Wonderwall • ℍ𝕒𝕖𝕤𝕠𝕠

𝟘𝟟

Noticing her friend's distracted state, Jennie observed that every flower on the cakes was missing a petal. Concerned, she frowned and then noticed Jisoo's rash on her neck, a telltale sign of stress or worry. Looking around, Jennie slowly made her way towards Jisoo's direction.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Jennie asked the completely out-of-touch Jisoo, who was zoning out next to the display fridge while pretending to clean the glass.

"What? What did you say?" Jisoo asked with an unnerving expression on her face. Jennie stifled a laugh at her friend's facial expressions and stopped herself from reacting.

"I said...do you need help with something?" Jennie repeated. Jisoo smiled back and quickly shook her head.

"No...I'm fine....I mean, you can start opening the register for the day!" Jisoo said as she swiftly threw the cloth inside the bucket. Grabbing it, she turned around and headed back to the kitchen. Jennie sighed and quickly followed Jisoo to the back.

"What is going on now? You have been awfully quiet these past few days! You didn't even tell me how it went with your father," Jennie voiced, leaning over the kitchen table. Jisoo let out a nervous laugh and shook her head once again.

"Nothing... Really... nothing happened!" Jisoo said as she threw away the dirty water from the bucket in the sink. Jennie was growing tired of Jisoo's constant avoidance of discussing what actually happened to her.

"Cut the bullshit and tell me what happened!" Jennie said without hesitation. Jisoo nibbled hard on her bottom lip and slowly shifted her gaze to a woman behind her, seemingly oblivious.

"I can see right through you, my friend, so tell me right now what's causing those rashes around your neck," Jennie said, crossing her arms over her chest. Confused, Jisoo walked towards the mirror on her right. She gasped softly upon seeing her neck completely red from the sudden rash she had developed.

"You're worried about something... those rashes always indicate that you're going through something," Jennie said to her perplexed friend.

"Not even my body would help me out!" Jisoo said, touching the rash delicately. Jennie chuckled and walked up to Jisoo.

"Funny, isn't it? That you're such a terrible liar? Your body gives it away so easily," Jennie responded, reaching out her hand towards Jisoo's shoulder. Jisoo let out a small laugh and met Jennie's gaze.

"It's my father," she said with hooded eyes. Jennie slowly moved her hand towards Jisoo's cheek, looking at her with a comforting smile on her face.

"Jennie... he... he told me that he will help me find him, but he wants something in return," Jisoo said, looking into Jennie's eyes.

"In finding him? You mean Siwon?" Jennie asked, bewildered by her words. Jisoo nodded and swiftly walked away.

"Yes!" Jisoo responded, her eyes shining with a light that Jennie hadn't seen in so long. Jennie closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief.

"No... Why? Why would you do that to yourself? Why... torment yourself by looking for a ghost?" Jennie said, her eyes filled with concern. Jisoo lightly clasped her throat and shook her head in response to Jennie's words.

"Why? Because I want to know where he is... as simple as that! Jennie... I need to kno— " Jisoo was speaking but was abruptly cut off by Jennie.

"MADNESS! YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE HIS BODY LIES?" Jennie exclaimed loudly, her eyes bulging. Jisoo felt a heaviness in her chest the moment Jennie said those words. Her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at her friend with great sorrow and disbelief.

"Don't! Don't say...tha...that!" Jisoo stuttered, looking at her friend with a pained expression.

"We know what really happened to him, Jisoo! You just don't want it to be true! You've been living in denial for so many years now! I... I can't see you like this anymore! I can't watch you torture yourself over a man whose soul and spirit are now at peace! You need to accept this and tell your son the truth!" Jennie said, tears welling up in her eyes.

"NOO!"

"NOOOOO!"

"YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE ME BELIEVE SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TRUE!! SIWON IS NOT DEAD!!" Jisoo screamed, tears swimming in her eyes. Jennie closed her eyes at the emotional outburst and lowered her head. She felt a mix of sadness and anger that Jisoo was so deep in denial about her husband's passing.

"You know that you are lying to yourself! That letter he left you was enough for you to know that he—" Jennie couldn't continue speaking as she was suddenly slapped by Jisoo. She held her burning cheek in disbelief, fixing her eyes on the distraught woman.

"NEVER! NEVER SPEAK OF THAT LETTER... THAT DOES NOT PROVE ANYTHING! I WILL FIND HIM... EVEN IF I HAVE TO FOLLOW MY FATHER'S EVERY WORD... I WILL FIND HIM!" Jisoo shouted in great rage before storming off, leaving Jennie alone and disheartened by their heated exchange.