Winter's Blooms

Chapter 8: Back Bone, Bravery

Perhaps the time had passed without her knowing, maybe it was her memory that got blurry in the process but Jimin didn't know what happened or how she did it, without realizing, she had Minjeong already wrapped in her arms, clutching to her lightly as they both buried their faces in each other's scent.

Both were messy wrecks.

With tears rolling down their cheeks, sniffing sounds filled the quiet rooms as they both muttered their own apology, forgetting why they were apologizing in the first place, they were just simply sorry.

Jimin finally had to force herself to pull away when she heard Minjeong choking on her sobs. Offering her the glass of water that Minjeong gladly took, Jimin naturally brushed her bangs away from her face.

"Thank you." Minjeong mumbled with a shy smile when she handed Jimin the empty glass. "And I'm sorry, for bursting out like this." She awkwardly laughed and Jimin chuckled.

"I'm actually in the same state as you right now." Her hand found Minjeong's warm one and she gave it a tiny squeeze. "If not worse."

They let a bit of silence settled between them, with Minjeong wiping her face with her tears before Jimin handed her a few plies of tissue, the blonde watched her, biting her lip with her conflicted heart.

"I'm sorry, Minjeong-ssi."

"Don't be, it's–"

"No, I'm sorry for ignoring you." Jimin took a deep breath. "For walking away and disappearing like that, I hope you didn't get sick because of that."

Minjeong shook her head but couldn't really deny it. She rarely got cold before, maybe her mental health had tolled on her body. "It's okay, I understand you were upset."

Jimin snorted, her lips formed a smile that lacked emotions. "I didn't have the right to be when I was also keeping something from you."

The florist tilted her head, smiling. "That you're Karina?"

"That I'm Karina." She repeated with a lower voice, nodding her head with slight shame. "I don't know why I did it, well, I do, but still, I shouldn't have done that, I shouldn't have made you worried."

This time, Minjeong didn't reassure her, she didn't tell her it was okay, she just nodded again, slowly, and breathed out longingly. "Don't do it again, please."

Jimin chuckled. "I won't, I promise."

"Good." The smile came back to Minjeong's face for a split second before a weak frown replaced it. "Jimin-ssi.."

"Yes?"

"You said you know why you did it." Jimin grimaced. "Why.. were you so upset?"

Rolling her eyes as she felt her cheeks get warmer, Jimin laughed and leaned onto the bed, next to Minjeong. "I think you know why."

"I'm not sure." The blonde watched Minjeong bite her lip, reminded by that night before she quickly shook the memory away. Minjeong was trailing, full of curiosity, doubts and expectation. "I thought I knew, but I'm not sure anymore."

"Minjeong–"

"These past few weeks, I've been facing the feelings I tried to deny before." Minjeong continued, her head hanging low as she stared down at her lap, her fingers playing with each other. "These feelings I have for you, I was so afraid to have." Drawing a deep breath, Minjeong let her words linger as she closed her eyes. "I was so afraid that it would ruin what we have."

Though Jimin had the urge to wrap Minjeong back in her arms again, she kept it down, she stayed still and listened.

"But after you walked away, my fear changed." She breathed out shakily and buried her face in her hands. "I'm afraid that you don't feel the same way."