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Chapter Text

Jeongyeon woke up that afternoon with a sour mood, tousled hair, and pounding head. She groaned while rolling to her side, having a memory where she drank too much soju last night during her drama farewell. She took her phone that was on the night stand and check for some miss calls, some text messages and some chats from her friends. Nayeon left her ten miss calls and other seventeen messages, she didn’t read most of the messages but sent her a reply with a pig emoticon having no meaning behind it, just to teased the older girl. The phone vibrated in her hand – Dahyun’s silly picture showed up, the one she took when the girl was asleep waiting for her shoot to be over – she answers the call.

“This is my day off.”

“Good morning, Dahyun. Nice to hear your voice, Dahyun. What a great manager you are, Dahyun.”

Jeongyeon rolled her eyes with a small smile. “Your voice is annoying.”

“This annoying voice is the one you always miss.” Dahyun laughs in between her words, “How was last night? Judging by your grumpy voice, it went well?”

“I wish I hadn’t drink too much soju.” She sighed, rolled to her back on the bed. Massaging her forehead while closing her eyes. “Why do you call?”

“Ah, right.” A paused, Jeongyeon can see the small girl shuffling in her seating as she can her muffled movement from over the phone. “About that, you might want to check the link I gave you. Or… just check the internet maybe, since it is all over the place.”

“Oh no, is it pictures of me getting drunk?”

She rushed to sit herself on the bed which shot hundred thousand needles pricking on her head, Jeongyeon winched by the pain then opened her laptop. She typed on the news name on the search engine, then the headline showed up. Her throat feels dry, she needs something to drink.

“Jeongyeon unnie, you still there?”

She read the headline that was written in a thick black capital font, then her eyes drifted to the pictures bellow it and then she read the first paragraph of the article. “MiSaMo member Mina casted in a reality program called ‘Idol’s Married Life’. It is a program where a male idol and a female idol live together as a married couple.”

“Who’s the male idol?” Jeongyeon cleared her throat when she spoke to Dahyun who’s still on the other line. “When’s the first shoot?”

“Uhm… did you read the whole article, unnie?”

“No,” she said as she closed down her laptop and stood up and chugged a bottle of cold water, only to groaned again by the cold. “Ugh, brain freeze.”

“Huh? Are you okay?”

“Yeah yeah, I just drink cold water. Tell me, when’s the first filming start?”

“I’m not sure? Didn’t Mina unnie tell you about this?”

She took her phone off of her ear then scroll through her notifications, Mina left her dozen miss calls and two times more messages. Jeongyeon then tell Dahyun she’ll come back to her latter – if she’s not forgotten – and started to read the messages her girlfriend left her one by one before decided calling her would be easier than reading with a painful head.

“Jeong unnie?” Mina answers immediately on the second ring, wasting no time to greet her good morning first. “Where have you been? I’ve been calling you since this morning.”

“Hi, girlfriend. Sorry, I overslept, only to wake up to a news that you are casted in a married life reality show.”

“I’ve been meaning to tell you that since last night.”

“What stopped you?”

“I didn’t, you never checked on your phone? I guess you party hard last night.”

Jeongyeon sighs, of course Mina been trying to tell her. She told Jeongyeon about her management informed her about this thing without asking her first and she had asked Jeongyeon about her thoughts in this, she also promised the girl that she will go straight to her if she got casted. And she does.

“Unnie, I don’t want to do this.”

“You can’t bail on it, Minari. The article is already out, literally everywhere.” She leaned on the kitchen island, taking another glass of water then drink half of it. She needs to calm down, Mina is clearly almost freaking out on the other line and she can hear the girl’s nervous breath over the phone. “You’ll be fine.”

Mina whined, she can picture the girl sitting while biting her thumb nail and so she told the younger girl not to, only to get another whine. “Will you be okay, unnie?”

Jeongyeon hummed groggily. “I will be fine.”

“Really? They will make me live in the same roof with him, probably sleeping in the same room.”

Jeongyeon didn’t respond, looking down the wooden floor.

“Unnie, I might not go back to my dorm at all until the filming is over. I might have to stay there.”

“They can’t do that. I mean, you are an idol, the fans will most likely oppose to the idea.”

Both girls didn’t talk for a good ten seconds, trapped in the idea of another person came in to their relationship. They can tell that neither of them liking the idea of the reality show Mina has to be in but none of them can do anything about it since they want to keep their relationship as private.

“Maybe if the media know that we are dating–“

“Mina, we talked about this.”

“But it could prevent this to happen. I really don’t want to do this.”

“I know. But there is nothing you can do either. If you bail on it then it’ll affect not only you but also the group, how about Sana and Momo? You can’t afford to get them in trouble too.”

Mina didn’t answer to that but Jeongyeon can hear the girl sighing on the other line.

“Everything will be fine, okay? It is just a show. As long as you will still be my girlfriend when the filming end then I’ll be fine. We’ll be fine.”

“I will still be.” Mina says with a huff. “Don’t say that as if I don’t love you.”

The word brings smiles upon Jeongyeon’s face, the girl chuckles and her chuckle bring calm to Mina’s anxiousness. The younger girl joins Jeongyeon and it grows into laughter in span of a minute.

“All will be well, okay?” Jeongyeon said still smiling. Mina answers with a small yet sweet okay. “Get some sleep, Minari. Your schedule will be in two hours.”

Mina hums. “Unnie you get some rest too, do you have aspirin?”

“I’ll let Dahyun buy it for me later.”

“Okay.” She said. “I’ll text you when I woke up.” Jeongyeon hums. “Don’t think too much.”

“Yes, ma’am. Go get some rest, sleep tight, okay?”

“Okay. Bye Jeongyeon unnie.”

She waits until Mina hangs up the call then puts the phone down before she rushed to the bathroom then throw up on the sink. Jeongyeon slid to the floor with her back on the wall, her head is still pounding and the news article is really not helping at all. She heard the door of her apartment being open then Dahyun’s head popped out from behind the bathroom door. The shorter girl sighs as she stepped on the bathroom and handed Jeongyeon a glass of water she poured from the tap.

“Today is really not my day.”

Dahyun nodded then smile empathically, she lets the tap pouring onto the sink to washed it clean from any smells from Jeongyeon’s throw up earlier then closed the tap before she sits beside the older girl on the floor, taking the empty glass then put it on the floor. Jeongyeon naturally let her head rest on Dahyun’s shoulder and so does the other girl when she puts her head on top of Jeongyeon’s head, stroking her blond hair that’s a little bit over her shoulder now.

*

“Oh? Dahyun unnie, what are you doing here?”

Tzuyu walked fast to the shorter yet older girl walking towards her and Chaeyoung’s direction. She hugged Dahyun with one arm and then dragged her to sit next to Chaeyoung on the bench behind all the cameras and tv crews. Chaeyoung flashed Dahyun her cheeky grin, showing her dimple and a set of white teeth. The oldest of the three sits with her back relaxing on the back rest while the other two looking at her.

“Jeongyeon unnie doesn’t have any schedule today?” Tzuyu ask, handing Dahyun a can of cola which she refuse by shaking her head, the younger one drink it for herself.

“She doesn’t feel well, she said it was because she drank too much soju at the after party, it was three days ago now. I have to reschedule some things and let her rest.” Dahyun nod her head to the three girls filming across of them. “How long until their comeback period is over?”

“Two weeks,” Chaeyoung looks to where her three Japanese best friends then looked back to Dahyun. “Mina unnie hasn’t been sleeping well, I think the program is really messing with both of them.”

Tzuyu hummed in, resting her head on Dahyun’s shoulder. “It’s not even started yet. It is going to be a disaster, I don’t think Nayeon unnie and Jihyo unnie could help with the situation either.”

“Yeah, those two is the busiest of us all.” Dahyun sighs. “I’m not sure I’ll be able to handle Jeongyeon unnie well. She became quiet when there’s something bothering her, Nayeon unnie usually did that for me, or Jihyo unnie.”

“Or Mina unnie, Jeongyeon unnie listens to her really well.” Chaeyoung said, looking back to the three girls. “But since Mina is in the program… and it also bothered her to be in it, I don’t think she can help at all. I feel really bad.”

“Hey it’s not your fault. We’re just managers, we can’t go against the management unless we want to lose our job.”

“But me and Chaeyoung feels bad because we can’t do anything about it.” Tzuyu sits back up, handed Chaeyoung the cola. “Drink some, it tastes different.”

“Different how?” the girl peeked through the hole to the inside of the can. “Funny kind of different? Now that you tell me to drink it I became suspicious.”

Dahyun smells the can – not that it has any kind of smell – as if the cola taste has anything to do with the packaging. She watched Chaeyoung drinks it, then waited for the girl’s respond.

“It tasted okay.”

“Really?”

Chaeyoung hum. “Wanna try?”

She took the cola from Chaeyoung’s hand then took a sip, then came her immediate regret. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu laughed so hard when Dahyun checks the date on the cola can and cursed under her breath.

“This has expired!”

“You should see your face, unnie.”

Instead of snapping at them, Dahyun joins them laughing because they barf at the same time. She threw away the expired cola to the trash bin and then ran to stood at the side of the set when Sana, Mina and Momo waved at her enthusiastically. The Japanese girls shouted to not drink the cola because those are their photoshoot props and might probably be expired, Tzuyu shouted back telling them she made Dahyun drank it, Momo laughed when she told them that she drank it too then trick Mina to have a taste.

“Only I survive!” Sana said in between her laughs with her fist raised up in the air.

*

Jeongyeon came out from her apartment on the fourth day – she spent stress-cleaning the place – driving her city car to do to some shopping on the supermarket. She went to the farther one from her house, the one near the broadcasting building where Mina got casted for a reality program that got her giddy for a good ninety-six hours. She parked her car on the basement and hugged herself as she lowered her cap and adjusted her specs. The first step she took inside the store, she was greeted by a crowd of people, nearly closing up any way to walk through them.

She saw a glimpse of Tzuyu in a cap in the front line of the crowd – pushing some people away to get close to the filming – as the girl stood out even in her worn out MLB cap Mina gave her sometimes ago. Chaeyoung is right behind the director, telling the director which one is okay to be broadcasted later and which one that has to be cut. Jeongyeon walked around the crowd, slipping through some crazy fans to get a better view of the filming. She saw a guy, in a white shirt and a clean-cut denim pants with a pair of navy colored designer shoes sat nervously in front of Mina, he has his blond hair styled in a messy yet manly way.

Jeongyeon bit her lip when she saw Mina blushed as the guy – probably a boy group member – tried to touched her hand, Jeongyeon thought that the director of the program really thought of this really well as she realized that the guy actually has thebroad shoulder and back just like how Mina always liked in a male feature. She held her breath as she shifted her eyes to see Mina, as always, she looks absolutely stunning even in her simple yet feminine flower dress. Jeongyeon thought that of course Mina has to be dolled up, dressed as if she’s been waiting for this day – or date– to happen. She wants to assure herself that the younger girl has the same feeling about this just like her, but then Jeongyeon feels as if she wasn’t sure anymore as she saw Mina actually let the guy hold her hand on the table.

It is all just an act, Jeongyeon telling herself that, saying the word over and over again like a mantra. She is an actress herself and she knows well that she can see that Mina hid those uncomfortable feeling under her idol mask really well, but it is so hard to do when Jeongyeon is in jealousy she shouldn’t have. This is just a reality program and this is not real, another mantra before she lost it all. She needs to stays calm, and composed, and supportive as she knows well that Mina can act really well, she always did well in everything she does. But again, stays supportive is in another kind of dictionary as jealousy when your girlfriend actually talented in acting.

She slips her way out of the crowd just right when Chaeyoung had a glimpse of her and about to call her, the younger girl realize that she can’t do that as Jeongyeon is a celebrity too and has a lot of fans, calling her name will only cause ruckus especially when the media – and mostly all people in South Korea – aware that she, Mina, Sana, Momo, Nayeon, and Jihyo went to the same high school and is currently the ultimate girl squad everybody wants to join.

Walking away from the crowd, she made her way to the supermarket only to be stopped by one the filming crew to make a way without looking at her face. Jeongyeon stopped then, nervous when she thought that the crew recognize her but relived at the same time that he doesn’t. She stood right behind the crew, which made her in the front row of the crowd she was supposed to walked away from, she doesn’t want to see the rest of the filming because her feeling said not to as she doesn’t want it to get hurt. But she guessed that the world wanted her to see it, Mina walks hand in hand with the guy – that was supposed to be her ‘husband’ in the show – as she talks comfortably with him, looking away shyly every now and then.

And then as if the world wants to make everything worse, Mina accidently looking at her direction and – of course – spot Jeongyeon in the crowd, most probably because she knows the girl’s feature way too well as she been dating her since she graduated high school. Jeongyeon saw as her girlfriend’s body became tense and the blood leaving her system as if she was caught cheating. Jeongyeon tried to flashed Mina a reassured smile – telling her it is okay and that she was doing a good job – but nothing came to her lips, she just needs to get away from there. So Jeongyeon looks anywhere but the scene in front of her then retreat slowly, away from Mina’s searching eyes.

Jeongyeon walks back to her car, forgetting that she has some grocery shopping to do. Locking the door, she reclined her seat and take a deep shaky breath, she doesn’t even bother turning on the AC as she feels cold all over her body. Jeongyeon waits herself to calmed down and plans on really get the grocery she needs from the supermarket, all she has to do is to wait until the filming takes to another place, she doesn’t have the energy to drive as of now. Where is Dahyun when she needed her.

Another minutes then she gets out of her car, still with the cap and specs. She walks again to where the supermarket is and doesn’t even bother checking on her surroundings. She planned on just buying what she needs and then rushed back home, she needs to lay down anyway. Jeongyeon took a small cart and scanned the stuffs she needs in a lightning speed, the place suffocated her and she can clearly see the crowd from earlier from the corner of her eyes. She took one tuna can and a bottle of soju before she headed to the cashier.

“You’re in a rush.”

Jeongyeon jumped by the small girl popping out of nowhere right by her side, with a toothy grin and a pair of concern eyes.

“You scared me.” Jeongyeon said holding her chest. “You shouldn’t be seeing talking to me, I’m on a disguise.”

“Hm, I can see that. Do you need some help?”

Jeongyeon shook her head as she placed what’s on her shopping cart to the cashier, she bowed to the cashier and hid her face more under her cap as the cashier might have noticed who she was by the look on his face. Chaeyoung sends him an alarming look and he looks away, finally scanning the grocery Jeongyeon bought.

“Can I come over later?” the small girl puts Jeongyeon’s grocery in the paper bag and had it in her hug as Jeongyeon paid the bill, ignoring the older girl’s refusal by not to help her.

“No, you can’t.”

“Why? I’ll bring some food.” She looks up at Jeongyeon who’s now walking by her side, the older girl looks tired and worn out for some reason. “Are you okay, unnie?”

Jeongyeon took some time answering the question then she took the paper bag that’s in Chaeyoung’s hug. “I’m fine, Chaeng. Just go home and get some rest, it is a tiring day for you, you need to grow a centimeter taller at least.”

“Ah, that’s just too cruel. I look cute with this height you know.” Jeongyeon laughed softly as she pat Chaeyoung’s head. “Are you sure I can’t come?”

Jeongyeon shook her head, smiling then flick Chaeyoung’s nose. “Mina told you to, didn’t she?”

Chaeyoung is not a good liar and Jeongyeon can see it, she hugs the small manager with one hand before releasing her hold on her.

“You don’t have to, I’m older than you, I can take care of myself.”

“Fine, if you say so. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

“Okay.”

“I’m serious, unnie. Call me if you need anything.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll call, sure. Bye Chaeng.”

Jeongyeon waved her hand as she turns her back on Chaeyoung and walks away. The small girl watched until Jeongyeon gets into her car before she gets back to the filming. She walks toward where Tzuyu fanning Mina as the older girl gets her make-up touched up, Chaeyoung smiles a little when Mina looks up from her phone to her. Tzuyu eyed her, her eyes giving the impression that she is hopeful about something, Chaeyoung shook her head.

“She said she’ll be fine, unnie.”

Mina sighs, biting the inside of her cheek. “Of course, and she didn’t read my messages.”

“I think she came here to shop, she bought some grocery.”

“She usually didn’t go this far for a grocery shopping.” Mina looks down to her phone’s screen again before she gave it halfheartedly to Tzuyu. “Can I go to her place after this?”

“I will drive you.” Tzuyu chimed in. “I mean I will accompany you on the way since I haven’t gotten my driving license.”

“Thank you, Tzuyu.” Mina smiled then gets ready to film again.

Chaeyoung and Tzuyu walked to behind the director together, the younger one talks in a low voice to Chaeyoung.

“Should we ask Nayeon unnie or Jihyo unnie for help? Jeongyeon unnie doesn’t look good though.”

“I’m sure they are aware of it.” Chaeyoung rubbed the girl’s arm, reassured her. “But I’ll ask them latter, if they haven’t rushed their way to Jeongyeon unnie’s house already.”

*

“Yoo Jeongyeon doesn’t have anything in her fridge.”

“Also in her cabinet, I’m hungry, don’t you have some instant noodles?”

Jeongyeon watched as her two other best friends rummaging her kitchen still in their work outfits. Jihyo claimed that she ‘stole’ Nayeon from her drama filming set after her own appearance in a music festival. It is almost midnight and Jeongyeon was about to tuck herself under her warm blanket when the two mad-knocking on her door. She needs to let them in before the neighbors filing her a noise complaint.

“Shall we order some food?” asked Jeongyeon gave in. “What do you want to eat, unnie?”

“Anything.” Nayeon said dramatically stumbling on her steps then laying on the floor. “I might die of hunger. Jihyo doesn’t even bother bring me some snacks when she came. Why am I your fiancé again.”

“I asked you if you want anything but you said no and to hurry, why is it my fault now?”

“I was filming all day long, you should’ve known that I need something to eat.”

The younger of the three huffs and throw a cushion from Jeongyeon’s couch to the girl’s face. “So annoying, I’m not talking to you.”

“Always so noisy, always. I still can’t wrap my head at the idea that the two of you are actually together.” Jeongyeon flails her hands in frustration in the air as she gets away and orders some food for the three of them on the phone. When she gets back, the earlier bickering couple sat snuggling on her couch watching some drama.

“Seriously…”

Chapter Text

Jeongyeon and Sana sat on the brick bench at the park far away from the filming set, both of them had a mask on, a round nerdy glasses and a bucket hat for Sana, while Jongyeon goes for an old beige cap and oversized t-shirt. Sana licks her ice cream that melted down to the cone and Jeongyeon had to help her pull up her sweater sleeve before the girl clumsily left ice cream stained on the fabric.  It was late at night and both of them are tired from their separate schedule but Sana insisted that she’ll accompany Jeongyeon to go to Mina’s filming set because she needsto go get some air.

“That guy looks three times more feminine than Mina when he’s sitting like that.” Sana nodded her head to the filming set direction and Jeongyeon followed her gaze. “Do you know he’s actually younger than Mina?”

Jeongyeon snickers, studying the guy’s sitting posture then compare it to Mina’s. Sana was right, the guy looks ten times more feminine than Mina when he sits cross legged with a glass of cocktail on his hand while the other playing with his hair, which probably trying to look cool in front of the girl he is supposed to impress.

“And Mina didn’t even look at him most of the time.”

Jeongyeon laughed when Sana started to laugh softly, licking her ice cream again all the while hiding her face under her bucket hat. She crossed her legs then turned to look at to Jeongyeon. “Are you worried?”

“About the guy?” She asked the girl and she nodded. “I am actually. That guy is so her type if you can’t tell already, I mean despite right now when he sat down like that, I bet Mina hates it.” They both laughed again. “But yeah, of course I’m worried. She’s my girlfriend and Mina is pretty and all, so…”

“You’re pretty too, you know.”

“I’m not the one in the reality wedding program.”

“True, true.” Sana nodded her head couple times. “But you don’t have to worry, I mean Mina can only look I you, I swear.”

Jeongyeon’s face feels a little bit warm and she hid it from Sana by looking away where gentle night breeze swept through her face. Jeongyeon looks down to her shoes – Chaeyoung gave her for a Christmas present last year – when Sana’s arm wrapped around hers. Jeongyeon rests her head on the girl’s head after she helped the girl wiped her sticky hands with wet tissues. Sana finished eating her ice cream when she talks again.

“I heard you were not doing so well when Mina was filming the program for the first time.”

“Ah that, yeah. I guess I was panicking.”

She feels Sana rubbing circle on her palm and it soothe her as she feels a lot calmer and safer than she was supposed to feel while watching her girlfriend wrapped in an arm of a guy. Jeongyeon was so close to get jealous again when Sana giggles, she was saying something like the guy tried too hard and it makes him look as if he was about to vomit out of nervousness because Mina is clearly is not feeling it. When Jeongyeon sees the scene, she giggles along with Sana, she hates to admit it but even though sometimes Sana is just full of absurdness, this girl is actually very observant and smart. And Jeongyeon trusts her, even if she has to make fun of her first before giving in, she always trusts her.

“Jihyo and Nayeon unnie trashed my place last week.” Sana laughed. “They stayed until morning and I just wanted them to go home, they bicker so much it feels like I could drink a gallon of alcohol.”

“Right? Sometime I really don’t know why they’re even engage.” Sana exclaims as she laughed and sits properly, still clung to Jeongyeon’s arm. “One day they came to the dorm and stayed for an hour only to bicker.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, Momo woke up and kicked them out instantly.”

“Momo did?”

The girl nodded her head. “I never seen her so annoyed.”

*

Mina watches the tv crews moves collecting things and folding some of the tripods from the corner of her eyes. She observes Chaeyoung who was standing far behind the guy that was her fake husband – pretending that she actually looking right at him – waving her hands to two girls’ direction that was sitting not far from her before the small manager jogged towards them.

The person in front of her complimented her out of script and she did what she’s supposed to do; looking down shy as she tucked strands of hair behind her ear before she looks up to him then held his pinky. She acted for some more minutes before the director behind the camera shouted ‘cut’ then applaud her – and the guy of course – for making it easy for them to shoot as the both of them looks natural.

Mina quickly turns around and instantly let go of the guy’s finger then bowed down to the crew. She sighed a relieved sigh and was about to make her way towards Chaeyoung the two other girls she was talking to when her fake husband blocks her way. Mina stops then looks at him scratching his head.

“Thank you for today, Noona. You’re doing really great, it’s an honor to work with you.” he smiles shyly then gulped.

“Oh, no no, the honor is mine.” Smiling, she studied the guy. “Are you okay?”

The question Mina throws at him gets the guy chuckled nervously before she talked again. “Actually, Noona. Since it has been several days, can I have your number? Just to make it friendly since we are co-star and all? I mean I understand if you can’t but I promise I have no other intention.”

He flashes out his phone from his pocket then handed it to Mina. She looks at the phone on his hand as she contemplating whether it is a good idea to give him her number or not. She would prefer to asked Jeongyeon first or even tell him that she is actually taken and have no interest in him in any way, but she doesn’t want to be rude, if he was telling the truth that it is only for professional purpose then there is no need to tell him that she can’t, besides Mina hates to be called arrogant, it will only ruin her image.

She bit her lip, looking to behind the guy where Chaeyoung and two other girls now looking at her, she can only pray that this won’t ruin any aspect in her life. Especially the one with Jeongyeon in it. Mina took the phone then typed her number before she gives it back to him. Before he can say anything else, she excuses herself and walk fast towards the girls that are looking at her.

Sana was the one who hugged her first, as if they hadn’t meet in decades. “Look at you getting all the praises, I’m so proud of you.”

“You always said that.” Mina giggles at the second oldest of her group, then averted her gaze to the girl standing right beside Sana and almost split her face into two by how wide her smile became. “You came.”

“Of course, I came.” Jeongyeon reaches out to fixed her girlfriend’s hair, affected by Mina’s wide smile as her heart feels like growing with a bunch of roses. “Tired?”

She made her way towards Jeongyeon then completely hugged the girl ignoring the fact that they are not supposed to show affection in public. The older girl exchange looks with both Chaeyoung and Sana who’s smiling dumbly at them then turns away before they started walking away from them.

“Not hugging me back?” pulled away, Mina look up to see Jeongyeon’s face flushed, she giggles. “You don’t miss me?”

Jeongyeon clears her throat, looking away then started walking slowly following Sana and Chaeyoung with Mina clinging on her arm, intertwining their fingers. “I miss you dearly, but I don’t think people know we are that close.”

“They know we are close friends. No one is here except for the filming crew anyway.”

“There might be some fans or even paparazzi following you, Minari. We have to be careful.”

“Fine.” Mina lets go of her hold on Jeongyeon and put some distance between them, arms crossed on her chest and Jeongyeon regrets how the warmth went away from her.

Closing the distance between her and Mina as they walk, Jeongyeon nudge her girlfriend’s shoulder. Mina is sulky now. “Sorry, that came out really harsh. Let’s hold hands again?”

Mina didn’t respond Jeongyeon’s waiting hand but the way she bit her lips gave away the clue that the girl actually fighting the urge not to held hands with her girlfriend.

“No? no more holding hands?” Jeongyeon said. “But I miss you too. Can I at least hold yours? It is okay if you don’t hold my hand back.”

The girl rolled her eyes, hit Jeongyeon on her shoulder then crack a little bit of a smile. The older girl chuckled as she took Mina’s hand in hers and let the girl clung to her once more. “Don’t ruin the mood, Unnie.”

“Okay, ma’am.” She rubs Mina’s cheek with the back of her finger as they continue walking behind Sana who’s now carrying Chaeyoung on her back.

“Is Sana drunk?”

“Hm, no. But she always acts like she is.” Mina laughs softly and Jeongyeon was fighting with her last brain cells that she can’t kiss Mina in public. Not when she saw someone really took a picture of them walking in the middle of the night at Han river. This is going to be everywhere in social media tomorrow.

“Minari, I have something to tell you.” Mina looks at her, moves away slowly without loosen her grip on Jeongyeon. “I got casted in a movie.”

“Oh really? That’s good. What movie?”

“The team said it was drama, so far at least.”

“Okay,” Mina was looking at Jeongyeon, waiting the other girl to continue, but Jeongyeon didn’t say anything. “That’s it?”

Jeongyeon hummed, clearing her throat then smile. “The filming will start soon. I think around your filming ends, or at the time the first episode broadcasted.”

“Oh okay, so you might probably can’t watch the first broadcast then.”

Jeongyeon hums again. “Sorry in advance.”

This time it was Mina who hummed an answer, the girl yawned as she covers her mouth with the hand that was holding Jeongyeon’s hand. The older girl wiped the corner of Mina’s eyes with her thumb, bumping her head to Mina’s afterward.

“Go home?”

Mina looks up to Jeongyeon, eyes tired and sleepy. “Can I stay at your place for a night, Unnie?”

Jeongyeon raised her brows. “I mean sure.”

“Then I’ll have a very good night sleep.”

Jeongyeon’s heart swell, she can’t hide the smile that grew on her face and the blush that Mina – lucky for her – miss. She untangled her fingers from her girlfriend only to wrapped it around the smaller girl’s frame. Mina smells like flower when she nuzzled her nose on the girl’s brown hair. The paparazzi can screw themselves as the feels Jeongyeon feel right now in unbearable, she just misses her girlfriend so much.

*

Jeongyeon woke up by a buzz of her phone that keeps vibrating. She cracked her eyes open, squinting by the sunlight that came through the window of her room. The bed beside her was empty and cold, Mina must have been gone since early morning since the girl is really busy. Jeongyeon sighs, disappointed that she can’t see her girlfriend before going to work, or at least cook her breakfast. She crooked her neck to one side and saw a sticky note on the bed side table, Mina’s handwriting was small and tentative but she smiles as she reads it.

Sorry I have to leave early,

But the cuddle was really nice <3

I love you

Xoxo

-mina

Always the cute one, Jeongyeon thought and put the note on her wallet. She stretched her body before stepping out of bed, washing her face then brushing her teeth. She slips in the outfit Mina picked for her the night before and gets ready for work, she has a script reading for today and lunch with her new co-star after. Jihyo promise to meet her after their schedule ends, and Jeongyeon promise to help the girl with grocery shop since Nayeon has to ditch her on it and filming in Jeju for three days.

She took her phone from under the pillow on her bed then answered Dahyun’s twentieth call only to be greeted with a painful yell. She had to put some distance between her ear and the phone. Jeongyeon laughed at her manager.

“Wow that’s so not lady like, Dahyun.”

“It’s almost twelve in the afternoon and you’re talking about lady like?” Jeongyeon laughed again, she can hear Dahyun huffing on the other line. “I’m already downstairs, your schedule is fifteen minutes away, Jeongyeon Unnie. Get your ass down here right now.”

Jeongyeon nods on the phone as she imagined Dahyun’s face. The girl might be small and look unthreatening but Dahyun is really strict on her timeline and she was actually praised by the company’s director about it. She is a good manager and Jeongyeon trusts her, even before she became her manager. They’re old friend after all.

“Okay, I’ll be down in a minute.”

Once she was downstairs at the lobby, Dahyun was already standing there for god knows how long with her arms crossed on her chest, clearly not amused. When she saw Jeongyeon she swears if they’re not a really good friends, Jeongyeon might have had a one-day long lecture from her. So, she hugged Dahyun, showered the younger girl kisses on her face – which some she ducks completely – and promise her that it won’t happen again. The lateness, not the kisses. Dahyun rolled her eyes and scold her to get inside the car.

“You’re so lucky you helped me get through collage.”

“I know, I love you.”

When they arrived at the place, Dahyun dragged Jeongyeon as soon as the older girl came out from the van, handed Jeongyeon her script and then pushed her to an empty corner. Jeongyeon looks around and then looks at the girl in front of her who barely taller than her chin.

“What?” Jeongyeon hushed, looking everywhere.

“Why are you hushing?” Dahyun said, not hushing but her voice was lower than her normal pitch.

“Why did you drag me here?”

“What?”

“I thought we’re hiding from someone.”

“No.” Dahyun raised her brow in disbelieve. Jeongyeon hates her. “Look, I hope you read the script summary I sent you on chat. But the thing is---”

“What? You are making me nervous.”

“Have you told Mina Unnie about this?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“Unnie…”

“What?”

“Have youtoldher?”

Jeongyeon didn’t answer for a second but nodded her head tentatively after. Dahyun sighs, running her hand through her hair as if she’s frustrated.

“I think it is better if you told her about everything,Jeong Unnie.” Dahyun eyed her. “There is kissing scene.”

Dahyun could swear that the older girl in front of her turns pale by the information. She quickly turns the page of her script on her hand and stops in a certain page only to cussed under her breath.

“Why I didn’t know about this?”

“They said they added this last minute.” Dahyun clears her throat. “They said this movie is a gender-neutral kind of movie. Wait I told you that right?”

“Yes, but not the one where I have to kiss Irene!”

Dahyun shushed the girl by putting her hand on the girls mouth only to be swatted by Jeongyeon. “Seriously??”

“It’s just Irene.”

“She is my ex!” Jeongyeon hissed, Dahyun cringed. “Dahyun!”

“Look I’m really sorry, they really added this last minute, that’s why I dragged you here. You can’t back down on this, Unnie. You know that. That will affect your credibility and all. Besides,” Dahyun rubbed Jeongyeon’s arm, the girl was closing her eyes with her head rested on the wall. “Mina Unnie will understand.”

“I know she will.” Jeongyeon opened her eyes to look at Dahyun. “But this can only worsen the situation. First the freakin’ reality show and now I have to kiss my ex who happened to be my first real love that Mina really insecure about for a long long time.” the girl sighs in defeat. “It’s like the universe hates me or something.

“I can tell Mina Unnie about it.”

Jeongyeon shakes her head, started to walk from the empty corner with Dahyun beside her. “I think it is better if I told her myself.”

“Just make sure you will though, Unnie.”

“Yeah.” Jeongyeon said, knocking on the close door of the meeting room with her heart thumping a thousand times louder than it should be, then opened the door. Her eyes landed automatically on the girl sitting on the right side, wearing an off-shoulder pale dress, hair as dark as night and eyes as soft as ever, smiling as soon as she saw her.

Jeongyeon was fucked.

“You look nervous.” Dahyun peeked from the girl’s shoulder.

“Shut the hell up.”

*

When she met Jihyo the night after her script reading, she can barely walk straight, she was completely exhausted and extremely worn off. The staff decided to put Jeongyeon to sit beside Irene all the time including the lunch, and the fact that the girl keep stealing glances at her and tried small talks with her in between meals was really not helping. Jeongyeon was nervous to begin with, it’s not because she still has feeling for Irene that way it’s just because the older girl always made Jeongyeon’s nerve irregular. Irene has that effect on her and she has no idea that she still affected her like that after for so long.

She told Jihyo about it and the girl was laughing at her misery, so much for being a friend. They all knew about Jeongyeon and Irene, those two are the university sweetheart at the time and Irene was just so pretty for everyone to deny or hate, Jeongyeon in the other hand was the acting major golden child. So, when the two got together, it is so hard not to be jealous. Irene was a nice kid, she is smart and competitive but humble at the same time, she exceled her modeling major like she was born to it. When Irene was sure that she can model just fine, she took another year to enroll as an acting major. Jeongyeon and her graduate together but their relationship had to end when both of them signed to a company that banned any dating relationship.

Jeongyeon and Mina were just friend back then, unlike Nayeon and Jihyo who were already together when Nayeon was on her fifth semester – practically not long after Jihyo just enrolled – all nine of them were close friends, they went here and there together, hang out together and even cried together when the graduated one by one. Jeongyeon and Mina got together after the older girl’s dating ban ended and found out that Mina has always been liking her since they were in collage, it was just a crush at first and grew stronger after time goes by.

The nine of them happened to attend the same university, well, they knew each other because they attend the same university.  Sana, Mina, and Momo was already debuting as idol at the time, Nayeon was debuted a singer back then and wanted to debut so bad as an actress, Jihyo was only a trainee then debut right when Jeongyeon spoke to her the day before. Dahyun, Chaeyoung and Tzuyu majored in music, photography and theatre, none of the three desired on becoming an entertainer. And now here they are, still in the same inner circle and going strong.

“Are you really going to be that way? I thought you’re here to help me. I’m really bad at grocery shopping!”

“Jesus,” Jongyeon groaned, took the shopping list from the younger girl’s hand and walked fast to grab some stuffs that were written. “what if Nayeon died and you have to live alone?”

“I’d die too.” Jihyo watched Jeongyeon putting some grocery to the cart, her hands rests on the handle. “I don’t think I can survive one night. Which is why I asked you to help me, since you’re such a mom.”

“Honestly, I don’t even know why I help you.”

Jihyo sticks out her tongue when Jeongyeon shots the girl a glare. “Child.”

“A dependable one.”

“You can’t even grocery shop.”

“Shut up.”

They walk through the food section now, Jeongyeon had to slaps Jihyo hand when the girl began to took some unnecessary things and told her to stop. The younger girl followed Jongyeon everywhere and sometimes walked beside her peeking to the shopping list.

“You’re getting bored, aren’t you?”

Jihyo chuckled. “I’m just here for the food, but you won’t let me take anything.”

“Nayeon told me not to.”

“Nayeon Unnie lets me, most of the time.”

“I’m not Nayeon and I’m not your fiancé, hence I don’t love you like that and I can say no because, well, I’m not Nayeon, because she is definitely weak for you.”

Jihyo for some reason, blushed, Jeongyeon caught her and just laughed at her.

“Shut up.” She said fixing her newly cut hair. “How are things with Mina, by the way?”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“I’m not! I just wanna know.”

Jeongyeon ruffles the girl’s new short hair as she put down milk and cereal on the cart. “Everything is okay. She spent a night in my place last night.”

“Oh.”

“In a very innocent way.” Jeongyeon shot her a judging look. “What’s with you.”

“And the reality show?”

“It goes on, she’s still filming. Her first broadcast will be on the day I shoot my first scene.”

“Oh right, wait.” Jihyo gasps. “The one with Irene? That movie? Nayeon told me about it. She met Irene few weeks ago and she said something about being in a movie with you.”

“Wait she did?” Jeongyeon now fully turned around to face Jihyo. The younger girl nodded. So, Irene has known about this few weeks earlier than her, does she also know that she and Jeongyeon has to share the kissing scene together. “Did she… said anything other than that?”

“Huh? Like what?”

“I don’t know, like, the plot maybe?”

“We all know we can’t do that.” Jihyo now looking at Jeongyeon expectantly. “Wait what is it, Yoo Jeongyeon? I sense that something was off with you today, is it because of this?”

Jeongyeon only clears her throat then continue reading the shopping list and roamed the place. She can hear Jihyo’s following steps and the wheel of the cart, she feels the girl’s eyes on her, curious. Jeongyeon sighs in defeat for the second time that day.

“We have a kissing scene.”

“A WHAT?”

Chapter Text

Mina took off her high heels as she walked through the stairs to the waiting room. She is in a music broadcast building right now, just finished her first special stage which is a tribute for their long time senior in the industry. She plopped herself beside Momo who was leaning her head on Sana’s shoulder in the corner of the room where the staff put a sleeping mat on. Her eyes fluttered shut right after she rests her head on Momo’s shoulder and wrapped her leg around the older girl’s limb. They got at least forty-five more minutes before they have to go on stage again for the closing ceremony.

She just wants to at least rest her burning eyes and legs for a minute, she has been on a schedule non-stop since yesterday morning and barely can sit her ass down for five minutes. Momo asked the manager to not crowded the girl with heavy schedule as she knows that Mina is currently the busiest member for this comeback period. The manager however, told her to just hang on for a little bit longer as she can’t just cancel a schedule without putting a bad label on the group’s name. Momo and Sana voluntarily took some of Mina’s upcoming schedule so then the youngest of the group could get at least a little bit of sleep, Mina is really thankful of them as they always take a good care of her.

Tzuyu and Chaeyoung are not in charge right now, the two girls had to attend some meetings for them since they are the ones that really understand the idols’ preferences in stuffs, still not sure if they are going to be here today or not. They are usually the one that prepare things up for the upcoming events in case the other managers can’t meet the three girls’ preferences. So, it’s just so unfortunate with them not around, especially when the other girls didn’t feel so well or just basically needed extra attention.

A pat on her head was the one that make her crack her eyes open, a painful stab shot through her head and she feels her ground spinning. Mina groaned, pressing her palm to her eyes when she feels pair of hands supporting her head. Momo looking worriedly at her, she can’t hear what the girl was saying but she laid her head back to the mat again when Momo’s supporting hand lowered her head slowly to the mat.

“Oh no, you’re burning.” She stated to no one but herself as she looks around trying to find their substitute managers.

Sana kneeled beside Momo when she turns around to look at them. She put her palm on Mina’s cheek and rushed to get the girl a bottle of water. She helped Mina sits up then opened the bottle for her, Mina drank the water in half and give it back to Sana after. The throb in her head was multiplied by ten when she tried to open her eyes completely and she needed to lean her head somewhere desperately, Sana noticed it and put the girl’s head on her chest.

“––no she can’t.” Mina catch some sentences from Momo’s word, the older girl has that defensive tone when she speaks again, if it’s not frustration. “She needs to rests, can’t she just go back to the dorm and sleep? What do you think if the fans see her like this?”

Their other manager agreed and told the other one to just drive Mina back to the dorm since it was just a closing ceremony, it will be worse if she can’t get to the filming tomorrow. Sana kissed her temple, whispering comforting word as well assured her that it will be okay to slack off a bit. Momo helped her standing up by supporting her by the arm, she told Sana to go first as she walked Mina to their van and to wait for her until she gets back before they went to the stage. Momo keeps glancing at Mina and asked if she was okay – she definitely feels like crap and swear could throwing up if she moves her head – and wiping the sweat on Mina’s temple. The other girl opened the van sliding door for her, helped Mina sit comfortably then draped her a blanket with her own face on it, Momo giggles when she stated the fact then caresses Mina’s cheek when she’s finished.

“Oppa, make sure to give her some medicine first before she sleeps. It’s on the drawer in the kitchen, top shelf right beside the band aid kit. Mina’s usual meds is in the blue penguin compartment, Sana brought some of the new ones but make sure you took the one that already opened first.” Momo said as she keeps glancing back at forth to their manager and Mina, just to check on the girl. “Oppa, do you hear me?”

“Yes, yes, I got it on my notes. Go back inside the closing ceremony is about to start.” Their manager waved his hand to Momo.

The girl pat Mina’s head for the last time after making sure that the blanket covers the girl from her toe up her shoulder. Momo slid the door close then jogged back inside the building, attending the closing ceremony then probably telling the other Japanese girl that she had had tucked Mina under the blanket with her face on it. The image of Momo laughing while telling Sana the useless information about the blanket and the other girl’s reaction when she doesn’t know what to make of the information Momo had just told her slip a small smile to Mina’s lips. At least she can depend on the two girls despite them being absurdly foolish and childish at times.

When they arrived at the dorm, their manager told Mina to go change and wat for him to get her medicine before she sleeps. Mina do what she was told and waits for him by sitting on her bed, back on the cold wall of her room. She had her eyes close – fighting the throb in her head – when the door of her room clicked open, instead of the substitute manager, Tzuyu came in with a glass of water, a blue penguin box and a worried face. The Japanese girl exhale in relieve when she saw the younger girl then clung to her arm once she sat down.

“Does it really hurt? Your head.” Tzuyu’s voice is calm despite the worry she had in her head. The older girl hummed a weak answer, she touched Mina’s face then exhale rather harshly. “This is why I don’t like it when we left Unnies under the substitute’s care. Either one of you gets sick or get hurt somewhere else. Here, Unnie, don’t sleep just yet… you need to take your medicine.”

Mina took the medicine from the girl’s hand then put it in her mouth, swallowing down with the warm water from the glass. Sighing, Mina lets go of Tzuyu’s arm and lay down on the bed.

“How’s the meeting?”

Tzuyu glanced at the girl as she covered her with a blanket – this one without Momo’s face in it – when she answers. “It’s actually still going, I came right after one of the substitutes called me about Unnie getting sick and rushed here. Chaeyoung said she’ll stay there to finish up the meeting.”

Mina smiled at her. “Thanks.”

“Next time I think either one of us has to stay with Unnies. This keeps happening like this.” The girl sighs then squeeze Mina’s hand. “Unnie sleep well now, we still have tomorrow. I’ll stay here.”

Mina wanted to thank the girl more than just a simple ‘thanks’ but her head doesn’t really cooperate right now, she will thank the girl and her group mate later when she feels better. She remembered Jeongyeon then, she hasn’t heard anything from her girlfriend all day today, or maybe Jeongyeon contacted her since Mina hasn’t check her phone at all today. And then when she drifted to sleep, she wondered where her phone actually is, Jeongyeon might be worried that she didn’t reply her text or picked up her call, but Tzuyu is here, she could tell the girl about her condition right, or maybe Chaeyoung or Momo or Sana would since they’re all friends.

*

Muffled footsteps, wheezing of the air conditioner, cold air of her room, someone was talking in a hushing voice outside; Sana and Momo the girls probably finished their schedule which made the time to mid night by now. She feels the blanket around her body, one of her foot sticking outside of it and she pulled it back in caused by the cold air. Mina wanted to rubbed her eyes to look at the clock when she feels fingers intertwining hers under the blanket. She moves her hands, she can feel a cold metal on one of the fingers and thinks that Jeongyeon has a ring on one of her fingers. Mina opened her eyes slowly, her head didn’t throb as much anymore when she sees Jeongyeon sleeps sitting on the floor, half of her body on the bed and her hand holding Mina’s under the blanket. The younger girl pulled herself closer to the warmth of Jeongyeon’s body and squeeze the hand that’s on her grasp tighter.

Jeongyeon stirred in her sleep, moving slowly before she crooked her neck to look at Mina, the smile was easy on the older girl’s face, the one that ease Mina’s tiredness away. She moves a little backward and signaled Jeongyeon to slips under the blanket with her, it must have been tiring sleeping like that. The taller girl lay herself on the bed, wrapping the blanket around her but mostly Mina who was already making herself comfortable under Jeongyeon’s arm. She snuggled closer to the older girl’s chest, smelling her scent, stealing the warmth she emitted until she feels content.

“How long have you been sleeping like that?” She asked when Jeongyeon rested her head on Mina’s head.

Jeongyeon has one of her hand on Mina’s neck, caressing it slowly as if a little pressure will break the girl. Mina’s skin is a tad bit too warm under her fingers. “Not long.”

“What time is it?”

“One? I think, I’m not sure.”

Mina exhale her breath, resting her face on the crook of Jeongyeon’s neck. “I miss you. How’s your first filming?”

A second, Mina almost feel as if Jeongyeon’s body became stiff but when the girl kisses the crown of her head lovingly, Mina just melts. “It went okay I guess. Just as good as how a first filming is.” Mina smiles, still closing her eyes. “Did you forgot to take your vitamin? You were okay yesterday.”

“Actually, I have a feeling that I’ll get sick, it’s been there but just came out now.”

“You didn’t tell me about it. I could’ve do something to make it better.”

“Like what?” Mina pushed Jeongyeon a little bit to look at her face but not far enough to let the older girl loosen her hold around her.

“Like…” a smile. “a kiss maybe.”

“And how’s that going to make the supposed fever gets away?”

“Well it doesn’t, you just have to hand it over to me because I handle fever much better than you.”

“Oh, aren’t you smooth?”

Jeongyeon just smiles at her girlfriend before she really kissed her on the lips. Mina pulled back after a while. “I meant what I said, Minari.”

And she pressed on her lips to the girl’s mouth until she opened her mouth for her. The fever made it five times hotter than it should be and Jeongyeon hopes the blanket could just flew away from their body. When Mina pulled away for the second time, the girl looking more like she is drunk rather than sick. She chuckled at her girlfriend, kissing the corner of her mouth before nipping the lips and dive down to her mouth again.

“I miss you.” Mina moans.

Jeongyeon smiles in between kisses. “I guess we both missed your first episode.”

“Don’t care, don’t remind me of him.”

*

Waking up the next morning was easy, her head feel lighter and she feels a lot better. Her body temperature almost came back to normal and her head doesn’t even throb anymore. Mina checks the clock on the wall, it’s not morning anymore but not that late to start a day yet. She kicks the blanket, touching an empty space on her bed where Jeongyeon sleeps last night, she walks to the door and was greeted by Chaeyoung’s little wave of a hand. The girl sitting on the floor cross legged, an oversized gray sweater and training pants with a thick black framed specs that made her looks cute rather than nerdy in any way. Chaeyoung grinned at her, a piece of bread hanging from her mouth as she handed Mina another one she took from her plate. She sits in front of the smaller girl, biting then chewing on the strawberry jam bread and watching the girl writing on a journal that only has few blank pages left.

“Feeling better?” Chaeyoung asked, peeking through her dark fringe as she wrote. “I can see some colors in your face now.” She continued, making movement with her pen pointing at Mina’s direction.

“Hm a lot better. Are you going to my schedule today, Chaeng?”

The girl shook her head. “I told the filming crew you’re not in any condition to film today, so, today is really just a resting day for you. You’re welcome by the way.”

Mina smiles then giggles, she ruffles the younger girl’s hair. “Thank you.”

Chaeyoung hums. “What do you wanna do today, Mina Unnie?”

“I was thinking of visiting Jeongyeon Unnie’s filming set, but I guess I can’t do that.” Mina catch Chaeyoung stops mid-way in her writing. “What?”

“Nothing.” The girl said, still looking down writing on her journal. “You can just send a food truck of coffee truck or something instead of risking going out and getting caught by some of your filming crews.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“I already did that, figured you wanted to do it.” Chaeyoung grins again, this time a smug one.

“Always one step ahead.”

“Yeah, always.”

“Thank you, Chaeng.”

She nodded when closing her journal and put it inside her backpack. Chaeyoung stood up to take Mina’s medicine in her room and filled the glass with warm water. The older girl took it and swallowed the medicines in one gulp, she’s going to get drowsy and fell asleep again not for long. Mina watches as Chaeyoung sits in front of her again, handing the girl her phone she hasn’t put her hands on since yesterday.

“Oh, you have it, I thought I lost it.”

“Momo Unnie gave it to me last night.”

Mina checks her notifications and she was right, Jeongyeon left her almost a hundred miscalls and text which most of them asking where she is, what she’s up to, and that she was worried because Mina hasn’t responded to any of her calls and texts. She opened her chat room with Jeongyeon and snap a picture of Chaeyoung that was sitting in front of her watching TV.

She found my phone, and we send you a food truck.

Take a picture of it when they arrived.

I’m feeling a lot better, btw.

Thanks to you.

Hope you don’t catch the fever.

<3

And send the text to Jeongyeon. Her girlfriend might be busy at the time, filming is a good way to kill time but never a good thing for catching up on anything since it takes most of your time and left you with none. Mina checks on some news platforms for Jeongyeon’s movie, she remembered not knowing anything about it except that it is a drama movie also, she doesn’t know who her girlfriend casted with. She surfed the internet and it’s not that hard to find the information she needed, the movie director is a dude with a big deal in the industry and Jeongyeon is a very famous actress too – not as much as Nayeon but still famous – so it’s kind of everywhere.  Mina tap on one of the news highlights and scroll down the article, she reads slowly then stops completely, zooming in the press taken picture where the cast of the movies do a script reading together.

Her heart sinks.

“Do you know about this?”

Chaeyoung averted her eyes from the TV and looks at Mina, “Know what?”

The older girl gave Chaeyoung her phone, than the small girl just gulped down her breath. She chose her words very carefully. “Oh, yeah. I read this article too.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Mina’s voice was flat, constant, there’s nothing in there to judge or to make which is dangerous and if Chaeyoung didn’t know better she wouldn’t know that Mina is actually very close to getting angry. The younger girl studied Mina’s face, the Japanese girl shows nothing, just simply looking down on her phone on the article. Jeongyeon clearly leaving Mina clueless about this movie and Chaeyoung didn’t know what’s worse; not telling Mina about it or let the girl know from an article the news wrote.

“She didn’t tell me about it too. Why none of you tell me about it?”

Chaeyoung gulped when her eyes meet the older girl’s, she is clearly not amused now. The girl’s eyes are cold and disappointed if Chaeyoung has to put a word in to it.

“I thought you knew.” She lied.

“I wonder why she didn’t tell me that Irene is in there too, also they share a kissing scene.”

The younger girl didn’t know what to do with the situation as she watched Mina stood up and grabbed a jacket and a cap. She walked to the front door and told Chaeyoung to not follow her as she needs a fresh air. Chaeyoung just stays there dumbfounded, then dialed Dahyun’s number in a hurry.

Dahyun picks up on the third ring. “Chaeng?”

“Uh… Mina Unnie left, she read the article about the movie.”

She hears ruffles and movement on the other line of the phone, Dahyun whisper to the filming crew to give Jeongyeon a five minutes break after this one take. She told Chaeyoung that she will inform Jeongyeon about it and Chaeyoung told her that she’ll find Mina and that the girl is not in a good condition. They both hang up on each other and Chaeyoung just ran outside the apartment building after she text Tzuyu – who currently in charge with Sana and Momo’s schedule – that she might have just lost Mina.

*

The filming set was busy, as how it should be. Mina waits far enough for anyone to see her but not that far so she can still see Jeongyeon clearly. Mina sniff then shudder under Sana’s grey jacket she took without checking whose jacket it was and her jean short, which she regrets going out without changing her pants first. The night was not that chilly, the wind didn’t bring much cold either since she was shielded by the prop truck. She feels her breath was hot again and her head gets heavier, she thought maybe it was the medicine but it’s not because she’s drowsy, maybe her fever came back.

Jeongyeon came out from the house they’re using for the movie, all smiley and kind, just a normal Jeongyeon. The scene was normally brought a smile to the girl’s face but not this time, not when she saw Irene walking right behind her girlfriend, talking to each other. Jeongyeon spun around once they were outside then continue talking to the older girl, Mina can’t see Jeongyeon’s face but the wide smile on Irene’s was enough to tell about the situation.

she doesn’t want to be that girlfriend who are jealous of everything their girlfriend does with someone else, Mina promise herself that she won’t be that kind of person, but this time it is different. Those two only broke up because of their company regulations, Mina was so sure back then if there are no such boundaries both Jeongyeon and Irene would still be going strong until now. Heck they might be engage looking how sweet they were back in the university. It is so hard not to get jealous when your girlfriend ex-girlfriend is so beautiful and nice, Mina knows she’s not bad herself but Irene is just another level judging by how famous she is even before she became trainee, even before she attended her first modeling major.

Sighing, Mina feels disappointment slowly eating her alive. She can’t help but thinking that something was up with Jeongyeon and Irene looking at how her girlfriend didn’t tell her about the movie at all, leaving her in the dark. Her right mind was telling her that Jeongyeon just doesn’t want to make her worried since Mina is so busy and so occupied at the moment by the reality wedding program, plus the girl was sick which might add to Jeongyeon’s misery and dilemma if she tells her about it. Mina feels ridiculously emotional about the matter, she shouldn’t be like this and support Jeongyeon on her filming just like how the older girl’s do to her with the reality program which actually the real thing that caused problem in the first place.

Mina bit her lip, uneasy, fighting with her inner thoughts and feelings. She looks down to the ground when another wind blows, she tells herself to get her shit together but it looks like she can’t control it. A drop of tear falls and Mina cussed under her breath, this is not something she should cry about, normally she would be a supportive girlfriend and this doesn’t describe supportive in any way.

“Mina?”

The said girl jumped out of her skin, thinking that someone might see her. but it was just Jeongyeon, jogged to where she stood beside the prop truck. She should be relieved that it was her girlfriend but the sight only made her panic, Jeongyeon shouldn’t not know that she is here, no one should. So, Mina stepped back when Jeongyeon try to reach her hand and missed her by an inch. She shouldn’t be caring about how the older girl must feel by her action because Mina is the one that disappointed right now, and she can be selfish if she wants, but when Jeongyeon startled face shown when Mina stepped away from the girl, her heart drop, Jeongyeon’s has that expression if someone just broke her heart.

The girl retreated her hand, fisted them to her side playing with the knuckles. Nervous and tentative and scared. She caught Mina’s breath hitched and the girl wiping her eyes violently, murmuring something like ‘this is tupid’ and ‘what’s wrong with me’.

“Mina…”

The said girl didn’t answer, Jeongyeon try to make a step closer to her but when the other girl flinch she stops on her track. This is not how Jeongyeon want things to be.

“Mina, I-I’m sorry.” Jeongyeon said groggily. “Hey, are you okay? You have fever, are you feeling better?”

“Stop.” Mina said stern and somewhat cold that make Jeongyeon flinch. She wasn’t meant it to be that harsh but she guessed she can’t lie herself about her disappointment and her insecurity. “I need time.”

There was no reply from Jeongyeon and Mina doesn’t want to see her face because for sure, she will break down right here right now. Not because how the insecurities and that she actually mad at her girlfriend but more like that she feels like she had failed as a girlfriend, that she became that one person she hates and promise not to be. She doesn’t want to see the heart break on Jeongyeon’s face, too. It is too much to handle.

“You should’ve told me!”

“I’m so–“

“No.” Mina shook her head. “I need– I need some air, I need time. I just–“

The girl couldn’t finish what she was trying to say and just started walking away. Jeongyeon was so close to move her legs to run after her but the director shouted to her that they can’t hold the filming longer. Dahyun was running at her direction and told her to go back and let her go after Mina, which she does even before Jeongyeon could process what the girl was saying.

And so, she continued her filming. She couldn’t remember any line she has rehearsed earlier.

Chapter Text

Momo rested her chin on the table, watching Nayeon’s favorite drama. It wasn’t that good but since the older girl had dragged her to watch the premier together with her – when Jihyo was having concert overseas – Momo just can’t seem to ditch it as she was hooked to it. She feeds herself a gummy bear she took from the refrigerator with Mina’s name written on it when Sana came out from her room, standing across from her covering the TV with her back facing Momo.

“Oh, what? Is this how you brag about your new fitness program?”

Sana looks back at her, smiling teasingly. “Good right?”

“My butt still looks better.”

“I just started, and you’ve been building your muscle since you’re in your mom’s womb.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

Sana rolled her eyes, sitting on the sofa snatching the gummy bear from Momo. “This is Mina’s.”

“Yea, just eat it. I’ll buy her another bag.”

“Speaking of the devil,” Sana put one orange gummy bear into her mouth. “how’s she?”

“Jeongyeon said she hasn’t returned any of her calls or texts.”

Sana took some gummy bears and chewed more, Momo was sure the other girl will finish the bag before she builds any more muscle with her new fitness program. Momo leaned back to Sana’s legs, turned her head so she can press her eyes to the other girl’s knee.

“I think I should check on her.”

Sana hums an answer.

“Do you think I should check on her?”

The other Japanese girl moves to lay down on her side, propping her head with her hand then feed Momo a gummy bear before she kissed the girl on her temple.

“Yeah, I think you should. She hasn’t been in her right mind since then, and when you’re at it Momoring,” Momo waits for Sana to continue but the girl just closes her eyes and use the hand that was propping her head as a pillow. “tell Mina I’ll sleep with her tonight.”

“…okay, I guess.” Momo watches Sana a little bit more. “I’ll be going then.”

Momo went out the dorm as she mumbled a ‘she is so weird’ after she closes the door. The girl went down the elevator to the lobby where Tzuyu sat on one of the sofas waiting for her. She pats the younger girl’s head then Tzuyu looks up, holding her phone with both hands, eyes round and big. Momo giggled.

“Oh, you’re ready?”

Momo hums. “What are you doing?”

“Playing game. I lost though” the taller girl stood up then Momo clutched her arms on Tzuyu’s arm.

“Oh, you lost? I guess only Mina can play any games and won every single one of it.”

“I guess so.”

When they arrived at Mina’s filming set, it was during a break. Momo greets every single one of the crews with Tzuyu doing the same behind her. The girl met the Director and thank him for looking out for mina, he – of course – shrugged it off and tells Momo it was nothing and that is how it should be. The middle age man then told how Mina and the ‘fake’ husband bond is going much better as time goes by, he said he if he didn’t know better he would mistake the two as a real couple. Momo thinks Mina is a good actress.

Momo walks to Mina’s trailer hoping to find the girl glooming instead she found her talking with the guy on the bench in front of the trailers, laughing every now and then. However, she stopped laughing once she saw Momo walking towards her. mina clears her throat and the guy looks back behind him where Mina’s eyes laid. Momo gives the guy a small smile and an ever so slightly bow.

“I thought you’d be inside remembering that you have a cold.”

“Oh Noona, you catch a cold? I have–“

“Actually, can you go and leave us alone?”

The guy taken aback by Momo’s sharp tone, he looks back and forth from Mina and then back to Momo and to Mina again. The two girls are having a staring contest that doesn’t seem like ending soon. He excuses himself and go from the scene without any answers from any of the girls. Tzuyu told them to move to the trailer preventing any unwanted picture and rumor about them having a fight. She closed the door for the two older girls and waited outside, sitting on the trailer’s stair and flashes out her phone, sighing, she plays another game.

“You two are friendly.” Momo starts, leaning to the cabinet.

Mina poured herself a water and sit on the couch, crossing her leg. “We work together, I’m maintaining good relationship as a co-worker.”

“I thought you didn’t like him.”

“Never said I did.”

There is an awfully heavy paused before Momo clears her throat and spoke. “Jeongyeon has been looking for you, it’s been days. Have you spoke to her at all?”

“No, I haven’t.” Mina sips her water. “She told you to come speak to me?”

“No, I came here on my own will.”

“It’s okay if it’s not, I know I’ve been annoying you and everyone else these past days.”

Momo bit the inside of her cheek, crossing her arms. “Then do something about it, will you Mina?”

When there is no answer from Mina, the older girl continues. “She’s been worried sick, all of us are. There is nothing going on between her and Irene, you know how much she loves you.”

“Unless I don’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t know anything about how she feels.”

“I do.”

“You don’t.”

“And you do?” Mina gone quiet again, so Momo continue. “Because if you do, you should’ve responds to her texts and calls. She came yesterday after filming all day long only to be greeted with your closed door. Tell me Mina, what is it that you know?”

“Nothing, exactly nothing.” Mina snorts then looks at Momo. “Because none of you told me anything about it. How do you think that makes me feel? I should have been the one knowing it first but instead of being a friend you and everybody else chose to not telling me anything.”

“First of all, it is not our place to tell you anything about it. It is Jeongyeon’s and we let her to be the one telling you. and I don’t know that she ended up not telling you about it but I guess I understand now. Maybe this is why she doesn’t want you to know.” Momo huffs, running her hands through her hair. “You should be the mature and calm one, Mina. The point of me coming to you like this really do things to me and I hate it. We are all worried about you, Jeongyeon has a very hard time dealing with her feelings and concentrate to her filming.”

Mina looks away, Momo sighs and hugged the girl before she opened the trailer door. “She loves you, and just like how you are with your ‘co-worker’ Jeongyeon is just maintaining good relationship with Irene and no more. And if you love her, you should know. But then again, I don’t know how people feels so, maybe you don’t love her.”

With that, Momo closes the door behind her. Mina hear footsteps walking away from her trailer and wait until it safe to screams for no one to hear.

*

Jeongyeon took the coffee cup from Irene’s hand, she smiled to her as she patted the empty spot beside her. Irene sat there, checking her phone for every once in a while. The younger girl smirks as she sips on her coffee then pokes Irene’s side, the later face redden

“She’ll call you when she calls you, Unnie.”

Irene sighs. “I hate how she always travel when we already have so little time to meet.”

Jeongyeon laughs a little then hums. “Right, so what makes it any different? Either she’s here or not you two still has a little time to meet.”

“Sucks.” Irene hugs her legs. “Seulgi hates distance.”

“We all are.” Putting down her coffee cup, she laid back with her hands supporting her on the back. “It’s been a while since I last met her.”

“It is, isn’t it? When was it… that one time when you drop by the building to give me dinner?”

“Yeah, that was the one.”

“She knew who you are, you know. So, when you said you were the delivery girl she thought you work part time at a restaurant.”

They both laughs. Jeongyeon met Seulgi – Irene’s current girlfriend – one and a half year after they broke up. They were not dating back then, Irene and Seulgi, but both are each other’s exclusives. Jeongyeon knows as soon as the two lock their eyes together when Irene took the dinner Jeongyeon brought for her, the older girl just has this something on her eyes that telling you how much a person meant to her. She looks at Jeongyeon like that once, but not anymore.

“You broke my heart that night.”

Irene sighs then rubs Jeongyeon’s arm couple times. “I know, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Though I wouldn’t be lying that I hate you for a little while back then.”

“I guess I deserve that.” She laughs a little. “But you found just the right one now, didn’t you?”

“Absolutely.”

“You two look good with each other.”

“I know.”

“Ey… look at you being a snob.” Irene clicks her tongue. “As expected Yoo Jeongyeon.” She continued then after side eying the girl. “Isn’t it ridiculous how we still love them no matter how much they annoyed us?”

“Yeah…” Jeongyeon sits right up again, sipping her coffee then stare into the darkened sky. “So ridiculous.”

Jeongyeon told Irene about Mina, of course she told her, Irene is a good listener and Jeongyeon take comfort in it. She thought their meeting this time will be as awkward as ever but turns out it doesn’t. Irene still taking a good care of Jeongyeon – she takes a good care of everybody – like how she always be, she knows how despite her big appetite Jeongyeon often forgot to eat anything at all during filming or her other crazy schedules.

“I’m sorry that you two are in a difficult place right now. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

“It’s okay. She’s just jealous, I guess I would too if I’m in her shoes. I was keeping her in the dark about this, of course she got upset.” Sighing, she combs her hair with her hands. “I feel like crying.”

A soft smile and several pats latter from Irene, Jeongyeon exhale a heavy breath and a defeated sob. It’s not like Jeongyeon to cry in front of other people, Irene thought that she might be in a lot of stress and it’s pressuring her down to the ground. In a tiring and stressful time of a filming a movie like this, all she needed was support and a calm surrounding so she can focus on doing her job. But here she is, several of her friends came every now and then, also her family members and her fans, there is one person missing and Irene guess it gives a huge impact on her. She feels bad for Jeongyeon.

*

“You know she came home worn out yesterday. Still, she watched that damn reality show. As if coming home stressed wasn’t good enough, she drowned herself in jealousy watching Mina unnie with that guy.” Said Dahyun trying to open her cola can. “Just open this for me.”

Chaeyoung took the can, open it for Dahyun after she take the first sip. “What— hey… who taught you to do that??” Dahyun snorts at the cheeky Chaeyoung.

“I bought you that!”

“Hence that’s mine!”

Tzuyu rolled her eyes, taking a bite of her pancake. “Shall we lock those two in a room?”

“Mina unnie and Jeong Unnie?”

“No, Sana and you so she can annoy the crap out of you. Of course it’s Mina unnie and Jeongyeon unnie.”

“Does Chaeyoung always this annoying?”

Tzuyu nods, still chewing. Chaeyoung feels betrayed. “Anyway, how? I can’t stand it anymore.”

“Yeah Mina Unnie can be stubborn sometimes.” Chaeyoung adds. “but I think she’ll come around. Sana unnie said when Mina came home after Momo unnie confronted her, she talks a lot about her feelings to her. So, I guess things going to get better between them.”

“You’re always on Mina’s side did you, Chaeng?” Dahyun said amused.

“She has the softest soul, unnie. Plus, she’s smart, she knows better.”

“Okay okay.” Dahyun pats the girls head, smiling. “eat more, you two. I pay for the meal tonight.”

Both Tzuyu and Chaeyoung immediately stood up, taking more food and eat them without offering anything from their plate to Dahyun.

“Brats.”

*

Chaeyoung was talking to the PD during MiSaMo final goodbye stage, she gave the middle age guy some direction as to where the camera should shoot during which part of the songs. Since this is their last stage and they felt a little bit off during their previous stage, the three girls deemed to have this one as good as their first comeback stage in spite of their fans. Once the PD put his thumbs up to the short kid, Chaeyoung gives him a hi-five and was going to the parking lot to take some of the girls’ blanket when someone called her name softly. She turns around.

“Oh… can I… help you?” she said uncertain.

“Yes actually, can you get me to Mina?”

Chaeyoung pursed her lips, looking at the long hair brunette before her. “It’s Irene, right? She’s preparing for the stage right now, it’ll take a while until it finished.”

“It’s okay, I can wait.”

Irene looks like someone that gets way too popular at high school, the one everyone wants to befriend with but never actually can. Chaeyoung eyed the girl despite her being several years younger than the later, what could a girl like her wants anything to do with Mina and Jeongyeon. Both are – despite being celebrities – are living the most humbled life. Irene in the other hand, looks like someone who cannot live with Gucci in her closet.

“Alrite,” She said finally. “you still can’t wait in the waiting room. She needs all the focus she can get, she won’t be if you’re there.”

Chaeyoung expect her to react with anything but a kind smile. “I know. I’ll be waiting at the café just around the corner. Will you give me a call when she’s finished?”

She handed Chaeyoung a business card, all white with only her name engraved in gold ink written with the most delicate stroke she ever saw. In the front was written her name ‘Irene’ on the back was her phone number and email. Chaeyoung feels the surface of the card when the skin on her fingers made contact, she realized then that the girl in front of her is too fine to ruin someone else’s relationship. Chaeyoung sighs then shook her head.

“I’ll walk you out.”

The walk from the broadcasting building to the café Irene settled in was quiet, they chose to use the exit at the back of the building to prevent any fans or media to spotted Irene walking with MiSaMo manager. That headline alone will make people speculate the worse of the drama that has been going on internally, they don’t need it to get out as it is already as crazy.

Chaeyoung came back to the building forgotten about the blanket and her mind went blank all together. Momo protested about it and almost made her go all the way back if the crew hadn’t knocked on the door telling the girls to get ready outside. Tzuyu asked her if she is okay, she wanted to tell her about Irene but she can’t with MiSaMo still around. Sana was the one who catch her glancing at Mina every now and then, the girl raised one of her eyebrows then Chaeyoung shook her head as she gulping down hard.

They did three takes for the final goodbye stage and the girls wanted to greet their fans for a little farewell after, it took them almost half a day and Chaeyoung wonder is Irene is still there. Although the older girl gave her business card, Chaeyoung doesn’t even bother contacting her. She thought she will let her wait for so long by causing this drama to start in the first place.

“Mina Unnie, will you come with me please?”

The three girls plus Tzuyu looking at the shorter girl, Sana was the one giving Chaeyoung a questioning look. She cleared her throat, thirsty all of the sudden but went with it anyway. She told the rest of them to go wait in the waiting room and go back to the dorm first if they went too long, Chaeyoung told them that Mina has to go shoot the reality show anyway. Momo was worried that Mina was in some kind of trouble the girl kept asking to go with them.

“I’m sure it’s nothing Momo Unnie, let’s go.” Tzuyu said, though the girl doesn’t know anything about it and just wished Chaeyoung would just tell her.

“If it’s not true and she is in trouble I’ll kick your ass dead.”

“Oh my god, you are harassing a kid, you should be the one in trouble.”

“Can none of you Unnies stop messing with my height? I’m your manager.”

After Sana waved her off and dragged Momo with her with Tzuyu following closely behind, Chaeyoung told Mina to change her clothes on the van first before going fully covered in black and cap to where Irene at. Mina didn’t ask her anything, the girl was just as quiet as ever. Her guts told her that the girl has feeling about it since her dragging mina like this is unusual.

Chaeyoung went in first, stretching her neck longer looking for Irene. Halfheartedly she hoped the girl had gone away but the other half wished she’s still waiting. They went to the second floor – where there are less people – and spotted Irene sitting looking outside of the window in the corner of the room. She looks back at Mina, the girl already looking at her not sure what they are doing in this place. Chaeyoung smiled then, taking Mina’s hand to where Irene sit and left as soon as Irene turns around looking at the girl before her. Mina’s breath hitched.

“Oh, you’re here.” She said kindly. “Please, have a seat. Would you like anything?”

Mina watched Irene as intent as ever though she is confused. “I’m fine, thank you. Did Jeongyeon told you to do this? Because–”

“No, please she didn’t.” Irene sighs but still manage to smile a little. “I guess I’m just going to go to the point then.”

Sitting there with a lot going on in her mind was dangerous, Mina feels like she wants to scream at the girl in front of her but then she will look like a crazy moron. If she did that what does the image of her become for this girl before her, plus, Irene looks content although the line on her face tells another story.

“First of all, I am sorry for what you and Jeongyeon going through these past days. Though if it makes you any better, there is really nothing going on between her and me.” She looks at mina in the eyes. “I’m aware how Jeongyeon sees me as her first love, but that’s all about it, nothing more. What we had, everything, it’s already in the past. We parted ways in good terms, which make us able to still be friends right now. I know it is annoying when you know that your partner and their ex still talking to each other, in this case filming a movie together.

“Jeongyeon is a nice nice girl, a great girlfriend, and when she loves, she loves with everything she got.”

“I know, she is my girlfriend, remember?”

“Of course,” another smile, Mina hates it. “exactly because she is your girlfriend.”

Instead of talking back to the girl, she stays still. Looking away from Irene’s arrogant yet kind eyes then she sighs a long heavy sigh. “I was planning to hate you.”

Irene chuckled when Mina was looking at her. “it’s okay, you can hate me. You wouldn’t be the first one.”

“Did my manager?”

“Yeah,” sipping her drink with her straw, she nodded. “I told her to give me a call when you’re finished, I gave her my business card, you know to prepare and stuff, but she came with you out of nowhere making me flustered.”

Mina smiles for a split second before it turns into a frown. “I don’t want to say this but, your existence – especially when you’re with Jeongyeon – makes me uncomfortable.”

“I know.” She nodded. “I’m not the one you should be worry about though.”

“What do you mean?”

“I told you Jeongyeon is a great lover, she only loves you and only looks at you. she can never look at anyone else but you. Your battle is not with me, Mina.”

“…..It’s within myself.” She whispered.

Mina felt awful, her stomach churns and the back of her eyes feels hot. She felt so stupid that someone has to come up to her to tell her everything about her girlfriend that she already knew. Of course, she knew that Jeongyeon is a great partner, the girl puts Mina on top of everything even her own self. She should’ve listened to Jeongyeon when she wanted to explain it, surely, she knows now why Jeongyeon chose to kept it from her, Momo was right, thisis exactly why she kept Mina in the dark.

“I’m so disappointing.”

She feels Irene hand on top of hers, she doesn’t need to look up to know that the later smiled at her, Irene spoke so assuring it calmed her soul.

“Jealousy took a hold of you and it’s alright because what you feel is normal, that only means you love her.” she rubs circle on Mina’s hand. “Though next time it’ll be easier for her if you listen to her first?”

Mina nodded, wiping her eyes. “I feel so conflicted, I know she wouldn’t do something that will disappoint me in any way but I just can’t help it. I’ve been telling myself over and over but still, my brain doesn’t do logic while my feelings taking it as a prisoner.”

Her hand was still in Mina when the younger of the two exhale a relieved breath. Mina looked at her then, holding the girl’s hand back, thanking her for whatever it is she brings to her. Mostly because wiping away the thick foggy jealousy and the irrational thinking all together.

Later that night – after they spend three hours talking – Mina studied that Irene was so helplessly in love with her girlfriend, Seulgi. In the other hand, Mina take notes that maybe not everyone she thinks was bad were bad at all. Turns out Irene was a decent person.

*

“She’s definitely going to call her tonight.”

“I don’t think so.” Sana gulps down her cola, looking up from inside of the van to a second story café.

“She will. I bet on it.”

“Sure, a bet it is. She won’t just call Jeong like that. knowing Mina, she would like to take some time thinking about how to talk and think things through.”

“Agree.” Chaeyoung chirped in.

“What about you Tzuyu?” Momo poked the girl riding shotgun.

“Just let Mina Unnie know that I take to parts in this bet.”