A/N: Hey guys! Thanks for sticking with me through the adventure of this fic! Here's the epilogue. Hope you enjoy!
I don't own this story.
"This… this is amazing Lisa." Hyun Suk said just after listening to the latest work Lisa produced for their current artist. "It's just absolutely brilliant! You have no idea how happy I am when I hear a new single from your gifted hands."
Lisa smirked, she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't keep a tally of the number of times Hyun Suk had praised her work without being followed with the words 'but' or 'however'.
What, with her sort of kinda past life experience and all.
"But…" Hyun Suk then said and Lisa sighed.
Here she thought she could have had a clean slate.
"But?" Lisa then pressed on, curious at what it could be.
"But I have to admit, I'm sad you're leaving us soon." he then noted and Lisa nodded.
It's been three years since she got out of the hospital, waking from her coma and catching her would be killer and all.
Three amazing years where Lisa worked for the music label that Hyun Suk works for.
If there was one thing Lisa was happy to have remembered from that other life, that other time, it would be his contact information. As soon as she got out of the hospital, Lisa made Chaeyoung-inspired songs and sent it to an unsuspecting Hyun Suk. With her connections, aka Tzuyu's amazing and undoubtedly illegal use of skills, she managed to make sure he got it.
The call came in three days later, asking for a meeting.
And it was a done deal.
It wasn't all that easy though. The last three years was spent hard at work, learning the ropes of the industry, the annoying backdoor politics, extending patience for difficult artists, and mastering her craft.
What Chaeyoung said was true, though, the world had gone on too long without her musical genius. And as soon as Lisa stepped into the scene, it didn't take long for big name artists to come collaborate to work with her.
"I just, I feel like you have a gift, you know?" Hyun Suk then went on. "I knew form the moment I heard your song. Every beat, it speaks true to who you are. The rhythm, the tempo, it captures how you feel for the moment, what emotions you put into the work, and it always makes you wonder who it is you're thinking of. You get to reach people with music, and it's amazing Lisa. You also push it out of the artists, the emotions that they want to incorporate to a piece, the imagery and feelings they want to evoke. Everything you, it's definitely got the magical Lisa Manoban touch. We're gonna miss you."
Lisa shrugged with a humble smile. "Thanks." she replied.
"I really can't convince you to push off starting your own label company, can I? Or you know, maybe stay here a little longer while you work behind the scenes for that one?"
"Tempting, but I create music not for the money." Lisa replied. "Besides, I do like spending some time with the people I love too. I love the work I do and all, but I feel like I've wasted a good amount of my life not making memories with the people who ware most important to me."
"Fair enough." Hyun Suk replied, conceding. "But, you have to promise to be there when we celebrate the album launch! This is your last one with us."
Lisa chuckled. "I will. I'm only going for a few days on weekend trip. I still have a few months left with you guys." she replied before checking the time on her watch. "And on that note, gotta go. I've got a dinner and all."
Hyun Suk nodded. "See you around Manoban." he replied with a proud smile as Lisa left, the last three years still on her mind.
It's been rather quiet in some ways. No, she hasn't had an episode of her Revival since she woke up from her coma. Taeyang's been in sentenced with a few life sentences, Jisoo commenting on how happy she was that murder doesn't have a statute of limitation in the country. He confessed to all the crimes that Jisoo and Sehun presented against him, admitting to even a few others that they never found out. Why he did that – confessing and all – Lisa wasn't sure of. Sehun visited him once, trying to get answers but he only kept muttering that Lisa was still alive which meant he still had a reason to live, that in itself was enough.
But Lisa hasn't put much thought about it. He's still very much in prison, maximum security and all, so she's decided to focus on living her life for now.
A life with her friends and family.
Because yes, she's still hanging out with her friends on a daily basis, for as much as they could that is as some days are busy. That said they have this standing Thursday night dinners at the pizza place that Jeongyeon 's girlfriend 's family owns.
Jeongyeon would always be on top of her antics, her girlfriend , Im Nayeon , too.
Jisoo and Sehun would always vaguely bicker about a point in some case they had.
Jennie would always calm her girlfriend down. Sometimes she'd excitedly talk about the latest news on the science and technology front. She never talks about the projects she works on but if there's something noteworthy, she brings it up.
Sana and Momo would share tales of misadventures in the hospital. Having been a patient for a good long while, Lisa would hear news every now and then about her favorite nurses, residents turned fellows, and staffers.
Ryujin would always drive into the city to join them too. She's currently a trainer at YG – for some weird reason that was a common factor among her friends – and she'd talk about tales regarding this Idol Trainer team she's joined.
Tzuyu would sometimes be gone, depending on if she's working on a tough case or assignment, but she would usually skype in. She doesn't say much, but at least they still feel her presence.
Ji hyo and Mina would talk about the week they've been having at their own little private investigation practice. Mina still works as a freelance journalist, but the two do have a knack for it. Dahyun would often help them out along with Tzuyu. In return, the two would help Dahyun out with some of the cold cases she's still trying to crack.
Mina's dad was also out of prison, his name cleared just in time. In honor of Ji hyo's dad, he and Lisa's own father would sometimes help the girls out.
Speaking of, her father was back to his usual swing of things with the teasing and constant exchange of witticism with Lisa. Dinner was mandatory at his place every night – with Chaeyoung of course – except for the Thursday nights at the pizza place and her Friday night dates with Chaeyoung.
Yeah, a lot has happened the last three years.
It's been busy, and hectic, but fun. Really, it's all about the balance.
Sure, she's lost some years with her friends, but that nine years spent in a coma wasn't really much of a curse to bear. She's lived through those nine years before.
Whether or not they were dull doesn't matter either.
Those nine years were her treasure.
They were the price she had to pay to get to live the present that she had now.
Lisa smiled before taking a deep breath, finally reaching the pizza place, her friends already gathering inside. As she reached for the door, her hands met someone else's. Lisa chuckled as she saw Chaeyoung shaking her head, laughing a bit.
Yeah, those nine years might have been lost.
But it made the moments she lived now even more precious than anything else.
"I can't believe we haven't found time to come here since I woke up." Lisa found herself saying two days later. They got to the hotel in town late in the afternoon the day before. The plan was that she and Chaeyoung decided to just go around and visit old places they frequented when they were in high school, or the ones that held the most meaning to them.
Friday was spent walking around town, dropping by familiar locales, the old café where they used to study before walking Chaeyoung home, the lighthouse and the old hideout where her friends hung out, and of course the playground where Lisa made her promise to Chaeyoung to never lie to her.
They walked pass both their old homes, reminiscing their old walks together as toured their old neighborhood, hand in hand like they did before.
They also visited Seungri back in their old high school, catching him just in time before leaving for the day. His jaw nearly dropped to the floor as he rushed towards Lisa for a hug. Granted, a bit an overreaction – or so Lisa claimed – for a teacher seeing a past student, but given that Lisa escaped death, woke up from a nine year coma, and Seungri has heard how successful she's been in the last three years, it was kind of expected.
Was she given a hard time for not visiting any sooner? Yes, yes she was.
But Seungri was juts genuinely happy to see her alive and well, showing her a plaque with her name on it outside the music room. They wanted to place it somewhere else that would be more visible, but at the time, Seungri insisted that since music was practically the one class she loved, then the music room should have it.
"We wanted to remember your bravery one way or another Lisa." he said with a smile.
Did they talk about Taeyang? Briefly, mostly that Seungri was partly mad at himself for not even suspecting him. But they dropped the topic as soon as it was brought up.
They also visited Baekhyun who just got back from his trip to Asia. He practically jumped in joy when he saw Lisa, and rushed towards her, very much like Seungri.
But that was their jam-packed yesterday.
Today was spent visiting the ski resort Lisa took Chaeyoung too that first Saturday she tried to get her out of the house, Chaeyoung insisting they visit their tree.
"But it's not Christmas yet Chae." Lisa joked back when they were planning their trip.
"So? You did the same thing back then. We have to see it Lisa!" she had insisted.
Thus, why they were walking through the woods within the resort's area to find it in the middle of the afternoon, chatting about their plans to see the science museum Tomorrow .
Chaeyoung pouted in the adorable way she does once they reached the clearing, briefly parting from Lisa as she walked on ahead, stopping at the place where she once stood during their first visit. Lisa ran after her, stopping only when she was once again by her side. "I guess it's only sparkly and magical when it has icicles hanging on the branches and there are plenty of stars in the sky." she then said, reaching for Lisa's hand.
And Lisa really couldn't help but agree. The sun was still out, and it was the early days of a slightly warm fall. The tree barely had leaves of color but nothing else that gave it some magical winter wonderland feel.
"Here I thought I could replicate the moment." Chaeyoung then said with a sheepish smile.
Lisa laughed in response, as she laced their fingers together, their hands entwined. She leaned over to place a kiss on Chaeyoung's cheeks. "It's still our tree though." she replied. "Maybe we should come back here this Christmas." she went on, a thought having occurred to her.
Something she would once consider to be an impossible dream.
"That sounds like a brilliant idea." Chaeyoung replied beaming.
And what else could Lisa do but repay the smile with her own.
There used to be a time when she never thought she'd ever find happiness like this, her mind stuck in the past with her regrets. Lisa knew she was lucky, she was given a chance to right them. Not everyone has that.
If anything, it made her learn a valuable lesson. She can regret the past as much as she wants, but it's in the now that she can make a difference.
If there was something she wanted, something she was chasing after, no matter how difficult, she can't give up the fight.
She didn't give up in trying to save Chaeyoung and her friends despite the odds. She stood up each time she fell, and tried again after she failed no matter how bruised, broken, or bleeding she was.
She learned from her mistakes, she shouldered all the injuries that came her way and graciously accepted them.
And she kept moving forward, fighting.
That's why she kept promising to herself that no matter how hard it was, no matter the obstacles, she'll keep fighting.
Didn't some author once say that if you keep moving forward, eventually, the world smiles back at you?
Besides, the future is always blank.
And only your willpower can leave footsteps behind.
~The End~
A/N Pt2: Hey guys! This story is based on anime. so, sad to been say there's no smut scene or something equal.
That is it for this story! Thanks for tuning in.