Jihyo’s loud fit of laughs echoed inside Nayeon’s apartment. Holding her god knows nth beer, the other cans sprawled on the floor, among with the other trash and crumbs. A typical picture for a Friday night hangout. “You mean, you’re crushing on the sibling neighbors, living right in beside your unit, verandas adjacent and borders are drywall thin.”

Nayeon didn’t answer, she was busy thinking about two hot Japanese living in the same floor as hers; both beautiful yet so different. And on her defense, Jihyo was wrong. “I’m not saying I have a crush on the both of them, I said they’re pretty!”

“Yeah, talk to my hand.”

Nayeon kicked the cans beneath her and grumbled. Jihyo giggled and started reciting interesting anecdotes to prove her false claim. “-time you first moved in here and Sana brought you a dessert but you just stood there drooling?”

She couldn’t defend herself this way, Jihyo was not done with her verbal assault just yet. “Or or when you bumped into Mina at the lobby and you suddenly touched her hair? That was creepy by the way.”

“You done now? Okay, I’m going to defend myself, your honor.” Nayeon sarcastically responded and started redeeming her dignity, “First off, I didn’t ogle at Sana, it was because we were moving boxes and furniture all day!”

“Excuses.” Nayeon really hated it when Jihyo and she couldn’t get right back at her it just made her wanna strangle her friend to death.

“And I touched Mina’s hair because she forgot to comb that part!”

Drinking more, Jihyo asked a very unnecessary question but made Nayeon think of life, of which she hated. “Just pick one, the eldest or the younger one?”

Nayeon refused to answer. She couldn’t do that to her neighbors! “None, they are all good neighbors of mine. Stop it, Hyo.”

If she did anything bad last night, she would rather do it again than suffer this awful headache. Nayeon woke up with a hard hammering in her head - hangover. She checked her medicine cabinet but she got none. Jihyo was still sleeping in the couch, looking stinky. Maybe a short trip to the drugstore nearby wouldn’t be so bad.

Nayeon looked so musty and ugly, but she got no time to freshen up, she needed those meds right now. She was blindly walking towards the elevator when she felt someone tap her shoulders. She turned and was about to say profanities but she was greeted by Mina’s cute smile. “Oh, hi.”

She unconsciously combed her hair using her hand and turned to the elevator doors and saw her horrible state. Oh my god, Mina didn’t see me looking like this! “Uh, look, Mina-”

Mina raised a paper bag and smiled even wider, making cute crescents in her eyes. Good god. “I saw you with your friend yesterday, and you guys bought a lot of cans last night.”

Nayeon accepted the bag and it contained all hangover meds and even bought them indigestion pills. “I figured you guys might need it. I should’ve brought last night-”

“No, it’s okay, Mina. Thank you.”

Mina left Nayeon standing dumbly in front of the elevator, the girl had early shift at the hospital. The walk back to her unit was painfully slow because the space was warping, Nayeon saw a foot blocking her door and Sana smiling widely, holding a bowl. “Hi, Nayeon.”

Jihyo slurped loudly and moaned. She had been doing that for five minutes now and nonstop talking about how delicious Sana’s hangover soup was. Not missing a chance to throw some teasing comments like a grandma. “Sana, this soup is so good, you will make a great wife, right Nayeon?” Spare her from that awful eye twitching.

 “Dammit, I forgot the medicine! I guess I won’t be a great wife, Jihyo.” They laughed among themselves and Sana offered that she buy them the meds but Nayeon gracefully declined and said she got them covered.

“When did you leave to buy these? I didn’t hear you leave?”

 “You’re drunk dead. I didn’t buy this, Mina bought it.” Jihyo gave her the look, even mouthed her ‘you’re a ’ and covered it as she rummaged through the bag, “Interesting.”

“Look, I’d love to hang longer but I have work at nine. I’ll just see you around, Nay?”

“Yeah. Sure.”

A certain devil inside the room was smiling all through out the interaction and even hummed. “It’s nice to meet you, Jihyo.” They sent her out and after the door closed Nayeon saw Jihyo’s grin on the shiny metal doors and a not so off-handed comment.

“I’d say, one point for the eldest today, Nay.”

“Oh just shut up.”

Nayeon immediately went grocery shopping after work because its a Monday and she got off early. She was on the vegetable section when she heard her cart crash into something. Only to see Sana purposely bumping into her with a cheeky smile. “Sorry, Miss. The brakes don’t work, can I get your number so we can negotiate next time?”

Nayeon rolled her eyes and pretended the wink didn’t shake her to the core. She smiled and put the cabbage down in her cart before it could fall because she was trembling in joy. Don’t ask her why an awful pick up line made her feel this way. “Whatever, just pay for the scratches, stranger.”

She pushed her cart and walked past Sana. But she was insistent and walked behind her. “Aw, I thought that worked!” Nayeon shrugged and continued pushing through aisles. She stopped at the toiletries and tried to grab a promo of tissue rolls but she couldn’t reach it, she’s too short.

Sana towered over her and grabbed the pack, waving it with a teasing smile and quick one last heart attack. “You know what, let’s have some dinner.”

Okay, Nayeon gives two points for Sana this time.

Mina sleeping on the couch when she heard the door opened, she glanced at her clock and its already eleven in the evening. “You got home late, I thought you got off at work early?” Sana laid the bags on the counter and started arranging them. Mina was leaning on her room’s door frame waiting. “Alright, Mom. Sorry.”

Her sister ignored her and helped in arranging. “I ate dinner.”

“Okay.”

Sana piled the instant noodles by its flavor. “With Nayeon.”

Mina stopped midway, “Okay?”

Leaning against the counter smiling at her younger sister. Sana waited for Mina to talk more than a four-letter word. “That’s it? No questions or anything?” Grabbing a carton of orange juice, Mina walked past her. “Nothing. I’m going to sleep. I have an upcoming 48 hour shift.”

Sana continued piling the groceries and dropped the bomb before her sister could leave the kitchen. “I got her phone number, by the way.” Mina stopped walking, the steps halted. Sana couldn’t help but laugh as she continued arranging their fridge. “Minari? You okay?”

Then she heard it, the door slammed.  Sana knew it. Mina was crushing on their neighbor. Maybe teasing her like this was fun after all. She unconsciously pulled out her phone and called someone.

“Hello, Sana?” She jumped into her bed and smiled. She didn’t know, but she was grinning from ear-to-ear. “Yep. It’s me.”

The other line became weird - noises and screaming. “You called when we’re just neighbors and we literally went home together?”

And the call went on for an hour or so, even though they were neighbors. Sana didn’t know why she called Nayeon but it felt right to do so.

-

Nayeon’s late for work and it . She woke up late in a very hectic Monday morning, now she’s at the bus stop among the others waiting for the bus that was apparently delayed eleven minutes. Muttering string of curses, Nayeon sat on the bench begrudgingly and waited impatiently. “Hi.”

Mina was sitting beside Nayeon drinking a juice from a carton. She was sipping silently and waved at her a little. It just lifted Nayeon’s mood from bad to really great.

“You want some?” Mina innocently offered her box. Nayeon shouldn’t be reacting like this, she’s not a high school girl anymore for ’s sake! But the thought of indirect kiss made her feel giddy. She drank the juice and tried not to look too flustered.

The bus ride was silent too, Mina was busy staring at the window with her earphones on. Nayeon bet Mina was imagining she was in a music video, because hey, don’t deny it, that’s what everybody does. “My stop is here. Bye.” Mina even waited for the bus to leave and waved at Nayeon through the window. God, Nayeon couldn’t stop grinning.

Nayeon couldn’t contain herself and even called Jihyo during lunch. Her friend was not enthused as she was, but Nayeon just needed an outlet to vent these feelings out. Recently, everything she had been feeling were a little too much to handle. “Oh my god Jihyo, you should’ve seen her face it’s so adorable I want to die!”

The gagging noises in between chewing on the other line was loud. “Right. But Yeon, as far as I can remember, Mina was just breathing, she didn’t even flirt with you, what the hell? you’re freaking out over nothing.”

“Were you listening? She offered me her drink, hello?”

Jihyo’s laughs hurt her ears. “Nayeon, that was nothing, it should be a polite gesture when a person offers their food but the other person SHOULD NOT take it.”

Nayeon fell silent. If only Jihyo could see her horror right now. But the silence was enough for now. “I ed up.”

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