The One I Love

18:00

Minho's hospital room has the scent of flowers and antiseptic.

The room overlooks the hospital's courtyard. He shares it with an older man who always offers Jennie pieces of hard candy that stick to her teeth. Sometimes she catches Minho and the older man looking out the window at the children running around and playing.

"Did someone write you a card? How sentimental." Jennie muses as she picks up an envelope from the bedside table. "The stationary looks expensive."

"You'll be getting one, too." Minho tells her, staring out the window.

His roommate has been in surgery since early that morning. Rain drops tap lightly on the glass.

Jennie pulls the card from its envelope, revealing a wedding invitation.

"Well, fuck." She breathes out in surprise.

You are cordially invited to the matrimony of Min Yoongi and Im Nayeon.

"Yoongi brought it by earlier. Flowers, too."

"They're expensive." Jennie coos, fingers sliding across the velveteen petals. "The power of a salaryman."

A sad expression crosses over her features, catching Minho's notice. He wheels his chair to face her.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Will you be able to go?" She asks, hand cupping a blossom. "Will you be recovered in time?"

Minho lets out an ambiguous sigh.

"That's what Yoongi asked. I don't know, honestly."

A tiny smile curves at her lips.

"I hope you are. I want to go with you."

"It's kinda sudden, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"The wedding... Nayeon hasn't graduated yet, has she?"

"No, she graduates next term."

"Is she pregnant?"

"Pregnant?" Jennie asks, scandalized. "She's not pregnant, Minho. They've been planning to get married for a while."

Jennie remembers the time Nayeon had asked her out for coffee. The two had ended up at different universities but still kept in touch. Usually Jeongyeon would tag along but Nayeon was clear that their short haired friend shouldn't come along.

She hadn't been sure what to expect.

"Yoongi and I are dating," Nayeon had announced confidently, though her legs shook anxiously under the table.

Nayeon admitted to meeting Yoongi at a group date between some education and business majors from her school. They hit it off and started dating.

She thought it would be best to tell Jennie before their other classmates did. In consideration of their history.

It wasn't like Jennie could stop either of them.

She also couldn't help thinking that maybe they should have been together from the beginning.

It was hard not to feel more distant from Nayeon after that, if only for her sake... What good would hanging around Jennie do for her blossoming relationship?

Jennie thinks about the strange twist in fate on her way home from the hospital.

Minho was wrong... It wasn't sudden.

Yoongi and Nayeon getting together, getting married, wasn't sudden at all. It would have happened faster if it weren't for Jennie getting in the way.