author's note: hello. i was busy competing with my's to get good seats for aespa's concert. and i got it. hehe. below at the end are three pictures to accompany this chapter. thank u for reading! i'mgonnagetaselfiewithaeriifit'sthelastthingido

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Newton’s third law states, as Jimin remembers it, that for every external force, there is an equal force acting in the opposite direction. And given her sudden charisma that she mustered from the depths of her idol determination at the shooting, where she took a chance and murmured coquettishly to Mingjeong, kind, platonic Minjeong, the same Minjeong who made sure all her members received screen time, Jimin is irrevocably mortified. Despite it being acting, despite it being her group’s grand scheme to queerbait and amass a cult following to their virtual a.i. girl group, the sheer embarrassment she felt afterwards, the need to not be seen by anybody, to not be perceived by anybody, the need to retreat under her covers, with blood rushing to her cerebrum, to her extremities, and blood singing in her ears, singing through her mind, while being driven home, succumbed her body and senses to that of a meek recluse for the following days. 

It is decided then, in order to keep her equilibrium and return her to optimal idol condition, Jimin must follow Newton’s laws. To counteract her daring performance that previous time, it’s only natural, biological, to just… hide. 

In SM’s stairways, a random floor everyday. 

“Excuse me, miss, we have to get through here to check the electrical room,”

“I’m sorry, the restroom is the other way,” Jimin pauses the Next Level instrumental on her phone and pulls out an airpod from her ear. 

“No ma’am, we are here to fix the wiring,” He and his coworkers tug up the ladder and tool boxes around their arms and hands.

“Oh.”

With her Red Velvet seniors whenever she catches them in the building.

“Seulgi unnie, I need your help with this dance move for Dreams Come True! Please help me!!”

“Sure thing! Let’s get that figured out!”

Another day.

“Irene unnie, are you busy? Can I come along?”

“I was about to visit Seungwan in the hospital…would you like to accompany me?”

“Yes!”

The next day,

“Joy unnie, do you have any clothes you don’t wear anymore?”

“Why yes!!” she exclaims. “Now I have an excuse to steal Seulgi’s clothes,” she whispers and then drags Jimin into the garage, “Follow me to the car!”

God, Jimin is so ashamed. The liberties of having “free time” when they don’t have group practice, Jimin spends her daylight hours running for the hills when she sees a certain dark blonde in the vicinity.

And during group practices, just like right now, she made sure not to be too close to Minjeong, always having Aeri or Yizhuo as a buffer. They’re taking a break, sweat and hair matted against their skin. Yizhuo is spacing out, laid out, staring at the floor while Minjeong is cooling herself down, airing out her green crewneck. Jimin is sprawled next to Aeri, resting on the couch. This shameful avoidance has been going on for days, and Minjeong none the wiser. After all, she only needs to be coy and gay for the cameras, nobody said anything off-duty.

But today… today was different. The days of her new normalcy, she knew, would not be sustainable. Eventually, she would need to rekindle her friendship with Minjeong. 

But how could she? How could a lesbian cope being platonic friends with a woman who incites all her wet dreams? Not that she had any, Jimin is wholesome (it’s the principle, no wet dreams of anybody unless it is consensual). Jimin is a follower of God and a leader for her members.

This predicament is so ed.

Jimin has done well to remain quiet, only talking and joking when necessary during group practice. But still, it is human nature to have wandering eyes, and with Minjeong’s new shoulder-length hair, still blonde, Jimin can’t resist, she really tried withholding herself, she really did, God only knows how good and pure she has been to not have these… thoughts… about her coworker. She hasn’t stared too long since their prior filming, but today… today, Jimin sees the way nature has paved ridges and valleys into Minjeong’s collarbones; she sees the vast expanse of Minjeong’s neck when the girl stretches her body upwards, skin soft and pliant she imagines; today, she sees the bead of sweat trickling from her sharp, defined jaw to her glistening, beckoning neck. She sees the soft flutter of her wild palpitating heart’s eyes close. Jimin is trying so hard to remain nonchalant, sitting like a statue, face expressionless, but when Minjeong’s fingers combs through her hair absentmindedly before shaking her strands attractively back to the front, Jimin feels the synapses of her lust fire off. Jimin crosses her arms and digs her nails into her flesh. To see Minjeong lifting the hem of her crewneck up (oh), revealing her soft, feminine stomach (oh Dear Lord) to wipe away the sweat (oh sweet Jesus) off her face, Jimin realizes she is gay panicking once again and is... extremely bothered. 

“You guys aren’t slick, you know,” Aeri says to her, the corner of smirking. “I know what’s going on.”

Like an animal ready to flee, Jimin's senses were on high alert. Alarms, sirens, bell towers, they were all going off in Jimin’s mind. It wasn’t even a whisper either. Oh please, she begs, please do not let her members hear.

Yizhuo lifts her head from where she was laying down, looking at the ceiling. “Oh? Tea? Are you spilling tea? Wait, let me sit up for this!!”  

Jimin’s eyes widen. She screams internally. She gets Aeri’s attention with her hands. Xenoglossy, don’t you dare say anything! Let me gay panic in peace!  Aeri sneers at her, mischief itching to be unleashed.

Meanwhile, fed up with her choice of insulated clothing, Minjeong discards her crewneck and tosses it to the side, leaving her in her black sports bra and matching sweatpants. Jimin hears the soft landing and gulps when she sees the expanse of taut muscles, tight like an arrow. Minjeong is heading her way, Minjeong is heading her way, Minjeong is sitting down, Minjeong is sitting down next to her, and Jimin shoots up faster than Elon Musk’s failed rocket launch. 

“W-who wants a w-water refill? I’m going to–I’ll go refill our bottles,” Jimin has her hands out, glances at Yizhuo, Yizhuo murmurs a a sigh of relief then a sigh of frustration and after some rummaging behind the couch hands Jimin her Hydroflask. Jimin tucks it in her arm. She glances at Aeri, and Aeri gives her a defeated look, before begrudgingly handing her her Stanley too. She chances looking at Minjeong (no, Jimin! Up! Up! Look at her face!) and the girl had a singular eyebrow raised in amusement.

“I forgot mine, I’ll share with you instead.” 

Oof!!! This insufferable, shameless liar!!! Jimin thinks as she tightens her fists. 

“You wouldn’t mind, would you?” Minjeong asks cutely.

Jimin turns around in the direction of the water dispenser, not entertaining the girl with a response. She knows Minjeong is smirking at her, always one to to get reactions out of her, and she feels relieved how Minjeong hasn’t changed despite the days of avoidance. Still, Jimin clenches her knuckles, her thoughts torn between throttling the feline temptress up against a wall or letting her be the one to receive the violence. 

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“So what was the tea?” 

“Oh yeah!” Aeri remembered, chuckling. “I know what’s going on.”

“There’s something going on?” Minjeong asks, having no clue what her friend is spouting about.