"Yes, I'm Kim Minjeong, I play Minji in this series! Please look forward to the release! But more importantly! I believe we've all seen the articles this morning, should we clear the air?"  The flashes became almost constant, questions asked at speeds Minjeong became unable to truly process what they'd said.

 

A sigh, she supposes she expected too much of these people. Of course, all of them were here just for a headline.

 

" Firstly, Hanbin-ssi and my friend aren't dating, funnily enough I don't think they've even been introduced to each other. She was visiting me on set these past few weeks."The man sitting besides the actress chuckled along, hiding his smile behind the back of his hand, nodding along.

 

Another breath, the cold air invades her chest.

 

"Secondly, she's not my friend;" Her heart beats in her ears, the gentle picking of guitar strings, a breath that comes easy, soothing, the same way Jimin's smile makes her feel.

 

Funny, Minjeong thinks back, was the worrying of their careers needless? Was she putting off- depriving herself of this feeling?

 

This softly fluttering warmth, the light bubbling in her chest, soda bubbles in her lungs. A smile that tugs at the corners of her lips, threatening laughter. 
 

Was she...depriving herself of... happiness?

 

A blink, two. The thoughts run through her head, the memories shared between the two from their teenage years till now.

 

"She's my girlfriend, Karina Yu." Mentioning the name was important here. The articles Ning and Aeri had sent had included hers, hanbins and even the dramas names.

 

But not Jimin's.

 

Screams and gasps followed the confession, Aeri's scream, the loudest of all.

 

You see us doing our coupley things almost every day!? Why are you the one screaming like that!

 

Eyes look to the right of the stage, scoffing at the sight of her manager feigning fainting.

 

This drama queen...

 

" Please look upon us with kind eyes, she's super pretty and cool, and funny, and caring... She cares for me a lot, the same way I do for her." The flashes were beginning to hurt the red heads eyes now, causing Minjeong to look down at the table, her fingertips rested atop the black cloth, shaking.

 

Waves crashed against her heart, the sound of water fills the room.

 

A deep breath, fearing the loss of oxygen.

 

Within moments, it feels like back when the two hadn't met, back when Minjeong was a child, when she was 7 all over again.

 

She used to love the water, a cooling respite from the hot summer sun, the same way she used to love feeling cold, only now she hates it, both.

 

Her leg had cramped in the community pool she frequented, a look over to her parents, quarrelling with each other.

 

Before she had finally thought to scream, her head submerged, hands reach over to her shin, kneading her calf in an attempt to ease the sharp pain.

 

The air within her lungs escaped little by little, the bubbles floating up only a reminder of how helpless she truly was. 

 

She'd reached the bottom of the body of water, using her right leg to try and jump out the water instead, pushing off the ground.

 

It doesn't work, the child was metres short of the surface, worse, the air she had been holding runs out, a cough, the water seeps in.

 

The pain was excruciating, it only made her cough even more, the water invading her lungs more and more with each expulsion 

 

Only when she'd finally given up on hope, did a hand reach for the back of her shirt. Only then, was she brought out the water. 

 

Only then, did her consciousness fade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"I..." Phantom.

 

A phantom pain strikes her lungs, a cough.

 

A single petal. Gasps come from all corners of the room.
 

 
" -nd in the case of moving away, even if they might be in love, 'we'll never be together' and I guess...for-" 

 

What is it I'm thinking then, hm?

 

The actresses eyes land on her chest, a question unanswered. 
 

What is it my heart wants? Why does it feel that Jimin and I won't be...

 

No. That's dumb, even if my heart doesn't believe it's possible for us to stay together through all of this.

 

At the very least, I should try my best to prove it wrong.

 

" I love her, and I don't want to hide it anymore. She's someone I'm proud to have fallen for. I want to be with her, fully; proudly." A smile creeps onto the young actress' face, the soda bubbles fade out, a soothing warmth invading her lungs instead, pushing away the cold water.

 

Quickly, the cameras that had been shuttering and flashing infinitely comes to a slow, a hand reaches for Minjeong's wrist, a whisper. 
 

"We need to go to the hospital. It's Jimin."

 

 

 

 

Heh. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm joking, I'm not evil like that- hahahaha 

 

 

*insert intense car ride sequence🔥*

 

 

 

" Ning's not replying, hold on, lemme call her." Aeri walked away, leaving the actress standing alone next to the main doors to the hospital. 
 

 

With each second that passes, an itch travels down Minjeong's arm, an itch to do something, to just find the older girl already.

 

An uncomfortable unease. What the happened to her?!

 

 

The woman's feet brings her to the counter, the lady at the counter looking up from the computer and gasping.

 

 

"Aren't yo-"

 

 

"Hi, sorry, there should be a patient Yu Jimin? Can I know what room she's in?" The woman looks back down at the screen, tapping away before looking back up once again.

 

 

"Relationship with the patient?" Hesitance.

 

 

"... friend." The nurse purses her lips.

 

 

"I can't give you cl-" Ah it, it'll come out later anyway.

 

 

" I'm her girlfriend, her parents practically disowned her so I'm effectively the closest thing she has to a family. Does that work?" The lady's eyes widen before her lips pop back out.

 

 

"Room 4, level 8, do you have any identification on you? I can register your Identification Card to work with the gantries here." The card is passed to the woman before Aeri walks back in.

 

Bumping into a man with crutches, Aeri quickly bowed in apology before making her way back over to the actress.

 

"We need to go to the machine to register, Ning's coming down to get u-" The nurse looks up with a smile and a nod before the card is passed back to Minjeong who wordlessly walks towards the elevator, scanning her card before walking in; leaving Aeri standing there with her phone in hand, jaw dropped. 
 

 

" I'll go up first." The elevator arrives, the actress makes her way to a corner of the box, keeping her head down, regretting not asking for a mask from the counter. There's a teenager infront  of her who looks back, smiling before turning her head back forward.

 

Guess I was thinking too much, I'm not some A lister. 
 

At the next level, the teen wormed her way out before turning to her friend, smacking her on the shoulder.

 

"Ya, Kim Minjeong right? That one, the one that was behin-"

 

With each level that passed, less and less people occupied the metal box, something Minjeong was grateful for, the recent event with the teen still fresh in her mind.
 

"Level 8, ....ward." Power walking out the elevator, Minjeong glanced at the sign board.

 

"1 to 4... 4 to 8.. so which side is 4?" Walking to the left, the room number greeted Minjeong.

 

"4...a." To the right, 4b; of course.

 

Deciding to enter room b first, the sight of a woman whose face was wrapped in bandages greeted the actress.

 

"Sorry, wrong room!" The woman coughed at the appearance of a person in the room, lifting her face to turn and face the new presence.

 

"Huh? Oh, it's okay! Please close my door fully!" Jogging back to the sliding door, Minjeong shut it fully before running to room 4 A, bursting inside the room this time.

 

"Yu Jimin! Are you alright!?" The raven was sitting up on the bed, holding a magazine in hand. 

 

"Hi, but sorry...who are you? If it's the previous occupant you're looking for, they moved her to room 4 b; it's on the right of the eleva-" Legs going weak, Minjeong collapsed onto the ground. Looking at the sunray that shone in from the hospital room windows.

 

"D-do you really-"

 

"Sorry, I just got out of surgery so I'm abit tired, would you mind getting a nurse to help you?" A glance at Jimin's face, brown eyes search within for any trace of laughter.

 

For any chance this was all a big prank. None.

 

The water works flowed, tears falling, wetting the hospital floor.

 

"Wh-why are you crying miss?" The older woman's voice was shaky, trembling.

 

"YU JIMIN YOU ING IDIOT!!!" Elbows lift into the air, the red headed actress using her arms to swipe at her tears.

 

" I TOLD YOU I WAS GOING TO TELL THE WORLD DIDN'T I!? WHY DON'T YOU REMEMBER ME!?" Wailing, the younger woman cried, throwing the tissue she had gotten out her pocket at the older woman.

 

" Mi-" Standing up and off the ground, Minjeong dragged her body over to the raven.

 

" Did my words sound fake to you? Could you not believe me after all I've done? I'm sorry; I'm sorry that I'm even late to saying sorry. For making you even doubt that