The door to the gate out front made its creaking noise, making Jennie open her eyes. She couldn't see at first, but soon noticed the small breathing of the person underneath her. Sitting up a little, trying not to disturb them, she peered up to see a small face that squinted, opening only one eye to look. He saw her. Kai smiled and pulled Jennie's head back down to his chest. She felt like her body was filled with goosebumps, and his warm hand moved along her back, each of his fingers tickling her spine. She heard the jingling of keys, and it awoke both of them from the moment that had not started. He jumped after being startled, sending Jennie falling to the floor before his arm tried to catch her. Gravity, never being a friend of either of them, sent both tumbling to the floor with his body towering over her. The door opened, sending our gazes to the two people who stood in complete shock at the door.
"Uh, I think I'll go." His voice stumbled as he pulled his arm from underneath her weight. He pulled Jennie up using his free hand, and he smiled softly before grabbing his backpack. "I'll talk to you later." He smiled softly towards her while moving past the two standing bodies that continued to block the door. As they watched him leave, one moved to follow, but the words stopped them in their tracks.
"Let him go." The sound of her own voice made it hard for Jennie to tell if those words actually came from her own mouth. It must have been the lack of sleep or still being sleepy that made everything around her so fuzzy. Jennie moved towards the glass cups that were filled, bringing them to the kitchen while becoming surrounded.
"Why was he here?" One voice barked, and she turned to see Tae completely unhinged. He was visibly frustrated, his hands clasped together to hide most of his frustrations.
"He was here because I invited him." Jennie sighed and placed the cups in the sink, turning towards his disheveled face. "Hey, calm down, please." She let out a sigh before taking Minji's hand and going to my bedroom. Tae stood there in disbelief, wondering how she was calmly asking him to let something like this go.
"Where are you going now?" He yelled back towards her as she went inside and pushed Minji into the room behind her. The two girls were in the bedroom room, Minji not as visibly frustrated as Tae stood, watching the whole scene play out. Jennie stood at the door and called back out.
"Tae, go home!" She let the door shut behind my words and laid against it. Hearing these words brought looks of disbelief onto Tae's face, making him furrow his brow before fluffing his hair. He ransacked his hair, pushing it wildly over his head as he looked at the closed door. Jennie waited patiently, hearing Tae's frustrated grunts before the door of the house opened and shut with anger. Minji was staring at Jennie with a face of concern, waiting patiently until she also heard the door close and transitioned her hands from in front of her to her hips.
"You left me." The first words that came out brought Jennie back to reality. Minji had been waiting for her so that they could eat, and Jennie didn't go or reschedule. Jennie's brain began to race, retracing the events and everything that led to the moment. The thought of Minji leaving the cafe, going to class, and even searching for her after she finished classes. The face Minji held showed how much anger and betrayal she truly felt at that moment. Jennie couldn't help but move towards her and bring her into a hug before Minji pulled away.
"Hey, I'm sorry." Minji looked at her with a scolding face, rolling her eyes. "It was just- I." Jennie took a pause, collecting her thoughts and thinking about what to say before her eyes caught on to Minji's saddened eyes. "How about we have chicken or whatever you want to eat, and let me explain. If you still hate me, then I won't bother you." She grabbed her hands, pulled them from her waist, and waved them side to side. "Please." Minji's smile was enough reassurance for Jennie, she let one grasp drop before pulling her from the room to the kitchen.
"Hey, I'm only eating until I find out what happened." Minji stood adamantly with her arms going back to being crossed.
"Fine." Jennie gave her pinky, making Minji smile before we sealed and stamped it.
"Let's get more than one food." Minji began to dance around the island in the room. Jennie obediently nodded, only prompting her to give another order of what she wanted.
While Jennie ordered food, Minji got the living room together and excitedly chattered to herself while muttering how she had been feeling all day. Jennie had not realized just how this was affecting her friend and how frustrated she was. Jennie watched her and could see the pain that she had caused her. With all the energy she had stored, Jennie forced a smile at the end of the phone call, turning to Minji as she collapsed on the floor.
-
The lights in the home were always on, and there was an ominous vibe that resonated from the music playing in the backyard. The voices that carried on were mere murmurs to him as he stood by the gate and waited. The thought of entering the home was the last on his mind, but it was also the only day he was required to come home. The tall house that overshadowed the walkway was just as disturbing and dark. He looked to see the empty road that was filled with cars stretched out, decorating the right side with their vibrant colors. It was similar to seeing streamers, signifying a happy event, but this would be anything but that.
He lifted the backpack that he held on one shoulder while checking his watch: 6:27. He knew he could not be late, but did he need to continue draining himself? With a big sigh and gulp, he pressed the buzzer to indicate his presence. The moment his face lit up in the camera, a buzz followed to indicate the unlocking of the gate. He pushed the gate, trudging up the stairs and approaching the glass door that held remnants of gold emblems blown into the design. The shadows hidden in the back of the opaque glass caused him to shudder at the thought. The handle of the door felt like it was a world away until it suddenly moved, and he straightened his stance. As the handle turned, opening the door to expose a tall figure who looked down to see him standing.
"Son!" The voice yelled with a glass held in the air. He forced a smile as just passed his father, and 4 other individuals were standing with a smile. They were all dressed nicely, jewelry weighing down the necks of the women while they held onto the arms of the men they were with.
"Hey." His forced smile disappeared as his father bent down to meet him. The individual standing before him had a demeanor that did a complete shift. The once smiling face that held gleaming eyes and a proud smirk was now replaced with a serious and angered manner.
"You're supposed to come dressed. Are you trying to embarrass me? Change now." The voice was stern, holding a sinister tone. The face soon made another complete shift as a voice called out to him.
"Jun!" Both looked to a woman with such a small frame in a complete green dress. She was wearing black gloves that reached to her elbows and gracefully held both hands over her stomach. She smiled at the two of them, her hands disconnecting to land on his arm. "Hey honey, I'm happy you're home. Why don't you go change, and I'll borrow your father?" She winked before carrying him away. The conversation had turned to someone's husband wanting to know more about Dad's business, and that was his favorite topic. He watched the two walk away, a demon-like presence that his father held as he stomped towards the other couple, while his mother looked like an angel, gliding next to him. She turned to see Kai standing at the door, thoughts racing through his mind until he saw her eyes.
With a forced smile, he turned his body away from the party and began his trek up the stairs. The stairs twirled slightly, making a slope towards the right before opening up to the top floor. He could look down and see his parents off in the distance, celebrating to their hearts' content. Without making much more of a glance, he left the stairs, turning left to the longest end of the hallway. In front of him were large doors that opened to his parent's bedroom, while just left was a winding hallway that led to his room. He passed by the guest rooms and slowly approached the closed door that was at the very end. He pulled on the handle, letting the door fan open to reveal his old bedroom with its bare walls and books littered throughout the room on various shelves.
His shoulders, which were hitched up high with stress, slowly fell into a relaxed state. He walked into the room, looking over every inch of the desk and walls as he moved throughout the room. The sound of laughs and chatter was muffled as the door softly closed behind him. He laid his backpack on his desk before falling onto the bed and lying on his back. His arms went up, clasping his hands together as his arms outstretched over his eyes. He let out a shaky sigh as the thoughts of how to get through the night flashed in his mind. He knew he needed to smile, he knew he needed to act normal, he knew he needed to talk about his classes his grades, and he knew he needed to be interesting.
The stress made his breathing uneasy before he finally sat up and took out his phone. He noticed the clear screen of his phone, opening the messages that were almost completely empty. He went to the first number on the top, edited the information, and saved the new contact before he sent a message.
'Hey.' He backspaced and deleted the message, trying to think about the right words. His thumbs instinctively tapped the sides of the phone before he typed again. 'Are you free Saturday?' Send.
He let the phone slip from his hand before landing on the bed as he stood up. He walked over to the closet, taking off his jacket and shirt before stopping short of the closet door. He threw the clothes in the hamper before opening the door to the closet. The closet was lined with dress shirts that hung up top, while the bottom hung his dress pants. He peeked through the clothes, scanning the collection of shirts before falling on the light blue color shirt, pulling it off the hanger, and slipping it on. Next, he rummaged through the pants and grabbed a pair that looked very similar to some of the others. While he got dressed, he continued to listen to the faint laughter and conversations being carried through the house. He could smell the food being finished by the chefs, but he just wanted to waste more time.
The music began to lower, signifying dinner was about to start and that I would need to come out soon. Kai looked in the mirror and made sure that his collar was nicely pressed, placed on a watch, and settled on his hair. With a final sigh, he gathered enough courage to walk out into the show that was being filmed below. He walks towards his bed, picking up his phone to see no text message just yet. He let the device slide into his pocket as his feet led him toward the closed door. Once again, he put his hand out to pull on the handle, exposing a woman who was ready for him. She smiled, pulling his arm into hers and leading him down the hallway.