Seeking permission

"Ugh, where is it?" I huffed in frustration, my hands rifling through the mess in my closet. My bedroom had turned into a chaotic mess, now filled with clothes scattered all over, but that wasn't going to stop me on my mission.

Matilda, who had come over, was sitting on my bed with a fashion magazine featuring Black Pink. She seemed completely absorbed in the glossy pages, her legs crossed as she leaned back, her arm resting on my pillow.

"It was right here; I placed it right here," I continued my mumbling, pointing at the now empty wardrobe. I gently massaged my temples, feeling a headache creeping in. This had been going on for over half an hour, and my room was now disorganized. Even the thought of tidying up after this was exhausting.

Matilda, on the other hand, felt unbothered by my constant frustrated sighs; she didn't even spare me one glance. One could hear the constant flipping of pages as her fingers danced gracefully over each page. "Look how beautiful Rosé is in this red dress. She looks like a pretty rose," she chuckled, tapping on the open magazine placed on her lap. "You see what I did there, rose, rosé."

"Haha, very funny," I half-heartedly chuckled, not genuinely amused, only responding to her not-so-funny jokes, which were not of any help to my present situation. I swiftly tilted my head backward; my gaze met with her, but she didn't notice as she was still engrossed in her reading.

"Are you going to keep flipping through those pages or will you help me out?" I groaned, letting out an exasperated sigh before collapsing on the mound of clothes.

"Uhm... no, I came here to help you pick outfits for the concert, not whatever you are doing," she waved her hand in the air, shoving me aside, her gaze not leaving the book which she held.

"Matilda, please, just help me out this once. I promise we can get back to flipping through your precious magazines after we find what I'm looking for," I pleaded with desperation in my voice.

Matilda finally tore her gaze away from the magazine, a look of mock disappointment on her face. "Fine, fine. But only because I'm such a great friend," she said with an exaggerated sigh, setting the magazine aside and joining me on the floor.

I couldn't be any happier, which caused me to smile in relief, grateful that Matilda was willing to lend a hand. "Thank you. I knew I could count on you." I sat back up, glancing over at my best friend who now sat beside me.

As we resumed our search, Matilda raised an eyebrow curiously. "So, what exactly are we looking for? Or is this some sort of top-secret mission you're on?" She teased me by bumping me on the shoulder.

I shot her a glare, getting the hint behind her words. "Don't bring that up," I scolded. Earlier, when Matilda came over, she had asked me about what happened at Jake's mansion. At first, it was just a simple conversation describing what transpired, and I had told her everything except for the bedroom scene, which I found extremely embarrassing. Jake's sister was also included on the list of things I told her; it was too much of a mystery not to be shared, after all.

"Maybe she's adopted or worse, maybe she was kidnapped," Matilda had said. She was fully convinced that Jake and the little girl were not related, even though I mentioned how much they looked alike. "Don't say that; they are siblings. He mentioned it himself," I defended Jake but still had my suspicions.

"Maybe that's what he wants you to think, and maybe Jake is also in on it. His family might be running secret underground illegal activities. They could be working with a dangerous mafia group."

"Now you are just hallucinating," I tapped her forehead, hopefully trying to bring her back to her right senses. "You need to stop watching too many kdramas; it's messing with your brain." I shoved her forcefully to the side, causing her to fall on my bed before her gaze fell on the magazine. Now she was trying to bring up that conversation.

"I am not the one who asked you to date a possible mafia boss," she said nonchalantly, picking up a blue jacket lying on the pile and tossing it to the side.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Don't act like you didn't have a huge crush on Jake. You were literally drooling over him and Samantha's relationship."

"I was young and immature," she retorted, her voice carrying a hint of defensiveness, a weak attempt to downplay what had happened in the past.

"That was only two months ago; you just turned 18 then," I shot back at her, watching her as she rolled her eyes, a smile creeping by the corner of her lips. "Whatever," she said. "Now what are we looking for?"

"Do you remember the Blackpink poster I got last year?" I asked. Matilda sat in thought before gasping and saying, "Yeah, you wanted to hang it in your room. Why do you need that now?"

"For the concert. If we meet the members, we can have their autograph, and then I can paste it in my room, admiring it all day." I sighed dreamingly, staring at the wall behind my bed as I visualized the poster already being hung there.

Matilda gave me a knowing smirk, understanding the sentimental value behind the poster. "Ah, I see. The prized possession, huh?" She began sifting through the mess with renewed motivation, eager to help me find the poster.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Matilda triumphantly pulled the folded poster from underneath a pile of clothes. "Eureka! Found it!" she exclaimed, holding it up victoriously.

I couldn't hide my relief and excitement as I took the poster from her. "You're a lifesaver, Matilda! Now we're all set for the concert." I carefully unfolded the poster, revealing the vibrant images of the Blackpink members.

Matilda grinned, her teasing mood returning. "Well, since we've successfully completed this top-secret mission, I suppose I can go back to admiring Rosé in that red dress." She playfully nudged me.

I couldn't help but laugh. "Of course, but only if you promise not to make any more conspiracy theories about Jake's family. It seems like a very sensitive topic to Jake."

"Oh, she cares... awwn," she teased me once again, but I could do nothing but stare at her blankly, words caught in my throat. Matilda raised her hands in mock surrender before saying, "Deal! I promise not to bring up any sensitive topic about your boyfriend."

"Stop." I threw a dress at her, but she was quick enough to dodge it before letting out a mocking laugh.

We both chuckled, but the smile on my face quickly faded when she asked, "How did your parents react to you going to the concert?"

I lowered my gaze, my lips parted before saying in a mumble. "That, I haven't told them yet."