DOS
As she thought to herself, that person had turned around, and said with a laugh, "Miss Manoban isn't terribly alert, you should take care about getting kidnapped."
The pale moonlight lit up her face.
"It's you?" Lisa relaxed her strained nerves, pressing a hand between her eyebrows, "Where's Ahjussi?"
Seo ahjussi was his driver, he knew Irene pretty well too.
"I lied to him and said that Miss Manoban was in a really good mood tonight, and was planning on taking me out on a drive. So he just gave me the keys." Irene shook the car keys in her hand, "I'm the one who did all these bad things, he's a victim too."
"What tricks are you up to now?" Obviously, that wasn't what Lisa minded.
Irene pressed both hands to her chest and made a worshipful expression laden with devotion. She recited the lines she had memorized not so long ago, "I only wanted a chance to have some alone time with you, is that not okay?"
"The look in your eyes is too wooden, you've got a lot of practice to do." Lisa looked towards the flickering lights outside her window, "What is this place?"
"The bar streets."
"Hmm?"
"You look like you're looking to get wasted." Irene raised a hand to point at Lisa's furrowed brows.
Though Lisa's woes were seen through, she wasn't the least bit offended. Although her face looked paler than usual, her smile still remained impeccable.
"I don't drink."
"Yes, of course, no smoking, no drinking, completely devoted to love..." Irene counted off on her fingers, "Uri sajang-nim is really the embodiment of the good modern woman."
As she spoke, she asked out of the blue, "Why are you feeling down?"
Lisa gave a start, then smiling, she asked back, "Why would you think so?"
"You've been off ever since you took that call, it had something to do with that, right?" Irene knew she wouldn't answer, so as soon as she finished her question, she immediately went on, "Let me guess. Is it because your business failed, and you'll be broke soon?"
Lisa's expression remained unchanged.
"The results of your physical came out, and the doctor discovered that you've been stricken with an incurable disease, and you've only got months left?" Lisa continued to have an indifferent look on her face.
"You ticked off a mafia boss, and he's put a hit on you?"
Lisa remained unperturbed.
"Someone cheated on you...?"
Lisa wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry, finally conceding defeat to Irene's vivid imagination.
"I'm feeling rather down tonight."
These words were just what Irene was waiting for, she immediately tucked away her playful attitude, "And?"
Not a single strand of Lisa's black hair was out of place, the buttons on her long coat were done up all the way, only her brows gave away the slightest hint of her weariness.
"I just want to take a break by myself for a while, it'll be fine after tonight." She said in a calm voice.
After tonight, she'll put her perfect, fake mask back on, and turn back into the refined, courteous, and gentlemanly Lisa in everyone else's eyes again.
This ephemeral moment may be the only chance that she would let down the walls to her heart.
Irene fixed a stare upon Lisa.
Lisa avoided her gaze and asked, "We've had some alone time together as you wanted, can you let me go home now?"
The sponsor had already uttered her command, and if she was professional enough, then she should obediently take Lisa home. If she went any further, then she would no doubt be overstepping her boundaries. There were two possible outcomes going forward. One would be thoroughly pissing off Lisa, and being told to accept her breakup fee the very next day. Two would be capturing Lisa's heart, and from now on, she would reign sovereign, and never have to give a care about whatever Karina, Pharita, Aeri, or whosoever.
She would just have to see if she had it in her to make such a gamble.
Irene didn't even think it over before turning around and starting the car.
Lisa sat quietly in the car, she already knew that Irene was going in the wrong direction to her house, but she showed no signs of anger. "Where're we going?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Irene was a steady driver, she finally stopped by the seawall on the outskirts of the city. Since it was already late into the night, it was silent with nary a soul in sight. Only the wind whooshed by relentlessly, while the faint splashes of water could be heard.
Lisa sighed, "How cliche."
"It's always like this in TV dramas. If Miss Manoban isn't willing to get drunk, then the only thing left is to gaze out at the sea. Right now, we're right on time to catch the night tide."
Irene talked as she got out of the car, then she walked around to open the car door for Lisa.
Lisa's hands were folded on her lap, her posture looked great, but she just didn't seem like she was willing to move.
Aaah, she's being sulky after all.
"What's wrong? Because I'm not like that certain someone who could act all spoiled and cry on cue, is that why Miss Manoban won't even do me this courtesy?" Irene bent at the waist and leaned closer, extending her right hand to Lisa.
Lisa let out a laugh unwillingly, and she ended up taking Irene's hand.
Under the glimmer of moonlight, the brisk night breeze gently caressed their faces, bringing with it a hint of the damp chill from the seawater.
Irene wasn't wearing all that much, so as soon she left the car, she shivered despite herself. So Lisa took off her coat and threw it on her, then she squeezed her hand.
"Don't you think she's a lot like you from before?" Lisa suddenly blurted out.
"Who?"
"Karina."
Irene blanked out for quite a while before she returned to her senses.
How was she like that little fox? From head to toe, the only similarity they shared was probably just their gender.
"When you'd just turned 20, you were like that too. Your eyes were so dark, you were always so quiet and didn't like to talk much. But Karina is smarter and more sensible than you. If you had been half as obedient as she is, someone would've given you a hand a long time ago, and you wouldn't have had to put up with so many hardships." She seemed to be immersed in her memories.
Irene only liked to look forward, she didn't like reminiscing about the past. But since Lisa mentioned it, she briefly thought back.
"I didn't put up with those things for nothing." Irene smiled.
Who didn't have some sort of past?
"Karina can't ride bycycle too. Same with you." Yet the way Lisa spoke mildly made it seem like it really was like that.
How could she have been innately thick-skinned and untouchable, impervious to hurt and pain? It was precisely those things in the past that had created the Irene today. It was because she had put up with so many difficulties in the past before, that she should now live an even more unrestrained and free life.
Lisa saw that she just breezed past with that one simple sentence, so she didn't continue the subject. Instead, she continued with the topic of their interrupted conversation back at the party.
"Mina is pregnant."
"Who? Mina?"
"Who the child's father is, that'll have to be kept a secret for now, but it's definitely not me," Lisa laughed a bit. "Like I said last time, I only have a business relationship with her."
"First Karina, then it's Mina..." Irene finally understood what she meant, and asked, "Are you trying to explain why you've been so fickle in your love affairs?"
Lisa answered ambiguously, "You can think whatever you want."
So, using her own reasoning, Irene imagined things as much as she liked. In all honesty, she had never considered Mina or that little fox as opponents. Her opponent had always been only one person – that would be Lisa.
Lisa held Irene's hand as they walked along the seawall.
The moonlight was so lovely.
The wind fluttered past, rustling their clothes, even the sounds of their breathing could be heard. With this kind of tender atmosphere, it made one feel like they'd rather not talk instead.
When the tides crashed ashore, the sprays of water looked as if they were covered by a silvery light. Lisa suddenly wrapped her arms around Irene's waist from behind, her warm chest against hers, and nuzzled Irene's ear gently with her lips.
Irene was enchanted.
She turned to kiss Lisa on the chin, and asked in a husky voice, "Wanna do it?"
Lisa hit her in annoyance, "Why are you ruining the moment like this?"
"Heh, heh," Irene laughed, "It's nice to try things outdoors on occasion, pretty sure it'd be exciting."
"It wasn't like I wanted to force you to reveal your thoughts."
"...Hmm."
"I only wanted to stay with you for one night like this."
The sounds from the water were loud, and her voice was so soft, Irene didn't know if Lisa had heard her words, but those hands around her waist did truly tighten just a bit.
When the skies began to brighten, Lisa took Irene with her back to her downtown condo.
It was a prime location with extremely high land prices, located on the eighteen floor, Irene had been there several times before, the place was lavishly decorated. But it had no indication of human presence, frigid like a hotel suite. She was willing to bet that Lisa definitely lacked familial warmth.
Due to it being so early, there wasn't anyone in the elevators. Irene bit her lip and asked as she pressed the button for the 18th floor, "How much time do you think it'll take for the elevator to get to the top? Would it be enough...for a kiss?"
Lisa smiled at her words and gave her a feather-light kiss. She then dragged Irene into her home, stripped her of her clothes, tossed her into bed, then pulled a quilt up to wrap around her body.
Huh? Were they really just going to talk while separated by blankets?
"Is it that her age is catching up, that she doesn't have it in her to do it anymore?" Irene's eyes widened, and she gazed at the glass lamp above her head as she mumbled in a small voice.
"We haven't slept the entire night, we should rest now." Lisa pretended she hadn't heard and turned off both of their phones.
Irene hurriedly called out, "I've got work in the afternoon..."
"It's just a photo shoot for the cover, right? Tell your manager to ask for a schedule change."
"I should still ask for leave."
"Fine, I'll ask for you."
Lisa walked into the living room to make a few calls, she had probably got some time off for herself as well. When she returned, she laid down next to Irene.
Irene rolled over and over, all the way into her arms.
Lisa had had a bit of a headache ever since the previous night and was beyond exhausted by now. She held Irene as she closed her eyes. But after a while, when Irene thought she was already asleep, she heard Lisa say in a low voice, "That phone call was from my mum."
Irene lifted her head slightly, and seeing that Lisa's eyes were still closed, she said, "Ah" to express her surprise.
"It's nothing serious, she just had a fight with Seulgi's mother again."
This sentence packed too much information, Irene turned the words around in her mind several times before she understood. She'd heard a lot of gossip about the rich and famous and had known long before that Lisa and Seulgi were born from different mothers. But there were numerous rumors, no one knew for sure what was what.
...It seemed like that wasn't the case.
"I've got a younger sister who's studying abroad. She's only seven months younger than Seulgi, isn't that hilarious? While speaking sweet words of love to someone, you can also promise to spend eternity with another at the same time. Even if you had been so deeply in love, once you start spending all your days with each other, you'll have a change of heart." Irene snuck a look at Lisa but saw that there wasn't anything special going on on her face. She only looked worn out.
"So, you don't believe in love?"
"At least I don't believe in that silly nonsense about 'loving for a lifetime'" Lisa ruffled Irene's raven hair, "Rather than a romantic relationship, I prefer the way I am now. As long as you spend the money, you'll get the best thing possible."
And once you're bored with it, you can trade it in for a better one.
Irene leaned against Lisa's chest, adding the words in her heart. The weather really was turning chilly, she was wrapped in such a thick quilt, and her limbs still felt cold.
Money is a terrible master but an excellent servant.
Lisa didn't open her mouth to speak again.
But Irene very much wanted to look into her eyes. She waited and waited, until Lisa had really fallen asleep, then she finally leaned in to kiss the fine lines by the corners of this woman's eyes.
Her voice, when she spoke, was so very quiet, so quiet as if she was only speaking to herself.
"Babo, how could there be anyone in the world who doesn't have a change of heart? The only thing that matters is the methods you use, to make them stop loving you
... or to love you even more."
― 8 ―
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