Chapter Text
the student council office has been quite a mess. although the officers always make sure to promote peace and organization, the world doesn't know how chaotic they are behind the scenes. it's the good kind of chaotic, don't worry.
between these four walls, everyone has been enjoying their temporary snack breaks before going back to work. but jimin, the vice president, doesn't take a pause. they're all worried for her, but they're used to it at the same time.
the brunette isn't one to take a break in the middle of something, not when the job isn't done yet. yeji has already asked her as to why she works this way, "force of habit." is what jimin replies, with some kind of sad undertone in her voice.
"alright everyone, back to work. chaeyeon and yves unnie, please observe the booths and ask for a status report from each of them, the rest of you please finish the additional decors. jimin and i will go work at the kosmo hall." minju, the president, orders in a soft but authoritative tone.
and everyone follows of course. she isn't just the president of the student government for no reason. her looks can deceive you; doe eyes and a blinding smile, but she can be ruthless in the field if needed. especially when you don't give her the result she wants.
"hey min, i just want to say that you can go home if you're tired." minju says while carrying the ladder on her own. the brunette shakes her head in disagreement as she picks up the banner they're going to put up. "no can do, joo. we all go home together, remember?" jimin replies, grabbing the extra chair she's going to stand on.
"of course, i know. but you seem extra tired these days, it's evident."
"it's nothing minju, probably because the school fair already starts tomorrow." jimin said in response, avoiding the president's concerned eyes,
it isn't nothing.
"ms. kim! thank goodness you still haven't left the school. i have a few matters to talk about with you," the school principal pops out of nowhere, giving the two girls a mini heart attack.
the mentioned girl looks back at jimin, then at the principal. go. jimin's eyes convey. "sure ma'am. i'll be right back, min." minju says, hands on her back while following the principal towards her office.
the brunette looks back at the ceiling where she's supposed to stick the banner at. "i can do this, probably." she mutters under her breath, readying herself to get up the ladder. the brunette could feel someone staring at her, and damn she was right.
she looks back to see a short-haired girl, holding a pistol while aiming at some figurines. there were also packs of snacks just around her AF1s. she was looking at her, and when jimin holds their staredown, the other girl doesn't look away either. of course it had to be fucking kim minjeong.
the white highlights at the ends of her raven locks really stand out, making her look like some kind of husky. puppy, jimin thinks. she breaks their staring competition and looks back up again, about to climb the ladder already.
yes she's handsome, but don't get distracted right now jimin. you are literally a meter off the ground, we don't want to damage our already damaged brains, right? the brunette talks to herself. it's her way of focusing, really, but it also makes her over-focus.
and that is the reason why she misses a step and falls. fuck was her last thought before closing her eyes tightly, accepting her fate.
her body lands on the ground, her knees hit the tiles hard (ouch), but a cold hand prevents her skull from cracking into two. this is probably god who's about to flick my forehead for being so stupid, she thinks, eyes still shut tight.
"i'm sorry i only saved your head." a voice pulls her away from her train of thought. she opens one eye slowly, and what greets her is the glorious face of the school's infamous delinquent, kim minjeong.
realizing that she's still alive (her knees really took the damage though), she opens both her eyes and tries to stand up fully, but her legs were whining in pain and her ass almost fell again, not before the other girl caught her completely this time.
thin but questionably strong arms support her body, helping her walk towards the nearest bench. "on a scale of one to ten, how much does it hurt?" the raven-haired girl asks gently, patting jimin's knees softly to get a reaction.
"ah," jimin hisses when the girl hits a certain spot, but she still tries her best to give an answer. "overall, probably five. i'll be fine tomorrow," jimin already reassures, which makes the other girl tilt her head to the side in confusion. cute.
"i'll put the banner up then i'll bring you to the clinic." minjeong says with finality on her tone, jimin wasn't even able to react properly when she heard those words. she wanted to complain and whine that she was okay, but something about the other girl was… so authoritative that she shut her mouth instead.
the shorter girl finishes her job, and she doesn't have a choice but to carry the vice president on her back towards the school clinic because it's the most convenient way.
a storm has developed inside jimin's heart, making it beat in an inconsistent rhythm. gods? deities up there? why does it have to be her? did you guys also know that i'm interested in her? she furrows her brows, half-annoyed at the universe. wait, i'm interested in her?
jimin's questions remained unanswered, and even more questions presented themselves right before the brunette.
right after their (jimin's) clinic visit, it's time to go home. the officers already made a beeline towards their cars under the drizzle. it seemed like the rain was going to be heavier as the clouds got darker and ominous, as if zeus was about to unleash his anger towards earth.
jimin still had to wait for her driver to pick her up, which is why she's standing right in front of the school entrance. not long after, someone joins her. now, the two of them were watching the flood rise.
the brunette had no choice but to look over her shoulder, trying to peek at who was accompanying her as of the moment… and curiosity does kill the cat. it seemed like kim minjeong was suddenly everywhere, omnipresent, as one might say.
she just feels awkward, suddenly dealing with the intense turmoil of making decisions. do i start a conversation or what? she thinks while observing the raven-haired girl. her expression was neutral, unsmiling, but it doesn't mean it's unwelcoming. jimin knows that expression all too well.
minjeong was just bored.
"is someone going to pick you up too?" jimin asks before she could even think. her brain was too impulsive, too bad for a student council vice president. "no, i just wanted to watch the rain." the short-haired girl replies with no amusement whatsoever in her tone.
like a highlight reel, the tall girl suddenly remembers what happened a while ago, and how much of an embarrassment she was. “ah, by the way… sorry, and thank you for earlier.” she ducks her head, opting to look at her newly bought sneakers rather than facing the paradigm of mystery herself: minjeong.
“nah, it’s just basic human decency. i would feel guilty if i just watched you fall from the ladder and crack your skull into two. plus, you’re the vice president. the people here would hate me even more if i didn’t do anything to… prevent the fatalities.” the raven explains awkwardly, but still in a charming manner.
there’s no way the taller isn’t charmed even at the slightest.
and there she is, jimin eats her own words, and ends up staring at the younger’s delicate face. so much for the paradigm of mystery huh.
hate is a strong word, but the vice president ponders nonetheless. who would hate minjeong? how could someone hate minjeong? why would they hate minjeong? what could make someone hate minjeong?
sure, she doesn’t bother to obey the school laws, she is the cause of the student council’s unending headaches, she is smart without even trying which pisses her classmates off, and she doesn’t give a fuck about anyone’s feelings except for her best friend’s: noze.
the list could go on, and these are literally red flags that can make someone hate the younger. but why doesn’t she feel hatred for the girl? instead, she bears the venom green and bitter taste of envy.
oh, to live a life with no regrets, a life full of trying anything and everything under the sun because you only live once, a life without the heavy and intense pressure from your parents, your fellow students, your teachers; a life where it’s not the end of the world if you trip and fall and make a mistake.
jimin ends up furrowing her brows in annoyance, too entranced in her own little world to notice minjeong’s troubled look in her eyes.
“karina, hello?” fingers snapping in front of her and jimin was finally pulled away from her train of thought. suddenly, she’s struck by a streak of hypervigilance, noticing so many things at the same time: minjeong’s hands, minjeong wearing her sports attire for training, her dad’s familiar pickup truck parked on a different waiting shed, numerous vibrations coming from her cellular phone, the gap between her and the raven girl getting shorter, minjeong’s perfume–
everything starts with minjeong and ends with minjeong. minjeong, minjeong, minjeong.
fuck.
2 missed calls.
papa: i let sunho leave because he had a family emergency. not really familiar with your school, but i’m somewhere outside the gates since the guards won’t let me in. i don’t have an umbrella with me too, i think your brother took it from the truck before i left the house. i’ll just be waiting here, love you sweetie
jimin looks back up and tries to spot the pickup truck again. a sudden gust of wind blew and she caught the whiff of minjeong’s perfume again, almost forgetting that she had someone beside her.
“i suppose your ride’s here. you got an umbrella with you?” the girl beside her asks, awkwardly shuffling in her soccer cleats. the brunette momentarily forgets about her stupid infatuation with the younger after the first lightning striked and the heavens thundered loudly. “n-no, dad and i both forgot to bring umbrellas… i mean the weather report today said that it would be sunny and not stormy,” she answered, hands clammy.
“figured, stay right here.” and with that, minjeong dashes away, seemingly headed towards the locker rooms. a minute hasn’t even passed yet she’s back with an oversized hoodie in her hands. how could she even run in the tiles wearing cleats? the taller wonders, but keeps it to herself. wait, what’s the hoodie for?
and as if the raven girl heard her thoughts, she responds, “here. makeshift umbrella? you can… return it whenever,” minjeong was just an arm’s length away, handing her hoodie to the taller girl who was having a hard time inside her head. should i accept it? wouldn’t this look weird to the other students?
there she goes again, prioritizing others’ opinions over everything else.
as an ambivert, minjeong was also a master with the little things. trivial details don’t pass her scrutinizing gaze, and it was easy to decipher the people in front of her. she was a perfect match for jimin: a girl who wears her heart on her sleeve, real emotions unveiled without filter, without thinking.
“come on, go now while the rain isn’t that heavy yet, at least my hoodie would still be of use.” one more push and jimin finally accepts her yellow lakers hoodie. it was soft and warm in her hands. she wonders how it smells too, but it’s not like she’s gonna sniff the hoodie in front of its owner.
deliberately, the younger steps out of the shed and gets soaked in the rain. jimin’s elicited reaction was natural, subconscious like a mother’s. “minjeong!” she steps out too, but with the yellow hoodie above her head to prevent her body from getting drenched with rainwater.
“t’was the easiest way to get you moving! i’m pretty sure your ride’s waiting, so go now.”
“but you’re w- how will you even dry yourself?”
“it’s the last day of soccer practice, president. i suggest you start walking off now while my hoodie’s not soaked yet.” minjeong ends their back-and-forth conversation with a provoking smirk; one she uses whenever she does something delinquent-ish. it’s a familiar sight to the members of the student government.
now it’s jimin’s turn to be wary after seeing the younger’s cynical smile. please, whatever it is you’re planning inside your head, now’s not the time. she pleads internally, eyebrows furrowing and eyes slanting as a warning. but what can a warning do to an unruly student? they don’t pay attention to useless and harmless threats.
“or do you want me to take back my hoodie?”
with that question alone, jimin speeds off towards her dad’s pickup truck while hearing the echoes of minjeong’s laughter from behind. it sounded so freeing, so heavenly and reprieving; something she can’t really experience with her hellish and restricting life.
somehow, thoughts of minjeong infiltrate her mind without ceasing. she dreams of fields with faint scents of the younger’s hoodie.