It's moments like these, when she trudges through the blustering cold wind, that Momo wonders if perhaps, she could be slightly infatuated with Mina. 

"I'm craving bagels." Mina had said,  the night before, lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. 

"Oh." Momo had replied, pretending that she was too busy formulating plans to care.

But the next morning, Momo had awoke at 5 am, and put on her warmest coat, traveled down and outside of the hotel, and began a search for bagels. 

Luck has it, there's a small bagel shop not too far. There's a girl behind the counter, and she looks surprised to see Momo, perhaps because it's barely 6 am.

"Never had a customer this early!" she says brightly. 

Momo just smiles back. 

"What can I do for you today?"

"Um..." Momo stares at the board with its scrawly lines. "Bakers dozen? Just... One of each kind." She wasn't even sure what type of bagels Mina wanted, perhaps her plan wasn't the best executed, but she had gotten this far.

Momo sits at a small table. She looks out the window, the wind is tossing trash and papers so that the fly to and fro, and directly across from the bagel shop is a payphone. 

The sight is all too familiar. 

It's ten years ago. 

Momo stands, shaking, receiver in one hand as she punches in the numbers with the other. The rain is pouring, tangling at her hair even more, streaming down her face.

The person on the other end picks up.

"Jeongyeon," she says, breathlessly, "I didn't get to say goodbye."

"Momo? Momo I've been worried sick. Sunmi... Sunmi is pissed." 

Momo bites her lip.

"I had to go."

"Go where? You can't just run like this." There's a twinge of anger in Jeongyeon's voice, simmering in anxiety and fear and Momo is filled with utter guilt. 

"I can't. I can't be there anymore. I can't do it." She glances around the street, there's no one there, no one to watch her.

"Where are you going to go. You can't go anywhere Momo, you don't have family, by God I'm basically your only friend." 

"I'll dance or... I'll get a job somewhere. I'll live on the streets, I don't care, I just can't. I can't be there anymore, I can't be turned into a machine. I can't become like one of those dead shells, completely missing of emotion. I can't be that."

There's silence. Momo holds back tears, contemplates hanging up. 

"Momo," Jeongyeon finally says, "We were made for this. We don't have a choice. Life took us here. You promised me, you said we would go through this together. How am I supposed to trust you after this?"

"You wouldn't have to trust me because I wouldn't exist to you anymore." Momo pretends she isn't choked up. That's something she's learned, at least, to hold back emotions, in the two years she's spent under Sunmi's training.

"Please." Jeongyeon says. "Sunmi says she'll let you off the hook if you just come back sooner rather than later. I... I can't lose you, Momo."

There's a turmoil in Momo's stomach. She's so close to being gone, from the endless trials, the deaths, the trainings, the bruises that cover her knuckles and knees. Yet something is keeping her tethered. Because she's a coward. It always comes down to that. 

"Send a car." Momo says. "I'm on 5th street."

The hotel door creaks open. Momo sets the bag of bagels on the table and sees Mina, still sleeping peacefully on the bed, her hair splayed around her like a halo. She looks soft, ethereal, the gentle morning lights creating tiny shadows from her eyelashes. 

Momo considers letting her rest, but there's a big mission today, and no time to spare. She gently pokes Mina's cheek. 

"Whuh?" Mina murmurs, still shrouded by the lulls of sleep.

"I brought breakfast." the other whispers, lifting up the paper bag.

"Bagels? You got me bagels?" 

Momo blushes. 

"Um.... you said you wanted some so I just-"

A smile lights across Mina's face. 

"You're my hero, Hirai Momo."

Momo has to admit she's a little bit in love. 

a/n: a /slightly/ (emphasis on slightly) longer update. there will be a lot of exploration of momo's backstory coming and possibly minas. your upvotes and comments are always appreciated!!!