Jennie
I couldn't exactly recall when I left the office or the drive back to my apartment or even turning the key and tossing my briefcase onto the counter. The next thing I was consciously aware of was Mino and Hoony, bursting into my living room and through my consuming thoughts.
"That. Was. Incredible!" Hoony exclaimed, hands practically shaking with excitement as he aggressively fist pumped the air in front of him. Mino came in behind him, still wearing his ridiculous foam finger and celebrating just as loudly. "I know I say this a lot but this time I mean it," Mino said as he rounded the couch to my side, "I want Lisa Manoban to give the eulogy at my funeral."
"You do say that a lot," Hoony responded thoughtfully.
"Jennie, if you could get her to agree, I'll throw myself in front of a bus tomorrow. I'm not kidding."
I wasn't in the mood for laughs and the guys noticed the moment I plastered that disingenuous smile onto my face. Their exuberance faded and was replaced with matching creased brows of worry.
"Jennie?" Hoony asked, crossing the room in an instant to my other side.
"Hey," Mino added, softly. "What's wrong?"
Something about their tone, their concern, shattered the walls I had been building and I cracked. Burying my face into my shaking hands, I let the tears flow freely. They hesitated before leading me to the couch and taking a seat on either side of me. Hoony put an arm around my shoulder and pulled me in while Mino rubbed my back. It was slightly awkward but they were trying and I was eternally grateful for that.
"I'm sorry," I sniffled after a few minutes and pulled myself upright. Hoony handed me a tissue and I dabbed my eyes. "I don't know what came over me. I just... I've had a... difficult day."
"You seemed alright on the field," Mino said and I noticed the look he exchanged with Hoony.
"But we have noticed you've been a bit different since you came back from the conference," Hoony confessed. "Did something happen?"
"No," I told them. "Well, maybe. I don't- I'm not sure. I went on a date with Taehyung and-"
"Did he touch you?" Mino snapped in anger.
"Mino," Hoony hissed.
"Sorry," Mino said, forcibly calming himself. "I mean did he touch you... non-consensually?"
I shook my head.
"No. I- it wasn't Taehyung. He was... fine. I mean it was a date. There won't be a second. Look, guys, I think I'm just... work is a lot right now and I think I'm just stressed out. And then I've got this thing I'm trying to end with Taehyung and Rosé telling me I just need to get laid and I don't know. Is she right?"
They seemed taken aback by my question, eyes widening as they exchanged another glance. "Wha- you're asking us that?" Hoony stuttered in surprise. I sighed and dropped my head back into my hands.
"You're right. I'm ridiculous. I'm so sorry," I groaned.
"No! You're not ridiculous. Jennie, look at me. You're not ridiculous," Hoony said, prying my face from my hands and holding it so that I was looking at him. "You're the least ridiculous woman I know, Jennie Kim. You're also the strongest. And I've seen you struggle before, I've seen you shaken, so I know you can face it. Whatever it is. You can face anything. You're Jennie-Effing-Kim!"
"Yeah!" Mino cheered and I couldn't help but smile. "Jennie-Effing-Kim!"
"And you're going to get out there and you're going to kick ass!" Hoony shouted.
"Yeah!" Mino screamed too, jumping from his seat. "Or, you know, get ass. Whatever you need."
I chuckled at that and the boys laughed along with me. Finally, I stood and drew them in for a group hug. "Thank you guys," I told them gratefully as I let them go. "You know, I heard the cheer squad had a few open spots if you're interested."
"Nope!" Mino cried, shaking his head in earnest.
"You know I don't do spandex, Jennie. We've talked about that," Hoony reminded me with a scoff and a shake of his head. I laughed and smiled, forgetting for the moment, the declaration the quarterback had made to me.
"It was a good game, wasn't it?" I asked.
"The best," Mino gushed, eyes practically rolling back into his head like a girl who'd just had her first bite of chocolate.
"Lisa Manoban had an incredible game," Hoony added with a grin. "They said she hasn't played like that since college. They said she looked like she was inspired out there."
My smile faded slightly at the mention of the quarterback's name.
"I mean, seventy million would inspire anyone, right?" Mino asked, nudging Hoony on the shoulder as he headed for the door, grabbing the discarded foam finger on the way. "What would you do with seventy million dollars?" Hoony asked thoughtfully as he followed Mino out of my apartment. "Blackhawk helicopter for sure," Mino answered back from the stairwell without missing a beat. I laughed and said goodbye as they exited, shutting the door behind them.
When I fell back onto the couch cushions, it was with a smile on my face and a refreshed mind. I reached for my phone, sliding it out of my bag. I unlocked the screen and hesitated, thumb hovering over Lisa's contact. Was I really going to do this? Could I do this?
"Jennie-effing-Kim," I whispered on a sigh. Before I could think more of it, I quickly typed out a message and hit send. I stared at it, glowing on my screen, panic rising up within me.
Jennie Kim: One chance, quarterback. Make it count.
