Mina closes her eyes. Takes the deepest breath of her life. Then she knocks.

It only takes a few seconds, but even in this short moment, it’s as if their entire lives pass through Mina’s soul. Then she’s suddenly there, in the door, with the dark hair in a bun and a toothy grin on her face. It puffs her cheeks and make her eyes glint.

“You’re early.” Momo says.

Mina blushes. She should explain, that it’s the bus that’s weird at this time of day. But before she can claim a breath to explain, Momo chuckles. The sound steals the air from Mina’s lungs. Since when? Always probably.

Just in a new way recently.

“I expected you would be, but I’m still not ready.” Momo scratches her ear, an apologetic look on her face. Then she pushes the door open all the way, turning in place and walking into her dorm room.

For a moment Mina just looks. Observes the girl who she’s seen every day for so many years, but never really looked at like today. How her calves are accentuated by the skinny jeans or how the phone looks in the back pocket of her jeans. The way the shirt hugs her waist. How pretty her shoulders are and how the baby hairs in her nape can’t reach the bun. How there’s a pen stuck in said bun

♡♡♡♡

You’re a wonder of the world.

♡♡♡♡

Mina hesitates before stepping into the dorm room.

It’s not like she hasn’t crossed this doorstep hundreds of times, but today it’s different. They defined it so. For the first time in eighteen years, it’s different.

“I’m sorry, like I said, I knew you’d be early, but the drain clogged again and I had to run over to Jihyo’s to borrow her shower.” Momo explains from the depths of the bag she currently has her nose stuck in.

“It’s okay.” Mina assures her. “I don’t mind waiting for you.”

It was the truth.

Mina hadn’t exactly pined for Momo for long. Honestly hadn’t even properly realized what was happening until it was there. But it was as if every step they had taken from walking hand in hand with yellow hats and animal shaped bento boxes, to this day, had just been a natural journey. Almost. It’s not like any friendship is perfect, and there were years where they spoke more than others. But there was something about the summer sun in Momo’s hair last month, that made Mina stop looking elsewhere. That just made her see Momo.

Will they hold hands today like they did back then?

Mina hopes.

There’s another moment where Momo counts into her bag.

“Okay,” Momo looks around at Mina, a slightly nervous smile on her lips. “ I just need to make sure I have the keys then we’re off.”

“And the snacks? For the movie?” Mina reminds her.

“Got them!” Momo grins widely, nudging a different bag with her foot. It makes the distinctive crunching sound of an unopened chips bag.

Of course she remembers the snacks. This is Momo we’re talking about. And weren’t snacks how they had first become friends?

A little girl asking another little girl if they should share their snacks.

With a final pat to the back pocket of her jeans, Momo turns grabs the bag of snacks and her usual day-use bag. Turns and faces Mina.

“We’re going?” Mina asks.

She hasn’t even taken off her shoes. Hasn’t closed the door behind her. She knows that even if Momo says she isn’t ready, it won’t take her more than a minute to finish. It’s just that she doesn’t want to make Mina feel disappointed if it takes a little longer, Mina has learned by now.

They hold hands on the way to the car.

It makes Mina’s heart beat faster, but also makes her look up just to make sure she isn’t wearing the yellow hat. Because there’s a part of this that more than anything feels safe. It’s the part where she giggles at the way Momo swings their hands in beat to their feet, just like she always did then.

Even then, did she do it just to make Mina laugh? Mina suspects so - from the wide grin on the older girl’s face. It doesn’t matter that it’s dark and there’s rain in the air. Momo’s smile is everything she needs.

Mina stares at her in the car, as she drives.

Momo.

“You’d think you knew how my face looked by now.” Momo chuckles as they come to a stop at a red light.

Mina bites her lip. “I’m relearning it.”

“Why? It’s the exact same face.” Momo glances at her. The car rumbles as they wait.

“It is.” Mina says, considering her words carefully. “But it’s not. Because I always knew it as you, just being you.”

“And I’m not just me anymore?” Momo frowns. The light turns green and Momo follows the traffic.

“No, you still are.” Mina says. “Definitely still you.”

Momo smiles.

♡♡♡♡

But I’m also yours.

♡♡♡♡

The drive-in theatre is almost empty, and Momo chooses a spot to park, turning off the ignition but keeping the keys in the car. The other items in the keyring clatter against each other as she turns the key. A few keys. A bottle opener shaped like Italy. A pendant with a four leaf clover. A little figure of Calcifer she pulled in a capsule vending machine.

A life tied together by a single ring.

Momo sets the radio to the correct frequency and leans back in the seat. Looks over at Mina with a nervous grin. The same nervous grin she gave the day Mina suggested this. As if it was both exciting and really unexpected at the same time.

It just wasn’t a choice anymore, when Mina asked. She had to try. And there was some part of her that knew already before she asked, that it would be okay. Because no matter what - even if it was a little awkward - it’d be okay. That if Momo said no, they would still be okay.

They say if you know someone long enough, they become like family. And maybe it’s the fact that Momo already was, that made Mina dare to ask. Because she wasn’t risking them. She was just offering the chance to move in a different direction.

♡♡♡♡
 

I’m safe with you.

♡♡♡♡

“Should we, you know-” Momo looks at the seats separated by the gearstick, then down at the space by Mina’s feet. “Find the snacks?”

Mina almost giggles. Nods and grabs the bag in a way that makes the bag of chips sound very loudly and take away Momo’s nerves. Takes away Mina’s too.

“Do you know the movie?” Mina asks as the radio buzzes quietly. A sign that the movie is starting soon.

“No, but Jeongyeon said it was good, and she has the best taste, so I trust her.” Momo says. Reaches for the bag of chips and pulls at the top until it opens. Offers Mina the first bite.

No different than the day they met.

It just wasn’t dinosaur crackers this time around.

It’s awkward.

God, Mina hoped it wouldn’t be, but it is. Not at first, though. The first ten minutes was just snacking and talking, and shy touches of skin. But then Mina leaned on Momo, and the angle was so bad. She had to draw back almost immediately. Then Momo tried. And it wasn’t any better. So now they’re just sitting there, side by side. Not even holding hands. But why not? Because what if she’s changing her mind, right now, Momo. What if Mina is? What if this is just an almost, and the date ends like this. If they go back to just being friends.

Except they were never just friends. They were always more than that. Some called them sisters. Some said they acted like girlfriends from the time they were six and seven respectively. Others called them soulmates.

The truth is somewhere in the middle.

Mina opens her palm, and Momo places a chip in it.

“No, Momo.” Mina says softly. “It’s your hand I want.”

Momo holds her hand. Even if it’s still a little weird. Even if they keep shifting to fit with the space between them. It doesn’t matter.

What matters is Momo’s chuckles as the movie progresses. The way she shifts to tangle their fingers. Like she doesn’t even notice how it makes Mina’s world spin. It makes no sense. Not long ago she was so visibly nervous, Momo. And now? Now she’s taking away Mina’s nerves as if she herself had none.

♡♡♡♡

You calm me.

♡♡♡♡

Momo sips from her banana milkshake. Judges the piece of pancake on the fork and decides to see if she can eat all of it in one go. It’s not a surprise to Mina that she can. And then Mina giggles. Completely unprovoked.

“What?” Momo asks, mouth full of pancake.

“Fish crackers.” Mina hides her laugh behind her hand.

Momo tugs her hand away. Then a blush spreads on both their cheeks.

Momo’s from the memory. Mina’s from the way Momo makes her feel like she’s beautiful for her laughter.

They were only 10 when Mina discovered how much food Momo could actually fit in . And how much of a mess fish crackers made when you choked on an entire mouthful them.

Momo doesn’t choke on the pancake. But she take another sip of her banana milkshake and offers Mina a taste too. It’s nothing new. They share their drinks all the time. But it still somehow completely new and absolutely different. Because it’s not the straw Momo offers her. Not the drink. It’s a nudge to Mina’s hand between them and a face suddenly so close. The shy smile and pink cheeks, and Mina accepting the offer.

Everything past that point tastes like banana milkshake.

And Momo.

♡♡♡♡

You taste like sirup and summer

♡♡♡♡

Even the wind as they get out of the parked car, smells like banana milkshake somehow. As if there’s been a complete rewiring of Mina’s brain the moment their lips touched. The moment she got to know what it feels like to be blind and deaf and weightless all at once. How it feels to only trust only that which she could sense in the proximity of an inch of her own body. The pillowy feel of a lip, working against her own in a careful rhythm. The feel of skin against Mina’s tongue.

Banana milkshake.

“I don’t know how a date ends.” Momo admits shyly as they stand in the door to the dorm. Momo has her keys in her hand, fiddling with the clover. She’s nervous again. Not a lot. But enough to make Mina consider her words before speaking.

“I’m not sure it does.” Mina tastes next sentence before saying it out loud. Rephrases it a bit before finally tilting her head, looking at her best friend. “Isn’t that a part of the present tense meaning? Dating?”

Momo’s eyes shine. Then the rest of her. Beams with evident joy threatening to burst from her like butterflies. Mina hopes it does. She wants to see what it looks like, the deepest joys of Momo.

They never really define it further. From that point, they just are. Dating. Always. Whenever they feel like it. Even more so when they don’t.

Momo doesn’t ask her to come inside. Just holds the door long enough for Mina to pass through it. There’s nothing different from every other day they’ve spent together up until this day. Just everything. And nothing. All at the same time

Reality is somewhere in the middle.

Momo turns on the fairy lights - the ones with all the planets. A gift from Dahyun. Mina turns off the ceiling light. Lets the planets shine upon them as they sit down against the pillows, a single blanket covering the two of them.

“It’s funny,” Momo mutters, her palm open on Mina’s thigh for Mina to trace the lines in. She’s always liked doing that. Just to find the one place where she’ll twitch because it tickles. Right in the center of her palm.

“We’re going to work.” Mina says quietly. Thinks maybe if she doesn’t phrase it as a question, then the doubt will go away. The tiny speck that fears Momo won’t twitch at her touch the next time.

Momo’s hand closes around Mina’s finger.

“Yes.”

It’s not a question, but the fact that Momo answers, still makes it all better.

Mina wriggles her finger in Momo’s hand and she opens her palm once again.

Mina tickles.

Momo twitches.

♡♡♡♡

I adore you.

♡♡♡♡

The anemones bloom late that year.

And Mina is in love with her best friend.