bloom; k.js [✓]

ch. III

the two of them walked back to the dance room together in silence. after all, what was there to say? jisoo was slowly dying.

as they neared the studio, laughter could be heard from the members along with their friends. the mood of the room turned somber once lisa and jisoo entered the room. given that lisa's expression was serious, they knew something was wrong since their maknae was usually all playful and goofy when it comes to their eldest.

"what's wrong?"

"jisoo has hanahaki disease," lalisa blurted out all of a sudden.

there was pause so quiet that they swore they could've heard a pin drop.

"what?" everyone exclaimed at once as different things were being shouted from every direction.

"be quiet!" irene shouted. she turned to jisoo. "you have to get the surgery. now. i'm calling the managers."

jisoo stepped forward. "i'm not going to get the surgery."

"are you fucking insane?" jennie interjected angrily. "you need to get it jis. you need to get it done now."

"I don't want to," jisoo said defiantly.

"you are going to die jisoo." seulgi snarled.

jisoo's shoulders stiffened. "you think i don't know that?"

jennie's face suddenly crumpled, as if all of her anger had drained out of her body. when she spoke, it was barely above a whisper, and her voice held no heat. "i don't want you to die."

"how long... how long have you known?" their youngest tried to control the tremor in her voice.

"a month," she said quietly.

"why didn't you tell us?" despite her efforts, lisa's voice wavered. "why didn't you tell me?"

"i knew that you guys would try to make me get the surgery. i won't do it." jisoo looked at the ground.

"why won't you get the surgery?" a disbelieving voice made jisoo's head snap up. "you have to get the surgery!" chaeyoung said incredulously, confusion in her eyes. "why won't you?"

"you don't understand," jisoo tried to reason with her. "i don't want to stop loving— the person I love."

"who is this person you love so much?" jennie's confusion melted into anger.

"why is this person so important? who is it? who do you love so much that you would die for them?" chaeyoung baffled, looking everywhere but her eyes.

jisoo said nothing, mulling over the irony of the situation in her head. if only chaeyoung knew. you, roseanne. i would die for you.

the four of them stood there along with their friends, lapsing into silence once more, knowing that things were about to change.

the numerous amount of times jisoo coughed up flowers a day was starting to damage her throat. she could barely breathe anymore because the petals were always floating in her lungs. her organs were slowly failing because the flowers were starting to sink their roots into her body.

she still refused to get the surgery.

her members and friends could only stand by and watch helplessly as she began to deteriorate. jisoo thanked whatever gods existed that BLACKPINK had postponed their comeback last week. at least this way, their fans wouldn't know about this situation, and the group's reputation could remain intact.

their managers, on the other hand, were unhappy, to say the least. the company tried to convince jisoo to go through with the surgery. do it for the sake of the group, they had said. her holding back would impact the group.

there were times where she had been close to accepting the surgery in order to save the group, but then she would remember roseanne's laugh, her smile, her singing, and her resolve would wither.

I don't want to forget.

damn you, park chaeyoung.

she coughed. more white roses tumbled past her lips.