- NY -

Nayeon has never been the most responsible person there is, something she herself would agree to. A description that would never be used in the same sentence along with her name, well, probably not in the good way and she was fine with that. She likes the way she handles things, most of which had Jihyo reaching to her temples and grimacing at that fact, and again she was fine with that- probably more than she would like to admit. Because a Jihyo that worries about her is something Nayeon always looks forward to.

Nayeon doesn’t know when it started. When she deliberately does things in hopes to catch her attention- for Jihyo to look at her direction and take notice.Jihyo did eventually, and not in a manner Nayeon have wanted, but she settled with. She tried though, playing with emotions, expecting jealousy to hit Jihyo as she brought girl after girl to introduce to them. Nayeon never earned that jealousy from Jihyo though, what she earned throughout the years was a nickname, peulleieo , a remarkable amount of inside jokes about fooling around, and lack of what she intentionally wanted from the start.

So Nayeon settled with worry, at least there’s a part of Jihyo that does look at her regardless if it’s worrying about Nayeon’s lack of discipline, or Nayeon’s habit of doing her studies a few hours before deadline, or Nayeon’s inability to focus, or Nayeon’s need of direction. She accepted that they may never see eye to eye. Because every time Nayeon looks at Jihyo is the same amount of time Jihyo is looking at Jeongyeon.

“May I remind you to keep this room sacred.” she hears Jihyo speaking. Nayeon looks up and sees that same knowing look from her friend. “We know how you tend to keep things-erm-well unsacred .”

Nayeon wants to laugh really. Not at the accusation but more on how Jihyo managed to say it without actually saying the word. “You mean ?”

“That.”

“. Just say it.” 

Jihyo rolls her eyes, “I just don’t want to have the only room on campus tainted with your vulgarity.”

“Oh Ji, it’s not like I’ve done it all around the school. There are still a lot of places to venture out.” Nayeon winks, then adds a little too sultry for Jihyo’s liking “you’re always welcome to join.”

The playfulness earned a pen thrown in her direction which Nayeon luckily ducked from. The older girl laughs heartily, walking away to pick up the pen from the floor. “Feisty.” 

“I got a case more of those.”

“You need to loosen up a bit.”

“Oh I know. But I have you to worry about.”

“I’m flattered, but I can take care of myself.  I’m not a moron, Ji.”. 

"Well the last time I checked, you were collecting straight F-minus. So without me tutoring you, I'm very certain, Nayeon, that not only your grades will place you squarely among the morons, but you may very well be their leader" Jihyo said in resolute, arms folded on the table, and a triumphant smile dangling on her face.

Nayeon should be offended, have every right to be offended, but she isn’t. Not when Jihyo unawarely expresses care towards her(Nayeon knows she can be delusional) and how that nonchalant attitude drives Nayeon deeply into this place reserved only for her friend. So instead she smiles, moving her seat closer to Jihyo, and hums happily next to her.

About 3 minutes after when a knock was heard and a head peeking through the opening. “Hey, I’m leaving. You two message me when you get back home, okay?”

“You sure you’re not mad?” Nayeon asks with a grin, leaning back, seat slightly tilted.

Jeongyeon enters the room and stands next to Nayeon, eyes narrowing before shrugging everything out." You know what, I think I have matured a little."

"Really?" 

"Really." There was a hint of playfulness that spread across Jeongyeon’s lips, something Nayeon didn’t expect but welcomed with her own trademark smirk, both equally familiar to each. The taller girl bends a little as she continues "The Jeongyeon before would have done this" 

A hand chops Nayeon’s head, stunning the oldest at the sudden childish attack but maintains, hardly , the smirk on her face(almost cracking into a scowl). She hears Jihyo burst into laughter and Nayeon instinctively joins in with a chuckle as Jeongyeon ends with a release of breath "But now, I can just take it all in."

Jeongyeon flashes Nayeon another smile(a mere expression of her victorious action) before turning her back to face Jihyo, “Be safe, okay. Message me.” and drops a light kiss on top of the younger girl’s hair.

And before Nayeon could even react, Jeongyeon was out of the room and god knows where to. Not that Nayeon cared. It’s not like they’ve been walking home together recently. Jeongyeon tried to wait on them but found it too late for her to do anything fun, legos and crafts, when she gets home so Jeongyeon leaves, with only her words of concern left behind for them.

Nayeon looks at the door, then to the girl next to her who seemingly is still too preoccupied with what just happened- eyes glued to the last spot Jeongyeon stood and hand on the spot where Jeongyeon dropped her kiss. Jihyo is blushing, Nayeon is sure of it, how that light pinkish tint spreads across her friend’s cheek everytime Jeongyeon bids Jihyo farewell with a gentle kiss.

And Jeongyeon is always unaware of the mess she always leaves behind for Nayeon to take care of(One thing Nayeon accepted to be responsible for).

The eldest used to be jealous really, at how Jeongyeon manages to earn something she had been so eager to have and Jeongyeon doesn’t even have the slightest clue about it. But Nayeon eventually got over it. After all, it never was Jeongyeon’s fault.

“So this line passes through this..” Nayeon starts, catching Jihyo’s attention. The youngest turns around and continued where they left off

The older girl side glances at Jihyo, she should be used to this, Jihyo should also be, but seeing Jihyo gets flustered at that casual gesture Jeongyeon does, Nayeon couldn’t help but feel that soft tug against her chest every single time.

“Hey…” Nayeon calls out of the blue, her eyes meeting Jihyo’s curious ones. “There’s nothing good that can come out from liking your bestfriend, Jihyo.”

Something Nayeon is fully well aware of.

- JY -

Jeongyeon would be lying if she said she didn’t appreciate Nayeon pestering her during lunch or that she isn’t thankful about it. Because as much as she didn’t like the news of how her Saturdays will be spent for the next month, she was more than grateful that the news led her to the rooftop and accidentally meeting the girl she’s been watching for months(something Jeongyeon would like to pretend is not as creepy as it looked). 

Then again, she would be lying if she said she didn’t want to wipe that stupid grin off of her friend’s face when she bids her farewell because she does, as much as she was grateful for knowing Mina’s name. So she headchops Nayeon across the head, and hurriedly drops a gentle kiss onto Jihyo's(quick enough to dodge any comeback Nayeon would launch herself into). 

Jeongyeon did try to wait. For a month she stayed by the school entrance or by the council room(when only her friends were around) and played some games or streamed series, most of which didn’t last long as the phone battery kept dying on her midway through the video. But she endured the long wait(she takes responsibility in getting Jihyo home safely) and how insanely boring it actually was. Eventually the long hours and lack of time to do anything worthwhile took a toll on her. She leaves early since then, in hopes that this time Nayeon would be responsible enough to walk Jihyo home(Nayeon tends to spend her after school with girls they would sooner or later won’t remember the name). After all, Jihyo is taking her time helping Nayeon out with the council, and with tutoring- ensuring that their oldest friend would graduate on time.

Jeongyeon turns to a corner then down to a flight of stairs. She isn’t usually one to rush, although she leaves early, she takes her time in going home. But today is different. Because Jeongyeon knows if she isn’t fast enough, that thing she’s hoping to see might not be there anymore(she’s been wishing the rain didn’t trample what she left earlier). 

“Jeongyeon!” she hears someone call her out from afar. 

She stops from her tracks, peers over her shoulder and sees a familiar face jogging towards her, wearing a tracksuit and sporting a jersey she used to be in. “Hey Momo.”

“Going home?”

“Yeah, I’ve got somewhere to go to.” Jeongyeon gestures.

“You sure about not joining again this year? We always have a spot for you.”

She lets out a soft smile, and speaks with finality in her tone “Not this year.” 

“Whatever suits you, Jeong.” Momo responds, tapping Jeongyeon’s shoulders a little too hard, then adds before bidding her goodbyes, “Our Kaze is always welcome to come back.”

Jeongyeon could only laugh at the ridiculous nickname Momo still insists on calling her. It has been a while since she last heard it, that nickname Momo coined back then- something from her mother tongue. She never liked it really, didn’t even acknowledge it in the beginning, never finding it necessary especially when the word speaks of her ability(something Jeongyeon always felt she lacked). But Momo is Momo and she always had a habit of sticking to what she believed, and she had it in good confidence that Jeongyeon is as fast as the wind. And maybe it was true at some point but Jeongyeon knows it’ll never be as it was before, not after what happened a year and half ago.

Hands grip on the bag strap a little tighter, eyes glancing at Momo’s retreating form. She sighs, turns her back around and jogs to the opposite direction of where she used to be. Jeongyeon has no time to reminisce about the past, dreams and goals, and what it never came to be. She has more pressing matters to attend to- one that she is certain she’d be able to achieve(no matter how trivial it actually is). 

....

...

..

.

Jeongyeon doesn’t know if she bought little or too much, nevertheless, she hopes it’s enough for the little critter. She has no idea what to buy to begin with but she’s confident that what she has now is a lot better than what she left earlier this morning. Seungyeon would probably scold her for spending more than half of her week’s allowance for a stray(she’s pretty much sure she’d bring home) but that’s something Jeongyeon would worry about later. She is more worried about the helpless kitten all alone in a tiny box and wonders if that same feline is still there left unbothered, and undisturbed by pesky neighborhood kids with nothing good to do.

Jeongyeon exhales, regret starts seeping in through her system. She really should have brought it at school, hid it in her bag or probably in the council room and dealt with Jihyo’s lecture after. But she didn’t, knowing full well it wasn’t Jihyo’s long lecture that would bother her most, but Nayeon’s endless complaints. So she left it, hoping that the shelter she managed to build protected the little being long enough for her to come back to.

Jeongyeon breathes out again as she turns another corner. Her step slows down, spotting a figure bent down in front of where her little critter is(already assuming ownership of the stray). ‘Pesky little girl’ she thinks as she readies herself to scoot the intruder away but stops halfway when the figure finally takes a clear form.

“Mina-ssi?”

The girl looks up and welcomes her with a warm smile, a kind of smile she hasn’t seen from her(she would know, she’s been watching the girl to know the difference). Jeongyeon beams, almost instantly, surprised at how Mina draws out a smile from her so effortlessly, and so naturally like Jeongyeon only meant to brighten up everytime she sees her.

Jeongyeon walks closer as Mina stands up from where she is, “What are you doing here?”

“Your umbrella..” Mina starts, eyes travelling from the green umbrella then back to Jeongyeon “it’s here.”

“Ah..” Jeongyeon mouths in a soft surprise as she now stands next to the shorter girl “I tried to cover that little thing earlier when it rained.” she bends down, and takes a peek underneath the covering “How are you?”

A blush quickly spreads on Jeongyeon’s face when she realized how stupid it must have looked when she asked the little thing- who obviously doesn’t understand and wouldn’t even respond. Jeongyeon admits that for a second she had forgotten about Mina standing beside her, and did something out of habit, something she usually does with their pet dog whenever she arrives home.

She now feels conflicted, whether to continue talking like an idiot to a baby animal or act coolly and pretend as if the question was meant for Mina(not that Mina actually believed it was meant for her, but was worth a try) Then again, Jeongyeon was never really in a position to think there was an image to salvage- not when Mina saw her locked around Nayeon’s arms, or when Mina saw her drenched along the corridors with Nayeon scolding her, or when she was bad mouthing Nayeon on the rooftop(Now that she thinks about it, it has always been Nayeon’s fault). There wasn’t really any use, especially when all her encounters with Mina were all underwhelming.

So Jeongyeon opts for the former, continuing a little more shyly and aware, “you held well.”

She hears Mina giggle and feels her embarrassment growing, but lessens a second later when she hears Mina again, speaking gently as she crouches next to her. “What a strong little kitty you are.”

There was a hint of playfulness in Mina's tone as she said those words, and Jeongyeon is certain it wasn’t meant to be a mockery or anything close. But more on understanding of how they both have a childish habit of doting animals like it was a child of their own. They giggled at the same time, finding humor out of their newly found similarity.

- MN -

Mina knows she needs to go home, needs to be in her room with an open notebook writing down answers for the assignment that should have been done a minute or two from now. But she never stands up, never turns around and walks away. Instead, she stays, crouching next to Jeongyeon, stealing glances at the girl doting on the little stray kitten before them.

Mina doesn’t know what it is, that warm sensation sprawling inside her as she looks at that gentle smile, adoring eyes and careful hands tending the helpless feline. She doesn’t dwell much on it but finds her smile widening at the sight.

“You bought a lot.” Mina muses as her eyes rest on the two plastic bags next to Jeongyeon.

“I didn’t know what to buy.” 

“You could have bought less.” Mina humors and immediately finds herself mirrored in Jeongyeon’s deep brown eyes.

Jeongyeon pouts(Mina thinks for a moment how adorably cute it was) and banters back, “No contribution, no opinion.”

Mina laughs, Jeongyeon does too, something the two suddenly began sharing quite a lot today.

“What do you plan to do with him?”

“Take him home, I guess.” Jeongyeon replies thoughtlessly, hand cradling her chin. “Though it’ll be hard to sneak him in.”

....

...

..

.

Mina wasn’t sure how it happened, how Jeongyeon suddenly scooped up her hands, and begged(though Mina is adamant she was coerced into doing it) to help her sneak the little kitten into her house, and how Mina unawarely nodded in agreement. But it happened, and Mina was left with no other choice but to comply.

So here they are, standing in front of Jeongyeon’s house with the little kitten now wrapped in a cloth. Mina was positive she isn’t the nervous type, but when the shaky hands of Jeongyeon carried the little kitten and gently placed it inside her bag(her things transferred into Jeongyeon’s backpack), she suddenly felt that foreign feeling creeping in her.

Mina exhales as she follows behind Jeongyeon who opens the front door with a cheerful greeting(although Mina could sense the anxiety in her tone)

“You’re late!” A girl, a little older than Jeongyeon, pops out of the kitchen(Mina assumes) and walks straight into them. forms an ‘o’ as the older girl’s eyes drop on her “Who’s this?”

Mina could feel the uneasiness growing in her and she’s damn hell sure Jeongyeon feels exactly the same way. After all, the longer they stay there the more chances they’ll get caught. So Jeongyeon excuses herself, tugging Mina’s hand in her, “My friend, We’ll be staying in my room” and walks past the older girl.

But Jeongyeon's sister doesn’t budge, instead pulls Jeongyeon back, stopping Mina along, “I’m Seungyeon, her older sister. You are?”

Mina is careful not to move much, very well aware any drastic movement could result in a kitten being found out. So Mina responds, slightly tilts her head down as opposed to a half bow, “I’m Mina. Nice to meet you.”

It isn’t how Mina normally introduces herself, to be honest. She greets with utmost respect, chest parallel to the floor, far from how she just did to Jeongyeon’s sister. But she has little to no choice at the moment, and grabbed the only way she could do so without being fully disrespectful(at least that’s what she had hoped for)

“You should stay for dinner. It's nice to see a different face once in a while."

Mina was ready to answer really, but when that kitten moved, just a little in her bag, and a soft purring came after, Mina found herself holding her breath. 

“What was that?” Seungyeon asks, to which Jeongyeon coughs aloud. “No, I heard something.”

Jeongyeon coughs again, louder this time around. “It was me. I think it’s allergy” she reasons out then clears as she pushes Mina up the stairs. 

Mina finds it silly, really, the way Jeongyeon masks the purring with a cough and makes it seem like it was the most credible explanation for it. And Jeongyeon convinces herself it was a great idea too(not that Mina’s opinion mattered in this situation).

“It was more like-..”

Jeongyeon clears again and Mina feels more and more like a culprit smuggling something illegal up in the taller girl’s room. 

- JY -

Jeongyeon never intended to bring Mina home, never intended to make Mina an accomplice in sneaking the kitten back into her room. But Mina was there, standing beside her, looking like she was ready to help Jeongyeon out. So Jeongyeon took the opportunity, regardless if Mina was just surprised about the situation(too busy sorting things out to even respond)

And Jeongyeon never intended for Mina to stay a little longer, to eat dinner with them. But Mina gladly did. And maybe Jeongyeon was hopeful that Mina would. Because as much as Jeongyeon never intended for any of these to happen, a little part of her was happy that it actually did.

So Jeongyeon, far from how they both entered the house, was all smiles at the dining table as the three took their dinner. It could have been great, Jeongyeon strongly believed it would have been, but Seungyeon decided to share stories, and not her sister's own stories but Jeongyeon's embarrassing ones. And that smile Jeongyeon had, cracked little by little with each story told.

Jeongyeon finally accepted that whatever left good of her image was no longer redeemable after Seungyeon shattered them piece by piece. The only tolerable part of it was Mina reacted nowhere near how Nayeon had. Her older friend had taken notes, launched into multiple teasing remarks, and burst into tears as she laughed her heart out. But Mina did none of those. Instead she listened, maybe laughed at some stories(which Jeongyeon admitted were hilarious) and made no smartass remarks.  And seeing Mina intently listening to her sister, Jeongyeon couldn't help but feel that jitter around her stomach. Because somewhere somehow Jeongyeon realized that Mina was keen on getting to know her better.

The dinner ended eventually with Seungyeon demanding Jeongyeon to accompany Mina back home. She planned on doing so, but Seungyeon made it seem like she didn't which Mina thought was true so the she turned the offer down(telling Jeongyeon she can go home by herself as her house isn’t too far from here)

However, Jeongyeon being well Jeongyeon, never really listened, but only grabbed Mina's hand on her own and pulled her out of her house(tongue out as she bids her sister goodbye)

It was silent for a moment as they strolled through the well lit neighborhood. Jeongyeon would really love to say something right about now, but with what had been shared out in the open, she couldn't help but feel a little less confident.

"So…" Mina utters, and thank god someone did. The silence was really deafening for Jeongyeon. "You peed your bed."

Not really what Jeongyeon expected the conversation would be but went along anyway, "In my defense-"

"Are there any really?" she sees Mina cocking one brow up. Jeongyeon takes back what she thought of about the girl before; there is a smartass remark after all.

"I was young."

"Seven was?"

Jeongyeon sighs in defeat seeing as Mina has no intentions of backing down.

"And you beat up a boy?"

"He deserved it." She was 9 back then but she still remembers every moment of it- how she threw the first punch sending the boy down the ground, how the boy fought back by grabbing her shirt and pushing her off, and how she kept pouncing on him despite the swelling "He called Jihyo fat. She doesn't deserve to be called and laughed at. Jihyo is the nicest girl I've come to know. And she's cute."

"And the threats?"

"It was Nayeon's doing, I just didn't stop her."

"So you three go way back?"

"Nayeon's parents and mine know one another so I've known her longer than I've known Jihyo. I met JiHyo when I was 7."

"So the same time you peed your bed?"

"You're not really giving that up, huh?"

"Not any time soon." Mina responds quite honestly, lips curving up  little.

Jeongyeon sighs yet in another defeat, accepting the fact that she may never get to win against Mina, and not because she has no good comebacks but it was more on how Mina would triumphantly smiles at her, and how Mina keeps asking- that Mina is still actually interested in knowing more about her.

“I saw the medals by the way.” 

She hums a soft reply.

“You have a lot of them in your room.”

“Oh…” Jeongyeon couldn’t help it, how her smile quickly faded at the mention of what she used to have but hopes Mina didn't catch it fast enough as she continues, smiling half heartedly this time, “I used to do track and field.” 

“What stopped you?”

“It wasn’t fun anymore.”

“Hmm…” she hears Mina murmurs under her breath, “You could’ve fooled me though.”

“Why?”

“You looked at your happiest in those pictures.” Mina adds, her voice gentle, her words stinging right through Jeongyeon. She feels a stream of protest bubbling in . But as soon as she tried to clearly verbalize it out loud, a murmur came out instead.

It’s weird, for Jeongyeon it is. Mina has known Jeongyeon only for a day, spoken to each other not more than half a day and probably knew things about each other less than half a day’s worth. But the way Mina said it, how Mina grasped onto that small detail, it felt like more than a day, probably felt like they’ve known each other even a third of her life. Because the truth is, Jeongyeon is at her happiest when running.

But that is something Jeongyeon rather keeps to herself. Despite how it felt, she really had known Mina for a day, barely knows anything about her aside from her name, habit of talking to animals, and knack for witty remarks. So Jeongyeon turns the conversation around, shifting asking questions in her position, “How about you?”

“What about me?”

“I actually don’t know anything about you aside from your name, and probably the lack of Korok seeds.”

"And you seem so pressed on bringing that up."

"So tell me more about you so I can move past that."

"What do you want to know?"

"Where are you from?"

"Japan."

"Naruhodo."

"What are you doing?" Mina stops from her tracks, expressing a slight distaste at the unexpected response.

"Speaking japanese."

"Don't. You ."

"Okay so aside from your name, from japan and lack of korok, you also have a habit of insulting people. Anything else?” Jeongyeon kids, earning a playful slap across her shoulder, definitely an upgrade from their friendly banters. “Any childhood mishaps?”

“I’m not giving you any leverage.” Mina laughs, knowing full well what Jeongyeon really wanted.

Jeongyeon shrugs, “Worth a try.”

“Let’s see…” Mina speaks, finger tapping her chin as they turn to a final corner. “I have a pet dog named Ray, I used to do ballet. And I would have also beat that boy up if I were in your shoes”

“Right!” Jeongyeon smiles too wide and too proud. Beating someone should never be celebrated regardless of what the reason is, but the heck with reasons. Jeongyeon would forever be proud she stood up to a bully and taught him a lesson, despite earning a suspension in return. 

Both stop in front of a house, Jeongyeon guesses belongs to Mina. But Mina stands still, as if waiting for Jeongyeon to ask more. So she did, “And ballet?”

Mina smiles at Jeongyeon, hint of mischief behind “Thought I needed more time in finding korok seeds so I quit.”

Jeongyeon laughs out loud. She knows she shouldn’t be especially in the middle of the night in a very quiet neighborhood. But she did, and she couldn’t even stop herself from laughing. Jeongyeon knows it’s a joke and maybe not a very good one, but she finds Mina quite hysterical. Charmingly funny. Another thing Jeongyeon would add in the list of what she knows about Mina. 

“Thanks for the dinner.”

“Thanks for helping me sneak him in.”

"I was forced to do so"

"I didn't hear you objecting to the idea." Jeongyeon rebutts. Mina only laughs in return, 

Jeongyeon swears she'd make a habit out of these childish banter if it meant hearing that sound a lot more. Call her crazy, but Mina's laughter is soothingly pleasant to hear.

Mina turns around, her smile never wavering as she eyes Jeongyeon one last time before bidding her goodbye, “Good night.”

“Yeah. Good night.” Jeongyeon manages to say without faltering.

“See you at lunch.”

She isn’t sure she heard Mina right or that the illusion of Mina inviting her to lunch is playing in her mind right now. Jeongyeon doesn’t know which is which and she wants to ask. But by the time she snaps out of her thoughts, Mina is already closing the front door.

So Jeongyeon sighs, for the third time tonight and hopes that Mina enjoyed her company enough to really invite her to lunch.

“Jeongyeon?”

She turns to her side and sees both her friends at the end of the street, Nayeon waving her eager hands. Jeongyeon knows Nayeon, knows that she’d be asking, knows that if she answers truthfully, Nayeon would bother her around the whole night and would probably, most definitely , bug Mina the next day. And Jeongyeon doesn’t like that even for a bit. 

So Jeongyeon jogs her way towards them, an excuse readily available for Nayeon to hear(if she ever would ask)

- JH -

Jihyo isn’t the jealous type, she isn’t one to let her emotions run wild. She’s rational, anxious in the least. But when she sees Jeongyeon from a corner with another girl, the new student she keeps hearing about from her fellow students, girls and boys alike, Jihyo couldn’t help but feel a little envious. 

“Earth to Jihyo, are you listening?” Nayeon’s face pop’s in front of her, then adds “What are you looking at? Is that Jeong?”

Nayeon calls their friend out. And Jihyo sees her jogging towards them with a welcoming smile, the same kind she sees from her, nothing less and nothing more than a friend.

“What are you doing here? Thought you’ve gone home.” Nayeon asks and Jihyo can't help but anticipate her friend's reply.

“I was taking a night run... to get some fresh air.” Jeongyeon lies, Jihyo knows but doesn’t get why she even has to. Besides, Jeongyeon has stopped running at night more than a year ago. 

Jihyo can see Nayeon brows knit at the center, ready the question out but drops any plans to do so when Jeongyeon walks past her(Nayeon knows running is still a sensitive topic among them)

“Let’s walk home?” Jeongyeon gestures, hand stretched out for the youngest to take.

There were a lot of things going through Jihyo’s head, one wanting to ask Jeongyeon why she’s with the new student. But Jihyo decides to keep mum, endure that growing ache around her chest, and pretend that it is what Jeongyeon says it is. So Jihyo takes Jeongyeon’s hands, wraps her fingers between the gaps and let that warmth calm her anxiousness down. After all, Jihyo still isn’t the jealous type.