THE LIGHT OF LOVE | JENLISA

Chapter 25.

Halfway through the concert Jennie realized that Jisoo was right, she was enjoying it. It was just a school band, so she kind of expected simple songs with crappy lyrics, but she was pleasantly surprised. There was quite a crowd too, which allowed her to position herself in the last row and be as inconspicuous as possible. At first Jisoo was standing next to her, but after a few songs, she made her way to the front row, having fun like a true fan. And of course, she couldn't avoid noticing how good Jin was on stage. Perhaps the coolest thing about him was the fact that he clearly enjoyed himself and didn't try to look edgy, like rock band members usually try to do. He was pretty handy with the guitar too, his solos were always getting a wild applause from the audience. He clearly had the dedication to practice a lot and that was something that Jennie could certainly admire. For a moment she was tempted to look at his eyes and feel his emotions, but she resisted it. Recently she tried not to use her powers too much, it only brought her trouble.

She was so captivated by the music that she didn't notice that the door at the back opened and Lisa appeared inside, looking all happy. She finished studying much earlier than she had expected and came to the concert knowing that Jisoo would be there. When walking silently through dimly lit auditorium, she suddenly froze in place, seeing a familiar face with dark hair and cat-like eyes. It was quite a surprise. She knew from rumors that Jin invited Jennie to come to the concert, but, knowing Jennie, she never expected that she'd actually agree. And yet there she was, looking all mesmerized and engrossed in the music... Lisa had never seen Jennie like that before, she seemed... relaxed. Carefree. Almost cheerful.

Then Lisa's heart sank, realizing that the reason why Jennie looked so happy was right there, on stage, rocking an electric guitar: Jin. Lisa remembered that they spent quite a lot of time talking at her party, she didn't think much about it then, but now... Now it all made sense. And it hurt. As much as her brain was telling her that Jennie was simply enjoying the music, her heart was repeatedly whispering: "It's him, he made her this happy."

Damn, why did it hurt so bad, as if someone's invisible hand was squeezing her poor heart? Why Jennie's apparent happiness caused her so much pain? Although it was the first time in her life that Lisa experienced this feeling, she was able to recognize it. It was agonizingly obvious.

Jealousy. And jealousy never comes without...

Lisa's didn't even dare to finish this sentence in her mind. "Do I really care about her that much?" she asked herself in the last desperate attempt to push away this realization. But her heart only had one answer. "Yes I do. Oh my god, I do." And right there, standing in the middle of the school auditorium on Friday evening, she understood something that would change her life forever: that her feelings for Jennie go way beyond friendship. Maybe it was even lov- Lisa suddenly got so scared that she quickly expelled this frightening thought from her mind, using all her mental strength not to think about it again.

Meanwhile, the band finished the song and Jin took the microphone, surprising not only the audience but even his band members.

"I'd like to dedicate the next song to someone." he said. "To a girl who I met recently and can't stop thinking about." the crowd gasped excitedly in anticipation. "Jennie, this one is for you."

All of the blood drained from Jennie's face as she stood motionlessly, paralyzed by the shock. Many students who knew her turned their heads towards her and she noticed a few looks of curiosity, admiration and... envy. Yes, it was clearly undisguised envy that she saw in those eyes. It made her even more anxious than Jin's unexpected dedication, she suddenly felt cold shivers and her heart began pounding rapidly in her chest. "No, no, not another anxiety attack..." she thought helplessly. The band started the song and no one was looking at her anymore, but Jennie was still desperately trying to regulate her breathing. She lowered her head and tried to take slow, deep breaths but in vain. Knowing that she can't prevent the attack from coming made her panic even more. Her eyes went foggy and she felt cold sweat on her back when...

"Come with me." someone put an arm around her and led her out from the auditorium. She recognized the voice and suddenly felt calmer. Jennie's mind was still too dazed to even ask why Lisa was there, so she just accepted it. When they went out to the empty corridor, Lisa asked worriedly:

"Is it another anxiety attack? Tell me what I can do-"

"Just... hold me." she replied, instinctively knowing that Lisa's closeness will be able to calm her down.

Lisa immediately moved towards her, extended her arms and hugged her. Feeling how Jennie kept shaking, she tightened the hug, as if she wanted to quell the spasms of her friend's body. And it worked. With every passing minute, Lisa felt that the trembling was less intense, Jennie's breath more regular and her heartbeat quieter and slower. Even when everything went to normal, Lisa didn't let go, they stayed embraced for another minute before Jennie loosened the hug.

"You scared me." Lisa whispered gazing straight into Jennie's eyes. Maybe it was those striking feline eyes, maybe it was Jennie's sensual lips, maybe it was the fact that her hands were still on Lisa's waist... Or maybe it was the moment of closeness that they just experienced together that made Lisa lean forward and press her lips against Jennie's. For a second it felt like a beam of warm, pleasant, comforting light passing through her body but suddenly Jennie jumped away, as if something burned her. Her wide open eyes were full of disbelief, shock and... Was it resentment?

"Lisa, why?" she stammered out in a shaky voice as if she couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. Then she spun around and began running away.

"Wait, Jen, I'm sorry, I don't know why I did-" She rushed after her friend.

"Leave me alone!" Jennie's yelled so dramatically that it stopped Lisa in place. After the brunette disappeared, it took Lisa her several seconds to understand how stupidly she had acted. Damn it, damn it, damn it, why did she even do something so ridiculously idiotic! "What did you expect Lisa, that she'll kiss you back? Do you even know if she likes girls? No! So why the hell did you do that you dumb idiot!?" she screamed inside. Her hands went to her face, covering it for a moment and then she slowly dragged them down.

"Fuck." she whispered through gritted teeth, realizing the potential damage that she had just done.