That One Pretty Day | A Lizkook AU

12 Minutes & 3 Hours - Pt III

"Still nothing?" She asked as soon as he sat back down.

Jeongguk shook his head, already thinking that his father might have made his mind up and there's no way for him to redeem himself now. His mother is still not picking his calls either. Shit, will he be on his own from now? Are they really giving up on him because of this issue? Maybe the shareholders are attacking his dad too much...fuck - should he start looking for a job now?! Who's gonna hire him - everyone would think that he's a total mess that even his parents couldn't tolerate -

"Distract me,"

"Hmm?"

"I need you to distract me. My mind's going crazy,"

"Oh...oh...shoot...cats?" She panicked. Cute!

"No, not cats - I know nothing about cats," He laughed nervously. "Tell me something about you, what do you do in Seoul?"

"Oh, I'm a photographer,"

"You are? Aahh...you did say something about taking pictures on a road trip just now...but you don't look like a photographer," He leaned back and squints his eyes to study her.

"And how should a photographer look like?"

"I don't know...like...more rugged?"

"You generalise a lot, don't you?" She chuckled. "I have my days...most days I'm in my boots. But I was supposed to meet my ex-boyfriend's mom remember?"

"And boots are not right...why?"

"Because..." Lalisa shrugged. "Because it's expected that a well-respected man should stand with a well-respected looking lady,"

"Define 'well-respected'," He should know this...but how 'well-respected' is her ex?

"Aish I don't know!" She looks out to the lake. Jeongguk could tell there are more behind it. "It's just...I'm a very simple person. I grew up in a village, I play with farm animals and I don't mind getting dirty in the mud. I have dreams of my own and I worked hard to achieve it. But when I moved here, suddenly I'm not allowed to do certain things and have to act certain ways...I never thought how complicated things could get -"

"Were you forced on doing it?"

"Not really...but it's what makes people's life easier - that's for sure,"

Why does it feel like he can relate to the demands of her life? "People...as in your ex?"

She shrugged. "Not just him...his friends...family...and my family," 

Was she forced by her family to be with the guy? Oh...is the guy her family's ticket for a better life? Is that why the mother thought Lalisa's a gold-digger? If that's the case...she wasn't wrong then - wait, stop being a judgmental prick Guk!!

"Is your ex...is he from a wealthy family?"

"My friends said he's gonna be a 'chaebol'," Ahh...makes so much sense now! Which one though? "Which is kinda funny cus he didn't seem like it when we met. That's why I couldn't have imagined it to be this complicated, you know? Like...I knew his family's well off but I didn't exactly know about the whole status thing here and how serious it is,"

Yes...it's a huge fucking deal here. "He never told you?"

"I guess you can't really talk about it. He might feel like I would judge him for it," Of course...she has to be smart and sensible too - making it even more confusing for him!

"Did you though? You know...judge him for it,"

"No, of course not - why would I? He was the same person I was with. I thought...I'm kinda lucky in that sense,"