Lisa's fading form is the only image that burns inside Jennie's mind that remaining afternoon.

She hasn't had the heart - Lisa hasn't had the heart - to compromise anymore. After what Lisa has told her - has let her go - she finds herself lying on Lisa's bed, former bed, as she silently let her tears fall.

No, she's not crying. Tears just won't stop flowing from her eyes, and she curses herself for being so stupid and so weak.

She continues to loathe herself until she hears the doorbell ringing - and oh, how foolish for her to think it was Lisa, to wish it was Lisa - and she immediately runs to welcome the person back in.

Though she hides the disappointment in her voice, and the frown on her face when she sees that it's Mr. Kim who greets her after she's opened the door.

Jennie quickly wipes her face, clears her throat, prays that she won't sound so broken when she speaks,

"H-Hello, Mr. Kim." She quickly puts a smile to at least cover the uneasiness in her voice.

"Ah, h-hello, Ms. Kim." Mr. Kim quickly bows as he starts stuttering as well, "Y-Your parents asked my wife and daughter to be your companions s-starting today,"

Jennie feels her smile falter a bit but she does try to keep it on her face nonetheless, "Thank you, Mr. Kim."

He nods as he steps aside to make way for the two new people that Jennie will meet.

"This is my wife, then my daughter Hyunhee," He motions to them, and back to Jennie, "This is Ms. Jennie Ruby Jane Kim."

Jennie politely bows back when she sees Mrs. Kim and Hyunhee bowing to her as greetings.

"Please come on in," Jennie leads them inside, and once settled and oriented with how the things inside the house works, Jennie leads them to their room.

Lisa's room, to be exact.

"Ah," Jennie pauses, because Lisa's scent still lingers inside, and because Jennie still feels Lisa's taste on her lips,

"T-This will be your room from now on."

Jennie grips on the doorknob strongly as to restrain herself from becoming a mess once more.

Not in front of them, Ruby Jane.

"That will be all," Jennie quickly turns to them as she flashes another small smile, "I will be in my room if you needed me. Please excuse me."

With that, she hurriedly runs to her room and hopes for a clearer mind the next day.

------------------------------

"G-Good morning, Ms. Kim."

Jennie sees Hyunhee bow to her the second the younger girl has set eyes on her the next morning.

Even with swollen eyes, Jennie can tell that Hyunhee is younger than Lisa, maybe a bit too young. And a bit more obedient at least, less stubborn, yet Jennie feels that Hyunhee is still too young. So Jennie guesses that she's just as mischievous and as energetic. Hyunhee does give her the same crackhead vibe as of Jisoo's. Jennie internally laughs at the thought,

"Good morning, Hyunhee." Jennie replies, she decides to come down the dining room instead - afraid that if she's asked her breakfast to be brought to her in her room, memories of Lisa will flood her poor mind again,

"Breakfast is ready, Ms. Ruby Jane." Mrs. Kim is quick to pull a chair out for Jennie.

"Just please call me 'Jennie'." Jennie awkwardly smiles, "And please join me in eating, where's Mr. Kim?"

"O-Oh, no need, Ms. Ruby Jane!" Mrs. Kim hastily shakes a hand, "We will eat later. A-After you're done."

"N-No, please," And Jennie's quick to shake her head, "Accompany me in eating," She sighs, "It is quite lonely eating alone."

Jennie can't believe her words, did she just hear herself whine? So dejected as if she's been oppressed?

And maybe Hyunhee was able to pick it up, which Jennie wishes hard that the other girl didn't, because then she hears Hyunhee say, "Is it okay if I sit beside you?"

The question catches Jennie off-guard for a split second, but surprisingly, she doesn't minds as much anymore.

"Hyunhee!" Mrs. Kim calls to her child, "Have some manners!"

"Oh, it's okay, Mrs. Kim." Jennie pulls the chair beside her, "Sit here with me, Hyunhee."

Jennie sees Hyunhee smile wider, and Jennie somehow finds herself smiling as wide.

Maybe she is somehow thankful for the little kid, to keep her company.

A new one that she doesn't have to think too deep nor too hard on what they are. Maybe Hyunhee is the younger sister she never had.

At least their relationship is not as complicated as hers and Lisa's is. Jennie bites her lip at the thought.

Yeah, maybe Hyunhee could be the sister she's never had.

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"Why do you look like you've just woken up from a bad party?"

Jennie throws a lazy glare at Jisoo the second those words come out from her devil friend, maybe having Jisoo wait for her by the school gate is a worse idea than going to the classroom alone.

"So, how are you feeling?" Jisoo asks as she swings an arm around Jennie, and Jennie likes to think it's just to piss her off more.

Jennie quickly looks around first, cautiously, as to see if Lisa - or Rosé - is there.

She thanks the heavens that none of the two were there. She honestly doesn't know how to act, or how to feel, if she's to see Lisa early in the day.

They didn't really part in good terms, but Jennie also thinks that they didn't part in bad terms, either.

So Jennie really doesn't know what to do if she's ever to bump to Lisa that day, or ever.

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Jennie feels a jab by her temple, and she quickly elbows Jisoo's ribs as revenge,

"What? I'm listening." Jennie retorts.

"I asked how you are, the last time we met was when you were supposed to be dancing in a club?"

Damn it.

All other memories of the said event should have come running around Jennie's mind, but the very first one to appear is her drunken kiss with Lisa.

And the kisses that followed,

And the heartache that stayed.

Jennie swallows painfully as her throat has gone dry as she lies, "I'm fine,"

She continues to look at the ground, yet she feels Jisoo's eyes on her.

She holds her breath for whatever taunt her friend will be throwing at her, but she quickly exhales when she just hear Jisoo sigh and pat her head,

Making Jennie not regret having Jisoo accompany her every morning because Jisoo comforts her in unimaginable ways with such a simple,

"I'm glad."

------------------------------

Though she does regret having Jisoo around at times, too.

Times like eating at the school canteen during break-time - not because of the conversations, heck, Jisoo's exaggerated story-telling makes Jennie laugh like there's no tomorrow.

What she doesn't like about having Jisoo around at times is when Jisoo decides to transform into her really evil counterpart and tease and embarrass Jennie for all it's worth.

Like now, where they're engaged in a conversation - and Jennie knows that she is - but then she sees someone, a really familiar someone, walk in and that's when Jennie loses focus.

Because she sees Lisa, who's still supporting her trademark smile as she walks by.

And Jennie feels herself suddenly asking for air, because it suddenly becomes harder to breathe. She feels her insides constrict in a way, with her heart pounding loud that she's afraid anyone would be able to hear how it's trying to break free.

Because Lisa seems like she had no problem sleeping last night, or waking up with tears this morning. Because she seems like what happened yesterday was merely a dream - a nightmare - that she just woke up to and put aside like any other illusions played upon by her mind.

And Jennie feels it harder to breathe, feels it harder to blink tears back,

Because Lisa doesn't even look her way, when all of Jennie's senses are on her - solely on her. Because Jennie forgets the rest of the world as she stares at the other girl who seems to have no difficulty being in the same space, breathing the same air, walking the same ground.

Jennie forces herself to tear her gazes away from Lisa and back to Jisoo who continues to speak, and Jennie tries her best - God knows how much she does - to give her full attention on what Jisoo's talking about, but the mere presence of Lisa makes it already hard enough for Jennie to focus on anything else.

So Jennie nods her head as to agree on whatever Jisoo's telling her, making it appear that she's able to follow, but she curses her eyes for averting their selves to Lisa's direction instead. She tries to pull her gazes back just as quick, though - she tries so hard to - and listen to her friend again. But the same thing happens over and over until she feels her heart thump harder against her chest when Jisoo finally says,

"You're distracted."

That's when Jennie is finally able to focus only on Jisoo, "W-What?"

"You're distracted," Jisoo repeats, "You keep on looking somewhere else."

"I-I don't," Jennie widens her eyes in defense, "What are you talking about."

Jisoo raises her eyebrows lazily, and Jennie knows that her friend doesn't believe her one bit - hell, she doesn't even believe herself, either.

"What is bothering you anyway?" Jisoo says as she starts to turn to where Jennie's looking at, and it alarms Jennie so she's quicker to pull Jisoo's face back.

"N-Nothing!" Jennie's voice reaches an unusual higher tone in panic, "Continue with your story!"

Jisoo looks at her with a scowl, like she's a crazy person - and Jennie admits that maybe she is, with how her mind is not working properly anymore, all because of only one person.

Jisoo continues to observe her, to scrutinize her - and Jennie tries bad not to squirm.

Jennie only stops trying when Jisoo mercifully lets her go with a shrug, but not without a side-comment, "You're weird."

At least it's better than crazy.

But Jennie really swears she's going insane, because then she steals another glance at Lisa's direction and she swears she's going insane,

Because she likes to fool herself that Lisa finally looked at her direction as well.

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