Minjeong sleeps over at Jimin’s and nothing happens, but they don’t leave each other’s arms or presence either.

As they lay in bed with each other, preparing for sleep, the night grows vulnerable. 

“Do you think you can date me?” Minjeong asks, getting comfortable on her side in Jimin’s bed.

“Minjeong…” Jimin smiles softly.

“Please? Can we try it for me?” Minjeong pleads, the tip of her nose almost touching Jimin’s. “I haven’t liked you all these years for nothing.”

“I...” Jimin hesitates.

She has Minjeong in her apartment and all over are the remnants of the younger girl. Minjeong’s shoes by her door, her jacket on her clothing rack, her dishes in her sink and Minjeong laying in front of her in her bed.

“I want to,” Jimin decides.

“You can’t take it back.” Minjeong grins, scooting closer until she’s in Jimin’s arms, who invites her in eagerly. 

“I won’t.” She kisses Minjeong’s crown.

“Unnie. Kiss.” Minjeong tugs on Jimin’s jacket sleeve outside of Jimin’s apartment block in front of the foyer. 

“You’re not coming up?” Jimin asks, intertwining her hand with Minjeong’s.

“I want to, but I have plans with Ningning tomorrow.” Minjeong says.

“I can take you home in the morning.” Jimin pouts, swinging their hands back and forth.

“Yeah and my mom’s going to call and ask why I didn't go home if I lie and say I slept at Ning’s again. She’s going to ask why I slept over if I’m going to see her again.” Minjeong tells Jimin.

“Fine.” Jimin reluctantly lets go of Minjeong.

“Unnie, you’re so cute when you’re sulking.” Minjeong grins.

“I’m not cute!” Jimin pouts.

“But you’re sulking?” Minjeong raises a brow and Jimin nudges her. “Unnie, I have to go now.” Minjeong chuckles.

“I know, I know.” Jimin sighs, pulling Minjeong into her and wrapping her arms around her. “I’ll just miss you.”

“I’ll see you again.” Minjeong looks up at Jimin.

“I know you will.” Jimin looks down at Minjeong lovingly.

“Now kiss.” Minjeong demands.

“Jeez, so demanding.” Jimin grins as she leans down to kiss Minjeong soundly.

To not let it go any further than it should, Jimin kisses Minjeong chastely again and pulls away.

“Minjeong?” Unmistakably Aeri’s voice, Jimin freezes in her spot and Minjeong’s eyes widen.

“Aeri-unnie?” Minjeong moves away and spots Aeri with a bag of beer in hand.

Jimin turns around slowly.

“Aeri, it’s not what it looks like.” Jimin raises her hands.

“It’s not what it looks like?” Aeri raises a brow. “So you’re only just defiling my little sister?”

She drops the bag and storms over towards Jimin.

“Wait, wait-”

Aeri lands a straight blow to Jimin’s cheek. Jimin staggers and falls on her as she cradles her cheek.

“Unnie! What’d you do that for?!” Minjeong gasps and comes to Jimin’s aid immediately.

Jimin bites down on her bottom lip and wants to lie and say that it doesn't hurt, but Aeri’s got fists of steel and it burns like hell, especially since Aeri goes boxing and wears rings.

“Ow, ow, ow...” Jimin groans.

“Let me see it!” Minjeong tries to pull Jimin’s hands away from her face but her long hair covers her.

Minjeong gets pushed away and Aeri grabs onto the lapels of Jimin’s jacket, dragging her up into a sitting position.

“I let you into my life as my best friend; I let you grow up beside Minjeong; my parents fed you and housed you; I told you to take care of her; and this is what you do to me?” Aeri scoffs. “I trusted you! I never thought you’d be this desperate for a warm body. She’s my little sister, you jackass!”

Aeri throws her aside and Jimin winces, feeling Aeri’s words cut right through her as if these many years of friendship meant nothing.

Jimin stumbles as she stands up, her head hanging low.

“Go home with Aeri.” Jimin swallows back her tears.

“Jimin-unnie…” Minjeong desperately wants to reach out.

“I’m sorry, Aeri.” Jimin grits her teeth. “I never meant for this to happen.”

Jimin dismisses Minjeong and the younger girl feels hurt like a puppy abandoned by its owner.

Aeri grabs onto Minjeong and begins stalking away without another word.

Jimin looks at the discarded bag of alcohol and she thinks it’s a sign from God. She brings it with her upstairs to her apartment.

—

—

Jimin hasn’t been accepting calls from Minjeong or even looking at her messages. She stays in her apartment all day and only goes out when she has to.

She’s sitting at her desk, working on files for work, when she finds a familiar intruder in her home.

“What are you doing here?” Jimin jerks up from her desk when she sees Minjeong behind her through the reflection on her laptop monitor.

Minjeong doesn’t say anything; she only walks up to Jimin and cups her chin as she inspects the bruise on her cheekbone.

“Does it still hurt?” Minjeong asks, seeing the purple bruise and the red cut through it.

“No.” Jimin lies.

Minjeong presses a finger against it gently and Jimin winces.

“Liar.” Minjeong calls quietly and Jimin bites her tongue in embarrassment.

Minjeong pulls a tube of ointment from her pocket and squeezes a small amount on the tip of her finger before applying it evenly to the cut and bruise. She puts the ointment on Jimin's table.

“Apply this every day after you shower and before you sleep.” Minjeong instructs her.

“You can’t be here anymore, Minjeong.” Jimin says.

“Why?” Minjeong counters.

“I broke Aeri’s trust.” Jimin says. “I’m never going to get it back like this.”
“Your friendship with Aeri is more important to this relationship you're building with me?” Minjeong scoffs.

“It’s not like that…” Jimin sighs. “I can’t lose Aeri.”

“But you can lose me in the process?” Minjeong carries pain in her tone. 

“Minjeong-ah…” Jimin swallows and Minjeong reaches out to cup Jimin’s cheek.

Jimin pulls away and takes a deep breath.

“You can’t be with me. Aeri’s right about me, you know. All those things you hear around campus, it’s all true.” Jimin says coldly. “All I want is a warm body. I don’t want a relationship; I don’t need one. I sleep around, I’m disinterested and I push people away. It’s what I do.”

“You take care of me; you cook for me; you tell me sweet nothings; and you keep me safe. That’s what you do.” Minjeong tells Jimin warmly, ignoring what Jimin had said. “Tell me honestly that you don’t feel what I feel for you. Tell me you can afford to lose me; tell me you never want to see me again.” 

Jimin looks away, her heart lurching at as she tries to push it back down.

“I can’t—I can’t love you. I never want to…I never… I can’t— I can’t.” Jimin chokes on her words as tears surface. “I don’t want to lose you.”

Minjeong brings Jimin in as Jimin wraps her arms tight around her waist, burying her face into Minjeong’s stomach as she wets her shirt with tears.

“Please don’t leave me, Minjeong-ah.” Jimin sobs and it brings tears to Minjeong’s eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Minjeong says shakily, “Nothing will happen to us. I won’t let it.”

Within the four walls of Jimin’s room, the two of them learn what it feels like to almost lose something so precious and rare in this cold world.

Jimin loves Minjeong and has cared about her since she first laid eyes on her. All Jimin wants to do is make Minjeong happy and keep her cared for, even if it’s not from her. Jimin knows she can’t lose Minjeong or Aeri. She can’t lose this. 

Minjeong’s young and all she’s known in her life is Jimin. Jimin, who takes care of her silently and who indulges in he