“Who are you looking for?”

Jennie shrieks in surprise when Lisa suddenly pops up behind her.

“No one.”

Lisa scoffs and Jennie doesn’t need to turn to see her roll an eye. She resumes looking from behind the curtain.

“I thought you broke up with –“

Jennie turns around quickly to face her friend. She had a brief fling with a designer she met at an event. She was pretty and hot but they didn’t have any other interests outside fashion. It was nothing close to an actual relationship.

“We didn’t date and there’s no way I’m looking for her.”

“So who-?”

Jennie ignores her by looking at the audience again. Lisa tries to spot whoever Jennie is looking for but is interrupted by another voice.

“Lisa! Jennie! There you are.” The two models face the fashion designer who is practically beaming with excitement. “Let’s get ready.”

Jennie shyly nods and follows Tiffany. Lisa sends her a look that meant she isn’t letting her off the hook just yet.

“I was talking to Rosé earlier. It would be nice if you three could get along.”

Jennie has heard of Rosé but they haven’t formally been introduced yet. She gladly agreed, thinking it would be nice to have her as a friend.

“I already introduced her to Jisoo.” Tiffany looks back at them and directs her next sentence to Lisa. “She’s my niece. Jennie knows her. Maybe you can all hangout later?”

“Sure. We would love to.” Lisa is the one who answers, glancing at Jennie when Tiffany walks ahead to oversee the production. She senses the gears turning in Lisa’s mind and Jennie mentally wracks her mind for an explanation. Luckily for her, something else is occupying it.

“Jennie, you need to help me get close to Rosé. Pleaseee.”

She chuckles way too loudly at that.

Jennie takes a deep breath as she steps closer towards the runway. She puts on her signature expression, ready to capture everyone’s attention.

Her heels click clack walking straight ahead towards a barrage of lights. Her expression is stern and steady until she spots a pair of soft eyes and a bright smile from the front row. Her heart skips but she continues, walking on and on until she reaches the end and turns. This time, she sees Jisoo more clearly. The sound of her heart thumps louder than her steps and she tries her best not to break into a smile.

Applause drowns the music from the background as she walks and poses beside the one and only Tiffany Hwang. There are a hundred people in front of them but Jennie can only see one.

In between outfit changes and makeup retouches, Jennie feels time pass by too slowly. But now, she’s finally on her way to the celebration party. Jisoo had already sent her a message of congratulations earlier. Jennie knows she could have extended their conversation, replying more than a “thank you” and “see you later” but she was at a loss of words.

It shouldn’t matter. Jisoo would show up and Jennie would much rather have a conversation with her face to face now that she’s finally seeing her again.

Jennie finds it weird. They literally haven’t had contact in years. Shouldn’t she be sad and hurt? Years of nothing and all of a sudden, she’s comforting her first love from a heartbreak.

What a comeback it was. Jisoo, with a bruised heart nobody else can see, just willingly let her guard down and confided in Jennie.

And that exact moment seemed to have opened an entire can of worms. It seems pretty normal now – just a bunch of old friends reconnecting. But, Jennie knows deep inside that’s not all there is to it.

She hates to admit it. But, she missed Jisoo in all those years. Even though there’s a fair chance the Jisoo now is not the one she used to know. They’ve both grown up.

Lisa greets her as the elevator doors open. They walk towards the venue together and find it already packed with people. Somehow, Rosé finds them pretty easily. The three of them walk through the throng of people, planning to get a drink before getting some much needed space at the balcony outside.

They spot Tiffany with several other VIPs. Jisoo isn't anywhere near.

The three of them find a quiet place outside to talk and get to know each other better. Jennie is in the middle of getting Rosé’s contact details when the latter waves at someone from behind her.

“Hey Jisoo!”

Jennie watches Jisoo greet Rosé with a cheek-to-cheek kiss. She can’t help but be amazed at how quickly they got along, looking like longtime friends. Although, knowing both Jisoo and Rosé now, she shouldn’t have been surprised.

“I expected her to be pretty but… wow, Jennie.”

“Hm?” Jennie responds but mainly kept her eyes on the two women.

“She was the one you were looking for earlier, right? I figured it out, you know. I just got distracted with Rosé.”

Before she can respond, Lisa snaps her fingers like she just got an idea.

“What?” She impatiently asks.

“She’s totally your type.”

Jennie counters that but Lisa does not believe her in the slightest. She even points to Jennie’s reddening face to prove it. Jennie gasps and pats both her cheeks, willing the redness and heat to go away. Just then, Rosé brings Jisoo closer and Jennie had to take a sip of her drink to get through it.

“Hi, Jennie.”

Jisoo is now standing in front of her, looking extra pretty in her royal blue dress. She responds with a soft “hi.”

“Great! You know each other.” Rosé then gestures to their other friend. “This is Lisa.”

“It’s nice to meet you.”

Lisa and Jisoo shake hands at that and Jennie is so thankful that Rosé is much more sociable than she thought, especially now. In any other circumstance, Jennie wouldn’t be this flustered. She hates to admit that this is all just because of Jisoo’s presence.

“We’re getting refills. Do you want a drink?” Lisa asks.

“Yes, please. Thanks.”

Jennie was about to follow Lisa when the latter addressed her next.

“I’ll get you another glass, too.”

“Keep Jisoo company. We'll be back.”

Rosé gestures to Lisa and they leave. Jennie watches them in obvious confusion. Jisoo clears .

“Hi?”

Jisoo is smiling at her. Jennie smiles back.

“Um… yeah. Hi.” Jennie sighs. “Sorry it’s just been a while.”

Jisoo nods.

“Yeah, it has. How are you, Jennie?”

A group of people walks by and she instinctively pulls Jisoo by the elbow to move her aside. Jisoo is surprised but they decide to move towards the railings instead.

“Wow. I love the view from up here.”

Jennie gapes. Jisoo nods in agreement.

“It truly is. I don’t feel scared despite the height.”

Jennie reminisces with a smile. She remembers Jisoo’s fear of heights.

“How are you, Jisoo? Any progress with your family life?”

Jisoo shakes her head and chuckles.

“I am fine. I don’t want to talk about myself.”

Jennie nods and takes a sip. She wonders if Jisoo regretted telling her about her failing marriage.

“Let’s celebrate you tonight, Ms. Jennie Kim.”

There must be something about the way Jisoo says her name. Or maybe it was her captivating eyes. Regardless, Jennie likes it.

“I have something for you.”

Jisoo opens her small pouch to reveal a red velvet box. Jennie knows that it’s a ring based on the size. With her imagination running wild, she almost laughs. Maybe in a parallel universe, they could be together.

“Open it.”

Jennie takes the box in her hand and is speechless at the sight.

She loves daisies. Her mother used to grow flowers in her garden and Jennie helped in tending them, especially the daisies.

Jisoo’s tone is soft when she speaks.

“I thought of you when I saw it.”

Jennie also once picked daisies for Jisoo.

“Do you remember…?”

Here it is. The can of worms of this rekindled relationship.

“Of course. I never forgot about you, Jennie.”

There’s a shift. Earlier, Jennie was just happy they could catch up again. Sure, she had plenty of questions and a lot of frustration. But since that night at the party, Jennie never actually thought of bringing it up. But now…

“What happened?”

To us, Jennie wants to add. She doesn’t specify the context. Jisoo easily gets it anyway.

“I’m sorry.”

Jisoo turns to look at her. It’s unfair. Jennie can’t be mad if she looks genuinely apologetic like that. And now that they’re here, it‘s already too late to back out.

“Why did you avoid me?”

Jennie tries not to let her voice break.

“Guilt, mostly.” Jisoo looks ahead at the view in front of them. She then catches Jennie off guard when she faces her again. “I’m really sorry.“

Jennie nods but decides to just look at the view instead of at Jisoo.

“You were always the one who reached out before.”

Jennie may have initiated their friendship but they got close because of Jisoo. She saw through her and understood her best. Jisoo made sure to be there for her, anytime she needed.

“I know. But, things are different now.”
 

Jennie gulps the rest of her drink. They’re different now.

“I may not have the right to ask this and I know Aunt Tiffany didn’t know about our history. But…”

Jisoo pauses and Jennie gulps in anticipation.

“Why didn’t you reach out to me when you were already this close?”

She scoffs. This is an easy question.

“You’re married, Jisoo.”

“But still…”

Jennie is starting to dislike balconies now. Why do they need to have painful conversations in the most romantic places?