Precious Things || Jensoo

Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

She takes a step back and fumbles in her bag, pulling something out and thrusting it in her pocket.

She still hasn't said anything, but I know she saw.

I can see it in her eyes.

She lifts her hand and cups my cheek. Gentle.

Her thumb strokes up and down as I feel more numb than I've ever felt before. I can't even cry. I just stand here, breathing in and out.

"I'll be right back," she says.

"We need to get to class." Hollow. I sound hollow.

"In a bit. I need to do something."

I look at her. I can't think straight enough to understand what's going on. She takes a step closer, so were right there, next to each other. She kisses me ever so softly on the forehead.

"I'll be right back, baby."

And she's out the door.

So, now she knows. I sit on the bench, still numb on the inside, burning with pain on the outside.

She didn't take it too badly. She didn't recoil away from me. She doesn't seem disgusted with me. She's my Jennie, she... She was okay, I think. Maybe not. Maybe that's why she left, maybe it's too much. No, her bag is still here.

The door swings back and in she comes. Her eyes bore into mine once again. I try to see if I can read any disgust there, but I can't.

She kneels in front of me, pressing her forehead to mine. Her hands capture my own, and our fingers lightly tangle. Our breathing synchronizes, and for a few moments, I let this be everything.

"Come on," she whispers.

I don't want to go back to class.

"We have to go back to class," I whisper lifelessly.

"It's okay, baby," she whispers. "It's okay. Come on."

We're not going back to class. I can tell that from her voice, her urging me to get up. She picks up her own bag and mine. One of them goes on her back, the other dangles from her hand. Her free hand takes my own and very carefully, very gently, eases me to a standing position.

She laces our fingers together, firmly, and doesn't let go. She maneuvers us out the door, not a bad skill given she's literally got her hands full.

We walk down the corridor, the empty corridor, towards the doors to the outside of the school. It's dark and cool in here, and bright and light out there. I feel so strange.

I can barely think now. All I know is that Jennie's here and she's got my hand and, somehow, it's going to be okay.

I can find Strong Jisoo. I can find her and get through the next few days. Jennie and I'll see each other at school. It will be okay. We'll find a way.

She's here. And it's going to be okay.

We walk outside, and I follow her out to the gate. We stand on the curb, hand-in-hand, for maybe a minute. We're silent, but the warm pressure of her fingers around mine is all I need for the moment.

Then her father pulls up to the curb. He doesn't say anything, but I think I see them exchange a look. He gives me a smile, and then he says, "Hey, Jisoo."

I bite my lip and nod at him. I can't talk. It's all gone from me. I haven't said a thing except for 'We have to go back to class' since we got to the changing room.

Jennie helps me into the back seat and then goes around the other side. I feel odd, like I'm being chauffeured, but I don't say anything. She takes my hand again, and I briefly wonder where we're going. I assume her house.

I'm going to get in so much trouble for skipping school.

How could I be in more trouble than I am now?

I ... I just don't care any more.

But we don't go to her house. Taeyang drives us into town and stops in front of a white building there. I look out at it.

It's a doctors' surgery. It's Hyorin's work.

Jennie squeezes my hand.

"It's okay," she whispers. "It's okay."

She comes around and helps me out of the car. She leaves my bag behind, though, and hers.

Leaning into the front window, she says something to her Dad, and then steps back. We watch him drive away.

Inside, Jennie doesn't let go of my hand. She just squeezes gently as we approach the counter.

"Jennie!" the middle-aged lady there says happily. "Aren't you supposed to be in school, young lady?"

"Yeah, something came up," my girl says evenly. "Can you tell Hyorin I'm here?"

"She's with a patient, but I'll let her know."

Jennie smiles at the lady, and then we find two seats. She's still holding my hand. Across the way, I see a man sporting an incredibly bad comb-over stare at our entwined fingers.

I couldn't give a damn.

It doesn't take long for Hyorin to emerge behind another middle-aged lady. She smiles and waves them off, then looks over to us. Angling her head in the direction of the hall she just came from, she indicates for us to come.

Getting to my feet hurts. Everything hurts though, so why should that be different?

We get to Hyorin's office and she closes the door, turning to look at Jennie quizzically.

"Your father rang, said it was important. Are you okay?"

I look at Jennie and she looks at me. I can't talk.

She's my everything and she's chosen a path for us to walk down. I don't know where it's going, but I'll be damned if I can see another way. Hyorin sits in her chair at her desk, watching us carefully.

I start to shake. I don't know if I can do this.

Jennie brings her hands up to cup my cheeks.

"I love you, and I'm going to take care of you. It's going to be okay."

Somehow we end up with me facing her, and her facing Hyorin. She must know I can't move because she unbuttons my cardigan for me and takes it off, never once taking her eyes from mine.

I feel her lift my blouse and singlets out from my skirt again, more fully this time. She unbuttons my blouse and I start to shake harder. Hand on the back of my neck, she strokes.

I shake harder.

When she pulls up my shirts, I hear Hyorin gasp.

It's then that the first tear falls from my face. A solitary, laden drop that slides down my cheek and onto my chin, heading south. I look at Jennie, and realise that I'm not the only one crying.

She drops my shirt and I lean forward pressing my head into her shoulder.

Her hand strokes my hair and she whispers, "It's going to be okay. I promise, it's going to be okay."

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