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It was Friday. Training had just finished and trainees poured out of the practice rooms with sore limbs and music still echoing in their ears. Despite the exhaustion, they all rushed to return home as quickly as possible, preferring to pass out on their beds than the polished floors of the training halls. Minjeong is no different. However, this heavy rain is proving to be an obstacle.
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WINTER’S POV
After a day of rigorous training, I really just wanted to go home. Dragging my legs to the entrance, that’s when I heard it. The unmistakable sound of rainfall. I let out a sigh, realizing I didn’t bring an umbrella. Still, I pushed open the glass doors–maybe to find some comfort in the rain. I just stood there, at the entrance, watching as the other trainees trickled out with their umbrellas, equally as exhausted as they walked home.
Ten minutes have passed, maybe twenty. I was crouching by the entrance, hood up and chin on my knees, watching as the raindrops caused ripples on the ground. I had basically given up trying to find a way to get home and opted to just wait it out.
“You’re still here?”
My heart jumped, after almost half an hour of staring at water ripples, I was surprised, not expecting to hear the soft and comforting voice I’ve grown so familiar with but I’m not complaining.
I didn’t need to look up to know who it was — but I did anyway. I tilted my head just enough to see her standing behind me, umbrella in hand, looking at me with a mix of fondness and amusement.
“Jimin unnie,” I said, grinning before I even realized it. The fatigue from this day immediately dissipated just at the sight of her.
She gave me that soft smile in return — the one she only ever shows me, crescent eyes and all “Minjeong.”
I look back at the pavement, returning back to watch the water hit the ground in my previous position. “Didn’t bring an umbrella,” I muttered.
Jimin let out a small sigh — not annoyed, and definitely far from surprised. Just…amused.
“Well you’re in luck, because I do,” she said, as she stepped closer. I heard the quiet tap of her shoes despite the loud drumming of rain and wind. She stopped just beside me, her shadow looming over me.
She slid her umbrella open with a soft click. “Come on. Let’s go. Before you freeze out here.”
I turned to her, seeing her smiling at me again. I raised an eyebrow. “Where?”
“Somewhere that’s not this doorstep.” She held her hand out toward me. I looked at it for a second or two. “There’s a convenience store just a block away. Let’s get some snacks and wait it out. We’re probably not going to get home dry in this weather, and I’m sure you’re hungry,” she continued.
She helped me up as I took her hand, her fingers tangled with mine — steady, pleasant, safe, like she always knew where to go. I couldn’t help myself as I held her tighter. We walked under the rain, sharing the same umbrella, shoulders touching. The rain was still pounding but the comforting silence between us was louder.
✦ ✦ ✦
JIMIN’S POV
We finally got to the convenience store. The warm fluorescent lights and quiet space provided comfort in contrast to the cold rain outside. I set my umbrella to the stand beside the store’s entrance.
I glance at Minjeong, letting out a quiet chuckle at her obvious excitement over the countless snacks in view. She always fails when trying to hide her expressions… Or maybe I just have this God-given ability to read her.
I remembered how she always looked at me, like I hung the stars. God, if only she knew. Not that it wasn’t obvious, quite the opposite, everybody seemed to know, except for her. How I looked back at her the first time I met her, like she’s the center of my universe.
We both pick up a basket of our own and go in our separate aisles. I picked my favorite chips to snack on for later, I also went to get some instant ramen. It’s a Friday so I’ll let myself have this. I saw that I had enough snacks for a week and decided to finally get some drinks.
I smiled, thinking of what Minjeong picked, and speak of the devil, there she was, seemingly contemplating her over beverages like her life depended on it. I sneaked behind her and tapped her shoulder once. She visibly jumped and almost dropped her basket, clutching her chest as she turned to glare at me. Satisfied with her reaction, I couldn’t contain the smug smile that appeared on my face. After what feels like an eternity, I finally opened my mouth. “What’s up?”
“‘What’s up?’, What’s up is you scaring the absolute shit out of me”, Minjeong replied with a glare too cute for someone supposedly angry.
“You were staring at the fridge so intently that I thought you had a personal vendetta with it.”
“It was nothing, just debating whether I should get soda. Probably not right? I might get in trouble for that, I’ll just stick with the banana milk.” She didn’t sound convinced, it was obvious with the way her hand hovered near the fridge door, twitching like she wanted to open it anyway
I glanced at her face, I could tell she wanted the soda with her furrowed eyebrows. I let out an affectionate sigh. I opened the fridge to grab the soda and dropped one in her basket. She stared at me with clear hesitance. I shrugged and just lifted my basket for her to see.
Her eyes widened with disbelief, “Seriously?”. I shrugged, “Weekends. Besides, nobody will know.”
She let out a sigh of resignation and made no other comment. She looked back at me and gestured to the cashier counter. I nodded and we walked to the counter together. I took the items out of my basket first. I glimpsed at her for a few seconds, she stared back with a raised eyebrow. I decided to take the basket out of her hand and placed them on the counter to be checked out.
Surprised, she immediately tried to take back her basket, “Unnie? What are you doing!?”. I looked back at her with a beaming smile while taking her items out, “Paying for your snacks, obviously.”
“You really don’t need to do that, come on unnie.” she whined.
I turn to her and put my palm on her head, softly patting her. “Nuh uh, I’ll pay for it. Think of it as me rewarding you for your hard work,” I told her.
“But–” “No buts.” Minjeong relented, not without glaring at me pouting with furrowed eyebrows, and her cute blushing cheeks. I chuckled and turned back to pay for both our items
. I saw tables near the windows, and since it didn’ t seem like the rain was slowing down soon, I suggested we eat and talk to pass time. I couldn’t wait, just being with her makes me forget all the pressure and burnout, like her existence itself serves as my medicine. My happy pill.
✦ ✦ ✦
WINTER’S POV
A few minutes have passed since we sat down. We just ate together in comfortable silence, the rain still pouring but lighter than it had been earlier.
I glanced at her every so often. My cheeks were reddening as my mind wandered back to the moment on the counter earlier. I used to think I admired her, but by the way my heart was pounding — maybe it was something more. However, I decided that that will be a problem for future me, perhaps when my brain isn’t exhausted.
It wasn’t supposed to mean anything. Just her, offering to pay for my snacks like the kind person she was. I tried so hard to convince myself that this was normal for her, that the kindness she shows me is something she shows to everyone else.
She seemed to notice how I was deep in thought. “You’re quieter than usual” Jimin said, I raised my head and found her already looking at me.
“I think my muscles are too tired to form thoughts..”
She let out a soft chuckle, a sound that brought a surprising warmth to my chest. “Yeah, I can tell, want me to carry you home?”
“And risk you dropping me halfway before we even arrive at the dorms? No thanks.” I replied with a grin.
“Thanks for the idea, not that I’d actually do it.. You’re too cute to abandon in the middle of the sidewalk.”
We both laughed and bantered some more. After a few minutes, the comforting silence returned. I looked down on my food, my thoughts from today’s training resurfacing, I couldn’t help it. “Hey unnie?”
“Hm?”
“Do you think we’ll actually debut?”
“Yeah I think we will.” she said softly.
“Even if it’s scary?”
“Especially then, but we have each other.” I looked at her again, found her smiling at me, and reciprocated it.
It was 8pm, almost 2 hours have passed since training ended. We’ve just been talking about random things, hobbies, families, dinosaurs, and sharks. We hadn’t noticed how late it was, the rain also completely stopped by now. We decided to stop for the night, throw out our trash and bring our snacks as we approached the exit.
We stood outside of the convenient store for a second, Jimin unnie turned to me with that smile.
“You wanna hang out at my place and watch some shark documentaries with me?” she says with a toothy grin.
My heart beat loudly in my chest, my instincts told me to say yes to her but I didn't want to seem excited because I would be giving her more ammunition to tease me.
“So you want a sleepover?” I responded with an amused expression.
She shrugged and with a mischievous smile, “Sure, why not.”
She reached for my hand and tangled my fingers with hers. I didn't pull away and so she tightened her hold, not gripping but firm.
We walked in comfortable silence, the bustling of cars present, the pretty lights from all the buildings surrounding us, it was comfortable.
Not from our environment, no, but from her. Somehow she always made everything comfortable, like her being around me was natural. I always found my way gravitating towards her.
“ I like this..”
“Hm? Which?”
“You, holding me like this. How your hands fit in mine like a puzzle piece. How just your presence comforts me..”
She stopped walking, I did too.
The silence stretched for too long.
It was deafening, but not as loud as the pounding in my chest.
Her back was turned on me, I was scared, had I ruined everything?
Perhaps that smile is something she gives to everyone and I was mistaken.
My anxiety spiked as the silence stretched out for even longer.
I looked down,trying to form words — to apologize,claim that it was a mistake. However, my body froze when she finally moved.
She turned around, I couldn't see her face from where I was looking down, I just knew she did and she began walking in front of me.
“Minjeongie?” she said softly.
I couldn't look at her, scared of what I would see if I did. Until she grabbed my chin, slowly tilting my face. Instead of the rejection I was expecting to see on her face.
All she had was that smile, the same smile that made me overthink every night, for months.
“I do too.”
“I’ve always liked you ever since the first time I saw you enter that practice room.
How you listen to me whenever I rant about sharks and dinosaurs when everyone wouldn't.
I like how you always gravitate towards me every time we're in the same room.”
“I like this too Minjeong, I like you being around me.”
“I like how you see me…
…someone who deserves to stand with you in the future.”
“Minjeong, I like you.”
My eyes were wide as I listened to her confession, tears already brimming and starting to escape. I didn’t realize I’d started crying until she gently wiped my cheek, like it was natural.
That was my breaking point. I hugged her tightly and sobbed, I had so many things to confess to her too but my mind and body was too exhausted to respond.
I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.
She said she likes me.
Me.
It was everything I had hoped for but at the moment, I didn’t know what to say.
Jimin just hugged me tighter, gently patting my head, as if knowing my thoughts. “Shh, it's okay Jeongie. You don't have to do it now.”
She pulled back slightly just to gaze at my face, wipe my tears, and kissed my forehead, “Come, let's go home.”
I nodded as she laced her fingers with mine. I look at her, eyes vulnerable like I was finally ready to give her all of me. “Yeah… home.”