BLIND DATE [LISRENE]

I'm Afraid to Sleep Alone

They hadn't even eaten dinner yet when Mrs. Bae called to say, "I didn't cook any food for you today, so don't return home. Anyhow, you're married now so you can stay at Miss Lisa's place."

Irene was stunned, "Mom, you won't even let me go home?"

Mrs. Bae replied back in a righteous and firm tone, "Miss Lisa's place is your home now."

Then Irene heard a beeping sound, indicating that the other party had hung up.

Fine! If you don't want me to go back then I just won't!

"Don't leave, I want to make you something for dinner." Lisa said to Irene after she got off the phone with Mrs. Bae.

Irene thought, well, since I don't have a home anymore and I'm going to stay here anyway, might as well eat something first.

"Make whatever, I'm not picky."

Lisa paused when she saw Irene's unhappy expression, her fingers twitched and she had an urge to pinch Irene's cheeks. However, rationally won out in the end and her arms obediently stayed at her sides.

Lisa didn't know what Irene liked so she made four dishes and a pot of soup. Two of the dishes were vegetarian and the other two were meat dishes. During lunch, she had noticed that Irene ate over half of the braised pork dish, so she made one as well.

"Whaa... it's delicious..." Irene's narrowed in happiness as she chewed, "You're even better than my mother at cooking!"

Lisa smirked.

"Oh but don't tell her that or she'll hit me."

Lisa said softly, "I can tell Mrs. Bae really loves you dearly..."

Irene understood Lisa's words and said, "Didn't I tell you earlier to treat my family like your family? My mother likes you a lot. If she didn't, then she would've set me up with another blind date already."

Lisa, "...(◔_◔)..."

Irene had ate a little too much that night, when she stood in front of the long mirror, she poked her waist, "I have a bad feeling that I'm going to wake up with two extra pounds tomorrow."

Lisa glanced at her slender waist from a distance then quickly looked away again, not daring to let her gaze linger, "You should eat more, you're too skinny."

Irene pouted, "What do you mean 'too' skinny? Just you wait, when we live together in the future, I'm going to grow fast just from eating your cooking."

However, Lisa had already stopped listening after Irene spoke two words, 'live together' and all the phrase echoed and repeated itself in her ears. It made her feel like all of this was just a pleasant dream.

They finished cleaning up the dishes and then she decided to watch a movie together. Sitting on the sofa, Lisa kept an eye on the clock. Around eight o'clock Lisa gently tapped the sleepy Irene on the shoulder.

"It's getting late, I'll drive you home."

The Irene who just woke up, felt confused, "What?"

Although she was reluctant to see Irene go, Lisa repeated her words.

Irene looked at her impatiently, "We're married now, why would you want to kick me out?"

Lisa froze.

Irene laid back down on the sofa while pulling her hair free from its ponytail. "You can't take me home anyways. My mother called and told me to stay with you tonight."

Lisa, "...(◔_◔)..."

Thinking about it, they were both married now and there was no law stating they couldn't live together. So why would Lisa want to drive her back? Irene thought about this and frowned.

This was the first time she had anybody over, so Lisa didn't have another bed ready for Irene. Currently, she was contemplating whether or not she should sleep on the sofa and then Irene could take the bed.

Irene stumbled out of the shower, wiping her hair and mumbling, "Why is your water so hot, my skin is all burned red now..."

The bathrobe she wore was Lisa's which one size too big and tied loosely at the waist, revealing her delicate and slender neckline, the skin slightly blushing from the heat of the shower.

Lisa watched, dumbfounded at the scene in front of her.

Irene was scalded by the hot water earlier, and anxiously said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and help me if I really did get burned or not."

Lisa blinked, then walked over, her face burning red, "W- Where did you get burned?"

Feeling aggrieved, Irene turned around and pointed, "it feels painful over here..."

Irene had pointed at a broad area in the middle of her back, when she had carelessly turned on the water, the hot water hit her back and had even caused her to cry out in pain earlier.

Lisa lifted her hand and gently parted Irene's hair, while watching for any changes in Irene's pained expression.

"I'll go get the medical cream, can you take your bathrobe off first?" Lisa said softly.

Irene said nothing as she undone the string and let the bathrobe fall halfway down to her waist.

Hearing nothing from the person behind her, Irene looked back, "What are you waiting for? Do you want me to take it all off?"

Lisa's face turned a deep shade of red and she hurried out the door.

Irene walked over and sat on the bed, fiddling with her bathrobe as her, the pain on her back making her very uncomfortable.

Lisa came back and sat down next to her, rubbing the cream onto her back without saying a word. Looking at the once snow white back now burning red, Lisa felt quite distressed at the sight.

"Owww... it hurts... be more gentle..." Irene shouted with tears gathering in her eyes.

Lisa sighed.

After applying the medicine, Irene mumbled softly,

"I miss my home... I miss mom..."

Lisa looked at her with a complicated expression, "You can sleep here tonight, I'll sleep on the couch."

Irene frowned and tilted her head, "Why would you sleep on the couch?"

Lisa looked at her confusedly.

Irene, "Sleep with me, I'm afraid to sleep alone..." she wasn't lying, she was afraid of sleeping alone in an unfamiliar and strange environment.

Lisa, "...(◔_◔)..."

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