Kim Minnie

7

"What the fuck?!" The whispering stopped, and all four heads turned to Minnie with startled looks on their faces. "Care to explain what happened earlier?" Minnie looked at them one by one and stopped when her eyes reached those of a certain Chinese member. Yuqi gulped nervously.

"What do you mean? Nothing happened—it was just a normal performance."

Minnie's eyes narrowed, and she could sense the unease radiating from Yuqi. She knew there was more to the story than what was being said.

"Min, calm down." The leader of the band placed a hand on the pianist's shoulder, hoping to make her feel more at ease. "We'll talk about it calmly, okay?" Minnie nodded reluctantly, but the feeling of unease lingered in the air as she continued to wonder if who she just saw among the crowd wasn't just a part of her imagination.

Now, Soyeon was the one staring at Yuqi. "Song Yuqi, the stage is yours."

The Chinese woman, now more nervous than she was earlier, slowly nodded at the older woman. "Actually, I wasn't aware at first, but I believe Jisoo Unnie intentionally flashed the lights at her."

"Miyeon. She's here. She attended. I was so happy, and I thought, wouldn't it make you happy too?" Yuqi eyed the Thai woman softly.

So it was true; what she just saw back there wasn't a part of her imagination. The girl of her dreams—the girl whom she once loved, the girl who she failed to love, the girl whom she allowed to slip away—was there, watching and listening to her sing earlier. 

It made her wonder: 

does she love me still?

Minnie's heart raced with the possibility that Miyeon's presence meant something more than just to attend because she was invited. She couldn't shake off the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance for them to bring back what they once had.

The party went on with the band performing several other songs, and in each one of them, Minnie showed a remarkable performance, as if she had just risen from the dead. It was like she was an old painting, restored to its beauty.

Every now and then, she found herself glancing in the older woman's direction, and each time their gazes met, both would look away at the speed of light.

---

Miyeon decided to forget all her worries and enjoy the rest of the night by admiring her ex lover from afar. Inside, there was a mixed feeling of excitement and fear. She knew what she wanted at the moment. After long years of longing for her, Miyeon knew that this time she couldn't let the opportunity pass.

Finally, the last song ended, and the crowds continued to celebrate and dance to the music playing on the speakers. The members of the band were seen making their way into the crowd, joining the celebration and adding to the energy of the night. Miyeon took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knew she had to do next.

She could see the Thai woman from afar, stopping a waiter and picking up a glass of wine from the tray. She drank so gracefully, her eyes sparkling in the dim light of the club. Miyeon felt a stir inside her as the younger woman's handsomeness attracted her just like it used to when they were together.

As she gathered her courage, Miyeon made her way through the crowd towards her ex lover. With each step, her heart raced with anticipation of what could come next. 

---

Her hands shook as she reached for the glass of wine. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, before taking a sip. She could feel a pair of eyes watching her from the same direction she had been repeatedly looking at earlier.

She thought that the wine could make her calm down a little, but it didn't change a thing. Minnie sighed repeatedly, feeling the weight of the gaze on her. She wanted to look at her. She wanted to face her and talk to her, but she didn't know how.

"This is stupid. I am stupid," Minnie whispered to herself.

"Why am I so fucking nervous? Shit!" Her voice was getting louder, catching the attention of some people in the room.

After a minute of talking to herself and maybe the glass of wine she was holding, she finally decided to do what she knew she had always wanted to do.

"Okay, I can do this!"

Minnie confidently raised her shoulders, held her head high, and turned around, but before she could take a step, she was met with the same pair of eyes looking intently at her, but this time she was in front of her already; just one step and their faces could crash.

Minnie's heart raced as she tried to maintain her composure, unsure of what to do next. The tension between them was palpable, and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks. The two were lost in their own worlds; the music seemed to have faded in the background, and only their breaths were heard. Minnie's mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, making it difficult for her to focus on anything else. Unbeknownst to her, the older woman was just the same.

After a minute of only staring at each other's faces, Minnie broke the silence.

"Miyeon— God, you're as beautiful as ever," she whispered, her voice barely above a breath; only the two of them could hear.

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