Momo had never been really bright and the only thing she did well beside eating— which wasn't a serious profession and she still doesn't understand how when the food network existed— was dancing. She could dance to anything (yes even country) and was damn well good at it. That's how she had found herself working at "Like Ooh Aah" one of few Seoul lgtbq+ friendly strip clubs. She didn't mind being a stripper, the pay was good and most of the clients were much more respectful than the low lives she served back when she was a barista.

 

And of course she was getting paid to dance, even if it did mean taking off her clothes, it didn't matter as long as there was a song playing and a stage for her to perform. Once upon a time ago she had come to South Korea to become an idol. The dream had fallen through when the company had gone bankrupt and trainees were let go to salvage the failing company. In those efforts some of Momos friends had been picked to debut in a quick and messy fashion. Momo hadn't felt jealous that they had been picked, especially when the group disbanded a year later. She kept track of the ones who signed onto new companies and the ones who moved onto other careers in the entertainment industry.

 

And of course she paid attention to Sana.

 

Sana who had come over from Japan by her side and had left her when she had been chosen to debut. Sana, whom despite the messy debut year, had managed to garner a large fanbase and moved onto a new career as an actress and variety idol. Momo had been surprised when she had been signed onto an acting company and had been first in line at her very first movie.

 

Sana, after all, was her girlfriend.

 

Or was.

 

She wasn't sure.

 

Despite going their separate ways in their careers the two had already began a relationship and agreed to work it out. Momo had been there when the debut had flopped and the pressure to save the company had fallen on the young girls shoulders. She'd been there when Sana had come to her, grinning ear to ear, exclaiming that her time in 6mix was over. She had packed Sana lunch when she'd gone to her first script reading, she watched her walk her first red carpet (on tv of course), she had been there through it all.

 

But with Sana's new job came a burden. A burden in the form of one Wang Jackson. The two had been steadily "dating" for about a year and it had began to strain their relationship. Momo of course tried to be understanding. Sana was under contract and the relationship was 100% fake but she couldn't help but be jealous when she saw her girlfriend hugging and kissing Wang Jackson out in public, something she could never do because Minatozaki Sana was as straight as the sky is blue.

 

And she knew that their arguments were mostly fueled by her own fault and that in the heat of the moment she hadn't meant to ask for a break, driving Sana to go to Jackson for shelter (she'd seen the dispatch pictures the next morning) and therefore possibly running their relationship. It was unfair of her to be mad at Sana for being in a fake relationship with a boy when Sana was nothing but understanding and supportive of her going up on stage and taking her clothes off for a bunch of strangers.

 

"Did you fight again?" Mina, a Japanese girl who used to be a ballerina before injuring her leg and fellow stripper, asked as she sat down to apply her make up. The two had became fast friends with their common heritage and ruined dreams. Mina was always the one Momo went to drink with whenever she and Sana fought and was able to spot the older girls distress.

 

"I think we broke up." Momo's eyes filled with tears as she replied.

 

Mina rubbed her back gently and sighed, it wouldn't be the first time the two had taken a break. "I thought you two were supposed to talk after the last time?" Mina wasn't one to scold, she was far too polite for it which is what Momo liked about her. She would go to Tzuyu if she wanted to be yelled at.

 

Momo bit her lip and turned back to the mirror in front of her, "We were but after our make-up she had to go film in France. We never got back to it."

 

"Did someone say make-up ?" Dahyun bounced over excitedly, a large grin on her pale face, "Spill all the details."

 

"Stop being such a ." Tzuyu twisted her face in disgust as she entered behind her. "Momo what did you do to my girl." She glared over at her.

 

Momo looked down frightened, Tzuyu was scary when she was mad and especially when it came to Sana (the Taiwanese girl had taken a strong liking to Sana when Momo had introduced her to her coworkers).

 

"They just got into a little argument is all." Mina tried to divert. "Momo is asking for advice on how to talk things over."

 

Dahyun tsk'd, "Trying to teach a cat a trick..."

 

"What does that even mean?" Momo asked exasperated.

 

"It means you're stupid." Dahyun laughed. "What is this? The millionth time you've sat here pouting because you've said something stupid. If I were Sana I would have moved on already. And with a man candy like hers, well, who would even think twice."

 

"Sana would." Mina glared over at her. "Sana loves Momo too much to ever do that. And she knows Momo can be...."

 

"Stupid." Tzuyu and Dahyun suggest.

 

"Right." Mina says, not denying it but she's not harsh enough to say the word herself. "Right now things are just tense because Sana's still a up and coming actress. She'll have to break up with Jackson in a couple of months and things will be fine." Mina says repeating the same speech she's said over and over. "You two need to talk and you need to listen to her more." She says, trying to get through to Momo who knows she's right.

 

Momo sighed and nodded, it was all she could do— and to avoid Tzuyu's surprisingly hard hit.

 

She was glad she was up to perform next and lost herself in the familiar beat and rhythm. Locking away any negative thoughts and worries. Right now it was just her, the music, the stage and all the people hungrily watching her.

 

It was almost euphoric.

 

As she grinded on a woman with a large stack of cash (in her purse, Momo snuck a peak at the expensive looking bag) making sure to give her a performance of a life time. She should have noticed how handsy the woman was being or stopped when her hands made their way up to her face. And she normally would have stopped at so much contact. But she was lost in the music trying desperately to forget her problems- she was drunk on the euphoria. That's how the woman was able to sneak a kiss— with tongue! And she was stronger than she appeared, keeping Momo locked in her hands as Momo tried pushing away after her initial shock wore off. She could hear a shout and the woman's friends hollering, money being stuffed into Momo's g-string.

 

After what felt like ages, Momo was yanked away from the women. Mina caught her and held her as their manger, Dahyun and Brian the security guy asked the woman to leave. Mina led Momo into the back room, her hands rubbing Momo's arm in comfort. It wasn't the first a costumer had gone too far but Momo would never get used to the violation.

 

Chaeyoung, a barista, brought her tea to ease her. Tzuyu and Dahyun both came in worried, explaining that they got other girls to cover for them.

 

"You okay?" Mina asked softly.

 

Momo nodded, the euphoria long gone and jittery. "She's was stronger than she looked." She tried laughing weakly.

 

The girls grimaced and looked at each other and Momo could tell something was not right.

 

"What's wrong?" She asked nervously.

 

Mina grabbed her hand softly and gave her a sympathetic look, "Sana was here."

 

Momo's blood ran cold.

 

"She saw you, uh, dancing on the women and stayed long enough for the kiss." Dahyun rubbed the back of her head.

 

"She left before you started to push away." Tzuyu said staring at her with a blank expression.

 

Momo gulped, this was not good at all. Even though Momo had technically asked for a break, Sana had risked her entire career to come to 'LOA' and caught her kissing another girl (against her will) and had left before she could see Momo push away. Sana had left with the image of Momo with another woman in her head.

 

Momo slumped in defeat. "It's done. We're over. She's never going to believe me." Tears formed in her eyes as she imaged a life without Sana. Seven years together all flashing in her head.

 

"That's not true. You just have to explain to her." Mina tried to console her, brushing Momo's hair back. "She'll listen."

 

"Would you?" Momo cried. "After I yelled at her, basically kicked her out, and caught me kissing another woman?"

 

"Hey she was here right?" Dahyun interjected. "She never comes here during business hours. She must have come to talk to you– to fix things between you two."

 

"Or she could have come to break up with me." Momo sniffled.

 

"Don't be an idiot." Tzuyu rolled her eyes. "Sana would never risk her career to break up with you. If anything, her coming here was probably to show you that she was committed to you and your relationship. She put everything on the line to prove to you- which she shouldn't have- that she loves you. Because for some reason you can't get it through your thick skull that she loves you." Tzuyu glared at her.

 

Momo was frozen in her seat. Tzuyu was right of course. Sana had risked everything to come here. It filled Momo with little hope that maybe she could salvage what was left of their messed up relationship.

 

Finally she nodded, "You're right. I have to talk to her."

 

"I'll cover for you, you go home and see if she's there." Mina hugged her, "It'll all work out."

 

 

 

Momo paced out front the apartment door. She was nervous about whether Sana would be inside or not and unsure about what either of those statuses would mean. Her hands shook as she went over what to say. What should she apologize for first? Should she get on her knees and beg for forgiveness? Would letting herself cry be any help? So many possible scenarios played in her head that made her want to run.

 

But she couldn't. She had to talk to Sana. Or she would lose her.

 

Gathering what little strength she had inside of her she quickly typed in the security code, unlocking the door, and entering slowly. She cautiously slipped out of her shoes and made her way barefoot through the hallway to the living room.

 

She froze when she caught sight of Sana sitting on the couch. Her eyes watering at the sight of three large bags packed nearby. Gulping, she walked forward, her hand reaching out unconsciously.

 

"Sa-"

 

"Momo we need to talk." Sana said in a cold voice, a voice Momo had never heard before. A voice she didn't like.

 

Momo nodded and stopped before she could reach Sana. Studying her stiff position and red eyes. She decided to sit on the other side of the couch, not touching her, and stared down at the wood floor.

 

"I'd like to speak first and I'd like if you could listen." Sana said.

 

Momo nodded numbly.

 

"I don't understand what I have done to make you so unhappy in our relationship." Sana began. "I have loved you since we were 17, when we had no one but each other. I have loved you for sticking by my side through my entire mess of a career and I have supported you in yours. And yet I feel like you resent me for some reason. I know you are unhappy about my relationship with Jackson and it hurts me to know that you don't trust me or believe me when I say I have no feelings for him. All I've done is try. For us. And yet you keep pushing me away and," Sana sniffed, "you've succeed. I think it would be best for us to finish this. It's unhealthy for us both to be in such a tough relationship. It's unfair of me to expect you to be okay with keeping us a secret and dating someone else. So I'm going to release you from it all." Sana reached over and held her hand. "I know you're going to say that we can work it out but I have tried and I am done. I'm sorry Momo. This was the last time."

 

Momo felt like apart of her had died and Sana's hand felt cold to her. Her heart hurt worse than anything she could imagine and she felt so hopeless. She couldn't imagine a life without Sana there and she was certain she would never love someone as much as she did Sana ever again. She'd believed whole heartedly that they were soulmates. Best friends and lovers. And now. Strangers?

 

"I-I'm sorry." Momo choked out, balling her hands into fists, "I'm sorry for being so stupid and ruining our relationship. You have every reason to want to break up. But I'm never going to stop loving you." She said looking her in they eyes, tears fell from the both of them, "You have been the love of my life and no one will ever replace you."

 

"Don't say that." Sana shook her head. "You'll find someone else. Someone you can hold hands with out in public, someone who you don't have to hide with. You'll move on."

 

"Will you?" Momo whispered brokenly, "Will you move on?"

 

Sana looked away, "I- I don't know."

 

"Than how could you ask me too."

 

"Because we're different. I don't have the luxury or the freedom that you do. You'll meet another girl or maybe you already have. The point is, time heals all things. You will, we both will, move on."

 

"So that's it? Seven years done and over? Just like that." Momo whispered bitterly, knowing that the fight was over before it started. She was already gone.

 

"I guess so." Sana responded, standing and grabbing her bags. "I'm sorry."

 

Momo shut her eyes and hid her face in her hands as she heard Sana walk out.

 

 

 

 

2 year later...

 

 

Momo had said nothing when she heard the news from Mina. She after all was nothing more than a sad memory Momo tried not to think about. Especially not when she had moved on, with Mina surprisingly enough.

 

Mina had been there for Momo, had been there at her darkest times and their feelings had naturally developed into something more serious. Momo had been cautious at first but with her words in her head she had taken the leap.

 

Momo had quit 'LOA' and had become a dance teacher, employing Tzuyu, Dahyun and of course Mina when she had managed to become manager. She had moved out of the apartment with too many memories that filled her with pain. She locked up the pain and hurt deep inside her and never let it see the light of day. She refused to let herself shed another tear for her.

 

"Did you hear?" Dahyun brought up awkwardly at dinner, everyone somberly looking down at their plate, even Chaeyoung who had never been all that close with Momo ducked her head.

 

Momo nodded and pushed the noddles on her plate around.

 

Tzuyu cleared , "I was invited."

 

One year ago Minatozaki Sana had left her management company and signed onto JYP Entertainment. The new and up and coming company was praised for its diversity and 21st century attitude. Shortly after, Minatozaki Sana had come out to the world as biual. Momo had watched the storm that Sana had been thrown into after the news and had fought the urge to call her. The urge went away after Sana was seen holding hands happily with Im Nayeon.

 

Recently the two had gotten engaged.

 

Momo looked up in surprise, she hadn't been sure if the two had kept in contact and hadn't wanted to ask.

 

"Are you going?" Dahyun asked.

 

Tzuyu looked over at Momo quickly before looking back at Dahyun, "I planned to."

 

"You don't have to worry about me Tzuyu. I'm fine. It's been two years and we've both moved on." She reassured her.

 

"I know." Was all Tzuyu said, blunt as ever.

 

"Do you think you'll be invited?" Chaeyoung asked.

 

Momo shook her head, it had crossed her mind when she had heard the news but she knew that she would not. "I don't see why I would."

 

"You guys were together for seven years, I can't believe you guys just ended it like that." Dahyun tsk'd.

 

"I didn't end anything." Momo hissed.

 

"But you didn't fight back." Mina weakly replied, squeezing her hand.

 

Momo could feel a headache coming on with the direction of their conversation, "Can we talk about something else? Why are we even talking about my ex?"

 

The table fell awkwardly silent.

 

"Hey," Chaeyoung whispered, "isn't that her?" She said not so subtly pointing towards the door.

 

Momo took notice of everyone in the restaurant looking in the direction of the front door, outside a large group of people gathered with large cameras all focused on the couple walking in.

 

Momo was frozen. Sanas hair was dyed blonde, a color Momo had loved the most on her and her smile was as bright and beautiful as she remembered. Momo, felt the emotions she's locked up rattling inside her, threatening to escape.

 

"That's Park Jihyo." Mina whispered starstruck. Momo managed to drag her eyes away from Sana to see Park Jihyo, Seoul's favorite soloist, accompanied by Yoo Jungyeon, a model and actress. And of course holding hands with Sana was Im Nayeon. South Koreas four biggest stars walking into the restaurant. Momo was momentarily hit with nostalgia as she remembered sitting around a training room with the four girls, sharing their hopes and dreams of becoming an idol. It had worked out for the four of them, despite 6mix not.

 

"They're so pretty." Chaeyoung shrunk in her seat as they walked towards them.

 

Momo glanced around quickly and realized the only empty table was right beside theirs and awkwardly tried not to make eye contact with any of them– especially Sana.

 

It was no use as their eyes met and both girls froze.

 

Momo wondered if Sana would pretend not to recognize her or ignore her. She felt Mina squeeze her hand gently and Momo was brought back, looking down at her plate.

 

"Tzuyu." She heard Sana greet.

 

"Sana-unnie!" Tzuyu greeted, "Thank you of the invitation. Congratulations."

 

"Thank you, ah, this is Nayeon. Nayeonie, this is my friend Tzuyu. Also some old friends Dahyun, Chaeyoung, Mina and Momo." She introduced quickly, her voice having matured just a tiny bit but still holding the same sweet innocent tone.

 

"Ah hello." Nayeon greeted warmly. "For a while I thought we were Sana's only friends." She teased.

 

"Is that the Momo we used to train with?" Jungyeon interuppted and Momo noticed her looking at her curiously.

 

Sana nodded, "Yes that's her."

 

"Hi." Momo replied weakly.

 

"Woah it's been a long time." Jungyeon chuckled, "It's good to see you."

 

"Still has an appetite." Jihyo commented, looking down at Momo's messy plate.

 

Momo blushed, she hadn't expected them to remember her.

 

"We should catch up some time." Jungyeon said, throwing an arm around Sana's shoulder. "Did you invite her to the wedding."

 

"I'm afraid we lost contact." Sana replied, looking away.

 

"But you invited Tzu- ugh." Jungyeon grunted as Jihyo elbowed her.

 

"We should let you guys get back to your meal." Jihyo smiled politely. "It was nice talking to you again Momo."

 

Momo nodded, "Same here."

 

Momo took notice that Nayeon had remained silent in the conversation and met her eye to momentarily before she turned away and smiled at Sana.

 

The idols sat down at the table nearby theirs and Momo tried not to pay attention to them and she didn't purposely glance over but if she had she would have noticed the way Sana's eyes lit up when Nayeon spoke or the way the two never broke contact. Momo felt the box of memories leak out as she recalled a time when Sana would look to her that way or the way her hand felt intertwined with her. Happy memories she never seemed to recall whenever she thought back to the relationship. It was strange to look at Sana and not feel pain.

 

And she realized that Sana had been right.

 

She could move on. She had. And she hadn't even realized it.

 

She spared one last glance over at Sana and caught her eye. Sana smiled warmly and nodded at her.

 

She felt the same.

 

(A/N: lmao I wrote this on my phone so pls excuse all my mistakes I might miss when I read through.)