Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

I still reach for your hand because I need it, and your kiss is still the spark that lights a fire. You’re still laughing with me, and we’re still making memories; I’m still a fool for you and there’s a million reasons why.

~Still Fallin’ by Hunter Hayes

To say that Mina is nervous when Valentine’s Day arrives is an understatement, to say the least. Ever since last Saturday, she’d been thinking of how she would give the chocolates she made to Dahyun; which, thankfully, did turn out great – both in appearance and taste. With Jihyo’s encouragement, Mina isn’t as worried that Dahyun wouldn’t love them (or her, which Jihyo added jokingly).

She made sure to use a larger backpack to hide the container meant for Dahyun, while the ones divided and placed inside small plastic bags for the softball club are inside the gift bag. While she sits waiting in the living room for Dahyun to pick her up like always, Mina anxiously twiddles with her thumbs, her eyes flickering towards the wall clock once every few seconds.

Part of her wonders if she should wait until later in the day to give it to Dahyun, but if she does that, then Dahyun might think that Mina doesn’t have anything for her. Plus, that would mean Mina would have to pull Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung aside so she could give them theirs; which is practically impossible since they’re in the same class and spend their breaks together.

The other part, on the other hand, wants for her to be the first person to give Dahyun the chocolates; because Mina is more than sure that there are others in school who would have gifts for her, too. Besides, it wouldn’t be strange if Mina were to be the first, right? Dahyun is her best friend, after all, so it shouldn’t come across as weird.

Mina gnaws on her lower lip, tossing and turning the possibilities around in her head; then, with a groan of frustration, she drops her head onto her hands, knowing that she wouldn’t be overthinking this if she still wasn’t aware of her more-than-friendly feelings for Dahyun.

Before she can reach a decision, however, the doorbell starts to ring, startling Mina out of her thoughts. In her haste to get to the door, she almost trips over her own feet, a bundle of nerves as she swings the door open only to be greeted by a… stuffed toy eagle being eagerly thrust towards her face.

While she’s standing there processing this, Dahyun’s head peeks out from the side, the sunny grin on her face made brighter the sun shining right behind her as she happily greets, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Minari!”

Cheeks turning red, Mina greets back, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Dahyunnie…”

Grin broadening, Dahyun flaps the stuffed eagle’s wings around and says, “I got this for you, by the way. I saw him when I went to the mall with Jeong and Chaeng and thought it might be nice if Pingu had company.”

Mina giggles at the excited sparkle in Dahyun’s eyes as she takes the toy and hugs it close to her chest, nuzzling her nose into the soft, fluffy material. A giddy squeal almost gives her away then, but she manages to push it down in favor of a wide, gummy smile that she flashes at Dahyun. “Thank you, Dahyunnie!”

With a faint blush, Dahyun scratches at her cheek and does a little shrug of the shoulder. “You’re welcome!”

“I uhm, I have something for you, too, by the way,” Mina says as she zips open her backpack.

If it were even possible, Dahyun lights up even further when Mina offers her the large, heart-shaped container of chocolates, the excited sparkle exploding beneath her eyes almost blinding Mina as Dahyun opens the lid and gasps in awe at what she finds inside.

“I made them with Jihyo,” Mina explains, face becoming redder when Dahyun pops a piece into her mouth and makes a noise of delight at the back of her throat.

“It’s delicious!” Dahyun immediately reaches for another piece, only to freeze halfway before closing the lid. Mina looks at her curiously, and Dahyun lets out a sheepish laugh and says, “Yeah, I want to save the rest for later. But I think these are the best chocolates I ever had.”

“R-really?” Mina asks, visibly flustered by the high praise.

“Yeah!” Dahyun nods vigorously. “Thank you for making these for me, Minari. It’s the first time someone gave me homemade chocolates and I’m really happy that they came from you,” she adds with a slight chuckle, rubbing at the back of her neck.

At this point, Mina is pretty sure that her entire face is burning, and she’s suddenly second-guessing whether it was a good idea to leave a handwritten letter for Dahyun at the bottom. Well, there’s no use doubting herself now, because there’s no way she would be able to take the letter back without arousing Dahyun’s suspicion.

Well, it isn’t like Mina wrote out a confession or anything - it’s mostly just her thanking Dahyun and pouring out the thoughts and feelings she feels hasn’t been able to properly express over the years; which, hopefully, doesn’t come across as her being too cheesy or overly sentimental.

“Oh.” Mina blinks, shyly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as her gaze flits to the ground. “I was actually nervous because it’s my first time doing it, so I’m glad you like them, Dahyunnie…” she admits with a small chuckle.

“Well,” Dahyun starts, reaching out to squeeze her hand; causing Mina to suck in a breath, “I would’ve liked it either way, and there’s always next time if things don’t work out the first time, right?”

The soft words of reassurance, along with Dahyun’s grounding grasp on her hand, brings a smile to Mina’s face. She’s always loved how Dahyun sees her for who she is; never expecting her to be perfect or get things right on the first few tries – instead builds her up and gives her a boost whenever she might need it; or simply be a bottomless pool of corny jokes and witty remarks whenever Mina wants a good laugh.

But as Mina tightens her hold on Dahyun, she silently wishes that things would never not work out for the two of them – regardless of the way she might feel about Dahyun.

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Jihyo confesses to Jeongyeon by the end of the school day; Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung fervently praying that things turn out well as they wait with bated breath inside the student council office. It feels like the two have been gone for an eternity, when, in truth, only a few minutes have passed since Jihyo nervously dragged a very confused Jeongyeon out of the room and into the now empty hallway.

“Think we should crack the door open just a tiny bit so we can hear them?” Chaeyoung suggests for what must be the hundredth time.

“Are you crazy?!” Dahyun hisses. “Do you want Jihyo to kill us?”

Chaeyoung opens her mouth, then shuts it again. “Right, yeah. Terrible idea. Sorry.”

After what feels like another eternity, the doors slide open; and Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung’s heads snap towards Jihyo and Jeongyeon in perfect sync. There’s a deep blush on both Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s cheeks, though it isn’t awkward by any means. Between them, their fingers are intertwined, which is everything Mina, Dahyun, and Chaeyoung need to put the pieces together and yell their congratulations at the same time.

“Jeez, guys,” Jihyo huffs, holding onto Jeongyeon a little tighter. “Calm down, it’s not like we got married!”

Jeongyeon gasps and stares at Jihyo with wide eyes. “Whoa, Hyo, moving a little too fast there, aren’t we?”

“Oh, shut up!” Jihyo swats at Jeongyeon’s arm, or at least tries to, because Jeongyeon catches her hand midair and inches closer with a smug smirk.

Mina laughs when Jihyo turns red as a tomato, but the tables are turned on her when Jihyo gives her a not-so-light push in Dahyun’s direction, causing their shoulders to collide with Mina blushing to the tips of her ears and spluttering apologies while Dahyun shrugs it off with a laugh.

And as if that wasn’t enough, Mina feels her heart leap to her throat when Dahyun slings an arm around her shoulder and pulls Mina flush against her side – a gesture so casual Mina wonders if Dahyun has ever once felt fazed around her.

Still, Mina leans into Dahyun, ignoring the way Jihyo wriggles her eyebrows at her.

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“So, do you and Dahyun have anything planned for White Day?” Jihyo asks Mina out of the blue while they’re rearranging the student council’s files.

The folder Mina is holding almost slips out of her grasp, but she manages to prevent it from falling to the floor by pinching her fingers at the last second. “I- no, we don’t have anything planned yet,” she says as she hands out the folder to Jihyo.

“Hmm,” Jihyo hums as she takes it from Mina and files it inside the steel drawer. “Are you waiting for Dahyun to ask?”

“No,” Mina lies, which earns her an unimpressed arch of the eyebrow. She sighs. Well, it was worth the try. “Okay, fine, maybe I am,” she admits.

Jihyo regards her for a moment, then says, “She’ll ask you for sure, so you don’t have to worry.”

Mina frowns. Was she that obvious about it? Or is it because Jihyo is just that observant that nothing could slip past her?

“How do you know that?” Mina asks, eyebrows furrowed.

“Girl, I think we’ve established by now that Dahyun would do literally anything for you,” Jihyo emphasizes with a pointed look. Mina flushes and shuffles her feet against the floor. “Do you really think she wouldn’t do anything in return for the chocolates you gave her?”

“I-“ Mina falters, realizing that Jihyo does have a point. When it comes right down to it, Dahyun has been nothing short of selfless and attentive – even down to the smallest of things like bringing an extra hand warmer for Mina to use in case the weather takes on a colder turn than what was expected. Or how Dahyun never seems to mind staying in with her when she doesn’t feel like leaving the house.

“She’ll ask you,” Jihyo repeats, a knowing smile on her face. “And you’re free to tease me about Jeongyeon as much as you want if I’m wrong.”

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With how Jihyo sounded so sure when she said that Dahyun will ask her to hang out for White Day, Mina has this sudden inkling that maybe Jihyo knew something she didn’t. No wonder she was so assured, too, because Dahyun did ask her by the time they got home then; so, now, they’re at the local arcade trying out the different games one after the other.

Dahyun is laser-focused at pointing and shooting at the zombies through the screen, her lips pursing into a tight grimace when she misses hitting one. It’s adorable, the furrow of her eyebrows and the small puff of her cheeks as she pulls the trigger – so much so that Mina finds herself caught in a daze while she watches on in silence.

It isn’t until the game ends and Dahyun slots the plastic gun back in its proper place that Mina startles out of her thoughts, quick to avert her gaze before Dahyun could catch her staring.

“How was that?” Dahyun asks, eyes sparkling as though she just won the lottery. “Not bad, right?”

Mina glances at Dahyun’s score and grins. She can admit that Dahyun has gotten a lot better at video games, but what makes it even better is that she does enjoy them and isn’t doing it just to try and please her.

“Yeah,” Mina answers and bumps their shoulders together. “You’ve gotten good at this, Dahyunnie.”

“Alright!” Dahyun raises a fist in triumph, causing Mina to giggle. Then, jaw set in determination, she points at Mina and adds, “But just you wait, because I’ll beat your high score next time.”

“Oh?” Mina arches an eyebrow. “You’re challenging me?”

Dahyun stands up straight and squares her shoulders. “I can’t beat the heck out of your high score if I don’t.”

They both burst into laughter after that, Mina sighing and shaking her head as she mumbles, “Dork.”

“Okay, then how about we try that one over there this time?” Dahyun says, pointing to the basketball game at the corner. “I’ll bet you ice cream you can’t beat me on that one.”

Mina hums and licks her lips. “Favorite flavors?”

“Favorite flavors,” Dahyun affirms. Then, she smirks. “So, are we on?”

“Oh, it’s definitely on.” Mina clicks her tongue. “But don’t think that you’ll have it easy just because you’re athletic, Kim Dahyun.”

“Oof! Using my full name, huh?” Dahyun says with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I don’t plan on taking it easy on you either, Myoui Mina.”

“Good. Because that would make beating you much more satisfying for me.”

“Well, I could say the same myself.”

And with that, Mina takes Dahyun’s hand without thinking and drags her to the game in question. Dahyun then bows down and backs away, motioning for Mina to go ahead. With a snort and a playful roll of the eyes, Mina inserts the coins and grabs one of the balls that slide down the hatch. She hears Dahyun suppress a cough when she misses her first shot, but it only makes Mina all the more determined to win it.

The next shots go in for the most part, leaving Mina with three-hundred points by the time the timer hits zero. It doesn’t sound bad, especially given that she doesn’t have the best aim.

“Alright, my turn,” Dahyun says as she cracks her knuckles and rolls her shoulders. “Better have your wallet ready, Minari.”

“We’ll see about that,” Mina scoffs.

Instead of cracking another smart remark, Dahyun winks at Mina and takes a ball, shooting it with perfect ease that has Mina gaping. After recovering from her shock, Mina dismisses it as nothing more than a fluke – that is, until Dahyun’s next shot goes in, and the next, and the next…

By the end of Dahyun’s turn, Mina is pretty sure she can count the number of times Dahyun missed only using both her hands; and as much as she hates to admit it, Dahyun won against her by a whopping two-hundred points.

“Okay, how are you so good at that?” Mina asks in disbelief.

Dahyun shrugs and says, “Remember when Chaeng, Jeong, and I hung out? Jeong taught us a few tricks, but I’m still nowhere near as good or fast as she is.”

Mina sighs, and, admitting her defeat, starts to pull out her wallet but is stopped by Dahyun grabbing her wrist. “Dahyun?”

“Whoa there, I’m the one who’s treating you today, remember?” Dahyun says with a laugh.

“Well, yeah, but-“

“Nope, no buts,” Dahyun interjects, cutting Mina off. “I’m buying you your favorite ice cream.”

Mina’s gaze drops to where Dahyun’s fingertips linger on the inside of her wrist, her heart fluttering at the touch. If Dahyun notices how her pulse picks up in reaction to this, she doesn’t show it; instead tilts her head to the side and grins in that cute way that puffs out her cheeks.

Ever since she realized the depths of her feelings for Dahyun, it seems like every touch that passes between them could set her skin on fire - no matter how little or fleeting they may be. And with all those times, Mina can only hope Dahyun wouldn’t catch on to the twitching of her fingers whenever their hands interlock.

“Okay,” Mina agrees, knowing full well she wouldn’t be able to change Dahyun’s mind – even if she’s the one supposed to treat Dahyun to ice cream since she lost their deal.

“Great!” Dahyun exclaims as she leads Mina out of the arcade and into the convenience store across the street.

There, Mina chooses the melon-flavored ice cream while Dahyun, of course, goes for the chocolate one. Dahyun then pays for their ice cream, which they eat outside of the store. After they’ve finished eating, they throw their wrappers into the garbage can, and Dahyun turns to Mina and asks, “Is there anything else you want to do or someplace you want to go to?”

Mina hums and thinks it over for a moment. It’s still early in the afternoon, so there’s enough time for them to stop by one last place before they go back home; but Mina has a feeling that Dahyun would insist on paying for what they’re going to decide to do, which she wants to avoid and doesn’t want to take advantage of.

“No,” she answers, shaking her head. “I’m good now, but thank you, Dahyunnie.”

“You sure? We can still stop by somewhere on our way home.”

“Mmm.” Mina smiles and squeezes Dahyun’s hand. “I’m sure; you already made this day perfect, Dahyun…”

The moment the words slip out of her mouth, Mina flushes out of embarrassment and finds herself wishing she could take them back. Really, she should have thought that over more and tried going for something more subtle and less weird-sounding.

“Yeah?” Dahyun breathes out a chuckle as she scratches at the back of her head. “Then I guess it’s mission accomplished,” she adds with a wink that has Mina giggling.

If only Dahyun knew that every little thing she does makes Mina’s heart beat in a funny way.

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When Mina removes her jacket as she enters her bedroom, she hears something rustling against her right pocket that she’s sure wasn’t there when she left earlier. She doesn’t remember slipping anything inside either, and it’s out of curiosity that she reaches around inside and feels a rectangular shape. Judging by its size and somewhat papery feel, Mina assumes it might be an envelope, which now makes her both confused and curious.

Furrowing her eyebrows together, she pulls out the envelope, her breath catching in her throat when she flips it over and finds her name scrawled across the back in Dahyun’s pretty handwriting. Dahyun must have slipped it inside her pocket sometime earlier without her being aware of it; most likely when she was absorbed playing one of the games while Dahyun had been watching.

With a smile, Mina sits on the edge of her bed and opens the flap with a careful push of her fingers, then takes out the piece of paper inside and unfolds it – revealing a handwritten letter Mina thinks might be a response to the one she gave Dahyun for Valentine’s Day.

Dear Mina,

Hey! So, I read the letter you hid in the tin of chocolates you gave me. That was a pretty smart move, by the way! I was so surprised when I took out the false bottom and found your envelope. I don’t know if I should have answered you earlier, but I figured now’s the best time to give mine to you. I just wanted to say sorry if I made you feel like I left you hanging for a whole month, and I hope this makes up for it.

I probably don’t say it enough myself, but I always think I must be the luckiest person alive to have you as my best friend. I mean, who would’ve thought that out of all the houses in this neighborhood, your family would move into the one right next to ours? That’s something I still think about until now, and every time I do, I never stop being amazed by it.

And uh, I don’t think I ever told you this before, but I’m glad I didn’t scare you off when I rushed out of our house to greet you back then. Or, actually, I’m glad I never did until now. So, if I ever start to get too much, don’t hesitate to tell me, alright?

You know, Chaeyoung tells me that I would be helpless without you around. Heck, even Jihyo and Jeongyeon say the same thing, too. Maybe they’re right, because you’ve been watching over and taking care of me more times than I can count.

And Minari? I hope I can continue doing the same for you.

Always by your side,

Kim Dahyun

Always by your side.

Mina’s heart swells and overflows with emotion as she reads the line over and over again, the glossy ink of what she’s sure is from Dahyun’s favorite pen holding more meaning all of a sudden as the words stare back at her.

Then, when she couldn’t contain herself any longer, Mina throws herself face first onto her bed and squeals, swinging her legs in the air as she reads Dahyun’s letter one more time.

Their senior year comes with a lot of stress and worries about their existing schoolwork, exams, and impending college applications. On top of that, both Mina and Dahyun have made it their goal to get into one of the top universities which excels in music and performance arts. So, when they aren’t studying or working on extracurriculars that would help boost their chances, they’re doubling their efforts for their rehearsals – Dahyun with her piano, and Mina with her ballet.

With her latest performance already over, Mina is given room to breathe and relax; which she chooses to spend by checking in on Dahyun at her house one Saturday afternoon. It comes as no surprise when the first thing she hears is the piano being played when Dahyun’s mom opens the door – though judging by how the notes sound quieter than usual, Mina guesses Dahyun might have been at it for hours.

“Oh, Mina, I’m glad you’re here,” Dahyun’s mom says, relief evident in her voice and expression the moment she sees Mina. “Dahyun hasn’t stopped practicing since she woke up this morning, and I don’t think she’ll listen to anyone except you.”

Worrying her lower lip, Mina peers over the shoulder of Dahyun’s mom and finds Dahyun hunched over the piano in the living room, concern coursing through her when Dahyun misses a series of notes in consecution.

“I’m sorry if we’re troubling you, and on your free day, too,” Dahyun’s mom apologizes, but Mina just smiles in reassurance and shakes her head.

“It’s okay, auntie. I also came because I wanted to see how Dahyun is doing…”

“Thank you, Mina. Then, I’ll leave you to it,” Dahyun’s mom says as she steps aside to let Mina in.

Dahyun’s mom then shuffles towards the kitchen, and Mina pads over to the living room after replacing her shoes with the slippers that have been reserved for her personal use. Dahyun doesn’t seem to have noticed her arrival, as she’s still bent over the piano and mumbling musical terms that Mina can’t quite understand.

“Dahyunnie?” Mina tries, voice gentle so as not to startle Dahyun.

No response.

“Dahyun-ah,” Mina says, louder this time, but still to no avail. Dahyun is completely absorbed in her own little world, the tension in her shoulders and the deep frown on her face causing Mina to sigh.

Well, there’s no other choice if she wants to snap Dahyun out of it.

With a small huff and a disapproving shake of the head, Mina trudges towards Dahyun and smacks her arm. This finally works, as Dahyun jumps a few inches from where she sits in her shock.

“Ow! Hey, what’s the big-“ Dahyun starts to complain, but is quick to shut her mouth again when she meets Mina’s narrowed eyes. She gulps. “M-Minari, I didn’t see you there,” she says with a nervous laugh.

“Hmm.” Mina clicks her tongue and reaches towards the piano to close the lid over the keys. For a split second, Dahyun looks as though she’s about to protest, but the small glare Mina sends her way is more than enough to stop her dead in her tracks.

As soft as she might often be when it involves Dahyun, Mina grew to learn at one point that being too mellow won’t cut it once Dahyun starts showing signs of being stubborn.

When Mina doesn’t say anything else, Dahyun swallows and tugs on her collar, her left hand resting on her lap at an awkward angle. Mina softens at the sight, because while she doesn’t like the thought of Dahyun overexerting herself, she can’t say she doesn’t understand why Dahyun would push herself to such lengths.

They only have one shot at this, after all – and everything hinges on that one performance that would either get them accepted or rejected. Of course, that isn’t to say that they don’t have a backup plan or a second choice of a university; but they’ve both come too far to let the fear of failure hold them back.

“Rest, Dahyun-ah,” Mina murmurs, her tone firm yet gentle at the same time as she rubs Dahyun’s arm, feeling the tension melt away underneath her touch.

“Yeah, alright…” Dahyun sighs and rubs at her eyes. “Sorry about that.”

Mina hums and presses down on Dahyun’s forearm, unfazed by the intense warmth that burns in her chest when Dahyun leans towards her as she’s already grown used to the feeling. Years of harboring feelings for your best friend would do that to you, apparently, though Mina no longer gets the jitters as much as she did before whenever Dahyun so much as smiles at her in that charming, fall-deeper-for-me way.

Except, Mina never could quite manage to resist the latter part.

Then again, she doesn’t think she was ever able to in the first place.

“I’m just worried, I guess,” Dahyun admits after a while, clenching her fist against her leg as she releases a heavy sigh. “I mean, everything’s riding on this one piece and, well…” she trails off with a shrug.

“Yeah…” Mina reaches for Dahyun’s hand and frowns when Dahyun winces in reaction. She runs her thumbs over Dahyun’s knuckles before massaging her fingers, making sure to loosen up the tightened joints along the way. “I know what you mean.”

Dahyun yawns and rests her head against Mina’s shoulder, her eyelids beginning to droop as she snuggles closer and releases a steady exhale. Mina could blame the afternoon sunlight spilling through the living room’s windows for the sudden burst of warmth that spreads throughout her skin and tingles at the tips of her fingers, but she knows it would be a complete lie if she did.

If anything, it’s how Mina is sure she’s fallen off the deep end – only for her feelings to deepen even further over the course of the days that continue to sweep past them. What once might have been considered a puppy love is no more; the jolt of her skin, the heat in her cheeks, and the jump in her heartbeat now having flourished into a familiar melody that her heart thrums and sings along to with sure, steady beats in a way only Dahyun can bring out.

When Mina cranes her neck a little to the side, she feels her cheek start to press against the top of Dahyun’s head; a smile curving at her lips as Dahyun links their arms and mumbles, “Thanks for coming, by the way…”

Mina hums and swings her legs, leaning closer towards Dahyun until their heads are resting against each other. “You would have kept going until your hands fell off if I didn’t,” she points out.

Dahyun laughs at that. “Yeah, you’re right.” After a few beats of silence, she then asks, “Hey, you’ll have dinner with us tonight, right?”

“That depends,” Mina says.

“Depends on what?”

“If you take a break for the rest of the day and continue practicing tomorrow, then I’ll stay.”

Pulling back, Dahyun juts out her lower lip in a cute pout and says, “That’s not fair!”

Mina, however, holds her ground even as Dahyun gives her those wide, puppy dog eyes that would have anyone falling victim if they were to see it. Well, anyone except for Mina in this instance, at least.

This goes on for a few more moments – Dahyun trying to get Mina to crack and take back what she said and Mina resisting Dahyun’s wide-eyed, pleading gaze the entire time. She almost succumbs to the pressure, however, when Dahyun inches her face closer; and Mina tries her utmost hardest not to stare at the pretty curl of Dahyun’s lashes, or worse yet, drown in the last golden rays of the sun reflected in her eyes that has Mina drawing in a breath.

So, in order to distract herself and to prove a point at the same time, Mina takes Dahyun’s hand and squeezes her fingers; pressing her lips into a thin line at the small, pained gasp Dahyun makes.

“Fine,” Dahyun relents, Mina fighting off the urge to breathe out a sigh of relief as Dahyun pulls back. “I’ll stop for today.”

“Good,” Mina says, thankful that her voice doesn’t crack. “Because I would have dragged you away if you insisted on continuing.”

“Well, that sounds a lot better than you slamming the lid down on my fingers,” Dahyun jokes.

Of course, leave it to Dahyun to crack a joke – and yet another one that Mina couldn’t help but laugh at.

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With the number of days left until their interview and auditions dwindling down at an incredibly fast rate, Mina decides to take Jihyo up on her offer to relax and unwind by knitting gloves both for themselves and Dahyun, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung in preparation for winter. It’s the perfect time, too, because the last time she hung out in Dahyun’s room, Mina noticed that the gloves hanging off her door were beginning to look worn-out and a little threadbare from the years of use they’ve been through.

Inside Jihyo’s living room, they sit side-by-side in relative silence, tongues peeking out as they focus on the movement of their needles. They’ve already finished the ones for themselves and Chaeyoung; Jihyo’s colored in apricot, Chaeyoung’s in red, and then mint green for herself.

Now, Jihyo is working on Jeongyeon’s while Mina works on the one for Dahyun, intent on perfecting everything right down to the last detail. After a while, Jihyo’s phone pings with a message alert, and she pauses from knitting to read the text.

“It’s Jeongyeon,” Jihyo says as she glances at Mina. “She says she and Dahyun are coming over.”

“Wait. Dahyun, too?” Mina asks, surprised.

“Yeah.” Jihyo’s phone pings again, a smirk forming on her face as she looks at Mina after reading the latest text. “Oh, would you look at that? Looks like it’s because Dahyun wants to pick you up so you don’t have to go home alone later.”

After constantly finding herself on the receiving end of Jihyo’s smug, teasing remarks about her and Dahyun for the past two years, Mina feels she should be used to it by now; but instead, heat rises throughout her entire face and turns her ears pink yet again.

When Mina doesn’t respond, Jihyo adds, “Dahyun sure takes being whipped on a whole new level when it comes to you, doesn’t she?” she laughs.

“Stop it,” Mina groans and buries her face into her hands. “I get it already, Jihyo.”

Jihyo bursts into laughter and pats Mina’s back. “Sorry, sorry,” she giggles, not sounding the least bit apologetic at all. “I can’t help myself sometimes.”

“You don’t say,” Mina deadpans.

“I bet once we get to college and the two of you room together, you’ll act like a married couple waiting for each other to get home,” Jihyo snickers.

Mina almost falls from the couch then; too flustered by Jihyo’s remark to be able to muster a sharp glare. Instead, all she can come up with are unfinished, incoherent splutters of protest and a stuttered, “W-what on earth makes you think that!?” in the end.

Jihyo gives Mina a look. “Have you seen the way you two act around each other?” she emphasizes in a disbelieving tone. “Mina, you and Dahyun literally walk to and go home from school together pretty much every day.” Mina burns bright red at that while Jihyo plows on, “And again, Dahyun is on her way to pick you up even though she doesn’t have to, and you aren’t even questioning it. Not to mention that you have this crazy sixth sense thing when it comes to whatever could be going on with either of you.”

“You say that like you and Jeongyeon aren’t the same,” Mina scoffs.

“My point exactly,” Jihyo says, pointing her knitting needles at Mina. “Look, I don’t know when you plan on telling Dahyun how you feel about her, but it’s clear neither of you are going anywhere anytime soon. Or ever.”

Mina glances at the near-finished gloves lying on her lap, her thoughts drifting back to the times Dahyun would still hold her hand even if she was already wearing gloves (‘just to be extra sure they don’t get cold,’ Dahyun would tell her with a smile), no matter how clumsy it might feel with the layers of wool between them.

Sometimes, she wonders if Dahyun just likes holding her hand as much as she does.

“I hope not,” Mina murmurs as she picks up the gloves and continues from where she left off.

It may seem like a small thing, her knitting these gloves if only to shield and keep warm the hands that sparked the beginning of a story Mina holds dearest to her heart and hopes would never reach its final page; but to Mina who wants to protect those same hands that have been nothing but kind to her and everyone else around them, they hold a piece of her soul with the burning faith that there would forever be a new page to turn to.

Then, as if in understanding, Jihyo says nothing more and instead squeezes Mina’s shoulder before turning back to her own work.

-----------

Dahyun and Jeongyeon arrive half an hour later, just as Mina and Jihyo have finished knitting the gloves meant for them. At the doorstep, Jihyo welcomes Jeongyeon with a kiss while Dahyun waves at Mina, a crooked grin breaking across her face when Mina giggles and presses her palms against her cold-flushed cheeks in greeting.

“Hey there,” Dahyun says, grin melting away into a content smile as she nuzzles into Mina’s touch.

“Hey back.” Mina pulls her hands away, a small laugh bubbling at the back of her throat as Dahyun’s face falls in disappointment at the sudden loss. So, to make up for it, she pulls off Dahyun’s gloves to twine their fingers together; frowning when she notices that Dahyun’s hands feel colder than they should be.

She’s about to ask why that is, until she takes a closer look at Dahyun’s gloves and sees that they’ve grown far too thin for her own liking. It’s a good thing she finished knitting a new pair, because Mina would hate for Dahyun to go through that again on their way home later on.

“Oy, penguin and eagle,” Jeongyeon calls out, startling Dahyun and Mina out of their moment. They both blush at the nicknames; Dahyun coughing into her fist to hide how flustered she is while Mina pointedly ignores Jeongyeon and Jihyo’s smug smirks. “Jihyo and I are going to make hot chocolate; have some first before you go home.”

“Right, thanks,” Dahyun says as she and Mina follow them into the kitchen.

It doesn’t take long for the hot chocolate to finish, which Mina suspects might be because she and Dahyun are here; otherwise, she’s sure Jeongyeon and Jihyo would play around and take forever if they were alone. Dahyun whispers the same thing to her which causes Mina to giggle, but Jihyo and Jeongyeon are too engrossed talking with their heads close together to notice this.

“Say,” Dahyun mumbles, nudging Mina’s shoulder with her own. “How mad do you think they would be if I push their heads together?”

Mina stifles a laugh and whispers, “Very mad, I’m pretty sure.”

“Enough to get a permanent ban from Jihyo’s house?”

“If she doesn’t bury you in her backyard first.”

Dahyun scrunches her nose and grimaces. “Yeah, never mind. There’s still a lot of stuff I want to do, so no thanks.”

“Good decision,” Mina agrees. She finishes drinking the rest of her hot chocolate and clears her throat to catch Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s attention, who look like they’re this close to kissing with the way they can’t keep their eyes off of each other; and Mina would rather be out of their hair soon than stick around and find out if they really will kiss.

“Oh, hey, you guys leaving now?” Jeongyeon asks, blinking.

“Yeah,” Dahyun says, sneaking a glance at Mina before she continues, “wouldn’t want to get in the way if you guys want to kiss, you know?”

Mina almost chokes on air as she controls herself from bursting into laughter at the priceless expressions painted on Jihyo and Jeongyeon’s faces; Dahyun acting unbothered as she stands up and pushes her chair back in its proper place with Mina following suit.

“By the way-“ Dahyun looks back and forth between Jeongyeon and Jihyo, “-are you going to see us out the door or should Mina and I just go on our own?”

“N-no, I’ll come with you,” Jihyo stammers, a rare sight for someone like her. Mina files it away for future reference and potential ammunition for when Jihyo teases her.

On their way out, she grabs her belongings from the living room and thanks Jihyo before stepping outside with Dahyun. Then, as Dahyun is about to put on her gloves, Mina grabs her wrist to stop her and says, “Wait don’t wear those.”

“Huh? What?” Dahyun asks, tilting her head in confusion.

Instead of answering, Mina reaches inside her bag to take out the two pairs she knitted, offering the white ones to Dahyun with a smile. “I made these for you.”

“I- whoa!” Dahyun exclaims, eyes going wide in awe as she takes the gloves and puts them on. “These are so comfortable and warm…” she grins at Mina, looking as though Mina had just given her everything she could ask for. “Thank you, Minari.”

Heaven knows Mina would if it meant Dahyun would look at her this way forever.

-----------

On the day of her and Dahyun’s scheduled audition, they walk past the campus gates while holding on tight onto each other’s hands, their nerves and the racing of their heart keeping them alert as they search for their assigned building. All around them, various people bustle about the spacious grounds, ranging from students lazing about in the grass; to the busier ones with their noses buried in either their textbooks or what appears to be sheet music; and others like her and Dahyun who stare wide-eyed at the different buildings scattered round about.

If she were less nervous and less preoccupied with going through her routine inside her head, then maybe Mina would have better appreciated the courtyard’s beautiful landscape with its well-kept grass and colorful flower patches; but as it stands right now, she’s unable to focus on anything else save for Dahyun’s presence and the soothing scent of her perfume that reminds Mina of tulips blossoming on a fine spring day.

“I think this is it,” Dahyun says as they stand in front of a wide, modern-looking building that must be at least six stories tall. If Mina remembers correctly, the auditorium where she’s supposed to go to is on the second floor, while the music room Dahyun is assigned to is on the third.

Mina swallows and squeezes Dahyun’s fingers. Dahyun squeezes back. “Should we go in now?”

“I- yeah, if you’re ready to go?” Dahyun says.

Mina takes a deep, steadying breath and nods. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They weave their way across the lounge and up the stairs, stopping once they’ve reached the second floor. On the wall directly in front of them is a sign pointing the way to the auditorium, and Mina runs her thumb along each of Dahyun’s knuckles and the spaces in between before releasing her grip.

“Good luck, Dahyunnie…” Mina says softly.

Dahyun glances at the staircase behind them, then back at Mina; lips twitching into that soft grin that eases the pressure and worries off of Mina’s shoulders. How many times she found solace in Dahyun without the need for words, Mina will never know, but the one thing she’s sure of is that she’s lucky enough for the universe to decide to lead her straight to Dahyun.

And, hopefully, just as lucky to still stay with Dahyun after this.

“Good luck, Minari,” Dahyun says, her eyes smiling as they hold Mina’s gaze. “I’ll see you later.”

“I’ll see you later,” Mina affirms, watching as Dahyun goes up the steps and vanishes from sight before turning around and heading towards the direction of the auditorium.

A pleasant-looking faculty member offers her a warm smile as he checks her application, then motions for her to sit on one of the chairs while she waits to be called inside. Aside from her, there are two other girls waiting for their turn, and Mina offers them a polite nod and a smile which they return to her.

To keep her nerves in check, Mina hums one of her favorite ballet music pieces to herself; the way the time passes feeling as though it’s both speeding up and slowing down at the same time. A while later, someone emerges from inside the auditorium and one of the girls is called in, soon followed by the other until Mina’s turn comes at last.

Mina gulps and brushes off the imaginary dust from her lap before standing up, thanking the instructor as she slips through the door. The auditorium must at least be twice as large as the one they have at school – if not more than – and it reminds Mina of the smaller theaters she performed in before.

She walks down the steps leading to the middle of the auditorium and finds a panel of three judges sitting by a long table directly in front of the stage; the next moments passing by in a blur beginning from her introduction to the questions, and, finally, her performance.

It’s a strange feeling, dancing in an otherwise empty auditorium where Mina can hear every thud of her feet against the ground every time she lands back on the stage, muffled only by the music playing in the background. Still, she dances like she never has before, fueled by the countless hours she spent practicing and the sheer determination to be accepted.

A trickle of sweat drips down her forehead midway through, and by the time the music ends and the auditorium is shrouded in silence once more, Mina sweeps one foot to the side and bows as she catches up to her breath.

Overall, she thinks she did a great job with minimal to no mistakes; and the judges muse their approval and praises before telling her that they’ll be sending a letter regarding their decision in a few weeks. Mina then thanks them before she leaves, her legs feeling like jelly as she exits the auditorium and finds Dahyun waiting for her outside.

Without preamble, Mina collapses onto Dahyun and laughingly says, “That was nerve-wracking.”

“Right?” Dahyun raises her hands for Mina to see and adds, “My hands are still shaking.”

Mina laughs even more, uncaring that there isn’t even anything funny in the first place. She’s just relieved that it’s over, and more than anything, she wants to collapse and lie down somewhere nice and relaxing.

Dahyun seems to be thinking the same thing as she says, “Man, playing full pieces is tiring; but I’m even more beat right now. I kind of just want to flop down somewhere comfortable and take a nap or something.”

“Funny,” Mina says. “I was thinking the same thing. How about at that small hill near the neighborhood?”

“Funny,” Dahyun echoes, cracking a smile out of Mina. “I was thinking the same thing.”

-----------

The view from the hill is a sight to behold – the houses looking tiny enough that Mina swears they could fit in her palm if she held them. And as she sits with her back against the cherry blossom tree with Dahyun’s head on her lap while the early afternoon breeze blows past, Mina is struck with the thought that they’ve reached the age where they’re both old and mature enough to truly understand what promises are – enough to make one for themselves.  

“Hey, Minari?”

At the sleepy dip in Dahyun’s voice, Mina smiles fondly, but doesn’t stop running her fingers through her hair. “What is it, Dahyunnie?” she asks, voice soft and full of affection because she can’t seem to stop being that way when it comes to Dahyun.

Eyes cracking open, Dahyun releases a content sigh and stretches out her fingers. It’s only then that Mina stops, indulging in the unspoken request by slipping her own through the spaces in between Dahyun’s.

Then, with their hands secured together and the cherry blossom petals fluttering down all around them, Dahyun looks straight into Mina’s eyes, her gaze deep and searching. Dahyun catches a lone petal with her free hand; and, twirling it between her thumb and index finger, she murmurs, “You know I’m always going to stay with you, right?”

Mina feels her whole world come to a standstill as soon as the words leave Dahyun’s lips; the weight of her head on Mina’s lap as heavy and as solidifying as the promise that she just made. Waiting in silence for her response, Dahyun plays with Mina’s fingers, her breaths coming out even and soft.

With their high school graduation and with the results of their university admission lurking right around the corner, Mina feels that a promise as weighty as that should come with a sense of fear and foreboding.

It should be scary to think about; because it’s a promise someone usually makes when there’s the possibility of a separation that could pull two people away from each other. No one who doesn’t understand the weight that comes with it should throw it around easily and without thought; but here Dahyun is, being different from most people by meaning what she says and is sure to stick by it.

Then, for what Mina is sure is one of the countless times she’s done this, she takes Dahyun in again; takes in how Dahyun has already lost the last of the baby fat in her cheeks; takes in how it gives more emphasis to the perfect angle and strong line that now shapes and defines her jaw. And yet, the flecks of sunlight and stardust still linger within Dahyun’s eyes, every bit as beautiful and comforting as Mina remembers them to be. Her hair, already dyed back into its original jet-black color from the bright, adventurous colors she used to cycle through during their entire senior year, fills Mina with an intense feeling of nostalgia.

For a moment, Mina wonders if she should confess to Dahyun now; if this is the perfect time Jihyo told her about that she would know once it comes. She sucks in her lower lip, torn between wanting things to stay as they are or to go on and take the risk she’s been running away from for so long.

Yet the only words that leave her lips are, “I do,” and nothing else. Everything else fails her in her fear of even the slightest possibility that Dahyun might not feel the same way she does; that her telling Dahyun that she’s been in love with her for so long might cause a rift or an awkwardness Mina can’t bring herself to risk happening.

Her heartbeat starts to pick up, however, when Dahyun smiles and fishes out two matching rings from her inner jacket pocket – the kind where you could adjust by yourself until it fits – and Mina gasps and clutches a hand to her chest.

“Why, Dahyun, are you proposing?” Mina teases; her voice dripping with mirth.

“With two rings?” Dahyun laughs. “Damn, Miss Myoui, you sure are greedy, aren’t you?”

“One for each hand, right?”

Dahyun laughs louder at that, and Mina bites back a smile at how easy it is to banter and exchange teasing remarks with Dahyun; kind of like a ping-pong match where they’re able to keep the ball bouncing over the net without dropping it.

“Well, maybe not now,” Dahyun teases back as she reaches for Mina’s right hand. “But I’ll keep it in mind that you want two rings. For now, though…” she holds up one ring and says, “Think of this as a promise ring. That no matter what happens, it’s always going to be the two of us.”

Mina finally gives in and strokes Dahyun’s jaw with her thumb, breath stuttering in her chest at the low, lazy hum that Dahyun makes. She thinks of the past eight years where Dahyun has stayed by her side; thinks of how she could never seem to stop herself from yearning to be even closer to Dahyun even then – as greedy as that might sound.

“Always the two of us,” Mina echoes, bringing a smile to Dahyun’s face and has her eyes shining so bright that the sun and the endlessly blue sky may as well have found their way home into them.

And when Dahyun slips the ring onto the ring finger of her right hand, Mina feels as though it’s the physical proof that seals the promise.

-----------

Mina is almost overcome with nerves as the five of them sit in Jihyo’s living room, envelopes in hand and the one she holds in hers seemingly growing heavier and heavier with every second that ticks by. Beside her, Dahyun gulps and eyes her own envelope as though it’s a ticking time bomb ready to explode at any given moment. Which, given the gravity of their situation, it might as well be one.

“So then,” Jeongyeon says, voice a little shaky. Mina can’t blame her for it, since her own hands are trembling, too. “On the count of three?”

They nod in unison, too nervous to say a single word as they slide their thumbs beneath the flap. Jihyo sucks in a breath. “One, two… three.”

Mina fumbles for a moment before she manages to open the flap, and she and Dahyun take a deep breath and nod at each other before pulling out the piece of paper found inside. Then, out of instinct, Mina reaches for Dahyun’s hand and holds on tight to it, bracing herself for what’s about to come next.

Dear Myoui Mina,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted…

Stunned, Mina releases the breath she’d been holding in and reads the first few lines again just to be sure she saw it right; the tension and the weight of the stress that had been hanging over her for the past few months now lifted off her chest with that single sentence.

She got in. She actually got in.

She snaps her head towards Dahyun who is still staring at her letter, worrying her lower lip as Dahyun continues to sit unmoving. Swallowing hard, Mina resists the temptation to take a peek at Dahyun’s letter, and instead nudges Dahyun to get her attention.

Dahyun looks up and meets Mina’s eyes, her own face colored with disbelief as she whispers, “I got in.” She then pinches her cheek and scrunches her face adorably and repeats, “Minari, I got in.”

Breaking into a huge grin and over the moon at the news, Mina waves her own letter at Dahyun and rushes out, “We got in!”

Before Dahyun can answer, however, Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung suddenly yell, “We got iiin!”

“Us, too!” Dahyun exclaims as she stands up and pulls Mina along with her; Mina giggling as they’re engulfed in a group hug by Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung.

Their cheers of congratulations and laughter fill the entire house, and the next thing Mina knows, Chaeyoung and Dahyun are fighting over the last slice of pizza – only for Jeongyeon to steal it right from underneath their noses.

Mina laughs at the look of utter betrayal on Dahyun’s face, which morphs into one of pure despair the moment Jeongyeon takes a bite of the pizza. Chaeyoung, too, mirrors Dahyun’s expression, while Jeongyeon stays unbothered.

The smile on Mina’s face doesn’t falter for even a single second the entire afternoon.

“No, move a little more to your left!”

“Bro, don’t listen to her! Just keep going forward!”

“Hey, no! They’re lying! Go a little to the right!”

Mina giggles as Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Jeongyeon shout on top of each other, confusing a blindfolded and already bewildered Dahyun whose grasp on the wooden stick loosens in her doubt. They’re all hanging out at the backyard of Mina’s house, the four of them sitting on the porch while Dahyun stands a few feet away, debating which one she should trust to guide her towards the watermelon waiting to be smashed open.

Sweat breaks out of their skin at the warm, humid atmosphere the surrounds them, and Mina fans herself with her hand to try and cool herself down a little. Jeongyeon catches this, and, with a smirk, she calls out to Dahyun, “Oy! Dubu! Better crack that watermelon open soon because your Minari’s feeling the heat over here!”

Mina turns beet red at the remark; but Dahyun, unfazed, complains, “How the heck am I going to do that if all of you are trying to confuse me!?”

“What if Mina told you which way to go, then?” Jihyo suggests, a devious glint in her eye as she turns to look at a very embarrassed Mina.

“Oh, I see how it is,” Chaeyoung scoffs. “Not gonna trust your bro anymore, huh?”

“Not my fault if Mina’s the only one I can trust here!” Dahyun retorts, much to Mina’s growing embarrassment. Then, to Mina, she says, “Hey, Minari, I can trust you, right?”

If possible, Mina blushes harder, but she nods anyway; until she realizes Dahyun can’t see her. “I- y-yeah,” she answers.

“Awesome! So, which way should I go?”

Mina glances at the watermelon, then back at Dahyun, wondering if she should try and mess around. It’s rare for her to pull Dahyun’s leg, after all, so this should be a good time as any to do it.

“Take three steps forward,” Mina instructs, ignoring the shocked looks on Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung’s faces as Dahyun follows her. “Alright, then two to the left…” Dahyun follows again, which leads her a few inches away from the watermelon. “Then… strike!”

Dahyun swings the stick forward and hits nothing but thin air, the rest bursting into heavy fits of laughter at how she looks so clueless. “Wha- I didn’t hit anything!” Dahyun removes her blindfold and scans her surroundings for the watermelon, finding it way off to the left from where she stands.

Jeongyeon doubles over and starts wheezing; Chaeyoung falls over onto her back while she clutches at her stomach; Jihyo almost has tears in her eyes; and Mina’s sides start to hurt from laughing so hard.

Eyes narrowed, Dahyun marches over to where they are and kneels beside Mina to tickle her. “N-no!” Mina gasps through her giggles and swats at Dahyun’s hands. “D-Dahyunnie!”

“I can’t believe you would betray me like that,” Dahyun huffs.

“Sorry, sorry,” Mina laughs.

Dahyun clicks her tongue. “No, you’re not.”

Mina squishes Dahyun’s face in between her hands, ignoring Dahyun’s whines of protests as she presses her palms against her cheeks. They’re a lot less rounded now compared to when they were younger, and when Dahyun is about to look to the side, Mina juts out her lower lip in an attempt to soften her. Dahyun tries to resist, but falters not even three seconds in and mutters something under her breath about how Mina should be grateful she’s cute, or else.

Once Dahyun has recovered from the blow of Mina’s betrayal, Jeongyeon tries her hand at smashing the watermelon and succeeds; and the five of them each take a slice before settling back down on the porch, legs swinging back and forth as they eat.

Then, refreshed and cooled down, they spend the rest of the afternoon playing silly games that fills the entire backyard with their loud yells. At one point, Jeongyeon pulls out a couple of water guns from her backpack – which, to no one’s surprise, leads to pure and utter chaos.

Jihyo tackles Jengyeon into the grass and shoots water directly at her face; Chaeyoung and Dahyun roll around while trying to wrestle their water guns away from their grasp; Mina helps Dahyun pry herself away from Chaeyoung, only for it to backfire when Dahyun shoots at her point-blank without a single moment’s hesitation.

Mina squeals and turns to run in the opposite direction, Chaeyoung and Dahyun chasing after her while Dahyun shouts, “This is revenge for tricking me earlier, Minari!”

Dahyun is relentless, and neither of them stop even when they’re soaked to the bone. Mina yelps in surprise as Dahyun tugs on the hem of her shirt, which turns into a sharp squeak as they both come tumbling down. Dahyun keeps shooting at her until her water gun turns empty, Mina huffing as she fires back in retaliation.

It’s safe to say that the five of them are a drenched, shivering mess by the time they decide to put an end to the water fight; and as the sun begins to sink into the horizon, Mina tries not to think of how they’re about to go their separate ways once summer draws to a close.

Like her and Dahyun, Jihyo and Jeongyeon would be entering another university together but with different majors while Chaeyoung would go to a separate one by herself. It’s the reason why they’ve been spending pretty much the entire summer hanging out – though Mina is sure she’ll miss them more because of it.

Jihyo told Mina she can call whenever, and not to hesitate to tell her should Dahyun do something stupid (like kissing and going out on a date with a girl who doesn’t go by the name of Myoui Mina). Mina knows it’s a playful threat at best, but she appreciates it nonetheless. And constant teasing aside, she will miss having Jihyo around a lot.

Before leaving, Jihyo smirks at Mina and says, “Hey, don’t miss me too much, alright?”

Mina scoffs and retorts, “I could say the same for you.”

Jihyo laughs and hugs her. “Well, we can arrange to meet up during our breaks.”

“That’s a great idea,” Mina agrees.

“Alright, Jeong and I have to take care of the rest of our stuff, so we’ll be going ahead,” Jihyo says as she pulls away. “You and Dahyun better finish packing up, too.”

“Yes, mom.”

Jihyo rolls her eyes and gives Mina a small shove before turning to leave, slipping her hand in Jeongyeon’s while Chaeyoung trails behind. Mina bids them goodbye as she walks them out the door, then returns to the living room where she finds Dahyun sitting on the couch and on the verge of dozing off. With a soft chuckle and a fond shake of the head, Mina sits beside Dahyun and pulls her head to rest on her shoulder.

“Five minutes,” Dahyun mumbles, stifling a yawn.

“Okay.” Mina nods and closes her eyes, wondering if this is what it would be like once she and Dahyun start sharing a dorm room.

She hopes it is.

“Ugh, finally,” Dahyun groans as she plops face down on the couch, her neck and forehead shiny with sweat from the strain of carrying the boxes from the elevator to their dorm unit. It wouldn’t have been much of a problem if their room was located near the elevators; but they had the misfortune of being assigned to the one found at the end of the hallway – an ungodly long hallway, as Dahyun had grumbled through gritted teeth while carrying their stuff.

“God, is our hallway a full kilometer’s length or something? My arms are killing me,” Dahyun complains, letting her arms hang limp at her sides as if to prove her point.

“Well,” Mina starts as she motions for Dahyun to scoot over so she can sit down, “then I guess it’s a good thing we have elevators.”

“For real. I mean, imagine carrying those-“ Dahyun points at the boxes sitting by the threshold with a look of disgust, “-all the way up the stairs? And in this god-awful heat?” She shudders and buries her face into Mina’s lap.

“Poor tofu,” Mina murmurs in a soothing voice as she runs her fingers through Dahyun’s sweat-matted hair.

“Poor fried tofu,” Dahyun corrects her. “Or steamed, or boiled. Whatever. Point is, I feel like I got tossed into a frying pan or something.”

Mina chuckles at how dramatic Dahyun is being – although she can agree that it is way too hot for comfort.

“Why don’t you take a shower so you can cool off?” Mina suggests.

“Good idea,” Dahyun mumbles as she starts to sit up. “A cold shower should do the trick, right?”

“Mmhmm,” Mina hums. “In the meantime, I’ll go store our food supplies somewhere safe so they don’t spoil.”

“Yeah, it would be a waste if they went bad,” Dahyun agrees. Then, she scrunches her nose and adds, “Not to mention the scolding I’ll get from my mom, too.”

“There’s that, too.”

“Alright, I’ll be done in a jiffy and then I’ll help unpack the rest of our stuff,” Dahyun says, giving Mina’s wrist a light squeeze before she stands up. Mina waits for Dahyun to finish grabbing a towel and a fresh set of clothes from her suitcase before getting up herself, then makes her way to the kitchen where the boxes filled with various cooking ingredients and snacks rest on the dining table.

A smile makes its way across her face as she listens to the sound of the water running from the bathroom, singing softly to herself as she goes about putting the ingredients in the cupboards and the fridge. It doesn’t even cross her mind to question how natural this feels – until she hears Jihyo’s voice echoing inside her head.

I bet once we get to college and the two of you room together, you’ll act like a married couple waiting for each other to get home.

Mina almost drops the can opener she’s holding, her cheeks turning a furious shade of red as she buries her face into her hands.

“That’s because you’re best friends, okay?” Mina mutters to herself. “You’ve known each other since you were ten, so of course it wouldn’t be weird.”

Honestly. It’s Jihyo’s fault for saying something so crazy in the first place.

“Hooh, that sure felt great!”

At the sound of Dahyun’s voice, Mina almost jumps out of her skin, making her swear her soul just left her body. A small noise gets stuck in Mina’s throat as she turns around and finds Dahyun walking towards her, a towel draped around her neck and droplets of water cascading down her still-damp hair.

That seriously cannot be good for Mina’s heart.

She wonders if there’s an instruction manual of sorts that would tell her the do’s and don’ts when it comes to sharing a dorm with your best friend – with whom you may or may not be in love with, because boy does Mina need one right about now. Well, if there is one, she’s pretty sure that staring at said best friend and admiring how beautiful and ridiculously attractive they are would fall underneath the list of don’ts.

Then, desperate to remove herself out of the situation, Mina hastily says, “I’m going to take a shower,” under her breath and makes a beeline out of the kitchen, unaware of the amused smile that toys at Dahyun’s lips.

God, how on earth is she going to survive this?

-----------

There are more things Mina learns about Dahyun over the course of the weeks that they’ve been rooming together that she didn’t know before – like how Dahyun can sleep in bed without budging a single inch and waking up the next morning in the exact same position; or how she doesn’t mind being seen sporting a horrible bedhead first thing in the morning by Mina; or how, sometimes, she’s able to focus better on doing her homework when she stays in the kitchen.

It’s funny, because there were times where Mina used to think that she knows everything there is to Dahyun; but then she stumbles upon yet another quirk or side of Dahyun she might have missed before, and it’s as though she’s re-discovering Dahyun with every little thing that she learns.

Then, last but not least:

Dahyun’s is fond of calling out that she’s home in Japanese whenever she arrives. Mina had been surprised the first time it happened, until Dahyun explained that she remembers Mina telling her that her favorite Japanese word is okaeri, which means ‘welcome home’ and that hers was tadaima, meaning ‘I’m home’. Since then, neither of them have missed a day where they exchange calling out and welcoming the other one home; and Mina has only grown to love those two words more than she already does with how they sound so warm and beautiful falling from Dahyun’s lips.

Mina smiles to herself when she hears the door click open, soon followed by a resounding, “Minari, I’m home!”

Smile growing wider, Mina chirps, “Welcome home, Dahyunnie!”

Dahyun hides a yawn behind her hand as she shuffles towards the kitchen and runs her fingers through her hair, blinking tiredly as she plops down on the chair by the dining table.

“Tiring day?” Mina asks.

“Mmm…” Dahyun pulls her in by the waist and drops her head onto Mina’s stomach. Mina bites down on her lower lip to hold back the gasp that threatens to escape, her cheeks turning warm when Dahyun holds her tighter and sighs. “I’m better now, though,” she mumbles, voice muffled by Mina’s shirt.

Mina pushes her tongue against the roof of her mouth, trying her utmost hardest not to blurt out the words that have been itching to be spilled every time Dahyun becomes this affectionate.

Then, without letting go, of her waist, Dahyun tilts her head back and looks up at Mina. “How was your day?”

Fine, Mina thinks. Or at least she was fine, until Dahyun decided to pull her in. So now, Mina swears she’s on the verge of having a heart attack instead. Not that she isn’t fine, it’s just that she’s not fine fine but she means that in a good way? Heck, she isn’t even sure anymore because she’s fairly sure she’s sinking deeper into Dahyun’s eyes and oh no.

“It was… it was good,” Mina manages, though she isn’t sure it came out coherent with how her lungs seem to have given up on her. “We uhm, we practiced some of the more complicated routines earlier.”

“Yeah?” Dahyun grins. The slight twitch of her lips distracts Mina, and to make matters worse, Dahyun starts drumming her fingers against her lower back. “How did that go?”

Mina swallows. “It went pretty well, I think. I only messed up a few times.”

“Your legs aren’t aching?”

“I- no, they’re fine.”

“Good.” Dahyun smiles, thumb stroking the base of Mina’s spine in a way that makes Mina shudder. If Dahyun notices this, she doesn’t say anything and instead continues to rub Mina’s back with the heel of her palm; and while Mina is no stranger to Dahyun’s affection when they’re alone, she feels this nagging sensation that there’s something different about it this time.

Then again, that could just be her trying to put some deeper meaning into it. For all she knows, it might not even mean anything on Dahyun’s end – as much as the thought makes Mina’s heart sink.

Mina is about to speak when Dahyun’s phone goes off with a text alert, her face almost falling when Dahyun lets go of her embrace.

“Sorry,” Dahyun apologizes. “That must be one of my classmates.”

“Oh, no, it’s okay,” Mina assures her. “I’ll go heat up our dinner while you get that.”

With a grateful smile, Dahyun touches Mina’s wrist and says, “Thanks, Minari. I’ll take care of washing the dishes afterwards.”

Mina releases the breath she wasn’t aware she’d been holding as she turns around, clutching a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. Yet, even though she tries her best to shake them off, the weight of Dahyun’s head on her stomach and the feeling of Dahyun’s fingertips dancing across her back remain.

It’s almost as if Mina could never forget Dahyun’s touch.

-----------

“Oh no! Nononononono!” Dahyun cries out, her face colored with despair and helplessness as she watches Kirby get blown away from the stage. She drops her head backwards onto the couch and mourns, “That was so close!”

Mina giggles at her sulky pout, setting her controller aside so she can run her thumbs over Dahyun’s temples. While she sits on the couch, Dahyun has settled herself in a cross-legged position on the floor, the back of her head resting against Mina’s knees.

It’s one of the rare days where they’re able take a breather from schoolwork, but they felt too lazy to go and stroll around outside and instead decided to stay indoors watching movies and playing video games. Mina hums as Dahyun reaches for her phone, her eyes catching a glimpse of a bunny emoji and a string of texts with a bunch of other emojis.

Mina furrows her eyebrows, waiting in silence for Dahyun to finish her text before asking, “Your classmate?”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.” Dahyun answers, somewhat distracted. Mina fights off the urge to frown. “It’s Nayeon, a girl from my music theory class.” For some reason, a feeling of unease rises within Mina at this, but she quickly pushes it away. “I didn’t tell you yet since it wasn’t a sure thing back then, but she has this song cover project she’s working on for one of her classes, and she wants an original arrangement instead of downloading instrumentals.”

Mina casts her gaze down and whispers, “Oh.”

“So, yeah, she told me about it and asked if I knew someone who might be able to help her,” Dahyun explains, tickling Mina’s ankle. “I told her I played the piano and we agreed to work on it together.”

“I… I see,” Mina says.

Her stomach plummets and begins to twist in knots as Dahyun grins at the new text that flashes across her screen, and the feeling is only further intensified when Dahyun turns to her with sparkling eyes and asks, “Hey, so, is it okay if I invite Nayeon to come over tomorrow? She said she wants to go over the details in person but her dorm’s a no go because her roommates are noisy.”

Even though she doesn’t understand why the thought of Dahyun getting close to someone else makes her chest tighten, Mina still finds herself unable to have the heart to say no. Mina has never felt anything of this sort even though Dahyun made a lot of friends when they were in high school; but for some inexplicable reason, this one person she hasn’t even met yet has already managed to stir such an intense emotion within her.

“Sure,” Mina mumbles in assent, heart pinching when Dahyun’s grin widens at her answer.

“Nice! Thanks, Minari!” Dahyun’s thumbs fly across the screen, and, in the blink of an eye, she finishes typing out and sending her text. She then tosses her phone aside onto the table and grabs her controller. “Alright, time for a rematch!”

The sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach fades away when Dahyun doesn’t pause to check her phone for the rest of the afternoon; and as the sunlight bounces off the ring on Dahyun’s finger and catches her eye, Mina starts to wonder why she ever even allowed herself to worry in the first place.

After all, she’s gone on this long without doubting Dahyun even once - so she can surely continue having faith in Dahyun for far longer, can’t she?

-----------

What greets Mina the moment she opens the door is loud, unrestrained laughter she’s sure doesn’t belong to Dahyun. The pitch is much higher, the quality more boisterous and a lot louder compared to Dahyun’s.

Mina blinks a few times, wondering who it could be and why they’re inside her and Dahyun’s dorm. Until she thinks back on the conversation they had yesterday and remembers Dahyun asking if she could invite someone over.

Ah. Right.

In her haste to get back to the dorm as soon as possible after her last class, Mina had forgotten that it wouldn’t only be Dahyun who would be here once she arrived.

As she bends down to take off her shoes, she notices a pair of white sneakers sitting in the shelf right next to Dahyun’s, which Mina chooses to ignore. Then, after putting on her slippers, Mina pads towards the kitchen where she finds Dahyun and another girl sitting beside each other; their elbows almost touching and their heads tilted far too close together than what Mina thinks should be necessary.

From where she stands, Mina catches a glimpse of Dahyun’s lopsided grin aimed not at her, but her new companion. Her throat closes up when she notices that they’re sharing a pair of earphones, the other girl giggling at something Dahyun says.

And the way the other girl looks at Dahyun…

It’s the same way Mina sees Dahyun – with eyes filled with adoration found underneath light giggles and giddy smiles, and Mina can’t blame this girl for having that look on her face. If anything, it’s Mina who understands her most, because Dahyun has this way of sucking people into her atmosphere – even if she might not be aware of it.

Mina would know, because she finds herself being pulled in once more when Dahyun lifts her head and finds her standing there, grin growing impossibly wider as Mina’s feet carry her to where Dahyun is.

“Ah, Minari! Welcome back!” Dahyun says as she pushes her chair away from the table and stands up, reaching out her hand to take Mina’s. She gestures towards the other girl and adds, “So uh, Mina, this is Nayeon, the classmate I told you about.” Mina doesn’t miss the way the girl’s gaze lands on the matching rings on her and Dahyun’s fingers, and she takes this as her chance to move her hand a little so that her ring could be seen more clearly. Dahyun doesn’t seem to notice this, as she pushes on, “And Nayeon, meet Mina.”

“Hey.” Nayeon waves at Mina and smiles, showing a glimpse of her bunny teeth. “It’s nice to finally meet you, uhm…” she trails off with furrowed eyebrows.

“Mina is fine,” Mina says politely, her grasp on Dahyun’s hand remaining firm when Nayeon’s eyes flicker towards Dahyun for a short beat. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Smile widening, Nayeon gives off an aura of genuine friendliness, making Mina feel a slight pang of guilt for the clash of conflicting emotions that run wild and collide in her chest. She’s happy that Dahyun made another friend, of course, and Mina gets that being in college has broadened their horizons and circles even further as compared to when they were younger; but at the same time, there’s that tiny, prickling fear that settles at the back of her head over what this could turn into.

Before she could plunge in headfirst to the hundreds of scenarios and what ifs that threaten to form inside of her head, however, Dahyun’s voice suddenly cuts into her thoughts. “We’re almost done, by the way. Wait for me a bit longer?”

“Yeah.” Mina nods. “Yeah, okay. Uhm, have fun,” she says, somewhat awkwardly before excusing herself to go to the bedroom.

She heaves out a sigh as she closes the door behind her and throws herself onto her bed, then pulls on her headphones over her ears, mostly to drown out the muffled laughter resounding from outside and to hopefully get rid of the tight feeling that has begun to settle at the pit of her stomach.

-----------

Other than Dahyun setting aside some of her free time to meet Nayeon, everything else stays the same. Sometimes, Mina would catch Dahyun asleep with her head resting on her arms above her desk, sheet music scattered across the surface along with a few printouts of song lyrics.

This time, however, Mina finds Dahyun fast asleep on her bed, back resting against the headboard with her earphones on and a few sheets of paper littering the covers. With a fond shake of her head, Mina quietly pads over to Dahyun’s side and arranges the papers before setting them aside on Dahyun’s desk. She then perches herself on the edge of Dahyun’s bed, careful not to do anything that might disturb Dahyun.

In the silence, Mina can hear the thudding of her own heart against her chest, growing louder and louder as she inches forward ever so slightly; burning with the overwhelming urge to trace and explore every inch of Dahyun’s face with the tips of her fingers. Dahyun’s head rolls to the side, nose scrunching as she mumbles something about sharps and flats and crescendos before falling quiet again.

Mina smiles a little at the sight, and just as she dares to stretch out her hand, Dahyun stirs and tugs on her wrist, voice thick with sleep as she mumbles, “C’mere…”

Heart threatening to leap out of her throat, Mina sits shock still, unsure if she heard Dahyun right. But Dahyun tugs on her wrist again, and Mina allows herself to be pulled into Dahyun’s arms. With a content hum, Dahyun hugs her from behind and drops her head onto Mina’s shoulder.

A faint blush dusts Mina’s cheeks as she rests the back of her head against Dahyun’s chest, making her grateful that she isn’t facing Dahyun. It’s not that she isn’t used to cuddling with Dahyun – far from it, actually – but it’s times like this where Mina struggles the hardest to contain the storm of emotions raging within her.

To try and quell them, Mina asks, “What were you listening to?”

Silence. Mina wonders if Dahyun dozed off again, about to check when Dahyun says, “Just some voice clips of Nayeon singing.” At the mention of Nayeon and the smile in Dahyun’s voice, Mina stiffens, a twisting kind of pain piercing its way into her chest as Dahyun continues, “She has a nice voice… plus she’s easy to work with and real fun to have around, too.”

“That’s… that’s nice,” Mina says quietly, unsure what else to say.

“Mmm…” Dahyun sighs and squeezes Mina’s waist. “Hey, you okay?”

Mina tenses, but forces herself to relax again so as not to give herself away. The last thing she needs right now is for Dahyun to figure out what is going on with her when she’s already confused enough as it is.

So, she lies, “I- yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“It’s just… you feel kind of tense right now,” Dahyun says, voice dripping with concern.

Mina curses herself; tries to think of an excuse to put Dahyun at ease. “Oh. I’m just a bit tired from dancing, that’s all.”

Well, it isn’t a complete lie. Their routines have become more demanding as of late, often leaving Mina out of breath and a few sore muscles by the end of their classes.

Thankfully, Dahyun seems to buy it. “Don’t overexert yourself, okay?”

“I won’t,” Mina promises. “But enough about me, how are you?”

“I’m good. Been having a blast so far.” Dahyun pauses for a moment, then adds, “I missed you.”

Mina swallows the lump in her throat, feigning a teasing tone as she jokes, “You say that like we don’t see each other every day.” She cringes internally when her voice cracks midway through, but Dahyun doesn’t seem to notice this.

“And like we haven’t been best friends for eight years,” Dahyun says with a soft chuckle.

Mina blinks back the tears that prickle at the back of her eyelids, her lower lip trembling as she echoes, “Yeah. Best friends.”

Dahyun curls forward, thumb blindly searching Mina’s hands before coming to rest on the ring on her finger, a fond smile curling at the corners of her lips as she strokes the skin around it. “Your hands are cold.”

“I mean, they always are,” Mina says – another feeble attempt at a joke.

This causes Dahyun to laugh. “Yeah, they are,” she agrees.

Silence then falls between them, making the thoughts running around Mina’s head seem louder than they are. Thoughts like turning around in Dahyun’s arms to see what kind of look she has in her eye at this very moment – if there’s this tiny flicker that would tell Mina that Dahyun doesn’t see her as just a best friend.

Thoughts like if she were to be brave for once and push a little further, just a small shove in the right direction, so Mina could see for herself if it would somehow trigger a domino effect in Dahyun the way it has for her over the past eight years.

If, somehow, the last domino piece to come tumbling down would be the answer Mina has been searching for all this time.

Swallowing hard, Mina places her hand on Dahyun’s knee, about to turn around when Dahyun’s phone lights up with a text. The brief moment of courage she had managed to muster then disappears just as fast as it came, her breaths coming out shallow when she spots Nayeon’s name and a kissy emoji at the end of the message.

Lowering her head, Mina resists the overwhelming urge to pull her knees up to her chin and instead settles for worrying her lower lip, finding it difficult all of a sudden to fight off the increasing tightness that threatens to cave her chest in on itself.

It only grows worse, however, when Dahyun says, “Hey, Nayeon invited me to have breakfast with her tomorrow before we head to the studio, so I’ll have to leave earlier. Sorry about that…”

Glad that they aren’t facing each other, Mina presses her lips into a thin line and nods. “No, it’s okay…”

A lie. But Dahyun doesn’t hear the tiny quiver in her voice, and Mina doesn’t know whether she should be relieved or heartbroken.

Maybe both.

“I’ll record something for you,” Dahyun promises.

Mina opens her mouth, about to argue that Dahyun doesn’t have to, but she just nods again and burrows further back into Dahyun. “Okay.”

Only one thing runs through her head as she falls asleep curled into Dahyun’s side later that night:

What if she were to be brave for once?

-----------

Dahyun leaves early the next morning, blanketing the dorm in a wistful kind of silence without her bright, sunny presence to fill the quiet spaces which Mina isn’t used to. While she sits in front of her desk and reads through her notes, Mina tries not to think of how the silence is different when Dahyun is there, even if neither of them says a word.

Yet, even though she knows Dahyun isn’t there, Mina cranes her neck and glances at Dahyun’s empty bed anyway, then heaves out a sigh before turning back to her notebook. Not more than a few minutes later, the silence is pierced by the sound of her phone ringing with a video call request, which Mina is quick and all too relieved to accept.

Jihyo appears on the screen, voice loud and clear as she waves enthusiastically at Mina. “Mina-yah!”

Mina giggles and waves back at Jihyo. “Jihyo-yah! How are you?”

“Oh, you know, just trying to stay sane.” Jihyo shrugs.

“Because of college or because of Jeongyeon?”

“Hey! I do not drive Jihyo insane!” Jeongyeon cuts in, defensive.

Jihyo looks away from the screen and retorts, “Like hell you don’t!”

Mina laughs at their antics, feeling significantly less lonely than she was earlier.

“What crazy stuff is Jeongyeon up to, by the way?” Mina asks.

“God, it’s like living with a five-year old,” Jihyo complains, though it’s half-hearted at best given the fond way she rolls her eyes. “I mean, I come home one day after classes and you know what comes flying at me?” Jihyo’s voice rises into a tone of disbelief as she shakes her head. “A bunch of Nerf gun bullets, Mina! Can you believe that!?”

Mina bursts into laughter at the mental image of an unsuspecting Jihyo being greeted so rudely by a hail of Nerf bullets raining down on her the moment she opens the door, no doubt with Jeongyeon wheezing and doubling over in the background while Jihyo tries to process what just happened.

“That’s one-hundred percent a Jeongyeon thing to do,” Mina agrees.

“I know, right?” Jihyo groans. “But I’m sure you have those moments, too. Speaking of…” she leans in closer to the screen and peers around Mina as though looking for something – or in this case, someone – then draws back with a confused frown. “Hang on, isn’t Dahyun there with you?”

Mina shrugs and lets out a small laugh. “No, she’s out for the rest of the day.”

“Huh, I was wondering why it’s a bit too quiet over there…” Jihyo muses. Mina shrugs again, which Jihyo catches onto. “You don’t sound too happy about her being away, though. Is something going on?”

“What, is Dahyun out on like a date or something?” Jeongyeon asks as she squeezes into the screen, earning her a sharp glare and a swift smack on the arm from Jihyo.

“Not helping, Jeong,” Jihyo hisses.

“It isn’t a date,” Mina answers, though her stomach shifts uncomfortably at the idea. “At least I don’t think it is…” she adds in a voice barely above a whisper. She then fakes a smile and tugs the sleeves of her sweatshirt over her hands. “She’s helping one of her classmates for a project. They’ve been talking and meeting a lot these days to work on it.”

“How long has it been going on?” Jihyo asks.

Mina pushes her tongue against her cheek. “Almost three weeks now, I guess. Though they did go out for breakfast today…” she lets out a hollow laugh at the thought of Dahyun and Nayeon sitting across each other, undisturbed by the crowd of people surrounding them.

Jeongyeon and Jihyo share a look while Mina drops her gaze, a sullen expression clouding her face.

“Mina…” Jihyo says, soft and sympathetic.

“Though it wasn’t Dahyun who invited Nayeon out. It was the other way around, so I guess that counts for something,” Mina rambles, though she isn’t sure if it’s simply to tell Jeongyeon and Jihyo about the situation, or if she’s trying to reassure herself by saying the words out loud.

“Wait, so it was the other girl- what’s her name again? Nayeon?” Mina nods in response to Jeongyeon’s question. “Yeah, okay, so it was her who invited Dahyun for breakfast?”

“I- yeah.” Mina tilts her head in confusion. “Why do you ask?”

“Great! You see, Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, and I have been talking and we’re planning to visit you guys the weekend after the next, so…” Jihyo trails off, a devious glint in her eye as she and Jeongyeon smirk at each other.

Mina, on the other hand, feels even more lost.

“Just trust us,” Jeongyeon says confidently. “Chaeyoung and I will talk to Dahyun, bros-to-bros, and get her friend out of the picture at the same time.”

Despite her earlier sulking, Mina giggles. “You say that like you’re going to scare her off.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Jihyo says, dead serious. “All’s fair in love and war.”

“And you can bet your ass this means war,” Jeongyeon declares.

Mina laughs and shakes her head in amusement, deciding to play along with them.

-----------

Dahyun and Nayeon only grow closer and closer from then on, until Mina begins to wonder if its best if she were to start putting a little distance between herself and Dahyun; make things easier and far less painful by beginning the process of moving on while Dahyun is still at the ‘friends’ stage of her relationship with Nayeon.

That way, Mina thinks, the blow would be more bearable if Dahyun were to suddenly announce one day that she wants to date Nayeon. And if that’s the case, then she’s much better off burying her long-hidden feelings without Dahyun having ever to know about them. Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung won’t even have to get themselves involved, because it would be far too late to intervene by then.

Yeah. That’s definitely for the best, Mina thinks to herself.

She just has to let go, one day and one step at a time.

Who is she kidding, anyway? Dahyun isn’t going to stay by her side forever – at least not in the way Mina longs her to be. Besides, not everyone gets to experience the fortune of having their childhood love and best friend return their feelings, so all she has to do is learn to accept that she’s one of the many on that list.

Baby steps, Mina tells herself. Much like how she grew to fall in love with Dahyun; slowly but surely.

There’s no way it could be that hard, right?

-----------

Wrong.

It takes everything in Mina not to give in to the overwhelming urge crawl into Dahyun’s bed as she’s wont to, so it feels as though something is missing when she lies down on her own bed that night – namely, the soft fabric of Dahyun’s oversized sleepshirt and the space between her neck and shoulder that’s somehow more comfortable than any pillow.

But Mina pushes through it; tells herself again that it’s what’s best for the two of them.

From the opposite end of the room, Dahyun frowns in Mina’s direction, her forehead creased in confusion when Mina turns on her side to face the wall instead of her.

Still, Dahyun says nothing, probably thinks that Mina is just having an off day and things would be back to normal come tomorrow.

She does greet Mina good night, however, which Mina acknowledges with a mere hum.

Yet, when the lights go off and she closes her eyes, Mina wants nothing more than to cross the small distance separating her and Dahyun’s side of the room and curl right into Dahyun’s arms like she always does.

But she doesn’t.

Not knowing Dahyun wants to do the same.

-----------

She asks how Dahyun’s day is and Dahyun does the same – but there’s a certain tension that hangs in the air whenever they talk these days. Every time Dahyun reaches out to touch her hand, Mina struggles not to flinch away, knowing it would hurt Dahyun if she does. It’s the least she could give Dahyun, the least she could do for herself so as to retain at least a semblance of normalcy between them.

But when Dahyun taps out a rhythm against the inside of her wrist, Mina wonders if she’s even making progress in the first place; because it seems like the harder she tries to pull away from Dahyun, the more she finds herself wanting to be drawn back into Dahyun’s orbit.

To go back to how things were; to go back to when Nayeon still wasn’t in the picture.

And with Dahyun being nothing more than an arm’s reach away most of the time, Mina has to admit she might have been naïve for thinking that she could get rid of her feelings for Dahyun that easily when they live in the same space.

Maybe, just maybe, she should take things a step further and refrain from initiating any form of affection that could cause the dam to burst.

And if Dahyun does see Nayeon in that way and is simply waiting for the perfect moment to move forward, then the last thing Mina wants is to hold her back by telling her everything.

Dahyun would still be there for her, anyway.

-----------

If there’s one thing Mina succeeds at in her quest at avoiding Dahyun as much as she possibly can within the confines of their dorm, it’s in disappointing Dahyun. When they’re sitting on the couch, Mina puts as much space between them as she’s able to so that their shoulders or knees don’t brush, but not far enough to raise any questions.

Then, when they work together on cooking or cleaning the kitchen, Mina moves around in a way such that she doesn’t bump into Dahyun; the resounding laughter and banter that used to fill the air replaced with an awkward and palpable silence.

Unlike before, Mina doesn’t sneak glances at Dahyun who stands beside her and instead focuses on washing the dishes.

“Hey, there’s this café that serves delicious chocolate cake, by the way. Do you want to check it out with me sometime?”

Despite the cheerfulness in her voice, Mina senses a hint of trepidation lying underneath which hadn’t been there before. Though she can’t blame Dahyun for it – not when Mina keeps coming up with excuses to shoot her down.

It’s scary, how easy it’s become for her to lie to Dahyun without cracking or batting an eye.

“Sorry, Dahyun…” Mina murmurs. Not Dahyun-ah, not Dahyunnie, just Dahyun. “I don’t know, things might become more hectic again.”

“Oh…” Dahyun’s cheery aura falls flat into a crestfallen demeanor – one Mina is sure shows on her face, too. Mina wants to kick herself for it. “Right. Raincheck?”

Mina musters a smile and nods. “Yeah, raincheck.”

“Alright…”

Silence then envelops them again, but it isn’t the comfortable kind that Mina is used to having when she and Dahyun are together. It’s more like a strained one, where neither of them are sure if breaking it would do them any good or add to the mounting tension instead.

Until Mina makes the mistake of suggesting, “Maybe you could invite Nayeon,” in a teasing tone.

Instead of lightening the mood, however, it does the opposite effect. Dahyun doesn’t seem thrilled by the idea, who responds with an absentminded hum and a distant, “Yeah, I guess I’ll do that,” which confuses Mina.

That doesn’t make any sense. Shouldn’t Dahyun be happy at the thought of being able to spend more time with Nayeon? But she acts as if it were the opposite instead, leading Mina to wonder if they had an argument or anything of the sort.

Before she can ask, however, Dahyun mumbles something about needing to do some homework and excuses herself, her shoulders sagging as she walks away; the sound of her footsteps heavy against the floor.

Mina thinks she might have screwed up, big time.

-----------

“What’s this I hear about you avoiding Dahyun?”

Mina flinches at Jihyo’s question and looks at everywhere else except at her laptop screen. It was only a matter of time until Dahyun would come to Jeongyeon about what’s been happening, and Jeongyeon then would of course relay the news to Jihyo. What is surprising, however, is the fact that Jihyo hadn’t called her to talk about it earlier on.

Though maybe Jihyo waited for a while, thinking that she and Dahyun would smooth things over and this conversation wouldn’t have had to happen then.

Except they don’t. Or, to be more accurate, Mina continues to drive this wedge between them.

Unable to find the words to say to explain herself, Mina purses her lips and hangs her head instead.

From the other end, Jihyo sighs. “This is about her and Nayeon, isn’t it?” Mina nods, still quiet. “And you think Dahyun likes her.” Mina nods again.

“They’ve been spending more time together lately,” Mina mumbles.

“Look, Mina, you’re my friend and I love you, but don’t you think that might also be because you’ve been pushing Dahyun away?”

Mina furrows her eyebrows together and frowns. “I just don’t want to hold her back if she does like Nayeon.”

“Is that really the only reason?”

Surprised, Mina snaps her head towards her laptop screen where she finds Jihyo looking at her with a serious expression. “I-“ she starts, about to lie but eventually thinks better of it. “No, it isn’t…” Jihyo stays silent, waiting for her to continue. Mina swallows the lump in her throat and bites down on her lip. “I’m afraid, Jihyo. I don’t want to lose Dahyun, and I thought that I could get over her by distancing myself.”

“Is it working, though?”

Mina lets out a hollow laugh and shakes her head. “I wish I could say it is, but it isn’t.”

Jihyo falls silent for a moment, looking as though she’s mulling things over before she speaks again, “Look, Mina, I know it’s scary to think about taking that leap… but don’t you think the chances of you losing Dahyun if you keep pushing her away are much higher than if you told her how you feel?”

“I don’t-“ Mina pauses, conflicted. “But what if she’s into Nayeon?”

Jihyo shakes her head and presses, “Mina, just- just stop thinking about Dahyun and Nayeon for a moment, alright? Think about you and Dahyun instead.” Mina sucks in a breath and does a slow, small nod. “I can’t speak for Dahyun on this, but I don’t think she’ll keep quiet and leave things be the way they are. She’s going to want answers soon, so don’t wait until things become worse before she does, Mina.”

Shoulders sagging in defeat, Mina rubs at her eyes and nods while Jihyo offers her more words of encouragement. Mina isn’t sure they work, though, her thoughts revolving around one thing and one thing alone:

She just hopes it isn’t too late yet.

-----------

Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse much sooner than Mina expected. She guesses she shouldn’t be surprised, not when she’d blown Dahyun off one too many times and pushing her to go after Nayeon instead every time Dahyun tries to invite her to hang out.   

“You could just tell me, you know,” Dahyun says quietly one afternoon the moment Mina steps into the living room, still dressed in her button-up shirt and jeans despite her classes already being over. Mina tugs the sleeves of her sweater over her hands and waits for the next bomb to drop. “If you’re getting sick of me or if you don’t want me around, I mean.”

The underlying hurt veiled around Dahyun’s hushed whisper has Mina wishing she would shout instead; wishing Dahyun would have her jaw set in anger rather than her shoulders sagging in defeat; wishing her eyes would burn fierce with frustration instead of the dull shine that Mina is met with.

Nothing could have ever prepared Mina for this – for the sparkle in Dahyun’s eyes to not be there as they look back at her; for Dahyun to be an ocean away from her despite the small distance found between where she stands at the end of the threshold and the couch where Dahyun sits.

The silence is heavy – the heaviest it’s ever been and growing heavier still with every passing second that passes where neither of them say a single word.

But what hurts the most, Mina thinks, is watching Dahyun fidget with the ring on her finger.

“Dahyun, that’s not what I-“

“Isn’t it?” Dahyun interjects with a bitter laugh. “Mina, you barely look me in the eye anymore. You flinch when I try to hold your hand. You-“ she cuts herself off and shakes her head. “You know what, never mind.” She stands up and runs a hand through her hair with a huff. “I need to go.”

Mina feels her heart race out of panic, sheer desperation coursing through her veins as she reaches out to grab Dahyun’s wrist. “W-wait, where are you going?”

Dahyun shakes herself free from Mina’s grasp, and, in a tone devoid of emotion, she says, “I’m meeting Nayeon, but I’ll be having dinner with her so you don’t need to wait for me.”

She doesn’t look Mina in the eye the whole time, doesn’t even turn to spare her a single glance as she walks to the door; Mina’s chest squeezing tighter and tighter with every step that Dahyun takes further and further away from her, until her heart is caught in a chokehold with no room left for it to beat.

Then, when Dahyun slams the door shut, Mina feels as though she just watched Dahyun walk out of her life.

And she has no one else to blame for it but herself.

-----------

It’s already past nine but Dahyun has yet to arrive, and Mina resists the urge to send another message on top of the previous ones she already sent, but remain unopened. With a strained sigh, she draws her knees to her chin while she mindlessly scrolls through her photos, pausing at the one of her and Dahyun cuddled together in Dahyun’s bed – Mina caught mid-laugh with Dahyun smiling down at her. Ironically enough, it’s the last one they took before she decided to screw things up, and now she’s no longer sure if they would be able to go back to how they were.  

Not long after, the door clicks open, followed by the sound of Dahyun’s footsteps that become more distinct the nearer she gets to their room. She freezes in place when she finds Mina still awake, and they stare at each other for a moment before Dahyun averts her gaze and turns her back on Mina.

“You shouldn’t have waited,” Dahyun mumbles, back still turned.

“I was worried…” Mina whispers as she hugs her knees close to her chest, part of her hoping that if she looked at Dahyun long enough, she would turn back around and face her.

After a while, Dahyun does, though her expression remains unreadable.

Dahyun then sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “I’m not going to run off anywhere.” Mina sucks in her lower lip but says nothing. “But it feels like you’re the one who is.”

For the first time in what must be forever, Mina wishes she wasn’t the type to be so hard-pressed for words when she needs to explain the jumbled mess of thoughts running around inside her head the most; wishes she knew the right things to say that wouldn’t push Dahyun further away from her.

But she has to try, no matter how Dahyun might react or respond.

Taking a deep breath, Mina casts her gaze downwards and shrinks into her bed and shakily says, “I just don’t want to lose you…”

“Why would you think that?” Dahyun asks, her voice tight and strained. “Mina, I’m not going anywhere. I promised you that, didn’t I?”

“I know…” Mina lifts her head to meet Dahyun’s gaze, her eyes wide and desperate. Desperate for Dahyun to understand her even without the need for words the way she’s done over the past eight years. “I know, Dahyun. And you’re not- I could never get sick of you.” Stunned, Dahyun remains unmoving from where she stands, but the last of the fight in her leaves the moment Mina says, “I want you around, and I’ll always want to be with you.” Out of her need to reassure Dahyun, to ease as much of the hurt she’s caused Dahyun as much as she can, it doesn’t hit Mina that she said something different from what she meant to say. She then slides off her bed and stands up on wobbly knees, her breath hitching as she continues, “But I don’t want to hold you back, either.”

“Hold me back from what?”

“You and Nayeon,” Mina manages to strain out despite the heaviness in her chest.

Lost and confused, Dahyun wrinkles her forehead. “What do you- me and Nayeon?” she pauses, uncomprehending, then lets out a small laugh. “You think we went out on a date? Or that I’m going to ask her out? Mina, that’s not it at all.”

It’s Mina’s turn to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to be with Nayeon, Mina,” Dahyun says, her gaze firm on Mina’s. “But I can’t blame you for thinking that way, and I’m sorry for making you feel like I’ve been choosing her over you.”

“But it isn’t your fault… Dahyun, I should be the one who’s sorry.” Mina wraps her arms around herself and hangs her head. “I wasn’t avoiding you because I couldn’t stand being around you or because you were making me uncomfortable.” She shuffles her foot against the floor, breath catching in her throat as she raises her head and finds Dahyun’s softening gaze, her chest decompressing until her heart is able to beat a little easier. “I just- I don’t want to ruin what we have right now, and that’s why I tried so hard to stay away from you.”

“Then trust me,” Dahyun breathes out, reaching out her hand to slide her fingers through the spaces in between Mina’s. This time, Mina doesn’t flinch, doesn’t back away, instead takes a step closer to Dahyun. “Because whatever it is, I’m not going anywhere. I’m staying.”

Were it any other person, Mina would have begun to doubt them or question if they do mean it; but this is Dahyun – Dahyun, who has been with her for so long and knows her from the inside out. Dahyun, who has stayed with her through it all and constantly reassures Mina that she always will.

Mina thinks it’s about time that she reassured Dahyun, too.

With her right hand, Mina cups Dahyun’s face, the beating of her heart growing louder and louder she could almost swear it echoes off the walls and reaches Dahyun’s ears. “Even if I tell you that I want to be with you in a different way?” she whispers, keeping her eyes trained on Dahyun’s.

To Mina’s relief, Dahyun doesn’t look away, her gaze remaining steady and unwavering and as sure as the stars are shining. “Especially if you tell me that you want to be with me in a different way.”

Mina swallows, the last ounce of fear that threatens to rise up her throat disappearing in that moment. There’s a calmness in Dahyun’s face that brings Mina comfort, the softness in the way her lips lift into a smile stealing the remaining breath that lingers in Mina’s lungs.

Then, running her thumb over the ring on Dahyun’s finger, Mina confesses in a breathless whisper, “I want to always stay with you, Dahyun.”

Eight years.

Eight years in eight words, and though it may seem few, they’re more than enough to bring out the most beautiful, most breathtaking of sights in Dahyun’s eyes. Within them, the stars shine bright – the brightest Mina has ever seen them burn and has her wishing she could stay in them, too.

Somehow, they burn brighter still as Dahyun whispers back, “I want to always stay with you, too, Mina.”

And when she sinks into Dahyun’s arms, Mina knows it’s there she would forever want to stay and find her home in. 

-----------

Mina wakes up the next morning with her head on Dahyun’s chest, the even thuds of Dahyun’s steady heartbeat the first thing that she hears, followed by a soft chuckle and a teasing, “Good morning there, koala.”

Mina blinks. Glances down to where her hand is curled around the side of Dahyun’s shirt and their legs thrown together.

Oh.

“You’ve never been that clingy in your sleep before,” Dahyun says with a grin. “I guess I know how it’s like to be a body pillow now.”

Mina whines and slaps Dahyun’s arm. “S-shut up.”

“Nope,” Dahyun pops out. “Koala.”

With a loud huff, Mina ruffles Dahyun’s hair, but Dahyun just laughs and yanks her in by the waist. Mina squeaks in surprise but doesn’t resist, the sleepy, dopey smile on Dahyun’s face causing her to giggle. But before Dahyun can say something, Mina leans into kiss her, feeling Dahyun’s smile widen against her lips.

“Mmm, I sure could get used to that,” Dahyun murmurs, content, as Mina snuggles closer to her.

Tucking her face into the crook of Dahyun’s neck, Mina hums in agreement and searches for Dahyun’s right hand with her own to lace their fingers together. A smile of her own blossoms across her face when she sees their rings touch, her chest burning with warmth and everything else she couldn’t describe.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you…” Mina says softly as she toys with Dahyun’s fingers.

“Don’t be…” Dahyun rubs her shoulder in reassurance and brushes her lips along her hair. “To be honest, I was scared out of my mind every time I thought of telling you, too.”

Mina moves her head to rest her chin above Dahyun’s chest and wriggles closer to her. “I wish I handled things better, though.”

“Both of us could have,” Dahyun says, regret lacing her voice. “I shouldn’t have walked out on you yesterday, and I should’ve answered your texts.”

“You were hurt,” Mina reasons out, but Dahyun shakes her head and presses another kiss against the crown of her head.

“Still, that doesn’t excuse the way I acted. I mean, you said it yourself… you were worried about me and I shouldn’t have made you feel that way.”

“But you came back and you listened to me,” Mina murmurs.

“And you opened up to me,” Dahyun answers, squeezing Mina’s hand. “That’s what matters.” She wraps her arms tighter around Mina and buries her nose into her hair. “And we’re here now.”

“Yeah,” Mina agrees, burying her face into Dahyun’s chest. “We’re here now.”

-----------

They decide to keep it a secret so they can surprise Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung for when they come to visit, having said nothing more than the two of them being able to talk and smooth things over. Though Jihyo watches them with a raised eyebrow as Mina snuggles close into Dahyun’s side while Dahyun slings an arm around her shoulder to keep her close.

Other than that, Jihyo doesn’t say a word, but sneaks a few glances every now and then as if she’s waiting for a slipup of sorts. Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, on the other hand, are none the wiser; neither of them batting an eye or making a comment at Dahyun and Mina’s closeness.

When Dahyun gets distracted talking with Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung, Jihyo takes this as her chance to press Mina for answers.

“You and Dahyun are awfully close,” Jihyo comments, suspicious.

Unfazed, Mina merely shrugs. “Like we said, we’re good now.”

“Uh-huh, and I guess ‘good’ means you and Dahyun acting even more disgustingly sweet than you were before.”

“You’re just imagining things, Hyo,” Mina snorts.

“What are you guys talking about?” Dahyun slides in, moving her arm to hold Mina’s waist. Jihyo’s eyebrow shoots all the way up to her forehead, but Mina ignores her.

“Nothing,” Mina assures Dahyun with a fond smile which Dahyun mirrors.

“’Nothing’ my butt,” Jihyo scoffs underneath her breath.

Dahyun and Mina then hold a silent conversation, which ends with Mina shaking her head and mouthing ‘not yet’. Dahyun nods and discreetly tucks a few stray hairs behind Mina’s ear, then sneaks in a quick kiss to her forehead while Jihyo isn’t looking. Mina suppresses a giggle and cuddles closer to Dahyun’s chest, while Dahyun absentmindedly runs her thumb along her hip.

Then, when Jeongyeon and Chaeyoung turn around to look at them, Mina places her hand on Dahyun’s knee and gives it a light squeeze. Receiving the message, Dahyun leans in to give Mina a sound kiss on the lips.

And Mina must say, it’s well worth seeing the priceless expressions of pure shock that flash across their faces when she and Dahyun pull away.

“What the hell!?” Chaeyoung cries out as she leaps to her feet. “What the hell was that!?”

Jeongyeon’s eyes almost bug out of her head. “What the- was I just seeing things or did you two-“

“-kiss!” Jihyo yells and jumps off the couch. “I knew it!”

“Oh, you mean this?” Dahyun smirks and pulls Mina in for another kiss, much to the disbelief of the three. They then share a look before bursting into laughter. “Oh, man, you guys should’ve seen the looks on your faces,” Dahyun wheezes, wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye.

“I wish I could’ve taken a photo,” Mina manages in between fits of giggles.

“Right? I swear their jaws dropped to the ground.” Dahyun almost bowls over from laughing so hard, Mina following suit as she leans into Dahyun’s side.

“Hang on- that wasn’t a joke, right? You two are actually-“ Jeongyeon waves a hand around, bewildered.

“I swear, if this is some sick joke you two are trying to pull,” Jihyo threatens.

Chaeyoung snaps her head towards Dahyun and shoots her a glare. “You didn’t even bother to tell me!? Me, your bro!?”

“Hey, you and Jeong kept getting on my case so I wanted to get revenge,” Dahyun argues.

“And you-“ Jihyo points at Mina, her eyes narrowed, “-you mean to tell me you also kept it a secret on purpose?!”

“You’re always teasing me about Dahyun, so I wanted some payback, too,” Mina retorts.

Jihyo, Jeongyeon, and Chaeyoung let out a collective groan and rub at their temples.

“God, the stress you caused us,” Jeongyeon complains.

“I was so ready to scare off a bitch, too,” Jihyo huffs.

Mina chokes on air, which earns her a curious glance from Dahyun.

“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Dahyun asks Jihyo.

“It’s nothing,” Mina quickly says, before Jihyo could say something terribly wrong.

“But enough of that!” Jeongyeon claps her hands together to get their attention. “This calls for a celebration, everybody!”

“To my bro Dahyun!” Chaeyoung chimes in as she holds up an imaginary wine glass. “For finally, finally getting her head out of her ass after eight goddamn years!”

“To Mina!” Jihyo exclaims, clinking her own imaginary glass against Chaeyoung’s. “Who can now finally, finally quit her pining!”

“To the new couple!” Jeongyeon raises hers the highest. “Who can now finally, finally stop stressing us out!”

“Cheers to that!” Jihyo and Chaeyoung chorus.

Dahyun and Mina aren’t sure whether they should be insulted or be happy with the way the three react to the news, especially when Chaeyoung and Jihyo enthusiastically clink their invisible glasses against Jeongyeon’s.

Eight years later

Mina smiles at the familiar row of houses that greet her as her dad drives down the familiar road leading to their neighborhood, wrapping the jacket she’d stolen from Dahyun’s closet tight around herself like she’s done throughout the whole plane ride earlier.

What once was foreign and scary to her back when she was ten now brings Mina comfort; and even more so because she knows that there’s someone waiting for her. True enough, Dahyun is there when they arrive, sitting on the steps leading to the front door of Mina’s house while she waits.

There’s a bounce in Mina’s step as she hops out of the car; the grin on Dahyun’s face just as broad and bright as it was all those years ago when Mina sprints across the remaining distance and flings herself into Dahyun’s waiting arms. After weeks of being apart, having Dahyun hold her close to welcome her home is exactly what Mina needed to recharge.

“Alright, I’ll leave you two kids to your reunion,” Mina’s dad says with a chuckle, throwing Dahyun a wink which Mina doesn’t notice because her face is buried into Dahyun’s neck.

With a content sigh, Mina grasps at the back of Dahyun’s shirt and nuzzles her face further into her chest. Dahyun chuckles, the low rumble in her chest bringing a smile to Mina’s face.

“How was Germany?” Dahyun asks.

“It was beautiful,” Mina says, then pulls back and juts out her lower lip at Dahyun. “It would’ve been better if you were there with me, though.”

Dahyun laughs and leans in to kiss the pout off her face. “Next time, then,” she promises. Mina hums and hugs Dahyun tighter. “Aren’t you exhausted from your flight?”

“Not anymore,” Mina mumbles. “I might be later, though.”

“What, am I your charger?” Dahyun teases.

“Yes, you are.”

“Then how long do you need to be plugged in?”

“Forever,” Mina answers without missing a beat, her smile growing wider when she hears Dahyun’s heart start to race. “Why so nervous all of a sudden, Kim Dahyun?” she teases.

“Nervous? Me? Psh, yeah, right,” Dahyun scoffs, though her heart continues to beat faster. “I’m just happy to see you again.”

“Mmhmm, sure, we’ll go with that.”

“You really aren’t going to let go of me, are you?” Dahyun laughs, amused, as Mina snuggles closer to her.

“Nope,” Mina pops out. “Deal with it.”

Dahyun shakes her head and clicks her tongue. “Bossy, bossy.”

“Well, I don’t see you complaining.”

“I never said I was.”

“Good,” Mina says in approval, eyes fluttering to a shut as Dahyun nuzzles her nose into her hair and squeezes her waist.

After a while, Dahyun’s heartbeat returns to its normal, steady pace, with Mina tapping a beat against Dahyun’s back along to its rhythm. Mina isn’t sure how long they’ve been wrapped up in each other’s arms, but she’s far too comfortable being held by Dahyun to even think of moving a single inch.

“I still can’t believe it’s already been so long since you moved here,” Dahyun murmurs against her hair.

“Me too,” Mina sighs, a fresh wave of nostalgia crashing over her along with the memory of a ten-year old Dahyun bounding down the sidewalk to welcome her. Dahyun, with her pigtails, squishy cheeks, and a grin so wide it shines brighter than the sun. “It’s been, what, sixteen years?”

“Yeah… and we’ve been together for eight,” Dahyun says through a quiet chuckle. “Crazy, huh?”

Humming in agreement, Mina tilts her head back to smile at Dahyun, affection swelling in her chest as she takes Dahyun’s face in her hands and runs her thumbs over her cheeks. Maybe other people would have grown tired long ago if they were in her and Dahyun’s shoes, but not Mina – not when Dahyun continues to give her reasons to fall in love with her every second of every day.

Not when Mina hasn’t ever stopped falling, not even for a single breath’s pause.

“It’s been a pretty wild ride,” she agrees.

“We’ve come so far from back then, haven’t we?” Dahyun whispers, her gaze steady on Mina’s.

“We sure have,” Mina says softly, toying with the hairs on the back of Dahyun’s neck.

Dahyun then falls silent, but the look in her eye tells Mina there’s more she wants to say, so Mina chooses to stay quiet while she waits for Dahyun to gather her thoughts. After a few more moments, Dahyun releases a slow, steady exhale and touches their foreheads together.

“When I heard that you and your parents were moving here, I was excited. I thought, ‘hey, I’m going to make a new friend.’” She pauses, the corners of her lips pulling into a smile when Mina giggles. “But I guess I got a little too carried away back then.”

“Yeah, I remember your mom scolding you,” Mina says with a laugh. “I didn’t mind, though. I liked how friendly you were.”

“And I’m glad I didn’t scare you off,” Dahyun says, grinning. “Then we became classmates, and a lot happened since then. I never thought we would become so close, or that you would be my best friend, but it’s the best thing that ever happened to me.” She pauses again and swallows, her breath catching in her throat as she continues, “Mina, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me, and I don’t think I can imagine living a life where I’m not by your side.”

Tears begin to roll down Mina’s cheeks as Dahyun drops down on one knee, streaks of gold bouncing off the dark strands of her hair and her eyes seemingly turning a lighter shade of brown as she gazes up at Mina. Her hand, having held Mina’s for as many times as there are stars in the night sky over the years, reaches out once again with Mina meeting her halfway; the tips of their fingers brushing before Dahyun strokes her thumb over Mina’s ring.

Then, with her other hand, Dahyun takes out a velvet box from the inner pocket of her jacket and pops it open, revealing a familiar princess cut diamond ring Mina has seen every day while she was growing up. More tears spill from her eyes at the realization; and Dahyun, her voice thick and shaky with emotion, asks, “Mina, will you stay by my side?”

Mina doesn’t even need to think about it. When it comes to Dahyun, she never has to.

“Yes,” she chokes, nodding her head vigorously. “Yes, Dahyun, yes!”

Dahyun releases the breath she’d been holding, her fingers trembling as she slips the ring onto Mina’s ring finger, then lets out a shaky laugh of joy and relief when Mina launches herself into her arms. Through hiccups and stuttered breaths, Mina buries her face into Dahyun’s neck and starts to laugh, too.

“There, that’s the second ring you wanted,” Dahyun manages to say in between small fits of laughter.

“It only took you eight years,” Mina jokes.

Dahyun grins and cups Mina’s face, thumb wiping away the remaining tears that linger on her cheeks. “Hey, better late than never, right?”

Curling her fingers around Dahyun’s wrist, Mina smiles and inches closer until their noses start to brush; sinking deeper and deeper into Dahyun even as their lips touch.

This time, Mina knows there’s still so much more in store for them in the future; knows that there are still a whole lot of other firsts that await them as the days pass by.

And Mina wouldn’t want anything more than to stay by Dahyun’s side through it all.