The Tiger King (Chaelisa)

30| Still Me

"Somi's still upset with Lisa," Jennie sighed as Irene poured her coffee. She turned her eyes to the lonesome two figures working out next to each other: both Matthew and Lisa were working on barbells today.

Somi had barely spoken with Lisa other than wordlessly handing her the bagels and immediately going in front of the mirror to practise her dancing. Lisa looked forlorn but didn't try to pressure the girl into talking. 

"She'll come around," Lisa had said but she sounded doubtful. In Jennie's memory, they had never quarrelled to this extent (the only last serious squabble was about some bet) so seeing them being stiff around each other was unnatural, when usually the place would reverberate with their combined voices.

Jennie was dejected she never got to check out those yoga videos but she didn't feel asking about them right now would be sensitive of her. Lisa thankfully must have come to the same conclusion because she didn't bring up X-Men again and looked pretty down about it. 

Her sister had never revealed why she suddenly grew interested in comic book heroes, but Jennie had a strong suspicion a certain pilates instructor—that indeed had a very fit body and smelled of strawberries as Lisa reported—had something to do with it.

"I take it Dahyun's still upset too....have you heard from her at all?" Irene asked delicately. Jennie gave a wry smile.

"The next time we hear from her is when she walks in here to give back her membership. And I wouldn't be surprised if Chaeyoung does the same. Momo already did, like I said... so it's a situation." She exhaled, sipping intermittently. "I...was growing quite fond of those girls. Somi was more docile around Dahyun and Chae and I was glad she's hanging around people her age. Lisa too, she had more people to laugh with."

Jennie closed her eyes and tried not to think of the bills piling up in her desk's drawer. "Can we talk about something else please, unnie? I...it's only morning..."

"Of course, of course," Irene said soothingly, "how about....something completely mundane? Like, the recent educational overhaul they're doing in the system? It's complete madness, I tell you. In my time, things were far more sensible."

"I'm listening," Jennie nodded. Anything was better than her predicament of constantly watching her money sources dwindle. "How come you're suddenly interested in that topic though?"

"Oh, I got to know Seulgi's actually a teacher! You know, my neighbour, Seulgi? Yeah, I gave a her a lift to work last week and then last Sunday I invited her over to my place for a light dinner. Nothing big, just some ramen but she said she liked it the first time she ate it. I do hope she liked it. And she's living all by herself, poor girl, her parents live in Ansan. She can only really visit them on holidays. But at least she has some cats for company, they're the sweetest darlings. They kept twirling around my leg when I went to fetch her...."

She caught Jennie staring at her fixedly. "What?"

Jennie quirked an eyebrow. "You went to fetch her when she was supposed to come over to your place?"

"I admit I was, perhaps, a little...eager," Irene conceded, "but she didn't seem to mind at all so, no harm done, right?"

Irene arched a brow when Jennie didn't answer. "What? Did I do...something wrong?"

"Oh no no," Jennie said quickly, " just...thinking. Well, glad you're making friends then. So, the educational system?"

Irene immediately launched into an enthusiastic and lengthy in-depth discussion (even hauling out several journals with highlighted texts out of her sports bag) and Jennie couldn't help the wide smile stealing over her face as she watched the elder woman talk and gesticulate animatedly.