Osaka, Japan

April 2, 2021

 

“Don’t cry Mina, don’t cry, he promised to send you flowers”

 

“Breathe in, breathe out, in……out”

 

“Smile Mina, all your friends are here”

 

Mina keep on telling herself that, having her pep talk regaining her composure for her opening. She’s nervous of course, but this time around, it’s mixed with disappointment, anger, confused and many more that could not be comprehend into words.

 

She is mad at the distance between LA & Osaka, mad at her boyfriend for breaking his promise, mad at herself for not accepting his offer to study in Osaka with her, mad at everything that doesn’t seems to be on her side now.

 

“Haih….” Mina let out a sigh, looking down on the floor resisting to let her tears fall, not wanting to ruin her makeup.

 

“Knock Knock”

 

A knock on the door interrupted Mina’s thought and she looked up, to find the backstage crew calling her to get ready for her performance with the others.

 

“Okay, this is it” Mina told herself, inhaling a huge deep breath, looking at her lockscreen of Jeongyeon’s childhood picture, tracing her finger on it and let out a small smile, making her move to follow the crew afterwards.

 

“Mina !!!! You did well there !!! I’m so proud of you !!!!!” Jihyo exclaimed, when she met Mina outside after finishing her performance, hugging her and patting her back to give her comfort.

 

She had change into casual attire, wearing soft camel, lightweight trench coat from H&M which she left it untie, with UCLA black hoodie underneath and black leggings, paired with white sneakers. She’s wearing the hoodie that her boyfriend gave her when they met last summer, as if he is here today, together with her giving his support. She already removed her stage makeup into her usual natural look, and fixed her hair few times.

 

“Thank you Jihyo !!! Thank you for coming all the way from Seoul too !!” Mina replied, hugging her back.

 

“Aww no biggies Mina, you know we’ll do anything for our friends right ?” Jihyo said, breaking the hug and smiled at her afterwards.

 

“Where are the others by the way ?” Mina asked, when she noticed Jihyo is alone waiting for her at the auditorium.

 

“Ah…they are outside since the boys keep on making noises, you know how loud they are right ?” Jihyo remarked, putting one hand on her forehead, shaking her head multiple times with the boys antics.

 

Mina laughed hearing that, sad that her boyfriend could not join meeting his brothers, but what’s more, disheartened that they are not able to celebrate their anniversary together. Mina sighed, not wanting to get carried away with her sadness, trying her very best to cheer herself up and not to let others get sad seeing her condition too.

 

“Jihyo, who’s that guy talking with Momo ?” Mina asked, when they are outside of the auditorium, and saw her group of her friends huddling around one another, laughing at the jokes they cracked.

 

Mina noticed everyone's presence on the circle, but this person is backfacing her, Mina is sure that person is a he, since he’s tall, having broad shoulder, and seems close to Momo too since them both are engrossed in their conversation and even at times Momo smacked the guy’s head.

 

Why does his back seems very familiar to me ? Mina thought to herself.

 

“Wow Jihyo, his girlfriend must be so lucky, look at the huge bouquet he’s carrying with him” Mina said, when she saw the guy holding a huge bouquet of roses over his head with his left hand, probably the one with 100 roses since it’s enormous in size.

 

Jihyo smiled to herself hearing Mina said those words, completely clueless that the guy is her boyfriend, since they all planned to surprise Mina secretly with his presence, resisting the urge of breaking the surprise for her.

 

You are the lucky girl, Mina yah. Jihyo mumbled to herself.

 

When Youngji saw that Jihyo and Mina are approaching them, the girls turned their attention towards them with Sana and Nayeon waving frantically at them, and Mina smiled while waving them back.

 

Momo patted the unknown guy’s shoulder, tapping for his attention and when he turned around, making Mina stopped dead in tracks, putting one hand on .

 

He can’t be…Mina mutters under her breath.

 

When he widened his arms, ready to welcome Mina into his embrace, Mina instantly recognized the accessory on his right wrist.

 

The lucky charm bracelet.

 

Big smiles plastered on his face that’s full with beard now, but Mina still feels the warm radiate from his eyes, even when he’s quite far from where Mina and Jihyo are, waving his left hand while holding the bouquet, and he’s taking a huge deep breath.

 

“Mina, that’s Jeongye…..” Jihyo couldn’t continue her words, smiling from ear to ear when she saw Mina is already running towards him, not even bothering to say a word to Jihyo, not that she minds anyway.

 

“Oh my goodness” Jeongyeon said, pushed back a little when Mina bumped her head on his chest, hugging his waist tightly, not believing that he is in front of her.

 

“You..you..said…you…couldn’t come” Mina said in between her sobs, hugging his waist tighter with Jeongyeon wrapping his arms around her shoulder, rubbing his right hand up and down her back to calm her down, with his left hand on her petite waist since he’s holding the huge bouquet with his left hand.

 

“Shh shh why are you crying ? Aren’t you supposed to be happy that I’m here ? Shh shh don’t cry” Jeongyeon hushed her, kissing her crown multiple times and laughed a little seeing his girlfriend’s wreck state.

 

Mina didn’t respond to his words, but hugged him even tighter like someone will pull him away from her, tears keep on falling down her cheeks, with the others smiling seeing this long distance couple reunion.

 

“Geez long distance ” Jackson said, with Youngji smacking his head, putting her index finger on , asking him not to break the sweet moment.

 

“Hi” Jeongyeon greeted, when Mina pulled herself from the embrace, wanting to get a full look of her boyfriend new look, with Jeongyeon wiping her tears with his thumb, smiling at her.

 

“Oh here, it’s for you. I said I’ll send flowers remember ?” he said, grinning from ear to ear, handing Mina the large bouquet he has been holding from just now, reading out the wish on its card,

                                                                 You’re the yang to my yin, happy anniversary bunbun~

                                                                                     

                                                                                   Love,

                                                                                     YJY

 

Mina widened her arms asking for another hug, tears forming on her pool of eyes when he did not break his promise to her, hugging him as tight as she could.

 

“Aww….” The girls cooed, tears are forming on their pool of eyes too witnessing them both meeting after so long, with the guys smiling proudly at Jeongyeon.

 

“Happy anniversary baby, I love you” Jeongyeon said, hugging her petite small frame, kissing her temple embedding his affection and love.

 

Mina’s tears rolled down her cheeks again hearing he uttered those three words, releasing herself from his hold, punching him multiple times on his chest though he’s a buff guy.

 

“Why…why…did you lie ? I hate you” Mina said in between her sobs, wiping her tears away with her right thumb, still in a state of shock that her boyfriend is right front of her eyes, admiring the huge bouquet in her left hand with her soggy eyes.

 

“Awwww that’s so sad, I came all the way from LA to surprise my girlfriend, only to have her hating me” Jeongyeon replied with a pouty face and puffing his cheeks out, making Mina laughed a little.

 

“Happy anniversary baby, I love you too” Mina said, tiptoing to give him a kiss on his cheek and pulled him into another embrace.

 

“You know, I’m actually quite surprised Mina could recognize her boyfriend in such state. Girls really have eagle eyes aren’t they ?” Momo remarked, when he saw Mina and Jeongyeon already released their hold of each other, linking their hands together afterwards.

 

Mina chuckled hearing his statement, looking up and down to examine her boyfriend. He has his hair tied up into low man bun, his face is covered with full beard all over his jaw and upper lip, wearing a long outer black coat since today’s weather is a bit cold. Underneath it, he put on classic black suit and black pants with white shirt that were wet a little from Mina’s tears, wearing a dark red tie and paired with black oxford shoes.

 

“How do I look ?” Jeongyeon asked, when Mina was gazing intently at him, and not blinking her eyes for whole 1 minute.

 

“HORRIBLE” Jihyo replied, making everyone laughed hearing that with Jeongyeon rolled his eyes at her.

 

“I got so annoyed when Momo having what no shave November I think ?” Nayeon huffed, with Momo chuckled when his girlfriend venting her annoyance of him not shaving for the whole November.

 

“You should have seen her yesterday Mina, he look much more terrible than this I swear to god” Momo added in, laughing when he saw Jeongyeon mouthed ‘screw you’ at him.

 

“You were here since yesterday ?!! Oh my god you should have called me !!!!!!!!” Mina shouted with her voice raised a bar, pinching his arms repeatedly making him winced in pain.

 

“Ow !! Ow !! Stop it !!” he cried out while laughing hearing Mina’s complaint.

 

“If I called you, it wouldn’t be a surprise then” he replied, with Mina glaring at him believing his words that he could not come to watch her opening.

 

“SURPRISE !!!!!!!!” Everyone shouted in unison, making Mina laughed a little, and punched her boyfriend’s chest lightly for lying at her.

 

“Dude, this is like what, second time we have Mina fall into our trap, whoa this is an achievement ladies and gentlemen” Dahyun announced, remembering everyone that the Rascals had Mina becoming their victim for the second time.

 

“I know right, HIGH FIVE !!!!!!!” Jeongyeon exclaimed, releasing his hold of Mina and high fived his brothers making the others laughed when they saw 5 of them, back at it again.

 

Mina laughed when she saw that, shaking her head multiple times too not believing that her boyfriend is right in front of her eyes now, and regained her composure.

 

“Baby, let me hold your bag” Jeongyeon offered, when he is done high fiving with his brothers and back to Mina’s side, holding her left hand with the bouquet on her right and offering his left shoulder to hold her bag.

 

“Awww I do miss seeing Yoo Romeo in action” Sana cooed, putting one hand on when she got to witness Jeongyeon being all gentleman to his girlfriend again.

 

Mina smiled hearing Sana’s comment and handed him her bag, it’s not that heavy but this Yoo guy never let Mina hold anything whenever he is around. Mina intertwined their fingers together, and leaned on his arm, missing those muscular arms around her for almost a year of last meeting him, sniffing on the roses he gave her just now.

 

“Shall we move and get our lunch now ? I’m so hungryyyyyyy” Nayeon whined, rubbing on her stomach multiple times and pouting her lips out with everyone nodded in unison.

 

“Dude ! Untie your man bun and let Mina look how horrible her boyfriend is now” Momo exclaimed, when he noticed Jeongyeon still got his hair tied up since they are entering semi formal event for Mina’s opening.

 

Mina stopped walking and let herself enjoy the view of her boyfriend’s new hairstyle, wanting to see by herself how “horrible” Jeongyeon will look like how others claimed he is, waiting patiently for him to remove the hairband.

 

“Heyyy it’s not that bad actually” Sana commented, when she saw Jeongyeon let his hair loose, and fixing his shoulder length hair multiple times.

 

“Yeah right, that was because this morning Jihyo and Nayeon nagged at him to get his hair done, he looked like homeless yesterday when we picked him up at the airport” Momo replied, rolling his eyes when Sana said he looked good with his new hairstyle.

 

“Do you like it ?” Jeongyeon asked, when Mina been staring at him from just now, and not commenting anything about his wavy shoulder length hair.

 

“Your wavy hair seems okay, but this one, is a big no no” she replied, pointing at his beard with their hands that are linked together, showing her disapproval of his full beard.

 

“I like clean shaven better” she added in and laughed a little too loud when Jeongyeon runs her palm all over his beard, sending tingling sensation to her nervous system.

 

“Stop it !!! It’s ticklish !!” Mina exclaimed, letting out a laugh with her gummy pops out and he kissed Mina’s palm after he had done running her palms through his full beard with their friends already making their way to get their lunch together.

 

“Jeong, how come I didn’t notice you inside the auditorium ? I saw Jihyo, Nayeon, Momo and all seat in the same row from the stage, but where were you ?” Mina asked, remembering that she didn’t see her boyfriend sitting with their friends when she was performing.

 

“Hm ? I sat with Chaeng on the second floor since he is smaller in size and less noisier than the others, Chaeng borrowed me his beanie inside so that my blonde hair doesn’t pop out among the crowd”

 

“You did well back there, I’m so proud of you” he added in, kissing Mina’s palm repeatedly making her laugh with his kisses that feel more hairy now, but leaned her head on his shoulder, missing the warmth from his embrace.

 

“You look good with this hairstyle baby, I like your forehead” he said, stopping for a little while to admire his girlfriend’s chin length short hair, with side swoops.

 

“Your forehead is damn wide Myoui, it’s like Megamind” he continued, putting his left hand on her forehead, measuring it with his invicible ruler, and Mina hit his stomach multiple times with their interlinked hands, making him laughed a little.

 

“You know Jeong, you look like Mina’s long lost twin sister with this hairstyle, except that your hair is much longer and you have this on” Jihyo said, turning her body around to say those words and moving her hands around referring to his full beard.

 

“Wow thank YOU Park Jihyo” he replied, rolling his eyes at her and Mina laughed at her comments when she called her boyfriend as her long lost twin sister.

 

“Hello Myeong Jeong Nam” Dahyun said, waving his hands up and down at Jeongyeon, referring Jeongyeon as Mina’s twin with her Kanji name directly translated into Hangul Romanization.

 

“Oh wow dude, even Mina’s name have your Jeong in it, wow, just wow” Dahyun added in, when he noticed this new fact.

 

“We’re soulmates baby” Jeongyeon whispered into her ears, with his deep gentle husky voice, sending shivers down her spine but feel slight ticklish with the contact of his beard on her skin.

 

“You really don’t like it don’t you ?” he asked, smirking when he saw Mina making a disturbed face when he whispered into her ears with his beards come in contact with the skin.

 

Mina shooked her head and swinged their hands occasionally up to the sky, feeling contented that her boyfriend lived up to his promise, her facial muscles are already sore from smiling too much.

 

“Mina yah~I miss you~”

“Jeong I miss you too~”

“Happy anniversary baby, I love you~”

“Aww happy anniversary too baby, I love you more~”

 

Jackson and Momo said to each other, mimicking Jeongyeon’s and Mina’s dramatic reunion, puckering their lips as if they are ready to kiss, the others laughed when they saw them two teasing Mina and Jeongyeon, with Mina let out a small laugh, shaking her head multiple times seeing that.

 

“Mina, can you walk with Jihyo ? I have to settle those two” Jeongyeon said, releasing his hold of Mina, gave a quick kiss on her forehead before making his way to Jackson and Momo who are few steps ahead of them, fixing her bag on his shoulder when the straps fall off his shoulder for walking too fast.

 

PUK !

 

A loud bumping sound was heard when Jeongyeon bumped Jackson’s and Momo’s head together, with them two rubbing their top of head multiple times trying to lessen the pain.

 

“Ouch !!!! It hurts you idiot !!!” Momo shouted, rubbing his head time and time again, trying to gain sympathy from Nayeon only to have her smacking the part where his head got bumped to, showing two thumbs up to him afterwards with Momo grunted in annoyance.

 

“Don’t you ever try to gain sympathy from me Jackson Wang” Youngji said, when she saw Jackson walking towards her, sad look all over his face and hit Jeongyeon’s back for bumping his head with Momo.

 

“Hello there baby ~” Jeongyeon greeted Chaeyoung, making a y seductive voice, with Jackson and Momo beside him, and Dahyun beside Chaeyoung.

 

“No, I’m not” Chaeyoung replied, smiling from ear to ear after he made those statement, hoping that the others will get his clue.

 

“What do you mean you’re not ?” Jackson asked, narrowing his eyes at him.

 

“WAIT” Dahyun shouted, ruffling Chaeyoung’s hair when he finally got what he meant earlier.

 

“DUDEEEEEE” Jeongyeon exclaimed excitedly, high fiving Chaeyoung after processing the info.

 

“Wow Chaeng wow, how did you get Ms Chou Tzu to change her mind ? I thought she said she wanted to wait until you guys are married ?” Momo asked, shocked too when he found out about Chaeyoung lost his ity.

 

“She said since we’re considered adult in Korean age now, so……” Chaeyoung replied, wiggling his eyebrows playfully at them.

 

“Welcome to the club buddy !!!!” Jackson shouted, high fiving all of them afterwards and laughing wholeheartedly among 5 of them.

 

“I’ve been longing to see this view for like almost 2 years plus, it really does feel good seeing them 5 together again” Sana said, admiring the view in front of her, when 6 of the girls walking together in the same line just like the lads.

 

“Mina, do you know today we’re almost late to your opening ?” Nayeon asked, putting a hand on her head recovering from a sudden headache recalling Born Rascals’ naughty antics.

 

“Oh why ?” Mina asked back, surprised that they almost got late to watch her performance.

 

“First we have to wait for your boyfriend to get his hair done” Youngji explained, putting her index finger up.

 

“Second, they got caught up doing something” Tzuyu added in, shooking her head recalling this morning’s incident when Mina is not around because she had to come early in the morning to the auditorium to get her hair and makeup done.

 

“Guess what they are doing when we arrived here ?” Jihyo asked, giving Mina a chance to find out if she has any idea of what another mischevious act the guys had done.

 

“Checking the girls out ?” Mina tried, narrowing her eyes at them when the others let out a huge sigh.

 

Sana side eyed Mina, putting one hand on Mina’s shoulder

 

“Calling the ducks” she answered Jihyo’s question, her shoulders fall down when she let out another huge sigh, putting one hand on her forehead trying to lessen her headache.

 

Mina laughed when she heard Sana’s answer, imagining them 5 calling the ducks at the pond near the entrance of their university, and the girls shouting at them to come faster.

 

Mina’s ideal type : Someone who is playful.

Yoo Jeongyeon : Checked.

 

“Wait till you see your boyfriend playing Ludo on his phone with those idiots, we got chased out by the guard in the auditorium just now because they can’t stop cursing out loud whenever s