"So are we joining the school trip?"

It's Friday, and it's the mandatory bonding day that they have.
They are all sprawled on the NaSaJiMi apartment doing various things. Nayeon and Jeongyeon were cooking dinner, Mina was showing Chae and Momo the new game she was playing, Sana and Tzuyu are watching TV, and Dahyun was catching up with school work. They all looked at Ji Hyo and nobody answered. Ji Hyo sighed exasperatedly.

"Nayeon unnie?"

"I am!"

"Dahyun?"

"Yes. We are required since I am part of the school council."

"okay. Tzuyu?"

"If Chae will join?I don't actually have same level friends..."

"Chae?"

Chae looks at Mina and ask her. "Are you going, Mina-unnie?"

Mina then looked at Momo. "Are you joining?"

Momo shifted on her seat. She has no plans of joining at all."Actually, Jeong and I are saving up for rent and for our graduation , and we decided not to go this year.."

"I'll pay for you, both."

"What?!"

"It's our last year, Mo. It's such that's shame if you both miss it."

"But Mitang--"

Jeongyeon came from the kitchen. "We can't accept that Mina, I mean, we appreciate it but--"

"You and your pride Jeongyeonnie. If that's the only reason why you can't join, don't worry. You can always have money, but memories are forever. Tell you what, I'll pay for all of us. Just make yourself available."

Cheers filled the room and yet JeongMo both looked uncomfortable. Momo stood up and went to the kitchen. Mina sensing something wrong, followed. She saw Momo facing the sink, drinking water.

" Momo-unnie? "

" I didn't like what you did out there Mitang. You just decided for us. I know you're rich, and you could afford to buy the whole damn school, but you cannot just decide for us like that!"

"I'm sorry, Momoring, I didn't mean to offend you..."

"It's not my pride, or Jeong' s pride, but I don't like anybody deciding for me. You, among all of them know that!"

"I do, I do. I'm sorry Unnie... I just want you to be able to join the school trip.. I just want to be with you that day. And money is never a problem."

Momo sighed.

"I'm sorry Mina for snapping at you. I just--honestly I don't want to go at all. But now since you did that, I don't want to spoil it for every body."

"So are you joining?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yes, you have. You can skip the school trip but I still pay for everybody else. But I will not join too."

"See that's the problem Mina. You make it like everything has to depend on me. If I don't go, you don't too. See? Why do I have to shoulder the responsibility of other people's decisions? This is emotional blackmail."

"Momo---"

Momo turns to leave but bumps into Jeongyeon.

"Whoa there, Momo, what's wrong?"

"Got a headache, got to leave first."

"wait, we haven't eaten yet."

"then stay. I can go home by myself."

With that Momo is out the door.

"Momo wait!" Jeongyeon was following her.

"Why are you following me? Stay there with Mina. Eat. Do whatever you want to do Yoo Jeongyeon!"

Jeongyeon was taken aback. 
Jeongyeon grabbed Momo's arm. "Momo! Wait. Let's calm down." She made Momo face her and put her hands on Momo's shoulders. "Let's calm down. Tell me what's wrong?"

"Everything is wrong Jeong. I'm tired. I just want to go home. Go back to your friends. Don't pay attention to me." With that, Momo ran to the bus station.

***
"Jeongyeonnie.."

"What was that all about Mina?"

Jeongyeon did not want to be cross with Mina but she can't get Momo's angry face from her mind. Momo is actually one of those people who doesn't get mad. But tonight, she just snapped. Jeongyeon would have followed her roommate home but she knows that will pissed Momo more. So she decided to stay and ask Mina what happened. She found Mina sitting on the kitchen floor, crying.

"It's because I told her if she doesn't go to the school trip, I would not go too. And then she just got angry at me.." Mina sobs.

"What will I do Jeongyeonie? I can't bear Momo to be angry at me, I just can't!" Mina cried some more.

"Well, let's just leave Momo to herself for a few days, until she calms down. Then you know Momo. She's a very forgiving person. Just treat her with food and she will be okay. Okay? So dry your tears.. Everything's gonna be ok." Jeong put her arms on Mina's shoulders and pat her back.

Mina's sobs subsided and Jeong gave her water and helped her up on her feet.

" I'm sorry Jeong... Momo said you both didn't want to join the school trip... Then I just went and decided for you. I never considered if you wanted to even join or not."

"Nah, that's ok. We just thought it's very impractical to join. You know Momo, she just don't like to ask for favors or to be indebted with anyone. That's why she got angry. Because if she is indebted to someone, that someone can manipulate her in the future... And she doesn't like that."

Mina nodded. She knows how Momo prefer to struggle than ask for help. She works really really hard to get what she wants by herself. She doesn't like to depend on anybody. Mina understood it and she realized how she wronged her friend.

" Could you help me unnie to say sorry?"

***

"I'm home!"

Momo's forehead wrinkled. She heard voices from the kitchen. Jeongyeon didn't say that they are going to have company that Sunday afternoon.

"Jeong?"

She went to where she heard the voices and she was almost hit by flour on the face.

"What the--"

"Momo!"

"What's happening?"

As soon as the flour cloud cleared she saw that Mina was there in the kitchen, with flour on her hair and tomato sauce on her face.

" Oh. Hi Momoring. Hope you didn't mind. Um, I'm making you pizza. As an apology. " Mina was blushing and stammering.

She looked around the kitchen. Apparently, her roommate has other ideas aside from making pizza. Jeongyeon smiled sheepishly at her and she sighed.

"You don't need to--"

"But I want to---"

"Minari, it' s OK. I am not mad. Just.. continue what you are doing." She turned and left the two to their business.

Momo went to their bedroom and laid on the bed. She wanted to leave but she saw her laundry piling up. Maybe better to do the laundry or else Jeongyeon will do it again for her. Which is already very embarrassing since she includes her underwear and sleepwear. Yup. Momo stood up. She's doing it now.

She changed to her house clothes, spaghetti strap top and her very short shorts. She brought her laundry bag to the back room and separate the clothes. She could hear the couple in the kitchen laughing so she turned up the music on her phone ad dance while she was scrubbing the clothes.

Jeongyeon heard the loud music coming from the laundry room so she went to check what was the racket all about and was not prepared to see her roommate y dancing while doing laundry, suds on her hands and some on her cheeks. She gulped. She knows her roommate has great proportions since she make it a point to keep her body in shape but she haven't seen here like this.

"Uhm, Momo? What are you doing?" 
Momo was surprised by Jeongyeon's presence. "Uh, doing my laundry. Why? Do you want me to include yours?"

"Uh, no. That's ok. I could have washed the clothes tonight. You could just join us in the kitchen, you know? Mina really wanted to apologize."

"And spoil this moment that you could be alone with her? No sir. If you want me to go out so you could be alone with her, I could go? I mean this is your chance."

Jeongyeon frowned. So Momo is making herself scarce because of her?

"Mo, Mina came over for you."

"I know. But wouldn't it make you happy to spend time with her alone?"

"Stop this. Come over the kitchen and join us."

Momo threw suds to her roommates face.

"Yah!"

"Go. I'll be out when I'm done here. But for the meantime, enjoy."

With that Momo resumed doing the laundry and ignored Jeongyeon who was staring at her back, torn between pulling her roommate to the kitchen or doing what she said.

Momo sometimes could be very sensitive to the needs of others and sacrifices for own convenience for the sake of others.

Jeongyeon sighed, but returned to the kitchen to help Mina with Pizza and pasta.

She would not lie, she was really enjoying herself with Mina's company. Especially when she was able to make her laugh and show her gummy smile, Jeongyeon just melts.

They were almost done when she decided to call Momo to eat. Hearing no response, she went to the laundry room but Momo was not there. She went back to thir room but she was not there too.

"Where is that girl now?"

She saw a note in her pillow.

" Going to Nayeonie right now, said she will want to talk to me about something urgent. Will be back asap. Or not. Tell Minari thank you for me. Tell her tonight Jeong, you can do it! ;)

Aish, that girl! How will I tell Mina that Momo left? She doesn't know if she want to strangle her roommate or thank her, after all the effort Mina had put into making her the dishes. She called Momo's phone but she's not picking up. Sigh.

She went out and decided to stall Mina. But until then, she's going to spend sweet time with Mina.

***
"Thank you, Jeong, I had fun. It's just a shame I can't wait for Momo since it's getting late... Could you just reheat it when Momo comes?"

Jeong nodded. She would really hit Momo's head when she gets home, what was she thinking, standing Minari up?

"Text me when you get home, Minari OK?"

"I will, good night!" Mina leaned and left a quick peck on Jeongyeon's face. "Thanks for the help!" and Mina ran down the stairs and disappeared from the corner street.

Jeongyeon can't help but smile widely and do some weird dance in the living room and went to her bedroom and fell happily on the bed. Minari kissed her! Mina! Her three-year-crush-pretty Mina! She could literally die right now. She was sheepishly grinning ear to ear when her phone rang and smiled more widely when she saw it was Mina calling her.

"Hey, have you reached home safely?" 
"Jeong? you told me Momo went here to see Nayeonie right?" 
"Yeah, that's what her note said."
"Uhm, Nayeonie said she didn't even come here. Unnie was here all day but no Momo came." She can sense the panic on Mina's voice.

"OK, calm down, I'll call her. I'll update you."

"Please.. Where was she all these time?"

"don't worry too much, Momo will turn up anytime. I'll text you."

"Thank you.. Because it's you, I am not that worried.. Take care unnie. "

Jeongyeon immediately enter a text to their gc but none of their friends saw Momo for that day.

"Where could you be Momo?"

She decided to go to the only place she  knows where Momo goes when she is tired and want to spend time to herself. She quickly left a note incase Momo came in before her and grabbed her coat and grabbed a taxi.

"Han river please. And hurry. "

***
Momo knows it's getting late yet she doesn't want to go home. She wandered all day in the park, eat street foods and been sitting in that park bench for hours. She knew she really need to go home but is afraid to do so. Afraid to face her roommate. Afraid to see her roommate's smile. Afraid to hear that she and Mina are together now. Afraid of herself and her feelings. So she decided to just runaway than face her fears.

"Momoyah!"

She freezed. That voice is achingly familiar, it's the voice of the person she was trying hard to avoid.

Jeongyeon went in front of her and pulled her in a tight hug.

"You got us all worried! Why did you lie to us!You said you were in Nayeonie but you were not there, Mina is very very worried you know?!" But Jeong hugged her again.

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

Jeongyeon pulled back slightly and put cradled Momos face with both hands. "What were you thinking? why did you do this?"

Momo looked away because she cannot bear to look at Jeong's eyes. Full of worry and slightly angry.

"Because for Momo-chan, Jeongyeon's happiness is a priority."

"What?"

"Jeongyeonie took care of us when we didn't know any Korean, anything about Korea, with no friends and no where to go. That's why Momo needs to do everything that would make Jeongyeonnie happy."

"But I am happy! You don't need to do this! Honestly, this makes me very anxious and very worried!"

Momo looked confusingly at her roommate.

"Why?"

"What why?"

"Because you're my friend, Momo! I cannot help but feel worried when you haven't come home and it's late. When you are sad, I feel sad too. So please don't do this again, ok?"

Momo felt her roommate's sincerity. She nodded and pulled away from the hug to sit down and look at the river.

Her minds a mess but when Jeongyeon sit beside her and took her hand, all her worries flew away. She leaned her head on Jeong's shoulder and Jeong pulled her closer.

Just for tonight, she will become selfish and wish for her own happiness.

"Let's go home?"

Home has a nice ring into it. 




 

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