The Angel Next Door (Rosé X Female Reader)

24: The angel's consent

Word Count: 3,316

Our classmates often called Rosé an angel. Based on how gentle and modest she was, her kind personality, the fact that she was accomplished in both academics and sports, plus her unparalleled beauty, angel did seem like the appropriate nickname for her. It was no surprise then that she was very popular.

During her first year of college, many boys in many classes had confessed their love for her, and she said that turning them all down was not a point of pride for her, but an annoyance. She did not appreciate strangers approaching her for dates.

So as popular as Rosé was, after about half a year of stubbornly refusing every suitor, she had finally dissuaded the student body. By the time she met me, though many boys were undoubtedly still interested in her, the spate of romantic confessions had more or less abated.

But that also meant they had not ceased entirely, as I came to realize.

"Please go out with me."

It happened after school, when Rosé had stopped by the library to return a book before heading home.

The library room wasn't in building one, where our lecture room was, but in building two, meaning she had to walk through a connecting corridor to get there.

Building two was basically full of classrooms, and it was deserted after school let out, save for the occasional student heading for a club meeting. Accordingly, there was very little pedestrian traffic, and it was quiet, so the boy's request was perfectly audible.

When I heard the voice coming from below me as I walked down the connecting corridor on the second floor, I tried to step lightly. I wasn't one to stick my nose in strangers' love affairs. Those were private matters, and I didn't have much interest in other people's romances anyway. So not wanting to eavesdrop, I tried to briskly move along without making any noise.

"I'm so sorry, but I have to turn you down."

However, after hearing a very familiar voice, my body immediately went rigid despite my best intentions. It was a gentle, soft voice that was usually very pleasant. But it had an unmistakable edge to it now.

Even though I knew I shouldn't, I crept to a nearby window and peeked over the lip. There on the first floor were Rosé and a male student who might have been a classmate. Luckily, neither of them seemed to have noticed me.

The boy had his back to me, so his expression wasn't visible, but Rosé was looking at her suitor calmly.

The graceful face of the class's angel was contorted into a somewhat apologetic expression, showing she had no intention of accepting his offer.

"Why-?"

"I don't know you. I'm very sorry, but I cannot return your feelings."

"We can get to know each other once we're going out-"

"I think that dating is something people should do after they've already built a relationship of mutual trust and affection. I'm not interested in going out with someone on a whim-a shallow relationship like that would only do a disservice to everyone involved."

Rosé had never appreciated shows of affection from boys, especially boys she didn't really know. And considering her home environment, the thought of dating a stranger probably made her very uncomfortable. So she was obviously not going to easily agree to go out with anybody who bothered to ask her.

Rosé's voice was gentle, but her refusal was firm. There was nothing more to discuss, so she nodded once and turned to leave, but...the would-be suitor grabbed her hand.