winter. （jaerosè）

Chapter 10: The Publicity Stunt

ROSÉ

Early morning came and the sun's rays came rushing into the open windows. Jaehyun who slept on the couch woke up earlier than expected, while Rosé literally and figuratively did not give herself time to even sleep.

Her night was basically a rush of thoughts which were as louder than the chirps of crickets. Every single thing that she had learned from last night did not let her mind rest as she was clearly still demented.

All those revelations had pained her, but for an unknown reason, she's forced to pay no attention to any torment that demands to be felt.

She arose, pretending to be newly awoken for Jaehyun not to worry. Hell, she's terribly tired from making other people concerned for her sake.

Why can't I just live normal like what I thought was doing? she asked herself.

Walking down the stairs, she saw the couch empty and heard a shower of water hitting the floor tiles from the bathroom near the working space. Jaehyun was taking a hot shower on a cold winter morning which clearly means he is in need of new bandages for the wound that he has been enduring.

Rosé rushed to the opposite direction where the other bathroom was located. Going in, she quickly opened the cabin of medications and first-aid necessities, however there were no bandages left to be found.

She sighed and abruptly went out only to grab her thick hoodie. After putting it on, she proceeded to the exit.

"Where are you going?"

Rosé halts at Jaehyun's sudden exit from the washroom. Her heart almost leaped when she saw him shirtless, but her lips immediately frowned at the sight of his wound that hardly even made a difference overnight.

"I'm going to bring home some fresh new bandages for your wound," says Rosé, casually turning her back against him. But that wasn't the only reason as to why she wanted to leave— she was testing him.

Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as Jaehyun held onto her wrist, pulling her close. She turned back to see an impassive stare from the latter. Upon catching up onto his silence, she slowly removes his hand from hers. Indeed, no matter how emotionless the lad's stare could seem, she just, somehow, sees through it.

"Worried?" she asked, passively annoyed; simultaneously glancing at every corner of the room, hoping not to meet his piercing eyes.

"Rosé, I'm not well yet. I can't go with you to make sure you're alright," Jaehyun consoled.

"I can assure you that I'll be alright," Rosé insisted, incesed which made the latter fall into complete silence, "now, don't push it."

"You're not safe anymore, Rosé," he argued. "I'm telling you that now."

She slowly dragged her eyes only to meet his, looking ever so sincere and she swears that it had made her rage fade away- however, not entirely. "What's new? I've never been safe my whole life. It explains why you've been watching over me like a goddamned guardian angel for all these years," she fumed.

Abashed, his eyes widened in shock as it now refused to meet hers. Taking two steps away from her, gradually letting the sensation of shame drown his soul. Now, Jaehyun couldn't even look her straight into the eyes and Rosé is absolutely aware of that. She tried to look tough and all about it, but in reality, she's already so full of remorse.

"I was told," she quietly divulged, "I didn't know how to react, really— I-I mean, I still don't know how to.. It's just so sudden, it's like I needed to know before I die, not knowing."