0.

Mina is 23 years old and there are very many things that she wonders about.

She sits on the comfort of their balcony, wrapped up in one of Jeongyeon’s jackets, and gazes upon the city before her, the city she’s lived in for half of her life, the city she’s grown up with, the city she’s fallen in love in - the city where she’s broken other people’s hearts, and maybe even her own for a little while.

She sits and wonders, and wanders through the memories of what’s she’s gained and what she’s lost. She wonders, about Nayeon and Sana and Jihyo, and how they manage to weave together effortlessly despite schedules and distance. She wonders, about Momo and Dahyun, and how they dance in a different way than Momo and Mina ever did, coming closer and drawing apart, like waves to a shore. She wonders about Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu, and the music she hears filtering from the apartment upstairs, and the laughter that follows, still so young and bursting with love.

Mina sits, and she wonders about Jeongyeon, who shuffles out from their living room with a steaming mug and a tender smile and a kiss, chaste and bashful. It’s a step together, hand in hand in the journey of their forever.

“What’re you thinking about in that pretty little head of yours?” Jeongyeon asks, sinking into the spot behind her, an arm wrapping around Mina as soon as Mina takes their mug.

“You,” Mina answers honestly, sinking easily into Jeongyeon’s embrace. Jeongyeon scoffs and Mina’s lips curl into a grin, burrowing in a little closer. “I’m serious.”

“Fine,” Jeongyeon relents, chin planted solidly on her shoulder as Mina takes a sip of the cocoa - perfect like always. “What about me, then?”

“I was thinking about you,” Mina starts, before blowing across the milky surface of their hot chocolate to gather her thoughts. “And… where we might be if you hadn't offered to set me up with your friends. I keep wondering how much longer it might have taken to be together like this, if… if we would have ever ended up together at all.”

Jeongyeon is quiet for a moment, and Mina wonders if she’s said too much, if she’s already strained what’s barely begun. She warms her trembling hands against the warmth of the mug, but they don't stop shaking until Jeongyeon speaks, laughter in her voice.

“I think about that too,” Jeongyeon admits, warming her hands against the warmth of Mina’s stomach. “About all the things that might have pushed me to confess. About all the times I could have confessed, before I set you up with anyone, and if we could have avoided all of it.”

Mina feels Jeongyeon’s deep breath more than she hears it, and realizes Jeongyeon worries over these things, too. They sit for a moment, the sound of the city filling in their silence, and Mina wonders about that too, about how small they are in the grand scheme of things. Of how wonderful it was that she and Jeongyeon had ever met at all.

“Do you regret it?” Jeongyeon asks her, voice tentative when she speaks again. Mina startles out of her thoughts, but she doesn't have to think twice before answering.

“No,” She murmurs, tracing her thumb over the lip of the mug, chipped from the one time she'd tried to fetch it without Jeongyeon's help. “Not when I’ve been coming home to you all along, Jeongyeon-san.”

Jeongyeon seems to smile at the familiar nickname, and it urges Mina’s own, the seeds Jeongyeon's planted in her heart feeling as if they might blossom any minute. “Maybe that was my plan all along, Mina-ssi.”

“What an elaborate plan it was,” Mina drawls out, and they share smiles and kisses in the crisp March air, tasting as sweet as the drink in Mina’s hands.

Their next schedule, Mina bears Momo’s necklace and Jihyo’s bracelet, and Jeongyeon touches them as reverently as she touches Mina. They share a look and they both understand.

These are the people they are now.

1.

“What should we get Chaeyoung for her birthday?”

Mina continues to do her stretches, and Jeongyeon’s happy to watch, admiring her girlfriend’s - her girlfriend’s! - figure in her form-fitting exercise clothes. Jeongyeon only hums in answer to her question, and Mina sends her a look over her shoulder.

Jeongyeon only grins, playfully covering her eyes. “Okay, okay, focusing.” She slumps against their living room floor, the wood cool against her legs. It's a quiet day, free of schedules and cameras and faces full of make up, and Jeongyeon's happy to enjoy a moment to breathe with Mina. “I think the marker set we got her is more than enough. It’s what she’s been hinting at whenever she visits.”

“I know,” Mina sighs out, switching to another pose, looking as fluid as water as she did so. Jeongyeon watches through the gaps of her fingers, her smile widening as Mina’s does. “But I feel we should also get her something a little more personal. Something she cares about.”

Jeongyeon purses her lips and gazes up at the ceiling above them, tilting her head. Minjoong's barks sound through their open balcony doors, followed by a few thumps and startled laughter. “Well…”

“We are not kidnapping Tzuyu and tying a bow around her neck to give to Chaeyoung,” Mina states simply, lifting her brows at a sheepish Jeongyeon. It's hard to take her seriously, though, with her body contorted like a pretzel on her dark purple yoga mat.

“It was worth a shot,” Jeongyeon shrugs her shoulders, propping herself up onto her elbows as Mina switches her pose again, coming closer and closer. “Don’t I get a kiss for my good effort?”

“It was a pretty good idea,” Mina relents with the toothy smile that Jeongyeon loves, shaking out of her pose to press a kiss to Jeongyeon's waiting lips.

“I know,” Jeongyeon murmurs as Mina starts breaking away from their kiss, a hand reaching out to catch Mina’s wrist. They both share a knowing smile and Mina melts into her, catching her lips once more.

They don't get much exercise done for the rest of the afternoon, but Jeongyeon doesn't mind. They've got an exercise routine of their own.

1.1

They all meet again on Chaeyoung’s 21st birthday, their circles messy and lines blurred, all pulled into each other’s lives by chance and by consequence.

They all end up at an indoor pool Chaeyoung’s rented out for the day, and Jeongyeon finds herself floating about on an inflatable donut ring, not wanting to bother with her (very bad) swimming skills that day. It’s going well, until Chaeyoung and Dahyun yell from the side of the pool and catapult themselves into the pool, sending her toppling out of her donut and into the water. She hears Nayeon and Jihyo's laughter before she falls in, and that only fuels her.

Jeongyeon splashes around for a bit, spluttering when a laughing Chaeyoung pulls her up, cheeks pink and smile bright, and Jeongyeon can’t even bear to reprimand either of them. Not when they look younger than they have in years.

“You’re lucky it’s your birthday,” Jeongyeon calls out, locking an arm around Chaeyoung’s neck and ruffling her growing hair. Dahyun swims away despite Chaeyoung's call for help, seemingly happy to escape Jeongyeon's wrath. “Tiny little munchkin-”

“You’re so mean, unnie,” Chaeyoung whines, cutting off her name-calling. Jeongyeon doesn't relent, not until Chaeyoung looks vaguely like a porcupine. “It’s my birthday. You should make me feel like I’m the tallest here.”

“You will be if we all sit down,” Jeongyeon laughs, and Chaeyoung threatens to let go of her in the deep side of the pool. Chaeyoung, fortunately, doesn't, choosing to help her back onto her donut instead.

“I’m glad you came today,” Chaeyoung tells her, resting against the side of her donut, a happy smile on her face. Chaeyoung looks older now, as she should, shedding the roundness of her cheeks and gaining a sharper edge in her jaw, but she’s still the Chaeyoung who trembled in her arms before leaving for Paris, barely 15 and new to the world.

Jeongyeon only smiles, tucking Chaeyoung’s soaked hair behind her ears as best she could, after what she'd done. The sound of Sana being pulled into the pool by Dahyun catches her attention for a moment, but Chaeyoung only nudges at her inflatable ring, pouting up at her. “Of course I’d be here. I wouldn't miss it for the world.”

Chaeyoung’s pout melts into a brilliant smile, and Jeongyeon feels like she’s on top of the world, full of love for the girl before her. She pats down Chaeyoung's unruly hair, happy to ignore the chaos behind them, only to pause at Chaeyoug's words. “You look happier, unnie.”

Jeongyeon’s eyes stray towards Mina without a thought, who’s cuddled up on one of the lounge chairs with Tzuyu and Momo, looking at something on Tzuyu’s phone. It’s probably Minjoong or something Tzuyu got for lunch last week, considering how excitedly Momo reacts. They seem to be ignoring whatever's going on between Nayeon, Jihyo, Sana and Dahyun, and Jeongyeon thinks it's for the better.

“So do you,” She comments with a playful smirk, finally drawing her eyes back to Chaeyoung, who only nudges at her donut once more.

A flush clouds Chaeyoung’s cheeks and she buries her face against the plastic of her donut for a moment. “She kissed me this morning. At midnight, she wished me happy birthday and she kissed me for the first time.”

Jeongyeon whoops and Chaeyoung shushes her, trying not to draw the attention of the other girls. Jeongyeon still laughs loudly, the sound echoing throughout the room, and Chaeyoung's grin only tells her that she wants to join in. “You act like it’s the first time you’ve kissed a girl.”

“Of course not, Mina unnie-” Chaeyoung shuts up quickly, but Jeongyeon hears enough, eyebrows lifting as she willingly slips out of her donut to lock Chaeyoung in another headlock.

“Why you!” Jeongyeon yells in faux anger, pinching Chaeyoung’s cheeks and grinning at her whines and apology. Her hair is mussed up again, Jeongyeon's own efforts tossed away by her own wrath.

“It was one time!” Chaeyoung protests, trying to resist Jeongyeon’s assault and keep them afloat. Jeongyeon relents eventually, when she’s satisfied with how cute Chaeyoung’s sulky pout is.

“I’m glad that you found someone that can make you happy,” Jeongyeon says once they’ve both settled down, and Chaeyoung smiles her favourite dimpled smile, eyes bright.

“I’m glad you finally confessed,” Chaeyoung teases and Jeongyeon groans, almost dunking Chaeyoung under once more. Still, they float about on the water, Jeongyeon’s cheek pressed to the top of Chaeyoung’s head.

“Happy birthday, squirt,” Jeongyeon murmurs with a smile. Chaeyoung only beams, squeezing around her waist, and Jeongyeon feels the pieces are finally falling into place.

1.2

“You’re going to catch a cold.”

Chaeyoung looks up at Mina then, a sheepish smile starting to grow on her face. Mina smiles fondly and wraps a towel and her arms around Chaeyoung’s shoulders, leaning against her for a moment.

“From the ice inside your soul?” Chaeyoung sings playfully, leaning into the embrace and swaying them about on the spot, a little hidden away from the pool area. Her smile is bright, dimple deep and eyes shining.

“Are you calling me cold-hearted, Son Chaeyoung? Guess I’ll just go then,” Mina states with a lift of her brows, and she laughs when she feels Chaeyoung’s arms wind around her waist. “I’m taking that as a no.”

They stay quiet for a moment, wrapped up in each other as the sound of their friends, their family, filter into their tiny hiding spot.

“I never got to apologize in person,” Chaeyoung whispers against her collarbone, and Mina knows Chaeyoung can feel her heavy inhale at her words.

“I told you,” Mina starts softly, running her fingers through Chaeyoung’s messy hair, reeking of chlorine and faintly of strawberry shampoo. “You don't have to apologize for what happened between Tzuyu and I.”

“But I can't help but feel like it’s my fault,” Chaeyoung murmurs, fingers curling into the fabric of her swimsuit - as best she could with its slippery fabric. “If I had been a little more careful that day, I-”

“-Would have still met Tzuyu, one way or another.” Mina cuts in, hushing the rest of Chaeyoung’s words and hoping to soothe Chaeyoung’s worries with her touch. She pats down Chaeyoung's hair, and wonders just what happened to make it look like that. “We would still be here, but a lot less happy.” She pulls back a little to look at Chaeyoung, smiling. “Don't tell me you’d give this up.”

“I wouldn't,” Chaeyoung answers with a shake of her head, without a hint of hesitation, and Mina loves that about her, loves her conviction. “But that doesn't change the fact that I’m sorry that it happened like this.”

Mina lets out a sigh but smiles fondly, kissing Chaeyoung’s forehead and rapping her knuckles lightly against her stubborn little temple. “Come on, I think the cake is ready. Let’s get back before Jeongyeon and Momo eat the whole thing.”

Chaeyoung laughs as they start to waddle back, hip to hip, before Chaeyoung looks up at her. “They wouldn’t really, right?”

Mina only smiles knowingly and shrugs, and Chaeyoung takes off without her, towel fluttering behind her like a cape as she pounces upon Momo, whose cheeks are smeared with what seems like icing. Mina laughs and finds herself engulfed in a familiar pair of arms, and she doesn't have to guess twice to know who it is. She leans back against a pleased Sana, who is especially happy to be around everyone again, with no more worries, no more pain.

Mina meets Jeongyeon’s gaze across the table as they sing three different versions of happy birthday, and she grins, and knows there was no better place they could be but here.

2.

“Looks like it isn't as serious as Momo made it out to be.”

Jeongyeon hums lowly in agreement, brushing Dahyun’s hair away from her face, adjusting the blankets bundled around her. Momo had called earlier that morning, out of the country and leaving Mina and Jeongyeon in a panic over Dahyun. Their fears were justified, when a flu-ridden Dahyun had answered the door and sunk into Jeongyeon’s waiting arms.

“I must have ran so many red lights,” Jeongyeon sighs out, a sheepish grin on her face, but she knows she would have done it a hundred other times to make sure Dahyun was okay. Not for the first time, she's glad she listened to Jihyo, glad she got her license, too. “I’m glad it wasn't anything too bad.”

“Me too,” Mina meets her gaze with a smile, her hand still tucked into Dahyun’s, who refused to let go from the moment Mina settled down beside her. Jeongyeon understands, her thumb running over the cooling pad against Dahyun's forehead. “I think even my shirt is on backwards from the rush.”

Jeongyeon laughs quietly, reaching over to tug at the tag on Mina’s jumper. She shifts on the bed, careful not to jostle the bowl of half-eaten noodles on the beside table beside her. “Mm, it is. You still look good, though.”

“You don't have to flatter me, Yoo Jeongyeon, we’re already dating.” They share a bashful smile then, the notion of them finally being girlfriends still wonderfully, wonderfully new. Jeongyeon and Mina sit on either side of a sleeping Dahyun, relishing in the quiet of the moment and Dahyun’s apartment, in the relief that Dahyun wasn't in any danger.

“Do you think we’ll be like this in the future?” Jeongyeon asks hesitantly after another beat, looking down at Dahyun’s flushed cheeks instead of at Mina. Dahyun seems to be asleep, unable to hear them, and Jeongyeon's glad. “With our own…”

“I don't know,” Mina murmurs in answer, and Jeongyeon lifts her gaze to catch her pressing a hand to her flushed cheeks. Her own cheeks warm when their eyes meet, and Jeongyeon feels her heart flutter. “Hopefully they won't get sick often but…”

“They?” Jeongyeon echoes with a growing bashful grin. She shifts on the bed, leaning a little closer towards Mina. “More than one?”

“I mean…” Mina seems to lose her words then, waving a hand in front of her face. “I just imagined-”

“So you’ve thought about it? Having a family?” Jeongyeon’s tone grows teasing, but her heart swells with endearment, of the future that might not be so far away. “With me?”

Mina opens to answer, but Dahyun beats her to it, her clammy hands pressing against Jeongyeon and Mina’s cheeks to push them apart. So Dahyun had been awake after all.

“Can you two not flirt over me when I’m sick?” Dahyun grumbles, looking up miserably between them. She sniffles and coughs, and Jeongyeon feels her heart wrench at the sight. “Be useful and cuddle me instead.”

Mina lets out a laugh, the one that comes all the way from her belly, but doesn't hesitate to squeeze Dahyun's hand, wriggling down beside her, and Jeongyeon wonders just how much further she could fall for Mina. Jeongyeon shimmies down to wrap around a pleased Dahyun, who hums contently before sinking back into her slumber, and they smile, shaking their head fondly at her antics.

Jeongyeon meets Mina’s gaze across the way and they smile, soft and knowing, and their hearts seem to beat as one once more.

2.1

“You’re still wearing it.”

Mina lifts her head at the sound of Dahyun’s voice, momentarily pulled from her task of refreshing the cooling pad on Dahyun’s forehead. She smiles softly at the surprised look on Dahyun’s face, taking the moment to press the pad back against Dahyun’s forehead. She lets out a happy little noise and sinks back into the bed, and Mina’s smile grows.

“It’s a beautiful ring,” Mina explains, and she can't ignore the irony of Dahyun’s ring hanging from Momo’s necklace. “It’s as important to me as the person who gifted it.”

Dahyun blushes and ducks her head beneath the blankets, choosing to make cute little noises of protest instead of answering. Mina only laughs, brushing her fingers through the mop of Dahyun’s hair, hoping to soothe her somewhat. Jeongyeon is in the other room, talking loudly with Momo like she always does, and she and Dahyun share knowing smiles when Dahyun resurfaces.

“You really love her, don't you?” Dahyun croaks out, voice rough from her constant coughing. Mina takes a moment to get Dahyun to drink, helping her up carefully and watching her down a glass in seconds. Mina combs her fingers through Dahyun's hair once she sinks back down, looking a lot better than she did when she and Jeongyeon first saw her.

“I do,” Mina replies without hesitation, and they both laugh then, eyes falling to the ring that hung from the necklace around her neck.

“You could have been saying that to me if you said yes,” Dahyun hums, a playful smile on her face, nodding with a sure look on her face. Mina can almost picture it too, the rush, the anticipation. “At the altar, in a pretty dress, lots of flowers.”

“And keep you away from Momo? Not in this lifetime.” Mina laughs and stills Dahyun’s bobbing head, worried that Dahyun’s headache might return if she continued. Dahyun relents, stilling her head and holding Mina’s hand instead.

“I wish we had more time,” Dahyun tells her, voice serious for a moment, and Mina understands it, feels the years they managed to pour into not even a month of being together. But she hears Jeongyeon laugh along with Momo over their video call, and understands that their hearts beat differently now, too.

“We have right now,” Mina tells her with a gentle smile, and Dahyun mirrors it, and they both take a moment to mourn over the people they were months ago, the Mina and Dahyun they started to fall in love with.

They lie on Dahyun’s bed with their hands linked, surrounded by Dahyun’s messy sheets, and their synchronized breaths speak of a goodbye and a new beginning. Jeongyeon steps back into the room while on her tablet, Momo’s complains filtering through the speakers, and sinks right down between them. Mina laughs and Dahyun whines, and the ring resting against her chest doesn't feel as heavy anymore.

2.2

“This… is Dahyun’s fault.”

Mina winces at Jeongyeon’s thunderous sneeze, but stays by her side regardless, and Jeongyeon lets out a small grateful noise when she passes over the tissue box. Jeongyeon manages to toss her soiled tissue into their bin and she gives a garbled cheer, which Mina echoes with a fond smile.

“I told you not to share spoons with her,” Mina murmurs, voice tinged with amusement as she combs her fingers through Jeongyeon’s sweaty hair. Dahyun had recovered quickly in the day or two Jeongyeon and Mina spend nursing her back to full health, and Dahyun had been happy to milk the opportunity to be spoiled by her unnies.

Jeongyeon grumbles and buries her face in against Mina’s stomach, which is both softer and harder than her pillows with how toned it was. “She had the better ice cream flavour.”

“Which makes me wonder why she was eating ice cream so soon after getting better,” Mina hums, and the tips of Jeongyeon’s ears warm at the knowing tone in Mina’s voice. She just couldn't resist, not when Dahyun pulled her infamous puppy dog face.

“She did her little neomuhae thing,” Jeongyeon reasons, and Mina lets out a longer hum in understanding, tucking Jeongyeon’s hair behind her ears. Jeongyeon's just glad it's long enough to tuck behind her ears again. “That girl could get away with murder.”

“You say that like you wouldn't be there to hide the body with her,” Mina jokes, but it’s only a half one. If anything happened between the nine of them, it was ride or die now.

Jeongyeon presses a small kiss to Mina’s stomach instead, resting contently against her and hoping Mina’s immune system as strong as her will. Jeongyeon was banned from kisses until she was better, and that was worse than any cough or cold she might get.

“Did you mean what you said, back at Dahyun’s apartment?” Jeongyeon asks quietly, all joking and teasing melting away from her voice. She lifts her head up despite Mina’s look of protest, propping herself up to meet her gaze properly. “In the future, being with me?”

“Where else would I be?” Mina asks without hesitation, a hand cupping at her cheek, thumb tracing over the redness that spread across her skin. “I think I’ve wanted you since the minute we met.”

Jeongyeon swallows thickly at her words, and her eyebrows draw together as she presses her hands down on either side of Mina, earning a squeak. “Myoui Mina,” She says seriously. “Marry me, right now.”

Mina laughs in surprise, but Jeongyeon doesn't feel discouraged, not when Mina’s fingers trace over her jaw, gaze unwavering. “It’s not even legal here, Yoo Jeongyeon. Not yet.”

“Then we’ll go to the US, get married there.” Mina cups her cheeks, Jeongyeon leaning into her cool touch, her breaths soft and slow. They search each other's eyes for a moment, and it's as if time's stilled. Jeongyeon wishes it had, wishes she could stay with Mina in that one moment, for just a little longer. “I wish we could leave this all behind, just for a little bit, just for us.”

“I know,” Mina whispers, her words weighing heavily despite how softly she says them. They both know, having spent almost all of their lives training for this, to get to where they were right now. Beloved and adored by thousands, but with barely a spare minute for each other.

Jeongyeon turns her head to press a kiss to the palm of Mina’s hand, hiding her smile against her skin. “Dahyun had the right idea, proposing to you.”

“Maybe,” Mina answers laughingly, and Jeongyeon’s smile only widens at the sound of it filling their bedroom, matching the warmth of the Summer that was beginning to seep in.

Jeongyeon gazes into Mina’s eyes and loses herself for another moment, Mina’s thumb running over Jeongyeon’s cheekbone. Jeongyeon wonders how different it would have all been, if anything had changed. If she hadn't passed her audition, if Mina hadn't passed hers, if a million other things had happened differently before this. Jeongyeon feels grateful, then, grateful to have made it at all.

“Soon,” Jeongyeon whispers, her forehead pressing against Mina’s, her heart and shoulders light.

“Soon,” Mina echoes, and it feels more like a promise than a wish, more solid than anything has been for the past 10 years of their lives.

Jeongyeon and Mina aren’t even 25, but they feel the ache in their bones, the longing for a future beyond this, and suddenly it doesn't feel so far away anymore.

3.

“Are you having fun?”

Tzuyu lifts her head at the sound of Jeongyeon’s voice, smile bright and toothy, her dimple pronounced. The baby calf in her arms les happily on the bottle of milk Tzuyu’s holding, and Jeongyeon almost melts at how adorable she looks, her heart swelling with endearment.

“We’re at a petting zoo,” Tzuyu states excitedly, though quietly enough as to not startle the baby in her arms. “Like a small farm. How did you know this is what I wanted for my birthday?”

“A little beast told me,” Jeongyeon replies with a knowing smile, sinking down next to Tzuyu, their shoulders bumping against each other’s.

Tzuyu blushes, one to goes up to the tip of her ears, and lets out a low hum in understanding. Their gazes both drop down to the calf in Tzuyu’s arms for a moment, until it’s ready to wobble off once more, joining the rest of its siblings.

“I can't believe you’re 21 already,” Jeongyeon murmurs, ruffling Tzuyu’s hair, held back loosely by the ponytail Jihyo put it up in. If she had been anyone else, Tzuyu might have protested, but she only leans into the touch and rests her head against Jeongyeon’s shoulder once Jeongyeon settles back down.

“You say that like you’re my mom.” Jeongyeon laughs and nudges Tzuyu, but she doesn't mind, not really. She has seen Tzuyu grow, from the beautiful 17 year old newcomer to the the even more beautiful highly sought after 21 year old she was now. Jeongyeon loves her, and she knows Tzuyu feels the same. “Thank you, unnie.”

“What for?” Jeongyeon asks in surprise. After all, Jihyo and Mina had been the ones to organize their little trip, and Dahyun had been the one to find a spot in their schedules. Jeongyeon had just been there as moral support, and for the free food, of course.

“For taking care of me all these years,” Tzuyu answers, voice soft, bashful, but sincere. Tzuyu seems to burrow in further against her shoulder, a fond smile tugging at the corners of Jeongyeon’s lips. “For giving me a chance, even though I messed up.”

Their eyes snap towards a sudden squeal, sounding from the field not too far away, where everyone else was seated. They both let out a sigh at the sight of Sana and Momo on the grass, having tripped over their discarded shoes, screaming up a storm over whose fall was worse. They seem to crowd around Mina, the youngest of the Japanese trio, pulling off their best puppy faces and trying to wear her down. Nayeon, Jihyo and Dahyun seem to be ignoring their girlfriends, happy to point out shapes in the sky with Chaeyoung.

“You didn't mess up, you know,” Jeongyeon murmurs, reaching down to hold Tzuyu’s hand in hers. Tzuyu seems to puff out a small breath, and Jeongyeon squeezes her hand, wanting to convince her. “We can't help how we feel about people. I’m glad you were honest, before anyone got hurt.”

Tzuyu looks at her, wide eyed and unsure, but Jeongyeon only smiles, soft and reassuring, and Tzuyu's shoulders finally seem to sink. The others call for them then, Jihyo’s voice louder than the others, calling them over for cake and ice cream. Tzuyu is up first, bouncing up to her feet with a bright smile and shining eyes, and Jeongyeon’s glad her heart seems to be rested.

“There is one more thing, unnie.” And Jeongyeon tilts her head in question, wondering what else Tzuyu might have left for her. “I kissed Mina unnie first~”

“Why you!” Jeongyeon takes after a giggling Tzuyu, faux anger in her voice but a brilliant smile on her face. They both tumble onto the grass, rolling along with simultaneous ‘oofs’ before they burst out into laughter, shoulders shaking and eyes tearing.

“What am I going to do with you two?” Mina asks, closest to where they’d fallen, and Jeongyeon’s heart flutters at the fond smile on her face, reminded of their promise.

Jeongyeon and Tzuyu share a grin before settling down on the blanket, breathless as they plop down by their significant others. Jeongyeon flicks grass towards Nayeon when she complains about it, and they find themselves singing happy birthday once more, the candle burning and half-melted when Tzuyu blows it out.

The air is sweltering and the sun is high, but they all sit, shoulder to shoulder, mouths as sticky with ice cream as their skin is with the Summer heat, and Jeongyeon prays for another moment, just like this.

3.1

“If any of you fart, I’ll kill you.”

Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung start snickering at Nayeon’s statement, who only emphasizes it with a light swat to both of their legs.

They’re all squeezed together onto mismatched futons and doubled duvets on the floor of Chaeyoung’s living room, the closest home to the farm they’d gone to earlier, and it’s about as messy as one can imagine.

Tzuyu and Dahyun are at opposite ends, already curled around Chaeyoung and Momo respectively, half-asleep and grumbling about the noise they were still making. Jeongyeon follows Chaeyoung, while an already slumbering Jihyo follows Momo, if her light snoring has anything to say about it. Mina lies in the middle of it all, stuck between Jeongyeon and Sana and Nayeon, shoulders shaking with laughter at Jeongyeon’s attempt to pry both Sana and Nayeon’s arms off her waist.

“Go away,” Jeongyeon grumbles with effort, reaching over to jab at Sana and Nayeon’s ticklish sides. “She’s my little spoon now.”

“Learn to share, Jeongyeonie,” Sana pouts, swatting at Jeongyeon’s hands and only curling in tighter against Mina. Mina only lets out an amused sigh, especially when Momo’s tired voice sounds out.

“Go to bed or I’ll take Mina myself,” Momo threatens, but it’s hard to take seriously when her words slur together, her voice soft and warm with sleep already. Mina decides to settle things before they wake anyone else, her hands soothing over Jeongyeon’s, Sana’s and then Nayeon’s arms.

“You heard her,” Mina hums, taking hold of Jeongyeon’s arm to secure her arm around her waist. Jeongyeon gives a victorious smirk, but loses it just as quickly when Mina draws Sana’s arm just below hers, Nayeon’s hand curled around her hip.

“Mina-” Jeongyeon starts, lower lip jutted out, but Mina shushes her with a small kiss, her fingers lacing through Jeongyeon’s.

“Goodnight, Yoo Jeongyeon,” Mina murmurs with a fond smile at Jeongyeon’s satisfied look, tracing over her jaw with her free hand before settling down completely.

The AC hums lowly, the cool air fighting off the sticky Summer heat. There is another chorus of goodnights, the smack of Sana’s lips against Mina and then Nayeon’s cheeks, before silence finally engulfs the room.

Jeongyeon meets Mina’s gaze in the darkness, surrounded by the warmth of the people they love, and Jeongyeon can’t think of anywhere else she’d rather be.

3.2

“Good morning.”

Nayeon hums absently as Jihyo rests her chin upon Mina’s shoulder, earning a gentle smile as Mina flips the bacon sizzling in the pan before her. Sana is half-asleep but is never one to miss out on cuddles, engulfing both Mina and Jihyo in her warm embrace, pressing sleepy kisses to their cheeks.

“Leave my girlfriend alone,” Jeongyeon whines from the table, unable to move from Momo’s weight on her lap, and a smirk plays across Nayeon’s lips. Momo only drapes herself further over Jeongyeon, and Jeongyeon doesn't seem to mind, resigned to her fate and nodding along to Momo's retelling of her mosquito story. Still, her foot manages to catch Nayeon's. “Don't even think about it, unnie.”

“It’s not our fault that Minari is nice and cool in the morning,” Sana is the one who answers, cuddling further into Mina as she tries to plate their breakfast. It's a difficult task, especially with Sana nosing at the crook of her neck, trying to earn a few giggles from Mina. “Besides, she doesn't mind~”

“I mind,” Chaeyoung complains, finally making her way towards the kitchen area with a yawning Tzuyu and a shuffling Dahyun. Dahyun seems to fall asleep as soon as she sits down, and Mina can only wonder if that was the secret to her tofu like skin. Chaeyoung huffs as she sits in her own seat, arms crossed. “Mina unnie can't put any of the food on the table while you’re hogging her all to yourself.”

“You’re just jealous, Chaeyoungie,” Sana sticks her tongue out at Chaeyoung, who mirrors the action, wrinkling her nose for good measure. A scandalised gasp leaves Sana’s lips, abandoning Mina to throw herself at Chaeyoung. “I’ll pull your tongue out!”

Jihyo lets out a knowing sigh and slips away from her post to pull her girlfriend away from Chaeyoung, who only grimaces at the sudden weight on her lap.

It’s Tzuyu who ends the mess surrounding Chaeyoung, who nudges past a protesting Sana and a placating Jihyo to embrace Mina herself. Mina smiles knowingly, pressing up briefly into the chin atop her head before waddling to the table of their slack jawed friends.

“Dibs,” Momo calls out to shatter the stunned silence, easily swiping away from the mountain of bacon before them, and chaos ensues, fighting over who gets what.

Mina and Tzuyu don't get involved in the chaos, not when Mina nods subtly towards the separate plates on the counter behind them. They take a moment to relish in the not so quiet of their morning, in the sound of seven voices trying to speak over one another, and in each other, for however long they have.  

“Happy birthday, Tzuyu,” Mina smiles up at Tzuyu, who only beams back, toothy and dimpled and every bit the girl Mina loved, but so much happier.

“Best birthday ever.”

4.

“Are you nervous?”

Jihyo’s head snaps up at her words and Mina gives her an apologetic smile, a hand soothing over her shoulder. Jihyo’s shoulders seem to slump at the touch, her head turning back towards the boxes in her hands. Mina's surprised she hasn't worn into the fabric with how much she's run her thumbs over it.

“Where’s Jeongyeon?” Jihyo asks to deflect the question, and Mina knows better, but she indulges Jihyo, nodding towards the door.

“Arguing with Nayeon over a drama,” Mina explains, and Jihyo lets out a knowing sigh, exchanging a smile with Mina through the mirror. “Sana decided to play referee this time, but Nayeon seemed to be winning.”

“Nayeon threatened her with no kisses?” Jihyo asks, a hand reaching up to curl around Mina’s, drawing her closer. Mina worries over wrinkling Jihyo’s gorgeous white dress, or ruffling her carefully done hair, but Jihyo tugs and Mina melts, draping herself over Jihyo’s back.

Mina sinks into the embrace, holding a shaky Jihyo with a small kiss to her head. Jihyo smile at the action, her hands stilling for the moment, seeming to gather herself. “She threatened a lot more than that if she loses against Jeongyeon.” A smirk crosses Mina's, and Jihyo laughs, losing even more of the tension in her shoulders. They both knew how serious it could get whenever it came to Nayeon and Jeongyeon, even when it came to the silliest things in the world.

The low murmur of staff rumbles outside, but Mina and Jihyo feel sheltered away in the safety of the dressing room, taking slow, steady breaths. Mina watches Jihyo being to run her thumbs over the velvet of the boxes in her hands again, and squeezes gently, hoping to reassure her without words.

“I feel like I’m proposing when they’re just promise rings,” Jihyo breathes out, and Mina sees her eyes flutter to a close in the mirror, her hands closing tightly around the boxes. “I’m just worried. What if they don't like them?”

Mina almost laughs, because at least Jihyo is worried about Nayeon and Sana’s pickiness of her rings rather than anything else. “I’m sure they’ll love them, because it’s from you.”

“Is that why you still wear my bracelet?” Jihyo asks, voice quieting, and Mina feels a tremble shoot down her spine. The bracelet, of simple pearls and a heart bearing Jihyo’s name, hangs loosely from her wrist like it had a year ago, in plain sight of anyone who looked. It had sparked a few questions, but Mina knew better than to entertain them, and it seemed Jihyo knew better, too.

“Yes,” Mina whispers, a small smile on her face, cheek pressed against the top of Jihyo’s head, and she knows the words she spoke to Jeongyeon so long ago were some of the truest she's ever spoken. “You know I love you, Jihyo.”

“I know,” Jihyo mirrors her smile, but her eyes flutter open and land on the ring on her finger, the ones marked with Jeongyeon’s initials, and they both know it was never enough.

Jihyo’s managers step into the room then, asking her to get ready for standby, and they both share a look, their bubble shattered. Mina gives Jihyo one final squeeze, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “You’ve got this.”

Jihyo smiles, and she looks the most content she has ever been, the boxes tucked into her pockets. “I always do.”

4.1

“They look happy.”

Jihyo turns her head with a bright smile plastered upon her face, her eyes almost hidden but clearly shining with joy. Jeongyeon feels her heart flutter, full of affection for one of her closest friends. She settles an arm around Jihyo’s shoulders, Jihyo’s arm slotting easily around her waist, and they feel like they’re standing on top of the world, watching the people they care about huddled around the people they loved.

“I’m glad the rings fit,” Jihyo breathes out, resting her head against Jeongyeon’s shoulder, and Jeongyeon can't imagine the weight that must be lifted off Jihyo’s.

“Can we expect any wedding bells soon?” Jeongyeon asks teasingly, and Jihyo laughs, shaking her head against Jeongyeon’s shoulder. She smells faintly of sweat from performing and Sana’s sweet perfume, but Jeongyeon only holds her closer. They’re safe in the comforts of Jihyo’s apartment after her show, and Jeongyeon sees the person Jihyo leaves behind before getting on stage.

“Not us, not yet.” Jihyo pats Jeongyeon’s stomach with a cheeky smirk on her face, one that tells Jeongyeon whatever Jihyo has to say next is nothing but trouble. “But as for you and Mina…”

Jeongyeon’s cheeks warm and she pinches Jihyo’s cheek for even bringing up the topic. It had been one floating around since May, since visiting Dahyun’s apartment and what they’d uncovered about each other then. “Not yet. It’s way too early…”

“Oh please,” Jihyo rolls her eyes, reaching for Jeongyeon’s drink on the kitchen counter they were propped up against. Jeongyeon makes a noise of protest, but Jihyo ignores her, downing the rest of her soda. “Even the moms are wondering when you two are going to do something. As far as they’re concerned, you two have been dating since you two got into the business.”

“But Mina dated all of you…” Jeongyeon holds her head in her hand for a second, eyebrows furrowing. “Wait! How are they even talking to each other?”

“Our moms already had a group with Nayeon’s,” Jihyo shrugged, looking back towards Nayeon, who was flaunting her new ring off again. “Mina, Momo’s and Sana’s had one too, and Dahyun’s, Chaeyoung’s and Tzuyu’s got added in eventually.”

“Why is this my first time hearing about it?” Jeongyeon asks incredulously, looking at a Jihyo who couldn't seem to care any less. “Yah, Park Jihyo!”

“Talk to your mom more often then, don't yell at me, pabo Jeongyeon!” Jihyo answers with a cheeky wrinkle of her nose, sticking her tongue out.

“You’re five years old,” Jeongyeon grouches fondly, locking Jihyo against her and messing up her carefully tousled hair.

Jihyo cries out foul and reaches out to mess up Jeongyeon’s hair, too. It doesn't end well, with both Jihyo and Jeongyeon as panting messes, their hair messy and clothes ruffled. They slump against Jihyo's kitchen counter, watching the rest of the girls play a hectic game of Mafia, and laugh when their gazes finally meet again.

“To our forevers, huh,” Jihyo smiles up at her, the same bright eyed, snot nosed kid she was all those years ago and yet entirely different, too. 

“To our forevers,” Jeongyeon echoes, knocking her head against Jihyo’s with a fond grin. To ten more years, and countless more.

4.2

“What is it?”

Jeongyeon doesn't look up from what she’s building, a congratulatory gift from her older sisters, working meticulously in the middle of their living room. Her hair is pushed back by a worn headband, kept out of her eyes, blessedly free of their contacts. She looks beautiful, in one of Mina’s shirts and sleep shorts, bathed by the afternoon sun coming through their windows, working away. Jeongyeon is patient, and meticulous, and steady-handed, and Mina loves her, so she tells her.

“Nothing,” Mina answers with a soft smile, lying down on their couch, propped up on one arm. “I just love you, that’s all.”

Jeongyeon does stop then, pages rustling as she drops the instruction manual, eyes lifting up to meet Mina’s. She seems surprised at the sudden declaration, her cheeks pink, and Mina only falls further in love with her.

“I love you too,” Jeongyeon replies bashfully, with a warm smile and shining eyes and a kiss that leaves Mina yearning to stay in the moment for just a little longer. Still, the clock ticks onward, Jeongyeon returns to her task, Mina sinks back onto the couch with her script, and their small home feels a little bit warmer.

4.3

“Can you please stay still?”

Momo doesn't answer Jihyo, looking both sulky and pleased at the attention she was getting from Jihyo and Jeongyeon. Mina watches on from one of the foldable chairs they’d brought along, an amused grin on her face at how Momo squirms away from the cold of the sea water they were pouring over her partially covered legs. Dahyun and Tzuyu seem to be tossing a beach ball around by the shore, while Chaeyoung blessedly entertains Sana, who's enthusiatically advertisting the seaweed soup she'd be making from the seaweed in her hands.

“It’s cute, isn't it?” Nayeon’s voice sounds from beside her, and Mina jumps a little, tearing her eyes away from the scene before her. She gives Nayeon a small smile, scooching over to let her sink down beside her. They're safe under the shade of the umbrella, and Mina's glad she doesn't have to squint to see her.

"I think I'd buy Sana's seaweed soup," Mina replies jokingly, and Nayeon's smile widens, shaking her head at Mina's words. Chaeyoung seems to be sold at least, both her and Sana glowing golden under the sun, with Dahyun well on her way to earning more than a few sun burns.

“You’re thinking about it too, right? Where everything goes from here?” Nayeon says suddenly, after a moment of listening to the sound of their laughter, to the sound of how serious Jihyo and Jeongyeon seemed to be in making Momo a mermaid.

Mina keeps quiet for a moment, knowing she won't be able to keep the surprise out of her voice at how well Nayeon knows her, even now. Instead, she sinks into the familiarity of Nayeon’s embrace, at how easily they slot in together after all this time. “I am,” She admits. “Jeongyeon and I…”

“I know,” Nayeon hums, cheek pressed against the top of Mina’s head. “It’s so easy to think about when it comes to Jihyo and Sana. It’s only been a year for all three of us but it feels so much longer already, and well, I’m almost 25.” She huffs, pouting. “Practically halfway to 30.”

Mina laughs at Nayeon’s dilemma, patting the hand around her waist with a fond smile. “It’s okay. I’m still convinced you’ve swapped bodies with Chae somehow, with how you act.”

“Hey!” Nayeon pinches her side and Mina squeaks, but she feels the way Nayeon’s cheeks bunch, hears the grin in her voice.

“You’d make a good family,” Mina tells her, voice soft and sincere, peering up at Nayeon. She gauges her reaction, with the way she looks beyond the four playing by the shore, with the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “All three of you love kids, you’re all responsible.” Mina's smile grows teasing. “Serious when you want to be.”

“I’m serious all the time, Myoui Mina,” Nayeon declares with another pinch to her side, and Mina squeaks in protest. Nayeon manages to get a few more in before she settles, fingers soothing over the reddening skin. “I never got to thank you, you know? For always packing an extra lunch for me.”

Mina only smiles, happy to rest in Nayeon’s embrace for the moment, happy to forget about their worries and the mess they'd left behind when they broke up. “Consider it a thank you for all the flowers you never stopped sending.”

“They’re lilacs, you know,” Nayeon murmurs, voice suddenly quiet, with a hint of bashfulness, and Mina's reminded of the hours spent in old bookshops, surrounded by volume upon volume about who knows what. "They mean 'first love.'"

“They’re always beautiful.” Mina’s heart skips, like it did the first time Nayeon turned to smile at her, and her smile only softens. “Now I wish I had sent some to you, too.”

Nayeon only laughs, the one that bursts out in her surprise, and holds her closer. Mina is happy to rest against her, watching a now satisfied Jihyo and Jeongyeon pat the sand down on Momo’s mermaid tail. Momo is happy to pose, especially when Jeongyeon fetches Momo's polaroid camera from one of their bags. They lie together only for another moment, until Dahyun manages to hit Nayeon’s head with the beach ball and Mina’s dragged into the sunshine, kicking up sand as they chase after a furiously apologizing Dahyun.

Mina squints against the sunlight, but she doesn't have any fear, not when Nayeon holds her hand and smiles over her shoulder, just like she did all those years ago, and their world feels even brighter.

5.

“You should be more careful.”

Jeongyeon doesn't look up from what she’s doing, fingers working quickly and efficiently, like she’s done a dozen times before, and Mina wonders if she’ll have to do it a dozen times more. She remembers the first time Jeongyeon saw her do it for herself, wrap her feet up after a brutal week of practice, the first time Jeongyeon ever gave her a piggyback ride home.

“I’m sorry,” Mina says softly, wincing a little as Jeongyeon passes over a particularly tender spot, the bandages reddening almost immediately. Jeongyeon doesn't look up, but her movements slow, just a tad. “I just want this performance to be perfect. It’ll be my biggest one yet, Jeongyeon and I… It could be everything that I’ve been waiting for my whole life.”

“And how will you do it if you can barely even stand?” Jeongyeon’s head snaps up and Mina shrinks at her gaze, startled by the tone of Jeongyeon's voice. It lasts only for a moment, but the way Jeongyeon’s eyes shimmered spoke volumes. Jeongyeon drops her gaze once more, but it doesn't keep her voice from trembling. “I just… don't like it when you get hurt.”

“I know,” Mina murmurs, a hand reaching out to tuck Jeongyeon’s hair behind her ears, feeling Jeongyeon’s thumb run over her bandaged ankle as Mina traces her thumb over Jeongyeon's cheeks. “I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

Jeongyeon only offers a watery look before getting back to her task, tending to Mina’s wounded feet, worn and bruised and bloody from hours and hours of unrelenting practice. The TV plays an old movie they've seen a hundred times, and Jeongyeon mouths along to it, loves those old movies despite what she tells Nayeon. Mina watches her fondly, resting back against the pillows Jeongyeon set up on their bed for her, and Mina loves her.

Loves her attentiveness, loves the way she worries, loves her gentleness and the way she looks up every other minute to check she’s not wrapping her up too tightly. An amused smile tugs at the corners of Mina’s lips the next time Jeongyeon looks up, and Jeongyeon matches it with a bashful one, peering through her lashes.

“Too tight?” Jeongyeon asks her with a tilt of her head, but Mina only shakes her head, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to her lips. Jeongyeon’s eyes are closed when she pulls away, and Mina can’t help but laugh at what leaves her lips next. “Doing a good job then?”

“I can’t wait to discover the rest of my forever with you, Yoo Jeongyeon.” The words spill out before Mina can stop them, but she isn't sure she wants to, not when Jeongyeon’s blushes so prettily, eyes sparkling and smile wider than she’s ever seen.

“It’ll be one hell of a ride,” Jeongyeon tells her, nose brushing against hers once more, her job all but forgotten. Mina doesn't mind, not when a single kiss from Jeongyeon could take away any pain she's ever felt. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

Mina’s grin only widens, lips brushing and breaths mingling, and forever feels millimeters away from her fingertips. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

5.1

“If you stare any harder, she might melt.”

Jeongyeon’s shoulders jump at the sound of Seungyeon’s voice, her head whipping away from the sight of Mina helping her dad around the kitchen to the smug smirk that graced her sister’s lips. Jeongyeon rolls her eyes, but blushes, and Seungyeon’s smirk only grows.

“Why is it always you when Mina comes over?” Jeongyeon grumbles, crossing her arms and wishing her sister had been busy with filming instead. Seungyeon never missed out on the opportunity to embarrass her in front of Mina, and always seemed to find something new to about, despite the many years she’s known her.

“Are you still worried I’m going to steal her away from you?” Seungyeon asks with a grin, looking comfortable in a simple white tee and jeans. Jeongyeon scoffs and jabs Seungyeon’s side when she tries to take one of her last cupcakes.

“As if you could steal her away,” Jeongyeon huffs, shoving the cupcake into to spite her sister. Seungyeon grimaces as she speaks with full, and Jeongyeon takes it as a victory. “She wouldn't be interested in a grandma like you.”

“Who are you calling a grandma?” Seungyeon scoffs, dragging Jeongyeon into a headlock and messing up the pins Mina had placed carefully in her hair that morning.

"My hair!" Jeongyeon complains loudly, shoving at her sister’s side and trying to fix the damage Seungyeon had done. Mina had spent a good ten minutes on her hair, perched on Jeongyeon's lap with her tongue out in concentration. “You wrinkled my skirt, too!”

“It’s just a skirt!” Seungyeon counters, drawing Jeongyeon into another headlock, but gentler, resting her cheek against the top of Jeongyeon’s head. Jeongyeon frowns but settles, giving into the moment Seungyeon is bringing about. Jeongyeon knows better than to try and resist when her sister is feeling particularly sentimental. “She looks happy.”

Jeongyeon follows Seungyeon’s gaze, watching Mina laugh along freely to whatever story her dad is telling her, and it’s a far cry from the Mina who barely even look at her parents back then. Jeongyeon smiles, as warmly as her heart felt, resting fully against Seungyeon. “She does.”

“You do, too,” Seungyeon murmurs, a hand brushing down the hair she’d mussed up only a minute ago. Jeongyeon feels like a child again, especially with the way Seungyeon looks at her, amber eyes bright, shimmering. “Are you?”

“The happiest I’ve ever been,” Jeongyeon answers honestly. She’s never been able to hide anything from her sisters, and she wasn't going to start now.

Seungyeon only grins, shifting to rest her cheek against Jeongyeon’s head once again. “Then that’s all I can ask for.”

Later, when Jeongyeon and Mina are squeezed together on Jeongyeon’s childhood bed, Seungyeon posts a candid picture of Mina feeding Jeongyeon spoonful of ice cream on Instagram, captioned only with three bells.

“What do you think she means?” Jeongyeon asks, wiggling further back into Mina’s embrace, enveloped in her warmth, in the kisses planted against the nape of her neck. Mina laughs and doesn't hesitate to like the photo when she sees it, her weight warm and welcome on Jeongyeon’s back as she reaches over to tap her finger against Jeongyeon’s screen.

“She’s just teasing you again,” Mina tells her, nosing against Jeongyeon’s jawline, drawing a laugh out of her, too. She lifts one of Jeongyeon’s hands to her lips, then, pressing a tender kiss to the silver band around her finger. Jeongyeon feels her heart flutter at the touch, at the implication of it. “But I think she’s on the right track.”

“Why?” Jeongyeon asks with a furrow of her brow, which only deepens as Mina grins and laces their fingers together. “Yah, Myoui Mina, did my sister tell you anything?”

“Go to bed, Yoo Jeongyeon,” Mina says, curling tighter around her, hiding a smile against her skin. Jeongyeon whines but Mina doesn't budge, only drawing her closer. Jeongyeon pouts, but she settles at Mina’s words, at the fingers tracing over her stomach. “I love you.”

Jeongyeon only smiles, cheeks warm and heart sated, and she knows her sister is right, that there’s really nothing more she could ask for, too. “I love you, too.”

5.2

“That tickles.”

Jeongyeon only smiles at Mina’s soft, tired words, her fingers continuing on their trail over the moles dotting Mina’s back, mapping out the constellations of her universe. She lets her lips follow her path, pressing slow tender kisses to bare skin, smelling sweet of sweat and summer heat.

“Sana told me something over lunch the other day,” Jeongyeon starts, a lone finger tracing over the long red lines she’s raked over Mina’s back, hoping she feels the apology in her touch. Mina acknowledges her with a cute little hum, and Jeongyeon can see her eyelashes fluttering to a close, kissing the top of her cheeks. "She told me that there’s a whole galaxy out there with a sky like diamonds, so full with stars that there wouldn't be an inch of darkness in the sky.”

“Think they’ll ever find it?” Mina asks, voice half-muffled by the pillow, sounding as if she could fall asleep any second. She just might, after their busy visit to her parent's home.

“Maybe not in this lifetime,” Jeongyeon answers with a small laugh, resting her cheek against the milky expanse of Mina’s back. She rises and falls with each breath Mina takes, and Jeongyeon only settles further, breathing in Mina's presence. “In another universe, maybe.”

Mina hums lowly, sinking further into their bed as Jeongyeon traces over the curve of Mina’s hip, over the marks she’s left there. She's careful, more careful than Nayeon had ever been, knowing their managers would have to deal with the trouble of covering them up if she wasn't. “Do you think we still would have been together, in another universe?”

“I’m sure of it.” Jeongyeon doesn't hesitate to answer, not with Mina, not anymore. “And if we weren’t… I’d still look for you. My heart would always be searching.”

“I don't doubt it,” Mina whispers, voice almost lost in the hum of the cicadas outside, the sound filtering through their windows. “We’re made from the same stars, after all.”

"I know.” And Jeongyeon loves her then, loves the rise and fall of Mina’s chest, the way her dark hair spills over her shoulders, the way she simply is, whole and there and hers. Jeongyeon loves Mina, and knows she wouldn't mind spending eternity in a galaxy shimmering with just her.