Music Lovers (Taennie Version)

1

Everyone is familiar with the small-town love story. The kind where a cynical hotshot from New York City or in this case, Seoul, South Korea, gets shipped off to Smalltown, Anywhere to drive a family-owned farm out of business to make room for a soulless corporation.

But while said City Person is in town, things don't go to plan. Because, of course, the farm, or bakery, or whatever the hero is about to destroy is owned and operated by someone ridiculously attractive or the person reconnects with their high school sweetheart who's suitably available for wooing.

And then he realizes he can't go back to his old life. He doesn't want to! Back in the city, unfortunately, the lead has a romantic partner. So he ends his cold, unsatisfying relationship and proposes to his new sweetheart. 

Well, in this story Jennie Kim is not the one who meets the hot farmer in Smalltown nor is she the new sweetheart. She is the other one. The one who gets dumped. 

And it has happened to her three times.

"Three times in the last seven years," Lisa, Jennie's little sister, says as the two walk down a busy downtown street in Seoul. "How does a person get dumped in a full lifestyle-swap three times?"

"Just lucky, I guess," Jennie says, trying to ignore the sound of awe in her sibling's voice.

Lisa sighs and loops her arm through Jennie's, their skin sticky from the heat and humidity of this unusually hot day in October. "Oh, Nini."

Lisa squeezes Jennie to her as they come to a crosswalk and they bask in the closeness. No matter how hectic life and work sometimes get - Lisa being a nurse at a clinic and Jennie being a talent manager at YG Entertainment - it has always felt like there was some internal metronome keeping them in sync. 

The sign changes to WALK and the women hurry through. "I thought you and Jongin were good together," Lisa says, seamlessly reentering the conversation. "I don't understand what went wrong. Was it work stuff?"

Her eyes flicker toward Jennie with a hint of disdain, triggering a few memories of how she has missed a few special events in the past because of her hectic work schedule in the music industry.

"What went wrong," Jennie answers, "is that in a past life I betrayed a very powerful witch and she's put a curse on my life."

Lisa's eyes dart toward Jennie, cautious. "So how are you really?"

"We were only together six months. It wasn't serious."

"Serious is the nature of how you date," she says. "If a guy makes it to a third dinner with you, then he's already checked 99% of the boxes on your list."

Jennie is about to say something snarky when she realizes they are approaching the Itaewon Music Store. They both stop and stare in awe before glancing upwards at the small apartment above the store where they grew up. Overtaken with nostalgia, scenes of past times spent with their parents here flash in their mind. The memories bittersweet since their mother and father are no longer with them.

Ever since that horrible car accident seven years ago, Jennie has been Lisa's sole provider and comfort, with a little help from their relatives. Then as soon as Jennie graduated from University, she took it upon herself to fully care for her little sister, sacrificing her biggest needs to support Lisa financially and emotionally like a big sister would.

"Oh my gosh!" Lisa squeals, gripping Jennie's forearm, waving at the display of Endash's CD box sets. "I love their new album. I've listened to it a hundred times already. You crushed it, Nini!"

Jennie catches the look of awe and feels a twinge of pride knowing she helped with the production. "I just helped the producer with one song."

Their thoughts then wander to plans for the day after New Year's Day, visiting the Music Store to listen to albums in a rented listening booth, per tradition to honor their parents. The sisters sigh wistfully, though Lisa emits a longer one.