Haiden's POV
My mouth hangs wide open at the sight of her.
The way her bangs hugs her beautiful face, her lips stretched over for a smile that made my heart waver, she looks so perfect.
She was smiling widely, her face adorned with little makeup which I don't really mind because she looks absolutely stunning.
My heart started doing somersaults, the shocked look on my face was probably inevitable because I can't seem to fathom what's happening.
She's here...
How? Airplane, I know but...
My mind was lost for a moment. She never told me she's coming.
A laugh almost escaped my mouth in disbelief.
The girl I used to converse with over the phone is finally here, in front of me. All flesh and unbothered.
I was too mesmerized with her beauty that I failed to realized how she was paying attention not to me but to someone else.
Just when I was about to speak, her excited voice resonated the whole room and the next thing I know was her jumping over our youngest, "Jake!"
My eyes widened at her action and even Jake seemed shocked.
The room was silent but what concerned me even more is how Rosie looked shocked, a painful expression showing on her face, before she turned on her heels and run away.
"Rosie!" Jake screamed for her name only to be stopped by Lisa who is looking so confused, her hands clinging onto him.
My blood boil for a moment.
How did they know each other? And why didn't Jake nor Lisa told me anything about it?
My eyes caught the changes on Jake's expression. And then I saw him push her away.
"Jake!" I can't help but reprimand him.
Lisa seemed taken aback and I had to resist the urge to pull her away from Jake.
Maybe due to my sudden calling, Jake calm down a little before leaving a long sigh. He looks straight at Lisa and I suddenly felt weird about it.
"I'm sorry, I legit have no idea who the fuck you are but please, don't ever touch me again," my eyes almost jumped out of its sockets at Jake's words.
Oh, shit. What's happening? I thought to myself.
And then Jake continued and the words coming out of his mouth broke my heart a little. I feel for Lisa
"I don't like anybody touching me like that without my permission,"
"Jake..." Samantha called him and by now, everyone looked shocked. However, Jake has other plans. As he was about to move away, my eyes caught how Lisa stopped him by the arm.
"You don't know me?" she asked confused and I'm not sure why but I suddenly felt nervous.
Jake removed her hand from his and shook his head.
"Then am I communicating with a ghost for half a year?" she said dejectedly. Her voice came out as a whisper but I heard her voice cracking at the end.
After hearing her words, I felt like a large bucket of ice was thrown straight to my face.
She thought Jake was me?
"I'm sorry I know you look really confused but I can't answer your questions right now because I need to find Rosie," Jake told her, giving her an awkward smile before bowing.
My lower lip was tucked between my teeth as I saw how sad she looked like and I'm not dumb enough not to notice how her eyes were starting to moist.
Jake must have realized that there was a misunderstanding because he gently grabs her by the shoulder and talked to her. His voice calmer than before.
"Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't intend to push you or shout at you but I'm sure my noona would be able to help you clear things out. See you later," Jake finished before tapping Lisa's shoulder.
This would probably the first time but I wanted to smack Jake's head for once. I no longer care what Jake was doing as my eyes were only focused on her.
Why did she thought she was talking with Jake?
And then my eyes saw the stuff toy resting on top of the couch, and then looked at her.
She didn't watch the V-live right?
I groan internally as realization hit me. She thought I was Jake because she saw the stuff toy.
"Yah, Jake! You're not wearing any mask!" Josh hyung shouted.
"Yah, Samantha, talk to your brother. He'll going to cause an uproar outside once fans see him," I heard Josh hyung but I didn't look back.
"You did the same to me, remember? And not only that, you've included your fans when you were searching for me at the airport," Samantha replied but I wasn't paying attention.
Before I knew it, I was already whispering her name. "Lisa..."
Her head snapped to my direction, her eyes wide but I noticed how her cheeks were red in embarrassment.
Before I knew it, my hands reached for hers pulling her towards where my room is.
I didn't care how she was looking so confused all over and how Samantha was calling both our names.
All I care is how she looks so lost... How she looks like she thought was played...How she looks so broken.... How she looked scared... And how I unknowingly hurt....
All I care right now is Her.
The moment we reached my room, I closed the door and faced her. She was looking so helpless and it broke me. I remember how she was pouring her emotions to me when she was emotionally unstable but now, I became the reason why she looks so broken once again.
So I did what I thought is best at this moment.
I hug her.
----
Jake's POV
"Rosie!" I screamed for her name only to be stopped by a confused girl who was clinging to me like a glue.
My blood boiled at the sight of her, my eyes changing its colors and in an instant, I released her arms around me, pushing her a little.
"Jake!" I heard Haiden hyung reprimanded but I was so confused about what's happening, I didn't realize that I must have hurt the girl.
A long sigh escaped my lips before looking at her straight in the eyes.
From what I can see, she seemed like an acquaintance of both my noona and Rosie.
"I'm sorry, I legit have no idea who the fuck you are but please, don't ever touch me again," I can't help but scowl at the poor girl but my voice was enveloped with both sarcasm and frustration.
I was staring at her coldly and I was sure the air surrounding both of use froze at the intensity of my glaze. "I don't like anybody touching me like that without my permission," I told her and she backed away a little, the moist in her eyes tells me she was taken aback.
Or was it fear I saw?
"Jake..." Samantha noona called for my name and I noticed how everyone was looking at both of us dumbfounded.
My hands balled into a fist and I made a step away from them but I felt her grab me by the hand.
"You don't know me?" she asked confused and somehow, I felt pity towards the girl as I stare at her sad expression. Little by little, it seems like she was realizing that she was deceived.
I removed her hand from mine and shook my head, trying to act cool. The way I see it, she was mistaking me for someone else.
There seemed to be a misunderstanding.
"Then am I communicating with a ghost for half a year?" she said dejectedly. Her voice came out as a whisper but I heard everything, even the way her voice cracked in the middle.
I wasn't sure if she was joking but right now, I am not the best person to help her. However, I noticed how among the guys, Haiden hyung seemed to be acting the most suspicious.
At this point, Jessie and Yohan hyung had already woken up, and Josh hyung was cuddling with my noona.
Both Jason hyung and Vash hyung exhibited a look of bewilderment on their faces. Even Rome hyung appeared to be very perplexed by what was happening.
I gave her an uneasy smile before bowing to her as I explained that I was unable to answer her questions at this time because I needed to find Rosie. "I'm sorry, I know you look terribly puzzled but I can't answer your questions right now because I need to find Rosie," I informed her. Hearing her remarks put me at ease and allowed me to enjoy being in her company. I was startled to realize that I had been rude to her earlier by pressing against her and treating her with such severity.
I was aware of her eyes, and although they were quite large, I have a strong intuition that they could be quite attractive if she smiled.
This time, I grip her shoulders in a gentle manner while trying to keep a grin on my face.
"I want to apologize for what I said previously. It was not my intention to shove you or yell at you, but I am confident that my noona will be able to assist you in sorting things out. Thank you for your time, "I had just finished telling her when I tapped her on the shoulders.
I didn't even care to say goodbye to the other people, and I ran as fast as I could toward the door to put my shoes on.
In point of fact, I had just returned home after spending time with some friends who ride the 97' liner.
"What's up, Jake? You are not concealing your identity in any way!" Josh hyung yelled, but I don't give a damn anymore.
Shit.
Rosie must have gone far already.
Now I regret sticking for a bit longer. It would have been smart for me to go for a run the instant she left the room.
"Samantha, you should talk to your brother right away. When his followers travel to the stadium to witness him, there will be a commotion "I overheard Josh hyung explaining something to my sister, and in response, she offered the typical bit of sassiness that I had no idea she possessed.
"You treated me in the same manner, don't you remember? Not only that, but when you were looking for me at the airport, you also enlisted the assistance of your loyal followers "I looked up to see her response and grinned as I fiddled with the knot in my shoelace.
"Lisa..." I overheard Haiden hyung yell for the girl, but by that time, I had already exited the building.
My entire universe appeared to come to a stop the minute my eyes first laid sight on Rosie's body earlier.
Because of the rate at which my heart was beating, I was unsure whether or not I was still breathing correctly.
The air around her shifted...
When I last visited her, she seemed to be going through a rough patch, but this time it seemed like she was doing much better.
She was still as gorgeous as my eyes could remember her being, or perhaps she had even grown more stunning with time. But in my case, the beating of my heart is unaltered.
Four months...
Those were the most excruciating months of my entire life to go through. Everything about not being able to see her lovely face, hear her voice, feel her touch, and hear her words.
Seeing her brings an otherworldly quality to everything.
How was it that I was able to keep going for so long?
I was on the verge of losing it when we both agreed to go silent for a whole month with each other.
I have spent the past few weeks devoting all of my spare time to preparing in order to avoid picking up the phone and calling her.
Is she keeping me in mind at all?
Is she getting enough to eat?
In addition, she was neither lonely nor crying when I saw her.
Every day, I was trying to estimate how much longer it would be till the end of the month. As soon as it happened, I snatched my phone out of my pocket to give her a call, only to be told by an operator that the number I was trying to reach her at had disconnected.
I felt my heart racing.
Has she come to a different conclusion?
Did her feelings change?
I was wanting to know, but at the same time, I'm concerned that she might not feel the same way about me as she did before.
I occupied my time by working on my practice. When I'm not working, you can find me hanging out with my other buddies. I tried everything I could to stop thinking about her.
But that didn't work out for me.
Every single night, she makes her way into my thoughts, and sometimes even into my dreams.
When I woke up in the middle of the night with tears flowing down my cheeks, I knew that something was wrong with me. And it's tearing me apart inside.
I longed to see her.
And just as I was beginning to get back on my feet, there she was, as stunning as I recalled, standing not more than a few steps away from me.
As soon as our gazes met, I was aware of her response even before it was spoken.
It seems she has returned.
She circled back around to find me.
But things quickly went from bad to worse when a female whose name was Lisa unexpectedly jumped over me. I was so startled that I was unable to even respond right away, and I desperately wanted to smack myself for being so thoughtless.
"Rosie, where have you been hiding out?" I asked myself.
I had arrived at the lobby by this point and was running around while looking for her among the other people there.
When one of our supervisors spotted me sprinting out the door, I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of him spitting out his coffee, but I don't care about what he did.
I have to check on my baby.
Fuck Rosie, I miss you.
I'm coming, baby, just hold on for a second.
---
Rosie's POV
"You are so foolish Rosie!" After I had turned around and fled from Jake, I immediately began to berate myself. I gave myself many slaps in the hope that it would help me get my bearings and bring myself back together.
It wasn't until I had already walked past a few blocks outside that the thought occurred to me that I am not familiar with this location.
My eyes traveled all around the location.
I don't even have my phone with me, let alone my pouch. I apologize.
I started going back in the direction that I had come from very slowly while wiping the tear that had naively started rolling down my cheeks with the left hand that I was carrying. My mind feels like I'm just floating. Everything was a haze, and the fact that my eyes were burning didn't make things any better.
I had a helpless and feeble feeling. My knees were shaking, and the fact that I was still able to walk is actually a surprise to me.
I became aware that a few individuals were staring at me in an odd manner.
Yeah, I probably look some idiot right now, crying on a sidewalk at four in the afternoon.
So what if Jake already moved on?
"I am still friends with the other boys," I whispered to myself but even I can recognize how bitter my own words sounded.
My steps halted, and I almost fell down when someone accidentally bumped into me from the back.
"Watch where you're going!" the guy snarled at me and I don't have any strength left to answer. Instead, I walked to the side, away from the crowd so I won't cause a ruckus on the busy street in front of me.
"What's the use of coming back now?" I whispered as I rested my back on the wall for support. I bite my lower lip, my throat hurting as I try to stop myself from bawling my eyes out on the busy district of Seoul.
As a result of my inability to concentrate on my immediate environment, I found myself sitting on the ground with my arms wrapped around my knees. I was oblivious to the curious looks that others were giving me because I was in such an unstable state.
And exactly at this point, I started to cry. The recent incidents made me question myself.
Am I such a terrible person that I deserve to be the one who is usually left behind?
Do I deservingly have to go through this much suffering?
Was the agony of losing a friend and a brother not enough for life to decide to put me through another test by robbing me of the very first person I shared my love with?
Do you think I'm that much of a wimp?
My judgment is now getting clouded.
Maybe I really deserve all this pain... and its karma but damn, it was all out to losing my sanity, breaking every piece of me, shredding my dignity altogether. Right now, there's nothing left but emptiness.
Did he lie about waiting for me?
I mean, I knew it took me four fucking months but shit. is it that easy for him to forget about me?
Did he really love me at all?
Faint sobs escaped my lips, the sorrow filling my whole system is starting to make me lose control.
He loved me. I told to myself.
No matter how he might be in a new relationship right now, I knew he loved me when we were still together.
Because I felt it.
His sincerity...
His patience...
His love...
I felt it all.
I knew he loved me. But it hurts to know that his love faded while here I am, still stuck on my own feelings.
My heart has weakened. The new resolve I had after moving on from my past started crumbling before me.
I thought I can be by his side. but it turns out I need to be alone until I can spread my own wings, break free and fly.
Even with a bitter heart, even with an empty fall back, I'd move forward.
And then I felt a liquid dropping on my bare skin, my eyes immediately looking up the sky.
It was dark and I can see drizzles slowly starting to pour.
"Great, now even the weather is sympathizing with me," I grunted.
But my body doesn't seem to feel bothered by the cold as I start to feel numb.
"Fuck," I mumbled.
The pain inside me, it's unbearable. It feels a thousand more painful like I was left with nothingness. It was like I am falling down on a black hole and I don't know if I can still cease to exist.
With my face on my hands as I keep from crying.
The drizzle started getting stronger until it was already raining. But I didn't move even after all the people came rushing to find shelter out of the rain.
I stayed on the sidewalk hoping that the rain will wash away the pain that is killing me.
My heart felt so empty. And even though the cold rush of the rain made my body shiver, deep inside, I felt nothing.
I don't have any place to go and right now, I'd need a whole lot of courage to get back and get my things from their dorm.
Lisa...
I suddenly remembered my friend. She must have been confused right now.
Not a bit do I resent my friend for being with the person I love. It has been so long since we last saw each other and judging from how she acted earlier when she saw me, I was sure Lisa didn't know a thing.
She's a sweetheart, a pure little ball of sunshine. I can never get mad at her.
To be honest, I'm madder at myself for neglecting Jake.
It was all my fault. I know I was just so stupid to let what we had all go to waste. Or maybe I had been too complacent?
My hands balled into a fist.
Am I strong enough to let him go?
Looking back, I don't regret ever hopping that bus and meeting him and saving him from his fans.
And even though I am hurting like hell right now, I'd still say I love him. If my pain is what it takes for him to be happy, I'd gladly take it all.
This time, I want to be the person who sacrificed for him.
Because I want him to be happy...
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