“So, basically, you two are gonna Netflix and chill?”

 

If it were some other girl that Jeongyeon was talking about, Momo would have scoffed in arrogance. But that wasn’t the case because Momo managed to have a movie night with Mina. And for her, Myoui Mina wasn’t just some girl. She is THE GIRL.

 

Myoui Mina is the girl that Momo practically had to beg Sana to introduce her too. Myoui Mina is the girl that made her study every textbook and notes so that she wouldn’t look like a in class. Myoui Mina is the girl that made her reread her text ten times, grammar check and send her message to Jihyo, Nayeon, and Jeongyeon before replying just to make sure she doesn’t say anything stupid. Myoui Mina is the girl she prayed to God that she'd give up jokbal for, just to have one date with her.

 

So imagine Momo’s surprise when she received a text from Mina, inviting her over for a movie marathon. It felt like winning a lottery but better.

 

“It’s nothing like that, were just going to watch a movie or something.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

Momo wasn’t surprised that Jeongyeon raised a brow at her. Besides Jeongyeon had to take the brunt of it all, when Momo screamed her head off at Jeongyeon’s expense when she received the text message from Mina. But could her best friend blame her?

 

Jeongyeon had to smack her head a couple of times too when she asked over and over and over again if her outfit is okay. She is about to go on a “movie date” with her dream girl, of course, she wanted to look hot. But not too hot that Mina might second guess her intention and think that all she wanted to do was bang her.

 

Because it wasn’t that at all.

 

Momo would want to propose to Mina, marry her, have children, a puppy, a picket fence. And maybe yes, bang her for the rest of her life.

 

Today she spends an entire hour taking a shower.

 

Today she brushed her teeth for twenty minutes until her teeth were toothpaste CF worthy.

 

Today she poured an entire Victoria’s Secret Lovespell on herself. (Maybe Mina would be under her spell).

 

Today she had to put on a mini fashion show for her friends, so she’s sure that she was hot and cute and y and all of the above.

 

Ten minutes was left before their movie marathon and Momo is so prepared, she’s going to make her scoutmaster proud.

 

*

 

Nayeon told her that Mina looks like the Nicholas Sparks or John Green type of girl. Momo had to thank Jihyo for dragging her to the theater to watch these sappy movies. Momo had no idea why Jihyo still cries every time. It’s basically the same plot over and over again; she saw a cowboy version, a beach version, and a soldier version.

 

Momo was about to read the books, but ten pages into a Nicholas Sparks novel and she settled herself with reading the summary in Wikipedia. Her love story with Mina will be better than all these books combined. And no has to die in the end.

 

*

 

“Are you sure this is her place?” Jeongyeon asked as she looks at the palace in front of them.

 

“It is.”

 

“God damn! If you would marry her you are set for life. “FIGHTING!” Jeongyeon cheered on, looking proud at her Padawan as she drops her off in front of Mina’s Mansion.

And Momo pumps her fist high as she steps down Jeongyeon’s beat down Toyota Hatchback.

 

This is just the beginning of her love story with Myoui Mina.

 

*

 

“Momorin!”

 

“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!”

 

Did she say she was ready? Because she was not, she was definitely not.

 

All it took was Mina in her short shorts and tight shirt, with that gorgeous smile and gorgeous face and gorgeous everything to have her coming undone.

 

“Momo?”

 

“Oh ummm Hi. I brought snacks!” Momo lifts up the plastic bag, shaking the bag filled with Japanese goodies inside that Mina loves. There were enough snacks there to feed the entire nation of China.

 

“Omo! I love this! How did you know?”

 

Momo shrugs. Having an inside connection was good.

 

“What am I doing? Come in! Come in!”

 

Momo never felt so damn poor until she stepped inside Mina’s Mansion palace castle ing country. Sana always mentions to Momo that Mina’s rich, but this house isn’t just for the wealthy, this is like Bill Gates kind of rich.

 

“A-are we going to watch here?” Momo moves in trepidation before she bumps into a vase that will cost her an arm and a leg.

 

“Oh no… We are going up in the theater room.”

 

Theater room? Momo has a living room with a TV like an average person does.

 

*

 

“Wow, I feel like I’m in MTV Cribs,” Momo said, burying herself in the plush leather couch in Mina’s theater room.

 

“You’re so silly,”

 

Momo couldn’t help but pout at the comment. Ever since she met Mina, all she ever tried to do was try to look smooth and to ooze with swag, yet that always seem to backfire on her. And each time, she ends up looking silly. Hence Mina always responded with a laugh,and a “you’re so silly” and sometimes if she’s lucky, Mina would gently slap her in her arm for her silliness.

 

But silly? Is that going to win Mina’s heart? Silliness?

 

She doubts it. She highly doubts that this poised, graceful ballerina would ever fall for someone silly.

 

Mina plops right beside her, a stack of Blu-Ray movies in her beautiful hands.

 

“I’m a huge James Wan fan.”

 

“Really? Me too!”

 

Who the is James Wan?

 

But that lie has to do for now as she saw Mina’s signature gummy grin. For once, she wasn’t the silly girl that makes Mina laugh, for once Mina looks impressed.

 

“Alright… Ummm… so, which movie would you like to start?”

 

Momo’s eyes pop open as she saw the kind of movie that James Wan makes.

 

Saw 1, Saw 2, Saw 3, Saw 100…

 

Insidious 1, Insidious 2,

 

Conjuring…

 

Annabelle.

 

The !

 

“Momo?”

 

“Ummm?”

 

Momo covers with her shaky hand as she starts hyperventilating inside. IF Satan quit his day job of causing terror and become a filmmaker, he would be like James Wan.

 

In this world, there are four levels of Horror movie anti-fans.

 

1. Level 1
2. Level 2
3. Level 3
4. And Level Hirai Momo

And if that weren't clear, then she would make it crystal right now. Hirai Momo couldn’t do horror movies. She just couldn’t understand the logic behind watching movies that can make you yourself. Why not watch some cute romantic comedy?

 

She couldn’t pick up her phone for almost a month after watching the Ring. Jeongyeon told her that there wasn’t a chance that she will get the phonecall, but she wasn’t going to test that theory.

 

“Ummm…well.”

 

“Or would you like the Asian kind of horror? I got here the Ring, the Grudge, Tale of two sisters, Pulse.”

 

“Stop!”

 

“What?”

 

Did she just scream at her future wife? From the surprised look on Mina’s face, she could tell that she did.

 

“I meant… these are all so scary… good, I meant scary good. How can you make me choose just one?”

 

Why are you lying Momo?

 

“Well, how about we watch three?”

 

“Th-th-three?”

 

Momo tries to force a smile without having to shed a tear. She wasn’t ready for this, she wasn’t ready to die a and worse, she wasn’t ready to leave this world, without getting a chance to kiss Mina.

 

“All in one night?”

 

“Yup. We have all night long.”

 

It won’t be if Momo died from heart attack, just like that guy in the Ring.

 

*

 

“What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?! What am I gonna do?!”

 

Momo started pacing frantically inside Mina’s bathroom, her hand clutched on her phone. She could hear groaning and shooting on the other line; Jeongyeon is playing Resident Evil again while here she is, going insane.

 

“Do you see a window somewhere?”

 

Momo scans around the luxurious bathroom and saw the huge bay window.

 

“Ahhh yes.”

 

“Okay, here’s what you do. You climb out, jump, run away and avoid Mina for the rest of your life.”

 

“YAH! I’m serious here, Yoo! I need your help. I don’t want to freaking pee on myself when I’m with the mother of my future children!”

 

“Dude, no one would like to marry someone who pees on themselves.”

 

Momo leans her head on the bathroom mirror, slowly sobbing her little frightened self out.

 

“You think I don’t know that?”

 

“Look, think about it this way. We already watch the Ring before; you know what’s going to happen. You know she’s going to crawl out of the television in the end. So, it shouldn’t be as scary as the first time, do you know what I mean?”

 

Momo was too depressed to come up with a reply.

 

“Momo? Momo? Hirai Momo?”

 

“I’m still here.”

 

“Look, dude, if you’re that scared just tell Mina you have a family emergency or something, like ummm, your dog needs an appendectomy or something like that. Then, tell Mina you’ll make it up to her by taking her out for coffee after school on Monday. How’s that for a plan?”

 

She knows she should always trust Jeongyeon to come up with a logical plan. And from the sound of it, it might actually work. But all it took was the thought of Mina and Momo knows that the only answer was to go out there and it up.

 

“This is Mina were talking about. Myoui Mina. I couldn’t just like walk away because I’m scared of some horror movie.”

 

“There you go, dude. Just think to yourself that it’s not real. And by the end of the night, Mina will be yours.”

 

“You’re right!” Momo takes a huge breath. “I'm being ridiculous! I can’t believe I’m ending our date just cause I was scared of some girl crawling out of the TV. I mean who crawls out of a TV?”

 

“DAMN RIGHT! NOW GO OUT THERE AND GET YOUR GIRL!”

 

*

 

Of course, they ended up watching the Ring. The Japanese version, not the water down American version.

 

“I haven’t watched this in so long, I forgot what happened.”

 

“The guy dies in the end, just like a Nicholas Sparks movie.”

 

Mina grins at her, wide enough that Momo could see the glint of silver in her smile.

 

“Only you could compare a J-Horror movie to Nicholas Sparks.”

 

“What can I say?” Mom shrugs confidently. “HOLY !”

 

Momo jumps out of her seat, before cursing herself out. It was still the opening credits, and she’s already about to have a cardiac arrest when the loud boom came out of nowhere.

 

Damn you surround sound.

 

“You okay?”

 

Only good thing about this is Mina laid her gorgeous hand on hers.

 

“Ummm yeah,” She laughs, but pouts again when Mina pulls her hand away. She sinks down on the couch, trying to even her breath.

 

Oh, this isn’t that bad…

 

She scoffs to herself as she watches the first scene before trying to sneak a glance at Mina. Damn! She looks so beautiful even with just the lighting from the scary movie.

 

“Watch the movie.”

 

Mina commanded her, her eyes still glued to the screen. But Momo is distracted now. All her gawking didn’t go unnoticed as Mina caught her, slapping her in the arm.

 

“Come watch the movie, silly.”

 

But Momo is way too distracted now. She opens a bag of chips and playfully waves one at Mina. Mina’s gaze was still on the screen, but Momo could tell that she has her attention now, when even from the side she could see Mina’s huge grin.

 

“You want it, c’mon Myoui. Give in.”

 

“In a little bit,” Mina said, half whining, half giggling, but still freaking adorable.

 

“C’mon…”

 

Mina finally turns to her, her lips jutted out in a cute pout.

 

“Watch the movie with me.”

 

“You scared, Myoui?”

 

“No…”

 

Momo leaned closer and launch a full on tickle attack on the girl.

 

“Oh yes, you are! Yes, You are!”

 

“I’m not!” She smacks Momo in the arm, a little bit harder than her usual. But Momo is way too elated to even care.

 

Mina is a little bit courageous now, her skinship going pass her light slaps to leaning closer to Momo. Momo despite watching a horror movie felt a bit courageous too as she wraps her arm around Mina.

 

At last, after crushing on the girl for almost a year, they finally had a bit of progress.

 

Mina moves in much closer, laying her head on her shoulder. And that seems to be enough to give her the courage to turn to the screen.

 

Big Mistake.

 

Momo quickly ducks down at the scene, her eyes on the carpet, her ears block shut as hit the fan and created a storm.

 

“Momo?”

 

She could hear Mina calling for her, oh God! She hopes it was Mina. What if it was-

 

Maybe it’s over now.

 

Her head slowly craned up. She tried to peek through her hair just trying to get a good glimpse of where the movie is at.

 

She got a real glimpse of the long-haired ghost, staring, no, smiling right straight at her, ready to drag her to her death.

 

Mina almost fell to the floor as Momo jumps up and curls herself into a ball.

 

Oh, ! She saw me! She saw me! She saw me! I’m next! I’m next! She’s going to drag me inside the Television!

 

She was convulsing so hard she probably looks like an electrocuted hip hop dancer. She wouldn’t be surprised if she drops to the floor and starts foaming at the mouth.

 

What a way to go.

 

Poor Mina for once look quite lost as she tries to calm her down.

 

“Momo… Momo-chan it will be okay.”

 

“N-n-n-n-n-nooo. Didn’t you see it, Mina? She was looking at me!”

 

But this rollercoaster to J-Horror hell hasn’t even made its vertical drop yet, because as soon as her phone rang, she started screaming her lungs out. Her soul had already left her body.

 

“MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY! MOMMY!”

 

She was screaming worse than the girl who Sadako is tormenting.

 

“Momo…it’s okay, it’s okay. It’s just your phone,” Even Mina looks like she’s fully panicking too. (In her deadpan, pretty way)

 

Momo yanks the phone out of Mina’s grip and lunges the screaming contraption away.

 

“What are you doing, Mina!” Momo yells to Mina as the girl reaches out for her phone. “No! Please! Don’t answer it, Mina. I can’t live without you; I can’t protect you against a ghost, Mina. So, don’t! Please… I beg you!”

 

Momo was sobbing so hard now, as she helplessly watches Mina answers her phone. One week, right? One week before they die? This is it, the end of their love story. They’re just like a Nicholas Sparks movie after all.

 

 She couldn’t believe she’s about to lose the love of her life in a week.

 

“Hello?”

 

Momo’s face watches in fright as Mina listens to the other line, her face the picture of complete serenity, before pressing the button.

 

“It was a telemarketer.”

 

“Oh.”

 

If there was any good thing at all from this embarrassing display, it was when Mina presses her hands on her cheeks, before laying her forehead against hers.

 

“You should have told me that you couldn’t do scary movies. We could have watch something else.”

 

“I-I wasn’t scared.”

 

That lie is so big; the devil made a special room in hell for her.

 

“You were screaming mommy for five minutes straight.”

 

“I’m very family oriented.”

 

“You’re very silly.”

 

Momo’s smile disappeared instantly. There goes Mina again calling her silly.

“That’s what I like about you.”

 

It came out more of a mumble, but Momo heard it loud and clear. But just in case that wasn’t what Mina said, Momo asked.

 

“Eh?”

 

Oh great. This is the most romantic moment in her life, and all she could answer Mina is a dumb Eh. When can she ever get a break?

 

“Like? Like… like about me?” Momo asked, there is nothing wrong with being certain.

 

“Yeah… it’s not hard to like you.”

 

“Like as a friend or-“

 

“Like… like.. like.”

 

Oh! Oooohhhh…

 

 “Ummm… you have always been so cool. I see you with Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung and you guys look like you never stop having fun.”

 

“We like to take naps too.”

 

Mina’s lips curve into that sweet, shy smile that Momo couldn’t stop gazing at. “Nayeon always tells me that I need to lighten up, so I thought I would never-“

 

She paused as if searching for the right words to say. She continues to fiddle with her fingers, her gaze anywhere else but Momo’s.

 

“That’s kinda why I ummm… I plan to do this horror movie marathon, so, maybe you’ll think I’m you know- ummm… fun too.”

 

“I ummm… I got a little bit scared.”

 

No, she had a complete mental breakdown, but Mina is too nice and likes her too much to say it out loud.

 

“I could ummm tell. I’m sorry.”

 

“I don’t know if I could forgive you that easily.”

 

Momo turns her back on her, trying to hide the grin that is about to break from her face. This clingy Mina is just too adorable for her.

 

“So, ummm… what can I do?”

 

Momo turned around and resisted herself from pinching Mina’s cheeks. The quiet girl hardly shows any expression, but she could easily tell from those sad, puppy eyes that it worried Mina.

 

“How about we go to an arcade? And I’ll show you what a fun date really means.”

 

Mina’s worried expression went away with a poof, replacing it with that infamous gummy smile that Momo is falling helplessly for.

 

“I think that’s a great idea.”

 

End