Chapter 6

As per usual, Jimin found herself sitting down inside the club room, fiddling with her bass’ strings. 

A lot of things had happened so quickly. She can’t believe that Minjeong actually joined them, and that they became an actual and functioning band.

Part of her feels overjoyed, while the other can’t help but to feel a tad worried for the younger girl. 

Don’t get her wrong, when Minjeong asked her if she could join the band, Jimin almost cried from happiness. But at the same time, a part of her is scared of having pushed the woman to join them. 

Jimin thinks she always knew it deep down, but she just knows there’s something deeper going on between Minjeong and music. Simple stage fright doesn’t send you into a frenzy where you’re ready to hurt yourself like what Jimin had witnessed some weeks ago. 

But now that Minjeong was there with them, Jimin swears that she’ll do anything to help her overcome whatever issue she has with music. 

She’s the one who pushed Minjeong to join the band, so it’s her responsibility to take care of her, isn’t it? 

(And it might also be because she cares about the younger girl a whole lot. More than she might realize actually.)

“Hey there.”

Jimin felt a weight plopping down on the couch next to her, and turned her head in her friend’s direction. 

“Rough day?”

Aeri, who had her hair completely disheveled and huge eyebags, groaned. “You could say that… I spent the whole night working on a project, just for it to be pushed back to next week…”

Jimin supportively patted her best friend’s head, and returned to her bass. “I think the other two won’t be here before a while, so you can nap if you want. Minjeong told me she has late classes today. But I’m not sure about Yizhuo though.”

Aeri, who was like a zombie mere seconds ago, seemed to immediately wake up. She sent a teasing glance to a clueless Jimin. “Oooh, so you and Minjeong are on a daily talking basis?”

Jimin scratched her cheek, feeling embarrassed. “We’re just chatting from time to time…” 

Aeri kept her wide grin on, and Jimin tried her best to wipe it off of her because it was starting to be annoying! “Besides, isn’t it normal to warn your bandmate about your schedule changes?”

“Uh uh, of course Jimin, of course.” Aeri’s huge grin was in full swing, and Jimin is sure that at this exact moment, her hidden feelings got busted. Maybe it has been the case ever since she first introduced Minjeong to her best friend actually.

In fact, Jimin knows Aeri is fully aware of everything, just like she herself is. She knows that what she feels for Minjeong isn’t just mere friendship. And she learnt that ever since she first laid her eyes on the younger woman, back when she first saw her in the empty classroom. A lonely figure sitting down with a sole guitar as her companion. Looking absolutely ethereal. 

The sole sight of Minjeong managed to pull Jimin in with an indescribable force, and she willingly let herself get dragged to the depth that is Kim Minjeong, without even pulling a fight. Who was she to deny falling for such a beautiful and special girl? 

Jimin isn’t a superficial person though! Of course, she thinks that Minjeong is the prettiest woman she had ever laid her eyes upon. But she thinks that she really started to like the younger woman in that way over the course of their friendly banters and easy-going discussions. 

It had happened so fast, but it had felt so natural. The very first time Jimin took Minjeong’s hand in hers, it was as if two pieces of a puzzle had found their ways to each other. As if they were two magnets who had waited an eternity to finally be connected with each other again. 

The moment might have been messy, and Minjeong’s hand might have been bloody, something that is completely unromantic. But despite all of the pain and tension lingering in the air of that moment back in the classroom, Jimin thinks… No. She knows that her feelings for Minjeong switched from simple curiosity to a deep fondness she would like to call romantic affection, the second their hands had connected.

Everything just feels so easy with her. Jimin knows that they haven't known each other since a while, and that they still have so much to learn about the other. But the sole prospect of spending even more time with Minjeong and truly getting to pierce through the thick walls surrounding her, is enough to make Jimin feel excited. 

Maybe she should tell Aeri. After all, the girl has been her best friend for years, and Jimin isn’t sure if she can keep those feelings to herself for long anyways. She thought about it for approximately… five seconds, before blurting it out. 

Screw this, Aeri knows anyways!

“I think I have a crush on Minjeong.”

Aeri, who unsurprisingly didn’t look surprised at all, smiled even more. “Took you long enough to figure it out, Jimin.” 

Embarrassed but relieved at the same time, Jimin smacked her best friend’s arm lightly. “Hey, those kinds of things aren’t easy to say out loud, cut me some chase!”

But it only made Aeri laugh louder. “Alright lover girl, I won’t tease you too much!” The laughter may have ceased, but the glint of mischief stayed in the half japanese’s eyes. “Do you plan on telling her?”

Oh right. Jimin completely forgot that she can’t just endlessly pine over the girl, but actually needs to do something about it. She can totally just keep it to herself and try to ignore it of course. But is this really what she wants?

“I should…” 

Aeri, who until now looked amused by the whole situation, suddenly wore a more serious expression. “Do you want to though?”

Does she want to? The first answer coming to Jimin’s mind is obviously yes. She wants to be able to like Minjeong freely, and to tell her. She wants them to be able to hold hands anytime, to spend their whole days together and to just be able to call each other theirs . 

There’s still the possibility of Minjeong not reciprocating her feelings though. Which is, in Jimin’s mind, most likely the case. Minjeong had never mentioned anything about being interested in romance, and in other people as a whole. 

So maybe Jimin should just keep this for herself? 

She couldn’t help but to frown, trying to come up with an answer to her own question. “I’m not sure… I mean, I really like her, and I want her to like me too of course! But I’m not even sure she even cares about all of this. Hell, maybe she has someone already? I wouldn’t be surprised though, she’s so pretty and fun and-” 

“Okay I’ll stop you right there,” interrupted Aeri, who raised her hand in a stop motion right in front of Jimin’s face, successfully shutting her best friend’s runny mouth up. “Yizhuo told me you’re the only person Minjeong properly talks with aside from her, so I seriously doubt she has someone already.”

“Really?” The way Jimin’s face immediately lit up was akin to a puppy seeing a treat for the first time. Who could blame her though? She was ready to give up any prospect of ever sharing her growing feelings with Minjeong, but Aeri, like a long-awaited savior, came to deliver the best information Jimin had heard today. 

“Really!” chuckled Aeri, happy to see that her friend’s mood had lifted up already. “Besides, she seems to love hanging out with you, doesn’t she? Maybe that means she might like you too, who knows.”

The news made Jimin even more eager to actually tell her. Somehow, just thinking about Minjeong’s smiling face pushed all of her previous worries away. 

“I think I’ll tell her after the performance then.” 

Aeri nodded in agreement. “I think that’s wise yeah.” However, she suddenly pinched Jimin’s cheek, earning a small whine from her. “Now that we’re settled on that, you better focus on the concert, Jimin!”

Jimin, who helplessly tried to get away from Aeri’s tight grip, yelped. “Yes ma’am- stop it, it hurts!”

Jimin isn’t sure if she’s ready, but at least the deadline she fixed herself gives her enough time to properly think about it. She really hopes that Minjeong feels the same… or at least, that she won’t hate her after she tells her… 

But Jimin is an optimistic person! She might be dense at times, but knowing that she’s one of the only people Minjeong actually let in is very reassuring. At the very least, if she can’t hold Minjeong’s hand as her lover, she will stand by her as a friend.

But she suddenly remembered something her friend had just said. “Wait, when did Yizhuo and you become besties?”

Aeri looked like she had been caught red handed. “Well we’re band mates so…”

How could she possibly tell Jimin that Yizhuo and her had basically become besties after sharing the pain of their best friends pining for each other for this long already! 

***

Hidden behind a pile of abnormally large books, Minjeong could only groan seeing the heavy workload that had piled up in the past days. 

After hearing that they would be performing at the university’s festival, all she could think about was to practice and quickly get even better at guitar. For the first time in her life, she would be playing music. And not just for herself, or for Jimin. But for a whole room of people. 

Obviously, she had been practicing with the whole band every time they had met after school. And Minjeong was so glad to see that their sounds were finally blending together, meticulously crafting a soft and steady harmony with each session and day. 

But, driven by the desire to not be a burden for the band, Minjeong had been practicing even harder than usual these past days.

And the result? A good four days worth of work had piled up, and Minjeong sadly found herself trying to complete all of her assignments on this friday afternoon, when she should be enjoying it by falling into a well-deserved nap instead. 

Working on assignments and studying on a friday should be criminal after all! 

But here she was nonetheless, drowning in Law’s usual complex sentences and nonsensical cases. Minjeong had to push through though. She might complain about her course approximately… everyday, but she still enjoys what she’s studying. A tad bit. 

But also, she just wants her parents to be content with her academic results. Because the sooner that happens, the sooner she will be free to finally pursue what she truly loves : music. 

She has never thought of turning music into a career though. After all, she couldn’t even imagine playing alongside other people, or even for other people until a few weeks ago. Besides, while her parents, and especially her mother, did everything to keep this part of her away from her life, Minjeong can’t help but to still love them, and seek their approval. 

So she won’t let Law defeat her so easily! 

And with a newfound sense of determination, Minjeong pushed through, and ‘locked in’. 

She doesn’t know how long she stayed there studying, but by the time she was done with four whole case studies out of five, the person in charge of the school library came to her, telling her they were closing. 

It was only 6pm though. But then again, who the hell studies on a friday afternoon… And even the school library seems to agree with this tacit rule apparently! 

Gathering all of her belongings, Minjeong quickly made her way out of the building, not wanting to stay longer than she already had. But on her way downstairs, she bumped into a tall figure, who caught her right before they could fall on the floor.

“Woah!” The grip around her waist was firm, but soft enough to not hurt her. “Are you okay?”

Feeling embarrassed getting caught in such a pathetic situation, Minjeong purposely avoided the person’s gaze. “Y-yeah sorry…”

Seconds passed, but the arm around her waist stayed in place. What the hell?

As she was about to shout at this stranger to leave her alone, Minjeong raised her head, but was surprisingly met with a very familiar face. “Jimin?”

Hearing her name, Jimin seemingly snapped out of her daze, and released Minjeong’s waist. The lack of contact made Minjeong’s skin feel unusually cold. 

“Sorry!” Jimin quickly tucked her hands in her jacket’s pockets. She looked so fluffy that Minjeong was fighting against the pure impulse of just engulfing the older woman in a hug. She’s a hundred percent sure that Jimin feels as warm as a teddy bear. “Are you on your way home?”

Minjeong, who finally focused back on the situation at hand, nodded. “Mhm, I just got done with work now.”

Jimin looked at her with a compassionate gaze. “That sounds tough…” and to Minjeong’s surprise, Jimin affectionately patted her head. She did not hate it though. Not at all. If anything, she loved it and a part of her wanted to beg for the older woman to put her hand back on top of her head again when she retrieved it.

Feeling like her cheeks warmed up a bit, Minjeong looked down and pouted. “It’s fine, I’m used to the workload…” She looked through the nearby window, and noticed how dark it actually was outside. “Ugh, I don’t look forward to go back home this late…”

“I can walk you home! If you want to of course…”

Ah. It seems like Minjeong spoke her thoughts out loud. How embarrassing…

Jimin’s proposal did sound lovely though. Having a company, and it being Jimin out of everyone, sounded really good at the moment. “I-is it okay? I really don’t want to be a bother…”

“It’s more than okay!” Jimin’s voice had been louder than usual, and apparently she noticed, because her ears visibly reddened. 

“Cute…” thought Minjeong. “If it’s okay with you then, I’d love that Jimin,” she said, sending the other girl a warm smile.

“Great!” Jimin, who usually looked more like a black cat, was more similar to an overly excited puppy at that moment. It was such an adorable sight though. Minjeong definitely doesn’t complain!

The two quickly made their way out of the building, and began walking towards Minjeong’s dorm room. 

“Do you live far from here?”

Minjeong slightly skipped over a puddle. It had rained all day but gladly, it had stopped while she had been studying at the library. “Nope, I’m just like ten minutes away.”

“Alright.” Jimin sounded… disappointed? Minjeong couldn’t really pinpoint the reason for it and for once, she decided to actually ask about it, feeling like teasing her friend a bit.

“You almost sound disappointed.”

Jimin, who looked a bit surprised, quietly cleared her throat. “I mean, I’m glad you’re close and all. It’s safer!” She looked down at her shoes, and tucked her hands even further in her pockets.

“But I kinda wanted to stay longer with you.”

Oh.

This definitely took Minjeong by surprise. She was expecting the woman to just brush off her teasing or something! But she really didn’t expect her to just… blurt out something like that. 

Minjeong shared the sentiment though. It had been a while since the two had last hung out. They had seen each other a lot at practice, but it was never just the two of them anymore. Don’t get her wrong though, she loves Yizhuo, and gets along really well with Aeri! But time alone with Jimin is something she definitely misses. 

So, driven by a sudden sense of bravery, Minjeong looked in front of her and tugged Jimin’s sleeve slightly. 

“Are you up for some ice cream?”

Jimin’s face seemed to light up at the suggestion. She vigorously shook her head in agreement, and firmly grabbed Minjeong’s hand. 

The sudden contact sent chills down her spine, and she felt like her palm was so damp. But it felt so good and natural at the same time. 

She properly adjusted her hand in Jimin’s, and flashed a warm smile towards the older girl. “Let’s go then!”

They entered the bright convenience store, and both got the ice cream they wanted. Minjeong got a ppangppare, a soft and cloud-like ice cream, accompanied by its crunchy waffle cone, while Jimin chose a Papico ice cream.

When they arrived at the counter, Jimin hurriedly got her card out, and paid for the both of them. 

“You didn’t have to…” said Minjeong when they were exiting the store. 

Jimin smiled affectionately at her. “But I wanted to.” How can Jimin switch from being such an awkward ball of energy, to this chivalrous and handsome woman so easily? 

Yu Jimin, please beware of Minjeong’s heart. What you’re doing to it is way too dangerous to be considered legal! Law student’s words!

They settled down on a bench in a nearby park, and started munching on their ice cream, all while mindlessly chatting. 

Conversations with Jimin were easy. So easy that, amidst all of her usual inner turmoils, Minjeong feels entirely at peace when she’s with the older woman. 

She really didn’t want to go home and from the looks of it, Jimin didn’t either. So they stayed there, both purposely ignoring the time, and chatted the night away. 

And during all of this time, they never let go of each other’s hand.