a misty gashed aperture

the erratic flying of a butterfly

A/N: I'm so fired up to finish this first installment and update my other fic. I think this 1st installment ends this week! Anyway, please make sure your tables are hinged, your feelings unhinged. No flipping of tables in the house. Just punch me like how Lisa punched Joy and that pap because I'm willing to take them all. 🤣

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That weekend, Roseanne and Lisa finished having brunch at Thanks, Oat and were waiting for their bill before going to The Wardrobe for Lisa's dress fitting. Roseanne explained that Lisa needed four sets of outfits at the minimum, one for the pre-Seoul Fashion Week launch event that was happening next Saturday in Ganjeolgot Cape in Ulsan, another for the afterparty—Roseanne had to emphasize that they would serve the homegrown makgeolli from Boksoondoga so Lisa should be thrilled about that—then another set for the Seoul Fashion Week event that would be held next month in Dongdaemun Design Plaza, and lastly, for another afterparty.

"Yup, you'll get dragged to a lot of parties so I'm sorry in advance if that wasn't part of your social calendar before," Roseanne said.

Lisa asked why she had to change for the afterparty, and Roseanne replied she had to loosen up fashionably. Roseanne was sharing with Lisa about Kim Daechul, the founder of Atelier Lerici she personally invited to go to The Wardrobe that morning. She was talking about how the tailoring house was built in a secluded villa on Namsan Mountain to set the right mood for crafting handmade, bespoke suits but Lisa was barely listening.

"You're out of it. What's going on with you?" Roseanne threw Lisa a worried look, her hand habitually reaching for Lisa's cheek to express her care.

"Sorry. Top and I fought again yesterday so I'm not sure if today will be any different." Lisa stared far ahead. "I was just so angry at him."

"You've been angry at him since that work talk last Tuesday." Roseanne caressed the back of Lisa's neck. "Are you still having disagreements with the changes you want for your exhibit?"

Lisa glanced at Roseanne and then leaned back on the wall. "Yeah, we couldn't compromise at anything at all. Yesterday I was thinking about canceling the exhibit."

"What?"

"It doesn't feel right. Top was saying I should sit on it for a couple more days."

Roseanne rested her cheek on her palm, her face turned to her right where Lisa sat. "I would agree with him on this one, sadly."

Shoving her hands inside her pants pockets, Lisa's face turned grave as if she was seeing something else in another place and time.

"Has it been nagging you for days?" Roseanne saw Lisa nod and added, "Why do you want to cancel it? You have to think it through."

"I don't have to think anymore. I just feel, very deeply, that it's not a hundred percent me."

Roseanne squeezed Lisa's shoulder for comfort when Lisa looked like she only needed that. The past days flew by with their busy schedules but in the few moments they were together, she sensed that Lisa was not fully present, and the latter said she was still trying to process things. But Lisa promised to tell her everything.

Lisa drew in a deep breath as she looked at Roseanne with apprehension in her eyes, gauging if the supermodel could take her honesty. "Chaeyoung, I have to tell you something." Her voice was raw, trudging the truth-telling path cautiously.