it's always ourselves that we find in the sea || jensoo

Chapter 20

A week later, Jennie made a quick trip back to Seoul at Chaeyoung's request, knowing that it was a compromise for missing Thanksgiving at the end of the month - Chaeyoung would be coming to Auckland, along with Lisa, and this time, Ruby. Still, it had been a tradition since the girls had been in Seoul to have Thanksgiving there, and this was the first year Jennie wouldn't be there, which meant taking the weekend off to go to the city and get drunk and eat good food with her friends. Jisoo didn't come - Jennie wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to take her to a big city when there would be too many people in the bars they'd be visiting, and too loud music - and she would've been lying if she said that she didn't miss her while she was gone.

Arriving back in Auckland early on Monday morning, travelling in with the thin veil of mist swept in by the sea, Jennie stopped off at a cafe, picking up breakfast burritos, toasted granola and coffee for two, before she made her way towards Jisoo's. Everything was muted shades of brown and grey, the damp leaves beneath her feet speaking of the wet weather they'd had over the weekend, and the choppy sea matched the stormy sky overhead. Hugging her bag to her chest, Jennie followed the sandy path along the shore, breathing in the salty air tinged with the damp and rotting of the forest to her right. Bundled up in her sweater and a puffy coat, she didn't really feel the cold, and the walk was enjoyable, reminding her of why she liked autumn so much. Burnt orange and scarlet leaves clung to the branches of trees still trying to hold onto the last few weeks of autumn, and sand crunched beneath her boots as she moved through the fog like a ghost. The turnoff to Jisoo's house loomed into sight a dozen feet ahead of her, and Jennie followed the paved path through the row of trees, the bare canopy overhead letting the weak sunlight shine through, and she cut across the front garden, the cloying smell of flowers following her as she walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. She'd managed to get it all painted before she'd left, along with the second-story shutters, and the seafoam green of the varnished door was pulled inwards a few moments later as she juggled the bag and tray of coffee.

"Hi," Jennie softly greeted her, feeling herself unwind as she stared at Jisoo. She'd had a great time in Seoul - karaoke and baseball with her friends were always a good time - but she'd missed Jisoo more than she would've thought.

"Hi," Jisoo said, a tender look crossing her face as she looked slightly past Jennie. "I missed you."

Quietly laughing as Jisoo spoke her thoughts, Jennie reached out to cup her cheek, making sure not to startle her before she placed a lingering kiss to her lips. "I missed you too," Jennie replied, "let's go for a walk."

She stepped into the dark house and shut the door behind her, dumping her bag near the bottom of the stairs and listening to Jisoo move towards the row of hooks and feel for her coats. Telling her to wear a warm one, Jennie waited until Jisoo was dressed before walking to the back door and stepping back out into the cold. The pale grey sky spoke of potential rain, but it didn't look like they were in any imminent danger as they stood on the back porch. Waiting for Jisoo to lock the back door - a perfect match to the front one - Jennie offered her elbow to her and guided her down the steps and across the dewy grass, cutting through the narrow thicket of trees at the back of Jisoo's house. Struggling down damp sand dunes, thin blades of long grass whipping at their legs as they made their way down to an old weathered driftwood log sitting on the beach. Helping Jisoo down onto it, Jennie sat beside her, staring out at the rolling waves crashing on the shore.

"I brought breakfast, and coffee," Jennie said, handing over one of the black coffees and fishing out a breakfast burrito, still warm from the foil it was wrapped in, unwrapping it and nudging it into Jisoo's hand.

Taking a grateful sip of coffee, Jisoo let out a grateful groan as the caffeine hit her, "oh god, I love you." Freezing, her cheeks turned pink - not from the cold - and Jisoo quickly tried to backtrack, while Jennie watched her get all flustered with a look of surprise. "I mean- I just meant that I-" and then she stopped, ducking her head down as she blushed, before taking a deep breath and looking in Jennie's direction, sliding her sunglasses up onto her head so Jennie could see the unwavering look in her eyes. With a small smile, Jisoo shrugged slightly in defeat, "actually, no. I think that I do."