Rosé's POV:
My eyes widened, and with a sudden movement, I rejected my covers and somehow rushed towards the entry. Out of breath and my head already spinning, I watched as M. Yin was standing in the hallway.
"Jisoo...," I panted, panicked. "Don't..."
The Raven looked back between the director and me, trying to understand what was happening. The filthy man wandered his gaze along my exposed legs and collarbone, and I immediately wanted to hide from his sight. But then he would be alone with Jisoo, and even if I doubted he would try something on her, there was no way I would have left her side.
Jerkily, I tightened my cardigan around my shoulders to cover the exposed skin. Realizing the man was eyeing me shamelessly, Jisoo stepped in the doorway and let out a frustrated sigh.
"If you don't need anything, I advise you to leave."
"Don't worry, I saw everything I needed to see," He smirked before putting his hat back on. "Have a good day."
Without answering, the Raven had slammed the door in his face.
"This guy was a total creep. Do you know him?" She asked.
Mute, knees trembling, I reached for the nearest wall to lean onto it. Jisoo rushed at my side, circling my waist with her arms. Her breath brushed against my neck for a short moment, and I instinctively jolted.
The sensation of hot and humid air on my skin brought me back to when Yin would press himself against me.
Jisoo of course noticed, and I avoided her gaze in shame. Her grip on my hips tightened.
"Are you okay? What's happening? Did I do something wrong?"
I shook my head, not wanting her to stop holding me.
"Was it him? Do you know this person?"
My legs gave way under my weight and Jisoo hugged me firmly. Face buried into the crook of her neck, I let out a shaky breath and gripped at the material of her shirt.
"Rosé, tell me. Who is he?"
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Jisoo's POV:
After taking Rosé back to her room, she told me everything that had happened these past few weeks.
Anger, sadness, frustration, despair...
I regretted not strangling this man when I had the occasion. Chaeyoung was curled up on her bed, looking so vulnerable and small among the sheets, that my heart sank inside my chest.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, jaw clenched in contained anger, I was holding the Aussie's hand all throughout her confession. Once she was finished, I breathed in and out to calm myself and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
"I won't let him come near you ever again. Don't worry about losing your job or getting dragged down. I will personally take care of everything."
My palm rested against her tear-stained cheek, and she leaned on the touch.
"Go to sleep, now. You need to rest."
"Can you lay beside me, please? I don't want to be alone," She muttered.
I nodded and Rosé lifted up the sheets, making room for me. Once I was properly covered by the blanket, the Aussie scooted closer to me then cuddled my side. Her head rested on my chest, just above my heart.
"I missed this," She suddenly said.
"Missed what?"
"You holding me. Me holding you. I know you want us to stay friends, but I will forever remember how good it felt to be with you, back in Paris."
Chuckling, I caressed her back hesitantly.
"What we have is so much more than a friendship, Rosé. We..." My mouth went suddenly dry. "We made love."
Rosé tensed up against me and my hand stilled above her back. My heart was beating so fast that I got scared she would hear it.
"I never shared so much, both physically and emotionally. Before you, I was a virgin to genuine care and intimacy; that's why I... I consider you as my first."
"First as in..?"
I nodded affirmatively and held her closer, my nose buried in her heavenly soft hair. For her part, Rosé rested her hand on my shoulder and tangled our legs together.
"You are warm and comfy," She said in a low tone.
"You are heavy and noisy," I retorted mockingly.
The young teacher laughed against my chest and closed her eyes. Not even a minute later, she fell into a deep slumber, her breath slow and steady. I kept holding her, not daring to move an inch.
The magnitude of my feelings was overwhelming. From the last time we kissed to that very moment, I tried to conceal what I felt for Rosé; to bottle up whatever it was and forget it somewhere in my mind. But it was useless.
She was important to me, and I held a special place in my heart for her. The way she smiled, the way she spoke, laughed, thought... Chaeyoung was utterly perfect to me. She carried herself like she carried her words: with assurance and smartness.
Until this M. Yin came in the picture and started wrecking her.
He touched her, took advantage of how vulnerable she was as a foreigner. Somehow, I was angry at myself because... I could have done something to help her. Rosé surely was too scared (and perhaps ashamed) to talk to me about it.
I couldn't stand seeing her or anyone breaking down because of some sick pervert. Instinctively, I held the Aussie closer. I wasn't strong enough to win a fight against a grown-up man, but I had my ways.
* * *
The morning light bathed the room with a soft golden aura. Dazzled, I opened my eyes slowly, shifting under Rosé's comforting weight on me. Her hand somehow slipped under my shirt during the night, surely seeking warmth, and stayed above my stomach.
Flustered by such intimate contact, I tried to move her wrist away but the Aussie only scooted closer, humming softly. I sighed and closed my eyes, rocked by her gentle, steady breathing. Softly, I nudged Rosé's side and patted her arm until she eventually woke up, yawning.
"Morning," She said sleepily.
"Good Morning. Sorry to wake you up to this early, but I need to go back home. My sister is taking care of my children, but she needs to go somewhere else."
"No need to explain yourself, I understand. I will walk you to the door, wait..."
She intended to stand up from the bed but I quickly caught her wrist.
"Actually," My voice croaked. "I want you to come with me. Someone has to take care of you."
Rosé blushed and avoided my gaze, getting shy.
"It's fine, Jisoo. Don't worry about me."
"Stop arguing. You are coming with me and that's the end of the conversation," I stated firmly.
She nodded, redder than before.
Half an hour later, we headed to my apartment in awkward silence and arrived in front of my building. Rosé eyed the street, surely noting it wasn't far from her district.
"I thought you would live in a fancier place," She admitted. "But it looks like a lovely neighbourhood."
"It is. There is a beautiful park at the corner of the street; I like to take Jiwon and Eojin there on weekends."
The Aussie simply nodded then followed me inside the building. We climbed inside the first elevator and the doors closed behind us as I pushed the last button.
"Are you feeling better?" I asked with concern.
"Still a bit weak. Thank you for taking such good care of me, Jisoo."
Rosé bowed a bit but I pushed back her shoulders, making her face me.
"You are my...friend. It is the least I can do."
Hoping she didn't notice my stutter, I waited impatiently for the elevator to stop, then rushed out the small space. I unlocked the door of my apartment and pulled Rosé inside with me.
"I'm home!" I yelled, putting my keys on their hook.
I heard the shuffling of feet before my sister appeared in the hallway, a fuming cup of coffee in her right hand, and a notebook in the other.
"Good morning! I see you brought company; it's nice to see you again, Miss Park." Jennie greeted us with a warm welcoming smile.
"Oh, please, call me Rosé or Chaeyoung," The Aussie bowed again.
"How did the children sleep?"
"Eojin, as usual. Jiwon sneaked in his bed to nap with him; they were so cute, I think I never took so many pictures. Kiss them goodbye for me; I need to go."
Jennie put her mug on a piece of furniture, before grabbing her bag and keys. She hugged me then waved friendlily at Rosé before leaving the apartment.
I walked the Aussie to the kitchen, making her sit on the nearest chair. She seemed flustered and kept playing with her hands, obviously intimidated.
"Don't be so shy, Chae. Make yourself at home."
"I feel like I'm a burden to you, that's why," She reddened again.
"You are not, so stop overthinking," I seriously stated.
I started preparing breakfast and Rosé helped me, despite my complaints. The Aussie cut some fruits while I cooked an omelette, and we stayed silent for a while, both focusing on our tasks.
It felt so familiar and nice. A warm feeling of plenitude filled my heart and I grinned in contentment. I surely looked funny, smiling at nothing, like this.
But Rosé's presence in my house also reminded me of the reason why she was here.
My jaw tightened as well as my grip on the pan. I was infuriated.
"Eomma?" I heard a small voice calling.
I turned around and immediately calmed down at the sight of Jiwon sleepily walking into the kitchen. She didn't notice Rosé's presence yet and reached her arms up to me. Understanding, I lifted my daughter up and secured her on my hip.
She buried her face in my neck and breathed softly, fighting slumber. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Chaeyoung smiling adorably at us.
"Jiwon, say hi to our guest," I kissed her hair.
The little girl rubbed her eyes with her fists and gawked comically once she recognized the Aussie.
"Miss Park!" She screamed before jumping from my arms.
Rosé caught her in extremis and carefully took hold of her. Shocked by Jiwon's behaviour, I stared at the pair wondering when they got so close.
"Good Morning. Have you slept well?"
The toddler nodded and threw her little arms around the blond's neck, tearing up.
"I was scared when you collapsed!" She sniffed, holding back a sob.
"Sorry for making you worry," Rosé said while rocking her slowly.
"I am surprised to see you so affectionate, Jiwon," I chuckled and patted her back. "You missed your teacher very much, don't you?"
She nodded again and hid her face in the crook of Chae's neck. The latter smiled softly and kissed the top of her head, making my heart swell with feelings I tried to ignore.
"I missed you too."
After this, I got distracted by the noise coming from the children's bedroom. I entered the room and watched Eojin trying to climb off his bed. I recently got rid of his cradle; not that he wasn't old enough before, but my job didn't leave me the time to change it.
I hugged the sleepy toddler then brought him to the kitchen. Rosé was sitting on a chair, still rocking Jiwon reassuringly. She looked at Eojin with curiosity, obviously meeting him for the first time.
"My children hate waking up in the morning; they got that from me, I'm afraid."
Rosé chuckled and tickled Jiwon's side, making her burst out laughing. The little girl waved at her little brother who beamed back, sucking on his thumb.
"Present yourself, please," I asked him gently.
"Good morning, Miss. My name is Eojin!" He smiled before falling back against me.
"Nice to meet you, I am Chaeyoung," She waved clumsily, still holding a clingy Jiwon.
The latter pouted and Rosé patted her back.
"You can call me by my name too, Jiwon. But use 'Miss Park' at school, arasseo?"
The little girl nodded excitingly and kissed her cheek, before climbing off of her. She sat on the chair across her and balanced her legs happily, beaming.
I wasn't used to seeing her this cheerful, also it melted my heart. Jiwon always had a hard time trusting people, but somehow she befriended Rosé relatively quickly.
Soon enough, we were all taking breakfast together. The Aussie and I listened to the siblings chatting, and I sometimes glanced secretly at her. Each time she would catch me doing so, a blush would colour our cheeks crimson red. I felt like a teenager, embarrassing myself and shying away for little things.
It's remarkable how our relationship evolved from bold and wild, to sickeningly awkward. Not that we weren't comfortable with each other. In fact, it was the feeling we were bottling inside, the innuendos between us, that made us so shy.
It was my fault, for being so scared of what could happen between us. Rosé has been more than patient with me (and I was thankful for that), however, I knew I had to give an answer to her question soon.
"You better take a rest; you look tired," I told the Aussie.
She was pale, with dark circles shadowing her eyes.
Rosé followed me to my bedroom then watched me going back and forth between the bed and the closet.
"Is it your room?" She asked behind me while I rearranged the sheets.
"Yes. I'm sorry, I don't have a guestroom. If you need something you ca-."
I turned around and went silent, standing very close to an equally surprised Rosé. My eyes flickered to her beautiful and tentative mouth. Her lips were offered to me like the forbidden fruit: plump, red like an apple, glossy, irresistible.
They were slightly parted, letting through a warm shattered breath.
I looked back at Rosé's eyes and noticed how breathless we were.
My body leaned towards her, and the Aussie took no step back when I delicately brushed my lips against hers.