PRESENT TIME, 2016
BigHit Entertainment, Seoul
At the secret entrance of the company, a girl is wearing a bucket hat, full black clothes, her timberlands, a black face mask, and her hair tied up in a messy bun.
She went inside and looked left and right to see if it was safe to walk forward to take the lift. No one should see her in the company except for the CEO himself.
When she made sure that no one was around the area, she took the lift and clicked the floor on where the CEO's office is located.
But when the lift was already on the third floor, the lift door opened and two staff went inside. Her eyes widened, so she moved to the side and lowered her head. Good thing that they are busy discussing something.
"I wonder if Lisa-ssi's planning to come back?" She heard the other staff said.
"Yeah, I wonder that too. It's been a year and three months. BTS isn't the same without her," Another staff said. "There was only one episode of her in Run BTS, and then she left the company. It was such a painful moment."
"I know, right. That's why they decided to change the first episode of Run BTS that was released August 1 last year."
Lisa was listening to their conversation quietly. If only they knew that she was inside with them...
"It will be super chaotic if she'll be in Run BTS. I hope Bang Pd-nim will request YG to allow her to join them sometimes, you know?"
"That's impossible. YG is strict..." Lisa hadn't finished listening anymore when the lift door opened and the two staff went out. She sighed and thought of their conversation for a moment.
YG is strict when it comes to reality shows, but she can join Run BTS sometimes. But, the problem is BTS. They won't surely agree to have her on their show.
When the lift door opened again, she went out and thanked the heavens when no one was around the hallway. Usually, BTS or Sejin roams around the hallway since it was also the way to their studios.
Lisa knocked at the CEO's office, and she was silently praying that no one was inside of Bang Si Hyuk's office.
"Come in," Si Hyuk said. She slowly opened the door, and when she saw that it was only the CEO inside, she sighed in relief and went inside.
"Pd-nim!" She lively greeted him, removing her mask and bucket hat. The CEO's eyes widened at her sudden visit, so he quickly smiled and asked her to sit and be comfortable.
"Welcome, Lisa. You surprised me with your visit," Si Hyuk said.
"I'm glad I succeeded to surprise you, Pd-nim. I was so nervous entering the company," Lisa chuckled. "So, how are you, Pd-nim? It's been a while."
"Well, I'm doing good. The company's doing good as well. How about you, Lisa? How's your new group? Congratulations, by the way."
"Thank you, Pd-nim. My unnies are taking care of me well," Lisa said, and she looked at the floor. "Pd-nim, they're upset at me."
"I know. When they found out that you're debuting with Blackpink, they honestly went here and asked me the reason why you left," Si Hyuk said. "I cannot say anything about the reason."
"I don't know what to do, Pd-nim," Lisa sighed. "I badly want to meet them, but they don't let me. They're upset, and I understand."
"Did you talk to one of them?"
"I did, Pd-nim. I asked Hobi Oppa to meet me, but he disagreed. He's not ready to see me yet," Lisa's tears flow in her cheeks, and Si Hyuk let her cry. He was like a father listening to her daughter's problems. "Jimin Oppa console me two days ago at the award show, Pd-nim. It feels nice, but he is still upset with me. I wouldn't say I like it when we are ignoring each other. Bangtan is my family and will forever be, but why is it so hard to explain my side?"
"They are used to your presence. That's why they couldn't see themselves accepting that you are now in another group and company. You know how persistent they are."
"Pd-nim, what am I going to do?"
"Let them accept it slowly at first, and then I'll help you talk to them. There's a perfect time for the explanation," Pd-nim smiled to assured her. "Everything will be okay, but I guess not this soon. For now, you should focus on your group schedules."
"By the way, Pd-nim, my song..." Lisa murmured, and she handed him a flash drive. "I finished it last night, Pd-nim. I borrowed a studio from my labelmate. This is the song that I spoiled Army years ago. Can you release it soon? In the perfect time, Pd-nim. Maybe after three years?"
"Why not now? They'd be happy to listen to it."
"Not this time, Pd-nim. I want them to listen to it when we're finally okay. Maybe if they released an album, can you secretly insert the song?"
"Of course, I can do that. What is the title of the song?"
"Mikrokosmos, Pd-nim."
"Pd-nim, worldwide handsome with the six semi handsome boys are here outside. May we enter?" Lisa's eyes widened when she heard Jin's voice outside.
"Give me a second," Si Hyuk responded, and he looked at Lisa. "You can hide in the bathroom," Lisa nodded her head and ran to the bathroom, leaving the door slightly open so she could see them and hear their conversation.
"Come in," Si Hyuk said. In just a few seconds, Jin and the other six members entered the office. "How's practice, Boys?"
"All good, Pd-nim," Namjoon answered.
Lisa stared at their faces one by one. It's been a while since she saw them so close. She misses them. They're in one place, yet they couldn't even meet.
"So, what brought you here?" Si Hyuk asked.
"Pd-nim, someone told us that they saw Lisa here in the company," Jin opened up a topic that made Lisa nervous.
"Lisa? Really?" Si Hyuk asked.
"She didn't go here, Pd-nim?" Suga asked.
"No, she didn't," Si Hyuk answered, secretly glancing at the bathroom. "Who told you that, anyway?"
"A staff, Pd-nim. It's probably not Lisa," Hobi said.
"What's that Pd-nim?" Jimin asked when he saw the flash drive of Lisa.
"A flash drive. Isn't it obvious?" Taehyung said, earning a pinch from Jimin on his shoulder.
"It's a flash drive that I bought recently," Si Hyuk said and hid the flash drive under his table drawer. "So, what brought you here for real?"
"Pd-nim, can we have the key to Lisa's studio?" Jungkook asked. "We want to make it as our hang-out place. She's not coming back anymore, right?"
"Why would you make it as your hang-out place? You have your private place. And also, even if she's not under our company anymore, she's still welcome here and free to use her studio," Si Hyuk said.
"We want to hang out there to feel like she's still with us. It will surely help us accept everything," Jin explained. "Leaving us like that is very painful that it's hard to accept it."
Lisa sighed and cried silently.
"I don't have the key, boys," Si Hyuk said, looking at the seven one by one. "If you want to make it your hang-out place, then one of you should ask the key from her."
"Nevermind, Pd-nim. We'll go back to practice now," Namjoon smiled. They bowed and left the office. Once Lisa was sure that they left already, she went out of the bathroom and wiped her tears.
"Lisa, will you give them the key?" Si Hyuk asked.
"No, Pd-nim..." Lisa shook her head. "Maybe I should go now, Pd-nim. Thank you for the time."
The reason why she can't give them the key is that the agreements papers and even her diary were inside her studio. And no one should know about what's written on those papers... not until it's a perfect time.
***