Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

When I get to Jennie's room she's sitting cross-legged on her bed. In a white beater and boxer shorts. I find it hard not to both stare and fall to my knees screaming, 'Thank you, Lord! Thank you!'

I don't think she'd really understand either so I just look at my bed and make my way there.

The main lights of the room are off and it's just the soft glow from the bedside lamps radiating off her deep dark-red canopy. It gives the room an almost ethereal, somewhat romantic glow.

I'm the only one in this room with romantic feelings, though. At least between the two of us.

"You okay?" she asks me.

"Fine," I smile, possibly a little too brightly. "You?"

"Yeah."

I want to ask her if there's something wrong with her and Jongin. I want her to feel like I can be her confidante because, honestly, I'm a good listener. On the other hand, I also kind of want her to break up with Jongin and just be best buddies with him so that she can fall completely in love with me.

That, of course, is complete fantasy.

I climb into my bed, which they've made up with new sheets and a nice comforter. I can see her from here, as she lays back on her bed, hands behind her head and staring up at the canopy of her bed.

"Are you happy, Jisoo?" she asks after a while.

"Er..." I have to think about that one. "Right now, or in general?"

She chuckles. "Always thinking, you are. Both."

"In general..." I sigh. "I don't know. Sometimes. Sometimes not. Aren't most people like that?"

She makes a non-committal noise.

"Right now?" I continue, and then leave a long pause. "Probably happier than I've been in a hell of a long time." I say the last bit so quietly I think she misses it.

But she sits up and looks down at me. "Seriously?"

I can see her from here, where I'm lying. We're looking directly at each other. I nod.

"My life is pretty... regimented. You, tonight, was something special."

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry."

"What for?"

"That tonight was special. Tonight was nothing special, Jisoo. I'm sorry that... your life is so boring that it was special."

I laugh. "Well, maybe it's a good thing my life is like that. Means I can appreciate the little things."

She lays back. "Yeah, I guess." There's a long silence. "You ever just wanna get out of here? Out of this town?"

Aaaah, that question.

"Yeah, in a way. I mean, as soon as I stop living with my grandfather, I can have Coke whenever I want." I turn it into a joke. I don't really want to tell her how hard I find living with him sometimes. I really don't want to tell her that every time she gives me these little journeys into the world I've never touched, it's harder to go back.

I don't want to tell her that she gives me heaven and then sends me straight back to purgatory.

"I'm going to buy you a truckload of that stuff so you can have one every day at school."

I can't decide if she's joking or deadly serious.

"Jen... Coke is nice, but I don't need that much of it." I go with joking. Or at least my own joke to head off any serious intentions she has of purchasing me a lifetime supply of soft drinks. Besides, just the fact she wants to is enough for me.