Chapter 43

"So, what happened exactly?" Chaeyoung asked after Jisoo murmured 'thank you' as she handed her a steaming mug of hot drink.

"Love happened, I guess," Jisoo replied weakly and took a sip on the hot tea. She felt so tired she almost couldn't hear her own voice.

It was five past three in the morning. They were sitting from across each other on Chaeyoung's island table in the kitchen. They were both holding a mug of their own and Jisoo's sleep-deprived, bloodshot eyes had already wandered curiously, although unwillingly, around Chaeyoung's place before the redhead had returned from fixing herself after they took care of Lisa's friend. She was particularly musing about how almost everything in the redhead's place speaks music, including the red bistro mug she was holding, which had tiny musical notes painted around it, but was too tired to even start a conversation about it.

"That's profound," Chaeyoung said as she looked over at the couch, where Doona was sleeping, covered with a fleece blanket. "I hope the profundity also explains why she drunk herself to death?" she inquired.

They had changed Doona's clothes with one of Chaeyoung's pair of pajamas after they cleaned her up, with Jisoo somewhat hesitant to helped Chaeyoung undressed the overly-intoxicated, semi-conscious Doona. It was Jisoo's first time seeing a naked body of a full-grown woman, other than her own, of course, and it made her feel slightly awkward. Which Chaeyoung only brushed off by telling her that, "What you see is what you have, Jisoo Kim. It should be easy."

Only, it wasn't. Doona had made sure it would never be easy for Jisoo. What with Doona mumbling on her sleep, with occasional screamings and yellings of profanities about rude drivers and the Empire State and would flung her arms sometimes, making it hard for them to change her with something that doesn't smell of bile and vodka, and there was Jisoo avoiding to take a glimpse on Doona's naked body.

A small tin pail was placed beside the couch, in case Doona would suddenly wake up and vomit. She had thrown up, twice, since their arrival and it absolutely surprised Jisoo how Chaeyoung had handled the whole situation with such placidity, like she was used to it.

"Possibly. She was very dedicated to drink every glass," Jisoo said. "She missed the last one, though. She said she was aiming to complete the forty shots bef--"

"FORTY??? She's crazy!" Chaeyoung choked with her tea, with wild eyes in disbelief.

"--fore she'd go home and suffer a bad hangover when she wakes up tomorrow. Her words," Jisoo continued.

"No wonder Lisa's tolerance to alcohol is exemplary. She's got an outstanding teacher," she said with a hint of sarcasm, shaking her head in bewilderment. "Did Lisa drink that much, too?" she asked.

Jisoo shook her head after she took several sips from her mug. It was black tea. Sweet and spicy and it was nothing like the last drink that the redhead had given her. She could still taste the disgusting cocktail on her mouth whenever she would think about it. And the kiss, too.

No! Jisoo screamed internally as she pulled her thoughts away from that memory. She shouldn't be thinking about that right now, Jisoo reminded herself calmly. Not when she reeked of vomit and looked harassed. And especially not when she was still inside the redhead's lair, which, by the way, smelled of raspberry and something else she couldn't wrap her mind around yet, with all these weird-but-in-a-good-kind-of-weird-looking tiny figurines of fish and flowers placed on a corner shelf and a goldfish inside a tank aquarium on the living room that had been staring at her since their arrival. As though it was judging her.

"No," Jisoo said, shaking her head to free herself from the unwanted thoughts. "She looked sober when we found her," she added. The tea, she decided, was good for her. It was soothing and it was stabilizing her nerves.

"Found her? What do you mean 'found her'? Was Lisa in trouble?" Chaeyoung demanded with a worried look.

Jisoo wondered when was Chaeyoung Park not worried about Lisa? Probably never, she thought. Because Chaeyoung had been looking out for Lisa, she told herself, like how she was always looking out for Jennie all these years. At least, they had that one thing in common.

"Well, not exactly. It's not life-threatening, if that's what you want to know. Anyway," Jisoo said and stood up, "I have to go," she told the redhead who looked mildly surprised at her sudden intention of leaving. "Thank you so much for the help and for this." She meant the tea. She took another sip of it before putting the mug down. "It's delicious," she said.

"No, wait!" Chaeyoung said in a rather panicky voice and hastily stoop up, almost toppling her chair backward, surprising the dishivelled, raven-haired Jisoo.

The wooden feet of her chair made a scraping sound against the tiled floor that it made Doona stir on the couch and changed her position. The fleece blanket dropping so slowly on the carpet. Her back was on them.

"You can't go," the redhead declared in a hiss, carefully toning down her voice so she wouldn't disturb Doona again from her stupor.

Jisoo raised her eyebrows and just stood there, staring at the redhead and waited for something. An explanation, maybe. Or whatever. This wasn't the first that Chaeyoung Park had stopped her from leaving. And the last time that the redhead did, well, it didn't end up well.

"I mean, you can't go just yet," Chaeyoung reiterated, now in a milder voice. "What if Miss Doona will wake up and...I don't know," she shrugged dramatically, "I might need help?" she said in a faltering tiny voice at the end.

If there was one thing that Jisoo knew why she liked and possibly hated Chaeyoung Park (although, hate, she realized, might be a strong word to describe her disinclination or whatever it was she would feel when she's with the redhead), it was the fact that whenever she would look at her, she would be reminded of that night when Chaeyoung was tapping melodies on her piano with a solitary light bulb above her head. It was beautiful. Jisoo liked and hated that. She hated the fact that she liked that. And at three in the morning, Chaeyoung looked oddly glowing. Or maybe it was due to the aesthetic light decor hanging directly above the island table. It made the redhead's red head glowing like an ember and made her skin shone, like she was some sort of a divine apparition. And Jisoo liked and hated that, too. Weird.

"She doesn't look like she's going to wake up anytime soon, though," Jisoo commented after she took a quick, assessing look at the sleeping Doona. "Besides, I'm really exhausted. I just want to go home and sleep."

"Exactly. You can't drive in that state. It's dangerous," Chaeyoung argued, still hissing and whispering. "I can drive you back to your place, but I can't leave Miss Doona here, alone..."

"I can't stay here," Jisoo said in a more dignified and hurried voice that she thought for a moment it wasn't hers.

"Why not? I'm not asking you to leave," Chaeyoung replied with genuine curiosity.

Jisoo didn't want to stay there because being inside Chaeyoung's place for the first time was giving her weird feelings, no matter how much she tried to ignore it from the second she stepped inside the apartment. She felt like she was treading in a place too personal for the redhead. All the photo frames being hung on the wall and above the mantelpiece, the trinkets and vinyl collections that covered a whole wall, the small piano in the corner, the lights and ornaments, the small casserole on the electric stove and the ref magnets and small papers, which looked like bills, being held in place by a koala magnet and the strong essence of raspberry, chamomile and a hint of kimchi--all of it spoke so much about Chaeyoung Park and Jisoo, no matter how many times she told herself to keep it together, was starting to feel like she could not keep it together anymore.

It wasn't like Jisoo was expecting for things to happen and escalate, that she was feeling weird and awkward. No. She felt weird with how she felt comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time when she walked in, and she liked and hated how much she was trying to convince herself that she needed to leave and she absolutely felt awkward that she was now under the redhead's forbearance and grace. But she couldn't tell Chaeyoung all of that, obviously, or she would risk exposing her 3 AM weird self to the redhead. And she couldn't do that. She shouldn't, unlike what she did the first time that she and Chaeyoung had spent their wee hour inside the Orange some weeks ago, drinking Chaeyoung's cocktail. Unless she wanted to embarrass herself again. So, no. Especially since she still hadn't figured out what to make of it and it would definitely only make her feel weirder than she already was. Also...

"I need to shower. I smell like vomit," Jisoo deadpanned.

She had never made up an excuse so lame, it made her want to slap herself. Jendeuk owed her, Jisoo told herself. Lisa owed her, too. And this Doona woman owed her. A lot. She regretted again why she offered to chaperone Doona when she could've just went home and reunite with her dog and her bed. But then again, of course, she would never do that. She had already figured it out. She would risk anything for Jennie Kim, including her sleep and bedtime reading. And Lisa, too. Because that tall Thai woman had already grown on her and had become part of the deal. Those two were a tandem now, obviously.

"At this hour?" Chaeyoung reacted with wide eyes and a look that clearly said 'Are you crazy?'

"Many important life decisions are made in the shower or at three in the morning," Jisoo said defensively. "What do you think will happen if I'd do both at the same time?"

"You'll catch cold, most probably," Chaeyoung suggested with a shrug.

Okay. So, maybe that was funny, Jisoo thought. And she really wanted to laugh. Out. Loud. For god's sake! But exhaustion and her weird awkward 3 AM self was preventing her from doing so. So, instead, she gave the redhead a lazy smirk and started towards the door.

"I really have to go," Jisoo said.

But Chaeyoung beat her to it. It was her house, anyway. She knew how to race and beat someone at the door from leaving with those long strides of hers. And a determined spirit, too, Jisoo thought. Chaeyoung Park definitely looked determined to stop her from leaving.

"I mean, it's not like I'm bragging or anything but I have a hot shower and I have extra pairs of pajamas you can choose from. No dog-printed ones, though, but they're okay," Chaeyoung said, her hands flinging in front of her like that of a conductor.

Jisoo regarded the redhead suspiciously and placed her arms across her chest

"Do you do this often?" Jisoo demanded.

Chaeyoung blinked, slightly taken aback from the attacking tone and said, "What?"

"This. Bringing a drunk person in to your house, dress them with your own clothes, allow them to sleep on your couch and then offer the same thing to the next person available," Jisoo said.

"The last drunk person I allowed to sleep on my couch was Lisa, if that's what you want to know. So no, I don't do this often. And no," she raised a finger, like a warning, "don't look at me like that because I haven't seen her naked in all the years that I've known her," Chaeyoung said upon seeing the look that Jisoo was giving her.

"I didn't say anything," Jisoo smirked.

"No, you didn't. But you were insinuating. And I really can't let you drive at this hour. I'm serious, Jisoo. It's dangerous. I don't want to wake up tomorrow and learn that you hurt yourself or other people because I allowed you to drive when you obviously can't right now," Chaeyoung insisted.

Jisoo opened her mouth and closed it again. She sighed in resignation. Even at the most ungodly hour of the day, they were still on the brink of coming at each other's throats and it only made her more exhausted. It was funny and annoying at the same time how they just couldn't seem to converse without getting under each other's skin.

"Fine," Jisoo said. "But since you only have one room, I'll sleep on the floor. No buts," she added.

"Why don't we discuss the set-up once you're done with whatever you need to do?" Chaeyoung suggested, with a voice that clearly said she won this round and started to walk away from Jisoo as if gloating her victory at the raven-haired.

"Where are you going?" Jisoo hissed, afraid that she might wake Doona up and followed the redhead.

"What are you doing?" Chaeyoung hissed back, wondering why her guest was tailing her.

"What?" asked Jisoo who took a step backward because she almost collided with Chaeyoung. The raspberry was seriously making its way through her nostrils, it was delicious but unnerving.

"Why are you following me? I thought you said you need to take a shower?" Chaeyoung inquired.

"Yes. But what will you be doing while I'm in the shower?"

Jisoo was curious. What would Chaeyoung Park do at three in the morning when everyone else was asleep and she was still looking like a breath of fresh air, clad in a silky pajamas with her long hair tied in a bun above her head?

"Play music, write songs. I don't know. That's what I usually do when I couldn't sleep," Chaeyoung replied and settled herself in front of her sleek black upright piano.

Of course. Jisoo nodded as she watched Chaeyoung's fingers running above the keys, as if warming the black and white tiles with her touch. Chaeyoung breathed music like it was her oxygen.

"You can't sleep?" Jisoo asked a little too gently.

"With Miss Doona and you here? I don't think I could," Chaeyoung replied and tapped an ivory key softly. The sound of it was slicing through the silence of her apartment, like a warning.

"And yet you won't let me leave?" Jisoo asked curiously.

And another key. Until Chaeyoung Park was expertly tapping the verse of a classic Elvis song but slowing down its tempo. Her long, thin fingers hopping and dancing softly above the keys.

"Aside from the precautionary reasons, I don't think Jennie and Lisa will thank me if I let you drive right now," Chaeyoung replied.

"So, you're doing this for them?"

"I'm doing this for all of us, Jisoo Kim. I'm still edgy about your people coming at me and Lisa's asses just because we've associated ourselves with you and Jennie," Chaeyoung said, rolling her eyes and chuckled after.

Chaeyoung was hitting the chorus now. Jisoo could imagine a swan in her head, floating and gliding above a seamless water in harmony with Chaeyoung's melody, with the moon hanging above it. It was beautiful. She was beautiful. With how her slightly parted lips moving, as if mouthing the words of her melody, singing it ever so quietly. And Jisoo was trapped in a trance. In Chaeyoung Park's trance, that she jumped a little and snapping out of it when the redhead turned to her and spoke.

"You can use the bathroom in my room, by the way, and find something you can wear in the closet when you're done," Chaeyoung Park said, nudging her head towards the direction of her bedroom door on their left.

Jisoo remained rooted on the floor. She wasn't entirely sure why but she did know she wanted to get things straight before she'd soaked herself under the shower at three in the morning.

"Can I ask you something?" Jisoo asked.

"You already did. But, sure. What is it?" Chaeyoung asked as she started another piece now.

"That's not entirely the reason why you stopped me from leaving, is it?" asked Jisoo.

Chaeyoung paused and dropped her hands to her lap. She looked at Jisoo and offered a weak apologetic smile.

"No," Chaeyoung said, shaking her head. "I thought I could use some company tonight."

Jisoo huffed. She rolled her eyes and chuckled softly.

"You could've asked me nicely instead of going psycho on me, you know?" Jisoo teased, shaking her head. "I'll see you in a bit," she then told Chaeyoung and headed towards the door on the left.

If Jisoo felt weird and awkward that she was treading on a personal space when she stepped inside Chaeyoung's apartment door, she felt entirely different when she stepped inside the redhead's bedroom. There was a weird aching familiar feeling in the gut, like she had known before she had seen what she should be feeling.

The raspberry scent was stronger in the bedroom. The bed was loaded with plushies and big pillows that looked like giant marshmallows. A light bulb that shaped like a rose was providing a faint shade of red light in the room, just enough for Jisoo to distinguish what is what in where.

A guitar was placed in one corner and another shelf of vinyls and CD collections had taken half of the wall panel. There were wardrobe cabinets, a set of drawers, a life-sized mirror beside it, a dresser with makeup kits and on the mirror were Polaroids of Lisa and Chaeyoung, of what seemed like the Park family, of a teenage Chaeyoung Park with a mic on her hand in what looked like a Sunday worship service, of Chaeyoung and the girls crew of the Orange, of a laughing Chaeyoung in a record store. And there was a door that would led her to her destination.

There was a bathtub in Chaeyoung's bathroom and a glass shelf where bottles of liquid bath soaps and shampoos, a box of Kleenex, a can of air freshener, a tall scented candle and a book that was lying upside down beside the Kleenex. It was a memoir of a rockstar, Jisoo checked. Chaeyoung was still halfway through it.

It wasn't the first time that Jisoo was having a shower at 3 AM. In fact, she would sometimes spend her 3 AM inside her own bathtub, soaked in fragrant bubbles and read a book when she couldn't sleep. But she wasn't in her house and she only asked for a shower. Not a languid bubble bath time in the tub. And so, Jisoo hit the shower. And when you're inside a tile-walled room with lukewarm water running down your skin at 3 AM, either it would make you wonder how crazy you were to even think of taking a shower at 3 AM or make you recall the last worst decision you made for the night.

It was both for Jisoo.

"I didn't perceive you as the religious type," Jisoo said and quickly added, "Sorry," when Chaeyoung jumped a little on her seat in front of the piano.

Shower time had only lasted for about five minutes. Not her usual range, of course. But it wasn't her house, it wasn't her shower and it was past three in the morning. Her hands and feet were cold and clammy, despite the hot shower and despite the PJ she chose from Chaeyoung's closet, and she badly wanted to ask that question after she saw the Polaroid.

"Do you always have to sneak at people like that?" Chaeyoung demanded, a hand was clutching on her chest, as she scooted over to make room for Jisoo beside her.

"I'm sorry," Jisoo said and settled herself beside the redhead. "So, are you? I saw your Polaroid in the mirror..."

Something had probably happened with Jisoo inside the shower and Chaeyoung in front of her piano because sitting beside each other without even trying to bite each other's heads off was definitely not normal, but there they were. With their shoulders touching and their arms grazing.

"I used to sing for our church in Melbourne before we moved here. It was then that I realized I love music," Chaeyoung said. "Does that answer your question?"

"No," Jisoo replied. "So, that's where the accent came from, then?" she asked.

"So, you've noticed?"

"Who wouldn't? Forgive me, but sometimes I wonder if you're doing it on purpose, the way you would curve a word to emphasize the twang," Jisoo said, absent-mindedly pressing a random tile in front of her.

"You thought so little of me, then," Chaeyoung said, pressing another tile and joined Jisoo's rhythm.

"On the contrary, no. I realized it's a hard thing to do and it takes a lot of effort to maintain it if you're faking it. Although, if I have to be honest, it annoys me a lot of times," Jisoo said.

"You annoy me, too. The feeling is mutual," Chaeyoung said and started playing another musical piece again.

"On that department," Jisoo commented.

Chaeyoung nodded. "On that department," she said. "Anyway, I haven't asked you this and I hope you won't find it too imposing. But, what do you do exactly? I mean, Jennie runs a company, Lisa is being Lisa, I'm trying to do me. So, what about you? What's your story, Jisoo Kim?"

"I'm trying to save the world," Jisoo said jokingly. "Somebody has to."

"But aren't we all, though? I mean, I'd like to think that I'm contributing to the balance and harmony of the world with my music," Chaeyoung said and rolled her eyes. "I know. It sounds dramatic, but I have a firm belief that music brings people together and I think it's the most beautiful thing. Don't you?"

"I don't know much about music, but I guess you don't have to understand the language just to love it," Jisoo said. She would love to add that no, what Chaeyoung said was not dramatic at all and that she thought it was beautiful how Chaeyoung spoke about her love for music like it was her religion and it actually make sense, but decided against it. She didn't want to make things weird again.

"Do you ever dream of singing in front of a bigger crowd?" Jisoo asked.

Chaeyoung considered for a moment before slowly nodding her head.

"Yeah," Chaeyoung said. "Yes, I guess I always do. But I think I kind of just let it sit at the back of my mind. I can't leave the Orange yet."

"Because of Lisa?" asked Jisoo.

"And some other reasons. Including her, yes. I thought I wanted her to have a home whenever she would come back from her 'misadventures', as she would call it."

"When you said 'home', did you mean you?" Jisoo asked. She found it comforting in a weird way how they were both talking in hushed voice as if they were discussing a divine secret.

"Not me, in all aspects. Maybe I just want her to remember the familiar, wherever her dreams will take her," answered Chaeyoung.

"But she's from Thailand, isn't she?" asked Jisoo.

Chaeyoung nodded. "Yes. Lisa would do a quick Thailand getaway once in a while. But she hasn't been there for awhile now, I think. Why do you ask?"

"I just remember what she said back at the bar before she passed out," Jisoo said and looked over at the sleeping Doona. "Something about a Pranpriya Manoban being a prodigal princess? The only Manoban I know is Lisa and she came with Doona at the party..."

Chaeyoung chuckled.

"If you're insinuating that that idiot is a royalty, the answer is no," Chaeyoung said. "It's a private joke between us, actually--Lisa's closest circle--the 'prodigal princess' thing? It has a little something to do with her family."

"What do you mean?" Jisoo was curious.

"I'm, uhm..." Chaeyoung hesitated, "I'm not in the position to talk about it. Sorry," she added and offered an apologetic smile.

Jisoo nodded.

"It's okay. I understand," Jisoo said. "What's not okay, though, is if someone might get a little too curious about Lisa, especially after Irene posted her on her Instagram story, and they'd find something about Lisa's background and--"

"Wait, who's Irene?" Chaeyoung interjected.

"Another Kim," Jisoo replied. "She and Lisa became a little too comfortable with each other at the party, somebody took a photo of them together--one of Irene's friends, probably--and Irene posted it on the Internet. Jendeuk was worried that people will now start to get curious about Lisa because of that Instagram story but I personally think it was her jealousy talking." Jisoo smirked.

Chaeyoung bit her lip and regarded Jisoo for a moment. Jisoo wished Chaeyoung would stop doing that--the lip-biting thing. It wasn't doing her any good. It was shaking her resolve to never think of Chaeyoung Park anything more than an acquaintance.

"Lisa belongs to a powerful family in Thailand," Chaeyoung said a moment later. "We call her 'the prodigal princess' because she doesn't want to partake in their family business and only wants to focus on her photography," she explained further.

"How powerful is powerful?" Jisoo inquired. Thank God for Lisa, she told herself. At least, she and Chaeyoung had something to talk about at 3 AM. It was a good distraction.

"Powerful enough to give your people a long, good fight, I guess? But the Manobans are mostly good people, so I don't think there's any chance for a--"

"Bloodshed?" Jisoo provided.

Chaeyoung laughed. "You have a wild imagination, Jisoo Kim," she said. "I was about to say confrontation, actually. Most Thai people are gentle. Lisa's parents are the most gentle and the sweetest people that I have ever met. Thailand love them. They love Pranpriya. I mean, who wouldn't?  She's a darling. But only a few people outside Thailand knew about Pranpriya just as there are only a few people in Thailand who know about Lisa."

"If Lisa is not a royalty, then why did her friend call her 'Her Royal Highness Pranpriya Manoban'? It doesn't make sense," Jisoo asked, still unconvinced.

"She did? I would be beyond pissed if it was me, too. I can't even recall the number of times Lisa did the same thing to me," Chaeyoung said and chuckled. "Miss Doona would address Lisa that way when she's pissed at or disappointed with her. She was probably pissed after finding out that Lisa left her in your care and just went off without saying goodbye," she explained. "Besides, Miss Doona is the only living person who can patronize Lisa like that. She's her teacher and she still calls Lisa, Pokpak. That's Lisa's nickname before she decided to adapt her current name. Yeah, I know. It's complicated," she concluded after she saw the look on Jisoo's face.

"She's probably more complicated than the conglomerate Jendeuk is dealing with," Jisoo commented. "There was no time for goodbye, by the way. Lisa and Jendeukie left early and hurriedly, if I may add, after the brief encounter with Irene," Jisoo said.

"Was Jennie, jealous?" Chaeyoung asked.

"She was murderous. You should've seen the look on her face. But, it wasn't exactly the reason why they left early. Jendeuk didn't want people to notice her," Jisoo explained and added, "And yes, she was extremely jealous. You know how it feels like."

"Yeah, I think I do," Chaeyoung responded, her thoughts wandered back to when Lisa updated her private account with a photo of Jennie and everyone at the Orange was fussing about the unkown woman Lisa was with, while tiptoeing around her, afraid that she might reduce to tears and break down in front of them. It felt so long ago, Chaeyoung realized that she couldn't even remember the pain anymore.

"So, why were you in pajamas?" Chaeyoung asked, out of curiosity. "I mean, no offense because you looked absolutely cute in your PJ. But I don't think it was a slumber party, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Jisoo said, shaking her head. "When I said that I'm trying to save the world, it was actually a part of it. I had to rush to Gwangjin to save Irene and the world from an impending doom called the wrath of Jennie Kim," she explained, keeping a straight face.

Chaeyoung laughed. "That's funny. You're funny," the redhead said.

"Oh. So, you find me funny now? That's a development," Jisoo said, also laughing.

"At three in the morning, yes. But you're funnier when you're caught off guard, like how you looked when I kissed you at the Italian place and when I told everyone we're dating. You looked like a deer in the headlights," Chaeyoung teased.

"Yes. I'm sure you had a lot of fun on both occasions," Jisoo said and they both laugh some more.

"Not really. I still feel bad after the incident," Chaeyoung said. "So, I have a question."

"At three in the morning, you sure are hyperactive and curious, aren't you?" Jisoo commented but still indulged the redhead. "What is it?" she asked.

"That's your dog, isn't it? The one printed all over your PJ?" Chaeyoung asked, with a grin that Jisoo could only translate as teasing.

"And nosy. You're hyperactive, curious and nosy at 3 AM. But yes. His name is Dalgom and he's probably wondering right now why I'm not home yet," Jisoo said.

Chaeyoung nodded and smiled. The kind of smile that could light up a room. It was beautiful and annoying at the same time.

"That's Joohwangie," Chaeyoung said, pointing at the goldfish inside the tank. "The eleventh, as my dad graciously pointed out to me yesterday." She chuckled. "My eleventh goldfish, obviously, and I have no idea if it's a male or a female."

"Why don't you find out?" Jisoo asked.

"I'm planning to bring him--her, to a fish doctor, actually. See? It's confusing. I can't call Joohwang 'it', either," Chaeyoung said with a pout.

"Why don't you put another fish inside the tank and see if they become friendly or intimate?" Jisoo suggested.

Chaeyoung snorted. "Intimate? I can't imagine Joohwang being intimate with another fish," she said.

"They probably wouldn't, anyway. I wouldn't if it's me. That's more than a PDA, if you ask me," Jisoo said. "Besides, imagine being intimate in full display, with you constantly checking and curiously watching through the glass?"

"You still haven't moved on from the nudity you witnessed earlier, have you?" the redhead asked. Back was her teasing tone and the hidden laughter behind those bright smiles.

"No. I can still see her even when I close my eyes," Jisoo replied. And it was true. It was also partly the reason why she shortened her shower time. She could see Doona's nakedness whenever she would close her eyes. She wasn't disgusted, no. It was more like a feeling of strange awakening. It had stirred something inside her. It wasn't lust, either. Or curiosity. It was more like a realization. Something that she didn't want to discuss yet because she hadn't fully wrapped her mind around it anyway and especially not with Chaeyoung Park.

"It wasn't your first time, was it?" Jisoo asked.

"Seeing a naked body of a woman? No," Chaeyoung answered. "But it was my first time seeing a woman blushing so hard after she saw another woman with no clothes on."

"Yes. Okay. Go ahead, laugh. But it was awkward for me," Jisoo said defensively.

"It was adorable, actually," Chaeyoung said.

"The nudity?" Jisoo asked.

"No. You," Chaeyoung replied and chuckled. "You look adorable when you blush like that. You should've seen the look on your face. It was priceless," she said.

And they both fell silent and chose to stare at the piano tiles before them. The silence of the wee hour was slowly creeping up on them, that the only sound they both could hear was Joohwangie's tiny bubbles and swishing of the tail and Doona's soft murmurs.

Jisoo hated it. The silence. The lost for words. She didn't want it to take over. Because it wasn't the kind that was comforting. Like, they could just sit there and do nothing, talk about nothing and just bask in the silence. No, it was nudging and poking and Jisoo needed to break it before it would break her resolve again.

"Is this the part where we're suppose to kiss?" Jisoo decided to break the ice and said jokingly. It wasn't the best choice of words for a joke but at least words had been out and spoken again.

Apparently, joking about a kiss wasn't as awkward as when they both fell silent and waited for an actual kiss to happen, like in the movies.

Chaeyoung laughed and stood up. "No," she replied. "This is the part where we go to bed, Jisoo Kim. Come on, I'm sleepy," she said and took Jisoo by the hand.

"I'm sleeping on the floor," Jisoo said.

"Nobody is sleeping on the floor," Chaeyoung said as she led them towards her bedroom. "Don't worry. I won't strip naked so you won't feel awkward," she added jokingly and let out a yawn after. "Which side do you prefer?" she then asked as they stood at the footing of the bed.

"Right?" Jisoo replied, although unsure. She wanted to protest but didn't want to argue anymore.

"Okay. I'll take the left, then, " Chaeyoung decided and let go of Jisoo's hand and started to crawl on the mattress, making sure that she would stay at the left side of her bed.

Jisoo followed suit, but did it awkwardly and ungracefully that it made Chaeyoung chuckled.

"You okay?" Chaeyoung asked.

"Yeah. Yes, of course," Jisoo replied. "I, uh, well, it's technically morning already, but still, goodnight?" she said and pulled the cover up to her chin.

Chaeyoung smiled and said, "Goodnight."

Jisoo nodded and about to close her eyes when she felt the soft, warm lips on her own. Her eyelids shot back up and she was staring, with her eyes wide open in shock, straight at Chaeyoung Park and her closed eyes.

The kiss wasn't moving. It wasn't escalating. It was just there, gluing them together. Keeping Jisoo still and making her heart beat in frantics and her brain haywired. And it was warm and soft and it already felt like forever until Chaeyoung broke it.

"That was the part where we kissed," Chaeyoung whispered with a smile when their lips parted. "See you later, Jisoo Kim," she added and turned her back on Jisoo.

"Yeah," Jisoo murmured in the dark a few seconds later, after her frantic heartbeat had subsided and she found her voice again. "See you later," she told the already sleeping Chaeyoung.