Not Perfect Night, Doomed Night -[BBANGSAZ AU]

2.) Bitch!

Third Person POV:

Pushing through the metallic doors of the university gym complex, Minji was hit with that familiar rush of adrenaline mixed with a nervous flutter in her chest. The cool air blasted her, instantly giving her goosebumps. She pulled her oversized All Time Low hoodie tighter around her, burying her nose into the sleeve for a quick, stealthy sniff.

"Yup. Still smells like him."

Okay, maybe that was a little creepy, but it wasn't like she'd planned on stealing Jake's hoodie. He'd left it behind in class a week ago, and Minji had fully intended to return it. But then tests, labs, and basketball practice got in the way, and one thing led to another... and now she was basically living in it. It wasn't like he'd miss it, right? He probably had a whole closet full of hoodies that smelled like fresh laundry and a hint of whatever cologne he wore that made Minji's heart do that weird fluttery thing.

Finding her way to a treadmill, Minji's eyes lit up when she spotted him across the gym. There he was: Jake. His strong yet tall stature (how did he even pull that off?), his messy dark red hair that looked like he'd just rolled out of bed, and that perfectly sculpted face that made her weak in the knees. Everything about him made her feel like she'd been hit by a love truck—right in the chest.

Minji wasn't even halfway through her warm-up when she noticed him start to shed his shirt. And then, oh God, he looked right at her. The air seemed to vanish from her lungs, replaced by a furnace of heat in her cheeks. Her crush—her literal gym crush—was staring at her. Staring at her!

Oh. Em. Gee.

Then he smiled. That stupid, cheeky, heart-melting smile he always had.

(I'm gonna faint. Like, actually faint right here on this treadmill.)

Minji desperately tried to play it cool, pulling her hoodie further down her face like she was just some anonymous gym-goer who definitely wasn't having a mental breakdown over a guy's smile. She started pressing random buttons on the treadmill, pretending to adjust her settings, but really just trying to sneak glances at Jake every two minutes.

The treadmill started speeding up, faster than she could normally handle, but she didn't care. Her heart was pounding out of her chest, and she wasn't sure if it was from the treadmill or from the fact that Jake was in the same room, breathing the same air.

And then, because fate has a twisted sense of humor, Jake started walking towards her. Holy crap, he was coming her way. Minji's brain went into overdrive.

Act cool. Be cool. Act cool. Be cool, Minji.

But, of course, she was anything but cool. It was taking every ounce of her self-control not to scream internally, but instead, she managed to keep jogging, albeit awkwardly, on the treadmill. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see him getting closer, and closer... until he walked right past her.

Is he staring at my ass right now?

"Ay," Jake hollered.

Minji turned to Jake's greeting, her heart practically leaping out of her throat, only to see him talking to some other girl.

Bitch.

She wasn't even all that. Okay, maybe she was, but still. Minji tried to tell herself she wasn't jealous, but that was a lie. She was totally, completely, 100% jealous.

Jake ran over to the girl, picking her up in a hug like they were in some cheesy rom-com, kissing her cheek and wrapping his arms around her waist. And she, of course, was loving it, giggling and laughing like a character straight out of Minji's nightmares.

"Babe, you don't even sweat. What're you here for anyway?" the girl teased, her voice dripping with that annoyingly playful sass.

That bitch. I'll rearrange her face with my fist when he's not looking. I thought Haerin was the queen of all bitches but here was this mystery girl, giving Haerin a run for her money.

Minji rolled her eyes, pretending to be unbothered, even though her stomach was doing backflips. And then, because the universe hated her, the most embarrassing thing that could possibly happen, happened. The treadmill, which she'd forgotten was still going way too fast, sent her flying face-first onto the moving belt, and then down onto the floor in one swift, humiliating motion.

It happened so quickly that for a moment, Minji just lay there, face down, wondering if maybe, by some miracle, she could melt into the floor and disappear. But no such luck. The giggles she heard from across the gym confirmed her worst fear.

Embarrassing.

She could practically feel the judgment radiating from Jake's girlfriend, who was probably laughing at her, along with the rest of the universe. Still lying on the floor, Minji considered staying there forever, but the laughter only grew louder. When she finally dared to crack one eye open, she saw that the couple was still engrossed in their conversation, not even paying attention to her. But they were definitely laughing at her. Probably.

With as much dignity as she could muster—which wasn't much—Minji picked herself up off the floor and slinked out of the gym, a grey cloud of shame looming over her head. She didn't even bother looking back to see if Jake had noticed. Spoiler: he didn't.

That night, Minji ended up pulling an all-nighter anyway, tossing and turning in bed, replaying the scene over and over in her head. Because of course, that's how it would end—her crush with another girl, and her with a bruised ego and a carpet burn on her chin.