Ghana - JENSOO - english version

Chapter 40

Jisoo

I stare at the ticket in my hands and grip it tightly, taking a deep breath to try to control the pounding of my heart. In a few hours, I'll be with Jennie, and I can hardly believe this is real.

I know I'm coming without telling her, but the moment the director informed me that we would pause filming for a week, the first thing I did was buy the earliest flight to Paris.

After nearly 18 hours of flying, I'm a bit lost in time and have no idea what day it is today. I yawn a few times while waiting for my turn to exit the plane, noticing that everyone around me is enchanted to be in Paris, but I can only think of Jennie.

Almost three and a half months later, we're finally going to see each other again, and I'm feeling so many things that I can't pinpoint the predominant emotion.

I grab my luggage and glance at the clock; it's already getting dark, and my stomach seems to realize this, making a strange noise. I try to remember something appetizing from French cuisine, but I can't think of anything, and I end up pouting involuntarily.

My phone is almost out of battery, so I jot down Jennie's address to give to the taxi driver. Only now am I realizing the craziness of leaving Seoul to come see Jennie without telling her. What if she's not home? What if she has other plans?

I sit in one of the chairs at a nearby café, debating with myself until I decide that since I've come this far, I need to go see her. I call my girlfriend three times, but she doesn't answer, and then my phone dies completely. Maybe it's a sign that I should hurry to meet the love of my life.

I exit the airport, my heart racing in a frenzied rhythm. The fresh Parisian air feels like a hug, bringing with it the subtle scent of warm croissants and coffee. As I walk toward the taxi stand, my eyes drift over the elegant facades of the old buildings, each telling a story that seems to dance in the evening shadows.

The sky is tinged with a soft pink, and the city lights are starting to twinkle like stars on earth. The distant sound of the subway and the lively conversations in French echo around me in a nearly frantic flow of people, creating an urban symphony that makes me feel alive, almost as if the city is celebrating my arrival to see Jennie Kim.

My heart races with each block I pass. The aroma of fresh baguettes makes me smile, and the thought of sharing a candlelit dinner at a small bistro makes me dream even bigger. Holding Jennie's hand again and dedicating all my efforts to make her laugh—nothing could compare to that. Being with Jennie is so precious that I can't imagine anything that could rival it.

Paris, with its undeniable charm, seemed to conspire in favor of love. The trees along the Champs-Élysées swayed gently, as if whispering secrets about the meetings and partings that had taken place there.

As the taxi took me toward the heart of Paris, I couldn't help but lose myself in the beauty around me. The Eiffel Tower loomed majestically in the distance, and I felt a shiver at the thought of being there with her, beneath its imposing lights.

Fortunately, the taxi driver isn't chatty, or he's just used to so many tourists enchanted by the city that he must be tired of it all. As the car approaches Jennie's building, I notice she has just stepped outside, and a wide smile spreads across my face. She looks so different yet so much like my Jennie, but then a medium-built guy with blonde hair, who also seems Korean, comes out right after her, and she starts laughing at something he said.

"Don't judge a book by its cover." This thought spins in my mind, but my heart tightens at the idea I had never considered before: Jennie might have met someone else.

"Could you circle the block one more time, please? I just need to put on some lipstick." I force myself to say in my best english, trying to suppress the lump in my throat. I take a deep breath and count to ten, slowly exhaling. I blink a few times and shake my head to dispel the negative thoughts.

"Is everything okay?" I notice he has stopped the car on the street behind Jennie's apartment. "You're too beautiful to cry over someone. No matter what it is, you have enough strength to face it." I observe the driver, realizing he's an elderly man, around 70, smiling kindly at me. I just nod in agreement and take another deep breath.

Come on, Kim Jisoo, find your inner actress and bring her to the scene. Improvisation is one of your skills, and this moment is perfect for it.

"We can go." I apply some gloss to my lips and check my reflection in the front camera of my phone. I look myself over one last time as the taxi turns onto Jennie's street. They are still standing there, chatting and laughing about something.

As the car stops in front of the two young people, they both stop laughing, and I notice Jennie looks shocked as I open the car door.

"Jisoo?!" She looks me up and down, blinking several times, but doesn't move closer. The blonde guy also blinks a few times, looking confused.

"Jennie." I give her a soft smile and turn to the taxi driver, who just unloaded my bags onto the sidewalk beside me. I hand him a generous tip, and he smiles widely, winking before leaving me alone. "What news do you have to tell me?" I face the blonde guy in front of me, who meets my gaze with an amused smile.

I've been lacking creativity lately and have been dealing with some intense work activities, but I'll be on vacation in the next few days...

I'm hoping that boredom will bring my inspiration and creativity back so I can finish this story.

Wish me luck :)