1.) Bait

Mina’s affections for Chaeyoung start like this – unreal. It starts when the girl who used to have long black hair covering half her face brought up Chaeyoung’s name in an interview before their debut, declaring Chaeyoung as her ideal type out of the rest of the members.  The girl had never been on Chaeyoung’s mind before and it bothered her when she was named instead of sixteen other trainees who were definitely prettier than her. She could hardly believe that she was labelled as an ideal type of someone who had more suitors than her fingers could possibly count.

With headphones pressed snugly against her ears, she replays the interview repeatedly in the confines of the room she shares with Sana. The giggles that came after her name etches a frown on her face as her chest swells in discomfort. It doesn’t feel right to Chaeyoung, for she rarely spoke to this girl and does not have a single clue about her, save for her name. Even so, her name is common in Korea and tons of other girls have the name Mina. Mina never stood out to Chaeyoung and there is no reason for the older girl to stand out now. Chaeyoung cannot understand why Mina pops up frequently in her mind ever since she first watched the interview.

She jabs the spacebar, making the video pause. The screen shows Mina smiling at the camera, revealing her gums as well. There is a kind of child-like innocence about Mina when she smiles, in contrast to the cold aura she emits when she has a straight face. She also notices how Mina is like a girl and a woman in one body – very charming. Slipping off her headphones, she leans back against the headboard, staring at the paused image of a grinning Mina.

The room is shrouded in darkness and Chaeyoung finally notices that night has fallen. The light from her laptop dimly lights up the room and she considers turning on the lights, but decides that the switch is too far away.

There are voices outside and she hears her door knob rattle noisily as it turns. The sound makes her heart jump, hand quickly reaching out for her mouse to minimize the window, leaving only her background. (She doesn’t know why she needed to hide the fact that she was watching Mina’s Milk interview.)

Sana barges in, swinging the door open and letting light flood into the room. Sana’s eyebrows twitch in concern as she feels for the light switch, turning the lights on.

“Chaeyoungie, why didn’t you turn on the lights?”

“Was too lazy,” she mumbles, turning off her laptop (just in case).

“We’re watching a movie. Jihyo unnie says we need to bond,” her roommate informs.

“What movie?” she asks, yawning and feigning boredom.

“Something from Studio Ghibli because we have minors like you,” the girl teases, index finger pointing at Chaeyoung.

Chaeyoung laughs it off, turning off the lights as she leaves the room. The members have already gathered, some hogging the couch and some sprawled on the floor. The floor is too hard for her so she makes her way to the sofa, only to realize the only empty space on the sofa is beside Mina. Instincts tell her to just plant her on the floor but then Mina makes eye contact with her – and it’s too late.

Chaeyoung isn’t quite sure why Mina looks at her the way she does and she finds it hard to describe it even. As someone who writes her own raps, words fail her when it comes to Mina. When Mina’s eyes find hers, she looks like a child who received presents on Christmas day, with her eyes shimmering, like there are stars in her eyes.

Chaeyoung wonders if Mina looks at everyone this way.

The girl beckons Chaeyoung and she cannot find it in herself to walk away. Like a lured prey, she finds herself gravitating towards Mina automatically, plunking herself down beside her. The red-haired girl laughs softly – intimately, like it’s a song only meant for Chaeyoung.

So Chaeyoung listens – and the rest of the world is silent.

2.) Hook

They don’t have any schedules for today so they’re just lazing around the dorm. Chaeyoung has no idea if anyone has headed out. (Nayeon did say she wanted to go shopping with Mina.) It leaves her to imagine what Mina is currently doing, if she’s out correcting Nayeon’s terrible fashion sense or if she’s on her tip-toes at a grocery store, reaching for a bottle of ketchup.

Momo and Sana are in her room, the former considering a dance cover while the latter immerses herself in the world of Hazel and Augustus.

“John Green is so romantic. ‘I fell in love the way you fall asleep; slowly, and then all at once’. Oh god, he makes me want to fall in love,” Sana gushes as she rolls around in bed, blonde hair splayed out on her pillow, eyes glued to The Fault in Our Stars.

“He makes falling in love sound like you’re just dropping into an endless pit,” Momo comments, as she searches for an appropriate song to choreograph a dance for, scrolling through Chaeyoung’s music library.

“You’re only saying that because that’s what sleep is to you. Jihyo unnie spends like ten hours trying to wake you up,” Sana retorts wryly, earning herself a dirty look from Momo.

The quote makes Chaeyoung fall into a bout of silence, repeating the words to herself over and over again like a mantra. They don’t feel right at all to Chaeyoung. She tries mumbling the words to herself but they don’t roll around her tongue smoothly, like the words are too heavy.

Sana continues anyway, “I heard that this line was inspired by Hemingway. It was originally something related to bankruptcy, I think. John Green is a genius for coming up with that line.”

“But you’ll wake up,” Chaeyoung blurts.

It takes a long silence for the words to sink in and Chaeyoung suddenly realizes what exactly was so wrong about the quote.

Sana looks aghast, like her whole life has been a lie while Momo stares at her with wonder and amazement.

“Wow, Chaeyoung-ah, you just broke Sana’s heart with four words. I’ve been trying to do that my entire life,” Momo breaks the silence, immediately getting hit by a random pillow thrown in her direction by Sana.

Momo is about to declare a pillow war against Sana when the door opens, revealing Mina who blinks at a bolster-wielding Sana and Momo who holds up the pillow like a shield.

“Is something wrong?”

Her presence surprises Chaeyoung because she assumed that Mina was out with Nayeon. It is nevertheless a welcome surprise because she feels herself smiling at the girl standing by the door.

“Mina-yah! My heart has been broken by Chaeyoung!” Sana dramatically sobs and it makes Chaeyoung hope Sana never goes into acting.

“Oh okay, but Sana unnie, I need your help with—”

“No! Don’t ask me! Take Chaeyoung with you! I cannot stand this heartache and I must defeat Momo!” the blonde cries, pointing her bolster at Momo.

“… Chaeng Chaeng, do you mind helping me with something?”

Over the past few months, Mina had taken to addressing Chaeyoung as Chaeng Chaeng, her voice laced with much affection. The nickname makes Chaeyoung swallow uneasily, but she nods anyway, narrowly escaping the warzone. As soon as the door closes, Chaeyoung thinks she hears something like a battle cry from Momo or Sana and shakes her head silently at the two.

Mina seems to have noticed the action, because she smiles fondly and says, “It must be tiring with those two.”

The rapper detects a hint of amusement in her voice and sighs, “Sometimes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Then Mina smiles at her sweetly, eyes turning into crescent moons. “You’re too kind, Chaeng Chaeng.”

And Chaeyoung feels her palms get clammy.

She follows Mina obediently, lets the older girl guide her to her shared room with Jihyo. A brief moment of silence passes as Chaeyoung lets herself get dragged by Mina. Lapsing into silence is something that the younger girl is used to, because in the time that she has come to know Mina, Mina is someone who lets her actions speak for themselves. Her actions often mean more than her words – which is why when Chaeyoung is tired from practice, she usually finds a bottle of water and snack packs lying around near her belongings. (She knows they’re from Mina.)

“So what help do you need?”

“I need help with my facial expressions. Jihyo unnie says my smiles are too frozen on stage,” the lead dancer sighs, running a hand through her current light brown hair. “I would ask Jihyo unnie but Nayeon stole her away to do some shopping and Sana unnie is, uh, having a war?”

She ends her explanation with a question and a confused frown, like she cannot seem to understand Sana’s quirkiness despite being friends for many years. It makes Chaeyoung chuckle because Mina just seems so relaxed and perfectly fine with everything.

“But I’m not that good.”

“You are! You’re cool when you rap and you’re cute too. You have reverse charms.”

The compliment makes Chaeyoung flush and she can feel the heat rushing to her cheeks. She pretends to cough, turning away to hide the redness in her cheeks.

“Well—” Cough. “Thanks, I guess—” Cough. “How do you—” Another cough. “Want me to help?”

“You can just watch. Tell me when I look stiff.”

The mere thought of just watching Mina makes Chaeyoung feel uncomfortable. She thinks of backing out but all the words die in when Mina holds her by the shoulder and sits her down on the bed.

“Shall I do Cheer Up first?”

Chaeyoung nods and witnesses how Mina steps into her TV persona like a second skin, eyes bright and smile ever ready. She sings softly and fixes a rigid smile that makes Chaeyoung want to laugh. She holds up a hand, telling Mina to pause, and turning away to snicker quietly, shoulders shaking in amusement.

“Are you laughing?” Chaeyoung doesn’t see Mina but she can hear the tone of disbelief and amusement in her voice.

The rapper tries her best to stop but fails, turning back to Mina with a lingering grin on her face. “You need to relax, unnie.”

Lips jut out into a pout and Chaeyoung feels her chest tighten, feeling the need to maybe squeeze the older girl in a hug. Is this why fans call her penguin? Because she’s too cute?

Chaeyoung folds her arms, focusing on giving some good advice to the girl, “I think you just need to let go and enjoy yourself. You don’t have to smile twenty-four seven. Just vary your expressions according to the lyrics. You have that line ‘I’m not showing off or anything’, right? Why not give a smirk or something, look a bit proud?”

This time Mina tries again, following Chaeyoung’s advice, and she pulls it off a thousand times better. Chaeyoung nods furiously in approval – Mina is a fast learner and very adept, even when learning new choreographies. Mina never really acknowledges her position as lead dancer because ‘there are lots of people better, like Tzuyu or Sana’ (in M