Morning Dedication | Chaelisa Ver.

Ch 26: Facing Old Demons.

It's mind-blowing. It really is. The last time Chaeyoung was in Busan, she was in a cab, just like now, and she was leaving. She was leaving from such a terrible place, not necessarily the town as it is, but what it meant to her.

This town is connected to so many memories. Memories that are both good and bad, but back then, the bad were so much stronger than the good, that it led Chaeyoung out of this town.

But now she's back and she isn't alone anymore. She has Lisa in her arms, literally. The blonde, as Chaeyoung knew and expected, couldn't make the tiring travelling without painkillers, so she took them and now she's asleep. She couldn't keep her eyes open, so she lifted Chaeyoung's arm and draped it over her shoulders before leaning completely against her girlfriend and falling asleep in her arms.

Chaeyoung loves this feeling. She thought she would be sad and melancholic coming back but she isn't. She thinks that Lisa being with her is probably the source of her glee at the moment. Watching all the familiar streets and buildings and houses, neighborhoods and stores, all the while having Lisa by her side, brings back the good memories.

And she's savoring it, she basks in it, because it's been so fucking long since the last time that she felt this way. She thought she would never feel like this again but here she is, with the love of her life and with no care in the world.

She almost forgets that she's here to see her grandmother and that she wants to ask her, and her parents, a thousand questions. Her relationship with them has also been affected by all that time that they spent away from each other.

But for now, she's just happy to see them, she missed them so much. She's excited and double-excited because she hasn't even told her parents that she's coming. She wants to surprise them.

It doesn't take long before she has to wake Lisa up. They are in her old neighborhood now and she can practically see her house. There is absolutely nothing different, everything is exactly like Chaeyoung remembers it.

"Lisa, we're here." Chaeyoung whispers as she gently nudges her girlfriend. Lisa opens her eyes but she seems a little disoriented, like she forgot where she is for a moment, but then she remembers and she panics as she sits up and tries to somehow fix her hair and her clothes. Chaeyoung is just watching her in amusement though. "You look very nice."

"I haven't seen them in so long. Do you think they still like me?" Lisa asks with her groggy from the deep sleep voice.

"Of course they do." Chaeyoung reassures with a peck on Lisa's cheek as her hand, which has fallen from Lisa's shoulders when the blonde sat up, softly rubs Lisa's back. "Did you forget that you've been talking to both of them for months?"

"But I haven't seen them, Chae." Lisa insists. It's normal to be a little nervous, it's been a long time since she's last seen Chaeyoung's parents, but she doesn't have a lot of time to dwell on it because the cab pulls up outside of Chaeyoung's house and Seungri is already standing there.

He seems like he's in a rush to go to the hospital but their neighbor, as usual, wants to chat. But the car gets their attention and they both turn to see who it is.

The smile that breaks on Seungri's face when she sees that it's his daughter stepping out of the car is priceless. Seungri never shows emotion, at least he tries, just like Chaeyoung.

But he seems like the happiest person alive right now and that makes Chaeyoung smile too, as her dad rushes to her and speaks only when he has Chaeyoung wrapped in his smothering hug.

"This is the best surprise!" Seungri says as Chaeyoung allows herself to melt in her dad's arms. It's been so long since the last time Chaeyoung felt this warmth, not the physical kind, but the kind that makes her feel safe. Her dad always manages to make her feel like 'he's got her', no matter what. "What are you doing here, sweetie?"