Every day with Momo is never a quiet day. She asks too many questions, she gives Mina a headache, and she’s a pain in the . But yet, Mina doesn’t seem to mind—she hates to admit. She also hates to admit that Momo’s presence makes the house feel less lonely, or that Momo’s questions makes her feel needed, and she definitely will not admit that the way Momo looks to her with a proud expression and a smile whenever the girl did something right makes her heart contract in a weird way.

There it is again. Momo is looking at her with that dumb look and dumbly flailing her arms just because she managed to pick up a strand of noodle with chopsticks. There it is again—her dumb heart pounding faster because of that dumb smile. Mina remains expressionless, hand propping her chin up.

“Awhh Momo finally learned how to use chopsticks,” Nayeon coos. She Momo’s head and Mina’s eyebrows crunch when Momo leans in to Nayeon’s touch. Maybe it’s Nayeon’s motherly-nature and Momo’s child-like behavior that it made it so easy for the two of them to get close to each other. She thanked that Jungyeon was there to help explain the situation and that they were all so willing to help despite Mina suddenly showing up after months of no contact. Everyone thought Momo was adorable, she can’t see why.

“Tss what’s so adorable about her,” Mina mumbled.

“Maybe because she’s so carefree that it’s cute.”

Mina looks at Sana and instantly wants to slap that dreamy look off her face. She scoffs in disbelief when she looks over Sana’s shoulder and see Jihyo, Dahyun, Chaeyoung and even Tzuyu looking at Momo with that same look. Even Tzuyu…

“Mina, do you want some?”

Turning to face Momo, the girl was extending her chopsticks to Mina, noodles dangling in the air.

“Nayeon said this is called pasta. It’s really good, have some,” Momo smiles. That dumb smile that made Mina uncharacteristically lean forward to take a bite, earning confused looks from her friends.

***

Mina splatters herself onto her bed with a grunt. Bringing an arm under her head, she closes her eyes, reveling in the quietness that has been gone since 2 months ago.

“Mina.”

She doesn’t know when her name had stopped sounding like an annoying buzz. Now it sounds soft and fragile like the person who keeps saying it.

“Hmm?” She feels the bed dent next to her.

“Thanks for taking me out today, I had a lot of fun.”

Mina snaps her eyes open in surprise and looks over at Momo, “Why are you suddenly thanking me?”

“Nayeon told me you don’t like going out, but you still took me out today, so thank you,” Momo smiles, making Mina swallow the lump in .

“Y-yeah, sure.”

Seemingly happy with the response, Momo lays down next to her with hands clasped together and eyes closed. The silence makes Mina think back to the months that Momo’s been here. Jungyeon is still trying to look up information about her, but still haven’t found anything. It makes Mina wonder what kind of life Momo had lived before she met her.

“Don’t you miss your family?”

“What is family?”

“Wow, you really must have hit your head pretty hard huh? Your mom and dad, the people that gave birth to you? Your loved ones?”

“Your loved ones are your family?”

“I guess, yeah,” Mina sighs.

“Then you’re my family.”

If there was one thing that Momo would always succeed in, it would be shunning Mina speechless.

She blinks hard, hoping that the blaringly loud beating of her heart was only in her imagination.

“I’m not—” The sound of the front door opening cut her mid-sentence.

“Mina~?”

“Someone is calling for you,” Momo said, now awake.

“Stay here, don’t come out.” Mina scrambles to her feet and was out the door.

“Mina? Hon—oh there you are. I brought groceries, help me put it awa—”

“What are you doing here?” Mina asks, void of emotion.

“Excuse me? I don’t need a reason to come see my daughter.”

“You didn’t need a reason to leave her either.”

“Mina, stop it. You know that’s not how it is. Your dad and I… just because we don’t love each other anymore doesn’t mean we don’t love you.”

Mina scoffs, “Love me? That explains why neither of you wanted to take me in. I’m just a stain in your guys’ perfect lives.”

“That’s enough!”

“I feel the same—that’s enough. You don’t have to come check up on me anymore, I’m an adult now. As for the house, I’ll take it as the last gift you guys gave me,” Mina walks toward her room. Gripping the door knob firmly, she heaves a sigh, “Bye, mom.”

She closes the door against her back, only feeling her legs cave when she hears the front door closing. Arms circling her knees, Mina drops her head along with her façade. She let the tears flow, oblivious to the footsteps approaching her.

Momo walked over to the door and sat down quietly. She reaches her hand out and wipes the tears off Mina’s face.

“What’s this?”

“They’re tears.”

“Why are they coming out of your eyes?”

“Because I’m crying.”

“Why are you crying?”

“Because I’m sad.”

Momo just nods and stays quiet.

“At times like these, you’re supposed to do this,” Mina grabs Momo’s hand and places it on her head, “pat my head and lie to me, say it’ll be okay.”

“Why would I lie to you? You said I should always tell the truth.”

“Sometimes a lie is better than hearing the truth.”

Momo nods her head, “It’ll be okay,” she repeats.

***

When had this become a habit? Mina wonders as she’s lying in bed, arms draped around Momo while the brunette is clutching on to her like a koala. She traces the event to that night one week ago, when Momo wouldn’t shut up and sleep.

“Why am I shaking so much?”

“You’re cold.”

“How can I stop being cold?”

“Tss just pull the blanket over yourself.”

Momo continues to shiver.

“What now?!”

“I’m still cold.”

“Omgg, just get over here,” Mina wraps her arms around Momo. She thought the silence meant the girl was finally sleep