Minjeong continues to look over Jimin as Yeri keeps on talking. She sees how Jimin tries to interact well with others but is clearly distracted. She’s still not in the mood after what happened earlier, she thought. She doesn’t blame her girlfriend, everything that has happened is upsetting. If it continues though, she thinks it's better for them to just go home and call it a night.

Minjeong was about to stand up from her chair when

“Yeri! Minjeong!”

Both girls looked over to the person who disturbed them, “Hey, how are you guys?!?”

Minjeong hesitantly answers, “Do I…?”

“Ah,” the random guy suddenly sat beside the cousins, “It’s me Youngjae, we used to be classmates during junior year.” Minjeong looked over to her cousin, confused as she doesn’t remember the guy at all.

The guy sheepishly chuckled at the reactions of the girls, “it must be hard to recognize me, but back then I was quite the chubby guy.”

Yeri then suddenly remembered, “ah! Jaejae!” Minjeong widened her eyes and glanced at the guy beside them again, only to realize it was really their old friend.

“Yep, that’s me.”

“Yo, bruh, you look different now,” Yeri expressed which made the guy chuckle, “yeah, the army definitely changed me for the better.”

“You went to the army first?” Minjeong inquired.

“Yeah,” Youngjae answered, “I just think it’s better to get over it before starting a new chapter of my life.”

“That’s cool.”

“So what’s up?” Yeri asked.

“I’m just here to catch up with you guys, it has been a while.”

“Indeed.” Minjeong smiled at him, “Have you enrolled already?”

“Ah yes, I was able to enroll at the nearby college. They have an Engineering course there.”

“That’s great.”

“Ah, Minjeong-ah,” Youngjae added, “I wanted to ask you if you recently participated in an indie movie project.”

“Indie?” Yeri asked.

Minjeong was shocked, “Uuhh, where did you…?”

“My friend is part of the project and I got a chance to watch the movie early. I was shocked to see your name in the credits.”

“Ah, yeah,” Minjeong awkwardly nodded, “I did a song or two for the project.”

“You did?!?!” Yeri grasped, “How come I didn’t know about this?!? I thought you were just creating songs out of boredom.”

“I still am, too,” Minjeong added, “but I also did some side projects if I’m not busy.”

Yeri looked at Youngjae, “dude, where can I watch the movie?”

“It will be released at a film festival soon. You guys should come to watch.”

“Definitely.”

Youngjae looked at Minjeong and smiled, “Man, I can’t believe it was really you. Your songs were really good.”

“Thanks.”

“Speaking of songs,” Youngjae expressed, “my friend also told me there are some people who want to meet you.”

“Meet me? Why?”

“I really don’t know why,” Youngjae tried to think, “but I think it has to do with the songs you made.”

“Oh, really?” 

Minjeong was enjoying her talk with her old friend when she noticed Jimin from her periphery, in an argument with Yeji. “Jae, it’s really nice to meet you again, but I really need to go. Let’s talk again next time.” She looked over at Yeri, “Yeri, can you?”

“No probs.”

Minjeong stood up and hastily approached her girlfriend. As she was about to reach them, Yeji walked out, leaving Jimin clearly shaken in emotions.

“Jimin,” she softly called out as she stood in front of her. She cupped her face and stared worriedly at Jimin, “Hey, you okay?” The moment she saw Jimin’s tired eyes, it made her heartbroken. This party was supposed to be enjoyable, not this. “Do you want to get out of here?” She softly asks. When Jimin slowly nods, Minjeong gives her a comforting smile before grabbing her hand to lead Jimin out of the gym.

Minjeong doesn’t really have a plan, to be exact. All she wanted was alone time with her girlfriend and a breather.

They could go back to the garden, but the lack of a place to sit disheartened her. It was also beside the gym and the noise could reach them. What they need right now is a place away from all the distractions. 

As they walked aimlessly in the school campus, hand in hand, Minjeong was able to find a good place for them to rest.

A bench.

“We should have brought some water with us,” Minjeong realized as both of them sat comfortably on the bench. This comment made Jimin smile a bit, “yeah, we should have.”

They sat there quietly. Minjeong allowed Jimin to play with her hands as the long-haired girl got lost in her thoughts. She knows the other girl needs time to process everything that had happened a while ago.

So she waited.

“Mindongie,”

“Hmm?”

“Why?”

Minjeong looked at her confused, “Why?”

Jimin glanced at her before looking down back on their hands, “why...aren’t you asking me anything?”

Jimin’s voice was small, scared and tired if she could even describe it and it made Minjeong sad. “Do you...want me to?” Jimin looked up and stared at her.

Minjeong gave her a small smile before continuing, “I do want to ask. But at the same time, I wanted to give you time to process everything.”

“I, myself, am trying to process it. I mean, we both knew that she was coming back,” she chuckled a bit, “but we got so busy with our relationship that even I forgot about it.”

Minjeong intertwined their hands, “I don’t want to force you to talk to me about the matter if you’re not ready,” she looked at Jimin softly and whispered, “but I want you to know that I’m here. I’m always here to listen.”

Jimin gave her a small smile before leaning in to give Minjeong a chaste kiss, “thank you.” Minjeong smiled back at her.

Jimin backed away, closed her eyes, and breathed in. She sighed heavily, before looking up in the sky. “I followed what you said to me before, to take my time digesting the information of her coming back.”

She forced a chuckle, “And believe me, I readied myself. I really did.”

“I created a lot of scenarios in my head about our possible reunion, the conversation we could have, and the possible fight that will happen.” Jimin sighed, “I really thought I was ready.”

“But seeing her now,” she sighed once again, “I’m a fool to actually think I was ready. It never occurred to me the possible effect on me just by seeing her in flesh.” She glanced at Minjeong before softly saying, “Everything came back to me.”

“It’s as if every pain she inflicted on me that I thought I had moved on from came crashing down. Even the memories...good and bad. I- I don’t know...I can’t describe it. I don’t know how to put into words what I really feel.”

“I guess, I’m not fully healed with everything yet, I mean, I...I still have a lot of questions...but at the same time I don’t want her to answer them.”

“Are you...scared?” Minjeong softly asks, “Are you scared to hear her reply?”

Jimin was silent, it made Minjeong a bit uncomfortable as she was also starting to overthink their situation.

“I...” Jimin softly spoke, “I am scared. That once I hear her side...my perception will change, and,”

Minjeong doesn’t want to hear the rest as she knows what it is.

“I get...what you mean,” Minjeong softly replied. “It’s understandable that you feel that way.” 

Minjeong doesn’t really know what really happened between Jimin and Ryujin before. As much as she wants to know, she doesn’t want to step on Jimin’s boundaries, not yet, unless the other girl will let her.

“I saw you arguing with Yeji awhile ago,” she cleared as she needed to change the topic. “It seemed heated.”

Jimin forced a chuckle, “it was.”

“Yeji tried to talk to me, reasoned out why they never told me about Ryujin,” she scoffed, “I couldn’t believe them.”

“What was their reason?”

“She said,” Jimin sigh, “Ryujin wanted to surprise me, that’s why they did what they did. Because Ryujin was their dear friend. But what about me then? I’m also their friend and yet,” Jimin closed her eyes as she tried to be upset any further. “I guess I was never an important friend to them.”

“Babe,” Minjeong faced her, “look at me.” Jimin faced her but she barely looked at her. Minjeong sighed and continued, “I don’t know them personally so I can’t really judge their character.”

“Maybe, there’s a misunderstanding somewhere in between all of this, like what happened to us. Whatever it is,” Minjeong cupped her face, which forced Jimin to look at her, “I don’t think they mean any harm to you.”

“And if it is indeed what you think it is, then,” she caresses Jimin’s face in comfort, “you still have me, Ning, & Aeri here for you.”

“I know.” Minjeong gave her a comforting smile before hugging her. Jimin reciprocated, “I love you,” the long-haired girl whispered.

“I love you too.”

They stayed in each other’s arms a bit more before Minjeong backed away, “want to go home?”

Jimin smiled and nodded at her.

As they were about to reach their car, hand in hand, Jimin suddenly remembers, “Ah! Mindongie.”

“Hmm?”

“My bag. I think I left it.”

“Okay, I will get it inside. Just stay here in the car,” Minjeong gave her a squeeze in the arm and an assuring smile.

“Okay.”

Jimin leaned over the hood of Minjeong’s car as she waited for the blonde-haired girl. She thought over everything that had happened and she still can’t believe her ex is back. This was something she thought she prepared herself with, but it’s really different when it becomes real.

She sighs heavily. 

This wasn’t the kind of night she imagined. She was enjoying her time with her girlfriend, meeting her old friends and acquaintances. And then, everything goes to the drain.

Now, all she wants is to go home and have a good night's rest. Maybe I should ask Minjeong if I could sleepover at her place, she thought. After everything that had happened, all she wanted was to spend more time with her girlfriend.

She suddenly felt a cold breeze. She instinctively rubbed her arms for comfort, Mindongie, where are you?

She should have gone to the gym with Minjeong rather than staying out here in the parking lot. Suddenly, she felt a warm jacket all over her, “wha-”

“You looked cold.”

She looked over to the person who put the jacket on her, “R..Ryu?”

It wa