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Dinner?

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"I'm off," Jisoo leans in to press a short peck on Nayeon's cheek, the latter tearing her gaze away from the book in her hand to meet the older girl's. "You go if you need to, alright? You don't have to stay here the whole night and wait up for me."

"It's fine. I don't have plans, anyway."

"Doesn't mean I'll have you apartment-sitting for me while I head off to dinner with my dad."

Nayeon rolls her eyes. Of course she knows that, but she also knows how nerve-wracking the idea of having dinner with her father is for Jisoo, and when has Nayeon ever missed a chance to be of the brunette's constant support?

She just really can't stand the idea of Jisoo, coming home to an empty apartment completely overwhelmed with no one — not even Dalgom, who's currently staying with her sister in Seoul — waiting up for her to lighten her up, somehow.

And so, she chose to just wave her off, "Go on or you'll be late, Jichu."

Jisoo just sends her a grateful smile, and Nayeon was relieved.

"You're the best, Nadong," the brunette says last before turning around and walking towards the elevator of her penthouse completely, Nayeon watching her, and staying just until Jisoo gets back.

-

"Have you thought about it?"

Those were the first words that came out of Mr. Kim's mouth the second Jisoo finished settling in on her seat across from him.

The waiter served them their drinks, whiskey on the rocks, Mr. Kim's brand. Jisoo isn't much of a fan, but she decided it wouldn't be the worst thing if she had the same thing her father was having.

Just tonight.

"Sir?" Jisoo asks confusedly the second the waiter left their table.

Mr. Kim puts his glass down, gaze shifting from the drink towards his daughter's.

"The deal, Jisoo."

And then everything came down on her senses at once. Again. It's always been like this, dinners with her dad. Mr. Kim is never one to beat around the bush, gets to the point so painfully direct and fast, it's almost impossible to keep up with him.

But Jisoo is no one but her father's daughter. "I haven't."

Direct and fast.

A nod is what she gets in return, but Jisoo isn't entirely sure it's of understanding, "The Hirai's are ready to sign. I know they're unbelievably generous enough to be willing to wait for you to make up your mind, but do not take advantage of it. I—"

—didn't raise you like that. The words echoed at the back of Jisoo's head.

She almost laughs at his statement. This is very typical of her father, and the line, well-used up multiple times already in the past with her two older siblings, Jisoo thinks she'd already memorized the way the familiar words roll off her father's tongue.

What an odd family the Kim's are. Two black sheeps, making it look like being the white one's the more uncanny. Jisoo had never heard her father use the words on her, mainly because she's the most fitting to the family name, the most favorable child to her father. After all, she's not her brother nor her sister, and she's the farthest from them. She didn't drop business for medicine or film. She's not one to sit on the occassional family dinner and feel like she's no one but a guest wearing the name Kim poorly, unlike Junghoon and Jiyoon.

She chose business and family. She embraced her blood, her family name, the power it holds, (and maybe that's the reason why sitting here and having this conversation with her father is still too difficult for Jisoo to process.)

"Trust me not to forget, sir." Jisoo retorts politely, voice calm yet firm. "But I hope you do understand this is not the easiest task you've put on my shoulders, nor the simplest call I'll have to make for the company. I'm still thinking about it, every single detail, thoroughly, and with that, please understand that I'll have to take all the time I can."

Silence consumed them after that, the waiters walking up to serve the appetizers. Jisoo tore her gaze away from her father, looking down slightly to play with the rim of her glass. When the waiters took off with a nod, Mr. Kim speaks up again.

"You might've thought, at some point, that I despise you for what happened. For what you did to the company, to our family name; how you ruined it. Or how the inevitable consequences of your irresponsibility became the reason of our downfall." Every word struck Jisoo's heart like lightning, making it hard for her to move even a single muscle. Mr. Kim takes note of it as he mutters next, "I might've been a little hard on you lately, but I do not, and that's the truth."

Jisoo forces a chuckle, swallowing hard. "Somehow, it's a little difficult getting ahold of your words although they're directly coming out of you."

The chuckle that escaped Mr. Kim, however, contrasted Jisoo's forced one, sounding rather genuine. Jisoo had to look up at him confusedly.

"You are my daughter, Jisoo." Five words, yet Jisoo already feels like her heart is slowly crumbling to pieces inside her chest. "You are a Kim, and our family name didn't go this far for something too easy. I'd been there. Your grandfather had been there, your great-grandfather. But let me tell you something— It is not our name that decides how far we come or at what extent we stop. It's us. And right now under these circumstances, it's you, Jisoo."

Jisoo stares at him intently, mind blank of what response she could possibly let out at that.

However, Mr. Kim smiles, nodding at the stunned brunette across from him, and continues.

"When you were growing up, I've always anticipated all the things you're gonna learn from me, but I never once thought of how much I'm gonna learn from you. One of them, which I can consider one of the biggest lessons of my life, is that everything we do, we do for a reason. And you're right. I might never be able to understand your reasons, but that doesn't change the fact that you have them, child."

It was only then Jisoo realizes what this is: an apology.

Mr. Kim didn't dare to tear his gaze away from his daughter's, who's still staring at him wide-eyed. When he failed to get a response, the man returned to his glass, taking a short sip before slowly getting up from his seat. The action seemingly snapped Jisoo out of her trance, blinking several times as she hastily got up as well.

Shrugging his coat on, Mr. Kim faces his daughter, a hand reaching out to grab a firm hold on Jisoo's shoulder.

"You're turning 30 in a week." Jisoo nods, swallowing the lump in her throat in order to prepare herself to croak out a response after her father finishes off, "That, Jisoo, is the only reason you need this time, to make up your mind. You have until your 30th birthday." He eyes Jisoo sternly, lightly squeezing on the latter's shoulder in an attempt to ease her. "One week, child. Think about it, hard and fast."

When Mr. Kim left the restaurant, Jisoo turned to glance at the untouched appetizers on their table. Dinner with her father is what she's prepared so much for, cancelling all her meetings and appointments for the night and the morning after. It's too bad he can't stay, or won't stay.

And it's even worse now that Jisoo is contemplating who to call to keep her company.

Well, I could definitely use some unwinding. Perhaps a company to dinner tonight while I'm at it. Are you busy?

She wants to call her, and it doesn't feel good at all for her. She hates how Chaeyoung's slowly becoming a part of her constant again, so easily, so scarily, it sometimes drives her away.

She needed it. The distraction. To remind her that this isn't it entirely with Chaeyoung. It's moving a little too fast for Jisoo, but she couldn't deny not wanting it at the same time.

She hates how after everything that's happened, she still wants Chaeyoung.

But then, It's fine. I don't have plans, anyway. A replay of that sentence and it's all a mess in Jisoo's head once again.

She wants Chaeyoung. She does.

But she needs Nayeon.

Especially right now, Jisoo knows who between the two has been there, watching her grow, stumble and fall, and then helping her get back up.

It's not rocket science.

But you don't want her.

You want someone else.

You want Chaeyou—

In the end, Jisoo lets out a sigh, a hand massaging her temple as she reached for her phone and dialed a number.

"Hey, what's up?" She sounded surprised, clearly not expecting the sudden call, "Why are you calling? Is everything okay?"

Jisoo smiles, although she knows she couldn't see it on the other line,

"Nayeon," the name rolls perfectly off Jisoo's tongue, "Dinner?"

-

Chaeyoung, embarrassingly enough, has nothing better to do with Jisoo turning her down.

She gets it. She has plans. She needs to suck it up and just wait until she's free.

Fuck this.

It's like she's losing her mind over something so little. (But is it really, though, when it involves Jisoo?)

Chaeyoung doesn't even wish to go there, anymore.

Just as she thought she's completely going insane with all the thoughts of Jisoo combusting inside her head at once, her phone chimed, signalling a text. Chaeyoung was quick enough to reach for it, expecting perhaps a Plans got cancelled. You still up for dinner? text from the brunette, (she's pathetic.)

But, instead, the text was from—

Momo: Busy?

Chaeyoung visibly deflates, letting out a sharp exhale as she typed in a response,

Rosie: I've got some time. What's up?

Momo: I'm currently in town, but I'll be flying to Tokyo first thing in the morning. Dinner before I go?

Chaeyoung contemplates, finding it a bit complicated because she knows what she wanted, and she wanted Jisoo. Texts from Jisoo. Dinner with Jisoo.

Yet, instead, it's Momo. Although she loves Momo. Momo is amazing, and nice, and sweet.

But Jisoo is... Jisoo.

At the same time, however, Chaeyoung has nothing better to do, and to what extent could a night with Hirai Momo possibly go wrong?

Rosie: Sure. Send me the address.

Momo: No need. I'll pick you up in 30.
Momo: Dress fancy.

Spoiler: It can go wrong to all extents possible.

But, that, they're still yet to find out, and Chaeyoung's money is all on the longest night of her life.

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Writer's Note:

Y'all are not ready for what's coming LMAO

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