"I'm not going, just drive me home."
"Yes, I am very sure."
Jimin was so sure that she wouldn't consider Aeri's question of fetching Minjeong at that party. She was so sure, she even declined multiple times and endured the same questions from the Japanese along the way.
But then the moment she was about to unlock the door into her apartment, her phone began to vibrate and the caller was from an unknown number.
Jimin wondered what it was and decided to answer the call. It could be anyone, and since she was now a part of a team for that competition— she thought that it would be someone from the team.
"Hello?"
"Ahh... is this sweetheart?" A girl's voice was heard.
"Sweetheart? Huh?"
"It's the contact name on this phone. You were on the top list, talk about having seven drafts of messages!" she laughed.
Jimin furrowed her brows, "Who is this?"
"Sorry for the late introduction. I'm Yuna, a friend of Minjeong... She hasn't even had a whole bottle of alcohol yet she's already wasted. I'm guessing your her girlfriend or something? I think you should fetch her."
Minjeong...?
The name caused Jimin to stay frozen in place. She wasn't expecting the unknown caller to be from Minjeong. And those seven drafts of messages? Caller ID that was named sweetheart? That was just strange.
So she changed her number...
"Hellloooo? Ya still there Ms. Sweetheart?"
"...Oh, yeah yeah. I'm still here."
"Well, are you going to fetch her or what? I think we're going to have a hard time doing that if we were to do that."
After a while of thought, Jimin slapped both of her cheeks softly and asked Yuna where the party was located. Immediately, she rode her car and drove to the mentioned place.
Thus, why she was now lost by the huge crowd inside this huge abandoned warehouse. Various colors of lights were flickering with the beats and the loud noises from the mob were drowning her ears.
It's been a while ever since Jimin went to these kinds of parties— she stopped just because of that incident where Minjeong saved her at the parking lot. Alcohol was a dangerous thing to have in places like these when alone.
It was a relief that Minjeong had friends with her.
"Woaaaahhh! It's Yu Jimin!"
"Welcome back!"
"Hey, beautiful!"
Pursing her lips, Jimin politely greeted the people who welcomed her and slid through the crowd. When she arrived into a particular room that seemed to fill some familiar faces on campus like a VIP room, the bouncer instantly noticed the girl's identity and let her in.
Jimin was a bit confused though still proceeded and lingered her eyes around the room to look for Minjeong.
It wasn't long before she did find her. Not too far from one of the long couches, Minjeong had her face covered with a towel as she was comfortably lying back on the backrest. There were a lot of popular faces seated near her, some were infamous.
Jimin felt slightly uneasy knowing this fact and swiftly approached them. Immediately, she was noticed and one of the guys present within the group raised his brows.
"Jimin!" he pointed in shock.
*THUD*
"You look like an idiot." The tall guy beside the guy smacked him lightly on the head, "Hey there, what brings you here?" he smiled at Jimin as if nothing happened. "It's been a while. Came to drink like last time?"
"Sorry, not this time Heeseung." Jimin glanced at the unconscious girl beside him, "I'm here for Minjeong."
Heeseung frowned, "Aw, that's too bad... but anyway." he gazed at the band-aid on her nose bridge. "What's up with that?"
Jimin shrugged, "Minjeong's fault."
"Wait!" Yuna sat up, "You're sweetheart?"
Jimin looked at the tall girl who sat right from Minjeong, "And you must be Yuna?"
Yuna nodded her head and flickered her eyes back and forth from Jimin to Minjeong. She had this strange expression as if aware of something which gone unnoticed by Jimin who casually approached the unconscious girl and shook her gently.
Gaining back her consciousness, Minjeong groaned and slowly sat up. The towel from her face fell onto her lap and she looked exhausted, Jimin couldn't help but stare at this and let out a faint smile.
"Oh yeah, weren't the two of you close?" Heeseung asked while pouring himself a glass of wine, "I see you two often together back when that amnesia of hers didn't happen."
"Did she tell you about that?"
"Sure did."
Jimin sighed, "Well, you guys don't mind me taking her now right?"
Yuna laughed, "Go ahead. It's not like she's going to function properly sooner anyway... also, here's her phone."
Promptly giving Jimin the phone, Yuna helped Minjeong up and handed her to the latter.
"Is she normally this weak?"
Jimin tucked the phone into her pocket before placing an arm around Minjeong's hip for support, "It's weird, I know."
"That's why I need to build up some tolerance!" Minjeong suddenly pointed her index finger up the ceiling, her eyes slightly open.
"Uhh, what are you doing?" Yuna held in her laughter.
"Cursing Samshin halmoni for giving me this weakness!"
Yuna couldn't hold it any longer and bursts out in laughter, "Wahahaha! Who the hell is Samshin?"
"Pfft." Jimin snickered, "Goddess of childbirth."
"She's really wasted," Heeseung erupted in laughter.
With a huff, Jimin patted Minjeong's shoulder with her other hand in which caused the shorter to turn her head and look at the latter.
When Minjeong saw and realized who the girl beside her was, a whirlpool of feelings welled up in her heart. Strangely, embarrassment covered her face. She quickly directed her head towards the floor and didn't speak.
"Don't get any wrong ideas. I'm only doing this because we've been helping out each other for a long time," Jimin said as she waved her farewells to Yuna and Heeseung.
She began to walk out of the warehouse towards her parked car along with Minjeong in aid. The shorter found herself unable to comment after that was over. Their surroundings were quiet, and the sounds of the cicadas were the only thing heard.
Minjeong was still drunk, though conscious and didn't know what to say.
———————————————
Midnight fell. Finally, the two girls arrived at the apartment building. Jimin turned off the engine and landed her eyes on Minjeong who appeared to be slightly sober.
"Can you walk by yourself now? Or do you still need any help?"
Minjeong stuck her gaze out the window, "I don't live here anymore..."
"What?"
"I just moved out yesterday."
Jimin wasn't sure why but she felt her heart shattering into pieces. She wanted to ask why the girl suddenly moved out yet couldn't bring herself to speak out the words. She didn't want to look annoying.
Anxiety was beginning to fill her, hoping she wasn't the reason.
"Then why didn't you say so sooner?"
Jimin was about to start the engine once again until Minjeong stopped her from doing so and held her wrist. Realizing this, she quickly pulled back her hand and hid it before speaking.
"Why aren't you staying away from me? Those rumors... everyone saw you back there, it's going to hurt your reputation," she mumbled the last part while staring intently at the taller.
Frankly, Jimin has no knowledge of the rumors regarding Minjeong— except the one where she'd play around with people and ghost them the next day. Nonetheless, she took the situation calmly and spoke.
"Who a person hangs out with is their choice. And I couldn't care less about rumors. Until I tried talking to them myself, I wouldn't know..." Jimin hesitated but still asked, "So, how many people have you played with?"
Minjeong lowered her expression downward, "Ten or more...? I can't count anymore. I was just trying to understand feelings, I didn't know what was going on and I felt confused."
Jimin swallowed her spit bitterly, "I guess your alexithymia is still present. You should've told us or Mr. Han."
"Alexithymia?— You know what, never mind."
Minjeong shook her head to throw away her thoughts.
"I don't know... I really don't know... It was hard for me to approach you guys. After all, I was the one who tried to keep a distance. I wanted to wait until the rumors died down, but... that's a bit too much and I ended up hurting you in the process."
"Huh? Don't tell me what you did was intentional?"
"So-so? But hey, I'm really sorry!"
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Ever since I woke up on that hospital bed. I had no idea who I was or who was the woman crying her lungs out while holding my hand tightly.
A group of people was also present, looking all worried. They told me that they were my friends, Aeri, Yizhuo, Sicheng, Ryujin, Sakura, and Lucas... Even this guy named Beomgyu came in late. I hope I got their names right.
Too bad they had to leave since visiting hours were over. The only ones allowed were family members.
Soon you suddenly came, telling me that you were my girlfriend. I didn't know what to do, everything was all too painful to take in all at once. Family, friends, and everything else.
I was genuinely confused, so those words automatically came out of my mouth... thinking for a while— breaking up.
I wanted to ask Dr. Han if there was something wrong with me, but as if it was instinct... I didn't want to be more troublesome and kept it to myself.
I must've really hurt you that day. I'm not sure, I think I felt guilty.
Then when I was released from the hospital, I was met with Yizhuo and the others yet no sign of you. Nevertheless, everything was doing fine, yeah... However, it was all odd for me.
I felt like a duck lost in a group of swans.
Out of place.
I had no memories... no nothing. I was alone.
Therefore, I strayed away and tried doing a lot of things, bad or good... and ended up here."
Minjeong held her forehead and started to laugh at herself mockingly. Jimin couldn't do anything but just listen as a few painful stings struck through her heart— maybe this is just what the girl needed.
Someone to listen.
Jimin closed her eyes and gave a quiet hum, urging the shorter to continue. "Go on."
"Seeing you so suddenly in front of your apartment's door... I was actually nervous that day. Nothing happened, she was a good friend of mine whom I helped get away from an abusive boyfriend."
"And ripping her shirt?"
Minjeong scoffed, "The boyfriend...wounds behind her back to quickly cover the blood loss. I lent her my shirt. I had to help her since she helped me go through a lot of shit."
"Then why not clear the rumors? Even if one rumor is true, I'm sure there's still a lot."
"I just don't want to think about those troublesome things. Most people are irresponsible, changing their opinions easily based on unconfirmed information or convenient rumors.
Let rumors be rumors, I don't give a damn about them." she snickered. "But then again..."
She turned her head to look at the taller in the eyes and stayed like that for a few seconds. Jimin didn't even dare to look away and returned the gaze, something weird was gradually rising in her chest as the gaze gets longer.
"I have to thank that ball the moment it accidentally hit you. I held that cotton ball and treated your cut. I realized that my heart could beat much faster. And that girl appeared out of nowhere, I didn't want you to misunderstand, but somehow at the end of that day, you seemed puzzled.
I want to go back to the time when we were "friends" and talk with you.
I want to laugh together with you.
Now that I think about it, I wonder how much warmth have I received from Rina...?
My heart, which had lost its warmth, started to grow colder and froze like ice. Even though my body is melting even with the AC on, my heart felt cold and numb... complexed.
I think it still remembers what it felt like being with you, rather than the mind being all dumb and forgotten everything.
Can we go back from being friends? Will you guide me-"
"Minjeong, can you step out of the car?"
Minjeong sat up and widened her eyes, "Ah- Erm, why? Are you angry-"
"Just get out."
Jimin demanded monotonously which Minjeong swiftly obeyed and stepped out of the vehicle nervously. It was fortunate that she was completely sober or she would've done something unprecedented.
Immediately after, the taller followed and suddenly ran towards Minjeong to give her a tight hug. When was the last time she did this again? Jimin couldn't remember, this was the first time in a while.
It felt good.
"Damn you... Kim Minjeong..." she buried her eyes on top of the girl's shoulder and started crying. "Of course, stupid. We can go back."
Minjeong's breath hitched as she didn't know what to do once again and merely stared into nothingness.
Maybe Minjeong just thought of me as another friend? Is it weird that I am yearning for her?
Maybe I won't be able to go back to being in a relationship with her. Those happy moments are like a fleeting dream and are leaving me with hopelessness that I can't do anything about.
But that doesn't mean we can't go back to being friends.
I thought love was all happiness and sweet feelings, but for it to be this heartbreaking and painful... how shitty.
But that's okay.
I understand— something precious to me has been replaced.
Love isn't always as successful.
But that also doesn't mean that it's over... As far as I know, relationships with other people come and go.
However, they don't just end because one person decides that it's over.