Erased (Chaelisa Au)

Chapter 13: Repeated Scenes

A/N: I don't own this story
Chaelisa moments ♥️

She had twenty four hours.

Freaking twenty four hours and that was it.

Well, more or less.

Lisa  was pacing back and forth in her room. It was fifteen past twelve, and she had just managed to sneak back into her room, making sure that the light in Chaeyoung's room was still on just like last time.

She needed to come up with a plan to save Chaeyoung, that was priority number one, otherwise she was going to die again and Lisa  just couldn't really take that happening for a third time, especially when she's got this unshakable feeling that this might just be her last chance, to save her, to save them all. This was her last revival.

She stopped for a minute to look at the crime board she made the last time she tried saving her friends, now fully updated, especially with priority number two and three, that is, make sure Baekhyun has an alibi tomorrow night and figure out who the hell Kwon ji yong is.

Lisa  chuckled, it was like she really was trying to be a hero.

Just like what she said to Sehun earlier that night.

"I'm a superhero." Lisa  had settled on as an answer to Sehun. She really couldn't tell him the uncontrollable time travel fiasco that was her Revival, Sehun would think she was insane. He could already tell that she wasn't being her usual self. "Or at least I'm trying to be one."

But Sehun, he didn't laugh. He looked at her dumbfounded.

Lisa  decided to dial it back down a little when Sehun just stood there speechless. "I just, I wanna be more like you guys. More like the best of what you are. I guess I'm afraid life would pass me by and I'll regret all the things I never got the chance to do. What if tomorrow someone I care about disappears form my life? What if tomorrow, a stranger I didn't know but could have become someone important to me is killed in an incident? You know, things like that. I wanna be braver because  I don't want to miss out, even if I have to just pretend to be brave for a while. I think the more we pretend, well, eventually things would turn out to be real."

Sehun had simply nodded back then and smiled back at Lisa  weekly. "You already are Lisa , a hero that is."

"What do you mean?" Lisa  had asked him.

"You know, I think it's funny how we see a lot of things every day in our lives but we pretend to be blind until it becomes second nature to us. Until we're all cowards because  we're more focused on ourselves."

"You've lost me Oppa." Lisa  remembered telling him. Lisa  wasn't sure what Sehun had been trying to tell her, for a brief second she even considered that maybe, maybe he knows the killer.

That maybe he knows but won't do anything to stop him.

And could it have been guilt that prompted Sehun to talk to Mr. Taeyang  to raise concern over the missing Chaeyoung that last time she's lived through this?

Lisa  felt ashamed to even consider the thought, but she had to be careful after all.

In the end, it wasn't what Sehun was talking about.

"I know about the bruises, Lisa , I've seen it too. Once or twice. I noticed it during the holidays but I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. In the end I thought it might have just been caused by an accident or at least I convinced myself. I was too afraid to speak up. But then saw, didn't you? And you acted fast. That's what you really talked about with Mr. Taeyang  then, wasn't it?" Sehun had explained.

In truth, Lisa  tensed up with that info. She didn't consider other people knowing anything.

"You know about Chaeyoung…" she had mentioned, sounding rather protective of her.

"Just the bruises. I thought it would be safer for me to keep my head down." Sehun admitted, sounding incredibly guilty. "You know more, don't you? You don't need to tell me anything, I just thought, maybe that's why you started to change more."

Lisa  had stayed silent for a moment or two before Sehun took a deep breath and took a step closer. She really didn't know what to think then. "Lisa , I'm sorry for the weird question earlier. I just wasn't sure what it was that was going on with you, and you looked incredibly shaken earlier despite trying to hide it, like you're afraid of something and you want to protect Chaeyoung."

"I do want that." Lisa  had found herself saying.

"So why were you worried?" Sehun had pressed on.

"I just have a bad feeling." Lisa  had said.

"Well, if you any help, you have me." Sehun said with a smile. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be a hero like you."

Lisa  wasn't sure what those words meant then. At the moment, she didn't know who she could trust.

She needed to think, it was gonna be a long day ahead.

So she grabbed her trusty headphones, opened up her old program and started to make a few mixes to clear her head.

She needed a concrete plan this time, play it smart.

She can't let her guard down.

But she can't do the same things she did the last time.

She knew she can't go at this alone.

"You're on probation." Lisa  said to Sehun the next morning as the two met at the playground nearby. She was still going to pick Chaeyoung up for a day out, but she decided they skip a few things for the sake of keeping her safe.

"Okay." Sehun then found himself saying while stifling a yawn, it was still six in the morning after all. "I felt a sense of urgency when you called me, that's why I showed up here as soon as you called. Also, how did you wake up so early? You're Lisa  'I hate mornings' Manoban, or is this part of the hero thing?"

"Simple, I didn't sleep." Lisa  replied. "I couldn't even if I tried."

"Why, what's wrong Lisa ?"

"I feel like something bad is gonna happen. To Chaeyoung, in particular. And that thing's happening tonight." Lisa  answered, still trying to keep things under wraps.

"That is oddly specific." Sehun noted. "Okay, and what can I do to help?"

"First, by any chance, do you know someone with the name of Kwon ji yong?"

Sehun shook his head. "No, but I know people having parts of that name."

"What do you mean?" Lisa  asked.

"Byun Yong Baekhyun. Yong is Baekhyun's middle name." he edified. "Then there's a detective named Park Ji Han. His been in contact with my dad lately, he's a lawyer you see. Mostly just asking what prosecuting someone with a particularly strange case would be like."

Stupid bastard's trying to flaunt it in our faces then… Lisa  thought as Sehun continued his explanation. "And there's a Councilman Kwon in Atlanta, Kwon Leesang. Political family I believe. My dad met him a few times before."

"What do you know about him?" Lisa  pressed on.

"Oh, not much. I think he has a daughter in Seoul  University taking a Master's Degree. Only child I believe. He's an eclectic guy and he's very peculiar about a few things from what I heard from my dad."

"So, no sons?" Lisa  then asked and Sehun shook his head. "Nephews?"

"No sons. As for nephews, I don't know." Sehun replied. "Why?"

"Uh, nothing much." Lisa  then gave as an excuse. "The name popped up somewhere, I must have just misunderstood what I heard or something."

Sehun nodded, accepting what Lisa  said. "So, is there a second thing?"

"I kind of need your help with something a little bit crazy." Lisa  replied, sounding unsure of herself, but it was the only thing she could come up with.

She wasn't sure how changing things, whether to the extreme or not, could affect how events unfolded. She did change a few things the last time during her first Revival to this time, but she still needed up stuck in the loop of the kidnappings and murders.

So this time, Lisa  thought, she wasn't going to settle with changing things.

Instead, she would focus on controlling the circumstance of the things that unfold before her.

"Is it something crazy enough that it might just work?" Sehun then asked as a joke and when he saw Lisa  was indeed serious, he cleared his throat and adopted a more serious tone as well. "Lisa , I told you, I'm, here to help. The answer hasn't changed."

"Good, cause we might be facing a whole lot of trouble with this. Good thing your dad's a lawyer, huh?" Lisa  then replied before planning things out with Sehun.

The rest of the day turned out to be about the same. After talking things through with Sehun, she swung by to pick up Chaeyoung, the two going around town just like the last time. Lisa  actively chose different places to go, however, and different shops to enter. She wanted so much to enjoy this time with Chaeyoung, and in some moments she would, she would forget of what was waiting ahead of them and get lost in the lightness that she felt, in the shining blue of Chaeyoung's eyes, or that light smile playing at the corner of her lips. She's started changing too, Lisa  could tell, from how she was since the last few months when she had been drowning in her own inescapable sorrows.

But it was the same thoughts that made her vigilant, making her look around her shoulder, and pay close attention to what was going on around them.

They stayed out a bit longer, as Sehun planned with Lisa , and when it was time to go back home for the dinner party, Lisa  had asked Sehun to drag Jennie with him and pick Chaeyoung up at the ice cream parlor she had planned on going that afternoon.

She'd ask only Sehun, but truth be told, Lisa  still wasn't so sure if she trusted him or not. She hasn't had the chance to look into the info she got form Sehun, and Lisa  wasn't entirely sure if any of them were true, but she did know that she wanted to.

Sehun looked totally broken when Baekhyun got arrested the first time around. They had been childhood friends even though Baekhyun grew more painfully shy and Sehun had become more outgoing. They still hung out but not as frequent as they used to.

So Lisa  wanted to hold out to that hope that Sehun wasn't putting an act on.

That it wasn't him.

Still, she figured having Jennie as a buffer wouldn't be so bad.

The sun had just set when the two finally met up with Chaeyoung and Lisa  herself. "I don't get it, where you going right now, Lisa ?" Jennie had asked when they arrived. "Your dad's expecting you home soon."

"I… well, I just realized I forgot something at school." Lisa  then said.

"Do you really need it now?" Jennie asked as Chaeyoung turned to look at her curiously.

Lisa  took a deep breath. "Yes, it's kind of important. It can't wait tomorrow." she replied, wanting to imply that what she needed to get had something to do with the party.

More than that, she was hoping that Jennie would think she forgot Chaeyoung's birthday gift.

"Oh, okay. Sure. Just hurry up will you?" Jennie then replied. "We'll wait for you here instead."

Lisa  looked at Jennie with her brows furrowed together. She didn't get why she would be too stubborn…

…oh, wait, yes you do… the surprise for the party decorations and stuff, she doesn't want to ruin it for me and Chaeyoung…

So Lisa  simply nodded and ran as fast as she could to the place she was actually heading too.

She had already prepared the piece of paper earlier, all she needed was to find a huge piece of rock she could wrap the paper around.

Lisa  used the dimly lit street outside of the Byun's main office as she found her perfect piece of rock and enacted her plan. She tossed the rock towards one of the windows on the first floor where she could still see the lights on. In exactly two minutes, she saw Baekhyun's dad rushing outside, he looked about ready to leave himself by the way he was dressed so nicely, followed by Baekhyun who was still wearing his uniform. The two were trying to figure out who could have broken their window with a note that said 'Die!'. Lisa  hid behind a corner wall to make sure she isn't seen. Soon, she saw Mr. Byun call the police and Lisa  breathed a sigh of relief.

Baekhyun didn't have an alibi last time because  he was working alone that night, with his father having left him to cover undoubtedly cover his own shift or finish up some work he was going to leave behind that night.

So Lisa  decided to make sure that Baekhyun had a solid alibi.

And what better witnesses to support him but the police themselves. Lisa  wasn't sure how long they'll look into the whole incident, but she was hoping they'll keep popping back and forth to try and resolve the matter for the next few days or so. As soon as she could hear the sirens coming her way, Lisa  made a run for it through a few short cuts she knew.

The party ended up starting close to an hour later but Lisa  didn't mind.

She got to celebrate her birthday with Chaeyoung once again. She made sure to ruin the killer's plan of using Baekhyun as the fall guy for his intended murders, particularly for the one he was planning that night, and she made sure that the place he was planning to kill Chaeyoung in would be currently occupied by the police.

Score one for Lisa .

And Lisa  made sure to take comfort in the little things too. She had a flash drive ready in her pocket for her back to school excuse earlier, claiming that it was what she had forgotten. She tossed in a playlist for Chaeyoung with the gloves she had gotten her for her birthday. They exchanged gifts, had fun, and she even allowed Sehun to let them watch one of the movies he got instead. Lisa  wasn't really paying much attention to it, her mind still preoccupied by many thoughts.

She knew, without a doubt, the next few steps she took would determine Chaeyoung's fate.

And she also knew that she had now second chances left.

Lisa  stole a glance at Sehun as they watched, and while pretending to be interested in the movie himself, Sehun gave her a thumbs up.

Towards the end of the night, Dr. Manoban asked if they could take a picture together, and this time Lisa  didn't relent, she didn't pretend to be annoyed. Instead she asked for a few shots instead of just one, and she made sure she smiled.

Because  this time she wanted a picture worthy of lasting until the day they could all reminisce the moment together one day down the line.

A memory with no regrets, no guilt, no sadness.

Was Lisa  sure her plan would work? Hell no.

But this was the best one she could come up with the night before.

It was risky, but she's lived this day one too many times already, she lived the coming days far too many times too.

So she was banking on what she knew would have happened and decided to use it.

She didn't forget her jacket this time as she walked out her door, holding Chaeyoung's hand in her own.

They were at an intersection, just a block away from Chaeyoung's house, when Lisa  stopped on her tracks. Chaeyoung looked at her curiously, trying to get a read of her, and before Lisa  could even voice out what it was she wanted to say, Chaeyoung asked her question. "Lis , what's going on? You've been acting a bit out of it."

"Oh, just… just have a lot on my mind… but that's not important." Lisa  replied. She wasn't sure how Chaeyoung would react to what she would ask, considering this little idea of her came from Suho 's own rash of a plan that he once admitted to her.

"Chaeyoung…" Lisa  started to say before Chaeyoung could even press on about what's going on in her mind. "Chaeyoung, would you mind if I kidnapped you?"

Chaeyoung looked at Lisa  half-surprised and half-curious at what Lisa  was getting at. They stood there in silence for a few seconds, Chaeyoung still trying to figure if Lisa  was even serious about what she was saying or if she even understood what it was she was saying.

But Lisa  didn't falter, she looked straight into Chaeyoung's eyes and stayed as calm as she could, waiting for a reply with an unwavering faith that she would say yes.

Chaeyoung smiled. "I'm guessing asking me to run away with you is just too clichéd?"

"Yes, and well, it might not be the smartest of ideas." Lisa  replied.

"And this is?" Chaeyoung then asked.

"Do you trust me?" Lisa  asked in return and Chaeyoung nodded within a heartbeat. "Then believe in me when I say this is the only idea I have that I think might work."

"You don't have to ask me to believe you Lisa ." Chaeyoung then answered.

"So, can I kidnap you?" Lisa  followed up and Chaeyoung chuckled.

"Yes." she replied instantly.

"Where are we going exactly?" Chaeyoung then asked as they wondered through the trails of the woods near their school. "You haven't gotten us lost, right?"

"No. Remember, I was the troublemaker. I know a lot of shortcuts no matter how questionable they may be thanks to the days when I sued to sneak out." Lisa  then said. "Don't worry about my dad," she added, beating Chaeyoung who was just about to ask her something, "I told him I'm planning to take a walk with you before dropping you off."

Chaeyoung simply nodded. "Okay, but where are we going?" she then asked again as she noticed they passed by the trail that leads to their school.

"The private academy close by." Lisa  then replied finally stopping just outside an abandoned bus that was parked close by the entrance of the trails leading through the entrance of the academy.

"Ah, finally, you guys made it." Lisa  heard Sehun say as he stared dragging a wagon with him.

"Did you get Sana home safely?" Lisa  asked.

"Yeah, we ran into her brother so I passed her off to him. I decided to head straight here and start setting things up." he replied, opening the front doors and taking a gallon of what seemed to be gasoline and a few a box of supplies from the wagon.

"You dragged Sehun into this?" Chaeyoung asked her sounding worried and Lisa  simply shrugged.

"Oh, he volunteered." she replied, ushering Chaeyoung inside.

"I have a friend who attends the academy, we call him Bambam. He's on the ice hockey team. There's a trail that leads to their stadium through the woods so they use to take it as a shortcut and this old bus was already perfectly situated here so they used it as their club room for a while. They don't use it anymore now that they have a proper place but they already had it set-up so I told Lisa  it would be easy to get it all ready for you." Sehun explained as they entered.

Sure enough the bus had a few seats already taken off. One side was filled to the brim with boxes all covered in cloth, with a few hockey sticks cluttering the driver's seat. There was some kind of heating system installed that was powered by gasoline towards the back, with a mini shelf for a portable burner stove with a tea kettle on the opposite side of it. The back seat looked to be upholstered and made more spacious and comfortable, throw pillows were scattered about with a small table in the middle, and a heavy drape was set in the middle of the bus so that they could be pulled shut and the back half would remain private. The windows were all covered with curtains too and the back door of the bus was shut close, turned into some kind of cabinet to store more hockey sticks but all it had then was one stick, a puck, and a pair of old skates. The place was currently being dimly lit by a small lamp on the table.

"I have a box of cup noodles and some bottles of water for stock for now. Just close the drapes shut and don't open for anyone. If either Lisa  or I would swing by, we'll knock three times to let you know it's us. Not a lot of people know this bus exists or that the doors actually still work so I'm wouldn't expect much visitors." Sehun then went on.

"And I'll swing by before school. Oppa and I will check on you in the afternoon to make sure you're okay." Lisa  then said.

Chaeyoung simply nodded, taking it all in before turning to look at Lisa . "Thank you." she said. "You didn't have to do all of this for me."

Lisa  shook her head. "Whether that's true or not doesn't matter. I want to do this, Chaeyoung, and Oppa does too. Don't worry about anything, I promise, we'll protect you. I'll protect you."

Chaeyoung once again nodded, looking glassy eyed. Sehun bid his farewell soon and Lisa  knew she had to go back home too.

But she just couldn't stay at home either, not when she's not yet sure that Chaeyoung's actually safe.

So she bid Chaeyoung farewell with a promise to be back in two hours or so, sneaking out and setting things up so that her dad would think she just left early for school.

And when Lisa  found Chaeyoung still in the bus that night, she found that she could breathe again.

"So, what were you up to?" Lisa  asked while Chaeyoung was hurriedly shoving the yarn and unfinished gloves she's been making for Lisa  into her bag.

"Nothing much, don't really have any forms of entertainment here, now do I?" Chaeyoung replied.

Lisa  simply chuckled, emptying some of the contents of her bag, two extra blankets, some camping essentials that Chaeyoung might need, and a few more snacks.

"Honestly, Lisa , you didn't need to do this for me." Chaeyoung then said, watching Lisa  take a seat next to her on the back lounge. "Besides, won't your dad get worried if he finds out you're here."

"I've taken care of that already." Lisa  replied with a smirk. "I don't think I'll be able to sleep much tonight knowing you're here all alone."

Chaeyoung simply smiled with Lisa 's response. She has no idea what they're doing or what was going to come of it, but Lisa  did make a good point when she explained her plan on their way to the bus.

This wasn't exactly what Chaeyoung was thinking her birthday was going to go either, but she really couldn't complain much either.

She never expected Lisa  to do anything like this for her, never in a million years, no, but knowing that she cared this much for Chaeyoung…

…it made her feel like the dark days would soon be over.

It offered her hope.

"So what did you tell Sehun to convince him to help you?" Chaeyoung asked. The two of them eventually fell into an easy conversation as the night went on, sharing an earbud as they listened to some songs on Lisa 's iPod.

"I didn't tell him anything. He already knew, sort of. He noticed too… you know… He felt bad about not doing anything so when he figured out I was up to something, he offered his help." Lisa  gave as an honest reply.

Chaeyoung simply nodded, she didn't even realize that other people noticed the bruises she tried so hard to conceal. She didn't even know what to feel about that knowledge.

Because  then why didn't anyone even bother…

Lisa  noticed the sudden change in her mood after that and decided to share some stories of the kinds of trouble she got into when she used to sneak out. Mostly just to take Chaeyoung's mind off f things she'd rather not think about.

And there she was again, Lisa Manoban, oh so smoothly cheering her up and lifting her mood.

She didn't even realize when she started to doze off, but she knew at some point she did. Because  when her eyes fluttered open again, her head was already on Lisa 's lap. She's taking up most of the space on the back lounge but it didn't seem that Lisa  minded it much as she was absent-mindedly running her fingers through Chaeyoung's hair, looking out the tiny crack between the curtains covering the windows of the bus, softly humming some song.

Chaeyoung noticed the earbud she wore had already fallen down, possibly when she ended up taking the position she was in. But she didn't mind it much. Everything was quiet, peaceful, and still.

And even if they were at the back of some bus with the situation being less than ideal, Chaeyoung never felt so secured.

It almost felt like a perfect moment.

Almost.

But then Lisa  stopped humming, and Chaeyoung felt rather disappointed until she heard Lisa  started singing the next song.

She didn't even know Lisa  could sing.

Chaeyoung took a deep breath and stayed as still as she could, afraid Lisa  would stop singing if she realized that she was actually awake.

And she most definitely did not want that.

It felt selfish, but after the past few months she's had, Chaeyoung decided that she would be selfish in this moment of time. Selfish to enjoy this, the feeling of freedom from the shadow constantly looming above her, freedom to enjoy Lisa 's company in this bus, with the two of them alone in their quiet little world.

Because  it did truly feel like that, the two of them against the universe.

Chaeyoung knew she wasn't sure of what she's doing but she was trusting Lisa  with all her heart. She could tell that Lisa  was playing some kind of game and that she was going for a checkmate.

And all Chaeyoung could think of then was just how thankful she was that Lisa  found her when she did.

Because  she wasn't sure how she would have gone on for any longer

And in the end, Chaeyoung found that the last two weeks she's had with Lisa  had been the best in her life.

Chaeyoung smiled as she finally closed her eyes, she told herself she was only going to close them, she wasn't going to sleep.

She was just enjoying the feeling of relaxing for once, of not feeling so guarded.

Because  she knew it to be true.

She felt safe in Lisa 's arms

Lisa  couldn't sleep, not even a wink, even now that she had Chaeyoung by her side.

So Lisa  decided to stay awake, and watch over her for the night. Stand guard for anything all as she entertained herself with her music and absent-mindedly sang along to it as softly as she could, afraid she'll wake Chaeyoung up.

Lisa  told herself she would protect Chaeyoung this time. She had failed before, she won't again.

Not when she could see Chaeyoung smiling again, when she was relaxing again, and when Lisa  could see the light returning in her eyes.

No, she wouldn't let anyone even dare lay a finger on Chaeyoung ever again.

She would protect her until the end.

Keep her safe from her step-mother and from the killer lurking in the shadows.

She just needs to make sure that everyone's gonna do what they need to and play the part. She could do that.

Besides, living the same moment a good few times was bound to teach her a few things, right?

They'll catch him this time.

He won't win.

Lisa  told herself that she'll be careful, otherwise it will all blow up again and she can't let that happen. She couldn't because  she was dead set in protecting Chaeyoung.

In saving her friends.

Her dad.

And this might very well be her last revival, her last chance to save everyone.

Chaeyoung most specially.

No, Lisa  wasn't going to fail now.

Now when she knows how it feels like to lose the people she cared about.

To have her heart ripped right out of her chest.

No, she'll save all of them.

And she'll start by keeping Chaeyoung safe.