The Tiger King (Chaelisa)

44| Mischief and Mayhem: Part 2

Some time later, Jennie found herself seated in a modest but comfortable living room, hands clasped together as she fought to steel her nerves in front of the stern pair of eyes piercing into her very soul.

"Jennie Kim, explain yourself. Now."

Wearing a red velvet nightrobe paired with fluffy bed slippers and completed with rolled-up hair and crossed arms, Irene didn't look anymore disgruntled than a grumpy granny bunny whose nap time was rudely disrupted. 

Her sharp tone and unflinching gaze, however, made Jennie want to curl up in a protective ball and be swallowed up by the sofa.

"It's just like what I said on the phone, unnie," Jennie began tremulously. "Jisoo, Lisa and I were heading home after the match and we were passing by a bar and Jisoo nearly mowed down Seulgi when she was crossing the street. We found out she was in some bar brawl, hence the bruises, and she told us her name. But she forgot all her stuff with her girlfriend. We couldn't contact Seungwan so....we thought we'd bring her here since she kept mentioning you."

"I'm dead certain that ninety-percent of what you just said is a lie," Irene said flatly, "but alright, okay, I will go with it. Whatever." Her brows furrowed with worry. "Seulgi's seriously injured. Lisa too for that matter but I assume that was from her match and you never want me to intervene on that but for Seulgi...please, please tell me it wasn't anything I should worry about. What if she needs to be checked up? Did she hit her head? What if she gets a concussion?" Her hands flew up to her head in alarm. "Oh goodness, I shouldn't have left her alone in the shower—"

"She just needs you to be there for her unnie. She's had a rough night but the moment I mentioned you, she couldn't rest until I promised her I'd bring her here," Jennie said softly, "so go to her. She'll be alright. I got everything under control here, I prom—"

Her voice was drowned out by a pair of simultaneous and loud, obnoxious snores coming from Jisoo and Lisa, who were sprawled on the couch to Jennie's right, eyes closed. Jennie resisted the urge to strangle them on the spot and instead plastered a hopefully innocent smile on her face as she gestured. "See? Knocked out cold, sleeping like the dead. Hehe. No trouble at all."

"You should get some sleep too," Irene suggested, clearly not believing a word but going along because what else was she supposed to do? Call out Jennie on her lies? Her mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with Seulgi.

"I will. Thank you for putting up with us and I'm really sorry for imposing."

"Not at all Jen. I meant it when I said call me if you're in trouble. It's the least I could do for Hwangssabu..." Irene trailed off thoughtfully. "Maybe one day you'll tell me what really happened tonight though? Provided we're not in immediate danger that I should know urgently, like right now? You're not chased by cops, are you?" she asked meaningfully.

Jennie's gut squirmed like a snake-infested pit. "No no, nothing too urgent, nobody's after us. But maybe it's something for you and Seulgi to talk about," she said quietly. "Iron things out, if you get me. I don't want to get in between you and her."

Irene looked like she wanted to ask more but a small voice interrupted them.

"Hyun?" Seulgi called timidly from down the hall. "I—I'm finished."

With one final glance in Jennie's direction, Irene shuffled away, leaving Jennie to finally exhale in relief.

"Hey I think we were pretty convincing," Lisa said as she sat up and stretched, wincing as the ice pack Irene gave her fell off her face. "Ahh, the lovely pain, it's coming back. My face feels like someone ran over it with a bulldozer."