GIRLS ON TRACK || Ryeji

Chapter 84: Blackpink In Your Area

Rosé's P.O.V

"You look so gorgeous in that dress, Bora-yah," I praised the beautiful bride before me as she sat on a comfy couch inside the very bridal suite —where I once waited as a bride in dread— and the woman flashed a nervous smile in my direction, shaking her knees and fidgeting her hands. "Don't be so nervous. Everything's gonna be fine," I reassured and plopped down next to her as I placed a palm over her fidgety ones.

"W-what if I screw up my vow? I'm sure he prepared his vow earnestly and meaningfully, but mine would be nothing compared to his. What if he gets disappointed with my shallow vow?" She babbled in obvious distress, pursing her lips as she hung her head low.

"Look. Nothing is shallow if you say it from your heart. You don't even need to prepare for any grandiose vow just to impress your groom since he loves you and he'll understand you no matter what. Moreover, you just have to go with the flow and the right words will come out of your mouth. Follow your heart, arraseo?" I suggested her with a warm smile, thereby finally succeeding to put an intended effect on her, and the stiffness in her jaw began to loosen up.

Just then, my eyes traveled to the extravagent interior of the bridal suite, taking in the luxuriously enthralling sight before me. Above us, a dazzling chandelier hung from the ceiling, with its voluminous crystals swaying and dangling to the gust of air, released from the ventilation system, and its intermittent glow casting white reflections on the walls surrounding us. Bestowed around us are the fancy furnitures, especially tables occupied with lavish of comfort food, snacks and wine for the bride to toast to the day's events with her bridal party before walking down the aisle. Beneath our feet lies a polished cream color floor, adorned with marbles that depict various appealing shapes and patterns.

Next, my vision settled on a floor-length mirror across the room, which seems to be reflecting an image of a dejected bride as she stared at herself in the mirror; her beauty, enhanced with heavy bridal makeup; her body, ornamented with the country's finest and expensive jewelry; and her white dress, hand-tailored by the most highly demanded tailor in the industry. Yes, she looks tremendously beautiful and bedazzling on the outside, yet from on inside, she's nothing but a wreckage. How I know about it? Well... because she's me, or she was me.

I registered my dark eye circles concealed by foundation and makeup, whilst the glistening lights from the chandelier above bounced back on the mirror's reflective surface, almost blinding my miserable eyes in the process. In a blink, I heard the door of the bridal suite creaking open, and Lisa's reflection appeared right behind me the moment my eyes snapped open. With my mouth agape and eyes wide open, I shuffled a few steps away from the mirror until I bumped into her, solid her and not my hallucination. Thus, I swiveled my body around to meet her face to face. Just like me, she looks crestfallen and distressed, her face puffy and her eyes bloodshot with grief lingering in her once lively features that I used to cherish, still cherish. Now, the sight before my very eyes appalled me exceptionally because her liveliness was gone, superseded by  gloominess as she fixated her gaze on me, silently appraising my appearance.

"You look beautiful..." She muttered softly, a frail smile curving the corner of her chapped lips that used to be very moist, pinkish and plump.

"How did you- what are you doing here?" My unforeseen response turned that smile upside down into a frown, and she quickly diverted her attention to the floor with a huff.

"...but not from the inside," Lisa continued her sentence instead of answering my question, so I tilted my head in confusion, trying to process what she meant by that. Then, she looked at me straight in the eye. "I know you don't feel beautiful at all, regardless of all these you're wearing-," she pointed at my attire,"-And I know you're suffering as much as I am, Rosie."