"no, mina, really. how long do you plan to keep doing this?" 

they stop in front of the seniors tall lockers then surveys the area.

it's a good thing, really, that they got dismiss earlier than everyone or the halls would have been now flooded with students. 

"i don't know. until i have the courage to talk to her, i guess."

"you keep saying that but you have been talking to her since we were kids."

"as your best friend, yes."

"and what's wrong with that?" 

"i didn't say there is."

"so why not ask her out, then?"

"it's not that easy, jih. i mean, she is... nayeon. she's nayeon."

mina sighs. she takes a final glance around the empty halls to be sure that the coast is clear. 

"what? loud, annoying, narcissist - " 

"hey, no! why would you say that?" 

"because as your best friend, it's my job to point out her flaws?"

"yeah but you're also doing a terrible job as her own sister." 

mina pause before punching in the code and jihyo just shrug her shoulders carelessly. 

"she doesn't need some selling, does she?" 

mina has nothing to say to that. with nayeon being smart, talented, kind, sc vice - president, cheer captain, a senior. she sure doesn't need anyone to put in good words for her. she's already loved by everyone. and not to mention her good looks. 

honestly, who can blame mina if she's down bad for the girl. 

"right."

she says and pulls the locker door open while jihyo stands as her guard. 

yep. myoui mina is a total creep, alright.

it wasn't the first time they've done it. not even the second or third time, but mina can't help the breath of relief that escapes her whenever she's met with no resistance every time she swings the locker door open. sometimes she'd expect it to remain shut. locked. maybe nayeon got fed up of finding things or letters inside and decided to change her combination. but so far, it hasn't happened yet. 

"are you done? we have to go."

and just as jihyo says that, the bell above them signals the end of classes. 

"minaaaa!" 

she ignores her best friend's voice but it's rather amusing how jihyo is trying so hard to keep her voice low when she's naturally loud.

their other friend, lisa, swears her whispers are probably louder than mina's yells.

If she even yell for that matter. 

"mina-yah, come onnnn!" 

"just a minute, jih." 

"yeah, no! one more minute and everyone will be here. oh, and we'll be late for practice too. come on!" 

“i know, i know. lemme just-”

she scans inside her gym bag until she found the sweater she knitted herself and neatly placed it inside the locker for the owner to find. 

it's not her first gift and definitely not going to be the last.

it started with just a note. a simple you got it, capt. fighting! whenever her squad has a performance or when they have to compete.  

a you're doing great, vice! when she hears from her best friend how her sc duties paired with exams are stressing her.

but that was until jihyo caught her slipping a piece of paper inside the senior's locker a few months ago. her best friend didn't ask what she was doing, instead, she simply said "i know her combination, if you want it."

since then, she's been buying if not making things of nayeon's interest and dropping it inside her locker instead of giving it herself because according to jihyo, she's a coward who needs to grow a pair.

so now here they are. 

she breathes. a small smile tugging at the corner of before closing the locker. 

when she turns, jihyo is now shifting her weight from one foot to another restlessly. 

mina shoots her a guilty smile. 

“all good?”

“yep. let’s go.”

jihyo nods, adjusting the weight of her own bag on her shoulder before they started walking.