[CHAE'S POV]
"JENNIE!!!!" a loud shriek escapes from her lips as she woke up from her nightmare. She is shaking as she tries to remember every detail in her dream.
"Glad it was just a dream. But it was a bad dream." she sighs and checks her phone, no missed calls, no text messages, nothing from Jennie. It's 9 pm, her stomach's growling like a lion. She walks down to the kitchen to make herself some food.
She sent a text to her mom and placed her phone at the counter. She gets some sliced loaves of bread and toasted it. She also made herself her favorite kimchi stew. She pulls a chair and dines with her meal. She then dials Jisoo's number to ask about Jennie.
"Yah!! Park Chaeyoung! Why weren't you answering my calls?" Jisoo scolded the now-so-awake Park Chaeyoung.
"Unnie, can you slow it down please, I fell asleep, that's why. What's up? Can I ask you something?" in a sweet voice Chae said.
"We've been calling you non-stop, Chae. You can't blame me if I got worried because you were not answering your phone."
"Listen, I know I got you worried, and I'm sorry, but please, I cannot afford to hear any of those tonight. Can I ask where Jennie is?"
"I thought she's gonna see you after school. Haven't you two met?"
"No, I haven't seen her since our argument." she sighs and bit her lip upon remembrance.
"Well, why don't you call her yourself if you are that worried?" Jisoo suggested.
"Unnie, I cannot do that right now, but I just wanna know what she's doing and if she's alright. So, could you please give her a ring?" she pleaded.
"Tsssss...As if I have much of a choice? Your pride is as high as the roof. but I'll get back to you as soon as I reached her." Jisoo finally gave in.
"Thank you so much Unnie, I owe you one."
"You owed me a lot, Chaeyoung-ah." Jisoo teased.
"Yessserrr" Chae teased back and hang up.
She finished her meal in no time. She got a text from her parents that they will be homed tomorrow evening. Enough time for her to rest her mind and heart for a bit.
She misses her Jennie so much. But all she can do right now is just to miss her. I hope she's okay though, she thought. She went into her room thereafter.
[JISOO'S POV]
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"Jennie, c'mon, where are you? Aissssshhhh!!!" Jisoo said in frustration. That's when her other phone rang, it's Lisa.
"Love," she answered.
"Hey, what's up, you seem a little stress."
"It's Jennie, I can't get hold of her. Her phone is still out of coverage area. I'm getting worried. She said she's gonna see Chaeyoung after school, but Chaeyoung said they haven't met since their last argument." she sighed.
"Easy there love, I know we should be worried, but Jennie unnie is a strong woman, she's not gonna let anything eat her up. Maybe she's just out there breathing, and thinking about everything. They will soon be okay, but for now, can you rest yourself for a bit? I'm getting worried for you too, I don't want you to be stressed. Listen, tomorrow, we will surely see Jennie and Chae, we will talk to them, and help them sort this out, 'you okay with that baby?" Lisa asked sweetly.
"Hmmmmmmm, okay, sounds like a good plan to me. Thank you, love. I'll see you tomorrow. Hearing your voice soothed me." she smiled at the end line.
"I love you." they both uttered.
Jisoo sighed relief as their call ended. She hopes nothing but the best for their friends. She knew how much they love each other, and she believes that the two will find their way back home into each other's arms.
Jisoo and Lisa arrived at school only to find out that Jennie and Chae both bailed on their classes.
"We need to go to Chae, I can't still get hold of Jennie, I am getting worried too, for real," Jisoo said to Lisa.
"Let's go, I'll drive." Lisa drove off fast and reaches Chae's in no time.
They knock on the door and a restless Chae opens.
"Thank God you're still alive!" Jisoo exclaimed.
"Of course I am," Chae answered and makes a way for the couple.
"Why did you skip class again?" Lisa asks Chae.
"I wasn't feeling well, and to be honest, I don't know if I can face Jennie as of this moment."
"Jennie wasn't at school also, and I still cannot reach her. I don't know what happened to her, it's draining me." Jisoo took a deep long sigh.
"What do you mean she was not in school? Where was she? Did you check her at home? Where else can she be, unnie?" Chae asks without stopping.
"Yaahh! Am I her keeper? You should be the one who knows that. If not only because of your pride." Jisoo said with a smirk.
"This isn't about pride unnie." Chae pouted.
"I just need to know the facts first, so I will know what to do. But that doesn't mean that I don't care about her anymore, I do unnie, I really do. She's my life." teary-eyed Chae said.
"Shhhh, come here, I know, I'm sorry okay." Jisoo hugged and patted Chae's back. "We will find her soon. But first, let's talk about it. We can explain most if not all things."
Jisoo guides her to the sofa, while Lisa pulls a seat for her own. She then holds Chae's hands and squeezes them as support. Chae looks at her with a little weak smile on her face and utters a 'thank you'.
"Chae, we may not know everything, but we know how much Jennie loves you, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. And she wouldn't do anything, literally anything to hurt you." Jisoo said with full conviction.
"Remember when you told us that Chanyeol's courting you? Jennie cried that night, of course without you knowing it, but she really did. She was happy for you though. She said that whatever makes you happy will make her happy, even if it means breaking her own heart.
She tried really hard to accept the fact that you are somebody else's girl. It killed her every day. After that day Jennie thought that she finally can stop loving you, but her feelings for you only grew deeper each day.
And when you told us that you and Chanyeol made it official, she had to wipe her tears immediately and flashed her infamous gummy smile so you wouldn't be bothered. She did everything for you except stop loving you.
But one day we heard Chanyeol and his boys talking about you, we couldn't help but overheard his reason why he courted you in the first place. We were furious at that time, but Jennie stopped us from going to you and exposing Chanyeol of his agenda towards you. Jennie didn't want you to be a casualty, so she spoke to Chanyeol, she practically begged him to be serious with you. That was also the day when Chanyeol knew that Jennie's in love with you.
From that day on, he made sure that you will feel loved, and we saw that Jennie saw that, and it made you happy, Jennie was happy but deep inside she was hurting.
But someone betrayed Chanyeol, we still do not know who, but that someone sent shreds of evidence to your parents, so your parents talked to us. They wanted to know who Chanyeol was really is.
We couldn't say anything since we knew he has changed for the better. Jennie defended Chanyeol to your parents, yeah, that's how masochist Jennie was. We cannot blame her though, she is so in love with you.
After that night we didn't hear anything from your parents. So we assume that everything had been reconciled.
But on the day of Chanyeol's flight, that was also the time when we had dinner with each other's family. Jennie came early and accidentally heard your daddy on his phone talking to someone, saying that he has to give an envelope to Chanyeol. Jennie offered to bring the envelope to Chanyeol, it was sealed by the way. Since uncle trusted Jennie, he handed her the envelope, Jennie didn't bother to ask what's inside, all she has in mind was that she needed to speak with Chanyeol." Jisoo narrated, while Chae was trying to process everything she is hearing.
"Jennie told us to cover for her if you'd asked her whereabouts. So she brought the said envelope to Chanyeol, she talked to him, she told him to choose you, she told him that if he will leave you, it will be one of his biggest regrets because she will do anything to help you for forget him. She tried to stop him from going to Syracuse. But he said that you will understand because it's for the both of you. That he will only be gone for two years and when he gets back, he will marry you. That was what he told to Jennie. We only knew about it after Jennie told us, she also didn't know that he will be gone without saying goodbye to you. She knew you will be devastated. But she couldn't do anything, she tried to protect you, but she failed. She thought she failed, but it wasn't really her fault, she did her best, but Chanyeol chose to chase his dreams. We get it that he wanted to be good for you, he needed to succeed so he can finally say that he deserves someone like you." Jisoo continued while Lisa gave her support to Chae.
"To be honest we have no idea how and why your parents did that, but one thing is for sure, they did everything because they thought that it was the best for you. Soon you will be hearing everything from them, all I am asking from you Chae is to open your mind and heart, forgive them if you think that they've overstepped into your life, leave no room for anger and hatred, cos we all know that they love you so much." Jisoo said as she was done explaining everything she knows to Chae.
Chae nodded as an assurance to Jisoo, she hugged them both for their concern for her and Jennie.
"I don't know what to say unnie, but hearing these things from you made me feel so guilty because I had treated Jennie poorly. I didn't give her the chance to explain herself, instead, I accused her of things she didn't do. I had let my judgment be clouded by my emotions, resulting in despising her. I am so so disappointed in myself, Jennie did nothing but love me, yet all I did was hurt her." she couldn't stop herself from crying knowing that she had hurt Jennie.
"Sssshhhhh, Jennie unnie will surely understand, she will forgive you, her love for you is unconditional." Lisa comforted Chae with reassurance.
"Jennie won't be able to resist you. I promise!" Jisoo said jokingly.
Jisoo patted Chae's back. Soon after they brought themselves up. They were shocked to realize that it was already dark outside. And it's time to go home and give each other time to rest.
But the door flew open even before they could bring themselves home. It had revealed Chae's parents with Alice in their side.
"Mom, Dad, Alice." Chae was a little overwhelmed by their presence. Surely she was expecting her mom and dad tonight, but she didn't know that Alice will be home too. Nonetheless, she was happy to see them, especially her sister. She missed them. She hugged them tight and kissed them.
Lisoo also did the same, hugging them and expressing their joy in seeing them all. But as much as they'd like to stay, they can't. So after a moment of welcoming them, they have announced their intent to leave. But Chae's parents asked them to stay over dinner as they have important things to be settled. Leaving them with no choice, they have agreed to their wish.
"I know it's quite late now, but we need you to hear us. And if it's not too much to ask, we'd like you two to stay for tonight, accompany Chae so she wouldn't miss Jennie." Mr. Park politely asks for their help, which the two heartily nod and agree.
They all proceeded to the dining area and settles everything over a sumptuous dinner.