Jimin
I can’t help but think how strong Minji really is. Everything makes so much more sense now – her panic attacks, her fear of water, her thinking she’s a freak because of the panic attacks. That event in her life and everything that followed after shaped her to be who she is – a strong woman who managed to turn her life around after something so traumatic. I always imagined she went through something horrible but I never imagined it would be almost dying. As she told her story, I could see everyone getting emotional about it.
Taehyung has always been known to have very strong facial expressions both when on and off stage. I could see the emotions on his face clear as day. I think he really wanted to get up and just hug her like I did but we both kept back and gave her the space she needed to tell her story. Jin who is usually always laughing or trying to make the people around him smile kept quiet. Namjoon who usually always knows what to say also kept quiet, his eyes never leaving hers. Yoongi was shifting his gaze from Minji to Yun, clearly worried about the two of them but also wanting to understand. Hoseok and Yoona held hands even tighter, every now and then, they would exchange a look. I could see how much they were empathizing with her. Yun had that look on her face that said she was reliving the whole thing. It must have been horrible for her - seeing her best friend fall, her other best friend jumping after her, having to tell her that he's dead and seeing her best friend broken. Jungkook had a look of pure horror on his face; horror and then rage for that *. At least, I could see Jungkook and Minji share what I am sure is a bonding moment. Anyone could see it.
'How about I cook dinner hmm? You must be hungry by now.' Jin comments as he seems to address Minji more than anyone else.
'That sounds good Oppa.' She replies as she gives him a warm, gentle smile that says she appreciates what he is doing. He wants to break the heavy tension in the air.
'I'll help you.' Yun offers and Yoongi stands up as well. I smile, never having seen Yoongi so enthusiastic about cooking as much as lately. I think he either wants to spend some time with Yun or he wants to impress her by doing something she likes... or perhaps both.
'I think I'm going for a walk.' Minji says as she stands up and dusts herself out of habit.
'I'll join you.' I offer and she smiles and nods. I stand up as well and the two of us leave the room. The villa is pretty big as it and the garden around it makes it look even more big. 'This place is really beautiful.' I comment.
‘You definitely got that right.' She says as we keep walking together. We reach the back garden where there is a swing. She smiles excitedly and I can't help notice how she can switch from very mature and adult-like to very childish in a matter of seconds. I guess it's good for her since she'll be working with kids. She can go down to their level, something not everyone is capable of doing.
She runs towards it and sits down. I laugh as I go behind her and begin to push her gently and I hear her giggle. Her laughter is really the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. I remember what it was like being in a relationship and being in love but it was nothing like this.
Everything about Minji is just out of this world. Her laughter sounds like a sound from heaven and her smile could light up the world. Even when she is angry, she still remains beautiful, even if she appears deadly.... and probably is. Although I haven’t known her for long, She carries a certain strength to her that makes her look even more beautiful. She is strong physically but also in character. I’ve seen her in a range of emotions – happy, excited, laughing, angry, afraid. She’s not someone who hides what she is feeling which I’m grateful for. It makes it easier to be myself with her in all sense of the word. She makes everything better and I feel happier spending time with her.
‘Aren’t you going to swing Chim?’ She asks and I shake my head.
‘I don’t have to. Pushing you is enough.’ I reply and she nods as she looks ahead before she turns her head once more. She has such a pretty smile… I hear her taking a deep breath as if to let the fresh air fill her up.
'Hey Chim, can I ask you something?' She asks all of a sudden, bringing me back to reality from my thoughts.
'Sure.' I reply as I stop swinging her and walk in front of her. 'You can ask me anything Minmin.' I say and she looks up at me. She places her hand on top of her eyes to block the sun which is on her face.
'Did you stay with me the whole time I was asleep?' She asks and I smile and nod. 'Whoa... why did you stay? It must have been boring for you.' She asks. I smile once more as I lower myself to one knee to be at her level since she is still sitting down on the swing.
'Because I really care about you Minji.' I say without hesitation and I see the surprise on her face.
‘Ohh I… um I wasn’t expecting that answer. I… I um don’t know what to say.’ She says, getting flustered which is pretty cute, especially since she usually always has an answer ready.
‘Then let me.’ I say. This time, I don’t keep back and lean forward as I crash my lips against hers. It’s almost like she is ready because she kisses back. She leans forward, eyes closed as we kiss. I don’t know how to describe it – it’s an indescribable feeling – like butterflies becoming dragons and my heart beating so much quicker. It feels like holding a piece of heaven in my hands as I cup her face in my hands.
I get completely lost in the kiss, so lost that we forget she’s sitting on a swing and I’m crouching. She falls forward, sending me to the ground and she lands on me, forcing the two of us to break the kiss and laugh. I wrap my hands around her, bringing her closer to me and she looks at me, her eyes twinkling and a big smile on her face. ‘Normally first kisses are left for the first date.’ She teases.
‘Will you go out on a date with me then?’ I ask and she nods and I feel my own smile getting bigger and bigger. ‘Really?’ I ask, my voice raising in pitch.
‘Yes, really.’ She says. She lowers down, enclosing the little space between us as she kisses me again. It’s a quick, cute peck which makes me smile. ‘This time, you’re the one with leaves in your hair.’ She says as she picks a leaf from my hair and shows it to me. We stay like that for a few moments before she stands up.
‘When are you free?’ I ask. She closes on eye as her face scrunches as she seems to visualize her timetable.
‘Oh yeah I almost forget. I’m completely free on Thursday because the lecturers have a seminar or something.’ She says.
‘Awesome. I’ll take the day off and I promise I’ll take you on the perfect date.’ I say as I smile. I know that right now I’m smiling so big that my eyes are barely showing. It seems to make her laugh as she cocks her head to one side and looks at me which makes me smile even more.
‘Ahh look – the sun is setting.’ She says, pointing behind me. I turn around and take a step backwards to stand next to her. ‘It’s so pretty. Don’t you love the colours of sunsets?’ She asks.
‘I do. Let’s take a photo with the sun setting behind us.’ I say. She looks at me curiously and I shrug my shoulders. I take out my phone and we turn around so we can have the beautiful background behind us. I smile and she does as well as she does the peace sign.
‘Oh nice. Shall we take another one?’ She asks and I nod. As I go to press the button, she turns quickly and places a kiss on my cheek. I laugh at her cheekiness and then I look at the photo.
‘Oh I definitely love this one.’ I say, showing her the photo. She gives me two thumbs up. ‘This will be a reminder of the day and time of when you agreed to going out on a date with me.’ I say.
‘We really do look cute.’ She says as we both end up staring at each other for a moment when her phone buzzes. She takes it out and reads the message and then turns to me.
‘Yun just texted me. Dinner is almost ready.’ She says and I nod.
‘Come on let’s go and not keep them waiting.’ I say. The two of us walk side by side, my hand itching to take hers into mine but I don’t. We finally reach the house, we walk inside and I see Taehyung looking at us just as he comes down from his own room.
‘How was your walk?’ He asks. Minji and I look at each other, the two of us smiling like *s. ‘Judging by the looks on your faces, I’m guessing quite good. You arrived just in time – Jin-hyung just called everyone for dinner.’ He says as we follow him to the dining room.
Along with the food, we end up drinking some wine, perhaps more than we should have. Everyone is laughing and joking around when Minji’s phone starts ringing. She stands up quickly as she makes a sign for everyone to be quiet. Everyone quietens down but we can’t stop whisper-laughing. She answers the call which she puts on speaker.
‘KYUNG MINJI!!’ A loud female voice yells through the phone. Minji flinches as she closes her eyes and pulls the phone away. I see Jungkook almost choke on his water and Yun freezes mid-movement. ‘When where you planning on telling me and your appa that thieves broke into your apartment??’ She shouts. I’m guessing it’s her Eomma so it’s understandable that she is shouting.
‘Eomma, we’re fine and the boys already fixed our apartment up so you have nothing to worry about, I promise.’ Minji says as she throws a kiss at her. She doesn't tell her that of course this wasn't just a simple burglary but a message. I can understand that - she wouldn't want to worry her.
‘I swear, you and your father are going to send me to an early grave. Minji, why do you look drunk? Where are you?’ She asks her. Wow – she really is observant – then again she’s a specialist doctor – a surgeon who works in the ER or something – noticing things is literally her job.
‘Eomma I’m not drunk. Tell her Yun.’ Minji whines, a clear indication that she is indeed tipsy. Minji turns the phone towards Yun who smiles, slightly nervously.
‘Hello Auntie. We’re not drunk, I promise – just a little tipsy. The boys and Yoona brought us to their boss’ villa to get our minds off about the apartment and we’re just having dinner and having some wine but don’t worry. We really are okay.’ Yun says flashing her a big smile and thumbs up. I hear the older woman sighing before she nods.
‘Okay then. Minji, Yun stay out of trouble and enjoy your weekend. Stay safe.’ She says before she hangs up. Minji puts her phone away.
‘Well that was fun.’ She comments, making everyone smile. I look over at Jungkook who had actually gotten a bit nervous by the call it seems.
‘Your Eomma is scary, probably even scarier than your Appa.’ Jungkook says.
‘You’ve got that right. My Appa can be scary because he always catches anyone who’s lying and he knows how to play with words but Eomma is like a dragon and there isn’t a thing she fails to see.’ Minji explains.
‘You seem to have gotten quite a bit of both. I mean your Appa’s smarts and your Eomma’s fierceness.’ I say and she nods.
‘Everyone always used to think she’d go for sports when we were younger even though she used to come first in school and always won prizes for her academic achievement. Minho and I used to think she’d go for law if not sports since by age fifteen, she knew the law, dare I say by heart.’ Yun says.
‘Stop it.’ Minji says as she starts to get shy, her cheeks going red at the compliment as she stuffs her mouth with food. When she realizes everyone is still looking at her, she swallows the food and sighs. ‘The only reason I learned the law was because Appa was always quoting it to me and I used to help him rehearse for court.’ She says, without realizing she’s actually impressing us more and more.
‘That’s so cool. So, what made you want to become a teacher?’ Hoseok asks.
‘I never imagined myself as anything else honestly. I really enjoy working with kids and I feel a lot of satisfaction from the work I get to do. Don’t get me wrong, there are days which feel impossible but it’s worth it.’ She says. I nod and I realize I found another reason to lo- like her.
After everyone finishes dinner, we decide to go to the living room as we carry the wine with us. There's a really good atmosphere tonight - maybe it's because it's the weekend, maybe it's because of the wine but I think it's this amazing connection we're all sharing as we get to know each other more. Everyone is just simply sharing childhood stories - funny and embarrassing ones that just make the mood even better.
Minji and I keep stealing glances at each other and every time we do, I see her smile and bite her lower lip. I don't know if she does it on purpose or subconsciously as she thinks about the kiss we shared earlier.
'Hyung why don't you and Yun play a piece together?' Taehyung suggests, pointing to the piano in the corner. Yoongi and Yun look at each other, unsure of what to do before Yoongi finally stands up and offers her his hand. I see Minji beaming with happiness. Yun's cheeks go slightly red as she accepts his hand and lets him lead her to the piano.
'Do you know Spring Day?' He asks and she nods. They look at each other for a moment before he nods at her so she can begin to play. As usual, I feel blown away by her playing. Yoongi takes from her as he plays with her. They play perfectly together, making the song sound almost magical. Every now and then I see him look at her, his eyes twinkling.
They finish playing and we all start to cheer and clap for them. ‘That was incredible.’ Yoona says before she begins to yawn. ‘I think I’m going to sleep.’ She says as she yawns one more time.
We all make it to our rooms and as I change into my nightclothes I hear my phone buzz. I smile as I see it’s a message from Minji.
Minji: Want to come over to watch a movie with me? 😊 😘
Jiminie: Sure… I’ll be right there 😍😍
I put my phone away and quickly finish getting dressed. I open the door to my room slowly, trying not to make a sound as I tiptoe to her room as quietly as possible. I knock gently on her door and she opens it up and smiles. She motions for me to be quiet as I walk into her room. She closes the door behind me and lets out a giggle as we go to her bed. She opens up her laptop and goes on Netflix.
Minji
I wake up feeling happy and at peace as I remember yesterday’s events. Granted I had a major panic attack but through that I found the courage to tell them about my past. This way, they know me more and I think it brought me and Jungkook even closer than before.
I smile as I remember all the cute moments Jimin and I shared yesterday – playing hide and seek, climbing up the tree, rolling in the grass, swinging and then… I place my hand on my lips as I remember how soft his lips felt against mine. When he asked me out on a date, I could hardly believe what I was hearing. Park Jimin was asking me, Kyung Minji, a simple girl out on a date. I may have appeared confident but it felt like my heart was about to stop and all throughout dinner I couldn’t help but keep looking at him and after dinner he ended up in my room as we watched a movie together. He left a little after it was over because neither of us wanted to be caught in each other’s room by the others.
I grab my things and go to the bathroom and take a quick shower along with my hair before I go downstairs. As I almost enter the kitchen, I see Yun and Yoongi really close to each other. I smile as I take a step back, not wanting to invade on them. I hear footsteps approaching and I look to see Jungkook practically skipping down the stairs. ‘Shh!!’ I say as I grab him from the arm and pull him against the wall.
‘What are you doing? Why are you shushing me?’ He asks. I point to the kitchen and he raises one eyebrow and peers in. ‘Ohh now I see.’ He says as he begins to snicker.
‘Do you think Yoongi likes her?’ I whisper to him. He seems to think for a few seconds and then nods.
‘I do. I’ve never seen him like that with any girl before. He’s always been focused on work and whenever we talked about girls and dating he would say he doesn’t have time for that but now he grabs every opportunity to see her.’ He says and I nod. ‘What about Yun? Do you think she likes him?’ He asks and I nod.
‘Most certainly. I haven’t seen her like this since… well, since we were seventeen. When I was going through my hard time, Jae, her boyfriend from back then had an opportunity of a lifetime to go and study abroad. He wanted her to go with him but she didn’t want to leave Korea. I think one of the main reasons she stayed was because of me. They tried the whole long distance thing but it didn’t work out in the end and he called it quits.’ I say and he nods.
‘I see. It’s a pity but it’s better that way than being cheated on.’ He says and I find myself agreeing.
‘Are you two planning on staying here all morning?’ Jin asks all of a sudden, making both of us * a bit with fright. ‘And why were you whispering like two thieves?’ He asks as he looks on. Before we can say anything, I see his eyes go wide and a wide smile spreading on his face. ‘Ahh finally.’ Jin mutters. ‘Still, I need to cook breakfast because those two don’t look like they’re doing anything except getting cozy.’ He says as he storms in the kitchen. I look at Jungkook who shrugs and we follow Jin into the kitchen. As soon as they hear us, Yoongi and Yun create space between them. Yoongi goes to grab the kettle but almost drops it again.
‘Yah!! It’s so hot.’ He grumbles as Yun rushes to his side to look at his hand.
‘Put it under water.’ Yun directs him as she opens the tap for him. I see Yoongi smiling at her, already forgetting that he almost scolded his hand. I look at Jungkook once more who is smiling from ear to ear.
We finish breakfast and the boys decide to go the dance studio inside the villa to have a rehearsal with Yoona. Yun and I tag along as we go to watch them. ‘So, you’re saying we’re going to listen to one of the new songs on the album?’ I ask Jungkook who is beside me as we walk nods. ‘Daebak! That’s awesome!’ I say.
‘You’ve got to promise you’ll keep it a secret though or I’ll never let you see us rehearse again.’ He says, trying to sound serious but not exactly succeeding.
‘I promise.’ I say, quickly sticking out my pinkie. He laughs but touches my pinkie with his own. We reach the dance studio which is actually quite amazing. We sit down on the floor as they all take position. I see Yoona’s demeanor change as she goes from friend to teacher. They warm up and then Yoona plays the music.
‘Oh this has a nice melody. It sounds really happy too.’ Yun whispers to me and I nod. I can’t help but look at Jimin as he smiles and dances. It’s a song that really does fit his personality well. He sees me looking at one point and he winks which makes me even more flustered. My hand goes to my chest as I try to calm down its beating but I can’t. I had forgotten how it feels to let go of the fear and let yourself like someone…
We spend the rest of the afternoon having fun and playing games. I didn’t even realize that they had their own games room with their own laser tag. Then again, it’s a villa owned by a millionaire who is basically parenting seven boys. We decide to team up – five against five for the laser tag and I find myself paired up with Jimin, Jungkook, Taehyung and Namjoon.
We take off, trying to protect each other's backs when I hear Yun laughing. I touch Jungkook's shoulder. He nods, understanding me. He covers me as I go to shoot at her. She screams and laughs at the same time. Someone goes to shoot at me, I think Yoongi but Jimin comes in front of me, earning the tag himself. He looks at me and shrugs, saying he isn't bothered. I see Jin running, trying to hide so I stop and shoot at him.
'Aish! I forgot how much of a good aim Minji has.' He grumbles as he laughs at the same time. Someone else starts to shoot and I take cover. The groups end up separated and I find myself alone until I feel someone grab my hand. He begins to run and drag me after him. I recognize Jimin's laughter and I smile. We stop for a moment and he goes to let go of my hand but I don't let him. He turns to look at me, a mischievous grin on his face as he comes closer to me.
I bite the inside of my cheek before I reach him and place a quick peck on his lips while we're in the dark. I feel him smile. 'What happened to leaving kisses for the first date?' He asks.
'I guess I couldn't wait after all.' I say and he chuckles. 'Come on, let's move. We're sitting ducks right now.' I say as this time I’m the one who grabs his hand and begins to run.