You In My Heart

On Guard: Part 2

"Sibling rivalry seems to be quite common everywhere."

"No. No. You don't get it. I have no problems with Karina. She's the sweetest, really."

Jisoo knew what was coming next. Even she was familiar with this problem.

"It's my mom that has a problem with me." She enunciated with heavy stress on each word. "With anything I do."

"Constantly compared? Trust me I get it." Jisoo sighed. "Once, I failed with a 5/100, my brother got a 97% on the same quiz so my mom chased me around the house with a pair of metal chopsticks, yelling "Why can't you be like him?!""

Jennie giggled with her head down. She definitely missed Jisoo's jokes. How long has it been since they talked so freely?

"I wish that was my case."

"You really don't." Jisoo shivered at the thought. "You're too slow. My mom's like Usain Bolt when she's mad. She would've caught you in seconds."

"My mom never talked to me unless it was to degrade me."

Wow...she couldn't even transition that bomb smoothly?

"I don't think I've ever received a compliment from her in my life." A pathetic smile was painted on her face. "I was so desperate for validation that I tried everything I could through school, the only thing I had."

"You're better than me. I tried to skip most of my exams and go to the Dojo." Jisoo frowned goofily. "Mom found me and I got chased with an umbrella that time."

"At least you didn't have to beg her to like you. I did all that just for Karina to be born and get all I wanted without trying."

"That must've taken a toll on a child."

"It did." Jennie pushed her head back onto the surface of the water. "I craved attention so hard that I started acting out in school."

Jisoo couldn't imagine tiny little Jennie causing problems on purpose.

"She didn't care. It only wasted my energy. So I stopped. Stopped trying to impress her. Stopped trying in anything, really. Except music."

"Passionate, aren't we?" Jisoo would never deny Jennie's absolutely charming presence on stage.

"Passionate for attention."

Oh. That's not good.

"On stage, I got all the validation I wanted. I was showered with compliments. Off stage, I was just another lost child."

"That's...damn." If it wasn't obvious already, Jisoo sucks at comforting others.

"She was already disappointed so I thought what big difference would it make for me to be an idol and waste my years training?" She shrugged as if it was an easy decision for her to make.

"I craved their praise so I did as well as I could so the mentors paid me with attention. To be honest, it was easier to get out of them than my own mother."

"And now you're the ace of the group so I guess it worked out." Jisoo has no idea where this was even headed. She just wanted some time in the hot tub to cool off.

Jennie shook her head "It would've, until you came in."

"Me?" She curled her index towards her."

"You and only you, Kim Jisoo." A half hearted smirk made the way up Jennie's lips.

"Everyone in the industry was just trying to pass by. Meaningless compliments to get something in return. But you didn't care about that."

Jisoo's fingers tightened around the edge. She had too much pride in her to kiss up to someone. Her ego didn't allow it.