"Oh, wow! Lisa finally updated her Instagram!" Chahee choked on her drink while sitting in one of the high chairs in front of the bar.

She was taking a rest after she and Jiyeon were distributing the bottles of wine and brandy in the shelf behind the counter for the night.

It was another Saturday night. Another weekend to pull through. Another night for gigs, music and booze inside the Orange.

"Another artistic display of photography genius by our Lalisa?" Jiyeon asked. She was rearranging some of the bottles of Bailey's and gin according to sizes and colors because Jiyeon was OC about arranging things neatly.

"Maybe. I still haven't seen the picture yet, though," Chahee said while still browsing on her phone, "But knowing Lisa, she would never post anything bland and ordinary on her Insta--oh, wait! Who's this?" Chahee asked curiously while staring at her phone's screen.

"Who?" Jiyeon asked and left the shelf hastily. There was something in Chahee's voice that spelled trouble.

She stood in front of Chahee, the bar counter was between them, and grabbed Chahee's phone.

"Who's the girl?" Jiyeon asked while staring at Chahee's phone screen.

"I don't know. But she looks familiar," Chahee said. "I think I've seen her before."

"Whatever happens, do not tell Chaeyoung about this," Jiyeon said. She looked worried and concerned.

"Tell me what, guys?" Chaeyoung butted in. "God, it's so cold outside!" she shivered.

She just arrived at the Orange. Her guitar bag was strapped on her back, while her everyday bag was hanging on her right shoulder. She was carrying a box of donuts and a cup of smoking hot coffee on her hands. Her cheeks were flushed and puffy and her nose was a little red due to the cold weather outside.

"Nothing!" Chahee and Jiyeon answered in unison.

Chahee quickly snatched her mobile phone from Jiyeon's grasp and slid it inside the pocket of her coat. They exchanged meaningful looks, Jiyeon and her.

"Donuts and coffee, huh? Is that what you're having for dinner, Chaeng-ssi?" Chahee asked, diverting Chaeyoung's attention.

Chaeyoung laughed and placed the cup of coffee and the box of donuts on the countertop. She then took off her oversized benie and carelessly ran her fingers through her red mane.

"No. A-yeon still owes me dinner. She lost a bet last night," Chaeyoung answered. "So, what were you two talking about before I came in?"

"Oh, you know, nothing important. Jiyeon and I are just talking about the weather," Chahee answered, gritting her teeth. She have never lied in front of Chaeyoung before. It left a nasty taste on her mouth, the lying thing, Chahee realized.

"Oh, yeah? I heard my name, though?" Chaeyoung insisted but never looked suspicious. Instead, she was smiling. As if she was coaxing the two women to involve her, whatever Jiyeon and Chahee were up to.

And that's what her crew loved most about Chaeyoung. She was always sweet, positive and never suspicious. She always leave rooms for doubt for anyone on any and every situations.

"We were worried about you, Chaeyoung-ssi. We know you hate this kind of weather," Jiyeon replied.

"I see," Chaeyoung muttered, nodding. "Thank you, guys. But I should be fine. Don't worry too much about me."

"Is, uhm, Lisa coming over tonight?" Jiyeon asked all of a sudden, earning a sharp gasp from Chahee.

Chahee gave Jiyeon a murderous look. Good thing Chaeyoung was now busy munching on her donuts that she did not notice the silent exchange of meaningful looks between her two friends.

Chaeyoung had never treated the two women as her employees. They built the Orange together, along with her bandmates. The only bragging right she had with the Orange was that she spent her own money acquiring it. The rests were contributed efforts from her friends and the rest of the crew.

"No. I think she won't make it. She's still in Tongyeong right now to see the new murals in Dongpirang. Why?"

"Nothing. She was, you know, a ray of sunshine when she was here last week. Causing a stir. The uni people kept asking me about her," Chahee replied.

The uni people Chahee was talking about were the students from Hongik University in Hongdae who would flock in the Orange during the weekend who saw Lisa last week. They thought Lisa was beautiful and they wanted to see that Thai beauty again.

"They did, didn't they? Lisa is always a head-turner, anyway. It would be a surprise if nobody would ask about her," Chaeyoung said. There was pride and affection in her voice.

"Oh, my god! It's freezing outside!" Jin-Ah yelled as she entered the premise of the Orange.

She, too, was wearing winter clothes and her cheeks were puffy and red, like Chaeyoung's.

"Wait, I'll prepare you guys a drink. Something that will warm your system," Chahee said and uprooted herself from the high chair she was sitting on and went around inside the bar--her domain, to prep up a drink for the two musicians.

"Oh, no need, Chahee. Thanks, but I have my coffee. Besides, it's still too early for a drink," Chaeyoung said.

"Speak for yourself, Park Chaeyoung. Can I have a brandy, please?" Jin-Ah said.

"Sure thing!" Chahee replied with a wink.

"Oh, by the way, Chaeng? Have you seen Lisa's latest post on Instagram?" Jin-Ah said.

Both Chahee and Jiyeon signaled her to quit talking about it but to no avail. Jin-Ah ignored the two women and turned to face Chaeyoung.

"No. I haven't been online today," Chaeyoung replied. "Which account?"

They all knew that Lisa was handling two Instagram accounts. One for her photography while the other was for her private use. Lisa seldom used the latter.

"Her private account. She posted something a while ago," Jin-Ah answered.

"She updated her private account? Really? Wow! That must have been something important?" Chaeyoung wondered.

All of them knew that Lisa only updated her private account once in a blue moon. In fact, the last update was five months ago, when Lisa was river cruising somewhere in Italy.

"Wait, let me check it out for you," Jin-Ah said and fished her mobile phone from her pocket. "Here, have a look," she said and handed the device to Chaeyoung.

Both Chahee and Jiyeon fell silent. They were both staring at Chaeyoung, anxiously waiting for Chaeyoung's reaction. But they saw nothing. Chaeyoung's face remained unbothered. Jiyeon thought Chaeyoung might have pursed her lips a little tighter but it only lasted for a matter of a millisecond.

"Who's she with?" Jin-Ah asked callously. "A model?"

"That's, uhm..." she cleared her throat. "That's probably Jennie." Chaeyoung answered.

"Jennie? So, you know her, too?" Jiyeon could not help herself from asking. For she, too, was curious.

"Yes. Well, no. Not really," Park Chaeyoung replied. "Lisa and I saw her at The Era a couple of weeks ago. She was, uhm, she was also here last week."

"Really? During the open mic?" Jin-Ah asked.

"Uh-huh," Chaeyoung nodded and looked at Chahee. "She was the girl Lisa was chasing outside that night. If you remember?"

Chahee tilted her head in furrowed brows. She was scanning her memory bank from last week. Trying to recall the face of the girl who almost tripped on her way out.

"Oh! The Chanel girl?" Chahee said finally.

"Probably. I mean, I don't know why you're calling her that, Chahee-ssi, but Lisa told me her name was Jennie. So anyway, if anyone will look for me, please tell them I'm in the office. I have to sign a ton of papers for the revenue collection," Chaeyoung said and left the group.

Chahee, Jiyeon and Jin-Ah were staring at her wake. And when they were sure that Chaeyoung was already out of earshot, Jiyeon faced Chahee curiously.

"Chanel lady? What's that supposed to mean?"

"She was wearing a vintage red Chanel jacket when she was here last week. A pretty one. Lisa was even harping about it," Chahee answered.

"So, how come she's with Lisa right now? Are they even friends? And Lisa even posted a photo with her on her private account. That's odd," Jiyeon said.

"Very odd. We all know Lisa have never posted anything on her private account about someone. Not even about Chaeng," Jin-Ah replied.

"She's pretty, though. That Jennie woman," Chahee said. "She looked...expensively stylish from head to toe. Like a chaebol daughter. She totally looked out of place that night."

"Was that why Lisa chased her? Because Lisa found her interesting?"

"No, I don't think so. But I thought they recognized each other, the way they looked at each other--Lisa and that girl, Jennie. There was something like an unspoken recognition between them," Chahee answered.

"I hope Chaeng is okay though," Jiyeon said, looking at the closed door of Chaeyoung's office.

"Well, she didn't look okay after seeing that picture," Jin-Ah pointed out. "I mean, Chaeng looked fine on the outside but her eyes couldn't lie about it. Did you notice?"

"Of course, she didn't. I wouldn't be okay if it was me," Jiyeon said.

"Imagine looking at a picture of the love of your life looking happy with someone else? Yep. That would probably hurt pretty bad," Chahee said thoughtfully.

......

Lisa was smiling widely. She crinkled her nose a little. An indication that she was happy. Her head was tilted a little to the right; just a couple of centimeters away from touching Jennie's forehead. Her arm was wrapped comfortably around Jennie's shoulders. And her eyes... Those soft, brown eyes were sparkling and dancing even on the still photo.

Meanwhile, Jennie looked unprepared, but still emitting the air of elegance and sophistication. She was looking up at Lisa with wide eyes, but there was a ghost of laughter painted on her pretty face. Her arms, half-shown in the picture, were resting around Lisa's waist.

They were standing so close to each other, Chaeyoung was wondering if Lisa was sniffing to her heart's contents those strawberry scents on Jennie that she told Chaeyoung about.

Park Chaeyoung had been staring at her phone's brightly-lit screen for quite a while already, inside the recluse of her office.

Her heart was torn between being heavy and feeling light. She loved the way how Lisa was smiling in the picture. It was the same pretty smile that made her fall in love with Lisa. Unbothered, genuine, excited. But she hated the fact that it was because of someone else. No, she didn't want to be jealous. Nor mad. Nor sad about it. Lisa deserved all the happiness in the world. But still, it was painful. There was this shard of pain slicing through the tenderness of her heart.

"You're having quite an adventure today, haven't you, Shutterbug?" Chaeyoung asked, smiling sadly.

There was a knock on the door. Soft but urgent. Chaeyoung hastily wiped the saline off her face and heaved a deep breath before speaking to the yet unknown intruder of her solitary.

"Come in!" Chaeyoung called out, trying to sound as normal as she could.

The door handle was twisted, the door was pushed slightly and the head of Ji-in popped in.

"Can I come in?" Ji-in asked.

Chaeyoung nodded and said, "Sure. Come on in. You came early today. Is this a miracle or what?" she tried to laugh.

"I was worried about you. Are you okay?" Ji-in asked immediately as she walked in towards Chaeyoung's table.

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Chaeyoung answered.

"I saw Lisa's post. Who's the girl she's with?" Ji-in asked.

It seemed to Chaeyoung that everyone was curious about Jennie. And why Lisa was with her. And why Lisa posted a picture of them together on her private account. The Shutterbug definitely knew how to cause a stir, alright.

"Her name is Jennie. Lisa and I met her a couple of weeks ago," Chaeyoung answered, wondering how many times would she repeat that same line today.

"So, you know her?" Ji-in asked the way how Jin-Ah asked about Chaeyoung being acquainted with Jennie.

Chaeyoung shook her head.

"No. We haven't been introduced formally. But Lisa told me about her," replied Chaeyoung.

"Lisa looks happy," Ji-in said, pointing out the obvious.

"Yes, she does," Park Chaeyoung nodded in agreement.

"And you? What about you, Chaeng?" Ji-in asked, looking intently at Chaeyoung. As if she was trying to get through Chaeyoung's facade. As if she was trying to break down Park Chaeyoung's wall.

Ji-in, being the eldest and most sensitive of the rest of them would always act like the big sister that she was. She never failed to be there for anyone of them. The others, especially A-yeon, would tease Ji-in as having the sixth sense. Because Ji-in could sense anyone in distress and she would try so hard to make the person feel a little better. Particularly if it was Park Chaeyoung.

"It doesn't matter," Chaeyoung answered.

But Ji-in would never take that as an answer. So, she insisted.

"Of course, it does, Park Chaeyoung. This is your happiness we're talking about here. Everyone knows you're--,"

"Everyone knows I'm in love with Lisa. I know. You don't have to repeatedly remind me about how transparent or...or an open book I am when it comes to Lisa. Thank you," Chaeyoung interrupted.

"Why don't you tell her about it?"

Chaeyoung sighed. They've been on this situation before. They talked about this kind of stuff before. When Lisa was about to leave to pursue her dreams and Ji-in found Chaeyoung inside a cheap cafe drowning herself in soju and tears.

"So that I might lose her? No, thank you. It's better this way. Besides, what good will it do?" Chaeyoung said.

"It will set you free, perhaps? Haven't you thought about that? That you need to set yourself free from it? From this, Chaeng?"

But Chaeyoung stubbornly shook her head.

"No. I don't want to lose my bestfriend, Ji-in. And you know that. Everyone knows that. I don't understand why you guys keep on insisting that I should...I should declare my foolishness in front of Lisa or something," she said. "Can I be any fooler?"

Ji-in sighed in frustration and with concern.

"Look, Chaeyoung. You can't keep this from Lisa forever. She deserves to know the truth. And I cannot allow you to just sit here and wallow and cry alone when we all know there's something that you can do about it."

"I wasn't wallowing and crying alone, okay? I was just...I was trying to just..."

"Please, don't ever try to lie and make a fool out of me, Park Chaeyoung. I've known you long enough that I can tell when you're crying," Ji-in said.

Chaeyoung sighed in defeat.

"Have you seen the way Jennie's eyes were looking at Lisa, Ji-in? She likes her. She likes our Lisa. That sparkly shimmering light something that was dancing on her eyes? That's how I used to look at Lisa before, when I started to realize that my feelings for her have started to grow deeper," said Chaeyoung.

"So? You came in the picture first. Aren't you going to fight for it? For your spot? For your love?"

Chaeyoung shook her head.

"This is not a competition. Besides, Lisa likes her, too. It's written all over her face. In fact, if it isn't too early to tell, Lisa is starting to slowly fall in love with Jennie. She might not realize that yet, but...there you go."

"How can you tell?" asked Ji-in.

"Because that's probably how I look everytime Lisa's with me. Happy, excited, contented and unbothered. I've never seen that look on Lisa before, now that I think about it," Chaeyoung said.

"So, you sure won't do something about it?"

"You can't win an already lost cause, Ji-in-ssi. Besides, aren't you excited for Lisa? Jennie might even make her stay for good. I'm tired of watching that shutterbug leave whenever she feels like it. I'm tired of missing her when she goes off and leave us all with her stupid absence," Chaeyoung said.

"Oh, Chaeng..."

"I'm fine, really. You honestly don't have to worry about me, Ji-in-ssi. You can tell that to the others, too. I know they're just outside the door, eavesdropping," Chaeng said, smiling.

But even though she was smiling, Ji-in was still unconvinced. She knew how much Chaeyoung loves Lisa. She have watched that love grow. Chaeyoung nurtured it all these years. And no matter how many times Chaeyoung would tell all of them that she was okay, there was no way those almond eyes of her could ever hide the truth.

"How long have you been staring at it?" Ji-in asked, pointing at Chaeyoung's mobile phone, where the screen was still showing Lisa's recent Instagram post.

"Long enough for me to understand that I love Lisa so much I'd be willing to support her in every possible way," Chaeyoung responded.

"Even if it hurts?"

"Whatever it takes, Ji-in-ssi. I'm her bestfriend before everything else. She'll be needing me," Chaeyoung said. "And I made a promise to support her and her happiness."

"But what if you're mistaken, Chaeng? What if Lisa's not in love with Jennie? Or what if she doesn't like Jennie at all?"

Chaeyoung laughed, to Ji-in's surprise.

"Look. Lisa has been keeping this brown envelope that contains a hard copy of Jennie's picture which she took that day when we first saw Jennie at The Era. She even tried to see Jennie again, carrying that brown envelope with her and hung around The Era for a week, waiting for Jennie to show up so she could personally give it to her," Chaeyoung narrated.

"Oh my god! Our Lisa did that?" Ji-in asked, laughing. "Wow!"

"Uh-huh. That fool," Chaeyoung said and joined Ji-in's laughing, despite the pang of jealousy slowly burning inside her.

"She likes her," Ji-in said after the laughter have subsided

"She definitely does. They like each other," Chaeyoung concluded.

"I can't wait for Lisa to introduce Jennie to us. She must be nice. Otherwise, Lisa wouldn't like her," said Ji-in.

"She must be," Chaeyoung answered and stood up. "Come on, Ji-in-ssi. Let's go back to the girls. I need a stronger drink. My coffee's gone cold already," she said and headed towards the door in heavy footsteps. Leaving Ji-in alone.

Ji-in looked at Chaeyoung's phone screen one last time. She could not imagine how hard and painful it must be for Chaeyoung to see Lisa with someone else and act unaffected about it.