“You’ll love Jimin!” Ningning beams. “She’s the sweetest thing ever, but you have to give her time to warm up because she’s kind of got this resting face - but that’s just her normal face, as long as you do no wrong to her.” 

 

Minjeong blinks as Ningning blabbers on about the roommate she’s about to meet.

 

Since starting university, Minjeong’s money has rapidly disappeared and could no longer afford to live in her own apartment alone. Ningning had informed her a week prior that she had a friend who was looking for a roommate and Minjeong immediately snatched up the opportunity.

But she didn’t know the roommate was Jimin until now.

 

“Jimin?” Minjeong furrows her brows. “As in Yu Jimin, one year our senior?”

“Yes that Yu Jimin. Ignore whatever you hear about her.” Ningning waves her hand in the air and Minjeong frowns.

“I never listen to people.” She says.

“Exactly why you will be the perfect roommate and she will be the perfect one for you!” Ningning grins. “She won’t bother you unless you bother her. Easier said than done, right?”

“Right.” Minjeong nods sceptically.

 

—

 

Two weeks later she’s properly introduced to Jimin with Ningning as the mediator— making them shake hands as they enter the neat threshold of Jimin’s apartment.

 

“See, you two get along well!” Ningning pats Minjeong’s shoulder harshly and she lurches forward, almost stumbling into Jimin who smiles shyly.

“Thanks, Ning.” Minjeong grimaces before turning back to Jimin. “And thanks again too, for letting me move in and helping me settle in.”

“My pleasure.” Jimin shrugs, looking away.

“Great! I gotta go meet Aeri-unnie now, be nice to each other!” Ningning skips out the door and there’s a silence that follows and Minjeong can’t tell if it’s unsettling or simply nothing.

 

Minjeong turns to Jimin and smiles awkwardly.

 

“I’ll be setting up my room… if you need anything.” Minjeong clears and Jimin nods.

“Okay, Minjeong.” Jimin smiles softly and Minjeong nods before going into her room, closing the door with a resounding click.

 

It’s not their first time meeting, in truth. Having been going to the same university for the last two years, Minjeong and Jimin are bound to run into each other. It helps that they share a similar group of friends all over, but differences between them— Minjeong is rarely the talk of the campus.

 

It’s not unusual to hear gossip everyday and it’s even more usual to hear something about the infamous Yu Jimin.

 

She sleeps around and leaves people wanting more, but she is unmoving like stone rooted in the ground.

 

Jimin stands tall and stoic most days and only shares occasional laughs and smirks around her friends. Anywhere else, you’ll see her uninterested and closed off.

 

Naturally, it made Minjeong curious, but not curious enough to approach her.

 

And Jimin?

 

Jimin always noticed Kim Minjeong.

 

Kim Minjeong who is best friends with Ning Yizhuo— girlfriend of her best friend, Uchinaga Aeri, and practically the snow white of the student body. She’s kind, all smiles and warm gestures.

 

Jimin strays away from that warmth— finding warmth in hot bodies and burning pains in her chest, but she is left wanting more too.

 

They all see Yu Jimin and always want to keep hands on her to not let her go. They’re selfish and needy creatures.

 

Yu Jimin doesn’t think she’s any better.

 

—

 

Minjeong had meant to spend the evening studying in the library, but her night was cut short when she ran into her ex, Chaehyun, and awkwardly greeted her before walking in the opposite direction— out of the campus, and back to her shared apartment with Yu Jimin. 

 

When she stumbles into her apartment, feeling pathetic and stupid— she shrieks upon entering the threshold— with barely one shoe off.

 

There on the sofa she watched a movie two nights ago with Jimin— was Jimin herself on top of a shirtless man’s lap, making out quite sensually.

 

Jimin’s eyes widen and she tears away from the man, standing up and distancing herself.

 

“So sorry - I’ll be gone!” Minjeong picks up her shoe from the ground and just turns away, closing the apartment door, not caring if she only has one shoe on and is walking with just her sock on her other foot.

 

Jimin rushes out, stumbling and feeling dishevelled.

 

“Wait - Kim Minjeong!” Jimin opens the door and she looks around and sees the hallway completely empty without a trace of her roommate. “.”

 

She sighs, covering her face with her hands as her ears burn.

 

“Who was that?” The man from earlier stands up and stands behind Jimin at the door, wrapping his arms around her waist and Jimin freezes, turning around and pushing his arms away.

“My roommate.” Jimin tells him and then a beat after– “I think you should go.”

 

He’s not happy leaving, but a promise to see him next pacifies him and Jimin’s crossing her fingers behind her back with a faux expression.

 

Minjeong bursts into Ningning’s apartment and finds Aeri rolling up kimbap as Ningning lounges on her couch.

 

Minjeong takes a look at their couch and her groans, covering her face.

 

“What happened?” Ningning asks. “Did you run into Chaehyun?”

“Yes, but also not that.” Minjeong stalks over and plops right beside Ningning, leaning onto her shoulder.

“I’ll take a guess.” Aeri snorts. “I bet she found Jimin in a compromising position with someone.”

 

Minjeong blushes and she whines, clinging onto Ningning tightly.

 

“Seriously?” Ningning blinks.
“I’m so embarrassed!” She whines. 

“She can’t be doing that with you around.” Ningning frowns. “You guys live together now.”
“It’s not that - I mean, I did tell Jimin that I’d be in the library for the entire night, but I ran into Chaehyun and went back to the apartment because I got turned off, and opened the door and wham! Right on the couch.” Minjeong details her experience.

“I’ll tell Jimin off.” Ningning says, pulling out her phone but Minjeong stops her.

“Don't! What if she’s still… y’know.” She grimaces.

“She’s not.” Aeri says, coming over to show them her phone screen. “She’s asking for you.”

 

Minjeong’s eyes skim over the messages.

 

> Do u know where Minjeong is? 

< She’s with me and ning 

> Can u tell her to come back? I need to talk to her. 

< Lol what’d u do? 

> Something stupid now pls tell her to come back 

 

“Oh.” Minjeong blinks.

“Go.” Ningning chuckles. “Jimin’s going to want to apologise to you with her tail between her legs like a wet dog.” 

“Literally.” Aeri cackles.

“Okay.” Minjeong gets up. “I’ll update you guys later, I guess.”
“Wait - take some kimbap before you go!” Aeri tells her.

 

Minjeong stands outside the apartment she’s been living in for the past month. She stares at the door, suddenly feeling unfamiliar with it.

 

“Get it over with…” She repeats to herself.

 

With kimbap in one hand, she raises her hand to knock but her hand never meets the door as the door swings open and Minjeong yelps. Jimin’s eyes widen as she smiles sheepishly.

 

“Sorry - sorry!” Jimin winces. 

“It’s okay.” Minjeong smiles politely. “Um, I have kimbap - if you’re hungry. Aeri made it.” 

“Thanks.” Jimin smiles.

 

They settle into the apartment and Jimin takes a seat on the sofa, almost gesturing for Minjeong to sit but then she remembers what occurred earlier and she stands back up and heads to their dinner table.

 

“First of all,” Jimin takes a breath. “I just really want to apologise for earlier.”

 

Jimin thinks she’s never been so cautious of someone in her life, but Minjeong is her kind and quiet roommate who sometimes shares food with her. It’s common decency, but because Jimin genuinely wants Minjeong in her life.

 

“I didn’t mean for you to walk in like that - I promise nothing like that in the future will happen again, and if it does - I’d inform you, so please don’t stop being my roommate.” Jimin ducks her head and hopes Minjeong will continue to stay as her roommate. 

 

A gentle chuckle fills the room and Jimin looks up, almost delighted by the sound of Minjeong’s melodious laugh.

 

“I’m not going to stop being your roommate just because of that.” Minjeong smiles softly. “Thank you for apologising and yes, I would probably appreciate a heads up, but it’s partly my fault because I said I’d be out all day - and I came back early, so…”

“Thank you.” Jimin sighs in relief and Minjeong grins.

“So how about kimbap for dinner?” Minjeong asks.

 

—

 

“You guys made up?” Ningning asks when both Jimin and Minjeong arrive at the bar at the same time, arms linked with each other.

“You make it sound like we fought.” Jimin chuckles. “It was just a slight incident.”
“Slight incident.” Minjeong smirks and Jimin pouts, bumping her hip with Minjeong.

“Shots, es!” Aeri comes in behind the bar waiter and they’re served with a tray of shots.

 

Jimin and Minjeong are handed one and they look at each other with a smile.

 

“Bottoms up.” And down it goes.

 

By the end of the night, Minjeong and Jimin somehow make it home successfully as Jimin sobers up halfway, while Minjeong remains slow, sluggish and drunk as ever.

 

Jimin learns that Minjeong is quite the lightweight and doesn’t know why she drank so much today. Ningning tells her it’s because she wanted to keep up with Jimin and she finds it sweet.

 

Sweet Minjeong.

 

Drunk Minjeong is also clingier than her usual self as she refuses to detach herself from Jimin, so the taller girl ends up throwing the both of them onto her own bed.

 

Minjeong hums a sigh of relief and practically lays on top of Jimin, but then something changes and Jimin feels it in the pit of her soul.

 

Minjeong props herself up and gazes down at Jimin impassively. She’s looking down at her through her lashes, eyes roaming all over and Jimin’s heart stutters in her chest.

 

Jimin thinks that this is something that will happen to her over and over again. Someone’s always going to want to take something from her, to kiss her and to take her home to bed, and not to kiss her just because. She’s tipsy and Minjeong’s tipsy and she sighs, ready to be taken advantage of and to lose her mind to numbness.

 

But Minjeong proves her wrong— gently pushing Jimin down on her bed, she hovers over her, encasing Jimin’s body with her own like a ghost, lightly, and gently. 

 

Knees on both sides of Jimin, she leans down— one hand above Jimin’s head, propping herself up and the other hand at Jimin’s crown, rearranging Jimin’s hair to show her face properly.

 

Jimin looks up and she sees Minjeong’s eyes glossed over with something foreign and sweet.

 

Minjeong leans down and kisses Jimin’s forehead chastely. 

 

She presses a kiss to Jimin’s left cheek,

 

To her right,

 

Her nose,

 

Her beauty mark below her lips,

 

The underside of her chin,

 

Her neck,

 

Her bare shoulder,

 

And her collar bone.

 

“You’re so beautiful, unnie.” Minjeong says it's as simple as breathing in oxygen.

 

Jimin’s entire being burns— but not with want and passion, but an unsettling feeling of care and warmth she hadn’t felt in years. Jimin doesn’t want to touch Minjeong like others touch her. She wants to caress Minjeong and wants Minjeong to keep her forever warm like this.

 

Sweetly and kindly, Minjeong doesn’t take anymore, or anything from her at all.

 

Minjeong wakes up in a bed that’s definitely not hers, but it’s warm and smells good. Minjeong jolts up when she realises that she’s in Jimin’s room.

 

She steps out and finds no trace of Jimin in the apartment, except for a note.

 

Went out to buy some things 

 

 

Jimin

 

 

Minjeong smiles before heading to the shower.

 

When Jimin returns to the apartment, Minjeong is at the dining table with papers scattered across the table and with her laptop open— playing quiet music. Jimin takes in her appearance, short hair tied back and glasses perched at her nose.

 

She had never known Minjeong wore glasses.

 

“Hey - you’re back?” Minjeong stands up with a grin. “What’d you buy?”

“Yeah.” Jimin swallows. “Just some things for me and the apartment.”

 

Minjeong steps over to help Jimin with the bags but Jimin sees Minjeong’s hand incoming towards her own, and as they almost make contact— Jimin pulls back and one of the bags falls.

 

“Oops - I got it.” Minjeong bends down and picks up the fallen things, glad it was only a shampoo bottle and conditioner and not food.

 

Minjeong doesn’t address Jimin’s pulling away and flinching and Jimin’s curious as to why she wouldn’t like everyone else does.

 

“Sorry.” Jimin clears .

“It’s alright.” Minjeong smiles and it eases Jimin’s nerves.

 

The next time it happens again, they’re at a crowded bar and restaurant to celebrate Aeri’s birthday amongst a bunch of other friends.

 

Everyone’s around the giant circle table and Jimin and Minjeong are seated beside each other.

 

Jimin recently noticed that Minjeong isn’t as clingy as before. She doesn’t leave lingering touches, brief hugs, or doesn’t link their arms anymore. Jimin knows why because she pulled away and it might have spooked Minjeong.