4. She's Disappeared

"I knew you’d be captivated by her too." Leo’s voice drew Arsen’s attention to the girl.

"Who is she?" Arsen asked curiously.

"Her name is Rose. She’s every man’s fantasy. But none of those men have ever felt her body," Leo explained, his gaze fixed on Rose.

The girl sat at the bar counter, sipping a glass of tequila. Many men tried to approach her, but they immediately backed off in an orderly fashion the moment they were met with a sharp glare from those beautiful eyes.

“Stupid men! Don’t they get it? If Rose is wearing all black, that means she’s just had a run-in with someone,” Leo muttered after he’d had his fill of watching Rose.

Arsen furrowed his brow, growing even more curious. “What do you mean?”

“Where have you been, buddy? She’s already famous among a lot of guys. You know, she’s put a few men in a coma. So don’t get involved with her if you don’t want to end up like them,” Leo replied in a low voice.

Arsen furrowed his brow even more. How could a girl that beautiful be that cruel? She even looked fragile.

He kept his sharp gaze fixed on Rose while occasionally sipping his hot chocolate. As if aware that someone was watching her intently, she turned to Arsen and gave him a cold stare capable of sending chills down anyone’s spine—except Arsen, of course.

That icy stare didn’t last long because the next moment, Rose flashed a seductive smile while winking at him. There was no denying that it made Arsen’s heart race. Slowly, Rose walked toward Arsen, causing him to swallow hard.

When she was right beside Arsen, Leo raised an eyebrow at his friend’s reaction—Arsen was frozen, staring up at her. Rose merely glanced at Leo briefly before turning her gaze back to Arsen with a smile.

“Hi, I’m Rose. May I ask your name, Handsome?” Rose asked, twirling a strand of her hair.

Arsen remained silent, still fixated on Rose, until Leo kicked his leg and cleared his throat. He stammered and looked at Leo with a confused expression. But Leo merely raised an eyebrow, then nodded toward Rose, who was still standing beside them.

“Oh, hi! What are you...” Arsen stopped mid-sentence because Leo kicked his leg again under the table. The man mouthed the word “your name” silently, causing Arsen to quickly look up again. “Oh, my name is Arsen. Nice to meet you, Beautiful,” he continued, taking her right hand and kissing the back of it.

Rose giggled, then sat down next to the two of them without asking. She crossed her legs and brushed the hair that fell across her chest aside, allowing Arsen to clearly see her slender neck.

“So, do you come here often?” Rose asked, staring intently at Arsen. Several times, she deliberately bit her lips, which were coated in maroon lipstick.

“Huh? Umm… yeah, sort of,” Arsen stammered, then laughed awkwardly.

His brain was completely unable to think clearly, because the scent of her perfume made his blood race. His eyes didn’t leave anything Rose did, not even the movement of her lips as she spoke.

Leo snorted at his friend’s embarrassing behavior. This usually happened whenever Arsen was around a pretty girl who caught his eye, as if the whole world belonged to him alone.

“So… do you have other plans tonight? Would you mind showing me around Portland? I’m new here, so it would be great if you’d take me to some of the amazing spots in this city,” Rose asked, propping her chin up with her left hand. Her tongue slowly licked her lower lip once, causing Arsen to widen his eyes slightly.

Arsen cleared his throat briefly, then glanced at Leo, who immediately shrugged his shoulders.

“I have plans elsewhere. Hope you two have a great night,” Leo said, getting up from his chair.

“So?” Rose asked, a smile playing on her lips.

“Umm, of course. We’ll go wherever you want,” Arsen replied, unable to hold back a smile.

Now he was actually grateful to Leo for forcing him to leave his apartment. This mysterious girl had made him fall in love at first sight, accompanied by a fluttering sensation that kept his heart from beating normally.

But was this really love at first sight?

***

The loud ring of his cell phone woke Arsen from his sleep. He glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand, which read 8 a.m. He immediately recalled his time with Rose last night, making him feel more alive and energetic.

That girl had managed to let him enjoy the beauty of an autumn night in her own way.

Those fleeting memories with her had managed to lessen the dark shadow that had kept making him hate autumn, even if only slightly. Still, he realized that he was alone again. Suddenly, his heart felt empty, and fear washed over him.

He didn’t know why, but he was afraid he might never see that girl again. Yet he’d never felt that way about any other girl before. With unsteady steps, he entered the bathroom and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

Was that girl just an illusion? "But I can still clearly remember her voice and laughter from a few hours ago. Everything she did keeps replaying in my mind," He thought, frustrated.

He quickly washed himself and stepped out of the bathroom wearing only a towel. He grabbed his smartphone from the nightstand, found Leo’s contact, and called him.

“Leo, can you find out everything about Rose?” he asked right away as soon as Leo picked up the call.

[Did you spend the night with her?] Leo’s voice sounded curious.

“Yeah, and now that girl has vanished. For God’s sake, I really want that girl. Please find out where she is, no matter what it takes. I forgot to ask for her ID last night, or even her phone number.” Arsen walked over to the wardrobe and looked through its contents.

[Ugh, forgot? What kind of excuse is that? But be careful, buddy. You could end up getting arrested] Leo warned in a serious tone.

"I don’t care, okay. She makes me feel different and more excited about life," he replied as he grabbed a black long-sleeved shirt and put it on.

[It looks like you’re falling for her. Is she really that great? No signs that she’s like what I told you yesterday?] Leo asked.

"No, she’s just like any other girl. It’s just that she’s much braver and doesn’t hesitate to show her interest in me. Isn’t that nice? I thought she was just a spoiled, moody girl like the rest of them, but it turns out I was wrong," Arsen said as he put on his jeans.

[Huh? Seriously? How is that possible? Isn’t she...]

“I don’t know myself. But that’s exactly why she makes me even more curious to get closer to her and win her over. She’s truly mysterious,” Arsen replied as he walked toward the bed.

[Okay, I’ll try to find out more about that girl later. Don’t forget to go to campus. Isn’t today your thesis exam? I’m going to work first. Good luck with the exam. See you.]

The sound of the call disconnecting rang out on his phone. He tossed the phone onto the bed, and his eyes accidentally caught sight of a small black object.

He approached the object and picked it up. It was a black rose-shaped earring he’d found earlier on his car seat. He kissed the earring, savoring the lingering scent of Rose perfume still clinging to it.

“I’ll find you as soon as possible, Mysterious Girl,” he murmured with determination, then placed the earring on the nightstand.

He had to head to campus for his exam right away, and after that, he would search for Rose. The girl who had managed to make him fall head over heels in just one night.

Would he succeed in finding her? Or was their encounter the first and last time? One thing was certain: he wouldn’t give up on searching for that girl, no matter what it took.