BE ALRIGHT

14

Jennie's POV

I slowly opened my eyes, the bright sunlight filtering in through the window causing me to squint. As my vision came into focus, I realized that I was face to face with Lisa, her beaming smile inches away from my own face. I couldn't help but feel a jolt of surprise, and I quickly scooted away from her, putting some distance between us.

"Good morning, Jennie Kim," Lisa said, still smiling, and I couldn't help but notice how her eyes seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

But before I could even respond, she put her arm around my waist, and I could feel my body tensing up at the unexpected touch. I grabbed her arm and threw it away from me, my voice sharp.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I said, my tone more harsh than I intended.

"You hugged me last night" she pouted, her voice laced with disappointment.

I sighed and rolled my eyes. "It meant nothing, so get over it." I flicked her forehead, she groaned in response, still not fully appeased.

As I sat up and prepared to leave her bed, she called out to me with a childish tone. "Where are you going, Nini? Let's cuddle!"

I turned to face her, my expression stern. "Don't try to sweet talk me, I'm not in the mood."

She held up her hands in surrender. With a resigned sigh, she lay back down and watched as I made my way out of the room.

"I'm going down to make some breakfast. You're welcome to join me, or not. Whatever." I stated nonchalantly, as I made my way down the stairs, Kuma running down alongside me. I scooped him up, his soft fur tickling my cheek, and smothered him with kisses.

"I wish I was Kuma," Lisa groaned from behind me, her voice heavy with envy. Ignoring her, I gently placed Kuma back down on the floor, and turned to her.

"Could you feed Kuma? I'm going to cook some kimchi fried rice," I requested, already heading to the fridge to grab the ingredients.

The fridge door opened with a satisfying hum, revealing a colourful array of fresh produce. I reached for the kimchi, the vinegary smell stinging my nose as I cradled the jar in my arms. As I closed the fridge door, I caught a glimpse of Lisa out of the corner of my eye. She was already pouring some kibble into Kuma's bowl, a small smile on her face as she ruffled his fur.

"Nini, I'm done feeding Kuma. Can I help you?" Lisa asked eagerly, her voice grating on my nerves. It was too early in the morning to deal with her over-excitement.

I rolled my eyes at her, barely managing to suppress a sigh. "What will you do?" I asked, knowing that she wouldn't wait for my approval before jumping in anyway.

"I can do anything," she responded with a grin, eager to lend a hand. I slid the spring onion and garlic towards her.

"Cut these," I instructed, trying to focus on the task at hand. With a practiced hand, I tied an apron around my waist, and tossed another to Lisa.

Lisa giggled and held up the apron straps. "You can put it on me," she teased, causing me to roll my eyes once again.

I shook my head, trying to maintain a sense of calm as I prepared the ingredients for the fried rice. Once everything was in place, I turned on the stove and let it heat up, the soft hiss of the gas burner filling the kitchen.

"Are you done cutting everything?" I asked, turning towards Lisa. I saw that she had tears streaming down her face.