From Day One | JENSOO

Epilogue

Jisoo didn't see the appeal in four post beds. Over the course of the tour she'd been in at least twenty and their grandeur put her in a stupor each time but she liked open spaces better and would have slept on the couch if she could. Some of the couches were bigger than her bed at home.

The life she was living now might as well have been one from an alternate universe. A new hotel keycard each night (she had saved around 30, a stack held together by rubber bands), venues on street names she couldn't pronounce and crowds big enough to be a fire hazard. There were still moments during shows where the ground would shake and she'd fear it was an earthquake.

Jisoo could tell it would be another temperature breaking day because even behind the thick red drapes the sun turned them a dark pink, a stream of light escaping from underneath. She didn't know what time it was, and didn't really care. As long as it was daylight her schedule was free.

Miles away, on the coffee table, her phone blinked with a message and she probably should have responded. In the beginning she kept up with messages and phone calls, even when her body threatened to collapse with just the weight of the phone in her hand.

But after a while Jisoo had little to say, since she was saying the same thing over and over and she knew Jinyoung was only concerned about her safety but she could take care of herself, she'd been doing it since she was a child. Their last conversation ended on a sour note when he had said something about her changing and she almost hung up on him. He had wanted to know what Jennie thought but Jisoo had just shrugged and told the truth, that Jennie had said little about the subject.

This was her dream come true and Jinyoung would not be the thorn to pop that dream.

No longer in any mood to stay in bed, Jisoo sat up, combing her hair down knowing she most likely had ridiculous bed head from the night before. Speaking of, she looked over to the cotton spun lump of a body next to her, not that much cotton was covering it. Guilt pricked her stomach, turning it uneasily. She shouldn't have left Krystal and Tzuyu without saying anything but they've all had disappearing acts once or twice before.

Jisoo discounted the phone as she went to the ceiling high window, kicking a pair of bras towards the bed and grabbing her jeans strewn across the sofa. Carefully, she slid behind the drapes and immersed herself in the blinding brightness. The window was tilted enough for her to step out onto the small terrace, the stone almost burning the soles of her feet when she came into contact with them.

Within moments she could feel the sun beating down on the top of her head, her dark hair catching all its heat. There was a soft shuffle of fabric and soon a different kind of warmth pressed up behind her. "You get up too early," came a gruff whisper at Jisoo's neck.

Jisoo let arms wrap around her waist and slid her hands on top of them. It was too hot for this much contact but Jisoo didn't mind so much.

"The day is too nice to spend sleeping."

Jisoo bowed her head to the kisses on her neck that moved down and to her shoulders and to the hands unzipping her jeans.

"Who said anything about sleeping?"

Jisoo was turned around and led back into the room where she complacently followed, grinning madly while she ignored yet another phone call.

*

Jinyoung shut his phone in a loud slap, frowning in frustration.

"She'll call when she gets the chance, Jinyoung. She's probably still sleeping. What time is it in Rome?"

"After twelve in the afternoon."

Irene bit down on her strawberry ice cream cone, eyeing a large stuffed Pikachu hanging off the back of a booth. They were at a carnival, enjoying their time off since they were both busy during the day. Irene was babysitting where she could and studying when she could while Jinyoung took over a lot of work at the garage. It was summer but it seemed like they saw each other less than they did during the school year.