It started with the little things—Lisa and Jennie's newfound truce quietly morphing into something closer to friendship. They studied together sometimes, Lisa cracking jokes to make Jennie roll her eyes, and Jennie offering quiet advice when Lisa was struggling with a tough subject. They even started eating lunch together, though Jennie insisted it was only because Lisa always picked the best spots on campus.
But the tension between them didn't disappear—it shifted. It was less about irritation now, and more about something... unspoken. Neither of them wanted to address it, but it was there, simmering beneath every glance that lasted a moment too long.
Then came the jealousy.
Lisa first felt it one evening when Jinyoung showed up unexpectedly at their dorm. Jennie had been scrolling through her phone, legs curled up on her bed, when he knocked on the door.
"Hey," he greeted Jennie with a wide smile, holding up a bag of takeout. "Thought we could have dinner together."
Jennie's face lit up. "Jinyoung! You didn't have to do that."
Lisa, sitting at her desk with a highlighter in hand, felt an unfamiliar pang in her chest as she watched Jennie beam at him. She told herself it was nothing, just annoyance at the interruption. But as Jinyoung leaned down to kiss Jennie's cheek, Lisa's grip on her highlighter tightened.
"I'll just, uh... go to the library," Lisa mumbled, gathering her things.
Jennie looked over, her brow furrowing. "You don't have to leave."
"No, it's fine," Lisa said quickly, avoiding her gaze. "I need to study anyway."
She left before Jennie could say anything else, her heart inexplicably heavy.
Jennie, meanwhile, had her own reasons to feel uneasy.
It started when Lisa befriended a bubbly Australian girl named Rosé in one of her classes. Rosé was everything Jennie wasn't—warm, easygoing, quick to laugh. And she and Lisa hit it off instantly.
Jennie didn't think much of it at first, but then Lisa started spending more and more time with Rosé. Lunches that used to be reserved for Jennie were suddenly replaced by Rosé's excited chatter. Inside jokes that Jennie didn't understand started cropping up in Lisa's stories.
One afternoon, Lisa came back to the dorm practically glowing.
"Rosé and I found the cutest café downtown," she said, dropping her bag onto her bed. "You'd love it, Jennie. They have these little cakes that look like animals. So cute."
Jennie's smile was tight. "Sounds nice."
Lisa didn't notice Jennie's tone. She was too busy scrolling through her phone, probably texting Rosé.
Jennie clenched her fists, a strange, unfamiliar feeling curling in her chest.
The breaking point came a week later.
Lisa had just returned from another afternoon with Rosé, laughing as she recounted some story about how they'd gotten lost in the city. Jennie sat on her bed, pretending to read, but her jaw tightened with every word.
Finally, she snapped.
"Do you even live here anymore?" Jennie blurted out.
Lisa blinked, startled. "What?"
"You're always out with Rosé," Jennie said, her tone sharper than she intended. "Do you even remember you have a roommate?"
Lisa frowned, setting her bag down. "What's your problem?"
Jennie stood, crossing her arms. "My problem is that you're never here anymore. Not unless you're sleeping or studying. And when you are here, all you do is talk about Rosé."
Lisa's confusion turned to irritation. "Am I not allowed to have a life?"
Jennie's lips pressed into a thin line. "Of course you are. But it's like you've completely forgotten about me."
Lisa let out a short laugh. "Oh, so now you want my attention? Because last time I checked, you were too busy with Jinyoung to even notice when I'm around."
Jennie's cheeks flushed. "That's not fair."
"Isn't it?" Lisa challenged, stepping closer. "You act like you don't care, but then the second I'm not here, you suddenly have a problem with it."
Jennie opened her mouth to argue, but no words came out. She hated how much Lisa's absence had bothered her, and she hated even more that Lisa had noticed.
Lisa sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Look, I don't get why you're acting like this, but—"
Jennie cut her off. "Because I miss you, okay?"
The words hung in the air, raw and unguarded. Jennie's eyes widened, as if she couldn't believe she'd said them out loud.
Lisa froze, her heart skipping a beat. "You... what?"
Jennie looked away, her voice quieter now. "I don't know. I guess I got used to having you around."
For a moment, neither of them said anything. The room felt too small, too charged with emotions neither of them fully understood.
Finally, Lisa stepped closer, her voice soft. "Jennie..."
Before she could say anything else, there was a knock at the door.
"Jennie? Lisa?" Rosé's cheerful voice called from the hallway.
Lisa looked at Jennie, torn. Jennie's expression was unreadable, but her walls were back up.
"Go," Jennie said, her tone flat.
Lisa hesitated but eventually turned to open the door. "Hey, Rosé," she said, her smile forced.
Jennie watched as Lisa left with Rosé, the ache in her chest growing stronger.
Alone again, Jennie sat on her bed, staring at the door.
"Why does this feel so complicated?" she whispered to herself.
