Chapter 23

Rose swirls her drink with corrupted mind. Even since she and Jennie safely back from Tokyo, she kept thinking about what she needs to prepare for her upcoming date with Jennie. Jennie always say that she doesn’t need to worry about it, just go for casual date, nothing special. But, Rose wants a special one. She was trying to woo Jennie, so she needed to prepare for the occasion.

We’re not talking about an ordinary woman here, this is about wooing Jennie Kim. The woman of Korea, her name was framed on many shows around the world. She had made her name as a successful singer with excellent songs.

Rose knows a lot about the world of entertainment as a former singer and to make a name around the world is hard. She feels proud to Jennie knowing that Jennie had achieve her dream to be a successful singer one day and now she made it.

“Did you hear what am I talking about?”

She snaps after hearing Michalle’s voice. Her voice stopped at as she was thinking about how to avoid getting caught by Michalle for spacing out.

“You’re not listening, did you?”

Rose moves her head with a hesitated nod. Rose feels the softness of her hair between her fingers, when she slides her fingers between her locks.

“What were inside your mind?” Michalle leans forward, gesturing for Rose to believe in him.

Rose sighs, thinking that it would be better by telling her partner about it. She tells Michalle about her preparation for date with Jennie.

“I don’t think that you should stressing yourself about it. I mean clearly she said that you don’t need to get stress over it”

“Yeah, but I want to give an astonishing date ever for her”

A buzz from Rose’s phone drew their attentions. Rose answers the call from Jennie unexpectedly.

“Jennie?”

“Rose, would you come here?”

“Oh, where is it?”

“Seodaemun Apartment, room 14”

Rose knocks the door, she comes here right away after the call from Jennie. It’s weird that Jennie asked her to come here. Rose knows that here is the place where they lived together after their disbandment.

The door opened, an emotion choking Rose’s throat looking at the brunette in front her. Jennie wearing a beautiful grey silhouette that hugged her curve perfectly. Rose’s ears become a victim with a lullaby voice from Jennie greeting her.

“Hey, come in”

A big smile radiated on Jennie’s face. Rose enters with no objection, walking on the living room space, she finds a couple of their pictures hung up against the wall.

“Why did you want me to come here?”

Rose asks when she was staring at the pictures one by one. A picture stood up, it’s a picture of her with Jennie hugging tightly, in this apartment.

“You asked me how I regained my memory right?”

“Yeah, but—so you mean that you’d regained here?”

Rose looks around the apartment, starting to believe that was actually happened. The walls are attached with pictures of them, the reminisce of memories are all here.

“Rose, how about we have a date here”

Jennie’s voice came out a little bit high pitched, it is an excitement. “I don’t have any plan either. But, it’s not bad either, considered that you’re an artist”

“yeah, kind of upsetting actually”

Rose smiles. She doesn’t need to experience a beautiful nature, a chilled weather, a lot of foods unexpectedly because foods always bring her smile. Nowadays, Rose needs Jennie to smile.

“Jennie, you really want me to die with your choice of outfit”

Jennie chuckles, “I just chilling here, before I called you”

“Yeah, yeah and still you’re not changing”

Jennie shrugs, “Why should I, seeing your eyes wanted to pop out from their sockets is kind of entertain me”

Rose shakes her head with remains of laughter. “That’s we agree. I can’t help it when I got a most beautiful girlfriend ever”

Jennie gives a small smile. Oddly, her lips twitching at the left side only, a mere one. Rose thins it was a pitiful smile but she won’t put her finger on it. They happy now, she can’t destroy it but whatever it is, it’s concerned Rose.

“Have you eaten yet?”

Jennie shakes her head, tailing after Rose to the kitchen. “Not yet, I thought to give a taste of your cook today”

“You’re being weirder and weirder as times pass by” Rose jokes but for Jennie it was true. “But I’ll cook for you today, whenever”

“Whenever? but you haven’t once cook for me” Jennie sits at the only dining table in the kitchen.

“You never ask” Rose answers with playful tone.

“Always have an answer” Jennie huffs.

Rose smiles making her way in the kitchen. She decides to cook spaghetti the simplest dish ever and with the ingredients Jennie has, she can make it.

“Hey, how about you entertain yourself while waiting for me finish cooking” Rose says afraid that Jennie would bored. She wouldn’t focus in her task if Jennie in front her looking bored.

Jennie weighting her head on her palm, supporting by her elbow on the table. Her eyes focusing on the blonde cooking for her. “I think I am doing something entertain right now, so don’t worry”

Rose glances at Jennie, seeing the brunette watching her in awe. With dreamy eyes. Rose shakes her head, understood what Jennie referred to. “I don’t think it was entertaining.” Her words come out softly, warming at Jennie’s words. Thankfully, Jennie couldn’t see her face that ghosted with a timid smile.

“Sure it is” Jennie confidently answers.

Rose blushes, not wanting for Jennie to notice it, she clears . She replies, “Don’t joke around Jennie”

Jennie eyes waved for seconds before looking at Rose again, “We need some jokes once a while. Jokes relieve stress, cracked our laugh, so why not. But Rose, what I said was not a joke. Your presence entertained me”

Rose smiles, didn’t give any reply to it. She continues making spaghetti and Jennie continues watching every single move of her.

Jennie moans out of satisfaction tasting the foods. Rose indeed a best cook ever for her. “This is delicious, the best spaghetti ever!”

Rose chuckles from the absurd of hers, Jennie telling the truth though. “Jennie-Unnie, are you saying that I surpass Allen’s ability on cooking. That’s an honour to know that”

Jennie narrows her eyes, with non-stop munching foods. “I didn’t say that, but yeah, Allen has mountain of recipes, so, you’re the best cook after Allen”

Rose smiles, continuing to eat spaghetti from her plate. Jennie watches the slender fingers of Rose holding one fork to twirling the noodles. Rose as a cop never crossed her mind, but the obvious showing when Rose’s arms gained muscle and her hands seemed to be a little rough than before.

Thinking about cop, reminds Jennie about her brother, James. How this all started, how she needs to let Rose go. How Rose lost her parents, all because of her. Jennie’s heart shattered knowing that she would married with Lisa, leaving Rose.

Flashback

“Have you been in Brazil?” Jennie asked out of curious, ‘why would he went to Brazil?’

“Yes, actually, I went there out of boredom and that’s where I found purple is interesting.”

Jennie raised an eyebrow, “Why would it?”

CEO Yang stared hard on Jennie eyes, boring into her eyes. Jennie felt weird feeling, goosebumps over her skin.

“It was because it means for… Death”

Jennie lost for words, her eyes watched CEO Yang confused. Part of hers wanted to run away but before she can do anything, CEO Yang burst out of laugh.

“What are you scared of. I’m just joking. Back to our conversation, actually I have something to tell you that not concerned about work or your career. It was more about your life”

“What do you mean about it?” Jennie’s voice shaken, her mind corrupted with a lot of thoughts. Some said that CEO Yang was dangerous and she needed to run away but she success refrained herself to do so, why? Because her brother’s name involved in their conversation.

“Did you know, your brother James met with Rose?”

“What do you mean? my brother isn’t here. It’s impossible” Jennie’s brother was outstation, he was in China. It’s been years she hasn’t met him, ever since her father’s funeral.

“That’s why, why he met her only and didn’t meet with you?”

“I don’t know what are you lead to”

That time Jennie cried for her father death and she upset because of her brother left her without a word after that.

CEO Yang huffed out air, he clenched his fist, “I don’t want to tell this but something happened that supposed to be a secret for world’s eyes. Especially you Jennie”

“I don’t understand what are you talking about, please straight to the point” Curiosity can kill the cat, and never in her life, she felt like this. She lent her ears, wanting to hear clearly what would be out from CEO Yang.

CEO Yang sighed, looking at me with empty emotion, “Your brother… killed Rose’s parents. Again, same like your father, hitting by a car. That’s the reason why Rose left the group—”

“Stop talking” Jennie was completely shocked with the news, “Rose’s parents died, because of my brother? It’s absurd!” Her mind emptied, with the sudden absurd news, she couldn’t bring herself to think about anything else. CEO Yang’s voice became distant and faded.

“I said what I want to say, it’s up to you to believe it Jennie. I don’t want to tell you this but your brother had crossed the line. He shouldn’t make me look like a murderer at the first place, when I was just an accomplish. He thought he could run away forever, that’s why I’m telling you”

Jennie stumbled down from her seat, she looked at CEO Yang as he was insane. Jennie can’t believe what she just heard. Her brother wouldn’t do that. What’s the reason for that? Her brother may have a mad issue but still he can’t purposely kill people. It was too far.

“I don’t believe you. He wouldn’t do that”

“I said what I want to say, it’s up to you to believe it or not.”

It’s became ridiculous and ridiculous as she wanted the floor to swallow her up. She wiped tears that rolled down, out of being upset. “How did you know all of this?”

CEO Yang flickered his eyes at Jennie before he let out a heavy sigh. “I was an accomplish but not for Rose’s parents, but for… your father” Jennie didn’t interrupt, she closed her ears this time. She was tired with the absurdness and she just want to rest.

Jennie shook her head, screaming for him to stop.

“Your brother, was drunk at that time. He unexpectedly… hit your father, while driving”

“Shut your mouth right now!”

A loud voice screamed at the top of his lung, after slamming the door behind, shocking her. She wasn’t aware if people heard them outside, but all she knew now is, she need to know the truth. She was shocked at the sight of her brother here, but if all the CEO Yang said was true then she need an explanation, no, she need a confession.

“Don’t believe him Jennie-ya, he was lying to you. There’s no such a thing” James’s hair dishevelled, he must have run to come here. Jennie realised that her brother was tall and lanky. When her brother was 18, Jennie can say that her brother was a lot muscular than the person standing in front her right now.

“I don’t know what to believe what to not right now”

“Then, you leave me with no choice”

End of flashback

Jennie didn’t want to believe CEO Yang at that time, but the thing her brother did after made her believe it. ‘If he’s not at fault, he wouldn’t hit me with a vase, until I was unconscious. He didn’t need to persuade mother to let me forever with amnesia. My mother was a beautiful person until I found out that fairness is far more important than love.’

Jennie thought her mother made a mistake by hiding the truth but she realised that her mother would be imprisoned if Jennie herself make a confession. She persuaded her mother to do so because she loved her mother.

Because of her mother, because of her brother and because of Rose, she decided to marry Lisa.

Jennie watches silently Rose washing the plates after dinner. Jennie stares lovingly behind, crossed arms. Rose’s hair swayed when she moving to wipe the plates. Jennie watches all of that, every smooth move from Rose. In her mind, she wants to capture all detail of Rose for her to treasure it.

Jennie moves her feet, hugging Rose from behind. Her arms tightened around Rose’s slim waist. The act shocked the latter. “Jennie, what’s with you?”

“Let we stay like this, just for a moment” Jennie whispers behind Rose, hugging her tightly. She puts her forehead on Rose’s back, made the blonde stops washing.

Jennie wishes for the time to stop, because she has it, has all the thing she wanted at the moment. Is it too selfish for her to ask for time to stop at the moment?

Jennie couldn’t think about anything else but the blonde in her arms right now. Jennie hopes that Rose would find the happy ending in her life even though she would be suffering alone. The hollow in her heart obviously felt. It keeps pushing her diaphragm made her breath fastened.

Her lips trembled as much as her arms around Rose’s waist. A hot liquid trolling down against her cheek. Her nose warming, ruining her nose become redder.

Rose must have realised something was wrong with her, when she pats her hands. Jennie doesn’t ask about Rose’s lack of words. Jennie lets Rose soothing her with the silence.

As the sky become darker, engulfing two figures in bed sleeping deeply. One with tight heart another one with hope. Crickets chirping is the last sound, half moon is the last witness, the cold apartment is the last place, seeing they were together.

Jennie slipped away, leaving Rose alone in the bed. Leaving Rose with tears that flowing non-stop from the fist moment she lift her feet a metre away from Rose. Leaving Rose with hollow heart as she had abandon a piece of her heart that filled with Rose’s. Leaving Rose with heavy steps because deep down she knew she didn’t want to leave. Trembled hands, sinful hands, Jennie leaving Rose with a letter…

Wedding invitation.

But the meaning of the letter is not to invite Rose to her wedding, but to silently telling Rose that she didn’t have a chance anymore. Telling Rose that she has lost in this game. Telling Rose to move on. Telling Rose that she wouldn’t be there anymore, beside her.

Telling Rose that… She didn’t love her anymore.

I’m sorry my love.