The one with the daddy issues
You Better KnowShort update
It was finally Friday and after dance and Chaeyoung’s choir, all Jennie really wanted is for them to go hang out. More so than ever when she’s months away from graduating college.
But for some reason what is supposed to be just them two, turned out to be a group hang with Jisoo. Jisoo quoted the immortal Goddesses, Spice Girls and said if you want to be her lover, she got to get with my friend or in this case, sister.
No amounts of deadly glares or scowls work for Jisoo and Jennie just resigned to her fate, that Jisoo will always be there. She would probably even live with them someday when she and Chaeyoung will get married.
At least Lisa isn’t there.
“Oh my God! Son- Bae Chaeyoung!”
Jennie just basically jinxed herself, because there’s the clumsy lamppost rampaging through the coffeeshop like a fangirl clicking the play button when her oppa’s new youtube video came out.
Chaeyoung almost jumped out of the booth as someone just screamed out her full name in a Friday night crowd.
“Or is it Bae- Son Chaeyoung, sorry it confuses me sometimes.” She slid into the booth next to Jisoo, a little calmer yet her eyes are still on fire.
“Just call her BS Chaeng.”
“Shouldn’t that make you, BS Jisoo too?”
“Ahhh I prefer SOB Jisoo.”
“Hey, now that I think about it…”
Oh no, Jennie groans whenever Lisa thinks of something, it’s usually not something people think about.
“-that’s like a cool rapper name.”
“Omo Lisa, you’re right.”
And when Jisoo joins in, it’s over.
“Yoh Wassup, this is BS Chaeng.” Lisa said in her hoodest voice.
“And this is SOB Rabbit Turtle,” Jisoo adds in her sad attempt to audition for unpretty rapstar.
“And together we are…”
And right on cue, Lisa and Jisoo said their rap line name,
“Bull Son of a !”
There goes Chaeyoung’s coffee all over Lisa’s face.
“Oh my God! Lisa, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
“I want some coffee, Chaeng but not this way.” Lisa says as she wipes her face off.
“What’s going on, Lisa?”
Then, Lisa remember the happy event in her life before she got sidetrack with her future rap career.
“Oh my God, Lisa.” Ever sweet Chaeyoung asks worriedly, “Are you okay?” She hands Lisa a tree full of napkin, but Lisa shakes her head.
“Can I have your coffee instead?” Lisa asks but is already tiptoeing her fingers over Chaeyoung’s glass.
Jennie swipes it away before Lisa could even try to drink it, “Trust me, Lisa the last thing you need is more caffeine. What the hell is wrong with you?”
“It’s the happ- happ- happ…”
“Happy birthday to you?” Jisoo asked.
“Close. But it might as well be my birthday because it’s the best day of mah life!”
“Oh wow. What happened?”
“So, I had hiphop class today in Aunt Seul’s studio, right? But guess who came to teach us?”
“I don-“
But in Lisa’s excitement she just cut off her bestfriend, “-It’s Jackson Wang!”
Jennie isn’t much into the who’s who in the dance industry as Lisa is. But even she knows who Jackson Wang is. He’s the top of the top international choreographers out there. And if you’re someone who is into kpop, you would know exactly who he is because he practically has a hand in all the “oh that’s crazy” choregraphy of all the top groups.
Like as far as hiphop and Bboy dancing is, he’s practically a God in the industry.
Even Chaeyoung has her chopsticks halfway through her lips, and if you manage to make Chaeyoung stop from taking a bite, that is just impressive.
“Wow, so your mom knew Jackson Wang?”
Truth is that Jennie doesn’t really know.
“Well, I guess she does.”
“Isn’t he like this hotshot choreographer?”
“How hot is he?” Jisoo of course egging her on.
“The sun gets its heat from him.”
“Whoah Shakespeare who? Lisa Manoban is gonna rip your hearts with her lines.”
“What can I say?” Lisa shrugs “I’m a romantic at heart and my characters don’t die.”
“So, he’s really as ho-“ Chaeyoung then catches herself and glances at her girlfriend. “-good looking as his pictures?”
“Oh Chaeng, Like the penguins and polar bears are suing him for melting all the ice with his hotness.”
“How about the seals are they suing him too?” Jisoo asks for the sake of the seals.
“Yeah, I think the polar bears are threatening to eat them if they don’t file a suit.”
Jisoo gasps, “That’s extortion.”
“Shut up, Jisoo.” Jennie finally had enough. “You know he’s like 40 plus, right?”
“correction… 38 but looks like a God. I mean look at this…”
It was a group photo and Jackson Wang just stood out among the group of teenage fangirling dancers. Even just from a photo, he is devastatingly handsome. Chiseled and just oozing with charisma.
“He’s like real close to Aunt Seulgi, unnie. Aunt Seul even took this picture. Maybe you’ll get to meet him too.”
“Maybe.”
*
Jennie is convinced that her aunts have a surveillance room in their house, because before she can lean over to give Chaeyoung a good night kiss, the door would swing open and her Aunt Irene would be waiting there.
And tonight wasn’t any different,
“Ummm good night, Chaeng.”
“Night.” Chaeyoung doesn’t seem to have that worry bone in her body as she leans over her with a sweet peck on the cheek.
“Ummm… she kissed me I didn’t-“
“It’s okay. How are you, Jen?”
The teenager almost fell back from the question, or more like the tone of it. It’s not strange when her aunt Irene would ask how she is, but tonight there’s a sort of heaviness in her tone.
“I’m okay…”
“Okay. Well, good night. Chaeyoung.”
One word from her mom is all it took for her 5’6 girlfriend to whimper. But before she walked in, she turns and says,
“Text me when you get home.”
*
“She’s finally home.”
Both moms letting out a collective sigh of relief at the thought of finally knowing their daughter is home.
“Yeah.” Irene settled next to her wife in bed. She opens , but shuts it just quickly.
“What are you thinking about?” Her partner of almost 20 years could imagine.
“It’s just that Jennie is going to be in college in a few months, I just I can’t imagine how Chaeyoung would be. Long distance relationship, Wen.”
But Wendy had swerved to a topic that Irene never had expected.
“It’s not only Jennie who is going away for college, Jisoo is going too.”
“I… I know that.”
And Wendy waited for Irene to continue, other than their usual topic of where Jisoo decided to go to college, the payment plans, dorm arrangements and things, they both have been avoiding talking about how they feel about Jisoo leaving. Well, not really both of them, more of Irene’s part.
Seeing how her wife looks like she isn’t budging anytime soon, she just lets out a sigh, “So, tomorrow…”
“What’s going to happen tomorrow?” Irene asks.
I’m actually going to take Chaeyoung driving this weekend too.”
“Driving? You guys going on a road trip?”
Irene could just imagine it now. Her two soft babies, driving through highways, singing along to every Disney song like they’re in carpool karaoke.
“No. I meant. I was thinking since she passed her learner’s permit, Chaeyoung could practice driving.”
Irene lowers down her book, giving her a wife a stern gaze.
“What? But I’m taking the Toyota with Jisoo.”
“I know. She can drive my car.”
“Oh really? You’re going to let our inexperienced 17 year old to drive your Lexus?”
“Yes darling, you know why? Because I trust her.”
There was pride in Wendy’s voice that just sounded more like haughtiness to Irene’s ears.
“Oh okay.”
“And I think it would be a good bonding with Jisoo before she goes.”
*
“Hey, look baby, it’s your unnie.”
The baby seems to understand the word, gurgling happily as her unnie picks her up.
“Oh wow, Ella, you’re like much heavier than you are this morning.”
“Hey, how about I talk our little angel to bed and you and Jennie talk for a while?”
“Thanks babe.”
“Good night, Jen.”
“Night. Night my baby,”
Seulgi made sure to take a photo of her two girls, before kissing their cherubim good night.
“So, how was date night?”
“Well, Jisoo is there so-“
Her mom doesn’t even need to hear the whole story, she knew that whenever Jisoo is there it’s bound to be one hell of a time.
“that’s a guaranteed fun time right there.”
“Oh always, but it got even better when Lisa came in, turns out Jackson Wang made a surprise in the studio. And you should have seen the way she was fangirling mom, she’s like foaming in the mouth.”
Jennie’s little joke seems to go through with her mom, because instead of chuckling her mom just grew silent. It’s like her words just in all the thoughts in that room. Jennie saw a rare expression on her mom’s face. An expression she never recognized before.
“Oh yeah?” Her mom said, her words as simple as they are, doesn’t seem to register for Jennie.
“I didn’t know you knew him?”
“I… I did.” Her mom took in a deep breath, as if she’s gathering all her words together before smiling back at Jennie. “Nayeon’s dad, Jaebum knows him really well too. We were at the same dance studio, way, way back then.”
“Oh, look at that, my mom knows someone famous.” Jennie chuckles back, “You know I should make Lisa go nuts, and starts calling him uncle...”
“Or call him your dad.”
And that’s how Jennie learned after eighteen years who her dad is. It wasn’t like how they show it in dramas, where there’s some solemn music playing in the background and credits start to roll in and you just have to wait for the next episode because this is one heck of a cliffhanger.
It was even anti climatic, if you ask her. Just like that, her mom says it so easily,
Your dad… your dad… your dad…
Like she’s just saying what she’s going to have for dinner, or what show she’s watching.
Ummm your dad.
“Wait… my dad?” She practically jumps out of the couch, but it’s as if her shock just glued her in her spot. This is not how she imagines it, she never imagines him at all. For her, all he ever was and still is is her donor. A dad? No… no he doesn’t deserve that and she’ll never gave that satisfaction to him.
“Mom, you’re just going to say it that way? My dad? He’s my dad? Does he even know that?”
“Yes. He does.”
If she could throw things right now, she most probably would. But instead it felt like all of her energy just drained out of her.
“Oh my God, mom. ing Jackson Wang, …”
“Jen- don’t curse, baby.”
“What do you expect? That I’m going to fangirl like the girls in your class?” Jennie laugh, she laughs because the other options is either she scream, throws things or both. So right now, laughing, bitterly laughing is the option she takes.
“Like Oh my God, Jackson Wang is my daddy, like my real daddy.”
Then, she looks at her mom, the expression on her face seems at peace with the whole situation.
“Why? Why are you okay with this?”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know much about kpop choreographers like Lisa do, but even I know who he is. How much of a big time he is. BTS thank him for the choreo in their music video.”
“He’s… he’s… very good.”
And it infuriates her, no infuriates it is so light, it aggravates her so much that her mom just looks so at ease. How she’s even defending him. He might be a top choreographer, but he’s also a grade A piece of .
“And… you’re… you’re okay with that? He became this big time and- and- and-“
You became a single mom working for a dance studio. Jennie thought but was wise enough to just keep it in her head.
“What? Do you expect me to be angry?”
Like any normal human being, yes.
“Yes?”
“Well, I’m not it’s been 18 years, Jen. When it all happened, I was hurt, I was so hurt but I was never, ever angry with him. He gave me you, baby.” Her mom said, those kind, forgiving eyes the complete opposite of Jennie’s fiery ones.
“Yes but- you could have been-“
“There’s no point looking back, Jen. And I’m so happy now.”
“What does he want?”
“He wants to get to know you.”
“After 18 years, that’s real nice of him.” She scoffs in irritation. “And you told him yes?”
“I told him, I’ll talk to you about it. And Jen, if you don’t want to-”
“Oh no, I want to talk to him.” She does because if her mom doesn’t have the words to say, then she’ll just have to say it herself, “When?”
*
“What? Jackson Wang is your dad?”
“I guess you can call me mommy now.” Lisa blurted out.
“Lisa,” Chaeyoung almost jumps to stop her bestfriend. “There’s a time and place for everything. I’m sorry, Jen. I know this must be so tough.”
“You ever wonder who our daddies are, Chaeng?”
It was a question that even someone like Lisa was left mumbling about.
“What? No.” Chaeyoung was blushing red, her voice a pitch higher, sounding more and more like Alvin’s girlfriend. “I’m happy with our moms.”
“Well, I am too. But all this talk, it makes me wonder. Now that I think about it. Who would have ever thought that Jackson Wang is your dad? Now the possibilities are endless, you know who I think my real father is?”
“Oh, do tell, unnie. Do tell.”
“It’s Hyun Bin.” Jisoo says it so calmly that it almost sounded true.
“Oh my God.” Jennie groans.
“- Or Rain. Any of them would do.” Jisoo looks at the bizarre expression on her friends face. “What?”
“Nothing. But go on, unnie.”
“Hey, I’m sorry about the whole I want to be your mommy literally, unnie.”
“It’s alright, Lisa.”
“I think you’ll be a pain of a stepdaughter, unnie.”
“Oh, I’ll make your life hell, child.”
*
“Hey ummm… how… are you feeling okay?”
“I feel weird, sorta.”
They sat down on the front steps unsure how to even start this conversation.
“We don’t have to talk about it, you know?”
“Hmmm?”
“We can talk about other different things and…” Chaeyoung slowly slips her fingers between Jennie’s. “when you’re ready then I’ll be right here.”
Jennie wants to tell Chaeyoung how she feels like she’s the luckiest girl on Earth to be with her. To have someone just swept her off feet with the sweetest words and actions. She could say all that, but that might be a little too much for now.
She’ll save that for their wedding vows.
“Thanks.” She presses Chaeyoung’s hand to her lips. “I’m okay.”
And right now, there’s nothing else she could ask for.
Chaeyoung was a few inches taller than her girlfriend, but for her, Jennie has always been bigger than life.
TBC
Short update. And PS I do love Jackson Wang, this was a storyline planned a long time ago and it was originally going to be Kai at first, well, we know what happened sooo... NExt update is the meeting and the driving lesson and yup... it's should be over. Thank you for reading.
Comments