Chapter Text
i didn't know back then, it was love
The dust drifts. Against the dim glow of the bedside lamp, the dust drifts around and around. Nestled under a heap of blankets, Jennie shivers. It’s cold despite the groan of the dorm’s old heater, but it’s a comfortable cold and would’ve lulled her eyes close if it wasn't for a faint cough on the other line fishing her consciousness from out the deep.
“You good, Jisoo?” Jennie asks, poking her hand out from her fleece cocoon to prop back up the fallen phone against the torso of her teddy bear.
“Yeah,” a husky voice answers with muffled sounds as the video shakes, stabilizing itself once the woman finds a comfortable position in her bed. “I thought you’d be asleep by now since I was staring at your ceiling for the past – I’d say – half hour?”
“Oops,” Jennie chuckles apologetically. “I didn’t realize my phone fell.”
“Because you were falling asleep?” Jisoo is now in full view on the small screen, resting on her side so that the fat of her cheeks flattens against her pillow to form a lopsided pout. There are a few stray strands of black hair on her bare face. Without her makeup, Jisoo looks ten years younger – doe eyes sunken, her heart-shaped lips a soft pink, her skin fair and youthful like the day they first met.
“No.”
“Liar.”
The corners of Jennie’s lips tug up. “I was just resting my eyes for a little.”
“Don’t you have something tomorrow?”
“A photoshoot.”
“Ah, then you should sleep now.”
“No, I want to stay until you sleep.”
“You know that’s going to take a while.”
It’s a joke, but not even Jisoo’s jokes can hide the underlying exhaustion in her breaths. Jennie taps on her phone to check the time, the screen is hot to the touch; it’s three in the morning.
“So be it.”
Jisoo smiles – Jennie can’t see it, but the small crinkles at the corners of her eyes and the upturn of her lower eyelids show it as clearly as if her lips weren’t hidden under purple wool.
“I wish I could come to your photoshoot,” Jisoo sighs.
“You work too hard, Chu. You come to almost every gig the girls have.”
“I can’t help it. I’m just excited to see everyone.”
“Yeah, but we haven’t been able to go to yours. How’s your drama going?”
“It’s going great. I’m having fun and learning a lot. My castmates are nice and helpful,” Jisoo hums. “Don’t worry about coming; we can’t help busy schedules.”
“No, I’ll come,” Jennie says with conviction. “I’ll drag Chaeyoung and Lisa along, too.” She adds as an afterthought, “And we’ll get you a food truck.”
Jisoo chuckles softly, more of a soft exhale. “That would be fun. It’s been a while since we’ve gotten together. All four of us.”
“At least the group chat is still active.” Jennie waves the air at the sight of another dust particle in her face. It eludes her attack, weaving in and out of her fingers in a desperate dance, before disappearing as if it never existed in the first place. “Seeing that Lisa is doing well in China is a relief – god, my room is so dusty .”
“Mine too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. It’s flying everywhere.” Jisoo lowers her blanket to the tip of her nose as she shifts restlessly again, raking the stray strands of hair off her face. “My family hasn’t touched my room since I moved out, but ever since I came to visit, they come in my room as if it’s their own.” Jisoo clears her throat. “I heard dust is from dead skin.”
Jennie pouts. “But I’ve been taking good care of my skin these days. I exfoliate and everything every day.”
“Dirt? Bugs?”
“Gross!” Jennie shudders at the thought of roaches invading their dorm again like all those years ago. “I might need to talk to the manager about the maintenance of these dorms.”
Jisoo chuckles, shifting around again. The sound of Jisoo’s microphone against the sheets is grating to Jennie’s ears. “Here’s Dalgom. Say hi to Jennie,” Jisoo says.
The black button nose of the white Maltese dog pops onto the screen. In the background, Jisoo peppers kisses all over Dalgom’s back with exaggerated popping noises.
“Hi, Dalgomie,” Jennie coos, moving her blanket away from her face to help the dog see her better. “I hope you’re treating Jisoo well over there.”
“He’s been antsier ever since I started filming my drama,” Jisoo sighs, pulling the dog back just enough so that both fit in the frame. She rolls over to rest flat on her stomach and rests her chin on her forearm. “I think his separation anxiety is getting worse.”
“Poor Dalgom.”
“Poor poor Dalgomie,” Jisoo scratches the dog’s fur and nuzzles her nose close to his face. “Don’t worry, mommy will have more time in a month.”
“That’s how much longer you’re filming?”
“Yeah. I’m sad to see it end so soon.”
“I can’t wait to watch it. This had been your dream for a long time.”
Jisoo smiles softly. “I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s support. You, the girls, my family. I feel like I’m on cloud nine.”
Their conversation falls into a comfortable silence. An unknown number of seconds pass, enough time for Jisoo to rest her temple on her forearm so that the crown of her hair takes up most of the screen. The white dog’s eyes slowly blink, eyelids drooping as Jisoo cuddles him closer. The only noise in Jennie’s room is Jisoo’s soft breathing and the heater which groans more haggard. Eyelids heavy, Jennie drifts off, breathing in rhythm to her friend across the city.
The following morning, Jennie wakes up to her reflection on a black screen. Her phone battery has died, her alarms haven't rung, and she is late to her photoshoot.