Ryujin has never felt this much awkwardness in her entire life.
She looked at the people around her, wondering what's going on. Yuna looks unbothered, just using her phone while tapping her foot on the ground in rhythm. Aeri is glancing around, looking normal as ever. Though her quietness gives it away. Aeri is never quiet. She is anything but that.
Minjeong, although she's quiet most of the time, she will appear relaxed. But she isn't, as of now. She looked more tense than relaxed.
"Uh, guys?" Ryujin called them all. Aeri and Yuna glanced at her, while Minjeong didn't. The latter looked so lost, at the same time, occupied. Ryujin doubts that Minjeong had heard her.
"Why?" Yuna was the first one to respond.
"Why are we here in front of the parking lot? Aren't we going home?"
"We're waiting for Jimin and the others." Aeri answered. "We're going to bid goodbyes to them before going home."
"Oh, okay?" Ryujin doesn't know why they need to do that, but she guess it's alright. She wants to see Yeji too.
She glanced at Minjeong who's still not saying anything. She approached the girl and tapped her back.
"You okay, pup?"
Minjeong flinched. "H-huh?"
"What's happening to you?" Ryujin asked in worry. "Are you okay?"
"I…" Minjeong looked at Aeri. "I need to talk to her."
"Talk to…what?"
Minjeong didn't say anything and left Ryujin. The girl approached Aeri and held the latter's wrist, dragging her away.
"…What the hell is happening?" Ryujin muttered to herself as she watched the two.
"I honestly don't know." Yuna said beside her. "They were silent as heck during our lunch break! You won't believe how much tension I felt earlier!"
"What?" Ryujin faced her. "Tell me what happened earlier."
"Jimin talked about staying in Minjeong's house last night—"
"SHE WHAT?!"
"Oh my God, don't shout! You're hurting my ears!" Yuna shouted back. "Do you want to know what happened or what?!"
Ryujin sighed deeply, trying to calm herself down. "Okay…okay, tell me. Tell me everything that happened. Don't leave any details."
Yuna rolled her eyes at her before telling everything that had occurred earlier, and as Ryujin commanded, without leaving any details behind. Her cousin is just staring at her the whole time with wide eyes, as if she couldn't believe what she's hearing.
"…and that's what happend."
"W-what happened after that? Did they fight? Did Minjeong get hurt?"
"No, why would they fight?" Yuna exclaimed. "They didn't do anything. Although there was a long silence after that. I was even the one who spoke first because I felt like they're just planning to stare at Minjeong. The puppy is looking down the whole time."
"…This is a mess."
"Mess? What are you saying? Do you know something that I don't?"
Ryujin didn't answer. Before Yuna could say anything again, Jimin and her friends had already arrived.
"Hey girls!" They cheerfully greeted the two. Jimin scanned the whole area before speaking.
"Where's Mindeongie and Aeri?"
How should they explain it? That Minjeong just dragged Aeri away out of the blue?
"Uhm…"
Ryujin can't come up with a reason. Not like she needs to, because Minjeong and Aeri came back before she could even say anything.
"Hi guys!" Aeri greeted in a happy tone. Minjeong is just silent beside her.
Ryujin immediately went to Minjeong and dragged her to the side.
"I heard what happened. What did you do, Minjeongie?"
"Ryu…" Minjeong trailed off. "I told Aeri that I like Ningning so she doesn't have to worry about me."
"What? Why?"
"I don't have a choice. I don't want to lose Aeri." Minjeong said sternly. "I don't want to create a mess in our friendship."
"And you're letting go of Jimin?"
"She's not mine in the first place." Minjeong frowned. "I'll continue avoiding them."
"You know you can't do that. In a few weeks, we'll have a trip to Japan. You can't avoid them forever."
"I don't know what to do anymore, Ryujin." Minjeong gripped on Ryujin's shirt tightly, as if she'd fall on her knees if she didn't. "I feel trapped."
"We need to go home." Ryujin said immediately and held Minjeong's shoulders. "Do you want a ride? I'll take you home."
"Okay—"
A car suddenly stopped in front of them, which took Ryujin and Minjeong's attention, as well as their other friends who were talking on the side.
"Ningning…" Minjeong muttered when she saw the familiar car in front of her. As if on cue, the owner of the car went out.
"Hey girls!" Ningning is wearing a cap and a mask. But the red hair was already a dead giveaway.
"Hey, Ning!" Aeri was the first one to react as she hugged the girl briefly before backing away. "Why did you come here?"
Ningning looked at Minjeong. "I'm fetching my puppy."
"Your puppy?" Aeri teased.
The singer glanced at the girl beside Aeri for a moment, before looking away.
"Yup. My puppy."
"What is she saying?" Ryujin whispered to Minjeong. The latter shook her head, also clueless.
"Don't ask me, I don't know either."
"Are you two…together?" Yeji asked the singer.
"We're not…yet."
No one spoke. No one reacted. Except for Aeri who squealed.
"I knew it!" She exclaimed. "There's really something going on between you two!"
Ningning just smiled. She turned to Minjeong, her smile growing big.
"Let's go?"
Minjeong nodded at her. The girl subtly bid her goodbyes to her friends before she and Ningning went inside the car.
The girls silently watched the car drive away until it was out of their sight.
"I'm going home." Jimin was the first one to speak after a long silence. She smiled at the girls, before walking her way to her car.
Ryujin noticed Aeri's stare on Jimin.
"Aeri?" She called her. Aeri glanced at her before looking at Jimin again. She has this confused look on her face.
"We were supposed to hang out. I asked her to shop with me earlier." Aeri frowned. "Did she forget about it?"
Ryujin could only shake her head in exhaustion.
____
"What was that?"
Minjeong asked, breaking the long silence between her and Ningning.
"What was what?"
"The thing you did earlier. The 'together' part, why did you answer it like that?"
Ningning shrugged. "Just wanted to do it. Besides, we're pretending in front of them, right?"
"Don't you think it would create an issue? I mean, we can't pretend forever."
"Let them be, I think Aeri is the only one who keeps shipping us both." The singer laughed. She glanced at Minjeong, seeing how quiet the latter is. "You okay?"
"…I'm fine." Minjeong sighed. "Listen, I have to tell you something."
"Go on."
"I kinda told Aeri that I like you."
"Now that," Ningning chuckled. "Is an issue. No wonder why Aeri is squealing so much."
"You're not mad?"
"Why would I be?"
"I used you."
"And it didn't make me mad. I just wanted to know the reason why you did that."
Minjeong didn't answer which made Ningning sigh.
"You can tell it to me anytime, I'll wait." She tapped Minjeong's thigh. "We're here."
Minjeong got out of the car. "Thanks, Ning. Go back to your manager, I know you're just trying to escape."
Ningning laughed. "You know me too well. Bye, Minjeongie!"
Minjeong waved her goodbye as she watched the car drive away.
She was about to get inside her house, when a car stopped in front of her.
And it's not Ningning's car, for sure.
"…Yuji?" Minjeong mumbled as soon as the said girl got out of the car. "What are you doing here?"
"Hi!" Jimin greeted her.
The short haired girl took a step back, repeating her question. "Uhm, what brings you here?"
"I was wondering if we could hang out together again?"
Minjeong gulped.
'Say no. You need to say no, Minjeong.'
As if sensing her hesitation, Jimin smiled at her. "Please?"
'Don't do it again.'
"B-but I will be really busy, Yuji. I have to do something in the Cafe."
The girl's smile slowly disappeared.
"Oh…is that it?"
Minjeong clenched her fist tightly.
"Yes."
Jimin smiled again. "Then can I come?"
'What?'
"I-I don't think you heard me, Yuji. I will be really busy—"
"Treat me, then." The taller girl cut her off. "You said you wanted to pay me back, right? Then treat me, Mindoongie. In your cafe."
Minjeong stared at her.
"You'll just eat food."
"Exactly."
"You'll get bored after that."
"I won't."
"What would you do?"
"I'll wait for you." Jimin smiled. "Or better yet, let me help you with your duties."
Minjeong sighed. "You'll get tired after that."
"It's fine. I have nothing to do, anyway." Jimin said. "Please?"
The short haired girl couldn't help but to chuckle. Jimin looks like a puppy more than her right now, waiting for her owner to say yes.
"Just…just stay there. I'll change my clothes." Minjeong went inside her house, leaving Jimin alone. A few minutes had passed and she went out, wearing her casual attire.
"Let's go, Yuji."
Jimin opened the passenger seat for her, which made her smile lightly. She got inside, followed by Jimin.
"Seatbelt." Jimin leaned closer and buckled the seatbelt for Minjeong.
Minjeong was holding her breath the whole time that Jimin was doing that.
"I'll tell you the directions."
Jimin nodded and started to drive. The ride was comfortably silent. Minjeong would only speak when she's directing the way to the cafe.
They arrived a few minutes later. Jimin was gaping at what she's seeing in front of her which made Minjeong smile.
"This is your cafe?"
Minjeong shyly nodded. "Yup."
Winter Café is one of the most popular cafés in Seoul. The name of the cafe was changed after Minjeong started managing it. The cafe is more older than her yet years have passed and it never changed. There's still a lot of customers going in and out.
They went inside, and were immediately greeted by it's cozy atmosphere and the smell of brewed coffee beans.
"Wendy Unnie!" Minjeong called the woman who's standing behind the counter.
"Winter!" Wendy smiled and waved.
Minjeong walked towards her. "I told you not to call me that!"
Wendy snorted. "This Cafe was literally named after you."
"It was Mom's idea!"
"Oh," Wendy noticed the girl beside Minjeong. "And who's this beautiful lady beside you, Winter?"
"Aish." The short haired girl grunted from hearing the name again. She sighed and faced Jimin who's just giggling beside her. "Yuji, this is Wendy Unnie, she's helping me to manage this cafe. Wendy Unnie, this is Jimin, my friend."
"Hi, Jimin! Are you Minjeong's girlfriend?"
Minjeong blushed. "I just literally said that she's my friend!"
Wendy ignored her, still waiting for Jimin's answer. The girl smiled at her. "We're friends, Unnie."
"Yet?"
"Seungwan Unnie!"
"Okay, geez. Calm down!" Wendy laughed at Minjeong. "You really look like a puppy when you're mad."
"Stop embarrassing me." Minjeong sulked, pulling Jimin away from Wendy. "Let's go to my office, Yuji."
"Try not to be loud!"
"I'm telling this to Joy Unnie!"
"Minjeong-ah! That was only a joke!"
Jimin could only laugh at their bantering. She's glad that she came here.
But the big question is,
Why?
____
The moment when Ningning got out of her car, was the same moment when Jimin left Minjeong's house.
The two stared at each other in silence, one question in mind.
"What are you doing here?"
They said in chorus, which made them silent again. Ningning was the first one to recover and she went towards Jimin.
"Fancy seeing you here, Jimin." Ningning gave her a lip-tight smile. "May I know what you're doing here in Minjeong's house…" She looked at her watch. "At two in the morning?"
"We hung out." Jimin answered shortly, still staring intently at Ningning. "How about you?"
"How about me?"
"You're not that close to Mindoongie, as far as I can remember." Jimin took a step closer. "What are you doing here?"
'Mindoongie?'
"We are getting closer." Ningning corrected, her eyebrows slowly furrowing. "And I'm visiting her, is that bad?"
"Yes." Jimin answered with a stern tone. "Just like what you said, it's two in the morning."
"And just like what I said, we're getting closer." Ningning retorted back. "Minjeong told me that I can come here whenever I like."
"Doesn't mean that you can come here at two in the morning."
"You shouldn't mind someone's business, Miss Yu."
"Do you like her?"
"What if I do?"
Jimin's breath hitched, she took a step closer again. "Go home, Miss Yizhuo. Mindoongie is sleeping right now."
"What about you?"
"As you can see, I'm going home too."
Ningning glanced at the door, before looking at her. "Fine."
She walked away, and Jimin followed. Before she and Jimin could even go inside their own vehicles, Ningning said something.
"You? Do you like her?"
Jimin halted back from entering her car.
She turned to Ningning with a taunting look in her eyes.
"And what if I do?"