Roses and Thorns (Jinlia)

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗻 | the strings she pulled

Book 1, Chapter 10
𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝗍𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌 𝖲𝗁𝖾 𝖯𝗎𝗅𝗅𝖾𝖽

“Hey, eonni!”

Jisu nearly jumped out of her skin as Chaeryeong’s voice shattered the quiet of the house. “Geez, Chaeryeong!” she gasped, pressing a hand to her chest.

“Relax!” Chaeryeong waved off the dramatics with a grin.

“You scared the life out of me,” Jisu muttered, still recovering.

“I’ve been calling you like a hundred times but got no answer, so I thought I’d swing by to check on you.” Chaeryeong shrugged, her sudden appearance explained. With Mrs. Choi off at work as usual, the house was theirs. “And from what I can see, you’re perfectly okay, just lost in your own little world,” she added, snapping her fingers in front of Jisu’s face for emphasis.

Jisu sighed, her thoughts immediately drifting back to Ryujin. This whole mess is her fault, she thought bitterly.

Ryujin had orchestrated everything so perfectly, had laid out her plan so meticulously, that Jisu had found it impossible to refuse or even argue.

“What kind of bullshit is this?” Jisu had blurted out during their last confrontation, forgetting momentarily that she was speaking to Shin Ryujin herself.

“Mind your language, please,” Ryujin had snapped back, her tone icy. “As I was saying, I’m going to keep up the act of being your cousin.”

“But--”

“Let me finish,” she commanded, silencing Jisu with just a look. The weight of Ryujin’s stare was enough to force Jisu into reluctant compliance. “I’ve already made arrangements for your classes, though I had to go through President Shin to do it. The agreement that I’ll live out my college days as Choi Jin, supposedly your cousin, will stay strictly between us, the students, and faculty you’re associated with. Anyone who dares spill the truth will face the consequences of defying my mother’s authority.”

A shiver ran down Jisu’s spine at the mention of the Shins’ influence. It was no empty threat.

But Jisu, ever quick-witted, immediately spotted a flaw. “What’s stopping them from questioning your sudden appearance as my cousin when everyone knows the only family I have here is Chaeryeong and my mom?”

Ryujin’s lips curled into a smirk, one that sent a chill through Jisu. “I knew you’d bring that up,” she said, eyes gleaming. “The President was quite the skilled scriptwriter during her time in theater school. I don’t think I need to elaborate further; it’s pretty self-explanatory.”

Jisu wasn’t convinced. “I want specifics,” she insisted, setting her empty cup down with a clatter. She folded her arms defiantly.

Ryujin shrugged, entirely unfazed. “Honestly, I haven’t bothered to learn the details,” she admitted, and Jisu’s frustration deepened. “But here’s the part you should care about: your mom works for my aunt, Yuna’s mom, at their Deversorium, right?”

Jisu’s jaw dropped. “You mean to tell me you’ve roped my mom into this too?”

Ryujin’s smirk widened. “That’s right. We’ve got her on board as well. So, if anyone starts poking holes in the President’s story, your mom will be there to smooth things over.”

Jisu was floored. Her own mother had struck a deal with the Shins, and she hadn’t suspected a thing.

“In short, no one will question my supposed relation to you,” Ryujin concluded, a note of triumph in her voice. “They’ll just accept me as your cousin without a second thought. I’ll move around this university freely, my true identity hidden.”

Jisu’s mind immediately jumped to the one person who wouldn’t be fooled so easily. “You can spin whatever stories you want, but Chaeryeong won’t just swallow them,” she argued. “She’s practically my sister; we’ve been inseparable since we were toddlers.”

Ryujin’s eyes gleamed with confidence. “Your best friend will be none the wiser,” she declared. “As for Yuna, she’ll handle Chaeryeong.”

“Wait, Yuna’s involved too?” Jisu’s voice rose in disbelief.

“Of course,” Ryujin replied smoothly. “I’ve got this covered from every angle. Anything that might raise eyebrows? I’m already ahead of it. It’s all under control, so chill.”

Jisu was far from reassured. “But what if someone decides to defy the rules?” she asked, the question lingering heavily in the air.

Ryujin’s smirk didn’t waver. “Anyone who crosses the line will face the consequences, as per the President’s orders.”

Jisu hesitated, then asked the one question that had been nagging at her. “Why is the President allowing you so much freedom?”

Ryujin leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Let me share a little secret,” she said, her words sending a chill down Jisu’s spine. “This is the first time my mother has seen me interact with people, the first time she’s seen me step out of my comfort zone. She’s all in to back me up on this one.”

What a twisted game, Jisu thought, shaking her head.

“Alright, I’m heading out,” Chaeryeong’s voice cut through Jisu’s thoughts like a blade.

“What?!” Jisu exclaimed, bewildered.

Chaeryeong paused at the door, casting a concerned look back. “You’re zoning out again, Choi. Maybe you should take a breather,” she quipped, sarcasm lacing her tone as she let herself out, clearly fed up with Jisu’s distracted demeanor.

As the door clicked shut, Jisu realized she might actually need a break. Dealing with Ryujin was getting to her in more ways than one.

She made a mental note to talk to her mom laterㅡthere had to be more to this twisted arrangement than what Ryujin was letting on.

“Ugh, that woman...” Jisu muttered under her breath, clicking her tongue in frustration as she sank into her chair, already dreading the days to come.