2018

This is the first time since she was 13, Rose celebrate her birthday without June. She’s staring at the ring he gave her last year, suddenly her phone rang. A video call, from none other than June.

“Hello.” She answered.

“Happy bday Roche-anne Park.” He smiles from the othe rline.

Rose didn’t answer it immediately, she spent some seconds to looking at June’s face and his back view.

“Roche? You hear me…?”

“Yeah, thanks. Nice sunny day there I assume.”

“Yeah, it’s mid day here, freezing cold but manageable.” He grinned.

“You’re at school?” she asked, it’s midnight in Korea.

“Yup. Look…” he turn the camera and gave her a clearer view, “the campus feels so… uhm… america, right?”

Rose laughs, “Describe it!”

“You know, like campus we often saw in movies…”

“Yeah…”

suddenly an american guy and one asian girl appear.

“Hey, dude!” the guy greet June.

“Oh, hey man.” June replied.

“Ow, someone’s on video call with girlfriend.” The asian girl teasing him.

“No, no, it’s my friend.” June chuckles, “Hey Rose, say hi.”

Rose smiling, “Hi…”

“Introduce yourself in english.” June continues.

Rose laughs, “Hi everyone, I’m Rose… it’s a little awkward for me to introduce myself, June, you should be the one who did it for me!”

“Ah, right… guys this is Rose, Rose this is Dean and Irene.”

“Hi, Rose… nice to meet you virtually.” Irene cutely giggling.

“She’s beautiful.” Dean smiles.

“Thanks… nice to meet you too.” Rose said.

“Are you sure this is not your girlfriend, June?” Irene asked.

“No… she’s like… sister to me.” June said.

“Yeah, we’re friends since we were small.” Rose added.

“By the way, it’s her birthday today.” June said.

“Oh really?? Happy birthday, Rose!” Irene said.

“Happiest birthday!” Dean added.

“Thanks… thank you soo much.”

“Uh-oh, our class starting in two minutes.” Irene said.

June turned to the screen, “Hey, Rose, I have to hang up, but call me in the morning, okay?”

Rose paused, “Why…?”

“You want a present or not?” June asked back while walking to his class.

“Of course!”

“I’ll let you know later.”

“You have gift for me?” Rose’s smile blooming.

“Call me in the morning!” he reached his class, “now sleep, goodnight, Roseanne.”

He hung up but he left Rose in fall silence. Roseanne. She just love it if someone call her that way, her full name, Roseanne.

She took a deep breath, June looks healthy, he looks good, his skin looks brighter. Unknowingly she pouted, she misses him.

+

Rose called June the first thing in the morning, he was having dinner, June said he had bought her something before he left and he put it on his room at home. So, Rose went to June’s house to claim it.

“Yes, Rose, June called me yesterday and said he has a birthday present for you.” Mrs. Koo said wile they enter June’s room, “he said it’s in his drawer.”

Rose saw a small box with nice ribbon all over it.

“Here.” Mrs. Koo gave it to her. “and happy birthday.”

Rose bowed and said thank you to Mrs. Koo before heading out, she stopped at the park where she celebrated her birthday last year with June. Rose carefully open the box. A necklace with an initial. J.

She froze while looking at the necklace, “J…? June?”

She took her cellphone and press his number.

“Yeobboseo, Roche.” He answered.

“June…”

“Hm?”

“I took you present…”

“Oh, did you open it?” he asked.

“Yes… it’s a beautiful necklace. Thank you.” Her voice must be so awkward.

“Everything okay, Roche? You don’t like it?”

“I love it… just… the initial…” she said.

“Oh, that… you’d never guess that I could be so considerate, right??” he chuckles.

“Considerate?”

“Yes! I know how religious you are, Roche, so I thought rather than having you name initial, why don’t I picked J for Jesus.” He explained, “Smart, isn’t it?”

Rose paused, “Oh…”

“You must be impressed, right?”

She started to laughing, “Oh my Gosh… June, you… you’re very out of the box.”

“Don’t you proud of me?” he laughs.

“A little.”

They were in a comfortable silence for a while.

“By the way…” Rose said, “I wanna tell you something.”

“tell me.”

“It’s… it’s kind of dull here without you.” She said.

“Why?”

“I don’t know… maybe because I’m always with you… so yeah…”

June smiles, “admit it, Rose, you’re missing me.”

Rose staring at the necklace, “A little.”

Rose hung up and June continue his study, but then he stopped.

“J for Jesus… you gotta be kidding me, June…” he talk to himself while his mind flew to some months a go.

“Can you do a customized necklace?” he asked a person behind the counter of a jewelry shop.

“Of course. Do you have any specific model you desired?”

“Uh… no, but I want an initial necklace.” June said.

“Ah, we have that one, let me show you.” The person came back with several chains and letters, “Here, you can choose the necklace chain and the letter font.”

“She’s very feminine, so I guess this thin chain will be great.” June pointed at a chain.

“What about the letter? This one is the classic, best seller.”

June looking at several letter model, “Yes, this one’s good.”

“And her name?”

“Rose.”

“So, initial ‘R’?” the person asked.

June paused, “No, no, make it initial ‘J’.” he said.

The shopkeeper smiles,”must be your initial, right?”

June smiles, “yes.”

+

Lisa gasped when she saw Rose’s new necklace.

“Seriously? J? Can you even bolder?”

“Why?” Rose asked.

“J? June??”

Rose laughs, “Wrong! It’s Jesus.”

Lisa paused, “what…?”

Suddenly Donghyuk appear, “hey everyone, Ah Rose, happy birthday!”

“Thanks.” She grinned.

“Donghyuk-ah, look at her necklace.”

Donghyuk looking at it, “June?”

“See?!!” Lisa laughing hard.

Rose rolled her eyes, “Whatever.”

“Rose.