a heartbeat away (just pull me in)

Four

Time in: 10:00 am January 17th, 2022

Reason: Check up

Symptoms: None

Jiyeon wished that she had not tried to become friends with Hyunjung, or anything. really. Maybe they should have stayed rivals, or whatever. Because of course, Jiyeon was going to end up liking the hottest person on probably like, the planet, if they became friends. It was inevitable.

Worse than liking Hyunjung was Sojung's reaction to Jiyeon liking Hyunjung. Not that Jiyeon meant for her to ever find out in a billion years. It just kind of happened because Jiyeon had left her laptop opened with the google search: Kim Hyunjung.

Sojung hadn't had a hard time putting two and two together. And with Sojung knowing there was a new pressure on her, this feeling that she had to do something. Sojung wouldn't say anything explicitly, but she had this way of hinting at things constantly. This look she could give at any time.

But Jiyeon couldn't actually say anything to Hyunjung. Her doctor. She barely knew Hyunjung after all, so the whole thing was just, ugh. Jiyeon groaned, tapping her foot against the floor of the office.

Why. Why. Why. Why. WHY—

"Jiyeon?"

Jiyeon snapped her head up to look at stupid Hyunjung— with her stupid, great face. Jiyeon should say something witty, sassy even. Jiyeon realized she was smiling. There went that plan. "Hi."

Hyunjung glanced down at her own shoes, then back up. She had the chart in her hand, but something else as well. Jiyeon arched up so she could see a little better but then Hyunjung jerked away. What the hell?

"How was your christmas?" She asked, her voice a little flimsy, shakey.

Jiyeon stood up, wondering what Hyunjung was now hiding behind her back. "Uh... good." She went to see her family while Sojung and Dawon took some weekend trip to a bed and breakfast like annoying couples tend to do. "What about yo—"

Before Jiyeon could finish, Hyunjung shoved something into her hands, a CD— in a clear, thin cover. Jiyeon looked at it. "Is this a 𝘊𝘋 mixtape?" She asked, touched and a little light headed, but also curious as to whether they were in the 90's or not.

"It's just something I recorded. Piano tracks. I play every day and you gave me that album of yours once, so I thought it would help for you to know at least a few classics, and—"

Jiyeon hugged Hyunjung before she could say anything else, her arms wrapped, a little bit tight. around Hyunjung's neck. She didn't mean to do that, didn't mean to get this close. Her heart was pounding, the kind of pounding she got before live shows, that nervous thump that made the blood rush to Jiyeon's head.

Hyunjung stayed stiff at first before dropping her shoulders and awkwardly hugging back with only one arm. She rested her chin against Jiyeon's shoulder, fell into her shorter frame.

And for a moment Jiyeon thought she could have stayed there forever. With Hyunjung who smelt like disinfectant but was also so warm, and kinder than she let on. The feeling of never wanting to let go was what made Jiyeon drop her hold and take a step back, though. Because in reality, it couldn't happen. She had a tour in a little over a month, Hyunjung was her doctor— and it just couldn't happen. Couldn't happen.