The first thing that I noticed as I began to come to was the semi sweet smell enveloping the surrounding sheets. It was definitely some sort of flower scent, but not the kind that was so sickeningly sweet that it made my nose want to close in on itself. It was pleasant, almost addictingly comfortable. Coupled with the warmth radiating from my right, I could only sigh and snuggle closer to the source. Wait.

My eyes flew open to see Chaeyoung sleeping right beside me. Our faces were only a few inches apart, and I immediately held my breath. I didn’t dare to breathe in fear of waking her up. That would be awkward. 

Chaeyoung's usual cat-like eyes were closed, her long eyelashes framing them perfectly. Her eyes were probably one of the most defining features on her face, alongside the beauty mark next to but god – clearly I didn’t give her lashes enough credit. My eyes trailed down her face, from the disgustingly well defined nose down to the mole next to her lips. Don’t even get me started on her lips. was parted slightly as she lightly snored. I almost laughed at the sound, the small imperfection starkly contrasted the angelic air her sleeping face exuded. My gaze drifted to her pinkish lips which were much fuller than my own and I wondered if they were as soft as they looked. Only one way to find out, said the devilish voice in my head. 

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer.” I jumped a little at the sound of her voice. I was so preoccupied with my observations that I hadn’t heard the snoring stop. I looked up to see Chaeyoung watching me with a smirk on her lips.

I scoffed, “I wasn’t staring.”

“Mhm. Sure, Mina,” Chaeyoung said in tone that clearly said that she totally did not believe me. She slid out of bed and went to stretch in front of the mirror. Her t-shirt rose up and a fraction of her back peeked out.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” I sat up and rolled my eyes.

She turned back to grin at me, “There’s no need to be embarrassed. I’m actually flattered.”

“I’m not embarrassed,” I denied. Who am I kidding? I always seem to be embarrassed around this girl. “Why would you be flattered anyway? I’m sure you get complimented all the time.”

At that, she turned around fully to regard me, like she was trying to figure me out. Her expression was neutral, no hint of whatever was going on in that little head of hers.

Finally she said, “I don’t exactly fit the mold of an attractive person. At least not here.” Oh. I stared at her as she turned back to the mirror to untangle a strand of hair. 

Well clearly, they're blind. Was what I wanted to retort. But my mouth was glued shut. 

“Not to mention the way I dress.” She met my eyes through the mirror and added, “I know you’ve noticed.”

I stayed mute, thinking back to the outfit she had on the first day we had met. It’s been a long time since I had even thought about her outfits. For the most part, she had worn what people would consider “normal” clothing when we were at school. But it wasn’t rare when she would choose to wear something that others might deemed “exotic”, but I had always thought that she was able to pull it off in a way nobody else could. 

I opened my mouth to respond, but Chaeyoung cut in with a smile. “It doesn’t matter to me anymore. I’ve learned to ignore the judging stares. And honestly? It feels so much better being myself then adhering to their bull standards like a mindless sheep.”

I shut my mouth when I heard the firmness in her response, and I looked at her in admiration. She’s strong.

When I had finally mustered the strength to get out of bed, I offered to cook breakfast for the both of us, which she had easily agreed to. Chaeyoung had went back to her apartment to change out of her pajamas. I was busy frying bacon waiting for her return. 

Chaeyoung entered the kitchen as I was finishing up the last of the plating. “Wow, it looks great,” she enthused, pulling a stool out. I watched as she shoveled a forkful into . “And it tastes great too,” she exclaimed. Her eyes were twinkling as she looked at me, “Man, whoever ends up with you is one lucky bastard.”

I rolled my eyes, “Shut up and eat.” 

As we were digging into the meal, I noticed the younger girl constantly glancing at her phone. The curiosity got the best of me after the tenth time– I wasn’t counting – and I blurted out, “Do you need to be somewhere?” Part of me was slightly irked. Was my company so boring that she needed her phone to entertain her?

Chaeyoung looked up, surprised at my sudden outburst. She quickly recovered and answered me, “We. We need to be somewhere."

“Pardon?” I don’t remember having plans today.

“I promised to bring you to see a real tiger, remember?” Chaeyoung reminded me. “We’re going to the zoo."

“I didn’t think you meant today,” I said, still caught off-guard. 

“You’re free today aren’t you?” Chaeyoung inquired.

“Well… yeah,” I said. I had planned on staying home the entire day actually.

“Great,” She said and picked up her phone. After a couple taps, she beamed at me, “Looks like everyone can make it.”

“Everyone?” My eyebrows raised. 

“MOMO THAT’S MINE!” Jeongyeon had realized that Momo had somehow gotten her sneaky hands on one of the chip bags the older girl had brought on the trip.

“YAH,” Sana’s high pitched shriek sounded when Momo almost ran her over with a mouthful of chips and an angry Jeongyeon hot on her heels.

We were getting judging stares from all directions but that didn’t seem to deter any of them.

“Isn’t this great, Mina?” Chaeyoung said excitedly, seemingly oblivious to the chaos spewing around her. I stared at the small girl beside me in disbelief wondering if she was serious. 

“Sometimes I wonder why they are the unnies,” Tzuyu grumbled under her breath. The tall girl was gripping her bag protectively, eyes darting to and from the older girls who were running havoc next to her. Dahyun was strolling beside us snapping pictures of everything she could see, as if she was used to this. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was.

“Settle down,” Jihyo bellowed at the girls. 

After hearing that her entire staff wanted to take a day off today, Jihyo had decided to close the cafe for the day and tag along. For which I was immensely grateful because it seemed that she was probably the only one who could control these girls.

Momo ran to hide behind her, which was a pretty comical sight considering how much shorter Jihyo was. 

“JJajiya, we got more chips here,” Nayeon coaxed the tall girl who was still shooting lasers out of her eyes. “I got your favorite right here.”

“9 tickets please,” Chaeyoung chirped at the person at the intercom. 

The employee handling the ticket booth that day looked like she wished she had stayed at home. “Uh, r-right.”

After Chaeyoung had exchanged the bills with the tickets, we were hustled into the zoo by Jihyo. 

The first thing we saw when we passed the gates was the sea house. The building was practically a mini aquarium. And as most aquariums go, it was gorgeous. The lighting was dim but it was just enough to bounce off the water, giving the rooms a pulsing bluish glow. 

Dahyun and Sana had already turned the place into a full on photoshoot. “Smile for me, baby,” the younger called out.

“Wow, that one looks delicious,” Momo pointed at a chubby fish that was floating by lazily. I stifled a giggle. It certainly did not look like it had skipped any meals. 

“Watch out. You’re drooling, Momo,” Jeongyeon said. Momo hastily wiped the corners of to find nothing. She glared at the taller girl who cracked up. “Got'tem,” Jeongyeon chortled.

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