The Angel Next Door (Rosé X Female Reader)

36: The Risky Proposal

Word Count: 3,249

A new day had dawned since Rosé's shocking statement, but the excitement over her new relationship hadn't settled down at all in class. Her words had attracted considerable curiosity, since up to now, she hadn't shown any interest to any.

However, no matter what she was asked, Rosé didn't answer with any additional information. Her closest friend, Lisa, also insisted that she didn't know anything, so whoever Rosé had alluded to remained unknown. As the person in question, I was relieved by this, but at the same time, I was terrified, wondering when I would be exposed.

“Well, I think if someone got a reeeally good look at your face, they’d figure it out. But from a distance, just looking at your silhouette, I doubt anyone would recognize you,” Jennie said, laughing at my concern as we looked over the merchandise for sale.

I had brought Jennie and Chanyeol along with me to the sports equipment store. I was there to buy some exercise gear, after deciding that I should start training and exercising to better complement Rosé. The impact of her statement had sparked the idea.

Club activities were suspended for the time being due to upcoming exams, so the track and field club ace had some free time and accompanied me to help me pick out running shoes.

“I mean, after all, you usually have a plain hairstyle and act all indifferent, so you come off as cold, and your expression doesn’t really change,” Jennie said. “But when you’re with her, you make all sorts of faces, and you actually look up from the ground, so you seem sweet and gentle. I don’t think anyone would connect that girl with the Y/N we see at school.”

“You’re pretty easy to read, Y/N; it’s surprising,” Chanyeol added.

“Shut up.”

I was aware that I acted more gently toward Rosé than other people, but it was still embarrassing to hear someone point it out like that. It was all the more humiliating to know that even Chanyeol, who I had just started hanging out with, could see it. I frowned, trying to shake off the embarrassment. Jennie looked at me with a foolish grin.

“Looks like my prediction was right, that you would change when you found a girl you liked.”

“…Shut up.”

“Oooh, you are sooo cute when you’re trying not to look embarrassed, Y/N!”

“Don’t be a creep, Jennie.”

“It is a little creepy, Jennie.”

“Why are you on his side, Chanyeol? You’re supposed to stick with me.”

“Well, it’s…you know.”

“I’m gonna cry, guys.”

Jennie did not seem like she was going to cry at all. After grinning and poking at me for a while, she shrugged. “Well, I guess Rosé really does have all sorts of troubles of her own, huh? Including yesterday’s performance.”

“…Performance? She told me she did it to control the rumors as best she could without telling any lies, since she was under suspicion anyway.”

“Ah, is that how she explained it? Well, that’s all true, but I think it was also an attempt to repel other girls without inviting hostility from other people. When you’re popular, you’re always the object of jealousy, more or less. By hinting that she’s got a special someone, and that she hasn’t got eyes for anyone else, she’s saying that even if she hangs around Chanyeol and us once in a while, she’s not interested.”

“I see.”

“Plus, you know, to keep it all in check.”

“What do you mean?”