“Jenny was dangerously pissed.”

 

Irene huffs and puffs when walked up on Sana after linking their arms together, eyes looking everywhere as if hoping to see what she wanted to find. Sana followed looking around out of reflex.

 

“I never thought she could hate someone as much, and I know her for so long. It’s good you didn’t come last night, it was a freaking nightmare.”

 

“What? What happen? Is she okay?”

 

“Wait I think you know her.” Irene stops walking and pushed Sana to the corner of the hall. “That girl, I know you know her. She lives in the neighborhood Jackson lived in.”

 

“Wait what are you… Oh…”

 

Jackson lives in a rich neighborhood near the town, it was not that far from campus but students from that hood somehow don’t lives in the campus dorm. Sana knew some people who lives there, like Nayeon, and Tzuyu a girl who helped her once in her statistics class, and there is one particular girl she knows who live there, Mina. She lives alone in a very big house with some of her maid, her parents live in Japan since mina chose to study abroad.

 

“That girl, what’s her name? This guy Jae, the one Jenny been crushing on, turns out he likes that girl and Jenny just lost it last night. That girl invited Jae to her house.”

 

“What, Mina? Why?”

 

“Yes, it was Mina! I knew you know her.”

 

“Wait why does Mina invited Jae to her house? She doesn’t know Jae.”

 

“Yea sure,” Irene scoffed. “Pretty freakin’ friendly that’s what they are. Why do you think Jenny was so pissed?”

 

Sana can’t put Mina and Jae in the same picture, let alone knowing that they are friendly towards each other. Mina doesn’t know Jae, Mina can’t possibly know Jae thus she won’t invite him inside her house. Sana knows how awkward Mina is around new people, and she was sure Jae was the last person on earth Mina wants to be close with.

 

“She can’t be close with him. Jae is an .”

 

“Let’s just not let Jenny hear that.”

 

Irene doesn’t understand. Jae is an actual and there is nothing in the world scared her the most when she played a short movie in her head that Mina let’s Jae get into her house so late at night. As long as she knows, Mina don’t hang around people like Jae, like her, she does not hand around people who has whatever reputation at campus. Mina seeks tranquility in her life, Jae is obviously not.

 

“..…gotta find her, right? Sana? Are you there?”

 

“Sorry. I… have to go. See you later, Irene.”

 

Sana ran as fast as she can, ignoring Irene calling her name asking where she is going. She needs to know what happen last night, she noticed Mina didn’t attend her morning class and she wonder if it has anything to do with Jae came to her house last night. Sana grabbed her car key from her bag and tosses it to the passenger seat, ignite the engine and drove off to one certain neighborhood.

 

She saw Jae’s black truck parked right outside Mina’s house, and park her car right behind it. She doesn’t even bother grabbing her stuff once she got out from her car and ring the bell outside the gate. When the gate opened, Sana ran towards the door and banged it three times, pacing right outside it while once in a while glancing through the window before she banged the door again.

 

One of the maid opened the door and she rushed in hastily only to find Jae coming down the stairs, Mina’s room was on the second floor. Sana narrowed her eyes, she felt her heart drop at the image she played on her head. Sana feels sick.

 

“Oh, Sana? What are you doing here?”

 

“What are you doing, Jae?” Sana Shoots. “You’re not supposed to be here.”

 

“Wow chill,” despite her anger, Jae chuckles his easy chuckle. Plopped on the sofa and the TV like he used to it. “How are you, Sana? Jenny sends you to scare me?”

 

“Jenny has nothing to do with it. Why are you here?”

 

“Mina wants me here.”

 

The grin on Jae’s face when he turned to look at her really ticked off something in Sana and she suddenly can’t see clearly. Is he Mina’s boyfriend? Played repeatedly in her head she can’t make out her next word, something in her chest is chocking her and Sana feels like she needs some oxygen tank to help her breath properly.

 

Jae stood up and grabbed his car key from the table and walked towards Sana without bother to answer her burning question. He waves Sana goodbye and closes the door behind him, leaving Sana standing alone in Mina’s living room, fuming and burning.

 

“Sana?”

 

Mina was standing on the stair, hair messy and her face pale. The girl has one hand holding her robe while the other one the stair handle. Sana gulped, still fuming but more nervous. It’s been awhile since she saw Mina, it was actually the first time in at least two years since her last visit to Mina’s house. Nayeon was behind her, holding Mina’s arm and also looking at Sana worriedly, her eyes saying something Sana can’t understand.

 

Nayeon is here, so Mina was not just alone with Jae last night. Of course Nayeon is here, she lives two houses apart from Mina and by the look of it, Nayeon always know what is up with Mina. Did Momo knew about this, did Nayeon tell her? Why does Momo didn’t say anything to her, anyway?

 

“Sana,” it was Nayeon this time. “Do you… need something?”

 

Instead of answering Nayeon, she averted her gaze to Mina. Her heart sinks when the girl looks away and walked past through her. Sana watch her back as she poured her glass with water. Gulping down the lump in , Sana straightened her posture.

 

“A-are you okay? Did something happen last night?”

 

Mina didn’t answer, Nayeon touched her shoulder behind her.

 

“Mina…”

 

“Nothing happened,” Was coming as cold as winter and Sana flinch. “Why are you here, Sana unnie?”

 

Sana Unnie,

 

Sana feels a sudden pang, Mina always calls her by her name and hearing the girl called her that make her feels like a stranger who doesn’t belong. Nayeon grasped her hand, reassuring her, and then stepped up as if saying ‘let me’ then nodded her head towards Sana, signaling her to wait outside. Sana did what she was told to do, she hates herself by coming to this house at some point.

*

“Mina-ya…”

 

“What is she doing here, unnie? What is she doing?”

 

“Mina-ya, calm down.”

 

Nayeon hold Mina’s hand that gripping her glass a fist too strong. She circled her arm around the girl’s frame and put the glass away from her reach. Mina wasn’t feeling well since last night and Nayeon had to call Jae for help to get her to the hospital since she known him close enough to make sure he won’t play his playboy game on them. She understood Sana’s concern, and know exactly why she came, Mina just happen to ignore her surroundings and end up having no clue about what happen.

 

“She is worried, can’t you tell?”

 

“I’m fine, she doesn’t have to come. Is she gone?”

 

“Hey don’t be like that, you know how she is, especially around people she cared about.”

 

Mina closes her eyes, leaning on the kitchen island. Nayeon cupped her face, sighing, and then pulled herself closer, hugging the girl. She Mina’s hair gently then feel the younger girl leaning on her touch, Mina buried her face in Nayeon’s neck.

 

“She loves you, Mina-ya.”

 

“…….I know.”

 

“Then what with the anger?”

 

“Because every time I see her, it reminds me of the look on her face that day.”

 

“Did she angry with you?”

 

“No, she would never.”

 

“Then?”

 

“Broken. She was really broken, Nayeon.”

 

“Mina…”

 

“I don’t think I can ever look at her without having that image in my head.”

 

“Then change it.”

 

Mina jumped in Nayeon’s arm by the soft voice. She looks up and see Sana standing right behind Nayeon – in front of her – looking anywhere but her. She has her arms crossed in her chest, eyes glossy. Nayeon lets go of her hold on Mina and patted the girl’s head before she walked out the door and closes it behind her.

 

“If you hate how I looked that day then why won’t you change it?”

 

Sana wiped at her eyes harshly, frustrated. She looks at Mina without getting any closer but the other girl looks away as soon as Sana’s eyes catches hers. Sana laughed a strained laughed.

 

“Maybe it was a lie, whatever it was you told Nayeon. It was a lie. You hate me, don’t you?”

 

“No…” was came in really soft Sana would miss if her instinct was not all sensitive right now.

 

“Then why? You never picked up my calls, you never read my messages, you ignore me and then you avoid me at campus.”

 

Sana tried to close some distances between her and Mina but then the girl flinch. Sana stops from moving, she looks down the floor because feels like closing up and her breathing was irregular.

 

“I was worried,” She said, voice trembling. “when Irene said she saw you invited Jae last night. I know you don’t know him but she was certain it was you and she said Jae was inside for so long he never came out. I think it was Nayeon she saw opening the door.”

 

Nothing was said after a while, only Sana’s soft sob. She wiped her eyes again, biting her lips before she feels Mina’s hand sliding up her own. Sana closes her eyes then, resting her head on Mina’s shoulder and then wrapped her free hand on Mina’s waist.

 

“I was worried.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Mina kisses the side of Sana’s head and have the girl melted by the gesture. Sana lets go of Mina’s hand and has both arms around Mina’s waist.

 

“I was sick, so Nayeon unnie called him and had him drove us to the hospital.”

 

“What are you okay?”

 

Mina watches as Sana pulled away from the hug with big rounded eyes of hers, those exact eyes checking on Mina’s features as if she might has just lost something.

 

“Why are you smiling?” She ask.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You’re smiling just now.”

 

“I did not?”

 

“Was that supposed to be an answer or a question?”

 

Mina looked at her weird, having no idea what the girl was talking about before Sana broke into a laugh. Sometimes Mina doesn’t get what’s in Sana’s head, but she laughs along anyway. They only stop when Mina coughed and Sana has to take covers from what Nayeon been doing the whole night.