I know the moment Song walks over to me during study period on Wednesday that it was going to be a problem. I am flipping through my file, trying to find the first draft of my essay, when I noticed a shadow on the table. I look up to find Song , one of the guys from the football team. I knew him and Jisoo were friends, not close friends, yet friends nonetheless.
"Hey," he says, looking from me to Rosé, Chahee, Doyeon before his gaze lands back on me.
"Hey," I reply, giving him a small smile, refusing to let my eyes drift in the direction of Jisoo, who was a few tables away.
"How are you?" He asks, taking a seat beside me. I notice his eyes run over my face with a look of curiosity on his face.
"I'm good. Trying to get all these assignments finished." I reply, inclining my head towards the table where all my work is.
"Yeah, don't remind me... I really hate this time of year." He smiles back at me, glancing for a second at my work before his eyes come back to my face.
"Many more due?" I ask after a moments silence, realising it was my turn to ask a question.
"Three. Most of mine were due last week." He replies. I had never really talked to Song before, I mean we talked as he was on the team. So, we talked during the after game pizza's and we have talked a few times while I was waiting on Mino after practice yet neither of us had gone out of our way to start a conversation, until now.
"Lucky," I comment, watching as a nervous look takes over his face. I give another small smile.
"Listen, I wanted to ask you something..." He pauses, scratching the back of his neck. I glance towards Rosé, noticing her watching our exchange with a small smile on her face.
"Yeah?" I prompt.
"Would you like to go to the dance with me?" He asks, suddenly. I blink at him, not having expected that. I had totally forgotten about the school dance that was coming up in a month or so.
Song looks down towards the table, waiting for my response. I don't know how to respond, keeping me silent for a second. If I hadn't this thing with Jisoo I would have said yes, without question. Yet, I knew that Jisoo would be annoyed. I realise in that second that the dance is ages away and there is no guarantee that Jisoo and I would even still be... involved.
"Can I think about it? It's just that I don't know if I'm even going to the dance or not yet." I tell him, trying to give him a hopeful smile. It was true, I hadn't even thought of about the dance and didn't know if I was going or not.
"Sure." He says, looking back up to me. I see from his face that he was happy I didn't say no. He nods once before standing and walking away. I watch his back for a second, before turning back to Rosé, Chahee and Doyeon.
They are all watching me with questioning gazes. I raise my eyebrows at them.
"What?" I ask.
"Why didn't you say yes?" Doyeon asks.
"I don't know if I'm going yet," I repeat.
"You're joking, right? You have never missed a dance." Chahee says.
"I might miss this one," I say, not feeling like explaining that I wasn't sure if I was going because I knew I couldn't go with Jisoo.
"Is it Song ?" Rosé asks, "do you not want to go with him?"
"No, it's just that I'm busy and haven't had a chance to think about it," I say, watching as they all accept that answer, knowing that I have so many assignments at the moment.
"Well, if you go, you better have Song or some other guy on your arm." Chahee comments. I look towards her.
"Why?"
"Well, Soojin was talking in the changing room the other day about how Jisoo had asked her. Remember last year when we all went as a group and Jisoo said something about how you couldn't get a date? Wouldn't want that again." Chahee replies, a far away look on her face, obviously remembering last year's dance.
I had been asked by several guys, yet we had decided that we would go as a group, not wanting guys to ruin it. Jisoo, however, took it as an opportunity to rile me up. We got into a huge fight in the middle of the dance floor, both of us yelling at each other.
I momentarily remember back to that incident before her words sink in, making my stomach drop.
"Jisoo asked Soojin?" I ask, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, she is so excited about it, apparently she has a dress and everything already. She even got her something to wear that matches the dress."
I feel my face drop as well as my stomach. I feel like I've been punched in the stomach. Jisoo asked Soojin to go to the dance? I realise that the dance is a month away, and our deal was only supposed to be for a week or two. It's already lasted longer than we expected. I feel hurt, I knew Jisoo didn't feel the same way I did, but to ask Soojin to the dance while she was having this deal with me... does she not care at all? She could have stopped this thing between us and then asked her, but to actually do it while we were... involved, it makes me feel cheap.
"Jennie?" Rosé asks a look of concern cover her face. I try and smile at her like nothing was wrong, yet I don't fool her.
"I knew her having a date before you would annoy you." Doyeon says, giving a pointed look to Chahee, "But Song asked you so it's fine."
"Exactly," I tell her, trying to sound enthusiastic. They all nod, going back to their work. I try concentrating on my essay, yet after a few minutes, give up. I pull out my phone and bring up a new message to Irene.
Me: Can you meet me at my car? Need someone to talk to.
I stare at my phone, waiting for a reply. I know that Irene, Mino and Seulgi are also in study period, so I knew she would answer quickly. I only had to wait a second before I got my reply.
Irene: See you in two.
I smile to myself, being thankful that Irene and I were so close and that I could depend on her.
"I'll be back in a minute. Irene texted. She wants to talk about something." I tell the girls before standing up and walking towards the door, leaving my stuff behind. I have to walk past Jisoo to get out. Our gazes meet for a second. I notice her look at me with curiosity, from my conversation with Song or the fact that I was leaving, I don't know.
I make my way to the car, feeling anger building inside of me. How dare she!
"Jennie, what's wrong?" Irene asks once I make it to the car to see her already standing there.
"Jisoo, what else?" I say, anger clearly in my voice.
"What happened?"
"Chahee just told me that she asked Soojin to the dance next month! I told you she didn't like me! You know what... it isn't even the fact that she asked her that I'm annoyed about. It's the fact that she made a big deal about us not seeing other people while this deal went on and yet she has plans to go to the dance with her! I know that to her this deal was only to last a week or two, and it's past that... she probably is going to end it soon... but why not wait until she has ended it before she goes and asks her?" I demand, pacing in front of the car, while Irene leans against it, watching me.
"She... she asked her to the dance?" She clarifies.
"Yes! Apparently, Soojin has a dress already, with a matching outfit for her," I say, running my hands through my hair.
"But... she wouldn't do that. I mean not after everything... she likes you," Irene says, looking confused.
"No, she doesn't. I told you, Irene, this is just a deal to her, she only did it to get some action," I keep pacing in front of her.
"Jennie, I'm sorry," she says, looking at me like I'm an injured puppy, making me feel worse.
"Irene, she asked her to the dance," I say, stopping my pacing and standing in front of her.
"I know." She mumbles, watching me carefully.
"I didn't expect her to take me... I just..."
"I know," she repeats. I can feel the anger start to die down, making my head get sore slightly.
"I'm an idiot. I should have never started this deal." I say, more to myself.
"No, Jennie, talk to her." She tells me, putting a hand on my shoulder.
"What?" I ask.
"You need to talk to her." She repeats.
"No way. What am I to say, 'hey Jisoo I think I love you and I don't want you to go to the dance with Soojin'? Are you insane? I would never live that down," I tell her.
"Maybe she has an explanation?" She says, yet one look at her face shows that she doubts she does. I just roll my eyes and look back towards the school building.
We both stand there for a minute, not saying anything, both our minds somewhere else.
"We should get back. Thanks for listening." I tell her after a few minutes, feeling better after letting all my frustration out.
"Jennie, it's no problem. I'm sorry." She replies as we both start walking towards the school. I look over at her knowing that she was sorry that I was hurt.
"Yeah well, I should have seen it coming," I reply. We both head in our different directions, both going back to study.
I pause outside the study room. I look down at my watch, seeing I still have another ten minutes before the next class. I drop my arm and square my shoulders before taking a deep breath and pushing the door open.
It is later that day that I realise how much I had overreacted. I mean, she had made the terms clear from the beginning and she hadn't implied in any way that the deal wasn't still operating. She gave me her hoodie back, a clear indication that she still thought of this as the deal. If she wanted to go to the dance with Soojin, then fine. She obviously assumed that this would be over by then... so technically she wouldn't be seeing anyone else while the deal was still on.
By the time I am getting in the car to go home I have fully convinced myself that I am fine and that I would just accept her feelings and just accept that the deal was going to end soon.
"Hey," Irene says cautiously getting into the car.
"Hey," I reply in my usual manner, letting her know that I was fine. I notice that she keeps glancing at me the whole way home, waiting for me to say something about it. I say nothing.
That night I am sitting at my desk with my music playing, trying to get homework done when I notice the light go on in Jisoo's room. I glance up slightly to see her walk in and throw her bag on the floor. She lifts her head and sees me, starting to walk towards the window, pulling her phone out of her pocket. Once at the window she looks down at the phone and types something. I hear my phone go, making me look away from the window and start lifting books, trying to find my phone.
Good Kisser: Hey.
I look at it for a second, feeling disappointment in my stomach that that was the only word.
Me: Hey.
I reply, glancing up to her at the window. The moment I do I am taken back to what Chahee said, making me look away, back to the phone in time for another message to come through.
Good Kisser: You ok?
I close my eyes for a second, knowing she would be watching me for a reaction, trying to keep my face from giving away my feelings.
Me: Yeah. How was practice?
I keep my gaze on the phone this time, hoping she would drop her questions and change the topic.
Good Kisser: Good, coach is thinking about making Mino captain next year.
I barely get a chance to read it before another message comes through.
Good Kisser: Don't tell him, nothing is definite yet.
I feel a smile take over my face and a feeling of proudness flow through me. Mino, captain? That is what he has wanted for years.
Me: Are you serious?
I feel the smile stay on my face, refusing to move.
Good Kisser: Yeah, I knew that would make you smile.
At that moment I can't help it, I look up at her. She is standing, watching me with a smile of her own on her lips. I smile back at her, too happy for Mino to think about earlier.
Me: I can't believe it! He will actually be over the moon.
I stand from my desk and walk over to my window with my phone in my hand. She watches me get closer before typing something else on her phone.
Good Kisser: What did Song want?
I stare down at my phone for a second, feeling the smile drop completely from my face. I hesitate for a second, not knowing whether to tell her or not.
Me: Nothing important.
I refuse to look up at her, as I knew as soon as I do she would know that something was wrong.
Good Kisser: Doesn't look like it's nothing.
I hear my heart beating in my ears as I read it.
Me: Well, it is. I have homework to finish, I'll talk to you later.
As soon as I press send I make my way back to my desk, setting my phone down and going back to work. I don't get much done before my phone vibrates again.
Good Kisser: Tomorrow night? My house. 7?
I contemplate saying no, yet the beating of my heart stops me. I look up to see she hasn't moved from the window. She isn't looking at me though, she is watching her phone, waiting for my reply. Watching her, I know she expects my answer, long before I decide myself what it was going to be.
Me: Fine.
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Sorry for the late update, I've been busy with college. Hope everyone's okay and please let's support Jennie <3, let's send those mails to yg letting him now that they need to protect jennie and her privacy... she doesn't deserve any of the hate she's getting.