(a/n: I hope you don't mind the way I expanded this :) )
(a/n: dates may not coincide.)
The Sunset Where We Met
Chapter 10: Paris and Wings.
Two Months Later.
June, 19.
"So, I'll be leaving? Just like that?"
She'd wish she could control the madness in her voice.
"Why? Are you complaining?"
"No, I just--"
"Let me remind you," her boss interrupted," that we are not obligating you, Lalisa Manobal, because it's no one's funeral to like... obligate. It's a fucking fashion show! How are you complaining about it?"
She wasn't! She wasn't mad about it!
Lisa tried to compose herself because, the last time she didn't, things got worse. If she's been patient during all those years, she can do it now. She won't let a mistake become a thing of the everyday.
She wasn't mad about being on the show, modeling, or doing a photoshoot. That wasn't something she would be mad about, it was nice to do it and she loved the way their fans supported every event.
But why did they have to put this over the Blackpink comeback?
They have been working on it so much time that it feels unreal, almost like it is not going to happen. That's what the waiting makes you, hopeless. Every time they want to fully focus on it something more pops up: mostly events and photoshoots.
And now what the heck were they doing?
Jennie was sent to Paris after her arrival, Rosé to EEUU, and Jisoo to Spain?
She wasn't against it, at all! She, and the girls, were very grateful to the brands who always treat them magnificently, but due to them they always have to be holding back their work.
Time goes on while they're stuck on the same.
"I am not complaining, I just--"
"Yes, you are!"
"I don't want to drag unnie into more mess!" She finally confessed.
The man smirked looking at her like she was a joke.
"What do you think? That you can manage everything you want, Lisa?" He placed his elbows on the table, fixing his eyes on the idol. "Yes, you're Celine's official girl but that doesn't mean that you can decide who else is part of the brand. What do you plan to happen? Them breaking their contract with Kim Taehyung just to please you?"
Kim Taehyung...
Vocalist of the biggest boy band. Very loved by the world, and also..., the guy who's recently been occupying all internet portals along with Jennie.
How much hypocritical was it of her boss to say those things when they're the ones who are letting their artist being eat by all the media?
Even when both of them decided to deny it!
Since early the year, the rumors of both Kims with the name of Jennie and Taehyung has been a trending new that left many sleeping with their eyes open.
Everyone wanted to know the truth behind Taennie. Everyone talked about it as a fact, even when the evidence was not that trustful.
The number of problems it was bringing for both idols was intense. And the worst was that none of their so loved companies were doing something to stop it.
They were just letting it be, because it benefited them above any kind of damage the situation could leave on Jennie or Taehyung.
Lisa felt infuriated.
Plus, now she has to fly to Paris for the fashion week... and also with him?
No matter from what point she tries to see the situation she doesn't think it can get better.
"I don't want to hear any more of this. Please, leave, Lisa. Now."
June, 22.
"Today is my day!" Jimin threw himself in one of Jungkook's comforts with his phone in hand.
"Your day of what?" Namjoon asked stacking a stack of papers, sheet music, sketches...
"My BTS story!" He laughed. "Today's Jimin's turn."
"Amazing..." He didn't really give importance.
"You know what?" Hoseok appeared from one of the corridors of the apartment. "I was judging Jungkook's decision of buying so many mattresses. Like- what, dude? But I actually think it's a smart idea, I can lay everywhere in every minute."
Jungkook smirked internally. Wasn't it what he said before? That was the purpose.
"Yes, for a single man, it's okay..." The leader agreed. "But not for someone taken, trust me, nobody wants their boyfriend's place being all messy."
"I am not messy," Jungkook fastly said, frowning and laying his back on the couch. "I have a lot of them but everything is clean, hyung!"
Jimin laughed at the way the younger easily get upset.
Min Yoongi was silent for a long time now. Just like almost all of them, he was laying on a couch, just wearing a hoodie and loose sweatpants. He was using his phone, so quiet and concentrated that it brought curiosity in Hoseok.
"Hey, you!" He threw a pillow in his face, causing the older to groan in frustration. "What are you looking at so seriously?"
Yoongi finally raised his eyes noticing the six guys paying attention to him now.
He does anything yet he gets to be the target.
He stayed silent, he wasn't very sure about bringing the topic to the table. But this shouldn't have to be something serious, right?
His eyes darted to Taehyung, who lifted his brows when their looks collided.
"I was just reading this..." He turned the phone, which was an useless move because all of them were too far. He turn it off as he rolled his eyes. "I thought just you and Park Bo Gum would be attending the show in Paris," he finally explained.
And like curious cats, five heads turned to, now, look at Taehyung. Now he understands what it was about.
"Ah... that," he cleared his throat. "No, Blackpink's maknae is coming too. I mean, as a Korea representative, I guess."
Blackpink's maknae.
If Jungkook thought he was falling asleep, then he was comepletely awake now. His invisible bunny ears perked up as soon as the "Blackpink's maknae" went through his ears.
They were talking about Blackpink, right? The YG girl group blackpink? That one? The one that debuted years ago and who were their mates in the industry? That was the Blackpink his hyung was referring to?
Then... if it was so, Blackpink's maknae...
Blackpink has only one maknae, right? There's also the other girl with blonde and long hair but that wasn't the maknae!
So they were referring to that Blackpink's maknae? The one who raps, dances and acts like she owns the fucking world?
The one with crystal clear eyes and a beautiful smile?
That one who, due to their full schedules and activities, he can't see since two months ago?
"Really?" Hoseok asked. "Woah, Lisa, right?"
Yep, it was her.
»I really like her dancing.
"The internet is going crazy, you know?" Yoongi mentioned, he was subtly worried about how the public was going to react.
"As expected..." The guy with wavy hair nodded with a sigh in the middle.
These kinds of things tired the shit out of him.
"Don't worry too much, though." Nam Joon talked after thinking for a while. "If the teams agreed, then it will be alright, you'll know how to manage the situation."
Taehyung nodded. He was thankful and excited to attend the Celine show, as it would be his first time doing it, but then he finds out that a member of Blackpink would be there. He knew that it would be a huge commotion even if he does anything, probably the girl knows it too.
"Kookie, what are you thinking?" Hoseok lifted a brow and then guffawed pointing at the guy. "Look, what's wrong with him?"
Jungkook was still sitting on the couch but his attention was on none of the presents. His mind signed out the moment his hyung mentioned the blonde girl who somehow get close to him for some time.
Hearing his name in life's real moments and not by fans, interviewers, or seeing it online was definitely very different. It was like something he had for his own, like a secret, being revealed to the world. It makes him realize that she was real.
Yes, it sounds a little stupid but it makes sense in his mind.
He has been seeing this beautiful girl who he enjoys being with. He can laugh with her and not worry too much about anything else. It was something fresh in his life packed up of "prepared" things. Everything had a production, a method, and a purpose.
But, when she's at his side, he doesn't think about the meaning of life or what's coming next. Instead, they just do it, they live.
He was yearning to see her so much. He never thought he could miss the presence of someone else who weren't his family, friends, or fans. But here he is, wondering when they'll have some free time to meet again.
And it's that... God! Even when he enjoys the code things and meeting in secret, they could've been a little bit normal and simply exchange numbers like any other person does. He couldn't contact her and he wasn't fully confident about asking one of his friends for the girl's number. He just feels like he's going really further just by thinking about it.
He was not going to lie, he thought about going to Sunny Day Cafe once or twice. But this time it wouldn't be for the tasty food or for the company of the grandparents, he just wanted to pass by to see if he can find the girl, but he knows he will end up returning midway when realizing he'd feel stupid if she's not there.
All the times they met were by coincidence but when he really wanted to see her... the chance it's not given.
Why is life like that?
And then... She is mention in his reality, that one that he's thankful and proud of yet, at the same time, one that can become a whole headache.
And she had that type of reality as well.
Despite everything, being the girl in the cafe, or out of it, she was still her, he met Lalisa Manobal, even when that was something he shouldn't have done.
And the worst was... That he's not sure if he wants to let her go.
"He's zoning out again..." Jimin approached while Hoseok kept giggling lowly. He palmed his knee with a tiny smile yet with a trace of concern for the younger. "You okay?"
Jungkook fought to get over his state and shook his body.
"Yeah, I'm alright!" He stood up and went to the kitchen to see what's Jin Hyung doing. "Enjoy your trip, Hyung, take care!"
June, 24.
UNKNOWN NUMBER
You like to have all the attention, right?
Lisa frowned.
Uh... yes, she likes to attract attention... but in a good sense. Why does this person make it sound like it is a bad thing? She doesn't enjoy that "type of attention", she likes the good one, the one that makes people hype along with her!
Why is she even deepening into it? It's too earlier for those types of things, Lalisa.
Still, who could be this person? It was unknown. She thought about blocking it as it sounds like a possible hater but then she realized it would be very weird for a stalker to get her number. Luckily, she hasn't suffered from those things so she really doubts it is one.
Should I respond?
Before she can think about it, she was typing.
LISA
Do I know you?
Either way, I'm blocking you (sorry for the rudeness but I don't have a choice).
"Lisa-ssi, is about time for the flight, please, turn off your phone," she heard a person from her team saying.
"Yeah, sure!" She assured her with a smile. "Just a second and I'll do."
The woman reproached her with her eyes before giving her a few seconds more.
UNKNOWN NUMBER is typing...
"Oh, c'mon!" She murmured, moving her legs in nervousness. "I have to turn it off."
Her phone rang.
UNKNOWN NUMBER.
Henry says he misses your presence...
What?
The time she spent confused for the message was just around one second.
Henry... She only knows two Henrys, and she's very very sure that it's not Henry Lau from Super Junior M the one who missed her presence.
And there was only one person who could send this.
But it couldn't be... him, right?
"Lisa-ssi, I'm sorry but you have to turn your phone off."
She couldn't say anything more as the staff rudely grabbed her phone to turn it off by themselves.
"Yah..." She said in a quiet tone.
The peaceful and confused expression of the girl fastly turned into madness as the employee gave her back the phone. The interaction was seen by the boy passing by the corridor of the plane where they were on.
Taehyung frowned upon seeing the scene. Suddenly, he felt like he never gives enough thank yous to their staff, guard and managers.
"Miss, I told you I was about to turn it off," the blonde girl said with a frown but not raising her voice by any chance. If she wanted to discuss she wouldn't win it with that peaceful way of talking.
"Yes, Lisa-ssi, but we can't delay it any more," the woman says coldly before trying to run away.
However, he had something to say.
"Still... You could've said it nicely, and grabbing other people's belonging isn't right, miss."
Both females turned their heads to look at him. The employee's brows raised up seeing BTS Kim Taehyung in front of her and not precisely smiling at her. Damn! He was scolding her!
"Uh... Yeah, I just didn't want to delay other people's flight. All of you have busy schedules,"she excused herself, putting her hands behind her back.
Taehyung smiled.
"I know. However, we are just three, I'm very sure no one's gonna have a major problem."
The employee looked at him for a brief moment, probably knowing that anything she says would be worthless. Taehyung saw the impotence on her face, but she didn't say anything and just left.
Lisa was looking now at the tall guy in front of her seat.
Truth was... They haven't exchanged more than a formal bow to each other when they arrived on the flight, they couldn't risk talking in public.
He showed a tiny smile, with his lips pressed.
"Hello."
"Hello."
"Can I sit?" He pointed at the sit in front of her.
She made a gesture with her hand.
"You don't have to ask."
He chuckled, taking sit in front of her.
"Thank you," he sighed. "Sorry if I bring you problems with your team," he said referring to the woman who already left.
"Don't worry, I have the world in my favor, and justly."
"That's a nice way of thinking," he played with the hem of his shirt, a little bit anxious about what he had to say. "So, we'll be together for a few days, I don't really want to make things uncomfortable but it is inevitable with the situation."
He sighed, and the girl nodded just hearing what he had to say.
"I just wanted to make you know that if I am "too serious", or something like that, it's not personal... I just don't want to give people more reason to keep talking, my company is already doing it enough."
Yes, she understands that.
Every company has its own way of doing, some of them manage certain things better than others, but none of them is perfect. They can't be. A company is not a person, they don't think in a human manner.
When it comes to YG, she can't say they were doing good, because they weren't, but she can't either say they are doing it on purpose. The company had the tendency to create statements with empty words such as "We can't affirm this, it's the artist's life". It was something that she was agreeing with, after all, they had their own lives and nobody should answer for them. However, the company had always been like that, at one point that it seems like marketing. YG artists are badass, they are savage and they don't care about people's opinions, and that was how it seemed they wanted to stay. So, maybe the reason why they're so careless about rumors wasn't that they want their artists to be free, and maybe, it was just to maintain a facade.
Also, one thing was an artist dating another artist and the company giving them the freedom to say whatever they want... and another thing was to ignore the artist's pleas of denying it.
She gets so bothered any time she remembers how the company keeps on ignoring Jennie's request of denying the dating rumors, and not letting her do it either.
Wasn't it the same oppression perhaps?
What was the difference between obligating someone to break a relationship publicly and not denying a relationship that did not exist? Both were a lie and both were ways of treating you like a toy.
So she really understands it, maybe she's not living it in her own flesh like him or her unnie, but she understands how rotten it was. No doubt why he wants to avoid problems. In all cases, she would do the possible to help Jennie.
"Don't worry, I'll try to do the same too... Although, it's such a shame that we can't go around Paris with the handsome actor."
Taehyung started to laugh and covered his mouth with his hand, seeing the girl shamelessly pointing at Bo Gum who was busy in a talk with what seemed to be his manager.
"I'll introduce you, guys, later," he affirmed still chuckling.
She clapped, happily. For some reason, meeting actors makes her more starstruck than meeting colleagues in her field. You're watching them all the time on tv, then they do interviews and shamelessly capture your heart. She can't with it! And who'd say the one and only interpreter of Choi Taek from Reply 1988 would be traveling with her? She couldn't mess up her chance of saying that he deserved to get the girl in the drama. That boy was too cute, and he did everything right! He deserved Deok Sun's heart!
(a/n: not agreeing with her. I love you, Taek, but Jung Hwan my man and one of the most painful second lead syndromes I had. ps: watch Reply 1988)
"I really count on you for that, Taehyung-ssi."
He smiled.
"That's for sure, Lisa-ssi."
Paris.
Already in the city of love.
She had been so many times there that it doesn't feel distant anymore. She loves it! She loves all the architecture from there. It matches her vibe so well and it feels like everything was a paint.
It was very easy to appreciate places from Europe. Thailand and Korea were both very different to it.
Their flight was safe, luckily. It was fast and she wasn't bored. Just like he promised, Taehyung introduced Bo Gum to her and she didn't miss a chance to talk about how much she loved his work. The guy was visibly taken aback, he even blushed, showing that perfect smile of his, while his friend laughed at his reaction.
She decided to play it easy, though, she didn't want to scare him. Lisa wasn't the type of talking loudly to strange celebrities as she knew that not everyone could take it so well.
And now she was in the hotel's room. Comfortable, elegant, and chic, just like she liked it. The most beautiful part was the window, french door window with a magical view.
Lisa left the bathroom after taking a quick shower. Her hair was wet and she knew she had to dry it fast before it gets too messy.
She was thinking about texting her mom who urged her to do it when she arrives, a thing that she couldn't do as there were a lot of people waiting for them around the streets. She had to meet a few people on the way and the chance to grab her phone was null. It was just now the moment she got the chance to breathe, her mom was probably aware about her arrival but the woman was insistent.
Deciding to do so, she grabbed her phone. And that was when she remembered the text.
tHAT text.
She remembered the unknown text, not as if she had forgotten about t, in fact, she has been thinking about it every time she was free of cameras and people.
She put her phone on, letting herself fall into the comfiness of the hotel's bed. She was just wearing the bathrobe with her underwear down it. She was so tired that the energy to put on clothes wasn't emerging yet.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
Henry says he missed your presence.
That's what he said.
Lisa almost bites her nails while thinking if respond.
LISA
my presence where?
She wasn't sure and replying to it meant that she wasn't blocking him but she couldn't confirm it and just go like "how do you have my number, xxxx?" When this person could not be him.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
he says you're the only one who takes her "special dishes".
A laugh escaped her mouth involuntarily.
LISA:
dishes?
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
yes...
and
uh
playing Jiael alone is kinda boring too.
Tsk.
This guy...
With a smile growing on her face, she put herself comfy in the bed before pressing "start a video call", making sure that the selfie camera was pointing at an angle where her face couldn't be seen.
It wasn't a surprise that his camera was at the same angle too.
None of them wanted to risk the possibility of not talking with the one they meant to and getting in trouble because of that.
However, Lisa couldn't help but guffaw at their situation. None of them could see each other, she was just seeing his pillow, and neither could they hear each other's voice.
Her laugh grew.
And that's when she heard him growling.
"Yah, why are you video-calling me if you're not going to say anything?" She finally heard his hoarse voice.
It was him.
cliffhanger, I know! It's the worst somebody can do, you can hit me at the distance... or you can hit the vote button instead, yk, to ease the anger.
in my defense... there are moments when you just know the chapter has to end, and this one was one of those moments. ill bring lk the next chapter, i have a few ideas.
anyways, hiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
how are you? how's life treating you?! don't forget you can beat that bitch, don't let yourself fall because of the circumstances it, believe it!
I think i have to say sorry for the slow updates, I promise I'll try my best to give more updates, for this and for my other stories. I think this one will be the first to finish, I don't think it will have more than 25 chapters. Then, I think LM. The doll will be the second to finish ( I calculate more than 30 chapters at least) and Last Fantasy will be long af (or that's what i think).
how is the weather where you live? in Argentina is hot as helllll, people are burning lol I don't suffer too much the hotness as I suffer the winter so that ain't me but I still can recognize that is hot.
btw, I love how Lisa is so fan of dramas because I can show my frustration or happiness with some of them here. and talking about it, i feel the duty to clarify once again that this is how i feel like things between idols would be. I am all the time trying to make it the most "normal" possible because down their "idol-self" there is just a normal human being. also, opinions about YG, fans, and vice-versa are mostly my opinion, i mean, they're hardly influenced by me, I don't think these idols think like that... hehe.
well, i think i don't have anything left to say (lmao, after that long and unnecessary text) so, I hope you enjoyed it and I'm sorry about the cliffhanger again.
btw, this had reached 1,5 K views so fast!!!
have a good day and take care of yourself <3
V.