Make It With You

18

Jisoo**

I woke up with a pounding headache, the remnants of last night's fun swirling in my foggy mind. The last thing I remembered was sitting with Monique on the couch, the two of us playing games, drinking beers, and laughing at how terrible we both were at the game.

I slowly sat up, looking around. Yep, no doubt about it, I was in Monique's room. I glanced around and saw a note posted outside the bathroom. I picked it up, squinting at the scribbled handwriting as I read:

"Joh-eun achim, Jisu! Jigeum ilhago iss-eoyo. Kkaeuji moshaeseo mian haeyo. Yogsil an-e sae chis-sol-i issseubnida. Dangsin-eun nae bang, osjang, nae jib-eul jeonghwaghi algo issseubnida. Dangsin-eun olh-eun il-eul algo issseubnikka? Sigsa gong-gan-eneun yeop-e yag-i deun eumsig-iiss-eo sugchwileul wihae masyeo la. Junbigadoemyeon unjeon gisaga bakk-eseo gidaligo issseubnida. Eoje bam-e jeulgeowossseubnida. Gamsahabnida. Kiseu, Monikeu."

("Good morning, Jisoo! I'm at work now, sorry I didn't wake you up. There's a new toothbrush in the bathroom. You know exactly where my room, wardrobe, and house are. You know what to do, right? 😉 There's food in the dining area with medicine beside it for your hangover. Whenever you're ready, the driver is waiting outside. I had fun last night. Thank you. Kisses, Monique")

I couldn't help but smile after reading her note.

She's so sweet. I mumbled to myself. I'll definitely say yes to her when she asks me to be her girlfriend.

With that thought in my mind, I got up and went to the bathroom to take a much-needed shower.

By the time I left Monique's house, I felt like a new person. The breakfast she made me was hands down the best I've had in a long time. Pancakes, bacon, hotdogs, eggs, milk... and another note that made me laugh:

"Igeos-eun naega gwaeng-i yolileul aneun yuilhan sigsaibnida." (This is the only meal I know how to cook.)

It was perfect. Simple, yet thoughtful, and exactly what I needed.

I was full, happy, and feeling special. The way Monique took care of me-made me feel like I was the only person who mattered.

When I arrived at the Yang building, I instantly saw Jennie, Lisa, and Chaeng in our usual spot.

"Dangsin-eun daleuge boyeossseubnida." (You look different.) The three of them gave me a thorough once-over.

Jennie grinned and added, "You look extra wonderful today, your aura is shining. And I don't think you own that hoodie and shorts."

I laughed, rolling my eyes. "It's Monique's. She let me borrow it."

The trio exchanged knowing looks. They clearly had already jumped to conclusions about what happened last night.

"Guys, it's not what you think," I said quickly, shaking my head.

"We didn't think anything at all," Lisa chimed in with a smirk. "I'm just gonna ask Monique unnie directly to spill the tea."

"Where is she, anyway?" I asked, changing the subject, though I was dying to know if they really thought I spent the night alone at her place.

"Your girlfriend is a very busy person. She's probably in a meeting," Jennie remarked with a wink.

"She is not my girlfriend," I quickly shot back.

"Yet, not yet," Rosé corrected, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Is she coming with us to the KTL set?"

"Why are you asking us? You're the girlfriend, you should know," Lisa teased, nudging me.

"Hey, stop bickering. I'm going to call her," Rosé interrupted before things got too awkward.

She dialed Monique, and soon the phone was on speaker. "Unnie, you're on speaker. Where are you?" Rosé asked.

"Oh, hi Chaeng! What's up?" Monique answered, her voice hurried. "I'm at the main office, Yang Corp., board meeting in a few."

"You're busy? Until when?" Jennie asked, sounding concerned.

"You could say that. I might end up sleeping here for all I know," Monique joked.

"We're on our way to the MV shoot, unnie. You're not coming with us?" Lisa asked, a bit disappointed.

"Take care then. No, I'm not. Why should I?" Monique's voice was deadpan, like she genuinely didn't see the point.

"You know, just to keep track of things, monitoring us, supporting us. That kind of thing, unnie," Lisa suggested with a grin.

"I always support you guys. I keep track of everything and everyone. Sorry, guys, gotta go," Monique said quickly, and before anyone could respond, the call ended.

I sat there quietly, listening to them banter, and I realized something. It didn't bother me that Monique wasn't coming with us. She had her own life, her own responsibilities, just like the rest of us. At the end of the day, she always made time for me, whether it was a quick call or her driver picking me up to spend time together.

Monique had even given me a spare key to her house-she gave them to all of us, knowing how much we all loved hanging out there. It wasn't just a place; it felt like home.

We always made time to eat together-dinner if our schedules allowed it, or sometimes breakfast on weekends if she had a rare day off. She had even been learning to cook, with a little help from Mina and Jennie.

I loved our setup, even if it was messy and chaotic. It worked for us, and that's all that mattered.