“What if we leave this in the city?”

Jimin hears one of the girls say.

She snaps out of…whatever state of mind she was in. Most of the girls are spacing out, hit with the case of jet lag.

But this doesn’t stop Yizhuo.

“No, really, don’t you get paranoid about losing your passport? It’s probably the most important thing right now! It’s like I always have to have it in my hand. If I put it in my bag, I don’t feel as if I have it with me. Like, what if it gets lost or stolen?”

“You know what? I might just steal yours so you don’t get to fly back to Korea. Seriously Ning, how do you have this much energy?” Minjeong exclaims.

It’s the same question in everyone’s mind, because Yizhuo’s energy certainly didn’t match how she looked.

The maknae, who was dressed in an oversized sweater, sported the most disheveled hair out of all of them, with eyes that seemed to be closing any minute. She was barely holding on to her bubble jacket.

Adorable.

“I’m just trying to lighten up the mood! You all look like zombies. We’re finally in New York City, at least act like it!” She waves her hands around and whines, to which everyone laughs at—including the managers.

They all collectively get a bit conscious as well, since they wouldn’t want to make a scene in the hotel lobby.

“Seriously, this kid…” Aeri starts, with mirth behind her voice.

Jimin approaches Minjeong.

“You and her slept for like, twelve hours. Where’s this pup’s energy?” She asks Minjeong, while gently flicking the younger one’s chin.

“You’re kidding. She’s a weird case. I’m the normal one here!”

“Heh. So cute.”

“Aeri, Jimin. Your rooms are ready.” Their manager says, handing out the unnies’ keycards.

Jimin looks at Minjeong with an apologetic look.

“Sorry, but I guess that’s our cue. Goodluck with our maknae.” She holds her laugh, but loses it when she sees Minjeong’s expression, the silent cry for help.

“Goodluck Minjeongie, see you later!” Aeri teases. She grabs Jimin and leads her to the elevators.

Minjeong just sticks her tongue out as the unnies walk away.

“Poor thing. You can literally see her energy bars depleting.”

“Energy “bars?” How many energy bars does Minjeong have?” Jimin asks.

“Hmm. Social, physical…mental…”

“Yah. I can’t believe you’re taking this seriously!” Jimin laughs.

“Oh, there’s also her aegyo, and let’s not forget vocal…”

Jimin just lets Aeri stretch the joke out until they reach their floor.

And when they do, Aeri starts humming a song.

“Oh, I guess this is me.” Jimin says.

They both stop in front of her hotel room.

“Where’s yours?”

Aeri is still singing this…song (which honestly doesn’t sound like the girl’s taste), and points at the room across Jimin’s.

“Ah great!”

Then Aeri joyfully walks towards her room.

Jimin begins to unlock hers. With the tap of a keycard, she gets to turn the handle and enter, but not until…

“Aeri.”

“Hm?” the other girl finally stops singing, head peeking out the door.

“Is that…Hong Jin Young sunbaenim’s…”

Then suddenly, in full blast—

“Fill me with your love

My love battery is all used up

I can’t live without y—”

“AERI, I SWEAR!”

To which Jimin is met with a closed door.

“Aish.”

She’s too tired for this, so Jimin just enters her own room and plots her revenge the next time she sees her friend.

Jimin doesn’t remember when the teasing started.

It just did.

And the implications were always there.

But these jokes were never brought up in conversation—it was as if Aeri never felt the need for Jimin to explain, nor did Jimin really try to ask Aeri how she came to the assumption that…

that what, exactly?

Jimin sighs and checks her phone. It’s only been seven minutes after plopping into bed.

I wonder if…

She hears a knock on the door.

Jimin reviews their schedule—surely, the managers had nothing planned this early.

“Just a sec!”

“Unnie.” She hears from outside.

Was that?

Jimin rushes to the door and opens it.

“Minjeong?”

Or, maybe just the body of Minjeong, whose soul had just left.

“I don’t have a room yet.” Minjeong deadpans.

Jimin can’t help but laugh. She brings the exhausted girl (and her luggage) inside, without missing a beat.

Minjeong walks to the bed and collapses on it, head buried in one of the pillows. She then squirms around, finding a comfortable position. She curls up on her side, with one hand beneath her head and another holding her phone up.

Jimin lies down beside her.

“You should rest. Take a nap. Aren’t you tired?”

“I am, but they might get me a room soon. Being interrupted mid-nap is the worst.”

“Point.”

“Unnie?”

Jimin turns her body to face Minjeong.

“Hm?”

“You’re okay now, right?”

Ah. Right.

“Wow, it’s like you completely forgot that happened.”

“It wasn’t really that big of a deal.”

Minjeong shoots her a glare.

“I don’t mean it that way! I mean, I’m fine now. It was just a bit of pent-up anxiety. It won’t happen again, even on our next flight! I promise.”

“That’s not the issue, unnie. It’s ok to feel these things. But just…you remember your promise?”

But before Jimin can respond,

“I m-mean, you said you’d try…I’m not forcing you to tell m—"

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I remember that promise. Yes, I remember saying I’d try. I remember everything, especially the way you comforted me, reassured me. Yes, I’ll be okay now, because of you, of our members, our team, our MYs, knowing that you’ve all got my back.”

Minjeong blinks.

“Okay…good!”

“But mostly because of you. You’re my fav—”

Minjeong deliberately stops looking at her and turns her attention back to her phone.

“Yah! Notice me jagi~.”

“Nah you’re good.”

Jimin laughs. An idea. She grabs her own phone and goes to the camera app.

“Heh.”

“What th—hey! Did you just take a picture of me?!”

“Yes. You were too adorable.”

“Delete.”

“I think MYs would agree.”

“Don’t you dare.”

“Relax, I’ll crop your head out.”

“Oh, wow. Then you’re taking all the adorable away.”

“Get over yourself!”

They’re both laughing now.

“Hey jagi. If you’re up for it, do you wanna go for a walk?”

“Sure, lemme ask Aeri unnie and Ning if they wanna join us.”

And so it was settled.

Maybe Jimin had already gotten over the fact that they were going to perform in NYC. But putting the performance aside, living in this actual moment was still pretty surreal.

They’re riding atop the double-decker bus, filming for a new, upcoming project (or at least, new to the fans).

Jimin reflects.

In another world, they’d be mere tourists.

Minjeong suddenly starts waving from beside her. She turns towards whatever’s caught the other girl’s attention down below and sees…a camera? Cameras?

Oh my…are all of them MYs?

Jimin starts waving at them as well, and even without looking, she knows that all the members’ faces are adorned with smiles.

It’s a warmth that welcomes, lingers—holding a mighty battle against the winter cold. Because the girls will be needing it, Jimin thinks. One may think that winter is all the same across a multitude of countries. But with the weight of what they’re here for, aespa will be facing a winter so foreign.

You need to rely on us more.

She remembers Minjeong telling her, almost pleading.

Jimin turns to the younger girl to say something, and she’s taken aback.

Is Minjeong sleeping?

It’s baffling, really, and Jimin can’t help but stare at her.

If one’s beauty can truly be seen through the eyes, then how could Minjeong’s beauty appear so alive even with her eyes closed?

Oh the fans are going to fall for you all over again.

And Jimin suddenly remembers. The cameras.

In another world, they’d be mere tourists.

But not here.

She imagines every detail of her own face that could be captured.

Jimin fakes a yawn. She leans her head on the double-decker’s railing, and closes her eyes as well.

Like everyone, Jimin was afraid of flying too high, of failing, of falling…

And being caught in the middle of them.

Of course, they were going to have a bit of fun before the main event.

Forget the jet lag and the cold, these held nothing against the power of retail therapy.

Aespa breezed through various shops, making sure to visit stores that fit their fashion as a group, and stores that fit themselves a bit more individually.

From afar, they would’ve seemed like a group of ecstatic children—save for their conspicuous entourage.

After each store, the girls returned to their van with renewed energy. Laughs, jokes, fashion tips, and even regrets (hello, impulse buys) were shared.

Minjeong then finds a video of the girls leaving a vintage clothing store, with one of their managers carrying what seemed to be a majority of Aeri and Yizhuo’s purchases.

“You two were this close to buying the whole store.” Manager unnie says.

“Not me. Ning really could’ve though. She just got carried away and started posing and feeling herself in front of the mirror. If the owner hadn’t caught her, she definitely wouldn’t have lef—”

“Aeri unnie that was supposed to be our secret!!” Yizhuo screams.

Everyone covers their ears.

“Ning, I think they’re a fan.”

Yizhuo turns to where Minjeong is looking.

“It’s ok, go say hi.” Manager unnie gives her approval.

To which Yizhuo gives the brightest of smiles, and turns to approach the very much flustered fan.

“You two go ahead. Remember, shop wisely.”

Jimin and Minjeong go further into the store.

At this point, they think they’ve done enough shopping for the day. This store wasn’t particularly their style either, or at least nothing seemed to catch their eye.

So they’re just walking aimlessly, arms linked.

“Jimin! Look!”

“Is that…”

Aeri holds something up.

“Don’t you two have enough beanies already?”

“Never.” The unnies say in unison.

“Besides! This one says “NYC.””

“Wait, this one says “NO THANKS, NEW YORK.1”

“Jimin…”

“Jimin unnie…”

“I just thought it was funny! OK let’s go with NYC then. I’ll get the red one.”

“Nice. I’m actually done looking around, we can pay now.”

Aeri and Jimin approach the cashier, with Minjeong trailing behind.

“Hey Steph can you take over here? I’ve got customers. Thanks sweetie!”

“Hi, sorry, welcome to B-…oh wow…”

“Hi!” Aeri greets in English.

The girl behind the register is much taller than the girls. She’s covered in a cropped jacket that further accentuates a slender figure underneath, which is then dressed in a slim-fit pullover.

Her long, wavy hair is colored with a gorgeous caramel balayage, styled in a way that shapes a youthful-looking face—which Jimin takes as a sign that she’s within the same age range as them, if not a bit older.

The girl is obviously flustered after Aeri’s greeting, but manages to compose herself immediately. There’s a degree of maturity in her demeanor, which Jimin finds rather…

“Hello,” she begins with a smile, reaching out for the two beanies.

“Oh! We’ll be paying separately.2”

“Ah, my bad,” she says, flashing a wide smile, revealing a row of pearly whites.

Attractive.

“You two totally rock these, by the way.”

This surprises them—even Minjeong, who’s a few feet away—because strangers rarely interact with them casually. But then again, they’re in New York, and she probably didn’t know who they were…

“How can you tell? They’re just beanies!” Aeri recovers quickly.

“Perks of being gorgeous women.”

She glances at the both of them, again with that sweet smile.

“From experience?” Gigi counters with a smirk.

“Oh, no!” She laughs.