Nayeon frowned as she watched the others practicing for the competition. She heard Sana telling everyone to take a short break and the frown on her face was replaced with an apologetic smile when Mina walked towards to where she was sitting. "I'm really sorry. I really didn't mean it."

Mina, who was sweating and panting, grabbed her bag and pulled out a bottled water, ignoring Nayeon as she drank from it.

"Please stop being upset. I'm really sorry. Please."

"You kicked me in the shin. You stepped on both of my feet at least twice. If my feet didn't hurt I'd be stepping on your face right now."

Nayeon apologized again coupling it with a cute pout in hopes of getting more sympathy points. "I didn't even mean it."

"What were you doing last night that you didn't get enough sleep?"

Nayeon hesitated to tell Mina the truth. The reason Sana and Momo asked her to sit out this practice was because she was too sleepy to function and she was unintentionally bringing harm to those members beside her. "I was th--"

"Think about what you're going to say very carefully."

"I was thinking about stuff."

"Lie better."

"I watched a scary film and I wasn't able to sleep because I kept on thinking there's a monster under my bed?"

"Next lie."

"I--"

"Goddammit. For someone who's asking me to trust her, you are not doing a good job in trying to convince me."

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry. It's just. It's Saturday tomorrow."

Mina raised a brow and put her hand on her hip. " You're excited for the weekend so you didn't get any sleep?" Are you kidding me?"

"No, no. It's the first Saturday of the month tomorrow and...that's usually the time I visit my dad. I didn't get to see him last month. I'm sure he's heard of what I did from the lawyer and I don't know...how he'd react. I'm just really nervous, that's all."

Mina sighed and felt bad for being upset now that she's heard Nayeon's reason. "He's probably just going to be glad that he gets to see you again. Do you go alone when you visit him?"

"One of the bodyguards take me there."

There was a long pause before Mina asked Nayeon if she wanted Mina to go with her to visit her dad and Nayeon felt elated. "Will you really?" Mina nodded. "Oh, wait. Should I really bring you there? Wouldn't that be like...a turn off? Wait, what if we start dating? We have to go to jail so I could introduce you as my girlfriend. How awkward would that be and how weird would it be to meet one of my parents in jail?"

Mina was staring at her like her bunny teeth had just disappeared. "Shouldn't those thoughts stay in your head instead of being spoken out loud? Also, do you imagine different ridiculous scenarios that'll never happen?"

Nayeon chuckled and Mina was convinced that a sleepy Nayeon would probably be the same as a high or a drunk Nayeon. "I do during classes. Those scenarios make me happy like spring and really good food."

"No wonder. So do you want me go with you or not?"

"Are you sure?"

"I have nothing to do tomorrow so why not."

Nayeon grinned and held a fist high. "It's a date. Wait, no. It shouldn't be a date. We can't have our first date in jail."

"For Saint Tooth Fairy's sake, keep those embarrassing thoughts to yourself and take a nap or something instead of watching us practice looking like we took your Halloween candies." Mina placed the bottled water back in her bag before joining the rest of the dance club in practice.

Nayeon went to her favorite sleeping spot, under the table, and used Mina's bag as a pillow so she could nap better. Not only was Mina going with her tomorrow to visit her dad but the girl didn't seem to get mad about the prospect of them going on a date and that made her exceptionally happy.

---

"What is that?"

Nayeon looked at what she was riding, thinking it magically changed into something else but it didn't. "Which planet did you come from that you don't know what a scooter is?"

"No, I mean, why are you riding that? Are you expecting me to get on that thing?"

"This is what the bodyguards use to take me there. They taught me how to use it."

Mina repeatedly shook her head. "Uh-uh, no. I'm not going to ride that. No."

"It's a scooter. It can't even go that fast and I promise I'll be careful."

"Can't we just walk or take a bus?"

Nayeon wanted to punch herself whe she heard that. It was almost as if Mina was begging just so she wouldn't have to ride the scooter and she regretted bringing it. "It's too far. We could take the bus but we have to get off the station that's about three kilometers away from the facility."

"Leave that thing here and let's just take the bus." Mina held out her hand for Nayeon to hold. She really didn't want to get on the scooter.

Nayeon stared at Mina's hand and her sly self thought of something. "Do you promise to hold my hand the whole time and never let go?"

"What? Why?"

Nayeon held Mina's hand and got off the scooter. "Because your hand's soft and warm and I like it and if you're not going to promise, I will. I promise I won't let go of your hand today."

Before Mina could protest Nayeon started walking but Mina didn't budge. She wanted to know why Nayeon would just leave the scooter there. She thought Nayeon was taking what she said earlier literally but Nayeon reassured her that someone was going to pick it up and that they have a spare key.

On their way to the bus stop, Mina could see from her peripheral vision that Nayeon was grinning like a fool. She could take having someone walking beside her who look like a toddler in a grown woman's body but the fact that the same toddler kept swinging their linked hands while walking was driving her nuts. "Will you stop that? My arm feels like it's going to fall off."

"Sorry. I'll behave."

"Principal Song would look ten years younger if she hears you say that to her."

Nayeon laughed. "I'll let you in on a little secret. I think of Principal Song as a motherly figure. I think that was also the reason why I didn't like you at first because of the way you talked to her."

They've arrived at the bus stop and she went on to explain to Mina how Principal Song reminded her of her mom and how she used to show affection to her in a very annoying way. She and her sister, Tzuyu, used to do the most stupid thing to annoy their mother and once they get the scolding that they deserve, they would apologize, do whatever their mom would tell them to do and repeat the same thing the next day.

"Why would you do that?" Mina tried to recall if she ever did that to her stepmother but she was always so shy around her and the doctor was rarely home. It used to be just her, Jessica and Krystal who were home but Jessica was the studious sister who cared about her academics so it was just her and Krystal who usually played together.

"Because it's funny. I remember Tzuyu and I fighting and our mom would get angry but she'd still treat the scratches on my arm because Tzuyu liked using her nails when we fight and she'd be like..." Nayeon noticed the sullen expression on Mina's face. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Huh? No, sorry. I spaced out. Sorry."

Nayeon kept her gaze at Mina and she couldn't help but feel like Nayeon was trying to read her. If it had been another person who did what Nayeon was doing, she would've put up her walls and told them to off but it was Nayeon. Every time Mina starts to think about her relationship with her family, it almost seems like Nayeon would know and she would stare at Mina with a concerned look, one that has no sign of judgment at all. As if telling Mina that she could tell Nayeon her story and she would be there to listen.

"Is that the bus we're supposed to take?"

"Mmhmm." Nayeon stood up and pulled Mina along with her as they get on the bus and paid the fare. They took the only vacant seats left.

"Take the window seat. If it gets more crowded, I don't want people bumping into you."

Mina hummed an "okay" and she started to wonder if Nayeon was only being nice to her because she has feelings for her but her doubts disappeared when an old lady got on the bus and Nayeon let go of her hand to stand up and offer her seat. The old lady thanked her and told her that she was only two stops away.

Nayeon sat back down again once the old lady got off her stop. She took Mina's hand again and said, "I broke my promise but it was for a good cause so I hope you'd understand."

"No, you have to pay a fine of 100,000 won."

Nayeon faked a gasp. "100,000 won for letting go of your hand? You must really like holding my hand then."

"Don't push it." Mina hid a small smile when she saw Nayeon hung her head low. The school bully who was more polite to the elders than she would ever be was acting cute and Mina had to stop herself from patting her head or showing any kind of affection. "So you really didn't like me back then because of how I talked to Principal Song?"

"Yes. Also, you were arrogant. You think you were better than everyone else and you're above everyone else and you called me stupid without knowing me."

"Is that why you don't get too angry now when I call you stupid because I kind of know who you are now?"

Nayeon shook her head. "Because I get it now. I understand you better now. They were your spikes."

Just when Mina thought she was starting to understand what language Nayeon was speaking, she was back to square one. "Spi-- my what?"

"Your spikes. You know how porcupines have spikes to keep the others away from harming them? Your arrogance and the way you talked to other people, those are your spikes."

"You mean defense mechanism, right?" Mina could not believe that of all people it would be Nayeon who would try to psychoanalyze her. She would've believed it more if it was Chaeyoung.

"Is that what they call it? Well defense mechanism makes it sound like its only purpose is to defend you from something when in reality, the people that want to try to get to know you and get close to you...they get hurt by those spikes so I will call them spikes."

Mina realized that there was truth in what Nayeon said. She looked back to how she's treated people in the past, they way she's talked to them when she's not interested and how she'd never fail to let them know that she thinks she's better than them.

"But we all have those spikes and we all have different reasons for having them."

"If I tell Principal Song that you get smarter on bus rides, I wonder if she'll stick your to a bus ride from Seoul to Busan."

Nayeon leaned back on the chair and stared at Mina. "I'm sorry I compared you to a porcupine. I couldn't think of a better looking animal. A porcupine reminded me of this cartoon character from a game."

"Oh yeah? Which one?"

"Sonic."

If Mina was drinking any beverage right now, it would've come out of her nose when she heard Nayeon's answer. "Sonic is a hedgehog. It's in its name. 'Sonic the Hedgehog.' What is wrong with you?"

"Aren't porcupines and hedgehogs the same thing?"

"No." Mina explained how hedgehogs are these cute little animals that could fit on your palm while porcupines are huge and scary-looking. By the end of it, she was laughing and had tears in her eyes. "Holy...holy , Nayeon, you're an idiot. You are going to kill me from laughing so much."

"Wait, wait. Hold up a sec. Repeat what you just said."

"Holy . You are an idiot. You are going to kill--"

"No, no, no. You said my name. You finally said my name. I mean its between 'holy ' and 'you're an idiot' but still. Say it again."

"No." Mina looked out the window to avoid seeing Nayeon's face. Nayeon was making that face where she looked like she's just received the best news.

"Fine. You don't have to repeat it. It's already been stored in my brain. You know, I don't think I'm dumb, I just tend to remember the more important things like you saying my name." Nayeon chuckled to herself. "'Holy , Nayeon, you're an idiot.' That's what you said. I don't think I'll ever forget that."

Mina freed her hand from Nayeon's grasp and gently hit Nayeon's arm. "That's a terrible memory to keep. It's going to look like I'm so mean to you because I called you an idiot again."

If Nayeon's smile could've grown wider, it would have as she held Mina's hand once again. How Nayeon found Mina's hand almost made it seem like their hands were opposite poles of a magnet. "But it's the first and only time you've said my name."

Mina sighed in resignation. "Nayeon. Don't ask me to say it again or I will expose you to everyone at school and no one would fear you anymore."

Nayeon spent the rest of the trip begging Mina to start addressing her by her name and Mina threatening to jump out of the window of a moving bus or kick Nayeon out of it if the latter didn't stop.

They arrived at their stop and Nayeon got uncharacteristically quiet and Mina thought it was her nerves kicking in sos he silently comforted her by massaging the back of Nayeon's hand with her thumb which she thought would go unnoticed. But it was Nayeon and nothing Mina does ever go unnoticed. Nayeon glanced at her and gave her a small smile befoe holding her hand tighter.

When they got to the correctional facility, they were told that only one visitor at a time was allowed to go inside. Nayeon never went in with anyone before so she didn't know and she had to apologize to Mina that she had to make her wait in the waiting area.

"It's alright. Take your time with your dad."

Mina played games on her phone to try to pass the time but she couldn't focus when all she could think about was Nayeon and what she and her dad was talking about. She wondered what it was like to have an actual conversation with a father figure. She would imagine that it was way different than the ones she would have with her own dad where it was an endless "You're a disappointment" and "You could do better."

She wished she was allowed to at least watch Nayeon and her dad converse but at the same time she was glad she wasn't allowed to. She knew she would've just craved for something like that. She remembered the last time she asked her dad to just talk to her. It was years ago but for Mina it felt like it only happened yesterday.

A 12 year old Mina was outside her father's office waiting to be let in. Her father's secretary finally told her to come in and she saw her dad speaking on the phone with someone.

He saw Mina and ended the call. "I will call you back in five. Aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Mina wished for once that their conversation didn't start the same way it did because she was getting tired of it. Her father has done something that has terribly hurt her and he was acting like he didn't do anything. "Why did you do it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"If she didn't like me, why could't you just let her be? Why did both of you have to take part in giving me that fake happiness and then just take it all away? Do you not care about me at all?"

Her father stood up. "I've provided you with food, gave you shelter, put you in a good school and you say I don't care?"

"Things that anyone else could've given me. If you couldn't be a father to me then you should've just given me away!"

"Maybe I should have!"

"But you didn't! You didn't because you think it would ruin your name even more! My mother, your ex-wife, the person who gave birth to me, left you as soon as I was born and you felt so ashamed that you have to move to another country with your child . The only reason you kept me was because you didn't want people to talk bad about you. That's it, isn't it?"

Mina watched as her father's eyes turned cold and his expression hardened. "That's right and I remarried to give you the illusion that you have a family but it turns out her youngest daughter didn't like me, didn't like you and I'm too busy to deal with a brat like her. That's why I agreed to it."

Mina had her gaze at her father the whole time and her vision was turning blurry as her eyes filled with tears that soon trickled down her face.

"Now, are we done here? Have you gotten the answers that you've been looking for?"

Mina didn't answer. She felt tighten as she cried harder. She wiped her tears with her arm but the tears just kept on falling. She turned to leave but stopped when she heard her father calling her name.

"Mina, you should learn not to trust people so much. Look what your mother did to me. Look what Krystal did to you."

"Did you make her cry?! Answer me!"

Mina woke up from her unwanted trip down to memory lane when she heard the familiar voice of Nayeon. The girl was raging and shouting at one of the prison guards who was at least two heads taller than her.

"I swear if you're the one who made her cry I will punch you so hard you will orbit the moon twice. Tell me why you made her cry!"

Mina hurriedly stood up and pulled Nayeon away from the prison guard. "Nayeon, what the hell? He didn't make me cry." She bowed and apologized to the guard before dragging Nayeon towards the exit. "Why would you snap at someone who could literally throw you into jail in a snap of a finger?"

"You were crying and I thought..."

"I wasn't crying. I just had something in my eyes."

Nayeon knew Mina was lying through her teeth and it was killing her inside that she couldn't ask her what she was really crying about because she made a promise that she will never force things out of Mina and that she would wait until she was ready to share them to her. So Nayeon opted to just hold her hand and believe that allthe dust in the world has gotten into her eyes for her to be crying the way she did.

"My dad got angry at me because of what I did with trying to get the signatures but he said he was thankful." She took a glance at Mina. "And then we talked about you. I brought you up and said I confessed to someone but I said you don't like me like that yet. I also told him that you're slowly falling for my charm so he wouldn't feel so bad for me." Nayeon finally smiled when she heard Mina's giggle.

"Why would you lie to him like that?"

"I'm trying to be optimistic. You know what I just realized?"

"What?"

"I'm hungry."

Mina laughed and hit her arm again, the way she did when they were riding the bus. "Me, too." She paused and stopped walking, making Nayeon think that something was wrong.

"What is it?"

"Me, too, Nayeon. I'm hungry, too."

Mina watched as Nayeon's cheeks started turning into a shade of pink, her eyes getting smaller and her eyes smile getting wider. Nayeon ducked her head to hide her face from Mina and Mina realized she has a new found fondess over a shy Nayeon.

____

holy heck 200+ subcribers thank you and for the upvotes. i appreciate all of it like i appreciate nayeon during LOA encores and minayeon's bridge part because that's when the good stuff happen

oh and twice 1st triple crown yes babies