JIMIN
It's already our last day in Santa Monica but I don't want to leave this beautiful landscape. The sky is mixed with warm orange and bright pink color under gray clouds. I wish I could admire it a little longer but we have to leave. Minjeong and I paid the hotelkeeper before biding our goodbye to him. We walked to a taxi and during all this time, we stayed silent.
When we arrived, I get out of the car after paying the driver. He smiles at us and leaves.
"I called Krystal yesterday to tell her about yesterday," I said, not waiting for an answer from her.
I don't expect anything from Minjeong anymore. She's mad at me, and we're starting to be on the same page. I am done with all of this bullshit. She is ruining her life but she doesn't do a damn thing about it. I tried to help her. I really tried. I gave her the cold shoulders hoping she would change her mind but it seems like, I'm talking to a wall. She's being immature and selfish because she doesn't put enough emphasis on the consequences.
She will be the black sheep of the family.
She will lose her job.
She will be mistreated.
This way of living will destroy her life and she doesn't know it yet.
"Ok," she shrugs and bypasses me to enter the house.
Her icy demeanor is back. I roll my eyes and follow her. The minute I take a step into the house, someone is crashing on me. I chuckle and wrap my arms around Krystal.
When Minjeong left my room that night, Krystal called because she was worried about us. I told that the car blew up and we were spending the night at a hotel. She was pissed about what happened to us and swore that she will sue the guy who rented us the car.
"I'm fine silly."
Yunjin joins our hug behind me but her collarbone hits my wound. Even if Minjeong put a pad on it, I'm still injured. I wince and push them gently.
"I have a little cut on my shoulder, it's not that bad but it stings."
After half an hour of preparing our luggage and treating the wound, we are ready to go. I called my manager to tell him I would be at the studio tomorrow and he was pleased to know I was back to work. The flight was short. Without even feeling the time passing by, we were already chilling in Krystal and Minjeong's apartment.
Ningning is cooking some dishes her mother taught her last week and the smell of it is delightful. Chin on my palms, I watch her cooking carrots.
"You sure you don't want my help?" I ask her.
She smiles at me and shakes her head. "Tell the girls it's almost ready."
I nod and walk to the living room. Yunjin and Minjeong are talking while Aeri is playing on her phone. Krystal couldn't be with us because Jared invited her for a romantic diner.
"The diner's almost done," I say to them causing Aeri to get up from the couch and smiles brightly.
She's a ball of sunshine when it comes to food – same thing with Ningning. I glance over her shoulder and see that the girls on the corner are wrapped in their bubble. They're laughing about something I didn't catch on.
I lost my breath when Yunjin's hand fall on Minjeong's thigh. A sudden fear claws at me as she smiles at the blonde girl who pinches her plump lips. The view is terrifying. I didn't know they were close together. Irene is an introvert person. She doesn't get along with everyone because she's extremely shy and she is having a hard time to have an open conversation with anyone.
But, at this precise moment, it seems like I have a brand new Yunjin in front of me.
There's no way Yunjin has a thing for girls too. It can't be. I'm already having a tough time with Minjeong. My parents would kill me if they know that two of my best friends are fucking lesbians.
"I said diner's ready," I glare at them.
They get up from the couch as fast as they can. The blush is back in full force on Minjeong's cheeks. I wonder if it's because of me or Yunjin. They walk into the kitchen and I follow them. I feel like it's not the right time to talk about Minjeong's sexual orientation. There's a high chance that Ningning doesn't know about it because our family is very conservative.
"Take a seat," Ning smiles at us while Aeri is preparing the table.
The carrots are overdone, but I told her that it was delicious. I don't feel bad for lying because she was happy. It's just a simple gesture but complimenting Ningning always makes her day.
Minjeong was silent during the diner and even though, I tried to ignore her, I felt that something was off. She is not an introvert but she is acting like one. There was a time, she used to talk about anything or tell us jokes. It was like a habit for me, now it feels empty.
"Do you have any dates for the wedding?" Minjeong asks us.
"Beomgyu wants to come," Aeri says and rolls her eyes.
Her older brother is not invited for the wedding for one simple reason: he dated Krystal for a few weeks but it didn't work out. Jared can be possessive and Beomgyu is a threat. Even if, they don't love each romantically anymore, they are still friends and share a sweet bond. Before she met Jared, I used to ship them. They were always bickering each other like an old married couple. I thought that they would end up together somehow bug now that Jared is in the picture, I can't imagine Krystal without the handsome lawyer.
"Still single," Yunjin casually states before munching her potato.
"What about you?" I ask Yunjin.
She stops eating and looks at me with surprise. "Do you have a date?" I continue and throw a glance at Yunjin.
They both frown at me.
"No, I don't."
I smile at her and she doesn't hide her confusion from me. She looks like a lost puppy; it's almost endearing.
"Good. My mum wants you to meet the son of her friend. She told me that you guys would make a great couple," I said.
Minjeong has a lot of respect for my parents and they love her as a daughter, she can't refuse my offer. A slight glint starts to shine in her eyes and it doesn't take an hour to guess that she is planning my death in her head.
I smile at her causing her to scoff.
"Are you serious ?" she arches an eyebrow and tilts her head to the side.
"I'm just passing on the message to you," I shrug and take a bite of my apple.
"You know I can't-- I mean, I don't even know the guy," she said, straightening up in her chair.
"It's just a date with a handsome man. I don't know why you're making a whole fuss about it," I roll my eyes.
"Then date him or fuck him I don't know you choose. I'm sick of you, do you fucking get it? Do whatever you want as long as you leave me alone," Minjeong said looking straight at me.
The girls gasp at what she just yelled at me while I stare at her with teary eyes. I can't cry in front of her, it will give her the satisfaction that she has the power over me. Heart racing against my chest, I get up and glare at her. Anger is an understatement to express what I'm feeling right now.
"You shut your fucking mouth," I said with contempt. "Are you dumb ? You're the most irresponsible person I have ever met. Did you think about your career, your family? No, because all you care about is yourself and nothing else. I don't care about this lifestyle you decided to have. You're being egoistic and stupid, Minjeong. Whatever point you had to prove needs to be over right now."
She just looks at me in disbelief."You are the worst person I have even met. I can't believe you said that," she laughed. "Point I had to prove? Bullshits. I've always been myself, you are too fucking dumb to see it. I don't need to prove you that I don't deserve all the shitty things you said because I know I don't. You are just frustrated that I can love whoever I want."
I always get salty when someone is dragging me down with degrading adjectives. I clench my teeth while my hands turn into fists.
"You're so full of shit. I am done talking to you because you know what? I would no longer allow myself to speak with a rag muncher anymore," I said causing Minjeong to stare at me with an unreadable gaze.
Eyes glistening, Minjeong turns around and quits the kitchen. A silence settles but I can see that the girl are shocked. It's the first time that Minjeong and I are arguing harshly. We used to tease each other so they weren't prepared for this.
Ningning who obviously didn't know about Minjeong's sexuality pinches her lips and scratches her neck before asking,
"What's a rag muncher?"