before | lisrene

XIX

"Hey. What are you doing here?" Irene asked as she sees Lisa sweeping the floor of the aunties' store. There's also a bucket of water and mop nearby.
She stopped when Irene arrived.

"Ugh." Lisa replied, offguard. "I don't have anything to do in my apartment and the aunties agreed to let me stay so I can study."

"Is it the new neighbors?" Irene asked.

Lisa shrugged. "Yeah. Their damn bed still creaks and maybe they are rabbits? God. There is no definite time for them to fornicate each other."

Irene laughed. Last week, they saw a moving truck parked beside Lisa's apartment. It's the first time that Lisa invited Irene to her house. Lisa started complaining later that night when she woke up because of the loud moans from her neighbors. Normally the complains were being sent to Jennie but she's been ignoring her bestfriend for days now. Jennie knows the entire history of Lisa's life. As much as Lisa misses her, she had to sleep on the bed that she made. Lisa hoped that Jongin was worth throwing their friendship for but seeing Roseanne's reaction with the guy, she knows it's bad. Real bad.

"Sorry.. I shouldn't have called." Lisa muttered.

Irene reached for Lisa's left arm and squeezed it. "Hey.. It's okay. Though it may have hurt Jennie. I was in the kitchen looking for those Koko Krunch bars after studying and I didn't see her there. She might have heard that you called. She's been avoiding me since."

Lisa's heart sank. She doesn't want to intentionally hurt Jennie but it is what it is. Jennie's relationship with Irene shouldn't be affected as they worked hard to repair it and Lisa isn't worthy of destroying it too. Taehyung is in a basketball camp for two weeks and before he left, he came to see Lisa just to hang out. No conversations about his twin. The guy even left bags of groceries for Lisa.

They were interrupted when Irene's phone started ringing. When Irene looked at the screen of her phone, Lisa already knows who is calling.

Lisa braved to download the app that her classmate Mina urged her to download. Normally one night stands aren't her thing but it's been months since Kendall. Irene left that morning to join Junmyeon on a trip to Hallasan and it's just the two of them. Staying at home without Taehyung or Jennie to accompany her will make her think of the things that Junmyeon and Irene are doing tonight and Lisa doesn't want to do that. Her neighbors already started their sex marathon even before she left her house. She agreed to meet the first woman she matched with and they decided to meet at a bar between their universities.

Lisa woke up on a stranger's bed for the first time since she went back to Seoul. All she can remember was she had two bottles of beer and maybe a few shots of tequila. The conversation she had with someone she just met was seamless which was a surprise. They had the same interests like taking pictures and programming.
Lisa tiptoed while she started collecting her clothes. She almost laughed out loud when she found her underwear on top of the lamp on the bedside table. After making sure that she have all of her things, she looked around the room where the woman she slept with is still lying down. The hickies that the woman begged her to put on her back are already visible. Without a word, she left the woman's room.

Lisa spent the rest of her Saturday fitting and modelling the new designs that Ten will launch for his summer collection. His name is already creating buzz in the fashion world. Though it is a small feature, he was contacted by Harper Bazaar for an interview and a sample of his collection. The said edition will be published the following month and Aunt Dara already bought a huge frame for her to display Ten's achievement. He also found out that Ten is dating a former client who now gets to wear his designs for free. When Lisa first met Johnny as a client, there's an irky feeling with the guy but according to Ten, Johnny is nothing but polite and affectionate. Lisa doesn't want to voice out that she just doesn't want Ten to be taken advantage of.
"He's a model, Lali! Imagine dating a model!"

Aunt Dara decided to join them and for the first time in months, they had dinner together. The three of them slept on the sleeping bags in Ten's boutique.

When Lisa arrived at her apartment, she was surprised to see Irene sitting on her patio. She knows that they are to stay in Hallasan until today that's why questions started pouring inside her head. Beside Irene is an overnight bag and a plastic bag full of chips. Why people keep on bringing food in her house she doesn't know but at least she's not going to starve. The amount of food that Taehyung brought the other day was enough for Lisa for a month. Roseanne said the other day that her sister Alice sent something for her in Roseanne's care package and Alice's meat pies are to die for. Lisa never met Roseanne's sister in person but she often included her in Roseanne's monthly supply of home food when they were in highschool. She forgot to ask what Alice is doing now- she was a law graduate and still yet to take the bar but Lisa thinks maybe she also changed her mind like Roseanne.
The plastic bag that Irene is holding almost dropped when she sees Lisa approaching.

"Hi.."

"Hi? What are you doing here?" Lisa asked as she opens her door. She stepped aside to allow Irene to come in first and immediately closed it.

Irene gave a shy smile. "We were forced to cut the trip short because Jennie and Jongin have been fighting.." Irene replied. "Is it okay if I'll stay here tonight and watch movies with you?"

"They came with you?" Lisa asked instead like it isn't obvious. She's trying to hide the excitement that she's feeling. Her mind is thinking of things that she always dreamed of doing with Irene- play Jenga, truth or dare. They can even stare at each other all night and she will not complain.

There's a concern in Irene's face when Lisa didn't answer her question.
"Of course you can stay."

Irene smiled before answering. "I didn't know they were coming. I was surprised when I saw them on the backseat of.." Irene replied, not finishing the sentence. "I came here because I am annoyed with Jennie." She added.

"What did she do?" Lisa asked. She sat on her couch and stretched. The floor in Ten's store made her back ache. She groaned when a bone popped in.

Irene sat beside her after laying the plastic bag on the coffee table. She stretched her limbs too. Lisa averted her eyes from peaking on Irene's exposed stomach. "She was accusing Jongin of seeing Roseanne behind her back.."

Lisa chuckled. "Roseanne also went to our school the year after you left- the year before Jennie and Tae transferred. She knows Jongin too and there hasn't been any indication that the two were interested with each other." She responded, her head is now resting on the backrest of the couch. She closed her eyes.
"If it's Oh Sehun, maybe." Lisa added, trying to mask the bitterness in her voice.

"Actually Oh Sehun is-"
Irene wasn't able to finish her sentence since her phone started ringing. Lisa is now feeling the impending doom of her night. 'Not again!'

"B-babe." Irene answered breathlessly and Lisa was able to confirm her fears. She opened and her left eye in time to see Irene biting her lower lip. If she's not feeling garbage right now, she would've kissed Irene and totally forget that she has a boyfriend. She closed her eye again and think of other things to distract her- snails procreating, manatees, capybaras-

She opened her eyes when Irene stopped talking with an apologetic look on her face. "I'm s-sorry but I need to go. Junmyeon is-"

Lisa closed her eyes again. She doesn't want to start tearing up. "It's okay. I'm tired too. I'll just sleep."

She just nodded when Irene started talking again, not understanding a word. She eventually opened her eyes when she heard her door close. The urge to throw things was very strong but her thoughts were interrupted when she felt her phone vibrating.

Hey. Are you free tonight?

The phone number isn't registered in Lisa's mobile.

Who the hell are you?

Lisa asked rudely.

You forgot already? You gave me your number, silly.

Lisa racked her brains for any incident that she may have given her number but her mind was blank.

It's Jisoo.