The Idol who can't smile

Chapter 12.

"Baby... come on," I sighed as I looked at the younger one. She seemed dissatisfied. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she had turned slightly away from me. My hand was on her arm. "Baby?" I asked again, but once more, I received no answer.

"She says you shouldn't go because she doesn't trust Lia and Yuna," Hanni translated, and Haerin nodded next to her. Danielle and Hyein observed the whole situation. Danielle was trembling as she wanted to intervene. Haerin remained calm, and Hanni just looked at me in disbelief.

"Wouldn't it be nice if Minji could speak for herself," I said, and Hanni swallowed hard, clearly troubled.

"She says you should apologize," Hanni added, and a nod from Minji confirmed it. Even Hanni had to guess what Minji was trying to say because she didn't speak a single word. Occasionally, she shook her head when Hanni said something wrong.

"Apologize? For what?" I asked, bewildered by the whole situation.

Hanni sighed. "She's jealous—"

"No, I'm not!" Minji interrupted her, sounding like a child throwing a tantrum.

I blinked in confusion, looking between her and Hanni. Hanni chuckled. "Well, Y/n... You had something with Lia before, and Yuna has a crush on you. And now, you want to go drinking with them?"

"Uh... with all of ITZY, yes," I replied, furrowing my brow at the whole situation.

Hanni sighed. "You see what I have to deal with?" she said to the others, who all nodded. Puzzled, I looked at Minji.

"But... you're coming too. So, what's the problem?" I asked, visibly confused by the situation.

Minji glanced at me, then sighed. "Imagine if I had an ex, and I was going out for drinks with her and some other friends. What would you do?" she asked, curious. Her eyes were filled with curiosity.

My forehead furrowed as I imagined the scenario. "I'd come along. But if there was no other choice, I'd let you go alone, reluctantly, of course," I replied, not seeing why I should apologize.

"But why?" Hanni interjected. "Alcohol is involved," she added.

I smiled slightly. "Alcohol is just an excuse. Sure, it makes you do things you might regret, you become more relaxed and carefree. But alcohol is not an excuse to cheat on your partner. No matter how drunk you are, if you're capable of having sex, you're capable of saying no and taking a moment to think about your actions. If you're not capable of that, then it's most likely not consensual sex," I explained seriously.

"Also, if you know how your partner behaves when drunk, making decisions becomes easier," I added, now looking at Minji. Minji sighed again, nodding her head. Her hand rubbed her forehead.

"Why... do you just love arguing with me?" she asked, a small smile forming on her face.

"You like it, just as much as I do," I replied. Minji nodded, and her hand found mine.

"Plus, you enjoy going out with people once in a while," I added, and Minji nodded again. She rested her head on my shoulder and sighed once more.

"So, should I let them know that I'm coming?" I asked after a brief pause. I noticed Minji turning her head to look at me, but I simply turned my head to the side to avoid her gaze. Minji sighed again.

"Alright, but if I change my mind, we leave, okay?" she asked, and I immediately smiled broadly.

The others wanted to join us, which wasn't a problem. After all, it was New Year's Eve

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"If that isn't Minji Oppa and Ryujin Oppa," Chaeryeong laughed as she saw Minji and Ryujin sitting together. I had just come out of the bathroom and recognized the situation. Minji and Ryujin were sitting next to each other, but neither of them was looking at each other. My eyes widened in surprise.