The Swap (Jenlisa)

Chapter 27

Only when they've all left does Rosé sigh before walking heavily towards her room. Her fingertips reach the knob, taking a minute before slowly turning the handle to open the door. Inside she spots Jisoo looking at a framed photograph on her table. When the door creaks, the actress immediately places down the photograph and looks at her apologetically.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snoop... and sneeze," she quickly says as she motions over to the table but Rosé smiles and shakes her head.

"No, it's okay," she reassures her before eyeing the photograph again. "That's my parents," she says proudly of the candid photograph taken when her parents were still in their teens. Her father, whom Rosé takes after regarding looks, gazes lovingly at her laughing mother who is sitting on his lap, arms around his neck. Jisoo looks back at the old photo before turning back to her.

"Your parents are lovely," she comments with a smile.

"They were childhood sweethearts. My father was the only man my mother loved. Her soulmate, as she always describes him. They loved each other so much he got her pregnant before graduating high school and she never thought twice when he asked her to marry him."

"That's but sweet," Jisoo says with a smile, and Rosé nods.

"She loved art and went to art school despite having me while my father entered the army like he always dreamed of," she continues but at that point, her smile starts to fade.

"army?" Jisoo clarifies and Rosé nods again.

"He died when I was five," she says before shaking her head when Jisoo apologizes. She has already told Jisoo about her mother. Almost everybody she's friends with knows about her mother. This was actually the first time she's talking about her father. Not because she doesn't want to but because she recalls so little about him. It is only in her mother's stories that he is alive in Rosé's memory.

"Stabbed in the back by his partner who was secretly dealing with drugs. They knew he was too clean to keep quiet about it so... my mother became a widow," she explains before taking the photograph to look at the moment of happiness her parents once had.

"That's terrible," Jisoo frowns. "Please tell me your father found the justice he deserves,"

"He did, even though it took almost ten years for the truth to finally come to light," she says before putting the photo back down and facing Jisoo.

"The thing is," she breathes in deep, her heart rapidly beating in her chest.

This is it.

"You could lose the ones you love in a blink of an eye. You could disappear from the face of the planet in a second. So, you should live with no regrets. Have fun like no tomorrow. Live like it's your last. And love until you have nothing left to give. That's what my mother always says," Rosé recalls with a smile before meeting Jisoo's eyes.

"Lisa and I lived our life that way ever since so before you leave, please hear me out," she pleads softly.

She pauses for a moment before finally confessing,

"I love you, Jisoo,"

This time it's Jisoo who takes a deep breathe, clearly shocked at the boldness and Rosé distinctly remembers Lisa telling her that she has somehow this very strong and blunt approach to everything so she backpedals a bit.

"I know, it's a big word to start with. But you don't have to say anything, just listen," she immediately says, hands up in front of the actress. "I just want to be honest with you," she clarifies.

"I don't want us to drift apart out of the blue just because it got awkward without any reason at all," she voices out. "And if ever that happens, I just want to tell you all of this because I don't want to think of the what if's or the maybe's," she briefly looks down at her fidgeting fingers.