Beyond Friendship: Hidden bonds

Bridging the Distance

Jennie’s POV

It was 11 o'clock in the morning when I wandered into the kitchen, planning to make something quick for breakfast. To my surprise, there was already a simple breakfast waiting for me: noodles and coffee. Next to it, a note:

Good morning, Jennie. I’m sorry for my behavior last night. I shouldn’t have acted that way. I made some noodles and coffee for you. I wanted to make something more special, but… well, I think you already know that I can’t cook. Please accept this as my apology. I hope you can forgive me.

I couldn’t help but smile. Lisa was really something. Sweet and thoughtful, even if she had her walls up. I didn’t know why she had been so guarded last night, but that only made me more determined. “Just wait, Manoban,” I murmured, “I’ll break down those walls of yours one day.”

Just then, I jumped at the sound of a small cough behind me.

“Cough, cough…”

“Oh, Lisa! You scared me!” I said, clutching my chest dramatically.

“Sorry.”

“For what?”

“For both making you jump and… for last night.”

I grinned, a little mischievously. “Oh, you think an apology note will be enough?”

Her face shifted, looking genuinely apologetic. “I really am sorry, Jennie. I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”

“Anything?” I raised an eyebrow, acting more serious than I felt.

“Yeah. I owe you one, I guess.”

“Alright, I’ll remember that,” I teased, thinking of all the ways I could use this in the future.

---

Afternoon

After breakfast, Lisa asked for help setting up her own condo. It was only a short walk from mine, so we spent most of the day there organizing her things. As I expected, Lisa had brought a ton of stuff with her—mainly books, art supplies, and a surprising collection of paints and canvases. It was a bit exhausting, but we actually had fun. She was more talkative today, and I got to know a few things about her, like how she loves painting and spends hours working on her art.

She was still reserved, but it felt like progress. By the end of the day, we were sitting on her couch, just flipping through channels and chatting. Lisa had invited me to stay for dinner, which was sweet of her, but of course, we’d have to order out since cooking wasn’t her strong suit.

“Jennie?”

“Yeah?” I glanced over at her.

“I really wanted to cook for you, you know.” She said it so sincerely that I had to hold back a laugh.

“Thank goodness you didn’t!” I replied, giving her a playful nudge.

She blinked, surprised. “Huh?”

“I mean, I didn’t want to be stuck here eating burnt food,” I teased, sticking out my tongue. “You’re better off mastering noodles before you move on to anything else.”

“You’re mean,” she muttered, though there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

“Oh, I’m just joking,” I said, patting her arm. “Don’t worry, one day you’ll be an amazing cook and make the most delicious food for me.”

I winked at her playfully, and her face turned a faint shade of pink. It was cute, really, but I was too engrossed in the TV to notice much else. Lisa fell quiet, still watching me, a thoughtful expression on her face.