wander to the basin on the floor, remembering the night it had been filled with that kid’s blood. Understanding washes over her. Jisoo had been studying to be a nurse—no wonder she had so skillfully sewn up that bleeding boy.

“Do you they ask you to patch people up a lot?” She asks, eyes still on the empty basin.

“Only when it’s something I can manage.” Jisoo laughs gently, standing up as the bell above the door chimes. “There’s a doctor, too. That’s who they usually go to.”

Before Jennie can ask who they are, a hauntingly familiar laugh reverberates through the restaurant.

“I’m back, es!” Joy cackles, arms reaching toward the ceiling with outstretched fingers.

Joy is larger than life. Her lips curl into a wide, red-lipped smile. Jennie’s can’t help but be amazed no lipstick has gotten onto her big white teeth.

Jennie serves tea as Jisoo talks to their customer. Knowing the connection between her pregnant boss and the hostess bar makes the interactions between Jisoo and the girls even stranger. (She doesn’t dare bring up Irene.)

“Jen, I need to run to the store real quick. Are you fine taking care of things here for a little bit?” Jisoo asks, her apron already folded over her arm.

Jennie gives a quick glance to the girl drinking her tea, the only moments she’s not talking.

“Yeah, I can handle things.” She smiles reassuringly. “Right, Joy?”

“Right!”

Jisoo furrows her brow, unconvinced.

“Okay, I’ll be back soon.” Her eyes widen as if she’s just remembered something. “Also, be careful with the walk-in pantry. The lock’s been sticking and someone won’t come to fix it until tomorrow.”

“I got it, I got it.” Jennie nods, pushing Jisoo out the door.

Once she’s gone, Jennie her lips as she sits down. This is finally her chance to talk to the girls without Jisoo interfering.

Joy drinks her tea, playing with her phone. Her skin looks brighter than it had before.

“Joy, you look really good. You’re almost glowing.”

The young girl touches her face, a girlish smile blooming on her features.

“Thanks, Jen.” She coos, the nickname not escaping her notice. “My entire trip to Japan if I wasn’t going to spas I was getting wined and dined.”