The Angel Next Door (Rosé X Female Reader)

38: Studying with Rosie

Word Count: 4,756

Things between me and Rosé seemed to be back to normal the following day, and Lisa and Jennie appeared relieved-apparently, they had been pretty worried. My behavior had only changed a bit, but it must have been enough for them to notice.

The events of the previous day were still on my mind, but I wasn't feeling as awkward around Rosé anymore. There were still a few things bothering me, but I couldn't say anything about them while we were at uni.

Rosé was giving everyone her usual sweet smile. She was currently surrounded by some girls bugging her to teach them how to study. Midterms were coming up next week, and the girls probably wanted Rosé, the top brainiac in our grade, to be their tutor. There was a hint of confusion in Rosé's gentle smile.

"I don't mind helping you all get ready for the tests, but I might not have enough space to host everyone..."

Hearing that, I knew it wasn't going to be good. I perked up my ears to listen in. It seemed like the girls who wanted to study with Rosé were hoping to do it at her place. They were probably curious to see what her apartment was like.

That would be a problem, since Rosé is such a private person. It would be really difficult for Rosé to let them into her home.

From my perspective, I didn't want them coming over to where I lived if it could be avoided, just in case they found out something they shouldn't. I could just imagine the girls prying into every little detail.

"Oh, no fair, no fair! I want help too!"

"Me toooo!"

Then, other girls who overheard the conversation raised their hands as well, and Rosé understandably had a troubled expression. There was clearly no way so many people could fit in her apartment. To make matters worse, the boys were looking at us with envy.

"...Um, how about we study together for an hour or two in the lecture room after school today?" Rosé suggested as a compromise. Our classroom had plenty of space. But despite that, the requests to join didn't seem to end. Since club activities were paused during exams, it was probably easier for everyone to gather than usual.
As I listened to the loud shouts of my classmates from across the room, I couldn't help but feel bad for Rosé.

With a strangely cheerful gummy smile, Jennie nudged me. "You're not gonna join in?"

"Would it really make a difference?" I replied. "I already know everything that's gonna be on the tests, and even if I didn't, with so many people, there won't be much time for everyone's questions anyway. Trust me, I'm better off studying on my own."

"Well, I gotta give you credit for your discipline, Y/N, but I think we should still join this study session. It's all about motivation."

"I've always enjoyed studying, so my motivation has always been-"

"Not yours, hers."

I looked over at Rosé, who was making plans for a study session with more than half the class. It was clear that she was gonna have a tough time with so many people. She'd probably feel more comfortable with a friend in the room.

Finally, it started to sink in that I should attend, regardless of whether I felt the need to or not.

"...Even though there's not really anything for her to teach me?" I asked.

"It'll be fine," Jennie insisted. "Look, you can tutor me. See, Lisa is gonna join in, so I was gonna be stuck waiting for her anyway. There's no harm in studying a little while I'm there, right?"

"Teaching other people is not my strong suit..."

"Well, yeah, the way you talk can be a bit unfriendly, and you're not exactly the patient type to explain things... but you wouldn't just let me fail, right?"