Tokyo Day Three began softer than the previous two, but the quiet carried weight.
The city outside was already awake—muted traffic below, distant announcements drifting up from the streets—but inside the hotel, everything felt suspended, as if time itself was waiting for something to break.
Jisoo hadn't gone back to the shared room again last night.
After the concert on Day Two, she had bowed to the staff, thanked the dancers, smiled at fans like nothing was wrong—and then walked straight past the corridor that led to Jennie's room. She hadn't hesitated. Not even for a second. She went back to the room she'd booked for herself, closed the door, and sat on the edge of the bed fully dressed, staring at the floor until the adrenaline from the stage finally drained out of her body.
She hadn't slept much.
So when Rose knocked on her door the next morning, Jisoo was already awake, sitting by the window with a cup of tea she hadn't touched.
"Unnie," Rose said gently when Jisoo opened the door, her eyes immediately scanning her face. "Come eat breakfast with me?"
Jisoo hesitated. Then she nodded.
The hotel restaurant was quiet at that hour, sunlight spilling across polished tables, the clink of cutlery soft and polite. Rose ordered for both of them without asking—she knew Jisoo well enough by now—and waited until the food arrived before speaking.
"You didn't go back to the room again," Rose said carefully.
Jisoo's fingers tightened around her cup. "No."
Rose studied her for a moment. "Why are you doing this to Jennie?"
The question wasn't accusatory. It was honest. Concerned.
Jisoo let out a slow breath, eyes dropping to the table. "It's not just that she got mad because I have friends," she said quietly. "She knows me. She knows everyone I'm close to. Soojin, Riho... they've been in my life forever. This isn't new."
Rose stayed silent, letting her continue.
"She knows I don't like parties. She's known since the beginning," Jisoo said, voice steady but strained. "I can't even finish one bottle without getting dizzy. I don't like loud places, alcohol, crowds touching me like that. It makes me uncomfortable. And she knows that. She's always known that."
Jisoo gave a small, humorless smile. "But she still went. Without telling me. On her birthday night. When I was waiting."
Rose's heart sank.
"And then she got angry at me," Jisoo continued softly. "For hugging my friends. But Jennie... when she's with her friends, she's even more affectionate. She hugs them tightly, leans into them, clings to them. I've never once questioned that. I trust her."
She finally looked up at Rose, eyes glassy but unwavering.
"So why is it so hard for her to trust me?"
Rose didn't answer immediately.
"And then there's the bracelet," Jisoo added after a pause, almost like an afterthought. "The Cartier one."
Rose frowned. "What about it?"
"Everyone says Taehyung gave it to her," Jisoo said with a soft laugh that didn't reach her eyes. "I know it's not true. I know Jennie wouldn't lie to me about that. I know it shouldn't matter."
She shrugged slightly. "But when you're already hurt... even small things feel huge."
Rose reached across the table, squeezing her hand. "You're allowed to be hurt, unnie."
