Chapter 5

"Chaeyoung-a!" Lisa called out in the empty space of the living room after she closed the door. A Dua Lipa song was playing loudly through the speakers.

"Ya! Lalisa! I'm in here!" Chaeyoung shouted through the loud music to Lisa and the latter settled herself down on one of Chaeyoung's soft bean bags distributed aesthetically around the living room. "How's your day?"

"Same!" Lisa yelled nonchalantly and rolled her body towards the soft carpet on the floor.

She decided to pay Chaeyoung a visit on her apartment, instead of heading straight to her own place. She was tired and she needed a little comfort. And Chaeyoung's place was more than comfortable. Plus, she needed someone to talk to at the moment.

Chaeyoung was in the kitchen, cooking dinner. Or trying to cook dinner and not burn her house down. Chaeyoung was bad at cooking. But Lisa could sniff the delicious smell of kimchi stew and some other spices, it made her hungry all of a sudden. She just realized how much she misses homecooked meals, no matter how badly it was cooked.

"So, you haven't found her yet, then?" Chaeyoung asked over the steam of the kimchi stew.

"Found who?" Lisa asked, trying to act like she did not know what Chaeyoung was talking about, while silently wondering how on earth did Chaeyoung knew about her quest to find that woman from the cafe.

Chaeyoung turned the fire down just as Lisa turned the volume down and walked towards the living room, where she saw Lisa now lying on the carpet, with her eyes closed and mouth slightly open. Lisa looked exhausted. Her long arms were spreading widely around her.

She nudged Lisa's foot with her own foot, laughing as she did so.

"Ya! You look pathetic lying like that all over my floor. Was she really that hard to find? Aigoo!" she teased her friend.

Lisa then opened her big, round eyes and looked at Chaeyoung wildly, who was standing on her left, hovering over, with her hands on her waist and looking at Lisa amusingly.

"Who are you talking about, Park Chaeyoung?" she asked, raising her brows.

Chaeyoung rolled her eyes on Lisa.

"Quit playing innocent, Lis. It doesn't suit you," Chaeyoung said, chuckling. "Anyway, you were never really subtle about it, you know? Plus, I kinda saw the content of that brown envelope that you carry around for a week now," she said, pointing at the brown envelope that Lisa placed above the coffee table, beside the camera, and settled herself next to Lisa.

"You kinda saw?" Lisa teased Chaeyoung. "Like, unintentional?"

"I took a peek inside. Intentionally. I was curious. Happy?" Chaeng said with a smirk. "So? Are you going to talk about it?"

Chaeyoung knew that Lisa was looking for that woman in The Era, even before she saw the content of the brown envelope. She knew that Lisa have been hanging around The Era for days now. Maybe she already knew the reason why, because Lisa was an easy book to read. But Chaeyoung just didn't have the heart to ask Lisa about it. Because she wasn't yet ready to hear the truth.

"Fine. I still haven't found her yet. And I don't think I'll ever be able to find her unless I'll set up a tent and camp outside that cafe 24/7. Which I would never even dream of doing because that would be totally pathetic. I don't want to be the girl who can't be moved." She was talking about the 'The Script' song, which she used to listen to everyday and Chaeyoung made a cover. Because they both thought it was a great song. Painfully written, with all the angst of a love lost, but still a great song.

Chaeyoung snorted, staring at the ceiling of her living room.

"And hanging around outside The Era for a week now, with a camera and a photograph of that woman is not pathetic? Really, Lisa? If I were the owner, I'd have you arrested because what you're doing is littering and that's not good for business," Chaeyoung said, laughing.

"Whose side are you on, Park Chaeyoung? I thought you're with me on this?" Lisa pouted.

Chaeyoung laughed out loud and moved closer to Lisa. Lisa then automatically offered her arm for Chaeyoung to laid her head unto. Chaeyoung could hear Lisa's beating heart and Lisa was playfully stroking Chaeyoung's hair.

They used to do this kind of set-up when everything around them was still uncomplicated, under the dark, starry night sky, and they'd talk about their passions and goals in life and dreams of falling in love with the right person one day. Chaeyoung even decorated her ceilings with tiny light bulbs, imitating the starry night sky, for moments like this.

"Of course I am, shutterbug. When did I ever not support you?" Chaeyoung assured Lisa. Even though, they haven't yet talked about Lisa's quest to find that woman. "So, anyway. No news about her at all? No nothing? Anything? That's weird!"

"She hasn't been showing up for a week now, I was told," said Lisa.

"That's too bad. Maybe she's out of the country? By the looks of her, she could be someone who can afford to do so," said Chaeyoung.

"The waitress thinks that she's someone from the higher echelon. Like some sort of a chaebol or something," Lisa told Chaeyoung.

"She could be. She doesn't look anything ordinary at all, anyway," Chaeyoung nodded.

"But I think the waitress was bluffing," Lisa said.

"How so?" Chaeyoung asked.

"She said that she heard someone call that woman a CEO and that the owner of The Era bows down to her," Lisa answered. "Does she look like a CEO to you, Chaeng?"

Chaeyoung shook her head.

"I don't know. But she looked pissed at you that day, though," Chaeyoung said, laughing.

"Ya, chipmunk!" Lisa protested and nudged Chaeyoung in the ribcage.

"I was kidding! She looks familiar, though. I know I've seen her before. I just can't remember where," said Chaeyoung, thinking hard.

"Oh, well. The universe will bring her to me or me to her if it's meant to happen," Lisa said with a sigh.

"Oh, wow! That was deep, Lalisa! Have you been reading Coelho?"

"Who?" Lisa asked.

"You know, maktub? What is written is written? The Alchemist?" said Chaeyoung.

"I don't know what you're talking about, chipmunk. Anyway, I smell something yummy. What's for dinner? God, I'm hungry!" she added and suddenly stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

Chaeyoung also stood up and immediately followed Lisa to the kitchen, where the latter was already taking a spoonful of the stew that she made.

"Ya, Lalisa! I thought you said your hotel freebies from your travel abroad are more delicious than my cooking?"

"They are. But I'm too weak and hungry I can barely make it outside, you know? Besides, you promise my parents you'll take care of me while I'm here, remember?" Lisa said. "Oh, wow! Your cooking's not bad tonight, chipmunk. Well done!" she said and took another spoonful to her mouth.

Chaeyoung eyed Lisa suspiciously.

"If I don't know you this much, I'd be flattered. But I know you, Lalisa Manoban. You never complimented my cooking before. Not even once."

Lisa burst out laughing, she almost spit out the remains of the stew from her mouth.

"I'm doing it now. And I meant what I said. It's delicious! Can we, like, eat already? Pleeeease, Chaeyoung-a?"

Chaeyoung just rolled her eyes and shook her head. There was no way she could ever resist Lisa, especially if she was doing her stupid aegyo.

(After dinner...)

"Hey, Lis? Got any plans tonight?" Chaeyoung asked Lisa after they had eaten their dinner.

"I plan to wash the dishes and then head straight home?" Lisa replied and started cleaning the table.

"That's a great plan, Lisa. Really life-changing," Chaeyoung retorted. "Remind me to invite you over for dinner every night while you're here in the country so you can wash the dishes every time."

"That would be unwise, though. I'm a big eater. I'll make you poor," said Lisa, scraping the sauce on her plate with her finger and brought it to her mouth to satiate her fleeting gluttony.

"We both are, though. Although, you're the bigger eater. Just look at how you emptied your plate! Clean slate, mate!" Chaeyoung pointed out.

"For the record, I was really hungry. And the kimchi stew was muy delicioso! Thank you for the dinner, chipmunk! You made me feel better now," Lisa said brightly.

"Aigoo! It was just a stew, though," Chaeyoung was blushing, embarrassed but pleased. "Anyway, why don't you come with me to the bar tonight?"

"And do what?" asked Lisa.

"Do nothing and just come with me?" Chaeyoung answered.

"You know I don't fancy the night life, Chipmunk. As much as I want to spend time with you, I don't like to go to the bar. I'd rather go home and do some post-editing. I've been slacking off lately. Aigoo! What am I doing with my life nowadays?"

"Chasing a woman like a lovesick puppy?" Chaeyoung suggested.

"Lovesick puppy?" Lisa laughed. "No. I just want to give her a copy because I still think she was upset about me taking photos of her that day without her consent," Lisa said.

"And then what?" Chaeyoung prodded.

"Then I'll apologize for taking a photo of her without her consent?" Lisa answered.

"O—kay, if that's your story, Shutterbug," Chaeyoung said. "Come with me tonight, though. I insist. Please?"

Lisa groaned in protest.

"But I don't go to bars, Chaeyoung-a!"

"It's not just any bar, Lisa-ya! It's my bar. Plus, my band will be performing tonight. You haven't watched me perform live for a long time now. And you haven't been to my bar for a long time. You owe me that. Plus, the girls miss you. They want to see you, especially Chahee."

"Oh, right. Right. Fine! Geez, you should have told me pronto! Can I bring my camera? I know you and your band are underground artists. So, maybe your mates won't like it if I take some photos of them. Will they?"

"No, it's okay! God knows they need the publicity. They've been playing underground longer than I am, it's time people should know them and hear their music already. They deserve that--,"

"You all do, Chipmunk," Lisa interjected.

"Thank you, Shutterbug," Chaeyoung beamed. "Anyway, I'm just gonna go get ready, okay? We're going in a few. The show's about to start at nine. So, we still have, like, two hours."

"Hey, how about I go home and change clothes and then I'll just meet you at the bar? I stink already," Lisa said and sniffed her own armpit childishly.

But Chaeyoung was squinting her eyes on Lisa suspiciously.

"Promise me you will be there and not ditch me like the last time? Because I swear in the name of my gold fish that I'm gonna haunt you forever and I won't forgive you easily, Lalisa Manoban!" she warned Lisa, to which Lisa replied with her most hearty laugh.

"I'll be there, alright? I'll have to bring another camera, too. That one's already got an exhausted battery," Lisa said, pointing at her camera lying on the coffee table.

"Okay. Off you go now. Leave the dishes. I'll do it," Chaeyoung shooed Lisa and started pushing Lisa away from the kitchen sink.

"But—!" Lisa protested.

"No buts, shutterbug. You can do the dishes next time. How's that?"

"Deal! I'll see you later, then," Lisa said and headed to where her camera and the brown envelope were. She picked them up and then headed towards the door.

"Don't be late!" Chaeyoung yelled from the kitchen. "I'll hate you if you do!"

"I won't! Love ya!" Lisa replied and left Chaeyoung alone.

"I love you too, Lis," Chaeyoung whispered to herself while staring at the door.

Lisa was lying, though, when she said that she was stinking already. Chaeyoung thought. Because Lisa's perfume scent was hanging in the air and Chaeyoung thought it was the most beautiful scent in the world. And even if Lisa will stink, which she probably was, Chaeyoung will still think that it was the most beautiful scent in the world.

She's been in love with Lisa for God knows how long already. Lisa was unaware of it, of course. Lisa didn't have to know about it. Because Chaeyoung didn't want Lisa to feel weird about it. And while it was hurting her watching Lisa chasing someone else right now, she also promised herself that she would support Lisa's happiness, all the way. That she won't ever allow herself to get jealous and bitter or whatever if ever Lisa will finally find the love that Lisa deserved most in the world. Because Lisa was too precious and important for her to lose.

She just wanted that annoying shutterbug to be happy. Lisa's happiness will be her happiness, too. And Chaeyoung thought that it was more than enough for her. Because that's what love's supposed to be, right? Giving, without expecting anything in return?