Jisoo arrived at Jennie's house just in time. She got the car ready and waited in the car. It had been more than an hour but there was still no sight of Jennie. She checked her phone, Jennie hadn't texted her.
She had been thinking about last night and it made her stomach turned. She knew she was wrong, she should've controlled herself like she'd been doing all this time. She checked the time, she'd been waiting for almost two hours now.
She was about to leave the car for a while and stretched her legs when she saw Jennie coming out from her house. She wore a silky black dress, her hair was wavy and she had this bold eye-makeup. She looks stunning. Jisoo's heart fluttered. She was nervous because of yesterday; but deep down, she didn't want to admit that she felt nervous because she couldn't really control herself lately. She tried to focus on her job, but as they spent more time together, it was getting harder for her to ignore her heart.
Jennie took the backseat this time, she slammed the door. Without greeting Jisoo, she gave her an address; it was a nightclub.
Jisoo started the car, she smelled a soft scent of alcohol from her. Probably that was why she couldn't drive herself to the club, she'd had pre-drinks already. Jisoo took a glance at Jennie using the rearview mirror. Jennie was looking out the window.
They drove in silence. It was actually not a new thing, they'd been driving in silence many times, but this was different. Both of them could feel the uncomfortable tension and nobody wanted to start a conversation. It wouldn't do any good.
"We're here." Jisoo said when they arrived.
"You can go home. Leave my car here and drop the keys at the valet." said Jennie. She was about to open the door when Jisoo said,
"I can wait." It was almost 11 PM.
"No, you can't. I don't know what time I'm going home."
""Then, how will you go home later?" Jisoo insisted.
"I'll get myself a designated driver." Jennie didn't want to continue the conversation as she opened the door and went inside the building.
Jisoo considered the situation for a moment. She decided to wait and found a spot to park. She texted Taehyung and told him her whereabouts. She also texted her dad to say she'd be home late tonight.
***
It was 1 AM, Jennie was still inside. Jisoo hadn't grown worried yet, she knew that students usually spend their summer break by partying before the semester started. Besides, Jennie would probably with Rosé right now. Jisoo felt tired and sleepy.
When it was 3 AM, Jisoo started to get worried. What if she got too wasted she can't even move? Jisoo tried to suppress her worry, but she finally decided to go inside the club. She was grateful that they at least let her in.
It was loud and crowded inside, Jisoo was having difficulty to locate Jennie. She looked around and walked towards the deeper part of the club when she finally saw Rosé. She also spotted Irene with her; there were few other popular students around the table. Jisoo looked closely and found Jennie was there; chatting and standing too closely with a boy. Jisoo knew him from the Academic Writing. Isn't it Zico?
Jisoo suddenly found herself jealous of how close Jennie was with Zico right now. She didn't know she had that jealousy inside her, she tried to brush the thought. She took a seat quite far from them and observed Jennie.
Jennie didn't look too wasted, she didn't even look drunk. On the other hand, Zico looked drunk. Jisoo checked the time, it's half past 3. Should I wait inside or outside?
She was about to go because she didn't like what she saw but then Zico suddenly made a move to Jennie. Jisoo clenched her fists.
She came closer. She saw Jennie tried to dodge a hug from Zico. Jisoo's face suddenly turned red, she felt a flash of irritation. She wanted to jump on him but she was hesitant. She kept an eye on them. She felt stifling hot, it was loud and dimmed she couldn't see clearly.
It was getting out of control, she saw Zico harshly pulled Jennie closer to him and Jennie was struggling to let herself go from his grip. Jisoo was convinced that Jennie was uncomfortable with him when she saw Rosé tried to help Jennie free from Zico.
Jisoo's temper sparked, she ran through the crowd to get to Jennie. Suddenly she felt like the music stop playing and the air stop moving, she couldn't hear and feel anything but anger.
Zico was about to kiss Jennie by force on the neck, Jisoo ran towards them and when she was just a step away from him, she pushed Zico away from Jennie. She pushed so hard, he dropped to the floor. Trembling, she grabbed Jennie's wrist and put her behind her. She saw a flash of surprise from Jennie but she quickly shifted her gaze to Zico.
Zico was still on the floor, he didn't know what was going on. He touched his head, looked like he was super wasted. Jennie's friends were all shocked, they weren't aware of the situation. Jisoo saw Irene, she was astounded, but then she waved slowly to Jisoo as if she was cheering for her.
"Jisoo?" she heard Rosé from behind.
Rosé looked surprised, "Thank God you were here. Zico was being jerk to her all night."
Jisoo looked to Jennie and observed her, "Are you okay?" Her voice was still shaky.
"Why are you here?" Jennie's looked relieved, but she spoke with a heavy annoyance.
"I told you to go home." Rosé said to Jennie, she looked to Jisoo, "I told her to go home, Zico was being nasty but she didn't want to go home yet."
"I will take her home." Jisoo said to Rosé.
"Yes, please."
"I don't want to." Jennie tried to free herself from Jisoo's grip but both Jisoo and Rosé ignored her.
Jisoo asked Rosé, "Do you need a ride too?"
"It's fine, my designated driver is on his way."
"Are you sure?" Jisoo felt Jennie tried to shake her hand free from her. She tightened her grip.
"I am sure. Just take her home."
"Take care, Rosé..."
Jisoo took Jennie's purse from the table and pulled her from the crowd. She could feel Jennie was struggling to free herself from her. Jisoo didn't care, her head was still clouded.
She finally released her grip when they arrived at the parking lot, she dropped her shoulders and tried to slow her breath.
"I told you to go home."
Jisoo was worried, she ignored Jennie and observed her. Jennie seemed fine but Jisoo couldn't help but to feel frustrated.
"Let me take you home." she said calmly.
"I don't want to."
Jisoo was so frustrated. She was tired from moving in in the morning. She had waited for Jennie for hours and seen what happened just before. She let out a loud sigh,
"Jennie please don't make it difficult. It's 4 in the morning." she said with her weak voice.
Jennie didn't move. Jisoo grabbed her wrist again and put her at the back seat. She quickly got in to the car and start driving.
Her head was spinning, she tried to compose herself.
"I didn't ask you to do that." Jennie finally broke the silence.
"You should be thankful." Jisoo said coldly.
"For what? Ruining my night?"
"Are you kidding me? You clearly looked uncomfortable with him." Jisoo started to raise her voice.
"And why does it even matter? You're out of your working hour, you don't need to pretend like you care!" Jennie raised her voice too.
"So tell me what I should do back then? Let him do that to you and walk away?" She felt like her heart was being sliced just by remembering what Zico tried to do to Jennie.
"You're driving too fast, Jisoo." Jennie tried to warn her. Jisoo didn't care.
"It's almost 5, I need to end the night soon. I shouldn't be doing this in the first place."
"Then why did you do that, nobody asked for that."
Jisoo didn't answer. Why the hell did she wait for hours for Jennie, why did she feel the way she was feeling now.
"I am your driver. I take you out, I take you back home."
"You are fucking annoying." Jennie's voice was breaking.
"And so be it." Jisoo was being stubborn, she wouldn't let herself break too.
"All you can say is you're my driver. You went to breakfast with me as my driver. You walked around with me because you're my driver. And now you fucking did what I didn't ask because you're my fucking driver." Jennie gasped for air, she felt miserable. She felt small.
"What should I think of myself then? Tell me Jennie. You did told me once, why didn't you tell me again." Jisoo hit the steering wheel, she was bewildered. I am a nobody to you! Would you tell me that again??
"Why couldn't you see anything Jisoo? I thought I was being clear all this time to you. And you don't even care..." her heart was broken.
"I thought I was a friend back then when we talked for hours, only to end up as a nobody. How is this summer different?" Jisoo said sharply but her voice was breaking too.
"Is this your payback? Don't you see what you're doing to me? You do me exactly what I did to you back then!" Jennie was desperate, how couldn't she see things clearly? Is this too late to fix? She thought of all the efforts and her hope to make things right, she thought things were starting to get better, only to see everything was about to crumble before her eyes.
"You said it didn't matter. I just did what I had been told. It doesn't matter. All we did during summer, nothing mattered."
"You're really out of line!"
"Then fire me if you don't like your current driver."
Jisoo couldn't control herself. She was tired and she was hurt. She couldn't take it anymore, what are you doing to me Jennie?
Jennie was now in tears. She tried to suppress her sobs, but Jisoo could still hear it. They were in front of Jennie's door already; sitting in silence.
Jennie calmed herself down and finally said, "You're fired. Starting today, you don't need to come anymore."
She grabbed her purse and walked away. It was past 5 in the morning. As the sun rises on the horizon, it sets on Jisoo.
***