Sunlight filters in between the gaps of the curtained window. Marching strays gently raps on her eyelids and Nayeon wakes up before her alarm does. Her gaze takes a quick tour over her room, adjusting to the sudden consciousness with a series of stretch and yawn.

 

It’s seven in the morning (Nayeon manages to squint with bleary eyes) and she whines a little. After all the troubles and near-death experience she had encountered yesterday (and yes she’s talking about Jinyoung and the new attendant in her class of life named Mina), she deserves more sleep. Five more minutes would do. Or maybe six more hours.

 

But alas, her body can’t shake off the auto-controlled sleeping schedule that had been formed during the last semester of university. With all her classes allocated in the morning and a heap of assignments raining from the sky, her body alarm has grown accustomed to it… rather stubbornly if she has to say.

 

Oh well, she might as well say her goodbye to her bed. She can grab a breakfast on the café across the street. They sell a pretty good butter croissants there. Or she can wisely make a use of the time like an adult she is, to dump a bucket of water on her sister who is highly likely hasn’t woken up just yet. After all the teases and jeers Tzuyu had thrown to her yesterday, she can say Tzuyu totally earns it. And Nayeon, being the generous and oh so kind-hearted sister, she shall gives Tzuyu her reward soon.

 

(It was a never-ending session of teases and jeers last night, to say the least. What made her literally kick Tzuyu in the was when the latter wouldn’t stop chanting, “I say Mi, you say Nayeon! Mi! Nayeon! Mi! Nayeon!” right after Mina’s name slipped off accidentally)

 

Nayeon grins evilly, rubbing her palms together, laughing sinisterly as she imagines Tzuyu’s reaction when she pours cold water on her. She had done this once, back when they were on their, what their dad would call, ‘the naughty phase of your cliché teenager life’. It was the happiest day of her entire thirteen years old of life, watching ten years old Tzuyu sprung up from bed with a high-pitch scream, clutching her stuffed toy like a little girl she was. Nayeon even took a picture and has been keeping it on her wallet for a good luck charm!

 

With that intention in mind Nayeon excitedly uncovers her legs from the duvet, shivering a little when the breeze from the AC caress her skin. She pays no mind to it and jumps straight to the bathroom with a set of short and tee in hand, humming a tune as she undresses herself.

 

Once she is done, she put a towel around her neck for her wet hair and waddles to the living room out of excitement.

 

Only to rush to the aid of her doorframe when she almost tumble down like a one, clumsy clown (or just clumsy Nayeon in general) the moment her gaze lands on Tzuyu, who is, unfortunately, wide awake and is sprawled on the couch with a toast in between her teeth. She’s still on her black, mellow sleeping wear, with one sock on her left foot while her right sockless one is wriggling out of habit. Nayeon curses her luck for being a tad late.

 

Dang it. So long ten years old Tzuyu…

 

Nayeon sighs harshly, and if it isn’t because of the way her sister literally jump midair after realizing her arrival, she will grab her purse from her room and do her plan B; good croissants for a quality morning. However, Tzuyu actually does jump midway into the air that crumbs descend into the couch like a brown snow. Moreover, the younger girl begins to fumble with her phone as though she has lost her grip on the device before she unsubtly hides it behind her back.

 

Nayeon props her hands on her hips and Tzuyu gulps audibly, toast moving nowhere from between her teeth. She looks like a deer in headlights.

 

"What are you doing Tzuyu?"

 

Her bitten toast eventually falls to her lap and more crumbles are dropping all over the couch and into carpet as the girl grins sheepishly at her.

 

"Good morning unnie."

 

Nayeon isn’t sure which one is more suspicious, the fact that Tzuyu greets her morning or her actually, with her full consent and no coercion, calling her unnie.

 

Nayeon narrows her eyes. Something is fishy. "What are you doing?"

 

Tzuyu bites her lip (she only bites her lip when she feels guilty over something) and nips her toast so that she won't have to meet her piercing glare. "Nothing."

 

Before Nayeon can respond, her phone vibrates, indicating a text it has been received. Nayeon is distracted for a second and Tzuyu takes this chance to vaults over the couch (that results in her crashing against the wall) and flee away to her room, bringing her toast and phone along before Nayeon can interrogate her further.

 

"What's up with her?" She ponders as Tzuyu sprints away, totally bemused. Tzuyu’s toe bumps into a leg of a table and the former stumbles inside her room with a muffled thud. Nayeon grimaces, feeling sorry for whoever Tzuyu is going to end up with in the future. "Such a strange kid."

 

She then diverts her attention back to her phone and inputted her password. She sees Mina's name on the top of her list of messages (they exchanged numbers just before they part way from the café. Discreetly, of course) and Nayeon feels her heart bouncing (no she isn't giddy or thrilled or excited). The moment she read the text, however, it sends panic down her system.

 

From: Mina

 

Hi, I think we've got a problem.

 

*

 

The doorbell rings, followed with soft knocks that if Nayeon hasn’t had her dog-ears pointed at the foyer she would have missed it. Nayeon glances at Tzuyu and scowls when Tzuyu too is eyeing her- no, challenging her.

 

This it, the competition has been marked and what left is determining who get to the door first.

 

Tzuyu springs off her position to get the door, discarding the comic she has been reading to the opposite end of the couch. But she’s clearly at a disadvantage as Nayeon has purposely sat close to the hall that she’s able to beat her to it.

 

Nayeon glares at her sister from the entrance, motioning for her to stay where she was while she opens the door for Mina.

 

"H - Hey." Mina greets, smiling timidly, hair in ponytail and bracing summer heat with denim shorts coupled with a white, V-neck tee and a red flannel around her waist, matching Nayeon's denim short and white long-sleeved shirt. She for sure pleased at how much of a couple they look with their outfit (and tries not to squeal at how cute Mina looks, like, how can anyone looks so freaking good with ponytailed hair gosh!)

 

Earlier, Nayeon has dialed Mina's number and asked for a clear explanation regarding her text (that after making sure Tzuyu doesn't eavesdrop. That kid can be pretty snoopy when she feels like it).

 

So the thing is, Mina had accidentally heard Momo on the phone with Jihyo during breakfast and apparently Momo, Jeongyeon and Jihyo remain skeptical about their relationship (Nayeon figures this has something to do with how she never date a girl before). From what Mina's told her, they have arranged this ploy to stalk Nayeon and Mina on their supposed to be 'movie-date' she had blurted out yesterday. Furthermore, they have also slyly recruited Tzuyu into the scheme, knowing very well that the younger girl spends more time with Nayeon more than any of the three combined.

 

That grants her a reason behind Tzuyu's more-than-usual oddities this morning.

 

(Nayeon bets Tzuyu agrees to join the 'spy-on-Im-Nayeon-Myoui-Mina' team because she has always wanted to be 007's apprentice ever since she was a kid and not because she's genuinely concerned for her. Talking about good sister, tsk.)

 

Now here they are, carrying out their last-minute planned date and feigning oblivious of the four's little plot. It takes Nayeon’s entire non-snobby self, which is scarce and precious mind you, to hold herself from catching them red handed.

 

Mina said she'll pick her up on her place and Nayeon hung up after giving details about her outfit for today and thus the supposed to be ‘coincidence-only-soulmate-can-match-omg’ garment. Nayeon found out she wasn't the only one who was waiting for Mina's arrival but Tzuyu as well. She probably does it because of her 'mission', or might be out of curiosity as to what kind of girl can conquer her sister's heart after years of dating boys.

 

"Hi." Nayeon smiles back, a bit too wide than what she would've allowed. She was acutely aware of how Tzuyu was observing their interaction from behind the wall, trying to gather as much info as possible to convey it to Jihyo like a spy she is, albeit failing miserably at the low-key traits.

 

Nayeon titles her head to kiss Mina on the cheek, her nose prodding Mina's cheekbone, trying to give Tzuyu the show. She wipes the remnants of her red lipstick off Mina’s skins with her thumb and whispers, her fingertips lightly tracing over the goosebumps on Mina’s forearm.

 

"Your car or my car?"

 

"I brought mine." Mina whispers back, twirling the car key hanging on her index finger, somehow refusing to make eye contact with her.

 

"Good." Nayeon nods. She puts on her white converse and links her arm with Mina's. "Let's go."

 

*

 

So the last-minute planned date she’s mentioned before goes like this:

 

Watch a movie together, a repetitive, overly-sweet romance movie. Grab a lunch on a fancy restaurant. Take their time talking as if they are delighted with each other’s company. Try to bore the four flies to death. And if the they remain obstinate, drive around the neighborhood until they refuse to follow any longer. The objective is to convince the four sneaky spies by acting all cute and romantic, basically encouraging them to puke rainbow and unicorn.

 

Should be simple right?

 

It will be if Mina isn’t so freaking shy and awkward.

 

Nayeon has been counting the seconds ever since she got into Mina’s car, the awkwardness that loom the instant she buckles the seatbelt make her shudder and she’s sure it isn’t because of the blazing air con. At least by counting her mind won’t be as empty and definitely won’t be as noiseless as how it is inside the car, where Mina’s been keeping her focus on the road stiffly and wordlessly. Not even once her fingers unwrap the steering wheel, staying rooted on a tight grip, and Nayeon watches the buildings and trees and people they pass by with great envy for simply being out there, unlike her who's stuck here.

 

The seconds have reached its one thousandth and Nayeon sets a new record, which is the longest time she doesn’t utter a single word. This comes as a surprise. She might be a true introvert at heart but there’s always something to talk about with Im Nayeon, even when it comes to a stranger, because Nayeon is sociable like that, not mentioning that she’s pretty vocal about things. She can imagine how overjoyed Jengyeon and Jihyo would be when they hear how it is possible for her to shut up this long.

 

Miffed, Nayeon quits counting once for all. It’s useless. She should’ve spend the rest of the journey formulating an alternative to get rid of Jinyoung because she doesn’t think she could stand another thirty days of silent drive and more counting.

 

(Then again she won’t have to deal with this; silent drive and counting, if it’s not because of those four nosy idiots tailing behind them.

 

Nayeon stealthily glowers at the blaring red car through the side mirror; making a mental note to tell Jihyo her car isn’t exactly perfect to spy on someone.)

 

At last, they reach the mall’s area. They drive pass by a fountain in front of the mall’s lobby straight to the parking lot, where hundred of cars are jammed like sardines in a can. There, the majority of the space is occupied, which is perhaps pretty normal. It’s summer anyway. What place, beside the beach and pool, would people come to visit when boredom strikes? There are not many things one can do in Seoul; the answer won’t be hard to come by.

 

On the second round of circling the lot, they eventually find a spot. Mina deftly parks the car and Nayeon’s seriously trying not to be rude but she leaps out of the car once it stays