Minjeong stood there, her hand cradling her cheek, while her heart throbbed with pain. She couldn't shake off the feeling that she deserved the slap.
Returning to her classes, Minjeong found it difficult to concentrate. Her mind kept replaying the moment when she and Jimin were on the verge of kissing, only to be interrupted by the sharp slap across her face. She was certain that Jimin had also been leaning in, but she couldn't be sure if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her.
As the classes came to an end, she looked around but Jimin was nowhere to be found, so she decided to drive back home.
When she arrived at her apartment, Minjeong let her keys slip from her hand. She was about to collapse onto the couch and relax when her phone suddenly rang. Annoyed, she answered with a grumpy "Yes?"
Aeri cut straight to the point without any greetings, "I need you to go to Jimin's house today," she explained to Minjeong.
"Today?" Minjeong asked for confirmation, to which Aeri simply replied with a yes before suddenly ending the call. Minjeong couldn't help but let out a frustrated curse as she realized she had to act quickly. She swiftly got up and chose an outfit that would help her remain unrecognized.
The rain poured down relentlessly, making it impossible for her to ride her motorcycle. Frustrated, she opted to take her car instead. arriving at Jimin's house, she parked a block away and scanned. The house was quiet, with the lights turned off. It seemed odd for someone to be asleep at such an early hour.
Deciding to stay in the car and keep watch for anything weird, she accidentally drifted off to sleep. Fortunately, she was woken by a call from Aeri. "Yes, Aeri?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes as she struggled to wake up.
It was a video call, and Aeri noticed that Minjeong's eyes were puffy. Concerned, Aeri asked, "Minjeong, did you sleep?" Minjeong shook her head, implying that she didn't. Aeri suspected that Minjeong was lying and voiced her frustration, saying, "How could you sleep? Maybe something strange happened while you were dozing off"
"Calm down I didn't sleep for long," she said as she looked over at the house. It was just as quiet as before, with the lights still off. "It looks the same, nothing-" she began, but stopped short when she saw a woman in her mid-forties, dressed in a fancy outfit, entering the house.
Aeri noticed Minjeong's change in expression and asked, "What happened?"
The woman's voice trembled as she whispered, "Someone just got into the house." the lights turned on, and she continued to watch. Her heart raced as the door suddenly swung open, revealing Jimin standing there, tears streaming down her face. The heavy front door slammed shut behind her.
Jimin was drenched from the pouring rain, and Minjeong watched with concern on her face. Before Aeri could ask further, the call suddenly ended. Minjeong swiftly exited the car and approached Jimin, who appeared startled. "Minjeong, what's—" Jimin began, visibly taken aback.
"Come with me" Minjeong gently took her hand, leading her towards her car. She opened the passenger door and gestured for her to take a seat. She walked towards the driver's seat and got in, looking at Jimin who was sobbing. She had a cut on her lip that was bleeding. "What happened to you?" she asked, but Jimin continued sobbing louder. Minjeong leaned in and hugged her.
She didn't care if she was getting herself wet because Jimin was soaked but she felt the need to hug Jimin. They were like this for a few minutes with Jimin crying on her shoulder until she felt Jimin quiet down and they pulled away regretfully.
"How did you end up here?" Jimin asked as she wiped her tears.
"I was just passing by and I saw you," Minjeong replied. "I'm glad I found you. What happened to you?" even though she knew that Jimin might not respond, Minjeong still asked. She noticed Jimin's bleeding lips and saw her shivering from the cold. Without hesitation, Minjeong took off her jacket and gave it to Jimin. "Take this," she said. Jimin was too cold to refuse, so she accepted the jacket and put it on. "I'll take care of your wound and get you to a warm place," Minjeong assured her as she started driving.
