Medicine | Jenlisa

Chapter 14: The Aftereffects

Lisa was in denial.

She was good at it, making herself forget about the reality that she didn't want to face. She did it after she and Irene broke up, and lived her life in the safety of her own version of the truth.

It was something that she had been doing again for the past few weeks, getting into a routine of tiring herself out just to avoid thinking about a certain brunette with feline eyes. An unhealthy habit that saved her from drowning under her own overflowing thoughts.

She didn't want to admit that it was her fault, that her abruptness made her life seemed to be a little hard. But every time she glanced towards the empty guest bedroom and the unlively kitchen, Lisa couldn't help but feel guilty every time her mind wandered back to the days when Jennie was still there. And it made Lisa's heart crumble a little.

In the absence of Jennie, her everyday routine had changed. The healthy breakfast and fancy dinners turned into one very much unhealthy brunch that mostly consists of canned goods, a piece of bread, and some juice that had been in her refrigerator for ages. It was like Lisa had been back again at square one, where everything was in chaos and she was lost again.

Time was also moving fast and maybe it was because Lisa had always been asleep or if not, jogging herself out until exhaustion made her sleep.

It was a coping mechanism that Jisoo wouldn't approve of. But the doctor and her stepsister were too busy to plan their wedding to even constantly check on her. Although Chaeyoung called almost every day, it was only for a minute or two, probably to see if she was still alive and breathing.

The quietness of her apartment might drive her crazy and Leo's constant hissed and meows were too annoying, so Lisa mostly found herself walking along the park, admiring the view and getting lost in the freshness of nature.

Ji-eun came by to check on her too most of the time, but things with them seemed to be a little different ever since the confrontation with Jennie. Ji-eun was still laughing and making jokes, but her gazes and movement were a little aloof. It was supposed to make Lisa sad, but she was actually quite relieved.

Eventually, Ji-eun stopped coming too but she still managed to give Lisa a phone call from time to time which the blonde very much appreciated.

The following weeks of February was a little frantic not only for Chaeyoung and Jisoo but for Lisa too since her stepsister had appointed her to be the maid of honor and because of that, she was also appointed to do some bridal stuff, like helping Chaeyoung to pick the perfect flowers and even helping to decide which lingerie was perfect for her stepsister's honeymoon.

Although it was exhausting and tedious, it still made Lisa focus on different things rather than her own overactive thoughts.

The only thing she didn't like about being a maid of honor was that she was practically forced to help them pick the perfect cake. And by doing that, Lisa found herself face to face with someone she did not expect.

"Why didn't you tell me?" A hissed escaped Lisa's lips as she dragged her stepsister aside, away from everyone who was busy tasting different varieties of food in the kitchen.

"It slipped out of my mind, Lis." Chaeyoung answered. "And it's no big deal, Jennie's actually okay that you're here."

Lisa wanted to argue that she was not okay with it. Not at all. But she reminded herself that she was there to support Chaeyoung, who had also been constantly supporting her ever since, so Lisa could only force herself to smile and be brave enough to face the woman she had been literally dreaming about for the past few weeks.

It wasn't as awkward as what Lisa had been expecting, but her interaction with Jennie did not even last for a minute or two.

The brunette only asked her a simple "how are you?" and Lisa being shy and guilty that she couldn't even look at Jennie in the eyes, only replied "I'm fine, thank you." before she proceeded to taste the next menu.