Rosie spots Lisa before her wits come back to her. The blonde beams at the sight of the tray of food in Lisa’s arms and she excitedly waves her best friend over.

Lisa begrudgingly walks back to the table, lead in her legs. She feels like she’s stepping into foreign territory - this situation and particular circumstance absolutely alien to her.

Not once has Rosie given her number to a guy. Not once has Rosie shown actual interest in men. Sure, she’s spoken about the occasional handsome actor like Chris Hemsworth with his y australian accent, or one famous senior dancer who’d already graduated from the university, Jongin.

Rosie had suitors before, yes. Plenty. And they were persistent, too. But Rosie hadn’t shown any interest, never gave them a chance - not a door, not a window, not even a little crack that would allow for a silver lining. Nothing. Never.

But Lisa remembers Rosie’s smile just a few seconds ago; how warm it was, how welcoming. How the man had so casually handed his phone, how Rosie accepted it without second thought.

How the man is still standing beside her, closer than any other guy has ever been to Rosie except her dad and Lisa’s dad who basically treats Rosie like his second daughter.

So you can’t fault Lisa for how her mind goes into overdrive and how her imagination runs wild. Plus, today was supposed to be their day. Rosie was supposed to be all hers today - no school work, no extracurriculars, no parents. Just Lisa and Rosie the whole day.

Lisa knows it’s not her place to be possessive, it’s not her place to feel all the things she’s feeling. She isn’t delusional. She’s very much self-aware.

Which means she is also very much aware of the fact that it’s not like she can consciously put a dampener on her emotions or flick a switch to turn them off just like that.

Especially not when she’s loved Rosie for the last four years she’s known her.

So the little secret that she’s clutched so close to her chest, the feelings that she’s bottled up for so long, threaten to burst.

Rosie gestures to her to come faster, impatience and excitement for the food written all over her face. Lisa tries her best to hurry, tries to ignore the heaviness bogging her down.

Lisa reaches the table. Rosie smiles at her then turns to the guy. The guy smiles back at Rosie then looks at her. The interaction makes Lisa’s eyebrows comically raise high up her small forehead.

“Lisa, this is Jaehyun.” Rosie gestures to the man. “Jaehyun, this is Lisa, my roommate.”

Lisa mentally takes note of how she was introduced as ‘the roommate’ and not ‘the best fried’. She feels the paranoia creep in.

“Nice to meet you,” the guy, Jaehyun, greets her. “Here, let me-,” and then he offers to take the tray from her hands. But Lisa quickly sets it down on the table, careful enough that none of the food spills.

“Nope, I got it!” she interrupts him. She does her best to put on the friendliest smile she can muster. She even gives him a thumbs up. “Got it,” and follows with an awkward chuckle and immediately sits down beside her friend.

Lisa very unsubtly leans closer to Rosie, almost as if trying to shield her from the guy in front of him. Rosie misunderstands her body language and leans her arm against Lisa’s.

Now they look like they’re just the best of gal pals. Lisa doesn’t know how much more she can take before she starts screaming.

Not knowing what to do with his hands, this Jaehyun guy shyly puts it behind his head with a chuckle.

Rosie giggles.

Lisa’s eyes widen a fraction. Because Rosie giggling for no reason in front of a guy? How unbelievably out of character. Lisa feels fumes come out of her nose through an exhale.

Rosie turns back to her.

“So, Jae here is apparently a senior at our university and he recognized me from the campaigns and student events. He saw me and thought I was alone so he approached me-”

I should NOT have left her alone, Lisa thinks.

“-but I told him you were just buying food and he said he’d always wanted to participate in the student council activities but didn’t know how to since he just transferred universities. So I told him to get in touch with me tomorrow and we can talk about which committee he would best fit in.”

Rosie finishes recounting how the one thing Lisa didn’t think would happen, happened. Jaehyun nods, still smiling boyishly.

Lisa knew what he was doing. Who wants to help the student council when they’re just a transfer student? But sweet, oblivious Rosie has naught a clue.

“But aren’t your committee roles all filled up by now, Rosie?” Lisa asks.

“Um,” Rosie laughs awkwardly. “Yes, but we could always use the extra help.” Rosie turns to the Jaehyun guy and gives him a smile. He returns it immediately.

Lisa takes the time to size him up and learns that he is quite tall. He’s probably only just the littlest bit taller than Rosie but the way his body is built lean makes him look very tall.

He’s not bad looking, too. Not at all.

“Yes,” Jaehyun agrees with Rosie. “So,” he starts, looking between the two women. “I guess, I should go look for my friend and get going, now,” he says.

Lisa wonders if it was because she had an actively hostile vibe or if he just couldn’t think of anything else to say. But she was glad he’s leaving. Then she and her favorite person could have their meal in peace and she can forget whatever just happened and she wouldn’t have to evaluate her actions and feel guilty for how she’d just disrespected the boundary of friendship between them.

“Okay,” Rosie says. “I’ll see you around in school.”

Jaehyun smiles wider. “I’ll text you.”

And with that he walks away.

“That was weird.” Lisa comments when his back has retreated far away enough that they’re out of earshot.

Rosie, still clueless, pops one veggie wrap in , responds only with an mmm?

“It was weird that he’s a senior offering to help with council activities,” Lisa explains. “Don’t seniors have other, better things to do like prepare for graduation instead of burden themselves with council work for a school they’re already supposed to be leaving?”

Rosie shrugs, chewing. “I don’t know, Lisa. He was just nice and he offered help. Why would I say no? You know I can always use more help.”

“So get the people who have already signed up to help you, help you.” Lisa retorts.

Rosie raises an eyebrow, puts down the wrap she was about to take a bite into.

“What is your problem? Why are you so hostile?”

Lisa huffs.

“You gave a man you don’t know your number. You don’t even know if he really is a senior at our university.”

Rosie makes a ‘what-the-’ face.

“Lisa, what are you even saying? He knew my name, he approached me politely, he even actually showed me his ID.” Rosie’s tone was rising now, bordering on actually-angry instead of just the usual tone she uses for bickering. “Did you want me to conduct a full interview with him, then ask for his birth certificate as well?”

“I just want you to be careful, is all.” Lisa explains, tone even. “It’s just that.”

“Well, I am.” Rosie retorts.

And then no further discussion follows.

Rosie finishes her meal in incredibly annoyed silence. Lisa finishes her in guilt and worry.

I definitely overreacted, Lisa thinks. She knows the outburst came from a place of jealousy more than concern. Of course, concern would always be there, but she would be lying if she said that was all there is to her acting like an .

They don’t really talk except when they both agree to just go home after the meal. It isn’t really in both of their habits to apologize to each other after a fight. One of them usually just extends an invitation to eat together and everything would be forgotten.

But when Lisa asks Rosie if they should stop at their favorite ice cream place, Rosie just says she wants to go home and she’s too tired. So Lisa doesn’t push it. She just nods.

Lisa feels more and more awful every hour they spend not talking. But she leaves it be.

She knows she and Rosie will fall back into each other like they always do. They’re a duo. They come as a package. You can’t have Rosie without Lisa and vice versa. So things will be fine.

Except they won’t.

Because even before the next day starts, even before they go to bed that night, Rosie’s phone starts to ding repeatedly.

Apparently, Jaehyun hadn’t even bothered waiting to text her the next day.

That night, Jaehyun and Rosie begin to start texting constantly.