✓ IF YOU STAY | HEESEUNG

9 - Unfamiliar Confession

"You look... so beautiful." Harin was mesmerized by Rose's appearance while wearing the dress Heeseung made for her. "It fits you just right."

"Thank you." She smiled, looking down at her dress while tracing the flowers. "Heeseung did a good job."

"It's true he's good at his work, but you're just too gorgeous. I'm dying to see people's reactions when they see the artist behind all those paintings." She said, smiling from ear to ear as she bent down to hug Rose.

"Thank you for being there for me, Harin. It means a lot to me."

"Of course, I'm sticking by your side until you get sick of me." She laughed.

"I doubt that day would ever come." Rose smiled softly, holding her friend's hands. "I can never be sick of you, you know?" Harin just nodded and smiled back at her before Heeseung walked in and cleared his throat.

"Can I check something for a moment?" He asked, stepping closer to Rose as he stared at her. And when she nodded, he kneeled in front of her, letting his hands rest against her waist as he checked the dress. "It fits-"

Looking up, he stared at her as she looked away, cheeks red. He didn't realize it but her hands were resting on his shoulders and his eyes widened before he quickly stood up, clearing his throat and placing a hand on the back of his neck.

"It fits you well... yeah." 

"Thank you." Rose slightly nodded, looking back at the dress she was wearing. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah, I pulled so two or three all-nighters to come up with the right design. I remembered your grandmother's flower shop and your name and tried to put them together since they're-" He stopped, freezing. He didn't need to tell her all that, it was supposed to be for him only. 

But the smile on her face as she stared at him made him realize that it probably was the right thing to say.

"I love it. I don't think any other dress would have been the right one." She softly said, eyes so full of admiration. "It's wonderful."

Heeseung just smiled a little, holding eye contact as Harin stared at him and back at Rose. The chemistry those two had was undeniable, and it almost seemed that they had to be soulmates and in love in another world.

"It's ridiculous," She muttered, making the two of them look back at her. "What if you two were soulmates?"

Rose's eyes widened and her heart started beating so fast, but when she glanced at Heeseung, he was so calm. He was even smiling.

"Really?" He asked, chuckling.

"I'm being ridiculous, Rose's soulmate is coming to the exhibition tomorrow, right?" She said, looking at Rose and waiting for her to answer.

"I..." Rose didn't know what she had to say. It was all a lie from the very beginning and she knew Heeseung wouldn't come. There was no way he'd agree to go there for her-

"Yes, he is." He said, looking at Rose with a soft smile. "You asked me to make you a dress that would make your soulmate stay, so I'm assuming he must be going to your exhibition... right?"

"Yeah...?" She said hesitantly, trying to find any signs of joking on his face but there were none. He was serious and genuine. 

"I'm so excited to meet him, she hadn't even introduced him to me." Harin's eyes softened. "Oh how much Rose was waiting for him... I wonder who this man is, really." Her words made Rose wince. How could she introduce him to her when he was right in front of her this whole time?

"Tomorrow is going to be so much fun." She added, making Heeseung and Rose look at each other. Yeah... totally. In many ways, too.

And eventually that tomorrow came and Rose sat in her wheelchair as she stared at people walking inside the art gallery. "There are so many people." She muttered, holding her grandmother's hand for reassurance.