for visual reference, this is what lisa looks like in this chapter:

this is what it looks like without the blazer:

━━━━━━

Eventually, the day of the said dinner comes and for some odd reason, Jeongguk finds himself more tense than usual. He doesn't know why, but is it because he's scared of the risks of being seen with other idols? Is it because he's nervous about Bambam meeting Lisa?

(Or is it because he wants to impress his soul--okay, okay, stop. That's not it.)

With another brush of his hair, he takes out his phone and sends a quick text to Lisa.

:

what's uppp

where are u having ur

photoshoot right now

5:22PM

it's a secret

are you planning to kidnap me

5:25PM

:

you're not that worthy of a

ransom sorry

5:26PM

mmm ur so road

anyway im in gangnam

[LOCATION ATTACHED]

5:30PM

:

thanks!

5:33PM

wdym thanks

what r u going to do with it

hello????

jeon

hi

5:40PM

:

im on my way

5:45PM

WHAT THE FUCK

WHY

WHAT'S GOING AWN

WHATTTTT

5:45PM

Is Jeongguk a sap? He doesn't think so. He's never acted overly weak for all his previous lovers for him to think that he's one.

Is Jeongguk a sap for Lisa? Hell, no. Over his dead body. Yet his Jimin hyung thinks so otherwise, because apparently no one would go and arrange a whole ass dinner for someone they were supposed to dislike.

Which is wrong in all levels because 1) he didn't arrange a dinner date just for Lisa. He did it because he wants Bambam and the rest of the Thai club to meet her. 2) He doesn't dislike her that much. He used to dislike her 100%, but now it's just a whopping 10%. It's an improvement. 3) Lisa is a friend. Friends have dinner dates because they're friends. It's totally normal.

("Friends don't spend Christmas together--"

"We do."

"Gguk, I'm your brother from another mother. It's different."

"It's the same damn thing!"

"Yeah, but I don't smile whenever I receive a text from--"

"Hyung, just shut up."

"What a fucking sap.")

Sighing in annoyance, he tightens his hold around the coffee that he bought from the café around the corner while making his way towards Lisa's photoshoot location. The winter air remains undiluted, sending occasional shivers down his spine as he struggles to get through the building.

Without so much of an issue he's able to get through security and is eventually entering a studio by the sixth floor, which he presumes is Lisa's station. He enters pretty quickly, pointedly ignoring the questioning looks and low murmurs, and instead greets them as if it's a normal day.

It's probably quite a sight: one of the nation's top boy group member visiting the nation's beloved bassist. If Dispatch were here, there would be a million articles tomorrow morning for sure.

He taps the arm of one woman with a nervous smile on his face, faltering as soon as she turns around to meet his eyes. "Uh, hello. I'm Jeongguk, Lisa's sou--friend. I just would like to ask where her dressing room is, if that's okay?"

To his surprise, she grins all too widely. "Sure! Lisa did mention to keep an eye out in case someone visits her. Turns out it's you, after all."

He doesn't really know what to say to that, so he just chuckles awkwardly. "Ah, yeah, we're, um, we're friends."

The woman only smiles before pointing at one of the green rooms inside, and Jeongguk thanks her while weaving through the crew. He tries to avoid looking into their eyes and pulls his hat down in fear of being recognized, although he thinks it's a bit too late for that now.

Once he reaches the room, he grips the extra frappucino in his hand and knocks three times.

Ah. God. Why the fuck is he feeling fidgety out of a sudden?

"Hi, what do you-- oh." A voice that could only belong to a certain someone speaks softly, making him look up out of instinct to meet those star-filled eyes. "Jeon. You came."

Clearing his throat, he nods stiffly, blatantly aware of the crew members' stares behind his back. "Obviously. I asked for your location, didn't I?"

Lisa's head peeks out from the door's edge, staring down at him in what he could pinpoint as pleasant surprise and something else he couldn't decipher. She gives a small smile at his reply and tilts her head in invitation. "You wanna come in?"

His shoulders instantly lose all the pent up tension as he finally steps into dressing room and removes his hat.

"It was so awkward out there I thought I was going to die," he huffs out and fluffs his flattened hair with his hand. He brings his own drink to his mouth and hands the paper bag hanging from his pinky to the other. "Here, I brought you some-- fuck."

When Jeongguk looks up, he honest to God chokes on his coffee.

He coughs violently, accidentally snorting the fucking liquid through his nose. He barely registers Lisa walking to him in panic and feels a hand patting his back softly, coaxing the coughs until they became nothing more but a soft wheeze.

What the fuck was that?!

Jeongguk breaths harshly and gathers his bearings as much as he can within three seconds. Thank fuck he didn't drop the bag or else it would've taken too much work--the staff would probably barge in and ask what happened and they'd be the new talk in town.

When he deems himself calm enough, he looks up again.

Shit. Nothing's changed. He feels like his breath was snatched out from his lungs because what Lisa was wearing... Jesus Christ. It almost gave him a heart attack.

There's honestly no words to describe it. Jeongguk has a good knowledge of fashion, and he thinks that what Lisa is wearing is a body suit. It almost makes her look like a... spider? What do they call it? Like... like a black widow but in a very alluring way.

And it's alluring enough that he can't seem to find it in him to say something...

(In the rational part of his mind, Jeongguk thinks she's beautiful. He doesn't want to admit it out loud, but she always is, in all ways.)

Eventually, all risks and inhibitions aside, he thinks, fuck it, YOLO, and lets his eyes wander throughout her body. It wouldn't hurt to look, right? The suit hugs all of her curves, accentuating all the soft and sharp lines. Her pronounced collarbones and her unmarked neck sets something in him, makes him want to mark it all up and her long legs... fuck.

Okay. Pause. Lord, what the fuck is he thinking.

Before he knows it, an unnatural heat starts simmering under his skin.

"Are you done staring?" Lisa finally asks with a smirk in her face and Jeongguk just wants to do nothing more but disappear.

He gulps nervously, gazes anywhere but that goddamned body suit that she has on. Why the fuck is it suddenly so hot in here? "Um, I brought you coffee, by the way."

Great. Coffee. What a nice distraction.

Lisa takes the bag in his hands with a murmur of thanks and heads back to her table and holy shit if he thought that her front looks amazing, her back is even more--

Stop! Jeongguk chastises himself. Don't think with your dick, Jeongguk. Don't.

"You should've told me you were coming!" She's saying as she munches on the donut he got her. Jeongguk sits stiffly on the couch, hands positioned near his crotch area in case something diabolical happens. "I would've prepared a feast for you or something."

He knows she's just teasing, yet there's still something bugging his mind and before he could even think about it, it slips out of his mouth. "Are you going to wear that suit and nothing else? No coats or anything?"

Lisa stops midbite and pins him with a weirded out stare. "Uh, I'm going to wear a blazer over it..." she says slowly, almost calculating. "Why...?"

"Good." Jeongguk's concern eases into a quiet calm. "Okay, that's good. You really should put a blazer over it; it's just too... revealing. Too much skin. People would stare at you."

He doesn't know why he's saying this, but it feels like he should. It feels right.

"Uh, yeah, I'm well aware that people are gonna stare at me but... thanks for the concern, I guess?" Lisa squints at him, obviously suspicious, but resumes to drinking her frappe. "Jeez, what's with you today, Jeon? You're acting weird."

Yeah, he definitely is. He just doesn't know why.

(Is it because of the body suit?)

"So," he attempts again, leaning back on the couch and letting his eyes travel around the room. It's not as beautiful as Lisa's body, but it's big, filled with rows of vanity mirrors and clothing racks containing an infinite of designer clothes. "How's the photoshoot coming along? Good?"

"Yeah, better than expected, to be honest," she agrees. "I went here four hours ago and we started asap. We're supposed to finish shooting at 7 but the director said we got enough shots so we're about to end in a little bit. This," she points to her body and Jeongguk tries, literally tries to not stare again, "is my last outfit."

"That's cool," is the only thing he can say as his heart somersaults.

"Do you like it?"

Jeongguk takes a sharp breath that definitely didn't go unnoticed. If he isn't preoccupied with his own drink, he would have seen the mischievous expression in Lisa's face. "Y-yeah," he stutters, hands trying to busy themselves by rearranging the decorative rocks on top of the coffee table, "yeah, I like it."

A tense silence blankets the room.

Jeongguk tightens the grip on a rock. A rock, out of all things. Jesus. What is wrong with him.

"So," she breaks it all too easily. How does she do that? Thank Zeus. "Why are you here anyway? Why did you suddenly grace me with your presence, oh my Lord Jeongguk?" Lisa pretends to do a curtsy, but Jeongguk looks at anywhere but her damn legs. He feels like a perv.

"Just wanted to visit," he admits with a shrug. "And, uh, I may or may not have booked a dinner reservation for us and a few other... friends."

She blinks at him, at the way he said the last word so quietly. "You... what?" When she places the doughnut on the table, ah, Jeongguk already knows that they're about to get serious. "Friends? Which friends?"

Because he sucks at verbalizing what he feels at the moment, the only thing he replies is: "You'll see."

A shoe that suspiciously looks like a Louboutin suddenly whizzes past his head that if he didn't move, it would've hit his right ear directly. "Yah." There it goes: the loud, ear-splitting voice that's undertoned with uncertainty, "are you joking? Is this for real? Are you pranking me?"

"Do I look I'm joking?!"

"You look like a joke to me."

"I'm not making this up. I'm serious," he says with the calmest face he could muster at the moment. "I booked a dinner reservation for us and a few other friends--"

"I'm not worried about the dinner. That's totally fine. What I'm worried about is your friends," she finally admits and bites the inside of her cheek in worry. "Like, I don't know. Which friends are you talking about? Idol friends or--"

"Idol friends."

"Jesus."

With the way Lisa starts rambling on and about, Jeongguk starts fidgeting in his seat. He knows, of course, he's aware of Lisa's reputation in the industry. For her to be agitated like this is understandable, but then he starts to double think his decisions.

Did he really make the right decision or is this all just in vain?

Before Lisa can even ask another question, a knock on the door cuts her off.

"Shooting in 5!"

"Coming!" she shouts back, hands scrambling to clean her mess of coffee and doughnut. "Shit."

Seeing her more panicked than ever, Jeongguk stands up from his seat. "I'll clean this, you go do your thing."

"Wait, wait. Jeon." As soon as he takes her empty cup in his hands, Lisa grips his arm and grabs a beige blazer, handing it to him without so much as a thought. "Help me put this on."

"Are you sure--"

"I'm fucking mint, now here."

As carefully as he can, Jeongguk helps Lisa in putting her limbs into the blazer's respective holes. Thank God he didn't manage to crease the whole thing, seeing that it seems to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

(Jeongguk can afford it, he just isn't sure if he wants to face the wrath of THEE Lisa Manoban.)

As his fingers grazes her arms, briefly he wonders what would it feel like to have Lisa's skin under his palms. How would it feel to have her own body under his, soft and pliant and--

"Okay, there, done," Lisa says while adjusting the remaining buttons. Jeongguk snaps out of his daydream and backs away. "After I'm done, we're going to talk about this, 'kay?"

He doesn't get to reply because she's already striding off to the exit, leaving Jeongguk and his disgusting fantasies behind.

Oh God, he's fucked.

:

we're on our way ggukie baby

6:39PM

:

we'll be a little late haha

sorry

but we'll see u there

6:39PM

:

ofc!!

minnie is excited lol

6:40PM

:

she should be

i feel like her and lisa

are a perfect match

6:41PM

:

well thank god bc she's

really starting to get under

my skin

6:41PM

:

lmao

see u there

take care you guys

6:42PM

:

sure thing you little thing

see you 2

6:43PM

"So it's a date?"

A groan is pulled out of Jeongguk's throat.

"It's not a dinner date. It's a get together," Jeongguk explains, exasperated, for nth time that night. It's been half an hour since Lalisa's shoot has finished, and now both the soulmates are wandering through the narrow alleys in Gangnam, wrapped tightly in their winter coats and cotton gloves.

That cursed bodysuit is long gone, so Jeongguk doesn't have to worry about his... imaginations going wild and parts of his body standing up in attention--thank the Heavens.

It had taken 15 minutes for Lisa to get her shit together when the director announced that the session was over. Jeongguk had to literally coax her out of the dressing room with promises of chocolate chip frappes and almond Peppero sticks, much to her grumbling.

It worked, of course. Lisa will kneel to anything that has chocolate.

"If you tell your friends to go back home then it would be a date," she tries to convince him again, punching his side in a playful manner. "You know, just the both of us."

The obvious implication makes him roll his eyes as they take another turn to the right. "I can't."

"Why not?"

He finally stops walking and places two firm hands on her shoulders. "Look, Noobs," he sighs, "this dinner is... important, okay? Not for me, but for you." At her questioning stare, he adds, "Once we get there, you'll understand."

"Are you saying you don't want to date me?"

For some reason, his cheek burns. "I didn't say anything."

(If Jeongguk had been paying attention, he'd see the spark of hope that lit Lisa's eyes.)

"Okay, whatever you say," she finally relents and they walk in relative silence for a good one minute until she speaks again. "Hey, who are these friends, by the way?"

"Idol friends."

"I know, but, like, who?"

Lisa's always been a curious cat, but Jeongguk doesn't want to spoil the surprise that early. Instead, he softly pats her head. "You'll see. I think you'll like them."

At this, she whines. "Yah, Jeon. It may not look like it but I'm shitting my pants right now. I'm internally panicking but I'm trying to keep my cool."

Yeah, he noticed that. She's been chatty all the way from the studio, talking about anything and everything, her stories ranging from childhood anecdotes to the new dog she's been eyeing since last week. Jeongguk listens to them all of course. Doesn't say anything and just lets her blabber to help her ease the nerves.

"Just give this a chance, yeah? When we arrive at the restaurant and if you feel like you don't like it, punch me in the face or something."

"God. Okay. Fine. Whatever you say."

Yet what he said didn't seem to assure her that much as she continues rambling about how Leo almost scratched Louis' eye out because they fought over a toy. He only rolls his eyes and goes on ahead, occasionally humming his agreement.

When the familiar Thai restaurant comes into view, Jeongguk's heart starts beating faster. He knows Bambam is in there with his other Thai friends, and for a moment he wonders if they were excited about this as much as he is.

"Is this the place?" Lisa asks, looking up at the big sign and looking so incredibly small surrounded by her thick coat and pearly snow. From this far, he can hear the distant chatter ringing from the inside. "Dancing Thaiger. That's punny."

He surpresses a snort and nods towards the entrance. "Haha. Funny. Now let's go."

But then she grabs his arm. "Wait."

"What's wrong?" His eyebrows worry as he looks over her from head to toe. Lisa's biting her lower lip again, eyes darting from the displayed menu to his shoulders in what he could recognize as anxiety.

"I'm nervous," she admits that he almost didn't catch it. Jeongguk opens his mouth to say something, but she cuts him off. "No, like I really am. You said they're idols and... and well, you know how I'm perceived as. What if-- what if they don't like me or what if it's all awkward between us? I don't do well in awkward situations, I swear. The last thing I want to do is to intrude in your dinner."

He shakes his head. "You're not intruding."

"But--"

"This dinner is for you."

The look on her face is priceless. "Wha-- for me? Why--"

With a roll of his eyes, he takes initiative and grabs her hand, looping it around his arm. "C'mon. They're waiting."