Gosh, who invented shopping, Minjeong complained in her mind as she begrudgingly followed her girlfriend and her friends shopping at the mall.

Don't get her wrong, she does shop too, but she only does it when she needs to buy something. And right now, she doesn't need to buy anything, so she's not interested in it. But her girlfriend, clearly, enjoys shopping with their friends, so she has no choice.

She sighs. 

"Mindongie!" She hears Jimin excitedly call her name, "come here! I want to show you something!" At least she's enjoying, she consoled herself. Seeing Jimin happy is always her goal. The girl deserves it after all.

She went near her girlfriend to know what's up, "What's-" Jimin excitedly gave her some clothes, "try them on."

Minjeong looked at the clothes given to her, they were cute, she's not denying it, but she doesn’t need them either. "Yooji, do I really need to try the-" Minjeong couldn’t finish what she said as she sees Jimin’s face starting to fall, "-of course, my love, I will try them on. Yes, yes." She looks around for the fitting room, "where's the-"

Jimin excitedly dragged her to the nearest fitting room, "I'll wait here," Minjeong could only smile awkwardly at Jimin before entering the fitting room.

---------

"You are so whipped, Min," Minjeong could only roll her eyes as Aeri laughs. Both girls are sitting at a nearby bench as their girlfriends entered a jewelry shop across from them. “You sure speak like you're not whipped for Yizhuo, too.”

Still chuckling, Aeri could only agree. “Yeah, well. Who wouldn’t be?”

They enjoyed the comfortable silence as they looked over their girlfriends at the jewelry shop. “Min,” Aeri breaks the silence as she faces the blonde girl.

“Hmm?”

“About Jimin, I want to say thank you.” Minjeong was confused. “Thank you for making her happy now.” Oh.

Aeri looks back at the girls in the shop, “I don’t know if Jimin shared with you yet about what she went through when Ryujin left her,” Aeri sighs, “even me thinking about it makes me sad.”

“She was in a bad place, bad mindset. She was a mess,” Hearing this made Minjeong understand Jimin’s reaction back then, how she reacted badly to the news of Ryujin coming back, she must have gone through a lot of pain.

As she wasn’t close with the raven-haired girl at that time, she only heard rumors of her supposed bad reputation of dating a lot of people and being rude. Personally, she doesn’t believe those rumors and considers them as rumors created by jealous people as Jimin’s quite known to be a beauty.

“Seeing her happy now, and in a better place,” Aeri faced her again, “I’m really thankful, Minjeong-ah.” Aeri held on to Minjeong’s hands, “please keep her happy.”

“I will, Aeri,” she gave her friend an assuring smile, “that’s always been my goal, to keep her happy.”

“Good,” Aeri playfully threaten her, “because if I see Jimin hurt again because of you,”

“I will do my best not to hurt her”, Minjeong chuckles at the playful nature of her friend, but she meant every word she says, “I can’t promise you anything as we don’t know the future, but I will do my best to always do right for her.” 

She sees Aeri satisfied with what she said. Aeri offered her a fist bump. She was about to comply when she remembered, “wait, same goes to you though.”

“Huh?”

“Yizhuo.” Minjeong points out, “She’s a handful and I know she will kill you if you ever hurt her before I could,”

“Well, that is true.”

“That’s why,” Minjeong pats Aeri's hands, “be patient with her.”

“And thank you for making her happy, too.” Aeri smiled at her, “I will do my best to make her happy, Min.”

Both girls’ fists bumped each other and chuckled.

They then heard the voices of their girlfriends, indicating they left the store.

Both Minjeong and Aeri smiled at the girls. It was Aeri who spoke first, “You girls done?”

“Yes,” Yizhuo smiled and hand over to Aeri her black card, “thank you, babe.”

“Always.”

“Okay,” Minjeong stood up from the bench and approached her girlfriend. She interlocked her hands with her and smiled at her. She then looked back to her friends, “let’s go, I’m starving.”

----------------

They were able to choose a restaurant to eat at after long deliberation. The besties almost had a public feud again over it. Good thing, Jimin and Aeri was there to get in between them.

As they settled in their seats, each one of them ordered the food they like. The girls enjoyed chatting with each other, talking about anything they could come up with. As they wait for their food to come, Minjeong, looked around the restaurant mindlessly when she spot familiar faces. She thinks she sees Jimin’s Unnies with...an old guy?

Huh? Who’s that? Wait...

That group was about to leave the restaurant. She tried to squint her eyes to see properly but her eyes could only see so far, “Mindongie?” She felt a hand on her shoulder, “huh?”

“You okay?”

Minjeong blinked and looked at her friends. It was then she realized she might have caused them to stop talking because of her weird behavior, “oh sorry, I was just...I think...”

“What is it?”

Minjeong wasn’t sure what she just saw but she’s also not sure if she should tell Jimin. “Minjeong, are you really okay?”

“Yeah, yeah,” she decides to say it anyway, “I just thought I saw your Unnies leaving the restaurant.”

“What?” Jimin’s eyes widen and tried to look around. Aeri and Yizhuo also helped. “Are you sure?”

“My eyes could only see so far,” Minjeong says defeatedly, “that’s why I’m not sure.” Jimin hummed in understanding. “Maybe you just saw people who look like them.”

“Maybe, maybe,” however, Minjeong feels in her gut that those were indeed Jimin’s Unnies. She’s just not sure if she was right about the old guy.

I mean...why would he be back after all these years? She shook that thought away as she doesn’t want to think much about it.

Right on time, the food arrived.

The girls continue to chat as they enjoy their food.

“I am feeling the heat of the sun,” Yizhuo complained. “I kinda want to have a haircut.”

“That’s new,” Minjeong commented. “I thought you prefer long hair more.”

“In this heat?” The Chinese girl groans, “I am willing to sacrifice my hair.”

“I think you will look y in short hair babe,” Aeri whispers a bit too loudly to Yizhuo which made the latter giggled. Minjeong, on the other hand, groaned and roll her eyes, “please pay respects to my salad and tomato juice.” Jimin could only chuckle at them.

She then went near Minjeong and softly whispered, “I think you will look cute and y in short hair too, Mindongie. Like before,” Minjeong’s eyes widen, and looked at her girlfriend. Jimin gave her a wink as she bit her lip. Di-did she just…? Minjeong tried to wrap her head around the fact that Jimin whispered in her ear how she would look cut and y if she gets short hair.

Ooohh, okay...okay. Like before, huh? Before, she used to have short hair. Not bob hair short, but shoulder hair short. 

She kept that hairstyle for a long time, for the whole middle school and high school before deciding to pursue long hair in college. It would be a throwback for her to go back to that hairstyle, as it’s been two years. I guess it’s time to change.

She is definitely not planning on changing her hair, just because her girlfriend suggested it. Nope. 

Definitely not.

You are so whipped, Min, she suddenly remembered Aeri’s words a while ago. 

She really was.

Minjeong looked at her best friend, “Ning,”

“Yeah?”

“Let’s get a haircut.”

---------------

“Your smiling like an idiot,” Minjeong expresses as she rolled her eyes at her girlfriend. 

“What? There’s nothing wrong with my smile,”

“It’s creepy.”

“Wha- no it’s not!” 

The couple continues to banter in the car as they travel back home. Even though they were in Minjeong’s car, Jimin insists on driving as she missed it.

“Then why are you smiling?” Minjeong asks.

“You really don’t know?”

“I have ideas,” Minjeong points out, “but I’m too tired to enumerate them, so spill,” she hears Jimin chuckle.

“Simple,” Jimin glanced at her and smiled sweetly, “It’s your hair.”

This made Minjeong smile (though she tried to hide it). She cleared and raised an eyebrow to Jimin, “do you have a kink or something? Why do you like my short hair?”

“Kink? Wha-” Jimin pouted in response, which made Minjeong laugh. It made Jimin laugh, too. As their laughter died down, Minjeong reached out and caresses Jimin’s hair, “but for real though, Yooji. You seem to like my short hair,” Minjeong softly points out, “I don’t mind if it’s your kin-” the blonde girl earned a slap in the arm.

“It’s not a kink, okay,”

“Got it, jeez,” Minjeong says as she rubs her arm, “then why do you like it?”

“I just...do?” Jimin stole a glance at Minjeong, only to see her confused. It made her chuckle as she continues to concentrate on driving, “I just think your current hair looks better on you than long hair.”

“So, you don’t like my long hair before?”

“Of course, I do,” Jimin chuckles, “the short hair suits you better.”

“So...it’s not a kink?” Jimin gave her a knowing look, “Yep,” Minjeong awkwardly nods, “noted, not a kink.”

Jimin could only shake her head. She suddenly remembers that tomorrow was the day of the reunion party. “Minjeong,”

“Hhmm,?”

“Tomorrow’s the party.”

“Oh,” Minjeong realized it too, “right.”

“You’re still not a fan of the thought of attending, aren’t you?” Minjeong sighs. 

Yes, she is not a fan of parties. Even in college, she barely attends (unless dragged by Yizhuo). A reunion party with her high school batch sounds...okay? I mean, I know everyone, she thought. But weirdly, she has an unsettling feeling about the party and she can’t put a finger on why she’s feeling that way.

The silence of the blonde girl made Jimin slightly worried. That, maybe, attending the party is a bad idea, after all. “We don’t need to attend, you know, if your uncomfortable.”

Minjeong shook her head and glanced at her, “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with it, it’s just...”

“Hhmm?”

“I don’t know,” Minjeong paused a bit, “I just have an uneasy feeling about it.”

“Uneasy?”

“Yeah,” Minjeong tried to think of a possible reason, “maybe, I guess, it’s because I haven’t seen much of our batchmates, that’s why.” She looked over Jimin, “this will also be the first time we are going to a public event as a legit official couple.” Oh, Jimin just realized it too, “that...is true.”

Silence surrounds them as both let that information sink in.

“Are you...worried about it?” Jimin softly asks, “going to the party, as my girlfriend? In front of our batchmates?” It dawns on Jimin how her status might affect Minjeong. After all, they were on the opposite ends of the status quo during their high school days. Jimin is used to the attention, but Minjeong,

“Hhmm,” Minjeong thought for a bit, “I will admit, I am a bit worried and nervous.” She forced a chuckle, “The attention will be on us,”

“Minjeong...”

“But,” The blonde girl faced Jimin and reached out to touch her cheek and caress it, “I know that... as long as I’m with you, I’ll be okay.” Jimin glances at her and gave Minjeong a smile. She let go of the stick car and touched Minjeong’s hand on her face. She interlocks with it and kissed it, “It will be okay,” she assures Minjeong, “we will be okay.”

--------------

Jimin is nervous.

Tonight was the party and she is very nervous about it.

Usually, she would be excited as it’s the time she will meet her friends again, her batchmates, and some of her teachers.

But instead, she’s very nervous.

The talk she had with Minjeong last night definitely contributed to her nervousness now. 

She breathes heavily. She assured Minjeong yesterday that everything will be okay, that they’ll be okay, but now, she’s the one nervous.

Why?

This will also be the first time we are going to a public event as a legit official couple, she remembered the other girl’s words. Is she scared?

Maybe? But not because she is ashamed of her girlfriend. No. In fact, she wants to show people how amazing her girlfriend is. How amazing Minjeong is.

She’s just afraid of the possible backlash. Even just thinking about it made Jimin’s stomach churned.

Even though her relationship with Ryujin was under the wraps, it didn’t stop the gossip around the school, spreading how they are a cute couple and the best pair ever. Just like what Minjeong said before a month ago, people saw them as “endgame.”

But their relationship failed, badly.

Now that she’s with Minjeong, she knows that response was...wild, to say the least.

As Minjeong is not a fan of social media, the other girl might have not check much, unlike her. Jimin likes to post and interact with people on social media. And she sees them.

The mean comments; how Minjeong will never be Ryujin, how she is just another fling Jimin will toss aside after, or how Minjeong is just her rebound. It upsets Jimin seeing them, but she tries not to be affected as much as she knows the truth. After all, she knows how people could be mean.

But she worries a lot of these comments might reach Minjeong, especially later. The blonde girl is not used to this, it might hurt her and she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want Minjeong to be hurt anymore. She could only sigh as she idly paced around her room.

She was already fully dressed for the occasion later and was waiting for her lover to pick her up at home.

Every minute that passed by, Jimin’s nervousness grew.

She was so focused on her thoughts she didn’t hear the knock on her door. “Yooji?”

Minjeong, who was on the door, was confused seeing Jimin pacing around her room, not noticing her. She walked slowly and meet Jimin halfway, “Yooji!”

“Aahh!” Jimin was startled. She was shocked to see Minjeong in front of her, while Minjeong winced hearing Jimin’s scream, it was too sharp for her liking.

The next thing Minjeong felt was slaps on her arm, “Oow, ow,”

“Don’t do that again