Chapter 17

"Chu!" Jennie gasped when she stepped out of Lisa's car and walked straight towards where Jisoo was standing. "Oh my god! What are you doing here?"

"Aigoo!" Jisoo breathed disapprovingly. "You should at least ask me how I am doing, Jendeukie. I've been waiting here for, like, an hour already. No, two hours to be exact," she said, raising two fingers and brandished it on Jennie's face.

"Wae? Is there a problem?" Jennie asked concernly. She pulled Jisoo towards the back of the Ranger Rover, away from Lisa's earshot.

"Your mother was looking for you. She was bugging me all day about your whereabouts?" Jisoo replied.

"And? Did you tell her?" Jennie asked, sounding worried.

She wasn't worried about her mother knowing where she was or what she did all day. She was worried about her mother finding out about Lisa. She didn't want Lisa to be dragged into her world. Because her world, her boring, uptight world was nothing close to Lisa's fun and colorful conundrum. She didn't want to ruin it for Lisa. No. She didn't want her mother to ruin it for Lisa.

"Of course, not. Why would I even?" answered Jisoo quickly, as though the thought of betraying Jennie was offending her loyalty. "I told her I don't know where you are. But, you know your mother better than anyone, Jendeuk. She's persistent. So, she asked Mr. Young to trace you..."

"And Young-seonsaeng did. Right?" Jennie said weakly, sounding and looking deflated.

Mr. Young, the head of security of the Kim household was the most loyal to Jennie's mother. It wouldn't surprise Jennie at all if her mother would reward Mr. Young a golden plaque for his loyalty and unwavering service to the Kim's on his retirement day.

"No. My father intervened. Dad told Young-seonsaeng that he will trace you, himself. But he never did, of course. Because my abeoji loves you, Jendeuk. He said he respects your privacy. I guess he found out about our "little secret" because he mentioned the word 'mural' in passing."

"Your father is a cheonsa, Jisoo!" Jennie gushed, but was still looking worried. "And so, how did you know I'd be here?"

"Actually, I didn't. I was just kind of hoping that you'd be here," Jisoo answered.

"You didn't trace me? Or Lisa?" Jennie inquired.

"Why do you sound so suspicious, all of a sudden? Aigoo! No, I did not. I didn't had the chance to sneak back inside Dad's offi--,"

"Jennie?" Lisa called after she stepped out into the cold Hongdae air, unintentionally interrupting Jisoo.

"Oh gosh! So, that's Lisa?" Jisoo whispered to Jennie. Her eyes suddenly shone brightly in excitement while she was tiptoeing to have a better look at Lisa.

"Oh, crap! I've totally forgotten about her!" Jennie whispered back, now looking anxious, and glare at Jisoo who was eyeing Lisa with interest and curiosity. "Yes, that's Lisa. Be nice to her, Chu. I'm warning you. Do not intimidate her," she hissed on Jisoo's ear.

"Ya, Jennie Kim! Since when did I ever intimidate anyone?" Jisoo hissed back and glared at Jennie before she turned her attention to Lisa. A wide smile was painted on her lips. "Hi! You must be Lisa?" she said brightly, elbowing passed Jennie, causing Lisa to falter on her steps.

"Uh, y--yes?" Lisa answered reluctantly, cautiously averting her eyes from Jisoo to Jennie, and back to Jisoo. "And...you are?"

"I'm Jisoo. Jendeuk's bestfriend," Jisoo said brightly, extending her arm towards Lisa, offering her hand for a handshake. "Hello! It's so nice to finally meet you, Lisa. Jendeuk told me so much about you," she added with a mischievous grin.

Jennie suddenly felt hot in the face, melting the frosty air away from her radius. Never had she ever felt more embarrassed in her whole life. She badly wanted to kick Jisoo in the shin. Or drag Jisoo away from Lisa before Jisoo will say anything that might jeopardize Jennie's reputation and dignity. Or worse, her growing feelings towards Lisa.

"Oh, really? That's, uhm, that's...that's nice, I guess? It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Jisoo," Lisa said courteously while shaking Jisoo's hand. "Jennie told me about you, too."

"She did, didn't she? I hope she didn't say ugly things about me?" Jisoo laughed.

But Jennie knew better. She wanted badly to just disappear in thin air right in that very moment. She had been thinking, imagining scenarios in her head, what it would be like when Lisa and Jisoo would finally meet. She thought about all the good things it might do to her. But now... Now that it's finally happening, she regretted everything almost instantly.

Watching Jisoo laughing manically while talking to Lisa, and Lisa awkwardly laughing along with  Jisoo, Jennie knew better. One false move from her and Jisoo might actually spill out everything to Lisa. Everything that Jennie said about Lisa. Jisoo was that kind of bestfriend.

"No, she didn't," Lisa replied with a modest smile, shaking her head and then turned to Jennie. "Anyway, 'Jendeuk'?"

"Jisoo has been calling me 'Jendeukie' for years now," Jennie quickly answered, trying to laugh as if being called "Jendeukie" was the funniest thing in the world, but she ended up grimacing, when Jisoo said:

"Because she's so clingy," Jisoo interjected, saying it nonchalantly.

"Because she thinks I'm clingy," Jennie corrected and glare at Jisoo. Which Jisoo responded with a don't-play-with-me-Jennie-Kim-or-I-will-tell-Lisa-you-like-her grin.

"Right. So, what does Jennie call you?" Lisa asked Jisoo, playing along. An amused smile was painted on her face. She was having fun, obviously. Much to Jennie's disappointment. The odds were obviously on Jisoo's favor.

"Nothing. She doesn't want to be called anything other than her name," Jennie provided the answer before Jisoo could say anything stupid.

But Jisoo will always have a say on anything. And she's obviously having fun making fun of Jennie in front of Lisa.

"That's not true, Lisa. Jendeuk calls me a lot of names, actually. But she settles with Chu because that's the closest to my real name and certainly the most 'decent' from all the other names she made up about me," Jisoo answered, pouting her lips.

"Ya, Jisoo Kim!" Jennie exclaimed in protest and then turned to Lisa. "Don't believe her, Lisa. I only call her Chu because that's her nickname and everyone's calling her Chu."

"You called me 'chikin' once, remember?"

"That's because you love to eat skewered chicken!" Jennie was livid.

"Yes, but chikin with two 'i's' and one 'c'?" Jisoo said more lividly.

"You two are too funny," Lisa said, laughing. "Anyway, shall we get inside? It's cold in here."

"Sure! Let's go!" Jisoo said immediately, sounding as though Jennie and her didn't had a heated discussion seconds ago. She walked passed Lisa, leading the way towards the entrance. "I need a drink. God knows I've been standing in the cold for hours, I would've turned into ice had you two arrived a second later."

"Uhm, no, wait," Jennie said, quickly pulling Jisoo back. "Lisa, do you mind if Chu and I will stay behind a little? I just have to talk to her about something really important."

"Yeah, sure," Lisa said, nodding. "I'll see you both inside, then?"

"Okay. Grab us a table and some drinks, please? Thanks!" Jennie said.

"And a platter of skewered chicken, too. Please, Lisa?" Jisoo said in her aegyo voice.

Lisa smiled and nodded and said, "Sure!" before she left Jisoo and Jennie in the parking space.

"See you, Lisa!" Jisoo shouted, waving her arm to Lisa's wake and then turned to face Jennie when Lisa was finally out of earshot. "So, did you, two, kiss?"

"Wha--no!" Jennie answered, taken a back by the question.

"But you tried to kiss her, right? Like, in the movies? Where two people were about to kiss because they obviously like each other, but stopped midway because they thought it was too early to kiss?"

"Jesus, Chu! No, I did not try to kiss Lisa. Drop it already," Jennie responded.

"Bummer," Jisoo told Jennie, looking disappointed. "What's the point of you going all the way to Tongyeong to find Lisa and you did not even try to kiss her?"

"Okay, about that. You cannot tell Lisa or anyone that it was planned, the way we met today in Tongyeong. You can't tell her we traced her. I don't want her to think that I'm obsessing over her," Jennie said.

"Aren't you?" Jisoo asked with a smirk, crossing her arms across her chest and raised a brow to Jennie.

"No, I'm not obs--,"

"Really?"

"I don't know, okay? Not yet, anyway." Jennie answered.

"She's pretty. Lisa is quite a stunner. No wonder you're crushing on her, big time! So you better get that girl, Jennie Kim. And do it fast, before someone else will," said Jisoo.

"You're making me sound like a...a predator or something!" Jennie said, rolling her eyes. "Anyway, Lisa's  bestfriend is a stunner, too. You might want to meet her."

"Oh, no, no, no. I mean, no offense to your newlyfound gender-preference, self-realization or whatever, but I'm straight as a ruler. You know that, Jendeuk," Jisoo said, laughing.

"What are you even talking about? I wasn't asking you to date Lisa's bestfriend, Jisoo Kim. What makes you think that way?"

"Oh! Nothing. I was just saying that I'm straight and no matter how a stunner Lisa's bestfriend is or whoever, I can't date them," Jisoo replied.

"Yeah. And I thought I was straighter than all the rulers in the world, too, until I met Lisa. Nobody's safe anymore, Chu."

"Not me. I can't like girls. That would be weird," Jisoo said, shaking her head. "Besides, if I should date a stunner, I might as well date myself," Jisoo added.

"So, you think I'm weird because I like Lisa?" Jennie asked hotly.

"No. I think you're weird because I know you like Lisa but you didn't even try to kiss her," Jisoo said with a smirk.

"Why are you obsessing over a kiss that never happened, Chu? Can we just talk about something else?"

"Sure. What about the chairmanship? Your mother almost practically begged me to convince you to accept it already. As if I can do something about it. But we already talked about it right, J? When are you going to tell your mom about your decision?" Jisoo said.

"I don't know. I can't talk to you about that right now, Chu," Jennie said.

"Fine. Then we'll talk about it later on our way to Gangnam. I'll take you home since you did not bring your car," said Jisoo.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow. I'm not going home tonight," Jennie replied.

"What? But where are you going to--oh no! Holy crap, Jennie Ruby Jane! You're not going to do to what I think you're going to do, are you?"

"I'm not going to spend the night with Lisa, if that's what you're thinking," Jennie said.

"Oh, right. So, what's your plan?" Jisoo asked.

"I don't know yet. I just don't want to think about going home and ending this day yet. Besides, Lisa might have other plans for later. Who knows."

"Aigoo!" Jisoo said, shaking her head, scanning Jennie from head to toe and then looked at Jennie in the eyes. "You're not in love, are you, Jendeukie?"

"I don't know, Chu. Do you think I'm in love?" Jennie asked helplessly.

"I don't know, Jendeuk. You tell me."

"I...I don't know, either. But Lisa...she... Everytime I see her, she makes my heart...flutter," Jennie said with a smile. "Is that love?" Jennie asked.

"No. But I think you're surely heading straight towards that direction," Jisoo said knowingly.

"Oh," was the only sound that came out from Jennie's mouth.

"It's a trap, Jendeuk. Love is a trap," Jisoo said and started walking towards the Orange's entrance. "Now, we better get moving before we both freeze to death in here."

Meanwhile, inside the Orange...

"I thought Chaeng only do lives on open mics?" Lisa asked Jiyeon, while the latter was busy taking Lisa's order of a bucket of beers and a platter of skewered chicken.

Lisa was sitting in one of the high chairs in front of the bar while looking over at the small podium, where Chaeng and her band was playing live music before the somber Saturday night crowd.

The atmosphere inside the Orange was unlike how it was last week during the open mic. The crowd was surprisingly quiet and the booze wasn't as overflowing. The air was still thick with smoke but downcasted. Because Chaeyoung Park was singing her own rendition of a Pearl Jam classic, in a way that made her audience people fell silent to her melancholic voice filling the interiors of the Orange.

I know someday

You'll have a beautiful life

I know you'll be a star

In somebody else's sky

Chaeyoung, clad in all-black fashion, looking as though she was mourning especially since she was singing a sad song, was sitting on a high chair in the middle of the stage; her long, slender legs were crossed. She had her eyes closed. Her red of mane was casted, covering half of her face. She wasn't playing her guitar. Her one hand was holding the mic stand while the other was holding a bottle of beer.

Her voice... Her velvety, sultry voice was reverberating its sadness against the walls of every hearts inside the Orange. Her pain was echoing across the recess of those who have been sharing the same kind of emotion that Chaeyoung was trying to convey through the song.

But why

Why

Why can't it be

Why can't it be mine

The audience erupted when the song ended. They were applauding and wolf-whistling when Chaeyoung raised her bottle of beer and yelled, "Cheers!" To which the crowd replied, "More! More!"

"The audience requested for her. They want to hear her sing," Jiyeon said coldly.

"She looked sad. Why?" Lisa inquired with concern.

"She'll be fine," Jiyeon said curtly. "Are you with a group? You can't be drinking all these beers alone, are you?" Jiyeon asked scathingly.

"Oh, I brought company," Lisa smiled.

"Does Chaeng know you're here?" Jiyeon inquired, sounding crossed.

"No. I haven't told her yet. Why?" Lisa asked.

"I'm just asking. Shall I inform Chaeng that you're here?"

"Yes, please, Jiyeon-ssi. There's someone I want her to meet," Lisa said.

Jiyeon nodded curtly and left. Lisa thought there was something off about Jiyeon. She even noticed the coldness in Jiyeon's demeanor towards her. But maybe Jiyeon was just having a bad night, Lisa thought and shrugged.

"Hey, Lisa!" Jisoo said brightly, tapping Lisa's shoulder. Jennie was standing behind her, who smiled at the sight of Lisa.

"Oh, hey! I reserved us a table. It's over there," Lisa said, pointing at an empty table at the farthest end of the floor. "Shall we?"

Jisoo nodded and again, leading the way. Lisa walked beside Jennie. Jennie automatically snaked her arm around Lisa's arm, like it was the most normal thing between them.

"I'm so sorry about Chu. I didn't know she'd be here. She's a handful sometimes," Jennie apologized.

"No, it's okay. I'm glad that she's here and gets to join us," Lisa responded.

All eyes were on them as the three of them walked in the isle between the tables and passed by. Most of the onlookers were fascinated by the three beauties gracing their night.

Jisoo, looking like the goddess that she was, was wearing a beret hat and a dark overcoat that wrapped comfortably on her body. And there was Lisa who was stunning as ever. Tall, slender, beautiful, like a living Barbie. Her long, blond hair was tied on a high ponytail, exposing the delicateness of her slender neck. And Jennie, the petite head-turner, looking regal and expensive, was clinging to Lisa. Her beauty was radiating amidst the gloomy lights of the Orange.

"Hey, Lisa!" a young college dude who recognized Lisa from last week greeted Lisa.

"You're famous?" Jennie asked teasingly, softly nudging Lisa's side with her elbow.

Lisa laughed and said, "I'm not." but still said hi to the guy politely.

They settled themselves in the soft,cushioned chair surrounding the four-seater table. Jisoo was busy looking around the interior of the place. Her curious eyes were wandering around, assessing and forming ideas inside her head, when the tall Chaeyoung came over and blocked her entire view.

"Chipmunk! Hey!" Lisa raised herself from her seat and instinctively wrapped her arms around Chaeyoung's lovingly.

Chaeyoung touched her lipstick-stained and beer-flavored lips to Lisa's cheek. Her eyes flickered towards Jennie, who was looking at Lisa affectionately. It was an internal battle for Chaeyoung to not roll her eyes.

"Hey, Shutterbug! You made it! You brought company? I'm...impressed," Chaeyoung said, forcing a smile on her face.

"Oh, yeah. Chipmunk, this is Jennie and her friend, Jisoo," Lisa said giddily, unaware of Chaeyoung's dilemma. "Girls, I want you meet my bestfriend, Chaeyoung Park," she said and wrapped her arm around Chaeyoung's shoulder.

"Hello! Welcome to the Orange," Chaeyoung said, her head was spinning mildy but she was still able to stand on her ground. "Please enjoy the rest of the evening. If you need anything, whatever, just tell Lisa. She knows the way around here."

"Thank you. It's a pleasure to meet you, Chaeyoung," Jennie said, raising herself from her chair and offered her hand to Chaeyoung. "I was here last week and I heard you sing. You were brilliant."

"Thank you, Jennie. The pleasure is always mine," Chaeyoung said while shaking Jennie's hand.

"So," Jisoo cleared her throat and looked at Chaeyoung, an amused laughter was visible on her face, "who decided to call this place 'Orange' when there isn't anything orangey in here at all?" she asked, stifling a chuckle.

"I did. I named it after my first pet fish. Do we have a problem?" Chaeyoung answered coldly, raising her brows to Jisoo. Her stance have slightly changed, like she was in between the defensive and offensive mode.

"No. Do we?" Jisoo replied curtly, taken aback by Chaeyoung's hostility. Gone was the ghost of amused laughter on her beautiful face.

Lisa casually pulled Chaeyoung away from Jisoo and shifted her body and stood between the two. She found it unusual for Chaeyoung to be rude.

"Have you been drinking, Chipmunk?" Lisa whispered on Chaeyoung ear.

"No. Well, yes. Kind of. The girls and I were celebrating," Chaeyoung giggled, smiling from ear to ear. Lisa's hot breath on her earlobe was tickling her senses.

"Really? About what?" Lisa wondered because it was so unlikely of Chaeyoung to have a drink before midnight.

"You know, life!" Chaeyoung laughed. "Hey, can I leave you and your friends for a second? I just have to talk to Chahee. She's in the office. Jennie, do you mind?"

"Oh, no. Certainly not," Jennie said politely.

"I'll be right back," Chaeyoung said and extracted herself from Lisa's arm. "And I'll bring company. And I still have a set to finish. See you later, bitches!" she added and stumbled a little as she walked away from their table.

It took Lisa a couple of seconds to recognize entirely that Chaeyoung was drunk and she wasn't herself. Especially when she saw Chaeyoung accepting a high five from one of the male audience and took a swig from somebody else's beer.

"I hate her," Jisoo hissed at Jennie's ear so that Lisa couldn't hear her.

"What? Why?" Jennie asked who was taken aback by Jisoo's sudden declaration of animosity against Lisa's bestfriend. "I like her. She seemed cool."

Jisoo looked sullen and turned her attention towards the platter of skewered chicken and the bucket of cold beer in front of her.

"I don't like her," she said and took a swig of her cold beer before taking a bite on the grilled meat.

"Plus, she's pretty. And she can sing. You told me once that you like to be surrounded with people who can sing?"

"I still don't like her," Jisoo said.