4 YEARS AGO

November 10, 2020

1 week before Aespa's debut

The weight of impending confession felt like a heavy blanket, smothering my every breath. As I sat there, my phone screen illuminated with a message from Aeri that read, "Did you do it yet?" No, I hadn't done it yet. How could I, when the mere thought of confessing my feelings sent waves of trepidation coursing through my veins?

The creak of the front door announced her arrival, and the scent of her perfume wafted through the room, mingling with the palpable tension that hung heavy in the air. My heart thrummed in my chest like a drum against my ribs as she approached, each step resonating within the hollow chamber of my chest.

"Hey, what's up?" Her voice was as smooth as velvet, but it only served to heighten the tumult within me. “Are you okay, Minjeong-ah? What were you doing sitting here in the living room alone and with the TV off?”

Courage, Minjeong. Courage.

I struggled to form coherent sentences, to keep my composure in the face of her radiance. "Yeah, everything is okay," I managed to force out, my voice sounding foreign and distant even to my own ears. "I was just... waiting for you."

Her smile, as bright as the sun, threatened to shatter me completely. "Waiting for me?" she echoed, furrowing her brow in confusion.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the fallout. "Y-yes," I stammered, my tongue feeling heavy and clumsy in my mouth. "There's something I need to talk to you about."

As she settled beside me on the couch, my heart threatened to leap from my chest entirely. "Is it about our debut?" she asked, her concern evident in the furrow of her brow. "If so, don't worry about it. Everything will be okay. This week, all of our dreams come true, and I'll be there right by your side, like always."

Her words washed over me like a soothing balm, momentarily easing the storm within. But I couldn't afford to falter now. "Thank you," I murmured, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. "But it's not about our debut."

Confusion flickered across her features, and I cursed myself for what I was about to do. "I... I like you, Jimin."

She smiled, a soft and gentle thing that only served to twist the knife buried deep within my chest. "I like you too, Minjeong," she replied, her voice warm and affectionate. "You're my best friend."

"No, not like that," I interrupted, desperation creeping into my voice. "I really... really like you, Jimin.  I've liked you since we were trainees. You're... you're everything to me, Jimin. Sweet, caring, loving... you're perfect. The perfect person for me. I'm in love with you, Jimin."

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating, as I a