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Chapter 15: February Part II

Jennie's jaw tightened. "Let it go, Chaeyoung."

"Fuck no." Chaeyoung growled, digging into her pocket for her phone. "I'm calling her now."

"Listen." Jennie hissed. "Everyone was against me, Chaeyoung. I probably deserved this."

Chaeyoung sucked in a breath, surprising Jennie by yanking her cousin into a tight hug, Jennie's arms going slack, and then eventually tightening around her. "Listen, Jen. We're a kru. We're family. I've always got your back. And this? It's unacceptable. You got that?"

Jennie sighed, feeling content to lean against Chaeyoung, her best friend, mentor, and closest family member besides June. "You giving out orders to your Commander?" Jennie teased gently.

"I'm protecting her." Chaeyoung shrugged with a smirk. "It's my job."

*****

"Oh my fucking-" Lisa breathed out, eyeing her phone with nearly bulging eyes. "What the fuck? Kim? Where's your girl?" She demanded frantically, yanking Jisoo aside from the table so that the rest of the Delinquents wouldn't hear the ongoing drama.

"Who, Jennie?" Jisoo asked with mild concern. "Football team meeting."

"Yeah?" Lisa practically growled. "More like a Commander-hardass is ruining my relationships meeting."

Jisoo's eyes widened slightly, brown depths now fully interested. "What do you mean?"

Lisa glanced at the phone, reading Chaeyoung's text aloud. "We need to talk. You think it's okay to put hands on Jennie?"

Jisoo felt a guilty kick in her stomach. She'd been so selfishly trying to avoid that. Every time she saw the bruise, she was reminded of how her friends had treated Jennie.

"She's defending her cousin." Jisoo reminded with a grain of salt to her tone.

Lisa's brows shot up. "And I was defending you from her insensitive ass."

Jisoo tensed. "Don't...don't talk about her like that, Lis."

"Are you serious right now, Jisoo?" Lisa scoffed. "You're defending them? You were in a fight!"

"And that was my fight." Jisoo murmured, shaking her head. "Not anyone else's business."

Lisa's jaw dropped. "Are you fucking serious? This is the thanks I get for defending you?"

Jisoo took a breath, stepping forward, gaze hardening. "No, Lis. You don't get to do this. You don't get to act irrationally on my behalf and say it was in my defense. You don't get to treat Jennie like shit at every turn. You know what? For some reason, I let it happen. I let it happen thinking you were defending me since Finn, and then my dad, and I let you walk all over my girlfriend. She's been nothing but patient with me, Lis." Jisoo grit out, watching Lisa's shocked expression. "Please...don't ever touch my girlfriend again."

"Oh my fucking god." Lisa gasped. "You're seriously choosing her? Over me? Your best friend?"

Jisoo rolled her eyes. "If you were my best friend, you wouldn't make me choose, Lis." She turned on her heel, but then whipped around, biting her lip. "And...I think I'm in love with her."

At that, Lisa blinked, catching Jisoo's wrist. "You...you are?"

"...Yes." Jisoo exhaled. "And...I think I may have just ruined any chance at her reciprocating that love, Lisa."

Lisa shook her head almost immediately. "No." She remembered Jennie's exact same words, her faulty confession of love for Jisoo. "I did. I promise you didn't."