Chapter 14

 

 

 

 

 

 "...Jisoo's mother got killed??"

 

 Jennie furrows her eyebrows with astonishment as she looks at Irene, who has become mirroring her expression at Jennie's reaction.

 

 "What? you didn't know?"

 

 When Irene sees the confused expression remaining on her face, she realizes her mistake and quickly digresses as she gets up.

 

 "I have to go. I shouldn't have told you.."

 

 -"Wait!"  Jennie calls urgently as she gets up too, trying to stop Irene.

 

 Irene carries her bag and before she walks away, Jennie stops her.

 

 "I apologize, when I saw you two so close I thought she had already told you. I assumed wrong.. again."  She says in a hurry and tries to cross by Jennie's side again but she stops her once more.

 

 - "Irene, wait, what happened with Jisoo?"  Jennie asks nervously, ignoring the stinging in her heart from Irene's last remark.

 

 "It's something that you should only know from Jisoo herself.. Please, act as if we didn't talk about anything and I didn't tell you anything either."  She finishes and quickly runs past Jennie down the stairs and out to the hallways.

 

 Jennie remains standing for a moment, bewildered, she turns around and runs after Irene.

 

 

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 Jennie steps inside the hallway of the second floor and sees Irene, who has walked some distance from her, is about to turn around the aisle, she hurriedly catches up with her as she calls, and by the time she reaches her, both of them stop in their tracks, surprised by the sudden appearance of Jisoo in front of them.

 

 Jisoo was looking at Irene, and then at Jennie, with furrowed eyebrows, while Irene was alarmed and shocked, and Jennie was still puzzled as hell.

 

 Irene exchanges looks with Jisoo, and then turns her head to Jennie, who is behind her, and looks at her with a look that Jennie understood, indicating to do what she had asked her previously.  Irene turns her head forward and paces past Jisoo, leaving her with Jennie in an awkward silence.

 

 "What happened?" Jisoo begins with a firm tone as she looks at Jennie with suspicion, apparently already having some ideas about what might Irene have told her, "What did you two talk about?"

 

 - "No- nothing..." Jennie replies, her tension grows as she is still thinking about the new information.

 

 Jisoo sighs desperately, then grabs Jennie's wrist and drags her with her, intending to return to where Lisa and Chaeyoung are.

 

 "I can't believe you went after her!"

 

 Jisoo says with annoyance as she walks at an accelerating pace, tightening her grip on Jennie's wrist, who was walking silently and in another world, feeling as if new doors had opened on her, a piece of information that made her look at Jisoo from a completely different angle.

 

Her mother got murdered.. her mother. And to think she never showed it or even hinted at it. 

 

She can't even imagine how traumatic it must've been for her, yet Jisoo never acted like a traumatized one.

 

And it just hit her. 

 

Jisoo never mentioned anything about her family or herself, but moreover, she never mentions her mother. Even when Jennie talks about her childhood or her mom, Jisoo just listens..

 

And that speaks volumes.

 

God, so much questions and she can't say anything about it. She can't ask her about something so sensitive she has heard from someone else. 

 

And since Jisoo never told her she probably shouldn't ask. 

 

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 "Where have you been? Our lessons will start soon, and we still haven't eaten!" Lisa says frowning, after Jisoo and Jennie have joined them on the table. She pauses a little, and corrects looking at Chaeyoung , who was beside her busy with her plate., "Well except for Chaeyoung." 

 

 

 - "We had a little walk."  Jisoo answers calmly, glancing at Jennie, who nodded her head in agreement with a weak smile.

 

Jisoo pulls her plate towards her and starts eating her food, and so does Jennie.

 

 Jennie was intending to eat quietly to prevent any distraction that might arise in her thoughts and at the same time to act normally, that's until someone suddenly joined them and sat next to Lisa, someone who is never quite.

 

 

 "Hey! How's it going!"  She says excitedly, looking indifferently at their shocked facial expressions.

 

 Nayeon of course.

 

 "Oh hello there!"  Lisa replies sweetly.

 

 "Nayeon! Hi!" Chaeyoung agrees.

 

 - "What are you doing here?"  Jisoo coldly inquires, cutting off their peacefulness and then rolls her eyes when Jennie stares at her scoldingly.

 

 "To hang out, of course!"  She responds cheerfully and then continues, "And also.. I have some interesting news to say." She says in a playful tone while shaking her eyebrows.

 

 "Thank you, we don't want it—"

 

 - "Really? What's it?" Jennie says quickly interrupting Jisoo as she gives her another disapproving look.

 

 "Well, you know the Octagon Club? There will be a big party held by the seniors this Saturday and everyone is invited!"  She exclaims, and finds nothing but silence, and expressions of confusion on their features.

 

 "Why would we go? Why would they hold it up there in the first place?"  Jisoo, who was well acquainted with this club, asks her annoyedly.

 

 Nayeon looks at her in disbelief.

 

"Uh? because it's fun? And they can act more freely there?" She deadpans. 

 

 - "Wait a moment. A club? a night club? Like the ones we see on TV?"  Lisa asks her eagerly, and Nayeon answers by nodding her head excitedly.

 

 "Crowded people, loud music, dancing, and a lot of drinks?"  Chaeyoung chimes in, and Nayeon answers with the same gesture.

 

 Lisa and Chaeyoung look at each other and then look at Jisoo with a hopeful looks. Jisoo can guess what they're thinking.

 

 "No way."  Jisoo says simply.

 

 -"why not!!"  Chaeyoung opposes, wearing a sad expression.

 

 "Jisoo.. please please please.." Lisa joins Chaeyoung matching her pleading tone as she shakes Jisoo's arm.

 

 Jennie was eating quietly amid their arguments while Nayeon looked at them in question.  Why would they need her permission?

 

 "Ah..unmm.. it's a great party, why don't you want to go? We're going to have a lot of fun!"  Nayeon interrupts them, pushing them to silence for a moment, and then Lisa and Chaeyoung both shake Jisoo by the arm more urgently as they look at her sadly.

 

 "Okay! Fine! Stop that!"  Jisoo gives up impatiently as she shoos their hands away.

 

 -"Great!!"  They exclaim in unison while high-fiving each other.

 

 Jisoo sighs desperately as she looks at them, and then looks at her wristwatch and sees that it is time for the next period.

 

 

 "Finish quickly, You need to head to your lectures."  Jisoo says as she gets up from her seat.

 

 Jennie looks at her wondering because Jisoo is not waiting for her.

 

 "Now? But you are not done yet."

 

  Jennie points to her meal, which was almost untouched.

 

 "There is something I need to take care of.. you can go with Lisa and Chaeyoung."

 

 She finishes, making Lisa and Chaeyoung look at her with furrowed eyebrows.

 

 "Aren't you going to attend the lecture?"  Jennie asks her.

 

 - "No, I'm afraid it will take time."

 

 Jennie looks grimly at Lisa and Chaeyoung and then elaborates,

 "But I don't want to attend the lessons they attend!"

 

 She groans and receives angry glances from Lisa and Chaeyoung.

 

 "She can come with me!!"  Nayeon suggests excitedly, raising her hand.

 

 - "Yes! I'll go with her."  Jennie agrees immediately, finding her new savior.

 

 Jisoo looks at them, but says nothing and just sighs, bid them goodbye and goes.

 

 

 

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 The boy who was hit by Lisa, sits on the surface of one of the desks while his two friends were there with him, facing him; one on the side and the other was standing leaning on the wall. They all skipped their lectures, as usual.

 

 "So what's the situation with Jay? Has he finished receiving the goods?"  The one sitting across from the injured boy asks. 

 

 - "He still has to agree with the dealer, but he assured me that it will be ready for use until the party time."  The injured boy answers, constantly bouncing one of his legs.

 

 "Are we sure about the quality and potency of the stuff as he says?" The one standing inquires while looking at them seriously.

 

 The injured giggles arrogantly, and follows, "We'll find out at the club, there are a lot of dumb es whose convincing won't take long."

 

 

 - "What about club security?"

 

 "We have a guy who works there who can help us sneak it in unnoticed."

 

 He finishes with a wide smile, which quickly disappears as a result of pain, as he scrunches his nose a little. He raises his hand to massage the areas around it when he hears the sound of the door opening forcefully.

 

 He looks at the direction of the sound and jumps up off the desk to stand straight on his feet, looking in shock at the person who suddenly walked in on them.  His friends were reflecting his expression and they have stood up straight too.

 

 "Ah.. so you are here.." The person says cheerfully as they enter and eye them one by one.

 

 "Kim Jisoo, what are you doing here?!"  The injured boy asks, looking at her with caution.

 

 At first Jisoo doesn't answer him and keeps looking around the classroom with boredom and then turns to him.

 

 "To talk, of course."  She tells him absurdly as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

 "If you are here about what happened that day, it's not what you think it is. We were just trying to scare her."  He says cautiously as Jisoo walks slowly towards him, nodding with a faux understanding.

 

 She walks to him until the distance left between them is one desk, takes one of the stools and sits on it, crosses her legs in a snobby manner and looks back at him.

 

 "First, sit down."  She says calmly with a straight expressions.

 

 He looks at her suspiciously, and then turns towards his friends, exchanges gazes with them, and sits afterwards.

 

 If there is someone who they don't want to mess with, it is Jisoo.  They know the power of her influence and what she is capable of doing..their fears are merely because of her power and her being the daughter of Kim Sehun, when in fact they looked at her like any other spoiled girl. 

 

 "Woah, y'all really have chosen a place where it is difficult to find you," she elaborates, casting another look at the deserted classroom.

 

 - "What do you want?"  He asks impatiently, wanting her to cut to the chase already.

 

 Jisoo sighs wearily, looking back at him.

 

 "Do you know the abandoned iron factory in Dongjak District?"  She asks seriously and all she receives is puzzled looks from him.

 

 -"What?"  He replies, making Jisoo look at him threateningly.

 

 "Oh, I know it!"  His friend, the one standing near the wall, exclaims quickly to avoid the matter from escalating. He wants nothing to do with this mad woman.

 

 "Good."  She adds calmly, quickly softening her expression and smiling, "Tonight all of you will be there!"

 

She finishes, pointing to them with open arms and a wide smile.

 

 Silence reigns between them and they were growing uncomfortable and alarmed.

 

 "For heaven's sake, what kind of nonsense you're saying? We told you that we didn't intend to do anything! We just wanted to scare her!"

 

 In anger, he retorts, Jisoo's fake smile disappears, her straight-faced expression replaces it, and she stares at him with sharp gaze.

 

 

 This one.. was about to hurt Lisa.

 

 He was going to hit her..

 

 He would have caused injuries to her body.

 

 He was about. to hurt. her precious Lisa.

 

 

 Just thinking of that, just the mere idea, makes her blood boil in her veins, anger and disgust rise in her soul.

 

 If she hadn't come then.. if she was a second late.. Lisa would have been—

 

 "I'll make sure you can't even do that."  She promises wryly as she looks at him directly, "I will make you an example to all the delinquents like you.." She continues, making him jump from his seat in rage.

 

 - "Damn yo—"

 

He's interrupted when Jisoo swiftly lifts her leg and kicks the desk in front of her towards him forcefully to collide with him, making him sit back again with a stomp.

 

 "I said, sit. down."  She adds sternly.

 

 "Do you think just because you are Kim Sehun's daughter, you can do whatever you want?"  He asks incredulously, looking at her with hatred.

 

 - "Don't worry. I won't use my father's name in this.. I'm only here as Jisoo."

 

 The boy scoffs at her phrase with disbelief.

 

 "Aren't you so sure of yourself?!"

 

 Jisoo smiles at him momentarily and stops and returnes to stare at him.

 

 "By eight o'clock, I'll find you there." She starts quietly, "If you don't come.. l will make you. "

 

 She gets up and turns around on her way to the door, and exits, leaving them in total silence and disorientation.

 

 

 

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 The car stops in front of the abandoned building, and the injured boy and his two other friends climb down.  All of has this annoyed expression on their face, they had no choice but to come. 

 

Jisoo, ever true to her words, had put in front of each one's house a group of special security men, apparently waiting to drag them out in case they chose not to show up. 

 

At least she gave them the chance to walk out by themselves with some dignity.

 

They stand in front of the entrance to the building, looking at it sometimes and at other times looking at each other, one of them pulls out his phone to see the time and finds it exactly 7:55 p.m.  He nods to them affirmatively and they nod back, and then they walk in.

 

 The place was a wide and empty factory interspersed with the pillars of the building support, and it was dark. They proceed to walk looking around searching for anyone until they reach the center of the square and stop.  They remain standing still, looking inquisitively, and while they were likewise, lights flares up around them illuminating the place, surprising them.

 

 

 They look at the source of light and find it's a hanging lamps on each pillar, seemingly have been set up recently.

 

 

 "Good..you're here."  their questioning is cut off by a voice echoing throughout the building.  They turn towards it and see Jisoo walking to them.

 

 Jisoo had lifted her hair in a tight ponytail and wore a black leather jacket with a black undershirt and a pair of black jeans with sneakers.

 

 When she is at a safe distance from them, she stops and stares at them.

 

 "We did what you requested and we are here..What do you want from us now?"  One of them addresses her in an angry tone.

 

 Jisoo tilts her head a little in disbelief and replies sarcastically, "What? you still don't get it yet, do you? we're here to continue what y'all started, obviously."

 

 She finishes gaining a puzzled glances from them and she begins to take off her jacket and puts it aside.

 

 "How were you intending to scare her exactly?"  She asks furrowing in an intimidating sharp tone as she stood up straight, staring at them directly.

 

 

 They were about to hurt Lisa.

 

 They were about to hurt Lisa.

 

 They were about to hurt Lisa.

 

 

 It was all that Jisoo thinks about and she, if it's possible, wants to vanish them from existence.

 

 

 Jisoo doesn't get into meaningless fights or in which she is not sure of its results, she is not stupid to think that she is able to confront a man directly alone and in the same way that he fights, even if she has learned all forms of self-defense and attacks, there's a difference from a man to another and she, being aware of her body weight and structure, can't risk her body to be hit directly by confronting them. Instead, there are other techniques for that, a deadly ones as well.

 

 Therefore, one look at them, and Jisoo knew how beating these cowards with weak personalities won't take long, but she will make sure to make it long enough to teach them a good lasting lesson.

 

 

 "Well then.." one of them says, exchanging looks with his two friends, and taking off his jacket as well. They follow him by doing that as well.  Then they ball their hands in a fist in preparation.

 

 They realized what Jisoo wanted, and they also realized that it would not be easy, but she is still a girl and they are three men.  They will definitely get at her.

 

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 Jisoo quietly and blankly opens the door to the apartment and goes in and closes the door behind her.  She stands in the corridor for a moment, staring into the voiy and feeling tired, taking in the calm that prevails in the apartment, the girls must be asleep now.

 

 

 She begins to walk steadily when she hears the sound of one of the doors opening, and Jennie comes out, walking towards her hurriedly.

 

 "Jisoo, you're finally back." Jennie exclaims anxiously as she stands in front of her.

 

 - "Yeah.. it was a long meeting."  Jisoo lies nodding and then walks past Jennie.

 

 "have you ate dinner yet?"  Jennie asks as she saunters behind her.

 

 

 Jisoo shakes her head, no, then turns around, taking off the jacket and follows, 

 "Are the girls awake, too? I'm going to have a look at them."

 

 She throws the jacket on the sofa and goes to Lisa and Chaeyoung's room. She doesn't know why, but she feels like seeing them now and checking on them.

 

 "Okay.. I'll warm up dinner while you're at it."  Jennie tells her, although she is surprised by Jisoo's behavior, she smiles when she receives an 'OK'  from Jisoo as she gives her a thumbs up without turning to her.

 

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 

 Jisoo opens the door after knocking on it and finds them lying next to each other, each one holding her phone horizontally and staring closely at it, apparently they are watching a movie or some drama.

 

 Lisa turns her gaze for a moment to the door and sees that it is Jisoo who has walked in on them and takes it back to the phone screen.

 

 "Oh, unnie, hello back."  She says in a hasty tone as she refocuses on the movie.

 

 "Hello, Unni!"  Chaeyoung greets her too.

 

 Jisoo giggles, then leans against the doorframe, holding her arms to her chest, as she contemplates them.

 

 "Something wrong?"  Lisa asks worriedly after noticing Jisoo's silence for a while now, just standing at the door.

 

 - "No, nothing. It's just.. I feel I didn't see you two much today."  Jisoo answers her calmly.

 

 They both stop looking at the phone and turn to Jisoo, looking at her with puppy eyes and feeling touched.

 

 "Don't look at me like that.. I take back my words."  Jisoo digresses playfully, making up a terrified expression.

 

 - "Uwu.. we missed you too."  Chaeyoung says frowning with sadness, Lisa agrees by nodding affirmatively.

 

 Lisa sits up and scoots away from Chaeyoung a little bit, and so does Chaeyoung, and then both pat the empty space between them, signaling Jisoo to come over.

 

 At first Jisoo stares at them with false suspicion, then smiles, goes in and closes the door, and approaches the bed and sits between them.

 

 

 "So.. what were you watching?"

 

 Jisoo says, looking between Chaeyoung and Lisa with anticipation. They both lift their phones up with excitement, ready to show her. That's when it becomes clear to her that each one was watching a different movie, and both of them were convinced that her choice was the best as they start bantering again making her face go blank.

 

 

What did she got herself into?

 

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 

 Jisoo exits Lisa and Chaeyoung's room, drained, after several minutes of trying to settle their disagreement, and sees Jennie at the dining area placing a few plates on the table, her back facing her.

 

 

 She walks towards the refrigerator first before going over to the table, opens it and takes out a bottle of water, drawing Jennie's attention and making her turn around to meet her.

 

 "What happened to your hand?"  Jennie asks worriedly as she hurries towards Jisoo. 

 

Jisoo has lifted the bottle to drink from it and Jennie noticed the redness on her knuckles.

 

 Jisoo pulls the bottle away from and looks at Jennie coming towards her with a surprised expression.  

 

Jennie takes the bottle from Jisoo's right hand as soon as she reaches her and holds her hand in her own and looks at it. What she saw was not only redness, there were some slight grazes as well.  

 

Now, that Jennie has drawn Jisoo's attention to it, like an automatic reaction, parts slightly in realization and she remembers the reason behind it.

 

She had overdone it with beating them up.. that's for sure.

 

 "how did this happen?"  Jennie asks as she takes her eyes off Jisoo's hand and guides them at her.

 

 Jisoo is silent as she tries to find a reasonable explanation.

 

 - "Ah..yes..this..um.. I accidentally opened the hot water while I was in the bathroom in the company and stung my hand, it was a strong sting.."

 

 She finishes, hoping that she is convincing enough for Jennie to believe her, and although she seems to still have a lot of questions, she doesn't ask.

 

 "Does it hurt?"  Jennie asks her again and this time her expression seems more concerned and sad.

 

Actually, Jisoo didn't feel the scratches on her hand because she wasn't aware of them, until now that Jennie has brought her attention to them, she started feeling its pain whenever her finger joints moved.

 

 - "A little.. not a big deal."  Jisoo assures trying to comfort Jennie, who is now wearing a serious expression.

 

 "Sit here.. I'll get first aid."  Jennie orders firmly and then passes beside her, heading towards the bathroom.

 

 - "Jennie.. there's no need for—"

 

 "Sit!"  Jennie lets out before entering, making Jisoo sigh numbly as she mopes towards the sofa and plops herself on it obediently.

 

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 

 "I’m taking you somewhere with me tomorrow."  Jisoo informs randomly that Jennie has finished treating her hand.

 

 - "Somewhere? where?"  Jennie asks as she closes the first aid bag and places it on the table.

 

 "It would be better if you see it yourself." she answers, her side smile that she gives to Jennie makes her excitedly curious and she smiles too as a result.

 

 - "What about Lisa and Chaeyoung?"

 

 "They won't go to college either. I told them to take a day off tomorrow."  Jisoo explains and gets up, leaving Jennie confused and smiling with anticipation.

 

 "Uh, I'm so hungry."  Jisoo groans and sits at the table to start eating her dinner, which has probably cooled again by now.

 

 

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 "A modeling agency?"

 

 Jennie asks, in complete amazement, after she has entered the company with Jisoo who took her to the main floor, which was a complete studio, where she saw as she walked, the large number of dresses of various brands and types placed on dolls and many fit girls who were doing a photo session here and there.

 

 Jisoo smiles at her reaction and pauses to answer, "Wait, you'll get to know everything later—"

 

 

 "Jisoo!!"

 

 Their conversation is interrupted by a high, sharp voice, or rather a squeal. They turn towards it to find a man walking towards them in a feminine manner, clapping his hands.

 

 He wore makeup and was wearing flashy colorful clothes.

 

 "Or now." Jisoo adds sarcastically, before the man approaches them.

 

 - "Finally! you came!!"  He says while shaking Jisoo by her arms, then he stops and turns towards Jennie and gasps sharply as he gauges her as a whole admiringly. 

 

 "You must be Jennie!!"  He exclaims shaking her hand excitedly.

 

 - "Ah.. yeah.. h- hi .." Jennie says shyly in confusion, she doesn't know what's really going on.

 

 "Awee, what a cutie!!"  He squeals in another enthusiastic tone, causing Jennie to look at him in shock.

 

 - "Lay! How about we talk about the important things now?"  Jisoo interrupts the flow of his passion and enthusiasm with a clear tone, making him pause and look at her seriously.

 

 "Ah..yes..follow me."  He points with his hand to follow him, and turns around to go to his office.

 

 Jisoo turns to Jennie and sees her also looking at her in surprise, they stare at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing quietly and go behind him.

 

 

 

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 "So what do you think?"  Lay asks as he puts his lemonade juice on the table.  He was sitting on the couch opposite them, who were sitting on the other sofa.

 

 

 - "To be the cover of the next issue?"  Jennie interrogatively says in disbelief, as if she is asking the question more to herself than to him.

 

 "Yes! I mean..you'd be perfect for this. You have all the requirements to be ideal for it!!"

 

 He says more enthusiastically to draw in her interest to the matter, but she still looks confused and doesn't know what to say, so she looks at Jisoo who was sitting next to her, placing one leg on top of the other while Jennie was sitting upright with her legs fully closed.

 

 "What do you think Jisoo?"

 

 - "As much as I hate to say this, but I agree with him." She answers and Lay gives her a grim and annoyed expression.

 

 Jisoo ignores him and follows,

 "You have the essential beauty and charisma, you’re naturally captivating."

 

 She finishes genuinely looking at her with smile, making the blush invade Jennie's cheeks.

 

 "But I don't know anything about this job."  Ignoring the slight acceleration in her heart rate, Jennie interjects.

 

 - "Oh, don't worry, all you have to do is stand and look pretty, that's all."  Reassuring Jennie, Lay adds nonchalantly.

 

 "Not only this.." Jisoo elaborates, and this time she gives Lay a look, "Facial expressions are also important, but they are not impossible to perfect, and also this differs from the fashion shows that you see on television."

 

 She lifts her leg, puts it back in place, and clasps her hands together as she talks with Jennie, explaining how it works to her calmly.

 

 "Here you won't need to walk in a runway in the middle of a large crowd and influencers, but rather you will wear the costumes of famous and well-known brands, take pictures with them, do commercial films, and these pictures and videos will be published in a magazine, social media, even on TV, and just by that you will be paid as well."

 

 

  "Exactly! Jisoo was doing this too, in fact, she was letting me take pictures of her and put them on the magazine cover, but she stopped doing that a year ago." Commenting on Jisoo's speech, Lay remarks.

 

 "It was the only way to get him off my hair." Jisoo inserts coldly, receiving another angry glare from him.

 

 Jennie pauses as she thinks about their words, looking at her fingers messing with the hem of her shirt.  Lay was exchanging hopeful looks with Jisoo as he awaited Jennie's answer.

 

 "Jennie.. you don't have to commit to anything now and you can forget about it completely, but it's okay to try. Try it and if you don't like it we will drop the subject and besides, I will be with you during the whole session."

 

Jisoo says and gives her a reassuring smile.

 

And she means it. In the end she's doing it solely for Jennie, to give her a solid ground to stand on. Same with Lisa and the basketball thingy, and she kind of has an idea of what will she give Chaeyoung as well to work on when it's time. 

 

Taking every opportunity and possibility she finds that suits them, for them to shine on their own, without her, and introduce them to it. She'll help them with the first steps and the rest is all on their efforts, and she’s certain that they will do well. 

 

She can see it.

 

She knows that they're not in it for the money, as Krystal pointed out once, she knows that because there's not that much of money change in her bank account ever since they started living with her.

 

Because Jennie offered to cook for them the moment they got in Seoul instead of relaying on buying meals from restaurants, because she wanted to repay Jisoo and offer her something in return somehow. Knowing Jennie, Jisoo knows she hates letting her spend her money on them and that was the least Jennie could do. 

 

Also, she knows that because Lisa and Chaeyoung never asked her to buy them anything, nor did they tried to deceive her or take advantage of her, all they do is study or roam around the park or watch Tv. It's like they're trying their best not to be a burden on her. Like it's enough for them that they're staying with her.

 

But.. she also knows that they have nowhere else to go.. and she's only a realistic woman. A woman that counts every detail and prepares herself for every possibility, prepares herself for the outcome whatever it is. 

 

And so.. no matter how much it seemed genuine, her mind goes and throws that possibility on her.. that they have nowhere else to go, and this helpless state of them she wants to end it. 

 

For her and mostly for them, so she can spend her days with complete ease, she needs to be sure, she needs to put that small nagging part in the back of her mind at rest.

 

Because, she doesn't want them, if anything, to stay with her because they need to, but because they want to. 

 

She doesn't want to be the only option they have.

 

Therefore, she will give them wings. 

 

And if they chose to fly away from her, she will be happy for them either way.

 

 

 - "Alright.." Jennie agrees calmly without taking her eyes off Jisoo and snapping her out of her deep thoughts.

 

 "Great!" Lay suddenly utters excitedly and stands up, grabbing their attention.

 

 "What are you waiting for? Get up! We will start now!"

 

. . . . . . . . . 

 

 

"Lower your head a little.. yes.. good.. look at the camera.. and up a little bit.."

 

The cameraman was constantly giving instructions to Jennie and didn't seem to be satisfied with the pose. he was repeatedly changing it, making Jennie tense even more than she already is, in addition to the camera lights that flashed intermittently and continuously, causing her to feel upset and bewildered.

 

 "Give me some smiles.. no.. not like this.. make it look spontaneous.." 

 

 Jennie sighs in despair as she tries to do what he tells her, but even if she did, she felt that she had not succeeded, and what added to that was her withering self-confidence.  She was getting more and more restless as she looked around looking for Jisoo, but she was not there even though she had seen her there several minutes ago.

 

 She takes another breath in an attempt to regulate her breathing, while making up smiles uncomfortably.. another breath.. another look behind the photographer and there she is,  Jisoo, standing looking at her.

 

She didn't realize that she was breathing with difficulty until she was able to breathe comfortably when her eyes layed on Jisoo and her facial expressions became more soft.

 

 Jisoo, on the other hand, felt that Jennie was facing some distress due to her stiff demeanor and her awkward smiles, she knew that this was nothing but Jennie's nervousness getting to her, otherwise she is able to perfect this with ease.

 

 

Jennie wanted to keep her gaze on Jisoo for fear that she would disappear again, but the photographer's requests sometimes forced her to look to another place, so she tried from time to time to look at her, and among those looks was one that made her dumbfounded for a moment that she couldn't take her eyes off Jisoo despite the photographer's requests.

 

 

 Jisoo was making funny faces to her.

 

 

Making Jennie burst into a wholeheartedly laughter against her will as she lowered her head and lifted her hand in front of to cover it.

 

 "Yes! Exactly like this !! Go on! Give me more of these laughs.. beautiful!" Suddenly, the photographer exclaims, who thought Jennie was acting.

 

 Jennie adjusts her posture, after calming down, unable to hide her smile, she feels herself better now and started to put common poses with greater flexibility on her own, not for the sake of the photo session but because Jisoo was giving her a reinforced expression and a sign of approval as she moved behind the photographer from place to place, Jennie changing the direction of her gaze following her. 

 

Jisoo sometimes even suggested some poses for her to copy, which were not without the childish poses that caused her to laugh again.

 

 

Maybe this job isn't a bad idea after all.

 

 

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 

 

 "And here we are.." Jisoo says dragging her words playfully as she stops the car in front of their apartment building.  Turns off the engine and turns to Jennie.

 

 "You were amazing today." Elaborating, she smiles at her.

 

 - "Hmm.. for sure, as you know, this is nothing in front of my other skills." Jennie boasts, giving her a dismissive wave and poses, smiling with feigned arrogance, gaining a lighthearted laugh from Jisoo.

 

 "But really, where do you know that 'Lay' guy? He's really something else."  Jennie adds in a playful tone.

 

 - "I got to know him at a business party last year and he hasn't let go of my collar since then.." Jisoo starts and Jennie nods with understanding, "In fact, I run into him again at the party the night before, and since he saw you at the dance event, he suggested that I show you this job, to be precise, he wouldn't have let me go had I not agreed to bring you to the agency."

 

 She continues, chuckling, and shaking her head hopelessly.

 

 "He must be very passionate about his work," Jennie remarks, matching Jisoo's tone.

 

 Then the two fall silent, and Jennie decides that it is time to get off the car, but stops before opening the door when she sees Jisoo sitting still.

 

 "What? You're not coming?"

 

 - "Oh no, I have some work left.  I have to finish it in case Taeyung decides to marry early." Jisoo answers as she looks around the street, in boredom, unaware of her mention of Taeyung.

 

 Jennie furrows her eyebrows with question.

 "Taeyoung?"

 

 Jisoo's features are scattered, and she realizes that she never spoke to her about her family and never mentioned them.

 

 - "He is my brother .." she says softly, slightly embarrassed by herself.

 

 "You have a brother?"  Jennie asks her with great curiosity and amazement.

 

 -"Yeah..

 

 Actually, I have three half-siblings, Namjoon, Jin and Taeyoung;  Namjoon is the eldest and he is working abroad now, while Jin is in his last year of university and Taeyoung, the youngest, dropped out of university and is now working with father in our company."

 

 Jisoo was speaking softly and slowly, Jennie listened carefully and nodded to her with understanding. 

 

Yet again, nothing about her mother.

 

 "Sorry, I didn't tell you this until now." Jisoo continues.

 

 - "No, no.." Jennie quickly reassures her, before she follows in a kind, calm tone. "It's okay. The topic just never came up before."

 

 Silence reigns between them, and both of them look at the street in front of them through the windshields of the car, and then Jennie decides to break the silence.

 

 "Well.. it's better I go now." She says and reaches out to open the door, but stops again and turns to Jisoo and pursues, "when you will come back?"

 

 -"by evening.."

 

 Jisoo answers her with a smile and Jennie nods to her with understanding, then opens the door and while she is about to wander out she stops again making Jisoo furrow amusedly in confusion.

 

 Jennie remains still for a while as she tries to decide whether to do it or not. Ending the debate, with a swift move she turns towards Jisoo, leans forward, prints a chaste kiss on her cheek, and then turns back and gets out of the car, closing the door and walking hurriedly without looking behind.

 

 Jisoo remains in shock for a second as she realizes what happened and then laughs to herself as she shifts in her seat and restarts the engine, helplessly shaking her head as she drives off the sidewalk, smiling like an idiot.

 

 And as she pulls up on the road, she made a hidden note in her mind, to not wash her face for the rest of the day.

 

 

————————

To be continued 

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Man, Jisoo has such a complicated personality, I have to think twice before conveying her thoughts.