Exam’s season was up and being an

art student meant you had to present artwork. Chaeyoung was in a deep struggle trying to wrap her artwork as fast as she could. Time was running, she only did half of it and she had 4 hours to bring them to her professor. No need to say she still had to pick up a U-Haul for transportation and all that by herself.

“Baby I need you,” she cried for her boyfriend. She was exhausted and needed a break she couldn’t afford, but her ringtone came to her rescue.

‘Speaking of the devil’ she thought seeing the name on the screen.

“Babyyyy,” she pouted. “I hate the Greek system at this exact moment. I need you so much, there’s too much to do.” She heard her boyfriend’s frustration on the other line, “I’m sorry babe, I know it was the worst timing. I wished I could have been there for you. How far are you in? Did you already get the truck?”

Rosé closed her eyes to try and find some form of quick recovery. “No, I still have two statues to do, I’m just done with the painting. One of them is quite big, I still haven’t figured out how I will be able to lift that all alone. I might have to knock on some door at the dorm. Ugh I need to go babe I’m running out of time.”

“I’ll find a solution baby… just focus on your wrapping. I’ll find something, I promise,” the boy reassured. “I love you. Keep me updated when you’re done wrapping them.”

Rosé didn’t contest even though she knew the boy couldn’t do anything as he was 6 hours’ drive away from Stanford right now. She simply replied a quick “ok, love you too” before hanging the call and resumed her work.

Little did she know, Noah had indeed taken care of the situation.

She had just finished wrapping her last piece of work, the biggest one when she allowed herself a deep sigh wiping the sweat on the side of her face. She had two hours left, she might be able to make it but she needed to go now now.

She was about to grab her phone and order some uber to take her to the U-Haul service when her doorbell rang. She didn’t expect anyone and this was the last moment for an impromptu visit.

To all the people she could imagine behind the door, this one was the last one. In fact, she wasn’t even on the list of possibilities.

Here before her was Lisa Manoban, her boyfriend’s best friend.

She froze, only her eyelids flipping more than requested, as she didn’t know how to react.

“Hi,” Lisa said shyly, scratching the back of her head. “Noah didn’t have the time to warn you I assumed. He called me earlier and asked me to help you out. I don’t have any more details except that I needed to get a truck on the way here,” she explained, more composed, showing some truck’s keys in the process.

Rosé felt a rush of joy as she finally could catch a breath now. She almost hugged the girl out of happiness. “Oh my god! That's the best news today; you don’t even know how much you lifted up from my shoulders.”

Lisa laughed, “well I guess you’re welcomed. So what is it?” She eyed the inside of the tiny apartment filled with objects wrapped up in brown kraft paper.

“I’ve to bring all of those to my professor’s gallery before 4 p.m. If they're good enough, maybe I’ll get a chance to be exposed there on top of a good mark for the semester.”

Lisa rolled up her sleeves, “alright then let's start. May I?” she asked the girl in front of her.

“Of course!” Chaeyoung moved aside, allowing the girl in her room, catching a bit of the girl’s perfume as she passed by. “I’m beyond thankful right now, I didn’t know how I would have moved all of this alone.” She saw the girl going for the big statue she had just finished wrapping prior to that interruption, “this one is quite heavy. Wait, I’ll help you.”

Lisa didn’t need her though; she had already grabbed it securely in her arms. Chaeyoung was impressed; she must confessed; the girl was very strong, her muscles well defined showing up with her shirt rolled up. “I got it, don’t worry,” the basketball player reassured her. “But you could take that little one here, we will bring them to the truck.”

Chaeyoung did just as said and they made their way to the car. In no time they had been done and right on time to drop the canvas and statues to the gallery.

“If it wasn’t for you, I'd have been doomed. I didn’t know there would have been that much traffic. I never would have made it alone,” Rosé said, relieved the work was over.

Lisa smiled looking at the blonde girl beside her, hands in her pockets. “Well, Noah asked me and I had no plans so I’m happy to have helped you. You can finally relax now. I guess today was very stressful for you.”

Chaeyoung eyed the girl who passed a hand in her dark short locks at the same time. She was beautiful, the girl couldn’t deny that. She simply sighed to what the girl said, a little bit shaken somehow.

Lisa took a minute to scrutinize the girl before speaking up again, “would you be down for something more fun maybe?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’ll see,” the girl said with an innocent smile on display. Rosé didn’t move a bit though, eyes septic on the girl. “Oh, come on, I promise it’ll be fun I assure you. We could grab some to eat too, I’m kinda hungry. Not you?”

The sound of food did the work for the blonde, “Very! I only had coffee today. I’m starving.”

Lisa grabbed the girl’s hand and led the way to the truck, “great let’s go then. I know a great spot.”

***

“An arcade?” Rosé asked one eyebrow up as she looked around the room.

“Hey don’t judge,” the girl scolded playfully, taking a bite into her hotdog. “It’s the best place to ease your mind. Fun games and great food.”

Rosé looked at the girl who was enjoying her food, “aren’t you an athlete? Are you even allowed to eat that?”

“You won't tell on me, won’t you?” Lisa shoved the girl’s shoulder playfully with her own, making a cute face.

Rosé couldn’t help but laugh, she didn’t picture the ‘basketball superstar’ to be like that when she was all charismatic at the game with all those groupies around her. “You’re very different from last time…” she confessed out loud.

Lisa looked surprised “How come? Besides, we weren't around that long of a time. We didn’t get to get to know each other really.”

“I guess you’re right,” Rosé agreed. “but I don’t know, you were all focused and came off a bit as a player with girls too.” She added the last part quietly but got heard nonetheless.

“I guess we will have to redo the presentation Miss Park Chaeyoung, it seems that you’ve got the wrong idea about me,” the short haired girl affirmed. “I’m Lisa Manoban, 21 y.o, living in San Francisco but originally from Thailand. No woman in my life, just a basketball lover and secretly a fan of arcade’s games.” The blonde girl chuckled at that.

“What about you?”

“Alright, miss just a basketball lover,” Rosé teased the girl. “well as you know I am Korean but I was born and raised here in California. I like to define myself as an artist, I have drawn and painted since I was a little kid and I hope one day I could live off my art… and I never went to an arcade.” She added the last part hiding her blushing face behind her hands.

Lisa’s eyes widened, “WHAAAT?!!” she screamed before being cut short by the other girl’s hands on . She felt uneasy under her tou