Catch The Stars

Chapter 49

The car hits a pothole and Jennie stirs, bangs her head against the window from where she was trying to take a nap.

She sighs as she blinks her eyes open. She was just about to fall asleep.

"Sorry."

Jennie turns her head to look at her girlfriend's profile, framed by the background of trees and mountains rushing past them.

The sun is blinding, but the AC is on, blowing against Jennie's matted bangs. Her mouth's a little too dry, too.

She whines. "I feel gross, Y/n."

Y/n glances at her for a second, before focusing on the road again, then moving her hand without taking her eyes off the road. The streets are dangerous around here, steep with a sharp drop, so Jennie appreciates that Y/n's being extra careful.

"Here." Y/n hands her a bottle of water.

Jennie thanks her and takes a big gulp, handing the bottle to the older, who drinks half of it in one go. "How are you? Want to switch?"

Y/n shakes her head. "I'm okay. We're almost there, anyway."

Jennie hums and leans her head back, turning to stare out the window. It must be somewhere around twenty-eight degrees out. Flowers are blooming in all their glory, violets, pinks and blues blending together to form fields of colors that seem almost unreal.

They pass an old man ushering her sheep over the street and Y/n honks once, the man waving at them as they drive by.

It makes Jennie smile.

She's missed this.

They stop at Cheumsan to do some last-minute grocery shopping. They mostly buy rice in bulks, canisters of sunflower oil, toilet paper, all things would be too heavy to carry if you don't have a car.

The cashier recognizes Y/n immediately, makes small talk with her, and while Jennie watches her girlfriend interact with these people, all smiles and charming words, she's reminded of the first time she met Y/n.

It makes her heart ache in a strange way. A part of her fears that Y/n looks almost... happier here. Like she's in her element. She seems carefree, not as guarded.

"You okay?" Y/n suddenly asks, having finished her conversation. Jennie wants to hold her hand, needs the reassurance, but she can't forget where they are.

They can't be doing these things here, but it's hard, after having been together for half a year, she's used to walking around holding Y/n's hand. Her hand just feels awkward and empty otherwise.

"Yeah, let's go?"

Y/n smiles, her eyes lingering, and Jennie wants to tell her to be careful, but heck, if Y/n isn't worried, why should Jennie be?

They pack the stuff into the car, and then it's another thirty minutes until they get to their destination.

Jennie scrolls through her music and stops at a playlist she made. One that she hasn't listened to in a while, but that still makes her chest constrict, cause she remembers how much she cried the first time she heard it.

She pouts a little and plays a song from it.

Y/n tenses up next to her when she hears the first few tunes, and then she lets out a groan. "Stop, Jennie."

"What?" Jennie asks. "It's cute, Y/n/n. I like this song. Am I still driving you wild?"

Y/n grunts and shakes her head. "Yeah, cause you're an annoying little shit."

"Alright. I see how it is. So you make mixtapes for all your flings, huh? And here I was, feeling special."

"Oh shut up." Y/n chuckles and reaches for her hand. "I just... don't really like thinking about that time."