Bittersweet

29: Just One Day

"Jimin, do you think... I mean... Should we... Whatever we are doing... You know... Right?"
Rosé said as her teeth sunk deep on her bottom lips as she was fidgeting with her fingers. Jimin pecked her cheeks,
"Trust me. We are not doing anything wrong."
Jimin looked at the younger girl. She was wearing a dress. Her hair had a bow. She looked really soft and cute. Jimin snaked his hands around her tiny waist,
"Come on Roseanne Park. It's nothing. Besides we are on a date. Everyone knows we are going out. We should get time for ourselves too. Even Sunbaenims allow it."
Rosé giggled. She was happy. His embrace was warm. Jimin passed the love of his life an eye smile,
"Wanna have some tteokbokki, Pasta?"
"You know I can never say no, Mochi."

"Isn't the food good?"
Jimin said, worried to death, seeing his girlfriend not eating at all. Anorexia. A painful term. Rosé used to be starved since the beginning of her life, Jimin knows that. And now it just stuck to her. Like a leech. She never has a full serving of meal. Half of the food is her limit.
Rosé saw how worried Jimin was. But she couldn't force herself. She just didn't have the appetite to do so. She bit her lower lip as she stared at the leftover ttokbokki. She felt as if she was being transported to another dimension.

A small fragile girl sobbed as she curled up in a ball. Her body was aching and not a single sound was coming out of her mouth. She had a small face and doe eyes. She was hugging her knees.
Another girl her age peeped in,
"Um hello..."
"You are new here, aren't you?"
The girl who was crying all aling rubbed her nose and sniffed. The other one sat beside her,
"Yeah... I'm Park Chaeyoung. But I was born in New Zealand, so my english name is Roseanne Park. You can call me Rosé as well."
The girls passed a smile. The other one, still trying to cover her tears, pleaded,
"Rosé, since you are new here, let me tell you something. Never eat more than half of the meal. Save the other half. Meals are not something you get here often. And never ask for meals. You'd rather stay hungry. Trust me, Kim Su-Bong is a monster!"

"Never eat more than half of the meal."
Rosé mumbled. She shot her eyes open. The consequences of not following this advice appeared in front of her.

"You fat ass! I'm not going to feed you another grain if rice for the next 5 days! How dare you finish one serving and try to steal another? Your mother sold you to me. I brought you with money! Isn't that enough? Or is stuffing your face more important? Huh? Now I get it! You bastard!"
Kim Su-Bong screamed as her leather belt slashed woubds on her skin. She kicked the crying girl multiple times, her heels digging inside the soft flesh. Rosé pleaded,
"I'm sorry Madame. I swear I'm never going to ask for food again."
Rosé's sobs hid under Kim Su-Bong's cold laughter,
"You should learn a lesson so you remember, Roseanne."
The inhumane soubd of leather coming in contact of skin filled the room. So did the loud nasally sobs. The others covered their mouths and sobbed. Their Rosie Posie had done it again.

"Chaeng!"
Jimin jumped towards her, just at the right moment. She was slipping out of her chair as her vision got blurry. Her face was growing paler, her mouth agape and her chest rising fast. She was cold and shivering.
Jimin was close to crying. Rosé was his life. And sreing her in such a painful state made him feel some bitterness. He hugged Rosé and tried to calm her,
"I'm here Rosé. I will alwayd be here for you. That woman is no more. That woman is dead. You are free. I'll always hold you tight like this. Everything will be normal one day."
Rosé was crying and trembling. With her shaky hands she somehow scrunched up a bit of Jimin's sleeve,
"I'm sorry Jimin."
Her voice feebly and weak and shaky.

"Rosé are you feeling better?"
Jimin cooed as his girlfriend leaned her head on his shoulder. She nuzzled her face on his shoulder,
"I'm sorry Jiminie. I ruined our date..."
"Hey, it's okay! You are not in fault. Cheer up chipmunk."
Jimin pecked Rosé's cheeks. She hugged him harder.

The street was empty. The streetlights were blinking. There were only a handful of people scattered all around. Everyobe was speeding up. They had to go home. But Jimin's home was the skinny, bubbly girl beside him. Rosé's home was also in the arms of the beautiful man next to her.

She felt sorry. No matter how much Jimin assures her. How could she have a panic attack betwern their long awaited date? Her eyes scanned the gorgeous man. What if he leaves her? He deserves someone better. Someone who doesn't get panic attacks. Someone who doesn't have a mental illness.
But if they break apart, Rosé would die. Jimin was the only one she had. She had seen people leave. She can't anymore. She just needs him. But she doesn't deserve him.

"Are you crying again thinking about what if I leave you?"
Jimin said as he cupped his girlfriend's face between his dainty hands. Her cheeks grew hotter from embarrassment. She looked away from Jimin's eyes. Jimin pressed his forehead on her,
"Insecurity is a bitch Chaeyoung. I'm never going to leave you. I promise that. You are just perfect. I don't care if you are thin or chubby. I don't care if you are timid or get panicked easily. I just care that you love me and I love you. Anything else other than that is nonsense. You are beautiful Rosé. However you are. I love you."
Rosé giggled and leaned in. Her arms wrapped around Jimin's neck as Jimin found his way to Rosé's waist. Their lips were about to meet when an unexpected voice barged through their ears,
"Excuse me, Me a Traveller. I not know where this is. Sorry. Help?"
Her voice was sweet and she had a very foreign accent to her broken korean words. Jimin and Rosé jumped away fron each other. Jimin scratched his nape,
"Yeah, why not? Lemme see."
Rose took out her phone out of the bag as she sensed something vibrating. Her brows furrowed together she saw the caller id,
"NAMJOON OPPA"