Momo slowly opened her eyes and tried to adjust to the darkness. She squinted her eyes to the windows and she could see that it still dark outside. She reached for her phone and checked the time—4:30am. Still early, she muses and went to lie down again.

Wait a minute.

Momo sat up with a start and looked around. This isn’t her apartment! Papers were scattered on the center table, laptop off. On the other sofa she could make out a figure, asleep.

Dinner. Games. Dressing Up. Their Socio-Project.

Sh*t. She just slept on Myoui Mina.

Momo frustratingly ran her fingers to her hair and pulled. What kind of groupmate is she to sleep before they even finish the project? She went to the table and she could see that Mina was able to print out their project and Momo’s eyes widened to see that the part that she was also working on was printed out and neatly clamped with Mina’s parts. So Mina was able to finish everything last night?

Guilt filled Momo and she tiptoed where Mina was sleeping and pulled the blanket to cover her shoulders. Even asleep, Mina looked ethereal, and it hit Momo that she is lucky to be right here, right now, and not all people are given the chance to see Myoui Mina sleep.

Shaking her head, Momo stood to go to the bathroom to freshen up. As she was making her way back, she passed by the dining room and saw the grocery bags on the table. Maybe she can whip breakfast for Mina, the least she can do for the girl?

Momo’s not a great cook, but she can do simple French toasts, roast some coffee, pancakes and some bacon. She was very careful not to burn the pans, it looked expensive and Yoo might hang her if she ruined the kitchenwares. She gritted her teeth thinking of the jock’s invitation to watch her game and Momo swears that she will not submit to her bully’s wishes lest she wanted her suffering to continue.

“You can do it, Momo! Don’t give up!” and raised her balled fists to air.

Cheered, Momo happily arranged Mina’s breakfast in a tray  when her phone rang.

Momo’s eyebrows furrowed to see an unknown number.

Meet me today.

Who could be texting her?

It’s not the first time somebody sent an anonymous text to her, influential personalities who sees her in the catwalk sometimes able to take hold of her number and text her but as usual, she doesn’t reply nor pick up.

Her phone receives another text and her eyebrow shot up. It’s a selca from Minatozaki, looking gorgeous so early in the morning with her no make-up look. Life is really unfair.

"Great way to ruin someone’s morning MInatozaki."

"I thought you’ll be happy to see me first thing in the morning."

 Good thing I saw Mina first this morning, Momo thought.

"Where did you get my number?”

"I have my sources."

"What do you want?"

"Accompany me to breakfast, then afterwards shopping."

Momo sigh and put down her phone. Like in Yoo’s proposition, she doesn’t have any plan of giving in. Few moments passed by and Momo finished the tray of food for Mina when Momo’s phone dinged again.

'Check my twitter.'

'I don’t have twitter.'

'You better see what I posted Hirai. And make it fast before the whole school sees it.'

Momo logged on her private account and checked Sana’s account and she almost lost hold of her phone.

It was from an old photoshoot from a magazine from Japan, and Momo remembers it vividly because it was one that she was almost . Back then when she was starting, they were not choosy with the photoshoot as long as nobody touches her—her uncle made sure of it. Minatozaki posted the pic but blurred her face, only the body, with the caption ‘Guess who’s this?’

With a shaky hand, Momo replied to Sana.

B*tch.

Why thank you, Momo. So I’ll be at xxx Shopping Mall at the xxx café. See you ;) 

Sometimes, Momo hated her life. Or her past. or maybe a certain Minatozaki Sana.

Leaving Mina a note, Momo left The Crib and went to where Sana is. Hopefully, for the last time.

---

Two hours later with arms and feet aching, Momo slumped down on one of the benches while she is waiting for one Minatozaki to finish fitting for a shoe. On their 5th shoe store. She knows Sana is deliberately trying to make her suffer by making her carry all her shopping bags and going in and out of almost all stores in the mall even she has no plans of buying.

Momo gritted her teeth. Sana was trying to make a conversation with her but she was too pissed to answer. Sana may have thought that she could break Momo like this, but Momo had went through worse situations and this is just nothing compared to it.

Sana is smiling to herself. She knew Momo would come, she was able to find that old Japanese magazine from an old stack and she just got lucky to see a younger Yumi Kisaki in the centerfold. Semi-. Even younger, Momo had been voluptuous, with s and hips to drool for and hips so tiny that it spans two palms.

“What do you think? This one or this?” Sana asked, holding up two dresses. Momo shrugged but didn’t answer.

“Why are you wearing your ugly glasses and that tracksuit?”

“Ashamed that you are with a person as ugly as me?”

“Why would I be? When I know what’s underneath that tracksuit, Yumi Kisaki.”

Momo bridged the gap between them and vehemently whispered, “You do not speak that name, Minatozaki. Not to me, and not to everyone! I am already here, aren't I? Do your end, delete that pic!”

“Sana?”

Sana turned to see Mina in front of her, carrying a bag of bagels.

“Oh, hi Minari.”

“Fancy seeing you here. What are you—oh, Momo!”

Momo was hiding behind Sana and was hoping Mina wouldn’t see her, but she did.

“Hi Mina..”

“I was looking for you! You suddenly went without saying goodbye…”

Sana looked at the two of them. “You were together?”

Mina nodded. “Hmmm. Yes. We did an all-nighter to finish our project. She left earlier before I woke up because she said is going to do something important, I didn’t know carrying your shopping bags are deemed important Satang.” Mina said sarcastically.

Sana nervously giggled. Mina might be smiling but she knows that tone. “I just bumped to Hirai this morning and she volunteered to accompanying me to shop.”

“Momo? Of all people? C’mon Satang. There wasn’t any arm-twisting that happened, was there Momo?”

“Ah—“

Momo caught Sana’s sharp glance, warning her to be careful with her reply. Not wanting to cause trouble between the two friends she shook her head.

‘Ah, no. It just so happened that we bumped to each other and she was trying on a dress that’s why I held the bags.”

Mina was still unconvinced and gave Sana the look.

“Okay. If you say so. Would you like to accompany me to the bookstore, then? I think Sana WOULDN’T mind, would you, Satang?”

Sana gestured to Momo to follow Mina but Momo thought that if she followed Mina, Sana will be angry at her and if she stayed, Mina will be the one who will get angry.

“Uhm, I think I will have to go first, I have work today. Nice bumping to both of you, ladies.” Momo handed Sana the bags and nodded at Mina. And with that, Momo left the two furious at each other.

“Look what you did Mina.”

“Me? She just cooked me breakfast and didn’t wait up for me to wake up because you called her to carry your bags? I don’t know why you are doing this to her, I mean that girl didn’t do anything bad to you---“

“She stole you from me—“

“That’s my decision after you guys treated her poorly—“

“And you had a slept over without informing me—“

“Why, so you can mock me with my choice of friends?”

“I never mocked your choice of friends!”

“Well now you are—“

“Argh, I can’t believe we’re having a fight because of that girl—“

“Well, we wouldn’t have this conversation if you just let that poor girl be—“

“We just bumped to each other!”

“Satang, I am not stupid. What did you blackmail the girl with?”

‘And now you are thinking the worst of me?!”

“Well, did you or didn’t you?”

“So you are taking her side huh? So much for the 15 years of friendship!”

“I am not taking sides! All I’m saying is that---“

“Cut it out Mina. You chose her over me. Fine. I’ll be going. See you around, Mitang.”

And Sana left Mina, with mouth hanging open, flabbergasted that she had a fight, at a mall, for the very first time, with her childhood friend, over a girl that she just got close too.

Nice one, Mina.