"On the outside I look strong, but my heart is like paper."

They’ve been waiting for their friends for a while now, still not a single one of them in sight. The sun was high, because it was around lunch time, and they barely found a little shadow spot behind a three. Also, they only brought some pencils and soda. Mina could have prepared something, if only she knew that her friends would take so long to arrive. She will never listen when Dahyun says again “You don’t need to cook this time unnie, let the food with us”. She shouldn’t have trusted the eagle since the start.

“I hate when people get late.” She scoffed, letting a heavy sigh out of just after it.

“I know. I’m usually the one who gets late for everything.” Nayeon laughs, one of the few bad habits she couldn’t get rid of. She was trying, though, but this time she arrived early only because she spend her morning with Mina anyway.

The night too, it was some sort of their weekly routine, sleepovers at every friday so they could enjoy more time together on the weekend. Mina was known for liking the loneliness, but when it comes to Nayeon things were slightly different. They got close pretty fast, unusual thing for Mina, and they can’t even remember how it all started. Because it felt like they were always together, since the very start, that’s why she couldn’t even think about being alone when she was able to share her time with Nayeon.

“Chaeyoung asked me to bring her pencils, if at least I could have brought my sketchbook too I could be drawing.”

“You can use my arm, if you want.”

“Really?”

“Why not? My cellphone’s battery is almost dead anyway. Is not like I can keep on playing.”

“Thank you.” Nayeon had this huge bright smile that never failed to make Mina’s heart flutter, she wondered if the korean was aware of it.

They were both smart, it was no secret, and as everyone kept asking “Are you guys sisters?”, or “Are you guys a thing?” they pretty much understood the path in front of them. Mina could also feel, that the first step would have to be made by her. Nayeon could never. They weren’t used to flirt, though, everything was slow but, mostly, steady. Two new students in the class, they become friends, then best friends and more than that eventually. Sometimes they fear, they doubt, that’s only natural, but all the worries are taken away by a sudden breeze whenever they were together.

Mina could only feel the cold paint running on her arm after while, because she was too lost on her own thoughts. Her eyes never left Nayeon’s feature, maybe the older was used to that already. Meanwhile, her arm was being covered with tiny hearts, flowers, stars, rabbits, puppies, penguins, sharks and other things she could comprehend. Nayeon wasn’t the best at drawing anything, but Mina found it cute how she was trying her best.

“Oh…”

“What?”

“I- I- may have used the wrong pen.” Nayeon took a deep breath before continuing, fearing Mina’s reaction. Not that she had ever seen the japanese mad at her. “I hope you don’t mind permanent stuff…”

Mina laughs and her beautiful gummy smile shows, letting a confused Nayeon pondering if she should start to run now or try to apologise.

“If it’s you… I don’t really mind.”

Nayeon couldn’t answer, their friends finally arrived and everything became noisy. But their forced silence spoke, too, as they kept stealing shy glances at each other. Mina covered the “tattoo” on her arm, she wasn’t ashamed of it, she just didn’t wanted to share with everyone else. Just like it was a special gift from Nayeon, something supposed to be only hers. Her love for long sleeved T-shirts finally having a use, in this sort of hot day. Not that it was hot enough for her to sweat or be that uncomfortable, she could still enjoy the weather.

Skinship was not a word in Mina’s vocabulary, but something that Nayeon was teaching her to enjoy. The korean laid her head on top of the japanese right shoulder, when she was done eating. Mina held the hand resting on top of her leg and kissed, her friends not paying attention and Nayeon not noticing, the top of the head resting on her shoulder at least twice. If colors had any scent, Mina would say that Nayeon hair scent was a pure beautiful rainbow, but it was mostly like wild roses and a mix of still unknown flowers. Mina wanted to figure them all, one by one, she wanted to see all of Nayeon’s flowers blossoming.

The japanese had a question around her mind and her friends were tired enough for her to ask, without giving any unnecessary attention to their direction.

“Nayeon?” Her voice was almost a whisper, only for her best friend to hear.

“Yes?”

“If I tell you that my heart is made of paper, will you paint him too?”

Silence again, this time because Nayeon was not good at expressing her feelings.

She leaned closer though, held her fingers tighter and left a quick wet peck on her cheek.

The feeling was warm and cozy, as the japanese could feel her heart, little by little, being filled with many colors.