❝𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘. ── 𝗞.𝗡𝗝✔️

xi

╰─▸ ❝ @[chapter eleven] has

. . . . logged on

NAMJOON DIDN'T GO VISIT ROSE AGAIN, NOT FOR ANOTHER 2 WEEKS. He figured she didn't want to see him anymore, not after that dinner. He still doesn't know what happened, what went wrong, and soon, he simply had to chalk it up to trauma. Not to say he blames her, he doesn't at all but based on what she said and her job, maybe it wasn't anything he did and more of what he represented.

He still can't help but feel like he had done something to push her away. That he had misstepped somewhere.

Namjoon had been rendered completely silent at work. He didn't say good morning to anyone. He just got his coffee and locked himself in his office. Jin didn't know what was wrong with him or even how to ask what happened. They weren't particularly close friends and he didn't want to pry into his personal life.

But as they stand outside of the construction site, just as they had finished checking in on the progress, he decided to ask. "Are you okay?"

Namjoon perked up and glanced at him as they walk back to his car to get back to the office. "Huh?" His mind was long gone, never really present. He was always wondering if Rose was okay. Was she warm? Was she sick? Does she get home okay? There was a lot of worry and concern he had for her.

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." He waves his hand dismissively. They both know it's a lie.

-

Rose thought it was for the better. When she stood out on the corner in the cold until she shook uncontrollably. Or when she sat in her booth at the peep show, having to watch another crusty old man jerk off to her.

This was the life she deserved. Luxury didn't fit her. Everything she got in life, all the bullshit she had to take was deserved. She couldn't handle good things. The one good thing she had, she pushed away.

"Where's your boy toy at? I haven't seen him in a while." Candy had come to notice that Namjoon never returned after a certain point and she was curious what had happened. Rose has been quiet ever since. She no longer talked about him, she never complained or made jokes about her customers. She was just quiet.

Rose shrugged. "I guess he left." It's better this way. She didn't trust him anyways.

Rose sighed as she pushed open the door to her apartment building. The floors were old and dirty and the walls had to peel floral wallpaper. The landlord took no effort in trying to make the place look nice and homey. He was a tall, lanky man, greasy looking.

"Rosey." He always called her that. These creepy men always had their creepy nicknames for her. Rose closed her eyes and sighed deeply before turning to face him. He was already standing so close to her, looming over her as his pungent smell invades her nostrils.

"You haven't given the rest of your rent. You're late on so many payments. How many now? Three?" He stepped a little closer and Rose stepped back, only for her back to touch the wall. She smiles awkwardly. "I know, I'm trying. I'll have it in a few weeks."

He smiles at her, his yellowed teeth making her shiver. "I've been very kind and patient with you, Rosey. I don't know if I can wait for much longer." He sighed as if it was some difficult decision to make. He should've thrown her out by now, but he knew what she did. He knew that he could have his way with her.

Rose was trying to avoid it as much as possible. She didn't want to bring work into her personal life, especially not in this way, to simply keep her home. "I know and I'm really grateful but please give me a little more time. I'll have your money."

His hand comes to curl her hair around his finger. "Well, you could pay me back another way." Quickly Rose moved her head and dunked away from him. "No, no, I'll have your money, okay? I'm really tired right now so I'm gonna head up. Thanks for the offer though." She quickly marches away from him as she tries to calm her racing heart. One of these days he's gonna snap.

"Well, maybe I'll visit you at work!" He called after her. His voice sounded light-hearted, belying his true intentions with her. Rose knew she wasn't safe. That this was gonna end badly for her, but there wasn't much she could do for herself. The fact that she couldn't protect herself from this harsh world made her hate herself.

No one was going to save her. This was what she deserves. This wasn't a fairytale and she wasn't some beautiful damsel in distress. This was the real world, where happily ever afters don't exist, and the world wasn't bright and sunny. It was cold, unforgiving, and ugly.

She kicked off her shoes in the growing pile beside the door and let out a sigh. The floorboards creak under her weight as she makes her way back towards her bathroom. The days seem a bit longer, somehow, like they drag on forever.

It's the same thing, all day every day. Wake up, go to class, go home, take a shower, get to work, then come home, rinse and repeat. No staying from her schedule, no change, nothing new. Her dinners were once again reduced to whatever she made in class tossed into the microwave or a bowl of noodles.

The flowers Namjoon had given her were turning black, beginning to wilt. Rose knew she should throw them out but she figured she could keep them for just a little while longer.

She went to her room and peeled off her clothing to go change into something more comfortable. Rose is disappointed in herself for letting herself rely on him so much, anticipating every visit. He made her expect things that she had no business expecting in her situation.

Rose pulled her shirt on over her head, before pulling the drawstrings of her shirts tight around her hips.

"I guess he left."

What else would he do?

*.✧ Kᴀʏs Eɴᴅɪɴɢ Nᴏᴛᴇs

Really short chapter today, but tomorrow it's really long so hold on to your wigs, pull out the gorilla glue cuz ur gonna need it.

Thank you all for reading. I hope you guys enjoyed and I wish you all a wonderful day/night.

사랑해

~Kay ᕙ( : ˘ ∧ ˘ : )ᕗ