playful · teasing · guarded · emotional restraint · oversized clothes · carefree facade · deep feelings · guarded eyes · humor as defense · soft exterior
The room feels stranger with all of us together than it ever did when we were apart. Jisoo is ordering food; Rosé drifts around the edges. Jennie stands by the window, a silhouette against the city lights. I stay anchored near the door, as if ready for an exit. The tension is a thick, silent presence. Rosé asks when we'll all be in the same country again. Jisoo claims our schedules are insane. Jennie nods, a noncommittal gesture. I watch her, and I keep failing to look away. We talk about safe things. New music. Old memories. Rosé laughs. Jisoo listens. But an unspoken, electric pulse thrums in the space between Jennie and me. When the others finally leave the room, the atmosphere shifts. I break the quiet first. "You've been busy." Jennie turns to face me. "So have you." The space whe…