Ms. Kim wants me!

CHAPTER 16

LISA'S POV

"I... I think I like you." My eyes widened at her words.

"I like you!" Jennie said again, louder this time, her voice shaking but firm.

"I like you, Lisa! More than I thought!" she shouted, her eyes glistening with something raw and real.

I froze. My mind went blank.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't feel the same way," I whispered nervously.

The moment the words left my mouth, her smile disappeared, replaced with a heartbreaking sadness.

"I'm sorry, but you have a boyfriend. That's why I can't like you. I'm a threat to you, I'm the reason you got stabbed. How can you possibly like me when I almost got you killed?"

Jennie groaned loudly in frustration, tears welling in her eyes.

"Don't believe what Taehyung said, okay?! I don't even love him or like him. I never have. I never liked anyone... until I saw you!" she yelled, her voice cracking as a tear rolled down her cheek.

My chest tightened. "But still... you got stabbed because of me," I whispered, my voice breaking.

"Can't you tell I did that on purpose?!" she snapped, her voice trembling with emotion.

"I didn't want you to get stabbed, so I let myself take it instead!"

"Why?" I asked, my heart racing as I searched her eyes.

"Because when you get hurt, I can't stay still or sleep," Jennie admitted, her voice soft but filled with desperation.

"It drives me crazy when I see you in pain, even if it's just something small. I'd rather get hurt a thousand times than see you suffer once."

Without thinking, I pulled her into a tight hug. Her body shook in my arms as she whispered against my ear, "I want you, Lili."

I closed my eyes and nodded, my heart pounding. "I want you too... but not now," I whispered, my lips brushing against her ear.

Jennie let out a soft laugh, even with tears still fresh on her cheeks. She leaned down, pressing a light kiss to my chin before stepping back.

"Goodnight, Lili," she said gently.

"Goodnight, Jennie," I replied with a small smile, watching as she left my house.

The next day, my nerves were on edge. It was the morning after Jennie had confessed her feelings for me, and my heart hadn't stopped racing since.

I walked to her office, my palms sweaty as I gripped my backpack. Before opening the door, I peeked inside to see if she was there. But the office was empty.

"Looking for someone?" a voice teased behind me.

I flinched and nearly lost my balance, falling backwards. Strong hands caught me before I hit the ground.

I looked up to see Jennie smirking down at me. "Already falling for me?" she teased, her smirk widening.

Blushing furiously, I scrambled to my feet.

"N-No! But... thanks for catching me."

Jennie tilted her head, her smirk softening into a small smile. "It's fine. I'm always here."

All day long, Jennie kept sneaking glances at me. Every time I caught her looking, she wouldn't even bother to look away, she'd just smile softly, as if I was the only thing that mattered.

My cheeks burned, and I kept asking myself why I was blushing so much.

"Lisa?" Jennie's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"Oh, yeah?" I asked, snapping back to reality.

"Can you check the first floor to see if my meeting is ready?"

I nodded quickly and headed downstairs.

The receptionist told me the meeting would be ready in about fifteen minutes, so I stayed on the first floor, scrolling through my phone.

Then I heard someone call out

"LISA!"

I turned around and my eyes widened when I saw Rosé. I immediately ran up to her and wrapped my arms around her in a hug.

"I never thanked you for what you did that night during the storm," I said, smiling warmly.

Rosé returned the smile. "Well, you're welcome."

As we pulled back, I noticed her tie was crooked, and I couldn't help but giggle.

"Why are you laughing?" she asked, raising a brow.

"Your tie is crooked," I teased.

Rosé looked down, her eyes widening. "Oh! Sorry, I don't really know how to tie it properly," she admitted, fumbling with it.

"Here, let me help," I said, smiling as I stepped closer. I wrapped my arms around her neck, fixing her tie carefully. As I worked, I felt her eyes on me.

"There you go, good as new," I said proudly, stepping back with a smile.

"Thanks," she said softly.

I nodded. "Yeah, that'll be great actually," I added absentmindedly.

Rosé scribbled her phone number on a piece of paper and handed it to me.

"Here, text me later."

"Thanks, I will," I said with a grin.

She nodded and walked away, leaving me standing there with the note in my hand.

When I turned back around, I froze.

Jennie was standing there.

Her jaw was clenched, her fists tight at her sides. She was breathing heavily, her eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my heart pound.

Was she... jealous?

"Hey, Jennie," I said carefully, my voice low.

"Why were you talking to her?!" she demanded, crossing her arms, her tone sharp.

"Sorry! She noticed me first. Her tie was crooked, so I fixed it... and she gave me her number so we could hang out," I explained quickly, my cheeks burning.

Jennie exhaled sharply, still tense, but finally muttered, "It's fine."

I tilted my head. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Well... you were taking too long. Is the meeting ready?" she asked, her voice clipped.

I nodded. "Yeah, it starts in ten minutes. But let's go to your office first," I suggested.

We walked to the elevator, and when the doors slid shut behind us, I could feel Jennie's eyes on me again. The air felt heavy, filled with tension I couldn't name.

It was just us two, alone in the elevator.

Suddenly Jennie yelled, "Fuck it!"

Before I could react, she grabbed me, pushing me against the elevator wall. Her lips crashed onto mine, hot and desperate, stealing my breath away. My arms were pinned as she deepened the kiss.

She bit my lip gently, then trailed down to my neck, sucking softly. A loud gasp escaped me, my body trembling under her touch.

And then—

The elevator dinged and stopped. Jennie immediately pulled away, straightening her blazer as if nothing happened.

She walked out of the elevator calmly, leaving me against the wall, my heart racing and my lips tingling.

What... what was that?