Chapter 32
"Uh-uh! 6 o'clock!"
She was sitting languidly in the open bar with Chahee, sipping her afternoon tea while the bartender was busying herself by wiping the glassware free from fingerprint smudges and moist. It was a routine that Chahee was very particular about.
She had been wasting away her afternoon at the bar after she spent the first half of her day inside her office and rehearsing for the show later. Her bandmates were so into it, especially A-yeon, who for some reason, was being tyrannical about getting everything right.
It was what Chaeyoung would prefer to call her self-imposed 'the lazy hour' of the day. Although not technically just one hour, max. But until she would found again the motivation she would need to move around and resume her day. Which Chaeyoung had found out that it was a hard thing to do, especially because Chahee had been a really good companion and they were talking and exchanging ideas that ranged from the weather outside to just about anything that their minds would tread and wander.
"What?" Chaeyoung asked in confusion.
Chahee nodded towards the entrance, a few feet behind Chaeyoung.
"What is she doing here?" the hot bartender hissed.
Chaeyoung was wondering the same thing after she whirled around on her seat and saw Jisoo standing at the entrance, obscuring the view and blocking out the chilly air for them when she opened the door and took a step forward to admit herself in. As if the chaebol hadn't stormed out angrily the last time she was here and left Chaeyoung a not-so-forgettable memory. "What now?" were the words swirling inside Chaeyoung's head as she locked eyes with Jisoo.
Jisoo was looking as impossibly beautiful as ever, Chaeyoung thought as she watched the woman walked towards them. In fact, 'beautiful' was an understatement to describe someone as out-of-this-worldly beautiful as Jisoo. She had to admit that, because it was the least she could think of to justify the pulchritude Jisoo had. With her raven hair bouncing on her every step like in a shampoo commercial and eyes piercing through whatever she'd set it upon. And she was unabashedly setting it on Chaeyoung. Her gaze was penetrating, like she was sending Chaeyoung an unspoken message to cipher or whatever. It was unnerving, that she heard Chahee snorted and scoffed behind her.
There was something on Jisoo's overall being that exuded many other multiple things other than her being outrageously beautiful and Chaeyoung couldn't pinpoint and define at the moment. Maybe it was the way the woman's brows were furrowed a little. Like, she had woken up on the wrong side of her bed. Or maybe not. Maybe it was the chilly air outside. And Chaeyoung told herself that maybe she should just stop bothering to know already because how the heck would she know?
She didn't know Jisoo that much. She wasn't even sure anymore if the truce that they had agreed the last time was still in effect. Considering that the night did not end well between the two of them the last time. Well, none of the nights ever did, anyway.
"Do you want me to talk to her?" Chahee offered in whispers, dropping the piece of cloth and the glass she was holding.
Chaeyoung should say yes. She wasn't up for anything confrontational today, like facing the very person who stole a kiss from her few days ago. The thought was still tormenting her. Not in the same way as it was tormenting her after it happened, but still. And Chahee was already looking ready to leap passed her, probably to prevent Jisoo from coming closer and inflicting anything more unnecessary things on her. The gorgeous bartender hadn't forgiven the chaebol yet, obviously.
But it was now or never, Chaeyoung Park thought. Besides, she and Jisoo were somehow connected now. They would need to re-acquaint sooner or later, despite how immaturely they had dealt the other during the course of their brief encounters. What with Lisa and Jennie being romantically involved with each other. They didn't have to be friends, though. Just, something that doesn't involve bickering. It was the very thing that Lisa have asked from her—begged, even—after she told the Shutterbug about the stolen kiss. And she said she'd give it a thought.
