30 Strength

Following morning found Shew sitting on the bed in Lisa's room staring idly at the wall as if it had all the answers in the world. No matter how much she tried she couldn't get rid of Timo's twisted expression out of her mind. She was doing the right thing but still, she felt empty.

Lisa entered the room with a sour expression on her face. She had to set her friend straight. It was a difficult job but she couldn't bear to see Shew crying like that- ever again.

"Shew?" She called out. But the woman in question didn't even acknowledge her presence. This incensed Lisa.

She knew Shew had heard her but the stubborn lass was ignoring her in her home while lying in her bed.

Lisa grit her teeth trying to curb her anger, "Shew look at me right now."

Shew looked up detecting anger in Lisa's voice.

"What happened in the cemetery yesterday?" Lisa didn't beat around the bush.

"Liz please," Shew pleaded closing her eyes, "I don't want to talk about it."

Lisa grabbed her arms in annoyance. She applied a lot of force on her friend's body in her anger.

Shew flinched away from the hold and hissed in pain. She held her arms and gently rubbed them to ease the discomfort. Lisa's eyes narrowed dangerously. Shew was obviously hurt and it was a recent wound.

Lisa pulled down Shew's jumper from the shoulder and there was a clear imprint of hands which had turned a violent shade of blue. She didn't need any explanation to know who was responsible for the fresh wound.

"I will kill him for this." Lisa was seething looking at the fresh bruise, "How dare he hurt you?"

Shew swallowed back a sob, "It wasn't his fault." She tried to defend Timo weakly.

"Not his fault?" she scoffed, "Look at your shoulders you fool!"

"He just held me very tight that's all."

Lisa took a few deep breaths. There was no cure for this idiocy. "Why did he do that?" She asked once she felt calm enough.

Shew closed her eyes again. "I told him that I loved someone who was waiting for a long time for me." She couldn't bring herself to look at Lisa's face.

The cause which felt noble to her yesterday was now sounding stupid to her ears.

"What the fuck?" Lisa took a full minute to respond, "Why did you lie?" She screamed. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She also swatted Shew's head to get her point across.

"I didn't exactly lie to him." Shew rubbed the back of her head feeling wronged. Tears were again pooling in her eyes, "I just twisted the truth."

"Do I look like I have the patience for your puzzle crap. Just spit it out."

Lisa had enough of this dog blood drama. When she thought these kids would settle down they had to create a mess again. At this rate, they would take thousands of chapters to confess and another thousand to have their first fight as a couple.

Shew covered her head with her hands, "I was speaking about him when I said that but the way I phrased it made it sound like-" She trailed off fearing another beating from Lisa.

"Why would you do that Shew?" Lisa couldn't help but be exasperated, "Are you out of your fucking mind? You call him mad but you are beyond help." Lisa threw her hands up in the air frustrated but Shew flinched away.

"It's better this way Liz," Shew replied meekly.

"How is this better, Shew? You are miserable and hurting here and he is broken like anything there. What did you gain from this?"

"I am a murderer Liz." Shew's voice almost broke at the end.

That was one label she could never get rid of her entire life. He represented everything bright while she was not good news.

"You were", Lisa firmly reminded her, "You are out of it now."

Shew shook her head helplessly, "My past would cast its ugly shadow on his present and future Liz. You are more clear on the number of enemies I have made. It'll endanger his life. How can I let that happen?" Shew tried to explain.

Lisa thought for a moment before answering, "How do you think your enemies would find you? You once told me that your gang removes all traces effectively after a mission."

"I might have left something-"

"Don't tell me you're basing your whole life on the single word 'might'?"

Shew didn't reply. It was indeed the truth. She was terrified of some indistinct and improbable future. She didn't want to face loss again.

"Have you ever seen properly at his face?" Lisa continued, "Beyond that handsomeness? Have you?"

"Yes." Her voice was barely above a whisper

"There is a small kid in him, whom you mercilessly killed for your selfishness."

"M-My selfishness?" She stammered. How was this selfish? Wasn't she hurting too?

"Yes, your selfishness." Lisa didn't elaborate, "You're a coward and you're running away from the happiness you deserve."

"Stop it, Liz, it's not that." Shew didn't want to hear it.

"Then what is it?" Lisa wasn't going to back down either.

"I would have made enemies Liz, I don't want them to harm him in future. I just can't see him in danger." Shew stressed her point again. Why couldn't Lisa see what she was seeing?

Lisa rolled her eyes, "I heard you the first time but he is a freaking international celebrity Shew!! Being in a normal crowd is dangerous to him!!"

Shew was speechless. It was true. She almost went into a panic thinking about Timo stuck in the middle of his fans.

Lisa shook her head sadly, "You made the biggest mistake of your life Shew. I want to beat you into a pulp right now but I can't do it seeing you hurting already."

"Liz please-"

"You had a nightmare last night Shew, you were screaming out for him. You were shouting for him to come and save you." Lisa blinked back her tears, "Hearing you like that hurt me, I can almost imagine what shitty pain you are going through. You messed up big this time."

"I…" Shew was holding on to her noble cause but her resolve was slackening, "I still feel…"

Lisa placed her right palm on Shew's heart, "Listen only to this. The brain might mess up your decisions but the heart never fails to take you in the right way."

"B-But…"

Lisa sighed, Her friend was indeed troublesome, "Tell me this, are you happy like this?"

Shew shook her head. Who was she kidding, she was miserable. She wanted to dig a hole crawl into it and never return to civilisation again.

"With him will you be happy?" Lisa asked feeling better about the turn in their conversation.

"Yes, b-but…"

"You have always believed in yourself Shew, then why give up now?" Lisa pressed softly.

No matter the number of enemies. She knew her friend was capable enough to handle them smoothly. Then why was she hesitating and hiding behind her weak excuses? Lisa couldn't make head or tail of Shew's thinking.

"I can't hurt him, Liz." Shew sobbed burying her face in her palms.

"Trust me you already hurt him, Shew." Lisa patted her back, "More than anyone could have."

"He is my weakness and-"

"That's where you are wrong." Lisa cut her off, You are sure that loving him is your weakness but you're not giving a chance to that love so that it can become your strength."

"I am not sure…"

"You never will be." Lisa stood up and recovered her stern demeanour, "Now get the hell off of this bed and go take a shower and don't cry anymore if you can manage it."

Shew blinked at her friend confused.

"You look horrible." Lisa deadpanned.

Shew pouted unhappily, "At least lie to me about it."

"If you don't hurry then you will not see Timo for the next six months," Lisa added nonchalantly.

"WHAT!!?" Shew flew out of the bed in a panic.

"In another hour he is leaving for some promotional tour," Lisa smirked looking at her frenzied friend.

"I hate you." Shew shouted running into the bathroom, "But I love you more."

After Shew vanished from her sight, Lisa chuckled to herself and pulled out her phone from her pocket. "I have done my part, you guys handle the rest."

She stopped the recording and sent the file to Mui.