ᖇOOᗰᗰᗩTᗴՏ ᗯITᕼ ᕼIᗰ 《C.TZ × J.JK》

Chapter 55: Trust and Confidence

The cake was huge and full of heaven. It was a Chocolate Cake IV, a must have for coffee and chocolate lovers. And since the group had both, it was gobbled down in a matter of few minutes after it was served. Between each layer of the chocolate cake was a delicious Mocha-Chocolate Cream filling while the surface was topped Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing and chocolate shavings. Everyone loved it. Even the ones who weren't huge on cakes gave it a try and ended up eating second helpings.

Happy that everyone was enjoying themselves on her birthday, Mina walked around the room, having small conversations here and there. Though Jimin was at her side at all times, he didn't say anything. All he was there for was preventing them from making skin contact with her, especially other girls who had lip makeup on.

Mina whined for more kisses on the cheek but he kept reminding her of the time when her cheeks and forehead took days to lose the red color. Those tinted kisses were left by the orphange ladies and her friends' mom a few years ago on her seventeenth birthday. The time when Jimin wasn't there to protect her from those sloppy lips. The irritating hours of rubbing and scrubbing had left severe rashes on her skin.

"But Jimin! Who wears lipsticks these days? Those are for grown women!" she whined again, stomping her foot hard on the marble floor. She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"That argument is not qualified, missy," he pointed out. "Everyone wears lipsticks, grown women or not. And if not now, I'm sure they all came with tinted lips glosses or balms on."

"But-"

"No 'buts,' Penguin. I don't care if it makes you feel special because I could do that anytime for you, but you gotta be careful with that sensitive skin of yours. I shouldn't be the one looking out for you like that."

"Just one more, please?" she begged and puckered her lips even more, perfectly aware of those scarf-covered face days. Seriously though, it wasn't her fault that she spent most of her time with Sana.

"No," Jimin finalized.

She held up a finger. "Just one."

"Mina . . ."

"Chimmy . . ."

"Minari . . ."

"Jeez, dummy!" she sighed, smacking the side of his head with the back of her hand. "I'm asking for a kiss from you! You haven't kissed me the whole day! And it's my birthday!"

"Oh . . ." Jimin said, suddenly smirking. "Well, if that's the case . . . Let's take it to the bathroom then, shall we?"

<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>×<×>

Being the strong woman that she was, the ball of tears in her throat bothered her. Not knowing why, feeling the sensation of being hated this much made her want to run outside the building and cry her eyes out in the darkness of the car. But shouldn't she have already gotten used to it? Hadn't she always been disliked by the others? She had everything she could ever want: money, a big house, a nice car, unwanted friends who loved her, Jisoo and . . . Mina. But why was a there a pang of jealousy mercilessly striking the walls of her stomach?

Took her a moment to realize, but it soon came to her. And it came to her like a hard rock. It was this:

Her friends didn't always tend to be this nice and . . . friendly. Or polite even. She had always belonged to the group that was disliked from the first glance. She never got the chance to find better friends, thanks to Jennie and Lisa, unless she got introduced to them by Jisoo. But still, soon Jennie and Lisa would pop to the scene and drive them away by their clubbing and drinking habits. Honestly, who in their right minds would want to be friends with rich, spoilt girls? . . . Bullies?