A/N: Bring your snacks and get comfortable, it’s a long chapter :) 

 

 

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Chapter 23

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 John forcefully opens his office room, takes quick strides towards his office, followed by one of the men.

 

 "You're going to track down this girl."  John says once he sits behind his desk while he takes out his phone and puts it on its back on the desk, showing a picture.

 

 The man leans forward, takes the phone and looks at the picture.  In the picture there are four girls next to Matthew, and from the angle and quality it was clear that the photo was taken from afar and in secret.

 

 "The first one from the right, her name is Jennie," John begins with a resolute tone, drawing the man's attention to look at him.

"Find one of our men who cannot be noticed and doesn't arouse suspicion, and let him sneak into the university with the identity of a student and tell him to set his eyes on her."

 

 The man nods with understanding and asks,

 "Is he just gonna follow her?"

 

 John raises his head towards him, looking at him in annoyance.

 

 "He will bring all the information related to her," John says in a matter of fact tone, indicating that there's no place for failure in this, "and what exactly is her relationship with Matthew. Is that clear?"

 

 -"Yes sir."

 

  The man replies and then takes out his phone and sends the picture from John's phone to his own and places it back on the desk, bows to John and leaves the room afterwards.

 

 "Matthew.. what are you planning this time?"  John mumbles to himself, in a faint tone, as he turns around in his chair and leans back, staring at emptiness.

 

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 (Two days later)

 

 

 Jisoo stands next to some other people dressed in formal glamorous evening suits and dresses, holding a champagne glass and chatting with them about business and other general topics.

 

When her conversation with them comes to and end, she excuses herself and walks away from them, and starts to walk in boredom as she looks around and contemplates the place thoughtfully.

 

 Half an hour has passed since her arrival at the event, and she still hasn't met the founder of the event, but she somewhat formed an idea about him looking at the details of the event.  His holding of the event in one of the luxurious halls in Seoul indicates that he is basically a wealthy person with a large capital.

 

 All the invitees were recognized by Jisoo, and all of them are the owners of large companies in the market, which means that he wants to lay a foundation for him in the market and make a name for himself the fast way. An unprofessional and unfair method used by those who pave their path of success using only money.

 

The event's decoration and theme was in a modern Western style with classical music that filled the atmosphere. If she's not wrong then he not only wanted to be seen as a rich and confident person in the business field, but also wanted to show others that he is a civilized and cultured man, someone with a charming personality. What made her suspicious of him the most is that all the workers here on duty were young women.

 

 While she is walking, one of the paintings attracts her attention and she stops to look at it, and as she does, several starts standing next to her, looking at the painting as well.

 

 "The birth of Venus."

 

 Jisoo hears the voice of a man out of nowhere, cutting her thoughts, she turnes towards it to see a man taller than her by several inches, with a rough build, although he looks pretty slim. His hair is very short and flat with narrow eyes and a suspicious look.  Next to him a woman was standing, his assistant perhaps.

 

"The painting, is called the birth of Venus."

 

He elaborates when Jisoo remains silent looking puzzled.

 

She nods to him with understanding and looks back at the painting as he stands beside her looking at the painting too.

 

"Sandro Botticelli who painted it." He continues, "What do you think?  Isn't it beautiful? He was able to perfectly portray the arrival and appearance of the goddess Venus.

 

 He finishes, his features concealing a smile.

 

 Jisoo remains silent for a while staring at the painting;  It showed a girl in the middle standing on a giant scallop shell, as pure and as perfect as a pearl, to the left of her was a woman trying to cover her, and to the right of her was a bare-chested man with wings carrying another woman in his arm.

 

 Were it not for the fact that this event was not art related and was formal, she would have showed her appreciation to the painting beauty and discussed it, but it's not only inappropriate, it doesn't belong here either. Now that she notices it, all the paintings placed here shows a skin, a hint of , and that tells her a lot about the personality of the founder of the event.

 

 She takes a sip from the glass, sighs, turns towards him and replies,  "A unique piece, yes, but if I'm not mistaken, we're not here to discuss art."

 

 The man laughs as he looks down a little and looks back at Jisoo.

 

 "Right. Actually, I thought I got to meet everyone here, until I saw you."  He says and makes his last words in a softer tone than the rest. "I wondered how such a beauty would be in such a place and I overlooked her."  He adds smiling.

 

 Jisoo smiles at him formally as she lowers her eyes a little.

 

 "I got curious to know who you really are."  Jisoo says with a faux enthusiasm.

 

 "Let me introduce you, " The woman next to him says, "Miss Kim, this is Jang Park, he is the owner and founder of this party. "

 

His assistant was talking while pointing to Mr. Park while he was continuing to look at Jisoo and grinning, and Jisoo was listening, realizing who he is.

 

 no wonder, she thought.

 

 "Mr. Park, I am pleased to meet you." She says, reaching out to shake his hand and he takes it immediately.

 

"I'm Kim Jisoo. I'm here on my father's behalf."

 

 - "Your father?" 

 

 "Yes, Kim Sehun."

 

 She says and his face falls for a few moment, before he pulls it back to normal and continues smiling.

 

 "Nice to meet you too, Kim Jisoo."  He says, raising her hand and printing a light kiss on the back of her hand, as he looks at her thoughtfully.

 

 Jisoo pulls her hand politely, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, and wears her formal fake smile.

 

 "So, I hope the event has met your liking."  He adds after watching Jisoo looking around fidgetily.

 

 - "It was well organized."  She answers vaguely while she continues to look around.

 

 "I'm glad. I hope everyone is thinking the same."

 

 - "I don't think there is any need to be concerned about that." Smiling at him, she nods, and then follows abruptly, "Now if you excuse me, I must make an important call."

 

 "Of course, go ahead."  He adds nodding to her and bowing slightly when she bows in respect before she goes.

 

 Once she walks away from him, his expressions goes blank, staring at her and watching her go to a less noisy area.

 

 "Kim Sehun's daughter then.." he murmurs to himself knowingly and drinks from his glass afterwards.

 

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 "So, how was it?"  Lisa asks as she sits on the sofa next to Jisoo, who had come back a half an hour ago.

 

 -"Boring."  Jisoo replies simply as she drags the word without taking her eyes off the TV.

 

 Lisa furrows her eyebrows as if she thinks and follows, "The founder of the event or the event itself?"

 

 -"Both."

 

 "Did you see the founder?" Jennie joins their conversation as she walks in the sitting area to place the popcorn plate next the rest of the snacks. "Will you work with him?"

 

 "Hmm.. No." She simply says and continues, "He seemed very suspicious to me to get into any business with him."

 

 She finishes, looking at Jennie, who was busy arranging the dishes after she has nodded to her in acknowledgement. A moment later, Jisoo's gaze on het turnes to meditative looks, watching the determination and focus of Jennie's features, as if she's doing the most difficult task ever, watching how she made her hair cascade to one side revealing her neck and collar bones.

 

And for some unknown reason, Jisoo gets stuck there. 

 

 Suddenly, Jennie stands up, and Jisoo quickly turns her gaze back to the TV, and then Jennie walks out of the sitting area and heads to her room.

 

 "Lisa.. Chaeyoung.." Jisoo starts in a low tone, once Jennie walks into her room, attracting their attention. "Don't you think that Jennie started wearing a lot of makeup lately?"

 

 She asks curiously making them look quizzically, they exchange looks and look back at her.

 

 "No. I don't see any difference."  Still wearing an inquisitive expression, Lisa replies.

 

 - "Yeah.. her makeup looks natural to me."  Chaeyoung agrees.

 

 "Aah, of course, I don't mean it as in a heavy makeup, but.." She falls silent while thinking about how she explains what she meant. "I mean.. look," she sits upright and follows, "Usually.. She doesn't wear eyeliner, and even if she does, she draws it in a fine line, barely there."

 

 Jisoo was talking very intently and animatedly, using her hands gestures to emphasize.

 

"But now she always puts it on and makes a little wing at the end, at the corner of her eyes, and she also didn't wear lipstick and only uses lip palm, and now she puts lipstick in matte colors, close to the color of her lips, and even the faint blush on her cheeks—"

 

 "Okay Jisoo! We get it."  Lisa interjects stopping her blabbering when she realized that she won't stop any time soon, after she and Chaeyoung were listening to her with straight expressions.

 

 "Do you.. do you understand what I mean now? She even seems like she's having a date and ready to go out anytime!" Jisoo exclaims them with sincere curiosity, and returns to lean on the sofa.

 

 "Yeah, yeah.." Lisa nods helplessly, exchanges knowing looks with Chaeyoung, and turnes back to Jisoo. "Maybe.. maybe she's trying to empress someone?"  Lisa asks suggestively as she wears a false puzzled expression.

 

 Jisoo just laughs.

 

 "Well, why would she wear it even at home?" She asks looking at Lisa and then shakes her head, "It doesn't make sense." She follows and chuckles again.

 

 Lisa also shakes her head but in despair.

 

 "My God, Jisoo.. you're so slow."

 

 - "What? What's that supposed to mean?"  She asks seriously as she turns back to Lisa.

 

 Lisa sighs and digresses,  "Nothing Jisoo. What I mean is.. maybe there's someone on her mind, what do you know? Maybe she's texting him right now."

 

She says teasingly as she points towards their room and puts a mischievous smile.

 

"And she's like, taking pictures of herself and sending them to him?"

 

 She continues, making Jisoo look at her with a blank features.  Jisoo ponders her words and then suddenly scoffs.

 

 "No way! It can't be." she says, chuckling at her in disapproval, and looking the other way.

 

 - "Why? Why not?"  Looking at Jisoo, Lisa insists, feeling amused and perplexed by this strange chemistry between Jisoo and Jennie.

 

 Jisoo turns towards her, not knowing what to answer her, and keeps staring at her silently.

 

 'Yeah.. why not?'

 

 "I don't think it's that complicated."

 

Before Jisoo answers, Chaeyoung says, saving her and putting a solution to their discussion.

 

"Perhaps she is only doing it for herself. Not trying to empress anyone or something. I mean, most girls do that." She continues, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

 

 - "Yes! Exactly! That must be the reason!"  Jisoo agrees quickly and cheerfully as she gives her a nod and a thumbs up.

 

 

 

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 Jennie had just finished changing her clothes to her pajamas when she heard a phone ringing near her.  She turns to the sound and finds it's Jisoo's phone.  She walks to the phone and looks at it from afar and sees that the caller is Jin Young.

 

 She rolls her eyes in annoyance, sighs, returns to look at it and keeps staring, thinking whether or not she should tell Jisoo.  She stays like this for a while, then sighs and presses the phone side button that makes it silent without cutting off the call.

 

 She keeps waiting until the call ends and when it does, she lifts the phone and removes the missed call notification. When she's about to place it back on the nightstand it rings again and this time she rolls her eyes so forcefully to her extreme annoyance and mutes the call again. She opens the contacts app quickly when it ends and searches for Jin Young's name and when she finds it she taps on it and blocks his number.

 

She exits the app, removes it from the background, and puts the phone back on the table, smiling comfortably and proudly.

 

"Now let's see if you can call again."

 

 She says smugly, giving the phone one last look and a sinister smile, and turns around, on her way out of the room, but stops in her tracks as soon as she reaches the door.

 

Okay.. maybe what she did was childish and needless. It's not like that will prevent him from trying to reach Jisoo for good.

 

 She sighs helplessly and turnes back reluctantly to the phone to unblock Jin Young's number as she breathes in frustration, and when she is done, she puts it back in its place and walks out of the room.

 

 

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 "sir.." The man starts once he arrives and stands next to John, where he was standing watching the workers packing and distributing the drug, attracting his attention.

 

"About what you asked of me earlier," he says hesitantly and quietly.

 

 John nods affirmatively and then gestures to him with his head to follow him as he begins walking towards his office room.

 

 He enters the room and goes to sit behind the desk, the man follows him and closes the door behind him.

 

The man advances towards the desk, takes an envelope from his padded jacket pocket and places it in front of John.

 

 "Her name is Jennie Yin. Nobody knows anything about her and no one has ever seen her before. All the students know about her is that she came out of nowhere with Kim Jisoo after she has participated in a dance party with her. She and two other girls always accompany Kim Jisoo."

 

 He was talking while John was listening intently as he opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside, which it was a group of pictures of Jennie with the girls he had seen next to her.  And other individual photos taken discreetly.

 

 - "Kim Jisoo? Who is she?"  John asks, stopping and raising his gaze to the man for a moment before he returns to flipping through the pictures.

 

 "According to what we understood from the students' words, Kim Jisoo is one of the VIPs here and is the daughter of businessman Kim Sehun."

 

 As soon as the man mentions his name, John stills and remains silent for a while, and then looks at the man again, looking shocked.

 

 "Kim Sehun? The owner of K.S. Companies?"  John asks while furrowing his eyebrows.

 

 - "Y-Yes, sir."

 

John falls silent as he turns his gaze to the other side, throws the pictures to the side and swivels in his chair as he runs his fingers over his chin, thinking.

 

 "Is that all you have come up with?"  He asks suddenly, looking sideways at the man.

 

 - "Yes, sir, we could not go further because nobody really knows and Mr. Matthew has already stopped attending the college."

 

 "There is something behind this. Why will he stop now?" He wonders, more to himself, while shaking his head suspiciously, then turns around facing the man and slams his hand on the desk and follows, "Use all what it takes to get more information. I have to know what Matthew's relationship to the so-called Jennie, and specifically what his relationship to the kims family."

 

 The man nods in understanding, bows to him, turns around, intending to go, but then stops and stays like this for a moment, then turns back to meet John.

 

 "Mmm.. sir, why don't we ask Matthew's men?" He suggests, drawing John's attention to look at him questioning, indicating him to continue.

 

 "I mean, his men came with him from Jeju, they were always with him, they must know or have seen something."

 

 John pauses a little while thinking of the man's suggestion and then replies,

 "Tomorrow morning, bring them to this site in complete secrecy, near the river bank."

 

 He tells him and the man nods again and bows before her walks out.

 

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After finishing her night routine of taking care of her skin before bed and brushing her teeth, Jennie comes out of the bathroom and heads to her room, opens it and finds Jisoo sitting on her bed with her back leaning on the bedboard, her legs stretched one above the other, wearing her spectacles and holding a laptop in her lap, which was taking all her focus.

 

All she can think of is how hot and adorable she looks at the same time. Is that even possible? 

 

 She quietly enters the room, closes the door behind her, and stays standing for a little while looking at Jisoo and smiles to herself as she watches her.

 

 Although Jisoo complains a lot about Jennie's new demands that Jisoo must be near and close to her all the time, she's low-key liking it and Jennie is sure of that, just like how she's now deliberately sitting on Jennie's bed without needing Jennie to ask her to.

 

 Jennie takes a few steps, saunters around the bed, and climbs onto it as she rests her knees first on the edge and crawls until she is sitting close to Jisoo.

 

 "Hmmm..what is this? What are you doing?"  Jennie wonders, crossing her legs and placing her hands in front of her on the mattress, looking at the laptop screen, which she supposes was showing some kind of a game.

 

 - "It's a game that I recently finished developing.." Jisoo says without taking her eyes off the game while she is playing with the keyboard. "I'm personally test it now to make sure there are no glitches or errors."

 

 "Hmmm.." Jennie hums wearing a subtle smile and nods before she follows, "Then it would be better if I play it, since I am considered a potential user."

 

She says excitedly as she puts one of her hair strands behind her ear. She shifts closer to have easier access to the keyboard, and holds the sides of the laptop in her hands.

 

"Also.. you're the developer and so you know how to play it well, so it will be difficult to detect errors. '' She adds when Jisoo kept staring at her in surprise.

 

 Jisoo looks elsewhere as if she's thinking, holding back a smile.

 

 "You're right."  Jisoo simply says, looking back at Jennie.

 

 - "Well then! How do I start?!"  Jennie asks eagerly as she makes her fingers hover over the keyboard in preparation.

 

Jisoo leans in towards the computer to teach Jennie, her right chest pressing against Jennie's left back side gently, and both of them are now looking at the keyboard.

 

 "To walk forward, you press this key," Jisoo says, pointing to the up arrow key.

 

 -"OK."  Jennie responds calmly, nodding as she listens fully.

 

 "And these keys that are next to it are for walking in other directions."  Jisoo continues.

 

 -"OK.."

 

 "This is for jumping.."

 

 -"Aha.."

 

 "This is for punching or shooting.."

 

 - "I see .."

 

 Jisoo continues to guide Jennie on what every key does and Jennie continues to nod slowly or just hums in understanding, and while Jisoo was doing that, she was looking at the key for a moment before looking at Jennie for a  prolonged seconds, staring at the details and shape of Jennie's face and how she seemed very serious about this.

 

 "I'll start now. Be prepared to be amazed."  She says snapping her fingers together and rolling her neck dramatically, gaining heartily laugh from Jisoo.

 

 - "Let's see.." Jisoo challenges in a lighthearted tone as she focuses on the game as well.

 

 Jennie starts playing with full focus, returning to Jisoo if she forgot which key to use, seeing the game was working fine.

 

 In fact, Jennie was trying hard to focus completely on the game, not on Jisoo's hand, that has rested around her hip casually, and nor at Jisoo's proximity to her.

 

Jisoo on the other hand, has given up on watching Jennie play, and just stayed staring at her, contemplating, wearing a weak smile unconsciously.  She also involuntarily wrapped her arm completely around Jennie's waist.

 

 "I won!"

 

 Suddenly, Jennie exclaims, a few moments later, seeming breathless as she raises her hands in a fist triumphantly, attracting Jisoo's attention to look at the screen and see Jennie is already past the first level.  

 

Jennie looks at the screen for a while, and then partially turns to see Jisoo's reaction, looking at her with a hopeful eyes.

 

 - "Woah..." Jisoo lets out admiringly, nodding, and then turning to Jennie and looking at her as well.

 

 "I told you."  Jennie says, smiling proudly.

 

 - "So.. what do you think?"  Jisoo asks in a semi-serious tone.

 

 "Hmmm.." Jennie starts looking elsewhere like she's thinking, "it is generally good and addictive, but there are some things that I would like you to modify a little bit."

 

 Jennie was talking and Jisoo was nodding in acknowledgment.

 

 -"Like?"  Jisoo inquires playfully, raising her eyebrows.

 

 Jennie pauses as she stares at Jisoo and softly replies,  "Not now.. I'll tell you later."

 

 

🎶 ▶ Hyolyn- Always 

 

 

 -"Why?"  Jisoo asks, furrowing.

 

 "Because.. I feel sleepy."  She simply answers without taking her eyes off for a second, and so was Jisoo.

 

 Jisoo smiles and quips,

 "So, sleep."

 

 - "Not before you go to sleep too."  She says, reflecting Jisoo's smile.

 

They sit in a comfortable silence for moments, looking at each other, and then Jisoo chuckles turning her gaze to the other side.

 

At first Jennie looked confused but then she remembered something.

 

 She learned that if Jisoo suddenly laughed like this, it was most likely because she felt shy and tried to evade her shyness that hid other reasons in a way or another.

 

 "What?"  Jennie asks in an intrigued tone.

 

 "You're different."  Jisoo says quietly and in a faint tone, after calming down and looking back at Jennie, looking closely at her, her expressions relaxed and amused.

 

 -"How so?"  Jennie asks in the same tone mirroring Jisoo's expressions.

 

 Jisoo stays silent, raises her right hand and moves it close to the side of Jennie's face, gently and slightly touching her, she begins to run her fingers over it.

 

 "The way you look.." She says in almost in a whisper, browsing Jennie's face, and then looks up at her eyes. "Is different."

 

This time is Jennie's turn to remain silent, she smiles weakly as she lowers her eyes a little and then her lips before she follows as she refocuses her gaze into Jisoo's eyes.

 

 "In a good way, or..." Jennie starts her question hesitantly, and before she can finish it, Jisoo nods, continuing to move her hand across Jennie's face, caressing it tenderly.

 

 Jennie ponders a little and then,

 

 "Everyone who sees you, will look at you the same way."

 

She says, slowly raising her hand towards Jisoo's face and placing it gently on the end of her cheek. 

 

 - "They don't."  Jisoo says after a soft silent chuckle, shaking her head.

 

 "Oh really?" Jennie begins with a quiet disapproval. "They must be blind then." 

 

She decides, looking dreamily at the places of skin her fingers run across.

 

 "And you aren't?" Jisoo adds teasingly as she raises her brow a little.

 

 "Uh-uh."

 

It comes out of Jennie automatically, raising her eyebrow too, imitating Jisoo's expression. She lifts her other hand to pull Jisoo's glasses off carefully with both hands and puts them aside beside her, returns to her previous setting and elaborates softly, 

 

 "The structure of your face.."

 

Smoothly, she runs her index and middle fingers along  Jisoo's jawline.

 

 "Your eyebrows.."

 

 She runs them across her eyebrow.

 

"Your nose.."

 

She makes her index finger runs along the bridge of Jisoo's nose slightly, gaining a faint laugh from Jisoo, until her gaze falls on Jisoo's mouth and calm returns between them.

 

"Your lips.."

 

She says while gently caressing her thumb over the lower lip, looking at it.

 

"Those lips." 

 

She adds in a whisper, falling in a daze for a moment as she stares at them, she comes back to her senses and quickly looks back up at Jisoo's eyes.

 

 "All are engraved in my mind. Do you think a blind person will be able to do that?" 

Jennie finishes with a faint, loving tone.

 

 Jisoo remains silent, the two of them staring at each other, she sighs a breath that she didn't know she was holding and then smiles. A wide, closed smile. She lowers her hand from Jennie's face and places it on her arm and holds it firmly. With the other hand, she closes the laptop and sets it aside on the nightstand. 

 

She pulls Jennie by the arm toward her, making her arm go behind her back while her head lay on her chest. She surrounds her with her arms, holding her tightly, and lets herself lean back slightly on the pillow along with Jennie, almost on top of her.

 

It all happened quickly that Jennie went still at first, surprised, but not wasting any time later she hugs Jisoo back just as firmly, repositioning her head on Jisoo's chest and smiles.

 

Simultaneously, Jisoo was changing the strength of her embrace around Jennie between tightening and loosening as she buried half of her face in Jennie's hair, breathing her in with her eyes closed.

 

 

 

 "Jennie?"

 

Jisoo begins in a whisper after several minutes of silence between them and they are thus.

 

 - "Hmmm?"  Is all that Jennie manages to say, feeling content in Jisoo's bosom, eyes closed too.

 

 Another moments of silence pass.

 

 "I missed you so much."

 

 Jisoo whispers, tightening her arms affectionately around Jennie.

 

 Jennie opens her eyes so immediately, her expressions straighten and she remains still for a while, her feelings overwhelming her.

 

 "You have no idea." Jennie says desperately and anxiously as she sighs vigorously, closes her eyes, tightening her arms around Jisoo as well, and buries her face at the crock of her neck.

 

 Jisoo smiles to herself and adjusts the position of her head on Jennie's and ponders a little.

 

"Tomorrow evening, and for the rest of the night.." She starts with a clear tone. "Dinner outside, only you and me. What do you say?"

 

 - "Are you saying we're going to have the whole evening just for us?"

 

She asks childishly, opening one eye, and Jisoo hums affirmatively.

 

 "Until midnight?"

 

 She hums in agreement again.

 

 "Only you and me?"

 

This time she nods with a faint laugh, amused.

 

"And we have dinner outside too?"

 

 - "Yes, Jennie."  Jisoo says with a lack of patience and a lighthearted tone.

 

 "We have dinner first, and then we can go wherever you like." Jisoo adds promisingly.

 

 - "Anywhere I want?"  Jennie asks in an adorable tone again as she opens both eyes.

 

 "Anywhere.." Jisoo reassures her.

 

 - "Hmm.. I would like to go eat tanghulu," She begins, closing her eyes, and wearing a satisfied smile.

 

 "Okay.." Jisoo agrees softly.

 

 - "And to go eat ice cream afterwards."

 

 "OK.."

 

 - "I'd like us to go to the beach, too."  She adds, her smile getting wider, bit by bit.

 

 "Alright."

 

 - "I want us to stay like this forever."

 

 She says it in a serious, soft tone as she tightens her embrace, surprising Jisoo a little.

 

 Jisoo remains silent for a while, then smiles happily and whispers,

 

 "I want that too."

 

 

 

 🎶⏸

 

 

 

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After finishing reviewing the reports that were on her desk, Jisoo collects them together, puts them into one binder, sets it aside, and gets up.  She takes her suit jacket off the armchair and starts to put it on, and after she's done, she takes out her phone and calls Matthew to find it switched off again.

 

 After the last time she saw him at the university a few days ago, he didn't answer her calls, and she didn't see him anymore at around campus. Whenever she called, she couldn't reach him, which made her somewhat worry about him for this sudden disappearance.

 

At the end, they started becoming closely to what a good friends were.

 

 Immersed in her thoughts, a knocking on the door pulls her back and she permits them to enter. Somi enters with an envelope in her hand.

 

 "Ma'am, this was sent for you."  Sumi says as she approaches Jisoo's desk and hands it over.

 

 -"of whom?"  Jisoo asks as she takes it and looks at Somi wondering.

 

 "From Mr. Park."

 

 Jisoo stares at her for a moment and then nods to her affirmatively, dismissing her, and Somi bows and leaves. 

 

 Jisoo looks at the envelope, examining it with hesitancy. It was a custom designed envelope, decorated and maroon in color.  She unfolds it open and begins reading its contents;  In short, it's a formal dinner invitation.

 

 Jisoo stares suspiciously at it and then turns her gaze to the distance before she and brings it back to card, then she throws it aside, takes her things and heads out of the office room.

 

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 

 John was standing on the bank of a river next to some men in a secluded area surrounded by trees when he heard the sound of the car's brakes stopping close to them.

 

 He turns around and sees the man whom he sent yesterday as he climbs down from the car and turns to the back door and opens it for three men to climb down too. They look at John and at the man with suspicion and caution.

 

 The man leads them until they are in front of John.

 

 "Sir, those are who came with Mr. Matthew from Jeju."  The man says while he points to them.

 

 - "Mr.— sir, have we made any mistake?"  One of them asks with fear.

 

"No.. but maybe you will if you don't cooperate with me." John says calmly, giving them a cold smile, urging them to exchange fearful looks with each other.

 

 John looks at them silently and then extends his hand aside to the other man who is standing next to him. The man pulls out a picture from his pocket and passes it to John.

 

 "This girl. Do you know her?"  John asks raising the picture in front of them to see it.

 

 As soon as they look at the picture, the features of their face become dreadful and panic begins to take its place, and they return to look at each other over and over,  John was watching them closely.

 

 "No, we don't know her, sir."  One says, while lowering his gaze sheepishly.

 

 John nods with false understanding as he turns his gaze downward, lowers his hand and then points to the man on his left, to then he takes out his weapon and point it that one's head, surprising them and pushing them to turmoil and panic.

 

 "Maybe this will refresh your memory."  John says while raising the picture in front of them again.

 

 "Do you want to test my seriousness or what?"  John asks threateningly when they remain silent and then the man holding the gun pulls the hammer of the pistol.

 

 

 - "Jennie Kim!" One of them blurts out suddenly, looking horrified at his companions and John. "She's Jennie Kim."

 

 John lowers his hand, smiling at the corner of his mouth maliciously faintly.

 

 "What's your name?"

 

 The man is silent momentarily, he looks at his two companions again, and then looks at John and answers, "Heechul, sir."

 

 

 John nods slowly and follows, 

 "Come here for a bit, Heechul."

 

He turns around and takes a few steps, then Heechul follows him with cautious steps, and as he walks, he hears the sound of gunfire twice, pushing him to stand frozen in place, he turns slowly and sees his two companions lying on the ground, lifeless.

 

 "Heechul."  John calls him firmly, making him flinch and turn quickly facing John.

 

 "Talk."  John orders in a calm tone and his features conceal a pleased smile.

 

 -"She's.." He begins and swallows with difficulty and continues, "She is the daughter of Jiyong.  The man— the man who stole ten million dollars from Mr. Park.."

 

 "And..?"

 

 Heechul swallows again, feeling cold sweat forming on his forehead, he follows,

 "Mr. Park gave his orders to search for them and.. kill them, regardless of whether they had the money or not, so we started looking for them."

 

 He says, making John furrow his eyebrows with confusion.

 

 "So, why didn't you ever capture her?"

 

 "Heechul!" He calls sternly, asking for an immediate answer when Heechul remains silent as he looked the other way.

 

"Because.. because when we had known that she is here, Mr. Matth— Mr. Matthew told us not to get near her at all."

 

 - "Why would he ask you that?"

 

 "We don't know. He just said he would solve it himself."

 

 John remains silent, looking at the distance, contemplating what Heechul said.

 

 "Sir. can I go now?"

 

 John nods and Heechul turns around, intending to go, when John calls him again making turn back around.

 

 "There is one more thing you have to do."

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 

 

 Jisoo stops in her car in front of the parking lot of the luxury restaurant, lowers her head slightly to look at it through the passenger window, and then turns her gaze to her Jennie, who was mirroring the same radiant expression on her face.

 

 "And here we are."  "Jisoo declares in a cheerful tone as she turns off the engine, and then sits still and looks at Jennie.

 

 "So.. we're going?"  Jisoo asks playfully.

 

 -"Of course!"

 

 Jennie replies eagerly and turns to open the door, and so does Jisoo.  Jennie climbs down of the car and stops at the sidewalk, waiting for Jisoo to stand next to her, and when she is, they start walking in steady, synchronized steps toward the restaurant door.

 

 "Miss Jisoo.. Miss Jennie."  Says the waitress, who was waiting for her, as soon as Jisoo enters with Jennie and approaches her and bows to both of them.

 

 Jisoo must have already told them who was coming with her tonight.

 

 "This way, please."  He extends his arm to a certain direction and walks towards it, then Jisoo and Jennie follow him.

 

When the waitress reaches their reserved booth, he stands and holds out his hand to take their coats, and after doing so, he asks them to have a seat.

 

Jisoo steps away a little to make room for Jennie to go in, sit down, and then goes in to sit next to her.

 

 "Would you prefer to order now or I come back later?"  He asks while looking at them.

 

 Jisoo turns to Jennie and sees her still shyly lost and turns back to the waitress.

 

 "Later." She says smiling.  The waitress nods and bows again and goes.

 

 "So, how do you find the place?"  Jisoo asks looking around and then turns to Jennie.

 

 Jennie stays silent as she looks around and scrolls through.  It was really luxurious and luxurious in every sense of the word, the table that Jisoo had reserved for them was a large semi-circular sofa, allowing them to be somewhat isolated while at the same time being able to see the rest of the restaurant and the people dining here.

 

 "Awesome, actually."  Jennie answers admiringly, nodding her head in satisfaction.

 

 Jisoo smiles to herself, grabs and opens the menu.

 

 "Do we choose now?"  She asks in amusement tone as she looks at the dishes list.

 

 

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 Matthew stands in one of his warehouses and looks around at the workers. he notices there is only a Heechul in addition to the two guards who are standing at the metal door.

 

"Heechul?" Matthew calls, looking at him quizzically. "Where are the other guys?"

 

Taken aback by Matthew's question, Heechul strides towards him.

 

 "Uh— they.. they didn't come today.." Heechul replies, sheepishly.

 

 - "Why? Why did they not come."

 

 "I, I don't know. They didn't tell me anything."

 

 Matthew kept furrowing his eyebrows, staring at Heechul skeptically, he turns his gaze to the other side and nods.

 

 "I'm going now. After your work is done here, go and check on them."

 

 Matthew says, and Heechul nods affirmatively, unable to look him in the eyes. Thinking whether he should tell him or he just should shut up and do as John had told him.

 

 Matthew walks out of the warehouse and Heechul remains standing hesitant and frightened at the same time, not knowing what to do, especially since John had ordered him to keep his eyes on Matthew.

 

 He continues to stand, thinking, and as he does, he remembers the murder of his two friends and stays staring into the void for few moments, and then turns quickly towards the door and heads outside, trying to catch up with Matthew.

 

 "Sir!"  Heechul calls out loud as he runs to stop Matthew when he sees him about to open his car door and he makes it.

 

 - "What is there Heechul?"  Matthew asks, turning to face him.

 

 "He knows!" Heechul says, trying to catch his breath, "Jonathan knows."

 

 Matthew furrows his eyebrows with great confusion and calmly follows,

 

 "knows what?"

 

 Heechul stands straight and answers hesitantly, "He knows about Jennie."

 

As soon as he says that, Matthew's eyes widen, his expression filled with surprise.

 

 "What?" He says incredulously.

 

 - "He.. he interrogated me and the other guys. He killed them and I... I had to tell him everything about Jennie and the money."  He says, lowering his head.

 

 "!"  Matthew hisses in rage, rolling his head in disbelief and with great annoyance, he slams the edge of his car forcefully with the palm of his hand and turnes back toward Heechul.

 

 "What else? 

 

Speak!"

 

Matthew insists in a loud voice when Heechul remains silent.

 

 - "He told me to track you down, spy on you."

 

 "!"  Matthew curses as he opens his car door and gets inside.

 

 "Come with me."  He says before closing the door. Heechul goes and sprints around the car to climb up with him.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jisoo and Jennie were in the middle of their dinner in a comfortable silence, and some stolen looks every now and then, and some compliments here and there about the food.

 

 It was as if they were trying to avoid talking about certain topics - topics that might lead them to the prohibited zone - well, this is how Jennie felt.

 

 All the time she was trying to keep her talk and her gaze at a safe level for her, even if Jisoo's hand kept brushing into her hand while she was speaking and forgetting herself, even if her face became close to her as she did. 

 

Trying hard to refrain herself from looking at Jisoo's mouth for a prolonged moments while she was talking that close.

 

Jisoo on the other hand, ever since she went to pick up Jennie from the apartment and Jennie walked out towards her with that tight black jumpsuit with thin shoulder straps, a wide neckline, along her dramatic make-up, and the way she styled her hair straight and backwards, her eyes couldn't acclimate on how Jennie looks tonight, as if no matter how much she looked, it wasn’t enough.

 

 At one point while they were having dinner, Jisoo caught sight of Jennie as she was her lips after she took a sip of the soup and since then she doesn’t know why her gaze kept visiting that area so often.  Probably because of the dark red lipstick that Jennie wore.

 

 It was making her lips look even more plump, soft and smooth, and for a moment there.. for a brief moment, a question flashed in her mind;

 

 ‘What would they taste like?’

 

 

 Jisoo quickly turns her gaze away as she dismisses those thoughts. Can’t believe herself what she just thought!

 

 She takes her glass of wine, feeling dry out of sudden, takes a relatively large dose from it, and puts it back in place when she feels that someone is standing next to them.

 

 Jisoo turns to him and sees that the waitress has brought them the dessert .

 

 "Time for dessert."  Jisoo declares, looking at the cart carrying the dishes and at Jennie.

 

 The waitress puts the plates one by one and goes while he pulls the cart away. Jisoo looks at the waitress as he goes for a moment and looks at her choice of dessert and doesn’t find it.  She turns to Jennie and sees that she has it and has already started eating from it.

 

 "I think that’s mine."  Jisoo says calmly in a lighthearted tone.

 

 - "It looked so delicious."  Jennie whines as she tries to dig her spoon back in the chocolate & coconut ice cream pudding, but Jisoo pulls it away from her. "Hey!"

 

 "Sorry.. there is no tolerance for such behaviors."  She says, making Jennie pout, feigning hurt.

 

 - "It won't get away from me next time."  Jennie promises grimly as she turns her attention back to her own plate.

 

 "Really, you’re becoming skilled in this."

Jisoo starts playfully without taking her eyes off her plate. "What are you gonna try to steal next? " She finishes with a subtle laugh.

 

 Jennie stays silent a little as her mind hangs on Jisoo's last phrase.

 

 "Your heart maybe."

 

 She says under her breath, as if she was mumbling to herself, looking at her plate with a distant expression. 

 

Jisoo heard her and her smile withered a bit, doing double take of whether she heard it right or not, until Jennie takes notice of herself when the atmosphere gets too calm between them, a calm that is filled with tension.

 

 Too much for not making it obvious.

 

 "This taste amazing!" Jennie quickly digresses gushing as she smiles wide to change the subject, gaining a laugh from Jisoo, and she succeeded, seeing that the atmosphere had returned to normal between them while they were laughing and eating sweets.

 

That is until Jisoo surprises her as she reaches out and grabs her face to wipe the corner of with her thumb carefully.

 

 "There was a little frosting here."  Jisoo says, smiling, and returning her attention to her plate.

 

 Jennie remains still. Still, dazed and flustered. 

 

She nods then understandingly, feeling her face burning at Jisoo's sudden gesture.

 

 "I’ll go to the bathroom for a bit."  Jennie says standing and drawing Jisoo's attention.

 

 -"Oh, OK."

 

 Jisoo says and watches her walks out of the booth and go in the direction of the restrooms until she gets further away and disappears from her line of sight.

 

 She smiles to herself and looks ahead, and while she’s thus, she hears a phone ringing, and turns to the direction of the sound and sees it’s Jennie’s phone.  She reaches for it and holds it to see who is calling and sees that it is unknown number.

 

 Jisoo furrows her eyebrows quizzically.

 

She’s never one to invade someone else’s privacy but this’s Jennie, and she basically knows all her acquaintances and this’s unknown number so she figured it’s alright to answer, especially in case it turns out it’s from someone creepy or something.

 

She picks up the line, and places it near her ear.

 

/"Jennie!  where are you?!!  We have to meet as soon as possible!"

 

 Jisoo becomes more confused as she hears that voice, because it sounds so familiar and because he was speaking in a loud, informal tone.

 

 "Jennie? Can you hear me? Hey! Jennie!"

 

 Jisoo remains silent as she begins to form an idea of ​​the caller’s identity.

 

 "Jennie, if you can hear me, never stay by yourself!  Do you understand?!  Do not stay alone!"\

 

 He says and hangs up afterwards.

 

 Jisoo stays still, staring at the void for a while, then she takes her own phone and opens it and starts looking through the contacts until she arrives at Matthew's name and compares the two numbers.

 

 She compares them again and accurately, hoping to be wrong.

 

 They are identical.

 

She blinks and takes a deep breath, looking up ahead thoughtfully.

 

 **

 

 "Did something happen?"

 

 -"No nothing.. The girls and I just arrived and I ran into him on my way here."

 

———

 

"So? You met Matthew?"

 

 - "Aah..yes.. 

 

I ran into him on my way to the bathroom. He asked me about how you're doing since he couldn't do that."

 

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

 

 - "How do I know?"  

 

**

 

 

Her expressions goes blank and sharp as she tightens her grip on the phone, feeling her anger float through little by little as the possibilities of how and why Matthew talks to Jennie informally and unbeknown to her, come down on her heavily.  

 

Slowly, she lifts her head and places both phones on the table calmly, leaning back and taking deep breaths to keep her composure in check.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jennie stands in front of the mirror with her hands resting at the edge of the basin, staring at her reflection and trying to pull herself together.

 

 "Calm down. Don’t get too carried away with your thoughts." She addresses herself, ignoring the weird glances that other women are giving her. "This is not what we agreed on."

 

She says and takes a deep breath after that, and returns to staring at herself in the mirror, then she washes her hands, dries them with tissue paper, taking a final look at her appearance, she adjusts her outfit a little, and leaves.

 

. . . . . . . . .

 

 

 Jennie walks out of the corridor that leads to the restrooms and walks until she reaches the center of the restaurant, and when she sees their booth, she involuntarily smiles to herself and takes another breath as she continues walking.

 

 Jennie was walking on a haste with eagerness, feeling giddy, her features hiding a smile, her feelings tickling the insides of her heart at the thought of being out with Jisoo the whole night, until she approaches their table and sees Jisoo standing with her coat on, lifting her things while she seemed to be angry and looking sharply, next to her the waitress stood as he was collecting the dishes and putting them on the tray.

 

 Her steps slows down when she arrives near her, and her smile fades as she looks in confusion.

 

 "Jisoo?"

 

 -"We’re going."  Jisoo declares quickly without looking at her.

 

 "But.. we're not done."

 

 -"Now."

 

 Jisoo says in a stern, calm tone, unnoticeably, putting in consideration that they’re in a public place, and then walks her way to the main door. After she stays standing, surprised, for a moment, Jennie follows her, quickly picking up her phone, purse and her coat.

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 "Jisoo! What happened?"  Jennie calls once they’re out of the restaurant, she puts her phone in her purse, and strides behind Jisoo, who was on her way to the car.

 

 "Jisoo! Wait!"

 

 Jisoo doesn’t answer her, and just keeps walking until she reaches her car and opens the door forcefully and gets in. Jennie arrives and opens the door quickly and gets in as well and closes the door and turns towards Jisoo and sees her looking ahead sharply.

 

 "Jisoo, what's going on?"  Jennie asks in a clear tone of concern.

 

 - "I will only ask you once." Jisoo begins coldly and steadily. "You have time until we get to the apartment."

 

 She pauses for a while and follows,

 

 "What is your relationship with Matthew?"

 

She asks, tightening her grip on the steer wheel and then turns to Jennie and sees her looking at her with shock and pale expressions.

 

 "Don't lie to me."  

 

Looking at Jennie with hopeful eyes, Jisoo adds desperately, as she tries to keep herself calm and collected, then she looks ahead and starts the engine.

 

 Jennie remains frozen with agape, staring at Jisoo in shock, she can feel herself starting to panic.

 

 She turns her head slowly to look ahead and then lowers her head, thinking about what to say and how to start. Worried of Jisoo's reaction.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jisoo opens her car door, climbs down quickly, closes it behind her forcefully. She walks stormily around to reach the sidewalk, simultaneously, Jennie follows as she opens her door as well.

 

 "Jisoo, wait!"  Jennie calls out once she gets out of the car and runs after Jisoo.

 

 Jisoo stops in her tracks and quickly turns around to meet Jennie.

 

 "I can’t believe you!!" She yells, looking at her in disappointment. "All this time? All this ing time I was next your enemy and you didn't say anything!"

 

 She says loudly, throwing her hands in the air angrily.

 

 - "I couldn't! Jisoo.  I couldn't!" Jennie replies with the same tone and expression. "I did it to protect you!"

 

 "Are you kidding me? What protection? While I thought that I was protecting you from them, their boss was standing next to me! What kind of protection is that?"

 

 She says and turns her head to the other side, holding her head in disbelief.

 

 - "You don't know them. You don't know what danger those people carry. I couldn't tell you because the end of that will effect you if I did!"

 

 Jisoo scoffs and retorts,  "You already put me in an easily accessible place."

 

 She pauses a little and calmly follows as she looks away, "I can’t believe you. You have known each other since we were in Jeju.. you recognized him that night and you didn't tell me.. you saw him here and you didn't tell me!

 

You allowed him to get near me and didn't tell me!"

 

 She yells the last phrase as she turns back to Jennie, startling her a little.

 

 "How could you do that? How?"

 

"Jisoo, you don't understand!"

 

Jennie begins again trying to explain her reasons to Jisoo, she knows she’s listening even if she’s filled with anger right now. 

 

"They don’t only deal with drugs, they also kill people!  I didn't tell you because I know you won't just leave it at the money thing and drop it."

 

 She says animatedly to emphasize her point.

 

 "What?"  Jisoo says in a steady tone as she furrows her eyebrows in confusion.

 

 - "You really think I believed that a hot water would cause that kind of scratches to your hand?"  She says, making Jisoo look at her silently, taken aback.

 

 "I couldn't tell you because I know you will go after them." She adds in a tired tone as she feels her eyes welling up. "And I can't let you get involved with them. I can't!"

 

Jisoo keeps staring at her with great disapproval and follows,"Is that supposed to make it better?" She falls silent for a moment and continues, "You both.. you both were lying to my face, looking directly into my eyes.

 

 Him..? He can go to hell!  And you?!"

 

She asks sadly, softening her tone at the last word.

 

"Do I look that stupid to you when you look at me from afar?"

 

 - "No.. No!" Jennie immediately interjects. "Jisoo, it's not like that at all!"

 

 "How much will you lie to me? How many other lies I don’t know? How can I trust you now!!"

 

Jennie creases her eyebrows sorrowfully, she doesn’t know what to say, feeling the words running away from her, she tries to say something to her calmly as she shakes her head, but nothing comes out.

 

 Jisoo nods slowly as she looks at Jennie ruefully, and then she turns around and begins to walk hurriedly on her way to the building while Jennie stays standing still in her place.

 

 Helplessly, Jennie ruffles her hair as she turns her head to the other side and raises her purse to get out her phone, intending to call Matthew.

 

 

 .  .  .  .  .  .

 

 

 Jisoo walks into the building, taking wide steps in a hurry and as soon as she does, she stops immediately, despite her feeling of anger and resentment, she realizes something. 

 

 ** 

 "Jennie, if you can hear me, never stay by yourself!  Do you understand?!  Do not stay alone!"\ 

**

 

Jisoo turns back around quickly, walks out of the building and jogs to the place where they were standing, she can see from afar that Jennie is not there.

 

 She arrives and looks around thoroughly,  there is no trace of Jennie.

 

 "Jennie?!" Jisoo calls in a loud, cautious tone.

 

 "Jennie!"  She repeats when no answer reaches her, and she continues looking at the delay.

 

 She takes her phone out and quickly searches for Jennie’s number and calls, moments and she hears a nearby phone ringing.  Her forehead creases in puzzlement, and she begins to walk towards the direction of the sound until she approaches and finds it on the street at the corner between the floor and the sidewalk, with its screen broken.

 

 She slowly bends down and reaches for it. With shaky hands, she lifts it up and keeps looking at it as she absorbs what happened to Jennie and what might happen to her.

 

The dread taking over her excessively.

 

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 .

 

 

 Matthew gets out of his bedroom after packing his things, walking in a hurry, and goes to turn his phone back on to try to call Jennie again, and when he does, he is bombarded with many notifications of missed calls, all from Jisoo.

 

He stares quizzically, since he usually finds one or two notifications from her. He presses a notification, calls her, and puts the phone on his ear, seconds and the line is picked up.

 

 

/"You touch one hair from her, and I’ll make Seoul hell for you!" 

 

Jisoo starts off straight away in a deep, sharp tone.

 

"Where is Jennie? Where did you take her? 

 I swear if you hurt her even a just little—"

 

 "Jisoo! What are you talking about? What's with Jennie?"  Matthew interrupts her with great confusion, from the engine sound at the background, he can tell that Jisoo is driving.. fast.

 

"Don't try to play with me. Jennie told me everything! Where is Jennie ? Where did you take her? 

 

 Talk!!

 

 I will kill you. Did you hear me? I'll ing kill you if you hurt her!"

 

 Jisoo spoke angrily, rapidly, and impulsively, without giving him a chance to even answer.

 

 "Jisoo! I don't know what you're talking about! Jennie isn't with me!"

 

 He defends, finally matching her tone, and then hears a close thud from inside his apartment at the door and the sound of the door opening after that. 

 

He turns towards it and sees John entering the lounge, walking calmly and stopping in front of him.

 

 

"Matthew!  Matthew! ..."\

 

Jisoo's voice starts fading as he lowers his phone away from his ear and looks with great shock at John. He holds the shutdown button for a long time and turns off his phone without making it noticeable, and as they stare at each other, another man walks in, dragging a girl with him. 

 

Her hands are tied to the back with a cloth bag on her head, and all that comes out of her are muffled grunts as her body keeps moving constantly in an attempt to resist.

 

 "What's this Jonathan? What are you doing here?" Matthew begins with a steady, cautious tone."How did you get in? And who is this?" He says, pointing to the girl.

 

 John smiles at the corner of his mouth and answers calmly, "I don't know Matthew. You’re the one who will tell me that."

 

 He says and then the other man pulls a chair forward and sits the girl down on it firmly before he removes the bag from her head, causing the girl to squint her eyes a little as a result of the sudden light as she looks around and doesn’t stop moving and trying to untie herself, her hair is scattered and her eyes are smeared with the ruined massacre. Her eyes fall on Matthew, who is looking at her with stunned straight expressions.

 

 The girl is Jennie.

 

 

🎶▶️ Kim Jun Seok - Flower of Evil (flower of evil OST)

 

 

Once Jennie sees him, her body movements increase as she looks at him with pleading eyes, hoping that he will do something.

 

 Matthew turns his gaze away from her as he keeps his composure intact, knowing exactly what John is trying to do, and turns to him.  If he had brought her here and asked about her, then he certainly knew all the details about her beforehand.

 

 "She is the daughter of the man who robbed my father," Matthew replies calmly, looking at John assertively.

 

 John nods affirmatively and says, "I talked to your father about it and he told me that he had already told you to get rid of them, her and her father.. why haven't you done so yet?"

 

 Matthew stays silent for a while, staring at him, knowing full well that John is trying to turn it around on him.

 

 - "I don’t prefer to resort to these measures immediately, so I was trying to lure her to find out the whereabouts of her father or the money. I was using the peaceful solution—"

 

 "OK then.." John interrupts him. "Don't you think you've given her too much time for that?  And still.. you didn’t reach anything."

 

 He says holding his hands out in the air, indicating ‘nothing’.

 

"It’s time to do what your father told you to do.." He elaborates, moving the hem of his jacket to pull the 9mm pistol from his belt, and with the other hand he takes out the suppressor piece and fixes it to the muzzle of the pistol without looking away from Matthew. He extends the gun to him afterwards.

 

 Matthew looks at the gun and then looks at Jennie and sees her looking at him with wide eyes, quickly shaking her head ‘no’.

 

 "Come on. I’m giving you the opportunity to do your job effectively, to actually do something right, for once." John says in a provoking manner, "In any case, if you don't, I'll do it," He concludes, drawing Matthew's attention.

 

Matthew remains still for a while, and then reaches out and takes the gun as he stares sharply at John. He adjusts his fingers around the grip, and then looks at Jennie, soothes for a few moments and then raises the gun gradually until it is directed at her.

 

 

Despite her desperate attempts to protest by shaking her head at him with her moving constantly to break free, trying change his mind, his sharp determined looks and straight expressions told her that all her attempts were futile and that it was.. the end.

 

At that moment, she felt herself being cut off from the outside world and from her surroundings, all she was hearing was the throbbing of her troubled heart, just like someone realizing that they were actually..  about to die.

 

And she goes still.. Just like that. 

 

Is this how her life will end?  This way?  Is this the finish line of everything she’s been through?

 

She doesn’t even get to say goodbye and sorry and ‘I love you.’ to her? 

 

But.. what good would it do anyway now that is too late?

 

 

Immersed in her misery, she hears Matthew pulling the hammer of the pistol, she looks at him one last look and then shuts her eyes close tightly and turns her head to the other side, preparing herself for the inevitable, and all that remains clear in her mind is one person only.

 

 

 'Jisoo..'

 

 

He pulls the trigger.

 

 

 —————————-

 To be continued

 ——————————

 

Thoughts?