Are you really into that whole watching me fight myself thing ?I wonder how that would work, really. It sounds interesting and not so surprisingly, I’m actually willing to try it out and see how it would result for the both of us. I’d probably end up looking like a complete dumbass, but as long as its just you I don’t mind doing it. ( though despite his previous words, he pauses here at the sudden thought that surfaces and narrows his eyes in a manner that would positively express his playful suspicion. ) Or– would you judge me for doing such a thing, mommy ?You know your son can be a little… weird sometimes, right ?
I am… I told you before. I wanted to see you fight… but you won’t let me. You won’t let me nurse you either. You won’t let me do anything! Now I get why you always ask if Hanbin permits me to do anything! You’re self projecting… ah, I’m figuring you out little by little. You know, you don’t really need to hide anything from me anymore… I’m a detective, of sorts. -she purses her lips, forefinger trailing the edge of it whilst avoiding his eyes for a moment to hide her guilt- Huh…? I never judge. Besides, I’ve seen you in those moments already. Weird? I think that’s a bit of an understatement.
I think his name was Jiyoung. Familiar? Oh, that’s right. Same name. Looks like you, too! What are the odds? Would you take care of the job, then, while I watch? You know, I really wanna give peace a chance because there’s already so much violence in the world. I really don’t like it… but liars, they’re terrible. I agree, they do deserve a “huge can of whoop -she mimics a bleeping sound in place of saying ‘ass’-” and who else should give them that other than the greatest kickboxer I know.
(’it’s the fact that the grimace registers first, and the fact that he’s moving so quickly after the poke that he doesn’t have much to say about it, all he has are rather incoherent words and spastic reactions that follow though) Jennie!!!!! I thought I was the ice sibling! Why Anna what cold hands you have, all the better to freeze your bro half to death!
-eyes widened, a hand rests on her chest when he slinks into a spastic reaction that she wasn’t sure what he was doing for- That was… my E.T. phone home touch, what do you mean? I’m not trying to freeze you! Please don’t die, oppae. It’s just me silently sending a message saying, ‘you should have let me drawn the stencil of your tattoo instead’ because… I make pretty stencils. On the spot, too!
❝Which one? I’ve broken many bones before.❞ He shrugged the question off like it was nothing; he knew Jennie’s intentions weren’t bad, therefore he didn’t necessarily mind the question even if he couldn’t give her a satisfying answer. Tarek was, after all, a sports student and sports would inevitably lead to injuries and broken bones just happened to be part of that. It was something he was used to, getting bruised during practice but he didn’t mind, in fact it felt like some sort of silent trophies he could carry around. Plus, they often proved to be memories for good times, like that one time he wounded his big toe after having been caught off guard by a fellow friend who cheered on him in the crowd ( admittedly, someone had stepped on his foot purposefully and it had hurt like hell but he still did like to remember the incident with the smile, considering the circumstances ). Besides, he was a very active person too so the movement was enjoyable for the male who never liked to stay at home for longer periods of time. To some, it may appear as though he was running away from something but in truth, he just wanted to enjoy everything he could without overthinking too much. And overthinking, he knew, was one of his very bad habits.
❝Well, am I not a smart guy, then?❞ The question was rhetorical and not meant to draw a response, and yet he couldn’t help the small chuckle. He knew Jennie to be this kind of person, never flat out asking for someone else’s person help. Maybe it was part of her personality, or maybe she just hadn’t know how to ask without ceasing the possibility of him rejecting her. Either way, Tarek had no intentions of finding out and beamed happily at her instead; part of him felt honored she had decided to ask him, of all people, but that didn’t mean he would immediately say yes. He was a good dancer, if not to say great, but he had to know what the entire concept was about, and whether or not it was a theme he could work with otherwise it’d be useless and mean of him to agree something he couldn’t master on time. And upon hearing that there was only little less than a month left to prepare whatever Jennie needed for her company’s evaluation, he felt hesitation gnawing at him. Tarek was a person that needed time to prepare things and make them as perfect as humanly possible and he wasn’t sure if just 24 days could do that for him.
❝How about a masquerade ball? As in, all fancy in dress and suit and then the music starts off with something classic but grows into a hip-hop track later on and the choreography transforms from that point onwards? I think that’d be an even better concept, plus that way I could hide my face and wouldn’t actually have to see your boss staring me down. Have you already asked if you can do this project with someone out of your company?❞
“The one where you did a backflip?” A soft chuckle strings along as her fingers gently brush through her lips. His minding going off for a moment oddly was endearing and for a moment, she couldn’t recall what it was she was so excited about. Maybe it was because of recalling all the tragedies, big and small, from the past. Jennie, though turning a bit more mature now, has a carefree side to her as well. An old friend when asked about Jennie’s energy would say she’s on crack and that wasn’t just in some occurrences, it was all the time. It was a chain. As in after recovering from one accident, she’ll get into another. It was even worse as a kid with band-aids plastered everywhere on her body in pictures, casts and all, everyone wondering what it is she could possibly be doing to conjure such damages.
She could only imagine for his kind of incidents to be sorely. He was into sports, after all. She wasn’t sure which ones, but now she remembers to ask. “Reminds me, I’ve never been to any of your tournaments? Competitions? Whatever it is. You should tell me,” she pauses midway, lips pursing in thought. “I’ll see if I can find time for it.” That wasn’t the question she meant to ask but she didn’t want to seem misinformed especially as someone that, she presumes, is considered a close friend. “But of course, I’ll do that… next year, probably…? You don’t have any this holiday season, don’t you? Or is that when everything happens?” in a questioning tone, she smiles awkwardly whilst her shoulders lift in a shrug.
Arms find its way resting on her chest with eyes narrowing meticulously at the male. “Sure, you are. I’m just… obvious, I guess. This always happens.” she sighs in defeat, shoulders slumping slightly along with a petulant expression that spreads across her face, and in frustration she lightly hits her head. Now presented with an idea, her features straighten into a brighter air. “That sounds so grand, can I even pull it off? Pretty sure you can… it’s your idea, after all.”
She’s tempted to say yes to his proposition, but being the brooding perfectionist that she is as usual, she reluctantly refuses. “We already have a full score and choreography, though… it’d be a bit difficult to stray off of the routine and start from scratch, don’t you think?” She feels bad enough just from that, but now she had to tell him what she really was asking his favor for. “Oh, about that…” she rubs her nape and stalls for time. “I haven’t. I mean, I didn’t because… I just wanted someone to practice it while my coach can’t? Is that… okay? I wish I can but I didn’t bother asking because I knew I’d be turned down. I can still ask?”
Somehow, he could see where she was coming from, what with his major being sports and all, but if he truly was talented enough to do backflips and all that crazy shit, he would’ve tried to be an Olympian a long time ago. Eyes melted into crescents at the way she rebuffed him before he let out a happy laughter, focusing on what she was saying before going back to shaking his head in a slightly childish manner. ❝I did, and ended up with a broken arm in the hospital. Let me tell you, unless you got someone to train you, you shouldn’t do it on your own in the living room. I definitely made a mistake there.❞ Shrugging his shoulders and brushing the topic as if it was nothing, he decided to pursue another topic; talking about hospitals made him feel sad, and he didn’t want the mood to be ruined by him.
❝Were you asking this just because I’m a sports student? I mean, I can do a lot of crazy shit but even I have certain boundaries.❞ Exaggeratedly nodding his head in an attempt to support his previous words, his face broke into another smile yet again as he noticed how Jennie was mirroring his own facial expression. ❝Oh, a handstand on a yoga mat. I bet you nearly killed yourself! It must have been exhausting!❞ And now they were back to their usual friendly bickering and teasing, this time around Tarek being the one to take the bait and pick on Jennie, as if it was the most normal thing he should be doing. ❝Seriously, why were you asking? Are you looking for a dance partner or something?❞
“Really? For how long? Did you keep your cast shell as a souvenir?! Aw, c’mon, if you didn’t that’d be a shame.” She blurted out rather enthusiastically. She would have gone on to saying she wished she knew of him then just so she could write on it, although as soon as she realized this, she felt a bit guilty for finding hilarity over his misfortune. He did say it so candidly, as if it wasn’t a big deal which was something she could have a bearing on. She had her fair share of mishaps enough to get everyone around her worried sick. She wasn’t the most careful person, though she’s been trying a bit more now with what career she’s trying to pursue that required a lot of self care.
Jennie’s eyes narrowed at his remarks, giving notice to how they’re worded and for a second, she thought it was her talking. “Like what? You have to show me so I know what crazy is for you.” She teased, poking the male to urge him. “No, I didn’t…” she scoffs, her head shying away and eyes rolling off to the opposite direction. “I just… couldn’t do it properly but it was just for fun.” Her head makes a sharp shift back, eyes darting towards the male. It was as if he read her mind. Just when she thought the permanent straight face threw people off, her random curiosity seemed to have given away what agenda she had or maybe Tarek was just good with social situations.
But starting off with ‘how did you know’ would only boost his ego, and that wasn’t what she was trying to do. “We are one soul and one mind. I actually am…” her voice fades, making the attempt at a casual approach a bit of a failure but now that she’s placed herself in this predicament, she had to continue on with her request. “Here’s the thing, before you ask, I couldn’t really get anyone from the company because they seem to be… all up there, if you know what I mean. Too busy? Then the coach I had doing this with me has other things to tend to but you know, I don’t feel at ease with just a once or twice a week of practice. So I thought, oh, why not Tarek? He does sports and all that cool stuff. Not that I’m saying you’re not busy and you don’t have a life or anything, but I don’t know. That’s why it’s a request… right? Only if you’re okay with it.”
She heaves a sigh, paying attention to the expressions he might be making as she rambles on about her concerns. “So we have this project that needs to be done for Christmas. It’s for Christmas so, no worries. We can… slack off a bit in the beginning. Anyway, the concept is ‘flashy and dynamic’ so I thought of ballroom with a touch of modern, hip hop to it, because our boss is obsessed with hip hop…” she says timidly as she anxiously intertwines her fingers together, eyes casting back and forth, down her hands and the other’s face. “So… how about it?”
❝A backflip?❞ His eyes go wide at her question, and a swift shake of his head follows immediately as he stares at the female in front of him with an incredulous expression on his face. Does she really think someone as tall and lanky as him would be able to do such a complicated thing? The thought has him feeling more offended than anything else, though he masks this very well with a laughter that’s beginning to bubble up in his throat.
❝I feel both flattered and offended for some reason, but no. Sadly, I am not capable of doing such little stunts - why are you asking, though?❞
Jennie remembers clearly his attempt on writing a poem; not just any kind, but one dedicated to her. Who knows what else he can do? She imagined the rest to be related to athletics, however. That’s how she knew of Tarek, after all. A sports student. Maybe she had been distant, too busy to pay attention to details, and she could admit to being out of reach because she knew well how much she curtained herself whenever things turned out rough. It happened often and she didn’t want Tarek, or any of her friends to be burdened by her woes. She knew things would look up for her. The idea of her lifestyle was rooted from her tendency to be self-reliant. Maybe because of that reason, she brought a standstill to their friendship.
She unintentionally mimics the wide eyes that the male wore upon her question because she did have a good idea of what her friend could be capable of from how she knew him sans the malicious implications, and she was surprised to be denied of the actuality from the assumption. Dancing is a sport, isn’t it? Break-dancing, to be specific. It was the only sport she knew she was good at even though in conventional ways, the activity wasn’t considered one.
It wasn’t far-fetched, she thinks.
She could argue of its elements being the same as any other sport. “You look like you can! Save the offense for when I do pick on you.” A nudge is drawn, and a cunning smile appears along with a raise of both eyebrows. Her expressions turned square soon after, head tilting in an inquisitive manner.
“I don’t know. I was just curious, I guess. Have you ever tried? I’ll try it with you. I’ve tried a handstand before but… it was over a yoga mat… heh.”
“Can you say that again? You’re starting to what?” She yanked on his chain like there was no tomorrow. She hadn’t stopped since he mentioned about his unusual feelings of tenderness. If Jennie could put it into words, she would say it was distastefully charming she could punch him in the face out of disgust mixed with awe. “Oh, Yun-chan~ you can be so cute sometimes. Soooo cute.”
