Rejection was part of life. Sana had been rejected many times, this was not the worst rejection, she even thought that Chaeyoung had been nice enough. So yeah, she was okay but that didn't mean that she was not a little bit down, she really wanted to get to know Chaeyoung. 

'well, that's life' Sana was eating alone in the campus cafeteria, later she had dance lessons. She did not know where Momo was, and she figured Mina wouldn't have wanted to eat with her, so she had no choice. Sana felt like she needed a distraction, something different, one act of out of the ordinary, take chances. That's when she spotted a beautiful girl at some tables away from her. 

'Okay, Sana, go and get her number' She just needed to try, the worst she could say was no. 'Or insult you'  Yeah, that may happen too, but she needed to be bold. Nothing was going to change if she didn't try. Sana was not one to be still, if she had a plan she was gonna get through with it. So she stood up, leaving her tray where they belong and then walking towards the girl. 

Sana took a deep breath, the girl was with a friend, who was really beautiful too, 'Maybe if one of them rejects me then I- No no Sana, just one'  she got to the table and smiled 'Okay, here goes nothing' "Hi," she said out loud. "I was over there and-"

"You're that girl," the girl said. Sana was confused, she did not know where she could have seen her.

The friend seemed confused too, and asked, "What girl?" 

"Mina's friend." 

"Oh." The friend seemed to remember. "Chaeyoung's fan club."

Sana felt more nervous now, she did not know them but they apparently knew about her. "Uh, have we met?" 

"You talked to Chaeyoung at the Bar and Grill," The girl explained with a serious tone, maybe Sana had picked wrongly. "You're Mina's friend." 

"Well," Sana was not sure if she should go through with her challenge now, "yes, I'm Minatozaki Sana, I just- I saw you and I was wondering if you'd give me your number," she finally said, she felt relieved, that was it, she had done it. At that, the girl looked confused and her friend was smiling. The girl was not responding so Sana tried again, "uh, It's okay if you say no, I just couldn't let the opportunity slip away," she smiled.

Suddenly the friend hit the girl with her elbow and whispered really loud, "Just give her your number, Tzuyu, is not every day a pretty girl asks for it." 

That made Sana laugh internally, it was a funny scene. The girl looked at her friend and whispered too. "But you know I-"

The friend cut her off, "Just do it, you , forget her."

After saying that, Tzuyu apparently, turned to look at Sana again. "Uh, yeah, okay," she simply said. Sana's smile grew bigger and she felt proud, she took her phone and handed it to the girl, who typed it quickly and returned it. 

"Thank you," she smiled again. "Tzuyu, right?" She said looking at the saved number. "I'll text you." And she left not before smiling to the helping friend too. 

'That went well' Sana felt better now. She wanted to tell Momo all about it. So she started walking to the building where they had their dance classes a little bit earlier than usual, well, for her at least because she was always late. Mina and Momo were already there, she got closer and smiled. "Hey guys," she greeted them and Mina smiled at her.

"Hey, you look happy," Momo said. They were stretching so she left her things and joined them.  

"I am," she confessed. 

"Didn't Chaeyoung reject you?" Right, she had told Momo all about it. At the mention of that Mina moved uncomfortably but they ignored it, as usual. 

"Life goes on, Momoring," she smiled. "You have to take chances, so I did, and guess what!" 

Momo laughed at her, she was smiling too. "What did you do now?"

"I got a number, no wait, not just a number," Sana was excited, "I got the number of the most beautiful girl ever." At that, she saw how Mina rolled her eyes. 

"Did you now?" Momo was intrigued. "Well done." 

Mina scoffed. 'What's with her? I thought we were over this'

Momo ignored Mina and asked, "So who's the lucky girl?" 

"Oh, right that was weird, she knew me," Sana remembered what had happened. "They saw me talking with Chaeyoung that day when we went out, they knew Mina too." 

"Chaeyoung's friends?" Momo asked. "I knew them yesterday- Wait." Momo looked surprised. "Whose number did you get?" 

"Tzuyu," Sana smiled and Mina was more uncomfortable with every word. 

"Wow, Sana, are you for real?" Momo was so excited, Sana thought it was cute, she wished Momo was more honest with herself so she could be just as excited for her if she ever found someone. "Tzuyu is gorgeous." At that, Mina stopped stretching. 

"Yah, Momo, what's with you, stop that," Mina talked for the first time. She looked more uncomfortable than she had ever looked.

"No, Mina, what's with you?" Momo replied making Sana really surprised, she was never against Mina. "You have been uncomfortable throughout the whole story, I thought we were over this." 

Mina looked somehow hurt but argued back just as mad as Momo. "How could I be over it? It's weird, I don't want to hear it."

"Then don't," Momo spat.

'Okay, what did I miss?'  Sana could not believe this Momo.

"You are encouraging her," Mina tried to reason with Momo. But Momo looked really done with the girl. 

"So what?" She looked serious. "Is that so bad?" 

Sana was really shocked now, she did not know Momo had it in her to talk this way to Mina, the girl was always making excuses for her. Sana was slightly happy that Momo was somehow defending her and standing up to Mina's close mind but it did not have to be like this, Momo would regret it. 

Mina kept quiet at first and then she tried to speak, opening a bit Sana could see her lips trembling, she closed and didn't say anything, she grabbed her things and left before the class began. 

"Momo," Sana spoke still surprised by everything. "Are you okay?"

Momo was mad. "She can't keep doing that," she said shaking her head "I- "

"Momo," Sana began slowly, "have you considered telling her how you feel?"

"What do you mean?" 

'Okay, not yet then' 

"Why did you snap at her like that?" Sana tried another question. "We know how difficult she can be with that." They really did.

"I just had to," Momo looked down, apparently realizing what she had done. "I got mad."

Sana did not say anything else, she just got closer to hug Momo. The class started after that but Mina did not come back. 

***

Everything seemed the same, life was happening. She woke up, she went to classes, she ate, everything was the same, but Mina felt everything changing. She felt slow and the world too fast. She did not know why she was doing half of the things she was doing. She felt confused and hurt, why no one could see that? No one seemed to understand that she was feeling wrong. 

She argued with Momo. She had never argued with Momo before. She needed the world to stop. She needed to hide, so she left. Mina knew her room was empty at this hour, so she went there. Hugging her pillow while sitting on top of her bed she let her mind wander. 

There was no explanation for her mood changes, yesterday she had been fine, she was enjoying the movie with Chaeyoung, she felt happy, and then she had broken down. 

Chaeyoung. The girl seemed to be the only one noticing her, the only one really seeing her. Chaeyoung had calmed her down, she felt okay in her arms, her roommate somehow felt like a good place to hide. For a moment she wished she was here, but she didn't know how would she react, so it was not a good idea. Why was she so bothered with Sana's story, she could not explain. Maybe Momo had reacted that way because she deserved it. 

Once again she needed to apologize but she couldn't keep doing this, she will end up losing her friends, no one will trust her. She didn't even trust herself. Mina needed a distraction, so she got up, looking for something to do and decided to paint the board-canvas, which still had a penguin, she had left it there because it was too cute to be erased, but maybe she could ask for another one. She didn't know what to draw or write, so she just mixed some colors while thinking about it, when she was about to make the first move on the canvas she heard the door closing.

"Gotcha". Chaeyoung had arrived. She couldn't help but smile at the girl. 

"You are here early." She turned back to the canvas.

"I figured you'd be here." Chaeyoung passed behind her to leave her things on her bed.

"Oh," That was all Mina said, she felt warmth once again, she couldn't explain it. She enjoyed spending time with Chaeyoung and knowing that the girl did too, warmed her heart. She tried to start painting the penguin but she got lost in thought looking at it, then she felt weight in her shoulder. 

"What you doing there?" Chaeyoung asked supporting her jaw in Mina's shoulder. Feeling Chaeyoung's breath in her neck was not helping with her sanity. 

"I can't do it," Mina explained. "It's too cute. Waddles." 

"You named him Waddles?" Chaeyoung chuckled.

"Of course, he needed a name."

"That's cute," Chaeyoung said. "Okay, then leave it there, I can get another canvas." She left Mina's shoulder. "How was your day?"

Mina left the paintbrush and turned to look at Chaeyoung. Her day had not been great but could she tell that to her? 

"I had an argument with Momo." 

"Why?"

Why? She didn't know why. "Because Sana's got Tzuyu's number." 

"Tzuyu? My Tzuyu?" Chaeyoung seemed more confused at the fact that Sana's got Tzuyu's number than why was that the reason they had had an argument. "She moves fast."

"Oh god, not you too." Mina reacted. 

"Wait, why did you argue over that?" At that Mina was not sure how to answer without feeling stupid.

"I... I may have said one or two mean things," she confessed. For some reason, she trusted Chaeyoung was not going to react badly.

"Mina," She began with a disappointed voice. "Weren't you over that?"

"I thought so too..." Now Mina felt sad. 

Chaeyoung sighed. "Did you apologize? or well, do you want to?"

"I do." Mina was not lying. "But I shouldn't have reacted like I did, now I'm far too ashamed to say sorry again." Mina stood up from the chair to fall down on her bed hugging her pillow once again. "I know she did nothing wrong, I swear I know, Chaeyoung." Mina had her face hidden on the pillow, she felt small. She knew Chaeyoung was probably looking at her, but it was okay. 

"Why does Sana bother you so much but I don't?" Chaeyoung spoke from her bed. Mina was surprised with the question, she did not have an answer, it was confusing. Mina left the pillow to sit and look at Chaeyoung.

"I'm not sure," Mina spoke quietly. "It's different..."

"It is not." 

"I've never seen you saying or doing things like her," Mina tried to find an answer.

"But we are the same." Chaeyoung looked sad now. "Would you hate me if I fell for a girl?"

Mina was taken aback, she stared at Chaeyoung for a long time. Would she hate her? Not hate, but would she react the same way she does with Sana? Mina was not making sense. 

"I don't hate Sana," she finally said. "She's just wrong." Mina had just said Sana had done nothing wrong, but apparently, she had forgotten all about that. 

"Love is not wrong, Mina." Chaeyoung was looking at her in the eyes, she felt even smaller, she felt exposed, she wanted to hide again.

"Have you ever been in love?" Mina needed to understand. Understand what? She wasn't sure. Chaeyoung seemed to think for a moment. 

"I'm not sure," she finally said. "I don't think so."

"With boys and girls?" 

"I haven't." 

"Then how do you know?" 

"What?"

"That you like girls."

"I told you I didn't, remember?" Chaeyoung looked away. "I'm not afraid of falling in love, if it's with a boy or a girl, I won't care" Mina was confused, how could Chaeyoung feel like that? How was she so sure? How was Sana so sure? How was she the only one mistaken? Mina was really trying to make sense, then Chaeyoung spoke again. "Are you afraid, Mina?"

Afraid? "What do you mean?"

Chaeyoung stood up and got closer to her. "Afraid of falling in love." Mina felt her heartbeat increasing, she did not know what she was feeling, she just knew she wanted to hide, like yesterday. She needed Chaeyoung to understand. "Would it be different?" Chaeyoung began again. "Would I be different if I were with a girl? I would still like to paint and draw, I would still be me, I would still like to play video games with you and eat cake." Chaeyoung got closer to Mina with every word. 

Mina took in all those arguments, Chaeyoung was right, nothing would change. And Sana was the same Sana she had met without knowing she liked girls. 

"Stand up," Chaeyoung commanded out of nowhere. Mina stood up slowly, she was not trusting her balance, she was nervous, she was a mess. They were facing each other. Chaeyoung took Mina's hand and moved it to her chest. "Do you feel that?" She asked pressing her hand on top of Mina's. 

"It's your heart." Mina's voice was barely a whisper. Chaeyoung now moved their hands to Mina's chest.

"Do you feel that too? Chaeyoung's gaze was intense. Mina nodded. "It's the same," Chaeyoung stated. "We are all the same." 

Mina felt warmth. She was nervous and she still wanted to hide, but not from Chaeyoung. She wanted to hide from everyone else. Chaeyoung left her hand and Mina was grateful the girl had not said anything about how fast her heart was going or maybe she did not feel it. Either way, she was grateful at Chaeyoung, for everything. 

"Can I hug you?" Mina wanted to feel Chaeyoung's warmth once again. Chaeyoung nodded and Mina threw herself in her arms, this time Chaeyoung was the one holding her tight, but she still got to hide in her neck. "I'm sorry," she said. "I won't hate you." She needed Chaeyoung to believe her. "I couldn't hate you," Mina kept talking. "I don't hate Sana, I'm sorry." 

"I know you are.

"I need to tell her, I need to tell Momo, I was wrong, Sana, Sana is so sweet, Momo jus-" 

"Mina, breathe," Chaeyoung reminded her. So Mina did, she left out a big breath, she was feeling less overwhelmed, she liked it here so she just said it.

"I like it here."

"The room?"

"Your arms." Chaeyoung didn't say anything so she let go, looking at her, she smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you," Mina said last before leaving through the door. She needed to talk to her friends.