Half arc, half ours. 

 

Mina thinks Nayeon is an attractive and Intriguing person. Nayeon has a crush on Mina, but not sure enough to date her.

 

"Myoui Mina, right?" 

 

"We're friends, Im Nayeon. Stop talking to me like a stranger."

 

"I want to try more than that?"

 

"What if I don't feel like it?"

 

"But you're curious." Mina didn't say anything but Nayeon is absolutely right, how it feels to date someone like her. 

 

"Okay, let's say we're gonna date." Mina's expecting a cute reaction from the girl but she only gets a nod and an expression to think of what's next.

 

"50 dates." 

 

"What?" 

 

"I want 50 dates or days of us being a couple."

 

"Why only 50?"

 

"Am I sure when I confessed to you minutes ago?" 

 

"No."

 

"Then it's the same with our relationship. Definitely we don't connect at times and make our status shaky, I still want you to date with someone you feel the spark."

 

"You already overthink what our relationship would be and turn to." 

 

"Nope, just making sure so neither of us got hurt. Heartbreak is tough, healing is much tougher." Nayeon speaks realistically, or more like saying to herself to be ready for the storms they are gonna deal with. 

 

"Okay, worrywart. 50 dates, 7weeks and one extra day, no more, no less and we are allowed to do anything, we have vague labels so we'll keep that in mind that this is only experimental dating." Mina agreed to Nayeon's terms and conditions. Nayeon thanked her with a satisfactory written on her face. 

 

"Is it okay to kiss you now?"

 

"Ooh, I like that you ask for consent." Nayeon doesn't answer her through words but actions. Lips connected with no sparks between them, just mutual feelings of being drawn to each other. 

 

The first date is a disaster. A big, chaotic mess. They planned for cinema and the thing is…they have different tastes which give them no choice but to watch two different movies after deciding what should be first and last by picking the movie who arrived first. 

 

Movies are fine but the two aren't. Instead both of them just shut up and watch intently to the chosen movie and yet the penguin bugged the bunny to explain what's happening throughout the movie and the Korean is just busy on her phone as the Japanese are having a blast on screams and any elements of horror but fades eventually into boredom as she takes a glance at her movie buddy. 

 

Their dinner isn't good either, Nayeon insists on going to Mina's preferred restaurant but little did they know Nayeon is allergic to what food Mina likes. They spend their date in the hospital room watching silly tv shows and playing child-like games. Overall, it is terrible but as always first is surely they won't forget. 

 

The 10th date finally made some progress. Nayeon finally understands why Mina likes to play on these consoles. An indoor date wasn't bad, they got to know each other a little. Nayeon should be banned in the kitchen, Mina is scary when she gets mad and has a potty mouth hidden in her quiet demeanor.

 

"Take me to one of your parties." Mina said on their 21st day of dating. 

 

"Um…no."

 

"Why?"

 

"You have worse results and doing another worse thing is awful."

 

"you're the last thing I know that cheers me up when I'm down. I don't want to ask you stay since you have other things you want to do." Nayeon doesn't care about the girl, but seeing her fail in exams and playing at least would calm her but she got a lose streak in her game so was it a pity or she's getting soft on the girl, she can think it along the way.. 

 

"Together or just be there?"

 

"Together."

 

It wasn't bad. No green-eyed monsters come when they flirt and hang out with other people. Weird thing they’ve ever done is they crashed on either mina's or nayeon's instead of any stranger they hooked up or ran away to eat ramyeon with. 

 

"What else can I say except you're welcome~" Nayeon sang as they waited for the coffee to brew. 

 

"Thanks for the hangover, your terrible singing will absolutely help me throw up."

 

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay, you're welcome~" Mina just shook her head at how this girl can make her smile but not enough to fall for her. She cuddles with her for a while, being greedy for the affection Nayeon has to offer. 

 

A couple doesn’t always have sunshine and rainbows. Nayeon always reminded her of that to herself as she was talking with Jihyo to lend her a hand for purchasing what Mina was sulking about. All of her friends declined to help her and Jihyo was her last string or else she’ll do housework and assignments to please Mina which Nayeon doesn't have the guts to do.

 

“You’re spoiling her without knowing."

 

"Hey! I don’t. It's just that I really messed up badly."

 

"What did you do this time?" Jihyo sighs as her unnie does something wrong, spoils the mood or ruins something. 

 

"You see, I didn't see it coming. I went to Mina's just to hang out. Then her parents were there and she didn't look surprised, just disappointed. I can excuse myself that i'm a friend or a schoolmate but I can't because i'm wearing one of Mina's shirt that she mentioned she wearing it since she's freshman, brought by her parents that still unaware their daughter is gay." Nayeon's voice dipped with shame and guilt as she recapped what happened. 

 

"So she's already expecting that but you feel guilty about what happened? What if you're not the only girl caught foolin' around with her, would you still feel guilty?" If there's no option but honesty, then she'll frankly admit that hurts. It was that reality where they were going was vague, unclear, too good to be true. After making her feel she's special, it hurts, why it wouldn't? Unless she feels something. Although it hurts her with the thought, she's also impressed that Mina successfully gets her way through her. 

 

"I don't… know." Jihyo knows Nayeon is hating herself for the question she wasn't certain about.

 

"You owe me big time, unnie." Nayeon smiles as she holds the bag inside of Legos and a bunch of movies for Mina, enough to extinguish the anger infesting on the person Nayeon is trying to make amends.

 

Sunshine and storms create another sequence, confusion and doubts. After their silent argument and fight, Nayeon has never been the same. Does the girl change for good or it's just a side of her Mina didn't know? The gamer doesn't know or care about it but it's bothersome so she has no choice but to ask. 

 

"Is everything okay? Do you want me to continue this thing?" Mina doesn't look at her when she says that, one time she did that nayeon stormed out of the room because she hates that look, reminding her that the person has feelings and she can't take it. 

 

"We have 12 days left, we can spend the whole circle of dating with that short span of time."

 

"Okay. What do you want to compromise."

 

"I don't know, we have to talk about it if compromising would work." Mina rolled her eyes even though she knew Nayeon was staring at her. 

 

She is surely going to add to this list why this thing won't be a real thing. She doesn't want to know things would be, would have been, and should be rather let it flow, unlike the other girl's proposition to be certain which brought them here now but somehow with their belief get them dating in the first place.

 

The busy player takes a sigh and agrees to communicate, it's only 3 weeks left since if they don't have to do the dates, nayeon considers the days of being together as part of the deal. She asks what her issue is, what she sulks about and by asking she uses flowery terms and feigns gentleness in her tone. The two think it's sarcasm or Mina being phony and all. 

 

"Do you always do that to other flings before me?" Nayeon doesn't beat around the bush and Mina has this mocking expression to annoy the older more. 

 

"When they happen to not see my text, it happens." A snarky remark thrown off to Nayeon. 

 

"Okay, my fault. Sorry, I overreacted." Nayeon apologizes, Mina doesn't have to explain more but she feels like she has to because her guts tells to do it, not trusting the girl's action to be sweet to her again by not pressing anything and not blaming her why did she snap off like that. 

 

"You're the first one they know I've dated. The only one I brought to my place or brought themselves to my place." Mina giggles at Nayeon how dumbfounded by the surprise visit of her parents that Mina finds herself later on, feeling the same thing at the end of the day that Nayeon impresses her parents and not be condescending to her… partner? Nayeon knows exactly what she feels when she hears that; nothing. No sense of relief despite hearing the good news for her hard work to please and get on good terms with Mina's parents. For a fact that she didn't overthink how they'll react after seeing her. 

 

"Hard not to be perfect, Mina. I'm irresistible not to hate me and undeniably charming." Nayeon winks and she curses out her talent to read someone. What happened to this day is absolutely a crack. The first crack of their relationship. 

 

Lies. Was it? Mina looks at someone so fondly who isn't Nayeon. A little younger and wild. But to Mina, she's the fire, an electric crawling, tingling on Mina's bones when the girl looks at her, how she laughs, smiles, calls her name. Everything feels different, it's new, it's the first. The thing her soul craves for. Then a hand touches her as if it was made of ice, so cold, so still, it melts to be soft enough to grab her attention. 

 

Nayeon asks her to go somewhere out in the room, never wanting to leave but the expression signals her to stop flirting with the girl but Mina refuses to do what Nayeon wants. 

 

Nayeon hesitates before she tells that she's jealous. Mina grinned, not noticing the lie so she granted what Nayeon requested. Before leaving she looks at the girl who is clearly to be taken by someone else, those eyes that smile when a tall girl kisses her and how her hands cling to her lover's elbows, not wanting to let her go. Nayeon squeezes the hand she's holding to and gently drags out just not to see the kryptonite of the girl. 

 

"Ah, young love, don't you think?"

 

"Nayeon, why didn't you pursue to be an actress?"

 

"Huh, why?"

 

"Because you can fool me that if I am not one second, a few , a half a minute, a minute, or an inch of an hour for me to fall in love with the girl, who is either engaged or married. Her ring matched with her partner. She mentioned that it takes a long time to settle for a girl. So don't tell me it's young and cheer me up with your half-assed, shallow words." Nayeon muttered sorry if she tried. Giving her a chance that she can get the girl if she waits but that's a lie. 

 

They sat on the sidewalk. Mina has questions but Nayeon's too observant to let it slide off her being slowly vulnerable to the older of the two. 

 

"The 32nd date is the worst, huh."

 

"No ."

 

"Plan B?"

 

"You better get us out of that one." Nayeon nudged Mina, gradually accepting that today's date is either the usual pub or to the escape room. At the end, she places the photo that describes the date as terrible but in a good way. A serendipity. A room they failed to escape, feelings didn't meet halfway or chose not to. It was awful but not enough to damage them once it's over. Sometimes it is fear that drives them not to take a risk. Nayeon looks at the mirror and asks the reflection if she's scared, the answer haven't herself to think twice. She's terrified, mortified, petrified, stupefied by Mina. Another rift for this. 

 

Fear. And fortune favors the brave. Nayeon knows that, and she'll slip that fortune if she keep giving Mina false hopes. It wasn't even attraction anymore, it was love. And her? Unfortunate for her to feel hopeful of reciprocating what she can offer with this person. 

 

"Too cliche if I say that sunset is pretty?" Mina asks as she watches the sun setting. It was mellow, pensive, melancholy and Nayeon just glanced at every little movement of Mina, the water tickles Mina's feet, how sweet of the girl's humming, and an open window of the soul, waiting for her to step forward or take a leap inside of it. Make a meaning that Nayeon is welcome to take it home, build a home, compare that no place like home, and say goodbye that is once home. 

 

"Yeah, real cliche. For couples who saw it coming. There's a time where the ending is pretty, a bittersweet." Nayeon took a step and was honest to say it to mina. Her penguin smiles, and at that moment she takes out her gift for the girl. Just a stack of Polaroid pictures containing their dates. 

 

"I want you to remember this, Mina. Of us." Nayeon takes Mina's hand and kisses the back of it. Gentle, loving, sorrowful. Mina has so many words screaming on her brain but those three adjectives only pop on her mind. 

 

"Last date tomorrow?"

 

"Don't be late." Mina realized this experiment was a gift and curse. A date and stages of grief. But she mostly skipped bargaining and depression, Nayeon assured her not to feel that way, and she's glad it worked. 

 

Acceptance. One last crack before they drop it, no need to break it because it's just going to create a mess if they are shattered into pieces. They thought that would be nice as they were thinking of ending things. Their date is nice. Nothing special, nothing dramatic until the farewell strikes them. A lightning. Then a rainbow. Suddenly a rotten four clover leaf. Then it wasn't just luck; A kismet. 

 

Unlike their previous dates, this one ends with a kiss. Their eyes begging to let or don't go. Throwing this would hurt as much as hearing the truth. 

 

"Im Nayeon, I love you." For the first time, Mina said it. Though, Nayeon adds another kiss. Nayeon doesn't answer her through words but actions. Lips connected with sparks between them, just feelings need to let go of each other.

 

 

"Goodbye Mina." Mina doesn't need a reply, she knew her bunny loved her too but not as much as she did.

 

Nayeon watches her to drive away, moving on to a new city, far away from her. What they have may seem not real but the thing they believed in, concluded it is real. Nayeon is as realistic as ever, the fairy tale doesn't exist and yet this seems to have a happy ending, and Mina knows that it is true because it ends, a closure, a conclusion. 

 

Looking back, their best date is the karaoke night or the camping for a day. They expressed themselves in a song and they still sing their hearts out or just an old habit that dies hard but they didn't mark to have a last song for each other being the great lost love. 

----

Author's (final) note:

Hi! It's been a while, I think? So an update! This is the last fiction of our angsty, endgame ship I posted both ao3 and here, I don't know why I'm saying to y'all but I want to tell it even I don't have a reason haha. Real gutsy. So yeah. Hope y'all like it! :)