Don't Wanna Be Your Girl || Jensoo

Chapter 24

Every worst-case scenario that goes through Jennie's mind while she rushes from the library back to her dorm room is progressively direr than the last: someone in the school administration discovering Jisoo's alter ego and putting her on suspension; Jisoo's mom finding out and disowning her; an accident; a bereavement; diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.

Is...?

Shit.

Is Jisoo coming over to end things between them?

For the next forty-five minutes she tries to distract herself from the mounting dread she feels, now that horrible possibility has entered her thoughts. None of the usual things she does to relax—mindfulness meditation techniques, the graceful forms of tai chi, searching through the 'forestry' tag on Tumblr for moody photos to post to her aesthetic blog (LGBTree, now at 34 followers)—seem to help. Even looking at kittens on Cuteness Overload does nothing to loosen the tight band of tension across her ribs. It only reminds her that she never did establish whether Jisoo's a cat person. That there are so many things she doesn't know, might never know, and what if it's too late?

By the time there's a knock at the door, she's a wreck. Although she's expecting company, the sudden noise still makes her jump. She shoots up from the desk chair, nearly tripping over the casters in her haste to get to the door. Before she opens it, she wipes her palms on her thighs, smooths a hand over her ponytail and takes a few deep breaths in a last-ditch attempt to calm herself.

The flurry of nerves in her stomach only intensifies at the first glimpse of Jisoo in the hallway: hands jammed into the front pockets of ripped jeans, shoulders hunched, a beanie pulled down snug over her ears. The stiffness in her posture matches the strain etched across her features and the tight set of her jaw. Her eyes flit between Jennie's, searching, then drop lower to take in Jennie's workout attire.

Jennie's hardly opened her mouth to offer a tentative "hello" before Jisoo surges forward. Kisses her. A hard clash of lips that jars through Jennie's jaw and forces her back a step. Jisoo grips the back of Jennie's neck, other hand bunching the ribbed cotton of Jennie's tank.

The urgency of the kiss, the undercurrent of desperation held in it catches her off-guard. It takes her a few sluggish seconds to react, to sink into the contact, mouth opening under the insistent swipe of Jisoo's tongue across her bottom lip.

Relief drains rapidly through Jennie's body.

Not a break-up, then.

She brings her hands up to Jisoo's jaw, thumbs sweeping along the slopes of her cheeks. Savours the tiny hitch of Jisoo's breath, the soft wanting noise she lets out. Jennie smiles into it, presses closer, and just as she's about to switch sides, their noses nudging as Jennie tips her head—

Jisoo wrenches away, ending the kiss so abruptly that it has Jennie swaying forward.

She puts out a hand to steady herself against the doorjamb, the sudden, perplexing absence of Jisoo's mouth leaving her dazed and dizzy.

She blinks at Jisoo, a half-formed question on her lips.

Jisoo only avoids Jennie's befuddled stare as she brushes past her shoulder to stalk into the room.

Slowly gathering herself, Jennie closes the door and leans back against it. She watches, waits, anxiety roiling once more in her gut as Jisoo begins to pace.

"Sorry. For, like," Jisoo waves a hand vaguely, "assaulting you there."

She pulls off the beanie, stuffs it into a side pocket of her biker jacket. Drags fingers through mussed hair. Rubs at her nape.