Mina posed in front of the camera with ease that came to her after years of being in the model industry. It felt natural to make this move after ending her prior idol life. Now she was in her late twenties and had time to relax while on the job, something she severely lacked growing up.

 

It’s not to say she didn’t love the rush of performing on stage or hearing fans chant her name, she missed it every so often. 

 

Her eyes briefly glanced behind the photographer, hearing a commotion by the door of the studio. Mina’s eyebrows scrunched up, distracted by the sudden presence of her two former bandmates bickering as they entered her vicinity. 

 

“Momo? Nayeon? What are you two doing at my shoot?” 

 

She watched them exchange looks, a mischievous grin painting both their faces. Mina narrowed her eyes, not having a good feeling about whatever they seemed to have plotted together. 

 

“You’re done for the day.” Nayeon voiced, “and you’re coming with us!” 

 

“Where to?” Mina said suspiciously, already avoiding Momo grasping at her arm. She was not about to be whisked away by these two fools. 

 

“Come on, you don’t have to worry! It’s content for our next vlog.” 

 

Nayeon and Momo had opened a joint youtube account right after their contracts ended, jumping straight into making videos like Mina did with modeling. A thing to distract them from the emptiness they felt inside for not being active as Twice anymore. 

 

Mina let herself be pulled by Momo all the way back to Nayeon’s white Maserati, piling into the backseat while Momo took shotgun. “We’re going to have so much fun!” 

 

They set off onto the busy roads of Seoul, driving over the Han River and into an unfamiliar neighborhood nearby a thick forest park. A fancy lone cabin sat upon the hill. A few other cars were already gathered by the front.

 

“Are the others here too?” Mina questioned, trying to think of the last time she’s seen their former members. Nayeon and Momo were the only two she saw on a weekly basis, much to her dismay. 

 

Nayeon gave her that same mischievous grin from earlier, not answering her question as she parked the car and got out. The front door slid open, revealing a sleepy Tzuyu and a sloppily dressed Chaeyoung right next to her. 

 

“What are we doing here?” Mina tried asking. She heard Chaeyoung agree and speak after her.

 

“Yeah, what are we doing here?”

 

She gave the two younger girls a short side hug and faced her attention to the goofballs orchestrating this entire thing. Mina wondered if it was just the five of them or if any more were coming. She hoped they were.

 

“We’ll let you guys know what we’re doing once everyone gets here.” Well, that answered her question. 

 

A van rolled up the driveway, revealing the rest of the members once the large door slid open. Now that the nine of them were there, Mina wondered what the special occasion was. Was it really for Nayeon and Momo’s vlog or could it be Twice related?

 

No, her manager would have mentioned it beforehand. Or was this all just a ruse to get the nine of them reunited? Surely wouldn’t be the first from the likes of Nayeon and Momo. 

 

Mina’s eyes lingered on Sana, who stood a ways away to her left besides Jihyo. She hadn’t seen her since she walked New York Fashion Week four months ago. When everything started to crumble for Mina. 

 

She pushed aside, avoided, ignored every negative thought that came to mind, every negative feeling that overtook her. But remembering the way Sana’s lips tasted that fateful drunken night they spent together, Mina was overcome with emotion. 

 

Schooling her expression into a classic pokerface, Mina slipped further away from the others, rounding the cabin and making her way into the spacious backyard. 

 

“It wasn’t anything serious.” Sana’s voice echoed in Mina’s mind. The rejection pounding into her heart with no remorse. Her words were true, Mina couldn’t help but agree, but it still burned all the same. 

 

Mina hoped that one day she would be able to see why this had to happen for her to move forward. 

 

She felt a gentle, but sudden hand on her back and jumped. “You startled me!” Mina twisted around to face the culprit. 

 

“I saw you wander off and we need you back. But first, are you alright? You seem a bit—“

 

“I’m fine.” Mina bristled, cutting Nayeon off. She tried to think up of a valid excuse that would convince the older girl. “Just haven’t had enough to eat today that’s all.” 

 

Nayeon in her cheeks, not the slightest bit convinced because she was always able to see right through Mina, but she stayed mum. “Well, good thing we’re going to be eating first.” She grinned devilishly. “A proper feast for the nine of us! You know how it goes.”

 

This brought a smile to Mina’s face, all the memories flooding back to her. 

 

They joined the others and Mina stuck close to Jeongyeon, whom she hadn’t seen in ages it felt like. The two conversed about their latest happenings and recent newsworthy gossip. She couldn’t help but glance around occasionally at each one of her friends. 

 

It truly had been a while since they had a meal together like this. 

 

Mina locked eyes with Nayeon a few times, but made it a point to ignore the faces Nayeon was making at her. She knew this was her way of trying to cheer Mina up, whatever might be plaguing her. 

 

She doesn’t think she would tell Nayeon about what happened, for the older girl was quite close to Sana. Maybe she already knew? Mina thought fleetingly. 

 

It was easy to get lost in the normalcy. Sitting around the table with the girls felt very nostalgic. The sound of their laughter, the very specific table manners that never changed. But the realization hit Mina belatedly. That things were very different now. She could hear it in the stories told amongst them. 

 

They have all moved on and yet simultaneously, they were still right at the beginning of it all. 

 

~~~~~~

 

“Don’t tell her that I told you.” Sana’s voice echoed in Nayeon’s mind. Frankly, she couldn’t escape the thoughts that berated her after Sana’s drunken confession about her night with Mina. 

 

For both Mina and Sana’s sake, Nayeon was willing to take this secret to the grave. 

 

But what surprised her was this all too familiar feeling creeping up her body, settling into the rapid thumps of her heart while she listened to Sana talk about Mina. 

 

It was the kind of feeling Nayeon has skillfully mastered herself to ignore for years. 

 

She wondered if her feelings came in waves, but she knew deep down that they were always there, bubbling right under the surface, ready to explode one day. 

 

And as Nayeon looked at Mina from across the room, she knew that day had come.