𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝑫𝒚𝒏𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒚

𝟓𝟑

Rosé poured a steaming cup of tea for Jisoo, who was sitting on the dining chair looking exhausted.

"Here you go, unnie," Rosé said softly, gently placing the cup in front of Jisoo. "This should help soothe your tummy."

Jennie, who was sitting in the middle of the table, raised an eyebrow, "What happened to you, unnie?" she said, her eyes skimming over Jisoo's weary form.

Jimin gave Jin a look, as Jin's eyes darted around the room before fixing on Jennie.

"Umm," he began, his words coming out choppy and disjointed. "I... I think... I think Jisoo unnie...is just tired, hehe."

Jisoo gave him a long glare, "Unnie? How dare you call me unnie after banging into me whole nig-"

And that was when Jisoo realized she should have placed a hand on her mouth. Jennie's jaw clenched as her face showed surprise.

Jimin, who was sitting next to her, almost spewed his coffee, his eyes showing shock.

Jin choked on his kimchi pancakes, and only a magical pit could save him from the embarrassment right now.

Jennie quickly composed herself, clearing her throat and pretending to busy herself with her food.

Meanwhile, Jin had turned a vibrant shade of red, his chopsticks frozen halfway to his mouth.

Luckily, only Jennie, Jisoo, Jin and Jimin were present at the table and the rest were sleeping or busy in something.

After a few minutes of eating in silence, Jennie dropped the chopsticks down with a deliberate click her eyes boring on the plate as she stood up.

"Come on the terrace, I want to talk to you in private." With that, she walked away leaving a laughing Jimin, reddened Jin and face-palmed Jisoo.

✮✮✮

Jisoo knocked on the door of the terrace slowly, hearing a 'you can come in' in response.

She swayed the strands of her hair back because of the cool wind blowing on the open terrace.

There, she saw Jennie standing by the railing, her gaze fixed on the cityscape in front of her. The cool breeze softly ruffled the loose strands of her hair.

Jisoo stepped out onto the terrace, closing the door quietly behind her.

"Remember when we first met?" Jennie began, her eyes on the scene in front of her. "We were both so young, carefree. Had no idea about the cruel world."

Jennie leaned against the rail, her gaze drifting back to the cityscape before them.

"Back then, we were just kids," she continued. "We didn't know about the dark world we'd have to face someday. We didn't know we'd end up here, in this life."

Her eyes darkened slightly as she spoke.

Jennie turned to Jisoo again, her eyes now serious.

"But back then," she started lowly, "we had each other. And we promised we'd always have each other's back, no matter what."

"How long has this been going on?" she asked bluntly, her eyes boring into Jisoo's.

Jisoo sighed deeply, her shoulders slumping back. She knew she had to be honest.

"I like him..." she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have since he first joined the villa. We only confessed to each other last night."

Jennie raised an eyebrow, folding her arms.

"And you just gave yourself to him last night," she stated, her words harsh. "This isn't some kind of game, unnie. This... this is not how we do things."

"We can't just give into desires like that," she lectured lowly. "Especially not with someone from our rival group."

Jennie took a deep breath, her voice quieter now.

"You know the rules," she reminded her. "We can't let personal feelings jeopardize what we've built here."

Jisoo took Jennie's hands in hers, pleading with her eyes. "But Nini, Jin is a really good guy.. I trust him."

Jennie sighed, her hands still clutched in Jisoo's grip. "Jisoo, I know you trust him," she began. "But you have to trust me too. I'm just looking out for us. This isn't the time for romantic distractions."

"Please, Nini," Jisoo implored, her voice quivering slightly. "Please understand. I can't help how I feel. And I trust him. He cares for me, he understands me."

"Does he love you the same way?" she asked, the question hanging in the air. "Can he die for you?"

Jisoo's eyes flashed with an unquenchable fire.

"Yes," she said emphatically, her certainty unmistakable. "He loves me, with everything he has."

Jennie studied Jisoo's gaze, her eyes searching for any hint of doubt. But all she saw was trust and love. The love Jennie never experienced.

Finally, she relented, her shoulders slumping as she exhaled deeply. "Then I trust you," she said. "If you truly believe in his love and loyalty, I trust you."

Jennie sighed, "Fine," she said. "Come in."

As the door opened, Jin stumbled into the terrace, followed closely by Jimin. He tripped and fell awkwardly onto the ground, the shock and surprise evident on his face.

Both Jennie and Jisoo stared at Jin's entrance, disbelief and amusement on their face. Jennie crossed her arms, her gaze shifting between Jin and Jimin, who looked way too entertained for his own good.

Jimin stifled a laugh, his eyes twinkling. "Nice entrance there, hyung," he taunted.

Jin, still somewhat dazed from his fall, slowly pushed himself up off the ground. He sent a glare in Jimin's direction, grumbling. "Shut up, brat."

Jennie cleared her throat, redirecting the attention to the matter at hand. "I hope you heard most of our conversation," she said, her eyes fixed on Jin.

Jin picked himself up and dusted off his clothes. "Yes, thank you Ruby."

He then turned to Jisoo, his eyes softening as they met hers. "I promise to take care of Jisoo till my last breath."

Jennie's eyebrows furrowed as she stared at Jin. "Jisoo?... You told him your name?"

Jisoo glanced at Jennie, her expression sheepish. "Ah... he heard Lisa say my name."

Jennie facepalmed, a defeated look on her face. "This maknae," she grumbled, shaking her head.