Nayeon and Chaeyoung had a tradition of having breakfast together every Saturday morning, something they now did at Nayeon’s place because they had it to themselves. However, this would probably be the last in a while, as after the competition they would have to start getting ready for exam season.

 

Nayeon had grades a bit higher than average, and even though she didn’t study nearly as much as Chaeyoung, she understood where her friend was coming from when she said she couldn’t hang out because she had to study. It filled her with pride seeing how hard Chaeyoung worked to keep her scholarship.

 

Sky blue as the ocean and sun shining its last warm rays before autumn arrived, the pair were sitting at Nayeon’s couch while munching on cupcakes the younger had gotten from a bakery earlier.

 

Chaeyoung tended to have hyper-fixations on things. They usually lasted a couple of months, so she would dedicate a lot of her time to learning more about them; the latest one was Roman Mythology.

 

“Did you know that sometimes Romans would kill Christians and feed them to lions because they refused to believe in Roman Gods?” Chaeyoung stated while she chewed her red velvet cupcake.

 

Nayeon wasn’t a fan of this new era, she preferred when Chaeyoung was interested in astrology. “No, I didn’t. So interesting.”

 

The younger set her cupcake on the plate and shifted on the couch to get a better look at her friend. Squinting her eyes, she spoke. “I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic.”

 

“Chae, no offense, but I’d rather speak about things other than myths from 5.000 years ago.” Nayeon took her baby blue cup and blew on the liquid to get rid of the steam. 

 

“Actually, it’s more like 2.500 years.” She corrected, knowing it would bother Nayeon. “So, what do you wanna talk about?”

 

Rolling her eyes, she continued. “I don’t know, tell me what you did this week, what you plan on doing. Something, anything other than mythology.” Nayeon knew a lot more than everyone thought, but in this case, it would be better if she didn’t speak much. 

 

If Chaeyoung didn’t speak about it to someone soon, she was sure her head would explode.  Who was more qualified for the job than her best friend? “Something weird happened to me yesterday. Like it has been going on for a while, but yesterday was different.”

 

Nayeon took a sip from her tea and nodded, “Really? What happened?” She prayed it would be about Mina because seeing this push and pull going on for so long was frustrating for her. Hopefully, she would get to see Mina soon and ask about her side of the story too.

 

The younger stretched her legs on the couch, laying them over Nayeon’s lap. “Yesterday I got home like an hour later than usual and Mina was asleep.”

 

Disappointing. “Girly needed her beauty sleep, what is wrong with that?”

 

It was being hard for her to speak about her newfound feelings and Nayeon wasn’t taking her seriously. She knew Nayeon wouldn’t judge her, she had a girlfriend for God’s sake, but it still made her nervous about what her friends would think of her after claiming she was straight for years. “Can you shut up for like one minute and let me speak?”

 

“Yes, sorry ma’am.” Nayeon leaned back and turned her neck so she wouldn’t have to move her entire body.

 

“When I arrived, she looked a bit revealing.” Chaeyoung her chapped lips, trying to find the right way to explain the memory without sounding like a . “She wasn’t completely or anything. But I just couldn’t help but stare.”

 

Nayeon tilted her head to the side like a dog, not understanding where this was going without meaning what Chaeyoung had denied for years. “That’s gay.”

 

The younger covered her face with her sweaty hands in embarrassment. “No, it’s not like that. I was just surprised, I had never seen her like that.” It was probably useless, but Chaeyoung held onto the idea that if others believed her she would eventually believe it herself.

 

“You didn’t like it? You didn’t feel anything?” Her eyes opened wider to ask. “Come on, I know I’m dating Jeong and everything but I have eyes, I can tell Mina is stunning. My jaw would fall to the floor if I saw her like that .”

 

‘It wasn't my jaw but my bag.’ Chaeyoung tried to relive the memory in her head to look at everything again. “That wasn’t the point of this, let me finish.” She took a bite from her mini cake, thinking about how to phrase the events without encouraging Nayeon’s previous statement. “Last night she moved to my bed because she wasn’t feeling well-“

 

“You let her sleep with you?!” The older’s voice echoed through the living room. “It took you years to let me without you feeling uncomfortable. Last time I’m pretty sure you unintentionally kicked her out with all the moving around.”

 

At that moment, Nayeon became 99% sure Chaeyoung had feelings for Mina. Whether she admitted them or not was another topic.

 

“She wasn’t feeling well and she said she liked the warmth, but it was nice.” Her voice became smaller with each word. If she could ask the earth to swallow her at that moment, she would even beg for it to do it. 

 

“Nice in what way?” 

 

“I don’t know. It just felt nice in a normal way.” Chaeyoung didn’t even know why she mentioned it to Nayeon when she didn’t want to talk about it.

 

“If it’s normal, why did you want to talk about it? It doesn’t sound like that’s it.” The older was willing to do whatever it took to get her friend to spit it out. 

 

“I feel weird now, I just can’t seem to figure out what it is.” 

 

“Okay,” Nayeon patted her lap to get Chaeyoung to lay on it. Once the younger obliged, she continued. “close your eyes. Imagine a situation like that happening again. Do you think you would like to sleep next to her again?”

 

She didn’t even have to think about her answer. “Yes.”

 

Her eyebrows raised, that was easier than expected. Nayeon was confused as to why couldn’t Chaeyoung see her own feelings overflowing. “Why is that?” 

 

That was a lot more difficult to find out. “I’m not sure.” 

 

If Nayeon were honest, she had no idea what she was doing, she just thought it may soften Chaeyoung. “Are the things you felt when you were with Mina similar to what you feel when you’re around me or Dahyun or Tzuyu?”

 

Almost as clear as crystal. “No, it’s like, more intense? I don’t know if that makes sense.” 

 

Whenever the younger used the ‘I don’t know if that makes sense’ card it was because she felt embarrassed of her feelings, like saying that after would make them less important. “Of course it does, I think you should take some time to figure them out by yourself though.” 

 

In Nayeon’s opinion, that was the best thing to do. Telling Mina Chaeyoung may have feelings for her would only give her false hope if it didn’t turn out to be true, and the younger still needed time to understand it herself. 

 

“Why?” She looked from Nayeon’s lap, trying to find the answer in the older’s eyes.

 

“I’m not sure you’re ready to hear it yet, but I promise I'll be here once you are.” Nayeon wanted to laugh at how mature she sounded right now, but that would prove her thoughts otherwise so she restrained herself. “Just follow your heart, remember that we’ll be no matter what.”

 

Chaeyoung nodded and looked away. It felt like everything she thought to be true was falling apart and all she wanted to do was cry, to ease the pain. “I think I should go home. I still have to write the rap for the presentation and I don’t have a single ing idea in my head.” It was the truth, but there was also another reason she didn’t want to say out loud.

 

The younger was standing up and looking down on a sitting Nayeon. Suddenly, she felt arms around her waist. 

 

“You know I love you no matter what, right?” The voice could be barely made out.

 

“Mhm,” Chaeyoung was afraid her voice might betray her. “I love you too.” She softly combed her friend’s hair with her fingers.

 

“I know you miss her but she needs to be with her friends too. You should stay a while longer.” The flick on her forehead made her hiss, but she found it funny how easy it was to read Chaeyoung.

 

“Fine, but we should do something fun, I’m tired of studying all day.” 

 

Nayeon had an idea, but one she wasn’t sure her friend would agree on. “I think we should go visit Tim and Tom again.”

 

“Nayeon, I don’t have enough money. Mina paid for the food twice last week because my mom forgot to leave money and I was so embarrassed.” Chaeyoung stared at a line on the ceiling and thought about how bad she felt even though her roommate had assured her a ton of times that it was the least she could do after everything her family had done for her and how well they received her. 

 

“I’ll pay.” She conveniently forgot to mention that it also meant Chaeyoung would be getting what she wanted. Getting up from the couch, she quickly put the cups in the dishwasher and signaled for her friend to get up. “Call me your sugar mommy.”

 

Chaeyoung faked a gag while she pointed a finger inside . “I would never . How are you even getting all that money?”

 

“Jeong pays in most of our dates even though I insist a lot so I have a bit saved up.” 

 

“Fine, but I will be complaining because when I don’t have any grown out roots my scalp looks weird.”

 

“You always complain anyways.”

 

Chaeyoung picked her bag up and took her phone out to inform her roommate of the change of plans. “I don’t even know if I want to keep the blonde or do something different.”

 

“You’re doing pink.” Nayeon picked up her keys and wallet from the table near the door and walked outside. “Move or we’ll be too late for them to have an empty spot.”

 

“I don’t know if pink is my color, Nayeon.” She slid past her friend and closed the door, walking under the warm weather to the car. 

 

“Of course it is. Have I ever been wrong?” 

 

“Many times but I don’t think I should keep going.” She could make a list with it, but Nayeon would be paying so it’s best to stay on her good side.

 

“Good girl.” Nayeon teased, knowing it would make Chaeyoung cringe. The faked choke proved her right.

 

---

 

“What do you mean you slept with her?!” Sana’s high-pitched voice screamed in the empty house. “You slept next to her, right?”

 

“Jesus, Sana. Why do you even have to ask?” Mina swirled her tongue around to taste the tea’s residues. 

 

The older smiled cheekily at her comment; she found the pink on Mina’s cheeks worth it. "So, how was the ?”

 

“One more time and I’m kicking you out.” Mina stood from her bed - where they were currently sitting - and rumbled through the drawers until she found the blister of pills Chaeyoung had left her earlier in case the pain came again. “She offered and I couldn’t refuse.” It wasn’t a complete lie; Chaeyoung had offered if there was anything she could do and Mina just replied honestly.

 

“And how was the ‘just sleep’?” A part of Sana felt envy; envy of how she would sacrifice everything to sleep with Tzuyu (in both ways).

 

Things were off ever since the date. A few weeks had passed and they still hadn’t talked about the kiss they didn’t share or if they would like to go on an official date. The previous time, Tzuyu had called it ‘hanging out’ and now Sana was afraid she had read it all wrong, so she promised herself to wait and see if her roommate would make a move or things would stay the same.

 

“It was sleep but different. Like she’s warm but not in a bad way and her scent lulls me to sleep.” Mina moved her hands around as if it would make it easier to understand while her eyes spa