To All The Girls I've Loved Before - Jenlisa

Chapter 28

2023, 6 months since landing in Korea

"I want to say, 'You look like a changed woman', but you look like shit."

Lisa snorted over the whiskey she's drinking. It doesn't help that they're in a private, members-only, old men's bar, giggling like kids while being the youngest women in the room who also wore short, professionally tailored dresses and stilettos.

Gangnam and Itaewon bars didn't quite cut it for Jisoo. In Seoul, she only drank at the private bars just like this one that's situated at the top of one of the richest and tallest buildings in Gangnam, just in case anything happened. She couldn't afford any gossip nor media news to leak out, and she's already in hot water with her parents. Well, tentatively speaking it's 'lukewarm,' as the issue has died down more than a year ago, but Jisoo's still playing the role of the dutiful daughter, hence the hush-hush on things.

Lisa didn't mind. She liked the old leather chairs and the dim lights and how everyone in this rooftop bar seemed to value privacy. It smelled of old money and tobacco and maybe her grandfather, but it was cosy. And if Jisoo chose to be here and brought a chauffeur with her, it means she's willing to get drunk with Lisa anyway.

Not that she was really planning to. But most of her meetings with Jisoo usually meant having a lot of heart to hearts she's not ready for.

"So the update is: you're still shit, your personality has gotten worse, and you're still the same Lisa I keep telling you to change. You just changed geographies and that's it."

"Yeah, exactly."

Jisoo eyed her a little. "Except Jen is here."

Lisa nodded acquiescently.

"Except Jennie is here." Her voice was almost inaudible.

Jisoo quietly sipped on her Negroni. They stayed that way for a few moments.

When Jisoo didn't speak, it was Lisa who finally gave way.

"I'm tired, Jisoo."

The Korean looked at her with sad eyes.

"I know, Lis."

"I just wish it would stop hurting. I just wish she doesn't remind me of feeling inadequate. I just—"

"Then why don't you stop it?"

Lisa's jaws strained before she answered. "I did, remember? I tried forgetting her."

Jisoo disappointedly licked her lips as she thoughtfully tried to structure her words. Lisa just returned to her whiskey. They're at the far end of the bar – they didn't mind the bartender occasionally popping by, they're not exactly talking business. And they liked not having to shout sitting beside each other on the leather stools. And, well, the view was fantastic. The river that snakes across Seoul was gleaming in the moonlight and gave a great ambiance to their contrastingly unstable night.

The Korean looked at her, then sighed.

"It's hard to keep an eye on you when I know what's happening with Jen, too. And I really want to love her more than you, but you—you're just a special case of stupid sometimes."

Lisa snorted. She's sure that was meant to be a sharp jab, but she's with Jisoo – any teasing was welcome. She stared at her whiskey as she waited for her friend to continue.

"When I meant stop the pain, I meant open yourself up to love again."

Lisa drank the remains of her whiskey, before motioning to the bartender. He promptly picked a top-shelf whiskey and gave her two shots, along with fresh ice.