One Month

A Tough Decision

Minjeong had spent the day torn between two choices. On one hand, there was Jimin, the girl she had admired and liked for so long. On the other hand, there was Minju, a student genuinely struggling with her studies who needed her help. In the end, Minjeong made a decision that aligned with her values—she went to tutor Minju.

As she arrived at the library, Minju was already seated, surrounded by textbooks and notes. She looked up as Minjeong approached, her face lighting up with relief.

"Minjeong, thank you so much for coming. I know you probably had other plans today," Minju said, a hint of guilt in her voice.

Minjeong offered her a reassuring smile as she sat down. "I’m here to help, Minju. Don’t worry about it."

They dove into the session, working through complicated calculus problems. Minjeong could see how much Minju struggled but also how determined she was to improve. As they wrapped up, Minju looked at Minjeong with genuine gratitude.

"Thanks again, Minjeong. I don’t know what I’d do without your help."

"Anytime, Minju," Minjeong replied, though her thoughts briefly drifted to Jimin. She hoped Jimin would understand why she had to keep her promise.

---

Later that evening, Minjeong met up with her friends at their usual hangout spot. They gathered around, listening as she explained the situation with Jimin.

Ningning was the first to react, her voice sharp with indignation. "Jimin's being ridiculous if you’re asking me."

"Ningning—" Minjeong started, but Ryujin quickly cut in.

"Ning’s right, Min. I mean, couldn’t she have understood? You had a commitment."

Kazuha chimed in, crossing her arms. "Instead, she’s going on about how anyone would want to be in your shoes. She needs to get over herself."

Minjeong sighed, feeling the weight of her friends’ words. "I know how much you like her, but she shouldn’t take advantage of that," Yujin added softly, her voice full of concern.

"I don’t know what to do," Minjeong admitted, slumping in her seat. "She’s obviously mad at me."

"Go talk to her," Ryujin suggested firmly. "Make her understand."

Minjeong nodded, resolving to do just that. "I will."

---

Meanwhile, Jimin was at home with her own group of friends, venting her frustrations. They were sprawled out on the living room couch, half-watching a movie while Jimin voiced her complaints.

"I mean, I thought she liked me," Jimin said, crossing her arms as she leaned back against the couch.

"She does, Jimin. You’re just being selfish right now," Wonyoung replied bluntly, earning a surprised look from Jimin.

"How am I being selfish?" Jimin asked, her tone defensive.

Wonyoung sat up, turning to face her. "I’m pretty sure Minjeong told you she couldn’t just drop Minju for your date. She’s a tutor, and Minju needed her help."

Jimin huffed, rolling her eyes. "Then she shouldn’t have asked me out on a date."

"No, you should’ve understood the situation," Yunjin interjected, giving Jimin a pointed look. "You know how much Minjeong likes you."

Jimin frowned, feeling a bit cornered. "Aren’t you guys supposed to be on my side?"

Yeji leaned forward, her gaze unwavering. "Just because we’re your best friends doesn’t mean we’re going to support your actions when they’re totally wrong. You need to fix this, Jimin. Meet up with Minjeong and apologize."

Aeri nodded in agreement. "You did agree to give her a chance, didn’t you?"

Jimin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I did," she admitted, though the words tasted bitter in her mouth. "Fine, I’ll text her and meet up with her, but there’s no guarantee that I’m apologizing."

Wonyoung grinned, nudging her. "We’ll take what we can get, and hopefully so will Minjeong."

Jimin rolled her eyes, trying to play off her growing sense of guilt. "Whatever, let’s just continue the movie."

But as the movie played on, Jimin couldn’t help but think about what her friends had said. Maybe she had been too harsh on Minjeong. Maybe it was time to make things right.