One Month

A Heavy Heart

The next morning, Minjeong met Jimin outside of her dorm, offering to walk her to class. Jimin had agreed, and they walked side by side through the bustling campus. But as they walked, Minjeong couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

“Hey, are you okay?” Minjeong asked, her voice soft with concern. “You just seem different than usual.”

“I’m fine, Minjeong,” Jimin replied quickly, her tone a bit too sharp. “I’m just tired.”

Minjeong studied her for a moment, her brow furrowed. “If you say so. But if something’s bothering you, you know you can always come to me, right? Whatever it is, I’ll always be there to help and listen, Jimin.”

Jimin hesitated, her gaze flickering to Minjeong’s before quickly looking away. “You promise?”

Minjeong chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood. “I promise, as long as you won’t push me away.”

“I won’t,” Jimin said, her voice firm. “Promise.”

They arrived at Jimin’s class, and Minjeong smiled as she said goodbye, telling Jimin to enjoy her lesson. But as Minjeong walked away, Jimin’s mind was racing, her heart heavy with guilt. She had just promised not to push Minjeong away, but deep down, she knew she was already doing just that.

Once Jimin entered her class, she couldn’t focus. Minjeong’s words echoed in her mind, and the weight of her promise pressed down on her. When the class ended, she quickly sent a message to her friends in their group chat, telling them they needed to meet before break.

They gathered in a secluded spot on campus, concern written on their faces.

“Is everything okay? You made it sound like there was an emergency,” Aeri said, her tone laced with worry.

Jimin took a deep breath, her voice trembling as she spoke. “I like Minjeong.”

“That’s nothing new, Jimin,” Yeji said, rolling her eyes playfully.

“What Yeji meant to say was that we’re glad you finally admitted it,” Yunjin added with a smile.

“What’s the problem then? Did you tell Minjeong?” Wonyoung asked, her curiosity piqued.

“No, I couldn’t,” Jimin admitted, her voice filled with frustration.

“What do you mean you couldn’t tell her? Did you even talk to her yesterday?” Aeri asked, her eyebrows raised.

“Yes, I did, but trust me when I say it wasn’t the perfect nor the right time,” Jimin explained, her hands fidgeting nervously.

“Why wasn’t it?” Yunjin asked, sensing there was more to the story.

“Minjeong told me that she loves me,” Jimin confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What? And what did you say?” Yeji asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

“What was I supposed to say? She told me she didn’t want to pressure me into loving her back and that I didn’t need to rush myself to feel anything for her,” Jimin said, her frustration growing.

“But you do feel something for her, you like her,” Wonyoung said, “Right?”

“I do, but—” Jimin started.

“For the love of god, Jimin,” Yeji interrupted, exasperated. “Tell Minjeong that you like her.”

“I can’t tell her that,” Jimin said, her voice shaking.

“You can’t keep hiding your feelings,” Yunjin added gently, placing a reassuring hand on Jimin’s shoulder.

“I don’t know how to tell her,” Jimin admitted, her voice small.

“Jimin, you’re not stupid,” Aeri said, her tone firm but kind. “Meet up with her and tell her that you like her.”

“What if that’s not enough? I mean, she loves me, and I just like her,” Jimin said, her insecurities bubbling to the surface.

“I think Minjeong would be ecstatic to hear that the person she admired for so long is finally liking her back,” Yunjin said, offering a comforting smile.

“Yeah, she deserves it. Give her your honesty,” Yeji added, her voice filled with conviction.

“I’ll do it,” Jimin said, her resolve finally settling in.

“That’s our girl,” Yunjin said with a proud grin. “And don’t you dare think about lying to her or postponing this. You’re going to tell her.”

“Fine,” Jimin agreed, feeling the support of her friends bolster her courage.

“Now you’re going to explain to our teachers why we’re late,” Aeri said, her tone lightening the mood.

As they headed off to class, Jimin’s heart was still heavy, but there was a glimmer of hope. She knew what she had to do, and for once, she wasn’t going to run away from her feelings.