Mina looks up at the restaurant that shows nothing fancy about it, just a big EAT WITH YOO sign in bright colorful neon lights being placed above the double door entrance. She wasn’t expecting anything extravagant from this dinner date. Momo had told beforehand of the IOU card she got from one of her friends for a double date. She thinks a date is a must once you start dating someone because, as insisted by Momo, what exactly is dating if there’s no actual dating activity involved.

Honestly, she’s already contented with their lunch dates because she gets to hang out with Momo without even being bothered to make an appeal to the blonde. Not that she had dressed up tonight for the occasion, wearing a floral one piece sleeveless dress paired with a denim jacket, her long hair tied in a simple half-up half-down style along with a light layer of make up on.

Nope, she really wasn’t expecting anything from the date.

“You,” Momo paused, obviously gulping. “Y-You look beautiful tonight.”

“Only tonight?” She retorts back, despite her ears going red at the tip.

“N-No! I mean, you’re always beautiful! But tonight…” The blonde scanned her up and down, her lips lifted into a grin with a pleased sigh. “You look exceptionally beautiful.”

“Thank you.” She murmured shyly, trying to stop herself from widely smiling when she received a stalk of pink rose from the latter. Nope, it’s not the typical rose, but a Korean rose; probably from a tree they always see at the backyard of a family house across the dorm area.

“I pluck it on the way here.”

“You mean, stole it?”

“I think they wouldn’t mind doing a little charity for a hopeless girl in love like me.”

How charming, Mina thought.

It would be a lie that she wasn’t feeling the same with Momo. She was caught breathless when the blonde showed up at her door wearing something else than the usual sweat suit or hoodie over a plain colored shirt. It’s just a simple black blazer over a white button down tucked in her blue fitted jeans, her bright blonde hair tied in a low pony-tail with her bangs styled in messy tendrils. The worn out sneakers is a letdown, but Mina can let it slide with how good she looks tonight.

“You look nice.” You should dress up like this more often, was what Mina wanted to say but refrain so because her heart can’t deal with the erratical pounding in her chest each time Momo appears all groomed and looking so good. She would die of a heart attack, soon.

“It's just something simple.” She sheepishly rubs her nape before holding out an arm with a slight bow. “Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

Well, maybe this dinner date does feel a bit different than their usual friendly lunch because she’s actually looking forward to it more than anything exciting in her life.

Oh, did she mention this is actually a double date? Because Mina begins to dread her decision once she steps inside the nice-looking place as she is greeted with a well-known face of a graduated senior.

“Moguri! I miss you!”

The blonde was wrapped in a crushing hug, unaware of the discomfort shown on her partner’s face of meeting the infamous queen bee in their campus. Momo wiggles herself out of the embrace, letting out a strained laugh as she rubs her sore arms.

“Are you trying to squeeze the life out of me, Nayeon?”

“Yah! Why do you have to tease me all the time?”

“I’m just stating a fact.” The blonde mumbled under her breath before whispering to Mina who’s silently watching their interactions. “I’m warning you, her deadly hug is no joke.”

Mina giggles as Momo fakes a shiver with a horrified face, only to receive a glare from Nayeon.

“Haha. Very funny.” She turns to the girl beside her ex-roommate, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinizes the newcomer’s face. “Do I know you?”

The reserved girl wears a polite smile before giving a slight bow to the older girl. “I’m Myoui Mina, a junior from the same faculty as yours.”

Nayeon loudly gasp as realization hits her. “No way! You’re that newly-elected vice president, right?”

Mina gives a small nod, feeling a little self-conscious of eyes turning their ways from Nayeon’s outburst. The latter quickly latches an arm around Momo’s neck, pulling the unexpected blonde into a huddle.

“How come you’re with her, huh?”

“Uhh, because we’re friends?”

“Really? You two don’t look like you’re suited to be friends, though?”

Momo’s lips arches into a frown. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The hushed whispers are slowly getting into Mina’s nerves, because they were quite loud to begin with and people are watching them. She deliberately clears , catching their attention.

The blonde mouths an apology, catching the small frown forming on the penguin’s face. She takes her arm and pulls the girl closer for a proper introduction.

“Mina, this is Nayeon-unnie. She was my roommate for almost 3 years, before she graduated early this semester.”

The older girl offered a handshake with a toothy smile. “Sorry, I was just surprised to see you guys together because you two are exactly total opposite.”

Mina quirks a brow, the older quickly raises her palm. “Not in a bad way, I mean.”

“Cut it out, unnie. She’s just a friend.” Mina catches the worried glance directed to her. “Stop assuming that every girl I bring is a date.”

“What? I thought I told you to bring a plus one!”

“She is!”

“But you said that she’s not your date?”

The blonde rubs her nape, trying to come up with an excuse for her plus one before Mina cuts her off. “She owes me dinner for always getting on my nerve.”

“Ah, yeah. Since I’m the troublemaker, ahaha!”

Mina lets out a small breath of relief since Nayeon bought their lies, already scolding the poor girl about her streaks of misconduct.

To say that Mina doesn’t know the older girl would be a lie; everyone knows the Im Nayeon. It has become an obligation for every student to mention her name at least once in their lifetime because Im Nayeon is the life of the campus.

If Sana is popular as a total sweetheart with a ground-breaking achievement of dating every famous jocks and babes available, then Nayeon is the dramatic queen bee that ruled the whole campus. The cool unnie who seems to be friends with everyone, because everyone wants to be cool like her, if that makes sense. Jihyo had mentioned once how Nayeon almost conquered the whole campus just by her loveable attitude alone, having everyone bow at her feet only with a flash of her toothy smile.

She even has an underground fanbase that worships Nayeon like a new religion, to the extent of spreading their false belief to new students to join their cult of Naytions. It takes Mina a lot of force (and patience) to curb their expansion and banish the fanbase leader from college.

Let’s not start with the new GodJihyo movement slowly surfacing out of nowhere because Mina is having enough of these ridiculous fanbase-turn-into-cult nonsense.

She heard rumors that Nayeon is loud, and Mina is never comfortable with anything loud. Must have been one of the reasons why she talks in a quiet voice. There’s a nagging feeling at the back of her head that tells her to put her guard up with this ex-senior who seems rather chummy with her lover.

Her feet automatically follow the two to a vacant table as her gaze glued on their linked arms, the older clinging rather quite close to Momo. At first she shrugs it off as a common thing between two roommates, but the lingering touches made her feel something odd; a feeling that doesn’t bode well with the throbbing in her chest.

Mina snaps out of her thought when a hand lands on her waist. Momo directs her to an empty chair she had pulled beforehand as she takes a seat beside her. A hand soon lands on hers, fingers lacing together in a light squeeze. She slowly turns to her side, the blonde giving her a warm smile. The small action managed to provide her with some comfort, calming the rage slowly bubbling in her chest as she responded with a smile of her own.

“Are you okay?”

Mina realized by then that Nayeon is nowhere to be seen, and the question accompanied with a gentle but worried pair of eyes just released a fuzzy warm sensation in her stomach. She’s probably hungry, Mina thought.

“Yeah, just a bit overwhelmed.” She slowly exhales. “I’ve never been on a date before, let alone a double date with your friends.” She leans closer, whispering with gritted teeth. “And by friends, I did not expect the Im Nayeon, Momo.”

The blonde lets out a chuckle that sounds way more delighting than the jazz music coming out of the stereo. “You don’t have to worry about them. Nayeon might seem a bit crass, but she doesn’t mean any harm. That’s just how she is. And Jeongyeon is such a no-jam, you’d wonder if she’s been living as a flop clown in her past life.”

Mina rolls her eyes with a smirk. “That sounds assuring enough.”

“Relax.” Mina feels a thumb rubbing her skin in a soothing way. “I’m here with you. Nothing can go wrong with that.”

“That’s what makes it worse.”

“Hey!”

Their laughter was cut short when Nayeon appears with a tall girl that Mina presumes is the no-jam clown Momo talked about, based on Nayeon’s arm wounding around her waist.

“Wow, here I am seeing you two being soft with each other when all the rumors said that the new VP is a cold, y, goody two shoes.”

The taller quickly nudged her with a glare, stating her disapproval with her partner’s behavior.

“Please ignore her. She had a rough childhood growing up.”

“Yah!”

Jeongyeon ignores her pouting girlfriend as she reaches for a handshake. “Yoo Jeongyeon at your service, welcome to the restaurant!”

“Oh, are you the owner?”

“No, it’s a family business. My dad is the owner.” Jeongyeon pushes the still pouting senior to take a seat on her chair, giving the latter a squeeze on her shoulder and a peck on her crown. Nayeon responded with a grin as she mouthed an “I love you”, contented with the small gesture.

“Is it okay if I steal Momo for a minute?”

The tall girl asked Mina, who turns to her partner with a confused look. Momo raised an eyebrow before nodding, giving the penguin and assured smile as she follows Jeongyeon to a corner away from their table. Mina turns her attention to the older when the latter let out a loud sigh.

“Even though her father is the owner, Jeongyeon mostly manages this place on her own.”

Mina bobs her head gently, grateful that the older starts the conversation rather than letting her drown in awkward silence. Despite their talk consist mostly of Nayeon complaining about her partner’s dedication to this place as compared to their love life, Mina can feel herself slowly relaxing and enjoying their small talk albeit the intimidating aura Nayeon exudes when the latter greet her earlier.

She understands now how Nayeon gains her reputation; the senior is so good in conversing that she breaks the ice with just a snap of her fingers. Even Jihyo takes a while to warm up to Mina, but here she is laughing and replying with more than a word which deems impossible for the reserved girl to engage to on a first meeting.

“I’m betting you a piece of fries that no good lover of mine is going to ditch us when they return from their short meeting.”

“Why a piece of fries though?”

“What? You want me to bet on my beauty instead?” The girl flips her hair on purpose, earning another set of giggles from the clapping penguin.

Truth to be told, the taller approaches their table with nervous smile, asking for permission to be excused for some trouble in the kitchen. Jeongyeon had expected an earful of scolding coming from Nayeon, only to be surprised when her girlfriend simply dismissed her with an understanding look. Momo had offered to come along when she received a nod from Mina while Jeongyeon calls a waiter to prepare some refreshment for their table. The taller leaves a peck on Nayeon’s cheek, before disappearing into the kitchen with Momo in tow.

“She’s so sweet, isn’t she?”

Mina smiled as she follows Nayeon’s line of view. “She might be preoccupied with the restaurant, but I can see how much she cherishes you. You’re really lucky to have Jeongyeon, unnie.”

A look of surprise flashes on her face, before it is replaced with a shy smile. “Thank you for the warm words, I really appreciate that. But I was actually talking about Momo.”

“Pardon?”

“I mean, look at her.” The girl shrugs dreamily with hands supporting her cheeks. “She readily offers to help when she is supposed to be the customer. I would have dated her if I haven’t met Jeongyeon.”

“Oh.” That gnawing feeling resurfaced again, making her anxious of where this conversation is going.

“To tell you the truth, Momo caught my eyes the second she entered our room as a new freshy. But she’s a dense girl, that Moguri.” Nayeon sighs with a forlorn look. “I made a lot of advances, but she only think of them as my sisterly affection to a dongsaeng. Like, how absurd can that be?”

The older scoffs before taking a sip of her water, her face grimaced from the plain taste. “I did confess to her once, though.”

Mina gulps despite her dry throat, trying her best to appear normal. “What happened?”

A cynical laugh escaped Nayeon’s lips. “I was kindly turned down, of course. Said she already has her eyes on someone. Can you believe that?” The older shakes her head, snorting to herself. “Momo is just that kind and considerate. It makes me fall for her more, unfortunately.”

There it is. The clench in her chest appeared again, and Mina feels her lungs lurched uncomfortably, her breath hitched. She puts a hand on her chest to calm down, only to catch the forlorn pair of eyes staring in the distant.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” She mustered a comforting smile, despite needing comfort herself.

Nayeon waves her off with a nonchalant laugh. “That’s all in the past though. I have Jeongyeon now and there’s nowhere I want to be than with that irritating girlfriend of mine.”

A part of her feels relieved at the sight of Nayeon smiling with a slight blush on her face, but another part is still being wary of her history with Momo. She can’t help to compare herself with Nayeon, of how perfect the woman is in comparison to her. She might be the vice president, but she was a nobody at first. She still is a nobody now, because people are addressing her as the VP instead of Myoui Mina. She can be considered as popular too, but only as a goody two shoes, just like Nayeon mentioned.

People are scared of her, not respected, or even loved.

She wonders if that’s the reason Momo agreed to keep their relationship a secret, her reputation being at stake. Because Mina is different than the blonde who is cherished by her juniors, by the members of her dance club while Mina only has her friends that she can count with her fingers.

The insecurities slowly invade her mind, but it stopped when she heard the older whines for their partners’ absence as she knocks the table impatiently. The waiter standing nearby catches the small action, immediately sprang to Nayeon’s side, looking rather anxious with the older’s seething glare.

“Where’s Jeongyeon?”

The poor boy scratches his head. “Miss Yoo is preoccupied in the kitchen at the – Hold on, Miss?”

Nayeon is already marching to the kitchen door, leaving Mina and the waiter dumbfounded. Not wanting to be left alone on the huge square table, Mina excused herself with a deep bow of apology before tailing after the retreating senior.

When she steps inside, she found the kitchen staffs whispering and standing in a circle. She found Nayeon slipping to her tall girlfriend among the crowd of chefs, opening for a scold or two to her lover, but she was stopped with a finger on her lips. Jeongyeon told her to be quiet, her eyes motioning to the chef hunching over a cutting table. Mina moves to an open space for a better view, stunned to see that the chef in spotlight standing before a huge fish is indeed her blonde girlfriend.

Momo has her shirt’s sleeves rolled up, donning the restaurant’s apron and a white bandana, fully concentrating on cutting up the whole salmon on the cutting table. Mina curiously watches as Momo sliced up half part of the body with clean execution, her hand moving with precision and fast motion. She’s not even blinking, afraid that she might missed an action that seems too intriguing to watch. Mina is entranced, amazed with how engrossed and skilled Momo is, like she’s in a world of her own, unaware of the attention she garners by every staff in the kitchen.

“What is she doing?” Nayeon whispered.

“She’s cutting the salmon.” Jeongyeon stated the obvious, earning an eye roll from her girlfriend. “I’m not blind. Just, what she’s doing really?”

“I don’t know.” The tall girl shrugs, not taking her eyes off the blonde chef. “I just asked her opinion on what to do with the salmon since we don’t have a place to store it.”

“What do you need a salmon for, though?”

Jeongyeon sighs, arms crossing over her chest with clear discontent shown on her face. “Dad’s friend is coming tomorrow for a visit. Apparently he’s an owner of a famous hotel chain and a 5-star Michelin restaurant. He wants to show off to that friend, I supposed. Unfortunately, he forgot that the freezer room is currently under maintenance.”

Mina silently listened to the hushed conversation, only to be startled at the sound of knife being stabbed on the chopping board. The improvised chef quickly moves around, smelling and checking all the ingredients available on the kitchen island. She takes a few ingredients, mixes them in a bowl before walking back to the cutting table. Her deft hands move so fast, that everyone’s at awe when she suddenly clap her hands. She turns around with a satisfied grin, presenting them with two trays of different dishes on the kitchen island.

“That was – Did you just brine the fish?” One of the cooks voiced out, earning a nod from the blonde. “Since your freezer is broken, it’s better to preserve the fish through dry-brining. It will not only keep the flesh from drying up and lose its texture, the salmon will already be seasoned by the spices and herbs. I suggest you either grill or smoke the fish to enhance its flavors.”

 Jeongyeon shared looks with the chefs, all of them murmuring and nodding in agreement. Then, a waiter points to another tray, the remaining salmon being cut up into perfect blocks over a layer of crushed ice. “What about this?”

“This,” Momo takes the tray and pass it to the head chef. “Is for you.”

“Uh, me?”

“I’m actually here for dinner, and Jeongyeon already told me that I can request any dish I want as compensation.”

“Oh. Um, well…” He scratched his head before raising his shoulders. “As long as it’s not something fancy, I guess.”

Despite being blocked by a few tall men with their high caps, Momo still manages to find Mina. She gives her a smile, catching the latter surprised.

“Do you know poke bowl?”

 

*

 

The dinner date was surprisingly interesting, from Momo’s point of view. She didn’t expect her service would be needed in the kitchen, but she had a lot of fun helping with preparing the salmon. She would have accepted Jeongyeon’s kind offer to give her a spot for an internship at the restaurant. Unfortunately, it is located in another town which took more than an hour journey by bus. While that might be a disadvantage for her, at the same time she’s glad for having an excuse to refuse it because the one thing she really wants to avoid is Nayeon.

Don’t get her wrong, she doesn’t hate Nayeon or anything. But that woman can be a prick sometimes, and regrettably Mina was her victim tonight. She was throwing jabs to the poor girl in her drunken state, causing her girlfriend to be all bothered and flustered with the attention she received.

“I really can’t fathom how the hell you became the VP?” She mumbles, her face flushed from the nth glass of wine. They lost count. “Like, do I even know you? You seem like a nobody, as compared to that Park. Oh, that annoying wide-eyed Thomas they call god. Why is she even living among human in the first place?”

Momo casts a glance to her side, the vice president in question seems to be taking it fairly well with her poker face. If only people know that a poker face Mina means a pissed off Mina; the blonde knows, unfortunately.

“Like, why would those rumors came up if they weren’t true right?” Nayeon scoffed, taking another swig from her glass, only to gag from the taste. Jeongyeon had sneakily exchanged her wine with water. Thank god she’s too drunk to notice. “I know people like you, always up for the glam like the two-faced prude you are. I’m always right about these things.”

Seeing Mina’s jaw clenching tightly, the blonde quickly intervenes. “They’re just rumors, Nayeon. Why are you drinking so much, anyway?”

The older scoffed. “You.” She points her finger. “Why are you defending her?”

Instead of answering, Momo let out a sigh, only for a hand to grab hers in a gentle squeeze. Nayeon watches the two silently communicating with their eyes, her own pair narrowing in suspicion. “You have the hots for Myoui, do you?”

“Okay, that’s it. Dinner’s over.” Jeongyeon exclaimed when she sensed the tension brewing over their table.

“But I haven’t finished the whole bottle yet!” Nayeon whined, but Jeongyeon’s already calling the waiter for their bill before struggling to pull the wobbling girl on her feet.

“It’s fine, I got her.” She politely declines Momo’s offer to help with the drunk baggage, giving apologetic smile to them. “I’m really sorry about Nayeon. She was having a bad week at her workplace and decided to vent it out on you. I bet she’s gonna be bawling her eyes out tomorrow when she remembers what happened.”

“Yeah, typical Nayeon.”

Jeongyeon laughed as she bids them farewell, literally dragging the older kicking and punching her girlfriend for her bottle of wine.

Momo had to admit, Nayeon really went over the limit tonight. She really wants to strangle the woman like she usually would, if it wasn’t for her girlfriend’s presence. She can’t understand how can Jeongyeon put up with a wild and bold girl like Nayeon.

She glances over to the passenger seat, the silence inside the car is getting unnerving by the second. Mina is facing the window, arms wound over her chest in a protective embrace. When the car reaches a red light, Momo quickly takes off her blazer before placing it over her partner’s body.

It managed to gain Mina’s attention as the girl turns to her, confused.

“I thought you might be cold.” She shrugs, earning a small thank you and a smile from the latter.

Well, that’s progress. Momo cheered to herself.

“Mind if I switch on the radio?”

Mina snorts, shaking her head in amusement. “Why do you keep asking for my permission with everything involving the car?”

The blonde feigns a gasp, a look of disbelief obvious on her face. “Ma’am, should I remind you again whose car does this belong to? I might break a button or two if I keep touching things like I own it.”

“You’re already taking the wheel, Momo.”

“Exactly! You only told me to take the wheel, not the whole car!”

Momo grins when the owner of the car cackles, showing her gummy wide smile. She keeps her eyes on the road when the light turns green, already missing the face of her penguin. Silence filled the car again, but it isn’t as suffocating as before. A hand reaches for the radio, a sappy song about love is playing on the background as the DJ reads letters from his fans.

“How did you know I like poke bowl?”

“I got the jjirit jjirit from you.” Momo made the thumb signals on her head. “Since we’re telepathically connected now.”

“Says who?”

“Says your great personal chef.”

She heard a silent huff, imagining Mina rolling her eyes at her. “You’re so conceited.”

“Oh, so you admit that I’m your great personal chef?”

“You are.”

Momo steals a glance at the small whisper, her chest swelling with pleasure as her face heats up from the sudden praise. She clears to stop from screaming with joy.

“I’m glad you enjoyed dinner.” The blonde changes the topic, trying to save herself from further embarrassment. “I was really worried you might be uncomfortable with the idea of having a double date.”

The pause in their conversation told Momo she had hit the wrong button with her smooth swerving of the topic in hand. She cursed inwardly while anxiously waiting, the gears in her head slowly working for another subject she can talk about when Mina makes a small hum.

“They are a lovely pair.”

“Yeah, they are.” She halts, waiting for Mina’s reaction that might show her discomfort, but the calmness she displays urged Momo to continue. “I was actually surprised Nayeon managed to find someone that can calm the storm in her. That girl is a wild rabbit, to be honest.” She chuckles, imagining the woman jumping around in her room like a bunny. “She just can’t stay in one place for a long time, always jumping around to annoy someone or just messing around for the fun of it.”

Another hum, a bit longer this time. “You guys seem really close.”

“Of course, I’m her number one victim she likes to mess with!” Momo laughs, glancing at the smiling girl beside her. “She might seem crazy at times, but Nayeon-unnie is someone really reliable once you get to know her.”

“What is she to you?”

“What?”

“Nayeon-unnie.” Momo’s forehead creases at the question. “What is she to you?”

She taps her index finger on the steering wheel, thinking of a better way to address Nayeon’s presence in her life rather than a mere roommate. “I would say a close sister.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah, a really close unnie I can depend on.” She nods to herself, satisfied with the answer. She wasn’t bluffing though, she really thinks of Nayeon as another older sister but with different parents.

“Why are you asking?”

She turns her attention to the passenger seat as the car came to a stop at their dorm’s parking lot, earning a shrug from the vice president.

“Just curious, that’s all.”

 

*

 

Their conversation ended just like that, and it was also the last time Mina was in contact with the blonde. It has been three days since she ignores Momo’s attempt to reach her; be it messages or phone call, even the messenger in the form of giant yoda was ignored when the latter pays a visit to her room.

Mina’s been cooped up in her room these days, earning weird looks and endless probing from her roommate. She shrugged off Sana’s curiosity with a simple typical answer; she’s on her period. The squirrel wasn’t falling for that lame excuse, of course. But it manages to put her incessant questioning to a stop.

Tzuyu has been a really great help to her, as always. She’s being the usual errand girl, dropping off Momo’s homemade meal for her new favorite unnie before dragging her excited girlfriend out of their shared room for a walk outside. The younger seems to grasp Mina’s aloof behavior as needing space, and she’s grateful for Tzuyu’s understanding of her situation.

However, she was surprised that day when the tall girl suddenly invades her space with a deep scowl. Mina had just returned from her evening class, doing assignments on her bed with her ears plugged in when Tzuyu appeared by the door, stomping her feet to Mina’s bed and glowers over the startled senior.

“Unnie, I’m sorry if I’m being rude right now but you have to talk to Momo-unnie.” She gazed Mina down with her sharp eyes, before her face soften. “It’s not fair for her to be treated like this.”

As soon as she said that, she snatches her girlfriend’s hand and pull her out of the door, the surprised shiba could only make a small whimper of protest before the sound is muffled by the door slamming shut.

Mina squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath to calm herself. She was actually feeling awful for giving the cold treatment to the blonde, the guilt slowly building up when she read the cute texts sent by Momo. It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Mina thought. She doesn’t know what makes her feel all of these disturbing thoughts; she was never one to succumb to her emotional baggage, always being the rational person she is.  

She was supposed to be happy, contented for their first date together, but instead she was having a hard time falling asleep because of the words ringing in her ears. She might have acted like Nayeon’s words doesn’t affect her much, only that they do affect her in some ways. She wasn’t as much bothered with the rumors; she’s already used to people talking behind her back. But the fact that Nayeon had a massive crush on Momo was what made her all riled up.

A notification pings from her phone.

Maybe Tzuyu was right; Momo doesn’t deserve this. She wasn’t even at fault to begin with. With a reluctant sigh, she opens their chat. A gif picture pops up, showing a cute penguin holding out its flaps for a hug.

 

 

She bit her lip, trying to suppress a smile from the pouting chubby penguin animation she received.

Oh, who is she kidding? Momo could even make her smile just by the sight of her dumb-looking face. Another balloon text pops up, asking her if she’s in the student council room. She knows Momo’s schedule by heart right now; the dance club meeting about to end in half an hour. She leaves the text at read as she rushes out of her room and drives her car to the main campus.

She can feel her breath shortening, just to realize that she had jogged up the staircase towards the third floor, instead of using the slow elevator. She keeps her composure calm when a few of the dance club members greet her, not missing the whispers and squeals regarding her rare smile.

She paused, a hand touching her face.

Oh, she is indeed smiling.

She shakes her head with a snort, not believing the effect Momo has on a stoic person like her.

Reaching the door, she peeks through the window pane, finding only one person still absorbed in her dancing. 

It feels like déjà vu all over; the blonde dancing by herself in the room as she sneaks a peek inside, only this time instead of a vexing groan, it is replaced with a fond sigh.

Mina carefully enters without making a noise. She tiptoed inside, unaware that the ace of the dance club already noticed her presence, an amused smile playing on her lips at the sight of Mina walking like a funny burglar.

“You’re practicing ballet or something?”

Mina stood frozen, her left leg hanging midair with both hands flexed to her chest. She slowly turns her head to the blonde’s reflection on the opposite mirror, catching the smirk directed to her. Mina clears as she flashes a sheepish smile from getting caught.

Momo twirls towards her, still in her dancing glory before holding out a hand. “May I have this dance?”

There wasn’t even a song playing, just Momo humming a tune as they waltz around the room, their steps syncing together like a rehearsed routine. Mina can’t seem to tilt her head up to look at her partner’s eyes; her gaze feels as if it bore into the depth of her soul. She feels , exposed, behind Momo’s deep brown orbs of wonders and starlight.

Oh, how she loves to be drown in those eyes full of life and colors.

Mina’s feet start to move on its own as she twirls herself away from the blonde, her hand swaying in a gentle languid flow while her body sways with the imaginary rhythm in their heads. A memory flashes through Momo’s mind, of the first time she saw the human penguin dancing without a care of the world. How her leg extended up in the air and her hand moves along in fluid motion before making rounds of twirls, how breathtaking she looked that night even with those messy bangs covering her eyes.

Mina still looks the same without the bangs; she’s still breathtakingly stunning.

The vice president ends her dance with an arabesque and a bow, a hand gracefully reaching out to Momo’s slacken chin and pushes the gaping mouth close.

“You’re rudely staring, miss. I might have to sue you.”

“I’m suing you first for being so beautiful,” The blonde takes a few steps closer, trapping the girl in her arms. “And for stealing my heart.”

“Two offenses in a day?” Mina lands her hands on her partner’s shoulder, a smirk playing on her face. “I think I just beat you as the top notorious troublemaker in campus.”

“Haha, very funny.” Momo rolled her eyes as she sways them in a silent beat. “How did you learn to move like that?”

Mina shrugs, pushing a stray hair behind her ear. “I attended a ballet academy for 11 years.”

Momo gasped, genuinely this time. “Wow, another mystery of Miss Penguin unlocked!”

“It’s not that amazing.” She takes a beat to answer and Momo knows she’s venturing a bit too deep. But the blonde wants to know more, wants to understand Mina.

She wants to know all of her.

“Why did you stop?”

“My parents.” Momo feels the grip around her shoulder clenching the checkered shirt she wears. “They think it’s taking too much of my time. So they stop sending me there and assigned me a private tutor instead.”

“You have a rather, interesting childhood, I’d say.”

“It’s kind of bleak, don’t you think?”

“It’s amazing for me.” A smile appeared, albeit being faint. “But we shouldn’t be too engrossed with the past. Let’s focus on the moment and make wonderful memories instead, okay?”

Mina chuckles at her girlfriend’s goofy grin. “You’re so positive about these things.”

“It’s me trying to be cool in front of you, but thank you anyway.”

Mina giggles before drawing her face closer, tucking her face in the nook of Momo’s neck. The latter feels her girlfriend letting out a deep sigh, her breath tickling her skin.

“Aren’t you mad?”

“Eh?” A tinge of red printed on Momo’s cheeks from the close proximity. “W-What for?”

“For disappearing on you.” Her face softens when Mina mumbled on her skin.

“Do you want me to?”

“No.”

“Then I won’t.” Fingers comb along Mina’s black tresses, the affectionate gesture seems to comfort the latter. “I know you’re upset and it’s okay, Mitang. I won’t get mad, you’re entitled to have those feelings.”

Mina closed her eyes, tears prickling behind her eyelids. “I don’t know why but I got scared when Nayeon-unnie said she had a deep crush on you.”

That seems to answer the blonde’s doubts for Mina’s withdrawal after their dinner date that night. She inhales silently, pulling the trembling girl closer.

“Had.” Momo repeated her word, causing the girl to hum questioningly. “You said it yourself. Nayeon had a crush on me. She’s in love with Jeongyeon now, right?”

“Yeah, but still –”

The blonde nods her head, trying to assure the quivering girl in her arms. “Hey, it’s okay to get scared. I would feel the same if someone suddenly confessed they have feelings for you.”

“R-Really?”

“Of course! I love you too much to let you go, Mitang. I’m not going to let someone else have you.” Momo feels her neck wet, squeezing the girl softly. “And so should you. Don’t you ever dare let me go, Mitang.”

The girl in her arms nodded, before pulling away. Her red eyes search for Momo’s for some kind of assurance of their promised oath. Mina received a smile, one so warm and gentle; it lightens the heaviness in her chest of her own insecurity.

“Together.” She leaves a gentle peck on Momo’s cheek, before burying her face in the comforting space between Momo’s collarbones. “Let’s make memories together, Momoring.”

The blonde pulls their body closer, giving the girl an convincing nod before kissing the crown of her head.

“Mm, together.” 

 

*

 

Things went well for Momo and Mina, their slight misunderstanding just make them both closer than ever. The girls became inseparable by now, people are seeing them walking together all the time that they start questioning how on earth did these two got acquainted. Like, can you imagine the goofy and grinning with her trademark dumb look of a delinquent Hirai Momo, walking coolly beside the stuck-up, always with a frown on her stoic face and intimidating aura of a vice president Myoui Mina? Nope, it’s like hell and heaven; two opposites void of any attraction.

Oh, imagine the chaos when these people discover their relationship is more than just a mere acquaintance.

Only a few of their friends know, and these special people respect the couple’s decision to keep their relationship under the radar. Even the all-knowing number one source of rumors Park Jihyo is keeping checked all the time to avoid spilling anything related to Mina’s secret affair.

“Why do you have to make it sound so wrong?”

“What?” Jihyo chews on her grapes, her eyes wide from Mina’s false claim. “I’m not wrong, though. You do have a secret affair.” She wiggles her eyebrows annoyingly. “With your Momoring~”

Mina groans, but silently since they are still in a meeting with the committees for their annual sports day. It’s a miracle to see Jihyo volunteering to help them when she’s so adamant to leave behind her past hectic days as a committee, let alone waking up early on a Saturday like today. It’s also unusual for a vice president like Mina to sit at the back row of the lecture room; she’s only there as an observer. How fitting it is to see the duo laying low at the back and munching on some snacks, ignoring the boring presentation run by the second years. The senior members had decided to let the younger committees to handle the sports day and have a taste of what it feels like to lead. The juniors are going to replace them soon, anyway.

At the thought of that, it struck Mina of how fast the year had passed, her first semester of final year about to end soon. It didn’t occur to her that she will be graduating in a few months, having something else to worry about rather than her final year project or passing her examinations.

She’s going one step closer to adulthood, a scary phase that no one wants to talk about.

“What are you going to do after we graduate?”

Jihyo pops another grape that she smuggled into the meeting inside , giving weird look to her friend. “We’re in a sports day meeting, Mina. Where the hell did that come from?”

“I’m bored, just answer me.”

“Well, I don’t know. Probably running all over Seoul for auditions and job offers. Not sure if I can make it, though.”

Mina slowly nods, remembering Jihyo’s dream to be a renowned singer in Seoul. It’s such a big dream, but Jihyo has a backup plan in case her main dream couldn’t be attained in the long run; opening a pub in the middle of the city because if the world can’t accept her voice, she would rather sing to an audience of drunken men instead. They have to listen to her voice anyway, sober or not.

“What about you?”

What about her?

For the first time in her life, Mina couldn’t find the answer to that simple, three-word question. Growing up, she has always been told to do what she is supposed to do by her parents. There was never once that Mina had been given a choice to choose, of what she likes or what she wants. It’s not that she never voiced out her thoughts, instead she thinks nothing of it and just goes along to her parents’ wishes because they always know what’s best for her.

“I’m not sure.” Her shoulders sagged from her answer; unconvinced. “I mean, my father did mention a few times how I should take over the family business soon.”

Surely her father was jesting; the old man loves to make light conversations in the middle of their family dinner. Now that she said it out loud, perhaps he was actually hinting at her to consider working in his company when she finishes college.

“Ah, that’s nice.” Jihyo ducks her head down to pick on a stuck grape skin between her teeth. “Have you thought about Momo?”

Her forehead knitted together. “Momo?”

“Yeah, you guys are dating. Have you ever thought of your plan together after graduating?”

Somehow, it had slipped her mind to think of their relationship because to be honest, she had never expected to be in a relationship right now. For Mina, there are only three things to worry about in her life; her grades, her image, and her games.

Now that she has an extra priority to think about, she can’t help but to get worried about her future.

“Hey.” Jihyo placed a hand on top of Mina’s, stopping the latter’s impulsive action of picking at her skin. A feat she always does when she’s nervous. Mina flashes an apologetic smile, curling her hands into fists.

“Don’t think too much about it. For now, you just need to worry about a certain blonde trying to reach you in the middle of the meeting.”

“Eh?”

Jihyo tilts her head to Mina’s silent phone on the table, the device flashing Momo’s name. She slides the red icon, before tapping the chat app.

 

Mina turns to her friend with a pitiful smile, the girl waving her off instantly.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go to your Momo.” She makes a clicking sound with her tongue, sliding her body down the chair in a weird slouching position for a quick nap. “Tell her she owes me a bento box.”

It’s the weekend but for the seniors, it’s the same as other days. They have replacement and extra classes to attend to and projects to finish before the upcoming final term examination in a few weeks. The week already feels like a rush with so many things to catch up, but here is Mina in the cooking lab, accompanying her blonde girlfriend for her assignment just because the latter needs a hand to taste her dish.

Or perhaps, a tongue, in this case.

“Can’t you ask Sana for this?” She points to her roommate lazily laying her head on the table, her arms acting as pillow as she doodles on her notebook with droopy eyes.

“Can’t. Busy.”

Momo raised her shoulders. “What she said.”

The blonde resumes pouring ingredients into a mixer, while Mina stares at her roommate. It’s weird that the usually chirpy Sana being so out of character at this time of the day. Mina leans closer to the blonde scribbling a few side notes on her recipe. “What’s up with her?”

“Monday blues.”

“But it’s Saturday.”

“Yeah, but I don’t know what Monday blues is on a Saturday.”

She glances to Sana again, the latter jutting her lower lips before blowing raspberries with crossed-eyes. Mina gives her a weird look. “You sure it’s just that?”

Momo halts her writing, letting out a sigh. “Tzuyu ditched her for a morning shift at the restaurant.”

“She’s still brooding about that?”

“It’s not Sana if she’s not making a fuss over nothing.” Momo shrugs before pushing a small bowl of green mass to the unaware squirrel.

“Yah!” Sana shrieks when she accidentally inhaled the substance in the middle of dozing off. “Momo! That’s not nice!”

“You come here to study, Sana. Not drooling on the countertop.”

“But you don’t have to do that! Aish!”

The blonde cackles at the giggling machine jumping out of her seat to ward off the smell before presenting the bowl to the curious Mina. She winced from the strong pungent smell of the green paste, pinching her nose with clear disgust.

“Is that wasabi?”

“You have a keen nose.”

“Everyone will know by the strong smell.” She rolled her eyes at her grinning girlfriend. “What’s with the wasabi though? Aren’t you making bread?”

“You’ll know soon.”

“Don’t listen to her!” Sana warns from her seat. “She’s gonna make you die with her new creation, Mina!”

“Sana, eyes on your notes. You have a quiz after lunch.”

“Oh, damn! Stop distracting me, Mo!”

Momo shoots lasers from her eyes at her annoying childhood friend, the penguin silently giggling beside her. They continue making the bread, with Mina attentively watching the blonde tending to the dough while assisting her to grab some things. She watches in distaste when the chef smeared some of the green paste into the dough, before kneading it to a perfect round ball.

“Are you sure about this?”

They stand together by the counter, observing curiously as the bread is slowly baked inside the oven.

“Not really. That’s why you’re here, though.”

Mina gives a side-glare to the blonde smiling innocently at her. “So I’m your guinea pig now?”

“We had a contract, Miss Penguin.” Momo shrugged, still with that annoying pure smile. “But don’t worry. My creation never makes a person land in an ambulance, as far as I know.”

“How convincing.” Mina deadpanned. “But why wasabi?”

“Oh, it’s just some complicated stuff going on. You’re going to get bored with my scientific rambling and all.”

Mina quirks an eyebrow with arms crossed. “Try me.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” The blonde muttered to herself before turning to face her girlfriend eager to hear her long- scientific explanation. “Do you know what will happen if we keep bread past its expiry date?”

“Mold will start growing.”

“Correct. Now, if let’s say, you accidentally eat the bread. You’re going to get a very bad stomachache, but do you know why?”

“Uh, because the mold is poisonous?” Mina shrugs, prompting the blonde to nod.

“Well, that’s partially true. Fungus, or mold, produce very deadly chemical properties called mycotoxine. This poison makes us sick and suffers from stomachache, vomiting, diarrhea, or worse, death. Now, you’re wondering why I’m using wasabi, right?”

Mina nods keenly, finding the topic interesting. Or more like, the person explaining it is interesting.

“Do you realize that wasabi makes your nose irritated rather than burning your tongue like how chili does?” She shook her head. Momo pushes the bowl of wasabi to her, urging Mina to give it a taste. She can feel a slight pungent flavor, but the tang affects more on her palate and nose, causing her to cough and crinkles her nose. “That’s the defense mechanism formed by the plant, called allyl isothiocyanate.”

“A what, now?”

“It’s AITC for short, responsible for the pungent taste and also for making your eyes teary and stings your nose. It might sound harmful and annoying, but believe it or not, this AITC has antibacterial properties. It might be the secret to fight those molds from growing on the bread, and that’s what I’m trying to achieve here. Taste-wise, I’m going for an umami-flavored bread instead of a spicy one, so I’m working on that right now. That’s why I need your help to taste it, Mitang.”

Somewhere in the middle of her explanation, Mina got lost in Momo’s pair of gentle eyes, that is until her name was mentioned. There’s something attractive about Momo when she’s being serious and deep in her element. The girl might complaint a lot about her incompetency with the course she takes, but she’s actually good with her stuff when she really put her mind into it. Mina admits something today; seeing her girlfriend being professional and serious with cooking is definitely hot.

“You seem to really put a lot of thought into this recipe.”

“It’s for my final year project.” She sheepishly rubs her nape. “It’s thanks to Tzuyu, too. She suggested making bread that can last longer without using a refrigerator. I was imagining one with longer shelf-life because that girl eats bread like we eat rice. Sadly, the ones in the cafeteria taste like cardboard while the konbini bread across the street costs more than onigiri.”

“Their melon pan is the best though.”

Momo’s face contorts in dislike, getting a merong from Mina.

“Why do I hear my Chewy’s name coming from you?” Sana intervenes with an accusing glare directed to the two. “You dare talk about her behind my back, huh?”

“Technically, we’re right in front of you.” Momo retorts, before the two engaged in a war of cussing in Kansai-ben, with Mina shaking her head in exasperation as she’s stuck in between them.

She is the one who notices the small penguin alarm ringing by the oven, notifying them the bread is ready to be taken out. Ignoring the two, she wears a glove with penguin characters – she wonders if everything penguin-related was just coincidence or Momo is really obsessed with the animal – as she takes out the freshly-baked bread.

The first thing she noted was the smell wafting from the bread; there isn’t a hint of wasabi at all. But most of all, it looks like a normal table bread.

“It’s done?” Momo’s head appeared on her left shoulder, while Sana emerged on her right. They take a deep breath, taking in the wonderful smell of freshly-baked loaf with pure bliss.

“No wonder Tzuyu likes bread a lot.” Sana uttered as the blonde takes a knife and cut a few pieces from the loaf. The look of awe on Mina and Sana makes the chef puffs her chest with pride, happy that her effort can bring such reaction.

“So, who wants a taste?”

Their expressions immediately morphed from bliss to horrified. Suddenly, the door of the cooking lab is pushed open by two juniors who walk in uninvited like it’s a normal thing.

“Yo, Momo-unnie!” The tofu girl greets the blonde, only to be surprised at the presence of the other seniors. “Oh! You unnies are here, too!”

Unlike the well-mannered Dahyun, the other was unfazed with their presence, her eyes already stuck on the loaf of bread waiting on the counter, hypnotized by its smell alone.

“Oh, bread!”

Without warning, the she grabs a piece and takes a bite, unaware of the worried glances thrown her way. She munches slowly, before a dimpled smile appeared on her face.

“Delicious!” She stated as she turns to the blonde. “You made this, unnie?”

“Ah, yeah…” Momo answered, still wary of the girl’s reaction. “Is it good, Tzuyu-ah? Like, seriously good?”

“Mm!” She takes another bite. “It tasted different, like slightly spicy? Savory, I think? But it’s really good!”

Mina takes a piece from the table, tearing a small bit for a taste. Her eyes widen in surprise; there’s only a mild taste of the pungent wasabi, making it hard to notice it’s being used in the first place. She might like this flavor better than any other plain bread she had ever tasted. The others soon followed and their reactions mirrored the vice president, clearly shocked by the new taste. Momo lets out a relieved sigh, having passed the taste evaluation. Now, she only needs to test the shelf-life of the bread in room temperature to make the recipe a successful one.

In the middle of their bread feasting, Sana begins latching herself to the maknae who has her focus solely on the bread in her hand. She flutters her eyelashes to the tall girl to get her attention, but Tzuyu seems unbothered with her girlfriend’s advances, too wrapped up with chewing the bread in .

“Chewy, aren’t you supposed to be working right now?”

“My shift just ended.” She pops another piece into .

“Oh, really? Then, that means we can hang out together right now.”

Tzuyu frowns at the older girl. “No, we can’t.”

“Eh? Why not?”

“You have a quiz later, unnie. Besides, I have to go somewhere with Dahyun and Momo-unnie, too.”

“What?” Sana gasped at the information. “Yah! You can hang out with them but not me? That’s unfair, Chewy!”

Tzuyu scratches her head in confusion as Sana starts whining and making noises with her nasal voice. It’s a cute sight to see, but not in front of these people. She gently pushes Sana away, eyes looking everywhere except the latter.

“But I have a special meeting tonight. It’s at the ice cream place.”

To others, Tzuyu may have given her girlfriend an excuse; a weird one that doesn’t makes sense. But for Sana, it’s a hint of some sort, one she had learned by chance when Tzuyu is too shy to ask her out in public. Her eyes sparkled from the awkward but subtle invitation for an ice cream date tonight.

“You do?”

“Yeah, it’s really important – wouldn’t dare to miss it.” Tzuyu gives her a shy smile, making the older grin like a love-struck idiot. “You should go, unnie. You’re going to be late for the quiz.”

“Okay, Chewy. Fighting!” Sana makes a cheering pose and a flying kiss, before linking her arm with Mina, the latter caught surprised by the action. Momo reminds the confused penguin about her afternoon replacement class, bidding them goodbye before turning her attention to the juniors waiting obediently behind her.

She pulls out her car keys, the girls’ eyes glittering as she sways them playfully with a smirk.

“So, who’s driving?”

 

*

 

Mina was surprised to see Momo waiting on a bench outside the entrance of the building when her meeting for the week had finished. The blonde was rubbing her hands to fight off the cold night, only to jump on her feet when she saw Mina. They exchanged smiles, Momo gladly taking her bag before offering her hand for Mina to take. The latter lowers her head to hide the blush on her cheeks, scooting closer to her girlfriend to share warmth with her. When asked why she’s here, Momo made an excuse that she’s itching for some fresh air after hours of rolling around in her room doing nothing, when in fact she’s missing the other’s presence from the busy week they had.

They shared small talks along the way, about the progress of Mina’s charity gala, of Momo’s blunder in the kitchen which resulted in her hair almost caught on fire. Mina freaked out, but the blonde assures her that she’s fine, the accident happened because she was lost in thought about her girlfriend. She received glaring daggers from the vice president, but the threat was considered futile when Momo tomato face as a comeback.

They made a stop at the parking lot, Momo wants to check her car for the ‘injury’ it suffers. She can’t believe Dahyun managed to put a dent on the bumper of her second-hand car when they went out to the mall last week. It wasn’t entirely the tofu’s fault, a car suddenly appeared from the corner as she’s reversing out from the parking space. Out of shock, the car ended up hitting the streetlight instead. Thankfully no one was hurt. Dahyun had whined all night in her traumatized state, saying the car brings her bad luck just by its appearance alone.

“Is it really that bad?” Momo asked the penguin about her car’s appearance with a frown.

“It’s,” Mina did a quick look-over, the compact car looks quite old as compared to hers. “It looks drive-able, I guess.”

The frown deepens, Mina flashing an apologetic look. Momo crouches beside the bumper, inspecting the dent while Mina holds her phone to provide light to the mechanic-wannabe. Momo takes a sticker out of her pocket before pasting it on top of the dented spot. She grins proudly at the instant paint job she had done; the peeled out paint is covered with a Piplup sticker.

“I did a great job, right?”

“Seriously, a Piplup?”

“It looks like a penguin.” She turns to Mina with a grin. “Just like you.”

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen someone did this.” Mina commented on the car, obviously trying to stop herself from smiling at the endearing sight.

“Are you for real? Did you live in outer space or something? This is a common thing to do in my household.”

“Yeah, and you are one weird person I’ve ever met.”

“What did you say?”

“I said what I said.”

Momo narrows her eyes while the penguin shrugs, before turning on her heel and dashes off. The blonde laughs before chasing after her girlfriend who expertly slips herself in between cars to avoid her girlfriend, the vacant place filled with their squeals and laughter. Unfortunately, the dancer is fast on her feet as she successfully tackles them to the ground of wet grass.

“Gotcha!”

The blonde laughs as she lands on top of her girlfriend, only to realize the compromising position they’re in. She can feel Mina’s labored breath on her face, the distant separating their faces were only mere inches away. Her face alone makes the blonde breathless. Her eyes fall on Mina’s slightly open mouth as the girl pants for oxygen; she wonders if Mina feels the same. Momo’s breath hitched when those pair of soft plump lips closed, an audible gulp came from the girl trapped under.

Plucking up the remaining courage in herself, Momo slowly dives in. She watches warily as Mina’s eyes fluttered close, an action she regards as consent. She closes in, the thudding of her heart deafening her ears, only to hear a groggy shout from the vicinity.

“Hey! No frolicking in the parking space!”

The girls panicked, avoiding the torch flashing on them. Momo quickly pulls Mina to stand before running away, hand in hand. They hide behind a secluded car on a dark corner, knowing the guard is too old to catch up with them. They can hear the footsteps getting closer, before it stopped.

“Damn kids...”

Momo peeks from under the car, the guard is walking away from them. She lets out a relieved sigh, only to be met with a shaking Mina muffling her laughter. She soon joins in, the couple giggling their hearts out from almost getting caught.

Their foreheads meet in the middle of their laughing fit, and Momo wants nothing more than to continue their disturbed moment earlier. That is, if only the universe wouldn’t be such a to them. The moment is ruined again when Momo’s phone starts ringing. She lets out a soft groan, prying the annoying, vibrating device from her pocket.

“It’s my alarm.”

“In the middle of the night?”

“I have a bad sense of timing.”

Mina snorts as she snatched Momo’s phone away. She switched it off, before slipping the device into her bag to stop anymore disturbances to happen. The blonde shyly scratches her cheek as she leans closer to the penguin. “So, uh… should we continue?”

Mina hides her smirk, putting on her stoic face just to mess with the blushing girl. “What?”

“Well, what we were doing earlier?”

“Running from the guard?”

“No! I mean- ugh… nevermind.”

Just as she pulls away, a kiss landed on her cheek. It lasts a second longer than Mina’s usual peck, but it already made a mess out of Momo.  

“You can get more than this.” She bops the red nose of the flabbergasted raccoon with a finger. “But you’ve got to earn it.”

Momo was abruptly pushed to the ground as Mina gets on her feet and runs away, again. They end up in another tagging game, their legs unconsciously leading them back to Mina’s dorm. Before Mina could unlock her door, the blonde stops her.

“Wait, you said Tzuyu is inside with Sana right?”

“Yeah. What’s wrong?”

“Oh, so many things are bound to go wrong if you leave those two together.”

Mina snorted. “I doubt it. Tzuyu is still as pure as a paper –”

Just in cue, they heard noises coming from inside. The couple exchanged looks, their faces red from the notion that something definitely wrong is indeed happening inside.

“No way.”

“Damn, that Sana–”

Without wasting time, Mina unlocks the door and it open. They stumbled inside in hurry, only to find the room dark. The only source of light is coming from Sana’s bed, illuminating the two girls huddled together under a blanket, shock apparent on their face from the ruckus.

“Yah! Can’t you enter like civilized people?” Sana chided with a relieved sigh while Tzuyu rubs her hammering chest. “We were almost shocked to death!”

“We would, if you guys weren’t doing something scandalized in here!” Momo accused them with a pointed finger, earning confusing looks from the two suspects.

“Scandalized? What are you talking about?”

“Tell me the truth! You were about to taint Tzuyu’s pure mind with something,” Momo paused, trying to find the right, proper word to say. “Well, something tainting, I guess. Am I right?”

“Eh?” Sana gives her childhood friend an incredulous look. “We were watching Animal Planet!”

“A-Animal Planet?”

“Yeah.” Tzuyu butted in, her face as innocent as ever. “It’s a 3-hours special documentary about snake.”

“Uh, why snake?”

“Because Sanake.”

“What?”

“Shh! It’s coming to the best part!” Sana glares at them before resuming their movie night in silence, some eerie and weird sounds coming from the laptop.

“Okay, enjoy your movie.” Momo murmurs while shuddering at the thought.

The blonde doesn’t stay for long, not wanting to disturb the penguin’s well–deserved rest since she had a rough week. Also because she’s too creeped out by the other couple in the room, fascinated with watching multiple male anacondas mating to death on a female queen.

Mina feels her chest swelling from Momo’s considerate action, telling her to take a warm bath and sleep early for a breakfast together tomorrow. Before the blonde could leave, she pulls her by the arm, leaving a kiss on her cheek. She whispered a quiet good night before shoving Momo towards the staircase and quickly shuts the door. She puts a hand on top of her heart to stop it from bursting out of her chest.

It’s surreal for her, to feel this elated and over the moon just from a person. Maybe because that person is Hirai Momo, the one who managed to slip her way into the depth of her well-guarded heart. She hopes it will stay like that, that they will stay like that together, perhaps not forever, but for a long time.

As she rummages through her bag for her phone, she found Momo’s instead. Shoot, she’s going to need this. Before she can leave the room, Sana calls for her.

“Where are you going?”

“Momo left her phone.” She raised the gadget. “I might catch up with her if I’m fast.”

“Alone? Nuh uh, not on my watch.” Sana comes out of their cocoon of blanket, but Mina quickly refutes. “Sana, you don’t have to. I don’t want to disturb your movie night.”

“It’s fine, unnie.” Tzuyu followed her girlfriend out of the bed, already wearing her shoes. “We were actually craving for ice cream, might as well walk with you.”

Mina is grateful to have them walk with her because it’s almost midnight, only a few students can be seen lounging under the streetlight of their dorm area taking a puff or talking on the phone privately. After reaching Momo’s building, the girls left Mina and continue their destination to the convenience store, not before making a short agreement that they will pick her up again for their walk back.

She reaches Momo’s room and took out her phone to inform her arrival, only to remember the main reason she’s there in the first place. A few steps from reaching Momo’s door, she heard a crash sound followed by muffled voice. Her forehead creases, wondering what’s going on. She rushes to the room and knocks on the door, a bit louder than usual.

There’s a nagging feeling at the back of her head that tells her to turn around and leave, that Momo can live without a phone for the night. But it was too late when she heard a high pitched voice of another person inside.

“Hey, no! Cut it off!”

Her breath stopped.

“Whyyy? You said we are going to have an amazing night together, right?”

A pang strikes her chest.

“Ugh, I’m not–“

“Come on, you made a promise we’ll meet tonight!”

Her whole body trembles, as if ice cold water was poured over her.

The door finally opens, and she was met with a blanched out Momo. She feels a surge of anger when a familiar face clings on her girlfriend’s back, only clad in a sports bra while puckering her lips for a kiss.

“M-Mina? What are you doing–”

“Here.” She almost hurl the phone towards its owner, the blonde barely caught it in her staggered state. “Sorry to disturb your supposedly ‘amazing night’ together.”

She leaves in a rush, despite the trembles and shivers coursing through her body. She can’t feel anything, except for the tears running down her face. She tried to forget the face, but the image had already burned in her head.

Sana and Tzuyu was shocked to see Mina hunched on the ground, silently sobbing with tears streaming down her face. They quickly rushed to her side, Sana pulling her crying bestfriend into her arms. Despite knowing it’s not her business, Tzuyu still asked what happened but only one word came out of Mina’s trembling mouth.

 

 

Nayeon.