School hours flew by that day for Roseanne because she was completely looking forward to spending some quality time with Jennie. She almost flew out through the doors of the lecture theatre to scour for one of the quietest corners of the school where Wendy wouldn't find them.
When she finally located a spot, she smiled smugly to herself before settling down and sending Jennie a text of reminder. The latter soon joined her and a good two hours glided by, with Roseanne pouring questions and Jennie answering them to the best of her ability. Roseanne was pretty satisfied that there were minimal disturbances and the like.
"Aish, I'm so tired..." Roseanne rested her head onto the table. It was so tempting to just doze off there and then.
"Yah, Roseanne Park, we're barely through. Try to keep up." Jennie was exceptionally strict when it came to studying. She was a total bookworm.
"Aww, come on... we've been at this for two hours. I'm going crazy." Roseanne simply refused to get up.
"You'll be going even crazier when you flunk those tests of yours. Come, sit up." Jennie pulled the girl up by the shoulders but Roseanne lazily leaned against her.
"Oh, you..." Jennie shook her head hopelessly, doing her best to support the girl's weight. Roseanne only wrapped her arms tightly around Jennie's waist, hugging her close like a bolster.
"Yah..." Jennie started as Roseanne nuzzled her neck.
Although Jennie was lightly eager to return the affection, the better part of her did not want to risk Roseanne failing her quizzes.
Roseanne, on the other hand, couldn't really care less about the forthcoming tests. She decided that she needed to start showing the girl how much she loved her.
"Nini-yah..." Roseanne propped her head up with the shorter girl's shoulder and looked at her with puppy-dog eyes.
"Don't give me that now, Roseanne Park. We're not taking a break and that's final." Jennie devoted her attention back to the book in front of her, struggling to ignore the girl.
"I'm not asking for a break... I just want to tell you that I love you. Very much." Roseanne continued. She felt her own hair stand at those words because she had never said something like that to anybody before.
Her statement stunned Jennie slightly. It was the first time Roseanne had said those three words.
"I love you too." Jennie turned to her right to look into the girl's eyes.
With that, Roseanne instinctively lifted her head to press her lips against the girl's gently. To her surprise, Jennie kissed her back with a bit more force and she took it as permission to deepen the kiss. Roseanne's breath froze and her heart pounded so fast in her chest that she felt she might just collapse from the intensity of the moment.
A sudden vibration from Jennie's phone on the table startled the two as they hurriedly separated. Roseanne mentally cussed the bad timing of the blasted text as Jennie picked her phone up and started to text back.
"Who's that?" Roseanne couldn't help but ask.
"Wendy."
Roseanne felt a surge of anger well up in her chest at the answer.
"Checking up on you again, huh?" She scoffed, not even bothering to hide the contempt in her voice anymore. Boy, does this girl ever leave her girlfriend alone?
"She's just asking some questions on Psychology. Apparently next week is test week for her as well." Jennie replied calmly.
"Oh, and that's my problem because?" The words just slipped out of Roseanne's mouth before she had time to control herself.
"Rosie... what's wrong?" Jennie turned to face her. Roseanne could distinguish an inkling of disappointment in the girl's eyes but she couldn't curb the exasperation that was building up with every second.
"Nothing. I'm just going to go get something to drink."
"Stop leaving so abruptly like that. Can we talk about this?" Jennie grabbed the taller girl's wrist before she could storm away.
"I don't have anything to say. Whatever you want to do with whoever is none of my concern." Roseanne freed herself from the girl's grip and left the bench.
-----
"Rosie..." Jennie knocked on the door for the nth time. There was still no answer.
"What happened?" A puzzled Mrs. Song asked softly upon seeing Jennie so depressed.
"I don't know." Jennie mouthed. Mrs. Song patted the girl's arm lightly before making her way off.
"Rosie, will you please open the door?" The knocking continued.
Ten minutes later...
"I'm sorry alright? Can we talk about this?"
Ten more minutes later...
"Are you really gonna make me wait outside like this?"
Following ten minutes (a.k.a patience reaching its limits)...
"Yah! Roseanne Park! I wouldn't mind camping here tonight if that's what you're asking!"
Unexpectedly, the door flew open at that moment and there stood Roseanne, looking both irritated and worried at the same time.
"About time..." Jennie pouted before squeezing her way in and shutting the door behind her. Roseanne dragged her feet back to the bed before pulling the thick sheets over her head.
"Yah..." Jennie stomped over and abruptly lifted the covers. Roseanne turned over so her back was facing the girl.
"Rosie..." Jennie spoke in an aegyo-filled voice as she climbed onto the bed and poked at the girl's back several times.
"Don't." Roseanne uttered nothing but a single word.
"Hm? Don't what?" Jennie went on in that cute voice.
"Speak with that voice." Roseanne clasped her hands over her ears.
"Why? Does Rosie not like it?" Jennie carried on with the teasing.
"Yah! I'm supposed to be angry here! How can I do that when you're being so irresistibly adorable?" Roseanne sat up eventually, arms crossed, grimace on face.
"Yiiee! You're not mad anymore! Yay!" Jennie shifted herself to sit beside the taller girl before reaching up to pinch her cheek softly.
"On the contrary, I still am pretty fed-up. Didn't you wanna talk?" Roseanne responded nonchalantly.
"Alright, alright. Wendy's bothering you. Am I right?" Jennie went straight to the point. She saw no meaning in beating about the bush.
A slight nod from Roseanne confirmed her suspicion.
"Rosie, she's just a friend, nothing more." Jennie reached out to grapple Roseanne's hands in an assuring manner.
"Then why're you carrying that ridiculous keychain around with you? Why did she even give you that in the first place?" Roseanne gushed.
"It's just a keychain, Rosie. I just thought leaving it on my bag would be better than just chucking it aside."
Roseanne did not look the least bit convinced at Jennie's explanation.
"She knows I'm with you."
"And she still chooses to interrupt our outings?"
"Rosie, it was just that one time. Besides, I was the one who told her to come along. I felt pretty bad for her and I wanted to reciprocate what she did for me the last time."
"And why's that?"
"I don't know. I guess I just never saw things the way you did... she's only a friend to me. I care for my friends; it's as simple as that."
"And you don't care if I'm getting upset because you're texting her every now and then?"
"You know I care for you more than anybody else in this world. I just didn't know this issue troubled you so much..."
Roseanne turned away, not knowing how else to respond.
"Rosie, look at me..." Jennie tightened her grasp on the taller girl's hands, urging her to hear the explanation.
Roseanne reluctantly turned to face the girl, looking bummed out as ever.
"You trust me, don't you?"
Roseanne remained silent at the question. She should be having complete faith and belief in this girl, shouldn't she? Perhaps all that jealousy was taunting with her mind because she couldn't find it in herself to even answer a question as simple as this. She tried to open her mouth to speak but no words came out.
"Wow. Okay."
It was the first time Roseanne heard Jennie sigh as she watched the girl wander off towards the door and out of her room.
What had she done? Things were supposed to be going great, weren't they? Roseanne shook the guilt off at the thought of Wendy, the girl who was fully responsible for this mess. Why on Earth did she have to appear?
-----
No further conversation followed after that night and the two headed off for school separately the next morning.
Roseanne sat in the lecture theatre, doodling messy scribbles on her notepad instead of taking notes. Jisoo was quick to notice her sudden change in attitude.
"Did something happen?"
"I don't know." Roseanne muttered, still scrawling away, getting more irritated with every stroke.
"Stop it, Rosie. You're scaring me. What happened?" Jisoo snatched the black pen away from the girl before she could cover the entire page.
"I already said I don't know! How do you expect me to answer?" Roseanne retorted, perhaps a little too loudly, as pairs of curious eyes turned to stare.
"Miss Park? Is there a problem?" The professor lowered her reading glasses with a frown.
"I'm sorry." Roseanne stuffed her belongings into her bag before zipping out of the tense environment. Jisoo followed closely behind.
Once outside, Roseanne sank heavily onto a vacant bench, buried her head in her hands, and reminded herself to get it together. Jisoo quickly settled down next to her.
"Hey... it's okay..." Jisoo ran a hand up and down the girl's back.
They sat there in silence until the bell rang, signalling the end of class as throngs of noisy students exited the lecture theatre.
"Roseanne? Are you alright? I saw what happened just now."
Roseanne lifted her head to see a befuddled Wendy standing there. The mere appearance of the girl made her blood boil. Wendy was the last person she needed to see at this moment.
"Cut it out and please stop trying to be nice." Roseanne answered rudely.
"Yah Rosie, she's just trying to help. Why're you being like this?" Jisoo, who witnessed the context, hurriedly asserted.
"I'm really sorry if I've done anything before to cause you to react like this..." Wendy tried to appease the girl.
"If you were really sorry, you'd stop doing whatever you're doing now." Roseanne retaliated, evidently irked. Knowing clearly that she was in no position to comment, Jisoo could only sit there in reticence as she watched.
"I'm sorry? Maybe there has been some misunderstanding?" Wendy appeared oblivious as ever.
"Then I'll get directly to the point. What is it that you want from Jennie?"
"Huh? I'm not so sure I comprehend what you're asking..." The petite girl continued in a small voice.
"All these things you're doing for her, all those texts... what're you trying to do?" Roseanne was this close to snapping.
"Roseanne, I just want to get to know her more. I know you're her best friend and everything but--"
"Since when was I her best friend?" Roseanne cut the girl off impolitely.
"I don't know, I just kinda assumed--"
"Well, you assumed wrong." Roseanne went on argumentatively.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I don't know what the relationship between the both of you is but I just really like her. I can't seem to figure out why you're being so hostile towards me."
"Wendy, I'm going to try to put this as graciously as I can. Jennie Kim is my girlfriend. I don't like that you're trying to get close to her. Leave her alone or else I can't promise I'll keep on being this patient with you."