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Ever since she was a little girl, Nayeon always had a plan. She was a darling, charismatic child—lighting up whatever room she was in with her smile. Her mom called it “star quality.” Nayeon thought of it as a sort of pre-written destiny. The gods had gifted her with the talent to perform, and she’d be damned if she didn’t share that gift with the world. As far as she was concerned, it was her fate to end up on stage, being applauded by an audience of adoring fans. She could give the people exactly what they wanted.

She started in musical theater as a child, wowing the casting directors of local productions with her attention to detail and unfaltering smile. From there, she was on the set of as many productions as she could manage. The moment drama club was offered in school, she enrolled, already having a huge amount of experience under her belt. Her teachers praised her while the other students both adored and feared her. Nayeon was a force to be reckoned with. 

Middle school was where she met Sana—the only other student who came close to challenging her throne. The girl lacked any experience in theater prior to drama club, but loved it regardless. Nayeon had to give the girl credit—she had talent. Her acting seemed mostly natural, and she had a certain pull about her that drew other people in. Nayeon felt threatened at first, especially when both girls were gunning for the lead in their fall musical, but Nayeon quickly realized that the wisest move would be making a friend with this girl, not a foe. After all, Sana seemed to be the only other student in the club who took theater just as seriously as she did. 

Even after Nayeon beat Sana out for the lead role in their first middle school musical, the two girls grew to be friends. By the time they both graduated, they had formed a bond that they both considered sacred. Sisters in the arts. For every musical their school put on, they made sure to always score the starring roles. 

There was a short time when Nayeon thought there might even be something more between them. It had been Sana’s idea to practice Nayeon’s first kissing scene together, if only to prevent Nayeon from swapping spit with the cocky and slightly grimmy co-lead she was supposed to share the scene with for the spring musical. 

The thought of kissing Sana seemed strange at first to Nayeon, but she was thankful for Sana’s offer, not wanting to kiss her male co-lead more than absolutely necessary. It had been awkward at first, and Nayeon’s heart felt unusually fluttery in the presence of her best friend. Leaning in toward Sana’s hooded eyes, they shared their first kiss together in Nayeon’s bedroom with scripts in both of their hands. 

They shared many more kisses after that, even when neither one had a kissing scene in a musical to rehearse for. That stopped though, after Jeongyeon became the captain of the basketball team during their sophomore year and caught Nayeon’s attention. Jeongyeon had been a semi-awkward class clown who was well liked by many, but her status got elevated once she hit a growth spurt and suddenly her coordination and stamina excelled. Her father was the high school’s basketball coach, and Nayeon knew he pushed Jeongyeon hard—filling her with the necessary motivation to lead the team. 

Nayeon knew, much like herself, Jeongyeon had been a girl with a plan. Jeongyeon was going places. She loved basketball almost as much as Nayeon loved theater. As far as Nayeon was concerned, they were a match made in heaven. It was practically destiny for the two most beloved students to end up with one another and become a power couple strong enough to rule the school. 

Nayeon wasn’t shy about her crush, either. In fact, she made it clear to Jeongyeon that she was very interested. Even attending the varsity team’s home games with homemade signs she’d worked on for hours, Nayeon cheered for Jeongyeon louder than the cheerleaders themselves did, and always made sure to greet her after every game. Nayeon knew she was getting close to wrapping Jeongyeon around her finger, that is, until an unexpected piece on the chessboard came into play in the form of a wide-eyed transfer student named Mina.

Mina was apparently some sort of genius, from what Nayeon had heard. There were whispers about her winning nationwide mathematics and science competitions. Nayeon would have never expected that someone like Mina would ever stand in her way. However, when Mina stood in the front of the classroom during English class on her first day of school, introducing herself to everyone, Nayeon looked over and saw Jeongyeon’s eyes shining with something she’d never seen before. She watched as Jeongyeon practically jumped out of her seat as the class bell rang, running to catch up with Mina as she walked away. 

Mina and Jeongyeon had a history, Nayeon knew then, and it eroded her heart.

Walking out of the class, she’d seen Mina and Jeongyeon standing nearby. Chaeyoung, one of Jeongyeon’s friends and the basketball team’s co-caption, joined them briefly, before Jeongyeon and Mina began to walk away together. It seemed Jeongyeon was giving Mina a brief tour of the school. Nayeon reluctantly trailed behind, feeling nosy and genuinely curious. When Jeongyeon and Mina stopped in front of the sign-up sheet for the winter musical, Nayeon knew then and there that it was her time to strike. 

“Thinking of signing up for the musical?” she asked both Jeongyeon and Mina, creeping up behind them. A bit startled, the other girls turned around with surprised expressions on their faces.

Jeongyeon looked a bit pained to see it was Nayeon standing there behind them. She laughed half-heartedly at Nayeon’s question. “Definitely not,” she assured. 

“Why not?” Mina asked Jeongyeon, tilting her head slightly. “You’re a great singer.”

Nayeon raised an eyebrow, staring between the two. “I’m not surprised. Is there anything you can’t do?” Nayeon asked Jeongyeon, giving the basketball player an obvious wink. 

Jeongyeon shyly scratched the back of her neck, laughing politely again. “I think I’ll pass. Gotta focus on the season, you know?”

Nayeon gave Jeongyeon an understanding nod before she turned to Mina, staring the girl down with faux interest. The girl was wearing a dark blue, casual sun dress—a stark contrast to the letterman jacket Jeongyeon was currently wearing, which she wore almost daily. 

“Well, even though the lead goes to yours truly every year,” Nayeon pointed to herself, “you know there’s always plenty of supporting roles up for grabs. There’s room for everyone in the theater, after all.”

Mina gave Nayeon a forced, polite smile. She walked up to the sign-up sheet stapled to the bulletin board and glanced at the obnoxiously large name that was printed at the top of the list in pink pen. “Im Nayeon,” Mina read out loud. She stepped back, giving Nayeon another glance. “Nice penmanship.”

Mina began to walk away, purposefully, and with her head held high. Jeongyeon gave Nayeon a small wave before she quickly followed after Mina. 

Nayeon gritted her teeth. “Nice penmanship,” she repeated to herself, shaking her head. Who was this girl, anyway? 

Nayeon had no doubt this new kid would be an annoyance—a pest that needed to be dealt with early on before it grew to be too much to handle. As Nayeon glared at the back of Mina’s head as she walked away, a number of calculated plans to snuff her out immediately began forming in Nayeon’s mind. 

Drama club was a nightmare later that day. Everyone was talking about “the pretty new girl.” Bile rose in Nayeon’s throat when one of her clubmates asked her if she’d seen Mina yet. Sana, sensing something was wrong, pulled Nayeon aside immediately before her friend ripped apart the innocent freshman who had dared say Mina’s name. 

“I guess Jeongyeon and Mina met on New Years. Their parents dragged them both to the same ski resort or something. It’s coincidence Mina ended up moving to the same town as us,” Sana explained, after Nayeon had recounted the way Jeongyeon had chased after Mina like an excited puppy earlier that day. 

Nayeon huffed and crossed her arms, leaning back against a set piece. “I knew it. I knew they had to know each other from somewhere.” 

“Don’t let this bother you too much,” Sana pleaded, placing her hands on Nayeon’s shoulders. “Eyes on the prize, remember? The real prize. You need to focus on getting the lead.” 

Glaring at Sana, Nayeon gritted her teeth. “Focus on getting the lead? I am the lead.” She stormed away from Sana, heading backstage to clear her head. Nayeon stormed away from Sana more often than not, but her best friend would always follow. Always. 

Sure enough, Nayeon heard the shuffling of sneakers a few minutes later, and there was Sana, giving her an apologetic smile. Nayeon would pout, Sana would pout back, until finally Nayeon caved and accepted Sana’s engulfing hug. 

The next day, Nayeon found out that not only was Mina in her English class, but her chemistry class as well. Mina was assigned a seat in a desk directly across from Nayeon. The desks were clumped together in groups, not all facing forward. Just seeing the new girl instantly put Nayeon in a bad mood. 

“So it seems like you know Jeongyeon?” Nayeon asked, right before class started and everyone had settled down in their seats. She knew the answer, of course, but she wanted to learn more about her new rival from the source herself.

Mina, who appeared to be tapping on her phone, either typing furiously or playing an app, didn’t even bother to look up at Nayeon. “A little bit,” she replied, vaguely. 

Nayeon pressed her lips together, clearly not satisfied with that answer, nor from Mina’s lack of attention. “Where are you from, Mina?” she continued, after a minute of silence between them. She honestly couldn’t care less, but she wanted to know who exactly she was dealing with. Despite Mina’s name only being two syllables, it felt heavy and unpleasant on Nayeon’s tongue. Even after she got the name out of her mouth, it remained there, imprinted. 

“The east coast.” 

“Wow, you truly have a way with words,” Nayeon snapped, sarcastically. Mina finally looked up at the girl, smirking a bit. Was she purposefully trying to piss Nayeon off? Cause if so, it was working a bit too well. Other students would be honored that Nayeon was even looking at them—so Mina’s almost cocky attitude toward her was deeply unsettling. 

“New York,” Mina offered, resting her chin in her hand and continuing to look at Nayeon with an unreadable expression. 

“A New York girl, huh,” Nayeon mused, “How groundbreaking.” 

Mina frowned slightly at Nayeon, who gave her a fake smile back. Mina opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted by the teacher starting class. Throughout the class period, Nayeon snuck glances at the girl in front of her. She couldn’t help but wonder what Jeongyeon saw in her, putting aside the fact that she was undeniably pretty. Nayeon was smart, talented and beautiful—what more could Jeongyeon want? Mina caught her staring once, and Nayeon quickly turned away, feeling her face flaming. She stopped looking at the girl for the rest of the class, not wanting Mina to get the wrong idea. 

Later that day at lunch, like something out of a cheesy TV drama, Nayeon was walking through the cafeteria, talking to Sana animatedly about how much she despised Mina already, when she suddenly felt a body stumble against hers—and with it, something warm...and wet. 

Nayeon let out a ghastly screech, staring down at her blouse in horror to see it was now covered in what looked like ground beef, sour cream, and hot sauce. Taco Tuesday had stained her shirt for the entire student body to see. Looking up, nearly shaking in anger, she found Mina, with wide eyes, looking entirely shocked and apologetic. Jeongyeon was next to her, covering her mouth and fighting the urge to burst into laughter.

“Oh my god,” Mina exclaimed. She looked genuinely guilty. “I’m so sorry! You just happened to turn right into me and—”

“How dare you,” Nayeon yelled—face turning a shade of pink as she noticed her classmates were laughing at her, even pulling out their phones to record the scene in front of them. “Pay attention and watch where you’re going!”

“I have an extra sweatshirt in my locker—I brought it to stay warm, but you’re more than welcome to it,” Mina said, quickly. Her voice sounded small and meek, suddenly. “At least let me help you wash off your—”

“You’ve done enough damage already,” Nayeon seethed. “I’d rather wear this all day than wear anything of yours.” Sana took her friend by the shoulders, looking at Mina a bit apologetically, before beginning to drag Nayeon away. Nayeon luckily always had a change of clothes tucked away, just in case. She’d just have to make the walk of shame to her locker to grab them.  

She let Sana lead her out of the cafeteria, still keeping her head held high despite the quiet laughter echoing around her. What bothered her the most though, as she stomped away, was the sound of Jeongyeon’s infectious laughter harmonizing with what could only be Mina’s giggling. It was sickeningly sweet. The two sounds complimented each other well. 

Hearing Jeongyeon laugh at her behind her back was the final straw—something inside Nayeon broke a bit. Her ego was bruised, but her heart was broken now, too. She was done playing these games and done being the fool. She decided then and there that she would stop pursuing Jeongyeon. 

Sana must’ve been able to sense the sadness radiating off of her best friend, because once Nayeon had changed out of her taco-stained blouse in the bathroom, Sana pulled her into an intimate hug. “You deserve better than her, you always have,” Sana whispered into her ear. They drew back and looked at one another, and Nayeon was comforted by the look of adoration in Sana’s eyes. Nayeon leaned her head against Sana’s shoulder, taking a few deep breaths before she had to walk back out into the hallway and pretend as though nothing had changed.

Nayeon stayed away from Jeongyeon after that, only being forced to see her in the hallways and in class. Every time she saw Jeongyeon, Mina was there by default, seemingly avoiding eye contact with Nayeon at all. In chemistry class, Nayeon couldn’t help but scowl at the girl sitting across from her, wishing she wasn’t there every day as a constant reminder of her failure with Jeongyeon.

“It’s better this way,” Sana had insisted to Nayeon one day, after school, while they were rehearsing their performance for auditions for the musical. “Jeongyeon was just a distraction. You’ve been chasing after her for over a year now and she just hasn’t taken the bait.”

Nayeon pouted at that—so Sana continued.

“It’s her loss, Nay.” She reached out and took Nayeon’s hands in her own. Sana gave her the caring, world-shaking smile she was so good at dishing out. It was impossible to still feel bad while looking at it.

“Thanks,” Nayeon whispered. “Really, thank you.” 

Sana opened her eyes a bit widely, surprised by Nayeon’s sincerity. 

“You’re always there for me through everything. I really don’t deserve you,” Nayeon admitted. She wasn’t sure where the sappiness came from, suddenly, but thinking back to how rude she’d been acting recently, she felt the need to say it. 

“Hey, don’t say that,” Sana replied, letting go of Nayeon’s hands. “I know things are hard for you right now. You’ve cared about Jeongyeon for awhile and to see someone else out of the blue snatch her heart…I can sympathize with that.”

Nayeon’s heart panged briefly, knowing exactly what Sana meant by that. She pursed her lips, wanting to say something to help get rid of the guilt Sana had resurfaced, but Sana gave her a small smile and quickly changed the subject, talking about how she was going to her lab partner’s house tomorrow afternoon to finish up her project. Her lab partner was a cute sophomore who she’d had her eyes on since the beginning of the school year. 

Though Nayeon was trying her best to let Jeongyeon go, she couldn’t immediately shake the habit of looking for her throughout the school day. It wasn’t hard to miss the girl, after all. All Nayeon had to look for was a mass of jocks, a crowd of guys and girls all wearing bright red letterman jackets, and Mina normally at Jeongyeon’s side. 

Nayeon and Mina had only talked minimally since the cafeteria incident. Besides Mina apologizing again to her in class the next day, that was really their only interaction. Nayeon had accepted the apology begrudgingly, but the anger she’d felt in the moment had quickly evaporated and been replaced by a sense of melancholy, anyway. Nayeon wouldn’t let Mina have the satisfaction of getting her riled up again, not when it had been so funny to Jeongyeon and her before. 

Nayeon thought that perhaps maybe her and Mina could co-exist peacefully if their interactions remained non-existent, but it seemed the universe was against them both as their teacher announced they’d be pairing up for a multi-class lab with the person sitting across from them.

For the first time in awhile, Mina’s eyes met Nayeon’s. Nayeon huffed in annoyance, unafraid to show her displeasure to everyone in the classroom while continuing to stare Mina down. Mina simply rolled her eyes, running her tongue along her bottom lip. 

“Look, I don’t like this any more than you do, but I have to keep up my grades if I want to get a full ride to college, so I’m not going to let you stand in my way,” Nayeon muttered, once the teacher had finished explaining the lab and had passed out all the necessary worksheets to go along with it.

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing,” Mina replied, looking at the other girl with that slight smirk of hers that drove Nayeon crazy. “Just try to keep up.” 

The girls began working in silence on their lab books, as if the lab were meant to be a solo project. Nayeon, much to her dismay, quickly came across something she wasn’t sure about, tapping her fingers against her desk in frustration. 

“Need help with that?” Mina asked, with that faux sweetness of hers. Nayeon nearly growled in annoyance. She hated to admit it, but the other girl was smart. All those rumors of her winning nation-wide competitions were undoubtedly true, based on what she’d seen of the girl’s performance in both English and chemistry so far. Though Mina didn’t raise her hand often, the teachers of both classes would call on the girl whenever the entire class was stumped, and Mina would always get the question right. While Nayeon considered herself to be a great student, one of the best in her class, actually, it seemed Mina might have her beat, at least in terms of chemistry. 

Taking a breath, Nayeon allowed herself to swallow her pride and admit the truth. “What does this mean here?” She pointed out a phrase that seemed alien to her. Something about how the lab was to be set up once they got to the physical portion of it. Mina leaned across the table, trying to get a better look at what Nayeon was talking about. “Here, I’ll just move closer to you. It’s easier that way.” Nayeon dragged her chair over so that she was sitting next to Mina instead of across from her. 

Mina scooted over to make room, raising an eyebrow as Nayeon leaned close to her and highlighted the phrase in question again with her pen. 

To both Nayeon’s dismay and pleasure, Mina was actually quite good at explaining things. As Nayeon asked questions, the other girl listened patiently, humming to show she was listening, before launching into an explanation that was easy to understand. 

Without either of them realizing it, they’d actually grown quite comfortable with one another, and were closer in proximity than they’d ever been before. Nayeon let her eyes stray from the worksheet in front of her to Mina’s side-profile, and the strand of dark brown hair tucked delicately behind the girl’s ear so it didn’t fall into her face as she leaned over her desk. 

Nayeon tore her head away, realizing she’d become distracted. She coughed once before leaning back in her chair, away from Mina. The other girl seemed to be giving Nayeom no mind, as she continued to scribble something down on the page in front of her.

“I think this is how we should set up the lab,” Mina explained. She showed the draft of the set-up to Nayeon, who stared down at it, looking desperately for any sort of fault, but finding none. 

“It looks good,” Nayeon replied, shortly. She steeled herself once again, reminding herself as to why she disliked Mina in the first place. The girl had waltzed in and stole Jeongyeon from her, on top of spilling food on her and laughing about it. She had to hold onto those facts and not let her guard down. “Let’s show it for approval, then.” 

And so Mina, who Nayeon had made a point to try to ignore, suddenly became a small part of her life, unexpectedly. For the first few days of their lab, they remained slightly awkward together. Snide remarks came from them both, but Nayeon had to admit she didn’t completely hate the company of the other girl. It was a start, at least. 

Talking to Mina more often, Nayeon learned the girl did in fact have a few national academics titles under her belt—but her real passion was actually volleyball. She was extremely excited to join the team when the season started in a few months—assuming she’d make the cut, that is. As Mina spoke excitedly about the sport, louder than Nayeon had ever heard the other girl speak before, Nayeon felt her lips tug into a smile. She was sure Mina would make the team. 

Mina learned a few things about Nayeon too—like the fact that the girl had a bad habit of chewing on her pen cap whenever she was really focused. “Hey, that’s my pencil, you know,” Mina groaned, swatting at the girl sitting beside her. She had loaned Nayeon a pencil at the beginning of class, as Nayeon had apparently left her pen at her last class by mistake. 

Nayeon, who had been staring down at the equation in front of her, immediately stopped chewing on the eraser in her mouth with wide eyes and pulled the pencil out of her mouth. The fact she was using a borrowed pencil had completely slipped her mind. “Oh...right,” Nayeon replied, sheepishly setting the pencil down and looking up at Mina somewhat apologetically. She didn’t apologize though, much to Mina’s annoyance, and simply made sure to not let her bad habit flair up again. 

The next day, once the girls were supposed to move onto the physical part of their lab, Mina was surprised to see a pen sitting on her desk when she arrived to class. “What’s this?” she asked, looking at Nayeon for answers. 

“Well, I assumed you didn’t want your pencil back,” was all Nayeon said, lowering her eyes and pretending to be busy with something on her phone. Mina slowly reached down and grabbed the pen carefully, inspecting it as if it were poisoned. Though she didn’t particularly like using pens, it felt nice in her hands. It clearly wasn’t a cheap one.

“I don’t like pens,” Mina replied, attempting to hand it back to Nayeon. Truthfully, she didn’t want to accept the gift. It felt like, though a small act, it might lead to something larger in the future.

Nayeon looked up from her phone, clearly annoyed. “You need pens, for so many reasons. Pencils can only get you so far in life,” she retorted, unwilling to take the pen from Mina’s outstretched hand.

“I find pens are rather useless. After all, crossing out mistakes looks messy and unprofessional.”

“Good thing I don’t make mistakes, then,” Nayeon mused, mouth forming into a smirk. 

Mina rolled her eyes, cursing herself for walking right into that one. She huffed and set the pen back down on her desk. “We’ll see about that,” Mina muttered, grumbling to herself something along the lines of all the mistakes she’d seen Nayeon make in preparation for this lab alone. 

Nayeon raised an eyebrow but said nothing, enjoying seeing the frustrated look on her lab partner’s face.

At the end of the class, as Nayeon was packing up her things to go, she realized her pen had been moved from Mina’s desk to her own without her realizing it. Before Nayeon could call Mina out, the other girl scurried away, and Nayeon could’ve sworn she heard a giggle quietly escape Mina’s mouth before she exited the classroom.

Such childish behavior. And yet, Nayeon felt a small smile creeping on her face once again. 

And so, a little game between the two girls began. Nayeon made sure to get to class early the next day, placing her pen on Mina’s desk and busying herself with other things before she heard a familiar huff and looked up from her phone to see Mina glaring at her. 

“Good afternoon to you, too,” Nayeon mused, setting down her phone and giving Mina a nonchalant smile. 

“Can you take your pen back, please?” Mina asked while unpacking her things from her backpack.

“I insist you keep it.”

Huffing again, Mina pressed her lips together and gave Nayeon a frustrated stare. 

“Why must you be so stubborn?” Nayeon asked, propping up her face against her hand and staring at Mina with interest.

Mina opened and closed her mouth. Truthfully she wasn’t so sure why she felt such a strong need to return the pen. But it seemed out of some deep-seated principle ingrained inside her, she couldn’t accept a gift from Im Nayeon. “I just don’t want to accept your gift.”

Now, it was Nayeon’s turn to huff. “It’s a pen. It’s not like I got you a maserati or something.” 

Mina was finding it hard to argue, so she simply grumbled to herself and flipped open her notebook as the teacher began to start the lesson. Nayeon grinned in satisfaction, enjoying seeing the annoyed and slightly flustered look on her lab partner’s face. Victory tasted sweet.

“You should’ve seen the look on her face,” Nayeon told Sana at lunch the next day, “when she walked in and saw the pen on her desk.” The two friends had a table all to themselves in the cafeteria, right next to the giant window that made up almost the entire right wall. “I thought she honestly wasn’t going to accept it, but I finally got her to.” There was a smile on Nayeon’s face—one that Sana had noticed had tended to form whenever her friend spoke about Mina. 

Nayeon seemed to sense Sana was staring at her with a suspicious frown, because her smile quickly faded and she took another bite of her salad. “I mean, I was relieved. The game was tiresome and childish, anyway.” 

“Why’d you give her a pen in the first place, again?” Sana asked, watching Nayeon carefully.

Rolling her eyes, Nayeon leaned forward, across the table. “Cause I accidentally chewed on her pencil, remember?” she said, in a hushed tone.  

Sana waved her hand dismissively. “I remember that, but why did you give her a pen? I’m pretty sure you’ve gone through entire packs of pens from me and you’ve never replenished them for me.”

Shrugging nonchalantly, Nayeon bit into a tomato, chomping on it softly. “I chewed on her pencil. I knew she wouldn’t want it back. That’s all.” Nayeon didn’t like the way her friend was looking at her, suddenly. It made her feel guilty, as if she had done something wrong.

“Hm,” Sana hummed, frustrating Nayeon more. “I’m just surprised, is all. That was actually a nice thing to do, considering she’s dating Jeongyeon and all.”

At the mention of Jeongyeon’s name, Nayeon scowled. “Forget it, it’s not like it means anything. It’s just a pen, anyway.” 

Sana shrugged, starting to munch on her own salad again. She changed the subject to some drama club gossip, but took note of the way Nayeon’s demeanor had changed for the rest of the lunch break.  

A week later, after their lab had ended and Nayeon and Mina had received perfect scores, Nayeon noticed Mina had begun to use the pen she’d given the girl. Nayeon wasn’t sure why, but it made her stomach twist in a good way. She bit back the comment fighting to burst from her lips, not wanting to give Mina a hard time about it, because if she did that, Mina would surely stop using the pen.  

She thought back to what Sana had said—about her being nice to Mina. It was absolutely absurd. Besides, it was just a pen, anyway. Yet, Nayeon still felt herself smiling. 

It was then Nayeon realized her eyes too often traveled to find Mina in the halls—instead of Jeongyeon. It was too bad the girls seemed to be inseparable. The sight of them together made Nayeon sicker than ever before. Jeongyeon didn’t hesitate to throw her arm around Mina as they walked, and it seemed the two were constantly sharing an inside joke. A joke Nayeon would never be a part of. 

The funny thing was, Mina sometimes looked a bit uncomfortable when Nayeon saw her outside of class. Troubled, perhaps, was the best word. Maybe it was just Nayeon’s mind messing with her, but she could’ve sworn the smile Mina had just flashed Jeongyeon quickly disappeared the moment Jeongyeon turned away. When Jeongyeon’s friends swarmed the two, Mina’s smile looked almost forced. 

Something was clearly bothering Mina, but it was none of Nayeon’s business. At least, that’s what Nayeon kept trying to tell herself to stop the insistent and nagging thoughts of worry and curiosity in her head. Why did she care how Mina was doing, anyway? The girl was nothing more than a pest—a blip on her radar that would become completely forgotten as soon as Nayeon graduated and got a full ride to a school with an excellent acting program. 

Besides, Mina had won . Jeongyeon was hers and only hers, so why did she seem so distant? What was on the girl’s mind? Reflecting on her recent observations, Nayeon found herself staring at the girl sitting across from her in chemistry class once again. Mina looked glum, and the thought churned Nayeon’s stomach for reasons she didn’t yet understand.  

“Are you okay?” Nayeon asked, before she could stop herself. Everyone was working on their labs independently, and a light amount of chatter filled the classroom. After Mina slowly looked up and met her eyes, Nayeon couldn’t help but clear her throat and look away, feeling her cheeks turning red. “You’re not your usual, smug self,” Nayeon added, dismissively. 

A look flashed across Mina’s face—a mix of surprise, but also suspicion. “I’m fine,” Mina responded quickly. “Just...tired, I guess.”

Nayeon sighed, knowing Mina was lying, but not wanting to press. She opted to keep the mood playful, now that she had Mina’s attention. “Stay up late playing video games? Or whatever it is you nerds do?”

Mina rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. “Don’t act like you’re not a nerd too, Nayeon.”

Nayeon gasped dramatically, curling her lip into a slight snarl. “Excuse me?” she protested. 

“Your lock screen,” Mina said, pointedly. 

Nayeon swallowed hard, feeling her cheeks flaming again. She looked down at the phone in her lap, which had a picture of Iron Man shining underneath her instagram notifications. “Stalker, much,” she said, while secretly flattered that Mina had even taken notice. 

“It’s called being observant, and you’re one to talk, following Jeongyeon around,” Mina quipped. Nayeon bristled at the basketball captain’s name. Seeing the immediate displeasure on Nayeon’s face, Mina’s playful grin quickly turned into a frown. She bit her lip, opening her mouth to quickly change the subject. “I like Iron Man too,” she said softly.

The anger that was about to burst from Nayeon quickly softened again. “I mean, he’s obviously the best Avenger. Who knew you had some semblance of taste.” 

Mina rolled her eyes again and gave Nayeon a small smile before picking up her pen—Nayeon’s pen—and continuing her work. In that moment, Nayeon’s sense of hoping for a better rest of the school year swelled. Maybe Mina wouldn’t ruin everything, after all.

That thought was very short lived, however, the second Sana texted Nayeon that she’d seen Jeongyeon eyeing the audition sign up sheet in the hallway.  Eying her territory. Her domain. She’d simply brought up auditioning as a joke…

Nayeon found herself watching Jeongyeon even more carefully at school, searching for any signs of rogue thoughts running through the girl’s mind. Nothing seemed different about the girl—no signs that she’d be trying out for the musical. It seemed the only things on Jeongyeon’s mind these days were Mina and basketball. Nayeon let her guard down.

The audition for the winter musical went as perfectly as her and Sana had expected. Though there was no choreography created for the audition song, Sana and Nayeon had spent the last few weeks making their own. It was fun, fast and overexaggerated—perfect for the stage. In fact, Sana and Nayeon were the only ones to even audition for the lead roles. The other students who tried out for supporting roles were the normal faces that Nayeon was used to. It looked as though it’d be another successful season.

Nayeon had casually been walking down the hallway with Sana the next morning when she noticed a new, bright pink flyer hanging up under the school musical bulletin with the word “callback” written on it in bolded font. Letting out a high pitched screech, Nayeon stormed over to the flyer instantly, barely able to process what she was reading. 

Her and Sana would have a callback in two days—along with Jeongyeon and Mina ...for the lead roles. 

“I can’t believe this!” Nayeon cried out, practically seething. Even Sana herself looked shocked, rereading the flyer over and over to make sure it was correct. 

“But they weren’t even there for the audition,” Sana mumbled—more confused than anything. 

“This is absurd—“ Nayeon began.

“Hey Sana,” a voice called, interrupting her. It was Chaeyoung, followed by a few other basketball players. At the sound of her name, Sana turned around and gave the shorter girl a small smile, but Chaeyoung could tell something was wrong. “What’s going on?” Chaeyoung made her way to Sana and Nayeon to see what all the fuss was about. After all, she had practically heard Nayeon’s screech from the other side of the school. 

Chaeyoung’s eyes widened as she read the callback sheet. Clearly she had no idea about her co-captain’s audition either. “Is this some kind of joke?”

“If it is, I’m failing to see the humor in it,” Nayeon scoffed. “Tell me, did you have any idea about this?” she asked Chaeyoung, with an accusatory tone. 

Chaeyoung shook her head firmly. “Of course not. Jeongyeon doesn’t have time to do a freaking musical. Playoffs are in a few months…”

“Well, you better talk some sense into that bonehead co-captain of yours or—“

“Nayeon,” Sana warned, glaring at her friend unhappily. “It’s not Chaeyoung’s fault.”

Nayeon looked back and forth in surprise from Chaeyoung to Sana, confused as to why her friend was defending Chaeyoung—Jeongyeon’s best friend. She scoffed, taking Sana’s arm roughly and pulling her along, away from the group of basketball players that all stood in front of the flyer, whistling and laughing at the sight of their captain’s name written in bold. 

“What was that?” Nayeon hissed, once they were out of earshot of the jocks. “Since when do you defend those people, especially when they audition behind everyone’s backs?”

“I talked to Chaeyoung earlier about Jeongyeon and she really had no idea. When I brought up Jeongyeon singing she laughed , Nay. It’s not like the entire basketball team is in on this.”

Nayeon’s brow furrowed. “Since when do you and Chaeyoung talk ?”

Sana sighed, looking slightly frustrated. “Since we got partnered up for a group project.”

“ She’s the cute sophomore you’ve mentioned?” Nayeon replied, finding betrayal at the thought. It rubbed her the wrong way, only because of Chaeyoung’s close relationship with Jeongyeon. “I can’t believe you two have been fraternizing .” 

A bit of hurt flashed across Sana’s eyes. She crossed her arms, taking on a defensive stance. “You’re really gonna judge me right now? Chaeyoung’s actually really great once you get to know her. She’s really into art and—”

“She’s Jeongyeon’s best friend!” Nayeon practically roared, irritated at this sudden reveal. “I don’t care how great she is or isn’t. I can’t believe you didn’t tell me.”

Sana gritted her teeth, shaking her head before her hard expression softened slightly. “I would’ve told you, if you ever would’ve asked. But you never did.” She exhaled loudly, suddenly looking tired. “You never asked what her name was. I don’t think you paid much attention when I talked about her at all.”

Nayeon’s mouth felt as though it was filled with cotton. Her tongue felt dry and numb. She ran it along her front teeth, pressing hard. “I…figured you wanted it to be kept a secret. Who your new crush was, I mean.” It was a lie. Honestly, the thought of asking or really taking interest in Sana’s little crush had never crossed her mind. She felt bile rising up in her throat at the exposure of her own selfishness. 

“But that doesn’t excuse whatever is going on between you two.” Nayeon quickly changed the subject, trying to point the blame back to Sana. “Chaeyoung’s just like Jeongyeon, she’ll—” 

“And Mina isn’t?” Sana rolled her eyes. “I mean, her and Jeongyeon are practically conjoined at the hip, according to you.”

Digging her fingernails into her palms, Nayeon took the defense stance this time. “What does Mina have to do with anything?”

“Oh come on, Nay. You haven’t shut up about that girl since she moved here. It got even worse when you guys got paired up together.” 

“Because she’s been in my way since the beginning,” Nayeon explained, with a sharp edge to her voice. “She waltzed in and took Jeongyeon, and now she’s trying to take the lead from me! ”

Sana swallowed, shaking her head sadly. “Right. The lead from you . It’s always about you, isn’t it?” 

A look of confusion flashed across Nayeon’s face, and Sana barked out a bitter laugh. “You don’t even see it cause you’re that deluded with yourself. I can’t say I’m surprised.”

The words dug into Nayeon like the blade of a freshly sharpened knife. Sana had never been this mean. Not to her, anyway. She wasn’t used to this Sana—this girl standing in front of her making her suddenly feel very small. Honestly, she never knew Sana had this in her, but then again, she was realizing she didn’t know her best friend as well as she thought, clearly. 

“I’ve been here for you since the beginning,” Sana replied. “Always listening, always assuring you that you were special and talented and going to succeed. Cause you are special, Nayeon. Even if you don’t see it and are so overly critical of yourself all the time. Even if other people are too afraid to see it. But what about me? When was the last time you complimented me instead of criticizing me? Telling me my delivery wasn’t strong enough, or that it needed more work. That’s all I ever hear from you. Either that, or it’s all about Jeongyeon and now Mina . You run your mouth about her, forgetting…” Sana paused, as her voice had become shaky. “Forgetting that I love…”  

Nayeon knew what Sana was gonna say, but she couldn’t bear to hear it out loud. The words were too heavy a burden for them both to bear right now. At this point, a small crowd had begun to form around the two girls. Sensing the many eyes on her, Nayeon tried to calm herself. “Let’s not do this here,” she murmured, reaching for Sana’s arm. Her friend quickly stepped back, out of Nayeon’s reach, shaking her head adamantly. 

“Let’s not do this at all,” Sana whispered. It was clear her eyes were beginning to well up with tears. Nayeon’s stomach dropped at the sight. Seeing Sana cry was always one of the worst things she had to witness, but now, knowing she was the cause, that made things ten times worse. She let her outstretched hand fall limply at her side, helpless.

“Wait, Sana—”

But the girl was already disappearing back through the crowd, headed off somewhere that Nayeon clearly wasn’t wanted. It was almost funny, Sana was finally storming off on Nayeon for once, but Nayeon wasn’t meant to follow. 

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Nayeon felt like the walls of the hallway were beginning to close in around her. The dark red shade of the lockers flashed across her vision the moment she closed her eyes. She turned the opposite way Sana had gone, shouldering past a faceless student who had made the mistake of standing too close to her. 

Her feet carried her forward thoughtlessly, so it was no coincidence that she ended up in the school’s auditorium, backstage. The light sound of piano music drifted from onstage. Dahyun, one of Nayeon’s classmates and a fellow theater-junkie, must’ve been practicing. Nayeon knew Dahyun had composed all the songs for their upcoming musical, which was an impressive feat. She’d never told the girl how much she enjoyed the compositions she’d heard thus far, even though she’d known the girl for years now.  

Feeling something wet on her cheek, Nayeon quickly brushed off the lone tear that had spilled and sucked in a breath. Her mind felt numb, only clinging onto anger about the news of the callback. She couldn’t let Sana’s words soak in yet, lest she wanted to break down. She walked on stage, quietly, peeking at Dahyun’s back as the girl played. The song was new to Nayeon’s ears, but lovely. Closing her eyes, Nayeon focused on the steady notes. 

As the song wound down and eventually ended, Nayeon gave an approving hum. “That was lovely,” she said.

Dahyun, completely immersed in her playing, gasped at the sound of Nayeon’s voice. She nearly jumped off the piano bench, instantly whipping around and finding Nayeon standing only a few steps behind her. “O-oh, Nayeon. I didn’t hear you walk on stage,” she replied, apologetically for some reason. “I can leave if you need the stage to rehearse…”

The younger girl began to collect her sheet music, standing up immediately. Nayeon strode forward and grabbed the girl’s hand, stopping her in her tracks. “No, please keep playing,” Nayeon instructed. Dahyun looked up at the girl to her right with wide eyes. “I don’t need to rehearse. I’m enjoying hearing you play, actually.” 

Dahyun looked at a loss for words. “Really?”

Nayeon nodded, letting Dahyun’s hand go while giving the girl a small smile. “Yes, you’re really talented. The song I performed for my audition was really great. I love the arrangement.”

“Thank you,” Dahyun said, returning Nayeon’s smile with a shy one of her own. “Do you want to hear my favorite song from the musical?” 

“I’d like that.” Nayeon wordlessly sat down on the piano bench, patting the space beside her for Dahyun to sit back down on. The girl hesitated a moment before sitting. She flipped through her stack of sheet music until she found what she was looking for. “Sorry if I make any mistakes. You can see the lyrics here.” She pointed to the words scrawled across the page. 

Dahyun took a breath and let her hands flow across the keys. Her fingers delicately dug into each one, resulting in a surprisingly intense melody. Nayeon watched the girl’s fingers in awe as they moved like lightning. The girl didn’t even need to look up at her sheet music because she had the song memorized completely. And, Nayeon noted, it didn’t sound as though she’d made any mistakes. Each note was deliberate and sounded correct. 

Nayeon’s eyes followed along with the lyrics, and she even found herself humming the tune softly. When the song ended, her heart felt less heavy, which was exactly what she needed. “Thank you for that. I can’t wait to learn this one.” As soon as she said those words, bitterness erupted across her taste buds. “Well, if Sana and I get the parts, that is.” 

Dahyun bit her lip, looking at Nayeon sadly. It was clear the girl knew about the callback. She had been there for auditions, after all, playing the piano for each performance. 

“Were you here for Jeongyeon and Mina’s audition?” Nayeon asked the girl suspiciously.

Tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, Dahyun turned away and suddenly looked distracted. “Uhhh, I was...here for it, yes. Well, they didn’t audition traditionally. They missed the last call and everyone else left, but I was still here and I wanted to hear them sing. So I let them see the sheet music…” her voice trailed off. 

“And?”

“Ms. Darbus was eavesdropping or something—next thing we know, when they’re done singing she’s back in the auditorium, telling them about a callback.”

“God, that woman is so nosy ,” Nayeon growled. “I can’t believe she still let them have a chance after missing the last call.”

“They were really good,” Dahyun explained. Nayeon frowned, and Dahyun grimaced. She waved her hands wildly, trying to backtrack on what she’d just said. “I mean, not as good as you and Sana, of course—”

“It’s okay, Dahyun,” Nayeon assured, silencing the girl instantly. “Darbus wouldn’t have given them this opportunity if they weren’t. And that’s what worries me.”

Anger began to seep through her veins once again, at the thought of Jeongyeon and Mina doing this. They’d expressed zero interest in the musical when she’d first brought it up, so why audition? Was it just to spite her? For some reason, the thought of Mina doing this felt like even more of a betrayal. Perhaps because the two had become slightly closer over the past few weeks. Did Mina really hate her that much? 

“Do you have Mina’s number?” Nayeon blurted out. 

Dahyun furrowed her brow, slightly confused. “Um, yeah, she gave it to me—”

“Can I have it, please? I need to talk to her.”

Wordlessly, Dahyun pulled out her phone from her bag and flashed Mina’s contact for Nayeon to see. After Nayeon finished copying the number, Nayeon thanked Dahyun and stood up abruptly. 

“Thanks for letting me hear this. It was beautiful, and we’re lucky to have you,” Nayeon replied quickly. “I need to talk to Mina, see you around.” The girl strode away, leaving Dahyun blinking in a daze.

“Did that...actually just happen?” Dahyun asked herself out loud. 

Nayeon probably could have found Mina if she’d wanted to, but she knew the girl would be with Jeongyeon and she could not stand the sight of both of them right now. She texted Mina hastily, asking if she could meet up with her soon, in private . She was surprised at how quickly Mina got back to her, saying she could meet her during lunch. The details were arranged—the dressing room backstage, which Nayeon knew for a fact would be empty. 

She had texted Sana too—a short and sweet sorry. She knew she’d see the girl again soon to apologize in person, and there was no use trying to run after her today. It was clear her friend needed space, and Nayeon owed her that much, at least. She would make it up to her somehow, she just wasn’t sure how yet. Sana was her best friend, after all, and she would die trying before she lost her. But perhaps, Nayeon realized, she’d never made that clear to Sana herself. 

Nayeon walked into a restroom, staring herself down in the mirror and making sure she didn’t have a hair out of place. Then she marched back to the auditorium, knowing Dahyun must’ve cleared out since the lunch period had begun.

Oddly enough, the hallways seemed to be in some sort of chaos. There were more whispers than usual, and more curious glances at Nayeon than normal. It seemed talk of the callback had already spread like wildfire. The darling of the school, Jeongyeon, would surely need to answer for her actions. Nayeon could’ve sworn she heard distant singing coming from the cafeteria. She paid it no mind, though.  

She made her way backstage to the dressing room, and then sat down in her standard makeup chair positioned in front of a vanity mirror. She scrolled through her phone and waited in silence. 

At the sound of the door opening, Nayeon looked up, feeling fire course through her veins. This was the beginning of war, as far as she was concerned. Mina had ruined everything and so Nayeon would have to destroy her. 

“I’ll admit, I was a bit surprised to get your text,” Mina said, quietly. She was dressed casually today, in a hoodie and jeans. Nayeon couldn’t recall ever seeing the girl dressed this casually before. “I didn’t realize you had my number.”

Nayeon hated how pleasant the girl’s voice sounded—sweet and low. It was a voice she’d grown used to over the past few weeks. 

“You auditioned for the musical,” Nayeon stated, as if that explained why she had reached out to her. 

Mina continued to stare, perplexed. “Yes…?”

“It’s my musical,” Nayeon continued, growing more frustrated by the minute at Mina’s obliviousness. “Sana and I always get the starring roles—”

“The theater is for everyone, isn’t it?” Mina asked, innocently—parroting what Nayeon had told her when they first met.   

Nayeon swallowed, staring the girl down. She stood up from her chair, swiftly. “It’s open to everyone but everyone here knows I always get the lead. The part was practically made for me.”

Mina shrugged off her backpack and set it on the ground, then she leaned back against the wall near the door. “So...you’re mad at Jeongyeon and me for auditioning, then?”

Nayeon took a few reluctant steps forward. “You’re the reason Jeongyeon has got her head stuck in the clouds. If it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t be caught up in this fantasy—”

“Nayeon, look, I know you might not believe me but it was Jeongyeon’s idea for us to try out in the first place,” Mina responded, cooly. “Jeongyeon actually loves to sing, and she’s good at it.” 

Nearly growling, Nayeon scowled. “I know she’s good at it, but she’s the captain of the basketball team! Playing basketball in college is her dream. She’s been working so hard at it for so long and you’re distracting her from her plan!”

There was silence for a moment, suffocating the small space. Nayeon hadn’t realized how loud her voice had gotten, wincing at the echo of her own shouting bouncing throughout the room. 

Mina looked at her, unphased. Her eyes bore into Nayeon—cold and uncaring. “You don’t know Jeongyeon at all,” she stated, simply. 

The sentence dug into Nayeon cruelly, because she knew it was true. Jeongyeon hadn’t let her get close. She only knew the basketball star on a surface level. Their relationship was entirely superficial. Something inside her broke, but she refused to let Mina see that. 

“That may be true,” Nayeon replied, with a slightly unsteady voice, “but I get this feeling that Jeongyeon doesn’t know you at all, either. Not really.”

Mina was taken aback by that, clearly. Her eyes widened slightly before they sharpened again. It seemed Nayeon had struck a chord there, too, and she nearly smirked at seeing the pain settle on the other girl’s face. 

“I can tell when someone’s putting on an act,” Nayeon declared, jutting her chin and holding her head high. “I do it for a living.” 

“Please, tell me more,” Mina challenged. She walked over to the chair beside Nayeon and sat down, staring up at the girl and waiting expectantly.

Nayeon was taken off guard. Huffing, she crossed her arms and broke eye contact with the other girl. To be honest, she was hoping the conversation would just end there. She hadn’t prepared anything else to say on that subject, so she’d have to just make her best guess. “Well, it’s clear you don’t actually like Jeongyeon. I mean, the signs are all there. Why, I don’t really understand, nor do I care—”

“Is it that obvious?” Mina asked, earnestly. Her eyes were wide, but she looked almost...relieved.

Nayeon, who had turned away, suddenly spun around to face Mina again with a bit of surprise on her face. “You don’t like Jeongyeon?”

“But you just said it was clear—”

“I lied. Wow,” Nayeon replied, looking shocked. She collapsed on the chair beside Mina, shaking her head in disbelief. “And yet you’re still dating her?”

“We’re not dating, technically. I mean, yes we hold hands and we kiss and we’ve gone out on dates but—”

“That’s dating!”

“Will you shut up for one second, Nayeon?” Mina practically yelled, and Nayeon felt her jaw fall slack, shutting up immediately. “We’re not official, okay? I’ve been working up the courage to tell her how I feel but part of me is hoping that my feelings are still developing. I mean, they have to be, right? Falling for someone doesn’t happen overnight.” 

Nayeon felt as though she had fallen into some alternate reality. Here she was, listening to Mina talk about her sort-of-not-really relationship with Jeongyeon, and to top things off she found herself caring . 

“It’s been weeks, hasn’t it? Well technically, you’ve known her for months. I think you should know by now if you should be dating her or not.” Her voice came out softer than she intended it to. She should be using this new development to drive the final metaphorical stake through Mina’s heart. Everything was laid out to give the final blow. And yet...she was hesitating. She never hesitated.  

“Jeongyeon’s amazing. I mean, you know how amazing she is, obviously,” Mina said, giving Nayeon a somewhat apologetic grimace. “And I do love spending time with her. She’s caring and smart and hilarious…”

“I never did find her humor funny, but continue,” Nayeon stated.

“She’s the real deal,” Mina concluded. “I’m happy to be with her...I have to be.” It must’ve suddenly dawned on Mina that she was spilling her heart out to Nayeon, of all people, because she suddenly looked horrified. “God, I’m sorry. You don’t need to be hearing this. I don’t know why I’m sharing all this with you, like we’re friends or something.”

“We’re definitely not,” Nayeon added, although it pained her to say that. “We can’t ever be.”

“Right,” Mina agreed. A dull and awkward silence began to permeate the room. Mina shifted in her seat, clasping her hands together on her lap, tightly. She thought back to chemistry class—their sarcastic exchanges that had turned into friendly banter. A wave of confliction washed over her, but it wasn’t strong enough to stop her from asking a question that had been plaguing her for some time. “Why can’t we ever be?” 

Nayeon’s head tilted to the side, staring at Mina intently. “What?”

Licking her bottom lip, Mina leaned forward, closer to Nayeon. “Friends, Nayeon. Is it really impossible for us to ever be friends?” 

Nayeon looked at the girl sitting in front of her as if she’d just asked the stupidest question in the world. “Of course! I mean, you’re dating—” Mina gave Nayeon a warning look and she quickly corrected herself, “—you’re almost dating Jeongyeon.”

“And?” Mina asked, prompting the girl to continue. Nayeon looked at the girl incredulously, confused as to why Mina was making her explain herself when it should be obvious. 

“Well, you know how I feel about Jeongyeon. Okay, felt, I should say. I don’t have a crush on her anymore. Not after that stunt you two pulled in the cafeteria. I never got the stains out of my blouse, by the way.”

“It was an accident,” Mina insisted. “And you should’ve told me, I would’ve bought you a new blouse.” 

Waving a hand dismissively, Nayeon hummed. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Well, it must be if you’re holding a grudge this big over it.” 

“I’m not holding a grudge,” Nayeon insisted. 

Mina rolled her eyes, and Nayeon gritted her teeth at the sight. 

“You both laughed at me. I still heard you, even as I walked away.” Nayeon was pouting suddenly. Mina, oddly enough, felt a bit bad. 

“I mean...it was kind of funny. Your reaction, anyway. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a screech that loud,” Mina said, and Nayeon’s pout increased. “I still felt bad, of course. I still do feel bad. I would be embarrassed if that happened to me.” And just like that, Mina found her hand resting on Nayeon’s knee without even realizing it. She almost pulled back, once she did realize, but she kept it there, searching for a reaction from Nayeon. Challenging her. 

Looking down at Mina’s hand, Nayeon felt shock but not...displeasure. For some reason, Mina’s hand resting against her body didn’t make her feel uncomfortable. She actually kind of liked it.

“This can’t happen,” Nayeon finally replied, spinning her chair so that Mina’s hand fell off of her knee. “Whatever this little heart to heart is, it doesn’t change the fact that you auditioned for the musical even after the last call. You cheated your way into this. Sana and I will annihilate you. I can promise you that much. You and Jeongyeon might be charming but Sana and I have experience and precision on our side. We know what the crowd wants and we can give it to them. That’s why, you should just save yourself the embarrassment and drop out of the callback. I’m telling you this as a mercy.” 

A look of disappointment flashed across Mina’s face briefly before it was replaced with one of determination. “You say that you’ll annihilate us, but you’re terrified, Nayeon. You wouldn’t have called me here and told me this if you weren’t. Jeongyeon and I are a threat to you. And you’re not used to being threatened, are you? You’re not used to anyone even coming close to you.”

Nayeon was sick and tired of feeling like she was being observed under a microscope today, with all her flaws and insecurities out in the open for everyone to see. Standing up and snatching her purse, Nayeon was ready to storm out of the room, not wanting to hear another word. Mina’s proximity was beginning to make her feel slightly dizzy, anyway. Taking a step toward the door, she nearly jumped at the unexpected feeling of Mina’s hand wrapping tightly around her wrist. 

“Wait, Nayeon—”

And all at once, Nayeon’s world crumbled. Mina’s slightly desperate cry reminded Nayeon of her own plea earlier, begging Sana to stay. She stumbled, barely able to stand upright, had it not been for Mina’s quick reaction, steadying Nayeon by grabbing onto her shoulders. 

Nayeon’s stomach dropped instantly. “Everything was great until you showed up. You came here and ruined everything!” Nayeon cried out. She was still facing the door, leaning back against Mina, who was right behind her—their bodies practically pressed up against one another. 

“It’s hardly fair to blame me for all your problems,” Mina whispered. Her lips were so close to Nayeon’s right ear that the girl involuntarily shivered at the warm breath against her neck.

“Jeongyeon, Sana...and now the musical.”

“You could still get the lead in the musical, the callback hasn’t happened yet.”

Nayeon sighed. “Of course I will, but Ms. Darbus, for god knows what reason, seems to love you and Jeongyeon. This callback is going to shake the foundation I worked so hard to establish. Other people might get the wrong idea and try to audition for the leads next musical. Maybe it’ll be the cheerleaders next, or even the robotics club. Everyone’s going to question my talent.”

Mina chuckled softly, still holding Nayeon upright. She was sure the girl might fall over if she let her go. “You’re so dramatic.”

“That’s what everyone expects of me, isn’t it?” Nayeon replied, sounding defeated. She managed to stand upright on her own, finally, stepping forward and out of Mina’s grasp. Slowly turning around, she faced Mina again, trying to collect herself. “Anyway, what I said still stands. Everything made perfect sense before you showed up.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I thought I had everything figured out until we got partnered for lab.” Mina’s eyes sparkled, causing Nayeon to let her eyes drop as she crossed her arms. “You’re a very confusing person, Nayeon. But I think I’m starting to figure you out,” Mina said, taking a step toward her. 

Their proximity was making Nayeon’s head spin again, but she felt oddly at peace with it. She noticed Mina’s eyes dropping to her lips, and a sudden rush of panic overcame her. Every inch of her body began to tighten up in anticipation. She knew where this was headed. Maybe she’d known it since the moment Mina had stepped through the door. 

Everything happened at once. 

Their lips met. Nayeon placed her hands firmly on Mina’s lower back, pulling her closer. The girl practically melted in her arms, and her hands found their way to Nayeon’s jaw and neck. The two girls slowly inched backward until Mina was sitting in a makeup chair and Nayeon was straddling her, continuing their kiss. Mina’s lips parted, and Nayeon ran her tongue across the top row of Mina’s teeth before biting down on the girl’s bottom lip, hard. Mina let out a quiet moan, yanking Nayeon even closer by the collar of her shirt so that Nayeon nearly lost her balance and fell on top of Mina.

They remained like that for a few minutes, continuing to kiss while soaking in the adrenaline rush and hypersensitivity of this very new reality. When they finally came up for air, both breathing heavily, Nayeon seemed to realize what exactly she’d just done. 

“What the hell was that,” Nayeon murmured out loud, both to herself, and Mina. 

“I don’t know,” Mina admitted, looking up at Nayeon through slightly tangled hair.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Nayeon snapped. “You’re the one who kissed me!”

Mina scoffed, hitting Nayeon’s chest slightly. It was then Nayeon realized she was still straddling the girl. She jumped off of Mina immediately. 

“I kissed you?” Mina shot back, “I seem to recall you leaning in first.”

“You looked at my lips first !” Clenching her jaw, Nayeon pointed a finger at Mina in accusation. 

Mina shrugged, crossing her legs and leaning back, still managing to look composed and elegant even in a ruffled state. “That didn’t mean you had to lean in. Or straddle me, for that matter.”

Feeling her face burning, Nayeon snatched her purse off the counter and turned to the mirror. She took in appearance—her red face, and slightly puffy and bruised looking lips—feeling mortified. Her hands flew to quickly straighten her hair as best as possible, as if that would erase the past few minutes completely. “This never happened,” she said, to both Mina and her own reflection. She stepped back from the mirror, shaking her head as if this were all a bad dream. “You breathe a word of this to anyone and—“

“Why would I want anyone to know?” Mina interrupted. “If you say a word of this to anyone then you’ll regret it.”

The two girls stared each other down once again. Nayeon bit her lip, feeling a tugging sensation pulling at her heart at the sight of Mina looking at her intensely. “I’m going to destroy you in two days,” Nayeon warned. “You and Jeongyeon don’t stand a chance.”

Mina, still sitting and looking unbothered, raised her chin. “Keep telling yourself that, Nayeon.”

Nayeon sneered before throwing the dressing room door open and stomping out. 

Watching the girl disappear until she was out of sight, Mina’s hardened face softened. As the door swung closed, isolating her completely, she sighed loudly. A buzz rang out from her backpack side pocket, so she got up to check her phone. Squatting down and pulling her phone out, Mina unlocked it to find she’d received a new text message from Jeongyeon.

Where are you?

Chapter Text

Mina had never imagined she’d see Jeongyeon again, so when she caught her in the back-row of the new English classroom she was currently standing in, her legs nearly gave out. 

They’d only spent a night together—but it was magical and wonderful and often Mina re-lived those moments in her dreams. She had been absolutely bitter about being dragged to a ski resort for New Year’s. Although she liked to ski, she’d rather be spending the night with her friends, not surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Her parents had insisted she’d go to the “kids party” the lodge was putting on for all the other unlucky kids who were dragged to the resort. 

“Go make some new friends,” her mom had encouraged. Knowing better than to argue, she had stomped to the party with a permanent frown resting on her face. 

Finding an empty table on the furthest edge of the room, Mina sat down and immediately pulled out her phone, going through instagram and checking her friends’ stories. There was karaoke going on in the ballroom, and so Mina was trying her best to drown out the terrible singing as best as possible. 

After a few minutes, the party’s host announced they were looking for two more singers. The people around Mina went wild, waving their arms and shouting as two spotlights randomly swept over the room. 

Suddenly, she was blinded by light. Holding a hand up, she squinted and stood up. People around her were now cheering and pointing at her. She looked around, confused. “You two, get up here!” the host commanded, waving her on stage. 

Mortified, she quickly shook her head. “I’d rather not…”

“C’mon!” the people around her were insistent. Before she knew it, a wave of kids were pushing her forward toward the front of the room. She stumbled along, trying her best not to fall over as she was passed from person to person, before she ended up right in front of the mini stage. She turned around, longing for her seat in the back of the room, but realized she’d look like a fool if she backed down at this point. Besides, she’d never see any of these people again, so why not go up there and sing her heart out? It’s not like anyone else was any good, anyway. 

Suddenly determined, she marched up on the stage, standing on the spot the host was gesturing to. A moment later, another girl who looked very flustered and displeased to be standing on stage was ushered next to her. They were each handed a mic. 

“This is so embarrassing,” the girl beside Mina muttered. She was sporting medium length brown hair that was pulled up into a messy ponytail, and had circular glasses on. The girl was pretty, Mina noted, but she didn’t have much time to fully examine her because suddenly the background music of a generic pop song started blaring. Luckily, she knew the song, but looked up at the lyrics on the screen in front of them anyway.

“You’re the green and I’m the blue, right?” the girl beside Mina asked, quietly. Mina simply nodded before quickly singing her first line. Her voice wavered at first, before it gained more strength during the next line. Her partner raised an eyebrow in surprise, before beginning to harmonize with Mina. Their voices surprisingly complimented one another. The crowd cheered. 

The other girl had a nice voice, Mina had to admit. She seemed to have a lot of control over it. The two made eye contact during an instrumental break and they giggled at each other. The entire moment was ridiculous. 

When they were done, the crowd went wild. It was only a few minutes until midnight, and so they were the last karaoke number until the start of the next year. They walked off stage together, getting high fives and slaps on the back from some of the other people there. Mina wasn’t sure why she felt compelled to, but she followed the other girl until they got out of the thick and suffocating crowd. 

“That was surprisingly fun,” the girl replied, giving Mina a small smile. “You were actually amazing.” 

“You weren’t so bad yourself,” Mina teased, returning the smile. 

“I guess my shower karaoke sessions have been paying off. What’s your name?” the girl asked. “I’m Jeongyeon.” She offered her hand.

Mina took it, giving it a firm shake. “I’m Mina. Nice to meet you.”

They chatted for a bit, nearly having to shout over the roaring crowd as the countdown to midnight drew nearer. A waiter offered them both sparkling grape juice in classy wine glasses—no alcoholic drinks were being served for obvious reasons.  

They joined in on the ten second countdown, shouting with the other kids in the room obnoxiously. After the ball dropped, the room erupted in commotion. There were hugs, even some kisses shared. “Cheers,” Mina shouted over the crowd, clinking her glass to Jeongyeon’s. 

Each taking a sip of their grape juice, Jeongyeon nearly spit it out after, sputtering and causing Mina to laugh. “This is disgusting!” Jeongyeon shouted. 

They both finished their drinks anyway, while chatting about their lives. Mina was slightly disappointed to find out Jeongyeon lived in another state. “I’m just visiting,” the girl clarified. “My parents like to come out here once a year. This is our first time actually being here on New Year’s, though.” There was a pause. “It’s loud in here...do you wanna go outside?” Jeongyeon suggested. Her ears were beginning to ring from the crowd. Mina nodded, and Jeongyeon wordlessly grabbed the shorter girl’s hand and pulled her in the direction of the balcony. 

Stepping outside into the fresh January air, Jeongyeon and Mina both shivered. The cold air felt good though, after being stuffed into a room packed with a few too many people. “I really didn’t wanna be here for New Year’s,” Mina admitted. “But I’m glad we met. You’ve made this trip a bit more bearable.”

Jeongyeon smiled at that—a crooked, half smile that made Mina’s stomach flip slightly. “Same here,” she replied. “I’m glad I could ease your pain, at least a little bit. How long are you here for?”

“We leave this afternoon, actually,” Mina replied, sounding slightly disappointed. 

Jeongyeon nodded, trying to hide her own disappointment. 

“My dad doesn’t get much time off of work,” Mina explained, “so we were only able to be here for a few days.”

Perhaps a few more days wouldn’t have been quite so bad, if Mina was able to sneak off from her parents and hang out with Jeongyeon. It was a nice thought. A nice what-if. 

They stood against the railing of the balcony for a few more minutes, staring down at the lit up, empty ski trails on the mountainside, before Jeongyeon saw Mina begin to shiver and suggested they head back inside. They grabbed some snacks before Mina began to grow sleepy and figured she’d call it a night. 

“It was nice to meet you, Jeongyeon,” she said. 

“Right back at ya.” Jeongyeon gave Mina some finger guns and instantly winced in embarrassment afterward, wondering what compelled her to do that. She watched Mina head out of the room, immediately feeling lonely. For a moment, she debated whether or not she should chase after the girl and get her phone number. But then she remembered that they lived hours away from one another. There was really no point in staying in touch with someone she’d never see. 

For now, Mina would just remain a beautiful stranger in her memories—a spark in the middle of a cold and tiring December. 

So when they made eye contact again, that next fall, to say they were both surprised was an understatement. 

“Mina!” Jeongyeon called, placing a hand on the girl’s shoulder as soon as she’d entered the hallway after the class bell rang.

“Hey,” Mina replied, turning around and giving Jeongyeon a tight-lipped smile. Though seeing the girl’s face made her stomach do somersaults, part of her felt a bit exposed, seeing Jeongyeon again. Mina had opened up that night, last December, more so than she usually did. The thought that Jeongyeon had seen that side of her was a bit embarrassing.

“I never thought I’d see you again!” Jeongyeon laughed, visibly glowing. Her hair was pulled up the same way it was the night Mina had met her, in a messy yet cute ponytail. Her brown hair had grown slightly longer, however. “So you just moved to town?”

“Two weeks ago, yeah,” Mina said. “I can’t believe you live here…”

A few other students passed by, saying hello to Jeongyeon and also greeting Mina by default. 

“Wow, look at you, Miss Popular,” Mina teased. 

Jeongyeon waved a hand dismissively. “I’m just on the basketball team, so I know a lot of people.”

“She’s being modest. She’s not just on the basketball team, she’s the captain of the basketball team,” a voice corrected. It was a shorter girl with medium length black hair. She patted Jeongyeon on the back and gave Mina a dazzling smile. Sticking out a hand, she introduced herself. “I’m Chaeyoung, co-captain of the team” she said.

Mina took her hand and shook it amicably. “I’m Mina.” She turned to Jeongyeon again. “Wow, captain of the basketball team? You didn’t tell me that.”

“You guys know each other?” Chaeyoung asked, looking surprised. 

Jeongyeon scratched the back of her neck, looking sheepish. “Remember that girl I met last New Year’s that told you about?” she asked, face growing redder by the second. 

Chaeyoung’s face lit up in an animated fashion and she audibly gasped. “Wait, that’s her?” The girl pointed at Mina in shock. “No way! You were so sad you were never gonna see her again,” Chaeyoung teased, earning a dangerous look from Jeongyeon. “She was devastated, since I guess you two really hit it off,” Chaeyoung said to Mina, who raised an eyebrow and smirked at Jeongyeon. 

“Chaeyoung, you liar!” Jeongyeon grabbed her friend in a headlock, play wrestling for a moment before Chaeyoung accepted her defeat and let herself be held in that position. “Not that we didn’t hit it off, but I wasn’t devastated,” Jeongyeon corrected, looking at Mina with a sly smile on her face. 

Mina laughed at the two, eyes curling up into half moons. 

The 5-minute warning bell rang, signalling that the next period would begin soon. “Where’s your next class? I’ll walk you there and start a speed-round tour on the way,” Jeongyeon said, letting go of Chaeyoung. 

The assistant principal had already given Mina a tour this morning, but she didn’t have the heart to tell Jeongyeon that. Mina reached into her pocket and pulled out her schedule, squinting down at the paper. “Calc with Mr. Renolds.” 

“Well, I’ll leave you both to it. It was nice meeting you, Mina!” Chaeyoung waved, walking away. 

“Shall we?” Jeongyeon gestured to the hallway ahead of them and the two girls continued onward. 

A minute later, Mina would meet Nayeon—a girl whom she had a feeling would give her trouble in the future. The girl had been dressed in an outfit that looked more like it belonged on the streets of Paris than a highschool hallway. But the girl wore it well, at least. 

“Sorry about that,” Jeongyeon said, referring to Nayeon’s interruption about the school musical. “She’s...a lot to handle.”

“Apparently so,” Mina responded, but there was a small smile on her lips. “She seems to be protective of you.”

Jeongyeon let out a slight laugh, reaching up to adjust her glasses. “I guess so. Don’t let her bother you, though. She’s all bark and no bite, trust me. And besides, she might seem like a nightmare, but I know she’s secretly a softie...somewhere deep down.”

“Very deep down,” Mina added. The two girls laughed.

“Well, here you are, the calc room,” Jeongyeon gestured to the room on her left. “Let me know if you need help finding other rooms later.”

“Um, okay. I’ll need your number to do that though, unless you have some sort of messenger pigeon setup at this school.”

Jeongyeon smiled at that. “Right. Unfortunately, that service just ended last week, so texting will have to do.” Mina pulled out her phone and handed it over to Jeongyeon, who quickly entered her contact information. The second bell rang, signifying the start of the next period. 

“Better head to class, you’re late!” Mina teased.

“Oh don’t worry, everyone loves me so I can get away with anything,” Jeongyeon remarked, shooting Mina a grin. She gave Mina a salute before half-jogging in the other direction.

The next day, Mina was slightly amused to find that Nayeon was in her chemistry class. In fact, when the teacher pointed to the empty desk facing Nayeon, Mina nearly giggled. She hung her backpack on the back of her seat and sat down without a word. Not acknowledging Nayeon’s presence at all, she took out her phone and began to play a rhythm game. 

“So it seems like you know Jeongyeon?” Nayeon asked, breaking the awkward silence that had settled before class started. 

Mina didn’t bother looking up at Nayeon. “A little bit,” she replied curtly, knowing that her brevity would drive Nayeon insane.   

“Where are you from, Mina?” Nayeon pressed. Mina could hear the dissatisfaction in the girl’s voice, and for some reason it amused Mina. 

“The east coast,” Mina replied, still focusing on her game. She was close to getting a perfect score.

“Wow, you truly have a way with words,” Nayeon said, and Mina finally looked up at the girl, smirking a bit. 

“New York.” Mina rested her hand on her chin, taking in Nayeon’s exasperated expression and reveling in it. She noticed the girl’s wardrobe seemed to consist only of designer clothing and a lot of pink. 

“A New York girl, huh,” Nayeon chidded, “How groundbreaking.” 

Rolling her eyes, Mina was about to reply but she was cut off by the teacher starting class. Shrugging off her exchange with Nayeon, she attempted to pay attention to class, but she felt eyes on her the entire period. Glancing up at Nayeon, Mina caught the girl in the act of staring at her, raising an eyebrow. Nayeon quickly turned away, clearly flustered. For the rest of the time, Mina took note of the fact that Nayeon looked nowhere in her direction again.

Later at lunch, Jeongyeon caught up to her again, taking her through the lunch line and instructing her on what not to eat. “I pack my lunch almost every day, except for taco Tuesday, so consider yourself lucky this is your first day.”

Mina listened to the girl, constructing her very own taco bowl, before stepping out into the cafeteria, which was surprisingly large. 

“You can sit with my friends and I, we eat here in the back—”

That’s when Nayeon stepped right into Mina’s path, so immersed in her conversation with a girl that Mina didn’t recognize, that Nayeon didn’t even notice. Mina didn’t have time to react, she could only watch in horror as her tray slammed right into Nayeon’s chest, falling to the ground, and with it, its contents all over the floor...and Nayeon’s blouse.

“Oh my god,” Mina exclaimed. Her stomach dropped immediately, looking at the sight of her lunch now covering Nayeon. That would surely stain. “I’m so sorry! You just happened to turn right into me and—”

“How dare you,” Nayeon screamed. Her face was red with fury. Mina’s first instinct was to flinch back, but she squared up and held her ground. “Pay attention and watch where you’re going!”

Her words were quite rude, especially considering it had been an accident in which Nayeon was at fault for. Mina had dealt with girls like this before at her previous school, entitled and obnoxious. Right then and there, Mina decided she didn’t like this girl. However, she still felt bad, having ruined the girl’s clothes. “I have an extra sweatshirt in my locker—I brought it to stay warm, but you’re more than welcome to it,” Mina replied. “At least let me help you wash off your—”

“You’ve done enough damage already,” Nayeon seethed. “I’d rather wear this all day than wear anything of yours.” 

Mina scoffed, looking down at her own outfit, which she considered much more stylish than most outfits she’d seen today. She decided she really, really didn’t like this Nayeon girl. 

The girl that Nayeon had been talking to took Nayeon by the shoulders, looking at Mina a bit apologetically, before beginning to drag her friend away. Mina was left watching them go, only to be startled by the sound of laughter coming from Jeongyeon.

“Oh my god—I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing but Nayeon’s face was hilarious,” she wheezed, nearly doubling over and holding her stomach with one hand. “She’s so overdramatic.” 

Mina couldn’t help but giggle too, finding the whole ordeal rather unfortunate but also poetic. 

“I’m gonna put my stuff down and then I’ll help you clean this up,” Jeongyeon assured. She headed off in the direction of a table as Mina bent down and awkwardly tried to clean the floor with the few napkins she’d grabbed. A janitor quickly came by, letting Mina know to grab another lunch and that he’d take care of it. Mina thanked him deeply, apologizing for the mess she’d made, before heading back to grab another round of food. 

Jeongyeon, who had been halfway back over to help, saw that it was being taken care of and simply returned to her seat. “Mina’s gonna be joining us, hope that’s okay?” the captain asked her friends.

Chaeyoung, who was in the middle of eating a taco, simply nodded. “She certainly knows how to make an entrance,” she muttered, almost impressed.

Mina shyly walked over to the table she saw Jeongyeon sitting at. The girl had saved a seat next to her. She noticed that everyone there was a part of the basketball team, as they were all wearing their letterman jackets. A few even had basketballs in their laps.

“Everyone, this is Mina,” Jeongyeon announced. 

“Hey guys,” Mina replied, while she set her tray down and sat beside Jeongyeon. “Thanks for letting me sit with you.” 

“So you’re the one Jeongyeon met over winter break?” a girl wearing large, round glasses, sitting next to Chaeyoung, replied. “She wouldn’t stop talking about you for weeks—”

“Really, Momo?” Jeongyeon whined, giving her teammate a glare. Momo and Chaeyoung shared mischievous glances and snickered. 

Mina giggled with embarrassment, feeling her cheeks flush. Being the center of attention, while not an entirely foreign concept to her, was one she often shied away from. It felt as though every pair of eyes was on her, but luckily the eyes were more curious than anything, and not judgmental. 

“Looks like you already made an enemy on your first day,” Chaeyoung commented, changing the subject.

“Oh, you all saw that, huh?” The table nodded in unison, and Mina suddenly felt sheepish. “I feel bad…”

“She totally walked right into you, I saw the whole thing,” Momo assured. 

Chaeyoung nudged her friend, looking at Momo knowingly. “And why were you watching Nayeon again?”

Now it was Momo’s turn to look embarrassed. She pouted and fiddled with her glasses. “I’m just observative, that’s all.”

“Momo here has had a crush on Nayeon since middle school,” Chaeyoung said, while glancing at Mina. She put an arm around Momo and patted the girl’s cheek. “No one understands why though, considering..well, you know why, you saw firsthand.”

Momo shrugged her friend’s arm off, grumbling. “She’s not that bad, okay?” she said to the entire table. Then facing Mina, she continued. “Really, she kind of just gets a bad rep.” 

Chaeyoung made a face, shaking her head, while Jeongyeon just laughed. 

“Momo’s right though.” Jeongyeon shrugged. “She can be nice...on occasion. I mean she comes to all of our basketball games and cheers us on.” 

“We all know she has ulterior motives,” a tall girl that hadn’t spoken yet mumbled, before Jeongyeon gave her a warning look and silenced her. However, not before Mina picked up on it. 

“Plus, she’s really talented,” Momo added, turning to face Mina again. “She always stars in the school’s musicals and she does a really great job. Her and Sana both.”

“Was that Nayeon’s friend? The one who pulled her away?” Mina asked, curious.

“Yeah, that’s Sana,” Chaeyoung said. “The two of them are inseparable.” 

“Kind of like you and your basketball?” Mina asked, smiling smugly as she gestured to the basketball Chaeyoung had near her on the table. 

“Coach always tells us to bring them with us everywhere…within reason, of course,” Chaeyoung explained, feeling her cheeks flaming.

Jeongyeon shrugged. “My dad is a little crazy, but I guess his methods work. We are number one in the division right now, hopefully soon to be number one in the state. That’s Momo and Tzuyu, by the way, I realized I haven’t introduced you guys yet.”

Tzuyu nodded curtly while Momo gave Mina a bright smile. Mina nodded back, making a mental note of all the names she had learned today. She had a feeling she’d be sticking with this group for the rest of the year. After all, they seemed friendly and nice. 

As Momo, Chaeyoung, Tzuyu and Jeongyeon chatted about their upcoming away game, Mina glanced at the cafeteria door, wondering how Nayeon was managing with her stained blouse. 

At the end of the day, Mina saw Nayeon again in the hallway—she was wearing a new sweater, and looked almost completely unphased. If anything, a little down. Mina wondered if it had anything to do with the food incident, or something else. 

As Jeongyeon came into view, Mina tried not to think about it. 

It was nice for Mina to already have a friend on her first day at a new school, a school that she’d really had no interest in attending. Though she was still nervous and self-conscious, this eased her mind somewhat. It was her dad’s job that had brought her to this particular city, and the coincidence that she’d be attending the same school as Jeongyeon was almost too impossible to ignore. It was like...fate, maybe. 

That’s what Mina told herself, anyway. 

She gravitated toward Jeongyeon—a friendly face amid a crowd of strangers. And it seemed, for whatever reason, Jeongyeon was quite interested in her as well. Jeongyeon used every excuse in the book to spend extra time with her, shooing away her other friends at times, and inviting Mina to join her and her friends at others. 

Mina was quickly welcomed into the basketball circle, although she didn’t have a ton of knowledge about the sport itself. Besides the basketball team, it seemed everyone in the school was intrigued by her, the new kid, as transfers were a rare occurrence there. Everyone was interested besides Nayeon, that is, who wouldn’t even make eye contact with her despite them sitting across from each other in chemistry class. 

“I’ve been with the same people since elementary school,” Jeongyeon had told Mina. “Chaeyoung and I have been friends since I was in sixth grade. It’s nice, in some ways, to have had the same friends for so long, but it’s refreshing to have you here. You’re different.”

“In a good way, I hope,” Mina teased. 

“Yes, of course.” And Jeongyeon smiled that smile that was a strange mix of both confidence and shyness. The sight had become quite familiar to Mina, and she welcomed it—began to look forward to it, even. 

Mina adjusted to life at East High quickly. She became attuned to just how rigid stereotypes were at the school. When Mina had brought up her public karaoke session with Jeongyeon to a table full of the girl’s teammates, they’d all looked at her as if she were crazy for a moment. Jeongyeon...singing? It was oddly unimaginable to the friends that had known Jeongyeon for most of her life. 

Jeongyeon laughed it off, but later told Mina when they were alone that her singing hobby wasn’t exactly public knowledge. 

“They’re gonna clown me for the rest of my high school career,” Jeongyeon whined, pouting at Mina as they stood in front of Mina’s locker after school. 

“Good,” Mina replied, smirking, and causing Jeongyeon to elbow her playfully. 

Suddenly looking glum, Jeongyeon leaned against the lockers and crossed her arms, still facing Mina. “I do wish I had time to do more things,” Jeongyeon confessed. “Basketball is kind of my life.”

“And you wish it wasn’t?” Mina asked, looking at her friend thoughtfully as she continued to load her backpack with folders and binders.

Jeongyeon shook her head. “No, no, I love basketball,” she explained, “it’s just, sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if I hadn’t picked basketball, you know? If I went down a different path…”

“If your dad hadn’t pushed you into it?” Mina guessed, as she zipped up her backpack and slung the bag over her shoulder. 

Nodding, Jeongyeon sighed. “Sometimes I wonder if I made a mistake, dedicating myself so much to one thing. What if it gets me nowhere, and I’ve wasted my time—my youth—I can never get back? Maybe I should’ve spread myself out more and done a lot of things instead of focusing on just one.”

Shutting her locker, Mina pressed her lips together and furrowed her brow. “As long as basketball is something you love, I don’t think you’re making a mistake. You’re good at basketball, Jeong. Great, actually. I mean I haven’t seen you play yet, but from everything I’ve heard, you’re definitely going somewhere with it.” Reaching out a hand, Mina patted Jeongyeon’s shoulder reassuringly.

Jeongyeon’s right hand crept up so that it fell on top of Mina’s, which was still on her shoulder. “Next home game is tomorrow night, you know. You can see me play and then decide for yourself if I’m actually any good.” The air seemed to clear, and any trace of Jeongyeon’s melancholy all but disappeared. She wore a goofy grin again, looking down at Mina. 

“We’ll see if you deserve that captain title of yours,” Mina quipped, feeling her own face pull up into an easy smile.

Mina would soon learn that Jeongyeon more than deserved the title of captain. Her ball control was excellent, Mina had to admit. Sitting in the packed stands alongside all of her classmates, Mina cheered as Chaeyoung assisted Jeongyeon in scoring a point at their home game. 

“You’re the new girl, right?” a voice asked, somehow ringing out loudly above the cheering crowd. The girl next to Mina was looking at her with a friendly smile. Mina, who wasn’t expecting to talk to anyone until after the game since all of her friends were playing, nodded graciously and smiled back at the girl. 

“I’m Dahyun, nice to meet you.” The girl extended her hand and Mina quickly shook it. “Glad you made it to the game. The team is really great.”

“Jeongyeon wanted me to come,” Mina explained. “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

They chatted when the crowd wasn’t roaring. Mina learned that Dahyun was a year below her, and a big part of the school’s drama club. 

As if on cue, a shout from the crowd captured Mina’s attention, and the girl spotted Sana sitting up front, cheering loudly. Chaeyoung had just assisted Jeongyeon in scoring again, and the two exchanged a fist bump with large grins on their faces. They were leading the game by over ten points now. 

Mina was a bit surprised that Sana was there without Nayeon. When Chaeyoung had mentioned on Mina’s first day that the two girls were inseparable, she wasn’t joking. Where Nayeon went, Sana followed, whether that was in the hallways or at lunch. The two seemed very close. Mina began to wonder if the two were more than just friends. The way Sana looked at Nayeon, after all…

“It’s strange Nayeon isn’t here,” Dahyun commented, as if reading Mina’s mind. She had followed the girl’s gaze to the back of Sana’s head. “Normally she’s front row for every home game. She’s like Jeongyeon’s number one fan.”

Humming, Mina frowned as she considered where Nayeon might be. Thinking back to the past week, Mina hadn’t encountered Nayeon once outside of class. It seemed she was steering clear of Jeongyeon for some reason, and Mina by association.   

Nayeon couldn’t avoid Mina forever, however. Their chemistry teacher announced they’d be paired up for the next lab. Mina and Nayeon’s eyes met for the first time in what felt like weeks, and an indescribable flutter erupted from Mina’s chest. She buried it down, trying to ignore it. 

It only got worse though, as Nayeon scooted her chair so that she was sitting right beside Mina. Nayeon’s legs brushed Mina’s briefly, as she crossed them, and Mina felt her hand grip her pencil more tightly. She tried her best to focus on the lab worksheet that was passed out. It helped when Nayeon admitted she needed help understanding something, and Mina was actually more than happy to talk science and get her mind off of how cute Nayeon’s ears looked with her light brown hair pulled back. 

“What’s it like being Nayeon’s lab partner?” Momo asked, breaking Mina from her silence. They were all sitting at lunch, and Mina had been content listening to Jeongyeon share a story about her class earlier. “Sooyoung mentioned it to me,” the girl quickly explained, in response to Mina’s taken-off-guard expression. 

She hadn’t wanted to share that information with the group, feeling slightly awkward about it given Nayeon’s history with the basketball team and Jeongyeon specifically. Of course Sooyoung, who she had barely spoken to, would share this information with Momo. Mina hadn’t even realized the two were friends. “I’m surviving so far,” Mina offered, quickly taking another bite of some yogurt and hoping Momo would drop the subject. 

“You’re partnered up with Nayeon?” Chaeyoung asked, looking at Mina with interest. “Yikes.”

“The teacher paired us up,” Mina said. “It’s a long lab, too. It’ll be for two weeks.”

Jeongyeon gave Mina a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it’ll be fine. As long as she doesn’t want revenge for that taco incident…”

The next few chemistry classes felt less awkward and more fun than the first day of being paired up had been. Mina and Nayeon learned how to talk to one another without using insulting and sarcastic phrases, although they were still sprinkled in here and there. Mina learned a bit more about Nayeon, like the fact that the girl had a hard time sitting still. The girl was constantly fidgeting, spinning her pen through her fingers, bouncing her knee, or re-crossing her legs. Mina couldn’t help but notice, as Nayeon snuck out her phone and began to text someone, that the girl had an Iron Man lockscreen. Biting back a smile, Mina tucked the fact away for a later day. 

To Mina’s dismay, she even caught Nayeon chewing on the end of her pencil, which she had graciously let her lab partner borrow at the start of class. A bit disgusted, Mina made a face as she pointed it out to Nayeon. Mina had never seen Nayeon’s face turn that shade of red before. 

This started a game between the two of them, a back and forth as Nayeon tried to give Mina a pen to make up for the chewed-on pencil. Mina didn’t want to accept, doing what she could to give the pen back, until she finally gave up after Nayeon’s persistence. It was just a pen, but Mina felt surprisingly touched by the gesture. Normally she prefered pencils, but the pen felt nice in her hand. It wrote smoothly, and made her handwriting look neater. 

Mina ignored the smug look on Nayeon’s face the day she decided to actually use Nayeon’s pen for the first time. She was relieved when Nayeon chose not to say anything about it that day. 

They began to talk less and less once the lab was over, with the only thread connecting them being cut. The disappointment settled over Mina like a sticky and unshakable layer. She carried it, even while being surrounded by her new friends. Even being with Jeongyeon.

Jeongyeon was great, truly. Every moment Mina spent with her was filled with warmth. But there was something missing that Mina couldn’t quite place, something that she wanted, desperately. She kept searching for it though, in Jeongyeon’s open-mouthed laugh and the feeling of their hands brushing as they walked down the school hallways. Mina was convinced she’d find the missing piece if she tried hard enough.

She clung to that hope, and let herself lean into Jeongyeon. Mina felt comfortable with her, after all. That initial embarrassment she’d had in opening herself up to Jeongyeon on the night they’d met completely disappeared. She felt content sharing all her worries with Jeongyeon, even her hopes and dreams. Everything was shared between them, except Mina’s encounters with Nayeon, that is.

It had been Jeongyeon’s idea to audition for the musical. She had blurted it out as they walked out to the school parking lot together, hands in the pockets of her letterman jacket. Jeongyeon had just finished up practice and Mina had finished up her club meeting. “Am I crazy to want to go for it?” Jeongyeon had asked, looking at Mina earnestly. 

“Of course not,” Mina replied, almost giggling at Jeongyeon’s sudden seriousness. “We should do it, together. It’ll be fun.”

“It might be a lot to handle on top of everything else, but I think it’d be worth it. That feeling I got last New Year’s Eve…” Jeongyeon’s voice trailed off. “It was something I hadn’t really felt before.”

“Me either,” Mina admitted. 

They kissed then—briefly. Lips met lips, short and sweet. Closing her eyes, Mina hoped to feel something... begged to feel something. 

But there was nothing. However, she told herself there was. Fabricated a semblance of a spark, like what she felt that past New Year’s Eve. It was enough, for now.

Mina couldn’t help but feel like there was something very wrong with her. Any girl would be lucky to share these moments with Jeongyeon. Nayeon would have practically done anything to be in her place. 

Nayeon. 

Mina bit her lip, thinking back to their brief encounter during chemistry class earlier that day. The butterflies in her stomach went wild in response. She caught a glimpse of something then in her own heart, something she didn’t want to admit. But she could only pretend not to notice for so long. 

After their patchy start, Mina never imagined she would say more than a few words to Nayeon for the rest of the school year. But now, after the end of their lab together, it almost felt as though they were friends. 

But then she’d see Nayeon in English class, and the girl would avoid eye contact with her all together, acting as though they were strangers. Though, Mina suspected, it had something to do with Jeongyeon, and the fact that Jeongyeon had arranged their assigned seats so that she was sitting next to Mina. 

“Sorry about that,” Jeongyeon mumbled, snapping Mina into attention again. “Was that...okay?” 

They were still only inches apart, with Jeongyeon’s lips were only inches from hers. The taller girl was looking down at her through her eyelashes.

Mina gulped, feeling her words get stuck in her throat.

“I’m sorry, I should’ve asked…” Jeongyeon began to turn away, clearly embarrassed.

Reaching out to grab the girl’s wrist, as if by instinct, Mina stopped her in her tracks. “That was okay,” Mina assured. “It’s just...I have a lot on my mind right now.”

Jeongyeon nodded in understanding, looking a bit disappointed. After a moment of silence, she reached out her hand to Mina. Mina took it graciously, intertwining their fingers as they continued to walk to Mina’s car. “We’ll go to auditions then and wing it...just see how it goes.”

That was the plan, anyway. They arrived to auditions the next day after school a bit late, barely catching the end of Nayeon and Sana’s performance. Peeking into the auditorium around a wall, Jeongyeon suddenly stopped in her tracks as if in fear. Mina stopped as well, feeling some jitters herself.

Nayeon and Sana finished up with an extravagant dance, earning bits of applause from the few people sitting in the crowd, including Ms. Darbis. Watching Nayeon perform on stage, Mina had to admit it the girl was clearly talented. Her voice rang out beautifully and fully, and complemented Sana’s voice nicely.

A minute passed, and Jeongyeon still hadn’t moved. “What are you doing?” Mina whispered, giving Jeongyeon a look of confusion.

Jeongyeon suddenly looked pale, shaking her head back and forth. “I can’t do this. Mina, this whole idea is outrageous. I’m a basketball player. We should go.”

“Any last minute sign ups?” Ms. Darbis asked, peering out into the many empty rows of seats as she pushed her large glasses back up the bridge of her nose. Jeongyeon dove back behind the wall, completely out of sight, cursing to herself. 

“No? Good. Done!” Ms. Darbis muttered, collecting her things. She gave a curt good-bye to Dahyun, who was up at the piano on stage, gathering her sheet music as well.

Mina quickly rushed out from behind the wall and called out to Ms. Darbis. “I’d like to audition!” 

Jeongyeon threw her hands up in the air in frustration and disbelief. What was Mina doing?

Ms. Darbis continued walking forward, staring Mina down as she drew near. “Time limits mean something in the world of theater, young lady. The individual auditions are long, long over, and there are simply no other pairs.” 

Jeongyeon could only watch this for so long. “I’ll sing with her!” she exclaimed, jumping out as well, nearly giving Ms. Darbis a fright. 

“Yoo Jeongyeon, I’ll admit you’re the last one I expected to see here,” the woman replied. “Shouldn’t you be on the court, doing whatever it is you basketball players do?”

Mina fought the urge to roll her eyes.

“I’m here to sing with her...as a pair,” Jeongyeon quickly explained, fiddling with her glasses.

Ms. Darbis crossed her arms and looked at the two students before her with scrutiny. “Well, I’m sorry. I made the final call for the pair auditions minutes ago, and you didn’t come forward. Auditions are over.” The teacher began to walk around the girls toward the exit.

“Wait, Mina has a really incredible voice—”

“Perhaps the next musical,” the teacher responded, curtly. After another beat, she disappeared out the exit, leaving Jeongyeon and Mina standing in the aisle alone. 

A slight bang suddenly resounded from on stage, followed by a loud yell. Mina and Jeongyeon looked forward in concern to see Dahyun had tripped as she was walking off stage, sending her sheet music flying. Each sheet fluttered in the air for a moment before scattering around her. Jeongyeon immediately rushed forward, making her way up the stage stairs to help Dahyun collect the papers off the floor. Mina followed closely behind, bending down to help pick everything up as well.

“Thank you so much!” Dahyun exclaimed, looking at Mina and Jeongyeon sheepishly as they both handed her a small stack of papers. 

“Are you alright?” Mina asked, looking at Dahyun in concern.

Dahyun waved a hand. “Yeah, definitely. Just a bit clumsy.”

Jeongyeon glanced down at the sheet music, noticing all of the hand-written notes and lyrics penciled in. “So you composed the music for the musical? Including the song Nayeon and Sana just sang?”

Dahyun nodded. “Yeah, Ms. Darbis wanted to do an original musical this year, and she let me write some music for it since she knows I want to compose…” her voice trailed off. 

“That’s amazing,” Mina said, giving Dahyun a bright smile. Dahyun had mentioned to her at the basketball game that she was involved with drama club, but she never imagined just how passionate she truly was about it. “The song was very fun.”

Dahyun gave a half-hearted laugh. “Well, Nayeon and Sana sure made it that way. Originally I wrote it to be much slower. More of a ballad, actually, but they switched it up. I didn’t choreograph anything either, that was all them.” An idea suddenly dawned on her, and she looked between Mina and Jeongyeon with anticipation. “Do you guys wanna hear how I originally wrote the song?”

Jeongyeon and Mina both nodded. Dahyun bit back a grin as she walked quickly back to her piano and straightened out her sheet music once again. She began to play a slower, more heartfelt rhythm, and softly began singing the lyrics written on the page. Mina and Jeongyeon stood beside her on either side, reading the sheet music as she played along and sang with a lovely voice. 

Dahyun looked up at Jeongyeon, motioning to her to start joining in. Jeongyeon hesitantly began to sing, following along with Dahyun. Cueing Mina in as well, Dahyun stopped singing as the two other girls seemed to get a grasp on the rhythm and melody. Dahyun’s eyes lit up with delight as she looked between the pair, who had begun to harmonize. Once the song was over, Dahyun let out a laugh of delight. “You guys did amazing!”

“Jeongyeon, Mina!” a booming voice called from the back of the theater. The three girls looked up to see Ms. Darbis had appeared once again. “You have a callback. Dahyun, give them the duet from Act III and work on it with them.” The teacher slipped her glasses back up the bridge of her nose before disappearing again.

Mina and Jeongyeon looked at each other in surprise. “A callback?” Jeongyeon asked, loudly. Her face was warped into one of confusion. “Is that a good thing?”

“Yes!” Dahyun jumped up off the piano bench giddily, digging through her sheet music to find the duet Ms. Darbis had mentioned. Luckily she had some extra copies handy. She handed a stapled packet to both Mina and Jeongyeon. “I’m free to rehearse with you during free period, or after school. Can I have your phone numbers so we can coordinate?” 

Jeongyeon and Mina both wondered how long it would take for news of the callback to break out. Jeongyeon pleaded Mina not to say anything unless they actually got the roles. “There’s still a chance we might not get the parts, so let’s just not say anything to anyone until then. Deal?”

For Jeongyeon’s sake, Mina agreed. It’s not like she really had the urge to tell anyone, anyway. 

“I can’t believe we’re doing this...we’re actually auditioning for a musical,” Jeongyeon said out loud, as if in disbelief. They were walking back out to their cars outside. “You just went out there—”

“If I didn’t, you would’ve never auditioned!” Mina exclaimed, elbowing Jeongyeon. “See, aren’t you glad I did?”

Jeongyeon pressed her lips together and nodded. “I am thoroughly impressed. Thank you, Mina, for doing this with me.”

The sincerity in Jeongyeon’s voice made Mina’s heart ache. Smiling back at Jeongyeon, Mina could feel her lips quivering slightly. “Of course. I mean, I wanted to do it as much as you.”

It was true, Mina did want to give it a shot. She enjoyed singing karaoke all those months ago more than she expected, and wasn’t opposed to the idea of performing, although it made her slightly anxious. Had Jeongyeon not asked her to audition, she probably wouldn’t have, but she was happy to do this with Jeongyeon, to get the girl out of her comfort zone and help expose her to something other than basketball. Besides, though Nayeon and Sana were talented and polished, Mina knew from hearing Jeongyeon singing twice now, that the girl was good enough to sing on stage. 

“When word does break out about this, it’s gonna be hell,” Jeongyeon warned. “It’ll be worth it, though.”

Mina nodded. She opened her car door, looking at Jeongyeon with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure it won’t be that bad.”

It was that bad. 

The next day, Mina had gotten a text from Nayeon—how the girl got her phone number, she wasn’t sure—asking if they could talk as soon as possible. Looking up at the analog clock on the wall of her classroom, Mina decided the best time would be during lunch, which happened to be next period. The meeting at the dressing room backstage was set. 

As soon as the bell rang, Mina quickly gathered her things and began to walk toward her locker. It was then she noticed people in the hallways whispering to each other as she walked past. She rolled her eyes, annoyed at people’s blatancy. Thinking about Jeongyeon, she could only imagine how much worse the whispers and gossip were for her. Mina was still the new kid, but Jeongyeon was the darling of the school.

“Mina!” a voice called. It wasn’t Jeongyeon’s, or even any of her teammates. In fact, it was probably one of the last people Mina expected to hear call her name.

It was Sana, looking slightly shaken, with red-rimmed eyes. Sana, who had never spoken a word to Mina before. Yet, here she was, standing in front of Mina with an expression that flashed from one of bitterness, to anger, to sympathy. “You and Jeongyeon auditioned for the musical,” she said. It wasn’t a question, but a statement. 

Mina swallowed, nodding. “We did.”

“After everyone left the theater?” Sana asked, searching Mina’s face for some semblance of an answer.

Nodding again, Mina gripped her backpack straps tightly. The conversation felt awkward, especially out in the middle of the hallway. 

“I’m sorry,” Mina offered, not exactly sure why she felt the need to apologize. It’s not like she’d gotten offered a role yet, after all. 

“There’s no need to apologize,” Sana quickly stated, giving Mina a small smile. Mina could sense it was sincere, despite a deep-seated pain behind Sana’s eyes. “I’m happy you and Jeongyeon auditioned. It makes things more exciting. Congratulations.” 

Mina made an attempt to smile back, muttering a quiet thanks. She was thankful Sana didn’t blow up on her at the unexpected news. Not like how she imagined Nayeon was about to.

“I guess I’ll see you at callbacks then,” Sana replied. The girl walked away, leaving Mina standing there, slightly confused. 

Mina continued heading toward her locker, exchanging out some textbooks and binders with others before she headed off toward the theater and the dressing room. 

Nayeon gave her an earful, indeed, although it was nothing Mina couldn’t handle. She fought hard against that fluttery feeling she got whenever she made eye contact with Nayeon, pressing it down as she told Nayeon she didn’t know Jeongyeon at all . Mina watched as Nayeon’s hard exterior shattered. There was hurt on the girl’s face—and Mina was the cause. 

Swallowing down the guilt, Mina realized the sight of a now vulnerable Nayeon made her heart ache. 

“That may be true,” Nayeon replied, after collecting herself slightly, “but I get this feeling that Jeongyeon doesn’t know you at all, either. Not really.”

The words lashed against Mina, cruelly. Admittedly, she was taken off guard. The world around her blurred slightly, before she focused on Nayeon’s smirk in front of her.

“I can tell when someone’s putting on an act,” Nayeon said. “I do it for a living.” Another lash, leaving Mina’s skin crawling. The words were vague, but Mina knew what she meant. Nayeon, of all people, could see that the glow of Mina’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes whenever she was with Jeongyeon. 

After she believed that Nayeon knew of her dishonesty, Mina confessed her doubts about her feelings for Jeongyeon, which led to yet another revelation that Nayeon didn’t actually know anything. It had all been a bluff, and Mina had fell for it. Feeling oddly comfortable, however, Mina decided to explain to Nayeon her situation. It felt good to let it all out. After all, she obviously couldn’t talk to Jeongyeon about it, and all of the friends she’d made so far were Jeongyeon’s teammates, who she also couldn’t turn to. For some reason, she felt as though she could trust Nayeon with this. 

One thing led to another. They kissed. Mina wasn’t as surprised as Nayeon had looked afterward. Part of her had felt this was coming. The scariest thing was that it felt right . Everything Mina had been searching for with Jeongyeon, she had finally found, just not where she had originally expected it. What did that mean for her and Jeongyeon? Mina didn’t want to lose her—someone whom she considered to be one of her closest friends in the two months she’d been attending school there. 

And then there was the problem of Nayeon herself—Nayeon who seemed to want to hate Mina with every fiber of her being. Mina couldn’t blame her, after all. She did feel for Nayeon, in some ways. But she was still going to give this callback her all. She wouldn’t go down without a fight.

Mina received a text from Jeongyeon—a simple “where are you?” The girl was probably wondering why Mina hadn’t showed up in the cafeteria yet. The thought of what just happened twisted her stomach though, and she wasn’t sure she’d even be able to look at food right now without throwing up.

She quickly responded to her friend, saying she wasn’t feeling good and that she’d see her after school. It wasn’t a complete lie, after all. She did feel sick and she would see Jeongyeon after school. The thought of seeing Jeongyeon soon worried her—after all, she couldn’t keep this thing with Nayeon from Jeongyeon forever, could she? 

Settling on only telling Jeongyeon if anything else happened, or after the audition was over, at least, Mina grabbed her backpack and walked out the door. 

The state of the school was chaos—and amid the chaos in the hallway, a hand suddenly pressed against Mina’s arm, and there was Chaeyoung at her side, looking not angry, but concerned. 

“Are you sure this is a good idea? This audition, I mean,” the shorter girl said, suddenly. “It’s gonna pull Jeongyeon’s focus away from the team…”

Mina took a breath, trying to hold back any harsh words. Her patience with this school and its rigid stereotypes was growing thin. Before Mina could say anything though, the girl continued talking as they walked to a quieter part of the hallway. “I’m not mad—just surprised. I know you mentioned Jeong did karaoke with you, but I never imagined it would lead to this.”

“We haven’t even gotten the roles yet. Have you talked to Jeongyeon? She wants this, Chaeyoung. She wants to do something new, something not expected of her.”

Chaeyoung nodded in understanding, taking her hand off of Mina’s arm. “I talked to Jeongyeon, but she didn’t listen to me much. I think the only one who can talk sense into her at this point is you.”

Mina stuffed her hands into her jean pockets, rocking on her heels. “I just want her to be happy,” she admitted. The honest statement made her heart ache, because it was completely true, despite what had just happened with Nayeon. “I think she’s capable of doing many things at once. And doing them well, too.”

Huffing, Chaeyoung squeaked her sneakers on the floor. “I suppose you’re right. Well, I wish you guys luck.” She looked up at Mina and gave the girl a small smile.

Smiling back, feeling relieved that Chaeyoung was dropping the subject, Mina nodded. “Thank you.”

The bell rang, signalling the lunch period had ended. Only a few more classes to go before she was supposed to rehearse for the callback with Jeongyeon and Dahyun.

The song Dahyun gave Mina and Jeongyeon to sing was pretty, similar to the song they’d sung together before, but a bit more of a spectacle. A grand finale. 

“You two sound amazing!” Dahyun gushed, after she hit the final note on the piano. 

“Thanks,” Jeongyeon replied, giving both her and Mina a grin. “A bit more practice and I think we’re good for Friday. Do you think we stand a chance?”

Hesitating for a moment, Dahyun bit her lip. “I haven’t actually practiced with Sana and Nayeon yet, but I’m sure you guys will do great,” was all she offered.

Jeongyeon looked at Mina, suddenly determined. “Let’s go from the top!”

It was funny how Jeongyeon could switch from so easygoing to hardworking in an instant. Mina had witnessed it on the basketball court, and now Jeongyeon was doing the same with this audition. It was nice to have someone supportive but also serious. Mina admired that competitiveness because she knew she was the same way. 

After her fight with Sana, Nayeon refrained from reaching out to her friend for the rest of the day. Her fingers itched to at least text Sana, or give her a call, but she controlled herself. She didn’t trust the words that might slip out of her mouth—cruel and accusatory. She knew Sana was right about everything, but her stubbornness might get the better of her again if she talked to her friend in this emotional state. Nayeon knew she’d have to make changes if she wanted their friendship to last, and so she would. 

The thought of her senior year without Sana by her side felt empty and hollow. Nayeon had to make this right. She’d be patient for Sana. Let the girl have her space. Then, when Sana was ready, if she ever was, Nayeon would apologize. And then, she’d do the thing she’d been tiptoeing around since last year. 

She’d set Sana free. 

Turns out, she didn’t have to wait too long. The next day, she bumped into Sana outside before she even entered the school. The girl looked at her levelly, taking an anxious breath. “Can we talk?” Nayeon asked, quietly. “I just...wanna tell you I’m sorry.”

Crossing her arms, it was clear Sana was hesitant. Her brow furrowed slightly before her shoulders sagged and she simply nodded. Nayeon reached out, taking Sana’s hand and pulling her toward the side of the building. There was a large tree they both liked to sit under when the weather was nice enough. It was a bit chilly this morning, but the stifled air inside wasn’t suitable for what Nayeon wanted to say. 

Nayeon motioned for Sana to sit, but the girl remained standing. “Listen, Nay, I don’t wanna be late for first period—”

“I’ll make this quick then,” Nayeon assured. 

Sana sighed, but didn’t stop the girl. 

“I’ve been a really shitty friend,” Nayeon admitted. “I haven’t been considering your feelings at all. And everything you said about me was true . I just don’t wanna lose you. I can’t lose you, Sana. You’re my best friend. Please just let me try to make it up to you—“

“Nay,” the girl shushed her instantly, before extending her arms out in an invitation for a hug. Nayeon gladly accepted, instantly feeling more at ease in Sana’s embrace. “You’re not gonna lose me. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried,” she whispered lightly, against Nayeon’s neck. 

“I don’t deserve you,” Nayeon mumbled.

Sana smiled, releasing her friend from the hug. “You’ve said that before.”

Nayeon took Sana’s shoulders, squeezing them tightly. “Well, I’m saying it again. And I’m gonna keep saying it cause it’s true.”

The soft smile on Sana’s face allowed Nayeon one moment of peace, before a flicker of Mina’s smile came into her head—shining bright and demanding to be seen. Taking a breath, Nayeon internally cursed her own mind and willed the image to go away. Now, for the hard part. 

“I’m sorry for what I put you through, since sophomore year,” she began. “I knew how you felt about me, before you ever told me. I just tried to ignore it though, I thought maybe if I didn’t say anything, it would just go away.”

Sana bristled at the comment, eyes dropping to the ground. 

“But it was wrong of me, to make you suffer like that. To keep you hanging onto something… so that’s why I need to tell you this now…”

She wanted nothing more than to tell Sana everything—her meeting with Mina, the fact that Mina and Jeongyeon weren’t really dating, the kiss ...but she would no longer be that selfish with Sana anymore. She’d have to keep her love life private.

“I don’t love you, Sana,” Nayeon said. “Not how you want me to, anyway. Not how you love me.” As the words left her lips, Nayeon felt as though every ounce of happiness was drained from her body. Sana still would not meet her eyes. “I wanted to tell you so you can stop waiting for me. I want you to find your own happiness. You deserve it.”

The world grew eerily still. Nayeon was convinced if she let out a breath, Sana might topple over. But the girl in front of her simply swallowed and lifted her head, nodding. “Thank you, for telling me that,” Sana replied, softly. Nayeon let out the breath she’d been holding, relieved to hear Sana’s voice. “A part of me always knew you would never love me, but a part of me was still hopeful despite everything.” She let out a slightly bitter laugh. “I’m so stupid.”

Nayeon shook her head, stepping closer to her friend. “You’re not.” She took Sana’s face in her hands, wanting to ease the girl’s pain. “I was just a coward. I’ve been avoiding this conversation for way too long.”

Sana nodded, blinking back tears. “You’ve found someone you really like. And don’t try to deny it, Nayeon, we both know it’s true.” 

Nayeon opened her mouth to protest but Sana quickly shushed her. “I have a feeling she likes you too, you know. From everything you’ve told me.”  

Sana’s sad expression was quickly hidden behind a playful smile, but even that smile was slightly pained. Leave it to Sana to try to pretend that everything was alright. Nayeon wasn’t gonna let her get away with it this time.

“Sana please, you know you still mean the world to me, right? You always will.”

Sana nodded. “Yes of course,” she replied, though she didn’t sound convinced. 

Nayeon put an arm around her friend’s shoulder, giving her a small kiss on her cheek. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do to help you through this. If that means you need space, I’ll give you space. If you want to scream at me, I’ll just stand here and take it. You can let your frustrations out. I’ll do whatever I need to do to fix this.”

Taking a deep breath, Sana shook her head. “You can’t fix this, Nayeon. Not for a long while anyway. But things will be back to normal eventually.” The girl gave Nayeon a heartbreaking smile. “I don’t need space. We have an audition to focus on, remember?”

There was really nothing Nayeon could say to make things better, so she simply nodded. Things would be so much easier if she could just love Sana, but something inside her wouldn’t allow it. She hated herself for it. 

The warning bell sounded from inside, echoing into the outdoors. 

“Well,” Sana stated. “That’s our cue. Rehearsals for the callback during free period? I already scheduled them with Dahyun.” And with that, Sana was off, leaving Nayeon behind. She braced herself against the tree behind her, trying to collect her thoughts. 

Things were slightly awkward when they saw each other again that day, but the two friends quickly moved past that as they practice with renewed vigor. At least they both had something to focus on to distract them. “Do you think the choreography was too much last time?” Nayeon asked, earnestly, standing on the auditorium stage. Sana looked a bit offended, but quickly considered the question. “Maybe Ms. Darbis is looking for something more lowkey,” Nayeon continued. 

“The choreo was so cute though,” Sana murmured, pouting. “But you’re right, we should focus on the original vibe that Dahyun intended. It’s the biggest number in the musical, after all.”

They decided to focus on vocals, and hoped to up their stage presence that way. 

Luckily Chaeyoung had laid off of Jeongyeon after Mina had talked to her, and at lunch the next day, Momo and Tzuyu didn’t say anything negative about the callback either. In fact, Momo actually asked if she could watch their performance, but quickly got a swat from Tzuyu, who knew Momo only wanted an excuse to see Nayeon perform. 

“I’m just trying to be a supportive friend!” Momo whined, but there was a mischievous glint behind her glasses. 

At the mention of Nayeon, Mina bristled slightly. She’d not said a word to her in class since they had kissed. Other than a few side eyes and warning looks, it seemed Nayeon wanted nothing to do with her again. Mina tried to tell herself that was okay.

It wasn’t.

They were back to being strangers and rivals—perhaps it’d be best if Mina forgot about their exchange in the dressing room completely. Feeling a bit bitter about the whole ordeal, Mina threw herself into practicing for the callback. If Nayeon wanted nothing to do with her now, she’d be damn sure she’d demand the girl’s attention by snatching the lead from her hands. 

Mina could imagine it now—the look of pure disdain in Nayeon’s eyes as Ms. Darbis announced her and Jeongyeon got the roles. But the satisfaction she’d thought she’d feel wasn’t there. Instead, she felt hollow and guilty. Would that be what it was actually like?

It was officially the day before the audition. Nayeon had seemed as smug as ever in English class, although she didn’t give either Jeongyeon or Mina the time of day. Later, in chemistry, the smugness continued until a quiet whisper shook Mina out of her self-pitying haze.

“You ready for tomorrow?” Nayeon asked. It wasn’t sarcastic, or even challenging. The question was alarmingly sincere. It shattered Mina’s bitterness, just like that. 

Looking up, Mina gazed at the girl, feeling her mouth dry up. Nayeon continued to stare back, hopeful for an answer. 

“Yes,” Mina replied. And she meant it—she felt prepared, although she still was scared, for reasons other than the audition itself. “Are you?”

Nayeon hesitated, looking down at the pen she twirled through her fingers. “I am. It’ll be interesting.”

Class progressed as usual, with Nayeon fidgeting in her seat and Mina looking on knowingly, tracing shapes onto her thigh under her desk as she tried to slow down her racing heart.

“Come with me,” Nayeon said. It was quiet, but commanding. The bell had just rung, meaning lunch was about to start, and they were released from class. 

Standing up, Nayeon began to gather her things, while Mina, with an amused twinkle in her eye, followed suit. “Where?”

Nayeon let herself smile.

They found themselves in the dressing room again. 

There was no talking, just the feeling of Nayeon’s hair sifting through Mina’s fingers.

Finally, they broke apart, looking into each other’s eyes. Mina had been on top this time, and Nayeon was gently tracing her fingers along Mina’s exposed collarbone. “We’ll regret this,” Mina whispered, breathing heavily. Her voice was deeper than usual, causing Nayeon to bite down on her own lip to stop a moan from escaping her mouth. 

“I will, maybe,” Nayeon replied, giving Mina a devilish grin. “You won’t.”

Mina scoffed, immediately pushing herself off of Nayeon and standing over her. “You’re intolerable.”

Nayeon flipped her hair over her shoulder, shrugging nonchalantly. “If you really thought that, you wouldn’t be here.” 

Crossing her arms, Mina turned away and pouted. “Why this sudden change of heart? You said this couldn’t happen again, remember?” She turned to face her classmate, jutting her chin out. Challenging her. 

Growing quiet for a moment, Nayeon sighed. Truthfully, she hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Mina since their last exchange in here, and it was infuriating. After she had somewhat repaired things with Sana, she had been itching to taste Mina’s lips again and again. She didn’t understand why exactly, but she did. “I just did some reflecting. I thought maybe you weren’t the worst thing to happen to this school, after all.”

“Gee, thanks.”

Nayeon quickly continued. “I also had a feeling this might be the last time for me to do this with you. Tomorrow feels like a turning point. There’s no going back.”

“There’s only two options tomorrow. Either Jeongyeon and I get the lead, or you and Sana do.”

Nayeon shook her head. “I know I’m getting the role, so maybe you’ll hate me for that. For taking this silly dream away from Jeongyeon.”

“I wouldn’t hate you if you got it fair and square. Jeongyeon wants this, yes, but she wouldn’t hate you either.”

Looking away, Nayeon remained quiet. She clearly wasn’t convinced. “What are you gonna do about Jeongyeon?”

“I have to tell her the truth, don’t I?” Mina sat down on the chair beside Nayeon. Her legs were just slightly too short for her feet to touch the ground if she sat all the way back, so she scooched forward and began to kick the ground, spinning the chair in a slow circle, again and again. 

“Yes,” Nayeon replied. “You owe her that much.” 

Mina stopped kicking, letting the chair spin on its own until it lost momentum and stopped, facing away from Nayeon completely. “I owe her much more than that.”

They left discreetly, both heading their own separate ways and not looking back. 

“You seem nervous,” Jeongyeon teased, looking up at Mina from the floor as she was bent down tying her shoe. 

“And you seem surprisingly calm,” Mina remarked, actually a bit impressed. The days leading up to the callback had been tense. Jeongyeon was torn between if this was a good idea or not. The whole school singing about how it was practically blasphemous didn’t help either. Apparently her dad had given her an earful too, claiming Jeongyeon’s sudden change of heart was childish and immature, and could jeopardize the success of the entire basketball team.

Jeongyeon hadn’t told Mina much, but Mina could sense Jeongyeon’s father’s words weighed heavy on her. Jeongyeon always valued her father’s opinion, Mina knew. She only wanted to make him proud. “I have a whole team weighing on my shoulders,” Jeongyeon blurted, suddenly. “I’m not disappointing them, am I?”

Mina shook her head fiercely. “They’re proud of you, Jeong. I know Chaeyoung might have been a bit confused at first, but I know she understands. She wants you to be happy.”

Smiling at Mina, Jeongyeon nodded. “Thank you, for saying that.”

“Besides, it’s not like you carry the team, you know,” Mina teased. “The rest of the team is really good. That three-point shot Tzuyu made last home game was impressive. And even though you’ve got inches on Chaeyoung, she’s been giving you a run for your money—” Jeongyeon gave Mina a playful shove. “Even if we do get the roles, you’ll have time for both. We’ll make sure of it.”

Jeongyeon reached over and took Mina’s hand, giving it a grateful squeeze.

“Alright, Nayeon and Sana will be going first,” Ms. Darbis announced. “Jeongyeon and Mina, if you’ll please have a seat.”

The two girls did as they were told, sitting in the front row of the auditorium as Nayeon and Sana walked out on stage. Both girls had dressed up for the occasion. Nayeon wearing a bright red, vintage-looking dress, while Sana wore a similar one in blue. Mina’s breath caught in her throat as Nayeon made eye contact with her briefly, looking at her intensely.

Let’s see what you got. 

Just as they prepared to start, a sudden wave of people started to flood into the auditorium. Dahyun, about to play the first note, held off, glancing up in surprise. Ms. Darbis turned around and squinted behind her glasses, just as confused as everyone else. 

“Don’t stop on our account,” Chaeyoung, at the front of the group, called out. Her, Momo and Tzuyu, followed by the rest of the basketball team, all took their seats in the second and third row behind Mina and Jeongyeon.

“What’s this?” Ms. Darbis asked loudly, frowning. “I won’t stand for this disruption!”

“We’re here to watch, if you’ll allow us,” Momo asked politely. She gave the head of the drama department a charming grin.

Ms. Darbis narrowed her eyes, but softened slightly. “Well, I guess I won’t complain about this sudden interest in the theater. Alright Dahyun, whenever you’re ready.”

Jeongyeon and Mina twisted around in their seats, both voicing their surprise quietly. “I thought you were joking when you said you wanted to come,” Jeongyeon admitted. 

“We wouldn’t miss this for the world,” Tzuyu assured.

“Miss the chance to see you sing? Yeah, right,” Chaeyoung added, giving her co-captain a grin.

At the sound of the first note on the piano, everyone directed their attention back to the stage. Nayeon and Sana’s voices were precise and emotional. With Nayeon taking the higher ranges and Sana the lower ones, their voices sounded beautiful together. Mina tried not to let her eyes linger on Nayeon as she purposely walked across the stage, as if marking it as her own. 

Sana and Nayeon threw their hands up after the final note, and the small crowd assembled clapped loudly. Mina was surprised to hear Chaeyoung applauding so loudly behind her. On stage, Sana aimed a wink at someone in the second row and Mina had a feeling she knew who that might be. 

“Absolutely marvelous,” Ms. Darbus cried, adding a few last claps for dramatic effect. “Now, Jeongyeon and Mina. It’s your turn.” 

Jeongyeon and Mina slowly rose to their feet. Mina’s legs suddenly felt like jelly as she forced herself to head up on the stage. Nayeon and Sana passed by to take their seats, both giving Jeongyeon and Mina polite nods. 

Wearing nothing but their normal clothes, Jeongyeon stood out in her usual letterman jacket and red sneakers to match. Mina, on the other hand, was wearing a simple long-sleeve tucked into her jeans. It was a different feel than the vibe Nayeon and Sana had put out, but maybe that was for the best.

Dahyun gave both Jeongyeon and Mina a bright smile, lifting her hand to begin. Jeongyeon and Mina looked at each other and nodded. The first few notes began, a slightly faster tempo than the previous performance, and the melody began. 

They poured their hearts and souls into it, even making sure to have fun with the performance. At one point, Jeongyeon took Mina’s hand and twirled her around. The basketball team clapped along, smiling from ear to ear at the sight of their captain killing it on stage. Sana even clapped along as well, but Nayeon remained still. However, underneath the silent facade, her eyes were shining as she took in Mina’s gummy smile. 

“Bravo!” Ms. Darbis cheered, and the basketball team erupted in applause. Sana giggled at the excitement, and even Nayeon let herself smile. 

Jeongyeon and Mina took each other’s hands and gave the small crowd little bows, smiling from ear to ear. 

“Dahyun, will you come with me backstage?” Ms. Darbis asked. “We’ll deliberate on both performances briefly and come back out with our decision in a few minutes.” Dahyun quickly rose, following behind Ms. Darbis and disappearing backstage. 

Jeongyeon and Mina took their seats beside Nayeon and Sana in the front row, but not before accepting a bunch of high fives from the basketball team. “We’re gonna head out,” Chaeyoung announced, standing up and motioning for the rest of the team to follow. “We’ll let the results be private, until you’re ready to tell us, that is.”

Nodding, Jeongyeon sighed with relief. She thanked her teammates for coming before they all paraded out of the auditorium to start basketball practice. The room was immediately plunged in an awkward silence. Nayeon coughed, crossing and uncrossing her legs before she settled on keeping them uncrossed. Sana drummed her fingers on the theater chair armrests. Jeongyeon rocked her head back and forth to the beat of an unknown song in her head. Mina clasped her hands together and took deep breaths.

After what felt like an eternity, Dahyun and Ms. Darbis emerged, both looking a bit somber. “I see your entourage has left,” the older woman commented, scanning the theater underneath her large glasses. “Well, let’s get right to it. You girls all did lovely. Clearly you put a lot of time into rehearsing for your performances, and that effort shone through. After some deliberation, we have decided that the duo that would best suit the lead roles for this musical is Sana and Nayeon.”

A beat of silence. Nayeon had thought she’d be happy hearing this, but instead she felt burdened by the news. Victory didn’t taste as sweet as it used to. Sana patted her knee, silently congratulating her. Her head remained trained forward, afraid to look at Mina who was sitting to her left. 

“However,” Ms. Darbis continued. “We would also like to offer Jeongyeon and Mina the main supporting roles as well. Your new interest in the theater and your talent is exactly what this drama program needs. Strong supporting roles are crucial to this musical’s success, after all.”

Jeongyeon voice sounded first, surprisingly unshaken. “Thank you, Ms. Darbis, for this opportunity.” She looked at Mina, who gave her a small smile and nodded. “We’d be honored to accept.”

Nayeon exhaled in relief, feeling the guilt roll off her shoulders. 

“We’ll begin rehearsing for the musical next week. I hope this won’t conflict with your basketball schedule, Miss Yoo,” Ms. Darbis replied. 

Jeongyeon shook her head. “I talked it over with my coach, I can do both.”

That seemed to satisfy Ms. Darbis, because she smiled. “Congratulations, all of you. This musical will be the best one yet!” She walked off stage, and Dahyun raced forward, stumbling down the stairs. 

“Congratulations!” she chirped, giving everyone a bright smile. “I’ll see you all after school on Monday!” She turned to Jeongyeon and Mina, looking slightly apologetic. “The supporting roles are really fun,” Dahyun replied. “They’re actually my favorite characters in the musical.”

Jeongyeon grabbed Dahyun’s shoulder, giving the girl an assuring smile. “I’m excited to bring your songs to life. Thanks for everything.” 

Dahyun gave Mina and Jeongyeon a tight hug, and the two girls squeezed back. 

“Thanks, Dahyun,” Sana chimed in. She gave the girl a bright smile as well. “We’ll work hard to make your musical perfect!” 

Dahyun nodded. “I know you guys will.” She returned back to the stage, packing up her things.

“Well, it seems we’ll be seeing a lot of each other over these next few months,” Nayeon replied, turning to face Mina and Jeongyeon. Her eyes found Mina’s slightly pained ones. She could feel the dread radiating off of the girl as she realized the implication of what Nayeon had just said, while Jeongyeon remained completely oblivious.

“You’ll have to bear with us, since this is our first musical,” Jeongyeon replied. 

Sana noticed the wave of awkwardness stemming from Mina and Nayeon, so she acted fast and waved her hand. “We’ll help you out as best as we can, of course!” she assured. She took Jeongyeon’s arm in her own, pulling her toward backstage. “Let me give you a tour since you probably haven’t been back here before…”

Jeongyeon mumbled in surprise, but she let Sana pull her away. She turned to look back at Mina apologetically, but it seemed the girl was already distracted by Nayeon. The two girls had stepped closer, and were already talking in hushed voices. Jeongyeon raised an eyebrow as she continued to observe the girls, but Sana’s shrill voice snapped her back to attention.

“How am I supposed to tell her now,” Mina said to Nayeon, defeatedly. “I can’t tell her when she’ll be seeing you every other day. She’ll be miserable.”

Nayeon grimaced, feeling bad for Mina to be put in such a situation. A selfish part of her wanted to pull the girl into a kiss now, as Jeongyeon had turned back to look at them. She could imagine the surprise and hurt on Jeongyeon’s face if she saw the two of them together, like some sort of twisted revenge. But even Nayeon wasn’t that cruel. She still was fond of Jeongyeon after all, despite everything.

“You don’t have to mention me,” Nayeon proposed. “But you do need to be honest with her, Mina. You need to tell her you don’t feel the same. Take it from someone who waited too long to tell someone that, it’ll only end up hurting you both more if you wait.”

Mina’s eyes shone in understanding as she watched Sana pull Jeongyeon backstage. “You’re right, I will. Tomorrow, I’ll let her have this happiness today.”

Nodding, Nayeon crossed her arms. “She’ll be okay. Jeongyeon’s tough.”

“And what about me and you?” Mina asked, shyly. 

Nayeon brushed some hair over her shoulder, leaving it exposed and bare. Mina tried not to stare at the skin there that she knew was soft and sweet. As she lifted her eyes to meet Nayeon’s, the girl gave Mina a smug, knowing grin. “What about us?” she said, nonchalantly. 

Mina pressed her lips together in distaste, and Nayeon let out a throaty laugh. “I’ll see you tomorrow in class,” Nayeon replied, beginning to walk toward the stage to find Sana and head out. After taking a few steps up the stairs, she turned around to look back at Mina, who hadn’t moved, and gave the girl a wink.

Mumbling to herself, Mina cursed out Nayeon, before she broke into an uncontrollable grin, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and followed after the girl, hoping to find Jeongyeon and head home as well. 

By the time Nayeon and Mina reached them, Sana was done giving Jeongyeon a brief tour of backstage—after all, there wasn’t much to look at. The two duos said their goodbyes and parted ways. 

Mina walked Jeongyeon toward the gym, knowing the girl would be a bit late to basketball practice. “Well, we did it. Kind of,” Jeongyeon said. Her hands were stuffed in the pockets of her sweatpants. Her hair was slightly messy from the dancing they’d done on stage, and her glasses were slightly askew. She looked happy, carefree and beautiful, standing there. 

Taking in the sight and saving it with an invisible camera in her mind, Mina allowed herself to smile. After all, this would probably be the last time she’d see Jeongyeon this happy for awhile. The moment needed to be savored. 

She almost threw herself into Jeongyeon’s arms, giving the girl an engulfing hug. 

“We’re in a musical,” Mina confirmed, arms still lingering around Jeongyeon’s neck. “We might be a little over our heads, but we really did it.”

“I’m gonna be exhausted, going right from rehearsals to practice everyday, but you’ll get me through it, won’t you?”

Mina’s grip on Jeongyeon loosened as her heart constricted. Jeongyeon had gotten Mina through these first few months of school at a new and unfamiliar place. Mina had been a bit scared to transfer, but Jeongyeon had made it more of an adventure than anything. A journey, with many new and dear friends made along that way. It had been fun, because of her. 

Jeongyeon was a good person. She deserved to be happy, and she deserved the truth.

“Of course,” Mina replied.

She let Jeongyeon go. 

Chapter Text

Jeongyeon took the news differently than Mina had expected.

She remained completely silent while Mina attempted to explain herself, mouth forming the same words she had practiced over in her head again and again. But now, standing in front of Jeongyeon in her bedroom, the girl’s stoic face made Mina scramble for softer, kinder words.

The result was something messy, yet heartfelt. Mina had a bad habit of rambling and talking in circles when she was nervous, which made her feel all the more guilty as she spewed the same sentiment in many different ways. Everything roughly translating to: “I’m sorry, but I only want to be your friend, nothing more.” 

Though Jeongyeon knew what Mina was going to say before she even opened her mouth, she sat there and let Mina talk and talk, knowing it was making the girl feel better. She needed to explain, even though the explanation only hurt Jeongyeon more and more with each word digging into her like a dull blade. 

Mina had finally run out of words to say. She slid down to the ground, on her knees, and looked up at Jeongyeon expectantly—searching for any kind of reaction. Anger. Sadness. Pain.

Jeongyeon finally lifted her eyes, staring at Mina levelly. “It’s okay,” she stated, although it wasn’t at all. “I understand.” She didn’t, really. 

Things had seemed to be going so well between them. Jeongyeon had thought she’d finally found someone who finally understood her—someone who saw through the basketball captain facade she wore around like a mask for so long she’d almost convinced herself she wasn’t wearing a mask at all. Even her closest friends still held her up on a pedestal, and she hated it sometimes. She hated the spotlight and the pressure, when all she wanted to do was make her father proud. 

“It’s not okay,” Mina admitted. The lack of reaction was almost frustrating. A part of Mina wanted to be yelled at—thought she deserved it, even. She reached her hand out toward Jeongyeon’s but stopped herself at the last moment, so it hovered lamely in the air. 

“You can’t control how you feel,” Jeongyeon said, numbly. It was true, nothing could be forced, no matter how much she wanted it. No matter how much she wanted her.

“I hope this won’t stop us from being friends,” Mina said, softly. Her voice was wavering—eyes threatening to spill with tears. How ironic that the girl who was breaking her heart was the one crying. For a moment, a bitterness dwelling in Jeongyeon’s mind made her angry at the sight, but she choked it down. Now wasn’t the time to act emotionally, not when the room was still charged with Mina’s guilty static. 

“No,” Jeongyeon assured. “Nothing will change.” But everything would, at least for Jeongyeon. She’d learn to live with it, though. 

“You’ll still sing with me, won’t you?” Mina asked, pulling at Jeongyeon’s carpet with her fingers, as if it were as brittle as grass.

Jeongyeon reached her foot out and tapped Mina’s hands, getting the girl to stop. Mina looked up, wide-eyed and caught in the act. “Mina, you really think I would drop out?” Jeongyeon asked. “After everything?”

“I’d hope not,” the girl mumbled, pouting slightly. 

Jeongyeon slid onto the floor in front of Mina with a ghost of a smile. It was all she could afford to give. “You’re silly, then. It was my idea to audition, you know,” she teased. “I couldn’t let you have all the glory.” She reached out and took one of Mina’s hands in her own. It was nice and warm. Familiar. 

“Thanks, Jeong, for being so kind to me through this.”

Running her fingers gently over Mina’s knuckles, the girl simply nodded. “I can’t really be unkind in a situation like this, considering I’m the one who’s been dodging Nayeon all this time.”

Mina let out a small laugh, but her stomach twisted at the sound of the other girl’s name.

“I think she’s been crushing on me for awhile, but I’ve been hoping my attitude would just turn her away, ya know? Luckily it seemed to have finally worked. That wasn’t the right way to deal with her, though. Maybe this is some kind of karma.”

Mina tugged her hands away from Jeongyeon, shifting her position on the floor. “You’re right, I think you’re free of her.” There was an unusual certainty to Mina’s voice that made Jeongyeon trust her completely. 

Jeongyeon leaned back against her bed frame, audibly sighing. “Well, let’s hope rehearsals aren’t awkward.”

Swallowing, Mina thought to herself that they’d be more awkward than Jeongyeon could possibly know. “They won’t be. Sana’s nice, and Nayeon...well, she’s professional.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Jeongyeon agreed. 

The tension built up in Mina’s shoulders diffused slightly. The atmosphere in the room wasn’t as unbreathable as she’d thought it would be. Jeongyeon always made things easy. That’s who she was. Selfless, kind Jeongyeon. Mina should’ve known better than to assume the worst from her. 

She left an hour later, feeling like maybe after a few days, things would be okay. 

They were a rag-tag group. Two secret lovers, and two people with broken hearts. But, they made it work. Sana and Nayeon showed Jeongyeon and Mina the ropes, helped them with their stage presence, even their delivery. After a few rehearsals, things were being to feel like they were on the cusp of something good. 

Jeongyeon and Mina’s song together was a bit sadder than the previous songs they had prepared for auditions. Their characters were two people in a relationship that were beginning to drift apart. The lyrics hit home a little too hard, and Mina couldn’t help but wonder if Dahyun had taken a page out of her metaphorical diary. But this song was written long before she’d even transferred to the school—the relatability just spoke volumes about Dahyun’s talent as a lyricist. 

As soon as Jeongyeon raced off to basketball practice, and the auditorium cleared out, Mina and Nayeon would make excuses to stay behind together. One thing would lead to another, and the dressing room became theirs once again. 

“We need to stop doing this,” Mina had said, at one point. “Jeongyeon is getting suspicious. And what about Sana?” 

“Jeongyeon is painfully oblivious,” Nayeon promised, “And Sana...what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. I mean, she knows we’re a thing, but she doesn’t know to what extent.”

“When they both find out, they’ll be hurt.” 

Nayeon playfully poked at Mina’s knee, trying to make the girl smile, but she remained stoic. Giving up, Nayeon sighed. “They’re both moving on. And besides, we can’t live our lives for others. This is what we both want, right?”

As soon as Nayeon asked the question, she immediately regretted it. The thought of Mina saying no, confessing that maybe this isn’t what she wanted after all, was suddenly too much to bear. That fact that this possibility scared Nayeon made her feel all the more foolish. It was terrifying, wanting someone this much when they had nothing tethering the two of them together but each other. If one person gave up, it would be over. Just like that.

“It is,” Mina replied, quietly, and Nayeon let out a breath of relief. “I want more than this secret, one day. After this musical is over.”

“You don’t like sneaking around and stealing kisses?” Nayeon teased, leaning closer to Mina and demanding their eyes meet. “Like something out of a romance novel?”

Mina let herself smile slightly, thinking about all their antics so far. “It’s enough, for now. It doesn’t feel very romantic, though.” 

“Making out in the dressing room after school isn’t romantic enough for you?” Nayeon jested, smirking at the girl. “I’m offended.”

But Nayeon knew what Mina meant—she wanted to take Mina out and spoil her to death. She wanted to hold Mina’s hand in the hallways at school unapologetically. She wanted to let the world know that Mina was hers. 

“We only have two more weeks before the show. Then we can do whatever we want,” Nayeon promised, wholeheartedly. “Are you sure you wanna date me? The infamous Im Nayeon?”

Mina rolled her eyes, and Nayeon raised a brow, but continued to smirk and stare at Mina with admiration. “I guess someone has to sacrifice themselves for the greater good and do it,” Mina said. 

“And you’re selfless enough to take one for the team? You’re truly an angel.”

Mina giggled, leaning forward and giving Nayeon a kiss on the nose. “You know I am.”

The secret was well-maintained, besides a little slip up where Dahyun walked into the dressing room on Mina and Nayeon and immediately shierked, shielding her eyes. Instead of running out the door, the girl stood there frozen, shouting apologies and “oh my god” repeatedly until Nayeon took the girl by the shoulders and shook her. 

“Dahyun, listen to me—you can’t tell anyone about us,” Nayeon replied, sternly. 

Dahyun peeked at Nayeon behind her hands, gulping. “You...and Mina? I’m still trying to wrap my head around this…”

Mina, still sitting on one of the makeup chairs, groaned in embarrassment. 

“There’s nothing to wrap your head around because you saw nothing, got it?” Nayeon warned. 

Mina had to admit, the girl’s tone was kind of hot. She bit her lip and tried to stop her face from heating up at the sight of Nayeon looking more threatening than usual. 

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Dahyun muttered. “This is all just...unexpected.”

“Is it really that unbelievable that we’d end up together?” Mina whined, spinning in the chair as she spoke, as she often did when she was nervous.

Dahyun gently brushed off Nayeon’s iron grip, grimacing at Mina. “You’re just...very different. And I thought you were with Jeongyeon…”

“Not an unfair assessment,” Mina remarked, as her shoe squeaked against the floor as she stopped her chair’s momentum. “But no, we’re just friends.”

“It’s like my whole world has been turned upside down!” Dahyun cried dramatically, plopping down in the seat next to Mina. Nayeon scowled at the girl, thinking she had overstayed her non-existent welcome. “This isn’t really the best place for this...you know. For starters, there’s no lock on the door.” 

“Thanks for that, Captain Obvious,” Nayeon muttered. “It’s not exactly like we have a ton of options. Now, what did you come in here for?”

Dahyun jumped out of the seat, looking sheepish. “Oh, right! I was looking for some costumes Ms. Darbis mentioned might have been left in here for last season’s musical…” she gestured to the closet. Nayeon nodded at it, and the girl meekly opened the door, shuffling through the clothes quickly and grabbing a few dresses. “Perfect, um, sorry for the interruption.”

Nayeon stepped between her and the door. “Your lips are sealed, right?” She crossed her arms, putting on the most intimidating look she could muster. Mina finally stood up as well, copying the stance.

Dahyun nodded. “Of course I’ll respect your privacy,” she assured. “I’ll guard this secret with my life!” She saluted with one hand, before she squirmed around Nayeon and closed the door behind her.

After a beat, Nayeon and Mina looked at each other, laughing.

“Do you think we’ll have to worry about her?” Mina asked.

Shaking her head, Nayeon let her shoulders relax. “No, I trust her.”

Dahyun was surprisingly good at keeping the secret, but the few moments she was alone with either Nayeon or Mina, the girl couldn’t help but be nosy. 

“How are things with you and Mina?” Dahyun asked, the literal second Sana had stepped out of earshot and left Nayeon and Dahyun alone.

Nayeon rolled her eyes incredibly hard as Dahyun wagged her eyebrows, smirking. The girl had become so bold since Nayeon had sat down and listened to her play the piano, the day her and Mina first kissed. Despite Nayeon’s annoyance, she would never admit it but she liked seeing Dahyun more comfortable and bubbly as opposed to being shy and meek around her. 

“It’s none of your business, but we’re doing well,” Nayeon would reply, crossing her arms while glaring at the girl. 

“Are you guys gonna start dating after the musical? You’re waiting to give Jeongyeon some time, right?”

Nayeon began to trudge away, shaking her head.

“What?” Dahyun whined, following behind the girl. “I’m curious!”

Taking a few more steps, Nayeon stopped and turned around. “Yes, we’re gonna become official after the musical.” Telling that to someone felt like a huge relief. Not being able to tell a soul besides Mina herself had been such an exhausting burden. Maybe Dahyun knowing wasn’t the worst case scenario, after all. 

“You guys are cute together,” Dahyun whispered, smiling brightly at Nayeon. 

Allowing herself to smile back, Nayeon blushed slightly. “Thank you,” she mumbled. Dahyun smiled harder at the sight of the older girl slightly flustered. It was clear she really did like Mina. 

“How did you and Nayeon...you know?” Dahyun had asked Mina another day, as she was personally working with the girl on a short solo song she’d be doing for the show. 

Mina raised an eyebrow. “Get together?”

Nodding eagerly, Dahyun leaned forward on the piano bench. 

Thinking for a moment, Mina bit her lip. She cleared her throat, suddenly embarrassed. “We got partnered up in chemistry. That’s how we really met,” was all Mina offered. 

Dahyun’s eyes widened. She looked like a child being told a bedtime story. Mina didn’t have the heart to cut things short.

“I guess...I started liking her then. But I didn’t come to terms with it until weeks later. I don’t think she even realized her feelings until we….well,” her voice trailed off and she nervously fiddled with the cuffs of her sleeves. 

Dahyun grinned, not pushing the girl further. “How romantic!” she gushed. 

It didn’t feel that way most days—romantic. Rather, it seemed kind of sad. Luckily the two communicated more through texting. Mina was pleasantly surprised that Nayeon was as into cute animal videos as she was. The two shared them with each other often. 

Mina’s online personality was much different from her personality in real life, so much so that Nayeon would tease her about it. She enjoyed seeing this glimpse of her almost-girlfriend, though. It was like getting to see a part of her that no one else got to witness. 

Well, maybe other than Jeongyeon.

Mina and Jeongyeon still remained close after everything, though it took a few days of drifting for Jeongyeon to recover from Mina’s admission. That was to be expected though, and Mina took it in stride. She was relieved that she still had Jeongyeon as a friend, still got to hear her obnoxious laughs and get punched in the arm by her every time she made a dumb joke. 

It was clear the stress of balancing the musical and basketball was getting to Jeongyeon, though. Her general goofy disposition grew quieter with every passing day. It was apparent to Chaeyoung more than anyone when her co-captain’s performance during practice was beginning to be affected. 

Obviously, something needed to be done. Chaeyoung recruited Sana to help her with a plan.

“So Mina,” a girl replied softly, linking her arm through Mina’s in the hallway without warning. Jumping at the intrusion of personal space, Mina twisted her head to see Sana smiling at her. Without missing a beat, Sana continued. “Chaeyoung and I were thinking Jeongyeon needed a pick-me-up, something to help her get through these last two weeks, you know? Since sectionals is almost here. I was thinking of having a sleepover at my place this weekend. Inviting some of Jeong’s teammates and of course you, Nayeon, and Dahyun. What do you think?” Sana was absolutely beaming, clearly proud of her idea. 

Mina raised an eyebrow, thinking. A sleepover with theater kids and the basketball team? Nayeon and Jeongyeon in the same place...it sounded like a bad idea, but Mina appreciated the sentiment of trying to cheer Jeongyeon up. “I think that’s a wonderful idea,” she lied, effortlessly, giving Sana a smile back. 

Sana nearly jumped up and down, unable to contain her excitement. “Great, so what snacks do you think everyone would like, I was thinking—”

It was times like this that Mina appreciated how sociable Sana could be. Though she’d only known her well for a few weeks through preparations for the musical, the girl had immediately opened up to her. She was enthusiastic, clearly interested in knowing the girl that had captured her best friend’s attention, despite everything. 

“So a sleepover at Sana’s, huh?” Jeongyeon replied, at lunch the next day. Once Sana had gotten Mina’s blessing, she had sent out a group message to everyone invited. It was no surprise she already had everyone’s phone numbers. 

“It’ll be fun, right?” Momo supposed. She looked slightly dreamy.

Chaeyoung nodded, slapping Momo on the back. “Of course it will be! I mean, we’ll all be there. We’ll make it fun. Besides, Sana said her and her mom are baking some desserts for us.”  

That seemed to perk both Tzuyu and Momo’s interests. 

“I could kill for some chocolate,” Jeongyeon admitted. “Dad has been keeping me on such a tight leash.”

Tzuyu jabbed her fork in the direction of Jeongyeon’s bland looking meal. “That would explain that sad excuse of a lunch.”

Jeongyeon rested her chin on the table, sighing. “He’s packed every lunch for the past two weeks. Someone save me.” 

“Poor baby,” Momo murmured, reaching across the table to pinch one of Jeongyeon’s cheeks. The girl wasn’t even in the mood to swat Momo’s hands away. 

“One week to sectionals,” Mina replied, cheerfully. “Then you can eat whatever you want!” 

Picking her head up again, Jeongyeon took a loud bite of an apple. “I’ve been dreaming about pizza these days. Except instead of me eating the pizza, the pizza is giant and eating me.”

Chaeyoung attempted to spin her basketball on one finger, biting her lip. “It’s all a metaphor. Your stress is getting the best of you.” 

“No shit, Sherlock,” Jeongyeon remarked, setting her apple down and swiping the basketball right from Chaeyoung hand. 

The younger girl whined, jumping out of her seat and attempting to wrestle the ball from Jeongyeon’s arms. 

Tzuyu and Mina looked at each other, rolling their eyes and hiding their fond grins. 

“So we have like 3 appetizers, three types of soda and juice, we’re ordering pizza but also providing salad, and my mom and I are baking cookies shaped like basketballs. See!” Sana held up a phone in Nayeon’s face, showing her a recipe she’d found on pinterest. “Looks good, right?”

Nayeon glanced at the phone and gave a semi-unenthused grunt. 

Pouting at the lack of response, Sana nudged her friend. 

“You’re really going overboard with this whole sleepover thing,” Nayeon replied. Seeing Sana’s pout, the girl cupped Sana’s cheeks in her hands and gave her a reassuring grin. “Things are gonna go great, okay? You have plenty of food and drinks. And it won’t be awkward at all.”

“I sense some sarcasm,” Sana mumbled, and Nayeon let her hands drop from her best friend’s face. 

“It’s an interesting group of people. I mean, I’ve barely spoken to Tzuyu, Momo or Chaeyoung…”

“And that’s your problem,” Sana said, rather loudly. “It seems it’s up to me to cure you of your anti-socialness. I’m forcing you to interact with other human beings.”

Nayeon opened her mouth to protest, but Sana quickly continued. “Theater people and Mina don’t count.”

Feeling defeated, Nayeon bit her lip. “Fine. I guess it won’t hurt to make some new friends,” she muttered.

That was enough for Sana, who cheered happily and continued munching on her food. 

Nayeon arrived at Sana’s house feeling semi-anxious. She was the first one there, beside Sana herself. Her mother answered the door, beaming at Nayeon before welcoming the girl inside. Nayeon was no stranger to Sana’s home. She’d been going there for many years. But the thought of being with her almost-girlfriend, the girl who had subtly rejected her, and her best friend who had been in love with her for years, gave her mixed feelings about the ordeal. She appreciated Sana’s effort, to try to unify everyone in some way, but Nayeon couldn’t help but wonder if this would all be a mistake.

As soon as Mina walked through Sana’s door, a shy smile instantly graced her features. She stood in the threshold of the living room, swaying back and forth nervously. Nayeon felt her own lips pulling into a reassuring smile as they made eye contact. Sana cried out in excitement and embraced Mina into a bear hug. As Sana’s arms squeezed her gently, Mina let out a surprised laugh, but she returned the hug regardless. 

“I brought brownies,” she murmured, after Sana finally let her go. “Your mom set them on the kitchen counter.”

“I told you not to bring anything!” Sana scolded, wagging her finger at Mina, but still smiling. 

“There’s way too much food,” Nayeon commented, crossing her arms. 

Luckily the three didn’t have to stand around long before Chaeyoung and Tzuyu arrived, followed by Dahyun, and then Jeongyeon and Momo lastly. 

The group was all there, crowded in Sana’s living room just barely big enough to fit them all. The girl brought out some board games for them to choose from, figuring it’d be a good way to entertain the large group. They sat sprawled out in a circle across Sana’s carpet, looking at their options.

It was quickly clear who was the most competitive. Dahyun slid over toward Sana, Momo and Tzuyu out of slight fear as Mina, Nayeon and Jeongyeon battled it out in Clue. Nayeon struggled to keep her cool when Tzuyu unexpectedly correctly guessed the murderer, murder weapon and room before any of the rest of the girls had the chance. 

“What the hell!” Jeongyeon murmured, miming out the act of throwing her cards across the room. “How did you figure out the location so fast?” She looked at Tzuyu with an accusatory stare. 

Shrugging, the girl smiled innocently. “I got down the weapon and murderer early in the game, that was easy. For the room I narrowed it down to two options and just took a guess.”

“I should’ve gambled on a guess, I had it down to two rooms too!” Nayeon whined. From her overdramatic pout, you would’ve guessed she had just lost a large sum of money. 

Dahyun wanted to play Monopoly next, but Sana quickly took the box from the girl’s hands, knowing that her living room would turn into a literal battlefield if they opened up that can of worms.

Instead, Sana raised her eyebrows mischievously and asked if anyone wanted to play truth or dare. Mina, not liking where this was headed, asked if anyone actually played truth or dare anymore. She tried her best to make it sound lame and childish, but it didn’t seem anyone else was biting.

Jeongyeon, shrugging, stated that her friends had played it a few times, but they hadn’t played it in awhile. “It might as well be called “truth or truth” because no one ever picks dare, anyway.”

“Wanna bet?” Chaeyoung challenged, crossing her arms and looking as intimidating as possible. “Let’s play.” 

“She’s never picked dare in her life,” Tzuyu commented, looking over at Sana, Mina, Dahyun and Nayeon. “She’s obviously trying to impress someone.”

Chaeyoung grumbled something to herself. “Well, that’s because your dares would be lame, anyway.” But her cheeks were starting to flush. 

“I can come up with a scandalous dare if need be,” Nayeon mused. Chaeyoung met Nayeon’s stare, suddenly looking slightly less brave. Sana raised an eyebrow, glancing at her friend curiously.

“Well, let’s hear it,” Jeongyeon said, clearly amused by the situation.

Mina was suddenly paling next to Nayeon, worried things might get out of hand, but Nayeon seemed ever oblivious to her unease.

“I dare Chaeyoung to kiss someone here. Anyone.” Nayeon turned to Chaeyoung. “Whoever you’d like.” The dare was random—simply something Nayeon had thought would be interesting. She had said it without much thought.

Sana gasped, smacking Nayeon’s arm. “That’s mean! Chaeyoung, you don’t have to do that.” She paused, though. “Only if you’re comfortable.”

Nayeon rubbed her shoulder, giving Sana a betrayed frown. “I said it would be scandalous,” she mumbled.

“Let’s not get carried away here,” Mina begged, hoping that someone with some ounce of common sense would listen. If this was the first dare, things would surely only escalate. But everyone seemed too intrigued by the situation unfolding. Tzuyu and Momo were watching Chaeyoung knowingly. Jeongyeon was leaning back against the front of the couch, watching her co-captain with curiosity. Nayeon was smug, betting on the girl chickening out, while Sana was watching Chaeyoung with something that looked strangely hopeful. 

It was only Dahyun who made eye contact with Mina, simply giving her a silent, reassuring nod. 

Chaeyoung gulped but suddenly looked determined. “I...okay sure. Why not.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back out of her face.

Nayeon’s eyes widened—she clearly wasn’t expecting that. Before anyone could really do anything, Chaeyoung crawled across the circle and stopped...in front of Sana. No one could say they were really surprised, except maybe Dahyun, who wasn’t aware of how close the two girls had become recently. 

Sana’s eyes dropped to Chaeyoung’s lips momentarily. “Me?” she asked, bringing her eyes up again. Though it was a question, she didn’t seem that taken off guard either. Chaeyoung didn’t reply, instead she leaned forward and pecked Sana on the lips quickly. 

As Chaeyoung pulled back, Sana’s eyes opened and she habitually ran a tongue over her bottom lip, staring at the girl with an almost dangerous expression. But after a beat, the look faded and Sana was giggling, covering a hand over her mouth shyly. 

Tzuyu held back a squeal, Jeongyeon scrunched her nose in mock disgust, and Momo made an “ooo” sound. Meanwhile, Dahyun clapped happily, Nayeon looked between the two girls with an unreadable expression, and Mina was looking at Nayeon. 

“Keep it PG you two,” Jeongyeon muttered. 

Chaeyoung sat back and looked at Sana with a small smile on her face before she returned back to her place in the circle. 

“Is anyone else hungry?” Dahyun asked, loudly. “I think it’s a good time to eat.” Mina silently thanked the girl for trying to stop the game from going further.

“That was only one turn though!” Momo pointed out. “Shouldn’t we at least do a few more?” She was probably hoping to get a chance to kiss Nayeon, and Mina was not liking that idea at all.

Mina stood up abruptly. “I’m starving,” she said, although she wasn’t hungry at all. “The pizza got here a few minutes ago.”

Momo looked momentarily disappoint but immediately lit up at the thought of pizza. She and Tzuyu both stood up, following Mina into the kitchen happily. Jeongyeon, grinning at her co-captain, shrugged and went after them. Nayeon stretched and then rose, wrapping a hand around Dahyun’s wrist and pulling the girl up as well. Chaeyoung and Sana were left alone in the living room with the distant chatter of the other girls in the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Sana and Chaeyoung emerged in the kitchen to begin nibbling on snacks and dessert as well. Turns out, there was way too much food, like Nayeon had predicted, but it was always better to have too much than not enough.

After eating, they put on a romcom and began to get ready for bed. Spread across the floor in sleeping bags, and on the couches, there was barely any space left in the cozy room. Jeongyeon, from one end of the couch she was sharing with Chaeyoung, began to tell a ghost story as soon as Sana turned off the ceiling light. 

Mina, who was in a sleeping bag on the edge of the room besides Nayeon, made a sound of displeasure and hid her head under her covers. Jeongyeon knew how much the girl hated anything horror related, but continued. Sana and Momo were propped up on their elbows, listening to Jeongyeon attentively. Dahyun and Tzuyu had both begun to drift to sleep already. 

Nayeon was on her phone, still listening to Jeongyeon in the dark. She sent a quick text, hoping Mina wasn’t asleep, buried under her blanket. Luckily, to Nayeon’s relief, she got a reply back. The girl beside her squirmed underneath her sleeping bag, eventually poking her head out of the top ever so slightly so that only her eyes were visible under the glow of Nayeon’s phone screen. The two smiled ever so slightly at one another. 

“And then, there was a terrible screech on the other side of the door,” Jeongyeon said, making a cringey imitation of metal scraping wood with her mouth. “Long, and drawn out. It happened again, and again. The sound of someone clearly very impatient. Eager for blood.”

“It’s the man with the hook!” Momo hissed, as her eyes widened. “Don’t tell me she opened the door?”

“Of course she’s gonna open the door, this is a ghost story,” Chaeyoung muttered—voice husky with drowsiness. 

Jeongyeon snorted. “Well..yeah, she opened the door. She wanted to know who was on the other side, it could’ve been one of her missing friends—”

“Yeah, cause they wouldn’t just knock like a normal human being,” Chaeyoung whispered sarcastically, earning a kick from Jeongyeon.

“…what she saw made her almost pass out with fright. Standing there in front of her, was a huge man, with a hook for a hand, gleaming with slick, wet, blood!” Jeongyeon jumped up from the couch, making Momo and Sana yelp, and even Chaeyoung flinched. 

“You’re the worst!” Sana whined, but erupted into laughter with Momo.

Finally, the girls began to settle down and whispered their goodnights to one another. After about a half an hour of tossing and turning, Nayeon rolled over so she was facing Mina. Though she couldn’t see the girl, she could hear her breathing, soft and steady. 

“Mina?” Nayeon whispered hoping there was a chance the other girl was still awake.  

There was a sigh, but then Nayeon could feel the body next to her shuffle to face her. And then: “Hm?”

“I really thought you’d be the first one to fall asleep,” Nayeon noted, talking as quietly as possible as she awkwardly slid her sleeping bag as close to Mina’s as possible. Their bodies were touching through the padding of their sleeping bags, and despite the layers between them, it felt nice to be that close. 

“I normally am,” Mina admitted. “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”

There was a moment of silence. 

“That dare was stupid, you know,” Mina said. 

Nayeon hummed. “I guess I didn’t really think about it.” Unfurling an arm from beneath her blanket, she reached out and placed it on Mina’s sleeping bag, right where Nayeon could feel the girl’s waist was. 

“It could’ve escalated. Someone could’ve asked me or you to kiss someone, and Momo was dying to kiss you—”

“Is someone jealous?” Nayeon teased. Though she couldn’t see it, she knew Mina was pouting in the dark. “I know. I’m sorry.” Nayeon sighed, letting her face nestle into Mina’s neck. “I can’t wait until we don’t have to tiptoe around the truth anymore.”

“Soon,” Mina murmured. It was clear she was tired, but she let herself relax into Nayeon’s touch. It was odd and yet comfortable, laying on the ground next to Nayeon. In the darkness, they could pretend it was just the two of them there. “We can’t sleep like this, you know. Someone could wake up and find us like this.”

“Can’t we just say I rolled on top of you by accident in my sleep? I do move around a lot…” Nayeon whined. She felt too comfortable and warm to move. Mina’s nearness was intoxicating. She could smell the jasmine scented lotion still lingering on her neck and shoulders. 

Soundlessly, Mina pulled her head back and placed a kiss on Nayeon’s forehead. It was strange, Mina realized, that the two of them had never experienced anything like this before with one another. Their moments together in the dressing room were never this soft. Never this gentle. It felt nice. 

But, Mina slid away regardless, smiling a smile no one else could see. “Goodnight, Nayeon,” she whispered.

“Goodnight, Mina.”

In the darkness, Jeongyeon who had been laying wide awake, stirred. 

The next day, the atmosphere felt different. Sana’s mother and father had cooked breakfast for all of the girls, who ate it happily, but there was a strange quietness settled around Nayeon. Mina wasn’t sure why, but it was though something had shifted. Maybe, she was reflecting on the events of last night. 

“You’re unusually quiet,” Momo said, but she wasn’t talking about Nayeon. 

Jeongyeon, who was digging into her plate of cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon, looked up with her mouth full and shrugged. She swallowed everything down roughly and took a swig of orange juice. “Hungry,” she murmured, and quickly stuffed her mouth again. 

Nayeon was pushing her bacon around on her plate, looking at it uninterestedly. 

Taking note, Dahyun leaned closer to Nayeon, who was sitting next to her, and smiled. “If you’re not gonna eat that…” She slid her plate to the right, wagging her eyebrows. 

“I’m gonna eat it,” Nayeon snapped, quickly biting a piece to prove a point. 

Huffing, Dahyun slid her plate away. “Someone’s grumpy in the morning.”

“Your parents are so nice to make breakfast for us,” Mina told Sana, trying to lighten the mood. 

Sana nodded, smiling brightly. “They’re the best!” she agreed. The girl began to chat happily, and Mina tried hard to focus on Sana’s words and not the fact that Nayeon had barely looked at her this morning. 

After a few more hours, the girls started heading out. Only Nayeon stayed behind, helping Sana clean up and do dishes. “That went well,” she remarked. It seemed her mood had considerably improved since everyone left. 

“It did, didn’t it?” Sana hummed, as she gently set a dish on the drying rack. 

“And you and Chaeyoung…” Nayeon started, feeling particularly playful.

Turning of the water, Sana set down a dish towel and leaned back against the kitchen counter. “She’s cute, right?” 

Nayeon smirked, recalling the short truth or dare session, and how Chaeyoung had mustered up her courage to confess her feelings to Sana under the circumstances.  “She is. I’ll admit, I always kind of wrote her off as just another jock but, getting to know her now, I regret that. I guess you have me to thank for that kiss.”

Rolling her eyes, Sana huffed. “I would’ve gotten that kiss one way or another,” she said, “you just sped up the process a bit.”

“She clearly is crushing on you hard,” Nayeon replied, joining her friend in leaning her back against the counter. They were shoulder to shoulder, arms touching. “I’m happy for you.”

And she was, truly. She had wanted nothing more for Sana to find happiness, all these years. Now, it seemed maybe the girl was moving on. They could move forward with their lives, together.

Sana pulled her friend into a tight hug, squeezing hard. “Thanks, Nay.”

Mina tried to busy herself that Sunday evening, trying to not make any judgements about Nayeon’s grumpiness earlier that morning. She couldn’t help but fear that she did something wrong. What that was though, she couldn’t be sure.

She chipped away at her homework despite being very distracted. She wanted to text Nayeon, but wasn’t sure if the girl needed space. Plunged into a pit of overthinking, she tried to blast music through her headphones, hoping to drown out her worry. 

Every notification she received, she secretly hoped it was Nayeon to wash away any doubts she had. But each time, she was disappointed. After a few hours of the dull ache in her chest, finally Mina’s phone lit up with a text from Nayeon. She read the message a few times before breaking out into a relieved grin. 

Earlier that morning, Nayeon had woken up to the sight of Mina peacefully sleeping beside her. Her face, just barely poking out from the top of her sleeping bag, was bathed in soft and spotty sunlight spilling in through the living room curtains. It made the girl’s dark hair shine. 

Nayeon had to fight the urge to move nearer, and to smooth out the girl’s hair that had become slightly tangled through the night. There was whispering coming from the other side of her. Tzuyu and Dahyun were awake, sitting up and chatting amongst themselves quietly. After taking in the sight of sleeping Mina a moment longer, Nayeon sat up and stretched. 

“Morning,” Dahyun chirped. “Sleep well?”

Nayeon nodded. “You’re the only two awake?”

“Jeongyeon looks like she won’t be up for awhile,” Tzuyu pointed out. Nayeon glanced over at the girl, whose arm was hanging over the edge of the couch in what looked like a slightly uncomfortable position. Her mouth was open and a soft snore sounded from it. 

The three girls who were awake snickered. 

“Mina looks so graceful, even when she sleeps,” Tzuyu added, turning her attention to the girl besides Nayeon. “Like a princess.” 

Nayeon wanted to scream in agreement. She wanted to shout to the whole world that Mina looked so damn beautiful, she could hardly stand it. But she didn’t have any right to do that. Not yet, anyway. To the rest of the world, her and Mina were nothing more than co-stars in a musical together. Barely even friends. It wasn’t fair. 

Chewing on her tongue, Nayeon simply hummed in agreement. 

So that’s why, as the rest of the girls woke up, Nayeon fell into a hole of self-pity. She hated this situation she was in. She hated Mina for being so considerate about Jeongyeon’s feelings, and she hated herself for thinking this way at all.

She felt bad about ignoring Mina. She hadn’t intended too, not really. Swallowing her pride, she decided she had to make things right, which is why she spent about half an hour revising a simple text to send to the girl. 

I really liked sleeping next to you, even though we were a few feet apart. You look so cute when you sleep, like a princess. Can the musical be over already so everyone can know how pretty my girlfriend is? 

That was the first time Nayeon had called Mina her girlfriend. It had been scary to type out, and when she hit send, she felt like a giddy schoolgirl. Little did she know, when Mina read the message, she felt exactly the same way.

Sectionals came and went over the course of a weekend. Mina, Sana, Dahyun and Nayeon attended, cheering on their (more than) friends. They traveled in one car, Nayeon’s, shuttling over to a neighboring school to watch the first game. The art department of the musical had helped the girls make a cheering banner to bring to the games, decorating it in glittering variations of their school’s red and white colors. 

On the bleachers, they sat huddled together, cheering loudly. A surprising number of their classmates had attended the first game so the crowd was rather loud. Tzuyu got shoved by one of the other team’s players, and a girl on the bleachers started shouting out to the ref, loudly. He quickly blew his whistle and called a personal foul against this other player, which earned a cheer from the East High crowd. 

“Looks like Tzuyu has an admirer of her own,” Sana murmured, looking at the girl who had shouted loudly only a few rows behind them.

Mina looked over at the girl as well, a bit surprised. Normally when she had seen the student body president in the halls or in class, the girl was calm and collected. But now, Jihyo was completely immersed in the game, cheering just as loudly as all of Mina’s friends. 

Their school made it into the semi-finals, finals, and then won out in a shut down. Momo, who had made the game-winning assist, was hoisted into the air in celebration by her teammates. They were progressing to states, which would be in two weeks and after the school musical. 

Full dress rehearsals began a few days later, and to say Mina and Jeongyeon were nervous was an understatement. Neither one had ever sang in front of a crowd larger than the party they had done karaoke for at New Year’s. Sana talked them both up, while Dahyun assured they were more than ready. Even Ms. Darbis, who was often overly-critical, was supportive.

It was Mina and Jeongyeon’s turns in their makeup chairs. For dress rehearsals, it was decided even full make-up would be done so that the practice would be an exact replica of the show that was happening the following weekend. Their makeup artist, simply a girl in the art department, worked her magic and gushed over how good they both looked. Jeongyeon leaned back into her chair, allowing herself a glance at Mina, who was wearing a more dramatic amount of makeup than usual. The girl was stunning, and she had to remind herself to breathe.

They stood up to get changed into the outfits for the opening scene—two elegant but simple dresses. The makeup artist left them alone to change. 

“Mina you look…” Jeongyeon began, smoothing out her dress as she got it from the closet. 

“I know, this makeup is kind of ridiculous. It looks better on stage though, right?” Mina replied, taking her dress of its hanger.

“No, you look beautiful,” Jeongyeon corrected. 

“Oh, uh...thank you.” Mina stopped what she was doing and glanced up at her friend, feeling her heart constrict ever so slightly. A blush rose to her cheeks as she scrambled to think of a response.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean for that to be weird. I meant it in a friend way,” Jeongyeon clarified, suddenly feeling silly. “Is it okay for me to compliment you still?”

Mina nearly laughed. “Of course it is. You look stunning as well.” 

Once they were both wearing their dresses, they each took one last look in the mirror. Mina reached out for Jeongyeon’s hand, and the girl graciously took it. 

“Mina.” It was a quiet, hesitant statement. “I need to tell you one more thing before we go out there.” 

Stomach churning, Mina stopped tugging Jeongyeon towards the door and glanced backward. 

“I know about you and Nayeon.”

Never before had Mina so badly felt the violent need to throw up. Her fingers released Jeongyeon’s as if they were covered in acid. “W-what?”

“I heard you and Nayeon whispering at Sana’s. I wasn’t asleep yet”

Oh. The sleepover. They were so dumb to believe everyone was sleeping, to not even consider the possibility of—

“I couldn’t really make out any words but the tone of your voice sounded different than I’d ever heard before. Nayeon even sounded...fond. Everything made sense then. The moment you got closer to Nayeon, you began to drift away from me. I didn’t see it at first, because I never considered it a possibility. All those times you stayed behind after rehearsal…”

The thought of running away and leaving the musical behind suddenly seemed like the best option for Mina. She considered, for a brief moment, throwing everything away to escape this unfolding nightmare. She could throw open the door now and not look back. 

She could. But she wouldn’t, because Jeongyeon was smiling at her. It was something hopeful—something to cling to. 

“It’s kind of funny to me, actually. The girl who I liked likes the girl that liked me. And that girl likes you back. Sounds like some sort of Shakespearean drama, if you ask me.”

Mina sighed with relief at the lightness in Jeongyeon’s tone. “I’m sorry you found out like that. I was gonna tell you after the musical. I didn’t wanna ruin this experience for you.”  

Jeongyeon nodded in understanding. “And I appreciate that. You were just trying to look out for me. You’re a good friend, Mina.”

“I feel far from that,” Mina mumbled defeatedly. “These past few months haven’t exactly gone in remotely the direction I expected.”

“East High needed a little excitement. God knows I did too. You really shook everything up, you know that?” Despite everything, Jeongyeon gave her an easy smile. “I’m happy for you both. But if she hurts you in anyway, just know there’s gonna be issues.”

Making a fist, Jeongyeon tried to appear as menacing as possible, but it just resulted in Mina rolling her eyes and giggling. “I think I’ll be okay. Like you said after I first met her, she’s all bark and no bite.”

The two girls laughed at that, knowing Nayeon was somewhere on the other side of the door in a frenzy.

“You ready?” Jeongyeon asked, reaching for Mina’s hand again. 

Nodding, Mina grabbed it wordlessly. A huge burden had fallen off her shoulders, and she felt a sense of excitement stir within her. With Jeongyeon knowing the truth now, her and Nayeon would be free to be together publicly. No more secrets. 

Jeongyeon and Mina opened the dressing room door to immediately get bombarded with the rush of people prepping everything for the rehearsal last minute. The curtains were set to go up in five minutes. Amid the hustle and bustle, there was Sana, helping some of the set hands push everything into place. She gave Jeongyeon and Mina an excited grin before focusing again on wheeling a giant fake tree into place.

A loud voice was booming, shrill and powerful, from somewhere else backstage. After a moment, Nayeon emerged into view, dressed in the light blue gown she’d be wearing for the first scene. Her eyes were scanning the stage like a hawk, looking for anything that might still be out of place.

After a beat, her eyes met Mina’s, and she gave her a somewhat embarrassed smile. Nayeon had warned her yesterday that she would become a bit of a crazy person as opening night drew nearer. Mina had only laughed at her then, asking her if there was ever a moment when she wasn’t a perfectionist. Nayeon had pouted cutely, but she knew Mina was right. 

Mina couldn’t control the smile that lit up her face at the sight of the girl, who looked so stunning as always. Butterflies filled her stomach, and not from the nerves of performing. Nayeon tilted her head slightly, confused at the sudden warmth coming from Mina’s gaze, but couldn’t help but grin back at the girl’s gummy smile. 

Jeongyeon whispered something about going to find Dahyun before walking off, and Nayeon took that as her cue to approach Mina. 

“You look happy,” Nayeon pointed out. Honestly, she couldn’t remember ever seeing Mina this giddy before. The sight was endearing.

“Jeongyeon knows about us. She heard us talking at the sleepover. But it’s okay. She’s okay,” Mina was rambling a bit, and the sound of the girl’s excited words overlapping only made Nayeon’s chest swell more. 

“Thank god,” Nayeon murmured. She reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind Mina’s ear, not caring who around them saw.  The feeling was so freeing. “I hope you like holding my hand, cause tomorrow I’m not gonna let yours go.”