Echoes of Forgotten

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At the Company

The atmosphere in the company's sleek, modern office was as professional as ever, but there was an undeniable tension lingering beneath the surface. Lisa, sitting with her crew in one of the conference rooms, was deep in conversation about an upcoming campaign. Her team—Tzuyu, Sana, Seulgi, and the newest addition, Rosé—were hashing out the details, flipping through mood boards and concept drafts. Their latest project was big, a swimwear campaign that would feature a collection of bikini models, an exciting but challenging shoot that demanded everyone's full attention.

At the same time, Jennie was in a meeting of her own. She sat at the long boardroom table, surrounded by the company's board members and her partner for the upcoming business trip, Taehyung. They were discussing logistics and strategies for a new expansion plan in Europe, specifically focusing on a major event in Paris. Jennie was trying her best to focus on the conversation, but her mind kept drifting back to Lisa—wondering how she would take the news of the trip.

Paris.

With Taehyung.

Again.

The last time Jennie had gone to Paris with Taehyung, things between her and Lisa had been strained. The memories of that trip, where the distance between them had started to grow wider, weighed heavily on her. And now, with everything that had happened, Jennie couldn't help but feel nervous about how Lisa would react.

As the meeting wrapped up, Jennie made her way to Lisa's office. She peeked in to find Lisa still engrossed in her meeting with her crew, all of them leaning over the large table, discussing color palettes and venue locations. Jennie hovered by the door for a moment, taking in the scene. Lisa was calm, confident, completely in her element as she gave directions to her team. But when Jennie overheard the word "bikini models," a surge of jealousy hit her unexpectedly.

She knew it was irrational—this was Lisa's job, and she had worked with plenty of models before—but the thought of Lisa spending hours with beautiful women, posing for the perfect shot, stirred something uncomfortable inside her. Jennie shook the thought away, reminding herself that she and Lisa were trying to rebuild trust. Still, the jealousy gnawed at her, and the upcoming Paris trip with Taehyung wasn't making things any easier.

Finally, the meeting wrapped up, and Lisa's team dispersed. Lisa caught sight of Jennie standing by the door and smiled. It was a warm, genuine smile, but Jennie could see the tiredness in her eyes.

"Hey, everything okay?" Lisa asked, walking over to her.

Jennie nodded but felt her stomach tighten. She knew she had to tell Lisa about the Paris trip sooner rather than later, but now wasn't the right time. Or was it?

"Can we talk for a second?" Jennie asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Lisa raised an eyebrow, sensing the shift in Jennie's mood. "Sure," she said, guiding Jennie into her office and closing the door behind them. They sat down on the couch, side by side, the energy between them charged with unspoken tension.

Jennie took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "So... the board just finalized some plans for the European expansion, and I'm going to have to go to Paris again."

Lisa's face remained neutral, though Jennie could see the faint flicker of emotion in her eyes. "Paris? When?"

"In two weeks," Jennie replied. "It's a big event, and the board wants me to be there to oversee everything." She hesitated, glancing down at her hands before adding, "And Taehyung will be going too."

Lisa's jaw clenched subtly, but she nodded. "I see."

Jennie braced herself for more of a reaction, but Lisa stayed calm, her face carefully controlled. It made Jennie even more anxious, her mind racing with all the worst-case scenarios of what Lisa might be thinking. Did she trust her? Was she upset? Would this trip make things harder between them?