Jennie

"How are you feeling, Daddy?"

He looks tired, and he's really struggling to stay awake these days. He's taking longer naps, and he seems less cheerful than he was a few weeks ago. Mino checks his equipment and questions his nurses, and Dad follows Mino's movements with a frown on his face.

"I'm fine, Princess," he says, but he doesn't sound fine. My heart is breaking. I hate that I'm so helpless. That there isn't anything I can do to help.

"I really am fine, Jennie," Dad says, smiling at me. "Go on. Just go to bed. I'll see you tomorrow morning, all right?"

I nod and look back at him one more time before walking out of his treatment room. I hate leaving him here by himself, but he seems uncomfortable having Mino around. I guess he doesn't like looking weak, which is understandable. It doesn't help that Mino keeps treating Dad like he's one of his patients.

I walk into the bedroom that I've shared with Mino for the last week and a half and sigh. Mino smiles at me and pulls me closer. "Hey, we should just get an early night," he murmurs, leaning in. I stiffen when he tries to kiss me and pull away from him.

Mino frowns. "What's going on, Jennie? I get that you're worried about your dad, but you won't even kiss me. You haven't even properly kissed me back once since I got here. We haven't seen each other in weeks. Haven't you missed me? Bloody hell, I've been dreaming about being in bed with you. Haven't you?"

I'm filled with dread at the mere thought of it. I bite down on my lip and look away guiltily. "This is all just so strange to me," I admit. "Seeing my dad lose more and more of his spirit every single day is killing me, and being in someone else's house isn't exactly helping. So no, I haven't been dreaming about that."

Mino looks at me angrily. "It's Lisa, isn't it? I can't even bloody blame you, because she's Lisa Manoban. That girl is filthy rich, she's beautiful and quite a bit more good looking than I am, and she takes amazing care of your dad. Bloody hell, even I'd be in love with her."

He runs a hand through his hair and looks away. "Just tell me that you're mine, Jennie. Lie to me if you must, but tell me that you're still mine. Tell me that you're coming home with me when your dad recovers, and that whatever is going on here will stay here."

I look at him with wide eyes. "What?" I whisper.

Mino grimaces, and I don't think I've ever seen him look this hurt. "I see the way you look at her, Jennie. You've never looked at me that way before. I see the way you two interact as though you can tell what the other is thinking, and you and I have never had that. It's obvious that even your dad likes her better, and I can't even fault him for it. I'm trying my best to help with his treatment, but that's nothing compared to everything Lisa has done for him."

I shake my head and wrap my arms around his neck. "No, Mino. That just isn't true," I whisper, willing myself to believe it too.

"Isn't it?" he murmurs. "Jennie, I saw you superglue a whoopee cushion to Lisa's dining room chair. I looked it up, just to be sure. Those chairs are two thousand dollars each. Lisa just stood there and watched you do it, a smile on her face. What the hell is up with that? Since when do you play pranks like that? I've never seen you as giddy as you were while you were doing that. Not even once. You were so excited while you were destroying Lisa's property, and she let you. How can you tell me there isn't anything going on? No sane personq would ever let you do something as crazy as that — with a smile on her face. I don't even recognize the person you are around Lisa. You're so different, and I hate it. Did you think I didn't notice the inside jokes? The way you won't even explain whatever the hell being outraged in Spanish even means?"

I stare at him wide-eyed. "I… I was just trying to get her back for a prank she pulled a little while ago. I'd gotten so busy with Dad that I forgot about it, but then I saw the bag from the toy store," I ramble, trailing off.

Mino crosses his arms over each other and frowns. "What the hell are you even talking about? What could she possibly have done to warrant you destroying her property like that?"

I bite down on my lip and look away. "I… she… she'd changed the ringtone to my phone and then called me during a work meeting," I murmur. It sounds stupid even to my own ears, and he's right, I probably went too far with the prank I pulled in return.

"Are you crazy?" he shouts. "You did that because she changed your ringtone? What is wrong with you, Jennie? I don't understand what has gotten into you. You weren't this… crazy just a few months ago."

He sighs and starts to pace. "You're distant and you're acting irrationally. It's like I don't even know you anymore. It's like you came here, and you turned into an entirely different person. You usually hate cooking, but here you make your dad lunch every single day, and you're usually so serious, yet now you're suddenly playing pranks. Pranks. You say you can't sleep with me because you're too worried about your dad, but you're not too worried to play a fucking childish joke. It's ridiculous."

Mino runs his hand through his hair angrily and looks at me, his eyes flashing with disappointment. "How the hell did Lisa even get into your phone? I don't even know your code."

I bite down on my lip and sigh. "She guessed it."

Mino chuckles. "She guessed it? So, someone that you haven't seen in years knows you better than I do? Well, that's just brilliant."

"I don't know what you want me to say, Mino. Yes, she does know me well. We grew up together, after all. You're telling me you hate who I am here, but what does that even mean, because for the first time in years I actually feel like myself."

Mino sighs and shakes his head. "I'm just really confused. I don't even know who you are anymore. I'm starting to wonder if the girl I fell for was ever even the real you at all."

I'm starting to wonder the same thing. The girl that Mino loves, is that even the real me? Or is it just who I so desperately wanted to be?