eight. our past

if you truly love someone, accept their past and leave it there - anonymous

~~~

It was all a game; that's what Mina wanted it to be. Perhaps, this is her karma. She played with Nayeon, so now karma repays her back with an equal amount of pain. A pain of revelation and unexpected reunion... with her step sister. Nayeon and her mother were her father's second family. Those two women are the reason why Mr. Myoui left his first wife- Mina's mother. Those two women are also the reason why her mother died while she was a high school student, trying to live a normal life. As if her father leaving her was not enough pain already, her mother decided to hang herself. She could not understand what she did that made her live such a miserable life as a child. At such a young age, she learned to find a job and balance out her studies and daily expenses. In the end, her neighbor took her in the family, although not legally adopting her. She eventually left to go to college, which her neighbor, whom she treated as a second mother, did end up paying for.

Mina was now at the campus swimming pool, rethinking the events from the past hour...

"W-When did your father die?" Mina asked Nayeon.

"Just last year," She bitterly smiled, avoiding Mina's serious stare. "My father... is not actually my biological father. He took his place, though. And he took responsibility of my mother and I much better than my real father would ever have. That's why... I don't care if I'm not his real daughter. I'm sure, he treated me like a real one and that's all that matters."

Mina felt stuck. She knew where this was heading, but she did not want to believe it too soon. A lot of people like this song... it's not just your father that sang this to you when you were younger. It's not- 

"Mr. Myoui was such a kind father to me. It was a real struggle communicating with him since he was Japanese. Thankfully, he became fluent in Korean soon enough-"

"M-Myoui?" Mina blurted out, trying to see if her ears had heard it right. She mentally prayed that she misheard everything. 

"Mm... Oh right. Your surname is Myoui too, isn't it? It must be a fairly common surname."

Mina shook her head slowly, her eyes starting to water. She felt hopeless, confused, bewildered... she felt everything that could lead up to her entire world turning upside down. Nayeon is that girl. Nayeon is that girl she saw that her father was hugging in the airport when Mina was leaving to Korea with her aunt. While she was here, a living burden beside her neighbor's family, an outsider of the Minatosaki's, her father was there with his second child.

She could still remember that day when 14-year old Sana asked her why she was staring behind a pole in the waiting area. 14-year old Mina clenched her fist and tried her best to hold in those tears that threatened to fall. She turned around and told Sana, "Let's just go" and ever since that day, Mina never missed her father. That day marked the end of her relationship with Mr. Myoui. She no longer cared; from now on, she was her own person.

However, her father's step-daughter reappearing in front of her proved that she's still not her own person. She's still connected to her father and that will follow her to her grave... unless she decides to break off her connection with Nayeon.

"I-I'm sorry Nayeon. I have to go."

~~~

Until now, she has been avoiding the option of calling Nayeon. She feels terrible for leaving her date out there without an explanation. Nayeon's confused expression with her dry tears triggered her guilt to an extent that she almost hated herself for it. She hated herself for feeling sorry for the cause of her mother's depression and her miserable childhood. All she wanted was someone who understood. She wanted someone who knew her like the back of her hand- someone who knew her past.

Sana.

Mina stopped swinging her legs at the edge of the pool and pulled out her phone. 

3 Missed Calls from Nayeon 

She sighed and felt an urge to throw her phone in front of her. She felt like she was about to go insane so she immediately looked for Sana's contact on her phone. As soon as she pressed the call button, her thumb landed on the speaker button. Two rings came through and she was already impatient. Just as she was going for the end button, the ringing stopped and a silent white noise came through.

"Hello?"  Sana whispered. She didn't want to wake Tzuyu who somehow fell asleep next to her.

"Sana... help me, please. I need you."

Sana was unsure of how to reply. Just an hour ago she already compromised to give Tzuyu a chance and now Mina is suddenly saying that she needs her? Her mind was spinning; was she perhaps dreaming? Sana had no idea. All she wanted to do was run to wherever Mina was. She knows Mina too well. When Mina says she needs something, she really needs it. She's desperate and nothing- not even her pride matters.

"Where are you?" Sana whispered again.

"Swimming pool. Please... come here. I feel like I'm gonna go crazy if I spend another second alone-"

"Okay, okay. I'll be there."

Like always, Sana was willing to do anything for Mina. She would cross an ocean for her even though Mina wouldn't even cross a small puddle. She knew that herself, but in the end... love isn't like that. Sana d