It's Tuesday, which means Momo's got an entire free period before going home. She and Nayeon live on the same street, and Momo always waits for her friend so they can walk together.
The brunette always waits on a bench right outside the school building, usually with earbuds plugged in so that no one will disturb her.
Momo hates talking to strangers. Or talking at all, for that matter, unless she's really comfortable with the other person and ranting about the latest TV show she's been watching.
Momo loves to rant about TV shows, but only Nayeon knows that.

Unexpectedly, someone decides to join her on the bench, and Momo pretends that she's still alone, clearly panicking. Then, the person says something, but thanks to the music playing from her phone, Momo can still act like she didn't hear a thing. She feels kinda bad to be ignoring whoever's sitting next to her, but Momo knows she'd feel way worse if she tried to engage in a conversation.
However, the stranger doesn't seem to give up, and lightly taps her on the shoulder, forcing Momo to turn around.
"Hey." Her heart speeds, and she visibly gulps, fixing her glasses on her face nervously. The person next to her is Myoui Mina, one of the most popular girls in school, president of the student council and lead role in pretty much every ballet recital Momo's ever been to.
"H-hi." Momo curses herself for stuttering and quickly averts her eyes from the very pretty girl, her heart now so fast that she can hear it beating.
"You're Momo, right?" Mina asks, seemingly harmless, but Momo's brain is already in fight or flight mode, collapsing because she can do neither. Instead, Momo nods, afraid of stuttering with another monosyllabic word, and Mina chuckles. "What are you doing here by yourself? I've seen you here a few times before and have always wondered."
Momo turns to her with a confused frown.

Myoui Mina has noticed me before?

"I'm just... Waiting for a friend." The brunette mutters, facing her hands once again.
"Oh, so you've got free time now?" Mina asks nonchalantly, making the other girl frown again.
"I guess..." Momo is able to reply, and almost goes into short circuit when Mina takes her hand and stands up.
"Come with me.”
Mina's head is covering the sun, creating this aura around her and making the girl look even more gorgeous. Momo wonders if she's ever seen such a pretty girl in her life, and also still can't believe said pretty girl is right in front of her, holding her hand.
"Is this some kind of prank?" Momo asks, genuinely concerned. Mina is one of the popular kids, and Momo is just another nerd, there's gotta be a catch for Mina's sudden interest.
"No, silly." Mina giggles, and Momo is sure that’s the most beautiful sound she's ever heard. "I just wanna show you something. Come on." She tugs at Momo's hand again, and the other girl finally complies, getting up and being dragged around school.
"Where are we going?" Momo's question is soft, but full of worry, and she can feel her palms sweating, but Mina doesn't seem to care.
"The roof. Have you ever been there?" Mina replies as they climb the stairs that lead to their destination.
"Uh... No, why would I?" Mina turns her head to glance at Momo with a blinding smile.
"Then get ready to be amazed." She winks and turns her head back.

Believe me, I'm already amazed. Momo wants to say, but doesn't have the courage to.

Suddenly, they reach the final floor and Mina opens the door to the roof.
Momo is indeed amazed, she didn't know there was a garden up there.
"It's just like in High School Musical." She mutters, making Mina face her again.
"Huh?"
"Nothing. I... Didn't say anything." Momo panics, fixing her glasses again, but the other girl thankfully just shrugs and continues to pull Momo's hand, and then sits her on another bench, amongst the flowers. "Why are we here?" Momo watches as Mina walks around a bit and then picks up a yellow flower.
"Because it's pretty." The ballerina then places the flower on Momo's hair, tucking it behind her ear. "Just like you."
Momo freezes, tightening the grip on the strap of her backpack.

What is going on? Why is Myoui Mina suddenly so interested in me?

"That's a cute backpack you got." Mina sits next to her and gently tugs at the straps of the backpack, still secured on Momo's shoulder, and her fingers brush past Momo’s knuckles. "You always seem to carry it around, what you got in there?" Momo gulps at the question, still very much confused and nervous about the whole situation.
"Uh, just... Some... Some school stuff... And my collection of stickers..." She says everything barely audibly, and Mina her head to the side, absolutely amused.
"You collect stickers? That's so cute! Can I see them?" Mina seems very eager, which makes Momo suspect her intentions, but the look in the girl's eyes is harmless, even kind.
Momo decides to give it a go, for once in her life, and takes the backpack off her shoulders to open it. Then, she retreats an old, yet very neat, scrapbook and hesitantly hands it to Mina, who happily takes it.
"Aw, Sailor Moon!" Mina muses, gently running her fingers through the pictures, and continues to flip through the pages. "Oh, my God! You like Doctor Who?" She asks with wide eyes, and Momo lets out a small smile.
"Yeah, it's- it's one of my favorite shows." The nervous girl mutters, the uneasy feeling coming to a decrease.
"No way! It's one of my favorites too!" Something about the way Mina says those things make something bubble in Momo's chest. "Aw, look at this! A tiny Clara sticker! This is the cutest doodle I've ever seen! She's my favorite companion." Mina speaks, giddy, and places a hand on her chest.
"You can keep it... If- if you want to." Momo's tiny voice matches her tiny smile, but inside her heart is swelling. Mina stares at her in disbelief.
"But... It's the only one you have." Mina offers, but Momo shrugs.
"I have another set of stickers back at home, it's really no problem." That was a lie. That sticker had been tough to find, and Clara is Momo's favorite too. But she doesn't mind, not when Mina is smiling at her like she is the most important person in the entire universe.

Still, Mina doesn't make any motion to remove the sticker from the page, - somehow sensing Momo's lie - and Momo takes the initiative, which is a rare occurrence, and hands Mina the little piece of paper. However, instead of taking it, Mina just gives Momo her notebook, and the girl sticks the little figure on its cover.
They are really close to each other, and Mina takes that opportunity to steal a kiss from Momo, who responds with wide eyes.
"What was that?" The girl asks when Mina pulls back, a few seconds later.
"You were being cute, I wanted to kiss you." Momo's face has turned beet red and Mina has to purse her lips to avoid smiling. "Sorry..." Mina offers, seeing the look of sheer panic on the other girl.
"It's- it's fine." Great, now I'm back to stuttering. "Just... Uh- ask me... Next time. I don't like surprises." Momo lets out a shaky breath, which makes Mina giggle.
"You're so cute, Momo." The ballerina very carefully places her hand under Momo's chin and turns her face to look at her. "Can I kiss you again?" Her eyes are glinting and her smile is bright, and Momo almost stops breathing for a second, but nods as soon as her brain goes back to working. Mina moves her hand to the back of Momo's neck and pulls her in for a gentle kiss.

Then another. Then another. Then she lingers there, moving her lips against the girl's. Momo sighs, finally processing how to respond to the kiss, and wraps a shaky arm around Mina's waist, accidentally dropping both their notebooks on the floor.
", sorry." She quickly puts her scrapbook back in her backpack and turns to Mina, who's observing her while biting her lower lip.
This girl... She can't possibly be human. The thought crosses her mind as Momo admires the ballerina's heavenly beauty, then scoots closer, wanting to kiss her again.
Their lips melt together in a delicious way, and Momo can feel a tingling between her legs. Not thinking it could get any better, she's surprised by Mina's tongue asking for permission to enter , which Momo quickly allows, nearly with the contact.
Mina is soft and careful, as if she can feel Momo's uneasiness, but she also doesn't hold back her movements, bringing her hand to Momo's hair to tug at the dark locks.
Momo, on the other hand, still seems to be frozen in place, holding Mina's hip like she's afraid of letting go.
"Momo..." Mina mutters in her ear, moving her kisses to Momo's neck. "You can touch me..." She whispers again, gently biting Momo's lobe. "Anywhere you want." The ballerina finishes her sentence by clashing their lips together once again, and Momo is very taken aback by the proposition. She wasn't expecting to go that far, and she wasn't ready either, so Momo does what she does best, and completely freezes in place, causing Mina to pull back and look at her with concerned eyes.

"What is it, Momo?" Mina caresses her cheek, trying to make the girl look at her, but instead, Momo just retreats her hands from the girl's waist and awkwardly rests them on her own lap.
"I- uh... I can't... I- I've never- uh..." Mina's expression softens and she pecks Momo's lips, letting out a small chuckle. Momo looks at her worriedly, clenching and unclenching her hands, and Mina takes them in hers, kissing the knuckles.
"Hey, we won't do anything you don't want to, okay? I didn't mean that when I said you can touch me, I just meant... That you can move your hands around. You know, my back, my neck, my hair, my s even, if you want to." Momo's visible gulp makes Mina giggle. "But don't panic, take your time." She kisses the girl's hand again, and watches as Momo nods slowly, still a bit unsure.
"I'd never... Kissed anyone before. I'm sorry." Momo confesses, and Mina scoots closer, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, and placing a reassuring kiss on the girl's cheek.
"I don't mind. And for what it's worth, you're an excellent kisser." Mina's compliment makes Momo grin, and she turns her face to look at the ballerina.
"Thank you. I'm really nervous." She says and Mina smiles, kissing her lips again.
"You've got nothing to worry about. Here, let me guide you." Mina still has Momo's hands in hers, and starts to move them as they resume kissing. First, she inquires the girl to grip her waist a little tighter, instead of just leaving it there; then, Mina carefully brings the girl's hands up her body, resting them on her neck; after that, mimicking what had been done to her, Momo caresses Mina's hair, tugging it a little, and enjoys the sigh that escapes the girl's mouth.
Soon, Momo seems to have loosen up, and moves her hands to Mina's tie, pulling her closer.
"See? You're already great-"

Momo's phone buzzes, startling them both.
"Crap, I gotta run." She says, reading Nayeon's name on the screen and getting up. "My friend is waiting for me." Mina nods, a tad bit disappointed, and gets up as well. "But this was... Wow." Momo exhales with a grin on her face, and throws her backpack over her shoulders, gripping the straps like she normally does. Mina walks up to her and cups her face, kissing her gently one last time.
"Thanks for the sticker." She smiles, biting her lip, and Momo nods.
"Well, thanks for the... Kissing." They chuckle and Momo turns around to leave, her heart full of happiness.
"Momo, wait."

It's like one of those movie scenes, where the loving couple can't seem to say goodbye, and Momo turns around expectantly, finding it odd that Mina has an uneasy look on her face now.
"Is it okay if we keep this a secret?" Mina grabs her hands, but Momo heart drops nevertheless.

Of course it would be like this. Of course the popular girl wouldn't want the whole school to know she's kissing the lame nerd. Of ing course.

Momo's expression must have been very upsetting, because soon Mina tries to be reassuring again.
"It's just cause... My friends, they talk a lot. The whole school would know before we even left the building, and... I don't want people spreading mean rumors about you... About us." She places a hand on Momo's cheek, caressing it with her thumb, and Momo just nods, trying her best not to look as upset as she's feeling.
"It's- It's okay, I... Understand. You have a reputation to maintain and-" Momo's phone buzzes again. "I really gotta go now. See you around."
Momo practically runs away from Mina, who's feeling absolutely awful.
"You're such a ing coward, Myoui." She mutters to herself and gathers her stuff to leave.

-

The following week, Momo is once again surprised by Mina's presence on her usual bench, for she'd figured whatever happened between them had just been a one time thing, since they didn't see each other again for the rest of the week.
"Hey." Mina greets, with the same bright smile on her face.
"Hi." Momo mutters, fixing her glasses, not looking at the girl.
"Sorry for last week... And for disappearing on you until today." Mina lets out a dry chuckle.
"It's fine, I get it." Momo still won't look at her, and she sighs.
"Can I maybe... Make it up to you?" The ballerina offers, and internally high-fives herself when Momo finally faces her.
"How?" Momo chuckles a bit weakly as well, watching Mina open her bag and retreat a small stack of stickers.
"Here. For your collection." She hands them while biting her lower lip - Momo is starting to notice that Mina does that a lot - and the other girl takes the gift with a small bow and smile.
"Thank you. You didn't have to." Momo secures the new stack on her backpack and looks down at her hands.
"But I wanted to." Mina states, then grabs her hand. "Do you want to go to the roof? To talk, maybe get to know each other a little better?" Upon those pleading eyes, Momo finds it impossible to say no. Yes, the girl has some issues to resolve, but that doesn't mean they can't get to know one another.
Momo does want to get to know Mina.
"Okay."

Just like the week before, Mina leads them to the roof and the two find a place in the same bench they had sat then.
This time, Momo is the one to get a flower and place it on Mina's hair, blushing, and Mina finds it the most adorable thing she's ever seen.
"So, for how long have you been collecting stickers?" She asks, as if to divert her mind from wandering.
"Years. Maybe ten? I've done it since I was little." Momo speaks softly, still looking down.
"Really?" She turns to Mina and nods. "Why, though?" There's a pause where Momo ponders whether or not to be more open to Mina, and figures what the hell, she's already on the roof with her anyway.
"My grandma used to travel a lot, and she'd always come back with a bunch of stickers and stamps... And chocolate, too, but I prefer eating them than collecting." Mina chuckles at Momo's joke, watching attentively the girl unwind. "So that's how it started... Then she died and I just felt like continuing the tradition." Momo shrugs, and Mina squeezes her knee sympathetically. "Now you go."
"Huh?" Mina quirks her eyebrow.
"Tell me something about you. Something interesting." Momo inquires, bumping shoulders with the girl.
"Oh, okay, let me think... Well, when I was little, I used to sneak out to my brother's room at night to play videogames with him. We'd spend hours and hours on Mario Kart, and he'd always take the blame whenever our parents would catch us, saying I was influenced by him or whatever... I really miss him." Mina rests her head on Momo's shoulder as she speaks.
"Oh, is he... Is he dead too?" Momo asks, taking Mina's hand awkwardly.
"No, no, he just moved out." Mina giggles and turns her head to Momo, realizing they're a breath away from each other. She gulps. "Can I tell you something else?" Mina's gaze travel from Momo's eyes to her lips, then back to her eyes.
"Yeah." Their voices are suddenly very quiet.
"I really, really wanna kiss you right now." Mina smirks, biting her lips, and Momo swallows.
"O- okay." Momo nods.
"I would've done it without asking, but I didn't want to take you by surprise." Mina whispers before closing the distance between their lips, making Momo smile.

She remembered that I hate surprises. Her heart flutters at the thought, and pulls Mina closer by the waist. Momo then realizes her backpack is still on her, and breaks the kiss for just a second to take it off.
"It's- it's heavy." She mutters with a shy smile and Mina cups her face, resuming the kiss with a giggle.
Momo is still taken aback by this situation, and even though she is kissing Mina, there's something holding her back - probably fear. Soon, somehow feeling the girl's insecurity, Mina pulls back, looking into her eyes.
"Relax, Momo, I'm not going to hurt you." She caresses Momo's cheek, who leans in on the touch and closes her eyes, and when she opens them again, Mina is still there, staring and smiling, and that's enough to ease her worries.

We're just kissing. It's fine. Momo thinks, joining their lips again.

We barely even know each other. Everything is okay. Another thought comes as she holds Mina, running her hands up and down the ballerina's body.

She's not going to hurt me. It's all good. This and several other similar thoughts flash through her brain as she focus on the girl right in front of her and tries to shut down something else inside of her mind.

"Is it okay if we keep this a secret?"

-

Their little encounters become a frequent thing. Every Tuesday, they meet up and go to the roof. It's not always just for kissing, sometimes they talk too, and Momo likes it.
She likes it when Mina brings her stickers, she likes it when Mina kisses her neck, she likes it when they spend the whole time discussing Doctor Who episodes, and she also likes it when all they do is make out.
It scares Momo, because she soon realizes that she likes Mina. More than all of the things they do combined - including that one time Momo had the courage to touch Mina's s and the girl moaned softly in her ear.
It also scares her that their thing - whatever it is - is still a secret, and that they barely even acknowledge each other's presence outside this 'roof bubble'.

There was one time they accidentally bumped into each other in the school corridor and Mina chuckled awkwardly.
"Oh, hey, Momo." She said, earning an intrigued frown her friend.
"You know her?"
"Yeah, we take calc together! She actually helps me out a lot, right, Momo?" Mina asked, biting her lips, and Momo only nodded in response, unable to form coherent thoughts in her mind.

It wasn't technically a lie, since they did share that class together, but the helping out part... That was a bit of a stretch.

Another thing that bothers Momo is that she can't talk to Nayeon, and her best friend has asked her about it a few times.
"Why don't you wait for me on that bench anymore? Where do you stay anyway?" Nayeon inquired, on their usual path back home.
"I- uh... I go to the roof now, it's quieter, and no one disturbs me... Did you know there's a garden up there? Just like the one from High School Musical?" Momo ranted a little, hoping to change the subject soon.
"Yeah, I did know that... But I also know that the garden is famous for being a make out spot for couples..." Momo almost tripped with Nayeon's information, and cleared , adjusting her glasses on her face.
"Wh- what? I've never even seen anyone else up there! Just, uhm, a bunch of flowers and... Bugs, sometimes." The grip on the straps of her backpack was tight, and Momo's knuckles turned white, but Nayeon just shrugged, apparently letting it go.
Relieved that the topic seemed to be off their conversation, Momo sighed, only to catch her breath again when Nayeon continued.
"Wait, don't you hate bugs?" Momo felt cornered by the question, and for a brief second thought about coming clean to Nayeon, but then she remembered Mina's pleading eyes.
"I, uh... I do. But they don't... Bother me. There aren't many." She tried, praying to God that Nayeon would buy it. Then, Momo exhaled slowly again when her friend just hummed, and took the opportunity to change subjects. "I got new Doctor Who stickers!" And that was enough to have them safely talking about TV shows until they reached home.

However, that isn't enough to get the intriguing feeling out of Nayeon, that's why instead of calling Momo like she usually does, the girl decides to go after her on the roof.
She carefully climbs the last sets of stairs and opens the door, peeking. Nayeon's heart jumps out of her chest when she finds her best friend making out with-
"Myoui Mina?" She's in complete shock, and ponders getting in a busting the two of them, but silently watches as Momo pulls back to look at the popular girl.

"What is it, Momo?" Mina asks, caressing the girl's cheek like she always does.
"It's just... I've been lying to my best friend for over a month now..." Momo hesitates, taking a deep breath. "And I... I know you have your reasons to want to keep this a secret but... Nayeon won't tell the whole school about us, she's a good person, besides..."

Oh, so Mina doesn't want the school to know about them... Poor Momo. Nayeon's anger for discovering that her best friend has a secret girlfriend suddenly dissolves.

"Besides, who would she tell anyway? We're each other's only friends, honestly." Momo chuckles lightly and looks down.
"Okay." Mina says.
"What?" Momo looks back at her, eyes widening.
"You can tell your friend." Mina pecks her on the cheek. "But just-"
"Yeah, yeah, don't tell anyone else. I know." Momo finishes the sentence like she's known it for too long, and the sight makes Nayeon's heart drop.
"I'm just trying to protect you, you know how the school is..." Mina tries, fixing Momo's glasses for her.
"I... Yeah, I know." Even though she's gotten somewhat used to this, and she prefers meeting Mina in secret than not meeting her at all, Momo still can't shake the insecurity washing over her heart.

-

"So, how was the roof today?" Nayeon asks, noticing how Momo suddenly stiffens.
"It was... Okay, I guess. Nothing new... Though the camellias are starting to blossom." Momo replies, as nonchalantly as she can.
"Camellias? Which ones are those?" Nayeon feigns interest, hoping that Momo will open up soon.
"They're pink-ish, sort of... Kinda look like roses but less of a cliche?" Momo bites her lips, - she doesn't know much about flowers, so she repeats exactly what Mina told her - and Nayeon nods. "Hey, uhm... Can I tell you something?" Her nervousness is clear, so Nayeon bumps their shoulders together to try and lighten up the mood.
"Yeah, anything."
"I... Do you know Myoui Mina? I mean, of course you do, she's like one of the most popular girls in scho-"
"Yes, I know who she is. The ballerina, right?" The older girl interrupts, once she realizes Momo is stalling.
"So, uh... I've been... We've been kinda... Seeing each other, sort of?"
"What do you mean, sort of?" Nayeon asks, even though she knows about their arrangement.
"We've been... Kissing. A lot. And talking too... I'm sorry I didn't say anything earlier, Mina's kinda secretive about this whole thing." Momo says the last sentence a little less excited, so Nayeon grabs one of her hands and holds it firmly.
"It's okay. I mean, I wish you would've told me sooner, but... As long as you're happy." Nayeon squeezes Momo's hand, casting her a warm smile.
Momo is relieved, she was expecting Nayeon to be more upset about her secret, but she's glad her friend is okay with it.
"So... Tell me everything!"

-

Another month or so passes by with Mina and Momo meeting religiously every Tuesday on the roof, each time getting to know a little more about the other's heart and body.

One day, however, after much deliberation, Momo finally gathers all the courage she's got to question Mina about something that's been bugging her ever since they started kissing.
"Hey, Mina?" Momo asks, while Mina is logging in on her Netflix account to add Momo's most recent indication to her queue.
"Hmm?" She barely looks up, missing how Momo is gulping nervously, doing her signature glass-fixing move.
"Do I... Embarrass you?" Momo's question comes out small and concerned, and Mina quickly turns her gaze to the girl, with a surprise frown.
"What? Of course not! Why would-" And then she connects the pieces, understanding why Momo is so worried. "Oh..." Her eyes widen a bit and she observes Momo's hurtful expression. "Oh, my God, I'm so sorry, Momo. I never meant to make you feel this way, of course..." Mina pauses, lifting Momo's chin so she'll look at her. "Of course you don't embarrass me." Her voice is soft and serious, but Momo is still not convinced.
"Then why... Then why are we still a secret?" Momo lets out with a shaky breath, feeling the tears well up in her eyes.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Momo... I was stupid and- and a coward..." Mina kisses Momo's knuckles, like she always does to reassure the girl, but this time Momo stiffens at the touch.

"Stop." It's hard to talk with the lump in , but Momo manages to let it out. "You always apologize and say nice things and... Kisses me, but... I can't do this anymore, Mina. It hurts me." She confesses through trembling lips and Mina watches, wanting nothing more than to take those lips in hers, to kiss it better.
For the first time, Momo doesn't look away, even though that's all she wants to do, and waits. For what, she doesn't know, maybe rejection?
"Okay." Mina breathes out, and Momo's heart constricts.
"Okay what? We're done?" Those words fall off Momo's lips so easily that it hurts for Mina to think that maybe she's been rehearsing this line for a while now, waiting for Mina to dump her.
"What? No! Momo, I..." There's something else Mina wants to say. "I like you a lot." But that's what comes out. "And I won't hide it anymore."
"What are you saying?" Momo's eyes light up with something new, maybe hope.
"What I'm saying is... Will you be my girlfriend? And not my secret girlfriend, but my girlfriend with whom I'll walk holding hands, and go on dates outside of this roof and... Will be very proud to show off to the world, no matter what everyone thinks or says." Mina bites her lips, expectantly, and sighs in relief when Momo smiles at her and nods.
"Alright." Mina widens her eyes, smiling.
"Really?" Her heart is pounding off her chest.
"Yes. But no secrets this time, okay?" Mina just nods eagerly and unconsciously gets really closer to Momo’s face, stopping at the last minute.
"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" She whispers, and Momo chuckles, nodding.
Mina happily kisses her now girlfriend, loving all the things her heart is doing.
"You know..." Momo mutters, between kisses. "Now that we're... Girlfriends, you don't have to... ask me for kisses anymore." She stops and eyes Mina, who has the biggest smile she's ever seen plastered on her face. "I mean, it'd be a surprise if you didn't kiss me now." They chuckle and Mina nods, kissing Momo again.

-

The next day, Mina is nervously waiting for Momo on the school's entrance. She'd gotten there earlier than usual to make sure not to miss her girlfriend’s arrival.
Spotting a familiar face holding firmly to the straps of her backpack, her heart races and Mina waves, still a bit distant. Momo waves back, smiling at the surprise, and walks towards her girlfriend.
"Hey." Momo finally gets close enough and Mina kisses her, earning a few confused looks from other students passing by.
"Hi." Mina grabs the girl's hand and intertwines their fingers.
"What are you doing?" Momo asks, mostly out of curiosity.
"Taking my girlfriend to class." Mina replies, kissing her cheek, then starts walking, pulling the dumbstruck girl with her, like she always does.