Against All Odds (Jennie x Reader)

07 - Competition

For the next few days you didn't talk to Jennie except for working together, and when you did you kept it brief and businesslike. It was a little awkward after the other night, so both of you acted like it never happened.

The other Blackpink members were really curious about you and Jennie; they could tell something was going on by the sudden change in attitude. They wouldn't stop asking about it, and from their questions you realized that they didn't know anything that had happened that night. Jennie must be really low-key about this stuff, you thought. She was still such a mystery.

But you shouldn't spend so much time thinking about Jennie, you had a job to do here. As the studio became your second home you got to be bros with Teddy, Vince, Kush and the boys.

You also discovered that Chaeyoung was always around the studio. She loved music the most in Blackpink, so she would come there even when she wasn't working just to jam or hangout. You got to know her quite a bit better. She was a sweet girl, easy to get along with and always smiling. She was the kind of person who was friends with everyone and she had inside jokes with all the staff.

With time it got less awkward with Jennie, and soon things were back to normal. Neither of you ever brought up the night in the car. She was even a little flirty here and there, but then again all Blackpink members were like that with you.

Chaeyoung was always kind and offering to help you with stuff. Jisoo had a weird way of doing it and made all these funny nicknames for you. Lisa was the worst, she would do this child-like pouty thing (apparently called aegyo) which made you sick. One day after lunch you had to get back to work but she wanted you to stay with them longer in the cafeteria.

"Opppaaaaa.... you'll make me sad if you leeaavveee" she whined loudly, rubbing her eyes to imitate crying.

For a second it was quiet as she waited for your reaction. You looked at Jennie, Jisoo and Chaeyoung like this:

They all burst out laughing. "I told you what what would happen if you tried aegyo on (y/n)" Chaeyoung said between laughs, trying not to choke on her noodles.

You shook your head at these four goofs which you had grown to like. "I'll see you all later" you chuckled as you headed back to the studio.

You started spending more time with Chaeyoung. You both came from western backgrounds, she was very personable, and always in the studio so you became closer over the weeks. You almost never talked to anyone about your life back in Compton, you avoided it actually - but Chaeyoung was so comfortable to be around and such a good listener that you found yourself telling her all kinds of stuff without realizing.

Sometimes you let some things slip that you really shouldn't have - like the real way you had made money back home. Thankfully she wasn't judgmental and seemed trustworthy enough. She better be, you thought, because some of those illegal activities from your past could even get you kicked out of YG.

She became your best friend in Korea - you had the more in common with Bobby and Hanbin and they were your bros of course - but you spent the most time with Chaeyoung. She helped you with your Korean and adjusting to Seoul, and you helped her learn production stuff she didn't understand, like if she wanted to play something on her guitar and turn it into a production layer.

Sometimes just for fun outside work hours you would whip up a simple instrumental for her to sing to, and some of them ended up becoming pretty much full songs. As far as you were concerned you two were nothing more than good friends.

You and Jennie were getting along really well again. You talked rap stuff and she was really interested in how you wrote raps and how to make hers better.

You recorded a few more kpop songs with Blackpink, and pieces of an album were starting to come together. The girls were really enjoying that you included them in the composing, although Jisoo was annoyed when nobody else liked her idea of a song about chicken.

Lisa toned down the aegyo and acted more like herself and she was pretty cool actually. Once you figured out Jisoo's dorky sense of humor she made you laugh constantly.

Everything was going great until you started to notice some tension between Jennie and Chaeyoung. Jennie started hanging out at the studio as well, and they didn't always seem pleased to see each other there. They started acting funny around each other and getting competitive over petty things.

One time you realized you left your bag in the cafeteria, and Jennie was about to get it but Chaeyoung quickly said she would and ran out before Jennie could do anything. Another time Chaeyoung came to work wearing a pretty new summer dress, and the next day Jennie came in wearing a more expensive Chanel one.

When the 5 of you were all together those two seemed to be competing for attention and would often talk over each other. Jisoo and Lisa noticed it too, because whenever it happened they would give strange looks to each other, and to you as well.

You would've thought they were competing to impress you, but you learned that Jennie had gotten a solo and Chaeyoung was supposed to be next. Those two seemed much more interested in doing solo projects, so maybe that led to some competitiveness between them.

One Friday evening Bobby invited you to his place to hang with him, Hanbin and Mino. Basically the rap guys. They showed you how to make Korean BBQ and you guys drank some beer.

Bobby put an instrumental on and the boys started freestyling, mainly in Korean. You could now have basic conversations in Korean, but there was no hope using it to freestyle off the dome. Mino said you could go in English if you wanted.

When you started rapping you dropped the crispest rhymes and punchlines you could think of.

Everyone stopped at stared. They weren't totally fluent in English, but they knew enough to realize what they were hearing wasn't your everyday rap.

"(Y/n) what the hell? I thought you were a producer, that was flames bro."

"Yeah, but I used to rap lots back home. I prefer it to producing actually."

"Did you record anything?"

"Yeah, I have a couple mixtapes."

They were all really interested to hear your music so you pulled it up for them. You put on Korean subtitles so they could understand better. Smiles slowly started appearing on their faces and they nodded their heads along with it.

"Bro. I had no idea you could spit like this. When's the album coming?"

You chuckled. "I don't know man, I'm signed as a producer. YG doesn't release anything that's entirely in English."

"But dude, with a talent like that? You can't quit. You're a natural, if you keep improving your Korean you'd have huge potential. And we can help you with it." Hanbin and Mino nodded.

"You serious?"

"100%."

"I'd appreciate that a lot guys," you grinned. "Maybe it's time I picked up the mic again."