It’s Friday. Soccer practice just ended, and Jeongyeon fast-walked her entire way home. She bursts into the house, as if being chased, garnering weird looks from her older sister who was laying down on the couch, watching TV. The short-haired girl spurts out a quick greeting before running up the stairs and jumping into the shower.

Still towel-clad with hair dripping wet, Jeongyeon wipes the mirror clear of condensation and observes herself in the mirror. “Jeongyeon, you are not ugly,” she begins, “You’re gonna be okay. It’s just Mina’s house. Yeah, just Mina. Just. Mina. No big deal-”

“Jeongyeon! How much longer are you going to be in there for?! My bladder’s about to burst!” shouts Jeongyeon’s sister, making Jeongyeon jump in surprise, who replies, voice teeming with frustration, “Jesus, can’t you wait?!” Another look in the mirror and a deep breath. Be calm. You do not like Mina. She’s just any other girl. Just a friend.

But why is she trying so hard to look good for just any other girl, any other friend?

Jeongyeon stomps her foot in agitation. “This doesn’t look right, seriously.. What is wrong with me?” She turns her head towards the wall clock and she is immediately burdened as the agreed time comes closer. After a few more outfit trials and errors, she ultimately decides on a denim jacket, a white shirt, and black pants. Heart pounding, she takes her bag and heads out the door.

--

Mina lives in a cute two-story house not too far from the school. It seems just perfect for someone like Mina. Jeongyeon’s hands clutch her backpack’s straps tightly, and with a deep breath, she presses a finger to the doorbell.

The first ring has barely finished when the door opens, a little bit too hastily. “Hi,” Mina greets her, eyes smiling, expression a bit shy. Jeongyeon has never seen Mina in clothes other than her uniform, and can’t help but admire the shorter girl’s keen taste for fashion. Simple, yet beautiful. Mina was donning an oversized flannel with some yoga pants. Nothing too flashy, she was at home after all, yet she looked great (although Jeongyeon will probably find her cute in anything).

“Aren’t you coming in?” Mina says after a few seconds, bringing Jeongyeon back to her much hated, yet very much desired reality. Jeongyeon smiles, albeit a bit awkwardly, before taking off her shoes and coming in. Mina’s house was beautifully adorned, bordering on an interior design that is elegant yet modern.

“My room is upstairs, first door to your right. Wait for me, I’m just going to order pizza for us,” Mina exclaims.

Jeongyeon nods, and cautiously climbs up the stairs. Her steps were slow and timid as she admires each one of the pictures on the wall. Mina’s childhood pictures, near the bottom, and the pictures following after taken during elementary, middle school, and the last picture, taken just after high school started. Jeongyeon smiles, in a way feeling that she’s being blessed for being able to see another side to Myoui Mina, resident J.Y. High heartthrob, black swan, and currently, the reason for both Jeongyeon’s demise and happiness.

Mina’s room was simple, nicely decorated, and smelled like a mixture of lavender and lilies, a smell Jeongyeon does not quite mind. She looks around the room; first towards a corner with a small bookshelf, and Jeongyeon recognizes a set of Harry Potter books, as well as several Haruki Murakami books (in her head, she takes note to read these in the future to have a possible source of conversation with Mina).

She then walks over to Mina’s desk, looking at some of her pictures when she did ballet when she was younger, and Jeongyeon feels a flutter in her chest; Mina is such a likeable person, learning to unlike her seems almost impossible.

“Those pictures are so embarrassing,” Mina says, startling Jeongyeon, making her feel like she was doing something she was not supposed to be doing.

“Oh, sorry. I, uh, couldn’t help look at them while waiting for you,” Jeongyeon meekly replies.

Mina laughs. “It’s okay, feel at home. You can set your stuff down on that chair over there. Should we start then?”

Mina seemed almost passionate about the little task they were assigned with. Not like Jeongyeon wasn’t, but this was definitely not something that she di