When Mina signed up for the police, she was hoping it would be more like Brooklyn Nine-Nine, not Zootopia. Who cares if she graduated top of her class? A rookie is a rookie, so of course, she would get assigned to a boring job at first, if she could even call it a job.

 

Initially, she had to work the night shift, but luckily for her, she’s finally been promoted to working the morning shift after an entire year. It’s only been a week since this switch, and while Mina hasn’t been assigned to anything special, she’s just happy that she’s done with working with cases of drunken misbehavior.

 

“Mina, please, I need you to come here and stop this drunkard from threatening me.”

 

Or maybe not.

 

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed this, but you’ve got the wrong number. This is not 119.”

 

“My life is in danger, and you’re telling me to follow protocol? Aren’t you supposed to care about your best friend just a little bit more?”

 

Mina is used to Chaeyoung texting her whenever her friend gets bored while working at a convenience store, but as for calling in the middle of the night, this is a first. When Mina grabbed her phone from the nightstand and saw the caller ID, she really thought there was an emergency, but—

 

“Chaeng, the girl said she’s gonna sit in front of the store until you give her liquor. Does that sound like a dangerous threat to you?”

 

“It does!” Chaeyoung answers. “I’m very scared! She has well-defined muscles! I’m small and defenseless!”

 

“She’s a minor! Also you’re not defenseless!”

 

“So you’re saying I’m small?”

 

“You said it yourself. I just didn’t disagree.” Mina counters before offering, “Look, if you really want someone to come and help you, I can call the police for you.”

 

“Why can’t you do this one simple thing for me, Mina?” Chaeyoung asks, and Mina can almost hear the other girl pouting from the other end of the call.

 

“Because my shift is over and it’s Friday night?”

 

“It’s not like you’re out partying! It’s almost midnight, and I know for a fact that you’re lying in bed right now.”

 

The accurate comment makes Mina snuggle even further into her covers before saying, “I never said I was out partying.”

 

She hears Chaeyoung breathe out a sigh of frustration. After that, the line goes silent, and just when Mina thinks her friend has given up, she hears, “We got restocks of that horrible carrot juice you like so much.”

 

“Well, why didn’t you lead with that?!” Mina says as she gets up from her bed. “I’ll be there in ten.”

 

“You’re disgusting.”

 

“Love you, too!” Mina exclaims before hanging up and throwing on a plaid shirt over the plain white one that she’s wearing and changes from her sleeping shorts to a pair of jeans. She ties her hair up in a messy ponytail, and normally she’d make herself more presentable before going out, but her carrot juice awaits.

 

She drives and reaches the convenience store in record time, immediately spotting a girl in a black tank top sitting on the steps in front of the small building. She decides that’s the person that Chaeyoung is talking about because she can definitely see the well-defined muscles on the girl’s arms and abdomen from where Mina is sitting.

 

Not that Mina is checking her out or anything. Besides, the girl’s a minor. She somehow doesn’t look like one, but that’s not the point.

 

The point is that all of this is just professional detective work.

 

That’s what Mina tells herself as she alights her car and walks towards the other girl.

 

(She also tells herself that she’s a detective, so it’s normal to be keenly observant… even if her observation is that the girl is undeniably attractive.)

 

“Excuse me, Ma’am?” Mina says when she gets close enough to the stranger, making the latter look up to her direction.

 

“Who’s Ma’am? I’m not Ma’am. I’m Momo. Mo-mo.”

 

“Okay, Momo,” Mina says, using the girl’s name and smiling in amusement at how incredibly drunk the girl seems. “Are you doing alright?”

 

“Well, I just saw my ex with her stupid girlfriend and this stupid clerk won’t let me buy beer, so what do you think?”

 

“If you’re underage, of course she won’t let you buy liquor,” Mina answers, choosing to disregard Momo’s disclosure about her personal issues. “That’s against the law.”

 

“That’s against the law,” Momo repeats mockingly. “What are you, a cop?”

 

“Actually, yes, I am,” Mina says with a chuckle and shows Momo her badge.

 

“Did she call for you?” Momo asks, looking in Chaeyoung’s direction through the glass doors. Mina does the same and waves at her friend. Chaeyoung returns her wave before sticking her tongue out in Momo’s direction. “That freaking snitch. Why can’t she just let me bribe her?”

 

“That is also illegal,” Mina comments. “Did other clerks let you bribe them into giving you alcohol? Is that how you got drunk?”

 

“No, I drank the liquor I had at my place, duh,” Momo explains, like it’s the most obvious thing in the world, “but then I ran out which is why I walked here to get some more.”

 

“You walked?” Mina repeats, happy that Momo is giving her something to work with. “So you’re from around here?”

 

The girl squints in confusion before shaking her head. “No, I’m from Japan.”

 

If she was in this situation a year ago, Mina would have been frustrated at this point, but she’s sadly used to dealing with how hard it is to talk to intoxicated people, so she patiently clarifies, “I meant here. In Korea. Where do you live here?”

 

At that, Momo narrows her eyes again. “I’m not gonna tell you that. You’re a cop, and I’m drunk, not stupid. I know what you’re trying to do. You’re gonna send me home.”

 

“I just care about your safety, Momo,” Mina replies with a shrug. “Don’t you want to get home safe and sound?”

 

“Well… I am pretty tired and I don’t want to walk home.” Mina hears Momo hum in thought before continuing with, “How about this? I’ll tell you after you buy me beer. Just one bottle. Pleeease.”

 

Mina chuckles at Momo’s request. “You’re seriously asking me, a police officer, to buy beer for a minor?”

 

“Umm, yes?”

 

Mina gives Momo a couple of seconds to process what she just said, but Momo just stares at her back, so Mina tells Momo to wait before going inside the store.

 

“Do you really know nothing about this person?” Mina asks when she reaches the counter.

 

“If I did, I would have told you already,” Chaeyoung answers, looking up from the magazine she’s reading. She leans back into the chair she’s sitting on behind the counter as she adds, “There’s no one here. It’s not like I’m too busy to talk to you.”

 

“Well, whoever she is, she said she won’t give me her address unless I buy her a bottle of beer.”

 

“Then… why are you not doing it?”

 

“Do you really not see what’s wrong with that?” Mina asks in disbelief. “Didn’t you refuse to sell her beer because she’s a minor?”

 

“Well, if you’re buying it for her, and I sell the beer to you, then technically I’m not breaking any law.”

 

Mina blinks. “… And that’s your only suggestion?”

 

“You’re the detective here! You think of your own solution!” With that, Chaeyoung goes back to reading her magazine.

 

Mina sighs and figures Chaeyoung is right, so she thinks harder and comes up with an idea. She steps out of the store and tells Momo, “Alright, I’ll buy you beer.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah, just give me your wallet, and I’ll do it for you,” Mina confirms with a smile.

 

Momo returns her smile, reaching for her wallet from her back pocket to hand it to Mina. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! You’re the nicest officer ever!”

 

Mina grabs Momo’s wallet and steps inside, thankful that her plan worked. She keeps walking and stops in front of the fridge where they keep the cold drinks even if she has no intention of opening it.

 

Instead, she opens Momo’s wallet, searching for something that she hopes is there and breathes a sigh of relief when she finally finds it.

 

She scans through Momo’s ID, seeing her full name and her address first. Mina reads a familiar street name and verifies that Momo does live nearby. She was about to put the ID back in its place when she sees another important information that makes her shake her head.

 

“She’s not underage,” Mina tells Chaeyoung as she places two drinks on the counter. “I checked her ID, and surprise, she’s older than both of us.”

 

“So you’re gonna kill her by forcing her to drink a carton of that God-awful carrot juice?” Chaeyoung asks as she scans the item and places it into a plastic bag.

 

Mina pays and waits for her change. “You know very well that I’m buying that for myself.”

 

Chaeyoung scoffs before handing Mina the plastic and the receipt. “Is the can of beer also for you?”

 

“No, I’m buying it for her.”

 

“What, her ID doesn’t have her address?” Chaeyoung asks with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

 

“No, it does,” Mina says before elaborating. “See, Miss Hirai over here is a preschool teacher. I figured if I get her more drunk, her students will be educated about the bad effects of drinking once she goes to school in the morning. They might as well learn at a young age.”

 

Chaeyoung tuts and crosses her arms. “Okay, one, it’s called a hangover. Two, you’re evil for bringing children into this. Three, it’s already Saturday, Sherlock. Miss Hirai can’t scar any kids if they don’t have classes.”

 

“Damn it,” Mina curses when she realizes her mistake. “I can’t even remember what day it is. That’s how exhausted I am, Chaeng.”

 

“Then finish your job, and get that not-minor and that carrot juice out of my sight,” Chaeyoung says, shooing Mina with her hand.

 

“You’re welcome!” Mina calls out as she walks out of the store where she’s met with Momo’s expectant eyes.

 

“Quick question: how old are you, Momo?”

 

“Twenty-four?”

 

“You’re twenty-four,” Mina repeats. “That means you can drink.”

 

“Then why did she ask for an ID?” Momo asks, gesturing towards Chaeyoung.

 

Instead of answering, Mina laughs and pats Momo’s head, making Momo more puzzled. “You’ve had a really rough day, haven’t you? Here. On the house.” Mina brings the beer out but keeps it out of Momo’s reach when Momo tries grabbing it. “You’re gonna have to drink this in my car, though.”

 

“Okay,” Momo surprisingly agrees, and Mina helps her get into the passenger seat before giving her back her wallet with the can of beer.

 

However, Momo doesn’t open it. She just spends half the car ride staring at it with the saddest look in her eyes, and Mina feels the need to check, “Hey, you good?”

 

“Have you ever loved someone so much even if you know they’re not good for you?”

 

That was not the response Mina was expecting, so she decides to keep things light and says, “Cookie Crisp. That’s how I felt about Cookie Crisp. I used to eat like an entire box a day. Do you know how much sugar there is in those things?”

 

“My ex is getting married,” Momo says, and boy, was Mina not prepared for a heavy conversation like this. “I broke up with her a year ago when she cheated on me. I knew I deserved better but I still missed her from time to time.”

 

“I miss Cookie Crisp,” Mina tries again. “Haven’t had any of it in a while.”

 

“It’s not even that I’m not over her because I really am,” Momo continues, and well, Mina wishes she was drunk enough for this kind of talk, too. “I’m just kinda mad that she found someone and I didn’t. I haven’t dated anyone after her, and she was the one at fault, but she’s still the one who found someone to share her life with forever. What’s fair about that?”

 

Mina has never been great at consoling people, especially drunk strangers who just happen to be sitting in her car. She already knows that her words won’t be comforting at all before she even says them, but whatever. They’re never gonna see each other anyway, so Momo’s just gonna have to deal with it. “Life has never been fair. You just have to make the most of what life gives you.”

 

That makes Momo look up from her beer. Mina feels Momo staring at her for a while then hears, “I never got your name. What’s your name?”

 

“Mina.”

 

“Mina,” Momo echoes. “You’re really pretty, Mina.”

 

“Umm, thanks, I guess,” Mina replies, feeling her face get just a little bit warmer. She looks at her bare face in her rearview mirror and decides that Momo is just very, very drunk.

 

“I bet you’ve never been heartbroken.”

 

Momo’s assumption makes Mina grip the steering wheel tighter, and God, she would just love to snatch the beer from Momo’s hand and drink it herself. “I’ve been heartbroken twice,” Mina admits and wonders why she’s revealing this to someone she doesn’t know, but it’s fine. Momo will forget this by the time she wakes up anyway. “I haven’t gone out with anyone recently either. I feel lonely sometimes, but I figured I can’t do anything but wait, you know? Let things work themselves out.”

 

“You’re right,” Momo supports. “I don’t know why I’m so upset. I don’t even want to get married yet. I just wanna go out with a pretty girl and eat good food.”

 

“You and I both.”

 

“You can go out with me if you think I’m pretty,” Momo suggests, and Mina laughs.

 

“I think you are pretty, Momo, but you are also pretty drunk,” Mina replies before stopping in front of a house with a number matching the one on Momo’s address. “Is this your house?”

 

Momo nods, so Mina gets out of the car to help Momo out. Once she opens Momo’s door, she hears the girl say, “My moms are gonna be so mad.”

 

“You live with your moms?”

 

Momo gives Mina another nod and hands her the can of beer. “Here, I don’t want this anymore. I think I’m gonna throw up.”

 

“Please don’t throw up in my car.”

 

“Oh, okay, sorry,” Momo apologizes and stands up to get out of the car quickly. She loses her balance, but Mina catches the girl in her arms. With her arms around Mina’s shoulders, Momo leans into Mina. “Whoa, I am so dizzy.”

 

“Are you okay?”

 

“Not really.” With how tightly the girl is hugging her, Mina figures she wouldn’t have believed Momo if she answered differently. “Can you just… stay here until everything stops spinning?”

 

“Do I have a choice?” Mina asks rhetorically, but apparently, the answer is yes because two women are coming out the front door.

 

“Momo!” The one with the short blonde hair exclaims as the other woman takes Momo from Mina’s arms. “Where have you been?”

 

“She’s drunk,” the one holding Momo observes, making the blonde girl shake her head before turning it towards Mina.

 

“What did she do? Did she cause any trouble?”

 

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Mina assures.

 

“Are you a friend from work? Sorry, I’ve never seen you before.”

 

“No, I’m a...” Mina trails off before going with, “I’m a new friend.”

 

“Oh. Nice to meet you…”

 

“Mina.”

 

“I’m Jeongyeon, and this is Jihyo,” the blonde one says as she offers Mina a hand, and since Jihyo’s hands are occupied, she gives Mina a smile “Momo lives with us.”

 

“They’re my moms,” Momo says, turning her body away from Jihyo to face Mina. This causes her to lose her balance again, and this time, Jeongyeon catches her.

 

“You’re older than me, Momo! Stop calling me that!” Jihyo protests before turning back to Mina. “Anyway, I’m sorry again for all the trouble.”

 

“It’s nothing,” Mina insists. “Anyway, I should get going,” she says before bidding the couple goodbye.

 

As she’s walking to her car, however, she feels someone hug her from behind. “Thank you, Mina,” she hears Momo’s voice and feels the girl give her a quick kiss on the cheek. “Drive carefully, okay? And text me when you get home!”

 

Before she can respond, Momo releases Mina from her embrace and stumbles back into Jeongyeon’s arms. Mina awkwardly waves to Jihyo and Jeongyeon who are both looking at her with weird smiles, gets into her car, and drives away hurriedly before the night can get any weirder.

 

When she gets home, she doesn’t even bother changing back into her sleepwear and just goes straight to bed. She thinks about jokingly texting Momo that she’s home, but she realizes she doesn’t even have the girl’s number, so she crashes and sleeps soundly, only to wake up in the late afternoon because of her phone ringing.

 

It’s Chaeyoung telling her to come to the store for something “super important” and Mina tells her friend hangs up with a “this better be good” and saves the threats for when she sees Chaeyoung in person.

 

“Okay so,” Chaeyoung starts just as Mina steps into the convenience store. “A while ago, Momo came by to apologize to me for last night. I said I’m not really the one she should apologize to, and she said she knows she should apologize to you, too. Then, she asked me if I know you, and I said, Mina? As in my best friend who has a disgusting love for carrot juice? Yeah, sure, I know her—“

 

The girl briefly stops her fast monologue to get a box of cereals which she places on the counter. She continues, “And then she asked if I can give this to you, and I said sure. And then she said thank you, and then she was like, wait, she likes carrot juice? And I said yeah, weird, right? And then she went back and also bought this for you.” Chaeyoung finishes by placing a juice carton in front of Mina. “Did you catch all of that?”

 

“Not really, no,” Mina answers, and Chaeyoung just shrugs. While she’s processing everything she just heard, she removes the note taped onto the box of cereals, unfolds it, and reads:

 

Officer Mina (?)

 

I’m so, so sorry for all the trouble last night. Do you like Cookie Crisp? I think you said that last night, but I don’t know if I remember it correctly. I don’t even know if I got your name right. I hope I did. And also I hope you find a pretty girl to eat good food with. Did you say that, or did I say that? I probably said that. Anyway, I’m really sorry, and I hope you have a nice day.

 

-Momo (the drunk girl from last night)

 

She’s at the end of the note when she hears Chaeyoung utter, “Oh no.”

 

“… What?”

 

“You totally smashed her when you got her home, didn’t you?” Chaeyoung smirks.

 

“What? Of course not!” Mina denies with a very uncharacteristically and suspiciously loud voice.

 

“Then why were you smiling like that while reading her note?” Chaeyoung asks, leaving the counter to peek at the note which Mina hides behind her back. “I bet there’s something dirty written there.”

 

“What? No! She just said something really funny here, okay?”

 

“Mkay,” Chaeyoung replies, unconvinced. “So you don’t want Miss Hirai’s number?”

 

“Wh-why would I want her number?”

 

“She gave it to me so I can text her once you get the cereals, but you can tell her that yourself,” Chaeyoung says, holding her phone up so Mina can see Momo’s contact number on the screen. “Sooo do you want me to send it to you or not?”

 

“Send it to me,” Mina replies, making Chaeyoung look even more smug. “I’m just getting it so I can thank her, alright?”

 

“Just with words or with something else?” Chaeyoung asks before sending Mina the number. When she gets the text, Mina huffs at her annoying friend, gets her things from the counter, and starts walking out without another word.

 

“You’re welcome!” Chaeyoung calls out. “And make sure you’re wearing your uniform the next time you see Momo. Makes you way hotter.”

 

“Goodbye, Chaeyoung,” Mina answers and breaks her silence without looking back.

 

“Oh, and bring handcuffs, too! She might be into that!”

 

“I said goodbye, Chaeyoung!”

 

---

 

Hi, Momo. I got your number from Chaeyoung. I hope that’s okay. Just wanted to thank you for the cereals and the juice.

 

Also, I’m home. :)

 

-Mina

---

A/N: I'm practically retired but send me prompts @ twitter.com/minamyouwu