It's the morning after and Jimin sits in the hotel restaurant with a grin on her face as she watches the girls from her squad begin to trickle in for breakfast. They all look hungover as hell – which is no surprise there. Although she was a little bummed about her night being cut short, Jimin can't say she's all that envious of them now.

From personal experience though, most of them only need a couple celery juices and an acai bowl before they're good as new. If they weren't able to bounce back from a hangover swiftly, there's no way Coach Heo would let them party as hard as they do. But still, Jimin enjoys watching them struggle while it lasts.

"They look like shit," Minju chuckles as she joins Jimin with a celery juice and bowl of fruit in hand. "Is it weird that I'm kind of jealous?"

"Very," Jimin chuckles. She glances over to the line Minju just left and points out, "I see Heejin made it down."

Minju rolls her eyes as she stabs at a strawberry with her fork, "Don't even get me started. Last night was the last time I look out for that girl."

"Oh no, what happened?" Jimin laughs. "She was knocked out when I left."

"Yeah well, she didn't stay that way," Minju complains before giving unsuspecting Heejin a death glare. "First of all, she woke up like three more times to throw up. Thankfully, she made it to the toilet but I basically had to carry the girl. Then when she finally went back to sleep, she snored. Like loud as hell, room-shaking snoring."

"Why do you sound so surprised?" Jimin jokes. "That's why Heejin and Yves always share. Heejin snores and Yves is a heavy sleeper."

"Well shit, I didn't know that!" Minju grumbles as she takes another bite of fruit. "Anyway, that's not even the worst part. At one point, when the snoring finally stopped and I could actually get some sleep – I wake up to that bitch cuddling me. Like girl was all up on me and you know I don't roll like that."

Jimin bursts out laughing and Minju tosses a grape at her.

"I'm glad you think my suffering is so hilarious," Minju quips. "You know what? This is what I get for looking out for a teammate. I'm telling you, that's the last time!"

Jimin shakes her head and laughs, "God, you are so dramatic."

"You know you'd be saying the same thing if you were in my place," Minju says.

"I wouldn't put myself in your place," Jimin quips. "I'm no babysitter."

"Whatever," Minju rolls her eyes and steals a strip of bacon off of Jimin's plate. "At least you had a decent night's sleep with the room all to yourself."

Jimin remembers the night before and smiles, "True."

She can't believe she actually called Minjeong– better yet, she can't believe Minjeong actually picked up. It was exhilarating and nerve-racking which is totally a platonic thing to feel. It's not usually like them to talk on the phone like that, so it was different – a good different.

And yeah, Minjeong caught her. She did end up missing her but Jimin has a funny feeling that Minjeong might've missed her too. At least, that's what she hopes. With how busy Minjeong's been keeping, it would be nice to know if she even noticed Jimin's absence.

But still, the phone call was like the perfect finish to her night despite not really remembering when or how it ended. Hell, she can't even remember the moment she fell asleep! One minute she was talking to Minjeong about her day and the next her alarm was going off this morning.

Jimin doubts she said anything risky considering by that time she was still the coherent kind of drunk. If anything, she's embarrassed that she possibly fell asleep mid-conversation. It's a thing she does when she's really tired so she hopes Minjeong forgives her if that's the case. She hasn't received any messages from Minjeong though so Jimin's taking that as a good sign for now.

─

Once breakfast finishes up, Coach Heo makes her first appearance to alert everyone of the morning meeting which will most likely be followed by practice before it's another full day of competitions. The lower division schools are up first which means Jimin and her squad won't be competing until late in the afternoon. Having a later slot has its advantages like having more time to perfect their routine but it's also a disadvantage because they have to deal with those Nationals nerves all day.

Jimin, however, is a seasoned pro when it comes to competing. She's been doing this since she was a kid so the nerves are there but they're nothing new. If anything, they help get her into the zone.

If only they had the same effect whenever she thinks about her feelings for Minjeong. If that were the case, she'd be unstoppable! She could speak her mind without a second thought and there wouldn't be that annoying voice in the back of her mind trying to sow seeds of doubt.

She'd be confident in how she feels and sure of herself and maybe that's all she'd need to convince Minjeong that she's worth it. Then again, she should probably focus on convincing herself before she tries it on Minjeong. After all, Jimin is her own worst enemy when it comes to how she truly feels.

─

For the next five hours, it's nothing but practice, practice, practice. By now, Jimin can do these routines in her sleep – much like everyone else – but freak accidents still happen so they have to be prepared for anything.

Once during a routine, her squad has practiced fifty times, someone injured themselves just twenty minutes before they were due to take the mat. The person's position was being filled before they were even carted off to the hospital. It was hectic and the mad dash to practice with the stand-in is something she'll never forget.

This time though, things seem to be running smoothly. The hangovers from earlier are long gone and everyone is as focused as ever on winning. Jimin is too, but occasionally she finds herself thinking about Minjeong. It's like second nature to her now, to wonder what she's up to and how her day is going.

She has still yet to hear from the blonde since their phone call and with the competition so near, Jimin's really trying to keep from worrying about it. To be fair, she doesn't actually have her phone on her while at practice. Coach Heo has strict rules on competition days, so Jimin's curiosity is hard to settle.

She's hoping that maybe Minjeong's just caught up in her work again. Jimin likes that reason because it lets her imagination run wild with fantasies of Minjeong looking hot as hell in her robotics lab.

And that's something that she has yet to curb: the growing desire she has for Minjeong.

She's surprised the tequila didn't take hold of her last night and get her into trouble which she's grateful for, but it also means she's still so tightly wound up. She's only kidding herself if she thinks the Hall Pass is still a viable option considering how much time she wasted at the club with her back against the wall.

To be surrounded by all these beautiful women who only want one thing for one night; Jimin would be in heaven if it was a few months ago, back before she got caught up in Minjeong.

It sucks to want someone you know you shouldn't, someone you can't have. There are lines that can't be crossed and boundaries that need to be abided by. Jimin knows this, she tries reminding herself of it every single time her mind starts to wander.

She's pretty much screwed when it comes to relieving some tension, but oh well. Now isn't the time to focus on the lack of sex she's having, Jimin's got more important things to occupy her mind with – like not breaking her neck while being thrown into the air.

The Lions are a well-oiled machine when it comes to competing though and so is Jimin, she just has to stay focused.

─

Another hour later and it's showtime.

The Lions take to the mat full of determination and school spirit. It's like Jimin turns into a different person when she cheers; it's all big, bright smiles that hurt her cheeks and her actions embody the peppiest pep. It's so unlike her usual demeanor but you do what you have to when fulfilling your scholarship duties are on the line.

And it's not like she's a stranger to acting either. She's actually quite good at it, sometimes she can even fool herself.

As the music starts up, the squad takes their positions and everything that happens after is all a blur. It's muscle memory by now and Jimin executes her routine with confidence and ease. She can hear the cheers from the crowd as she completes her first stunt, but it's the second one that makes the crowd really jump to their feet. That's sure to be a high score from the judges, but Jimin stays focused on executing the rest of her routine.

As the final seconds near, Jimin hastily gets into position. If just one person is off-center, it's crucial points deducted and there's no way Jimin's is going to be blamed for that. She puts on her best smile and faces the crowd and judges before striking her pose in time with the music ending.

Jimin's chest heaves as she tries catching her breath while keeping her cheer face on as the judges make their final scores. It's then that she lets her eyes scan the crowd. She usually blocks them out, especially when their rivals are clearly favored for the win, but this time she lets her eyes wander.

It's a sea of people continuing to cheer for them and Jimin thinks that's a really good sign. It's rare that the judges go against the crowd's favor but it's been done before so Jimin doesn't take it to heart. She just keeps her fingers crossed as she and her squad make their way off the mat so the last group can perform.

They're greeted by a pleased Coach Heo who is convinced that they've already won judging by that performance. She goes on and on about how their preparations paid off and all those long nights of practice were what molded the squad into champions.

What Coach seems to forget though is that aside from maybe one or two girls, everyone's been on the squad for the past two years – they've been champions all this time. The Lions have yet to miss out on placing first at Nationals. At least, not while Jimin's been on the team.

This year won't be any different.

While the last team performs, the squad stands off to the side in their designated place to watch. They're good, but they're not great and in order to beat the Lions – you need to be great. But still, they've got a couple moves that get the crowd going so Jimin doesn't count them out yet.

It's not until she looks to gauge the crowd's reaction after one stunt that she notices someone she didn't expect to see. In fact, she has to blink rapidly to make sure she's not seeing things but sure enough – her eyes aren't playing tricks.

"Yo, Jimin!" Jaemin waves excitedly.

He's decked out in Lions gear and he's waving both arms like a freaking idiot. Jimin's eyes widen as he keeps going, even after the music has stopped. Luckily, he notices the silence too and quits jumping around.

"Is that Jaemin?" Minju asks as she comes to stand beside Jimin.

"Yes," Jimin answers while she tries recovering from embarrassment. "Apparently he wanted to show some school spirit."

"Looks like he isn't the only one," Minju comments with a nudge to Jimin's side. "Your girl is here too."

Jimin's eyes widen again and she goes to do a double-take. Sure enough, Minju's right. Beside Jaemin stands Minjeong; how did she miss her?

Jimin supposes it's because, unlike Jaemin, Minjeong's support for the Lions is a lot less embarrassing since she's only dressed in cargo pants, her Columbia University t-shirt and flannel: no face paint.

The smile Minjeong wears is all the encouragement Jimin really needs anyway. One look at that mega-watt smile and it's like Jimin can do anything. Well, almost anything. It's still incapable of forcing the truth out of her.

"Did you know she was coming?" Mnju asks upon Jimin's silence. Jimin shakes her head, "I had no idea."

Jimin keeps her eyes trained on Minjeong and gives a small little smile of her own in return. When Minjeong sees she has finally caught Jimin's attention, she bounces on her toes and eagerly waves back. The sight makes Jimin chuckle and she returns the wave too.

"Cute," Minju smirks. "Wish my boyfriend would surprise me at my competitions."

Jimin chuckles as she finally tears her eyes away from Minjeong to roll them at Minju, "You love talking about this nonexistent boyfriend."

"Yeah. I'm clearly trying to speak him into existence," Minju replies before Coach Heo is calling for everyone to gather.

Jimin glances back at Minjeong one last time. She still can't believe she's actually here. Jimin never extended an invite to her before, she really didn't think Minjeong would be interested in wasting her Saturday at a cheer competition. Plus with how busy they've both been with school and wrapping up things before the semester ends, coming to Nationals wasn't something Jimin imagined Minjeong having the time for anyway.

And yet, there she is.

It makes Jimin wonder if showing up is for her or the fake girlfriend part of her. Then again, maybe it's neither? Maybe Minjeong's just here to show support – as her friend. Either way, it's a nice surprise and Jimin gives the girl one last smile before she's following after Minju and the others to hear what Coach Heo has to say.

─

When the Lions are handed the first-place trophy, it's like a weight has been lifted.

All their hard work and endless hours of training over the past year have been rewarded! With it also being the last competition of the year, it's like they're finally able to relax: no more late-night practices or early morning drills and definitely no more No Drinking policy.

The girls start planning the celebrations before they even finish taking group pictures for their feature in Nations Cheerleader. Jimin's all for that, so long as Heejin can keep her shit together this time and Minju would probably agree. This time, neither of them are going to get stuck babysitting – this time they're going to live up to their reputation of training hard and partying harder.

However, it's then that Jimin remembers that Minjeong's in the crowd. She has yet to get a chance to see her, but she's assuming that Minjeong and Jaemin will want to stick around. They wouldn't come all this way for a quick visit, would they? Especially knowing Jaemin and his affinity for hot cheerleaders. He's definitely going to want to partake in the festivities but Minjeong being here puts Jimin in a weird place though the longer she thinks about it.

The Hall Pass thing is thrown out of the window now because Jimin can't exactly go fooling around while her fake girlfriend is present. Not like she'd do that anyway if Minjeong's around because she's a much better option – which leads to another problem, Minjeong's not an option.

Again, there are rules and boundaries and so many things that can go wrong with just a sliver of a chance to go right. If Jimin could barely get a grip last night with Minjeong still back on campus, how the hell is she going to survive if she's here instead?

It's not to say that she's no longer excited to see Minjeong, because she is – it's just, she's conflicted now. Minjeong's presence is going to make it a lot harder for Jimin to really let loose and celebrate. If only she wasn't such a stress head.

─

Once the photoshoot ends and the squad is dismissed to celebrate with those whose family and friends came to support, Jimin finally makes her way over to greet Minjeong and Jaemin. The two are lounging by the stands, snacking on some nachos when Jimin walks up.

"There she is!" Jaemin cheers and jumps to his feet as Jimin nears.

His sudden outburst has Minjeong jolting to catch the tray of nachos before Jaemin knocks it over before she's turning to Jimin too. There's a soft smile on her face but it's soon blocked by Jaemin coming right at her.

"You were so awesome!" Jaemin tells her as he pulls her in for a big bear hug.

"Thanks," Jimin strains to say in his grip. When he lets go, she adjusts her uniform and quirks a brow, "You look ridiculous."

"Don't hate," Jaemin quips. He's barely fazed as he takes his seat again and reaches to polish off the tray of nachos while Minjeong stands next.

There's a bit more timidness there and Jimin wonders if it's just her or if Minjeong notices too. She wonders if it has anything to do with their phone call last night or maybe it's nothing. And maybe she's still living off the adrenaline from competing, but she surprisingly takes the first step forward so she can pull Minjeong into a hug.

There are still eyes everywhere and certain roles to play, so Jimin keeps that in mind as she holds on a little longer. She hasn't been this close to Minjeong in days, she can't lie and say she didn't miss this. These moments have become a part of her daily routine, she can't go breaking habits now – not yet at least.

When Jimin feels Minjeong hug her back a little tighter, she wonders if Minjeong might've missed this just as much.

"You were really great up there," Minjeong compliments before pulling away to reveal a brilliant smile. "That was the first time I've seen you compete since you were promoted to flyer. Those stunts you did were so cool!"

Jimin feels herself start to blush, but she attempts to keep her cool while Jaemin's around. With him and all his suspicions, Jimin doesn't need to go fueling the fire by acting like some dork with a crush. She's so much better than that.

"Thanks. I'm glad you liked the show," Jimin replies coolly. "I didn't know you guys were coming though. I would've reserved some seats for you."

Minjeong's smile falters while Jaemin glances back and forth between the two. Instead of talking, he just stuffs his face with more nachos. It makes Jimin wonder if she's said something wrong, but Minjeong doesn't give her much time to pinpoint where it could've happened.

"It was a last-minute thing," Minjeong says. She looks to Jaemin and adds, "Jaemin was free and offered to drive. I figured I shouldn't waste my whole weekend chained to the lab anyway."

Jimin nods although she still feels like something's missing. There's a smile on Minjeong's face but it isn't as bright as it was before and Jaemin's looking like he's about to eat the cardboard tray in his hands just to keep his mouth full. It's an odd feeling, but Jimin still tries to seem casual.

"Are you guys heading back to campus or staying the night?" Jimin wonders as she looks around for the time. It's nearing 5 pm now so rush hour traffic will be an issue even if it's a weekend. She knows she's definitely missing something when Minjeong's brows start to furrow.

"I guess we can head back," Minjeong replies. "I've still got a few things I need to do before class on Monday."

Jimin instantly feels like an ass, "You're more than welcome to stay. I was only asking because I'm sure we'll be going out tonight to celebrate."

"Don't worry," Minjeong tells her curtly. "The offer still stands."

"What offer?" Jaemin wonders with his mouthful.

Jimin glares at him before softening as she looks back at Minjeong, "I wasn't asking because of that. I was asking because if you're going to be here then you can party with us, experience what it's like to celebrate like a Lion."

"Oh," Minjeong looks at her bashfully. "Right."

Jimin chuckles, "What? You think I'd send you both away after making the trip here? Give me some credit, Minjeong. I'm not that much of a bitch."

Minjeong cheeks flush even more and Jimin finds herself wondering why that is. Did Minjeong think Jimin really didn't want her around? It's a surprise, sure, but Jimin wouldn't turn her away just so she can go on to complain the entire night about how much she misses having Minjeong around.

"So what do you say?" Jimin asks with a hopeful grin. "You two sticking around?"

"Well, I– " Minjeong starts but she's swiftly interrupted by Jaemin who has suddenly found his voice again.

"We're totally staying!" He answers before looking to Minjeong. "Why else did we pack overnight bags?"

The new information sparks Jimin's interest and it makes her wonder the same thing. Why pack a bag if you aren't going to use it? Why pack a bag at all if you weren't going to stay? Both valid questions and Jimin watches Minjeong's facial expressions, hoping for once she can read whatever's happening beneath the surface.

When she can't, Jimin opts for Plan B.

"You can't waste an overnight bag," Jimin jokes, trying to ease some of the tension from her previous slip-up.

Minjeong starts to smile, "I guess not."

"Plus, it's the last night for a lot of these lovely ladies so it's bound to get crazy and I want to be here for it!" Jaemin adds. "There's just something about a girl in uniform."

Jimin rolls her eyes as he smirks at a couple of girls who she hadn't realized were checking him out the entire time.

"Speaking of, I'll be right back," He tells them.

"At least wipe your face first! You've got nacho cheese everywhere," Jimin sighs as she throws a napkin at him. Jaemin catches it and quickly does as he's told before going to chat up the two cheerleaders.

"He's a mess," Jimin chuckles as she's left with Minjeong.

"Yeah he is," Minjeong giggles. "But he does have a point."

Jimin quirks her brow, "About?"

"Girls in uniform," Minjeong mentions through her smirk. "You don't look horrible in them."

"Oh really?" Jimin laughs although her chest fills with flutters. "And here I was, under the impression that the skirt doesn't do it for you. Isn't that what you told me?"

Minjeong rolls her eyes at the joke, "Maybe I've had a change of heart."

"It was the splits, wasn't it?" Jimin asks smugly. The more she's able to press Minjeong's buttons, the more at ease she feels. It's the teasing that she's comfortable with and it's a bonus when it's at Minjeong's expense rather than her own. "The splits get'em every time."

"I'm sure it does," Minjeong answers. "I didn't realize you were that flexible."

"You have no idea," Jimin says before she can catch herself. When she realizes what she just said and who she just said it to, her face starts to flush. "I mean—"

"Did you just make yourself blush with that comment?" Minjeong grins mischievously.

"No," Jimin lies.

"You did."

"I didn't."

Minjeong narrows her eyes playfully, but she doesn't say anything. Instead, she only watches Jimin for a moment before she asks, "Do you really want me to be here tonight?"

The question catches Jimin off guard.

"Just between us, do you?" Minjeong asks. "Jaemin and I don't have to stay. We can go if it gets in the way of your plans tonight. You should celebrate however you want with whoever you want to and I don't want to get in the way of that."

Jimin nods as she lets Minjeong's words sink in, but the answer is simple even if she doesn't want to admit that to herself. If she's going to celebrate such a big win, there's no one else she'd rather be with. She can't exactly say that out of fear that Minjeong will see right through her, but it's true.

"I didn't have any plans," Jimin replies instead. "I was just going to go along with whatever the squad sets up. Whatever happens, happens. I don't mind if you're around for that."

"Are you sure?" Minjeong asks.

Jimin nods again, "I'm sure."

Minjeong's yet to say anything more as Jaemin rejoins them. He's wearing a big grin as he stuffs his phone back in his pocket.

"So we got a plan tonight or what?" Jaemin asks. "If not, I can work out something with my new friends over there."

Jimin shakes her head, "I'm sure the girls are already planning something so I'll let you know as soon as I do. Where are you guys staying anyway? Our hotel has to be fully booked with all the squads in town for Nationals."

"Man, an entire hotel full of hot cheerleaders," Jaemin sighs happily.

Minjeong chuckles as he daydreams, "We actually were able to score a room. There was a last-minute cancellation."

"A room? Like one?" Jimin's brows rise questioningly.

"Yes?"

"Huh," Jimin taps her chin. "So you'll share a bed with him before you share one with your own fake girlfriend?"

It was meant to be a joke but there's a little more bite to her words than intended and it doesn't go unnoticed.

Jaemin looks intrigued, "You guys haven't slept together yet?"

Jimin's eyes widen at his comment while Minjeong shakes her head, biting her lip to keep from laughing.

"Chill. You know what I meant," Jaemin waves Jimin off before she lays into him.

"Don't worry," Minjeong smirks at Jimin. "It's a twin room – two separate beds. They didn't have any more singles. Don't go getting jealous."

Jimin scoffs as she crosses her arms, "I wasn't jealous. I was just saying. If Jaemin leaves the club with someone it might be a little awkward sharing a room."

"What kind of friend do you think I am?" Jaemin frowns. "Minjeong's got dibs on the room. I'll take my hooking up elsewhere thank you very much."

"See?" Minjeong chuckles. "All sorted. Don't worry."

"I guess," Jimin brushes the both of them off to salvage some of her dignity. So much for keeping calm, cool, and collected. "Well, Coach Heo wants to treat us to dinner so I'll let you know what the plan is afterward? It shouldn't be more than a couple of hours."

"Sweet," Jaemin grins as he wraps an arm around Minjeong's shoulders. "That gives us some time to hang out too! There was an arcade we drove by on the way here, how do you feel about hitting that up?"

"Heck yeah! Let's do it," Minjeong beams. "That sounds like so much fun."

Jimin smiles enviously at the pair. She'd love nothing more than to blow off the squad dinner in favor of hanging out with them – mainly Minjeong. She doesn't say that though, instead she's just happy that they'll have something to keep themselves occupied with while she's busy.

"Okay, well then I'll see you both later," Jimin says.

Minjeong smiles and it surprises Jimin when she closes the distance with a quick peck to her cheek. Those quick kisses, they always take Jimin by surprise when she really should be accustomed to them by now.

"Your squad's watching," Minjeong whispers with her lips still close to Jimin's cheek.

It's yet another reminder of rules and boundaries and roles to play. Jimin doesn't say a thing, just nods and lets her hand rest on Minjeong's hip to steady herself until the blonde pulls away.

"We'll see you later," Minjeong tells her.

Jaemin waves too as they turn away. Again, Jimin doesn't say anything. She only waves back as she watches them leave, wondering what the hell she's just gotten herself into.

─

Dinner seems to drag on forever mainly because Coach Heo loves reliving her glory days and makes sure she takes everyone down memory lane with her. They probably would've been dismissed a lot earlier if Lia didn't keep asking questions. What was only meant to be a two-hour dinner is now verging on three and nearly everyone at the table is over it but no one knows how to make it stop.

Jimin's getting especially antsy the longer she sits, the longer she makes Minjeong wait. They've been texting back and forth since Minjeong and Jaemin returned to the hotel. There was talk of getting ready together along with Minju back in Jimin's room, but that doesn't look like it'll happen at this rate.

"What happened after that, Coach?" Lia asks and everyone at the table shifts uncomfortably.

"Seriously?" Jimin grumbles beneath her breath to Minju who sits beside her. "You'd think she'd be itching to get out of her too judging by how she spent most of last night dancing on a bar."

"That's what I'm saying," Minju whispers. "It's like they're two different people."

Jimin hums as she gets another text from Minjeong.

Are you almost done yet? We're going to check out the bar here.

Jimin groans and shows Minju the text, "They're going to start drinking already. That should be us."

Minju reads the text and frowns, "Someone's got to do something about this. Do you think pretending to take a phone call would work?"

"What?" Jimin stares at her with a confused look on her face. "You think a phone call would end this?"

"I don't know? Maybe?"

Jimin shakes her head, "I don't think that would work."

Minju sighs and they both sit in a bored silence while Coach Heo continues. It isn't until another ten minutes goes by that Jimin feels her phone vibrate again.

You look very bored.

Jimin looks up and glances to the bar where Minjeong and Jaemin sit giggling with their drinks in hand. They've both changed out of their school-spirited outfits from before and thankfully Jaemin's lost the face paint and hair dye. It still amazes Jimin that he was able to get any girl's number looking like that.

Minjeong on the other hand is looking as hot as ever with her long legs on display this time. It looks like she has lost the casual jeans and a t-shirt in favor of something black with a very low hemline. Jimin gulps and goes to focus on inconspicuously texting back.

I am. I see you're ready for tonight.

I am.

Jimin bites her cheek to keep from smirking. This dinner needs to hurry the hell up already. She's actually this close to causing a scene just so they can leave, but she worries about the repercussions once they get back to campus.

"Excuse me, miss."

Jimin looks up from her phone to find a waiter beside her with a drink sitting atop a silver tray in his hand. For a moment, the table quiets down as Jimin turns to him.

"Compliments of the woman sitting at the bar," He tells her before lowering his voice. "She said to help with the boredom."

Jimin blushes as she can feel all eyes on her. She accepts the drink with a quiet, "Thanks."

"How come she can order a drink?" Heejin pouts, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, not fair!" Lia complains, "I thought we were only allowed to order water."

"I didn't order this," Jimin replies dismissively. "It was sent to me."

"I want one sent to me too!" Yves chimes in.

"Yeah!" Heejin adds.

"Like either of you need to be drinking," Minju scoffs. "Especially you Heejin. You're going to have to learn to hold your liquor before you move up to having a drink with dinner."

Jimin presses her lips together to keep from laughing while Minju's comment riles everyone up. Coach Heo just looks back and forth between everyone, halfway offended that they'd interrupt her storytelling but also interested in the hot gossip.

While they all banter, Jimin sips her drink slowly. In the other hand, she quickly sends Minjeong a text.

Thank you. Slightly less bored. Any other tricks up your sleeve?

Jaemin wants to send your Coach a drink too.

Then we'll never leave.

Can't have that.

Jimin finds herself smirking, but she hides it behind her glass. The back and forth she and Minjeong have going on excites her in all the wrong ways, but she doesn't want to stop.

Meanwhile, the rest of the girls at the table still babble on. Jimin figures if they aren't dismissed by the time she's finished with her drink, she's taking matters into her own hands.

What will she do? She hasn't gotten that far, but it'll be enough to send everyone on their way.

─

Thankfully, it doesn't get to that.

Once Minju threatens to reveal where Yves really spent her night last night, everyone shuts up and Lia is the one who surprisingly reminds Coach that the squad wants to do a little celebrating of their own before they leave for campus tomorrow. With that, Coach allows everyone to leave without putting anyone else through another one of her stories from her Olympian days.

"I'll meet you up there," Jimin tells Minju as they leave the dining room. "I'm going to stop by the bar."

Minju smirks, "I'm coming with. I need a drink too after that shit."

"Alright," Jimin laughs and the two make their way over to where Minjeong and Jaemin sit.

They've been glancing her way since they came down to the bar but there's something about the mischievous glint in Minjeong's eye that interests Jimin. It pulls at something that was damn near impossible to tame the night before.

"Ladies!" Jaemin beams once Jimin and Minju near.

Minjeong turns too and her smile makes Jimin's stomach flip.

"It's finally over?" Minjeong asks jokingly. "I thought it would never end."

"You're telling us," Minju replies as she takes a seat next to Jaemin.

"Hi," Jaemin smirks at Minju.

Minju rolls her eyes at him but she still can't help but smile, "Hi."

"It's Jaemin."

"Uh-huh," Minju dismisses. "How are your grades looking, Jaemin? Still flunking English?"

Jaemin snorts but the smug grin stays in place, "I don't know. Would that get me a session with you?"

"Jesus," Jimin rolls her eyes while Minjeong chuckles at Jaemin's shameless flirting.

"What?" Jaemin brushes Jimin off before turning to Minju, "I've been saying if I got to choose my tutor it would've been you. I'm trying again next semester."

"Rude," Minjeong jokes quietly. "What about me?"

"No offense, Minjeong, but you're off-limits," Jaemin explains.

Minju laughs, "You know what? I appreciate the dedication so maybe one day."

"Gross," Jimin scrunches her nose. "Come on, Minju...where are your standards?"

Minju only shrugs, "I said maybe one day – it's not like it'll happen anytime soon."

"Keep telling yourself that," Jaemin winks.

Thankfully the bartender interrupts by asking about Minju's drink order. She just nods to Jaemin, "I'll have whatever he's having. I'm not picky."

Jaemin stares at her with hearts in his eyes while Jimin moves around to sit next to Minjeong. Now that she's up close, she can see Minjeong's outfit in the flesh and damn she's going to need all the help she can get tonight. If Minjeong's fire-resistant gear got Jimin going then she's going to struggle after one glance at the dress Minjeong has on.

"Did you want another?" Minjeong asks as the bartender looks to Jimin for her order.

Jimin hesitates; she really shouldn't because alcohol and Minjeong are never a good mix but how else is she meant to quench this thirst? She has an idea how, but it's probably more appropriate to stick to alcohol instead which says something about the former idea.

"Please," Jimin nods with a polite smile to the both of them. She's celebrating now and she can't properly do that without having a drink or two or three. She just has to remember the rules and boundaries and roles that they're meant to play and everything will be fine.

─

So it turns out that trying to constantly keep herself in check is a lot easier said than done.

Jimin knew that would be the case and yet she still put herself in the current situation she is in which consists of lots of alcohol, loud dance music, outfits that barely cover any skin, and very low inhibitions mixed with an insatiable desire to do very bad things.

Minjeong's a dance goddess, Jimin knew that before they got to the club.

Jimin knew there would be a time when the intake of alcohol would align with her flimsy self-control. She knew that at some point she and Minjeong would dance together and it wouldn't take long before those dance moves got riskier and riskier.

Jimin knew hands would roam over places they really shouldn't. Thighs would rub against places they have no business rubbing against. And lips – god – lips would press hot kisses into skin way too sensitive to be touched.

Jimin knew all of this and deep down that's probably why she didn't put up as much of a fight as she should've when it came to resisting certain...urges.

The flashing red lights in her head go practically unnoticed the longer Jimin dances with Minjeong. It's all under the guise of having careless fun, but the tequila in her system is back on its bullshit and it begs Jimin to stop fronting.

It begs her to stop downplaying these feelings, it begs her to give in, it begs her to act.

"You're thinking too much," Minjeong whispers against Jimin's ear, her voice raspy from all the singing.

Despite the way Jimin feels her face flush, a shiver rolls down her spine. She shakes it off though, along with Minjeong's comment.

"I'm not," Jimin replies.

Minjeong smirks, "You are. It's written all over your face."

Jimin attempts to brush her off again. She turns in Minjeong's embrace, away from analytical eyes. Jimin tries to ignore how their hips fit together so snug, how Minjeong's hand flattens across her stomach and keeps their bodies flush.

"Tell me," Minjeong whispers again. "What are you thinking about?"

Jimin rolls her head back to rest against Minjeong's shoulder. From this angle, Jimin's able to regain some confidence without having pretty brown eyes staring back at her. It makes her wonder whether or not she should tell the truth just to see how Minjeong would react, because all those questions from the night before are starting to resurface.

What would Minjeong do if Jimin were to suddenly stop holding back?

"You don't want to know," Jimin husks.

Minjeong lets loose a throaty giggle that makes Jimin's stomach tense. It's a dead giveaway because she's sure Minjeong felt that with her hand still flat against Jimin's abs.

"I think I do."

Jimin swallows dryly – Minjeong has no idea what she does to her, she has no idea what kind of restraint she's capable of in order to keep her hands to herself. Darkened brown eyes stare deeply into Jimin's and the way Minjeong licks her lips every so often doesn't do a thing to help quiet the voice inside that begs her to do things she can't.

If anything, it eggs it on.

____

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