summary: jennie was a bit too late
Once you started college, you thought youâd be free from the harassment of Jennie Kim, the popular girl who had taken a liking to bullying you throughout your high school career. Before you knew it, you had grown feelings for her, despite the hell that she put you through. You couldnât help it, but letâs be honest, who could? She was beautiful, smart, and charming.
But it was just that. You thought you were free, but you werenât. Coincidentally, you two had ended up going to the same university. The first time you saw her, you were with two new friends that you had made, Subin and Yewon. You had let out a loud gasp and hid behind Yewon, peeking out to see if Jennie was gone yet. After going through so much hell caused by her, your feelings had diminished and you had started being scared of her. Did she just follow you to college to torment you some more?
After finding out that Jennie was on the same campus as you, you tried to avoid her the best that you could.
Keyword âtry.â About two weeks in, while you were busy not paying attention in your Anthropology class, Jennie had walked in, talking to the professor for a bit before scanning the room and spotting you, unbeknownst to you.
You felt someone sit down next to you and you turned your head to see your worst nightmare, Jennie Kim.
âLong time no see, Y/N.â was all that she said before turning her attention to writing notes.
Or what you thought were notes. A few minutes into class, a folded piece of paper flew in front of you and on top of your notebook. You furrowed your brows before opening the note and reading it. In the perfect handwriting that you remember (because of all the teasing notes sheâd throw at you), it read, âdidnât think iâd ever see you again.â
You just sighed, crumpled up the paper, and returned to doodling in the margins of your notebook. You were done with Jennie. You werenât going to give her any attention.
Once the class was dismissed by the professor, you packed up your things and made your way past Jennie, making sure to toss the crumpled piece of paper in the trash. You put your headphones in as you maneuvered through the building, trying to remember where the exit was. Finally out, you squinted at the brightness of the sun before making your way towards your dormitory building.
Although you didnât get far before a hand tapped your shoulder. You took one side of your headphones out and turned to be met with Jennie. You just let out a heavy sigh before addressing her presence.
âHow have you been? How was your summer break?â Jennie smiled her perfect smile, and you could have sworn your knees were going to give up on you, but you werenât going to let those feelings grow again. Not after what she put you through.
âIâve been good. Summer was great. Anyways, why do you even care?â
Jennie bit her lip and averted her gaze to the ground, her hand that was on your shoulder falling back to her side. She didnât have a reply.
âWell, if you have nothing more to say, I have to get going.â
Before you could leave, she spoke. âDo you want to get some lunch or something?â She looked at you with eager eyes.
âI canât. Iâm busy.â Your voice came out a bit colder than you intended, and you turned around and left before you could do anything else.
Jennie only looked back at the ground, kicking at nothing before turning around with a sigh. You glanced back, but all you could see was her figure, slowly trudging in the other direction, and that made something poke at your heart.
When you got back to your dorm, you dropped your backpack on the floor and jumped face first onto your bed, burying your face into your pillow. You hadnât meant to be that cold to her, even if she did make your life hell back in high school. It just wasnât who you were as a person, but you had already done it, and you couldnât take it back now.
Despite your cold replies and demeanor from the first time you two met after high school, Jennie attempted to talk to you again during the next Anthropology class.
âHey,â she started as she sat down besides you, âDid you finish the reading for todayâs class?â
âMm.â You gave her a hum of approval, eyes not leaving your notebook.
After that exchange, the professor came in and started his lecture, and your conversation (although it couldnât have been considered that) ended. Â Or so you thought. Before you knew it, Jennie had thrown another folded note onto your notebook. You raised a brow and unfolded it again, reading it.
What are you doing after class?
You let out a sigh and decided to reply, scribbling down your reply on the note before passing it back.
Yeah, it was a bit cold still, you could admit that. But should it even bother Jennie Kim, the one who tormented you all through high school? Not a minute later, you received the piece of paper back, a new reply on it.
Why canât I? You sucked your teeth. This was really confusing you. Why would Jennie care about you, much less your plans? She never did back then, so why all of a sudden? After that, you decided to crumple up the piece of paper again, going back to zoning out.
About half an hour into class (and zoning out), another folded piece of paper landed on your notebook. You quickly unfolded it to read it. You should start paying attention before you fail the class.
You huffed after reading it and only crumpled it up again, just like the one before.
You bolted out the door once class was dismissed, not wanting to be stopped by Jennie again. But, again, like before, she stopped you from making the distance too large, her hand holding your firmly by your elbow.
You turned to face her, her form just slightly hunched over, her breathing a little ragged. You didnât say anything to her, only let out a sigh and raised a brow as you awaited her explanation as to why she stopped you.
It took a moment, but the explanation came. âHow about today? Lunch?â
Again, you shook your head, pulling your arm out of Jennieâs hold and making your way back to your dorm.
The notes and holding you back after classes still continued. She was being all nice to you, continuing to pass you notes and flash her perfect smile, and she even started bringing you snacks (although you never ate them; you packed them and gave it to Yewon or Subin whenever you saw them), and god, you felt the feelings that you pushed deep into your heart starting to ascend back up slowly. But you couldnât allow yourself to fall for Jennie again, not after what she put you through.
Her actions had continued for about two more months before you had reached your breaking point. You had honestly thought that after two weeks or so of you acting cold towards her, she would eventually stop, but boy, were you wrong.
âWhat do you want, Jennie Kim?â You spat out as she took hold of your elbow again, after you ran out of the classroom.
She smirked. For the first time since high school, she smirked at you. This alone sent your confined feelings for her through the roof. You could even feel the blush coming up on your cheeks. Absolutely disgusting.
âIs that a blush I see, Y/N?â
You scoffed, running your free hand through your hair. âMe? Blushing because of you? Donât flatter yourself.â
âHm.. Is that so? Because last time I checked, you had a hugeă
Ą and I mean hugeă
Ąâ at that, she opened her arms to exaggerate, âcrush on me.â
Your eyes widened slightly as you inhaled, but soon found composure for a comeback. âKeyword âhad,â Jennie. Past tense. I liked you. Unfortunately not anymore.â
She chuckled, âIf it was a crush, then why are you blushing right now?â
âIâm not blushing.â You hissed, âIâm angry and frustrated because you put me through hell already in high school, and now youâre trying to be nice to me?â
âSure, sure. Well,â Jennie started, crossing her arms over her chest, the smug grin still on her face. âWhat if I told you I liked you too, and that I wanted you to be my girlfriend?â
You only scoffed out a laugh, disbelief filling you up as your frustration with Jennie grew. Did she think that just because she ended up liking you that you would forget everything sheâd done to you? Unbelievable.
After not hearing anything from you for a while, Jennie spoke up again. "Well? What are you waiting for?"
"I'm waiting for you to love me!â You shouted back, relieved that you had at least made it to a more secluded place on campus. âIâm waiting for you to tell me that you do. To give your all. To pour out all your feelings and to give all of your heart to me. I'm waiting for you to go through the same thing that I went through while I loved you. I thought you were a cool person, but you just proved me wrong by making my life a living hell."
Jennie bit her lip, wincing a bit at your words. "But I do love you. I did go through that. I suffered through loving you. I gave you all my heart."
You could put todayâs date down in the books of the most times youâve scoffed in a day. You let out another scoff with a hand through your hair. "That's what you say, but I know that it's a lie. I've been through enough. I've heard that enough times to know that those words are just lies. Lies to get into my heart. To get into my heart just to destroy it from the inside. Itâs just another one of your pranks, another one of your bullying tactics. High school wasnât enough for you, huh?"
"But..â Jennie pursed her lips, eyes glancing towards the ground before being focused on you again. âI love you. Isn't that enough?"
"Wow, you really donât get it, huh?â You chuckled dryly, âNo, it isn't enough. It doesn't matter if you love me anyways, because I've already stopped loving you. I've learned to stop loving, because in the end, the things you love will be the death of you. And if I let myself fall for you again, Iâm just going to go through another round of hell."
With that, you turned around and made your way to your destination. A couple steps in, you turned on your heels, spotting Jennie lifting her head with a sad but slightly hopeful look. Seeing the look on her face did something to you, but you werenât going to relent, even knowing that the next thing you were going to say to her would hurt her.
âOh, and donât talk to me again. I donât care what I am to you, but youâre a stranger to me now.â
The hopeful look fell off of Jennieâs face and you swore you could hear a part of her heart cracking. But you just shrugged it off and turned back around, leaving without giving her another look.
The next time you went to your Anthropology class, Jennie had moved her seat far away from you, much to your liking. It would be better this wayă
Ą for the both of you.
