Work Text:
Prompt: a and b making crafts that remind them of one another
Secret Santa
“Alright, everyone!” Jihyo’s voice echoes throughout the house, “Since it’s almost Christmas, how about we hold a Christmas party? Just between us girls?”
“Ooh! Can we do Secret Santa?” Chaeyoung raises her hand in suggestion.
“That could work… Is everyone fine with that?” They all nod in agreement.
“Alright, it’s settled. Secret Santa it is!”
Jihyo prepares tiny pieces of paper and writes each of the girl’s names, rolling them into even tinier pieces of paper, and placing them in a bowl.
Each girl excitedly grabs a tiny piece of paper, attempting to hide their reactions once they open their chosen paper. Squealing could be heard from some girls, and some remained silent with a poker face.
Mina was the last person to get a piece of paper. And when she opened it, she couldn’t stop her lips from rising upwards slightly.
Chaeyoung
She was happy. Ecstatic even.
By the power of luck, she got her girlfriend. Instantly planning on the possible gifts she could give to her lovely girlfriend of 3 years, she eventually decided on crocheting her a little strawberry pouch and a scarf to keep her warm during winter. Though, there was another thing she thought of giving her girlfriend. But she thought it would be a bit hard to pull off alone.
“Alright,” Jihyo once again steps up, “I’ve decided that we’ll have our little Secret Santa / Christmas party on the 17th!” She points to the calendar, “Since we’re all busy during the weekdays, I thought why not have it on a Saturday so that we can all enjoy the rest of the weekend.” The girls cheered at their little ‘leader’ and they continued with their movie marathon, thoughts full of what to give their friend.
After their little get-together, the girls all head to their respective rooms to turn in for the night.
But Mina couldn’t sleep. She was restless. She was trying hard to think about what to give Chaeyoung. And when she finally had a thought, she grabbed her phone and looked up a knitting class. And the next day, she went and learned how to knit.
When she got home, she finished some of her unfinished work and at night, she grabbed some yarn and some crochet hooks. She started making the strawberry pouch, constantly thinking about Chaeyoung while making it. Even though she made a mistake, she didn’t give up making it.
Around 2 in the morning, and she’s a quarter of the way done, she finally decides to start thinking and planning about her grand gift to Chaeyoung. She thought about what to do, who to ask, and when to do it. Eventually deciding on some tentative answers for all the questions. And after answering her questions, she goes back to giving her full attention to the task at hand, crocheting a strawberry pouch.
While in the process of doing so, she didn’t realize someone had entered her room, “Mina-yah?” The voice startled her from her thoughts, abruptly stopping and looking up to see who it was.
“Sana!” Mina exclaimed, keeping her voice down. “Sana, it’s almost 3 in the morning.” She looks at the clock, realizing how late it was, “Why are you still awake?” Mina asks Sana– and herself mentally.
“I’ve been up all night trying to think of what to give to Momo.” Sana walks over to Mina, sitting beside her on the bed. “I thought about giving her doggy treats, but then I thought that it would be too plain…”
“Why not give her a hat? Or maybe some Japanese snacks?” Mina suggests as she starts clearing her bed of yarn.
“Oh! Doesn’t she like a specific kind of jelly? Frutips was the name?” Mina opens her mouth to say something, but gets cut off by an excited Sana, “Oh!! I can write her a letter too!” She stands up, “Thanks for the help, Mina-chan! I owe you one!” And Sana left the bedroom, leaving a baffled Mina with her mouth agape, still hung up on what she was about to say to Sana.
Mina pouts and looks dejected at the door, “I was gonna suggest getting her something that would remind her of home…” She whispers to herself. Mina shrugs and the drowsiness finally dawns on her, so she snuggles into her covers and falls asleep.
“Tzuyu, are you busy?” Mina asks Tzuyu as she sees the girl preparing a drink, “Well… I kind of am…?” Tzuyu responds as if it was a rhetorical question, raising an eyebrow at the older girl. “Well, I- I kinda need your help with… my Secret Santa…” Mina stutters her way through. “No, Mina-unnie. I’m not the one who got you and I don’t know who,” Tzuyu was quick to respond. “No! I need help with… my… gift… for the person I got…”
It was at this moment that Tzuyu pieces together the way Mina was acting, “You got the strawberry princess didn’t you?” Her shoulders relax and she lets out a sigh. Mina purses her lips and nods, looking down at the drink Tzuyu was still in the process of preparing.
“Mina-unnie, although I work with her here in Momo-unnie’s coffee shop, I don’t know her like you do. You’re the girlfriend, after all,” Tzuyu emphasized the word, making Mina feel a tad bit worse than before, even flinching a bit.
“I have something in mind actually…” Mina starts, intriguing Tzuyu, “And I don’t think I can do it alone. I’ll tell you after your shift ends,” Mina looks at the wall clock above the front door.
Mina ordered a Hot Caffe Mocha while waiting for Tzuyu. She had a pad and a pencil sat by her side, and once Tzuyu sat in the seat opposite of her, she asked her what she thought. Apparently she’d been, “Looking for her savior.”
Tzuyu smiled and playfully rolled her eyes at this.
Mina informs Tzuyu about her plan, who was slightly buzzing with excitement and very eager to help, nodding to everything Mina was saying with a smile on her face. They tried planning every thing that they could handle as a duo, but they soon realized they needed more help.
And in that instant the bell to the coffee shop rang, and a loud voice could be heard calling out to both girls.
“Mina-yah! Tzuyu-yah!” Sana inserts herself into the conversation, grabbing a random chair and dragging it to their table. “What are y’all talking about?” Her signature smile plays on her face. Mina opens her mouth to elaborate but gets stopped by Sana. “Wait! Before you tell me anything. I’m gonna go order real quick.” And she left.
Mina and Tzuyu communicate with their eyes, deciding if it was a good decision to add Sana into the mix. Knowing full well that she might not be able to keep it a secret. But then Mina smirks, confusing the taller girl. I’ll tell you later . She told Tzuyu with her eyes.
“Alright. What’s up?” Sana comes back with a drink in her hand.
“It’s about my Secret Santa…” Sana leans forward and sips her drink, “I got Chaeyoung and I was planning…”
“No wa-!!” Sana sips too hard and chokes a little on her drink, coughing and laughing at herself. Once she recovered, she continued saying, “No way!”
“You better not tell anyone.” Mina narrows her eyes at Sana, silently threatening her. “You gotta promise you won’t tell ANYONE about this, Sana. You said you owed me one after the little stint you pulled last night.” Sana’s eyes widened, “Spill my plan, I spill yours.” Mina said finally, which successfully shut Sana up. Zipped her lips and threw the key.
“So? Are you gonna help?”
“Of course I am!! SaMiTzu Fighting!”
Mina eventually finishes the strawberry pouch a few days before their little get together. She makes sure every stitching is correct and counts it over and over again, checking if she ever made a mistake… again…
After finishing the pouch, Mina creates a group chat with Sana and Tzuyu exclusively, sending pictures of the pouch among other things.
There, the trio talk about the plan. They talk about what they're gonna need, how it's gonna be executed and all that.
One fine morning, the girls are all together in Jihyo's house for their scheduled movie night later that night, Sana and Mina are sitting beside each other on the couch, giggling about some extra little details about their plan and, a few minutes later, Tzuyu joins them as well.
Chaeyoung sees Mina and Tzuyu acting and being so close to each other. Trusting Mina wouldn't cheat this far into their relationship, Chaeyoung sighs and continues helping Momo in the Kitchen.
By the time it was lunch time, Momo whips out a batch of her cooking. The girls huddle up and start eating, sighing contentedly, savoring the taste.
"How are your gifts going?" Jihyo suddenly asks.
"Well-" The girls look at each other, "It's going great! I mean- They're still gifts…?" Chaeyoung laughs as they all nod.
Mina looks down at her plate and secretly glances at Chaeyoung at Jihyo's question. She lifts her head and looks at Sana and Tzuyu, who coincidentally sat next to each other making looking at both girls easier.
Chaeyoung's laugh dies down and she looks at Mina, noticing that she's looking in a different direction, in Sana and Tzuyu's direction. Thinking she was looking only at Tzuyu, Chaeyoung this time pouts a little. "Maybe she got Tzuyu," she tries to shoo away the negative thoughts, then it occurs to her, "wait… I got Tzuyu…" she looks at Mina again, "then why is she…"
The thought lingers in Chaeyoung's mind as the girls start preparing the snacks and beer for their movie night. It really doesn't help Chaeyoung when Mina and Tzuyu are constantly together, not even noticing Sana is present during each time, only focusing on those two for the rest of the afternoon.
Night time arrives and the girls are deciding what movie to watch, and after shutting down Momo's request at watching Monsters Inc. for the nth time of the month, they watch a K-drama.
While Mina, Sana, and Tzuyu are sitting together, scheming together, Chaeyoung grabs a can of beer and a glass of water and sits right in between Sana and Mina. "How does it feel sitting between two goddesses, Chaeyoung-ah?" Sana teases the girl as Chaeyoung rolls her eyes and scoots closer to Mina, who smiles at her.
"How's work?" Chaeyoung whispers to Mina as the intro of the drama begins.
"It's fine. Boss is a bit annoying though, but other than that, it's pretty much the same."
Chaeyoung looks at Tzuyu, who is looking at them with a small smile on her face, and wraps a protective arm around Mina, "What's wrong?" Mina notices a change in the girl's demeanor. "Nothing, just thought you might feel a little cold."
The show went on as usual, with the occasional squeal and yell coming from the girls toward the characters' interactions on screen, and eventually Chaeyoung fell asleep while still holding on to Mina.
Mina smiles down at Chaeyoung when she notices her sleeping form, reaching her hand up to ruffle her hair, and presses a kiss on her temple.
By the time Chaeyoung woke up, only Sana and Dahyun were the only ones who seemed to be invested in the show, the other girls fast asleep or scrolling on their phones. She looked up at Mina and smiled warmly, snuggling closer into her embrace, she looked so at peace, breathing deeply and evenly. Chaeyoung falls back to slumber after watching five minutes of the drama.
"Mina unnie! Chaeyoung-ah!" Dahyun gently shakes them, waking both girls up. "Do either of you know how to make hangover soup?"
The question prompts both girls to raise their brow, "Where's Jihyo for that?" Mina asks as she slightly sits up, still holding onto Chaeyoung. Dahyun points to a sleeping Jihyo on the kitchen isle, a glass of wine in her hand, clearly very drunk to function. "Momo?" Mina asks again, Dahyun shakes her head, "She fell asleep in the master bedroom and locked the door…" Mina sighs at this and gently pats Chaeyoung to excuse herself.
Mina heads to the kitchen and prepares the necessary ingredients for the, very much needed, hangover soup.
"Funny how the person who doesn't drink is making the hangover soup," Sana chuckles at the sight of Mina, crossing her arms and nodding toward the girl who is focused on making the soup.
"Go help her, Chaengie. Be useful instead of just staring at her," Sana smirks at Chaeyoung as she catches her staring dreamily at her girlfriend. She quickly darts her eyes away from Mina and panics, replying with, "What-? Staring at who? I wasn't staring at anyone! Oh look- Mina unnie is in the kitchen, I'll go help her now. Bye!"
Sana giggles at her younger friend, doing her little habit of scrunching her nose toward the girl. She watches Mina and Chaeyoung working together in the kitchen, making the soup for their friends.
By the time everyone had awoken and gathered in the dining room, each girl was enjoying Mina (and Chaeyoung's) hangover soup.
After recovering a bit, Momo apologizes to Dahyun for locking the door, who playfully pouts in return, knowing she can't really get upset at Momo.
The girls leave one by one a little past lunchtime and head back to their respective places. But instead of heading home, Sana and Mina, along with Tzuyu, head to any store to slowly enact their plan for Mina's final gift.
"It should be under the mistletoe! Imagine how romantic that would be!" Sana suggests excitedly.
"Too cliche, unnie…" Tzuyu retorts, deflating Sana instantly. But as soon as Sana turns her back, Tzuyu secretly grabs a synthetic mistletoe from the rack of christmas decorations.
Throughout the entire time they were shopping, Tzuyu's mind slowly drifted away from the main objective, which was helping Mina, and slowly became her just paying close attention to Sana and what she wanted.
She thought she was being sneaky with it, not until Mina comes up to her and goes, "Don't think I haven't noticed you sneaking glances at Sana. I know you took that mistletoe from earlier," Tzuyu's eyes go wide, she'd been caught, "don't worry," Mina reassures her, "I can help you confess too, you know? I can even help set up the mistletoe," she nudges Tzuyu with her elbow, and the taller girl smiles in return.
It's finally D-Day of their little Secret Santa game. The girls are buzzing with excitement as each girl slowly arrives one after another, each carrying a little gift bag.
While the other girls were excited, Mina was anxious. Sana and Tzuyu come up to her though, to talk her out of her nervousness and hype her up. Once Mina calms down a little, Sana smiles and pats Mina's cheeks, leaving both Mina and Tzuyu alone.
A few deep breaths to calm herself even further, Mina notices Tzuyu was now the one shaking a bit. Mina knows why. So she grabs her hands and talks to Tzuyu. Telling her the things they told her earlier.
Chaeyoung, once again, sees this interaction and sighs. Tries to help decorating Jihyo's living room to keep her mind off of them.
It works for a while, until Mina giggles at something Tzuyu says, her head instantly whipping toward where the sound came from, her ears recognizing the sound to be Mina's.
Her jealousy slowly sets in, causing her to audibly huff, making the girls around her look at her with confusion, and after following her gaze, Momo smirks at Chaeyoung. "Calm down, tiger. She's yours. Don't worry."
"I know…" Chaeyoung grumbles as she realizes she's being obvious, "But they've been really close lately. They even went shopping together." Another huff.
" With Sana ." Jihyo adds, "They went shopping with Sana ," Jihyo made sure to emphasize that though Mina and Tzuyu went shopping together, Sana was with them too. "So calm down. She's not going anywhere."
She's planning something big… I can feel it…
Jihyo had been observing her friends recently, trying to figure out who got who. And her attention had been caught on Mina. She noticed the girl being fidgety when talking about her Secret Santa. Stealing glances at Chaeyoung. So figuring out who she got was easy. Jihyo glances at Nayeon, and it seems like she knows as well.
Chaeyoung went on decorating with a small pout on her face. Constantly getting reminded by the other girls that Mina and Tzuyu are probably just having fun with their (almost) silent communication style, “Yeah, but-” would always be her reply.
When it was nearly time for the party, all the girls were even more excited. With Sana squealing in the background every now and then while looking inside her own gift, excited to see how her friend would react to it.
A few minutes pass and the girls begin conversing with each other and eventually it reaches a point where they're almost yelling just to hear each other.
*CLINK* *CLINK* *CLINK*
Jihyo grabs all of their attention and begins her little speech, "Alright everyone! Are we ready for Secret Santa?" The girls start clapping and screaming, "So first things first, I would like to thank everyone for being able to attend, and I would like to thank each and every one of you for making the time and effort to go out of your way to get the gifts for each other. And before Jeongyeon will throw a pillow at me for making this intro too long," Jeongyeon pretends to get offended, still grabbing a pillow, "Let us begin!!"
They decided to go in order of how they were sitting, Chaeyoung, Dahyun, Mina, Nayeon, Jihyo, Momo, Tzuyu, Sana, Jeongyeon… Or at least, it began that way before it slowly derailed…
Chaeyoung gave Tzuyu some scented paper and a hat, which she greatly appreciated, even dancing a bit because of excitement. Dahyun gave Sana a box of chocolate she made herself, then she gave everyone their own piece of chocolate.
It was now Mina's turn. She looked at Tzuyu and Sana again, as if to gain courage. "Can you guys close your eyes? Mine isn't wrapped," she shyly giggled a bit. So everyone closed their eyes. She got up. Walked to Chaeyoung and put the sling bag on her.
Chaeyoung realized it was her that got her gift, she opened her eyes and looked to see the handmade knitted strawberry sling bag Mina made. She covered her mouth in shock at how special the gift was.
As Chaeyoung showed off the bag, Mina was (slightly) relieved of the nervousness she felt. The other girls were bussing about how amazing the bag was and how Mina went through the effort of learning how to knit, and making that bag all in a few days. They all wanted a gift from Mina now.
Chaeyoung walked over to a relieved Mina and gave her a hug, giving her a little peck on the head before going back to her spot.
They eventually move onto the next person, and the next, and the next, until it ends with Tzuyu giving Jihyo a polaroid camera. Although the gift giving was done, they were far from over. With Nayeon suddenly popping out the wine bottles, and Jeongyeon taking the glass from the higher compartment, it was clear they were getting little to no sleep tonight.
Mina and Chaeyoung laugh at their friends from the loveseat in the living room. Mina's heart was still pounding a mile a minute. Constantly thinking about the perfect time to do her last gift. Her thoughts were interrupted by a, "Mina unnie?" from Tzuyu.
It was time.
Tzuyu and Mina had planned beforehand that Tzuyu would confess first, then Mina would follow.
"If Tzuyu has mustered enough courage to do it. Then I should be able to as well," Was what was running through Mina's mind at the moment.
She parted with Chaeyoung and went over to talk to Tzuyu. Chaeyoung once again got hurt a little. But instead of getting upset, she realized that they were planning something after seeing Tzuyu wringing her hands together, shaking.
"Mina unnie, I can't do it!" Tzuyu exclaimed quietly.
Mina blinked at Tzuyu…
"Tzuyu-ah." Mina looked her dead in the eyes, "You got this." Tzuyu pouts, "B-but what if she-" "She's not going to reject you!" Mina places her hands on both of Tzuyu's shoulders.
After a few minutes of them pep talking to each other, they each let out a deep breath, and they parted ways.
Chaeyoung watched Mina go into one of the rooms, and switched her attention to Tzuyu.
Tzuyu was walking toward Sana and told her something, grabbed her wrist, and carefully dragged her away from the others.
What Chaeyoung wasn't expecting was Tzuyu dragging Sana into the same room Mina had entered earlier. She got a bit curious and followed quietly.
"We need to talk," Were the first words coming from Tzuyu.
"If this is about Mina's present, we already finished it," Sana sits on the bed, thinking about any other reason Tzuyu wanted to talk.
"Not that… Not about Mina unnie…" Tzuyu sits beside her, "It's about us…"
Chaeyoung noticed the background noise of the other girls clamoring had gone silent. She turned her head to see all of them poking their heads in the slightly open door to hear the serious conversation.
"Sana unnie, I-"
Sana waits for Tzuyu to continue, not opening her mouth once.
"I like you," Tzuyu blurts out, "as more than a friend!" She turns her head to look away, embarrassed at their situation.
Sana takes a few seconds to process the very brief, but important information Tzuyu just said. Then she smiles. Brightly.
"Tzuyu-ah," Her voice sweet as honey, making Tzuyu look back at her, "I thought you'd never say that," pulling her into a hug.
It's Mina's time to shine. The mistletoe Tzuyu bought secretly had been placed on the ceiling, right above the bed. Mina just had to remove the strip of tape. And she accomplished it, rolling away back into the darkness whispering, "Ninja Peng."
Sana laughs at the conveniently placed mistletoe and comments about how she thought Tzuyu didn't like cliche things. And after learning Tzuyu had secretly bought the lovely decoration, she pulled her in for their first ever kiss.
The other girls couldn't keep their mouths shut. Busting the door open with yells and claps. Sana and Tzuyu hold each other close as the other girls walk towards them. Mina comes out from the darkness and joins the other girls in teasing the new couple.
"So this is what they had been plotting," Chaeyoung nods to herself as she leans on the doorframe. "Aigoo Chaeyoung-ah. Always thinking the worst of things. Forever the pessimist," she knocks on her head as if scolding herself.
They continue their party like before, but now with a few teases and squeals thrown here and there toward the new couple.
As Mina watches Tzuyu and Sana, a warm smile forms on her face. Is that what it would feel like if I just… did it right now? She looks back at Chaeyoung and suddenly her breathing goes uneven. Inhaling deeply and exhaling raggedly. The fear is setting in.
Sana, thankfully, notices Mina and drags Tzuyu with her to talk to the girl.
“Mina unnie?” Tzuyu places a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m fine…”
“Mina-yah, I get that you’re scared, but please, calm down,” Sana tells Mina without alerting the other girls of how Mina was acting.
“I know. I’m really trying,” She looks up at their eyes, “But what if she says no?” Her hands tremble.
“If Tzuyu could do it, so can you.”
Mina blinks a few times then comes to the realization, Right! I helped Tzuyu. And I know these two will help me. If Tzuyu did her part, then I should do mine too.
“Alright… Let’s do this,” Mina gives both girls a firm nod, “You two know what to do right?”
“Let’s do this.”
With one last deep breath, Mina calls out to Chaeyoung from inside one of the rooms, “Chaeng! Can you come help me out real quick?”
Chaeyoung was quick to follow her voice and she entered a dark room. Confused, Chaeyoung calls out to Mina, “Mina? Where are you?”
“I’m here!” Her voice comes from the darkness, “I’m kinda stuck and I need someone to turn on the light.”
Chaeyoung easily finds the light switch and flips it on. The sight she’s greeted with… Well…
There were rose petals littering the floor.. A velvet ribbon is tied from one end of the room to the other, with polaroids and pictures of them plastered on it.
A smile plays on Chaeyoung lips as she slowly enters the room. She looks around in awe. She goes closer to the polaroids and reminisces about their time together. Memories come rushing back to her as soon as she sees the photos. But…
Where was Mina?
Suddenly, Tzuyu is there beside her. She grabs one of Chaeyoung’s hands and leads her to the bed, pushing her shoulders to make her sit down. Now Chaeyoung is even more confused. Tzuyu just smiles at her and leaves the room.
Chaeyoung-ah…
A voice could be heard over a speaker somewhere in the room. A voice that clearly belonged to Mina.
Remember that time when we were still new to all this ‘relationship’ stuff when we were asked the question, “Who do you want to date, with marriage in mind?” And we somehow pointed to each other?
Chaeyoung nodded even though she knew no one would see her.
I genuinely didn’t think twice about that question. I’m not gonna lie, I was blushing hard when you told them, “I think she would make a good wife and a wise mother.”
Remember when we went to that haunted house? You were holding on to me so much! It was totally the perfect excuse to hold your hand.
We would play games until early in the morning. We’d make lego sets. And we even did some art here and there…
Chaeyoung, I don’t know if you’ve realized yet, but I love you. With all my heart.
You know, before I met you, Momo and Sana always told me I was closed off, and that I needed to get out of my shell, explore a bit. Apparently I had, “A heart of ice,” They’re so extra, I swear.
Chaeyoung could totally see Mina playfully rolling her eyes with a smile on her face when she said that about Momo and Sana.
I guess they were a little right…
Before I met you, I completely thought I would die alone. No one could handle my homebody self. They always wanted to go out on dates and wanted extravagant things.
But you… You were different… When I’m with you, I don’t have to do anything. I don’t have to force myself to talk. I’m so comfortable with you. We'd spend the night together playing and drawing. Cuddling each other with our plushie penguins and tigers beside us.
I thought hard about when to do this. I thought about beaches and all that. But the opportunity presented itself in the form of Jihyo’s Secret Santa game. And by the power of the penguin gods, I got you. And with the help of Tzuyu and Sana, we made this thing happen.
I don’t know the exact moment when I thought that you were the one, but… I am completely certain that you are the one for me.
Mina comes out from behind the curtain, slowly walking behind Chaeyoung who was still focused on listening to Mina’s voice over the speaker.
Somewhere along the way of our relationship, I started imagining what life would be like with you forever by my side.
Those times we’d be dancing in our room. The laughter we’d shared together. The tears we’ve shed.
“And the love we share,”
Chaeyoung got surprised when Mina came to her side, saying the same thing as the recording. It’s at this point where Mina notices the tears that had formed in Chaeyoung’s eyes.
She stares into her glossy eyes and finishes her little speech.
“I didn’t really think ahead about my speech,” Mina chuckled as she held Chaeyoung’s face in her hands. “I recorded it this morning.”
They stare into each other’s eyes for a few moments, then Mina presses a button on a tiny remote she had in her hands.
The gift I gave you earlier… Did you see what was inside?
The voice from the speaker was back.
Chaeyoung blinks back her tears as she shakes her head no.
Open it and see what’s inside.
Chaeyoung, still wearing the knitted sling bag Mina gifted her earlier, carefully opens the bag and reaches inside.
A box.
Taking it outside the bag, Mina slowly grabs it and gets down on one knee.
“Chaeyoung-ah. I honestly don’t know what to say anymore. My mind is a mess. I wrote a speech back in the dorm but I forgot all the words,” She smiled tearfully.
“Chaeyoung. You’ve been the light of my life these past few years. You’ve melted my ‘Icy heart’ and you have it wrapped around your little finger. You helped me through my anxiety and have helped me to be confident. I walk around with pride knowing you’re there to support me. I love you so much that I want to see your face first thing in the morning when I wake up.”
A tear falls from Chaeyoung’s eyes as she looks down at the girl she loves so dearly.
“I love you so much that I can’t imagine my future without you in it.” Mina grips the tiny box tightly.
“I know you aren’t really particular about these things. But I wanted this to be perfect.”
It was time.
Those four words, on the tip of Mina’s tongue.
“Chaeyoung, would you be so kind as to stay by my side forever?”
She opens the box to show a ring nestled right in the middle.
“Will you marry me?”
Chaeyoung couldn’t speak. She knew that if she spoke, the tears would just come rushing out and she wouldn't be able to stop it. So she nods.
Mina let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding. She finally let herself go and lets the tears flow.
“Yes,” Chaeyoung chokes out, “A million times. Yes.”
Mina takes the ring from the box and slowly slips it on Chaeyoung’s finger.
They share a look before sharing a kiss.
“I love you,” Mina tells Chaeyoung for the hundredth time today.
“I love you too,” Chaeyoung wraps her arms around Mina’s neck and kisses her again.
The two share a very intimate and quiet moment, the silence only filled with sobs and chuckles from the two girls.
Well- It was silent for a moment… Until it wasn’t…
Sounds of clapping and cheering come from the other girls outside the door. They had witnessed the entire thing because Sana had placed a camera in the room and connected it to the tv in the living room for everyone to see.
“Congrats Mina-yah! You finally did it!” Jeongyeon enters the room first, clapping and shakes her head in disbelief.
“I really didn’t think you'd be able to pull it off, Minari,” Momo comments as she enters the room as well.
All the girls slowly enter the room one by one and offer their congratulations.
Mina and Chaeyoung hold each other close and giggle when they look at each other.
By the time the girls had calmed down a bit about the proposal, they decided to go back to the living room to formally wrap things up.
“So,” Jihyo begins, “Today was completely unexpected, wasn’t it?” receiving nods from the other girls, “We got a new couple,” Jihyo uses her wine glass to gesture toward Sana and Tzuyu, “And we got the most adorable proposal from Minari,” She smiles shyly and ducks her head down. “Congratulations to both couples,” Jihyo raises her glass to a toast.
By the time midnight rolled in, most of the girls were sleepy, and some were drunk.
They all agreed beforehand that they’d be spending the night at Jihyo’s so they didn’t have to worry about going home.
The other girls equally decided that both couples should get the bedrooms while they would sleep either in the guest bedroom or in the living room. And though both couples first declined the notion, they were outnumbered when it came to the final decision. So they accepted it and went into their respective rooms. But not without a, “Don’t do anything I won’t do!” from Dahyun. Which earned her a pillow thrown at her face.
“I can’t believe both our maknaes got their girls secured,” Dahyun randomly comments.
“Oh hush, you’ve got Momo for that,” Came Nayeon's reply.
“Shut it, Jeongyeon stan,” Dahyun countered back as she threatened Nayeon with her eyes.
“You take that back!” Nayeon throws a pillow at Dahyun. Again. What is it with her and getting thrown pillows at.
“Is this a sign I will die single and alone?” Jihyo sighs as she looks at her friends– her family, falling in love with one another.
In Mina and Chaeyoung’s bedroom, they talk about all sorts of things. Nonsensical things. They talk about anything and everything. Whispering sweet nothings to each other. Eventually falling asleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.
And in Tzuyu and Sana’s room, they share a few shy kisses. Still reeling in the fact that this is real.
Morning comes and everything is like they used to be. Except it wasn’t. Sana and Tzuyu are officially a couple, and Mina and Chaeyoung are officially engaged. It still doesn’t feel real yet. But it’s as real as it gets.
Mina once again prepares the hangover soup like before, but not without a few kisses stolen by Chaeyoung, distracting her from finishing the soup. A groan from Dahyun thrown their way, and they jumped apart, almost like they were teenagers being caught in the act, giggling after.
Once the girls had woken up and eaten Mina’s soup, Chaeyoung and Mina sit on the couch. Just holding each other’s hand.
“You know,” Mina starts, making Chaeyoung hum in response, “I was gonna make a joke while proposing,”
“What was it?”
Mina already starts giggling at the thought. She grabs her phone and types something in. Then-
Hey boy
Look, I’m gonna make this simple for you.
You’ve got two choices.
Yes… or Yes!
They burst out laughing. “Why didn’t you do it?” Chaeyoung asks in between laughter.
“Because I knew you were gonna say Yes.”