Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Minjeong remembers the first time she ever swam.

The chill waters engulfed her body full heartedly, and it was like being born again. Unlike other children, Minjeong let her instructor carefully let them teach her that going under water wasn’t scary. And at 8 years old, little Minjeong begged her parents to enroll her in more swim classes.

She grew to love the waters, finding it calming whenever she took a dip, a round back and forth enough to make her forget about how bad her day was. As soon as she’d get out, a smile occupied her lips willingly.

High school came and fortunately for her they had a swim team, which Minjeong immediately applied for. She ended up making it onto to the Varsity team, freshman year. While she enjoyed it, there was always a girl who was tall, sharp eyes, had the physique and was drop dead gorgeous who was one of the only people on par with Minjeong.

She hated it.

She liked having the attention on her and it seemed like the girl did too because she’d give Minjeong a glare whenever she came from the changing room.

Their school was full of incredible swimmers and Minjeong liked the atmosphere, she even made a bunch of new friends too. But with Yu Jimin on the team, there seemed to be a split in the varsity team. To make it even worse, Jimin was captain while Minjeong was vice captain. They became athletic rivals.

She didn’t care but she guessed the others did. They took their sides and eventually, bets of which group would have the better scores were set.

They were fun because it gave Minjeong a sense of thrill. It was always relieving whenever Minjeong saw the slight scowl on Jimin’s face when Minjeong’s group gathered the better scores. It was never a matter of their high school against others but within their own swim team.

They graduated their senior year with the national title, and Minjeong remembered it being the only day where there wasn’t tension in the air.

Offers fly out for a high ranking school for swim teams. Kwangya University. They all accept, excited that they worked hard enough to earn a full ride for a scholarship to one of the top universities.

“Minjeong, can we go now?” Ryujin groans, her knees to her chin while she sits on the long chair.

The brunette rises up to top, slowly back stroking toward the girl’s direction. When she reaches the edge of the pool, Minjeong lifts her goggles to give Ryujin a knowing look.

Ryujin rolls her eyes. “Saturdays are for free sessions going over the things you struggled with during practice.” They both say at the same time, one monotone, the other brightly. Minjeong smiles.

Pulling herself up the wall, she grabs the towel Ryujin hands her, patting the cloth around her body. She removes her swim cap, shaking her head to get her hair back to its normal state.

She scrolls through her phone, looking at the time. “Are you hungry? I’ll get you something to eat.” Minjeong offers.

Her friend immediately springs up from her position. The brunette knows she has Ryujin for Saturday sessions for the rest of the semester. Quickly taking a shower and changing, she feels as if nothing can ruin her day. She in such a good mood that she decides to not to take too long getting ready so Ryujin doesn’t have to wait.

She grabs her keys, pulling Ryujin down the dorm hallways. The raven begs for her to slow down, obviously noticing the beam on Minjeong’s face.

As they leave to go outside, she hears girls giggling, making Ryujin and Minjeong look up.

Remember when Minjeong said nothing was going to ruin her day? Maybe there’s one person who can do just that, ruin her day.

Yu Jimin.

Minjeong plans to walk past them without sparing a glance. She just wants to get out without any problems.

But of course, Jimin bumps into her.

“Oh, I’m so sorry.” Jimin immediately apologizes, turning back to look at the person she bumped into.

Ryujin turns around, waving her hand. “It’s fine, have a good rest of your day.” The raven says, she locks eyes with Jimin’s friend, Yeji and swallows.

Yeji holds their contact a bit longer before tugging on Jimin’s arm. “Let’s go.”

Jimin’s eyebrow curves up. “But-”

Turned the other way, Minjeong pokes her tongue against her cheek. “I’m fine. Maybe you should watch where you’re going.” She reminds the two.

Soon, she hears a laugh. “Oh, Minjeong? What a coincidence. Did a little bump rile you up? I said I’m sorry.” She taunts, something the brunette knew was coming.

Ryujin closes her eyes, sighing. “We’re leaving.” She pulls Minjeong toward the exit, not before giving Yeji another glance.

“Aw, leaving so soon? We just got here?” Jimin’s voice fades once they’re outside.

They enter Minjeong’s car, the brunette’s door shutting it a little harder than usual. “I don’t get what her fucking problem is. She’s so unnecessary for no reason.” She rants to her friend.

She hears no response from her friend. “What’s with you?” Minjeong nudges her with her elbow, knocking Ryujin from her daydream.

The raven shakes her head and softly smiles. “Nothing, nothing. Start the car.”

As they eat, Minjeong tries not to let earlier events irk at her every then and there but Jimin’s stupid smirk pops up in her vision every second and it’s starting to piss her off.

Meanwhile,Ryujin enjoys her multiple plates of food joyfully. The brunette suspects something has the raven on cloud 9 but she isn’t sure who or what.

She brushes the thought to the back of her mind.

A swim meet is coming up soon and Minjeong needed to relax, not act like she wakes up in the wrong side of the bed everyday. She’s nervous, although, it isn’t like she hasn’t been training nonstop for the past few days that her body is tense and sore from overworking her body.

Despite being sore, she wakes up early to do her morning rounds, not once missing a day.

She pinches between her eyes, trying to rub the tiredness out of her eyes. Ryujin notices, looking up from her plate to speak. “You need to take a break. For now, only swim during practice. Trust me, the hard work you do during downtime will kick in. But you can’t win any meets if your body is begging for rest.” She scolds the brunette, firmly stuffing her mouth with rice.

Minjeong lets her head rest against her palm. “I guess. I don’t know, I just want to make sure I don’t let the team down.” The brunette admits with a doubtful tone.

As one of the captains, Minjeong feels the need to work a bit harder. She’d never want to be the reason they ever placed lowly in meets. They take a toll on her whenever they ever did.

“Minjeong!” Jimin runs after a fuming Minjeong.

Their team had just placed 2nd to last for the first time just because Minjeong couldn’t beat an easy opponent because she had a faulty dive.

As soon as Minjeong saw the ranking, her eye twitched and she rushed straight toward the bench to get her bag, aiming for the changing room. Jimin immediately followed her, concerned.

Jimin huffed, wondering how Minjeong could be so fast. “It’s not your fault. The rest of the team needs work too!” She yells, which caused for Minjeong to turn.

Minjeong slowly walked toward the girl, eyes never leaving her’s. “We could’ve had a chance to rank top 5. But I blew it, Jimin. It’s my fault and no one else’s. I should’ve done better. The team did everything they needed to do.” Minjeong shakily breathed.

Jimin only moved closer, reaching for Minjeong’s hand. “It happens, but you need to stop being guilty for things others have done. Yes, you could’ve done better, but we could’ve made it easier for you to finish the rankings. You don’t have to carry all of the guilt.”

But Minjeong jerked her hand from the girl’s grasp. She glared at Jimin before turning around to leave. Jimin closed her eyes and let out an exhausted sigh, Minjeong’s warmth still imprinted in her hand.

Ryujin’s spoon falling onto her plate startles her. “How many times have we told you to stop doing that?” The raven scolds her, annoyed.

Leaning back into her seat, maybe she’ll agree with taking a little nap. “Whatever, finish your food. We’re leaving soon.” She tells Ryujin who only ushers their waiter for the bill.

Sleeping comes difficult to her. Naps during the day weren’t really her thing so finding out that trying to nap at a time like this didn’t work, she resolves to just staring at her ceiling. For the first time, she’s begging for sleep to overcome her. She feels drowsy but is waiting for her heavy eyes to visit her again.

While staring up at the ceiling, Minjeong thinks.

She should be thinking about sleeping, not the cold blue waters. She promised Ryujin though.

So she waits and waits, breathing in and out slowly.

“Min!” Yizhuo suddenly barges into her room.

The brunette jumps up, bumping her head against the headboard. “Shit! Yizhuo, what in the world?” She groans, rubbing her head.

The blonde sends an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. Anyways, Jimin wants to discuss the competition and apparently she needs you there.” Yizhuo explains.

Minjeong rolls her eyes, flopping back onto her bed. “I’m not leaving my room. She can send any information or questions to me through my number she somehow got.”

Minjeong shivers at the amount of odd messages she’s gotten from the raven.

Shuffling is heard and through her closed eyes, Minjeong feels Yizhuo still in her room. “Minjeong-” The blonde tries again but is cut off.

A pillow finds it’s way to Yizhuo’s face. “I said no. She doesn’t deserve an ounce of my time. Please get out of my room.” Her voice rings with monotone in the room.

The door is shut and all Minjeong begs for the rest of the day is some peace and quiet.

The library is and will always be Minjeong’s sense of comfort. For other people, it’s nothing but a boring library, remembrance of a huge room filled with a bunch of books. However, Minjeong thinks of it as something more. When she’s not busy worrying about swimming, she’s studying in the library, where it’s guaranteed to be quiet. Her thoughts are able to be processed without anyone interrupting her sense of thought. Somehow, she manages her time well, better than most of her friends.

While swimming takes up most of her time, classes take even more. It does get frustrating from time to time but Minjeong isn’t one to stress often. Giving the university’s librarian trouble isn’t one she’d ever want to do by becoming one of the students who stayed in the library from morning to late night, refusing to leave. In her time in the huge library, she’s seen a lot of sleepy students asked to be escorted.

A widespread of papers lays in front of her, a huge textbook opened wide on the side. Minjeong hums to the music quietly, tapping her pencil against her chin. Most of the times, she liked finishing projects earlier.

Suddenly, she feels the table shake, causing her to look up. When she looks up, she immediately looks back down, letting out a breath.

“Minjeong.” Jimin calls.

Minjeong pretends not to hear her, turning up her volume on her AirPods.

Her pencil is suddenly plucked from her hand, which Minjeong responds to by grabbing another pencil and going back to working.

The raven sighs impatiently. “How many pencils do you have?”

The brunette closes her eyes before looking up and placing her pencil on the table. “What do you want?” Minjeong lets out shakily.

Jimin’s lips move into a frown. “Why didn’t you come to the meeting yesterday? You’re vice captain.”

Minjeong leans closer, obviously seething. “And you, are the captain. There’s only so much I can do and it doesn’t look like you need my help anyways. If there was anything I needed to say, I would send it to you for review. The coaches go to you… since you’re so much better.” The brunette remains eye contact with the older.

Jimin presses her lips together. “It doesn’t mean you should abandon your duties. You still should be intact in team meetings, Minjeong. As much as I hate to admit, I need you.”

The brunette falters a bit, taking time to gather her words. But instead she doesn’t respond. Caught off guard are words best used to explain her current sense of feeling.

Swallowing stubbornly, Jimin leans back into her seat. “Fine. Be like that.” She mutters before standing up and leaving.

Minjeong’s eye twitches as she slowly takes a breath. She plugs her AirPods in, pushing the unknown feeling bubbling in her stomach back.

Minjeong’s been told that she’s too stubborn sometimes.

Beside her cold appearances, she’s reluctant. She really takes on the words of talking when she needs to. Talking a little too much earns a guilty pang later on.

In her head, she just wishes some people would just leave her alone. It’d prevent her from taking up conversations that lead to awkward ones, ones that have her making a face and letting out a sigh. It was pretty unbelievable that a innocent brunette had such a feisty attitude.

She wasn’t always like that….. it was just Jimin who happened to ruin her mood for the rest of the day and causes for Minjeong to snap at everyone who attempts to her. The times where she doesn’t have to deal with things and people who she doesn’t like, she’s still quiet, a person who keeps to herself.

So, if she wakes up on the right side of the bed, you’ll be fine. If not? Well…….

It takes everything in her not to dive into the cold waters, and go against Ryujin’s words like she promised she wouldn’t do. She’s itching for a dip, just to forget about her worries just for a bit.

Maybe she won’t go for a dip. Her feet in the water is enough. So, she grabs her stuff, remembering to bring her ID and keys. She’s out of the door in 10 minutes, allowing her time to breathe before deciding what to do next.

With her arms folded, she directs herself through the huge facility, knowing the directions to the huge pool by heart. She nods and smiles to the staff and the small acquaintances she’s passes by there and there.

When she opens the glass double doors to the pool, coolness presses against her skin. She eyes the area, looking out for a perfect spot to set her things on.

Once she finds a spot and sets down her items , she makes her way toward an edge of the pool. Slowly, she sits down, dipping one foot after another into the waters. As soon as she does, she fights the urge to submerge herself in the tempting cold waters.

Instead, she lets out a breath, swinging her feet up and down. It’s difficult, but she tries.

“You’re not going to go in?” A familiar voice suddenly says.

Minjeong looks up, locking eyes on a beautiful raven, who runs her fingers through her hair. She sees the raven make her way toward Minjeong. She wonders why she isn’t swimming with her goggles and swim cap like she usually does.

“Oh, I can’t go in. Ryujin’s put me on a no swimming ban on the weekends. So, this is me improvising.” She manages to say.

The brunette goes quiet, looking back down at her feet. She’s leaning her weight on her arms backwards, swishing away in the water. She feels a few movements before the raven approaches her, resting her forearms sideways on the edge of the pool, just right beside Minjeong.

Minjeong purses her lips. “If you’re here to annoy me, I’m not up for it today, so you can just leave. Go back to peacefully swimming. I won’t interrupt your session.” The sudden change of demeanor causes the other girl to laugh.

A soft hand on her thigh startles her a bit. Jimin pushes herself up, her face leaning closer to the brunette’s. Jimin’s eyes flicker between her eyes and lips, before settling on her lips.

Minjeong stays subtle, gazing down at the girl. Her face expresses show no emotions, which must’ve made the raven curious.

“But…. do you really want me to leave?” Jimin’s voice comes with lusciousness.

The raven was challenging her?

The brunette scoffs. “Yes. It’s not like you want to kiss me anyways. But, it appears to me that you want to, badly. Because, oh, what fun it would be kissing your rival?” Minjeong counters.

The tension is enough to have a small sound interrupt them, pull them away from the little game Jimin wants to play so badly. The brunette goes along with it, because, it takes her mind away from the fact that she can’t swim anyways.

As much as she hates Jimin, the raven’s gorgeous, everyone in the university wants her. Minjeong isn’t one of them, but she’ll have her fun stringing Jimin along.

Their rivalry is a constant cycle. She despises the thought of ever being friends with Jimin. Ryujin’s told her to try, but really, Jimin’s mouth needs to be shut up sometimes.

They stare at eachother for a long moment, and Minjeong begs for there not to be anyone to experience the sheer moment the brunette wishes to be over.

Jimin’s smile is frustrating but so hot and cute at the same time. The brunette likes to think it’s only reserved for her, because Minjeong’s the only one who gets on her nerves.

Suddenly, Minjeong curses under her breath when she’s tugged into the cold water and pinned against the pool wall.

“I just literally said I can’t go in the pool!” Minjeong groans, ignoring the other girl smiling amusedly.

Jimin rolls her eyes. “Whatever, bet you can’t beat in a round?”

Minjeong’s mood does a 180. “Fuck you, Jimin.” She spits, climbing to leave the pool.

The brunette’s sure she’s never dreaded being in the pool before.

Chapter Text

Hyunjin pops a gummy bear into her mouth, rolling her eyes and sighing at another of Minjeong’s huffs.

“Are you still mad about that? It was-” Hyunjin pushes down each finger as she silently counts. “3 days ago and you haven’t seen her since.”

Minjeong breathes through her nose. “Yes. And I’ve been shoving pass her whenever I see her in the hallways because she can open that mouth of her’s.” The brunette plops down next to Hyunjin.

Minjeong hates being second. Everyone knows it.

Jimin reminding her she’ll always be second is what she hates even more. But she still isn’t sure why she’s frustrated over it when it’s a usual antic from the raven. Maybe she was more mad about being tugged into the pool when she wasn’t supposed to.

But then again, when has she ever cared?

She loses to her own thoughts. “I don’t know why I’m still so upset over it.” She admits, crossing her arms.

Hyunjin faces her body toward the brunette. “I’m going to ask you a question. And I want you to be one hundred percent honest with me.” Her friend’s words causes Minjeong to raise an eyebrow.

“Do you ever get tired of you two bickering? Maybe, you guys can atleast talk it out? Finally put an end to this?” Hyunjin pleads.

At first, the brunette takes it as another joking plead from her friends, but the look in Hyunjin’s eyes tell her differently.

Although, Minjeong values her pride, and she’s certain the raven does too.

Shifting in her seat, Minjeong blinks slowly. “You didn’t have Heejin tell this to Jimin, did you?” She asks curiously.

Hyunjin purses her lips. “She’s going to try, but I doubt she’ll give Heejin a better answer.” She smiles sadly, another gummy bear making way to her mouth.

Minjeong reaches over to grab one for herself, her responses circulating in her head.

Preparing for meets are always a bit stressful. While Minjeong doesn’t show much of her leadership abilities out loud, her brain is always turning gears at what strategies to do.

Nobody doubts her for her abilities, since she’s top ranked in the city, racing to appear in the country ranks.

She takes pride in it, she took something she enjoyed and turned it into something she could work for semi professionally.

Mixture of Hyunjin’s words and the meet swirls around her mind constantly. In short words, she isn’t sure why she should try to be civil with Jimin when Jimin’s the one who has been provoking the girl since. If anything, the raven should be trying to be civil with her.

Slowly, she squats down, gripping onto the barbell tightly. Her breathing does its best to even out as she completes multiple reps.

She’s glad the university has their own huge gym, she didn’t have to drive far just to go to a sucky one that she’d had to pay an unreasonable amount for.

Behind her, Ryujin spots her, hands going up and down with her just in case. “You still want to go for more?” Ryujin asks, passing her a towel once the brunette placed the barbell on the rack.

She’s already done 4 reps, more than her usual. “I think I’m good. I know you must be looking at me crazy because I just blasted through 4 reps with ease.” She chuckles.

Ryujin laughs along with her, gulping down her water. “Something’s bothering you.”

Minjeong sighs. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?” She runs her fingers through her hair.

The raven purses her lips, suspiciously. “Because you’ve been acting weird, and we’re curious to find out why.” Ryujin shrugs.

Minjeong does a bit more thinking.

She’s been doing too much of that these days. “I’m fine. Just been doing a lot of thinking these days.” Minjeong replies. She knows it won’t be the last time she says the words.

Obviously not believing her, Ryujin nods along. “Right, anyways. Let’s go, my turn to buy you food.” She places her arms around Minjeong.

The brunette immediately shoves her arms off. “You stink, Ryujin!” She groans, pinching her nose.

“Hey, you do too!”

[Daisy World]

[Aeri]: anyone care to explain why Minjeong didn’t yell at us the whole of practice?

[Yuna]: right, thought that was a little odd

[Minjeong]:There was no reason to, Jimin was already doing everything she needed to

[Yves]: That is definitely a first

[Yves]: usually you’d get on the team for any little thing

[Ryujin]: is something up, Minjeong?

[Minjeong]: guys, I’m fine.

The brunette lets her phone plop onto her bed as she begins drying her hair again. She closes her eyes, tiredly sighing.

As soon as she opens her eyes, she sees Jimin staring at her. However, it takes a second for her to process.

She jumps slightly. “What are you doing here?” She yelps loudly, snapping the other girl out of her daydream.

The raven whistles. “Who knew you were so hot? Do you work out?” Jimin points to her stomach, causing Minjeong to look down.

The brunette sighs, letting her hand with her small towel fall to her side. Her hair is still slightly wet, brown hair ruffled. She only remains in her gym bra and black leggings.

Throwing her towel to the side, she reaches for her T-shirt, quickly slipping it on.

She’s still confused on why the raven is in her dorm room. “Why are you here, Jimin?” She sighs, running fingers through her hair.

The raven crosses her arms. “I was kind of forced here, but I don’t mind anymore.” Jimin says blankly, a wide smile on her face.

Minjeong nods, not believing her. She walks toward the raven to turn her around and begin pushing her out. “Well, you’re going to be forced out of here.”

She only gets halfway when Jimin’s phone starts ringing.

The brunette stops pushing her, stepping back to allow her to answer the phone.

“Hey, dad.” Jimin’s full tone is opposite to what Minjeong usually hears.

Slowly, Minjeong walks back into her room, giving Jimin space. She jumps onto her bed, hoping she hears Jimin shut the front door.

“No…. but we have an upcoming meet this soon. I’ll win this one.”

“Yes, i’m still captain, father.” Jimin lets out a breath. “I-, dad. Please not now.” She hears the raven’s voice crack.

Minjeong stands from her bed, walking into the living room. She gently reaches for Jimin’s phone and places it to her ear. When the raven faces her in surprise, there are tears threatening to escape. Minjeong doesn’t know why, but something surges through her body.

“Hello, Mr. Yu. Jimin is currently busy right now, you may try to call her later. Thank you.” Minjeong quickly says, hanging up.

Jimin’s body shakes slightly, the tears finally falling as she breaks out in a sob.

The brunette places her phone onto the table before pulling the raven into a hug. She might despise Jimin, but at the moment, the sight of a teary raven broke Minjeong’s heart.

The raven clutches onto her shirt tightly, her sobs becoming louder in Minjeong’s neck. Minjeong slowly lifts her hand up, hesitating to stroke Jimin’s dark hair. Instead, she ends up settling for patting her back.

They stay there, in the living room, Minjeong holding Jimin for as long as the raven needed. The raven’s sobs are loud while her body shakes, and Minjeong does her best to help her let it all out.

After a while, Jimin catches her breath, pulling away from the younger. “I’m sorry that your shirt got stained.” She sniffs.

Minjeong shakes her head. “It’s fine. Are you okay?”

Jimin nods slowly. “Thank you and sorry you had to hear that.” The raven smiles sadly.

But the brunette is still slightly angered. “Whatever your father said, I don’t think he should be talking to you that way.” She blurts out before being able to catch herself.

Jimin’s face screws in confusion. “Why do you even care? It’s not your business.” The raven bites back, causing the brunette to close her eyes and breath.

She grabs the older’s shoulders gently. “Look at me. I know it’s not my business but if you’re crying? Then that’s when I have to step in. I’m not going to watch you take hurtful words, Jimin. I’m not that heartless.”

Jimin breaks into another sob. “Why can’t you always be this nice?” She mutters, smiling slightly through tears.

Minjeong pulls her into another hug, this time, softly stroking her hair without hesitating. “Enjoy it for now.”

[Ryujin]: guys Yeji wants to hang out

[Hyunjin]: okay…. go on and do that then(?)

[Ryujin]: hyunjinnnnn

[Yuna]: I think what my sister means is that she wants us to come because Yeji’s probably going to bring her friends over

[Yves]: Very funny

[Minjeong]: im not doing that

[Aeri]: well there’s your answer!

[Ryujin]: guys come on when was the last time we all hung out

[Minjeong]: never thought Yeji would be the type to be giggly😵💫

[Yuna]: remember that time you fed Yeji food and she laughed at every corny joke you said

[Ryujin]: it is not my fault

[Yuna]: not sure why you guys aren’t dating yet

[Ryujin]: Yeji likes playing hard to get

[Minjeong]: fine we’ll go

[Ryujin]: ???

[Aeri]: ?

[Yuna]: ???

[Hyunjin]: Someone’s knocked your head

[Yves]: Minjeong saying yes without any complaints?

[Minjeong]: I’m fine btw I’m just too tired to argue

[Yuna]: alright….

Minjeong is in disbelief when she is dragged to the park, screams from the countless rides around them. Luckily, it isn’t the only thing in the park that you can do.

Usually, Minjeong spends most of the time keeping all of them in check. She thinks she isn’t going to do that this time around.

Being civil will Jimin<act like you weren’t holding her while she cried

They all walk beside each other, pointing to the rides they want to go to. Ryujin and Yeji are glued to eachother like usual, Aeri has her hands behind her back nervously as she talks with Yizhuo. Hyunjin and Heejin are swinging their hands together, Chaeryeong and Lia seem to be in their own world, pointing at the huge game plushies, and Yves and Yuna spend time poking their friends from behind.

Minjeong walks behind all of them, her arms crossed.

On the other hand, Jimin’s quiet, content. The brunette fights the urge to take a unexpected jab at her. But, seeing how everyone isn’t alone, except for Jimin, she decides to be the one to let her pride go and ask about her day.

Nudging the raven’s arm, she catches the girl’s attention. “Hey.” She greets.

Jimin jerks her head toward the girl, her shoulders slumping. “Are you here to make fun of me for crying yesterday?”

Minjeong gives her a confused gaze. “Why would I do that?” She asks.

The raven gives her a knowing look. “Because you hate me.” Jimin answers, turning back to the front.

She doesn’t turn quick enough to notice someone’s about to bump into her. But the brunette does, pulling her close before the person can shove into her.

“You okay there?” Minjeong chuckles a bit at the startled girl.

Jimin coughs slightly. “Yeah. Um, thanks. Just anxious with big crowds.” She admits to Minjeong.

Minjeong closes and opens her mouth in understanding. Soon, she links their arms. “Here, stay by me, that way you won’t get tugged away.” She smiles at the girl.

She doesn’t notice the red tint on Jimin’s cheeks.

Hyunjin squealing grabs their attention. “Guys, let’s ride this!” She jumps up and down, lining up in the line.

Minjeong looks up, in awe. “That is sure a ride.”

The rest of them lines up with Hyunjin agreeing to go on the ride, but when the brunette makes the move to follow along, she feels a tug on her arm. Minjeong looks back at a nervous raven.

“I’ll stay here. You can go.” Jimin nods toward the rest of them.

The brunette looks between Jimin and her friends. She doesn’t really want to go on the rides anyway.

She steps a bit closer to the raven. “It’s fine, I’ll stay with you. I don’t like high rides that much. There’s other stuff to do in the park.” Minjeong does her best reassuring her.

Turning back to her friends, she smiles at them. “You guys have fun, we’ll meet you back at 2pm.” She ignores the look they’re giving her. She rolls her eyes before pulling Jimin back into the crowd.

Jimin leans toward her to whisper in her ear. “You didn’t have to go with me.” It’s just enough for her to hear.

Continuing to look forward, Minjeong is sure her heart skips a ridiculous beat. “I wanted to. I wasn’t just going to leave you alone in a huge open public area where you’re uncomfortable.”

Her head is full of thoughts. Perhaps taking Swim off her mind allowed for more to enter without restrictions—when has she ever cared about how Jimin felt? Why does she feel the need to protect her?

Maybe it’s the good opportunity to figure that Minjeong could finally fix their relationship that has been thrown against sharp knives that cut the tiny hope they had to become friends.

She can enjoy this moment for now.

Right?

Minjeong shakes her head, drawing her attention back to the girl. “Are you hungry?” She suddenly asks.

Jimin hums, already having a restaurant in mind. Minjeong follows along, noticing the quietness that overtakes them.

The brunette studies the area around them. “Have you been here before?” Her suspiciousness is easily felt.

In response, Jimin only grabs her hand after talking to the worker up front.

They sit at a booth across eachother. “To answer, your question, yes, I’ve been here before. Simply because my little brother likes going here.” Jimin explains, reaching for the menu.

Minjeong looks at her like she’s crazy. “You have a brother?”

Jimin nods immediately. “Jiwoo’s 8 years old, and he always tells me to remind everyone that he really likes dinosaurs.” She tells Minjeong brightly.

Minjeong laughs at the last few mumbled word.

They talk for a bit while they wait for their orders, Jimin suggesting one dishes that the raven personally liked. Minjeong ends up getting one of Jimin’s personal favorites (without her knowing.)

Multiple times during the conversation, Minjeong starts pondering even more.

Now she’s getting confused.

As she realizes, her heart speeds up a bit.

No.

Plates clattering on the table cuts her from her thoughts, Minjeong taking in the unfamiliar scent their food gives off.

Once Jimin notices what the brunette ordered, she instantly grabs another small plate. She takes her chopsticks to grab a small portion of the dish and brings it to Minjeong’s mouth, motioning for the girl to eat it.

Minjeong stares at her with a blank look.

“Minjeong, hurry up.” She whines, earning an eye roll from the brunette. The brunette opens her mouth to take a bite, Jimin holding her hand under so nothing spilled.

Instantly, Minjeong jumps up in surprise. “Woah.” She says in awe.

Jimin flashes her an approved smile. “I told you it was good.”

Minjeong grabs her own chopsticks to fully dig into her plate of food. Jimin watches the girl, fits of giggles escaping from her.

She’d admit it, Jimin was right.

Minjeong groans again. “That’s it, no more of that.” The brunette stands up, a frown occupying her lips.

Jimin stands up proudly, handing Minjeong another plushie she’s won. “It is not my fault you suck at games.” The raven shrugs.

She hates to admit it, but a happy Jimin is a sight she’d like to see more often than a sobbing Jimin.

The smile on her lips never seems to fade. “You look beautiful with a smile on your face. And you seem to shut up more.” Minjeong walks along Jimin, holding the large bag of plushies.

Jimin rolls her eyes. “I know.” She twirls her hair.

Minjeong instantly pretends to gag. “I’m never doing that again.” The brunette speeds up in walking but the older catches up to her.

“Continuing complimenting me.” Jimin wraps her hand around the brunette’s arm.

Minjeong shakes her head in disagreement, continuing to look forward.

Jimin pouts, earning a smile from the brunette.

The brunette feels content to not be stressed. She has a good feeling they’ll do good in their upcoming meet.

They end up spotting their friends, all of them concerned at the amount of plushies Minjeong’s holding.

Yeji crosses her arms as they approach the group. “Looks like you guys had fun.”

The brunette closes her eyes. “Shut up.”

Leaning her head beside Minjeong’s, the raven grins brightly. “She even bought me food.” Jimin adds.

Ryujin gawks. “You only buy me food when you’re in a good mood!” The girl pouts.

Suddenly, the lollipop the brunette is holding is snatched away. “I know you didn’t just take my fucking lollipop from me.” Minjeong seethes.

Jimin smiles, popping the lollipop into her mouth. “Just did.” She waves her fingers before walking away.

Of course, Yu Jimin is still the annoying, bratty Yu Jimin she hates.

Minjeong spends the rest of her day watching Netflix. Truthfully, she’s exhausted. Jimin dragged her everywhere that seemed to catch the raven’s eyes which called for a lot of walking. So, all she wants to do is enjoy the rest of her day on the couch.

She ignores any calls or text messages regarding the events from earlier and opts to returning to her quiet self again.

“I need you.”

Minjeong presses her hand against her chest, letting out a breath.

She can’t.

She won’t allow herself to.

She has to focus on beating her time, gathering the better scores, being better than Jimin. Her ultimate goal was to always be first. Everything else didn’t matter. It wouldn’t matter to her in due’s time, why even bother?

Clutching her knees to her chest, Minjeong falls into pondering again. Jimin’s scent is still evident, engulfing the brunette in the familiar rich scent that Minjeong finds herself secretly enjoying. She feels so comfortable that she’s able to breath a little easier.

She wonders why would’ve happened if they were never split into two sides, became enemies. Maybe Minjeong’s pride is too high for the liking.

In all, she’s scared of what’s to come. She can’t get distracted and fail the team again. The suffering of the terrible results has practically been a reminder to not get distracted.

The feeling’s difficult to pinpoint. She isn’t sure what it is yet, but it’s unfamiliar to her, and she fears it’s approaching faster than she thinks.

Or, the feeling is something she can pinpoint but she refuses to acknowledge it. She hopes it isn’t what she thinks it is.

Snuggling deeper into her blanket, she purses her lips and tunes on the loud roar of the tv.

Chapter Text

Again and again. Minjeong loses to Jimin.

Huffing harshly, she aggressively removes her goggles while the girl next to her laughs. Her body aches as she makes the move to get out of the pool.

She doesn’t understand it. She was so close.

Yuna hands her a towel, ready to face the wrath of her frustrated captain. But the brunette simply grabs the towel, walking away to her stuff while wiping her face.

“You’re getting better everytime we go up against eachother, I won’t lie.” Jimin reminds her as she removes her cap, her black hair flowing down her back.

The brunette rolls her eyes, ignoring the girl. “Whatever.” She mumbles.

Her arms are already sore from the constant push she’s exerted during their rounds. Like always, her main destination always remains being her lovely bed.

Minjeong walks over to Yuna, nudging her. “Why are still here? Don’t you have school work to catch up on from last week?” She pulls the girl into an arm lock, tickling her.

Yuna struggles to get herself out of the older’s grip, giggling hysterically. “I finished! I finished!” She screams, the brunette releasing her.

Minjeong breathes throughout her nose, exaggerating. “You better be because Coach Kim would kill me if she found out you were here without finishing your work.” She continues wiping herself before setting down the towel to slip on her sweats and light orange tank top.

Her eyes eventually shift over to the raven, who’s come out from the bathroom, switched to her life guarding bright bikini while Yuna and Minjeong were talking.

They were lucky to even grab a session with the amount of people swimming in the pools on a holiday. Holidays meant nobody had classes or work so anybody could be in the pools to simply enjoy their day off.

Being captains of the swim team didn’t exactly call for lifeguarding duties but both girls enjoyed it along with others who’d volunteered from the swim team.

Yuna swipes her hand in front of the brunette’s face. “Hey, hey, no ogling at the life guards.” Yuna chastises.

Minjeong clears her throat, facing Yuna. “I’m doing no such thing.” She responds, eyeing the up upcoming lifeguard behind Yuna approaching them.

Lee Chaeyoung. A drop dead gorgeous girl. She isn’t on the swim team but is a certified lifeguard anyways.

The girl smiles at Minjeong. “Hey.” She smoothly greets.

Yuna in front of her goes silent, moving beside Minjeong and turning around. Obviously, she wants to watch how this plays out. She’s recognized the look of want in Chaeyoung’s eyes already.

Minjeong smiles back, simply because it’s the politest thing to do, of course. “Hey, Chaeyoung. On duty today?”

Chaeyoung runs her fingers through her long brown locks. “Yeah, along with Jimin!” She juts out a finger behind her.

Yuna and Minjeong both nod. Past Chaeyoung, the brunette notices the sharp eyes that shoot daggers at the Chaeyoung’s back from Jimin.

Oh?

The brunette walks closer a bit, rubbing Chaeyoung’s arm up and down. “How was your day? Wasn’t stressful, right?” Minjeong’s voice is sultry, her warm charming smile in place.

Chaeyoung hums, shrugging. “Normal, I was able to finish my school work at early so I had lots of time.” She responds, Minjeong taking in her words carefully.

Behind her, Yuna pinches her other elbow.

After some time of silence, Chaeyoung opens her mouth to speak, wanting to remind the brunette about something but before she can, Jimin taps the girl on her shoulder.

Jimin’s smile is fake, adjacent to Chaeyoung’s genuine one. “Hi, sorry to interrupt your little chat, but our shift is about to start and we’re gonna need all the help we can get.” She reminds Chaeyoung.

Minjeong has a very stupid idea, and Yuna probably already knows what she’s thinking about because the pinches become harder.

Removing her hand from Chaeyoung’s arm, she links her arm around Yuna’s. “We don’t clock in today but we don’t mind helping around. It’s still early.” Minjeong offers, ignoring the curses Jimin mouths at her.

Yuna’s eyebrow creases. “We don-?” She shuts up when Minjeong sends an elbow into her stomach.

Chaeyoung’s face lights up. “Really?”

Minjeong nods confidently. She’s so going to have fun with this.

Minjeong wiggles her fingers at Jimin, grinning brightly.

Yuna’s been having fun, her own friends picking up conversation with her so she isn’t bored while Minjeong flirts and acts hot around the pools.

Chaeyoung has been following her all over the place,the two engaging in multiple conversations themselves throughout their time.

Jimin?

She stays up at her booth, crossing her arms with a scowl on her face. It’s delightful to Minjeong.

Occasionally, they both warn the people in the pool about too much horseplay, but other than that, there isn’t much to pull them out of their conversations.

“Hey, I’m going to check up on Jimin.” Minjeong suddenly says.

Chaeyoung suddenly perks up. “I’ll come with!”

But Minjeong only smiles. “It’s okay, I’ll be right back anyways. Just stay here or maybe check up on Yuna.” The brunette tells her before turning around to walk away.

She begins walking around the pools, looking for a specific raven in a red bikini. It takes a while before she finds Jimin swinging her feet at the edge of the pool.

Carefully, she sits herself next to the raven, not too close but not too far away from the girl. Minjeong stares out to the many students in the pool, swishing her legs in the cold water.

Without turning her head, she pokes the raven multiple times in her arm. She’s ignored the first few times.

She pauses a bit, biting her lip because of the obvious fun she’s having simply annoying the older. The expression on Jimin’s face moves as if she’s going to bust anytime soon.

Finally, Jimin huffs. “What do you want?”

Minjeong smiles. “Nothing, just felt like being annoying.” She replies back childishly.

It goes silent for a while, Minjeong deciding to pause in her poking. She leans her hands behind her, leaning her weight on her arms. For some reason, the silence between the both of her becomes comfortable.

It’s a different type of silence. While there’s still screaming, chatting and laughing echoing in the natatorium, there’s a sense of content between the two girls.

Minjeong’s breath hitches when she feels fingers brush against her’s. The raven’s hand has magically moved closer to her’s. Although, Minjeong ignores, thinking the raven did it on accident.

So she continues swishing her feet in the water, turning her head back to the pools.

As she does, Jimin’s pinky nudges at her’s. Unconsciously, Minjeong links her pinky with the raven’s. When she feels the raven pull her hand slightly to the side, Jimin covering the brunette’s hand with her’s, she almost falls into the pool.

Wanting to get an answer for her action, Minjeong turns her head toward the older. She finds herself staring into the raven’s eyes, her heart skipping a few beats.

Jimin doesn’t pull away from her gaze, warmly smiling. The brunette does the same, her hand warm under the raven’s.

They stay like that until water splashes at their faces, pulling them out of their dazes.

“Yuna!” Minjeong screams, kicking back at the blonde.

Yuna flicks up her middle finger at the two before swimming away.

The brunette and the raven turn back to look at each other before shyly giggling at their soaked faces and hair.

Their hands are still in contact with each other’s. And Minjeong doesn’t mind.

Chapter Text

The bus ride to the swim meet is loud and lengthy.

Like always, Minjeong leans her head against the window, watching the cars that pass by swiftly. Her AirPods are on medium to max volume, attempting to block out everything that can possibly break her train of seamless thoughts. Luckily, her seat mate doesn’t bother her.

Perhaps this swim meet is going to be different from the others. She’s worked too hard for nothing to change. She’s even exhausted herself over it, scared her teammates due to it.

Deep in her mind, she begs for what Ryujin promised her to come quickly so she can atleast have a peace of mind to know that she’s tried her best by utilizing it.

She’s spoken exactly one word, which was a greeting and hasn’t said anything since. To her team, it’s normal, as Minjeong usually becomes a lot focused before swim meets. Her head spirals with what to do, what technique is that fastest sand how to maintain her breathing.

She feels a nudge on her arm, causing for her to look up.

Inhyuk grins. “What are you thinking so hard about at 10am in the morning?” He asks, shifting in his seat to pay more attention to his sister.

Minjeong pulls one AirPod from her ear, letting out a sigh. “Nothing, just swim. You know how I am before meets.” She turns her head, leaning against the window.

Inhyuk simply nods, although the look on his face tells Minjeong that she’s yet to answer his question. Lifting his chin up, Inhyuk crosses his arms sternly.

“Something is bothering you.”

“There isn’t.” Minjeong immediately replies, closing her eyes in frustration.

The orange haired boy leans his head on the seat in front of him. “You know, I don’t think you’ll ever get good at lying.” He mutters, earning a flick from the brunette.

He rubs his forehead in pain. “Minjeong, seriously?” He whines almost too loudly.

His sister rubs his forehead gently, silently apologizing. “Sorry.” She mumbles, a sad smile on her lips.

Inhyuk’s eyebrow raises. “See, that’s what I mean. You won’t usually feel bad. What’s up with you?”

Dropping her hand, she folds her fingers into her lap. She almost gets distracted for a moment. She can’t let that happen.

They reach a speed bump, a sign that they’re approaching the aquatic center.

“There’s nothing wrong, Inhyuk. Don’t worry about me.” She ensures him, going back to looking out the window.

It was easy to say, so Minjeong kept along with it. At the end of the day, it is to be tucked back in the back of her mind, led to be shined on for another day. Inevitable, she likes to call it.

Like usual, the mixed air in the natatorium is chilling, sending her nervousness spiraling in an all new high. And to make matters worse, her heat for the individual 200 meter medley usually approaches fast. To put a rest to her nerves, she grips at her sweatpants, trying to ease the feeling she feels whenever she enters the natatorium.

First, she watches Ryujin and Yeji participate in their individual 100 meter backstroke heats. She trusts the both of them to do well, as they’re the best and fastest at backstrokes out of the whole team.

Behind her, the rest of the team discuss their techniques for their events while Minjeong focuses carefully on the movements Yeji performs. The girl’s movements are swift and fast, the brunette thinks she is in someway, elegant as she swims.

Waiting behind the block, Ryujin is smiling, wailing her arms. Suspiciously, Minjeong wonders if the raven knows how in love she looks whenever she glances at Yeji.

Shaking her heard and lowly chuckling, she watches as Yeji climbs out of the water, jumping on top of Ryujin. Ryujin catches her, hugging her tightly as the girl has finished first.

Unlike her and Jimin, the others didn’t care who was better. They just loved swimming. They supported each other, congratulating each other when they broke their personal records and finished before everybody else with a gaze of proudness.

Minjeong wonders if she’ll ever be able to look at Jimin that way. She wonders if Jimin would ever look at her that way, with stars in their eyes, fond gazes and bright smiles mirroring each other’s-

Shit.

Swallowing, Minjeong tries hard to let the roaring sound of cheers engulf her. Her eyes divert back to the two, seeing Ryujin preparing to take her turn.

A hand on her shoulder is enough to knock her out of her little realization. “Hey, are you alright?” A familiar voice asks gently.

Turning back, she sees her assistant coach looking at her with concern. “Me? Y-yeah. Why wouldn’t I be fine?” She panics, her voice coming out uncertain.

Coach Seohyun laughs at her state. “I was just asking, Winter.” She emphasizes her nickname.

Groaning, Minjeong frowns dramatically. “I told you to stop calling me that.” She whines.

Coach Seohyun wraps an arm around her frame, pulling her close. “Well, then stop acting so intimidating, you’re scaring the others.”

Minjeong simply huffs, crossing her arms. “Good.” She mutters under her breath.

Suddenly, her coach becomes serious. “Minjeong, whatever you do, just know that I’m here for you. Alright? I know the effort you put outside practice, how hard you work, how you take the blame for mistakes your teammates make and how verbal, encouraging you are. It’s the reason why you’re captain. Your teammates are just worried to see you act unlike yourself.”

For the 18th time, Minjeong sighs deeply, eyes wandering all over the natatorium. “I just don’t want to let the team down again.” She admits.

“You won’t. And we know you won’t because you smash your personal record everytime, which is proof of your efforts. Even if you’re not first, you’re a lot better than you think, Minjeong. Remember that.” Seohyun presses a kiss against the raven’s head before squeezing her shoulder and walking away.

Minjeong breathes out, noticing the time. She begins walking toward the locker rooms, in hopes of exiting out of it confidently.

When she enters the locker room, she hears yelling, alarming her. She runs toward the yelling to see 3 girls across from Jimin.

As she approaches, she sees the first girl lift up her hand. Immediately, before she could make contact with Jimin’s face, the brunette grabs her wrist.

With her eye twitching, she steps in front of Jimin, pushing the raven behind her. “If you think about even laying a finger on her.” Minjeong glares at all three of them.

The girl behind the first scoffs, crossing her arms. “Or what?”

Minjeong rolls her eyes. “Go back to your team, it doesn’t look like you guys are doing too good out there.” Her eyes lower to their team jackets logos.

The three girls gasps before running out of the locker room, leaving the two in the room alone. Minjeong waits until they’re out of the locker room before she turns around.

Minjeong raises her eyebrow. “Are you going to tell me why there was yelling and why that girl was about to slap you?” The brunette turns around, rubbing her eye.

Jimin usual annoying smirk appears as she tilts her head. “Aw, you were worried about me?” Her voice irks with teasing.

Of course, what was she thinking?

Pursing her lips, she shoves past Jimin, gripping her bag strap tightly. It doesn’t take long to find an open locker, Minjeong stuffing her bag into it, not before grabbing her goggles and swim cap.

She shrugs off her jacket, shoving it into the locker as well. A sigh is released into the air from the raven across the room.

“They were talking about you. I overheard them and told them to stop but they continued and I guess I said some stuff back that angered them a bit.” Jimin explains lowly.

Minjeong flushes with realization slowly. “They didn’t touch you before I came in, right?” The brunette asks, a dangerous tone edging along as she speaks.

Jimin suddenly goes silent, causing Minjeong to slam the locker door a bit too loud.

Before she knows it, she’s stomping toward the exit door, one thing on her mind. But before she can even grab the door, arms wrap around her waist.

Looking back, Minjeong’s eyes glare at the girl behind her. “Yu Jimin, if you don’t let go of me right now.” She warns her.

But the face on the raven’s face is pleading. “Don’t, you’ll get disqualified if you try anything. I’m fine.” Jimin tries, tugging her from the door.

Minjeong notices the slightly redness on the raven’s cheek. “She fucking touched you!” She seethes, her anger rises quickly.

Jimin tugs just enough to remove the brunette’s grip from the door handle. She catches Minjeong as she melts into the raven’s hold. “She touched you!” The brunette fights the urge to cry.

She doesn’t know why she feels like crying. She doesn’t know why her chest is thumping over the thought of someone hurting Jimin. She doesn’t know why she cares so much about someone she despises so much.

Simply because Minjeong has been changing and she doesn’t understand why it’s been happening.

Jimin holds her tight. “I’m okay. Breathe, Minjeong.” The raven grabs her hand, placing the brunette’s hand over her heart. “I’m okay.”

The brunette begins to slowly calm down, following Jimin’s instructions. When Minjeong calms down fully, she pulls Jimin closer, grasping onto her team jacket.

“You’re okay.” She manages to breathe out.

The raven nods in her neck. “I’m okay.” Jimin repeats, ensuring her again.

She likes being held in Jimin’s arms. Her body relaxes a bit as she takes in the information.

Well, yeah, shit.

Like lock and key, Minjeong’s waiting on the board, balancing her body to prevent a false start. In her head, she goes over when to switch strokes, how hard she needs to move her body to get a good start.

The nerves in her body come back again, hearing the loud cheers from her teammates and the audience, reminding her who she is again. Everyone expects much for her, especially when she’s in the top swimmers in the city. She needs to prove who she is.

The voice states for the swimmers to get ready for the starting beep. Minjeong leans her body back, preparing for a slingshot effect to be able to launch herself far.

As soon as the final beep sound, Minjeong launches herself as far as she can into a dive, making contact with the cold water. Her butterfly pullout is strong, swinging her arms in a circular motion.

Once she passes the first mark, she takes a deep breath, rotating into a full butterfly stroke. She’s lucky that she’s practiced her endurance as she feels herself getting less tired than before.

It takes a few quick seconds before she’s reached the other side. The raven flips forward, pushing backwards into a side stroke before fully transitioning into her back stroke.

Usually, when she swims, she focuses much on her breathing, after many people have told her that her swimming speed was incredible. So, during her individual sessions, she focused more on her breathing, and also attempting to increase her swimming speed for 4 weeks straight. And while Ryujin warned her about exhausted herself doing just that, she believed it’ll result in her swim meets whether she’s improved or not.

Quick back strokes take her back to the starting point of the pool, and she feels her feet push off the pool wall again. This time, her send off is enough to give her a huge gap into the breaststroke. Her arms move widely, her body dipping and rising in the water.

She’s yet to feel the strong warning of the pool current. Trying hard to move against it, she pushes herself more and more in the water.

In her head, she knows she’s had trouble with the breaststroke in the past. She used to get frustrated on how her speed in the breaststroke wasn’t improving. But now, she’s confident since she asked Heejin to help her. (which the girl willingly did.)

She reaches the other end of the pool, rotating into one last somersault in the water and into freestyle. Her fastest stroke is, of course, the freestyle stroke. She likes it because it gave her the most movement because she finds is comfortable to move in.

Her arms swing swiftly while her legs flutter. She knows she’s swimming fast but doesn’t know how fast. But she assumes it’s fast because she can her the familiar screeches of her teammates.

When her hand finally reaches the start of the pool, she rises up to see that’s she’s finished first with a huge gap between the other swimmers. She removes her goggles, slamming against the water excitedly.

She turns her head to look at the leaderboard and realizes she’s broken a world record.

1:08.544

Her body tugs itself out of the water, running toward her teammates. She pulls them into a group hug, none of them minding the fact that they’re all wet.

She doesn’t realize that she’s crying, a huge rush of emotions flooding all in one motion.

“I just broke a world record.” Minjeong sobs loudly, her teammates all laughing at the sight of Minjeong crying in front of them for the first time.

Hyunjin strokes her hair. “Yeah, you did.” She chuckles brightly.

They all pull away from the group hug, Minjeong walking over to her two coaches who are also on the verge of crying. As the brunette stares at them, they all break into tears again, Coach Seohyun and Coach Taeyeon bringing her into their embrace.

Through loud sobs, Minjeong lets the wave of emotions take over fully this time.

Coach Seohyun places her forehead against the brunette’s gently. “I told you’d smash your PR.” She laughs, Minjeong sobbing even more.

After a while of crying in joy, the brunette makes her way toward the platforms, the whole building applauding her while she wipes at her tears.

She receives her gold medal and flowers and steps onto the top spot. All her hard work paid off. Just like how everyone said it will.

While she looks at the many people applauding the top three medalist, her eyes are searching for someone in specific.

Her whole world stops when she locks eyes with the one she’s been searching for.

And Yu Jimin is smiling at her, stars in her eyes that the brunette can so evidently see.

When it’s time for the final overall rankings of the meet, Kwangya’s swim team stands in a line, arms around each other’s shoulders. Their team logo shines brightly on their left chest on their jacket.

Minjeong feels on an all high winning gold and breaking a world record, that even standing up straight is getting difficult.

Most of them have medals around their necks from their individual events, ranging to 4 membered events. Bronze, Silver, Gold all gleam with proudness while they wait for the final team rankings.

While this swim meet was an regular seasonal meet, it could determine whether or not they would go to the championship toward the end of the year. Every meet is important.

Minjeong keeps her head down, trying to push through another round of nerves again.

“In third place, YG University!”

The team to their left jump up and down, applauds echoing in the air. Minjeong lets out a breath.

“Second place is BH University!” Minjeong’s hold on her teammates' hands become tighter.

She doesn’t know she’s holding her breath until it suddenly becomes quiet and they’re engulfed with pure silence for a long minute.

“Finally…. in first place…. is Kwangya University!” The announcer says loudly, causing Minjeong to let out a gasp and lift her head.

Their team are gold medalists.

Not only did Minjeong earn 1 gold medal, she’s earned two as vice captain of Kwangya University’s swim team.

They’re awarded their medals, Minjeong’s neck feeling the weight of two gold medals. It’s an surreal feeling, after suffering the effect of placing last due to multiple mistakes and spending the night crying in frustration and guilt. To be able to turn around the results, and knowing she contributed heavily, encouraged her teammates to push themselves.

They all bow, smiles painting their lips.

Soon, they all huddle into a circle. “Now you know what it feels like to win Gold. Let’s keep it up the hard work, each of you earned it.” Jimin claps a few times.

Wiping her eyes again, she feels everyone looking at her. “Guys-” Her voice cracks and dies before they all laugh and move in closer in a group hug.

They jump in excitement, Kwangya university echoing loudly in the natatorium.

Minjeong ends up falling asleep as soon as they get back on the bus.

She ignores her loud teammates who continue scream and cheer in excitement. Her head ends up resting on a shoulder, of who she doesn’t know. Not that she cares, her body is exhausted from her individual medley.

“Can you guys shut up? Minjeong is sleeping. Put your stuff away and sit down.” A voice says sternly, slightly waking up Minjeong.

Yves?

The brunette lifts her head a bit to look around but is gently patted down to go back asleep. Familiar perfume engulfs her, one that’s not strong or weak. She’s come across the scent too many times not to recognize who her seat mate was.

Nimble fingers intertwine with her’s, Minjeong unconsciously following along and pulling their hands into her lap.

Her hand is warm, her scent is warm.

“You know the reason why I’ve been acting weird, Sooyoung?” Minjeong mumbles lowly.

Nobody answers, leaving Minjeong wondering. “I really like Jimin. She’s annoying but when I see her, my heart goes thump, thump, multiple times. I don’t like it when people talk badly about her, and I don’t like it when they hurt her. But she hates me, and I hate her. I hate everything about her.” The brunette slurs with confidence, smiling sleepily while she snuggles deeply into soft hair.

“I hate how cute her smile is, how pretty her eyes are, how no matter where she comes from, she’s still sooo beautiful in my eyes. But she probably only sees me as someone who wants to be better than her at swimming, be the best swimmer on the team. But sometimes, I disregard that and just see her as Yu Jimin. It’s stupid right?”

Minjeong lets out a heave, deciding to let sleep finally take over her. With thoughts of elegant perfume and a soft palm, the brunette is contented.

Chapter Text

Routine has always been Minjeong’s golden rule.

After breaking a world record, the feeling is still there, lingering throughout her body. For the first time in a long while, she doesn’t wake up to screaming and banging. She inquires that exhaustion from the past events has seem to taken over everyone.

Rubbing her eyes, Minjeong stretches her body, mumbling under her breath about having the best sleep in a while on the bus ride back home. She’d have to ask what happened on their way back later.

She looks to the side, seeing her two current medals and a note on her dresser table. It’s a slumping movement to reach at the note, fingers pushing at the bridge of her glasses to fix them and be able to see better.

You sure are a deep sleeper, loser. Congratulations, my vice captain❤️

Minjeong snorts, crumbling the paper and throwing it to wherever it could’ve landed. She really has no idea who her seat-mate was on the ride back home. Not that she cared anyways.

She shoves off her blanket, deciding to wash up and just enjoy the day off. She also decides she’ll be nice today, simply because she’s in a good mood.

The brunette takes the time to get ready, having in her mind what she’ll like to do today. Maybe she’ll call her teammates and take them out to a restur-

“Minjeong, you’re being called to Coach Seohyun’s office.” Ryujin barges into her room.

Chuckling, the brunette nods. “She’s probably calling me to congratulate me again.” Minjeong responds, tugging her hoodie over her head.

Ryujin gives her a serious look. “I don’t think that’s it. She looks pretty stern today.” The raven crosses her arms, leaning against the door frame.

Confused, Minjeong grabs her phone, quickly fixing herself in the mirror. “Alright… Not sure what I’ve done wrong to have Coach Seohyun mad at me.”

Her best friend shrugs before leaving the room. Minjeong follows, aiming for the main door.

When Minjeong enters the office, her eyes lock onto the countless medals and trophies decorating the shelves.

In her stomach, Minjeong feels a sinking sensation. The only time she gets called into the Coach’s offices is when she’s done something Jimin didn’t like.

She knocks on Coach Seohyun’s door a few times before hearing a response and opening the door. The brunette opens the door, peaking her head inside.

Coach Seohyun is sitting on her chair, leaning back in her chair without a smile, causing Minjeong to wince a bit. She enters, placing her hands behind her back nervously.

“Whatever I did, I just want to say that I’m sorry and that I’ll reflect on it for the rest of the week.” Minjeong splutters all in one breath but her coach only chuckles.

Her coach ushers for her to sit, Minjeong raising her eyebrow as she slowly lowers herself onto the chair.

Coach Seohyun lifts her chin up a bit, intimidating Minjeong even more. “So, I was sent a video clip of you and Jimin against other girls from another school. It appeared to be that you prevented Jimin from getting slapped….. again.” Her coach explains.

Minjeong purses her lips together. “But…?”

Her coach shakes her head. “There’s no but. They’ve decided to temporarily ban the first girl from participating in any swim events for a while and they all will be getting reprimanded by their coaches anyways. I called you here because I wanted to know about the peace project between you and Jimin.”

“I haven’t gotten any complaints about you two arguing. I’ve figured you two have finally gotten along?” Seohyun wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Minjeong groans in her chair, covering her ears. “No. I’m just been being nice to her because everyone keeps begging me to. I will never be friends with someone evil like her.” The brunette shakes her head, crossing her arms.

Seohyun nods, not believing her. She shoos the girl away. “Whatever you say. Tell your teammates you’ll be having a new addition to the team coming soon.” She announces as Minjeong stands up to leave the room.

[Minjeong]: Hey guys, you up for a team dinner?

[Minjeong]: Coaches' and I’s treat. Also, we’ll be having a new member of the team joining us soon

Minjeong clicks off her phone, feeling the mutiple vibrations in her back pocket go off.

“Minjeong!” A familiar voices calls out for her and like always, Minjeong instantly feels her heart beat harsher than usual.

The brunette continues walking, wanting to get to her lecture faster. She isn’t up for another encounter with the raven.

“Minjeong, come on!”

Breathing out deeply, Minjeong turns around to stop in her tracks. “What do you want, Jimin? Are you here to taunt me again? Are you never tired of it? Why can’t you just ever leave me alone for one second!” Minjeong yells out.

Jimin’s face is one of confusion. “What, I-”

The brunette runs her fingers through her hair, hearing the warning bell sound. “Save it, Jimin. I don’t have time for it. Go to class. You’re going to be late.” She turns back toward her correct direction, fighting the urge to cry.

But she doesn’t.

Sunwoo pops in, pulling her from her thoughts as she rushes to get to her lecture hall.

Everyone likes to label Minjeong as quiet, reserved. It’s not like she doesn’t have friends, her friends are enough for her. They’re a handful too.

“No, I’m not going to tell her I like her, Sunwoo!” Minjeong tells him again, trying to avoid the countless students rushing through the hallway. Her hand on his bicep becomes a bit tighter when the brunet lags behind a bit. When he’s the same pace as her, she pulls him closer, squealing when she bumps into shoulders.

She groans when they finally get to their lecture hall. “Ugh, I hate hallways.” Minjeong walks up the stairs with Sunwoo, the boy nodding at the complaint for another day.

He snaps his fingers toward Minjeong. “I know. You said that yesterday. And the day before.” He emphasizes, following the agile girl through the different rows of seats.

When they finally get to their personal seats, they take off their bags and bring out their laptop and notebooks, prepared for another lecture. Luckily, if Minjeong falls asleep this time, she won’t have to worry about getting in trouble because she knows Sunwoo will wake her up. (That’s if he doesn’t fall asleep himself, but Minjeong really doubts that.)

They’re about just a minute early, which gives the two a little time from the noise. “I’m not saying you have to….. well, at least not yet. But you can’t keep holding your confession in. There’s a new boy that’s been talking to Jimin and by the looks of it, he might ask her out soon.” His words are full of concern.

Minjeong rests her head on the palm of her hand. “Let him. I don’t care.” She mutters.

But Sunwoo’s eyebrow curves up. “Min, you don’t mean that.”

Frankly, she does and she doesn’t.

“It’ll just be another one of my stupid crushes.” Minjeong shrugs carelessly, pressing her lips into a thin line.

Her friend is persistent because it leads Minjeong to thinking. Her body faces him seriously. “Do you think…. Jimin might actually like me?” She doesn’t mean to seem urgent, but deep down, she’s begging to know.

She’s begging to know if there’s a small chance that the girl she’s fallen in love with possibly loved her back.

Sunwoo reaches for her hand, gently squeezing it. “Yeah. Even if it’s the tiniest chance.” He smiles brightly.

Minjeong playfully swats his head, earning a whine from the brunette.

“Minjeong, I just fixed my hair!” He pouts, fixing his hair.

The blonde laughs and mouths an apology, showing him her phone to use as a mirror.

Their lecture is boring like usual, Minjeong spends the rest of it replaying the memory of her breaking a world record, standing on the top platform.

Eyes locked with starry eyes.

She didn’t mean to yell at Jimin, but the raven deserved it, for all those years of taunting and just overall putting her in a bad mood. She needed to be put in her place.

But Minjeong can’t seem to shake the look of hurt Jimin flashed her in the hallway.

Why should she feel bad when Jimin’s the one who’s been annoying her since highschool? Why should Minjeong feel bad for finally saying something about it? That she’s simply tired of the childish retorts that go back and forth over a stupid rivalry.

Minjeong put swimming second mutiple times for a moment. Jimin’s never done that. The raven always wanted to be 1st and now, Minjeong’s giving it to her. Simply because she’s tired of acting like she still cares about being second. It’s college, nobody is going to care about it a few years from now.

“Min.” Sunwoo whispers.

The brunette turns to her friend who points at a small sticky note. Minjeong raises an eyebrow as she reaches for the note, flipping it over.

Meet me at the cafe at lunch. I need to talk to you about something. (Y.J.M)

Sighing, she crumbles the paper. Why won’t Jimin just leave her alone?

The cafe is an interesting place.

Well, Minjeong still hates it.

It’s loud, unusually loud. She didn’t think college cafes were like this. She expected more of the quiet, serene side, which the cafe is nowhere near those descriptions.

What happened to eating and studying, the blonde will never know.

Her delivery of her favorite burger joint is tightly held in her hand, eyes scanning the area for her friends. She really wants to find them quickly because she can feel eyes on her. The face of unfamiliarity. They probably think she’s a new girl. She continues walking, begging that her friends are still here so they can at least soothe her sense of embarrassment she’s currently feeling.

After some time, she spots Ningning’s bright red hair and pinpoints their table. Suddenly, a smile rises in her lips as she begins to walk quicker toward her friends.

But in the corner of her eye, she sees Jimin talking with an unfamiliar new boy. The raven is smiling and laughing at everything he says and unconsciously, Minjeong’s hand squeezes her pants firmly as she watches.

Maybe Sunwoo was right.

Her head hurts from trying not to cry, her chest pooling in an unusual way she hasn’t felt before. She had it under control. She was doing a good job- Why now?

Isn’t she the one who wanted me here?

She realizes she’s staring too long when Jimin notices her and ushers for her to come, her signature smile flashing. Minjeong only stands in the middle of the cafe, fighting the pain throbbing in her head.

When Jimin notices, her smile falls in confusion. “Minjeong, over here!” Aeri calls out to her but all the brunette can hear is ringing.

It suddenly becomes hard to breathe, and she holds onto her bag of food tighter, an anchor. She doesn’t know what’s going on with her anymore or why she’s acting this way. She just knows she wants to leave.

In her head, she hopes the boy can make Jimin smile.

She hated this place anyways.

She ignores the multiple calls for her name as she trudges toward the cafe doors.

Loud footsteps follow after her as her feet take her wherever.

“Minjeong!” She hears Jimin’s call for her.

She continues to walk, too emotional to face the raven again. There’s nothing she wants than to be left alone, but of course, the raven doesn’t seem to understand. Minjeong doesn’t blame her.

She doesn’t know she’s sobbing until Jimin grabs a hold of her wrist, tugging her back. “Minjeong, what’s wrong?” The raven asks in concern.

Minjeong shakes her head, frantically wiping her tears. “Nothing, the noise in there is too loud.” She lies.

However, Jimin catches on to the lie, letting out a sigh. “I know that’s not the reason you rushed out of there.”

The brunette steps back. “Jimin. You said you wanted to tell me something but of course, you have much better things to do then to talk to me. And I get it, you hate me. It’s fine, whatever. I was just going to be in the library like usual." Minjeong wipes one more time at her tears. She hates that she’s vulnerable to a confused Jimin.

Jimin steps closer, Minjeong’s feet not being able to move back like she wants it to.

“Do you…. do you remember saying anything when we were leaving to go back home on the bus?” Jimin’s voice follows with hesitation, and she never sees Jimin nervous.

The brunette cocks her head, trying to remember the events from yesterday night. “No… All I remember is falling asleep on Yves’s shoulder.” Minjeong replies.

She promises she sees Jimin’s face drop in disappointment. “Oh.”

The brunette finally steps back. “What happened? Did I do something or?” Minjeong asks, trying her best to remember what she did yesterday.

The raven shakes her head. “No, no. I was just wondering.” Jimin gives her a tightlipped smile.

They stand in the hallway for what seems like eternity before the hear a deep voice call for Jimin. Minjeong grips onto her bag of food tighter.

A tall boy approaches the both of them. “Hey, Jimin. Is everything all right? You ran out of there pretty quickly.” He looks up at her with worry.

Minjeong scoffs, rolling her eyes.

The raven doesn’t pay him mind. “I’m fine, Jaemin. I just needed to talk to someone.” She replies.

Jaemin nods before bowing. “Hello. I’m Na Jaemin. I’ll be joining the swim team this year. Is this the Minjeong you keep talking about?”

Jimin nods slowly.

Jaemin reaches out his hand. “Nice to meet you, vice captain. I’m really happy to be on the same team as a world record holder.” He flashes what seems to be a fake smile.

Their grasps in each other’s hands are tight.

Minjeong also smiles. “Nice to meet you, too. I’m guessing I’ll see you at the dinner tonight?”

Jaemin looks between the two. “Really? I can come? I know it was a celebratory dinner because you guys placed 1st in the swim meet. I didn’t want to seem out of the equation because I didn’t participate.” He scratches his neck awkwardly.

The brunette only shakes her head. “It’s fine, really. We’d love to have you there. Just don’t be late. Coach Taeyeon is strict on anyone stalling their time to eat.” She puts into the air, glaring at Jaemin.

The boy gives her a thumbs up before turning back to Jimin. “Let’s go back into the cafe?”

The raven blinks confusedly. “Huh? Oh, yeah. Right, I’m coming. Just give me one moment.” She tells the boy, who hums before turning back to the cafe.

Minjeong stands there, waiting for what Jimin has to say.

“What I wanted to tell you is that I’m sorry for all the years that I hurt you. Some of the word I said went too far and I should’ve known better. For the few past weeks, I’ve realized that you’re actually an incredible swimmer and I’ve never seen a swimmer as elegant as you. I hope we can put our past aside and maybe start over? And no, no one told me to do this. I decided to finally be mature and own up to my mistakes.” Jimin finishes her words, leaving Minjeong to take in all the information.

Minjeong sniffs. “I’m sorry, too. For all my hurtful words. To be honest, all I’ve ever done is looked up to you, but I guess some of the stuff I’ve also said went too far. I’m sorry, Jimin.” The brunette lets out, feeling a bit of weight lift off her shoulders.

She’s suddenly pulled into a tight hug, expensive perfume engulfing her. She doesn’t hesitate to melt into Jimin’s hold, even if holding her like this hurts to do.

The raven digs her head into Minjeong’s neck. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

Minjeong holds her tight like she’s never going to have Jimin in her arms again.

Aeri and Ryujin take her bowling in congratulations of breaking a world record and earning gold.

They get food and drinks and just bowl. Minjeong forgets all her worries and problems, and focuses on the moment with her friends. There becomes a rushing feeling that she hopes she can have often because it makes her feel free.

Needing a break, she flops onto the couch, Ryujin following along. “Are you having fun?” The raven asks, running her hands through her hair.

Minjeong nods, smiling and leaning her head on the girl’s shoulder. “The most fun I’ve had in a while. I want to do this often.” She admits gently.

They laugh when Aeri scores herself an embarrassing gutter ball. She grimaces, scratching the back of her head before turning around to walk over to the girls. “Please tell me you don’t have that on camera.” She begs.

Minjeong and Ryujin look at each other before turning back to their friend and lifting up their phones, bright grins gleaning at her. Aeri groans, falling on top of their laps.

“That was the worst ball I’ve ever done in my life.” Aeri emphasizes it dramatically.

Ryujin nods in agreement. “Exactly why we got it on camera!”

The girl flicks the raven’s forehead before standing up and grabbing a slice of pizza. She finds herself a seat next to Minjeong on her left side.

“Thank you, guys. I really needed this.” Minjeong suddenly whispers for them only to hear.

Aeri and Ryujin came into the picture, pulling her out of her bubble and opening her eyes a bit. They’re still considerate of her introverted side, making sure she isn’t ever uncomfortable. They protect her, like the siblings she’s never had.

“No problem. We’d do anything for you.” Aeri tells her, nudging her arm.

Ryujin smiles too, standing up and pulling her friends with her. “Alright, who’s ready to lose!” She exclaims.

Minjeong slouches down back into her seat. “I think I want to watch you guys go against each other. My arm hurts.” She crosses her arm, flashing a grin at the two.

Aeri raises an eyebrow. “All of the sudden? You sure you don’t want to get that checked?”

The brunette nods, reassuring the two. “I’m fine. Go play.” She wails her hand.

They put their hands in surrender before turning around to grab a ball from the gutter.

Sighing and crossing her arms as she watches her friends suck badly at bowling, she remembers what she’s been trying to avoid.

Feelings are so complicated, Minjeong only wishes she never had to go through them. Keeping it to herself only eats her up everyday, leaving yearning, confusion and exhaustion at her door. Never thinking about the consequences of going down that road, the brunette didn’t dive in herself. She was tugged into it, being forced to deal with it face to face, simply because that’s how love comes by. It knocks at the front door, entering at its own will. It decides what happens there on that it stays there, permanently, not there for a visit.

The thudding sound it causes in her heart, creeping up to close up her lungs that it’s hard to breathe. Having to experience it over and over comes out as a mistake, that Minjeong wished it’d just leave her alone for one moment. But smiles, simple mannerisms, habits, everything Jimin does makes her heart beat unusually.

There’s times where she thinks about the little moments Jimin and her have had. They make her stomach flutter with butterflies, imagining a life where she makes Jimin happy just the way the raven made her happy.

She finds herself despising Jimin a little less everyday, finding the raven’s annoying antics more bearable than before.

After figuring that her feelings for Jimin are bigger and stronger than Minjeong expected, everything becomes a bit more blurrier. There’s desperateness to just run away from it all, even for a little moment. Is she scared?

Definitely.

Everyday, she begs it’d go away for good.

Hell, what if Jimin doesn’t like her? What If she tells Minjeong that she’ll never be seen like the way the brunette sees her? She’s scared of the what ifs, the possibilities of her feelings being shut down. While she knows rejection is a normal occurrence of life, her chest constricts any pathway of air at the thought of it.

Truthfully, she’s had her fair share’s of crushes, but she’d always compare them Jimin, losing interest in a few weeks. It was a treading cycle but she’d close her eyes and breathe out while her head rested on the palm of her hand. Another crush crossed out.

At one point, she pondered when it’ll stop, because she’s pretty sure she’s had many people ask her out and confessed on multiple occasions. But she’d usually shove her hands in her jacket pocket, rejecting them in the most gentle way.

She thinks she’ll stop running and chasing and let herself be caught. Even for her long time crush on Jimin, she’s grown old enough to figure things out. As she goes back and remembers all the things she’d do just to see the raven flash an annoying smile, she realizes she might like Jimin way more than she thinks.

Maybe she’ll just get it off her chest and face it finally.

Minjeong lets out another sigh.

Minjeong reminds herself why she never offers to pay for team dinners.

The amount of food on the table is flabbergasting but the brunette stays serene, smiling at her rowdy teammates. She feels like she’s watching little kids sometimes.

Every then and there, the brunette engages in conversation, but not much due to her introverted self. She rather listen to everyone else speak than have everyone’s attention on her.

Her teammates check up on her, making sure she’s enjoying herself. Which she is, but a lot of things are on her mind.

Like Jaemin trying to indulge Jimin in a conversation. Multiple times, and by the looks of it, the raven is not very interested. Why Minjeong even invited the boy, she’s not sure herself because the glare she’s giving Jaemin is enough to burn a hole.

She has to work hard not to make it obvious she’s jealous because then it’ll bring many questions she refuses to answer. So instead, she raises her chin high, snapping.

Instantly, the attention is on her.

“Before you guys start ordering more food.” She eyes the boys who flash cheeky smiles. “I want to introduce our new teammate, Na Jaemin.” She points her hand to the boy across the table.

They clap as Jaemin bows his head and waves.

While everyone starts introducing themselves to Jaemin, Minjeong takes the chance to go to the bathroom.

Away from the noise, away from the feline eyes of Yu Jimin.

As soon as she enters the bathroom, she lets out a deep breath. She isn’t sure how long she can stay there at the table. Especially when after they made up, all Minjeong thought of was a bunch of more what ifs.

It’s like she’s going in circles again.

Stupid crush.

Now all she wants to do is see Jimin. Maybe staying away from the raven is the more reasonable thing to do. It isn’t like Jimin’s expecting them to suddenly become friends. All they did was apologize for all the past things they said.

Soon, after moments of splashing her face with water, the door opens. Minjeong ignores it, thinking it was some random person from the other side of the resturant.

But she feels arms wrap round her waist from behind. Slowly looking up, she sees Jimin’s head snuggled in between the junction of her neck and shoulder.

She wipes her face and looks in the mirror. “What- what are you doing?” Minjeong asks, begging for her voice not to betray her.

Jimin looks up, tilting her head in confusion. “Hugging you. You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do this for.” She shifts her arms, smiling.

Minjeong closes her eyes and takes a deep breath in, an amused expression on her face. “Aren’t you supposed to greeting golden boy?”

The raven makes a disgusted face. “Ew. No. I’ve been waiting to get away from him but the spot I saved for you was taken by him before you got here.” Jimin replies, huffing cutely.

This Jimin is different. She’s less….frustrating. Minjeong thinks it’s adorable.

Turning around in Jimin’s arms, Minjeong looks down at the girl who’s pouting. Taking a leap of breath and going against her rules, she wraps her arms around Jimin’s shoulders, leaning against the sink’s counter.

They stare at eachother in the silence and Minjeong takes the chance to search the raven’s eyes, waves of a never ending ocean. The brunette fights the urge to brush the stray piece of hair from the raven’s face.

“So what I’m getting out of this that you’re bored of Jaemin? And you escaped to get away from him?” Minjeong adds with playfulness.

Jimin looks up as if she’s thinking. “Really, I wanted to tell you something.”

The brunette raises an eyebrow, curious to hear what else Jimin has to say.

Jimin stands up a bit straighter, but never letting go of Minjeong’s waist. They’re now face to face, closer than what the brunette expects.

“Congratulations on winning gold, my vice captain.” Jimin fondly smiles at her, only making her stumbling mess of a heart even more frantic.

Yeah, Minjeong’s really screwed.

Chapter Text

Minjeong starts walking Jimin to her lectures.

Well, that’s because Jimin’s been making her do so. Although, the brunette doesn’t mind as much as it does pay to see Jaemin’s burrowed brows when he walks past them, the raven linking their arms together while walking through the hallways.

As the two walk through the hallways, Jimin telling her about her day so far which Minjeong listens to, chuckling every there and then, Chaeyoung approaches them.

“Minjeong!” Chaeyoung calls out for her, a smile on her face.

Minjeong widens her eyes as she’s swung when Jimin tugs her closer, possessively holding her arm.

The brunette’s corner of her lips lift up nervously, slightly bowing her head. “Hi, Chaeyoung.” She greets lowly.

The glare at Jimin is evident. Jimin glares back.

So is the tension between the two. Minjeong clears her throat, smiling at Jimin. “Unfortunately, I have to get this one to class. Text me later, though.” Before Chaeyoung could answer, the brunette’s dragged away passed the girl.

As they walk, Minjeong nudges the raven. “What was that all about?”

Jimin stays quiet, continuing to walk. The brunette presses a bit harder.

“I don’t get why you don’t like her. She’s nice and I think you two would be very good friends.” The brunette suddenly says, peaking at the girl’s impression.

The raven rolls her eyes, muttering something under her breath. “I don’t get why you’re friends with her… she’s too… Ugh, I just don’t like her, that should be a good enough of a reason.” Jimin explains.

Minjeong hums in amuse, deciding to drop the topic.

They arrive at Jimin’s lecture hall, people chattering with others as they enter. They move to the side so they didn’t block the entrance.

“Have fun studying biology.” Minjeong teases, earning a whine from the older girl. “I’m leaving.”

But Minjeong is tugged back into Jimin’s view. “Aren’t you missing something?” The raven tilts her head.

Suddenly, Jimin is lifted and spun around, the raven holding onto the the brunette for dear life. After a few spins, Minjeong places her back onto the ground, hugging her tightly.

They melt into eachother, Minjeong letting out a breath of relief.

They pull away from eachother due to the warning bell, Minjeong is all smiles and begins walking away.

“You better respond when I’m bored in class.” Jimin tells her but Minjeong makes and X with her arms and raises it up.

“Minjeong!” She hears Jimin whine loudly, making her laugh.

“Swim”

“Practice-”

“At-”

“3-”

“Pm.”

“I know, Minjeong, now, please pay attention to class.” Ryujin instructs her.

Minjeong huffs. “You’re not even paying attention either!” She whisper yells, not wanting other students to look at her.

Ryujin scoffs in feigned hurt. “Texting Yeji is more important than studying. Plus I know the computer systems like the back of my hand.” She defends herself.

The brunette turns to Sunwoo. “Tell her she has to pay attention?”

The boy only shakes his head, pointing to the game he’s playing on his laptop. “I’m not even paying attention either, sorry.” He shrugs, going back to playing his game.

Minjeong groans before turning back to her notes.

Soon, she feels a buzz in her pocket.

[Jimin]: there’s still 15 minutes left and I already want to leave

[Minjeong]: Fifteen minutes more to start paying more attention, goodbye!

[Jimin]: wait wait don’t go

[Jimin]: Can we get lunch together? I don’t have any more lectures after this so im done for today

[Minjeong]: you can’t ask Yizhuo or Heejin or even Yeji?

[Jimin]: no

[Jimin]: i want to go with you only.

[Minjeong]: didn’t you used to hate me breathing within a 5 mile radius of you

[Jimin]: that was past Jimin and right now Jimin really wants to have lunch with you

[Jimin]: so yes or no 😁

[Minjeong]: you’re very lucky you’re cute

[Jimin]: I know I’m cute

Minjeong turns off her phone, letting her head fall onto the desk.

Ryujin places a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?” She asks, a hint of amuse in her voice.

“Jimin wants to get lunch together.” Minjeong’s voice is muffled.

The two next to her quietly gasps. “You two finally made up?” Sunwoo asks with curiousness.

The brunette only hums.

She’s going to get teased for the rest of the day for this, isn’t she?

This has to be some type of joke. She’s third wheeling?

Jimin doesn’t look too happy though. So, this was definitely unplanned.

Jaemin stares at them, a grin on his lips. Jimin sits next to Minjeong, her hand gently tugging at her shirt.

The two girls look at each other blankly before turning back to Jaemin. “Why are you here again?” Minjeong plays with the menu on the table.

The boy points to Jimin. “She said I could join along with you two!” He replies brightly.

Minjeong’s head jerks to the raven, hand covering the side of her face. “I thought you said it was going to be only us two.” She whispers.

Jimin grimaces, giving Minjeong an apologetic smile. “He saw me texting you and asked if he could come. I didn’t want to be mean.”

The brunette sighs, turning back the front. She purses her lips before looking down at the menu.

They’re at a resturant Minjeong’s never been to before but Jimin assured her it was a good place to dine at.

Despite having an unexpected guest, Minjeong feels comfortable next to the raven. Jimin stays quite close to her, her side slightly pressing against her’s. The raven’s warm and her scent is slightly intoxicating.

Everything about Jimin is unforgettable. She finds herself thinking about the little habits the girl the girl does—like to cling to her every moment she gets. Like how she is right now.

“So. Jimin, what do you like doing in your free time?” Jaemin suddenly asks.

“Swimming.” The raven responds blandly.

The boy blinks. “Oh, uh. Anything else?” He tries.

Jimin thinks for a moment. “Maybe, singing and dancing, piano?”

Jaemin nods, taking the information. He then faces the brunette. “What about you?”

The question catches Minjeong off guard, her eyes lifting up. “Oh, I like photography, working out, guitar, fixing devices, building pcs. Maybe, there’s more I can’t name from the top of my head.” The brunette nods after she’s done speaking.

The raven nudges her. “You do all of that? That’s so cool.” Jimin’s eyes glow in awe.

Minjeong feels her chest pound. “Really?” She finds herself asking lowly.

Jimin nods, a smile on her face. “You’re a smarty pants, aren’t you?”

The brunette pokes her side. “You are as well! Studying biology is hard too.” She adds in, a pout on her lips.

Jaemin watches as the girls giggle with eachother, tickling and poking each other while they wait for their food. He lets out a sigh, crossing his arms.

It doesn’t take long before their food is placed on the table, their table basically packed with delicious smelling dishes.

Minjeong whispers a thank you to the raven before digging into her food. Jimin tells her to enjoy.

The brunette feels her a poke into her arm. “Do you want a bite?” The raven points to her plate.

Minjeong knows she can’t take no for an answer. So she nods. The raven lifts up her fork, feeding the brunette.

The raven waits as the girl chews carefully. Soon, Minjeong’s eyes widen in shock. “It’s really good!”

Jimin tells her not to be shy if she wanted more.

Minjeong also offers the raven a bite of her food, lifting up a scoop of fried rice into Jimin’s mouth, her hand under her spoon just in case anything spills.

Her plate ends up being shared with the raven.

She comes to know that the boy in front of them has been watching them interact the whole time and still hasn’t said a word yet. Not that she didn’t mind his presence, but she knows it takes a lot of gut to continue third wheeling.

Eventually, he ends up clearing his throat. “Thank you for lunch but I have to head out. See you at practice?” He gives a hopeful toward Jimin, which makes Minjeong make a disgusted face.

Jimin only flashes him a slight smile. Jaemin frowns in return before standing up and leaving.

“That’s what he gets for ruining our outing.” Jimin glares at him as he leaves.

Jaemin’s first practice with the team—Minjeong tries not to snicker at the thought of it. She’ll be easy on him.

Coach Taeyeon waits for the rest to finish changing, scrolling on her phone.

Minjeong ruffles her hair, hair tie around her wrist. “How much do you want to bet?” She asks Yves and Hyunjin.

The two girls cross their arms. “20 bucks. Each.” Hyunjin offers and Minjeong almost gawks.

She pinches her nose, breathing out. “Ok, what if I win? 50 bucks, final offer.”

Yves puckers her lips to the side, seeming to be in opposition.

Hyunjin rolls her eyes, hitting the girl’s arms. “Fine. As soon as he complains about the reps. Since it’s his first practice, Coach Kim will test him on his endurance and speed and we get to watch.” The girl mumbles the last words, peaking at Coach Taeyeon.

Minjeong grins, confident she’ll win.

She walks over to the chairs, opting to sit while they wait. The boys usually take a long time because they get rowdy sometimes, resulting in Coach Taeyeon banging on the door for them to come out.

At the corner of her eyes, she sees a part of her team knocked out on the chairs beside her. The other half were in groups, loudly chattering.

Minjeong ought to fall asleep too, the boys were taking too long. She leans back into the chair, using her towel as a cushion.

Before she can enter dreamland, a whistle is loudly blown.

“Shit!” Yuna, next to her, yells.

“The boys are out, line up in a line for dry based stretches. Quickly!” Coach Taeyeon instructs.

The people sleeping immediately get up and put their caps on frantically. Minjeong struggles to shove her hair into the cap. She silently cusses when everyone stands in a line and she’s still putting her stuff on.

Jimin clears her throat. “5 adductor rocks on each side. Once you’re done, do 15 arm swings in all directions.”

Instantly, everyone lowers down, extending their leg out to begin their adductor rocks. Minjeong gently feels a stretch in her legs as she leans her weight.

It takes a good 10 minutes or so before they’re finished warming on dry land. The brunette is eager to get into the water.

Coach Taeyeon makes everyone line up in rows behind eachother, one person starting in each lane out of 10.

“200 yards easy swim freestyle, stretching your shoulders out. On my whistle.” Coach Taeyeon says, swimmers preparing to dive on the board.

The captains usually always go first, just to give everyone a demonstration for the second group to know what to do.

Minjeong waits for the whistle, sticking out a tongue at Yeji.

The whistle sounds and immediately, the brunette dives into the water, beginning her round of easy freestyles. Her body is submerged with cold watered at first but like always, her body adjusts.

The brunette likes it, she likes when she’s met with cold water all at once.

It’s muscle movement, swinging her arms back and in front of her. While they were easy freestyles, Minjeong’s average speed was still faster than others, leading her to usually finish first.

Once she gets to the wall, flipping forward to quickly switch directions, she decides to take the time to fully stretch her arms.

She feels a stretch in her shoulders as she continues swimming until she gets to the starting point.

She finishes, allowing for the next person behind her to go. The rest of them start follow along, loud splashes echoing in Minjeong ears.

Once everyone’s is done with their warmups, they immediately move to their main sets. Minjeong sports a grin on her face when she casts a glance at a heaving Jaemin.

Warmups already have him tired?

Coach Taeyeon walks over to them, ushering for everyone to look forward at the pool. “Five stations. You should all be able to do it 2–3 times each.” She explains quickly.

She points to lane one. “8x50s free, 25 under water, hop out, do 5 squats with weight, then sprint back.”

Their coach explains the rest of the next few lanes and Minjeong looks at Jaemin, who has an uneasy look on his face. Yves bites at Minjeong, mouthing ‘not to think about it.’

Everyone starts laughing when Minjeong pretends to jump at Jaemin. Immediately, Coach Taeyeon turns back to see a smiley Minjeong.

“Nothing to look at here, Coach.” She says, batting her eyelashes.

Coach Taeyeon nods, making a wonky face and mocking Minjeong before turning around. “Yeah, whatever. If you’re done laughing around, go and start your sets. All of you should be going at an equal pace, nobody should be behind. If you don’t understand how to do a station, ask your captains.” Their coach walks over to the side, moving so groups could be formed in the stations.

Minjeong lifts up a 1.

One set for Jaemin to lose it. Set?

Yves and Hyunjin nod.

She is so going to win.

10 minutes into their first set, Jaemin crouches down, trying to calm his breath. Minjeong walks over having finished her second set, waiting for others.

She bends down, placing an arm around his shoulder. “You alright?” She asks, patting his back to help him with his cough.

Jaemin gives her a thumbs up, still continuing to cough. Minjeong stands up, walking back to the first lane to start her third set.

Hyunjin rolls her eyes when the brunette puts up a 5 and a 0 before she dives into the water.

[Yuna]: Hyunjin and Yves lost😭😭😭😭

[Yves]: shut

[Hyunjin]: up

[Ryujin]: I thought we knew better than to bet against Min

[Yves]: we thought he’d be different but I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen someone have a coughing fit due to Coach’s stations😭

[Aeri]: Minjeong walked up to him and he looked like he was about to cry you guys are so mean

[Yuna]: just wait till it’s Minjeong’s turn to run practice he’ll be fucked

[Minjeong]: I’m betting 100 bucks

[Hyunjin]: Minjeong you’re literally rich enough

[Minjeong]: it’s fun winning though ☹️

[Yuna]: WHATEVER DAMN

“I’m not eating that, I’m sorry.” Minjeong shoves the plate back toward Lia.

Lia’s shoulders slump. “Chaeryeong said it’s good though!” She retaliates loudly.

Minjeong covers her ears due to the loudness of the girl. “That’s because she’s your girlfriend.”

Lia turns to Chaeryeong, who bites the inside of her cheek before awkwardly smiling. The brunette ends up chuckling at their interaction.

Minjeong grabs the dish and pushes it to Yuna. “How about you try it?” She taps the blonde’s shoulder.

On her phone unconsciously, Yuna grabs the fork, digging into her food. She lifts it to her mouth, everyone watching in anticipation. The blonde opens her mouth and takes a bite, chewing for a bit.

Minjeong furrows her eyebrows, wondering why the girl isn’t responding. “Are you going to tell us what it taste like?” Minjeong asks.

Yuna looks up, placing her phone down. “Obviously, I would’ve spat it out if I didn’t like it. It’s good, Lia. Don’t listen to what Minjeong has to say.” She stuffs her fork back into lasagna, scooping another piece into her mouth.

The brunette slides the plate back in front of her, snatching Yuna’s fork from her.

Minjeong chews slowly, closing her eyes so she can focus. Suddenly her eyes opens, staring at Lia. “This might be the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted. I don’t ever have to go back to the dining hall to get lasagna ever, again.” The brunette splutters.

Yuna snatches back the plate and fork from her, giving Minjeong a glare. “Go get your own plate?”

Minjeong chuckles, blinking heart eyes at Lia.

“Next time don’t judge by the appearance.” Lia reminds her turning around to slice a square for the brunette.

The brunette jumps up in excitement, freezing when the three girls all eye her.

Chapter Text

Minjeong tugs her AirPod from her ear, fumbling with the items in her hand.

Quickly, she sorts her stuff out, looking up at the person who tried to get her attention. “Yes? How may I help you?” She grins brightly.

The old lady points to a huge building, “Do you know how to get to that building?” She asks gently.

Minjeong moves her bangs from her face so she’s able to see better. “Yes, I do. If you keep walking straight then take a left on the third road, there’s a bus stop with signs. One of them reads the area you’re going to.” She explains to the lady, using her hand to direct.

The old lady nods, smiling as everything clicks in her head. “Ah, I see. Thank you very much! I’ve been trying to get directions for a while now but people these days are always in a rush and too busy just to answer a quick question.”

The brunette’s lips press into an apologetic thin line. “I’m sorry you had to wait too long. I hope you’re able to get to your location alright. Unfortunately, I have to get going or I’m going to be late for practice.” She bows her head, the lady nodding and smiling in understanding.

Minjeong places her AirPods back in her ears, stuffing her case back into her pocket. She starts walking toward her direction, the cool breeze hitting her cheeks in a subdued manner. She thinks her day started off nicely.

She hopes the old lady has a nice day too.

Lying isn’t one of Minjeong strongest feats.

So saying she isn’t jealous would be an understatement. And right, she definitely isn’t making Jaemin do more reps of butterflies than everyone else. She’s just making sure he gets used to how hard training sessions under Minjeong are.

“Do I really have to do this many reps? I can barely breathe!” Jaemin looks up at Minjeong, who crosses her arms and watches everyone else do their’s.

The brunette only nods in response.

Jaemin gawks. “But don’t you also have to do them? Why do you get to watch us suffer?” He frowns, the brunette finding it hard not to laugh.

Aeri walks past the two, wiping water from her face and removing her googles. “Oh, trust me, Minjeong does more reps than all of our’s combined after practice.”

The boy groans in defeat, turning around to finish his reps along with his teammates.

The rest slowly begin to finish, walking past Minjeong and snickering as the brunette keeps reminding the boy not to stop in between his reps. The brunette is giving him her usual strictness, with a bit more.

“Jaemin, you can stop.” She hears a familiar voice instruct.

Minjeong’s head jerks to the right, seeing Jimin approach her. “What do you think you’re doing?” The brunette glares at the other girl.

Jaemin finishes his last rep, pulling himself to stop at the beginning walk of the pool. He removes his goggles, breathing hard as he wipes his face of water.

The raven frowns. “Don’t you think he’s done enough? Everyone else is done except him.”

Minjeong scoffs. “That’s because he’s been stopping in between, which means his endurance isn’t up where it should be.” The brunette responds sternly.

At that, Jimin goes silent.

Minjeong lets out a breath before walking over to her teammates. “You all are free to go. Get some rest, it’s been a long day.” She reaches in her bag, pulling out her swim cap and googles. Quickly, she puts them on before stretching her arms.

Turning her head, she sees Jaemin talking to Jimin, again. Snorting in amuse, she walks over to the edge of the pool. Slowly, she enters the pool, letting the cold waters engulf her. It takes a moment to adjust to the water, but soon her body is calm.

Jimin notices her waiting in the pool and pushes by Jaemin. “Are you ready?” The raven asks.

Minjeong nods.

Beside Jimin, Jaemin bites his cheek. “What’s going on?”

The raven rolls her eyes before turning to face the boy. “On certain days, I run Minjeong’s practices separately when she has to take over practices none of the coaches can cover due to meetings.” She explains quickly.

Jaemin lets out a little ‘oh’ before pursing his lips. “I guess I’ll see you later?” He has the look of hopefulness.

Jimin simply shrugs, turning back to Minjeong. “Warm up with butterfly strokes, don’t exhaust yourself yet.” The raven instructs sternly, Minjeong nodding in understanding.

The brunette smiles at the boy glaring at her before beginning her warm up.

After Minjeong’s done with her session, she groans at her sore muscles. Jimin could get strict with her instructions sometimes. The only difference, this time, is that they aren’t throwing jabs at each other every second and Jimin is actually patient with the brunette.

Jimin helps her with the things she struggles with, as overall, the raven’s techniques are one others dream to replicate.

The brunette dabs her body with the towel, tired from another hard day of practice. She groans as she stretches, thoughts of taking a nice shower and going to sleep reaches her mind. Her shirt and sweatpants are thrown on like always, her goggles and swim cap stuffing into her locker.

Her tired body drags itself through the bathroom and out into the hallways. Freezing cold air almost catches her off guard as she feels a blast against her face.

Truthfully, her mind is cleared.

Swim really seems to help her unwind and loosen up from any early events. Now, she can’t find it in her to hate Jaemin.

Still, there is a small part of her growing that makes Minjeong want to make despise Jaemin. But truthfully, she has no right because Jimin probably doesn’t even like her. She’d probably tear the little rope holding their growing little friendship together if she ever admitted she was jealous.

As she’s walking to find the exit, Minjeong hears footsteps growing behind her. Quickly turning around, she almost bumps into Jaemin.

“What the hell?” Minjeong screams but the boy motions to be quiet.

“Be quiet???” Jaemin tells her. He wraps his arm around the brunette and gets them walking again.

Minjeong catches a whiff of his strong cologne mixed with the wet smell of chlorine from his hair. She grimaces, groaning when she realizes how strong Jaemin’s grip is.

Looking at the boy, she reaches for his arm and plucks it off her with a bit of strength. “What do you want? Why does everyone think they can just pop up and scare me?”

Jaemin rolls his eyes. “I did not scare you that bad. Look, I just need to ask for a favor.”

Minjeong continues walking, leaving the boy stumbling behind. After a few seconds, the boy catches up, following her outside.

“Come on. I need help asking Jimin out. You seem to know a lot about to her.” Jaemin pleads.

Stopping in her tracks, the brunette finally faces the boy. “Why would I know a lot about her? If you didn’t know, we used to hate each other?” Minjeong emphasizes her words.

Jaemin scratches his head. “I don’t know, you two look close.” He responds blankly.

Closing her eyes and breathing out slowly, Minjeong fights the urge to continue to walk. “Jaemin, do you even like her?” She opens her eyes and looks at him.

The boy nods frantically.

Her heart cracks a little. “Alright. But I can’t help you. If you really like her, you need to be genuine with whatever you’re planning to do. It has to be from you.” Minjeong whispers.

Jaemin opens and closes his mouth in understanding. “You’re right….. Thanks, Min.” He smiles.

“Do not ever call me that.” She flicks her middle finger before walking away.

Jaemin looks down, before lifting his head and watching the girl continue on her way. “Alright, cap.”

[Yves]: guys guys guys

[Yuna]: if you’ve come tell us about how you managed to dump water on me and Hyunjin in our dorm, I really don’t want to hear it

[Ryujin]: she did what😭😭😭

[Yves]: I wasn’t but now that you remind me

[Hyunjin]: nobody gaf we want to know why Jaemin was walking with Minjeong

[Aeri]: oh?

[Minjeong]: don’t even start

[Minjeong]: he wouldn’t leave me alone because apparently he likes Jimin and he wanted me to help him plan something

[Minjeong]: I told him no because why would I help him plan something about a girl I used to hate

[Minjeong]: That just ruined my day

[Minjeong]: He’s so annoying

[Aeri]: Min…. do you like Jaemin…

[Ryujin]: that’s the most hilarious thing I’ve ever heard

[Ryujin]: how did you get that from all she said😭😭

[Yves]: obviously she hates him

[Yuna]: wait but jaemin’s only been here for like a few weeks how do you already hate him Minjeong? He’s chill

[Hyunjin]: OH. MY. GOSH.

[Hyunjin]: U LIKE JIMIN

[Yves]: NO FUCKING WAY😭😭😭😭

[Yuna]: notice how she’s not replying ooh we’ve got the tea

[Minjeong]: I don’t like her and I’ll never will lol

[Ryujin]: I know a jealous Minjeong when I see one

[Yves]: I thought she was just saying things when she admitted to liking Jimin to her while on the bus.

[Minjeong]: i did WHAT?

[Yves]: You kept saying my name thinking I was your seat mate but I was in the seat behind you guys with Heejin. You had your head all up in Jimin’s hair it was disgustingly cute😭, she kept preventing your head from jerking.

[Minjeong]: and she heard EVERYTHING????

[Yves]: Yes💀

[Yves]: we also got a few pictures of you snoring lol

[Aeri]: Min

[Minjeong]: what

[Aeri]: you know you can talk to me right

[Aeri]: I’m your best friend. We should be comfortable with eachother

[Aeri]: if you actually like Jimin, it’s fine but you need to realize that you’ll eventually have to tell her before it’s too late.

[Aeri]: you’re so selfless and it scares me sometimes that you would rather allow yourself to get hurt than admit it.

[Minjeong]: Aeri.

[Aeri]: I know I know I’m just saying keep it in mind

[Aeri]: come to my room btw, I bought food

[Minjeong]: alright

“You know, people need to start believing when I say you’re a softie on the inside.” Aeri says all of the sudden.

Minjeong kicks her leg, earning a groan from the older girl. “Shut up.”

The two sat cuddled on the couch, watching some random movie Minjeong can’t seem to stomach watching. She isn’t sure how the older girl seems to like horror movies.

“Make space!!!” They hear Hyunjin yells from behind them.

The next thing the two knows, Hyunjin is sprawled out on top of them, both of them groaning in pain. They push the girl off their laps, sticking out their tongues at the girl on the ground clutching her back.

Hyunjin stands up, finding space next to Minjeong and curls up against the brunette. “Aeri, isn’t this like the 5th time you’ve watched this movie?”

Aeri flaps her hand at Hyunjin, motioning for the girl to shut up. “The plot is good.” She responds, not taking her eyes off the tv.

Minjeong, in the middle of them, frowns. “Guys. What happens if I actually like Jimin?” She blurts.

The tv is immediately paused.

The other two girls face her. “That’s great, then? The tension between you two got too much sometimes.” Hyunjin responds.

Aeri takes time to think of what to say. As if the girl wants to choose her words carefully. After a while, Aeri sighs. “You know there’s nothing wrong with liking her, or liking anybody. It’s just part of how life works.”

Hyunjin nods in agreement. “Right. It’s better to admit it rather than to ignore it because it can lead to more of a mess you won’t be able to sort out later.” Hyunjin adds.

The brunette listens while staring at the tv blankly. With her knees tucked in, she takes her friends words all in while thinking about what it would be like to hold Jimin’s hands.

Yeah, she might be in deep because she’s really not listening to either of them.

Aeri waves her hand over the brunette’s face. “Minjeong. Hey, hey.”

Minjeong shakes her head, turning to face Aeri. “Yeah? Yeah, sorry about that.” She apologizes.

Hyunjin and Aeri giggle. “Wow, you really do like her.” They both say at the same time.

Slouching back more into the couch, Minjeong stuffs her face into the pillow to scream.

The rest of her day flies by, Minjeong drowning in her studies once again like usual. She gets good grades but computer science is a pain sometimes. Fortunately for her, she enjoys the subject and is good with match, which makes taking it in college a lot more pliable.

Still doesn’t mean it’s not a pain in the ass sometimes.

It takes a good 1 or two hours to finish her assignments for the day, humming to the very tunes she loves the most. One way or another, Jimin is still in the corner of her mind. She hates how the pretty girl gets her in trouble sometimes, taking up her thoughts that she ends up accidentally scribbling the wrong thing into her notes. With black ballpoint ink. She’s had to restart papers multiple times.

At this point, she really needs to learn to start paying attention more because the assignments aren’t difficult but distractions come quite easily to her. Which led to deadlines nearly being overlooked.

Rubbing at her tired eyes, she finally shuts off her laptop and closes her notebook, body begging for sleep. She stands up from her bed, opting to visiting Aeri’s dorm simply because she doesn’t think she wants to sleep in her own bed this time around.

Her other best friend always lets her in with open arms for whatever reason Minjeong concludes at the end of the day. The blonde makes sure to shoot her a text and quickly, she receives a message asking for her to bring her own blanket this time. (She can’t help hogging the covers when they keep her warm and smell nice.)

She takes a shower, changes into her PJ’s, eats a quick meal knowing Aeri will scold her if she’s caught skipping another meal.

The blanket that she tugs from her closet is (truth and behold) Aeri’s and a grin doesn’t leave her lips when she opens the door to the red haired girl’s dorm room with the key she was given.

Aeri doesn’t even greet her, sleepily pulling the blonde against her body and shutting the lights off. Mumbles of ‘go to sleep’ echo through the red haired girl’s room.

Chapter Text

[Jimin]: hi

[Minjeong]: heyyy

[Jimin]: hey hey I wanted to ask if you wanted to go ice skating with me later?

[Minjeong]: you couldn’t ask your friends?

[Jimin]: you’re my friend too though

[Jimin]: right?

[Minjeong]: I guess…

[Jimin]: I want to go since my friends have been saying i should go and try it out since it’s fun. I didn’t want to be the only one who didn’t know how to skate so I’m asking you

[Minjeong]: they lied btw😭

[Minjeong]: my brother ice skates when he’s not swimming and is pretty good at it. He taught me how to skate when I was younger.

[Jimin]: I see… so Yuna lied to me

[Minjeong]: I’d love to still go if you want

[Jimin]: really? I mean if you want to

[Minjeong]: I would love to Jimin, seriously

[Jimin]: ok! is 3:30 okay for you?

[Minjeong]: That’s fine

[Minjeong]: I’ll get you lunch after

[Jimin]: 😁 screenshotting for evidence

Minjeong stands in front of the mirror again. She huffs again, turning back to walk into her closet. But Ryujin blocks it, crossing her arms.

The raven grabs her by her shoulders and out of her room doors. “You look great, plus it’s almost 3PM.” Ryujin reminds her but Minjeong shuffles in her hands.

They stop in the middle of the living room. “But-” Minjeong tries but shuts up when her friend places her finger against her lips.

“No buts. Yeji texted me saying Jimin is as nervous as you are.” Ryujin pats down her hair, easing her nerves.

Looking up at the other girl, Minjeong realizes she’s lucky to have a best friend like Ryujin. “Thank you, Ryujin.” She whispers.

The raven smiles at her before pushing her out the main door. “Have fun and don’t come back, Yeji is supposed to come over.”

Minjeong fakes a hurl but grins nevertheless.

As her dorm door shuts, she realizes there’s no turning back. Minjeong breathes in and out before beginning to walk down the hallway.

Meet me in front of the building.

No Jaemin, no coaches, no friends. Just her and Jimin.

Hanging out as friends. Right, right. Then why is she overthinking everything? She hasn’t been this nervous since the first time she swam in her first swim meet.

But then again, this is her crush she’s talking about. What if she makes a fool of herself? She’ll never be able to live that down. Maybe she should just tell Jimin she’s busy and reschedule for when she’s actually ready.

“Minjeong?” She hears a familiar voice call for her.

Jerking her head to the side, Minjeong catches Jimin’s eyes. They stand there quietly, the brunette’s hands tucked into pockets nervously. Minjeong tries to ignore the constant thump against her chest that makes her hold her breath.

After a long while, Jimin breaks contact, shyly smiling as she looks down. Minjeong blinks multiple times before turning back to face the front.

Gosh, she’s a mess.

A few fake clearing of her throat allows her to gather her words. “Are you ready to go?” Minjeong asks the raven.

At the corner of her eye, she sees Jimin nod slowly. Not sure what to do next, she grabs the raven’s hand and looks at her. Jimin only stares at her, causing her cheeks to go red.

“Lead the way to your car?” Minjeong suddenly says, snapping the raven out of her daydream.

Jimin’s eyes widen. “Oh? Right, sorry.” The raven apologizes before tugging on Minjeong’s hand toward the right.

As they walk, Minjeong smiles at their interlocked hands. She notices that Jimin only tightens her hold, showing no signs of letting go.

The student parking lot was big, but not that big. She’s sure they should’ve already been in the car by now. It’s definitely not because they’re both slowing down their walking speed.

It takes some time before they finally reach Jimin’s car. Once they do, Minjeong reluctantly lets go of the raven’s hand to walk to the passenger side of the car. They both settle in, with Jimin starting the car.

Once they’re on the road, Minjeong tucks her hands into her lap. She’s still very nervous.

Jimin’s car smells a lot like Jimin. Expensive perfume that isn’t too weak or strong. Minjeong is able to breathe it in without worrying about suffocating because it was too strong.

The raven suddenly decides to spark conversation. “So, how did you wake up today?”

Minjeong bites her lip. “Alright. I was actually really excited so it was kind of hard to fall asleep.” She breathes out when Jimin laughs.

The raven taps her steering wheel while waiting at a red light. “I was too. It’s been a while since I’ve skated due to schoolwork and swim.” Jimin replies.

The brunette gazes at Jimin. “I’ll make your time worthwhile. I promise you won’t regret hanging out with me.” Minjeong crosses her arms.

Jimin laughs, and its music to Minjeong’s ears. “Oh, really?” The raven adds a teasing tone to her voice.

Minjeong thinks for a moment. She’s fun to hang out with. Her friends have never really complained… so.

“I guess I’ll just have to prove it to you.” Minjeong responds with confidence.

After tying up her skates, Minjeong bends down to tie Jimin’s skates. The brunette breathes in gently, taking in the cold air surrounding her. She’s glad she listened to Ryujin when she said to layer up a bit.

Minjeong stands up, dusting her pants. “There you go.”

The raven smiles at her in gratitude. Luckily, the rink seems to be occupied with the right amount of people. Minjeong doesn’t seem to feel suffocated this time around.

The two make their way to the rink, Minjeong staying by Jimin’s side to ensure the enter the rink carefully.

Once they’re on the rink, the brunette takes the time to get loose. “You got it?” Minjeong watches Jimin hesitate to get on the rink.

There’s a look of fear on the raven’s face. “Sorry, I’m just afraid I’m going to fall on my ass.” Jimin admits, holding on to the side bar. “And now you’re going make fun of me now.”

Minjeong fights the urge to giggle. “I definitely was not going to.” After a few seconds under Jimin’s knowing gaze, she gives in, a grin showing. “Okay, fine, maybe I was.”

The brunette approaches Jimin, grabbing her two hands. Jimin whines a bit as they start to move. “I know it’s scary, you just need to warm up a bit. Just trust me.” Minjeong skates backwards slowly.

Holding both of Jimin’s hands, she skates backwards and continues to until she sees the raven begin to struggle less. Minjeong moves to let go of the raven’s hands, but the raven frowns at the thought of it, tugging her hands back.

“What if I fall?” Jimin looks up at the brunette.

Minjeong slowly lets go of one of Jimin’s hands so she can face the other way. “You’re not going to fall because I’m not going to let you fall, okay. I told you trust me.” The brunette tries, feeling the tightening in Jimin’s grip.

The raven goes quiet, cautiously skating and Minjeong almost refuses to believe she used to be intimidated by the raven at first. But she shoves the thought to the side.

Acting on a twine of courage, she grabs Jimin’s waist, pulling the girl closer against her front. It catches the other girl in surprise, the raven letting out an small gasp as they collide into eachother.

The brunette realizes the stunt she’s pulled is way beyond what she was expecting to, now that they were inches away from eachother, breaths clashing, and warmth blooming between them both.

Getting lost in dark brown eyes has become nothing but a habit, where Minjeong loses all knowledge to even speak. She wonders how she’s come from simply despising the thought of the raven to barely grazing her lips in the middle of the ice rink.

“I’m not gonna let you fall.” Minjeong repeats sternly.

The raven slowly nods, breathing carefully.

Minjeong finally takes it as a chance to pull away from the girl, moving to their one handed hold. They both begin moving forward, slowly at first and this time, Jimin seeming more confident than before. The brunette makes sure she’s comfortable with their current speed before asking if they can go faster.

Jimin agrees to, taking off before the brunette can even comprehend her answer. After a while of skating in the rink, Jimin sports a smile.

“I’m doing it!” The raven squeals as she lets go of Minjeong’s hand.

Minjeong gives her a proud smile in response. She starts to speed up a bit, deciding to circle around the girl. “Do you still need me?”

Jimin shakes her head.

The brunette begins skating backwards, in a circular motion. She continues skating backwards in one direction, before rotating her hip and switching her leg into a sit spin. She spins gracefully and quickly while bending down for a moment.

She then stands up, pushing her hair back. “Do you want to see another trick?” She looks at Jimin who nods.

Minjeong glides backwards, watching for any people behind her. When the path is clear, Minjeong speeds up a bit, a right toe pick she begins with and using her left leg to swing her body into the air. The brunette spins swiftly into the air, clutching her arms to her chest and landing into a quick curve.

She laughs breathlessly, in awe that she can still even pull the move off. “Wow, its been a while since I’ve done a Lutz.” The brunette zips toward Jimin.

Meanwhile, the raven stares at her, impressed. “Why did you take up swimming if you’re this good at figure skating?”

The brunette winces a bit. “I don’t like talking about skating that much… but I’ve always started with swimming, skating came a bit after.” Minjeong sniffs a bit due to the cold.

Jimin nods in understanding, the brunette glad she doesn’t have to explain the reason why she chose swimming over Figure Skating. She hopes she never does.

They continue to skate a bit, Minjeong showing the raven more and her tricks and running away from the raven in a game of tag.

After a while, they become tired, the raven leaning against the wall to catch her breath.

Suddenly, the brunette comes swishing by quickly, curving around to face the older girl. “Are you hungry? Let’s get you something to eat. Last one to the end is a loser!” Minjeong yells the last sentence, giggling when Jimin scrambles behind her.

“Minjeong, come on!”

Yu Jimin is very clingy.

She hasn’t let go of the brunette’s hand ever since they entered the mall. But then again, she remembers that the raven doesn’t like crowds, pulling her a bit closer.

“What do you want to eat?” Minjeong asks as they stroll around the huge mall.

Jimim shrugs. “There’s lots of options… maybe I’m feeling samgyeopsal?” The raven offers.

Minjeong grins at her, knowing just the place for samgyeopsal. It takes an escalator and a few minutes of walking to get there, but when they finally do, the delightful smell of food probably cures their hunger right there.

Jimin waits beside the brunette, fingers now intertwined. Minjeong realizes then, that she isn’t sure why she ever waited so long to admit she liked having the older girl by her side. She becomes too deep into her thoughts when the raven has to nudge her to get her attention.

Minjeong faces the girl, curving an eyebrow up and humming.

Jimin gives her a curious look. “What are you daydreaming about that you didn’t notice me calling your name multiple times?” The raven asks and Minjeong has to clamp her mouth shut.

You.

The brunette manages to mouth ‘food’, bopping the raven’s nose before turning to the front to gather her reservation.

They walk over to their booth, sitting across from eachother. Minjeong leans her head against the wall, tired from skating for a while. She closes her eyes just to take a minute to settle down.

The next thing she knows, Jimin is snickering loudly. She peaks with one eye but is only met with the raven twiddling her fingers at her.

Minjeong makes a face before closing her eyes again. She’s exhausted.

Jimin snickers again.

Okay, what the hell.

Minjeong lifts her body, crossing her arms while displaying a frustrated face. The raven lifts up her phone, taking a photo of an angry brunette.

Jimin giggles this time. “You’re so cute.” The raven tells her, putting her phone down to look at the menu.

That’s when Minjeong takes the chance to snatch her phone. The raven’s eyes widen, standing up to reach for it, but to no avail, Minjeong is too swift and faraway.

“Don’t delete them!” The raven pleads, earning a confused look from Minjeong.

She wants to keep them?

Well, it means she can definitely take more then.

Minjeong turns her body so her back is pressed against the wall. She lifts Jimin’s phone and begins taking multiple pictures. Smiles and silly poses begin to fill up Jimin’s storage.

The raven stares at her in awe.

She also decides to grab Minjeong’s phone, posing as she takes many photos as well. It might as well been a competition for who could take the most photos on the other’s phone.

But that is cut short when the waiter approaches them.

“Hello, I’m Gongwoo, can I serve you any drinks today?” He asks, a warm smile on his lips.

They both nod, skimming the menu for the best option. Soon, the waiter is on his way with promises of the freshest beverages.

Once he’s gone, Jimin motions for the brunette to sit next to her. Usually, the brunette wouldn’t agree to, but it’s Yu Jimin she’s talking about. The one she really likes.

They press up against each other, side to side with their shoulders touching. Suddenly, Jimin grabs both her cheeks with one hand, the raven’s phone now back in her possession.

Jimin lifts up the phone, showing the both of them on the front camera. A timer for 3 seconds begins, and before it ends, the raven leans in to press a long kiss against Minjeong’s cheek.

The brunette sits there, stunned with faint pink lipstick now smudged against her cheek.

The raven is very delighted with her new selfie. She turns toward the brunette. “What?” She asks innocently.

Since they’re doing that now, Minjeong allows the girl to take even more photos with her. Something Kim Minjeong usually never does, take more than 5 photos a day. But today, she’s feeling confident, even if her heart refuses to stop pounding at an impeccable pace.

As Jimin starts another timer, Minjeong has to decide what to do quickly. She decides on grabbing the raven’s face and kissing her forehead while looking up at the camera possessively.

The final photo they take before the waiter comes is with Jimin leaning her head against Minjeong’s cheek, snuggling and both of them warmly smiling.

After they’re done, Minjeong moves back to her side, chest blooming. The waiter places their drinks down on their table, now ready to take their orders.

Luckily, they figured out what they wanted almost as soon as they sat down, so placing orders was easy.

Starting conversations become easy as Minjeong finds out they have more things in common than she expected. She also finds herself falling more for the raven within ever second they sit there.

Their food comes after long minutes and Minjeong watches as the raven’s eyes widen at the amount of food on their table.

Jimin thanks the brunette before digging in. Minjeong gleams at her, telling her to enjoy.

“Minjeong.” Jimin calls out for her.

The brunette lifts up her head, humming.

Jimin takes a moment, breathing out. “Do you think anyone would be able to….. love me?” She asks, causing Minjeong to randomly cough out.

The brunette grabs a tissue, wiping her mouth before drinking some water. “Why are you asking me that?”

The raven shrugs. “I’m not sure. You seem like an easy person to talk to. But, honestly, I’ve just been having a hard time wondering if I’d able to know what love feels like. I didn’t really receive it as much when I was younger. It was always me seeking for approval.” She looks down, playing with her food.

Minjeong’s heart shatters a little at the upset expression Jimin sports.

She places her fork down, leaning back and crossing her arms. “I do think you’re capable of experiencing love. Even those who think they’re not capable of receiving it so they end up giving love without asking for anything in return. They’re selfless, kind, just like you.” Minjeong warmly smiles.

The brunette breathes out, leaning in and making the raven look up at her. “You deserve all the love in the world, Jimin.”

Offering without asking for anything in return.

Minjeong truly thinks the raven deserves all the love in the world.

Jimin searches her eyes, her own glassy. “Really?” Her voice slightly cracks.

It seems odd to be subtle in a moving and reverberating resturant. At that moment, Minjeong feels her world slow in orbit.

The brunette nods, sure in her words.

“Thank you, Minjeong. That’s the nicest thing anyone’s ever said to me.” Jimin cracks the smile Minjeong loves the most through her tears.

Jimin suggests going to an arcade as their last stop. The brunette doesn’t remember the last time she entered a full arcade, luminous intensity bouncing back at her eyes.

She remembers when she used to play with Coach Yuri, her brother and Somi. Her coach would ask them after practices, taking them once they gathered permission from their parents.

The raven grabs her hand, tugging her past the front desk once she’s paid for their cards.

Minjeong simply stares around, in awe at the amount of games the arcade had in store.

Jimin nudges her. “What do you want to do first?” She asks, looking side to side.

The brunette scans the area for beat before locking onto hockey table. She points over to it. “How about we play air hockey?” She suggest.

Soon, Minjeong is tugged toward the hockey table, Jimin siping her card and watching as the table lit up. The raven grabs onto one of the pushers, let the puck float a bit.

Minjeong grabs onto her pusher, eyeing the puck. Suddenly, they both go for the puck, Minjeong making sure she doesn’t go too strong so she’d hurt the girl.

The raven giggles loudly as Minjeong continues getting scored on. The brunette focuses hard to atleast score a point.

When Minjeong has the puck closer to her side, she waits and looks for possible angles to score her a point. Although, Jimin keeps her pusher in front of the goal.

Minjeong stands up straight, pointing to the raven’s hand. "Alright, that’s not fair. No puppy guarding. " She frowns, slumping her shoulders.

The raven rolls her eyes, beginning to moving her pusher side to side.

At a point of weakness, Minjeong finds an opening just enough to fit the puck through and finally score a point.

The brunette pumps up her fist into the air, pushing the number one to the other side.

Jimin crosses her arms. “Minjeong, you’re down by 8.” She reminds the girl.

The raven only receives a pout. “You don’t need to remind me!” She retaliates, placing the puck down.

Laughing, the raven leaves the puck in the hole. “How about we play something else?” Jimin walks over the brunette, grabbing a hold of her hand.

They stroll around until they spot a motorcycle racing game.

Minjeong instantly takes her spot on the first motorcycle, Jimin taking the one next to her.

“Person who loses has to get a plushie for the other.” The raven says, earning a groan from the brunette.

Watching the raven swipe the card through both of their machines, Minjeong chooses what gear she wants her bike to be in. “Don’t you have enough plushies from the last time we played against enachother?” She tries to jog the raven’s brain of their visit at the park.

Jimin pretends to think. “Hmm, no, I don’t think I have enough.” She turns back to her screen, waiting to the game to start.

..

“Jimin!” Minjeong screams when a banana splashes onto her screen and her bike start vibrating.

Minjeong sucks at video games, wow.

(Although, she's really good at claw games. She's watched too many videos not to know the tricks to them.

In fact, she’s so good at them that she ends up winning a bag of plushies for Jimin and an a huge iPad.)

Going home, Minjeong volunteers to drive back home as the raven had to hold onto her to prevent herself from stumbling due to being tired.

While the raven sleeps peacefully in the passenger seat, Minjeong takes the time to think again. About a few things she’s put into conclusion.

First, she enjoys spending time with Jimin. Second, she really likes Jimin. Third, the girl loves food. Fourth, she’s really clingy (really, Minjeong still can’t fathom the fact that the raven wanted to be that close to her.)

Fifth, she’s not sure how’ll she’d feel if she knew she wasn’t going to be the one who would continue to do these type of stuff with Jimin.

She didn’t think of Jaemin once, but now, she envies the thought of them being together.

A ringtone echoes in the quiet car. In the cup holder, is Jimin’s phone. Minjeong takes a peak at it, and notices that it was the raven’s best friend.

Surely, her phone is connected to her car.

The brunette sees the contact name pop up on the car screen. She presses the answer button, preparing to answer Yeji.

“Hello?” Minjeong answers.

“Minjeong? Is that you?” Yeji asks.

“Yeah, sorry, Jimin’s knocked out in the passenger seat but we’re almost home.” Minjeong responds, smiling at the light breathing from the raven.

She hears Yeji hum. “Alright, i just wanted to check up on her since it was getting a bit late.”

Minjeong stays quiet for a bit before Yeji decides to speak up again.

“By the way, thank you for hanging out with her. She really wanted to do this.” Yeji says.

The brunette knows the girl is smiling behind the phone. “No problem, now go enjoy the rest of your time with Ryujin.”

It wasn’t going to be a struggle to get Jimin up to her dorm room, what is going to be a struggle is getting her out of the car itself.

Shaking Jimin, the brunette groans when the raven doesn’t respond. “Come on, Jimin. It’s late.” She begs the girl.

The raven stays sound asleep, Minjeong wanting to engrave the sight in her mind. But she decides on snapping a quick photo before whining about how she’s going to get the older out of the car.

She hopes she’d never have to deal with a drunk Jimin.

After a few tries, she earns herself a sulky raven who climbs onto her back before falling asleep again. Minjeong lets out a breath of relief when she realizes that the girl hasn’t woken up fully at the loud slam of the door closing and the car locking.

The brunette slowly begins walking toward the dorm building, letting expensive sweet perfume engulf her form.

“Minjeong?” Jimin calls out for her softly.

The brunette hums, continuing to walk.

She feels the raven snuggle her head into her neck, soft breaths hitting against her skin. “Why doesn’t she like me? She didn’t even remember what she said the next day and it hurt a lot because I thought she’d finally liked me back.” Jimin mumbles.

Minjeong stays silent, an encouragement.

Soon, she feels wetness against her skin.

Is she… crying?

The raven breathes again in her neck. “I like her so much, I don’t know what to do.” Jimin’s voice cracks a bit.

Minjeong’s heart thumps and thumps. This time, the feeling is more jarring than all the other moments.

“I wish she’ll open her eyes a bit and like me too. I think it isn’t a crush anymore, Minjeong.” Jimin whispers before going silent, fully asleep again.

By the time the raven’s done sleep talking, they’re at her dorm room. Minjeong knocks on the door, hoping Yeji is present.

The door swings open, startling the brunette. “Hey! Thank you for bringing her back. I hope she didn’t start sleep talking again.” Yeji greets her, opening the door.

The girl leads Minjeong to Jimin’s room, opening the door so she can lay the raven onto her bed. Yeji immediately leaves, having to finish up a last minute done of an assignment.

The brunette helps her out of her jacket and shoes, neatly setting them near her desk. She then goes back to the sleeping raven, gently pulling the cover over the girl.

Nothing but the slow and soft breathing of Jimin takes over in the huge room. Minjeong cups the raven’s cheek, gently stroking her skin with her thumb.

She takes in the sight for a bit before deciding to leave. She doesn’t leave the room without pressing a gentle kiss against Jimin’s forehead.

Chapter Text

Minjeong stuffs her keys into her pocket after locking her car from coming from the gym. Her and Ryujin weren’t able to use the university’s gym due to the football team using it for conditioning. So she had to go to her local gym.

She begins feeling raindrops pound on her head quickly, causing her to extend her hand out. “Are you kidding me?” She groans, beginning to walk toward the direction of her dormitory.

Truthfully, she doesn’t mind the rain. Although, it’s dark and she doesn’t like staying in it for too long, but her tired legs prevented her from even thinking about running.

So, Minjeong lets the harsh rain hit her, letting out a sigh when she looks up and she’s still far from her dormitory.

“What do you mean she won’t help you? So you’re just chickening out?” A boy mocks childishly.

Another boy laughs and Minjeong instantly recognizes the voice. “No? I’ll figure something out. But it’s kind of difficult when she likes someone else. I need them out of the way and then I’ll get to her.” He responds.

Minjeong continues walking, opting to mind her business.

“What if she starts to actually like you?”

“I don’t care about her feelings? Once everyone knows I got the most popular girl in the university to go out on a date with me, I act like we never met. Then people would start to respect me more. I get made fun of for suffering in practices. Hell, I don’t even know why Jimin’s top in the city, I deserve her spot way more than her.” He laughs.

Most popular girl?

Minjeong doesn’t process what happens when she storms over and knocks a punch at the boy. He’s knocked over, left to grab his jaw in pain.

The brunette immediately lifts him up by the collar of his shirt, throwing another hard punch in the drenching rain.

Jaemin coughs, wiping blood from his mouth. “What the hell?” He screams, scrambling up to his feet.

Minjeong runs her fingers through her hair, chuckling. “Don’t fucking talk about her like that.” She spits, fuming.

She’s lucky there’s no security cameras around.

The brunette walks over to other boy, patting down his polo’s collar. “I don’t think you want to get pummeled either, do you?” Minjeong says calm has she looks down at his collar, unfolding and folding his collar again.

The boy shakes his head frantically, a look of fear in his eyes.

Minjeong smiles. “Good.” She then turns to Jaemin who has his head down.

She breathes out slowly. “I’m disappointed in you for talking about your teammate like that. I’ll tell Coach Kim what happened. Until then, I don’t want to see you anywhere near Jimin.” Minjeong tells to Jaemin before turning around.

The brunette grips her backpack straps tighter, unable to feel the rain that continues to pound against her body.

[Ryujin]: Minjeong why is Jimin’s lock screen a photo of you kissing her forehead?

[Yuna]: not even a good morning, how are you, or how did you sleep?

[Minjeong]: (Replying to Ryujin) I don’t know

[Yves]: did you finally ask her out

[Minjeong]: no lol we just hung out and went ice skating

[Aeri]: …….

[Hyunjin]: you went ice skating?

[Minjeong]: it’s fine, I didn’t get any flashbacks

[Minjeong]: I had fun with her so don’t worry about me.

[Hyunjin]: text us if you need anything

[Minjeong]: I will.

“Minjeong.” Jimin drags her voice again in a whining manner.

The brunette pulls out one AirPod. “Oh, hey.” She cranes her head backwards to look at the raven. Jimin leans toward her to press her lips against Minjeong’s forehead, giggling when she pulls away.

“Are you reading again?” She asks, slipping into the seat next to the blonde.

The brunette nods, “I need to clear my mind.” She responds, placing her bookmark between the two pages.

Jimin hums, reaching for the book. “Why?”

The swim meet that’ll depict whether or not her name will be on the national team.

It’s been her dream for years, she’s worked hard and is top 3 in her city, racing to push into being top 10 in the country.

Jimin follows along, her stats almost quite enough to push into being top 10 in the country. She’s first in the city, a gap between the two girls.

Minjeong doesn’t mind anymore, she’s realized some things ever since she’s gotten a bit closer with the raven.

“The national roster.” The brunette breathes out, letting her shoulders fall.

Jimin purses her lips, placing the book down. “Minjeong, I’m sure they’ve been keeping their eyes on you ever since you broke a world record. You just have to continue to work hard and show your performance in meets.”

Minjeong shakes her head. “That’s not the thing. I’ve realized I can’t really imagine my name on the roster if yours isn’t there…. I know it sounds stupid, but really, all this time you’ve pushed me to become the swimmer I am today. Even when we were enemies, we would always almost score the same and do the best in relays together. I always trusted what you said. You reassured whenever I thought I couldn’t do something as much as I didn’t want to hear it. It’ll feel weird if you weren’t with me on the team.” The brunette leans back into her seat, her heart anxious.

Her mind’s a mess. She can say Jimin’s the cause of it.

The raven’s face turns serious. “Are you saying… that you consider me as your partner?” Jimin furrows her eyebrow.

Minjeong stays quiet. She slowly nods.

Suddenly, she feels a hand cover her’s on the table. “You’re so dramatic, you know that, right?” She slowly smiles.

The brunette’s face drops. “Of course your first resort is to make fun of me.” Minjeong moves to stand up but Jimin immediately pulls her down.

The raven shakes her head, trying to gather her words. “I’m sorry, it’s just old habits. But, honestly, I appreciate you telling me this…. it reminds me how far we’ve come. You used to get angry whenever I’d ask whether or not you were okay.” Jimin chuckles to herself, looking down at her fingers playing with Minjeong’s.

The raven looks up after a moment, staring into Minjeong’s eyes. “Promise we’ll still be friends no matter what happens. I don’t want to go back to hating eachother.” Jimin lifts up her pinky, looking up at her hopefully.

Minjeong hesitates but smiles nevertheless, lifting up her own hand to link their pinkies together, and stamping their thumbs together.

“I promise.”

It’s….. difficult.

Minjeong wipes at her tears.

It’s been echoing in her head, continuously.

“Promise we’ll always be friends no matter what?” Goeun lifted up her pinky, a pout on her lips.

Minjeong feigned a look of hurt. “Why wouldn’t we ever not be friends?” She asks, lifting up her pinky.

Goeun linked their pinky fingers together, gently stamping their thumbs together and looking up at Minjeong with stars in her eyes. “What if we have to go up against eachother?”

Minjeong chuckles. “No matter who wins, we’ll still be best friends at the end of the day. I promise.” She reassured the girl, grinning brightly.

Goeun unlinks their fingers before leaning into hug the girl. “Then you’re stuck with me forever.”

Forever.

Minjeong presses the edge of her palms against her eyes. She doesn’t understand why it stings more than it used to.

Minjeong closed her locker, looking at the time. Her best friend still hadn’t shown up yet and Aeri and Ryujin wouldn’t show up onto later.

She usually liked roaming around before school started. Goeun would usually arrive around the same time she did.

[Minjeong]: Hey where are you?

The brunette shoved her phone back into her jacket pocket, sighing.

Minjeong ended up entering 1st period without her arm linked with another person.

Students began entering the room, Minjeong glancing at the door as she took out her supplies. But to no avail, none of them ended up being her friend.

If the girl was going to be absent, Minjeong would’ve been the first to know.

The bell rings, and soon, the intercom hums. “Teachers, there’s been an accident on Synk road. Please allow students to enter class without a pass until 7:30.”

Chatter slows down, the teacher going along with their lesson plan for the day.

[Minjeong]: have any of you seen Goeun? she’s not in class.

[Ryujin]: Minjeong she’s on the way to the hospital…..

[Ryujin]: Coach Yuri and her are in critical condition. They got into a car accident.

Minjeong clicks her power off button, her hand shaking.

They were supposed to go to the finals. Together. There was no Goeun staring at her proudly with stars in her eyes, later congratulating her for scoring gold. Minjeong didn’t even want to answer any journalists or news reporter about impressing people with her skills. Almost enough to earn her a spot on the Olympics team when she was a bit older.

“I said I don’t want to go!” Minjeong screamed out to her brother.

She tried her best to escape from his grasp, but he was too strong. With a bit of strength, she broke out of his grasp, breathing hard.

Inhyuk didn’t bother trying again, instead, he watched his sister break down, lowering his head as he also lost a friend and coach.

“We were supposed to go the finals together! She was supposed to be there with me! A-and now, she’s gone!” Minjeong cried out, sliding down the door.

Her head was ringing and her chest felt tight. Inhyuk began sniffling, falling onto the floor as well.

He pulled her into his arms, raking his fingers through her hair as the brunette sobbed loudly, at no end.

She didn’t even get to tell her she loved her.

Inhyuk shoved her back. “So you’re just quitting? Just like that? Throwing all your hard work away?” He narrowed his eyes.

Minjeong breathed through her nose, taking her arm back harshly. “There’s no point in continuing anyways.” She said bitterly.

Her brother looked down at the box she dropped. “Don’t tell me you’re throwing away your awards too!” He screamed in disbelief, obviously getting worked up.

“Everytime I look at them, it reminds me of her.”

Inhyuk shakes his head. “But Goeun would’ve wanted you to continue.” He tries, noticing the hesitation on his face.

Minjeong leans her head back in frustration. "She’s gone, Inhyuk. Gone.

“Minjeong, open up!” Ryujin bangs on the locked door.

The brunette sits up, her eyes tired. She stands up and walks toward the door, opening it.

Ryujin is heaving, gazing at her with worry eyes. “You missed practice…. You never miss practice unless-” Her words are cut off when the brunette tiredly chuckles.

Minjeong closes her eyes, threading her fingers through her hair. “Unless I remember. I’m fine by the way.” She reassures the younger.

The word fine has become is becoming an important part of her life. It’s all she’s said for half of her lifetime.

Really, all Minjeong wants to do is go back to sleep. “You can go back to your room now.” The brunette tells the raven.

Although, before she can close the door, the raven pushes against it, preventing her from doing so. Ryujin places her hand against the girl’s forehead, soon frowning. “You’re burning up. Go back to bed, I’ll be right back.”

Minjeong barely nods before turning around to walk back to her bed. She knew she caught a cold from being in the rain too long.

She shuffles into her sheets, letting out a sigh as she feels her body shut down again. Her body feels cold but she’s sweating profusely while the fan was on.

Her hand blindly reaches for her phone on her lamp table, bringing the device to her face.

[Jimin]: hey

[Jimin]: where are u? Coaches wanted to talk to the team

[Jimin]: answer your phone whenever you can

[Jimin]: practice is over, Coach just wanted to talk to us a lot how our next meet is going to go.

[Jimin]: why are you ignoring me

[Jimin]: Minjeongggg

The brunette swallows painfully, grimacing at the itchy feeling she feels in her throat. She decides to text the raven back.

[Minjeong]: sorry for not answering, I’m not feeling too well

[Jimin]: oh it’s okay

[Jimin]: I’m actually bringing food to your room, Ryujin told me you have a fever and you haven’t eaten all day.

[Minjeong]: just leave at the doorstep, thank you.

[Jimin]: oh no im coming in

Minjeong laughs to herself before let her phone fall to her chest. She closes her eyes, before falling into slumber.

Minjeong shakes her head.

The raven slumps her shoulders again. “Come on, just one more bite?” She lifts up her spoon. “I paid good money for this.”

Minjeong leans in, letting Jimin feed her. “This probably didn’t make a dent in your account.” She rolls her eyes at the girl’s antics.

Jimin looks up, thinking for a moment before looking back at Minjeong. “You know what, you’re right.” She admits, scooping another spoon of broil into the younger’s mouth.

The raven closes the bowl, cleaning up the area.

Minjeong leads the raven to her room once she’s done. “We are going on a Harry Potter marathon.” The brunette explains, scooting in to make space for the older.

The raven lifts the covers over the both of them, scooting as close as possible. Their knees slightly touched and Minjeong has to breathe carefully at the feeling of warmth against cold feeling bothering. The blankets aren’t enough to stop her from shivering but just from sitting next to raven, the goosebumps are no longer from being cold.

They stay quiet as the TV loudly booms, Jimin focused on the huge screen. Minjeong ends up taking glances at the raven every then and there.

“Aeri says you like watching Harry Potter a lot, why is that?” Jimin suddenly ask, turning her head toward the girl.

The question throws Minjeong off because it reminds her of all the times she’d used to sleepover at Goeun’s house, staying up watching Harry Potter.

Minjeong stiffens for a moment before slowly composing herself. “I- I used to watch it with an old friend. Whenever we had time to, atleast. But it was her favorite movie and she used to make me watch Harry Potter, buy her each book of the series every year her birthday came around.”

Jimin is attentive, because at the corner of Minjeong’s eye, she can see the girl nod in understanding.

Minjeong’s still not used to having the girl’s attention fully on her. Her heart raced whenever Jimin looked at her.

Jimin turns back to the tv, letting out a breath. As they watch the movie, Minjeong feels her heart fasten in pace more and more.

Soon, glances turn to long stares. The brunette becomes intrigued with the bright expressions the raven makes whenever a scene happened unexpectedly.

“Minjeong, why aren’t you paying attention to the movie?” Jimin asks without removing her attention from the TV.

The brunette blinks, immediately turning away. “Sorry.” She lowly apologizes, resting her chin against her knees.

After while, she becomes more comfortable, slipping into the blankets.

Jimin follows, fixing the pillows for Minjeong before lying down herself. “Are you cold?”

The brunette slowly nods, feeling the caving movement in her chest again.

Jimin opens her arms, Minjeong cocking an eyebrow at the older in confusion.

Rolling her eyes, the raven ushers the girl. “Come here.” She chuckles as Minjeong’s eyes widen in understanding.

Minjeong finds her way in the raven’s arms, resting her head against Jimin’s chest. Almost immediately, she hears the reverberant noise of the older’s heartbeat.

It doesn’t take long before she feels herself become drowsy, the soft rhythm of the raven’s heartbeat a lullaby. “I don’t think I want to watch the movie anymore.” Minjeong yawns, her eyes struggling to stay open.

Her body is tired, and her head pounds from the crying she did earlier in the day.

Jimin looks down at her, stroking her hair gently, which makes the brunette becomes even more sleepier. “It’s okay, you can go to sleep.” It’s probably been a long day for you." The raven insures her.

As the raven finishes her words, Minjeong lets her eyes surrender to sleep.

Minjeong hums as she finally comes to a conclusion.

It feels a bit safer in Yu Jimin’s arms.

When Minjeong wakes up, she feels a weight on her chest. Bright sunlight shines at her eyes that she has to squint to adjust.

She yawns, still feeling a bit weak from her cold. Minjeong looks down to find Jimin peacefully sleeping on her chest. She laughs in disbelief, feeling the raven’s warmth from their legs being tangled.

Reaching for her phone and seeing that it’s still early, she decides to let the older sleep more. Despite all the little shuffling Minjeong has done, the raven still hasn’t moved an inch.

Minjeong lets out tired sigh as she pats down Jimin’s mess of hair. Surprisedly, the brunette never expected them to get to this point, and Minjeong was afraid of it. It felt terrifying to be able to have Jimin in her arms because it makes her realize how much she thinks the raven belongs there.

After some time of staring down at the girl, Jimin groans, pushing her body up and stuffing her face into the younger’s neck.

The raven’s grip on her PJ shirt is evident and Minjeong laughs as she watches the girl get comfortable again.

“What time is it?” Jimin’s voice is muffled inner neck.

Minjeong glances at her phone. “Like 8am.” The brunette responds, silently gasping when the raven wraps her arm around her waist.

“I’m going back to sleep.” Jimin mutters before softly snoring.

Minjeong jokingly scoffs before continuing to stroke Jimin’s head while scrolling through her phone.

(“What do you mean you can’t come to practice for a whole week?” Yuna asks, her body lifting up, almost causing Yves to fly off the coach.

Minjeong shrugs, her eyes glued to her phone. “I got in trouble but fortunately, the punishments are only minor.” She explains to them.

Although, her friends don’t seem to believe her. “There’s something you’re not telling us. You never get into trouble, you’re quiet and you mind your business.” Hyunjin leans, counting on her fingers toward the brunette.

Minjeong sighs, letting her phone drop onto her lap. “I punched Jaemin, okay? But it wasn’t for no reason….You guys know I don’t do those types of things.”

Yuna tries hard not to crack a smile. “He definitely probably deserved it if he got punched by Minjeong.” She taps her older sister’s shoulder.

Ryujin chuckles before turning to her best friend. “What did he do?” The raven looks at her curiously.

Although, Minjeong keeps her mouth shut, frowning. “I’ll explain it in the group chat later, but right, I don’t need to imagine his face.” She crosses her arms.)

The team bonding gathering is nothing but dreadful for Minjeong.

She sits on the bench, her head resting against the palm of her hand as she watches her teammates chatter away. Her social battery isn’t high like usual, but she finds it difficult to go out of her way to greet people as they arrive.

Really, she just wants to go to sleep. But being vice captain means having to attend whatever is planned. But atleast she’s guaranteed a meal for the day.

Looking down at her drink, she lets a breath through her nose.

Suddenly, the brunette feels a pat on her thigh. “You’re alone….again. Why do you never like talking to your teammates during bondings?” Coach Taeyeon eyes her, taking her cup of sprite from her and placing it on the table.

Minjeong doesn’t answer, letting her hand drop to her lap.

Coach Taeyeon purses her lips in thought before speaking up. “Are you mad about not being able to practice for a week? Unfortunately, it’s regulations and you’re lucky there weren’t any security camera or they would’ve had you off the team.” Her coach rants on.

But it’s not what Minjeong’s bothered about.

Sitting up a bit, she rests her head on her coach’s shoulder. “How do you tell someone you like them but you don’t know how to because you’re scared?”

Coach Kim hums curiously. “The Kim Minjeong has a crush on someone? This is a day to celebrate!” She jokes, earning a groan from the brunette.

Minjeong fiddles with her fingers. “I’m not sure if it’s just a crush anymore if I’ve been liking them for a while….” Her voice trails off, almost wanting to laugh at how pathetic she sounds.

But Coach Taeyeon brings one of her hands into her lap, covering them with both of her own hands. “It’s difficult for me to give advice because there might be different reasons why you’re so nervous. I’m sure you have your own reasons and I understand that but then again, who knows? Maybe they might like you back and are just as scared as you are.”

“I think you should think about telling them soon because one day, it’ll be too late and you’ll be farther away from their heart than you remembered.” Coach Taeyeon tells her seriously.

It’ll be too late. What if Minjeong is too late?

Minjeong closes and opens her eyes. “Mom, you’re so corny sometimes.” She whines.

Coach Taeyeon chuckles before lifting her other hand to stroke the brunette’s head. “You’re the one who told me you like someone! And I may or may not have an idea on who it is.” Her voice follows with anticipation.

She eyes the brunette funnily, earning another groan from Minjeong. “I wonder how you would’ve figured that out.” She unconsciously replies.

Coach Taeyeon laughs. “Despite you gazing out toward your teammates, your eyes always locks onto a certain girl.” She shrugs before standing up.

Is it that obvious?

Coach Taeyeon leaves her to her thought.

Aeri suddenly grabs her wrist, pulling her up. “Whatever you’re moping about, I do not care about. You’re going to dance until you can’t anymore!” The red head girl says, pulling her toward the rest of the group.

Almost immediately, Minjeong finds herself in Jimin’s gaze, but she decides to ignore it.

She sways to the upbeat music, smiling when her friends perform some silly moves. While she dances, she finds her worries leave her mind as she has fun with the people she can call her friends.

Minjeong turns her head a bit just spare a glance at Jimin but she’s instantly disappointed when she sees that the girl has disappeared.

She lets out a sigh before deciding that her social battery was depleted for the day.

She tells her friends that she’s going to the bathroom to freshen up really quick. They all nod, prompting for Minjeong to begin locating the bathroom.

Soon, she hears muffled noises, causing her to furrow her eyebrows.

“What are you doing!?” She hears Jimin scream.

Minjeong follows the raven’s voice and finds Jaemin and Jimin in the middle of a hallway, Jaemin way closer than Minjeong remembered telling him not to be.

The brunette storms over, grabbing Jaemin by the front of his shirt and pushing him against the wall harshly. “I thought I told you to stay away from her?” Minjeong seethes, pushing him harder into the wall.

Jaemin chuckles. “I just wanted to apologize.” He raises his hands up in innocence.

Minjeong scoffs. “You’re lying.”

Jimin places a hand on Minjeong’s arm. “Apologize for what?” She asks in confusion.

The brunette laughs lowly. “You didn’t even tell her what you said.” Minjeong lets go of him. “You have 10 seconds to get out of my sight.”

The boy fixes his shirt, glaring at Minjeong before leaving the hallway.

When he leaves, Minjeong makes the move to turn around. “Are you okay?” She asks the older.

Jimin nods. “I’m fine. He just appeared out of nowhere. But what was he talking about? What was he supposed to tell me?”

Minjeong closes and opens her eyes. “That’s something for him to tell you. That he can do over text.” She says with a monotone before pushing past Jimin to start walking toward her original direction.

“Minjeong!” She hears Jimin call out for her, causing the brunette look over her shoulder.

“Thank you… By the way.” Jimin yells across the hallway.

Minjeong smiles before turning her head again.

Chapter Text

Minjeong breathes in the outside air, pulling her knees to her chin.

After her time with Jimin, all the raven’s words suddenly come in like a crashing wave, replaying over and over in her head. Her heart speeds up at the sleepy words from the girl.

Truthfully, she needs some time from the older. She doesn’t quite remember when exactly she’s seen Jimin.

She’s out on a random park ground, skipping a lecture again for the first time in a while. But, she doesn’t feel guilty. The smell of nature calms her roaring thoughts for some time.

Her AirPods fit snug in her ears, the brunette glad noise cancellation was a thing so she didn’t have to listen to the annoying crickets and cars that pass by.

She thinks about the time she used to Ice Skate.

“Hold it.” Minjeong thought as she listened to encouragements from her coach.

Suddenly, she pushed off the wall, gaining a bit of momentum and speed. She’ll land this.

Triple toe loop had been giving her trouble for some time and she’s been close to landing it multiple times. But to no avail, she’d fall onto the ground everytime, frustrated again.

After some time of getting used to the movements, Minjeong starts skating backwards in a angle. She jumped into the air at an angle,off her left leg and tucking in her arms tightly to get all three spins.

Holding her breath, the spin is quick and the landing is what breaks or makes the move. Minjeong came down, extending her left leg behind her. This time, instead of losing her balance, she holds up her left leg before slowly lowering it back into the ice.

She turned her head, looking at her coach in shock. Minjeong finally landed a triple toe loop.

Coach Yuri smiled proudly at her.

Who would’ve thought the day she landed her dream move that it’ll be one of the last few times she’d see her coach shine the look of proudness at her.

Minjeong stands up, fixing her shirt with one thing in mind.

[2 miss calls from Yuna]

[Ryujin]: why aren’t you in class? It’s boring here💔

[5 miss calls from Jimin]

[9 messages from Jimin]

[Jimin]: Hey, why are you ignoring me :(

[Jimin]: there’s nobody to walk me to my lectures for a second and I don’t think that’s very nice of you.

[Jimin]: I miss you. please answer me

[Jimin]: if you don’t answer, I’m going to break into your room and steal your favorite Plushie

[Jimin]: Minjeong please answer

[Jimin]: Atleast tell me you’re okay, you’ve been gone for 2 days

[Aeri]: we were supposed to go out as a group today, where are you?

Minjeong catches a glance of her notifications before swiping them away and stuffing her phone in her pocket.

Too bad she’s a long drive from the university now.

She looks up, heart pounding as she reads the sign. Pure flow of movement.

Minjeong clears her throat, taking a breath before opening the door. Almost instantly, she’s met with freezing cold air. It surprises her, reminding of all those times she’d be late for practice.

It’s a bit empty on a Thursday, no one but the staff ushering each other around. Surely, they wouldn’t remember her. She’s grown much ever since she last stepped in the place. There’s probably new staff as well.

Fingers fiddling with eachother in front of her, Minjeong walks up to the front desk.

The person on the chair immediately stands up, fixing her glasses. “Hi, welcome to Pure Form of M-” Her voice dies out, her eyes roaming the girl’s form.

Minjeong instantly recognizes her, but hides her shock, thinking the other girl wouldn’t remember her.

However, the girl rushes out from behind the desk, and suddenly, Minjeong’s met with a big hug. The brunette doesn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around the girl, tightly embracing her.

They stay there for a while, Minjeong trying to fight the tears that threaten to escape. “I didn’t think you’d still be here.” She says, her voice croaky.

Somi pulls back to look at her with feigned hurt. “I can’t believe you’d think I’d leave here.” She makes a wonky face, making Minjeong laugh through her tears.

They walk over to the dining era, sitting at a random table. “This place has changed quite a bit.” Minjeong looks around, seeing new renovations being added.

The blonde nods, letting out a breath. “It’s better and more popular than ever.”

Minjeong doesn’t exactly have much to say. She came her on impulse, and now that she’s here, her head is blank.

Although, Somi notices her exhausted form. “How about we get something to eat? You look like you’ve been having some type of day.” Somi offers.

The brunette hums, pushing her bangs to side. “I’d like that.”

“So you cuddle with her, you’ve confessed in her sleep, you stick up for her, etc, but you still haven’t properly confessed? I don’t know, from all the things you’ve told me, it seems like she likes you as much as you do.” Somi points her drink toward Minjeong.

Minjeong places her head on the palm of her hand. “What if I’m reading too much into it?” She counters, a frown on her lips.

Somi facepalms. “You have to be really oblivious to not see that she likes you, Minjeong! She gets jealous whenever you talk to Chaeyoung. That’s a huge sign already. You see her almost everyday, 1 minute to talk to Chaeyoung wouldn’t be much of a problem if she didn’t like you.” She watches the brunette play with her food.

Wait.

Minjeong perks up. “My friends told me Jimin heard me sleep talk on the bus. Before that, Jimin asked if I remembered anything I said on the bus that day but I told her I didn’t and she ended up being really disappointed.” The brunette recalls the moment, finally putting 1 and 1 together.

Jimin likes her.

“She likes me….” Minjeong’s voice trails.

Although, Minjeong sinks into her seat. “We had this conversation 4 years ago.”

The blonde’s smile turns into frown. “We have this conversation everytime you think you like someone over FaceTime. Then you trail back Jimin once you figure out that they’re not like her.” Somi goes on, causing the brunette to grimace.

Somi sits up, placing her drink on the table. “What happened to Goeun is not going to happen to Jimin. You need to realize that. It was an accident. I don’t understand why you won’t move on and let someone finally love you.”

Minjeong takes in the words, heart on the verge of combusting. “Maybe.” She replies lowly, the thought of letting herself finally fall for Jimin seething in.

But Minjeong’s still broken somewhere, stuck in between shattered memories. Her cracks, little seeps are still evident, not sure when they’ll ever be healed. On top of that, her feelings for the raven seems to be increasing only more.

Jimin deserves her all. Her past, her present and her future. Minjeong is comfortable with her already, so what exactly is she afraid of?

“You’re right, Somi. But I still need some time.” Minjeong straightens up, a soft smile making way to her lips.

Somi reflects her expression. “See, that’s the smile we want. Also, I saw the bag in the back of your car. You can stay at my place for a bit then when you go back, you talk with Jimin.” Somi stands up, finding their time at the resturant finished.

Minjeong clears up, placing a few bills in the pad. She walks over to Somi, linking their arms together. “Time for you to tell about your life.”

The blonde shakes her head, giggling when Minjeong starts poking her sides.

[Minjeong]: Uh test test

[Yuna]: MINJEONGGGGGG

[Aeri]: you’re in trouble young lady

[Minjeong]: I know I just needed a break

[Minjeong]: since I can’t go to practice, it’s not going to be that big of deal for me to be absent.

[Hyunjin]: aw man…. I’ll just ask coach Kim

[Minjeong]: DONT try asking her where I am or I’ll tell her to make you guys do the beep test

[Yves]: oh my mouth is zipped

[Ryujin]: when are you coming back?

[Minjeong]: soon I hope.

[Somi]: I hope you packed a swim suit because we’re going to the beach.

[Jimin]: Minjeong

[Jimin]: stop leaving me on read

[Jimin]: why won’t your friends tell me where you are?

[Jimin]: whatever i guess

Minjeong enjoys the sun on her body as she lays on the towel on the sand. On a Saturday, the beach is full of people. Somi brought a few friends as well, some of them bringing snacks and drinks.

“Xiaojun, you keep kicking sand all over me!” Somi splutters, dusting sand from her body.

In front of them, Xiaojun is juggling a ball with his feet, kicking around with Ten. Doyeon and Sejeong are talking while eating some snacks, Minjeong watching them. Her favorite sunglasses is covering her eyes from the bright sun that doesn’t hesitate to shine.

Minjeong is content, glad she’s able to distract herself from the punishment she received.

Somi taps her shoulder. “Are you having fun?” She asks.

The brunette nods, sitting up. “I don’t remember the last time I went to the beach.” Minjeong admits, leaning her weight on her arms.

The blonde gawks. “We go almost every weekend. I don’t know how you haven’t pulled out your hair out yet from school work.” Somi crosses her legs in front of her.

All the blonde receives is a shrug. “Swimming gives me that breath of fresh air instead but I can’t even do that for a week.” The brunette lets out exaggerated sigh.

Somi gently nudges her arm. “Well, you’re here now. Enjoy it before you have to go back.” She reminds the girl.

A vibration is felt against Minjeong’s thigh, causing for the brunette to lift up her phone.

[Yuna]: CODE RED

[Ryujin]: Minjeong, Jimin said she won’t leave until we tell her where you are

[Hyunjin]: we’ve been trying to tell her that you won’t tell us either and now she’s threatening to make us sit in buckets of ice for 20 minutes

[Minjeong]: Idk maybe you guys need that

[Yves]: MINJEONG PLEASE

[Yuna]: i literally don’t know who’s the worst girlfriend Jimin or Minjeong

[Minjeong]: Shes not my gf😭😭😭

[Aeri]: well she’s about to never be because she’s not happy at all

[Minjeong]: I said i needed a moment to myself and that’s what I’m doing why is she acting like this?

[Aeri]: maybe because you promised that you two wouldn’t go back to being enemies like a few days ago and now you’re ignoring her and disappearing without a word

[Aeri]: you’re texting us but not her so it’s obvious that you’re ignoring her

[Aeri]: so idk it looks like you guys are going back to that.

[Ryujin]: Aeri that’s enough

[Minjeong]: whatever

Minjeong puts her phone on do not disturb, stuffing it into her bag quickly.

“Woah, what’s ruined your mood so quickly?” Doyeon scoots a bit closer.

The brunette shakes her head. “Nothing.” Minjeong replies bluntly, letting a sigh.

Chungha cocks an eyebrow, obviously not believing her. “Well, your face says it’s not “nothing”.” Chungha makes quotation marks with her fingers.

Minjeong came here to clear her head. That’s what she’s going to do. She’s not going to let anyone ruin that.

The brunette smiles, brushing away the subject. She stands up, pulling the other girls with her. “It’s nothing. Trust me. Let’s go into the water?” She suggests, pointing to the shore.

Somi raises an eyebrow at the sudden switch up but nods nevertheless.

Minjeong’s visit in her old city is cut short when her coach calls her back home. The brunette is not one to disobey her mother. So she reluctantly agrees to, telling Somi and her new friends that she unfortunately had to go.

“Apparently, it’s something important so I have to get back.” Minjeong tells Somi while they sit in the back of her car.

Somi makes a disgusted face. “You’ll have to see Jaemin again.” She reminds the brunette, looking back into the dark night.

Minjeong breathes out through her nose at the thought of having to deal with the boy again. But it’s not necessarily what she’s anxious or bothered about.

She suddenly goes quiet, enjoying the familiar air she’s missed much with her close friend. And somehow, somewhere, Jimin’s still in the corner of her mind.

The brunette leans her head onto Somi’s shoulder. “Thank you for hanging out with me. I wish I could visit more.”

Somi hums, swinging her legs. “You can. And I’ll visit you sometime soon to watch one of your swim meets.” The blonde reassures Minjeong, patting her thigh.

Minjeong comes late at night, fiddling with the keys to the dorm room. She begs that Ryujin isn’t awake to interrogate her.

Slowly and carefully, she turns the lock and it opens with a click. Minjeong grips her bag tightly as she enters the dorm, eyes trying to adjust to the dark area. She slips her shoes off, her body exhausted from driving long worth of hours. It doesn’t take long to place all the food she bought for her friends in the fridge before she’s tiptoeing to her room.

When she successfully makes it into her room without making any nose, she lets out a yawn, taking off her jacket. Her mind zoomed with thoughts of a tomorrow. According to her forecast, she knows it isn’t going to be good. Unfortunately, she’ll be forced to deal with it.

Her phone is still full of notifications from multiple group chats and people that it overwhelms the brunette. She presses the x button and watched them disappear in a blink. Throwing her phone somewhere on the bed, she sits at the edge, running her fingers through her brown locks.

Once again, in the midst of the night, she finds herself buried in her thoughts.

She decides taking a quicker shower and getting ready for bed is one way to escape from them for a moment. Although, a moment ends up not being enough.

When she’s finally in bed, Jimin’s face appears when she closes her eyes.

“You still haven’t talked to her.”

“I know.”

“Why is that?”

“I’m not ready to come to conclusion about my feelings yet? I’ve spent years despising her to hide the fact that I’ve always liked her and now ‘oh, how my life has managed to do a 180 because of her.’” Minjeong blurts out all in one breath.

Sunwoo snaps his fingers. “Right, that.” He awkwardly smiles before going back to his computer.

Her current lecture is difficult to pay attention to for the first time in a while. Not that she actually ever paid attention, however, her mind is occupied with everything except her lecture. Her professor’s voice ends up fading when she tries to pay attention, already needing to catch up from missing a few days.

“I got an email saying you might have a chance at joining the national team’s training roster. You’re currently 3rd in the city so they’ve been keeping their eyes on you.”

Minjeong doesn’t hold back the slight smile that makes way to her lips at the memory of the news her mother told her. She’s getting a second chance at becoming an Olympic athlete, of course she’d be excited that her years worth of hard work is finally paying off again.

Sunwoo taps her arm. “Are you allowed to go to practice yet?” He asks, reminding Minjeong that she still has a few days to go before she can go back to swimming.

The brunette slumps in her seat, letting out a low groan. “No…..The days have been going so slow.” She replies to the boy before letting her head rest on the table.

Fortunately for her, she’s still able to run practices but she’s not sure if she wants to now. Especially after disappearing for a few days without a trace. It’ll be alot of explaining she’d have to do, and truthfully, she’s not very open to the idea of doing so. There’s also no excuse that can possibly save her from something she calls doom—because Yuna may or may not have memorized every excuse possible. Minjeong isn’t sure how it’s possible but leaves the question for another day.

The bell for the end of the lecture rings, startling Minjeong a bit. She stands up, putting her bag on, knowing she didn’t take anything out of it because she was too busy day daydreaming. After she’s done, she comes out of her row, waiting for the brunet to finish packing his stuff.

Her hand rests on his bicep as they walk into the hallway. “I’ve forgotten how packed these hallways can get.” Minjeong spends time dodging quick incoming students.

She hears Sunwoo snort. “You’re trying to get us to use the different route so you won’t bump into Jimin.” The brunet looks at her.

Minjeong scowls at him, quickly turning her head before she can bump into someone else. “Wow, how did you know?” She asks with a mocking tone.

“Because I’m seeing some familiar faces and I’m sure that’s not supposed to be happening.” Sunwoo gives a nod at one of his friends.

They both go quiet for a while when they pass by the very raven Minjeong is trying to avoid.

Keep walking, keep walking.

“Minjeong?” She hears the raven call out for her.

But calmly, she continues walking, heart thumping being heard in her ears. It’s only a few seconds later that Minjeong hears footsteps become coser and closer.

“Minjeong.”

The brunette prompts for the boy go stop walking. She turns around, taking a deep breath. “Yes, Ms. Yu? How may I help you?” Her eyes wander everywhere but at Jimin.

Jimin steps closer but Minjeong shuffles her feet back. She misses the look of hurt on the raven’s face when she does so.

It takes a bit of time before the raven speaks up. “Uh….you’re finally back?”

Minjeong nods, “I have been for like a day now.” She replies blankly.

Jimin slightly smiles in understanding. “Did you get my text messages?” She asks, eyeing Minjeong’s phone.

The brunette glances at her phone? “Messages? I had my phone on do not disturb and Somi didn’t tell me anything about any messages….” Her voice trails off, feeling her chest constrict as she lies.

The raven perks up at the name. “You were with Somi? Jeon Somi, the ice skater?” Jimin sports a confused look.

The warning bell sounds, stating for students to get to their next lecture. “Look, I have to get to my next lecture. See you later.” Minjeong quickly says, soon walking away.

They leave a confused and hurt raven in the hallway.

[Ryujin]: Guys

[Hyunjin]: you’re going to ask if we can go out as a group again

[Ryujin]: oh how did you know 😁

[Yuna]: I’m pretty sure we’re all in favor

[Yves]: Minjeong?

[Minjeong]: huh?

[Minjeong]: oh yeah i can come

[Ryujin]: great we’re going to the mall because Yeji wants to go shopping

[Aeri]: great we’re going to be there forever!

[Aeri]: Min

[Aeri]: I just wanted to apologize for getting mad at you. I guess I was worried about the both of you. More especially about the fact that my best friend disappeared without a trace.

[Aeri]: you didn’t have to tell us anything I just…. I’ll admit I overreacted a bit.

[Aeri]: I remembered it was Goeun’s death anniversary. I know you fully haven’t gotten over her.

[Aeri]: I hope you can forgive me.

_[Aeri]: but you know she’d always want you to be happy.

[Minjeong]: Aeri i could never stay mad at you

[Minjeong]: I forgive you. I hope you can forgive me too because I want my best friend back

[Aeri]: you’ll always have me

Ryujin is dragged by Yeji, Aeri and Yizhuo enter fashion heaven, Lia and Chaeryeong squeezes in with Yuna and Yves, leaving Hyunjin, Jimin, and Heejin.

Before Jimin can call for Minjeong, the brunette links arms with Heejin, a look of plead shining toward Hyunjin. Hyunjin subtly drags Jimin away, flicking her middle finger at the brunette as she goes.

Heejin looks at her with an eyebrow raise. “What was that all about?” She asks, beginning to walk.

Minjeong sighs. “I can’t find it in me to face her yet. I get all sweaty and nervous everytime I even think about confessing. So for now, I need to build up my courage.” Minjeong says all too quickly, straightening up.

The other girl slowly nods, rolling her eyes. “To be honest, I think we’ve always known Jimin liked you.”

The brunette jerks her head toward the girl. “What do you mean?” Minjeong asks curiously, following Heejin into a clothing store.

Heejin begins going through multiple racks of clothes. “You’ve been the only one who’s been able to get her to talk and put up with her. In middle school, she used to be the most shyest and quietest girl. Once highschool came around, swim season started, she used every opportunity to tease you.” Heejin explains, holding up two shirts to her body.

Minjeong tilts her head. “She used to be shy? Yu Jimin, the one who can’t be quiet for one second? I refused to believe that actually.” The brunette says as she points to the left shirt Heejin holds up.

The older girl places the shirt into her basket before walking again. “Trust me, we used to get surprised whenever she talked.”

Taking in the information, Minjeong bites the inside of cheek.

“Also, you’re paired with Jimin for the 200 m relay.” Heejin suddenly announces, causing Minjeong to almost trip on her own foot.

Her coaches didn’t tell her anything about her participation in their next swim meet. She knows she missed the team meeting but none of them took the time tell her how the meets are going to be run.

Minjeong pauses. “But I thought we agreed with me and Yves doing it instead. They made a change without my input?” Her eyebrows furrow with frustration.

Heejin shrugs, putting back a sweatshirt she doesn’t like. “I’m not sure about everything, but the sheet I saw on Coach Seohyun’s desks says you guys are partners for that heat.” The older girl tells Minjeong.

The brunette runs her fingers through her hair, closing her eyes for a beat.

Minjeong sits in her seat, hands in her lap. The tension in the air is very evident and Minjeong knows she’s the cause of it. But she simply ignores it, nodding along to the conversations that arise. At the corner of her eye, she sees Jimin staring at her. She pretends not to feel the raven’s gaze on her. It’s tricky because she can practically feel her heart beat in her throat knowing the girl is staring at her.

And truthfully, she just wants to go home.

She asks herself the big question. What’s exactly holding her back from confessing?

Everyone says Jimin likes her. But then again, what if they’re misreading everything? What if Minjeong is misreading everything and turning it into more of a mess than it needs to be? What if Jimin only ever sees her as a friend?

What if.

Ugh.

She stuffs her fork into her pasta, lifting it to her mouth. Usually, Minjeong would engage in conversation with the raven, but she fears she’ll embarrass herself, making the situation worse.

Not that she hasn’t already done that.

The brunette drowns in her thoughts again, cycling between how she’ll do at her next swim meet, how she’ll catch up on her school work,Jimin, Goeun and Coach Yuri-

She notices she does that a lot. Overthinking.

“Minjeong? Are you there? You’ve been quiet the whole time.” Yuna pinches her shoulder.

The brunette only sadly smiles. “Yeah, sorry. There’s just been a lot on my mind.” She replies.

Yuna turns her body to face the girl. “And what could that be?”

Minjeong lets her fork drop quietly to her plate. “Everything maybe? I don’t know even what’s going on with me anymore.” She looks down, her eyes burning.

The walls she’s built up hasn’t been shattered since Goeun died. Maybe, she’s a little afraid someone’s been able to break it down since Goeun.

She’s a little afraid—terrified that she’s falling for someone all over again. That’s why everything is so ….complicated.

She sniffs a bit before standing up. “I’m sorry, I- I need to go.” Minjeong grabs her bag, wiping her tears as she runs out of the resturant.

Footsteps chase after her. “Minjeong!” A familiar voice.

The brunette stops to turn around. “Jimin….please just stay there. I need a moment to myself. I don’t know what’s going on anymore.” She looks up slowly, glassy eyes meeting with the raven’s.

Jimin suddenly comes to a stop. “But-” Her voice suddenly cracks.

Minjeong shakes her head slowly. “Just.” She puts her hand up, slowly closing into a tight grasp. Minjeong closes her eyes before letting out a breath.

“Just leave me alone.”

Chapter Text

Minjeong closes off again.

She knows.

It’s a very bad habit of her’s but it’s complicated to deal with things so Minjeong rather not talk to anybody. Keeping to herself has been a lot easier and gets her out of trouble.

But this time around, Jimin’s in the equation now. It’s hard to believe how much the raven’s turnt her life into a never ending mess when she was only supposed to thinking about school and swim. These days, she hasn’t thought about either. Instead, she’s been piecing the puzzles of the words she’s heard.

Ignoring Jimin is like trying to avoid drinking water, you can’t.

Minjeong forgets that Jimin and her have become close in the past few weeks, so she knows everywhere the brunette goes, and currently (?), it’s not at Minjeong’s advantage right now.

Excuses fly out when Jimin visits the library, opting to have their daily conversation. It’s getting so ridiculous that even Minjeong knows the excuses are unrealistic. But it’s then again, become a habit at this point.

Truthfully, she’s tired of running. She barely gets any sleep anymore, unhealthily drowning herself in assignments until caffeine can’t possibly help keeping her eyes open.

She still manages to hang out with her other friends, except Jimin. Whenever they’re together as a group, the two girls are separated instead of being side by side like they always were. Minjeong unconsciously slugs her arm from the raven’s hand, shifting a bit further away from Jimin.

She doesn’t notice the hurt expressions that flashes on Jimin’s face when she puts space in between them. Maybe it’s for the better. Minjeong is guarding her aching confused heart.

Messages and missed calls take up her phone lockscreen every hour from her friends but truthfully, she can’t find it in her to care. If she ever has to explain her behavior, she knows she’ll falter in the thought of having to do something relatively worse.

The brunette finds out, that her feelings for Jimin only stupidly grows. Her chest constantly feels tight, and she so badly wishes it would stop.

“Kim Minjeong, if you don’t tell me right now why you’ve been avoiding Jimin, I’ll beat your ass.” Aeri barges into her dormitory.

Minjeong sucks in an impatient breath, turning around. “There’s no reason. I’ve just been really stressed.” She admits, obviously failing to control her emotions.

The red haired girl lets out a breath in disbelief, her hands on her hips and her head leaned back. “You fucking liar.”

She can’t believe she’s become this.

Her fingers thread through her hair. “Get out.” Minjeong rushes out, not wanting to deal with the situation.

But Aeri doesn’t leave, instead she walks up to the brunette, grabbing her shoulders. “I don’t know what’s been up with you these days, but it’s definitely not how my best friend acts. If you’ve cared to notice, you would’ve realized that Jimin’s been crying everyday.” The red haired girl finally reveals, spitefulness following.

Minjeong’s face flushes in concern and confusion. “What?”

Aeri’s eyes searches Minjeong’s eyes for a beat before letting go of her and scoffing. “She’s been crying. She doesn’t know what she did wrong for you to be avoiding her like this all of the sudden.”

The red haired girl’s words register all too quickly for Minjeong.

Panic arises in her, but she tries her best to hide it, replacing it with coldness. “It’s not her, it’s me.” Minjeong responds blankly, her body stepping away from Aeri.

“You know, I thought you’d be better at this. At lying. Do you know how worried we were? How worried she was?” Aeri softens, her tone relaxing in a state of concern.

Minjeong fights the urge to cry.

She knows how horrible she’s been but they’re all responses, coping mechanisms. They might not be the right way to deal with her feelings, but she just can’t help it.

Her hands hold up her weight against the counter. “I’m sorry.” Her words come out with sincerity. She leans up to press one palm of her hand to her eyes. “I just-”

Aeri reaches over to hug the girl. “It’s okay. If there’s anything I can do to make me understand- I just don’t like seeing my friends obviously hurt.” The red haired girl whispers.

Minjeong melts into the hug. “It’s nothing, I just need time to get over it.”

The other girl suddenly pulls back to look at the girl. “Minjeong, Do you really have feelings for her?” She asks curiously.

The blonde swallows, her tongue bitter. “No.” She answers firmly.

As soon as her answer leaves her younger, she feels the wind knock out of her. She expects Aeri to be mad but she only hears a chuckle.

Aeri grabs her hands. “Minjeong. You’re my best friend. You don’t think I’d notice when my friend has been crushing on someone? Badly? Well, I’m not sure if it’s even a crush anymore, because it seems like something more.”

Finally, the brunette’s shoulders slump. “Is it that obvious?” She whines.

The red haired girl nods frantically, earning a teary laugh from Minjeong.

It’s quiet for a beat, both of them just looking at each other before Aeri speaks up.

She turns to look out the window. “You know, I just wished you hadn’t pushed all of us away, pushed Jimin away. She’s still your friend. Even if you like her, the least you can do is be her friend. You seriously owe her a huge apology because what you did was very shitty of you” Aeri explains to her with a gentle but stern tone.

And that’s the thing. She’s tried being her frien. But Jimin drives her crazy with every single word and movement she does. Even her perfume drives her insane.

Minjeong removes her hands from the red haired girl, crossing her arms. “I’ve tried. And it makes me feel stupid because I’m the only one acting this way because of my feelings.” She admits out loud.

Aeri shakes her head. “It doesn’t make you stupid. It’s natural, it’s just the way we are. But have you ever considered the fact that Jimin might like you back?”

The thought makes her a little nervous. “Well, yes… I guess I’ve been too caught up in my head, trying to connect the pieces. But I didn’t want to get ahead of myself.” Her voice comes out as small.

Standing up, Aeri pats her shoulder. “You can start thinking about it now.” She walks over to the door, shutting it closed as she leaves.

The brunette does some deep thinking.

Lap after lap.

She doesn’t care if it burns to do another one.

Usually, she likes to swim in the school’s pool when she knows there won’t be anybody in it. Like always, it’s calming, and she can do whatever she likes without worrying about anyone messing her up or telling her what to do. It’s perfect.

For some reason, there’s something bothering the brunette. Which isn’t supposed to happening when the whole reason she came to the pool was to forget about everything that was bothering her. She guesses it wasn’t as easy as she thought this time around.

After a few more rounds, Minjeong leans against the starting wall closing her eyes and breathing carefully.

It’s painful at first, because all it does is remind her how badly she misses Jimin, how bad she wishes to hold her one more time. Even if Jimin might hate her now.

When she hears a few trudges of water, her eyes flutter open and there Jimin is, staring at her.

It takes a moment to indulge in, as it’s been a while since the girl’s actually seen the raven face to face. After everything she’s pulled, she’s surprised to be met with a breathing raven after avoiding her all of the sudden.

Avoiding someone where your last moments together was something that may have meant more than you think isn’t a good idea.

Minjeong stays there, trapped by the raven. “Jimin.” The brunette remains subtle.

The raven doesn’t respond but instead, simply leans in to wrap her arms around the girl’s neck. Minjeong freezes, not sure what to do in the moment. She begins to panic when Jimin digs her head into the brunette’s neck.

She fights the urge to hug her back but she’s not entirely sure she even has the right to.

“I missed you. I can’t believe I actually missed seeing your annoying face.” Jimin mumbles in her neck.

Minjeong presses her lips together. “You missed me? After I left you in the dark?” The brunette’s voice fails her.

She doesn’t think it’s fair. It isn’t fair to Jimin.

Jimin gets comfortable. “Yeah. Past Jimin would’ve never have admitted it but I realized things don’t seem right without you. Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”

The brunette gently pushes the girl back. Her words almost fail her when Jimin’s eyes lock with her’s. She’s way too beautiful, wet long black hair flowing down elegantly.

Minjeong swallows. “You did nothing wrong. I just- realized some stuff that night and needed a mome-” She doesn’t quite get to finish her words.

It looks like the raven almost wants to laugh. “I thought we were getting somewhere. I thought we were becoming close but then you suddenly start avoiding me, you don’t answer my texts or calls, and you can’t go even go 5 seconds standing near me…. What did I do wrong? Are we- are we going back to where we started?” Doubt follows with Jimin’s words, crushing Minjeong’s heart as she speaks.

Truthfully, she doesn’t want to go back to where they started. But Minjeong’s wondered many times if it would be better if they did go back to square one.

She can’t even look Jimin in the eyes anymore.

Jimin breathes in. “Why can’t you look at me? Why won’t you just let me in, Minjeong?” The raven’s asks, and really, she deserves to know.

For Minjeong’s heart feels like beating out of her chest, begging to leap out to the raven. What’s stopping her?

“Would falling in love with me be so terrible?” Jimin whispers, putting them into jarring silence.

The brunette sure they can hear the swishing of water around them. It seems to compliment the moment they’re in currently because Minjeong isn’t able the make sense of what Jimin’s said.

Minjeong closes her eyes before looking up at Jimin. “What?” A look of confusion occupies her face.

If the gap between them wasn’t small enough before, it definitely is now.

Jimin searches her eyes, all that’s glossy and starry of tears. “Is it so bad for me to want you? To want your attention, to spend every moment not even 5 feet away from you? Is it such a bad thing, Minjeong?” The raven asks, with a goal to receive an answer.

Minjeong knows it already. Because to the moment the brunette lifts her hand from the water to cup Jimin’s cheeks, she gasps at how the raven’s real, in front of her. Jimin’s careful breathing, eyes so desperately searching for an answer in her own eyes.

It’ll take a giant leap to get to it.

Minjeong swallows, heart beating out to her chest, searching Jimin’s brown orbs, and eyes flickering to her lips. “Can I?” She asks gently.

Jimin immediately nods, the brunette wasting no time to slot her lips in between the raven’s. She feels the same gutting feeling she’s felt before, this time, its evident. It’s there.

Gently, their two worlds collide, Jimin immediately reciprocating with all the emotions she probably held cooped up all those moments they were together. Their bodies melt against each other’s in the water, Jimin gripping her wet tshirt Minjeong jumped into the pool with to pull her closer.

With ease, Minjeong’s walls come tumbling down.

Noses bump into each other, Minjeong engulfing the raven’s lips with a vigor she didn’t know she had in herself. She’s sure who she wants, it’s someone she’s yearned for in denial. It’s crazy to the brunette how instantly they’re able to find rhythm, and match it to each other. It’s proof that they should’ve been together from the start.

Minjeong’s already become addicted to the sweet tint of Jimin’s lips, finding it fascinating at the fact that she doesn’t want even think about pulling away.

But they eventually do, heaves echoing in the large quiet area.

The brunette is the first one to speak. “I thought it was wrong to want you as well. But, now… I can’t even help it.” Minjeong gasps, trying to catch her breath.

Jimin chuckles, music to the brunette’s ears. She leans in again to press their foreheads together, basking in the warmth Minjeong gives off.

The brunette strokes her cheek ever so gently, so found and safe.

“It isn’t wrong …. because I want you just as bad as you want me too.” The raven replies and she’s sure, finally putting Minjeong’s worries at peace.

They soon end up leaving the pool since kissing in the pool doesn’t solve all your problems. They still need to talk—which Minjeong knows she going to fail at because the raven’s turned her into a stuttering mess after a series of multiple make out sessions.

Minjeong waits in her room as the raven takes a shower, leaving the brunette to take in the clean and organized room. The raven is known to overall be an organized person but she didn’t expect her room to be too.

Waiting in the room by herself should’ve been the time to figure out what to talk about and what to say. But then again, she’s not able to form a single string thought. She slaps herself a few times, wondering if this is a dream.

She continues to until the door clicking causes her to stop. Jimin comes out of the bathroom, dressed in a simple white shirt and short jeans shorts. This doesn’t help Minjeong at all. She’s short circuited.

She’d probably be facing the other way when they talk because she’s decided to flag Jimin as a distraction.

Shit, shit, shit.

Minjeong hears the door shut. “I thought we were allowed to look at eachother now?” Jimin suddenly says.

Well—the brunette remembers why looking at Jimin drove her crazy. “I’m thinking.” She lies, and maybe she is.

The raven suddenly appears in front of her, making the brunette lean back as Jimin leans on one of her knees on the mattress. She’s half straddling Minjeong’s lap.

A hand lifts the brunette’s chin up and all of the sudden, she’s looking up at Jimin. “Why won’t you look at me again?” The raven asks, obviously curious.

At this point, she wants to cuss Jimin out for the first time in a long while.

Minjeong remembers what they’re supposed to be doing in the first place. “We’re supposed to be talking.” Minjeong reminds the older.

Jimin raises a challenging eyebrow. “Well, I can’t do that if you won’t look at me.” She shrugs.

“I am, now.” Minjeong manages to get out.

The raven lifts her chin up a bit more. “Willingly? No. I want you to be able to look at me, Minjeong. I want to see your pretty face too.” Jimin’s lips turn into a frown.

Minjeong starts to get frustrated. “I can’t, Jimin. Because everytime i do, I can’t function, I can’t speak without stuttering over my words, I can’t even think properly. I’m scared of how you make me feel because I’ve never been like this before. It’s the whole reason I couldn’t stand you.” Minjeong exclaims.

She sucks in a breath. “Do you understand how hard it’s become for me now? Ever since I figured out I liked you way more than I thought? You drive me crazy, Jimin.” The brunette finally admits, and it almost sounds ridiculous how pleading her voice sounds.

Jimin shuffles a bit, sitting herself next to Minjeong on the bed. The raven instantly becomes smaller, tucking her fingers into her lap. “Don’t you think I’ve felt that way too? I’ve probably liked you for longer. The things I would do to make sure I’d get to see you once a day.” Jimin chuckles to herself, giving attention at her anxious fingers.

Minjeong fights the urge to hold them in her hands. Instead, she keeps them where they are, beside her legs.

“I kept always trying to get your attention, but all I’d get was a little scowl. I tried, I tried to just have a civil conversation but it seemed like you couldn’t stand me because you despised the thought of me. I had to take it into my own hands and apologize. When you forgave me, I was on cloud 9, glad that I could stop acting like I’ve truly ever hated you. Behind it all, whenever I got to see you, it’d be the best part of my day. I’ve had to prepare to not make an embarrassment of myself in front of you. Hell, Minjeong, you make me so nervous as well.” Jimin whispers, soon sending them into a wave of silence.

Well, atleast they know they obviously like eachother.

Minjeong gathers the courage to apologize. “I’m sorry for avoiding you. When I found out you cried because I hurt you, I felt really guilty. You didn’t deserve that at all.”

Jimin lets out a breath. “Even though it hurt to be avoided after I thought we were getting somewhere, Aeri said you were also hurting too. Feelings are hard to understand, so I guess you were trying to understand yours…. I took time trying my best to understand mine.” The raven pats her thigh in understanding.

Although, Jimin becomes serious. “But…. I still don’t think it was fair for you to act like I didn’t exist. Plus you disappeared for a few days and your friends wouldn’t tell me where you were or if you were okay. I was worried and it hurt a lot…and you’re right, I didn’t deserve it at all. I know you were hurting too, but by ignoring me and avoiding me, you hurt me, too. It wasn’t right and wasn’t fair to me when I wasn’t sure what I had done to get ignored. The least you could’ve done was talked to me, tell me what was bothering you so we could’ve fixed it together. Communication is important.”

Minjeong lowers her head, feeling a song of guilt. “I know it wasn’t right. It was really shitty of me and I’m truly sorry for ignoring and hurting you. I’ll try my best to communicate more with you because you truly deserve only and only the best efforts….. I hope you can forgive me.” The brunette looks up again.

”It’ll take a while for me to forgive you…. and for this to work, don’t do it again, okay? Talk to me instead.” Jimin gives her stern look.

The brunette slowly nods. “I’ll work for your forgiveness until to the point you fully forgive me.” Minjeong purses her lips together.

She looks up at Jimin, locking eyes with brown orbs. “So we’re okay?” Minjeong’s own eyes are glassy and her voice is fragile.

The raven cups both of Minjeong’s cheeks, pulling her into a long kiss that makes her breathless. When they pull away, Jimin’s pure look of reassurance on her face is enough to answer her question.

Jimin nods while smiling. “Yes. We’re okay.” She responds confidently, giggling when Minjeong lets out a breath of relief.

Minjeong leans toward her, stealing another kiss. “Gosh, you don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to do that for.” She whispers against the raven’s lips.

When Jimin smiles in between the kiss, Minjeong’s sure she’s finally found her anchor.

Chapter Text

[Minjeong]: Hey, can we talk?

[Jimin]: yeah, usual spot?

[Minjeong]: yes

After a good while of pondering, Minjeong realized how badly she treated Jimin. She’s lucky Jimin even had enough patience with her to sit down and talk.

Fiddling with her fingers, Minjeong waits patiently, a little anxious. Her heart heightens everytime someone entered the library.

Shit, she doesn’t remember the last time she was this nervous.

Deciding to be patient, Minjeong resumes her studying, trying to calm her wavering nerves. But almost as soon as the brunette turns her body, someone slips into the seat next to her.

“Hi.” Jimin greets, shifting her body properly in the chair.

Minjeong greets back, facing Jimin. “Hi.” Her heart skips a beat as Jimin smiles.

“What did you want to talk about?” The raven asks curiously, folding her hands into her lap.

The brunette takes a breath. “After the last time we talked, I realized some things and again, you didn’t deserve the way I treated you. I don’t want to make it seem like we’re just glossing over the fact that I hurt you. I want to be able to fix it and make it right. I really want to be better for you, because I think you deserve everything I have to offer…. so I think it’s best to take everything slowly if that’s okay..” Minjeong explains, opting to choosing her words carefully.

Jimin takes in her words before deciding to speak. “Obviously, we can’t be friends ‘friends’ and I’ll have to learn to trust you again. But maybe getting to know eachother more is probably the best decision.” The raven agrees, slowly nodding her head.

They both become quiet, Minjeong glad that she’s swept away the final bit of tiny fear she had.

The raven clears her throat, scooting in a bit more. “Is it okay if I ask why you disappeared for a few days?” Jimin’s voice wavers a bit.

Minjeong closes her notebook, stuffing it into her backpack. She stands up, pulling the raven up with her. “I’ll tell you outside.” The brunette replies, beginning to walk toward the library exit.

As they walk, this time, it doesn’t feel as awkward as it was before. In fact, this time, there’s a comfortable silence among them while they walk through the hallways. Even though there’s distance between, Minjeong content with the space in between them.

They trot all the way to the middle of the grass field, the brunette’s favorite spot. The raven is the first person she’s ever thought about bringing to field. Luckily for them, the grass is cut short and they’re able to sit comfortably. Minjeong tucks her knees into her chest, letting the air brush against her face.

Minjeong takes a deep breath. “My dream has always been to join the Olympics team. Let’s just say I’ve had multiple opportunities to do so. At late 15, I had an opportunity to train with the youth team. Me and my best friend, Goeun…. we were partners in crime. She was everything to me, the first person to make my heart skip a beat.”

The brunette takes a pause, surprised she hasn’t cried yet. “On a Friday, I was excited because me and Goeun had made it to the finals of a really important competition. We would eventually have to face each other. But that day, in school, she was nowhere to be found. I thought she was just absent, or sick and usually, she would’ve texted me she was going to be. The intercom had announced that teachers should let students in late for a bit because there was an accident near by.” Minjeong’s voice trails by the last sentence.

“Goeun was in it, along with her aunt, our coach. They were in critical condition for hours. Then a few hours before I was supposed to be leaving for the competition, they told me they both didn’t survive.” Minjeong holds back a sob.

She takes time to compose herself, obviously vulnerable. Jimin doesn’t move, instead waits patiently for Minjeong to finish.

The brunette swallows. “Not too long ago, it was their death anniversary. I hadn’t been to my old city in a while and I wasn’t planning on visiting. But when I promised you we’d always be friends no matter what, I guess it just struck a chord because it was the very same words Goeun told me. So on impulse, I decided to take a long drive to my old city, visited the skating rink I used to the practice at. I used the time I was there as a moment to clear my head because everything just felt so overwhelming at the time but it still doesn’t justify ignoring you at all, of course.”

Jimin breathes lowly, turning to face the view in front of them. “I’m sorry for your lost.” The raven says genuinely.

Minjeong rests her head on the raven’s shoulder. “It’s okay…. I’m sorry I hurt you and I didn’t tell you what was going on.” Minjeong apologizes again.

The raven doesn’t respond, instead she leans her head on top of the younger’s, the two enjoying the serene around them.

[Yeji]: Minjeong

[Yeji]: just a little heads up

[Yeji]: if you hurt Jimin again I will make sure you eat dirt btw

[Yeji]: it was not fun seeing her cry over someone who was supposed to be her “friend” when even I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen her cry

[Yeji]: keep that in mind

Minjeong slips on her running shoes, seeing the weather is fitting for a run. She quickly ties her laces into a tight knots before huffing and standing up.

“Mind if I join you?” A deep voice asks.

The brunette turns her head, closing her eyes and sighing when she meets face to face with Jaemin. “What do you want, Jaemin?”

The boy puts his hands up in surrender, feigning a look of hurt. “Nothing. I just want to join you on your run. That’s all.” He blinks, but Minjeong knows better.

Minjeong takes off, beginning to start at a normal pace. A few seconds later, Jaemin catches up, smiling at her. The brunette simply ignores him, humming to the music in her AirPods. The weather outside is too nice to let some boy ruin it for her.

“So, about this Goeun girl-”

Before Jaemin can even finish, Minjeong stops in her spot. “It seems like you’re really feeling a broken nose today, no?” Minjeong tilts her head to the side, biting the inside of her cheek impatiently.

The boy chuckles nervously, patting the brunette’s back. “Nope!” He quickly replies.

The brunette hums before continuing to run. She continues to run all the way past the burger joint near their university, not wondering whether or not Jaemin is keeping up.

As she runs, the wind that brushes her cheeks is refreshing and Minjeong almost wants to cry at how calm it makes her feel.

She stops to take quick break, lifting her arm to take a glance at her Apple Watch. It’s a few quick taps at text messages before she drops her arm to look up at where she’s going next.

“Oh, Kim Minjeong?” An unfamiliar voice calls out her name, causin the brunette to look toward the direction.

The brunette spots an old lady, and instantly recognizes her from the time she was coming back from picking up an item from a store.

Minjeong instantly bows her head, a smile making way to her lips. “Hello.” She greets.

The old lady waves her hand, walking closer to the girl. “Nice to see you participating in physical activity! You young kids these days have so much energy. I remember when I could swim rep after rep without getting tired.”

The brunette laughs before a wave of realization floods over her. “You used to be a swimmer?” Minjeong asks in awe.

The old lady nods. “Have you heard of the name Moon Haesun?” She wiggles her eyebrows suggestively.

Minjeong gasps, covering her mouth. “You’re Moon Haesun, you used to be one of the best Olympic swimmers in history!” The brunette squeals almost too loudly.

Haesun ushers for her to be quiet. “I don’t want to get hoarded by a bunch of people.” She jokes.

Soon, huffing is heard, notifying Minjeong that Jaemin finally has caught up. “Hello, lovely people.” He grins brightly, making the brunette wave him off.

His eyes widen when he realizes who the old lady is. “Moon Haesun?” He gawks, immediately lowering his head in multiple bows.

Haesun chuckles before facing the brunette. “I heard you broke a record at a meet, a video of you online went viral and everyone is calling you a wonder kid.”

Minjeong’s ears turn silently red. “You watched my heat?” The brunette tilts her head in disbelief.

Haesun nods. “You have incredible technique, along with the other girl… is it Yu Jimin? You two always impress me with your relays. Quite the chemistry you captains have.” The lady chuckles.

Bowing her head, Minjeong squeaks a thank you.

The lady looks at her phone. “Unfortunately, I have to get going. It was nice to finally see you again.” She reaches in her jacket pocket, removing a small card out of it and hands it to the brunette.

“That’s my number. My son specializes in recruiting talented swimmers who we think could train with the national team. Many people have had their eyes on you and Jimin.” Haesun explains, looking Minjeong in the eyes.

Jaemin pushes the brunette to the side. “What about me?” He extends his hand.

The old lady cocks an eyebrow. “Your stats now aren’t even on par to reach Minjeong’s stats when she was a freshman in highschool.” She replies to him before turning back to Minjeong.

Jaemin’s smile disappears as he scratches his head on embarrassment.

She points at Minjeong’s hand. “There’s two cards under there. Give one to Ms. Yu if you can.” Haesun tells her before going on her way. “We’ll meet again!”

The brunette looks down at her hand, wiping at her forehead. She grins before stuffing the card into her leggings pocket.

“Jaemin, I can’t believe you’re still asking me that question after I told you to stay away from her.” Minjeong lets out a breath.

Jaemin wipes a towel at his neck. “I’m persistent?” He cracks a smile, Minjeong shoving his face away.

The brunette faces the boy, a stern look on her face. “The only reason you want to date her is to brag to everyone that you got the most popular girl to date you. Disregarding her feelings is not something you want to do.” Minjeong’s voice suddenly becomes quiet. “Trust me…”

She frowns a bit, opening the door to the dorm building.

The boy follows after her, speeding her side again. “Fine. I’ll leave her alone. I didn’t mean to go that far.” Jaemin says.

The brunette sucks in her cheek, stopping in her tracks and facing the boy. “But you did. You said you didn’t care about her feelings. Who knows what other shit you said about her to your stupid friends while pretending to be nice to her? I don’t want her getting hurt anymore when she’s been hurt enough already. So I suggest you tell her what you said, apologize to her and disappear from my sight.”

Jaemin purses his lips, opening his mouth to say something but closing it when Minjeong glares at him. He lets out a sigh before walking past Minjeong.

[Minjeong]: hey, is Jimin in her room? She’s not answering her phone and I have to give her something.

[Yeji]: she’s nowhere near the campus

[Minjeong]: What? I just saw her not too long ago?

[Yeji]: oh

[Yeji]: Every year Jimin’s has to spend a few days with her family, because she’s a heiress of their huge ass law firm and it consists of a bunch of long meetings, it’s stupid

[Yeji]: she hates thinking about anything related to that company

[Yeji]: her dad’s a bitch and has made her cry on many occasions just because she refuses to do the things he wants her to do

[Yeji]: remember those rude stuff she used to say about you? Yes, some of it was annoying banter, and because she liked you, but some of them were also her taking out her frustration

[Yeji]: she’s probably never told you this, but her teasing you gave her sense of freedom. To you it might sound weird, but it’s true. You were the only one who could get her to talk, she was afraid of voicing out her feelings or having fun because she was always shut down for doing so at home.

[Yeji]: so yes I was a bit pissed when you did that little phase of your’s. I already told you not to do it again so that’s that

[Yeji]: she was supposed to be studying law but luckily, her counselor was able to change it to biology without her dad knowing. Biology was something she actually wanted to study. her scholarship was originally for Biology since she did so well in it but her dad disregarded it

[Yeji]: apparently she wasn’t even supposed to leave this week. She just left in a hurry, really pissed. She’s probably not answering her phone because she’s in a meeting

[Minjeong]: oh okay…. thanks

[Yeji]: no problem

“It’s only been like a day and you’re already frowning.” Ryujin chuckles, placing her plate onto the table.

The sports department usually has a different dinner time than regular students, each sports team sit with their teammates or friends that they want.

Minjeong slumps into her seat. “Last time, you couldn’t sleep in your own bed knowing you wouldn’t be able to see Yeji the next day.” She bites back, poking at her fruits.

Ryujin throws a fry at her.

Lia fakes a hurl. “Some of these can not be edible.” She examines her the fry thrown at Minjeong, making a face when she sees something out of the ordinary.

The dining hall is loud. Minjeong doesn’t like loud noises, and like usual, she’s tuned out the rest of the world. Her friends know it’s normal for the brunette to speak a sentence or two before quietly eating her meal and listening to her teammates yap away.

Her eyes stare at the empty seat in front of her, letting out a low sigh as her teammates laugh around her. The atmosphere feels different, without their other captain with them. Maybe, it isn’t as of a contrast as Minjeong usually isn’t with them in the dining hall because she hated the loudness. But, she started stomaching it when Coach Seohyun told her reciprocate to the vice captain position.

She’s exhausted from the workout she did earlier and staying in an area where there’s never an ounce of quietness probably isn’t the best idea to choose.

Although, she suddenly perks up. “Listen up, everyone.”

Her teammates immediately turn their attention to her. “I bumped into Moon Haesun earlier.” She announces.

Her teammates all stand up for their seat. “You met who?” Yizhuo almost screeches.

Minjeong swipes for a few seconds on her phone before lifting up her phone to show them the picture of the card Mrs. Moon gave her.

“She knows who I am and told me she watched a video of me breaking a world record. Apparently, a lot of people have their eyes on me and Jimin. Mrs. Moon’s son works in gathering talented swimmers who could possibly train for the national team and she gave me a card with information on it.” Minjeong explains.

Yuna squeals, clapping her hands together excitedly. “Minjeong, that’s great? I’m so happy for you you!” Yuna smiles.

Hyunjin nods. “I know you’ve been working very hard and I think you deserve to be recognized for your skills.”

Minjeong smiles at them all. “Thanks guys, it means a lot.” The brunette sits up, fighting the smile that presses at her lips.

They all sit back down. “Well, are you going to give the number a call?” Yves asks, shifting her seat closer.

The brunette’s lips turn into a frown. “I wanted to tell Jimin because Mrs. Moon also asked to give her a card as well. But since Jimin isn’t here, I haven’t thought about calling yet.” She lets her hand drop, pulling it back into her lap.

She wasn’t lying when she said that it wouldn’t be right to be on the national team without Jimin. Minjeong wants to go together. So the card sits neatly on her lamp table.

Yves pushes a strand of hair to the side. “She’ll come back. We all know it.”

[Jimin]: hey you

[Minjeong]: hi :)

[Jimin]: sorry i didn’t see any of your messages, I’ve been so busy unwillingly

[Minjeong]: it’s okay, you don’t always have to text me back as soon as possible

[Jimin]: Yeji said you wanted to tell me or show me something?

[Minjeong]: Oh right

[Minjeong]: i bumped into Moon Haesun, and she gave me business cards because she thinks we could train with the national team

[Jimin]: Minjeong, that’s great!

[Jimin]: Have you called yet?

[Minjeong]: that’s the thing, I haven’t yet because you aren’t here. I kind of wanted us to make the call together?

[Jimin]: Minjeong….

[Jimin]: I’m not sure if being on the national team is something I can even dream of doing anymore

[Minjeong]: what? why?

[Jimin]: my dad found out I switched my major, and as a punishment, I might not even be able to be on the swim team anymore

[Minjeong]: he’s taking away the one thing you like doing? That’s stupid.

[Minjeong]: he can’t make you do that

[Jimin]: He can and he will

[Minjeong]: but you’re first in the city… you might even be top 10 in the country. You basically have an easy entry onto the national team and he’s just it taking away from you? When you were so close?

[Minjeong]: Jimin, that’s bullshit

[Jimin]: I know… I’m sorry.

[Minjeong]: there’s nothing you need to apologize about. It isn’t your fault, it’s just stupid and unfair. You’re an adult, capable of making your own decisions

[Jimin]: we’ll talk about it later. I have to go, see you soon❤️

“Mom, he can’t possibly be allowed to do that!” Minjeong yells as she storms into Coach Kim’s office, visibly upset.

Coach Kim places a hand on her shoulder. “Honey, you need to calm down.” She pushes the brunette down onto a chair.

The brunette tries to stand up again but Coach Kim gives her a look, causing her to slump back into the chair. Her emotions are heightened and the attempts to hold back her tears only hurt her head more.

Coach Kim bends down to her height, brushing a strand of hair from the brunette’s face. “I understand that you’re upset, but getting frustrated won’t lead us anywhere.” Taeyeon looks into her eyes, trying to get the girl to breathe.

Minjeong catches her breath, melting into Coach Kim’s touch. She bites at her lip, ignoring the burn at trying to prevent tears from shedding.

“It’s not fair….” She quietly sobs, her fingers gripping at her shorts.

Taeyeon lets out a sigh, moving her hand to stroke Minjeong’s cheek. “I know. We’ll figure something out, okay?”

The brunette slowly nods, sniffing a bit.

Chapter Text

Minjeong wonders if fall really is her favorite.

She can cross that out. The cold autumn wind is not enough to make her shiver, although, it is enough for her mother to make sure she doesn’t leave without a sweater. The brunette doesn’t mind because she has another excuse to tuck her hands into her her pockets, watching leaves fall gracefully to the ground.

Thinking about winter does make her a little anxious. There is only a few weeks before she can accept the reasonable red cheeks she receives from the freezing weather they call winter.

Never has she ever have to worrying about the cold interrupting her goal of making it onto the national team. (well, except when she’s late for practice because she can’t seem to get her car out of the few inches of snow.)

However, this fall seems discrete. Maybe something—someone, is missing because her hand is cold.

The pure warmth of skin tingles on her own skin as if it’s a memory. She feels her thumb rub at her the side of her pointer finger, aching for fingers to slip between her’s with a reassuring squeeze. Again, there’s something off with a day of fall. And no, it’s not Ryujin telling her that the normal cold look has yet to disappear.

Minjeong watches as children skip around while holding their parent’s hands. It’s a delightful sight, the look of content… happiness. Does Minjeong feel content? Yes No, not really. But it’s easy hiding it in the curves of a smile. Even without purity, it’s not able to seem genuine.

She took it for granted. A pure safe touch.

Her lips press against eachother as she enters the shop. Almost immediately, she chuckles at Mr. Shin’s hasty self.

“Good morning to you too?” Mr. Shin peaks at the corner of his eye.

Minjeong bows, soon leaning her body over the counter. She grins brightly at the current piece he is working on.

Something like that.

The man soon rolls his eyes. “They’re in the same spot you’ll always find them.” He points behind him.

Minjeong jumps up, shuffling toward the back as the front door open. In the matter of a minute, the brunette finds Yuna and Ryujin knocked out in the huge office. She heaves a particular sigh, causing the two sleeping girls to immediately stand to their feet, Yuna stumbling a bit. The blonde nervously giggles, her hair all over the place. Her sister on the other hand looks down, her fingers crossed as she silently whispers.

“I’m not mad. I knew you guys were probably helping out. But now, I need your help.” Minjeong says, watching the two flop against eachother on the couch.

Ryujin groans when Yuna’s head makes way onto her lap, the blonde immediately falling back asleep. The raven ushers for her to continue, rubbing at her eyes.

“Technically, I want to get her a necklace.” Minjeong blurts, the sleeping blonde now wide awake.

Yuna stares at her with shock. “How long have you been thinking about this?” The blonde asks.

The brunette scratches her head, pursing her lips. “It was just a slight ‘what if’ last year. When I wondered what it’d be like for us to be friends. Either way, I still owe her a lot.” Minjeong responds genuinely.

The blonde shakes her head. “Minjeong, there’s no guarantee you guys will even get to be together.”

The brunette understands that, obviously. But her cold fingers that’s numb in her sweater pocket convince her otherwise.

She looks down, swallowing. “I know. But, she’s still my friend. Before anything. I want to give her something she can be reassured by, that I promise to stay by her side no matter what…. As friends or not because even when we hated eachother, she was still there for me. I want to do the same.” Minjeong lets out all at once.

Ryujin chuckles, looking over to her sister. “She is a girl in love.” The raven says, tapping Yuna.

The blonde lets out a breath, standing up and pulling her sister up with her. “You’re lucky I’ve been waiting for this moment since highschool.” She walks toward the door.

“You’re telling me you’ve just had this here?” Minjeong stares at Yuna.

The blonde shrugs. “Me and Inhyuk had good feeling it’ll eventually come in handy. But it was a silly bet he lost.” Yuna carefully places the necklace into the box, her dad watching her carefully.

Yuna lets the chain carefully drop into the box, pulling and dragging it behind the cushion. She turns the box around so it’s facing Mr. Shin. The man takes the box, shutting it closed before taking it for more examination.

Minjeong stuffs her hands into her pockets. “Fine. I’ll get you two food.”

Ryujin and Yuna high five eachother, obviously happy to be earning a free meal. After some time, Mr. Shin comes back with a small bag. He hands it over to the brunette, the girl bowing her head in gratitude.

“Thank you for giving me a break from these two.” He glares at the shin sisters, both of them gleaming.

Yuna and Ryujin drag the girl out of the shop, waving goodbye to their father before she can respond.

It’s a bad habit, staring at the screen of her phone. Even the small tint of light for the screen is enough for the girl to reach over, swooping down for notifications. But to no avail, there’s nothing. She should be used to it by now, not getting a response from the raven. Although, it makes just a bit anxious.

Minjeong can’t believe she misses Jimin this bad. If it was months ago, the brunette would’ve been celebrating that she was gone. But, now—her chest squeezes uncomfortably. It’s a weird feeling, because it’s familiar, but the last few times, she ignored those feelings, laughing it away.

However, her feelings have only grown, but she thinks running away from it isn’t an option anymore.

She watches the two girls in front of her devour their food, Minjeong encouraging them to order as much as they want. To her, the two girls are like little sisters to her, many people assume that because she spends so much time taking care of them. Truthfully, she’s thankful for them both.

“It’s been like a week. Does she usually stay over there for that long?” Minjeong asks curiously, taking a nervous sip of her drink.

Yuna shakes her head. “Heejin told me she’s usually only there for 2 days. One day for meetings, second day actually working in the law firm. Hell, she’s been there since she was just turning into a teenager.” The blonde responds, wiping her mouth.

With that, Minjeong breathes out through her nose, mixing her drink with her straw. “I’m guessing we’ll just see her when we see her? The school has been working on the situation…. I don’t think it’s fair to sabotage Jimin like this.”

The brunette spent a lot of time thinking like she usually does. Her mother had to beg the girl to catch her breath from how anxious she’s been. At this point, it just comes natural when it comes to the raven. Minjeong won’t deny it at all.

Ryujin lets her chopsticks back onto the table, looking toward her best friend. “Minjeong, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you care this much about anything or anyone. I think you need to calm down a bit.” The girl tells her.

The brunette opens her mouth to speak but Ryujin places her finger against her lips. “Just enjoy this time with us, okay? Everything will be okay.”

Minjeong sinks into her seat, deciding to listen to Ryujin.

The water is her second home. The amount of time it takes for Minjeong to adjust to the water’s temperature is enough to prove it.

Coach Seohyun walks back and forth as the brunette swims. So far, her trainings have been harsh and intense, just in case she makes qualifiers. Her coaches have been telling her that her speed for each stroke is getting a lot faster and they’re impressed with the progress the brunette has been making. Minjeong thinks it’s due to her mix of determination and passion for swim that pushes her to want to become better. It isn’t everyday people tell her she’s good enough to make it onto the national team.

She was once given one opportunity. She’s sure she won’t dash over the second chance.

Falling in love with a sport sometimes comes with benefits, as well as consequences. There’s so much she’s sacrificed, so much time lost. Sometimes she gets so lost in swim that she comes out heaving at the edge of the pool. Whenever she was, Jimin usually examined her trainings, diving in when Minjeong panicked a bit.

It’ll take time for the brunette to calm down, but at the end, the coaches let the raven do what she needed to do. Minjeong would be fine, taking Jimin’s gentle words of encouragement and reassurance. At those points, the brunette realizes that she never had to do everything alone, not matter how stubborn or selfish she was sometimes.

Even if they were rivals, Minjeong owes a lot to the raven for being the one reason she ever wanted to be first. The driving force was the raven taking jabs at her skills, making the brunette want to prove the older wrong. And it did work, because her teammates would be surprised to see her doing extra rounds in the 200 meter pool after full trainings.

With ease, Minjeong has gotten down backstrokes, Coach Seohyun marking down her time with a proud smile on her face. The brunette swims over to the edge, resting her chin at the edge of the pool.

She looks up at her coach. “So?” Minjeong raises an eyebrow curiously.

Her coach skims her sheet. “You’ve increased by 3 seconds. That’s huge.” Coach Seohyun juts something down with her pen. “How often have you been swimming in your free time?”

Minjeong diverts her eyes. “Well…. everyday.” She replies nervously, waiting for her coach’s response.

Coach Seohyun doesn’t say anything, instead slowly nods. Minjeong takes it as a sign to get out of the pool. Relief flows through her body as the brunette takes off her goggles and cap.

A water bottle is thrown, Minjeong catching it and taking a swig out of it. “Thank you.” She smiles at her coach.

Coach Seohyun rolls her eyes. “Your mother does not like you dehydrated so you better finish that up.”

Minjeong nods as she continues taking gulps from the bottle. Once she’s done, she starts packing up, glad to be done for the day. A warm shower was practically falling her name.

“Minjeong, look.” Coach Seohyun calls for her, handing her phone.

The brunette looks at the screen, her eyes skimming through the words. “No way?” She looks up, her eyes widening.

Olympic trials swim meet, Jimin and her get participate.

Minjeong suddenly starts sobbing, Coach Seohyun immediately pulling her into a tight hug. “You did it. I told you you’d make it.” Seohyun strokes her hair.

She did it. All her hard work paid off, and now she might have a chance.

[Minjeong]: [attachment sent]

[Yves]: OH MY GOSH

[Yuna]: guys I already knew they were going to go, pay up

[Hyunjin]: Yuna anybody could’ve predicted this

[Ryujin]: congratulations Min❤️❤️❤️

[Aeri]: so proud of you

[Minjeong]: thank you guys☹️

Minjeong tiredly walks into her dorm,knowing at the back of her mind that Ryujin isn’t present due to her everyday outing shoes being gone by the doorsteps.

Her bag is neatly set into the shelf before she turns to make way into her room. She opens the door, sighing in relief that she sees her lovely and wonderful bed waiting for her. Minjeong immediately walks over, sitting at the edge of the mattress.

After a moment of staring at her bathroom door, she feels hands cover her eyes, startling her. “Ryujin, do not jump on top of me.” She warns sternly.

The skin of her cheek is pinched, causing her to groan lowly, whacking the hand that pinches her. “Ryujin, stop. Seriously, that hurt.” Minjeong whines, gently removing the hands from her eyes.

When she turns around, her chest pools.

“Hi.” Jimin greets, a bright smile on her lips.

Minjeong jumps from her bed, running to the other side to pull the girl into a tight hug. Almost instantly, familiar perfume wraps around her. The raven chuckles, hugging the girl back.

The brunette doesn’t hesitate to dig her head into the older’s neck. “You’re really here.” Her voice is muffled.

“I was gone for only a week, Minjeong.” There’s teasing in her voice, and oh, how the brunette has missed it.

Minjeong pulls back to finally take in the raven’s face. “It felt like the worst 7 days of my life.” The brunette frowns.

Jimin rolls her eyes. “You are the most dramatic person I’ve ever met.”

Minjeong steps back a bit to grab the raven’s hands, warm skin finally making contact with her’s again. She looks down at their hands, watching as their fingers loosely intertwine with each other’s.

Like always, the brunette finds herself nervous in front of the older. “I’m being serious. My hands were cold because there was no one to hold them and I had to go to class early because I didn’t have to walk you.” Minjeong swings their hands, pout taking place on her mouth.

The raven lifts up their hands, stepping closer. Minjeong looks up, brown eyes connecting with each other. Jimin’s gaze is gentle, enough to make the brunette’s insides tingle.

Before she knows it, their lips connect softly, Jimin’s lips pressing against her’s. Their fingers play together, Minjeong pulling the raven a bit closer.

“If that’s your way of saying you miss me, I’ll take it.” Jimin says in between, smiling when she hears the brunette whine.

They pull away for bit before leaning into each other again, obviously missing the feeling of each other’s lips because it turns into a bunch of loving presses. Their lips linger, a sense a longing following along.

After a while, Jimin’s hands release from her’s to cup her cheek, pulling her into a long kiss. Their eyes flutter close as the brunette’s arms latch around the raven’s waist, unable to fight the wide smiles that make her cheeks hurt.

Almost like muscle memory, their lips move against eachother, after being apart for some time.

It’s a while until they pull away from eachother again, slightly heaving. Minjeong’s content, her nose nuzzling against Jimin’s.

“Yes, I did miss you.” Minjeong admits, taking in a breath. “Did you miss me, though?”

Jimin instantly nods, puckering her lips. “Maybe even more than you did.” She challenges.

The brunette narrows her eyes. “Yu Jimin, I don’t think that’s possible.” Minjeong replies, a proud look on her face.

Although, the raven refuses to back down. “It very much is.”

The brunette rolls her eyes, earning a peck from the older who giggles in between.

Minjeong suddenly remembers about the necklace. Her eyes lock onto the box on her desk. She walks over to her desk, taking the box out of the bag. The brunette then walks back to a confused raven who looks at the girl.

The brunette carefully opens the box, rotating it around to show the raven. “It’s a necklace. I want it to be reassurance, that’ll you always have me, no matter what. No matter how far we are from each other.” She lifts up the necklace, gleaming bright.

The charm is a small heart, decorated precisely.

Jimin covers her mouth, almost sobbing. “Minjeong.” She wiped at her tears.

The brunette walks around the raven to help her out it on. Jimin lifts up her hair so Minjeong can put the silver necklace on. Once she’s done, she turns the raven around by her shoulders, smiling at how pretty it looks on Jimin.

Jimin looks down at the heart, carefully running her fingers over it. “It’s perfect, Minjeong.” She tells the brunette before looking up to hug the girl.

As they hold each other, the pure touch of the raven finally allows the brunette to relax.

Jimin groans as she places her notebook down. “I think they forgot I’m still a student in college.” She grumbles, grabbing a chip from the bag of lay’s.

Luckily for the girl, it wouldn’t take long to finish her notes and assignment, but it’s still a pain in a ass having homework for the first time in a while.

Minjeong grabs the pencil from the raven, twirling it between her fingers. “They’re not going to make your younger brother do all this law stuff, right?” The brunette asks.

Jimin tilts her head in thought. “Jiwoo? I don’t think so. Taeyang likes law alot so I’m not sure why my dad looks toward me for that type of stuff. Wearing a bunch of business attire is something I don’t want to do the rest of my life.” The raven says, grabbing another chip from the bag.

Minjeong turns to the raven. “Did they tell you?”

The raven looks at her with a confused look. “Tell me what?” Jimin asks, watching as the brunette reaches for her phone.

For a minute, all is heard is the roar of the tv from some show Minjeong is watching. The brunette hands Jimin the phone, waiting for the girl’s reaction.

“What the fuck! Minjeong, we-” She jumps to her feet, showing the younger the screen.

The brunette smiles brightly. “We’re going to the trials.” She stands, opening her arms.

Jimin practically jumps on top of her, Minjeong catching the raven as she laughs. The brunette holds her tight while the raven cries into her neck.

“You did it.” Minjeong turns to face the sobbing girl, laughing again when she spots the raven’s slightly red face.

Jimin wraps her arms around the brunette’s neck, lifting her head to look at the younger. “We did it.” She whispers, her eyes glassy.

The raven rests her forehead against the brunette’s, taking in Minjeong’s gentle words of praise. They’re rocked back and forth in each other’s arms.

“Thank you for always being with me.” Minjeong warmly smiles, finding the raven doing the same.

Jimin nods, wiping at the remaining tears. “Thank you for doing the same. For continuing to be by my side.”

At that moment, Minjeong finds herself never wanting to be apart for the raven, ironic to the Minjeong from a few months ago who despised her. She realizes what is to want to love someone.

Because hugging in the middle of the living room makes the brunette simply at awe at how far they’ve come. They might be going to the trials together. Minjeong wonders if she even had any plans of even going without the older.

(No, she really didn’t.)

She believes the raven deserves nothing but the best, that she deserves the world. Something Minjeong would give Jimin if she could.

Whatever the situation might be, Minjeong’s willing to work with it to make sure that Jimin gets a chance at achieving her dream. Especially when the raven’s worked so hard to get to the moment.

The raven pulls away, deciding to just stare at the girl.

“What do you think about making that call?”

Chapter Text

[Unknown]: Hello. I’m Mr. Wong

[Unknown]: Mr. Yu will like to meet you tomorrow at 3PM

Jimin runs her fingers through her hair. “How does he even know about you?!” She panics a bit.

Minjeong watches from the edge of the bed as the girl paces back and forth. She closes her eyes for a beat, a breath releasing from her lips.

The brunette reaches for the girl, grabbing her hand and pulling the raven toward her. “Jimin, you need to breathe.” She instructs, looking up at the older.

Their eyes lock and the raven slowly catches her breath, her fingers anxiously playing with Minjeong’s fingers. Minjeong raises her eyebrow, a silent question.

Jimin’s body relaxes. “He promised he’d leave my friends alone.” The raven mumbles out.

Minjeong tilts her head to the side a bit. “What do you mean?”

The raven closes her eyes, squeezing her face nervously. After a beat, Jimin opens her eyes. “I may or may not have accidentally called one of the employees by you name in front of my father.” The grasp on the brunette’s fingers becomes tighter.

Minjeong bites her lip, fighting the urge to laugh. “And he was suspicious because he had never heard that name in his life?” The brunette asks.

Jimin purses her lips together, going quiet for a beat. “Her name tag was right on her blazer. I wasn’t paying attention and she had asked me a question and it just came out. It was an accident because at the time I was responding to your messages.” The raven reveals, her cheeks slowly sprouting red.

“My father asked me what it was about and I told him it was a simple mistake but I’m guessing he didn’t believe me. I knew better to lie so I told him you were just a girl from my swim team. He let me go without anymore questions.” Jimin looks down at her feet.

Minjeong takes a minute to take in the raven’s words. “I’m more curious about how he got my number and why exactly he wants to meet me…. Has he done that with your other friends?”

The raven shakes her head. “He usually doesn’t care. I’m not sure why he cares now…” Her other hand pushes a strand from her face.

The brunette shrugs. “I doubt it’s anything bad then.” Minjeong replies.

Jimin plops onto the bed next to the brunette. “It’s still weird how he wants to meet you directly. What if he does something bad?” She says frantically, turning to Minjeong.

The brunette gives her look, causing the raven to instantly calm down again. “Again, I don’t think it’s that much of a big deal. I’ll meet him and then I’ll be on my way. Maybe I can even convince him to let you stay on the swim team.” She rambles on.

“I’ve tried… It’s very difficult to change his mind.” Jimin lets out sigh.

Minjeong gently squeezes the raven’s hand. “We’ll figure it out.”

“That is not making me feel any better about meeting him, Yizhuo.” Minjeong glares at the girl.

Yizhuo puckers her lips in amuse. “I’m just saying. He’s oddly terrifying. Entering his office is like a whole new world of misery.” The girl pretends to shiver, earning a smack from Yves.

Yves pulls Minjeong to her side. “Don’t listen to her. You don’t have to worry about anything, I’m sure with being your stubborn, quiet self, you’ll fit right alo- ow!”

The brunette swats Yves’s head before returning back to her seat.

Yeji breathes out, ignoring their antics. “Do you have something to wear?” She asks, Minjeong feigning a hurt expression in response.

The brunette places a hand against her chest. “Are you saying, me, Kim Minjeong can not dress?”

Yeji makes a face, rolling her eyes after. “No… Mr. Yu is just very… let’s just say he likes judging alot. Wear something presentable, as if you work there.” Yeji tells her.

Minjeong throws her arms up in defeat. “Great, I’m getting another job.” She mumbles absentmindedly.

The brunette gets piled with advice: Only speak when spoken to, laugh at his jokes, and, tell the truth. Minjeong doesn’t quite understand the last one. Why would she feel the need to lie to a lawyer?

Her friends wish her good luck and before she knows it, she’s on her way back home to get ready.

How did I get myself into this mess?

Minjeong clutches her sweater against her body tightly as she navigates her way toward the city. Occasionally, she likes taking the train whenever she needs time to settle down and take in whatever information she received without anyone interrupting her thoughts.

Luckily, the ride is short and Minjeong doesn’t have to worry about being squished between people.

She feels her pocket buzz, causing for her to reach for her phone.

[Jimin]: hi min

[Jimin]: i hope you had a good day☺️

[Jimin]: call me when you’re on your way, ok? Drive safely

Minjeong smiles at her phone before tucking it into her pocket. She finds herself gushing at the messages from the raven.

As soon as the train takes off, she leans her head against the window, taking the time to list the possible things that can go wrong meeting Jimin’s father. Even though she spent time trying to calm the raven of her nerves, her’s were just as heightened.

She’s going to be meeting the father of the girl she likes…. a lot—how can she not be nervous?

Minjeong closes her eyes, thoughts of a specific black haired girl on her mind.

The brunette isn’t quite sure how long she’s spent in her room, making sure her outfit looked reasonable. Ryujin or Aeri aren’t here to tell her that she looks okay so all she has currently is her own judgement.

While she has alot of time, Minjeong continues constantly checking her watch, anxiousness tugging at her heart at every tick.

Black dress pants, white blouse, black heels and a black coat over her shoulders always fit her nice, but as she looks at the mirror, she starts to contemplate more her outfit. Again, it isn’t like she doesn’t have a sense of fashion.

After some time of looking in the mirror, she decides final on her look. Her dark hair is parted, her bangs falling down her forehead neatly. She sends a photo of her outfit to her mother, hoping for quick feedback before she leaves.

A ding sounds in her room, the brunette already knowing what the messages contains.

[Defintely not Coach Kim]: you look fine, don’t forget to tuck in your blouse and wear your glasses

Minjeong groans, dropping her phone on the bed to tuck in her blouse. She turns back toward the mirror, patting at her waist to make sure they’re aren’t any creases or bumps. Once she’s done, she grabs her glasses from her desk, slipping them on. It takes a few adjustments until they fit the way she wants it to.

She grabs her purse, slipping her things into it. Her eyes scan the room for what she possibly could be missing. After a round, she takes a deep breath before exiting her room and making way to the dorm door.

Minjeong bows her head and smiles as she passes by the staff near the main building. The cold wind hits her body almost as soon as she makes it outside, sending a slight shiver down her body.

As she enters her car, she doesn’t forget to send Jimin a text before setting her phone into the cup holder. Although, it takes time for her to start the car, the brunette giving herself a pep talk before doing so.

Her head rests on the steering wheel for a bit before composing herself to drive.

“Okay, I can do this. It’ll be quick, then you’ll never have to see him ever again. Unless I ever decide to marry Ji- okay, breathe.” Minjeong lifts her head, pressing the on button of her car.

Hopefully.

She begs that the car ride is excruciatingly slow just so she doesn’t have to feel many eyes burning at her back when she walks into the law firm.

In a few minutes, she’s away from the campus, on the road. The music in her car booms loudly, a sense of distraction from the thumping in her chest. She needs to understand that there’s no going back now that she’s on the road.

The firm isn’t far from the campus, which allows for Minjeong to finally save toll money. She keeps an eye for a huge building that shone Yu Law Firm in big letters.

Thinking the drive would’ve been a bit longer, she nearly misses the turn for the firm. As she enters the parking lot, Minjeong feels jitters all throughout her body.

She ends up driving under the hangar, stopping right beside the curve. A valet runs to the other side, opening the door. Minjeong gets out from the car, handing her keys to man.

Her eyes scan for a specific raven, needing aid in calming her nerves. When she doesn’t see the girl, she takes in a deep breathe before following a security guard inside the firm.

As soon as she enters the building, her face turns stern, the brunette bowing to everyone who walks by. They end up walking to the scanners, a lady stopping the two.

“Your i.d.?” She points to the scanner.

Minjeong blinks. “I don’t have one, I’m supposed to meet up-” Her words are interrupted when the lady shakes her head.

“You can’t get in without an I.D., ma’am. I’m sorry.” The lady says more strictly, causing Minjeong to close her eyes in frustration.

Suddenly, a man gently pushes past the brunette, scanning his i.d. Minjeong notices the light flash green when he pulls back his i.d.

The man bows in apology. “Sorry, she’s the one Mr. Yu is calling for.” He walks through, ushering Minjeong along.

The man leads Minjeong all the way to an elevator, quickly entering it after the brunette steps into the lift. The door closes, prompting for the man to quickly fix himself before turning to Minjeong.

He extends his hand out. “Hello, I’m Mr. Wong. Nice to finally put a face on the name.” He smiles, waiting for Minjeong to shake his hand.

The brunette bows her head, shaking his hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Wong.”

He smile remains when he drops his hand and faces forward as the elevator doors open. Almost immediately, whispers ensues, Minjeong keeping a stern look as she follows after Mr. Wong.

Mr. Wong leads the way on the slightly empty floor, walking until they reach two foggy glass doors. The man scans his id again before pulling on the door. Minjeong feels the feeling in chest come back again all at once.

Sitting down on a small couch is what she assumes to be Mr. Yu, who looks as intimidating as her friends described him to be. The brunette also spots Jimin sitting on the longer couch next to him. Minjeong’s breath catches when she takes in the raven’s outfit, similar to her’s, but her hair is down, a smile on her lips.

On the couch across from Jimin, is a woman with short black hair who looks similar to the raven.

The atmosphere is tense as Minjeong walks over to sit next to Jimin, crossing her legs and sitting up straight. Mr. Wong runs over behind Mr. Yu, standing with his hands behind his back.

Mr. Yu sits up, putting his hands together. “Kim Minjeong. I was wondering if you were the same Minjeong that broke a world record. Come to find out, you are!” Mr. Yu booms, causing for Minjeong to look down and smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Yu. I really couldn’t have done it without my coaches and my captain.” She points to Jimin, who swats her hand away.

The man makes a face Minjeong isn’t able to read. “So, what is your relationship with Jimin?” He suddenly asks, throwing the brunette off guard.

Minjeong remains calm, not showing any signs of surprise. “We’ve known each other since highschool. She has always been captain and I have always been vice captain. And I think I’d like it to remain that way because she has natural leadership that I don’t I could possibly carry myself. She’s always pushed me to be a better swimmer, has helped increase my speed and technique tremendously. We had a rocky start at first but respect was always visible at times. So now, I can say we’re close friends, we protect eachother.” She looks at Jimin with a warm smile and the smile the raven gives back is only one she can recognize.

Mrs. Yu smiles, apparently having something to say. “So is this why my daughter still hasn’t dated anyone yet, because you shoo away everyone?” She jokes.

Jimin groans. “Mother…”

Mrs. Yu disregards the raven’s response. “The last time I remembered her talking about liking someone was on her 5th day of highschool. She squealed about a girl in long black hair trying out for the swim team who had a left dimple.” The woman laughs at Jimin’s expression.

Minjeong chuckles at the thought of a younger Jimin having a crush on someone.

She notices Mr. Yu’s blank face. “Mr. Yu, I apologize. Is there something you would like to say?” She asks politely.

Mr. Yu clears his throat. “Now that you’ve remind me. Is there any chance you might like my daughter?”

Minjeong gently laughs. “Yes, of course. Everyone likes her, she’s a great friend.” The brunette replies.

The man shakes his head. “I meant if you have feelings for her.” His voice comes out low and straightforward.

The brunette sucks in a breath. “Mr. Yu, is that an appropriate question to ask in an work environment like this?” She tilts her head a bit to the side.

Mr. Yu seems to be slightly taken aback. “You’re right, I apologize. I was just curious.”

Minjeong relaxes, nodding. “It’s alright. Then If it’s okay to ask, what is the reason you called me here?” The brunette asks curiously.

Mr. Yu points to Mr. Wong, who is tapping on an iPad. Mr. Wong walks over to the brunette, handing her to tablet.

The brunette skims the information, allowing for the raven to also see.

“Looking at your records, you’re doing well in your major. Computer science majors are important here at the firm. So, we wanted to offer you a chance to be an intern when you decide. You can earn college credits as well. I know it’s surprising now, but, you’ll get to do what you love and get paid quite the money.” Mr. Yu explains.

Minjeong looks up. “May I have a moment with you, Mr. Yu?”

The man nods, everyone except Minjeong leaving the office.

She knows the raven would’ve disagreed with what she’s about to suggest. But Minjeong thinks it’s the only chance she has.

Minjeong takes in a breath. “Jimin said she’s not able to be on the swim team anymore as a punishment….. If I become an intern, will she be able to stay on the team? Our team isn’t a team without her.” The brunette says, trying to read the man’s expression.

Mr. Yu stays quiet for a moment, Minjeong’s heart pounding in her ears.

The man sits up. “1 month. You can come on the days you don’t have any lectures. Jimin can stay on the team if you do those.”

Minjeong stands up, bowing her head. “Thank you, Mr. Yu!” The brunette’s smile is wide and evident.

Before the brunette turns to leave, she remembers something. “By the way, your daughter is one of the smartest, hardworking, and kindest people I’ve ever met. She enjoys studying biology, swimming and hanging out with her friends. I think she deserves to be able to get to live her life the way she wants to. She’s old enough to choose what she wants to do. I understand you want her to keep the Yu name high, but law isn’t something she personally likes, then forcing her to do so isn’t right. She has feelings, and I think you need to learn to respect them, just like she respects your’s.”

Minjeong bows her head again. “I apologize if i’m overstepping but please keep that in mind.” The brunette reminds him, standing up straight.

She turns her body toward the door, walking out the door with a fast paced heart.

When she makes it out the door, Jimin is to the side, on her phone. When the raven notices she’s out of the office, she grabs Minjeong’s hand, leading her away from the office.

Minjeong’s a bit confused, but follows the raven nevertheless.

They find themselves in a huge closet, their lips immediately connecting when the door shuts close. The brunette’s mind instantly goes blank when she feels Jimin’s lips press against her’s in a bruising kiss, causing her to gasp into the raven’s mouth.

Minjeong gently pushes her back, flustered. “Woah.” She breathes out.

Jimin steps back. “Sorry…I- I just really missed you. I don’t get to see you as often anymore.” The raven admits.

The brunette shakes her head. “It’s okay. I missed you, too.”

It goes silent for a long minute, allowing for them to catch their breaths. Her eyes drop to Jimin’s lips, feeling the raven’s breath against her mouth. Carefully, her hands pull Jimin closer by her waist, walking forward until the raven is pressed against the closet door.

Their lips are dangerously close, nothing but the sounds of loud heaving surrounding them in the closet. Jimin’s arm move to rest on top of her shoulder while her hand plays with Minjeong’s lapel.

The air is caught in her throat, catching a whiff of Jimin’s strong, elegant perfume the raven likes wearing. The brunette isn’t showing it, but in her head, she’s going insane.

“Jimin.” Minjeong whispers, hoping her voice doesn’t crack.

The raven looks up. “Yes?”

Minjeong meets her eyes, breathing slowly.

The raven doesn’t waste time, pulling Minjeong in for another kiss by her lapel. And like magnets, their lips find each other’s rhythm.

Minjeong engulfs the raven’s lips, slowly tilting her head to the side to be able to kiss the raven better. In the closet, her heart pounds harshly feeling the raven’s body against her’s.

Suddenly, Jimin’s phone rings.

The raven groans, reaching for her phone. She catches her breath before answering. “Yes?”

Jimin closes her eyes, mumbling a few words. “We’ll be there.” She says before hanging up.

Minjeong gives her a look. All she receives is an eye roll.

“They want us to come for dinner. As if meeting you here wasn’t enough. They said to wear comfortable clothes.” Her head falls onto Minjeong’s shoulder.

The brunette chuckles, wrapping her arms tightly around Jimin’s frame.

Jiwoo is a very cute little boy.

Minjeong ends up spending much time entertaining the boy while food is being prepared. So far, the brunette is sure he’s going to become a favorite. She’s comfortable in sweatshorts and a hoody on marble tiles.

Jimin sits on the couch in the living room, switching between the tv, her brother and Minjeong. The raven is quiet, invested in her current show.

The brunette helps Jiwoo finish his current Lego set. He had been having trouble because there was a part in the instructions that he couldn’t quite understand even if his sister explained it to him. Minjeong takes a look at the step, figuring out a way to explain it to him in a way he can understand. Her mother always tells her, if someone can’t understand the way you’re explaining it, try a different approach and try to break it down so others can piece information together.

So, Minjeong asks what pieces the boy needs. Jiwoo complies them into a pile, pushing them toward the middle.

The brunette grabs the first few pieces, taking a glance at the instructions before turning back to the boy. “Okay, so, in order to make this piece retract, you’ll need to connect the red buttons to the sides here.” Minjeong tells Jiwoo, demonstrating it slowly before breaking it apart so the boy can do it.

Jiwoo does exactly as Minjeong showed him, pressing the pieces hard so they clicked. “Like this?” He lifts the part up.

The brunette nods, grabbing the rest of the parts. “Now, you need to just place these in front. Do you think you can do it?”

The 8 year old nods his head cutely. He grabs the main part from the brunette, shifting it around into he finds the spot Minjeong was talking about. He takes the pieces he had just completed, snapping them together.

“I did it!” He puts his hands in the air.

Minjeong smiles, tickling him. “Yes, you did, I’m so proud of you.” She says as Jiwoo giggles from the brunette’s fingers poking at him.

After letting him catch his breath, Minjeong stands up. “Call me if you need any help, I think your sister might be mad at me.” The brunette tells Jiwoo who nods before going back to his Lego’s.

Walking over to the couch, Minjeong plops next to Jimin. She waits for the girl to acknowledge her but gets nothing in response.

“Jimin.” Minjeong calls out.

Nothing.

The brunette scoots in a but closer, tapping the raven’s thigh. “Jimin.” She tries again, but to no avail,the raven doesn’t respond.

Minjeong closes her eyes, letting out a sigh. “Babe….” She says lowly.

Jimin’s head jerks toward her, the brunette opening her eyes and trying hard not to chuckle.

“Did you just call me babe?” Jimin glares at her.

The brunette presses her lips against eachother. “Yes. Why? Do you not like it?” Minjeong asks curiously.

Jimin tilts her head a bit, eyes wandering everywhere. “I don’t dislike it…” Her voice trails.

Minjeong takes the chance to pull a distracted Jimin toward her. “You’re upset.”

The brunette forgets Jimin can be just as stubborn as her. They’re alike and different at the same time. But Minjeong’s learned to go around their differences.

The tv does a good job catching Jimin’s attention because the raven ignores Minjeong, facing back to the tv again. Minjeong’s stuck again staring at the older’s side profile. She looks around, noticing that no one is paying attention to the living, Jiwoo behind the couch and everyone else’s back facing them in the kitchen.

The brunette grabs the raven’s face gently with her hand, making Jimin face her. She meets a scowling raven, who’s cheeks are squished together cutely, making Minjeong laugh at the girl’s expression. She presses her lips against Jimin’s lips multiple times before pulling back to watch the girl’s eyes widen.

“Minjeong!” She whispers screams, looking around to see if anyone caught them.

The brunette drops her hand. “What?” She feigns innocence. “I’ll kiss you again if you ignore me.”

Jimin whines, facing the brunette. “Fine, I am upset.” She admits, slouching back into the couch.

Minjeong crosses her arms, prepared to listen to the older. “Why?” The brunette raises a curious eyebrow.

“You’re going to do an internship for a month so I can be on the swim team.” Jimin blurts out all in one breath.

Oh.

It’s not like she wasn’t expecting the raven to be upset about it. She knew the raven was not going to be happy at the fact that she was going to be an intern at a place she despises. Although, Minjeong would do anything to make sure Jimin is able to participate in something she enjoys.

Because Jimin’s happiness is Minjeong’s happiness and she willing to do anything to keep the raven happy.

Minjeong reaches for Jimin’s hand, looking down. “I told you I wanted to be on the national team, go to the Olympics. I’d do anything to make sure you also get a fair chance at doing so too.” She responds confidently before meeting Jimin’s eyes again.

Jimin’s eyes are glossy. “You didn’t have to.”

The brunette lifts her hand up to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Jimin’s ear. “But I wanted to. Plus, it’s for something I excel in and i get benefited from it as well so it won’t be that bad. Who knows? I might like it.” She says with a jokingly manner.

After a moment of just staring at Minjeong with a frown, Jimin moves closer, leaning her head against the brunette’s shoulder. “You weren’t going to change your mind even if I tried, weren’t you?” The raven lets out a chuckle, playing with Minjeong’s fingers.

Minjeong shakes her head.

Jimin intertwines their fingers, staring down at their hands. Her thumb rubs over Minjeong’s skin, putting them into a point of content.

Minjeong rests her head on top of the raven’s. “You mean a lot to me. I think you always have, even if I’ve spent time denying it. Just know that you have me, alright?” The brunette reassures her.

Jimin nods her head, snuggling more into Minjeong.

“Hey, isn’t this the shirt I’ve been looking for?” Minjeong tugs on the raven’s shirt.

“Maybe.”

[Ryujin]: how’s dinner going?

[Jimin]: I think Jiwoo might like Minjeong more than me

[Yeji] replying to Jimin: that’s possible?

[Heejin]: BUT HE ALWAYS CHASES ME???

[Yizhuo]: you threaten to steal his legos everytime we go.

[Aeri]: Heejin that’s not very nice of you

[Yuna]: you want to steal legos from a little boy?

[Yves]: never thought Heekie was a Lego snatcher

[Heejin]: @Hyunjin @Minjeong can you please collect your friends thank you

[Minjeong]: JIMIN TELL HIM I DONT HAVE ANY GAMES ON MY PHONE

[Jimin]: oh that’s why he likes you…. you’re probably not going to get that phone back.

[Jimin]: Sorry babe

[Everyone except Minjeong and Jimin]: BABE????

Chapter Text

There’s something about falling in love.

Minjeong doesn’t know how to explain the feeling because her brain over complicates things leaving her in a pile of mush, staring up at her ceiling blankly.

If she was to type out how she feels being next to Jimin, past Minjeong probably would’ve faked a hurl. Truthfully, the brunette isn’t sure there’s enough words in the word to explain how much she’s in love with Yu Jimin.

Yu Jimin has seen the parts of her she’s never shown anybody. Not even Aeri or Ryujin. It isn’t easy for her to be vulnerable—when she’s does, there isn’t a way to control it.

Maybe it’s because Jimin makes it okay to seem weak sometimes. Minjeong’s pride is one she holds proudly, letting it go for even a moment used to feel so wrong. She never realized that it blinded her at times, resulting in hurtful words toward people who never deserved it.

With knees pressing against each other, it’s simple to strip down her walls, showing just her. Jimin holds her together when nobody’s around.

‘Open your heart up’

‘Hoping I’ll never find out that you’re anyone else’

‘Cause I love you just how you are’

‘And hope you never find out who I really am’

‘Cause you’ll never love me, you’ll never love me, you’ll never love me’

She’s still scarred somewhere, scared that one day , the cracks that seep will eat her up and she’ll become someone she’s not.

Now, she’s not so afraid.

“Earth to Minjeong?”

The brunette blinks, sitting up. “Sorry.” She mumbles, rubbing at her eyes.

She’s exhausted, in the late fall. In the winter, trials would be coming up, and studying for exams while interning at Yu Law Firm made her realize how much she should start cherishing full sessions of sleep.

Not that it’s hard to juggle all of them, she has friends who can help her understand materials for certain classes in study groups. Interning isn’t as hard as she thought, considering she understands most of the things explained and picks up on new concepts easily. What she’s worried about the most is, of course-

Swim.

Being fast enough in the city isn’t enough to cut it. She’s going to be going up against other swimmers from different countries and cities. The nerves can’t be helped.

“You do that face when you’re anxious.” Sunwoo points finger at her.

Minjeong slaps his hand down, letting a breath out. She pushes her glasses up her nose, scanning the screen for the topic they’re going over. ‘Theory of computation’-

Yeah, she’s going back to blanking out.

Before she can, Sunwoo taps the girl. “Oh no, no, no. You need to catch me up on some things.” He reminds her, causing her to groan.

Minjeong thinks for a moment. “You already know I’m dating Jimin, I got an invitation to the trials, I’m doing an internship that gives me a lot of money-” The brunet swings his hands, causing the brunette to immediately pause in her words.

Sunwoo takes a breath. “You got invited to the trials?” He says each word slowly.

Minjeong clamps her hand over his mouth before the boy can scream. “Yes, me and Jimin did.” Minjeong replies, removing her hand from the boy’s mouth.

The boy widely smiles. “Minjeong, that’s great? You’ve been waiting for this whole moment your whole life. I’m so proud of you.” He pulls her into a hug.

The brunette takes in the gentle hold, wanting to just sink into the boy’s arms.

“Don’t fall asleep.”

Minjeong closes her eyes. “Already am.” She fakes a snore.

“If you stop in between, you add reps to the person after you. Everyone should be doing medley style and should be doing it twice. If all of you mess up, wall sits for a minute.” Coach Seohyun yells, Minjeong standing behind the block, waiting for the person to finish.

She’s been focused during practices, barely participating in conversations due to her mind going over the things that could make her speed faster. As her teammates do their reps, her eyes jump from one lane to another, taking in their mistakes in their techniques so she knows not to make those same mistakes.

Minjeong stretches, her arms and head moving in circular motions. She often hates being stiff, feeling limited movement in her body when she swims isn’t so much of a comfortable point.

Seeing her teammate approaching her end of the pool, the brunette positions herself on the block, fixing her googles. She takes a breath, wanting to already dive into the cold water.

“Chaeryeong, hurry up!” Minjeong whines, antsy to dive.

Chaeryeong starts swimming faster, abiding to her captain’s pleads to finish quicker. Once she touches the end, Minjeong dives into the water, focusing on her pullout. The contact with the water is a usual movement, and immediately her arms and legs start to work.

In the water, she never knows how fast she’s going. Sometimes, when her arms start to burn, then she knows she’s swimming quite fast.

Halfway through her round, Minjeong increases her speed, pushing herself. In a blink, she’s rotating her body to push off the wall into freestyle.

One arm goes in front, the other swings behind her. It’s the easiest for her to do, she doesn’t feel the-

“What the-” Minjeong finds herself suddenly struggling in the water.

Someone is holding onto her waist, preventing her from swimming. As she tries to breathe, being pulled underwater multiple times, she fights the urge to start panicking.

She kicks her leg harshly, trying to pull the strong hands around her waist off her. The weight continues to tug her down, causing her to cough at the amount of water she accidentally swallows.

Her head goes underwater multiple times and the arms around her stomach become tighter, making it even harder to breathe.

It’ll take too long to try to figure out who the person practically drowning her is. Especially when her head is starting to hurt and her body is starting to ache from trying to escape.

“Coach, I can’t- I can’t breathe!” She barely screams, waving her hand frantically.

In the middle of a deep 200 meter pool, Minjeong struggles and struggles for a minute or so before someone else begins tugging on her upper body. There’s kicking under her legs but she doesn’t have the energy to look as her mind is focused on getting as much oxygen in the water.

Soon, the arms around her waist release her and the brunette is quickly tugged to the other side of the pool. Multiple arms reach to pull her out of pool, laying her flat on her back.

Minjeong coughs and gasps as tears start to flow down her cheeks. Her head hurts and her vision is blurry as her one of teammates pull off her googles.

“What were you thinking?!” She hears Coach Seohyun scream a bit farther from her.

“I couldn’t see anything so I held onto her so I could reach for my googles. I’m sorry, I was just trying to get my googles!” Jaemin explains.

Hands cups her cheeks, frantically brushing her hair from her eyes. “Minjeong, baby, breathe. You need to breathe. You’re out of the water now.” A familiar voice tells her, wiping her eyes of water.

It takes a moment for the brunette to catch her breath, following Jimin’s instructions. “Get the Athletic trainer and a towel. Quickly!” Jimin yells, continuing to stroke Minjeong’s hair.

The brunette blinks, seeing her vision slowly come back. Half of her friends are huddled around her, the rest of them scolding Jaemin.

Reaching for his goggles? What bullshit. He tried to drown me on purpose.

Her eyes are probably red and her throat feels dry from coughing. She doesn’t know what’s going on anymore.

Coach Seohyun throws her clipboard onto the ground. “This is the who knows what damn offense you have on this swim team! Don’t think I haven’t looked at your records to see that you’ve been kicked out out multiple schools for your behavior. You’re banned from the team for this stupid stunt you pulled. She’s your teammate and you almost drowned her!” Coach Seohyun points at a surprised Jaemin.

Jimin cradles her head gently. “Don’t think about anything else right now. Just focus on catching your breath, okay?”

The brunette looks up at the raven, sniffling. She nods slowing, relaxing into her hold as she tries to get her body to stop shaking.

Her body still aches.

She’s cold too. The shivers don’t seem to stop, Minjeong still in a state of shock. A word hasn’t been uttered from her lips since the incident and she doesn’t even have the energy to speak either.

Staring at the tv blankly is what she results to, in bunches of blankets after a hospital visit.

Jimin spends the rest of the day by her side. She doesn’t force Minjeong to speak, instead holds the brunette while she cries every then and there. There’s long sessions where the raven has to get Minjeong to breathe due to sudden panic attacks from remembering the moment the brunette felt her head being pulled under water.

The events that happened after she was placed on the ground was a blur, the brunette had no luck trying to recall what happened after.

She had to spend a few hours at the hospital to be checked up, and luckily Minjeong only had to suffer with a bit of trauma and aching but no damages anywhere. Her friends and her brother hadn’t leave her side the whole time, reassuring the brunette and distracting when some things became painful. The only evident thing about the incident was the scratches on her waist from Jaemin holding onto her so tightly. They stung terribly and were large enough for it to have two huge bandages tended to them.

The raven hugs her close, her head resting on her shoulder from nearly behind. “I was terrified. Your screams were ear piercing…. I- I didn’t know what to do. I was in the lanes all the way at the end but luckily your brother was able to get to you fast enough to pull you out of the water.” Jimin speaks softly, her eyes following the characters on the tv.

Minjeong closes her eyes, obviously exhausted. Her breathing slows as she listens.

“I thought I lost you because at one point, you stopped screaming because Jaemin had pulled you completely underwater. I don’t think I’ve ever been more terrified in my life.” Minjeong feels Jimin shake slightly, the raven’s words toning down to a quiet whisper.

The brunette turns her head slightly to connect their foreheads together. Her hand caresses Jimin’s cheek carefully, taking in the raven’s perfume. She doesn’t realize how much she loves the elegant scent the raven gives off, wanting Jimin’s perfume to wrap around her fully.

“I’m okay now.” Minjeong manages to say, swallowing painfully at how dry her throat is. “I’m here. I’m still here.”

Jimin nods, her eyes glistening with yet to fall tears. Her body shakes again at the touch of Minjeong’s thumb brushing away her tears as they fall.

Minjeong soon replaces her head with her lips, gently pressing a kiss onto the raven’s forehead. “I’m right here.” She reassures her again before hugging the girl.

Her heart breaks at the sight of the raven, wanting to just hold her, continuing to reassure her. She keeps the raven close, gripping onto her hoodie with tightly while trying to prevent her own tears from falling.

With her heart thumping with uncertainty, Minjeong’s glad she’s still able to feel the raven.

“Minjeong, do you have any ideas why he decided to try to drown you in specific?” Yeji asks.

The brunette plays with her food, nodding. “I punched him, refused to help him ask Jimin out, witnessed him get embarrassed…. He never really liked me from the start. Neither did I.” Minjeong mumbles.

Yeji hums, going back to eating her food.

Minjeong lets out a tired sigh, deciding that she isn’t really hungry. She decides to listen to her teammates chatter like usual. Her body isn’t allowing her to properly form a thought, exhausted to the point where she can fall asleep in her chair.

Her headache doesn’t seem to want to leave her body, Minjeong wincing every then and there when a wave of throbbing passes by.

Aeri reaches over to make her plate cleaner. “Your girlfriend is going to kill me if she finds out you barely ate.” She sticks her fork into a piece of chicken, lifting it up to Minjeong’s mouth.

The brunette opens her mouth, letting Aeri feed her. She chews slowly, the red head watching her before pointing to the rest of her food.

She’s so tired.

Minjeong stands up, pushing in her chair. “I think I’m done for the night, I can barely keep my eyes open.” She tells her friends.

Ryujin peaks a bit out of her chair. “You can walk to the dorm alright?” She asks.

The brunette nods, waving Ryujin off.

As she begins to walk, she notices the pain at her left leg becomes evident. She ignores it, cursing in the hallway. It gets better as starts to walk, but of course, the pain is still there. She’s pretty sure she did something to it when she was kicking in the water.

Her finger makes contact with the elevator button, yawning widely when a blue arrow flashes above. It’s a few seconds later until the elevator doors open and she’s entering inside the lift.

Her head leans back to rest again one of the walls, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. She doesn’t understand how her day took a turn so quickly.

Her mother told her not to worry about anything, that she would take care of everything. Jaemin had already been kicked off the team and isn’t allowed to approach anyone from the swim team. Most likely, it’d be another school the boy would be kicked out of.

The elevator dings, the doors opening in one motion. Minjeong steps out, bowing to the upperclassman as they pass. She juggles her keys in between her fingers, eager to slip into bed.

When she gets to her door, like muscle memory, her finger knocks up the dorm key, placing it into the key hole and turning with a click.

Her shoes come off with ease, not bothering to turn on the lights. She slides them to the side before throwing her keys into the bowl on the counter. Her feet shuffle toward her room, smiling when she meets her familiar clean room, that oddly smells like Jimin.

She doesn’t mind, but it prompts her to missing the raven even if she saw her not too long ago. When she walks toward her bed, she notices a note stuck onto a water bottle, pain killers next to it.

Ryujin told me you’re stubborn about taking medicine but the doctor said you’ll need to take them just in case the pain becomes unbearable. Please try to take them so you’re not in pain. Miss you more :) (Jimin)

Minjeong squeals at the note, grabbing her head as she reads the note over and over.

She takes a few painkillers with a gulp of water, reaching for her phone as she plops onto her bed.

[Minjeong]: thank you for the painkillers, I miss you even more❤️❤️❤️

The brunette presses send with a smile before plugging in her phone and pulling the covers over her body.

She closes her eyes, letting the scent of Jimin wrap around her.

“Mom, I’m fine.” Minjeong whines.

Coach Taeyeon continues checking for any injuries. “I know how you are, you don’t like to tell anyone you’re hurting.” She mumbles, pressing on Minjeong’s left upper thigh.

The brunette yelps loudly, soon covering her mouth when her coach raises an eyebrow. “I’m fine. You just pressed it too hard.” She awkwardly smiles.

Coach Taeyeon extends her leg, pushing her chair back. “Slowly bring your leg toward you.” She instructs sternly.

Minjeong does as she’s told, letting out a shaky breath as she brings her leg toward her.

“Does that hurt?” Coach Taeyeon asks.

The brunette shakes her head.

Her mother glares at her. “Kim Minjeong, tell the truth.”

Minjeong slowly nods, wincing as she slowly lets her leg down. “I thought it was just aching but it feels different compared to the rest of my body.” She explains.

Coach Taeyeon runs her fingers through the brunette’s hair. “Minjeong, you’re going to earn yourself another trip to the hospital.” She tells her as she sighs.

“It doesn’t hurt as bad as it did yesterday, though.” The brunette pouts, her mother mocking her.

Coach Taeyeon purses her lips together. “That doesn’t matter, the pain killers probably lowered the pain just for a little while. I would still get it checked out just to be sure. I’ll take you later.”

Minjeong nods before standing up. She gives her coach a tight hug, breathing out when her mother hugs her back.

They pull away, her mother shooing her away. “I love you.” Coach Taeyeon says as Minjeong walks toward the door.

“Love you too!” Minjeong yells before the door shuts closed.

Minjeong swings her hand, making contact with a head. “I told you to go to class.” The brunette blurts out.

Sunwoo grabs his head in pain. “Professor Son wasn’t even doing anything, so I escaped.” He groans, following the brunette.

The brunette doesn’t indulge skipping—atleast when it doesn’t come to herself.

The brunette hands her backpack to the boy, who throws it over her shoulder. “Still, what if he suddenly started talking about something important and I needed that information?” Minjeong responds.

She’s sure she can feel the boy roll his eyes. “We have the highest grades in the class. Missing one lecture will not kill us, Min.” Sunwoo tells her, hopping on his heels.

He’s right. There hasn’t been a day where Minjeong has had to stay after to go over the material because one, she has friends who can explain it to her. Two, she usually understands the material off a few pages of her textbook.

It probably explains why she has an abnormal amount of absents, some her professors have not marked.

They turn into a hallway, leading outside. Minjeong pulls her coat around her tighter as she makes contact with the cold air.

Sunwoo squeaks at the wind. “Shit, when has it ever been this cold in the fall?” He tugs Minjeong closer to him.

Minjeong doesn’t really know. It feels closer to winter than it did fall.

The brunette reaches for her keys in her pocket. “It’s cold enough for lattes?” She gives a suggestive eyebrow at the boy.

The brunet groans, knowing he can’t say no. “You’re evil, I hope you know that.”

Minjeong simply smiles. “An evil genius, you mean.” She throws her arms up, laughing and wincing when she feels a bit of pain.

It sucks how Minjeong fears even dipping her feet in the water.

The one thing she enjoyed scares the life out of her.

Although, she can’t blame herself for being terrified to get into the pool waters. Trauma was a given, but she didn’t think it’d be this bad. She couldn’t even enter the natatorium without tearing up.

When she isn’t able to be in her safe place, the grass field comes in handy.

There isn’t anyone with her this time, Minjeong taking in the fresh smell outside by herself. She’s sprawled out on the grass, with her AirPods plugged in at full volume.

It’s somewhat calming. She wishes she can just stay in the field, not having to worry about anything. Even in the cold weather, being in the field still brings her warmth, the safety hold.

“Are you trying to catch a cold?”

Minjeong cracks an eye open, looking up at a raven staring at her. She chuckles before closing her eye again. “No. It doesn’t feel that cold.” She mumbles, reaching for the extra jacket the raven hands her.

She soon feels a body press against her side, bringing in genuine warmth to her body. The brunette opens her eyes, seeing Jimin sprawled out on the grass next to her.

The sight is simply ethereal. Jimin’s dark hair flows gracefully onto the grass, taking the brunette’s breath away like always.

Minjeong sniffs due to the weather. “You’re beautiful.” She says lowly.

The raven lets out a laugh, facing Minjeong. “I know. You tell me every second of a day.” Jimin replies teasingly.

Hearing the raven laugh is enough to plant a smile on Minjeong’s lips. “It’s because it’s true. You’re perfect.” She whispers with confidence, eyes closing at her words.

It goes quiet for a bit before the raven decides to speak again. “Does it hurt?” Jimin asks curiously.

“A little bit.” Minjeong lets out a sigh, adjusting her position a bit.

She decides to finally face the girl, opening her eyes to take in the raven’s face. Her fingers subtly trace the raven’s features as she breathes carefully. Jimin lets her, remaining eye contact with the younger.

There isn’t much that needs to be said, not when they seem to understand each other without words but instead, with long stares.

Minjeong wasn’t quite sure she’d ever have someone be able to read her so well. But the raven seems to be able to do it with ease, asking the questions the brunette needs to hear.

Staring at the raven is enough to make her forget it’s even cold in the first place. Warm dark brown orbs stare at her with comfort, reassurance, love.

When their lips connect, it’s nothing more than gentle, the rest of the reassurance Minjeong needs. All her worries seize to exist at the raven’s touch.

Like always, butterflies erupt in her stomach as her hand caresses the raven’s cheek carefully, Jimin beginning to move her lips. Minjeong reciprocates, finding rhythm almost immediately.

While it feels all like a dream kissing Yu Jimin while on the grass, the raven gripping onto her jacket tells her otherwise.

Jimin’s just like her because the raven smiles almost as soon as she does into the kiss, giggling a second later.

The brunette’s smile is wide as she pulls away to breathe. “But it’s not that cold.” Minjeong whines.

“Kim Minjeong, you better keep that jacket on.” Jimin scolds her sternly.

Chapter Text

Slowly, but surely, Minjeong starts regaining strength in her body. The aching had gone away and she was able to walk without pain. The scratches around her waist had almost completely healed, the brunette finding no use in replacing the huge white bandages anymore.

It took a good two weeks but everything was back to normal and the brunette was allowed to atleast go back to taking over practices as the coaches had to attend lots of meetings for end of the year swim competitions.

She knows it’ll take time for her to be able to start swimming again, but she’s gaining courage everyday. There was no way she was going to let some boy take away what she enjoyed and loved

Most of her time was taken up by ridiculous amount of studying. She’s even had to kick out her friends from her room because she needed to focus on going over important concepts for her exams.

The other half is taken up at the Yu Firm where Minjeong spends her time annoying her seniors and getting dragged by the raven simply because the employees there do not seem to understand what the word ‘taken’ means.

“Coffee?” Yeonbin offers.

Spinning her pen between her fingers, she shakes her head. “Sorry, I don’t drink coffee unfortunately.” Minjeong replies in the nicest way possible.

Yeonbin presses her lips together, slowly nodding before walking away. Minjeong lets out a heave, tapping her pen against her head, an wishing for the day to be over.

[Minjeong]: If any of you are single, get your ass over here and be single no more

[Ryujin]: they’re flirting with you again aren’t they

[Minjeong]: Im so in love with the heiress of this firm that I’m going to start wearing a taken by Yu Jimin sign to get them off me

[Yves]: then her parents will know

[Minjeong]: UGH

[Aeri]: you guys are not helping at all omg

The brunette groans, placing her phone onto her desk. She slides her chair over to her desk mate.

A voice lets out a annoyed sigh. “Do not ask me for snacks because I do not have any.” Yoohyeon tells her, her eyes not moving from her computer.

Minjeong makes a face. “You don’t even know what I’m going to say.” She shoves the girl a bit.

Yoohyeon huffs, willing to give the younger a chance. She turns to face the brunette. “Alright, what were you going to say?”

“Do you have any sn- ow!” Minjeong yelps, grabbing her arm. “I was just joking!”

Yoohyeon pushes the brunette away, turning back to her computer. “Oh yeah, about that Jaemin boy you told me about? I dug some more and found out that he has complaints from every school he’s gone to. Your case was the most serious but the lists goes on. There’s enough evidence to earn him some time in jail.” Yoohyeon explains.

Minjeong widens her eyes a little. “Was he really that bad?”

The older girl nods, clicking through. “Violence, often argued with peers, DUI’s, hit and runs, cheating, multiple counts of huge plagiarism in projects, cheating in swim competitions, etc.” Yoohyeon lists off her screen.

Taking in the information, the brunette leans back into her seat. “There’s no way he got into prestigious schools with a record like this. I’m guessing his parents money were able to get him into them. He’s already being investigated by my school…” Minjeong’s voice trails.

She tilts her head in thought before feeling her phone vibrate. The brunette pushes off her feet back toward her desk, scooting in.

[Jimin]: hi

[Minjeong]: Hey you, what are you up to?

[Jimin]: nothing much

[Jimin]: i wanted to tell you that I gained the courage to speak to my father and told him that Law wasn’t something I wanted to do

[Jimin]: and surprisingly, he didn’t get mad at me and told me that I’m free to do whatever I want so I don’t have to work for the firm anymore. Although, I’m still a heiress and I could help out whenever I want.

[Jimin]: to be honest you make being here a lot bearable, so I don’t think I mind as much

[Jimin]: I get to spend the whole time intimidating employees whenever they start flirting with you it’s kind of fun

[Minjeong]: Jimin😭

[Jimin]: I’m being serious :(

[Minjeong]: well I’m proud of you for finally sticking up to your dad

[Jimin]: really? you’re proud? of me?

[Minjeong]: really. I’m super proud of you. I know it must’ve been difficult to gain the courage to say something to him

[Jimin]: thank you Minjeong….that means a lot

[Jimin]: Come to my office? Im tired of replying to all these emails

[Minjeong]: I have work too💔

[Jimin]: you can do it in my office, that’s why they gave you a laptop

[Minjeong]: Fine… but It’s going to take a moment I have to dodge a lot of people to get to the elevator

“I don’t think someone should be allowed to have that much coffee.” Jimin laughs as Minjeong struggles to open the door to the raven’s office.

The brunette barely makes it in without anything spilling and falling. She didn’t want to be mean by declining any coffees so she took them all. It also came with people asking for a cup, which Minjeong happily gave them, wanting to get rid of the cups. Although, it still left her with an unnecessary amount of coffee.

Minjeong sets down her laptop, placing the cups of coffee on the small table near the raven’s desk. “Me either. Want one?” The brunette offers, lifting up a cup.

The raven stands up from her chair, reaching for the cup just to set it back down on the small table. Her hands reach for Minjeong’s, slowly intertwining their fingers together.

“I want you.” Jimin responds, tugging the brunette closer.

Minjeong’s breath hitches. “You have emails to reply to.” She reminds her.

The raven steals a quick kiss. “I do?” Jimin raises an eyebrow, her eyes staring evidently at Minjeong’s lips.

Minjeong nods behind the girl, motioning at her laptop. “And I have work to do.”

Jimin only smiles teasingly, swinging their hands side to side. Minjeong knows that smile from anywhere. It meant the raven was up to no good.

So when Jimin’s lips slowly brushes against her’s, she can’t help but melt into the older, capturing her lips fully before the raven can pull away.

“I thought you said we had work to do.” The raven says in between.

Minjeong doesn’t respond, instead lifts Jimin by her waist onto the edge of the desk, separating their lips for a moment. The brunette leans her weight onto her hands beside Jimin’s legs.

She pokes her tongue at her cheek. “You would’ve made it very difficult to even focus anyways.” Minjeong admits.

The raven hums. “Glad to know I’m a distraction.” She traces circles on Minjeong’s hand.

Minjeong leans in, pressing her lips against the raven’s. Almost immediately, Jimin’s hand comes up to cup her cheek.

Well. To push her away.

“Should’ve taken the chance when I gave it to you!” Jimin teases, sliding away from the brunette and hopping off the desk.

Minjeong remains there, dumbfounded. She turns around, watching as the raven struts toward her doors. “I was playing!” She groans.

Jimin shrugs, opening one of the door. She waves her hand before the door shuts closed.

“So you’re taking her out?” Aeri repeats her words slowly.

Minjeong nods frantically to the same rhythm.

Ryujin scratches her head in confusion. “And you’re afraid she’ll won’t like it because? If it’s anything I’ve heard from Yeji, it’s that Jimin’s practically in love with you. I’m sure she’ll love anything as long as it’s from you.”

The brunette ruffles her hair. “I don’t know why I’m anxious about it. I just want this date to be perfect because you know, I really like her.” Minjeong replies, huffing in distress.

Aeri rolls her eyes. “Minjeong, I love you, but i think you’re overthinking this. You guys have gone out multiple times.” The red head tells her, Ryujin nodding along with her.

Minjeong slumps her shoulders, scowling. “I just needed little bit of encouragement and you guys are very much not helping with that right now.” She crosses her arms.

The brunette lets out a sigh, playing with her leggings material. Squeezed between the two girls, she decides not to worry about the surprise date. She had been planning it for a while and she can only hope that the raven will like it.

She also owes Heejin another week of Pizza.

Minjeong tugs on the blanket, causing the raven beside her to whine.

Ryujin reaches over her. “Minjeong, it’s cold!” Ryujin screams, immediately trying to take back the blanket.

“Well, I’m cold too and you’re taking up most of it!” She responds, lifting the half of the blanket in the air to prevent the raven from getting.

Aeri beside the brunette is unfazed, eyes glued to the tv. She barely moves when the brunette leans her weight onto the girl.

It takes a couple of tries but Ryujin manages to grab her handful of the blanket back, lifting it up to her chin. Minjeong makes a reluctant face, snuggling into the blanket.

“Ow!” Ryujin yelps, turning to the brunette.

Minjeong doesn’t move, eyes on the tv. But inside, it’s taking everything in her not to bust out laughing.

After a while of staring, Minjeong grins brightly as the raven narrows her eyes before turning back to the tv.

Minjeong learns what it’s like to feel nervous.

Her palms are unusually sweating, her fingers unfolding and folding as she silently counts to prevent herself from a panic attack. She waits patiently in the parking lot, waiting for Jimin to come down.

She goes over what she should greet with when the raven comes down and she’s not sure why she’s doing so because it isn’t like they aren’t already dating. But then again, Minjeong wants this date to be perfect for Jimin, start to finish, because she thinks the raven definitely deserves it.

After a while of peaking at the door and fidgeting around, she spots the raven walking out from the dorm’s entrance. Minjeong’s heart speeds up as she sees Jimin approach her.

“Hi-” Jimin is cut off when Minjeong leans toward her to give her a long kiss.

Minjeong pulls back slowly, another smile occupying her lips.

The raven’s eyes follows her lips as the brunette pulls away, slightly dazed. “Wow.” She says breathlessly.

Minjeong’s fingers play together, the brunette obviously still nervous. “Hi.” She shyly greets back, grinning at a red Jimin.

Jimin simply blinks, before soon chuckling. “Uh, so, where are we going?” The raven asks as she walks to the passenger side to enter the car.

The brunette enters the driver seat, turning her car on. “That’s a secret. Just enjoy the drive.” She reassures Jimin.

The raven cocks her head a bit. “You said we were going to hang out.” Jimin reminds her, bringing up the texts Minjeong sent her.

Minjeong taps her steering wheel happily, slowing down at a red light. “And that’s exactly what we’re doing. Just trust me?” She turns to face Jimin, a fond look on her face.

Jimin nods, replicating the younger’s expression.

Jimin walks where Minjeong leads her, her steps uncertain. “Minjeong, why does it smell like water?”

Minjeong rolls her eyes at the raven’s attempt to get her to reveal their location. “Stop asking questions because I’m not going to tell you. We’re almost there.” The brunette’s hand covers Jimin’s eyes fully.

The brunette continues walking until they’re toward the edge of the boat. Slowly, she removes her hand from Jimin’s eyes, heart thumping loudly.

She waits a bit for the raven’s reaction, fingers fiddling with eachother. “So….?”

Her smile almost drops at the lack of response but is surprised when Jimin turns around to pull her into a tight hug.

“I love it, Minjeong. This is incredible.” Jimin tells her, her breath hitting against the brunette’s neck.

Jimin pulls back to look at the view in front of her. “We’re having a boat date!” She screams into the dark night, leaning against the railing.

The view in front of them is the beauty of Seoul, city lights shining brightly at them. It’s a breath of fresh air for them both.

They settle down into their table outside, Jimin jittery at the menu they offered. Minjeong encourages her to order as much as she wants, grinning at an excited raven.

Minjeong finds herself glancing at the raven every then and there, a soft smile never leaving her lips. She watches the raven take multiple photos of the view in awe.

The waiter takes their orders, informing them that it’d take a bit before they actually received their food, which they replied that they didn’t mind.

The raven ushers for the brunette to sit next to her. “I want to take photos.”

Minjeong makes a face. “You know I don’t like taking photos.” She whines.

Jimin mouths for her to come over to her side, Minjeong heaving before she walks over to the older’s side to sit next to her.

Jimin lifts her phone, grabbing the brunette’s chin and pressing the side of their heads together. The raven smiles widely while Minjeong pouts her lips when the timer hits 1 and clicks.

The next photo they take is with Minjeong wrapping her arms around Jimin’s shoulders and burying her head into her neck. Jimin laughs when the brunette almost falls asleep in her shoulder.

For the next photo they take, Jimin nuzzles their noses together, both of them breathing gently as the shutter sounds.

The last photo they take before the waiter comes with their food is with the two staring at eachother fondly, Minjeong caressing the raven’s cheeks carefully.

But before the shutter clicks and the timer hits one, fireworks shoot into the air, Minjeong presses her lips against the raven’s gently. The camera clicks with bright color fireworks behind them, the brunette feeling them explode in her stomach when the strong elegant scent from the girl finds away to wrap around her nose.

“I love you.” The brunette whispers sincerely in between.

Minjeong might even feel more than love for Yu Jimin. But she wants the raven to know, to know how she’s been feeling, how she feels for the raven—nothing but love for Jimin.

With the fresh breath of air, Minjeong manages to separate their lips, Jimin gazing at her with an unfamiliar look.

The brunette sits up, remaining their eye contact. “Remember when you asked me if anyone would be able to love you? You said you weren’t capable of receiving love. I want to be the person to prove you otherwise, that you’re deserving of love. You deserve all the love in the world, Jimin. And I love you.” Minjeong’s gaze is stern, the words that escape from her lips are sincere, assured.

She doesn’t need the raven to say it back, when she knows words aren’t everything. Minjeong simply smiles, standing up and walking over to her original seat when the waiter comes with their food.

Minjeong bows her head when the waiter is done setting down their dishes. The brunette’s eyes flickering from each dish on the table.

She takes an small empty bowl, taking her chopsticks and placing a portion in the bowl. Her hand grabs onto a piece of the food, extending her hand toward the older girl.

Jimin accepts it, grinning when the taste of bulgogi explodes in her mouth.

Minjeong begins adding more to bowl, the sight of food making her instantly more happier. The two girls eat from their meals quietly, occasionally feeding eachother.

“You know, the trials are in December.” Jimin suddenly brings up.

The fork in the brunette’s hand freezes. Minjeong swallows slowly as she sits up. “Yeah…. I haven’t gathered enough courage to even enter the pool yet. I mean—I’ve tried but.” Minjeong’s words cut off, the brunette letting out a sigh.

She knows she told herself she wouldn’t let a boy ruin the chances of achieving her dream. Although, it isn’t easy to get back to doing something after a traumatic event.

Minjeong has been starting to wonder if participating in sports is even for her anymore. Every time she found something she enjoyed, an event had her second guessing everything.

Cutlery clatters loudly. “I know what you’re thinking about. Whatever it is, stop it. Inhyuk gave up too easily, but I won’t let you give up again when you’re so close.” Jimin interrupts her string of thought.

The brunette doesn’t respond, staring down at her food. Her heart in her chest thumps loudly.

Suddenly, a hand covers her’s. “Minjeong, look at me.” The raven instructs.

Minjeong meets her eyes, her own teary.

Jimin takes a breath in, choosing her words carefully. “All those times you said you couldn’t beat a record or clean up one of your techniques, you’d look at me, searching for anything from your captain. It was different from the look of despise you’d usually give me. And I knew you just needed a bit of help, a little push or encouragement.”

Jimin takes a moment. “You’d stay after practices so I could help you get down a technique you had been struggling with. You hated setting your pride down and asking for help, but you did it for me. And with just a little work, you’d nail whatever technique you’d be struggling with that week. Before you broke the world record, I saw you glance at me, smiling with your shoulders relaxing. Maybe then, I knew you liked me but I knew what you needed was reassurance.”

“No matter how long it takes for you to become the Kim Minjeong I know, the one who’s determined, confident in her skills and likes to swim, I’ll be right next to you every step of the way.” Jimin finally finishes.

Minjeong feels weight lift off her shoulders. She suddenly felt the urge to get back to swimming, feel her body adapt to the cold water.

The brunette gently squeezes Jimin’s hand, wiping her tears with the other one. “Thank you, Jimin.” Her voice cracks a little.

Jimin smiles. “So, you’re not going to give up?” She asks curiously.

Minjeong smiles through her tears, shaking her head.

“I won’t give up.”

The night comes to an end when they reach their dorms again.

Jimin spent the whole ride talking about how much she enjoyed the date, making Minjeong glad she enjoyed it.

Minjeong offers to walk her to her room, allowing for more time with each other. Surprisingly, the walk to the raven’s room is longer than it usually is.

They both have lectures the next day and sleep is a must especially when studying for exams is enough to have someone pull out their hair.

But content flows through Minjeong when their fingers brush and almost instantly, intertwine. The brunette has to fight off the shy smile that threatens to take place on her lips. Her stomach erupts with butterflies so much that she wants to tell out to the world that she loves Yu Jimin.

When they reach Jimin’s dorm room, Jimin turns around to face Minjeong.

They stare at each other for a moment before breaking out into shy smiles and laughing.

The raven clears her throat. “Thank you for this. Really. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a while.” Jimin tells her.

Minjeong pushes her bangs from her face. “I’m glad you had fun.”

It soon goes quiet, none of them wanting the other to leave. So the brunette takes the initiative, something about the raven having to get some sleep.

She playfully tries to push the raven through the door, groaning when Jimin refuses to go inside. After a while of Minjeong being afraid of waking up Yeji, the raven complies.

“I’ll see you later.” Minjeong reminds her, pulling away from their tight hug.

She turns around to start walking toward the elevator.

“Wait.” Jimin says, tugging on Minjeong’s hand so she turns around.

Minjeong’s gasp is unable to remain hidden when the raven slots her lips in between her’s gently. Before the brunette can comprehend anything, Jimin pulls away.

“Oh, and I love you, too.” The raven announces before smiling and shutting her door closed.

The brunette breathes out, her eyes widened. “Woah.”

Chapter Text

D-20

“Again.”

Minjeong takes a deep breath in before diving into the water. It’s still unusual, but slowly, it’s beginning to feel natural. The cold water no longer burns against her skin and she doesn’t feel as if the waters are tugging her along. Her coaches watch from the sidelines, ready to jump in if anything occurs.

There’s no pain that seems to stem up her body, she’s able to swim without any issues. Although, there had been times where she’d start to panic in the water, her heart racing all of the sudden. But she had to learn that she was going to be okay, that she’s spend enough time in the water to understand what to do.

If anything, Minjeong feels as if she’s been becoming a lot faster. The brunette flows in the water like she never left it, and it makes her feel ecstatic that’s she’s made it this far. Muscle memory—up and under the splashes that follow along as she performs butterfly strokes. Like she’s hugging the water.

“Keep it consistent or speed up.” Coach Taeyeon instructs loud enough for her to hear.

So, she pushes herself to go faster until she reaches the starting point again. Minjeong isn’t someone to settle. Plus, she wants to finish her session quickly.

Her stamina increases little by little, the brunette understanding how to maintain her breathing in the water. The multiple practices has prepared her for it, allowing for her determination to take place in her again.

She’s done.

Her goggles and cap come off in one motion, heaving. The brunette gets out of the pull, running to her coaches.

With a grin on her face, her hands are behind her back. “So, how was that?” Minjeong’s eyes widen curiously.

Coach Seohyun pats her shoulder. “Everytime I see you swim, you seem to impress me more and more.” She reaches to pinch Minjeong’s cheeks, the brunette swatting it away.

Minjeong smiles when she notices a girl standing behind her coach. She runs over, catching the water bottle thrown.

The brunette plops onto a chair, letting out an exhausted sigh. Jimin stands in front of her, lifting up the towel, and reaching to begin drying Minjeong’s hair.

The raven swats the brunette’s hand when Minjeong pokes at her stomach. “You’ll be back just in time for trials.” Jimin begins.

Minjeong heaves out, relaxing at the way the raven brushes out her hair before tying it up. Once the raven’s done, Minjeong stands up, drying the rest of her body.

“Maybe.” The brunette responds, her hands entering the holes of her team jacket. “I don’t get to bother you during lifeguarding duty this time?”

Jimin narrows her eyes, playfully pushing the brunette while she puts on her sweatpants. “You have to finish packing, I don’t want to witness multiple people flirt with you and I doubt you want to see anyone flirt with me so no.” The raven reminds her.

The brunette grabs her keys, throwing her backpack over her shoulder. “Alright, I’ll get going. Do you want your favorite?” Minjeong asks.

The raven gives her a pleading look. “Yes, please.”

Minjeong chuckles,placing the rest of her stuff into her bag. “Okay, I’ll be in your room by the time you’re done.” She says before smothering Jimin with kisses all over her face.

Jimin giggles, wrapping her arms around the brunette’s waist. The brunette cups her cheeks, pauses to look at the raven, before pressing multiple loving pecks onto her lips.

She feels so happy.

“I love you.” Minjeong tells the raven.

The raven smiles widely. “I love you, too. Now go finish packing.” She drags her voice as she shoves the girl away. “I have lifeguarding duty.”

Minjeong reluctantly pulls away, waving at the raven as she begins walking toward the bathroom.

Ryujin nudges her shoulder. “So…..”

The brunette silently sighs, closing her eyes. She forgets getting Jimin food also means due has to get Ryujin food. It’s like a buy 1 get 2 or a bundle. Although, she’s not sure where the oldest Shin came from to sneak up on her like that.

Minjeong kicks the girl’s foot, causing the girl to groan. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.” The brunette reminds her, sticking her tongue out as Ryujin grabs her leg.

They push the doors to the front of the building, hopping over the gate and smiling at the ladies at the front desks who roll their eyes.

Minjeong throws her keys to the younger, Ryujin catching it.

Ryujin scratches behind her ear. “Why do I have to drive again?” She groans, ignoring the knowing look her best friend gives her.

The raven goes quiet when Minjeong doesn’t responds and instead continues walking. Getting food from the brunette called for driving duties, unfortunately, knowing Minjeong was probably going to be tired from her solo training sessions.

Ryujin opens the driver seat door, entering the car. Minjeong throws her bag into the backseat before entering the passenger seat. The brunette lets out a sigh of content when the raven starts the car and turns on the A.C.

Minjeong lowers her seat as soon as they get onto the road. “Tell me when we’re there, I need a nap.” She grumbles, Ryujin chuckling and telling her to sleep.

Surprisedly, they’re able to get their food quickly at a popular place.

They slide into a table, Minjeong pushing Jimin’s bag of food to the side.

“So, are you ready?”

Ryujin knocks Minjeong out of her daydream, causing for the brunette to blink confusedly.

Minjeong stuffs a spoon of her food into her mouth, nervousness coming around. “I guess? I’ll be meeting possible new teammates, which I don’t mind… they’ll probably think I’m intimidating like everyone usually does.” Her voice trails off.

She tries to ignore the subtle shaking in her hand as she grips her spoon. “Really, I’m a little nervous. For everything. But atleast I’ll have Jimin.” Minjeong finishes, going back to eating her food.

The national team invited the best swimmers in the country to train with them for a few days. Minjeong wasn’t against it. Although, when she got a reminder from one of the assistants from the national team, a gutting feeling hit her in her stomach.

Everything happened so quickly for Minjeong, she never knew she’d have a chance like this again, so it was quite unbelievable for her. There’s no way she’s going to pass on an second opportunity. Too much blood, sweat, and tears were shed to even get to point she’s at right now.

Ryujin breathes out through her nose. “You’ll do fine. I know it.” The raven places her hand over Minjeong’s, her words reassuring.

The brunette only nods, pressing her lips together.

A few seconds later. “Oh shit, I forgot to finish packing!” Minjeong springs up from her chair.

Minjeong somehow convinces Ryujin to take Yeji back to their dorm room so she can stay with Jimin alone.

Usually, the two liked watching movies in the living room but Yeji usually liked coming out to grab snacks every there and then. The brunette would stick out her tongue at the orange haired girl, but Jimin would kick her in warning.

She whistles softly, swinging her keys one hand, a bag of food in the other. When she reaches the door, her knuckles make contact with the wood.

The door suddenly swings open, Minjeong being tugged inside.

Minjeong trying hard to suppress a laugh at Jimin’s franticness. The raven holds a towel around her head. “Sorry, just got out of the shower and my hair’s dripping.” The raven leans toward Minjeong to give her greeting hug.

The brunette smiles widely before quickly walking over to the counter to set the bag of food down. After, she walks back to Jimin, gently pushing her toward her room.

She makes the raven sit down onto the edge of the bed. “Stay here. I’ll blow dry and brush it.” Minjeong tells her, turning around to head into the bathroom.

It takes her a moment for her to find the hairdryer, all while she slips on a hairtye onto her wrist. Once she finally finds it, she exits the bathroom, looking for a spot to plug the hairdryer in. She finds one, glad it’s long enough to reach. After, she stands behind Jimin, beginning to dry her the raven’s wet hair.

Minjeong runs her fingers through Jimin’s soft dark locks. She makes sure she’s careful, constantly checking if the heat is too hot. It takes a good few minutes before Jimin’s hair is completely dry, the brunette setting the hairdryer down to reach for the brush.

She becomes in awe at how heathy and long Jimin’s hair is.

The raven is on her phone, leaning her face against Minjeong’s hip as the brunette gently brushes her hair.

“Have you finished packing?” Jimin suddenly asks.

Minjeong hums. “I finished before I came. Ryujin helped me.” The brunette replies, placing the hairtye in between her teeth so she can tie up the older’s hair.

The brunette opts for a messy bun, patting Jimin’s shoulders when she’s done. “Alright, you go eat while I put everything away.” Minjeong stretches her arms.

Jimin stands up, giving the younger a hug before walking out her room.

As she cleans up, Minjeong chuckles at the small appearance the raven sports in pajama pants and a baggy shirt.

She’s cute.

Her jacket pocket vibrates, Minjeong reaching for her phone while she shuts the cabinet closed.

[Mr. Wong]: Mr. Yu asks if you are in a relationship with his daughter.

[Mr. Wong]: Neither of you are answering your phones, there’s speculations of the two highest ranked swimmers being in a relationship. More about a heiress finally choosing someone after years of openly rejecting options.

Minjeong furrows her eyebrows. Years of rejecting options? What does he mean?

The brunette walks out of Jimin’s room, plotting next to the raven on the couch. She hands Jimin the phone, taking a bite of the spoon of rice the raven was about to eat.

Jimin pouts. “Hey!” She takes back her spoon.

The raven turns back to the phone, skimming the messages.

The raven closes her eyes and sighs, handing Minjeong back her phone. “When is he going to leave me alone?” She places her spoon against the napkin.

Jimin faces a curious Minjeong. “Throughout my Junior and Senior year of highschool, my dad would introduce me to a bunch of people, to maybe get some business partners or whatever. But I was known for never being interested and rejecting people. I wanted to focus on swim but of course, I saw you during tryouts and had a crush on you all throughout highschool.” The raven’s turns away from Minjeong, fighting the blush that coats her cheeks.

After a moment of silence, Jimin looks up. “I didn’t have the courage to tell you and I was still kind of mean and competitive when it came to swim so that’s the reason why I didn’t like you at first. It was just part of being a Yu. You had to be first. Anything less than first was disgraceful.”

Minjeong scoots a bit closer, grabbing the raven’s hand and intertwining their fingers together. She rubs her thumb over Jimin’s skin gently.

The raven squeezes her hand. “Truthfully, I never really hated you. I was so tired of acting that way, when really, I was just a normal girl who liked swimming, wanted to live life without being judged because I was a heiress of a huge law firm. I fought so much with my father because I couldn’t live my life without worrying whether or not I was going to put a stain on the surname. My older brother Taeyang would have to interfere a lot because I would break out into tears, slamming my room door.” Jimin takes a shaky breath out.

The brunette shifts a bit, taking time to choose her words. “We don’t have to tell him, it’s your decision, of course. I won’t reply to Mr. Wong.” Minjeong shoves her phone back into her pocket.

Jimin shrugs. “I think my parents have figured out already. They ask me alot of questions about you and Jiwoo may or may not have seen us kiss when you left.” The raven lets her head fall backwards onto the back of the couch, laughing.

The brunette plays with the rings on Jimin’s fingers, smiling softly. “Whatever happens, I won’t let them separate us. You make me really happy and I won’t give up on us.” Minjeong tells the raven.

The raven nods before lifting her head up. “You make me really happy, too.” Jimin responds sincerely, taking in the gentle fond look the younger gives her.

Minjeong isn’t able to retain her self, using her hand to cup the older’s cheek. At that moment,she realizes how much the raven really means to her. How Jimin’s always been by her side. She’s just glad she gets to be with the older.

The brunette suddenly laughs. “Can you believe we used to hate eachother? I’d get so angry whenever you would purposely bump into me.”

Jimin rolls her eyes. "That’s because I knew you’d always turn around to curse me out but it meant I’d get to see your pretty face. She admits, making the brunette whine and drop her hand.

But the raven immediately pulls her hand back into her lap. “Don’t get mad, you used to do the same too. Remember whenever I was lifeguarding, you would splash water on me and get me absolutely soaked?” Jimin reminds her.

Minjeong puckers her lips. “Okay, that was because I was actually bored and the reactions I got out of you was actually priceless.” She laughs.

They settle down after a minute of laughing. The brunette tugs the raven’s body closer to her, taking in the elegant scent of perfume radiating from Jimin. Minjeong feels herself become intoxicated with the raven’s usual Chanel perfume, relaxing against her.

“Are you going to stay the night?” Jimin looks at her hopefully.

Minjeong shifts her head back and forth, thinking. “That’s if you finish your work.” She points to the packet on the table.

The raven grins widely. “I was almost done anyways, so you will be sleeping over. Plus we both need to be at the airport tomorrow by 7.”

Nodding in understanding, Minjeong untangles herself from the older. “Well, let me go get my stuff, then.” She stretches her arms.

Minjeong goes over to grab her keys, exiting the room with promises of coming back.

[Yeji]: Minjeong you need to tell your girlfriend to tone it down a bit.

[Lia]: she made a whole collage of you two being cute and disgusting and put it as her lock screen wallpaper and a photo of you for her home screen🤢

[Hyunjin]: i can’t believe I’m saying this but that’s oddly cute

[Hyunjin]: @Heejin why cant you do that?

[Heejin]: don’t even start

[Aeri]: Minjeong is even worse actually. She decorated her whole homescreen with pictures of Jimin and then photos of the two of them like it’s a whole aesthetic

[Yuna]: she spent like 2 hours reorganizing her homescreen💀

[Yves]: this is what I have to open the group chat to?

[Chaeryeong]: don’t scroll up.

[Ryujin]: they also even swapped their jackets…. i never thought they’d ever be this way😭😭😭

[Minjeong]: wow announcing how much im in love with Jimin.

[Jimin]: rightfully so

[Minjeong]: ew

[Jimin]: you’re supposed to be over here but you’re busy texting in the gc

[Minjeong]: im coming? Some boys started singing happy birthday in the hallways

[Jimin]: well hurry up, my bed’s cold!!

[Yizhuo]: I think I’m going to be sick.

In her cute matching pajamas, Minjeong waits for Jimin to open the door, occupied with her stuff in her arms.

It’s not until a few seconds later that Jimin opens the door, the brunette stepping inside the dorm. Minjeong sets her stop by the door, kicking off her shoes and letting out a breath.

Jimin tugs the brunette toward her room by her shirt. “They sure sang happy birthday for a long time.” The raven says with amusement, her eyebrows going up.

Minjeong shakes her head. “They were holding a huge cake and I didn’t want to be rude just walking by. I don’t know why they didn’t do it inside though.” She slips under the covers, shifting closer to the raven.

Jimin finds her self comfortable on the brunette’s chest, her arm wrapping around Minjeong’s waist.

The brunette opens her mouth to continue speaking but is immediate shut up when the raven lifts her head up to press her lips onto Minjeong’s. The raven pulls back before pressing gentle kisses against her lips over and over.

Jimin stops after a bit, placing her head back on the brunette’s chest. “Sleep, babe. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.” The raven tells her, pulling the blanket over them.

Minjeong’s hand finds purchase under the raven’s shirt, rubbing Jimin’s back as her eyes close. “Goodnight.” Minjeong presses a kiss onto Jimin’s forehead.

Minjeong ends up with two hand bags in one hand, the other being held in the raven’s hand.

“Hurry up, we’re going to be late!” Jimin tugs her toward the shuttle.

The brunette almost trips on her on own feet. “Slow down! You’re just excited. The gate is nearby.” Minjeong looks around as they wait for the shuttle train.

She’s surprised nobody’s recognized them but it’s probably because they were wearing masks.

Her heart refuses to calm down in pace as the day they would be going to train with the national team finally came. Before they got to the airport, Jimin reassured her that she deserved this opportunity and that everything was going to be okay.

Jimin squats down in front of the brunette. “Minjeong, it’s going to be fine.” The raven reaches to wipe the younger’s tears.

She was nervous but she didn’t know she was going to be this nervous. The emotions seemed to overwhelm her just as they were about to leave.

Minjeong kept her head down. “What if I’m not as good as everyone thought I was? Then they’ll regret even inviting me to train.” She sniffles, her fingers anxiously playing with eachother.

The raven pushed a stray strand from her face, lifting up her chin. “We were invited to train with the national team. We can learn there and then implement them to the trials later on in the winter. They won’t kick us out when they took the time to even figure out if we were good enough to be invited in the first place.”

There was so many questions and what ifs. But Jimin told her to focus only on the moment. Minjeong was invited for a reason.

Soft fingers rubbed over her knuckles gently, soothing Minjeong’s doubts. “If something doesn’t go your way, it’s okay. We’d probably be one of the youngest there so even being selected is a big deal. Don’t doubt yourself because you’re an amazing swimmer and you’ve worked hard for multiple weeks to get to where you were, becoming even better.” The raven looked her in the eyes, making sure the brunette took in her words.

The brunette slowly nodded, blinking away the rest of her tears.

Standing still, Jimin knocks their intertwined fingers against her hip. “You’re nervous. You can’t stop rubbing your thumb over my skin again.” The raven calls out her motion, looking at her worriedly.

Minjeong instantly stops, not noticing she has been unconsciously moving her thumb. “Sorry.” She mumbles.

The raven shakes her head. “If it makes you calm down, then continue. Plus, it feels nice.” Jimin smiles at her, pulling her closer to her side.

The brunette gently smiles back, leading them into the shuttle. The whole ride, she feels the sinking feeling in her stomach slowly go away.

As they get off the shuttle, Minjeong swings their hands back and forth giddily. They still had some time before their plane started to be boarded. They find themselves seated close to the gate, settling into their seats.

Tired from the constant moving, the brunette leans her head onto the raven’s shoulder. “I think I’m going to fall asleep right here.” Minjeong yawns.

Jimin begins to scroll through her phone. “I’ll wake you up when it’s time to board.”

A scoff is heard. “You’ll probably fall asleep too.” The brunette replies, her voice dragging tiredly.

“Minjeong, don’t worry. I’ll wake you up.” The raven tells her again.

Minjeong allows her eyes to slowly close.

As soon as they landed, they had a good hour to settle into their shared room before having to meet the staff and possible teammates. Minjeong had to mentally prepare herself, clinging onto Jimin as her introverted self wasn’t keen to the idea of meeting new people.

She also has to mind her facial expressions, knowing people are often intimidated by her stern look, which earned her the nickname ‘Winter’ when she was in highschool.

Her glasses sit on the bridge of her nose, the brunette pushing it up as they receive instructions and gear from the staff. Minjeong grins at the team jacket she puts on, the Korean flag engraved on her chest.

They follow a staff member on a quick tour, Minjeong and Jimin in awe at how big the facility is. The brunette’s heart never seems to slow down as excitement takes over her. Multiple people wave at them, Minjeong bowing her head shyly when they smile at her whole they walk.

The staff member opens a door, ushering for them to enter. Almost immediately, Minjeong’s eyes widen at the amount of people staring at them. She takes the chance to hide behind Jimin, her chest now beating uncomfortably.

“Everyone, listen up! You might already know them, but this is Kim Minjeong, hiding behind Yu Jimin, two of the top swimmers in the country. They’ll be joining us for a week before going back to prepare for their trials in the winter. They’re both very talented and even Moon Haesun have chosen them as the young swimmers she enjoys watching the most.” The staff member explains to the others.

Jimin and Minjeong bow. “Hello, we are from Kwangya University. Nice to meet you all.” They both say at the same time.

The staff member smiles before walking closer to the both of them. “This is the dining hall, where you’ll be having your meals. Right now, the team is having lunch so you can sit anywhere you like. I’ll come back to tend to any questions you two might have. My name is Cha Yeonhee, you can ask for me and they’ll lead you to my office, ok?” She looks between the two, giving them thumbs up before turning around to leave.

Jimin leads them to a table with two available seats left. “Is it okay if we sit here?” The raven asks.

A girl nods, smiling. “Of course! My name is Kim Jungeun. You can just call me Kim Lip.” She introduces herself.

“Son Youngjae.”

“Huh Yunjin.”

“Choi Yeonjun, my friend Beomgyu.”

“Kim Chaewon.”

Minjeong bows before she sits. “Nice to meet you all. Please take care of us.” She scoots in her chair, making sure Jimin has space.

The raven leans toward her. “Do you want anything to eat?” She asks.

Minjeong nods, prompting Jimin to stand up to make her way toward the chafing dishes. “Wait, I’ll go with you.” She moves to stand up but the raven pushes her back down.

“I’ll be quick, okay? Get to the know the others.” Jimin gently pushes her bangs to the side.

Huffing, the brunette nods, turning back around to face the others. They all give her a eyebrow raise. Minjeong simply rests her chin on her arms, sporting a bummed look.

Looking between all of them, Yeonjun decides to ask the question. “Do you secretly like her but you think she doesn’t like you back? Is that why you’re so bummed?” Yeonjun blurts out quickly.

The brunette chuckles. “We’re in love with each other.” She says lowly.

The whole table lets out a breath of relief. “Okay, because I’m sure friends do not look at eachother like that.” Beomgyu chuckles.

Minjeong sighs. “Beomgyu, shut up.” She tells the boy.

Yeonjun’s eyes widen, placing his fork down. “Woah, are we already going to have a problem?”

The brunette shakes her head. “No, because this idiot is my cousin, and my mother has given him the job of ‘taking care’ of me.” She makes quotation marks with her fingers.

The table lets out an ‘oh’.

Suddenly a plate is placed in front of her. “Here, love.” The raven hands her a bottle of water.

Minjeong instantly springs up, pressing her lips against Jimin’s cheek. “Thank you.”

The rest of the table tries to spark conversation with the two girls but like always, Minjeong stays quiet, nodding along to everything they say. Knowing her cousin was atleast in the team eased her nervousness but she still has to get used to the rest.

After lunch, they had to get ready for their first training. In the locker room, the girls they met at the table stick with them, running them through what they usually do at trainings. Minjeong slips on her swim cap and lets her goggles rest at her forehead.

They walk out of the locker room, Minjeong in awe at how huge the natatorium is. She’s sure she can hear the slow swish of water.

She looks in front of her, seeing multiple coaches with clipboards in their hands.

The brunette decides to walk up to the coaches, wanting to introduce herself.

Minjeong shuffles her feet toward the coaches. “Hello, I’m one of the new swimmers joining the team for trainings. My name is Kim Minjeong. Thank you for allowing me train with you all.” She lowers her head before standing up straight.

There are 4 coaches, two women and two men.

A lady with long brown hair steps up, reaching to hug the brunette. “Welcome!” The woman steps back, smiling at Minjeong. “I’m Choi Sooyoung. We’ve been waiting to meet you for a while now.”

The brunette’s eyes widen a little. “Really? I thought I’d just be another person who’d come and go.” Her hands come behind her back.

She feels a weight gently press against her’s. She catches a whiff of faint Chanel perfume, immediately knowing who it is.

Jimin bows as well. “I’m guessing Jeongie’s already introduced herself. I’m Yu Jimin, once again, thank you for giving us this opportunity.” The raven also takes the chance to intros herself to the coaches.

At the end of all the coaches, a tall man lets his clipboard fall to the side. “We are happy to have you finally here, Coach Cho, Coach Lim and I have been very impressed with your stats. Your freshman highschool year were up to par with some of the college swimmers' sophomore years.” The man explains.

Another woman nods along, who Minjeong assumes to be Coach Lim. “We have been cheering for you both and we were all happy to hear that you two were invited to the trials.” Coach Lim claps her hands together excitedly before turning to the last unfamiliar coach.

The final coach intimidates Minjeong a bit, his cold stare in contrast to the others. She lets out a silent breath, waiting for him to speak.

Is this how people feel when they first meet me?

Coach Cho purses his lips together, his hands behind his back. “I’m glad to have meet you two, I’ve seen and heard great things about both of you. I’m excited to see what you can do. Also, please don’t mind my expression, forgot to grab a cup of coffee and the three are like children.” He chuckles.

Minjeong feels her body relax. She knows they were going to be strict, but having a coach seem like they already were going to dislike her isn’t something she wants on the first day.

“Scramble along, the rest are about to start warming up.” Coach Choi shoos them away.

Minjeong and Jimin run over to the rest of the team, beginning their on land stretches. Their new friends from before join them in stretching, the brunette waving back at Beomgyu who makes sure she’s okay.

After a good 10 minutes of stretching, they begin their in water warmups. The brunette takes the time to release any tension in the water, not worrying whether or not she was going fast enough. She feels loose enough, adjusting to the water like usual.

Their in water warmups go quickly and the next thing she knows, one of the coaches are giving them instructions.

As she’s listening, she feels a nudge to her side. Minjeong turns to person, a confused look sporting her face. “Hey, loosen up a bit. I know it’s your first day but we already know how good you are. Just do your thing.” Yeonjun tells her.

Minjeong nods, mumbling a thank you. The brunette walks over to one of the lines, watching as people begin to five into the water.

“4 x 100 with each stroke – 20 seconds rest between each set – keep the time consistent.” As Coach Lim yells out instructions, the splashes become louder.

The brunette shakes out her legs, repeating Yeonjun’s words over and over.

Do your thing, Minjeong.

Minjeong feels great.

Although, her body feel sore. Beomgyu tells her she’ll get used to it.

Back in her room, she uses a towel to dry her hair, exhausted from the long day. The new environment will still take some time to adjust to, it’s just how she is with unfamiliar atmospheres.

Minjeong scrolls through her phone, expecting text messages.

[Ryujin]: earth to Minjeong

[Hyunjin]: She’s probably still at training

[Minjeong]: nope im done!

[Yuna]: how was it?

[Minjeong]: it was definitely new, they’re much stricter and everyone on the team are really fast.

[Minjeong]: but the coaches were really excited to have us and the rest of the team are really nice!

[Yves]: that’s great to hear, you better tells us more later😁

[Minjeong]: i will!!

As soon as Minjeong puts down her phone, she’s jumped onto, sending her flying backwards onto the bed.

“Jimin!” The brunette screams, laughing at the older on top of her.

The brunette flips them so they’re facing each other. It takes them a while to settle down, especially when the only thing they’re able to do is bust out it giggles everytime they look at eachother

After they finally calm down, their breaths start to slow, their chests rising up and down.

Minjeong’s eyes wander all over Jimin’s face and she finds herself falling in love with the raven all over again. And she thinks—how easily the raven seems to make her breath hitch. Holding eye contact sends her heart racing, the brunette unable to find an explanation to why she feels like it was going to explode anytime soon.

An indescribable feeling.

The brunette feels a touch on her button lip, the raven slowly pulling downwards on it. All the while, the raven’s eyes fall to her lips and there, Minjeong feels her heart beg to jump toward Jimin.

The gap between the raven and the brunette is close, but Minjeong feels—not close enough. Her hand tugs on Jimin’s waist to pull her even closer. She waits patiently, but never does her heart slow down.

It’s then when Jimin’s hand lowers, creeping under her shirt and resting just at the brunette’s stomach. The brunette takes it as a chance to capture Jimin’s lips.

When their lips touch, it’s like fireworks. A trigger to Minjeong’s yearning. For Jimin to reciprocate it just as much as her, her mind’s a mess.

Their legs tangle in the mess of sheets and all the brunette can think off is Jimin.

Lips move with fast rhythm, dragging against each other’s. The brunette has to remind herself that she needs to breathe.

She makes the move to lean back, reluctantly pulling away. The raven smiles slightly, her fingers skimming over the brunette’s stomach.

“Breathe.” Jimin simply tells her.

Minjeong’s breath catches. She dives in, her hand lifting up to cup the raven’s cheek as their lips collide again. The brunette can taste the sweet strawberry açaí Jimin usually always gets before coming back to the room and simply makes the brunette more intoxicated.

Jimin tilts the brunette’s head up a bit, a certain fervor running along as she kisses Minjeong back. At the moment, Minjeong wants to ask the question how.

And her chest thumps—speeding up again.

Then the phone rings.

“Shit.” Jimin curses as she jumps a little, sitting up to reach for the vibrating phone on the coffee table.

The raven fumbles with her phone, multiple curses flying out of her mouth. “Why do they always call me when- Yes?”

Minjeong can’t help but let out a chuckle to hide the fact that she’s still trying to catch her breath. She sits up, pulling Jimin in between her legs. The raven relaxes into her as Minjeong rests her chin on the raven’s shoulder.

Gently, Minjeong trails kisses up and down a column of Jimin’s neck, the raven’s perfume lulling her in more.

Jimin closes her eyes before opening them again in frustration. “I’m not in charge of that. Neither should you be contacting me at this time. Don’t come to me after you messed up.” The raven says sternly.

The raven’s shoulders tense, Minjeong feeling it against her own shoulders. The brunette taps her arm.

“The case was transferred to another team because the annotations provided were not enough. It was given to another team who could accurately provide evidence that supports the claim. Please take a chance to visit Mrs. Yoon if you have any questions.” The raven hangs up the call, letting it drop on top of the table.

Minjeong takes the little bit of silence as a chance to talk. “They still think you’re at the law firm as often?” Minjeong asks curiously.

The raven lets her weight fall entirely against the younger. “I guess my father has yet to announced that I wouldn’t be working at the firm as often. It’s habit to know how to answer those type of questions because I spent so much time studying them.” Jimin lets out a sigh.

Minjeong remembers that her time at the firm is coming to an end. “Well, my internship is almost completed, so technically we won’t have to go there ever again.”

The brunette scoots her back against the wall of the bed. She leans down a bit, laying down in a more comfortable position, pulling the raven closer. Her arms wrap around the raven’s waist, Jimin’s hands covering her own.

“Do you like working there?” The raven asks.

Minjeong thinks for a moment. “I don’t mind. I’m learning a lot and utilizing my knowledge of computer science for law quite well. Yoohyeon helps me whenever I don’t understand something.” The brunette responds, listing from her head.

She notices the raven has gone quiet, so she looks down at the girl. "Hey. Are you okay?

The brunette taps the raven’s stomach. “Jimin.” She calls again.

“Sorry, I just- you really became an intern just so I could’ve continued swimming.” Jimin’s voice is low.

Minjeong lets out sigh, resting her chin on the raven’s shoulder again. “I would do it over and over again if it meant keeping you happy.” She smiles contently.

But the raven turns her body around, her face painted with slight frustration. “Minjeong, you didn’t have to. I could’ve lived my life without swimming, or going to the Olympics and being on the national team. It would’ve been fine….it wouldn’t have mattered.” Jimin shakes her head, her voice becoming small.

Although, Minjeong doesn’t seem to take the raven’s words well, “It does matter. You should be able to have the same chance everyone has because you deserve it. What do you think would’ve happened if the world found out that Yu Jimin, an uprising swimmer suddenly quit? What would’ve your coaches have said, what would’ve your teammates have said, what do you think I would’ve said?”

The brunette reaches for one of the raven’s hand, placing it against the raven’s heart. “What would’ve Kwangya’s captain, the top swimmer in the city, a top swimmer in the country have said? Jimin, you love swimming. I won’t let anyone take it away from you when it makes you happy and you worked so hard to get to where you’re at right now. We could have to same conversation over and over and I’d still give you the same answer.”

Jimin starts sobbing, her hands folded in her lap. “Why are you like this?” She looks down at her hands, confused.

The brunette cocks her head to the side. “Like what?” She asks.

The raven looks up, her eyes filled with tears. “Why do you love me? Why love me out of all people? Why? I don’t understand.” Jimin’s voice comes with desperation, wanting to find the answer.

Really, Minjeong could spend hours, days providing reasons why she loves Yu Jimin. She doesn’t have to explain it, because the light brown orbs tell the story themselves.

So she reaches for the raven, leaning back down onto the bed and waiting for a sign of discomfort from the older. But the raven doesn’t move, allowing for Minjeong to pull her closer. Jimin’s head rest against her chest, warmth flowing between them both.

“Do you hear that?” Minjeong gently strokes the raven’s hair.

The brunette feels the older nod. “It’s beating really fast and loud.” Jimin says quietly.

Minjeong hums, the raven relaxing into her more. “That’s how fast my heart beats around you. Ever since highschool….even if you used to tease me a lot.” They both laugh at the brunette’s words.

They both calm down, allowing for the brunette to speak again. “My heart always wants to jump out to you. It’s always ready to give you all the love it has to offer. You deserved the world and I’d gladly prove to you that you do.” Minjeong finally finishes.

The brunette assumes the raven has slowed down her tears, no longer hearing little sniffles from the girl.

“I’m sorry for doubting you.” The raven apologizes sincerely.

Minjeong shakes her head. “I love you so much, and nothing is going to change that.” The brunette presses a kiss against Jimin’s hair, pulling the blanket over them.

They let sleep take over them, soft snores soon filling the room.

Chapter Text

The national team regularly had team outings, and Minjeong was expected to join them.

She has already adjusted to the team’s schedules, multiple trainings in a day with a few other things in between. And so far, she liked it. School wasn’t a problem because her professors usually recorded all lectures and uploaded it. Either way, she could always have asked her friends for any help if she needed.

The brunette’s scrolls through her Apple Watch as she waits for the rest of the team. Jimin had gotten dragged by some of their new friends in the mall, leaving her with her cousin and his friends.

“Why are you always so quiet?” Beomgyu places an arm around the brunette.

The brunette fixes her glasses. “I usually don’t like team outings.” Minjeong responds simply.

Yeonjun makes a face. “You’re so boring, you know that right?”

Minjeong nods, walking alongside them. On her left, Eunseo’s arm is linked with her’s. “Must I need to talk 24/7?” The brunette asks.

Beomgyu thinks for a moment. “Yes. I barely get to see you-” The long haired boy is cut off when a girl starts running toward Minjeong.

Everyone watches as the brunette accepts the girl with open arms.

Beomgyu lowers his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I still can’t believe my cousin has a girlfriend.” He lets out a sigh before looking back up.

Eunseo chuckles, crossing her arms. “You make it seem like it’s her fault you still can’t ask Taehyun out.” She shrugs.

Beomgyu pokes Eunseo’s side. “And you can’t ask Bona out either!” He retaliates, earning a punch from the girl.

Meanwhile, Minjeong grabs the many bags from Jimin, ignoring the complaints the raven gives her. In the end, the brunette ends up with a bunch of bags in her hands and a kiss to her cheek.

Yeonjun tries not hurl.

Jimin waves to the rest of them. “Hi guys, do you mind if I borrow Minjeong for a bit? We’re just going to place these in the car.” The raven tells them.

They all make a shooing motion, Minjeong shooting a glare at them when they make playful disgusted faces.

As they begin walking, Minjeong peaks at the bag. “What is even in here?”

The raven shrugs. “Yunjin insisted on some new doc martens.” Jimin replies simply.

The brunette all but nods, readjusting her grips in the bag.

Remind Minjeong to never go to the movies with other people again.

As Minjeong stands holding Jimin’s hand, the brunette begins to feel bad for the cashier who has to manage a huge order for popcorn and snacks. (Atleast he’ll get a raise?)

The brunette’s just happy to have some time off after spending the past few days training and doing school work. Her time with Jimin has been cut off by a bit so she cherishes every little second she gets to spend with the girl.

Minjeong turns to the raven. “Do you want anything?” She asks, seeing Jimin stare at the menu.

Jimin snaps out of her daze, facing the brunette. “I think I just want popcorn and a slushie.” She blinks before stepping up for their turn.

The brunette reaches in her bag for her wallet, handing the cashier a black card. The man fails to hide his shock but swipes it nevertheless before handing it back. Minjeong lets out a ‘thank you’, reaching to grab their items. She hands the tub of popcorn to Jimin before walking over to the slushie section.

She has to yell at the boys for them to stop joking around while she fills up the cups. So far, she felt like a baby sitter for the national team.

The brunette groans when she sees the boys chasing eachother. “Okay, seriously you’re going to spill the popcorn!” Minjeong closes the lids, pushing the cups into the cup holder.

Jimin chuckles, walking up to Minjeong to intertwine their fingers again. “Leave them, if they get kicked out, you can’t say you didn’t warn them.” The raven shrugs.

Minjeong presses her lips together, following Jimin up the slight incline floor toward the worker scanning tickets. Jimin hands the lady their tickets, bowing their heads when the lady gives them their designated theater.

When they find their theater, loud music is already roaring at them from the advertisements and trailers for other upcoming movies. The brunette almost trips over her feet when Jimin pulls her up the stairs—and toward the back of the theater.

They take their seats, the brunette already playing with the inclined chair’s options. She lets out a sigh, her head resting on Jimin’s shoulder.

The raven lets her head fall on top of the younger’s, Minjeong feeling her warmth. “Are you tired?” Jimin asks.

Minjeong shakes her head. “My body is tired but I’m not tired enough to let my eyes shut.” She takes a sip of her cherry slushie.

The rest of their team enters the theater, Minjeong nodding at them as they all wave to the back. Youngjae makes the move to walk toward them, but Chaewon tugs him toward a different row, swatting his head.

The brunette raises an eyebrow at their antics but shakes her head nevertheless.

The movie starts—some type of romantic comedy Minjeong could’ve cared less for. Sooner or later, her sight is tuned at the raven beside her.

And like all the other times, there’s a feeling in her chest.

Sure, she catches glimpses of the movie every there and there, but it becomes difficult to take her eyes off the older as she sinks into her seat. Never did she think she was going to be this much in love with Yu Jimin (her rival of such a long time.) Hell, a relationship was not in her vision at all, it was supposed to be just school and swimming. But she doesn’t care anymore because the brunette wouldn’t have had it any other way.

After a while, Jimin faces her with a blank look. “What?” Minjeong asks, playing off the fact she was staring.

“This movie is kind of boring.” Jimin says, letting out a sigh.

The brunette agrees. The movie is boring. But unfortunately, they can’t leave. Jimin knows that as well.

They stare at eachother for a while before the brunette lets out a breath, turning her head to face the boring movie again.

However, she feels Jimin creep closer to her, the raven’s finger turning her chin so Minjeong is facing her. The loud laughter from the speakers doesn’t even phase her, her eyes trained on the girl in front of her.

Soon, lips are pressed against her’s gently, catching her off guard. There’s a tint of sweet blueberry slushie that Minjeong tastes at the tip of her tongue. It urges her to begin moving her lips, sitting up properly so she can wing a better angle.

Jimin’s fingers are still curled around her chin, her touch warm against her skin.

A loud sound echoes in the theater, startling them and causing them to pull away slightly. “This is so corny.” Jimin winces, removing her fingers from the younger’s chin. “Kissing in the movie theater. What are we, 15?”

Minjeong laughs breathlessly. “You kissed me first though?” She whispers in the silence of the theater.

Jimin becomes flustered. “O- okay? It’s not my fault you have very kissable lips and I couldn’t resist. I did not actually want to kiss you.” She retaliates, crossing her arms in feigned anger.

The brunette simply smiles at the raven’s cuteness before leaning toward the older to press her lips against Jimin’s. The raven instantly melts, immediately trying to kiss the younger back. Although, Minjeong pulls away before the older can reciprocate, causing for Jimin whines and chase after her lips.

Minjeong makes a curious expression. “But you said you didn’t want to kiss me.” She reminds the raven with a teasing look.

Jimin rolls her eyes. “Well, I lied so please kiss me.” She begs, Minjeong seeing her eyes widen in a cute plead.

So Minjeong passionately kisses her, engulfs the raven’s lips. And her heart soars like all the other times their lips met. The raven’s fingers find a way to dig into her hair, gently tugging her closer. They smile against each other’s lips, becoming lost in their own world in the back of the theater.

“You kissed in the back of the theater.” Yeonjun says blankly.

Minjeong lets her head rest on the palm of her hand, lifting up a fry into her mouth. “And how would you know that?” The brunette sports an unconvinced look.

Jimin, beside her doesn’t seem to be paying attention, scrolling through her phone with Chaewon without a care in the world. Her hand unconsciously squeezes the brunette’s thigh as she does.

Yeonjun points a fry at Minjeong accusingly. “Your lips are swollen and red, your hair is slightly disheveled and you’ve been talking alot. You said you didn’t like team outings but you’ve been quite chatty this dinner, haven’t you?” He puts the fry into his mouth, letting it hang like he’s a detective solving a crime.

Minjeong curses under her breath, fixing her hair. The raven stifles a laugh.

The brunette decides to take a bite of her burger, giving her time to think of a way out of this. “My lips are red because I had a cherry slushie.” She replies cooly.

Eunseo raises an eyebrow. “But it doesn’t explain the swollen lips.”

The brunette nudges Jimin—who ignores her. She nudges her again but to no avail, the older doesn’t respond. She’s stuck to deal this one out on her own.

Oh, she’s having way too much fun with this.

Minjeong lowers her burger into the plate. “I accidentally bit my lip when I was eating popcorn…. multiple times. Seriously, why are you guys so into this?” Her voice becomes small as she lowers her head shyly.

She figures they’re all having a fun time teasing her.

Beomgyu shrugs. “It’s enjoyable seeing my cousin blush. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you like this.” His body relaxes and Minjeong promises she catches the slight hint of sadness on his face.

“Like what?” Minjeong asks curiously.

Beomgyu leans back into his chair, thoughtful of his words. “Happy….. in love. Smiling again, before…. it was just more about becoming 1st, you’d never let anyone in. You’d drown yourself in studies and refused to talk to anybody. I could barely even get a hold of you. The amount of times I thought I almost lost you, physically and mentally. I was- I was just scared.” He mumbles the last few words.

Suddenly, the bright mood around the table drops, Minjeong sucking in a breath. Her hand grips tightly onto her jeans.

If she has to be truthful, all the signs are pointing for her to leave, especially when there’s attention on her. She hates attention, it makes her nervous.

Although, she can’t blame her cousin. At one point, she did lose herself. It scared everyone, enough for the Yu Jimin in High school to stop taunting her for a while.

“I- sorry.” Is all Minjeong says before standing up and running out of the resturant.

Minjeong tugs on her jacket, feeling as if the collar was preventing her from breathing. She can’t seem to control to wave of tears that never seem to stop overflowing. She just cries.

She cries so much that she doesn’t feel the cold weather against her skin. Neither does she feel like putting on her jacket. Putting the jacket on feels like she’d be closing the chapter she thought she had already closed before. And—just like she was afraid of letting the cracks in her heart chip even more, it all feels to difficult for them to ever heal.

Soon, waves of regret drown Minjeong, causing her to sit onto the curb, resting her head against her knees. Her body’s tired, and she doesn’t understand why it’s tired. They had all but one practice and the brunette usually never was tired from normal sessions. However, maybe it’s due to all the the crying and shaking her body has done and the effect of being in the cold, wind blowing against her hair and cheeks.

Minjeong misses Goeun. She misses her best friend, the one she first ever realized she liked. She misses the friend who’d beg her aunt to take them out to the arcade, the one who told her it was okay everytime she earned a score she didn’t like.

The one who reassured her through everything.

At a beat, Minjeong doesn’t understand why she’s like this. She can’t understand why she couldn’t have been strong enough to stay in the resturant and take Beomgyu’s words.

It seems childish to stop dwell on it untill this day but in the resturant, she felt overwhelmed, emotions crashing in again. It’s stupid, because she promised herself that she wouldn’t let it happen again.

After long minutes of sobbing, she finds herself calming down, tears no longer flowing but still having to catch her breath.

Minjeong wipes her tears with her arm, chuckling bitterly for letting her emotions take over again. Her hand clutches onto her jacket tightly, seemingly being the only thing that was calming her down.

She doesn’t know what to do, her eyes just trail along with passing cars tiredly. Truthfully, she doesn’t want to go back in the resturant. She isn’t in a stable position to drive either.

“Minjeong!” A voice calls out for her, loud footsteps follow after.

The brunette jerks her head backwards, eyes scanning the parking lot. She stands up from the curb, possibly trying to search for the voice who called out for her.

“Minjeong! Where are you!” She hears huffing, causing Minjeong to furrow her eyebrow in confusion.

She’s not sure who’d be looking for her at this time of the night in a huge parking lot. But she suddenly feels a weight slam into her from behind, arms wrapping around her waist and a head resting against her back.

As she tries to move, the arms around her waist only tighten. “Don’t move.” The voice is muffled.

Minjeong swallows harshly as she stands in the middle of the parking lot in the dark night.

“You can’t just run off like that and expect us not to be worried.”

The brunette’s grip on her jacket loosens, guilt coursing through her as she remembers her action. Her brain turns gears, catching a whiff of a familiar Chanel perfume.

Jimin.

She shouldn’t push the raven away. There’s no way she’ll ever push the older away again.

Instead, Minjeong turns around the best she can, throwing her arms around the raven’s shoulders. There, the brunette lets out the remaining tears out, digging her head into Jimin’s neck.

Hiccups escape from the brunette. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Her words come out as jumble.

Jimin lifts her hand to stroke her hair gently. “It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alright.” The raven breathes out.

Instead of gripping her own jacket, Minjeong clutches onto Jimin’s shirt—her anchor. She holds on like it’s the only think keeping her afloat in a sea of her mess.

After a while of holding each other in the parking lot, Jimin suggests on finally heading home after seeing Minjeong’s exhausted state. The brunette begins to feel the cold weather against her skin.

Jimin texts their friends that they were done for the night and that they’d be heading home. She also reassures them, a brief message stating that Minjeong just needed a bit of rest.

In the car, the raven lets Minjeong fiddle with her fingers as she steers with one hand. The ride is quiet, but the atmosphere is comfortable.

Soon, the brunette falls asleep, her heart calm with Jimin’s hand in her own.

[Beomgyu]: hey Minjeong

[Beomgyu]: I’m sorry for overwhelming you. It wasn’t my intention. I hope you can forgive me.

[Minjeong]: It’s fine, it wasn’t your fault. I let my emotions get the best of me.

[Beomgyu]: Min you know you can express emotions. There’s nothing wrong with showing it.

[Beomgyu]: I know you. You’re always trying to be strong for everyone. Just let us take care of you for once.

[Minjeong]: why do you always act like you’re the older one :(

[Beomgyu]: you’re older than me by a few months. It doesn’t matter.

[Minjeong]: whatever loser

[Minjeong]: thanks btw

[Beomgyu]: np. See you at training.

Sleeping comes difficult to Minjeong.

It isn’t a good thing, especially when she has practice in the late morning. She tries everything, but nothing helps. Even when she finally gets a chance to fall asleep, her eyes jolt open in fear every few minutes.

When she manages to fall asleep, she turns and tosses, pushing her hair out of her face multiple times with her face squeezing up uncomfortably. Her body wants to sleep but her mind isn’t letting her.

It was obviously late, but Jimin stays up in the small living room, completing a research project. Minjeong contemplates multiple times whether or not she should check up on the older, but gives up when her body tells her no.

Letting out a sigh, she decides to let sleep try to take over her again.

It’s not long until Minjeong is whimpering, tears forming in her eyes as she sleeps. Her forehead’s covered with beads of sweat even in the cold room, and as much as she twists and turn, she can’t escape from her nightmare.

“Don’t leave me.” Minjeong barely lets out in the dark night.

It replays over and over.

The brunette’s lips quiver as she tries hard not to break out sobbing in her sleep.

A weight pushes into the other side of the bed. “Minjeong….Love, wake up.” Jimin slightly shakes her.

Minjeong doesn’t respond, instead squeezes her face more.

The raven shakes the younger again, causing the girl to sit up suddenly, heaving. Tears burst out as soon as Minjeong sits up, the raven immediately pulling her into her arms.

Jimin’s hand comes up to stroke her hair, the other rubbing her back up and down. “It was just a nightmare. You’re okay now.” Jimin whispers.

All she begs for is rest. Her head hurts from the constant crying she’s done and she just asks why?

In Jimin’s arms, Minjeong scolds herself for crying again and keeping the both of them up so late when they have training.

Minjeong wipes at her eyes. “I’m sorry for keeping you up.” The brunette apologizes, her breathing slowing.

The older shakes her head. “It’s not like I don’t stay up late already…..Are you okay?” Even in the dark, Minjeong knows the raven is looking down at her.

The brunette only nods, letting out a sigh. “I had a hard time falling asleep. It’s just definitely been a day.”

Jimin shifts them so they’re laying down. Minjeong digs her head into the crook of the raven’s neck, seeking closure. The cover is pulled over them and the brunette can finally find herself relaxing.

Fingers dig into her hair, gently scratching at her scalp. “I’ll wait until you fall asleep. I still have to finish this assignment anyways.” Jimin presses a kiss against Minjeong’s hair, sweet nothings being heard.

Fortunately, the brunette feels her eyes slowly close at the lulling scent of faint Chanel perfume. Minjeong breathes a “Thank you” gently into the older’s neck before she finds herself asleep.

With trials approaching, Minjeong not only has to work to earn a spot to the Olympics, it’d be proof whether or not she joins or stays in the national team.

Pushing her body to limits is something she does quite often. People warn her about the consequences but her determination and pride clouds her mind, going until failure.

Surprisedly, she can feel the tiredness from barely getting sleep, but she’s gotten too good at ignoring it.

“Shit, Minjeong, did somebody piss you off? You just smashed through all of us!” Youngjae breathes, stepping out of the pool after their first pretend heat is finished.

The brunette blinks, shaking her head to knock out of her daze. “What? Sorry. I’m kind of out of it today.” She replies, watching the second batch of swimmers participate in their heat.

Minjeong smiles when she spots Jimin easily coursing through her heat, a huge gap between her and the other swimmers. Her shoulders relax in relief, glad that the raven was able to go and show how talented she is.

“Now that I think about it, Jimin looks very familiar.” Chaewon suddenly says.

Beomgyu steps out of the pool, following them. “That’s because she’s a heiress of one of the biggest law firms in the country. ‘Yu’ Jimin?” The boy gives them a look.

Minjeong purses her lips together, walking over to the block to start her second heat. “She likes to separate swimmer Jimin and heiress Jimin, so don’t go screaming it around, alright?” The brunette tells them before jumping into the water.

Her body adjusts to the cold water in a snap. Like always, her pullout dive is strong enough to give her an edge before she starts moving her arms.

Just by being here, training with the national team doesn’t guarantee anything. She doesn’t need to prove anything to the coaches, she needs to prove to herself, that she indeed deserves a spot.

Push.

With resistance in the water, Minjeong’s arms start to burn again, a sign that she’s swimming fast enough.

Clapping is heard.“Last one, you’re almost done!” She hears Coach Choi yell.

Minjeong swims with all she has. After all, there’s satisfactory that comes along with being first.

Freestyle strokes are her best strokes. She takes the name, implements to her style. It reminds her of dolphins in the ocean who swim freestyle.

Minjeong touches the wall, the person next jumping into the water for the last heat. As Minjeong steps out of the water and stands up, she immediately goes to sit down to try to catch her breath.

She feels a firm hand on her shoulder, causing her to look up.

“You alright there? That was some speed you got there.” One of the coaches ruffled her hair.

The brunette sits up, letting out a slight chuckle. “Yeah, barely got any sleep last night.” She responds.

The man extends his hand. “We’ve met before but I don’t think you ever caught my name. Coach Moon.” He introduces himself.

Minjeong shakes his hand. “Nice to meet you, Coach Moon.” The brunette smiles.

Wait.

The brunette looks up. “Moon… you don’t happen to be Mrs. Moon Haesun’s son, right?”

The man response is a laugh. “You got me!” He puts his hands up in surrender.

Minjeong perks up, removing her hand from his grip so she can stand up and bow. “Thank you.” She quickly says before standing up straight again.

Coach Moon shakes his head. “It’s nothing. You’re a hard worker and everyone can see it. I have to go, but hopefully I’ll be seeing you around often. Who knows, we may meet for the Olympics.” He shrugs before waving and walking away.

As soon as he does, Minjeong flops back down onto her seat, grabbing her towel.

“Team, gather up!”

Minjeong groans, standing back up and walking over to the rest of the team.

Everyone else is removing their gear, wiping themselves with their towels. “Great training today. But I want to take them time to recognize our mvp. They completed their reps each in 1 minute and 13 seconds, keeping a consistent speed.” Coach Lim explains, skimming her clipboard.

The brunette lets her arms rest on Yunjin’s and Youngjae’s shoulders, still trying to catch her breath.

Coach Cho pops up a two with his fingers. “They’re actually tied. Can you believe that? They broke all of you guys' personal records.”

“Our newbies are the mvps of today’s training session. The rest of you…..are running a lap.” Coach Choi sports a smile, earning groans from the rest of the team.

As they go, Minjeong and Jimin are congratulated, the two girls bowing to their upperclassman.

The brunette walks over to her stuff, packing her things in a hurry. As she stands up, she loses her balance a bit, but a hand steadies her.

Minjeong turns her head, meeting a raven’s worried eyes. “Are you okay?” Jimin asks.

The brunette nods slowly, giving the older a peck on her lips of reassurance. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just a little tired.” She replies, rubbing at her forehead.

Jimin simply hums as she walks around to help the younger put on her jacket. She then walks up to the front, zipping up Minjeong’s jacket all the way to the top. “It’s cold outside. You will put on your jacket. I have my own this time.” The raven sternly tells her.

Minjeong chuckles, adjusting her jacket. “Thank you.” She reaches to grab her stuff, placing it over her back.

As she walks with the raven through the facility, Minjeong traces back the events. “The coaches seem to really like us.” She mumbles.

Jimin smiles, nudging her elbow. “And you were all worried they wouldn’t. We just have to keep up the hard work. It’s not just anybody that gets to train with the national team.” The raven pulls her out the door, Minjeong bracing the cold weather.

When they step outside, Minjeong grimaces a bit. She faces Jimin, reaching for the raven’s hand and stuffing it into her pocket.

It’s a bit of a walk to get to their car, but the brunette keeps the raven close, their hands warm in eachothers.

Once they get to the car, Minjeong places their things in the trunk before walking over to the driver’s seat.

It’s not long until they’re on the road, on their way back home.

Jimin relaxes into her seat, “It sucks that we have to leave so soon.” She suddenly speaks, looking at the brunette.

Minjeong chuckles. “Babe, trials are not so far from now.” She reminds the older.

The raven crosses her arms. “I know! I’m just saying I’m going to miss everyone after these 3 days are over.” Jimin pouts.

The raven is right, so far, she’s enjoyed her time with the national team and she’s definitely going to miss it.

Tapping the wheel, Minjeong hums along to the radio. “That’s why we need to do good in the trials and continue our hard work. That way, we can always visit and meet everyone again.” The brunette suggests, turning the wheel.

Soon, there will be approximately 2 weeks, 14 days until trials. It makes Minjeong nervous, but she’s glad for another opportunity, one to take with the girl she loves.

She feels a hand on her thigh. “Hey. Just know you have me, okay? We’ve done everything together. We’re partners in crime, just like you said.” Jimin slowly reaches for her fingers, linking their fingers together.

Minjeong nods and sighs at the touch, feeling Jimin rub at her skin gently.

The raven does the for the rest of the ride, keeping the brunette’s nerves calm.

They get back to their dorms soon after, quickly wanting to get out of the cold and in the comforts of their beds.

[Mr. Wong]: I see you two are enjoying your time training at the national team.

[Mr. Wong]: I fear you have forgotten Jimin is an important figure. People find ways to take photos of anything relating to important figures.

Minjeong’s eyes widen. She scrolls a bit through her phone, clicking on articles. She holds her breath as she looks for their names, hoping for it to be untrue.

Yu firm heiress and swimmer Yu Jimin and swimmer Kim Minjeong seen holding hands in mall.

The brunette takes a breath in.

[Mr. Wong]: Surprisedly, people are happy for you two… so am I. Miss. Yu has always been overly fond of you.

[Mr. Wong]: However…. Mr. Yu seems upset. I’m an not sure as to why, but he has been trying to contact Miss. Yu for some time. I would check up on her—things can get much during their calls

“I don’t want to marry some snobby man! You were able to marry someone you love, so why can’t I do the same? Why are you always trying to gain benefits from my life! Why can’t you just be happy for your daughter for once? I’ve spent my whole life trying to impress you. I’m old enough to make my own decisions, and meeting Minjeong has been my best decision.” She hears Jimin scream from the room.

Minjeong runs her fingers through her hair, taking a deep breath in.

She hears some silence for a beat, watching the clock tick. “I thought you’d finally understand me. You’re always trying to take the things I enjoy and love away from me. You can take everything else away but not the one person I love. I won’t let you. All our phone calls consist of yelling and arguing, you can’t ever call to ask how your only daughter is doing? Don’t try to call our phones because we will not be answering until you figure yourself out.” Jimin says sternly.

The brunette heaves a sigh, deciding that the phone call is over. She walks over to the room door, knocking on the wood.

When she opens the door, she sees Jimin pacing around.

It isn’t supposed to go like this, not when they’re supposed to be enjoying their time here.

To stop her pacing, Minjeong blocks the raven’s path. Jimin stops moving, instead letting her head fall onto the younger’s shoulder. They stand in the middle of the room, Minjeong staring into space. The brunette only sucks in a breath in, lifting her arms to hug the girl.

It’s not long until the raven melts into her, her arms coming up to tightly wrap around the brunette’s waist. She remembers the last time they were in this same position, Minjeong comforting an exhausted raven.

Minjeong can only press a kiss to the raven’s forehead.

Chapter Text

Kim Minjeong has a few important things in her life.

They make her world complete.

She’d fight for them, truthfully. If there’s anything that life’s taught her? It’s to not push away the things and people you love.

As she walks along the side walk, Jimin by her side, holding her hand ever so gently, Minjeong realizes that she may have finally found happiness.

She’s glad, glad that she took the internship just so Jimin could continue her uprising career beside her. Because Jimin is smiling next to her, laughing at Minjeong’s silly antics. And as sappy as it sounds, the brunette has come to a conclusion.

Never in a hundred did she think there’d be someone who love like this—love like the way Yu Jimin loves. Minjeong sees in the way Jimin cares much for the people closest to her, putting them first before herself, heart pure and fragile. When Minjeong glances at the older, it’s like looking at a ball of sunshine.

Given that they have just a few days before going home, before preparations for trials and end of the year meets, they decide on having time to themselves. Freely exploring the city after a long day of training and school work, the two girls find comfort in eachother, keeping eachother close while they look at the multiple attractions there is to offer.

The necklace Minjeong gave Jimin gleams brightly around the raven’s neck, dangling with promises. The brunette never seems to get over how good it looks on the older.

“What are you thinking about, love?” Jimin nudges her with their knuckles.

Minjeong purses her lips. “You.” She replies simply.

The brunette giggles when Jimin whines at her effort to be corny. “Seriously, Jeong.” The raven playfully hits her shoulder.

Pulling their intertwined fingers into her jacket pocket, Minjeong feigns innocence. “What? I’m being truthful. My mind is always thinking about you and how I lucky I am to be able to hold such a beautiful and kind girl’s hand.”

Jimin looks up at the brunette, nuzzling their noses together before pressing her lips against Minjeong’s. “You’re so sweet.” Jimin hums and smiles against the younger’s lips.

Jimin pulls away to chuckle at a shy brunette.

The brunette lets out a breath, ignoring the heat she feels in her cheeks as she turns her head back to the front.

They walk for a bit before Minjeong pulls them into bakery. The sweet scent of pastries and the sudden warmth that pools them in is enough to make Minjeong want to buy out the whole bakery.

While ordering, Minjeong hears many whispers from other customers.

“Isn’t that Yu Jimin? She’s so pretty in real life.”

“She’s actually finally dating someone, I thought she’d remain single forever.”

“I think the other girl is Kim Minjeong, she broke a world record at one of her meets. Her mom is the coach for a prestigious school and her father co own Kim Choi inc. Her brother and her used to be child prodigies in ice skating too. What a power couple.”

“I’m jealous of both of them.”

“Do you think we could get autographs?”

Minjeong fails to hide her smile as she thanks the cashier before looking for an open table. The two girls sit, finally able to take off their jackets.

The brunette takes a sip of her iced tea, putting it back down when she feels a poke in her arm. Minjeong looks to side, meeting eyes with a little girl.

The brunette coos, lowering her head. “Hi you!” Minjeong looks around for a possible guardian, smiling when she spots a woman approaching them.

“There you are, you can’t keep running away from me, Minhee.” The woman brushes away hair from the little girl’s face. “Sorry about that, when she saw the two of her favorite people she watches on tv walk into the bakery, she nearly blew my ear off.”

Jimin and Minjeong chuckle. The brunette opens her arms widely, Minhee squealing as she’s lifted into the brunette’s arms.

Minhee gives her a big hug, her tiny arms wrapping around Minjeong’s neck. Jimin squeals loudly, taking out her phone to take photos of the two. Minhee’s mother runs around the table to also begin taking photos of the two.

Minhee’s mother taps Jimin’s shoulder, asking if she can get a photo of the three of them. Jimin agrees, running over to the other side. Jimin brings another chair to set next to the brunette, sitting down next to them.

Minhee is sat on the girls' laps, Jimin and Minjeong pressing the side of their cheeks against Minhee’s. The little girl giggles, her small hands grabbing the both of their cheeks.

The couple closes their eyes, laughing at Minhee’s multiple attempts to poke at their cheeks.

“What happens if we make the national team?” Jimin asks, hair sprawled out from under her beanie on the snow.

Minjeong, next to her heaves out, shrugging. “I don’t know…. I hadn’t thought up that far.” She blows away an incoming snowflake.

The raven faces her. “Why?”

The brunette shrugs, unable to provide a true answer. “I truly didn’t think I’d get this far, ever. I almost gave up when I quit ice skating. So, I figured it was a sign to stop dreaming of even being on a national team.” Minjeong sits up, the cold getting to her.

Jimin takes a bit to respond, her eyes following the younger’s figure. “Do you still think about giving up?” Her voice comes with curiosity.

Minjeong stares at the raven, eyes sparkly and fond. Her fingers find its way toward Jimin’s, fiddling with them.

“I don’t think so.” Minjeong smiles gently at Jimin.

[Yuna]: Kim Minjeong, you can’t keep running away from us!

[Yves]: Right, when are you coming back?

[Hyunjin]: Ryujin and Yeji are terrible captains, all they do is bicker.

[Ryujin]: hey!

[Aeri]: they’re kinda right

[Aeri]: when we were closing out, Ryujin led the chant and her voice gave out halfway…..😂… please come back.

[Minjeong]: well we’ll be back soon!!

[Minjeong]: sad we have to go though. I’ve learnt and seen so much.

[Yves]: that’s great Minjeong! Hopefully we see your name on the roster soon😁

[Yves]: now get your ass back here!! We!! Miss!! You!!

[Minjeong]: you guys hear something

[Yves]: :(

[Yuna]: oh right

[Yuna]: saw the articles, how are you two holding up?

[Minjeong]: Jimin argued with her father because apparently, she was supposed to marry some man from another big law firm and is known for declining people. Everyone is happy for us except her father.

[Minjeong]: her mother was excited, glad that Jimin chose someone like me rather than people who’d never care for Jimin as a person… her brothers seem to like me too. It’s just her father.

[Minjeong]: I mean, i knew it wasn’t going to be easy and I knew what I was getting myself into

[Aeri]: what are you going to do?

[Minjeong]: I’m just going to stay by her side and be there for her.

[Hyunjin]: look at you all in loveeeee

[Yuna]: if you told me that Kim Minjeong was in love with none other than her past rival 3 years ago, I would’ve looked at you like you’re crazy😭

[Minjeong]: hi guys! It’s Jimin!

[Ryujin]: you stole her phone?

[Jimin]: yeah, she was on it too long and we’re cuddling. She’s not paying attention to me, and I don’t like that😒

[Hyunjin]: 😭😭 what a way to announce that you’re not single

[Minjeong]: okay it’s Minjeong again

[Minjeong]: she started tickling me and took my phone😭

[Minjeong]: I’ll talk to you guys later, love you.

“Jimin, stop tickling me!” Minjeong laughs, trying to move away from the raven’s hands.

She manages to grab a hold of the raven’s hands, intertwining their fingers so the older can’t tickle her anymore. Minjeong takes one of her hands away to poke Jimin’s side.

Jimin giggles, jumping up. “Okay, okay! I won’t tickle you again!” She yelps loudly.

Minjeong sits up, pulling Jimin into her lap. The raven wraps her arms around the brunette’s neck, locking her legs around her waist like muscle memory.

The raven plays with the baby hairs in the back of her head gently. “So…. Coach Choi talked to me. And she said that she has something that may surprise us. But, we have to wait.” Jimin tells her.

Minjeong doesn’t respond, her eyes tracing the raven’s features. There’s a certain look on her face —one that says that she’s not listening to a single word Jimin is saying.

Jimin notices almost immediately, raising her eyebrow. The brunette’s corners of her lips lift up.

“You’re not listening.”

“What do you mean? I am listening.” Minjeong tilts her head, teasingly. The slight smile remains.

The brunette can’t help but be dazed by the raven, hands slipping under Jimin’s loose long sleeved shirt.

Jimin lifts up her chin. “Okay. What did I say, then?” The raven asks, challenging Minjeong.

Minjeong purses her lips together, trying not to giggle. “Okay, maybe I wasn’t listening. But it’s not my fault! I like admiring my beautiful girlfriend. She’s really distracting.” The brunette rambles on.

The raven laughs brightly, nuzzling their noses together. Chanel perfume spreads around Minjeong, prompting her to pull Jimin closer. She can’t help the wide smile that makes way to lips as she holds Jimin in her arms.

Wow.

“I love you.” Minjeong says before pressing a chaste kiss to the raven’s lips. “I love you so much.”

She repeats those three words a few times in between each loving peck she presses onto Jimin’s lips. Jimin melts in to her, moving her hands to cup Minjeong’s cheeks.

They stare at each other, eyes pooling into brown orbs deeply. It’s all the brunette needs to place butterflies in her stomach, her heart beating fast. She thinks—how Jimin makes her feel, like she’s on cloud 9. Minjeong admits she’s fallen deep, deeply in love with Yu Jimin.

She never truly hated the raven. Yeah, maybe she was annoyed a few times but really, there was a certain feeling pooling in her stomach whenever they approached each other.

Jimin pulls her into a deep kiss, her fingers tenderly resting under her jaw. Minjeong reciprocates almost immediately, passionately engulfing the raven’s lips. The raven reminds her of solace, easing her goosebumps in the cold room.

Their lips move with rhythm, Jimin nipping at her bottom lip with a fervor Minjeong hasn’t pinpointed on. The brunette can feel fingers brush her nape, tilting her chin slightly up.

When they pull away, Minjeong’s eyes follows the raven’s lips, her own lips a few inches away. She’s unable to fight the slight smile that makes way.

Jimin presses their foreheads together, both of them closing their eyes to take in each other’s presence.

Minjeong feels like it’s all a dream—holding Jimin in her arms. She fears that when she opens her eyes, she’d no longer feel careful hands stroke her cheek.

“Minjeong.”

The brunette hums, slowly opening her eyes and still meeting with brown orbs. “What is it?” Her voice is gentle, reaching up to brush away the stray hairs from Jimin’s face.

Jimin shakes her head. “It’s just- all you do is tell me how much you love me, drown me with affection, treat me like I’m the only girl in the world. I feel a certain way for you that it’s so difficult to put into words because I can’t. You make me speechless and nervous, in awe with all you do. It makes me want you more and more” The raven remains eye contact as she sincerely says her words.

Minjeong’s heart is thumping in her chest, eyes staring back at the raven’s just as equally. “You make me feel that way too. I could write a whole book about how much Kim Minjeong feels about Yu Jimin.” She hugs the raven tightly, resting her chin on Jimin’s shoulder.

“So you love me?”

Minjeong pulls back to give the raven an eyebrow raise. “Yu Jimin, you know the answer already.”

“I know. But I just like hearing it from you.” Jimin mumbles, trying to fight the urge to smile.

The brunette leans toward Jimin, pressing a kiss to her forehead, then to her nose, her cheeks, her jaw before stopping in front of the raven’s lips.

“I love you.” Minjeong tells her, placing a long kiss onto the raven’s lips.

She pulls away to look at Jimin again, but the raven only tugs her back, pulling her into a deeper kiss.

As their lips move against each other, the brunette doesn’t miss the mutiple ‘I love you’s’ mumbled from the raven’s lips.

[Coach Taeyeon]: Honey

[Minjeong]: Hi mom!

[Coach Taeyeon]: hey love, they just released the roster.

[Minjeong]: Roster? What roster. The roster doesn’t come out until one week before the trials. They’ll add people who have qualified after.

[Coach Taeyeon]: Yes, but I was able to receive the roster early based on the stats of swimmers this year and well….

[Minjeong]: I didn’t make it, didn’t I…?.

[Coach Taeyeon]: (Attachment sent)

[Minjeong]: 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[Minjeong]: My name is there, mom. I did it😭

[Coach Taeyeon]: congratulations dear, you’ve worked hard.

[Minjeong]: (Attachment sent)

[Ryujin]: OH MY GOSH

[Yuna]: Sis why are you screaming in the-

[Yuna]: YOU MADE THE NATIONAL TEAM

[Hyunjin]: We knew you were going to make it. You and Jimin have the highest scores each meet

[Yves]: I’m going to tell my friends that my teammates are on the Korean national team❤️😭

[Aeri]: hey you still can’t forget about us!

[Minjeong]: I won’t😒

[Ryujin]: have you shown Jimin yet?

[Minjeong]: no…. im planning to surprise her. It’s crazy how we were just talking about it yesterday

Minjeong sits on the table, completing her school work. Jimin had gone out with her friends, quickly muttering something about them wanting to hang out properly before they leave.

The brunette eyes the clock, ticking dangerously slow. Her eyes glance at the door every once in a while, waiting for the raven just come rushing into their dorm.

She sighs when nothing happens in the next few minutes. There’s no used helping the pure excitement pooling in her stomach—just because she’s so happy for the both of them as their hard work and struggles contributed much.

Minjeong goes back to her school work, deciding not to worry much about it. Although, the jitters never seem to go away.

Her fingers tap the wood in a rhythm, her other hand skimming over her notes on paper. Ever since the news, Minjeong has been all smiles, she still can’t believe she made the roster.

Jimin’s name shined brightly in the list of names, Minjeong sobbing that she fulfilled her dream—her goal of making it onto the national team’s roster along with the raven.

She was tempted to text the raven the roster but figured that she rather experience the raven’s reaction in real time.

[Chaewon]: she’s on her way

Minjeong jumps up, running to the fridge and grabbing the small cake she quickly picked up earlier for them to celebrate. She places it in the living room on the table in front of the tv. She plans to surprise the raven by making it seem like she wasn’t home.

But once Jimin places her things down and looks toward the tv, the roster will be displayed on the screen.

Minjeong finds a spot to hide, deciding the small closet near the door is the perfect spot.

She soon hears the front door making a whirring sound, the sound of the door unlocking. Shuffling is heard before the door shuts close, Minjeong holding her breath.

“Babe?” Jimin calls out, the car keys clanking onto the counter.

Through the small gap of the closet, Minjeong watches as the raven searches for her. She almost wants to giggle but she knows it’d give away her hiding spot.

“Minjeong? Where are you?” Jimin calls out again, walking back toward the living room.

Minjeong presses the on button for the tv, surprisingly able to get a signal through the gap. The raven turns toward the tv, confused at how it randomly turned on.

Jimin sways her hands, obviously not understanding what is going on. “Okay, whatever scary prank you’re pulling is not funny.” The raven walks over to the tv, reaching behind it to turn it off.

But her movement freezes when her eyes skim over the screen. Minjeong takes it as a chance to quietly come out the closet.

The raven backs up a bit to look at the screen. Jimin gasps, bringing her hands to her mouth.

“Congratulations on making it on the national team’s roster!” Minjeong yells.

Jimin turns around, tears already forming in her eyes. The brunette accepts the raven with opens on, catching the girl when she jumps onto her.

Minjeong laughs at the sobbing girl, holding her tightly. “You did it, love.” The brunette whispers into her hair.

The raven wipes her tears, looking at Minjeong. “We both did it.” Jimin corrects her, the brunette smiling before nodding along.

Minjeong lets the girl down, wiping the rest of the raven’s tears. She presses a kiss to Jimin’s forehead.

The raven seems to have something to say, her mouth opening and closing. “H-how did you get the roster?” Jimin asks.

"I’m guessing they sent the coaches a sneak peak. Minjeong shrugs. “My mother sent it to me, saying that the Association let her see it early before it was released to the publ-”

Minjeong is cut off when Jimin leans in to sneak a clumsy kiss onto her mouth. The raven pulls back, a soft smile making way to her lips. “Sorry…..I’m just really happy that we both made team” Jimin’s voice trails.

The brunette smiles even wider. “Yeah, and I’m proud of you and I know what you’re going to say but I just wanted to tell you that.” Minjeong grabs Jimin’s hands, intertwining their fingers. “You’ve worked hard for it. You probably deserved it more than I did.”

Jimin shakes her head. “Babe, we’re not rivals anymore, remember?” She rolls her eyes, earning a chuckle from the brunette.

Minjeong pulls the raven closer, ghosting her lips. “Whatever. Congrats to us?”

Jimin laughs against Minjeong’s lips “Yeah. Congrats to us.” The raven whispers before kissing Minjeong long and slow.

Chapter Text

On their last day with the national team, hours before their flight, Coach Choi calls them into her office.

The Korean flag resting on her jacket over her heart is rightfully earned, worn with pride. Jimin convinced her, that she deserves to represent their country.

Minjeong links her arm with Jimin’s, both girls curious to what Coach Choi possibly needed to tell them. The raven has an idea, but Minjeong shrugs, being open to many of the possibilities.

The air in the office is different from the regular air outside the door. The brunette doesn’t know how to explain it, but the air is stern however hopeful.

They bow when Coach Choi turns around in her chair, a smile on her lips. “There you guys are. I’m glad I was able to catch you two before you left.” Coach Choi folds her fingers.

Jimin and Minjeong sit down, scooting close together. The raven pulls their hands into her lap, intertwining their fingers together and play with the rings that decorate Minjeong’s fingers. The brunette thinks it’s a fragment of her dream, in the Swim national team’s facility, next to the girl she loves the most, her partner in crime.

“I’m guessing your mother beat me to it in showing you the roster early… She was always so impatient.” Coach Choi laughs, leaning back to catch her breath. “Welcome to the team. We all knew that you’d be on it, we just decided to give you a sneak peek of what is like to be a national athlete.”

Minjeong tilts her head. “You knew my mom?” The brunette asks.

Coach Choi nods. “We were on the National team together. We had other girls on the team who all stuck together and had the best stats in the country. They gave us the nickname SNSD. Coach Seohyun was in it, a few others, and…” The woman pauses, hesitating.

Her expression falls. “Yuri. Kwon Yuri before she started coaching Ice skating.”

Minjeong’s body stiffens up. Coach Yuri never told her she used to swim?

She feels Jimin stroke over her skin with her thumb in comfort. Minjeong squeezes the raven’s hand back, biting her bottom lip to fight back her tears.

Coach Choi straightens up, clearing her throat. “Anyways, I’m glad you two were able to visit. Hopefully, we’ll meet again for the championship toward the end of the year. I’ll also be watching the trials from the comforts of my home.” She smiles widely.

The woman looks at her watch. “You two have to leave by 4PM?”

The two girls nod. “We’re already done packing, it’s just to put the stuff in the rental car.” Minjeong tells her.

Coach Choi stands up. “Okay, so that team lunch will not go to waste! Come on!” The woman walks over to the door and holds it open for the two girls to walk out of.

Minjeong shakes the rest of her tears away, pressing her lips together in a slightly when the raven asks if she’s okay.

It’s alot of hair ruffles, congratulations and hugs the brunette receives from her new teammates. It’s different feeling, knowing the jacket she wears isn’t no longer for show anymore.

Beomgyu gives her the biggest hug, lifting his cousin enough to earn him an annoyed but heartfelt groan.

Her teammates all laugh, snapping photos. “Alright, Gyu. Please put me down.” She says with an eye roll.

The boy lets her down, ruffling her hair. “I just got excited!” He smiles, whipping his long hair back.

They take their seats, lots of chatter following along. Minjeong settles with lemonade, offering the raven some every then and there.

Haechan sits up. “So. How does it feel being national athletes?” He grins, shaking his shoulders.

Right.

How does it feel finally being a national athlete?

Minjeong let her shoulders relax, obviously in thought. “I don’t know. There’s a rush in me, I still can’t believe I made it this far. I definitely wouldn’t have done without the people closest to me.” She faces Jimin, smiling fondly at her.

The raven pouts her lips, soon beaming when the brunette nuzzles their noses together.

Jimin pulls back, turning back to everyone else. “Thank you for trusting us enough to become your teammates, please take care of us.” Jimin says before they bow their heads sightly.

The raven taps the brunette’s arm, telling her that’s she’s going to take a call. Minjeong nods, scooting over a bit so Jimin can leave.

Youngjae sits up, leaning closer to the talkative side of the table. “Minjeong, do you think I can sneak into one of your luggages?” He asks, batting his eyes in what is supposed to be a cute manner.

Minjeong makes a playful disgusted face, flailing her hands at his face. “No, stop making that face. Why do you look like that?” She glances at him once again, but soon immediately turns her head away.

They all laugh when the boy with blue and white hair crosses his arm in defeat.

It’s not long until their food arrives, the table full of never ending variety of dishes. Minjeong remembers to eat a lot, knowing plane food usually isn’t never good.

They all start dishing out their plates, the brunette spinning her chopstick in her hand as she waits for everyone to take her share. She’s still deciding what to take as she usually steals from girlfriend’s plate.

She notices that the raven’s still hasn’t come back, the seat next to her empty and both of their purses in Minjeong’s lap.

The brunette stands up, excusing herself from the table. She walks over to the entrance of the resturant and outside.

She skims the area from the raven, quickly spotting her near their car, still on her phone. Minjeong trots over to girl, waiting for her to notice.

Jimin looks up, slightly smiling before her smile drops when she focuses on the call again.

Minjeong mouths a “what happened?”

The raven shakes her head, running her fingers through her dark locks. She sports an overly exhausted look, obviously wanting to end the lengthy phone call.

There’s only one person who’d keep Jimin out long on a phone call.

Minjeong taps Jimin’s shoulder, catching her attention. “Can I have the phone?”

Jimin nods, letting a breath of relief when the brunette tells her to go inside and eat.

“Hello, Mr. Yu.”

“Miss. Kim, delighted to be hearing your voice again.”

“Your’s too.” Minjeong tries not to add a biting tone.

Minjeong pushes her glasses up her nose, peaking at the time on her watch. She’ll like to make this quick.

“Glad to catch you at the right time, rather than wait for you to get back home. Surely, you wouldn’t want to be in the middle of a process I’ve been working on for a long time, do you?”

The brunette furrows her eyebrows . “May I ask what that means?”

“My firm is only becoming larger, and I need another firm to join with mine…. to make even more powerful. The law industry is always moving. It turns out that the firm offered to merge if our children married. Jimin is known to reject people, so I was surprised to find out that there was someone she was smitten over.”

"Which is why I have an offer. If you break up with my daughter, 10k is yours. You won’t be able to see her anymore as everyone already found out that you two indulged in a relationship. Although, there are not to be any distractions in Mr. Park and my daughter’s upcoming engagement.

Minjeong fails to stop her nails from digging into her palm. “Excuse me?” She responds, flabbergasted.

“There are other ways, of cou-”

It’s cold outside, Minjeong remembers where she needs to be when the wind pounds against her cheeks over and over.

She turns her body, facing away from the restaurant. “Mr. Yu, you haven’t thought of what would’ve happened if Jimin found out that you tried to offer me money if I broke up with her….. Do you even truly love Jimin?” Minjeong is fuming, the cold no longer becoming noticeable to her.

"Well, I- The brunette hears the man go quiet, her lips dropping into a disappointed frown.

Minjeong decides that the call is becoming lengthy, something the brunette was trying to prevent. “Mr. Yu, I’m afraid I can’t accept your bizarre offer. I probably won’t accept it overall. I’d appreciate if you didn’t blow up our phones every second. Have a good rest of your day.” Minjeong tells him before hanging up the phone, immediately walking toward the restaurant.

When she enters, everyone is still eating and chattering thankfully. She taps the raven, handing her the phone and slipping back into her seat. Minjeong tries hard to hide the fact that she’s bothered, quietly attending to her food.

But of course, Jimin reads her like a book.

The raven finds a way to Minjeong’s fiddling fingers, opening the brunette’s palm so she can slip her fingers in between Minjeong’s cold ones.

Minjeong finds her anger slipping away, calming down at Jimin’s soft approach.

“Why are you upset?” The raven asks with concern plastered on her face, loud enough for only them to hear.

The brunette shakes her head, lifting their hands to press a reassuring kiss onto Jimin’s skin. “Don’t worry about it right now. I’ll tell you on the way to the airport. Just enjoy this moment right now, okay?” She looks up at the raven.

Jimin opens her mouth like she has something to say sitting at the top of her tongue, ready to ask, but presses her lips together and nods nevertheless.

“Okay.” Jimin gently smiles, the brunette a reflection of her expression.

When it’s time to finally leave, their teammates hug them tightly, reminding them to call and text them when they arrive safely.

In the car, Minjeong focuses on the road. Music plays softly in the background, reminding the brunette of the long flight ahead of them.

At the corner of her eye, she sees Jimin turn her head toward her. “So, what happened?” The raven plays with her free fingers.

Minjeong sighs, still in awe at the situation that happened earlier. “He tried to get me to break up with you by offering me money. You’re supposed to be getting engaged to some guy and I’m guessing you’re not allowed to say no this time around.” The brunette explains.

She feels Jimin’s fingers try to tug out of her’s but she reaches back for them. “Breathe.” Minjeong instructs her, the raven trying to catch her breath.

After Jimin calms down a bit, Minjeong begins talking again. “Obviously, I declined the offer and I was shocked that he’d even try to offer me something like that.”

The raven bites her lip anxiously. “He was saying so much bullshit but he never mentioned me having to get engaged? That’s- It’s not fair-” Jimin lifts her hand to wipe at her eyes.

Minjeong frowns, her heart breaking at the sight of the teary eyed raven. “I’m sorry.” The brunette apologizes lowly, her hand gripping the wheel tightly.

Jimin shakes her head, sniffling a bit. “It isn’t your fault. I just never thought he’d cross the line like this, just because I’m dating someone who he can’t take advantage of.” The raven removes her hand from Minjeong’s grip, tucking both of her hands into her own lap.

The warmth the brunette was holding on to disappears, Minjeong settling with gripping onto her jeans tightly to give the raven a moment to compose herself. Minjeong’s frustrated and heartbroken that the raven is upset. She fights the urge to cry at the sight of the raven, knowing how unfair the girl has been treated by her father.

They arrive at the airport, letting staff workers quickly gather their things due to the paparazzis that crowd around them.

Minjeong keeps the raven close to her, pushing through the crowd and covering her eyes from the flashes.

They surprisingly get to their gate quickly, allowing them time to relax. When they sit down in front of their gate, Minjeong lets her head fall back in exhaustion.

They still had an hour until they boarded. Jimin lets her head fall onto the brunette’s shoulder, her legs over Minjeong’s thighs. They’re both tired.

“I still can’t believe we’re national athletes.” Jimin suddenly mumbles.

Minjeong looks down at their jackets, unable to prevent the proud smile that makes way, “Me either. Now all we need to do is win the championship and I would’ve completed all my goals this year.” The brunette pulls out a note from inside her case.

Jimin lifts up her head from her shoulder. “You made goals? When did you do this?” She glances at the note.

The brunette shrugs. “I think maybe my junior year of highschool. It was so long ago. I created a list of things I really wanted to accomplish but I didn’t think I’d be able to complete everyone of them. But there’s just two more things on my list.” Minjeong hands it to the raven.

The raven laughs. “How did you manage to make the teacher sit on those prank farts?”

Minjeong covers her face in embarrassment. “It earned me detention for a week.” She replies.

Jimin continues skimming until the last two. “Win the end of the year national championship and visit their graves. Their? You mean….” The raven looks up.

The brunette heaves a sigh. “I often went back to my old city but I never visited their graves because it was just too much for me.” Minjeong sports a sad smile.

Jimin extends her arm slightly to hand the note back to the brunette but before Minjeong can grab it, the raven furrows her eyebrow and flips over to the back.

Minjeong’s eyes widen, trying to reach for the note. “Don’t look at the back!” She slightly screams.

The raven’s eyes skim the back of the note. “Under no circumstances, do not develop a crush on Yu Jimin, again……” Jimin reads lowly, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

Minjeong leans back into her chair, her face flushing red.

Jimin points at her accusingly, a teasing smile on her lips. “I thought you hated me!”

“I did! Ryujin somehow found it and wrote it at the back because she knew I secretly liked you! It was a joke!” Minjeong crosses her arms.

The raven gives her a knowing look. “Then why didn’t you erase it?” She jabs back.

Minjeong goes quiet, jerking her head away from Jimin.

It’s quiet for a bit until Jimin leans closer to her body, causing for the brunette to face her. “That’s why it’s on the back, because you didn’t think it’d ever happen?” Her expression turns into curious one.

The brunette slowly nods.

“Why?” Jimin asks.

Minjeong leans her head side to side. “You were the most popular girl in school and everyone liked you. Why would my rival like me back? So I made it my last mission to make sure I didn’t end up falling for you again, but obviously, that didn’t work and the feelings never left in the first place. Being on the same team and having the same circle of friends didn’t help at all.” She chuckles to herself.

Jimin giggles before leaning to capture the brunette’s lips in her’s. “Well, you can’t escape now because you’re mine.” The raven whispers in between.

Minjeong smiles quickly reciprocating before pulling away. “Didn’t you have a crush on one of the girls junior year? I’d always hear Yeji, Yizhuo and Heejin groan at lunch because you kept talking about this one girl.” The brunette laughs at the thought.

Jimin reaches for her phone, beginning to scroll to pass time. “That was you.” Jimin simply replies, lifting her head to catch the brunette’s reaction.

The brunette’s mouth is agape, Jimin covering her mouth to prevent giggles. “I was the girl your mother said you had a crush on during tryouts?”

The raven nods. “I didn’t like anyone else. Everyone would ask me if I’d ever respond to the letters and notes in my locker but I’d throw them away when I’d find out none of them were from you.” Jimin looks back down at her phone, leaning her head back onto the brunette’s shoulder.

Minjeong closes her mouth slowly. “Me? Send a note? Ew.” She feigns a disgusted expression.

Jimin giggles, shifting her phone to let Minjeong catch a glance of a photo. “You did send one note, I saw you sneak it into my bag during practice during junior year. I was so happy when you told me good luck on my individual heat for the meet two days later.” She kicks her feet shyly at the memory.

The brunette gleams, eyes looking up for how much time they had left until they board. Minjeong rests her head on top of Jimin’s, bringing her phone closer to her face.

She’s liked me all this time. Minjeong thinks, her hand warm in the raven’s.

“Minjeong!!!!” Ryujin screams as soon as she enters her dorm room.

The brunette opens her arms wide, accepting the raven with open arms. Ryujin collides into her, hugging her tightly.

Minjeong laughs. “You couldn’t survive without me for that long, could you?”

Ryujin looks up, nodding. “I lived on delivery for like 3 days.” The raven admits.

The raven detaches herself from her best friend, helping her with her things. When they’re done, Ryujin offers to cook dinner, knowing the brunette refused to eat airplane food.

Ryujin walks over to kitchen but stops in her tracks to turn around. She walks toward Minjeong, grabbing a hold of her jacket.

Ryujin’s finger glides over the flag and name next to it on Minjeong’s jacket. “You’re really on the national team…” Her voice trails.

Minjeong nods, unable to fight the proud smile. “Who knows? Maybe they’d have space for you after the open trials.” Minjeong places an arm around the raven’s neck, leading her toward the kitchen.

Suddenly, the lights go off, startling the brunette. “Did the power go off? Ryujin?” Minjeong reaches for her phone to turn on the flashlight, but before she does, the lights turn back on.

The brunette’s eyes widen when she finds her dorm full of her friends and her two coaches.

“Congratulations, Minjeong!” They all scream, party poppers going off.

Minjeong laughs, trying to figure how they even got into her dorm. “Who planned this?”

They all point to her mother. Minjeong runs over to Coach Taeyeon, wrapping her in the biggest hug. She’s so used to seeing her mother often that she didn’t realize how much she truly missed her.

Coach Taeyeon holds onto her daughter to prevent herself from stumbling from the force Minjeong comes with.

Minjeong doesn’t cry—only because her friends would make fun of her for looking a mess while crying tears of joy. But the smile on her lips never disappears.

“Thank you, Mom.” Minjeong says in Coach Taeyeon’s neck.

The woman strokes the brunette’s hair, surprised at how much taller the girl has gotten. “You’re welcome, dear. I’m proud of you.”

Minjeong melts in her mother’s embrace, the recent events flooding over in her head.

Chapter Text

[Yuna]: test test

[Yuna]: why does the hallway smell like shit

[Ryujin]: Someone threw up all of last night, I recommend you wear a mask when exiting your dorm because that stench has to be a hazard somewhere

[Minjeong]: Hasn’t the janitors cleaned up the area already?

[Aeri]: Yeah but it still smells so foul out there😭😭😭

[Yves]: I haven’t left my dorm room all day💀

[Yuna]: Guys we should all hang out

[Hyunjin]: when the hallways smell like doodoo? Absolutely not.

[Yuna]: come on it’d be fun

[Aeri]: don’t we have training soon

[Yuna]: does it look like I really give a fuck

[Yves]: YOU will be running laps, WE will not

[Minjeong]: Championships are literally right around the corner

[Yuna]: BOOO YOU GUYS ARE NO FUN🍅🍅

[Yuna]: Saturday we’re going btw.

She’s not sure how she found herself driving to the Yu’s residence again.

It’s only because Jimin promised her little brother that they’d hang out with him before the raven became busy with school and swim again.

But that means that Minjeong will finally get to meet Jimin’s older brother, Taeyang. Jimin assured her that he was nice but it doesn’t stop the fact that she was still meeting him—he was the raven’s older brother after all.

Minjeong tries to distract herself, humming to the music that plays at medium level. She feels the raven’s stare as she drives.

Jimin places a hand on her thigh. “You know I can always sense when you’re nervous, right?”

The brunette chuckles nervously, tapping the wheel with her index fingers at a stop light. “Is it that obvious?” Minjeong asks.

The raven moves her hand up and down her thigh in attempt to calm her down. “You do little subtle movements when you’re nervous, like run your thumb over my skin when we hold hands over and over. You tap the wheel with your fingers, and you have a certain look on your face.” Jimin lists, causing Minjeong to let out a breath.

She hates how easy it is for the raven to read her. It always catches her off guard when Jimin notices the little things about her that usually no one else would.

Minjeong’s heart beats a bit faster when she turns into the Yu’s residence, not believing she was back to visit again. Turning off the car, the brunette steps out of the car, fixing her hair and wiping her hands against her jeans. She lifts her head, pushing up her glasses to find Jimin approaching her.

Jimin grabs her hands, meeting Minjeong’s nervous eyes. “Hey, you’ve been here before. There’s nothing you need to worry about. Okay?” The raven gives her a reassuring look before pressing a kiss onto her lips. “No matter what, I love you.”

The brunette feels her nerves going away at Jimin’s touch. She smiles at the raven, gently squeezing her hands. “I love you, too. Thank you.”

Pulling Minjeong toward the front door, Jimin reaches to put in the key into the keyhole and turning to open the door. Almost immediately, Minjeong watches as a little boy runs up to them, arms opened wide.

The brunette enters the house and lifts the boy up into her arms, throwing him up in the air. Jiwoo giggles, screaming as Minjeong spins him around a few times. After a while, Minjeong’s stops, looking at the boy in her arms.

“Hi, buddy!” Jimin greets, pushing away hair from his face.

The boy reaches for his sister, the raven taking Jiwoo from her girlfriend. “I missed you!” He says, hands patting Jimin’s face.

They both chuckle, beginning to walk toward the kitchen. “I missed you too, Jiwoo.” Jimin responds to him, eyes scanning the area.

Minjeong spots Mrs. Yu with her glasses on the table, scrolling through her phone. The woman soon looks up when she hears footsteps.

Mrs. Yu stands up, surprised to see people. “Oh my, you didn’t tell me you were bringing Minjeong?” The woman walks up to them, giving Minjeong a tight hug before she pecks Jimin’s cheek.

The raven lets the boy down, who runs over to Minjeong to hold her hand. “Dad wouldn’t have let me come then.” She says jokingly.

Mrs. Yu rolls her eyes. “He brought some man and has been spending his time showing him Taeyang’s awards.” The woman leads them to living room, telling the two girls to sit.

The two girls sit next to each other, Minjeong propping Jiwoo on her lap. The brunette ends up being the boy’s entertainment.

Jimin furrows her eyebrows. “What man?” She asks before she turns her head when she hears shuffling.

Minjeong clenches her jaw at the sight of the two men. Jimin’s places a hand on her arm, pulling the brunette closer.

“Nice to see you two again.” Jaemin grins, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Soon, another man who Minjeong assumes is the raven’s older brother appears behind them, an irritated look on his face.

Jaemin walks over to sit next to Minjeong, causing Jiwoo to let out a whine. It seems like the boy doesn’t like Jaemin.

Mr. Yu and Taeyang sit on the last available couch, crossing their legs. “Glad we’re all finally able to meet.” Mr. Yu points to Jaemin. “This is Na Jaemin, heir of the Na Firm. You will be marrying him, Jimin.”

The raven immediately stands up. “I already said no! He’s said disgusting things about me and literally tried to drown Minjeong! I bet you didn’t do a background check before deciding he’d be engaged to me.” Jimin’s hands squeeze into fists, obviously frustrated.

Jaemin’s eyes widen, turning the two, stuttering. “Now, Mr. Yu- Jimin, you know I didn’t do any of th-” The man doesn’t finish his sentence when the raven slaps him across the cheek.

“Don’t you dare deny the things you’ve done in front of my family.” Jimin glares at him, watching as he grabs his cheek in pain.

The man looks up, his gaze dangerous. He makes the move to move toward the girl, but Minjeong stands up, one upping him. “Step any closer and you will not be leaving this house without a bruise.” The brunette threatens, her face firm and her eyes radiating intimidation.

Taeyang places a hand on his shoulder, trying to tug him back. Jaemin shrugs his hand off, exiting the living room.

Minjeong closes her eyes, trying to take in the event that just occurred. “I’m going to have a word with him.” She breathes, opening her eyes. As she walks toward the door, she sends a disappointed look at Mr. Yu.

The man appears shocked, whispering something to his oldest son and soon sporting a guilty look. He calls for Jimin and the brunette takes it as a sign to leave the house.

When she closes the door, she fails to feel the winter weather slam against her skin, too confused to understand what is going on currently.

She spots Jaemin on the phone, leaning against the car. She walks over to him, tapping him on his shoulder. Jaemin mutters a few words before hanging up and shoving his phone in his pocket.

The brunette sighs, trying to withhold all the emotions that beg to be set free. “I can’t believe you had the guts to still approach the Yu’s.”

Jaemin looks out toward the horizon, watching the sun set. “My parents told me it was my last chance to finally do something right…. When they told me that the Yu’s wanted to merge, I wanted to let out the loudest laugh in front of them. I thought, what are the odds?” He chuckles lowly.

“My records are terrible, and the only thing I have to my name is being a heir. And of course, I had to ruin it. I’ll have to face charges for attempting to drown you.”

A question lingers in Minjeong’s head. “You said you’d leave Jimin alone. Why would you still even think about stepping into the Yu’s house after all you’ve done?” She asks genuinely.

Jaemin shakes his head. “I don’t know, Minjeong. Things just happen. My parents made me after all….. But I have to go now. I’m sorry for everything that I’ve done.” Is all he says before bowing his head and walking over to the driver’s door to enter the car.

Minjeong bites the inside of her cheek, running her fingers through her hair. Truthfully, she doesn’t want to go inside yet. The cold weather feels nice against her skin, distracting her from the fact that her social battery has already depleted before she can even get to properly meet Jimin’s older brother and play with Jiwoo.

The brunette breathes through her nose as she watches Jaemin drive off, still not able to even think about forgiving him.

“Minjeong? Aren’t you freezing? It’s cold out here!” She hears an unfamiliar voice yell.

Minjeong turns around, seeing Taeyang approaching her. “Oh, uh, just needed a fresh breath of air.” She nervously chuckles, her stomach pooling oddly.

Taeyang appears beside her, facing the horizon that only seems to be getting darker but beautiful as each second passes.

He nods, smiling a bit. “It’s nice to finally meet the one who has my sister heads over heels. I’m Yu Taeyang, CEO of Yu Firm.” Taeyang extends his hand out to shake.

Minjeong shakes his hand, the man’s grip firm just like his father’s. “Kim Minjeong.”

They both let go of each other’s hands, the brunette opting to playing with her fingers.

Taeyang clears his throat. “Thank you for staying with Jimin and protecting her. She went through a lot when she was younger and I’m glad to see that she’s gained enough courage to tell our father that she can do and speak for herself. She was also so quiet, only speaking to me when she wanted to be lifted onto the monkey bars or be pushed on the swings.”

He shakes his head, laughing lowly. “My father realized that Jaemin was no good. I’m guessing my father never hated you, he just couldn’t accept the fact that his daughter was a adult who was living her own life without his judgement. He apologized for that, realizing all that he has done was wrong and that he hurt Jimin’s feelings.” The man heaves a sigh of relief.

The man places a arm around Minjeong’s shoulder. “Jimin said you were afraid of meeting me. I’m not that bad. Come on, dinner’s being prepared and Jiwoo has been asking for you for the last 30 minutes.” He leads Minjeong toward the house, laughing when the brunette playfully glares at him and removes his arm from her shoulder.

Minjeong manages to grab the gift she has for Jiwoo in between their tv watching session, leaving him with the raven. He was too distracted to figure out that the brunette had even left.

She comes back with a yellow bag, tapping Jimin from behind and carefully revealing the bag. The raven nods, motioning over to the cabinet near the table. The brunette walks over to the dining room, temporarily hiding the the yellow bag in the cabinet.

When she’s back in the living room, Jimin’s parents calls for them, stating that dinner is ready. The brunette quickly runs behind Jiwoo, tickling him from behind.

Jiwoo begins giggling in Minjeong’s arms, trying to escape from her grip. “Hyung, help me! She’s tickling me!” He tries to call for his brother, who only makes a silly face while Jiwoo continues getting tickled.

Minjeong suddenly lifts him up, placing him into a seat in front of the dining table. The brunette sits next to him, the raven sitting right beside her. The rest of them find their seats on the table, bringing all sorts of dishes.

The brunette’s eyes widen at the variety. “Wow.” She gasps, eyes roaming from each this on the table.

Jimin laughs, nudging her. “I know.” She places a plate in front of Jiwoo, beginning to dish small portions of food onto his plates.

Mrs. Yu motions for Minjeong to grab some of the meat, using her chopsticks to place some on Minjeong’s plate. “You have to eat well, you’re an athlete who’ll need the energy.” Mrs. Yu tells her.

The raven frowns. “You never give me extra bulgogi?” She crosses her arms, looking at her mother.

Mrs. Yu glares playfully at her. “You always steal from your brother anyways.” She shoos her away, sitting down.

Minjeong taps the raven’s arm, lifting up a spoon of rice to her mouth. Jimin opens her mouth, beaming at the taste of the rice. “It’s good!”

They all chatter gleefully, Minjeong and Taeyang picking up more conversation than the brunette expected. Jiwoo makes them laugh a few times with his cute antics.

“So, Jiwoo, what do you want for your birthday?” Minjeong asks the boy.

Jiwoo places a finger in his chin, appearing to be in thought. “The Millennium Falcon! I asked Hyung and Noona but they said it’d wouldn’t be here by my birthday.” He sports a disappointed expression, going back to continue eating.

The brunette stands up to her feet, pulling Jimin up with her. “Excuse us, we’ll be right back.”

Jiwoo looks back. “Are you guys leaving already?” He moves to stand on his chair.

Taeyang gently places a hand behind his back. “Don’t stand on the chair before you fall.” The man makes him sit down, ignoring the look on the boy’s face.

A few minutes later, the light turn off as Jimin and Minjeong appear. “Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday Jiwoo, Happy Birthday to you!!” The raven and brunette sing together, the raven walking toward the table with a small cake.

In the dark, Minjeong can see the bright smile on Jiwoo’s lips, leaning closer so he can blow out the candles. When he does, they all clap loudly and cheer.

The lights turn back on and Jimin places the cake on the table. She faces the brunette who soon walks over to the cabinet. Minjeong pulls out the yellow bag she hid in the cabinet, the Lego red logo occupying the middle of the bag.

She then hands the bag over to the boy. “Look inside!” Minjeong grins as she waits for Jiwoo to pull up the item.

Taeyang has to help him pull it out due to how heavy the object is. When they finally pull it out, Jiwoo gasps loudly, jumping out of his seat.

He looks up at Minjeong. “It’s the LEGO set I wanted for my birthday!” He screams, looking back at the huge box.

The brunette nods, hugging the boy tightly. “I managed to get it. I hope you like it.” She ruffles the boy’s dark hair.

Jiwoo’s smiles shines brightly, Minjeong reflecting his happiness just as obvious.

When it’s time to leave, Minjeong promises to take Jiwoo out soon.

But before Minjeong can actually leave, Mr. Yu stops her by the door.

The brunette turns around in surprise, seeing the man right behind her. “Yes, Mr. Yu?”

The man takes a deep breath. “I just want apologize to you. I realized that it wasn’t right to meddle in my daughter’s relationship and try to break you girls apart.” He sincerely apologizes.

Minjeong closes her eyes, taking in his words. “It’s not me you should apologize to. It’s Jimin that you should apologize to. She’s suffered a lot due to you and it was hard to watch.” Her voice lowers as she speaks.

Mr. Yu stays quiet for a beat before he speaks again. “I know… I know that it’ll take some time before she’ll open up to me and accept my forgiveness, but just know that I’m truly sorry.” He pats the girl’s shoulder. “I think you should get going now. Take care of my daughter, Minjeong. You’re good for her.”

Minjeong hums, bowing her head before walking toward her car.

The raven is waiting in the passenger seat, scrolling through her phone quietly. When Minjeong enters the car and starts it, the brunette is glad their visit at the Yu’s residence is over.

They’re soon on the road and Minjeong becomes more quieter than ever. Slowly but carefully, Jimin’s fingers creep in between her’s, pulling their intertwined hands into her lap.

She knows the raven is looking at her. “So, it wasn’t that bad.” Jimin starts.

Minjeong whines, causing the raven to laugh at her. “Your father is very intimidating.” Minjeong turns onto another road.

At the corner of her eye, Jimin leans her head against the head rest, a fond look in her eyes. The raven seems comfortable, not replying to Minjeong’s statement.

Minjeong raises an eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?” She uses their intertwined fingers to nudge Jimin’s stomach.

Jimin shuffles a bit in her seat. “While we were talking, I don’t know. It’s like I fell for you all over again. You’re just….. you’re everything to me and I think I realized it at the house. Watching you stand up for me, my mother probably likes you more than me, my younger brother always has a huge smile on his face whenever you come and play with him, and my older brother is glad he has someone who finally understands the concept of PC building.” Jimin laughs toward the end of the sentence.

The raven looks down at their hands. “It’s like we truly belong with each other. I think we do belong with each other, and I don’t think I have plans of letting you go anytime soon. You’ve always meant so much to me, since sophomore year of high school, and you’ll always be everything to me. I just wanted to get that out because I’ve been holding in for a bit.”

Minjeong really wants to kiss Jimin senseless right now.

But maybe it can wait.

The brunette’s heart jumps at Jimin’s words, and wants nothing but to reach out to Jimin to let her hold.

“So more family visits?” Minjeong jokes, causing Jimin to playfully hit her shoulder.

Minjeong makes a stop at Jimin’s dorm first, wanting to help her put some stuff away. Yeji was out with Ryujin like always, leaving them alone in the dormitory.

The brunette fails to hide her grin everytime her eyes catches onto Jimin, gushing lowly at how gentle and beautiful the raven looks.

Jimin turns around, in the middle of putting the leftover plastic bags away. “You’ve been a little- oh.” The raven’s lifted onto the counter top by her waist, Minjeong leaning her weight onto her hands beside the raven’s legs.

They stare at each other silently, searching each other’s eyes. Minjeong can already feel herself get lost in the stars that sparkle on the raven’s eyes.

“I haven’t gotten to kiss you all day.” Minjeong whispers lowly.

The brunette isn’t afraid to let the raven know how much she wants her.

Jimin’s fingers find her’s quickly, the tip of their fingers brushing lightly against each other that the raven knows is driving her crazy and killing her.

Jimin challenges her, tilting her head a bit. “Well, what’s stopping you from kissing me then?” She remains eye contact as Minjeong leans closer.

The brunette dives in, capturing Jimin’s lips in her’s. It starts off slow before the raven locks her legs around Minjeong’s waist, arms wrapping around her neck loosely. The brunette’s fingers hook around Jimin’s belt loops, pulling her as close as she can as she begins moving her lips.

Almost immediately, Minjeong feels butterflies in her stomach at the feeling of Jimin’s lips moving against with whatever fervor the brunette puts in.

The brunette tugs at Jimin’s bottom lip, fighting off the smile that soon appears. She pulls away to look at the raven, seeing Jimin reach toward her to push up her glasses. Minjeong laughs, removing them from her face and pushing them aside on the counter.

When she faces Jimin again, she thinks for a moment. “What do you think about rooming together? Ryujin usually always with Yeji and you’re always at my place.” The brunette rambles off.

Jimin shakes her head. “We were originally supposed to be roommates but I don’t know, something happened. But maybe, so they don’t have to complain about walking in to the dorm to see you sprawled out all over me.” The raven taps her fingers against Minjeong’s neck.

Minjeong all but leans in to place a chaste kiss against the raven’s lips. “Yeah.” She whispers in between, before pulling away again. “Okay, now I have to go because we have training first thing in the morning and sleep is something I cherish very much.”

But Jimin doesn’t let go of her, watching as Minjeong puts back on her glasses. Her arms only tighten around the brunette’s neck. “No.” Jimin tells her.

When Minjeong tries to unlatch the raven from her body, Jimin shakes her head. “Jimin, we spent the whole day together.” She reminds the raven.

The brunette backs up, lifting Jimin along with her. Her arms wrap around the raven’s back as she walks away from the kitchen and toward the door. She bends down to let the raven down but the girl still doesn’t budge.

Minjeong sighs. “Babe. Come on. I need to head back.” She isn’t going to fall for Jimin’s cute eyes.

Jimin pecks her forehead. “You know what would be better than you leaving? Sleeping over! Taking me with you!” She continues to smother Minjeong with kisses, earning giggles from the brunette.

She hates when Jimin becomes like this because the raven knows she’s most likely to give in when she does.

“I’ll walk you to your lectures tomorrow and I’ll sleepover.”

Jimin hops back onto the ground, giving the brunette a long kiss before opening the door and pushing the girl out. “See you tomorrow morning, I love you! Now go get some sleep, Yeji is almost here.” She waves at Minjeong.

The brunette laughs, waving at the raven before the door shuts closed. “I love you, too!” Minjeong screams before turning to walk away, beaming.

Chapter Text

They say final preparations toward huge achievements are nerve wracking.

Sure, Minjeong’s felt the feeling in her chest but it must mean its a good thing because she’s not sure how she’s made it this far.

She was happy. Truly happy.

There’s constant reminders of everything she’s achieved and Jimin’s reminds her not to ever downplay them because the raven thinks she’s deserved everything she’s ever earned.

There’s just a few things left on her list of goals.

Minjeong places flowers on top of the two slabs. She purses her lips, eyes skimming the names that read. It took a few movements before her threatening tears were blinked away.

“I’m sorry for not visiting you all this time. I’ve spent time trying find myself and I hope you can forgive me for making you wait so long.” Minjeong’s voice is at a whisper.

The jacket around her shoulder is tugged tighter and she feels the snow sink into her jeans. “I wish I could’ve introduced you two to her, but things don’t always go our way. But her name is Yu Jimin, and she means alot to me. She takes good care of me so you don’t need to worry about me.”

Minjeong wipes her cold tears, exhaling a breath that grasps at her chest. “I’ll always love you two. I hope you’re proud of me.” The brunette warmly smiles, letting out a few tears before standing up.

December comes quick like a cat being caught by an unknown person.

Winter.

(Summer, Junior Year of Highschool.)

“Why do you hate summer so much?” Minjeong groaned at the raven’s glare.

The pool was warm, and apparently, Jimin didn’t like warm pool water. Summer lifeguarding was a pain in the ass, even worse when their captain found issues she remembered mentioning she didn’t want.

Jimin crossed her arms, sending the vice captain a glare. “It’s already hot enough. Why would they keep the water warm when it’s 90 degrees outside!” She let out a frustrated scream.

Minjeong could only chuckle. She noticed there was many things the raven disliked. She was also pretty sure she was on the top of the list because Jimin was giving her the “I blame this on you.” glare that the brunette knew way too well.

Jimin approached the brunette, who was by the edge of the pool, in the warm water, with her arms on top of the platform. She plopped herself right next to the girl, sitting on the edge of the pool.

It was probably the first time the brunette knew she was fucked—because the one person she despised the most shouldn’t be staring at her with a type of fondness Minjeong had never received from her. Minjeong shouldn’t be able to notice the unfamiliar glint in her eyes.

The brunette made a note to press on Jimin’s buttons more after the raven made her do 4 long laps in the 200 meter.

Minjeong was also made a guinea pig for testing the temperature of the water. “Well, it’s not that warm, so stop being dramatic. Summer isn’t that bad.” She rolled her eyes at the girl.

Jimin turned her head to the side, staring at the people playing around in the other pool. “I don’t know, I just like Winter a bit better.” She admitted before turning back to the brunette.

The raven warmly smiled at her. It was the one of the very few times Jimin hadn’t scowl at her at her instead. (Minjeong thinks, Jimin should smile more.)

Minjeong faked a hurl, splashing water playfully onto the raven. “Stop smiling so widely, you’re going to get wrinkles.” The brunette teased, watching as Jimin wiped her face.

Instead of complaining in her face about why Minjeong had to make her life so difficult, Jimin started giggling. The brunette’s eyebrow furrowed in confusion.

The raven began kicking water at Minjeong. “Why, do you think I look too pretty when I smile?” Jimin joked.

Wiping her face of water, Minjeong ignored the pounding against her chest. “Me? Think you’re pretty? I rather coach a bunch of 8 years olds for a week straight than admit that out loud.”

“You hate those 8 year old-”

“That’s the poin-”

“Shut up.”

Minjeong cursed her stupid fast thumping heart.

Winter, the nickname her grandmother gave her when she won 1st for one of her ice skating competition. “Your skating reminded me of the first winter snow. Your style is very fierce, stubborn like the thick ice that refuses to crack.”

Ever since, it was a popular name that stuck with her all the way till now. She never used to understand the nickname until now.

Jimin nudges her with her elbow, knocking the brunette out of her thoughts. “Hey, what has you thinking so hard?” The raven asks.

They both followed after their friends after Yuna made them promise they’d all hang out as a huge group before the start of championships.

Minjeong lets out a breath, her hands warm in her coat. “My nickname.” She answers.

The raven thinks for a moment before answering. “Winter?”

The brunette nods, smiling at Ryujin’s attempt to trip Yuna. “For so long I never understood why my grandmother used to call me that, but I think little by little, I’m starting to understand.” Minjeong recalls the little moments her grandmother would stroke her hair, whispering ‘my little winter’ in the teary night.

Minjeong feels fingers reach into her jacket pocket, tangling their fingers together in what the brunette knows as a beautiful mess.

It makes her attempt of warming her hands by herself seem silly, knowing the raven would’ve gladly held her hand without her having to ask.

Jimin tugs her closer. “I used to call you Winter and it was because you always looked so cold and quiet. You used to hate it.” She reaches up to fix Minjeong’s beanie and glasses with her other hand.

The brunette pouts. “That’s because you used to say it with like the most annoying voice ever. In front of everyone!” She whines.

The raven laughs into her neck, Minjeong feeling Jimin’s breath brush over her skin. “You would get so red! I thought you looked so cute when you’d glare at me.” Jimin pulls the brunette back when she tries to escape from the raven’s teasing.

Minjeong only smiles, following her team into the resturant. “Oh, so you’ve always thought I was cute even when I was practically burning a hole into your head?”

Jimin pulls the girl to sit next to her. “You looked like an angry cat. Yes, I did think you looked cute even when you were burning a hole into my head.” She chuckles, managing to sneak a kiss onto the brunette’s lips when their friends are looking away.

The raven has a way of making the brunette all warm and fuzzy inside, her lips feel and remind her of solace. Minjeong is sure she’s become addicted to the way Jimin’s lips fumbles with her’s, all in different types of ways. She’ll never get tired of it.

While her body is cold, trying to adjust to the now warming of the resturant, Minjeong already knows winter is here to stay.

Winter, in all where there’s slow sprinkles of falling snow, trudging along with her converses, and small brief sessions of cold wind.

It’s cold and quiet of course, it’s own definition. Because Winter comes in like the mysterious cats you see at night.

Cold and quiet is Minjeong, where not all might like her—in contrast of the warm and fuzzy atmosphere people are used to receiving. Summer comes by, making sure everyone acknowledge its presence often but that’s okay, because Jimin likes Winter better.

Ryujin places a hand on Minjeong’s shoulder. “Would a captain like to say something? We’re a few days from championships and we know we couldn’t have done it without either of you.”

Minjeong looks at Jimin, nodding toward the rest of the team’s direction.

Jimin pretends to hit the brunette for putting her on the spot, causing their their friends to laugh. The raven stands up, walking toward the edge of the table.

The raven clasps her hands together. “So far, this year has been one of the best years of my life. I’m so glad that I get to spend it with you all. I’m proud of the team as a whole and individually. Some of us have been friends for so long, we grew up with eachother, all the way up to this point.”

Jimin purses her lips, suddenly turning stern. “We’re going to win that championship, it’s the nationals. We’ve been doing so well all year so we will all need to work hard and prove we’re one of the best teams in Korea. Alright?” With that being said, they all cheer and clap loudly.

It’s not long until everyone starts chattering again. The noise fills their side of the resturant, the brunette glad she has friends who she all loves dearly.

She promises to be the best captain to them all, to work hard and be a captain they can all lean on, even Jimin.

Minjeong spend so much time being selfless, caring more about how her actions affect the team that she often becomes frustrated with herself. It’s still a habit she does, no one else knowing what goes on in her mind. Emotions aren’t something she likes expression—it’s the reason why there’s been very few times she’s cried, also another reason why she earned herself the nickname, Winter.

Like Winter, the weather dries up your tears before they can even be shed.

Over the years, so much has changed due to the people around her. They’ve all taught her what love truly meant, and she can say that she truly loves her friends, her family, her team and Yu Jimin.

As her friends mess around, teasing eachother, all that comes out of the brunette are wide smiles, laughing and her eyes crinkling into crescents.

She thinks her friends, her team deserve the best, nothing but the best.

And yeah, there’s always a little ray of sunshine that seeps through the cold winter clouds.

“Pssh.”

“Sunwoo, shut up and pay attention.” Minjeong shoves his hand away.

Sunwoo taps away on his MacBook. “I was just going to tell you that a lot of people are staring at you.” He says nonchalantly.

The brunette doesn’t look away from her notebook. “This so definitely doesn’t have to do with the fact that I’m wearing a national team jacket with Yu Jimin on the back.” She replies simply.

Sunwoo lowly hums. “I think they’re upset about the fact that their dream girls are both taken. So yeah, it might have something to do with it.” He repeats Minjeong’s words with a mocking tone.

The brunette closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. “You’re annoying, I hope you know that.” She mumbles, closing her laptop as everyone begins to pack up.

Sunwoo bumps into a few people before he catches up to Minjeong in the hallway. “I.” He pauses, smiling at a boy. “Was just stating the obvious.”

The brunette doesn’t quite listen.

She blinks simply at the crowd, stopping in her tracks.

The boy waves his hand over the brunette’s face. “Oh no,no no no. Hey, hey. Shit, Minjeong!” He catches the brunette in his arms as she tips over, the brunette unconscious in his arm.

“Somebody get help!” He screams loudly, holding his friends tightly in worry.

Minjeong squeezes her eyes, slowly opening them due to the bright light. “Why does my head hurt like shit?” She tries to sit up, her body aching a bit.

Almost immediately, the nurse next to her prompts her to lay back down. “Try not to move much, young lady. Just stay lying where you are, I’ll get your mother.” The nurse moves to turn away.

“Wait! What happened to me?” Minjeong asks, trying to stall time before she meets an anxious mother.

The nurse looks down at her clipboard, sighing. “You fainted due to exhaustion. Looking at your past visit, you almost drowned and your sleeping pattern has changed since. It’s listed as trauma here.” She explains, letting the pages fall back into place.

Minjeong lets her shoulders relax, composing herself. “I have championships in a few days. Will I be okay by then?”

The nurse chuckles. “Yes, just try to get as much sleep and water as possible. You were out for a whole day. We wouldn’t want you fainting during championships.” The nurse walks over to the door, exiting out of the room.

The brunette only has a small moment of silence until her mother and brother comes busting into the room, rushing over to her.

Coach Taeyeon kneels beside her bed, cupping her face. Minjeong frowns as she notices that her mother is crying.

Her mother brushes her bangs from her face, before stroking Minjeong’s cheeks carefully. “I’m so glad you’re okay. You don’t know how worried I was.” Coach Taeyeon takes time to take in her daughter’s exhausted state.

The brunette squeezes her mother’s hand, slowly swallowing and taking a huge breath in.

“I’m okay. I just need to sleep more, drink some more water.” She tries to reassure her mother.

Minjeong turns to her brother, who is standing, his hands in his pockets. Inhyuk displays anxiousness, his lips slightly apart. The last time she saw him like this was when she decided to quit ice skating. He tries to catch his breath, wiping at his eyes every then and there.

He’d probably admit that he wasn’t crying.

Minjeong feels her body scream for sleep again. Her eyes feel heavy and her mother notices almost immediately.

Coach Taeyeon sighs, continuing to brush the brunette’s bangs. “The doctors said you’d probably feel all aching and exhausted, causing you to sleep more. You should probably eat before you go to sleep though.” The woman makes the brunette face her, pressing her lips against her bangs.

She stands up, looking toward the door. “Jimin’s been here waiting from morning to night. I told her she couldn’t skip any of her lectures so she came as soon as they let her out.” Coach Taeyeon explains.

Coach Taeyeon faces Inhyuk, the man clearing his throat. “We’ll see you later, okay?”

Minjeong nods, mouthing ‘I love you’ to Inhyuk and Coach Taeyeon.

They both leave, leaving the brunette to wait for the rest of her visitors. She wants to do stuff on her phone, but the brightness from the room is already enough.

Suddenly, she hears the door swing open. Minjeong looks toward the door, seeing the raven already in tears before she can even step into the room.

Jimin covers her mouth, small sobs coming out of her. The brunette makes the move to sit up but winces when her exhausted body tells her no. Minjeong closes her eyes, settling with a shaky breath.

She opens her eyes to see Jimin approaching her. “I’m fine, just a little exhausted, that’s all.” Minjeong tells her lowly.

Carefully, once Jimin sits in the chair next to her,Minjeong reaches up, wiping away the tears that slowly falls down the raven’s cheeks.

Then, Jimin chokes out another sob. “One second, I was on the way to meet up with the others, the other—they were running through the hallway, following the loud ambulance sound.” She swallows harshly, biting at her lip to prevent more tears.

The brunette’s heart breaks at the sight of Jimin crying. She wishes—hopes that she never has to see the raven like this again.

“I’m sorry.” Is all Minjeong can get out. Her thumb strokes gently over Jimin’s skin, wishing nothing but the clouds currently covering over them both to be a short visiting time.

Jimin presses their foreheads together and it feels likes it’s been days since the brunette’s felt her touch, taking in the familiar scent of Chanel perfume.

The raven shakes her head. “It isn’t your fault, it’ll never be your fault. Okay?” Her voice is a bit shaky.

If her body wasn’t so tired, she’d pull the raven into a hug. But she knows she needs rest, so she treasures the closeness that isn’t close enough.

After another few hours on catching up on the sleep she needs, Minjeong wakes up again to the raven sleeping beside her.

Her hospital room is slightly bigger than average rooms, curtesy to her mother wanting to make sure her daughter was comfortable. Her bed is larger, large enough for the person to fit without any problems.

However, when Minjeong fell asleep, the raven had gone somewhere for bit, telling the brunette that she’d be back as soon as possible.

The brunette’s eyes trace toward a bag, and Minjeong realizes where the raven could’ve went.

Carefully, the brunette turns to face the raven, meeting a peaceful face. She’s never failed to realize how beautiful Jimin looked up close, but each time she’s a few inches away from the raven, her breath always catches.

Minjeong traces Jimin’s features with her finger lightly.

Each part that makes up the raven is a part that’s beautiful, even her flaws. All the flaws Jimin didn’t like, Minjeong adored them.

Soon, the raven slightly stirs, snuggling her head into Minjeong’s neck. The brunette chuckles, moving her hand to stroke Jimin’s dark hair.

Minjeong has to cut off her gasp of surprise when the raven falls asleep again.

She figured the raven hadn’t been able to gather enough sleep either, preparing for exams, championships. Guilt seeps through her brain when she realizes that her ending up in the hospital again probably added more to Jimin’s troubles.

Minjeong’s lips find its way to the raven’s forehead, letting out a sigh.

“I’m sorry, love.”

Once the brunette’s discharged, with a few warnings to get more sleep, her friends cling onto her a little more.

Aeri’s been more talkative than usual, like her second mother.

“Make sure to drink water.” She throws the brunette a water bottle.

That was her third water bottle given to her in the 5th hour. “Aeri, I’m fine. I’ve been drinking lots of water, don’t worry.” Minjeong chuckles, the red headed girl rolling her eyes.

Minjeong plops onto the coach, in between Ryujin and Yuna. Hyunjin is laying down with her head on Yves’s lap on the floor.

They’re watching stranger things, Minjeong cuddled up into Yuna. And so far, she’s been nothing but coddled.

“You guys do know you’re still running 2 laps regardless of whether or not you’re nice to me.” Minjeong announces, earning groans.

Ryujin shrugs. “I told them it wouldn’t work.”

The brunette grabs a fry from Yuna’s bag of food. “You know, if we win number 1 in the championships, I’ll ice skate for you all.” Minjeong randomly says.

The girls all look at her. Minjeong blinks at them.

Yuna’s mouth is wide open. “Do you mean that?” She asks, the rest of the girls gazing at her with anticipation.

Minjeong nods. “Only and only if we win the championships. It means you all have to do well in your heats.” She tells them, reaching onto Yuna’s bag to grab another fry.

Hyunjin is now perched up on Minjeong’s leg. “Are you sure? We know it’s-”

Surprisingly, Minjeong lets out a breath. She feels incredibly nervous, but it means it’s a sign of progress and healing.

The brunette finds it in her to share an important part that makes up a part of what makes her—_her. _“I’m not afraid anymore. When I have time, I ice skate, trying to remember what it was like to finally enjoy it. Somehow, even though i’m not as good I remember, I still have retained most of my skills.”

“There’s been people that have been trying to get in contact with me, missing the Kim children prodigies again. So, we agreed to prepare something that would be broadcasted everywhere. You’ll be able to see Winter in the ice skating rink again!” She laughs, at the sudden tears that her friends suddenly begin shedding.

Yves wipes at her eyes. “I’m so proud of you Minjeong. I know this took a lot of consideration.” The girl smiles, the other girls nodding.

Minjeong hopes it was the right choice.

The bus ride to airport is loud.

Jimin spends most of the ride trying to calm them down, but she’s given up, curling against Minjeong.

Minjeong stares out the window, trying to compose herself. There’s a system of nerves working around her whole body.

The championships would be over the course of 3 days, over the weekend. They’d leave on Tuesday, and have 2 days to prepare before the start of the actual event.

Beforehand, the brunette made sure she drank lots of water and got enough sleep everyday and so far, she’s been feeling less tired and exhausted as the days went on.

The girl next to her rests her head on her shoulder, scrolling through her phone. “Babe, can I ask you something?” Jimin’s voice snaps her out of her thoughts.

Minjeong turns toward the girl, who’s still looking down at her phone. “Sure, what is it?”

Jimin sits up, seeming to be in thought. Minjeong tries to hold on her laughter as the raven’s face displays multiple expressions in a small amount of time.

“Promise me, that you’ll gather enough points in your heats to place yourself 1st in the rankings.” The raven lifts her pinky finger.

The brunette simply stares at her. “I can’t promise you that. I don’t want to beat you and place 1st anymore.” Minjeong replies, shaking her head.

Jimin narrows her eyes. “You’re just saying that because I’m your girlfriend.” The raven speaks with a certain tone, in a teasing manner.

A long time ago, Minjeong realized that beating Jimin wasn’t such a good feeling after all. Rather than be upset that she had lost gold to the raven once again, the brunette felt joy when the raven expressed happiness about placing 1st. Jimin’s eyes glowed as another medal was placed around her neck.

Jimin grabs her hand, covering it with the other. “But you spent so many years being upset that you were second. If you work hard, try your best during the championships, you’ll score high enough to earn 1st. Don’t you want to add a huge gold medal to your medals? Don’t you want to finally rank first?” The raven soon intertwines their fingers, a movement that has become muscle memory.

The brunette breathes out, a frown on her lips. She looks down at their hands, finding habit to striking Jimin’s skin again. “I don’t know, Jimin. Really, the only thing on top of my mind is winning the championship as a whole. We have to do well together, not just me alone. You have to do well too.” Minjeong’s voice is a mess of mumbles, in result to her getting upset.

Jimin places a hand under her chin, making her look up. “That’s the thing, Minjeong. Regardless of you wanting to beat me and win gold all the time before, you were still selfless. You’d always get frustrated when your score wasn’t enough to earn us 2nd or 1st. You’d always cheer for us during our heats even though your own was about to start or you were exhausted and out of breath from finishing your heats. Even though we hated eachother, you were always in front of me with a proud smile on your lips after I’d place first. I think you deserve to win a gold medal this time.”

Minjeong opens her mouth to speak but she manages to barely get a word out before the raven speaks again.

“I know what you’re going to say. Just keep it mind ,okay? Promise me you’ll try your best.” The raven lifts her pinky finger up, wiggling it in front of Minjeong.

The brunette lets her shoulder slump, knowing this is a conversation she isn’t going to win. “But what if we tie? What if we gather enough points to both have us tied for first by the end of the year?”

Jimin chuckles. “Minjeong, you know that isn’t going to happen.” She leans her head back on the top of the chair.

The brunette pouts, leaning her head against the window. “Whatever.” She finds a way to slip from Jimin’s in feigned anger.

This time Jimin’s laugh gives Minjeong a newfound breath of fresh air. “Come here.” She leans toward the brunette to quickly press her lips against Minjeong’s.

Minjeong’s pout still remains, making the raven laugh even more. “Leave me alone.” The brunette keeps her arms crossed.

Jimin grabs her cheeks, pecking her lips multiple times. “No, you’re too cute.” The raven squishes Minjeong’s cheeks, cooing at her.

“Some of us are single?” Jungwoo groans from his seat behind them.

Jimin ignores him, letting go of the brunette’s cheeks. The brunette turns to the window. “Baby, look at me.”

Minjeong keeps her face toward the windows. Obviously, she’s upset.

But not at Jimin, it’s never directed at Jimin. There’s just circumstances.

The raven tries again. “Minjeong.” She whines, dragging her voice.

Subtly, Minjeong turns her attention to raven, meeting the raven’s face. “Yes?” She replies, eyes wandering everywhere but at Jimin.

“Look at me.” Jimin instructs once again.

Brown orbs lock with brown orbs, causing for the brunette to heave out a slight sigh.

The raven lifts up her pinky finger. “Just promise me you’ll try your best, okay? Don’t hold back.”

Minjeong stares at the raven’s pinky, slowly lifting up her hand. Her own pinky curls around Jimin’s. “I promise.” The brunette stamps their thumbs together.

When she does, Jimin gives her a look of fondness before leaning in to give her a long kiss. Minjeong’s sure it isn’t like any other long kiss Jimin’s given her. Because while every touch of their lips seem to light fireworks in the brunette’s stomach, this one—sends the brunette into absolute orbit.

It’s all too easy to block all outside sounds and tune into the world that only includes her and Jimin.

Minjeong finds herself wanting to reciprocate almost immediately and she whines when she feels the raven pull away from her. The brunette moves on a certain act of feeling, chasing after Jimin’s lips. She lives on the sound of Jimin’s giggles against her lips, a smile finding its place on Minjeong’s mouth.

Gosh, I am so in love. Minjeong thinks.

It’s one singular motion that it takes for Minjeong to cup the raven’s cheeks, despite the complaints about PDA from her teammates. She doesn’t care, not when the Sun has fully made its appearance on her.

“I love you so much.” Minjeong says in between.

Jay groans obnoxiously loud. “I think the whole world knows at this point.” He kicks Minjeong’s seat.

Well, let them know that Kim Minjeong loves Yu Jimin—so much, a whole lot.

Chapter Text

Minjeong’s surprised when many people recognize her.

She’s lost count of the amount of swimmers and coaches who have come up to her, excited to finally meet her. Her average approaches produce results of her fingers pushing her glasses up her nose at the amount of times she’s had to bow.

It’s been hours since the first half of the event took place, the second half beginning the next day. Her school wasn’t going to start their events until the next day, so they were free to explore the area.

“Kim Minjeong? Who would’ve known?” The brunette winces at the voice that calls for her. She turns around, meeting familiar faces.

The same girls from the locker room. What a jolly.

Minjeong simply smiles at the girls, stuffing her hands into her pocket. “Hey girls, enjoying your time so far?” Her mouth feels sore from faking the motion.

The first girl scoffs, seeming annoyed by Minjeong uptight approach. She cocks her head to the side. “While I enjoy your flattery, I think its best for you to know that this is not what we’re here for.” The girl faces Minjeong, a smirk occupying her lips.

The second girl nods along, crossing her arms. “Our school is going to win and we’ll make sure you feel every emotion possible when you lose to us.” The girl laughs, whipping her hair.

Suddenly, a hand wraps around the brunette’s arm, a familiar perfume scent engulfing her sense already.

“Like Minjeong would ever lose to people like you.” Jimin chuckles with her signature, the one Minjeong used to be at the receiving end of. It was one that easily riled people up.

Another girl steps up to approach the raven, but Minjeong steps in front of Jimin, towering over the other girl. The girl backs up, mumbling something under her breath.

The raven tugs gently on her team jacket, a silent message telling her that it was time to go. “See you tomorrow.” Minjeong smiles cheekily before turning around to walk away with Jimin.

When they’re faraway, swarmed in the mess of swimmers, staffs and coaches, Minjeong squeezes the raven’s hand.

“Thanks. Had you not been there, I would’ve gotten disqualified in the blink of an eye.” The brunette nudges the raven’s side with their knuckles.

Jimin rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe they’re still mad about the last time we met when they were the ones who started it.” She replies, eyes glimmering at an old friend who passes by.

The brunette follows the raven wherever she takes them. They appear in the natatorium, loud with cheers from the people filling the area. Jimin pulls her up the stairs, walking toward the rest of their team.

They sit down, turning their attention to the huge pool. Minjeong’s heart speeds with excitement, in disbelief that they qualified far enough to participate in such an event.

Yuna points toward the pool. “Guys, look!”

Their eyes follow Yuna’s fingers and Minjeong sees a mix of red and blue jackets standing not too far from the pool, clipboards in their hands.

It takes a bit more squinting before Minjeong figures out that they’re staff from the national team.

“Coach Choi might be here.”

“Shit, they’re scouting people for the new roster of the national team. I heard they’re making a second team because there’s so many talented swimmers.” Ryujin explains to them.

Yves sits up straight. “If we win, do you think they’ll take a look at our records?” She faces Jimin and Minjeong.

The raven tilts her head slightly. “Maybe. But I think it’s better if they take a look at everyone individually. Once they see that there’s a pattern of good swimmers coming from our university, and we win, there’s a good chance they’d consider some of us.”

There’s a loud beep that sounds, stating for swimmers to be on standby. The natatorium suddenly goes silent, allowing for the swimmers to prepare themselves for their pullouts.

Minjeong’s stomach pools, waiting for the second beep that begins the start of the 200m medley relay. She has to watch carefully as she was chosen for a relay the next day.

A loud long beat goes off and almost immediately, a bunch of swimmers dive into the pool, multiple splashes being heard.

The crowd goes wild with cheers as the swimmers perform the first set of strokes as fast as they can. Minjeong notices the national team’s scouters jotting down notes onto their clipboard as they do. Constantly, they go back and forth with the representative on a table nearby. The brunette guesses the laptop in front of the representative holds the current swimmers stats.

The first set of swimmers finish their first stroke, kicking off the wall for their last one. Now, the crowd only becomes louder, cheering for their specific school. Minjeong can see that the swimmer in the 6th lane was practically speeding, already halfway back across the pool while everyone else was somersaulting to switch direction.

Then, the rest were beginning to catch up, the 2nd and final set of swimmers preparing to dive as soon as the swimmers touches the wall. It isn’t long before there’s splashes for the start of the final 2 laps.

Minjeong’s heart hammers, unable to feel Jimin’s death grip on her arm from anticipation. There’s no specific swimmer she wants to win, all of them are capable and talented. She figures that the mentally was what caught swimmers in the middle.

Tomorrow, Minjeong has to be focused. In a huge natatorium like this, it’s easy to let the large amount of eyes intimidate her.

Suddenly, the noise that was filling up the area becomes quiet. The final lap is nearing more quickly than the brunette expected.

The swimmers touch the starting wall with their feet, switching directions to finish the final lap.

“Number 3.” Minjeong says.

Her friends look toward her. “What?”

Minjeong breathes out through her nose. “Number 3 is going to win.” She repeats.

Yizhuo tilts her head in confusion. “But they’re 2nd to last?” She turns back to pool. “Wait, shit!”

The swimmer in Lane number 3 is speeding through the other, a huge gap between them and the other swimmers to everyone’s surprise. Minjeong’s eyes narrow onto the screen with the time and speed.

She taps Jimin’s thigh. “Babe.”

The raven hums, not turning away from the pool. “Yeah? What’s up?” She asks.

Minjeong simply stares at the raven. “You’re my partner for the 200m medley relay.” The brunette explains.

Jimin nods, her fingers finding its way in between the brunette’s. “I know. Remember? You said we’re partners in crime. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” The raven turns to grin at Minjeong.

The brunette chuckles. “So you wouldn’t be afraid to try to break a world record?” She challenges teasingly.

The raven raises her eyebrow, ignoring the cheers from the end of the event. “With you? Of course not.”

"Good, because we're going to break one tomorrow." The brunette announces with confidence.

After a brief team meeting, they head to their respective rooms, cleaning up for the day.

Aeri licks the frosting from one of the free cupcakes the hosts' offered. “You know, sometimes I think you’re secretly a undercover spy robot.”

The brunette fights the urge to giggle. “What makes you think that?” She asks, pulling out the bags of takeout they picked up.

Her best friend thinks for a moment. “Because, what type of person knows who’s going to win in a 200m race 40 seconds before they actually win?” Aeri’s face is plastered with uttered confusion.

Her expression makes the brunette want to roll her eyes. “I don’t know who’s more dramatic, you or Ryujin.” Minjeong glances at her other best friend.

Ryujin gasps in feigned hurt. “Me? Dramatic?”

Aeri and Minjeong give her a look.

The raven slugs in her seat. “You guys are so mean.” She pours, turning back to grab her order of food.

They sit together on the floor, giggles being shared as they binged watched Gilmore Girls. Minjeong’s nerves that had been occupying her the day before disappear over a simple hangout with the people closest to her.

It’s easy to let resell relax and be free, messing around with the people she grew up with. She’s sure they’re destined to remain friends forever.

Ryujin nudges the brunette. “So… if you and Jimin win the championships as captains, we take you to LA.” The raven tells her.

Minjeong gives her a glare. “You can only dream.” She playfully gives Ryujin a shove.

However, Aeri nods along. “No, she’s telling the truth. The sports department agreed to let us go to LA for a week during off season if we win the championships or place top 5. We’ve already planned everything, courtesy to your lovely teammates/friends.” Aeri says with a grin and a shake of her shoulders.

Minjeong’s demeanor changes, her face going from disbelief to determination. She stands up, looking down at her friends.

“We’re winning that championship.”

Minjeong wipes her face of water from doing her skincare. As she places down her face towel, she feels arms slither around her waist. The brunette looks in the mirror, meeting Jimin’s smile.

She feels a slight wind of butterflies in her stomach, the brunette turning around in Jimin’s arms. “When did you get here?” Minjeong asks, brushing strands of hair from the raven’s face.

Jimin ponders for a bit before answering. “Not too long ago. They just told me you were in your bathroom.” She grins brightly at Minjeong.

It was not too late, but it was approaching the end of the day, all of them getting ready for the big day. The nerves turned off and on in Minjeong.

Minjeong drags the raven out of the bathroom and toward her bed. Jimin follows after her, shifting into the covers.

The brunette lays onto Jimin’s chest, the raven pulling the covers over them. “Are you nervous for tomorrow?” Jimin asks as they get comfortable.

Minjeong’s head snuggles against the raven’s jaw, her eyes closing as she allows the raven’s scent to slowly lull her to sleep.

“No…. Well, a little bit. It’s been off and on all day. I tries not to let it get to me that much. But yeah, I’m nervous.” Minjeong explains lowly, following along with comfortable silence.

Jimin strokes her hair carefully before running her fingers through the brunette’s soft brown locks. “I am too. I mean, there’s going to be a lot of eyes on all of us, especially me and you, being captains. So people expect we do well and wow, I never thought there would be a day where there would be such a big crowd watching us.” The raven pauses for a second, thinking more of what to say.

Minjeong still listens, enjoying the way Jimin’s fingers feels in her hair.

Jimin chuckles. “I mean, not only are people going to be watching us in the natatorium. It’s going to be broadcasted all over Korea.”

It’s still hard to grasp at the fact that they’re actually participating in the national championship. Many teams qualified after district, regionals, and quite frankly, it was easy for their school to qualify due to how well trained the swim team was.

For others, people call it ‘overkill’ to have the top rated swimmers on one team. Maybe it’s the very reason why they have many eyes on them, even without their captains, their school would still be high in the standings.

Minjeong’s proud of that, they all worked hard for it, the brunette remembering the amount of times her teammates asked if they could extend the training times. They have passion for swim, and determinations all drove them to this point.

The brunette exhales lowly, “It’s our chance to prove how good of a team we are. There’s one thing that we have that the others don’t. People treat swim as an individual sport, while we, use eachother to improve our individual skills, that way we’re always improving ourselves. We depend on eachother when we can’t figure something out. Most teams only rely on their coaches to teach them things when we can learn just as much from our teammates.” Minjeong chuckles, soon after opening and closing her eyes.

Sleep slowly takes over her body, the brunette letting out a sigh at gentle fingers in her hair. “We better get some sleep.” She says lowly, lifting herself from Jimin’s chest.

She presses a few sleepy kisses against the raven’s forehead, before pressing a long one onto Jimin’s lips. “We’ll do our best, that’s all that matters.” She opens her eyes to stare at the raven.

Taking in the beautiful sight in front of her, Minjeong only feels her breath hitch.

The raven nods, smiling when Minjeong brings their foreheads together. “I promise I’ll do my best.” Jimin whispers, sighing when their noses nuzzles.

Minjeong lays back down onto the bed, letting Jimin sneak into her hold as she turns off the light.

Minjeong enters the building with high hopes, her team jacket zipped up fully as she follows behind her coaches. There’s nerves, alright, the brunette catching the eyes of some of the best swimmers in the country. Their eyes are fierce, full with passion and a goal to win.

“You’re going to burn a hole into everyone that you stare at.” Hyunjin elbows her.

The brunette bites the inside of her cheek, facing the girl. “This is how I normally look, though?” She responds, huffing out a breath.

Hyunjin squints her eyes. “Yeah, I know. But maybe just try to tone it down a bit? Even I’m getting scared.”

Minjeong simply shrugs, stuffing her hand into her pocket. It’s only a few hours until they start their events. She has to get serious.

An arm links with her’s, a shoulder softly bumping into her’s. “Hi.” Jimin drags her voice playfully, smiling at the brunette.

Minjeong really can’t help breaking into a smile too, not when the raven is being so cute. “Hi.” She faces the raven, eyes wide and sparkling.

Hyunjin feigns a disgusted face. “I can’t believe that Jimin, out of all people, managed to turn you into a softie.” She mutters.

The brunette ignores her, pecking Jimin’s nose. “You’re done with the meeting?” Minjeong asks, watching as the raven pulls back to nod.

Minjeong doesn’t fail to grab the raven’s gear bag, hoisting it over her shoulder with her own bag so she can lace their fingers together.

“It was awfully long. I don’t know why they needed all the team captains. You left me in there all alone, all bored!” Jimin whines.

The brunette shrugs. “They needed me to go over where we needed to go during our heats.” She shoves Sunwoo and Juyeon forward to continue walking.

They reach the 1st natatorium, the girls and boys heading to their respective locker rooms. Even in the locker room, Minjeong can hear the loud crowd watching the current events going on.

Placing their things onto a bench, Minjeong sits onto it, leaning against the wall. Luckily, their team is the only ones in the locker room.

Minjeong crosses her legs, wiggling her croc at the tip of her toes. “Some of you start your heats soon, get your swimsuits on but keep you sweatpants and jackets on to keep warm. You should be out the door to warm up a bit. The rest of you, change and help the others warm up. After you’re the done, switch. I’ll be out there shortly.” The brunette instructs and the girls start hasting around.

Jimin asks for her bag, Minjeong grabbing it and handing it to the raven. The brunette stands up, taking over the two layers of clothing she has one.

Fumbling with the jacket and her shirt she wore under, she notices the raven staring at her. She’s left in her gym bra and sweatpants.

“What?”

Jimin shakes her head, turning away. “Nothing.” The girl sticks her tongue out playfully, causing for Minjeong to roll her eyes.

Suddenly, the locker room doors open, their eyes following the heads of the new visitors.

The brunette blinks confusedly at a few unfamiliar girls looking at her. “Um, can I help you?” Minjeong asks, wondering if there’s more people who disliked her than usual.

But one of the girls pull out their phone. “We’ve been seeing you around here a lot, we wondered if we could get your number?”

But before she can answer, Jimin slips back on her team jacket, running over to the brunette. Jimin wraps her arms around the brunette’s neck tightly, capturing her lips for a long kiss.

Minjeong stands there in surprise, staring at the raven when they pull away.

The raven grins. “We’re heading out to start the warmups, see you later. Love you!” She presses one last kiss against the brunette’s lips before running out the locker room.

The brunette lifts her arm that holds her shirt and jacket in one hand, hesitating and struggling to find words for a moment. She turns back to the girls, who sport sad frowns.

Minjeong chuckles embarrassingly. “That was my girlfriend, just in case you didn’t know.” She tells them, smiling gently before walking pass them with her bag so she can head to the bathroom to change.

She enters the bathroom to see her teammates singing, swinging their jackets around. Minjeong fights the urge to exhale in annoyance.

“You guys are supposed to be warming up, not jumping around to Miley Cyrus.” Minjeong pinches at the bridge of her nose.

Lia lowers the volume a bit, handing the brush thats was being used as a makeshift mic to the brunette. “Come on, sing it!” She yells, whipping her hair in a circle.

The brunette grabs the mic, waiting a bit. “Prisoner, prisoner, locked up, can’t get you off my mind, off my mind-” She sings loudly, earning shocked stares from her friends.

Minjeong slowly lowers the brush down, clearing her throat as the music plays in the background. “Yes I can sing, not get back to changing.” She puckers her lips, entering a stall.

“Why can’t you just let me go?” Minjeong sings loudly in the stall.

She doesn’t ever remember being this nervous about anything in her life other than placing first in an ice skating championship.

Minjeong knows and understands that championships always have her stomach tumbling.

So far, they’ve been doing really well, climbing up the standings with enough points. It was yet Minjeong’s turn to go, as she has to perform well in the individual 100m freestyle. Then, a relay with Jimin will be their last event before they call the teams rankings.

They’ve been swimming since the morning, all of them obviously exhausted from performing all day long. But they were almost done.

The brunette’s eyes skims the leaderboard, Ryujin on top with a huge gap. She’s swimming fast, probably the fastest Minjeong’s ever seen her go. If she wins this one, it’ll give them enough points to rack second. Then it’ll be on to Jimin and Minjeong to gather enough points to win the table.

Whoever wins the table from the four group, would participate in one heat. One swimmer from each team will participate in the individual medley, top two move on to the next round. Whoever wins the relay medley between the two teams, wins the championship.

Minjeong bites at the inside of her cheek anxiously, watching the swimmers slightly catch up. Ryujin is almost done, she just needs to increase her speed by a little to finished win old.

Their team jumps up and down. “Go Ryujin! Shin Ryujin.” They all clap loudly, watching as the raven splashes become stronger.

Minjeong showed Ryujin a video on her iPad. “If you kick backwards with a little bit more force, it’ll give you like a boost. Small bursts of it can cause a difference.” She turns to face Ryujin, who looked at the screen with focus.

The raven eventually lifted her head up. “But when I try it, it never seems like to work out.” Ryujin huffed in frustration.

Minjeong scrubbed through the video, slowing it down. “See here. It may look like nothing, but it’s something all right. It’s different here because she utilized both her arms and legs in a way that give her the slight edge.” The brunette explained, setting down the iPad.

Ryujin placed her goggles back on. “Okay, I’ll try it.” She nodded, lifting her fist to knock it against Minjeong’s.

The brunette backed up in order to prevent herself from getting splashed. She raised her thumb and a beep was heard.

“Come on, Ryujin.” Minjeong whispers, her arms around her teammates.

She trusts her teammate—her best friend.

The rest of the team either were looking anxiously at the pool or unable to look, facing the ground as they wiggle their feet.

They hear screaming and suddenly, Ryujin is jumping onto the brunette, absolutely soaking Minjeong.

“It worked! I won, Minjeong!” Ryujin screams, throwing her arms around the girl.

Minjeong hugs her back, the rest of them joining and not caring that they were getting eachother wet.

She somehow manages to pat Ryujin’s mess of her hair, so proud and happy. Lifting her hands to grab Ryujin’s head, she presses their foreheads together. “I’m so proud of you. You did well.” Minjeong brushes the raven’s wet hair from her face, blinking through her tears.

Ryujin nods frantically, sniffling. “Thank you.”

The team pulls away from Ryujin, allowing her to walk toward the platform. She bows to staff that hands her a bouquet of flowers. Soon, a gold medal is let around her neck, the raven unable to let go of the wide smile on her face.

So far, her teammates had either place 2nd or 1st, securing enough points to definitely put the in the top 3.

Although, the other teams have falling into the same patterns, meaning Jimin and Minjeong would had to win their relay by an incredible time to win.

She had yet to go either, watching everyone else go and watching on how they next group of people could improve on their heats.

Jimin finds Minjeong, having just finished her heat. The brunette sees the gold medal around her neck, and it prompts her to grab Jimin’s cheeks, kissing her long and slow.

The raven laughs, slowly pulling away from the brunette. “I did it. I tried my best and won.” She breathes, her smile never leaving.

Minjeong lifts the girl up in her arms, spinning her around a few times before placing her on the floor again. “I’m so proud of you as well!” She yells out.

Their teammates join them again in a group huddle, all of them jumping up and down. It’s a surreal feeling knowing they’ve worked hard to get up to this point.

Minjeong knows they’ve started the competition well, and it’ll be up to her to finish it.

Chapter Text

Minjeong shakes off her nerves. She has to, a championship final is no place to let nerves take over. It isn’t her first time, but the feeling is much worse than before.

Maybe it’s because she doesn’t want to let the team down at this huge moment.

She remembers the last time her lost impacted the team.

In the locker room alone, she paces back and forth, constantly looking at the time. She realized that the natatorium was practically full because of the expectancy people had for these top swimmers.

The sinking feeling comes and goes every other second, that it makes Minjeong want to suddenly run away from the pressure chasing after. It begs from her to confront it once and for all. Really, she can imagine doing anything but placing first and winning.

She doesn’t think of it as she’s the best swimmer. She thinks of it—how much harder of a worker she is compared to everyone else. There’s a driving force that makes want to work ten times harder due to the outcome she receives.

The brunette wants to keep her promise, she wants to keep her promise to her team, to her coaches, to her mother and grandmother, to Jimin and especially herself.

As long as she tries her absolute best.

She hears the sound of the double doors being pushed, and turns her head to see Coach Seohyjn approaching her.

“Hey. You’ve been in here for a while.” Coach Seohyun prompts her to sit on the bench.

Minjeong closes her eyes and chuckles. “You know, natural introverted habits, being away from the loudness and in a peace of mind.” She jokes, letting her head fall on her coach’s shoulder.

The woman playfully pinches Minjeong’s thigh. “You’ve been taking attention for years. I’ll think you’ll be fine.” Coach Seohyun reassures her.

The brunette only hums, remembering the last time she was at a point like this. She hopes it won’t end up as the last time.

“Calling all swimmers for the final individual 200 medley to pool 2.” The speaker blares, causing for Minjeong to suddenly jolt up.

Coach Seohyun grabs her hands as she stands up. “You got this, Jimin and Taeyeon are waiting outside for you, we knew it was best if we didn’t suddenly overwhelm you all at the same time.” She squeezes the brunette’s hands gently.

Minjeong nods, giving her coach a hug before walking toward the doors.

She meets the warm air and her heart thumps at the amount of cheering she hears.

The brunette is caught of guard when arms wrap tightly around her neck, warmth pressed to her body. Minjeong lets her arms tightly wrap around Jimin’s waist, breathing her in. At the sudden touch of the raven, the loud cheering and splashing of water no long ring in her ears. She focuses on Jimin only, her heart now thumping quickly for another reason.

After a long while, Jimin pulls away, giving Minjeong a look she’s learnt is only for her. The brunette melts, so glad she’s able to have the raven by her side at a moment like this.

They know they can’t take to long, other swimmers walking to their designated pools. “Remember-” Jimin begins.

“Try your best, that’s all that matters.” They say together.

Jimin captures her lips in a searing kiss, one that makes Minjeong’s blood run at an all time high. When the raven pulls away, she’s smiling widely. “I’ll be proud of you no matter what. Whether you win or lose, you’ll still be the same Kim Minjeong I fell in love with. Okay?”

Minjeong nods, giving Jimin once last hug before she finally moves to her mother.

Coach Taeyeon narrows her eyes, causing the brunette to laugh at her mother’s attempt to seem scary.

Her coach opens her arms to engulf Minjeong in a big hug. “Try not to get disqualified?”

The brunette pulls back to glare at her mother. “That was one time.” She groans.

Her response earns her small chuckle. “You have the potential to win. But it’ll only happen if you believe it and try your best. You’ve worked hard all the way to this moment, now it’s your chance to make it happen.” Coach Taeyeon kisses her forehead before letting her walk to her designated pool.

Minjeong fixes on her goggles, looking beside her. Her opponents are strong, they’re older and faster. It means she’ll have to have to work much harder than they do.

She sees a familiar girl smirk beside her. “Have fun with your 3rd place trophy.” She taunts obnoxiously.

The girl is the same girl who slapped Jimin. Minjeong’s eyes twitches slightly, deciding on trying face her attention toward the pool.

Suddenly, a slow beep is heard, stating for swimmers to get on the block. Minjeong adjusts herself, taking a deep breath.

“Go Kim Minjeong!” She hears her teammates scream.

Minjeong tries to imagine.

She inhales and exhales deeply, her heart pumping continuously in her chest as the natatorium becomes quiet. The brunette’s back foot tweaks side to side, her signature move for when she’s about to start.

A quick beep sounds and Minjeong dives into the pull, trying to generate as much power as she can during her pullout.

Medleys are exhausting. She’s spent years figuring out how to evenly distribute her stamina for the four strokes while still maintaining her speed. Although, her visit at the national team’s facility taught her a lesson about not doubting her abilities. She’s spent time alone, long hours in the pools that’ll her body would adjust to the temperature due to how long she spends in there.

Minjeong has devoted alot of time to because the best version of herself. She isn’t like the swimmers who swim because her parents forced her to—swim had become a huge part of her life since the beginning. Her current point in life wouldn’t be possible without it.

Minjeong’s halfway through her second stroke, and she’s pushing fast. Her arms aren’t tired yet, but from the constant muffled scream of her name, she still uses it as motivation.

She’s not sure when she became so fast at backstrokes. There were times where the only thing she did was swim backwards in a calmly but swift motion.

Like a fish in water, Minjeong feels free. Her heart thumps with anticipation but it’s less nervous than before she started.

Is this her best?

No. Minjeong doesn’t think so.

That’s why she moves her arms quicker. It’s fascinating how how all the math she does come up to this moment. With a little timing, Minjeong is able to give herself an extra push using the same tactic she taught Ryujin.

Backstrokes are the most difficult for her after butterfly strokes but after she complete her 2nd lap, the last two would be much easier for her.

With her arms propelling her body backwards, it’s mentally challenging to not remember the things she’s gone through. How long it’s taken for her to enter the pool after almost drown, trauma almost taking away one of the things she loves the most.

It means she would’ve lost twice, all her hard work after almost never wanting to try again would’ve gone down the drain in the blink of an eye.

But she’s been accepted to the roster of the national team with the person she calls the love of her life, she’s broken a world record, is one of the youngest swimmers to be accepted to the Olympic trials, is the 2nd best swimmer in the city-

Minjeong remembers where it all started.

“Fuck you, Jimin.” Minjeong tugged herself out of the water, the raven snickering behind her after she had beaten Minjeong in the 200 butterfly medley.

It wasn’t fair because she sucked at butterfly strokes. But she refused to ask anyone for help, it was selfish but then again, she didn’t want to seem weak or needy.

Other swimmers congratulated Minjeong for at least placing second, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted to beat Jimin and place 1st for once.

As she angrily stormed into the locker room, she doesn’t notice the sigh Jimin lets out.

She’s realized, that being first physically means a lot, but being first in the heart of Yu Jimin has proven to be much better.

That day, Minjeong learned that Jimin had purposely requested that the brunette be chosen for the 200 m butterfly stroke to teach her a lesson. Heejin had offered multiple times to help Minjeong improve her strokes but the girl had profusely refused, thinking she wouldn’t be chosen for the same stroke again.

It’s funny to think how she’s been recognized for the improvement of her butterfly and backstrokes. She couldn’t have done it without her teammates ( truthfully.)

The last lap begs to come.

The brunette does one last somersault into her best stroke.

Freestyle—Its in the name.

It’s where Minjeong excels the best in. She’s dangerous when it comes to freestyle strokes. People know it’s where the brunette lets out everything, just wanting to be a girl swimming into clear blue water.

She remembers teaching Beomgyu her secret to staying afloat when doing then when they were younger. Inhyuk would cross him arms, accusing the brunette of stealing his method.

Just do you.

Minjeong does what she does best—blocking everyone out and just swimming.

She brings one arm in front of her after the other, utilizing her feet like a propeller. It’s quick, hard pushes, but Minjeong feels the best when doing them.

Try your best, that’s all that matters.

Yeah, but what if she gives more than just her best. What if she gives it her all? At a moment like this, the brunette gives everything, not wanting to regret not doing so that she ends up anything but first place.

When it comes to freestyle strokes, everything happens way quicker than it feels in the water. Because after all the trudging in the water, Minjeong’s hand touches the beginning side of the pool.

She looks around to see that the other swimmers were meters behind her, making her first in the 200 metered medley.

Minjeong removes her goggles, letting her head fall onto the platform as she catches her breath. Before she knows it, there’s tears streaming down her face.

It’s a bit difficult to get out of the water with her exhausted body and fast flowing tears. But when her eyes catches on the leaderboard rankings, she cries even more when she finds out that she’s earned enough points to finally place 1st in the city.

Minjeong is not good with emotions, she’s easily overwhelmed but everything hits her all at once that she doesn’t know what to say or think of first. She only looks down, her hands rubbing at her eyes.

The crowd in the natatorium is loud, all she hears is her name echoing in her ears as the final beep for the end of the heat sounds.

At the sound of the beep, Minjeong lets all that she’s been holding in out, falling to her knees as the announcer states the winner of the heat.

“Kim Minjeong, Vice Captain of Kwangya University is your final winner of the 200 metered medley for the national championship of the year!” He announces into the microphone, erupting a loud roar in stadium like natatorium from the crowd.

She stands up, taking a deep breath as she bows in all direction, muttering multiple thank you’s.

Before she knows it, she’s crowded by reporters who hold up their mics and multiple cameras. “How do you feel knowing you’ve earn enough points to finally beat your rival who is in the same team as you in the city standings?” Minjeong hears a reporter ask.

Minjeong wipes at her face before facing the camera. “It’s been unreal, really. While it’s been a goal of mine since my sophomore year of highschool, now that I’m finally 1st, of course it feels crazy to me. I spent years just trying to beat my number one rival, in order to earn 1st. But, now all I care is being first in her heart.” She says into the mic.

There’s a few gasps in the stadium, and it makes her smile. “For the people who probably didn’t know, we’re in a relationship and we’re very happy. She’s the one who’s pushed me to this point, even encouraging me to finally beat her and earn first in the standings as much as I didn’t want to. But since placing 1st would make her happy and she wanted me to try my best, I knew I had to make it happen.” She nods her head, earning a few aws.

Minjeong’s eyes move toward another person, stating for them to ask their question. “So, we’ve heard that there’s a special rumor going around that if you won, Kim Winter, the ice skating prodigy would finally make an appearance. Is there any way you could address that. And by any chance, would your brother be joining you?” She raises her eyebrow.

The brunette points to the camera. “Hyuk, you hear that?” Everyone in the natatorium laughs.

After they finally calm down, Minjeong purses her lips as she prepares to response. “Yeah, I might’ve prepared a little something….” Her eyes roam everywhere as she shrugs.

The crowd goes wild, sounds of surprised making the brunette chuckle.

She decides that her body had enough of the questions and decides to answer one last one.

“People have been wanting you and Jimin on the national team for a while now and we’re just waiting for the official public release of the roster. Do you think this impressive 200 m medley increases your chance of being selected for the upcoming roster?” The woman asks before leading the mic toward the brunette.

Minjeong pretends to be thinking. “Well, honestly, I’m not sure. I do know that I want prove myself during the trials enough to be selected to go to the Olympics. But of course being on the national team is a dream and I hope that soon, I get to truly be in it. Thank you.” She bows her head, turning around to follow where a staff leads her.

She sees the podium, already tearing up once she does. A staff member hands her a huge bouquet, congratulating her. Another tells her to lower her head for the gold medal to be placed over her head.

The medal is heavy as she walks up the podium, standing on top of the highest block. When she looks out to the space in front of her, sure there’s flashes from cameras, flying cameras spinning at her, people raising up poster boards of her face and name in it. But they’re all a distant blur compared to beauty staring at her.

Minjeong’s eyes locks with Jimin’s, a proud smile on her lips. The brunette smiles widely, her heart thumping faster than when it did when she was nervous.

She’s glad there’s a short time that she needs to stand on the podium because as soon as she gets the chance, she runs through the crowd and crashing into a laughing raven’s arms.

The brunette hugs her tightly, so happy to see her girlfriend.

“Congratulations, baby.” Jimin strokes Minjeong’s hair as she cries into her shoulder. “You did well.”

Minjeong lifts her head, blinking away her tears. “I did?” Her voice cracks slightly.

The raven nods, laughing as Minjeong presses their foreheads together. “You did really well, I knew you would.” She tells her as she backs up.

Jimin lifts up the medal she had won from their relay, placing it over Minjeong’s neck.

Minjeong smiles, eyes catching a glance of her matching first place medals around the raven’s neck.

Although they don’t know the final outcome of the championship, the brunette is grateful for a teammate and captain like the raven.

“Thank you, by the way. For everything. I don’t care if we win or lose. I’m already happy just by being here next to you.” The brunette hugs Jimin tightly.

The raven rests her head on the brunette’s shoulder, and it makes Minjeong feel like she’s home.

The teams stand beside eachother, their arms slung over their teammates shoulders. They look organized with their matching team sweatpants and jackets.

Minjeong can’t help but stare at her shoes, she knows she tries her best but as always her mind would trail back and tell her it was all her fault they couldn’t place top 5.

Placing top 5 is one thing—winning is another one.

The natatorium is completely silent, waiting for the announcer to announce the top five teams. Really, the brunette wants her to hurry about but at the same time, her stomach pools at the the thought of team names being called out.

Sunwoo’s hand massages her shoulder, in an attempt to calm her down, but also to help his nerves go down a bit. Minjeong has to breathe in her every ounce oxygen carefully to prevent herself from fainting due to high anticipation.

Minjeong knows that there’s always next time. But it wouldn’t be the same.

Winning the championship is all she needs to complete her list of goals that she’s held on since high school.

Either way, sophomore Minjeong would be proud of her for trying again and not giving up completely.

“In 5th place….. Yongwan university!”

Minjeong lets out a breath, watching as the Yongwan swimmers scream and yell excitedly.

“In 4th place. We have Hybe University!” The announcer says into the mic, making Minjeong even nervous.

There aren’t any knockout rules. They would be picked for the many teams, without any knowledge of the leaderboard.

Minjeong lifts her head to look around. “It’s okay guys, keep your head up.” She encourages them.

“Now onto the podium. In third, JYP university takes bronze!”

The natatorium erupts in cheers, the group of swimmers next to them in utter shock that they had placed 3rd.

The brunette sees her teammates starting to get nervous. Minjeong chews at her bottom lip, eyes glassy as she looks out toward the crowd.

It takes a while for the loudness to tone down. “Onto silver, YG takes 2nd place! Congratulations!”

It’s a bit difficult to stop the tears from streaming down her cheeks. She can hear some of her teammates breathing, some of them already starting to tear up. But when she glances at her captain, Jimin’s face is stern, her lips pressed together.

She turns to her coaches, and for some reason, her mother is staring somewhere, a huge smile on her face.

“Finally, your winners of the national championship….” The announced pauses, allowing for the crowd to calm down.

At this moment, Minjeong looks down, biting her lips to stop herself from breaking down right there and then. Time slows down, and all Minjeong can hear is silence.

All she hears, in the silence is her heart thumping loudly.

“Earning themselves Gold, with some of the best swimmers in the country, they are coached by Seo Joohyun and Kim Taeyeon who were previously on the national team years ago.”

Her teammates slowly lift their heads, some of them looking around.

Jimin turns to face Minjeong, the raven’s eyes searching her brown orbs.

“All of them worked hard, their captains Kim Minjeong and Yu Jimin earning the highest points in the whole tournament. They are a team of high potential swimmers. Kwangya University, aka SM are your National Champions!” The woman announces and almost immediately, Minjeong’s ears feels the roar of cheers around her.

Her teammates' eyes widen, all of them looking at eachother in disbelief.

The team gathers around in a huddle, loud cries of joy being heard.

Minjeong wipes at her eyes, her lips forming a pout. “We did it….. we’re national champions.” She says lowly.

They let out multiple yells of relief and the brunette is comforting multiple teammates who cry into her arms.

She’s truly happy to see that her teammates are happy as well. They put in the effort and while it was a long few days of constantly working, it all paid off.

It takes a few minutes before her teammates finally let go of her. She runs over to her coaches, pulling them into tight hugs. She doesn’t hesitate to press her lips sloppily onto Coach Seohyun and Taeyeon’s foreheads, muttering words of gratitude.

They smile at her before playfully shoving her away.

Inhyuk approaches her, lifting his hand up. They do their unique and long handshake before pulling eachother into a tight hug. Her older brother ruffles her hair, thanking her for being a good captain.

And finally.

Well, she doesn’t even get the chance to turn around because Jimin jumps onto her, her arms wrapping around her neck and her legs locking around the brunette’s waist.

The raven smoothers her face with kisses, prompting the brunette to begin giggling loudly. Words can’t express how much her cheeks hurt from smiling so widely.

Minjeong’s completed everything on her list.

She looks up at Jimin, seeing the raven’s eyes sparkling brightly. “We did it. I’m glad I got to do it with you.” Minjeong manages to get out.

Jimin nods. “And we did our best, you’re first in the standings, we made it to the national team and we won the championships. You’ve completed your list.”

The brunette lets Jimin down. “Yeah, but there’s still one more thing that I wrote very small.” She intertwines their fingers together, leading her to the rest of the team.

Coach Choi Sooyoung is the one who has the honor of placing gold medals over their heads and the brunette’s neck feels heavier than ever. But she doesn’t mind of course.

They give Coach Choi a hug, bowing their heads with light grins of their lips.

The two girls walk over to stand in the middle, in the very front of everyone with their teammates mushed around behind them.

Minjeong ushers to bring the trophy. Coach Taeyeon hands her daughter the huge through and the brunette glances at Jimin.

“I wanted to lift the trophy with you.” Is all Minjeong says.

Jimin leans toward her to press a long kiss onto her lips before pulling back to smile. “Yeah?”

The raven doesn’t notice that multiple cameras flash at her, but Minjeong’s sure Jimin is too excited to even care at this point.

Their teammates tap their shoulders, instructing them to look toward the front. The raven grabs the other end of the trophy, telling Minjeong to lift it at the count of there.

“Ready, guys?” Jimin asks the rest of the team.

Minjeong takes a deep breath, lowering her body down a bit. “One….. Two….. Three!” She says loudly, soon sparking a loud roar of excited cheers as Minjeong and Jimin lift the trophy high and proudly.

Highschool Sophomore Minjeong couldn’t be any prouder.

Chapter Text

Minjeong can’t believe she agreed to this again.

She doesn’t remember the last time she saw this big of a crowd, other than the national championship.

The end of the year ice skating championships took place a week after the swim national championships. The brunette agreed to performing a solo and a pair with her brother, showing her face to the ice skating world again after years when she suddenly disappeared from it.

If she had the choice all over again, she’d still pick swim—because without it, she wouldn’t have met Jimin, the people who she can call her brothers and sisters.

Everyone is excited to see the Kim prodigies back on the rink and Minjeong is surprised that people still remember them.

She wears a sky blue bodices with a skirt, her dark hair slightly curled and messy. She waits for her brother to finish up dressing and makeup. Until then, the brunette will have to perform her solo first.

While tying up her skates, she slips on Merino wool over them. Minjeong solely keeps her head down to avoid the huge crowd sitting around the rink. She knows that her teammates are in the crowd, ready to take photos and videos of her to turn her into a cherry red tomato.

She warmed up a bit before having to get ready and has been working with Somi to help her get back into what it felt like to be skating in front of an audience again. It isn’t like she hadn’t skate in a while, she actually did pretty often, as it still was another sense of escape. Although, she isn’t certain that it’d be something in the profession range.

But doing this means a lot to her.

It proves that she’s strong enough to touch back on a chapter that she struggled to flip to for so long. Minjeong glossed over it so many times but it still somehow managed to give her a paper cut everytime she does. It’s a reminder that it’s memories destined to stay forever.

It’s something she knew she had to face sooner or later, and now that she is, it doesn’t feel so bad. There’s people who helped her overcome those many fears.

Sitting up, she takes a breath, hearing the announcement for the halftime performance.

“I can do this.” The brunette encourages herself, fixing her hair.

The staff member gives her a thumbs up, a sign for Minjeong to approach the rink. The brunette bows her head in gratitude, walking over to the the door.

It suddenly goes silent, allowing for the announcer to speak into the mic. “Please welcome the first halftime performer, Kim Minjeong.” The announcer speaks and Minjeong is waiting in position in the middle of the rink.

The light dims and there’s a spotlight on the brunette. She hears the subtle clicking of cameras as the silence takes over her.

The music begins playing, Minjeong letting her body form a scooping motion from her shoulder. She opens up her body, soon skating around the rink. The brunette breathes carefully, switching directions as she gains momentum.

She takes off her left foot, the inside edge of her skate, lifting herself into the air, her first spin being a Salchow Jump. It’s a quick motion before she lands on the right outside edge of the pick, extending her leg up and backwards.

She lands gracefully, earning a few claps before she begins freely skating around the rink. There’s many turns, switching of direction she does, with a certain artistry she remembers being reminded that nobody could recreate.

The music is gentle, compared to her stage name. But winter can be gentle or harsh as she’s learned.

Minjeong’s surprised at her ability to be able to control her flow of moment while skating around the rink in high speed.

She skates a bit, swaying her head to the music. Spinning the counterclockwise, Minjeong takes off the outside edge, leaping into a back camel spin. She does multiple of them, 3 in a row before she lifts her leg to glide a bit.

Her flexibility remains to Minjeong’s surprise, and it allows for her to pull the very skills she used to continuously practice until her legs gave up on her.

Minjeong chose ‘So this is love’, wanting to dedicate it to the first she realized she had fallen for a certain raven.

Somewhere in the crowd, Minjeong knows Jimin is watching. It’s the reason why she’s able to express herself on the rink, the overwhelming feeling of falling in love is to be express with confusion and shock.

The routine was choreographed by herself, over the few months she was getting back into her skates. The feelings were there, but she wasn’t sure if it was worth being drawn on the clipboard.

The song is lulling, but the audience has yet to know that her movements express wholesomeness, whenever she lands each jump into a spin. Constant switching to the inside and outside of her skates is too familiar—like she never left the ice skating world.

Minjeong begins building speed for a moment of the song, at the height of it, she goes into a forward spin, soon spinning faster and faster. As she does, she pulls up her back leg into a bielleman spin. Her legs is held above her head as she spins gracefully, earning impress cheers from the crowd.

She releases her leg, taking a deep breath while gently gliding across the rink. Her arms move fluently, edging closer toward the edge of the rink to extend her hand out majestically.

Th brunette skates toward the middle, jumping into the air and tucking her arms tightly in to suddenly perform an axel. Her spin is clean and tight, and it gives her more rotation in order to make it look like she spun more times in one jump than she actually did. She lands on the opposite leg than what she jumped off on.

Skating with a little bit of risk and performing jumps in the climax of each point gave her the nickname, Winter. She had so many aspect to her skating personality, and it makes Minjeong wonder.

The song slows down, prompting for the end of the song. As it does, Minjeong lowers her body, a scratch spin being decided to end her performance. The audience clap as she continues spinning faster and faster.

The song comes to the end and Minjeong is extending her hand toward a certain area in the front of her.

A loud roar echoed in the building, the lights turning back on and flowers immediately being thrown into the rink. Minjeong smiles and bows in all areas of the audience section.

She hopes Coach Yuri and Goeun are watching.

She may have closed an important chapter in her life that she continuously looks back upon. But it’s a chapter she needs to close fully. It’ll still be there, but now, it doesn’t have anymore power over Minjeong.

Because the upcoming chapters look promising.

Inhyuk performed his solo and the brunette joined him soon after. Minjeong can say that she enjoyed skating. She’s not afraid anymore.

Changed into comfortable clothes, Minjeong walks back to car with her mother and grandmother.

It was a surprise to see her grandmother in the stands, and Minjeong cried when she saw her waiting beside her mother after she was down. Inhyuk was shocked too, being the first one to give their grandmother a hug.

Minjeong volunteered to drive them back home, wanting to spend a bit more time with her grandmother.

As she’s driving, Minjeong talks like she’s never talked before. Even her mother finds it incredible.

Her grandmother adjusts herself in her seat. “So, Taeyeon told me you’re officially first in the city and 4th in the country. I’m very proud of you.” Gyeonghui says.

The brunette smiles, remembering everything that’s happened in the past few days. It all still seems unreal to her.

“Thank you, grandmother. I still haven’t even processed the fact that we won the championship.” Minjeong chuckles, turning the wheel.

Minjeong still finds it unbelievable actually—there’s a feeling that sends quick sparks of excitement through her body, reminding her that she has complete everything Sophomore Minjeong wanted to complete.

She deserved to win, Minjeong always reminds herself.

Her mother clears her throat.

Gyeonghui snaps her fingers. “You never told me the lovely Yu was your girlfriend? I remember when you used to get annoyed at her for being too pretty.” Her grandmother chuckles.

Minjeong gawks, facing her grandmother at a red light. “You met Jimin?” She asks, paying attention back to the road.

Gyeonghui shakes her head. “I’ve always known her, me and her grandmother are friends. We always knew you two were good for eachother. We just needed you two to realize it.” Gyeonghui tucks her hands politely into her lap as they approach the house.

The brunette parks into the driveway, unlocking the doors. She lets her mother and grandmother out, opening her door. “I’ll come visit you soon, Grandmother. Thank you for watching me perform.” She smiles, standing out of car to give Gyeonghui a tight hug.

Gyeonghui hugs her, rubbing the brunette’s back fondly. “No problem Winter, give me a call when you can.” She pulls back to pinch Minjeong’s cheeks.

The brunette nods enthusiastically. “I will!” Minjeong turns to face her mother. “I’ll see you soon, mom.” She gives Taeyeon a hug, repeatedly kissing her mother’s cheek.

Taeyeon chuckles before shooing her away. “Drive safely, I love you!” She waves before walking into the house.

Minjeong enters her car, shutting her door shut.

(Jimin’s special POV)

University is utterly exhausting.

Jimin’s not sure why she chose the major she did. She enjoys biology—just not the amount of critical thinking it requires.

She takes a deep breath, typing away on her laptop. The cafe is the only place where she can truly focus, not worrying about her friends somehow convincing her to hang out at the mall again.

She’s almost done, well….. almost done enough to call it a day. The staff workers hardly bother her anymore, knowing she visited the cafe everyday to do her work. Most students did, but she’s a regular, has warmed up to the staff that staying there long hours until the closing time at 8pm doesn’t seem like a big deal anymore.

Jimin’s phone vibrates a few times, causing for the raven to glance at her lock screen—a photo of her and Minjeong. Her screen brightens at each vibration of a message.

[Minjeong]: hey, im going to be coming back a little late today. you’re going home around 6pm today right?

Jimin lifts her phone, swiping up to begin replying.

[Jimin]: yeah, It’s 4 so you’ll be coming around 5?

[Minjeong]: yeah, i need to pick up some stuff. Do you want anything?

The raven smiles at her girlfriend’s consideration. She doesn’t hesitate to respond.

[Jimin]: my favorite take out and maybe a tub of oreo ice cream? 😁

[Minjeong]: okkkk, I’ll see you later

[Minjeong]: don’t stay in the cafe too long, I’ll miss you

[Minjeong]: love you❤️

[Jimin]: love you too, jeong. I’ll be done in a bit

She places her phone down with determination to finish her work. It’s time like this where Jimin finds herself grateful for the brunette because if it wasn’t for the brunette and her sweet thoughtful messages, Jimin would’ve given up on many assignments and projects.

Words of gratitude escape from her lips when a worker asks if she wanted a refill of water. She isn’t very much of a caffeine person, it never helps her focus either way. Often did she catch herself off guard when she had a bit of caffeine in her system.

However, she can get away with a small cup of iced coffee. But not in the cold winter.

Her eyes occasionally glance outside the window, seeing snow slowly fall onto the ground. It makes her feel nice because the view is beautiful, complimenting with the warmth that sits in the cafe.

It’s one more hour of clicking through multiple tabs and typing in her laptop before she lets out a sigh and closes her laptop.

Luckily, she’s finished earlier than the time she thought she would be and finds herself slugging her backpack over her shoulder. As soon as she meets the cold air, she curses under her breath for not listening to Yizhuo about layering up.

Her car isn’t far, so she makes haste to walk to the parking lot before it started to snow even more. When she makes it in the car, Jimin lets out a tired sigh, throwing her bag into the passenger seat and starting the car.

Her head rests on the steering wheel for a bit, in an attempt to compose herself after a long day. At least this time, she doesn’t have to go to work or swim and could finally stay home with Minjeong.

The raven keeps her head on the steering wheel while the car warms up a bit. The car hums, causing Jimin to lift her head to check who had possibly messaged her.

[Minjeong]: Please drive safely, the roads are a bit difficult to drive on, okay? See you soon, love you baby.

Jimin huffs, already wanting to be in the brunette’s arms. She takes a deep breath, setting her phone down so she begin driving.

She makes sure she’s careful, driving slowly on the road.

It takes a bit for Minjeong to get home. The brunette texted her saying that she’d be getting home later than she usually did because she had to pick up some stuff. Jimin simply responded for her to drive safely since it was snowing.

She waits on the couch, blanket spread over her legs as she watches a dating show she’s been interested in for a while now. It’s enough to distract her from the fact that she has nobody to snuggle into in the cold weather.

Her phone continuously lights up everytime she taps her phone to either check for any messages or the time. It’s gets dark by the time the episode Jimin was watching finishes.

The raven lets out a sigh, clicking on the next episode. Her phone dings a few minutes into the episode.

[Minjeong]: Uh hi babe do you mind opening the door? My hands are a little bit full to grab my keys

Jimin chuckles before standing up to walk toward the door and opening it. When she opens the door, Minjeong is soaked, a bunch of bags in her hands.

The raven sports a look of amuse, moving aside to let Minjeong in. “So this is why you took so long to get here?” She asks, following the brunette into the kitchen and more concerned about the fact that the brunette’s wet.

Minjeong lets out a heave, setting all the bags onto the counter. She takes off her jacket and kicks off her shoes. “Don’t look inside the bags yet!” She screams with panic when the raven goes to look inside them.

Jimin blinks, lifting her hands in surrender. “Why?” She turns to Minjeong, crossing her arms.

Arms gently squeeze her own. “Trust me, okay? Just wait for me then you can look inside, it’s a surprise.” Minjeong smiles cheekily.

The raven nods slowly, gears of understanding clicking in her head. She’s soon leans in to connect their lips together but frowns when Minjeong dodges her. “Why won’t you kiss me?”

Minjeong backs away, walking backwards toward their room. “I need to take a shower first because I literally smell like really cold rain water.” She jokes, Jimin rolling her eyes at her.

The door shuts close, prompting Jimin to sit back onto the couch and enjoy her show a bit longer. Her heart feels warm knowing Minjeong went out of her way to surprise her with whatever she’s planned.

After a while, Minjeong comes out of the room, refreshed and cozy in their matching PJs the raven bought them.

Jimin hops off the couch, excitedly walking toward the counter. “Can I look now?” She asks the brunette, fingers already tucking under the bags hook to pull open.

The brunette chuckles, nodding.

Jimin pulls out the items one by one, finding mostly ingredients. “What are these for?”

Minjeong makes her way to the other side of the island, pulling out bows and huge mixing spoons. “We-” She grabs the bag of flour. “Are going to be making a few things for Christmas. We’ll have one for ourself, and the rest will be for the congratulatory party” She explains.

The raven smiles and takes out the rest of the items, silently pushing them toward the brunette. “What are we making?” Jimin slides on the wood toward the brunette.

Minjeong reaches over to help the raven pull up her long sleeves. After, she pulls up her own long sleeves before reaching for the things she needs.

“We’re making a few pies, Oreo, gingerbread and Apple cinnamon pie.” The brunette turns her body to preheat the oven.

They need to make the Oreo crumble pieces first, so Jimin pulls out their food processor. She puts the first pack of Oreos into the processor, adjusting where they are so they can fit properly. Jimin puts an S blade in before shutting the processors and starting it.

While the raven does that, Minjeong skims through the recipe, making sure they’re doing everything correctly. The next step’s ingredients wait in front of them as Jimin finished up with the processor, pouring the crumbs into a small bowl.

They have more Oreos just in case the current amount of crumbs aren’t enough. Minjeong reaches for the bowl, lifting up a bag of sugar to pour onto the crumbs. She pours about a cup into the bowl. Then, Jimin pours the amount of butter they need before the brunette allows her to mix it.

Minjeong pulls out a foil shaped dish for the pie. “Once you’re done, you can press it into the dish and then we’ll let the crust bake for a bit. While we wait, we can prepare the filling. You can choose which one to do, the processor or making Oreo chunks.” The brunette grabs the rest of the Oreos and pulls out the chopping board.

Jimin nods, continuing to mix the mixture of butter, oreos and sugar. “Hey Alexa, play Christmas music.” The raven instructs and music begins filling their kitchen.

They enjoy baking, not afraid of being a little messy. Minjeong knew how much the raven wanted to spend time like this and made sure it’d happened no matter how busy they became.

Ever since their break started, there were things that they still had to tend to Minjeong spends long days at the university, working constantly on her projects or swimming. The days she has off are spent at a new tech location, where she excels the most. Sometimes they’d both come home late, both exhausted and ready to fall into eachother’s arms.

However, their winter break started and Jimin only goes to the cafe to study or finish up assignments as it’s the place she’s able to focus on her work. She likes getting things done earlier so she wouldn’t have to worry about it later, leaving space for other things to pile up on her.

The brunette only had to check up at work, and apparently, it took longer than she expected so Jimin then expected her to come late.

When the two pies is in the oven, baking, they take their time in making their own pie.

Minjeong dips her finger in the leftover whip cream, a reasonable amount on her finger. The raven is prepping the last pie dish, oblivious to the fact that the brunette is preparing to catch her off guard.

The brunette reaches to smudge whip cream all over Jimin’s lips, startling the raven a bit. Minjeong giggles when the raven playfully glares at her. The brunette takes it as a chance to lift up her phone, snickering as she snaps a few pictures.

“You look ridiculous.” Minjeong teases her.

Jimin makes a noise that sounds like a whine, still looking at the girl. “Wipe it off.” She warns Minjeong.

Minjeong wiggles her eyebrow, her smile full of teasing that the raven can’t really be mad at her. Although, the raven realizes Minjeong is having too much fun knowing that Jimin can’t reach for a tissue due to her hands being full of cinnamon syrup.

When the brunette simply stands beside the raven, not making any moves to grab a tissue to wipe the whip cream off, an idea lights in Jimin’s head.

Jimin leans toward the brunette, capturing her lips in an especially sweet kiss. It’s long and the raven almost finds herself lost in Minjeong before she remembers what she’s supposed to be doing.

The raven slowly pulls away, her eyes fluttering open to catch Minjeong’s reaction. She can’t help but giggle when the brunette’s mouth is covered in whip cream.

The brunette licks her lips, wiping her hand across her mouth to clean up the rest of the mess Jimin left on her lips. “You little rascal.” Minjeong laughs.

Jimin chuckles, moving to place the last pie to sit in the oven. When she turns back around, she sees Minjeong covered in more whip cream.

Minjeong grins widely, causing for the raven to let out a sigh before she laughs.

“A kissing monster, that’s what you are.” The raven grabs a tissue to wipe the brunette’s face, holding Minjeong’s chin carefully.

She wipes Minjeong’s face, not seeing the fond gaze the brunette is giving her. Once Jimin is done, she catches Minjeong’s eyes, her shoulders relaxing that she finds herself falling in love all over again.

There’s still a bit of whip cream left on the top of Minjeong’s lips.

Jimin doesn’t hesitate to kiss it off.

After having their fillings of pie and stuffing the rest in the fridge, Minjeong joins the raven in indulging in a dating show watching…. no matter how much Minjeong grumbles about how frustrated she gets at the obliviousness that occurs every episode.

“For me? Please?” Jimin offers her wide cute eyes that she knows the brunette gives into everytime.

The brunette makes an unamused face. “Jimin, as much as I love you, I really can’t go through another episode of these couples being paired terribly.” She groans, covering her eyes dramatically.

Jimin pecks the brunette’s lips a few times slowly, muttering ‘please’ in between. She tugs a bit on Minjeong’s arm.

Minjeong lets out a sigh. “……Fine.” She mumbles.

The raven grins, leaning into Minjeong’s side as they turn to the tv. Jimin presses play, her head leaning onto the brunette’s shoulder, their legs tangled under the blanket. It makes the raven feel fuzzy, being able to cuddle with Minjeong on Christmas Eve.

There’s no other place she rather be.

Although, Minjeong never really does a good job paying attention to the tv.

Because the raven finds arms wrapped around her waist and lips pressing against her temple and cheek all throughout the episode. Minjeong argues that it’s because she looks too precious not to pepper with kisses.

Jimin’s focused on the tv, feeling the other side of the couch dip as Minjeong moves toward her. “Jeong, pay attention.” She tells the brunette.

Minjeong playfully rolls her eyes and leans down to let her head rest onto the edge of the couch. The warmth the raven had disappears in a blink.

At least the brunette’s paying attention—right. That’s what Jimin wants. But then 1 episode without Minjeong pressed up against her side turns into 3. As much as the raven doesn’t want to admit, Minjeong ever zoning out on a dating reality show comes with consequences.

The raven goes to grab something from the kitchen, walks back over, and crawls over Minjeong to lay on top of the girl.

The brunette lets her find a comfortable position before Jimin finds her head resting on top of the brunette’s chest. Jimin sighs, pulling the blanket over them and glad to be finally done with the day.

Fingers gently scratch at her scalp, taking in Minjeong’s scent. Jimin notices the brunette’s extended quietness, due to the the show they’re watching still taking her full attention.

Jimin hasn’t seen her girlfriend all day, and does not like losing her attention to dating reality shows.

She lifts herself from Minjeong’s chest, pressing her lips gently against the brunette’s jaw. “Babe.” She mumbles in between.

Minjeong hums in response, not taking her attention from the tv.

Jimin huffs, keeping her lips against the brunette’s skin. She isn’t going to lose to the TV—she refuses.

The brunette’s hand glides down her back unconsciously. Jimin simply pouts, upset about Minjeong not paying attention to her.

Jimin cups Minjeong’s cheeks, pecking her all over her face where she can, knowing the brunette won’t be able to resist reciprocating.

And she’s correct because Minjeong turns to face her, eyes curious to tend to Jimin’s needs. “Yes, baby? I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention.” Minjeong’s voice is gentle as she fully wraps her arms around Jimin’s frame.

(Despite being the one telling Minjeong to pay attention.)

TV- 0 Jimin -1

Jimin grins so cheekily that the brunette laughs. “You weren’t paying attention to me and i didn’t mean for you to fully ignore me to watch the show.” She whines.

Minjeong brushes a strand of hair from her face, looking up at her fondly. “Well, you have my full attention now.” She smiles gently that the raven can’t help but capture her lips.

Kissing Minjeong more after a long day of not seeing her places sparks in Jimin’s stomach. Of course, the raven tastes a bit of the apple cinnamon pie they had a bit earlier.

The brunette pulls back to plant continuous pecks against Jimin’s lips. “I love you. I love you so much.” Minjeong says between each peck.

Jimin giggles, giggles because of the way the brunette’s lips brush gently against her’s, the way Minjeong’s lips feel soft against her’s and the way she feels that feeling in her stomach she gets whenever she’s in at least a 5 foot radius of the brunette.

She’s a bit head over heels.

They soon find themselves lost in eachother. Pecks soon turn into long, slow, kisses. The tv plays lowly in the background and Jimin can care less, not when the brunette engulfs her lips with a fervor unknown.

And in a blink, the tv is off, the lights dark as Minjeong lifts her up. Their lips don’t part for one moment as the raven lets her legs lock around the brunette’s waist, her arms resting lightly over Minjeong’s shoulders. One hand plays lightly under the layers of Minjeong’s brown hair.

Jimin’s heart thumps in her ears, and she has to pull away a bit just to catch her breath. The brunette takes the chance to bring them to her bedroom.

Their eyes never waver as Minjeong carefully sets her onto the mattress, crawling over to lay her weight slightly over the raven’s body.

Minjeong gives Jimin her full attention, gazes at her like she holds her whole world. They don’t need to speak—they understand eachother just by looking into eachother’s eyes.

The brunette’s eyes display so many different emotions that Jimin’s simply in awe. She’s unable to apprehend the reasons why Minjeong feels so much for her, Jimin’s unable to make sense of it.

In the way Minjeong makes Jimin’s stomach pool with one look.

The brunette looks endearing, and Jimin finds her breath hitching when Minjeong’s bangs cover her eyes slightly.

Jimin’s fingers gently run through brown strands, pulling Minjeong impeccably closer.

Minjeong is careful of her breathing, but soon opens her mouth to say something. It’s low, barely a whisper but the raven hears it.

“I’m yours.” Is all the brunette says.

The hand in Minjeong’s hair momentarily pauses, her heart speeding up even more.

On Christmas Eve, it’s cold, freezing even. Outside, the raindrops pour every then and there. Minjeong’s body pressed against her’s claims the goosebumps that result from the cold. The brunette’s warm, everything is warm about Minjeong and it radiates evidently to Jimin.

Jimin sees sincerity in Minjeong’s eyes, as she searches for another answer other than what the brunette’s said a few seconds before. But she finds nothing but sincerity.

“You’re mine?” Jimin asks, feeling the lump in her throat go down.

The brunette breathes slowly as she presses their foreheads together. “Yes. As long as you allow me to be.” Minjeong responds with no waver in her voice—no hesitation.

Jimin takes in Minjeong’s majestic Burberry scent as their nose bumps. It’s fascinating as to how easy it is for the brunette to take her breath away with every little thing she does.

The raven closes the gap between them, her fingers tenderly digging into the layers of Minjeong’s hair again. There’s a different spark this time.

Minjeong reciprocates, following the rhythm the raven’s set. The raven pours out everything and she wants to cry at how carefully Minjeong takes care of her, the brunette’s fingers tapping gently under her shirt, against bare skin at her side.

She loves Minjeong wholeheartedly, loves the thought of doing everything with Minjeong, loves the thought of sleeping beside eachother, arms around her waist and front pressed into her back as the brunette protects her from all the fears that sometimes comes to haunt Jimin at night.

She loves the way their legs tangle beautifully under the blanket, loves the way their fingers perfectly enclose the gaps in between their hands. Jimin adores the way Minjeong gazes at her, whispering words of comfort. She liked the way Minjeong’s head fits in between the crook of her neck, soft breaths pattering against her neck.

She loves the way Minjeong’s stubborn at times, determined and hardworking. She loves the flaws the brunette dislikes, loves telling Minjeong that she’s everything to her.

Jimin loves everything about Minjeong, sometimes she can’t believe that a girl like the brunette exists in her very arms, loves her more than she can imagine.

The words sit comfortably on her tongue as she parts just slightly away from Minjeong’s lips. “I’m yours as well. I will be there by your side for how ever long you need me to be. My partner in crime, my everything, the love of my life.” Jimin whispers, smiling in between.

Minjeong smiles as well, even if they’re slightly parted, the raven can feel it tickling. “My everything. I love you.” The brunette breathes.

Jimin’s heart flutters, and there was truly something in the water.

Love.