#cbs instinct | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

rd0265667 · 8 months ago

Text

Karina x Reader: Worthy

A/N: This is the sequel to my previous fic, Extra #2, reading it gives this piece a little more context too. Made this cos of the aespa cb, and also because the original was one of the few that people asked for a continuation of

hope yall enjoy:)

Permanent Taglist: @cwpiqwon @justme-idle

{{{

Yoo Jimin had to be the main character.

That title came with strength, reassurance, and most importantly, worth. Yoo Jimin so desperately wanted to be worthy. Being born to a wealthy family had its benefits, and its downsides. The comfortable living, the luxurious house, came with expectations. Constantly fighting for the love of parents who lived in the office, fighting to prove that she was worth something. This drove Jimin to prove herself, to be the best player in her team, be the best student she could be, be the best. But it was never enough for Jimin. No matter how good her grades were, how precise her spikes were, how perfect she was, she could never be enough, never enough to fit the image she had for herself. And if she wasn't worthy enough for herself, how could she be worthy enough of love? Or of you?

Jimin never forgot you. You, who helped pull her out of her first ever "slump", as it were. Back then, hearing of Volleyball trials, Jimin signed up on a whim, thinking her lack of experience would immediately phase her out of contention. Surprisingly though, Jimin made it through the selection process. So here she stood, wearing the school's volleyball jersey, standing around with the other new players. She should have been proud, her school's volleyball program was nothing to scoff at, but Jimin wanted nothing more than to tear the jersey off. It felt suffocating, the seams of the collar biting into her skin as she pulled the collar from her neck, looking around as the other rookies began to start practising with the volleyball, all obviously more experienced than her. Not wanting to look weak, Jimin grabbed the nearest ball, trying to mimic the actions of those around her. Her inexperience betrayed her though, as she desperately tried to keep the ball up after fumbling again and again. The others around her began to look at her, and at that point, Jimin wanted nothing more than to run, hide her face, and never show it again. Embarrassed, Jimin immediately lowered her head, running out of the training hall. The other rookies may have stayed silent, but Jimin could hear what they thought. She wasn't good enough. What was she doing here? She didn't belong here. She di- "Are you alright?" Jimin heard a worried voice next to her, causing her to hurriedly wipe her tears away. She wasn't going to embarrass herself again. "Yeh, I'm alright." Jimin whispered, looking up to see you, the darkness of the corridor she had escaped to coupled with the light from the training hall behind you made you seem out of this world. Not of this world, someone sent down to help Jimin. Extending a hand to Jimin, you gave her a reassuring smile, watching Jimin look uncertainly at you, before taking your hand, allowing you to help her out. "Mr Zai wants us to pair up and rally a little. You ready?" You asked, moving to grab a ball. Discouraged by her previous blunders, Jimin shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I think you should find someone else, I'm just going to waste your time and make you look bad too." Jimin muttered. "Thought you'd say that. Think fast." You said, before chucking the ball straight at Jimin. In the moment, Jimin's instincts took over, her body unconsciously mimicking the forms she had seen earlier, allowing her to receive the ball pretty well. "How..." Jimin muttered, causing you to smirk a little. "You might be green, but we were all new once. You look like you have so much potential too, so don't worry alright?Let's go." You smiled, resting your hand reassuringly on Jimin's shoulder, gesturing to the training hall, Jimin nodding in response. "Also, my name's Y/N. What's your name?" You asked as the two of you walked back to the training hall. "Jimin. Yoo Jimin."

Jimin loved the game. The game gave her power, made her feel like a character plucked right out of a movie. Turns out Y/N was right, Jimin did have potential. Though she was the worst of the rookies at first, she picked up skills remarkably quickly, but especially spiking. Jimin fell in love with the feeling of soaring up into the air, feeling the wind in her face, the way she pushed herself off the ground, allowing herself to hang in the air, then sending the ball down with a boom, like thunder in the sky. The game was a poor substitute for the love her parents didn't care enough to give her, Jimin knew this, but she didn't have any alternatives, so volleyball was all she had. Jimin wished she had you too, but she witnessed the injury that took you out of the game, the gut-wrenching sight of your bone protruding from your right arm was all Jimin needed to know, you were done playing Volleyball. Thankfully though, you still had some classes with her, especially maths. God, you were the only thing that made maths bearable. Regardless, Jimin worked hard, proving her mettle through hard work, and when that wasn't enough, she proved her worth by outright beating anyone who challenged her. She played hard, eventually beginning to play with the older team. As an outsider, Jimin had to work harder than ever, it was never easy to integrate herself into an already established team after all, Team Dynamics were set, chemistry was established, but how could the main character be a reserve? So day and night, Jimin worked herself exceptionally hard, barely being able to stay awake in class. Exhausted, Jimin persisted, staying at the court way after hours to train, even a slight deviation in the accuracy of her serves and spikes was unacceptable. Panting, Jimin leaned at the side to the stage, heaving as she wiped the sweat off her brows. "Think fast." Jimin heard a voice from the side of the door. Looking up, Jimin raised her hand, catching a flung bottle of chilled energy drink. "Been working hard Rookie, impressive." The girl who threw the energy drink smirked, leaning on the side of the doorframe. "Gotta make it to the main team somehow. Thanks." Jimin raised the drink into the air, beginning to drink the energy drink. "I heard you're going to make the main team soon, and I think you need some specialised training." The girl smirked, beckoning to the court,Jimin nodding in excitement at the prospect of making the main team soon. "Sure, I'm Jimin by the way." "Ryujin."

Jimin loved Shin Ryujin. And for the longest time, Jimin thought Ryujin loved her too. Ryujin was the first one to ever make Jimin forget. Forget you, forget how empty her home life was, and only focus on her. Ryujin just always had a way with words, a way of making Jimin feel, for the first time in her life, like she was truly the main character. Like, she mattered, like she was worth something. Hell, she’s the one who suggested she should have the English name of Karina. Their off-court chemistry worked wonders on the court too, Ryujin's role as a setter making her and Jimin link up like a dynamic duo. Ryujin would bring her presents after big games, bring them for couples massages after extra long training sessions, take Jimin out for meals whenever the rookie spiker felt down. For the first time, Jimin really did feel like the main character. Jimin and Ryujin, the two female leads of the perfect Romance story. Then it all came crashing down. It was after a game against their biggest rivals, a tight game that had come down to the wire, where Ryujin first interacted with an older player from their rivals, renowned Ace Spiker, Hwang Yeji. Jimin had a bad feeling, feeling knots form in her stomach, looking at the way Ryujin looked at the feline-eyed spiker. "Ryu, you want to grab dinner soon? I heard there's a new place at the mall, they serve a killer steak, you want to grab some?" Jimin asked as she wiped her sweat off her brow, grabbing a towel. "Oh, I actually have plans tonight? Rain Check?" Ryujin casually said, touching up her makeup in the mirror. Plans? Ryujin never had plans on game days. Brushing it aside, Jimin nodded "Alright then, another day then?" Jimin asked, to which Ryujin nodded absentmindedly, looking at her phone, her face suddenly glowing up at a chime, before grabbing her bag, whistling as she exited the room. From that day onward, things felt different. The gifts stopped coming, the couples massages stopped, then everything stopped. Jimin was abandoned, and she knew it. A chance encounter at the mall while Ryujin was supposedly visiting some relatives out of town clued Jimin into what had happened, seeing Ryujin and Yeji at an ice cream parlour. Originally, Jimin tried her best to justify it to herself, that Ryujin just made a new friend, and was afraid of how Jimin would react. Yeah, that had to be it. It took Minjeong almost ripping her hair out trying to get Jimin to see straight again, did Jimin finally accept the truth. Ryujin wasn't hers anymore. Perhaps she never was. Jimin had a date circled in her calendar, crimson red, almost like blood dripping down the paper, the date she would finally get her revenge. Her clap back moment near the climax of the movie. She was facing their rivals once again. It was her chance to prove she was strictly superior to Hwang Yeji. The one who stole Ryujin. Or did she just speed up what Ryujin was going to do to Jimin anyway? It didn't matter, none of it did. Nothing would matter when Jimin sent the ball thundering down, proving once and for all, she was worth it all. So she worked herself even further to the bone, forgoing her studies for the game. Jimin was able to coast for a little though, she was good enough at all her subjects where her slipping up on revision wouldn't be too visible. Well, all but Math. Jimin's math teacher definitely noticed the drop. She tried talking to Jimin, but the girl's mind was obviously elsewhere. Jimin's math teacher was at her wits end, wondering how else she could help the overworked athlete. A tutor, maybe?

The resounding smash of the volleyball drew the murmurs of the other members in the team. Jimin was always a good spiker, sure, of that they had no doubt. But something was wrong today. Some thought Jimin was possessed by a ghost. That didn’t seem likely. Ghosts got tired. Yoo Jimin never did. “That’s the ace spiker for you.” The onlookers murmured as they sipped their water, looking on in shock and awe. “Is she…okay?” Chaewon quietly asked Minjeong. She’d usually be making jokes, but now, even she knew something was wrong. “She’s working through some stuff. Don’t worry about it, let’s get back to practising alright?” “Hey, Karina, you should take a break. The boys need the court for a game soon too.” Ryujin walked up to Jimin, tapping her on her shoulder to get her attention. “I don’t need it.” Jimin coldly replied, slapping Ryujin’s hand off her shoulder, before taking the ball, walking to a side of the court to continue practising her spikes. “What’s the issue now?” Ryujin said with a sigh, rolling her eyes “You know damn well what the issue is.” Jimin coldly replied. “I-” Ryujin begins to stutter, unable to formulate anything close to a response. “Save whatever you have to say, I’m not interested. But don’t let your new affection for your newfound love throw your game off. If I sense even a hint of deference to Hwang, I’m bringing this up to Coach, and you will never see the court wearing this Jersey again. Is that understood?” “Whatever.” Ryujin paused for a moment, before walking away, grabbing her bag before leaving practice early. “What happened?” Coach Starr asked, his usual stoic face on display “She’s going to find her girlfriend I guess, it’ll be fine. Though we should watch her performance tomorrow. I’m not too sure she can play up to par against our rivals anymore.” Jimin commented, all the while unleashing her unrelenting assault on the ground, her spikes raining down like artillery strikes. “She with that Hwang girl?” Coach Starr asked with a sigh, Jimin stopping her practice for a moment to nod. “Karina.” He began, one hand in front of her to block her from spiking. “Do you want Ryujin on the court with you tomorrow? If she’s really dating the opponent team’s spiker, even if she’s still playing for us, it’s going to mess up team chemistry. If she could turn her back on you, who’s to say she won’t turn hers on the whole team.” “It’s your call coach. I trust you.” “All right, I’ll inform you guys about the lineup by tonight. Don’t practise till too late. You need fresh legs tomorrow.” Coach Starr commented, tossing Jimin an isotonic drink, walking out of the hall, a resounding slap to the door frame. Jimin looked at the drink, twisting the cap open, the fizzle of the drink simmering. “Oh, and, Karina.” Jimin heard Coach suddenly speak out. “Bring the hammer down kid.”

Jimin loved the pressure. The pressure felt like the hammer to forge the sword that would split the sun. The atmosphere in the gym was unparalleled. Fans from both teams cheered their lungs out, the stomps from the grandstand seemed to shake the ground on which the stadium was built. “Huddle up. Huddle up.” Coach shouted out, the rapid tapping of his marker on the whiteboard, notes from the game thus far. Jimin’s sweat trickled from her forehead, a hurried wipe as she quickly sipped her water, looking to the score. They had won the first set pretty handily, a 25-16 scoreline, spearheaded by a vicious barrage from Jimin, assisted not by Ryujin, but instead the sub spiker, Chaewon, who had been mostly deployed defensively together with Minjeong, the trusty libero. This tactic clearly threw the opponents off, as setter duties had always lied firmly on Ryujin’s shoulder. It was clear to any bystander that Ryujin was getting frozen out of the team. She was rarely part of the rally, and barely in the defence. This was clearly noted by the opponents too. In the second set, instead of spiking the ball to the back, where Minjeong would usually effortlessly save it, they began tipping the ball instead, and the areas that usually were covered by Chaewon now found itself woefully undefended, and easily exploited. Jimin tried to attack back in force, but their defence had also adapted, she found shots shoved back into her face, only saved by Sakura’s nimble feet. Nevertheless, the scoreline went in favour of the opponents, 25-20. “This is bullshit!” Jimin was pulled from her thoughts with a shout. “Ryujin, you’ve been invisible on the court. The hits are just going to Chaewon, and she’s doing well. We need another defensive anchor alongside Yuna to cover the tip, so you’re coming off for Yunjin.” Coach Starr said calmly. “Coach, I’m the best setter on the team and you know it! I can contribute so much more if I’m involved in the plays.” Ryujin lamented, frustrated as she threw her hands in the air. “You wouldn’t bring a defective gun to war.” Minjeong quietly muttered. “What was that?” Ryujin shouted, turning to Minjeong, tempers flaring as she clenched her fist. “You heard me.” Minjeong spat back, rolling her eyes. It took two other members each to hold the two angry members back. Just as they seemed to burst out from the hold, a member from the officiating team walked over to the bench. “Coach, do ensure your athletes do not cause too much of a commotion, or we will be forced to consider this a forfeit.” The official said in a monotone voice, before turning, walking back to the table, where she shared a disapproving glare at the team’s bench “Enough. Or I’m taking you both off the team.” Coach yelled, shutting the entire group up. It was rare to see him raise his voice, so it quickly stunned the team. “Whatever.” Ryujin grumbled, slamming her bottle into the ground before grabbing her bag, walking away. “Good riddance.” Minjeong mumbled. “You owe me 40 suicides after this game Minjeong.” Coach Starr said, Minjeong looking back at him with a sigh. “Okay team huddle up. They’ve been killing us on the tip. Chaewon, you’re gonna be playing slightly higher up, Yunjin, cover Chaewon’s back. Jimin, they’re beginning to hone in on you, so I need you to play a setter role, or a decoy even. So when Minjeong or Yunjin get the ball up, if it gets to you, draw their defence in, then let Sakura work.” Defer? But…this was her moment. The main character didn’t defer. She ploughs through, she asserts her power. “Coach, I don’t think that’s the best choice. Karina’s our best weapon, I don’t think it’s best if I’m the one attacking.” Sakura piped up, sensing Jimin’s hesitance. “No, no, we stick to the plays. I trust you, Sakura, we’ve got this.” Jimin places her hand on Sakura’s shoulder, slightly hesitating, but shaking her worry away, a small smile. “Alright champs. Wreak Havok.” Coach said with a smile

Going back to the court, Jimin prepped herself, getting into a ready position right next to Yeji. “Break a leg.” Yeji said with a smirk Jimin seethed, but stayed silent, keeping her head in the game. She had to win this game. This was the climax. Main Characters didn’t lose.

“Timeout!” The opposition coach shouted out, a tense moment in the game. Jimin’s team was up, 24-23, with the serve now coming from the opposition. As the team huddled up, Jimin noted a small smirk on the Coach’s face. “All right, good work champs. Sakura’s been killing them, since their defence has been compressing on her. For this next one, Karina, get the spike in two, break their rhythm, we’ve lulled them into a pattern, it’s time to break them. Understood?” This was it, Jimin thought. This was her moment.

The serve soared over, a well controlled dig by Minjeong placing the ball right above Jimin. This is it. Jimin rose up, hands primed for a set to Sakura, but at the last second, she sent the ball thundering down. Yeji had seen it, her hands going up as soon as she could, but she had been caught unaware, and she could only watch as the ball slipped helplessly above her fingers. The court erupted into celebration as the bench charged the court, confetti flying and people jumping in jubilation. Jimin smiled. It was time for the credits now. In the corner of her eye, however, Jimin noticed Yeji, who had sat down on the court, followed by a figure, who patted her back in an attempt to cheer her up. “It’s okay baby, you’ll get it next time. You played amazing.” She whispered, Yeji nodding with a smile, as the two shared a kiss. Yeh, Jimin won the game, but as she looked at Ryujin and Yeji, her eyes were dull and lifeless. She couldn’t even say she had lost Ryujin’s love. It was hard to lose something she had never had. Jimin knew one thing for sure though. This wouldn’t have happened to the main character. The main character would have gotten their happily ever after, or some semblance of it by now. Maybe this was the overlord’s plan, the writer of this story way of punishing her, how could Jimin had even dared think herself worthy of being the main character, or of love. Worth anything?

“Karina. Could you stay back for a short while?” Ms Kam said, organising her papers. “I think you know why I held you back today.” Ms Kam said with her hands crossed, sighing as she leaned forward. “Now I don’t blame you, you’ve always been a stellar student, your track record is unblemished, but it’s undeniable that your grades are slipping. So I think it’ll be in your best interest if you get a tutor. I’ve arranged for another student to come tutor you.” “I-” Jimin was just about to interject. She didn’t need help. “I’ve talked to them earlier, and they’ve agreed. Y/N is going to be tutoring you. Is that going to be a problem?” Ms Kam asked. “Not at all, Ms Kam.”

“No, Karina, you bring the exponent down here, not change it." You explained as you leaned over, using your pencil to trace the workings. “Oh, right…” Jimin groaned, looking at the paper. Jimin already knew this, logarithms curiously were one of the topics she was okay at. But she found it hard to focus while you sat next to her, looking at her inquisitively, eyes piercing. What made it worse however, was Karina. Only people who knew her recently called her Karina. In her mind, to you, she was Jimin. She let out a groan just thinking about it. Was she that unworthy of attention, was she really such a side character that you didn’t even remember what she introduced herself to you as? She shook the thought from her mind, instead revelling in your presence. It hadn’t been long since…well, since Ryujin, so it was good to have you around. A comforting presence, a guardian, the same guardian that had reached into the depths and pulled her out of the darkness. Jimin had friends of course, but funnily enough, no matter how much they did for her, they didn’t come close to the serenity that you brought her. The last time she had felt this was well…but you weren’t a bad person. You couldn’t be. Jimin doubted she’d be able to take that blow. Speaking of friends… "Umm, Karina, do you know them?" you asked as you lightly nudged Jimin, gesturing to the three girls who instantly tried to duck away. ‘Shit!’ Jimin thought to herself. Hadn’t she told them not to come so early? Now you probably thought she was weird. "Ning, Aeri, Min, stop being weird, you're scaring my friend!" She chided as she gestured them over, the three sheepishly walking over "Sorry about that Ji, this one insisted we watch." Winter explained, gesturing to Giselle, who raised her hands to surrender. ‘I’m going to delete your tumblr account Aeri I swear.’ Jimin thought to herself, quietly seething "Y/N, I've got to go, I'll see you here tomorrow, same time?" She asked as she hurriedly shoved her stuff into the bag "Sure thing Karina, see you!" You waved, smiling awkwardly "Call me Jimin!" She said, before running off with the 3 other girls “Aeri I’m going to fucking kill you!” Jimin shouted as soon as she was sure you were out of earshot. “What the fuck!” Jimin shook her head, the three looking at each other in confusion. They wanted to prank her a little, but this reaction was…more than they had really expected. “Sorry about that, it’s just…don’t do that again okay?” Jimin asked the three girls, who cautiously nodded, sharing looks as they tried to decipher what Karina was doing. “Umm, Ning, Min, you girls, go get us a seat? I need to ask Jimin something.” Aeri fibbed, shooing them away. “That’s the one you partnered with didn’t you? When you first joined? I recognise them. They’re the one that you-” Aeri said teasingly before Jimin jumped at her, her hand covering Aeri’s mouth, looking around hurriedly to ensure no one could have overheard them. “It was a long time ago.” Jimin rolled her eyes “Still, there was obviously something there. Maybe you can go for a ride there, get your mind off of the other bitch.” Aeri rolled her eyes at the mention “I’m not going to treat Y/N like a rebound. They deserve someone who loves them. Someone good, someone kind, someone…” “Someone that?” Aeri asked in confusion. “Hey, they found a seat, let’s go.” Jimin said, grabbing Aeri by the arm, pulling her to the table.

“Tell Jimin I can see her looking, she’s not being slick.” Jimin looks at Aeri’s phone in shock, before looking at Minjeong, who teasingly waved at her. Jimin stuck her tongue out at Minjeong, before quickly turning away from you, not wanting you to catch her staring. She had finally somewhat made up for lost time with you, being able to spend time with you. Under the guise of tutoring lessons of course, but still, it helped Jimin get her mind off of everything, and she was beyond grateful for that. It would be detrimental to the cause if you were to catch Jimin staring, like some sort of creep. “I don’t know why she thinks there’s anything going on with Y/N and I. They spend more time with Minjeong than they do with me anyways.” Jimin said, trying to quash the jealous tone in her voice. “Who knows? Jealous.” Aeri mumbled the last word under her breath, but Jimin clearly heard it, shooting Aeri a look. “Listen, the two of you clearly have something going on, but you both aren’t doing anything for god knows why.” Aeri says, leaning back in her chair. “That’s not the case, it’s j-” “Hey guys!” Yi Zhuo quickly said, a smile plastered on her face as she threw her bag down to the ground and jumped next to Aeri. “Woah, class is over already?” Aeri commented as she playfully wrestled with Yi Zhuo, Jimin’s gaze turning to you and Minjeong, Jimin’s eyebrow raising as she noted a slightly worried expression on her face. “Umm, I need a rain check on the hang out later. There was some sudden shift in schedules and there’s going to be some technicians heading to my place later. I’ll need to go back since Hanni can’t handle it on her own.” You said apologetically, hastily packing up your bag. “And I’m not sure if I can do our tutoring session today Ji, I’m sorry.” You turned to Jimin with a disappointed look on your face, and she shared in your disappointment, having been looking forward to this for a good while. “Oh, if it’s not too much trouble, I can just go with you to your place. We can just have the lesson there if you don’t mind.” Jimin quickly offered, though she was pretty sure she hadn’t even processed it in her mind before carelessly blurting out the offer. Jimin looked hopefully at you, while also shooting a dirty glance at Minjeong and Aeri, who clearly had some thoughts about your proposition. “Oh…umm, sure thing. But just a warning, my sister is a little bit of a gremlin.” You said with a slight chuckle. “Sounds familiar.” Jimin chuckled as you scrunch your nose in faux anger. “Hey!” You chuckled “Alright, you guys have fun, we’ll go get ice cream, make this more of a bicycle situation.” Minjeong said, Aeri stifling a chuckle before walking off together. “What are they talking about? I don’t have a bicycle?” You asked Jimin, who shook her head in exasperation. “Don’t worry about it, let’s go.”

“Umm, you can just sit here, I’ll go talk to the technicians.” You said to Jimin, who nodded with a smile, getting seated at the sofa. Just as she was about to pull her phone out, she heard someone call out to you, before sitting on the couch next to Jimin. “Who’s this? Why’s she so pretty? Did you kidnap her?” Hanni shouted out. “I’m gonna ground you!” Was the only reply back which elicited a chuckle from Jimin “You must be Karina. I’m friends with Yunjin.” Hanni said with a smile “You can just call me Jimin. I take it you’re Hanni, Y/N’s sister.” “Sister, Superior, Caretaker, take your pick. I take it you’re Y/N’s long suffering girlfriend?” Hanni asked with a curious look. “No, no, nothing like that. Y/N’s my tutor.” Jimin said, rapidly shaking her head. “Oh, you’re the girl they won’t shut up about.” Hanni said, a light blush on Jimin’s face now. “I’m sure Y/N complains a lot about me.” Jimin awkwardly chuckles. “Nope, not really, they can’t shut up about how amazing you are, and about how smart you are.” Hanni nonchalantly said “Just for the record, I wouldn’t mind if you dated my idiot sibling. They’re a little slow sometimes, but they’ve been through alot, and they deserve someone who’ll take care of them, and love them. I can’t take care of them forever, you know?” Hanni ended the last line with a small chuckle, Jimin letting out a light giggle too, but was still plagued by a thought. “Y/N’s great. Anyone would be lucky to have them.” Jimin quickly replies, a futile attempt to hide her opinions that Hanni does not let go unnoticed. “But not you?”

Time flew fast, and before any of you knew it, the National Exams that would dictate the trajectory of your lives had come and gone. Jimin had found those months particularly off putting. She had all the faith in her exams, of course, she didn’t like to be a braggart but she was naturally adept at the subjects, and her one weak spot was patched up by you, the person Jimin wished could help her patch her broken heart too, but alas, circumstance made it difficult to hang out. Jimin felt herself too big a burden on you already, “wasting” your time to help her make progress on a subject, and thus, despite her longing for some proximity with you, she had decided to leave you alone to study. These exams were important after all, the last thing Jimin wanted to be was a burden, or a distraction. She wasn’t worth that after all. Now, the last chapter of her school life. Grad Night. She had been excited for this, really, really excited. But her eyebrows creased as she looked in the mirror. This was supposed to be a glorious day with not just her girls, but you too. Jimin had pulled all the stops for this, she was sure she was prepared. But that goddamn pimple just had to show up. Jimin tried what she could, makeup, patches, but nothing seemed to work. With a sigh, she sat down on her bed, seeing the group chat light up. Noticing a stunning lack of the group’s resident chronically online queen, Jimin and Yi Zhuo were forced to come to the conclusion that Aeri had overslept, and likely not done any preparations. “I’ll get the cab to drop by your place and then send us to Aeri’s place alright? Help her out a little.” Yi Zhuo texted, to which Jimin agreed. After dressing up, Jimin let out a short sigh, before getting a surgery mask, covering her face up.

“Hey!” Yi Zhuo enthusiastically greeted you and Minjeong before climbing into the limousine, followed closely by Aeri and Jimin. Jimin noticed you frown, probably having noticed the mask. This was supposed to be a night full of pictures afterall.

“Sorry about being late, someone was up too late reading Fanfiction.” Jimin jokingly said, throwing a playful glance at Aeri who raised her hand in defence.

“Let me guess, there was a meet cute in college, and after some drama, one misunderstanding, maybe a love triangle, maybe even parents disapproval, the two leads finally get together and share a kiss to cap the story. Did I miss anything?” Minjeong playfully asked, Jimin and Yi Zhuo suppressing a chuckle as Aeri’s head lowered a little in embarrassment.

“Listen, it’s cute alright? It may be cliche, but it's nice to think about. That one day, at the end of the rainbow, there’ll be someone who truly gets you, loves and accepts you for who you are.” Aeri began to retort, causing you to raise an eyebrow.

“That’s for the main characters only though…” You muttered, to which Aeri tilted her head in confusion.

“These kind of happy endings aren’t for everyone, those are reserved for main characters only isn’t it?” You questioned, maybe a little too passionately as all eyes in the limousine turned to you. You could even see the driver’s eyebrow raise in the rear view mirror.

“That might be true, but everyone’s a main character, be it in their own story or someone else’s.” Aeri replied, sharing a little glance with Yi Zhuo, Minjeong and Jimin. ‘Them too, huh…’ Jimin mused, her light amusement at the situation snuffed out by the rather depressing thought that both of you had resigned yourselves to being background characters, extras there to fill in the screen. Wanting to lighten the mood, Jimin immediately spoke up

“You’re a main character in my Story Y/N. All of you are. So don’t lose hope alright? I’m sure you’ll get together with the one right for you soon. Also, it’s prom, lighten up!” Jimin said as she jokingly punched you in the shoulder. At that moment, Jimin was glad she was wearing a mask, it helped alleviate a little embarrassment at that moment

Once the group had gotten to the hotel where the grad night was being held, Aeri, Yi Zhuo and Minjeong had all mostly scattered, looking for their friends for some quick pictures. Jimin would have, she wasn’t the socialising type, but someone of her reputation had to have friends that she would look for to go take pictures with. Normally, a small pimple wouldn’t stop her from taking pictures, her masked face would just be a point of intrigue, but any desire to socialise faded to dust as two people walked into the hotel, adorned in blue and yellow ballgowns, Hwang Yeji, and Shin Ryujin. It was weird, just the sight of the two was enough to cause Jimin to shrink behind you, which of course drew a confused look from you. Jimin hadn’t done anything wrong, she knew as much too. Ryujin was the one who was unfaithful, the blame rests squarely on her shoulders, so why did the mere sight of them cause Jimin to fold into herself, unable to look at anyone. It wasn’t her fault right? It couldn’t be. Or was she just a jealous ex trying to break up a happy couple, all because she couldn’t be happy. No, this couldn’t be…thi- “Hey Ji, let’s get a picture together.” You said with that goofy smile, that Jimin couldn’t help smile at. But a small bit of her still worried. She didn’t want to tell you about Ryujin though. It would be worse to seem so damn weak. “Umm, I have a pimple, do you mind if I take the picture with my mask on?” Jimin whispered “You’ll look amazing Jimin, it’s you, you’re always stunning. Anyways, I’m sure it’s not even that big anyways.” You reassured her, causing her to nod, letting you take the mask off her.

“See, pretty as always.” You smiled, causing a smile to spread across Jimin’s face as she kept her mask in her bag. It was impressive the speed at which you could make Jimin’s heart pump just with a few words. Turning to Sakura, Jimin looked at you confusedly, unsure why you had suddenly pulled away, looking at Sakura as you both shared a confused shrug “Why so awkward Y/N, come on!” Jimin said, quickly wrapping her hand around your waist then pulling you closer to her, her other hand guiding you hand over her shoulder.

“I swear you’ve never taken one of these pictures.” Jimin playfully jabbed, to which you wordlessly nodded. After Sakura had given you the thumbs up, you quickly slinked away, causing Jimin to slightly regret, had she been too touchy, pulling you towards her like that. Maybe she made you uncomfortable? Just then, as the other girls had come back, the ushers had announced that doors were open, and Jimin found herself whisked to the banquet tables by Yi Zhuo, who began showing Jimin some reels, thankfully taking Jimin’s mind of what had previously transpired Sitting at the banquet tables, the group sat about, consuming fine dining that was not exactly worth the price tag, but that’s grad night for you. With the student council’s organised performances, many laughs were shared, applauses given, smuggled in whisky shared, though the group made it a point to drink in moderation, much to Jimin’s delight. As the evening drew to a close, the event photographer made her way to your group’s table, signalling for you to huddle together. As the 5 of you huddle together, Jimin noticed Aeri whispering to you, causing Jimin to look at her in confusion, though she quickly felt a force pushing her forward, which quickly wiped any confusion from her mind, replacing it instead with panic. Quickly though, Jimin felt a hand holding her up, stopping her from falling, though it had the rather unfortunate effect where Jimin stayed there, you and Jimin staring into each other’s eyes, Jimin’s heart palpitation speeding up as she pondered the look you shot her. Was it affection? Was it concern? Jimin couldn’t be sure, still working on slowing her rapidly beating heart. This time, it was Aeri who had pulled Jimin along, pulling her onto the limousine that was scheduled to send them back. “What’s the route by the way?” Jimin asked Aeri. “Oh, it’s Minjeong’s place first, then Yi Zhuo, it’s my place, Y/N’s, then yours. You two lovebirds get the limo together.” Aeri teased, which caused Jimin to lightly blush, but just as luck would have it, just before the door was shut, she was greeted by the sight of Yeji and Ryujin in a rather public show of affection. It was probably good that Jimin wasn’t going to be in a relationship. Just the sight of Ryujin had reminded her of that truth. Following Jimin’s eyeline, Aeri quickly shut the door, a playful shrug when Jimin quickly turned to look at her. When you and Minjeong had finally gotten up on to the limousine, the ride back was a rather uneventful one, mostly just joking around, and talking about what had happened during grad night. One by one, however, the other girls left, first Minjeong, then Yi Zhuo, finally Aeri, who after a quick whisper to you, got off from the limousine.You and Jimin made small talk, something you both enjoyed, making the rather long ride feel like just another one of your hang out sessions waiting for the other 3 girls after tutoring sessions. This was what made time with you so precious to Jimin. It was the greatest way to just unwind. Jimin could talk about her internship, you could talk about possibly beginning to write, simple stuff like that could fill conversations for hours. "Hey, Jimin. Do you think we'll hang out in the future?" You asked, Jimin looking to you in confusion, though she found it hard not to let out a small giggle, you looked like you had sucked a lemon. Besides, this was a rather preposterous question.

"Of course, Aeri's been thinking of getting us to get together to play badminton, and, we’re all in the group chat, we can organise meetups anytime, so yeh, I'm sure we'll hang out in the future." Replied Jimin, a little confused at the question.

"No, I mean, me and you." You replied resolutely, nerves gripping you even tighter.

"Hmm?" Jimin hummed in curiosity, though she felt her chest grow heavy, as if knowing what your next words were going to be "What I'm saying is, do you want to grab dinner together some time soon?" You blurted out. Those words sent the bricks tumbling down, as Jimin sat in her seat, stunned as she looked at you. In hindsight, she would have handled it better, but in the spur of the moment, Jimin's smile dropped a little, turning to an awkward smile.

"Oh my g-, Y/N. I'm sorry, but I'm not interested. It's not you, bu-" Jimin replied, feeling her chest sink heavier with each word. Not wanting her to continue, you quickly cut her off, "Don't worry about it, it was a stupid question, and I knew what was going to happen anyways. I just didn't want to look back on tonight and regret not asking. "

Jimin smiled at you apologetically, trying to hide her grimace as the weight in her chest grew heavier, then heavier still. "Let's just pretend this didn't happen alright? I don't want things to be awkward with the rest of the girls." Jimin asked. Why did she say that? Was she trying to make things worse?

As Jimin saw your house around the corner, she noticed you hurriedly packed your belongings. "Take care of yourself alright?" You quickly muttered under your breath, turning to the front to thank the limousine driver, then getting out of the taxi.

Jimin could only muster a soft mutter of a goodbye, the weight in her chest finally fully sinking as the limousine slowly drove away, and you didn’t even turn. Jimin’s arms quickly wrapped around herself, her tears uncontrollably flowing as she leaned on the door, her tears staining her dress like blood on the grass. “That wasn’t pretty.” The limousine driver commented, a sympathetic smile on his face as he handed Jimin tissue to wipe her tears. “I really fucked it up didn’t I?” Jimin muttered through her sobs, to which the limousine driver shrugged. “I’ve driven the 5 of you so many places, I’ll be honest, the two of you were obvious, I was kind of rooting for the two of you. Sad it has to be this way though. It’s obvious you have feelings for that poor kid anyways” The driver commented as he continued driving “We can’t be together.” Jimin muttered with a fist clenched “Whatever you say Miss.” The limousine driver said with a sigh. Jimin had feelings for you, that much she couldn’t deny. But you were a great person. You deserve someone who loves you. Someone good, someone kind, someone who could make you the main character of the story. Jimin was far from that. She wasn’t worthy of her parents' love, she wasn’t worthy of the grades she got, she wasn’t worthy of Ryujin, she wasn’t worthy of her team or her accolades, she wasn’t worthy of love, and she sure as hell wasn’t worthy enough for herself. And if she wasn't worthy enough for herself, how could she be worthy enough of love? Or of you?

She wasn’t the main character, she wasn’t worthy of it. She’d never be worthy of it

}}}

#angst #fluff?#rd0265667 #aespa karina #aespa x reader #aespa #karina x reader #karina #yoo jimin fanfic #yoo jimin x reader #aespa karina fanfic #karina fanfic

134 notes · View notes

delicatebarness · 1 year ago

Text

cry baby | chapter twenty

Summary: The aftermath of CB & Peter's weekend away.

Warning: Mean Bucky is back.

Word Count: 1039

Spotify Playlist | Support: Ko-FI

Series Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

A/N: I'm so sorry this one took so long to come out and it's only a short one. OH ALSO, we have @scraftsku35 to thank for this one because they changed the characters fated while we were discussing this chapter. - Please feel free to leave feedback or let me know where and how you want the story to continue, this is just as much yours as it is mine. - B

Everything: @hallecarey1 | @pattiemac1 | @uhmellamoanna | @scraftsku35 | @ozwriterchick

You sat with Natasha and Wanda on your couch that following Monday evening. Steve and Sam were engaged in a playful debate across the room as Bucky quietly observed, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips while Alpine snuggled into him.

After a few moments, Wanda exchanged a mischievous glance with Natasha as she stood before disappearing into the kitchen. Your eyes widened as she returned with a cake, reading the word “Virgin” written on black icing with a red prohibited symbol across it. The room fell silent as she walked over to you, handing you the cake, a sly grin spread across her face.

“Congratulations, CB!” Natasha exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

Your face turned as crimson as the icing as you took the cake. You glanced around the room. “What is this?” you asked, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“Well, after we heard about your little weekend with Peter,” Wanda chimed in, her laughter infectious. “We thought you might appreciate a bit of humor, it’s just a little joke.”

Sam burst into laughter, nearly doubling over as he made his way over you. “Oh man, this is too good!” he laughed, wiping tears from his eyes as he took the cake from your hands. “You guys went all out, huh?”

Suddenly, a bitter laugh was let out over by Bucky. “Peter? The so-called gentleman? Oh, he’s always such a nice guy…” Sarcasm dripped from his voice as a smirk mashed over his face. “Bet the twink only got two pumps in.”

A surge of defiance coursed through you as you decided to go along with the charade. “Actually, Bucky, Peter was amazing,” you said, you tried to keep your voice steady as your heart raced. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

Steve’s face darkened, his haw tensed as his eyes blazed with barely controlled anger. He didn’t say anything but his protective instinct was evident. The furious look on his face spoke volumes.

Bucky’s smirk faltered before he made another sarcastic comment. “Well, I’m glad you had your fairy tale moment,” he muttered, standing up and wandering over to the kitchen.

“Oh, it was magical…” you trailed off, “I just, I couldn’t take it all… if you know what I mean.”

His smirk returned, though it was colder this time and his eyes darkened. “Sure, we all know Peter’s got that ‘magic touch’.” Opening the fridge, he rummaged through its contents searching for another beer. His eyes landed on a six-pack of canned cherry cola, pulling it out, he turned to face you.

“Cans?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You hate it canned. What’s it doing in your fridge?”

A pang of guilt dawned over you, knowing Peter had bought it for you without knowing you only liked it from glass bottles. “Peter bought me it,” you replied nonchalantly. “It was a nice gesture.”

His grip tightened on the can, and his knuckles whitened. “Of course he did,” he muttered, putting the cola back and grabbing his beer.

Natasha and Wanda exchanged glances, and their joking demeanor shifted to one of concern as they noticed the growing tension in the apartment. Sam, still chuckled to himself at the dining table while stuffing his face with the cake. Steve, remained silent, his jaw clenched and his eyes fixed on you– A storm brewing behind them.

As Bucky returned to the living room, he took a long swig of beer before flopping back on the couch. “You know,” he began, his tone laced with sarcasm, “if Peter is so great, maybe he should’ve bought the right cola.”

Anger surged through you as Bucky continued with his jabs. “At least Peter tries to be nice,” you snapped back. “What‘s the matter? Are you only a ‘two-pump’ kinda guy? It’s okay if you are, I’m sure Leah doesn’t mind.”

His smirk turned icy. “Yeah right, I always get my girl to finish.”

An unexpected pang of pain cut deeply into your heart at the use of ‘my girl’. Scoffing you were determined to maintain your facade. “Only once?” you questioned. “Not that it’s a competition, James, but Peter got me to finish three times…”

The tension thickened in the room, his smirk wavered as he tightened his jaw. Steve’s silence was deafening. Standing, his presence commanded the room, and its attention.

“That’s enough!” Steve’s voice cut through the room, booming with a sharp edge, simmering with restrained rage. “Come on, Bucky, we’ve got to go.” His expression left no room for debate as he looked over at Bucky.

With one last glare toward you, Bucky stood, draining his beer before resting the empty bottle on the coffee table. Too consumed with his own emotions, he missed the quiet meow in protest from Alpine.

Steve didn’t say a word as he opened the apartment door, his eyes burnt with anger.

The room was left in an awkward silence, the laughter and teasing from earlier now a distant memory. Clearing her throat, Natasha spoke up trying to lighten the mood. “So, Peter was that good, huh?”

“I wouldn’t know, I couldn’t go through with it,” you admitted quietly, the lie weighing heavily on your chest.

Wanda’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Wait, what? What do you mean?” she asked, concern tinged in her voice.

You sighed. “I didn’t sleep with Peter,” you confessed, your gaze dropped to Alpine as she brushed her head against your leg. “I pretended I did because Bucky was annoying me, but…” You trailed off, unsure of how to explain the mess.

Natasha’s expression softened as she reached over to squeeze your hand, reassuringly. “It’s okay,” she said gently, “he was being a jerk.”

“Hey Wands, where’s this cake from?” Sam’s voice was muffled but cheerful, he startled you as you thought he left with your brother and Bucky. “I want some for the next time I get–”

He paused mid-sentence, noticing the absence of Steve and Bucky. He hastily swallowed the cake in his mouth, his head turned toward where the two had previously been sat. Frosting remained around his lips. “Wait, where’d Steve and Buck go?”

Suppressing a sigh, Natasha and Wanda exchanged a look, realizing Sam had missed the entire drama.

---

Series Masterlist | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

#cry baby series #cry baby #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #bucky x female reader #bucky fanfic #james bucky barnes #bucky fic #bucky barnes au #bucky barnes fic #bucky barnes x rogers!reader #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #steve rogers x sister!reader #biker!bucky #biker au

231 notes · View notes