A Love in Three Chapters [Completed]

Chapter 1.3

"Three, I think," Jennie answered her own question. "Three years since the Blackpink 10-year anniversary. I haven't been to Seoul since." The last part almost a whispered realization for Jennie. Lisa remembered it well, of course. How does one really forget?

And how does one really start reminiscing something painful?

"How's Chaeng and Chu?" Jennie asked quietly. They have a way of slowly transitioning into almost aching tones whenever they talk about the members...maybe because no one really looks back at their Blackpink times without the pain. "I haven't really seen them for years. Jisoo and I have small catch-ups on KakaoTalk sometimes but they were few and far in between."

"Yeah, distance does that to you." Lisa mused. "I haven't really been in touch so much either."

"When was the last time you spoke to them?"

"Chaeng, I had a catch up with last year while I was in Seoul. She's doing well, I think." Lisa offered. "Especially since her cancer scare. But she's a fighter, that one. She's working on releasing her next album this year, I think."

Jennie just nodded thoughtfully. Lisa continued.

"Chu is still doing dramas, I believe. I haven't seen her this year as her shooting schedule became hectic, but we chat every once in a while. She did tell me that her brother got her another dog. I think she never quite moved on from Dalgom but at least she's not alone."

"How is Luca, by the way?"

"Not sure Luca got used to being the only cat in the house, to be honest. But my mom got a few new cats at home so Luca isn't as lonely."

Jennie bit on her lip hard for a bit, almost like trying to stop herself from crying. "I miss Leo a lot, actually."

Lisa offered a sad smile. "I know, I miss him, too."

Jennie nodded, then managed a small smile. "How about you? What's that LMLabel about?"

Lisa paused and wondered where to begin. How long has it really been and where did it really all start? Obviously to everyone it was when Blackpink disbanded in 2023, 7 years after they debuted. But even before the breakup happened the group was plagued with ambitions that they couldn't really handle: Rosé wanted her own music direction, Jisoo wanted more exposure to other things that the label never allowed her, Lisa wanted to venture into other creative things, while Jennie wanted to be her own brand. Closing their 6th year and realizing there were ambitions that were unmet, they thought about leaving their label but realized that they were better off apart. Their hiatus ran longer, and later on, they finally released their note to the press.

It wasn't an easy decision to make. It was the most heart-breaking event to ever happen to Lisa and the girls, even more so to someone like Lisa who had to move from Thailand to make this dream happen. But later on, she found more and more opportunities offered to her in Bangkok, that moving from the cold region of South Korea to sunny Thailand just became a sensible decision. From there she exploited her creative tie-ups in Asia, flying constantly from Bangkok to Japan, China, and South Korea – starting with dance collaborations and later on releasing her own line of clothing, which later on spurned into the lifestyle brand of LMLabel. The brand was a collaboration of multiple designers, much like a second-tier Vetements; and to be honest she's comfortable with being a second-tier Vetements if that meant being first-tier in Asia, particularly in South Korea, Thailand, and Japan, where they had a huge selling power.

Lisa shrugged. She wasn't sure what to share, thinking that Jennie has already probably googled about her brand.

"Couldn't you have come up with a better name?" Jennie chuckled. "LM. Lisa Manoban. I mean, come on. Not very obvious, is it?"

"You'll be surprised. It isn't really about my name."

"Oh? Because I wouldn't have guessed." Jennie laughed. Lisa managed to chuckle with her.

"No, the LM actually stands for La Marguerite. It's just a play on my name, I suppose."

"La Marguerite," Jennie repeated, her brows furrowing. "You mean Daisy in French?"

"Yeah." Lisa looked straight into Jennie's eyes. "Your favourite flower."