The network didn't sue Jisoo in the end, thank God. Partly because Romeo-Jisoo was as good as his word and paid back his full appearance fee. Partly because we were very cooperative when it came to all the reshoots Murray insisted on so he could re-edit the story for the season. (We, apparently, were much easier to deal with than Cece, who'd never quite got over all her camera issues. We refrained from telling Murray that he'd probably dodged a bullet in not having her as the lead on Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?.)
They even paid my Jisoo the full fee she'd been promised when she signed the Jisoo + Jisoo = True Love contract, as well as a (smaller, but not small) bonus to me. 'If you sign this, then your love story is officially part of this season,' Murray said gruffly, handing me a pen. 'You sure you want to be out on TV?'
I didn't hesitate. 'Yes,' I said, and signed.
I might not have been quite so hasty if I'd read the small print. I couldn't tell you the legalese, but it basically said in return for this sum of money, Jennie Kim will go to any and every damn event we tell her to.
Which was how Jisoo and I ended up here, hosting the official Marry Me, Juliet finale watch party event along with Lily and Kumiko at a massive city bar.
The bar wasn't even close to full. We might have been out of Stage Four restrictions, but there were still pretty strict rules about how many people you could have in a space at one time. They'd picked such a huge place because they were only allowed something like twenty-five per cent capacity.
It felt full, though. People followed me wherever I went, and despite security guards constantly reminding them, they weren't even trying to social distance. 'Please tell me you and Jisoo K up together,' someone begged me. 'Please.'
'You'll just have to wait and see,' I said, smiling and signing the shirt they'd thrust at me. 'You know I'm not allowed to give any spoilers.'
'If you two don't end up together, I'm giving up all faith in love. I mean it.'
I only realised as I handed the shirt back to them that it had mine and Jisoo's faces on it. BICONIC, it read, in huge capital letters.
The four of us had to do a countdown to the start of the finale like it was New Year's Eve. We were standing on a little stage in front of banners for Ties Out For The Boys (Romeo-Jisoo's charity) and SweetHearts (the women's heart health foundation my Jisoo had become the spokeswoman for). 'For fuck's sake, you two can't stand together, it'll give away the ending,' Murray ordered Jisoo and I gruffly. 'Kumiko, Lily, you're in the middle.'
'So you're speaking to me now?' Lily said.
Murray growled.
'Of course it's just to tell me what to do,' she muttered.
Things got a little less chaotic after the countdown. There was still a buzz of chatter, but people quietened down to watch the episode, and the throngs crushing in around us got less throngy.
'You've become so important to me over the course of this journey, Mandie,' the Jisoo on the screen said to TV me. 'I don't want to lose that.'
The most tragic romantic music cue in the world started to play. 'I don't want to lose you either,' TV me replied.
The whole crowd said awwwwwwwwwwwww. I very studiously did not look at Jisoo in case I gave something away. Even now, so close to the end, I didn't want to make Murray any angrier than he already was.
The scene switched to something with Romeo-Jisoo and Cece, and the crowd's attention shifted away from me. I took the opportunity to escape to the bar. 'Champagne, please.'
The bartender nodded, turning away to the fridge.
'Hi.'
I blinked. 'Hi.'
Jac leaned a casual elbow against the bar, turning slightly to face me. 'It's been a while.'
'It has,' I said. 'Eight months, maybe? Nine?'
I accepted my glass of champagne from the bartender. 'What are you doing here?' I asked. 'I know how you feel about the show.'
'I wanted to come and show my support.'
'Support for what?'
'This story you're telling. The representation. It's brave. I didn't think you had it in you.'
'I don't really care what you think, Jac,' I said, and walked away.
There was a little VIP/backstage area that we were allowed to go to if we needed a bit of privacy. ('You're on the clock,' Murray had growled, 'legally I need to give you breaks.') I carried my champagne in there and took a couple of deep breaths.
Jisoo followed me in a few moments later. 'Hey, babe,' she said, leaning over to kiss me on the cheek. 'You all right?'
'Yeah, I'm fine,' I said, and meant it.
'No, you're not.'
'Baby, I really am.'
'No, you're not,' she repeated. 'I just got my lipstick all over your cheek. Shit. Murray's going to kill me.'
'It's okay,' I said, putting down my glass and opening my handbag. 'I think I have some concealer in here somewhere.'
Jisoo followed me into the bathroom and reapplied her lipstick as I got rid of the mark she'd left on my face. 'This feels like déjà vu,' she said, blotting her lips on some paper towel. 'Any minute now Lily's going to hammer on the door and start yelling, and—'
The door opened so suddenly and sharply it smashed right into the wall, and in walked Lily. 'Oh, for fuck's sake,' she snarled, seeing us both. 'You think sneaking away to hook up in the bathroom is keeping the ending a secret? Get back out there.'
And she left again, the door slamming shut behind her.
Jisoo and I stared at each other in the mirror, agape.
'... Am I magic?' Jisoo said. 'Did I summon her, somehow?'
'If you did,' I said, 'can you please make sure you never mention her once we move in together? I feel like she'll scare Noah. And also me.'
'Yes. Absolutely. Deal.'
I put my concealer back in my bag. 'She's right, though,' I said. 'We should get back out there.'
'I wish we could stay a bit longer,' Jisoo said, playing with the thin strap of my black dress. 'You look so pretty tonight, babe. I wish I'd worn more sensible lipstick.'
'One, that lipstick is gorgeous, no regrets,' I said, tangling my fingers with hers. 'Two, you also look stunning tonight. And three, once we get through the next forty-five minutes or so and everyone knows the ending, you won't have to worry about how badly that lipstick smudges.'
'Oh, trust me,' she said, squeezing my hand, 'by the time we leave this bar tonight, we're both going to look like the Joker.'
I smiled up at her. 'I can't wait to tell people how much I love you.'
She smiled back. 'Me neither.'
•••••••••
THE ENDI love this book! And I hope you all loved it too!
See you later...
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Can I Steal You For A Second? (Jensoo)
Romance*UPDATE EVERY DAY* Converted from Jodie McAlister's book by the same name: When you sign up to a dating show, you're supposed to fall in love with the male lead, not another contestant ... Jennie Kim will do anything to get over her toxic ex. Even...