Dahyun opens her eyes to see that she’s in a bedroom she doesn’t recognize. She’s still taking in her surroundings when she suddenly feels something behind her, causing her to panic. She freezes for a minute when the movement stops and slowly turns around to see what was causing it. Turns it out wasn’t a “what” as much as a “who.”

“Sana,” she says, slightly shaking the girl turned against her. Dahyun just knows that it’s her; she would recognize her figure and her scent anywhere.

“Five more minutes,” Sana mumbles, but now turning around. Dahyun, captivated by the Japanese beauty in front of her, studies her features for a while. Her hand wants to caress, to explore Sana’s face—but she stops herself.

“Unnie, where are you?” she asks instead, resuming to shaking Sana.

Sana plops her eyes open before answering the girl. “We’re at Nayeon and Jeongyeon’s.”

“Why are we…” Then it dawns on Dahyun, how she got so wasted last night and out. She puts a hand over as she gasps when an evil thought enters her head. “Did we—Did you and I—Did we have ?”

Sana lifts an eyebrow, and then her expression turns into an amused one, until she starts laughing hysterically and Dahyun has to wait a few seconds before she gives her a reply.

“No, Dahyun, we did not have . You were just so drunk so I thought you could sleep here before going home. Obviously you slept through the night.”

“But why are you here with me?”

“You don’t remember?”

Dahyun shakes her head.

“You pulled me in and asked me to stay, so I did.”

“Oh.”

Sana narrows her eyes at the girl in front of her. “Dahyun, what’s the last thing you remember?”

“Five glasses of Mudslides.” Dahyun gulps. “Two trips to the bathroom.”

A pause.

“And?” Sana says.

“And… That’s it.” Dahyun looks at her quizzically. “Why? Did I do something wrong?”

Sana recalls the events of last night, when Dahyun confessed that she has feelings for her. She wasn’t sure whether it was due to Dahyun’s drunken state or she was actually telling her the truth. Sana made a mental note for them to talk about it when they’re both sober, but now it seems like Dahyun doesn’t remember a thing at all.

So it’s probably best, Sana concludes, that they go on as if nothing happened.

“Oh God,” Dahyun mumbles, suddenly sitting up. “I did something bad, didn’t I? Was there a video? Please tell me there isn’t a video.”

“Dahyunnie, relax,” Sana says, sitting up with Dahyun, giving her a smile. “Nothing happened last night.”

The following Monday Momo wakes up early to watch the fabrication for her latest chip. It wasn’t Mina but Tzuyu who designed it this time, and they went over the discussion smoothly. If Momo was being honest, though, she would love to work with Mina again soon.

Momo makes tamago kake gohan for one that she keeps in a thermal lunch box. Wanting to be early and not catch any traffic she decides to eat the breakfast later when she arrives at the office. Only eating at the Testing and Fabrication Rooms was banned, so she decides to have a little picnic right outside the Testing Room upon entering the building.

It’s 6:26 A.M., still too early for everyone except Fabrication, so Momo is surprised when she hears the elevator ding and stop on their floor. She’s even more surprised—but pleasantly so—when the elevator door opens reveals Mina, who, by some sort of miracle, notices Momo.

“You’re here early,” says Mina, still standing, hovering over the eating girl.

“I could say the same thing about you,” Momo retorts when she gulps her latest spoonful.

“Yes but I’m always early.”

“You are?” Momo widens her eyes. “But why?” Is that how Mina manages to finish her work early?

“The early bird gets the worm,” Mina replies, quoting a proverb, “and in this case the worm is completing the job right away.”

“You’re such a workaholic,” Momo teases. “Why would you even need to clock out before 5?”

“Why are you even here this early, Momo?” Mina asks, changing the subject. Momo notices this but decides not to say anything about it.

“Waiting for Fabrication,” Momo responds. “I wanna see how they do those chips—you wanna come with me?”

“I’ve already watched it once,” Mina reveals. “It’s pretty boring, actually. I mean, it’s good to actually see the whole process but when you do, I think you’ll agree with me that once is enough.”

“Oh.” Momo hangs her head low, feeling defeated. It’s the third time Mina’s blatantly rejected her now—why does she even try?

“But okay, I’ll watch with you.”

Mina doesn’t know what’s come over her—when she noticed Momo sulking like that, it made her feel like she wanted to make her happy and see her refreshing smile, the same one she saw just earlier before deflating Momo’s hopeful bubble. This is so uncharacteristic of her, of what the people know of her, but when Mina does see Momo smile again she thinks, maybe this isn’t so bad after all.

Outside the Fabrication Room, Momo keeps asking questions about the process and equipment and Mina keeps answering her. The questions die down eventually and all that’s left is comfortable silence between them—comfortable, that is, until Mina’s stomach betrays her and Momo hears it, too.

“Here, have some of my breakfast,” Momo mutters next to her, reaching her lunch box out to Mina, who shakes her head in denial. Momo also mentally slaps herself for not offering food to Mina earlier.

“No, I’m fine.”

“Mina, stop lying,” Momo deadpans. “Just eat a bit, will you?”

Mina lets out a huff before finally accepting Momo’s lunch box and starts eating. “This is good, Momo,” she says, eating at a faster pace than Momo expected. “I haven’t had this in a while.”

“But it’s so easy to prepare, though? Of course, Korean eggs make them smell a bit weird but they still taste good, right?”

A delighted Mina nods in response, pleasing Momo as well. “I don’t know. I guess making food for one isn’t worth making at all.”

“It is if the person eats for two,” Momo muses.

“You mean like you?”

Momo gasps overdramatically, feigning hurt. “After I shared my food with you, this is what I get?”

Mina simply chuckles at that, and it’s enough for Momo for now. She lets Mina finish her breakfast before they part ways.

“I’ll clean this up for you,” Mina says, closing the lunch box.

“No, it’s okay. I’ll do it.”

“Consider it as a thank you.”

“Mina, I got it. No worries. I shared breakfast with you because you watched fabrication with me today. So it’s actually me who should be saying thanks.” Momo concludes with a smile.

Mina slightly bows at Momo in response before going back to her desk, and all Momo could think about the rest of the day is the cute blush on Mina’s cheek when Momo made her all flustered.

The next day Momo wakes up early again—but not for fabrication this time. She’s still on a high from spending that short amount of time with Mina yesterday that she craves for more. From their conversations, Momo learned that Mina’s always early to work, so she makes an effort to arrive at the office by 6:30 A.M. And she sees that her efforts do not go to waste, because she already sees Mina by the elevator, and Mina is surprised when she sees Momo.

“Momo?” Mina blinks. “Are you here to watch fabrication again?” she asks with a snicker.

Momo scoffs at Mina’s obvious judgment. “No,” she replies, holding up not one, but two lunch boxes this time. “I’m here to have breakfast with you.”

“What? Momo…” Mina’s voice turns soft, and Momo notices a slight blush forming on Mina’s cheeks. It seems like she’s about to say something, but the elevator dings and they have to step out.

“Well,” Momo starts when she senses that Mina isn’t gonna speak anytime soon, “you said that cooking for one person isn’t worth the effort, so I cooked for two this time.”

“Yes but I also remember us agreeing at the fact that you eat for two people?” Mina jokes, making Momo pout. “I’m kidding,” Mina says, giggling, because she can’t help but think how adorable Momo looks right now. “Thanks for this, Momo. How did you get an extra lunch box, anyway?”

Momo shrugs. “I stole Sana’s,” she replies coolly.

“Isn’t she gonna get mad?” Mina asks, opening the lunch box Momo gave to her, inhaling the scent of raw egg and oh—Momo put some seaweed this time.

“I was kidding, I borrowed it from her,” Momo explains, opening her lunch box as well. “She doesn’t seem to mind, although she did look pretty distracted.” Momo watches as Mina takes her first bite of the meal she prepared, and a big smile forms on her face when she hears Mina hum in delight. “Good?” she asks her anyway.

Mina responds with an enthusiastic nod. “The saltiness of the seaweed makes it even better.”

“I’m glad you like it, considering you don’t eat breakfast.”

“Yeah, well… Really though, thanks. Jihyo’s been telling me I’ve lost weight.”

“Now that you mention it…” Momo takes a quick look at Mina from head to toe, and a concerned expression makes its way to her eyes. “You do look like you’ve lost weight since I first got here. Are you trying to diet?”

Mina shrugs in response. “I guess you could say that.”

“Well, it isn’t healthy,” Momo tells her, sounding worried now. “From now on, I’m gonna make you breakfast and we’ll eat before work starts. And you don’t get to refuse.”

“Threatening me to eat, huh,” Mina says with amusement. “That’s a first.”

Mina insists that she cleans both lunch boxes this time, and Momo doesn’t refuse. When Momo goes out with Nayeon and Jihyo for lunch and then comes back, she sees two clean lunch boxes—Mina must have put them while she was gone.

“What’s that?” Jihyo asks when Momo picks up the food containers to put them on her backpack. “Why do you have two of them?”

“Oh, uh…” Momo puts a hand behind her neck, wiping away the sweat there while she rakes up an excuse. “I got really hungry for breakfast today, so I decided to make two for myself.”

“Wow,” Nayeon sighs. “How come you eat a lot but you don’t seem to get fat at all?”

“I enjoy working out at home from time to time,” Momo admits, feeling proud that her two colleagues seemed to buy her excuse. She wants to keep whatever this thing she has with Mina private for now. For Momo, somehow it makes those moments feel more special.

Days pass and the routine becomes like this for Momo: she would wake up early, prepare a meal for two, pack them, go to work and wait for Mina if she’s not already there, and eat breakfast with her. The rest of the day passes by like a blur and Momo can’t wait until she wakes up again.

This has gone on for a week now (without anybody noticing, not even Momo’s roommate Sana who’s been out of focus lately), and one thing Momo’s learned about Mina is that she smells good—really good. She doesn’t know what heaven smells like, but if she were to die and go to heaven right now, she would probably be inhaling Mina’s jasmine scent. Momo learns more about Mina, and Mina learns more about Momo, and Momo’s happy with this routine until Mina surprises her by saying,

“Let me cook tomorrow’s breakfast.” Mina takes in a spoonful of tteokbokki that Momo prepared.

“Eh?” Momo has to blink to take in what Mina just said. Did the girl just say she’ll cook for Momo?

“Momo? Are you okay?” Mina knocks on Momo’s head, chuckling.

“Y-Yeah,” Momo responds, rubbing her temples from the sudden dizziness.

“So it’s settled, then.” Mina smirks. “I’ll have breakfast ready for the two of us tomorrow.” She grabs the lunch box from Momo and stands up from their area, leaving Momo dumbfounded.

Momo thinks the day couldn’t get any better until she sees Mina enter the Testing Room and approach her.

“Mina?” she says. “What are you doing here? Rosé didn’t tell me I have something new to test.”

“That’s not it,” answers Mina. “I’m done for the day. I just came by to watch you work.”

“W-What?”

“Why?” Mina tries to hide a pout forming on her face but fails. “Don’t you want me to?”

“No, it’s not that! I just… I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

Mina smiles and turns to the piece of automation equipment that Momo’s handling and points to the screen beside it. “Is that where the results are stored?”

“Mhm,” Momo replies. “It can only display 20 at a time and we had to record them individually. But recently I just finished writing a program that can instantly store the data to an SD card. I’m currently working on real-time wireless transfer so that we wouldn’t have to plug the SD card to a computer every time.”

“Wow, Momo. You’re an innovator.”

“Thanks, I come here early to work on this stuff.” Momo smirks. “You should do the same. I find it pretty productive.”

“Maybe I will,” Mina jokes back.

Momo lets Mina “tail” her and ask questions for the rest of the day, paying no mind to the curious (read: nosy) looks from Nayeon and Jihyo and everyone inside the Testing Room, even Rosé. When Momo finishes testing everything—with 10 minutes to spare before 5—she looks at Mina, who’s looking back at her expectantly.

“If you think I’m gonna ask you to go to the pub with me, I won’t,” Momo tells her.

Mina only chuckles at that. “What makes you think I want you to?” She raises an eyebrow, challenging her. She lets out a chuckle while Momo lets out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Momo.”

It isn’t until Nayeon nudges her that Momo realizes she’d been staring at Mina after she left.

“So, lover girl,” Nayeon calls Momo the nickname she doesn’t want. They’re at the pub now, Momo talking to the couple. “What’s up with you and Mina?”

“Nothing,” Momo answers nonchalantly, even though the real answer should be, I don’t know what’s going on between me and Mina. All I know is that I’m enjoying it.

Jeongyeon scoffs, and for a while Momo thought the Design Team leader could read her thoughts. “It’s not nothing, Momo, trust me,” Jeongyeon says. “Mina’s never stayed until 5 P.M. at the office in a while. When she finishes her work, she leaves. But today, she just came to you.”

“Just to watch you!” Nayeon adds with a squeal. “Now tell me that’s nothing.”

Momo stares at her glass of margarita for a while before taking a full swig of it. “Okay.” She sighs, steeling herself for what she’s about to say next. “So maaaaaaaybe I do have a crush on Mina, and maaaaaaaaaybe I do want to ask her out. I mean, she’s pretty great, you know? She’s extremely smart, she makes really cute faces and has all those weird dances, and today, I learned that she can cook! Like is there anything she can’t do?”

“You are so whipped, Momo! Yes!” Nayeon claps her hands excitedly, raising a glass for Momo. “Go, lover girl!”

On the other side of the pub, Sana’s at the restroom in one of the toilets—and she’s not alone. She’d been meaning to get it with Lisa from the Finance Division and now she’s successful, like she’s always been. Sticking her tongue down Lisa’s throat, Sana does what she does best and slides a hand between the Finance girl’s thighs. As Lisa moans from the contact, she plays with her hands as well and tugs on the hem of Sana’s blouse. But when her fingers graze over Sana’s stomach—

“Wait—Lisa—I’m sorry, I can’t,” she mumbles, pushing Lisa away.

“What the hell?” Lisa groans, panting, exhausted, and now ually frustrated.

“I can’t do this.” Sana opens the door, not minding the girls in the restroom that can see she wasn’t alone. I can’t do this, she repeats in her head. Why the damn hell can’t I do this? What is happening to me?

When she gets out of the restroom, she sees it. The reason for her lack of performance tonight. Sana tried to get it out of her head—that accidental confession—but she’s been stuck thinking about it since that night, and now she couldn’t have with anyone because of that reason. That reason is laughing with Momo and Chaeyoung and other people from her division as if she didn’t even pour her heart out to Sana at all, as if she isn’t affecting Sana right now.

That reason is Kim Dahyun.