I built this Home for me, for you

Chapter 23

"Mrs. Manoban-Kim, hi, I'm just calling you about your daughter," the familiar voice of Mina drifted through the phone. "We're going to need you to come down for a meeting with Principal Cho."

Biting back a sigh, Jennie closed her eyes, "hi, yes, of course. I'm actually about to go into a meeting, so I'll have to send my wife."

"Principal Cho would like both you and your wife to be present for this meeting," Mina said, and Jennie paused for a moment, wondering what their daughter had done this time, because she had no doubt in her mind that it was Seolhyun this time, like usual.

Pressing her lips together in a thin line, Jennie felt a flicker of irritation grow, but pushed her chair out as she replied, "thank you. I'll be there shortly."

"Thank you, Mrs. Manoban-Kim," Mina said, and then the line went dead.

Heavily sighing, Jennie climbed to her feet, quickly packing away her laptop and files and closing her briefcase with a click. Hastily pulling on her coat, she walked over to the door, threw a quick order at her assistant to cancel her appointments for the rest of the day, and walked into the elevator, breathing in the cool air and letting out another sigh as the doors slid closed.

By the time she reached the bottom floor, her car had been brought around for her, and she thanked the valet as she slid into the driver's seat. Pulling out into traffic, Jennie began the familiar drive towards the school, muttering curses and getting annoyed by the backed up traffic at lunch hour. When she finally pulled up at the school, she spotted Lisa's car already parked there and quickly climbed out of the car, squaring her shoulders in grim determination as she made her way towards her wife, daughter and the headmistress.

Lisa was waiting for her outside, her arms folded across her chest and her lips set in a grim line. "You're late."

"Traffic was bad," Jennie curtly replied, her hand resting on Lisa's lower back as she ushered her inside, her fingertips maintaining contact as they walked down the empty hallway, the sounds of voices drifting towards them from behind every closed door.

At the office, they walked in to a receptionist jumping up from her seat, and a sulking teenager sat alongside a blonde girl a few years younger. At the appearance of her mom's, Seolhyun seemed to sink into her seat as if she was trying to go unnoticed, and Jennie closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, before she started towards her. She hadn't seen her in four days, and a part of Jennie wanted to hug her and ask her about her day, but the other part was irritated that her daughter had gotten herself into trouble again.

"What did you do?" Lisa wearily asked, an unimpressed look on her face as she stopped before her daughter.

"I didn't do anything," Seolhyun exclaimed, scowling as she slouched in her seat.

Opening her mouth to reply, Jennie was cut off by the office door opening and Jiwoon walking out. She gave Lisa and Jennie a slight smile, and a small nod, "thank you both for coming. Shall we talk in my office?"

Giving her a thin smile, Jennie nodded, giving Seolhyun a look that made her sigh and climb to her feet, walking into the office ahead of everyone else. Jennie followed Lisa inside and shut the door behind her, gently guiding Lisa down into the seat beside Seolhyun, standing behind them as she faced Jiwoon. "So, may we ask what this is about?" Jennie asked, crossing her arms over her chest and arching an eyebrow.

"Right," Jiwoon said, shifting slighting in her seat as she straightened up and gingerly placed both of her hands on her desk, a sheepish look on her face, "well, you see, Seolhyun hasn't done anything in particular-"