[11] - Monster

Chapter 11

The silence prevails in the place, making the shock and confusion cover the faces of the students.

"Tiffany!" Krystal whispers in a warning tone as she nudges her discreetly, scolding her for mentioning it.

Something that Jennie did not overlook, and Lisa and Chaeyoung noticed it too, just like how she didn't miss Jisoo's traumatic and lifeless expression.

"Jisoo.." Irene approaches Jisoo closely to try and talk to her, "She didn't mean-"

"Let's go." Jisoo says suddenly, ignoring Irene, she grabs Jennie's hand hard and pulls her with her out of the cafeteria, followed by Lisa, Chaeyoung and Nayon.

. . . . .

Jennie sits on one of the chairs along one of the tiers of seats inside the conference hall. Next to her, Nayeon sits watching the rest of the students enter the hall and take their seats. Jisoo was in front of her at the podium, sitting next to some other men in uniform.

As for Lisa and Chaeyoung, Jisoo took them to the special room where they would be studying from now on before she came with Jennie and Nayeon to the conference hall.

After seeing that the hall was relatively full and everyone was in their seats. The lighting of the place was reduced with the light being focused on the podium. Moments later a man enters and sits on the opposite side of Jisoo, at the other end. Jennie recognized him immediately, he was the same man who was standing with Jackson.

One of the men gets up and steps towards the wooden stand that holds the microphone and starts by saying that he would like to welcome the students first,

"Today we are very happy to inform you that a huge football and various sports stadium will be built next to the university building, in addition to developing the university's own internal stadium."

The students start applauding and clapping at this decision to then he continues after they have calmed down,

"The main reason behind that decision is because of a prominent person who joined the university's administrative family, who has become one of the most shareholders of the university. Please welcome Mr. Jin Young Park."

He says and moves away from the microphone when Jin Young gets up and bows to him, replacing him to start his speech.

Since he got in, Jennie noticed how strange the situation is between him and Jisoo, his looks are different to her, his body language. Even now as he talks and receives applause from the students, Jisoo has not changed her expression, has never smiled, never clapped, and just continues to look at him with blank face.

"Looks like Jisoo didn't like this news very much." Nayeon remarks, pulling Jennie out of her thoughts as she claps again alongside her classmates.

-"Why?" Jennie asks as she turns her head to face her, furrowing her eyebrows.

"Who would want to be with someone who had an ex- relationship with in the same place?" She responds sarcastically, thinking that Jennie had already knew.

Jennie stares at her blankly, blinking few times, shocked.

This is Jisoo's ex-boyfriend? Wait wait.. hold up.. Jisoo used to have a boyfriend?!!

"This is her ex?"

Jennie asks incredulously, a little bit louder than she intended drawing the attention of some of those who're near them.

- "What? You didn't know?" Nayon says mirroring the same expression on Jennie, "I heard they broke up earlier this year because of the rumors circulating about her."

Nayeon finishes as guides her eyes back at the front.

Jennie remains silent as she absorbs the new information and contemplates it, looking back at the podium as well.

Why did it never occur to her before that Jisoo has her own personal life and may already be in a relationship or was or will be?

Again.. a reminder that she doesn't know anything about her.

Everything that happened today has reminded her of that ..

And she doesn't know why Jin Young's face has now become a major disturbance to her as she looks at him.

He is now shaking hands with the rest of the men in order heading towards Jisoo, which was the last one. Jennie watches Jisoo's facial expressions and waits for her reaction to him.

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Jisoo takes a deep breath and adjusts her jacket as she stands, ready to shake hands with Jin Young. She knows that everyone is waiting for something to happen, like making an annoyed face or ignoring his handshake, but she is only a professional and classy woman.

There's no way she would confuse her personal life with her work life, there's no way that she would give them what they want to see, and she will never give him the satisfaction of seeing her with even a bit of weakness or sadness before him.

Jin Young approaches until he appears in front of her and stops looking at her, looking kind of restless. He reaches out to her, and Jisoo makes sure she gives him her best fake smile as she reaches out to shake hands with him. She shook hands for a while enough so that others don't notice something strange between them, and then pulled her hand and went back to sit on her chair.

Jin Young stays standing a little while looking lost and then returns to his chair.

Jisoo lifts her gaze toward the attendants, and hints Jennie already is looking at her in an inexplicable expression.

There is no doubt that she has caught the scent of what is really happening around her.

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It was after the second lecture and the beginning of the second rest when Jisoo got a phone call from the Student Affairs Office asking her to attend about a problem between Lisa and another student.

Now she is standing outside the nurse's office next to her, Jennie, crossing her arms to her chest and looking at Lisa sharply waiting for an explanation from her about the injury she caused to the student who is lying inside the nurse's office.

"So?" Jisoo asks for more a clarification from Lisa that had been silent for prolonged seconds, looking around sheepishly.

- "What? Why are you looking at me like this? I didn't do anything wrong." Lisa defends making clueless expression.

"Right..You just broke his nose and caused blood to spread all over his face and clothes." Jisoo deadpans with an irony.

- "He deserved it. He.. He tried to flirt with Chaeyoung.. inappropriately."

"Is that why you punched him right on the face?"

Lisa nods affirmatively, and Jisoo sighs hopelessly.

"Lisa, you can't just beat anyone because he tried to flirt. these are things that happen a lot here. You just have to ignore them." she says, making Lisa look at her in disbelief.

- "What? ignore them?" Lisa snaps. "Those are the kind of people who we don't know what they intend to do later if we let them go the first time! They cannot be ignored! We have to stop them from the beginning-"

Her words are interrupted when Jisoo approaches and smacks her head mildly in a scolding manner, making Lisa stare at the void with a shock.

"You will ignore them, those are the kind of people who will get worse the more you encounter them."

- "Did you just hit me?" Lisa says in a dramatic way, pulling an over exaggerated furious face, as she glares at Jisoo.

"Yes, I did." Jisoo challenges, mimicking Lisa's mad expression.

Lisa scoffs a little incredulously and then quickly puts both hands on Jisoo's neck as if she was strangling her and Jisoo starts pretending to be choking, playing along with Lisa's acting.

Jennie exchanges looks with Chaeyoung, and both sigh, rolling their eyes at them.

"God, they're at it again." Jennie says pointing to Chaeyoung as she goes to pull Jisoo from Lisa who is being pulled by Chaeyoung at the same time.

"I'm not done with you." Lisa warns Jisoo as she's pulled away, glaring back and wearing a fake, angry expression.

- "Shut up and let's go eat something." Chaeyoung tells her as she takes her away from the nurse's office on their way to the cafeteria, followed by Jisoo and Jennie.

. . . . .

Standing next to Jennie, behind the rest of the students lining up at the cashier, both waiting for their turn to get the food they ordered.

Jisoo receives a phone call, and when she pulls her phone out to see who the caller is, she furrows quizzically and answers it.

/ "Lisa?" She says making Jennie furrow in question too.

"how are you? I haven't seen you for a long time." Lisa says lightheartedly on a cheerful tone.

"I literally just was with you a few minutes ago and now I'm standing in front of you."

She says as she turns to look at Lisa, who is sitting at a table next to the window with Chaeyoung .

She wore Jisoo's sunglasses, making a VIP pose, and Chaeyoung doing the same. When she sees Jisoo is looking at her, she flashes her a wide smile, shaking her eyebrows up and down mischievously.

"I know.. I just wanted to try the phone."

She answers, pulling the V sign with her free hand.

"Anyway! I will hang up now to call Jennie. Chaeyoung will call you too!" /

She finishes enthusiastically, and then hangs up.

Jisoo turns back around shaking her head while looking at Jennie.

"Lisa will call you now." she informs her as she lifts her phone to answer Chaeyoung's call and as soon as she does Jennie's phone rings.

/ "Yes, Lisa." Jennie answers.

"How are you doing? I heard your business is booming." Lisa start, feeling amused with herself.

"What you heard is true, ever since I fired you and my business is flourishing one after the other." She jokes along, matching Lisa's tone.

"Oh, it makes me delighted to be the main reason, it be like that sometimes." She adds and Jennie scoffs, "I'm hanging up now for Chaeyoung to call you!"

Jennie looks at Jisoo to see that she has already finished talking to Chaeyoung and singsongs with excited tone:

"Okay! goodbye! I'll put you on my block list!"

-"OK!" Lisa responds carelessly, just as excitedly. \

She hangs up and chuckles, then laughs shortly with Jisoo as she looks at her phone and the ringing tells her there is a call from Chaeyoung.

"I told you these two are taking something." She remarks, before picking up the call, and Jisoo nods agreeing.

Thankfully, the rest of their day at the university passed quietly and without problems, like the one that happened in the morning period. While Lisa and Chaeyoung were in their special classroom, Jennie was attending with Jisoo her lectures and sitting beside her silently watching her writing notes and giving her full focus to what the professor says and, of course, they were not devoid of the toxic looks that Krystal, and her gang, gave her from time to time, but she was keen to ignore them. In the end, her last concern is to cause Jisoo any problems.

However, since she entered the college, she has been unable to prevent herself from wondering all the time.

Why would Jisoo bring them to a place where she knows so well that everyone will speak ill about her? A place full of false rumors and dehumanizing comments about her. A place where the majority clearly detest her.

Especially since she, Lisa and Chaeyoung still don't know everything about her completely. Didn't she fear that students 'blubbering will affect their thinking?

Change their mind or how they thought about her? Not that it will ever happen but still..

Or is that what Jisoo wanted right from the start?

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In their apartment, after dinner, Jisoo was sitting on the sofa next to Lisa and Chaeyoung watching a movie, while Jennie was in the kitchen busying herself with washing dishes. Since they went back to the apartment and even during dinner, they did not talk about what happened today and their conversations were general and basic.

When she looks at Lisa and Chaeyoung, they seem acting pretty normal, like their usual self and genuinely indifferent, but for Jennie..

Jennie was behaving normally, too, and this actually what was worrying Jisoo because Jennie asks, doubts and checks facts. Even if she did not show it, there was something else running inside her mind, and her ignoring it caused Jisoo to wonder restlessly herself.

When she sees that Lisa and Chaeyoung are very occupied with the movie, she gets up quietly and turns towards the kitchen. Entering, she finds Jennie drying the rest of the dishes with the small towel. Jisoo turns toward one of the chairs attached to the counter and takes a seat, sitting cautiously with her legs apart and looks back at Jennie, who apparently felt her presence but continued her work.

"So?" Jisoo begins with a calm voice, keeping her tone lighthearted. "How did you find today?"

Jennie puts down another plate after drying it to the rest of the plates and stops moving as she rests both her hands on the edge of the basin. She licks her bottom lip briefly, as if she is preparing her words, and then turnes around drying her hands with the towel and looking at an invisible thing on the floor.

"It was... it was good." she says vaguely with a nod, emphasizing her answer.

-"And..?" Jisoo adds, stretching the A sound a bit, indicating her to speak more clearly, causing Jennie to look at her now.

Jennie stares at her for a moment, knowing what Jisoo wants and what she means from her question and she can only be frank with her. Communication is key they say.

Turning her gaze away again, she follows,

"Except that almost everyone has negative opinions about you and is waiting for the opportunity to jump on your neck and attack you, it was a good day." She finishes her last phrase with a hint of sarcasm as she guides her eyes back at Jisoo.

"Meaning?" Jisoo says, getting up from her seat and standing next to the counter, her gaze is sharp as ever.

Jennie knows that the atmosphere between them has become tense and yet she was keeping it light and herself composed. She was not scared from what lies beneath the calm layers of Jisoo, but cautious. Careful not to say the wrong thing, and Jisoo didn't seem like she was sensitive to the topic, on the contrary, she looks like they are talking about the weather. Her facial expressions are intriguing but genuinely curious.

- "What would make them do that?" Jennie asks her without breaking their eye contact.

"Why would that concern you?" Jisoo replies back with another question, and a cold smile.

Both of them were speaking quietly, maintaining their tone to remain serious and light without coming off as aggressive or mad.

Jennie stays silent at that for a moment and then scoffs softly as she looks down, shaking her head.

"I see.. Is that what it's about Jisoo? Is that why you took us with you today?"

She lifts her head up, looking at Jisoo again with a insightful gaze.

"The whole time, you were testing us."

She says, making Jisoo look at her very seriously. Probably taken aback by her own realization.

Was she really? Jisoo asks herself.

Was there a small part inside that really wanted to test them?

Looking down at the edge of the counter, Jisoo lowers her head, looking like she was searching for the right answer.

"Don't you trust us, Jisoo?" Jennie follows, her tone heavy with worry, "I will understand if that was the case. Anyone in your place will do the same—"

"It's not like that." Jisoo reassures quickly as she lifts her head back up.

"It's not about my trust in you.."

She starts taking steps toward Jennie until she stops a few centimeters from her, looking directly at her eyes to then she follows,

"It's about your trust in me."

She fells silent a little and then adds, turning her gaze to the side sheepishly,

"Also, it wasn't really a test.. it's just.. when I thought about it, There was no reason why not to. Whatever the outcome was, it would have been in my favor. "

Okay.. that was a little bit harsh but there is nothing to do about it now. It already came out from her mouth.

"Do you really think that we will believe what they say about you?" Jennie asks incredulously. "We know you, Jisoo, how you deal with them, your words, whatever you do, there must be a reason behind it."

"And what if there isn't any?" Jisoo says in a defiant tone as she stares back at Jennie.

-"What?"

"What if I am exactly what they say about me?" Jisoo presses more stubbornly.

Jennie falls silent momentarily, out of words, and she stares at Jisoo, looking lost and not sure why Jisoo is doing this. Was she thinking about this all the time? Was this always invading her mind? Feeding on her brain constantly?

Jennie gathers herself as she changes her demeanor to look more resolute and persistent before she answers,

"Then what you're doing is wrong."

She starts firmly, moving away from the edge of the sink.

"And I will keep reminding you of that every time. I will scold you if I had to.. I will argue with you.. I will fight you."

She was saying every phrase as she advanced toward Jisoo, acrossing her personal space, until she became too close before she follows with a softened and affectionate tone,

"But I won't leave you, and that won't change anything between us."

She continues and remains silent, letting her words take their time to reach depths in Jisoo and takes roots there, letting them sink in, and they seems to have arrived because the doubt and anxiety in her eyes seems to be fading.

Another seconds pass as they stare at each other and then Jennie brakes the contact of their eyes as she lowers her gaze and backs a step.

"I will go sit with the girls." She says in a monotone and then passes by Jisoo and out of the kitchen, leaving her to stare into the void thinking about what she said to her.

. . . . .

Jisoo enters her room and closes the door behind her. She walks until she is close to her bed and sits on the edge on the opposite side of the Jennie's bed.

She was fidgeting, resting her forearms on her knees, clasping her hands together and resting her head against them, staring silently at a distance like she's having some time alone to think deeply.

She turnes her eyes to her phone, which was on the nightstand, extending her hand she takes it, holds out its front and looks at his dark screen momentarily and then looks away. She runs her other hand down her face, massaging it tiredly, and then lifts it up to ruffle her hair back, hesitating about what she is about to do now.

Sure, what Jennie said to her made her doubts go away and was reassuring enough, but it's also made her even more insecure. She can't let her walk in a place near someone who had dared to blurt out something of Jisoo's past, she can't risk it. Jennie might say that she will stay no matter what but that's because she doesn't know, she would be running away if she did.

They all did.

Another moments of silence pass, then she opens her phone, taps the contacts app, and starts swiping her finger until she finds the contact she's looking for and presses the call button.

For a few seconds, she hears the dial tone until the line is picked up from the other end.

/ "Dad?" Jisoo begins anxiously.

"Jisoo sweetie? How are you? Everything is okay?" Sehun asks worriedly, probably noticing the emotion in her tone.

"Y-yeah.. I'm okay. Um- I would like to ask you something.."

"Oh, of course, sweetie.. anything." /

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Outside the apartment on the balcony, Jisoo sitting on a rug of cloth looking at the sky. Stretching her legs, putting one on top of the other, and leaning backwards on her hands.

After her talk with Jennie earlier, they didn't talk much and somewhat the mood between them was kinda awkward, even after Lisa and Chaeyoung had gone to sleep, and she stayed alone with Jennie, she did not try to talk to her either.

They are not quarreling, but she feels that both of them need some time to stay alone for now. Or maybe this is just how she feels.. she doesn't know.

Her phone rings, popping her thoughts bubble, and when she lifts it to see who is calling, she finds that it's her father's wife.

This is rare, and strange. what does she want?

With a roll of her eyes, she sighs, picking up the call and putting it on her ear.

/ "Yes."

"Jisoo. there is something I have to tell you." Her stepmother starts without any greetings, as usual, and Jisoo can hear her groaning with annoyance from the other end of the call.

"Go ahead." Jisoo says coldly, rolling her eyes again.

"Well.. you know, your performance at the Inkigayo event won first place as the best dance for this year's show."

Really? She didn't know, but she will ignore it.

"So on this occasion I was thinking of having a special party tomorrow.."

Jisoo was humming quietly and calmly with a nonexistent interest in what her stepmother was talking about.

"When I told your father, he added it would be nice to have a family dinner before it with all of us."

"What?" Jisoo speaks with a clear opposition tone.

"He was supposed to tell you this, but.. your father.."

She trails off with a sigh, her tone shady. Jisoo can even see her rolling her eyes with annoyance.

"I don't know why he insisted on telling you this myself but anyway, you know now and therefore your attendance is a must. In the end this party is on your honor." She finishes absurdly.

"OK." Jisoo responds simply and then hangs up. \

She knows she's lying. She just wants to throw a party to enjoy herself and show off to other families.

Jisoo sits up straight and crosses her legs, lowering the phone off her ear and as she puts it on the floor she hears the sound of the glass door sliding open behind her and feels someone is sitting next to her.

She turns her head to see Jennie holding two hot dumplings dishes with them sticks on top, trying to adjust and get comfortable in her sitting as she puts the dishes on the floor.

After settling down, Jennie rubs her hands together to warm them, and then she takes one of the dishes and place it close to Jisoo.

Jisoo was observing her with a lost expression silently, not knowing exactly what she was feeling at the moment, but it's certainly not a bad one.

"It's better to eat it while it's still hot." Jennie says softly when she notices the prolonged silence of Jisoo, as she takes one of the dumplings between the sticks and bites them carefully.

- "Ah..Y-yes.." Jisoo replies in a low voice after coming back to her senses, suddenly nervous.

She grabs the wooden sticks and directs them to one of the dumplings and starts eating quietly, stealing glances at Jennie between now and then.

Ever since Jennie came to sit with her, she kept looking either at her plate or at the sky, acting normally like they hadn't just argued or discussed any topic, as if nothing had happened.. as if nothing had changed—

Jisoo stops eating momentarily, realizing what Jennie is doing and what she tries to convey to her. She smiles weakly to herself and then continues to eat.

Jennie was doing and showing her exactly what she said to her.

That nothing has changed between them.

"Did you make this one?" Jisoo asks after minutes of silence as she moves the contents of the dish with the sticks.

- "No, I ordered them earlier. You like it?" This time Jennie looks up at her, with a hopeful gaze.

"Yes." Jisoo replies heartily as she looks at her too, their eyes meeting for the first time since Jennie came here.

And their eyes contact this time was different.. it was gentle.

Jennie smiles sweetly at her and Jisoo returns the smile back, and then both look away bashfully at the same time, back to their dishes to finish the rest of it.

While busy eating, Jisoo takes another glance at Jennie and sees her mouth full, making her cheeks look chubbier than they ever were. Probably she had put the whole dumpling in her mouth and now she's in the middle of a battle to eat it. And through all that, she still looked pretty and super-duper adorable.

"Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?" Jisoo suddenly asks after seeing that Jennie is almost done with her Jen-VS-dumpling battle.

Jennie furrows her eyebrows in confusion as she swallows with difficulty, after almost choking, her features mask a smile as she looks at Jisoo.

From where did that come from?

"Oh..um.. when we were in Jeju, yes. And just now." She answers in a playful tone.

- "Well then, I will say it again, you are so beautiful." Jisoo emphasizes, smiling lovingly.

"Why are you always sweet talking with me?" Jennie asks her with a lighthearted tone, wearing a quizzical expression.

And she means the constant flirty comments Jisoo throws at her randomly.

- "Hmm.. because you didn't do anything that requires me not to?" Jisoo answers sarcastically in a question form, furrowing her eyebrows amusedly.

"And what if I did? what will you do then?" Jennie challenges teasingly as she brings her head closer to her.

Jisoo stares at her a bit, then with a swift motion, she grabs Jennie's cheeks and pinches them lightly.

- "I will start eating these first." Jisoo says she shakes them left and right until Jennie smacks her hands away playfully, wearing a sullen expression and pouting cutely.

"You can't eat these." Jennie softly says hitting Jisoo's arm, and then massages her cheeks with her hand, pulling an angery face while Jisoo just started laughing wholeheartedly.

And watching Jisoo laughing like this makes her more certain that what she is seeing right now is the real her.

That this is Kim Jisoo.

"I believe in you.."

🎶▶Lee Hi - My Love

She discloses seriously and softly out of nowhere, making Jisoo stop smiling and drawing her attention as her laughter dies down.

"The Jisoo, who is in front of me now.. I believe in this Jisoo.."

Moments pass of her staring at Jisoo warmly before she scoots closer until her thigh comes in contact with Jisoo's, locks her arm with hers and returns to meet her eyes lovingly.

"And I really don't care about what other people think.

I.. I trust you.."

Jisoo remains silent for moments and just keeps staring at Jennie with a stoned face.

- "In other words, you're saying that you trust me blindly.."

Jisoo jokingly says, trying to hide the fact that she's got emotional, like it is not a big deal, but Jennie knows that what she said has taken its place in Jisoo's heart.

Jennie silently chuckles and confirms with a determined cheerful tone, not breaking their eye contact not even for a second.

"Yes.. that's exactly what I'm saying.."

"Okay.."

Is all what Jisoo says, almost in a whisper, nodding affirmatively as she turns her head shyly to look at the sky, at the same time Jennie tilts her head to rest it on Jisoo's shoulder.

And they stay like this in a comfortable silence.

"You know?" Jisoo starts sheepishly after a few minutes of silence as she continues staring at the sky.

"Looks like it will be cold tonight."

-"So..?"

"I don't think the bed covers will be enough.."

-"And..?"

Jennie says stretching the word knowingly after understanding what Jisoo is trying to say.

"I think I will need you for extra warmth."

Jennie stays silent for moments, can't stop herself from smiling.

"And what about Nini? He will be alone.."

- "Nini?"

Jisoo turns her head toward Jennie, frowning, and at the same time Jennie lifts her head also to look at her and nods in the most childlike way.

"Yes, Nini, the teddy bear." She answers in a worried expression, hiding her playful smile seeing the realization dawns on Jisoo's face.

- "You gave him a name already?"

Jennie quickly nods again adorably gaining another laugh from Jisoo.

Smiling contently, Jisoo turnes her head back to look at the sky and Jennie's head is back on her shoulder.

"Fine.. Nini can come with us."

Jisoo says, feeling Jennie tightening her arm around hers and adjusting her head on her shoulder more intimately.

⏸🎶

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After Lisa and Chaeyoung had been to their classroom, Jisoo walks to hers alongside Jennie. When she arrives, she finds the place crowded, and the students had left their seats. She steps further inside the room to see them gathering around something at one of the stairs-seats, blocking the view.

She furrows her eyebrows questioning and looks at Jennie, who was mirroring her expression and steps forward as she crosses through the students who begin to move away from her as soon as they saw her, looking at her suspiciously.

Students continued to part away until it became clear what the thing they were gathering around or rather, the person.

Sitting in her seat, Krystal supporting her head with her hands, crying, and her friends on both of her sides patting her back to comfort her.

When the silence becomes deafening upon the presence of Jisoo, Krystal raises her head, still sniffling, until her gaze lies on Jisoo. The areas under her eyes were slightly smeared for the ruined mascara and her face was reddish.

As soon as she takes her presence in, the expression of her face changes from sadness to anger, and she glares at Jisoo with hatred.

"You!"

She points with a trembling loud voice and it gets up quickly.

"You did this!!"

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To Be Continued

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