Our Old Manager.

Silences that spoke.

Y/N's sobs eventually softened into shaky breaths, the kind that still quivered at the edges. Her face was buried against someone's shoulder, the fabric damp beneath her cheek. The faint scent of clean laundry and a subtle perfume wrapped around her which was warm, comforting, familiar in a way she hadn't dared to remember.

Her body loosened little by little, exhaustion taking over the panic. She finally blinked through the blur in her eyes, lifting her head just slightly, ready to thank Nayeon for catching her but...

Except the person holding her wasn't Nayeon.

It was Jennie.

Her breath hitched so sharply she almost gasped. For half a second she froze, eyes wide, shock rippling through her like a cold wave. Jennie looked right back at her, gaze soft, steady, almost heartbreakingly patient.

Y/N didn't move.
She didn't pull away.

Jennie's hand stayed exactly where it had been, warm against the small of Y/N's back, rubbing slow, grounding circles like she had done a thousand times back then. The kind of touch meant to say breathe, I'm here, you're not alone.

Y/N's lips parted, no sound coming out, her mind scrambling to understand how the one person she'd been terrified to face was now the one person holding her together. Jennie swallowed lightly, eyes flicking down for a moment before returning to Y/N's. Her voice was a whisper, gentle enough not to crack the moment.

"Just breathe. I've got you."

Y/N didn't answer. She didn't trust her voice, didn't trust herself. But her fingers which were trembling and unsure, curled just slightly into the fabric of Jennie's sleeve, the tiniest reflex that said she wasn't ready to step away.

Jennie felt it.

And her hand on Y/N's back kept moving, slow and protective, as if time itself had paused to let her stay right there a little longer.

Her eyes darted from the woman standing beside her to Jisoo then to Rosé then to Lisa then lastly to the newcomer, Daniela.

Y/N pulled herself away from Jennie before her eyes landed on her cousin and two closest friends. After sending them each a glare, she asked outright. "What are the five of you doing here?" Her voice was small but steady. "Who called you?"

Nayeon lifted her hand like she was about to confess to stealing snacks in kindergarten. "Okay, before you get mad, Daniela called me earlier asking how you were because she still felt awkward talking to you directly. I didn't know you wanted her here or not, but she sounded worried."

Daniela nodded, hugging her tote bag against her chest. "I didn't want to bother you, but when she said you were at the hospital. I thought something happened to you. I'm sorry." She stopped, her voice trembling a little.

Then, Y/N's gaze snapped to Jinho who spoke next and sighed like his soul had aged fifty years in ten minutes.

"Yeah, okay, Jennie is here because of me." The man admitted. "She deserved to know and before you explode, she also exchanged numbers with us again." Her gestured between himself, Nayeon and Kwangjoo. "She said Kwangjoo hyung and Nayeon were not answering her so it was not that hard."

Y/N blinked at that revelation. Jennie did not look smug. She looked gentle, cautious, almost timid. "We did not talk for years." She said quietly. "But he thought I should know and I was with them since we were having lunch together." She motioned behind her to Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa who stood together like a pastel-colored wall of shared history. "I told them everything and they wanted to come with me to see you."

Jisoo gave a supportive nod.
Rosé waved softly.
Lisa gave a tiny 'sorry for existing' smile.

Y/N felt the room start spinning again, but this time it was emotional chaos, not grief.