Start from Scratch (JenLisa Adaptation)

8

'Unexpected'

Jennie's POV

After my encounter with Kai yesterday, I was a mess. He claimed he was making changes and things would be better. I hate to admit it, but I want that to be true. But at the same time, I just want him to go away. I feel so torn and mixed up.

Much to my surprise, Lisa let me help cook dinner and even acknowledged that I was trying. Even more shocking is that she said I could do it again. But that was all she said, increasingly I think she's essentially, emotionally crippled.

Much to my regret and shame, I know that I played a part in all this. But there are other pieces of the puzzle I simply do not have. Over the next couple of days, Lisa continued to let me help make dinner. We did so largely in silence, but occasionally she comment on the weather or some other safe subject. But even without the talking I find, we seem to work well together. It's a nice feeling when we're working together, making dinner and maybe at least for a few minutes, all seems right.

But most of the time she was closed, reserved and the only emotions she expressed were anger, bitterness and cynicism. Needing something to get my mind off of Kai and the whirlwind of emotions he had stirred up inside me, I thought more about Lisa.

What did I know? Well first of all I pretty much humiliated her in front of her father. She told him I was raped and I told him I wasn't. I feel sick to my stomach just thinking about it. All I know is that something caused her to abandoned her music, something which is near and dear to her heart. I can only imagine what.

About a week after that first dinner, I found myself thinking more about the causes. Then I thought of Lisa's other mysterious job on Friday and Saturday nights. I'm afraid to even ask her about it. For fear of making her angry that would set us back.

So Friday night, I decided to follow her. I knew she went straight from her normal day job to her other job on Friday's so after getting out of work, I went to the bank that Lisa worked at. I knew where she worked as I saw the address on a tax form she had left on her desk.

Across the street from her bank was a small coffee shop, so I ducked in there and sat near the window with a cup of decent coffee. Perhaps it's silly to do this, but I need to get my mind off of Kai, my constant urges to call him. Part of me just needs to know more about Lisa.

5 o'clock rolled around and the employees of the bank came pouring out. A few minutes later I spotted the tall Thai coming out. She's had her customary frown and headed towards the bus station.

I headed outside into the cold and called a cab to follow the bus that she was in. The cold snap had passed but we were still in the grips of winter, with the temperature today hovering around 28 degrees.

The road were crowded with different type of vehicles but we managed to follow the bus. From Nogosan-dong, the place of the bank where she worked, up to Seogyo-dong, the bus halted at the stop sign. As I saw her went out, I quickly paid the fee then I followed her onto a busy street. I followed her until I saw a big restaurant on that street and I guessed that Lisa worked there as a waitress, but much to my shock, she passed it and entered the building next to it.

It was a strip club aptly named, The Playpen

Standing just down the street, in shock, digested the fact that Lisa went into a nudie bar. As far as places like that go, this one looked to cater businessmen/women and tourist types.

I needed to go inside and see what she did there. Regardless, just thinking of the fact that she has to work there, sickens me.

After gathering up my courage, I waited until a large group of businessmen and women entered and came in right after them. I had to be careful not to be seen by Lisa so I stuck as close to the group as possible.