Thirst | JENLISA

Chapter 1

Jennie Kim may be relatively mediocre at quite a few things, but moving is not one of them. On the contrary, she is excellent at moving. She can pack up her small amount of things at record speed, ready to go within half an hour. She can look sad enough when saying goodbyes to look sincere so the people she's leaving can either tear up or feel guilty, depending on the kind of people they are. She can adapt to a new place the moment she knows what it looks like, and she can usually discern whether the motives of a new family are mostly good or mostly bad. She can fake a smile like nobody's business.

Before the incident, she considered herself a superhero. She's always been able to tell when people are lying. When people are being fake, she senses it, and vice versa, she knows how to be fake and lie without people seeing right through her, and it's gotten her far in her eighteen years of life. Most kids always said that Jennie's didn't count as a real superpower. She wasn't really powerful, she was just good at guessing or she knew how to pay attention. She would fight them on it and win, earning her superpower status once and for all.

A superhero is all she ever wanted to be, but now, she wants nothing to do with it.

***

Jennie sits quietly in the back of a taxi taking her to her new home. They drive past a rustic sign that reads "Welcome to Daegu" and all Jennie can think is how much better that sounds than "Welcome to Itaewon," where she stayed in Yongsan-gu before this. Despite the cringy town name, Jennie couldn't deny how much it felt like home, until she ruined it. She hopes this place will be the same amount of homey, only without the creatures that ruined her life.

It looks homey enough, and Jennie can't help but be suspicious. The town looks too perfect. They pull up to a two-story house that is also too perfect, and she gets out of the car, immediately greeted with a warm hug by an older man she can only assume is her new foster father and a warm grin from a woman around her age. The smiles on their faces are not only genuine, but are also too perfect.

"You must be Jennie." Her new foster father shakes her hand with both of his, eyes full of warmth and comfort, smile nothing short of sweet. "My name is Donghyun, and this is my daughter, Irene." He gestures to the teen behind him who pulls a hand out of her pocket to wave, stepping forward to shake Jennie's hand as well. It's more firm than her father's but it's just as accepting.

"It's great to meet you, Jennie. We're happy to have you." Jennie smiles back softly.

"I'm happy to hear that. This place is... great. The town, your home, all of it. Seems like a nice place to live."

Donghyun's smile grows. "It absolutely is. The school is wonderful. You and Irene are in the same year, so you'll have her to help you out tomorrow if you need her, though I'm sure you can handle yourself." He chuckles softly and Jennie joins him, not sure of what to say. She can handle herself, and likely won't need the help, but she appreciates her new family's kindness. Irene moves to help Jennie with her bags, and the three head inside.

Donghyun stops in the atrium and turns to Jennie. "It's important for me that you feel welcome here. Our home is your home. We are family." He rests his hand on Jennie's shoulder, giving her a soft little pat, before he turns to walk back through the house.

"Thank you, Donghyun." It all still seems too perfect, but Jennie is determined to let herself get lost in the perfection of it without becoming suspicious or concerned. She deserves happiness too, and this seems like a perfect place to find it.

Irene gives her the "grand tour," making sure Jennie knows where all the bathrooms are, where the kitchen is, and where her room is - on the second floor. She leads her up the stairs, pointing out her room along the small hallway. She opens the door to a generic-looking room, light grey walls, a double bed in the middle, a desk and a dresser, and two large casement windows, side by side, with beautiful dark red curtains. Jennie's positive she's never had a room so nice all to herself in her life. "This is mine?"