Aespa Oneshots/Imagines

Karina: Bottle Up

(inspired by all the aespa fanfic writers here. another karina fanfic cause why not. Maybe winter next.)

You weren't sure when and how it started but you didn't particularly care for a certain person in your class.

It was the start of university for you and you were slowly adjusting to the hectic life of studying. There was only one goal: lay low and graduate.

As such, you never really paid any attention to your surroundings. Minding your own business was enough to get by. However, it was hard to ignore that certain someone: Yu Ji Min.

You shared all your classes with Jimin and she occupied the table next to yours. She didn't have the best reputation in the school. Rumours were going around the school about her being cold and stuck up.

You never believed the rumours but you could see how it started. You had some personal encounters with her that didn't go well. Numerous times did you see her crossing paths with you on your way home. Despite actively avoiding a crash, she would miraculously walk straight into you like you were a magnet every single time. 

Probably because she wasn't even looking forward while walking. With her airpods on and hoodie up, it was almost like Jimin was looking to break the record of accidents caused in a day. After every collision you had with her, she would scurry off like nothing happened.

In the class you shared with her, she was getting quite the attention from everyone and it wasn’t the good kind.

The class poked fun at Jimin after finding out that she has a thing for dinosaurs. That didn't come as a surprise to you as you observed a bunch of dinosaur keychains hung on her bag. This kind of interest was pretty harmless to you. Even cute to a certain extent.

Some girls were even starting to take advantage of Jimin by getting her to buy them drinks in between breaks. Worst of all, they didn't pay her back.

Jimin was too shy for her own good and it was costing her dearly. Sometimes, you felt the urge to stand up for her but decided against it. 

It probably wasn’t the best idea. You wouldn't want to attract unwanted attention for no reason.

As you stepped into the class and took your seat next to Jimin, the teacher announced some shocking news: a pair project. "Anyone but Jimin please". As fate would have it, your partner was the girl beside you.

You sighed. Looks like it was impossible to avoid Jimin. Glancing to your side, you saw Jimin turning to you with a blank expression. She was as cold as ever.

Despite the seemingly lack of reaction, Jimin was glad she got you as her partner. Even though you acted like she was non-existent, you were still arguably the nicest person in the class simply by ignoring her.

It just so happens that Jimin had a tiny crush on you. She cursed herself for not saying something whenever she bumped into you. 

The way you directed your cold glare at her made her speechless. Taking the easy way out, she chose to bolt out of the situation every time. She must have looked rude in your eyes.

This project was the opportunity Jimin needed to make amends with you. She wanted to leave a good impression on you. Maybe befriend you in the process. 

Unfortunately, you weren’t feeling the same as she did. You just wanted to get this project over with.

*timeskip* 

Jimin and you decided to meet up in the library to discuss the project. As both of you sat down at the table, you tried breaking the ice by giving ideas on how you both can go about doing the project.