“Could you two be less ing disgusting,” Jeongyeon complained, not disguising her distaste for the couple on the couch. The display was almost enough to make her lose her appetite for the leftover pizza she was holding, but the thought of wasting food made her more sick than anything her idiot roommates could do.

“Could you make it less obvious that you need to get laid?” Momo responded lazily from her position underneath Sana, who was more concerned with continuing their cuddling than worrying about Jeongyeon. Momo giggled as Sana buried her head in her neck, her hair lightly tickling Momo’s skin.

For a moment, seeing them so closely intertwined made Jeongyeon’s throat ache, a deeply buried envy rearing its head. Not for either of the girls, God no, but for the close, loving bond they shared. The feeling was swiftly squashed when Momo began speaking to Sana softly, loud enough to overhear, saying things that Jeongyeon refused to even think about. With a physical shudder, she moved past them and into her room, hoping to God that she and Mina never—wait, hold the up—she and Mina, Jeongyeon and Mina, two friends, two strictly platonic friends, would never even have the opportunity to act like that, because they weren’t even romantic in the least sense, no matter what her roommates might say. They were a bunch of morons anyway, what did they know? Reeling from her near-disastrous train of thought, Jeongyeon sat her plate down on her bedside table and laid on the bed. A quick nap wouldn’t be too out of place, even if it was 2:30 in the afternoon. If Momo could do it, so could she. And with that thought, Jeongyeon drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

…Until she was awoken by someone kicking her bed. Hard.

“Jeongyeon, get the up.” Chaeyoung’s voice and assault on the bed brought Jeongyeon back to consciousness, groggy and half-aware of her surroundings.

“Watch the ing language, you little . What’s so damn important,” Jeongyeon groaned, reaching out to shove Chae away from the bed she was still kicking, despite its occupant already waking up.

“Your girlfriend is here,” Chaeyoung explained, plopping down onto the bed. Jeongyeon was immediately wide awake, rolling off the bed and into the floor to stand up.

“What’s Mina doing here?” Jeongyeon asked, near-panicking. “And she’s not my girlfriend,” she added on last minute, just in case Chae got any ideas.

“She said something about you not answering your phone and wanting to make sure you were alright? Dude, when did your bed get so soft?” Chaeyoung distractedly asked, patting the mattress.

“Jesus, she came all the way here for that?” Jeongyeon mumbled to herself, before a thought popped into her head. “Son Chaeyoung you better not be sitting on my bed with paint on your clothes,” she warned, giving her roommate’s hoodie and faded jeans a once-over.

“I’m clean, Jeongie. Just took a shower,” Chaeyoung rolled her eyes, fluffing her damp hair to showcase that she was telling the truth. “Go see what your girlfriend wants before Momo and Sana scare her off,” Chaeyoung shooed her with one hand. That stopped Jeongyeon in her tracks.

“You left her alone with Momo and Sana? Are you insane?” Jeongyeon asked, her voice slightly raising in pitch and volume. Chaeyoung’s look of apologetic realization made Jeongyeon nearly sprint out of her room, fearing whatever her other roommates could be saying to a girl who’d barely met them once.

Seeing that Mina was still here and hadn’t been run off by her overbearing friends, Jeongyeon started to breathe a sigh of relief. The small moment of peace, however, was cut off as she heard what Momo was all too happily telling Mina.

“Jeongyeonie is so funny when she’s embarrassed. Her face when she walked in on me and Sana the first time was so cute. She couldn’t look at us for a week,” Momo recalled, eliciting a giggle from Sana and Mina. Jeongyeon halted in her tracks in disbelief at her roommate.

“Oh, the face where her ears get really red and she looks like she’s holding her breath? You’re right, that is cute,” Mina agreed, shocking Jeongyeon. As if summoned, she felt her ears warming up as the very face they were talking about started forming. She quickly made her way over to the trio, trying to manage her expression.

“Mina! What are you doing here? Not that it’s not great to see you, but, uh, what’s up?” Jeongyeon asked, rubbing the back of her neck with one hand, a nervous habit she’d picked up from Momo. Mina stood up and brushed off her skirt (probably more expensive than all of Jeongyeon’s clothes combined) before grabbing her purse and adjusting it on her shoulder.

“Well, you hadn’t texted or called at all today, and when I tried getting in touch with you, you never responded. I don’t have your roommates’ numbers, but since I knew where you live, I figured I’d just come by and see if everything was okay. I hope that wasn’t too presumptuous of me,” Mina explained, visibly anxious by the end. Her fingers fiddled with one of the buttons on her jacket, and she looked down, not meeting Jeongyeon’s eyes.

“No! No, that was, I mean, you’re really sweet to do that. I’m sorry I didn't call or anything, I knew you had a big test today so I didn’t want to distract you, and I just kinda fell asleep. Thank you for being worried, er, I mean, concerned,” Jeongyeon fumbled her words, genuinely touched  and flustered by Mina’s caring nature. A somewhat awkward, somewhat warm silence settled over them.

“You two should just kiss already,” Sana interrupted the moment, obviously amused. Both Jeongyeon and Mina immediately blushed, and Jeongyeon stumbled backward, only just noticing how close she and Mina were. Mina cleared awkwardly, and Jeongyeon fully coughed, neither of them sure how to react to Sana’s blatant suggestion.

“Uh, did you wanna, um, pick up some food, or…” Jeongyeon trailed off, hoping Mina would pick up on her intense need to escape her viciously grinning roommates.

“Yeah, absolutely, we totally should. Did you wanna change?” Mina asked, ever courteous, even in the face of extreme embarrassment. Jeongyeon denied quickly, grabbing Mina’s sleeve and ushering them out the door, grabbing her keys as they left. She looked back at Sana and Momo, who were waving cheerfully, and gave them a middle finger, much to their delight. Jeongyeon slammed the door on Sana’s ‘have fun!’ and quickly followed Mina to the girl’s very nice car.

Riding in Mina’s car like this reminded Jeongyeon of the first time they’d met. Or, well, been properly introduced, that is.

—

Jeongyeon ing hated Chaeyoung. Well, she hated that Chae had used her ing umbrella in some art project without asking and ruined it beyond use, but that was beside the point. If you asked Chae, she’d probably say it was already ruined when she bought it for a dollar from a shady street vendor, but it was her umbrella, dammit! Who cares if it looked like it was one rainy day away from disintegrating? So now, Jeongyeon was forced to hope that NYC suddenly reversed all its weather patterns and became as arid as the Sahara. She’d been on a lucky streak, it hadn’t rained for three whole days and her shoes had finally dried out from trudging through puddles on the long walk from campus to home. Jeongyeon really wished she had the good judgement to cut into their weed budget so she could buy a MetroCard, but somehow she always managed to forget how miserable walking ten blocks was, even without the rain. Apparently affects your memory, who knew? In any case, wishful thinking wasn’t going to erase the raindrop she’d just felt hit her head. Or the 3 hitting her shoulders right after. Or the immediate downpour that followed. Jeongyeon, thankful she’d wrapped up her belongings in a trash bag and shoved it into her backpack so it wouldn’t get wet, didn’t change pace. There wasn’t really any point, she still had nine blocks to go, and running for one of them wasn’t going to do anything but make her tired. She was already soaked to the bone, sloshing her way down the street with her hands in her pockets, watching panicked people run to their cars or the various buildings. She pushed her hair out of her eyes, effectively slicking it back, only to see a car pulling up beside her, honking its horn.

“Hey, Yoo Jeongyeon, right? Do you need a ride?” the driver, a woman, called to her through the opened window. Jeongyeon squinted through the rain and cautiously stepped closer, trying to identify the good samaritan. Blinking water out of her eyes, the form of Myoui Mina, one of her classmates in her Euro History class, became clear. Jeongyeon didn’t know very much about her, except that she was beautiful and very clearly well off, but anyone with eyes could see that. They’d never really talked, and the one interaction they did have was Jeongyeon being an idiot and falling flat on her face in front of her. Mina had quickly knelt down and asked if she was okay, to which Jeongyeon had responded by saying nothing and running away as fast as possible, face burning with embarrassment. Suffice to say, Jeongyeon wasn’t the best with pretty girls who had soft voices and genuine concern for others. After realizing she hadn’t responded within a normal amount of time, like an idiot, she snapped herself out of her thoughts.

“Uh, I’m okay? I don’t wanna ruin your car, or anything. It’s fine, I’ve done this before. I’ve only got like eight blocks to go,” Jeongyeon declined, backing away. She was wary of accepting any favors, as she’d learned that most acts of charity came with a price later on. Mina probably wanted Jeongyeon to write her essays for her, or something. Why else would she be going out of her way to help out someone she barely knew?

“Eight blocks? Jeongyeon, please get in my car, you’re going to get sick! Don’t make me get out and drag you in!” Mina commanded, startling Jeongyeon. She’d never heard Mina speak that loudly, much less with that demanding tone. Something about the way she said it made Jeongyeon sure she’d actually follow through with her promise, so she quickly made her way around the car, opening the door and closing it as fast as she could behind her. Not that it mattered how much rain got in, since Jeongyeon’s clothes were currently leaking into every bit of fabric in the passenger-side seat, but she might as well try her best.

“Well I’m here now, ruining your leather upholstery,” Jeongyeon said, looking over at the girl she barely knew. She immediately felt her face heat up, and not from the hot air blasting from the vents (which she was very thankful for). She’d never really been this close to Mina, at least not in such a small space, and Jeongyeon was becoming increasingly distracted by how pretty she looked while staring at her with concern. Jeongyeon didn’t know why Mina was so concerned about her, it wasn’t like they were friends or anything. Though Jeongyeon wouldn’t mind getting to know her better at all.

“Are you okay? Why didn’t you take the train? Or a bus?” Mina asked, shifting in her seat to face  Jeongyeon with her full body. Jeongyeon immediately became more uncomfortable, running a hand through her hair nervously (a trait Chaeyoung had passed on to her) as she pondered her situation. Even though the fee to ride the subway seemed minimal to most people, when you lived paycheck to paycheck, the price seemed a lot higher. Jeongyeon was well aware of what people in Mina’s social class often thought of people like her, who could barely make rent, and though Mina didn’t seem the type to be judgmental, she probably wouldn’t be able to help it.

“Ah, well, honestly… I’d rather spend that money on food or bills. I don’t really have a lot of extra money to be throwing around, y’know?” Jeongyeon explained haltingly, cringing at how pathetic she sounded. Mina listened quietly, then grabbed her purse and rummaged through it. She pulled out a plastic card and put it into Jeongyeon’s hand, before setting her purse aside.

“That’s my MetroCard. I don’t really use it anymore, now that I have my car, so you can have it. It’s a 30 day unlimited and it’s attached to my debit card, so you can just refill it whenever you need to,” Mina explained to a dumbstruck Jeongyeon, who was staring blankly at the card in her hands. Jeongyeon slowly looked up at Mina, mouth open in shock.

“Mina, I… I can’t accept this. You don’t even know me, this is like I’m stealing from you,” Jeongyeon protested, holding the card out, trying to give it back. Mina simply shook her head and pushed it away.

“Take it. You shouldn’t be forced to walk ten blocks back and forth every day, especially in the rain. I want to do this for you.” Jeongyeon’s heart fluttered at Mina’s sincerity, and she wanted to give her a hug, or maybe cry, but she was sure Mina wouldn’t be comfortable with either, and she didn’t wanna seem like a weepy baby.

“But I-” Jeongyeon was cut off by Mina grabbing the card and her soaked bag, shoving it inside before Jeongyeon could react.

“How about we go get some coffee? We can get properly acquainted, and you won’t feel like you’re taking something from a stranger. It can be a favor between friends,” Mina smiled, and Jeongyeon’s throat closed up over how pretty she was. She nodded dumbly, mouth suddenly dry, and fastened her seatbelt as Mina started driving.

—

“Hey, Earth to Jeongyeon!” Mina’s voice snapped Jeongyeon out of her memories, and she quickly sat up straight, looking over at Mina, whose eyes were on the road.

“Sorry,” she apologized, running a hand through her hair. Mina cracked a toothy smile, which had Jeongyeon softly smiling as she watched her friend drive.

“I asked you where you wanted to go, doofus,” Mina explained, reaching over to shove Jeongyeon, who caught her hand and held it in her lap, where it couldn’t be used for evil. “And give me my hand back.”

“Nope, my hand now. Let’s go to the diner,” Jeongyeon suggested. She felt her face flush as Mina laced their fingers together, seemingly accepting her fate, and her breath caught as Mina slowly began to rub her hand with her thumb. It was something Mina had started doing lately, as she became more comfortable with physical intimacy, and Jeongyeon felt like she had to manually restart her heart every time it happened.

“The diner? Is that what you were thinking about? When you ruined my upholstery because you were too stubborn to cut back on weed and buy a MetroCard?” Mina teased, briefly glancing over at Jeongyeon and their joined hands before turning back to the road. The diner, actually called Sally’s Diner, was the place where they’d gotten to know each other for the first time, and was a place they visited often, partially because of the emotional connection with their friendship and partially because the food was ing delicious.

“Hey, it’s not my fault I live with a bunch of stoners!” Jeongyeon huffed, ignoring the fact that she had an equal part in deciding where their money went.

“Says the one whose sculptures have a 50% chance of turning out to be a bong,” Mina shot back, pulling her hand (and Jeongyeon’s along with it) into a more comfortable position on her lap. Jeongyeon’s focus immediately shifted to the fact that Mina had placed their joined hands right between her thighs, most likely unknowingly, and she tried not to think about how close she was to… well.

“Hey, I make more money off of those than I do working at the bodega,” Jeongyeon protested, directing her focus back to the conversation at hand. Mina was a pro at unconsciously putting Jeongyeon in precarious positions, be it deciding to sit on her lap and constantly wiggle around or forgetting that Jeongyeon was there and starting to change right in front of her whenever Jeongyeon was visiting her apartment. She was starting to think Mina wasn’t very aware of her surroundings, which wasn’t ideal for someone living in NYC. Jeongyeon worried about her sometimes.

“Which you only found out after one of your friends from the art program asking if you would consider selling one of the dozen you’d already made. You’re not slick, Yoo Jeongyeon,” Mina informed her, laughing. Jeongyeon sighed, knowing Mina was right, as per usual. It was okay though, Jeongyeon could stand being wrong the rest of her life if it made Mina laugh like that.

Oh God.

—

“, you cannot tell me you wouldn’t me!” Nayeon poked Jeongyeon in the chest, hard. Given that they were both extremely non-sober, Jeongyeon allowed it without er punching her. Nayeon, even when sober, was both easily offended and the most self-assured person in the world, but giving her any sort of intoxicating substance was a one-way ticket to mood swings unheard of anywhere else in the human race. Also, her trying to her friends. Usually Jeongyeon was up for it, but something was holding her back tonight. ‘Something’ meaning the girl sitting beside Chaeyoung and Dahyun on the couch nursing a beer, who still looked out of place despite coming by the apartment every other day. Jeongyeon had the thought that someone as beautiful as her would always look out of place anywhere but a magazine.

“I never said that, I’m saying not tonight,” Jeongyeon sighed, exasperated. Nayeon had obviously arrived at the apartment with a mission, following her around for the whole party. Consequentially, Jeongyeon had been doing mental gymnastics trying to figure out which of their friends she could pawn her off on. Maybe she could convince Sana and Momo, if they hadn’t already snuck off.

“Jeongyeonie~, please,” Nayeon whined, immediately switching moods, tugging on Jeongyeon’s  jacket and pressing herself against her. Jeongyeon turned her head, trying not to look at Nayeon’s pout. She’d always had a soft spot for her, but she wasn't going to give in this time. Maybe she would’ve two weeks ago, but lately Jeongyeon hadn’t been concerned with hookups. She glanced over at Mina, who was thankfully preoccupied with whatever Momo was showing her on her phone, and not watching Jeongyeon.

“I don’t- just… no, okay? I’m sorry,” Jeongyeon said softly, rubbing Nayeon’s arms. Nayeon glanced over at where Jeongyeon had previously, and smiled, closing her eyes.

“Ah, I get it. So it’s serious, huh? Well, I guess I’ll have to give you up for a while. Call me if it doesn’t work out,” Nayeon said, matching Jeongyeon’s tone and her cheek before heading off to the kitchen. Jeongyeon watched her go, content in knowing that Nayeon would never have any hard feelings about it. Their relationship had always been strange, somewhere between best friends and hating each other, with a lot of casual thrown in, but neither of them had ever wanted or tried to take it further. Nayeon wasn’t one for serious relationships and even though they loved each other, it wasn’t like that. Jeongyeon was glad to have someone like her in her life, even if they did piss each other off even on the best of days.

“So are you ever gonna ask her out, or are you just gonna continue to watch her longingly from across the room?” Sana asked, appearing from behind her, offering a beer. Jeongyeon accepted it gratefully, taking a large sip as she thought about how to answer her roommate.

“I just… I like her so much, but I don’t even know if she likes me. She hasn't introduced me to her friends, or given me any indication that she might feel something for me. I don’t know what to do, Sana,” Jeongyeon huffed, wrapping an arm around Sana’s shoulders. Normally she wasn’t so quick to initiate physical intimacy, but the buzz of alcohol always made her a bit more touchy than normal, much to her roommates’ delight. Sana leaned into her embrace and rested her head on her shoulder, grabbing her waist.

“Jeongie, we can all see that she likes you too. She’s been watching you all night, even now she’s glaring at me ‘cause she’s jealous. You shouldn’t worry so much, you know you get caught up in your own head.” Sana reached up and scratched Jeongyeon’s head from behind, emphasizing her point. Jeongyeon looked over at Mina, who, true to Sana’s words, was already looking at her. Mina blushed at being caught and gave a small wave, a tiny smile playing at her lips. Jeongyeon started to wonder if Sana was right, and Mina did like her back. The thought made her break out into a wide grin, and Mina followed suit.

“I’m gonna, uh…” Jeongyeon trailed off, motioning toward her bedroom and hoping Sana caught her drift. Sana smirked, whispering an innuendo that made Jeongyeon blush before lightly slapping her on the and skipping off to Momo. Jeongyeon shook her head, to herself, chuckling. Sana was an enigma. She caught Mina’s eye, her smile growing, and the girl stood up from her place on the couch and made her way over.

“Hey stranger,” Mina giggled, tugging on the cuff of Jeongyeon’s denim jacket. She was standing much closer than normal, and the lilt to her voice and flushed cheeks led Jeongyeon to only one conclusion.

“Is Miss Myoui Mina drunk?” Jeongyeon teased, glad for once to have something to mess with Mina about, instead of the other way around.

“Maybe a little buzzed. What about you, Yoo Jeongyeon? You seem to be getting cozy with every girl at this party,” Mina observed, and Jeongyeon couldn’t help but hope the mysterious emotion on her face was jealousy. Mina tilted her head and slightly swayed from side to side, looking up at her and pursing her lips. Jeongyeon had to fight the urge to kiss her right then and there.

“I’ve had a few drinks, yeah. And not every girl,” Jeongyeon disagreed, taking another sip of her beer. She was feeling bold tonight, the effects of the alcohol and the two blunts they’d smoked before their guests arrived, and it was making her more flirtatious than she’d ever dare to be, especially with a girl she actually liked.

“Yeah, I suppose you did skip over a few. No one important, I guess,” Mina pouted, looking down.

“I wouldn’t say that. You know, I think the party’s winding down a bit. You should probably stay the night, I think,” Jeongyeon, proposed, hoping that if Sana had been correct, Mina would catch on to her leading tone. Mina looked up at her through her lashes, biting her lip with a smirk.

“Yeah, I definitely think that’s the best idea. Where should I sleep, since it looks like Dahyun’s already claimed the couch?” Mina asked, directing Jeongyeon’s gaze to the girl who was already snoring, sprawled out on the couch. They both laughed at the sight, and Jeongyeon’s eyes widened as she saw Chaeyoung pulling a giggling Nayeon into her room and heard the door lock behind them. She was definitely gonna have to ask about that in the morning.

“I mean, my bed’s always got a free spot, or you could bunk with Momo and Sana, though unless you wanna participate in their activities, I wouldn’t suggest that,” Jeongyeon joked, drawing Mina’s attention to the two girls who were pressed up against the wall, doing God knows what. Mina hummed and acted like she was evaluating her options, then turned back to a smiling Jeongyeon.

“Well, I probably wouldn’t mind it, but they aren’t the ones I’d prefer to do activities with. Your bed sounds perfect,” Mina grinned, tugging on Jeongyeon’s sleeve to pull her to her room. Jeongyeon followed Mina’s lead without any complaints as they slowly made their way to their destination. Jeongyeon caught Sana’s eye as they passed, earning a wink. Momo, face otherwise occupied with Sana’s neck, managed a thumbs up. Jeongyeon just gave them a wave as she and Mina crossed the threshold of her room, shutting the door and locking it behind her.

Jeongyeon leaned back against the door and chugged the rest of her beer, tossing the can into her small trashcan, only just able to see it in the dim moonlight making its way through her window. She turned back to see Mina sitting on the edge of her bed, removing her heeled boots. Jeongyeon turned her back on the girl, shuffling her sneakers off her feet and removing her jacket, trying not to think too much about the slowly rising tension between them. She honestly wasn’t sure where she wanted this to go. Well, obviously there was one thing on her mind at this particular moment, and unless there’d been a serious miscommunication, it was on Mina’s mind as well. What bothered Jeongyeon, however, were the pesky feelings that she couldn’t seem to stop thinking about. She had no real idea if Mina was actually interested in her, or if this was going to be a one-time thing, or just a ‘no feelings’ arrangement. Jeongyeon wasn’t sure if she’d be able to handle the level of intimacy involved in that and not expressing her feelings, at least not without seriously hurting herself. With Nayeon it was different; their casual was exactly that: casual. Jeongyeon was afraid, when push came to shove, that she’d never be able to do anything casually with Mina at all after this. Jeongyeon’s overthinking was interrupted by Mina wrapping her arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. She stiffened slightly before melting into the embrace, relishing the comforting warmth that came from not only the physical contact, but the emotional connection as well.

“What are you overthinking about over here? Do you wanna talk about it?” Mina whispered into her shoulder. God, Mina was incredible. She was always so attuned to how Jeongyeon was feeling, and never minded interrupting whatever they were doing when she needed to talk about something. Jeongyeon thought she might’ve been truly sent from heaven.

“I… I feel like I’d be lying to you if I let this happen without a serious discussion,” Jeongyeon admitted shakily, unsure and cautious of how the mood would shift. Mina stayed silent for a moment, most likely carefully choosing her words, another trait of hers that Jeongyeon loved. No words with Mina were ever wasted, she genuinely meant everything she said.

“I think, as much as my drunk body just wants to kiss you and drag you into that bed, that you’re right,” Mina agreed, sending a shockwave through Jeongyeon’s body. Mina wanted to kiss her? Of ing course Mina wanted to kiss her, two minutes ago they were on the fast track to very hot, drunken . Maybe this whole ‘talking’ thing was overrated.

“I- um, oh wow,” Jeongyeon stammered, effectively showcasing what was going on in her brain at the moment. Mina laughed lightly and gripped her tighter.

“I want to kiss you a lot, you know. Honestly pretty much all the time. It’s not just because I’m drunk and , if that’s what you’re worried about,” Mina assured, all at once soothing Jeongyeon’s fears and sending her heart rate skyrocketing. She reached up to lock fingers with Mina, seeking the extra stability.

“I… want to kiss you all them time, too,” Jeongyeon shakily breathed out. She still hadn’t even looked at Mina, unsure if she could handle seeing her while she was already emotionally vulnerable like this.

“Is that a confession, Yoo Jeongyeon?” Mina teased, and Jeongyeon could feel her smile, even though she couldn’t see it.

“You did it first!” Jeongyeon whined, dropping Mina’s hands In protest. In the back of her mind, she was grateful that Mina had broken the tension, but she wished that she wasn't the of the joke. Mina stepped away from Jeongyeon and walked around to face her. Jeongyeon looked down, unsure if she was ready to look Mina in the eyes. Mina cupped Jeongyeon’s face in her hands, raising her head. Their eyes met, and Jeongyeon stopped breathing for a moment.

“I like you, Yoo Jeongyeon, and I’d like it a lot if you were my girlfriend, so that I can stop hiding just how much I like you,” Mina confessed, staring deep into Jeongyeon’s eyes. Jeongyeon felt like her heart was going to burst out of her chest.

“I like you too, Mina. And… I’d love to be your girlfriend,” she accepted, cracking a smile.

“Can I kiss you?” Mina whispered, slowly drawing closer, but stopping short as their foreheads pressed against each other. Their breaths were quick and shallow in anticipation, and Jeongyeon’s hands shook as she placed them on Mina’s waist.

“Please,” Jeongyeon answered, barely audible.

—

“Jeongie got laid, Jeongie got laid~!” Sana singsonged as she waltzed into the kitchen, far too chipper for someone who’d consumed as much alcohol as she had last night. Jeongyeon groaned at the disappearance of her peaceful morning, but the grin on her face didn’t falter.

“I didn’t, but thanks for announcing it to the whole apartment,” Jeongyeon denied, rolling her eyes. Sana poured herself a cup of the coffee Jeongyeon had brewed and sat beside her at the tiny kitchen table.

“Really? You look pretty damn happy for someone with a hangover and blue balls,” Sana observed in disbelief, poking at Jeongyeon’s cheek.

“Well, while last night didn’t involve any , it did involve a lot of kissing. And cuddling. And talking. I, uh… I have a girlfriend now,” Jeongyeon explained, her grin breaking out into a full smile just from saying it out loud. Sana squealed, practically jumping into Jeongyeon’s lap as she hugged her tightly and began kissing her cheeks, much to Jeongyeon’s protest.

“Hey now, we just got together last night, and you’re already letting half- girls kiss you,” Mina’s amused voice interrupted Sana’s kiss attack on Jeongyeon’s face. Sana sat back down in her chair and Jeongyeon noticed that she was indeed only wearing a t-shirt and . However, that was completely forgotten as Jeongyeon took in Mina, leaning against the doorframe.

“Oh my God, how are you this perfect at 10am after a late night of drinking?” Jeongyeon, groaned, dragging her hands down her face. Mina blushed, before walking over and making herself comfortable in a surprised Jeongyeon’s lap. Sana watched the two with glee, unable to keep her near-screams of excitement at bay.

“Jesus ing Christ, who’s yelling at ten in the damn morning!” Chaeyoung complained loudly, entering the kitchen, followed by Nayeon, who was, as usual, already alert.

“More importantly, did you two bang or what?” Sana asked, making the two newcomers halt in their tracks.

“Uh…” Chaeyoung trailed off. Fortunately for her, Dahyun made an appearance, animatedly talking about breakfast. Sana narrowed her eyes at them, mouthing ‘this isn’t over’, but was quickly distracted by the final occupant of the apartment shuffling slowly into the room.

Momo, eyes practically closed, made her way to Sana without fuss, and everyone watched amusedly as she tugged Sana upright, sat down in the chair, and pulled Sana into her lap, all without saying a word. She cuddled into Sana’s back, and within about 10 seconds, she was sleeping again. Everyone broke out into laughter, except for Sana, who just hummed contentedly and laced fingers with her girlfriend, smiling. Jeongyeon wondered briefly if she and Mina would ever reach that level of understanding and equilibrium, and as her eyes shifted to Mina’s face, she caught Mina already staring at her. Maybe she was wondering the same thing.

—

Jeongyeon and Mina strolled down the sidewalk, hand in hand. They’d just come from lunch with Mina’s best friends, Jihyo and Tzuyu. Upon meeting Tzuyu and immediately being asked if she was the girl Mina kept making ‘heart-eyes’ over, as well as being interrogated by Jihyo on why she thought she was ‘good enough for our Mina’, Jeongyeon understood why Mina had never introduced her to them. At least Jeongyeon’s friends were always joking. Even though Jeongyeon would have normally felt out of place in the high end café with three women wearing clothes more expensive than her entire apartment’s collective rent, especially when she didn’t know two of them, she’d never felt more at ease. Being with Mina, and seeing her come alive around her friends, was the only thing Jeongyeon ever wanted to do with the rest of her life.

“So, what next?” Mina asked, pulling Jeongyeon out of her head once again.

“Forever,” Jeongyeon answered, still in a dreamlike state from her thoughts.

“And here I thought you were a sculptor, Yoo Jeongyeon. Are you a secret poet?” Mina teased, swinging their hands back and forth.

“ off, I’m trying to be romantic,” Jeongyeon huffed, trying to pull her hand away. Mina squeezed tighter, not letting go, and Jeongyeon gave up trying.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry baby, try again,” Mina offered supportively. Jeongyeon immediately blushed at the pet name, and looked down to try and hide her flustered state.

“How am I supposed to concentrate when you’re so… you?” Jeongyeon whined, earning a quick kiss on the cheek.

“Well, with lines like that, you don’t even need to try,” Mina complimented.

Jeongyeon realized she was right. For all her overthinking and worrying, Mina was always there to combat it. With her, Jeongyeon didn’t have to constantly think about her next move, or imagine ten different scenarios of how it would play out. She just had to let herself love and be loved. Loving Mina was the simplest thing Jeongyeon had ever done.