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“We’re living together, me and her.”
Jimin wanted to smash her head against the car’s window. Or maybe she would take care of hitting Jimin for what she had, very much unfortunately, let slip out of her mouth.
The leader was currently heading back from a fansign, sitting alone at the back of her usual van. Today, everyone had taken different cars, all busy with their own schedules. And it was much to Jimin’s contentment, actually.
Being alone with her thoughts would give her enough time to reflect on her… words.
She had tried to keep it lowkey for weeks now, but Jimin just couldn’t keep it all to herself anymore.
Minjeong and her were living together.
They didn’t have any obligations to live under the same roof now that they were veteran idols–and money wasn’t even an issue that could explain this rather new predicament.
It just felt… natural to do so.
The two of them had always gravitated around each other, and were basically attached to the hip. Plus, the special chemistry everyone could see between them wasn’t completely false so… ending up living together was simply the next logical step in their relationship.
But while it was natural for Minjeong and her, and even for the rest of their friends since they knew about them, their fans did not know about this new dorm arrangement. And honestly, they were not supposed to ever know.
Which explained why Jimin had made… a tiny little mistake by letting this information slip out, in a weak moment of giddiness.
Jimin could already hear Aeri and Yizhuo’s mocking laughs… Though they shouldn’t speak on her inability to hide, because these two were no better.
For her defense, it was hard to hide anything from their fans to begin with. And she really wanted to share her happiness with them! After all, living with Minjeong again, after staying in two separate dorms for a while, was like a dream come true. Jimin just couldn’t contain her happiness and… it happened.
She was aware of the potential repercussions. Fans would start shipping them even harder (which wasn’t a surprise considering how Minjeong and her were behaving, not like they tried to hide anything though), their company would order for them to tone things down and other people would accuse them of faking everything.
Jimin wasn’t afraid of any of that. After all, she had already lived through enough hate to know how to just block everything out.
Who she was the most afraid of, however, was the second person involved in what she had revealed…
Too soon for her liking, Jimin arrived in front of her apartment. Quietly, she pushed the door open, feeling her hand slightly tremble around the handle.
Everything would be fine! Or… maybe not.
Maybe Minjeong would be enraged and would sulk all evening long. And although Jimin was used to these kinds of tantrums from Minjeong–sometimes more justified than others–she wasn’t too fond of having to regain the vocalist’s heart all over again each time.
So yeah. She had messed up. Big time.
If Jimin wanted to quickly fix things, she had to own up to her mistakes. Though calling it a mistake tasted a bit sour in her mouth.
“I’m h–” Jimin was about to announce her presence when her voice swiftly got interrupted by high-pitched yelps.
Her mind immediately reacted to that, thinking that Minjeong had gotten hurt or something. But then, she remembered that…
“Bbonyo! It’s just Jimin-unnie, it’s okay!”
Bbonyo, Minjeong’s new puppy (and their child, like Jimin preferred to call her), ran straight to Jimin’s feet and started to bark at her.
Seeing the fluff ball immediately sent Jimin back to the first day she met her.
Minjeong had talked about getting her own puppy for years already. But because of their busy schedule and unpredictable life, it was hard for her to find the time to properly raise one.
Until one day, she had gotten an unexpected chance.
Jimin had been by Minjeong’s side during the whole adoption process, closely watching Minjeong’s happiness unfold before her own eyes.
On the day that Minjeong got Bbonyo, a huge storm broke out. Jimin remembered being terrified to know that the two were stuck in traffic while such raging weather had erupted.
But she remembered the joy of seeing Minjeong coming back home, holding this tiny puppy in her arms, being far greater than her worries. And the second Jimin saw them both, something just had clicked inside her mind.
She felt the sudden urge to protect Minjeong and Bbonyo at all cost, and to make sure that the puppy would grow up in a warm and loving household.
At first, she didn’t want to be too overbearing around the puppy though. She knew that Minjeong had waited for Bbonyo to enter her life for a while, so Jimin didn’t want to overstep in the education process, despite living under the same roof.
But it was naturally that she slowly started to take on an almost parental role for the dog, especially whenever Minjeong was too busy to take care of it.
And before both of them knew it, they had fallen into an effortless and familiar dynamic of co-parenting this puppy, and making sure to love it as much as they loved each other.
Jimin was brought back to the present by Bbonyo’s tiny bark.But despite the rough greetings, she furiously rubbed her head against Jimin’s leg, conveying her affection in her own ways.
Jimin could only sigh at such a familiar sight. “You two are so alike, it’s crazy.”
Minjeong huffed, quickly scooping the fluff ball in her arms. “I’m going to pretend that I’m not offended by what you just said.”
Despite feeling nervous before, the sole sight of Minjeong was enough to make a wide grin appear on Jimin’s face.
In a motion that seemed far too natural for it to not be regular, Jimin gently lowered her head and buried her face in the crook of Minjeong’s neck.
“Missed you,” she mumbled there, enjoying how warm Minjeong’s skin felt against her nose.
Minjeong heaved out a breathy giggle, softly patting Jimin’s head with her available hand. “We were together this afternoon though.”
Jimin groaned against the girl’s neck. “You know what I mean…”
“Yeah,” Minjeong grinned, gently scratching Jimin’s scalp. Her movement didn’t last a second though, as Bbonyo started to energetically squirm in her arm. “I–”
Jimin sighed, a bit frustrated to be interrupted, and her former plan to apologize completely thrown out of the window of her mind. “Yeah I know, duty calls.”
“Parenting is harder than I thought,” Minjeong whined as gently released the puppy and followed her towards the living room.
Jimin followed her, her smile instantly reappearing at the sight of Minjeong and Bbonyo skipping next to each other. “Good thing that I’m here to keep you two in check.”
“Hey.” Minjeong frowned at that. “You’re supposed to take care of the puppy, not of me.”
Jimin cheekily shrugged. “I don’t see any differences between the two of you honestly.”
Minjeong looked scandalized, as if Jimin had insulted her whole family tree. “You–!” She then sighed, seeing as her raised voice startled Bbonyo. “You’re lucky that I’m not feeling like arguing tonight,” she pouted, though her giddy smile betrayed her real feelings.
Jimin began to giggle at Minjeong’s frustration, before she suddenly remembered that actually… there was something important to discuss.
“H–Hey, Minjeongie,” she stuttered, helplessly trying to remain calm.
Minjeong, who had quickly busied herself by playing with Bbonyo, hummed, her eyes trained on the puppy.
“Well…” Jimin nervously played with her fingers, still standing behind the two puppies in front of her. After a few seconds of silence, she decided to just rip off the bandaid once and for all. “I made a mistake today.”
Minjeong turned around at that, her eyebrow raised in amusement. “When do you not?”
Jimin crouched down and instantly pouted at that, biting the inside of her cheeks. Minjeong probably noticed her sudden shift in mood because she momentarily left the puppy’s side and scooted closer to Jimin. There, she gently placed her head against the leader’s shoulder, looking at her with worried eyes.
“I’m sorry,” she mumbled, a small pout appearing on her face as well. “I thought we were still teasing. You okay?”
Jimin scratched the back of her neck. “Y–Yeah.” She hadn’t meant to make Minjeong worry. She was just… a bit scared by the consequences of her mistake.
But she had to be honest with Minjeong. She deserved it.
“I just…” Jimin let out a small sigh. “I may or may have not revealed to a fan today that we’re living together.”
There, she said it.
However, a deafening silence immediately followed her words. It wasn’t the uncomfortable kind, no. It just felt… more charged than usual.
Jimin closed her eyes, afraid of the answer and potential scolding she would get. The only thing that was grounding her was Minjeong’s soft breath gently hitting the side of her neck.
Even Bbonyo was completely silent, looking at them with wide and curious eyes.
Jimin felt too tense. She was about to open her mouth to profusely apologize when suddenly, Minjeong straightened up, leaving her spot against Jimin’s shoulder.
The leader expected the girl to leave her side, probably frustrated with her clumsy nature. Yet, to her biggest surprise, Jimin suddenly felt two warm palms softly resting against her cheeks.
Minjeong was looking at her with a soft smile, and even softer eyes. Her cheeks looked a tad rosier than usual, and her bare face glowed under the soft rays of the night.
“Hey,” she whispered, gently pressing Jimin’s cheeks. “Why do you look so afraid?”
Jimin shook her head, avoiding Minjeong’s gaze. She was both embarrassed to be seen looking this weak, and flustered by how blinding the girl in front of her looked.
“Look at me?” Minjeong asked, gentle sweetness laced through her words.
And obviously, Jimin could only do as told. Because really, she couldn’t refuse a thing to the vocalist.
“I just…” Jimin frowned. “I don’t know, I was afraid that you would be mad. You know, since we didn’t exactly want this–” she gestured around them “–to be known.”
“Keeping it hidden would have been easier,” Minjeong started, her thumb gently grazing Jimin’s warm cheek. “But we can’t avoid the reveal forever,” she whispered, gazing at Jimin with fond eyes. “They would have learned it eventually.”
“S–So…” Jimin looked at the girl with wide eyes, feeling her heart clench in her chest. “You’re not mad?”
Minjeong rolled her eyes in amusement, endearment clear in her voice. “Of course not. I know that I can be difficult, but I’ll never be mad at you for being proud of us.”
Jimin tried to fight off the urge to engulf Minjeong in a tight hug–keyword tried. In a swift and clumsy movement, she threw her arms around Minjeong’s shoulders, her cheek resting against the back of the vocalist’s head.
“Thank you,” she muttered, the tension in her shoulders finally easing down.
Minjeong heaved out a soft giggle, instantly melting in Jimin’s hold. She stayed quiet for a second, seemingly enjoying the warmth of being in Jimin’s arms. But soon enough, her nose scrunched up in amusement.
“Besides, it’s no news.”
Jimin immediately frowned at the new information. “What do you mean?” she asked, inching away to look at Minjeong in the eyes.
Minjeong quickly grabbed her phone from her pocket and showed its screen to Jimin. Her Bubble page was open, much to Jimin’s astonishment.
Though, she shouldn’t have been that surprised. After all, she knew well that Minjeong was subscribed to it. But seeing it with her own eyes always surprised her–and also made her feel ridiculously giddy.
On it, her very own words were displayed for the whole world to see.
“Of course I’ve seen Bbonyo. She looks exactly like her mom. When you see her in real life, they look even more identical.”
Jimin’s jaw fell to the floor. “I–I didn’t say anything about us living together!”
Minjeong teasingly bumped Jimin’s shoulder with her head. “But you coincidentally happened to reveal that you saw Bbonyo right after I said that none of you three had met her yet.” She giggled, looking as Jimin’s entire face completely fell. “Sounds pretty obvious to me that we live together.”
“B–But,” Jimin muttered shakily, looking at Minjeong with wide eyes.
Minjeong flashed her an amused toothy smile. “And the fans noticed your Jjimyang plushie on my couch after my friend posted Bbonyo’s pictures. And when you put two and two together…”
“I–I–” The leader stuttered, obviously at a loss of words.
Her confusion seemed to amuse Minjeong even more. The vocalist’s grin widened as she nestled herself back against Jimin’s chest. “You were so excited to have Bbonyo and to live with me that you couldn’t keep it to yourself, hm?” she hummed.
Jimin, though still very much shocked, welcomed Minjeong back in her arms and tightened her hold around the girl’s frame. “You got me there…” she sighed.
“It’s okay,” Minjeong giggled, the motion making both of their bodies gently reverberate. “I’ll just announce it during our schedule tomorrow. We have that show together, right?”
Jimin’s eyes widened yet again, surprised by Minjeong’s boldness. “Y–You want to reveal it? For real?”
Minjeong gazed at her with curious eyes. “Of course.” Then, she muttered in a meeker voice. “You’re not the only one who feels giddy about this whole thing…”
Jimin couldn’t help but to coo at the sight. “Aw…”
Obviously flustered, Minjeong lightly bumped her forehead against Jimin’s chest. “Don’t make fun of me! I’m better at announcing these kinds of things anyways.”
Jimin swiftly inched away from the hug, her eyebrow raised. “You?”
Minjeong frowned, her signature pout making its way to her face. “Yeah!” She pumped her chest in a silly manner–thought she looked extremely serious doing it. “I’ll just announce it in the chillest way possible. You know, as if it was just another piece of information we shared with them. I’m good at keeping a cool head and all of that!”
Jimin looked at the girl, amused doubt written all over her face. “Cold headed? Are you sure about that?”
Minjeong growled (growled!) at that, showing her teeth. “Of course I am! Who do you think I am? My name is not Winter for nothing.”
The leader helplessly tried to keep her chuckle in, but in vain. She heaved out a hearty laugh at Minjeong’s nonsensical words, engulfing the girl back in a tight hug. “Yeah, whatever you say,” she giggled against Minjeong’s hair.
It looked like Minjeong was about to retaliate, but a certain someone interrupted her.
Bbonyo suddenly jumped in the small space between them and nestled herself against their knees. It almost looked like she was frowning, as if vexed to have not been the center of the attention this whole time.
“You need anything miss?” Jimin chuckled, gently scratching the top of the puppy’s head.
“Hey!” Minjeong whined–both from the sudden change in conversation and in Jimin’s attention. “We’re not done talking!”
Jimin raised an amused brow at Minjeong’s blatant jealousy. “Isn’t taking care of our daughter the priority here?”
The way Minjeong’s cheeks instantly flared up at Jimin’s words made her want to giggle even harder.
“O–Our daughter?!” Minjeong scoffed, patting the puppy’s head as well. “She’s my daughter, not yours,” she pouted.
Jimin looked at her with fond eyes, though her lips curled into a small smirk. “I heard you referring to me as ‘Mom’ when you spoke to her this morning though.”
Minjeong looked like she had been caught red-handed. “I– It’s just–”
Seeing as Minjeong had a sudden moment of weakness, Jimin slyly placed a peck on the vocalist’s crimson cheek, before quickly retreating back to her previous position.
“Are you sure you want to keep talking about this?” she asked, a mischievous grin etched on her face.
Minjeong heaved out a loud whine, burying her face in Bbonyo’s white fur. “Just end my sufferings already.”
Jimin could only chuckle at that. Despite the rollercoaster of emotions, her heart felt full of warmth and fluffy feelings as she watched Minjeong’s display of embarrassment and Bbonyo trying to sneak away from the girl’s hold.
The leader shook her head, an endeared smile taking place on her features. She didn’t know that she could feel this much love and affection in her heart, yet it threatened to burst any minute now.
It felt weird to think about it because she was still so young, but looking at Minjeong and Bbonyo, Jimin couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting away.
Was it how it felt to have her own family?
She watched as Bbonyo mischievously bit the tip of Minjeong’s finger, making the vocalist let out a small yelp as a result. Minjeong whined at Jimin to help her, but the leader could only watch her with a fond smile.
They were one hell of a messy family.
But she loved them so much.