The ride to Chaeyoung’s house was not that awkward but it was death silence, the only words they shared were her house directions; in which corner he should turn or which street he should take, nothing major. Jaehyun decided to turn on the radio with a minimum volume and heard her signing in a low tone the songs that were sounding, something that made him smile a little.

“You got a nice voice” He commented.

“Ah” she covered , obviously surprised. “I thought I was singing for myself”

“You were, but I have a nice ear”

“Thank you than, Yoonoh”

Jaehyun pressed the breaks so hard to the point that the wheels made a scary sound as it scratched the cement below it. Yoonoh he haven’t heard that name in years, only his family calls him like that and he has some time without seeing them; the guys and his classmates along with his teachers already got used to call him Jaehyun so this girl is the first person outside his family to caress his real name with her lips.

Chaeyoung grabbed her seatbelt very hard. She got scared at the sudden stop.

“Thank Heavens I have the seatbelt on”

“Yeah… me too… uh…” He sounds so awkward.  “Where did you heard that name?”

“You told me your name was Yoonoh but I should call you Jaehyun when Tae introduced us”

He punched the starring wheel softly and passed the same hand through his hair. He had a disappointed expression on his face. “Ah, seriously, I should stop drinking”

Chae felt a bit taken aback. She didn’t want to upset him. “I’m sorry”

He looked at her. “It’s ok… is just… I don’t feel comfortable when someone says my real name”

“Why?”

“That name doesn’t really fit me”

“And you think Jaehyun does?”

“You tell me”

She checked his features for a moment. “Yes, it does” She answered at the end.

“See?” He started to move the car again.

“Do you want to feel better?”

“How?”

“My real name is Roseanne Park”

“You’re foreign?”

She nods at him slowly. “I born in New Zealand, I was raised in Australia and now I’m here connecting with my Korean side”

“That’s amazing but it doesn’t make feel any better”

“Why not?”

“Because your name fits you, you look like a rose. It’s pretty”

“Ah, you should appreciate your name too. I think is pretty”

“Please let’s not talk about it”

“Ok… I’m sorry” She said, glancing at her hands on her lap. “I like to call people by their real names but as you don’t feel comfortable with it, I will call you Jaehyun”

He stopped the car on a red light and turned around to look at her. “Hey…” He whispered which make her turn around. “I’m sorry to be so dramatic about it but I appreciate your consideration”

“It’s ok”

“So…” The red light changed but he didn’t notice. “How should I call you?”

“You can call me as you wish. I like both of my names”

“I will call you Rosé” He said after making a pause to think about it. “Because you look like a rose and roses are pretty”

“Are you flirting with me?” Chaeyoung narrowed her eyes in Jaehyun’s direction and notice he was kind of pink.

He shook his head and pressed the throttle. “No…”

Chaeyoung stayed watching him, nothing else; she didn’t even bother if he was aware of that. Then she notices through his window that she was in a place she knew by heart and that meant she was arriving to her house.

“Oh, we’re here!” She said as he parked. Chae grabbed her things that were in the back seat of the car and placed them in her lap. “Thank you for the ride and sorry about everything”

Oh God, he was feeling so bad about the name issue now because of the way she just said her goodbyes. He really was honest but he felt he should’ve said it in another way, a way where she didn’t felt so guilty. Also, he was being a little rude, right? This was the person who took care of him so good, who fed him, who told him which medicines he should take if he feels bad later… and he makes a scene only for a freaking name? Ah… he should fix it.

She opened the door.

“Rosé” She turned around to see him, half of her body outside. He smiles. “If you want to call me Yoonoh, you totally can, ok?”

She leaned her head to a side “But you said-”

“I was being a drama queen… you can call me however you wish. Please forgive me for the rudeness”

Chaeyoung smiled at him and nodded. “Ok than” and went out of the car towards the entrance of the house. But suddenly she comeback and ask him to pull down the window so she could say something.

“Can you give me your phone?” She asked, stretching her arm inside the car. “I want to save my number. I want you to text me or call me when you arrive home”

Jaehyun handed his phone to her, she dialed her number and at far away her cellphone sounded.

“Save mine” Jaehyun said, after she handed the phone back to him.

“Already save!” and she waved her hand at him as she entered through the big gates.

He waited until she was fully inside and started the engine. Before going back to the apartment he checked the last calls and notice she wrote Rosé<3, he couldn’t avoid it and smiled big and thinking that if she saved his like Yoonoh, it was totally fine for him.

She entered the house, no one was inside, she walked to her kitchen which light was on and notice a note glued to the tiny microwave’s door.

Chaeyoung, darling, I let you the breakfast and the lunch already prepare, please it eat all. My husband and I will be in Busan all day and Mr. Lee will be back at nine. I’ll be there by dinner so don’t worry. Your dad called, he arrives the 5^th at 6 p.m. Enjoy the days before he arrives, you know what I mean!

With heart, Dara.

She let the note there and smile but she wasn’t feeling really hungry yet, she was feeling tired so she decided to go to her room and get some rest. But she couldn’t even put her pajamas; she threw herself on the bed and didn’t wake up until it was already dark outside.

When she opened her eyes, she heard footsteps at the distance and saw the lights of the hallway . She went outside to look and heard the voices of her housekeeper Dara and her driver Mr. Lee.

“Ah, this kid didn’t eat what I made her” Sounded annoyed.

“Miss Chae is still asleep sweetie, I just saw her”

“Still Mr. Lee, I think she should have eaten before going to bed. So stubborn”

She went downstairs and walked slowly to the kitchen. She peeked on the entrance and Dara saw her right away.

“Hi you” She said.

“Hi you nothing!” Dara answered a bit angry. “Why didn’t you eat?!”

“Happy New Year to you too” Chaeyoung said as she walked towards Mr. Lee to hug him kindly.

“Happy New Year to you, why didn’t you eat?”

“I was so tired” She pouted.

Mr. Lee went to check the car he works with while the dinner was getting ready and let the ladies talking alone in the kitchen.

“How was the party?” Dara asked, handing her the dinner she prepared for her in the morning.

“It was great”

“And that smile stands for?”

“Nothing in particular”

Dara lifted one her eye brows. “Let me tell you something little girl. I know you since you were a tiny little bean, ok? I practically raised you, so don’t try to play games with me”

“What are you talking about?” A smile formed on her lips without she even noticed it was happening.

“Who did you met?” Dara asked. “Is he handsome? Smart? Elegant? Rich?”

“Rich?”

“Money is important because that mean they work hard”

“Oh, no, than I don’t want him”

“So, you did meet someone!!” Dara jumped on her place while clapping her hands. “Ah, tell me everything. Handsome?”

Chaeyoung nodded.

“Smart?”

“I think so”

“Elegant?”

“He dressed very pretty today”

“Rich?”

“He is still ending collage, I think”

Dara stayed in silence for a while. “Well, at least he has a goal”

Chaeyoung nodded slowly again. “Yeah… well, we just met so…”

“Ah, I remember I wanted to tell you something”

Chaeyoung frowned.

“Your dad has a new girlfriend”

She rolled her eyes.

“She called today, saying she wanted to meet you tomorrow”

“And you said…?”

“I said you were sick but she said she would call you later on”

“I don’t know if she did I slept all day long”

“Well” Dara started to clean the table. “You should give it a try. She sounds nice”

“Yeah… maybe I should hide my dad somewhere… just like he does with me”

The next day she woke up feeling fresh and recharged. She woke up early so she could go to run for some minutes and then went back to her house to eat breakfast. She wanted to go out these days, her dad arrives the 5^th and he will cage her again. Her dad is a bit overprotective due to an accident that happened years ago but he can’t let it go until today. So every time he goes outside the country to do some business she takes advantage of that to go out as normal young girl.

But her friends were all unavailable: Lisa, her best friend was in Thailand, her homeland. Jennie went to New Zealand also with her family and Jisoo went to Busan with hers too, so she can’t do much really.

She decided to go to the movies, something chill and relax for the night. Maybe if she’s alone she could see the horror film she likes so much and that Lisa is terrified about. She checked the board… yes! There’s a good horror story. She walked to the ticket office but the girl that usually attended her isn’t around.

“Hi, can you give me one ticket to The Autopsy of Jane Doe, please”

The guy turned around and smiled at her. “Ah, why are you going to see that horror film alone?”

“Because I want to...?”

“You should wait for me. I go out in three hours” He winked.

“No, thanks. I want to watch it alone”

“How can a pretty girl come to a theater alone?”

“Because pretty girls do whatever they want… can you please give me the ticket?”

“No, until you accept my propose”

“What propose?”

“Wait for me three hours and we watch the movie together”

“I. Don’t. Want. To.”

“Oh come on! You’re not waiting for someone, you just ask for one ticket!!”

“If I am waiting or not, is not your business”

“Ah tell me, are you waiting for someone? Are you?”

“In fact she is…”

They both heard a raspy voice coming from behind Chaeyoung and they looked at the person where the voice was coming from.

A smile formed on her lips and her heart speed up its’ beat like crazy.

Jaehyun was there and she wasn’t waiting for him but she is thankful that he suddenly appeared.

“So give us two tickets. Sorry, I know I'm late. Traffic.”

“I ordered one because I thought you weren’t coming” 

“Oh please, baby, let’s not fight, not tonight”

The guy from the ticket office was surprised, so in shock. He handed the tickets silently to Chaeyoung and received the money from Jaehyun still with his mouth shut. Jaehyun gave him a small nod and followed Chae who was already inside the building.

He was so scary, oh my God, like an authentic boyfriend mad at someone who was flirting with his girlfriend, if he could kill, he definitely would.

But all they could do inside the room was laughing, laughing so loud, the movie hasn’t started so there’s a bunch of people talking and finding their sits and friends inside the big room. They sat together, still talking about the poor guy almost making the two in his pants.

“You were so scary with that look, you are so mean” Chaeyoung said, still smiling.

“Ah, that was so fun actually, I didn’t know I was so scary” Jaehyun said, sitting beside her.

He handed her some chocolates he brought for her and she give him from her popcorns; she told him while they were doing the line for the snacks, that this was for both of them because she didn’t want to eat this huge thing plus the beverage alone.

“Tell me the truth” Chae said, “Are you following me?”

“You wish” Jaehyung teased at her.

“If you are, I’m not mad; I’m actually glad, thank you for that”

“You’re welcome. Anytime. The guy at flirting anyway, poor him”

“You know how to flirt?” She asked sarcastically, remembering the rose thing he said to her in the car.

“I know he because I at flirting too. You know it” 

“I don’t believe you…” She narrowed her eyes.

He took some of the popcorn. “Well. I’m not lying” He said, “Oh, and you, what are you doing here alone?”

“My friends aren’t in town, so I wanted to go out” She shrugged. “I didn’t want to be alone in my house”

“Your dad is not there?”

“No” Chaeyoung shook her head as she eat popcorn. “He will arrive the 5^th”

Jaehyun nodded, somehow happy she stills alone and that brought her here but a bit sad that she hasn’t seen her dad yet. But Chae doesn’t feel the same way, the fact she is alone brought her here and gave her the chance to meet Jae on the movies, so everything is fine.

“What about you?” She said, handing him more popcorn. “What are you doing here all by yourself?”

“I escape!!” He said, laughing and taking some popcorn to his mouth. “I’m outside since this morning: I went to the gym, lunch in a friend’s restaurant, went back quickly, get out quickly and walked around until I decided I wanted to watch a movie… JUST BECAUSE… I don’t want to clean the apartment”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, that apartment is a freaking disaster. A disaster I don’t deserve to be cleaning” He put out his cellphone and shows it to her. “The guys are texting me and calling me, saying they need my help… No”

“They are cursing you” Chaeyoung said reading some messages.

“Yeah” He said, taking the popcorn from her hold. “Like if that would take me home right away”

The room’s light went off and the sound of the movie started. They sat straight with eyes only in the big screen.

The movie was about one and half hours of people screaming and laughing of themselves. Sometimes jump scares are more fun than scary. Jaehyun enjoyed the movie and so did Chaeyoung, even though she screamed softly and hided her head on his shoulders time to time but in a sign that he was there with her and she should not be scare, Jae used to hold her hand tight. It was too much for her sometimes, but she was the one who chose the movie, so what the hell Chaeyoung?

They went out of the theater together as well.

“Ah… I’m such a chicken!” Chaeyoung said a bit embarrassed of her attitude.

“It’s ok. Thanks to that I could hug you time to time” Jaehyun teased again.

She snapped a suspicious look at him and he lifted his hands like he was giving up. She smiled at him and kept walking.

Jae following her closer.

“It was a good movie though” She broke the silence.

“How can you know that? You didn’t watch it”

“Can you stop?!” She laughed; he was good at teasing at least.

Jae smiled at her. “It’s funny, sorry”

“Do you have something else to do?”

He shook his head.

“Let’s play a game” She said walking backwards as she faced him.

“What do you want to play?”

“I say something I dislike and you say something you dislike” Chaeyoung explained, “Just so we can get to know each other more”

“Why don’t start with the likes?”

“Because dislikes makes people angry sometimes…”

It makes sense, if he thinks it doesn’t, he should remember the little problem they had the day before just because he dislikes his real name.

Jaehyun nodded. “Ok, ladies first”

Chaeyoung stayed in silence for a while, thinking on what she should say. And after some minutes, “I don’t like fish”

“I don’t like eggs”

“I don’t like green color”

“Why?” Jae frowned.

“It looks like a bugger. It’s disgusting”

“But nature is green and that’s beautiful”

“You are kidding”

“No, I’m just telling you the nature is green and nature is awesome”

“I like nature I don’t like green”

“Ok…” He smiled. “I don’t like red color”

“Why?”

“It looks like blood” 

“But blood keeps you alive”

“You just like to take the opposite of me, huh?”

“I do, actually” she said “besides, roses are red”

“You're right... and I really like roses”

The silence between them felt so good. It was like they were ok with the silence and their eyes were speaking all the things they want to say out loud to each other but none of them could hear.

“I don’t like the heat”

“I don’t like the sun” He raised his hand in front of his face. “What if we going with the likes? I can go on and on. And I think I should know what you like”

“Gentlemen first”

“Uhh…” He smiled at her.

They arrived to the center of the square where a big stone fountain was placed. The city was still with the Christmas lights and the snow kept falling since days ago. It was cold but it was so pretty outside. As it was just January 2^nd the streets were a bit empty and that made their moment a bit more private.

They walked around the fountain.

“I like… alcohol”

“I know that” She said, “I like chocolate”

“I know that” He answered back as he stopped walking. “I would like to take you on a date”

Chaeyoung didn’t say anything and also stopped walking with him in front of her, she just stayed there, looking at him waiting for the – is a joke– thing but it never came.

“I’m serious about that”

Jaehyun kind of felt she was thinking this was a joke so he clarified it was not.

“Can this count as one?”

“I don’t know” He shrugged. “I wanted to have those kinds of dates where I prepare something especial so you know I’m interested” He looked at the sky and then her again. “And maybe you show me you are also interested”

“I think this is one of those dates”

He walked towards her. “You really think so?”

Chaeyoung nodded as he walked closer. “I do”

Jaehyun stopped right in front of her, only a few inches away from her forehead. Something in her eyes are so beautiful, makes her look like an angel. The whole city lights are glowing on them. He took a bit of snow that was stock in one string of her hair and look at her intensely.

He doesn’t want to kiss her just yet, he just want to let his body talk to her for a while; he knows she is not stupid, she would realize what he is starting to feel and what he hopes she feels as well.

“You should take me to eat something and then walk me home”

“Just like a date?”

She nodded and smiled. “Then, you call me and say you would love to see me again”

“And that will lead us to another date?”

Chaeyoung nodded again. Wow, what a handsome and smart human being is this guy. He said he wasn’t good at flirting but he is good in making her feel so shy and vulnerable. If he tries to kiss her, that wouldn’t be a problem but she is feeling he just want to tell her through his body language what he is starting to feel and she wants to do the same.

He doesn’t need not be hoping for something that is already happening.

“So let’s go and get something to eat and I’ll walk you home”

“Ok, let’s get something to eat”