Even after Jennie has exited their office and waved them goodbye, Jisoo still cannot believe that the billionaire actually fancies their works enough to invite them to call.

"I may have a property up for renovation from scratch. If you're interested, let's chat." Jennie has said that with a disarming smile while handing her business card over to Jisoo.

And Jisoo almost squealed on the spot, like how Lisa and Chaeyoung are doing right now - at the top of their lungs.

"Gahhhhhhh!!!!!"

"Oh my god oh my god oh my god!!!!!!!!"

Screaming, they hold hands and prance around Jisoo, like children playing ring-around-the-rosie.

Thankfully they managed to suppress it until Jennie was gone, otherwise Jisoo would have died of utter embarrassment.

"I can't believe she just walked in here and boom! We got our big break!" Lisa pulls Chaeyoung forward so that they sandwich Jisoo in a crushing group hug.

"Girls, please. We're invited to a chat, we haven't clinched the deal, alright? Let's not be complacent." Jisoo reminds them but doesn't suppress her own big grin though.

The two younger ones finally pull apart from Jisoo with giant smiles still stuck on their faces, as they pant and fan themselves with their hands.

"Oh! Speaking of which," Chaeyoung points a finger skywards and blurts out, "how did a big CEO like her even end up in our tiny office? I mean, we're not famous or anything, and it's not like she could have accidentally strolled in here for some shopping, right?"

Lisa replaces her goofy grin with a frown and tucks a fist under her chin, thinking aloud, "True that..."

Raising her jacket-draped arm and the tissues in her other hand, Jisoo explains, "She came by to return these, I lent -"

"OH MY GOD! You guys know each other?" The other two gasp in sync.

Jisoo rolls her eyes. "No. We don't. Last Wednesday or something I sorta bumped into her when I was giving out flyers. I think she was crying so I offered this packet of tissues to her."

"What about the jacket?" Chaeyoung points out with a curious head-tilt.

"Hmm? Oh, uh, I just thought she looked... cold, you know, bare shoulders at night and all."

Chaeyoung gives her the suspicious side-eye and Jisoo's heart pounds. Jisoo thinks she has absolutely nothing to hide though, so she solemnly decides that maybe she has heart arrhythmia; she should get it checked one day.

Chaeyoung shrugs it off, "Okay." And Jisoo releases the breath she doesn't realise she has been holding.

"Damn glad that happened though! Not the Jennie crying part, I mean. Just the part where you stumbled upon her in the right place at the right time and somehow pulled off the right moves!" Lisa lands a hard slap on Jisoo's back that knocks the air out of the girl.

Jisoo coughs, raising a palm and threatening to hit Lisa upside her head, and Lisa quickly finds safety behind her girlfriend.

"Ooohh that leads me to think...," Chaeyoung taps her chin and angles her face to the ceiling, "that Jennie does look a lot like the right type for Jisoo, don't you think?"

Jisoo chokes on nothing and coughs violently again. But her friends could care less.

"Oooo now that you mention it!" Lisa nods eagerly at Chaeyoung and they begin a side conversation blabbering about Jennie's style and vibe which supposedly match Jisoo's type and character, as if they would know anything about it. Or... would they?

Recovering from her unexpected choke, Jisoo shakes her head at the chattering duo and makes her way to her desk. "I'm gonna pack up! You guys can stay and gossip the whole night through if you'd like. Not considered as overtime though!"

That catches their attention but does little to stop their bullet-train talk, which persists as they saunter back to their desks to grab their belongings. They finally acknowledge Jisoo's existence when they are out the door and ready to part ways for the night.

"Bye ladies, rest your tongues well." Jisoo pats their backs and walks in the opposite direction.

She hears their annoying reminder. "Don't forget to give our future sis-in-law a call! Heck the 3-day rule!"

Jisoo nonchalantly throws a wave behind her shoulder, and chuckles to herself. She doesn't know why her cheeks feel so flushed though.

---------

It is a bright Wednesday morning, a week after the phone call with Jennie's secretary, when Jisoo walks into the sprawling lobby of the tallest building in the prime business district of Seoul.

Woah, she almost gasps as loud as her heels are clicking on the black marble floor. The lobby alone is huge, bustling with suits and ties, scarves and pencil skirts, briefcases and handbags. Smiling and nodding with appropriate hand gestures, everyone is effortlessly chic and intimidatingly professional as they navigate this concrete jungle with ease, unlike herself.

An equally well-dressed receptionist ushers her through the turnstile with a practised smile, and off Jisoo goes in the elevator towards the highest floor. The soft classical music in the background doesn't help her to relax - she straightens her attire and posture for the umpteenth time, sincerely praying she doesn't stick out like a sore thumb or worse, a country pumpkin.

Architects prefer a paint-smeared overall to a shiny pressed suit anyday. So does Jisoo. But today, she has donned her spanking new black dress and grey checkered coat for the meeting.

Lisa is down with the flu while Chaeyoung has client appointments which Jisoo insists she goes for; hence, here she is, alone and fidgeting and about to represent her firm in a meeting with their biggest ever prospective customer.

Jisoo is greeted once the lift doors open at the highest floor, and she is efficiently led down a long hallway with the most scenic view of the city below. Thanking the lady who escorted her, Jisoo takes a seat on a comfortable red couch in an open waiting area full of food that she is allowed to indulge freely in.

Not wanting to have biscuit remnants stuck unknowingly between her teeth, she quietly runs through her introductory script in her head, such as the number of projects they have completed, the best one they have done, how long they typically take to finish, and why she is in this line of business in the first place.

She stands and paces around as she rehearses with herself. Wandering, she steps out onto another hallway with a different, yet equally stunning view of the world below, but her eyes spot a bigger stunner - Jennie Kim seated in a huge glass office situated at the end of the aisle, her head thrown back as she laughs at something the lady opposite her has probably said.

And Jisoo catches herself smiling at the sight. It is like art, and Jisoo likes art. But what she values the most is the soul behind the art. For someone like Jennie Kim to personally return an item as small in value as a packet of tissues, Jisoo thinks it speaks volumes about the character behind the pretty face.

The woman opposite Jennie starts to stand and the CEO follows suit. Instead of bowing, they hug warmly, with Jennie's arms circling around the woman's waist. Jisoo abruptly feels like she is intruding on a private moment, so she turns and retraces her steps back to the couch in the waiting area.

She can hear the faint thanks exchanged followed by the clicking of heels down the aisle. The sound gets louder as the heels approach, and when the lady passes the waiting area, she catches sight of Jisoo and smiles politely. Hurriedly returning the smile before the lady walks by, Jisoo thinks this lady is another work of art.

Jisoo subconsciously stands to fix her own attire. Why does everyone here dress like they're going for a red carpet event??

"Hi, Miss Kim Jisoo, please follow me."

Jisoo turns around and recognizes the beaming lady who escorted her earlier. In response, Jisoo nods courteously and follows the petite woman down the hallway.

Through the glass, Jisoo notices Jennie leaning back in her chair with her eyes closed and fingers pressed on her temples, a stark contrast to her previous guest who has left with a sunny smile.

Jennie opens her eyes when she hears the knock. "Come in." She files away her documents and trashes her Starbucks, sticks on a smile and walks round her desk to thank her staff, who bows then leaves.

"Hi, Miss Kim, I'm glad you called," Jennie extends a hand and stretches a charming smile.

"So am I," Jisoo feels a jolt when they shake hands but she brushes it off as static. "And please, call me Jisoo."

Jennie picks up the imitation and tilts her head. "You learn well."

"Only from the best."

Shaking her head, Jennie smiles, a little tired, and gestures to the plush leather seat opposite hers. "Have a seat, Jisoo."

"Thanks." Jisoo cannot resist looking at the minimalistic yet elegant design of Jennie's office as she walks to her seat. "You've got an impressive workplace."

Jennie sits and lifts an end of her lips, "Wait till you see this." With that, she opens a big folder on her desk and turns it around for Jisoo.

It is the blueprint of a property that is huge enough to span at least ten pages. At a glance, it is easily the size of a villa with its own private beach.

This project is miles above her expectations, in a darn good way.

"Wow, this is... wow." Jisoo's fingers trace the print and her eyes transfix on the paper like it is a treasure map.

"This is what I'm entrusting to your firm. If your pitch is impressive enough, that is."

Jisoo flips another page, half-listening. "Woah."

"I'm taking that as a yes? You'll come back and present your proposed designs, say, next week?" Jennie smugly raises an eyebrow.

"Huh?" Jisoo tears her eyes from the blueprint and looks up. Then it registers in her mind what Jennie has said. "Oh yes! Of course yes! You won't regret this, Miss Ki- I mean Jennie!"

Jennie smiles satisfactorily and clasps her hands on the table. "To help you with brainstorming for ideas, is there anything you'd like to know?"

That surprises Jisoo because in her rehearsal, Jennie is supposed to ask her all those questions one would find in a formal interview. Instead, it goes the other way - Jennie opens herself up for probing.

Jisoo grabs the chance and jumps right in. "Is this a private villa? With an exclusive beachfront?"

"Mmhm, you've a keen eye."

"Where is this place exactly?"

Jennie lifts a finger, "Not so fast, Jisoo. I'll tell you only after we've signed the contract and the non-disclosure agreement."

"Fair enough. Wherever it is, just make sure there's wifi," Jisoo jokes, eliciting a chuckle from the woman across from her, and she feels an odd sense of victory as though she succeeded in chasing away some of Jennie's vexations.

"Likewise, fair enough."

"Good," Jisoo grins. "Hmm... what's the budget for everything?"

Jennie doesn't hesitate. "None, to be honest. I'll pay what good things are worth." She pulls it off without sounding snobbish, and in fact, Jisoo finds her sincere.

"Right. I wonder why I even asked," Jisoo rolls her eyes in mock sarcasm and Jennie laughs. And Jisoo decides she loves the sound of it.

The conversation continues to flow in this easy, light-hearted manner, and by the end of it, Jisoo has learnt that Jennie is a self-proclaimed good chef, likes music and exercise, and is currently building up her photography portfolio as if she needs one.

All these little nuggets will be useful to Jisoo since her designs should revolve around Jennie's preferences and way of living.

And that is why Jisoo justifies it is perfectly reasonable to enquire about Jennie's relationship status. I mean, I need to know if the bed should be a single or queen or even king-sized, right? It's basic and strictly professional.

Amused, Jennie smiles and looks down, tucking her hair behind an ear while the rest cascades lusciously down the other side of her face.

"I'm not with anyone at the moment," she looks up from under her eyelashes with that same smile and Jisoo nearly forgets her question.

Jisoo doesn't really know why but her heart does a little dance at Jennie's answer.

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