[edited: 5/3/20 for spelling errors]

 

she shouldn't be here.

 

the purple-hued apartment, dancing bodies smushed together in what was the living room, seulgi drunkenly dancing on top of johnny's coffee table with a beer in her hand, bobby and the guys playing a game of beer pong in the small kitchen sink, jisoo and suhyun nagging at jinhwan to change the song on the stereo.

 

and yet here she was. back pushed against the corner of johnny's one-bedroom apartment in seoul. there go lucas and mino who from the kitchen tried motioning her over to play a round with them. she just smiles sheepishly and shakes her head to which the boys pout and continue shouting into the abyss.

 

she shouldn't be here.

 

sooyoung notices the girl all by herself in the corner watching the sea of hormonal young adults dance before her. watching cautiously as if afraid to take a dip or jump in for that reason. she takes the initiative to drag the new girl away from the corner of shadows.

 

eyes instantly widening and carefully setting her drink down, she tries to pull away. "c'mon rosie, live a little won't you?" rosé doesn't want to step on anybody behind her but then again there are at least 20 asses mindlessly rubbing against her.

 

now she definitely shouldn't be here.

 

4 tequila shots and 3 songs later in johnny's tiny living room, rosé manages to squish herself out of the mosh pit and plops herself on the couch to catch her breath. 

 

she sees many things before her. seulgi is finally unwillingly dragged down from the coffee table by seunghoon, johnny shouts at yeri to get down from hanbin's shoulders-- when did she even get up there? jennie aggressively boos at lucas, who seems like he's losing to her at beer pong.

 

suddenly she feels the weight of the couch deepen as someone sits down next to her. her head feels a little fuzzy, but once she manages to turn to her left, she groans internally.

 

"why did you bring me here, jaehyun?"

 

jung jaehyun shrugs and sips whatever was left in his red solo cup. "i wanted to you to have a little seoul fun."

 

"well, i definitely got it. had it, have it, got it." she blows out a breath and lets her head fall back on the couch. jaehyun notices her strawberry blonde hair sticking to her forehead with sweat, and her flannel is nowhere to be found, and her basic black fitted tee somehow makes her even prettier, and her cheeks are pinker than usual.

 

and she's just perfect.

 

she look beautiful like this, he thinks. just sitting next to him. her chest rising and falling. even more so when most of her senses are down and she just enjoys everything around, taking it in like this youth was meant to be remembered.

 

she finds herself sinking and scotting closer to his side, her head almost touching the cleft of his neck and shoulder. he doesn't dare move. he doesn't dare change a thing. something inside him explodes into a flurry as he could catch her faint perfume. 

 

sweet and citrus-y.

 

"kim yerim, i swear to god, if you break my ceiling fan i am suing in the name of ikea," johnny warns the younger party girl. yerim flails her arms nearly hitting the light bulbs. hanbin pats yeri's thighs to get down but she defies, of course, always defying johnny.

 

kim hanbin has this nervous look on his face to which johnny only slaps his own forehead.

 

"alright, i think we better go," jaehyun sets down his cup and stands. rosé groans from the couch and lifts her arms up like a baby waiting to be scooped. and jaehyun badly wants to do so. but only his dimples show as his lips curve into a smile.

 

cute.

 

carefully grasping her arms, he ignores the warmth igniting from her skin to his, he pulls her to her feet.

 

while jaehyun checks for his phone and keys, rosé is looking around her area on the couch.

 

"lose something?"

 

"yeah, my flannel, gosh that was my favorite one--

 

"yah! kim yerim don't make you grab you!" johnny suddenly shouted. jaehyun turns and snickers at his two friends, always bickering.

 

everyone in the living room turns to see yeri riding on kim hanbin's shoulders like a bull and waving an article of clothing in the air with one hand-- very dangerously close to the ceiling fan.

 

"and there it is," rosé covers to hide the amusement at johnny's horrid look on his face.

 

thankfully, lisa and ten finally get yeri down from hanbin's shoulders. once the 21-year-old is flat on the ground, johnny snatches the flannel from her hands and glares at her.

 

"what? i didn't break your precious ceiling fan," yeri mocks the taller friend. johnny rubs his face. "damn it yeri, you could've! it's a final sale form ikea! and waving this stupid flannel around could've got caught--

 

rosé coughs and sways a little approaching him. but jaehyun is quick, she feels his hand on the small of her back. "seo, i believe that stupid flannel belongs to me." johnny stares at it and chucks it to jaehyun who catches it easily.

 

the host has a quizzical look on his face staring at jaehyun and rosé with their coats in hand. "what, you guys are leaving already?" jaehyun nods and places her flannel around her shoulders. her hands meet his that rest atop her shoulders just for  a second longer than he should've.

 

"she's not really good with drinking, so we're gonna head out," jaehyun explains like the noble man he is. he retracts his hands into his pockets.

 

after johnny walks them to the door, he gives them each one last hug goodbye. johnny's holding onto jaehyun a little bit longer. "oh c'mon johnny, we'll see you when you get back. it won't be too long." rosé reassures as the two best friends let go. 

 

"fine, you take care of him for me rosie, 'kay?" johnny winks as jaehyun bends down to put on his boots while hiding his red cheeks. rosé only smiles and gives johnny a peck on the cheek goodbye. 

 

 

if there's one thing that rosé did not miss about seoul, it was the cold.

 

the cold wintery air quickly greets her cheeks with a frosty nip. she looks up at the night sky, the moon shining bright against her fair skin. jaehyun closes the gate behind them and shoves his hands into his coat pockets.

 

she hears him shuffle next to her. he sticks out his elvow and rosé automatically laces arms with him and together, they tread through the snow under the seoul city lights, hearts separate but beating quite rapily in unison.

 

 

when they reach jaehyun's apartment, rosé stands by the door and takes in the sight of everything. the mickey mouse stuffed doll on top of his shelf, the keyboard near the window, the gray duvet on his bed that seems like it's inviting her to just sink and fall asleep on.

 

"i'm gonna shower first, um, i'll try no