The Angel Next Door (Rosé X Female Reader)

33: "A Parent's Worry and Fleeting Discomfort"

Word Count: 1,614

"...Mom, you can't just send Rosé photos like that."

On the last day of Golden Week, I phoned my mother. I was ostensibly calling to ask whether she would be at home on Mother's Day, but before I could do that, I felt the need to stress my objection to her going behind my back to send Rosé photos of me. Nothing disastrous had slipped through the cracks just yet, but this was my mother I was dealing with, and I knew if Rosé asked, she would absolutely send something mortifying. So I rushed through the typical greetings and right into sullenly hurling accusations.

"Uh-oh, you caught me," my mother replied in an indifferent tone. She definitely was not remorseful. "Rosé was acting suspicious, so I questioned her, and then I saw the photos."

"Rosé really needs to work on her poker face, huh?"

"Say you're sorry for sending them."

Thanks to Shihoko, Rosé's image folder was full of all kinds of strange pictures, and I was worried what else might make its way to her. For some reason, Rosé seemed to enjoy the photos, and rather than forcing her to stop looking at them, I had decided it would be faster to go right to the root of the problem.

But my mother didn't seem the least bit ashamed. "What's so wrong about sending photos of my adorable daughter to my adorable future daughter-in-law?"

"I don't even know where to start correcting everything wrong with that sentence... Anyway, don't send stuff I haven't okayed."

"So if I get your permission, it's fine, right? The photos made Rosé very happy, you know."

"At least give me a chance to choose which ones you can send. I'd die if I found out you'd sent anything embarrassing."

"Don't worry, I won't send any pictures of you in the bath."

"If you do, I'm boycotting Mother's Day." I scowled at my smartphone as I delivered my ultimatum. My mother wasn't on hand to feel my wrath directly, so that would have to do.

She obviously did not appreciate how upset I was, because she laughed gaily at my demand. Before I could raise my eyebrows and go off on her again, she added, "One way or another, you always show your appreciation for me every year, don't you?"

When I heard that, I held back my complaints. "...I mean, yeah, you're my mom."

Of course, she could be irritating and obstinate, and sometimes I got completely fed up with her, but my mother had carried me in her belly, given birth to me, lovingly raised me to be healthy - and she did it all with plenty of love, so naturally, I was grateful to her.

Thanks to my parents, I had grown up okay and had rebounded whenever I'd gotten hurt. I had turned out a little sulky, though.

But since it was embarrassing for a young woman of my age to express gratitude directly to her mother's face, I faltered a little.

My mother laughed cheerfully, as if she could see straight through me. "It makes a mother happy to see that she's raised a good child. I'm looking forward to this year's flowers."

"…Yeah."

"Also, make sure you invite sweet Rosé here for the summer, okay? I'm looking forward to it."

My mother was obviously excited for my homecoming.

"Got it," I replied curtly, and I was treated to another laugh. "Well, Rosé wants to come anyway," I continued. "It seems like she's looking forward to it as well."

"It sounds like you are, too, Y/N."

"Oh, be quiet."

I was excited about the prospect of spending the summer with Rosé, but I didn't appreciate being teased about it by my own mother.