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Mina’s eyes opened languidly at the jarring sound of her ringtone. For a moment she ignored it, thinking whoever it was at this ungodly hour would just leave a message. The sun wasn’t even up yet, who would even be on the other line? She rolled over and pulled the covers over her head to block the sound out and almost drifted back to sleep before it rang again. And then once again. She grumbled and reached out to the phone blindly and hit accept without even looking at the screen. Maybe it was important.
“Hello?” She said, her voice lower than it usually is.
“Mina, did I wake you?”
It was Jeongyeon. That made a little more sense.
“What do you think?” Mina groaned into the phone.
“Sorry. I love you.” Jeongyeon apologized on the other line, her voice bright and energetic even though it was 5 am. “I was really bored and I felt really lonely so I wanted to talk to you.”
“The sun hasn’t even risen yet, why are you awake?” Mina sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes as they began to adjust to the darkness.
“I haven’t slept yet. I don’t know, I’ve been having trouble sleeping lately.” Mina could hear Jeongyeon shuffling something around. Maybe papers or something?
“What are you doing now?”
“Trying to write. I haven’t been able to get anything decent down for so long. You would think being locked in my house would help but nope. Nothing.” Jeongyeon sighed.
“You just need to be inspired,” Mina commented as she shrugged to herself. She was awake now.
“And how am I supposed to be inspired in here all alone? I wish you would just come over, I miss you,” Jeongyeon whined.
“I miss you too but you know I can’t,” Mina said for what felt like the millionth time.
She had just gotten back from a trip overboard when this whole thing went down, meaning Mina had to stay quarantined on her own for 2 weeks. It wasn’t really a problem for her in any way, she didn’t mind staying in, but she really did miss her friends. It also didn’t help that Jeongyeon lived right next door to her and was always begging for her to come over at all times during the day.
“Yeah, I know.” Jeongyeon let out a sigh again. “I get it, it’s just all so stupid.”
Mina didn’t say anything. She toyed with the edge of her blanket. It was crazy how fast the virus spread around and everything shut down. She couldn’t go anywhere even if she wanted to.
“Open your window.”
“What?” Mina awoke from her trance.
“Just go to your window, come outside” Jeongyeon responded.
“We haven’t done that since we were kids, Jeongyeon.” Mina laughed lightly at the request. Their windows faced each other like in those cheesy coming of age films. They even had a spot on the roof to sit and chat with each other when their parents wouldn’t let them play together. Since they’ve gotten older, the habit stopped as they found other always to spend their time. It surprised Mina to even hear Jeongyeon ask that of her after all these years. She thought Jeongyeon would’ve forgotten about it.
“Please?”
Mina stood up from her bed, stretching as she made her way over to the large window. She moved the curtains and opened the window to see Jeongyeon already sitting on her roof, waiting expectantly. Mina hung up the phone and Jeongyeon looked up with a big grin on her face.
“This brings back memories.” Mina crawled out onto her own roof. The two houses were close enough together that they could speak normally, but far enough apart to keep a safe distance. Jeongyeon was in an old T-shirt and sweats, wrapped in a big blanket. Her guitar was nestled beside her as well as her notebook of songs. Mina couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her best friend. She didn’t realize how much she missed just seeing her face.
“Well, now I can see you.” Jeongyeon beamed. The only light illuminating them was the moon and the street light in front of their two houses. “And now you can help me with this song.”
“You know I’m not any good at that, Jeongyeon.” Mina shook her head.
“I know, but you can listen. You always tell me honestly what you think.” Jeongyeon picked up her guitar aimlessly and plucked the strings without purpose. “I need my muse.” She said as she looked up to her friend with a crooked smile.
“How am I your muse, Yoo Jeongyeon?” Mina inquired, a puzzled look on her face. Jeongyeon laughed to herself and looked down back at her notebook.
“You’ve always been.”
The two went quiet for the second time that night. Only the sounds of the crickets and the wind blowing through the air could be heard, a slight breeze chilling Mina’s skin. Summer should be coming soon, but the atmosphere seemed to correlate with the mood of the world. It was still chilly outside, dark and gloomy. Mina’s thoughts were interrupted by Jeongyeon strumming away on her guitar. Mina brought her knees up to her chin and watched her friend get lost in playing something from the old notebook. She always carried it around. Mina remembers giving it to her on her 15th birthday. It was something she picked up at a market and knew that Jeongyeon would love it. And she did. Jeongyeon never lets anyone in it and doesn’t even play songs from it for others. Except for Mina. She shut her eyes and listened to Jeongyeon start to sing, her voice soothing Mina and replacing any worries she had with good memories of them together. The lyrics rang through her mind. It was about liking someone. She listened closer and realized it was about another girl. An unrequited love song.
That didn’t surprise Mina, really. It was clear to Mina for so long, maybe she didn’t realize she had never explicitly said she was into girls. Come to think of it, so did Mina. She listened closely to the words coming out of her friend’s mouth. Jeongyeon’s eyes were closed in concentration as she moved her fingers skillfully along the fretboard. When she wasn’t singing, Mina noticed her tongue would dart out to moisten her lips. Mina smiled slightly at this, Jeongyeon not even facing her.
After a bit, the song came to an end and Mina had a big grin on her face, mimicking the one Jeongyeon held previously. Jeongyeon looked up with hesitance in her eyes. It soon disappeared when Mina began clapping. Jeongyeon couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl across from her.
“Was it okay?”
“It was amazing Jeongyeon. I don’t know how you do it.” Mina confessed honestly.
“I told you, you’re my muse,” Jeongyeon said before looking away again. She fixed her eyes on a bit of sun peeking over the horizon. “You really liked it?”
“Of course. I won’t lie to you, you know that.” Mina giggled. Jeongyeon smiled, her eyes still trained on the horizon. “Who was it about?”
“Oh, no one, just something I made up.” Jeongyeon fiddled with the pages in her book as Mina watched curiously.
“Jeongyeon, you know you can’t lie to me.” Mina prodded. Jeongyeon was always a terrible liar. She didn’t say anything, her face growing hot at the sudden interrogation. “I missed you.”
Jeongyeon’s eyes lit up as she glared at the girl before her. They were several feet apart, but it wasn’t enough. They needed to be together. “I missed you too.”
“When this is all over,” Mina started, clutching her knees closer to her, “I wanna have a sleepover like we used to.”
“Why don’t we now?” Jeongyeon asked immediately. Mina turned to her with an expression that clearly said, ‘You know why.’ Jeongyeon laughed and shook her head. “No, like out here, tonight. We can talk and look at the stars and shit. Like camping, but a meter apart.”
“You are the craziest person I’ve ever met, Yoo.” Mina chuckled again, “I’m so down.”
-
That night, Mina made her way back out on the roof with a blanket and pillow tucked under her arm and a bag of chips tucked under the other. She was carefully laying things out on the flat portion of her roof. Not soon after, Jeongyeon joined her on her own roof with her own snacks in hand. She beamed at her friend and greeted her for the second time that day.
“I’m so tired, Mina, this is hell,” Jeongyeon complained jokingly. She had stayed awake the whole day to be able to be with Mina.
“Well, it’s good we’re having a sleepover hm?” Mina pointed out. “Do you want to play animal crossing with me?” Mina pulled her switch out of her bag as Jeongyeon smiled and ran back in her house to grab her own.
“I hope you don’t mind that I time travel,” Jeongyeon commented as she plopped down in her pile of blankets.
“I knew you would.” Mina teased as Jeongyeon stuck her tongue out at the other.
-
“Do you think this will be over soon?”
“I hope. I think I’d go crazy in my house before too long.” Jeongyeon laughed off the serious question Mina threw before realizing that it might not have been the best idea. “It’ll be over before we know it. Everything will be okay.”
“I hope so. I miss you.” Mina said earnestly for what felt like the millionth time that day. “Even though you’re right here, you’re so far away.”
Jeongyeon didn’t move. She couldn’t ruin this.
“Jeongyeon?”
She hummed in response. Only loud enough for Mina to barely hear her.
“Who was your song about?” Mina asked, eyes wide and curious looking at Jeongyeon. She wanted to know and had to get the weird feeling in the back of her chest that it was her. She didn’t know what she wanted to hear honestly.
“I told you, nobody.”
“Jeongyeon. Just tell me. I won’t tell anyone.” Mina stared expectantly. “Is it Nayeon?”
“No. Not Nayeon.” Jeongyeon reassured. Nayeon was like her sister. It grossed her out even thinking about it. She wished Mina would just drop it already though.
“Then who?” Mina continued to stare while Jeongyeon gazed at the stars above her. She refused to speak. “Jeongyeon, please. That song was beautiful I have to know who brought that out of you and-”
“Do you remember how I called you my muse?” Jeongyeon interrupted, her eyes glued to the sky. Mina always wished she was better with eye contact.
“Yeah.” Mina softly replied, not sure where this was going.
“I meant it.”
“I don’t see what that has to do with anything Jeongyeon.”
“Mina, you inspire me so much.”
“I don’t see what you’re getting at-”
“It’s you, Mina. It’s about you.” Jeongyeon finally sat up and admitted. “It’s always been you.” Their eyes were fully locked on each other now.
“What?”
“You inspire me every day. I wake up and wish you were there with me and I always thought it was because we were best friends but now I know that I’m in love with you. And I know you’ll never love me back and that’s okay. I can live with that Mina, but I guess it was best to tell you, and music is the easiest way to communicate so I wrote a song, but you were so sweet about it, I didn’t want to guilt you.”
“Guilt me?”
“I don’t want you to feel bad for me or ruin our friendship or anything. Just acknowledge it.” Jeongyeon had her eyes shut tight and her teeth clenched, waiting for Mina to say something. Anything.
“Jeongyeon.” Mina said softly, “Can you play it again?”
Jeongyeon looked up with a dumbfounded expression. “What?”
“The song. Please?” With the same expression on her face, Jeongyeon rose to fetch her guitar and returned to the roof quickly, sitting down and hesitantly playing it once more. She had Mina’s full attention now and tried her hardest not to slip her fingers on the frets or miss a note coming out of her mouth. It was over as soon as it started and Mina just looked with a blank expression. Unreadable to anyone. “Jeongyeon.” She whispered, “You think I’m pretty?” She quickly teased and giggled like a mad man.
“Hey, don’t laugh!” Jeongyeon whined with a slight smile on her face. “I do.”
“Yoo Jeongyeon. I don’t think I’ll ever understand you, but I want to try.” Mina proclaimed boldly to the other. Jeongyeon was very pretty. And the best listener, and the best person just all around. It made sense to Mina why she felt butterflies in her stomach at the sound of her voice or when she looked at her. “I really like your song. Maybe even more now.” She chuckled. “I think I’d like to take a chance with you. What do you think?”
Jeongyeon wishes desperately this whole thing would end as soon as possible. She was fully ready to jump to the other roof. All she wants is to be able to hold Mina. To be with Mina. To kiss Mina.
All Jeongyeon wants is Mina. Forever.