Rationale // Jenlisa [BOOK 2/3 - COMPLETED]

prologue

I was here in a huge and confusing maze accompanied by dark skies, didn't even know the reason why. I began to get nervous, with my hands getting sweaty and my legs getting jelly, as I felt clueless upon knowing where to go, not knowing the idea of finding my way back to my normal state.

Where there's no maze that's holding me back to live normally.

Slowly taking few steps, I noticed my hands were tied up with chains. Oh, that's why I was slowly walking around this maze. No matter how fast I walk, I was always getting pulled back to my original position.

"Dowajuseyo!" I heard a familiar voice's scream. She was floating at the middle of the maze with thorns on her body. Squinting my eyes, I knew she was familiar.

"Kid, why are you walking slowly? Are you some type of turtle?" I heard a loud voice that echoed throughout the whole maze. Chills and goosebumps devoured my whole body as I tried to run but it was no use. I also go back to the start.

I began to get exhausted upon trying and trying again for it is all for my own good. I wanted to save that person, at the same time I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

Gathering all of my strength, I tried to run and run as I felt myself getting closer to the lady, despite the confusing directions that were given by the maze. When I was finally next to her, she had cat eyes and I instantly fell inlove.

It was like someone I knew in college. And I only liked one person in college.

When I was about to talk to her and get her out of here with me, her ears were being covered with such objects so she will not hear anything. She was already crying. I wanted to comfort her and tell her everything's gonna be fine but the chains got a stronger hold on my body and I winced in pain.

"Trying to talk to her, eh? There are consequences, young lady." The voice said once again. It started to rain and all of us were soakig wet. "If you tell her you love her, then, say goodbye to her. If you don't tell her you love her, then, you will get out of this maze."

Without any hesitations, I blurted out the three words and the girl was suddenly gone in an instant.

I was pulled back by the chains and I was crying as I hugged my knees in sadness.

I lost her by saying out my emotions. And I felt slowly dying. But, I felt dead.

After a couple of minutes, the sun rose up, revealing the touch of hope, as I heard something that can revive someone's life.

----

*Factime calling, Park Chaeyoung*

I woke up to the sound of the ringtone of a facetime videocall request and with such heavy breathing accompanied by large beads of sweat. Phew, it was just nightmare but it felt so real.

Maybe it felt so real because it really happened in real life?

I tried to shake off my thoughts as I sat up in bed and getting my phone from the nightstand. Argh, I sighed in annoyance as I saw the notification.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead!" The voice of my bestfriend, Park Chaeyoung, welcomed me as I tapped the answer button. I fixed my hair using my right hand and smiled at her.

"Good morning, Chae~" I said in an uwu tone and she smiled back. "What the hell do you want?!"

She was taken aback by the sudden change of my tone. It was like a gradient of a cutesy one to an angry one, only in the duration of 10 seconds.

"Geez, don't be so hard on me early in the morning. Is it that time of the month, Lisa-ya?" She teasingly asked me and I was really fuming that time.

"Argh! You chipmunk! Why the hell are you pissing me off at this time around?" I said and buried my face on my pillow. "And, it's Pranpriya from now on, haven't you forgotten that Lisa's dead now?"

"I just said rise and shine, did I even annoy the hell out of you already? Calm your bangs, dongsaeng." She said and fixed her hair, using the camera in the videocall as her mirror. "Oh and yeah, I always forget that, Pokpak."

I sighed and changed my mood. "Alrighty then. What do you want, beautiful chipmunk?"

"I was just thinking.." She said and suddenly entered my bedroom without any consent. "Maybe we could hangout with Bambam later? I've got some important announcement!"

"Chaeyoung-ah! Why do you even have to call me if you're just one room away from me!" I said and greeted her with a hug.

"What? I was just waking you up in a modern style." She said and raised her eyebrows in a playful manner. "Or, just a practice."

"What practice?" I said and fixed placed my hair into a messy bun. "Excuse me for a bit."

She stood up, allowing me to have the space I wanted to fix my bed. When it's all done, I patted some space and she sat down again. "You know, ldr?"

"Mmhm." I just hummed and sat down next to her. "Whatever you say."

"Yah! What about our hangout with Bambam?" She shouted at me all of sudden. It was me who got shocked now.

"Yah! We're just a few inches away! Why do you have to shout!" I mocked her. We laughed togther and I replied, "I'm not coming."

"Waeyo?!" She whined like a little baby. You know, that dream still bothers me and I guess it's giving me a sign. "Such a killjoy, Pranpriya."

I laughed at her. "Yah! I'll think about it first! Why don't you help mom downstairs in preparing breakfast?"

She nodded and skipped outside of my room and loudly closing the door behind her. That chipmunk, jinjja.

I walked around my room until I saw a familiar picture that I specially placed at the center of my room.

It was my first selfie with my first real love. First selfie with my childhood buddy, grade school best friend, high school trustee, and finally, college crush, Jennie Ruby Jane Kim.

I grabbed the picture and guilt slowly rushed through my veins. Mianhae.

"Maybe you're feeling lonely right now," I said and smiled at the picture. "Don't worry, I'll try to neglect loneliness from you."

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A/N: weyhey! welcome to rationale! hope you enjoy this too :)