She wishes she didn’t have this power.

   Everyone had one, she knows that. It was inevitable, an unavoidable curse bestowed in some unknown genetic mishap some generations back. 

   Some people didn’t view it as a curse, but rather a miracle. Her mother’s eyes told her when someone was feeling sad, meaning Mina’s life had been full of happiness and love from both of her parents at even the slightest inclination of her being less than content. Her father’s eyes told him when someone was lying, making him able to pinpoint his patients at the hospital with a stern glare when they weren’t exactly straight forward with their dietary habits. It also meant Mina had been unable to rebel - no sneaking out from the house at 2am, no hanging out with friends under the guise of studying.

   (She found it had shaped her into a very honest person, however, so she supposes she should thank him for that.)

   The power their eyes gave them were harmless. Helpful, even, in their day to day life.

   It wasn’t like that for everyone.
Some people’s powers drove them to the brink of insanity, crashing and screaming at the burden of something they didn’t want, of knowledge they couldn’t handle. Some people saw war, landscapes ravaged and burning at other’s hatred. Some people saw nothing at all, crying to the night sky for the reason as to why they were broken, unloved by the stars and moon alike.

   Mina wished she saw nothing.

   Instead, she saw a steadfast arrow embedded through people’s chests, forever pointing in the direction of the person they loved.

   It wasn’t physical in any sense. It was a manifestation of her imagination, doing no harm to their innards or herself if she brushed past strangers a little too closely.

 
   (She still flinched a little whenever her father pulled her in for a hug, shying away from the very real looking arrow that had been steadily aimed at her mother for as long as she could remember.)

   It could have been worse, she supposes.

   She finds this hard to believe when she looks into heart-broken eyes everyday, back hunched as the arrow in her chest points dejectedly towards the beautiful third year with cherry-red hair.

   They’re in high school and heartbreak is inevitable, relationships fleeting and forgotten for the most part.

   Momo’s arrow has been pointing at Nayeon for the better part of three years now, not wavering once.

   She looks across the cafeteria, looks at the genuine grin embedded on her pretty face and her eyes drop to the arrow in her chest. It pointed to the boy with his arm around her, slung lazily across her shoulder as he pulled her into his chest in a tight embrace.

   He didn’t have an arrow.

   Mina takes another bite of her sandwich, tearing her eyes away from the couple and back onto Momo. It wasn’t her place to get involved, to play cupid in other people’s stories. She pushes her chocolate bar towards Momo, knowing that milky ways are her favourite and finally gaining her attention. She gets a soft smile in response, glee lighting up her face at the sight.

   She might not play cupid, but she could be there to ease the hurt a little.

   A body slides onto the bench suddenly, knocking into Momo and almost making her drop the unwrapped bar in her hand. She turns to level a glare at the intruder before it melts almost immediately, wide grin forming at the sight of Sana.

   “Hey! Where have you been?” She half-yells, wrapping an arm naturally around the girls waist.

   Sana blows a strand of hair out of her face as she reciprocated the hug, face flushed from hurrying over to them.

   Mina tries not to wince when the arrow in Sana’s chest embeds itself in Momo when they hug, opting to take another bite of her sandwich instead.

   “Mr Jung made me re-do the calculus test because I laughed halfway through the actual test from that text you sent me.” She pouted, scowling as she play-shoved her best friend away. “He thought I was cheating.” She mumbles after, unable to keep the scowl in place as her face breaks into a small smile.

   Momo grins sheepishly, nuzzling apologetically against Sana’s arm.

   “Forgive me?” She says in a babyish tone, and Sana’s nose wrinkles in disgust.

   “Yes, yes, as long as you don’t do that awful voice again.”

“But you love this awful voice.”

   The arrow in Sana’s chest quivers at the word ‘love’, some sort of visceral reaction to the notion. Sana in a small breath that Momo doesn’t notice.

   “Not really.” She retorts, easy and practiced and the two descend into playful bickering, squabbling on the other side of the table like petulant children.

   It’s easier like this, Mina requiets, finishing her sandwich to watch the convoluted story of unrequited love play out in front of her.

   It was kind of a taboo to ask other people about their eye powers. A lot of people regard it as very personal information, keeping their secret held tightly to their chest in a firm grasp. Some people are quite forward with it, disclosing their power easily as if it were their star sign or their birthday, able to laugh about it with friends and strangers alike.

   Usually those powers were benign and light, not carrying the weight that Mina’s carried.

   So when Mina found herself in a small circle of girls playing spin the bottle at a party, nestled away in the corner from the mass of teenage hormones spiralling in the center of the room, and Kim Dahyun boldly chose ‘truth’ in front of Im Nayeon, Mina shivered uncomfortably.

   The quirk of her eyebrow was unmissable, eyes glazed over with alcohol and the arrow in her chest long since gone. That boy had cheated on her, one of the most public and dramatised break-ups the school had seen and Nayeon declared herself ‘way over that hot mess’ months ago.

   (Every now and then Mina saw the echo of an arrow-shaped imprint in her chest, a shadow of a former love.)

   Nayeon leans across the circle on unsteady arms, teeth bared in a mischievous grin as Yoo Jeongyeon shoots an arm out to steady her friend. Everyone is waiting, all of the other eight girls watching the third year with curious eyes and baited breath as she paused in front of the naive first year.

   “Dahyunnie,” she breathes heavily, “what’s your power?”

   Someone gasps, more than one person Mina thinks, at the question. She can’t hear clearly over the sudden roar of adrenaline in her ears, reminding herself to only pick dare, dare, dare. Jihyo leans forward, pushing Nayeon back with an angry scowl as she chastised her, asking how could you ask such a question? with angry hand movements.

   “I don’t mind.” Dahyun breathes shakily, laughing as eight heads turned to her in unison. She leans back on her arms, the picture perfect ode of nonchalance as she answers easily.

   “I can uh,” she begins, wetting her lips quickly, “I can see love.”

   The admission had Mina’s chest tighten painfully, eyes locked on the cheerful girl opposite her. The other girls exploded, echoing cheers of ‘that’s so cool!’ and ‘wow really?’ at the revelation. Even Jihyo j