The Clandestine Us

Forty-four

───── ❝ Jennie's POV ❞ ─────

That final toast made everyone a little wilder and louder. The DJ switched from one trending track to another, and soon the floor was alive with jumping, dancing, and laughter.

As much as I was enjoying myself, I caught sight of Mom. Her body language made it obvious she was looking for me, so I went over. Her friends pulled me into one more round of hugs and goodbyes before heading out.

I loved how simple the program had been. It let everyone enjoy themselves without the whole night revolving around me. It felt more like socializing, with just bits of me woven in.

"I haven't seen Jungkook. Is he here?" Mom asked, leaning close because the music was much louder now.

"He's not here yet. I don't know, I haven't touched my phone since earlier," I admitted.

"Why? You should contact him. What if something happened?" she said, concerned.

"Uh, yeah," I replied, realizing I had completely forgotten to check.

"I'm going home now. Enjoy, okay? I love you," Mom said, pulling me into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Mom, for everything. I love you so much." I kissed her cheek, which she jokingly wiped off, making us both laugh.

I walked her to the exit, but before I could return, others started leaving too, apologizing that they had work the next day. I smiled nonstop, thanking each one for making time despite their busy schedules.

Just as I was about to head back to the crowd, I was intercepted by Jeonghan, Joshua, Wonwoo, Woozi, and Hoshi.

"We're heading out. Hoshi's pretty drunk," Woozi explained.

I glanced at Hoshi, who was clearly out of it. Jeonghan and Wonwoo held his hands like bodyguards, while his unfocused smile said it all.

"Yep, I can tell. Thank you so much for coming," I said, hugging them one by one.

"Let's take a picture again," Hoshi insisted, pulling out his phone. Wonwoo let go of his hand so he could fumble through a few shots—some smiling, others downright silly.

"We're going now. Thanks for inviting us," Jeonghan said, clasping my hand in both of his, which made me laugh.

"To more invites soon!" I grinned.

"Still up for the film?" Wonwoo asked.

"Yes, I've been waiting for you to reach out," I said.

"Oh... I was actually shy. Didn't want to seem overly friendly," he admitted.

Some of them looked curious, while Joshua just smiled.

"We're all friends now. Don't reject me like that," I teased, making them chuckle.

"Alright, I'll take them home first and come back," Joshua said.

He wasn't really leaving yet, and that thought made me smile. After one last round of goodbyes, they left.

I ended up stuck at the exit again, since more guests were heading out. By the time I slipped back inside, Joshua had already rejoined, and I found Jisoo at the reserved table too.

I sat with them for a while, sipping drinks and enjoying their conversation. That table had its own brand of entertainment, no dancing needed. But of course, Rosé found me and dragged me into the chaos near the cocktail tables.

What greeted me there was Yugyeom chugging straight from the bottle. I laughed, let myself be pulled in, and vibed with them until my vision started blurring from the drinks.