“Good night,Chaengie.Sleep well…”

“Good night,Mina..You too.”

The cub set her foot in the room which the penguin prepared for her.She bid the girl another good night before closing the door,leaving the Japanese alone now in the spacious living room.There,she sat still with her eyes staring into nothing.Her head then hang low before a sigh slipped out of her lips.Her hand extended,reaching for her phone that was on the coffee table.She switched on the device before going to the speed dial.Pushing the button 3,there was some beeping sound before that one person finally picked up the call.

“Moshi moshi,Mitangg~”

Sounded as bubbly as ever,the person on the other line started off,almost screaming with joy being obvious in her high pitch voice,meanwhile the contrast was going on with the caller.Tears began to form in her eyes while she tried her best to stay calm,not wanting to worry the other girl.However,Mina failed when the tiny clear bead still fell on her cheek when she let the crack in her almost whispering voice reached the other side.

“Moshi moshi,S-Sana-chan…”

…

“F-friend?”

Mina muttered slowly while the smile that she had on her face previously slowly fading.

“Yes…This is my first time f-feeling like this…I never understand why is there a need to have a friend or what and how does having actual friend affect you but I do understand a little bit now…S-So,like I said…Before we go into anything further with this problem of mine…Can you be my f-friend,Mina?”

…

“-aint you again I think.”

Chaeyoung looked down at the cup of hot coffee in her hands.There was always this silence filling up the conversation between Mina and her,however usually it didn’t last this long.The cub then looked up when her eyes then caught the penguin who was busy stirring her non-existence coffee on the kitchen counter.

“Mina?”

Chaeyoung called for the girl who seemed to be in deep thoughts.

“…”

No answer.Not even a single response eventhough she’s right in front of her,

“Mina?”

Again.

“…”

Still the same result.Chaeyoung stood up from her seat before leaning in closer to the standing girl.She waved her hand right in front of Mina’s face simultaneously making her second attempt.

“Myoui Mina”

With her full name being called,the Japanese finally snapped back to the reality where she found Chaeyoung whose face almost too close to hers.

“Are you okay?”

The penguin then turned crimson subsequently pushing the cub away from her.

“Y-yea-N-NOO”

Chaeyoung who’s now sitting on the seat again,questioned the answer she just gained.

“You’re not okay?”

“H-Huh?N-No I mean I-I am okay~A-anyway what were you saying just now?”

Mina then changed the topic as fast as she could,running away from the previous conversation about her.

“Umm okay as I was saying,I’m ready now.”

The penguin tilted her head.

“You are…ready?”

“Yes.”

Chaeyoung nodded.

“I’m ready to paint you again now,Mina.”

Hearing the sudden statement,Mina shook her head.

“No no,Chaengie..The doctor told you to rest…W-What if you broke down again like the last time?”

The Japanese’s face expressed concern.She still remember that day when Chaeyoung cried so much that she just couldn’t let the girl endured the pain all alone,holding the hurting cub in her arms.She didn’t think she could watch her suffered again.

“Yes but…”

Chaeyoung paused for a second.

“I…The feelings I experience everytime I watch you dancing…I don’t know why…But it-it completes me…Like I’m suddenly f-filled?”

She looked up,meeting the penguin’s eyes who never left her.

“You f-feel good?Watching me dancing?”

Mina replied.She knew that wasn’t actually the exact feelings.However,she couldn’t bring herself to spill the truth.She’s still very new to all of this,telling the exact truth to her might gave her another shock,Mina thought.

“Y-yeah I think I feel that..I feel like I can watch you dancing all day long s-somehow”

Hearing another bold statement coming from the cub,the penguin couldn’t help but to turn red.Facing the other side,Mina pretended to make her coffee before she replied.

“M-Maybe you like watching me dancing o-or you just like watching people dance in general.”

“Like?”

“Y-yeah.I mean…You feel good then you said you can watch it for a day long…You like it,I-I guess…You enjoy seeing it…It might makes you feel happy too..”

“I see…But..Isn’t happy equal to smile?Why did I…Cried then?And also,I don’t think I know how to smile yet..”

Chaeyoung looked down at her half-sipped coffee.Another silence went on between them before Mina turned to face Chaeyoung.

“Maybe you were thinking or something sad reminded you that time…That’s why..But I guess,it’s definitely alright to take this slow…After all,I’m here to help you,Chaengie…And since you said you’re ready and you like to watch me dancing then,perhaps we should continue our project like you want.”

The Japanese ended the sentence with her usual smile,making the certain person’s heartbeat risen up again.

“Yes…”

…

“Um,Mina…I-I don’t know if this fits me…”

“Eh what do you mean…”

The mentioned girl put her phone back in her purse before she turned around to face the Korean who was wearing a white t-shirt with a black leather jacket on top and a black jeans all belonged to her.This was all coming from her who suggested for them to hang out outside to help Chaeyoung’s situation while buying the cub’s art needs for the project.

“I mean..You’re taller than me…Don’t these seem a bit baggy?”

The cub checked herself out before she looked up to find the penguin who was staring at her with her jaw down.Indeed the clothes looked a bit baggy on the petite girl.However,it didn’t even become a disadvantage to her,instead it made the girl looked cuter yet stylish at the same time.

“Mina?”

“O-Oh yes?No no it looks just fine on you~”

“Are you sure you’re gonna let me wear your clothes?I mean,I can just use mine…I think they’re already dry by now.”

Chaeyoung was about to walk away to change again before Mina held her from doing so.The Japanese got her hand,making the Korean stopped all of her actions.

“O-Oh sorry…You can just wear mine,I don’t mind.”

Mina stated,looking down as she trying to hide tints of red on her cheeks after seeing Chaeyoung in her clothes.

“Hmm alright then.”

“Y-yes..”

“Great so….Let’s go?”

30 minutes later…

“I’ll go first then~Do you wanna wait here or?”

“Um can I follow you,Chaengie?”

Her face flashed another smile as she then followed the cub from behind,entering the art store in the shopping mall just like both of them planned earlier.

“So..Chaengie…”

Mina’s eyes wondered around the store while she let the Korean to lead her.

“Hmm?”

“What are we going to buy here?”

“Just some canvas board since I already have other things with me~”

“Ohh…So…Where’s this canva- ouch”

Hearing winces from the girl behind her,Chaeyoung turned around where she saw Mina who was already on the floor.

“Mina?Are you okay?”

“Y-yes yes I’m okay…I just tripped over nothing…It was my fault too for not looking ahead…”

Mina tried to stand up when Chaeyoung extended her hand to help the Japanese.

“Here,hold my hand…Did you hurt your ankle?”

“I-I don’t think so”

Mina held Chaeyoung’s hand before she finally stood up.She could felt her ankle burning somehow yet she still chose not to tell the younger although she didn’t know why she did that.Perhaps she made a bad choice to wear heels today too.

“Are you sure?”

“Y-yes..You should go find your canvas,I’ll catch up..No worries,Chaengie~”

The penguin threw another smile,trying to convince the cub.

“Hmm okay then…I’ll just grab them real quick.”

Chaeyoung went on to find her stuff,leaving Mina who then sighed in relief.The Japanese girl bent down subsequently massaging her burning ankle.

“What am I even doing?”

…

“So,Chaengie~Where do you want to go next?”

Chaeyoung who heard Mina then glanced to her side while they were walking.The cub then literally observed the penguin from her head to heels for quite some moments,taking her sweet time before replying back,not realising the fact that the penguin’s face was flustered due to her pretty much intense staring.

“The drug store…”

“Eh…?Hmm okay then..”

Both of the girls ended their conversation there when they arrived at the drug store.

“Just wait here,Mina..I’ll be back.”

“Okay,be careful Chaengie”

“Yes.”

Mina’s eyes narrowed as she winced as soon as the sight of Chaeyoung disappeared from her eyes.She wondered why would the cub needed to go to the drug store.

20 minutes later…

“Chaengie~Heree”

Mina smiled as she waved her hand to the Korean who was walking towards her at the bench there.She couldn’t help but to take a seat when Chaeyoung was gone again after going to the drug store and now she saw that girl with an ice pack and a pack of bandage in her hand.

“Chaengie?Why did you buy those?”

The penguin questioned,genuinely concern that the cub who’s now kneeling down might be hurt.

“You don’t have to hide it,Mina…”

Slowly,she took off Mina’s heels when her eyes caught the girl’s foot which was now got a little bit swollen from the pain and the walking.

“O-Ouch..Ah…”

“It’s already swollen a bit…”

Chaeyoung then put the ice pack on the swollen spot carefully.

“H-How do you know?”

“You’ve been walking in a weird and slow way…”

“Ohh I see…”

Both of them then just stayed quiet while Chaeyoung was treating Mina’s ankle.They might be in a public place where there were people here and there,staring at them in reality.Even so,it felt like they were the only ones living in their own world among the crowd.

“Don’t hide your pain like that again…You help me with my pain…I want to do the same too…”

Chaeyoung said,almost whispering the last part.

“Thank you…”

The only thing Mina could say.She had a lot to say on her mind but it seemed like the girl in front of her won’t even understand nor realising what she’s getting herself into,what she’s making Mina into.The hang out day between them then ended there,leaving a lot of question marks on both of their minds with none of them dare to seek for the answers.

2 days later…

knock knock

“Can I get in?”

The cub asked from the other side of the wooden door before entering the room with a tray in her hands after getting the permission from the owner of the room.Putting it on the nightstand,Chaeyoung handed the medium sized bowl of chicken porridge to the penguin who was on the bed.

“Thank you…”

Mina muttered slowly as she played with the spoon in the bowl.

“Hmm…”

“And I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

“For everything…I’m supposed to be the one taking care of you and helping you this week,yet the roles are suddenly reversed now…I’m sorry,Chaengie…”

The Japanese looked up with tears flooding in her glossy eyes,meanwhile the other girl just sighed before taking out a handkerchief from her pocket.

“It’s okay…It’s not your fault…You never asked for this…Here…”

Quietly,Mina took the handkerchief that Chaeyoung was handing to her.

“You should eat now while it’s still warm..”

“Hmm thank you,Chaengie~”

5 minutes later…

“How was it?”

The cub asked.

“It was really good…”

The penguin answered with no hesitation before her lips curved into her usual smile to the cute chef who just made her meal for that night.

“Thanks…For being concern,Chaengie..”

“Concern?”

“Yes…The feelings you are feeling right now,your actions..They showed concern…You are worried…That’s why…”

Their eyes met.The sentence ended there with a lock of the eyes of the girls.None of them muttered another single word when the ringing sound of someone’s phone broke the staring competition between them.

“…I-I’m gonna get my phone,t-thank you,Mina.”

clack

The door was closed.Mina was left all alone again.Just now,only she can felt that feelings where her heartbeat kept rising up and the after-effect was still there.Mina let out a heavy sigh when she just laid down again,covering herself with the comforter,trying to comfort her dear self.

A few days later…

“Oh okay.Is there anything else?”

The cub let her feet sauntered to the balcony as she talked on the phone.The night wind softly caressed her cheek when she heard some light footsteps from behind.

“Chaengie?”

She turned her head simultaneously meeting her eyes with the Japanese who was hugging her own body due to the cold breeze.

“Alright then..Yes,see you.”

Chaeyoung pushed the red symbol on her phone before shoving it in her pocket,now looking at the other girl.

“Sorry,I didn’t mean to interrupt you…I knocked quite a few times and you didn’t answer…I was kinda worried…”

The girl started off.

“No,it’s fine…It was just Tzuyu…But how’s your ankle?Is it okay for you to walk now,Mina?”

The mentioned girl smiled as she faced the night scenery in front of them.It was almost 11 at night and neither of the students were feeling sleepy.

“No,I’m fine now~And the good new is,I think I can dance again for our project.”

Hearing the news,Chaeyoung somehow felt like something in her chest had been lifted up and again,she felt her mind was at ease.Her face lit up as her eyes gleamed with something unknown.

“R-really?”

“Yupp~Thanks to that someone who never allow me to do any work for almost a week”

The girl nodded,showing her gummy smile at the other girl who’s staring at her with an unreadable gaze.Seeing that kind of look on the cub’s face,the penguin giggled.

“Whatt~?”

Chaeyoung shook her head.

“No nothing…It’s just…”

“It’s just?”

“It’s just…I’m kind of feeling something?”

“Really?”

“Hmm”

“How does it feel?”

A moment of silence.

“…I don’t know..But,I feel like I’m at ease?And I feel like something has been lift up from inside of me?”

With her gaze staying on the Korean,Mina nodded.

“I think…You feel relief…”

“Feel relief that you are fully healed now?”

A flush crept on Mina’s face when Chaeyoung’s bold words hit her like a truck.Turning her gaze to the night view,Mina nodded slowly with a half smile on her face.

“Perhaps…Or you feel relief now that we can finish our project…”

“I see…”

“Yes…”

Another moment of silence joined their conversation before Chaeyoung muttered quietly but enough for Mina who was beside her to hear.

“I’m relieved now that you are fine again…”

The Japanese knew it might be useless for her to feel like this all alone while the Korean not having an idea what’s actually going on,however she just wanted to enjoy this moment of the two of them before things changed when Chaeyoung realised she’s actually in love with a girl.It could be better,but it could be worse.Call her a coward and she didn’t care.God knew how Mina dreaded the second one to happen so let she saved this moment in her head at least only for her and her alone.

- To be continued -