it's always ourselves that we find in the sea || jensoo

Chapter 15

They said goodbye after that and Jennie decided that maybe she would go and see Jisoo. Not to confess her love, as Chaeyoung had so nicely put it, but to see her for the sake of seeing her, and to thank her for the flowers. The kitchen was filled with the sweet floral smell of the blossoms, and Jennie couldn't help but feel delighted at the kind gesture. Jisoo had enjoyed their date. Then there had been the kiss, and while they had both been a little shy and flustered saying goodnight, Jennie wasn't really sure what to make of it. She knew she'd enjoyed it, but a part of her was nervous that outside of the giddy bubble of their first date and kiss, things might be a little different. Perhaps they'd been too brave after a good evening, but it had been too presumptuous for Jisoo. Or perhaps she'd enjoyed it just as much. Surely she wasn't being too eager, going to see Jisoo the next morning.

Donning a thin parka, Jennie decided to take the beach way rather than riding her bike, hoping the bracing air would help clear her head of her doubts and steady the fluttering in her stomach. Stumbling down to the beach, she walked on the dry sand, which hissed as she kicked up a flurry of grains with each step, following the curve of the coastline as she took her time. The briny smell of the sea surrounded her, and Jennie breathed it in deeply, feeling herself relax as she basked in the weak sunlight, her hands buried in her pockets as she watched seagulls crowd on a craggy rock jutting up out of the steely waves a few metres offshore. It was a mild day, with a slight bite to the wind blowing in and a few clouds drifting across the pale sky. She enjoyed the feeling of the wind dragging its invisible fingers through her hair, and the loud crashing of the waves on the shore, and she no longer heard it the same. Every noise was music to her now, and she could almost envision the way that Jisoo would play it out on her piano.

It wasn't too long later when she saw the towering trees on the fringes of the beach and began trampling dewy grass and scraggly shrubs struggling through the pale sand, before it gave way to damp earth and bracken, the smell of rotting wood and planets filling her nose. Weaselling her way through the tree trunks, Jennie stumbled upon Jisoo's backyard, making a mental note to go digging through the garage and see what gardening equipment Minzy owned as she stared at the tall, waving grass. Parting the sea of green with her hands, she waded towards the back porch and climbed up the steps, clutching the book she'd brought to her chest. Raising a hand, she hesitated slightly before knocking, wondering if perhaps Jisoo was still sleeping. It was only a few moments before she heard quiet footsteps moving towards her though, and Jennie felt her stomach clench slightly with anticipation. And then the door swung open and Jisoo was looking straight past her with a small smile of amusement curling her lips.

"I was wondering how long it'd take you to call or come around," she said by way of greeting.

Letting out a quiet laugh, Jennie brushed her hair out of her face, "how did you know it was me?"

Arching an eyebrow slightly, Jisoo's eyes sparkled with amusement as her eyes drifted towards where Jennie's voice had come from, searching for her. "No one knocks on my door at the best of times, let alone my back door. Are you coming in?"

Feeling a little jittery, Jennie shook her head, "I was actually thinking that maybe we could go for a walk. It's not too cold, but you'll need a jacket."

"I'll be back in a second."

Sitting down on the porch steps, Jennie stared out at the trees, the sky a few shades above white, and heard the sounds of rustling clothes and heavy boots behind her, standing and turning as Jisoo approached. Once Jisoo had finished locking up, there was a brief moment where they both stood facing each other, and Jennie wasn't sure if she should've kissed her good morning or not, but then Jisoo was walking down the steps, her hand running along the peeling wooden bannister. Quickly following after her, Jennie reached out for her hand, her hand sliding down Jisoo's forearm until their finger laced together and she held on tightly, smiling slightly as she looked down at Jisoo. Her eyes were hidden by her dark sunglasses and she was moving confidently at Jennie's guidance, silently following her lead as they cut through the thin stretch of trees and through the sandy path cutting through the sparse grass and shrubs on the sand dunes. The wind hit them when they reached the beach, and the sound of the water crashing on the shore was all they could hear for a few moments as they headed south, following the curve of the beach.