Chapter 27

The hallway buzzed like it always did between classes—lockers slamming, students laughing, footsteps echoing—but none of it reached Lisa the way it should have.

She kept her head down, fingers clutching her books tightly against her chest, glasses slipping slightly down her nose as she tried to move unnoticed through the crowd. It never worked.

“Hey, genius.”

Her steps faltered.

Lisa didn’t need to look up to know who it was.

Kai leaned casually against the lockers ahead, his usual smirk already in place. He was popular—captain of the dance team, admired by almost everyone… and unfortunately, very persistent when it came to one thing.

Jennie.

And by extension—Lisa.

“What’s the rush?” Kai pushed himself off the locker, blocking her path. “Going to tutor someone? Or just hiding again?”

Lisa swallowed, adjusting her grip on her books. “I—I have class.”

“Relax,” he chuckled, leaning closer than necessary. “You always look like you’re about to faint when I talk to you.”

Because you won’t leave me alone.

But Lisa didn’t say it. She rarely did.

Instead, she tried to step around him—only for Kai to move again, deliberately in her way this time.

“You know,” he added, voice dropping slightly, “you really shouldn’t be hanging around Jennie that much. She deserves someone more… on her level.”

That stung.

Lisa’s fingers tightened.

“She is on my level,” Lisa said softly, barely above a whisper—but it was there. It was real.

Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “Oh? Is that what she told you?”

“No.”

Both of them froze.

The voice didn’t come from Lisa.

It came from behind Kai.

And suddenly, the hallway felt… different.

Sharper.

Colder.

Dangerous.

“Because I don’t tell her that,” Jennie said, stepping forward with a calm that was far more intimidating than yelling. “She already knows.”

Lisa’s breath hitched.

Jennie.

Standing there in her uniform, eyes locked onto Kai with a gaze that could cut through steel.

Kai straightened slightly, caught off guard but trying to recover. “Jennie, I was just—”

Before he could finish—

SLAM.

The sound echoed through the hallway.

Gasps followed immediately.

Jennie had grabbed the front of Kai’s uniform and shoved him straight into the lockers, the metal rattling loudly on impact.

Lisa’s eyes widened behind her glasses.

“Jennie—!”

But Jennie didn’t even glance at her.

Her entire focus was on Kai.

Her grip tightened.

And then—

“Stop bothering my girlfriend!”

The words rang out—clear, sharp, and filled with a kind of fierce protectiveness that silenced the entire hallway.

Kai blinked, stunned.

“So let me make this very clear,” Jennie continued, her voice low but burning. “You don’t talk to her. You don’t look at her. You don’t even think about her.”

She leaned in slightly, just enough to make her next words impossible to ignore.

“Because she’s mine.”

The hallway was dead silent.

Even the usual background noise had faded, like the entire school collectively decided not to breathe.

Jennie finally released him with a shove.

Kai stumbled slightly, clearly shaken—and for once, he had nothing to say. No smug remark, no teasing comeback.

He just… backed off.

And left.

Just like that.

Silence lingered for a moment longer before whispers erupted all around them.

But Lisa couldn’t hear any of it.

Because Jennie had turned to her.

And suddenly, that fierce expression melted into something soft. Gentle. Warm.

“Hey,” Jennie said, stepping closer.

Lisa blinked rapidly, still processing everything. “Y-you just—”

“I know,” Jennie smiled sheepishly, reaching up to fix Lisa’s slightly crooked glasses. “Sorry if that was too much.”

“Too much?” Lisa let out a small, breathless laugh. “You just slammed someone into a locker.”

Jennie tilted her head. “Was it cool, though?”

Lisa stared at her.

And then—unexpectedly—she laughed.

Soft. Bright. Completely unguarded.

“It was… very cool.”

Jennie grinned, clearly pleased with herself.

Then her expression softened again.

“Did he hurt you?” she asked quietly, hands gently resting on Lisa’s arms now.

Lisa shook her head. “No. Just… annoying.”

Jennie frowned slightly. “You should’ve told me sooner.”

“I didn’t want to cause trouble…”

Jennie sighed softly, leaning her forehead against Lisa’s.

“You’re never trouble,” she murmured. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Lisa’s cheeks flushed instantly.

“Jennie…”

“And for the record,” Jennie added, smiling again, “you’re way out of his league. And mine.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” Lisa mumbled.

“It does to me.”

Lisa hesitated… then slowly leaned in, pressing a shy kiss to Jennie’s cheek.

The hallway erupted again—this time in teasing and cheers.

Lisa instantly panicked.

Jennie, however?

She just laughed.

Then laced their fingers together proudly.

“Come on,” she said, tugging Lisa gently along. “Let’s go to class.”

Lisa followed—heart full, cheeks warm, and steps lighter than ever.

And this time?

She didn’t keep her head down.