Apparently that Friday morning, the school was closed due to the sudden rainstorm and wind.
Jennie stayed in bed and under her blankets as the thunder roared aside from her window. her phone rang for the first time she quickly answered it.
"Jennie are you okay? this weather is too crazy, I don't think I can make it home until it stops." her mother said as she was out shopping for groceries.
"I'm scared of being alone..." she whined and pouted each time she hears the thunder on the outside.
"hang in there--I have to go now, I'll see if I can come back soon" she replied and then hangs up on Jennie.
she shuts her phone and holds it in her small palm, thinking whether to go after her mother or not.
------
the rain came pouring down as Jungkook walked across a street with an umbrella just to pick up her mother from the grocery store, which was about a couple blocks away from their house. he was worried for her as the rain becomes heavier and darker.
Jungkook's mother, Chanhee, sat hidden under a dark corner coffee shop looking straight into Jennie's mother, Hyejoo.
they have run into each other in the grocery stores and Hyejoo insisted they talked for a while.
"it's been a while since I've seen you, Chanhee," Hyejoo mother said as she crossed her arms and look straight at her with her head up high. of course, she knew she was in higher status than her.
Chanhee became nervous as she held both of her thumbs uncontrollably on top of one another on her lap. lost for an answer to reply, she glued her eyes on the coffee that was ordered by Hyejoo. she was somehow scared of her again.
"It's getting annoying seeing you around again. don't you always want to travel overseas?" Hyejoo added as a way of suggesting she disappear away again.
"I didn't think I would see you today, Hyejoo ah" Chanhee comfortably talked to her, not caring for any addressing since she was still carrying the guilt that was given from Jennie's mother, Hyejoo.
"don't call me that... and I never thought that the world would be this small" Hyejoo said feeling resentful still from the past as she lost eye contact. she picked up her cup of mocha milk tea and sip on it.
"what do you mean?" Chanhee replied with a confused face as she wasn't getting the phrase.
"that kid-- grew up well" Hyejoo leaned in, putting both of her elbows onto the table, facing Jungkook's mother closely.
"what are you talking about?" Chanhee faked as if she didn't want to yet expose Jungkook out as hers for the sake of him living in peace.
Hyejoo laughed wickedly, "I've met him already, he is pretty resentful against me rather than you guys, don't you think? "
Chanhee went blank into the question as she doesn't want to talk about it. she was unable to continue with her on the conversation as Hyejoo was striking her hard about the past.
"sorry but I think you got the wrong kid, I don't have a child--"
"why would my husband leave me for you then?! if it is not for that kid?" Hyejoo angrily exclaimed at Chanhee, almost wanting to slap her but didn't.
Jennie dropped her umbrella as her mother shouted the unbelievable response. she was there all along after deciding to come to fetch her mother without letting her know. she was eavesdropping on the conversations of her mother and someone else, someone who she doesn't know and has never seen.
the dropping noise wasn't enough for them to realize that Jennie was there and continued pushing each other into the past as if everything was going to occur again as if their shared husband was going to wake up from the grave.
Jennie quickly cover both sides of her ears and ran out into the streets where it was foggy and raining. she felt raindrops quickly on her as she ran faster and faster with each step.
'he left me for someone's else, for someone else's child' she thought as she cried it out. she wanted to unheard those words and thoughts.
while running into people on the sidewalk, who were in a hurry, she fell a couple of times on her knees and hand, making them red and scraped.
her mind played with her as she stops in the middle of the road and fell down from her weak stamina from the running.
"yah! get out the way!" someone screamed from the car and beeped at her. little did they know she have already shut the world out of her ears.
Jungkook watched from the side, furrowing his eyebrow at her as he have never seen this version of Jennie before. he didn't want to go help, definitely not this time, because of what happened last time. just by that, he started walking away towards the grocery stores for his mother.
the car beeped constantly at her as she went into despair, wanting to dive deeper into the rain that have became rivers on the road. dirt swim past her as she held the traffic down and forgot about the rain.
it wasn't long until raindrops stop hitting her head, for her to realize that she was in the middle of the street. she looked up from the cement ground to see the sky but saw Jungkook there instead, with an umbrella that he wasn't in.
"you're holding up the traffic," Jungkook said loudly through the heavy raindrops.
she stared at him and wonder why does he always magically appear for her. his hair became wet and his clothes went drenched, looks like she wasn't going to stand up any soon.
he went down and squat in front of her, not letting his knee onto the wet ground. "come here" he grabbed her by the hand and help her out of the street, after witnessing her tears through the droplets of the rain.
only he was able to see her tears and it meant everything for her during this time since she had lost herself at the spot where her mother aggressively talked to someone about her father.
his gentle hands comfort her by saying that she will be okay if she lets him hold it. he guided her all the way into the bus, where he paid for the tickets and even gave her a seat.
he sat next to her as the bus drove off into the dark watery world. with him, she forgot about her sadness, with him she forgot that she have things to worry about, and with him, everything feels alright and hopeful.
breathing the same atmosphere and closer, he didn't talk at all but she wonder if he has ever noticed the long crushes that she have been showing to him ever since sixth grade.
she wonders about the feelings that developed when he bullied her from time to time. those moments made her cry but within those cries were a small Jennie who wanted to become better and tougher for him.
looking secretly at him from time to time in the bus ride, she fell asleep on his shoulder. her tears become dry, not from the air but from the wipes of his soft big thumb.
he didn't know what happen or why she was crying but he knew she was hurt inside really bad. he wipes the tears off of her soft cheeks so that she wouldn't be able to taste them.
she had her head leaned on his shoulder and every time the bus hit a pothole, he becomes worried that her head will fall off. but it didn't, instead, it stick like a magnetic to his shoulder.
it wasn't long until the bus driver came to a stop that was requested by the Jungkook, who have already gotten off three stops earlier.
"miss? miss.. this is your stop"
Jennie open her eyes, lazily, to having her hand on the umbrella that Jungkook carried earlier. she looked around the bus to see nobody there but herself and the bus driver peeking from the front, waiting for her to get off.
"it's your stop miss" the bus driver announced once more before she actually took the umbrella and step off of the bus.
the rain was now a little bit lessen as she got off. her wet hair was now half dry as she walks home within the blocks, feeling a little bit light-headed and cold. she wished that he could have told her about leaving, maybe then she was able to thank him.
••• to be continue •••