Mina took a final moment to look in the mirror before nodding to herself and scratching her nose. She had tried to cover the mole on her nose but it was already showing again, so now she just let it. Didn’t bother covering it up any more.

As soon as she opened the door, the music and talk from the living room hit her eardrums like a wall, deafened by the walls in the cool bathroom. As much as she would’ve liked to stay in the quiet of the bathroom for a while more, she couldn’t very well sneak off too much during a party she herself had suggested.

 

* * *

 

The buzzing of the restaurant faded as the doors closed behind Mina, and she turned to place the last pile of dirty plates by the dishwasher. Felix was there almost immediately, still eager despite almost six months as a kitchen boy now. Mina envied him. She had only been in this job two months and she had already started losing her motivation. Of course, she could just stop, let her parents pay for her well-being and sink back with her Nintendo Switch and play Zelda. But she didn’t want to. She wanted to earn her own living, had never accepted her parents’ money. Letting her dad help get her the apartment in which she was currently living was the biggest thing she had ever let him do.

 

A wince pulled Mina from her thoughts, and she turned to see Dahyun standing by the sink. She had barely gotten the stitches taken out, the scar still pink and irritated, but here she was, back at work.

“You okay?” Mina asked with a frown.

“What? Oh, y-yeah, I’m fine. Just took too big a load with the wrong hand.” Dahyun brushed it off, but Mina heard the crack in her voice.

“Well, be careful. You’re already working so much, you shouldn’t strain yourself like this. Please tell me you’re at least going back for Christmas?” Mina walked closer. Saw how Dahyun took a step back and then how her gaze flickered before she grinned. A mask, Mina knew. Had noticed it a lot lately.

“I’ve got to, I’m gonna help the choir at church.” Dahyun said.

“Oh, that sounds really cool.”

“I used to play backing for them every Christmas but now- well, I’m still going to help out.” Dahyun’s breath caught audibly and she swallowed. Mina wanted to hug her. Knew that Dahyun would never let her.

“And you’re staying until January?” Mina asked. Knew that they should get back out, but Jeongyeon was still on the floor and there weren’t many people, it being Tuesday and almost ten in the evening.

“No, I mean I don’t have work or class - not really any exams to study for - but I don’t feel like staying. My brother wants me to go to meet up with our cousins to celebrate western New Years. But I honestly can’t take all of my parents worrying. They worry way too much when they don’t have to, so I’m just going to come back here. Probably going to tell my brother that I’m spending western New Years with Chaeyoung, he won’t object to that. And I’ll just tell Chaeyoung I’m staying with my parents, that way I don’t bother anyone.” Dahyun seemed to be thinking out loud more than speaking to Mina. Then she obviously realized that she had done just that and looked up, finding Mina’s eyes, a panic in her eyes. She definitely felt like she had said too much.

“So you’ll be spending it alone? New Years?”

“Just the western one, I’m going back for Lunar New Years, of course.” Dahyun said with a carefree shrug.

“Mm…” Mina muttered.

“Don’t worry, Mina.” Dahyun assured her, her bad hand touching Mina’s arm before pulling back too fast. Then she walked away. Disappeared out into the restaurant.

 

Mina looked at her arm where Dahyun had touched. Frowned. Then she too walked across the kitchen, smiling at Felix who was beaming, seemingly having fun filling the tray for the big grey industrial dishwasher. His hips worked playfully and he was following the beat of the music from the restaurant.

“How can you still have energy?” Mina asked in bafflement when Felix started bopping his head.

“If you use energy, you just get more!” Felix grinned.

“That… defies all the laws of physics.” Mina said with a shake of the head.

“Well, then good thing music doesn’t give a rat’s about physics.” Felix shrugged.

“Language, Felix.” Mina clicked her tongue.

“Sorry, noona.” Felix chuckled. “Mouse-tushy?”

Mina didn’t answer. Just rolled her eyes and smiled at him before walking out of the restaurant, muttering under her breath. Mouse-tushy…

 

Mina found Jeongyeon in the bar, the idea still forming in her head as she joined the older girl. Watched how Dahyun skirted around the restaurant. How she almost tripped. Almost forgot to smile. Almost managed to cope. And Mina knew already that she would be calling Jihyo at the end of the night.

“Hanging in here?” Jeongyeon asked when Mina sighed at the last though.

“Yeah, just… you know, Dahyun.”

“You can’t do more than you are.” Jeongyeon said caringly. Mina looked up at her. Found the older girl’s eyes on her already.

“Do you have plans for New Years?” Mina asked without hesitance.

“Going back to my parents’ of course. Aren’t we all?” Jeongyeon looked confused, putting down the pen she had been using to note down stock - making good of the slow night to get some stuff done she would otherwise have to do after closing, Mina assumed.

“No, I mean Western New Years, not Lunar.” Mina specified.

“Oh, well, I figured I’d just crash Nayeon’s place with Jihyo like we always do?”

“Good. Good, yeah.” Mina nodded. Couldn’t get herself to intrude on that, and for a moment she considered just trying to get Chaeyoung and Tzuyu along to do something with Dahyun. She honestly just couldn’t bare the thought of Dahyun sitting there alone.

“Do you want to join?” Jeongyeon asked with a curious expression on her face.

“No, I mean- it’s not for me, it’s for Dahyun.” Mina clarified, feeling her cheeks pink. “Not that- not that I’d mind going too, but- no, I was thinking actually maybe we could all do something? The seven of us?”

Jeongyeon looked at her for a moment. Then looked over at Dahyun and back to Mina. Smiled. “Yeah, that’d be fun. It’s a good idea.”

“Yeah?” Mina felt relief wash over her.

“We’ll make a party of it.” Jeongyeon beamed.

 

Mina felt light. Looked at the older girl’s shining eyes. At the lips that were spread in a wide grin. Wanted to kiss her. God, she really had to get over that part of their friendship soon. But having spent the better part of six weeks dealing with this frequent thought, she was quite aware that it was going to take a while.

“Good. I-I don’t know about Nayeon and Jihyo though? If they’d be up for it?”

“Are you kidding? Nayeon will love it, and Jihyo will too.”

“Even… even with me there?”

“Mina. We love you, all of us. Let’s just put all that in the past where it belongs, okay?”

Mina nodded. Bit her lip to stop from smiling too much and tucked her hair behind her ear, staring down at the bar.

“So, let us let Operation ‘Best New Years Party We Ever Had’, commence.” Jeongyeon said theatrically.

Mina smiled. Then she felt music that touched her heart, and made it soar. Made it defy the laws of physics. Realized it was Jeongyeon’s laughter.

 

* * *

 

Mina shook her head at the memory of how she had gotten herself into this mess and looked at the clock on her phone before putting it in her pocket. Only a little to nine. Still three hours left, but there was still dinner thankfully. Not that she disliked the party, but things were a little more awkward with Jihyo than she had wanted them to be. It was just so hard to find the balance. Honestly, it hadn’t been this awkward since the first six months after graduation. The past year they had been doing so well, just comfortable as friends.

Mina cringed as the sound of the broken cup rang in her ears. God, what if she never got over Mina? Why couldn’t she just have fallen for Jihyo instead of Jeongyeon? Then it would all be so much easier. But then Jeongyeon’s laugh pulled her back to reality and her eyes searched for the blonde girl automatically. Found her in the couch with Chaeyoung, the two of them playing thumb-war over something Mina wasn’t aware. Then her eyes fell on Dahyun, sitting with her feet up next to Chaeyoung, gnawing on her lip. Without a second thought, Mina walked over and joined her, sitting on the rug by her feet as there was no more space on Jeongyeon’s couch.

“Hey, you.” Mina said calmly, as Dahyun uncurled herself a bit to look down at her.

“Hey.”

“You ok?”

“I’m just thinking.” Dahyun sent her a tired smile.

“Of what?”

“Honestly? Of digging into Jeongyeon’s alcohol supply.” Dahyun sent Mina a sheepish smile.

“But you can’t drink for another month, you know that.” Mina said. Even though the concussion had been very mild, the doctor had ordered her to stay away from alcohol for four months.

“I don’t mean for me. I meant for Nayeon, so she’d stop being a pain in my about it.” Dahyun rolled her eyes. Mina giggled. Knew that she didn’t mean it like that. “If I could just make the mood better, you know, give them all some energy.”

“We agreed, if you can’t drink then we won’t either. It’ll be better once we’ve had some food.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Dahyun sighed.

“You could do your Monty Python impression? The one with Ximénez?” Mina suggested reaching up to take Dahyun’s hand in hers, gently rubbing over the pink scar. “Or I could teach you some really bad swear words in Japanese and you can entertain by trying to let them figure out what they mean.”

“Mina.” Dahyun said with raised eyebrows. “A doctor’s daughter like you?”

“Don’t let my gentle demeanor fool you, I know a lot.”

“Oh, please teach me later. Not now though, I think maybe I’ll look up the Ximénez impression and see if I can still remember it.” Dahyun said, shuffling to get her phone from the back pocket of her jeans.

“Can I watch too, if you’re gonna watch the clip?”

“Sure.” Dahyun nodded. Slid down to sit next to Mina on the floor.

With a small smile playing on her lips, Dahyun went to the YouTube app on her phone and found the clip. Not to Mina’s surprise, it was a ‘recently watched’ clip.

They were both close to tears from stifled laughter halfway through, and Dahyun’s hand was safe in Mina’s.

And Mina’s hand was safe in Dahyun’s.

 

* * *

 

Mina stretched. Stifled a yawn and caught Jihyo’s eye across the dinner table. The amused expression on her face told Mina that she had seen the yawn. Then Mina smiled and rubbed a hand over her face and Jihyo’s shoulders shook once, her smile widening.

Mina missed her.

“Hey, Dahyun?” Chaeyoung’s voice called across the table, catching Mina’s attention.

“Hnph?” Dahyun looked up, mouth closed around a slice of pizza and her eyes wide.

Chaeyoung snorted and shook her head, gesturing for her to keep eating.

“No wha’?” Dahyun insisted, holding a hand over to mask that she was talking with full.

“That thing you were watching with Mina earlier, what was that?”

“What, Monty Python?” Dahyun asked with a frown.

“No, after that, you were watching something in Japanese?” Chaeyoung asked.

Dahyun’s cheeks pinked and she looked over at Mina before turning back to Chaeyoung. “Oh, that was nothing.” Dahyun insisted. Mina giggled and looked into her plate.

“You showed her that video?” Jihyo asked all the way from across the table, clearly aimed at Mina, but Mina very thoroughly pretended she hadn’t heard, even if it was hard with how the smile wouldn’t disappear from her cheeks. But she had shown that particular video to Jihyo in their junior year and explained what all the words meant, and since then the older girl had used the curses every now and then when she knew no-one would understand them. But now Dahyun would.

 

“Hey, Myoui!” Jihyo called so loud that Mina couldn’t ignore it.

With a cheeky grin she looked up, and Jihyo raised an eyebrow at her. They both knew Mina had been faking before pretending not to hear her, and Jihyo shook her head and mouthed something that only Mina and Jihyo - and now Dahyun understood. The last addition of course resulted in Dahyun choking on her water reading Jihyo’s lips.

“Do you kiss your mom with that mouth, Park?” Mina called.

“What exactly are you three on about?” Nayeon asked, all other conversation dying to listen in on this three-way-conversation across the dinner table.

“Oh, nothing to worry your innocent ears about.” Jihyo said with a smirk.

“Right. Whatever it is I’m sure I’ve heard it, fess up.” Nayeon rolled her eyes.

“Mm, no, I don’t think so.” Jihyo shrugged and her lips.

 

Mina felt the happiness bubbling in her stomach, just from watching how Jihyo sent her a wink. And there was that tiny voice in her head saying that maybe she could fall for Jihyo. But the next moment Jeongyeon had leaned close and Mina felt her skin electrify at her closeness.

“What exactly did you teach them?” Jeongyeon’s voice was low, and Mina giggled almost uncontrollably before leaning close, covering with her hand so her whisper wouldn’t be heard by the others.

“Mina. I would not have expected that from you.” Jeongyeon said with feigned indignation, holding a hand to her heart and looking sternly at the younger girl.

Mina just giggled. Felt Jeongyeon linger before she drew back, both of them paying attention to the slow increase in volume of Jihyo and Nayeon discussing across the dinner table. But then Nayeon’s arguments turned in nature in a fashion that brought up a whole other conversation.

“Well, at least I have someone to kiss at midnight.” Nayeon looked like she was sure she had won.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jihyo frowned.

“There’s a tradition of kissing someone at midnight, you know they do it in the US and stuff, I saw it on Netflix? Something about if you don’t kiss someone you’ll have a year of loneliness.” Nayeon told.

“Well, that explains my entire life.” Dahyun deadpanned. Chaeyoung snorted and nudged her.

“So what? You win because I know dirty words in Japanese and you get to mack with your girlfriend at midnight?” Jihyo asked.

“Hah, I knew it was dirty words!” Nayeon said. “But yes, I win! I’ll secure myself against a lonely year and you get to spend yet another year as the cat lady in training, that you are.”

“Oh, off. Maybe I’ll kiss someone at midnight too, you never know. Maybe we should all kiss someone at midnight then.”

“Listen, can we just please have one damn party that doesn’t revolve around kisses?” Jeongyeon immediately complained. “It’s bad enough with the birthdays.”

“Then we’ll just skip you, we’re seven people, if you fold then we’re three couples.” Jihyo shrugged.

“So what, the rest of us don’t get a say in it?” Dahyun asked, her cheeks immediately turning bright pink as the party turned their attention to her.

“What, you don’t want to kiss me?” Jihyo asked with her eyebrows raised.

“I-I,” Dahyun stammered, clearing .

“Or do you?” Jihyo frowned.

The entire table went very quiet, and Mina felt kind of sorry for Dahyun. She wasn’t really sure how many of them knew the actual reason for Dahyun’s hesitance. Probably only herself and Chaeyoung.

“N-no, no, it’s not that it’s- it’s.” Dahyun cleared again, feeling her cheeks.

“It’s what?” Jihyo pressed.

“I just… I haven’t ever kissed anyone.” Dahyun mumbled. “Ever.”

“Oh.” Jihyo looked embarrassed.

“No, it’s not a big deal, I just would prefer if my first kiss wasn’t one of you guys.” Dahyun elaborated.

“... That’s fair.” Jihyo said, her own face quite flushed by now. “I mean it’s just a silly tradition anyways, right? We shouldn’t do it. Forget I said anything.”

“I think it’s cute.” Mina said. Wasn’t really sure why in the world she had said it, but maybe just to save Jihyo. It always kind of hurt her to see her best friend embarrassed like that. It was almost the only thing that surefire made her raise her voice no matter what.

“Yeah?” Jihyo asked, looking thankfully at Mina.

Mina nodded.

“So we’re doing it?” Tzuyu asked, looking from Mina to Jihyo and then to Jeongyeon.

“I mean, I guess we are then.” Jeongyeon ran a hand through her hair, scratching at her scalp.

A moment of silence followed this, and it was like they all realized what they had just agreed to. And there was a part of Mina who couldn’t help but hope of who she would be paired up with. Not that it would ever happen. But god, it’d be the perfect excuse.

“So… who’s kissing who?” Jeongyeon asked, and Mina noticed that she was already looking at the older girl. Quickly she retreated her eyes. Looked at Tzuyu instead. Knew that there was only those two options. Even if today had gone really well, there was no way she was ever going to kiss Jihyo again, even if it was just something like this.

“What about Jihyo and Jeongyeon, Mina and Tzuyu.” Nayeon suggested, pointing with a half-eaten slice of pizza at them.

“Sounds good to me.” Tzuyu said. Mina felt a tug in her stomach but nodded too.

“... Yeah, I guess.” Jihyo looked slightly more apprehensive, but they all agreed in the end. Jeongyeon would kiss Jihyo and Mina would kiss Tzuyu. Like friends. Nothing more to it. Just a fifty-fifty chance that didn’t go how Mina had hoped. But it was definitely for the best. Nothing good would come of her kissing Jeongyeon.

 

Falling for a friend never turned out well anyway.

 

* * *

 

Mina slumped and leaned against Tzuyu, her eyelids heavy. The younger girl gave a soft hum and then her hand slid down Mina’s arm, settling in the crook of her elbow. Felt her eyes land involuntarily on Jeongyeon. She was looking very much like she was dreading the ball dropping, and it made Mina giggle to herself. Despite her and Jihyo having known each other for the better part of their lives, they were rarely physically close - at least without Nayeon - and they never even kissed each others’ cheeks on their birthdays. There was just something about their friendship that seemed to move past actions, and maybe this was the reason they never really did well with physical affection. Like kissing a sister.

“Almost time, huh?” Tzuyu said quietly, pulling Mina from her thoughts before looking at the clock on her phone. 11:51 PM.

“Nervous?” Mina asked.

“A little bit.” Tzuyu admitted.

A heavy sigh turned both of their attention to Dahyun. She was once again curled into a ball, this time in Jiyeon’s lounge chair. She didn’t seem to notice them, her eyes on Nayeon and Chaeyoung, lids drooping heavily. Mina wondered if she had slept at all last night. Then she turned her attention back to Tzuyu. She was gnawing on her lip.

“You don’t have to kiss me, you know.” Mina said. “I know we agreed but it’s totally voluntary.”

“No, I like it. That whole thing about not ending up lonely? It’s cute.” Tzuyu said, a shy smile on her lips.

“But I mean even then. We can just kiss on the cheek.” Mina assured her.

“Do you not want to?” Tzuyu asked, worry in her voice.

Mina looked up at her. “No, I do, I’m just making sure you’re comfortable with it.”

“I’m comfortable.” Tzuyu nodded. “On the lips?”

“Yeah. As friends, of course.” Mina smiled at her. Closed her hand over Tzuyu’s and rubbed over her skin.

“Of course.” Tzuyu smiled. “And I know this is supposed to be something romantic, but honestly I like the idea of it. You know, wishing for someone to not be lonely? I’ll wish for it for you at midnight. That you’ll have a year where you aren’t lonely. Especially now that you live so far away and everything.”

Mina stared. Felt her heart swell with affection for the youngest, and the smile spread on her lips. “I love that. You’re really such a sweet kid, Chou-Tzu.”

“I’m only a kid for,” Tzuyu checked her phone, “six more minutes. Then I’ll be twenty.”

“You’ll always be our kid, Tzuyu. You’re the youngest and you’ll always be our baby.”

“Mm, I can live with that.”

“Good.” Mina settled more against the youngest, watching as Jeongyeon and Jihyo sat by the dinner table, both with their arms crossed, eyeing each other with varying degrees of dismay.

“Unnie?” Tzuyu asked.

“You don’t have to call me Unnie, Tzuyu.” Mina said, looking back at Tzuyu.

“I know. But I like it.” Tzuyu said quietly.

“Why?” Mina asked with a frown.

“It feels like having a sister.” Tzuyu muttered, smiling in the way that made her ears move slightly and her dimple show. Mina might have melted just at that. Held Tzuyu’s hand tighter and was just about to say something but then Jeongyeon’s voice cut through the room and she got up throwing her hands in the air.

“I’m not doing it.” She proclaimed. “I’m not kissing Jihyo.”

“Oh, thank god.” Jihyo said, visibly relieved.

“Why not!?” Nayeon complained, her arms around Chaeyoung’s neck. They had been teasing each other for ten minutes, trying to not kiss right before midnight. “Come on it’s four minutes to midnight, you can’t just back out.”

“I can’t do it. It’s so gross. Anyone else is fine, but not Jihyo. I’m not doing it.” Jeongyeon moved herself further from Jihyo, towards Dahyun, settling on the armrest of the lounge chair, wrapping her arms around Dahyun's shoulders as if to protect herself from the prospect of Jihyo’s lips.

“Then let’s switch.” Tzuyu suggested. Looked down at Mina before getting to her feet. “If you’re okay with that?”

“S-sure.” Mina said, a jolt in her stomach, also getting up.

“Then I’ll kiss Jeongyeon and Mina can kiss-”

“No!” Nayeon and Jeongyeon said at the same time, loud enough to startle Tzuyu visibly.

Mina looked down and bit her lip. She couldn’t have known. A knot threatened to settle in her stomach, but the next it exploded in butterflies as Jeongyeon quickly suggested an alternative.

“I’ll kiss Mina. Tzuyu, you kiss Jihyo and I’ll- I’ll kiss Mina.”

“But-” Tzuyu tried but then looked at Jihyo. Someone really should’ve explained it to her, because she looked guilty, clearly trying to figure out what she had done wrong. But the next moment Jihyo had walked over, placing a soft hand on Tzuyu’s arm, her head tilted slightly to look up at the youngest,

“Is that okay with you?” Jihyo asked quietly.

“I- uh- sure. Yes. Good.” Tzuyu nodded, her cheeks flushed. Mina felt sorry for her, but at the same time, she couldn’t ignore her racing heart and the eyes that looked at her. Found them and thought she saw more in them than just friendship for a second. But then Dahyun claimed their attention.

“So you’re all good with the whole-” Dahyun asked, gestured at the two newly formed couples.

The four nodded.

“And you’re sure you don’t want anyone to kiss you?” Jihyo asked.

“Definitely.” Dahyun scrunched her nose.

“Okay then.” Jeongyeon said, both she and Dahyun getting to their feet. And then once again there was a moment where Jeongyeon’s eyes seemed softer than usual as she glanced over at Mina. But the next  moment she exclaimed that they didn’t have their glasses yet, and rushed to fetch the colored plastic champagne glasses and the alcohol free champagne from the fridge. Hectically poured some for everyone.

“Come on there’s only a minute left!” Nayeon hurried her.

“I’m going as fast as I can!” Jeongyeon hissed.

“Okay, quick; everyone get your glasses.” Jihyo said, handing them out to the others. As the last of them, Dahyun took her glass, completing the circle of seven around Jiyeon’s coffee table.

Twenty… nineteen… eighteen…

Mina took a step to the right and felt Jeongyeon’s arm against her own. Looked around at her friends and let her mind fill for a moment with all the love she felt for them all. For the gratitude she felt at standing here with them.

Ten… nine… eight…

Then a hand was in hers, and she felt her heart skip a beat. With a steadying exhale, Mina turned to face the girl for whom she felt more than she wanted to admit. The girl who she was about to kiss. Felt her gaze burning, the rest of the world disappearing.

Three… two… one…

“Happy New Year!” They all chanted, but Mina barely heard. Just read Jeongyeon’s lips and heard the blood rushing in her ears as she leaned in.

Really, it was just supposed to be a peck. A chaste kiss between friends. And the way Mina had intended to kiss her, was nothing more than that. But Jeongyeon’s lips had caught hers firmly, and immediately moved, almost hungrily so. Set Mina on fire and made her forget where she was. Almost lost herself in the feeling of it, the urge to pull Jeongyeon closer overwhelming her. But the next second Jeongyeon had drawn back, leaving Mina breathless and flushed.

It took a few seconds for Mina to come to, blinking and looking around. Her lips tingled. Opposite them, Jihyo and Tzuyu were looking sheepish, and to their left Nayeon and Chaeyoung were still very obviously not done kissing, giggling as they kept pecking each others’ lips. Dahyun looked very much like she was trying to look sick of them, though it mostly came off as amused. Jeongyeon was the only one who seemed completely out of it. As in, really out of it. Because to the surprise of everyone, she wrapped her arm around Dahyun to her right and placed a kiss on her cheek.

“What was-”

“Can’t leave you in loneliness even if you don’t want real kisses.” Jeongyeon shrugged as if her voice wasn’t pitched and her cheeks not pink. “In fact, everyone should kiss you, that way it won’t matter that it’s not on the lips!”

Mina almost gave a laugh, just at the ridiculousness of that correlation - or say lack of it. But the bubbling in her stomach from the kiss still lingered and made her step closer with no real hesitance. It was only when she was almost by Dahyun’s cheek that she quietly asked for permission, getting a shy nod from the younger girl before pressing her lips to Dahyun’s cheek. Dahyun’s smile grew. With every kiss, her smile grew, and she seemed to stand taller. Pocketed her left hand and chuckled in the way that always sounded like she couldn’t help it.

“Thanks…” Dahyun looked up at Jeongyeon with shining eyes.

“Always, kiddo.” Jeongyeon nudged her. Then she looked around, and found Mina’s eyes. Immediately looked away and cleared .

Mina giggled.

“We haven’t toasted to the new year yet!” Jeongyeon then exclaimed, her arms waving to get the attention of everyone - a bit of her champagne spilling over the edge in the process. Impatiently she snapped her fingers and yelled at the oldest. “Nayeon!”

“Fine, fine! Keep your pants on.” Nayeon huffed, finally releasing Chaeyoung and holding her glass forwards to toast. The others did the same, and suddenly there were seven hands each with a glass, hovering in the air over the table.

“Here’s to the new year.” Jihyo said, a bubbling smile on her lips.

“Without loneliness.” Tzuyu added.

“And pain.” Chaeyoung said, her eyes on Dahyun.

“But with lots of laughter.” Dahyun insisted, her gaze burning across the table.

“And love.” Mina said. Felt Jeongyeon shift beside her.

“And friendship.” Nayeon said, her voice soft, wandering between every pair of eyes in the room - even Mina’s.

“... Here’s to us.” Jeongyeon said. Raised her glass high.

“To us!” The rest chimed in, the edges of plastic knocking against each other before they all drank.

“Okay, so are we getting hammered?” Nayeon asked, obviously without thinking, as she lowered the plastic glass.

“No booze, Nadong.” Jihyo said, reaching over to swat her arm.

“It’s okay, really, I think I’m just gonna sleep so you can all-” Dahyun started, but then Jihyo was there, around her immediately.

“No way. This year is to us.” Jihyo insisted.

Dahyun nodded and smiled. “To us.”

Mina smiled. Then she frowned, a thought forming in her head, and looked around.

“Tzuyu?” Mina asked, getting the youngest’s attention from her conversation with Chaeyoung. She looked questioning but Mina just waved her over.

“What?” Tzuyu asked.

“I hope you have a year without loneliness.” Mina said quietly, then leaned up and pressed a kiss to Tzuyu’s lips. Just a peck. Just to see Tzuyu grin. The way she had intended with Jeongyeon. As friends. But Jeongyeon hadn’t responded as a friend. She had responded… as… and her fluster afterwards? Her red cheeks and slightly out of pitch laughter just now? She-. Mina closed her eyes.

“Unnie?” Tzuyu asked, her fingertips gently on Mina’s arm.

“Sorry.” Mina shook her head, shivers running through her at the realization. Then she looked up at Tzuyu. “Happy New Years, Chou-Tzu.”

 

“Happy New Years, Mina Unnie.”

 

* * *

 

They were in bed less than an hour later. It seemed as soon as the ball had dropped, so had the energy. And some more than others seemed quite eager to part ways.

They split the three sleeping-spaces between the seven of them. Jeongyeon slept with Tzuyu in Jiyeon’s bed, Nayeon with Jihyo on the couch and the remaining three in Jeongyeon’s king size bed.

Only Mina couldn’t sleep. She lay on the far left with Dahyun in the middle and her heart beating fast in her chest. With a shivering hand she reached up in the darkness and let her fingertip touch her lip. It tingled at the memory of Jeongyeon’s lips. How fiercely she had caught Mina’s lips. How she had moved for a second. And a smile spread on her lips. Even if she wasn’t yet sure what to do with the information, there was no doubt anymore. It wasn’t just one-sided. Jeongyeon liked her back. Maybe even since that same night, where- where it had almost been.

With a stifled giggle Mina to her side and buried her nose in the pillow. It smelled like her.

 

She never heard the few words exchanged in the room next to theirs, spoken to the darkness, with faint hopes painting so far unspoken truths.

 

* * *

 

“I’m glad we ended up switching.”

“Why?”

“... I kind of wanted to kiss Jihyo.”

“Oh? Ohh... so you- oh. Well, actually... I’m glad we switched as well.”

“So I could kiss Jihyo?”

“No.”

“Then why?”

“I kind of wanted to kiss Mina.”