Days pass by quickly, October is coming to an end. Autumn has covered the ground with a blanket of crimson leaves, the branches sway to the cool wind without anything to rustle, for all has fallen back to their genesis. 

Mina and Tzuyu were on their way to grab something to eat before they go to their respective classes on the same building, “Who are we going up against next game?” Mina looked up to ask. 

“Next Wednesday? Yonsei.” the brunette simply answered. 

Mina nodded a few times, remembering someone from a few years back at the mention of the said university. 

Miyawaki Sakura.

Mina wonders if she went on to play football as she originally planned or completely changed to a different sport. 

I hope she didn’t change her number. 

Tzuyu pulled her out of her reverie when she called for her name, “Huh?”

“I said, have you cleared your schedule for this Friday evening?” Tzuyu repeats her question with knitted brows, probably perplexed. Is she spacing out?

“Oh,” Mina just shrugged, “I won’t come to that.”

Tzuyu was bemused, they’re not coming? “Are you and unnie going somewhere else?”

“Why would we go somewhere else? It’s just Halloween.” Mina pointedly said which made Tzuyu a little more confused. 

“I just thought you’d want to countdown to her birthday through the party,”

Mina froze to her spot, Jeongyeon’s birthday?!

Tzuyu looked puzzled because Mina looks puzzled, “She didn’t tell you?” the girl beside her only shook her head, that explains it. “Her birthday is November 1st.”

-

Mina’s schedule on Halloween week was hectic, it’s packed with lots of business projects to do. But since she’s partners with Park Jihyo, they’ve finished it a day before the Saturday deadline. They could’ve maybe finished it with two days to spare, if only Mina could focus. 

Sure, she and Jihyo are thankful for Jeongyeon who stays with them for a few hours, always bringing them coffee in the middle of the night to save them from snoring at the business plans, but every time Mina sees Jeongyeon, she couldn’t help but think what she should give her as a gift for her birthday this coming Saturday. She couldn’t focus much and it’s bugging her often, mainly because Jeongyeon is bugging her often, too. 

It’s already Friday and she’s still empty-handed. Mina doesn’t have a costume nor a gift for her least favorite Korean. She does have the day free, but she supposes she couldn’t just drag Jeongyeon to the mall and make her pick whatever she wants and buy it secretly and just give it to her tomorrow... can she? Jeongyeon didn’t even told me that her birthday is already tomorrow! If it wasn’t for Tzuyu, she would still be clueless. 

Before Mina could ask for anyone’s help, her phone rang and she’s very sure that Jeongyeon is the only person who will call her at 9AM, probably just to share what has happened in their training. With a groan, Mina answered, “Jeong, I know you outran your teammates this morning, no need to tell me this for the 46th time,”

“Wow, she updates you on everything, huh?” she heard the girl from the other line chuckle. She lifted the phone from her ears and saw the caller ID, ‘Nayeon’. 

Mina babo. Mina grimaced at how stupid she might’ve sounded to Nayeon, just why does she always assume it’s Jeongyeon who’s calling to annoy her?

She let out an embarrassed chuckle, “Hi, Nay. Sorry, I thought you’re Jeongyeon.”

“You thought I was your girlfriend? Yeah, I wish you were my girlfriend,” Mina was shocked at how Nayeon answered, is she flirting with me?! 

Nayeon let out another chuckle, “I’m kidding, Mina,” 

I wish you weren’t.

“I know. What’s up?” Mina tried to divert their attention to something else. 

“Just wanted to know what your costume is? I still don’t know what I’m going to be for the party later,”

Oh, she’s gathering ideas. 

“Don’t know if I could help you much cause I still don’t have a costume myself,” Of course, why would she call to check on you, Mina?

“Why didn’t you text me? Let’s just shop together!”

“Oka-“ Mina was about to confirm but Nayeon’s excitement didn’t let her finish, “I’ll be there in 10,”

I guess dragging Jeongyeon to the mall is out of the question now. 

-

The girls went inside the shop that displayed many costumes. They went all over the store, laughing amongst themselves; mostly Mina chortling at Nayeon trying on funny wigs, at Nayeon trying to look silly and cute, at Nayeon trying various idiotic outfits that earned her many of Mina’s gummy laughs. 

Nayeon would glare at the people that dared to give them the stink eye for being too loud, and would occasionally pull Mina away so that she wouldn’t have to see the look on the other shopper’s stares. 

“Go, try it on.” Nayeon ushers her to the dressing room and gives her the articles of clothing. 

When Mina emerged from behind the curtains, Nayeon couldn’t help her gasp, “Oh my gosh, Myoui Mina is the iest Mummy alive!”

Mina chuckled at Nayeon’s attempt to compliment her, “I’m the only Mummy alive,”

“Well, it’s safe to say that you should’ve played that part on the movie, you’d totally ‘Mummy’ the Mummy part,” Nayeon snickered and stood to check the costume out. Ahmanet looks good on her. “‘Mummy’ the Mummy part? What does that even mean?” Mina softly laughed. 

Nayeon just shooed her back to the fitting room and replaced Mina shortly after. She excitedly tried some of the costumes she picked. First one is the cutesy bunny that made Mina coo, “A bunny going to Halloween as a bunny?” Nayeon would’ve appreciated that Mina thinks she’s adorable but that is not the look she’s going for this year, she has someone to impress. 

She changed to a leather Catwoman costume that hugged all the curves on her body and paired it with black cat ears. She smirked at the mirror, this is the one. 

And she was right, it is indeed, the one, because it earned her the reaction that she wants, “Nayeon, that’s–” Mina stuttered at her words, “You–” she couldn’t form anything intelligent to say. Nayeon IS Catwoman. 

Nayeon’s smirk only widened, “Yup, I know how you feel, babe,” she winked and blew Mina a kiss before disappearing back to the curtains. 

Mina feels like her heart would explode with everything that she’s feeling. She feels hot just by looking at her, and Nayeon hasn’t even completed her look yet. Mina tries to calm herself down, deep breaths, Mina, deep breaths. 

When they’re queuing to checkout, Nayeon looked at Mina with slight concern, “You’re sweating. Are you okay?”

After I saw you in all leather? Yeah, sure. 

“I’m okay, maybe they just turned the temp higher,” Mina tries to reason out. 

Nayeon only hummed, “Let’s just get ice cream before we go,”

Mina’s racing heart only went faster when Nayeon held her hand on their way out, and despite it, she couldn’t help the smile that’s threatening to split her face. 

Maybe Jeongyeon’s right, Autumn and Halloween is the best season. 

-

Nayeon stayed at Mina’s dorm after they got back. She says doing her and Mina’s makeup will take them hours, so she only allowed them a couple of full sixty minute of rest before she went to do the first touches on their faces. 

Mina has been looking at her phone every after a few minutes, she’s not sure what she’s waiting for or whose name she’s waiting to appear on her screen, but Nayeon who’s busy winging her eyeliner has a hunch, “You don’t have to always wait for her to text first, you know. You could text first, too.”

Right... but I could ask the same to you. Why can’t Jeongyeon? 

Mina just rolled her eyes and sighed. Whatever. She dialled Jeongyeon’s number and the girl picked up on the fifth ring, “Mina,” 

Mina furrowed her brows at the tone Jeongyeon used, does she not want to talk to me?

“Jeong? Where are you?” she got up from the chair near the vanity mirror and walked out of Nayeon’s earshot.  

“Around,” Around? What kind of answer is that?

Mina looked back to Nayeon who was still busy doing her makeup, “You didn’t text me all day...”

“I didn’t think you’d notice,” Mina knows she’s pouting while she’s talking, her voice alone gave it away. Is she sulking?

“Is my big baby sulking?” Mina tried to , a small smile already playing on her lips. 

“Whatever, Mina,” then Jeongyeon ended the call. What just happened?

“How’d it go?” Nayeon asked her when she took her seat in front of the vanity mirror. 

Mina groaned, “Jeongyeon’s being a baby again,” What has she done now?

Nayeon chuckled as she starts to draw the Sumerian symbols on Mina’s face, “I think she has the right to,” Mina only scoffed as an answer, trying to come off as indifferent when in reality, she’s racking up her mind as to why Jeongyeon is being like this again. 

A few moments later, Nayeon leaned back up to admire her work, “Alright, done! What do you think?”

“It’s amazing, Nay, thank you!” Mina looked up and rewarded her with her gummy smile, to which Nayeon paid back with her own bunny-toothed one, “Number 1 HMUA: Im Nayeon, at your service,”

They shared a chuckle until Nayeon made her stand up, “Let’s dress up, party will start at 10. I’ll go get dressed in the rest room,”

Mina got her outfit on without any difficulty, but Nayeon on the other hand seemed to be having a hard time. She’s been on that rest room for quite some time now. 

As she waits for Nayeon to finish, Mina fished out her phone from her pocket, she’s contemplating whether she should call Jeongyeon again or not. 

She tapped the screen a few times, thinking. Against her better judgment, she dialled her number, “Jeong?”

Jeongyeon only hummed, waiting for Mina to talk again, “Can you come fetch me here at the dorm? Let’s go to the party together,” Mina bit her lip, she doesn’t know why but she really wants Jeongyeon to say yes and just come here. 

“Okay, be there in 10,” then she hung up. She can only sigh, at least she’s coming. 

The door to the bathroom opened and Mina instinctually looked up, only to regret it, because Nayeon came out with just her bra, exposing her milky white skin and her flat abdomen; the full body leather costume only done halfway through her body, stopping at her waist, “Little help?”

Mina blinked, or stared or gulped a few times, or maybe she did all that, she wasn’t really sure.

The brunette walked closer to her and whined a bit, “I couldn’t wear the leather sleeves all the way up like earlier,”

Mina got up, albeit shakily. She’s begging for her heart to stop being so obvious, to stop beating so hard. She’s worried Nayeon might hear its pounding. 

S