IS IT TIME FOR ME TO GIVE UP?

54

Jisoo's POV

The next morning, I walked into the guest room occupied by Lisa to wake her up for breakfast. When I stepped in, the light was still off, a sign she was still sleeping. I cautiously went near her to give her a light tap on her shoulder.

"Lisa," I called softly, but she didn't budge. Realizing the curtains were drawn, I threw them open to let the sunlight stream in, hoping it would wake her. The sunlight dazzled her eyes, leaving her no choice but to sit up in bed.

"The food might get cold. Come on now," I said. She stared up at me, scanning me from head to toe.

"Aren't you going to work?" she asked groggily.

"I won't," I replied, trying to sound casual.

She shook her head and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "I knew it. This is why I didn't want to stay here. You should've let me stay at the hotel, unnie," she said calmly.

"What? Where were you planning to go?" I asked, taken aback.

"You're not going to your company because of me, are you?" she said, her tone accusatory. My mouth snapped shut because what she said was true. I wanted to stay with her today, and to be honest, I'd probably feel unsettled if I left her alone.

"Maybe it is, but I'm basically tired and just wanted to rest all day, I swear!" I said, gesticulating dramatically to lighten the mood.

"If you say so. It's just that... you know? I don't want to be a burden," she said, her expression a blend of sadness and wariness.

"Lisa, stop saying that. Don't you ever say that again. You will never be a burden to me. I'm your unnie. I will stay for as long as I can, and that means forever. I'll be by your side... for all of you," I said firmly. Her forehead smoothed out, and her lips twisted into a wry smile. She stepped closer and pulled me into a hug, mumbling, "Thank you, unnie," as I soothed her back.

She gently broke the embrace and told me she'd take a quick shower first. I left her room and headed to the kitchen to make coffee when someone knocked at the door. I opened it to find Seulgi and Bambam carrying plastic bags filled with food.

"Good morning, noona!" Bambam greeted me with a smile, which I returned.

"We brought some food," Seulgi said, showing the bags they were holding.

"Come in," I said, leading them to the kitchen to prepare the food they had brought.

Lisa walked in and stopped unexpectedly, seeing Seulgi and Bambam sitting with me. "Good morning, Pranpriya!" Bambam greeted cheerfully. Seulgi followed suit with equal enthusiasm.

"Great morning, Lalisa Manobal!" she exclaimed, making Lisa shake her head with a small smile.

"Too early for your crazy antics, guys," Lisa said, taking the seat next to me. She paused and examined the feast on the table before looking up at us with a perplexed expression. "Whose birthday is it today?" she asked curiously.

"No one's! Some of it was cooked by Jisoo, and the rest we brought," Seulgi explained, making Lisa nod in understanding.

We started eating while chatting about random stuff to break the silence. I was busy chewing when I felt something tickling my leg. I looked down and saw Dalgom, my dog.

"Dalgom," Bambam said, patting him on the head. Seulgi leaned forward and did the same, while Lisa just stared at him. Suddenly, Dalgom let out a loud bark at Lisa.

"Yah! Dalgomie, aren't we cool? Why do you always do that when it comes to me?" Lisa said, making my dog bark again.

"Why's he really mad at you, Pranpri?" Bambam asked.

"It's because she loves to piss him off," I said matter-of-factly. Lisa chuckled, knowing it was true. She loved to annoy Dalgom whenever she saw him.

"That's right," Seulgi added.

"I just want to play with him, though," Lisa said defensively.

"Just play with your cats then, or play with Kuma and Kai or... play with their mom," Seulgi joked, looking down at her plate too late to realize what she had said.

Lisa's face turned unreadable as she stared down at her plate. Seulgi smacked her forehead, realizing her mistake.

"Oh! By the way, I heard there's a park nearby, noona. Shall we go there?" Bambam said, looking at me for support.

"I- Yeah, actually, I was about to tell you about that—"

"I'm sorry, guys, but I'm kind of tired," Lisa interrupted.

"Then, let's watch some movies? It's a good way to relax," Seulgi suggested.

Before Lisa could decline, Bambam jumped in. "I'll go for it! Nice idea, Bear!" Their high-five left Lisa no choice but to join us.

Bambam and Seulgi insisted on cleaning up the table while Lisa and I went to the living room to set up the movie. After they finished, we started watching.

As we focused on the television, I couldn't help but notice Lisa's reflection. She seemed distracted, her gaze fixed on the screen but her mind clearly elsewhere. We all observed her quietly until she finally spoke.

"Why?" Lisa asked, realizing we were staring at her.

"Are you okay?" Bambam asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I am," she replied, forcing a smile. We weren't convinced but decided not to press further and turned our attention back to the movie.

Night had fallen when Seulgi and Bambam decided to leave.

"Take care!" Lisa said, waving as their car disappeared down the street. We went back inside, and Lisa announced she was going to bed. She sauntered away as I nodded in acknowledgment.

My phone suddenly rang, and I quickly pulled it out to see Jennie's name on the screen.

**Jennie:**
*I'm sorry to disturb you, unnie. Just wanted to know how she is. How's my wife?*

Reading her message made my heart ache for both of them. Should I tell Jennie that Lisa's okay when I knew she wasn't? I sighed, staring at the screen, feeling the weight of their unresolved pain and my helplessness in the situation.