° ° °
Since it was Bambam's private plane that fetched Lisa and Jimin in Australia, they managed to land in Korea without anyone knowing of their arrival.
Two black SUVs were waiting for them outside the plane as the airport staffs load them with their luggage. A driver waiting for them inside.
Lisa removed her sunglasses before facing her bodyguard. "We had a long flight, Jimin. I want you to take some rest and visit your family."
Jimin frowned. "What? But who's gonna accompany you to the hospital?"
"Bambam ordered his people to take special care of me. So don't worry, I'm in good hands."
"No." Jimin disapproved. "I won't leave you by yourself, Miss Sin. Do you know how much in danger your life is right now?"
Lisa nod. "Of course I do." she reached out to fix Jimin's tie. "But I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'll keep my profile low just like in Melbourne."
"What's the use of keeping your profile low if they already knew that you're here?" Jimin asked with an eyebrow raised. "Have you forgotten that you're being followed?"
She shrugged. "True, but... the whole world doesn't know that I'm back. So I'll take that as an advantage."
"How is that an advantage?"
"I don't want to show myself to the world while my family is still in a mess. It will only add fuel to the fire." she put her hands down after fixing his crooked tie. "Haven't you heard? I'm the girl who made the whole world go insane when I ran away. I'm basically more famous than a celebrity right now."
Jimin scoffed. "Yeah, right."
Lisa smiled. "Go. Visit your family and take some rest. And then come back to me after a few days. We'll be very busy hunting people down after that."
He didn't move on his spot. He was hesitating whether he should listen to her or ignore her orders.
But then again, no one can win against Lisa so...
"Are you sure you'll be alright, Miss Sin?" he asked one last time. "I'm not really satisfied with the idea of leaving you."
The girl gently nods. "I'll be fine."
Jimin heavies a sigh. "Very well then."
Lisa smoothly wrapped her arms around his waist. "See you in a few days, Jimin oppa."
He smiled. Lisa only calls him 'oppa' when she's not serious and stern. In short, she treats him like a brother when she's in a good mood.
Jimin patted her head. "Take care of yourself."
"I will. Promise."
Lisa pulled away to capture his eyes. "Rest well, oppa. Understood? Because you won't be getting any rest after that."
He sighed on the back of his mind.
I better enjoy my break then. Who knows when will I have this opportunity again?
Jimin gave her a small smile before bidding his goodbye. "I better go, Miss Sin."
Lisa nod her head. "Be careful of your surroundings, oppa. They might also come after you."
"I'll keep that in mind." he bowed before walking towards one of the SUVs where he saw the airport staffs put his things in.
Jimin rode on the back seat. He took a last glance at where she was standing before telling the driver his destination. And with that, they took off.
When the SUV was out of Lisa's sight, she crossed her arms. "You can come out now, Mark oppa."
A dashing man wearing a formal suit suddenly came out of nowhere and went to her side.
Mark Tuan. One of Bambam's closest friends.
"How did you know I was here all the time?" he asked amusingly.
Lisa rolled her eyes. "I was trained to have excellent senses, oppa. I'm a mafia's daughter. I need to be alert if I want to stay alive."
Mark nodded. "You have a point."
She rolled her eyes again. "What are you doing here?"
Her arrival is not supposed to be known by a lot of people, God damn it!
Mark removed his sunglasses before smirking. "The famous Lalisa Sin has returned to Seoul. I wouldn't miss it for the world."
She eyed him suspiciously. "Did Bam told you?"
He scrunched up his face. "Eh, kind of."
Lisa pursed her lips.
You are so dead, Bambam.
Mark chuckled. "Bam wanted me to accompany you to your cousin's hospital. And since I'm a good friend of that little bastard, I said yes."
She turns to him. "Where is he? Why can't he accompany me there himself?"
"I'm afraid Bambam is not available at the moment." Mark replied. "He's currently on a honeymoon with his wife."
Lisa's eyes went wide the same time her mouth hung open.
She blinked. "W-what? He got married? When?"
"A few weeks ago," he answered.
Lisa froze. She was incapable of speaking and moving at the moment.
No... it couldn't be. That's impossible! Bambam would never tie his self—
"I love you, but I'm taken."
Her palm absentmindedly went to cover her mouth as she realizes the meaning behind Bambam's words to her on the phone. "Oh my God... "
Mark let out a sigh before patting her back. "You were gone for five years, Lisa. And a lot has happened to those five years."
Lisa didn't utter another word. Earning another sigh from Mark.
He put on his sunglasses before opening the door to the backseat.
He lent out his hand. "Shall we, Princess?"
She unknowingly took his hand as she climbs up on the SUV. Mark followed suit. Sitting beside her.
Mark shifted his gaze to the driver. "Asian Medical Center, please."
When Lisa felt the SUV move, she turns her head to the window.
She can feel that Mark's eyes were staring at her worriedly. "You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah," she leaned back on her seat before closing her eyes. "I'm just tired from the flight."
"Have some rest then," Mark said. "I'll wake you up when we're there."
She only nodded as a response.
When she felt that he wasn't staring at her anymore, she opened her eyes and stared at the blue sky outside the window.
Lisa couldn't help but to heave a silent sigh.
Mark was right. A lot has happened for the past five years that she was gone. She missed a lot of things. And she can't stop herself from wondering.
Are her brothers married? Do they have their own family now? What are they doing for a living? Who's still single among the four of them? Are they living on their own now?
Those were only a few questions that Lisa could think of right now. And she will have her answers soon. When she's finally reunited with her brothers.
She bit her lower lip.
She was guilty and sad. Just thinking about all the things that she had missed when she was far away from her brothers makes her heart ache.
If only she didn't run away. If only she stayed. Then she could've been with her brothers and witness every single thing that happened to them for the past five years.
She shut her eyes and whispered to her head.
I'll make it up to everyone. I promise.
° ° °
Jisoo was reading a patient's file in her office when a nurse suddenly barged inside—panting.
She frowned at the said nurse. "Don't you know how to knock?"
The nurse steadied her breathing first before answering her. "Forgive me, Doctor Sin." she bowed. "But a strange woman wishes to know where Mr. Taehyung's room is located. I told her that only a family member was allowed to know the patient's room, but she didn't want to give me her ID nor her name. The guards tried to take her away but she managed to beat them all up. Effortlessly."
Jisoo's eyebrow raised in an instant. "What?"
The nurse continued. "She's on her way to the VIP rooms, Doctor Sin. We keep on trying to stop her but she attacks everyone who tries to block her way."
Jisoo was silent for a moment.
There could only be one person that's so eager to see Taehyung and would not reveal her identity.
She rose up from her swivel chair. "Tell my assistant to call my cousins," she ordered. "I want them here ASAP!"
The nurse obediently nods and quickly went out of Jisoo's office to find her assistant.
Jisoo ran a hand through her hair before pacing back and forth.
Could it be? Is she really here?
To lessen the anxiousness that she was feeling, she decided to see it for herself.
Jisoo ran. She ran like her life depended on it. She ignored the questioning looks on the people that she would pass by and continued running like she was being chased by hell. She was wearing heels though, but she also didn't care. She continued running and running until she reached her destination.
Taehyung's room.
She was panting when she reached out the door's handle. She took a few deep breaths several times to normalize the pace of her heartbeat.
When her breathing was finally normal, she exhaled.
Please be in there. Jisoo whispered in her mind.
She opened the door and her eyes immediately settled on the familiar figure standing on the edge of Taehyung's bed.
Suddenly, her heart was at it again. It started pounding in her chest the longer she stared at the familiar figure's back.
Those long brown hair... she knew that very well.
Jisoo slowly stepped inside the room and let the door behind her close automatically. The sound that it created seemed to catch the woman's attention for she saw her stilled.
Jisoo's eyes started to water as she called out the name of her cousin who has been gone for five years. "L-Lisa?"
Jisoo hoped—prayed that she was right.
The woman didn't move on her spot making Jisoo call her out again.
Even though her voice was a little cracked because she's forcing herself not to cry, Jisoo still managed to say her words in a warning manner.
"I swear, Lalisa. If you don't turn around right now I will hate you for life."
Jisoo waited for the woman to move without taking her eyes off of her.
And when the woman did, her heart pounded two times faster than earlier.
The woman slowly took her time to turn around. Adding to the suspense that Jisoo was already experiencing at the moment.
And when their eyes met, Jisoo finally broke down in tears.
It was her. It was really her.
Lisa smiled. "Eonnie."
Jisoo cried even more after hearing her voice. Oh, how she missed that lovely voice.
All that Jisoo could do was continue sobbing and sobbing while wiping her endless tears. Whether it was tears of joy or not, she doesn't care anymore.
Lisa walked towards her and embraced her tight. "I missed you so much, eonnie."
Jisoo hugged her back and began mumbling the same words over and over again. "You're here, you're really here."
She felt Lisa's fingers stroked her hair. "Yes, I'm here. I promise I won't go anywhere again."
Jisoo distanced herself from Lisa and smacked her in the arm. "Yah! Do you know how worried I was for the past five years?!"
Lisa sighed before nodding. "I know, eonnie. And I'm really really sorry for making you worry."
Jisoo gave her a glare even though she was still tearing up. "Sorry is not gonna make up for what you did, Lalisa!" she sniffed. "And chicken is not gonna work either so you better think of another way to melt my anger!"
Lisa chuckled before reaching out to wipe her tear. "Shh... stop crying now. I thought you said you hate it when people would see you cry? Look at you, bawling like a baby. Where's the tough Jisoo Sin that I know?"
The black-haired woman looked away from her.
Jisoo rarely cries. Just like what Lisa said, she's tough. She hates it when people would see her cry because they would start thinking of her as a weakling. And she doesn't want that. But she guesses seeing Lisa after five years was the only thing that could soften her stone heart. After all, she becomes a softy when it comes to her family. Well, sometimes.
Lisa patted her head. "Stop crying or you'll get ugly."
"As if that'll scare me," Jisoo muttered.
"You should be scared. Who would marry you if you become ugly?"
Jisoo shot her a stern look. "I won't get swayed by your jokes, you brat. This is not the time to play around."
Lisa's face became serious. "I know, I'm sorry." she shifted her gaze on Taehyung who was unconsciously laying on the bed. "How is he?"
Jisoo wiped her face before calming herself down. "He was shot three times." she began before also turning to Taehyung. "Three bullets but he managed to stay alive."
Lisa clenched her fists. "When is he going to wake up?"
"Soon," Jisoo answered. "He's been unconscious for almost five days so I'm sure he'll wake up within this week."
Lisa pressed her lips together. "How about... dad?" she asked hesitatingly.
"He's in a coma for a month now. I decided to transfer him to the ICU so we could monitor him there every day."
Lisa remained silent.
If her father is in the ICU then that only means that his condition is critical. And there's a huge possibility that her father may not wake up again. Ever.
Lisa's heart sank on that thought.
Her father may be the reason why she ran away in the first place, but she still loves him dearly. She's mad at him—yes. But not to the point where it's okay to lose him. It will crush her heart. And she's not sure if she'll be able to handle that kind of pain.
Jisoo glanced sideways at her. "Do you want to see your dad?"
She immediately shook her head. "No," she answered without hesitation. Making Jisoo sigh.
"Lisa, your father has been desperately looking for you—"
"I'll visit him some other time." Lisa interrupted her cousin. "I'm just not ready to see his face yet."
In the end, Jisoo nodded. "I understand."
"Thank you, Jisoo eonnie." Lisa exclaimed in relief. "I just need some time to..." she paused to think of the right word to use. "catch up, I guess."
A warm smile etched on her eonnie's lips. "Don't worry, we have all of the time in the world."
Once again, she thanked her. "Thank you."
Jisoo bit her lower lip. She was contemplating whether she should open her mouth or not.
This didn't go unnoticed by the brunette. "You want to tell me something, don't you?"
Lisa already guessed what it was about. How could she not when that's the whole reason why she came back?
Jisoo grimaced. "You know me that much, huh?"
Lisa cackled a soft laugh. "Of course, you're my only cousin."
Jisoo sighed before shoving her hands on her robe's pockets. "I think that it's best to talk about it when your brothers are here." she paused. "I'm not the right person to tell you anything."
The younger smiled mysteriously. Remembering that those were Jeon's exact words to her. "Funny, you're not the first person to tell me that."
Jisoo raised a questioning eyebrow at her. But soon decided to let it go. Knowing very well that Lisa would not give her an answer.
So instead, she asked. "How have you been?"
Lisa genuinely smiled as she remembered her life back in Melbourne. "Fine. I get to learn and experience so many things. Hence, living normally. It was a fun experience. I'm glad that I was given a chance to have freedom even though it didn't last that long. But still, I'm grateful."
Jisoo tucked Lisa's hair behind her ear—a habit that she always does to her cousin. "I'm proud of you, you know." her thumb caressed Lisa's cheek. "I always am."
Lisa bit her lower lip. "Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"
Jisoo shook her head before extracting her hand. "Nope."
Lisa frowned. "But you just said—"
"I said I was proud of you. But I never said that I have already forgiven you." Jisoo protested with crossed arms.
Lisa pursed her lips before mumbling under her breath. "Tss, bitch."
Jisoo looked at her with wide eyes. "What did you just say?!"
Lisa 'hmph'ed. "Nothing."
"I heard you! You said 'bitch'!" Jisoo countered.
Lisa plumped a hand on her hip. "So? Can't a woman say that now?"
Jisoo gasps. "You little—yah! Who told you that you can say bad words?! Just because you were in some far away place that we don't know for five years, doesn't mean that you can say bad things! I am older than you! Keep that mouth of yours—"
"Jisoo eonnie," Lisa cuts her off in a calm tone. "I am a grown woman. I think I have the right to say what I want to say with my own mouth."
Jisoo's glare at her even worsened. "Don't cut me off while I'm talking, Lalisa! And don't talk back! Where are your manners, young lady?!"
Lisa rolled her eyes. "You nag more than my mom."
"Of course! Because you don't have a mom to nag at you!"
Lisa grinned. "You sure about that, eonnie?"
That made Jisoo shut up. Her eyes wide and her mouth hung open wide.
Just as Lisa was about to continue, the door suddenly opened making the two of them snap their heads in its direction.
Once Lisa saw the newcomer—no, scratch that. Newcomers. Her heartbeat hammered on her ribcage.
Her lips trembled. "Oppas."
𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙤𝙤𝙣.