The Substitute Wife

CHAPTER 11

At that time, Rosè Jang had already finished her first semester in high school and was on winter break. After the Spring Festival, she received a phone call from Lisa Lim  inviting her to skate.

When she arrived at the skating rink, she finally learned that apart from Lisa Lim, there were a few of Bambam's friends coming.

Park Jimin was one of them.

At the beginning, Rosè Jang didn't know he was there. After being introduced by Bambam, she said hello to the boys. When she went to rent skates with Lisa Lim, she finally saw Park Jimin leaning against the wall, an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

Rosè Jang thought that it was just a coincidence, but Bambam suddenly said, "Brother Jimin, this is my girlfriend's friend, Rosè Jang."

Hearing what Bambam had said, Park Jimin didn't hurry to respond. Instead, he lit the cigarette, eyes down, and smoked. He blew out a hazy smoke ring and leaned his head to look at where she stood.

The one that Rosè Jang could only stare at secretly on normal school days was suddenly standing in front of her and considering her seriously.

Rosè Jang felt her heartbeat race, and her breath suddenly stopped the second his gaze fell on her face.

Unlike the other boys, he didn't look at her from head to toe or call her sweetie with a smile.

His eyes rested on her for not even a whole second, and he turned around after he nodded slightly.

By the time Rose Jang stopped looking at him, she had already been dragged to the seats by Lisa Lim, a pair of pink skates put in her hands.

Lisa Lim talked endlessly about how Bambam went to her home and gave her a gift during the Spring Festival while they changed shoes.

Rosè Jang changed her shoes mechanically, for she was still shocked by how Park Jimin had looked at her. When she had almost finished changing into the skates, she suddenly interrupted Lisa Lim, asking, "Does Bambam know Park Jimin?"

"Ah?" Lisa Lim might have been shocked by the sudden change of topic, but she said, "Yeah, they're roommates, and they've known each other since they were little, because they grew up in the same neighborhood."

Lisa Lim was going to say something else, but Bambam came over, so she waved at Rosè Jang and went into the skating rink hand in hand with him.

When Rosè Jang had put the skates on, she stood up and glanced at where Park Jimin was.

He hadn't changed into skates, but instead stayed leaning against the wall, smoking.

Rosè Jang skated for a while and eventually came back to where she started. She saw him still standing there, a new cigarette the only change in his appearance.

When she met back up with Lisa Lim in the rink after three hours of skating, she pointed to Park Jimin and whispered, "Why didn't he hang out with us?"

"Whenever he acts like that, he must be in a bad mood. You didn't see? How none of the other boys dared to talk to him?"

Upon hearing Lisa Lim's answer, Rosè Jang finally realized that none of his friends had said a word to him, even though they had passed by him many times that afternoon.

Lisa Lim didn't talk much about Park Jimin. She remembered something important only after she had already answered Rose Jang's question. "Are you free tonight? Bambam said that he wanted to invite us all to dinner."

"Yeah," Rosè Jang said slowly, and glanced at where Park Jimin was. He'll come to dinner with us if Bambam invites us all.

In fact, Park Jimin had left before they stopped skating, which disappointed Rose Jang.