a/n : before any of you start reading, i would like to apologize in advance because there might be some long paragraphs since i wrote this on my laptop instead of my phone as usual.

thank you for checking out this ridiculous flash fic and lets progress to reading shall we?

enjoy.

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It started with a reality show, a nice program that featured idols exploring local community lots every weekends, favored by high school teens and college students who have too much free time on their hands—or mostly fans who just loves seeing their idols. And well, Nayeon landed herself on an episode with a trip to the local zoo, accompanied by a few idols that she recognizes to be rookies with sparkling eyes and big dreams. (She pities them for fantasizing so high, life is a cruel and Nayeon got lots of first-hand experience.)

Nayeon vaguely remembers her manager telling her not to act awkward or uncomfortable with the other guest stars, and if anything’s up she’ll be around. Nayeon just nodded along while humming in agreement like she always did. (Trust her, Nayeon’s heard that line from Jeongyeon more than the amount she ate ‘healthy’ cereals for breakfast. She’s pondering on why Jeongyeon kept acting like she’s a middle school student instead of a full-grown adult.)

“Nayeon-ssi, are you feeling uncomfortable?” she heard one of the crew asking, and shook her head in disapprovement. Nayeon’s just feeling a little light-headed, maybe from the lack of sleep she had this week—a total amount of six hours across a few days, maybe, Nayeon can’t recall exactly—or maybe the damp air from last morning’s light drizzle, or maybe it’s just her.

The show goes on normally, with the occasional squeals of delight whenever an animal picks up their interest or screams of terror when one of the rookies spotted a zebra. (The poor girl almost cried, and Nayeon somehow shared her sympathy with her). So far, Nayeon thinks she’s faring quite well, or not. Even if the solo artist felt like fainting when they went to the giraffe’s mini park, she ended up congratulating herself for not dying right there. (It was a bad incident back in one of her old school trip. Let’s just say the bunny-teethed girl didn’t like her hand getting chewed by some gigantically tall and dumb looking animal.)

They reached a small cove with an ostentatious white sign hanging right above the entrance. It’s filled with glass cages and north pole-esque decorations, and Nayeon thinks the cove looked like some failed experiment of a huge sphere freezer that was meant to be an igloo, or whatever the thing’s supposed to be. She felt this part’s the highlight of the show, since everything looked spanking new and lots of balloons were scattered outside along with an absurdly fat Santa Claus handing snowflake designed flyers.

But it seems to fail her, and she’s not even the slightest bit amused in the bland decorations. She feels mundane staring at them. (Nayeon felt the need to give props to herself for brilliantly masking her displeasure towards this hideous looking make-believe igloo). The others seems to be having fun looking around, so Nayeon plastered her best wide-teethed Colgate smile and pretended she was interested.

(But in reality, Nayeon just wanted to go home and rest her fatigued body. Really.)

But as every shadows has light to it, Nayeon finds herself cracking up openly to a sea lion that looked exactly like Jeongyeon’s Rottweiler pup while asking the cameramen to zoom in at the mentioned sea lion. (She’s somewhat sure fans are going to make lots of memes of this when the episode airs, but then again it’s already her usual antics that most fans memorized). After laughing her off with her usual cute attitude—which earned her a weird stare from one of the male rookies, she chuckled again at the mental image of Jeongyeon deadpanning towards her crude humour. Maybe this trip’s not so bad after all.

Nayeon saw some rookies crowding up to a particular cage and decided to follow them, curious to what made them look pleasantly surprised. Well, it seemed like Im Nayeon had just stumbled upon the best of thing of this half-boring slash rather enjoyable trip—or so she’d like to say.

Penguins.

And somehow, Jeongyeon kind of regretted accepting the show’s producer offer to include Nayeon in this episode.

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Penguins, penguins, and more penguins.

Jeongyeon lost count at how much Nayeon said the name of those big-bellied aquatic birds. Whether when she just woke up, in an interview, talking with fans at a fan sign, or even at a simply normal chat over breakfast inside Nayeon’s penthouse, the singer wouldn’t stop for just one bit. Jeongyeon considered buying duct tape once to silence her, but quickly dismissed the thought after remembering a very tragic accident including Im Nayeon and a single roll of duct tape. (No, Nayeon definitely didn’t end up locking Jeongyeon inside one of the company’s dorm room while playing around. Definitely.)

It had come to a point when Jeongyeon was making Nayeon’s infamous chicken mayonnaise salad—that horrifying looking one which had extra soy sauce on top—for a late breakfast, and the young manager secretly made pleas to whoever’s up there to save her from Nayeon’s I-want-penguins-and-you-can’t-say-no never stopping charade.

“There are no schedules today, you should be free to do whatever you want-“

“I want penguin plushies.” Nayeon chopped off Jeongyeon’s sentence with a serious face.

Her manager made a deadpan expression before answering, “No.”

(Jeongyeon didn’t want to turn Nayeon’s pretty penthouse into some kind of gigantic penguin plushie lair, or better yet, an actual penguin lair.)

“Please?”

“No.”

“Pretty please with a cherry on top?”

“Still no.”

“I promise I’ll behave and not cause trouble?”

“That’s a question and not a sentence, so I’m not sure you’ll fulfil that. And it’s still no.”

“I promise I won’t make fun of your Rottweiler pup again.”

“Nope,” Jeongyeon said, popping the p,”Jungsoo is fine, even if his face looks like a sea lion according to you.”

“You said I can do anything I want! Pweaseee, Jeongieee~”

“Still no, you bunny-teethed freak.”

“I’ll keep it a secret to your jokbal-maniac girlfriend that you keep pizza photos edited with her face as toppings if you buy me those plushies.”

Jeongyeon’s face faltered for a bit, but she shook her head and pressed back her round glasses that’s falling off her nose bridge, “No, Im Nayeon, and it’s not ‘jokbal-maniac girlfriend’, she has a name.”

“Tell that to Momo if she stopped eating jokbal like it’s the most heavenly thing in the whole world, and you know she can always chose that greasy dish over you right?”

Unable to keep up with Nayeon’s remarks, Jeongyeon mentally face palmed herself and sighed. Nayeon doesn’t give up though, as she more interested in giving puppy eyes to Jeongyeon rather than continuing to eat her breakfast—which her short-haired manager still thinks is the result of a disgusting mayonnaise and chicken massacre.

“You’re being completely childish and this is final, I’m against you buying a penguin plushie.”

The solo artist wore her kicked puppy expression as Jeongyeon left the dining table along with the screechy sound of the metal chair scraping the wooden floor. Nayeon’s interest in eating the ‘massacre’ breakfast she usually ate vanished, resulting in her playing around the leftover slimy, unfortunate, and pale chicken at her plate. But a few minutes later, a light bulb seemed to flicker in her head.

If Jeongyeon’s not going to buy it for me, I’ll just do it myself!

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(Yoo Jeongyeon knew she made a really bad decision for not locking the front door when she saw a yellow Post-It at the kitchen counter.)

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Dressed up with her usual black mask, striped cap, and glasses, Nayeon tied her hair in a loose ponytail and made the brave (and immature) decision to venture out to the busy streets. The closest toy store she knew was just five blocks away, it wouldn’t hurt her to take a short walk. She doesn’t have any schedules today, as Jeongyeon said earlier, and this is the perfect chance to slip away to get those adorable penguin plushies. This is the most flawless plan, Nayeon thought to herself.

“Okay, I can do this! Fighting!” Nayeon shouted and fist-pumped up to the air spiritedly.

(And nope, Nayeon didn’t miss those cynical looks people threw to a suspicious masked girl who’s fist-pumping and talking to herself at the middle of a sidewalk.)

Nayeon spun on her heels and started walking to the opposite direction, before she turned back again when she realized she took the wrong direction. Great, it’s the first step and you’re already taking the wrong move, so smart of your majesty dumb and dumber Im Nayeon, the brunette cursed herself and felt blood rushing to her cheeks from embarrassment.

“That girl sure is weird isn’t she? Such a freak, I wonder if she’s mentally sick.”

Her ears overheard one of the passer-by’s comment and felt anger creeping up to her system. Yes, I know I look like a freak and I don’t need you shoving it to my extraordinarily gorgeous face, Nayeon remarked back in her head, unconsciously stomping her feet to the pavement with every step she took. Her ponytail swayed in rhythm as Nayeon paced faster, muttering strings of ungodly curses she learnt at the courtesy of her unruly college mates silently.

Exactly nine minutes and twenty-two seconds later, Nayeon stopped her tracks when she passed by her favorite coffee shop—where Jeongyeon usually gets coffee for both of them. The brunette leaned over a little to peek the situation behind those translucent glass walls. It’s rather empty, only a few people having dates inside and two people lining up to order at the counter. Nayeon contemplates whether to order her usual cappuccino with extra milk and whipped cream before continuing to her destination, or just ignore the poking feeling inside her heart and go straight to the toy store. (She never actually ordered there before, but Jeongyeon’s been inside for like a thousand times.)

In the end Nayeon gave up to her heart’s desires and walked inside the air-conditioned coffee shop, welcomed by the soft melody of a song she recognizes to be her one of her single, “12 Seasons”, and she definitely saw her one of her large signed poster hanging on the wall.

(Great, just the right combination to inflate Im Nayeon’s ego.)

Nayeon lined up and lightly taps her feet continuously, following the beat of her song. Her mind wandered off thinking about the time when Jeongyeon tripped over a rat and screamed like a teenage girl at the backstage of her first concert, right after she performed this exact song. (It’s still funny to her, and she can’t stop teasing the younger girl about it since then.)

(Nayeon thinks she winced a little when she saw the pretty blonde cashier threw a flirtatious wink to the customer in front of her.

But that’s none of her business, and Nayeon tried her best not to marvel at the beauty of the unbelievably good looking cashier when it’s her turn.

She’s pretty, but I’m still better, no one can take my number one spot, Nayeon thought to herself.)

“Welcome to Minatozaki’s! What would you like to order, hottie?”

Did. She. Just-

Nayeon almost dropped her jaw at the sudden nickname—not that she’s complaining, but having a pretty girl call you ‘hottie’ right when you meet them (who’s not one of her fans at a fan sign or a concert) is just plain creepy. Some people would blus