Chapter 19
"Is the coast clear or I have to come back again tomorrow?" Lisa asked, holding a white handkerchief on her hand and waved it inside Chaeyoung's half-opened door.
"What one earth! Come in, you silly!" Chaeyoung said from inside her office. She stifled an awkward laughter. A good omen, Lisa hoped.
"About time!" Lisa exclaimed as she stepped inside Chaeyoung's small office. "You know, if you still wouldn't want to talk to me today, I would have seriously break down your door and barged in, whether you like it or not. How are you?" Lisa demanded before looking around at all the mess that Chaeyoung created and halted on her steps.
There were balls of crumpled papers scattered on the floor, around the half-empty tin waste basket at the corner. Her table was unorganized, the little plant that Chaeyoung have nurtured was dying and Chaeyoung, herself, was a mess.
Her hair was dishevelled. Her clothing was unmatched. Dark rings were visible around her eyes. She haven't even put a makeup on. And she looked sad, exhausted and embarrassed.
"Okay, don't answer that," Lisa said and walked towards Chaeyoung's table, where a huge sketch pad was lying open, showing Lisa an unfinished artwork of a flower that seriously looked like an eyeball from another angle. An empty cup was placed next to it, surrounded by pens and pencils of different colors.
"Why don't you sit down, Lis?" Chaeyoung suggested, pointing at the empty chair in front of her table. Even her voice sounded exhausted and hoarse.
But Lisa walked towards the small, red sofa on the other side of the room, barely a couple of meters away from Chaeyoung's table and flopped herself on the soft upholstery.
"Thanks, but I'd rather sit here. I love this sofa," Lisa said, intently looking at Chaeyoung, trying to catch her bestfriend's eyes.
"Of course, you do. You bought that, anyway," Chaeyoung responded, rolling her eyes.
It's been a week since Lisa saw Chaeyoung. A week after the scuffle that took place inside the Orange between Chaeyoung and Jisoo.
Chaeyoung have been intentionally avoiding Lisa. She would always have an excuse not to see Lisa when Lisa would pay a visit in her office, in the bar or in her residence. She did not even bother replying Lisa's messages and answering Lisa's calls.
"What have you been doing lately?" Lisa asked, trying to start a conversation.
"Thinking, I guess," Chaeyoung answered, staring at the white ceiling. Her interlaced fingers were resting above her abdomen.
"That doesn't look like you were just thinking," Lisa said, pointing at the balls of crumpled papers on the floor.
"What do you want me to say, Lisa? Repenting? Regretting? Lamenting? Because that's actually what I have been doing exactly for a week now and it still hasn't done me any good, to be honest," Chaeyoung said in a boring voice.
After Lisa went out to talk to Jennie before they--Jennie and Jisoo left that night, Lisa went back inside the bar to talk to Chaeyoung. But Chahee and Jiyeon stopped her, telling her that Chaeyoung wanted to be alone. That even Chahee and Jiyeon and everyone were told to leave her alone.
"I was actually wondering why you're avoiding me, Chaeyoung-a. Were you mad at me? Are you still mad at me?" Lisa asked, sounding hurt and pleading. "Is that why you can't even look me in the eyes right now?"
The strain on her voice was enough for Chaeyoung to stop staring at the empty ceiling and look at Lisa with wide eyes.
"Don't be silly, Lisa. You know I can't be mad at you," Chaeyoung said.
