Chapter Text
Ten year old Nayeon is scared of the dark by herself, those stories and myths that her auntie hadn’t helped her at all. From, The Wailing Woman, The Hitchhiker, The Demon Hello Kitty, and a whole bunch of other nightmarish themes of stories that haunts her every night. She can’t help but be anxious about why her newly acquainted friend, Mina, is running late tonight.
They had met several weeks ago as Mina’s family welcomed the Im family of their relocation of moving into their new house in the same neighbourhood. Nayeon’s parents were the first ones who got out of their vehicle as Nayeon stayed behind them fiddling with her knuckles as she had nothing left to fidget with.
Friendly pal Myoui Mina came to her way as she welcomed Nayeon with a waiting hand, “Pleasure to meet you, new neighbour! My name’s Myoi Mina, you can call me Mina.”
Nayeon, not bothering to introduce herself, continued to fiddle along the way.
Mr. Im excused himself from the friendly interaction between Mina’s parents as he figured her own daughter’s antics on meeting new people as well as Mina had been waiting for a hand to shake for a little while longer.
He patted his little daughter’s head as he looked at Mina who already brought her hand down, “My apologies, Nayeon isn’t fond of socializing in terms of first meetings as she tends to be quite shy but I assure you, she’ll come by.”
Mina nodded as she takes up her hand again to meet a proper handshake to Mr. Im.
Mr. Im gave her an apologetic smile as he wishes for the pair to be good friends in the future.
Fortunately, the future apparently became near as Nayeon decided to make up a proper greeting to befriend Mina.
The little girl had never thought of making the first moves at all. She finds it excruciating and exhausting to enable her social battery and yet she finds herself bargaining.
Bargaining you ask?
Nayeon brought her fist up to knock on the Myoi’s household door as she couldn’t find the words to practice her friendly speech in mind.
“ Hi. No. No. Hello sounds a bit more friendly. Hello, I’m Im Nayeon!” Okay cool that sounds lit.
At last, Nayeon is satisfied with her speech . She was about to knock on the door but Mina beat her to it by opening the door with a smile.
“Hi!”
“Hi.” Why did I say hi ??? !!! instead of hello ??? !!! Speech failed. Mission abort. This is malfunctioning.
Mina who had been waving her hand to the Nayeon who still has her fist stayed in the air. She thinks the other girl is having second thoughts of going to her house.
Nayeon who turned around quickly as she was about to walk out of this awkward second meeting of theirs, Mina followed.
“I kinda saw you outside our door incoherently rambling and I thought that you are in need of some help since you have your fist up???” The bubbly girl inquired.
“Hello, I'm Im Nayeon.” The speech is complete. Mission not so failed but mission accomplished. This is functioning.
“Hi--? I’m Mina.”
“I have come here to befriend you, Mina. And I was supposed to knock on your door to say my speech. The Hello, I’m Im Nayeon is my speech to make it up from our first meeting a week ago. But then you surprised me with your sudden smile. I came to the conclusion of losing my words.” I think my speech ended up better after all!
“Let’s be friends then, Nayeonnie!”
“Nayeonnie?”
“Nayeonnie will be my new nickname for you as I find you and your bunny teeth cute.”
“Then, I shall call you Minari!” Nayeon never thought she’d make a new friend after a week.
So, how did they end up having sleepovers each and every night?
In the afternoon where they properly befriended each other, they took a stroll all around the neighbourhood as Mina assisted to give Nayeon a tour. While the sun is about to set and the evening is near, Nayeon purposely admitted,
“Minari, I’m scared of the dark. It’s my worst nightmare to be alone in my bedroom at night, I usually check all the cabinets, drawers, and under my bed because I grew a fear of horror stories.”
Nayeon started to tear up and panic as she couldn’t handle the thought of being alone in her bedroom every night.
Mina, who was about to point out a nearby playground, heard Nayeon ranting as she pulled her in for a hug. The bubbly girl couldn’t find any words of comfort as she decided to cradle the taller girl instead.
Nayeon, has experienced being hugged from her parents but other than them, she hasn't had any single drop of affection or hugs from any of her old friends back from her old town. So, then, it feels all too new to her. She embraces Mina back to immerse herself from the newly found experience.
After a minute or two that felt like a lifetime hugging beneath the sun setting, the pair broke apart from their embrace.
Mina wiped the tears off of the beautiful girl’s face as she brought her handkerchief out to also wipe off the snots of her face. She laughs, “Has anybody told you how cute you are?”
“Even with the snots all over my face? Not a single soul, Minari.” Nayeon felt her face burning but she didn’t mind it at all. Maybe her cheeks got sunburnt from all the walking they did.
“Well, take note that you’re cute Nayeonnie.” She boops Nayeonnie’s nose.
“I have a favour to ask you, Mina. It’s embarrassing and it’s too early for a new friend to ask, I’m your new friend, and you’re my new friend, and and, this favour that I’m about to ask you is too surreal and, you might even unfriend me for this but--”
“You’re rambling Nayeonnie, inhale and exhale, and breathe!” Mina rejoiced.
“It’s just that, I want you to have a sleepover at ours. It's been given that I’m alone in my bedroom and my parents insisted that it'd be a good idea to separate me from their shared bedroom for me to have my own bedroom! I know that I’m already ten and it’s a little step of showing independence but I just wanted company.”
Mina’s face softens. Correction. Her face had been the softest when she had met the girl the first time. She stared at the fragile girl as she replied,
“I accept your invitation Nayeonnie, but I shall ask my parents first for permission. I guarantee you that they'll let me go to the sleepover!”
Nayeon enthusiastically beamed as she shouts out a little, “Yeet!”
The pair walked home to their respective homes as it was already dark.
Dinner was served as the Im family enjoyed their homemade meals. Mrs. Im and Mr. Im took a glance at one another as their daughter had been all smiley the second she arrived from their house.
Unusual they thought.
Mr. Im fake coughed while Mrs. Im slurps her tea quite a bit than usual.
Nayeon shook head from her little world as she senses both of her parents acting unusually.
Unusual they ALL thought.
Nayeon brought her glass of water up to her lips as she looked at her parents one at a time.
“Dad has been fake coughing for the past 5 minutes, Mama has been slurping her hot tea noisily… What are they up to now?”
“What are you two up to, loving mom and dad? Y'all starting to scare me by the look on both of your faces.” Nayeon trailed off.
Mother Im started, “Honey, you’ve been giving high amounts of smiles, bunny hopping throughout everywhere in our house from the moment you walked in! Me and your father’s just surprised, that’s all!”
“I hopped? I bunny hopped? That’s too cranky of me! Though I have to admit, me and Mina’s officially friends! That is the sole reason why I’ve been all smiles but, bunny hopping? I refuse to believe that mom, dad!” Nayeon blurted out a little too quickly.
“Y’know, I can show you proof of you hopping in every room for about 5 minutes, Nayeon. Let me get my phone real quick. Father Im teased.
“DAAAAD--- Alright alright, I believe you two now but don’t show me the video anymore~” The girl covered her eyes.
“Speaking of Mina, how was your afternoon hangout with your new friend?” Mr. Im mentally noted to pray to the upper beings to thank them for granting his prayer.
“Mom and dad, I need you to promise me one thing. And that is not to laugh at my embarrassing proposal.”
“A proposal-?!”
“It’s not what you think it is! Calm your old jeans for the moment.” Nayeon retorts.
The Im parents both let out a relieved sigh as they gestured their daughter to carry on.
“I asked Mina for a sleepover. Like sleep, sleep over. I know that you guys will ground me in any second now but you have to understand that I have trouble sleeping since the day you told me I’ll have my own bedroom. It freaked me out to the point I double checked everything. I blame auntie for this!” Nayeon tried to give out her beginner’s aegyo.
“Your auntie’s horror myths and stories are the reason you’ve been awake for several nights now?” Father Im sympathized.
“Why didn’t you tell us, Nayeon, honey?” Mother Im chimed in.
Nayeon looked down as she didn’t want her parents to see she’s starting to cry. “I was afraid that you’d tell me that I’m only overreacting and you wouldn’t believe me.”
And now, both parents sat up and walked over to their sweet little daughter to comfort her, “Now, now, I want you to remember that what you’re feeling is normal and your feelings are valid, Nayeon. It’s okay to be scared, sad, or even angry! And me and your father wanted to let you know that we welcome you in open arms. Whatever you are trying to deal with, and if you feel uncertain about something, we will help you to cross the bridge. We are here, Nayeon. I love you. We love you.”
Mr. Im’s ears peek at the first part of Nayeon’s rant, “To end that note, number one, congratulations my dear darling, we don’t mind you inviting Mina for a sleepover and I don’t even mind if you have sleepovers every night! Mr. Im’s totally fanboying right now.
“Secondly, we won’t ground you Nayeon. You have done nothing wrong as you only wanted to have a friend to hang out with!” Mrs. Im agrees.
Nayeon was about to thank her parents with tons of hugs and kisses but their doorbell rang.
“Minari?” Nayeon wishes.
The Im parents gave their daughter a knowing look as they gave her a brofist. “Go get the door now, honey!”
“You guys are such dorks, you know that?” The heir of the dorks cheekily grinned.
*Static Noises*
“Fast forward! Fast Forward- Fast Forward. Im Nayeon at your service. If you reached this part of my Ted Talk, Good evening and welcome, I’ve been journaling the events that you have read. It had been over seven years since our first friendly sleepover. Meaning that it’s also been seven years since we befriended one another. If it isn’t that obvious, I am seventeen years old now. I no longer am scared of the dark but I do see myself inviting the Myoi Mina every night as it was out of instinct. Time check, it’s currently 10:18 PM as the legendary Mina is still out of sight.”
“I swear to God, if this Minguini ditched our seven year friendship anniversary, I’d weep-”
*Ding Dong*
Nayeon closes her journal as she rushes out of her room to glide down the stairs. She took a step by step on figuring out how she’ll approach the waiting person outside their door.
“I might give her a minute of scolding but I’d hug her afterwards. I don’t have the will to stay angry for more than a minute or two.”
At last, she reaches the doorknob, finally opening the door to welcome the not-so-late girl. Eighteen minutes to be exact. Mina’s still late.
“Minari-” And so she starts.
“Nayeonnie- before you start your little late Mina scolding lecture, allow me to explain but first, guide me to your room.” Mina saves herself as she confidently smirks.
Nayeon mentally rolled her eyes. “Aye- Alright, I’ll take it but why do I have to guide you to my room anyway? You probably know every single direction or basically our house map at heart by now.”
“Chill grandma, I’m being dramatic over here!” Thus the dramatic girl sneered.
As the pair entered the room, Nayeon was still quite annoyed as Mina arrived late. She turns around only to see Mina has a peculiar cube in hand.
Mina pointed a finger to shush Nayeon as she tried to explain herself.
“I know that we only give each other gifts whenever we have our birthdays or if Christmas comes along but, my parents and I drove to a little part of town to find a toy store. Yes, a toy store. I figured that I, myself, gift you a Rubik’s cube. You may think that we’re a little too old for toys but I wanted to give you this in case you aren’t at ease on one of your off days for an example. I still see you fidgeting your knuckles at times and I wanted you to have something to figure and fidget out whenever you’re anxious, Nayeonnie.” Mina concluded as she sweetly stared at her loving friend.
As Mina gives Nayeon her surprise, Nayeon has calmed down because she is enthralled by a cube toy.
It’s quite a complex fidget toy to play with? It requires a set of moves, understanding the Rubik’s cube itself, it gives you time to think as it lets Nayeon be in her own little world without having to be scared anymore.
The pair proceeded to lay on Nayeon’s bed as she began to inquire about the given cube.
Thankfully, it comes with a newbie’s guide showing how the cube can be solved.
“I hadn’t expected this at all, Minari. Now I’m quite embarrassed since I don’t have anything to give to you. I am determined to surprise you someday. You will see.” Nayeon held Mina as she stroked her hair.
Mina croaks out as she buries her head in Nayeon’s neck,“Happy seventh friendship anniversary, Nayeonnie.”
“Thank you and good night Minayah, happy seventh friendship anniversary as well.” She kisses her friend’s forehead.
Nayeon had another crisis as it hit her.
It started with mixed colours shaped in cube. The colours perfectly shaded with you, remembering the day you filled me with colours. The capability of you making me see true colours, made me wanna fix the cube and be with you. The first layer was the hardest to do, making a flower first until the corner is new. I sighed until the first layer was formed, I never felt tired because I figured out what I am to you.