𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄

s i x

Jisoo dragged herself through the front door, exhausted from the overwhelming night. She barely managed to kick off her shoes before heading straight to her room. Her mind was racing with everything that had happened, but her body was too tired to keep up. Without even changing out of her dress, she collapsed onto her bed, her eyelids heavy with sleep. Within minutes, she was out cold.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through her window, gently waking her from her deep sleep. She groaned, feeling the stiffness in her body from sleeping in her bodycon dress. Stretching out, Jisoo glanced at the clock—it was already mid-morning. The events of the previous night came rushing back, filling her with a familiar sense of unease.

She got out of bed and quickly changed into something comfortable. After a brief moment of hesitation, Jisoo made her way to Jennie's room. She could hear the low hum of the hairdryer from the hallway. Opening the door slightly, she peeked inside to find her sister standing in front of the mirror, drying her hair.

"Good morning, unnie," Jennie greeted, noticing Jisoo in the reflection of the mirror. She switched off the hairdryer and set it down on the vanity. "Did you sleep well?"

Jisoo stepped inside and sat on the edge of Jennie's bed. "I slept, but I wouldn't say I slept well. My mind's been all over the place."

Jennie turned to face her sister, her expression soft with concern. "I'm not surprised. Last night was... intense. You seemed pretty overwhelmed."

Jisoo sighed deeply, running a hand through her messy hair. "Yeah. I still don't know how to process any of it. I mean, I never expected our parents to announce my engagement without even telling me first."

Jennie sat next to Jisoo, her voice gentle. "I know, unnie. It's a lot to take in, especially since you've never really liked Jungkook."

Jisoo bit her lip, her thoughts swirling. "It's not just that. I mean, I get that our parents probably have a solid reason for doing this. They've always made decisions with the family's best interests in mind. But this? Marrying me off to someone I don't even get along with?"

Jennie nodded, her brow furrowing. "It does seem extreme. I understand the business side of it—combining the families, securing partnerships. But forcing you into a marriage with someone you barely like? That doesn't sit well with me."

Jisoo looked down, fiddling with the edge of the bedspread. "I don't want to disappoint them, but I'm just... confused. Jungkook and I have never had a close relationship. He's always been distant, cold even. And now I'm supposed to marry him?"

Jennie sighed, leaning back slightly against the headboard. "You're right. It's weird. And you know what else is strange? Rosé told me something last night after the event."

Jisoo looked up, her curiosity piqued. "What did she say?"

"Apparently," Jennie said, lowering her voice, "Jungkook has a girlfriend. Her name's Yujin, and they've been together for a while now."

Jisoo's eyes widened in surprise. "He has a girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Jennie continued, crossing her arms. "Rosé mentioned it in passing. I don't think she expected our families to announce the engagement last night either. She was shocked when she found out."

Jisoo frowned, her mind racing with questions. "But if Jungkook has a girlfriend, why didn't he stop his parents from making that announcement? Why didn't he speak up?"

Jennie shrugged, her expression as puzzled as Jisoo's. "That's what I don't get either. If he's serious about this Yujin, why wouldn't he fight back? He seemed just as angry as you last night, but he didn't say a word."

Jisoo leaned back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "None of this makes any sense. If I were him, I'd have spoken up. I wouldn't just let my parents force me into a marriage with someone I didn't want."

"I know," Jennie agreed, her voice soft. "It's strange. Maybe there's something else going on that we don't know about."

Jisoo sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "It feels like we're all just pieces in a game, Jennie. And we don't even know the rules."

Jennie reached out and placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "Whatever happens, unnie, you don't have to go through this alone. I'm here for you, and I know Rosé is too. We'll figure this out."

Jisoo nodded, grateful for Jennie's support, but the nagging feeling in her chest wouldn't go away. What was going on with Jungkook? If he truly had someone he cared about, why wasn't he fighting for her? And more importantly, why did their parents feel the need to keep everything so secretive?

As Jennie stood up to continue drying her hair, Jisoo's thoughts drifted back to the last time she'd seen Jungkook before all of this. He had always seemed so detached, so focused on his own world. Now, she was expected to marry him, to tie her life to his in a way that neither of them had ever wanted.

Her gaze wandered to the window, where the sunlight filtered through the curtains. The situation right now is very messy and confusing, but one thing was clear—both she and Jungkook were being dragged into something neither of them had asked for.

"I just hope," Jisoo muttered to herself, "that whatever happens, we can figure out a way through this without destroying everything."

Jennie glanced at her sister in the mirror. "What did you say?"

Jisoo shook her head. "Nothing. Just thinking out loud."

Jennie gave her a sympathetic smile. "It'll be okay, unnie. We'll figure it out."

But as Jisoo sat there, her mind still racing with questions, she couldn't shake the feeling that things were only going to get more complicated from here.