always have been, always will be | jensoo

Worth It

"Hey, Jisoo...uh...are you there? Jichu?" I bite my lip, hard. "If you're there, I'll love you forever if you pick up. Just pick up and say anything. No? Alright...well, I've decided that I'm okay. I promise I'm okay, and I know I didn't come see you but I'll be there soon, and we can be okay together. Okay? Okay. Um, I love you. See you soon, Button."

I leave my empty apartment, run to my car, and it's the darkest night to hit Seoul in years as I pull up to Jisoo's house. I leave the keys in the car and knock on Jisoo's door, lightly at first. No one's home. Soojin's not home, and I wonder for a second if Jisoo is even there. I peer through the windows, nothing. I can spot Jisoo's things strewn about, her slippers on the floor. Her stacks of CDs next to the DVD player. A picture of us on the nightstand.

My heart tightens and I busy myself with gazing at her flowers, then I sit on her steps and feel a little bit defeated. I sigh and put my head in my hands, ready to stick it out all night. If Jisoo thinks I'm gone, this should be a nice surprise, I figure. I've never been this nervous to see her, and I don't know why.

I do know, that was a lie. I'm going to kiss her. I'm going to kiss her like all the times we should have kissed, and I'll make her remember why everyone always says Jisoo and Jennie were meant to be. In case she forgot.

She didn't forget, I know. I smile to myself. We just got sidetracked for a while. I make myself comfortable against her door and wait.

I wake up freezing and with dew on my clothes. Jisoo's doorframe and porch have not made a nice bed, and my back is completely stiff. "Crap..." My face is sore, and when I try to stand, I hurt in several different spots. The time on my cell phone reads a little after midnight, and I have no messages from Jisoo. She's clearly not in her house and I have no clue where she could be.

I feel my face contort like there are tears ready to come, but I'm just completely frustrated and worried and two seconds way from calling Mrs. Kim when headlights pull into the driveway.

I make an attempt to stand up, which takes me the amount of time it takes Jisoo to get out of the taxi and walk up to the porch steps. I'm grimacing, and sit back down, sighing. Jisoo approaches me, but she doesn't seem surprised to see me. Maybe a bit resigned until she gets closer.

"Where have you been?" "What happened to your face?" We talk over each other in unison, concern warping both of our faces.

"At my Mom's." "Soojin punched me."

"I was so worried!" "That bitch."

I take a second to laugh at this, and Jisoo reaches down to help me up. "I knew you didn't leave."

"How?" I stand slowly, wincing. Jisoo takes a hand to rub up and down my back, kneading the sore muscles.

"You didn't come see me." She says easily, and shrugs, dropping her hand.

"Yeah... I guess I'm predictable. I thought you'd try to stop me, and when you didn't, I...couldn't take it. Like, at all." I attempt a laugh, blushing a little. "I sent Jiyeon to Japan. It'll be good for her."

Jisoo watches me for a minute, not saying anything, and then she just shrugs a bit. "Sorry Soojin hit you. I told her you wouldn't fight her back."

"I don't think she cared." I say, touching my face gingerly. "I should have stomped her ass." I mutter.

"Oh, Jendeuk..." Jisoo reaches out a single finger to trace the puffy bruise. "You couldn't stomp anyone's ass."

"I know." I admit softly, watching her face. "I fell asleep on your porch."

"Why?"

"I missed you." I tell her simply. "I..." I clear my throat. "I miss you, Button."

Jisoo gives me a little smile and steps closer to me, placing a gentle hand on the back of my head. The night is as dark as ever, but I can no longer feel the chill as she lightly kisses my sore cheek. I take my fingertips and place them right against her heart, where I can feel it beating, like I had done so many times before. Her heart is beating fast, almost in tune with my own. Soon, I cannot differentiate.