Double Date

A Couple of Days Ago

“Minjeong,” Yizhuo called out to her over the phone, her best friend told her she needed to ask her a big favor, so she answered the call. Minjeong hummed in reply. “Minjeeeooong,” her best friend was whining due to her lackluster response, and it made her sigh.

“What did you do this time?” she asked as she was going over a case that was assigned to the class by their professor. The woman had to multitask right now since she wanted to do something productive that night and studying was always the best answer to that.

Yizhuo scoffed and feigned offense. “Wow, can’t I say hi to my best friend? Without any conditions?”

“You can,” Minjeong replied, trying to sound bland but she couldn’t hold in a giggle. “You’re also a bad liar.”

“Okay, true,” Yizhuo admitted, then she shifted in her position and there was rustling on her line. “But do you remember the police officer that almost gave me a ticket?”

“I recall,” Minjeong said, furrowing her brow to try and remember which person Yizhuo was referring to. And when she did, she made a face. “What do you mean almost? She did give you a ticket.”

“Details,” Yizhuo dismissed the statement and cleared her throat. “Anyway, she’s asking me out and she told me she has a best friend that’s also single soooo…”

“No,” Minjeong immediately answered.

“Please!” Yizhuo whined again. “Look, it’s been months since your breakup and as much as I want you to bask in your single new girl new me era, I think going on a date again would be fun! Come on, I promise it’ll be fun and I’m willing to cut my date short if it makes you uncomfortable.”

Minjeong raised her brow at that, not like Yizhuo could see it but she hoped she could feel it through the phone. “Or how about having your first date with the girl without me?”

“Uh yeah, but single friend is single and I have a single friend too.” Yizhuo scoffed, then she hummed to herself. “I heard she’s tall? Don’t you like tall men and women?”

“Is that the only information you got about this friend?” She wanted to roll her eyes, did Yizhuo think she was that shallow just to go on a blind date?

“To be honest, not much. I just asked if she was a good person and not secretly a serial killer or something,” Yizhuo stated. “But the only reason why I agreed to it was cause she’s, again, single and a police officer. Plus, she’s been Aeri’s best friend since middle school.”

That finally got Minjeong’s full attention, and she placed her ball pen down on the table, intrigued. “Also a police officer?”

“Yeah, said they’ve joined the police academy at the same time. Then they got employed together too, and they’re in the same team.”

“Do you know their name?”

“What are the odds that it’s Jimin?” Minjeong humored the thought. Because she knew that Jimin was a police officer and the fact that this Aeri girl Yizhuo liked was the best friend of this person. She recalled that Jimin said she had a best friend too. But she didn't know if this was Jimin, she wasn’t able to ask her neighbor any more details about her friends since she was hoping to meet them organically when given the chance. And if she were to put the pieces together like that, it would make her sound assuming of the whole thing.

Minjeong huffed and tried to not think about Jimin in her uniform. When she first saw her neighbor in it, she tried her best not to stare because it wasn’t everyday where she saw a woman wear it and look extremely attractive. Plus, she had to push those thoughts away because she was still in a relationship at that time and checking out other people made her feel like a cheater, and she knew she wasn’t the type.

But could Minjeong really deny the sight of an attractive person in front of her?

However, the thoughts of Jimin made her feel a bit bitter. Her neighbor was obviously avoiding her and Minjeong has absolutely no idea why she was. She even baked cookies for Jimin and Chaeyoung and it was only the shorter neighbor that thanked her for it. Minjeong honestly thought that was one way to get her and Jimin to talk again, but it was evident that it didn’t work.

Minjeong just wanted to know if what she made was good. It was an insecurity of hers. But she knew she should be satisfied with how Chaeyoung and her girlfriend praised her for it. She just hated herself for seeking the approval from the other neighbor.

She would be lying if she said she wasn’t disappointed about this entire situation with Jimin. She really thought they were doing okay and Minjeong enjoyed her company. She was trying to think of the many things she did in front of Jimin that would make the older woman avoid her.

She really was hoping they would be friends, but maybe it was high time for her to stop fussing over it and leave it be. Maybe they were just meant to be neighbors and she had to deal with it. Maybe that was what Jimin wanted, and she couldn’t do anything about that.

When Minjeong noticed Yizhuo’s lack of response, she shook herself out of her thoughts, “Ning, do you know their name?” she asked again.

“Oh!” Yizhuo giggled. “Nope!”

“You didn’t ask for their name?!” Minjeong asked, baffled.

“Where’s the thrill in that?” Yizhuo said teasingly. “Look, if you really want to know the name, then go on the date.” Her best friend made sure to emphasize her words and it made Minjeong let out an exasperated sigh.

“Ugh, fine!”

Yizhuo squealed excitedly. “I love you! I’ll send the details to you later! Bye!”

“I’m going to regret this, am I?” Minjeong asked herself as she stared at her phone after Yizhuo hung up. She sighed. “Yeah, I probably will.”

Present Time

She got to the restaurant thirty minutes earlier than the expected time. It wasn’t because she was excited. She knew that. Or more of, she was trying to convince herself that it wasn’t the case. Minjeong just didn’t like the thought of being late for a gathering that had other people in it, she just didn’t want to make a bad first impression. To Aeri and the best friend, who was supposedly her blind date.

It had been six months since Jeno broke up with her. She wanted to believe that it was about time to get out and got back on the dating horse. Maybe that could be the reason why she was willing to put herself in potential danger by agreeing to the double date.

If Yizhuo offered a blind date only then she would have automatically said no. She wasn't that desperate. She just didn't know if she was truly ready to date again.

Because Minjeong hadn’t been in a relationship with anyone but Jeno since high school. A part of her felt like she was willing to settle with him once she passed the board exams and had her own law firm, and then finally decide to get married and then all the other stuff that happened in life, because she knew that would follow naturally. Because at that time, they were in love and wanted to be with each other.

In the end, it only made sense to her, but not to him. She wasn't stupid. She knew that familiarity struck him hard, he wasn't happy with their situation or with her anymore and he probably met someone else. Someone new, someone exciting.

Someone that wasn’t her.

And she knew that he would move on faster than her graduating law school. Heck, she bet that he had already moved on the moment he asked to break up. Because if she could recall, he had no genuine remorse when he was throwing the bomb on her.

Minjeong still remembered that night. They way he didn’t even wait until they reached her apartment, telling her that they needed to talk in the dark streets of the city and just telling her that he wanted to break up. Jeno spared her most of the details on why he wanted to split, he just gave a half ass excuse that he wanted something more and he didn't think that he could get it if he stayed with her and that he wouldn't be a good partner to her if he was like that.

She remembered begging him to give it a chance, but with the way he said everything, the certainty in his voice, she knew that it was a one woman battle at that point and she was forced to raise her white flag of surrender.

It was probably the most pathetic moment of her life. But Minjeong knew herself more than anyone, with her demeanor, she really wasn’t the type to just fight when both parties weren't willing to put the same amount of effort. She had to let him go.

So, to hell with it. Jeno was a chapter in her life that she was willing to close easily. She knew she could. She just didn't know why she hadn’t even tried. Maybe she just wanted to prioritize herself for once and not think about anyone. Self-care was always important, and her friends would always remind her about that.

Minjeong knew she had replaced Jeno with her studies ever since he left. Because that was honestly the only way, she could distract her from the heartbreak. But she was not entirely sure if she had moved on, or if she could look at another human being that way and say that she was willing to try again.

“Oh?” She looked up from her phone at the sound of a familiar voice, eyes slowly going wide as the person’s face registered. ”Minjeong?”

“Jimin? What are you doing here?” To say she was flabbergasted would be an understatement. But there was Jimin, looking cute in her pigtails and bomber jacket, staring at her like she was a ghost. Minjeong knew she was looking at her the same way.

Before the older woman could answer, Yizhuo arrived just in time, hand already wrapped around her date’s arm. “Oh my god! Sorry we’re late!” She looked at Jimin and smiled, pointing her open palm to Minjeong. “Jimin this is Minjeong, my—”

“Neighbor.”

“Neighbor.”

They both said at the same time.