Hike Into My Heart

Chapter 3: Christmas Tree

Rosé spent the next day helping Jisoo and Jennie set up a Christmas tree in their house and decorate it. They offered to come over and set one up for Rosé, too, but she declined, feeling a bit tired and not really wanting to go through the hassle of setting up another tree. However, the minute that she was out of her friends' cabin, she knew that there was no possible way that she could spend Christmas in her cabin without a Christmas tree.

In that moment, she was glad that she had been the one to bring the axe, otherwise she would've had to alert her friends to what she was doing by going back into their cabin to get it. If they knew about her wish for a tree, she knew that they wouldn't hesitate to help her find one and decorate it. While that would have been great under any normal circumstances, she didn't want to piss her cabinmate off again with the noise that they would surely be making, so she set off to find a tree herself.

When she reached the place where Jisoo and Jennie had found their tree, Rosé selected a smaller one that had been growing nearby. It was only chest-high, but she knew that it would definitely do. She didn't think that she'd be able to bring back anything much bigger alone. Plus, she didn't want Lisa to complain about how the tree was taking up the whole room. So, she cut down the small tree and began to drag it back to her cabin.

When Rosé got back inside, she was surprised to see Lisa sitting in the living room and reading a book, a fire burning in the fireplace. The girl looked up when Rosé walked through the door, eyes widening when she saw what Rosé had with her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm setting up this Christmas tree," Rosé explained. "I know you don't like Christmas, but I brought ornaments and lights and stuff, so I'm going to set it up anyway."

She honestly did not want to fight with Lisa right now, so she decided to leave no room for argument, immediately moving to her bag that was still on the kitchen counter and grabbing the Christmas tree stand that she had brought. To her surprise, Lisa actually did not argue as Rosé set up the tree in the corner. Once it was standing, to her satisfaction, she grabbed the box of lights and ornaments that was also still sitting on the counter. She knew that Lisa had asked her to at least put the stuff in cabinets yesterday, but she hadn't listened, relishing in the fact that her disorganization was probably driving Lisa insane.

"So, I thought you were working on the next Great American Novel." Rosé finally broke the silence as she strung up the lights. "Why are you out here reading?"

"I take breaks, Rosé," Lisa answered simply. "Besides, it was nice and quiet in here, and I wanted to sit by the fire."

"Oh." Rosé didn't know what else to say, so she just stayed silent after that. That had been a very normal thing for her cabinmate to say, and there had been no bite to the other girl's tone. Rosé found it strange, and she wondered if maybe Lisa had finally come to terms with the fact that she wasn't leaving. Rosé certainly hoped so.

Once she had finished with the lights, she was working on putting up the ornaments when she saw Lisa come up beside her. She was a little confused as to what her cabinmate was doing, but her confusion quickly morphed into surprise when she saw Lisa reach into the box to grab an ornament in an almost shy manner before hanging it on the tree. Lisa then turned, her eyes questioning Rosé, seeming to ask if it was okay that she was helping, and Rosé wondered if maybe this was Lisa's attempt at a peace offering. She thought about telling the other girl off, like the blonde had basically done when she had tried to apologize, but then she just sighed. She didn't want to stoop to the other girl's level, and she honestly did want to maintain some kind of acquaintanceship with Lisa if they were going to be living together. That, and she really preferred to have company while decorating, even if Lisa wasn't her first choice.