ROSE “That’s fucking racist,” Rum breathed. “Of course, we go to school! Seriously. We are decent beings. We have our lives too, you know.” I felt his eyes roll heavenward at my ignorance. I tried to pull back, wanting to apologise to him, but he tightened his hold to keep me in his arms. So I whispered in his ear, “Sorry.” “Don’t do that.” “Do what?” “Talk into my ear.” “Why?” “Jesus Christ…,” he grumbled. “My ears are sensitive, that’s why! A-And… you’ll ruin my hearing!” Oh shit! I wouldn’t want to ruin his songs for the other fans! I hastily flipped my cheek, so I’m facing the elevator, and apologised profusely. “Anyway, yes, we do go to school. And we take classes. Not the subjects you humans take.” My interest was piqued again. I asked eagerly, “What kind of subjects?” “Hmm… there’s history, language, practical studies—.” “Practical studies?” “Here, you call them Math and Science. You learn them separately. Back home, we learn them together as one class.”

ROSE Rum looked ready to sink his fangs into the housekeeper. But I’m not about to let him act rashly—he can’t shift now, there are too many people around! So I was on a high alert—ready to jump into anything, just to protect Rum. The second Rum slammed a resentful hand on the table, I quickly stood, my chair shoved back in a sharp drag, as though I was the main character of this dramatic confrontation—not Rum. “GODMOTHER!” I shrieked in a defensive tone. “I’ve told you a million times, you got the wrong guy! This is RUM, MY BOSS. Not Keith!” The couple stared at me, dumbfounded. Looks like they were expecting Rum to make a scene, so when I was the one who caused the ruckus, it was like an ambush punch in their faces. I swung around and Rum was equally shocked by the twist of events. Not giving the couple a second of time to recover and come up with something to foil my own plan, I hastily apologised to make my story convincing. “I’m terribly sorry, Mr. Rum. Please don’t fi

ROSE I stared at Elena in awe as she checked my limbs like a doctor, pressing at significant points, feeling for any broken bones. “Nothing’s broken….” She glanced up at me and reassured me. “Don’t worry. I may not be a Healer, but a Luna has to be just as good with the pre-aids—.” Does she mean ‘First Aid’? “... Take a deep breath… Do you feel any pain?” She looked at me worriedly. Cautiously, I shook my head. “Lungs alright so far.” She pressed my stomach and a sharp ache shut my eyes. And she quickly concluded, “Darn. Abdomen Is bruised. Goddess blast it, you shouldn’t have jumped off like that—it’s dangerous for you!” “Well, you shouldn't have carried me off first!” I protested. “You didn't even ask for permission.” She blinked twice at me and then burst into chuckles. First, Magnus. Now, her. Boy, do they really like to laugh at the most untimely moments. As the chuckles weakened, Elena explained softly, “You remind me so much of a friend I used to know—a Healer."

ROSE Elena was now trying to break the two men apart like a mother hen. “Stop it you two! Ellis!” “Apologise to her!” Ellis grabbed a fistful of Rum’s hair, about to yank it off his scalp, while Rum was pushing Ellis’s chin up, about to break his jaw. “RUM, PLEASE!” I cried out. “Shut up, Rose!” Rum barked, gritting his teeth. I grabbed the remote controller off the table and plucked out the batteries and raised it high, aiming at the two grunting men. “STOP IT, RUM! OR I’LL THROW THIS MERCURY AT YOU!” Instantly, everyone froze. Then, Elena swiftly pulled Ellis behind her. Rum squinted at the thing in my hand then scoffed. “Batteries? Seriously, Rose—.” “APOLOGISE TO ELENA.” I glared at him. The superstar was briefly baffled and then quickly smirked like a sullen teenager. “Or what? Throw that tiny shit at me? Sure. They look like weapons of destruction.” I observed the batteries with amusement. “They are weapons of destruction to werewolves—just cut them open and

ROSE His new song feels… strange. But real. Why do I feel as though it was about me? As though he was singing to me… a confession of undying love for me. I looked away and shut my eyes to push away the thoughts in my head. Don't be silly, Rose. Didn't Rum specifically ask you not to fall in love with him? I opened my eyes and stared at the carpeted floor. That's right. I can’t fall in love with him. I need to stay in this job. If I could be Rum’s assistant for long enough, I would have more opportunities to build my portfolio and become a stylist at B.A.D. Then, I would be one step closer to fulfilling daddy’s dream. Rum stopped strumming abruptly and asked, "What do you think?" My face jolted up to stare at him. “It’s good!” “Don’t you think it’s a bit… dark?” He looked concerned. “Well, the lyrics are different from your usual style. But I still like them.” He was genuinely surprised. “For real?” I nodded sincerely. “I do relate to them—. I mean, they sound hone