"Is she on her way? I swear to God, I cannot handle one more chaos in this studio."

"Yo, where is she?"

"I don't know, last time I checked she was-"

"Hello everyone!" At the sound of the familiar voice, everyone inside in the room heaved out a sigh of relief. "Why is everybody looking at me like I am some kind of saint?"

"Well, maybe that's because you are."

"Silly." She removes her coat and hangs it on the wall. "What do you need my expertise for?"

"We've been doing the shoot for hours already and she wouldn't smile."

"What do you mean she wouldn't smile?"

Jeremy, her workmate sighs. "She wouldn't smile like the way she wants it to be." She hesitated to respond, a sign that she was confused to what he was saying. "We showed her shots but apparently none is enough to capture the smile that she wants."

"Ask what kind of smile she's looking for."

"We already did but all we got is just keep taking shots I'll let you know if you guys got it." He sighs. "If she wasn't our boss's wife then maybe I would have demanded."

"Please, you're the only one who can make her smile." Jessie, one of her workmates joined in the discussion.

"You guys are giving me way too much credit." She chuckles. "I'm sure you can do it."

"We basically tried everything we got but it just wasn't enough for her."

"Where is she?"

"She's on studio C." Jessie says. "But I have to use the room now, we have a magazine shoot coming and tons of preparations are needed."

"And she's also starting to get frustrated."

After hearing what her colleagues have to say, the three walked towards Studio C where she sees a middle-aged woman who was ranting towards the photographer. "I told you this isn't the smile I was searching for."

"I think that he would be very happy if-"

"I told you I would decide! This is not the smile I am looking for!"

"Good morning guys." The brunette announces her existence in the room. "Oh hello Mrs. Newsome, how are you doing?"

"Terribly annoyed at any moment now." She huffs. "Do you really call yourselves photographers?"

"With all due-" She stops her colleague from further speaking and turns to the older woman.

"Mrs. Newsome I was just about to head to my chair and do tons of work required by your husband but then I saw the weather today and I thought it would be nice to have an afternoon tea by the park." She smiles at the latter. "Would you like to come with me?"

__________________________________

"Nothing better than some Jasmine tea in the afternoon. Am I right Mrs. Newsome?"

"Call me Therese, and yes you're right. I like these kinds of drinks."

"I remember that because I was just with your husband from Tokyo last week and he told me wonderful things about you."

"He did?" The latter responds with a nod. "Well, normally I would always nag at him when he comes home from work so I wonder if he talks shit about me to you guys."

"He would never do that." She smiles. "Anyway, what brings you to the studio?"

"Our silver anniversary is coming next week." Mrs. Newsome takes a sip of her tea. "We're planning to go on a cruise trip to the Caribbean and stay there for three weeks."

"That sounds so romantic Therese, I bet he will like it since he always been fond of traveling." She reacts. "By the way, what were you doing inside the studio earlier? Did you want to get your photo taken?"

"Yes, but your workmates are a bunch of arrogant and impatient individuals." The older woman compains. "Is this really the working environment now?"

"No, no, not really."She defends as she takes another bite of the butternut cookie. "We just have a lot of deadlines coming up and our clients are coming for our throats."

"I told him not to accept too many projects." Therese shakes her head. "I guess it's only not at home that he's being stubborn."

"How did the two of you meet?"

"Pardon?"

"You and Hank..." She pertains to her boss. "How did you meet?"

"We met in 1970 and I just got out of long-term relationships. Our friends somehow knew one another and then they kind of forced us to go out on a date." She says. "By the end of our date, I told him that we were better off as friends because I am still not over my ex, it was unfair to him to be very honest. Yet he seems not to understand the word no and still continued to pursue me for two years."She shares. "Little by little I start to see him in a different way and so one day I told him how I feel and the rest is history."

"So what does a picture have to do with this silver anniversary?"

"Hank always loved my smile." The latter nods in understanding. "I remember he would always tell people that the reason he really liked me was how I smile at him. Before we became like a couple, he would travel a lot for work since he was a photographer himself and he always makes sure that before he leaves, he would always have my picture taken. He says that work always makes him stress so he needs something to take all the stress away."

Lisa couldn't help but smile at that. She really could see her boss acting that way. "I see that he has always been a smooth talker."

"He was..." Therese trails off. "We just had a fight this morning because he keeps on insisting that he doesn't want any anniversary gift and I just want to get him something nice since it's a milestone but all of a sudden he just says- you don't even smile for me anymore and that's when it hit me, I found the perfect gift for him." She shares. "But the problem is, no one seems to get what I want."

"Therese?"

"Yeah?"

"What's the one thing that you like about your husband?"

"He never stopped making me happy." Therese answers right away without any hint of doubt. "There were days that I was hard to love, and then there were times where I was unsure of where the relationship was heading. My past made me the happiest girl in the world so, after him, I was kind of afraid of being happy because there's a thought inside my head that if I was being too happy then someday, something would come up and shatter everything."

"So from the moment we end, up to this very day, he's always been consistent, even if it was just the little things. There might be some changes but the effort is still there. When he had the adulthood talk with our kids, he always reminded them to be consistent and the best way to a girl's heart is to make her laugh. Allow change to come into the relationship but never lose the determination of making the girl feel that she's loved."

"Does Hank make you happy?"

"He does..." She looks down at her cup before letting out a smile. "He really does."

"Therese?" The older woman hums in reply. "Is this the smile you've been looking for?"

"Oh my God..." Therese reacts as soon as she got to see the preview. "This is the smile I've been telling you!"

"Now I know why he likes your smile." She says. "Because he knows he's the reason behind it. And as a man who has never stopped courting his wife, maybe a smile is all he needs."

Now Therese can't stop smiling because of the satisfaction. "This is beautiful."

"Just because you are." Both of them share a laugh. "Shall we go back to the studio?"

"Sure." She smiles. "Thank you for this- Lisa."

__________________________________

"I heard from Matt you did the Lord's work today."

"Pfft, they're just over-praising me," Lisa says as she cuts Sehun's fish from his plate. "Smiling at studios can be a bit pressure to the clients so sometimes I take them out to get a breather or get them to talk about the things they like and then ask if it really makes them happy."

Sehun smiles at his girlfriend. "See this is one of the things that I like about you. You never seem to think within the norm. I wish more photographers would think like you."

"If other photographers were like me then you never would've looked my way."

"I was already looking at your way even if you weren't looking stupid."

Lisa makes a silly face at him. "Stop complimenting me, it won't get you nowhere."

"My compliments gave me the best girlfriend ever, I think it's safe to say that complimenting you got me somewhere."

"And where would that be?"

"By your side."Sehun playfully winks and Lisa just throws a carrot as she laughs her heart out.

"God, you really can't be serious for a moment, can you?" Lisa wipes the tears in her eyes.

"Then how about this." He coughs and then looks at her with a stoic face. "By your side."

"SEHUN!"

The latter chuckles and looks at the television in front of them. "Wow, would you look at that..."

"What?"

Sehun points to the television. "That."

Lisa turns to the television and saw Rosie singing in front of tons of people raising their cellphones with their flashlights on. The news headline probably tells everything she needed to know about the news.

Global Icon Roseanne Park catches everyone's attention with a new single and album for the Europeans to enjoy.

 She focused on the singer's face and how she was all smiling with her guitar, waving along with the crowd who was totally captured by her charms.

"I really cannot believe that she came over our house a month ago," Sehun says while looking over the screen. "I mean she was here inside our house, and had dinner with us. She had a taste of how terrible your steak is."

"I heard you perfectly the first time." She points a knife at him. "And my steak didn't taste terrible at that time."

"Yeah, but I don't think I've elaborated it enough."

"Don't worry, I think you did." Lisa smiles timidly, silently wanting to end the conversation right there.

"How guys did know each other? You never told me about her." He continues to interrogate. "You knew I was a die-hard fan of her, you even thought I was gay because of my likeness towards her."

"Because there was really nothing to tell... we were more of a friends-turned-into-strangers type of relationship."

"Hmm, that must've been sad for you right?"

Lisa looks at Sehun who was busy eating the final pieces of his meal. "Yeah, it was."

After the dinner with her boyfriend, Lisa heads up to her office and checks all the pictures that were due for tomorrow and the other pictures she took from the previous projects alongside with the materials that she would be needing for the shoot tomorrow. She slumps on her swivel chair and looks at her schedule for the month, groaning just how she couldn't see a whole day free from her time schedule. Who would've thought that being a photographer would have this kind of activity on her calendar, but then again she was the one who asked for this from the beginning.

"Don't- don't you love me anymore?"

"I hope he really makes you happy Lisa."

Lisa closes her eyes as she mentally scolds herself for remembering that event once more. "Stop, Lisa, stop thinking about it."

But the truth is; Lisa hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Ever since that night, Lisa's sleep has been bothered by what happened. It annoys her sometimes and she had this planted anger towards the world-wide famous singer because she really didn't need to come back in Lisa's life anymore. She didn't need to see her again, she was doing well already. She had moved on...

It wasn't easy for her, everybody thought she wasn't going to make it and she too really wanted to believe it. She remembered the days that she was crying for days since she came home from seeing Rosie in Los Angeles and how she was so close to call her mom and buy her a ticket home. She was so close to listening to her parents' endless rants of her being impulsive and totally in love with a girl who was so in love with her dreams. Just as she was about to though, she knew that there was a part of her that wanted to prove everyone wrong. She wanted to show that she can make it without any Roseanne Park being there for her and when she was trying to, Sehun came.

He was this caring, handsome, intelligent, tall and very understanding man that she thought that she would never be able to meet in this life. Sehun was patient with her; he loved her with all that he could. Ever since he came along life in New York for Lisa got even better.

She had a wonderful life, a striving career and everything that she had hoped she would have the moment she decided to stay in New York. And besides, Rosie made her decision years ago when she allowed Lisa to walk out of her life just like that. She wasn't going to allow an indecisive Roseanne Park to take away everything that she had worked hard for all these years.

With a shake, Lisa shakes those thoughts away and looks back at the computer.

"Alright, let's do this."

__________________________________

"Ooh... someone's up early." Sehun teases as he spots Lisa cutting fruits inside the kitchen. "No wonder the other side of the bed was cold."

"Put a shirt on and stop hugging me your hair is still wet."

"You like it when I'm wet."

"Asshole!" She playfully glares.

He laughs at the harmless insult and leans on the counter. "You don't look too excited."

Lisa rolls her eyes back at the sarcastic remark. "Unlike you, I really like spending time with my boyfriend so it's not my fault if you don't want to spend some quality time with me."

"I like it when you get all vocal with me." Sehun walks to the table and picks up his shirt. "So, are you excited?"

"Of course! It's not like every day we have a three-day vacation leave. Knowing how passionate we are in our profession, it's a miracle we even get a day-off."

"I know right?" He smiles. "I'm just glad we can go back on our favorite past-time, it's been ages since the last road trip we had."

Lisa finished packing their snacks on the way and places them inside her bag. "So, are you ready officer?"

"Take good photos of me once we reach Grand Canyon." As they were heading out to the front door, Sehun's office phone suddenly perks up, making him stop. "Hold on, this is going to be quick okay?"

"I think I can handle last-minute reminders from your chief."

Lisa watches as Sehun moves back to the kitchen to have a private conversation with the person coming from the other line. She watches the way he stood and how he was doing his small steps. Even though she couldn't hear the responses that they were sharing, she knew that he was agreeing to everything that this person was telling him.

After a few more nods and ending the conversation goodbye, he turns to her, and right there, she already knew who what the call was all about.

"Lisa, I'm so-"

"It's okay."

Sehun was totally guilty of what happened. "I promise; I will make it up to you."

Lisa says nothing else and taps him on the shoulder. "It's duty, who am I to stop you."

__________________________________

"I thought you were supposed to go on a small vacation today?"

"Change of plans." She responds and pulls out the snacks she had prepared today. "Snacks anyone?"

Everyone inside the room started munching on the food when all of a sudden Jessie sits beside her. "You know that's also the reason why I didn't push through with my fling on the police officer I met months ago." Lisa was looking at her confusingly. "He was always busy and barely makes time for me."

"Well, they're public servants Jessie, you really didn't expect their world to be around you all the time did you?"

"Yeah, but don't you think I deserve some attention too?"

"You do, just not his entire attention." She smiles. "Sometimes we're so into the idea of the thought that if you're important to someone, they would always go out of their way and extend the effort. We forget it's okay to not talk to them all the time because even though they make you happy, you got some dreams that require great attention of you. If they cared enough, they would understand enough."

"I hate it when you make sense all the time." One of her co-workers said. "Try to be idiotic sometimes."

Lisa laughs at that. "We were all stupid once, we just learn from the mistakes we did from our past experiences."

"Lisa?" Hank suddenly shows up and the chaos inside the room suddenly vanished. "Can we talk for a moment?"

"Sure."

He looks at his subordinates. "Stop eating, it's not even break-time." She follows him and enters his office that was located on the other end of the floor. "Take a seat."

"Thanks." She takes the vacant seat on the right. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Therese and I celebrated our anniversary yesterday."

Lisa smiles at him. "Did you like the gift she had prepared for you?"

"Yes." His thin mouth breaks into a grin. "Best anniversary gift after my children."

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Thank you for taking that picture Lisa, it really means a lot to me."

"Hank, with everything you have done for me, it's the least that I could do."

"Speaking of that... I wanna ask, how long have you been in this company?"

"Uh, five years." She answers. "Well, five years and six months if you want to include the internship."

"That long already?"

"It's not really that long Hank, just an average rookie career if you ask me."

"But you're not some average rookie photographer Lisa, I think you and I both know that fact."

She chuckles lightly. "You're starting to sound like Jeremy in the others."

"Can I tell you something? It's an opinion of mine towards your career and it's quite frank so you might not like it."

"Of course, I'd like to hear it, your opinion matters to me."

"Okay, so I am just going to blurt it out okay?" He heaves heavily. "You don't belong in the company anymore."

That comment made Lisa's eyebrows rise. "E-excuse me?"

Hank slowly repositions himself in his chair. "Let's be honest Lisa, your skills are far better than any photographer inside this office. You're not complacent but not perfectionist, you treat mistakes as learnings, the way you communicate with your clients is admirable and the methods, techniques and just how you see photography is out of this world. Your officemates are treating you as some kind of savior and with what you have right now, you can get countless offers from companies all across the country. Your colleagues can feel it, our competitors can feel it and even if you don't tell me, I know you feel it too."

"No, I don't feel it."

"Now you're just being in denial."

"But I am telling the truth, Hank, I have so much more to learn from you. You're my mentor, and I'm under your wing for just five years still."

"Precisely, I am your mentor, that is why I have the right to call the shots whether to keep you or set you free."

"I can't leave this company, I can't even leave New York."

"If you want it that way, then you can do freelance or even build your own company."

"Lisa, I'm destined to retire soon and as much as I would like to refer you to be the next in line, we both know Karissa's been kissing the boards' asses for quite some time now so no doubt she will be the one who will replace my spot." He says. "And besides, you're meant for greater things rather than sitting on my chair after me."

She couldn't understand why he was saying this all of a sudden. "Why are you letting me go? Shouldn't you force me to stay? For the company or even for my colleagues?"

"I've seen you grow over the years that I practically took the role as your father while your parents are far away. All I want for you is that you reach your full potential and let me tell you this right now, that your full potential doesn't stop here in this company." He looks at her in the eyes. "I can't force you to stay in a place where you will never grow."

"I..." She was totally mind-blown with what he was saying to her. "I don't even know what to say."

"Then don't say anything." He replies. "I don't need your answer now, all I need is for you to know that I want the best for you."

That day Lisa comes home with a troubled heart. She never would've thought that Hank would say to her face that she wasn't meant to be in line to be the senior project manager for the company when it's been the position she has been eyeing all these years. She would expect it to hear from her colleagues who talked endlessly on how she was always meant something bigger than New York and though she wanted to agree, a part of her was wondering if there was a bigger world than New York.

She doesn't want to begin from scratch again and more importantly, she was so in love with New York that she doubts if she was even going to leave the place ever again.

Sighing to herself, she finds her laptop on the dining table and Lisa was immediately annoyed with her boyfriend. Sehun fully knows just how much Lisa dislikes it whenever he uses her working laptop because one, she already bought a laptop for him to do all his man stuff and two, one time when she allowed Sehun to borrow her laptop, he accidentally reformatted it, saying that it was too old and needed a refreshed start.

Throwing her bag over the couch, she opens her laptop, completely relieved that everything was still in its original place. Still, she decides not to be complacent and double-checks everything, making sure that even the original files were still there in the folders that she had created. Right after she fully inspected everything she was about to shut it down when a notification coming from the internet browser catches her attention.

She taps on the app and saw that it was coming from Sehun's email and when she read the content, she widened her eyes and couldn't believe what her boyfriend has been hiding from her these past few weeks. Lisa was so focused on reading the conversation that she didn't even detect the sound of their front door opening, revealing Sehun who was carrying two grocery bags.

"What are you doing?" Sehun immediately asks as he sees Lisa completely glued to the gadget. Realizing what Lisa might have read, he rushes towards the laptop and shuts it down. "H-hey... are you too focused on your work that you weren't able to recognize your boyfriend's sexy voice?"

Lisa didn't answer right away and it made Sehun really nervous. "When." She asks. "When were you planning to tell me?"

Sehun tries to divert the subject. "Y-yo, what happened to respecting each other's privacy?"

"Are you seriously telling me that right now? You're the one who's been using MY laptop."

"Couples can share... right?"

The brunette wasn't having any of his excuses. "When." This time, Lisa stands up and crosses her arms. "When Sehun."

"I was still looking for the right time to tell you."

"I am asking- when."

"I don't know." He blurts out of pressure. "Maybe when you showed me some kind of support."

Lisa couldn't believe that she was actually hearing him say this. "Sehun, I have always been supportive of you."

"Really?"

"Yes! Really!"

"If I told you that I got a job offer to be promoted as a police inspector you would support me?"

"Of course!"

"Even if it meant I have to move to San Francisco? Because that's where I would be assigned if ever I got promoted?"

"One hundred percent, without any kind of doubt."

"What if I asked a different kind of support from you?"

"As long as it doesn't violate any laws of the country nor harm other people then I don't see why not."

"Then, if I asked you that the kind of support I would want from you is for you to move to San Francisco with me, would you agree?"Now, the tables were turned and it was Lisa's turn to be in the hot seat. "Are you still willing to give me the support that I want?" And when she wasn't unable to answer, Sehun shows a face of disappointment. "See what I'm talking about?"

"Now that's just unfair."

"How is that unfair?" He rebuts. "I want you to move with me."

"You know I can't."

"You can't? Or you won't?"

"It's the same thought." She leaves and heads to the living room.

"You know it's not the same." He follows her.

"How many times have I told you, I'm not going to leave New York."

"Why?"

"Because this is my home Sehun, I've been living here for years."

"It doesn't mean you can't make San Francisco your new home!"

"You know it's not easy, everything I have is here in New York and I don't want to start somewhere else."

"Including those memories with your ex-girlfriend?"

"What?"

"It's about her isn't it?" He says. "You don't want to leave because she's here. You remember everything about her whenever you're here and you don't want to forget that."

"That's not true!" Lisa screams for the first time in the entire duration of the relationship and she completely catches Sehun off guard. "How many times I've told you to not speak of that part of me ever again! I've moved on! With you!"

"Well then show me!" He spats back. "Prove it to me that she no longer means anything to you, otherwise, I'm going to think that I spent three years looking like a rebound rather than being your boyfriend."

"I don't need to prove anything to you. The fact that I was willing to risk my heart being broken again would be enough proof that I love you." She says, ending her statement with a push onto his chest. "I didn't know that the kind of support you wanted me to give you was to give up everything, but I guess that's how you want me to show that I love you, right?"

__________________________________

"Here you go."

"Thanks, Matt."

"Give me ten okay? I'll be right with you after my shift."

"It's fine. Take your time."

After the fight she had with Sehun, Lisa decides to put on her coat and head towards the Cornelia Street Café where a long-time friend of hers works and very much witnessed a bit of everything in her New York life. After her break up with Rosie, Matt has been the only person she confides in every decision that she was about to make. He was the one that convinced her to stay in the city, he was also the one who told Lisa to try things with Sehun, and now, she hopes that Matt would have the answer that she had wanted to know as well.

"Sorry," Matt says and takes a seat in front of her. "So, what is your problem this time around?"

"Why do you assume that I have a problem?"

"Because you only see me when you're troubled duh?" Now that made Lisa feel pretty guilty. "I'm kidding Lis, I know you're busy and you're sometimes here for a quick chat before God puts you any part in the world."

"I haven't been that good friend you want from me, am I?"

"Lisa, as your genuine friend in the city of the jungle, I just want you to be healthy and happy and HIV-negative. That's all I ask you to be."

"You're disgusting." She says as she throws a tissue at him.

"Seriously though, what makes you want to have Espresso at 8 o'clock in the evening? Unless you want some kind of palpitation experience or you just want to die."

"Sehun and I had a fight."

"Hmm, it seems like a big fight." He observes. "Normally when you fight, you contact and rant over the phone. To see you in flesh and tell me that though, is totally another story."

"He got a job promotion."

"That's nice."

"The only problem is he's going to transfer to San Francisco, and he wants me to go with him."

"So?" Lisa looks at him with complete disbelief. "What? Don't act like it's not a good idea."

"Matt, perhaps you may have forgotten; I have a life here in New York."

"You can have a life in San Francisco too."

"It's not that easy."

"It wasn't easy when you started here too." He rebuts. "Everything, in the beginning, is hard."

"That's why I don't want to leave."

"Is it the only reason why?"

"Why? Are there any other reasons available?"

"Yeah, like you don't want to leave this place because it reminds you of her."

"Sehun said the exact same thing earlier."

"And now it makes more sense does it?" He replies sarcastically.

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't make sense at all because it's not the reason why I want to stay in New York."

"You're just being in denial."

Lisa raises both of her hands. "That's what Hank also said to me earlier regarding me not wanting to leave when I know that company won't help me grow as a photographer anymore."

"Well there you have it, Lisa, all the signs are telling you that it's time to leave the city and start anew."

"But you don't understand, everything- literally, everything I worked hard for is in this city. I just can't start a new life and I don't want to leave New York. It's the place for me to live for as long as I can."

"Lisa, just because you started here doesn't mean you're going to end here as well. Why do you think real estate agents exist? It's because not all of us find a permanent home on the first try."

"How sure are you that New York isn't for me anymore?"

"Look around Lis!" He says with matching hand gestures. "You no longer grow as a professional in your job, you have established your career so solid enough for having different agencies wanting to have you on their team. I mean, as an individual who told me years ago that she was going to be the best photographer in New York years ago, I think you did a pretty good job at it."

"It's not that easy okay... I hate starting all over again."

"Lisa, you have the most supportive, most caring, and moving lovable boyfriend on the entire planet. It's definitely going to be hard but it's not going to be like that all the way. You have Sehun now, and I promise you, starting in a new place is really a nice step in improving your career and your relationship with him." He says. "Even if he doesn't say it, I know he's been insecure in living behind Rosie's shadows and when you told him that you didn't want to leave, of course, he would think it's still because of your ex. Anyone in his position would think of that."

"But it's not."

"Then what's stopping you from leaving? Any place can be your home Lisa; you just have to want it."

Lisa decides to spend the night at Matt's and when she came home, she saw a little note that was from Sehun telling her that Matt texted him about her whereabouts and realized that what he did was wrong and he accepted that he went below the belt at that time. He also indicated in the note that Lisa might want some personal space so he's going to stay with his friend and that he's willing to wait until she calls for him so they can talk. Sehun also declared his love for her and that he will be there for her no matter what.

Reading his note made Lisa's heart warm and her anger toward his choice of words was slipping away but she knows that the problem doesn't stop there. Even if they avoid it now, Sehun's boss would want to have an answer for him and she too would need some decision-making to do since she needs to figure out where she would want to see herself in the next years of her life. There was not a doubt in her mind that she loves the man, she just wasn't sure if moving in with him in a different city just to prove things to him would be the right decision.

"What's with all the noise?" Lisa asks around her co-workers as soon as she got back from a shoot. "You all looked like you've listened to the bop of the century."

"Not yet but we're about to!" Jeremy says as he rushes to take a sneak peek on Tim's desktop. "Did you get it?"

She looked at them with connected eyebrows. "Jessie, mind telling me what's going on?"

"They're hacking something." She says as she hands Lisa her hot drink. "Everyone's been waiting for Tim to crack the code."

"Crack the code to what?"

"You know Rosie?" Jessie looks at her. "They've been hacking into the company's system just so they could get a hold of her solo that was released solely in Europe."

"What?"

"Have you seriously not heard of her Lisa?"

"No, no, I've heard about her." I'm pretty familiar with her honestly she thinks to herself. "But what is this solo that we're talking about?"

"Apparently the company who helped her to debut in Europe wanted her to release a single that can be available only in European countries. It was already released months ago yet people were still yapping about it until now. Her fans here say it was kind of unfair to have a solo from her that wasn't available for the world to hear since her voice was deserved to be heard by millions but of course, the company says otherwise."

"And why are they so obsessed with listening to this song?"

"It's Rosie Lisa since when did people not obsessed with her voice?" Jessie says she stated the most obvious thing in the world.

"I've got it!" Tim stands up and raises the flash drive. "I've got the song!"

"What are we waiting for?! Let's go listen to it to the music room!"

Nearly everyone inside their office followed Tim who was heading for the music room. "Hey Lis, are you not coming with us?"

"Ah, no... think I'm going to pass this one."

Jessie just shrugs at her. "Your loss; With Tim's arrogance I bet he will only allow us to listen once."

"I've got a schedule to go to."

"Alright, if you say so."

Lisa decides to just head home and work from there since she knows how some of her colleagues were avid fans of her ex-girlfriend, the talk after will just make her more curious. Lisa promised after meeting Rosie again she didn't really want to associate herself with anything related to Rosie anymore. She buries herself in all the editing and talking with other clients. She even decided to call Therese who was enjoying her cruise trip just so she could take her mind off the news. When she was done working, she heads out once again to meet with Matt and just talk with him and talk like they used to.

Yet no matter what Lisa does, Rosie's new song seems to haunt her; especially when it was announced by the artist herself that she was doing talks with the company in London and requested that it would be made available to the entire world. Everyone was busy tweeting and talking about it and from there the song somehow haunted Lisa for days. Whenever she was working, she could hear people talking about it and even humming the beat. On other days, she would see the interns be at Tim's palm doing everything he orders them to do all because they wanted to hear the leaked song.

Lisa couldn't even walk on the streets of New York without hearing this issue and when the news was once again announced inside the pub she and Matt were currently in, some avid fan screamed 'all shots are on me' and everyone was up to their feet. Lisa has probably heard the news more than she would've liked it and now it was starting to annoy her.

When she couldn't handle it any longer, she bids her friend farewell that was busy flirting with some girl, and left for home.

As soon as she arrives home, she slumps her entire body on the couch, still pissed at her light alcohol tolerance even if she was already nearing thirty years. Lisa groans as she feels another headache coming and was ready to call it a day when she felt her phone buzz from her pocket. Squinting her eyes, Lisa tries to read the message clearly but the only icons her blurred vision could recall were the email icon and Matt's name imprinted on it. Tapping on the notification, Lisa waits for the loading button to disappear and reads her friend's message.

I know you're going to be mad at me, but I figured that you might want to listen to her song. Maybe, you can find the answer to the question you have been dying to have an answer for.

She slowly sits back up and sees that her friend attached a media file named 'r0sieLeAkeDs0nGdOnTsPreAd0reLse'. Somehow, Lisa's sleepiness was slowly taken away and now all she could think of is to whether she would or would not listen and how she managed to successfully avoided it for days. One side of her was already telling her, putting all the red signs in front of her, showing her that listening to this song might be the worst idea she had ever come up with the entire week yet on the other side, Matt's message was being voiced over by him, and knowing Matt, when he advises something, he does it out of your benefit and never his.

"Ahhh, fuck this shit, let's get this over with so we all can move on."

But just as she was about to tap on the attachment, another buzz came.

From: Sehun

I know I promise to give you some space but I've missed you badly Lisa, can we talk?

__________________________________

"Finally!A chair!" A short woman with wavy brown curls practically jumps on the furniture. "Oh my God; is this what heaven feels like?"

"You're over-exaggerating."

"Am not!" She says defensively to her companion who places down their orders on the oak wood table. "If you would've been in my position then you would understand how I am feeling."

"Of course I do, I was with you the entire time remember?" The woman in front of her takes a sip of her tea.

"Have you seriously haven't found the right home for you?"

"No."

"Ugh, those were the best houses in the entire city."

"I don't need the best house, I told you all I want-"

"Is a space where I can feel my artistry would flow, yes, yes I already got it." She sighs. "You're lucky we don't have a real estate agent otherwise they would be very pissed at your high standards."

"I don't have high standards Jennie, just a precise one."

"Still, your precise standards seem like high standards to me Rosie."

Rosie doesn't say anything else and lets Jennie rest for a while. She looks at the scenery and felt nostalgic all of a sudden when she saw the familiar buildings and street signs of New York. It has been an entire year since her last visit to this city she once called home and though it ended on a bad note and she promised to never return here ever again, she finds herself eating her words when Jennie's dad requested for her to take a rest after what happened to her in Italy when she fainted as soon as her concert ended.

While she could've easily gone back to Los Angeles, her house is currently being smothered by paparazzi who created different allegations and plastered it on the headline regarding her faint incident. Whether it was her being a workaholic or getting impregnated by her long-time boyfriend, everything was just pure chaos. Added to the fact that Rosie was pushing for her Europe single to be released, Jennie suggested hiding yet while she tells the public that she is currently taking her time. Rosie checked the responses by her fans when they were creating theories about her releasing a new song or maybe a new album- she thought that if the single wouldn't be released to the US market, then maybe creating a mini-album would do the trick.

And what better way to create a record-breaking mini-album than going back to the place which inspired her to write the single that everyone in the world has been so desperate to hear?

"How many more do we have left?"

"Not much left, I think." Jennie mumbles in her dreamy tone. "Can we just call it a day already?"

"Don't give up just yet; this city is full of surprises."

"Who wouldn't want to give up? Imagine you made me go through-"

"I have to go." Rosie rushes to get her bag, catching Jennie off guard.

"Hey! Wait up!"

Jennie tries to catch up with her client since she really couldn't shout her name because that would draw attention when she accidentally trips on the table. She lets out a huge scream, closes her eyes, and waits for the painful impact when a pair of soft arms caught her. From her firmly closed eyes and clenched hands, Jennie slowly opens her eyes and immediately felt that all the air that she needs was knocked out of her.

Her long black curls were dangling down on her, making her focus on her face. Jennie saw her natural beauty, the beautiful orbs that she was totally captivated with and most of all, she couldn't stop staring at the stranger's heart-shaped lips.

"Hey." The latter let out a very smooth voice that Jennie could feel her insides melting to her savior's voice. "Are you okay?"

She was slowly pulled up, and now standing in front of one another Jennie tries to compose herself right in front of this beautiful being. "Y-yeah I-I'm okay."

"You nearly hurt yourself right there."

"W-well, thank God for your quick reflexes right?" What the hell Jennie!? That's direct flirting!

"I'll take that as a compliment." The woman chuckles and the LA girl could feel her knees slowly giving up on her. "But are you sure you're okay?"

"Affirmative."

"I'm sorry, where are my manners. You are?" The latter extends her hand, waiting for Jennie to meet it halfway.

"Jennie." She answers with a shake of her hand. "Jennie Kim."

"Well, Miss Jennie Kim I'm Jisoo."

She smiles. "Sorry for the accident I caused. It made you skip the line and now you're gonna have to go all the way to the back again."

"I never really believed in accidents, just opportunities handed to us on a silver platter." Jennie and this beautiful stranger looked into each other's eyes.

"Would you like to grab a cup of coffee with me somewhere else?"

"That's a great idea! I know a place that sells a better cup of coffee."

"Really?Where?"

"There." Jisoo points out to the street sign. "Cornelia Street Café."

Jennie widens her eyes. "Oh shit."

Rosie runs across the street, not minding the beeping cars trying to grab her attention from crossing the street out of her determination. She tries to scurry away from the crowd that was walking around the familiar street until she finds herself on the front doorstep of a very familiar building. Rushing inside the building, she repeatedly pressed the number 4 on the lift.

Tapping her fingers anxiously against the sides of her thigh, she was impatiently waiting for her to reach her designated floor. She couldn't believe that just when she was ready to leave the city and head back to LA, she sees a sign 'APARTMENT SPACE FOR SALE' on not just any address here in New York, but it was located on 7th door, 4th floor, #2 Cornelia Street, the very same building that she rented when she moved here.

The same apartment that she shared with Lisa.

The lift opened its doors and Rosie walks towards the door where she saw the landlady giving last-minute instructions to the men who seemed to be construction workers. "Mrs. Peters?"

"Wait a second." The landlady said when she laid eyes on her. "I remember you... you're the young girl who used to rent this place right?"

"Yes!" She suddenly feels hopeful when the latter still remembers her. "Yes, it's me."

"Wow! It's been a long time, hasn't it?! I remember you screaming your heart out while playing the piano or the guitar in the wee hours and you'd get your neighbors pissed!" She smiles. "What are you up to now these days?"

"I scream my heart out while playing the guitar or the piano but only this time, the people actually like me."

That made the old lady laugh with what she said. "I've always liked your singing, just not in the early hours of the day."

"I'm sorry about that." She smiles apologetically and starts with the reason why she was here. "Looking busy."

"Oh yes, I'm selling the units now."

"All of a sudden?"

"No, just bit by bit... I already sold the lower units and I'm onto the last floor already."

"Why?"

"You can't expect that a seventy-year-old woman like me would still want to stay in the bustling streets of New York right? I'm old and I kind of want some calm and peaceful setting." She answers. "I'm moving to Arizona. I can't keep on staying here when I know there's a better place for me out there isn't it?"

"I suppose so."

"What brings you here by the way? Judging from what you just said, you don't look like small stuff now?"

"My management wants to hide me for a while because of some issues and I thought that while hiding maybe I could write some songs and I remember how many I've written here in my old home..." She bites her lower lip and continues with her talk. "Mrs. Peters, I saw the ad you posted right on the main street. I was just wondering-"

"Oh, sweetie..." The old woman says with a sad smile. "I'm sorry to say that I just sold this property of mine."

Her excitement was instantly replaced with disappointment and a hint of frustration knowing that she got a few steps late from getting her old place back to her. She had already imagined all the songs that she could write using this room and how she would enjoy hiding her for as long as Jennie likes and even thought about how she could love New York even more just by staying in this place. As she walks away from the room, all of those scenarios she had imagined on her head were slowly shattered bit by bit.

"No," Rosie says to herself. "I shouldn't give up on it just like that."

"You're saying something honey?"

"Mrs. Peters, I understand that you already sold the unit but is there any other way that I could change your mind?" She tries. "I can double the offer or even triple just give me the unit."

"As much as I would want to, you know that I am a woman of my word."

"Well, maybe you can sell them another unit? I'm pretty sure that you have other units left."

"You know I can't do that."

"Please Mrs. Peters, I am willing to do anything just to change your mind." Every word coming out of her mouth screams desperation from Rosie. "Just give me that unit."

"I'm sorry dear..." Mrs. Peters squeezes her hand. "If you really want to insist, I have one unit left just right beside the unit that you want. My cousin's nephew is planning to buy the place but he's still in Ireland finishing some studies and won't be done in two months or so. Since you're not really planning to make this your permanent home, maybe you would want to occupy that one instead?"

She sighs out loud, but still, her determination was unwavering. "Then can I know who bought the unit, please? Maybe I can negotiate things with them."

"Oh!" The latter clasps her hands together. "Just in time, she was supposed to-"

"Mrs. Peters I've already contacted my men and I was wondering-"

The singer widens her eyes. No way...

"Lisa?"

__________________________________

"One cup of Earl Grey Tea and One Hot chocolate."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Enjoy your drinks."

"So..."

"Uhm."

"It's nice-" Both of them said at the same time. "No, you go ahead-" Pause. "Really you-"

In the end, Lisa breaks the awkwardness between them with a chuckle. "What?"

"Nothing..."

"Your smile tells otherwise though."

"How have you been Rosie?" Lisa asks out of the blue.

"Oh nothing out of the ordinary, just the usual stuff."

"So it's usual for you to be harassed by paparazzi outside your home?" Rosie looks at her, asking how she did know about it. "I live in New York, not on some abandoned island."

"Right, of course..." She trails off and takes a sip of her tea. "H-how about you?"

"Still the same thing," Lisa says. "Hank retired and I took over his position."

"Wow! That's good news!"

"Yeah, but he really didn't like it." She shares. "He still thinks I'm better off freelance or managing my own company."

"He's not really wrong about that."

"Huh?"

"I've seen your photos when you did your exhibit in Melbourne three months ago I think."

"You were in Australia at that time?"

Rosie nods her head. "I took some time off after the Europe tour and Alice has always been a fan of your work."

Lisa chuckles. "Good thing she hasn't lost her taste."In return, the singer just lets out a dry laugh. "Hey." She calls Rosie's attention who was focused on her drink. "You can ask me."

"Ask you what?"

"Do you really think you can hide something from me?" She gives her a sly look. "I know when you want to ask me about something."

She wanted to ask the question she wanted to but remembered the last time that she acted irrationally and thought about things this time. "Why did you move?"

"I needed more space. I'm now accepting clients from home and you saw how cramped the townhouse was."

Rosie nods in understanding. "And Sehun?"

"We broke up." Lisa blurts out all of a sudden, making Rosie choke on her drink. "Oh my God Rosie! Are you okay?"

She puts a hand in front of Lisa, telling her that she needs a moment. After a cough or two, she wipes away any spills. "Sorry, I was just surprised by the news."

"It's alright... you weren't the only one."

"Since... when?"

"Nearing a year."

"Oh."

"He got promoted but he had to move to San Francisco. I wanted to stay here in New York, and we just didn't meet eye to eye."

"And just like that, you guys broke up?"

"No, no..." Lisa chuckles and shakes her head. "I did move to San Francisco."

But just as she was about to tap on the attachment, another buzz came.

From: Sehun

I know I promise to give you some space but I've missed you badly Lisa, can we talk?

"Sehun."

"Hey." Sehun was leaning onto his car just right outside their shared home. "Did my text come at the wrong time?"

"No, no..." Lisa places her hands inside the pocket of her coat. "Quite the right time actually." She says and mentally adds- you saved me by the bell.

"Thank you for meeting me by the way."

"You didn't have to leave."

"We both know we're hotheaded and if we both stayed in one place, then we wouldn't have any home." He chuckles. "How are you?"

"Been busy working... you know my work." She answers. "You?"

"Chief's been up on my ass lately."

"And how are you? Do you still take your vitamins?"

"Yeah, you made an alarm on my phone remember?"

"Right..." She trails off.

"Listen, I'm so sorry if I pushed you on moving with me, it was so wrong-"

"Let's do it," Lisa says all of a sudden and turns to him. "Let's move to San Francisco."

"W-wh-what?"

Instead of answering, Lisa leans in and hugs him. "I may doubt a lot of times, but if there's one thing I'm sure of, is the fact that I love you enough to take this shot." Pulling away, she cups his firm cheeks. "It's going to be hard, and there might be days you'd want to give up on me... when that day comes, can you remember this day?" She asks. "The day that I was willing to move from my comfort zone for you."

And before Lisa went to sleep that night, she opens her phone and deletes the email that Matt had sent her because, for her, she didn't need to hear Rosie's song. She has made her choice, and her choice was starting again with the man that loved her enough.

"What happened?"

"I guess it was too hard for him that he gave up." Lisa smiles sadly. "I understood him, I was too hard to be loved anyway. It must've been hell for him for two months. "

"Lisa that's not true," Rosie says with such conviction and disagreement. "There will be days where you're going to be a lot to handle and you're too impossible to converse with but that's okay because every person has its limitations. There may be days where you might be hard to love, but when the right person comes, they will never get tired of trying all over again." She says. "They will never get tired of trying to understand you, to be patient with you, to be there for you, to care for you and love you."

"Thank you, Rosie." She replies. "It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome." Rosie smiles as she swallows what she really wanted to say. You mean a lot to me too Lisa.

"So! Is this going to be some one-time coffee drink between exes or is this going to be a celebratory drink for new neighbors?" Rosie looks at her. "Or am I going to assume that you're not going to rent out space next to mine?"

"Well..."

"Hmm, how about this." Lisa leans back into a more comfortable position and crosses her arms. "I'll let you inside my space regardless of the time, in case you are experiencing some writer's block or in desperate for some inspiration. In exchange for you renting that place beside my apartment and putting soundproof walls because I get it, your voice is amazing but not when I am trying to take a power nap at two in the morning."

Rosie ends up laughing and just like the old times, Lisa joins in the laugh too. "Okay, I think that's a win-win situation for both of us."

"I think that this deserves a toast." Lisa raises her glass and waits for Rosie to do the same. "A toast to us being neighbors; I hope that you would allow me to steal sometimes in your pantry and let me sleep, and just be the best neighbors in all of New York." She smiles. "Cheers?"

"Cheers."

__________________________________

"You what?!" Jennie snaps the moment Rosie got back from the hotel. "Rosie!"

"What? I saved us all the stress."

"No, you're giving me more stress! Why would you rent inside a public building? For Pete's sake, it wouldn't take a day until the photographers find where you live!"

"I assure you they won't. The last thing they would think I am is here."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jennie looks at her like she just said something in an alien language. "Do you think that this is a joke?!"

"Look, I know that you're mad-"

"Ohhh, don't put the mad word on me... I'm freaking livid!" Jennie throws her hands up in the air. "I mean- how you could do that without even consulting me?!"

"I didn't consult anything to you because I know you would oppose."

"Damn right I'd oppose! I have every right to." She reasons out. "I let you stay here in this city to write a mini-album not to rekindle things with your past."

"That was my initial plan too but I guess fate has other plans."

"Oh don't you fairytale on me Rosie, this isn't a book!"

"And I don't care." The taller woman firmly states. "Call it stupidity, stubbornness or anything worthless but I'm determined to make things right this time."

"You're risking your safety just to be neighbors with your ex!"

"Please, just trust me on this okay? I know what I am doing." She reasons out. "I wasn't there for her for five years Jennie. Five years and counting..."

"But this is too much."

"As long as it's for Lisa Jen... it can never be too much."

It only took two days for Rosie to move in completely just right next door to a smaller apartment. She normally spends her days doing a jog at the nearby park and then grabbing some coffee before she starts her day in front of the piano, trying to pitch some melody or just by her thinking chair, scribbling the broken lyrics that in her mind were significant and will be important in the future. On other days she would start her day by opening her French doors and receive the endless noise pollution by New York and sometimes- just sometimes a laugh coming from her neighbor right next to her.

Being neighbors with Lisa sure has its pros and cons. There were times when Rosie would ask permission for Lisa to grab some inspiration inside the room and they would get up into a conversation bringing up the old things they do around the familiar space like remembering the time when this was the place where you plan to make your studio and this would be my own photography space or back in the days you wouldn't do that type of talk that would immediately shut up both of them.

There were days when either one of them would involuntarily do things just like the old times. Rosie would place a cup of hot chocolate beside Lisa's working table before leaving or how Lisa would sometimes send some fresh flowers by delivery when she's out of town because she knows just how much inspiration flowers bring to the artist. It was just a few of the things they would do via impulse but every single thing conversation would end up in laughs, which Rosie was really grateful for.

Mostly her days with the photographer were pros because Lisa was always there to help a hand whether it was a short circuit or a broken faucet, the latter would be one knock away and be there to help. Lisa would sometimes message her if she was up for gym sessions or just a simple dinner out where they update one another about the current happenings in their lives or their future events. It felt nice for the singer since she feels that they were really starting all over again.

"Oh look, there's a grumpy squirrel."

"What now?" She grumpily asks Lisa who looked like she was tending to the flowers on her balcony. "Are you just going to laugh there all day long?"

"Sorry." Lisa smiles without looking at her. "Is this just all of your baby hair goes all the way whenever you just wake up, it's an adorable sight." Instead of being flattered, Rosie sticks her tongue out because she knows well that Lisa was teasing her about her bed hair. "So..."

Rosie looks at Lisa who was contemplating whether to ask what was on her head. "Lisa, it's okay you can ask me."

"Right." She convinces herself. "I know that."

"So?" The blonde woman asks. "What is your question?"

"Is Chanyeol okay with you moving here too?" She asks. "I mean, I'm sure he'd prefer if you were back in LA."

"He's very supportive still." She smiles. "He's always been like that from the very beginning."

Lisa doesn't answer immediately and continues to tend to her plants. "You're lucky you get to end up with a boyfriend like him."

"Friend." Lisa raises both of her eyebrows. "We're not together anymore."

"... Should I remain silent and wait for you to share with me about it or should I choke on my drink just like what you did?"

She ends up rolling her eyes at the latter. "We broke up the moment I got back to London."

"But why?"

"Well, right after I-uh- visited you, I thought about a lot of things and came to the conclusion that it just didn't feel right."

"What did?"

"Being with him." Rosie softly says. "It was unfair for him and he really didn't deserve that kind of treatment from me or anyone else."

"And he gave you up just like that?"

"If there's anything that is unchanging with Chanyeol, it would be his unwavering determination." She says. "It took him weeks to stop trying and nearly three months before he could finally face me again."

"Are you guys okay now?"

"We decided that if we couldn't save the relationship then at least we could save the friendship since we were long-time friends before we became an item. We decided to go back to the way we used to be, and that was being each others' number one fan."

"Really..." Rosie nods her head. "And do you guys still talk?"

"Not so much, we're both busy but whenever we're both free we get to talk sometimes... When we broke up and publicly declared it, everyone was dismayed especially my fans because to them, Chanyeol was the perfect man for me."

"Just because he's a perfect man for you doesn't mean he should be with you."

"Why? Do you believe that I deserve something less?"

"If having something less than perfect would make you happy then why not?" Lisa stops her gardening activities to look her in the eyes. "I think we should stop chasing the people that we think that's perfect for us."

"And what should we run after for?"

"The people who make us happy." Lisa has this unexplainable look in her eyes that made Rosie's heart beat in a very irregular pattern. "After all, being happy is all that we're after right?"

__________________________________

"She's flirting with you."

"Jennie!"

"What? You asked for my honest opinion right?"

"Yes."

"Then there you have it." Jennie motions. "I mean it's so obvious, she wouldn't be too friendly with you if she doesn't like you back. Seriously Rosie, you really think someone would spend time getting wet over a broken faucet for you?" The singer doesn't answer and lets her friend prove her point. "See? No one, not unless they're expecting to get you wet on some other ways."

"I swear you've been sex-deprived way too long for you to start on hallucinating things."

"For your information, my sex life is about to get active really soon."

"And who's the lucky fellow?"

Jennie smirks. "That's what you think, but this girl is getting some juicy pussy for me." Rosie scrunches her nose in disgust and throws her a couch pillow. "But hey, kidding aside... how are you really?"

"With the album?"

"No, silly- with you and Lisa." She says with her tone changing into something a bit more serious.

Rosie shifts in her seat. "There were times where I wanted to believe that she really is flirting back with me." She answers honestly. "She takes care of me more than a friend should and there and with her recent comment with me, I don't even know what to think anymore. A part of me wants to really believe that I have a chance."

"But?"

She lets out a long sigh. "But every time I do, she would give me signs that she's still not over Sehun... I know it, I know that look in her eyes whenever she was sad or she was remembering something about him or the way things used to be between them. There are times where Lisa would just go on and on talking about him and how she was trying to move on it makes me-"

"Jealous?"

"Mad!" She raises her voice. "Why would Sehun do something like that to her? The last time I met him, he was so in love with her. I remember that look in Sehun's eyes and just how much he loves her. She was his world! How could things change drastically like that? Lisa doesn't deserve it."

"It doesn't matter anymore how Sehun looks at him because that's Sehun, a police inspector who's out in San Francisco and not here in New York. What matters is how Lisa looks at you."

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, I've only met Lisa twice but I can tell already just how different she was when she was with Sehun and how she is with you now. Want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because Lisa looks at you, and I could see a lot of unsaid words wrapping around those beautiful Chestnut eyes."

Rosie diverts Jennie's attention by letting her listen to some of the drafts that she was working on these past days. She was happy to know that Jennie was liking everything so far and just made a few adjustments. After having a simple dinner with her long-time friend, Rosie escorts Jennie home, making sure she memorized the plate number of the cab before making a short run towards the grocery mart a few buildings away from hers. She was craving some butter pecan ice cream so that just might do the trick because she needed some inspiration and Lisa was away to LA for a photoshoot. After grabbing her cravings, she heads back to her unit and saw someone she never would've expected to see this person, much more to see them banging their fist against her door.

"Lisa! Lisa open up I know you're in there!" Slamming their fist again, they try to stand straight. "Lisa!!!"

"She's not there." She manages to find her voice and calls their attention.

"You?"

With a lump in her throat, Rosie manages to respond. "Hi, Sehun."

"You..." Suddenly Sehun's soft eyes turned into something scary. His orbs suddenly start to dilate as he stomps his way onto Rosie who was scared for her life right now. "It's all your fault!"

"Sehun wait-"

"NO! I'm going to-"

"Oh my God!"

She managed to catch his lightweight figure as he continues to throw up on her shirt. Rosie closes her eyes and endured all of the vomiting sounds and when he was done, she allows him to lean on her for support. With one hand on his waist, the singer opens her door and throws Sehun off the couch. He lets out a groan and she looks at him with slight annoyance until she smelled how disgusting the smell of his vomit was on her shirt. Scrunching her nose she opted for a quick change and returns minutes later with a clean set of clothes and a glass of water, placing it in front of the drunken man.

"Drink it. Your throat is going to be dry if you sleep right now."

"I don't need that water, I need to talk to Lisa."

"Well, you came at a bad time because she's in Los Angeles for work."

"How do you even know her schedule, why is she even talking to you, what are you doing here?" Sehun asks one question after the other. "You shouldn't be here."

"If there is someone who doesn't need to be here I'm pretty sure that's you."

"You're the one to talk." He scoffs. "I know what your past with her is; I know everything- from beginning 'til the end..." Sehun trails off. "To think that I really liked your music and welcomed you into my home."

"I never asked for you to like me and for your information, you were not the one I wanted to visit. It was Lisa's home, and you were just living with her for free."

"What are you even here huh? Are you trying to win Lisa back?"

"Yes, I am trying to win her back what are you going to do about it?"

"How dare you!" Sehun suddenly raises his voice at her. "You don't deserve Lisa!"

"And why? You think you do?"

"Fuck yeah if you're going to ask me!" He spats. "I was there for her when you weren't, I was there for her when she needed someone, I was there to help her fix herself... I was there for her all along and yet she still decided to break things up with me."

"Because it was the right thing to do!" She fights back with the same amount of determination. "You gave up on her when she needed your reassurance the most! You think it was just easy for her to leave what she has here?!"

"And how about me? Do you think it was easy for me to live behind your shadows? That I was okay with the fact that every time she was with me, I know that she wanted you to be there instead of me? Do you have any idea how I was so desperate to get you out of our lives?! Did you even consider how it broke me when she mumbled your name while having a nightmare?" He trails off. "I tried so hard to be the person that she needs for three years, and it only took you a day- even just hours to beat me..."

"You know why I hate you so much, Rosie?" The latter looks at him, waiting for him to continue. "I hate you because you are the reason why Lisa wouldn't leave New York." Rosie seems to be struck by this revelation. "Because of what you did to her, she would rather stay here in New York and remember all the painful memories she had with you than allow herself to start over again with a huge fear of getting hurt again, the same way you hurt her."

"No." Rosie argues. "That's not true Sehun because if it was, then she wouldn't have the courage to leave this place to start over with you. You were the one who thought that she wasn't over me and you were too focused on that fact that you weren't able to realize that she was willing to risk her heart to be broken all over again just for you." She says.

 "You were scared of living in my shadows forever, that you forgot that Lisa saw you as Sehun, the man that she learned to love and not just some rebound. If it wasn't easy for you to accept just how much she loved me, imagine on my part when I found out that she was willing to move to San Francisco with you when I asked her the very same thing six years ago."

"Then give me the chance... If you really love Lisa, you would allow her to be happy."

"I was willing to Sehun, but that was until I found out what you did to her."

"You had your chance long before so don't mess up mine."

"You had your chance because I gave up mine, so don't be so full of yourself Sehun." Rosie's eyes suddenly turn dark as she leans closer to him. "You really think Lisa would even bother looking your way if I stayed? You think she would be willing to leave me just for you?" Her confidence was oozing when Sehun couldn't fight the right words to get back at her. "I get it, I fucked things up, I didn't think things through and I broke her heart when she didn't even deserve it."

"That was the old me, the ambitious me that wouldn't mind sacrificing anything even if it meant the love of my life just to achieve my dreams. I've learned from my mistakes and now, I am trying to make it up to her but I can't do that if you're here." She says. "If it comes from Lisa that she would prefer to try things with you, then that will be the only time I'd be willing to give up this chance I have with her but until then-" She looks at him deadly that Sehun swore he could be killed if looks were allowed to so. "I'm not going to let you miss this one chance I've got."

Lisa gives the cab driver a huge amount of tip before shutting the door closed. She enters her apartment building and takes a short rest while the lift was still making its way towards the fourth floor. She lets out a sigh of discomfort, remembering how stressful the shoot was that she had to rebook her flight and leave there immediately because she thinks that if she stays one more minute with the model she was working with, she would probably melt with all the cringy statements and flirting he has been trying all throughout her stay.

She then wonders how Rosie could stay in a city with that kind of heat. It was always making her sweat and she was so close to cutting her bangs. Paparazzi were everywhere, and while she enjoys seeing a celebrity every now and then, she still thinks that she would prefer to stay in the never-ending hustle city of New York rather than anywhere else in the world. A smile on her face appears though as she looks at her luggage and sees a familiar box with an LA-made brand of home chocolates that seems to be the singer's favorite. Lisa knows how much of a chocolate lover her friend was.

Hearing the sound of the lift, she makes her way first to her home, planning for just a quick change before calling over her neighbor for some light breakfast back on Cornelia Street Café when Rosie's apartment door opens, and she sees Sehun coming out from it with Rosie following suit. She stops in her tracks, while both Sehun and Rosie exchange looks before looking back at her.

Being stuck from a hell week work shift, down to the delayed flight and annoying plane partner, Lisa's head was starting to play games with her because she could feel the back of her neck heating and different scenarios were flashing right before her. Just as she was about to snap at them- Rosie walks toward her and gives her a timid smile.

"He was looking for you last night and he accidentally knocked on my door," Rosie explains. "I was about to help him but he ended up vomiting on my shirt and I didn't have the heart to force him to leave so I made him sleep on the couch."

"Did he say something to you?"

The singer didn't want lies around them this time so she answers with a nod. "We did talk, and I think you guys should do the same as well."

Lisa looked at Sehun for a moment then back at her. "Where are you heading to?"

"I'm going to give you guys some privacy. I know you're too tired from the flight to go out and talk with him." She says. "In the meantime, I'll just go out have a jog and then maybe head to a studio to do some recording and meet up with friends."

"Thank you, Rosie."

The latter let out a smile. "Call me if you need anything okay?"

Lisa answers with a nod, and Rosie leaves them all alone, with a silent prayer that the odds might be in her favor.

__________________________________

"Wait, correct me if I am wrong but did you say that you talked with Sehun last night?"

"Yes Chanyeol, I did talk with Sehun last night."

After leaving the past lovers to their own accord, Rosie did go for a jog and a short gym session until she finds herself in front of an art gallery coffee shop where she was taking a break from all the inspiration-seeking she had done. Her mind wanted to focus on the song composition but she couldn't hide the fact that she was actually troubled with what happened last night down to the talk she had with Lisa. The other side of her tells her that it was the right thing to do, to let them talk and have a closure once and for all because she can't exactly live behind Sehun's shadow yet the opposite side was scolding her for being so stupid. Rosie knew that Lisa loved Sehun, and probably still loves him up to this point that maybe if Sehun says the right words, she would be gone in Lisa's life just like how they ended up years ago.

"Hello? Earth to Rosie are you still there?"

"S-sorry." She clears her throat. "I zoned out."

"No shit Rosie, I thought you flushed yourself or something." She rolls her eyes at the statement of her ex-boyfriend. "You're beating yourself up again are you?"

"He made some valid points last night."

"You made some valid points too so it's quits."

"Do you think it was a wise decision for me to let them talk?"

"No."

"I knew it."

"But you did the right thing." He says. "If this was the old Rosie, you probably would've been selfish and bad-mouthed him to Lisa. You would've told her to not take him back because he doesn't deserve it."

"I still don't want her to take him back Chanyeol."

"I know that, but I think it was only right you know? How would you expect Lisa to start things with you if she's still hung up over that Sehun guy? It would be unfair to you this time around and wouldn't it be better if you both started with no extra baggage this time?"

"I'm scared..." She says in a soft tone coated with a lot of insecurities. "What if she chooses to be with him?"

"The Rosie I know wouldn't accept things that quickly... she would contest and prove that she deserves a second chance. If Lisa's decision stays the same then that's the time where you would surrender but until then- fight for her. Remember, I didn't break up with you just to see you giving up without a fight."

She sighs out loud. "What should I do now?"

"You wait." He answers simply. "Lisa waited for you for a year in hopes that you would come around. If you believe that this is your second chance with her, what's more, a little added hours by yourself right? What's meant to be will happen, if it's meant for you, no matter what happens it will always find its way to you."

As much as Rosie wasn't really a fan of waiting, she thought that it was the right move to follow Chanyeol's advice and waits on it. Rosie resisted the urge to check on her phone from time to time because she knows that she was just going to let herself go through disappointment when she sees an empty notification box on her lock screen. She walked through the streets that she usually goes to whenever she's experiencing writer's block and even met up with old friends for a quick jam and suggestion to the album that she's currently working on and so far, she's doing a great job at putting the problem behind her mind.

It was nearing dinner time when she checked her phone which just made a buzz and her heart nearly leaped for joy when she sees Lisa's name and a text message asking her if she was available to have dinner inside Lisa's apartment. Sending a quick positive reply to her neighbor, Rosie bids her former colleagues goodbye and practically stole a taxi cab just to get home in record-breaking time.

"Wow, that was fast." Lisa's amusement was shown all over her face when Rosie appeared on her doorstep. "Were you nearby?"

"I was hanging out with Rina and the others." The latter nods in understanding.

"But isn't like their studio's two hours away from here?"

"Uh, no. They were at a nearby studio so we just met up there." Rosie lies, as she silently catches her breath. "What's up?"

"I cooked dinner tonight." The latter answers simply. "I knew my cooking skills were getting rusty so I thought a quick cooking for tonight would be a great start to revive my amazing skills inside the kitchen."

Rosie closes the door and follows suit. The moment she inhaled the air inside, her stomach accidentally rumbles. "You just want to boast that you have now amazing cooking hands are you?"

That made Lisa smile and shake her head. "Sit down, this is going to be done in five minutes."

Turns out Lisa prepared all of her Thai home comfort food which made Rosie's mouth water in excitement. She had always been a fan of Thai food and since she was busy cooking for herself and locking herself inside the apartment without anything either a granola bar, protein shake, or some salad to suffice her hunger, she had forgotten how amazing Lisa was already with her cooking. Rosie wondered if Lisa actually learned that for herself or just to impress Sehun, but that wasn't the only thing she was wondering about.

She wonders at the way Lisa was talking to her and how civil it was. It felt like those first few dinners that were shared either at her house or at Lisa's where she would be busy calculating her next move and always would be wary of Lisa's accommodating personality. She knew that there was something off from Lisa, but she also knows just how much Lisa values her privacy so she was probably going to wait and just let the latter speak up to her first about what happened.

Right after dinner, Lisa had invited her to stay for just a few minutes more where they talked about Lisa's work week in Los Angeles and she just listened to how Lisa was entirely annoyed with everything and everyone in that city. As usual, she would just let Lisa speak whenever she had a bad day at work or even a bad work schedule because she knows that she really couldn't do anything but just listen to the brunette. She would sometimes try explaining things but Lisa would always have a rebuttal towards it and she kind of blames the model who was lowkey trying to score a date with her.

"Maybe it was a good decision to not move to Los Angeles with me years ago right?"

"Excuse me, you didn't ask me to move in with you, you were implying that I didn't want to move in with you."

"That was because I didn't know that you already accepted the job offer in New York and that was because I thought you wouldn't have the guts to defend your own dream."

"If you knew I was going to have a job in New York, would that be enough reason to make you stay?"

"If I asked you to move to Los Angeles with me do you think we would still be together?"

Lisa and Rosie look at one another before the Thai native shakes her head. "I guess we were bound to break up anyway huh."

"Yeah." Rosie looks at her reflection through the wine glass. "I guess..."

"But if it were the younger versions of us, what would you think our decisions would be?"

"I would still go after my dream."

"And I would go after you because you were mine." Lisa says softly then chuckles. "I was so in love with you back then."

"And I was too ambitious to realize that I had to let go of the person who really believed in me."

"You don't need me; you have tons of fans who believe in you now."

"And you don't love me like you used to."

"Hey, Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Sing for me."

The latter furrowed her eyebrows, completely caught off guard with what her neighbor was asking. "Right now?" Lisa nods her head. "Uh... sure, what do you want me to sing?"

"The song." Rosie looks her in the eye. "I want to hear the song that you composed right after we talked."

__________________________________

"Make yourself at home."

Rosie shuts the door of her apartment room and Lisa jumps on the couch, getting comfortable already. It wasn't the first time that Lisa visited her temporary home but she was nervous whenever the brunette would be inside it. While Lisa was roaming her eyes around the place, Rosie was cleaning the messiness, and her visitor couldn't help but laugh.

"What?" Rosie looks at Lisa who was still laughing her heart out as she rolls on the couch. "Hey."

"You don't need to be shy, it's not like I didn't see this kind of mess already," Lisa says as soon as she was done laughing. "Besides, my space is way messier than yours."

"It's not messy."

"Only because you visit from time to time and help me clean it."

"We both know how I can't function in a messy environment and I was doing it because I needed the inspiration for a song."

"Speaking of the song... shall we?"

Rosie swallows the lump in her throat. "Do you want some wine?"

"Wine sounds good." A few moments later Rosie comes back with a bottle of wine and two glasses. She pours one for herself and one for Lisa. "Thank you."

"So, what do you want...?"

"Do you usually play it with a guitar?" The singer nods her head. "Have you tried playing it with a keyboard?"

"I originally played it with the piano, but the company thought that it would look better it would look better with the guitar."

"Then the keyboard it is."

She walked toward the keyboard and did some stretching. "Don't expect too much."

"You worry too much, it's just me- don't get too nervous."

"That's practically the reason why I am kind of shaking now." Rosie dryly chuckles before letting out the loaded air from her lungs. "Here we go." She places her fingers doing a C major key. "We were in the backstreet, drunk on something stronger than the drinks in the bar..." Shifting to G major, the singer sings the following line. "I rent a place on Cornelia Street, I say casually at the car."

"Rosie?" Jennie looks at her friend who looked like she just had lost her favorite pet fish. "Rosie?" She repeats, and when her friend gave her a knowing look, Jennie's heart was broken. "Come here."

The singer immediately cries out as Jennie secures her. "It's my entire fault..."

"What are you talking about?"

"Lisa..." She trails off. "Lisa hates me."

"Tell me, Rosie, tell me what happened."

Pulling away from the hold, Rosie looks at her friend who was busy wiping away the tears. "She doesn't love me anymore Jennie..." Tears stained her face as she bites her lower lip. "She loves someone else now... she belongs to someone new."

Rosie could remember the time when she started writing this song. It was raining in London that day and she had just come home from a long walk, just to clear her thoughts because as much as she wants to mourn over her broken heart, she still had an ongoing agreement that she needed to make ends with. Jennie told her that she could take the time that she wants, but Rosie knew that the moment she stayed in London, specifically in Cornelia Street, the more she would be remembered from the past and she didn't really want to stay there anymore.

If she could walk on any roads, she would rather not step foot on Cornelia Street.

It just reminds her of her biggest regret and the biggest heartbreak that she had experienced.

"I'm never going to walk on this street again," Rosie says as she hugs herself through the cold weather.

And just like that, one line after the other, Rosie didn't stop at creating the song. There were tons of paper that could be found, the pens were running out of ink, the coffee maker wouldn't stop brewing the hot beverage, and boxes of tea could be found on the kitchen counter, along with the take-out orders the singer would make from time to time. The apartment didn't run out of sound ever since. It made the Jennie go back and forth to the school supply shop, she even had to take the pile of garbage out every day and above all, Jennie had been robbed of so many hours of sleepless nights all because her artist didn't even bother to take a short rest, creating and then revising the song.

When she finally heard the final output, it brought her to tears, because she knew that every sacrifice she had done over the remaining days was totally worth it. That's what their partner company says so soon the creation of Cornelia Street started. It was the only time that Jennie saw just so focused and perfectionist that even down to the minute details, Rosie would be really hands-on and it sometimes scared the hell out of her.

"This is it." Jennie says as she looks at her artist who was putting on her in-ear and checking the details of her make-up and outfit. "You look beautiful Rosie."

"Thanks, Jen." The artist smiles timidly.

"So, this is it huh."

"Yeah... I really cannot believe I was able to put out a song."

"Are you ready?"

"No, but then again we can never be fully prepared can we?"

"Rosie I want you to know that I am so proud of you. I know it's taking a lot from you to sing something that is so painful and to just share it with the entire Europe continent is a really brave move."

"Don't be proud of me just yet."

"Huh?"

"I want you to be proud of me when I sing this song without feeling any pain anymore." Looking at her friend through the mirror, she elaborates on what she tries to say. "I want to sing this song and not remember how painful it was for me to see the girl I only love to be with someone else."

When Rosie hits the last chord of the guitar, the crowd rose up to their seats and screamed her name endlessly with different banners trying to catch her attention. From Belgium to Switzerland all they had for the singer-songwriter were positive feedback and let out praises to her. London's Cornelia Street even became a hit for Europeans especially when they found out that the record-breaking single was born in that place. They kept thanking Rosie for writing an amazing love song and the fans wished that they too had that kind of story.

And every time Rosie gets complimented she had to contain the desire to let out a scoff. Love song?

It was anything but a love song.

It was never a love song.

It was the anthem of her wounded heart.

Or so Chanyeol says.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be back sooner." Chanyeol apologizes again when they arrived back at her apartment in London. "I just came from a business meeting and-"

"You don't even have to do this."

"I have to win you back remember?"

"Chanyeol..."

"Rosie you know I can't give you up just like that."

"I already told you right? I can't keep on lying to you, you don't deserve that."

"And you don't deserve to watch people walk away whenever you tell them to." He says. "I love you and I will never get tired of showing you that because you don't give up on the people you love... You need to realize that you're worth fighting for."

Unknowingly, Rosie starts crying in front of him and so he brings her to his loving arms. "Hey, hey... what's wrong?"

With a sniff, Rosie wipes away her tears. "She was worth the fight too."

Chanyeol doesn't respond immediately and lets the information sink in. "Alas, I finally know who I am up against." He makes Rosie meet him in the eyes. "But she already won, right?"

That just made the latter burst into another series of tears. "I'm sorry, you don't deserve this... You're a good guy Chanyeol, and I loved you okay? You know I loved you right? The entire time we were together-"

"Rosie-"

"I was honest to you, I didn't use you nor played with your feelings. The hugs, the holding hands, the kisses they were all-"

"Real." He completes the sentence for her. "I know you heard this many times, but you are one of the honest people I have ever met. That's probably one of the reasons why I fell for you in the very beginning. You are one of the most famous people I have met, and yet there were no amount of lies in your eyes. You weren't fake like the others."

"I guess I was just too in denial to accept the truth." He says with a sad smile. "But you don't have to feel bad Rosie because while it hurts to me, I kind of agree with you, I don't deserve this kind of treatment. I deserved to be loved in the way I am meant to be loved right?"

"You do, you really do."

"So should you." Rosie looks at him with a hint of confusion. "If you believe that you were meant to be loved by her, then go after her."

"But she's with someone else now."

"Let her decide Rosie."

"H-how am I even going to let her decide when I don't even know how to get her back."

"With this song." He says. "The anthem of your wounded heart."

She never really understood what Chanyeol meant by that until now when she was really singing right in front of the girl that was behind the mayhem song in Europe. The girl that she was so scared to meet again for the last five years, the girl that was always on her mind, and the girl- the girl that she was trying so hard to win back. Lisa was that girl.

She always has been.

"I'll never walk on Cornelia Street again."

The last note lingers around the apartment and was soon followed by silence. Rosie carefully lets out her shaky breath, turning slowly as she looks at Lisa, who has this questionable look on her face that the singer couldn't quite depict. It made her nervous and impatient at the same time because she was already dying to know what was the photographer's reaction towards that.

After a few seconds passed, Lisa tapped on the next seat behind her, to which Rosie took this as a sign to seat closer to the latter. Now sitting beside one another, she places her hands on her lap as she hangs her head low while biting her lips. She tries not to meet Lisa in the eyes because there's a lot going on in her mind and one of those is the assumption that she had created. She was only scared that once she meets Lisa in the eyes, she would be able to find the answer that she really wouldn't like.

"So..." Dragging the last letter in her mouth, Lisa continues to speak. "What's the title of the song?"

"C-Cornelia Street."

Lisa hums in response. "Was it the first title that you had decided?"

"Oh no, we had lots of ideas... I'll never walk, Again, The Street."

"And who decided that it should be named Cornelia Street?"

"I did."

"Why name it like that?"

" I was giving a more specific sign."

"For who?The one who inspired you to write this song?" Rosie nods her head. "Do you think that your inspiration has already heard the song?"

"Y... yeah."

"I think you don't have to worry," Lisa says. "She already got the message."

Having enough courage, Rosie lifts her head up and looks at Lisa. "A-and what d-id she think of it?"

Lisa grabs her glass again and pours it all over her throat. "She thinks that you are better."

"Better?"

The latter nods her head. "You were better than him."

"Oh."

"You were better in understanding her, better in reading her thoughts, in knowing her," Lisa spoke in third person narrative. "With this song, she begins to wonder why did she spend three years loving a person who isn't even worth it."

"A person who babied her, who helped her step by step until she was fully recovered, someone who overly loved her, one was who was there for her because you were too scared in coming back for me, a person who stayed despite every bad thing, who was patient with her." She trails off. "That person did all those things, just so he could leave her when things were starting to get hard."

"So yes Rosie, compared to him- she thinks you were better." Lisa slowly leans in close, completely catching Rosie off guard and turning her into a statue. "You were always better."

"Lisa..."

"Shhh." Her speaking voice turns into a whisper as she leans in even further. "I know you want this."

Just as Lisa was to close the gap between them, Rosie finds her voice and asks- "Do you?" The question halts Lisa from leaning in. "Do you want this?"

"I'm leaning in, am I?"

"Not enough." Lisa pulls away and looks at her. "I want you to say it." She says. "Say that you want this too Lisa."

Slowly, Lisa starts to let out tears that somehow Rosie was expecting. Lisa pulls further away yet still kept an intimate space between the two of them. Plopping her elbows onto her lap, she covers her entire face with her hands and cries even more. Rosie watches the girl that she loves and she feels this bitterness inside of her. As Lisa shed tears, her heart was slowly being clenched, like it was wrapped around Lisa's hand and all she was doing was grip on it, and crumple it as if it was only just a piece of paper.

If letting Lisa go was painful, then this moment has got to be the most painful thing that Rosie had to go through.

Nothing is more painful than to see the person who used to love you so much, love someone else.

"It just hurt me so much- it hurts me because I actually saw it you know? I saw myself starting a new chapter in life with him and I was happy, I was so happy at that time." She bites her lips as she takes a breather. "And for him to leave me because of the fact that he was tired and gave up after everything we've been throughput me into a phase in my life and I begin to ask myself, am I not really worth someone in this life? Do I just exist just to be all alone? What did I do in my past life to deserve this treatment? I just want to have someone that would be willing to stay with me, is that too much to ask?"

"You want to know why I don't want to leave New York?" She looks back at the singer who was just listening to every word she's been saying. "Because it's the only place that wouldn't leave me..." Looking around, she extends both of her hands gesturing at the view of the city. "It's all I've got."

"It's okay Lisa..." Rosie pulls her close and rocked their bodies back and forth. "It's okay."

"I still love him, Rosie..." Lisa says through the mumbles. "I still love him."

"I know." She closes her eyes and tries to shush the sound of her heartbreaking in her head. "I know."

__________________________________

Lisa wakes up and welcomes the heat of the sun straight on her face. She wasn't a fan of this kind of lighting being directed to her face so she turns to her right and settles in the comfort of her pillow. She was about to be lulled back into sleep when she noticed a fruity scent lingering in her nose and thought about if she ever changed her laundry fabric conditioner because she swore that she never preferred the smell of fruity scents. It was stingy and sometimes strong so it disrupts her sleep.

However, this scent was something in between that she didn't mind. It was a mixture of strawberry and a hint of chocolate too which somehow appeals to her. Feeling the need of smelling more of this scent, she wraps her arms around the said pillow, only to find out that it was not a pillow but a person. And it doesn't take for Lisa to realize who was this person that she found comfort in the early morning in the city that never sleeps.

The shuffling sounds caused Rosie to wake up and the first thing that she realized was Lisa on the other side of the couch. "You're up."

"Uh, yeah." She coughs. "I am."

"Just woke up?" Lisa nods her head. "Want to-"

"I'm sorry." The latter speaks all of a sudden. "Last night was a bit too much wasn't it?"

"Of course not, I'm glad that you got the chance to let it all out."

"You didn't have to hear any of that. I must've sounded pathetic."

"It's never pathetic when you love someone."

"Apparently that wasn't enough to make him stay." She remarked. "It doesn't matter; everyone seems to leave me anyway."

"Lisa that's not true." Rosie tries to change her perception. "I'm here."

Hearing those two words made Lisa scoff. "You were the first one who left me, Rosie." She says. "I'm sorry but I don't think I can trust your words that easy."

"Then don't."

"What?"

"Don't trust my words, but have a little faith in my actions instead." She says. "Lisa, if you're still unaware of the fact that I am still in love with you, and how bad I want to make it right this time around then I am going to show it by actions."

"No, I can't do that to you."

"I am not asking you to give me a second chance right away."

"Then what are you trying to imply?"

"I want you to realize that I am going to wait for you Lisa. I won't force you to do anything, to return the favor or something. I won't even try to win you back." Lisa was starting to get confused with what Rosie was trying to tell her. "I'm gonna let you fix your issues all by yourself wanna know why? Because I know you can."

"I know you can do it on your own. You're a strong woman Lisa, even stronger than me if I am being honest. While I walked out of New York right after we broke up, you stayed and continued your life here even if it meant remembering the old us possibly in every turn of your head. When you saw me again after five years of not even giving you a proper closure, you welcomed me into your house, allowed me to meet Sehun, and even gave me the opportunity of tasting your dish."

"I got to talk to the people who knew us before, you didn't speak ill of me. You help me when my faucet's on the loose, you allow me to enter your apartment just so I could finish my song, you jog with me, have meals with me sometimes... When we met again after a year up to this very day, you didn't treat me as someone who broke your heart. You've welcomed me with nothing but kindness and you're such a good soul Lis, a good soul that I would be willing to do anything just so I could have you back but I won't do anything until you're ready."

"So I'm not here to force any decision for you to make right now. I am just saying that I love you, I've always had and I'm gonna do my best to win you back, only when you are ready to fall in love again." She says. "I'm here now Lisa... and I am here to stay only if you would allow me to." Swallowing the lump in her throat- Rosie decides to throw the million-dollar question. "Is it okay for me to stick around?"

Rosie watches as Lisa's tightly closed lips slowly open up and utter- "I..."

__________________________________

"Can I have one Earl Grey please?"

"Sure love, hold on."

"Someone's here early."

"Good morning to you too Matthew."

Matt smiles and takes a seat beside his old friend. "Wow, would you look at that I have a regular customer who's a multi-awarded, record-breaking, and the woman of the year."

The singer rolls her eyes at the flattery. "I still won't give you that ticket for the concert Matt."

"Aw come on, my girlfriend really likes your group of famous friends."

"Fine, I'll contact my manager and ask her if there are available tickets yet."

"Yes! You are the best!" Matt grins and turns to his staff. "Her order is on the house okay?"

"Copy that boss."

Shaking her head, Rosie went on with their conversation. "I seriously cannot believe that you own this place now."

"I know right?" He sits in an arrogant manner, making his friend laugh. "I remember the shitty days when I was cramming during rush hour where I could feel myself being drenched with curses, impatient customers, and warm drinks."

"You're so dramatic." She laughs. "But I am happy for you Matt; you deserve this kind of place. I'm pretty sure no one here has worked harder than you."

"Would you believe me if I tell you that I wasn't originally planning on buying the place?"

"Then who convinced you to?"

"Lisa did." He answers. "When this place was about to be rented out, Lisa came in rushing and screamed at my face because I never told her that the business was about to be closed since the owner is dead and nobody in the family wants to spare attention. I told her I wasn't ready financially, but I was deeply broken when I heard the news that it would be shut down. Lisa asked me if I like making coffee and I said- hell yeah!"

"So she told me that why would I give up something I really like and it struck me because she was right. I like making coffee, I like serving them and I like seeing the smile on the customers' faces when they receive their drinks. From there I try to make out the loans and Lisa helped too in a way and now we're here." He smiles. "Pretty amazing right?"

"Well, that's Lisa for you." She smiles back. "She always has the right words to say whenever you need a piece of advice."

"Speaking of, how are things between the two of you?"

"Same old, same old."

"What?"

"We're friends."

"You guys are still friends?" Rosie nods her head. "But why?"

"Because I want us to be, and she's not ready."

"It's already been a couple of months."

"I know, and I don't mind."

"I..." Lisa breaks away from eye contact. "I don't know Rosie, there's a lot going on my mind right now."

"Then I'll wait."

"Why are you doing this? You have a life right outside New York."

"My life is here right now Lisa." Rosie answers. "I'm looking at her right now."

Lisa looks away again and Rosie resists the urge to smile at her blushing face. "I-I- I won't make any promises to you. But if you can stick around without expecting something in return-" Looking back at Rosie, she continues. "I guess you can stay."

"You know what Rosie, besides that cop, I don't think there's someone else who would fit Lisa."

"Why?"

"I've seen Lisa through her lowest of lows and highest of highs. If there's someone here who is meant to be with her that's either you or Mr. policeman but since the dickhead broke my friend's heart, the only candidate is you."

"Should I feel honored?"

"Damn right you should." He says. "I just don't say this to anyone else."

"Thank you, your majesty. I feel like I could defeat the dragon with your wise words."

He chuckles. "Seriously though, how are you holding up?"

"I'm okay, she's talking to me and we hang out. The usual."

"And are you okay with that?"

"If it's Lisa, then I don't mind waiting at all." She smiles and looks at him. "I've waited for years to have this one shot with her Matt and for her to give me an opportunity to do so, already speaks volumes to me."

He looks at Rosie who was enjoying her tea. "You really do love her do you?"

"I don't think there will come a time that I'd stop loving her."

Rosie exits the coffee shop and goes back home and looks at her almost finished album. She called in for Jennie, who was surprisingly okay with her overstaying in New York for some reason. Nevertheless, she was happy because Jennie wasn't being the bossy woman she normally was because she gets to be more in tune with her music and of course, to spend more time with Lisa. Rosie checks her phone and saw three new messages coming from Lisa and it was just messages of an update, telling the latter that she was thankful for the ride towards her shoot, for the hot chocolate delivery and that she would like to have dinner with Rosie with later. After sending a quick text to her 'friend', she checks the other notification which was a miss call coming from her other friend, Jennie Kim. Pressing the name, she waits for Jennie to pick up the call.

"Hey, Jen?" Rosie calls out as she was clearing out the mess in her workstation. "Yoohoo, Jennie?"

"Oh shit sorry Rosie, I thought I was already on speaker."

"What's up?"

"I would just want to know how's your mini-album going? Is it still the same thing as the last time I visited?"

"No, I added recently just added one more song." She says. "I was about to send you this."

"Cool, so you now have like what? Five?Six songs?"

"More or less... Why?"

"Uh, dad's been asking about your whereabouts. He wondered why you haven't been home for months now and basically, I've run out of reasons to show them and now the paps are on the hunt for you."

"So you're saying..."

"Sorry Rosie, but you only have the end of this month to try and win Lisa back before you pack your bags and come back home."

__________________________________

"Any more objections?Nothing? Then let's call it a day."

Lisa inwardly sighs as soon as the meeting was done. She thought that replacing Hank's position was just a walk in the park but as soon as she took over, she immediately understood why he wanted her to leave the place. With countless expectations and never-ending pressure, Lisa was quite surprised that she hasn't reached her breaking point just yet.

"Make sure you get to your deadlines on time alright? The end of the month is near and the last thing I want is crammed up shots."

"Yes, boss!"

"Aren't you heading out yet?"

"And leave you here with tons of workloads to do?" Lisa smiles. "What kind of a head am I if I don't help you guys?"

"You sure are a complete upgrade to Hank."

"Hank's a nice guy alright? He's just got a temper."

"And you have one too."

Lisa looks at Jeremy with disbelief. "I don't have a temper."

"Yes, you do."

"Jessie?"

"In my opinion, Lisa does have a temper-"

"Aha! See what I mean?"

"But only when her 'friend' isn't around." Jessie smirks and gives their workmates a knowing look, to which they all agree to.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Oh, you know so well what we're talking about." Annie, one of the members of her group says. "We saw you last night being fetched up in an SUV."

"Ooh, looks like someone had a dinner date last night huh."

Suddenly the attention was all on Lisa who rolls her eyes at them. "And remember last week, someone gave out free drinks, and then a food truck came right?"

"Lord, I missed the tacos!!!"

"Lisa, who is this friend of yours huh? And why do I feel like this person is trying to win your heart?"

"She's not trying to win my heart." 'Ooh's' could be heard from the entire room, confusing the person in the hot seat. "What are the 'ooh's' for you dickheads?"

"Sorry boss didn't know you play for a different team now."

"Try returning to her old ways," Tim says which one of the people with Lisa was since the internship. "I remember she used to go out with a girl named-"

"So! What are we having tonight? Thai?Vietnamese? Chine-"

Lisa tries to cut the conversation when there was a knock on the door cutting their conversation off. When the door opened, everyone was surprised to see the person on the other side. Lisa couldn't believe what was happening.

"Holy shit."

"I'm not dreaming am I?" Jeremy stood up and walks closer to the visitor. "You're Roseanne Park am I right?" The latter chuckles awkwardly and nods her head. "OH MY GOD! Rosie, I am your fan!"

"T-t-thanks."

"Can I take a photo?"

"An autograph would extend my lifetime here on Earth."

Lisa watched as her workmates smother her with compliments and as she watches from the corner, she couldn't help but let out a smile. Since Rosie was all fame and fortune now, the photographer thought that Rosie would be used to all the compliments thrown at her but to see her all get shy and blushing made her relieved that the humbleness that the latter has from the very beginning is still there. She was about to just stand there and watch her friend interact with her workmates when she noticed that something was off.

It was Jeremy's hand wrapped around Rosie's shoulder and how he was acting like they were close.

"Alright, alright enough of the talk guys." She barges into the conversation as she removes the hand off Rosie's hand and stood in between Rosie and Jeremy. "You are starting to act like paparazzi jeez."

"It's not like every day a superstar comes inside our office right?"

"Oh no, no... I'm nothing like that." Rosie halts them.

"Of course you are Rosie-" Lisa blocks Jeremy once again from getting close to her neighbor. She shoots him a warning look before he slowly backs away. "You are very beautiful."

After successfully delivering the message, Lisa turns to her neighbor. "What brings you here?"

"Oh right, I was bored to death and then I remembered you were staying up late so I thought I might cook for you guys."

"Wow, thanks, Rosie!"

"I'm going to have to apologize in advance though, my cooking skills are just adequate but it's edible, don't worry." She smiles and looks at Lisa. "You've been eating so many take-outs this past few days and I am beginning to worry about your health."

The genuine concern got Lisa's heart to do mini-summersaults. "W-well none of us know how to cook and besides, we're too busy."

"Next time call me, I know a chef three blocks away from your office. He'll make you guys some home-cooked comfort meals. I'll give his number to you."

"T-t-thanks." She coughs and looks the other way.

"Anyway, I'll go ahead."

"Do you have somewhere else to be?"

"Yeah, I was planning to go for a little walk and gather up the melody for the last track."

"It's already late you think it's safe for you?"

Rosie smiles at her. "I've done this a million times already. I'll be quick I promise." She looks at Lisa's co-workers. "Guys, I hope you enjoy the food. I'll get going now; do well in your work!" The staff returns the favor and thanked her in the same enthusiastic manner.

"Let me walk you out." Lisa and Rosie walk side by side towards the elevator and wait for it to arrive on their floor. "Rosie, thank you for cooking, you didn't have to."

"Ah, I was emptying out my fridge anyway and you need to stop eating all those unhealthy food."

"Why? So you could have some kind of excuse to go back and grab those candies?" Lisa laughs as she remembers Rosie who was about to throw a tantrum because she didn't allow her to grab some sweets the last time that they went grocery shopping. "Is there something wrong?" She asks when she noticed Rosie wasn't laughing along with her.

"Jennie called earlier."

"And?"

"She asked about the progress of my album, I told her that everything was going well and I'm onto the final track." She answers. "Her father is already looking for me and soon the media will be looking on me since it's been a long time since the last public appearance."

"Does that mean you have to go back?"

Rosie nods her head. "The last thing that I want is a pregnancy or abortion scandal." She grunts and then looks at Lisa. "I'm sorry but I just found out about that recently too. The first thing I want is to tell you right away but you had a tight week, and I don't know when was the right time to tell you about this."

"It's okay Rosie, it's work." Lisa smiles "Besides, you don't owe me anything, we're just friends."

"Lisa-" Just as she was about to explain more of her side, the elevator makes a sound, cutting her off.

"You should go; you need some thinking time to do right?"

Against her own will, Rosie reluctantly enters the lift. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

With a small nod, Lisa responds- "I'll see you tomorrow."

The elevator doors close and Lisa walks back to the office and sees all of her workmates devouring all of the food that was prepared by her neighbor. She sits back in her seat and while the noise was trying to get through to her head, all that she could think about was the news that Rosie had announced-the news that she was leaving soon. She couldn't understand why, but the moment that Rosie told her about her leaving the city she felt a tug in her heart, like she came from a sudden drop off of an extreme ride, like she wants to vomit it all out.

"LISA!" Jessie screams at her, pulling her away from her thinking zone. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, she seems fine. Maybe she just didn't expect Rosie to come and visit her which reminds me-" Jeremy turns his swivel chair and looks at her. "Why didn't you tell me that you have a famous friend?"

"Because she's famous Jeremy, I'm not a fame whore who goes boasting around their famous friends, and besides, it's been a long time since we met so I'm not sure if I can still label us being like that."

"Man, you're so lucky to have Rosie as your friend. She's a very sweet girl and caring too I mean, look at all the preparations she got for us. She's hella pretty, she sings and is very humble! She didn't even treat us like fans, it's like we were friends."

"She barely has any rumors around her. The biggest rumor the media probably got was her break-up with her long-time boyfriend right?"

"Oh yeah! I remember people were talking about him being the inspiration behind Cornelia Street."

"I wish someone would write a song about me."

"How did you know one another?"

Lisa swallowed the lump in her throat. "Uh..."

"Is she the friend you've been hanging out with recently?"

"Oh my God don't tell me-"

"Guys enough with all the questions jeez, what are you TZM now? Chasing one gossip after the other?" Tim cuts in the conversation. "Come on, we have to go and clear the table. Break time's done and we still have tons of deadlines to meet."

"Come on Tim you're no fun."

"Man we're just lucky Tim isn't our superior."

When it was just Lisa and Tim, the girl heaves out a short and quick sigh. "Thanks, Tim."

"No problem Lis. I'm sorry too for earlier, I didn't know that you guys were trying to figure things out."

"Huh?" Lisa looks at him with a slight tilt of her head. "What do you mean we're working things out?"

"Isn't that why she's here though? To try and get back to your good graces?"

"Oh no, no, no... nothing like that." She clarifies with matching hand gestures. "She's here for work, well, she was taking some time off work but then she figured to still do some work you know what I mean?"

"Can't she take a break back in her home? She's not living here anymore right?"

"She moved to LA." Lisa answers. "But she's renting out the place right next to me for the meantime."

"Really? Wow, some effort huh. She must really love you up to now."

"Tim I told you, we're not making up. She's my friend and I am still not over Sehun you guys know that and besides, you knew just how much Rosie hurt me from before."

"I don't know about you Lisa, but I don't waste my time cooking for my friend and her entire staff just to kill time." He replies. "Pain can either turn us into the worst cowards ever or to the strongest versions of ourselves. It's just up to us to decide how we allow that pain to change us..."

"So what are you trying to say?"

Tim pats her lightly on the shoulder. "What I'm trying to say is, either you continue this act that you guys are just friends, or you stop running away and listen to what your heart wants."

__________________________________

"If it isn't my favorite VIP customer..." Matt smiles as he spots Lisa entering his shop. "One Grande Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows coming right up." Matt worked his way inside the bar and made his good friend his best-selling hot beverage. "Here you go."

"Thanks, Matt." The woman smiles timidly at him.

"Rough day at the office?"

"You could say that." Lisa places the mug back at the counter. "It's nearing the end of the month so we had to do some final task rearrangement and fix all of our schedules to finish all the clients' requests."

"Well, I'm sure you guys can do it. I mean, you have done it before a million times."

"I guess..."

Matt takes a good look at his friend who was playing around with her drink. "It seems to me like it's more than work." Lisa looks at him with furrowed eyebrows. "I've seen you come multiple times at my door and saw different versions of your stressed state but this-" He gestures to Lisa's entire attitude. "This is something different."

"Rosie visited me earlier. She cooked for my entire staff."

"Well, that's so sweet of her." He smiles. "Looks like she's really trying to win your heart eh?"

"She's leaving Matt." She says in a soft and delicate voice that if the coffee shop was crowded, Matt would have a hard time lip-reading what she said. "She's going back to LA by the end of the month."

"Oh."

"Yeah..." She dully trails off.

"I was going to ask you if you're okay but I realized it was a dumb question." He tries to lighten up the mood but he could still see Lisa being troubled with her thoughts. "Lisa, you know that this was bound to happen right?"

"I know, that's one of the things I considered when she asked if she could be given the chance to try and win me back." She says. "I know that she can't stay in New York forever but-"

"You want to."

"Of course Matt, she's my friend."

"Do you want her to be your friend? Just a friend?"

"Matt, not you too..." She says. "Tim told me the exact same thought earlier."

"See, it's not only me so what's taking you so long?"

"You know how much I love Sehun, up until now I am still not over him. When I was with him, it was comfortable. With him, I never have to overthink things and worry too much because I know he's going to stay. My relationship with him was easy and light but with Rosie-"

"It scares you." Matt completes her thought. "It scares you because when you were with her it was always too much. You care for her too much, you depend on her too much, loved her too much, worry about her too much." He says. "With her, you're scared- you're scared because you think the moment you let her into your life, you'd fall back into your old routine and it's going to be really painful if she leaves you again."

"Stop making things complicated Matt, all I want is for me to have some chocolate and you're-"

The sound of the wind chime catches their attention, but Matt turns toward his customer. "Uh sorry buddy, we're kind of closed now."

"Are you Lisa Manoban?" Matt and Lisa share a look of curiosity before the photographer turns around and sees the face of the stranger. "Hi Lisa, I'm-"

"Chanyeol."

__________________________________

"Lisa! There you are!"

"Hank!" Lisa excuses herself from a conversation and gives her mentor a long and tight hug. "Why are you already drunk? The party is just beginning!"

"I can't thank you enough for coming here."

"You guys paid for my ticket and accommodation. Of course, I'd come." She chuckles. "And why would I want to miss it? This is Paris! The city of love!"

"Of course, the city of love but for me, it's just a city of expenses."

Lisa laughs at her mentor's grumpiness. "Hank, it's your son's birthday... Let him have it."

He scrunches up at his nose and looks at his son dancing with his wife amongst the other people on the floor. "So... I bumped into Sehun when he was on patrol in San Francisco." Hank shifts his attention to Lisa who had this nervous look on her face, thinking about where this conversation was heading. "I was asking about how he was handling your stubborn ass and how the long-distance relationship is going when he told me you guys broke up nearly seven months ago."

"We did..."

"He said he came after you."

"He did."

"But you never gave him the chance."

"... I didn't."

"Why?"

"I just don't think that it was right to come back to the people who broke you."

Hank gives her a short scoff. "Careful now, don't want to find yourself in an ironic situation."

"What do you mean?'

"I heard from Matt that this famous ex-lover of yours is currently your neighbor and is trying to win you back."

"She is, but she's persistent Hank. If you would've met her, nothing stands in her way if she really wants something."

"I know... she left you for her dreams right?" Lisa was silenced by what he said because it hits straight home. "Tell me Lisa, are you really not giving Sehun a second chance because you cannot come back to the people who broke you, or is it because you're preparing your heart to give someone else a second chance?"

"You're drunk." Lisa answered and takes a shot of her drink. "And you're focusing too much on me Hank, this is your son's wedding. You need to focus on his happiness."

"Lisa, everyone knows that you have been the daughter I've always wanted to have." He drinks the last remaining bit of his Whiskey and gives her a hug. "I want you to know that whoever you choose to love this time around will see that you're worth the wait. I want you to choose someone who came back for you because they're ready to love you even more, not because they don't have someone around. Lastly, I hope that you would go for the person who can be your adventure and solace."

He gives her a quick kiss and then returns to the crowd and then asks for his wife for a dance. Lisa excuse her way outside of the venue and do a little thinking while embracing her coat as she welcomes the cool breeze of the Paris sidewalk when a sudden memory hits her.

"Oh wait, I remember that I still have to check the supplies at the back." Matt interrupts the silence between the three of them and then shifts his attention to Chanyeol. "Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm good thank you." He smiles at him.

"Okay, I'll be out for some time but you two uh- enjoy... yeah."

After the awkward farewell to the two of them, Chanyeol turns to Lisa who looked like she was in her own world so he tries to cut it off and actually starts a conversation with her. "It's finally nice to meet you in person."

Lisa jumped a little when he calls her attention. "Y-yeah..." She looks at him and smiles timidly. "You too."

"Is that an honest answer though? Cause I feel like seeing me just destroyed your mood."

"No, no. It's not like that... but if you're looking for Rosie then I think she went out for a little walk but I think she should be home by now."

"Actually I just came from talking to her. I'm also trying to win her back." In a snap, Lisa snaps her head toward Chanyeol with a look asking him if he was actually serious. "What? You really don't expect me to sit here and watch her wait on you right? It's not what she deserves."

"I wasn't asking her to wait for me, she knew very well that I am still going through issues on my own."

"I know, you don't seem the kind of person who plays on other people's feelings."

"Why are you even talking to me?" Lisa was slightly annoyed at how this guy was acting as if they were close. "If you're here to win Rosie back then you should do something for her and not waste time talking to her ex-lover."

"What better way to win her back than to ask suggestions from the person who knew her very well right?" He smiles at her. "You see, I remember Rosie the very first time I saw her. She was just performing for our company's event and she was just about to be a rising star. I could already hear her voice while I was parking and when I saw her, boy I couldn't leave her on my eyes ever since."

"The first time we talked was when I saved her."

"Saved her?" She asks. "Why? What happened?"

"She was being slut-shamed by my superiors." He says in a soft tone. "They assumed that she was some kind of those entertainers they'd normally book on events but I manage to divert their attention and was able to keep my job. When they left, I was about to apologize on their behalf when she started crying to me. She managed to open up about how the record company she usually works with was a scam and took all of her money away and now she barely has anything and took any job that would give her some money just to survive another day. From then on I knew that she was just a pure soul and the least that I could do was to save her and so I did... I introduced her to Jennie and it just started from there."

"It wasn't easy though, criticisms were thrown nearly everywhere at her and everybody was trying to pin down the girl from Melbourne who had big dreams. I'm not sure if you know this but during her first concert someone threw an egg at her and everybody came at her for having a unique voice. She was endlessly called an A-List gold-digger because every artist loved being with her. Yet despite all that, she remained steadfast strong, and focused on her goal."

Lisa's heart suddenly dropped upon hearing the news. She never would've thought that Rosie had to go through those moments all alone. "B-b-but why didn't she tell me about it? Why didn't she return to me?"

"I talked to her about it, but it was only after I started courting her. You see, I already know your back story. I knew she loved someone so much in New York but I didn't have the courage to ask her who was it. When I asked her why didn't she return to New York right after the scam- she told me that she had to make sure it was worth it."

"What was worth it?"

"Breaking your heart."Chanyeol looks at her. "She told me that she had promised herself that the next time you guys meet, you'd say to her that it wasn't a wrong decision for you to let her go, that you were proud of her."

"But I was proud of her, I am proud of her." Lisa argues. "Whether she's making 20 million dollars a month or 50 bucks it didn't matter to me, I'm always proud of her."

"Have you told her that?" He asks. "Have you told Rosie that you are proud of her?"

"No..."

"Well, there's still time Lisa."

Now she was just confused. "But I thought you were trying to win her back."

Chanyeol laughs and then shakes his head. "I was just messing with you." He answers. "Rosie told me that you were quite adorable whenever you're jealous and so I just had to check it out for myself. Now I know why she's head over heels in love with you." Lisa contains the urge to hit him right there. "See? You wanted to hit me because you were totally scared! Hahaha..."

"I'm not scared!" She evidently denies it.

"Man, you're so jealous." He chuckles. "Imagine what would happen if you guys got back together? She's probably gonna flood my inbox every now and then!"

"Whatever, I am out of here." She grabs her stuff and walks out. "And just so you know, if we ever got back together the first thing I'd do is to delete your number on her phone!"

"She memorizes it though." He continues to tease.

"Then I guess I'm gonna have to block it." Rosie's ex-boyfriend continues to laugh and it seriously annoyed her. "Stop laughing at me!"

"What's not to laugh, you just seriously told me that you were open to the possibility of getting back together with her?"

Lisa realizes what just happened and even got more annoyed. "Ugh! You're so annoying how did Rosie ever put up with you for years?" She rants while Chanyeol continues with the teasing. "That's it I am leaving!"

"Hey, Lisa!" He calls for her when she was holding onto the door handle. Turning around, Lisa looks at Chanyeol and sensed that there was a change in his demeanor. "When you feel like you're ready and your heart is willing to risk it all again- you can tell her the words that she would want to hear from you."

The sound of her phone buzzing catches her attention and leaves memory lane at the back of her mind. Pulling up the phone she noticed that it was an unknown number and while she has this habit to ignore unknown phone calls, she thought that this was Hank- drunk Hank that was looking for her so she taps on the green button and accepts the call.

"I'm glad you're sober enough to look for my name in your contacts," Lisa says as she continues her walk. "I thought you'd be drunk right now."

"I think you're drunk."

Lisa widens her eyes upon the realization of who was on the other end of the phone. "Rosie?"

"Well, maybe not that drunk enough I guess." Lisa could hear an adorable soft chuckle. "Yes, it's me, Rosie."

"Did you change your number?"

"No, I'm still in Paris."

"Oh yeah, I remember you have a schedule here too." Rosie hums in agreement. "But wait, you're scheduled to go home now right?"

"Where are you right now?"

"Right here around Eiffel. I was planning to grab a drink."

"Not enough booze left at the wedding?"

"No, I just want to be alone for a little while. I'm heading down at the Jazz bar right around 81 Boulevard." Lisa furrows her eyebrows as she could hear some shuffling sounds coming from the other end. "Hello? Rosie?"

After a few more inaudible noises, Rosie's voice comes back. "Hi, sorry- poor signal."

"Oh, it's okay. We can talk later if you want I mean, by now fans are going to smother you once you arrive in-" Lisa stops herself from walking when she sees a familiar figure standing by the end of the street. With her handphone still pressed in her ear, she says- "Rosie?"

Rosie waits for Lisa who was rushing her way to get to her. "Hi, Lisa." She greets her neighbor with a smile.

"Wait- wha- but I thought-" She laughs at her for being too lost for words. "I thought you were leaving."

"Maybe."

"But you're not."

"Maybe." Lisa shots her a look and then she smiles. "I was supposed to leave."

"But you're here." The latter just nods, and Lisa asks- "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here."

"Isn't it obvious?" She states in a matter-of-fact tone. "I came back."

"For what?"

"Not what, but for who." Rosie smiles at her. "I came back for you."

__________________________________

"How's the wedding?"

"It went pretty well. I took some nice and raw shots that I'm sure Hank would like to have and Tim too."

"I seriously cannot believe Tim got married. I thought he was going to be all alone in his life."

"I know right?" Lisa laughs. "I remember when we were interns he told me he was awkward with girls but then he ends up marrying a beautiful model. But I am happy for him, I think he deserves to be happy and I think he can with Suzie."

"How's your neck?"

"Oh, I already checked earlier with the Chiropractor you recommended and boy did he turn me into a new person."

"I'm glad, I know how you switch from one camera to another without minding the weight, and sometimes you have two on your neck."

"It's easier whenever I do that."

"But still, stop doing that it's not good for your body."

"Thanks, mom." Lisa chuckles. "Anyway, how was your schedule here?"

"It was okay, I had to meet several people but overall it was a nice and well-obtained visit in Paris. I wish could stay longer."

"Well, you're here now." Lisa smiles at her. "You just have to make the most out of it."

"Maybe I am." She returns back the smile. "Cheers?"

"Cheers."

From two glasses of bathtub gin to another, Rosie and Lisa enjoyed laughing at the happy moments that they shared. Whether it was remembering how Lisa falls onto the pond by trying so hard to impress Rosie doing multiple backflips or to them drunk singing all the way homecoming from a close friend's party, they can't seem to get enough of laughing at the times that they shared.

 Lisa thought about how it was kind of light and carefree they were at the moment. Sometimes she would steal some glances towards the singer, and there were moments, minimal moments that Lisa could feel her heart jumping out of beat whenever she sees Rosie throwing her head back as she laughs or when she flips where she could have a hint of the fruity perfume that still smells the same even after the years that they were apart. Lisa thought about just how hard it must've been for the latter to endure everything on her own. 

How she kind of scolded herself for being too focused on her own pain that she wasn't able to realize that Rosie did love her, and up to date, the love never faded away, and just thinking about how it must've been hard for these past months, but still she wasn't sure if she was really ready to try again.

Lisa would get caught for staring a bit too long and Rosie would simply smile knowing that the way the latter would look at her still hasn't changed over the years. She was thankful enough that Lisa gave her the chance to prove herself and her feelings this time around and she hopes that through small gestures it was enough for her neighbor to realize that she's ready to wait for her to come around. But with the clock ticking down for her to return back to her old life, she wasn't sure if she waited too long that it wasn't enough for Lisa to believe her.

"Anyone wants to sing?" The singer says in English. "Tonight's an open mic night and we all know some of you here have some talent. It's a night of joy and music! Come on!"

While the singer tries to convince some of the people from the front row, Rosie calls for Lisa's attention. "Hey."

"Hmm?"

"Let's sing."

"Huh?" Rosie uses her mouth and points at the small stage. "Oh no, no, no."

"Oh come on, I know you can sing."

"I can rap a little but sing?"

"Don't try to fool me, remember how you used to sing with me?"

"That was back then when I believe I sound good."

"You do sound good." She says and Lisa looks at her. "You sound good with me."

"Please anyone! Someone help me! My throat is demanding a shot of Whiskey!" He scans through the crowd. "The band is sick of my voice! I need to be replaced!"

"Okay." Lisa smiles at Rosie. "Okay, let's sing."

Rosie couldn't help but grin and calls the attention of the singer. "Monsieur, we would like to sing!"

"Finally! Someone saved me!" He dramatically approaches the two of them. "Aha, let me guess- lovers?" He turns to Rosie. "You want to sing your theme song?"

"No..." Rosie shifts her stare from the man to Lisa. "I'm trying to win her back."

Several howls and cheers came from the band, crowd, and some of the staff cheered for her. "When all things fail music never does oui?"

"Oui."

"Very well! Ladies and gentlemen, let us all welcome these two lovely women in hopes that they would find their way back to love!"

Rosie and Lisa were all left alone on the stage. Lisa watches as Rosie whispers things to the band who were oddly smiling and grinning once she was done talking to them. "What song are we singing?"

"Don't worry, you'll know."

"What?" Lisa was starting to get nervous. "Rosie what are we-" She was cut off when the band started playing and completely surprises her.

"L is for the way you look at me..." Rosie looks at her. "O is for the only one I see... V, is very very, extraordinary... E is even more than anyone can-"

"Love... is all that I can give to you." Lisa starts to sing, cheering up the crowd. "Love is more than just a game for two..."

"Two in love can make it, take my heart, and please don't break it." Looking at one another, Rosie reaches out for Lisa's hand which the latter doesn't disappoint, and intertwines their hands. "Love was made for me and you."

They moved their bodies to the beat of the music and danced together on the stage, laughing and just smiling at one another while the crowd was left on their feet, joining in the kind of happiness they managed to surround the bar. As they continue to sing the song, taking turns to sing the lyrics, Lisa was starting to see Rosie in a different kind of way; a good kind of different.

The way how she acts when she was with her, how her body responds when Rosie is there by her side when someone tries to make a move. She starts to remember how her chest would be all cramped up and her temper would suddenly turn sour. Most of all, she starts to see how much she is patient and just how much she had sacrificed, just to prove that she's here to make things right this time.

By the time the song ends, Lisa was about to say something to Rosie when all of a sudden a man shouts from the far end. "That's her! That's Rosie the singer!"

The door opens and the paparazzi came bursting in trying to find a good shot of the latter. Thankful enough the people from the bar stepped right up and stalled the media from coming at her. With a heavy tug, Rosie drags Lisa away onto the back and they started running really quick, away from the attention. After taking a right turn down to a discreet alley, both of them slowed down on their steps as they try to catch their breaths.

"That..." Lisa exhales out loud. "Was something..."

"Sorry." As Rosie breathes out as she wets her dry lips. "I didn't mean to-"

"Do you... normally have those people running after you?"

"Not really, I have people who surround me. It's just that today I was been in a low profile for quite some time and I guess they just want to know what I am up to."

"You're about to return to Los Angeles, what's a few days more of giving you silence and peace?"

"It doesn't work that way with them. Whoever gets the first photo of me would have enough money to provide for their family or for themselves."

"Does it always look like this for you?"

She smiles sadly. "I chose this life."

"When are you coming back to LA?"

"By the end of the week."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, that's not much time left though." Rosie nods her head. "Do you need some packing?"

"Jennie already arranged it before I left."

"Oh."

"Yep."

"Rosie?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you regret it?"

"About?"

"Leaving me..." She asks. "Did you regret letting me go even if you knew that you were my world?"

"Honestly?"

The latter nods her head. "Honestly."

"No." Rosie answers. "I didn't regret leaving you and in fact, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made."

"Best decision?"

Rosie smiles and continues to walk in a slow pace motion with Lisa lightly following suit. "Can you imagine us if we were still together right now? The same old Lisa and Rosie before who never thought of anything else other than each other's existence; The old us who were so dependent on one another, and the old us that were so in love." She says. "It would probably be nice right?" Lisa nods her head in agreement. "But ask yourself, would it make you happy?"

"Would it make you happy knowing that while you live your life here in New York, I was forced to stay and settle for the shitty company YG who barely gave me minimum exposure? While you achieve your dreams bit by bit, I would sit and sigh at our couch, wondering if I am ever going to be able to get something for all the hard work that I have poured out. When you get home and tell me about how awesome your day went, I would stare at you with a stoic face and then wonder how amazing it would be if I could feel the same thing as you."

"Would it make you happy that the love that I have for you would slowly turn into jealousy because while you have everything you need in New York, I had mine outside this concrete jungle and think about how it was just unfair that you get to do the things you love while I can't. Would it make you happy if the love I have for you would turn into hate?"

"Of course not, I wouldn't want anything like that because you are my happiness Rosie, you meant the world to me."

"And that's why we didn't end up together during that time." She says. "We placed each others' happiness in each other's hands that when we broke up, we lost everything- including ourselves. We had to learn the hard way, we had to shed tears for so many nights, lost faith in love and basically just gave up on trying at all... and when we found the love that we thought we both wanted to have, we met again."

"I have to admit, I was a douche that night. I was thinking irrationally and my logic was practically thrown out of the window but can you blame me? The moment our lips touched, I knew that I was a goner and don't you dare lie to me, because I know you felt it too. Up until now, I think about how things would end up if I didn't bite your lower lip that night."

"Then I realized the reason that we met that day because it was a sign for us. We had to fall for different people for us to realize just how we are meant to be together in this life." Rosie stops in her tracks and looks at Lisa. "We had to grow apart, in order to grow up to be with different people and to feel that just because they're perfect doesn't mean they can make us happy... that just because they feel safe- doesn't mean you can call it your home."

"We had to find happiness in our own hands, we had to achieve our own dreams alone and we had to be hurt by the what if's and regrets in our relationship so that maybe when it was time for us to meet again, there's nothing that will be holding us back. Meeting you nearly a year ago was proof of that."

"You don't understand... this- this isn't just a walk in the park this time around." Lisa counters. "Before you were just Roseanne Park singing for eighteen people inside a rustic shitty bar, now you sing in sold-out coliseums and arenas with hundreds of people shouting, and crying every time you open your mouth. Before, nobody would pay attention in that society but look at you right now, being all fit and doing new advertising."

"I don't care if this isn't a walk in the park because I never expect it to be. With you Lisa, there's no Garden of Eden or a flowery road. With you, there's going to be rocky valleys, a road filled with thorns, and even tidal waves... but you know what Lisa? I'd rather choose that kind of road." She says. "I'd rather choose to get myself bruised over the valleys, allowing my feet to get pricked time and time again, and willingly surrender to the tsunami inside my heart if it meant being with you."

"I've lost you so many times that I don't think that I can leave New York without letting you know what I have been harboring all this time... These feelings that I have for you are more than what people call love... What I feel for you is deeper than that Lisa for you're the kind of woman who doesn't deserve to hear just the typical three-word that we would see in movies that would often seal the deal, no."

"I don't just love you, but I choose to love you." Reaching out for Lisa's hands, she grips in the same manner she had held the latter's hands. "A year ago, I held your hands like this back at Cornelia Street. Now, in a different city, on a different street, and a different version of Lisa and Rosie, underneath the most romantic landmark in the world, I'm going to ask you the same question I asked you before."

"Lisa..." She softly trails off, slowly gripping onto her possible future lover's hands... "Don't you love me anymore?"

"It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it's not."

"Lisa."

"It's not!" She screams at the top of her lungs. "It's not easy!"

"Yes Lisa, yes it is! All you have to answer is yes or no."

"I need more time."

"We have no more time!" Rosie's voice strained that patience was nearing its end. "By the end of the week, I'm gonna have to ride a plane and leave."

"Then why did you ask if you could stick around if you were going to leave anyway? Why bother asking if I could make a room in my heart for you if you weren't going to stay for a long time?"

"I wasn't asking a room in your heart, I know I have one. I asked to stick around because I love you too much to give you up like that."

"But isn't that what you're doing to me now? Giving up on me?"

"No, no, no... I'm not giving up on you."

"Then why are you making me choose?" She softly asks. "Even if I were to choose to say yes, it won't change the fact that you are still leaving."

"What makes you think I'm not letting you come with me?"

"Rosie, you can't be serious right?"

"I am being serious."

"You're being irrational again."

"I'm not." Rosie continues to argue. "Look, I know how much that city means to you but you have to be open to the possibility that New York might be your dream place but it doesn't have to be your home... Hank knows it, your colleagues know it and I know that you know it too. That city was meant for you to start your photography career and now that you have improved yourself, it's time to let go of that place and move forward."

"And where do you think my home is? With you?"

"Why? Is it not?" She contests and walks closer towards the very torn brunette who lets out a scoff. "Do you think that if I leave New York, you're going to go back to your normal routine and act as if nothing happened?" She asks. "No, you can't Lisa because you're gonna remember everything. You're gonna remember the way the early morning jogs we had by the park or the strolls we had on different streets. You're gonna remember us in every gallery, in every Broadway show, and in every coffee shop you head to. When you take a sip of Matt's signature hot chocolate you won't taste the cocoa but you're gonna taste the memory of our accidental kiss."

"But why remember when we can make new ones? If you're with me it's not just Los Angeles that we get to leave our memories with but in Amsterdam, Brazil, Greece, Japan the list is going to be endless..." Swallowing the lump found in her throat, she takes a short pause before continuing. "Do you want to know why I know that I am your home, Lisa?" She looks the singer in the eyes and waits for her to continue. "Because you're mine."

Lisa shakes her head. "That's not true."

Rosie backs away a few steps out of frustration. "WHY ARE YOU BEING SO DIFFICULT!"

"Because I would rather go through the pain all over again than allow you to be my home!"+

"I'd rather stay in that place even if every corner screamed our memories than create new ones with you in different places! You're asking of too much for me Rosie, remembering you in every part of New York is already painful enough, remembering you wherever I go is something I would rather not allow myself to go through."

"We haven't even started yet and here you are already thinking that we won't last..." She trails off. "Don't you think that I deserve to be given a chance to love you and be loved by you, Lisa?"

"I'm scared..." The latter says right above her nose. "I'm terrified of the things that I would willingly do for you."

"You don't have to be scared..." Rosie proceeds with cupping Lisa's cheeks and sees the brunette on the verge of tears. "I've lived five long and painful years in my life without you... and I don't think I can handle it if I let you go once more."

Lisa shakes her head once more. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry."

Rosie lets a tear or two escape from her eyes. "Then say that you don't love me anymore."

"W-what?"

"I choose to love you Lisa, no matter how painful it was for me, I stayed by your side and watch you try to move on from the love that you once shared with him. I didn't mind the sound of my heartbreaking every time you shut down the possibility of us getting back together and most of all I muffled my tears during the nights that we slept in one room and you'd mumble his name from time to time." She looks at Lisa. "And because I choose to love you, I chose to stay by your side because it was the hardest moment of your life and because I wanted to show to you, that I'm going to stay as long as you would allow me to."

"But I deserved to be loved too... I want you to only look at me, to love me... I want you to choose me as well Lisa." She sadly smiles. "And as much as I want it to be you, if you cannot allow yourself to let go of the things that only bring you pain- then that's out of my control. Look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you no longer love me. That's all I need to hear from you and I'm not going to disturb you anymore."

"So that's it, that's all I have to say and you're going to leave me all alone once again."

"I am not going to leave you alone, I'll always be there for you but I cannot stay in a place, where clearly I am no longer needed. As much as I want to wait for you, I also have a life that's waiting for me and I don't want to force myself on you anymore... you deserve to be happy and if it's with someone else, then I-" Biting her lower lip that was shaking, Rosie went on as she wipes the tears from her eyes. "I'll be happy to give you the peace and the clean slate that you want... So Lisa, if you really do not love me anymore then just say it."

"I..." Lisa turns her hands into knuckles inside her pockets "I don't-"

"I don't l-"

"Rosie I-"

In the end, Rosie watches as the latter covers her face and bursts into tears. She watches as Lisa's chest heaves up and down and cries harder. Soon enough she walks her way toward her and wraps the brunette in her arms while Lisa tries to come down from the overwhelming feelings that she has been holding on to for too long.

"I can't say it," Lisa mumbles against Rosie's chest. "I can't say the things I don't mean."

"But you can't also say that you still love me also."

"I can't say the words that I am not ready for..." Pulling away Lisa looks at her with her messed-up make-up. "I need more time Rosie."

"I'll be flying back to Los Angeles to do some appearances just to calm the news about my sudden disappearances. I'm gonna stay there for a while and by the end of the week, I'm gonna come back just so I could meet the new owner of the apartment right next to yours and after that- I've got no more reasons to stay."

"But- I also have a flight to Chicago-"

With a kiss on the forehead, Rosie whispers to Lisa's ear. "I'll be at Gate 7, five o'clock in the morning. I'll be waiting for you."

__________________________________

"Lisa?"

"Lisa."

"Lisa!"

"LISA."

"LISA!"

"Huh?" Lisa looked around and noticed that everybody was looking at her. She slowly turns to Jeremy waiting for her answer. "Sorry, what was it again?"

The room was silent after hearing that. She studies everybody's facial expressions that they were pissed. "Guys, why don't we take a five-minute break for a second?" As soon as nobody could be found in the meeting room, Jeremy looks at her. "Lisa, seriously what the fuck."

"I'm sorry."

"And there you go again." He sighs. "You have been out these past days and I haven't seen you in this kind of state before. You've had your setbacks, especially when you broke up with Sehun but damn- not like this." Jeremy looks at his superior. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"Pfft, as much as I would like to believe it, I know that's not true." He answers. "You have been off since you returned from Paris. Did something happen there perhaps?"

"Don't you love me anymore?"

"Look me in the eyes right now and tell me that you no longer love me."

"I'll be at Gate 7, at five o'clock in the morning."

"I'll be waiting for you."

"Jeremy." She calls out to him. "If I'm going to ask you a very serious question, do you promise to respond with a very serious answer?"

"I'm not going to make any promises because I'm not really a serious type of individual but yeah, let's give it a shot."

"You're in a situation where everything in your life is doing well. You can pay your bills, you have a wonderful house and a beautiful career with a wonderful partner. Life is great for you yes?"

"It seems to be very imaginative for me but yes, continue."

"But just as when you are happy and contented, a part of your past comes like a-"

"A dark secret? Like you're a double agent and your target is your boyfriend but now you don't view him as a target now but he's the love of your life?"

Lisa gives him a look of glare. "I'm starting to regret that you're the one I asked for this."

"Heh, sorry about that." He chuckles as he rubs the back of his neck. "Continue."

"Your ex-lover appears and then suddenly you start to question the life that you have... you start to have these kinds of questions inside your head that made you unsure a lot of things."

"Maybe I didn't have proper closure with my ex that's why I have been so bothered by her existence and reappearance in my life."

"See that's the thing, Jeremy, the doubts you had in your mind started to appear after you had the talk with her."

"Oh." Jeremy thinks about the situation for a while. "Then that's where things get really messy."

"Why?"

"Because if you start to doubt everything in your life even after the closure talk you guys had, then it means the closure wasn't really a closure- at least on your side. It's either it wasn't the closure that you wanted or you're still not over your ex, you just act like you are and honestly, that's just sad. It's unfair with everyone that is involved in your current life, most especially your current partner."

"How can you say so?"

Jeremy looks at her with disbelief. "Lisa, you cannot love someone if you're not ready!"

"But I was ready when I said yes to him."

"If so, then why is trouble still in your heart?" He asks, making Lisa silence and thought about what he said. "Sure you might love the guy but not as much as you love your ex."

"Okay fine, let's say because of this unfair treatment that causes my current boyfriend to break up with me. After some time had passed, he returns but then my ex-lover returns too and both of them are trying to win me back."

"Damn... who are you in your past life boss?"

"Jeremy, I'm serious."

"Alright, alright what do you need my opinion for?"

"If you were in my shoes, what would you do?"

"How did it feel for you when you were with them respectively?"

"With my recent boyfriend, it was nice and light. We loved one another and everything I was happy."

"But with the other ex, it's different." Lisa nods her head. "Different in a very terrifying way."

"Yes."

"Then I would go for the person that scares me."

"Did you even listen to what I just said?"

"I heard you perfectly." He answers. "Look, to keep things short and simple it's nice to know that you feel happy and light with the recent ex but come on, we all know that's the easy way out. Because with him, you'd never have to worry about breaking your heart the same way the other has the ability to do so, and with him trying to win your heart back, the heartbreak is going to be the least of your worries which makes you happy because duh? Who would be in their right minds choose the hard way right?"

"But that's the thing... Often times we usually go the easy way because we think it's going to make us happy and it does, for a time being until we start to crave real happiness." He says. "Sometimes, when we go for the easy way out, it does make us happy- but it never makes us really satisfied. I mean look at the entire human population, we keep on destroying things that don't even belong to us because we're never really truly satisfied. We always look for the easy way out."

"And I get what you're trying to say. Going back to the ex that felt you a lot of things might be terrifying for you but Lis, you have to realize that it's not just you that's scared. It's not just you who's going to make a huge sacrifice here, the fact that she stayed here to be there for you without even asking anything in return and settled in being your 'friend' as she silently prays for you to come around already says a lot. Getting back together with her might be scary for you but remember we have to go for the things that make us feel-"

"Happy?"

Jeremy shakes his head. "Alive." He answers. "It's scary I know but the right people will always be worth it."

"Right people huh."

He stretches out his hands and lightly taps them on Lisa's shoulder. "Tell Rosie how you really feel Lis."

"It's not that easy, Rosie, she's-" Lisa widens her eyes upon the realization of what just happened. "Wait a minute how did you know-"

Jeremy chuckles. "Tim may have slipped a thing or two from your past." He smiles when Lisa's mood got grumpy. "I knew those laser eyes that night didn't mean anything..."

"You were acting like you guys were close."

"And you were being jealous like a possessive girlfriend." He laughs and heads towards the door.

"Wait you didn't even answer my question! Who would you choose?"

"Why bother asking my opinion when your heart's already made up its mind?"

"Jeremy come back here!"

"You never needed an opinion from the first place boss, all you want is some validation." He stops in his tracks and turns around. "Tell her how you really feel already. In the end, the only things that we regret the most are the things that are left unsaid." When the door closes, Lisa allows for Jeremy's last words to sink in and when they did, she hurriedly pulls out her phone and dialed the number.

"Hello? Yeah, I heard that you're in town..." She trails off. "Can we talk? I have something to say."

__________________________________

"Lisa over here!"

"Hey!" Lisa greets the person she called earlier. "Sorry I'm late but the traffic was super-"

"No need to apologize, I used to live here to remember?"

"Have you ordered already?"

"I ordered the usual, you don't mind right?"

The photographer smiles. "Still a gentleman I see Sehun."

"My parents raised me right what can I say?"He smiles back as the waiter places their orders. "So what happened that you wanted to see me at this time of the hour."

She looks at the wall clock posted above the wall that says 11:11 PM. "Sorry, I just wanted to see how you're doing that's all." Sehun snorts with her answer, completely not believing her lie. "What, I'm seriously telling the truth."

"Well, if you want to go down that way then I'm okay." He replies. "I'm still busy with the workload and the reason why I'm back in town is just to cross-check with the station." Lisa nods her head. "What about you?"

"Loads of projects as always kind of a relief that I'm just over-seeing things but the pressures seem to double because I am handling the team after all."

"I'm sure you can do it, you have no choice either."

"Yeah, guess that's what I get for insisting on staying here."

"Why did you call me Lisa?" He asks the second time around but this one demands an honest answer.

"Sehun, can you do me a favor?" He looks at her and waits for her to continue. "Go out on a date with me?"

"A date?" Lisa nods her head. "Like we used to do?"

"Yeah."

"B-but why?"

"I just want to know something."

"Do you want to know something or do you want to make sure of something because they're two completely different things, Lisa."

"I- I don't know."

"You don't know? Or you just won't accept things?"

"I called to seek your help and not to get more questions from you."

"Lisa, do you remember the last time we talked?" Sehun asks as he slices his own steak and takes a bite from it. "The time when I decided to visit you but I got drunk and vomited on Rosie instead?"

"Yeah."

"Well do you remember what you said to me?"

"I remember telling and screaming a lot of things at you."

"True, but I'm pretty sure you remember the last few sentences that you said that night right?"

Lisa enters her apartment with a sober Sehun following suit. While he was standing there on the corner, she focuses on the shining sun of New York and thought about how she didn't expect her mornings to end up this way, especially to see her two previous lovers in front of her.

"What are you doing here Sehun?"

"I came to visit just for the weekend."

"No, I don't mean that." She turns around and looks at him. "What are you doing here visiting me? Sehun, I already told you-"

"You don't want to see me for a while I know, but it's already been a year Lisa, I have to see you. We still have some unfinished business between us."

"There's no unfinished business between you and me. You clearly ended things that night that you broke up with me."

"I didn't mean that."

"So now you don't mean it."

"I was not myself at that time."

"Don't tell me lies."

"I'm not okay? I was just feeling a lot of stress that day and your self-doubt came at a wrong time-it was taking a toll on me and I was just tired that day-"

Lisa looks at him with her mouth slightly opened. "I can't believe this."

"I know what I did was wrong-"

"Wrong?" She cuts him off right there. "You broke my heart and you're just going to say that it was 'wrong' of you?" Scoffing out her disbelief she decides to let out the unsaid feelings she had from the last time that they talked. "It was more than wrong! It was the wrongest thing that you could ever do to me, it was worse than cheating Sehun! You broke up with me because you were tired? Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

"Lisa, you have to hear me out alright? Just- just hear me out please." Sehun says, desperately pleading for her. "You're right. What happened that night wasn't just wrong but they were also painful Lisa, I'm just human, I make mistakes too."

"Don't pull that card on me Oh Sehun. The moment I entertain this and take you back, you're just going to use this card again and again until we're both immune and numb to the fact that we're hurting one another. We're going to take each other for granted and waste the love we used to have" Lisa explains. "I deserve more than just 'I'm just a human' excuse."

"Why are you being stubborn? I fucked up; I was a coward and didn't chase after you right away. But I'm here now, I'm apologizing and I'd be willing to do anything just so I could win you back."

"It's not called being stubborn Sehun; it's about me knowing my worth." Lisa snaps. "What you did was very painful so I'm sorry if I doubt everything that comes right out of your mouth."

"But you no longer doubt hers right?"

Lisa's anger suddenly rose to another level the moment he dragged Rosie into the argument. "Don't make this about her Sehun."

"Why not? I have every right, every reason to make this about her."

"Leave her out of this." She seethes through her teeth.

Sehun clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Already getting protective of her are we?" He scoffs. "What's so great about her anyway? I mean between me and her, we're nothing alike. I cared for you more than she could, I was patient with you more than she did and I loved you more... I did everything more than her so why!?" Lisa looks at him and she could see that this was tearing him apart too. "Why is it that even after all I've done, after what we've been through I still feel like I live behind her shadow?"

"When I said yes to moving with you, did you think that it was out of pity? Did you think I went out of my comfort zone because I didn't have a choice?" She asks. "Sehun, I did all those things because I loved you and that I have loved you enough to leave this city."

"I wanted to start a new life with you without any trace of my past... I was willing to do all those things for you and for us but it didn't mean that I no longer needed your support. I can take part of the blame for what happened but I just wish you saw it."

"Saw what?"

"That I don't want more Sehun why can't you see that?" She elaborates further in hopes that he would understand it. "I didn't want you to double or triple the effort that she made and I didn't ask you to be better than her because I know you already are. I just want enough and you were enough for me Sehun, you really were..."

"So why can't you take me back now?"

"Because now it would be unfair to you..." She trails off and starts to play with her fingers. "As much as I want to lie to myself and pick up where we left off, I cannot."

"Lisa, I won your heart back then, and if you give me the chance, I will do whatever it takes for us to go back to the way we used to be. I refuse to believe that what you felt for me disappeared right after she appeared in your life. If you really love me, then it wouldn't fade away that quickly."

"I never said that I don't love you anymore because I do, it's not just the way I used to feel." She softly replies. "I can't get back with you if deep down I am not totally in it to you."

"She broke your heart!"

"She had dreams." Lisa justifies. "She was meant to be a singer from the very beginning Sehun. We just met and fell in love at the wrong time, that's why she had to choose."

"Lisa... she's no good for you-"

To his surprise, Lisa agrees and nods along with his statement. "But I'd rather find out that for myself rather than be with you now with a half-committed heart." She smiles sadly. "I'm sorry Sehun, but I just have to know if this time, it's going to work."

"Yeah... I remember."

"Why does it feel like you are not following your word?" Sehun observes her who has her head low and is just playing with her food. "Lisa, I thought you were going to find out for yourself."

"I know- I want to Sehun, I really want to but I'm scared. I'm scared of the outcome. It was hella painful for me before; can you imagine the amount of pain that I might go through if things won't work out this time?"

"Lisa, you can have a million assumptions in your head but you will never have the answer to the question that you have been dying to know if you won't take a step forward." He advises. "Yes, it's going to be so scary but I believe that there's nothing to be scared of, wanna know why?"

"Because she came back for you Lisa... she came back for you and she waited for you. She said she loved you without asking for an answer. What she did right there was like bungee jumping without a safety net holding her but she did jump this time, that's how much she's sure of you."

"But now she wants me to answer her."

"Don't you think it's about time you give her the answer? You both have grown out of dependency on each other's existence, learned from the mistakes you guys did in the previous relationship, and matured. Being with you is all that she wants to do right now but her life cannot stop just because you can't make up your mind."

The next day, Lisa buries herself in work hoping that it would shut down all the things that her friends have to say regarding her feelings and just focus on the task ahead of her and her group. Lisa was starting to get frustrated with herself as well and not seeing Rosie for days was totally not helping. There were times when she wanted to pick up the phone and call the latter, say what her heart has been aching to say, but then her mind starts playing games on her and she always ends up locking her phone and having her sleepless nights.

Right after she was done with her work, she decides to head home and have a warm and relaxing bath. As soon she arrives at her floor, she noticed there were some rummaging sounds and she passed by who were carrying loads of things. The first that comes to her mind is the fact that Rosie is back in town just to pull out her personal things from her apartment. She bites back a smile, feeling quite delighted that she will see her neighbor who she hasn't seen for six days.

She hits the breaks on her footing and looks at herself in the mirror, double-checking how she looked but then stops halfway when she figured out what she was doing. Shaking the nervousness away, she continues to walk while formulating a proper greeting for Rosie but she was surprised when she saw a smaller woman instead. Who was this woman?

"Can you guys be a bit careful? That piano's worth is more than your company's net worth."

"And you, put in some muscle strength! If that painting falls, then it's going to be out from your salary!" The woman turns around and sees Lisa standing there in the corner, looking dazed about what was currently going on. "You're Lisa, aren't you?"

Lisa blinks and diverts her attention to the woman. "Uh, yeah that's me."

"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you Miss Manoban." The latter was looking at her with confusion. "Sorry, where are my manners." She extends her hand. "My name's Jennie Kim and I am Rosie's manager."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Kim." She shakes the hand but her eyes were focused on the items that were slowly pulled out of the apartment.

"Rosie would've wanted to come but I made sure that her schedule is full. I wouldn't want any distractions for her as of the moment."

Lisa shifts uncomfortably in her stand and somehow she can already sense that this woman doesn't like her already. "How is she?"

"As I said, she's busy. I just wish that her focus would be on her career and not on someplace else..." Jennie eyes her up and down. "Anyhow I'm quite certain that whoever she is thinking as of the moment doesn't need her attention."

"I'm sorry Miss Kim, I didn't mean to-"

"You know Miss Manoban, I was actually the one who encouraged her to pay you a visit after five years of not talking to one another. I was the one who gave the 'ok' signal when she told me that she wanted to be neighbors with you. I was the one who looked for ways stalling the media while she tries to win your heart back and to find out what you have been doing towards her-" Jennie shoots her a deadly glare. "Made me rethink my actions..." She trails off. "I want to be mad at you Miss Manoban, I really do but I know it was my fault and unlike you, I'm brave enough to admit that I've made mistakes."

"I think you have every right to be mad at me. You're right I'm a coward."

"Are you playing games with Rosie?"

"No, I would never do that to her. That's the last thing that I want to do."

"Then make up your mind." She takes a step closer and pushes Lisa's chest with the use of her index finger. "You deserve someone who's fully committed to you Lisa, someone who will love you one hundred percent without any hold-ups and fuck-ups because no one wants that right?"

"O-of course."

"If you deserve it, then it would only be fair for Rosie to deserve the same treatment too." She says. "It's either you love her with all you have or just don't love her at all."

__________________________________

After the talk she had with Jennie, Lisa finds herself on the couch with the television playing some kind of random show. She sighs for the tenth time as she looks at the bottle on the coffee table and then back at the glass she was swirling around her hand. Lisa takes a swift swig of the wine, tasting its sweetness in her mouth, and enjoying the slight burning sensation in her throat while remembering how she managed to have alcohol stored in her cooler even though she never really enjoyed wine in the first place.

"Cheers!" Lisa shares a toast with Rosie who was still all smiles after hearing the news. "Wow, I am so happy for you, you're finally going to Paris!"

"I know!" She says in her perfect Australian accent. "I mean, I still cannot believe that Jennie was able to pull some strings."

"Maybe you need it already since everyone is looking for you right now."

"I still cannot believe that the media doesn't have a clue about where I am right now." She answers. "I guess staying here was not a bad decision after all."

"How long will you be staying there?"

"Three days. I'd be leaving in 27."

"Oh, I'm arriving on 27 though." Lisa pouts. "We're going to be star-crossed lovers in Paris."

"Stop acting like that." She chuckles. "I might extend even for a day."

"You're going to?"

"Do you want me to?"

Lisa smiles. "I know you're busy, but it'd be nice if I get to see you before you head off."

"Hmm, we'll see."

"Hey, Rosie?" The singer hums in response. "I'm proud of you."

She stops and looks at her. "W-what did you just say?"

"It's not easy what you have been through... if it were others, I'm pretty sure they would've crumbled in pressure or gave up halfway." She looks at her. "Seeing you do the things that you love the most, makes me realize that it was all worth it... it was worth breaking my heart." Lisa smiles while continuing with what she had to say. "I am so, so proud of you."

"Do... you really mean that?"

Lisa looks at Rosie, completely surprised that she finds the blonde in tears. "Hey, hey... why are you crying?"

"I don't know..." She starts to chuckle. "It's just- I- it feels different coming from you." She pouts.

The brunette wipes away the tears from her cheeks. "Rosie, stop pouting."

"Why?"

"Because it makes me want to kiss you." She leans in closer to the extent that their lips were only inches away from one another. "I really want to kiss you right now." But she was taken aback when the latter pulls away from her. "Rosie?"

"We shouldn't be doing this."

"W-why?"

"Because we're not together Lisa." She says.

"Rosie, you know I'm not ready for that."

"I know, which is the reason why I pulled away." Rosie answers and creates a distance between them a bit farther. "It's either we're together or we're going to stay friends there has to be no in between, I'm not in for games Lisa. I'm in this one hundred percent and I want to make my intentions clear."

Lisa sighs out loud. "Why are you like this Rosie?"

The blonde woman smiles as she plays with Lisa's locks. "It's because I love you, and it's better to let you kiss me because you love me entirely, and not just because you're intoxicated over some bottle of wine."

"You really love me that much?"

"I love you with my whole heart Lisa. It's all or nothing for me."

The sound of the glass breaking against the hardwood floor catches Lisa by surprise even more so when she heard some smashing sounds coming from the other door. She looks around her surroundings and what greeted her was New York's starry night. Lisa furrows her eyebrows as she once again, hears the loud noise coming from Rosie's apartment and wondered what was the blonde up to at four o'clock in the morning.

Then that's where she realizes what was wrong.

One, Rosie's apartment was making noise- loud and very disturbing noise. Two, it was four o'clock in the morning, and last, when she checked her phone, it was May 7.

I'm gonna come back just so I could meet the new owner of the apartment right next to yours and after that- I've got no more reasons to stay."

"I'll be at Gate 7, at five o'clock in the morning. I'll be waiting for you."

She jumps off of the couch and rushes toward her neighbor's door where she made loud banging sounds in hopes it would be enough to gain the attention of her neighbor. After three successful tries, she could hear the noise die down and footsteps approaching. When the door opens, she starts was about to say Rosie's name only to find out that it was-

"Who are you?"

"Oh!" He immediately shuts the door. "I'm Theo, the new neighbor."

"New neighbor? How did you-" Lisa suddenly realized something. "The previous owner, d-did you meet her?"

"You mean the tall blonde woman? I did." He replies. "She gave me the keys to the house and just instructed the rules around here especially being neighbors with you. She told me that you were going for a work trip so I thought nobody was next door."

"Where is she?"

"Huh?"

"The woman." Lisa looks at him. "How long since she left?"

"She just left roughly fifteen minutes ago. She was heading for the airport because she had to go back to LA."

And that's all Lisa needed to know before grabbing her apartment keys and leave out of the building.

"Rosie, we have to go."

"No."

"You have to board now, or else the other attendants will see you, and then by the time you land on LAX, the media is going to bombard you with questions and publish different theories as to why you were here in New York."

"I don't care, let them post about it. As if I am not used to the scandals they slam at my face."

Suddenly their flight number was called and Jennie was done having her artist's drama. "Rosie, we need to go. We can't reschedule your flight it's too risky."

"It's still 4:57."

"What difference does it make?"

"I told her 5:00. She'll be here."

"If she wants to be here then she would've been here even before 5."

"I'm not going to leave."

"Jesus Rosie, please stop making your life look like in the movies. Not everyone gets their happy ending okay?"

"Lisa waited for me for months right after we broke up, hoping that I would come to my senses and come back to her. All I ask is for just two more minutes."

"Last call-"

"I told you we have to leave, accept it already."

"Jennie-"

"Let's go, Rosie." Jennie grips her wrist and drags her away to get through the VIP entrance when-

"Rosie!" A third voice says, stopping them from further walking into the line.

She detaches her hand away from her manager and turns around. "Lisa?"

__________________________________

"Lisa?" Rosie meets Lisa halfway who was looking like she just ran a marathon. "You- you came."

"Of course, I came." She says as she catches her breath. "A-are you leaving?"

Rosie looks at Jennie who has her arms crossed while tapping her foot impatiently against the carpeted floor. "I think I can spare five minutes more. They would still have to call other passengers anyway."

"She hates me." She says as she avoids Jennie's piercing glare.

"You came all the way from your apartment to the airport just to say that Jennie hates you?"

"No!" She immediately responds. "No, I didn't come all the way just to say that." Lisa wets her lips and looks at Rosie. "Rosie I- I-"

The sound of the doorbell ringing brings Lisa to her consciousness. She looks around and noticed that the sun's rays were beaming through her windows with the entire place smelling a swift breeze in the post-winter season. The doorbell makes a sound again and that's when Lisa stands up from the couch and checks herself in the mirror. Once she was satisfied, she proceeds to the door and greets the guest that she had been waiting for all day.

"So, as you can see this is near the downtown area but despite that fact, you can still have your peaceful views of the city."

"This probably looks amazing at night."

"Oh yeah definitely, bring your date here for dinner and she'd probably want to see you again right away." Lisa chuckles along with the person standing beside her. "Personally though, you'd want to start the dinner by 7 since the light show happens here around 8. It's got an amazing view."

"I'm going to take note of that."

"Hmm, what else should I say- oh! If you need anything, Theo would be a great help he's pretty handy in everything I'm quite sure would come in need once in a while." She smiles. "Maybe he'd be the one you're going to have dinner with soon eh?"

"I highly doubt that... men don't interest me as of the moment."

"Ooh nice, let's go, team." Both of them did a high-five. "If you need coffee, then you head down to Cornelia Street Café, I know the owner there-"

"Matt's a nice guy."

Lisa looks at her amusingly. "So you're a regular there?"

"My previous workplace was blocks away from here but I'd still walk just to take a cup of his iced Americano."

"Well, you're not wrong. I'm not much of a coffee fan but his beverages are an exception."

"Same, same." The woman chuckles and gives a look around the place. "I still cannot believe that you are selling this place Miss Manoban. If I were you, this place is a gem."

"I know right?" Lisa does the same and gives a brief overview of the place. "If I can be honest, I didn't think I'd have the heart to sell this place... there are a lot of memories that happened here, and believe it or not, most of my most important memories in New York happened here."

It was where her first time designing her own space happened.

Here where she spent all night singing her heart out to different songs even though she wasn't much of a singer.

Her first time making love.

Her first home.

"So why are you going to sell it though of it's that important to you?"

She was about to answer when a voice suddenly intervenes. "Hey, are you ready the car's here-"

The woman looks at the third person and widens her eyes upon seeing who the latter was. "Wait! I know you! You're Roseanne! The singer!"

Rosie waves at her. "Yeah, that's me."

"I'm your fan! I've loved your works and I practically screamed out in my clinic when you decide to publish your Europe album here, Cornelia Street is the song of the century for me!" She confesses and Lisa could feel the blonde woman getting shy with every compliment. "You two know each other? A-are you guys friends?"

Instead of answering immediately, Lisa extends her hand and without hesitation, Rosie meets it halfway intertwining their fingers. "You're looking at the answer to your question."

"Oh my God, you two are a couple- but if you guys are then that means your recent album- the Cornelia Street reference-"

As Rosie hides her blushing face on Lisa's shoulder, the Thai woman lets out a laugh. "This can be our little secret right?"

"Of course! You can count on me on that! I promise! I'd never tell anyone."

"Thank you." Lisa smiles and gives her the keys to the house. "Well, now it's all yours."

"If you guys found your love story here then I can't wait to find out what this place got in store for me." She smiles.

"Do you have someone special right now?" Rosie asks.

Now it was the woman's turn to blush. "I- I'm kind of been talking with someone. I met her here in New York but she's currently in Los Angeles. We do meet but once in a while but I don't know if it's going to last, plus she doesn't know that I like her and I doubt if I'm going to have the courage to tell her so yeah."

"Lisa and I used to be miles apart too but it didn't stop us from telling one another how we really feel. I know it kind of scares you right now but sometimes you just have to take the risk and from what I heard from you, I think she's someone pretty amazing because you still find time to speak with her despite your medical career."

The latter chuckles and rubs the spot on the back of her neck. "Yeah, she's pretty special to me."

"Then believe in your heart... It may not always be right but you'll never know if you'll never try."

"Wow, thank you. I never expected to hear any advice from you..."

"Maybe I should charge you next time." She smiles.

"Uh before you go, can I get an autograph?"

"Sure!" Rosie holds onto the pen and paper. "May you believe the magic that you have in your heart." She writes before giving her a sign. "Oh wait a sec, this should be something personal. I should write your name on it." She smiles. "What's your name by the way?"

"Jisoo." The doctor smiles back. "My name's Kim Jisoo."

After saying farewell to the new owner of the apartment, Lisa and Rosie head out to the airport. With their hands still intertwined, Lisa looks at the woman who was taking a short nap and then back at the disappearing sun from the car window. She lightly laughs to herself, as she still couldn't believe that it has been another six months since the incident at the airport.

"You came all the way from your apartment to the airport just to say that Jennie hates you?"

"No!" She immediately responds. "No, I didn't come all the way just to say that." Lisa wets her lips and looks at Rosie. "Rosie I- I-"

"It's okay Lisa, you can talk to me, and I'll listen."

"Rosie I'm scared." She finally lets out. "I'm scared of a lot of things and one of them includes my relationship with you."

"I'm scared of the thousand possibilities that can happen if I let you in my life again, scared that you might break my heart, scared that you'd leave me alone and so scared of the possibility of not being able to recover ever again if that happens..."

"Lisa, the last thing I would do is do those things to you."

"I know that but you can't blame me can you?" Rosie lightly nods in agreement. "I still have that fear inside me up until this very moment as I stand in front of you but when you gave me some time to think on my own when I hadn't seen you for days, I realized three things."

"The first thing is the fact that I am stubborn. Chanyeol, Jeremy, Matt, Sehun, and Tim- all spoke to me about how they felt about the situation. They all knew how we feel about one another but I was too stubborn to believe that. I was too hard-headed to accept the truth until Jennie gave me the final threat."

Rosie turns around to meet Jennie's eyes. "What? I had to knock some sense out of her."

"I know, and thank you for that Miss Kim. I think it was just you who finally got the final blow before I realize things." She says genuinely before returning to her speech. "Second, we're changed people now. Gone were the immature Lisa and Rosie, the version of us that we're so dependent on one another, the over-crazily in love, and the one who was reckless and irrational sometimes. I've realized that you were a changed person when you never bothered me even after we met a year and a half ago, and when you asked me if you can stick around without asking for return."

"You were more patient with me, you understood me more and cared for me in silent ways. You never brought up anything from the past and you waited until I was the one that could figure things out by myself. It must've been hard for you to watch as I try to move on from Sehun while silently praying that I would turn my head and notice you. Not everyone can do what you did Rosie, and it just goes to show just how much you've changed as a person, for the better."

"Most importantly Rosie, the last yet the most important thing that I've come to realize is the fact that I cannot and I will not let you walk away from me ever again..." She trails off. "Just imagining waking up the next day without hearing your groggy voice or seeing you doing weird things or just not being able to hear your dad jokes sank my heart. Nearly seven years ago I let go of your hands and allowed you to walk out of my life." Then, slowly reaching out, she holds Rosie's hand tightly and looks her in the eye. "But this time, I'm not going to do that."

"This time, I'm going to be stubborn and not pay attention to what my mind negatively says. I'm going to listen to what my heart says and believe that we are going to work things out this time because we are different from Lisa and Rosie who met each other years ago. We're more mature now and learned from our past mistakes. If there's one thing that still hasn't changed is the fact that we are still crazily in love with one another." That made Rosie laugh and she lets out some tears of her own which Lisa immediately wipes away. "This time Rosie, I'm going to hold on tightly onto this hand, even if it meant leaving the city that I was so scared to separate myself from just so I can be with you."

"Wait... are you saying that-"

"Fuck Cornelia Street." She smiles. "You're my home Rosie, you always have been."

"Are... are you being serious right now?" Rosie sniffs as she leans against her forehead on Lisa's. "This... this isn't a dream right?"

"No, no it's not a dream."

"Oh thank God." She lets go of the sigh she has been holding onto. "Whew."

"Rosie?"

"Hmmm?"

"I want to kiss you right now." Cupping Rosie's cheeks she leans in until their lips were only a few feet apart. "I really want to kiss you right now."

"Are you ready?"

Lisa smiles and slowly leans in further. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Lisa!"

"Huh?"

Rosie looks at her with worry. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah..." She looks at where they were and she realizes that they were already inside the airport's basements. "Sorry I dozed off."

"It's okay love." She gives the latter's hand a tight squeeze. "So, are you ready?"

Lisa looks at their intertwined hands and smiles as she remembers how her dream ended. With a smile still plastered on her face, she returns the light squeeze Rosie gave her. "Yeah, I'm ready."

It seems like it was just only yesterday that Lisa was here in the airport confessing her feelings for the person who was walking ahead of her. Right after their reconciliation, Rosie did return to Los Angeles and Lisa did go on her flight to Chicago that day with a promise that Lisa would only sort things out with her job and other loose ends business in New York before moving to LA with Rosie.

Surprisingly though for the last three months, they haven't quarreled big time only petty fights and meaningless bickering for the two of them. Rosie was always understanding about her situation and always assured her that everything would be alright while she was also patient with the latter's hectic schedule. No matter what the situation was, they always seem to compromise and always come up with a solution that meets each other halfway which made Lisa happy, really happy.

The last thing that was heavy for her to do was to sell the apartment. She was checking on her list of what to do next before she leaves the city when she realizes that she hasn't actually crossed out number 10, which is to let go of the property they both once called home. When the property was listed on the market, she had already met a lot of potential buyers who gave her multiple offers and some were more than the initial asking price. Despite the demand, Lisa rejected them all because it felt like they weren't suitable new owners and if Lisa were to pass on this place, she would rather let it go with a peaceful heart.

So when a call comes in while she was having her farewell party, asking if the property was available, there was some kind of unexplainable feeling inside of her that made her say yes and prepared a schedule for the open house. Jisoo is a very nice person, the first time they met, they immediately clicked right away and the friendship just hit off from there, Lisa felt that she was the rightful owner and she knows that she wasn't wrong with it.

They made it out of the VIP exit where Lisa looked at the Gulfstream G150 right ahead of them. They enter the aircraft and while the rest of Rosie's team was getting ready for departure, Lisa looks through the window and treasured the last view of the place she once called home for the past nearly seven years. A series of flashbacks appeared right before her eyes, from being a tourist to an intern and eventually being a resident of the city, to her friends, the places she usually visits, and most importantly the apartment that has a special place in her heart.

Lisa stepped foot in New York City as a tourist and now leaves the place as Roseanne Park's girlfriend. To her, there's no better upgrade than that.

"You're zoning out again." Rosie interrupts her walk down memory lane. "Lisa, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm okay Rosie, don't worry about me too much."

"Are..." Lisa could see that the latter was having doubts about whether to ask her the question or not. "Are you scared?"

"Scared?"

Rosie nods her head. "I know this place means so much to you and if you were given a choice, I know you would want to stay and-"

"Hey." She cuts the latter off. "It's okay."

"It's just that I see it in your eyes that you're sad about leaving and-"

"I am sad about leaving. This place has been my home for a long time." She explains. "But I'm not scared, Rosie."

"You're... not?"

Lisa smiles at how her girlfriend looked right now and couldn't contain it so she leans in to kiss her cheek which got Rosie blushing almost in an instant. "You did give me a choice months ago Rosie and if in the past I chose to listen to what my fears allowed me to feel, this time I am going to choose what my love for you says to me." She says.

"Good morning ladies it's already seven o'clock in the evening and I'm going to be your captain for today. The weather is all bright and dandy so rest assured that we're going to arrive in the city of angels in a while. As we prepare for departure may you buckle up your seatbelts and we'll leave New York in a while."

"I may be sad about leaving New York but I would never regret it because I am moving in with you."

__________________________________

"When are we moving into your house?"

"I think we can move tomorrow, I'm still doing some minor renovations and I wouldn't want you to be caught up with some fallen debris or something."

"Are you leaving for the entire day?"

Rosie looks at her with an apologetic smile. "I need to appear on some shows but I promise to be back at dinner time. We can head out to this favorite restaurant of mine."

"Don't worry about me too much, just finish your schedule early so we can have dinner tonight."

"Okay, if you need anything- don't hesitate to call me or Jennie alright?" Lisa gives her a slight nod and with a quick kiss on the cheek, Rosie was off to her schedule and leaves Lisa all alone in the penthouse suite.

Standing by the huge wall-to-floor ceilings Lisa is still in the middle of absorbing the Los Angeles vibe as she has been breathing the LA air for three days now. Here, you wake up at seven o'clock you go out for a jog or a hike. In New York, you wake up at seven, and then you look for another job because the owner will fire you because of your lazy ass. In Los Angeles, people can be pretty much of an arrogant ass or a dick even though they barely do anything. In New York, even though you feel like you're the man of the hour, something or someone will always drag your feet back to the flat ground and sometimes six feet under it. She also wasn't sure if she was ready for the non-winter season in December.

A buzzing sound from the accent table catches Lisa's attention. It was her handphone with Sehun's name flashing on the screen. She taps on the green button and places it right in front of her and waits for him to say a greeting. "If it isn't my favorite photographer..."

That alone already lightened up Lisa's mood. "Hi, there inspector."

"Good day ma'am. I just received a call that you just moved last night."

"That I did."

"So? How is the city treating you?"

"It's pretty much welcoming. I met some of Rosie's team already and they all were pretty warm and friendly. The rest of the city though, I'm not quite sure yet."

"I've also heard that Hank accidentally slipped and told his colleagues that you were moving in the city of angels."

"Ugh, he still owes me big time. My phone crashed from all those emails that they've sent."

"Ah, I never knew you were arrogant but I guess some people do change overnight."

"ASSHOLE!" Lisa glares at him while he chuckles.

"Are you thinking of a potential candidate that needs your talent?"

"I'm not sure just yet. Although Hank already put in a good word for me, I'm not sure taking photos for someone else is my life's calling."

"So what are you thinking?"

"Rosie's been encouraging me to put up my own studio even just for the meantime. She says she'd help me out, but I doubt people would want me- a nobody in this city take pictures of them."

"There you are again doubting yourself." He shakes his head. "Remember the time when you took photos of me in our graduation class?"Lisa nods in response. "That was the only time that I believed that I was handsome and I just got my ID here, and I tell you, I've never realized how haggard I was until that old man took my photo." She starts to laugh as she moves into a sitting position while Sehun moves on with his story. "I'm serious! When I saw the photo I immediately asked my boss for a vacation to Vegas. He didn't even give the cue!"

"Oh, Sehun..."

"Don't call me by my full name!"

"It's not-" She laughs. "Okay."

"So when are you guys finally moving in together?"

"Rosie told me that there are still things that need aid in her house so probably we'd move in by tomorrow."

"Are you excited? Nervous? Wet?" Lisa gasps at the last word. "Oh come on, don't you think that even though it's her old house, it still needs a housewarming party? And by warm maybe you guys-"

"I am not having this conversation with you."

"Alright, alright if you insist but still I think the house needs its blessings."

"Speaking of gifts, what do you think I should get for her?" She asks. "We're having this dinner tonight and I want to give her something."

"Why would she want anything else she has you already?"

"Smooth, but I'm serious. I really want to give her something, like a token of appreciation or gratitude."

"If you really would like to insist, then I suggest you give her something original. Something that she wouldn't find anywhere else."

"That's hard."

"If it's for someone you love, then it's never hard."

"I think I already have an idea."

"Then what are you waiting for loser, hang up and get working on it!"

"Alright, thanks Sehun I owe you big time now."

"You don't owe me anything Lisa, seeing you this happy is enough for me."

Lisa smiles at him. "And I will make sure that this will last." After saying goodbye to her dear friend, she looks at the contact list and hesitantly presses Jennie's name. She waits on a few rings before the other line made some rummaging sounds. "Uh, hi Jen- Miss Kim."

"What is it, Lisa?"

Shit. Lisa felt like she had called at a bad time. "D-d-id I call at a bad time?"

"No, we're still starting the schedule. What do you want?"

"Um, I was hoping maybe if you guys would be done early will you lowkey tell her that I have planned something for us tonight?"

"What do you mean lowkey like give her a hint?"

"Yes! Yes, a hint would do the trick."

"Alright, is there anything else you would like to say?"

"Actually there is." She says. "Can you lend me one of Rosie's guitars?"

__________________________________

"And that's a wrap!" The director shouts at the team and all of them applauded one another. "Thank you guys for your hard work."

The host approaches Rosie who was still waving to her fans. "Thank you for coming out here tonight Rosie, I know the invitation was a bit rushed but still you entertained us."

"No worries, it's the least that I could do for your show, you guys helped me big time when I was still starting."

"You're so busy nowadays, I wonder if you have time for love especially since it's been two years since you and Chanyeol broke up." The host leans in closer. "So, tell me, are you seeing someone right now?"

"I'll answer it in the next interview."

She teases before giving the host a quick farewell and she was done for the day. Exiting the building, she was immediately rampaged by fans that waited all night in hopes that they would catch a glimpse of her. She decides to stay for a couple of minutes just to greet the fans and do photo-ops and sign albums before Jennie beckons her to take a ride at a car. Kissing her fans farewell through the air- she enters the car and the first thing she pulls out was her phone, just to check if Lisa had updates on how her day went.

"Huh, that's weird."

"What's weird?"

"Usually Lisa would give me updates on what she's doing but my inbox is empty."

"You're just whipped."

"No, I'm really telling the truth." Furrowing her eyebrows, she presses Lisa's name and tries to contact the latter but after two trials, the call heads to voicemail. "Now it's totally weird." She looks at Jennie. "It went straight to voicemail."

"You're overthinking too much," Jennie tells the latter. "Maybe she just fell asleep or something."

"Hmm, maybe." She says. "Do you think I need to change?"

"No, why?"

"It's just that I'm taking Lisa out to my favorite restaurant tonight."

"Are you going to tell her?"

Rosie smiles. "I'm planning to show it to her tomorrow, first thing in the morning when we wake up."

"You mean first thing in the afternoon."

"First thing in the morning."

Jennie scoffs. "With the way you're dressed tonight, I doubt it's just the steak she'll be eating tonight." Rosie gasps, making Jennie smirk as she continues with her tease. "Looks like you dressed to be a dessert."

She slaps the latter while Jennie ignores her blushing face. "Stop it!"

"Ooh, looks like someone is going to have some whipped cream-"

"Jennie!"

After enduring Jennie's endless teasing, she arrives at the hotel and bids her good friend goodbye. She was already thinking if she should book a table or just request the owner to extend hours and have the restaurant all for themselves. Rosie couldn't help but let out a smile as she imagines what kind of conversation they would be having during their meal, the laughter they'd be doing as she tries to impress Lisa with her lame dad jokes.

Rosie punches in the keycard and enters the hotel room. "Sorry I was late, the interview wanted to ask further questions and-" She looks at the surroundings and saw various rose petals everywhere and a candlelight dinner setup on the center table. "Lisa?"

A few seconds later, Lisa reappears from the bedroom, greeting her with that beautiful white dress of hers. "Did you just arrive?"

"W-what's all of this?"

"Oh." Lisa chuckles nervously and rubs the back of her nape. "I told them not to overdo with the decorations, I just told them that I wanted a romantic atmosphere..."

"Romantic atmosphere? What for?"

"I was thinking rather than going out, we should just hold a simple celebration here. If that's alright with you..." She looks at Rosie who still remains silent. "But if you want we can-"

"It's okay." She smiles. "I like homemade steak better."

__________________________________

"So, how was dinner?"

"Really delicious and the dessert is fantastic." Rosie smiles as they share a bottle of wine over the couch with the beautiful LA view in front of them. "You're getting good inside the kitchen Miss Manoban."

"Just a few more and maybe we can host our own barbeque party."

"Ah, I won't allow that."

"Why not?"

"I can't have them drooling over my beautiful girlfriend." Rosie notices Lisa's blushing reaction to what she just said and teases her once more. "So no barbeque parties for us just yet."

"That sounds doable; I'd rather have you all for myself for the first few months."

"Just for the first few months..?" She says in a low registered voice. "You sure about that?"

"Hmmm, maybe for a whole year?"

"Just for a whole year?"

"Okay, you're right. Barbeque parties are useless anyway." She smiles. "I'd rather spend my weekends hearing you sing by the backyard."

"Hear me sing for free?" Rosie pulls away and fake gasps. "Buy tickets to my concert you free-loader!" They laughed.

"Speaking of that... I just may have the surprise for you."

"Surprise?" Rosie asks curiously and watches Lisa disappear from the bedroom and then find her carrying a very familiar instrument. "Why is my guitar with you?"

Lisa sits back from her previous position and places it on her lap. "I have something to say to you."

"What is it?"

"I've never really expressed how I really feel towards you from the moment we met again." She says. "I know I am not a fan of words but I realize that you deserve more than you've always been my home, I really want to kiss you right now and I am ready."

"You don't have to pressure yourself. Even if you just said those words it was more than enough for me to understand." She consoles the latter. "It's okay Lisa."

"It's not for me, you deserve more than those words and if we're going to try to be better than our past relationship, I am going to try to express myself more so that you can understand me even better." She smiles. "You wrote a song about me, named your recent album Roses, Sunflowers and Lilies, and the tracks were about our story, especially about Daylight."

"Lisa, if I could- I would name and write every song about you just so you could know just how much you mean to me, and how thankful I am to have you back in my life."

"Stop being cheesy, I'm trying to sweep you off of your feet."

"Alright lover boy, what do you have up in your sleeve?"

"Well, since you wrote songs about me and about us, I think it's only right that I return the favor." Rosie looks at her with furrowed eyebrows. "Words may fail me Rosie but I hope music would suffice for now."

"Lisa what are you..."

"I kind of wrote a song right after your confession. I've been working on it for weeks and it was only up 'til earlier that I get to finish everything." Lisa looks at Rosie. "The title is It's You." She releases a huge sigh. "Okay, are you ready to hear it?"

"Yes."

"Okay, here goes nothing." She repositions the guitar and then places her fingers on the first chord. "It's you." She looks Rosie in the eyes. "It's always you..."

__________________________________

I still don't understand why are you blindfolding me."

"Because it's a surprise."

"Your address isn't a surprise, being famous has its consequences including deprivation of privacy."

"Does that mean you're breaking up with me?"

"Break up with you? You're my last shot to fame why would I do that."

Rosie chuckles and stops the car as soon as they arrive in the corner. "Alright, we're here." She exits the driver's seat and assists Lisa who is currently blindfolded to leave the vehicle. "So, are you excited?"

"Living with you and seeing your ass 24/7? Definitely. Living in Beverly Hills? Not so much."

"Just give it a try love."

"I won't make any promises. If I don't like the place can we move to Santa Monica or Long beach?"

"See the house first before making assumptions." She stops Lisa from taking any further steps. "Ready?"

"Yes!"

"Okay, three, two, one- surprise!"

Lisa squints her eyes and waits for them to adjust to the sunlight. She lowly hisses at the LA heat and reminds herself to buy sunglasses next time. When her eyes have fully adjusted, she furrows her eyebrows and looked at the house. It was slightly smaller but the modern zen design is more fitting to her taste. She loved the wide yard and the pond right before the main entrance of the house. Looked back at Rosie who encouraged her to go ahead inside.

As soon as she opens the door, her mouth went ajar just how the open the floor plan is. Her eyes roamed around from the spacious living room that flows smoothly to the formal dining table with 20 people fitting in down to the spacious chef's kitchen. Looking up she saw numerous doors and a wonderful chandelier and various indoor plants surrounding the area that perfectly compliment the monochromatic with wood accents throughout the entire house.

But what probably stole her attention was the view just right outside the balcony. She opens the glass doors and though the heat was still a bit of an eyesore, Lisa was just amazed at the cityscape view, and not too far, where the tidal waves of the beach. Then slowly, through the view as well that Lisa realizes that this isn't the view that you usually have in Beverly Hills.

"Liking the view so far?"

"Rosie, this isn't Beverly Hills."

The singer just smiles at her and looks at her wristwatch. "Seven minutes, wow an impressive record to your denseness Miss Manoban."

"Hold up, what is exactly happening right here?"

"Right after we got back together and you decided to move in with me, I came back to Los Angeles with a happy heart that I even through a party." Lisa looks at her asking if she was serious and she nods her head. "While the others were celebrating my return, I looked at the view that I had and realized that there was something wrong."

"I didn't want you to move in with me to my old house." She says. "My old house contained the life that I had when I lost you. It contained memories of partying, getting drunk, kissing strangers just for fun, and of course- Chanyeol."

"I didn't want you to move in with me to my old house because to me, you aren't just an addition to my current life. You are a whole new life, a whole new chapter in my story. Getting back together also means starting from scratch and I can't do that if you're just going to move in with me. We have to do things together now, and this is the start of it."

"So what happened to your old house?"

"Sold it and looked for a property like that was private and a half an hour drive to the beach," Rosie says. "I just added some minor revisions and additions, including your office downstairs."

"I- I have an office?"

She nods her head. "I kind of figured you'd have the heart to go solo flight later and create your own path. So I thought in advance and gave you an office. A secluded and private one, since I know how you like to work."

Lisa was dumbfounded by all these surprises her girlfriend had for her. "Is there something else you have up in your sleeve?"

"Care to come with me?"

"Are you going to blindfold me again?"

Rosie bites her lips hiding a smile. "You know me so well."

Taking Rosie's hand in hers, they walked back towards the house and into the main hall of the living room. She makes Lisa stand in the center of the area and takes off the blindfold on the count of three. Lisa looks at the space and wondered what kind of surprises await her there since there barely had changed but then she looked at the once blank wall and immediately her heart melted looking at what was in front of her.

It was a huge photograph of her and Rosie, both in plain white shirts, jeans, and bare-footed. They both had light makeup on and genuine smiles and crescent moon-shaped eyes as they cuddled up with having Lisa as the little spoon. It was a special photoshoot because not only it was their first photoshoot as a couple but because a Scottish Fold that was lying down right beside Rosie, an adult Ragdoll that was sitting on Lisa's lap, and a baby ragdoll that could be found balancing herself between Rosie and Lisa's heads.

"Do you remember this shoot?"

"How could I forget, it was chaos that day. I'm probably the reason why Hank's going to be bald." She chuckles.

"Look at the top part of the photo."

The moment looked at where Rosie was pointing; she turns her attention to the top of the photo and there was average-sized signage that says 'Welcome to Cornelia Street.' "What does that sign..?"

"I know that you still feel sad about leaving the place. It holds a special place in your heart so I thought of a way to cheer you up." She looks at Lisa who was on the verge of tears. "I just want you to know that Cornelia Street doesn't have to exist in New York or in London. For me, Cornelia Street is wherever we are." Rosie smiles at her. "You're my Cornelia Street Lisa."

Lisa let out a tear or two after she heard the sweet confession. "Are we really naming our house? We're that on level of greasiness are we?"

"Of course!" She engulfs Lisa in her arms and swayed their bodies little by little. "We're going to name our camera collection, cars, cats, stuff toys, and who knows, we might get blessed and we get to name our kids too."

"K-kids?"

"Speaking of..." Rosie leans in closer. "I heard that house blessings bring good fortune to a couple so why don't we-"

She immediately detaches herself from Rosie. "W-w-wha- what-h-house blessing?" Lisa widens her eyes when Rosie's demeanor changes. "Rosie..."

"Why?"

"Don't act like you don't want this."

"Stop." Lisa slowly backs away from her when Rosie starts making her way toward her. "Babe I'm serious stop."

"I'm determined to have a good fortune."

"Don't you- AH!" Lisa shrieks as she tries to get away from Rosie who was more athletic than her. After several dashes and runs, Rosie finally caught up with her. The blonde woman lifts her to the counter and mercilessly swallows her with tickles. "Rosie!"

"What's the password?"

"No!"

"Then have fun dying out of laughter."

"Okay! Okay!" Rosie stops momentarily but it was only for Lisa to pull her close and kiss her.

"One more."

"I thought the password was a kiss." Rosie doesn't move from her spot, making the brunette laugh but leans in and kisses her once more. "Happy?" She nods making Lisa laugh.

"So?" She looks at Lisa. "How do you like the surprise?"

"Yes." The latter responds with minimal nods. "Thank you for this."

"Are you ready to call this your home?"

Lisa stops and thinks about it for a moment and then looks at her. "I said this to you before and I'm going to say this again, fuck Cornelia Street. You're my home Rosie, you always have been."

"Me?"

"It's you."

"It's me?"

She nods her head. "It's always you."

Rosie smiles. "Met a lot of people-"

Lisa pulls away for a moment and stares at Rosie's face. If she were told that her life would be like in the movies, she would have laughed. She never would've thought she'd met the love of her life accidentally by spilling coffee to a blonde girl with big dreams and not even believing that the love is sweeter the second time around but as she looks at Rosie with those beautiful orbs of hers, puffy cheeks, those lips that she would never get tired of kissing- maybe she could make an exception.

Rosie has been the only exception.

Cupping the latter's cheek she gives her girlfriend a quick kiss on the forehead before leaning on her own against it. "Met a lot of people but nobody feels like you."

Fin.