Chapter 36.

I start to get angry! I stand up and start pacing in the office, talking to myself. I can't believe it! To think that I was starting to find his sister nice, way to go! You could say I have a lot of intuition! I should have been more wary. Her sudden change in attitude was strange!

Exasperated, I decided to send a text to Jongin to get Rose's number. I have to deal with this one-on-one. No need to get her half-brother involved. She has a problem with me, I'll have to be an adult for the both of us.

As I type my message, I look up to the ceiling and pout. What pretext can I have for needing her number...
In my text, I pretend that I want to talk to her about her restaurant project, that I have ideas for her. That I need to take my mind off things.

I hope he won't find it out of place, today of all days. He catches on to anything at light speed. A few minutes pass. A few minutes during which i spy, maliciously, on Rose's Facebook. Even there, she looks so friendly and charming, so cheerful! She seems to be liked. She poses with several different people in various occasion. The kind of girl who looks very stable. So angelic. That one might think that butter wouldn't melt in !

But one must be wary of angels... Of people who are too nice, they're often the worst! My phone buzzes at last. jongin's sent me the number. Poor thing, he's probably glad that things settled between her and me.

If he knew what I'm about to do..

I dial the number on my phone. The blood is thumping against my temples. Yet this situation is ridiculous! After a few ringtones, someone picks up. "Yes??"

That's Rose's voice. Strangely enough she now makes my hairs stand on end. "Rose? It's Naeun."

"Naeun? Oh sorry, Son Naeun.. Oh.. Hi, Naeun."
I can tell she's very surprised to have me on the phone based on her stuttered.

"Your brother gave me your number."

Silence.

"I wanted... I would have liked for us to see each other because... The last time I saw you it was a little strange."

"Yes." That's all what she said. Suddenly she clears and takes a little more assurance. "I'm so sorry, Naeun... I'm a little perturbed by what happens last night."
Of course she knows. Like the whole city.

"You... Are you okay?"

Well just like someone who almost got shot, !

"Yes, just a little shaken, but Jongin took me home last night and stayed with me." I know very well that it's the kind of thing that'll get her angry. I stress on every word. Silence. She's feeling the effects.

"Oh..."

"I have to say we needed each other after what happened. Jongin was a great comfort." It's means but makes me feel better. I imagine her fists and forcing herself to keep calm.

Yeah, we're together again! You're going to have to live with it!

I don't want to spurt it all out over the phone. I need to talk about it face to face. "Can we meet for a drink, lets say, late afternoonish?"

"Err..." I can tell she's really hesitating. But I rather not rush her, even if I'm saying to insult her. "Okay, but I can't stay long, I have a dinner party in town afterwards."

Oh don't you worry, I'm not counting on spending the evening with you either...

"Excellent! I'll send you the address by text."

"Okay, see you later, Son Naeun."

As I hang up I just stare at my phone like an idiot. This girl can act which doesn't bode well for what's to come.

***

In the late afternoon, I join Rose as planned at the bar where I met her for the first time. I didn't choose the place by any chance. She hasn't arrived yet, which brings me stress up a notch or two. I've already imagines a tonne of different scenarios and none of them end well.

As I see the object of my anger come in, my body tightens. I try to relax as much as possible. I don't want to start a row up right now, but I'm finding it difficult to pretend.

"Hi Naeun, sorry to have kept you waiting.

"it's nothing." I observes her. Her classy, poised attitude. Not a single gesture that isn't graceful.

"Have you ordered?"

"No, I was waiting for you." My tone is colder than I would have liked, and I'm finding it difficult to hide my annoyance. "What would you like?" I try to calming my down.

"A Cosmo." She shortly answer.

Of course, you look the cosmo type! I get up and I go to order at the bar. Which also allows me to snap out of it a little. And to spit in her cosmo? My subconscious smirk at me.

As i return to the tables I put the drinks down a little brutally. For a few very disagreeable seconds a silence settles.

In the end she's the one who breaks the ice, or so to speak. "I'm so sorry you overheard that conversation with Jongin. I hope you manage to talk about it afterwards."

Oh, really!?

"I won't pretend it wasn't difficult, I would have preferred finding out about it differently."

She puts on a false contrite look on her face. The girl has talent! "My brother has a lot of complicated stories. It's nothing personal, you know." I can't believe she dares to play the nice girl?

I desperately try to contain the furious dog within me that are threatening to break free from their chains and tear her pretty little face to pices.!

"We talked for a long time with Jongin and he tells me I'm not like the others, I believe him."

"Yes, that's what he always says. He's always convinced he's found the one and then... He spoils everything." She looks at me with obsequious eyes, who's deceitful innocene irritates me to the highest point. "I really hope that with you, it's different."

What a ! She's taking so much pleasure in torturing me! but now that I know, it doesn't work on me anymore!

I drink a sip nervously. I know that once I put my glass down, things will get heated. I have to let out my anger to her. She's not worth for the kindness. "It's crazy..."

"What is?"

"Your impeccable little act! If I didn't know better i'd almost believe it!" She stares at me, puzzled. "By the way, why call yourself persephone?"

This time, Rose's eyes widen like two saucers. "At first, I must say that with a pseudonym like that, I thought it was some lousy little geek just being a smartass. The kind of guy who's a little educated and who just needs to show it by making some crappy Greek reference. But in fact, it wasn't, it was just you. A little brat, who thinks she's the cat whiskers and who think she can do whatever she damn well likes.".

This time, Rose's expression looks nasty. She's now showing her real face! Unfortunately for her, her angry duches like attitude doesn't impress me. Once I'm started, there is no stopping me.

"How dare you talk to me like that?"

"Oh, stop that innocence act! And while you're at it cut the bull! I don't want to see another one of your spiteful messages on my blog!"

She gets up from her chair with the outrage air of a diva. "You have absolutely no proof!"

"Oh? Don't be so sure... I wouldn't bet on it if I were you." I tug my corner lips at her.

"Is that why you invited me here, yo a fuse me of this?!!" She half yelling that cause the audience in the place turn their head at us. I  don't care.

"What? You thought it was to get to know you better? You didn't really give me the impression of wanting to be friends!" I try to be calm. But my tone turn otherwise.

Rose grabs her bag with a closed face. Her jaw tighten. "Jongin won't believe his ears when I tell him how you talked to me!"

"And he'll also be surprised to find that when he trace the IP address of persephone, he fall on yours." She looks shocked. As if i'd just punched her in the face.

"Yeah, you should have been more careful, I'm good with computers, it's my second passion after cooking." Oh, what a liar.

"You make a big mistake, Naeun. Putting yourself between Jongin and me."

"What? Is that a treath?"

"He won't find it hard to choose, you're nothing to him! Do you really think you're the only one who wants to save him?" Her last remarks cuts me to the quick. The knows how to insinuate the venom of doubt into hearts. She turns away and stops in her tracks and walks back up to me. Her eyes glimmering with a sickly gleam that k had never seen there before. "Oh, and it wasn't a coincidence, you overhearing my conversation with my brother in his bachelor pad the other night, I didn't forget my phone on the coffee table by accident."
She leaves for good, a cruel smile on her face.

!!!