Ghana - JENSOO - english version

Chapter 41

Jennie

I roll over in bed and let out a tired sigh. The days I'm off from my internship are usually filled with boredom. I have nothing to do except stay home, and even though I'm in Paris, what's the point of sightseeing alone?

I don't want to visit the tourist spots by myself; I want to see them with Jisoo or my friends.

Jisoo.

I sigh even louder at the thought of her, and my heart tightens with longing. I think the worst part of this long-distance relationship is not having any idea when we'll see each other again.

Jisoo is becoming more focused on work every week, with no break in sight, and even though I get random days off, it's not enough time for me to fly to Korea just to see her.

I try to forget—or rather ignore—the jealousy I felt when I saw the last picture of Jisoo and that idiot Haein looking at each other like lovers. If this drama doesn't end soon, I'm going to lose it and hop on the first flight to Seoul just to make sure Jisoo is still in love with me.

The doorbell rings, and I furrow my brows, wondering who it could be. I check my phone, but there's no message, and my heart skips a beat as I imagine it might be Jisoo surprising me.

I jump out of bed and stand in front of the mirror, trying to fix my hair to look as presentable as possible. I check my clothes, and even though I'm in pajamas, I still look decent enough to see my girlfriend after so many weeks apart.

The doorbell rings again, and I practically run to the door, opening it with a big smile, but it's not Jisoo standing there.

"Mino???" I look at him from head to toe, confused.

"JEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!" He hugs me tightly, lifting me off the ground. "You don't seem too happy to see me."

"It's not that," I say as he sets me down. "It's just that I wasn't expecting you, that's all. I didn't even imagine you'd be here."

"Were you expecting someone?" My longtime friend walks into the apartment without waiting for an invitation and flops down on the couch, looking completely at home.

"Yes and no, but that's not the point." I shrug and close the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm on vacation and decided to visit Paris. Then I remembered you were here, so I thought I'd drop by. It's been so long since we last saw each other." Mino props his feet up on the coffee table while I sit down in the chair across from him.

"And how did you get my address?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Irene." He looks around. "Nice apartment. Are you liking it here? Any big plans?"

"Going back to Seoul." I sigh, resting my feet on the table as well.

"Why? Paris seems great, and you're talented."

"I know, Paris is great, but something's missing, Mino." I stare at the picture frame holding the last photo Jisoo and I took together.

"Let me guess," he says, pretending to think while tapping his chin. "An actress who's becoming quite the name in Korea?"

"Exactly." I turn my gaze back to the photo.

"How did that happen? Last time we talked, you wanted to kill her for being tied with you." He grins playfully.

"Things just happened, and before I knew it, I was in love. I mean, the story is a bit complicated, but I'll tell you in detail."

"You can tell me while we grab lunch."

"Sounds good, I'm hungry." I get up. "I'll get ready, and we can head out."

The afternoon flies by as I give Mino a full recap of how Jisoo and I started dating. It's funny how surprised he gets at each little detail.

They say reminiscing is reliving the past, and now I feel even more in love with Jisoo than I was before, and I have no idea how that's possible.

After we return to my apartment, Mino needs to charge his phone a bit because he got the waitress's number and plans to ask her out. Coincidentally, she has bad enough taste to be interested in him, and he's ecstatic for his date.

I go downstairs with him to show him where the nearest flower shop is. I'm not sure why he's putting in so much effort since, back in Korea, it was the girls who chased after him. Maybe Mino is maturing, or maybe the blonde dye he used affected his brain function.

"Don't fall for the girl or win her over so much that you leave her crying when you head back to Korea," I say, giving him a light slap on the arm, and he laughs.

"I think I want to move here. I'm loving this romantic, different vibe Paris has." He flashes a big smile.

"Oh my God, is your date with her going to be at a church so you two can get married??" I joke, and we both laugh, but a taxi pulls up in front of my building, and I stop laughing.

I forget how to close my mouth as I watch my girlfriend step out of the taxi. This can't be real.

"Jisoo?" I look her up and down, standing just a few meters away. I can't move. I can't even breathe. Jisoo is here, right in front of me. I try to remember how many times I've dreamed of this moment, but my brain is completely blank from all the shock and surprise I'm feeling.

"Jennie." She smiles softly at me before turning to pay the taxi driver. The older man grins widely and winks before getting back in the car and driving away slowly. "So, what's new?" she says, looking at Mino, who's got that dumb expression like he's about to tease her.

"Don't even think about it!" I point at him before turning back to Jisoo, jumping on her, and hugging her tightly. "I can't believe you're finally here," I whisper in her ear, feeling her wrap her arms around my waist and pull me close.

"Jennie, I need to breathe," she says with difficulty, and only then do I realize I'm squeezing her too tightly. I pull back just a few inches to look at her, her face seemingly sculpted by Aphrodite herself, and it hits me how much I've missed her. I observe Jisoo, who's got a suspicious, almost annoyed look on her face, and the pieces click into place: she's jealous. The realization makes my heart swell with happiness, and before she can say anything else, I cup her face with both hands and kiss her, trying to pour all my pent-up longing into it.

Jisoo grips my waist firmly, and I slide one hand to her neck, lightly pulling her hair, causing her to sigh against my lips. Mino's exaggerated cough interrupts us, and I finish the kiss with a quick peck before pulling away.

"Mino, this is Jisoo, my girlfriend." I turn to the blonde, who looks stunned. "Chu, this is Mino, my longtime friend. I'm not sure if you remember him, but he graduated from our university last year, and now that he's on vacation, he's visiting Paris."

"Interesting choice for a vacation spot," Jisoo says with her usual sarcasm. "Especially with you here." She shifts her gaze from Mino to me, and I swallow hard, realizing that Jisoo is genuinely annoyed by Mino's presence.

"It was either Japan or here, and I kinda got tired of visiting Japan." Mino shrugs, hands in his pockets. "You two are lucky to have each other; you make a beautiful couple."

"Thank you, Mino," I say sincerely, relieved that he understands the seriousness of the situation and didn't joke around to provoke Jisoo.

"The truth deserves to be said," he shrugs again. "I'm goint to buy the bouquet for my date. Wish me luck." The blonde winks at us as he walks away.

"She already likes you; it'll go great," I wave him off. "We'll do something this weekend, I'll text you." I turn back to Jisoo, who still has that suspicious look, though now she seems less tense. "What..." I start, but she interrupts me by pulling me into another passionate kiss, making my knees go weak.