The Five Steps | Jensoo

Chapter 30

Jisoo

The venue is small. There's maybe enough room for a hundred people to stand between the raised stage and a big rectangular bar at the back of the building. Antique pendant lights hang on long chains from the vaulted ceiling and arched opaque windows run the length of the two long walls. It looks like a converted church.

"They're really good!" Chaeyoung yells into my ear over the blasting speakers, her foot lightly knocking into mine on the black glossy floor. I smile and nod my head enthusiastically but I've been so distracted that I haven't really listened to a single song.

Distracted by Jennie on the other side of me.

Distracted by the way she's been ignoring me all night apart from making sure I'm going to tell Irene about what she's done for me.

Distracted by the way her attention has been glued to Irene onstage for the past thirty minutes and the way Irene has been staring back at her. Like every line she sings is only for Jennie's ears. Like they are the only two people in the room.

I take a sip of my Sprite and glance over at Chaeyoung.

She's got on an adorable blue dress with yellow flowers that bounces up to her thighs as she dances along with the music. Her lips are outlined perfectly in red lipstick.

She catches me watching her but doesn't stop bopping along to the music.

She just smiles, that big bright smile that I have loved since ninth grade.

It's a smile that shakes me awake and reminds me that I'm here with Park Chaeyoung, my absolute dream girl.

"I'm really glad you came, Chae," I tell her, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Well it took you long enough to ask me," she prods. "Although technically, I guess I asked you."

"Well technically, we'd be studying for a biology exam right now if I hadn't brought up the concert so..." I shrug a shoulder at her playfully. I can feel my nerves bubbling up but it feels different from that night at the party when I could barely even look at her. I'm not nervous that I'm going to screw it up. I think I'm nervous that... this might actually work.

That I might actually get the girl of my dreams.

"True," she surrenders. "Then I guess I'm glad you asked me. Really glad." She knocks her cup into mine and we both take a sip as a roaring applause makes its way through the audience. Jennie glances in my direction for a split second before focusing her attention back on the stage. Irene blows kisses to the crowd and Jennie whistles loudly over two fingers as the band makes its way offstage.

A couple of minutes later Jennie is waving someone down but I can't see over the heads in the crowd. Soon Irene breaks through and makes her way over to us, a few people around her pointing and whispering to their friends.

As I watch her get closer and closer to Jennie I wonder if they'll kiss. It's been almost a month since they've seen each other after all. But they don't and I exhale, relieved. Instead Jennie wraps her arms around Irene and pulls her into a close hug, whispering something into her ear. I turn away, looking back at the bar which is teeming with people trying to get drinks before the headliners start their set.

"What'd you guys think?" Jennie asks, opening up the circle to include Chaeyoung and me.

"You were incredible!" Chaeyoung says to Irene. "I had no idea Jennie was dating a girl group member."

I can see Jennie physically tense up at that. I wonder if it's because she's worried that Irene might think Jennie hasn't talked about her much, her girlfriend.

"Yeah, well" – Irene flips her silky straight black hair over her shoulder, batting her mascara-caked lashes – "she's a lucky lady." Jennie relaxes a little and it's so weird to see her nervous. It's all just so... not her.

But I guess they worked out all their issues or they wouldn't be here.

"Hey baby, go get me a cup of water," she says to Jennie. Like it's not even a question.

"Of course," Jennie says. "I'll be right back."

"I'll come with you." Chaeyoung raises her empty cup. "Jisoo, you want a refill?" she asks.

"No I'm good. Thanks." I shake my head, and Jennie gives me a look as the two of them disappear into the crowd, leaving me here with Irene. Being here alone with her, I feel my anxiety kick up again, a tight feeling around my chest. But I think about Jennie and even though she's been weird to me all night, I owe her this.

"Hi, I'm Jisoo." I reach my hand out and Irene takes it after a two second hesitation which she spends looking me over. I feel that familiar sweat come over me. Push through it, Jisoo. "Jennie really is great. She has been helping me out a lot," I say, readying myself to tell her all about how she helped me get this date with Chaeyoung, about how she's a different person from the girl she left in Seoul. "For the past month we've been–"

Irene interrupts me with a snort and rolls her eyes.

I stop and look at her, confused.

"Don't go thinking you're anything special," she says. "It's clear you're just a lost little puppy looking for attention. And Jennie will give it to anyone... for a while. That's just Jennie."

I step back as she stares me down, making me feel small, making me feel like the person I was before I came here, before I met Jennie. And as much as I want to defend my friend, as much as I want to tell Irene that she doesn't even deserve to be in Jennie's life...

I just... can't.

And soon Jennie and Chaeyoung return with drinks.

"You guys talk about me while I was gone?" Jennie asks, looking directly at me. I take a step back, uncurling my fingers.

"Only the good stuff." Irene wraps her hand all the way around Jennie's waist and pulls her close and this time she does bury a kiss in her neck. "Right Jisoo?" she asks, shooting daggers across our small circle at me.

I stare back at her for a moment, trying to come up with something to say, but instead I just nod.

"I'll be right back," I say, avoiding Chaeyoung's gaze as I head off to find the bathroom, pulling my phone out as I squeeze through openings in the crowd, my blood practically boiling.

Mandu❤️

meet me at the toilets.