A Love in Three Chapters [Completed]

Chapter 2.1

L'ÉPISODE 2:

Captured a taxi despite all the rain

We drove in silence across Pont Champlain

And all of the time you thought I was sad

I was trying to remember your name

Jennie remained quiet but studied Lisa while her face was showing various messages that her eyes couldn't fully communicate. How do you really react when you hear your ex-girlfriend say she named her business venture over something that you both exclusively used to use to show affection to each other?

You don't. You just feel.

The situation with Lisa is something no one will fully understand, but Jennie simply puts like this: she was her first real love. There may be a lot of things that have happened in between, but no one can deny that they have spent a huge chunk of their childhood just being with each other. In fact, and maybe perhaps even Lisa will attest, that a huge part of her has been influenced by Lisa as much as she has influenced their maknae. Lisa probably absorbed the most from everyone as she tried to quickly adapt when she moved to South Korea: there's undeniably a little bit of Jisoo and a little bit of Chaeng in her. This means even after some years of being apart they never really got to outgrow each other, and this is especially true of Jennie and Lisa.

So when your first real love gives you crumbs like this - her practically telling you she named her business after you despite the fact that you've decided to separate 5 years ago and despite having lived separate lives since, you DO NOT do anything about it. You DON'T ask questions. You just take it all in, Jennie told herself.

It was Lisa's turn to pry. 'How have you been' sounded like a very innocent question, but it felt like a loaded Pandora's box for Jennie. Which parts should she tell? Which parts should she leave out? Which parts are Lisa aware of? It must have taken her a good 3 minutes to stall before she came up with a small "I'm well," to which Lisa laughed.

"Pregnant pause and you just went with 'I'm well.' You haven't changed much, Nini."

Nini. It's also been a long time since someone has called her that. She has always been Jen, Jennie or Jennifer to everyone, but have been a Nini to only one. Of course, the fans loved calling her that before, but it never is quite the same as someone calling you with a name that is full of so much history, of so much endearment, of so much meaning. Jennie felt a lump of emotions forming that she tried to swallow but her throat has been coming up dry.

"You arrange events like this now?" Lisa prodded. "I wasn't very impressed with the exterior but it's a surprising experience inside, indeed."

"No, this location is a one-off. You know how Paris can be expensive so I work with a collective who would scout abandoned or cheap warehouses near the metro where we can hold bigger events without the premium. It goes with the vibe, too. Everything here is mobile, we just make sure the area is sustainable for the next few hours." Jennie explained. "I helped here because I have a contact who wanted to include the art show in the event. I normally let the others curate."

"Do you not work with Chanel anymore?"

"I do, but only on collaborations. It's part of the brand I maintain as well; I'm more involved now in the creative collaborations, at least for Paris. They still tap me for Seoul FW or other South Korean influences as a consultant."

"Yeah, I noticed you haven't released a new line since 4 years ago."

"To be honest that was just a thank you to my mother - just something to appease her that her daughter has a line with her favourite brand. She has let me do what I wanted since."

Lisa nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like a relief."

Jennie shrugged. "I get more freedom now and living in France. She hates it of course, but I think she knows I'm done with Korea."

"So you're not planning to move back at all anymore?" Lisa asked, but almost like a whisper she didn't mean to escape.

"I have applied for a permanent residency."

Lisa almost wanted to say that it's not the same thing, but she kept quiet. She knew Jennie aspired to be a bigger name in France, but she didn't realize Jennie might push through with plans to really want to permanently leave South Korea.

Or maybe because Lisa remembers it differently back then.

It was sometime here that she felt there was a building pain near her chest that she couldn't fathom. She didn't really want to be here anymore.

"Jennie, I think I have to go." Lisa mumbled. Normally anyone would have a hard time picking it up, but Jennie being attuned to Lisa's mannerisms, she knew exactly what she said and what it meant.

"Listen, I have to leave as well," Jennie told her. It was a lie, but we're not exactly spewing truths tonight, are we? "Why don't we share a cab?"

Lisa just nodded. Jennie stood up and looked around. "What about your friend?"

"Who?"

"The...girl. The...uhm...easily distracted one."

"Oh. Hannelore. Yeah, I'll just SMS her. She'll be happier to be left alone." Jennie nodded and offered her hand, which Lisa accepted. They then started to weave through the crowd.

Lisa, for all the times she told herself tonight since seeing Jennie Kim that she should not slip into the familiar, could not help herself when she finally delved into her own pot of emotional torture moments after Jennie held her hand and pulled her away like she used to. 5 years. For 5 years, it was a process of rebuilding herself and trying to move on from what she remembered almost her whole life, and yet every time they touch, it was always an avalanche of old emotions she couldn't understand.

Jennie would be lying if she would say she never had those same thoughts the moment she grabbed Lisa's hand - it just felt like how she used to do it years ago when she would always assume the "unnie" despite being only a year older than their youngest member, where she would always try to lead Lisa by grabbing her hand and always being a few steps in front of her. Not a very impressive feat considering the towering height and length of Lisa's legs, but for some reason, she never complained; it was a natural leadership they just assumed.

This is why Jennie could not help herself but remember in supercuts how it was exactly like then, when--

- she was 16. She saw Lisa sitting alone in one of the chairs weeks after being introduced and Lisa being the lost puppy that she was, Jennie held her hand to assure her everything will be okay

- It was their debut at SBS Inkigayo, where Lisa panicked because she wasn't sure if she can lead the dance choreo and Jennie caught her eye and winked, blew a raspberry when no one was looking

- When they were onstage in Seoul sometime in 2018 and Jennie was trying to push Lisa to speak more, and Lisa slipped and said I love you instead of thank you

I love you. Instead of thank you.

I love you.

Jennie shook her head to free herself of the thoughts. She caught Cedric's eye once they got to the main event area and nodded, then motioned to the door. Cedric, being her right-hand guy, knew the signs. He will take over for the rest of the night.