ARBITRARY 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘯

[ 24 ]

I keep treading on the thought of us

∞

according to father, minho had told him the details of what we had discussed about the wedding, and he sounded happy, which meant minho hadn't told him about how I ran off.

I did send him a text apologising for my "sudden" leave, but all I got in return was the notification he'd seen the text but never returned it. so much for trying at the least.

at the dance studio, taemin and I were discussing the stage ideas for this term and what the program for us would be, he suggested us doing a solo and I agreed to it. it was an evening of solving out routines for our group until his phone started to ring.

he said to leave it to the side, but it kept on going continuously.

"... are you sure it ain't important?" I asked and he sighed. "taemin, we can leave this for later."

"it isn't anything important, lisa, I know the person calling me and I'll call them back later." he said with his arm still around my waist since we stopped in this pose. "now, since our arms like this, from we will — "

abruptly, the doors swing themselves open and we both jumped in the position we were in, instinctively, hugging each other and to my shock, and confusion, there stood an elegant woman.

she also stopped on her tracks and she seemed just as surprised as us, I started to recognize her and even more when she slid off her large shades of glasses.

"... jinri?" the name slips out strangely and she arches her brow at me.

"wow, already cheating on minho? talk about a comeback." she jokes and that was when I instantly jump away from taemin embrace, he did the same as we both both flare up in embarrassment.

"what are you doing here?"

the woman chuckles as she takes a look around the studio before her eyes settle back on me. "did you not know? I'm one of the sponsors." looking toward taemin, he is quietly looking away. I need to make sure to get a list of the sponsors we have so I won't be surprised by the next one. "and, perfect time for us to meet. I wanted to talk to you."

before she could even step towards me, her heel clicked once but came to a stop when taemin came in between us, more closely to me almost protectively.

"what do you want with her?" he asked, my brow furrows before I place my hand onto his shoulder as I step forward.

I send him a look with a half hearted smile. "it's okay, I'll be back in a bit and we'll go right into the choreo."

"yes, thank you, come on dear." she folded her shades before placing them in the collar of the dress she wore. "we've got some things to discuss about."

∝

we step outside of the dance studio and sit on a bench, every muscle in my body seemed so tense and I had not known why at all. maybe it had been her aura, to which in some way did intimidate me, and the look in her eyes that always looked the same, never showing what she thought.

she is humming as she goes through her bag before pulling her phone out. "I'm sorry I won't be able to attend the wedding." she suddenly says as she unlocked the screen.

I face her, slightly confused for a few seconds before I realise what she had been talking about. how did she know?

minho had probably told her.

"you're right, he did." when her eyes met mine, I froze slightly. up close, her dark and somewhat light hues were even more beautiful, but it made you feel somewhat undressed of yourself. like she knew all of you. "I will be on a trip for a month and a half. therefore I apologize if he was too rude to you in talking to you about it."

I raise my brows. "... why... are you apologizing for him?"

she smiled kindly before her hand slithered into mine and gripping it, I felt a bit flustered. "I want you to get along, you and minho, and even us two."

"but... you're his girlfriend — "

"goodness me, he wasn't wrong about that trait of yours either." how embarrassing. so he had told her everything that happened. "listen here, lisa." she came even closer to me than she already was, and to be honest, I felt even more intimidated before of how she suddenly placed her arm around my shoulder.

"I've told you before, minho and I have been together for a long, long time. let's say, we've both been together for so long that we've become a power couple in our community; rich and elegant, everyone envies us." power couple. of course, I'm not surprised at all. "you would think this would ruin yours and his reputation right?" I nod slowly, somewhat in a trance as she spoke. "well, my dear, it won't, don't you worry."

"but... people might think that I..." I didn't really know how to find my troubled words.

but jinri did in a way, her hand caressed my upper arm softly, up and down. "that you stole him? nonsense, they know you didn't. they all know it was your father." the woman let out a sigh. "I've also heard you're worried about what I may think about this all?"

again, I nod. I wanted to know her thoughts on all of this, I suddenly came into their picture out of nowhere probably because of a selfish request of my father's. but I didn't really know what had completely happened, after all, he wouldn't even open his mouth about it.

jinri seemed to become silent before chuckling. "I think nothing." my heart jumps at her response. "I wouldn't think anything. minho and I have been together for a long time, from what I see, someone like you would do him good."

I felt confused. "but... don't you love him?"

the woman laughed and nodded. "of course I do, but can one woman go against one family to get what was once hers back?" her words had stricken me in a way, she was right, they were both sides of an agreement.

at that moment, in a way, I felt that we were similar.

"and that man is way too stuck up for his own good, always has been, but he is hardworking. and it's that side that doesn't seem very human, because he immersed himself into his job too much." she expressed her feelings in a rather sad way, her demeanor of confidence however, never changing. "so, I rely on you, lisa, to change that. you're young, you're sweet, and I can tell that you're amazing and you are capable of changing things."

she lets go of me, my eye quickly move her way as she stands up from the bench. "so stop being scared of him, because remember, both of you are going through the same thing." we were both arranged into this.

my head lowers itself as I realise so many things, and when I feel jinri's hand upon the crown of it, only then, did I feel relaxed. "don't feel scared to love him." but how can I do so? "you both deserve each other, I hope you work towards it soon."

but before I could even say anything say, she walked off with a wave of hand saying she needed to be somewhere else and sliding her shades back on. people looked her way, walking like her took a type of grace that nobody else would have. and as I watched her go, it came to me that even then, I didn't understand the elegant and complex, choi jinri.