"Well, this is odd," Ningning remarked, tilting her head to the side as she watched her best friend unload a large plate of meat onto the barbecue in the centre of the table. The immediate sizzle followed by the aroma of cooked beef filled her senses, making her salivate. However, that didn't change how unusual Minjeong's behaviour seemed all of a sudden or rather, how weirdly frivolous she was being. The latter had called the doctor just as her shift ended for dinner, claiming it was her treat this time.

"What do you mean?" The blonde enthusiastically grilled the meat in front of her. "It's beef, there's nothing odd about it," she said with a bright yellow glow practically emitting from behind her as she grinned widely with excitement. "It's done! Here." She placed the cooked items onto Ningning's plate with a pair of tongs. "Eat." She was actively bouncing on her chair, as if there wasn't a thing in the world that's ever bothered her.

"Not the beef, Minjeong, you," Ningning clarified.

"Me?" The blonde pointed at herself with raised eyebrows.

"Why in the world are you in such high spirits? I swear, you have flowers blooming all over you. And you never shout dinner. Never," Ningning said, slowly emphasizing each syllable to drive her point home. "I'm always the one who treated you to meals back in college."

"Well, I just got my pay check again, so consider this payback," Minjeong replied.

"But I treated you to meals practically every day back then—"

"Eat!" Minjeong interrupted, shoving a lettuce-wrapped pork into Ningning's mouth with her chopsticks.

"At least answer my question, Minjeong," Ningning continued between chews. "Why are you so cheerful?"

"What's wrong with me being cheerful? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm happy?"

"Yes, yes I should. But you're never this happy, I mean look at you, you're bouncing around on your chair! That expensive wagyu you just sold your soul for is gonna slip out off your chopsticks if you continue moving like that!"

The blonde sits still immediately upon hearing that, placing the beef she was holding into her mouth before chewing. "Well like I said I got my pay check"

"Did they promote you or something?"

"Nope! I simply have the best job ever. It pays me decently, and I genuinely enjoy it every day. How could I not be content?" Minjeong replied cheerfully.

"Is that so?" The doctor leaned back, folding her arms with a smirk. "And what's the sudden reason behind your newfound love for your job?"

"Well, the only admin work I have to do is scheduling, but I've done it so often now it's a piece of cake," Minjeong began, counting off the perks on her fingers. "I get to drive around in a nice car. I get to see Jimin everyday. Plus, free food from the company. And, oh, Jimin smiles at me all the time now. When there's a schedule and I have to wait in the staff area, I can pretty much do whatever I want. Jimin is there. And sometimes, I get early days. Oh, and did I mention—"

"Jimin. Yes," Ningning chuckled. "Looks like things are going well with her."

"She's my everythingggg," the blonde gushed, leaning on the table. "I don't think I've felt this alive in a long time."

"Come on, tone it down now" the doctor teased, scrunching up her nose as she made a scowling face "You're so cringey when you're in love! Stop!"

Minjeong chuckled, smiling at the thought of Jimin's smile. "Yeah... I'm happy. I swear, I've never felt this way about anyone, like just thinking about her makes me all warm and fuzzy."

"Yes... I can see that," Ningning remarked, rolling her eyes with a hint of amusement before taking a sip of water. "So I'm guessing you two finally made it official then?"

Ningning's question lingered in the air, as Minjeong, who had gone in to grab another piece of meat with her chopsticks, froze upon hearing the inquiry, her chopsticks hanging in mid-air.

...

...

"Oh yeah.. " The blonde responded with confidence at first... "yeah...." until her words trail off along with her thoughts... "yeah...."

...

...

Which made the doctor raise a very suspicious eyebrow.

...

...

"Wait- are you guys official?"

"Define official"

"Like you two kissed"

"Oh yeah!" Minjeong beams with a huge smile.

"And you guys like" the doctor points her finger and waves it back and forth to gesture she was talking about Minjeong and Jimin "Talked about, and mutually agreed you two are now seeing each other exclusively. You know, official girlfriend and girlfriend."

"Oh...." Minjeong's mouth formed an O shape... "no...?"

"Did you guys talk about what you two are at all!?"

"Manager and Actress?"

"ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP WISE, Minjeong."

...

...

"no...?"

"What about a text. A letter? Via pigeon carrier? Anything to say you two are exclusive.."

"You can't afford a pigeon in this economy, Ning" Minjeong answers with a mouthful of lettuce wrapped meat this time.

"Oh My god. then you two are not official!" Ningning declares, shaking her head before taking another bite out of her food.

"I-" Minjeong pauses for a second, having never even thought about her status with Jimin until now... "does- does it matter if we talk about it or not..? Like she kissed me and... I feel like with how things are now, we will again and-"

"Of course, it matters! Communication is key. Do you know how many broken-hearted girls come crying to me in my clinic about their boyfriends who didn't even know they were their boyfriends? Just to find out their endless hook-ups had meant nothing to the other party and the 'boyfriends'" Ningning formed a quotation mark with both her hands "only ever perceived their relationship as casual? Countless, Minjeong," She then widens her arms apart to visually indicate the frequency, "Countless. I can't even begin to put a number on how many of the same stories I've had to listen to."

"Countless because you can't count? Or countless because it's a lot"

"YAH-" She swats away Minjeong's chopsticks that was in motion, with her own "Who's the doctor here huh? If there's one person who can't count it's not me."

The blonde chuckles at their antics before her mind drifts back to the pressing issue. "But things just seem to be going so well... I never thought about it before, but I seriously do feel like we have a mutual understanding... Can't we just silently allow things to flow the way they are?"

"You can, Minjeong, but I think communicating with each other to know exactly where she stands with you wouldn't hurt," Ningning advises, setting down her chopsticks. "You might be surprised to find out how often the other party isn't on the same wavelength as you. Besides, have you seen the news recently? There are still reports and sources publishing news about Jimin in a relationship with Ji-hoon."

Ji-hoon... who...?

"Oh-" The blonde hadn't heard that name in ages, and with how eventful her life had turned out to be recently, she totally forgot about the fake relationship that was setup to promote Jimin's previous film's release. "But that was ages ago!" Her eyes suddenly widened as realization dawned upon her. "The agencies agreed they would only allow that to rumour to last for 2-3 months before putting out another statement of their breakup.."

"Okay, well they never did. In the public's eye, Jimin is still with Ji-hoon. They're just under the impression their relationship is kept very private since they're very quiet about each other."

"..."

"See, Minjeong, this is what I mean. Communication is key. The company didn't communicate their intentions properly and misled you to believe something that didn't happen. In the same way, if you don't make it official with Jimin, you'll never know where you stand with her. Does it not bother you that she's in a public relationship with another person?"

"But the relationship isn't real!" Minjeong retorts. "It's all fabricated. I know for a fact she's not with him. I see her almost every day and-"

"But the public thinks it's real. And if I know anything being in this field, it's that no matter how much an individual tries to stick true to their facts and beliefs, their surroundings will eventually affect them if things are not made completely clear to them. Now I ask you again, does it really not bother you that you and Jimin are not official, and the public thinks she is in a relationship with someone else?"

...

...

...

"I... don't know...

⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇

Yeah..

Minjeong knew....

Even if she isn't admitting it to herself.

The fact that she can only think about how Jimin and Ji-hoon's relationship still hasn't been debunked by the companies and she and the older hasn't actually placed any label for.. whatever they have....

It's safe to say..

The blonde was very bothered by that entire reality.

She never thought there had been a need to place labels on anything. Being someone with a logical mind, labels too her are just words or names placed on top of something.. it doesn't truly define what lays underneath or in this case, how one truly feels for one another...

But now that push comes to shoves... the fact that she did not have any labels with Jimin is bothering her A LOT.

She knew this was something she would have to come to terms to with Jimin and soon...

If left long.. she wasn't sure if she was ever going to get any sleep with these never-ending spiral of thoughts.

However, observing the woman beside her, fidgeting nervously in her seat, her gaze fixed on her hands rather than outside the window, Minjeong hesitated to broach the topic.

Clearly, this wasn't the right moment—certainly not in the car just before Jimin's crucial audition.

But Minjeong hadn't yet determined when the right time would be.

And that sheer fact, was quite frankly eating up her insides.

Damnit, Minjeong, stop being so selfish already,

she scolded herself inwardly.

She's about to have the most important audition of her life, and you're here thinking about bringing up some stupid label. Get a grip already!

"Hey" Eyes still on the road, Minjeong puts a hand on top of Jimin's fidgeting ones. "You'll do great, don't worry about it."

Jimin's hand ceased its restless movement, but it radiated to the rest of the actress' body. "What if they don't like me, Minjeong? They've already postponed it so many times, it's probably already tainted our first impressions."

"Don't think like that," The blonde's voice was soft but firm. "I know how hard you've been practicing. Besides, if they were willing to push it back that much just to have you participate, then they probably already made up their minds about you. This encounter today might just be a formality more than anything."

Jimin's brows furrowed with worry. "But what if I screw it up? What if they meet me and realize I'm not who they expect me to be?"

Minjeong squeezed Jimin's hand reassuringly. "They won't think that, because you are everything and more than they will expect. You're one of the best actresses of all time, and the most talented one at that. They'd be crazy not to pick you."

"But Minjeong—"

"No 'buts,'" Minjeong interrupted gently. "You're amazing. So go in there and continue to be amazing like you always are. And don't be so nervous. If I were you, I wouldn't be nervous. I have full confidence in you."

But Minjeong in fact, despite her cool and calm exterior, was very much nervous for Jimin.

Not because she didn't believe the woman was going to do a good job or that she thinks Jimin isn't a talented actress, but it was because everyone knew this was going to be career breaker for the a-lister.

This audition was a potential career breakthrough for Jimin, one that could elevate her to international stardom if she was to make it. It was quite literally the one layer between Jimin's national success to international debut.

And whilst Minjeong had unwavering confidence in Jimin's abilities, the gravity of the situation still made her chatter at the teeth as the moment drew closer and closer....

She's just never been in a situation where she felt so excited... yet nervous for someone else's sake before...

⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇

Approaching the auditorium building, they stood just one level below the audition room that will make and break the next step of one of Korea's most sought out actress.

Minjeong accompanied Jimin to the elevators, knowing that she couldn't go any further. They would part ways for a couple of hours, during which Jimin would face this pivotal moment in her career.

"Alright..." The taller of the two took in a deep breath as they waited for the elevator to arrive. "Wish me luck..." As the lights turned green and the doors opened, the older woman did her best to relax her tense shoulders before stepping inside.

"Wait- Jimin!" The blonde stops the door from closing at the knick of time, which prompted the actress to stare back at her with her signature 'what in the devil's are you doing' face. "Here" She hands Jimin a bottle"

"What's this..?"

"Lemon tea, unsweetened, in case your throat gets a bit raspy during your lines, I heard its acceptable to take a gulp of a drink in between sections, so use this to quickly soothe your throat if it ever gets parchy."



"Oh..." Jimin stared at the baby pink bottle, surprised Minjeong even went through any of that effort to prepare this for her "Thank you-"

"And also take this too." She takes Jimin's hand and places a cube with buttons on each face. "It's a fidget toy. They're not going to call you in immediately, so play with this to calm your nerves if you ever feel anxious. Oh, and this as well!" She hands the woman a little red charm. "It's an Omamori, a Japanese charm for good luck... Not that you'll need it, but just put it in the back of your pocket during your audition, alright?"

"Minjeong..." Jimin murmured, her gaze drifting from the items in her hands back to the woman before her. A small, warm smile tugged at her lips as she felt a fluttering sensation in her chest. It was heartening to see how much the blonde cared for her well-being, even if it seemed like Minjeong was more nervous than she was, contrary to what her manager had suggested earlier. "You seem a bit on edge. What's going on? I thought you said you had full confidence that this was going to go well."

"I am! I do! IT's just- I" Minjeong begins to stutter "I just want your 100% chance success rate to be a 110% chance success rate" her words faltering slightly as she struggled to articulate her thoughts, realising how feeble her excuse had sounded then.

"Well... this means a lot... really, Minjeong... thank you," Jimin said sincerely, her eyes reflecting gratitude as she took a step back, ready for the doors to close.

"WAIT!" Minjeong stops the door from closing once again. "Take this as well." She removes her tiger eye bracelet from her right wrist and gently hoops it onto Jimin's. "It's to help for any roadblocks along the way... this bracelet is meant to bring out the greater person within. I wear it so I can always be my best self and block out any negative energy... but I want you to have it—not that you'll need it for today... but just for my peace of mind. Please wear it, and if before you head in you realize you forgot anything, call or text me. I will be one word away and I'll dash right through," Her mouth began rambling on with no stop to it again "so don't worry, okay? OH! did you need a portable charger? What if your phone runs out of battery just as you need something? I have one in the car. Should I grab it for you? Also it's kind of chilly in here with the aircon, maybe I'll grab you my hoodie as well while I'm at it. Don't worry, I promise it's not rubbish marinated, it never even saw the light of day of my instant noodle wrappers— MMPH"

Minjeong had so much more she wanted to keep muttering on about... so much more she wanted to say, to let Jimin know that she wished all the luck in the world for her... so much so she lost control of her mouth which basically began to move with a mind of it's own... however, before she could utter another syllable, Jimin surprised her by gently yet quickly grasping her cheeks and leaning in to tightly plant a hasty kiss on the blonde's lips. It was a sweet, fast and wordless gesture but lord was it effective in shutting Minjeong up immediately, leaving her completely stunned as her eyes widens in surprise.

Perhaps for Jimin it was the overwhelming anticipation of her audition that took over senses... and made her feel braver than usual

Or perhaps it was the little yellow fuzzy glow that grew brighter and brighter, watching Minjeong before her, radiating care and affection in her own endearing, clumsy way.

It could have been a combination of both.

But in that pivotal moment, driven by impulse and desire, Jimin seized what she longed for the most:

The taste of Minjeong's lips.

She moved so swiftly that Minjeong barely had time to register what was happening. Just as recognition glisened in her sparkling eyes and they were about to close in response, Jimin released her.

"OKAY.." Jimin exhaled heavily, gently pushing Minjeong away. "I think that's all the luck I need." Her voice was soft but resolute as she gazed at the stupified blonde before her, who just stared back at her with wide, incredulous eyes and a gaping mouth. "I'll be alright, Minjeong. So don't worry," she reassured, pressing the button to close the elevator door. "I'll call you once I'm done, alright? It shouldn't take too long, but don't feel obligated to wait. Go out, grab a bite, and enjoy some free time for yourself. I'll see you soon, okay?"

"Okay..." Minjeong replied in a daze, still stunned by Jimin's unexpected gesture. She remained frozen until the elevator door finally closed, separating her from Jimin. Only then did she blink, the realization of what just happened washing over her like a wave. Heat flooded her cheeks, painting them a deep crimson, and her heart pounded so loudly she could hear it in her ears.

Holding her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment, Minjeong tried to conceal the flush that had spread across her cheeks and the rapid beating of her heart.

Out of all the unexpected things in the world, Minjeong certainly didn't anticipate Jimin's sudden kiss.

But now that it had happened...

Well...

Let's just say she felt even more jittery than before.

"Damnit, Jimin!" she pouted to herself, throwing a mini tantrum as she continued to bury her face in her palms. "You couldn't let me have our first kiss, but you had to take the second one too!?" Despite her initial frustration, her anger slowly melted into a chuckle.

A light, fluffy chuckle.

With her chest fluttering.

Right then...

Minjeong decided she didn't want to spend her free time alone just on herself

No...

In that moment, she resolved to do something more.

Something more meaningful.

She wanted to do something special for Jimin.

And though she wasn't sure what that might entail just yet, as she walked out of the facility and headed to her car, she was determined to figure it out in the few hours she had left.

⋇⊶⊰❣⊱⊷⋇

"Minjeong!" Jimin's voice exuded excitement through the phone the moment the blonde picked up. "I think I made it! I think I actually did it!" She restrained herself from jumping with joy, aware of the people around her as she descended the auditorium stairs. "Nothing's official yet, but they said they're looking forward to working with me! Can you believe it?" Jimin had to consciously control her volume to avoid yelling in her elation.

"I knew you could do it!" Minjeong's voice mirrored Jimin's excitement, if not surpassing it. "Jimin, I'm proud of you, I'm really proud of you..." Her words carried sincere melody, resonating in the actress's ears. Minjeong wanted to shower Jimin with more praise, but she held back, content to listen to the older woman's enthusiastic rambling about her audition experience. Jimin recounted how nervous she had been in the waiting room, but once her name was called, her performance came to life, impressing all the judges. Throughout Jimin's excited chatter, Minjeong wore a wide smile.

She could honestly listen to Jimin talk like this all day.

"And you were so nervous too as well...." Jimin finally teases towards the end of her recount. "Where are you parked anyway?"

"Back parking lot, there's no one here, so it should be okay for you to get here alone, and also, I was not nervous, I knew you could make it!"

"These beads say otherwise." She gently rubbed Minjeong's tiger beads together to make a clunky noise against the phone. "I'll say you thought there was a slight possibility I wasn't going to make it."

"not a chance"

"You're lying"

"I never lie! I really knew you were going to make it."

"Well, I don't believe you-" Jimin's foot comes to a sudden halt as her hand holding her phone to her ear slips down to her side, having made it to the parking lot... Minjeong was right, there had been no cars around, so it made it very easy to locate her manager's car... But it wasn't the fact that she found the blonde so quickly that made her stop and, quite frankly, very stunned... it was the fact that right there, standing in front of her car, Minjeong was holding a bouquet of flowers... with a little pink sign that stuck up on top of the bunch that said 'Congratulations!'... "Minjeong.. this- this is," she stammers out, watching as the shorter woman pranced towards her.

"I told you I knew you were going to make it!" Minjeong's words are filled with pride and adoration as she steps closer, her eyes shining with affection. She extends the bouquet towards Jimin, a radiant smile gracing her lips. "I got these right after you went in, so I win!"She sticks out her tongue slightly teasingly before taking a step back.

Jimin blinks a couple of time, gazing at the flowers, then back to Minjeong, and then back to the flowers but then directly back to Minjeong again.

Her breath catches in her throat as she accepts the flowers

She was at a complete lost for words.

"Hehe," Minjeong's playful grin widens as she leans in, booping Jimin on the nose. which seemingly broke the latter's trance of thoughts as she blinked even more. "Are you impressed Jimin?" She continues to tease "I predicted you they were going to choose you, am I not the most awesome, most amazing person ever- Oh-" She was unable to finish her self-praise however, as without any hesitation, Jimin followed Minjeong's backing footsteps as she catches up and evenlops the shorter woman into a tight hug.

"You're so freaking annoying..." The actress had said... but her tone of voice did not match the description. It wasn't a scowl or anywhere near a complaint... in fact it sounded closer to something a lot softer... something that carried warmth... and hinting towards a meaning that was a lot deeper...

Minjeong just keeps surprising her more and more each time. The moment she thought the blonde couldn't possibly come up with any more sentimental gestures, she always somehow pulls through in the end. And every time, Jimin would feel her heart swell more and more with a mixture of gratitude and an increasing depth of affection.

Kim Minjeong...

She really was just something else...

A different species.

A kind that Jimin had never encountered before... not even close

With each passing day, Jimin found herself cherishing Minjeong more and more, unable to let go of her whenever they embraced. There was just something special about Minjeong, something that made Jimin's heart flutter and her soul feel at peace. She was different, unique, and utterly captivating in every way imaginable.

She is just so...

Minjeong...

"Idiot," Jimin murmured, her face buried into Minjeong's shoulder, reluctant to release her grip. However, she eventually yielded to the blonde's gentle insistence, stepping back reluctantly. Yet, as their eyes met in a fleeting moment, Jimin's heart skipped a beat, her gaze locking with Minjeong's in a silent exchange filled with unspoken emotions.

"Your idiot"

The confidence in Minjeong's gaze when she said that only made Jimin's heart burst more...

It was utterly bewildering... how such a simple phrase could evoke such intense reactions from Jimin when it came from Minjeong.

To the point it felt her body wasn't even her own anymore at the rate it was reacting. Heck she didn't even know how to respond to Minjeong at this point... fearing she was going to reveal the affects the blonde really had on her... the girl could only respond with a "So Annoying..." As an immediate coverup.

Minutes that felt like seconds for them goes by...

Until...

"Jimin," Minjeong interjected with a small smile breaking their soft staring contest, after the two women had reluctantly pulled away from each other. "There's somewhere I want to take you. Let's call it a celebratory outing, to, you know, commemorate your success for landing your biggest gig yet."

"An outing?" Jimin raised an eyebrow at the sudden invitation. While she didn't mind spending time with Minjeong, the thought of being out in public made her hesitate.

"Don't worry, there won't be anyone else there. It's a spot I discovered recently, a secluded one," Minjeong reassured her, as if she could read Jimin's thoughts.

"What's with you and finding secluded spots? Are you really not a serial killer?"

The blonde tsked at Jimin's response. "Stop making this more weird than it needs to be." Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she gently pulled Jimin by the hand, guiding her towards the car. "I won't make you hike up like last time either. Come on... I promise I'll make it worth your while." She held the passenger door open for Jimin. "Don't you trust me?"

"I'll be honest, ever since last time when you basically scammed me into a bush walk, I told myself to never trust my bleach blonde manager again-"

"Just get in the car." Minjeong interrupted with a small eyeroll.

"..."

"..."

"no."

"Jimin-"

"Ok fine."

Jimin obediently gets into the vehicle without another word as Minjeong followed closely behind.