The Clandestine Us

Forty-five

───── ❝ Jennie's POV ❞ ─────

The moment I landed back in Seoul after my tiring overseas schedule, my spontaneous Jeju trip already felt like a dream I had borrowed for only a week. The calm sea breeze, the mountain air, the silence of long walks, all of it vanished the moment my manager began running through the schedules waiting for me.

"Jennie-ah," she said gently as we settled into the car, "I know you're tired, and you did so well. But before you rest, let me go over what's next, so you won't feel overwhelmed later."

I leaned my head back against the seat, my sunglasses sliding slightly down, bracing myself as she scrolled through her notes.

"First, no schedule tomorrow. That's a full rest day, so use it to recover from the flight. The Gentle Monster PR packages have already been sent out to your friends, so some of them might start posting soon. You can check in whenever you want, no pressure.

For Valentine's, there's a private dinner with friends. Small and quiet, no press, but you can still cancel if you don't feel up to it.

Your Calvin Klein campaign shoot from weeks ago, the photos will be released soon. We'll coordinate your posts when the time comes, so make sure you share them on social media.

Next, you have The Game Caterers filming at YG. It'll definitely be lighthearted and fun, with your fellow YG artists, including some you haven't met yet. It's a great chance to connect, and it'll feel more like bonding than work, so don't stress about it.

In between, there are YG's regular meetings with Blackpink for project updates. We'll try to pace those.

On lighter days, you can slide in Pilates. Just a gentle reset for your body. You'll need it with the heavier schedules coming up.

After that, you'll be flying overseas again: Paris for Chanel, then Hawaii for Jacquemus. Both are important, but I'll make sure prep and travel are as smooth as possible.

Once you're back, Jentle Garden promotions will begin, followed closely by Hera. That's more personal, so you can focus on it more."

By the time she finished, I felt as if I had already run another marathon without moving from my seat. Still, she ended with reassurance.

"That's the flow. Everything has breaks in between, and I'll remind you all throughout. Tonight, you rest. Tomorrow, nothing but sleep and maybe a long bath. I'll handle everything else, and will keep you updated."

And so the days blurred into weeks, and weeks into months. My life spun into a carousel of shoots, rehearsals, meetings, and flights. My body adjusted, but my heart lagged a bit behind. Pilates, quiet mornings, and cold plunges became my sanctuary, the little rituals that keeping me steady.

The comeback preparations felt both familiar and new. We had done this a few times before, yet this one felt heavier and more demanding. Concepts were revised, recordings re-done, choreography restructured. But no matter how exhausting, our determination didn't waver.

The breaks my manager promised often disappeared under new commitments, but in the rare free hours I had to myself, I found ways to reclaim pieces of me. I dyed my hair, met my friends, attended Coachella, bonded with my pets, dated with mom, laughed with my members, and quietly kept myself busy. Anything just to keep away from Jungkook.

The hollow ache I once felt at night slowly faded. Though sometimes, news about him still slipped into my world. I heard he had fallen sick and quarantined for days. Concern tugged at me, but I didn't reach out. He had also stopped trying after a few failed attempts, and I was grateful for that. It was our quiet confirmation that we were truly over.