3 weeks later...
"You shouldn't be doing this, I mean..."
"...Shh," She whispered, caressing her cheek, smiling at her, "It's okay. You deserve a good bath."
She slipped her body deeper in the water, her brown hair slightly black due to the moistness of the water. Minjeong's fingers caressed her locks as she rested her head against the surface of the tub, breathing in and out steadily.
"...What is your mind up to, Mrs. President?"
Jimin smiled, leaning her elbows on the border of the bathtub and leaning in towards her.
"I'm not the president yet-"
"-But you will be in less than 3 hours."
She chuckled, leaning her head down.
"It's 6AM, and I'm taking a bubble bath with my recently discharged from the hospital girlfriend staring at me...and our daughter is still sleeping just across the corridor," Jimin whispered, leaning her head down on her arm, looking up at her as she felt some water drops running down her back as they fell down from the tips of her hair.
Minjeong smiled softly, putting her hair aside and kissing her neck softly. Jimin bit her lip and closed her eyes, keeping quiet as she felt her warm kisses on her moist skin.
"...Stop," She muttered, trying to make her stop as she moved her head slightly up.
Minjeong's lips curved up against her skin, and she kissed her temple gently.
"...I was just checking if the soap's scent was really pomegranate," She whispered, making her chuckle.
"Yeah, right..."
She sighed and got up from the floor, "I'm going to see how Minji's doing and...if it doesn't bother you, I'll go downstairs and make breakfast afterwards-Rina, stop. My libido's having a hard time," She muttered, frustrated, as Jimin teasingly lifted her legs up and rested them on the border of the bathtub, her back reclining against the bathtub as she bit her lip sexily.
"Aigoo, I feel bad for you now," She looked at the towels, "Give me one of those, please," She muttered, pulling her legs back in the water so that she could stand up.
"Jimin!"
She chuckled at her complaint, as Minjeong turned around to hand her the towel and she was just there, standing in feet, absolutely naked. She took the towel out her hands and wrapped it around her figure, securing it tightly around her chest.
"Geez, as if you hadn't seen me naked a thousand times already," She muttered, getting off of the bathtub, leaning down for a moment to press down a button that would flush the water down. Jimin turned back at her and shook her head, noticing she was still staring at her.
"...Win."
She blinked her eyes and turned around, leaving the bathroom.
"Hey, if I got you a hard on you can turn around and come back, alright-"
"-Yu Jimin."
She walked towards her, circling her arms around her neck.
"...You checked on Minji five minutes ago, does it really hurt to spend ten minutes more with me?"
Minjeong smirked, looking up and down at her.
"...I have to make breakfast."
Jimin looked up at her with a pout on her lips, breathing out through her nose.
"...Minjeong ah...come on," She muttered, getting closer to her. She leaned her head up a little and pecked her lover's lips, trying to get some reaction from her.
Minjeong kissed her lips back briefly, holding her back and caressing it with her fingers.
"...Today...You'll be on every television in this country and...you need to prepare yourself for it, okay? You look really sexy now but having sex with you right now...I don't want to distract you. You need to think of all of those people who invest their life savings in your bank. You have to make a good impression today and I don't want you to feel sore waist down and look like a walking corpse."
Jimin looked at her, blinking her eyes slowly as she stared into her eyes.
"...You're right," She muttered, looking down, "I have many important things to do today."
Minjeong pulled Jimin into her arms, hugging her tenderly and making her rest her head against each other. She kept caressing her soft back, her fingertips going up and down her pearly white skin.
"...Just take care of whatever you need to do. I'll make breakfast and take care of Minji."
Jimin relaxed as Minjeong kissed the temple of her head, loosening the hug. Having her back at home, with her and Minji, after being on the verge of dying...It just made her feel blissful.
"...Minjeong ah," Jimin began, feeling the short-haired girl's arms still enveloped around her, and looked up at her again, "...Would you mind making me-"
"-Mexican food? Something with avocado?"
Jimin laughed softly, shaking her head,
"...I guess someone called Kim Minjeong knows me a tad too well."
Minjeong leaned down and captured her lips, surprising her. Jimin's lips curved up and she crossed her arms behind her head, pulling her even closer. Both of them kissed slowly and romantically; yet, with an obvious undertone of intense passion on their movements and gestures. Jimin tilted her head to the side, kissing her deeper; as she paused her right hand on her left cheek.
Jimin broke the kiss softly, smiling.
"...I'll be downstairs as soon as I can."
Minjeong hugged her tightly and moved her from one side to another jokingly, making her laugh.
"...I love you, Rina."
_____________________________________________________________________
"...You should eat some fruit now," Minjeong muttered, wiping the corner of her daughter's mouth, before she turned around and grabbed a small jar of smashed fruit and opened it up, before turning back to her baby girl, "Ahhh Minji ah, this looks sooo tasty~."
She smiled as the little girl took the whole teaspoon of fruit on her mouth, munching on it a little.
"Don't give her too much fruit, she can get diarrhea."
Minjeong lifted her view up, staring at Jimin as she walked around the kitchen, wearing nothing more than her very own white underwear, an open red satin robe and slippers.
"...Are you teasing me?"
She chuckled.
"You're the one staring at my boobs."
She sighed and shook her head, stopping briefly for a moment and she spotted her miraculously white skin of her legs only covered with that red satin robe that only went up to her upper thighs as the soft, wavy brown hair locks fell down her back, as she moved around in the stove...
She could only be doing that on purpose.
She cleared her throat and turned back to Minji, feeding her with the remaining fruit she had, "I made you some stir fry with whatever we had in the fridge since we ran out of avocados...with some of my mother's Kimchi and rice."
"Yeah, I saw that," She muttered, moving some pans in the stove, "Mmm...It smells so, so good," She opened some of them, setting some food in some bowls and plates, "Are you sure you haven't graduated culinary school instead?"
Minjeong breathed out a smile, getting up from her seat as she took her daughter out of her chair, bringing her to her arms as soon as she had finished eating.
"...If I were you, I would be careful not to get any kind of food poisoning," She muttered, carrying the baby in her arms as she leaned down briefly and caught the now empty jar in her hand, approaching the bin so that she could throw it there.
Jimin side-looked at her, smiling softly as she noticed their daughter silently looked around, her left hand closed in a fist in front of her mouth as she stuck a couple fingers in her mouth, her head against her mama's chest although she held onto her black t-shirt with her closed left fist.
"...I think Minji is going to fall asleep soon," Jimin muttered, smiling softly as she put the bowls and plates with food on the table, "Have you eaten yet?"
Minjeong sighed, caressing the baby's cheeks as her eyes started to close, "I'll take care of that later-"
"-Nah, nah, nah," Jimin muttered shaking her head as she approached Minjeong, and motioned her fingers as she extended her arms, "Give me Minji and go to eat-"
"-Yu Jimin-"
"-Kim Minjeong, please."
She sighed in defeat, and stepped closer to Jimin, handing her their daughter carefully so that she wouldn't be too disturbed.
"...The things I do for you, Yu Jimin-"
"-Shut up and eat!"
Jimin held Minji against her chest, patting the baby's back with her hand as she walked towards the table, monitoring closely Minjeong's steps as she sat down on the table, grabbing her chopsticks with her right hand.
"...But you served this for you, Jimin-"
"-Shh. You just got out of the hospital from a serious case of blood poisoning and you have to eat properly. I just have a busy day ahead, my stomach can wait."
Minjeong sighed and grabbed a piece of kimchi, leaning down as she shoved it inside of her mouth. Jimin sat opposite to her, crossing her legs and leaning back so that her daughter would sleep more comfortably.
"Hold on," Minjeong muttered, capturing Jimin's attention. She only saw as she paused her chopsticks on the side of the bowl, and extended her left arm, grabbing her cellphone.
"...What are you doing?"
She chuckled, smirking as she browsed through her cellphone.
"...Bragging about those two beautiful ladies I have at home," She muttered, making Jimin straighten up.
"H-Hey," Jimin muttered, hurriedly grabbing the hems of her robe and putting them over her chest and their daughter, "Don't take pictures of me when I'm only wearing a bra!"
Minjeong looked away from the cellphone staring at her.
"As if I would share with others what's mine," She muttered, before looking at the cellphone screen again, "Hold still."
Jimin just laughed after she took a picture of her and Minji, and she just lowered down her cellphone, staring at the picture she had just taken of the both of them,
"...Oh, Minji has really nice legs," She muttered, grabbing a spoon of rice with her right hand as she browsed through her cell phone with her left, "She could be a ballerina-"
"-No, not that."
Minjeong looked up at her, surprised with her answer.
"...Wouldn't you be happy if Minji did ballet too?"
Jimin breathed out, shaking her head, "There's too much discipline in there. I don't want her to feel constantly pressured...It's not a healthy environment for a child."
Minjeong stopped munching right away, gulping down on her food. She exhaled through her nose and put the spoon on the table, as well as her cellphone, and stared silently at Jimin.
"...Mothers know best, ain't it?" She whispered, breathing out a smile.
"...But mamas also have their own opinion," Jimin answered, smiling back, "You should finish your food."
Minjeong held a spoon with stir fry, smiling bashfully at Jimin, "Come on, I'll feed you."
Jimin laughed, making her laugh as well.
"I'm being serious, Yu Jimin!-"
"-Okay, okay," Jimin muttered, leaning in towards her and opening her mouth. Jimin closed her eyes as she fed her some of the stir fry, and then received a peck her lips by surprise.
"...How does it taste?"
Jimin munched on it and opened her eyes, blinking.
"Mmmm...Not bad," She muttered, before sitting back in her place. Minjeong got up from her seat and moved her chair, putting it next to hers and sitting down by her side.
"...Geez, open your mouth."
"Aaaahhh-Hey!"
Jimin looked, upset, at Minjeong, as she munched happily on the piece of food that supposedly was to be hers. Seeing her cute expression, Minjeong held her chin, trying to get her attention.
"...Don't get upset with me," She muttered, before kissing her lips briefly, "...Mm?"
Jimin kissed her back momentaneously, smiling back.
_____________________________________________________________________
"Channel on SBS please!"
Ning's coworker heard her petition and agreed to it, changing channels and putting on the exclusive coverage of the important historical day that was about to happen.
Yu Jimin would be the first female chaebol ever to take the presidency of a chaebol group.
Ning's heart thumped in nervousness as the channel began its special coverage; a horde of reporters flocking the building of the Yu Bank. She could see the female reporter smiling nervously, holding the microphone tightly in her right hand.
"Good morning South Korea, this is reporter Lee Minrin from SBS news, and we're here outside Yu Bank' headquarters in Yu-gu, waiting for who will be, in a matter of a couple hours, one of the most powerful women in Asia, Yu Jimin. Her arrival is estimated to be in approximately 45 minutes."
"Ning Ning shii must be a fan of Yu Jimin shii," The middle-aged woman said to Ning's co-worker, as the younger female cut her hair carefully.
The young female chuckled, "Yu Jimin is Ning's sister-in-law."
The older woman gasped, surprised,
"Sister-in-law?"
"Yes. Yu Jimin's girlfriend is Ning's older sister."
"I'm reminding all of our viewers that today is an important day in South Korean history, as Yu Jimin will be the first female to take over the presidency of a chaebol. Today, we'll be reviewing aspects of her life and the key to her status as the 'Princess of Asia', the name by which she's currently known by the international media."
Ning blinked her eyes, staring at the television screen as the news channel started airing a small segment, in which they began explaining Jimin's life.
"Yu Jimin was born on the 11th of April, 2000 in the coastal city of Busan; as the only child of Yu Sooman, the then heir to the Yu Group, and Yu Haneul, his wife. Her childhood was not only marked by the absence of her mother, Yu Haneul, who committed suicide when Yu Jimin was only a 5 months-old baby; but also by the strict discipline Yu Jimin was raised in. At the age of 10, she could fluently speak Korean, Japanese, Mandarin and English; and was a passionate pianist and ballet dancer."
Ning smiled softly; hearing the narrator's soft voice as she explained Jimin's life at the same time pictures of Jimin of when she was a baby up to when she was 10 years old were shown in the screen as a movie; and how those pictures perfectly shown the high level of life Jimin had grown up in.
"Do you feel any kind of pressure for being the youngest prima ballerina playing Odette's role in South Korea at the age of 16?"
The young Jimin, with her wavy, black hair held up in a tight bun as a couple of her hair locks fell down by her face, smiled, "Not really. Pressure's not something I'm unfamiliar with so the mental preparation for this role was easy for me."
"Are you experiencing any kind of difficulties?"
"...Yes...There's some really hard movements and you have to really be focused on it," She said, looking absolutely serious, "So I'm trying my best to show my most professional side as a ballet dancer. I owe a lot to madam Hong, my teacher," She muttered at the end, showing a heartfelt smile.
"Oh, she was a beautiful young girl back in her teens, no wonder she's so beautiful now," The owner of the saloon said, looking at Ning with a smile after a piece of an interview that had been done to Jimin more than 10 years before was shown on TV.
"But the apparently angelic Yu Jimin soon showed the whole country that she wasn't a normal chaebol. Not too long after performing as Odette in Swan Lake, at age 16, she quit ballet and focused on her studies. We would have to wait until she turned 18 for her name to be up in the media again. On her 18th birthday, her debutante ball was held in the luxurious Westin Chosun hotel; and it was announced the very same day that she was in a sentimental relationship with Lee Jeno, son of a banker who worked for her family's bank."
Ning shifted uncomfortably, seeing pictures of the 18 year-old Jimin smiling brightly while standing next to Jeno, her back then boyfriend.
"By the end of the summer of the year 2019, Yu Jimin shocked the whole country by participating in the largest students protest this country has ever seen; sparking the interest of citizens who, due to her status in society, did not expect her to attend such event."
"Didn't you meet her in that protest?"
"Yeah," Ning answered her co-worker's question, before focusing back on the television.
"The next day it was announced that she would be doing her University studies in Zurich, Switzerland and that, besides, she had officially ended her relationship with Lee Jeno. And that led to the most polemical phase of her life."
"Apparently, Yu Jimin's scholar year had gone by with many kinds of issues; however she surprised the whole country in July 2020 by announcing her engagement to a commoner, Kim Minjeong, who later supposedly died after being hit by a car. The Yu's official statement was that Yu Jimin was going through a hard time and deep mourning. But months later, attention towards the young heiress was recovered as she was seen leaving a medical center with a visibly swollen tummy. The family was forced to confirm her pregnancy, and it was said that Yu Jimin was five months pregnant from her dead fiancé. Criticism and backlash soon appeared, and it only increased after an unconfirmed source stated that they had been living together in Switzerland for nearly two months. Later, she gave birth but her son disappeared," The reporter's voice stopped for a moment as pictures of newspapers' covers appeared on TV, "1 week later, Yu Jimin tried to commit suicide and that was the last news we heard of her in five years."
Ning took in a shaky breath, straightening up.
"Last year Yu Jimin started making public appearances once again; as the official heiress of the group that had been revealed to have graduated with summa cum laude from some of the most prestigious universities in the world. And, surprisingly enough, she decided to marry her ex-boyfriend Lee Jeno. But that marriage ended up in a divorce not too long afterwards, as Yu Jimin found out her former fiancé was actually alive, and for other reasons that have stayed unclear. She gave birth 4 months ago to a baby girl, whose name was not revealed; but entered a coma after birth and her life was hanging by a thin thread for nearly a month. She eventually recovered; but then shocked the media once again as it was officially announced that she had resigned on her condition as the heiress of the Yu group. But then again, last week Yu Sooman himself announced that the directive board had not accepted Yu Jimin's resignation and that he had personally asked his daughter to take her place back as the heiress. And all of this lead to the day that is today, the day Yu Jimin is finally taking the presidency of the biggest chaebol group in the country and being the first woman to do so."
"She always looked like a good girl to me, despite all that stuff happening in her personal life," A granny who was getting her hair permed said, catching Ning's attention right away.
Ning breathed out a smile, "She's a really nice woman. It's sad how most people in this country judged her off her scandals," She replied sadly, looking down, She's really humble and responsible. She does everything she can to protect those around her...She just doesn't do more because she just can't."
_____________________________________________________________________
"Yu Jimin has now arrived at the headquarters of Yu Bank- " The reporter stopped briefly, and turned around so that she could appreciate more clearly what was going on, "She has just stepped down of the car and is now entering inside of the building- Excuse me, Miss Yu Jimin! What can you-"
-I'm sorry, but I'll only be answering questions at the press conference," Jimin replied, bowing down her head.
"-Miss Yu!"
Minjeong stared intently at the television, her elbows resting comfortably on her knees as she occasionally looked in Minji's direction, as her baby daughter was comfortably sleeping on her stroller, sucking softly on the pink silicone pacifier.
She saw how calm Jimin apparently was on live broadcast; but only she knew how nervous she actually was. Yes, she had tried to show her the calm side since she had woken up, but she knew that she couldn't be more nervous than what she was in that moment. Just the mere minutes before she left their home, she had been staring around nervously, not sure of what she should be doing at that exact moment.
"-Unfortunately we couldn't get any reply from Yu Jimin-"
Minjeong looked at Minji, smiling softly at the baby sleeping by her side. She extended her arm and caressed her daughter's cheek, seeing as she scrunched up her cute nose and turned her little head around.
"...Eomma's going to do well, isn't she?"
She breathed out a smile, "I'll make a lot of food for eomma tonight. She'll have a hard day and she needs to eat a lot today so...as soon as she gets home she'll a meal made for the gods," She muttered with a sly smirk, laughing at her own words at the end as she arranged her daughter's clothes, and then put some short locks of her black hair to the side, "When you wake up, I'll give you some food, change your diaper and we'll go to the supermarket to get something, alright?"
_____________________________________________________________________
"Before I sign this contract...I want to make clear that I have some conditions over this."
Jimin saw as the directive board of the bank looked questioningly at her; as a pen and the presidency contract just laid on the table, right upon her. However, she wasn't making a single movement that implied that she was going to sign that contract. Instead of that, she just stood there, looking around seriously; and claiming that she had some conditions to make.
"...First condition is," She began, gulping down silently, "Yu Yunho will be my right hand inside of the bank's administration and the vice chairman of the group."
The other executives murmured things between them, but Jimin cleared her throat soundly, making them regain their attention over her.
"And I want to make it really clear that no personal issue or scandal should be ever involved with the group's name. If that happens, I'll be the first person to solve the issue in my own way. Personal issues are personal and that's it."
"...And last but not least," She said, before stopping briefly, "Only the people I decide and I have the power to decide on who's hired or dismissed from the enterprise, or who just lowers down in ranking," She glanced over at Jeno, looking as serious as she possibly could, "As of today Lee Jeno should be more than happy to join the new position as one of my executive's second secretary."
Jeno looked at her shockingly, not believing on what she was saying to him.
"Miss Yu-"
"-Condition number 4 my decisions are not to be questioned unless they defy morality," Jimin said, cutting one of the investor's words right away coldly.
Sooman stared silently at his daughter, wondering how much she had changed just to make herself ready for that moment. Those who knew his daughter well knew that she wasn't like that. The Yu Jimin they were used to was a more light-hearted female.
Not a strict business woman as she was being right at that moment.
She looked around the room, trying to get a reaction from her investors and executives.
"...Any opposition?"
"...No."
Jimin nodded silently, her red lips pressed together as she looked around one last time; before she eventually grabbed the pen above the table and leaned down, ready to sign the contract.
She executed her signature with ease, leaning up and holding the pen in her hands, looking around at the directive board as they all stood up and clapped effusively, as if welcoming her to her new job as the group's president.
"...Can we talk in private?"
Jimin looked at her side after hearing her cousin's whisper, and nodded her head lightly. She turned around, facing the other investors.
"...We're leaving the room."
Jimin turned around, looking at her cousin briefly with a soft smile as he paused his hand on her back, pushing her forward with him as two employees opened the doors of the meeting room for the both of them.
As soon as the doors closed behind them, Jimin breathed out in relief, her high heels pausing their 'click' sound as she halted on her movements. She faced the landscape of Seoul city, pausing both of her hands on her waist as she took in one deep breath.
"...You did well, Jimin ah."
Jimin smiled shyly, looking at her cousin, "Thank you for taking me out of that room."
"Welcome," He muttered, smiling back at her.
However, seeing his cousin's uneasiness, he just decided to make her an offer, "Want to drink a cup of coffee? Press conference is in 30 minutes, we still have some time to chat and relax."
"More like 15 minutes only," Jimin whispered, making her cousin laugh, "But yeah, let's give it a try."
_____________________________________________________________________
"...And...avocado," She stretched out her right arm, grabbing a package with avocado, and looked at it for some instants, "Well eomma will want more so one more package," She muttered, carefully putting the package inside of the cart, which she was holding tightly with her left hand, before she leaned down again to grab another package, also leaving it inside of the cart. She smiled and adjusted Minji's tiny jacket, wiping some of her drool as she momentaneously took her pacifier out of her mouth, before she put it again.
"...Is she your daughter?"
Minjeong blinked, turning to her side and spotting a couple of smiling middle-aged women.
She smiled nervously, nodding.
"...Yeah, she's mine...- "
" -How old is she?"
"4 months- "
"-I guess her mother is working now?"
Minjeong blinked, feeling quite surprised by the women's questions.
"Y-Yeah, she's at work now-"
"-Aigoo such a responsible and handsome young mama, if only my son was like you dear, sometimes I feel like he doesn't care about his daughter-"
"-Ah Hanseul ah, leave the poor girl alone, you're making her embarrassed," One of the ahjummas said to the other, before she looked at Minjeong, "Take good care of your precious baby and your wife, okay?"
Minjeong blinked, turning around and staring at the middle-aged ladies.
"She's not my-"
She sighed, parting his lips.
"...She's not my wife..."
She heard a knocking sound and looked forward, noticing her daughter was kicking the seat she was laying at, probably wondering inside of her innocent mind, why in the hell her mama had been ignoring her for so long.
"...Mama's sorry, Minji ah. We're going to pay now, okay?"
Her small journey towards the cashier was easier than what she thought it would be. She had expected that, by becoming Jimin's girlfriend, she would most certainly be exposed to the media right away and her life would be nearly as chaotic as a celebrity's. However, much to her contentment, Jimin was doing her best to keep her identity private, at least when they still only were 'girlfriends'.
Seeing that no one had come to her side to question what her girlfriend was doing right in that moment just in the other corner of the city in front of the whole country just relieved her so much; not only for herself-as she just didn't appreciate too much attention due to her introvert nature- but also for their daughter. Minji was a baby and neither Jimin or she wanted the national newspapers and gossiping magazines to have her pictures all across them without their permission.
"...80,000 won please," The cashier announced, just before Minjeong handed her a credit card. She pressed a few buttons and then turned the card reader device towards her, silently asking her to type down the code.
"...She's so cute," The cashier said, seeing as the baby held on her left leg, bending it up to her face, as she looked around curiously, "What's her name?"
"...Minji," Minjeong said with a smile, turning the device back to the cashier. She looked down at the baby and tickled her belly, making her giggle.
"Sign in here, please," She smiled, seeing as the black haired female returned her the ticket and the pen, "Thank you," She straightened up her position and waved at the little baby as Minjeong moved the cart around, "Goodbye Minji ah!"
The journey back to the car was more awkward than what she would have previously thought. People were staring at her and her daughter and making comments about it, even if they tried to hide themselves.
"...Well Minji ah," She muttered, buckling her daughter up in the car, "Seems like you've been made to steal the spotlight," She whispered, before closing her door and heading straight to the driver's seat.
She buckled up her own seat belt and started the engine of the car, looking a moment at her daughter through the rearview, noticing she was still consumed in her little adventure of trying to take her shoes off.
She drove out of the parking lot with ease; and sighed in relief as soon as she found herself on the main road, and tuned in the radio.
"-My main objective is not to grow the business, but to reach out to all the clients we have and help them based on their own needs. That is what I really want to focus on right now."
"Oh, look honey, it's eomma on the radio," She muttered, breathing out a smile as she heard Jimin's voice on the radio, as her press conference was apparently still going on, despite it being past lunch hour already, "We could leave things at home and pick eomma up if she wants to, what do you think?"