Ms. Kim wants me!

CHAPTER 17

LISA'S POV

It's been a couple of weeks since that elevator kiss, and Jennie hasn't talked to me. It's like she's purposely ignoring me.

Not only that, but I've noticed she's been mean to me lately, colder than usual. And whenever Taehyung comes around, she makes sure to flirt with him right in front of me.

Every laugh, every touch, every playful comment, it feels like a knife twisting in my chest.

And now here I am, walking all the way to the printer's room to get her papers. Honestly, I hate this walk. The printer is ridiculously far from her office, and it takes me almost twenty minutes just to get there and back.

My legs are tired, my arms already sore from carrying the stack.

Finally, I got the papers and headed back toward her office, rehearsing in my head how I'd just quietly drop them off and leave before she could say anything mean.

I opened the door, but of course, my clumsy self had to ruin it. My foot caught on the carpet and I tripped forward, the papers flying everywhere in the air like snow.

To my horror, I landed right on top of Jennie. Her arms instinctively wrapped around my waist, steadying me.

My face burned hot, I was sitting on her lap, my head pressed against her chest. I froze, hearing her heartbeat.

When I lifted my head, Jennie was staring right back at me, her eyes unreadable. For a moment, it felt like time stopped.

Then, a knock sounded on the door.

Panicking, I scrambled to get off her lap, but she pulled me back down, holding me tighter as if she didn't want me to move.

The knock came again, louder this time, and Jennie suddenly pushed me off her. I fell hard, hitting my head on the edge of her desk. A small groan escaped me as I rubbed the spot.

I quickly bent down to pick up the scattered papers, wanting to disappear from the room entirely.

The door opened.

"HEY BABE!" Taehyung's cheerful voice filled the air. My stomach dropped as I froze. He leaned down and kissed Jennie on the lips right in front of me.

I tried to focus on gathering the papers, but their voices filled the room. Jennie was flirting back, her laughter ringing out, and I felt disgust churn inside me.

My chest ached.

I was so distracted by their conversation that I didn't notice the sharp edge of the paper until it sliced across my finger.

"Ow!" I winced, pulling my hand back.

"Everything okay?" Taehyung asked, glancing at me.

"Uh... yeah," I forced a smile and quickly hid my finger behind my back. The cut stung badly, but I didn't want either of them to notice. I continued picking up the papers, trying not to show how much it hurt.

But Jennie's voice cut through. "What's behind your back?" she asked coldly, her eyes narrowing.

"Uh... nothing," I whispered nervously, hiding my hand further behind me.

Before I could move, Jennie strode toward me. She grabbed my arm firmly, pulling it from behind my back. Her eyes widened when she saw the cut. Blood had smeared across my skin, it was worse than I thought.

"I-It's okay, really, it's just a paper cut," I stammered, trying to pull away.

"Yeah, it's just a paper cut, Jennie. She'll be fine," Taehyung added casually, clearly uninterested.

I slipped free of her grip and quickly finished picking up the rest of the papers. Placing them on her desk, I muttered a polite excuse and walked out, heading straight for the restroom to clean my cut.

I turned on the faucet, letting the cold water run over my finger. The sting made me flinch, but I gritted my teeth and tried to ignore it.

I was so focused on cleaning the blood that I didn't notice someone enter until suddenly, my body was pulled to look at her.

My eyes widened when I saw Jennie standing too close, her face tense, her eyes locked on mine.

She let out a shaky sigh, pulling something from her pocket, a band-aid.

Carefully, almost tenderly, she wrapped it around my finger. Her touch was gentle, lingering longer than necessary.

"Wherever you get hurt... don't say it's fine," she whispered, her voice low and trembling. "And don't run away from me."

Her eyes glistened as she leaned closer, her lips barely parting. "Wherever I am, whatever happens... I'll always think of you. And the time we've spent together... it's my happiest time."

A single teardrop slid down her cheek before she quickly turned and left the restroom, leaving me sitting there speechless.

I stared at the door long after she was gone, my chest tight.

Later, I returned to Jennie's office, trying to act like nothing had happened. I sat quietly at my desk, but Taehyung was still there, chatting with Jennie and flirting openly.

I tried to block it out, but their voices kept echoing in my ears. I was tired, tired of watching, tired of pretending. Finally, I stood up and began packing my things.

"Where are you going?" Jennie asked sternly, her voice sharp.

"Leaving you two alone so I won't have to hear your conversations. Bye, Ms. Kim," I said with a forced smile before walking out.

The weight lifted a little as I walked down the hallway, but my heart still ached.

As I stepped outside toward my car, I saw Rosé.

"Hey," I greeted with a small smile, walking up to her.

"Hi!" she smiled back brightly. "Are you still working?" she asked.

"No," I shook my head, and she smirked playfully.

"Wanna grab dinner? I know a very good restaurant down the street," she offered, her smile warm and inviting.

I hesitated for only a second before nodding. "Sure, let's go."

Rosé laughed softly, wrapping her arm around my shoulder as we walked together, her presence comforting.

JENNIE'S POV

After Lisa left, something inside me snapped. I couldn't sit still. I ran out of the office, desperate to find her.

And when I did, I froze.

My hands clenched into fists, my jaw tight. My eyes burned as I stared at the sight before me.

I saw them.

Lisa and Rosé, walking together, her arm wrapped around Lisa's shoulder as if she belonged there.

My chest tightened painfully, and for the first time, I felt it, pure, uncontrollable jealousy.