Stars In The Sky: You Give Me Heart Eyes

Meant It

Jimin ended up offering Aeri her own bottle of beer since she had been deprived of her own buzz the whole night. It felt nice. Sharing laughter and just talking with Aeri like old times. Of course now, with the addition of being old enough to drink alcohol together, it felt even better.

"So tell me about you. What's been going on with your life?" Aeri asks, taking a swig of her beer.

Jimin shrugs, "um... not much I can think of. I became one of the youngest cardiothoracic surgical attending's in the country."

Aeri scoffs, "what a humble brag." She says sarcastically. "I guess you didn't give yourself any time to relax, huh?"

Chuckling, Jimin shakes her head. "Just a lot of hard work. I had something to prove." Her teeth clench as her mind drifts to all those feelings of resentment she had for herself the moment she left home to start college. Then, Jimin had just ruined the best thing that's ever happened to her, and hurt the love of her life. Jimin promised herself that she would make something of herself to be good enough for Minjeong.

Jimin worked her butt off for this.

"Well, I'm proud of you." Aeri gives her a smile, tilting her bottle towards Jimin for a quick clink.

"Wow," Jimin looks down at her bottle, a subtle smile on her lips, "I haven't heard that in a while."

Aeri frowns, looking at her friend sadly.

"I'm proud of you, Yu Jimin." Aeri repeats, earning a smile of gratitude from Jimin.

"Thanks, Aeri."

"I'll tell you more often."

Aeri clinks their beer bottles again, both of them sharing quiet smiles.

"Okay, your turn." Jimin says, trying to get past the sentimental moment.

"My turn?"

The older woman nods, "now you tell me something to keep me in the loop." Jimin leans forward to place her bottle on the coffee table in the center of the living room, "what's happened the last ten years?"

"Well," Aeri tilts her head, a smirk coming to her lips. "Yizhuo and I have been dating for half of those ten years."

Jimin's eyes widened, and she almost leaped from her seat on the couch, but instead, her palms hit the couch cushions to straighten her posture. "You're kidding?" She slaps her hand on her mouth when she realizes her voice is too loud. "No fucking way." Jimin's next words were hushed in a whisper.

Aeri nods her head, downing her last sip of beer. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a ring, holding it up to Jimin.

"Say sike right now." Jimin's eyes grow another size bigger when she sees the ring.

"Been carrying this around for the past few months."

When the shock finally passes, Jimin takes the ring from Aeri and examines it. "Holy shit, Aeri." She flips the ring and her eyes hit every speck of diamond on it. "Life is crazy."

"Isn't it?" Aeri chuckles.

"Well, to start, I didn't even know you were gay."

"For one person." Aeri corrects. "I've never seen other women that way. It's just her."

"I didn't even know Yizhuo liked women."

Aeri snorts, "she's been out as bisexual for the past eight years."

Jimin hands the ring back to its rightful owner. Her mouth was still agape in shock, as she plops her back against the couch cushions.

"Life is crazy."