Three Years - Jenlisa Story

Chapter 2

After agreeing to be a band again Jennie was feeling rather nervous. The headlines in the newspapers over the next few days were endless and seemed to have overshadowed any other news: it was all people talked about and looked forward to seeing them on stage again, speculating and guessing about the show they would perform. Jennie, of course, was pleased with all the excitement around them because it meant that they'd left a mark to all and that Blinks hadn't forgotten them yet but the biggest problem was that she had not forgotten everything they had shared either, in fact, the knowledge that they'd soon be together almost 24/7 again and, most of all, that she'd have to see and spend all that time with Lisa had brought back all the memories and made them more vivid than ever.

They came to her randomly, without warning, about everyday group situations and were mostly beautiful and glossed over with a veil of melancholy and then almost always ended with the moments of that last evening: suddenly Lisa's face appeared, her dark eyes, the burning heat, the panic. It was like a recurring nightmare that had never left her alone since it had happened. Thanks to time she had managed to put it aside but, since she had heard that they were to meet again, it had returned as if it had happened the day before and she could in no way avoid it, even though she tried with all her might.

Damn you Lisa!, she ranted everytime.

Despite her turmoil, the excitement around Jennie was so universal that Rosè had thought of creating a new group chat called 'BP The Awakening' laughing at the fact that it was as if they had been like resurrected. Jisoo and Rosè kept it alive while Jennie just read the exchange of memes and laughter without commenting, just observing and noticing how Lisa didn't participate or say anything too.

The afternoon before rehearsals for the reunion began Jennie decided that, since she could not avoid it in any way by now, she had to get over it and prepare herself psychologically for the idea that she would see Lisa again. She didn't know what might happen but being unprepared was definitely not in plans so she decided to indulge her curiosity and, at least, look for a picture of her. After all, she hadn't seen Lisa in three years and hadn't heard anything about her except some vague and scattered news that she hadn't been able to avoid. Had she changed? Was she the same? Was she still blonde?

She made herself more comfortable on the sofa, being careful not to disturb Kuku lying next to her, and took out her mobile phone. Not wanting to exaggerate and even search for her on the internet, she decided to do the easiest and quickest thing without risking coming across unwanted news: she clicked on the list of participants in the group chat and searched for her name. Instead of her photo, though, Jennie faced with the default grey avatar. She stared at it for a moment, not understanding, then a thought assailed her.

Lisa blocked me?!

Suddenly the curiosity she had felt up to that moment turned into terrible offence.

She slammed the phone down on the couch in a gesture of annoyance, jolting Kuku who moved to the corner of the couch staring at her in perplexity, not understanding why Jennie was swearing and railing at Lisa for how stupid, childish and immature she was.

°°°°°

When she arrived at YG the photographers were already crowded at the entrance waiting for them: no national newspaper could possibly miss the first photos of their reunion. Jennie knew this well and, in fact, had prepared and made herself up perfectly so as to give the photographers the catwalk they expected. She elegantly stepped out of the car and let the lenses devour her from head to toe. The journalists shouted her name to get her attention and she gave it to them in turn, dispensing bright smiles and waving the hand to the cameras pointing at her. After a few minutes, she headed inside the YG Building. Jennie had to admit that re-entering the building where she had spent most of her days for over 10 years was giving her a strange feeling. It was a mixture of emotions that she couldn't quite explain: everything she saw, from the stairs, to the lights, to the huge windows, looked the same to her and yet it was completely different. It was familiar and, at the same time, extraneous. When she reached the huge rehearsal room, realised she was the first to arrive. Her heart clenched as she saw the gigantic mirror that held the entire side wall, making the room even more enormous and, suddenly, she saw all the hours she had spent rehearsing and re-rehearsing choreography, sweating and wondering why that movement just wouldn't come to her. She remembered Jisoo, who puffed at every break and seemed to curse the day she decided to become an Idol, or Rosé, who, in between choreographies, would stand in a corner and eat one of her protein snacks, followed soon after by Lisa and her energy drinks, which she always enthusiastically offered to everyone with a huge warm smile.