YOUNG LOVE || 𝐉𝐄𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐀 ✔︎

five

“You must have been an emotional wreck,” Seulgi said. “That’s a lot to contend with at fourteen.”

“Thanks,” she said, taking the plate of lasagna from Irene. “Looks great.” She nodded at Seulgi, acknowledging her statement. “I knew what we were doing was crazy, yeah,” she said. “Going through puberty and realizing your best friend was the one who turned you on was scary as hell. But if her mother would have caught us kissing…” she said with a shake of her head, “I can’t even begin to imagine her reaction.”

Seulgi laughed. “Oh, I think you can imagine it. That’s what scared you.”

“So did you and Jennie talk about it?” Irene asked. “I mean, you can call it practice all you want, but I’m sure you both knew what was really happening.”

“Yes, we knew what was happening, but we didn’t talk about it. She was doing what she was supposed to do—date Song Mino. Everything was separate about our lives except that. Different schools, different friends. Her mother kept her busy with tennis lessons, dance, swimming. As she got older, she spent more and more time with her friends. Not that she wanted to. But it was expected of her.”

“Because she was a Kim,” Seulgi stated. “So Daegu was still a small enough city that those old separation of the class rules still applied. Amazing.”

“Like I said, her mother took it very seriously.”

“So did you find it difficult to see each other?”

“Sometimes. As busy as she kept Jennie, her mother had as many activities of her own. Dinner was at seven and neither her mother nor father made it home much before then.” She took a bite of the lasagna and nodded. “This is delicious, Irene. Thanks for making it vegetarian.”

“Thank you. And you’re welcome.”

“How long before kissing was no longer enough?” Seulgi asked bluntly.

“You mean, when did we start touching?”

“I’m assuming you didn’t dive right in and become lovers. You were virgins,” she said.

“Virgins but not clueless,” she said. “I wanted to touch her but I was afraid.” Lisa smiled. “The first time I dared to touch her breasts, I was fifteen.”
* * *

“I made an A on my test,” Jennie said excitedly, holding up her test paper for Lisa to see.

“Well, look at you,” she said. “See? I told you it’d be okay.”

“I know. I was still shocked though.”

Lisa followed Jennie into her study room and plopped down on the floor where she normally sat. Jennie sat cross-legged beside her, a smile on her face.

“What?” Lisa asked, smiling too.

“Wendy is having a dance party tomorrow night.”

Lisa cocked her head, grinning. “And? You want to practice dancing?”

Jennie nodded, her expression serious. “Can we?”

Lisa got excited at the thought but didn’t want to appear too eager. “What kind of dance?”

Jennie's soft smile sent a chill down Lisa's spine. “Slow.”

Lisa swallowed, wondering how her legs would support her if she and Jennie were dancing. For as much practice kissing as they’d done, there’d never been much touching involved. Even when they’d dared to lay on Jennie's bed, there still was no full body touching. But slow dancing? Their bodies would be close together, their hands would be free to move at will.