Jennie swiftly wipes her tears and looks back up at her bestfriend with troubled eyes. She wanted to snap at her, but she knew the girl did nothing wrong. She just did what she needed to do. Something she knew she should've done sooner when she had the chance.

 

Lisa stared at her in disbelief. And Jennie knew exactly what she was thinking. The baffled expression on the younger girl's face was asking why on earth was she crying. If she already succeeded in hurting Chaeyoung, then why was she bawling her eyes out because of the girl?

 

"I love her, Lili", she lets out an answer without waiting for the question.

 

"You...what?"

 

"I already called off the game", she replied flatly, "When I realized I was falling for her."

 

Jennie didn't wait for Lisa's reply and she started stepping towards the door. But the younger girl was quick to grab her arm.

 

"Nini, I...", Lisa's at loss for words, her eyes filled with guilt, "I didn't kn—"

 

"You didn't know", the brunette completed her sentence while staring back at her, "It was my fault for not telling you. It was all my fault."

 

Jennie yanked her arm from the girl's grip before sprinting out of the door. Lisa tried to run after her but they both halted when they bumped into Jisoo.

 

"Chu, did you see Chaeyoung?", the brunette asked in urgency.

 

"That's what I was gonna ask you about. Why was Rosie running down the corridor crying?", Jisoo replied with the same concerned tone.

 

Jennie didn't answer and rushed towards the hallway in hopes of catching up to the girl.

 

Jisoo turned to Lisa and shot her a questioning look. But the tall blonde could only stare back with the same worried and guilt-filled eyes.

 

She knows she messed up.

 

~•~

 

Jennie ran through the corridors while glancing around in search of Chaeyoung. Students were all looking at her but she didn't care. She needs to find Chaeyoung. She needs to talk to her. She needs to tell her how much she loves her.

 

She had already scanned almost every corner of every building, but she still couldn't find the girl. And every step was getting heavier whenever the pained expression on Chaeyoung's face crosses her mind. She couldn't believe she had hurt her when she promised she'll protect her no matter what.

 

Her breathing hitched as she reached the parking area, and she stopped running to prop her hands against her knees, gasping heavily.

 

Chaeyoung's nowhere to be found. Her scooter's gone. She must have left already. And Jennie's probably late.

 

She fished out her phone from her pocket and tried calling the girl. But her calls were just being forwarded to voicemail.

 

Jennie has never been this afraid and frustrated her whole life. They were just starting. God, her life is just starting to have meaning because of Chaeyoung. Why must it be taken away so suddenly?

 

She wipes her face when she felt another tears fall, and ran towards her car. She wouldn't let this day go without talking to Chaeyoung. Without having a chance to explain herself. So she practically jumped into the driver's seat when she reached her car and started the engine in haste.

 

This by far was the fastest she has driven in years. She had beaten several red lights but she could care less. She couldn’t even think straight and she didn’t realize it only took her less than ten minutes to reach Chaeyoung’s house.

 

It’s still pretty early. Probably quarter past 1pm, and she’s not really sure if Chaeyoung went straight home, but she’ll take her chance. So she got out of her car and rings the doorbell a few times while peeking through the gate. Not long after, she was met by Mrs. Park, who had this creases in her forehead upon seeing her. 

 

“Jennie? What brings you here, sweety? Chaeyoung’s still at school”, the woman greeted once she opened the gate.

 

Jennie’s face fell upon hearing that, but she has to make sure, “Um...are you sure she’s still not home, Mrs. Park?”

 

Chaeyoung’s mother shot her a quizzical look, “Of course, Jennie. I’d know if Chaeyoung’s home already. Our house is not that big, you know.”

 

The brunette bit on her lip in disappointment. Judging by the woman’s reaction, it seems that she still doesn’t know anything. So Chaeyoung probably went somewhere else instead of going straight home.

 

“Why, Jennie? Aren’t you together? Did you call her already?”

 

“I...uh, actually forgot to call her. I just assumed that she already went home, so.”

 

She tried to reason out. There’s no way she could tell them yet what happened between her and Chaeyoung. She can’t. Her family’s been way too good to her. And she couldn’t bear to see their reaction once they knew.

 

“Anyway, I’ll just call her, Mrs. Park. Sorry for troubling you. I’ll go now”, she dips her head in a small bow before stepping back.

 

Mrs. Park just nodded, still in confusion, “Alright, Jennie-ah. Take care and drive safely!”

 

Jennie went back inside her car and maneuvers it not too far, but also not that close to the Park residence. She glances at her rear view mirror, and once she saw Mrs. Park went back inside the house, she stopped the car and killed the engine.

 

She has no other idea where Chaeyoung could go. Besides, her mind is in a haywire and she knows she’ll just end up doing stupid things if she lets her emotions take over her. So she decided to just wait for her inside her car, parked a few meters away from their house. Chaeyoung will eventually go home, so she’ll just wait there.

 

She hopes. She hopes Chaeyoung comes home.

 

~•~

 

“I swear I’d punch her square in the face when I see her. I’m not even kidding”, Wendy blurted while rubbing Chaeyoung’s back.

 

“Count me in. All of the admiration I have for that Jennie Kim went down the drain”, Joy seconded the idea, leaning against the counter.

 

Chaeyoung drove straight to Joy’s Vinyl shop after running away from school. Her chest was too heavy that she needed to let it out to someone. And she immediately thought of her friends. 

 

Joy was panicking when she barged into the door with tears in her eyes. But the girl didn’t ask her a thing and the first thing she did was hug her. So Chaeyoung ended up crying even more. Joy, then, called Wendy after a little while, and the girl literally dashed her way to the shop when she heard the story.

 

“I thought she was different”, Wendy commented again, “Turns out she’s just like any other rich spoiled brats who go around hurting people’s emotion for fun.”

 

“She really did a great job acting. Remember when she came all the way here because she wanted to hangout with Chaeyoung? That got me, and I instantly believed she really likes Chaeyoung with the way she looked at her and all”, Joy couldn’t agree more, “I can’t believe everything was just part of her dirty revenge.”

 

Chaeyoung couldn’t believe it either. All those times they spent together, Jennie made her believe that she was sincere about her. Jennie made her feel like she could open her heart and trust her. And she did. She believed her. Because at some point, it felt real. Jennie made her feel like what she’s feeling for her was real. The way the girl stares at her, the way she smiles at her, god even her kiss felt real.

 

So when she heard everything that Lisa said, the first thing she did was ask Jennie. She needed to confirm it from her. She needed the girl to say it. Because if she ever said that what Lisa was saying were all lies...god, she’d believe her. In a heartbeat, she will.

 

But Jennie confirmed the truth. And Chaeyoung has never felt so betrayed her whole life. She has never felt so toyed, played at, by the one she has given her heart to for the very first time. 

 

She should’ve noticed. She should’ve seen all the red flags. Maybe it could’ve saved her from the heartbreak.

 

“She doesn’t deserve you, Chaeng”, Wendy spoke again while still rubbing her back in a comforting manner, “Forget about her.”

 

“How I wish I can”, Chaeyoung replied with still teary voice, “How I wish it was that easy.”

 

Joy steps out from the counter and sat next to her, “You love her, don’t you?”

 

Chaeyoung looks up at her friend and opens , only to shut it close again. The words won’t come out. She’s too scared, and it was too late to admit. But they all knew Chaeyoung does.

 

They knew Chaeyoung loves the brunette.

 

“Oh, Chaeyoung, you”, Joy pulls her in an embrace, and she lost count of how many pail of tears she’s cried today.

 

~•~

 

Jennie impatiently checks her watch for the nth time. It’s already past 7pm but she still doesn’t see any traces of Chaeyoung in the vicinity. She tried calling her phone again, but all calls still go to the voicemail. And she’s getting restless.

 

‘What if she doesn’t come home? What if she knew I was here waiting for her so she doesn’t come home?’, were some thoughts bugging her while she sat on the cold seat of her car.

 

She’s been waiting for more than five hours now, and she feels like giving up...when she saw that familiar pink scooter pulling up infront of the Park residence.

 

Finally.

 

She hastily got out of her car and jogs towards the tall blonde who was parking her scooter at the side.

 

“Chaeyoung”, she calls out.

 

The girl visibly froze on her ground upon hearing the voice, and she mustered all her courage to turn around and face the brunette.

 

“What are you doing here? Didn’t I tell you that I don’t want to see your face ever again?”, Chaeyoung said coldly.

 

And Jennie noticed how puffy the girl’s eyes are. She must be crying for hours.

 

“Chaeng...”

 

She wanted to hold her, hug her, and ease the pain away. But when she took a step forward, Chaeyoung took a step back.

 

“What else do you want from me? You already got what you want, Jennie.”

 

Chaeyoung’s tone was as cold as ice, she almost couldn’t recognize it.

 

“Chaeng, please let me explain”, she begs, “I...I admit we really had that plan. Back when I was still intimidated by you. B-But that was a long time ago. And I swear, things have changed.”

 

“Does that change the fact that all this time, you’ve been lying to my face?”

 

Jennie gulps an invisible lump in , “Chaeng, I didn’t lie to you when I told you I like you. I already called off the game because what I was feeling for you became real. I found myself falling. And that’s the best feeling I ever felt in my life.”

 

Chaeyoung lets out a snicker before shaking her head, “So what now, your feelings became real, you confessed to me, I accepted you...You think you can get away with that? Just because you truly like me now, does that cleanse the fact that you initially planned to break me? That what we had now is the result of your bull revenge?”

 

Jennie didn’t reply to that. She couldn’t say anything because she knew Chaeyoung’s right. And nothing she says will change the fact that she deceived her.

 

“You know what hurts the most, Jennie?”, the tall blonde asked wearing that pained expression again, “I’ve asked you so many times if you’re sincere about being friends with me. Do you remember? I’ve asked you...a lot of times. And every single damn time, you answered ‘yes’. And I believed you. If only I had known how great of a liar you are.”

 

“Chaeyoung...please...forgive me...”

 

Jennie could feel that prickling in her chest again. It hurts. She’s hurting. But she knows it’s nothing compared to what Chaeyoung’s feeling now.

 

“Just go home, Jennie.”

 

Chaeyoung her heels and was about to open their gate, but Jennie was quick to seize her, and wrapped her short arms around her waist, locking her in a backhug.

 

“Chaeng...”, Jennie presses her forehead against the blonde’s back as she lets a tear fall, “I love you.”

 

Chaeyoung clenches her fist and lifts her chin up when she felt her tears threatening to fall again. Just when she thought she had no more tears left to cry.

 

“I trusted you, Jennie”, Chaeyoung held the brunette’s arms that were wrapped around her waist, before slowly yanking them off of her, “But you had to break it.”

 

She freed herself from Jennie’s grasp and ran inside their house, slamming the gate close in the process.

 

Leaving a regretful and devastated Jennie.

 

~•~

 

 

I wrote this while listening to Playing With Fire, so...idk heh 😃 Hope you enjoyed this one! Love yall! 💕