Phone
My sworn friend was Lisa when I was young. As our friendship went awry, the new sworn friends consisted of Sehun, Rosé, and I. There were no secrets between the three of us.
Rosé liked Jennie. She would often joked with me by saying that she wanted to break them apart and we would each have one half. Rosé had thrown away her own company and came here under director Oh's authorization. I understood the meaning behind her actions.
I wasn't able to sincerely wish for Lisa and Jennie's happiness but I didn't wish for Rosé to butt in.
Rosé wasn't someone from the entertainment circle. However, she was a mixed blood of Korean and Australian with a height of 1.7m. Her beauty and talents were something both humans and gods were jealous of. Even Lisa wouldn't be her opponent if she had really made a move.
The matters regarding Rosé wasn't the most important thing right now. There was a small problem over here. Jennie was currently seated on the sofa, seriously asking Lisa, "Just what is going on?"
"How would I know."
Lisa truly didn't know anything. She didn't even care so how would she know? However, her cold attitude made people think that she was purposely showing that she didn't care since it didn't concern her.
"Is Irene okay?" Sure enough, Jennie shot up from the sofa. Her face was slightly red due to anger.
"How would I know?"
"If you don't know, call and ask about it! Something so serious has happened yet you are not worried about her at all?" After saying so, she took Lisa's phone from the table and started searching the contact list.
"What are you doing!?" Lisa hated when other casually touched her items. Stepping forward, she pushed the phone towards the floor.
The emerald-colored phone fell onto the floor and issued a cracking sound.
Oh. I just realized that thing was still existed.
This was probably the only thing on Lisa that was not thrown away even though it belonged to me. I didn't realize it before.
Well, it was already done for when I realized—
Just when I thought that Lisa's imposing manner could pressure Jennie to stop, I saw Jennie holding Lisa by the shirt and pressing her down on the sofa in a flash.
I would never expect Jennie who was usually cute like a cat to be so strong and imposing in this crucial moment.
"Lisa, why are you running away?" She suddenly said something I couldn't really understand.
Lisa seemed thoroughly angered by this sentence of her. The expression on her face was so ruthless. It was an expression that I knew; I would be hit the very next second after seeing that expression.
However, that expression only lasted for an instant before it disappeared. Her anger actually dissipated after being glared at by Jennie. She tidied her shirt embarrassingly and picked up the phone.
She unwilling fiddled with her phone obediently. It was very quiet in the house so I could hear the robotic female voice on the phone.
"Sorry, the number you have dialed is power off."
Lisa grew impatient. She pressed and called again.
The result was still the same.
It was normal. Although my phone has a long battery life, it couldn't last without charging after so long.
"Something must have happened." Jennie sat back down with a serious expression.
Lisa humphed in disagreement. To her, I was probably playing the cat and mouse trick again.
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It was approaching Christmas. The streets were decorated beautifully and the colorful lightings and ribbons were hung onto trees. The glass windows outside the shops were decorated with various stickers of bells and gift boxes. Everything looked especially cute.
Jennie was very busy with work during Christmas. The contracts of many exclusive models under Rosé & Co. had expired. Rosé purposely signed a contract with Jennie to be her new model.
She had a high chance of becoming the brand ambassador for the new series of leisure suits called "On The Ground".
What high chance, what "On The Ground". Rosé obviously designed it for Jennie...
Previously when I was still extremely jealous of Jennie, I had asked Rosé a question: Rosé, you can get whatever and whoever you want. Yet, why do you like Jennie?
What I got in return was Rosé's cheesy reply, "Don't you think that she's perfect?"
You don't say.
Rosé and Lisa are both the same. Why does everyone in this world like perfect things? What about the imperfect people like me?
The day of Christmas is Lisa's birthday. As expected of a big-shot, she took a day off on her birthday. Jennie was called away early in the morning by the chief fashion designer, Rosé. Rosé obviously did that on purpose. Jennie looked very apologetic when she was leaving but Lisa didn't look particularly unhappy. She stayed alone at home idly.
However, ever since this afternoon, I could clearly see her face turning darker each passing hour.
She kept checking her phone, waiting for something. She might have been looking at the time. She looked very impatient
Based on my understanding of Rosé's shameless character, she would definitely try all that she could to make Jennie stay longer.
Both Rosé and I were similar in regards to our persistence.
I wondered if Jennie would be able to hold up against Rosé who was shining with boundless radiance.
Lisa's mood was extremely terrible by the time it was 7 PM.
Of course it was. It was meaningless to spend one's birthday alone. This was especially true when you knew that your lover was currently "working" with your love rival.
This was retribution. Whenever it was her birthday, I would cling to her. I would gather many people and I would call Rosé and even Jennie to come. However, whenever it was my birthday, she was always "working".
She always had to work on that day every year and she would work until it was especially late. For ten years, her work was coincidentally on my birthday.
I got used to it afterwards.
I can probably expect a storm when Jennie returns later.
Lisa suddenly held up her phone and ferociously stared at the screen. Then... she switched off her phone. She took the handset of the home phone up and she placed it on one side.
I couldn't comprehend her actions. What was the point of her venting her anger at a phone? Not being able to contact each other wasn't going to change the fact that Jennie would be returning here tonight.
Jennie unsurprisingly came back late at 9 PM with a huge cake, flowers, and a gift.
Compared to my efforts in the past years, it was really low class.
Contrary to my expectation, Lisa wasn't dissatisfied or angry. She forced herself to eat the sweet and greasy cake that she didn't like.
I had nothing to say.
The next day, the two of them slept until the afternoon as usual.
It was Jennie who woke up first again. She walked out of the room with her pajamas. I could only describe her appearance as "cute" even though I was jealous of her.
The table was messy with cups and plates but she still noticed the handset that fell onto the floor. With a half-awake expression, she picked it up and placed it back properly.
The phone rang the moment she placed it back so she picked it up.
"Hello, Lisa's residence."
"... Who are you looking for?"
"Ah, she... isn't staying here anymore..."
It seemed like someone was looking for me.
I had many friends but only Sehun and Rosé would call the home phone since I couldn't let other know that I was staying with Lisa.
There was no way Sehun would call. It wouldn't be Rosé either since I don't think Sehun would hide my matters from her. I also don't think Jennie would speak so formally if it was Rosé.
"Um... we're not in contact right now but we should be able to contact her..."
"Yes... okay, okay... What, what did you say?"
I thought of a possibility when I saw Jennie's heavy expression.
A terrible possibility.
Jennie hung up the phone. She no longer looked sleepy. Her whole face was pale and she was wobbly as she sat on the sofa.
At this moment, Lisa came out from the room as well.
"What's wrong?" She asked.
"...Did you know that Irene was ill?"
Lisa would normally say something like "what does her being sick got to do with me". However, Jennie's expression was so terrible that it obviously frightened her. She shook her head in ignorance.
"Seoul Central Hospital just called. They said they found a suitable bone marrow..."
Jennie looked up towards Lisa. There was a deeper meaning behind her eyes that I couldn't understand. Lisa visibly shook for a moment when she heard her words.
Both of them knew the significance of a bone marrow since it was a precious thing that saved Jennie's life.
Jennie looked at Lisa. I looked at Lisa as well. Her lips were slightly trembling. All of a sudden, her cool image was gone and she looked like a helpless child.
"You don't know..." Jennie lowered her head and suddenly laughed. She was laughing rather strangely. It sounded to me like she was mocking Lisa. I had yet to understand what was going on when she stood up abruptly. As if remembering something, she quickly grabbed Lisa's phone.
She called me. The notification that my phone was switched off sounded as expected.
Then she called Sehun. She called once. Then she called again but both of the calls were rejected.
It was understandable why Sehun rejected Lisa's number.
Lisa seemed to have turned into a fool. It was worrying as I watched her stand there.
Fortunately, she quickly calmed down. Jennie was dressed up and ready to head out but Lisa held her back.
It was Jennie who was more anxious for me. Although I felt grateful for her noble character, I felt mocked at the same time.
"Aren't you worried about Irene? I will head to the office and ask Sehun..." Jennie explained while wearing her shoes to head out.
"She will be fine." Lisa said while holding her back.
Jennie spoke up for me before I could even do a proper evaluation of Lisa's "She will be fine."
"Fine?" Jennie broke free from her. She retreated backwards and looked at Lisa as if she was looking at a monster.
"How do you know that she will be fine? Don't you know what a bone marrow is? Why would Irene need such a thing? Why did she suddenly leave and give the company to Sehun? You are not concerned about her at all. Are you going to regret it only after something has happened?"
Lisa was stupefied when Jennie's words fell onto her. She stood stiffly and watched as Jennie leave while slamming the door shut.
Then she just stood there stiffly in a daze for a very long time.
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