𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 (a TAELICE adaptation)

CHAPTER 41

On the day of their breakup, Lalisa made the phone call in the main lobby of the telecommunications office across from the main gate of her school.

Six public telephones, the type for which payment was given by insertion of an IC card, were lined up in a row against the floor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the telecommunications office lobby. All of them were occupied. Lalisa stood in line, waiting all the way until nighttime self-study class was about to start and a spot finally opened up when an older woman left.

She sat down on the black leather seat, inserted the IC card into the slot, and dialed that number that she had memorized by heart.

It had been four months already.

Every time she called him, he was either in his unit or it was an inconvenient time for him to answer the phone. When they did have a rare chance to actually talk, she would complain aggrievedly, and then he would fall silently... It was to the point now that she was scared to even call him. Many times after she hung up, she would regret it. Why was her temper like this these past few months, so unreasonable, every word she spoke containing thorns?

She wanted to say...

" Taehyung, bad things have happened in my family... "

She wanted to say...

" Every day at home, I see my mom and dad fighting and wanting a divorce. And I see that woman. I used to idolize my dad so much, but now... I really, especially hate him. And I pity my mom. I can't sleep at night and I don't understand what I hear in class. The teachers in every one of my classes have called me on for a talk... "

Tonight, even more so, she wanted to say...

" I said I was going to report my dad. He threw my things out of the house. "

She had many things repressed in her heart that she wanted to say. But it was not as it he could come back.

After waiting for a long time, on the other end of the line, he finally spoke.

" Lalisa? Is there something urgent? "

As she listened to his slightly heavy breathing, her tears suddenly spilled over and would not stop.

" Is it not good that I'm calling you so late? You're busy? "

He did not deny this.

" It's not too bad. Speak quickly. It'll be fine. "

She had waited in line for more than forty minutes. It was going to be nighttime self-study class very shortly. She did not even have time to go buy dinner from the cafeteria.

" Lalisa? " Taehyung softly called her name.

" I want to hear you talk. Can you just say a bit more? " Lalisa uttered in a quiet voice, sniffling slightly. She rummaged through the skirt of her school uniform, searching for a tissue but unable to find one... With no other choice, she could only wipe at her tears with the back of her hand, looking so very wretched.

" I miss you, Taehyung. "

" You're sick? A summer cold? "

" Go buy some medication, okay? "

" Mm-hmm... "

The person at the payphone behind her, noticing that Lalisa was curled up with her head against the plastic panel beside the phone, crying but, no matter what, unwilling to let her sobs become audible, poked his head out and looked over in her direction, wanting to watch the entertainment.

" Why aren't you saying anything? " He paused for a moment, then said. " If there's nothing important, I'm going to hang up first. Remember to go buy some medication. "