JENLISA | ANGUISH |

Chapter 9 - Breather

Day 2 passed like a blur. Performing on stage helped me forget my problems even just for a moment but one of those problems is literally on stage with me. Escaping isn't an option. I minimized our interactions between us. After everything that happened yesterday this is the best option for the both of us.

During the performance, sometimes I notice her looking at me to get my attention. There's also at sound-check where we were all standing together interacting with Blinks and she was standing beside me. She just held my hand to look at it. I thought it was strange. Majority of the contact between us on stage, I'm the one who initiates them. Maybe she forgot that it was the opposite hand that I injured.

After the concert, the four of us are on a tight schedule. Jisoo unnie and Rosie flies back to South Korea. Jennie unnie flies to France and me a few hours after her. We were supposed to fly there together but after what happened yesterday I decided to change my flight schedule.

Now at the airport with Wonjae oppa I eat some food he gave me.

"Did you know that we're also staying at the same hotel?" He asks.

"Yeah, I figured that the venues we each needed to go to are not that far so the management must have booked us the same hotel."

"Do you want me to change your room?"

"No, it's okay. We're both gonna be too busy to be bumping into each other there." And she probably will distance herself from me after what I said to her yesterday.

***

Now, after getting ready for the Celine event, we were now in the lobby waiting for our car. I hear somebody call me.

"Lisa-ya."

I turn around and see Bogum oppa. I smile at him, waving. Genuinely happy to see him. "Wow, oppa! You look good in that suit." I complement him.

Looking at me he says. "If you're going to start wearing suits now, I should probably throw mine in the trash because you look better in a suit than I am. Damn!"

We both laugh loudly. I give him a hug. "Thank you oppa."

He pulls back from the hug and looks me in the eyes. Puzzled he asks. "For what?"

Bogum oppa and I got really close after the first Celine event we attended together. We text and call each other from time to time. Even though he doesn't know about my feelings for Jennie unnie, when we talk to each other I feel like I'm not Lisa from BLACKPINK but just a normal person Lisa, his friend. After what happened in Abu Dhabi, he was my breath of fresh air.

"Just for making me laugh. I'm just having a bad week." I say.

"You can talk to me about it."

"I know oppa. I might take you up on that." I see Wonjae oppa coming.

"The car's here."

I turn to Bogum oppa. "I'll see you at the venue oppa." I wave.

"Save me a seat okay?!" He screams at me.

Shaking my head at him I laugh. On the way to the venue, lost in my thoughts. He will also be at the event. I don't know how much he knows of what happened these past few days or nothing at all. I'm hoping for the latter. I can't possibly avoid him at the event as he is also one of the main event as the fans call it. So I know I have to suck it up and do my job.

After the photo op and dinner we are now at the party. Frederic Arnault and I are catching up even though we just saw each other last week. I laugh.

He sees my empty glass. "Can I get you another drink?"

"Oh, I can get it myself." I say.

"Nonsense. I also need a refill so you stay put. I'll be right back." He says as he head to the open bar.

"Thank you!" I shouted at him.

I look around and see people dancing and singing to the music. Promising myself to join in later, I notice him coming my way.  Damn it! My good night is about to be ruined.

"Lisa-ssi, can we talk for a second." Taehyung asks.

Not seeing an escape from it I nod. He sits at the chair Frederic vacated just moments ago. "I just want you to know that my feelings for Jennie are very genuine and I promise to never hurt her."

Why is he saying these things to me? I want to run away from here. Desperate for someone to interrupt us, I look for Frederic but he was stopped by one of his friends.

He continues. "The three of you are her family. She always tells me that she is very grateful for BLACKPINK because she also gained sisters from it."

I scoffed mentally when I heard him say 'sisters'. He just said my role in Jennie unnie's life. While me and her are at odds, I still turn serious and look him in the eyes. "Yeah. They're my family too so if you hurt her, you hurt all of us. And I'm not afraid to get physical to protect them. Do you understand oppa?"

Raising his hands up in mock surrender he smiles. "I hope we won't get to that."

He must think I'm joking so I just go along with it. Thankfully I see Frederic and Bogum oppa approaching us together. I sigh in relief. Deciding then to join the crowd, I danced the rest of my night away.

***

Just finished showering I sit on the sofa towel drying my hair while waiting for room service. Dancing all night made me hungry. Looking at the time it's almost midnight, a certain someone must also have just arrived from her party. Shaking the thought out of my head, I hear a knock. Thinking it was room service I opened the door without looking at the peephole.

There's Jennie unnie standing in the hallway, drunk.