Auckland, New Zealand

 

 

 

SHE'D MADE THE STABLES her personal playground as soon as the family-owned legacy was handed down to her father, few months after her grandfather passed away. It wasn't until then that she had rarely seen sight of her parents during the day, them keeping up with the new commerce together-- business was business after all.

 

"You have gotten bigger, Mr. Brown."

 

Eight year old Roseanne never felt such a void however, as creating an emotional bond with the horses (or any type of creature she'd encounter one day around their property) has kept her fully engaged. The couple had always made sure to spend all of their free time, if long enough, by taking their two daughters to their choice of place; Roseanne and Alice agreeing on the beach by default each time.

 

"Did you just name him that because of his color?" She hears a slightly huskier voice and turns to find a girl close to or equal her age, jet black hair running all the way to the girl's upper torso and a black bowed headband to finish the look. The girl had on expensive equestrian gear that fit her little frame, signifying an experienced horse rider and a rich man's daughter to add.

 

Roseanne forgets about the previous remark and decides to put into words what her mind has conjured up. 

 

"You're pretty. Like a princess."

 

The sudden compliment caught the princess off guard. Roseanne's naiveté coming into play as she fails to acknowledge the girl's reddened ear and dumbfounded expression.

 

With tight lips the girl quietly sauntered pass Roseanne and on to the black horse behind her; candle-like fingers coming up to replace her headband swiftly with a black helmet as soon as she makes it up the saddle surface. And on she goes to lead the horse out towards the riding course.

 

Roseanne tails the girl's path shortly after, peeking over the wooden double doors, naturally curious. She notes two adults sitting side by side at the bleachers watching over the young rider fondly. Must be her parents.

 

"There you are. Now c'mon, Mom is here, didn't you want to get that blood parrot fish?"

 

Her older sister Alice, shy age of fourteen, shows up beside her readily dressed with a humble light gray "Huffer" printed hoodie and black fitted pants, her long brunette hair french-braided to the side. Roseanne's face beams instantly, just now remembering her mother's promise of making a trip with her to the local aquatic shop. The girl had made it loudly known to everyone in the household, as well as the horse keepers, her love for the orange fish she saw on the television once.

 

Roseanne doesn't notice a pair of eyes tracing her every move from afar as she grabs Alice by the hand, the older sibling laughing at the now driven girl dragging her towards their home, not too far of a walking distance away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE TWO MEET AGAIN three days later in the same spot where they first met. The black-haired princess who goes by the name of Jane- as she’d introduced herself this time around, stands beside Roseanne, the bob-haired girl contemplating on her own as she sits on a stall across Mr. Brown.

 

"Orange? Seriously?"

 

"Why not? His color is orange." Roseanne innocently retorts, referring to her new pet fish who is now happily situated in a big tank full of colorful seaweed decors and numerous castle-like shelters.

 

A snort escapes Jane's mouth as she pets Mr. Brown, her hand grazing over the horse's mane gently. She bites her bottom lip, trying to clamp back yet another teasing chuckle. Her hand rests on the horse's head this time as a question comes to mind.

 

"You're Korean too, no?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you know how to speak Korean?"

 

Roseanne shakes her head guiltily. Jane her head to the side, more curious now than ever.

 

"I take it you've never been to Korea before either- not that it matters. I got a better name for your fish."

 

"What is it?"

 

Jane shifts her body around to face Roseanne and, for the first time since they met, beams a full smile.

 

"Joo Hwang."

 

Roseanne gives her a questioning look as expected. A que for her to explain.

 

"Korean word for orange."

 

"Joo Hwang." Roseanne confidently says, her accent evident with every syllable. Jane laughs at the girl's poor attempt and the New Zealand-born girl could not help but laugh along with her.

 

Roseanne repeats her pet's new given name later on that night as she grabs a chair to sit on in front of the aquarium, Joo Hwang greeting her back with a twirl.

 

The name was beautiful, she thought. And so was Jane's smile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSEANNE HAD ANTICIPATED Jane's frequent visits day by day. Jane jokingly reasoning once on their daily rides together that she only came often for the purpose of improving on her horse riding exhibitions and not because she enjoyed playing with Roseanne.

 

In reality, Jane loathed practicing. But Roseanne gave her enough reasons to come more often when able. Unbeknownst to the bob-haired girl, Jane had always kept to herself and found it hard to make friends--excluding one childhood friend she grew up with. Roseanne's pure and bubbly personality drew her in easily and for once, the girl might have just broken down her inability to be comfortable with strangers altogether.

 

"I'm going back to Korea tomorrow. Dad had an urgent call from his work- something like that. Anyways, he didn't tell me until yesterday to pack my things." She had curtly announced on a Saturday afternoon, three months since they first crossed paths.

 

The grip on her waist tighten and Jane could almost feel Roseanne's pout behind her. She halts the horse near a wooden fence separating them from the hay stacks by the stables.

 

"Not going to say anything?"

 

She feels the pout on her back fully this time and Jane sighs. Roseanne had easily expressed what Jane couldn't- to admit that this whole thing was saddening altogether. The silence prolonged for a good minute before she hears a muffled reply from Roseanne, the girl's face still pressed against wool-covered back.

 

"Will you ever come back here again?"

 

Jane doesn't hesitate to nod, as if the other girl could see her do so. She lets go of the horse's reins to place her hands atop Roseanne's.

 

"Would you wait for me then?"

 

"I will."

 

"Then let's not say good-bye."

 

Roseanne chuckles and leans over now, her chin resting on Jane's left shoulder. No words were spoken as they let the comfortable silence take over.

 

The passenger closes her eyes and takes a moment to appreciate her surroundings. The fresh breeze, the sound of the horses' shoes clicking from a distance, Jane's baby powder scent. She almost found herself drifting off to sleep if not for Jane grabbing her right hand, opening her palm up to place a small object on skin surface.

 

Roseanne inspects the object at eye-level and doesn't hold back her squeal. She doesn't forget to apologize afterwards for ringing Jane's ear.

 

"It looks just like Joo Hwang." Her voice remains high pitched as she dangles the key-chain version of her pet fish.

 

"I saw it when my parents took me to the souvenir shop the other day. Thought you'd like it."

 

"I feel bad. I don't have anything to give you."

 

"I'll be back." Jane promises. Roseanne felt comfort just by hearing the girl's reassuring tenor.

 

"Of course you will. So let's not say good-bye."

 

Jane chuckles at her own words being used towards her. She tries to match the girl's optimism.

 

"I guess I'll just see you later, then."

 

 

 

-♥-

 

 

 

JANE KEEPS HER PROMISE, though it took a good two years to do so. The two had stayed in touch through letters-- Roseanne highly preferring it saying it was more personal and special. Also because it was sort of romantic in a way-- her words not Jane’s. For some unknown reason however, the communication slowly faded; Roseanne being the one to have gone AWOL. It had been a year since Jane didn't receive anything in return and she wondered if her good news ever reached Roseanne at all, letting the girl know of her return. Jane was to wait until they meet again to also tell her that her parents had decided they stay in New Zealand for good.

 

She finds out from one of the horse keepers later on as she eagerly stepped foot inside their favorite spot in the stables, Roseanne’s favorite chair still in the same place as she’d left it two years ago, that the family no longer owned the property. Just a little over a year and some months ago, Roseanne's father had suffered from profit losses which eventually led to selling the equestrian business along with the rest of the land he owned. With no other choice left, he took his family with him to live in Australia where the rest of his relatives resided in.

 

"So much for waiting for me."

 

Jane says to thin air, as if Roseanne could hear her now.

 

 

 

 

 

---

 

 

 

 

 

 

“What great contemplation you got going on there, Jennie Jane.”

 

Jennie whips her head to the right at the use of her old middle name. Jisoo smiles in victory upon getting the girl’s attention, after many tries of calling out to her. She had to check-- she’d been playing her game for quite some time now and the girl had remained in the same spot, sprawled out on the floor as she was three hours ago. Jennie silently gives her a blank look before facing the ceiling again, half dozing off.

 

Jisoo had been the main ride for the both of them going to and from school today. Jennie suggesting she stay with her childhood friend for the weekend because-- well, she felt nostalgic all of a sudden. What did it have to do with staying over at Jisoo's place? Jennie doesn't know. Maybe they both could reminisce and talk about the mundane yet satisfying day to day lives back in their childhood days; the easy delights of having more nap times, no stressing over final exams to hopefully make it fine into the adult world, and one long lost friend she hopes she'd finally found.

 

“Hey Ji?”

 

“Yo.” Jisoo doesn't look away from the screen, thumbs rapidly tapping away on her controller.

 

“You think Roseanne Park is a common name?”

 

Jisoo gives it a thought before removing her headset, lastly mumbling something on its mic; stepping out for today boys, we’re winning anyway. She crawls over to the motionless body by the king-size bed and sits down cross-legged against the crown of the girl's head, her upper body slightly bending over to meet eyes with Jennie's bewildered ones.

 

“You know, I’ve been meaning to ask and I definitely need to know now. Did something happen between the both of you last night?"

 

"So what If something did?" Jennie raises a brow, challenging.

 

"For god's sake Jen! You completely ignored what I said over the phone- ”

 

“The hell do you think I am?” Jennie’s turn to sit up this time, mirroring Jisoo. Her eyes boring deep into the girl's relaxed ones.

 

“You can keep my clothes.” Jisoo re-enacts Jennie’s cliché dialogue back at the school rooftop, her voice exaggerated and her once relaxed gaze turning into an accusing yet slightly playful one.

 

“I simply lent her my clothes. The ones she wore have been dirtied from her fall. ‘Was a bit chilly at night too, didn't want her to catch a cold either.” The girl ends it with a shrug.

 

Jisoo hums in acknowledgement, letting Jennie know she believes her. She observes the latter silently, taking note of the way the girl’s face bared the opposite of her nonchalant facade just now. The way her eyes conveyed uncertainty or swore she also saw conflicting emotions behind them as well. She'd known Jennie long enough to even finish the girl's sentences; her mind easy to read. This one in particular, Jennie refuses to voice out.

 

Last time she’s seen Jennie this worked up about someone before-- otherwise she wouldn't have bothered to entertain it, was with Lisa.

 

And she wonders.

 

“Perhaps you’re starting to like this girl? Roseanne Park.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHE HATED crowds and the chaos that came along with them. The inevitable bumping of numerous shoulders, the random accidental touches- or so she'd hoped that's what they were, and the noise. Yet ironically, she finds herself in such a place now, sitting in the midst of all the screaming bunches of young adults, either way into the game or just doing the deed to blend in.

 

Jisoo was annoyingly good at persuading people. The girl had targeted her weak heart by saying it was her very first game as an assistant coach and that it would mean a lot for Jennie to be there. So here she was.

 

"Jendeukie!"

 

Speak of the devil.

 

"You happy yet?" Jennie doesn't mean to sound annoyed.

 

"Very. " Jisoo smugly replies, as she walks through the open spaces among the bleachers on the way to her.

 

"We have an extra space in the team chairs."

 

"Too much walking."

 

"It's less noisy."

 

Jisoo had her on that one.

 

Pairs of eyes followed the way Jisoo pulled Jennie by the hand, leading her down the stairs happily as they amble towards the field. Jennie ignores all, minus one pair of eyes watching from the edge of the field, across the players' turf. The gaze never leaving even when she'd shook hands with the soccer players Jisoo would introduce her to and down to when she finally settled a seat away from the coach. Jennie finally directs her eyes at the culprit, clad in short skirt and a zip-opened loose white jacket subtly exposing a slightly cropped cheer top underneath.

 

Feeling caught, Rosé turns away, a noticeable tint forming upon her cheeks. She thanks the band for their finished exhibition as it was the que for the cheer team to perform their part on the game's half-time.

 

"You never answered my question from yesterday."

 

Jennie hears Jisoo, her eyes remained fixated in front as each of the varsity cheer athletes assumes their own positions. Rosé was in the center between two taller athletes, looking focused despite the small smile plastered on her face.

 

Jennie gives Jisoo a side glance, view clear enough to tell that the older girl was directing her gaze at the same direction Jennie was looking at just now.

 

Perhaps Rosé's embarrassed blush from earlier was meant for Jisoo after all.

 

"I disagree." Jennie finally hums.

 

"That your final answer?"

 

"How about you?" Jennie turns to Jisoo this time, her last view being of the pink haired girl smiling after a successful statue trick, the two taller girls holding her feet up.

 

Jisoo doesn't look back at her, but answers almost immediately.

 

"Depends on your answer to my question first."

 

"Why?"

 

A lopsided smile on Jisoo as a breath escapes her lips.

 

"Wouldn't want us to like the same girl again, do we?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Authornim's Messageu: So I've had this drafted way before I even wrote chapter 3 but had saved it since I couldn't figure out how to gradually swing the story the way I've been planning it to turn out since I first sat down and decided to write a fic *guilty laugh*. I have recently read some new facts about chaennie and dare I say that they totally match some instances in my story somehow, I was shoookeethhhhh. Okay, okay, not EXACTLY but let me have my fun okie T^T. Anyways, this chapter isn't much, and I am honestly in a writer's block as well but ideas and inspo's will come back soon enough so stick around my lovely little mangoes!! <3