mina had a hard time sleeping that night. as if thinking how nayeon might react when she finally comes clean isn't already nerve wracking, now she also has to think about what the older girl needs to show her. of course nayeon couldn't just say what it was through text and mina's too chicken to even ask. 

it's why she wasn't surprised when she woke up late the next day. 

she expected it. 

what she didn't expect was the laughter in their kitchen and the not-so-silent conversation going on between two way too familiar voices when she came downstairs. 

a conversation that abruptly stopped when the owner of the said voices noticed mina's presence. she didn't even get the chance to listen in.

not that she intend to anyway. 

her eyes widened. 

sure. it wasn't the first time she has seen nayeon and her mom working inside their kitchen. mina has countless memories of the times jihyo had spend her summer afternoons having baking lessons with mina's mom with nayeon tagging along sometimes when she's bored. but the sight still fills her with warmth and turned her insides mushy. after all, it has been a while since the older of the im siblings has come over and mina has an inkling that she has something to do with it. 

maybe she wasn't so subtle in her quest of avoiding nayeon and the korean has taken noticed. 

oh, who is she kidding really.

she knew nayeon would notice. who wouldn't, when mina was like a puppy following her human around with nayeon when they were younger and all of the sudden, she was pulling away. she couldn't even hold a proper conversation with the older girl anymore. 

but nayeon didn't say anything, didn't ask why. she simply let mina be until the easy conversations that usually flow between them turned into awkward ones. 

mina tilts her head towards her mom in a silent question of the sudden silence but the older woman only shakes her head with a fond smile and asks her to eat her lunch, all while claiming that nayeon has been over for about an hour already but instead of waking mina up, the korean insisted on helping her bake instead while she waits. 

mina thinks maybe it was her still half-asleep brain playing tricks on her but she could swear she saw a tiny pink dusting the korean's cheeks. 

it was odd, really. 

is nayeon nervous? 

that seems to be the case with the way she has been nibbling her bottom lip. and her hands, it was light, barely noticeable, but mina noticed anyway. nayeon's hands are shaking. 

what is it that she's so nervous for? 

not that mina doesn't feel the same but she has her reasons to be nervous. to worry. after all, she is yet to figure out a way to tell nayeon. when to tell nayeon. 

should she just go for it? tell her straight? or should she opt for a grand gesture like they do in movies. she could perhaps ask the help of her whole team and nayeon's own squad to pull off something in the halftime of their next game. or she could have them help her decorate the entire seniors locker area. it was where everything started so might as well end it there.

would nayeon even like that? or would she prefer it simple. like a dinner, just the two of them. and maybe with a soft music playing on the background. 

speaking of music, that's an option too. she could serenade nayeon. maybe even write her a song. mina can play the guitar so that shouldn't be a problem. 

okay now she's just getting ahead of herself. 

she sighs and shakes her head to clear her mind. 

"where are we going, unnie?" mina asks as she follows nayeon outside. 

the older girl has been really quiet for a while now. she hasn't said much after mina entered the kitchen earlier. it was a bit confusing. but what puzzled mina the most was when her mom showed them out like mina didn't know the way around their own house. 

upon reaching the front door, the older japanese gave nayeon a quick hug and with a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, she nods her head at the korean like she's giving her permission. an approval. and mina can only watch in confusion. 

when her mom finally meets her eyes, mina raises her brows once again but didn't get an answer to her silent question. she receives a soft smile instead. 

nayeon stops right next to her car. she opens the passenger's door before turning to face mina. she runs a hand through her hair as she stares at the younger girl. then, she smiles. 

"you'll see, minari." she finally says and waits until mina is perfectly settled inside before closing the door and making her way into the driver's seat. 

it's obvious from nayeon's answer that she won't be giving mina any clue as to where they were heading so she didn't push it. she focused instead on trying to get her heart to ease from its wild thumping and go back to beating in its normal, steady pattern. it isn't the easiest task in the first place and after that smile from nayeon, mina's certain it's now impossible to do so. she's just grateful for the fact that the older girl didn't seem to notice. 

five minutes into the drive and mina finally gets a clue. she knows the road they are heading a little too well from her everyday drive to her school and back but didn't say anything until nayeon finally pulled over. 

"did you forget something, unnie?" she asks. 

nayeon tilts her head. 

"i mean," mina raises her hand and points out of her window to the house outside. "we're at your house."

nayeon meets her gaze and there's that stare again. soft yet probing. mina sees something in there. something that's sending her heartbeat into overdrive and she suddenly finds it hard to breathe. 

nayeon's eyes is a deep, wide ocean. it should scare her but no, mina finds herself willing to dive right in, head first even, despite the crashing waves and not knowing what's waiting for her under the waters. because this is nayeon and at this point, all the girl has to do is ask and mina would follow her to the ends of the earth without thinking twice. 

after what seems like a lifetime, nayeon smiles, looking like she has found exactly what she was searching for through mina's eyes.

she makes her way out of the car before opening the door on mina's side without saying anything and the younger girl can do nothing but follow the korean as she leads them inside the house. 

mina lingers outside of jihyo's room with a strong urge to knock. her bes