the truth about monsters (Chaennie)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Welcome to the Black Parade

Rosie had never seen Jennie Kim so happy, in the time that she'd known her. It wasn't completely unusual for Jennie to throw a few smiles in Rosie's direction if their eyes met during a hallway passing or break. But this? This was unprecedented. Jennie was actually chipper. Even though she'd never admit it, or even alter her business demeanor.

Rosie had noticed since she'd arrived, at nine in the morning. The building was already humming to life; interns, pharmacists, the legal team- everyone was reporting to their usual battle stations for the usual war against time to get work done. Rosie had even received a few friendly smiles from some people that weren't Mino, for once, and she'd even been feeling the vibes of happiness.

Rosie was so ecstatic to not be the most hated person in the building anymore, so much so, that she collided with Chaelin, who'd been angrily blazing a trail out of the elevator Rosie was about to enter.

So much for that notion. It was fun for the two point five seconds it had lasted.

It was totally Chaelin's fault. And if Rosie weren't talking to one of the company's longest running shareholders, that would've been one of the first things out of her mouth.

Chaelin hardly stumbled, mostly because Rosie took the brunt of the impact, which sent her on a direct crash course to the floor, coffee in hand.

In that split second, she squeezed her eyes shut, ready for the scalding hot liquid to eat away at her prone body, and Chaelin's words to burn even more so. She readied herself for the hard impact of the floor, desperately willing her head not to make any contact with the newly buffed surface.

She never hit the floor.

In fact, her coffee didn't either. Instead, she fell backwards onto something rather soft, and her coffee ended up hovering just above her head, held by a delicate hand. She knew that hand.

"Rosie! Are you alright?" She heard Jennie's voice right behind her ear as she straightened up, cheeks burning with the humiliation she felt coursing through her. She felt electrified and overwhelmed by a sweet smelling perfume that made her want to inhale nothing else in the world.

That intoxicating combination of qualities...

Of course it had to be Jennie.

Rosie brushed her clothes off needlessly, eyes slowly inching their way up to see Jennie's face. She had her hair casually parted to the side, rather than a more professional bun or ponytail. Rosie was absolutely mesmerized by the way the golden light framed her so angelically from the windows behind her.

What she would give to have a canvas and a brush at that moment. Jennie Kim was art. Rosie tore her gaze from Jennie's gilded form to her curious eyes, with just a little worry showing on the surface. Rosie felt a small tug in her chest and took a breath.

"My savior." She grinned at Jennie. She couldn't help it. She didn't want to. "I seem to fall a lot for- I... erm... mean... around you."

Jennie matched her smile with one of humor. "May I always be there to catch you, then." Their eyes locked in a beautiful trance of emerald and cerulean, and Rosie felt the breath knocked out of her lungs far more than any fall could ever cause.

"Ahem." Chaelin's cough shook the two from their shared reverie, and Rosie swore she saw Jennie roll her eyes for a fraction of a second.

"Chaelin, do be careful." Jennie's tone was like a mother scolding a child for running in the house. "Wouldn't want you getting hurt."

Rosie's eyes widened and her jaw nearly dropped. She had to keep herself from laughing.

Jennie was defending her.