Walking into school the next morning, Hanbin approaches me. Irene, Yeri and Mino all look to me, asking what I wanted them to do. I nod slightly, telling them that I would be alright.
"Hey," Hanbin says, coming up to us. I nod at him, hoping he would leave me alone. No such luck.
"Jennie, wait." He tries again. I stop walking, waving my siblings to walk on.
"What do you want?" I ask, turning to him.
"To talk." He states, hand in his pocket, a smirk on his face, letting me know I wasn't going to like what he wanted to say. When I don't reply he continues on talking. "So I heard you said no to Song about the dance."
"What's it to you?" I ask, readjusting my bag on my shoulder.
"Well, since you aren't going with anyone... I thought you would like to go with me." He says like it's a fact.
"You are the last person I would want to go with," I tell him, taking a step back.
"We both know that isn't true. We both know we could have a lot of fun together." He says, suggestively making me mentally gag.
"I'm not going with you, Hanbin." I tell him in a final tone. He raises his eyebrows before taking a step towards me.
"I think you should stop denying the feelings you have for me." He says, making me take another step back, making me bump into someone. Before I even look up I know it's Jisoo. The tingles going through my body told me the moment I touched her.
I look up anyway, seeing her not looking at me, but glaring at Hanbin. I move away from her, so I wasn't still pressed up against her. When I look back to Hanbin, I notice them having a glaring match.
"Is there a problem here?" Jisoo asks in a threatening tone. Around us, I can see people taking notice of the three of us.
"No problem. Isn't that right, Jennie?" Hanbin asks. The way my name sounds from his mouth making my stomach unsettled.
"I have to get to class," I say as the bell rings, wanting this conversation to be over.
"You haven't given me an answer yet," Hanbin says as I go to walk away. I look back to see Jisoo and him still glaring at each other.
"Can't you just take a hint?" Jisoo growls at him.
"I think she can answer for herself. What is up with you anyway, running to her side?" Hanbin mocks, making the tension in Jisoo's shoulders increase.
"The answer is no, Hanbin," I say, watching as the crowd around us only grows.
"There. Now, take the hint and leave her alone." Jisoo demands, anger lacing her voice and radiating off her body. Automatically, I reach out and place my hand on her arm, trying to calm her down.
"Jisoo, leave it," I tell her, knowing that this wasn't going to end well if I didn't calm her down.
"Sounds like you two have got... cosy," Hanbin observes loudly, allowing everyone to hear.
"Shut up, Hanbin!" I snap at him. I watch as Jisoo takes a threatening step forward. I take a step as well, placing my hand on Jisoo's chest.
"Jisoo, he isn't worth it. Let's go." I say, pushing her slightly. She finally looks down at me, anger clear in her eyes. She watches me, seeing the pleading look in my eyes before taking a deep breath and nodding once. I pull her away from a smirking Hanbin.
"I really hate him," Jisoo says as we head towards the school. Neither of us making a move to touch each other, knowing the show with Hanbin would give everyone enough to talk about.
"So do I," I reply, refusing to look back at her. Beside me, Jisoo looks over at me.
"I'm sorry." She says, putting her hands in her pocket.
"For?" I ask, taking in the curious and surprised looks of everyone around us.
"When I said I wanted people to know, I didn't mean for them to find out like that. I saw him come up to you. You looked like you wanted to be away from him and before I know it I'm on my way over there." She says, making me look over at her. I notice her also looking at the expressions of the people around us.
"Yeah, well you were right, I wanted him away. He creeps me out. Thank you." I reply before changing the topic as we approach the main doors. "How did your dad take it?'
"I told you last night." She says, holding the door open for me, revealing a new set of surprised faces.
"No, you said he took it fine. How did he really take it?" I persist. She rolls her eyes, realising I knew she was lying.
"He... took it better than I thought." She mumbles.
"Jisoo," I say, wanting her to tell me the truth.
"Fine. He wasn't happy. But, he did take it better than I thought." She tells me, truthfully. We head down a hallway, towards our lockers.
"How bad is it?"
"Jennie, you don't need to worry about it. He was mad, shouted a bit, but he will come to terms with it."
"I don't like being the reason you are getting shouted at," I tell her, rolling my eyes as a girl in the hallway looks like her eyes are about to come out of their sockets.
"Jennie, stop worrying." She says, reaching out and grabbing my hand giving it a squeeze. I look up at her, seeing the caring look in her eyes, making me nod.
"We have plans for Friday, by the way." She tells me as we stop at my locker. I open it before looking at her with my eyebrows raised. I expect her to be looking at me with a suggestive look, yet she merely looks embarrassed and slightly shy.
"Why? What are we doing?" I ask, grabbing a book from my locker.
"Well, dad has this work dinner thing. Soojoo and I always have to go with them. It's on Friday. Anyway, while I was talking to my dad last night... I might have said you were coming." She says, looking over my head.
"You're joking. Please tell me you are joking." I say, looking up at her pleadingly. "Your dad hates me and you tell him you have invited me to his work dinner, with men who likely know who my father is."
"I know, it kind of just... slipped out. Look, I honestly think that you going would be a good thing. If you go, you won't have to talk to them that much as they will be so busy talking to people. If you don't mum will likely invite you around to have a family dinner, where it will be the four of us around a table. Which would you prefer to ease you in?" She asks, leaning against the locker beside mine.
"She wants me over for dinner?" I ask, surprised, going back to looking through my locker.
"Yeah. She said she wanted to give you a chance and therefore you had to come around. That's when I said you were coming on Friday, so you could get out of the dinner. Yet, if you want to go to the dinner instead, I will be happy to let her know." She says in a tone knowing I will go to the dinner.
"Fine. But, if it goes badly, it's on your head." I say, closing my locker.
"Deal." She says, smirking down at me.
"I have to get to class," I tell her, rolling my eyes before a thought comes to me. "How did you plan on letting the whole school know about us?" I ask, watching her.
"Well, I hadn't really thought about it, but something less aggressive would have been good." She replies, standing straight. I look at her for a second before my eyes travel to the students around us, all of whom weren't even trying to pretend they weren't watching us.
"Something like this?" I ask, running my hands up her arm until they reach the back of her neck. I notice her smirk at me. As soon as my hands are at the back of her neck, I pull her down, while reaching up, meeting her half way. Our lips meet, sending sparks over my skin. I feel her grip my waist before I pull back slightly. I open my eyes, looking up at her, our faces only an inch apart.
"Hmmm, that will do." She mumbles, tightening her grip on my waist.
"See you later?" I check, letting my hands leave the back of her neck.
"Definitely." She replies as I pull back, putting a step between us. I smirk at her before turning and walking towards my class. I feel her eyes on me as I walk through the hall with everyone staring at me in complete shock.
It didn't take long for the news to get around the school and by the time I come out of first period, I could hear the whispers from everyone. What surprises me the most, is that the whispers didn't annoy me, in fact, I feel a sense of relief that they knew. I feel like what Jisoo and I had was official.
My happy feeling doesn't last long, however, as the period before lunch, I am at my locker when I notice someone leaning against the locker beside me.
"Hanbin, go away," I say once I glance up at the person beside me.
"I just wanted to give you one more opportunity to go with me to the dance. I mean, this morning just proved something to me. I mean, you and Jisoo... obviously the only reason you two are together is because you both like to have a good time. If you went to the dance with me, I can guarantee that you will have more fun than you have ever had with her." He says, making anger radiate through my own body. Before either of us realise what is happening, I raise my hand and punch him.
"Jennie, Hanbin! Both of you come with me!" Mr Shields shouts down the hallway, seeing me punch him. I just stare between my hand and Hanbin, who is hunched over holding his bleeding nose. Did I just do that?
"Come on." Mr Shields says, ushering us both in the direction of the principles office. I feel my heart beating, thinking of the consequences.
We walk down the hallway and for the second time that day people watch me with an unbelieving stare. Turning a corner, I notice Jisoo and Lisa walking towards us. For a second, I notice how happy Jisoo looks, yet it vanishes instantly when she notices me. Her eyes take in my shocked expression, Hanbin clutching a bleeding nose and Mr Shield who was ushering us.
I instantly see anger and worry take over her face. I can tell she has guessed what happened. I don't break her gaze until I have walked by her.
After talking to the principal I am stuck sitting in the waiting room, waiting for my dad to arrive. Irene has been texting me since she heard
Irene: I swear he is lucky you only punched him!
She says after I explained to her what had happened for the fourth time. Hanbin had been sent to the nurse after talking to the principal and I haven't seen him since.
Me: Irene, this is serious!
I notice my hands shaking as I send it, worried this would be put on my permanent record.
Irene: Dad will sort it out.
Just as I read it I hear the door open, and dad walks in looking not too happy.
"Dad," I say, as he comes and sits beside me, waiting on the principal to call us in.
"Jennie, what happened?" He asks, business-like. I tell him it all, from Hanbin and Jisoo in the car park to when I punched him.
"Jennie, I have always taught you not to react with violence!" He says, annoyed at me.
"I know, I did it before I realised what was happening. I'm sorry." I say, looking down at my lap.
"You better hope I can talk the principal about not adding this on your permanent record!" He tells me, sounding worried.
"I'm so sorry." I say again, making him look over at me, not saying anything for a moment before he takes a deep breath.
"So, everyone knows about you two now?" I can hear the underlying question in those words.
"Mr Kim didn't take it well. Jisoo invited me to a work thing for Mr Kim on Friday night, thinking it would help. I don't have to go if you don't want me." I say, seeing the uncomfortable look on his face.
"No, you should go. Are you sure she is worth all of this?" Dad asks. I stare at him for a moment, surprised.
"Yes," I say, leaving no room for question.
"Then go." He says, just as the principal comes out and calls us into her office.
Surprisingly, dad is able to keep this from my personal record as Hanbin had been speaking so badly to me, yet I have to take the rest of the day off, I have to attend two weeks of detention and I am not able to attend the dance. Apparently, Hanbin will be getting the same punishment.
Walking out of the office, I notice Hanbin back in the waiting room, sitting beside a woman I'm guessing is his mum. He looks up when we come out, yet immediately looks away when he meets my eye.
Once we get outside of the school I turn to dad.
"Thank you." I tell him sincerely.
"No problem I have to get back to work though. I'll drop you home, first. Promise me something, no more punching people, even if they deserve it." He smiles over at me, relaxing now that he knew it wasn't going to be on my permanent record.
"I promise." I laugh slightly, running my hand through my hair, feeling relieved slightly.
"Good, let's go." He says, both of us getting into the car and driving home. Dad leaves shortly after, saying he really needed to get back to work. I sit in front of the TV for a while before my phone rings, Jisoo's name lighting up my screen.
"Hello?" I answer, muting the TV.
"Hey, how are you?" I hear the concern in her voice. I smile to myself.
"I'm fine, I wasn't the one who got punched." I joke, yet there is no laugh from the other end of the line.
"Irene told me at lunch what happened." She says, the phone line making it come through as crackly.
"Yeah, I got sent home today. I'll be back tomorrow, though."
"He is a jerk. I should have punched him this morning!" She mumbles, more to herself than me.
"Jisoo, it's fine, honestly. It's not being put on my permanent record, plus I have been wanting to punch him since I meet him." I tell her, making her sigh slightly.
"Still," She says, sounding irritated.
"Jisoo, leave it, it's done now. Aren't you supposed to be in class?" I ask, glancing at my watch.
"Yeah, I am." She replies vaguely.
"So why aren't you there?" I ask, confused.
"Because I have somewhere else to be." She says. Just then I hear the doorbell ring.
"Hang on," I tell Jisoo, going to answer the door. As soon as I pull the door open I see Jisoo standing there, holding her phone to her ear.
"Jisoo?" I ask hanging up my phone. I watch in confusion as she lowers her phone and puts it in her pocket.
"Hey." She replies, smiling a charming smile at me before walking past me into the house.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, following her into the living room.
"Well, I decided that you weren't spending the rest of the day alone, so here I am." She says, pulling me down onto the sofa with her.
"Hmmm, If I had told you months ago that you would be ditching school to spend the day with me, what would you have said?" I ask, moving so I am half lying on top of her. She smirks up at me before running a hand over my lower back.
"Why is she talking to me?" She chuckles and I roll my eyes.
"You didn't have to come here," I tell her, running a finger down her face.
"Yes, I had to." She mumbles, leaning up and giving me a quick kiss. "I saw Hanbin's face, you gave one hell of a punch." She tells me, smiling up at me.
"Yeah, I didn't know I could punch that hard," I say, laughing.
"Yeah, my girl can definitely punch." She says, laughing along with me.
"Your girl?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at her, feeling the butterflies in my stomach.
"You don't like it?"
"No, I do." I say before kissing her.
The rest of the afternoon, Jisoo spends with me. I completely forget about Hanbin until everyone comes home.
We are sitting watching a movie, with me sitting with my back against the armrest and my thighs lying over Jisoo's lap, with her running a hand up and down my leg, meaning I couldn't concentrate on the movie.
"Jennie! You are officially the talk of the school. First, you two announce your relationship and then you go and punch Hanbin! I have literally not heard a word of anything else all day." Irene says, sitting down beside us, followed by the rest of them.
"Yeah, every two seconds I was asked if I knew about you two. I felt like pulling my hair out." Mino pitches in.
"What happened to Hanbin?" I ask, looking amongst them. I feel Jisoo's hand tighten on my leg.
"She didn't tell you?" Yeri asks, looking to Jisoo. I glance over at her before shaking my head.
"Jisoo?" Irene asks, looking at her.
"I might have punched him again," Jisoo mumbles. I look at her in shock.
"What?" I ask.
"He was coming out of the bathroom and I snapped. Now not only does he have a broken nose, he has a black eye." She tells me.
"Why? I already punched him. If he tells, you are going to get in trouble as well." I say.
"Yeah, I know. I didn't plan it. I saw him, I thought of what he said to you this morning and before you punched him and like I said... I snapped." She mumbles. I grab her hand from behind my back and inspect it, not noticing the bruising that matched mine until now.
"Were you going to tell me? I think I would have noticed a black eye on his face tomorrow!" I ask, annoyed at her.
"Jennie, I just didn't want to annoy you." She tells me, yet I feel myself getting annoyed anyway.
"Too late." I say, getting off her and walking up to my room.
"Jennie," Jisoo says, standing in the doorway, having followed me up.
"I'm not annoyed at you. I'm annoyed at myself." I mumble, looking around the room.
Suddenly I feel tears build in my eyes.
"Why?" She asks, walking into the room, closing the door behind her.
"My dad has always said that violence doesn't fix anything. It doesn't. Look at this I had to take today off, I have two weeks of detentions and I can't go to that stupid dance. This isn't better." I tell her.
"You can't go to the dance? I didn't know that," She says, coming closer.
"I didn't tell anyone." I mumble, blinking hard to stop the tears.
"Jennie, why are you crying?" She asks, lifting a hand to wipe away a tear that escaped.
"Because... I don't know." I tell her, feeling the tears start, running down my check so quickly she can't keep up with brushing them away.
Instead, she wraps her arms around me and pulls me to her chest.
"It's alright." She tells me, running her hands through my hair.
I lean against her, knowing I was likely leaving wet marks on her top, yet not caring enough to pull away.
Thankfully, my tears didn't turn into full blown sobs, I remain silent as they stream down my face.
"Thank you." I mumble against her top.
"You shouted at me for punching him and now you are thanking me?" She asks, letting out a laugh that I feel radiate through me.
"No, thank you for... this," I reply, squeezing her.
"Jennie, you don't need to thank me." She tells me as I pull back from her top, noticing I did indeed leave wet patches on it.
She looks down as well, seeing them.
"Is this what you call leaving your mark?" She jokes, getting a smile from me.
"Shut up," I say, laughing. She smiles down at me, wiping away the last few remaining tears before tucking my hair behind my ear.
"You are beautiful." She tells me, looking into my eyes.
"I likely look like a mess." I say, shoving her chest, playfully.
"A beautiful mess." She teases. That makes me laugh a proper laugh.
"You're a jerk," I tell her.
"But, I'm your jerk." She says, leaning down to kiss me softly. I don't even argue with her about it.
━━━━━━✧❂✧━━━━━━
Four chapters left :)