| Girlfriend's Cousin |

25: A Night to Remember

(Jimin's Point of View)

 Just thinking about the whole "class thought Jae Mi and I had a thing and we would end up together" just made everything worse for me. Was I really that blind to not notice something about myself ? How could I never seen it, seen that I loved her way before I knew it? How... ?

A heavy let out of me and I have not texted Go Reum back at all. The guilt is eating up all of my inside and I just can't help but feel so damn guilty about everything. I jumped into a relationship I wasn't sure of. I was deluded with what I wanted. I fell in love in my best friend. And here I am... cheating on my girlfriend. 

What kind of a human am I?

... But really... if Go Reum wasn't Jae Mi's cousin... would I have broken up with her? 

I close my eyes and takes a deep breath. I don't know what I'm doing anymore and everything is overwhelming. I never thought having a love life would be so dramatic and confusing... but I guess it was my damn fault. 

*Ding!*

Go Reum is really texting me a lot today. I look at the screen and finds Jae Mi's name. I sit up straight and opens the message. "It's freaking 12AM and you're still awake?" What? How'd she know? 

I look out my window and expects the usual... she's probably outside. I didn't need to peek through the curtain and just immediately grab my jacket and head out quietly of the house. There I find her in her comfy hoodie, outside my gate with her back facing me. Before I could even plan on sneaking up to her, she's already turn with a smile on her face. That smile face that made me freeze and my heart skip a bit.

I never thought I could be so freaking cheesy and corny. It's hilarious. This girl doesn't know what she's doing to me. Not at all.

"Did I ever tell you to not wonder around so carelessly at night?" I told her with all seriousness.

She just cutely smile at me and said, "You told me two years ago." I shook my head snickering. 

"What are you doing here? Just stopping by before going to Jeong Guk's house again?" I asked, trying to hide the pain. She shook her head, "I wanted to see you." I froze. 

She really doesn't know what she's doing to me. Just saying those words. She doesn't know how happy she makes me. "Ever since the whole drama thing that went on, I did missed you a lot," she said, looking down shyly.

What the hell is this? I try to keep my smile away and open the gate. She stares at me confuse a bit. "Let's go for a walk then? We have all the night to catch up to," I tell her. She smiles at me and skips to my side and we walk side by side.

It's pure silence for a couple of minutes now, but our arms would clash onto each other once in a while or she would hum. We both continue to lsiten to music as we share earphones. This is nice. This feels natural. 

But just looking at her, it's like she's holding back a lot. "Is there anything bothering you?" I asked. She looks at me and nods. I snicker. She's like a cute little kid it's so adorable. "What is it?" It's been awhile since she's like this with me. 

"Nothing... Just... I'm being wary of my actions around you," she said. 

"Why? I thought we're back to normal?" I tell her. Thinking about it... A lot of things did change. Jae Mi stopped doing random back hugs, or hugs, skin ships and more around me ... ever since Go Reum and I started going out. She doesn't do it unless I initiated it. 

She laughs a bit then said, "you have a girlfriend. It can't be normal with us anymore."

That's crap. "Why is that?" I didn't want to say it but I have to, "it's not like there's anything going on with us. We are really close friends and we've been friends way before I met Go Reum. If you can't be normal around me then ... how come hyungs can?" 

We stop walking and she glares at me, "Ya. They're dudes. They can be clingy to you whenever and wherever they want even if you have a girlfriend. I'm a girl, did you forget that?" 

I laugh a bit and move closer to her, "If I forgot you're a girl, I would've pushed you away whenever you used to cling on me like they do." She stares at me then laughs. "You're so weird Jimin," she said then starts walking again. I catch up to her.

"C'mon be the Jae Mi I met before I had a girlfriend. I miss that Jae Mi a lot. Clingy, Cheesy and Corny Jae Mi," I tell her. She thinks about it for awhile. 

I know it must for her to have her own best friend and cousin go out with each other. She probably uncomfortable having to act not so best friend like around me when Go Reum's around. I feel bad and hurt at the same time. But really... right now... I want this night to be longer. 

Jae Mi's arm sliding through mine woke me back up from my deep thoughts and made me blush. She links her arm with mine and moves closer to me, laying her head on my bicep. My heart freezes and the next thing I know... I forgot about everything. This... This... feels like... how it was. 

Comfort and peace. 

Love and Care. 

Just us two... together. Like Best of Friends... Real Best Friends. 

"Are you okay Jae Mi? Anything bothering you?" I asked.

She let out a heavy sigh, "my family is coming back for summer vacation soon." I look at her and she squeeze onto my arm more. "Isn't that a nice thing? How long has it been since you've seen them?" I asked. "A long time," she answered shortly. "See. And wouldn't it be nice to introduce us?" She smiles and nods.

Though she does that, there was some concern in her eyes, I stop walking which makes her stop walking. I lean down my head a bit to her height and she does look concern. "What's wrong?" I asked.

She looks at me with those extremely concern eyes that made me worry, "What if they make me go back to States with them?" Those words weren't the ones I wanted to hear but the possibility of it all happening is high. Take her back there... with them. I don't want that.

"Do you want to?" I asked. She shook her head, "Of course not." She tugs on my arm even more. "I have all of you guys here... I want to stay here." Then stay. I grab her hand and we walk off.

We got to her place and all the way to here, we were in full silence. She looks extremely worry about it. But she can't force her parents to let her stay here especially if she's been living alone. Jae Mi doesn't want to stay in her aunt's place either.... and they have more the reason to take Jae Mi with her.

We bid goodbye and I turn my back... Then she calls my name, "Jimin, stay." I turn around surprise. I walk towards her, cup her face and ... place my lips upon her forehead. I pull her into a hug and squeeze her tight. 

As softly as I can, I tell her with full assurance for tonight, "I'll stay."