"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine,"
"But you don't look fine, dude,"
"Then stop looking."
Lisa had just out from her room after completing her IV fluids bag, feeling a little cranky because Seulgi was still over at her house. It was around 4 PM and Lisa automatically made her way to the kitchen, knowing full well that Jennie would text her soon to check if she was drinking enough water.
As Lisa swung open the fridge door to grab a bottle of water, confusion washed over her when she realized two bottles were missing. There should have been 8 bottles, but there were only 6. Lisa knew Seulgi hated water as much as she did, so it couldn't have been her. Could it have been the doctor? But then why would they have taken two bottles at once? Each bottle held 600ml of water, so it seemed unlikely that the doctor would have chugged down 1.2 liters of water in one go. Lisa was left perplexed and wondering what had happened to her missing bottles of water.
"Did you drink my water?" she demanded, her voice sharp and accusatory.
Seulgi hesitated for a moment, then cringed. "Uhm... yeah?" she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lisa's suspicions were instantly aroused. "Two bottles?" she asked, one eyebrow raised skeptically.
Seulgi scoffed, trying to sound nonchalant. "Of course not. I gave one to Dr. Park," she said.
Lisa was not convinced. She strode over to the cabinet where she always kept Seulgi's mug and flung it open. "You're lying," she said, her voice rising. "Your mug is gone."
She then spun around and yanked open the fridge, her eyes scanning the contents inside. "And my orange juice is decreasing. That means you drank orange juice, not my water. Where is my water?" she demanded, her voice ringing with frustration. She was annoyed because Seulgi was lying to her again.
Lisa is a creature of habit. Every week, she buys exactly 25 bottles of mineral water, which is just enough for her daily consumption of 3 bottles and keeping 4 bottles as an emergency supply. Who knows someone who's not Seulgi would come by?
Jennie likes water.
Unfortunately, Lisa drank all the emergency bottles when she got food poisoning and could only drink water.
Lisa usually goes to the supermarket on Saturdays, and her stock of mineral water should still last for another 2 days. However, she lost 2 bottles of mineral water, which meant she had to go to the supermarket a day early, and that really upset her routine. Lisa is always a bit thrown off when her routine is disrupted, and it's not easy to get back on track.
Seulgi was at her wit's end with Lisa's antics. "It's just water..." she muttered under her breath. She had promised Jennie not to tell Lisa about her visit and didn't want to break that promise.
"It's my water," she snapped back, sounding defensive.
Seulgi rolled her eyes. "What's so special about that water anyway? You're not even drinking it," she pointed out.
Lisa suddenly remembered Jennie and reached for her phone to check for any message from her. But there was nothing. It was already past 4 PM and Jennie had not sent her a message yet. Lisa's mind started racing. Was Jennie angry with her for ignoring her all day? Why hadn't she messaged her?
She thought about sending Jennie a message first, but didn't know what to say. She decided to wait a little longer, hoping that Jennie was just busy and would message her soon.
As time ticked by, Lisa became more and more anxious. She kept checking her phone, hoping to see Jennie's name pop up in her notifications. She typed and deleted several messages, unsure of what to say.
Seulgi sensed Lisa's anxiety and asked irritably, "If your water is so precious, why don't you drink it?"
"It's not the time," Lisa replied curtly.
"When is the time then?" Seulgi persisted.
Lisa didn't want to answer that she could only drink the water when Jennie sent her a message. Lisa didn't want Seulgi to find out who Jennie was because she was worried that he would take Jennie away from her. Lisa knew that Seulgi was only friends with beautiful women and Jennie was the most beautiful woman Lisa had ever met, much prettier than Seulgi's previous friends.
Seulgi can take all of Lisa's things, time and energy but not Jennie. Her Jennie.
Jennie was feeling nervous as she sat in her History of Art class with Rose chomping on Twizzlers right beside her. It had been three days since she visited Lisa's house, and she hadn't sent her a single text. The thought of running into Lisa during class sent shivers down Jennie's spine, but her worries were put to rest when Kai informed her that Professor Chaerin would be teaching the class that day, which meant Lisa probably wouldn't show up.
"Jen, how about we hit Wendy's café after this class?" Rose leaned her head on Jennie's shoulder.
Jennie laughed, shifting Rose's head, and replied, "No can do, my friend. We have additional training today, remember?"
Rose groaned in response, but Jennie couldn't help but ask her about her recent obsession with the café. "You don't even like coffee, Chaeng. Why are you so obsessed with that place?"
Jennie couldn't help but tease Rose, knowing full well about her friend's crush on Jisoo, who happened to frequent Wendy's café.
"Their chamomile tea is great," Rose said, trying to defend herself.
Jennie couldn't help but giggle at Rose's response, especially with her thick British accent that made her sound like a royal family member.
The classroom, which was previously filled with the sound of students chatting and laughing, suddenly turned quiet. They quickly settled down in their seats as their eyes turned towards the front of the class.
Jennie and Rose, who were previously playfully teasing each other, became perplexed when they noticed their classmates' sudden shift in focus. It was then that someone walked into the room, their presence commanding the attention of everyone in the class.
"Is that..." Rose said while looking towards the classroom entrance.
"Lisa?" Jennie continued Rose's words then covered her face with a book trying to hide.
"Is she looking at us?" Jennie whispered to Rose, still hiding her face.
"Yah, Chaeyoung-ah!" Jennie whispered louder because Rose never responded to her question.
"You didn't text me," A familiar voice echoed near Jennie and Jennie's face suddenly turned pale.
Jennie didn't expect Lisa to come over to her.
"Why didn't you text me? I was... I'm waiting," Everyone was gasping hearing Lisa's words, including Rose.
"Whoa, this is the first time I've seen Manoban talk that long!" someone whispered, while another person added, "Jennie's charm is extraordinary, even the robot Lisa can get carried away!"
Lisa ignored the whispers and continued to wait for Jennie's answer. She took out her phone and scrolled through her photo gallery to show Jennie something.
"What are you doing?" Rose was confused by Lisa's actions and asked.
"The picture of me drinking. I need to show her." Lisa said briefly while resuming to scroll on her phone.
"Yah! She said whaatt?"
"Were they dating?"
"I think Jennie dumped her!"
"Is that why Lisa's been alcoholic?"
"I swear to God, this is the first time I've seen Lisa speak more than 4 sentences!"
The whispers of the people in class became louder and made Jennie feel uncomfortable. So, she decided to take Lisa's hand and leave the classroom. This sudden action shocked her friends and made the class rowdy.
Jennie's grip on Lisa's arm was so tight that it almost hurt. "What are you doing?!" Jennie half-screamed as she dragged Lisa to the emergency stairs.
Lisa was stunned and could not move. She kept staring at Jennie's hand, like ice on her skin.
Why was Jennie's palm so cold? Why was there no electricity that I usually felt? Did Jennie really no longer have feelings for me?
Jennie's voice was now tinged with annoyance. "Why did you come to class and say all those things in front of my friends?" Lisa was still unable to respond and continued to look at her arm, which was still gripped by Jennie.
"You didn't text me..." Lisa finally spoke up quietly, hoping to diffuse the tension.
"Shouldn't you be glad I'm no longer bothering you?" Jennie scolded Lisa, and she felt like her heart was breaking. She was only trying to tell Jennie that she still drank water, even though Jennie hadn't asked for photo evidence.
"What you said earlier could make people misunderstand! Did you know that? Geez!" Jennie said in frustration, then released her grip on Lisa's arm.
Lisa felt Jennie's grip marks and lowered her head. She was getting more confused by the second.
I guess she's already bored with me. Like Seulgi did with Karina, Winter, Dahyun, and finally, Naeyon.
"I'm sorry," Lisa said quietly, then gave Jennie a 90-degree bow.
Jennie was fuming with anger, but the moment she saw Lisa's innocent face, all her rage dissipated in an instant. She realized that she had overreacted.
Lisa had merely asked why she had not sent her any messages for three days, so why was she so angry? In fact, Jennie was the one who should have been apologetic since Lisa had suffered from food poisoning due to her negligence.
"No, I'm sorry," said Jennie while patting Lisa on the shoulder to stop her from bowing.
As she observed Lisa, Jennie realized that she wasn't like most people. Lisa was so focused on her goals that she didn't care about what others thought of her. Shouldn't Jennie be thrilled that Lisa finally took the initiative to come see her?
"Does it...hurt?" Jennie hesitantly asked Lisa when as she noticed Lisa still clutching the arm that Jennie had grabbed earlier.
Lisa shook her head, but her gaze remained fixed on the ground.
"You didn't text me... I'm waiting," Lisa said softly. Jennie knew that she should text Lisa but the guilt was weighing heavily on her mind and she feared that her every move would cause more pain to Lisa.
Three days ago, Jennie had confessed her feelings for Lisa to Seulgi. Instead of responding positively, Seulgi had asked a question that had left Jennie questioning her own feelings. "Are you sure your feelings are genuine, or are you just feeling pity for Lisa's limitations?"
Seulgi had explained to Jennie that Lisa had a condition that made it difficult for her to differentiate between feelings of friendship and love. If Jennie's feelings were only pity, Seulgi advised her to step back and treat Lisa like a stranger.
"I don't think Lisa even understands the concept of relating to fellow humans. I've known her for two years, and she still thinks of me as someone who keeps bothering her and invading her space. I will continue to act like that towards her because that's the only way I can get close to her without making her attached to me." Seulgi's words echoed in Jennie's mind as she made the difficult decision to leave before Lisa came out of her room three days ago.
"Lisa..." Jennie called Lisa's name softly. "Are you allergic to mushrooms?" Jennie asked.
Lisa nodded her head, still pondering over why Jennie wasn't answering her question and instead seemed to be concerned about her allergies.
"Then why did you eat the ramen knowing that it had mushrooms in it?" Jennie asked while holding Lisa's hand.
"Because you ordered it," Lisa shrugged. "Whatever you order, I will like it. I have to," Lisa repeated Jennie's words before she ordered Lisa Spicy Miso Ramen.
Jennie's heart was pounding as she listened to Lisa's innocent words. She tried her best to hold back the tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks, but it was no use.
Lisa noticed and panicked. "Don't cry," she pleaded. "Please, don't cry." Her voice grew louder and more frantic with each passing moment. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Lisa kept hitting her own head in frustration.
Jennie knew she had to do something to calm her down. She tried to reach out and stop Lisa, but she was too worked up to listen. "Hey, Lisa!" Jennie shouted, making Lisa flinch. "Listen to me, will you?"
Finally, Lisa nodded, her fists still clenched. Jennie knew she needed time to think but didn't know how to communicate that to Lisa.
Jennie took a deep breath and spoke slowly and calmly. "I need some time to think. Can you give me that?" she asked.
Lisa looked at her with confusion. "How long?" she asked.
Jennie realized that Lisa needed a definite answer. She took Lisa's hands in hers and rubbed her thumb across her palm. "Just wait until I text you," she said, hoping that would be enough.
"But how long?" Lisa repeated, her anxiety rising.
Jennie felt herself getting frustrated.
"Just wait, okay?" she said, her voice rising. She didn't mean to yell at Lisa, but the situation was overwhelming.
"I'm sorry. I will wait,"
Lisa was confused by Jennie's sudden outburst, so she decided not to ask any more questions before Jennie got angrier.
She wondered what made Jennie so angry?
Is she angry because she thinks I'm annoyed that she secretly asked Seulgi for mineral water three days ago?
"Please don't be angry," she added, trying to calm Jennie down. "I promise I will wait."
Jennie kept sobbing silently, and Lisa stood before her, trying to calm her down. Lisa's feelings were mixed as she was unsure of what to do. She promised to wait for Jennie, so why was Jennie still crying?
"Don't cry," Lisa begged in a desperate voice. "I'm not angry, I swear. I bought another bottle of mineral water, so you don't need to worry," she added.
"What do you mean?" Jennie asked, confused by the sudden change of topic.
"I knew Miss Kang gave you a bottle of water from my fridge. It's okay. I'm no longer mad. Miss Kang was the one who lied to me, and I wasn't mad at you,"
"You knew I was coming?" Jennie asked in surprise.
Lisa nodded, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
"How did you know?" Jennie asked.
"I checked the CCTV," Lisa replied.
Jennie was even more confused by Lisa's response. Why didn't Lisa call or message her immediately if she knew Jennie was coming to her house? There were so many things that Jennie needed to understand, so she decided to figure it all out as soon as possible.
She made a mental note to contact Seulgi about Lisa's condition by calling Yerim first. Yerim was her best friend, and she might know who Lisa was and be able to help Jennie understand the situation better.
"I need to go," Jennie said, hugging Lisa before walking away. Lisa flinched at Jennie's sudden movement and watched as she walked away, confused and unsure what to do next.
Jennie has been missing from class for two days, and Rose is worried. To make matters worse, Jennie left all her belongings with her. Rose decides to pay a visit to Jennie's house to return her bag. She knows that Jennie owes her an explanation for her sudden disappearance.
All Jennie had told her was to wait until they met and that she would explain everything.
As Rose gets out of her sister's car, she spots Jisoo walking into the carport. Rose feels a bit nervous about approaching Jisoo. After all, she has a huge crush on her best friend's older sister. But she can't let this opportunity slip by. She gathered her courage and decided to invite Jisoo for a chat.
"Unnie!" Rose called Jisoo from a distance while jogging over to Jisoo.
Jisoo, lost in her thoughts, continued walking towards her car, oblivious to the call. It was rare for Jisoo to be called Unnie; even her own sister preferred calling her Chu. As Jisoo got into her car, Rose suddenly banged on the window, causing Jisoo to jump in shock.
When Jisoo got into her car, Rose suddenly banged on the car window and made Jisoo startled.
"What the f....reaking beauty banging on my window," Jisoo smirked, rubbing her chest to calm herself down.
Rose kept tapping on the window, trying to convey something, but Jisoo couldn't hear her at all. It looked like Rose was screaming in frustration as she kept gesturing with her hands for Jisoo to roll down the window.
"Oh, right," Jisoo nodded, then rolled down her window.
"What the heck, unnie! Why did it take you so long to lower the window?" Rose said annoyed.
"Oh, you called me earlier?" Jisoo responded. "Just call me Jisoo from now on because I won't look up if someone calls me unnie," Jisoo said with a smile.
"But you're older than me," Rose responded. "I don't wanna be rude,"
"Then call me yours," Jisoo tried to joke, but she saw Rose showing an expression that she couldn't explain.
"I'm kidding...?" Jisoo hesitated. "Anyway, you're Jennie's friend, right? What's up?" Jisoo started rumbling because the situation became awkward.
Rose was still stunned by Jisoo's words earlier. She knows Jisoo was joking, but it took two people to play this game. Rose didn't want to be beaten alone.
"Right," said Rose, nodding. "Where are you going, babe?" Rose asked.
"W-what?" Jisoo was shocked by the endearment. "B-babe?" Jisoo stuttered because she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Rose then laughed because Jisoo's expression was very priceless. "I'm kidding!" Rose said while giggling. "Or not? Hahaha," Rose continued to laugh.
Rose explained to Jisoo why she had come to Jennie's residence, but to her dismay, Jennie was out. Jisoo then asked Rose if she wanted to go with her to Wendy's cafe, which she readily agreed to. Jisoo always dropped by Wendy's cafe since she found out that her best friend owned it.
"Hi, unnie!" Rose greeted Wendy with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, Chaeyoung-ah!" Wendy welcomed Rose warmly. "My favorite customer!" she exclaimed, raising Jisoo's eyebrows. "How fitting for you to come because your favorite meat pie has just come out of the oven!" Wendy added.
"Isn't your name Rosie?" Jisoo whispered to Rose, looking puzzled.
"Some people call me Chaeyoung because that is my Korean name. Rosie is Jennie's special nickname. People who just know me call me Rose," Rose explained.
"You have too many names, are you a criminal?" Jisoo asked, sounding confused.
Rose laughed at Jisoo's comment. "If having this beauty is a crime, I guess I'm a criminal. But I'm yours, you can call me whatever you want," Rose winked, causing Jisoo's cheeks to turn red.
"Hey, Chaeng, why did you bring the rabbit here?" Wendy asked in surprise, noticing Jisoo next to Rose.
"Watch it, Son," Jisoo warned her best friend.
"You both knew each other?" Rose asked Jisoo, who was glaring at Wendy.
"I used to keep that rabbit, but she loved to hump everything, so I returned her to his natural habitat," Wendy joked.
"Awww," Rose feigned pity. "This cute bunny is mine now, and she is very obedient," Rose pinched Jisoo's cheek. "It all depends on who's handling it, unnie," she added.
Jisoo's face turned redder because of Rose's treatment. She didn't expect her sister's friend to be so outspoken, even in front of her best friend, Wendy.
"Are you guys dating or what?" Wendy asked, trying to stir things up.
"Why? You jealous?" Jisoo said, shooting Wendy a sharp gaze.
"I? Jealous?" Wendy scoffed. "Nice try, mate. I'm just happy that you finally stopped chasing me. At least now, you have a new obsession," Wendy said with a smirk on her face.
Jisoo didn't like this situation because, usually, she could face Wendy with savage replies, but with Rose next to her, she felt powerless.
Rose was confused about why Wendy and Jisoo made nasty comments towards each other. She was still surprised that Jisoo knew Wendy. Do they have a history? Could it be that Jisoo is Wendy's ex-girlfrend? These questions kept popping up in Rose's mind.