The Angel Next Door (Rosé X Female Reader)

16: Valentine's Day

Word Count: 7,442

By the beginning of February, rumors concerning Rosé's "Mystery girl, possible girlfriend" finally died down, despite the fact that I had carelessly added fuel to the fire by picking her up from the station.

Even so, the idea of a girl who was not her lover but was still very close to Rosé seemed to have taken root instead, and the new rumor was that Rosé had feelings for that girl... but Rosé cheerfully denied it all in her friendly but ultimately unyielding way, so eventually the stream of gossip dried up.

I had heard from Lisa, who had been observing the situation in the hallways, that "her denial left no room for argument," so it seemed like Rosé was pretty upset.

I wasn't surprised, but I was a little sad to hear how vehemently she was denying it. Still, I knew there wasn't much to be done about it. The current situation was probably driving Rosé crazy, having to listen to all these wild rumors about a girl she didn't even like and she doesn't even swing that way.

I could do nothing but wear a wry smile.

"So speaking of February...," Lisa prodded.

"Oh yeah, final exams are coming up," I said.

"You know, for a college girl, you sure lack imagination." Lisa didn't hide her disapproval at my reply.

She had paid me a visit at my apartment after class-or rather, she had barged in without an invitation-on the pretense that she had something important to discuss, though I was pretty sure she'd actually come to hang out with Rosé.

Incidentally, Rosé was in the kitchen putting on a pot of tea, so Lisa and I were alone in the living room.

"I don't know about other uni people and their imaginations, but I'd say that's a reasonable train of thought for any student..."

"A college girl in the prime of her life should be thinking about Valentine's Day, don't you think?"

"I'm not in the prime of anything so no..."

"There you go again!" Lisa was giving me a mischievous look even though she should know better than most that there was no truth behind the rumors.

I glared at her, but her smile refused to crack. "So..., I said with a sigh, "what did you want to talk about?"

Lisa had made a point to come to my apartment alone. She obviously had something she wanted to discuss with me and Rosé, but not with her girlfriend, Jennie.

"Mm. I wanted to ask you what I should do about chocolates for Jennie. When we were in middle school, I made her chocolates out of a kit, the kind where you melt the chocolate and pour it into a mold, but since we're on college now, I'd like to make something more sophisticated."

"In that case, Rosé's the one you oughtta ask."

After all, I knew nothing about cooking. At most, I might be able to offer some insight into my best friend's tastes, but Lisa had actually been dating Jennie for longer than I had known her, so she probably knew what Jennie liked better than I did.

"I'm gonna ask her, too, but I thought since you're sorta gay... you know? Maybe I could get your opinion."

"I'm not sorta anything. I'm all gay."

"If that's true, you'd have made a move on a certain pretty girl by now," Lisa said slyly.

"Now, listen," I said with a grimace, "I've explained this before-we don't have that sort of relationship. And besides, she doesn't swing that way. She's as straight as a ruler."