Lisa
I woke up to the gentle warmth of the sun streaming through the window, casting soft shadows across the room. The past few days spent with Jisoo in my hometown felt like a dream—one I wasn't ready to wake from. Despite the heavy weight on my chest, despite the sickness creeping into my body more each day, I felt lighter here. There was something about being away from the suffocating pressures of the city, the wedding preparations, and the constant reminder of what I was hiding.
Jisoo had been my sister like friend since I was a kid; she was older than me but acted as if she's 10 times younger than me, but she's matured that she grounds me in a way that no one else could. Even though I was surrounded by her laughter, her love, and her unwavering support, there was still that looming fear—fear that I was losing my grip on everything.
I stood up, stretching as I glanced over at the clock. It was still early, the morning quiet and peaceful. I decided to join Jisoo outside. She had always been a morning person, and I could almost hear her humming softly, waiting for me.
As I walked down the creaky wooden stairs to the porch, I found her sitting on the steps, sipping a cup of coffee. She looked up when she heard my footsteps, a smile spreading across her face. For a moment, everything else faded away. It was just me and Jisoo, two childhood friends sharing this stolen moment together.
"Morning, Chu" I greeted, sitting beside her.
"Morning, Lali" she replied, handing me a mug. "How are you feeling today?"
I hesitated, not wanting to burden her with the truth. "I'm fine" I lied, taking the coffee from her hands. The warmth of the mug was comforting, but it did little to ease the ache in my chest. I couldn't escape it, no matter how hard I tried.
Jisoo didn't press further, thankfully, knowing when to leave things unsaid. She sat with me in comfortable silence for a few minutes before standing up, stretching. "You want to go for a swim?"
I raised an eyebrow at her. "Isn't it a little early for that?"
She grinned mischievously. "The lake's always waiting, you know"
With that, she pulled me along, and despite my initial hesitation, I found myself following her to the water. The lake had always been our escape, our place of freedom when we were younger, and it seemed only fitting to return there now.
Jisoo
I couldn't help but smile as Lisa followed me to the lake. There was something about her that still made my heart flutter, even after all these years. Lisa had always been the more reserved one, the one who needed coaxing and patience. But when we were together, it was like we could communicate without words. We shared a history that only the two of us understood, and that bond was unbreakable.
As we reached the shore, I noticed Lisa hesitating for a moment, but then she looked at me, her eyes soft, as though she were reminding herself that it was okay to let go for just a little while. I led the way into the water, feeling the coolness wrap around me, and I turned to see her following me in, her expression more relaxed.
We swam for a while, the cool water refreshing in the morning heat, and as always, there was a sense of freedom here that I couldn't find anywhere else. When we finally made it back to the shore, we lay on the grass, panting lightly from the exertion, and looked up at the sky.
"Remember when we used to sneak out here at night?" I asked, my voice soft, nostalgic.
Lisa's eyes softened, and she nodded. "I remember. It felt like the world was ours back then"
I smiled. "It still feels that way, doesn't it? Even now. We're still here"
Lisa turned her head to look at me, and for a moment, there was a fleeting tenderness in her gaze. It wasn't often I saw her let her guard down, but when she did, it was like she was completely vulnerable, as if the world had faded away and it was just the two of us.
"I'm glad we're doing this" she said quietly "Spending time together like we used to"
I reached out, gently taking her hand in mine. "We'll always have this, Lisa. No matter what happens"
Lisa
I tried to push away the thought that lingered in my mind—how much time I really had left. Every moment I spent with Jisoo felt precious, like I was collecting memories to hold on to when the inevitable happened. She didn't know how bad it had gotten. I couldn't bring myself to tell her. She had enough to deal with, and I didn't want to burden her with my illness.
But the more time we spent together, the harder it became to hide. Jisoo's lighthearted teasing and easy smile made me want to believe that things would be okay. That maybe this trip, this moment, could be a slice of normalcy that I could carry with me when things inevitably fell apart.
Later that day, we decided to go into town for a picnic by the lake. Jisoo packed the basket, and we took a leisurely stroll down the familiar path. We passed the little coffee shop we used to frequent, and as always, Jisoo insisted on getting our usual—two cups of black coffee and a shared slice of cake.
We found a spot by the water, and as the sun dipped lower in the sky, we sat together, enjoying the quiet of the evening. The simple pleasure of being with her was enough to ease the weight on my shoulders, if only for a little while.
"You've changed, you know" I said suddenly, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jisoo looked at me, puzzled. "How?"
I smiled softly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "You're still the same in so many ways, but... there's something different about you now. You're more... grounded. More confident"
Jisoo laughed, shaking her head. "I don't know about that, but I've had to learn how to take things one step at a time. Life's complicated, Lisa. You don't always get what you want, but you make the most of what you have"
Her words lingered in my mind long after she had spoken them. I couldn't help but feel like she was talking about more than just life. There was an unspoken understanding between us now. We had both changed, in our own ways. But even so, the bond we shared as children still existed.
After our picnic, we spent the evening strolling through town, window shopping, and reminiscing about the old days. There was a movie theater nearby, and as the night fell, we found ourselves there, watching an old film that felt strangely comforting. We didn't talk much during the movie, but just sitting next to her, sharing that quiet moment, felt like the most natural thing in the world.
As the credits rolled, I looked at Jisoo and smiled. "Thank you for this. For everything"
She smiled back, her eyes soft. "You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad I'm here"
And for the first time in a long while, I let myself believe it. Maybe I didn't have all the answers. Maybe I didn't know what the future held. But in this moment, with Jisoo by my side, I had everything I needed.
Jisoo
The whole day felt like a gift—one I didn't know how to give back. Lisa had always been special to me, but in these moments, I realized just how much she meant. We had grown up together, but I couldn't ignore the changes that had come between us. The distance, the time apart. But now, being here with her, it felt like we were finding our way back.
As I watched her, I couldn't help but notice the subtle changes in her. The way she moved slower than before, the tiredness in her eyes, the way she always seemed to be trying to hide something. I wasn't blind. I knew something was wrong. But I didn't know how to help her. I didn't know how to make her trust me with her pain.
But maybe, just maybe, this was enough. This time together, this chance to reconnect and remind each other of what we had. Because no matter what happened, I knew one thing for sure—I would always be here for her, no matter the distance, no matter the time.
We had always found our way back to each other, and I wasn't going to let anything take that away.
Lisa
The night fell quickly, the quiet darkness wrapping around us like a blanket. I could feel Jisoo's presence beside me, and for the first time in a while, I didn't feel completely alone. But as I walked beside her, a nagging thought crept into my mind. I knew things between us weren't as simple as they seemed. There were things we weren't saying, things we both refused to acknowledge.
And then there was Chaeyoung.
I couldn't stop thinking about the connection between her and Jisoo. I never even knew that Jisoo knows Jennie's fiancé. The way Jisoo asked about Chaeyoung casually as if they were somewhat...Close? then I had a thought of what if Jisoo was the affair Chaeyoung had behind Jennie. It made a way that made my blood run cold. Jisoo, my best friend, was having an affair with Chaeyoung? my closest friend and the woman who was about to marry Jennie. It hurt more than I could express, but I kept quiet. I couldn't confront Jisoo about it, not when I was already drowning in my own secret.
But part of me knew that someday, the truth would come out. I just wasn't sure how it would happen, or what it would mean for all of us.
