𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐀𝐆𝐄

n i n e

Jisoo stood in front of her bedroom mirror, straightening her dress and brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Today was Jennie's school graduation party, and she couldn't say no to her little sister, especially after how much Jennie had begged her to attend. Despite her busy schedule, Jisoo had made time. Jennie was important to her, and this was a big day.

"Unnie, are you ready?" Jennie's voice echoed from outside the door.

"Coming!" Jisoo called back, grabbing her bag and heading out.

Jennie stood at the entrance, looking excited in her graduation outfit. Her eyes sparkled with happiness, and Jisoo couldn't help but smile. Seeing her little sister so grown up made her feel a bit nostalgic.

"You look amazing, Jennie," Jisoo said, pulling her in for a quick hug.

"Thanks, unnie. I'm so glad you're coming. It wouldn't be the same without you."

Jisoo chuckled. "Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world."

The two of them left for Jennie's school, where a large gathering of students, parents, and teachers had already started. The atmosphere was lively, with graduates in caps and gowns taking pictures and chatting with their friends. Rosé, Jennie's best friend and Jungkook's sister, was also there, her cheerful presence as bright as ever.

After the ceremony, Jisoo found herself standing on the field with Jennie, snapping pictures as her sister posed with her diploma. The conversation between the two of them flowed easily, mostly revolving around Jennie's future.

"So, have you thought about which college you want to go to?" Jisoo asked, her camera in hand as she took another photo of Jennie.

"I've got a few options," Jennie replied, smiling for the camera. "But I'm still deciding. Maybe somewhere close to home? Or maybe I'll try Seoul. What do you think?"

Jisoo lowered the camera and smiled. "I think Seoul would be a great choice. It's a big city with lots of opportunities. Plus, I'm sure you'd love the experience of living there."

Jennie nodded, her eyes twinkling with excitement. "Yeah, I've been thinking about it a lot lately. But I'll miss home too."

"Well, wherever you go, I'll support you. You've worked hard for this moment, Jennie," Jisoo said, giving her sister a proud smile.

As they continued chatting, Jisoo's attention was suddenly drawn to someone standing off in the distance. Near the corner of the field, Jungkook stood, scrolling through his phone, looking as uninterested in the festivities as ever. His presence caught Jisoo off guard, though she wasn't entirely surprised to see him there. He was Rosé's brother, after all, and it was likely he had come to support her.

Just then, Rosé waved in his direction, motioning for him to join them. Jisoo felt a slight tension in her shoulders as she watched Jungkook reluctantly put his phone away and walk toward them.

"Hey!" Jennie greeted him, trying to sound cheerful.

"Hi," Jisoo said politely, offering him a small smile.

Jungkook, however, barely acknowledged either of them. He muttered a low "hey" in return, his expression unbothered as he stood stiffly next to them. His eyes darted around, clearly uninterested in being there.

The awkward silence between them was almost suffocating. Jisoo could feel Jungkook's irritation without him having to say anything. He seemed completely checked out, and it made her uncomfortable. But she didn't want to make things worse, so she attempted to break the silence.

"So, um... how's everything going with you?" Jisoo asked, trying to make small talk.

Jungkook glanced at her, his expression flat. "Fine."

Jisoo nodded, feeling the tension grow. "That's good."

Jungkook didn't respond, his eyes already back on his phone. Jisoo bit her lip, feeling the awkwardness settle heavily between them. She glanced over at Jennie and Rosé, who were now off to the side, taking pictures and laughing together, leaving her alone with Jungkook.

Desperate to keep the conversation going, Jisoo tried again. "It's a nice event, right? Jennie and Rosé seem really happy."

Jungkook shrugged, his focus still elsewhere. "Yeah."

Jisoo let out a small sigh, feeling defeated. She had known Jungkook wasn't the friendliest person, but his cold attitude toward her was beginning to wear on her. She wondered why he seemed to dislike her so much, even though they hadn't interacted much in recent years. Still, she tried to give him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe he was just in a bad mood.

"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to," Jisoo said quietly, glancing down at her feet. "I just didn't want it to be so awkward."

Jungkook's jaw tightened slightly, but he didn't respond. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away, clearly uninterested in engaging with her. His silence was louder than any words he could have said.

Jisoo took a deep breath, deciding that it was pointless to force a conversation. She turned her attention back to Jennie and Rosé, who were now laughing and taking more pictures together. Despite the tension with Jungkook, Jisoo was happy to see her sister so joyful.

Rosé eventually waved them over, signaling for Jisoo and Jungkook to join the group for more photos. Jisoo quickly walked over to her sister, glad to have a reason to step away from the uncomfortable situation with Jungkook.

As they posed for pictures, Jisoo couldn't help but steal a glance at Jungkook. He stood stiffly beside his sister, his face blank and his body language closed off. It was clear that he didn't want to be there, and his annoyance was almost palpable.

The camera clicked, capturing the moment, but Jisoo felt like the divide between her and Jungkook had only grown wider. It was becoming more and more apparent that he had no interest in being around her, and that realization stung a little more than she expected.

After the photos were done, Rosé beamed at them. "This was so much fun! Thanks for coming, Jisoo unnie. And oppa, thanks for showing up too."

Jungkook gave a curt nod, still not saying much. Jisoo smiled weakly, her energy drained from trying to maintain civility.

As they began to walk away from the field, Jisoo and Jennie fell into step together, with Rosé walking slightly ahead with Jungkook. Jennie glanced over at her sister, noticing the tired look on her face.

"Are you okay, unnie?" Jennie asked softly.

Jisoo forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little tired."

Jennie gave her a concerned look but didn't press further. "Thanks for coming today. It really means a lot to me."

Jisoo wrapped her arm around her sister's shoulders, pulling her in close. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Jennie."

As they continued walking, Jisoo couldn't help but steal one last glance at Jungkook, who was walking silently beside Rosé. She still didn't understand why he disliked her so much, and part of her wondered if things between them would always be this way.

But for now, she pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the happiness of her sister and the memories they had made together that day. Even if things with Jungkook were awkward and uncomfortable, she knew that her bond with Jennie was what truly mattered.