From Afar | Winrina

01 | Secrets, Reasons, And Pink Pringles

Math has never been Minjeong's thing.

Sure, she's good at it, but it has never been one of her favorites. She doesn't know why numbers need to be so complicated. There could've been a shortcut, for all she knows. And yet, someone just have to make it harder for them.

Minjeong looked at her side, seeing how her best friend tries to keep herself from falling asleep.

"You good?" The short haired girl whispered.

Aeri glanced at her with a pout.

"It's boring."

"It sure is."

Aeri cannot stand silence, and Minjeong knows that. She knows how her friend likes to keep herself wide awake, and how she likes to be in a lively place with crowds and loud noises.

Surely one of the reasons why Aeri is so popular.

Uchinaga Aeri, how should Minjeong describe her best friend? She's the life of the party, the life of the campus, even. She's one of the most popular students in their University and everyone likes her. She has a lot of friends, whether from inside or outside of the school.

Aeri is a part of the volleyball team, which means she is really sporty. She's a model too, and the representative of the school. She's everything that everyone wants to be.

Everyone, except for Minjeong.

Minjeong and Aeri are very much the polar opposites of each other. While Aeri is the popular lively girl, Minjeong is the quiet and mysterious one. Not that she likes being mysterious, it's just that there are some things that she wants to be hidden.

Minjeong likes her private life. Nobody needs to know everything about her because it isn't necessary, that's what she says.

Unlike Aeri, Minjeong likes silence. She prefers to be alone most of the time, but that is almost impossible to happen since she seems to be surrounded with people like Aeri.

Namely Shin Ryujin and Shin Yuna.

She's not a sporty person, nor someone who has a lot of friends. In fact, she doesn't even know why Aeri decided to befriend her. They are the complete opposites, what could be the possible reason as to why she became friends with Aeri?

Aeri said, Minjeong is like an open book that nobody bothers to read.

She doesn't know if that's an insult or a compliment.

Either way, she doesn't really care.

Minjeong wants her life as it is right now. She doesn't really care about having a lot of friends or gaining popularity. Although Aeri's life looks very pleasing, Minjeong would rather stay with the way of her living.

"Wanna go with us later? Gonna hang out with friends, Ryujin and Yuna are there also." Aeri whispered beside her.

Minjeong rolled her eyes playfully as she leaned back on her chair.

"You know my answer."

"Never gonna change?"

"Nope."

"It's fun."

She looked at the Half Japanese. "Staying at home is also fun."

Aeri couldn't help but to sigh, knowing that she can't really persuade Minjeong to come after so many tries. "You'll be alone this weekend again?"

"I have some company."

"Who?"

"A friend."

"I hate how you make suspenseful responses."

Minjeong chuckled. "You'll meet her…soon."

An hour had passed before their math class ended. It's their last subject for the day and they are now ready to go home. Minjeong took her time placing her things on her backpack, not wanting to push herself to the crowd of students who are eager to get out of the class. Aeri stood at the side, seemingly waiting for Minjeong.

"You don't have training today?" Minieong said and slung her backpack on her shoulder as she and Aeri went out of the room.

"I don't feel like going."

"But you have the energy to hang out?"

Giselle snorted. "It's different, Minjeong."

The said girl shrugged. "Whatever you say."

A few students can be seen looking at them, and honestly, this is not a surprising thing for Minjeong at all. The famous Uchinaga Aeri with a normal student like Kim Minjeong? Of course it is something to gawk at.

"Minjeongie! Aeri!"

The two girls turned their heads to look at the person who called them.

They saw the ever lively cheerleader Shin Yuna with the badass soccer player, and also her cousin, Shin Ryujin.

"What's up?" Ryujin greeted the short haired girl and wrapped her arm around the former's shoulder.

"The sky." Minjeong deadpanned.

"Mrs. Kang was so scary earlier. Gosh, She gave us a 100 item quiz and told us to answer it in one hour. She's a terror!" Yuna complained as she hooked her arm around Aeri's.

"I bet she had a fight with our PE teacher again." Aeri laughed. They started walking again, with the other students gawking, of course.

"Why would she have a fight with Coach Seulgi?" Minjeong asked.

"Haven't you heard? Coach Seulgi and Mrs. Irene Kang are married." Yuna said.

"Really?" Minjeong doesn't know that. She thought that Irene and Seulgi just have the same surname.

"You've been busy being in the library, that's why." Aeri teased.

"Bookworm." Ryujin added.

Of all things, Minjeong is not a bookworm.

She reads books, but not often.

The library is just so quiet that she couldn't help but to go there.

And she's blaming the three for being so loud every damn time.

"Ryujin Unnie, look! It's your crush!" They heard Yuna say as they all looked at their side, Seeing four beautiful girls making their way towards the gate.

"She looks beautiful, as always." Ryujin dreamily sighed while looking at Hwang Yeji, a member of a dance troupe.

Minjeong looked at the tall girl beside Yeji and mumbled,

"Yeah, very beautiful."

"I actually have a crush on one of them." The three other girls gasped and looked at Aeri.

"What? Really?" Yuna exclaimed as if she couldn't believe what she just heard. And Minjeong can't blame her, she couldn't believe what she just heard either.

Aeri has been crushing on guys for as long as Minjeong knows, and this is the first time that a girl finally caught her attention. Aeri is openly bisexual, but it's still surprising for them.

Aeri smiled shyly. "Hmm, yeah."

"Who is it? Who is it?" Ryujin eagerly said while gripping at Minjeong's shoulders tightly, causing the latter to scowl at her.

"It's…Yu Jimin."

Huh.

Yu Jimin?

"Oooh, the secretary of the student council? Nice taste!" Ryujin exclaimed and made a high five with Aeri.

"I know, right? She's so beautiful and dreamy, she's kind too! She always smile at everyone." Aeri happily said while staring at the girl who caught her eyes.

Minjeong stayed silent.

Yu Jimin?

That's her freaking crush.

A 'secret' crush, to be specific.

And now, Aeri is crushing on the girl too.

Great.

It's not that bad, it's just a petty crush that Minjeong has for the girl.

Not that deep.

Definitely.

"And uh," Aeri trailed off. "I'm planning to make a move."

"You're really serious about this?" Ryujin laughed.

"Yeah, I mean, she's really nice. I hope I get a chance." Aeri then turned to Minjeong with a smile. "What do you think, Minjeongie?"

What does she think?

What should she even say about this whole situation?

That she's crushing on Jimin too?

Nope, she won't say that. Definitely not.

Besides, Jimin is not hers. The girl could freely like who she wants to like. It's not Minjeong's business to interfere.

"You should do it, Aeri."

She said that.

Did she regret it?

No.

There are so many reasons why she shouldn't be regretting it, and she's keeping it in mind.

"Okay! But, does she even know me?" Aeri asked which made Yuna laugh at her.

"Are you really asking that? Of course she knows you! You're Uchinaga Aeri, in case you're forgetting it."

That's the first reason.

That's Uchinaga Aeri, and she's only Kim Minjeong. If there would be a comparison, there's no way that Minjeong could stand up beside Aeri. They are on different levels with a wide gap.

"But do you think she'll like me?"

It was Ryujin's turn to answer.

"Again, are you really asking that? There's no way she wouldn't like you, Aeri."

That's the second reason.

Aeri is not too hard to like. In fact, you can just spend a day with her and you'll eventually like her. Aeri is very bubbly, you won't get bored hanging out with her because she has all the things in the world. She brings the excitement and fun that everyone will surely like.

"I really like her." Aeri sighed. "She's Yu Jimin, you know? The campus sweetheart, a dean's lister, member of the student council, and a role model. She's a really great catch."

Third reason, the one that Minjeong considers the most.

It's Yu Jimin, not just a simple girl, but the Yu Jimin. Someone who's totally out of her league. Minjeong can't even imagine Jimin liking a simple person. She always thought that Jimin deserves better, she deserves the best of the best in this world and Minjeong is far from being the best—or even being enough.

Aeri, she's the best candidate for Jimin.

Minjeong is sure of that.

"Then go and get her." The three turned their heads to look at Minjeong. "If you really like her, then show it. Grab her heart."

"You sound so serious." Ryujin nudged her.

The short haired girl narrowed her eyes. "She's Jimin, of course this is something to be serious about. She's not a plaything."

"Woah, calm down, Kim." Aeri laughed. "And I don't treat people like a plaything, you know that, right?"

Of course, she knows.

That's why she's willing to step aside just so Aeri and Jimin can be together.

"So, what's the plan? We're going to help you get close to her!" Yuna exclaimed.

"We need to get close with her friends first, that's what I'm thinking about." Aeri answered.

"Oh, leave it to me! I'm close with Chaeryeong. Let's have lunch with them next week!" Ryujin said.

The three continued talking about their plan to get Aeri and Jimin close while Minjeong just stayed silent. She just doesn't know what to say, that's why.

Not because she's sad.

Definitely not.

It's just a crush, it will go away.

Aeri and Jimin look perfect together, she could imagine it.

That's right.

It's about Aeri and Jimin.

Not Jimin and Minjeong.

____

"Tch, it's so cold."

Minjeong muttered as she slid her hands on the pocket of her hoodie. It's already evening yet she's still outside.

She doesn't go outside this late. But someone just had to forget the snacks for the movie marathon and now she's making her way towards the convenience store.

Yes, she's blaming her friend.

A secret friend.

A secret crush and now a secret friend, Minjeong is surely secretive, isn't she?

But she has her reasons. One, nobody needs to know that Jimin is her crush. And it's not like someone asked her. They don't seem to care about Minjeong's love life and that's just a big relief for her.

Two, that 'secret' friend is a secret because she's too popular. She is known all over the country despite being in a young age. She's a singer, a very talented one. That's why she has a lot of admirers and of course, sasaengs.

If Minjeong was revealed to be her friend, the latter would surely say goodbye to her private life.

And Minjeong loves her private life more than her friend.

"Good evening!"

The retail cashier greeted Minjeong as soon as she got inside of the convenience store. Minjeong smiled lightly and greeted back.

She went straight to the snacks area and immediately took four pink pringles and a few packs of gummy worms.

"Should I buy two more?" Minjeong mutters to herself while looking at the pink pringles in her hands, contemplating whether she would stick to her budget or not.

In the end, she didn't.

She was too busy looking at the food she got while walking that she didn't notice herself bumping into someone. She squeaked, unintendedly dropping the food on the floor.

"Shoot, sorry!"

She exclaimed and bowed repeatedly. She then tried to take all the food back again while still muttering her apology to the person she bumped into.

"…It's okay."

Minjeong froze.

The voice is familiar.

Very familiar.

That deep, soothing voice. She knows that voice, Who it belongs to. But she could be wrong, there's so many people with deep voices in this world.

Yeah, she's wrong. Minjeong refuses to believe it's her.

"Uhm, Are you okay?"

'…Oh shit.'

She slowly looked up, seeing the familiar tall woman in front of her.

And when she finally recognized the woman, Minjeong couldn't help but to squeak again.

This is the first time that she wished she was wrong.

But she's not. Her assumption was right.

The one and only Yu Jimin is standing in front of her with a gentle smile plastered on the girl's face.

"J-jimin?"

The girl's smile grew wider.

"Hi, Minjeong."