16 SHOTS || JENLISA ONE SHOTS

12TH SHOT

"One Greek salad and water, thanks." Jennie beamed her gummy smile and handed the menu to the waiter.

"That's all?" Mrs. Kim raised her eyebrows.

Jennie gave a noncommittal nod. It was one of those rare days where she got to squeeze in an hour or two for brunch with her mom amidst her tight schedules.

"On a diet again?" Mrs. Kim asked after she made sure the waiter was out of earshot.

"What do you mean again? I'm always on diet."

It is a general truth that being in the entertainment industry requires her to look flawless at all times, and maintaining a special diet is just one of the many ways Jennie has to deal with to keep herself presentable. Not to mention her easily-bloated nature that she cursed more than anything in the world. Well, how can she not? Her cheeks get chubbier just from drinking water, for God's sake. Thankfully, Lisa never fails to make her feel like she is the most beautiful girl in the world. In fact, according to the Thai, her mandu cheeks are the sexiest part of hers. Whether it is the truth or simply to appease her, it always brings her gummy smile back on display.

Jennie inadvertently smiled at the thought of the Thai, which didn't escape her mom's attention. Realizing she had been caught, she uttered a nonchalant "what?"

"I know that look," Her mom said, face painted with amusement.

"What look?" to which Mrs. Kim just responded with a shrug.

"Mom, what look?" Her unnecessarily overly-curious state made Mrs. Kim even more entertained that she let out inaudible giggles.

"You look like this," She put up her phone and showed a heart-eyed emoji.

"You're annoying, you know.." Jennie said, trying to keep her cool despite the crimson creeping on her face.

"Oh gosh, now you look like this!" Mrs. Kim showed a tomato emoji while laughing wholeheartedly.

"Mom, please.." Jennie buried her face in her hands, declaring defeat.

As if on cue, to Jennie's delight, the waiter came with a silver tray carrying the food they ordered. Mama Kim stopped her glee altogether, causing her face to turn scarlet like Jennie's but for a different reason. "Thanks," she managed to say, face left with a hint of mirth.

Glad to have something to dodge her mom's teasing, Jennie dug in her meal right away. She stabbed a piece of cherry tomato, put it in her mouth, and let out a satisfied sigh as fresh juice spurted her palate. Being a healthy food enthusiast surely has its perks, it makes the special diet not as bad as people thought. She would always choose salad over a burger and fries, unlike Lisa, who lives by the principle "food first, exercise later!". Which is totally unnecessary because no matter how much she eats her body stays in shape. A lucky bitch. My lucky bitch, she smiled to herself again.

Her train of thought was again interrupted by none other than her own mother's obvious attempt to break the silence by clearing her throat.

"So," she took a sip of sparkling water before she continued, "anyone in particular?"

Jennie didn't mask her irritation this time as she groaned. She just stabbed a fork full of veggies and filled her mouth with it, refusing to actually answer her mom's loaded question.

"It's not like I ask for grandchildren or something,"

Jennie choked on that. And on an olive.

"Jesus," she snatched her water and gulped it down. Her face was beet red and tears were visible in the corners of her eyes. Mrs. Kim felt bad at the sight, love life had always been a touchy issue for her daughter and she felt like maybe she prodded a little too far.