Minji held on to her hand, beginning to pull on her as she worked to pass Kai. Jennie's body was no longer under her control as she was led past him, her eyes falling when she noticed he saw them. Jennie was not sure what she was looking at previously, but when the word 'marry' came from the other girl's mouth, it was enough. She didn't need to hear much more but wanted to know why. Her gaze stayed on Minji as Kai's voice called out to both girls, and they continued to walk, ignoring their names being called. They could hear the sound of footsteps attempting to follow them, their names still being called from behind.
It was no use since the moment they reached Minji's house, she closed and locked the gate. She sat a distraught Jennie on the couch, prompting her to wait while she worked on getting the room ready. Jennie sat there, frozen with anger, fear, regret, and sadness. She was now going through so much, and the weirdest thing of all was that she could not be mad at him. She wanted to be mad at him but was mad at herself. Those emotions were because of her, and she couldn't blame anyone else.
Jennie sat there, her emotions beginning to eat her mental health. She was so angry at herself that she hid. She hid herself all the time, and she hid herself that night. She feared the danger that was outside her room, but the fear of being used by everyone was worse. She regrets hiding in the vent and the sadness that came from being the only one who did hide. As her eyes swelled, tears falling quietly, she stayed stoic. Her body was frozen in thought as she frustratingly blamed herself.
"Hey, don't worry about him. Okay?" She blinked to see Minji wiping away a tear and smiling comfortingly at her friend.
Jennie was starting to become more confused, wondering what was going on. She sat there in disbelief because she didn't know how to deal with this. She tried to keep eye contact with Minji to a minimum; the last thing she needed was more pity. Jennie just wanted things to be normal, but it was starting to seem like the world wanted anything but that. She wiped a stray tear as she raised her head to look at her friend.
"Thank you." She forced a smile as Minji pulled her up from her feet.
-
Jennie wanted her friend to be better. She understood the emotions he was going through and wanted to help. Tae's frustrations and anger were unsettled emotions he never got to work through. Jennie tried to be vigilant of his behavior; his mother and the chef were standing close by. Each gave him their own speech to try to get through to him, and he stood idle. Tae's eyes were focused on the ground, and Jennie was taking notice.
Tae listened to the conversation; every word they spoke was heard, but it wasn't felt. He knew they were looking out for his better interest, but why did he not feel any different? His mother began tearing up, her eyes worried and concerned about her only son. She was worried about his erratic behavior, which seemed to escalate daily. The cook comforted his mother, trying to help keep her calm as the words came out slowly. She only wanted the best for her son, and that was all.
"Tae, I love you. I only want the best for you. No one ever abandoned you." She hesitated to make a move towards him.
While his mother hugged him, Jennie could sense that there were more frustrations. She waited patiently, wanting the opportunity to talk with him. While he stood completely still, her eyes worriedly searched. It reminded her of their time in the hospital. He would sit there quietly, unsure of how to help anyone. He just wanted to help, and she knew that. He helped her, and now it was her time to help him.
As the conversations slowly began to end, Jennie stood next to Tae. His mother walked out into the restaurant, greeting the customers coming in. Jennie took Tae's hand, pulling him along her. He was not budging at first; he was focused on her. Jennie gave a reassuring smile and pointed her head towards the break room. Tae let her drag him, walking through the restaurant until they reached the break room. She let him go in first, closing the door behind both of them.
"Tae," She sighed. Her voice wasn't shaky but soft. "sit with me." Jennie patted the seat next to her, watching him sit.
"Are you going to lecture me more too?" He asked, and she could tell he was slightly annoyed at them. She shook her head.
"I did not abandon you." Jennie's hand fell on top of his. "I would have preferred to stay, but I couldn't." She sighed and looked at him. "You helped me and made sure I didn't lose my family or what was left. Thanks to you, I got to be here. I got another mom and another little brother." She smiled and bumped him with her shoulder.
"I guess." He blew out a little air, smiling softly at her. She saw that there wasn't much change, so she lay on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry I didn't choose you for my heart, but I've chosen you for everything else." She held on to his arm, adjusting her head. "I came back to go to school here. I wanted to see my little brother grow up." She lifted her head to see him and reached up to make his hair a mess. "You did grow up well. Maybe I should have been more mean." She finally got a small laugh from him.
"Yeah, well, maybe I should have been more bratty." He joked, bumping against her. He seemed a bit more cheered up, and she looked at him. With a smile, she stood up.
"Don't be too bratty because I can't tell you about the girl who likes you." She joked, and he smiled softly.
"Yeah, well, maybe not now." He stood up and began walking to the door. "Why don't you tell me you'll work instead." He joked, and she shrugged at the thought.
"Maybe. If you can forgive me for not understanding and caring for you." Jennie followed behind Tae, holding on to the hopes that this would not break them further apart.