Lisa knocks quietly against her manager’s office door. It’s all frosted glass with the company logo and Jennie usually has a sixth sense for Lisa’s presence. The manager always somehow looks up from  her laptop to see the dancer’s silhouette and her bangs peeking out through the clear parts of it.

But Lisa likes to knock anyways, likes to pretend to be Anna asking Elsa if she wants to build a snowman through the keyhole, and replay the whole scenario in her head.

Jennie looks up, calls out for her to enter.

“Come in,” says the manager.

Lisa pushes the door open and steps into the office. The dancer seems a little too gentle in her steps, as if a meek little girl. She’s touching both of her forefingers together, and Lisa couldn’t be more obvious that she came here with an agenda - either she messed up and is about to butter Jennie up so she doesn’t blow up on her , or she probably has a favor/request to ask for.

Jennie raises an eyebrow, already guarded and distrusting her favorite talent. Lisa stands in front of her desk instead of just taking a seat on the other side of her desk - something she never had to be invited to do and just did.

Lisa doesn’t get shy anymore when she’s comfortable around the person. Whatever she has to say must be something major.

“Where’s the body and who did you kill?” Jennie asks with a straight face, voice deadpan.

“Huh? What?” Lisa sputters. “What are you talking about?”

“You look like you need something from me and I’m just preparing myself for the worst. You know, I have the best criminal lawyer in the country on speed dial for this exact moment.” Jennie folds her arms across her chest as says this in all seriousness. “Where’s the body?”

Lisa throws her hands up and groans, then plops herself on the chair.

“There’s no body to be disposed of, sheesh. I just want to ask if I can fly to Paris for the weekend.”

“Paris?!” Jennie exclaims in surprise. “Whatever the hell fo-- oh.” And then realization dawns on the manager. Right, of course. “Rosie’s last concert stop is in Paris this weekend.”

“Bingo.” Lisa grins. “I was just thinking of surprising her. I know I have a shoot til Friday night and I need to come into the studio for last minute re-recording and photoshoots for the new album on Sunday afternoon, so I’ll literally just drop by Rosie’s concert and then run out of there right after, I swear. Literally, just fly in, drop by quick, and fly out back.”

Jennie studies Lisa.

“Well, you should’ve told me the body to be taken care of and disposed was yours. Do you plan on killing yourself with exhaustion over the weekend?”

Lisa waives her off.

“I’ll be fine, Jen, I can sleep on the plane and the make up team will do the rest of the work to make sure I don’t look like a zombie for the shoot.”

Jennie sighs.

“Lisa, come on. I support you two but you can’t just go off any time you feel like surprising her.”

“I know, that’s why I came here to ask.” Lisa winks.

Jennie groans and leans back against the backrest of her big office chair.

“You know what I mean.”

Lisa leans forward and puts a palm down against her desk. She looks her manager in the eye and makes sure that Jennie sees how sincere she is.

“Yes, I do. And I’m telling you, that I swear on all the years I’ve shown up at shoots and practices on time, that I will make it to my schedules like nothing changed and I will do my job. I swear. Trust me.”

Jennie examines her for a while. Something in Lisa’s face tells her how bad she wants this and how earnest she is about making it work. She’s seen a difference in Lisa over the past two months since the engagement, as if the dancer is happier and lighter on her feet somehow. Lisa usually got shy in interviews, but whenever asked a question about her fiancée, she would so eagerly recount some memory of her and talk about her non-stop.

Even the stylists, makeup team, and assistants have noticed a change.

So how can Jennie keep Lisa from doing something that will make Rosie happy? Making Rosie happy seems like one of the things Lisa loves to do. Can Jennie really stop her from doing what she loves?

The manager sighs.

“I can move the shoot and re-recording to early Monday morning. We’ll be using our own studio in the building for the photoshoot anyways so it won’t be much of a headache to do. Just make sure you--”

Jennie’s prattling of the things she’ll have to do and the conditions Lisa has to meet gets cut short when Lisa abruptly stands up and leans over her desk to envelop her in a hug.

“AAAH! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! YOU’RE THE BEST!!” The dancer squeals in excitement, so close to her ear that Jennie nearly goes deaf. The manager winces, but wraps an arm around Lisa anyway and pats her on the back.

“You’re welcome. Just don’t show up to the shoot looking like a zombie.”

Lisa lets her go and leans back, but only to gain momentum when she launches herself back again at Jennie to plant a big exaggerated kiss on her cheek.

“YOU’RE THE BEST.”

“EUGHCK!” Jennie slaps her away. “Get off me! You got what you wanted, stop torturing me!”

Lisa laughs and acquiesces. The dancer then merrily takes her leave to go meet her song producer in the recording studio. She gives her manager a respectful 90 degree bow in thanks and then springs off.

Jennie just laughs and shakes her head.

~

The surprise was actually Jisoo’s idea. Lisa had lunch with her one day. They both had schedules later that day - a cf shoot for Jisoo and a fashion event for Lisa. So they decided to meet up before they have to start preparing for work, catch up since they’ve barely seen each other since they did the nefarious little prank that has turned Lisa’s life upside down.

Of course, Jisoo agreed to meet her at the little cafe midway between their apartments. The actress would take up any invitation as an excuse to overload on coffee outside of her house. Dalgom has been looking at her with judgmental eyes whenever she’s holding a mug that he learns to be an americano after a few sniffs.

She’d love to be able to enjoy her little caffeine addiction without her dog looking at her like she’s some crackhead, thank you very much.

“How’s life now that you’re engaged?” Jisoo had teased Lisa.

Lisa leaned in close to make sure no one else hears her.

“Fake engaged,” the dancer corrected.

Jisoo just waved her off.

“Real or not, you’re surely suffering the well-deserved consequences.” The actress laughed and took a sip of her iced americano then sighed, pleased at the bitterness coating her tongue.

Lisa hummed in agreement, not really having any retort to throw back at her friend because she’s definitely right. She picked up her cup of high quality thai tea - the reason why she’d chosen this particular cafe as their meet up place - and swirled half of the liquid left in it, not really drinking.

“Well, you watched all the interviews I struggled by myself in.” Lisa looked at Jisoo expectantly, the statement both a question and a declaration. She had a hunch that Jisoo would enjoy her misery as entertainment, but she didn’t know if the actress would have been too busy to be up to date on her own activities.

When Jisoo laughed and nodded, she got her confirmation that she thought right.

Jisoo had been keeping up on her interviews. And she had been enjoying Lisa scrambling for answers to questions about her fake fiancée.

“It would have been easier with her here.” Lisa sighed sadly. “But then again, it was me who put us in this dumb situation, anyway, so I don’t really have any right to whine.”

Jisoo looked at her thoughtfully.

“You miss her, don’t you?” The actress said knowingly. It sounded like she knew more than she was letting on, as if there was a truth that she could see and Lisa couldn’t.

Lisa felt exposed under Jisoo’s gaze for reasons she couldn’t explain. It was an odd feeling. It’s not like Lisa is hiding anything from her friend. Jisoo is one of the two people in the world who knows everything about her.

“I do.” Lisa agreed, not really having any motive for lies. “I really miss her and it’s weird because we’ve both always been busy. But recently it’s just…” Lisa gestured with her hands, looking for the right words. “Like, I just miss her more.”

Jisoo smiled softly, straw tipped towards her lips.

“Then why don’t you go see her, then? Her last stop is in Paris next week.”

Lisa looked at her friend like she grew two heads. Jisoo shrugged.

“What? It’s not like you can’t afford a plane ticket and hotel, and you surely have enough seniority in the industry to pull a few strings and make it work.” Jisoo further argued. “It would be a nice surprise. She loves surprises. And it might do you some good, make you feel better.”

“Huh.”

And that is how Lisa finds herself snoozing peacefully in first class, snug as a bug in one of her many oversized hoodies under a cartoon character blanket, on her way to Paris.

~

Rosie plucks a few strings of her electric guitar. The sound reverberates inside the packed 7,000 capacity venue. She stands alone onstage and the inside of the whole dome is dark except for a single spotlight shining on her.

“This last song is a cover.” The singer explains on the mic, voice husky and low and suddenly so shy. She chose this song because it seemed so fitting for her mood for this last week - she’s been feeling a little lonely about her new-found feelings for her best friend and fake fiancée. So she felt that this song was a bit apt, also given that it’s been somehow stuck in her head since she landed in Paris for rehearsals.

Of course, Rosie deals with her feelings the best way she knows how - through song and music.

“This song might be a bit sad.” She plucks a few more notes, letting their beautiful vibrato hang in the air. “But if you listen to it, it’ll make me happy. And you might find that it brings you comfort as well.” She says with a smile.

The audience collectively goes “aww” which she hears faintly through her in-ear. Rosie laughs under her breath, then looks out to the crowd - a sea of people who came to watch her perform and listen to her sing. She decides that the best way to thank everyone who’s come and who’s helped make this possible was to bare her heart to all of them.

And so she zips the little imaginary pocket on her chest open and lets her heart peek out from under her ribcage for all to see.

“This song is for my love who isn’t here but who I so badly wish was here with me right now.”

The crowd goes “aww” once again. Rosie closes her eyes, meaning every word she just said, thinking of the woman she was pertaining to.

Her love. Lisa. Who isn’t here. But who she wishes so badly was there with her.

Unknown to her, the person she’s dedicating the song to is actually backstage, at that very moment, holding the biggest bouquet she could carry, and watching Rosie completely enchanted.

Rosie closes her eyes. She strums one more time, before she starts singing the words.

I, I know where to lay
I know what to say
It's all the same

And I, I know how to play
I know this game
It's all the same

Rosie sings her heart out, eyes closed the entire time. She draws the notes out, shifting easily to her head voice when appropriate.

She allows her voice to drip honey emotion, she allows the notes to carry over the love she holds for her best friend who is entirely clueless about her feelings. She lets the heartbreak and loneliness wash over her through the music, feels a cleansing take place of her mind and spirit.

Now if I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you
But he'll never stay, they never do
Now if I keep my eyes closed he feels just like you
But you've been replaced
I'm face to face with someone new

She allows her walls to crumble, allows her armor chip away then disintegrate. She turns herself inside out, skeletal, vulnerable.

Yet strong. She feels a different kind of strength fueling her.

Would've gave it all for you, cared for you
So tell me where I went wrong
Would've gave it all for you, cared for you
My lover, oooh…

She feels her truth settle like a cloak on her shoulders then wrap around her whole being tightly. She feels the freedom that comes with realization, the freedom of acceptance of oneself hardened into armor - one that isn’t easily pierced.

Would've trade it all for you, there for you
So tell me how to move on
Would've trade it all for you, cared for you
My lover, oooh…

Backstage, Lisa’s tears flow freely without her realizing it. There is something about the way Rosie is singing this song, not knowing that she’s here listening to it, that just renders her absolutely speechless.

If Lisa wasn’t leaning against the metal bars holding up the backdrop that separates the backstage from the front, Lisa would be blown off her feet.

Now if I keep my eyes closed he looks just like you
But he'll never stay, they never do
Now if I keep my eyes closed he feels just like you
But you've been replaced
I’m face to face with someone new...

The song ends, the last note from the guitar vades, and Rosie’s vibrato hangs in the air. The crowd is silent for a few minutes, just as floored as Lisa is by the emotionally loaded performance.

And then the whole dome erupts in applause. Rosie breaks out in a grin, quickly wiping away the stray tears that have managed to escape from her eyes.

“Thank you, Paris!” The stage lights come on as the singer exclaims into her mic and waves at the audience.

Lisa gets waved at by the stage director. He instructs her that this is her cue. But the dancer doesn’t hear him nor the 7,000 attendees in the Zénith that night.

Something overcomes her, takes over all of her senses and makes them all hone in on one person.

Rosie.

Lisa steps out from the backstage on her own, in a daze. She lets the strong gravitational pull take her towards Rosie.

The singer is standing in the middle of the stage in sparkly thigh high boots and a simple black shirt with her guitar slung over her shoulder, still waving at her fans and taking quick, shy bows while holding her hair back from falling into her face.

Lisa hugs the huge bouquet to herself as she feels herself floating towards her - or at least, she loses awareness of how her legs are moving, seemingly taking steps of their own accord.

And it’s then when the crowd notices her. The screams triple in intensity, the applause becoming  deafening, and some people even stand from their seats to start whooping. They were cheering for her. They were happy for her. They were celebrating her showing up for Rosie and what they know to be their perfect love story.

Lisa couldn't be sure. She doesn’t hear them. She feels everything else get swallowed up by the background.

The crowd starts chanting her name.

“LISA! LISA! LISA!”

Rosie takes her in-ear off, confused. She was wondering why they were screaming the name of her best friend - her fake fiancée.

It’s only when the singer turns around does she realize why.

There, on stage, walking towards her, is Lalisa Manoban carrying the biggest, most beautiful arrangement she’s ever seen that covers the dancer’s whole torso.

Rosie covers in shock.

“Oh my god, what are you doing here?!” The singer’s still close enough to the mic that it picks up her exclamation of surprise.

Rosie couldn’t believe it. This cannot be real can it?

And just when Rosie is convinced that the whole evening was somehow conjured up by her mind in a dream and she’s not actually awake, Lisa gets close enough to her to put a hand against the side of her face.

The touch is real enough, warm enough, Lisa enough.

And then as Rosie thinks that Lisa is going in for a hug, she feels Lisa press her lips against hers in a kiss.