Mina comes home, tired from her classes. Just the usual everyday where her professor is being such a , well, of course, she's almost used to it, take note, almost.

"Tadaima!" She yells as she opens the door, entering the cozy, warm, tiny dorm she has been sharing with her roommate, Nayeon since college started. Her roommate has been so busy since the first day they met, it's either she's reading a book or playing a game she wouldn't have known if it wasn't from the sounds coming from Nayeon's phone.

She walks in and Nayeon only nods at the younger girl. As usual, she just nods , Mina thoughts to herself, sighing as she plops down on her own bed. Thinking of how the older girl doesn't even acknowledge her greeting of coming home, does she hates my greeting? or maybe me?, Mina asks herself these questions everytime she comes home, with the said girl only nodding at her. She shrugs it off as she drifted to sleep.

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A long day, for me again, I guess, Nayeon said to herself before going in on her campus, she's late on her first period, she unconsciously didn't know that it was already 2AM last night, falling asleep while memorizing her 8th law for that day.

"Nayeon-ah! You look like a zombie that has been forced to go to school." Jeongyeon laughs at the brunette, noticing that she really does look like a zombie. The latter only rolled her eyes, and started walking faster, well because again, SHE’S ALREADY LATE.

"You need to chill, the first period's cancelled." Jeongyeon said as she keeps up with the fast paced walking of Nayeon. She raised an eyebrow, suspicious of her best friend's statement. I swear to God, you ostrich, if this isn't true I'm going to kill you in your sleep , Nayeon only looks at Jeongyeon more intently, as if she's trying to intimidate her.

Jeongyeon intensely stared at her, as if she's conveying a message, a sigh escaped her, as words escaped . "Did you really think I was gonna lie? Come on, let's grab some food. I'm hungry, Jihyo's waiting for us at the cafeteria." And so, the pair walked together to see Jihyo, who has been waiting there for what seem like ages, and tease the hell out of her.

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"Tadaima." Nayeon recognizes the voice immediately, Mina. She has been saying this word for like 84 years or so, I couldn't get ahold of what she's saying, but whatever. She thinks as she only nods at Mina again, like she always does, and goes back to reading her book.

Mina has been getting tired of saying she's home, feeling like there's no one to welcome her home, when there is literally an alive well-being living with her. Has she been so much of a nuisance by saying such simple greeting? Nayeon must've hated her, despite of her soft and calming voice, she could also be distracting Nayeon from her work. She takes a long big sigh, before heading to her own room.

To Mina, Nayeon is bubbly, enthusiastic and she has a heart-shaped lips. She didn't know what has been going through her mind, but she didn't care if the brunette's lips were on hers. Only if the latter welcomed her, maybe she'd be more excited about her boring, tiresome everyday.

On the other hand, the older girl wonders, has the ginger-haired girl always sighed like so long and loudly before? She shakes her head and gets back on focusing on what she was doing.

But the thing is, she couldn't. Mina's sigh must've bother her. It seems that there is something awfully wrong. Looking back, she never talks to the younger girl unless it's about needing to stock groceries again, or the bills they have to pay, and that's that, nothing really much to it.

To say that she was attracted to Mina when she first met her is an understatement. The ginger-haired girl pulled her in, like a whirlpool trying to swallow you whole, or maybe the waves of the ocean drowning you. She couldn't express, but there was something so enticing about Mina that she couldn't understand even if she tries decode every cipher existing in the world. Mina's beauty is an another understatement, she's beyond the aesthetics of the aesthetic, she refers Mina as ethereal to say the least.

She have taken a like on her for so long, she didn't know, but something about the younger clicked the button and she'll be of honor to do whatever Mina asks her. She also takes mental notes to look up what 'Taidama' means when she finishes her work. She was brought back to reality when she her phone dinged, signalling she received a message, must've been Jeongyeon. She checks to see what the the message says, 'Your birthday's in 5 days, Nayeon-unnie, what are your plans?'

She massaged her temples, has she been so focused in her studies that she forgot her birthday's upcoming? She really doesn't like celebrating birthdays, it's only a year close to death, or so she says.

Can't go out that day, Dahyun-ah, I have so much on my plate right now, maybe a week after my birthday? She pressed send, and kept her phone away from distracting on memorizing her 18th law for that week, and it was only Wednesday!

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And so, Nayeon's birthday comes, she comes home first, as usual, holding a cake which Dahyun, Jeongyeon and Jihyo gave to her, singing her a happy birthday as Nayeon blows the candle, not a wish comes to her mind but she smiles anyway, flashing her bunny teeth as her best friends clapped and gave her a kiss on the cheek, something about being it their tradition since they were still kids.

Placing the cake on the refrigerator, reminding herself to share a slice with Mina when she comes home. Today's the day she wants to rest, sitting on the couch as she looks up on a channel that might entertain her, pushing the buttons that seemed neverending, she sighed in defeat, turning off the TV.

How long has it been? It's already 7PM, Mina should be home already.'l Instead of pacing, and walking back and forth, she decided to make dinner for her and Mina, something she hasn't done for months, too caught up with her studies. Nayeon's been craving for steak, and there goes the crazy chef, with her oozing talent in cooking, she's able to prepare the dinner with no hassle.

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It's now time that Nayeon has started walking back and forth, it's already 11PM and Mina still isn't home yet. Nayeon's getting worried, the younger always tells her if she's going to be late home, but she didn't. She grabs her phone to message Mina.

"! I forgot, I never got her number, just how dumb are you, Im Nayeon?!" She's gone insane, has the younger gotten tired of her not acknowledging her presence? Has she started to hate me? Has she— Nayeon stops and remembers everything Mina did for her.

Mina cooks her dinner every Friday, because Mina wanted to try exploring her cooking skills. Mina always goes out with her friends Sana and Momo on Sundays to go shopping, and never has gone a Sunday that Mina doesn't come home without a plush that she got from a claw machine. The older remembers when Mina got home, holding a stuffed bunny.

"I got this bunny from a claw machine, and it kind of looks like you, so here." Mina shyly said, offering the girl the stuffed bunny, which she gladly accepted.

"Thank you, Mina." she responded, with her bunny teeth smile, she really does look like the bunny when she smiles like that, Mina thought.

Nayeon remembers that whenever Mina comes home she's always saying this word, what was it? Dat—, Ti—, Tad... TADAIMA! She reminisces the way Mina always yells it with a soft touch. I always forgot to look up what it means , Nayeon was thinking while already on the way to google and search what the meaning of Tadaima is.

Tadaima, a japanese greeting that a person says whenever they're coming back to their house after going out, this simply means 'I'm home.' Nayeon reads it, all this time Mina has been telling Nayeon that she's home but Nayeon paid no attention, because she's always been so busy. She continues on reading.

.... to answer the greeting, you just simply say, 'okaeri nasai', which means 'welcome home.' forms an O shape, she now reminds herself to say it when Mina comes home, but she's not going to be back anytime soon.  

Nayeon's losing hope, it's already nearing 12AM, Mina still isn't back. She's getting hungry and the cold weather isn't helping her either, going back to the kitchen, she looked at the refrigerator and saw the cold steak she cooked for Mina earlier. Of course, she won't think of eating that, instead she took out the cake, and placed in some candles. It's still her birthday, anyway so she lights the candles and one wish only came to her mind.

"Let Mina come back safe tonight, so I can welcome her home, for the first time." She said out loud, blowing her candles. Just after blowing the candles, she hears keys. Nayeon started walking out the kitchen, it must be Mina, she started walking towards the door, it should be Mina, she opens the door, IT IS MINA!

Mina was shocked to see Nayeon, opening the door for her, it's the first time the older girl opens it for her.  

"Oh, Nayeon, you're still up?" She asked, a dumb question, Mina thoughts to herself.

"Ah, oh, yeah, I was kind of worried since it's already late and you're still not home." Nayeon explained, still standing on the doorway, forgetting to go in, she couldn't feel the cold breeze. All Nayeon could feel was warmth, knowing that Mina is back, safe and sound. Nayeon unconsciously let go of the door, staying outside with the girl she's been waiting for.

"What's that word you always say when you enter the house?" The older girl asked, pretending not to know what it is. Mina spaced out, has she really forgotten when I literally say it to her every single day? , she answered anyway.

"Tadaima." She softly said, just like she always does. Nayeon smiled and asked a favor, "Can you say it again, but with my name?"  

Mina raised an eyebrow before she complied, sighing, she opened and said "Tadaima, Nayeon-ah." And yet again Nayeon smiled.

"Okaeri nasai, Mina-ya." Nayeon said, and Mina couldn't help but kiss the initial.  

"I-i, didn't mean t-." She was cut off by Nayeon's own pair of lips. Smiling into the kiss, Mina is reminded of her gift she got for Nayeon, hence she got home so late, pulling away from the kiss.

"I got something for you, Happy birthday, Nayeonnie." Mina said whilst taking out the gift she got for Nayeon.

"Did you knit this scarf?!" She exclaimed, excited that Mina did something for her, she knows that Mina knits as her pastime. Mina could only nod and show her gummy smile, wrapping the scarf around her neck.

Nayeon couldn't contain her happiness and pulled Mina in again for a kiss. Soft, slow, lovely, they both felt shivers down their spines, even so, only they could feel was warmth and love.

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"Oh , I forgot the keys." Nayeon blurted out and Mina slapped her shoulder then laughed the night away.