Courtship # Jenlisa

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Lisa’s POV

"IU let go of me," I said, after she finally manage to get me out of the canteen before things escalate into a full-blown fight between her and Jennie.

"IU, stop. I'm fine. You don’t need to fight with her," I reply, releasing her wrist.

"She's gone way past her limit," IU says, trying to calm herself. I didn’t expect her to act this way. I’ve always known her as a quiet girl, but now she’s acting like a firecracker, challenging someone like Jennie.

"I don’t want to drag you into this mess. This is my problem. I will—" I start, but she cuts me off.

"But, Li—"

"I’m fine, IU. She’ll torture you if you—"

"I don’t care, Lisa. She can’t expel me. She can’t," IU interrupts firmly.

The way she says "she can't" makes me pause. I look at her, confused.

"Wait… What do you mean?" I ask.

She looks at me, almost with a sense of pride. "Our dads are close, or should I say, they’re best friends. My dad is a big part of this school—they helped build this place. So, it means it’s mine too."

I’m shocked. She holds my hand. "You don’t need to worry about me anymore. I’ll protect you," she says, smiling as she squeezes my hand.

Does she like me? Why is she acting like this?

Before I can ask more questions, Suelgi and Jisoo arrive, both panting heavily. I quickly release IU's hand when they get close.

"Why are you both panting?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, we were jogging around campus," Suelgi says, rolling her eyes.

I give them a confused look. "Okay…"

Jisoo, annoyed, explains, "Of course we were following you and IU! You were dragging her so fast."

"I didn’t know you were following," I admit.

"Of course you didn’t. You were too busy dragging IU," Jisoo says with a smirk.

Suelgi then leans in with a teasing grin. "And holding hands… don’t think we didn’t see that."

I freeze, not sure what to say. "What do you mean?" I ask, frowning.

Suelgi just gives me a knowing look. "Stop pretending, I saw it," she says without speaking, her eyes mischievous.

I roll my eyes at her, "That's a bitch attitude."

"Well, looks like Jennie found her match," Jisoo adds, glancing at IU with a small smirk.

"Are you okay, Lisa?" Rosie suddenly appears, her voice full of concern as she reaches for my arm.

But before I can react, Suelgi grabs Rosie’s wrist, stopping her. The two lock eyes, both holding each other’s gaze. Suelgi doesn’t let go, her grip firm.

I look over at Jisoo, who’s staring at the two of them with… sad eyes? Wait, is she jealous?

Suddenly, Suelgi shouts, "Don’t touch her, go back to your bitch best friend!"

"Suel!" I try to intervene, but Rosie pulls me in, holding my hand.

"It’s okay, I understand her. I’ll talk to Jennie," Rosie says, but Suelgi just laughs.

"That’s funny," Suelgi says sarcastically.

Rosie frowns at Suelgi but lets it go, holding my hand again.

"Sorry, Lis," Rosie says, her tone worried.

"It’s not your fault. Why are you apologizing?" I ask.

"She’s my best friend, and also my cousin," Rosie explains, her eyes soft. "How about we eat? My treat."

"Oh, so you’re paying?" Suelgi scoffs. "You can erase Lisa’s embarrassment with your food."

"Fine, let’s go. I’m still hungry," I say before heading to my locker. I grab a white t-shirt and PE pants. It's all I have available, but I’ll make it work.

When I return, Rosie clings to me and says, "We’re going to a restaurant to have a proper lunch. We didn’t finish earlier because of the whole incident."

After a 10-minute drive, we arrive at the restaurant. My eyes widen as I scan the place. It’s a fancy spot, and I quickly realize that Rosie must be a regular here—every staff member greets her with a smile.

"What’s your order, ma’am?" the waiter asks Rosie.

"Kimchi, bibimbap, red rice cakes, bulgogi, Korean stew, jajangmyeon, samgyeopsal, and Korean fried chicken," she says without missing a beat.

"Is that for all of us?" Jisoo asks, wide-eyed.

"No, just for me," Rosie says innocently, and Jisoo’s jaw drops.

"What?! Do you have a problem with that?" Rosie asks, eyebrow raised.

"Chill, okay? You're always mad at me," Jisoo says, making a mock crying face.

I can’t help but laugh. How is she still so skinny after ordering all that?

The waitress turns to me next. "What would you like, ma’am?"

"I’ll have mandu and jokbal," I say with a smile.

"Any drinks?" she asks.

"Chocolate drink, please," I reply, and she nods before moving on to IU.

"The same as hers," IU says, pointing at me.

The waitress then turns to Suelgi.

"Kimchi and soda, that’s all," Suelgi says with a calm smile.

Finally, the waitress turns to Jisoo.

"I’ll have a bucket of fried chicken and soda," Jisoo says excitedly.

"Oh, come on, Jisoo! Put some respect on it!" Suelgi teases, making everyone laugh.

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Gosh, the hangover is hitting me now. Thanks to everyone who wished me a happy birthday yesterday!

Gracias ❤️

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To be continued…