Jungkook now knows that 'Jennie Kim' is the other girl who was there with Lalisa and Jisoo at the café previously. Her eyes looked much fiercer when she first found the three at the door (looking almost like an angry cat) but when Jisoo came forward and introduced Jungkook to her, she calmed (a little). 

Jisoo was surprised too to see him there. So much so that she couldn't help her gasps of, "Well, how's this for a Soulite plot twist of the century? There's even more of you now, huh?"

"You owe me a vintage Chanel. I lost that bet cus of you," Jennie hissed when they invited the three in, rolling her eyes as if Jungkook was the enemy over her lost items. 

Kim Jennie's house looks and smells antique. There are cupboards almost everywhere, with a lot of bronze and silver-looking somewhat ornaments. It kind of looks like a collector's gallery of some sort, and he wonders where her family got these things from. 

"Her father works at the harbour...lifting shipped containers to the Soulites...and bringing little souvenirs back to Heulg," Jisoo gave a hinting smile when she spotted him studying a set of expensive-looking silver-plated cordial glasses. "Why are you here, Jungkook-ssi?"

"I um..." He glanced around. Chaeyoung and Jaehyun is still stuck by the door, while Jennie is leaning by the wooden panel - an entrance to another room. "Can we um...talk privately, maybe?"

"You're not planning on hitting on me, are you? I may not look it, but I am older than you," She chuckled.

"Of course not, noona. I'm already taken, anyway," He sighed with an embarrassed smile, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"I know, kid...I'm just messing with you," She giggled more. "Jen, can you entertain these two while I..." She gestures her head to the room facing Jennie. 

"What am I - a clown? What am I supposed to do with them??" Jennie whined and it almost made him laugh. 

"I don't know - talk, maybe?? You guys do talk...do you?" She asked Chaeyoung and Jaehyun. 

His friends nodded warily. It's partly a good thing that Jackson managed to intimidate Chaeyoung back there. She's been wrapped up in silence ever since...a change that is good for Jungkook in this particular moment, he thought. 

Once he's in the small kitchen, Jisoo offered him a seat. He dipped his head like the good boy that he is when she placed a glass of water in front of him, right before he asks, "Where's Ji-yoon?"

"Upstairs," She sits at the opposite. "It's her nap time,"

He muttered an 'ahh' with a slow nod.

"You're not here to gloat, are you? I'm thankful that you stepped in for Lalisa that day...but my appreciation is hardly worth a visit -"

"No, of course not," He laughs nervously. "The gloating, I mean. Sorry I showed up here unannounced. Lalisa..." 

He thought he had it all planned out earlier. What he was going to say...and asks...but saying Lalisa's name again in front of her good friend makes him feel a little sentimental, and all of those practices have somehow disappeared. 

"Lisa...she told me that she sent you here before and I'm wondering...have you seen her?"

Jisoo's little frown reflects that of amusement. "Not since she left to send you to the hospital, no. Why? Has she been skipping her classes?"

Oh...so she wouldn't know... The hope that was kept strongly in his chest is starting to scatter. Jungkook felt like he's reached a dead end with this. He doesn't know anyone else that can provide him with an answer - the only person he knows that is connected to her is this girl in front of him and she seems unaware of what has happened to the 'little monster'.

"It can't be Suho...heard he's hiding from some people..."

"Hiding? Why?"

"Lisa..." The smile is secretive. "Can be quite persuasive..." Well, I know that much! "And she is resourceful - always planning ahead of time. She's easily disrupted too," What's with all these hinting looks? "You're not that bright, are you?" She chuckled. "Lisa always keeps her promise, Jungkook-ssi. If she ever threatens you with something, you should keep that in mind,"

"Oh..." She threatened to break my fingers before...but she probably let it slide cus I complied...

"Jungkook-ssi...can I give you a little advice?" He looks back up to the elder's face. "If Lisa didn't show up, it's cus she doesn't want to. It's very simple. I know it must be hard to accept...I can see that you like her. But you and her...well...you're you. And she's...complicated. I'm sure with your kind of reputation back at home, you won't want to be associated with complications...right? You're a good Soulite...you deserve to be with someone who are just like you," 

Why does it feel like I've heard this before? Not exactly word by word, but the same type of sentiments given in kind ambiguity? "Is that what she told you?"

The girl sighed and he knew by heart that he's right. Well, at least she spoke about me! That means something, right? 

"She said you're a nice boy. You're a really nice boy that looking at you constantly trying makes her heart soft and squishy. Now in a normal world, that would've sounded like a perfect beginning of a love story...but in Lisa's world...it made her confused and wary. She didn't come and stay this long to find love, Jungkook-ssi. She came for a redemption...a recovery -"

"So you knew about her eomma?"

Jisoo pursed her lips and frowned - probably surprised to know that he knew about it too. Those details about what Lalisa feels about him is somewhat fluttering but it isn't enough to soothe his worry. It isn't assurance that he wants. It's her. I only want to see her.

"Do you know what she planned to do if she ever sees the woman?"

"She only wants to see her, Jungkook-ssi. She wants to see what her mother looks like...and maybe asks her if there's a reason for her being thrown away -"

"She almost hurt her, noona,"

Jisoo's eyes widened instantly. "She...she met her?"

"I wouldn't say 'met'. It's more like what you said...she wanted to see her...and indeed, she saw her,"

"Were you with her? Did she blacked out again?! Tell me - where was it? Did you see her taking any pills before??" Jisoo leaned forward all too sudden that it made him flinch.

"Blacked out?" Pills - what pills?? Is it the medications that Doctor Oh mentioned? "She...is she really sick, noona?" 

He now noticed how the woman's eyes had gotten a little teary. All this time, Jungkook refused to believe that Lalisa is sick. Not when he heard it at the hospital...and not when the Dean said 'unwell'. Sure, he wondered about it but it's easily dismissed in his mind! But looking at her good friend now, he realized that it must've been just that. Because what else can explain the kind of aggression that took over his girl?

"How sick? Like mentally -"

"She's not insane and don't you dare call her that!" She got up from her chair abruptly, folding her arms across her chest as she starts pacing in front of him. "She's perfectly aware of her condition. Why do you think she walks in and out of your uni preferring to be unknown - it's cus she's easily irritable! She blacks out whenever she gets too angry - you've seen it! With Suho -"

"That was her blacking out?? But she was fine after - she came to me and she...she brought me -"

"Why did you think I asked her to stop before? The verbal attacks are the warning and oh, I don't know the science of it! How it stopped or - or what comes after! I just know that she has these pills to take - it's to help with the mood and impulse, ohh...my baby Lili..." She now squats down on the floor, hiding her face in her palms. 

Mood...impulse...so she could really break my fingers, huh? And Chae, she could really hurt her too... He doesn't know how to feel about this information. A part of him is in awe over the fact that Lalisa managed to kept herself patient at school all this while...but another part is numb - as if he's close to feel how she felt when she trashed her mother's house. Slowly, Jungkook forced himself out of the revelry and got up to sit in front of the elder. If this is the only place he can count on, he needs to try his best to get anything at all. 

"Noona..." He pats on her shoulder lightly. "I need to find her...that's why I'm here. I was with her at the time and they took her away from me. I just want to see her...to see that she's okay. But I can't do that without your help..." With all his heart, he pleads. "Please...I just need something...anything at all. You want to know if she's alright too, don't you?"

. . .

His heart is thumping like it's nobody's business. After forcing Jaehyun and Chaeyoung to leave him here, he stares at the white-painted gate for a good 5 minutes. It's nothing for them to worry about, he thought, since they're back in Geum. 

When he pressed on the bell, a voice appeared on the small intercom that's attached to the pillar - just beside the gate. He mentioned his name and that he's looking for Lalisa, then he was asked to wait. Jisoo had given him this address...the address of her house in Geum. She wasn't quite sure if Lalisa would even be here but Jungkook thanked her nevertheless - promising that he'll come back once he's gotten any news. 

The gate opens automatically and a familiar face came out to greet him. 

"Yes?" (Maybe not a friendly greet!). There's a slight frown on Bam's face, but Jungkook tells himself to not be intimidated. Why should I - her parents asked you to look out for her and you clearly failed!

"I'm not sure if you recognize me...I'm Lalisa's friend? I was with her 5 days ago, I was there -"

"Sure. Why are you here?"

Okay, maybe 'a little intimidated' is fine! "Is Lalisa here? I've been looking for her and -"

"She's not. You can leave now,"

"Wait!" He grabbed the guy's jacket to stop him from walking off. "You took her from the station, I saw you! Tell me where I can find her, please! I just need to see if she's alright -"

"Bam," A much older woman came out and called. She's wearing a floral-patterned blouse and from the looks on her face, he knew that it's her mother. It's the concerned lines, not the resemblance. "Who is it?" 

"It's -"

"I'm Jungkook! Jeon Jungkook!" He races past Bam and towards the woman. "I'm Lalisa's boy...friend - I'm Lalisa's friend!" Oh God, this is a nightmare! Why am I such a nervous wreck?? "I'm her friend...the one with her at that house 5 days ago?" 

The woman clipped her mouth into a straight line and looks at Bam. It seems that they're exchanging hinting looks with one another before the woman says, "Ask Amy to prepare some tea, will you?" 

. . .

Jungkook has never prayed internally so hard before. It feels like he's walking on a very thin thread...even though the stoned pavements are quite solid beneath his feet. He wondered why he wasn't invited into the house like any other normal guests would be treated in his lifetime, and he concluded that it's because Lalisa is in there, somewhere. 

He was led to a small patio at the back by walking around the big house, not through. The yard is  spacious and the grass smells like it's just been freshly cut. The woman sits in front of him in complete silence until tea arrives, served by a foreign-looking girl. She must be 'Amy'. 

Laugh at Jungkook all you want, but he is determined to lock every faces and names associated with Lalisa from now on. He thought that it will definitely help to know more people who's connected to her, one way or another. 

"Jeon Jungkook, right?"

"Lisa calls me Jungkook -" He was going to end it with 'ahjumma' but quickly realized that it might sound insulting to the lady, since she might not know the terms of acknowledgement around here. "Ma'am," I read that word in a novel before.

"Right...you can call me 'ahjumma'...I don't mind," Oh! "I'm probably as old as your mother, Jungkook-ssi. 'Jungkook-ssi'...that's what she calls you, right?"

Jungkook probably beamed too much at the fact that Lalisa has told this woman about him but he didn't care. "Are you um...are you her mother?"

"Yes..." She smiles. "Yes, I am,"

He sighed in relief to finally be talking to the right person. "She um...she told me about you. She said you always packed her a chicken sandwich for school when she was little,"

Mrs Manobal's small smile reflects a hint of humility and he can't help but notice how poised she is. From the way she sits to how she stirs her tea, she looks like a complete 'lady'. Quite the opposite of her daughter, but this is not him complaining. 

"She must've trusted you enough to speak about her home to you. Bam told me she doesn't have that many friends here...only 2...and then there's you," 

"I only got to know her a month and a half ago, ahjumma. But we're classmates all throughout - my eomma was her lecturer too last year! She praised Lisa often...your daughter is very smart, ahjumma. And wise too!" He may be forcing it too much, but he needs to get on her mother's good side. He has to. It's probably the only way for him to get a chance to see her again...and more after.

"That's nice to hear...it's always nice to hear good things about my babygirl," The elder sighed down a few small laughs before she looks back up to him. "I wonder what your mother thinks of her now?"

Jungkook couldn't find an answer for that question, simply because he's not quite sure about it too. His 'eomma' seems to let the whole 'I'll still look for her' debacle go, but he knew she still has her reservations about it. 

"So why are you here, Jungkook-ssi?"

Jungkook takes a deep breath before he reveals his honesty. "I need to see her, ahjumma. I need to see Lisa. I need to know that she's okay...and if she..." ...wants to see me. Keep seeing me. If she misses me the way I'm missing her.

"She is fine, my dear. Will my word on it be enough?"

He clipped his mouth together, still frowning as he battles with his refusing chest. Of course it's not enough, but can I even tell her that it's not enough?? This is her mother...there should be a line drawn somewhere on what I can or can not say...

"Jungkook-ssi," Mrs Manobal shifts slightly in her seat. "Do you know about her condition?"

"I um...I heard from her friend about it...just today,"

"What did her friend say?"

"That she blacks out...when she gets too angry. And she has pills to calm her down," He gulps a little air. She said it's nice to hear good things about her 'babygirl'...this is not a nice thing to be hearing, I'm sure.

"The doctors said it's Intermitten Explosive Disorder...or at least, very similar to it. The outbursts...aggressive impulsions...the violent behaviour, they all occur with no thoughts to consequences. Do you know what that means, Jungkook-ssi?"

He kept his silence.

"It means that during these...episodes...she's considered temporarily...deranged. Crazy, if you can understand it -"

"She's not crazy! I can understand that she's sick, but she is not crazy!"

Her mother pursed her lips at his sudden agitation. Jungkook takes a deep breath and rests back on the chair after realizing that he might be thrown out right this second. 

"Do you know why her real mother can't press any charges on her? Aside from the fact that she'll be embarrassed for life over it, of course," He shakes his head. "It's because Lisa can not be indicted under the usual criminal law...because she was legally, mentally ill at the time the offenses was committed,"

"Legally?"

"We have the doctor's notes from 4 years back, Jungkook-ssi,"

4...4 years?? So she's been sick for 4 years - "How..." His breathing quickened at this revelation. "How could you let her move here...be here...on her own - knowing that she's...just how -"

"Jungkook-ssi -"

"She doesn't even have any food in her fridge - do you know that?? She - she's always alone - and she -"

"Jungkook-ssi, I don't think you're at a place where you can tell me what I already know. Now...do you want to listen or are you going to keep questioning the love and trust I have for my own daughter?"

. . .