Description

In which Rosé finds comfort with the man she least expects it the most.

-🌷-

1/4 of the just friends series

-🌷-

I swear, I can practically see twinkles on Lisa's eyes right now. As if on cue, the girls giggled, despite Chanwoo's pout becoming too cute to resist.

"Noona, must you do this?" the youngest sulked, turning to Jennie.

Jennie waved him off. She didn't even take her eyes off Lisa's eyeliner work on his lids.

Jisoo stood behind Chanwoo, tying his messy mop of a hair with a pink tied-up hairband from Jennie's. Because his sudden move almost messed up Lisa's work, Jisoo angled his face properly. "Don't move!"

I shook my head as I saw my friends use Chanwoo as their Barbie doll. It was what Lisa wanted to do for a long time now, choosing random boys in our group of friends to practice her make-up skills. This time, Chanwoo was the unfortunate soul.

Because of the teachers' conference meeting, we decided to meet up, since we have different grade years. They dragged Chanwoo out of his classroom to ours because it was the closest, which wasn't good because Jisoo unnie, Jennie unnie, and Chanwoo didn't belong here in the first place, yet they act like they do.

Speaking of which, my classmates' stares thrown at our place was making me conscious of myself. It was like they were itching to ask me, 'What are they doing here?' Embarrassed, I raised the book I was reading to hide my face.

"What are you doing?"

Turning around, I saw Junhoe's arched eyebrow, his lips turned to a frown.

"June, help!" Chanwoo rasped, which earned a slap on the shoulder from Lisa.

Junhoe smirked. "Why would I pass the chance to laugh at you?" He plucked the nearest chair beside me and flipped it over so the backrest was in front of him. Leaning over, he asked Lisa, "Makeover me too."

Lisa waved him off. "Just let Chaeyoung do it. I'm busy."

Junhoe turned around for me. Feeling aware all of a sudden, I dropped the book I was reading on the table. "Why?" I asked, more to Junhoe than to the girls.

He shrugged in response. "Because I believe I'm gonna be more fabulous than Chanwoo."

"No," I said simply.

"I wasn't in it in the first place." He turned to Lisa again. "I want you to do it. Chaeyoung's gonna mess up my face."

Slightly offended, I retorted, "I do not!"

"For goodness' sake. You don't even know how to groom yourself, much less put color on your dead- lips."

I gasped. Even if he always does this to me, I couldn't get used to it. "Why are you so mean?"

"It's the truth, baby girl."

The cringe I felt was automatic as I heard that endearment. He always calls me that whenever he wants to irk me, and it works everytime.

"Ugh." I reached behind Lisa to grab a lipstick off her kit. "Come here and I'll prove myself to you."

"Fine," he grumbled and moved his chair close. "You better not mess this up or else..."

"Or else what?"

"I'll steal your notes and write that you love me at the back."

"You wouldn't. One, that's childish. And two, I don't love you."

He grinned at me. "Oh, I know you do."

"Do not."

"You do."

"Do not!" I fumed.

"You do, baby girl. I know."

I heard some giggling. As my cheeks grow heated during the exchange, I turned towards my friends, all looking amused at us two. Chanwoo even had the audacity to grin while his eyeliner's so on-point. He looked like a snotty queen sitting on a throne with his minions, honestly.

"Enough, you two," Jisoo unnie said while combing the back of Chanwoo's hair.

"This has gone on far too long. When are you guys gonna get together?" Jennie remarked.

My cheeks burned more. "Unnie!"

"I think it's a good idea. You even have the endearments down already," Lisa commented with a grin.

"Not you too!"

To top it off, Junhoe sent me his super annoying signature smirk. "How about it, baby girl? Wanna try it?"

In response, I tipped his chin using my fingers, capping off the lipstick lid after. "Let's just get this over with."

"Admit it, Chaeyoung. You like the idea too."

"Don't speak or I'll make you look like a clown."

If his presence wasn't unnerving enough, he just had to make it worse by using those hooded eyes of his to get in my head. My grip slightly trembled and it was taking all my willpower not to push his face away. In order for him not to sense that it was affecting me, I dabbed the pink lipstick on his plump lips, which ended with jagged lines on the edges. I bit my tongue, unsure how to go on.

"You know what, I may not be an expert at this, but I'm sure you did mess up," Junhoe commented.

I finally pushed his face away. "It's your fault! Don't – Don't look at me like that!"

His expression changed into annoyance. "What the hell am I doing wrong?" Then it shifted to a teasing one again. "Is it because my good looks are bothering you?"

I gave the lipstick to him. "You do it then!"

He rolled his eyes and took the lipstick. With a swipe of an arm, he reached out for the pocket mirror on Jisoo unnie's armtable. Then, Junhoe positioned the mirror in front of him, the lipstick in front of his lips after. Admittedly, I thought he did this so often with the way how he held everything expertly.

"How can something so simple be that hard for you, Chaeyoung?" He proceeded to put on the lipstick, gliding the tip on the upper arches, then downwards for the lower lip. Finishing it up, he smacked his lips together and faced me. "It's easy as saying, 'I love you, Junhoe,' right?"

"Get over yourself," I groaned. "And why did you let me put lipstick on you if you can do it in the first place?"

"Easy." He winked. "Skinship, baby."

Having enough of his conceited nature, I puffed my cheeks. "I'm out of here. I'll come back when Junhoe's acting normal again!"

Laughter was the only thing I heard as I walked out of the classroom. On the way out, I met Donghyuk, coming back from his student council activities, I suppose. He caught my irritated look and when I heard him say a name, it was enough to fuel it more.

"Junhoe?"

I nodded. As always. I didn't stop walking in order for him not to say anything more. But he didn't pass up the chance either.

"You know he does that because he loves you, right?" he shouted over my back.

It almost made me stop on my tracks but decided against it in the last minute. With how Junhoe is treating me, I know Donghyuk's just teasing.

-🌷-

"I'm home!" I shouted as I took my school shoes at the door, hooking my fingers at the heel part to place it neatly side by side. No one replied or came to my greeting so I just assumed they were out.

My feet padded its way to my room. Tiredly sighing, I dropped my backpack on the side of my drawer and plopped on the bed. Strangely enough, the peach ceiling reminded me of the lipstick color Junhoe used earlier. A groan escaped my mouth without intention. That guy has his way with me. Again.

I don't know what's with him, honestly. I think he has a secret agenda to make me mad at him forever. And our friends... it's like they support him more than me!

And the worst part of it all... I don't know what's with me too. Everytime he uses those lovely lips to smirk at me, or whenever he calls me by that horrible nickname, my heart skips a beat. Everytime he looks at my way or when he's close to me, I can't help these... thoughts, these disturbing thoughts about him that would just make me smile.

It's confusing, because I know I don't like him that way. Yet, why does he disturb me so much?

Angrily, I sat upright on the bed, my sight immediately going over my dresser table. Some books were piled neatly on one side, and a bunch of makeup items I own (a bulk of it I didn't even buy myself). As if entranced, I stood up and sat in front, my reflection in the mirror coming into view. A frown escaped its way to my features when I touched my cracked lips. It looked really dead.

I picked up the lipstick Lisa gave to me as a birthday gift. After all these months, it was still wrapped, never taken out of its box. Then I picked up Yunhyeong oppa's gift after. A lipbalm. As expected of him since he's the oppa to like this so much. Wait a minute...

I went through the beauty items I have on the desk. Lip tint from Jisoo unnie, mascara from Jennie unnie, toner from Jinhwan oppa, moisturizer from Donghyuk... HEY! Are they trying to send me a message?!

My cheeks puffed in embarrassment. I looked at myself in the mirror again. Hey, I look decent enough. Given that I don't wear lipstick or put color on my cheeks, I still look okay. At least, I look like a girl.

Before I can think about murdering my friends, a knock was heard on my door. When I turned to look, I saw my mom's face peeking out. She looked deeply troubled about something. What disturbed me the most was the traces of dried tears on her cheeks.

Dropping the beauty items on hand, I stood up and approached her. "Mom, what's wrong?"

Her voice choked with a sob, hugging me to prevent me from seeing her cry. "Chaeyoung... I'm so sorry..."

-🌷-

I couldn't sleep. The night has long settled deep in my room, yet I couldn't sleep.

Turning at the other side, I hoped it would help. But when I heard the clock ticking for what seems like forever, I know sleep wouldn't come visit me soon.

I grabbed the phone off my bedside table without thinking. With a tentative click on the home button, the screen flashed, blinding me with its light for a moment that I had to blink. I didn't know why I did this in the first place. It seemed more like a reflex than going with it with a plan.

The sheets rustled when I rose from the bed. Staring blankly at the home screen, my mind still processed the reason why I did this. Should I call my friends? But I don't want to bother them, especially if they could be sleeping. Should I just lurk in social media then? Frankly... I don't want to do that either.

As if sensing that I needed something to do, a certain someone's name flashed at the top of the screen, equipped with a message.

Goo Junhoe
Baby girl, goodnight ;)

He's still awake. That's what I thought first. I wasn't even annoyed that he used that infuriating nickname on me. In fact, for some strange reason, I felt relieved. An idea appeared on my head and I'm unsure if I should proceed with it.

He will understand, right?

Without thinking too much, I clicked the message and replied.

Park Chaeyoung
Junhoe... Can I talk to you for a bit?

Ringing me was his reply. It was too sudden that I flinched away from the phone and let it ring for a few times. Recovering quickly, I pressed the green button.

"What's wrong?"

His voice sounded genuinely concerned. I haven't uttered a word yet he knows something's wrong already. Not even a, 'hi, baby girl,' or, 'you just missed me, right?' How could he easily know things like this?

These were all the reasons why I couldn't prevent a sob from escaping my lips. Like a dam of emotions spilling, I said all the things I wanted to say and let him hear it. I didn't care if it wouldn't make sense. The pain was crushing me too much.

When the emotions escalated into something else, something that even I couldn't put into words, his voice stopped me short.

"I'm coming over."

I let a beat pass me by. And another. Until I felt my stomach somersault in ways I couldn't express.

"I'm coming over, Chaeyoung," he repeated, as if I didn't hear him the first time.

"...Why?"

"Because you need me."

Here he goes again thinking with his egotistic head. No, I don't need him at all. No... It's far from that.

My grip on my phone tightened. "It's getting late. You should sleep now. Good night, Junhoe—"

"Chae."

It was uttered so silently, so delicate, as if a decibel higher would make me break into chaos. And maybe it would.

"I'm coming over and nothing you say will stop me."

And before I could comment anything about his stubborness and eventually say yes, I do need you, I heard the monotonous click of the line ending.

-🌷-

I've been pacing around the window, biting my nails in anxiousness. My gaze flickered every now and then outside, to the dark walls of the night caving in at the silent street, to the flickering white lamppost by the sidewalk, hoping to see a certain shadow emerge from it.

Is this right?

And then I saw him, before hesitation can cross my sanity. Just the image of his familiar figure was enough to make my breath hitch. He's here.

A black hoodie was over his head, his hands shoved in his pockets, sensing cautiously around for signs of life other than him, before crossing our lawn without hesitation.

The image of him kept me frozen in place. Yet it was as if my body sensed that the owner was not in her right state of mind that it moved automatically, her trembling fingers enveloping around the rusty hatch of the window as his figure loomed closer, holding it up with a grunt.

He removed his hoodie and for the second time, I feel myself getting breathless. The lone lamppost casted a shadow over his face, amplifying the magnificence I always see in him. His brooding eyes grew softer as they met mine. It was a rare sight from a man like him that it sent my mind blazing with emotions I have yet to decipher. All I know is that the normal rhythm of my heart became crazier at the sight of him.

Junhoe removed his worn-out sneakers before he held both sides of the window frame as leverage. I stepped back aside to let him in, watching as his feet-dressed-socks finally land on the wooden floor.

It felt too surreal for me. His looming figure was here. His body heat was here. His fresh scent of detergent was here. Yet my mind still fumbled for reasons to think that he was an illusion created for my pleasure.

Then he spoke in a hushed whisper. Strangely, I found it a trigger.

"Chaeyoung."

All the words that have been on the edge of my tongue, all the emotions tumbling out of my chest, all the fears that grew into my head, morphed into something real, something he could see. And it came with tears. Without a word, his arms went around my shoulders, his hold tight and secure, as if he wanted to protect me from everything in the world. And maybe, with the way he was holding me tonight, he really wanted to.

The silence of the night was interrupted with every hiccup escaping from my mouth, every sobs racking my entire body, so loud to even disturb the chaos in my head. But the two... they go hand-in-hand. Partners in crime always.

"I'm scared," I finally managed to say, subconsciously gripping the thick fabric of his clothing with my fists. "I'm so scared, Junhoe."

No words were uttered out of his lips and in the haze blocking my mind, I was thankful that he did, because his touches were enough. I could feel the warmth of his fingertips, through the delicate swipes of his thumbs to my cheeks, to his arms that felt like home.

And when the sobs became soundless hiccups, when the tears stopped coming, he held me at an arms' length, looking at me with the same kind of warmth found in his touches. He didn't tell me it was going to be okay, because from now on it wasn't going to be okay. Instead, he made me breathless, as he always did, whenever he's around me, with his words.

"You're Park Chaeyoung, the daughter they adore so much, and they're still going to love you, no matter what."

And somehow, that's all that matters for now.

~🌼tbc.