a year of sundays || Chaennie

December

warnings: mild swearing

December Jisoo seems to give Jongin the green light when she sees his persistence in Jennie. Jennie knows that he likes her, she's the talk of the school, and while she thinks it's kind of pathetic she's also enjoying the attention. To her mother's credit, she can understand why Haeun likes being seen in such a good light all of the time. When Jongin asks her to the Christmas Dance in the middle of art class, she says yes because the sound of 'aww's' is too much to pass up. There is still something missing and Jennie doesn't know what it is but she's sixteen. Rather than worrying about what it is she decides to see where things lead and how they develop.

Jennie's mom isn't entirely thrilled when she tells her about the boy with soft hair and even softer eyes but she isn't angry either, she simply adjusts her plan for Jennie once more. Mino, it seems, is firmly out of the picture and Jennie almost laughs when Haeun tells her to invite Jongin over for dinner as soon as possible. She decides to put that off as much as she can and, instead, spend the week getting to know the boy a little better. Jongin is nice and she can't deny that; he has a love for Geography and there's a world map in his room with little pins in it of where he's been. Mostly it's limited to Asia but she's in awe of the pins in Europe, of his stories about Paris, Venice, and Madrid. Jennie is aware he's allowed this because of his uncle, Kim Taeyoon. She's not sure who he is or what he does but she does know he owns some business out West, a self-made millionaire with a son and nephew to spoil.

She stays at his house Saturday night and lets him take her shirt off. He shies away respectfully when she tells him she's not ready and, instead, hands her a shirt and turns away while she gets changed which only serves to make her smile a little wider. Jongin is nice, respectful, and kind. Jennie has to wonder what more it possibly could be that she wants, because it's something. Something feels wrong and she hates it.

"Stay," he whispers early Sunday morning, his lips teasing behind her ear. "Let me take you for breakfast. Let me kiss you a little longer."

Jennie says no and leaves him with a short kiss and a soft look. He's beautiful in his messy bed and his scruffy hair, a hint of stubble on his chin, but there's a tugging in her gut that makes her leave.

It isn't until Jennie sees her silhouette in her car as they park up that she knows what that tugging was.

---

"The town is abuzz with gossip," Chaeyoung hums to her, hidden away from eyes as Jennie stands just off to the side of the church. "You and Kim Jongin."

There's something in the way she says his name that makes Jennie think the subject isn't one she wants to have. Jennie is not sure why she'd bring it up if she didn't enjoy it. She's her friend and Sundays are theirs, hers, Jennie is not sure, but she knows she wants to tell Chaeyoung and explain her side. Because she's there, and she's pretty in a different way to Jongin but it still fills Jennie with warmth and need and it's so utterly confusing.

"He asked me to the dance," she replies, and Chaeyoung nods, her jaw tight. "I said yes."

She nods again, and again, and again.

"Jennie, come on, we're leaving" she hears her mother shout. Jennie sends Chaeyoung a pleading look, unsure why she's standing silent. Jennie is getting as impatient with her as Haeun is getting with Jennie. She bites her lip before Haeun shouts once more, her motherly tone startling the both of them. "Now please."

---

Kim Jennie:

I'm sorry our Sunday was cut short.