Catch The Stars

Chapter 27

Jennie wakes up to someone knocking against the car window. She jerks back in surprise, blinking her eyes open blearily, trying to see through the droplet covered glass. Seokmin waves at her before jogging away through the rain and Jennie yawns, stretching her arms before climbing into the passenger seat.

She stares ahead for a few seconds, listening to the rain against the roof of the car, Y/n's calming breaths next to her before she turns to look at said person.

Y/n's still looking out of the window, her hands curled around the steering wheel tightly. She's right there but something about the look on her face makes it seem like she's far away.

"How are you?" Jennie finally asks.

"Fine," Y/n answers after several moments of silence.

"It's okay if you're not, Y/n" Jennie quietly says. "You don't have to pretend-"

"I'm not pretending anything." Y/n shakes her head and Jennie tries not to snap at her in frustration over her sudden change in demeanour. In Cheumsan, Y/n was so gentle yesterday and now she's back to being... being so damn difficult. "I knew she was going to leave, eventually. She's been talking about it for years."

"It might not come as a surprise," Jennie tries. "But you can still talk to me about it. She's your best friend and what happened with her cousin yesterday... It would be a lot to deal with for anyone."

"And I'm telling you I'm fine." Y/n sighs and starts driving again, bringing a hand up to run it through her own hair.

Jennie bites down on her tongue before she can say anything else. Y/n clearly doesn't want to talk about it so Jennie decides not to push her luck.

But she's never been good at shutting up, has she?

It's gotten her in so many twisted situations in her life. You'd think she would've learned her lesson by now.

"What are you going to do once she's gone?"

Y/n takes a deep breath next to her. "What do you mean?"

"You're going to be alone after the summer."

"I'm not going to be alone," Y/n answers, her voice low and controlled. "I have mom and Taehyung."

"Y/n, you know what I mean."

"No, I don't know what the fuck you mean, Jennie," Y/n snaps. "Are you seriously going to use Joohyun and Seulgi running away as an excuse to get me to leave the village?"
Jennie freezes in her seat, staring at Y/n with confusion and hurt in her eyes.

This isn't going the way Jennie wanted it to. Not at all. Jennie was trying to get Y/n to just open up to her and talk about her feelings.

She wasn't trying to- to fucking trick her into admitting she wants to leave the village or whatever it is Y/n's accusing her of.

"What are you even saying?" Jennie asks, her voice shaking with pent up anger and frustration over their entire situation. "Don't put words in my mouth!"

"Isn't that what you want, though?" Y/n asks, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. "You want me to leave, you never shut up about it."

Jennie sucks in a breath, feels her nose prickle with the promise of stupid tears. Right on schedule. "I haven't even mentioned it since you told me why you didn't want to leave."

"But you've been thinking it." Y/n shakes her head. "You're thinking it right now."

"So what if I do?" Jennie snaps, her voice wobbly. "Of course I want you to leave. I don't want you to be stuck here! Not when I know how unhappy you are. Joohyun is leaving so why can't you? There are so many possibilities for you in the city. You could go to a police school, you could bring your mom and Taehyung with you-"