someone // jiyoo

xxvii

'Someone must have spiked her drink, there's no way she got this drunk from a cup of punch,' Yubin said skeptically.

Minji glanced worriedly at the girl in her arms, her heart racing with concern. Yoohyeon's eyes were bleary and unfocused, and she had to practically lean against the older girl for support. 'Yeah, she was definitely drugged with something,' Minji frowned, hoisting Yoohyeon's left arm over her shoulder.

The wind nipped at their ears as they walked through the yard to Minji's car, with Gahyeon hollering curses at anyone who dared to get in their way. Normally Minji would have said something about it, but she had more important things other than her cousin's manners to worry about at the moment. Plus, those assholes probably deserved it.

The weather outside wasn't freezing cold, but it wasn't exactly warm and snuggly either. Yoohyeon clung to her tightly, and it suddenly dawned on Minji that she had left both Yoohyeon's coat and jumper inside the house, along with all of her other belongings. That is, if she even had any with her in the first place. And with the party still in full swing, the chances of retrieving them were slim.

Minji gently laid the younger girl down on the backseat of her car, quickly turning on the heat and cranking it up to the highest setting. As the warm air began to circulate, Minji took off her jacket and draped it over Yoohyeon's exposed shoulders, hoping it would provide her with some warmth. 'Minji, you don't have to do this,' Yoohyeon's voice was barely audible.

'Shh, it's okay,' Minji reassured her. 'Just rest now. I'll take care of everything.'

She shot Gahyeon and Yubin a grateful smile as she thanked them for their help. 'Be good,' she locked eyes with her cousin, who had offered to beat Minsoo up. The pink-haired girl shot her a cheeky smile. 'No promises,' she giggled, linking arms with her girlfriend.

The ride home was silent, apart from the sound of Yoohyeon's soft breathing as she eventually calmed down. Minji stole a quick glance at the rear mirror, noticing that the younger girl had drifted off to sleep, her chest rising and falling with each inhale and exhale. She felt a wave of protectiveness wash over her as she drove, her eyes glued to the road ahead. She wanted to, no, had to bring her home safely.

Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, Minji used her other hand to fish for her phone. She silently thanked the gods for their help as she pulled up the address Bora had sent her earlier that day. Turns out Bora was right - She did need it.

As the GPS directions droned on in the background, Minji let her thoughts flow. She couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt wash over her as she thought about the events of the night. She should have picked up on Yoohyeon's odd behavior sooner, stopped her from going to that horrible party. She should have protected Yoohyeon better.

Minji shook these thoughts out of her head as she pulled up to the curb, parking a few houses away from Yoohyeon's. 'We're here,' she called softly, watching the younger girl stir and rub her eyes. She sat up and looked at Minji. 'Thank you,' she said in a small voice, still a little groggy from her nap.

'It's late, I'll walk you inside.' Yoohyeon didn't protest as Minji unlocked the doors and helped her out, wrapping her arm around the older girl's waist for support. As they walked towards Yoohyeon's house, Minji couldn't shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She kept looking around, scanning the area for anything suspicious. Yoohyeon seemed to sense her unease and leaned closer to her, her hand gripping Minji's tightly.

Bora had left the door unlocked for Minji, though she didn't give her any specific directions to Yoohyeon's room. 'You'll know it when you see it,' Bora had texted her. Minji soon understood what she meant when she caught sight of Yoohyeon's door at the end of the hallway. It was decorated in the most colorful way possible, with a mishmash of stickers, posters, and 'YOOTONI' printed in rainbow letters. How cute, Minji chuckled to herself.

She left Yoohyeon to change as she crept downstairs, careful not to wake anyone up. She placed the younger girl's phone on the kitchen counter, so that Bora would see it first thing in the morning. 'Yooh's phone, safe and sound :)' she wrote, attaching it to a yellow sticky note. She smiled at her handiwork before heading back upstairs to check up on Yoohyeon, who had took place on the bed and was now trying to find a comfortable sleeping position. Minji sat down on the edge of the bed and watched her for a few moments. 'Do you need anything else?' She asked. The younger girl shook her head, her eyes fluttering shut.

Taking this as her cue to leave, Minji leaned forward, whispering a soft 'Goodnight' before standing up and making her way to the door. 'Minji?' Yoohyeon called just as she was about to close the door behind her.

'Yeah?'

The younger girl looked at her sheepishly. 'Can you... stay with me? Just for a bit?'

Minji didn't hesitate. 'Of course,' she replied, returning to her spot on the edge of the bed. She made sure to leave a bit of space between them, as she knew Yoohyeon wasn't a particularly touchy person. So she nearly yelped in surprise when Yoohyeon pulled her down beside her, resting her head on Minji's chest and wrapping an arm around her waist.

Shit. Minji's heart was beating way too fast. Pull yourself together, Minji. This isn't the time.

As Minji lay there, something began to stir within her. An emotion that she has been trying to ignore for some time now. A feeling that has been growing stronger and stronger with each passing day, despite her best efforts to suppress it.

She took a deep breath and tried to push her racing thoughts aside. Yoohyeon needed her right now, and that was all that mattered. She let out a relieved sigh as she felt the younger girl's breathing even out, indicating that she had fallen asleep.

As the night wore on, Minji eventually drifted off to sleep, her mind consumed by a certain brunette who had captured her heart.

a/n
kinda cringe fluff chapter sorry
also i deadass just wrote "i'm an extrovert with strong interpersonal skills" in my school application knowing damn well i can't hold up a single conversation
there's no going back now, what's done is done 🤩