“So what do you think?” Nayeon asked, extending her arms to encompass the whole cafe. Mina and her had just walked into the cozy little place, sounding the bell tied above the door. “Pretty chic, right?”

 

It had been a week since the photoshoot, and Mina had taken Nayeon up on the offer to take her out in thanks for being her subject. As Nayeon developed the film, she had taken pictures of her progress and sent the results to Mina. Delighted to see Nayeon actually had a good eye for photography after all, Mina wondered if Nayeon would let her keep some of the prints after they were turned in for a grade.

 

Mina let her eyes wander around the cafe, admiring the atmosphere. It was true, the place was pretty cool, and Mina couldn’t help but feel relief that there was a cafe like this in her new home.

 

“I like it,” Mina replied, giving Nayeon a nod. Excitement was radiating from Nayeon, whose eyes were shining at Mina in anticipation of her answer. For some reason it made Mina’s heart do something fidgety, as if it had a mind of its own. She quickly turned away.

 

Nayeon smirked at Mina’s reaction. Making the younger girl shy was oddly satisfying, and made her own heart do something fidgety as well. She ignored that, though, leading the way to the register, where they could make their order.

 

“Two medium Americanos, please,” Nayeon said to the woman behind the counter without any sign of hesitation.

 

Mina raised an eyebrow, surprised at Nayeon’s confidence. “Do you want to try any of their pastries? The cinnamon rolls are delicious.”

 

Mina shook her head. “I’m just in the mood for coffee,” she explained. “Thanks, though.”

 

Nayeon handed the woman some change and spun around to face Mina again with a lazy smile.

 

“It’s bold of you to assume I like Americanos,” Mina stated, crossing her arms and giving Nayeon a small smile back.

 

“Did I assume wrong?” she challenged—smile turning smug. “Besides, that’s the best drink here. You’ll thank me after your first sip.”

 

Mina scoffed and bit her lip, rolling her eyes. She wasn’t used to this kind of banter—in fact, she wasn’t used to hanging out with someone so...like Nayeon. Compared to Momo, Nayeon was more sure-footed and snappy.

 

“So, tell me more about you,” Nayeon said. The two girls shuffled over to the left near the pick up window as they waited for their orders.

 

Mina shrugged. “What do you want to know?”

 

“Why did you move here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

“My dad’s work brought him here from Japan,” Mina replied. “I didn’t want to leave…” her voice trailed off.

 

Nayeon’s face softened as she regarded Mina’s sad tone. “I can’t imagine how hard it was to leave everything behind. As small and boring as this town is, it’s home. I can’t wait to get out of here though. I’m going to a college in LA after I graduate.”

 

Just taking a look at Nayeon’s shining eyes, Mina could tell how excited she was. “That’s amazing,” Mina praised, and she caught a glimpse of Nayeon’s large front teeth in her smile. It was adorable how the older girl couldn’t seem to contain her excitement.

 

For some reason though, Mina’s stomach dropped at the thought of Nayeon moving away, even though they had just met. Were they even friends yet? Mina considered the status of their relationship as Nayeon graciously took two cups of coffee from the barista with a smile.

 

Yes, Mina supposed they were friends.

 

“Let’s take the window seat.” Nayeon lifted a finger and pointed to the open table with bar stools near the window in the front of the shop.

 

As the girls sat down and scooched their stools in, the front door chimed and in walked a pretty blonde girl who looked about Mina and Nayeon’s age. She was wearing a white t-shirt and jeans that looked to be some sort of designer brand. Not so subtly, the girl began to scan the cafe, clearly looking for someone. Mina, who was watching the girl, suddenly heard Nayeon groan under her breath.

 

Sure enough, the girl gasped excitedly when she spotted Nayeon and Mina, and scurried over in an almost mouse-like fashion. “Nayeon!!!” she squealed, smiling from ear to ear.

 

“Sana,” Nayeon huffed, clearly not sharing her excitement. “Fancy seeing you here, at the exact time I told you I was gonna be here.”

 

Mina was sure she spotted a bit of pink flushing Nayeon’s cheeks.

 

“Oh!” Sana faked her innocence, wearing a polite smile. “Your date’s today!” She looked between Mina and Nayeon expectantly. “I totally forgot about that.”

 

Nayeon nearly spit out her coffee. “It’s not a date,” she clarified, flashing Sana a threatening glare.

 

“You must be Mina,” Sana said, ignoring Nayeon’s statement entirely. She shot Mina a dazzling grin and stuck out her hand. Mina shook it and smiled back. “Nayeon told me all about you—her new muse.”

 

Nayeon rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. “I told her I was taking pictures of you for my class,” she muttered to Mina.

 

Mina couldn’t help but chuckle at the awkward situation, causing Nayeon’s frown to lift slightly. Sana’s eyes lit up at the sound of Mina’s soft laughter, and she gave Nayeon an approving smile.

 

“I’m Nayeon’s best friend,” Sana explained to Mina, who had begun blowing on her Americano, which was still too hot to drink. “We’ve basically been tied at the hip since freshman year.”

 

Nayeon leaned across the table, closer to Mina. “She was assigned to be my lab partner in earth science and got a golf ball stuck in a graduated cylinder. We got points marked off on our lab for it.”

 

This time it was Sana’s turn to scoff. “It seemed like it was gonna fit!” she whined.

 

“Ever since then, I’ve been getting dragged into all her messes,” Nayeon added, tsking and shaking her head.

 

Sana pouted for a moment, but quickly pulled out her warm smile once again, looking at Nayeon fondly.

 

Mina was smiling too, looking back and forth between the girls. Their banter reminded Mina of her relationship with her best friends from home.

 

There was a moment of silence, and Mina’s eyes widened as she realized she’d gotten lost in thought. “You should join us!” she quickly demanded, gesturing for Sana to pull up a chair. The girl had just been standing, and it seemed rude to let her loiter any longer, especially with her being Nayeon’s best friend.

 

Nayeon narrowed her eyes at Sana, who ignored the dirty look and beamed at Mina. “I’d love to! Let me order first and I’ll pull up a chair.”

 

Sana spun around and waltzed over to the register. Nayeon was all but ready to punch the wall, but quickly put on a smile as Mina turned back around to face her. After all, this wasn’t a date. It was just two friends getting coffee. Another person joining shouldn’t be the end of the world… and yet…

 

“She seems great,” Mina replied, noticing Nayeon’s eyes on her best friend’s back as she ordered at the counter.

 

“She’s a real pain in my sometimes, but yeah, she is,” Nayeon confirmed. “Sorry if this is awkward for you…”

 

“No, no,” Mina assured, waving her hand dismissively. “Honestly I’d like to get to know more people from school. I’m not exactly the best at finding excuses to make conversation,” she explained, sounding almost sad.

 

And suddenly, any anger Nayeon had at Sana for interrupting her kind-of-sort-of-date evaporated, and Nayeon wanted nothing more than for Mina to have all the friends in the world. “I’m glad I initiated one with you during detention, then,” Nayeon replied. “Although I was a bit of an ...sorry about that.”

 

Looking amused, Mina shook her head. “You definitely know how to get someone’s attention. I’m glad we met. Even though you did bring me to a haunted roof. There aren’t any more haunted places in the school I should know about, are there?”

 

A mischievous twinkle lit up Nayeon’s eyes. “Actually, you know the women’s bathroom—“

 

“I love how fast they are here!” Sana’s high pitched voice interrupted the lie Nayeon was about to fabricate. “This really is the best coffee spot in town, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

 

“I really like it, it’s cute. The Americano is really good too,” Mina replied.

 

“Told you so.” Nayeon gave Mina a quick wink. Blinking a few times, as if trying to fully process the sight of that, Mina shook her head and immediately raised her coffee cup to , taking a small sip.

 

“So Mina, you’re from Japan, right?” Sana asked.

 

“Yeah, just moved here recently.”

 

Sana scooched forward in her seat. “My family is from Japan too! I’ve lived in the US all my life, though.”

 

Mina raised an eyebrow. “Can you speak Japanese?”

 

Sana responded with a phrase Nayeon couldn’t understand. Whatever it was made Mina giggle. They went back and forth a few times in Japanese, with Nayeon watching in silence. There was a gross feeling bubbling up in the back of Nayeon’s mind—something like uncalled-for jealousy.

 

Noticing the pout that had formed on Nayeon’s face, Mina quickly switched back to English.

 

“Don’t feel left out!” Sana reached across the table to pinch one of Nayeon’s cheeks. The brunette swatted her friend’s hand away, muttering something under her breath that sounded suspiciously like a curse.

 

“But yes, to answer your question, Momo gives me rides to and from school. I actually only live a block away from her,” Mina said, answering something Sana had asked her in Japanese. At the sound of Momo’s name, Nayeon suddenly leaned forward.

 

She’d been wondering how things had been between Momo and Mina after Momo’s little mistake last week. Nayeon had felt bad for the girl, honestly. If she really did have any feelings for Mina, that was one of the worst accidental ways to come forward about it. Mina hadn’t updated Nayeon on the situation, nor asked to talk to her about it, so Nayeon had left it alone.

 

That didn’t stop the curiosity plaguing away at her though.

 

(If Momo liked Mina, did that mean Mina liked her too? And why did Nayeon even care, anyway?)

 

“Hirai Momo? Oh yeah, I know who she is.” Sana rested her chin on her hand, face morphing into a smug look Nayeon knew all too well. Sana made it her priority to know everyone in their school, for both pure and not-so-innocent reasons. “I’m sure she knows who I am, too.”

 

It was a fair assumption, to give Sana credit. Everyone in their school knew Minatozaki Sana. Everyone except an apparently very oblivious and uninterested Momo, that is. But, Mina would find that out later. For now, she took Sana’s word for it, and made a mental note to ask Momo about it when she got home.

 

“Maybe you could introduce me to her formally, sometime?” Sana suggested, as innocently as ever.

 

Nayeon almost snorted, thinking back to their many conversations where Sana couldn’t stop gushing about how good Momo looked in her tracksuit—and her running shorts. Sana had actually been on the track team for all of one year—and Nayeon had to commend the girl for actually trying—but one year was enough for her. Anyway, that’s how Momo had fallen under Sana’s radar.

 

Mina, being totally unaware of Sana’s rather well-known reputation for being the school’s resident flirt, nodded seriously. “Of course, I’d love to introduce you to her.”

 

Sana beamed. After Nayeon gave the girl a swift kick under the table, Sana grabbed her frappuccino and leaned back in her seat. “Well, I should be going. Got a few errands to run. I’ll leave you two alone. It was nice meeting you, Mina.”

 

Mina stood up quickly, and the two girls shook hands again.

 

“I’m serious though, the four of us should all get together sometime. You, me, Nayeon and Momo.” Sana gave Mina a wink, and the younger girl looked at the ground in embarrassment. What was up with all the winking today?

 

“Okay,” Mina said quietly, bringing her eyes back up to see Sana hadn’t stopped staring with that lovely look on her face.

 

Nayeon saluted her friend, not getting up from her seat. “See you tomorrow.”

 

“Thanks for letting me join you two,” Sana sang, before sauntering out the door with her coffee in hand. The bell tied above the front door rang out melodically as Mina and Nayeon watched Sana walk toward her car out the cafe window.

 

Nayeon let out a breath of relief. “I can’t stand her. And I say that with all the love in the world.”

 

 

The two girls had finished their drinks shortly after Sana had left, and after chatting about a few more things, they decided it was time to head home.

 

Before they’d left though, Mina had shown Nayeon approximately 5 different pictures of the apparent love of her life—her dog, Ray. Nayeon noticed the other girl’s voice rose in pitch significantly when talking about him. It made her seem like a giddy child. This observation made the tips of Nayeon’s ears turn red as she realized she was more focused on the dopey smile on Mina’s face than the pictures of the very cute dog in front of her.

 

Nayeon had picked Mina up to take her to the cafe, so naturally she gave her a ride home as well. Her car, looking quite old and worn, happened to smell quite fresh on the inside. She prided herself with keeping it as clean as possible.

 

“I know Karen doesn’t look like much,” Nayeon had said to Mina when she’d first gotten in the car, “but she got me all the way to the 106.7 music fest last year. She’s never let me down.” Mina wasn’t sure whether or not she should be more weirded out by the fact that Nayeon had named her car in the first place, or that the name she’d given the car was that of a middle-aged soccer mom. Either way, despite “Karen” being a bit loud and lurchy, she did in fact get Mina and Nayeon to their destination, so Mina couldn’t really complain.

 

After Nayeon and Mina had said their goodbyes, consisting of a bright “thank you” from Mina and a rushed “of course, I’d be happy to take you out anytime,” from Nayeon, Nayeon drove off, watching Mina wave to her from her rear-view mirror.

 

The fact that Mina had waved to her enthusiastically until she disappeared down the street tugged at Nayeon’s heart strings. It was official—her new friend was adorable. Goddamit, Sana was not gonna let her hear the end of this.

 

Sure enough, the first text from Sana that Nayeon received later that day was:

 

If you don’t jump on that, I will. ;)

 

 

Left alone to her own devices, Mina had texted Momo that she was free for the rest of the day. Momo had suggested they have a movie night sleepover and order Chinese take-out. Curled up on the couch in her living room, Mina and Momo were watching some Netflix original while eating—some movie neither one of them really cared about.

 

“So I met this girl Sana, one of Nayeon’s friends,” Mina began.

 

Momo didn’t take her eyes off the screen, slurping a noodle into , loudly.

 

“She said she knew you,” Mina continued. Again, this got no reaction from Momo. “She said you knew her, too.”

 

Momo finished chewing on a dumpling before she turned her head to face Mina, who was looking at her expectantly.

 

“Sana?” Momo repeated.

 

Mina nodded.

 

Momo pressed her lips together and scrunched her nose, thinking. “Nope.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I don’t know her.” Momo shrugged. She scooped up another dumpling and dropped it into in one bite.

 

“That’s surprising,” Mina hummed. “She has blonde hair, and she’s really pretty.”

 

Momo stopped chewing. “Blonde hair and pretty,” she said, with still full. “That really narrows things down.”

 

Mina swatted her friend playfully, who gave her a goofy grin in return. “Anyway, she wants the four of us to all meet up. I told her that would be fun, since Nayeon and Sana both seem really nice.” Momo bristled slightly at Nayeon’s name being brought up, but Mina didn’t notice.

 

“Yeah, sure,” Momo said. “Any day after practice, I’m down. As long as it’s not on the roof.”

 

It was settled, then. Mina texted Nayeon, who gave her Sana’s number just so the three could stay connected. They even made a little group chat for the three of them. It was mostly Sana and Nayeon going back and forth, but Mina enjoyed it nonetheless.

 

 

They set up a Wednesday afternoon to meet for dinner once Momo got out of track practice and Sana from student council (apparently she was the secretary for their class, which did not surprise Mina in the slightest). Mina, Nayeon and Sana stood outside the school entrance, waiting on Momo.

 

“She should be done any minute now,” Mina assured, watching as she saw a few track kids migrating to the parking lot from the field.

 

Sana was oddly fidgety, bouncing up and down on her heels, while Nayeon silently judged her. Mina raised an eyebrow.

 

“She’s convinced Momo is her soulmate or something,” Nayeon explained, rolling her eyes. Sana stopped bouncing and smacked her friend on the arm.

 

“I just want to make a good impression,” Sana said to Mina, giving her a casual smile.

 

Before Mina could say anything, she saw Nayeon give a small wave, and sure enough, a slightly sweaty Momo was bounding over. She was wearing her red sweatpants with her matching zip up tied around her waist, and a white tank top underneath.

 

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Momo mumbled, giving the group a shy grin.

 

“It wasn’t a problem at all, Sana just got out of student council anyway,” Nayeon replied. She turned to her friend, who was looking anywhere but Momo. She was being...shy? Nayeon couldn’t wait to lay into her about it as soon as the two were alone.

 

“Oh, Momo, this is Sana.” Mina gestured from Momo to Sana, and Momo gave a polite nod.

 

“It’s nice to meet you,” Sana said, giving the other girl a sweet smile. Momo tilted her head slightly, thinking the girl looked slightly familiar. She must’ve seen her around the hallways at school. Their school wasn’t huge, but big enough where it was difficult to know every single classmate.

 

“I was on the track team for a year,” Sana said, tucking a strand of hair behind her hair. “It wasn’t for me but, I remember you were amazing.” The blonde was positively glowing, looking up at Momo through hooded lashes.

 

Momo’s eyes were wide. She was a bit embarrassed she didn’t remember a previous teammate. She bit her tongue, trying to think of something polite to say. Then she remembered—a small and quirky little brunette, two years ago. Momo had been so determined then to make it to states, it was almost as if she had horse blinders on for that entire season. But yes, Sana had been there—offering her water, cheering extra loudly for her at meets…

 

Momo had made it to states, but she’d only been left with memories of running, running running...and nothing more. After that year, when she’d made her mark and impressed the track coach, she had eased up a bit and let herself enjoy the sport more. A bit of blush tickled Momo’s cheeks, feeling bad that her past self might have been a bit dismissive of past Sana. Sana had obviously grown since then, considering the girl was now taller than her.

 

“Thanks, I try my best. I, uh, remember you too,” Momo said.

 

“Alright, so we’re meeting there, right?” Nayeon asked.

 

Momo fished her car keys out of her bag. “Yeah, I’ll drive Mina and see you guys there,” Momo confirmed.

 

The group parted ways.

 

 

“I was on the track team for a year,” Nayeon said, mimicking Sana once the two climbed into her car. She tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at the steering wheel.

 

Sana crossed her arms and pouted. “Shut up!”

 

Laughing, Nayeon started the car. “I’ve never seen you like that before. Has Minatozaki Sana finally met her match?”

 

The car to the main road, and Sana scoffed. “It’s not my fault she was wearing her tracksuit...and I mean, did you see how toned her arms are?”

 

Nayeon shook her head. “Just remember what I told you,” she warned. “Momo definitely has the hots for Mina.”

 

“And so do you.”

 

Nayeon gripped the steering wheel harder, gritting her teeth. “Whatever,” she mumbled. Reaching forward, she the radio.

 

“We’re a mess, the four of us,” Sana mused. “What’s that play, Midsummer Night, or whatever?”

 

“Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Nayeon corrected. “But you’re forgetting we don’t know where Mina stands yet.”

 

“Guess we’ll find out more tonight.” Sana leaned back against her seat. “But for now, I’ll bet on you.”

 

 

“So you do know her?” Mina replied, breaking the silence as Momo stopped her car at a red light.

 

Momo looked sheepish, glancing over at her curious friend. “Seeing her face I remembered her, but she looks different now.”

 

Mina nodded, satisfied with the answer. “Thanks for coming along. I think we’ll have fun, the four of us.”

 

Bopping her head to the music, Momo agreed. “Sure, I mean this place has the best chicken in town so, at least my stomach will be satisfied.”

 

Truthfully, the thought of being with Nayeon again was somewhat embarrassing. She could live with making a fool of herself in front of Mina, who she considered already one of her closest friends, but Nayeon was a stranger...a stranger who was very clearly interested in the girl that she liked.

 

Yes, Momo liked Mina. She’d come to terms with that recently. It was an inconvenience, more than anything. Not because of who Mina was, but who she was in relation to Momo already. They were friends. In fact, Momo was Mina’s first friend at her new school. Feelings meant complications—complications Mina didn’t need right now. If anything were to go wrong between her and Mina, Mina would be left alone. So, Momo decided, she would never jeporadize her friendship with Mina over a stupid crush.

 

It was getting harder though. Harder and harder every day, especially with Nayeon in the mix. Momo had tried to pull it out of Mina whether she had any feelings for the older girl, but Mina was seemingly determined to be as vague and unclear as possible. Momo supposed that was because she didn’t know how she was feeling herself. Whatever the case, she knew what Nayeon’s intentions were, and whatever ended up happening, Momo would be there for Mina.

 

“Thanks, Momo.”

 

At the sound of her name, Momo’s eyes wandered to Mina, who had been looking at her.

“For what?”

 

Mina just smiled, one of her tight-lipped ones. “For being friends with the new kid. You kind of took me in, like a lost puppy.”

 

Momo swallowed. “Where did that come from?”

 

“I was just thinking...as I make new friends, I just want you to know that I’ll always be grateful that you were the first one to reach out to me. I’m not very talkative, you know? I was scared and...you made things less scary.”

 

Biting her lip was all Momo could do to stop from letting out a huge “aww.” She wanted to wrap the girl into a huge hug, but that would have to wait until they got to the restaurant. “You softie,” was all she murmured, shyly. “Well, I’m glad I could help. It’s not like I have many friends either, and I’ve been here my whole life.”

 

“I think you only ever need a few good friends. As long as they know you—and know your heart, you will be happy.”

 

God, Mina was not making any of this easy for Momo.

 

 

Both cars arrived at the restaurant at almost the same time, with Momo arriving a minute later due to Nayeon’s more aggressive driving style. Getting put into a booth, Mina and Momo sat next to one another while Nayeon and Sana took the other side. Facing each other, there was a bit of an awkward silence as the menu was being browsed over, until Sana quickly began a conversation.

 

“So, how did you two meet?” Sana asked, looking between Mina and Momo.

 

The girls looked at one another. “We’re in trig together,” Mina replied.

 

“I just noticed she was new and decided to say hello,” Momo added. Mina had looked lonely, honestly. It tugged at her heart strings, and she had wanted to make the new kid feel welcome. “Also, I’m not the best at math so it was nice to have a friend in class to help.”

 

Nayeon looked up from her menu and raised her eyebrows. “Enjoy trig while it lasts, because calculus is even worse, I promise you.”

 

“Yeah, Nayeon here is an old lady—a whole year older.” Sana snickered.

 

Rolling her eyes, Nayeon shrugged. “Older and wiser, they say.”

 

“How were you two in the same class then?” Mina asked, remembering Nayeon’s Earth Science story.

 

Clearing , Sana explained: “I skipped a year when I was in elementary school, so I’m actually a senior despite being your age.”

 

Both Mina and Momo raised their eyebrows, clearly impressed.

 

“I’m not a genius or anything,” Sana assured. “My parents just read to me a lot as a kid so, I was kind of good at reading.”

 

“She’s being modest,” Nayeon remarked.

 

Momo let out a little gasp. “So that’s why we haven’t been in any of the same classes!”

 

Sana nodded, giving Momo a pleasant smile. “It’s a shame, I’m sure we would’ve had fun together.” There was some of the flair Nayeon recognized as Sana in her natural element. It seemed she was starting to get past her initial shyness. Nayeon almost laughed to herself, knowing Momo was surely in for an interesting night.

 

Mina might have been oblivious to the fact that Sana had a thing for Momo before, but now there were alarm bells going off in her head. Not the bad kind, just alarms of surprise.

 

Momo, on the other hand, remained painfully oblivious, and wrote it off as friendly behavior.

 

The waiter came to take their order, and set down glasses of water for them all. Once he was gone, Mina asked: “Have you made any plans for college then, Sana, since you’re graduating as well?”

 

“I’m going to LA with this one,” Sana replied, nudging Nayeon. “She got me to fall in love with the city too.”

 

“You’d miss me too much if you went anywhere else,” Nayeon teased, giving Sana a playful smile as she clung onto the girl’s arm.

 

“So she tells herself,” Sana replied, making Momo giggle. “We’re going to different colleges but at least they’re in the same city.”

 

The rest of their time there went great—it seemed the four girls vibed well together. Nayeon became less intimidating to Momo as the girl opened up, and seemed more like a friend than a threat. Sana remained playful, making Mina blush more than once, but Momo was more defensive and unaffected by anything Sana threw her way.

 

Perhaps it was her loyalty toward Mina, or perhaps it was how uneasily flustered she actually was. Sana would later realize it was a bit of both.

 

And Nayeon and Mina—their back and forth quips seemed to evolve into more soft and warm exchanges. For whatever reason, Mina was able to break down any walls Nayeon had up, and Sana could only watch with amusement as she saw the way Nayeon regarded the younger girl across the table.

 

But then something would happen—a loud noise from another table, even something Momo said, and Nayeon would snap back into her prickly, sarcastic mode. What was she so afraid of?

 

After finishing their meals, with Mina and Sana taking leftovers home, the 4 got up to pay at the register individually. As Momo was paying, a large group of people entered from outside, trying to squeeze into the small entrance.

 

Nayeon instinctually gripped Mina’s wrist, pulling her out of the way of the group of people looking for space to stand. It was the first time, Nayeon realized, that she’d actually touched Mina since they’d met.

 

She opened to apologize, but then settled on closing it. Mina seemed to pay it no mind, in fact she looked more embarrassed to have been in the other people’s way in the first place. The two girls made eye contact and there was an understanding between them.

 

Their hearts both fidgeted once again.

 

The rest of the girls finished paying their bills and exited to the cool, fall air. It felt good, after standing in the slightly stuffy restaurant. “That was fun,” Nayeon replied, sticking her hands into her pockets.

 

“Let’s do something again sometime,” Sana added. “Momo, when’s your next track meet?”

 

“It’s sectionals, actually. Next weekend.”

 

“I’ll be there, to cheer you on,” Mina confirmed.

 

Sana threaded her arm through Mina’s. “I’ll make sure my schedule is clear so we can both cheer Momo on. Her own little cheerleading squad.”

 

The sudden proximately to Sana had Mina’s heart pounding slightly faster. She couldn’t help but look at Nayeon, who wore a neutral expression on her face.

 

“I’ll come too. I hated cheerleading camp when I was 5, but as long as I don’t have to actually lift people, I’ll be the loudest goddamn cheerleader you’ve ever heard,” Nayeon said. Taking Sana’s lead, she stepped forward and linked her arm around Mina’s free one.

 

Momo looked embarrassed at the sudden attention. “You guys that’s nice but, you really don’t have to come. Track meets are long and boring and—”

 

“It’s sectionals, it’s a big deal, Momo,” Mina assured. “I could use the company, anyway,” she said, glancing up at Nayeon next to her.

 

Truthfully, Mina was kind of dreading sitting through sectionals, as it would involve sitting and waiting for hours, but now the idea seemed...fun.

 

The thought of spending more time with Nayeon and Sana both made her more giddy than she wanted to admit. Part of her thought getting too attached was probably a bad idea, but she ignored it. She let herself trust them, and it felt good.

 

 

Nayeon and Mina met again for coffee after school. It had been Mina’s idea actually, since she knew Nayeon liked to avoid going home after school. “And it beats sitting in detention,” Mina had told her, as they walked together down a hallway at school in-between classes.

 

They had coordinated walking to third period together, since they discovered their classes were adjacent to one another. A lot of students waved at Nayeon, and Mina by association. It felt odd to wander the halls and not feel like a ghost—someone everyone knew was there, yet chose to ignore. The first few days of attending the new school had been a lot of scrutinizing glances and whispers, but now it seemed the atmosphere was more friendly. It was nice.

 

“I was thinking, after getting coffee, maybe you could come over?” Mina continued.

 

Nayeon’s eyes widened before she quickly contained her surprise and wore a neutral expression once again. “Like, to your house?”

 

“For dinner, yeah. My dad always works late but my mom is making some traditional Japanese dishes. I think you’d really enjoy them.”

 

They were standing outside of their classrooms now, with Mina looking up at Nayeon shyly.

 

“Um, yeah…” Nayeon began, gripping her books to her chest more tightly.

 

Mina bit her lip, laughing awkwardly. “Sorry, this was probably way too forward of me. It would be super awkward for you, I’m sure. I just figured after dinner we could play my switch, or watch a movie or—”

 

Nayeon put a finger to Mina’s lips, instantly shushing her. The younger girl gulped, nearly going cross-eyed as she focused on the finger in front of her. “You ramble when you’re nervous,” Nayeon observed. “No, it sounds lovely. I’d...I’d love to. Thanks for the invite. I just need to let my mom know I won’t be coming home for dinner.”

 

The two girls stood for a moment in weighted silence—both girls internally screaming for different reasons. The bell rang over their heads, signaling third period had started and saving them both from any more awkwardness. “See ya,” Nayeon called, giving Mina a dorky salute before ducking into her classroom. Mina bounced on her heels a second more before she hurried into her own classroom.

 

 

“You seem to be in an awfully good mood,” Sana replied, turning around in her desk to catch Nayeon in the middle of a dopey smile. Nayeon sat behind Sana in AP Literature and often enjoyed kicking Sana’s chair until she’d turn around and glare. Their teacher had finished their lesson up early today, and so they were given free time for the last five minutes of class.

 

The smile dropped from Nayeon’s face as soon as Sana faced her. “What are you talking about?”

 

“Every time I look back at you you’re smiling like an idiot.”

 

Nayeon rolled her eyes. “I am...not…” Nayeon’s voice trailed off as she checked her phone.

 

“Look, there it is again.”

 

“Huh?” Nayeon set her phone down and looked up at Sana.

 

Like a cheetah waiting to pounce, Sana snatched Nayeon’s phone and scanned the girl’s screen. “So predictable.”

 

“Hey!” Nayeon whined. She reached forward wildly, scrambling to rip her phone from Sana’s hands.

 

“You’re really smiling that big just because you got a text from her, huh? Someone is whipped.”

 

Nayeon finally got a hold of her phone and quickly slipped it into her backpack, giving Sana a dirty look. “She invited me over for dinner tonight. At her house.”

 

“Her house?!” Sana said, a bit too loudly. The other students around them couldn’t help but stare. “Sorry. Her house?” She lowered her volume. “As in...the place where she lives. And sleeps...”

 

Nayeon nodded, looking at her friend smuggly. “After we grab coffee, she wants me to try her mom’s cooking.”

 

Sana fought the urge to suddenly stand and slam her hands onto Nayeon’s desk. “Oh my god? That’s like...a big deal. Meanwhile, Momo hasn’t responded to my text from this morning…”

 

Nayeon reached forward and softly patted her friend’s cheeks. “Don’t pout. You know Mina said Momo is bad at responding. Not used to them playing hard to get, are you?”

 

Sana huffed, blowing some hair out of her face in the process. “I’m proud of you. For real...you’re doing something right for once.” She was teasing, but Sana was seriously proud. It was nice to see Nayeon this happy.

 

“More like I found someone right, for once,” Nayeon corrected. She felt her cheeks pulling into a grin again. “God, okay, you’re right about me smiling like an idiot, cause my cheeks actually hurt like hell. I can’t get carried away. This is just a friendly dinner. And I’m meeting her mom. So what?”

 

“Mm-hm. Totally friendly...nothing to get carried away about,” Sana repeated, but she was looking at Nayeon suggestively. “It’s the perfect opportunity for some kisses.” Sana puckered up her lips at Nayeon and smacked them together.

 

“Shut up,” Nayeon replied, smacking Sana’s hands that were resting on her desk.

 

 

Getting coffee went by like a blur. Suddenly Nayeon was driving Mina to her house, except instead of dropping the girl off, she’d be getting out with her. She didn’t feel the amount of nerves twisting in her stomach where justified for the very amiable, low-pressure situation.

 

Mina opened the front door to reveal a tidy house filled with tasty smells wafting from the kitchen. A small bark sounded, and Nayeon witnessed a small bundle of fur running toward her and Mina. It was Ray, Mina’s dog. His stubby legs made him sit quite low to the floor, making Nayeon laugh in delight. Mina quickly scooped up the dog in her arms, letting him her face once before scolding him and holding him near Nayeon. Nayeon rubbed his head, cooing at him.

 

Dinner was pleasant, and Mina’s mom was just as warm and friendly as her daughter. The food was amazing, and Nayeon’s heart nearly soared when Mina’s mom mentioned that Mina had helped her prep for cooking the meal last night.

 

“Oh, you cook?” Nayeon asked, really not surprised. Honestly, it seemed there was no skill Mina hadn’t mastered.

 

“Here and there.” Mina shrugged, but she was clearly embarrassed her mom had exposed her like that.

 

After thanking Mina’s mom for the wonderful meal, the two girls headed up to Mina’s bedroom.

 

“Do you play video games?” Mina asked, once they had reached the surprisingly spacious room.

 

She had a large flatscreen, outfitted with what looked like multiple game consoles. Nayeon spotted what she recognized as a Gamecube, but the other boxes hooked up were foreign to her. “Uh, not really. I haven’t played in years, actually. But I used to have a Gamecube too.” She pointed to the console as if it were an ancient relic.

 

Mina’s eyes lit up at that. She patted the system lovingly. “I’ve managed to keep mine around all these years, and she still works like a charm.”

 

“I was amazing at Mario Kart,” Nayeon said, continuing to survey the room. A few posters of movies and bands were framed on the walls. Above a wooden desk, a cork board display was covered in pictures tacked up in a neat arrangement. There was Mina, smiling that gummy smile of hers, surrounded by people Nayeon had never seen before. Her friends from back home, Nayeon assumed. She looked so happy.

 

“I have Mario Kart for the Switch. Have you ever played?”

 

Nayeon shook her head. “To be honest, I don’t even really know what a Switch is…”

 

Mina gasped. looked offended while holding a hand to her heart. “Okay, we’re gonna play Mario Kart then.” She squatted down and the console, handing Nayeon one controller while she took the other.

 

“I remember when these things had wires,” Nayeon observed, studying the buttons on the controller. “God, I’m so old.”

 

“Prepare to be amazed, grandma,” Mina teased, turning on the TV and the game. Nayeon’s eyes widened. She wasn’t a gamer of any kind, but she had to admit, it did look fun.

 

“Alright, even though I haven’t played in like ten years, I bet I can still beat your ,” Nayeon said.

 

“You’re on.”

 

Nayeon bet wrong. She did not, in fact, beat Mina’s .

 

However, she actually did put up a fair fight, once she got used to the controls. The one race she beat Mina by hitting her with a blue shell at the last minute, the girl jumped onto her feet and cheered. Mina pouted for a moment, being a sore loser, but couldn’t help but smile at Nayeon’s excitement.

 

“Take that, Myoui!” Nayeon hollered, sticking out her tongue at Mina, who was still sitting cross-legged on her bed.

 

“1 win out of 20 races. You really are a champion,” Mina mused, smiling smugly at her opponent.

 

“I’d make you eat those words, but look at the time,” Nayeon replied, pointing to the alarm clock on Mina’s bed stand. It was already almost 11PM. Neither one of the girls had checked their phones the entire time they’d been in Mina’s room, so engrossed in the game. How late it actually was came as a surprise to them both.

 

“I should be getting home soon,” Nayeon added, as Mina at the same time said: “God, it’s that late already?”

 

They smiled at one another. Nayeon would’ve really liked to stay longer, but she knew her mom would yell if she got home too late.

 

“Thanks for coming over,” Mina replied, warmly.

 

“Thanks for having me.” Nayeon set down her controller and stuck her hands in her jean back pockets, not quite sure what to do with them. “Make sure you tell your mom thank you for me again.”

 

Mina nodded. “I’ll walk you to your car.” Silently, the two girls descended the stairs to the main floor. There was a soft “woof” sounding at Nayeon as she slipped on her shoes near the door. Ray bounded over on his tiny paws, saying goodbye. Nayeon squatted down and rubbed the dogs ears, making the old dog huff in delight.

 

“You like that, huh?” Nayeon replied, in a high-pitched baby voice. “Bye, Ray. It was a pleasure to meet you.” Nayeon gave the dog one last pat on the head before she stood up. Mina was watching with a small smile on her face.

 

“Ready?” she asked. Nayeon nodded. Mina slipped on some sandals and opened the door, holding up a warning hand to command Ray to stay as they walked outside. Closing the front door behind them, they were exposed to the sound of crickets chirping softly. It was quite soothing.

 

“I’ll see you in two days,” Mina said. “Sectionals. You ready to sit for hours to watch Momo run for half a minute?”

 

Nayeon stepped forward, shortening the distance between the girls ever so slightly. She stared at Mina under hooded lashes. “I was born ready.”

 

Mina giggled, but suddenly hiccuped as she realized how close Nayeon was to her.

 

Had she ever stood this close before?

 

There was only Nayeon’s eyes, illuminated by the moon and the front porch light. And she was looking at Mina, thoughtfully. There was something behind the girl’s eyes—something so intense it was almost scary. Mina wanted to turn away but Nayeon’s eyes held her prisoner, as if they were hypnotic.

 

Nayeon’s lips were drawing near, closing the gap between them with their strawberry, sweet pink. Did they taste like strawberries, too?

 

Closer. Mina held her breath. She was frozen in place, like an observer forced to watch the events unfold in front of her. This was it. This was happening. This was going to be a thing.

 

At the last moment though, before Mina could react, Nayeon turned her head, and simply pulled Mina into a tight hug. The result, with Mina still staring in the direction Nayeon’s lips were initially headed, was Mina’s own lips grazing Nayeon’s left cheek, just under the girl’s cheekbone.

 

Mina’s lips remained pressed there, with her eyes wide open, for what seemed like an eternity, before Nayeon jumped back, looking at Mina with an expression she was sure matched her own.

 

“Oh my god.” Mina in a breath, closing her eyes and hiding her face behind her hands. “I’m sorry, I—”

 

“No, um, don’t apologize,” Nayeon replied, breathless. “I, um…”

 

“It was an accident,” Mina groaned, still covering her face with her hands. “I didn’t mean to…”

 

“You kissed me,” Nayeon stated, as if saying it out loud made it feel more real.

 

Mina uncovered her face with her hands, finally, revealing her cheeks and nose were beat red. “I thought you were leaning in and…” Mina’s voice trailed off.

 

“So you wanted to kiss me?” Nayeon asked, incredulous.

 

Biting her lip, Mina crossed her arms. She didn’t know how to respond.

 

Nayeon barked out a bitter laugh. “God, I was going to kiss you but I chickened out.”

 

“Oh…”

 

Silence.

 

Nayeon wanted to bang her head on the asphalt beneath her feet. She had decided she was gonna kiss Mina, in the moonlight, with her lips looking softer than ever, but then an overwhelming fear engulfed her. A voice in her head told her it was too much, too soon, and so she turned away. What an idiot, she thought, glumly.

 

Now both of the girls were mortified, and the moment was ruined.

 

Nayeon scratched her arm anxiously, unable to keep still. She was torn between asking to try again, and hopping in her car and driving away as fast as possible. Looking to Mina for any guidance proved unhelpful, considering the other girl hadn’t taken her eyes off her own feet this whole time.

 

“Let’s um, try that again another time, huh? When I’m not acting like a circus clown,” Nayeon finally said.

 

Mina lifted up her head. “Nayeon, it’s okay. You didn’t—”

 

“I’ll see you at sectionals, alright?” Nayeon interrupted, so snappy that even she flinched at the roughness of her voice. “Thanks for everything tonight,” she added, much more softly.

 

“Nayeon,” Mina said. Her voice rang out, surprisingly loud and stern. She stepped forward and took Nayeon’s left hand in her own. “Try again, now.”

 

Mina’s free hand found it’s way to Nayeon’s cheek, cupping it gently. She pulled Nayeon forward with a sense of determination she didn’t realize she had.

 

Nayeon didn’t hesitate this time. Their lips met, finally.

 

 

Mina tasted sweet.