Affection | Jenlisa

Don't Ignore Me! ★

I huff at the time on the top corner of my phone and frown. Where is she? Why isn't she home yet? She's late, it isn't like her to be late. I wonder if she went out with her friends.

As if summoning her, the front door finally opens, causing my head to whip around so fast I could've gotten whiplash. I spring off the couch and bound towards her like a pet.

"Baby, you're back!"

Her clothes are a bit messy, her top button undone as usual. My charming, loud-mouthed girlfriend. Every time I see her after a long day, I'm instantly energized by her presence. I especially need her today since my day was too dragged on without her.

I lean up and close my eyes, anticipating her kiss on my forehead as she always does. But all I get is a small gust of wind. Fluttering my eyes open, I see her figure brush past me. There's a cold shot in my chest, but I try to brush it off. Maybe she's just tired?

I trail after her into the kitchen as she gets a drink of water and slither my arms around her torso. "You forgot something, Lili," I tease her. "I'm waiting~"

Lisa stays still and finished her water before simply walking out of my grasp. My arms feel empty and cold without her. Suddenly, there's a harsh weight on my body, my hands grasping at nothing.

"Lili?" My small voice barely carries through the empty hall. Did I do something?

My mind wanders to frightful thoughts. We didn't fight when we parted this morning. What could I have done that mad her so angry she didn't even want to look at me? In the few times we do fight, she's the type to yell and scream about it until she blows off steam.

As she washes up in the bathroom, I sit on the bed with my legs curled up. All I can do is obsess over the littlest details that could've set her off. On the other hand, I'm hoping she just needs her own moment to breathe after a particularly bad day at work. I understand that, though she could've just told me that.

The bathroom door opens and I sit up immediately, awaiting her eventual acknowledgement of me. But she simply scrolls through her phone, lifting up the blankets and settling into bed without sparing me even the tiniest glance.

I sit facing her fully. "Lili? Are you mad at me?" I ask timidly.

No answer. She continues playing her game like I'm just a fly buzzing around her.

She's cheating on you.

The outlandish thought flashes across my mind, my breath catching. No, she's not. That should be the furthest from my mind. Even if she came back late, there are so many other reasons for that.

"Lili, this isn't like you, you're scaring me." I sound more desperate now. "If I did something, you'd be yelling by now. Please talk to me."

Still nothing.

My head starts spinning. "Look, if you needed alone time or space because you had a long day, I understand, but at least tell me so I'm not in the dark here." Frustration starts pooling in my blood, at her for being silent, then at me for getting mad when I don't even know what's going on.

When I still get no answer from her, I know she's not gonna budge. She's a hardheaded dumbass and if she's angry, she needs to work it out by herself. Even so, I hug a pillow from the bed and rise to my feet. I can't help the hot tears threatening to spring from my eyes, I want to run out before she can see it.

I barely hear the rustling as I'm in the hallway before solid arms coil around my shoulders from behind. "Babe, no, don't cry."

"Are you done pouting now?" I ask angrily, the tears finally running down my face. I clutch the pillow in my arms tighter and bury my face in it.

"I wasn't pouting, I was just- Urghhh!" Lisa turns me around to face her.

"Look at me, come on, I'll explain."

My first instinct is to shove her away in rage, but I still miss her long-overdue affection. I obey and lift my head up.

"Damn it, you're really crying," she mumbles, more anger to herself as she wipes my tears away. My girlfriend sighs, "Just promise you won't get too mad when I tell you."

"I'll decide when you tell me," I snap back. She's not completely off the hook for this.

"Fair enough..." She pauses, gathering her courage. "I talked to Jisoo and Seulgi after work today and they were telling me about this stupid challenge they've seen around on social media. It's...where you try to ignore your significant other for 24 hours-"

I don't even let her finish before already hitting her face with the pillow.

"This was for a stupid prank?! What the hell, Lisa?!" A fresh set of angry tears streams down my face.

"Here I am worried sick and thinking things I shouldn't all because of your stupid prank." I start continuously hitting her in the chest. "YOU STUPID DUMBASS!"

She catches my arms and I notice how hurt she is through my misted vision. "I know. It was stupid and I shouldn't have even thought it through. I Just thought you'd be angry, but then you started crying and I had to stop. I didn't wanna hurt you, I'm sorry. It really hurt when I saw you about to cry."

With one more hit to the face, I throw the pillow aside and hug her close. "You stupid, mindless, dumbass. If you try to scare me like that again, I'm not gonna forgive you." I wipe the tears off my face and attempt to give her my most threatening scowl. "And I'm beating up those two nutheads next time I see them!"

"And I won't stop you," Lisa chuckles, a glint of pride in her eyes as she embraces me again and presses a kiss to my forehead.

"You're not allowed to leave my side the rest of the night, you understand me? You have to feed me dinner, watch whatever movie I want, and you have to cuddle me all night!"

"Whatever you want, Nini."