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Minjeong blinked at the dark ceiling. Light faded in and out as traffic passed by her window, shadows going with it. Any minute now she was going to have to accept that sleep wasn't coming tonight, no matter how much her eyes burn or how foggy her head got.
She groaned and buried her face in her second pillow. It was almost comical how her insomnia came right when she actually NEEDED to get good rest. She wasn't going to have much time for it in the coming weeks due to classes starting back up, and she hoped to savor it when she could. But nope, because fuck Minjeong, huh?
Whatever.
It was then time to accept her demise, so she reluctantly verticalized herself and padded to the kitchen. Maybe some of that bedtime tea will help. It never had before, but hey, things change.
The lights were on in the kitchen, which was weird, but not unheard of. She forgot to turn them off herself sometimes. What WAS weird was a crouching Yu Jimin by the fridge with chocolate icing smudged on her cheeks and nose.
Jimin blinked wide eyed at her.
Minjeong blinked back blearily.
"Um..." Jimin started sheepishly. "Hi...?"
"You got a little something..." Minjeong pointed to her entire face. Jimin didn't look very impressed.
"Very funny." She righted herself up and wiped her face with a paper towel. "What are you even doing up anyway? The girls went to sleep ages ago." There was a certain coldness to her voice, though it was less like a stinging wind and more like a melting ice cube, concern held back by pretenses.
Her and Jimin have known each other for a long time. It's why they're both there in the first place, both in the kitchen right then and in that apartment. They've been going to the same school their whole lives, from kindergarten to now college, but being around each other didn't mean they were close, just that they had a certain understanding of the other. The understanding being "I know every embarrassing phase you've been through. Don't fuck with me and I won't fuck with you". For their whole lives they've orbited the same sun, but have never lined up. That was until they accidentally became roommates this semester. Turns out their best friends were friends and all four of them needed a place to stay. Things happen like that sometimes.
So then Minjeong was there, under the flourescent lights of the kitchen with Jimin at two in the morning. There was a certain frankness that came with knowing they've seen worse.
"Couldn't sleep. Were you eating Aeri's cake?"
Jimin shrugged. "I had a craving. She won't mind."
"She told me I wouldn't wake up with limbs if she caught me eating any."
"Best friend privileges. Also I won't be caught." Jimin narrowed her eyes at her. "Right?"
Minjeong threw her hands up in surrender. "I'm not saying anything."
"Good."
They stood there a second too long, and the silence turned awkward. This was probably the longest one on one exchange they've had. Minjeong cleared her throat and started making her sleepy beddy bye tea.
Jimin, apparently, did not understand that the conversation was done. "So do you usually have trouble sleeping?" She leaned back against the counter facing Minjeong with her arms crossed. Did she have nothing better to do? Like go to bed?
"Some times more than others." Minjeong filled the electronic kettle with enough water for one cup, then paused as she was taking it away from the sink. "Do you want a cup?" She figured Jimin wasn't awake at two in the morning just because she was craving cake.
Jimin looked at her with an unreadable expression, though she might've just been tired, and nodded. "Sure."
So she filled up the kettle more then left it to boil, turning around to unconsciously assume the same position as Jimin.
Moments passed in silence. Either they were too tired to talk or they didn't really know what to say. It's not like they had anything to talk about before. Why would they now? The kettled clicked and made them both jump. Jimin breathed out a chuckle to mask the awkwardness while Minjeong got to steeping the tea. She handed a mug, the Shin Chan one, to Jimin and moved to sit on the couch. Jimin followed.
"How'd you know I like Shin Chan?" She asked as she sat down and examined the mug. Minjeong shrugged.
"He's been on your phone case for like five years."
Jimin quirked a brow at her. "You got a case file on me or something?"
"No, ew. I just remember shit."
"Then what did I wear to senior prom?"
"Okay, not like THAT." Jimin giggled, and Minjeong couldn't help the small smile growing on her face either. "I mean some things I can't help but notice if I see it constantly."
"Then like what?"
Minjeong thought for a second. "Your favorite color is blue. Your baptismal name is Katarina. You– Stop looking at me like that." Jimin suddenly shifted her gaze to the wall, acting innocent.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You had a look on your face. Like I was crazy or something."
"It's just weird you know that kind of stuff about me."
"It's hard NOT to know stuff about you. Do you not know random shit about me?"
Jimin scratched her head. "Um..."
Minjeong scoffed. "Wowwwww... WOWWWW... I've known you for what, 14 years? And you don't know a single random fact about me."
Jimin shoved her shoulder playfully. "OKAY okay I get it. I'll pay more attention to you now. Happy?"
Minjeong smiled and nodded and stirred her tea. It looked ready enough, so she took a tentative sip. Tasted sleepy alright. She gestured for Jimin to do the same.
They continued talking quietly, joking to each other side by side on the couch, until the next thing Minjeong knew she was blinking awake with her head on Jimin's shoulder and Jimin's head stacked on her's.
The sun had barely risen, so hopefully no one had caught them there like that (GOD Yizhuo would tease her to death). She carefully moved Jimin's head to rest on the back of the sofa (since when was her skin so soft?) and though Jimin was like a natural furnace and the living room was so cold in comparison, she squirmed her way off the couch and put both of their mugs in the sink before receding into her bedroom. At least she was awake in time.
She'll unpack all that other stuff later.
Okay by later she meant now because what the fuck WHY does Yizhuo have a picture of them conked out like that. She didn't have a class until 11:20AM. WHY was she awake at 7:30AM?
"First day jitters." She said with a shrug. UGH. Minjeong slurped her slurpee. Angrily. They were sitting in the student union between classes just to pass the time, but there were way too many people here. Everything on campus is always too busy at the start of the semester and it was always because of overexcited freshmen with nothing better to do. Yizhuo zoomed in on the picture and squealed. Minjeong spared another peek at it. God, was she drooling? "You two were sooo cute!!! I thought you guys weren't close?" She gasped and a sly smirk grew on her face. "Do you liiiiike her? I think Minjeongie has a little cruuuuuuushhh."
GOD why did she talk like a fourth grader when someone was called to the principal's office.
"I don't. And we're not close." Minjeong grumbled out, and it was true. They weren't close. But it felt a bit mean to say that after they talked for so long. Maybe they were on their way to being close. No way in hell she was going to suggest that to Yizhuo though. She's had enough teasing for one day.
The week after that was hell, to put it nicely. Minjeong could not get more than an hour or two of sleep and no amount of sleepy beddy bye tea was doing her any good. She had permenent bags under her eyes and could barely pay attention in class. It's not like she would do that if she was well rested anyway, but it would be nicer to the professor to at least pretend.
She didn't have many run-ins with Jimin either, which was probably for the best. The girl didn't look too good herself and she didn't want to take her grumpiness out on her.
But one night when Minjeong was making her damn tea again, knowing full well it didn't work, she saw light coming from Jimin's cracked open bedroom door. Weird. It was like 3AM. So she boiled double the amount of water and made two cups of tea, one in the Shin Chan mug, and knocked lightly on the cracked door.
Jimin opened it in a huge faded hoodie and frog hairband, exhaustion evident on her face and in her slumped shoulders.
"Sorry to bug you. I just noticed you were still awake. Do you want some tea?" She offered the mug, and Jimin accepted it with a mumbled "thanks". Minjeong was about to turn and leave, but Jimin gestured her in.
Her room wasn't really what Minjeong had pictured. Or, well, it kind of was, but also it wasn't. She could guess there would be an army of plushies dominating her shelves and creeping onto bed territory, but she couldn't predict the abstract paintings and photographs that lined the walls. That was never something she knew about Jimin in all her years of being vaguely aware of her existence.
"Did you paint all these?" She asked, seated on Jimin's made bed. She hasn't even tried going to sleep it seemed. Jimin nodded and rubbed her eyes, sitting at her desk.
"Yeah. I haven't done anything recently though. These are all from highschool. They're just easy decoration." She dismissed her effort casually, taking a sip and humming, spinning back around in her chair to look at the Google doc on her laptop. After a second she let her head fall to the desk.
"Your classes have you this bad already?" Minjeong half-joked, but Jimin's groan told her this was no laughing matter and yes it was that bad already.
"You don't even know. What's your major again? CS?"
"Yeah." Don't ask. Minjeong's just going where the money and lazy office jobs are. "Is Biology harder?"
"The chemistry part is." Jimin sat up and dragged her hands down her face and held it there. A moment passed. "Minjeong." She said.
"Hm?"
"I'm going go ask something strange. Please hear me out."
"...Okay?" That didn't sound good. Minjeong held her mug closer.
"If it doesn't work, we can just forget it ever happened. But if it does, it would help us both tremendously."
"You're starting to sound suspicious."
"Just– Hear me out." Jimin lifted her head up to look her in the eye. "Last week we fell asleep on the couch right?"
Minjeong couldn't help but cringe a bit at the memory. "Yeah."
"Have you been able to fall asleep that easily since then?"
"What are you–"
"Listen. Do you want to sleep togeth– NOT SEX. Like literally just sleeping side by side. Do you want to try it? I have a hypothesis."
Minjeong thought about this for a second. On one hand, it would be super fucking awkward, and there was a possibility she would get teased horribly for it if caught. On the other, and this hand was a bit more enticing, she might actually be able to sleep through the night. If her hypothesis was correct, at least.
Fuck it. It was worth a shot.
"Alright. Sure, why not. Let's try it." Jimin beamed at her and she added "But if it doesn't work, we're never speaking of it again. To anyone." and Jimin fervently nodded.
"Oh, of course. That would be way too embarrassing."
"Great." Minjeong set her empty mug on the desk. "So, um." She looked to Jimin. "After you...?"
After the awkwardness of getting settled into Jimin's bed (they were already there, anyway), it wasn't so bad. Everything smelled like Jimin, which was to say everything smelled like Jimin's citrus shampoo, and Jimin was like a human space heater so Minjeong was warm and toasty even if she was a foot away.
But then that foot of distance started decreasing. And decreasing. And decreasing. Inch by inch until Jimin was latched onto Minjeong with one leg and one arm thrown over and her head in the crook of her neck. Minjeong had half a mind to tell her off, but her eyes were feeling droopy, and the next thing she knew the sun was poking through the curtains and stray black hairs were tickling her face.
It seemed Jimin had the same experience because not long after, the arm seatbelting Minjeong twitched and withdrew itself cautiously as Jimin pried herself off her. She sat up and looked down, and for the first time since Minjeong met her, she thought Jimin looked incredibly endearing.
She wasn't blind. She knew her whole life that Jimin was pretty, but it was never something that affected her until now. Now it was all she could think about when Jimin tried to finger comb her tangled hair into some semblance of normal with the morning sun streaking down her face. Her eyes were puffy and her lips pouted. She must have noticed Minjeong was awake because she sent a lopsided grin her way.
"Looks like my hypothesis was correct."
Yeah, and it looked like Minjeong was utterly fucked.
———
It became a semi-frequent thing. When one or the other really couldn't sleep, or really needed the rest, they would knock quietly on each others door. And it always progressed the same way. They would start out on their own sides of the bed, as far as they could go without falling off, and then as time went on, they would slowly be magnetized together until their legs were tangled and Jimin was half on top of Minjeong. And only then would they be able to fall asleep.
It was a great arrangement for finally getting a normal amount of rest!
But an awful one for Minjeong's poor heart.
Because suddenly it was all she could think about. The bare skin of Jimin's leg against hers, the weight of her arm across her stomach, the smell of her citrus scented hair right under her nose. She started to crave it, but she couldn't look too eager. She didn't want to scare her away. Once a week is enough, she told herself. She could learn to be content with it.
They got more comfortable with each other during the day too.
Gone were the days of awkwardly tiptoeing around each other, pretending the other didn't exist unless asked. They weren't purposefully seeking out each other's company (at least, thats what Minjeong told herself), but when they ran into each other, it was a pleasant surprise. They chatted a little and smiled and waved and sometimes stood a little too close, not that they noticed. It felt normal to them. Bumping shoulders and brushed hands were what Minjeong lived on in the lulls between rest days.
One day in between classes, Minjeong was at the student union, as usual. She was alone this time because Yizhuo's classes didn't sync up with hers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, just working on some code at an empty booth when Jimin walked past. Her shoulders slumped, hair up in a messy ponytail, and glasses sliding down her nose. Minjeong reflexively called out, and the girl turned and a soft smile immediately curled her lips. She backtracked and sat opposite Minjeong.
"Hey. I didn't know you were on campus right now." She got her laptop out of her bag and flipped it open.
Minjeong nodded. "I just got out of a class. Got another one in an hour or so."
"Oh, really? Me too." The light from her screen reflected off of her glasses, and she pushed them up to rub her eyes.
"Are you good? You look kinda tired."
Jimin flicked her eyes up without moving her head and rolled them at her with a grin. "I think you just want to cuddle."
Minjeong gaped at her, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish with wide eyes, ears turning red. "I– Wha– No I don't!!! Can I not ask about your wellbeing?"
Jimin burst out laughing at her. Just when Minjeong thought she was free from Yizhuo's teasing for a few weeks, Jimin started it up again. For some reason though, she didn't mind when Jimin did it. She felt herself bloom from any attention the girl gave her.
"I'm kidding! ...Maybe." Minjeong gave her a look and she backed down. "Okay, fine I'm kidding. But yeah this week's been hell. Way too many papers and labs due. PLUS a test in orgo. I've pulled two all nighters this week and it's definitely taking its toll."
Minjeong all but forgot about the program she was working on, her attention now solely on Jimin. "When's your test?"
"Tomorrow, which is why I have to study."
Minjeong frowned. "You need sleep more. You'll remember everything better if you sleep."
Jimin studied her across the table, and Minjeong squirmed under her gaze. "So you DO just want to cuddle. I see how it is." She joked and Minjeong pouted again. "Alright, sure. Your room or mine?"
"Whichever's more comfortable."
"Hey guys!" Aeri suddenly slid into Minjeong's side of the booth. "Wow, Jimin you look like shit.
"Thanks. You too, girl." Jimin said flatly, eyes now focused on her laptop. Aeri rolled her eyes goodnaturedly.
"Minjeong, since when are you and Jimin close?"
"We a–" Minjeong started, but Jimin was right there. She couldn't just deny their blossoming friendship right in front of her face because she was shy about it. "Um. A little over a month."
"Interesting." Aeri propped her head up on her hand with her elbow on the table. "And how often are you two alone together?"
Minjeong sent a panicked look to Jimin requesting backup, but she was engrossed in studying, or pretending to be at least. Damn. Guess she was on her own for this one. She'll make sure to complain about it later during their not-sex-related pillow talk.
"A normal amount." Minjeong said, and Jimin failed to stifle a laugh, trying to make it seem like she was coughing. Minjeong shot her a glare.
"Uh huh..." Aeri drawled. "Well!" She stood up. "I have to meet up with some people for a group project. You two have fun!" She winked as she said this and left, and Minjeong dropped her head into her hands.
"Oh my god." She muffled, and Jimin looked up.
"What?"
"She thinks we're hooking up."
"WE'RE NOT HOOKING UP." Minjeong whined to Yizhuo later that day, who Aeri immediately texted to spread her little rumor. They were seated in the dining room having takeout chinese for dinner, the lure that trapped Minjeong into this conversation in the first place.
"Then why else were you talking about cuddling privately in each others rooms?" Yizhuo asked smugly, like she really got her with that one. Checkmate Minjeong! She caught you! Time to fold!
"Because, um. Reasons." Great. Really got her with that one. Now she'll definitely lay off Minjeong for good this time.
"That's the most suspicious thing you could've said. Now I'm even more confident you're just shy about hooking up with Jimin." Yizhuo reached across the table to pat Minjeong's arm. "It's okay, girl. I'm proud of you. Jimin's hot as fuck."
Minjeong's face flushed. "I'm– That's not– ugh." She shoved more fried rice in her mouth instead of answering. You know what? Fuck it. Sure. Who cares. Let Yizhuo think whatever the fuck she wants. "Thank you." She mumbled out after she swallowed, and Yizhuo gave her an encouraging smile.
"That's what I thought. Now she better treat you right if she knows what's good for her. And you better treat her right if you know what's good for you. Me and Aeri can get fiesty." She made a show of cracking her knuckles and Minjeong nodded along.
"I know. Trust me."
That night, when Jimin let her in her room and they tucked themselves in, Jimin immediately clung to Minjeong, spooning her from behind and skipping the pretenses.
"Um." This made Minjeong's brain a little fried and her head to flush from her ears to her neck. They've never spooned before, and it's so much more contact than she's used to. All of Jimin pressed up against her, breath in her ear. She shivered in the warmth of her.
"You wanted to cuddle, right?" Jimin said quietly, voice low, all throat and no falsetto. Minjeong wasn't sure if she could form a coherent response.
"Um." She nodded instead, and Jimin chuckled into her hair.
"You're cute."
Someone had to stop this woman before Minjeong's heart exploded. Or she burst up into flames. Or something else violent and all consuming.
"You wanna tell me why Yizhuo said to treat you right or she's gonna murder me?" Jimin asked in the same sweet sleepy voice. Minjeong almost missed what she said she was so distracted from the way her breath tickled the back of her neck.
"I told you. She thinks we're hooking up." Minjeong pouted even though she couldn't see her.
"I mean, we kind of are."
"What?" In Minjeong's shock, she turned around in Jimin's hold to face her, and oh boy was that a bad idea. Now she had to look her in the too-close eyes and try not to stare at her too-close lips.
"We're just not hooking up to have sex. Like a platonic hookup."
Minjeong stared at her dumbfounded. In no world was that something she could explain to someone normal.
"No one will believe us if we say we're platonically hooking up."
"Then we just don't tell them. Let them think what they want. Not any of our business."
She sounded so certain it would all be okay, and nothing would come back to bite them. But Minjeong didn't really have any other ideas, and there was no way she would be able to convince Aeri and Yizhuo of their actual situation, so she conceded.
"Okay, fine. Sure. We'll fake hook up, or whatever."
Jimin giggled and bumped their foreheads together. Minjeong held her breath, but couldn't help the smile on her face too.
"Good. Now turn back around. I don't want you mouth breathing on me all night." Jimin joked and pushed Minjeong slightly.
Minjeong scoffed. "I do NOT mouth breathe in my sleep."
"You do when your nose is clogged."
"I can't breathe any other way! Where else would I breathe from, my asshole?" Minjeong played along, getting fake-mad, and earning a cackle out of Jimin. Her chest bloomed warmth.
"Go to sleep. I have a test tomorrow." Jimin whispered into her hair. Minjeong hummed, and they fell silent. Sleep came easily that night.
———
Midterms sucked the fun out of everything. No time to hang out, no one else has time to hang out, all Minjeong got to do was code and do math for like two weeks. Her nights with Jimin got cut down too because she had to stay up till morning to study and finish assignments. The one golden light at the end of the tunnel was that Jimin would have to cave and sleep the night before her actual midterm tests to prevent brain fog. That was all that was keeping her going right now. Soon she would get to rest in Jimin's arms. Even if she didn't like her like she did, that was fine. Their current agreement was good enough. Minjeong just wished it was more frequent.
Yizhuo noticed her friend's slump, and set her sights on comforting her. "You're making your Missing Jimin face again."
They were standing in the kitchen, Yizhuo washing the dishes and Minjeong waiting for her leftover takeout to heat up in the microwave.
"Am not." Minjeong countered.
"Are too." Yizhuo countered her counter. A perfect parry. "It's okay. Midterms will be over next week and then you'll have your Jimin back like normal. And you can do all sorts of hanky panky whenever you want."
"We don't–" Minjeong started, but cut herself off. There was no point in trying to reason with her. "Sure. Thank you. I am deeply missing hanky pankying with Jimin. I am looking forward to midterms ending. So we can hanky panky." She said flatly.
"Oh really?" Jimin appeared in the kitchen from her room with a smug smirk on her face, and Minjeong's eyed widened, cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "You should've told me, baby. I would've made an exception for you." She traced Minjeong's cheek and jaw with her fingertips with a teasing glint in her eye and walked to the fridge to fill up her water bottle. Yizhuo was cackling at her as Minjeong stood there red in the face with her mouth hanging open. Even Jimin couldn't help but let out a laugh when she turned and saw her. "Aw, I'm sorry. Was that too much? I'll tone it down in the future." She gave her a wink and sauntered back to her room. Fuck. She was having way too much fun with this.
The microwave beeped and brought Minjeong out of her trance. She threw daggers at Yizhuo still laughing at her. "Oh, shut up." Minjeong took her plate and stomped to her room.
Later that night, she began to wonder if Jimin really meant it when she said she would make an exception for her, or if she was just teasing her again. It was a stupid thing to get hung up over, but as she laid there in her dark room, yawning and yawning but never succumbing to sleep, she convinced herself to just go and give it a shot.
That was how she found herself with two mugs of her special sleepy beddy bye tea knocking quietly on Jimin's door.
Jimin opened the door with a pout. She had on an oversized shirt and shorts with a kuromi headband to keep her dark hair out of her face. And she looked so endearing and sleepy Minjeong had to suppress herself from cooing.
"Minjeong, I really have to finish this paper. I'm sorry."
It was getting too much for Minjeong. She wordlessly entered Jimin's room to set down the mugs on her desk, then walked back to Jimin.
"I really can't– ough." Jimin was cut off by Minjeong wrapping her arms around her and enveloping her in a big bear hug. Well honestly not too big of a bear, Minjeong wasn't THAT tall. The shorter girl could feel Jimin smile into her hair as she reciprocated. They stayed like that for a few moments, unmoving. "...Thank you." Jimin finally said. "I needed this."
"I know." Minjeong muffled into the crook of Jimin's neck. "I could tell." She started rubbing circles into the taller girl's back and felt her melt against her.
"Minjeongie... I'm so tired." Jimin pouted.
"I know."
"But I have to finish this paper."
"Can you not do it later?"
Jimin shook her head as best as she could without disconnecting it from the top of Minjeong's. "It's due when class starts in the morning."
Minjeong hummed. "Okay." A few beats passed as she thought. "How about this: I'll stay here and keep you company and when you're done you can just hop in bed."
Jimin's voice was a little hesitant, but unmistakably excited. "I won't be good company, and I can't turn off the lights until I'm finished. I don't know how long it'll take."
This time Minjeong shook her head, which nuzzled herself further into Jimin. "I wasn't going to be able to sleep anyway. It's okay."
They stood there for another few seconds, basking in each other's company, before Jimin peeled herself away, saying the tea will get cold and she needed to get back to work.
Minjeong made herself comfortable in Jimin's bed, sitting upright against the headboard sipping her tea with her legs under the covers. She had a good view of Jimin as she focused, and she found she couldn't look away. Even after she finished her tea and tucked herself in, she gazed blearily at Jimin.
She was beautiful in the soft lighting, tapping away at her keyboard with her brows furrowed. From time to time she'd sit back and stick a finger between her teeth in thought and it mesmorized Minjeong. Her parted plump lips, her lithe fingers. It was when she sat back once that she looked over and saw Minjeong staring. A soft smile appeared on her face.
"I'll be done soon, baby. Just a bit longer." She said quietly, and chuckled when Minjeong's face heated up at the endearment.
Some time passed, with Jimin's glances over to Minjeong becoming more frequent, and her typing more and more erratic. Finally she sighed.
"I need you to turn around, Minjeong. You're distracting me."
Minjeong blinked. "Oh. Sorry." She flipped around and found the wall much less interesting compared to Jimin. Though she did get to look at her paintings. She wondered if she still liked to paint.
An idea was forming in Minjeong's head when she heard the laptop clap shut. She turned around and saw Jimin smiling ear to ear.
"All done! Thank god. Give me a second to wash my face and brush my teeth and I'll be right there."
When Jimin got in bed and attached herself to Minjeong from behind, she let out a deep sigh and nuzzled closer.
"Thank you again." She mumbled sleepily. "I missed my big teddy bear." Minjeong felt lips press to her head before Jimin's breathing started to even out.
Jesus. Her poor heart won't be able to take much more. She just hoped Jimin couldn't hear the pounding in her chest.
Thankfully, she didn't have time to stew in her lovesick mush of thoughts. Sleep approached too quickly.
After midterms ended and they had about a week of relatively less schoolwork before quizzes and tests came back into the mix of things, Minjeong sat nervously at a pottery painting studio, shaking her leg a little too fast to look casual.
The place wasn't incredibly packed, but she still wanted to secure a table. Maybe 10 minutes early was a bit too much, though. The staff had already come up to her once to try and get her started, and she didn't think she could wave them off if they try again.
Her anxious energy was beginning to peak when she saw Jimin enter the store, smiling brightly when she spotted Minjeong. The paint stained tarp on the table stuck to her sweaty palms as she stood up. Then, wait, she didn't need to do that fuck. She sat back down again when Jimin sat down across from her.
"Were you waiting long? I'm not late, am I?" Jimin looked at the time her phone before stuffing it back into her bag.
"No, I just got here too." Minjeong lied.
"Okay, good."
Minjeong watched Jimin's gaze shift past her to the shelves of paintable clay. "Do you want to go pick something out?"
Jimin nodded eagerly, so they got up and perused the selection.
Minjeong chose a mug while Jimin has some sort of fish figure.
"It's a gar."
Minjeong stared at it for a second. "Is it going to lick me?"
Jimin furrowed her brows in puzzlement. "Why would it– Oh. Ha ha. Very funny." She rolled her eyes, but was obviously pleased. "No it's not going to lick you. It could bite you though, it's got teeth!"
"I'll bite it back, I don't care. I'll cook it for dinner."
"NO!!!!!!!!!" Jimin whisper shouted like she was dying from the thought of Minjeong eating her precious clay gar figure. They descended into giggles and both got to work on painting.
After a few minutes of comfortable silence went by, Jimin broke it with a soft voice. "I didn't realize how much I missed painting. This is nice."
Minjeong looked up with a gentle smile. Looks like her plan worked. "Even if it's not like what you used to do, I thought it would be something you'd enjoy." Her brush dipped into the blue paint to reload and continued its wide swipes across the mug. "I passed by it while running some errands and thought of you." She added quietly, with a little too much love in her voice.
Jimin looked up and their eyes met. A glint in them told Minjeong her slip up did not go unnoticed, but Jimin didn't bring it up. "I appreciate it. Maybe a lot more than you know. I really haven't had any time for hobbies outside of school."
"I guessed that, yeah. You barely had time for me." Minjeong didn't mean to say that last part, but now that she did she couldn't exactly take it back. So she tried fruitlessly to retract her head and limbs into her shell like a turtle.
Jimin hummed, a teasing smile on her face. "Did Minjeongie miss me? I'm sorry I couldn't give you more attention, baby."
Minjeong's face flushed and she covered it with her hands, which just caused Jimin's smile to widen and goaded her on further. She reached out and touched Minjeong's wrists to bring her hands down.
"Don't cover your pretty face. I like seeing it."
But that just made Minjeong even more embarrassed and Jimin laughed.
"Okay, okay I'll stop. Maybe try being less cute if you don't like compliments." Jimin shrugged, and Minjeong gave her a pointed look. "I'm stopping! I'm stopping." She giggled, then melted into something softer. "I just want you to feel as loved as I feel cause of you. I don't know if I'm doing a good job of that. Returning the favor."
Minjeong cleared her throat, which was suddenly all tied up, then mumbled. "You are. I'm just... um..." Her words failed her and she dropped her head into her hands again. Jimin smiled
"It's okay. I get it."
A few moments passed, and Jimin was pretty far along in her gar painting, when she realized she didn't ask what Minjeong was painting. "So what's on your mug?" She asked.
Minjeong spun it around to show the exact fish Jimin was painting on the side of the mug. "Gar."
Jimin tried her best to stifle her barking laugh. She really did.
That night, Jimin showed up at Minjeong's door.
Minjeong quirked a brow. "Didn't we sleep last night?"
Jimin shrugged and looked around, trying to seem uninterested. "I have a... thing tomorrow. I need the sleep."
So Minjeong shrugged and let her in. "I'll be a few minutes. You know the drill."
When Minjeong tucked herself in beside Jimin, it was almost automatic how she accomodated for Jimin's body against hers. Muscle memory accounted for the tangling roots of legs and the angle of her neck to allow Jimin full access to the space between her jaw and her shoulder. She sighed in contentment as Jimin squeezed her tighter, breathed deep, placed fluttering kisses to her neck–
Wait.
Minjeong's whole body stiffened and her skin turned hot to the touch. "Um..." She started, but as Jimin hummed against her and placed another kiss to her jaw, all thought evaporated from her head.
Slowly, the tension faded from her muscles and she melted into Jimin's now wandering touch. A stray hand creeping its way under the hem of Minjeong's shirt, grazing along her abdomen, making her shiver. Lips exploring all the exposed skin it can reach.
Minjeong wanted them on hers, but she didn't know if that was a boundary not to be crossed.
A ragged breath tore out of her as Jimin's chaste kisses opened up.
After what felt like both an eternity and a second, Jimin propped herself up over Minjeong and stared down at her. Her eyes were black in the dim light, but they seemed to sparkle anyway.
"Minjeong." She said, slightly breathless.
Minjeong stared back, completely breathless.
"Was that enough to make you feel loved?"
Jimin was staring back, her gaze a little lower than at her eyes. They were staring at the same thing. Wanting the same thing.
"I think I need more." Minjeong breathed out, and pulled Jimin down by the nape of her neck.
Their lips connected like everything else they did together. Softly. They slid against each other to the rhythm of their racing hearts, quickening as it went on, with more and more passion. Until they broke away from lack of breath.
Now their eyes were really black, pupils blown as they stared at each other. Wordlessly, gravity pulled them back towards each other until they connected once more. Minjeong's arms grasped for anything Jimin had to offer, and Jimin held the sides of Minjeong's face like she was cradling the world in her hands. To her, she was.
After several minutes, they laid beside each other again, breathing harder than before.
Minjeong felt her heart was about to burst, and she couldn't hold anything in anymore. The dam had cracked too far down.
"Jimin, I like you. Like, like-like. Like I want to be your girlfriend." Jimin chuckled beside her, but Minjeong turned on her side to face her, brows knit together. "I'm serious."
Jimin turned towards her as well, grin so wide it split her face in two. "Well that's good cause I was just about to do this again." And she kissed her once more chastely on the lips. Minjeong chased after her as they parted, and got embarrassed when she opened her eyes.
"So, um. Do you maybe..." She started, unsure of how to word it. Jimin nodded and tucked Minjeong under her chin, kissing the top of her head.
"Yes, Minjeong. I'll be your girlfriend."
A deep sigh escaped Minjeong. "Oh thank god. I didn't want to throw away my mug."
Jimin playfully kicked Minjeong's legs and they giggled. Minjeong wrapped her arms around Jimin and snuggled closer.
"Sweet dreams." She mumbled.
Jimin smiled into her hair. "I hope yours are sweeter."
"But I thought you were already dating?" Yizhuo asked from the couch when Jimin and Minjeong announced the big news with hands clasped in the air.
Oh. Right.
"Now we're double dating. It's like regular dating but more."
"Oh okay. Why didn't you just say so?" Yizhuo said, undeterred by that not making any sense, and went back to her show. "Congratz or whatever."
Aeri, however, was more deterred. "That doesn't make any sense." She had just entered the common space and was rummaging through the fridge.
Jimin shrugged at her. "We're just better than other couples. A super couple, if you will."
"Yeah, super couple." Minjeong echoed.
Aeri sighed, surrendering to her friends being weird again. "Okay, sure. Whatever. Just don't be loud." And she went back to her room with a soda.
"Why would she care if I'm loud?" Minjeong thought aloud.
"She doesn't wanna hear you two fuckin while she's trying to sleep, idiot." Yizhuo answered matter-of-fact. "But we haven't had any trouble with that so far so I wouldn't worry about it. Keep doing you." She winked and Minjeong went wide eyed.
"We haven't–" Minjeong started.
"Thanks Yizhuo, I'll keep this one under control." Jimin cut her off with a smile and dragged her out the door, a little more confused and a little more flushed than before.
Nights became easy for them. There was no longer the question of if they would be next to each other or not, just the question of whose room. Neither of them had ever had this much regular rest in their life, and it showed in every aspect of it. Grades kept up, energy levels rose, their general wellbeing felt better than ever. It was crazy how important sleep was to everyday life.
More importantly was the safety they felt at night and with each other. Safety and worth and love. They were smothered in it, and cherished every second.
Now, all of their dreams were sweet.