Chapter Text
The four aespa members were in a meeting with their team, discussing the plans for the group's future. "In the second half of 2022, you will be coming back with a brand new album," one of their managers announced. Everyone cheered and wished them good luck on their comeback, but the members themselves merely faked their excitement.
They felt the weight of expectations rise from the shadows again. Especially a certain member...
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Yizhuo collapsed on the couch when the aespa members returned home from their schedule. "The second half of 2022 is still so far away..." she mumbled with a pout. As soon as Minjeong took off her shoes, she spared no glance at her members, walking straight to their shared bathroom. Aeri sighed as she was the second to collapse on the couch, exhaustion immediately kicking in. Yizhuo gained a somber expression at the realization that Minjeong still disliked her. She didn't know what to do; not even her own leader wanted to communicate with her.
Speaking of her leader, Jimin was off to her room as soon as she arrived home. The oldest member had a lot on her mind regarding the comeback that was nowhere near them. As Jimin closed the bedroom door with a soft click, she slowly slid from the door to the ground. She brought her knees close to her, hiding her face in her legs.
Jimin did not want to stand on stage again, not with everyone hating on her. Her relationship with all her members was torn apart; she had hit rock bottom mentally and was in the midst of failing as a leader again. What was she going to do? How was she going to fix her relationship with her members? Jimin wasn't deserving of another comeback. All she did was cause problems and get people to hate her.
And all the times someone would tell her they loved her, she'd mess it up in an instant while also destroying their relationships with others. That's how it always went with Jimin. It was this exact reason she never got to experience love. It was all self-sabotage. She so badly wanted to comfort Yizhuo and tell her she did nothing wrong except for choosing to love the wrong person. Yizhuo loved Jimin and tried her best to take good care of her, and all she got in return was silent treatment from her unnie. Jimin never slept well after that night when her maknae confessed to her. She met Minjeong's gaze and completely froze in her spot, unable to look any of them in the eye anymore. Yizhuo had understood the silence and left the room to give her leader room to breathe.
And in the end, Yizhuo didn't receive an answer. Yizhuo was left with complete silence since then, and all Jimin wanted to do was run away and never come back.
No, she was very undeserving of any type of love.
When Aeri showed her care, she brushed it off. When Yizhuo showed her love, she refused to reciprocate it. When Minjeong showed her both... Jimin broke her heart. Was that why everyone was ignoring her? Were all her members fed up with their leader? Jimin hadn't noticed the tears gently rolling down her cheeks, and she sniffled when she realized that she was crying. I am in need of a hiatus...
In the distance, Jimin heard water descending from a showerhead. She wondered who it was, secretly hoping it was Minjeong. Perhaps, just maybe, she'd let Jimin shower with her. Just like she always did.
Jimin wished for Minjeong to open the bedroom door and force Jimin to stand up and cuddle with her. Jimin longed for Minjeong's cuddles. The younger was so good at making her feel safe and at home. Even if she didn't deserve it, Jimin hoped for her member to gift her the comfort she needed. Suddenly, the door opened, slightly pushing Jimin away from it. The leader thought God had answered her prayers, but instead... someone else appeared in the room.
Yizhuo entered the room, her gaze softening when she saw Jimin sitting on the floor. "Unnie," she said gently, "you okay?"
Jimin tried to force a smile, wiping away her tears. When she received no verbal reply, Yizhuo sat down beside her, sharing the lonely ambiance. "You don't have to go through this alone, unnie. I'm here for you..." Jimin sighed, a heavy weight on her chest. She looked into Yizhuo's caring eyes and felt a pang of guilt. "Yizhuo, I'm sorry," she admitted, her voice cracking. "I should never have shut you out like this. You didn't deserve this."
Yizhuo placed a hand on Jimin's shoulder, offering a reassuring squeeze. "It's okay, unnie. I messed up." Her leader shook her head, her eyes glistering. She said, "You told me... y-you loved me."
The younger slowly looked down. "I just wanted to be with you..." she silently confessed. "I was jealous of Minjeong and so I tried to get in between you two."
Jimin's mind raced with surprise and realization. Jealousy? Yizhuo was jealous of Minjeong's closeness to her? Jimin hadn't anticipated this confession, and her heart ached at the thought of causing Yizhuo such pain. She gently reached for Yizhuo's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Yizhuo," Jimin began, her voice filled with sincerity, "I never meant to make you feel that way. You're not just a member; you're my family, my dongsaeng, and someone I deeply care about."
She locked eyes with Yizhuo, her gaze reflecting a mixture of regret and affection. "I love you, Yizhuo. I'm sorry if I made you feel neglected. You mean a lot to me, and I want you to know that."
As Jimin spoke, Yizhuo felt a wave of emotions flood over her. The sincerity in Jimin's words, the acknowledgment of her feelings, and the warmth of their intertwined hands overwhelmed her. Soft tears welled up in Yizhuo's eyes, and a gentle sob escaped her lips.
Without hesitation, Jimin pulled Yizhuo into a warm embrace. Her cheek touched her maknae's hair and her hand gently caressed her shoulder. They treasured the sweet moment they shared together. Yizhuo never wanted this moment to end, capturing every second that stayed in her heart forever. She loved Jimin dearly and was relieved to know Jimin loved her back.
The obstacle was that they both had a different version of love in their mind.
