Chapter 75

The first time Jisoo saw her idol in real life, she almost dropped her whistle into the pool.

It was a normal afternoon at the local swimming pool in Seoul—sunlight glinting off the water, the steady rhythm of swimmers doing laps, the faint smell of chlorine hanging in the air. Jisoo had just clocked in for her shift, tying her hair into a neat ponytail as she prepared to take over lifeguard duty from Lisa.

Lisa, who looked far too relaxed for someone responsible for dozens of lives, was leaning back in her chair, sunglasses perched on her nose, lazily twirling her whistle.

“You’re late,” Lisa teased, not even looking at her.

“I’m three minutes early,” Jisoo shot back, rolling her eyes. “You’re just dramatic.”

Lisa grinned. “Same thing.”

Jisoo was about to respond when she noticed it—the sudden shift in the atmosphere. A few swimmers paused mid-lap. A couple of people near the entrance started whispering. Someone gasped.

Jisoo frowned. “What’s going on?”

Lisa didn’t even bother turning her head. “Ah. She’s here.”

“She?” Jisoo echoed, confused.

And then she saw her.

Jennie.

That Jennie.

Olympic-level professional swimmer. National pride. The woman whose races Jisoo had stayed up late watching, screaming at her screen like a maniac. The same Jennie whose posters were still secretly tucked inside Jisoo’s closet back home.

Walking into their pool like it was just… any other day.

Jisoo’s brain short-circuited.

“She—” Jisoo grabbed Lisa’s arm, nearly shaking her out of her chair. “She—she—do you SEE that?!”

Lisa glanced over casually. “Yeah.”

“YEAH?!” Jisoo whisper-screamed. “THAT’S JENNIE.”

“Mhm.”

“THE Jennie.”

“Yep.”

“THE Jennie Kim, professional swimmer, world-class athlete, actual legend—”

Lisa finally turned her head, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?”

Jisoo looked like she might pass out.

“Why are you so calm?!” she demanded.

Lisa shrugged. “She comes here all the time.”

Jisoo froze.

“…what?”

“She’s a regular.”

Jisoo stared at her like she had just said the sky was green.

“A regular,” Jisoo repeated slowly.

“Yeah,” Lisa said, stretching her arms above her head. “Comes in almost every day for practice.”

Jisoo turned back toward Jennie, who was now setting her bag down by one of the lanes, completely unaware—or maybe just unfazed—by the attention she was getting.

“You’re telling me,” Jisoo said, voice trembling, “that I have been working here for THREE MONTHS… and you never thought to mention that my idol casually swims here like it’s no big deal?”

Lisa smirked. “You never asked.”

“I SHOULDN’T HAVE TO ASK THAT.”

Before Lisa could respond, Jennie glanced up—and her face lit up instantly.

Jisoo watched, stunned, as Jennie walked straight toward them.

Toward Lisa.

“Hey,” Jennie said, smiling softly.

Lisa’s entire demeanor changed in an instant.

The lazy, teasing lifeguard melted into something warmer, softer. She sat up straighter, pushing her sunglasses up into her hair.

“Hey, you’re late,” Lisa said, but there was no bite to it—just fondness.

Jisoo blinked.

Late?

Jennie pouted slightly. “Traffic.”

Lisa hummed. “Excuses.”

Jisoo blinked again.

Excuse me—what was happening?

Jennie leaned casually against the lifeguard stand, close—way too close—like this was the most natural thing in the world.

“You’re working long today?” Jennie asked.

“Yeah. Closing shift,” Lisa replied. “You?”

“Just training. Coach gave me a lighter schedule.”

Lisa nodded approvingly. “Good. You looked tired yesterday.”

“I wasn’t—”

“You were,” Lisa cut in gently. “You kept slowing down at the turns.”

Jennie huffed, crossing her arms. “You’re not even in the water, how do you notice that?”

Lisa grinned. “I notice everything.”

Jisoo’s jaw slowly dropped.

Wait.

Wait.

WAIT.

Her eyes darted between them—the easy conversation, the soft smiles, the way Jennie absentmindedly reached up to fix Lisa’s slightly messy hair.

Oh.

Oh no.

No way.

Jisoo pointed a trembling finger between them. “You… you guys…”

Lisa glanced at her. “Hm?”

“You KNOW each other?” Jisoo asked, voice cracking.

Lisa blinked. “Yeah?”

Jisoo looked at Jennie, who gave her a polite, slightly amused smile.

“Hi,” Jennie said. “You must be Jisoo.”

Jisoo’s soul left her body.

“SHE KNOWS MY NAME.”

Lisa snorted.

“Of course she does,” Lisa said. “I talk about you all the time.”

“That doesn’t make it better!” Jisoo whispered harshly.

Jennie giggled softly, covering her mouth.

Jisoo clutched her chest.

This was too much.

This was TOO MUCH.

“Wait,” Jisoo said suddenly, narrowing her eyes. “How do you know her?”

She pointed at Lisa like she was accusing her of a crime.

Lisa tilted her head, as if considering how to answer.

Then, completely casually, she reached out and laced her fingers with Jennie’s.

Jisoo stopped breathing.

“We’re dating,” Lisa said.

Silence.

Absolute, deafening silence.

Jisoo stared at their intertwined hands.

Then at Jennie.

Then back at Lisa.

Then back at their hands.

Her brain tried to process the information.

Failed.

Restarted.

Failed again.

“…you’re WHAT.”

Jennie squeezed Lisa’s hand, smiling shyly. “We’ve been together for a while.”

Jisoo’s knees nearly gave out.

“A while,” she repeated weakly. “A WHILE.”

Lisa nodded. “Yeah.”

“And you just… didn’t tell me?”

Lisa shrugged. “Didn’t come up.”

Jisoo let out a noise that could only be described as a strangled scream.

“DIDN’T COME UP?!” she whisper-yelled. “YOU’RE DATING MY IDOL AND YOU THOUGHT THAT WASN’T IMPORTANT INFORMATION?!”

Lisa winced slightly. “When you put it like that…”

Jennie laughed again, clearly entertained by Jisoo’s meltdown.

Jisoo pointed at her. “And YOU. You’re just casually here. At a public pool. Like a NORMAL PERSON.”

Jennie tilted her head. “I am a normal person.”

“YOU ARE AN INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING ICON.”

“…still normal.”

Jisoo looked like she might cry.

Lisa patted her shoulder. “You’ll get used to it.”

“I WILL NEVER GET USED TO THIS.”

Jennie smiled warmly at her. “You can relax. I’m just here to swim.”

Jisoo took a deep breath.

Then another.

Then she bowed so suddenly it startled both of them.

“I’m your biggest fan,” she blurted out.

Lisa burst out laughing.

Jennie blinked, surprised, before bowing back slightly. “Thank you.”

“I’ve watched all your races,” Jisoo continued rapidly. “Like—all of them. Multiple times. I cried when you won last year. I still have the clip saved on my phone—”

“Jisoo,” Lisa interrupted, trying not to laugh.

“I CAN PROVE IT.”

“Jisoo.”

“I HAVE SCREENSHOTS.”

“JISOO.”

Jisoo froze.

“…sorry.”

Jennie was smiling so wide now, clearly touched. “That’s really sweet.”

Jisoo straightened, still flustered but trying to regain some dignity.

“So… you’re really a regular here?” she asked.

Jennie nodded. “Lisa keeps the place safe. I trust her.”

Lisa smirked. “Only reason?”

Jennie squeezed her hand again. “No.”

The way they looked at each other—soft, affectionate, completely at ease—made something in Jisoo’s chest melt.

Okay.

Okay, maybe this was… kind of cute.

Annoying.

But cute.

“Unbelievable,” Jisoo muttered. “I work with a lifeguard who’s secretly dating a world-class swimmer.”

Lisa grinned. “Pretty cool, right?”

Jisoo crossed her arms. “I’m still mad you didn’t tell me.”

“Fair.”

Jennie chuckled. “I’ll make it up to you.”

Jisoo perked up instantly. “How?”

Jennie thought for a moment. “I can give you some swimming tips after my practice.”

Jisoo gasped. “REALLY?”

Lisa leaned back, smirking. “Careful. She’s strict.”

“I CAN HANDLE STRICT.”

Jennie laughed. “We’ll see.”

A whistle blew somewhere across the pool, signaling the start of lap time.

Jennie squeezed Lisa’s hand one last time before letting go.

“I’ll see you after?” she said softly.

Lisa nodded. “I’ll be here.”

Jennie smiled, then turned and headed toward the pool.

Jisoo watched her go, still in awe.

Then she slowly turned to Lisa.

“You are the luckiest person alive.”

Lisa shrugged, but there was a soft smile on her face as she watched Jennie dive into the water.

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “I know.”

Jisoo followed her gaze.

Jennie moved through the water like she belonged there—fast, graceful, effortless.

But every now and then, she’d glance up.

And every time she did—

Her eyes went straight to Lisa.

Jisoo groaned.

“Okay, I get it,” she muttered. “You’re disgustingly in love.”

Lisa smirked. “Took you long enough.”

Jisoo shook her head, but she was smiling now.

“Next time,” she said, pointing at Lisa, “you tell me immediately if you’re dating a literal legend.”

Lisa laughed. “Deal.”

Jisoo crossed her arms, watching Jennie swim.

“…this is still insane.”

Lisa just leaned back in her chair, completely at ease.

For her, it was just another day at the pool.

But for Jisoo?

Yeah.

She was definitely never forgetting this shift.