----Interlude: Jennie----

To say the drive to Min Yoongi's studio is uncomfortable would be an understatement. Navigating through a crowded airport is more fun than this. Going on one of those spinning tea rides in amusement parks is more fun than this. Even puking her guts out is more fun than this.

Choi Sung Hoon is driving, his cold eyes fixed on the road, but they sometimes divert to the mirror to stare at her. He's probably cursing her in his head, and he's probably imagining that his hands grasping the wheel so tightly were around her neck instead.

That's most likely what he dreams about at night. 

Needless to say, the atmosphere in the car is so frigid, Jennie wouldn't be surprised if the windows start frosting.

Was the deterioration of their rapport caused solely because she talked back to him, in front of people, and somehow hurt his pride? It's ridiculous, but the man never had a problem with her before. Nothing makes sense, and Jennie thinks about giving her PI another job after he's done with the investigation of Chaeyoung's article.

She has no interest in trying to mend the relationship, and if that makes her immature, then that's a label Jennie is perfectly fine living with.

It's the longest car ride of her life though, and Jennie never thought she'd consider throwing herself out of a moving vehicle until now.

She's already a bundle of nerves because of the upcoming recording session. She's been anticipating it ever since it was announced, and when the highers up finally gave her a date, she has to admit she'd feel excited.

It's been a long time since she felt excited about something.

But the closer the day approached, the more anxious she started to feel.

She's used to working with imposing men. Kwon Jiyong is a perfectionist behind the booth and so is Teddy and both their attitude do a 180 when they are working, no fun and smiles to be found in them.

And even though she's worked with both of these men, she's still jittery about working alongside Min Yoongi.

The way he'd read her back in The Philippines scare her. He also seems to have already formed his opinion of her based on those two small encounters where she clearly had been overruled by her emotions.

What conclusion he came to is a mystery. One she might uncover when she steps inside his studio.

Most likely not.

She's also curious about what kind of producer he is, how he works. She wishes her curiosity would have dissipated after a few days, but it stayed with her, growing steadily in her. Against her will.

And it will now be satisfied.

Less than an hour now.

She's equally excited and anxious about the upcoming recording. Working with Min Yoongi is an honor, the man is selective with whom he works with. But from their last meeting, Jennie has concluded that she doesn't like spending time with him.

Her soul might unknowingly unravel all of its secrets to him if she's not careful.

With a sigh, she stares out the window and frowns. They haven't moved for a while now, the same flower shop is still just ahead of them, the display of various colored roses in its front impressive enough to have caught her attention.

She's been so distracted with thoughts of Min Yoongi that she hadn't realized they are stuck in traffic.

What?

She'd checked the route before leaving and they shouldn't have gone this way. It's a slight detour and everyone knows it always jams at this hour. And Choi Sung Hoon is the kind of driver who knows all the roads of Seoul like the back of his hand.

He wouldn't...Would he?

But of course he would. He's beyond livid at her, and making her late for this appointment wouldn't bring a bad name to Blackpink. Just to her.

And she imagines Min Yoongi doesn't appreciate people being late.

Great. Just great.

At the speed they're going, she's going to be close to an hour late.

Unacceptable.

Biting her lips, Jennie looks outside the window, beyond the rows of cars.

Somehow familiar with the area, she knows there's a subway station near that could lead her close to Min Yoongi's studio. She's already wearing a cap and has a mask in her bag. It's a bit risky, but there's no way she's going to be an hour late to this recording.

Over her dead body.

Sometimes, thinking is overrated. So Jennie decides to act without analyzing every single little detail. She swiftly opens the van's door, which isn't locked thankfully, and jumps out. "I'll take the subway otherwise I'll be late. Don't worry!" She closes the door as her manager is about to answer. The last look she has of him makes her blood run cold.

Whatever. I don't care.

She runs through the sea of cars going at snail pace and safely reaches the sidewalk. She then proceeds to sprint all the way to the subway, navigating between the mass of pedestrians. She reaches the station in record time, takes the steps down two at a time and manages to catch the train two seconds before it leaves.

She's out of breath as she takes a seat down, lowering her cap as much as she can, carefully keeping her head down. But the people in the train car are all too busy with their phones to pay attention to one girl. And with an out of season epidemic of the flu going around, half of the population of Seoul are wearing masks just like hers.

Jennie checks the time. 15h50. The recording is at 16h. Five more minutes of the subway to go, then about a fifteen minutes walk before reaching her destination.

It's far from perfect, but being late ten minutes is a whole lot better than an hour. Although Min Yoongi might not agree.

Her breathing is barely under control when the subway car arrives at her designated station, but she forces herself to move, forgetting the overcrowded escalator. She rushes the stairs up and as soon as she's out of the subway and back on the street, she starts running all the while promising herself to work out more. It's humiliating how out of shape she is.

A few people snap their heads around to stare, but she hopes they're all thinking she's just some random crazy girl who's late for class or a date, and not someone who looks like Blackpink's Jennie.

She reaches the studio at 16h08. She's sweating, her shirt clinging to her skin like glue, and she almost screams in horror when she takes a glimpse of her face in the glassed door. The overexertion has turned her complexion red and a few strands of hair are sticking to her face because of all the sweating. Not to mention that she's heaving loudly as if she spent two minutes holding her breath underwater, and the world is spinning slightly from all the running she did.

Arranging her appearance would only result in her wasting even more time that she doesn't have, so she rushes ahead instead, cursing under her breath the day Choi Sung Hoon joined YGE.

Min Yoongi is waiting for her inside, slouched on a chair, wearing the fluffiest sweater she's ever seen; one size too large for him, a dark blue color that makes his pale skin stands out, even more under the harsh lighting. It calls for her to embrace it, to rub her cheek over it.

Wait, no, that's not right...

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