LALISA

By the time they'd finished egging each other on, the plan had practically made itself. They agreed to meet the following evening, which, in their language, meant show up looking expensive and pretend neither of them had encouraged the other's bad ideas. As dusk settled over Apgujeong, Lisa's black sedan pulled up outside the cocktail bar. Her driver stepped out first, circling the car before opening the rear door for her. She emerged with effortless poise, smoothing down the matching skirt and fitted top she'd chosen for the night. Elegant without trying, expensive without needing a logo. Offering her driver a small, appreciative smile, she tucked her clutch beneath her arm and made her way toward the entrance, heels clicking confidently against the pavement.

The moment she walked inside, conversations softened just enough for recognition to ripple through the room. A few guests instinctively stepped aside, staff greeting her with familiar smiles as she acknowledged them with an effortless nod. She moved through the space with the quiet confidence she'd worn for years—never asking for attention, yet somehow always commanding it.

Her eyes swept across the lively room only once before a grin spread across her face.

There he was.

No doubt already flirting with the bartender.

Or causing problems.

Lisa stepped into the JYP building with the effortless ease of someone who had spent more than enough years navigating company hallways and industry buildings. An iced americano rested in one hand, the only thing she carried. Everything else, schedules, extra clothes, chargers, the endless list of idol necessities was naturally in the hands of her assistant walking beside her. Perks of seniority. Or hard work. Probably both.

A pair of sunglasses sat atop her head, her outfit comfortable despite the cameras that always seemed to appear when least expected. Even dressed casually in an oversized hoodie and loose jeans, there was something unmistakably Lalisa about her presence. Heads turned almost immediately.

Staff members passing through the lobby offered polite bows, some trying and failing to hide their surprise at seeing her casually strolling through the building. Lisa returned each greeting with an easy smile. Years in the industry had taught her how to move through places like this effortlessly. Beside her, her assistant quietly informed the receptionist of their arrival while she checked her phone. Chris' messages immediately made her scoff. "Have I always been like this?" she read aloud, amused. "The audacity." Her assistant only laughed. A moment later, Lisa typed out a quick response.

lisa: yes.

lisa: i'm downstairs, come get your guest.

lisa: and be nice to my assistant. she's clearly suffered enough as a stay.

Phone tucked away again, she leaned casually against the reception desk, taking another sip of her coffee as she waited for Chris to appear.

That's what he gets for being friends with a 'celebrity'.

It doesn't take him long to get downstairs, spotting the woman from a mile away... mostly because she's standing there like she owns the building and almost naturally, Chris pulls a face. "You know," he says, giving her a cheeky smile, "you could try and look like you don't have a swimming pool of money." There it is. The teasing. Despite not seeing each other in a while, he acts like it was only yesterday with ease.

His eyes move from Lisa to the woman beside her and the smile shifts into something kinder, more genuine as he bows in greeting. "Hello, nice to meet you. I hope Lisa treats you well?" She had mentioned that the woman is a Stay so of course, he's going to make a good impression. He's representing the group, after all. Looking back to Lisa, he indicates with his head towards the elevators. "We can head up to the practice room, it'll be better to record there."

"Expensive."

She couldn't even finish the sentence without laughing. Beside her, her assistant let out a quiet laugh of her own, and Lisa nudged her lightly with an elbow. "Told you." As Chris greeted her assistant, Lisa folded her arms, watching the interaction with obvious amusement. "She's a Stay," she chimed in. "You've officially made her week." Her assistant nodded a little too enthusiastically, earning an immediate smirk from Lisa. "See?"

Then her attention returned to Chris. "I treat her wonderfully, thank you very much." Another pause. "...She just has to put up with me." She started toward the elevators alongside him, while her assistant followed behind. "So..." she glanced sideways, lazily twirling the iced coffee in her hand, already wearing the smile of someone about to be a menace. "How much dignity are we sacrificing for this TikTok?"