𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞 || 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐨 ✓

6: The Truth?

Third person 

"J-Jisoo..." Jin began, but didn't have the confidence to go on. 

"Thanks a lot for pushing me onto the floor and not bothering to help me up." Jisoo snapped, turning her head away. 

"I-I'm sorry! It was an accident! I wanted to help you up, but someone from behind me pushed me forward and I couldn't see you anymore..." Jin explained. Jisoo's face went slightly red. 

"Really?" She asked, guilt weighing down her tone. Jin nodded.

"Sorry for misunderstanding you then..." Jisoo cast her gaze on the concrete floor. 

Somehow Jin felt sorry for her too. He could see she had something weighing her down, possibly explaining why her fists were clenched. Why she was frowning. Why she was taking deep breaths to calm herself down. Why she had glared at the man that way. Jin didn't like the tense mood. So the boy began telling her about himself, like he always did when he was alone with someone else. 

In school, there were many people watching, and Jin was secretly terrified. That's why he put on this mask, the mask of indifference, of arrogance. When he was alone, instead, he felt less shy. That's why he could summon up some words to start a conversation.

"Do you know why my shoulders are so broad?" He started. Jisoo looked up, her gaze softening. She shrugged her shoulders. Jin told her that his father had taught him to do ten pushups every day so that he would be even more handsome. The child would do anything to make himself more handsome, so he stuck to doing pushups everyday. 

"Wow..." Jisoo commented, slightly nodding at Jin's diligence. All that for being handsome? Really? Doing push-ups wasn't easy, especially at the age of five. She realised that this wasn't that snobbish boy at school, instead one that was a mood maker. Unexpectedly friendly. She could taste the sincerity in Jin's words. 

And that was what shocked Jisoo. 

She had only ever felt sincerity in her brother. Not even her mother, or Rosé, or Lisa. Paling, she thought, my brother came from the same place as me, what if Jin did too? 

Jin's eyes were watching her. She forced a smile and a nod.

Jin watched Jisoo nodding, her brown hair bouncing up and down. Pretty, he thought but kept it to himself. Why were her teeth, especially her canines, so sharp? When she smiled, the two teeth would poke out. He asked Jisoo about it.

"Oh, tiger teeth," she replied, "Probably... born with it." The last part came out weakly, almost like she was telling a lie. But Jin didn't want to seem like a busybody. He thought about other things. 

He felt guilty about his attitude at school. Probably because everyone else was watching. But when alone with this girl, he felt different. As if she were his confidant. Not bad for a girl, he thought again, then asked, "Who is your mother?"

"Kim Jennie." Was the reply.

"Oh? The most famous actress in South Korea?!" Jin couldn't believe it. He had always thought everyone else's parents would never be more famous than his own father, but there and then he had been proven wrong. Kim Jennie was the prettiest actress he had seen. Kim Jisoo was the prettiest girl he had seen. Makes sense, he mused. 

"And your father is Kim Namjoon, right? CEO of the Kim's company?" Jisoo piped up, enjoying the shocked look in Jin's face. She smirked. 

Jin nodded, reeling in shock about how much Jisoo knew about his father. 

"You know, my mother says that your father was her high school classmate." Jisoo said. But she didn't tell him what Taehyung had told her about them being soon-to-be neighbours. 

"Ah," Jin exclaimed at the new information. The conversation was going unexpectedly... well?

"You take after your mother." Jin said, smiling.

"No, I don't." Jisoo muttered. "My schoolmates are always saying my mother is so much prettier than me. It's probably true." 

But that feeling was true to Jisoo. The sheer pressure on her needing to live up to her mother's beauty. She was five. Why was society doing this to her? If she hadn't left that world, she wouldn't need to go thought this. This comparison. This competition. Where she always lost. Forever second to her mother. Even compared to her brother, he seemed more normal than her. Friendlier, smarter, easier to understand. She felt like someone who always came second in a competition. Sure, she didn't have to pressure to always come first, but if she fell to third place? Even if she finally won one day, everyone would say the results were rigged. She would always be second. 

Jin didn't know why anyone would say that. Jennie was beautiful, so was Jisoo! Why did she have such low self-esteem?

"You shouldn't listen to them. Not everyone is right." Jin told her. "You should have more self-esteem, Jisoo," he added. 

Tears pricked at her eyes. "N-no, they are right. They can't be wrong. Everyone can have different opinions, but why are all of theirs the same?" She questioned, tears making her vision hazy. She lowered her head, blinking furiously. She was strong. Strong people didn't cry. But here she was in the verge of crying. She wasn't strong anymore. Jin just said her self esteem was low. That was true. 

When had she proven them wrong?

Never. 

Jin grew silent, watching Jisoo tilt her head downwards. He had only seen her sit up straight when she was angry. When had she been happy? Smiling? He had never seen her smile. What was she thinking right now? Was he doing the right thing? Before he said anything, she was fine. All he had done was make her cry.

I am a horrible friend, Jin thought. 

At the same time, a crystal teardrop fell onto Jisoo's hand.