Side Story 4
“What? How could you say something so harsh…! Take it back right now!”
Rose, outraged, jumped up from her seat. But Dahlia and her group, not paying her any mind, stormed out of the break room, fuming.
After overhearing the entire conversation, Irene took a moment to reflect.
It was surprising.
Whether it was an insult or a compliment, she had to think it over carefully, but one thing was clear: Rose had stood up for Irene in front of their peers.
Rose could have just agreed with them, given how much she disliked Irene, but her inability to say things she didn’t mean was true to her character.
It was then that Irene realized why, despite disliking people in general, she kept crossing boundaries with Rose.
Somewhere deep down, Irene had certain expectations of her. Even though Rose couldn’t always distinguish between what should or shouldn’t be said in front of others, Irene had expected that she was someone who wouldn’t talk behind her back.
And Rose had lived up to that expectation.
Despite her dislike for Irene, Rose had admitted that she couldn’t completely distance herself because, while she disliked Irene’s personality, she liked her appearance.
Hearing that had made Irene oddly happy.
Because it confirmed what she had already known.
Even if Rose truly disliked her, Irene had no intention of changing her personality to accommodate her.
But one thing Irene was sure of—she would always remain beautiful, as Rose had said. That’s how she was born.
Rose was the first female friend who had ever told Irene that she liked her (even if only in part) as she was.
* * *
Irene’s roommate had finally reached her breaking point. She declared that she could no longer share a room with Irene because it was impossible to meet her standards.
This made Irene the first employee to have gone through three roommates in the two months since her appointment as a civil servant.
“As you know, Miss Irene, we cannot make any special exceptions for you. All of your previous roommates have claimed to be victims. So, if we allow you to have a private room, it would be unfair to others. If you want to continue living in the dormitory, you’ll have to find a new roommate by the end of the week. If you can’t find anyone, well… unfortunately, you’ll have to arrange separate accommodations outside of the Center and commute.”
The dorm manager gave Irene an ultimatum.
Commuting, though inconvenient, wasn’t an impossible option. But for some reason, a certain face kept coming to mind, and it was bothering her.
In the end, Irene called Rose one day and quietly proposed an idea: that Rose become her roommate.
“Ugh… No way.”
Rose, predictably, recoiled at the suggestion.
She didn’t hesitate to say exactly what she thought, complaining that Irene nagged too much, that sharing a dorm room with her would feel like going to work twice a day, and that she’d rather room with their department head.
But in the end, Rose surrendered. Irene’s offer of snacks over time and, most importantly, her stunning beauty, had played their part.
Even after becoming roommates, the two of them fought constantly. Almost every day, there was a new argument.
Irene couldn’t understand Rose.
Why didn’t she wipe off the water after showering, leaving little wet footprints everywhere? Why, when told to clean up the hair she shed on the floor, did she just kick it under the bed with her foot? Why did she wipe her greasy hands on her clothes after eating snacks?
Every time Irene scolded her, Rose would sulk through the first couple of times, but by the third time, she’d start rebelling, saying things like,
“Are you my mom or something? Even my mom never paid this much attention to me!”
Then Irene would snap back,
“That’s obvious, or you wouldn’t have grown up this wild! But don’t worry, I’ll give you all the attention your mom never did!”
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Irene realized she had crossed a line. But somehow, despite the low blow, Rose miraculously became obedient—at least for a few days.
Then, inevitably, Rose would ‘run away’.
…What on earth am I supposed to do with this troublesome brat?
Irene was at her wit’s end. She had never even had a child, yet why did it feel like she was clashing with a rebellious teenage daughter?
And yet, despite all that, when it got late, and she found herself wondering where that tiny thing could be wandering around, she always ended up finding Rose and bringing her back.
She couldn’t quite figure out why. What was so endearing about her that Irene would even buy snacks to coax her back?
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