hell or flying | Chaelisa

Chapter 11

"Hey," Jennie greeted and stepped to the side, "Come in,"

"Thanks," I muttered under my breath as I entered the apartment.

"Chaeng!" Jisoo greeted happily as she skipped towards the door, enveloping me in a big hug - well as big as it could be considered next to me, she was practically a midget.

"Hi, Soo," I chuckled as I squeezed the writer whose arms were wrapped around my torso.

It's been a while since I've spoken to Jisoo for the first time since my sudden departure from her life, and though, our conversation wasn't as hard as it was with Jennie, it wasn't easy. There was a lot of regret on my part, a lot of self-loathing and embarrassment. And Jisoo, instead of throwing it in my face as she should've, comforted me and told me her side of the story.

She told me that though it hurt her greatly, and she was really angry at first, she never forgot about the person I was deep in my heart. She told me that despite the pain of my leaving so suddenly brought; she knew I must've had my reasons for it. And she stood by that even if everyone else ridiculed her and called her naïve (safe for Jennie, who despite not supporting her way of thinking stood by her side). The older of the two told me that even after what happened, she never stopped believing in me.

Her words made me cry for a solid hour. I felt like I didn't deserve anyone like her in my life. That after what I've done, she was supposed to shun me, just like everyone else. She was supposed to despise me and the mere thought of me. It didn't feel right that instead of the bitterness that would fade out with time for the person who didn't trust her enough; she kept an open mind and a trusting heart. I almost wanted to get mad at her for being so innocent. So kind. In this world, people often took advantage of traits like that.

Although I thought it was stupid, I was eternally grateful for the way she treated me. For staying true to our friendship, even I've given up on and kept believing in me. Not everyone would do that. And certainly, no one should. But Jisoo was always a free spirit with a mind of her own, letting no one tell her what or how to do anything. That was just one of the things that were so great about the woman that was, with surprising strength, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

Of course, she listened to my side of the story patiently and attentively, however, she didn't scold me nor looked at me with any trace of judgment. Instead, she stayed quiet throughout the entire ordeal, with a loving, understanding, and accepting smile on her lips, that transformed into a frown every time I mentioned something that didn't sit right with her. And when I finished telling my story, with glistening eyes from unshed tears (which was as emotional as I've ever seen the Korean), she pulled me into a tight hug and welcomed me home as if I've just arrived from a long vacation.

Just like when talking to Jennie, I didn't dare to mention anything about my relationship with Chanyeol. I was adamant about not letting anyone learn the truth behind our "fated love" depicted by magazines and gossip tabloids. So for that part of the "what happened in the last three years, we haven't seen each other", I kept it fairly brief.

What surprised me, though, was that although Jisoo was never once interested in my, or anyone else love life, she seemed more than just a little curious about my lawfully wedded husband. I guess the whole "arranged marriage kinda" prospect was enticing to her. For all I knew, she wanted to use it for her newest book.

I didn't want her to feel like I was keeping things from her, of course, so I had to get a little more in-depth of our relationship with her than I had to with Jennie, but I tried keeping the details to a minimum. And though I hated it, I lied straight through my teeth when she asked how, when, and whether I fell in love with him. Truth to be told, I felt as if I was at an inquiry, but I didn't complain because, well, she didn't hate me. So whatever conversations she wanted to have, she would get.