With all the information Jisoo gathered Jennie pretty much already won. She only had to submit the evidence which consisted of text and group messages from Seungri's phone. Therefore she had a good mood and allowed her daughter to go out on her own.
Jisu strolled out of her room with her pink backpack, hands gripping the shoulder straps.
"Did you put your water bottle inside?" Jennie questioned.
The little girl nodded.
"Sunscreen?"
"Yes."
"Bug spray?"
"Yup."
"The sandwiches I made?"
Another nod.
"Your helmet? Whistle?"
"Yes..."
"The tase--"
"I'm going to the park with my friends mommy. Not the dungeon."
"Better safe than sorry." Jennie shrugged and squatted down to peck the crown of her head.
"I'll be going." Jisu smiled and waited for Jennie to open the door.
When she stepped outside she saw Jisoo being on the other side with a newspaper in her hand. She most likely picked it up from downstairs seconds ago.
"Oh, what's with that gear? Are you enlisting?" Jisoo said playfully since Jisu was wearing a green helmet and whistle around her neck, as well as carrying huge backpack.
"I'm going to the park." She explained, shifting on her feet gleefully.
"Well then I'm surprised your mom didn't wrap you up in bubble wraps." Jisoo chuckled.
Jennie's eyes widened. The brunette immediately ran back inside, leaving the two confused.
Jisu squinted her eyes at Jisoo. "You gave her ideas."
"I'm sorry." She laughed. "It was meant to be a joke."
"I can tell but she can't." Jisu waited on her spot.
Jennie returned, not with bubble wraps but with LED safety bands that she attached on both her arms. They glew in all colors.
"It's the middle of the day, the sun is shining." Jisu whined.
"Either that or bubble wraps." Jennie gave her the option to choose.
"I'm sorry." Jisoo repeated.
"It's okay," Jisu grimaced. "I mean people will mistake me for the lollipop man or a gay street lamp but it's okay."
Jennie and Jisoo eyed her with shocked expressions.
"What?" She mumbled. "Did I say something wrong?"
Jennie shook her head slowly.
"Bye bye." Jisu waved them and skipped down the stairs.
"Take care!" Jisoo called and pinched Jennie's cheek. "You still frozen?"
"I had no idea she knows what gay means." Jennie rubbed her head. She didn't teach her about that yet.
"She seems to be the kind to know a lot more than people would expect." Jisoo retorted. "Kids are like sponges, they suck information from what surrounds them in a blink."
"You think she knows we--" Jennie stopped.
Jisoo wanted her to finish the sentence but it didn't seem like she would, so she shrugged and responded anyway in order not to make her feel awkward. "Maybe. Maybe not."
Jennie snapped out of her trance and locked her door.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm following Julia." She muttered.
Jisoo gave her a look. "You are following her?"
"Yeah. Just in case, you know."
"I don't think she would like that. She seems happy you trust her enough to let her go out on her own." Jisoo tried to reason with her cautiously. Neither did she want to overstep her boundaries.
The raven knew she was in no position to tell her how to raise her, so she only gave her opinion once. She wouldn't bring it up again.
"That's why I won't let her notice me. I will be a ninja." Jennie reassured.
"Ninjen." Jisoo grinned. "She will notice you though."
"No she won't."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Just tag along and you'll see."
So Jisoo spent the afternoon playing ninja with Jennie instead of reading the newspaper.
***
Jennie nodded in approval when she saw Jisu look thrice left and right before she crossed the street.
"We look creepy, Jen." Jisoo noted, squishing herself beside Jennie behind a street lamp.
Jennie shrugged, her eyes not leaving the little girl.
"People are staring..." The raven whispered. "Let's move."
Indeed people were throwing gazes to their direction. They looked suspicious hiding and walking after a primary school student, after all.
Jennie nodded and went from the street lamp to find shelter behind a postbox.
"That's not better--"
"Look!" Jennie commanded.
Jisu stopped moving before pressing on a doorbell.
"Who is she meeting?" Jennie raised her eyebrows.
"She is--"
"Shh!"
"But that's where--"
"Shhhh!"
Jisoo sighed and leaned against the postbox with crossed arms.
"This is strange, isn't it..." Jennie tapped her chin. "This is not the park."
"Listen--"
"Oh she opened the door and went inside!" Jennie's eyes largened.
Jennie was on the brink of barging inside but Jisoo pulled on her arm and restrained her.
She knew as a fact it would be a mistake to expose themselves due to a false conclusion.
Seconds later the door opened again and two little girls came out.
"Oh! This is where Yeji lives!" Jennie sighed in relief.
"You don't say..." Jisoo rolled her eyes.
"Did you say something?" Jennie tore her gaze off for the first time since they went out and fixed it at Jisoo.
"Nothing." Jisoo mumbled.
"Hey shouldn't you know where she lives? Geez you are forgetful." Jennie chuckled.
"I tried to tell you." Jisoo muttered indistinctly.
Jisoo learned that when Jennie has one bad thought in her head she blends everything else out, nothing else manages to sink through to her.
The elder figured she can pull her out of it with a light flick on her forehead, a pinch on her fluffy cheek or a warm touch against her skin.
"They are moving." Jennie stated and strolled leisurely further.
"Yeah. Let's take it easy though." Jisoo wrapped her hand around Jennie's palm before she intertwined their fingers.
Jennie darted her brown orbs to her to which Jisoo responded with a smile.
Maybe this works too.
A reminder that she shouldn't let solely her head carry her and stay on the solid ground as well.
And indeed Jennie stayed more composed afterwards as she clutched on Jisoo's comfortable hand.
"They properly look at their environment, walk to the right in order not to bump into anyone and are holdings hands to not lose each other in a crowd." Jisoo exclaimed. "If you asked me, they passed the test they didn't know they were taking."
Jennie couldn't deny it. She was definitely pleasantly surprised and gazed at them lovingly. They looked too adorable.
Suddenly they stopped walking and patted a stray dog.
"What's wrong?" Jisoo asked puzzled as Jennie tightened her hold on her.
"He could transmit diseases to them." Jennie claimed.
"You think?"
"Salmonellosis, Ringworm, Campylobacteriosis, Giardia, Leptospirosis, Dog Tapeworm, Hookworm, Rabies, Roundworm, Brucellosis..."
"That's a lot of worms... Anyways, doesn't he look adorable?" Jisoo gushed.
His tail was wiggling and his tongue stuck out.
Jennie almost fainted when his tongue touched Jisu's hand. Jisoo had to hold her waist for her not to fall down.
"Calm down!" Jisoo snorted. "She'll survive."
"Contagious disease can be spread through saliva and water.." Jennie choked out.
"Yeah but I still think that rarely happens. Just relax, okay? I touched tons of stray cats when I was a kid and look how healthy I am!"
"Cats?"
Jisoo nodded. "Big dogs scare me."
"Unexpected." Jennie cracked a smile.
After what felt like forever the girls parted from the dog and Jennie inhaled deeply.
The brunette stopped in front of an elderly woman, confusing Jisoo.
She explained the woman the situation and requested for her to hand the girls the disinfectant Jennie carried in her pocket.
The raven was in disbelief but couldn't help laughing.
Good thing the woman was nice and agreed to do it.
The two watched her approach the girls and tell them it's good to use disinfectant during times of flu.
The woman was successful in getting the kids to use it.
"Jennie," Jisoo nudged her shoulder. "Don't panic but--"
"Why? Why should I panic? Is there something to panic over?"
"Yes but not if we stay calm."
Jennie already felt her head heaten. "What's wrong?"
Jisoo pointed to a tree. Two sketchy figures were looking at the kids.
"Stalkers...?" Jennie let go of Jisoo's hand to clench her fist. "I will kill them!"
"Let's stay composed and confirm our suspicion first." Jisoo raised her hand to signal her to stay put.
Jennie nodded.
So they followed the suspicious people who wore sunglasses, a big brown coat and matching hat.
"Oh they are definitely after my kid and your niece." Jennie frowned. "Let's beat them up Jisoo."
"Let's beat them up." Jisoo echoed with a laugh. "For real?"
"Uh-huh." Jennie was ready to fight.
"I haven't had a fight since high school and you are... you." Jisoo retorted, making Jennie scowl.
"What am I??"
"A soft baby mandu."
"Tsk." Jennie clicked her tongue in dismay and sneeked onto the two adults from behind.
Jisoo felt the sweat in her palms. Well damn, a fight it is.
She would much rather call the police but Jennie was already adamant on confronting them.
If it's about her daughter she takes no prisoners.
Jennie tapped on the shoulder of one of them and swang her fist once the head was turned.
Jisoo tackled the other one.
"Ouch!" The one Jennie just punched lost her sunglasses.
That whining noise as well as this soft body felt awfully familiar to Jisoo.
"Take that pedophile!"
"Pedohpile!? Where!?" The irriated attacked person looked around in shock.
Jennie didn't let them say more and slapped them multiple times weakly.
"Ow! Ow! Ow!"
Howsoever weak it was, the person didn't defend themself and took hit after hit.
Jisoo mentally slapped herself, recognising the two stalkers.
Who else would lose a fight against Jennie? Of course it would be the bear!
Jisoo didn't dare to lift her head and look at the body she threw on the ground. However she was forced to when she received a smack on her head.
"Is this how you treat your older sister." She heard a firm voice speak and immediately stood up.
"I-It was supposed to be a hug!" She lied for her own safety.
Jennie stopped the slaps.
She knew she saw those people before after they lost their sunglasses but Jisoo's reaction confirmed it.
Yeji's parents.
Well...
"Oh," Jennie rubbed the back of her neck and giggled awkwardly. "We thought you were stalkers..."
"Why would you think that?" Seulgi questioned
"Maybe because of your clothes and the fact that you followed Lia and Yeji around." Jisoo suggested.
"How would you know we were following them around if you didn't follow us around?" Joohyun cocked a brow and brushed the dirt off her coat. "Aren't you the stalkers?"
"Okay, I guess we are all stalkers. But nice ones. You know, secret guardians." Jisoo attempted to turn the mood playful.
"My face hurts..." Seulgi whined and caressed her red cheeks.
"I'm so sorry," Jennie said with regret. "Sometimes I forget how physically strong I am."
That's not it, Jisoo wanted to say but seeing Jennie act so cute made her mute. She didn't have to know that Seulgi lost against a literal toddler and grandma before.
"We lost the kids by the way." Joohyun informed them.
Truly they couldn't see them anymore.
"Ehm, anyone want to go to a cafe?" Jisoo offered as apology.
***
Jisu's POV
The little girl walked through the street carefully and looked at her surroundings properly.
She could previously hear Jennie announcing that she is going to follow her. She already expected something like that and pretended not to see them.
"Hey," Yeji nudged her, dressed up with pigtails and a cute dress. "Why do you look like that?" She referred to her helmet and blinking jacket.
Jisu shrugged. "My mom."
That was explanation enough.
"Talking about moms. I heard mine discussing they are going to follow us secretly." Yeji sighed.
"Just like mine." Jisu grimaced. "Adults worry too much."
"Right?" Yeji agreed.
Jisu grabbed Yeji's hand.
"I don't think we need to hold hands."
"I wanna hold hands though."
"Clingy."
She chuckled when Jisu wrapped one arm around her waist from behind.
Yeji was bigger in size than Jisu, so she sometimes had to look up when she spoke to her.
"Carry me?" Jisu pouted.
"Your legs aren't broken."
"But my heart will be if you don't carry me."
Yeji gave her a look. "You are lucky you are my best friend."
Thus Jisu jumped on her back and Yeji quickly clutched on her thighs, preventing her from falling and holding her securely.
Yeji dashed forward, making Jisu grin happily.
"I am."