One Month

Conflicting Emotions

In the bustling cafeteria, Jimin found herself surrounded by her friends, who were all buzzing with excitement, eager to hear about her date with Minjeong. Jimin tried to focus on her food, but her friends weren’t going to let her off the hook that easily.

"Are you ever going to tell us what happened?" Yunjin asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"Yeah, we want to know if you enjoyed it!" Aeri added, leaning in closer.

"What did you guys talk about?" Wonyoung asked, practically bouncing in her seat.

"And where did you go?" Yeji inquired, before smirking. "Will it happen again?"

Jimin sighed, overwhelmed by the barrage of questions. "One question at a time, guys."

"Then tell us!" Yeji urged, not letting up.

Jimin relented, a small smile playing on her lips. She told them about the date, how they had gone to a cozy café, chatted for hours, and how Minjeong had made her laugh more than she had in a long time. She answered all their questions, even the ones she didn’t expect them to ask.

"So, you'll go on a second date?" Wonyoung asked, her eyes twinkling with excitement.

"If she wants to, then yes," Jimin replied, trying to sound nonchalant.

Yunjin rolled her eyes. "Obviously Minjeong wants to. Do we need to remind you that she's trying to win your heart?"

"She’s pretty good at trying to do that," Jimin muttered under her breath, but her friends caught the words.

"Wait—" Yeji said, narrowing her eyes. "Don't tell me you already like her?" She grinned mischievously.

"No, I don’t," Jimin denied, but her voice wavered slightly.

"Oh my god, you actually do like her!" Aeri exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Can you guys stop talking?" Jimin said, feeling her cheeks flush under their scrutiny.

"You know there's nothing wrong with liking someone, Jimin," Wonyoung said gently. "Especially if that person really likes you back."

"It feels wrong," Jimin admitted, her voice softer now. "I mean, it’s only been a week. How can I already like her?"

"You shouldn’t try and push those feelings away, Jimin," Yunjin advised. "Just accept it and let it flow."

"Let it flow?" Jimin repeated, shaking her head. "I can't, Yunjin. I can't give in this easily. I can't give my heart away so easily."

"We know you’re scared, Jimin," Wonyoung said, her voice full of understanding. "But you'll never know unless you try."

"And maybe you should tell Minjeong how you feel, unless you want someone else to take her," Yeji added, a hint of warning in her tone.

"Yeah, she has a few admirers herself," Aeri chimed in, a teasing smile on her lips.

"Admirers?" Jimin repeated, her eyebrows furrowing. "Like who?"

"I don't know, maybe like Minju, for instance?" Yunjin said casually.

"Minju? Minjeong is her tutor," Jimin said, dismissing the idea.

"Until she makes her fall in love," Aeri said, raising an eyebrow.

"In love?" Jimin echoed, her mind racing. "Minjeong’s way too obsessed with me."

"You should be careful and hope that those feelings don’t disappear," Wonyoung said seriously.

"Listen to us and tell Minjeong how you feel," Yeji urged. "Don’t wait too long, Jimin, before it’s too late and Minjeong actually gives up on you."

But Jimin wasn’t ready to listen. She couldn’t let Minjeong know about her feelings, not yet. After all, Minjeong had promised her a month, not a week. She wasn’t going to rush into anything, not when she was still so unsure of her own heart.

As her friends continued to chat around her, Jimin’s thoughts drifted back to Minjeong. She wanted to believe that she had more time, that she could figure things out before it was too late. But deep down, a small part of her feared that Yeji might be right. What if Minjeong didn’t wait forever? What if Jimin lost her chance before she even realized she wanted it?