(in the van)
Jeongyeon: Why don’t you just talk to Mina?
Nayeon, sarcastically: Oh. yeah, sure.
Jeongyeon: What? So you go tell her she's cute, what’s the worst that could happen?
Nayeon: She could hear me
Mina: I can hear you now

The whole of TWICE knows that Nayeon is smitten with Mina.

Except, well, Mina herself.

And after the incident last time at the bar, Jeongyeon is just about ready to throw hands at Nayeon for being a ‘useless gay’—in their company van with their bandmates and managers who are thankfully napping after their showcase.

Jeongyeon couldn’t have picked a worse timing, really.

“You know you’re not as sleek as you think you’re being, right?”

It’s a harsh whisper against Nayeon’s ear and Nayeon roughly pushes Jeongyeon away from her as she throws her a dirty look and asks, “Personal space ring a bell, Yoo?”

“Don’t evade the question, Nabong.” Jeongyeon glares right back but doesn’t retaliate, which informs Nayeon that Jeongyeon is serious with her line of questioning.

Nayeon falls quiet as she stares outside the window of their moving van. She doesn’t want to admit it but she kinda sorta doesn’t want to be discreet with her feelings for Mina anymore.

Because that’s what she’s been doing for the past four years and look where it got her?

Single, pining, and nowhere near Mina’s lips.

Except for that one time.

Just thinking about it makes Nayeon blush.

“Yah, focus on me, Nayeonnie.”

Nayeon turns her head to glare at Jeongyeon again, irritated due to a different reason altogether now. “Shut up.”

“Answer my question and then I will.” Jeongyeon sighs. “You do know that you’re not being sleek, right? Right, Nabong?”

The challenge in Jeongyeon’s tone makes Nayeon’s competitive nature flare up and she doesn’t even think twice before replying, “So what if I’m not? So what if it’s on purpose? So what, Jeong?”

“If you know Mina—and you should because you claim to like her—”

“I do like her.”

Jeongyeon continues as if Nayeon hasn’t even spoken, “—then you should know that you being obvious with your gay feelings won’t get you anywhere. She’ll never assume anything behind your actions. She’s genuine like that.”

Knowing Jeongyeon is right but not wanting to give her the satisfaction, Nayeon turns to her favorite method of evasion. “Unlike you and I, huh?”

Years of knowing Nayeon, however, make Jeongyeon immune to Nayeon’s deflection tactics. “Nayeonnie, why don’t you just talk to Mina?”

The question is simple enough to answer—she can’t risk losing Mina’s friendship—but Nayeon decides sarcasm is better anyway. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”

But Jeongyeon knows her better than anyone else (aside from Jihyo), and she sees right through Nayeon. “What? So, you go tell Mina she’s cute, what’s the worst that could happen?”

Nayeon rolls her eyes. “She could hear me.”

“I can hear you now.”

They both whip their head in the direction of the voice to see Mina sleepily eyeing them.

Nayeon is sweating bullets at this point, and she swears she will murder Jeongyeon once they’re on solid ground again. Jeongyeon and her runny mouth. Nayeon vows this will be the last time Jeongyeon will put her in an awkward situation. She vows!

Mina continues looking at them silently, now with a raised brow, and Nayeon scrambles to think of a response.

I will kill you, Yoo Jeongyeon. I swear I will.

“Y-You’re cute, Minari,” Nayeon eventually manages to say, and she readily shoves Jeongyeon out of her seat when her traitorous friend snickers, “You were really cute during the showcase earlier.”

Realization flickers in Mina’s sleepy eyes—Nayeon almost coos—and she avoids Nayeon’s gaze as she quietly says, “Oh. Thank you, unnie. You were cute, too.”

Nayeon decides maybe she can kill Jeongyeon next time because Mina just called her cute. Cute!

That’s enough motivation for Nayeon to not get thrown into jail for murdering her co-member.