Serenity In Her Arms (Jenlisa) (GirlxGirl)

Underworld

"I don't know. Taehyung seems to be ignoring me." Yuqi complains. "There will be times where I text him and he replies within seconds. And other times where he takes hours. Sometimes I say lets see each other and he's always busy. Busy busy busy all day everyday. What do you guys think?" The girls sat around in the middle of the diner. It was slow today with only two customers present.
"I told you, you should've left him a long time ago." Mina said shaking her head.
"I know. But...I just don't know what it is. I always run back to him. What do you think Jennie?" Jennie didn't know how to answer this. She had never really been in a relationship. She never really thought about it.
"I'm the wrong person to be asking relationship advice. Considering I've never actually had a relationship myself." She laughs nervously.
"Why not? You're telling me you've been this beautiful for so long and have never been in a relationship? What have you been doing?" Yuqi teases. But Jennie's memories began to creep upon her. Rosè quickly put her hand on Jennie's shoulder.
"Jennie hasn't been able to be herself for some time. But she's back and who knows, maybe she'll see someone tonight that may appeal to her." Rosè winks at Jennie. She was relieved Rosè had come in for her the way she did. "You ladies coming tonight?" Rosè asks, letting go of Jennie's shoulder as she sips coffee from a mug. Jennie questions what they could be talking about.
"I am. Me and Taehyung are going. Hopefully he shows up this time." Yuqi rolls her eyes.
"I'm probably going too." Mina says. "I'm not going with anyone. I could go with you Rosè if you're fine with that?"
"Of course. Me, Jennie and Jisoo will be going. Jisoo is going to participate in this one." Rosè said almost proudly. Jennie had snapped to what the girls were talking about. They were going to this "not exactly legal" event.
"Great. I can just meet you there." Mina said as she got up to serve a customer who had walked in.
"You Seulgi?" Rosè asked.
"Maybe. I'm not sure yet; I kind of want to stay in tonight. Though, it does get entertaining sometimes. I'll see how I feel later." Seulgi nods. Jennie was more curious than she was excited. She didn't know if she wanted to be a part or near anything like that. The three months she's had living a normal life, had been nice for her. And she wasn't ready to take any small chances in jeopardizing any of it. But for Rosè she couldn't say no, especially after everything. The day continued, the girls had all day to sit around and do almost nothing. The sun began to descend, until finally the sunset pink over Seoul turned into midnight black. Closing time, everyone began to gather their things amd exit the diner. Rosè's mother locked the two doors as everyone said goodbyes and walked to their cars.
"I'll see you at home. Be careful." Rosè said as she kissed her mother on the cheek.
"Okay. Be careful sweety." Jennie walked next to Rosè and saw a barely visible man sitting in the front seat of a slim but pricy vehicle; he watched as Yuqi walked to his car.
"Is that Taehyung?" Jennie questioned as she nodded toward the black car.
"It is. Bit of an asshole from the stories Yuqi has told about him. But she keeps going back." Jennie stayed silent. She didn't know what to respond with. "They are gonna keep going back and forth, back and forth until they end it for good. But I guess that's for her to deal with considering every sinngle one of us, has told her to dump him already and she just doesn't listen." Rosè finished. They enter the car and begin to drive, the brightness of the traffic and city lights making the inside of the vehicle dark and almost cozy.
"So you ready?" Rosè asked.
"I'm as ready as I'll ever be." Jennie laughed almost fake.
"I'm suprised you knew what I was talking about. I'm also shocked you haven't asked what it is this entire time."
"I didn't feel I had the right to ask what this event was. It seemed like you wanted it to be a suprise to me."
"Well that's true. I wouldn't have told you anyway if you did ask." Rosè laughed. "It's like horse racing almost. You bet on which horse you think is gonna win. Watch the race. And win or lose money depending on your bet. It probably sounds really bad that I'm comparing horses to human beings but you'll see when we get there." Jennie giggles. They arrive back at the apartment. Jisoo opens the door and gives Rosè a greeting peck on the lips. After three months, their kissing in front of her didn't make her nervous anymore, and she didn't know what to think of that. She noticed Jisoo was actually home earlier than they were, which has never happened.
"The beginner tier starts at nine. So we have some time to relax until we get ready." Jisoo says as she heads into the kitchen to make them all something small to eat.
"Okay." Rosè responds. "We usually eat something small before hand to hold us. Later, everyone begins to cook out and sell their own food, after Jisoo has finished her turn, we usually find something to buy and enjoy the rest of the show." Jennie nodded.
"That sounds fun"
"It will be. I'm gonna wash up. Then you can and Jisoo. By that time it should be about time to start making our way there." Rosè left to the master bedroom. Jennie and Jisoo conversated. Nothing about the event, just simple conversation. Jennie washed up and finally Jisoo. They all ate and got ready. Jennie's hair was let down in long silk soft brown hair. She wore a simple black sweater crop top, black slim fit cargo jeans that emphasised on her long legs, tucked into black dr martens boots. Rosè's hair was let down; she wore a baggy white t shirt, ripped jean shorts and white reebok shoes. While the other two had casual fashion, Jisoo looked ready for something else. She had two tight dutch braids, and wore no makeup. She was wearing a black sports bra crop top, black and white fitness shorts and black flip flops. She walked out from the back room, holding rolled up handwraps in her left hand and handing a small black bersa thunder three eighty to Rosè with her right. Jennie saw the exchange as she stuffed the small handgun inside her shoulder bag. It made her wonder if going to this place was a good idea.
"It's one of those things where we'd rather have it and not need it. Are you ready to go?" Rosè asked Jennie.
"I understand. And yes." Jennie smiled, or so the best one she could muster. The three entered the car, Jisoo was the driver, Rosè the passenger and Jennie in the back seat. The drive was only about twenty minutes. But twenty minutes was all it took, to show Jennie a different side of Seoul. The sidewalk and alleys were darker and the liveliness of the busy night streets and buildings dwindled with each turn. They pulled into a wide empty alley. Jennie noticed that two policeman had posted up with their vehicles in front of the alley. Whatever it was, they seemed to be in on this event too. Jennie began to hear faint crowd chatter and music, and as they edged out the alley Jennie finally saw what all of this was about. The enormous area was under an array of freeway bridges and surrounded by abandoned warehouses and business buildings. This whole section was cut completely off from the outside world. The gigantic crowd was a life of its own, with more than one hundred people standing near the center of this underground, and more pouring in. People gathered, sitting on their cars, some old railings and just standing in groups. Korean rap blasted through loud bass speakers and the air was filled with the scent of delicious meat being singed on the grill. It was quite the gathering.
"We can park over here, same spot." Jisoo had said in a low tone. More saying it to herself than to Rosè or Jennie. They got off the vehicle, the air was warm and the crowd got louder as they entered the center. Jennie, Jisoo and Rosè made their way through the crowed, it wasn't too thick but their visability was limited. Making it close to the front, Jennie had finally figured out Jisoo's second job. She was an underground street fighter. It was brutal; a fight had already begun, the two girls in the center moving back and forth with their hands up, anticipating the others movements as the crowd cheered them on loudly. One of the girls wore a blue sports bra crop top, eye was purple and on the verge of swelling; while the other had a busted bottom lip, her purple sports bra covered in droplets of blood from her mouth. The girl in purple swung a right hook, it was evated and the girl in blue countered it with a rib punch with her left fist. The girl in purple grunted and she held her side, the pain of the blow still ringing throughout her body. The girl in blue took the opportunity to finish her. She front kicked her right knee cap, making her kneel in an instant. And with her right arm, she delivered a devastating right hook to the girls left side of the face. The girl in purple splattered blood from her mouth, onto the concrete and fell to the ground. The crowd uproared as the girl in blue raised her hands turning and looking around the crowd, her purple eye swollen. An averaged sized medium build bald man came out from the audience. He wore a crocodiled skin suit, green with a gold chain and gold earrings. He had a goatee and looked like he had never earned an honest days pay.
"Wow. Now that's exactly how you start the night off." He said loudly so all of the crowd could hear.
"That's Dante Sung." Rosè says to Jennie. "He's Korean American. His father was a British business man, he moved here to form a high paying partnership with a Korean investor. When Dante grew up, he got in with the dirty money and started doing his own thing since. He knows people who know people. But around here we know him as Simpan. Or the referee, except he doesn't stop the fights." Rosè laughs. "He's loved by everyone though, he's a real crowd hyper. Welcome to the Circle of Angels. This is an underground street fighting competition for women; it's made up of four tiers. The first tier we call Beginner tier. It's for people who want to make quick and easy money for up to twenty-thousand. It's usually for the girls who haven't been fighting too long, are new to the scene, or like I said, want to keep it simple and make quick cash. The beginner tier hosts the most fights and can sometimes be pretty entertaining. The second, we call Intermediate tier. This tier has most of the fights as well, but more are interesting. These sometimes take up most of the night. It's for girls who have been fighting for a couple months and are pretty adept at what they do. These bets go up to sixty-thousand, also good for quick cash if you're confident and brave enough. The third is known as Seasoned tier. That's the tier Jisoo fights in. This tier has fewer fights but are well worth the wait. Bets can go up to five hundred thousand. This tier is made for girls who have aquired a name for themselves and have been fighting for almost years. It has some of the toughest girls you'll ever see. Not just anyone can get into this tier, if they do, they suffer dearly for it. And the last tier, we call the Demon tier." The crowd suddenly turned their gaze and looked at the cars pulling in from the alley. These cars were different, they were extremely luxurious and in extreme great condition. In one of the cars the driver opened the door, an older man, with grey hair slicked back with a suit stepped out. Everything about him said he had money. The crowd welcomed him with loud cheers as he waved at them. These luxury cars parked next to each other, and each one carried a person with money.
"These are the high rollers." Rosè explained to Jennie as they both looked at all of the men in suits. "They are the ones that place bets only in the demon tier. Which can go up into the millions.
"Why is it called the demon tier?" Jennie asked.
"It's for the most advanced fighters brave enough to face the demon herself." Rosè pointed to a young woman getting out of the car and standing next to one of the men in suits, leaning against the hood of his expensive vehicle. She pulled a gorgeous blonde close to her and held her by the waist. The blonde wrapped her arm around the girls neck as she stood near her.
"Her name is Hirai Momo. The blonde she's holding is her girl, Dahyun. In the underworld, she's known as Momo Oni. Oni meaning demon in Japanese. She's a fighter from Japan; her father wanted a son but instead got her. After her mother died giving birth to her, he always had a hate for his daughter. But he trained Momo anyway, pushing her beyond her limits. One day she couldn't take another day of it, so she killed him in his sleep. She was alone, until one day she needed money, and tried to steal it from him." She pointed to the older man Momo was standing next to. He wore a black suit with a bright red tie. He leaned against a black cane with a golden handle, his hands covered in expensive rings. His hair was greying and slicked back, his older features gave him authority.
"Chaeng Sun Yu. He was visiting Japan seeking out business opportunities and he found a little girl trying to steal from him at a restaurant. Instead of punishing her, he took her in as his own. Found the greatest Japanese fighters he could buy and let them train her. Since then, she's been his personal champion in this competition. No one has ever seen Momo lose. And the way she fights, I don't think we will any time soon." Jennie examined Momo. She was naturally beautiful but her face was also naturally menacing. Her black short hair tied in a bun. Her arms were sleeved in traditional Japanese tattoos. A bright red oni mask on her right arm. The clothes she wore were close to Jisoo's, so she was definitely going to fight tonight.
"So when the demon tier approaches, she'll go out there. And the high rollers will bet on their personal fighters to beat her. But I'm sure you've guessed after everything I told you, that's highly unlikely." Rosè laughs. Jennies smiles and looks at Rosè.
"How do you know all of this?"
"Word gets around I guess. Especially when Momo Oni first appeared in these fights. There's only a few fights in the demon tier, but they are extremely entertaining. We all know the outcome of the fight when it comes to Momo, but we all still wait to see them. They're a good way to end the night." Jennie nodded.
"I can't wait." The night continued, and so did the fights. Brutal. Later Mina had finally met up with them and watched the entertainment alongside. The beginner and intermediate tiers were finally over. It was time to start off the seasoned tier.
"Alright everybody, the night is beginning to dwindle. But that doesn't mean it's over just yet. Far from it actually." Dante spoke aloud as he stood in the center of the giant crowd. "We're gonna go ahead and get this first seasoned fight started, I know this crowd can get anxious sometimes. Born on the streets of South Korea, she's never been one for playing nice with the other little girls. Let's welcome Jihae back to the circle of angels!" The crowd uproars in cheers as a intimidating woman steps out in the center with Dante. She was covered in tattoos, her hair was jet black, shaved on both sides with a perfect wet undercut on top. She throws a few quick jabs in the air with a quick high roundhouse to get the crowd rolling. Her face was sharp with her features. Everything said this woman was far from soft.
"And her opponent. Well, we've seen her once before but she's asked that I keep her information confidential using only a letter and her intro short just as before. Come on out, L!" A female stepped out in the center. Her brownish orange hair tied in a ponytail with perfect bangs. She wore a green crop tank top, white handwraps and grey baggy sweatpants with tan timberland boots. Jennie caught a glimpse of this woman. She felt her heart suddenly flutter; she decided to move in front of the crowd to get a better view of who this girl was, leaving Rosè, Jisoo and Mina behind without realizing. Jennie examined this girl, her small round slanted eyes, a wide small bulbous nose with puffy pink lips. Her body was tight and athletic, her skin tone was a perfect bronze. Jennie didn't understand what exactly she was feeling just by looking at this "L."
"Alright ladies." Dante explained as Jihae and L stared each other down. "We're betting the max amount of five hundred thousand. You know the rules, no time limit. The only way to win is to have your opponent tap out, or have them knocked out. Fight!" Dante backed away and the girls raise their hands and adjust their legs in a well practiced fighting stance. Jihae was smiling, confident that she had already won this fight. L on the other hand, was serious and just watched her movements carefully. The crowd was lower than normal, waiting to see what was going to happen next. Jihae grunted and made the first strike; she spun her body raising her right leg. Delivering a powerful roundhouse, aiming for L's left side of the face. L blocked the attack with practiced ease using her left arm; Jihae was quick to react realizing her first attack failed. The crowd went back to it's normal ambiance, with everyone screaming and cheering. She threw a quick but sturdy left hand jab. L sidestepped to the right, catching Jihae's wrist while delivering a right elbow strike to Jihae's left eyebrow. Stunning her and causing her to bleed, L quickly grabbed Jihae's shoulders, pulling her down while delivering a upper knee strike to her sternum. L's opponent kneeled on the ground, blood gushing from her mouth as she gasped for air. Moments later, Jihae stood back up, angered while the crowd cheered on. She charged L with a flurry of left and right hooks with a combination of quick jabs. L managed to weave and deflect each attack successfully, catching an opening, she struck with her right hand making solid contact with Jihae's rib. L stepped back and awaited her opponents next moves. She saw she was already tired, and still in pain from the previous blows. L knew it was time to end it. Jihae screamed as she forced a left hook towards L; it was short lived as L's leg was on it's way to make contact with Jihae's left rib cage. Suddenly, a solid crack is heard as L's shin snaps a rib. Jihae fell to the ground, nearly screaming trying to gasp for air. Some people had rushed to the front and picked up Jihae, ready to rush her to a hospital. The crowd was wild at this point, cheering on this mysterious L extremely loud.
"That was the best finisher I've ever seen. I believe you've earned this." Dante handed L a small black briefcase. "The five hundred k is all in here. Let's give it up for L!" The crowd cheered their loudest at this point. L picked up her belongings and stood up to leave when she accidentally locked eyes with a beautiful woman in the front row. Jennie's heart began to beat fast as she stared at this girl. Time had seemed to slow down for both of them. Finally L turned and walked towards the crowd, glancing back one last time at Jennie, before disappearing into the layers of people. Jennie had some idea of what she was feeling for L. But she didn't want to label it yet. Whatever the case, Jennie wanted to see her again. Jennie needed to see her again. Even if it means that she had to stay present in this gritty, underworld.