Come Home

Four

It's been two days since the yacht sank. Everyone was devastated of the event but the hardest part of it all for Jisoo was telling Jennie's parents that their daughter is missing.

As soon as they got back to land, Jisoo, Matthew and the other passenger were taken to the local hospital in Jeju island. No one was seriously injured from the sinking, but a few police officers were hurt when Matthew started getting hysterical, demanding everyone to let him free so he could search for Jennie. The police officers he harmed did not press charges and let his behaviour slip, deeming it as impulsive reaction due to what happened to his fiancé.

Mr. and Mrs. Kim flew to Jeju island the next day the tragedy happened, asking Jisoo if the news was true. As much as Jisoo doesn't like how Jennie's parents control their daughter's life, it broke her heart when she delivered the news because she knew it will also break their hearts.

And she was right. Mrs. Kim was the first one to start weeping and Mr. Kim held his wife to keep on her feet. Jisoo saw the Kim patriarch shed his own tears too, and this spoke volumes.

For the past two days everything has been hectic. Mr. and Mrs. Kim has yet to leave Jeju and they said they won't until Jennie is found.

As for Jisoo, her parents have been begging her to go back to Seoul to see if she's at least fine but like Jennie's parents, she refuses to leave until her best friend is found.

Currently Jisoo's in her hotel room. Matthew and Jennie's parents are also staying in the same hotel as her. She just got out of a badly needed shower after the phone calls she made and received earlier. She needed to relieve her body of stress and the hot water did just that.

She sits on the edge of her bed and looks at the picture of her and Jennie as her screen saver. "I know you're still alive, Jen. I know it. Just please give me a sign or anything to let me know for sure so I can stop worrying about you."

Memories of her and her best friend comes flooding in like a ton of bricks. Those beautiful moments where Jennie was able to enjoy herself in their little bubble in the company of Jisoo, where Jennie's parents command didn't apply even just for a few hours. It might not be a big deal to some but making Jennie happy has become Jisoo's biggest achievement since happiness doesn't come easy for the brunette.

Jennie's disappearance is broadcasted on TV since she comes from a well known family and, as a matter of fact, another broadcasting network is coming over to the hotel to interview Jennie's parents and fiancé.

While Jisoo's spacing out, her phone starts vibrating, making her physically jump. There's an unknown number flashing across the screen and usually she wouldn't answer unknown numbers but something in her gut is telling her that she will regret it if she doesn't pick up.

Carefully, Jisoo brings the phone to her ears. "Hello?" She said apprehensively.

"Chu?"

Jisoo's frozen on her stop. If someone's playing a prank on her, she swear she will track them down and personally punish them. Playing her lost best friend's voice for their sick entertainment is not a good joke.

"Chu, it's me. Are you still there?"

"J-Jennie?" The older girl said so quietly that the person on the other line barely heard it.

"Chu, it's me, Jennie. I'm okay."

"Y-you're safe?" Jisoo barely mumbles out.

"Yes, Chu, I'm safe." Jisoo can hear the smile on Jennie's voice. "I'm okay, I'm alive."

Jisoo chuckles breathlessly. She's feeling a million things right now. She doesn't know if she's going to scream, cry, laugh, now that she knows her best friend is safe. It's like her body was shut off for a fee seconds and jump started because she's suddenly feeling energetic. "Where are you? I'll tell the coast guard to get you, I'll also tell your parents. They will be so happy, Jennie." Her hand is on the landline phone, ready to call Mr. and Mrs. Kim's room.

"No, no, don't tell anyone yet."

Jisoo halts her movements. "What? Jen, I don't understand."

"Remember what you asked me at the yacht? That if for some crazy reason I'm given a chance to live a different life, would I take it?" Despite not seeing each other, Jisoo nods and it's like Jennie saw it because she continued. "Well, I think this is it."

Jisoo can't help smiling at her friends serene voice. Finally. "Can you at least tell me where you are?"

"I'm gonna tell you because I trust you, okay, Chu?"

"You don't have to remind me."

"I'm in Jeolla province, somewhere in Wando."

"How did you get there? Where are you staying? Are you sure you're safe?"

Jennie chuckles at her best friend's rapid answer questions. "When the yacht tore, I remember getting swept away and I guess I got washed here. Next things I know, someone found me. And I'm staying with the lady that found me, don't worry, she's very nice."

"Did you use her phone to call me?"

"No, we're here in town, I'm using a payphone."

"The lady that found you, how much does she know about what happened to you?"

"I-" Jennie holds herself. She's contemplating whether to tell Jisoo the lie she told Lisa. But Jisoo is her best friend and she trusts her. "I lied to her, I told her I don't remember what happened."

"Jennie- this is a very tricky web you're creating. You can't just keep lying to that lady and making your parents worry when you know what happened."

"I know," the younger girl says dejectedly. "I know, Chu. That's why I told you, to make the guilt feel a little less."

Jisoo sighs on the other line. "Do you plan on coming back?"

"Yes, but not now, not yet. I just want to know what it feels like to be free, even for a few months before I go back to being tied to my parents forever, and to Matthew." Jennie's voice weakens towards the end of what she said.

"I understand."

"Thank you."

"Jennie?"

"Hm?"

"Take care of yourself while you're there, okay?"

"I will. You take care of yourself, too. Don't starve Dalgomi and make sure you feed him."

Jisoo chuckles sadly. "I will, don't worry."

"Chu, I need to go. Time's running out."

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll talk to you again soon, Chu. Bye."

And then the line went dead.