Erased (Chaelisa Au)

Chapter 6: X Day (Part 2)

"What ideas?"

"I thought she could stay with us for a while, but I live in a small house with a big family. I'm already having a hard time keeping up with the team, my studies, and working a part time job to help out, I don't think I could have done much to support her for an extended period of time."

"Yeah, I understand why she shut your idea down, Romeo." Lisa replied before taking a deep breath. "Besides, you couldn't have done that alone and the step-monster would have called the police on you for kidnapping."

"You're methods seem to be working though." Suho then noted.

"What methods? I haven't done anything yet."

Suho chuckled. "We have the same classes in the morning. Chaeyoung's late because  she spends a lot of time trying to cover up the bruises." he said in a low tone. "Always during the first days of the week too because  the step-monster won't lay a finger on her until the weekend so that the marks she leaves behind would have time to heal too. She's all about appearances, that one. Things I've learned that I think you should take note of. This means Chaeyoung will try to avoid people at all cost too during these times of the week, she doesn't want people looking to closely. But you smile at her at the hall as you pass each other by in between classes and she acknowledges you. That's something."

"I did see the fresh version of the bruises." Lisa then pointed out, doing her best not to growl as the very memory of it made her blood boil over.

"Even more impressive then. She immediately started pushing me away after I found out." Suho admitted. "I only wanted to help her. Besides, I saw you leaving Mr. Taeyang's office earlier."

"So?" Lisa asked, trying to keep a mask of indifference.

Suho shrugged. "I figured it could be Chaeyoung related. I considered asking his help bet never got the courage to do so. I was too scared he'd think it was me."

"Well, lucky me. I suppose my beauty face discouraged him from suspecting me." Lisa deadpanned but Suho shook his head.

"Manoban, everyone knows you're beautiful innocent but badass. I just never believed it myself."

"What do you mean?"

"Uh, that time you punched Xiumin in seventh grade and broke his nose for trying to cop a feel on Jennie during Spirit Week. Everyone knows that. The cutting classes bit, skipping out on detention, all of it. Everyone knows. Teachers both in middle school and high school included. Rumor has it the words 'your problem now' were used."

Lisa simply shrugged at what Suho said. Those days were long gone now.

"But still, thank you. Whether you sought help or not." Suho then said before standing up to leave.

This time Lisa let him.

He'd been helpful enough.

The rest of the day slipped by rather quickly. Lisa stayed on alert to spot Chaeyoung as they left school to catch up to her so that they could walk home together.

Chaeyoung noticed Lisa keeping the same pace as her when she finally caught up but didn't say much of anything. She just looked at Lisa expectantly, as if she was waiting for her to say something.

"What?" Lisa asked, confused as to what Chaeyoung could possibly be expecting her to say.

"Nothing." Chaeyoung replied. "What do you want Lisa?"

"Nothing much, I thought we could walk home together. I just realized you live about two blocks away from me." Lisa answered truthfully as her mind pieced together that Chaeyoung must have been expecting her to say something about what happened Saturday.