Chaeyoung had nearly fallen asleep when she heard the apartment door slam shut and the jingle of keys, signifying that someone was home. Before she could open her mouth, Lisa was already scrambling off of the bed and running down the hallway.
Confused, Chaeyoung wiped her eyes and got up to follow the Thai girl. When she reached the top of the stairs, she paused.
"Jisoo?" Lisa's small voice echoed through the large apartment. Realizing what her girlfriend was doing, Chaeyoung took a step backwards and quietly slipped back into the bedroom.
To say the Korean girl was surprised when she heard Lisa call her name was an understatement. She jumped, turning around and looking at the younger girl who had practically been avoiding her for the past few days.
"Yeah?" Jisoo wasn't sure what reaction Lisa would be expecting from her, but she tried to act as normal as she could.
"I..." Lisa looked down at her shoes and then over at the couch. "I need to talk to you," she looked over at Jennie, who was scanning the refrigerator intently. "Alone," the younger girl added.
Jennie turned around, looking from Lisa to Jisoo. Her and Somi had practically been Lisa's shield from Chaeyoung and Jisoo for the past few days. So to say she was in shock that Lisa was suddenly reaching out to Jisoo would be an understatement.
"Is everything okay?" Jennie asked quietly. She glanced at Jisoo, who appeared to be just as confused as she was. Lisa nodded quickly.
"Yes," she looked up from the ground and send Jennie a hopeful look. Not wanting to interrupt anything, Jennie simply grabbed a water bottle and made her way upstairs.
"Can we..?" Lisa motioned over to the couch. Jisoo just nodded and followed Lisa into the living room, plopping down on their signature blue couch.
"What's up?" Jisoo asked, brushing her hair out of her face and giving Lisa her full attention. She noticed how the younger girl squirmed in her seat awkwardly.
"I am sorry," Lisa spoke hesitantly, looking up at Jisoo and biting her lip. She wasn't sure what kind of reaction she was expecting. "Chaeyoung called the doctor."
"What?" Jisoo grew confused. "Why?"
"You punched me," Lisa mumbled, looking down at her shoes.
"I punched you and Chaeyoung had to call the doctor?" Jisoo didn't have a clue what was going on. "We haven't even talked for the past week?"
"Exactly!" Lisa jumped to her feet and shook her head, beginning to pace back and forth in an attempt to collect her thoughts.
"I remembered," Lisa abruptly stopped walking and turned to face Jisoo. "I remembered you. At school... and you..." she involuntarily brought her hands up to cup her nose. Jisoo realized what she was referring to almost instantly.
"Fuck," the Korean girl cursed under her breath and shook her head. "I-,"
"I know," Lisa cut her off, stepping forwards in a burst of courage. "Do not say sorry. Do not." The younger girl shook her head and held up a finger to signal for Jisoo to wait.
"I am remembering," Lisa continued after taking a deep breathe. "But... I do not understand much," the Thai girl bit her lip and looked down. "But I am trying."
"As long as you get better," Jisoo shrugged. Lisa looked up in confusion.
"You can ignore me for as long as you want if it means you get better, Pokpak," Jisoo chuckled. "I just want you to get better. I think we all do."
"I do not want to ignore you," Lisa furrowed her eyebrows. "I did not mean to... I was scared." She sighed heavily and sat back down on the couch. "I am sorry."
"You know I'd never do that to you again, right?" Jisoo raised an eyebrow. Lisa nodded softly.
"I know," she gave the girl a shy smile. "You were protecting Rosie. That is a good thing."
"Come here, you dork," Jisoo laughed, opening her arms and standing up. Lisa's face lit up when she realized Jisoo wasn't mad at her, and she practically leaped into the girl's arms.
"Thank you," Lisa giggled when Jisoo nearly picked her up off the ground. "You're welcome."
"You really thought I'd be mad?" Jisoo raised an eyebrow when they pulled away from the hug. Lisa simply shrugged.
"Just don't hurt Chaeyoung," Jisoo teased, holding up a fist and making Lisa giggle.
"I will not," she shook her head furiously. "Ever. Promise."
"Bump it, Lisa," Jisoo laughed, holding out her fist. Lisa giggled and bumped it, making an exploding noise and crinkling her nose. Both girls jumped when they heard Somi's voice appear out of nowhere.
"Oh my god!" the youngest girl gasped when she saw the kitchen. "There's flour everywhere!"
Lisa's face grew red and she could've sworn she heard Chaeyoung laughing from upstairs.
-
Nearly two weeks had passed since Valentine's Day. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Lisa and Chaeyoung were as close as ever, and the couple had even grown closer to Maia and Toby.
Currently, Lisa was wildly digging through the dresser. She huffed in frustration, unable to find what she wanted.
"Looking for something?"
Lisa turned around when she heard Chaeyoung's voice fill the empty room. The blonde girl had her hands behind her back, smirking as she took a step forward.
"I can not find my b-," Lisa was cut off when Chaeyoung pulled the light blue beanie out from behind her back and tugged it onto Lisa's head with a small smile.
"It was in the bathroom, doofus," she laughed, winking at the younger girl.
"Oh," Lisa giggled and fixed the cap on her head, walking over to the mirror to make sure it looked okay. Chaeyoung followed her, wrapping her arms around the younger girl's waist and lying her head on her shoulder.
"You look cute today," the blonde girl whispered, meeting Lisa's eyes in their reflection. The younger girl blushed, looking down at the ground shyly.
"Look at yourself," Chaeyoung laughed softly and tilted Lisa's chin back up so she could look at herself in the mirror. "Not many people could pull of a red coat and a blue beanie," she kissed Lisa's temple. "You're so gorgeous."
"Stop," Lisa giggled bashfully, bringing her hands up to cover her face. Laughing, Chaeyoung spun the younger girl around and placed her hands on her waist.
"Do you know what today is, Lili?" the blonde girl asked softly. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows for a moment before shaking her head. Chaeyoung bit her lip and nodded.
"Friday," Chaeyoung crinkled her nose. "I think I should get a celebratory kiss."
Lisa giggled, seeing no point in arguing. She wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung's neck and stood on her tiptoes so she could bring their lips together.
"You're good at that," Chaeyoung teased once they pulled away. Lisa just giggled bashfully and grabbed Chaeyoung's hand, tugging her down the hallway and into the living room.
"Class?" Jisoo asked, looking up from her spot on the couch. Chaeyoung nodded, giving Jisoo a knowing look. The Korean girl stood up to hug her.
"You sure you've got everything?" Chaeyoung whispered against Jisoo's ear.
"Have some faith, loser," Jisoo chuckled, nudging Chaeyoung's shoulder when she pulled away. "Somi and Jennie are out getting some stuff now."
Chaeyoung gave her a soft nod before turning back to Lisa, who had wandered over to the window to watch the cars on the street below.
"C'mon," Chaeyoung laughed, lacing their fingers together and nodding towards the door.
Once they made it to the school, Lisa eagerly ran ahead of Chaeyoung to the classroom. She spotted Maia and Toby at their usual table in the back, and practically dragged Chaeyoung over.
"Happy Friday," Chaeyoung groaned dramatically, making Lisa laugh from beside her. She tossed her bag onto the ground and sat down on the wooden stool, grabbing Lisa's hand once she did the same.
"What're your guys' plans for the weekend?" Toby asked, looking up from his sculpture for a moment. Chaeyoung bit her lip and glanced at Lisa.
"Go grab us a canvas, Lili," she nudged her girlfriend. Lisa tilted her head to the side.
"Do you wanna work on something together?" Chaeyoung asked, giving Lisa a soft smile. That was all it took for Lisa to smile widely and hurry off to the back of the classroom. Chaeyoung immediately leaned in closer to her other two classmates.
"It's Lisa's birthday today," she whispered, glancing back in the younger girl's direction.
"It is?" Maia's eyes widened and she took her attention off of her sketchbook. "Does she know?"
"I think we'd be hearing about it from her if she knew," Toby spoke up. Maia shoved him playfully, nearly knocking him out of his chair. He scoffed and turned back to his sculpture.
"I think she will," Chaeyoung smirked. Before Maia could ask more, Lisa appeared back at Chaeyoung's side with a small canvas, presenting it to the older girl proudly.
"What do you wanna paint?" Chaeyoung asked, giving Maia a knowing wink and turning back to Lisa. Over the past weeks Lisa had accompanied her to art class, she had found it was a much more rewarding experience to paint what Lisa suggested. That way, she had someone to please. It encouraged her to work harder, and to go out of her comfort zone.
"Hmmm," Lisa hummed and sat down. Chaeyoung dug her brushes out of her backpack while Lisa thought.
"A castle," Lisa's eyes widened when she finally came up with an idea.
"A castle?" Chaeyoung raised an eyebrow at the younger girl, who simply nodded.
"Yes," Lisa pointed to the canvas. "A big gray castle. With moss and vines on the walls," she traced the shape on the white material. "And a big tower right here," she tapped the upper corner. Chaeyoung laughed softly.
"Well if you're so sure on what you want, why don't you start?" Chaeyoung handed Lisa one of her paintbrushes. The younger girl's eyes widened in shock and she turned the brush around in her hands.
"Me?" Lisa looked up at Chaeyoung in confusion.
"Yes, you," Chaeyoung laughed. She saw worry spread across Lisa's features and quickly squeezed her hand. "I told you we would work on this one together."
"But..." Lisa looked down at the brush and bit her lip. "What if I mess up?"
"Then we fix it," Chaeyoung shrugged. "Together."
"Together," Lisa whispered softly, looking at the palette of paints in from of them. She looked up at Chaeyoung for approval before moving to dip her brush in the gray paint.
"Wait," Chaeyoung reached out and grabbed Lisa's hand gently. "It's easier if you start by painting the background first, and then you move on to the closer things."
"Oh," Lisa moved her paintbrush and pointed to the blue paint. "The sky?"
Chaeyoung nodded, watching as Lisa carefully dipped the brush in the paint and brought it to the canvas. Pausing for a few moments, the Thai girl began to blend in the sky in small strokes.
"Good job," Chaeyoung smiled, scooting her stool closer to Lisa so she could have a better view. Maia looked up from her painting and smirked at the two girls.
They worked on their painting for the rest of the class, and Chaeyoung practically had to pry the paintbrush out of Lisa's hands when it was time to leave.
"Have fun," Maia laughed softly, giving Chaeyoung a hug as they said their goodbyes.
Laughing, Chaeyoung rolled her eyes playfully. "Do you want to meet us for dinner?" she asked, glancing back at Lisa to make sure she wasn't listening. "We're going to Laurenzo's for pizza."
"Toby," Maia nudged her boyfriend, who was nearly falling asleep at the table. He whipped his head up in confusion, making both girls laugh. Maia leaned down and whispered something in his ear, which earned a soft nod from the boy.
"We'll be there," Maia laughed. Chaeyoung thanked her before retrieving Lisa from a group of students on the other side of the room. Once they made it out to the car, Lisa clapped her hands together.
"Today is good," she sighed contently, bringing her knees up to her chest and resting her chins on her knees. Chaeyoung laughed softly and leaned over to kiss Lisa's cheek before she started the car.
When they reached the apartment, Chaeyoung quickly sent Jisoo a text to let them know they were there before running after Lisa, who was already waiting in the elevator.
"What's the rush?" Chaeyoung laughed nervously, reaching out and fixing Lisa's beanie. The younger girl just shrugged. Chaeyoung's phone buzzed and she quickly checked her messages.
[4:23 - Jisoo] Not ready yet!! Stall!!
Chaeyoung cursed under her breath, quickly trying to think of a way to keep Lisa occupied. Without thinking, she reached out and pressed a handful of buttons on the elevator console. Lisa furrowed her eyebrows.
"What was that for?" Lisa asked, growing confused when the elevator started going downwards once more. Chaeyoung bit her lip and shrugged, looking back down at her phone.
[4:24 - Chaeyoung] Hurry.
When Chaeyoung looked back up from her phone, Lisa was watching the screen above the doors in confusion. The numbers changed randomly as the elevator moved from floor to floor.
"Sorry," Chaeyoung mumbled, biting her lip.
"I do not understand," Lisa turned to the older girl. Before Chaeyoung could answer, though, the elevator finally dinged. The large silver doors rolled open. Chaeyoung didn't have a chance to protest before Lisa was skipping happily down the hallway to their apartment.
"Lisa, wai-!" Chaeyoung cut herself off when Lisa pushed the door wide open. The blonde girl quickly ran up behind her.
"SURPRISE!"
Lisa stumbled a few steps backwards, scared of the loud noise. She practically ran into Chaeyoung, who had just skidded to a stop in front of the door. The second Chaeyoung saw the look of terror on Lisa's face, she instantly regretted what she had done.
"Surprise!"
Lisa gasped, running into the living room and falling onto her knees next to the large dollhouse. She glanced up at her parents with a look of sheer joy on her face.
"This is for me?" she asked, running her fingers over the colorful walls of the wooden dollhouse. Her father chuckled and sat down on the floor beside her. Her mother followed suit.
"Yes ma'am," her mother reached over and smoothed out the younger girl's hair. "Your father made it himself."
"You made this?!" Lisa gasped, leaning in to inspect the dollhouse once more. She decided this was the best birthday present she had ever gotten.
"I know you were expecting a lot, but we just didn't have the money, Lisa," her father sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I figured this w-,"
"It's perfect!" Lisa squealed, crawling over and tackling her father in a hug. "It's even better because you made it," she giggled.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she smiled widely and hopped over to give her mother a hug, as well. "This is the best birthday ever!"
Her parents exchanged surprised glances. They had expected her to be disappointed with the lack of presents after her father lost his job. But instead, Lisa had been grateful for whatever she got.
"We definitely lucked out with you, kiddo," her mother smiled softly, pulling her daughter into her lap and kissing her forehead. "You're gonna do great things one day."
"Yeah, but I have to play with my dollhouse first!" Lisa smiled widely and wiggled out of her mother's lap so she could go retrieve her dolls from her room.
Lisa's tiny footsteps disappeared down the hallway, leaving her parents in the living room. Her mother wiped away a few tears.
"God, I love that kid," the woman laughed, glancing back to the hallway where Lisa had disappeared down.
"She's got something special, that's for sure," her father laughed as Lisa came scrambling back into the room with a handful of small toy dolls.
Chaeyoung was surprised when as soon as Lisa's eyes were brought out of their distant state and focused back on her, the younger girl burst into tears and threw herself into Chaeyoung's arms.
"What's going on?" Jisoo and the two other roommates jogged out into the hallway. Chaeyoung gave them a look of confusion, holding the crying girl tightly against her chest.
"I'm sorry, Lisa, I didn't mean to s-,"
"I m-m-miss them," Lisa managed to whisper between sobs. Chaeyoung's eyes widened and without another word, she scooped the younger girl up into her arms and carried her into the apartment.
Silently, the other three roommates closed the door and followed after Chaeyoung, who sat down on the couch and pulled Lisa into her lap. The girl had her head buried in Chaeyoung's shoulder.
'I'm so stupid' Chaeyoung mouthed to her other three roommates. They all stayed quiet, sitting down around the girl and exchanging glances.
"Lili," Chaeyoung whispered, moving Lisa's hair out of her face. "What did you see?"
Lisa looked up slowly, holding her breath to try and stop her tears. For the first time in a long time, Chaeyoung didn't recognize the look on the younger girl's face.
"My..." Lisa choked back a sob and shook her head. "My parents," she whispered, burying her head back in Chaeyoung's shirt. The older girl felt her heart drop, instantly realizing what the expression on Lisa's face had been.
Remorse.
Chaeyoung opened her mouth, but couldn't find any words. She'd never been in this situation with Lisa before.
"Lisa," Jennie spoke up, shooting Chaeyoung a comforting look before scooting over on the couch and placing a hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "They're still with you."
Lisa and Chaeyoung both looked at the other girl in confusion, but Jennie continued to talk.
"Every part of them is in every part of you," Jennie continued. "They're still there, they're just up here," she pointed to Lisa's head. The younger girl furrowed her eyebrows.
"You keep people alive by remembering them," Somi spoke up from the other side of the couch. "It's okay to miss them. It's okay to feel sad about it. But you've got to remember they're never truly gone."
Lisa looked up slowly. Chaeyoung reached out to wipe the tears from the Thai girl's cheeks.
"But what if I don't remember?" Lisa asked shakily, bringing her arms up and wrapping them around Chaeyoung's neck.
"You just remembered, didn't you?" Chaeyoung asked. Lisa turned to look at the blonde girl, deep in thought.
"If they made someone as extraordinary as you, I doubt it'll be easy to forget them," Chaeyoung reassured her, continuing to wipe the tears from Lisa's cheeks. "You're still carrying on their legacy."
"I love you," Lisa whispered, burying her head in the crook of Chaeyoung's neck and earning various coos from the girls around them. For the first time since they got back to the apartment, Chaeyoung heard Lisa giggle.