"But I really don't feel like going," Lisa groaned in defiance when they stepped in inside her apartment. The now-familiar eerie silence of her own place did not surprise her anymore. There was something missing, she knew. She just couldn't pinpoint what it was. Or maybe she did and she just didn't want to linger much on the thought yet.
Lisa saw Leo jumped from the couch and scuttled away towards the uppermost of the stairs and Luca, the good boy that he was, remained on his stupor above the cabinet and only raised an eyelid to check on her and her tall and lanky companion. She smiled at the sight of her two boys. Leo wouldn't have scuttled away if it was Jennie who was with her.
"Oh my god! Please, don't use that tone on me. Besides, it has been decided that you're coming with me--"
"Decided by who?" Lisa asked and plopped herself on the couch. She was occupying the whole space, leaving her companion, who smelled mostly of airport and summer, standing in the middle of her living room, checking the tiny cobwebs hanging on the chandelier.
"By me," the other woman said while scanning her eyes on the state of Lisa's apartment. "Besides, it's a good opportunity for you to expand your circle, meet possible clients and maybe find someone that will make you get out of your lab once in a while," she explained her intentions and added, "You really need to get out of your lab and do a bit of cleaning in here." She just ran her finger on the specks of dust lying on the frame of one of Lisa's displayed black-and-white photo of her two cats and clicked her tongue in disapproval.
"I'm actually getting out of my lab more often than you know," Lisa replied without looking. Her forearms were raised on her face, covering her eyes. Her feet resting on the armrest. "Leave the dusts alone. They make a good story."
The tall woman with an apple-cut hair rolled her eyes at Lisa, even though she knew that the younger woman wasn't looking. At least she knew how to vacuum her place in New York, no matter how unorganized she could be most of the time.
"Good to know," she said sarcastically and sashayed towards the solitary couch, where Lisa was lying. She slapped Lisa's feet off the armrest. Lisa scooted over and made room for the woman.
"Yes. But I need to work on some rolls tonight, though," Lisa said and pushed herself up to sit.
Doona, Lisa's old friend and mentor in photography wasn't having Lisa's display of enervated spirit. She just flew in from New York, made a quick stopover in a dress shop to get her dress fixed and went straight to Lisa's place, hoping that the younger photographer was in the country. Especially since the last time that the two of them talked, Lisa was somewhere in South America, with the loud sound of drums and street parties on the background.
"Lalisa! What did I tell you about being a photographer?" Donna asked her friend.
Doona had met Lisa by accident a few years ago when Lisa was still a newbie in photography. A tall, lanky woman with a ridiculously huge camera bag strapped on her shoulder, looking awkward and lost in the sea of abstract arts and throngs of people. They had met in Korea, in the village of Dongpirang, when the place was still littered with homegrown artists painting on the walls from sun up to sun down, to save the dying village from being demolished.
Doona was one of those who had been invited by a group of artists to present the colorfully-painted village to the rest of the world through her lens. And Lisa back then was an amateur who went there for the sole purpose of testing her new camera for a photowalk. The young enthusiast had bumped into her, causing her compact camera to fly off her grip and landed hard on the hard pavement. She could still remember the horrified look on Lisa's face when they both saw the compact camera lying on the pavement, looking pathetically broken. And the rest, they would say, was history.
They had become friends since then. And by friends, meaning she had been guiding Lisa about photography. Teaching her, sharing her knowledge and answering Lisa's overwhelming questions about photography even at three in the morning, when Lisa couldn't sleep and she was somewhere in some hotel rooms in some foreign countries, snoring. Lisa was so good at waking her up during ungodly hours that Doona thought Lisa had made it all intentional. She asked Lisa about it, of course. And Lisa would only deny and laugh at her with those loud ass laughter of hers.
"See the world. Get out often," Lisa recited lackadaisically.
"That's not exactly what I said but yes, see the world and get out often. And what have you been doing?" Doona asked.
"Seeing the world, getting out often, snapping and shooting and now I need to work on the roll negatives that I've used when I did all that," Lisa replied with a smirk.
"Oh yeah? Your assistant told me otherwise, though?" Doona smirked back.
Lisa threw her friend a playful glare and asked, "Since when did you ever believe in men?"
"Touche. But your assistant is a boy, not a man. Men don't ogle on women like he just saw one for the first time in his life. I swear I could have punched him in the face if he wasn't acting super cute. And I'm not saying that it's cute to ogle at women like that. It's annoying," Doona said.
Lisa laughed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. Bobby does that all the time, it is annoying. But maybe because he was fascinated by you? I mean look at you?" Lisa said, raising her eyebrows in approval on the older woman.
Doona rolled her eyes dramatically at Lisa and laughed. Her high cheekbones were flustered. Her small face was glowing. New York and the world, wherever Doona had been for the last years, had done her good, Lisa thought. Or maybe it was the fact that Doona was a free soul, doing the things she loved the most and loving every minute of it. Happiness looked good on her friend that Lisa thought Doona did not even aged since the last time they saw each other. If anything, the New York-based photographer looked younger than her actual age of forty. She looked youthful and glowing.
"He needs to grow up," Doona said with a knowing smirk.
"Yes. I've been telling him that since day one," Lisa replied. "See? I've been a good student and learned things from you. So, can I not go?" she asked.
Doona looked at her incredulously and shook her head. "Nope," she told Lisa. "Now, be a good girl. Go to your room, find a nice dress, take a bath because you smell like you've been diluted in dye all day. Prep yourself up because we can't be late. I don't want to be late."
"God, you're so bossy!"Lisa groaned but heaved herself up from the couch anyway. She knew it was a lost cause from the beginning. Defying and declining Doona Bae was like saying no to a stonewall. It was futile. But it was always worth the try.
"I know, honey," Doona said condescendingly and laughed. "You told me I can boss you around because I'm your teacher. You said it yourself."
"I'm seriously taking it back now," Lisa replied as she made her way towards the stairs with heavy footsteps, which had set Leo in another panic mode as he hurried down the stairs like a zooming bullet, missing Lisa by an inch. She really didn't feel like like going out tonight, she thought as she watched Leo settled himself anxiously beside Luca.
"Sure. But you're still going to that party with me. Now, go prep up, Pokpak!" Doona said.
Lisa rolled her eyes and smiled. It had been a while since the last time someone called her by her old nickname. Doona loved the name for some reason. "It had grown on me," Doona once told her.
"Hello, handsome!" Doona said while petting Luca first. And Leo jumped away from the touch as soon as Donna tried to stroke his ear. Doona laughed and asked, "Does Leo ever learn how to relax?"
Lisa halted her steps. She was midway from going up to her loft and said, "Of course, he does." But exclusively with Jennie, she wanted to add but thought against it. Doona didn't have to know about Jennie. Lisa resumed her steps. Not yet, she told herself.
"Oh, what are these? I didn't know you cook?"
Doona had apparently moved on from petting Luca and scaring Leo and had started to look around her kitchen.
"I don't. Can you please stop rummaging my kitchen?" Lisa called out from the loft as she heard the clicking of the cupboard doors, the tinkling of the mason jars she bought to store condiments and the sound of the refrigerator door alarm going off, indicating that Doona had left the door open longer than allowed.
She had filled her cupboard and refrigerator with stuff that she thought Jennie would might want to use when cooking. Pasta, pastries, traditional Korean dishes. She had also organized the groceries alphabetically, so that when Jennie would ask her for a specific something, she would have find it in an instant. And Doona looking around in there might disarray everything.
"Why are you so snarky at me? That's not how a student should treat her teacher, Pokpak!" Lisa heard Doona telling her, laughing like she was teasing her.
Lisa was about to open her mouth to retort but she heard the beeping sound of her door alarm before it was pulled opened.
"Well, look who's here! Hello, beautiful!" she heard the older woman exclaimed jovially downstairs that it made Lisa curious who the new arrival was. And realized that there was only one person in the world who knew her door security code.
"Chipmunk!" Lisa called out as she listened to the exchange of pleasantries, small talks and chuckles between Chaeyoung and Doona from the kitchen.
"What?" Chaeyoung yelled.
"Can you come up here and help me with something, please?" Lisa shouted from her bedroom door.
"Go on, gorgeous. And please tell your snarky friend up there to hurry up because we don't wanna be late for the party," Lisa heard Doona said loudly, putting an emphasis on the word 'snarky' and 'don't'. Lisa could only just shake her head and chuckle from upstairs. She could imagine the look on her friend's face when she did that.
"Hey, Pokpak! I'll just be in your studio, okay? Do hurry up! And dress to impress!" Doona told her and Chaeng's "It's great to see you again, Miss Doona!" before she heard the door opened and closed. An indication that Doona had already left even before she could say a word.
"You're going to a party?" Chaeyoung asked Lisa as soon she stepped inside Lisa's bedroom. Lisa's back was on her.
"Apparently so," Lisa answered. "Which one do you think should I wear?" she asked and turned around to face Chaeyoung, holding two casual-looking but otherwise expensive dresses on her both hands.
"The red one. It's your favorite color." It didn't take seconds for Chaeyoung to reply because she knew that Lisa would prefer red when undecided. "Since when did you ever go to a party?" she asked.
"Since never, except your party. But Doona insisted. You know her," Lisa said and stood in front of the full-length mirror next to her wardrobe closet, holding the red dress, checking if it looked good on her.
"She's hard to resist, yes," said Chaeyoung and seated on the edge of Lisa's bed, dusting off the cat hairs she found littering all over Lisa's bed sheets. "Hey, listen. So, I just came back from the firm, Lis," she told Lisa.
The blond abruptly turned around to face Chaeyoung, looking excited all of a sudden.
"Oh, yeah?" Lisa said, with that big grin on her face. The same grin she would flash to Chaeyoung's family whenever she would see them. "How's Alice and your Pops? And your Mom, too. I miss her cooking. I miss all of them, Chaeyoung-a! You should've told me so I could've come with you." She pouted.
"I tried to call you but you weren't picking up," Chaeyoung said sternly. "Anyway, they're fine. Mom said you should drop by soonest because she misses you, too. Dad said hello and Alice told me to remind you about the somac session you promised her?"
Lisa laughed loudly. "I see. Alice is still not over the fact that I defeated her the last time. She wants to get back at me," she said.
"Of course, she does, idiot! Alice still claims that you cheated last time and we both know you did. I didn't tell her that, though. She'll definitely kill me if she finds out I downed a glass for you," Chaeyoung said which made Lisa laugh even louder. "Anyway, I told them about what happened, Lisa," she continued.
"What happened?" Lisa asked with knitted brows, the ghost of her laughter was still visible on her face.
"At the bar, Shutterbug. About Jennie and Jisoo. The Kim Group?" Chaeyoung replied.
"Oh. That group." Lisa rolled her eyes with an exasperated expression on her face and went about her drawers to look for her Rolex.
But Chaeyoung could tell that Lisa was just goofing around. Or perhaps dodging the inevitable. Because no matter how Lisa would decline to talk about it, they would have to. So, she added, "And I saw Jennie's profile on their website."
The sound of Jennie's name did it. Gone was the goofy look. Although it did not wipe the smile off Lisa's face, to Chaeyoung's frustration. If anything, Chaeyoung thought it only made Lisa looked, well, in love, that it took every ounce of her being not to throw Lisa the pillow closest to her to snap Lisa out of it for now.
"Looks intimidating, doesn't she? My stomach did a triple flip when I saw it," Lisa said, a faint smile was playing on her lips.
"Have you talked to her?" Chaeyoung asked.
Lisa nodded. "Yes. Yeah, we did talk that night," she told Chaeng.
"And?" Chaeyoung prodded.
"Did Jisoo tell you anything?" Lisa asked, dodging another question.
"She did, yeah. She told me stuff," Chaeyoung answered with a sigh. She was close to telling Lisa about Jisoo's worries but thought against it. Perhaps some other time, she told herself.
Lisa made a beeline towards the bed and plopped herself down on the soft mattress. The sudden jerking of the mattress upward caused Chaeyoung to jumped off of it a little at the edge, earning a reproaching look from the redhead.
"Come here, Chipmunk," Lisa said, patting the empty space beside her. "Lay down with me for a sec. My back aches, actually. I've been working at the lab the whole day," she groaned and stretched her back against the softness of her bed.
Chaeyoung obliged like she always would whenever Lisa would ask her to lay down beside her. She crawled and layed her body comfortably beside Lisa, but left a convenient space between them. They were both looking at the ceiling, lying vertically. There legs dangling on the edge, their hair cascaded down towards the vinyled floor. The red and blond were a contrast to the gray floor.
"Can you still remember when it was just you and me, Chipmunk?" Lisa asked.
"Young and stupid. That's who we were when it was just you and me, Shutterbug. We did a lot of stupid things, made a ruckus. Dad branded us as The Rebel Duo," Chaeyoung said and chuckled. "He still does."
"Yes, we did. We gave all of them a headache--"
"You gave them headaches, Lalisa. I was merely an accomplice," Chaeyoung interjected and they both laughed.
"But it was fun, though," Lisa sighed. "At least, there was no angry conglomerate looming and ready to kick our asses if we'd do stupid things," Lisa said.
"So, you've been thinking about them?" asked Chaeyoung, looking and staring at Lisa's side profile and suddenly remembered how she started crushing so hard on Lisa back then. It was because of it. She had spent most of her teenage life staring at Lisa's side profile. Because that was the only time that she could freely marvel at Lisa's beauty without Lisa being weird about it.
Lisa's side profile was easily the most beautiful sight for Chaeyoung Park to date. The side burn, the jawline, the outline of Lisa's mouth and nose. Those thick lashes that would bat slowly and lazily whenever Lisa would blink.
Lisa nodded. "Who wouldn't? Imagine running away as fast as we could because a group of angry chaebols is chasing after us?" she said, laughing. The thought of the two of them being chased by old men in expensive suits all over Hongdae seemed funny.
"And you're not worried?" Chaeyoung asked in disbelief. She knew that Lisa was usually a happy and calm person. Unperturbed by the onerous, most of the time. But she couldn't believe how Lisa could even joke about it while she, herself, was on the brink of breaking down prior to talking to Alice and their Dad about it.
"I am, actually. I'm just trying not to think too much about it, Chipmunk. Reason why I spent a lot of time in the lab today. And yesterday," Lisa said.
Chaeyoung sighed. "Yeah, I know," she said.
"Are you worried?" Lisa asked. "I know you do. It's written all over your face."
"Yes. But mostly for you, Lisa. Dad said I shouldn't because you'd have the whole Thailand to back you up, in case something worse will happen," Chaeyoung said.
Lisa snorted. "Your Pops is a brilliant man, Chipmunk. No doubt about that. But things like that only happen in movies. Besides, people back home don't even know who I am, lest they would care about what's going on with my life," she said, turning all serious now. "Besides, what's worse that could happen?"
And maybe that right there was the very reason why Chaeyoung had been worrying eversince she and Jisoo had talked about what could happen. Lisa's smile was gone. The goofy face, the usual spark of laughter on her eyes, the ever present curve of smile on the corners of her mouth, they were all gone. She didn't want that on Lisa. Not now, not ever. Sadness would never suit Lisa. It's like watching a dying star with its light slowly fading. It was heartbreaking.
"Aside from running as fast as we could because a herd of angry Kim is coming for our arses, you mean?" Chaeyoung said, putting an emphasis to the twang and rolled her eyes because she knew that it would amuse Lisa, and it did. A smile cracked from Lisa's pursed lips again. "But I think I know what's going to happen next, Shutterbug. And I'm pretty sure it's going to be ugly," she said and was already on her feet.
"What?" Lisa asked, looking confused.
"Miss Doona will bite your head off when she goes back up here and you're still not ready," Chaeyoung said and pulled Lisa up. "Come on, idiot. You need to get ready. You have a party to attend to."
Lisa groaned but still allowed Chaeyoung to help her up against her will.
"She has a party to attend to. I'm just going to tag along," Lisa said. "Can I just go with you? I really don't feel like going to any parties. What are your plans for tonight?" she asked the redhead.
"The Orange, what else. Plus, I have to talk to the girls. I think they need to know what's happening before A-yeon would tell me again that Jisoo and I look cute together," Chaeyoung said.
"Oh yeah. About that," Lisa said squarely. "Since when have you two started going out? You never told me about it. I'm supposed to be your bestfriend, Chaeyoung Park," Lisa pouted.
"It was just a joke, Lisa. I swear!" Chaeng said, even raising her hand. "There's this thing going on between Jisoo and I but it's nothing even close to romantic. We're just trying piss each other off, I guess, and I've, well. . .I've gone too far that night. She was so pissed at me that she had to fake passing out just to shut me up," she said.
"Jisoo faked that?" Lisa asked with her eyes wide opened. Chaeyoung nodded and Lisa whistled. "Wow! That was stupid! But otherwise convincing. She had everyone getting worked up that night. She's good," she said, shaking her head. "I didn't know you play that kind of game, Chipmunk? But, at least you're having fun. Are you having fun?" she asked her bestfriend.
"Oh, yes! Pissing Jisoo Kim off is a lot of fun, Shutterbug. It's my most ultimate dream job in the world," Chaeyoung replied in full sarcasm.
Chaeng rolled her eyes at Lisa. They both laughed about it and stopped at the same time when they heard the incessant ringing of the doorbell.
"Oh, my god! Here she comes," Lisa groaned. Knowing that Doona was capable of murdering her doorbell. "Can you help me sneak out so I can't go?"
Chaeyoung smiled sympathetically. "No, Shutterbug. Go prep up. I'll get it," she told Lisa and left the room.
....
"Your car smells something else," Doona commented for the third time as Lisa parked her car in front of the W Seoul Walkerhill. "Strawberries!" Doona exclaimed, bobbing her head. "Yes, strawberries. Since when did you ever like strawberries?" she asked curiously.
Strawberries. Jennie owned that scent, Lisa thought. And if she would tell Doona about that, then she might as well tell Doona everything. Because Doona could be a lot older than Lisa, but she could be as persistent as a five-year old when trying to get to the bottom of everything if she wanted to.
"Whose party are we going to again?" Lisa asked, subtly ignoring Doona's curiosity about the smell of her car.
"A friend. I met her in New York few years ago. We were on the same venue during the fashion week," Doona replied while unbuckling her seatbelt and proceeded to ruffle her hair in the rearview mirror. "Okay, done. Let's go," she told Lisa and stepped out of the car.
"The fashion week? What is she, a model?" Lisa asked as she followed Doona towards the entrance, hesitantly handing her car key to the valet.
"You can say that. She was walking for Calvin Klein that year. She's a socialite and a model. She worked for Klein and I was there because of work. Koreans can sniff Koreans in a sea of non-Koreans. That's how we met. She contacted me last week, inviting me to this welcome home party that her friends are throwing for her," Doona said as she was expertly strutting her stuff through the revolving door like she had been doing it for a living.
Meanwhile, Lisa behind her had just passed the dilemma of stepping into and passing through the intricacies of the revolving door without blundering herself. The onlookers were now paying attention to the both of them. Their height must be catching all the attentions. Or probably because Doona was expertly walking in the lobby like it was her runway and Lisa was trailing behind, skipping and hopping on her feet while trying to secure her high-helled boot on her left foot.
"You flew all the way from New York for her welcome home party? Are you insane? You might as well want to throw a welcome home party for yourself," Lisa suggested when she had finally caught up with Doona's long strides and they walked together towards where the elevator was. The soles of their stilettos clicking and clacking against the cold granite floor.
"Sure, Pokpak. Except that I'm not a socialite and Korea doesn't give a shit about me being home," Doona said as they stood by the elevator, waiting for its doors to open. "I'm not playing ambassador to a French brand and definitely not a face of a product alongside Kendall," she said without any hint of bitterness.
"I give a shit," Lisa said as soon as they both stepped inside the lift when it admitted them.
The older woman smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Pokpak. But you're technically not Korean. Not that it matters, of course. You're more Korean than some of the Koreans I know," Doona said as she jabbed her finger on a button. "Besides, I won't be staying long. You know how it works."
Of course, she did. Lisa knew about it too well. The eagerness to hop on a plane, fly to where the impulse of their hearts and their shutter would tell them and stay there until they would know that there was nothing left for them except the memories they had made, the lessons and knowledge they had learned and acquired, and only taking with them the photos they took when it was time for them to hop on another plane again in search for that elusive magnum opus.
And while Lisa chose to return to Korea every once in a while, making it her home away from home, Doona chose New York. "Because it's where the good stuff are, usually. Plus, it's best to see the world from another angle, Pokpak," Doona told her one time over a bottle of beer.
"So, why are you tagging me along again? You know how much I hate going to parties, especially when I don't know anyone," Lisa said.
Doona exaggeratedly rolled her eyes at Lisa. "That's why it's called a party, Pokpak. You don't have to know anyone. You just have to loosen up and have some fun," Doona said with a bright smile on her face, wriggling her eyebrows at Lisa.
If there was ever an epitome of YOLO, it was Doona. The woman seemed to not run out of reasons to flash that bright smile, it was highly contagious.
"And you still haven't answered my question," Lisa reminded the older woman.
"Seriously? You're here with me right now because I missed you and I want to spend time with you. But most importantly, I want you to get out of your hole and meet people, Pokpak," Doona replied.
"I am meeting people, though," Lisa pointed out. "What makes you think I don't?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe because I found you inside your lab on a fine day when you could have spent your time elsewhere?" Doona said.
"You just arrived in less than a day and you're already jumping to conclusions," Lisa muttered.
"I know, Pokpak. But, okay. To be more specific, I want you to get laid. There, I said it," Doona said with a wink. "You can't just come home to Leo and Luca after you spend most of your time inside the lab. That's just totally sad. I mean, where's the fun in that?"
"What?! Hell, no! No no no no!" Lisa was blushing furiously. She could literally feel her face burning in embarrassment. She knew Doona could be straightforward most of the time but talking about her non-existent sex life was something that Lisa least expected.
Doona was in mirth and said, "I'm just kidding! Look at you blushing!" she teased and held Lisa by the hand when the elevator pinged and its doors opened. "Come on. Act natural," Doona said. "I don't want people to think I'm dragging you here against your will."
"Isn't that exactly what you're doing?"
"See? This is why we're friends, Pokpak. You're smart. You get me. Now, let's get those forty vodkas. I miss the 'whiskey-sodden city' nightlife. Some blogger wrote those exact words about how we do it here. They know nothing," Doona said, dragging Lisa towards the futuristic lounge bar. Where the blaring sound of EDM and laser lights were setting the mood for a party.
Lisa had heard about the Woo Bar. Its sleek, modern and stylish design made it one of the hottest bars in Seoul, despite its location away from the usual noise and chaos of the city. It was a trendsetter, she had read. A place for beautiful people who aimed to see and be seen. And when she stepped out of the elevator, with Doona gripping her hand tightly to prevent her from bailing out, Lisa realized that the Woo Bar was, indeed, living to its reputation. There were beautiful people everywhere. In the living room lounge, at the eighteen-meter bar, at the lobby, and even on those slick egg-looking chairs and seductive sofas. They were dressed in high-cut fashion, drinking sparkling wine in glossy glasses, looking like they were all from a different breed of people. Doona was right when she told her to dress to impress. Because this wasn't just any party. It was the kind of party that Lisa knew she would never want to be part with. It was obnoxiously high-profiled and thus, beyond her.
"How long are we staying?" Lisa asked Doona, raising her voice a little because the music provided by the DJ was a little loud.
"As long as we like, Pokpak," Doona replied while she was craning her long, slender neck, looking for someone from the sea of lean and slender bodies and futuristic LED lights.
Lisa nodded. "Okay. In that case, I'm going," she said.
"Don't be such a killjoy," Doona said as she linked their arms together. "Let's go find Irene. They've booked the whole place, you know? Let's not put their money to waste."
Irene, it turned out, was THE Irene Kim. A socialite slash model slash TV personality slash Lisa-didn't-know-what-else-anymore because Irene Kim was said to be a jack-of-all-trades. And the last time she had heard about the socialite was how Irene Kim ventured her multitalent in business.
Lisa had seen Irene Kim's face everywhere. On the billboards, on prints, the Internet, everyfreakingwhere. And when Doona had introduced her to the tall and ridiculously beautiful Irene Kim, Lisa knew it was going to be a long night for her and there was no way she'd be able to ditch the party early. Because Irene was a chatter and she seemed very fond of Lisa.
Irene would gush about Lisa's hair--"It's beautiful!"--and thought that Lisa's eyes were literally the most beautiful she had ever seen. "I love how your eyes could seem, like, see through people? You know what I mean?" Lisa didn't know exactly what Irene meant, but she could feel that socialite meant everything she said about Lisa, and so she would just offer her modest smile to the socialite most of the time.
Irene also thought that Lisa was beautiful and would shamelessly tell Lisa about it whenever the opportune would arise, saying, "You're so pretty!" and asked Doona, "How come you introduced her to me just now, D? She could be, like, huge in New York. You know?" and back to telling Lisa her tales of being the Korean "It-girl" in The Big Apple, while constantly suggesting that Lisa could make it big in The Big Apple, if she wants too. "I can help you meet the right people, you know?"
And then there was Doona, telling Irene that Lisa wasn't up to making it big in the big stage just yet "because Lisa just wants to go home to Leo and Luca every night. It's actually tragic, if you ask me." while counting on her fingers the number of vodkas she had already downed.
"I aim to complete the forty vodkas before the night will end, actually," Lisa overheard Doona telling the attending bartender, before Irene had asked her if she could join her and a group of friends at the second floor of the Woo Bar.
Lisa didn't want to leave Doona alone in the eighteen-meter long bar. Not because she was worried about Doona getting drunk all by herself but because she was anxious about Irene and her seeming interest to keep her to herself. But Doona shooed her. Telling her that she brought her there so she could meet people and maybe "you know, get laid later tonight" prompting Lisa to hide her face because it was turning crimson. Something that Irene had laughed at and dismissed quickly, telling Doona that, "This isn't New York, D. And I think Lisa isn't the type to do that. Right, Lisa?"
"I'm really sorry about Doona. She's blunt most of the time," Lisa said as she and Irene were climbing the posh staircase and a massive glass and crystal chandelier was hanging from the high ceiling. She was holding a cocktail glass on her hand.
"What are you apologizing for? I love Doona and her unabashed mouth. I've always been a fan of her," Irene said and added, "But don't tell her that."
"Yeah. I love everything about her," Lisa replied sincerely. "And don't worry. I won't."
"Thanks, Lisa. I mean, of course she knows I'm a huge fa, she just won't acknowledge it. She hates that kind of stuff," Irene said, rolled her eyes and they both chuckled after. "Anyway, I've been to some of her exhibits and there was this particularly really cool display of an old Korean man inside a diner. He was smoking a pipe and his eyes were, like, staring into nothingness and I didn't know why it had that effect on me. It was weird. That photo was so beautiful I had to buy it. But Doona thought I was only being generous because we're friends," Irene laughed and paused. "So, when can I see your works?" she asked the blond.
Lisa smiled sheepishly and said, "Well, definitely not now. I'm planning on putting up an exhibit of all my works over the years one day. But I don't think it's happening anytime soon. There's still a lot to learn."
"But you do have a studio somewhere in the city, right? I can drop by anytime. I really would love to see your works," Irene said, putting so much emphasis on the L word.
"Well, yes. Sure. It's, uhm, it's in Hongdae," Lisa replied.
"You're hesitating, but that's fine. I can just ask Doona about it. You two seem pretty close," Irene said with a determined look.
Lisa made no comment because she was slightly taken aback at how the socialite could become persistent, despite the fact that they've only known each other just now.
"Anyway, so what's your story, Lisa? I mean, we can skip introducing you to my friends if it's a long one?" Irene said, halting her steps and looked at Lisa with penetrating gaze
Lisa chuckled softly and shook her head. "I hardly think that's necessary. I'm just someone who loves to take photos," she told Irene dismissively and quickly added, "And I hate parties like this. No offense."
Irene laughed and shrugged. "None taken. But don't you think it's still a bit too early to raise the white flag?" she said, raising her eyebrows to Lisa, smiling. "On the second thought: Come, I'll introduce you to my friends. They might help you change your mind about 'parties like this'." She laughed and held Lisa by the wrist. "Don't worry about Doona, she'll join us later."
"Or not. I mean, I'm not worried. She's never one to seek company when she's drinking and knows how to handle herself. But I'm still going to take her back to her hotel later. Maybe this is why she brought me here against my will. I'm the DD," Lisa said, pointing herself and laughed.
The thing about Lisa and her dislike to attending parties was how it would only take at least a few minutes for her to change her mind. Because gone was her inhibitions. At least around Irene. Because Irene was good company, albeit being tipsy. And she was showing interest about Lisa's interests and passion in photography, which Lisa was grateful for. They were talking about it even when they were already surrounded with Irene's friends. Models and personalities, socialites, bachelors and bachelorettes whom Lisa had been introduced to, one by one. And the frequently asked question thrown at her was: "Are you Korean?" Because they all agreed without the intention to discriminate that Lisa didn't look Korean at all. And when she told them she was a Thai, they 'oohhh-ed' in unison, as though it was the most marvelous thing they had ever heard. Which astonished Lisa because anyone can be anyone without people gawking and gushing about it, so she asked them why. And they told her it was because they had met Thais, they said, and they all agreed that Thai people are gentle and beautiful. And Lisa was beautiful, they told her that, too. To which Irene would say, "Oh my god! She is! Right? You are, Lisa!" every time someone would gush about it, eventually making Lisa feel comfortable and feeling good about herself. Or was it because of the Espresso Martini she was drinking? Because the last time she checked herself, she would recoil when getting excessive compliments.
Meanwhile, it was already past ten in the evening and Jennie was still at the office. The silence that was enveloping her was thick and nagging, as she was sitting behind her desk with her back haunched over a thick stack of papers that she needed to read and sign before she would head home.
But their splendid house in Gangnam wasn't where her mind was wandering to at the moment. She wanted to skip going 'home' and instead head straight to Lisa's place, bringing with her the stack of papers. She could imagine herself sprawling over Lisa's living room carpet, a mug of hot drink on her hand, a pen on the other, poring over contracts, dealership and proposals, with Leo and Luca sleeping beside her and Lisa sitting on the couch, watching her working until her eyes would sting.
She missed Lisa and the two furballs. She had been intending to visit them but work was getting in her way. There were a lot of things to do. Meetings to attend to. Deals to close. Papers to sign. And the afterwork talks with her mother.
They had been spending a lot of time together in the home library for the past nights now, they were definitely setting a new record. But it was mainly because of her mother getting livid and went ballistic about the antic that Jisoo did last weekend.
Chu had to come over last night and explained everything, to pacify Madam Kim and assure her that everything was taken care of. And that it was just a prank. That Chaeyoung Park was only joking when she told everyone back at the Orange that she was dating Chu. And Chu was honestly faking it when she passed out. They were just having a bit of fun, Chu told Jennie's mom.
"It was a stupid joke, Mrs. Kim. And Jendeuk didn't have anything to do with it, I swear. Chaeyoung and I went overboard. We've already talked about it and we're taking full responsibilities of our actions. I'm really sorry for the troubles it had caused," Jisoo told Jennie's mother.
But Jennie knew Jisoo Kim too well that she could tell when Chu was lying. She could tell when something was bothering her bestfriend. And there was definitely something bothering Chu. She could feel it and she wanted to know what it was. She and Chu had the opportunity to discuss all of it after her mother retired for the night and they had the privacy of the library all to themselves.
Chu told her everything. All the worries, the doubts. The things that frightened the ever brave Jisoo Kim, including--although Chu did not eleborate it for her--Chu's own feelings. The confusion. The curiosity. Chaeyoung Park, and how Chu really felt when Chaeng declared that they were dating.
"I almost literally had a heart attack, Jendeuk! And if had I not decided to drop on the floor and fake it, I'd probably still drop on the floor eventually, anyway. That idiot!" Jisoo said.
"But you can't deny that it had an effect on you, Chu. I can still remember the look on your face when Chaeng said it," Jennie told Jisoo. "And the look om Chaeng's face when you dropped on the floor."
"What look?" asked Jisoo, not mainly about her look but the redhead's look that Jennie was talking about. She was curious.
"Oh, spare me that, Jisoo Kim. Do you like Chaeng?" Jennie asked and almost regretted it when Jisoo weakly smiled at her.
"It doesn't matter now, Jendeukie," Jisoo said that it broke Jennie's heart.
And Jennie realized again and again how blessed she was for having Jisoo in her life. That no matter what stupid things she would commit, the mistakes that she would do, Chu would always be there to back her and pick her up.
And so Jennie decided to work her tirelessly to reassure Chu that she would never let anything to happen to herself and her mother, to Chu and her family, and to the legacy that her father, the late Chairman Kim, had built and handed down to her. And Lisa and Chaeyoung. Jennie was under the impression that she would need to be as brave as she could in order to prevent everything to snap and crumble before her. It was a giant task and she didn't know if she was up to it. She didn't even have any udea how to do it. But here she was, spending her late nights in the silent recluse of her office, with papers that would require her signature for tomorrow, instead of being with Lisa. She even had to decline Irene's invitation for her welcome home party. Which she honestly thought was pointless because Irene and her group of close friends would throw a party whenever, just because.
When her phone pinged and broke the monotony, Jennie knew it was her mother texting her, reminding her the time and the dinner she had missed. But it wasn't her mother this time. It was Chu.
"WRU???" was Jisoo Kim's message.
Jennie's eyebrows shot up high. She didn't know what was more upsetting. Chu sending her three-lettered question with three question mark on it or Chu texting her when she could've just called her? But before she could even shed light to her own curiosity, her phone pinged again.
"Have you seen this?" was Chu's second message, with an attached screenshot photo.
It was a photo taken by someone else of Lisa and Irene, with Irene's arm wrapped around Lisa's waist and Lisa holding out her phone to take a selfie and Irene's face was literally glued next to Lisa's check.
"RAY OF SUNSHINE?" Jennie said as she read aloud what was scribbled across the photo. Her voice echoed all the way across the deserted hallway. She was gripping her pen tight on her one hand while holding her phone close to her face on the other. She was staring at her phone's screen, with her eyes squinting and her lips pursed tightly, looking straight at Lisa's laughing eyes, definitely looking tipsy, and allowed her sight to travel down Irene's arms on Lisa's waist.
Ray of sunshine.
RAY. OF. SUNSHINE.
Jennie's head was now definitely throbbing, she almost wanted to throw up because she felt dizzy all of a sudden.
Lisa should never and would never be somebody else's ray of freaking sunshine because that Manoban woman was her ball of sunshine. Her daily Christmas. Her daily Valentine's Day. Her Lili! And what the hell was Lisa doing on that party, anyway? She was even wearing that red dress she told Jennie that she would never wear unless on a very special occasion. Which Lisa really looked fine, by the way. But that's beside the point. Irene's stupid welcome home party was a special occassion now?
"That woman!" Jennie fumed.
Jennie slammed her pen hard against the glass table and pushed herself away from the edge of her desk rather harshly. She should have accepted that stupid invitation and went to that stupid welcome home party. She was seething and shaking. Like, there was some pestilential tiny creature trying to crawl its way up from the hollows of her ribcage and its long, pointy fingernails were scratching the walls of her chest, poking and prickling the walls of her heart, netting her so much so that all she felt like doing was to either scratch her skin aggressively or just let it out, that pestilent creature, and stomp it with the heels of her stiletto, be done with it.
Her mobile device pinged once again just when she picked up her purse before heading towards the door.
"Need back up? :D" was Jisoo's third message.
Jennie released an angry breath and begun fibbling on her phone's screen, furiously.
"No, Chu. I can handle this. Thank you." Jennie typed and hit send. But quickly sending a following smiling emoji, because she could vividly imagine the sniggering look on Jisoo's face right now and she didn't want to give Jisoo the satisfaction.
"Okay. But don't murder Irene! ;)" Chu's next message said and Jennie ignored it. Jisoo and her annoying emoticons!
When she stepped out of her office, Mr. Young was already there like he was automatically being summoned, waiting for her. He was about to open his mouth to speak but Jennie cut him off. Now was not the time for small talks.
"Take me to Gwangjin," Jennie said coldly as she walked past her security, her cat-like eyes flashing dagger looks.
Mr. Young gave her the look when they were both inside the elevator but Jennie ignored him. It was the most uncomfortable elevator ride that Mr. Young had ever had with Jennie Kim. He wanted to ask what would they be doing in Gwangjin at eleven in the evening and if Jennie would want anything, recalling how the young CEO skipped dinner hours ago.
But Mr. Young was smart enough not to ask anything, let alone open his mouth to speak. Because it was the first that he saw Jennie Kim looking absolutely mad and murderous and he didn't want to be the first of the casualties.