𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 (a TAELICE adaptation)

CHAPTER 2

Lalisa did not dare even to scrutinize the little boy's facial features. She uttered, " I'm going to go to the bathroom. "

Her heart was suddenly terribly heavy and pain throbbed in her, beat by beat, in pace with her heart's increasingly dull rhythm.

" Auntie, the bathroom is out the door, to the right, and down the stairs. It's between the fourth and fifth floors. " the boy rose from his seat and thoughtfully, one at a time, pulled out the chairs beside the table. " Uncles and Auntie, please have a seat. If you're visiting Goseong, then you're our guests... "

The voices of everyone laughingly praising the boy were shut out from her ears by the door at her back.

                                 †††

Lalisa remained outside the door, her heart hammering. When she saw someone walking by her carrying a half roasted lamb, she hastily stepped backwards and made way for him amidst the strong aroma of roasted meat.

Her heart felt flustered and would not settle back in place.

Afraid that someone would notice that there was something wrong with her, she decided simply to follow the boy's instructions. She strode to the end of the corridor, turned right, walked down a few steps and went searching for the bathroom on the landing between fourth and fifth floors where the stairs turned a corner.

But when she was standing outside that door, staring blankly at the " Men " sign over the bathroom, Lalisa was in a daze for quite some time.

Slowly, she recovered some of her rational mind.

Eleven years ago, he left Seoul. Ten years ago, they broke up. That the child looked to be seven or eight years old was very reasonable.

Everything was perfectly logical and reasonable.

So Lalisa, what do you still see him for?

                                †††

" What are you looking at? " a voice spoke behind her.

Lalisa jolted in surprise.

A glass door that was banded on its right by aluminum edging had been pulled open from the outside. Taehyung, his hand was punching half a cigarette that he had not yet finished smoking. he was leaning against the doorway, his eyes narrowed slightly as he eyed her over. " The women is from downstairs. "

She said an " Oh ", then turned around.

" Come back. " Behind her, Taehyung suddenly spoke.

" I'll bring you down when I'm done smoking. "

" No need. " She continued walking.

" I told you to come back. Did you hear me? " Taehyung's tone dropped.

Lalisa's footsteps came to a halt.

Back then all I did was dump you. So what? You have a kid already. What gives with this attitude still, like I owe you something?

Lalisa gritted her teeth fiercely and whipped her head around. " No, I didn't hear you. "

His lips taut, Taehyung lifted his brows and stared at her.

Then lowering his head once, he took a draw from his cigarette and blew out a not-quite-fully-formed smoke ring.

" If you didn't hear, what are you turning around for? "

                                †††

" The lady doesn't want to talk to you, is that not okay? " Behind Taehyung, a rugged-looking man who appeared to be just in his thirties stubbed out the cigarette he was holding. " Don't mind him. Our Commander Kim—ah! No, it's former Commander Kim, who was discharged only a few days ago—is bored out of his mind, so the way he's talking is sulky and sarcastic. "