A List of Firsts (How it All Started with Jennie's Ruthless Confidence)

There were only a handful things Kim Namjoon knew of Jennie Kim to be true and it could be counted by one hand: she shared his family name (although they were not related in a way), she was YG's famous ice princess, she was multi-talented and she was alluring as a rose, tempting but full of thorns.

His band mates were closely behind him when they exited the stage after Melon Music Awards 2018. Namjoon was in the middle of fishing his phone out from his pants with no little amount of effort for its fabric clung to him like a hungry snake when Jennie Kim stopped in front of him in all her skimpy outfit.

For a second, Namjoon smiled, looked around, then his expression morphed into confusion when he saw no camera focused on them. Jennie cocked her head in tune with Hosoek's whistle and Jungkook's bewildered grumbles. She did not look bothered at the seven pairs of eyes, a calm facade pasted on her pretty face like she had been dealing with this kind of attention all her life.

Namjoon was intrigued.

"You're a songwriter. "she said, then, "and a producer. "

It wasn't a question but Namjoon ended up nodding. She watched him coolly, even when he started flushing at the idea of being the center of those striking eyes. Then she turned her back and walked away.

He thought he had dealt with so many weird shit enough. From the occasional and questionable porn he comes across, to finding Jimin and Yoongi in a compromising position in their third year as bandmates and to the horror that happened behind closed door of most entertainment companies. He could deal with strangeness, and even sometimes plain ass craziness but there was something about the manner in which Jennie Kim just waltzed in front of him and demanded attention that prickled at the back of his mind for weeks.

It did not help that two weeks after MMA 2018, and during another award show, she managed to sneak up beside him backstage and attempted a conversation with him.

"I heard you like books." Jennie said, eyes staring resolutely everywhere except him as she sat beside him, water bottle clamped in her hands. "I like books too. What do you like to read?"

Namjoon dragged his eyes from her exposed shoulder. "What?"

"I said." she repeated, slowly and with a hint of mock, "What type of books do you like?"

Affronted by the judging tone, Namjoon begun mentally listing down brilliant literature he had devoured for the past years but one mirthful smile from the woman in front of him made him abandoned it. To hell with masculinity, it was too overrated anyway. "Everything." he ended up shrugging.

"Have you read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo?" She didn't seem bothered by his sudden lack of conversational skill, and her eyes instead flickered down to her impeccable nails, searching for invisible dirt. "I think you'll like it."

"Sure." He answered, though he doubted anything could hold his attention better than her accent curling in the English words of the title of whatever book she was recommending him.

She sighed. "Are you always this amenable?"

"I'm sorry." Namjoon finally tore his gaze from her to run a hand down his face. If he thought he was over in seeing celebrities everywhere, this was the personification of that lie slapping him. "This is so weird."

"Weird? Why?"

"You." He gestured to her and at last, Jennie met his eyes. "You're from YG."

Her lips folder over themselves lightly, grinding together in what could be a moment of deliberation but to Namjoon, it was torture reincarnation. "Of course, what did I expect?"