This couldn’t possibly get any worse.
At least that’s what Minjeong was thinking as she pressed her burning forehead against the cool glass of the car window. The day had started catastrophically for all of them. There had been a last-minute change in their transportation to a venue that was hours away, leaving them in a small cramped five-seater car rather than the roomy van they usually had. They were also running behind as the car had arrived late and caused them to be almost an hour behind schedule. And to top all of that off, Minjeong was most certainly fighting off the flu.
She had been shaken awake that morning by Aeri, having slept straight through her alarms as her body felt like it was strapped down to her mattress. Her head pounded, her throat burned, and her stomach churned violently. She knew that this four-hour long trip was going to suck, even more so now that they were crammed into such a small space. She was glad that Yizhuo took one for the team and offered to sit in the middle seat between her and Aeri, Jimin sitting up front helping navigate for the manager (one of her least favorite managers by the way) who was driving.
Minjeong tells herself to just close her eyes and they’ll be there soon enough, but only thirty minutes in and it becomes quite apparent that would not be the case. Her head throbbed and she felt hot, squirming uncomfortably. She realized that she didn’t use the bathroom before leaving, being quickly rushed out the door by the other members before she even got a chance.
And God, her bladder was screaming.
She lifts her head with a whimper, clearing her throat weakly. “Oppa, do you think we could stop quickly? I need to use the bathroom.”
He met her gaze in the rearview mirror, and she didn’t miss the annoyed glare he was giving her. Her heart sinks before words even come out of his mouth, knowing his answer.
“We’re behind schedule already Minjeong, we have no time to stop just hold it for now.”
Minjeong just nods weakly, leaning back against the window again and trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling building in her abdomen. Minjeong struggles to stay still, squirming as she readjusts her position every few seconds to alleviate the pressure in her bladder.
“Unnie, you okay?” Yizhuo asks her softly, placing a warm hand on her forearm. “Your skin is really warm.”
Yizhuo’s hand makes it to her forehead before she can protest, a soft hum of disapproval leaving the younger girl.
“I’ll be fine Ning, just not feeling the best.” Minjeong closes her eyes again, feeling the nausea creeping up her throat with every word she spoke. She really did not feel well, and she had a sinking feeling that this was not going to end well. Tears built up behind her closed eyes, a lump forming in her throat as she desperately tries to control her emotions. She didn’t want to bring any more attention to herself.
Minutes pass by like hours, and Minjeong isn’t sure if she had fallen asleep or simply blacked out for a while, unsure of how much time had passed. She was aware of how much pain she was in though, her bladder throbbing for release. Another involuntary whimper leaves her lips as she hunches over, nausea overwhelming her already overstimulated senses.
Yizhuo rubs her back softly, and somehow it does nothing to soothe Minjeong’s nerves. She sits back up, tears threatening to spill once more as she fights off the impending feeling of doom.
“Oppa, please, I really really need to pee, I don’t feel good.” The words tumbled out in a pathetic heap, her voice shaking as she clenches her trembling thighs together desperately.
“Minjeong… I already said we are behind schedule; I can’t just stop for anything!” His tone was sharp and condescending, clearly not understanding how desperate Minjeong was in this moment. The others noticed, that she was sure of.
“Oppa, it’s really urgent, this isn’t just for any reason.” Yizhuo speaks up, her hand resuming its motion on her lower back, hoping to alleviate some pressure.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” He grumbles angrily. “Fine, look the nearest rest stop is about twenty minutes away, can you handle that.”
No.
That’s what Minjeong wants to say, but she’s already caused enough trouble, and she can see how irritated he is, so she weakly nods. “Yes… it’s fine.”
Jimin turns from the passenger seat to face her, brows furrowed in worry as she takes in Minjeong’s appearance. She was hunched over, trembling and clearly on the verge of tears, her face pale and sweaty. This meant nothing good.
“It’s okay Minjeongie, we’ll be there soon, just try and stay calm.” Jimin knows it’s probably fruitless, but she felt helpless and wanted to do anything that might help Minjeong feel even the smallest bit better.
Minutes tick by agonizingly slow, and Minjeong’s composure was cracking bit by bit. She feels herself leak, shoving her hand unceremoniously between her thighs with a groan. Yizhuo’s hand stills, clearly having felt the way Minjeong was tensed up.
“Yizhuo… I’m going to have an accident, I’m so serious I can’t hold it. Please.” Minjeong pleads quietly with the maknae, a soft sob escaping her. Yizhuo just stares helplessly, she doesn’t know what to do.
“It’s okay, just breathe unnie, it’ll be okay.” She pets Minjeong’s head gently, watching sadly as the woman slowly falls apart. Minjeong pleads one more time, all of their eyes (minus their manager who is pretending not to hear the commotion) now turned on to her.
Minjeong feels the dam burst, the point of no return as her bladder gives in. Warmth floods her pants, pooling underneath her and undoubtedly seeping into Yizhuo’s seat next to her. The sobs come just as quickly, raw and ashamed. The hiss of her defeat was almost as loud as her cries.
“Oppa, pull over now, she’s having an accident!” Aeri says sharply, having been silently watching Minjeong’s struggle for the past hour. Their manager swears loudly, making Minjeong flinch and cry even harder as he pulls off to the side of the road. Through her own sobs, Minjeong can hear Jimin scolding him for not doing anything sooner while she was clearly struggling.
“Shh, don’t cry Minjeong unnie, it’s okay, really. It’s just an accident.” Yizhuo was trying to console the blonde, but it didn’t seem to be helping. Minjeong feels cool air as her door opens, a pair of gentle hands pulling her out of the car.
“C’mon Minjeongie, it’s okay, let’s get you cleaned up.” Minjeong instinctively leans into Jimin as the leader guides her farther away from the main road and towards the bushes. Aeri and Yizhuo follow behind with one of their bags. Aeri procures a pair of sweatpants while Yizhuo finds some wipes and a bottle of water. Jimin gently strips Minjeong’s soaked jeans from her.
Minjeong feels the bile rise quickly, and she violently shoves Jimin away from her. Before Jimin can even ask what the problem is, Minjeong is bending over and vomiting harshly. The other three members feel their hearts breaking at the sight. Aeri rushes to support her, wrapping an arm around her waist and rubbing her back in soothing circles. Jimin also moves to hold Minjeong’s hair, bunching up the short blonde strands in her hand.
Apparently it could did get worse, Minjeong thinks as she continues to throw up into the grass. She’s acutely aware that she’s standing behind a bush, half naked and covered in pee while throwing up what little she had in her stomach all while the other three members watch.
“I’m sorry.” She whimpers when she’s finally done, standing up straight with shaky legs. Aeri keeps her steady, shushing her with a disapproving frown.
“Don’t apologize, you haven’t done anything wrong.” Jimin and Yizhuo agree silently, and the three of them get back to work cleaning Minjeong up. Once Aeri pulls the sweatpants up her hips and she’s gargled some water to rinse out the acrid taste in her mouth, they guide her back to the car. Only then does she notice the small wet patch on Yizhuo’s jeans and she gasps softly.
“I’m so sorry Yizhuo…” Her voice trembles, thick with tears. Yizhuo is quick to reassure her with a dismissive wave.
“It’s okay unnie, really, its not a big deal.” Once they reach the car, it becomes glaringly apparent that Minjeong’s seat is soaked and there was no way she could sit there. Yizhuo places a towel over the seat, but even that does little as it soaks up the urine rather quickly.
Jimin, ever the leader, comes up with a solution. “Aeri, sit up front and I’ll sit in the back, Minjeong can sit on my lap. It’s not ideal but its better than sitting on the wet seat.”
As embarrassed as Minjeong is, she can’t deny that she’d rather sit on Jimin’s lap than be uncomfortable again. They get situated, Minjeong leaning back against Jimin’s chest as the taller girl wraps her arms securely around her. Yizhuo strokes Minjeong’s hair gently as they start driving again.
Between Jimin’s warmth and her hand rubbing gentle circles over Minjeong’s upset stomach, and Yizhuo’s hand threading through her hair, Minjeong feels herself starting to doze off. The last thing she hears is Jimin’s soft voice telling her to get some rest.
They arrive at the venue only a little behind schedule and Minjeong does her best to just get through the rest of the day, putting on a brave face as she performs to the best of her ability. She loves her fans deeply, but she’s never been happier to say goodbye to them as they get into the car (a new one with much more room this time) that will take them to their hotel.
She manages to doze off once again before being nudged awake by Jimin once they arrive. “Alright my baby, lets get you showered and into bed hm?”
Minjeong is pliant in her arms as Jimin guides her into the hotel and up to their room once their manager checks them in. Having no energy left, Minjeong lets Jimin strip her clothes off, running a hot shower and guiding her into it. Minjeong doesn’t even say anything when Jimin strips herself down and gets in with her.
“You had such a long day didn’t you, my Minjeongie? It’s okay, unnie will take care of you.” Minjeong didn’t like to admit how much she loved this side of Jimin. The tender, loving leader that would do anything for her members, even clean up their vomit or bathe their sick sweaty bodies.
So Minjeong allows herself to lean against Jimin as the older woman washes her hair, fingernails scratching her scalp gently and eliciting soft sighs of content from the smaller blonde. Minjeong doesn’t even flinch when Jimin runs a soft washcloth over her body, even the sensitive areas, too tired to care. She felt safe here anyway, Jimin’s warm body pressed against hers, and maybe it should feel more intimate than it did, but Jimin was soft and safe more than anything, and Minjeong trusted her with her entire heart.
She’s barely awake by the time Jimin turns the shower off and wraps them both in warm, fluffy towels. She dries Minjeong off quickly, noting how the smaller girl was starting to shiver, and slides her panties over her hips before pulling a large t-shirt over her head. Humming softly, Jimin brushes through Minjeong’s bleached hair, untangling it before she moves on to help her brush her teeth. All the while, she’s been cooing softly and praising Minjeong.
“You did so well today baby.”
“You’re so strong Minjeongie.”
“You’re my sweet girl hm?”
And Minjeong absolutely melted with every word, wanting nothing more than to be held and cared for like she currently was. She spits out the toothpaste, rinsing her mouth out one final time before Jimin leads her to the large king size bed, pulling the covers back and fluffing her pillows before allowing Minjeong to climb in. Jimin fusses over her, tucking her in snug and climbing on her side, chuckling at the way Minjeong immediately shifted to cling to her, head resting against her chest listening to her consistent heartbeat.
“Get some sleep Jeongie, you need to rest. I’m right here, I’ll always be here.”
Minjeog falls asleep knowing Jimin, and Aeri and Yizhuo in turn, would always be by her side.