Come Home

Nine

Jisoo's watching the TV in her room when someone knocks. Groaning because she's already comfortable on the bed and would really hate to miss a scene on the movie she's watching, she stands up to open the door but her head never leaves the TV.

The door opens up and Jisoo doesn't even know who she opened it to.

"You know, I can be a murder and you wouldn't even know you're about to be murdered because you're not even looking."

"Sh, Soojin. He's about to confront his wife." Jisoo says seriously. She walks back to the bed without even closing the door. "That's right, you bitch. Your husband knows about your nasties."

Soojin shuts the door when her cousin walks back to the bed without the intention of shutting it herself. She just flew in from Seoul because her auntie pleaded with her to check on Jisoo but it looks like her cousin doesn't even need any checking at all, and is doing perfectly fine. In fact, too fine for someone whose best friend is missing.

"Welcome, my dear cousin. Thank you for dedicating your time to check up on me." Soojin says sarcastically. She's examining her cousin's hotel room. She spots a discarded shirt on the sofa that seems to be used, making her cringe to herself. "No problem, cous. Just want to make sure you're okay, not drowning on sorrow and is on the verge of depression because, you know, your best friend got lost in the ocean in the middle of her engagement party and people still don't know where she is or whether she's alive."

"Jeez, that's really sweet. But seriously though, talk to me after I finish this." Jisoo points to the TV where a lady is crying, begging to be taken back and a man looking hurt is currently playing. "The wife still hasn't confessed where she spent all the money."

Soojin rolls her eyes. Knowing her cousin and how stubborn she is, not a single thing of what she say will go through Jisoo's brain as long as she's focused on something else. She's used to it though, that's why she just plops on the couch after safely and carefully chucking the shirt that was originally on it on the floor.

As Soojin sits on the couch, she slowly becomes engrossed on the TV too, occasionally asking her cousin for information and details she missed before getting there, to which Jisoo would answer her questions annoyed.

Thirty minutes later, the movie finishes and Soojin makes an effort to get the remote situated on Jisoo's bed to turn of the TV so that her cousin's attention is all directed to her.

"So, talk to me."

"Uhm," Jisoo looks at her cousin confusedly who is sitting there on her disorganised couch, looking out of place in her hotel room because of the younger's elegant posture and fortunes worth of clothes. Soojin's always been the exquisite girl in their family, the only one among Jisoo's cousins that embodies their family's wealth. Eventually she chuckles because of Soojin's resemblance with a psychiatrist. "Okay, councillor."

"Sorry." The younger girl's tone turns soft and sympathetic. She shakes her head softly. "For being too harsh on you and thinking you're not lamenting enough over Jennie. That was very inconsiderate of me."

Jisoo was taken out of her misery six days ago when she received that call from Jennie but everyday she still worries how her best friend is doing in that place she lives in now, if she's eating enough, are people treating her well and if she's living comfortably. That explains why Soojin thought Jisoo isn't grieving enough, and she really isn't, not as much as the first few days when she didn't know Jennie is alive and safe.

"You don't have to be sorry. I should be. You came despite all the things you have to do, yet you're here for me and I couldn't even greet you or thank you properly for doing so."