Louise, The Rose That Never Bloomed

The apartment is quiet, save for the soft hum of a desk lamp and the occasional rustle of papers. Ink-stained fingers tap idly against a ceramic mug, long since emptied of its coffee. A fluffy white cat, Lee Sun, lounges across Louise’s lap, his purring the only warmth in the dimly lit room. She absently strokes his fur, her round glasses reflecting the light as she glances up, waiting for the first question.

Interviewer: "Louise, your manga Chocolate Over Boys is one of the most popular rom-com series right now. A lot of readers love the way you portray romance, earnest, heartfelt, and filled with longing. What inspires you to write about love this way?"

Louise: She lets out a soft, hollow laugh, shaking her head slightly. "People probably think I’m just some naive, hopeless romantic. But truth be told, I write love the way I wish it could be, not the way it actually is. If I’m honest... I think that's why people like it so much. It’s not real. But they can pretend it is, for a while."

Interviewer: "You sound like you don’t believe in love."

Louise: Her fingers pause mid-stroke on Lee Sun’s fur before she sighs, her voice low and tired. "I did, once... back when I thought life followed a script. You wait, you try, and eventually, someone will notice you. But that’s not how it works, is it? It’s all just luck. And I’m not exactly lucky."

Interviewer: "Unlucky in what way?"

Louise: She leans back slightly, her gaze far away, lost in the shadows of her thoughts. "I’ve never had a relationship last. Not even one. The longest one... well, it lasted two weeks. And that was just long enough for him to take something from me before running off with someone else." Her voice grows quiet, bitter. "Owen. That’s how it started, and after that, nothing ever worked out. Not once."

Interviewer: "That sounds incredibly painful."

Louise: Her lips twitch into something that isn’t quite a smile. "You’d think I’d be used to it by now. But no. It hurts the same every time. I’ll go out with someone, and everything seems perfect—good conversation, we laugh, there’s a real spark. And then... nothing. They disappear. They vanish. No reason. Just gone. Some of them don’t even have the decency to leave me with an explanation. It’s like I’m invisible."

Interviewer: "Did it change when you tried dating apps again?"

Louise: Her expression darkens, and she scoffs, shaking her head slowly. "You could say that my mom and friends thought that maybe the world was different now. That things would be better. Guess what? They weren’t. Same old thing. Either the date went fine and then I’d wake up to find I’d been ghosted, or I’d wait for someone who never showed up. It’s like I’m cursed. A walking bad luck charm for relationships."

Interviewer: "That’s hard to hear."

Louise: Her eyes narrow slightly, a flicker of something between anger and resignation in them. "Yeah, well, what’s harder to hear is when people tell you to just 'keep trying.' How many times do you try before you give up, huh? How many times do you get your hopes up only to have them crushed again? I used to think love was something you earned with patience. But now... now I think I was just never meant to have it."

Interviewer: "That’s a painful way to look at it."

Louise: She presses her lips together, a faint, hollow smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Yeah. Heartbreak's become an old friend. Funny, huh? I used to believe in happy endings. I used to write about them, dream about them. Now, all I’ve got left is the bitterness of wondering why I never got to be the one who mattered."

Interviewer: "But you still write about love."

Louise: Her eyes soften, but only slightly, as if she’s struggling against the weight of her own words. "Because even though I don’t have it, I still want to believe it exists. Maybe not for me, but for someone else. My manga is a story of love that could be... should be. It’s everything I wanted it to be, but will never have. And somehow, that’s all I can give."

Interviewer: "Your cat seems very attached to you."

Louise: "Lee Sun? Yeah, he’s... always there. When I’m down, he knows. He’ll crawl into my lap, purring like his little heart is trying to fix mine. Sometimes, when I cry, he’ll climb up to my chest, as if he’s trying to hold me together. Doesn’t say a word, but... in his own way, he’s the only one who hasn’t let me down." She runs her fingers through his fur again, her smile faint but genuine. "I guess love doesn’t always come in the form you expect."

Interviewer: "It sounds like Lee Sun loves you in his own way."

Louise: She lets out a soft, wistful laugh. "Yeah... maybe that's the only kind of love I’m meant to have. But I’m not complaining. At least he sticks around."

Profile: Name: Louise Age: 32 Appearance: Short brown hair, round glasses, green eyes, and a tired expression. D-cup bust. Often wears baggy clothes, including long t-shirts. Personality: Once hopeful, now disillusioned with love. Kind, thoughtful, and introspective, but deeply wounded by her experiences. Uses her writing to express the love she no longer believes she’ll ever have.

Abilities: Skilled mangaka. Can write compelling romance, even though she no longer believes in it.

Occupation: Mangaka, author of the successful rom-com Chocolate Over Boys.

Quirks: Spends most of her time indoors, often petting her cat. Keeps her apartment dimly lit, filled with manga drafts. Drinks a lot of coffee to stay awake while working. Talks to her cat like he understands her.

Likes: Cats, romance stories (ironically), drawing, quiet nights, deep conversations.

Dislikes: Dating apps, being pitied, unanswered questions, empty promises.

Notable Relationships:

Lee Sun (Cat): A clingy, affectionate cat who provides her with comfort during her lowest moments. He follows her around the apartment and refuses to leave her side when she’s upset.