Chapter 36
They were cruising along Dongjak-daero when Jennie spoke after she was humming along with the song that was playing inside Lisa's car. The music was her choice. Lisa had given her the liberty to chose what music they could listen to and Jennie chose a song that Lisa wasn't familiar with. But it sounded good and it was Jennie's choice, so there was no way that Lisa would ever complain.
"Where are we going again?" Jennie asked and leaned back to her seat. Her face was angled to face Lisa. The urge to be physically connected was suddenly too strong that she extended her right hand in the dark to close the gap between them.
"It's a surprise," Lisa said, her eyes were concentrating on the road while her right hand was busy fumbling with Jennie's hand between their seats. A smile was playing on her lips as their fingers intertwined, perfectly molding with each other.
"I thought we're going to the Orange?" Jennie pouted. She was beyond excited to see Jisoo again.
"We will. After we take a little detour," Lisa responded and chuckled.
She thought it was funny how she made it sound like the detour doesn't involve traveling eight kilometers away from Mapo-gu. It definitely wasn't a detour by definition.
"Lisa!"
It was now a thing between them. The way how Jennie would drop Lisa's name with a pout whenever she would need something from the latter. An answer to a question, a kiss because she wanted one, a whim whenever she felt like it--attention, in general.
Like, when Lisa was on full concentration mode while watching a TV show that she claimed she was religiously following. But Jennie could tell that she was obviously bluffing from the way those soft, round eyes couldn't stand to stare at the TV set longer than three seconds, after they had dinner and Jennie had just finished washing the dishes (to her insistence, because "I'm making up for the lost times, Lili. I used to wash my own dishes back in New York. Don't worry about it.") back at Lisa's place.
Jennie would utter Lisa's name as though she was lacing it with annoyance and displeasure, but border it to pleading and maybe just enough hint of coaxing. She would drag the sound of the 'a' longer than necessary and end it with a pout and batting of her eyelashes. Reiterating her need to be heard or looked at, even when she was fully aware that Lisa was already listening and looking at her attentively.
And every time, Lisa would laugh as a response and gave in. Because there was no way she could resist Jennie Kim. There was no way she could say no. Especially when Jennie was pouting like that beside her. Like a little girl who was ready to throw her tantrums, because she wasn't given the full attention that she was demanding. Brat!, Lisa would often say affectionately in her mind.
"Look, Nini. I'm not going to abduct you or whatever. Okay?" Lisa said, steering the wheel towards the Dongjak Bridge, that would bring them across the other side of the Han River. "I just want to show you something. I've been thinking about it for a while now, actually. I thought you'd love it," she continued.
"I wasn't worried about abduction, though," Jennie pointed out. "I was thinking that maybe you'd suddenly want to elope?"
Of course, Jennie was kidding about eloping. Or the idea of eloping. Lisa could hear it from the way Jennie huffed and stifled a chuckle. She could see it with the way Jennie's brows were arch beautifully and teasingly because they both felt how Lisa stiffened on her seat at the sound of the word.
It was absurd and hilarious, when she would think about it, Lisa told herself. She and Jennie leaving their lives behind them, eloping and embark on an adventure with just the two of them? Totally absurd. Although, it wasn't absurd when she did it alone years ago. Packed her things, secured her camera bag on her shoulder blades, booked a ticket to a random destination and started to realize her dream of becoming a photographer. But, it was a pretty good idea, nonetheless. The thought of them doing it together. Exciting, like a shot of chocomilk on her veins, that it had sent her pulse rate flying.
