She gave it a second thought, then a third before finally leaving her apartment to come here. Now try as she might, she couldn't recall what was so important that she needed to see him so urgently. She knew she wanted to apologize for leaving him hanging but once she had joined in the queue, her mind kept screaming 'can't it wait till tomorrow??'. Like now - right this second, Lisa would answer it back with a slight shake of her head and a short 'no, it can't'. 

If I sleep this off, I might not be so brave tomorrow. The most that I'd probably do is text him the apology, and that would be rude. You don't ghost on someone great and text 'Hey, how are you? Oh btw, I'm so sorry I hadn't replied to your 16 messages' and include some lame excuse of being busy with work! 

Lisa was never the type to chase after a guy - regardless if she owes them an apology - but there's a certain type of yearning to be here. It's always been a little hard and awkward for her to reveal her feelings about things and Jennie was so damn right about it that her feet just took over to come all this way tonight. She's still second-guessing it though, staring down to her sneakers and making sure they're ready to run with her for when she changes her mind!

"You're here..." She spun around quickly at the sound of his voice. Clad in an all black attire, he looks as dreamy and sexy as the night she mistook him as 'the stripper'. 

Lisa cleared her throat and smiled - hiding those shameful thoughts. "Yeah I um..." One foot started shifting to another as she recollect the words that were earlier rehearsed. "I just um...wanted to maybe...maybe tell you," Gosh, why is it so hard??

"Did you wait long? How did you get here?"

Easy questions...I can do that. "Cab...just a short queue," 30 minutes is short right? He waited for longer. "Don't worry bout it," He doesn't seem to be upset at her. If anything, he seems pleased to see her. "How have you been?"

"I'm alright. I mean...I've been nervous since you disappeared for a while there but all in all, it's all good,"

And the fidgeting is back. "Yeah...about that...that's why I came. Listen...I just wanna apologize -"

"I'm hungry. You wanna get something to eat?" The charming smile and twinkling eyes worked its magic and she found herself nodding 'okay' without question. 

...

He brought her to a grill pub nearby since it's the only nice, quiet place that's still opened at this hour. Wanting to start fresh - and not wanting to make her any more nervous than she already is! - he figured that this unbothered, intimate place will have to do for now. Wooden chairs with white color linen table cloths are complimented with yellow little Bellflowers. The soft, jazzy instrumental music gives such a contrast to the loud bass they heard from outside of his club and Jungkook praised himself internally for making the right choice.

It's a good enough setting for an honest talk. "So...you were apologizing," He smiled warmly to her after they had placed they orders.

"I'm sorry," Lisa sighed and pouts down to her fingers. 

His lips turned into a hard line only because she's looking incredibly adorable, being like this! 

"Apology accepted if you pay for my dinner," She looks up with hopeful eyes. "I was rushing to meet you just now...I only realized I didn't bring my wallet with me while we're on our way here," 

"You don't have to explain, I owe it to you,"

"Aishh you caught me. There's not much bridal shower bookings nowadays...getting hard to hustle for tips now. You came just at the right time actually - I might resort to begging for some food on the table. Oh and breakfast is still on, in case you forgot,"

The joke seems to work on his favor as she laughed until her cheeks turned pink, looking more of her own self now. "Are you ever gonna let that go?"

"Probably not," He flashed a grin. "I told you - it's not everyday that someone mistook me for a stripper. It sorta traumatized me for life too, I think! Every time I went in a room full of ladies, I'm thinking that someone's gonna rip my shirt off. You've really set the bar high, you know?"

"Stop!" She hugged her stomach, looking so adorably flustered while holding in her laughter. 

While a foolish smile, Jungkook just stared at Lisa's almost teary eyes. The week felt like a long time to be missing a face. Briefly he recalls if he had ever missed her face this much in all those times of wondering who she was. It comes and goes, he decided.

Their drinks arrived and she managed to pull herself back together. It's always nerve-wracking to start a serious conversation, he knew this. But it needs to be done. The chemistry between them was so real that evening that he couldn't risk another day not knowing where she'll go or what she'll do next - as thrilling as it may sound.

"On a more serious note...let's talk about it," He started and she squared her shoulders, ready to get down to business. "Just a friendly, honest catch up,"

"Okay...I was um...I panicked, I'm sure you could tell," He nods. "And something got over my head, being a typical woman and all -"

"There's nothing typical about you,"

She paused at his response. Then continued with a smile, "I'm just scared of the possibilities. I told you what I've been through...and something about you reminded me of it. I mean...not to say that you're exactly like my ex but...look, you know you're charming alright. And decent -"

"Decent?" He can't help the smirk on his face and she started laughing again. "You agreed then...that's exactly what I aspired to be - a charming, decent man -"

"You know what I mean!" Lisa held her cheeks as if she's massaging the tired muscles affected by his humor. I should be proud, right? "You're funny and good-looking - in your own words, but I have to agree. These are dangerous traits to be trusted so soon! Women drool over guys like you AND -" She emphasized. "You own a freaking night club,"

Fair points... Yet, he still can't help but laugh. "Okay, let's weigh this out. Your predictions...you keep seeing me, as much as I wanna keep seeing you. We talk like, all the time, yes? Big things, stupid things, boring things until one day, you realize that you've fallen madly in love with the charming, decent, funny, good-looking me," She sighed another laugh, shaking her head and looking cute despite the embarrassment shown on her face.

"It'll seem like the best time of your life - being in love with, again, the charming, decent, funny, good-looking me. But then one day, it dawned on you that I don't love you like how you love me. Heart-breaking, I know. You'll cry a lot - probably more than when you cried about your ex cus I'm not gonna sugar-coat it, I'll treat you so much better than that guy - whoever he is, guaranteed!" She's still smiling, so it's still going good!

"And down the road, a year - two years later - you meet someone new. Another great -"

"I didn't say great,"

"Charming, decent, funny guy -"

"You forgot handsome,"

"Ahh not just good-looking - it's an upgrade to 'handsome', yes! So you meet this guy and you started feeling great about yourself again. He made you smile, laugh, and he made you feel wanted. But because of the past, you ghosted on him after a meaningful, teary kiss -" She squeaked and he suppresses the urge to squeeze her cheeks then and there. "And suddenly, you're sixty-five years old,"

"Damn, that was fast,"

"And you wake up alone every day...thinking what the hell happened and how you ended up there,"

"I don't think I'll be thinking about it at sixty-five...that's way too old! I'll be thinking about old people things like...have I watered my plants? Why are there only 4 cats here - where's the other one and my dog?"

"See, you'll be old, thinking of those things AND the guy you didn't give a chance to. It doesn't sound so wonderful, does it?"

Her eyes twinkled as she pursed her smile. 

"Now...we're going into the real-talk and my version of possibilities here, you ready?"

Still with the same smile, she folded her arms - signalling him to carry on.

"You keep seeing me more than you wanted to, because I sure as hell want to see you more often...maybe all the time but I don't wanna scare you," She's giggling...that's a good sign! 

"We'll talk every day - whenever we can, as much as we can. Big things, stupid things - even the most mundane things we could think of and one day, you'll hear me accidentally saying how in love I am with you. Well...it could be accidental or on purpose but that's not the point. The point is, it'll make you feel so damn good and happy that you gave this charming, funny, handsome guy a chance and he turned out to actually be as decent as you thought, maybe more. It's not a lie anymore. A year down the road, three years, seven, and then you're sixty-five...waking up next to me. I'll tell you if you've watered the plants or not...or where that one cat and two dogs ran off to. I'll still make breakfast for you and tell you that you still look as beautiful as the first time I saw you. Don't freak out - it's only..." He paused only to glance at his watch. "One in the morning - I know...way too early for even three months from now. But for perspective's sake...how does that possibility sound?"

For a few seconds, silence took over. She's staring at him with unreadable thoughts, getting him nervous all of a sudden. Fuck - maybe I said too much! I should've rehearsed this - why was I so confident -

"Two dogs, huh?" 

The smirk on her lips calmed him down. "I have two dogs already, why can't we share?"

"I don't know what kind of a pet owner you are...we haven't gone to that phase yet. You might get greedy with the kids," She chuckled. 

"Our kids won't pick sides, we'll train them good,"

Lisa sighed a few laughs and looks down to her fingers while Jungkook leans back, patiently waiting for Lisa to decide. If it's a no, it'll be sad as hell but at least he gave it a try. At least he gets the answer and won't wonder anymore whether it's destiny...or if she appeared into his life for the sake of teaching him something. He'll just have to figure out what it is after tonight if it's the latter. 

"You seem to be too good with words, Jungkook. That's probably the scariest part. I'd believe you now...and I'd believe you 7 years later when you say you gotta work late all the time and didn't bother to show up at our wedding,"

"I'm only good with words to whom I choose, Lisa. I'm sure you can tell that I'm pretty much an open book with you at this point. I don't see why I should beat around the bush for something that can easily be expressed in words. I believe we've all had our fair shares of disappointments at this point of our age. If anything, I should feel more insecure than you are since you kept running away from me -"

"I didn't run -"

"Fine, you hopped," She pursed her lips to hide a smile. "I'm asking you to consider giving me a chance because I might be better than you think I am. And maybe...you'd find that you're better than who you thought you were too. I've been ninety-nine-point-nine percent honest with you so far - that's like the highest I've ever been with anyone! You can ask me anything and if you don't wanna believe me, you can go ahead and ask Jimin. I promise I still won't tell about that night,"

The jazz music is still playing, soft sounds of piano and bass filling the air - accompanied by slight hushes of conversations from faraway tables and clinking of glasses. The hesitation in her smile and the slight frown underneath her bangs made him feel equally uneasy, but he convinced himself that he's doing the right thing. It needs to be cleared today. 

"You said in your text...that you've seen me cried. That you've waited a long time to talk to me. What do you mean?"

Okay...maybe too good of a setting for an honest talk! He took a deep breath and started praying in his chest that she won't run out before dinner is served. "The first time I saw you was at an airport in Bangkok. You just caught my eyes...and so I remembered you five months after, when I bumped into you at Hannam. I thought maybe I got the wrong person...but then I see you again...in a small store at Itaewon. Someone cuts in the line and I saw you cried -"

She sighed a barely-there laugh. "I don't think I'd cry over someone cutting the line,"

"I guessed you didn't too,"

"So at the club...you knew me then?"

He nodded slowly. "We're supposed to go on a date too. I didn't know who Jimin was trying to set me up with though -"

There's a gasp before she leans forward. "You're the blind date??"

"I know right? Why would Jimin try to hook you up with a decent stripper? I mean...you deserve at least a professional - or wait - did you tell him your type? Did you mention the word 'decent' specifically?"

The high-pitched laugh got a few heads turning, but Jungkook's not bothered by it. How can I get over that joke if it keeps making her laugh like this? 

"This is...wild!"

"Wild?" Not my choice of word for it but sure!

"Yeah! Like...what are the odds..." The awe is apparent on her face, which is good because at least she didn't take it negatively! "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cus I didn't know you before the wedding. I mean...I've seen you, but I didn't know you. I had my curiosities but I couldn't just say 'hey, I've seen you before' while you're undressing me, can I?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's been used since the eighteenth century, Lisa," She laughed again, softer this time. "I'm not gonna ruin my chances of getting to know you with a lame-ass pick-up line, come on...that's already me being better than most guys out there, you gotta give me some credit. But hey, I did mention it during the wedding,"

"You said you're trying to remember!" She points her index finger accusingly, to which Jungkook managed to catch teasingly just in time. 

"That's included in the zero-point-one percent,"

...

How is he doing that? It's still refreshing how he managed to switch her seriousness into a complete laughing mess of a woman, then a fluttering, blushing unicorn after! And every time she stared at him, she kept forgetting that they weren't alone in that pub. As if it's only the two of them in such a big space. 

She tried giving him - and herself - the ideal excuse for her actions but she didn't think he'd be so clever at countering it with a sensible, acceptable answer. Lisa knew he's already proving to be better than she thought he was - no one's ever this honest and blunt, just to ask her out. And in that case, he's already one step above the man who broke her heart. 

"So...breakfast..." He asked when they reached the front of her apartment. His heady gaze didn't change despite her small laughs.

"When?"

"Tomorrow,"

"But you're working late. Won't you be tired?"

"See, I'll never forget this...the first moment when you started caring for me," See? It's that easy to make me laugh! "I don't wanna skip a few days. You might hop away again,"

"I do not hop!"

"We can argue about it tomorrow at breakfast. I'll pick you up at eight?"

"Is it not out of your way? I can just meet you there - tell me where,"

"Not happening. You might bail on me and I'd make such a big scene. Headline on the news - Crying Good-Looking Male Strips Off in Public for Being Ghosted Twice,"

Lisa forgot when she had ever laugh this much in a single night. "The whole town will go on a manhunt and I'd have to move to a different city,"

"I'll start putting posters out for rewards to find you,"

"You don't have my picture,"

"I'll draw it out. Did I tell you that I draw amazingly well?"

She shook her head. 

"I do. And it's easier since I already memorized every feature of your face now. Before, it was only from the side but thankfully..." He slowly raise a palm up and rests it on her right cheek. Faintly, she felt his thumb rubbing softly and ever so lightly just below her eye. "Now I can see you clearly. I think I'll remember the way you look at me for a very long time, Lisa,"

Her heart beats fast and loud. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that Jeon Jungkook is not the right guy to fall for, she knew she had already fallen. She likes him...and she likes his possibilities. She likes him more than that night at the club, and more than that evening at Chaeyoung's wedding. 

"Three dates," She frowned a little, not quite understanding. "If you can't decide now...I'm asking for three dates. I promise there'll be no hard feelings if you still think I'm no good for you. Just don't disappear from me until after. Please?" If the pleading is not already obvious in his voice, it's shown in his eyes. 

It made her feel so wanted...so needed. So in control. "I'll give you five," She smiled.

...