Jennie leaned back against the table, watching the team work, her thoughts swirling from the chaos earlier. Her gaze flitted over to where Jisoo stood near her, and they started talking in hushed tones about how to manage the potential fallout from Kai's outburst and Mingyu's issue. Jennie felt a knot in her stomach at the thought of how her brother's actions could spiral out of control. She didn't want to think about it too much, but she knew they would have to deal with it sooner or later.
Sehun, noticing Lisa working intently, leaned in slightly, lowering his voice to a whisper as if trying to gauge her mood. "We're good, right?"
Lisa, not looking up from her work, simply nodded, her tone light but controlled. "Yeah, why wouldn't we be?"
But Sehun was perceptive. He leaned closer, his voice still low, the question hanging in the air between them. "I mean... with everything that happened, with Mingyu, the whole thing about your...condition..."
Lisa's fingers froze for just a moment as she worked, her gaze narrowing slightly, though her face remained composed. She exhaled slowly, her eyes never leaving the pieces in front of her. "We don't need to go there, Sehun. It's not necessary."
Taemin, who had been working quietly nearby, caught the tension in the air and leaned in as well, his expression cautious but concerned. "Lisa, we're good too, right?" he asked, his voice barely above a murmur.
Lisa paused again, this time letting out a long, frustrated sigh, her hands stilling for a brief moment. She wasn't in the mood for the conversation, but she could tell by the looks on their faces that it wasn't something they were going to let slide. Her eyes flicked between Sehun and Taemin, sensing the weight of their silent concern.
"Yeah, we're all good," Lisa replied finally, though her tone was flat, more of a dismissal than anything else. She forced a smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "No need to worry about it. Let's just focus on getting this done, alright?"
Sehun gave a nod, though he didn't look entirely satisfied with her answer. Taemin, on the other hand, seemed to accept it, his expression softening slightly.
Lisa's thoughts were elsewhere, her mind racing despite her calm demeanor. She didn't want to get into the complications of Mingyu and what might be lurking beneath the surface of their team's quiet concerns. The last thing she needed was more questions, more reminders of everything she had been trying to push away. But deep down, she knew this was far from over. She had always dealt with pressure in silence, but now, with Jennie, with the tension hanging thick in the air, it felt more like a storm than a passing cloud.
Jisoo noticed the shift in Jennie's demeanor and leaned closer, her voice light but laced with a knowing edge. "You know, the sooner we deal with this, the sooner we can focus on what matters." She flicked her eyes toward the team huddled over papers at the table, then back to Jennie, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "And I'm not talking about the project."
Jennie nodded absently, her thoughts still tangled up with Lisa's medical report. She could feel the weight of it all pressing down on her, a brewing storm she wasn't sure she could outrun. Jisoo tilted her head, studying her for a moment before adding, "So, you planning on telling your dad about Mingyu?"
Jennie's eyes snapped to Jisoo's, a quick, firm shake of her head following. "Of course not," she said, her tone clipped, almost defensive. "My dad would ask too many questions, and Lisa would inevitably get dragged into it. Even if Mingyu's the one in the wrong, you know how it goes—Dad would take his side, twist it somehow. He'd probably find a way to get rid of Lisa just to make sure none of this leaks out of the company and messes with the precious image he's built." Her voice dropped, bitter and resolute, as she glanced away, the storm in her mind growing darker.
