RUTH❌

24. the cave

The lineup ended about 30 minutes ago, and by now, the number of people still left on floor 3 was slim to none.

"I really appreciate you for coming and staying back to help me, Jennie. You've done a lot for me and I owe you big time." Jisoo embraced me into a cozy hug while speaking into my ear.

Jisoo saved me a front-row seat during this County-based Suicide Awareness Program, to ensure I was in fact there listening to her one [1] of the many speeches presented by various people sharing their own experience with the topic of suicide. Held in the same 5-story central building from years before was the special event.

Most attendees were the freshmen and sophomores from schools all around Seoul that were either excited to see and record @sooyaaa for social media leverage, or they actually deeply cared about the situation the real-life Jisoo Kim was in, similar to the majority of guests. Adults, teachers, cameramen, and photographers came as well to scout, note, and save the beauty of the awareness program.

"You're welcome. I couldn't have let the opportunity to hear you publicly speak on this slip away. You spoke from your heart, and I'm sure your parents and Ruth are so proud of you right now." I said.

She pulled out of the hug and expressed tenderness through her face after my heart warming statement, before letting out a passionate thank you.

"Jisoo," The pastel voice came from a female who appeared to our left unannounced.

She was a beautiful young woman, with skin clearer than the most expensive crystal. Her tall frame and slender body were like of a Victoria secret model. The perfectly crafted simple aqua dress she was wearing hugged firmly around her waist, capturing her slight curves. It was a pleasing aesthetic, where the ends of the bodice were dipped in dark indigo dye to complete the vogue ensemble.  

Jisoo's face strangely went dim to nothing once she noticed the woman standing there, "Jessica can pick up from here." She readily ended their interaction by giving Jessica a look to symbolize her underlying dislike towards her. Stiffly strolling past us to greet other people, she went.

The woman, Jessica, faked a grin in response before turning to me and smiling brightly.

She shook my hand, "Nice to meet you. You must be Jisoo's friend. I'm Jessica, her guardian."

Her light British accent was refreshing to my ears, and she did not match the description that Jisoo told me of. Not a party girl, nor a drinker - but a classy and elegant young lady.

"Wait you are?"

Jessica sucked in air and jerked her eyebrows towards the ceiling, "Well I am, but as you just saw she's not necessarily the biggest fan of my company."

"Sorry about that."

She let out a small chuckle, "You don't have to say sorry it's okay. I totally understand where the animosity comes from. She's been through a lot, and losing your entire family to murder in under 3 days can really mess up someone for a lifetime."

"Three days?" I furrowed my brows thinking back to the talk I had with Jisoo when she invited me to her house, "Odd, Jisoo told me her parents died a few months before her sister in a car crash." Jessica looked at me funny and shook her head straightaway.

"No thaaattt's not what happened at all. They got murdered in their new home a few days after Ruth was found. It was all over the news broadcasts in Daegu where it happened. I wouldn't be surprised if it was targeted in both places. Jisoo only got lucky 'cause she was still filming her movie in Japan, so it could've been worse."

What she said didn't reflect what Jisoo told me that day at all. In fact I remembered her story being distinctively different, and it contradicted it. "So her parents weren't in the United States when Ruth passed away?"