The apartment smelled like toasted brown sugar, hot Earl Grey tea, and the subtle, unmistakable aroma of rain coming through the slightly opened balcony door. Outside, the neon lights of Seoul shimmered faintly through the mist, distant and muted, a stark contrast to the quiet dome of warmth inside the living room.
Jennie was swathed in an oversized knitted cream sweater that swallowed her hands past her knuckles. She sat curled on the corner of the plush L-shaped sofa, her phone perched on her knees as she endlessly scrolled through a mood board for an upcoming concept shoot. Her hair was pulled back into a loose, messy bun, a few soft strands framing her face, entirely free of makeup save for a coat of lip balm that gave her pout a gentle sheen.
Across from her, leaning back against the coffee table with a tub of salt-and-vinegar chips tucked between her knees, was Jisoo.
Well, officially, Jisoo was supposed to be catching up on a script draft for an upcoming acting cameo. Unofficially, Jisoo had spent the last twenty minutes doing absolutely nothing except watching Jennie breathe.
"You're doing it again," Jennie murmured without looking up from her screen, her voice low, raspy with the pleasant lingering tiredness of a fourteen-hour practice day.
"Doing what?" Jisoo asked, her voice light, innocent, and undeniably teasing. She popped a chip into her mouth, crunching with deliberate slowness.
"Staring at me like you're trying to telepathically pass me a secret clue." Jennie finally glanced up, her cat-like eyes narrowing playfully. "Read your script, Kim."
"I am reading," Jisoo replied smoothly, tapping her temple. "I'm memorizing the lines on your face. Very important theatrical preparation."
Jennie bit her lower lip, a soft flush already creeping up her neck, warming the pale skin beneath her oversized collar. "You're ridiculous. Truly."
"And you love it," Jisoo said, offering a wide, heart-shaped grin that instantly dissolved any lingering pretend annoyance Jennie had tried to summon.
Jisoo shuffled closer, sliding off the rug to sit on the edge of the sofa right next to Jennie, resting her chin directly on Jennie's knee. "Blink have been begging for an update, you know. I checked Weverse earlier while you were in the shower. They think we've vanished off the face of the earth."
Jennie looked down at the soft dark eyes looking up at her with such unbothered warmth. Her heart gave that familiar, quiet flutter—the same one that had been happening for nearly three years now, hidden behind non-disclosure agreements, secret cars with tinted windows, quiet hand-holds under dinner tables, and shared glances across award show stages.
"It's almost midnight, Chu," Jennie whispered, reaching down to gently tuck a piece of straight black hair behind Jisoo's ear. "If we do a live now, we're going to get scolded by management for sleep deprivation again."
"Management isn't awake," Jisoo reasoned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Besides, just ten minutes? Quick hello, show them we're alive, turn it off. Simple."
Jennie scoffed gently, a breathy laugh escaping her lips. "When have you ever stayed on a live stream for just ten minutes?"
"Tonight could be the first," Jisoo said, putting on her best serious face, which only made Jennie break out into a soft, gummy smile. "Come on, Nini. Just a little pop-in. Together. People miss seeing us together."
Jennie stared at her for two long seconds before sighing in defeat, though the blush rising on her cheeks betrayed her excitement. "Fine. But set a timer. Ten minutes."
"Ten minutes. I promise," Jisoo lied smoothly, already reaching for her phone on the coffee table.
The phone was propped against a stack of heavy coffee table art books, angled slightly upward toward the sofa.
