Your Hand in Mine || Chaelisa

Season 3 - 4

"Tzuyu wouldn't do that." Lisa's calm and even this morning. Chaeyoung texted her last night, right after she left Jennie's apartment, but Lisa couldn't meet with her then, instead proposing she swings by her place the next day.

Chaeyoung pours herself more coffee. Perhaps she shouldn't be drinking it. She feels rattled. Agitated. Tzuyu wouldn't be this nice to Jennie if she doesn't plan on using her to get to Chaeyoung. She just knows she wouldn't be. Tzuyu is the second most meticulous person Chaeyoung's ever met - the chances that she didn't run a background check on Jennie and find out who her closest friend was are abysmal. And why would she be so into someone who's best friends with her enemy?

Frenemy. Whatever. How does she get Lisa to understand?

"Okay," she says, more to calm herself down than to reply to Lisa. "Okay. Fine. Tzuyu wouldn't do that. Maybe. But -- Lisa, Jennie's... she's family. She can't get hurt because of me."

Lisa cocks her head to the side as she stares at Chaeyoung. "And how would becoming involved with Tzuyu possibly hurt her?"

"Uh, Tzuyu gets her to fall for her and then breaks her heart?" She tries to ignore how familiar it sounds.

Lisa scoffs. Actually scoffs. "This isn't high school. Tzuyu doesn't have time for that, Chaeyoung," she tells her. "If she wanted to hurt you, she wouldn't use your friend to do so. Or your family. She would come directly after you." She takes a small pause as she continues to watch Chaeyoung fidget in her chair. "She didn't go after your father even though technically she could," she says, then, and her eyes soften, just barely. "She knew I wouldn't do anything to her if she did. I'd be angry, but I wouldn't do anything. Not back then." before Chaeyoung has a chance to ask her to elaborate, Lisa straightens and pushes the brown bag with what smells like fresh pastries towards Chaeyoung. "Here. You should eat. And stop drinking so much coffee. I got you some green tea."

Chaeyoung looks in her cup. "I don't like tea."

"Maybe you'll like this one." She clasps her hands behind her back, frowning slightly as she - clearly - carefully considers her next words.

"I can tell how much Jennie means to you," she says. "But you don't have anything to worry about. I -- if you want to, I'll... keep an eye on her. Chances are she'll tell me about your friend herself, and soon. We're supposed to have a meeting about the new company today."

"Okay." Chaeyoung grasps her now-empty mug, just to have something to hold on to. "I -- thank you. I'm sorry I made you come here before work, I just -- I don't know what I was thinking. I just got scared."

"It happens when it comes to the ones we love," Lisa tells her quietly. Chaeyoung looks up, and their gazes meet. "I -- I should go," she says, clearing her throat. "I don't want to be late."

"You're the boss," Chaeyoung says with a smirk that feels fake on her lips. "You're allowed to be late."

"Exactly because I'm the boss, I'm not," Lisa replies with a small smirk of her own. "Don't worry about Tzuyu. I'm certain this is a coincidence."

Except Chaeyoung isn't sure if she believes in those anymore. "Yeah. Thank you again, Lisa."

"Of course." Lisa clears her throat again. "I... appreciate you letting me know about this, and... sharing your concerns," she finishes quietly. "I know it must have been hard for you."

It wasn't that hard, not really. She was afraid Lexa might lash out at having her accuse one of her people of such a scheme, but her worry for Jennie won. "Well," she says, wetting her lips. "No more secrets, right?"

"Right." Lisa's gaze falls to her lips, but she's quick to lift her eyes, meeting Chaeyoung's. "I'll see you today?"

"Yes. Of course. I wouldn't miss a session."