Jennie was fidgeting with her hands nervously as they walked back to the dorms.
She basically just confessed to Jisoo that she treated her so badly because she was jealous and didn't even get a reaction back. What exactly is their relationship now?
How do you start a conversation?
"Did you get a new guard?"
Nevermind. Thank you, Jisoo.
"Not yet."
"Really? Hyunnie told me you'll meet one today."
Hyunnie...I haven't been called Jendeukie in so long. :(
"I don't know. I haven't heard about anything." Rosé has been blowing up her phone but Jennie hasn't even touched it. Too focused on Jisoo.
"How about you? Got a new job already?"
"Actually," Jisoo grinned. "I have. Thanks to Lisa. It's temporary though."
"Cool." Cool? Is that all I could come up with, Jennie Kim?
The older's phone rang, taking the attention off Jennie's dry reply.
It was clear Lisa was on the other line. They continued walking with Jisoo on the phone and Jennie behind her until they reached the dorms.
"Yeah. Gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye." Jisoo ended the call.
"Lisa?"
"Yeah. She was telling me about the artist."
"Artist?"
"I'm a bodyguard again. This time for a soloist."
Soloist? So she'll have Jisoo's full attention?!
"I see." Jennie nodded thoughtfully. "Where are you guys meeting?"
"There's an award show tonight. I'll be with her backstage the whole day."
"What a coincidence, we'll be there too!" Jennie perked up.
"I guess I'll see you later."
"Yeah."
"Umm Jisoo..."
The older met eyes with Jennie who's eyes were shaking in anticipation.
"What I said today...I meant it all." Jennie could hear the horrible feeling in her stomach grow. "I do like you. A lot. I'm sorry for the way I behaved. You don't have to forgive me but please don't act unfamiliar. "
"You don't like me Jennie, you like my attention."
"No! I like you!" Jisoo's eyes widened at Jennie's determination in getting her point across.
"Fine. You like me. But we both can see it's not healthy, Jennie."
"Y-Yeah. You're right."
"I won't avoid you." I can't. You'll text 'me' later anyway. "We can restart as friends, okay?"
"Okay."
"Good." Jisoo chuckled and Jennie swore she felt the world stop for a moment.
"Thanks for walking me home. I guess I'll see you later?"
"Yeah. Welcome." Jennie stayed out watching until Jisoo was out of sight.
Something in her made her squeal like a little girl and skip into the dorm. She was still thinking about Jisoo when Yeri appeared.
"Yo, earth to Jennie." Yeri snapped her fingers in front of her.
"Huh?" Jennie zoned back in. "Yeah?"
"Come on, we're gonna be late." The maknae dragged her along with the rest of the members into their van.
"I heard Sumni sunbae is after us." Yeri said as they were getting ready in their waiting room, grabbing Nayeon's attention.
"Can we pop by and say hello? Please?" Nayeon begged Irene.
"Fine." Irene checked the time. "You have 20 minutes."
"Thank you! Let's go, Jen."
"What? Why me?" Nayeon already dragged her out the door.
They were waiting outside the solo artist's room.
"Knock." Jennie instructed a nervous Nayeon.
"You do it. I'm shy."
"We came all the way here because of you." She reminded her.
"Fine." Nayeon exhaled deeply before quickly knocking and scurrying behind Jennie to hide.
"You know I'm smaller than you, right?" She scoffed at the older girl. "I'm not hiding anythi-"
The door opened, stopping Jennie's sentence from finishing.
"Jennie?" The owner of the name looked back hearing the familiar husky voice.
"Soo?" Nayeon came out from behind Jennie to stare at Jisoo. "What are you doing here?"
"My job. Why are you two here?" Jisoo mostly asked Jennie.
"We wanted to talk to Sunmi-ssi. Is she in another room?" Nayeon looked back at the name on the door. They were in the right room.
"No, she's here. Come in." Jisoo moved to the side to make room for the two. Jennie purposely brushed against her as she walked in.
"Who's there, Sooya?" Nayeon almost freaked out at the owner of the voice. Jennie too, but for another reason.
Sooya? Why the hell is she calling Jisoo "Sooya"?
She looked back to see Jisoo holding a bewildered expression.
"Ohh! Your sister's group members are here to see you?"
Sister?
Jennie narrowed her eyes as Jisoo turned away and gulped the saliva in her dry throat.
Nayeon was too busy gushing to Sunmi to notice the tension between the two.
She knows. And Jisoo knows she knows.
Jennie was clenching her hand into a fist to keep from bursting out at Jisoo. It has been so obvious. All those days she saw Jisoo spend time with Rosie, she thought they were into each other just to find out they're sisters.
She must've been a fool to not connect all those times.
Of course she couldn't make it to Rosé's birthday and wasn't even apologetic about it. She was busy prepping for her job as their bodyguard.
Sooya got fired the same time Jisoo did.
Rosé didn't care about Sooya being there for their comeback day because Jisoo was already there.
The younger one stopped being homesick because Jisoo was beside her.
Jennie felt so stupid. No wonder "Sooya" hasn't been replying to her often after Jisoo started working with them. She was right by Jennie.
All those times she complained about being tired of practice to "Sooya" and Jisoo would show up.
The biggest clue was always right in front of her.
The Blue Hyacinths.
She told "Sooya" about her mom giving Karina flowers right after any accomplishment and suddenly they appeared before every stage.
It felt so humiliating and betraying watching Jisoo look at her as if she was sorry.
"Jennie, I promi-"
"We have to go. They need us for Standby." Jisoo nodded and insisted on walking the girls back to their room. She didn't even attempt to start a conversation. Jennie needed space and she needed time.
She couldn't even watch them on stage or catch them before they left as she was still on the clock with Sunmi.
"Do you wanna grab some lunch with me, Sooya?" She watched as the artist's face crumbled as she rejected the offer.
Two girls in one row. Way to go, Kim Jisoo.
"Actually, yes, I would love to." Sunmi's face lit up again.
Let's fix it later. There's not much to fix anyway.
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Jennie was wrapped up tightly in her blanket, ignoring the movie she had put on for white noise.
For once, she wanted to be the mature one with Jisoo. It's what the girl deserves after putting up with her for all these years.
She could hear the doorbell ringing but decided to ignore it and let one of the girls answer.
Her thoughts were spent on contemplating what Jisoo's reasoning was to play with her feelings like this. The knock on her door caught her by surprise.
Since when did the girls learn human decency? Jennie got up, slightly shivering when the cold air hit her uncovered leg. Maybe, it's time to put the "Big shirt, No pants" combo to rest.
Pushing the insufferably messy hair out of her face, Jennie opened the door, rubbing the tire out of her eyes.
"I think my lifespan has just shortened with this visual forever ingrained in my head." The visitor humorously chuckled.
The young idol, clenched her teeth, pushing her yawn away when her eyes met the ever so charming eyes of her ex bodyguard.
In a hurry to shut the door, she didn't realize Jisoo had already wedged her foot between the closing.
Thanks to the creator of Doc Martens. How many times have these shoes saved my life?
Jisoo couldn't count the amount of times the heels of the idol standing in front of her had slipped through her shoes. She had to permanently switch to them to protect her toes.
"Can we talk?"
"I don't wanna." She shut her down immediately.
"Please." Jisoo pleaded. "I promise I didn't want to reveal it like that."
"But you did. I trusted you and you broke it."
"Jennie, please let me explain. I wanted to tell you. I did. When I realized I was going to be working with you, I planned to reveal it. I thought it would be a little funny surprise."
"I don't see the humour in this."
"It would've been funny if we stayed friends." Jisoo's half-hearted smirk was definitely hurting.
"You started treating me like shit and trust me I wanted to block you immediately. But Rosie kept telling me that you genuinely need a friend. Even if it was a faceless and far away one."
"So what? Was I one of your charity cases? A therapy patient that you just listened to the rants of as if you cared?"
"I did care! I do." Jisoo exclaimed before taking In a deep intake of breath to relax her nerves. "If I told you, it was me, would you still have continued to text your 'Sooya'."
MY Sooya?
"N-No."
"Exactly. I couldn't just selfishly take away one of your sources of comfort because you were hurting me."
"Do you hear yourself Jisoo?" Jennie was tired of her abnormal condition to ignore her situation and focus on others. "I was hurting you. You could've just hurt me back. Now it's all a mess."
"How is it a mess? You know who I am. I know who you are. We decided to restart as friends. It's your choice if you want to treat me as Jisoo or 'Sooya'. I'm the same person."
Her blush deepened when she realized the raven was right. She still liked the same person. Always had.
"I-I don't wanna go back to the 'us' before."
"I wouldn't want that hostility back either."
"What's your full name?" Jennie suddenly asked.
"Kim Jisoo?" Puzzled, Jisoo's brow raised.
"Then where did that come from?" Jennie's frown was more adorable than frightening to Jisoo.
"Jisooya. My family calls me 'Sooya', and sometimes my friends. Or just 'Soo' would do."
"Hmm..." Jennie nodded thoughtfully. "I don't like it."
"Excuse me?"
"I don't wanna call you that."
"No one's forcing you to." The raven shrugged in a waggish manner.
"Chu. I wanna call you Chu."
"Ok..." She scratched her neck in confusion.
"Ok." Jennie smiled childishly
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This is the actual part three. Accidentally numbered the previous chapter wrong in my sleepy state.