"I--" Minjeong continues to rub her face against Jimin's chest. 

The two trainees are still on the couch. One acting like she recently found the best pillow in the world, cuddling Jimin like a cat against its favorite scratching post, and the other trainee, well, she has her face scrunched and her eyes closed, afraid to reveal her blown out dilated dark eyes.

Say it, say "I gotta go!!"

Ahh... that feels so good, keep doing that, baby.

Jimin inhales and exhales in staccato breaths. She hears a voice just like hers in her brain but her body tells her to chase after the euphoric warmth. She pushes her body closer into Minjeong to nuzzle her nose by her forehead, and the girl smells divine.

Jimin!! Get the up now!!  

Mhmm... that's right, hold me close just like that. You smell so good. 

If only Jimin wasn't so engrossed between her morals and her satisfaction, she would have heard a gasp and a fragile whimper coming from Minjeong beneath her. She would have noticed Minjeong's nails clenching her back underneath her shirt.

Jimin!! You get your up right now!! This is not appropriate!!

Says who? 

Says your conscience!! You are her teammate and leader. This is not what leaders do!!

The girl with the conflicting thoughts jerked up. That's right. It was getting too gay just now. 

But as she's looking down at Minjeong's breathless face and her bleary eyes as if awoken from a slumber, Jimin thinks this sight is going to ruin her sleep, haunt her dreams, and taunt her in ways and crevices she cannot imagine.

"I gotta–" Gay. "GO! We–we gotta go. Here, take my hand. Aeri and Yizhuo are probably waiting for us." 

But Minjeong remains in place, hands still in place, eyes locked on the strong veins appearing on Jimin's neck.

"Minjeong?"

"Ah!! You're r-right! They're waiting! Let's go, hurry hurry," and Minjeong scurries out of their position to grab her jacket and shoes, nearly making Jimin fall down when she tucked her legs in to get off the couch. 

Jimin lets out a quiet frustrated groan. It's unfair how oblivious Minjeong is and what she's doing to Jimin. It's not like, she has a crush on her, but she's just... the most attractive woman in her life right now, and she sees her daily, and she's always on the receiving end of being touched, and, and... 

"Jimin? You coming?"

Jimin sees Minjeong in a blue windbreaker, white shoes, cheeks red. She sees her twirling the keys around her fingers and heels rocking back and forth, waiting for her. 

. She's so cute. 

But them being coworkers, about to debut in a group together, Jimin the leader, not knowing if Minjeong likes girls like that, her being closeted, are enough reasons to remain professional, to keep walking on eggshells and pray they never break. 

-------

October 22, 2020 

Months have passed since Jimin realized that Minjeong is ridiculously cute, and the aespa (still a ridiculous name in meaning, but sounds like an iconic brand, Jimin thinks) girls are currently gathered around, eating their lunch at the SM's cafeteria. 

Practice has consumed their life. It's soul-, crushing, never ending. But they're debuting next month, on the internet first, then at Music Bank with a reduced audience, at least that's what she's told due to the COVID-19 precautions. 

Minjeong has toned down on the skinship, Jimin realizes, and that's a consequence for having additional practices with Yoo Young Jin, the esteemed vocal coach. Jimin reckons the girl is exhausted, she reckons all of them are--Aeri has been in the gym more and Yizhuo has been making friends with the corporate employees, talking to them for hours. And yet, Yizhuo hasn't mentio