“Jennie,” Jisoo tried again. The eldest sat on the bed, facing her. Jennie’s eyes remained glued to the ground. Jisoo couldn’t see her expression as long brown locks cascaded over her face like a waterfall.

“Talk to me, please..” Jisoo said, desperation seeping into her voice. When the eldest still received nothing as a response, she moved closer to her best friend, holding her hands all too gently. Jennie inhaled sharply and held her breath as she watched her. Slowly, Jisoo skimmed her hands through Jennie’s goosebump riddled skin, stopping at her forearm.

“Stop,” Jennie croaked out, biting her lip harshly. Jisoo reluctantly let go of her best friend, but moved closer towards her.

“Tell me what’s wrong... I-I want to help you, Jendeukie. We’re supposed to suffer together, remember?” Jisoo tilted her head, trying to find Jennie’s face.

“Just leave me alone, please.” Jennie said curtly, no longer able to handle their proximity as she closed her eyes.

“Jennie I can’t—”

“Leave me alone!” The younger’s voice cracked. She whipped her head up and looked straight into obsidian orbs.

Jisoo was so beautiful, too beautiful.

“Please,” She rasped, no longer able to hold back her tears.

Jisoo was rendered speechless when she felt droplets of water drop onto her hands and saw the rivulets of tears that glistened on Jennie’s cheeks. The younger’s tears didn’t seem to stop her from moving even closer to her best friend.

Jennie couldn’t read the expression on her best friend’s face as she desperately tried to move away.

Gentle hands cradled her face softly, as if she was made of porcelain. Slowly, those same hands wiped away at the wetness on her cheeks.

“Please don’t push me away, Jendeuk…” An even gentler voice whispered, soft obsidian orbs meeting stormy pools of dark brown. If Jennie closed her eyes at this moment, she could just pretend that everything was okay.

But it wasn’t and Jennie couldn’t take it anymore.

“I can’t,” Jennie muttered softly, so softly that she briefly wondered whether Jisoo heard her.

Jennie breathed through her nose in an attempt to calm her thundering heart. She was a thunderstorm with lighting in her eyes, heavy rain streaming down her face, and a complex whirlwind of emotions that were out of her control. She didn’t know how much longer she could keep Jisoo safe from herself.

Perhaps the only way she could save her best friend from herself is by letting her know, sooner rather than later so that the storm could pass. So that she could move on, accept the fact that she couldn’t be hers, and perhaps even maintain a semblance of friendship, if that were to still be possible after all of this.

The thunder in her heart clapped, and Jennie found the courage to speak.

“I can’t, Jisoo… I can’t not push you away, because you’re so beautiful and nice and kind and just… perfect, I just, I don’t deserve your kindness, and I can’t say no to you. I can’t avoid you when you’re like this, because you’re too good to me, and I’ve been taking advantage of your kindness and mixing my own mess of emotions to your good intentions and—”

“Then don’t Jendeukie.” Jisoo tried to interrupt, watching Jennie’s shallow breaths as she soldiered on.

“No, you don’t understand… Stop being so nice to me, Jisoo, because I— I’ll keep falling for you, but I know you love Seulgi... I heard you on the phone, and I don’t want to get in the way of that—”

“Jendeukie,” Jennie didn’t seem to hear her anymore, her inner turmoil growing louder and louder the more she tried to let it all out. It was as if the storm didn’t want to leave.

“Jisoo I just— I just love you, okay? And not in the way best friends would... I’m sorry, just please, please leave me alone for now so I can—”

“JENNIE!” A voice louder than her own thunder roared.

“Listen to me, please,” The powerful voice subsided, a gentle voice emerged instead, engulfing Jennie in a warmth she’d never felt before. She drowned in pools of obsidian, calming and turbulent all at the same time. The room was bathed in tranquility, and for a moment everything seemed like it was going to be okay.

“I… I don’t love her,” The gentle voice pierced the silence. As if she was struck by lightning, Jennie averted her gaze.

“I love you.”

The words rung so loud in Jennie’s ears, she wasn’t sure that it was real.

It couldn’t be, right?

“Don’t lie to me to make me feel better,” The thunderstorm spat instead, “I’ve— I’ve already accepted it, okay? I know you love her, Jisoo, stop pitying me and just go, I’ll be fine just—”

“Mhph!”

A surge of warmth shot through Jennie’s spine as delicate lips crashed towards hers. Dark brown orbs couldn’t take the light, quickly hiding in the darkness as the feeling of Jisoo’s lips on hers seemed to only intensify. The thunderstorm in her had vanished, replaced with the feeling of euphoria. Jennie was sure she was about to float through the sky if it weren’t for the hands that made sure she stayed on the gr