Chaennie Oneshots

The Silk and String Theory VII

The prestigious inter-university design showcase was the most competitive cross-disciplinary initiative of the academic year, reserving entry exclusively for the top candidate from each institution. When Jennie was officially selected to represent her university, the entire group was thrilled, though no one was particularly surprised given her extraordinary talent.

What none of them anticipated, however, was the identity of her assigned collaborator from the neighboring institute.

Enter Jung Jaehyun: a senior architecture student who looked as though he had stepped straight off a luxury fashion runway, possessed a voice as smooth as velvet, and carried an impeccably refined artistic vision.

During the initial two weeks of the partnership, the physics department group tried their absolute best to stir the pot.

"So, Chaeng," Lisa would grin during lunch, leaning across the lab table with an eyebrow raised, "Jennie was seen at the design library until nine last night with Jaehyun. He apparently bought her an iced matcha and held the door open for her. How are your stress levels faring?"

Roseanne would simply adjust her glasses with total composure, taking a neat bite of her sandwich. "Jennie's current schedule requires extensive collaborative brainstorming. Jaehyun's spatial architecture background complements her textile concepts with high efficiency. Furthermore, purchasing a beverage for a project partner is a standard protocol of professional courtesy. I experience no psychological distress."

"She literally doesn't get it," Jihyo whispered to Jackson and Momo, shaking her head with an amused sigh. "The concept of jealousy is completely foreign to her CPU."

The logical facade, however, met its absolute breaking point three nights later.

Roseanne had meticulously cross-referenced Jennie's academic schedule and calculated that, due to back-to-back studio sessions, Jennie had gone precisely seven hours without proper caloric intake. Armed with an insulated container of warm mushroom soup and homemade rice rolls, Roseanne walked down the quiet, dimly lit corridor of the design building at eight in the evening.

She stopped outside the glass-walled studio room, her hand raised to knock on the frame.

Through the clear glass, Roseanne froze.

Jennie was leaning over a massive drafting table, unrolling a large blueprint. Jaehyun was standing right beside her, leaning in close to inspect the measurement lines. When Jennie made a quick joke, Jaehyun let out a bright, handsome laugh, gently tapping his shoulder against hers as Jennie smiled, her cat-like eyes curving into sweet crescents.

In that exact millisecond, an unfamiliar, highly unsettling physiological sensation erupted in the center of Roseanne's chest.

It was not sensory overload, nor was it a muscle spasm. It felt like an aggressive, tight knot in her sternum, accompanied by a sudden, irrational rise in core body temperature and a sharp, defensive spike in her heart rate. Her grip on the food container tightened so hard her knuckles turned pale.

Roseanne pushed the door open, her tall frame stepping into the room with crisp, rigid authority.

"Jennie," Roseanne called out, her velvety voice carrying a low, unusually firm tone that made both design students look up immediately.

Jennie's face lit up instantly. "Rosie! What are you doing here?"

"I have calculated an acute nutritional deficit in your current daily routine," Roseanne stated, walking directly to Jennie's side and completely ignoring the space between them as she set the thermal bag firmly on the table. She gently took Jennie's hand, lacing their fingers together in a clear, uncompromising display of possession.