For the second consecutive day, Jimin woke up to the sun rays that slipped through her window. She groaned as she was still enjoying her sleep. Yes, she is dead tired. After all, she slept way too late, but there were no regrets. 

Last night was perfect. It was, by far, the best birthday gift she received. Not only did she get to see a beautiful view of their town, eat her favorite foods, but she also got a chance to bond and stargaze with Minjeong. 

Minjeong.

The blonde girl never fails to amaze her. She knew that Minjeong likes to pull a lot of surprises and pranks even before, but the one from last night was the sweetest. Who knew, the tiny little puppy she befriended years ago would be this romantic. Until now, she can’t help but be giddy while remembering last night.

She was smiling like a fool as she stretched her body. What a beautiful day, she thought.

It was then she noticed her phone, at the bedside, kept on vibrating. She reached out for it, only to be surprised to see a lot of notifications. It seemed the posts from last night had gained a lot of attention. She received messages from different people, both greeting her a happy birthday and asking about Minjeong. 

She sighed. 

This is one of the reasons why she likes to keep her relationships a secret. Getting too much attention was both a hassle and a chore, for her and her significant other.

Minjeong must be uncomfortable about this.

Jimin was about to text the blonde girl when she stopped, she didn't know what to say. Yeah, they are in a fake relationship, but they are legit in the eyes of others. They had talked about this issue before, so she knows Minjeong is prepared for this. Still, Jimin can’t help but be worried. Her thoughts were interrupted by some knocks on the door, “Jimin-ah.” She slowly got up from her bed to open the door. 

“SURPRISE!!” She was greeted by party poopers and the presence of her older sister. “Joohyun Unnie!!” Both sisters embraced tightly, they haven’t seen each other for quite a while. “Unnie, you’re back.”

“Of course, I will never miss the 21st birthday of my baby sister,” Joohyun expressed. She backed away from the embrace to look at Jimin, “did you grow taller?”

“I had always been tall, Unnie,” Jimin chuckled. 

“You are just short, love.” Jimin looked over to where the voice came from. It was from Seulgi, her sister Joohyun’s girlfriend. The eldest sister shot her girlfriend a glare, which the latter ignored as she proceeds to embrace the birthday girl, “Happy Birthday, Jimin.” Jimin reciprocates the hug, “thank you, Unnie.”

“Here,” Seulgi gave the raven-haired girl their gifts, “we hope you like it.” Jimin immediately opened the bag to see a beautiful dress, “this is beautiful, Unnie.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yes, very. Thank you.” Both Joohyun and Seulgi were delighted to hear this. “Everyone, the food is ready,” Jisoo called them.

The family was eating their lunch harmoniously when Jisoo suddenly asked Jimin about what happened last night, “not this again.” 

“What? I am just being a good sister here and I just want some details,” Jisoo expressed, “and believe me, I know I am not the only one here who wants to know more.”

Jimin doesn't want her sister to ruin her day too much, so she went on with it and shared what happened during the birthday surprise.

"Geez, that Minjeong…" Jisoo said bitterly.

Jimin’s mom reached out and touched the raven-haired girl’s, “she’s just bitter because she failed to be the first one to greet you a happy birthday last night.” Jimin’s brow quirked up, she looked over her sister, confused, which the latter groaned. “I was planning on greeting you by 12 midnight, only to be surprised to see your bed empty.”

“She made a lot of noise to shock you but you weren’t there.”

“Oh c’mon, Umma. Why are you exposing me?” Jisoo whined.

“You woke me up with your nonsense last night,” Jimin’s mom expressed. The rest of the family laughed after hearing the story, “Of course, Jisoo will pull a failed prank,” Joohyun said. Jisoo scoffs, “You should be thankful Jimin that your date was successful, or else that blondie is dead to me.” Jimin could only laugh at her sister’s antics.

"Also! How were you able to go out at night?" Jisoo asks, "Is this the start of Jimin's bad girl era?"

"Minjeong asked permission from me," their mom interjected, "she asked me yesterday formally about the birthday surprise."

"And you approved, Umma?"

"Yes."

"Wha- what is this? Favoritism?" Their mom could only shake her head, "I approved because she asked nicely." She looked over Jimin, "I also know she will take care of Jimin." Jimin smiled at her mom. “Geez, Umma. If I ask nicely, would you allow me to go out at night?” Jisoo teasingly nudged their mom, to which the latter dryly replied, “no.” 

"Wha- see! Favoritism!"

"This Minjeong must be a lovely person,” Seulgi commented.

"She is," Jimin replied.

"For her to pull off a birthday surprise, Minjeong must have liked you very much," Seulgi nonchalantly commented which made Jimin blush.

Liked?

Jimin was then reminded that Minjeong's actions last night were really sweet and romantic. She can't help but think that there was more into it.

She liked the surprise, a bit more than expected. It was her first time to experience that kind of gesture. Before, her exes would bring her to expensive restaurants or the typical dates to celebrate her birthday or any special occasions. She can’t help but feel really special. 

But she also reminded herself that acknowledging it in that way would only lead to disaster. She can't afford to overthink this again. Minjeong was just being herself. She said it herself, she wants to make up for the lost birthdays. Jimin, don't think too much.

“That’s good to know.” Joohyun, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly talked, “It’s nice to know that she’s treating you well.” The eldest sister said this monotonously. Jimin and Joohyun stared at each other for a while before Jimin replied, “she does.” 

The raven-haired girl couldn’t decipher what her sister was thinking. She knows that her eldest sister might still harbor negative feelings for the blonde girl, but she just hoped they moved past it as everything is different now, unlike before.

“Good.”

Feeling the tension in the room, Seulgi inserts herself in the conversation, “you should introduce Minjeong to us, Jimin. I mean, I haven’t met her yet,” she smiled. Jimin smiled back, “Sure, Unnie.”

Jisoo suddenly clasped her hands and stood up from the table, “I think it’s time for dessert. Let me get that cake from the fridge.” As Jisoo opened the fridge, she was shocked to see another cake, “why is there another cake here?”

“Ah, that’s the one Minjeong gave to me last night. We weren’t able to finish it,” Jimin expressed. “Oh cool, more food.” As the family continued to eat their dessert, the doorbell suddenly rang. “I’ll get it.”

Jimin opens the door and sees her friends, “Yizhou! Aeri!”

“Happy birthday!!” The two said it in unison. They gave the tall girl a hug, which the latter reciprocated. “What are you guys doing here?”

“We wanted to give our gift to you personally,” Aeri said as she passed to Jimin her gift. “We also want to hear about last night,” Yizhou added. She also gave her a gift as she winked. “Just because Minjeong is not here, I am the target of your teasing?”

Yizhou chuckled, “If we asked Minjeong about it, she will never give us concrete details.” The three of them chuckled as they all agreed to it. “Come in guys, have a seat in the living room.”

“Umma, I have guests,” Jimin exclaimed to her family who is still in the kitchen. Jimin’s mom emerged from the kitchen to greet the two. Greetings and hugs were exchanged, "Have you girls eaten lunch, yet?"

"We did."

"We haven't."

Aeri looked at Yizhou weirdly and whispered, "We already ate before coming here."

"C'mon, Aeri-yah. This is free food. We need to take advantage of it." Yizhou whispered back. Jimin, on the side, could hear their whispers and could only chuckle.

"We have food in the kitchen, we still have enough for everyone." Jimin's mom expressed. "I will take your offer, Omoni," Yizhou excitedly followed Jimin’s mom to the dining room to eat more.

Aeri could only sigh in disbelief, "that girl." The raven-haired girl chuckled, "that's Yizhou for you."

Both girls sat down on the couch comfortably, "so,"

Jimin glanced at her roommate, "so?"

"How are you?"

Jimin was a bit confused by the question but answered, "I'm good so far." Aeri gave her a knowing look which made the raven-haired girl more confused, "what?"

"Do you really want me to say it?" After a while, Jimin eventually got what Aeri was asking. She touched the arm of her friend, "I am okay, really."

Aeri could only sigh, "I came to this vacation to look out for you because I know you need support with this." She looked at Jimin expectantly. "I know and I am very thankful for it."

"I still don't understand why you accept this fake dating arrangement. There are so many ways for you to befriend Minjeong again, Jimin. Not through this."

"I know."

"You know and you still chose the hardest route. Are you really aiming to be friends with her? Because if you still have feelings for Minjeong-"

"I don't have feelings for her, Aeri. That's all in the past. All I want is to restore our friendship, that's all." Jimin said this with conviction because she knows she doesn’t. Right?

"The posts on IG say otherwise."

"Those were just normal posts."

"You don't post things like that, Jimin, and yet, you posted them last night. If that doesn't scream special then I don't know."

Jimin sighs, "Those were just normal posts, okay? Both Minjeong and I had a great time last night, and I want to share it. That's all."

Aeri hummed in response, "Just guard your heart, okay? Depressed Jimin was a pain in the ." Jimin playfully slapped Aeri’s arm, "don't deny, it's the truth."

And it was. No one knew about it but Jimin was having a hard time in her first year at the University. At that time, she was fresh from a breakup and university life wasn’t kind to her. She was also getting a lot of attention from both men and women for her looks, which resulted in her developing a cold and hard exterior in front of other people. Everyone just thinks she was a diva or arrogant because of her status, but in reality, she was hurting, all alone.

It was that time when she met Aeri. They were classmates in one of their minor subjects. It started as a class project, but they soon developed a really good friendship. It was Aeri who encouraged her to transfer to their dorm house, as she mentioned that it’s better to be surrounded by people than be alone in an apartment. It was one of the best decisions she made.

"I know." Jimin smiled at her roommate, "Don’t worry, okay? I am being careful." Aeri smiled back and gave the raven-haired girl a hug.

"But still," Aeri softly says, "if ever you start to feel things again, don’t hold back." She backed away and held the raven-haired girl's hand. "Don’t hold back. I know you are scared to repeat the same mistakes before, but both of you are more mature now. Things will be different. Take the risk, Jimin-ah, I think it will be worth it in the end."

Will it be different? Jimin wanted to believe Aeri’s words, but a part of her thinks it's impossible. Call her a coward, she is and she knows that. She won't dare to risk all of this again just for unwanted feelings. If she does feel like she’s developing feelings again, she’ll personally cut off all her ties with Minjeong before it gets worse.

"And besides," Aeri added, "I think you have a better chance with Minjeong now than before." Jimin rolled her eyes, "what the hell, Aeri?"

"Roomie, hear me out," Aeri faced the raven-haired girl and explained, "I think Minjeong is not straight."

Jimin stared at her in disbelief, "You're joking, right?"

"No, I'm not."

"If you are just saying that to keep my hopes up, don't bother."

"Believe me, Jimin. I really think Minjeong is not straight. Yeah, the many times she went on dates were with guys and she never expressed any interests to other girls, but my gaydar is tingling," 

Jimin could only shake her head, "Unless you have evidence Aeri, let's not assume."

"But-"

"Aeri, please," Jimin looked at her friend, "even if she is not straight, my mind won't change. I will not fall in love with Minjeong again."

Aeri sighed in defeat, "if you say so."

Last night was an exemption. Jimin thought to herself, I won't let myself feel those feelings again. 

Their conversation was cut off with the arrival of their Chinese friend, who brought a lot of food. “Food, anyone?”

------

At the Kim household, it was peaceful. Minjeong was still sleeping.

Minjeong loves to sleep. It’s one of her favorite things to do. 

Both of the blonde girl’s parents had arrived yesterday and had let their daughter take a rest. Minjeong adored this from her parents, they gave her enough freedom for her to do what she wants, but at the same time, she always makes sure not to disappoint them.

However, the peace Minjeong had been enjoying for a while will soon be disrupted, as an unexpected person decided to pay a visit. 

The blonde girl suddenly hears non-stop knocking on her door. Uugghh, please, I just want to sleep. “Go away,” Minjeong murmurs as she puts another pillow over her head.

“Yah! Kim Minjeong, open the door. I know you are in there.” Minjeong’s ears perked up as she heard the voice. Yeri?

Yeri continues to knock and shout just to get the blonde girl’s attention. 

In the end, Minjeong begrudgingly got up from her bed to open the door. “What?” Yeri shamelessly enters the room. “What are you doing here, Yeri? Can’t you see I am resting?” Minjeong groans as she slowly walks towards her bed to sleep. However, Yeri stopped her midway, “Nope, we need to talk.”

“Talk about what?”

“Really? You’re asking? About you and Jimin. Duh.” Minjeong took a seat on her bed and sighed. This is not the kind of topic she wanted to discuss the moment she wakes up. This is also not the kind of topic she wants to talk to Yeri about at all. 

“As you can see, I am not in the mood to talk, so just go and leave.”

“I won’t.” Minjeong glared at her cousin for being stubborn, only to receive a knowing look. “Yah, Kim Minjeong. I had been trying to contact you for a long time since the news about you and Jimin broke out. It’s clear to me that you are avoiding me, and I don’t like that at all.” 

Minjeong stared at her cousin, she can’t seem to remember why avoided her cousin. Yeah, they are not close compared to Yeri’s older sister, Wendy, but she was still an important person to her. She sighed heavily, “what do you want to know?”

“You and Jimin, is it official?”

“Yeah.”

“Like official, official?”

“Yeah.”

“What and how?”

“What?”

“What and how?”

Minjeong groans, “Yeri, I am still really sleepy and my brain is not really functioning well. Can you...like...ask a better and coherent question?”

Yeri rolled her eyes and took a chair and sat on it in front of the blonde girl, “I’m asking how you both got together. The last time I checked, you were a crying mess and you vowed to avoid her at all cost. Now tell me,” She looked at her cousin, “what happened and how did you guys get together?”

Ah. Minjeong just remembered why she doesn’t want to talk to Yeri. Her cousin knows too much. 

No, she knows everything. 

Well, except the fake dating, but still.

She thought for a moment as to how she’s going to tell her cousin about her relationship with Jimin, without exposing the fake relationship. “Uhh...she recently transferred to my dorm house at the University and we just happened to have a common circle of friends. We talked. Became friends and now, we are together. It’s pretty much that.”

Yeri hummed in response, “Together. That’s nice. Cool that Jimin took a chance on you even after everything that had happened.”

“She doesn’t know yet.” Minjeong looks down, totally avoiding her cousin’s stare as she expects her cousin to be angry soon. “What?”

“She doesn’t know about my reasons as to why I did what I did 5 years ago,” She sighed heavily, “she also doesn’t know about what happened 2-3 years ago.”

The room went silent.

Minjeong slowly looked up to her cousin, who was now standing up, staring at her in disbelief. “Tell me you're joking?” Minjeong looking away was the only answer Yeri needed to understand everything.

“Are you stupid, Minjeong?” Yeri exclaimed. “You get together with Jimin without her knowing what the hell happened in the past. Are you out of your mind?” 

Thank god, my room has thick walls, Minjeong thought.

“Both of us decided to brush it off and start over.” She carefully explains her side to Yeri for her to understand. There is this thing too, fake dating. Minjeong knows she can't say that to her cousin.

“And you said yes? Are you kidding me?” Yeri was fuming, “Damn, and here I thought everything would end now that you guys are together.” The cousin couldn’t stop walking around the room, “I had invested a lot of time and effort in this, in helping you in this mess.” Yeri looked at her in disbelief, “You were a mess, Minjeong. The kiss. The letter. Especially after the letter-”

“Let’s not talk about that,”

“You know you can’t escape it.” Minjeong looked at her. “You know that a