Chapter 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

"You cry a lot, you know that?"  Jisoo points out softly and sighs, looking at Jennie who is covering her face with both hands and crying as she has been like this for a few minutes.

 

 Jisoo still didn't understand what exactly happened and developed for her to start crying, all she did was look at her like she asked, and once she did, her tears started falling heavily and she stayed like that for moments while staring at her before her crying increased and she covered her face.

 

 Jennie's crying dies down slowly until it ends with short sobs and sniffles. She moves her hands away from her face, and begins to wipe her face, looking down.  She remains calm and silent, with her hands on her lap, while Jisoo is looking at her with thoughtful gaze.

 

 She hates seeing Jennie cry, but she knows that it's the way Jennie relieves the weight off her shoulders and tightness off her chest, so she learned to just let her be until she is done and calms down on her own.

 

 Jisoo brings her head closer when she sees that the traces of tears have not wiped away completely, raising her hand, she  places it on Jennie's cheek gently, surprising her and making her look with eyes wide open.

 

 With her thumb, Jisoo wipes the area under Jennie's eye and the rest of her cheek, then raises it and directs it to the other side of her face and wipes it gently as well, after she's finished she goes back and cups Jennie's cheek.

 

 "You okay now?"  Jisoo asks softly as she searches Jennie's face with worried eyes, whilst Jennie was looking at her with glistening eyes, feeling her emotions overwhelming her again.

 

 "No! Don't!"

 

 Jisoo quickly prohibits when she sees Jennie's face frowning on her way to cry again. It seems that it worked because Jennie quickly stopped herself, sniffing and nodding to Jisoo obediently.

 

 Jisoo stares at her a little longer, and before taking her hand away, she notices Jennie's red face and furrows her eyebrows in surprise.

 

 "Do you have temperature?"  Placing her other hand on Jennie's forehead, she says, checking her body temperature and finds it raised a little, but not dangerously high.

 

 "Good, not too high."Jisoo follows, removing her hands and adjusting her sitting, 

"However, stay warm well."

 

 She says as she looks ahead, and calm returns between them, both staying silent.

 

 "Anyway, I have to go to work."

 

 Jisoo declares after staring at the void for a while and tries to get up afterwards, but Jennie stops her when she holds her hand firmly.

 

 "Jisoo." Jennie starts in a demanding tone as she clenches her grip on Jisoo's hand, and Jisoo didn't realize that she was the only one speaking until Jennie did.

 

 Jisoo turns her head towards her with her body slightly and sees her gaze downward, specifically at their hands together, so Jisoo looks at them as well.

 

 Jennie was holding Jisoo's left hand with her right hand, switching between tightening it hard enough to let Jisoo know why she was doing this and loosening as she constantly runs her thumb over the back of her hand.

 

 "Jisoo.." She says again quietly without taking her eyes off their hands and without stopping the movement of her hand. "This.. this is real."

 

She says and pulls on Jisoo's hand again,

 

"This is genuine. This's what I want.. This's what I feel." 

 

 She was speaking in a calm tone, filled with emotion, so her words can reach Jisoo's ears and settle inside.  At first Jisoo didn't understand what Jennie meant or what she was trying to convey until she uttered her last two phrases.

 

Jennie was subtly telling her that holding her hand was not because she was trying to make up for what had passed, or because she was trying to make things back as they were before, or for any other reason that might cross Jisoo's mind and make her think of the insincerity of the initiative.

 

 But because she's is heartily and solely wants it.

 

 "And if you still find it hard to believe,"

 

 This time, she looks up at Jisoo, and so does Jisoo, and their eyes meet again.

 

 "It's okay. I'll keep trying. But.." She falls silent for a moment and swallows, she lifts her free hand and directs it towards Jisoo's chest from the side of the heart and places it gently there, looking at that area, then looking at Jisoo, she follows, "Keep me here." 

 

Feeling her eyes well up against her will, she continues, "Don't turn your face away from me. Look at me always."

 

 One of her tears escapes and runs down her cheek as Jisoo looks at her with already teary eyes.

 

"If you keep me here," She looks at her hand, and then looks back at Jisoo. "I don't care where else I am."

 

 Jisoo keeps staring at her for a moment, her expression soft, she pulls her hand from Jennie's hand without removing her other hand that's on her chest, and before Jennie interprets this to something else, Jisoo throws her arm on the chair's top rail behind Jennie, and looks back at her with the same expression.

 

 "You're.." she starts softly, "already there."

 

She pauses for a second and then,

 

 "I can't get you out even if I want to."

 

She says staring directly into Jennie's eyes, she can see that her expressions have become softer and the sadness that was overwhelming her has disappeared, and this is exactly what she wanted.  She moves her head so that her forehead is almost touching Jennie's forehead and follows,

 

"I can't.. an' I don't want to."

 

 She says and rests her forehead on Jennie's and her arm that was on the chair's head, she lets it land around Jennie's shoulder without breaking their eye contact, she can see that Jennie is trying to suppress her tears while holding back a smile.

 

 Jennie breathes in a deep, faint breath with relief as she lowers her gaze and moves her hand to Jisoo's collarbone and begins to play with the hem of Jisoo's cardigan and focuses her gaze there, she can hear her heartbeat beating hard against her chest.

 

 "Jisoo?"  She asks with a faint, shy tone.

 

 - "Yes?" Jisoo responds almost immediately with the same tone.

 

 Jennie her lips, raises her gaze at Jisoo, and follows as she clings gently to the collar of the cardigan,

 

 "Do you have to go now?"

 

 Jisoo stares at her for a while silently and then,

 

 "Maybe I could stay for few min—"

 

Before she finishes, Jennie throws herself towards Jisoo and hugs her eagerly and longingly, letting her head lie on Jisoo's chest and her arms wrap around her waist.

 

 Jisoo smiles to herself and leans her head lightly on Jennie's head.

 

 "I can stay."

 

 .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Matthew stops in his car and looks out the window at the huge villa in front of him and the trees around it, almost secluded.  Turning off the engine, he climbs down the car, and heads towards the entrance. Once he arrives, the two front guards bow to him and greet him.

 

 "Are they inside?"  Matthew asks standing and looking at one of them.

 

 - "Yes, sir. They are waiting for you."

 

 Matthew continues walking on the stone path through the front garden to the villa and enters.

 

 When he steps in, one of the maids directs him around the household and to the desired room until he reaches it and knocks the door a few times and gets inside, closing the door behind.

 

 "You've finally decided to join us."  The man behind the desk remarks in a deep mocking tone.

 

 Matthew stands in the middle of the room, staring at him, ignoring the other man sitting on the sofa.

 

 "Hello father."  He says in the most disinterested tone.

 

 

 **

 

 Matthew sits in the armchair beside the bed his mother, who was asleep, lay on.  With his forearms resting on his knees, he fiddles with the loose thread of the cover, staring at it.

 

 After his last conversation and his last date with Jisoo this evening, he felt the urge to go and see his mother and talk to her even if she isn't listening to him now.

 

 "Remember the girl I told you about last time?"

 

 Matthew starts softly, feeling the need to let it all out to his mother, like the times when she used to be here, really here, before forgetting him.

 

"She keeps messing with my head and what I believe in. " he chuckles to himself humorlessly, shaking his head. "At first, I wanted her only for myself, I wanted to have her like I always did with pretty girls, so I tried to remove the obstacles from my way, the obstacles being my father. Then I learned that she was in Seoul and I decided to try again, away from my father as well. 

 

To do that, I did my investigation around her and there's when I find out that she's not the legitimate daughter of Kim Sehun.. and that she is the daughter of that woman.."

 

 He laughs again, miserably. 

 

 "Even bigger obstacle.

 

 I should've stayed away, but at that time I was getting to know her, little by little, and the decision to stay away started getting more difficult.

 

But today.."

 

He pauses retrieving his memories, before he digresses,"I don't want to end up like my father. I can't do that to her.. to a girl like her."

 

 He says, looking at the cloth of the cover but not really looking at it.

 

 "This time, I won't choose myself."

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 Matthew was just out of his mother's room when he got a message notification on his phone to then he takes it out and looks at it.

 

 {10:33 p.m} Jonathan:

 Come immediately to the below address.

📍Location

 

 

Matthew furrows his eyebrows, opens the address, and sees the location is in a secluded area of ​​Seoul in the woods side.  He closes it and goes to call John directly.

 

/ "What is this address?"  Matthew asks right away in an annoyed tone as soon as John picks up the line.

 

"The address that leads to your father's new house. We're here, Matthew, in Seoul."

 

 Matthew closes his eyes in anger, clenching his jaw as he tries to stop himself from publicly cursing.

 

 "What brought you both here?"  He asks in gritted teeth.

 

"We'll talk about this when you come."

 

 Matthew rolls his eyes.

 

 "You will both have to wait until tomorrow then."\

 

 He says and hangs up.

 

 That just what he needed.

 

 **

 

 

 "So, why did you come here?"  Matthew asks impatiently as he looks between them as he sits on the opposite sofa.

 

 - "For business, of course." his father replies nonchalantly.

 

 "I thought we had taken care of that already. I'm the one running the business here." Matthew says disparagingly.

 

 - "We're not talking about drugs here." John adds, staring at Matthew sharply, making him look at him quizzically.

 

 "It was Jonathan's idea actually, to expand our business and create a special company to compete with the rest of the economic companies in the country."

 

 - "And of course, he told you to start here in Seoul. Exactly in the place where I am." Matthew says, turning to John and smiling coldly.

 

 "It would be nice if our business was all in one place, don't you think so, Matthew?"  John says calmly and his features conceal an irritating smile.

 

 Matthew hates how every word comes out of Jonathan's mouth and every action is like a test for him, as if he is trying to prove his incompetence to his father and that he is better than him in running a business.

 

 "Yes, of course." Matthew replies, mirroring John's expressions.

 

 "And also.." John starts up again when he sees Matthew is about to get up. "Regarding the drug business, I will also supervise it from now on."

 

 -"What?"  Matthew utters with a great surprise.

 

 "Since you had associated yourself with college, your priorities were dispersed and the work didn't go as expected."  His father says as he gets up from his office.

 

 Matthew scoffs in disbelief.

 

 "College has nothing to do with that, some complications came out and they were taken care of."

 

 - "Is that why you didn't distribute the drug inside the university as well?"  Jonathan adds in a mock wonder.

 

 Matthew rolls his eyes as he turns to him, glaring, tired of him.

 

 "I didn't go to college for that."  He says to him with gritted teeth.

 

 - "Why then?"  Jonathan asks making an exaggerated questioning expression.

 

 Matthew is silent for a moment before he gets up quickly staring sharply at John.

 

 "Bold of you to assume to even have the right to question me."

 

And with that, he walks out of the room afterwards, ignoring his father's disapproval to what he said.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 "You didn't have to accompany me."  Jisoo says as she stops at the sidewalk, waiting for the hotel staff to fetch her car.

 

 - "I wanted to."

 

  Jennie replies softly as she pushes her flying strands of hair away from her face as a result of the wind, staring at Jisoo, which was also looking at her and they stay like that until the car arrives.

 

"Are you going to your other place now?" Jennie asks curiously.

 

 - "Yeah.. I have to change my clothes."  She answers, and Jennie nods to her with understanding

 

 "I'll meet you at college then."  Jisoo adds after walking a few steps ahead and stopping, turning towards Jennie.

 

 -"OK."

 

 Jennie replies and Jisoo goes around the car, opens the door, and gets in. A few moments pass, and then she starts driving, and before she gets any further, she waves to Jennie goodbye.

 

 Jennie remains standing, watching Jisoo as she is driving away her car and stays waiting until it disappears from her field of vision. She turns towards their chauffeur, who was standing near the car, and walks to him and climbs up inside the car, getting comfortable in her seat.

 

 "Where would you like to go, miss?"  After he getting inside too, the driver asks.

 

 - "Let's get away from here first."

 

 She replies and he nods to her with understanding, then turns the engine on and begins to drive slowly until he is on the road, driving without a destination.  Jennie remains silent, looking at the sides of the road through the window and at the places they pass by, until the car travels a long distance. Jennie spots somewhere she and Jisoo had visited once before and asks the driver to stop by it.  

 

The driver fulfills her request and parks the car on the side.

 

 "Wait here."  Jennie says before she gets out of the car.

 

 She begins to walk with steady steps as she looks around and can feel the increase in the wind here and its coldness, especially since the sun has been blocked by the clouds.  She walks until her feet hit the sand and the sea becomes visible to her, as she looks at it with squinted eyes due to the intensity of the wind here, with her hair flying back.  She continues her walk until she is close to the seashore and the wet sand, she stands there and closes her eyes for a long time and takes a deep breath.

 

 Another breath..

 

 And another..

 

 And another.

 

 She remains still, trying to listen to the beating of her heart, unable to slow down its rapid rate, which has not stopped and has not subsided since her eyes met Jisoo's.

 

 

 **

 "I can't get you out even if I want to."

**

 

 Her heartbeat accelerates again and is much stronger.

 

 She slowly opens her eyes as she looks back at the sea, grabs the front edges of her coat, takes it off slowly and throws it aside on the dry sand, then bends to reach her shoes and takes them off along with her socks and puts them aside.

 

 

 🎶 ▶ (Ahn Ji Yeon) - Lost (The Smile Has Left Your Eyes OST)

 

 

 As soon as she puts her feet on the cold wet sand, she winces, but keeps herself composed, feeling the stinging cold, hoping that those stings will bring her back to reality, and if what she feels is an illusion, it will disappear, and if it is a dream, she will wake up, and if it's wrong then she will see what is right, and if it's just a confusion, it will become clear.

 

 

 She takes another step when the first doesn't work, and another step, another and another until she begins to walk alongside the seaside, receiving the stings one after the other, closing her eyes and opening them, her breathing becoming short and sharp.

 

 

 **

 "I'm Jisoo, and this one next to me is, Lee Min Yoo." 

**

 

She keeps walking..

 

 

 ** 

"It seems that the scratches have almost disappeared." 

**

 

 Her steps quickens..

 

 **

 "Well then, I'm not going to have dinner either. I will stay here too. '' 

**

 

Quickens even more..

 

 **

 "I can't imagine the pain that you were in, I'm sorry.."

 

 "You are safe now.."

 

 "I'm here.. Don't worry."  

**

 

 Her steps get faster, until she starts to run at a steady pace with her expressions scattering little by little.

 

 "I'm in love," she mumbles under her breath.

 

 ** 

"Because I don't want you to leave!!"  

**

 

She runs..

 

 **

"What is wrong with someone like you?"  

**

 

And runs..

 

 **

 "Let's go home."  

**

 

 "I'm in love.." she mumbles again and her running has speeded up.

 

 **

 "Do you have that kind of person in your life?"

 - "I'm looking at them now."  

**

 

 "I'm in love..." in a louder tone.

 

 ** 

"I have to give her my thanks too, because she made the right choice."

**

 

 She runs at high speed with eyes full and wide, ignoring the winds hitting her face, and the coldness of the ground no longer affects her.

 

 ** 

"I told you.. I want to be closer to you."  

 

..........

 

 "You're.. my Jennie."

**

 

 "I'm in love.." a bit louder.

 

**

 "Just like how you perfectly fit into my heart."  

**

 

 "I'm in love!"

 

She begins to repeat it loudly as she continues to run, and several drops escape from her eyes.

 

 "I'm in love!"

 

 ** "I can't, an' I don't want to." **

 

 She runs and runs, taking everything she feels out in her confession and screams it loud because of its weight, its depth, the growth of its roots inside of her and its sharpness in her heart.  She runs and runs until she loses her strength and falls to her knees, taking in the ground with her hands while she catches her breath.  She doesn't waste time and raises her head high and turns until she faces the sea and looks at the far horizon.

 

 "I'm in love.." she begins again quietly.

 

 Takes a deep breath and then,

 

 "Kim Jisoo!"

 

She shouts out loud in the same tone.

 

 "Kim Jisoo, I'm in love with you!"

 

 She falls silent for a moment, lowers her gaze, and then brings it back and follows in a high tone.

 

 "I'm so in love with you!

 

 So in love with you!!

 

So in love.."

 

 She utters the last word in a whisper, looking back at the ground and burying her fingers into the sand.

 

 🎶⏸

 

 

 

..

 

 This is bad. this is bad.. so bad

 

 It's not enough that she is in love with her bestfriend, but also with a girl!

 

It's scary. It's so scary she's feeling sick in her stomach.

 

 How did this happen?  What is she going to do now?  She has gone crazy. She's done for. She's so screwed! one of the seventh wonders is letting this come out.

 

People will eat her alive. well, not technically, but close to that.

 

Most importantly, she can't let Jisoo know, especially since their relationship had just returned back on track. She can't risk their friendship, she doesn't know what Jisoo might think of her if she knew, she won't be able to stand it if Jisoo started to look at her differently. 

 

She can't bear the thought of being away from her again.

 

 Love ruins relationships if it's not reciprocated.

 

 She can't take this risk even if it is at the expense of her heart. She rather have Jisoo close to her, be able to talk to her, joke with her and hug her.. than to scare her away with her confession. There's no way she would cause her to distant herself just because of what she feels.

 

Therefore, she will just ignore it. She will just shrug it off, won't explain, and continue as she used to be with Jisoo.

 

No one will know, so nothing will happen.

 

No one knows, so she shouldn't be this scared.

 

What could happen anyway?  She will be fine.

 

 She will be fine ..

 

 She will be fine even if she knows she is lying to herself at this point.

 

 .

 

 .

 

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 Jonathan walks out of the warehouse, in which the preparation of drug goods takes place from repackaging in special bags and distributing them, he stands at the front mental door, where on either side of it, the men assigned to guard are standing.

 

 He takes out a pack of cigarettes from his padded jacket pocket, takes one out, puts the pack back into his pocket, searches in his side pocket for a lighter, takes it out, and lights the cigarette.  He takes a deep breath and releases it as he looks ahead and stays like this for a while, and then turns to one of the guards.

 

 "How is business going on here?"  John asks him.

 

 - "In the best case, sir, Matthew is very careful not to make any mistakes." The man replies tensely.

 

 He takes another breath and exhales.

 

 "What about the distribution dealings, has there been any problem?"

 

 - "No, there isn't any." The man answers, and then he falls silent remembering something before he digresses, "Only in one place.. Octagon Club."

 

 John stares at the man suspiciously and can see how a little nervous the man is.

 

 "Why? What happened?"

 

 - "uh.. the mediator who was working for us was exposed and we lost the possibility of dealing there. When Mr. Matthew found out about it, he killed him."

 

 "Why didn't you try to assign someone else then?"

 

 - "Mr. Matthew did not want that, he insisted that we should never approach that place."

 

 The man says, causing John to look at him with complete puzzlement.

 

 John remains silent, before he nods to the man and turns around and starts walking away.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Chaeyoung were all sitting at one of the tables in the cafeteria, eating lunch on the second break, and chatting about many things when Jennie felt the need to go to the bathroom and informed the girls before she got up.

 

 She leaves the cafeteria on her way to the bathrooms and when she approaches the corridor leading to them she stops when she spots Matthew, walking on a hurry, staring straight ahead, looking as if he is in another world. His gaze falls on her, and his facial expressions change into full focus and starts to stride towards her.  He watches Jennie breathe in annoyedly and tries to continue her path, but he catches up, stops and pulls her to the side.

 

 "What are you doing? Someone will see us!!"  She hisses at him through gritted teeth as she tries to move his arm away from her so that he leaves it and looks at him angrily.

 

 -"Give me your number."  Matthew says calmly, looking at her seriously.

 

 "Huh?"  She looks at him as if she heard the most ridiculous thing ever.

 

 - "Your number." He demands with raised eyebrows, "Give it to me, quickly!"

 

 "Are you crazy? Why should I give you my number? I can't stand with you to even think about giving you my number."  She says making Matthew roll his eyes.

 

 - "And I'm not dying to hear your voice."  He retorts, wrinkling his face in mockery.

 

 Jennie sighs with impatience and follows,

 "What's the matter then?"

 

 - "Since you are glued to Jisoo around the clock.."

 

 Jennie rolls her eyes at that.

 

"And since I can't go and talk to Jisoo about certain things, you and I know them very well." He says emphasizing the last phrase, attracting Jennie's attention, "I need your number to warn you if something happens." He continues, turning his gaze to the other side.

 

 Jennie stays silent as she stares at him suspiciously, feeling a little afraid of what he has said to her.

 

"Why? Why do you need to warn me? What happened?" She asks with great worry.

 

 - "When you need to know, you will know. Now, your number."  He says while handing his phone to her.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 "Hey!! what's up!!"

 

Nayeon excitedly says as she sits next to Lisa, who she greets her too, and so does Chaeyoung while Jisoo just continues her lunch.

 

 "What? Jennie didn't come back yet?"  Looking around her, Nayeon asks after having a short conversation with Lisa and Chaeyoung .

 

 -"She went to the bathroom."

 

 Lisa answers her, and Nayeon furrows her eyebrows.

 

 "Really? She must have met with Matthew after she has gone out then."  Taking a spoon and trying to drink from Lisa's ramen, Nayeon says, making Jisoo pause.

 

 - "What? She met Matthew?"  Jisoo says, speaking for the first time since Nayeon arrived as she puts the spoon aside, surprising Nayeon.

 

 "um.. I was on my way to turn in my report when I saw them talking at the hallway near the bathrooms." Nayeon answers nonchalantly as she looks to the other side thoughtfully, "They seemed to be arguing."

 

She pauses, oblivious to Jisoo's blank displeased expression, before she lightens up as she looks at a certain direction behind Jisoo.

 

 "Oh, there she is!" Nayeon says, turning her attention back to her plate.

 

 Jisoo turns her head and sees Jennie coming towards them and smiles when she looks at Jisoo.

 

 She forces a smile to form on her face until Jennie arrives and sits next to her, greeting Nayeon and going back to her lunch.

 

 Jisoo kept staring at her plate as she fidgeted with the spoon, then sighed and turned to Jennie, wearing a cheerful expression.

 

 "So, you met Matthew?" She points out suddenly, making Jennie almost choke and looks at Jisoo in shock. "Nayeon told me."

 

 

 "Aah..yes." She starts nervously after recovering, "I ran into him on my way to the bathroom. He asked me about how you're doing since he couldn't do that." 

 

She finishes, looking back at her tray.

 

 Jisoo pauses for a moment and follows,

 "He could have called me, why would he ask you?"

 

 "How do I know?" Jennie says chuckling uncomfortably. "Maybe when he saw me he didn't see a reason to that since I'm going to be with you anyway." She says, shrugging.

 

 "Yes, that must be it." Jisoo adds quietly, deciding not to dwell on it any further.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jisoo stands next to the girls at the sidewalk in front of the entrance to the university building, waiting for her car and the car that will drive the girls. When they arrive, Jisoo heads to her car and waves goodbye to them.

 

 At first, Jennie was baffled, trying to say something so it wouldn't be the last time she see Jisoo for today, and so after seeing Jisoo is about to open the car door, she hurries to her side, leaving Lisa and Chaeyoung to look at her with confusion.

 

 "What did we miss yesterday?"  Chaeyoung asks staring at Jennie and Jisoo.

 

 - "Something happened between them." Lisa says calmly. "I can see the hearts popping out from her eyes from here." she quips before she turns towards the other car and heads towards it, followed by Chaeyoung.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 "You will come in the evening, right?"

 

 Jennie asks a bit too eager as soon as she walks close to Jisoo and stands in front of her before she gets in, only the door separating them, looking at her with hopeful eyes before she takes notice of herself, tones it down a bit, and rephrases, "I mean, won't you come?"

 

 Jisoo remains silent, staring at her for a moment, she turns her gaze elsewhere before bringing it back to Jennie.

 

 "I will." She assures, nodding, "I'm going to visit you and stay for a while." She continues, smiling.

 

 Jennie returns her smile happily, then steps back a little, waves goodbye to her before she turns around and heads to their car.

 

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 Jennie was standing at the table putting the final touches of dinner preparations when she heard the door being knocked making her hurry and finish quickly. Before stepping to the door and before opening it, she stops and takes a deep breath, rearranging her hair that did not need to be arranged and adjusting her posture. She reaches for the handle and opens the door to see Jisoo standing calmly with her hands in her coat pockets, looking flawless as always.

 

 "Hey."  Jisoo says softly, smiling.

 

 -"Hey back."

 

 Jennie replies with the same tone, wearing a shy smile, ignoring the awkwardness around them.

 

 This is literally Jisoo's apartment!

 

 She wastes no more time, opens the door wide quickly, stands aside, and nods to Jisoo to get inside.  Jisoo walks in and begins to take off her coat as she looks around wondering.

 

 "Where are Lisa and Chaeyoung?"

 

 - "Aah.. umm.. they decided to go out for a walk and to have dinner outside."  Jennie answers, scratching the back of her head a little nervous.

 

 In fact, she told Lisa to take Chaeyoung out of here in a promise that she will make it up for them later with all the food they ask for.  

 

Unbeknownst to Chaeyoung of course.

 

 Jisoo nods to her with understanding, and then her eye falls on the prepared dining table, and Jennie notices it to then she follows directly as she nods to the table,  "Your timing is really good. I just finished preparing dinner."

 

 Jisoo nods again throwing her coat on the couch.

 

 "Okay, I'll wash my hands first and then we can start after."  She says before she goes to the bathroom.

 

. . . . . .

 

 After she's done, Jisoo walks out of the bathroom and sits at the table, finding Jennie already waiting for her, one facing the other, and they start having dinner.

 

 Several minutes passed as they exchanged conversations here and there, both were talking somewhat formal due to the tensed atmosphere between them, maybe because they had just reconciled.

 

 The conversation was not the only thing they exchanged, but also the looks, the stolen glances in particular, especially since Jisoo did not lose sight of how beautiful Jennie looks this evening.. or every evening.

 

 "So, how is the project going with you?"  Jennie asks after they remained silent for a while in an attempt to start another topic.

 

 Jisoo furrows her eyebrows in confusion, not knowing what Jennie means.

 

 "What project?"  Jisoo asks, looking at her with question.

 

 Jennie pauses, realizing something.

 

 "The project that required your presence close to the company.."She follows holding back her knowing smile.

 

Of course she will forget, because there wasn't any to begin with.

 

Jisoo remains lost for a while, staring at Jennie before realizing what She means, hangs open automatically to it.

 

 Yes, the imaginary project.

 

 "Oh, it's good, it's going well." Jisoo says sheepishly, nodding, turning her gaze at the plate, and distracting herself by slicing the meet.

 

 "In fact, in a few days, an event will take place to set out and hold other projects."

 

 She says while scratching her forehead a little, trying to change the subject.

 

 - "An event? Are you the ones who are going to organize it?"  Jennie asks her intently as she feels the resurgence of spontaneity between them, bit by bit.

 

 "No, I heard that it was by a new businessman in the domain, so this event will contribute to presenting his work to the rest of the companies and see which ones will accept it, and sign a contract with him."

 

 Jisoo gets immersed in the conversation as she continues explaining to Jennie about how the business is going and how it works, and Jennie was just.. looking admiringly at her. Listening closely and smiling to her.

 

 "In any case, after I go back to my place, I will have to discuss this matter with the rest of the shareholders." she finishes with boredom as she goes back to her plate.

 

As her smile fades hearing that, reminding her of what's been on her mind the last few hours, Jennie keeps looking at her silently and then looks at her plate, her lips and holds the fork and knife, going back to her dinner as well.

 

 "About that.." Jennie starts calmly, chewing her bite painfully slow, "You're not going anywhere."

 

Taking another bite, she continues, making Jisoo stop moving her hands for a second.

 

 - "Hmm?"  Looking up at Jennie, she lets out, looking lost.

 

 Jennie swallows nervously, takes a sip of water, then focuses her gaze at Jisoo and follows,

 

 "You won't go anywhere. You will be back here starting.. now."

 

 Jisoo stares at her in disbelief silently before she suddenly chuckles as she turns her gaze to the other side and then returns it to Jennie.

 

 "What are you saying?"

 

Another chuckle. 

 

"Is this a joke or something?"

 

 She says in a lighthearted tone, waiting for Jennie to tell her that she is just kidding, but Jennie keeps her serious expression, looking at her with determination, not fazed by her reaction.

 

 - "As you heard. You no longer have to stay in another place. From now on, you will stay here like before."

 

 "Jennie.." she starts after being silent for a while massaging her forehead. "I know, it's just.. I still have to stay there for a few more days."

 

She feels so because even if they did made up, fast changes doesn't sit right with her, and moving right after is one of them.

 

 -"I don't care." Jennie declares, shrugging playfully, "I won't let you walk out of here."

 

Jisoo laughs with disbelief while Jennie remains steadfast in her seriousness.

 

 "Really? And how are you going to stop me?"  Jisoo says in a cheerful tone, challenging Jennie.

 

 - "I locked the door and hid the key."  Jennie answers simply.

 

 Jisoo laughs again at Jennie's simplicity and cuteness and how she says it.

 

 "I hate to ruin your plans, but I.." Jisoo trials off as she stands from the table and heads towards the couch. "I already have my own spare key."

 

She says and carry her coat and start looking in its pockets while she looks at Jennie confidently and stays like this while looking in the first pocket. Finding nothing she turns to the other pocket and looks in it, not finding anything also and here the confident expression begins to disappear.  She turns to her purse and begins to search in there too, looking in focus, and nothing comes out.

 

 "Are you looking for this?"

 

Jennie asks teasingly, jiggling up the key with the medallion hanging to it in the air, drawing Jisoo's attention to look at her in shock.

 

 "Do you really think I didn't think you might have one more?"  Jennie tells her as she fakes a puzzled expression since Jisoo's stayed looking at her, amazed.

 

 Jisoo laughs in disbelief as she turns her head to the other side and then looks back at Jennie.

 

"Are you trying to introduce me to Jennie the Ninja or something? 

 

How?"

 

 She asks incredulously, and then falls silent, smiling to herself, she still didn't believe what happened.  She must have taken the opportunity when she went to the bathroom.

 

This sneaky little schemer.

 

 "Woah, how did I forget that I was hiding a shrewd here?"  She says, throwing her arms in the air, while Jennie just dusts off her shoulder and smiles arrogantly.

 

 - "Now, how about you drag your back here so we can finish dinner?"  Jennie asks her playfully.

 

Jisoo raises an eyebrow at her new profound sassiness in amusement, the corner of her lips curling up slightly.

 

 "After you give me back the key, sure, of course," Jisoo says, holding her palm out to her.

 

 -"No."  Jennie replies maintaining their eye contact as she stresses the letter O.

 

 "Jennie, you're being childish. My things are still there and my clothes."  She says desperately placing her hands on her hips.

 

 - "You can send someone to bring them, it's not a big deal."

 

 Jisoo rolls her head back in frustration and impatience before she looks back at Jennie and keeps staring at her silently for a while. Taking her off guard, Jisoo pounces on her in an attempt to grab the key from her, but Jennie is quick to act as she gets up from her seat immediately and turns away from her while hiding her hand behind her back.

 

 "What? Are we going to resort to oppressive methods?"  Jennie sarcastically asks, her features hiding a playful smile, walking back step by step as Jisoo steps forward.

 

 "If I have to.. yes!"

 

Mirroring her expression, Jisoo says before she speeds up her steps towards Jennie and begins to chase after her through the apartment and Jennie keeps dodging her, hiding behind the couch or the table, or suddenly changing her path to lose her. 

 

They continue like this for a few moments until Jisoo manages to catch up and holds her and pushes her towards the front door of the apartment. Pinning her as she lets her hands go around Jennie's waist in an attempt to reach the key she is hiding behind her back, the key which she was gripping inside her fist tightly.

 

 "Jennie." she says in a stern tone, breathing heavily and looking at her sharply.

 

 - "Jisoo." Jennie mimicks her tone, trying to catch her breath too.

 

 "Jennie.. enough."

 

 - "You enough!"

 

Jennie snaps suddenly, almost whining, making Jisoo still and look at her with surprise. 

 

Her expressions softens before she elaborates,

 

"I won't waste another minute with you not here." She falls silent, looking at Jisoo intently. Actually looking at her lips too but she's trying to be subtle about it.

 

 "Also.. we will sleep on the same bed from now on." She adds softly, glancing once more at her lips.

 

Wow, now she knows why her eyes seems to linger there sometimes.

 

It amazes her how figuring out her feelings can bring her this much confidence, this much awareness and this much.. anxiety, damn.

 

But hey, she already made a decision. She will keep her feelings hidden.

 

 - "Ha?"  spontaneously it comes out of Jisoo's mouth, dumbfounded.

 

 "I'm tired of the distances between us. Understand." She says her last word as a desperate request, looking at Jisoo with pleading eyes.  

 

Jisoo stares directly into her eyes silently as her expression softens and mirrors Jennie's, getting what she means because she feels the exact way.

 

She hates being away from her too, and longs for her just the same.

 

"I.. understand." 

 

Jisoo assures softly, and they stare at each other for moments before Jennie moves one hand from behind her back and grabs Jisoo's blouse from the waist and pulls her closer, making their bodies press against each other delicately. 

 

Now that Jennie thinks about it, they always have been this intimate with each other, platonically.

 

Jisoo leans her forehead on Jennie's as her hands rest on the door on both sides of Jennie, both their eyes closed, the tip of their noses touching as they take in each other's closeness.

 

Slowly they adjust their heads so the side of their faces touch, and they still like that, in their own bubble, not a care in the world.

 

Breathing steadily but still feeling like out of breath.

 

Jennie doesn't care if it might seem too overboard for a friendship or out of line, it works for them so it's okay.

 

And she thanks god that people hearts are hidden securely, because if not, her heart will be embarrassing the hell out of her because of the jumps, dances and flips it's doing right now.

 

They remain like that for another few seconds before a knocking on the door startles them both, surprising them.

 

 Jisoo backs away from Jennie, and Jennie turns away from the door as she turns around, both fidgeting and and looking at earth other bashfully. Jennie takes a deep breath and opens the door when another knock comes, revealing a bored Lisa and impatient Chaeyoung.

 

 They came back.. not on the agreed time.

 

 "Yah! How you doing?"  Lisa greets enthusiastically as she steps inside, addressing Jisoo.

 

 "Jisoo!"  Chaeyoung exclaims, and before Jisoo can open and responds, Chaeyoung hugs her.

 

 - "Doing fine, welcome back."  Jisoo welcomes them as she walks behind them while Jennie stays to close the door as she rolls her eyes helplessly at the sudden intervention.

 

 "Woah! dinner looks great!"  Chaeyoung remarks as she heads toward the table, flapping her hands excitedly. Jisoo follows her feeling amused at her reaction.

 

 - "Lisa? Could you please come help me  little?" Jennie asks as she nods her head towards the kitchen, giving her a look.

 

 Jennie goes into the kitchen and waits for a few seconds before Lisa comes in after her.

 

 "I thought I told you not to come back now!"  Jennie says in a stressed whisper as she looks at Lisa disapprovingly.

 

 - "Not my fault. I couldn't keep Chaeyoung out any longer!"  Lisa replies defensively in the same tone.

 

 Helplessly, Jennie sighs and rolls her head before walking to the drawers for extra dishes.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jisoo and Jennie go back to having dinner, this time with Lisa and Chaeyoung, and to their own surprise, the dinner was quiet and thick with tension.  

 

Lisa was eating and looking at Jennie and Jisoo from time to time with suspicious looks.

 

 "So? When is the wedding?"  Suddenly, Lisa says, looking nonchalantly at them, making Jennie choke on her bite.

 

 -"Are you ok?"  Jisoo says quickly as she pats Jennie on the back, who weakly nods to her after she has recovered.

 

Why do they like to throw bombs at her whenever she's eating?

 

 "Lisa? Are you reactivated or what?"  Jennie asks, deadpanning, as she looks at Lisa, who was looking at her with a smirk, pushing Jisoo to look between them in confusion.

 

 - "What wedding are you talking about?"  Jisoo asks her.

 

 "Because you two made up and all that." Chaeyoung says after she has finished eating.

 

 Jisoo stares at her for a moment, then breaks into a soft chuckle and looks at Jennie, who has turned into a tomato and sank in her chair.

 

 "Oh.. well, apparently, we're passed that."

 

Jisoo starts out softly and with a lighthearted tone as she takes the spoon.

 

 "We're now on our honeymoon."

 

 She jokes as she looks at Jennie and gives her a sly smile, gaining applause from Lisa and Chaeyoung as they howl and whistle teasingly, causing Jennie to feel twice embarrassed of what she already felt.

 

 

 

 .

 

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 Jennie rolls over in her bed, still asleep, and stretches her arm to the side, furrowing weakly when she doesn't feel Jisoo's body, she wakes up slowly realizing she isn't here.

 

 She lifts her head a little as she opens her eyes slightly, looking quizzically across the dark room, she looks around and doesn't find her.

 

This is strange. How was she able to break free from her grip?

 

 Although she made sure to surround Jisoo tightly with her arms and even legs.

 

Little does Jennie know that if she goes to sleep, she turns into a corpse.

 

 She looks at the nightstand clock and sees it reading two thirty after midnight.  Is it possible that Jisoo left?

 

 No, She hid the keys well.

 

Maybe she should tie her up next time.. 

 

Joking.  

 

Unless..

 

Shaking her absurd thoughts away, Jennie pulls the blanket off her body, gets off the bed and walks out of the room in slow, calm steps.

 

 She walks to the open living room and sees it in dim lighting. Looking around, she doesn't find anyone too. While she decides to go to check in the bathroom, she hears a clatter from inside the kitchen.

 

 Walking towards it, she stops at the entrance when she sees the source of the sound.

 

 Right at the kitchen counter, standing with her back across from her, Jisoo was slicing something.

 

Jennie smiles to herself when she sees this and leans sideways against the frame of the entrance as she brings her arms to her chest and crosses them and thus keeps staring at Jisoo, she tilts her head slightly in awe, contemplating the sight in front of her.

 

Her hair was lifted in a ponytail with a few strands falling around her face, revealing her long, tuat neck, and wearing a long, oversized sweater that made her look very soft, very cute, so warm and so huggable.

 

. . . . . . .

 

 Immersed in her thoughts cutting fruits to make herself a salad and unaware, Jisoo felt two arms slowly wrapping around her waist, followed by a soft, warm body that pressed to her own from behind, causing her to flinch.

 

Realizing who the person is, she takes a breath with relief.

 

Jennie the ninja, indeed.

 

 "Jennie! I almost got a heart attack because of you!"  Jisoo exclaims in a low, stressed whisper as she calms herself down.  Jennie doesn't say anything and just hums lyrically as she adjusts her head on Jisoo's shoulder, closing her eyes and smiling.

 

 "What woke you up at this time?"  Jisoo quietly asks as she returns to the fruits and again, Jennie doesn't answer her.

 

 "Jennie?"  She says when her silence is prolonged.

 

 - "Let's just stay like this for a few minutes.." Jennie finally utters in a whisper.

 

 Jisoo smiles to herself, leaving her as she likes, and returns her attention back to slicing.

 

"What are you cutting?" Jennie asks after moments of silence as she opens her eyes and peeks at what Jisoo is doing. "Hmm.. strawberries." she adds lovingly.

 

 -"Here.."

 

 Jisoo says as she takes one of the strawberries pieces and directs it towards Jennie's mouth, which she takes quickly and chews it after, sensing its sweet taste. She puts her head back on Jisoo's shoulder as she tightenes her arms around her more.

 

Silence and calm return between them and Jennie keeps looking at Jisoo's hands as they move with a purpose and smiles to herself, and as she does, she turns her face slightly until it touches the end of Jisoo's ear and the roots of her hair and inhales deeply.

 

 "Jennie.." Jisoo says softly with a quipped puzzlement.

 

 Jennie stays silent and just places her left hand on the back of Jisoo's own, the one holding the fruit in place and intertwines her fingers between Jisoo's and tightenes her hold on them.

 

 "Every place you are not there, is a cold and lonely place.." Jennie starts in a whisper near Jisoo's ear. 

 

"Everything your hands don't touch, is meaningless and tasteless.

 

You give things their meaning, and places their warmth.

 

 You make them look beautiful."

 

She falls silent for few seconds and then follows as she turns her head and looks down at the fruit.

 

"For example, this fruit, until now was as insignificant as any other fruit, and it tastes as usual." She pauses again before she continues, "Until your hands decided to give it some attention and cut it to become the best and most delicious fruit in the world."

 

 She says, turning her head to look at Jisoo, gaining a chuckle from her.

 

 Jisoo remains silent, looking at their hands together.

 

 "I still don't get it.." She says calmly, making Jennie look quizzically. "One time you are close, at another I see you turning away and at another you are coming back close—"

 

 "Jisoo." Jennie interjects in a firm determined tone as she steps back a little, making Jisoo turn her head to look at her.

 

"There is only one way for me now.."

 

 

 🎶 ▶ Gugudan's Sejeong - Flower Road

 

 

 "Your way." She coos, looking straight into Jisoo's eyes dreamily.

 

 "The only thing I will do from now on," She begins, wrapping her arms around the Jisoo again, and bringing her head close before she continues in a soft tone, "Is just getting close. "

 

 They keep staring at each other, Jisoo trying to prevent herself from smiling, and Jennie can see Jisoo's eyes lightening up and she smiles at that.

 

 Jisoo turns her head and looks at the fruit, takes one of the strawberries and raises it in the air in front of Jennie.

 

 "This is your favorite, isn't it?"

 

 Jisoo says with a lighthearted tone, and Jennie nods affirmatively. 

 

Jisoo brings it closer to Jennie's mouth and whrn she opens and is about to bite it, Jisoo quickly pulls her hand away and pops the strawberry in instead, surprising Jennie.

 

 "Go get one for yourself then. Those are mine."

 

 Jisoo digresses playfully as she looks at Jennie and wiggles her eyebrows teasingly with a sinister smile, while Jennie is looking at her with narrow eyes, pretending to be mad, her expressions hiding a smile, but this doesn't last as she quickly leans forward and gives Jisoo a soft kiss on her cheek before moving away.

 

 "I still win." She quips as a matter of fact, smirking, before she walks out of the kitchen.

 

 Jisoo keeps staring at the distance, a little taken back, before she turns around and rests her hands loosely on the edge of the counter, smiling like an idiot to herself, chuckling and shaking her head helplessly.

 

After each one of them had prepared her own fruit salad between jokes and brief laughters, they decided to sit around the coffee table in the living room, on the floor, and watch TV while turning the volume down to a suitable level.

 

 They spend the late night having a blast; Jisoo throwing random sarcastic comments on any show they watch, and Jennie laughing hard at them. Sometimes she steals from Jennie's plate and they fight about it, sometimes Jennie does the same and the saga continues.

 

During all that, Jennie kept looking at her with contemplation and eyes full of love, watches her laughing and acting childishly, feeling her heart is swelling and so full with emotions as they flow throughout her chest.

 

 

 What is love in the first place?

 

 Is it what makes your heart beat so fast?

 

 Anyone, anything can make it happen, like a horror movie or a roller coaster.

 

 Is it the way you feel when touched?

 

This is instinctive and natural, every touch no matter what it is, can make you feel something.

 

 What is it then?

 

 If someone asked Jennie this question, her answer would be this.

 

 These exact moments.. the moments she feel she's in complete connection with Jisoo. Without any words, without any touch, without any side thoughts.

 

 The moments that make her feel the desire to cry from the intensity of her feelings and how happy she is, that she want to keep them in the deepest place in her heart and locks them in.

 

 The moments that consist of Jisoo only.

 

🎶⏸

 

 

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 Jonathan enters the university, looking around and searching the faces of passers-by, lost as he looks for Matthew, and as he's like that, one of the students crosses his side and he stops him to ask.

 

"Excuse me. Do you know where the second year students are?" Before the student answers him Jonathan spots Matthew coming from afar and on a hurry to then he quickly digresses, 

 "Oh, thanks, I got it."

 

He turns away from the student, leaving him confused, and walks toward Matthew.

 

 Matthew was on his way out when he looked somewhere and saw John coming towards him wearing his cold smile as usual.  Matthew stops in shock and looks around like he's making sure of something before he returns his attention to John.

 

 "What are you doing here?" Matthew asks thickly when John arrives.

 

 - "I came to see a place that occupied all your attention."  John replies nonchalantly.

 

 "What is your business? Who asked you?"  Matthew asks mockingly in annoyance as he keeps looking around nervously.

 

 - "Of course it is my business! If you can't do your work probably, I will do it for you."  John responds provocatively.

 

 "You won't do anything here!" Matthew hisses at him, looks away and sees Jisoo on her way towards them, he quickly follows before she notices, "Now go from here."

 

He turns John around and pushes him from the back towards the main doors and leads him out.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 "Never come again!" Matthew says after coming outside. "Others still didn't get used me being here yet. Don't complicate things for me."

 

 - "Why would it matter to you if others got used to you or not?"  John asks with the same provocative tone, but still curious.

 

 Matthew sighs in annoyance, rolls his eyes and follows, "Just look after your business, and I look after mine."

 

He says and stares at him sharply for a while before he walks back inside.

 

 John remains standing, staring silently into the void, then turns around and goes to his car and gets inside. He stays still for a while as he looks ahead and then starts the engine and starts to drive and while he is turning the car, he notices through the wide glass window of the building Matthew standing next to a girl.

 

He wonders a little about their relationship, but does not dwell much on the matter until he turns his gaze and sees three other girls, and between them one he managed to recognize. 

 

As he slowly drives away, he watches her approaching with her two friends until she stands next to Matthew and the other girl.

 

And that girl was the same girl who he met in the club.

 

 Her name was Jennie.

 

 —————————

 To be continued

 —————————

 

 

We're going down for real.