- 9
Minjeong lays on her bed, propped on her side so she can stare at the cactus Jimin gave her yesterday. She hums gently in its direction, wondering if the action will help it grow. After all, music helps babies develop, right? Maybe plants weren't much different. At the very least, humming and singing to her cactus wouldn't hurt it. It would just be weird.
She sighs, turning to stare up at her ceiling instead. Jimin hasn't texted her yet, even though it's nearly two in the afternoon. It's definitely possible that her dad took away her phone, but Minjeong was hoping that wouldn't be the case.
Man, she really messed things up. What kind of person thinks a party would make for a good first date? And then she just had to ask Jimin if she wanted to drink and break into Mr Park's pool with her. That was so idiotic. Even if Jimin didn't tell her dad the whole story, he'll probably figure out she was up to something illegal just by mentioning Minjeong's name.
A knock on the front door has her hopping off her bed to answer it; her mom is still sleeping off last night's shift, and any persistent knocking is likely to wake her up. Trudging out to the entrance, she swings the door open, expecting a delivery person or a solicitor.
Instead, Principal Yu looms over her, a stormy expression on his face.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" She exclaims out of reflex. But then she remembers she's not just talking to Principal Yu now, but Jimin's father, and she tacks on a reluctant. "...sir."
His eyebrows raise slightly at that addition, since it's the first time she's ever called him 'sir' in a non-sarcastic manner. "May I come in?"
Minjeong swallows hard. "S-sure." She opens the door further and steps to the side, allowing him to pass her.
He gives the space a cursory look before settling in at the kitchen table. He gestures to the seat across from him, but Minjeong is too nervous to sit down right now. She leans against the kitchen counter, crossing her arms over her chest as if it will protect her.
He stares at her for a long moment, sizing her up. She should be used to that strong gaze being on her, but she's always the one to look away first. This time it's different though, because she knows this isn't about school. So she stares back at him defiantly, daring him to look away first.
His dark eyes briefly flicker to the counter behind her. Steepling his hands on the table, he calmly says. "I don't want you to see my daughter anymore."
Minjeong bares her teeth. "You have no right to come here and tell me I can't see her—"
"Yes, I do." He says, his voice carrying over hers. "Congratulations, Minjeong. You have gotten my attention, so there's no reason to continue seeing her."
"What?" Minjeong gapes at him. "I'm not trying to piss you off by seeing her. I like Jimin. I really do. And I'm not asking for her hand in marriage, but I...she makes me happy. And I make her happy too."
Mr Yu is silent at that, eyes narrowing almost imperceptibly to reassess his arguments. He shakes his head after a moment. "That's irrelevant. I don't think you would be good for her. You do nothing but cause trouble and leave other people to clean up your messes. You do the bare minimum to stay in school, and you've maxed out the amount of days you can skip your classes without being expelled." His jaw works, and he says his next words slowly and deliberately.
"You're a toxic influence to those around you, and you are not good enough for my daughter."
Minjeong's hands shake in anger, and she clenches them by her sides, blinking hard. Damn him, he is not going to make her cry in her own home. She opens her mouth, ready to say something that will prove him wrong, when she hears her mom's door slam open.
Her mom stomps towards the kitchen, still in her pajamas. Her face is bare of makeup, and the half-moon circles under her eyes are clearly visible. She stops next to Minjeong, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Mr Yu hastily stands up, apparently expecting Minjeong to be alone. "Mrs Kim, I apologizing for intruding, but—"
"May I ask why you're here?" Her mom asks curtly, leaving pleasantries by the wayside.
While she's met with the Principal Yu plenty of times, the two of them have never been more than coolly polite to one another. "Has Minjeong caused any trouble?"
Mr Yu straightens slightly. "Not quite. It has to do with my daughter, actually." Minjeong's mom stays silent at that, waiting for him to continue. He shift uncomfortably and clears his throat. "I don't want Minjeong to see her anymore."
"And why is that?" She asks bluntly, not letting him off that easy.
Minjeong tilts her chin up, knowing what he's about to say. He clears his throat again. "I don't think they're well-suited for one another."
Tense silence hangs in the air.
"No." Minjeong stiffens at her mother's tone; she's never heard her voice sound so cold. Her grip tightens slightly on Minjeong's shoulder. "You do not come to my house and tell my daughter who she can or cannot see." She turns to Minjeong.
"Do you like the girl?"
"I've never liked anyone as much as her." Minjeong answers truthfully.
"And does she like you?"
Minjeong nods silently.
Her mom turns her attention back to Mr Yu. "Then I don't see a problem with them dating."
Mr Yu frowns at that. "She took Jimin to a party last night, and I know it won't be the only time she drags her into a questionable situation. Jimin should be with someone like her, not someone—"
"Not someone like my daughter?" Her mom steps towards Mr Yu so she's between him and Minjeong. The move reminds Minjeong of a mama dog protecting her puppy. "Kids will be kids, Mr Yu. They'll make mistakes and hopefully they'll learn from them. If Minjeong and your daughter like each other, it would be worse to try and split them up."
"Jimin has a future!" Mr Yu says loudly, temper flaring. He jerks a finger in Minjeong's direction. "I will not have that future put in jeopardy because Minjeong pushes her into bad situations with bad people. She has worked too hard for that to happen!"
Minjeong pushes off the counter, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her mom. She's had enough of him talking like she's not here. "You don't want any future for her besides the one you've chosen!" He stiffens at that and Minjeong continues. "Yeah, I know about the 'option' you've given her for school. Those would make her miserable, but you don't care."
Without pulling her eyes away from Mr Yu, she says. "Mom, do you know what I'm going to do after high school?"
"No, I don't."
"And does that bother you?"
Her mom's arm comes back up to wrap around her shoulders. "No, honey. I know you can find somewhere that makes you happy, and I trust you to make your own decisions."
"See?" Minjeong says to Mr Yu, having never been more glad to have such a good relationship with her mom. "Jimin is smart, smarter than I am. She's capable of so much. Trying to force her into something she has no interest in will just distance her from you. She would resent you for that every day."
"That's..." Mr Yu's mouth thins into a hard line. He shakes his head like the words won't compute. "You break too many rules." He says eventually. "How do I know you won't drag her into any of your problems?"
Minjeong rolls her eyes. "Your teenage daughter went to a party with me, it's not the end of the world. I would never put her into a bad situation." In fact, she should probably start distancing herself from bad situations anyways. As her mom said, she won't be seventeen forever. The last thing she needs is a mark on her permanent record.
"That's not good enough." He says decisively. "I need your guarantee that you will be a better student this year. I don't want to hear any rumors of your involvement in a prank, I don't want to see your face in detention, and I don't want you to be skipping any more classes."
Minjeong's mouth drops open. "That's—" That's impossible is what she wants to say out of impulse. But she can see a victorious light appearing in her principal's eyes. He doesn't think she's any more than a hoodlum, and he's making the assumption that she'd rather continue to cause mayhem than date Jimin.
Well, he's fucking wrong.
"I can't promise you zero detentions." She says after a moment of consideration. "And I can't help it if there's rumors of me being involved in things. But I'll try not to skip any of my classes."
It's clearly more of an agreement than he expects, and his eyes widen before he thinks her words over. "Fine, then no more than two detentions for the year and you must have perfect attendance."
Is he trying to haggle with her? Two can play that game. "Two detentions per semester, perfect attendance, and I'll join an extracurricular." She's planning on trying out for the cross country team anyways, so it's not much of a sacrifice on her part.
She can feel her mom's gaze on her while Mr Yu considers her deal. After a minute, he nods and steps forward, stretching out his hand. "Fine. But if you slip back into your old ways..."
Then I'll still see Jimin, no matter what you say.
"Then you can yell at me some more." Minjeong responds with an infuriating smile, grasping his hand and shaking it firmly.
Mr Yu nods, but he seems vaguely confused, like he couldn't possibly imagine the conversation would unfold like this. "Then I'll take my leave." He starts to walk towards the door, flanked by Minjeong and her mom. He's halfway over the threshold when he turns back to Minjeong. "I'll try not to...interfere with you and Jimin." He looks slightly pained when he adds. "Just— treat her well."
"I will." Minjeong says quietly, knowing it will be the easiest promise she's ever made.
He nods curtly at that, eyes sliding to her mom. "I apologize for disturbing you, Mrs Kim."
Her mom nods, though she still doesn't look happy with him. "Hopefully this will be the last time we meet under these conditions. Have a good day." And with that, she closes the door on him.
Minjeong expels a relieved sigh. "That went better than I thought it would."
"The gall that man had..." Her mom shakes her head. "He's lucky I didn't throw him out the moment I saw him."
With her bed hair and wrinkled pajamas, her mom doesn't look all that threatening. But she had defended Minjeong without hesitation and believed in her without a doubt.
Minjeong takes a few steps towards her mom and throws her arms around her. "I love you, mom." She says, voice muffled by the fabric of the pajama top underneath her.
"I love you, too." Her mom says in return. After a few moments, she pulls Minjeong back to look at her. "And I expect this Jimin girl to come over so I can see what all the fuss is about." She smiles impishly. "Is she pretty?"
"Mom!" Minjeong groans dramatically. "Of course she is!"
Her mom slowly shakes her head. "I still can't believe it. The principal's daughter—how exactly did you two meet?"
Minjeong coughs, suddenly looking anywhere but at her mom. "Well, that's an interesting story, actually..."
—
Jimin shifts her car into park when she arrives in front of Minjeong's apartment, not quite believing that she's actually here. Her dad had handed back her phone when he returned home, suggesting she go visit Minjeong (a suggestion that looked like it caused him to strain a muscle)
It was a complete 180 of how he was acting earlier. Last night had been—unpleasant. Trying to remain calm, she had given him sparse details of where she had been and who was there with her. He didn't really explode until she mentioned Minjeong, and what Minjeong meant to her. Then he was angrily pacing around the room and insisting they stay far away from each other.
When he told her that he planned on 'setting things straight' with Minjeong earlier today, Jimin feared the worst. But here she was, and with his apparent blessing.
Just what had Minjeong said to him?
Taking a calming breath, Jimin turns her car off and makes her way to Minjeong's door. The first time she knocks, there's no answer. She knocks harder, wondering if she should have texted Minjeong and to make sure she's even home.
The door opens right as she's reaching for her phone, revealing a woman wearing pale blue hospital scrubs. "Hi, can I help you?" She asks with a smile.
With her hair and that smile, she could only be Minjeong's mom. Jimin nods politely at her. "Hi, I'm Yu Jimin. Is Minjeong home?"
"Ah, so you're Jimin." It seems like Minjeong even inherited that mischievous glint in her eyes from the woman in front of her. "I've heard a lot about you recently." She opens the door further, ushering Jimin inside. "Come in, come in."
Jimin steps into the apartment, unable to keep herself from looking around. Minjeong wasn't lying when she said her home had bars on the window, but the place is cozy in a way her own house isn't—the mismatched furniture and various pictures and book lying around lend the place a comforting atmosphere.
Jimin walks over towards one of the walls, drawn to a picture of Minjeong. She must have only been about twelve, her hands on her hips and giving the photographer a toothy smile. "She was already getting into trouble at that age." Minjeong's mom confides to her. "She had made a small business of helping her classmates pull out their loose teeth. Made an impressive amount of money before her teacher found out."
Jimin laughs quietly. "That does sound like her."
The woman gives Jimin a considering look. "I think you'll be good for her." She says, nodding as if coming to a decision. "And she certainly likes you."
Jimin blushes at that, but the words are good to hear. She didn't know how much the approval of Minjeong's mom meant until now.
"She'll be good for me, too." Jimin tells her.
The woman beams at the words, looking proud of her daughter. "Well, I won't delay you any further. Minjeong's room is right down the hall, and if you go quietly, you might be able to hear her sing. She has a lovely voice."
Jimin raises an eyebrow at that, but needs no further prompting to head down the hallway, tiptoeing as best she can.
Minjeong's door is cracked open, and Jimin gently opens it further, allowing her eyes a moment to adjust to the amount of light filtering in from the setting sun. The walls of the room are nearly entirely covered in band and movie posters, with a line of fairy lights strung up over the bed.
Minjeong's on the center of the bed, one leg up and crossed over the other, foot bouncing slowly to a beat only she can hear. She's facing the window, and Jimin can make out the silhouette of her cactus sitting on the window ledge. Though she's facing away from her, Jimin can see that her eyes are closed.
I watch the ice melt on the glass
while the eloquent young pilgrims pass
and leave behind their trail
imploring us not to fail
Minjeong sings and Jimin almost gasps.
That voice is pure melody, light and carefree, sweet as honey. It's the most beautiful thing Jimin ever heard. She smiles when she recognizes the song, and takes her first step into Minjeong's room, singing the next verse with her.
Of course I raised to gather courage from those
lofty tales so tried and true and
if you're able
Minjeong jumps up, startled, when she hears Jimin's voice accompanying her own. Then she sees Jimin and a bright smile comes over her. "You're here!" She says happily, bounding over to her.
Wasting no time, she pulls Jimin towards her. "And you never told me you could sing."
"Neither did you!" Jimin counters, but then she closes the distance between them and kisses Minjeong fully on the mouth.
Minjeong squeaks in surprise, taking a step backwards and falling onto her bed. She latches onto Jimin during the fall, causing her to tumble on top of her. Minjeong's quick to roll them over, pinning Jimin's hands above her head. She situates herself comfortably on Jimin's hips, leaning forward to kiss her again.
"You should come with a warning label." Minjeong mumbles as she nuzzles into Jimin's neck. "You are way too addictive. I'd need a twenty-four step program to get you out of my system."
Jimin bites back a moan when Minjeong gently sucks on the sensitive skin under her ear. "W-wait—" She says, struggling to remember why exactly she wants Minjeong to wait.
Minjeong pauses in her ministrations, pulling back so they're nose-to-nose. Her lips begin to quirk upwards. "Yes?"
"How did you get my dad to agree to let us date?" Jimin asks, shifting slightly under Minjeong.
Minjeong hangs her head, groaning. "Way to be a mood-killer, babe." She releases Jimin's hands and gently gets off of her, sitting on the edge of the bed. "If you must know, I promised to basically be a freakin' girl scout for the next year." When Jimin moves to sit next to her, Minjeong bumps her shoulder. "I suppose you're worth it, though."
"Damn right I am," Jimin teases, startling a laugh out of Minjeong. "Thank you though, for convincing him. I didn't think it'd be possible."
Minjeong shrugs, staring at her cactus. "He's just worried about you, is all. I'm not saying I like him or anything, but I can see where he's coming from."
Jimin lays down on the bed and stares up at the ceiling, smiling when she sees a galaxy of glow-in-the-dark stars and planets stuck up there. Minjeong lays back down too, curling towards her. Jimin mimics the gesture so they can face each other.
For a moment, she gets lost in Minjeong's eyes. They're so brown, but from this close she can see tiny flecks of honey brown around her pupils. "You're so beautiful." She breathes, and maybe she's already a little too in love with Minjeong.
Minjeong grins, but it's soft and genuine. She hooks a loose strand of hair behind Jimin's ear. "You're the most beautiful one, Jimin."
Just a few weeks ago, Kim Minjeong was nothing more than a name. A name that mean trouble and caused endless headaches for her dad. Jimin had seen her in the halls before, possibly even shared a class with her at one point.
She could never imagine a day where she'd be in Minjeong's room, staring into her eyes and thinking of nothing but how they'd spend the rest of the summer together. To think this all started because Minjeong vandalized her yard and poured bleach across her garden.
She leans forwards and kisses Minjeong because she can. Curls her hand around her hip because she wants to. Whispers her name because there's no one else she'd rather be with.
There's a quiet knock on Minjeong's door and her mom cautiously steps in. "Sorry to interrupt you two." She says, unperturbed at the sight of the two teens kissing on Minjeong's bed.
Nonetheless, Jimin sits up and smoothes her hair back into place. "Jimin, did you want to stay for dinner? I'll have to leave soon after, but I'd love to talk to you some."
Still lying across the bed, Minjeong nods her agreement. "You totally should. It's barbecue night at Kim's house. And no one should miss barbecue night. No one."
Jimin smiles at her. Everything seems like it's settling into place now, and she can't remember ever being happier than this. She reaches across the bed and squeezes Minjeong's hand.
"I'd love to stay."
| The End |
______
and we're finished! this is the end of this story! i hope everyone enjoyed this story and thank you to the original author ©wolfbrigade for creating this amazing story, do make sure to check out the original one too! their works are all amazing!
thank you so much to everyone who read, voted, and commented! i truly appreciate it! let's enjoy the next winrina adaptation! <3
Song - Young Pilgrims by The Shins
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