A continuation of the flashback...
Minjeong slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight streaming in through her window. Rubbing her eyes, she reached for her phone to check the time and realized it was already noon.
A sense of panic flowed over her as she jolted up, only to be hit by a wave of dizziness and a pounding headache. Recalling the events of last night, she remembered drinking but had no memory of how she made it home.
As she stood by the bed, trying to piece together the details of the night before, a familiar nauseousness twisted in her stomach, signaling the need to rush to the bathroom. With a scowl, she hurried to the toilet, throwing out the leftovers of last night.
After wiping her mouth, she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and was met with a messy and worn-out version of herself. Her clothes, unchanged since the night before, with a strong scent of alcohol, and the dark circles under her eyes spoke of sleepless nights. Letting out a heavy sigh, she got rid of her clothes and stepped into the shower.
After she was freshly cleaned she got out only wearing a towel and she was going to put her dirty clothes in the basket but she felt something in the pocket of her jeans. She took out a piece of paper and furrowed.
As she opened the paper to read it. It said: "Think about it after you sober up and call me" After she read it the memories of last night came back rushing to her as she stumbled back from dizziness so she sat on the bed.
The bartender cleared her throat and started talking. "I have a connection at Seoul University. I will pay for your scholarship, but under one condition," she said.
Minjeong lit up after hearing that she still had a chance to get into the university. "What is your condition?"
"It's quite a hard task, but I need you to do it," the bartender explained. "I need you to give me information about someone there," she said.
"So you want me to spy on someone?" Minjeong asked, furrowing her eyebrows. "I can't do something like..." She fell asleep mid-talking, and the bartender sighed as she took a note and wrote her number down, along with the message.
As she considered the idea of meeting Jimin again, Minjeong couldn't shake the thought from her mind, even though she knew spying on someone was illegal. Despite the risks, she wanted to meet Jimin again, and she found herself reconsidering the offer.
Feeling overwhelmed, Minjeong decided to take a walk outside to clear her head. She was thankful that her mother had gone to work, as she would have scolded Minjeong for drinking to manage her problems.
As she walked, she let her feet carry her randomly. Along the way, she stumbled outside of a tattoo shop and paused to peek inside. "A little change won't hurt, right?" she thought to herself as she pushed the doors open, causing the bells to ding as she entered.
Behind the front counter, a girl with a cute round face and big eyes greeted Minjeong. However, as the girl stood up, Minjeong noticed the countless tattoos covering her skin. "Getting a tattoo?" the artist asked.
After a moment's hesitation, Minjeong nodded. "Any idea in mind?" the tattoo artist asked. Feeling self-conscious, Minjeong shook her head. "I see. How about I show you some designs, and you can choose one you like?" the tattoo artist suggested. Minjeong agreed, and the artist began showing her different tattoo designs.
Among the options, a small heart tattoo caught Minjeong's attention. Despite its size, she was drawn to it and decided that she wanted it.
She was seated as the tattoo artist started her work. "Is this your first time getting a tattoo?" she asked. Minjeong nervously nodded, biting her bottom lip. The tattoo artist noticed Minjeong's nervousness and reassured her, "Don't worry, it won't hurt. I'm Ningning, by the way. What's your name?" she added, smiling.
Minjeong felt warmth towards her and smiled back, "My name is Minjeong," she introduced herself.
"You have a nice name," Ningning complimented, causing Minjeong to blush slightly. After finishing the tattoo, Ningning announced, "Done." Minjeong was surprised as she didn't feel a thing. "I told you it doesn't hurt," Ningning winked as she went to the front counter.
Minjeong looked at her wrist where she got the tattoo and smiled. She felt great with a little change and she didn't know why this specific tattoo caught her attention. She walked towards Ningning to pay but was surprised when Ningning refused, saying, "It's on the house because it is your first time," with a warm smile. "But if you go out with me right now," she added.
"What do you mean? Like right now?" Minjeong asked to make sure.
"Yes, I think you're adorable, and I want to go out with you," Ningning said, and Minjeong thought for a moment. Maybe she should move on and give others a chance. Meeting Jimin again was impossible, and she felt hopeless. Plus, Ningning is cute, so she looked at her and nodded, causing Ningning to grin.
They spent the entire day together, and Minjeong found herself feeling happy again. She couldn't stop smiling, laughing, and cracking up every time Ningning made a joke. For a moment, she forgot all her problems and didn't once think of Jimin, until Ningning asked, "So why did you get that heart tattoo?" as she took a sip of her beer.
They were lying on the rooftop of Ningning's apartment, watching the stars and surrounded by empty beer bottles. "It reminded me of someone," Minjeong replied, looking down.
"Ahh, so I have no chance?" Ningning teased, and Minjeong looked at her, puzzled. "No, I'm kidding. Tell me about that someone," she said with a smile.
"Where do I even start?" Minjeong began to ramble non-stop about Jimin and how much she wanted to see her again. She also mentioned that someone had offered her a tough task at Seoul University, making things even more complicated.
"Tssk, you have a tough situation," Ningning turned her lips into a thin line. "Why didn't you agree?" she added, and Minjeong furrowed her brows. "If I were you, I would've immediately said yes. Hell, I would do anything to find my long-lost first love," she added while lighting up a cigarette.
"But it's illegal. How am I supposed to do what she asked?" Minjeong buried her head in her hands and let out a frustrated scream.
"I think you should do it." She inhaled the cigarette and looked over at Minjeong, offering her one. Minjeong looked at her confused, but she took it. "It'll make you feel better, trust me," Ningning said while smirking and lit up the cigarette for Minjeong. "You should call her tomorrow and agree before it is too late." She took another drag.
Minjeong gazed at the glowing cigarette in her hand, she was curious as she brought it to her lips and took a slow drag. Opposite to her expectations, the smoke sent a burning sensation down her throat, triggering a fit of coughing. "What the fuck is this?" she managed to ask as she opened a beer and took a sip to soothe the burning sensation in her throat.
Ningning watched as Minjeong struggled to smoke the cigarette, her coughing and spluttering bringing a smile to her lips.
"You'll get used to it," Ningning reassured her calmly. "Anyway, I should get going. Don't let that chance slip away, Minjeong." She winked and strolled away.
Minjeong let out a sigh and found herself inhaling from the cigarette once more. The burning sensation returned, and she started coughing, but she continued until she became used to it.
Maybe she should consider taking up the offer after all...
She walked home after hanging out with Ningning and started thinking about her words. Maybe she should take that offer. She shook her head, too tired to think of it now, and got home. She threw herself on the bed, immediately closing her eyes.
-
Our ningning is finally here!
I will start posting the chapters that I have in my draft.
Don't forget to vote and comment kindly xoxo...
