"So the cute dog you sent to the group chat, Kuma, he needs a surgery? It's pretty expensive, that's why you are taking the job?"

"Yes! I don't even know why I'm ranting to you about this..."

Jennie's lips turned downwards, her eyebrows furrowed, she had a big frown as she sulked. She felt immensely sad upon being apart from her dog for so long.

"Hey, why don't you ask your parents for help first? Don't they have the best doctors...?"

Jisoo regretted asking when Jennie visibly flinched.

"I'm sorry-"

"No, it's okay." She shook her head, a sigh passing her lips. "It's just- They-"

"Not on the best terms...?" Jisoo asked cautiously when the other couldn't find the right words.

A slight nod followed. "I, um, kind of.... ran away from home."

"What?!" Jisoo choked on nothing but the air in the room. "Why?? Are they not searching for you??"

"Not really. I was a disappointment to them anyway."

"How could that be? You always get top marks! You are pretty, smart, not athletic but your cuteness makes up for th- Ow! Not my eyes!" Jisoo shielded her eyes with her palms.

Jennie glared at her. She went from blushing to hitting her. She wasn't sure if she was mad or embarrassed.

"They have their reasons to dislike me."

"But you are their child. Whatever reason it may be, I'm 100% sure it's not justified."

"........"

Jennie realised that she opened up to Jisoo about her circumstances very easily. It had taken her years to tell her friends.

"Back to Kuma...." Jennie shifted the topic back because she felt slightly uncomfortable talking about her family. "Can you help me with the video?"

"Sure, what do you need to do?"

Jennie explained how she was sent dresses, the choreography and lyrics to a song. She was supposed to film her performance and send it to the manager. It would fill in for the member who dropped out.

"But when she comes back won't people see the difference between you two?" Jisoo asked skeptically. For some reason she had a bad feeling about this. What if it was a scam?

"I don't know but the manager can deal with it. All I'm concerned about is getting paid and letting Kuma have his surgery."

"That's fair.... I'm just a bit worried."

"Thanks but it's okay."

The two practiced singing and dancing together. Jisoo suggested calling their group of friends over for maximum support. Each of them helped Jennie practice in different areas.

Lisa said she could film the performance professionaly with the expensive camera of her dad. They agreed to meet up tomorrow to do it.

However, Jennie practiced singing the entire night without a break and ended up hoarse the next day. She could only speak in whispers.

"Ah, I told you to rest properly!" Jisoo scolded as Jennie pouted in defense like that would make Jisoo stop scolding her.

"What now?" Lisa asked, carrying the camera equipment to Jennie's apartment.

"The video has to be up today. Someone has to fill in for Jennie." Jisoo took charge, assessing the situation.

Jennie was really grateful that Jisoo was trying to save the situation for her. She was honestly even moved since she really needed the money.

"Nayeon, Hoyeon, you are great at make-up right? Make sure the replacement gets Jennie's feline eye look." She assigned them roles, receiving two salutes.

"Lisa is doing the filming obviously, Jungkook you edit the video." The two nodded their heads obediently as Jisoo spoke with authority.

"Rosé and I will take care of the lighting to make sure the video has a good quality."

Jisoo went on as everyone listened attentively because it was rare to see her this serious.

"Jennie will rest on the sofa and be cute." She exclaimed, making everyone roll their eyes.

"Now the most important part, Jimin will be Jennie's replacement-"

"Why me?!" Jimin gasped, utterly shocked. This was a development he didn't see coming.

"You are a good dancer." Jisoo shrugged.

"So is Lisa!" Jimin rebutted.

"Yes but Lisa is already handling the camera."

"Then I take the camera." Jimin grabbed it from her hands. He was a tech-savvy person and thought he could handle it. But when he took the camera, he realised it was a high-end camera with many functions that he didn't understand.

"Ugh..." He gave the camera back to Lisa, feeling defeated. As Jimin was about to decline to perform for Jennie's audition, he felt a gentle touch on his arm. He turned to see Jennie looking up at him with concern in her eyes.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to..." Jennie said in her hoarse voice. "I don't want to force you into something you're not comfortable with."

Her words struck a chord with Jimin. It wasn't something he was uncomfortable with and that was the problem. He didn't want to give Jungkook a or his other guy friends a reason to make fun of him. 

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have pushed this on you. I would have done it if I was more confident in my performing skills. I can not memorise moves as quickly as you guys, I wouldn't learn it in time." Jisoo admitted with a big sigh.

Then she turned to Jennie. "We will find another way to pay for the surgery of your dog, I promise." She elicited a small smile out of her and a nod of her head.

"Surgery? Dog?" Jimin's eyes widened. So they told him they needed the money for Kuma's surgery. He suddenly felt bad for being reluctant and agreed to help right away. He loved pets and his heart would break if he didn't do everything to help them. 

"I didn't realise it was for something like that. I'll do it. I'll perform." He said with determination in his tone.

Jimin put on the outfit he was given, he waited for Nayeon and Hoyeon to return from the wigmaker. When they arrived, they helped dolling him up and making his looks get somewhat close to Jennie's. Lisa and Jungkook would take care of the rest with the right angle and editing.

Everyone waited for Jimin to return. He was in Jennie's room with Nayeon and Hoyeon for what felt like three hours. He returned looking almost unrecognisable. He had put on a wig, a dress, and a full face of makeup. The transformation was so complete that he almost looked like Jennie herself.

Jennie and the other friends were impressed with Jimin's team spirit. Jungkook couldn't help but laugh at the sight of him in Jennie's clothes but Jimin tried to ignore it. He was ready to do whatever it took to help Jennie and her sick dog.

When it was time for the audition, Jimin took the stage. With his voice that he only used in a high-register and the pretty outfit, he put up a good performance. He sang and danced his heart out, pouring all his energy into the performance.

They sent the video to the manager at night, they were all working overtime to make the video as good as possible. The manager replied right away. They barely made the deadline. The manager was impressed by the skills of Jimin and transferred the payment to Jennie. 

Everyone was ecstatic. Jennie was over the moon. They all knew that it was Jimin who had made it possible by stepping out of his comfort zone and putting on a show. So they all ran towards Jimin, lifted him up and started cheering and celebrating him.

Jimin blushed and looked a little embarrassed. Yet deep down he was thrilled to have helped the dog and possibly his new friends.

*****

The next morning, by the second the veterinary clinic opened, Jennie walked towards it with Jisoo by her side. In fact, Jisoo was the one who woke her up in the morning and reminded her that the clinic was open.  

Jennie's heart was pounding with nervous excitement, knowing that her beloved dog would be able to receive the much-needed surgery.

They stepped inside the clinic, the receptionist greeted them warmly and called the veterinarian over for them.

"Ah, Jennie! What brings you here today?" The vet greeted.

Jennie took a deep breath and held out an envelope. "I have enough money for the surgery for Kuma. Can we schedule it?"

The vet's smile widened. "Of course, Jennie. Let's get started right away. And who's this with you?" He added, gesturing towards Jisoo.

"This is my friend Jisoo." Jennie introduced her, smiling. The blood rushed to Jisoo's cheek as Jennie introduced her with a bright smile, she felt giddy all of sudden.

"Nice to meet you, Jisoo. It's always great to have supportive friends." The vet shook Jisoo's hand.

As they waited for the surgery to be completed, Jennie paced back and forth in the waiting room, biting her lips in nervous anticipation. Jisoo walked beside her, trying to comfort her. 

Jennie looked at Jisoo, tears starting to well up in her eyes. "I just can't bear the thought of losing him... He's been my best friend since I left home." She said, her voice trembling.

Jisoo squeezed her shoulder gently. "I know, Jen. But the vet is one of the best in town, I searched him up on the internet, you made the right choice. Kuma will pull through."

Jennie nodded, taking deep breaths to calm herself down. They sat in silence for a few more minutes, the only sound in the room the soft whirring of the air conditioning unit.

Finally, the vet emerged from the operating room and beckoned Jennie over. Jisoo accompanied her, holding her hand tightly as they approached the vet.

"The surgery was a success." The vet said, smiling. "Your dog is in recovery now and should be ready to go home in a few hours." He handed Jennie some medication and post-op instructions. 

The two waited in the reception area for what seemed like an eternity until the vet finally appeared with the brown Pomeranian. The little dog had a bandage wrapped around one of his legs and was wearing a soft cone around his head to prevent him from licking or chewing on the wound.

Jennie's eyes lit up when she saw the brown ball of fluff. "Oh, my baby! You're okay!" She cried, scooping up the dog in her arms and hugging him tightly. Kuma licked her face in response, happy to be reunited with his owner.

Jisoo smiled as she watched the heartwarming reunion. "I'm so glad everything turned out okay." She said, patting the dog's head.

Jennie remembered that Jisoo never met her dog before and wanted to introduce them properly. She gently placed the small Pomeranian on the ground. "Jisoo, meet my little baby boy. His name is Kuma."

Jisoo crouched down and held out her hand for Kuma to sniff. The dog wagged his tail and licked Jisoo's hand, seeming to approve of her.

"He's so cute!" Jisoo exclaimed, scratching the dog behind the ears. Jennie was happy that he warmed up to her so quickly.

The two thanked the vet profusely and left the clinic, feeling relieved and overjoyed. Jennie turned to Jisoo with teary eyes and a shaky voice.

"Thank you so much for your support. It meant a lot to me." She said, giving her friend a warm hug.

Jisoo hugged her back, feeling grateful to have been able to help her and her furry companion. It felt so much better to be Jennie's friend than someone she hates. If she knew how good it would feel, she would have put an effort much earlier.