Hiraeth | A JENLISA AU | On Going

Park Chaeyoung

With my head held high and my face expressionless, I walked inside the room full of people. The chatters died down and was replaced by gasps, stares and mumbles while others could only gape at me and my bloodied hand.

There was a waiter carrying a tray full of unfinished drinks and I walked towards him to discard the broken flute in my hand, coated with blood and all. I also heard him gasp and his eyes- like everyone else's followed the trail of dark liquid I left on the floor to the bloody mess that was my hand. Still, I paid them no mind even my head was throbbing and my wound was pulsing.

The waiter asked me if I'm fine but I only gave him a small nod then I started to walk again. I looked around to see if I could find a familiar brunette and I spotted her not too far from where I stood.

As if she could feel my eyes on her, she turned her head towards me and excused herself from the people she was talking to and left with a smile. Some of those looked behind them and I realized that I could see familiar faces in the sea of strangers.

The smile on Jisoo's face was immediately wiped out the moment she was standing close to me, her eyes also travelled on the small puddle of blood on where I stood to the trail I created and back to my bloodied hand that I slightly raised to wave at her.

Her eyes widened at the red liquid oozing out from my palm and she grabbed my unwounded one.

"Oh my gods, Jennie!" She shrieked, gathering more attention than necessary.

I dismissed her with a wave of a hand and through my gritted teeth, I mumbled, "I'm fine, Jisoo. Let's go home."

"B-But-"

I firmly shook my head and when her eyes met mine, she saw the unshed tears and that my lips was bruised and bloody from biting it too much. She said nothing else anymore but she asked for a clean towel and one of the female waiters already had it with her since she saw me enter with my wound.

I gave the woman a slight smile where she returned it before Jisoo thanked her and ushered me outside the hotel, the towel now pressed against my palm.

We were silent throughout the whole ride and I could feel the towel getting soaked and my palm was becoming too sticky.

"I wouldn't ask," Jisoo started, her eyes still on the road. She dismissed the driver who was also shocked but said nothing else other than goodnight and went his own way with the money Jisoo gave him.

"Then don't."

She sighed and glanced at me. "I won't. Not unless you tell me."

"Good."

My eyes started to feel heavy and when I blinked back the sleep, Jisoo made an unusual turn. "This isn't the way to your home or my house."

"I know. We're going to the hospital."

"This is nothing. We don't need to get me checked."

She stopped at a red light and pulled the handbreak before turning to me. She closed her eyes and rubbed her hands on her face. "You broke a flute using your hand, Jennie. Do you know how dangerous it is if there's still glass embedded in your skin?!"

I couldn't control my emotions anymore that the moment she raised her voice at me, I released everything. "I don't care! I just don't want to go to the hospital, okay?! I fucking hate going there and you know it!"

She slammed her palm on the steering wheel. "Stop acting like a two year old!"

"I will act how the way I want to so don't take me there!"