“I don’ know if this fits..”

“Don’t worry, I know it would.”

Mina went inside the changing room to try on Momo’s sewn costume. Her stomach churned with mixed anticipation and nervousness. She finished the costume in a week, with the last three days she had been sleeping for just a couple of hours. She felt like a zombie running on tubs of coffee, so when Mina stepped out of the changing room, she almost burst into tears.

The costume fitted Mina like a second skin, and when Mina moves the cloth attached to her wrist flutters like a wing. Mina stood there at the middle of the room, unmoving, while Momo checked the costume.

“When it’s time for your Odette scene, just pull the snap button here, here and here at the spine to reveal the black layer wings.” 

Mina did some dance and tried it out. Those areas that Momo pointed out were very easy to unfasten, and the black layered lace became visible. The unfastened cloth could just be used as a prop and Mina can throw it away as a part of the performance.

“Wow.” Mina did a quarter turn, did some jumps and arm movements to test the durability of the costume.

“So how was it?”

Mina jumped to hug Momo. “I love it! It’s beautiful Momoring! Thank you!” Momo returned the hug, very relieved that Mina liked her work.

“I hope you get high grades for this!”

“I hope so too! Uhm, do you mind if I take a video of your performance so my professor would see?”

“Of course not! Anything to help you get a high grade… Oh, I could give you VIP tix so you could have front row access. Wait.”

Mina rummaged her bag to give her a ticket. Momo held it and marveled at the black and gold design of the ticket.

“Oh, you’re going to perform at the end of the Foundation Week?”

“Yes. Would you be able to come?”

Momo thought hard on her schedule. “Well the Fashion Design Department will have an exhibit and I am in charge of our booth. But maybe I could skip for an hour and ask somebody to man the booth for me…”

“You’d do that? For me?”

Momo laughed. “Of course I wouldn’t miss for the world debut of my costume and of course Ms. Myoui Mina’s performance.

Mina blushed and she did a small curtsy. “It will be a great honor to perform for the world-renowned designer Hirai Momo.”

Momo laughed. “Why thank you for the support Ms. Myoui.”

“No seriously. Do you want to have your own line of clothes?”

Momo laughed but stopped when she saw Mina’s serious face. “Of course, who wouldn’t want that?”

“Well, why don’t you build your portfolio and I could refer you to our family friends? I mean, you could design office wardrobe, party wardrobe, formals and everything? I’ll help you to start your business.”

“Are you kidding me?!”

“Do I look like joking to you?”

“But, but..”

“No buts. If you want, it could be a joint venture. I handle the business side, you do the designing side.”

Momo’s jaw dropped. This..this is way better than she was planning. She plans to be an apprentice to an already established fashion designing firm or designer, learn the ropes, before venturing on her own. Mina’s offer… it’s like a gift from the gods.

“But I don’t have money for capital, I—“

“Am I a Myoui for nothing?”

“I mean it’s a joint venture..”

“So? I will also profit from this in a long run.”

Mina looked very convincing that Momo’s heart soared. Is this the answer to her prayers?

“I---I’ll think about it, Mina. I don’t want to disappoint you.”

“Then don’t. You will never disappoint me, Momo.”

“I feel like I don’t deserve that confidence on me.”

“Why not?”

“Just… I dunno. Nobody had trusted me this much.”

“I could see it in your eyes. You are a fighter. You’re not a quitter. and in this kind of business, that is very important. Let’s do this one step at time ok? Let’s get over this performance, build your portfolio then let’s build H& M one brick at a time.”

“H&M?”

“Hirai and Myoui. Doesn’t it sound good? Or you prefer M & M? Short for Momo and Mina?”

Momo gaped at Mina who seemed to have everything planned out.

“Well?”

“H&M sounds good…”

“Great! Let’s get ice cream to celebrate!” Mina pulled her to the direction of the ice cream parlor where they ate before. Momo smiled at the girl. She let Mina lead the way---by the way things are going, she reckoned she’s ready to follow this girl anywhere.

---

Momo took a leave for a few days from her modelling work to focus on their University’s Foundation Week and Oji had been understanding. Nayeon however had been not. She had been texting and calling Yumi numerous times and Momo had to shut down her phone, reasoning that she had dead battery and she’d been very busy.

Well, it was true. Aside from finishing her another design project for another subject, she had to talk to freshmen and even non-students from their Uni about career choices, incase they want to shift or transfer to their school. She had apologized repeatedly to the older and Nayeon sighed and reminded her of her stint at the Cheerleaders’ Booth. Yumi promised that she will come and that apparently appeased Nayeon.

Momo sighed. She had been so busy that Jeongyeon had been pouting a lot lately since they cannot spend some time together, even have lunch or dinner together because of overlapping schedules. Jeong has a game against Yonsei University on Sunday, and she and her team are practicing hard to prepare since the game is going to be held on their home court, adding pressure to their team. Momo was dead tired but she waited for Jeong to finish practice so that they could go home together.

“You should have gone home first.”

“Don’t worry I was able to take a nap.”

“Don’t you have an early morning activity tomorrow?”

“Yes, I got to leave at 5am.”

“Do I need to fetch you?”

“No need Jeong. Just rest. You need all the energy you need for your game.”

“You will be there, right? To cheer on me?”

“Of course I will be!”

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes. “You might forget it, again. Aish, for someone so young, you are so forgetful.”

“No, no. It’s Sunday right? 7pm?”

“What?No, it’s 6! tsk tsk.”

Momo pinched her cheeks. “I’m just joking hotshot. Of course I know it’s 6pm.”

Jeongyeon is unconvinced until Momo took her lips into hers and Jeongyeon melted unto her. “See? How am I going to win if you will be there to cheer on me?”

Momo cupped Jeongyeon’s face on her hands. “I will be there. But for the recored, you are going to win even if I am not there. Because you are Yoo Jeongyeon, the best player in Incheon.”

“I’m flattered.”

“I’m telling the truth!”

“Okay, okay. I believe you. Just… be there for me, okay?”

Momo put her arms around Jeong’s waist and pulled her for a hug, her head leaning on the older’s chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart. She could stay in this position forever.

“Always.”

--

When Momo wake up on that early Sunday morning, she knew something is amiss. Because she was so tired, she slept through her 3 alarms, only the last one woke her up but it’s already 7am. She was already an hour late so she didn’t eat breakfast nor drank coffee.

She was already on her booth when Nayeon texted Yumi.

“Will see you later at 5, pretty girl. Our booths on the grounds, left side from the gate. It’s pink so you won’t miss it.”

Momo read the text before it dawned her. She was invited as Yumi and she left all her disguises at home!

Asking for another designer to man the booth, Momo took a cab home to get her things—wigs, make-ups, chic clothes. She was looking for a lipstick so she emptied all the contents of her pouch bag to her bed when she spied something glittering. She picked it up and saw it was a ticket to Sana’s play! She totally forgot it! She scanned the details and she froze. Tonight. At 6 pm. How lucky can she get?

Momo felt herself panicking. Okay, so Nayeon’s gig is at 5 then Sana’s at 6. Maybe she can escape the Cheerleader’s event early, reasoning another gig. Momo sighed with relief and was already putting back the contents of her bag when she saw another card.

Uh-oh. Mina’s recital. And it’s also 6pm.

How can she forgot all of it?

Momo fell limply on her bed. What is she going to do? How can she divide herself to three? Who should she cancel?

Sana who holds her secret?

Mina who holds her future?

Or Nayeon who will open doors to her success as a model?

Just then her phone ring to Momo’s surprise.

“Hello, babe. have you eaten lunch? Where are you? I’m at here at your booth but your classmate here said you went out. Hello, Mo? Are you there?”

Momo looked at the clock and it clicked. That something she had forgotten.

Jeong’s game. At 6pm.

Momo put her face on her hands.

…Or will it be Jeongyeon who holds her heart?