It was already past eight o'clock in the evening when they left the Kim family's house. The Kim parents sent the young couple away, standing at the door, sighing with a gratified feeling.
"Who says that people with autism can't speak? Just look at our Lisa, she can speak very well, asking us not to be sick again, it even sounds more sincere than 'wishing you good health'." When Ji Hyun listened to Lisa at that time, she just felt warm all over.
"Isn't it?" Min Ho was also relieved when he recalled Lisa's solemn appearance just now. Although their son-in-law was a bit inarticulate, but she sincerely held them in her honest heart.
On the way back, Jennie's mood was still not good, she was both self blaming and sad at the same time. Originally, she was ready to pass away four years later, but because of her mother's sudden old illness recurring, Jennie finally saw a glimmer of hope. She believed that if she can seize the signs of this hereditary disease earlier, she may be able to make a break through to some extent. In fact, death wasn't the most terrible thing, it was when you thought that you had been unexpectedly rescued from a desperate situation, but it was all futile in the end.
Also... when she accompanied her mother in the hospital for an examination in the afternoon, she hoped that they could find some symptoms of this disease from her mother, how could she even had this kind of idea? Jennie can hardly forgive herself.
"Don't worry anymore, I already asked father and mother, they promised to not get sick again."
In Lisa's eyes, Jennie was always lingering with a bright and sunny aura, but every time she came back from the Kim family, that aura would be covered by another kind of haze. However, today, it was especially heavy.
"Promise?" Jennie didn't hear it clearly, "What did my parents promised to you?"
"They promised me...that they won't get sick in the future." Lisa explained, "They won't get sick, so you don't need to be worried."
Jennie was stunned, the accelerator underneath her foot was lifted and the car's speed suddenly slowed down, the shocked white car behind them pressed the horn angrily and made a penetrating voice.
"This matter about illness, a promise won't have any use against it." After the car resumed its stable speed, Jennie answered Lisa with a bitter smile.
"Useful." Lisa started to give an example, "Before, when grandma was sick, she was always hospitalized. Later, she promised me not to get sick again, then she never went to the hospital again. It wasn't until grandma's time had arrived that she returned to the hospital."
Grandma Manoban promised to Lisa to not get sick again, then she never went to the hospital anymore?
How could Jennie believe this kind of thing? She just guessed that Grandma Manoban must had called the doctor home when Lisa wasn't there.
"Okay, I know, thank you." Jennie understood Lisa's kindness, but she couldn't believe it as much as she did.
"You don't believe." Jennie's breath didn't change at all, Lisa knew that her comfort didn't work out and Jennie didn't believe her.
Lisa was frustrated, she felt extremely loss. she knew that she was different from others, and she also knew that there's a gap between her and the real society. Professor Wang and her grandmother had told her not to worry about it, to just accept her true self and let herself integrate little by little, and not to be anxious and irritable. But sometimes, she still can't control her anxiety, she didn't want to only be someone who accepts help and comfort from others, she also wanted to become someone that can give those to other people.
However, her method always seemed to be wrong, as if it was useless. In the past, grandma used to sigh, and now, Jennie was always down.
The two fell into silence as they returned quietly to their neighborhood. When they entered the house, they both saw the box of watch left behind by Jisoo at the door.
Jennie picked it up, glanced at it, and gave a message to Jisoo that she had received it.
"For you, the watch has been fixed." Jennie passed the watch to Lisa.
Lisa looked at the box and asked, "It's from brother, right?"
Jennie was stunned, "How do you know?"
"Four years ago, she also gave me a watch that's always two seconds late every hour." Lisa replied.
"Yes, Oppa hopes that you will bring this." Jennie looked at Lisa's clear heart, she also didn't want to conceal this.
Lisa took it, opened the box and put it on her hand before she suddenly ran to the attic alone.
Jennie blanked for a while, when she was just about to see what's going on, Jisoo replied on WeChat: 'Has Lisa put it on? Is the time on the watch still slow?'
Jennie: 'She put it on, Lisa hasn't said anything, there should be no problem."
Jisoo: 'That's good, I already set up everything on the company.'
Jennie suddenly remembered the treatment plan that she made for Lisa, but she hadn't had the time to discuss it with Lisa, so she promised: 'Alright, I'll tell her later.'
Jennie turned her head to look at the direction of the attic and walked upstairs. She originally thought that Lisa would be reading books at the study, but when she looked at the study room, the light wasn't turned on. Jennie hesitated, turned right and went to the outside terrace.
On the dim terrace chair, a black shadow was curling up, while the dial of the watch was emitting a shimmering light. Jennie put her hand on the light switch, about to turning it on before Lisa stopped her, "Don't turn on the light."
Jennie withdrew her hand and was silent for a moment before walking towards Lisa. She stood a step away in front of her, but she still couldn't see clearly the expression on her face because of the darkness. Jennie had seen many expressions on Lisa; happy, shy, angry, anxious and even indifferent. However, these all are single emotions, it never was like this time, a complex emotion that was made up by many feelings.
"Not happy?" Jennie asked.
“Em.”
"Angry?"
“Em.”
"A little frustrated...?"
Lisa pondered about this 'frustration', and hummed an 'Em' after she understood it.
Jennie sat cross-legged across from Lisa, the concrete floor was exposed to the summer sun all day, even at this time, there was still a lot of residual warmth.
"I'm not happy either, I'm a little angry and somewhat frustrated." This time, Jennie wasn't in a hurry to give solace to Lisa, her mood at this time was also very bad, she also wanted someone to console her.
Lisa didn't say anything, making the silence in the air suffocating.
Does she not understand?
"Lisa, I'm a little tired." The darkness made people fragile, making a chip on Jennie's strong heart in an instant, "Can you hug me?"
Lisa, who didn't know what to do, seemed to find a guiding light. she hurriedly got up from the hanging chair, squatted down beside Jennie, and brought her tightly into her arms.
"Lisa, I'm a little scared." Jennie buried her head in Lisa's embrace, telling her the fear in her heart, "I thought that I wouldn't be scared, but when I thought about it again, I was actually still scared."
"Don't be scared, don't be scared." Lisa coaxed her like coaxing a child.
"I'm not strong at all, I'm actually like an ostrich, I bury my head desperately and wait for that day to come."
"When I was in the hospital just now, I even hoped that there would be something wrong with my mother's examination report so that I could... I... how could I do this ah?!"
Lisa didn't know how to comfort Jennie who had suddenly lost her control, and even couldn't understand the meaning in Jennie's words. she could only treat the current Jennie as herself after her episode, holding her tightly without saying anything.
"I'm sorry, I was out of control." After she had vented enough, Jennie looked up embarrassedly, she didn't expect that she would get out of control in front of Lisa.
"It turns out... Jennie can also have an episode." Lisa's voice was somewhat novel.
Episode? Jennie froze, this summary was quite suitable, "That's right, I can also have an episode and lose control of my feelings."
"It's okay, I don't mind."
"Really? Then, I really thank you." Jennie was amused by Lisa's 'I don't dislike' tone, and her mood was instantly improved.
"Let's get up, the floor is a bit hot." Lisa wasn't just feeling hot, her knees were also hurting because of kneeling.
The two got up from the floor and sat inside the hanging chair that Lisa sat in just now. This hanging chair was specially selected by Jennie, it was a double hanging chair, so the both of them can sit down completely.
"You, why are you not happy, angry and frustrated?" Jennie's own emotion had recovered, and she didn't forget about Lisa's.
"I'm okay now."
"Okay? You're okay after seeing me having an episode once?" This guy wouldn't be gloating right?
"It's not..." Lisa shook her head, and then explained, "I don't know how to comfort you, so my mood became bad. But now that you're well, I'm also fine."
"..." Jennie leaned her head halfway, only seeing Lisa's hazy profile in the dim light.
She suddenly realized that this family wasn't supported by herself alone, Lisa was also growing up, and although she's still clumsy, she's working as best as she could. Jennie didn't want to cry anymore, but she can't help her eyes from heating up again and again. She turned her head and let herself gazed into the distance, overlooking the night view of the city from the high attic. She thought that this was the kind of partner that would make you know that she's supporting you wholeheartedly.
Lisa quietly took Jennie's hand, she didn't want to disturb her quietness, and only made sure that there were no more haze inside her.
"Ding!"
The phone in Jennie's pocket suddenly rang, she took it out and saw that it was from her mother.
Mom: 'Jennie, when you were cooking in the kitchen just now, Lisa made a request to me and your dad. she very solemnly asked us not to get sick again. We received her kind intention and made a promise. Although this is an impossible request and that no one couldn't never get sick in their entire lifetime, but we will seriously take care of ourselves to not let down her feeling for us.'
Mom: 'We didn't intend to tell you about this matter originally, but we thought about this, and felt that Lisa's sudden request must have been because of you. So, daughter, your parents will take care of themselves, don't worry.'
"Lisa, what you said was right." Jennie looked at the phone and foolishly grinned, "Promises are definitely useful.
"Useful."
"Then, can you promise me about one thing?"
"Okay." Lisa habitually agreed to Jennie's requirements.
"Tomorrow morning, take a taxi to go to work yourself." Jennie took the opportunity to say this.