Once the last class of the day finishes up, Jimin heads straight home to finish packing for her trip. Usually, she would be chomping at the bit to get away even if it's for a cheer competition but she finds herself feeling a little reluctant to leave. Maybe reluctant isn't the right word because she wants to get away, she just feels like something is holding her back.

Or rather, someone.

Since their late-night talk at the library, things between Jimin and Minjeong have been fine. With the school year coming to a close in a matter of weeks, they're both keeping busy and this time it isn't out of avoidance of one another.

At least, that's what Jimin thought before her little disagreement with Jake. Neither of them have said anything about it, but Jimin's sure it probably has something to do with the weird shift. It's not that Minjeong's giving her the cold shoulder, but her distance over the past few days has been noticeable. Should Jimin be worried considering what happened the last time they went without talking or is she being paranoid?

She's not sure, but it weighs on her especially when Jimin starts her day off by reminding Minjeong about her trip and all she got in reply is a text message wishing her luck. It feels weird, not to mention that this is the first time they'll be separated since they got into their fake arrangement. Jimin can't be the only one that realizes that, can she?

She decides she has to find out before she boards that bus to Philly. There's no way she can concentrate on cheerleading if Minjeong's on her mind.

Once her bag is packed, Jimin begins her search.

─

Finding Minjeong ends up taking a little longer than Jimin thought considering the blonde decides she can't answer a phone call. Time is running out with just an hour until she has to meet with her squad and her patience is running thin. Just as she's about to say fuck it, a beacon of hope comes in the form of a text message from Jaemin:

Have you tried the Robotics lab?

It's like a light bulb goes off and Jimin sends a quick thanks before she's asking where the hell the Robotics lab even is. Of course, Jaemin's no help so she's left to asking randoms until someone points her in the right direction.

When she approaches the building a few minutes later, there's some dweeby kid standing outside and Jimin rolls her eyes as he tries to stop her from entering.

"Do you have a pass or something?" He asks her.

Jimin eyes him up and down, "No?"

"Well, you'll need some kind of permission to enter. It's a safety thing."

Jimin rolls her eyes, "Okay, well can you write me one then?"

"Oh no," The guy shakes his head too many times. "I'm not authorized to do that."

"Okay," Jimin begins to lose patience. "Where do I go to get one?"

The guard shifts from side to side, "Well, they're actually gone for the day I think. You can try–"

"Are you kidding me?" Jimin curses. "Just let me through, I'll only be a minute."

"I can't let you do that," He says and tries blocking her path again.

Jimin lifts a brow challengingly, "Are you really going to keep me from seeing my girlfriend?"

The guy gulps, "No..I– "

"Do you have something against the gays?" Jimin presses and crosses her arms for good measure. "Is that what this is? You know, denying my entry can be considered a hate crime."

"No, no I have nothing against the...the gays."

"Are you sure? Because I have rights and I'm pretty sure you're violating them."

"What? I'm not!"

"Of course you'd say that, you're perfectly fine keeping us apart," Jimin quips. "Don't you know love is love?"

The guy's jaw drops and he's at such a loss for words, it's hilarious. Jimin's loving every second of it.

"I've got no problem with the gays," He stammers. "My cousin's girlfriend's neighbor, the one she went to school with, not the other one is gay! I'm – I'm technically an ally."

Jimin bites her cheek to keep from laughing at his attempt to relate. She hardens her glare and gives her best scowl, eventually she'll wear him down.

"Ally? Really?" Jimin questions. "The one guy standing in the way of letting me see my girlfriend? I don't think so."

"I'm sorry, it's really not safe for visitors – "

"Ugh, just move!" Jimin grumbles as she pushes by him and enters the building on her own.

"Hey!"

"Don't worry," She calls out to him. "I'll be very careful!"

Surprisingly, the guy doesn't put up much of a fight after that. Instead, he goes back to manning the door – some security he is.

As Jimin makes her way through the lobby, she kind of wishes she asked where Minjeong might be. The place is like a maze and Jimin has no idea where to start – especially when she realizes there's more than one robotics lab.

It takes her a few tries, but Jimin ends up finding the right one.

She leans on her tiptoes and peeks through the small glass window at the top of the door. Through it, she watches as Minjeong takes a blow torch looking thing to a hunk of metal. Jimin has no idea what she's doing in there and if it wasn't for the familiar blonde hair sticking out behind the protective helmet, she wouldn't even know it was Minjeong.

She knows that silhouette anywhere by now though, even if it's cloaked in fire-resistant gear. There's something about the literal sparks flying and Minjeong dressed in all her protective wear that has Jimin watching with more interest than she expected.

In fact, Jimin finds the whole thing kind of hot.

She imagines Minjeong breaking a sweat as she tinkers away in there – taking a hammer to things and using brut strength to shape the rest. She imagines Minjeong losing the layers of her protective gear – which adds to her fantasy because she doubts Minjeong would risk her safety to look hot – and go on banging things with her special hammer or whatever she does in nothing but her tank top and jeans.

Jimin imagines muscles flexing and abs rippling and she finds herself adding hooking up in the robotics lab to her Fucket List. Is there a possibility that she might suffer some kind of welding injury? Probably, but it's a risk she'll just have to take because this fantasy she's got going on in her head is really something.

Jimin lets her imagination run wild until she spots Minjeong's putting down her blow torch. She considers knocking but she doubts Minjeong would hear her, so she just pushes the door open instead.

Her sudden entrance has Minjeong jumping and she pulls off her helmet in one swift motion.

"Jimin," Minjeong gasps. "What are you doing here?"

The surprise in her voice is noticeable and Jimin smirks as she watches Minjeong take off her thick welding gloves next. She tries to keep her leering in check when strong forearms are revealed just as her fantasizing predicted. Instead, she focuses on the reason why she's here.

"Looking for you," Jimin answers and feigns annoyance as she crosses her arms. "You know how long it took me to find you? I tried calling."

Minjeong bites her lip guiltily, "I don't keep my phone on me while I'm working. It's kind of a hazard."

You're kind of a hazard, Jimin thinks before she shakes away the thought. She circles back to her point as she nods and walks further into the room.

She looks around at her surroundings and realizes she doesn't know what most of this stuff is. She can't even guess: it's all machinery and metal, dark and cold. It's such a stark comparison seeing Minjeong in the center of it all dressed in a heavy blue jacket which she's starting to unbutton as Jimin takes a look around.

Of course Minjeong's only wearing a tight tank top underneath it, so tight in fact that Jimin can probably count each one of Minjeong's abs if she stares long enough – which she won't be doing because she's not here to check out her fake girlfriend. Damn her sex-deprived mind for creating such a realistic fantasy! It's hard to keep from pointing out what isn't real and what could be.

"When you say you're working in the lab, this isn't what I pictured," Jimin mentions as she averts her eyes while Minjeong sheds her protective jacket. "I had no idea where this place was until about ten minutes ago."

"It's not that hard to find," Minjeong chuckles as she rests her hip against the workbench across from Jimin. She throws her jacket atop it next to her helmet and gloves, "But you do need special access to get in..."

"So I've heard," Jimin waves off. "If that dweeb out the front is your so- called security, you should think about upgrading."

Minjeong lets out a laugh, "Yeah...he's new."

"That would explain it," Jimin nods. "I barely flinched at him and I got in."

Minjeong gives her a smile in reply as she sticks a pencil behind her ear before shuffling things around on the workbench to create space. She wordlessly moves tools to the side and rearranges blueprints while Jimin watches with curiosity.

If she had it her way, she probably wouldn't mind hanging around while Minjeong worked. Although, not sure how much work she'd get done if Minjeong insists on wearing those tank tops.

"So," Minjeong speaks up a second later. She glances to Jimin from the corner of her eye and asks, "Did you need something or are you just here to watch?"

Jimin feels her face start to flush at the many ways that question could be wrongly answered. Does she need something? Hell yeah she does! She needs to clear a space on this workbench so she can be bent over it. She needs Minjeong to lose the hammer and bang her instead.

Okay, that was bad but you get the idea! She needs a lot of things she shouldn't but she keeps her cool somehow even if watching Minjeong work in her current get up makes her mouth go a little dry. She dismisses the lust- filled thoughts and attempts to seem casual.

"I was just letting you know I'm heading off for my trip today," Jimin reminds her.

Minjeong smiles and looks back at her blueprints, "I know. You've told me, remember? I said good luck."

"Right," Jimin's brows furrow and she starts to feel a little silly for causing such a fuss before. There's no cold shoulder here, Minjeong has just been busy. Maybe this time apart isn't a big deal to her, not like it is to Jimin?

It would make sense; why would Minjeong find something so insignificant significant? It's not like she sees Jimin as anything more than but a friend.

Jimin ignores the sinking feeling and her bruising ego. She was doing a lot better letting her imagination run wild with thoughts of using the workbench for something not suitable for work than letting her high hopes get the best of her. It's the one time having her mind in the gutter works out in her favor.

"Well," Jimin takes a step back and tries salvaging her confidence. "I'm leaving in a bit so I guess I just wanted to say– "

"That you're going to miss me?"

When Minjeong looks up, there's a devious smirk on her face and Jimin can't help but roll her eyes at the sight of it – even if her cheeks burn a little at the accusation. The playful banter is something Jimin's sorely missed over the past few days so she'll take it although it's at her expense.

"Actually," Jimin corrects her with a smirk of her own. "I was going to say don't get into too much trouble while I'm gone."

Minjeong giggles as she pulls the pencil from behind her ear and gestures to the workbench, "This is all the trouble I'll be getting into."

"Uh-huh," Jimin jokes. "Don't forget I've seen your wild side first hand. Who knows what kind of shenanigans you could get up to while I'm away."

"I don't think I'm the one who needs to be warned," Minjeong replies with a glance in Jimin's direction. "I know what you and your squad get up to when you go away for these trips. All train hard, party harder."

Jimin recognizes the mantra and smirks, "Hey, it's tradition. We have to let off all that steam somehow."

"Exactly," Minjeong nods before averting her gaze back to her work. There's a pause before she mentions, "I heard about what happened with you and Jake."

Jimin's eyes widen for a moment before she remembers where her and Jake's lovely conversation took place. There were people everywhere, of course word would've traveled. But none of those people would have the balls to speak to Minjeong about any of that, no one would dare involve themselves in their relationship unless they had a death wish.

Which leads Jimin to believe that it had to be an inside job and she knows just who the culprit could've been.

"Jaemin?" Jimin questions.

Minjeong answers by nodding.

"He is the biggest gossip!" Jimin groans. "Boy can't keep his mouth shut for two seconds."

Minjeong shrugs, "It comes in handy. It's not like you were going to tell me about it."

Jimin scoffs at the claim, "You don't know that."

"Were you?"

Jimij starts to understand that she might've been right about her and Jake's conversation having to do something with Minjeong keeping her distance.

She shifts guiltily in her spot, "No?"

"Hmm..." Minjeong hums in that knowing way.

It makes Jimin huff; why does Minjeong always have to be right? However despite the blonde's all-knowing ways, it reminds Jimin that Minjeong is just as guilty of keeping things from her.

"Were you going to tell me you quit the Brainiacs?" Jimin asks with her hand on her hip.

Minjeong gives her a look and smirks, "Actually, I was."

"Oh," Jimin falters.

"I didn't want to bother you with any of the drama before your competition," Minjeong explains. "But I guess it happened anyway."

"You could've told me anyway," Jimin assures her. Minjeong doesn't seem convinced so she attempts to change the subject, "That Wendy can be pretty persuasive, huh?"

"It wasn't just her convincing that did it," Minjeong says as she sets down her pencil. "But yeah, she was really encouraging. I guess I needed an outside perspective, you know, other than you."

Jimin's brow rises, "What? You don't believe me when I say you can do it?"

"I do, but I also know you have a tiny problem with being honest," Minjeong says. "For example, what happened with you and Jake."

Jimin shifts nervously again beneath Minjeong's gaze. She can tell Minjeong isn't the angriest she's seen her, but Jimin also doesn't get the vibe that she's too pleased with her either.

"I suggested doing your own thing because I believe you could do it and I believe you'd be happier. I would never lie to you about that," Jimin assures her. "And technically the thing with Jake wasn't a lie. I just never told you about it."

"Jimin," Minjeong chastises as she crosses her arms and gives her that look.

"Look, I was trying to be good okay?" Jimin quickly defends. "He provoked me and you know what happens when I'm provoked. I get taken over by Karina and once she's out it's a little hard to reel her back in so if you want someone to be mad at, be mad at her."

"I'm not mad," Minjeong says simply.

Jimin's brows rise, "You're not?"

Minjeong sighs as she shakes her head.

"Wait, what did Jaemin tell you?" Jimin questions. Maybe he didn't tell her the whole story, that's why Minjeong isn't scolding her?

"He told me enough," Minjeong answers.

"Right," Jimin still doesn't know where she stands though. It must show on her face because Minjeong sighs as she starts to smile.

"You stuck up for me, Jimin. How could I be mad at you for that?"

Jimin stays quiet – she doesn't have an answer. It's her after all, there's got to be something she did wrong.

"I spoke to Jake once I heard so you shouldn't be seeing him around anymore. There's no reason for him to bother you since I've put an end to all that," Minjeong explains. "Leaving the team confirmed that our friendship or whatever is over."

Jimin rests against the workbench and stares in awe, "Well damn."

"Yeah," Minjeong says but her expression is unreadable as she busies herself with the blueprints again. Jimin would assume she'd feel a little hurt by how things with Jake panned out despite him being an ass but she's uncharacteristically quiet.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" Jimin prompts hesitantly.

With a deep sigh, Minjeong shakes her head.

"Not really," She replies and gestures around her. "That's why I'm down here working, it doubles as a great place to hide from everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Everyone," Minjeong confirms.

"Even me?"

Jimin didn't expect the question to sneak out, but now that she has asked it she can't decide whether she dreads or anticipates Minjeong's answer. Minjeong must know about her inner battle, because she takes her sweet time answering. She only looks up from her work and glances to Jimin, letting her eyes linger on her before looking away again.

"Maybe," Minjeong admits quietly. "I haven't decided. I just needed some time to myself, do something to keep my hands busy."

Jimin nods. It's not the answer she was looking for but it wasn't the answer she was dreading either. Still, Minjeong being closed off like this isn't like her – it's more like Jimin's style and she hopes that it's only temporary.

"So you really don't want to talk about it?" Jimin tries again. "I know you, you're all about that."

"And you aren't," Minjeong quips. "So you're the wrong person to be asking that kind of question. For all I know, you probably just want to rub this massive fail in my face."

Jimin softens at the slight sharpness in Minjeong's tone.

"Do you think I'd actually do that?" She asks.

Maybe she would because that's just the kind of person she is, but not to Minjeong. She can't be that cruel anymore when it comes to her, she just hopes that Minjeong knows that by now.

"No," Minjeong admits quietly.

"So humor me," Jimin replies with an encouraging smile. She ducks her head a little to meet Minjeong's gaze again, "What happened?"

The stare has Minjeong pulling away from her distractions. She sets her pencil down and bites her lip while Jimin waits patiently.

"I don't really want to go over every little detail," Minjeong says. "I had a really great chat with Wendy and decided I'd meet with Jake after while I was still feeling super confident. I told him I was leaving the team, he asked why and I didn't hold back. I said our interests didn't align anymore and that it's best we stay out of each other's way from now on."

Jimin smiles proudly, "Nice."

"He started to bring you up and that did it for me," Minjeong continues. "I left after that."

"That's probably why he came stomping over to me like some big tough guy," Jimin chuckles.

"Yeah, I'm sorry you had to deal with him," Minjeong apologizes.

"Please, he couldn't intimidate me if he tried."

"Still. This was my fight, he shouldn't have tried involving you."

The look on Minjeong's face shows so much guilt that Jimin frowns at the sight of it. How could she anticipate what Jake would do? How could she even think of blaming herself for his actions?

"Well, we're kind of a team," Jimin says. "Your fights are my fights and when it comes to Jake, I have no issue throwing a few punches. You know that."

"Yeah," Minjeong's smile is small but it doesn't last. "I know. I just feel so stupid for how long I let this go on."

"You shouldn't."

"You don't think so?"

Jimin shakes her head, "You had hope. That's not a bad thing."

"It feels like it is," Minjeong says. "I chose to look past the red flags. I chose to give away second chances. I got swept up in my admiration of him that I convinced myself that I could live with the not-so-great qualities. So, when does having hope turn into being stupid?"

Jimin frowns at the way Minjeong beats herself up. It has her stepping closer, reaching out to touch Minjeong's hand. Maybe if her words can't get through to her, Minjeong will at least feel that she's here.

"Believe me," Jimin tells her. "When it comes to seeing the light you've done it in record time so you should actually be kind of proud."

"Yeah," Minjeong glances at their hands and nods. "I guess I have you to thank for that."

Jimin smirks, "I mean, I don't want to take all the credit...but yeah you do."

When Minjeong giggles, it's like music to Jimin's ears.

"Alright, don't rub it in," Minjeong admonishes playfully.

"I know," Jimin chuckles as she pulls her hand away. "I'm just joking. Look, it's hard to cut shitty people out from your life. No one talks about how fucking hard it really is, but you did it and I'm proud of you."

"Thanks," Minjeong smiles bashfully.

"Just keeping it real," Jimin shrugs.

"Like always," Minjeong agrees with a chuckle. "Well seeing as you really helped me out with him, I guess I can do something for you in return..."

Jimin suddenly feels a little nervous, "Okay?"

The possibilities are endless here – not really but Jimin dares to dream.

"I've actually been thinking about this all day so," Minjeong trails off in thought and it makes Jimin feel even more anxious. "I know how you guys celebrate a Nationals win and since we aren't technically a couple and since you'll probably be surrounded by all sorts of pretty girls, I guess I wouldn't mind giving you a Hall Pass."

Jimin blinks, unsure if she heard Minjeong correctly.

"A Hall Pass?" She asks.

"Yeah, you know what that is right?"

Jimin laughs out of disbelief, "Of course I know what it is. I've had a few girls cash theirs in on me."

"Okay well, it's your turn now," Minjeong says simply.

Jimin's still looking confused though, "Is this a setup or something?"

"No, there's no strings attached," Minjeong laughs. "We aren't a real couple, it's not fair that you have to go on this sexual drought because we're fake dating."

Jimin blushes at the way Minjeong points out how long it's been since Jimin's hooked up with anyone, but it all seems wrong coming from the blonde. Her dirty fantasies were one thing, but her sexual drought isn't a topic she's comfortable talking about with Minjeong!

In fact, it's supposed to be that thing that they definitely don't talk about!

"What kind of friend would I be if I kept you from getting laid, especially after such a big win?" Minjeong asks genuinely.

"I don't know?" Jimin shrugs. "This seems wrong in like...so many ways."

Minjeong chuckles, "You don't have to cash in on it. I'm just saying, if it happens out there then it happens. I'm not going to be mad or anything. Just don't get caught in any compromising positions and it's fine."

Jimin's trying her best to keep her expression even but she can't believe what she's hearing! Then again, if she wants to get over this crush she has on Minjeong the best way to do it is by getting down and dirty with a random she'll never have to see ever again. It's the perfect solution and she's not even the one who came up with it!

Yet, a part of her feels dirty for even considering it – and not in a good way. How could she even think about being with someone else when she's got the most perfect girl right in front of her?

Then again, if Minjeong's suggesting something so crazy then she must not feel the same way as Jimin. Jimin would never encourage Minjeong to go explore her options while she's out of town but that's probably due to the fact that if Minjeong's going to go exploring, Jimin's hoping it would be with her.

Jimin could barely stand seeing her and that Jaehyun guy talk at the Brainiacs' Ball much less if she ever saw Minjeong flirting with someone else. It's obvious that she and Minjeong are on completely different pages when it comes to their feelings for each other.

Jimin's inner workings are suddenly interrupted by her phone buzzing in her pocket. It's the squad captain reminding her that the bus leaves in thirty and if she isn't on it then Coach Heo will be kicking her ass all the way back to Lima.

"Right. Well, okay," She rambles before looking to Minjeong. "I have to get going."

Minjeong smiles softly, "Sure."

The look sends a wave of fluttery feelings despite Jimin still trying to wrap her head around Minjeong's offer. Someone has to tell the blonde that she can't say things like here's a Hall Pass then go on and look at her like she put every single star in the sky. It's confusing as hell and Jimin already does a great job of confusing herself on her own!

"Okay," Jimin says in hopes that it'll make all her thoughts halt. She looks to Minjeong then to the door, "I'm going to go."

"Okay," Minjeong replies. "Good luck...on the competition and the other thing."

Jimin gulps, "Thanks."

She takes in the sight of Minjeong in that tank top and messy hair, surrounded by tools and metal and smiles before she makes her exit.

Maybe she would've been better off skipping the whole goodbye and heading straight for the bus? If that were the case, she'd be way less confused and her head wouldn't be so murky with talks of Hall Passes and fantasies.

─

After the two-hour-long road trip, the squad's bus pulls into the parking lot of their hotel. Everyone's excited to stretch their legs and check out the hotel facilities but Coach Heo keeps everyone in line until she's able to get them checked in.

The lobby is pure mayhem and Jimin watches as squads from all over the east coast mingle with one another while their coaches line up along with Coach Heo.

Jimin usually tries scoping out the bar first despite not being allowed to partake. The only other girls gravitating towards the bar too are ones looking for trouble which normally would interest Jimin, but this time she sticks with her squad.

Minjeong's offer still weighs heavily on Jimin's conscience whether she wants to admit that to herself or not. She takes a look around and notices some familiar faces from past hook-ups and some faces she would've once liked to get familiar with – if only she were still into random warm bodies.

The longer her eyes scan the room, the clearer it becomes that she's not.

Only one person keeps coming to mind and she hates that even in a room surrounded by all these beautiful women, it's still Minjeong she wishes she could see. So instead, Jimin pulls out her phone and sends a quick text to the said blonde to let her know she made it to the hotel in one piece.

─

Once the room keys are handed out, the squad is divided up two to a room. Jimin's thankful that she's been paired with Minju, one of the more lowkey girls. There's no way she'd last the next four nights being stuck with the lets do facials and have a movie marathon type. They're going to be busting their asses all weekend, when she's in her room she just wants to chill not play slumber party.

"Do you have a preference, Jimin?" Minju asks as they enter their room. "Window or door?"

"Window, I guess," Jimin shrugs, too busy checking her phone to see if Minjeong replied yet. When she finds that she hasn't, Jimin grumbles to herself and jams her phone back into her pocket.

Minju gives her a look, "Take the door then you don't have to get huffy about it."

"That wasn't at you," Jimin replies. "I'm just waiting for Minjeong to text back."

"Getting separation anxiety already?" Minju teases.

"No...I was just," Jimin pauses when Minju starts to smirk. "Shut up."

"I didn't say anything."

"She usually texts back really fast, okay?" Jimin explains before realizing how strung out she sounds. She quickly brushes it off, "You know what? Mind your business."

Minju only laughs, "This the longest you two been apart or something?"

"No," Jimin lies.

Minju laughs again, "No judgment. I think you guys are cute. No shame in missing your girl."

Jimin softens at the statement. She didn't realize that's what this feeling is and now that it has been pointed out, she feels a little embarrassed. Thankfully, Minju doesn't press any further and they both start moving their bags to their halves of the room.

─

There's a squad meeting in an hour followed by dinner, so Jimin and Minju kill time by watching whatever reality show re-runs are on tv. They both lounge in their own beds and share snacks from the bus ride over. Jimin still checks her phone, but she's trying her best to quit being so obsessive and enjoy the time away.

Occasionally Jimin and Minju make a joke or laugh, but they mostly sit in a comfortable silence until one of the other girls from their squad comes knocking at their door.

"Here comes the Welcome Wagon," Minju jokes flatly as she pushes up off the bed.

Jimin rolls her eyes and checks the time, "We're literally seeing them in twenty minutes. Can I not have some peace and quiet until then?"

"What do you think this is? A wellness retreat?" Minju chuckles as she gets the door open. "Hey Lia! What's up?"

"Some of the girls and I are getting together at Yves and Heejin's for mocktails," Lia says in a voice that's way too chipper for anyone's liking. "Do you and Jimin want to come?"

"You hear that Jimin? Mocktails!" Minju calls out to her. She can hear the subtle sarcasm that's sure to go over Lia's head but it has Jimin sinking further into her pillows.

She's so not in the mood for squad bonding. She loves the girls, don't get her wrong, but she can only handle them in doses and after spending two hours on a bus with them – she needs time to recharge. However, she also knows how offended they all get when someone refuses their invites so Jimin's kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Also, where the hell did they even get the ingredients to make mocktails because there's not a damn thing in the minibar besides a couple bottles of water. Someone would've had to bring their own stuff. Her curiosity is piqued. She'd go, but purely out of interest to see what these girls came up with or if it's all just a front to play Never Have I Ever again but like...sober.

"Sounds like so much fun," Jimin answers in an equally sarcastic tone. "I guess I'll– "

She's interrupted when her phone starts to buzz. It's incessant, unlike the usual quick bursts to signal a text message. When she glances down, she sees Minjeong's cute frowny face filling the screen.

"Meet you there!" Jimin calls out as she grabs her phone and swipes to answer it. She ducks her head out so she can see Minju and Lia in the doorway, "Just got to answer this. It's Minjeong."

Minju gapes at her; it's the perfect excuse to hang back and she knows it!

"Uh I think my boyfriend is calling too," Minju tells Lia. The other girl only laughs and hooks her arm through Minju's.

"You don't have a boyfriend, silly!" Lia jokes.

"Don't remind me!" Minju scoffs. "We can't all be as lucky as Jimin."

"So true," Lia agrees then shouts in Jimin's direction. "We'll save a drink for you, Jimin!"

"Thanks so much!" Jimin replies sweetly before the door slams shut. She waits a second before bringing the phone to her ear, "Hey."

"What are you being so thankful for?" Minjeong teases.

The sound of Minjeong's voice sends Jimin's heartbeat skipping. She can't help but smile.

"Apparently someone's saving me a mocktail."

"Mocktail? You guys don't waste any time!"

Jimin chuckles as she slumps back on the bed, "Funny. Coach Heo is strict when it comes to the No Drinking policy. None before or during practice and comps, that's why we party so hard afterward."

"That explains so much," Minjeong replies. "Also, sorry I didn't reply earlier. I was still at the lab. I'm so close to finishing this one project I'm working on, it's been so time-consuming."

Memories from earlier start to worm their way back in Jimin's mind and she bites her lip at the thought of her hot grease monkey fantasies. It's actually ridiculous how easy it is for her to get worked up over this crap, she swears it was never like this before!

Again, she's blaming being sex-deprived for so long.

"That's cool," Jimin answers casually. "You called at the perfect time."

"Why's that?"

Jimin shrugs and starts picking at the corner of her pillowcase. She doesn't know why she's feeling so fidgety all of a sudden and her stomach won't stop flipping. Can she quit acting like some giddy schoolgirl and find some type of chill?

"One of the girls was trying to get me to hang out, but I really wasn't feeling it. I mean, I'm about to spend the next few hours with them but you called and got me out of it," Jimin explains.

"Oh, well in that case you're welcome." Minjeong jokes and Jimin can imagine the smug grin on her face.

"Yeah. Can't say the same for my roomie though. Poor Minju got roped in."

"Well I can't save everyone," Minjeong continues teasing. "But hey, you're with Minju. You must be happy about that? At least it's not that one girl that you don't like."

"There's a couple girls I don't like," Jimin quips. "But yeah, Minju's cool. Very low maintenance which I'm all about."

"I know. So how was your trip? What's it like in Philly? Is your hotel nice? How's the weather? Oh! What are you having for dinner?"

Jimin starts to laugh, "Woah! Excited much?"

"Sorry, I may have grabbed a coffee on my way home. I didn't realize the caffeine had hit..."

"I can see that," Jimin chuckles. "Well, the ride felt never-ending. Philly's Philly. The hotel's standard. Weather's the same as New York. As for dinner, I'm not actually sure. I'm guessing rabbit food without a carb in sight."

"Huh, so no Philly cheesesteaks?"

"Not here at least," Jimin jokes as she notes the time. She frowns when she sees that she doesn't have much left. "Have you ever been to Philly?"

"Nope, never."

Jimin nods, "It's not so bad. A lot of cool bars and clubs, but I don't get to explore much. It's like I'm on a business trip since I only come here to compete."

"That's too bad. Maybe we could take a road trip one day!" Minjeong suggests and her excitement is contagious.

It has Jimin smiling and feeling hopeful because they spend so much of their time talking about the breakup that they've never really talked about what happens after that. It's like the first glimpse of what their relationship will be like in the future and it's looking positive.

"Yeah that could be fun. Hit up all the best clubs in town," Jimin replies trying not to sound too hopeful. "We could make Jaemin drive us too."

"We could."

Jimin notices some of the excitement has faded, but before she can try to build it back up again Minju's making her way through the door.

"Time's up, Lover Girl," She tells Jimin as she taps her wrist. "The squad's meeting downstairs."

"Shit, already?" Jimin curses – she thought she had a little more time than that.

"What's wrong?"

"Minju's back," Jimin answers as she waves at Minju who motions that she'll wait for her outside before Jimin's turning her attention back to Minjeong, "Sorry Minjeong, I've gotta run. Duty calls."

"That's okay. Don't work too hard, try to have some fun."

"Sure thing," Jimin replies. "See you around."

When she hangs up the phone, she tries ignoring how quick that fluttery feeling in her stomach seems to disappear now that she's no longer talking to Minjeong. Instead, she grabs her warm-up jacket and meets Minju out in the hall.

"Where's my drink?" Jimin questions an empty-handed Minju.

Her teammate gives her an unamused look, "I saved you the trouble. They were drinking water with lemon and had the nerve to call it a mocktail."

Jimin scoffs, "The audacity!"

"Right?" Minju laughs as they make their way to the elevator.

─

The next two days ends up dragging on. Squad meetings and practice and more meetings and practice consumes Jimin's life. She doesn't even have time to talk to Minjeong between the early mornings and late nights and fitting sleep in somewhere between all that.

The first glimmer of downtime happens to be after their first full day of competitions. It's only the preliminary round which they knew they'd ace so once that finishes up, it allows the squad a full 12 hours of freedom. No practice, no meetings, no competitions – which means the No Drinking policy is out the window.

The squad can't find a dance club fast enough!

Coach Heo turns a blind eye, her way of giving the squad a reward before the real competition takes place on their final day. As long as the cops aren't called and no one ends up in jail, Coach doesn't want to know. Lia's again at the head of the squad, trying to get everyone to agree on where to head to first.

Jimin tags along too – a night off from all her hard work sounds nice and she could sure use a good drink.

The squad eventually agrees on a place and they all take to their rooms to get gussied up before heading off. It seems like other squads in the area had a similar idea in mind because their first destination is chock full of beautiful cheerleaders.

Jimin gulps and thinks about her Hall Pass before beelining it to the bar.

─

Several drinks later and Jimin's feeling great.

She's kept it rather tame, choosing to stick to her squad for most of the night until a few girls wander off to dance solo with a random guy or girl. Jimin could do the same, she really could because Minjeong said so but it's like she's got the devil on one shoulder and an angel on the other.

The more she drinks, the easier she thought it would be to ignore them both and drag one of these beautiful girls into the bathroom where she can test her theory. Is she horny for Minjeong or just plain horny? There's really only one way to find out and there are several girls here who would happily lend a hand if she asked.

Which is probably why she doesn't.

She's finding it harder to enjoy herself when all she's thinking about is what Minjeong's doing and what she's wearing but the latter is probably the alcohol talking. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if she were to call Minjeong up instead and ask her if she wants to help test her theory?

They're both hot, kind of single, have undeniable sexual chemistry judging by what went down in Johnny's bathroom – surely Minjeong wouldn't mind trying?

Or maybe that's just trouble waiting to happen? If she thinks she's confused now, adding sex would definitely make things worse. Is that a risk she's willing to take though?

There's also option two though: find a blonde and pretend it's Minjeong. She's good at that — pretending.

And really, there are many gorgeous girls to choose from and they're all within an arm's reach but Jimin grips her drink with both hands as if her life depended on it. Leggy Blonde by the bar has been checking her out the moment she walked in, her friend has been doing the same. There's a curly- haired brunette with a very lowcut top that also eyes Jimin like she's a piece of meat. Another brunette is on the dancefloor attempting to lure her over with a crooked finger.

There is temptation everywhere and Jimin struggles to decide what to do with it all!

"Hey Jimin," Minju shouts over the loud music. When Jimin turns, she finds Minju making her way over with a drunken Heejin hanging off her shoulder.

"Shit, really?" Jimin frowns. "We've been here for like an hour."

"More like three. You know Heejin here can't handle her liquor," Minju jokes and struggles under the weight of the girl.

"Damnit," Jimin sighs.

"Yeah," Minju tries adjusting her shoulder to see if Heejin can stand on her own. "Found her like this in the bathroom with a couple girls from another squad."

Jimin shakes her head, "This is why we don't fraternize with the enemy. These girls from other squads are made different."

Minju agrees, "I think she has to go before someone sees her like this. She might get kicked out and if that word travels back to Coach our asses are done for."

"Why'd you bring her over to me then?" Jimin complains as she holds up her drink. "I just got this."

"I didn't come to you on purpose, you're just the first one I saw," Minju argues. "You've been standing in the same spot all night."

"No I haven't."

"You have. The wall hasn't collapsed, that's how I know you haven't moved," Minju points out.

"Whatever," Jimin rolls her eyes and pushes off the wall. "Where's Yves? Isn't she her roomie?"

Minju shrugs and turns to Heejin, "Where's Yves?"

"Left with a hot girl," Heejin mumbles. "Total honey."

Jimin and Minju give each other unamused frowns.

"And Lia? She's Captain, shouldn't she deal with this?" Jimin suggests.

Minju gestures to the bar where said Captain is currently dancing without her heels on while holding a drink in each hand. The girl looks like she's having the time of her life – wish Jimin could say the same.

"Right," Jimin sighs.

She's rarely the one anyone would deem the responsible type but when it comes down to it, she doesn't mess around. It seems to be a detail about her that often goes unnoticed. Or maybe everyone, like her mom, spends so much time focusing on her dating life that they forget that it isn't the only thing about her. Like maybe you can still be a decent person despite having commitment issues?

Shit, does she have those? It doesn't matter now.

What's important is getting Heejin out of here before it's too late. She downs the rest of her drink and barely cringes at the feel of tequila going down smoothly.

"Alright," Jimin says. "Let's take her back to the hotel then."

"Sorry," Minju shows a little remorse. "I didn't mean to cut your night short."

"Don't worry about it," Jimin waves off as she helps Minju lead Heejin outside. "I hope Yves is having the best sex of her life right now."

"Seriously. That lucky bitch," Minju grumbles as Heejin freezes and starts to dry heave. Minju and Jimin cringe but luckily they're out of the splash zone. "Should've known Heejin would be the first casualty. She loves a Wet Pussy."

Jimin sighs, "Don't we all."

Minju snorts, "I was talking about the shot."

"I know," Jimin rolls her eyes and laughs. They finally make their way out front and look for a cab. "Alright Heejin, you're going to have to hold it together so we can get a ride. These heels aren't made for walking."

"You got it," Heejin drawls and rests heavily on the two cheerleaders. "You guys are the best. I love you both so much."

"Thanks," Jimin says stiffly.

"Kind of wish I didn't find her. I was this close to getting this hot guy's number," Minju only sighs. "Should've went to the toilets upstairs."

Jimin gives her a look, "Better you than someone else."

"I don't know, those other girls seemed to be taking great care of her," Minju jokes. "You should've heard the compliments they were throwing around. I felt loved and they weren't even talking to me."

Jimin smiles and goes back to watching the street for their ride.

While they wait, Jimin goes back to wondering what kind of trouble she would've gotten into if Minju didn't run into her. Would she have ended up getting into any trouble at all? Would she have acted on her desires and pursued one of the many girls giving her their best bedroom eyes?

Guess she'll never know now.

─

It's a miracle Heejin keeps it together for the entire ride back to the hotel, but once they get to the elevator it's a whole different story. Jimin and Minju struggle to keep the girl upright for the short trip and it's even more of a struggle getting into Heejin's room because apparently she can't remember her own room number.

"Should we just take her to ours?" Minju suggests.

"You want the scent of puke on your freshly pressed uniform?" Jimin quips.

"No..."

"Neither," Jimin replies. "Alright, Heejin focus up. What's your room number?"

It takes three tries before Jimin's reduced to searching the girl's wallet for evidence. Luckily she finds the keycard there along with the room number written on the sleeve. After that, it's smooth sailing and Heejin's soon changed out of her going-out clothes to something more comfortable but the frequent trips to the toilet to throw up are still a concern.

Jimin's tired but even she has morals when it comes to girls looking out for one another.

"We probably shouldn't leave her," Jimin points out.

"Can't we?" Minju teases until Jimin gives her an unimpressed look. "I was joking, I'll stay with her."

"Yeah you will," Jimin quips. "You found her, she's your problem."

"I know," Minju rolls her eyes but relents. "Let me at least get changed first and I'll come back."

"Fine," Jimin sighs and goes to sit on the edge of Yves's bed since it won't be of use tonight.

Minju makes her exit and Heejin stays put for the moment, snoring loudly and mumbling to herself. In the somewhat quiet, Jimin looks for her phone and checks the time. It's late and her inhibitions are still dangerously low despite having to deal with a drunken Heejin.

If anything, the longer she sits still the more the alcohol starts to take effect.

She finds herself daydreaming about Minjeong again; what she might be doing, what she might be wearing. Both questions Jimin can actually answer considering she's been around Minjeong long enough to know the girl struggles to stay up late and she only wears baggy t-shirts and tiny shorts to bed.

But still, her drunken curiosity paints a different picture and after the night she's had – she's out of the energy to dispel it. She goes back to wondering what would be so bad about telling the truth about how she feels. That's how she knows there's still a lot of alcohol in her system.

She can barely put up a fight as her curiosity gets the best of her. Currently, her desires make everything sound so simple: call Minjeong, tell her to come to her hotel room and they can lose their clothes and sort everything out between the sheets.

The tequila thinks it's a great idea.

"Alright, I'm back," Minju announces as she enters the room again. "Oh good, she's sleeping."

Jimin looks back at Heejin; she almost forgot she was there but sure enough, the girl is sound asleep.

"The snoring stopped. Just make sure she's still breathing every so often," Jimin replies as she gets up.

"Got it, boss."

Jimin rolls her eyes, "I'm not the boss."

"But you should be," Minju jokes.

Jimin snorts. Lia's stepdad isn't a football coach, that's why. No one would suspect favoritism when she was made, unlike Jimin – even if she's more suitable for the role. Just another example of her streak of bad luck.

"There's always next year," Jimin shrugs. "Anyway, I'm going to bed. Don't call me unless it's an emergency. Actually no, don't call me."

"We should be good here," Minju says with a yawn. "Thanks for your help."

Jimin only gives her a tired thumbs up before making her way back to their room.

It's a short walk and her phone is burning a hole through her bra – begging to be picked up, begging for Minjeong's number to be dialed, begging for all her questions to be answered.

She hasn't spoken to Minjeong since she first arrived, but this isn't exactly an ideal time to check in now. It's late, she's still pretty drunk so who knows what could happen if she were to call.

Drunken minds speaking sober thoughts and all.

Unless?

No, she couldn't.

But what if she did anyway?

While her head and heart and the tequila try to decide, Jimin fumbles her way through the door of her room. Off goes her heels and her dress before she wanders into the bathroom to start removing the layers of makeup. She looked smokin' hot and it kind of sucks how she wasted the look by standing up against the wall all night.

Should've taken a picture and sent it to Minjeong. Show her what she was missing.

It's the tequila talking again and tequila always gets her into trouble. She dismisses the thought and continues washing her face.

She continues to think on that phone call though as she brushes her teeth and gets changed. She thinks about it as she strips out of her bra and turns off the lights. The hotel room feels too big, same as Jimin's bed despite not having shared it in months. And it's quiet, too quiet and all that silence only makes her want to reach for the phone even more.

It's not until several minutes later while she's lying in bed in only her sleep shirt that she realizes she's already dialing Minjeong's number.

The sound of the phone ringing echoes in the empty room. Her heart is pounding, her stomach is in knots. The longer the phone rings, the closer Jimin is to hanging up because what the hell is she doing? It's 3 am and she's drunkenly calling her fake girlfriend? Has she lost her damn mind?

Apparently.

Her head tells her to hang up if she knows what's good for her.

Her heart reminds her that this is what's good for her.

The tequila has her wondering how Minjeong feels about phone sex.

"What am I doing?" Jimin mutters. Her thumb hovers over the big red button yet the ringing continues.

She has to see this through now, there's no turning back. She's nervous and anxious and weirdly excited. With every ring, Jimin feels like she's getting closer and closer to catching Minjeong's voicemail. It's a surprising turn of events when she doesn't.

Everything comes screeching to a halt the second the ringing stops and Minjeong finally answers.

____

next chapter is going to be in minjeong's pov!
and also HAPPY BIRTHDAY MINJEONGIE!!

hope you guys enjoyed! upvote and comment for faster update! <3 really appreciate it if you does! <3 let me know if there's any mistake!