A Girl From High Society

Chapter 20

  

Hearing this "sit down", said softly but impressively, Jisoo was slightly confused. Rosé looked... dangerously domineering, as she had been during the tournament, when she stood down on the fencing track, collected and taut, like a panther before a jump, and looked at her opponent and the crowd of people with the same look that made Kim's skin crawl: the look of a winner who already knows the outcome of the battle. And now Rose's face became unperturbed again, and there was no trace of those feelings that recently illuminated him during the words of Jisoo "I want to kiss you".

Kim tried not to think about these words yet. She will still have time for self-deprecation and self-eating. There will be time to realize what an idiot she was for confessing her feelings to Rosé. However, to tell the truth, Jisoo did not feel a drop of regret, rather the opposite. What's done can't be undone, and let Rosé know how Jisoo feels about her. Somehow, in a perverse way, she felt better, because now they both carried this burden.

-Sit down.- Rosé repeated more softly, noticing that Jisoo hesitated, and she obeyed, awkwardly sinking down on the sofa closest to her.

-Do you want a drink?- Rosé calmly walked up to the bar and took an open bottle of whisky. Jisoo nodded. Her body was still striving for the younger Park, as at the moment when she heard a soft "stop", but the initial excitement caused by the feelings finally voiced aloud began to gradually recede, replaced by anxiety at the thought of what exactly Rosé wanted to tell her. Apparently, the story will not be easy, because the back and shoulders of Rosé, who turned away to the bar, were not just tense — Jisoo could tell from her pose that the girl was preparing herself for something very scary. Rosé exaggeratedly poured whisky from the bottle for a long time and carefully, slowly twisted the cork, and when she poured, she did not turn around for a long time, as if not daring to look at Jisoo.

-What I'm going to tell you...- She began in a muffled voice and stopped. Jisoo glanced at her straight back.

-It's OK- Jichu said.- You don't have to if you don't want to. If.. it's hard...

Rosé turned around impulsively, holding two filled glasses of whisky in her hands. Looking directly at Jisoo, she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin slightly. It looked like she was swallowing her feelings again, and Jisoo couldn't help but admire the strength that showed on her face at such moments. Rosé was perfectly able to control herself, although one could only guess at what price this skill was given to her.

-You don't need to talk about what you don't want to talk about.- Jisoo repeated, who didn't know what to do in such cases at all. Maybe keep quiet? Rosé walked over to the sofa and handed her a glass.

-But I want to...- She said at last, and there was a flicker of determination mixed with pain in her voice.- I have to tell you about it.

Jisoo took the whisky, casually touching Rosé's cold fingers and nodded.

-I'm listening.

Rosé sat down on the second sofa. It was as if she was trying to be as far away from Jisoo as possible, and her face looked detached and cold when she spoke after taking a sip from a glass.

-It will be a long and difficult story. And I'm not telling it to make you terrified of what money can do to a person. I'm telling it so you'll understand why I said it... that we have to deal with it.

With what exactly "with it" Rosé did not indicate, but it was understandable.

-You didn't say 'should'- Jisoo corrected mechanically.- You said, "We'll manage."

Rosé fixed her transparent, very deep eyes on her.

-And now I say — "should". And you'll understand why. Just give me some time to prepare. I've never talked about it with anyone before.