If I Ain't Got You (vsoo...ft. liskook)

5.

Lisa’s eyes widened in disbelief. She had only wanted a little help, just some guidance. But Taehyung had already arranged for the entire assignment to be handled. It felt like cheating, but she couldn’t help but feel relieved.

“Seriously? Just one day?” Lisa blinked, her surprise evident.

Taehyung gave a nonchalant nod. “Yep, one day. You’ll have it all by tomorrow.”

Lisa was speechless for a moment, then her face lit up with a grin. “Wow! I’ll tell Jisoo. She will—”

"Jisoo?" Taehyung interrupted, his voice casual but with a slight smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced at her, his gaze returning to the road. "She's also in your group?"

Lisa nodded quickly, not realizing Taehyung had caught onto the connection so quickly. She rambled about the assignment and her excitement, but Taehyung barely paid attention. His mind was elsewhere, the smirk on his face growing as he thought about how things were unfolding.

---

A new morning, a new day. Jisoo was packing lunch for her mother and plating food for her father, who smiled warmly at her as he moved his chair at the dining table.

"Going to meet Eomma?" he asked, glancing up at his daughter.

Jisoo nodded while packing the lunch box into her bag. "I’m busy today. Don’t wait for me," she replied, kissing him on the cheek, her smile genuine. Her father, ever so caring, gave a soft chuckle.

"Just take care of yourself," he said before digging into the meal she had prepared.

After grabbing a cab, Jisoo headed straight to the hospital where her mother was still recovering. She greeted the receptionist and went directly to the second floor, where her mother’s room was.

"Jisoo!" Her mother greeted her brightly as she entered, her face lighting up with a smile. Jisoo wrapped her arms around her, planting a kiss on her cheek and helping her sit up in bed.

"How are you feeling? I brought you lunch," Jisoo said, sitting down beside her mother.

Her mother smiled gently. "I’m feeling much better now. You don’t have to bring food, though. I’ve already eaten."

Jisoo pouted playfully, her voice soft. "Don't you like my cooking?"

Her mother chuckled, shaking her head. "I love everything you cook, but you don’t have to worry about me. You’re still studying, and you take care of the house. You don’t need to come all the time."

"I'm not tired," Jisoo replied, a firm determination in her voice. "Who would be tired of seeing their own Eomma? Forget it. Just tell me how it tastes," she added as she gently fed her mother.

Her mother smiled lovingly, grateful for her thoughtful daughter. She was truly blessed.

It was already noon, and Jisoo had missed her first lecture. She wasn’t too worried, though; she knew she’d catch up later. Lisa wasn’t in class either. She had plans of her own—plans with her crush, Jungkook. Lisa had flown to California to support him during the recording of his first solo single.

"All the best, Kookie!" Lisa cheered, her enthusiasm far greater than Jungkook’s, who was clearly nervous.

"I’m nervous," Jungkook confessed, pulling Lisa into a hug. She was taken aback, not because of the hug, but because she realized he felt the same way she did about the upcoming performance.

Lisa said nothing but patted his back, staying close for a moment before he pulled away to get ready for the recording.

"I trust you. You’re going to nail it," Lisa said, giving him a thumbs-up. Jungkook smiled, returned the hug, and walked into the recording room.

Lisa’s heart skipped a beat as she watched him go.

Minutes passed, and Jungkook was still in the recording room. Lisa wandered around, waiting, when she suddenly got a call from Taehyung.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Lisa, your assignment is done. Are you coming to pick it up?" Taehyung asked casually, flipping through the completed papers. His assistant had already handled everything.

"Oppa, I’m with Kookie. We’re—"

"I almost forgot. It’s fine. Just send someone else to pick it up. How about Jisoo?" Taehyung suggested, his smirk audible even through the phone.

"Okay, I’ll tell Jisoo. It’s lunch break, so she can go. I’ll send my driver," Lisa said, ending the call before quickly notifying both Jisoo and her driver.

Meanwhile, Jisoo sat alone in class, not particularly hungry after having lunch with her mom. She excused herself from her friends, who went to the canteen, and tried to focus on studying. But then, Lisa called.

"Jisoo, I’m sending my driver to pick you up. You need to go to Kim’s Skyscrapers to get the assignment," Lisa told her, her voice sounding a little insistent.

"No rush, we still have three days to turn it in. We could go tomorrow," Jisoo said, trying to delay.

"I should’ve said that... but I already told Taehyung you’d come. Please, Jisoo. He helped me without hesitation," Lisa added, almost pleading.

Jisoo sighed, knowing there was no getting out of this. She chuckled to herself when she saw Lisa’s message: I’ll treat you to chicken... please.

With a smile, Jisoo sent a thumbs-up emoji back. "Silly. You don’t have to do that. It’s just... I don’t want to go there. Your so-called fiancé is such a playboy."

As she walked toward the university gate, she muttered under her breath, her frustration evident. When Lisa's driver arrived, she climbed into the car and headed toward Kim’s Skyscrapers.

Arriving at the building, Jisoo was greeted by strict security, but after being checked, she made her way inside. The receptionist gave her a strange look but politely confirmed who she was.

"Are you Kim Jisoo?" the receptionist asked, cutting off Jisoo’s introduction.

Jisoo nodded. The receptionist called someone, who soon arrived with a file. "Your boss is waiting for you in his office."

Jisoo’s polite smile faltered as she realized what was happening. She didn’t need to meet Taehyung, just pick up the file. But the receptionist led her to the CEO’s office, where Taehyung was waiting.

The assistant glanced at Jisoo with a raised eyebrow. "Follow me, Miss Kim. You’re Mr. Taehyung’s girlfriend’s friend, correct?"

Jisoo nodded again, though she didn’t quite like the way he phrased it. They stopped in front of the large office, and the assistant spoke again. "Boss is in."

As the assistant left, Jisoo hesitated, unsure whether to enter or leave. But her thoughts were interrupted when Taehyung’s deep, husky voice called from inside.

"Don’t think too much, baby. Just come in."