Yves was picked up by her driver shortly after she had seen the Roses leave in the limo. She sighed in relief, her back leaned against the leather seat of the Mercedes. She smiled in content, staring at the skies that were gradually changing colours. Her mother's decision to move to Seoul might be the best out of everything she had decided on so far. Was it?

The driver arrived in front of the lobby entrance, the bellboy opening the door for her as she stepped out. She smiled, thanking him before heading for the elevator. She walked into the elevator, pressing the button to her floor as she watched the metal doors closed. She leaned back against the wall, feeling the coolness of the metal seep through her uniform. She tapped her right foot, something she did unconsciously whenever she was alone. The elevator pinged as she headed out of the elevator, the cool air from the air conditioning . Jiso's smile greeted her as usual, a low bow followed after. 

"Welcome home, ahgassi" Jiso greeted. 

"Annyeonghaseyo, ahjumma" Yves greeted back with a soft smile. 

"You must be tired from the long day in school. I have your food ready for you. Would you like to shower and change first?" Jiso asked. 

"Yes, that would be nice. I need a hot shower after the long day. I will be down soon" Yves said. 

Jiso nodding as she watched Yves skipped up the stairs, heading into her room. She threw her bag onto the floor, shedding her uniform before she hopped into the showers. She twisted the knob, hot waters pouring from the pipe as she allowed the water to soothe her tired muscles. After she was done showering, she stepped out of the showers and walked into her closet. She pulled out a pair of sweats and a regular tee before putting them on. She headed out of her room, down the steps and into the dining room where Jiso was. 

Jiso noticed Yves walking in, gesturing for her to sit. Yves sat at her usual spot as Jiso laid the dishes in front of her.

"Ahjumma, let's eat together" Yves said, patting the seat beside her gently. 

Jiso smiled, nodding as she prepared a set for herself at the table as well. Jiso taking a seat beside Yves as they started to eat after saying grace. 

"So, how was your first day at your new school?" Jiso asked midway. 

"Ah, it went fine. I met a few new friends" Yves said, chewing on her piece of galbi. 

Then, the thought of a certain silver haired girl popped into her brain causing her to choke on the piece of meat. Jiso was stunned as she hurriedly stood up to pour Yves a glass of water, handing it to her. Yves took it with haste, taking a large mouthful before swallowing.  

"Are you alright, ahgassi?" Jiso asked worriedly, her brows furrowed. 

".....Fine! I'm fine!" Yves answered, coughing a little. 

"Just fine." 

Yves seemed uncertain at her own answer but Jiso didn't pry. They finished the rest of dinner relatively fast as Yves told Jiso stories about her first day in school leaving out the part about the silver haired girl. She bid Jiso good night before heading to her bedroom. She threw herself onto the bed, grabbing her seal plushie, squeezing it. Was she going to be able to see the silver haired girl again? The question in her head kept her awake. Her eyes however grew heavy, slowly closing before she fell asleep. The answer to her question was left unanswered. Delayed but someday. Someday very soon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The next day, Yves woke up relatively early. It was only 6.30 am, the skies were still dark. She walked into the bathroom, washing her face and brushing her teeth. She took a quick shower before changing into her uniform. She headed downstairs and saw Jiso already starting to make breakfast. 

"Good morning, ahjumma!" Yves greeted politely. 

"Ah, ahgassi. You're up early! Give me a few more minutes. Breakfast should be done soon" Jiso said, her attention returned to the soup boiling on the stove. 

"No rush" Yves said, walking into the living room. 

She stood in front of the large glass panel, staring outside. She watched as the sun beamed upon the straits of the Han River. 

"Ahgassi. Breakfast is done!" 

Jiso's call for her broke her train of thoughts as she moved from the window back into the dining room. She had a quick breakfast before deciding to leave for school early. She once again bid Jiso farewell before heading down to the lobby. Her driver as usual on standby outside the lobby, his usual stoic face greeted her with a 90 degree bow as he opened the door for her. She slid into the car, the driver closing the door before heading into the driver's seat. He took off onto the main road as he headed towards Yves's school. 

As she arrived, she slid out of the car, thanking her driver before she hurried through the doors. She was on her way to class when a girl blocked her route. The girl was shorter than her, a few freckles decorated her face. 

"Can I help you?" Yves asked, confused as to why she was being blocked. 

The girl dugged into her bag, holding out a black intricately designed invitation card. Yves took it hesitantly as the girl hurriedly ran away without an explanation. Yves looked at the invitation card closely, noticing a red rose seal in the middle of the invitation card. 

"Yves-ssi!" 

Yves turned her head to the back, watching as a smiling Haseul waved at her, starting a small jog to get to Yves. As Haseul etched closer to Yves, the smile on her face gradually disappeared into a poker face. Her eyes focused onto the invitation card in Yves's hand. 

"How did you get this?"

The question was the first thing Haseul asked when she stood beside Yves. Yves looked down at the card in her hand. 

"A girl stopped me earlier and handed it to me. She ran away before I could even ask. Why? Do you know what this is?" Yves questioned. 

Before Haseul could say anything, a blonde girl appeared from behind them. 

"Hey!" Jinsoul greeted excitedly. 

Seeing Haseul's grim expression, her eyes followed Haseul's, ending on the invitation as well. Her eyes widening in surprise. 

"How....." 

Jinsoul looked at Haseul, exchanging knowing glances as Yves stood there, confused at their reactions. 

"What? What is it?" Yves questioned, losing her patience. 

"It's the mark of The Roses" Haseul said. 

"Come on. We will explain it to you. Just not out in the open" Jinsoul said. 

Haseul and Jinsoul brought Yves up to Haseul's office, taking their seats comfortably. 

"So, what is this?" Yves asked, holding up the invitation card.

Haseul and Jinsoul exchanged looks as Jinsoul gave a silent nod to Haseul. Yves watching their exchange grew more suspicious by the minute. She was beginning to wonder if she was in trouble. 

"Remember when we told you about The Roses holding secret events.  That invitation card is an exclusive invitation to The Roses event. It does however brings us to the question of how they even got to know you. Normally, it takes a couple of months before someone new is handed an invitation yet you've only been here for a day" Haseul said, her brows furrowed as she was deep in thought. 

"The Roses's secret event?" Yves questioned, her mind going back to the day before as she tried to recall what Haseul had explained. 

 "It's our academy's tradition in a way. The Roses before them did it as well. It's been going on ever since the academy's opening" Haseul said.  

"So, what does it mean for me?" Yves questioned, her voice soft as her eyes moved to look at the Roses insignia on the seal. 

"I'm sorry, Yves. I don't have an answer for that" Haseul says regretfully. 

"What happens if I do go?" Yves asked. 

"You get a chance to witness the life of wealthy kids in Seoul. The dark side anyways. Along with the chance to meet the most popular roses" Jinsoul said, her lips pulled into a tight-lipped smile.

"It's your choice, Yves. You can choose not to go" Haseul said with a soft smile.  

"But if you do choose to go, let us know. We'll go together so you're not alone. The parties can get...." Haseul paused, thinking of an appropriate word. 

"Rowdy" Jinsoul interrupted. 

Haseul smiled, nodding as she looked at Yves. 

"I'll....think about it" Yves said hesitantly. 

After their talk, Yves headed out to her class with Haseul. As the teacher continued their usual lessons, Yves's mind was elsewhere. Her hands fiddled with the invitation in her hand as she contemplated whether to open it or just leave it. Her curiosity got the best of her as she peeled the seal off, opening the envelope as she pulled out a white card. The writings were beautiful, handwritten cursive letters in black ink. 

To: Miss Yves Ha. 

We are cordially inviting you to attend our exclusive first event of the season tomorrow on the 5th of May. It will be held at Club Eden at xxx street at 8 pm. We do hope you are able to make it. 

Sincerely, The Roses 

5th of May. 

That's today! 

Yves was freaking out. She thought she would at least have another day to decide. Not 12 hours! Her mind spinning from all the sudden thoughts crashing through her skull. Haseul glanced at Yves, noticing her internal dilemma by the darkened look on Yves's face. She tapped the girl's shoulders. Yves looked up, her thoughts pushed aside as she was met with Haseul's worried eyes. 

"You alright? You don't look so good" Haseul said, concern thick in her voice. 

"....yeah" Yves said, her eyes darted down to the open invitation in her hands. 

"Yves. You don't have to be so pressured. It's not a big deal" Haseul spoke with a motherly tone. 

"I know" Yves huffed as she kept the invitation in her drawer. 

Yves suddenly thought about Hana. If she was invited to the event, would she be able to see Hana? 

"Yves." 

Yves looked at Haseul, the student council president had her brows arched. 

"Haseul. If I go, would I be able to meet the Roses?" Yves asked carefully. 

Haseul leaned back against her chair, her face calm as she nodded slowly. 

"Yes, I supposed you would. They are after all the hosts of the event but even if you do meet them, they rarely mingle around with the general crowd. Most of the time, they keep to themselves" Haseul said.

"Why do ask that?" Haseul questioned next. 

Yves's eyes darted away, afraid that her secret of wanting to see the silver haired girl was going to be exposed. 

"..Nothing! It's just out of curiosity. That's all!" Yves said, awkwardly laughing it away.

Haseul nodded though she was suspicious, her attention back to the teacher at the front of the class. 

Yves sighed in relief. She was sure that Haseul didn't catch on (...but did she really not...). 

The bell rang soon after that as Haseul and Yves headed towards the cafeteria to meet up with the others. The table as usual was rowdy, Jiwoo and Yeojin's loud voices filled the table. Hyunjin simply munching on her bread with Chaewon eating silently beside her, Jinsoul entertaining the loud duo. As Yves and Haseul joined the table, they were pulled into random conversations. Out of a sudden, Hyunjin spoke. 

"I hear you received an invitation to the Roses event." 

Her words aimed at Yves whose eyes widened in surprise. The others also quiet down at Hyunjin's sudden words. The girl rarely spoke when she was eating. 

"Yes, I did. How did you know?" Yves asked. 

She was pretty sure only Haseul and Jinsoul knew about her receiving the invitation. When she was handed the card, the hallway was empty as well. 

"Everyone knows. News spread fast in this school. Especially when you are one of the chosen students to go the event" Jiwoo said, a small smile adorned her face. 

"Are you planning to go?" Chaewon asked, her voice soft as she stared at Yves. 

"I...Maybe....I haven't really decided yet" Yves said. 

"Girls. Let's not pressure her with all the questions" Haseul spoke, intervening when she saw Yves's dilemma.

The others back down, returning to their usual conversations. Yves on the other hand was deep in thought. She was contemplating on whether to go. If she did, would she be able to speak to Hana? Would the girl even notice her? It was worth a shot. She wouldn't know until she goes. Her mind was set. 

"I'll go." 

The others at the table stopped what they were doing as their attention was now solely on Yves. 

"You sure?" Jinsoul asked, wanting to make sure that the girl was making the right choice. 

"Yes." 

Yves's answer was short but decisive. 

If only she knew. Tonight was going to be the event that shakes her life to the very core. 

I've finally pushed out another update after a while. I'm really sorry for the lack of updates. My life as a university student keeps me super busy. I try my hardest to write and update but sometimes I get caught up in work. I will try to update but I won't make any promises. Author, H.